I think I need to clarify my post. I am not trying to discredit any superintendent or golf course. On the contrary, I am trying to defend them. Also, the only reason, I chose to discuss Kingsley, Sand Hills, and High Pointe, is because I have first hand knowledge of them. When an architect specs a turf that he feels fits the style of the golf course and the location relative to climate and soil conditions, I would hope that they involve the superintendent. In Kingsley's case I believe that to be true. If I remember correctly Mike and Dan did discuss turfs and Dan agreed that they would try the fescue. In many cases that is not the arrangement and a superintendent gets stuck with the turf that an architects specs, which in many cases is not a good fit. Things go wrong and the superintendent in the vast number of cases is to blame. If anyone is going to make the fescue work, it is Dan Lucas. He is the king of firm, fast and dry. It is how he kept Mistwood and it is how he has Kingsley. I do fear however, that no matter what he does, he will have fescue knobs and bent/poa valleys. If I recall, the vast majority of the poa already follows the drainage patterns of the course. The entire course may only be 2% poa, but in some areas it is already pushing 100%. As the membership increases, so will the traffic and divots, which will add greatly to the struggle to keep it poa free. I also fear that he will eventually have a thatch and compaction problem, no matter how judiciously he waters and fertilizes. I would like to know if he is going to aerify the fairways and if so, is he concerned about opening the turf and allowing the fescue to germinate. Money takes care of many things, but in times like these, it is difficult to justify the extra cost of eradicating poa. I understand that Sand Hills would play slightly different with another turf, but is fescue worth the cost of making snow? Like I said from what I saw two years ago, they are already too late in all of the low areas. Architects need to remember that after they leave the superintendent is faced with a limited budget and an owner that hates annual bluegrass. I am quite certain that more courses seeded to fescue have failed than succeeded; yet they continue to build them. The problem with the “burn out” theory is that fescue does not spread rapidly, so the poa will come right back, that is why it is there in the first place to be burned out. Poa is an amazing turf in that it likes all of the conditions that thin out other turfs and its prolific seed production lends to its ability to slowly take over. Fescue is not the magical grass that it is made out to be by some people on this site. It is an awesome surface to play on and it gives some layouts an incredible look, but try to maintain it once and you will wonder if it is a war that can be won. Some of the statements you hear from certain architects now days, make you think fescue does not need any attention, and in fact I think some of them think it is such a good turf it even mows itself!! Not true. Lets have this same discussion in a few years and some of you might agree with me.
RJ-You have a wonderful place there, I just hope you do not expect miracles from a mortal, but like I said if it can be done, you have the right guy on it.