“As a golf course architect what suggestions can you give a
superintendent on how to deal with a new green chairman who wants to play golf
architect?”
I have been designing and building golf courses for nearly
25 years. The beauty and challenge of
having been at it for so long is that I have had the pleasure of working with
several clubs for over 15 years…which means I have had to deal with a fair
share of green chairperson turnover.
Sometimes the transition is seamless, as the new chair might
have been a long standing member of the greens committee and shared in
establishing the direction of the Club.
Other times it can be a mutiny where a greens chair is being pushed out
due to philosophical disagreements or personality conflicts.
As a golf course superintendent the relationship with the greens
chair can vary in many ways. There are
those that take on an aggressive approach with the superintendent, trying to
set and push forward a personal agenda that may or may not be productive and/or
best for the golf course. There are also
those that will defer to the knowledge of the golf course superintendent regarding
most issues on the golf course…this can work well and be productive as long the
superintendent has a clear and manageable vision. Usually the relationship between the superintendent
and the greens chair falls somewhere in between these extremes.
In order to establish credibility with a new green chair
there must be clear and concise objectives set forth as well as a communication
protocol that is productive.
1.
A Look Back
A great place to start with a new green chair
is to bring them up to speed with what has gone on over the last season or
two. This means outlining the good and
the bad. It means developing a clear
picture of the golf course from an historical perspective to allow the new
green chair to work from a point of knowledge and understanding.
2.
Golf Course Master Plan
If a master plan is in place that was
developed by a qualified golf course architect, this will answer a lot of
questions the new green chair may have.
A comprehensive golf course master plan identifies enhancement
opportunities throughout the golf course considering strategic, agronomic and
aesthetic issues. The master plan will
also address playability for all skill levels, maintainability of the features
on the course and life cycle planning for bunkers, greens, cart paths and tees. If the course has an historic pedigree a
Master Restoration Plan is the best tool to ensure that any improvements to the
course are restorative in nature and embrace the course’s past.
3.
USGA Visit and Site Report
The USGA provides an invaluable site
analysis service that delivers the golf course superintendent and the greens
committee recommendations regarding overall maintenance practices, agronomic
and environmental conditions, tree management and general enhancement ideas. The USGA report along with the Golf Course
Master Plan are the main tools which give direction and rationale to the
improvement process. These tools also
give credibility to the planning and execution process allowing the greens
chairperson and committee to work more productively with Club Boards and Club
Administration.
4.
Make it Official
Clubs may also decide to have Golf Course
Master Plans and supporting improvements directives and recommendations written
into the by laws of the Club. This will
provide for clear direction, consistent results and quickly resolve
disagreements regarding architectural ideas.
As with every Master Plan, there should be some level of flexibility
allowing for productive discussion, but the plan should establish a path that
is consistent with the overall goals and objectives of the Club.
It is important that the green chairperson doesn’t seek to
put their singular stamp on the golf course.
I can’t tell you how many times I have dealt with greens committees and
chairs that have just returned from some resort golf vacation, saw a unique
style or feature and insisted that they needed this feature on their course.
It is also important that the relationship between the golf
course superintendent the new greens chair begin from a point of mutual
respect. In many cases the new greens
chair brings extensive golf knowledge either through travel or as an avid
player that may add value to the planning of improvements to the golf
course. Enhancements to the golf course
should always be a team effort. In fact,
I have found that in most cases the original ideas for change built into a
master plan only get better when executed with an engaged team.
Quite simply, the best way to deal with a new greens chair
who wants to play architect is to hire a qualified golf course architect to
work with the Club. This can be as
simple as a consulting relationship to address and solve specific issues on the
golf course or can extend to the provision of a comprehensive golf course master
plan for the course. I either case the
architect will work closely “with” the chairperson, the committee and the golf
course superintendent in the best interest of the Club. This also has a tendency to take some of the
pressure off both the golf course superintendent and the greens chair when
addressing club members, committees and boards.
Integrating the Golf Course Master Plan with the commission
of a USGA report and the provision of an education session by the golf course
superintendent with the new greens chairperson will provide the necessary foundation
for a strong productive relationship.
