Wednesday, February 11, 2004
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Wednesday, February 11, 2004 |
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Along the fairways San Diego, CA — With the temperature in the mid-70s, not a cloud in the sky, and a mild breeze this may be one of the best places on earth to be in February. Sitting out on the deck of the hotel restaurant here on Shelter Island as far as I can see there are boats, luxury boats and more boats. I’m been enjoying this magnificent venue as the result of attending the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America 75th Annual Conference and Trade Show. Yes, I’m hanging with that all too often unappreciated golf facility staffer that constantly partners with mother-nature, ever changing technology, chemistry and specialized machinery to provide golfers with lush green paradises on which to play the game. The conference and trade show are the annual gathering of “grass farmers” and the vendors and suppliers that collectively war against weeds, bugs, too little water, too much water and shrinking maintenance budgets. Unlike the PGA Show there are no shiny golf clubs, golf balls or fashion to examine. Here you sit upon massive tractors, mowers designed to cut everything from greens to the dreaded rough and there are sprayers that look like something from a sci-fi movie. All the familiar names are here; John Deere, Toro, EZGO, Club Car, Yamaha Golf Cars and hundreds more exhibitors all presenting products and services to assist the superintendent and crew ways to make gaze down that first fairway and say “wow”. I was introduced to rubber coated sand, mowers featuring magnetic-attached bed knifes and recycled plastic-wood benches. Golf course signage can be acquired in granite, brass, aluminum and good old American plastic. Now as a golf course owner I was fascinated with the degree of technology that superintendents are required to not only utilize but also how much continuing study is essential to get their job done. I was further enthralled with the efforts of both superintendents and the suppliers to create economic and environmentally sensitive solutions to the challenges of maintaining beautiful turf. Diseases that threaten to render lush turf little more than dirt can overtake our golf courses with little notice and could go undetected were it not for the watchful eye of the highly trained people we so regularly overlook, the golf course superintendents. When the golf experience is memorable often the club pro gets all the pats on the back and while this may seem odd coming from a 25-year PGA golf pro, without the dedication of a good superintendent and crew that experience will be remembered more for a bad golf course than all else. So this spring when you gaze down that first fairway and are greeted by a beautiful landscape give a little credit to mother-nature and a lot of “at a boys” to the golf course superintendent. They deserve your appreciation. More than ever they have mine. At last much is good again in pro golf, John Daly has won on the PGA Tour for the first time in 9 years, his last win coming at the 1995 British Open. Big John’s story has been well chronicled and I won’t revisit his trials. He is the every man’s champion and I suspect that Sunday evening across America golf fans raised a glass to toast John’s victory in the Buick Invitational. Hopefully he didn’t raise many himself. Let me add my applause — John Daly winning is good for the game. See ya along America’s Fairways. John W. Boykin PGA Member Professional Owner, The Palmer Course at Starr’s Mill Back
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