For golf course superintendents, late summer is one of the most stressful times of the year—both psychologically speaking and literally for the pressure the turf is under during intense heat and drought conditions. Those who care for our courses must walk the fine line between using enough water to keep the grass alive and healthy, but not too much that they deplete the resource entirely. All while keeping golfers happy.
That they successfully manage this delicate balance is one of the many reasons why on Sept. 9, golfers around the world are encouraged to celebrate International “Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day.” Golfers can show their appreciation by thanking their super in person or on social media by using the hashtag #ThankASuper. The celebration is spearheaded by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of American (GCSAA) in conjunction with other global superintendent groups.
This year has been particularly tough for many superintendents around the country who have wrestled with extreme heat waves and extended periods of drought. Such has been the case in the Northeast, says Dave Peterson, superintendent at Silvermine G.C. in Norwalk Conn. After a cool, wet start to the summer in Connecticut, Peterson says the area has been experiencing drought conditions since mid-July.
ASK A SUPER: Pro golfers do this every time they leave a bunker, but do you really need to?
“Most guys are working with less than three inches of rain in the past two months, so it’s been a challenge,” Peterson says.
It’s especially in times of drought like these that superintendents show their mastery of agronomics. Peterson says the key to maintaining healthy and playable turf while using water responsibly comes down to only using water where you absolutely need it.
That process takes two steps. First, supers must decide which areas of the course should get water. Peterson makes this determination based on acreage and importance. “Greens, obviously, are the most important commodity. Luckily, they’re low acreage so they don’t take as much water to keep them going,” he says. “Those are priority number one, with tees coming in next. Then come your higher acreage areas, fairways and rough, and it goes from there.”
When water supply runs low, supers prioritize watering the greens over all else.
Yeongsik Im
That’s why in periods of drought, golfers often notice the fairways and rough tend to get brown while the greens often maintain their normal hues. Healthy greens, of course, are critical to the enjoyment and integrity of the game, but more than that, given that they’re cut to such short heights, they require the most diligent care of all the grasses on the course. When resources are limited, they get the attention.
Rough, on the other hand, is less important. For one, having rough that is more brown and less dense only minimally impacts a course’s playability. Additionally, Peterson says that the rough can be more resilient in drought conditions, so he doesn’t worry as much about whether it is getting the maximum amount of water. “You can keep things brown and still have them alive and come back pretty quickly once the rainfall starts,” he says.
That hierarchy of water need, based on acreage and importance, is essential, but for superintendents to accurately execute their plan, they rely on technology. Sprinkler head technology has greatly advanced within the last 20 years, allowing supers to turn individual sprinkler heads on and off, all from their phones.
“The software in the last 10 to 15 years has really made a huge difference of making it so much easier,” Peterson says. “We can [control them] on our phones now. With a few clicks, you can pop just the heads that you want and shut everything else off. It’s much more user-friendly than it used to be.”
ASK A SUPER: Why you might be throwing broken tees in the wrong spot
By controlling individual sprinkler heads, Peterson can water the greens and other in-demand surfaces—like “fairway hot spots,” where golfers often play from—while not using as much water on the surfaces that either don’t get as much play or don’t need as much water to survive. At Silvermine, this can cut water usage by upwards of 60 percent, Peterson says. This method is far superior to simply watering all areas of the course equally because supers better ensure that they won’t run out of the limited water that they do have, and it guarantees that the greens receive the water and attention they need.
So when you notice that parts of your course are getting brown while others aren’t, know that is likely an intentional result of a well-designed plan. That’s the conversation that Peterson often has with members during this time of year, after which he says “they’re usually very reasonable” in understanding the reality of managing heat and drought conditions.
Beyond that, an intentional “Thank you” goes a long way, and not just on Thank a Super day. Peterson fondly recalls a recent interaction with a member at Silvermine, who asked him who takes care of the flowers near the clubhouse. Peterson responded that his team cared for them. “Those are the best-looking flowers I’ve seen at any club all year,” the member replied.
“It just makes your day,” Peterson says. “It’s wonderful to hear, especially when things are tough.”
As a reminder, on Sept. 9, golfers are encouraged to thank superintendents on social media using the hashtag #ThankASuper. And anytime throughout the year, golfers can also visit gcsaa.org/thank-my-superintendent to offer words of gratitude and add a photo or video.
ASK A SUPER
3 harmful things golfers don’t realize they’re doing, according to superintendents
It’s called the ‘Augusta method’: How the club uses this ball-mark trick to maintain perfect greens
This trick makes Augusta National’s fairways look greener. Why don’t more courses do it?
You might be throwing broken tees in the wrong spot. A course superintendent explains why
This cart rule drives golfers crazy, but it’s actually really important
Yes, there’s a right (and wrong) way to remove the flagstick. It’s more important than you think
You can remove rocks from bunkers—but where you should throw them might surprise you
This common golf-cart mistake is a ‘superintendent’s worst nightmare’
Should I leave bunker rakes inside or outside the sand?
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
