A tough summer in Philadelphia

[TEPaul]

"How are the greens at Gulph Mills holding up...and...What type of grass did you use to re-grass?"

Jamie:

Last time I was there they were good, as apparently Philly Country's are. Both of us have the "A" strain. Obviously the difference is neither or us "tournament stressed" them in this curious weather cycle we just went through. There's no real traffic stress at GMGC either, as you know. That doesn't really happen with a club that's never done 15,000 rounds in a single year.  
 
 

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

As you would probably expect, Texarkana CC is flourishing with the heat and afternoon thundershowers, the bermuda is more than happy.
Whilst we are certianly down in total rainfall for the year, a couple of drilled weels last winter have more than paid for themselves, and our course has never looked better.
We recently staged the State matchplay championship and got rave reviews from all the players a nd state golf staff.
They all wondered why we do not play here every year.

I would love to have some of you guys out here for a visit...I can assure you the green fees would be waived and the club would bend over backwards to make a group from GCA happy.

An early fall trip would be ideal...some of you guys think about it, I promise you would not be dissapointed.

[TEPaul]

Michael:

What do you think the feasiblity is of Philadelphia golf courses having bermuda grass from about the middle of June to Labor Day and then transition back to our bents the rest of the time each year?

Come on all you sophisticated agronomists and supers out there who're always throwing around these big words none of us laymen understand---that would be a piece of cake, right? Basically just a simple matter of logistics, right? If you guys can't figure out how to sod entire courses out of bent and into bermuda overnight on June 15, and then sod back out of bermuda and into bent overnight on Sept 1, I think you're all worthless and should have your salaries slashed by at least half.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Tom
I fear there are some things that even money cannot buy...and I think you have stumbled on one of them..
However, I do not think it is that often that you guys have to worry about losing your bent greens, and any bent down here are certainly not as good as those in the northeast, irrespective of the budget the course may have.

Bermuda has is pros and cons, but I love it..the hardy little begger that it is

[TEPaul]

Michael:

Up until about 12 years ago, we, at GMGC, had one of the oddest combinations of fairway grass ever known in the northeast. It was rye and bermuda and we may've been the only club up here that had a combo like that.

[Mike_Cirba]

Michael:

Up until about 12 years ago, we, at GMGC, had one of the oddest combinations of fairway grass ever known in the northeast. It was rye and bermuda and we may've been the only club up here that had a combo like that.

Tom,

Did one of the members inadvertedly bring the seeds of that weed up on the soles of their sneakers one spring?  

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

What most, if not all of these clubs fail to realize is that WATER may not always be available in unlimited supply or at bargain prices.

And, when either of those two events occur, they're going to be in even deeper trouble.

The problem is the inherent conflict between the membership's desire for green golf at any price and the superintendent's desire for healthy turf at lower costs.

It amazes me that clubs don't embark upon better water management practices.  Conservation is their ally not their enemy.

I hear superintendents complaining that members are complaining because some of the grass is turning yellowish brown in 90 -100 degree temperatures.

Imagine what would happen if we were under drought conditions and water was rationed as it was a few years ago.

Clubs need to understand that WATER will become a limited and an expensive commodity in the future and that their golfing needs will be better served by weaning their golf course off of water.

This is a process that requires time, vision and resolve.

Clubs that don't embark on this process will find themselves at risk at some point in the future.

[Tyler Kearns]

It amazes me that clubs don't embark upon better water management practices.  Conservation is their ally not their enemy.

Clubs need to understand that WATER will become a limited and an expensive commodity in the future and that their golfing needs will be better served by weaning their golf course off of water.

Patrick,

Well put, I couldn't agree with you more.

TK

[TEPaul]

Pat:

And that's precisely why more clubs should look at the things HVGC started doing almost 20 years ago now on their own when they turned thngs around this way to the way they do their mainteance practices regarding artificial irrigation now. The good news is some clubs around here are looking at the way HVGC does things this way. Hopefully more clubs will get on that road after carefully checking out HVGC's overall maintenance practices. On here this is a recommendation some of us have been making for years now regarding getting others in touch with HVGC to see the efficacy of doing things their way in this area.

[PThomas]

Pat - thanks for saying the same things I have also posted  several times!

[TEPaul]

"Pat - thanks for saying the same things I have also posted  several times!"

Paul:

Pat tends to do that all the time. He repeats what others have said acting like he thought of it. He's been repeating the things I've taught him for years now. I guess that's a sign of a great Master Teacher, though, to impart things in such a way so the little novice student actually thinks he thought of it.

[George Pazin]

Bumping to see if anyone would care to share Jamie's results. I'm hoping I get to see him play at Merion later this month.

[wsmorrison]

Here are some photos taken today at the US Am qualifying at Rolling Green featuring GCA.com's very own Jamie Slonis:

Jamie teeing off on 10



10 green



Jamie on 12 tee



Jamie's approach to 12 green



Problem area on front of 12 green.  



Problem area on rear of 12 green

[wsmorrison]

George,

I left a bit early.  Jamie was even 71 at Llanerch yesterday and 1 over for 12 holes at Rolling Green today.  He's playing in the British Mid-Am at Muirfield next week.  Hopefully at Merion later this month as you say.  If you make it out here, I do hope we'll get together.

[Kyle Harris]

Nice photography Wayne  

George,

I believe I owe you a cheesesteak and an Ayn Rand discussion.  

[wsmorrison]

Thanks, Kyle.  Good to see you and nice to meet Jim Rattigan!  Let's get up to Schuykill CC sometime soon.

[George Pazin]

Problem areas? At my home muni those conditions are de riguer! (Sorry if I misspelled or misused that!)

Kyle -

Hopefully we'll share both in a few weeks.

[TEPaul]

"Tom,
Did one of the members inadvertedly bring the seeds of that weed up on the soles of their sneakers one spring?"

MikeC:

No, that was a purposeful combination. The guy who proposed and did it at the club was Mike Wistar (who had novel ideas on some things). He thought for some reason it was an offsetting coloration kind of thing. I remember it---half the fairways were both green and brown some of the time due to the dormancy. I think we checked when we changed and the only other club we could see that had that odd combo was the St Louis C.C.  

[JSlonis]

Hey Guys,

It was great to meet Wayne, Kyle & Bob today at Rolling Green.  Thanks for introducing yourselves.

Unfortunately I ended up missing a playoff for the last spot by 1 stroke.  I finished the qualifier 71-72=143.  Hit it good enough to shoot what I needed to at RG today but I just couldn't seem to get the ball to the hole all day on the greens.

Wayne...I hit to about 10 feet on 14# and missed the birdie putt and about 8 feet on #16.  I lipped it out on #16 through the "war zone".

[George Pazin]

Jamie, you didn't miss the playoff, you added wrong: 71 + 71 = 142.

Good luck at the British Mid Am.

[RJ_Daley]

A pair of 71s is a mighty fine effort.  Good luck at British Mid-Am.

71+71=143,  Was it THAT HOT out there today?  

[wsmorrison]

Jamie,

It was a pleasure to meet you and your father as well.  I admire your father for caddying for you...I was spent after carrying for Burt McHugh yesterday and today was hotter still.

I thought even par was gonna get it done for you today.  Sorry you just missed.  15 and 17 were probably your best chances to make birdie on given the awful conditioning of 16.  How did it go on those two holes?  Nice shot at 14, that's a tough hole to need birdie on.

Why do you think the scoring was a bit higher on Llanerch than RGGC?

Good luck at Muirfield.  Let's get together when you get back.  Sorry the opportunity won't be interrupted by the US Am.

Any word on Chet's wife and new baby?  Best regards to their family!  Sorry he had to WD.

[JSlonis]

Thanks for pointing out my typo...it's corrected.

Wayne,

On #15 I made par.  I birdied #17, but followed it up with a poor drive on #18 which cost me a bogey.

As far as the scores being higher at Llanerch...I'm not so sure.  I haven't really looked that closely, but I thought from first glance that overall, the scores were higher at RG.  If in fact the scores were higher at Llanerch, I would attribute it to a couple of things.  #1.  The new fairways are in poor condition.  Guys could have struggled with tough lies.  I'm not sure what happened there, but the turf is very thin throughout the fairways. #2.  The new bunkers have not settled at all yet.  The sand depths are very deep, and they appeared to be very difficult to play any quality shot from.  I heard from a lot of guys who left shots in the buker on their first attempt.

I did call Chet yesterday, but have not heard back from him.  he is usually great about returning calls, so maybe there is news on the baby front.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat - thanks for saying the same things I have also posted  several times!

Paul Thomas,

You're a little late to the dance.

I've been postiing those thoughts before you ever heard of GCA.com, but, it's nice to know that others share my beliefs.

As to TEPaul, I've been imparting pearls of wisdom upon him for years, he forgets when and where he heard them, and then like a parrot awakening from a self induced coma, pawns them off as his own remarks sometime later.

TEPaul,

I agree, clubs like HVGC should be applauded for their efforts.

It's very difficult to get memberships to "see the light" and make the ongoing committment toward intelligent water use and prudent maintainance practices.

One hopes that some of the "elite" clubs will set the example, that others may follow.  Golf tends to work that way.
Once members hear that a certain club is embarking upon a certain practice, it gives that particular practice credibility and acceptance that it's also ok for their club to undertake the same practice.

It's like tree removal, it's keeping up with the Jones's in a positive way.

Jamie Slonis,

When are you going to return my shorts ?[/color]

[TEPaul]

Jamie:

I'm sorry you missed qualifying by a shot or two. In those photos your alignment looks great, your posture and position looks great and your finish looks fine in that one photo. But it's pretty obvious, nonetheless, why you missed by a shot or two-----your legs just aren't quite tan enough for this time of year and you know what that means!

On the other hand it's clear to see why Clint Deibert won the Philly Amateur----he had the tannest legs in the field and you know what that means.

You listen to these pearls of wisdom from old Tom now---even if they're somewhat unfathomable, they are nevertheless totally true.