When the NFL season ended, head coaches were dismissed in typical fashion. Brought in to make things “better”, they failed to deliver despite the short window they were given. Golf course owners can be a bit like NFL owners, treating our superintendents much like we would treat our coaches. End of year chopping block… because we think the grass could be greener (pun intended). When patience is thin, and there isn’t enough “GREEN”, both kinds of owners move on. The cycle repeats.
There is a problem with this theory. In order to be successful, you need to understand what you have. New coaches don’t always understand the attributes of all 53 players, and new superintendents have no idea what is below the grassy surface. In order to be effective, both need to assess what they have, watch it in action, find the good, find the bad, develop a plan, develop a contingency plan, experiment, refine, and then perfect. This could take years. Augusta National doesn’t have better grass, but they do have a handle on “what works” for their property.
I believe that having the “same person” will lead to a far better outcome than having the “most famous” person. We have had the same maintenance team since the course was planted in 2002. I would also put our conditions up against any public course in the area. It’s not luck, it’s not money, it’s learning…and learning requires an owner’s patience. The team is enjoying it’s 22nd year together. We know what we have.
