Christmas Lights and Trees...

Ben Rink, Champaign Country Club, Champaign, IL:

"If you have been by the club lately at night you have surely noticed the place is glowing under the light of nearly 80,000 mini lights. The remnants of our summer staff along with our full timers spent close to three weeks putting up the lights and it shows!

On the course, we have begun our tree work for the winter. We have removed several trees already including a Sweetgum that had developed a pretty severe split (see picture) and was becoming quite dangerous. Because the ground is still soft, we are not able to get our chipping equipment out on the course so we will 'stage' branches in anticipation of upcoming frozen ground conditions. We will continue tree work throughout the winter, prioritizing dangerous trees, and will hopefully be able to make a positive impact on course aesthetics and turf conditions next season."

Visit Ben's blog at cccgolfcourseupdate.blogspot.com.

Greenkeeping and the Emotional Toll...

Michael Stachowicz, Boston, MA:

"Being a Golf Course Superintendent is very much like being in an emotionally abusive relationship. The signs are all there. Think about it: destructive criticism, verbal threats and browbeating, a claim of always being right, exclusion from making decisions, trust is harmed by duplicitous behavior, the concealment of important information, a display of disrespect, embarrassment in front of others, harassment by following you or checking up on you, and a denial of any of these behaviors.

...in order to have a relationship with the golf course, you have to put up with the dark side of the club...

Someone reading this might push back and say that describes a lot of bosses... but this is certainly more poignant in our industry because of our love for the golf course. It is a bifurcate relationship where in order to have a relationship with the golf course, you have to put up with the dark side of the club which is a little bit mother nature but mostly a small but vocal group of members.

All those characteristics above come from an online quiz that helps one recognize if they are in an abusive relationship. It is hard to understand what it is about being a greenkeeper that makes one a flashpoint for the worst behavior in people. I have known peers that have been the victims of all those things listed above... basically bullied. Bullying is on the rise in our society and even as we are taking huge measures to minimize the effect of bullying on our children online and in school with anti-bullying laws, we are accepting bullying, or at the very least rudeness, into our homes with quality of reality tv. Frank talk and the promotion of oneself is what we are being fed through our entertainment and celebrity culture as keys to success.

'It's a seriously conflicted message: Bullying is bad when kids do it in school, but hugely profitable when adults do it in front of a TV camera. Small wonder we're all a bit confused when an earnest celebrity faces the camera and tells us bullying kills. Because, too often in Hollywood, it's just a really good career move,' writes Eric Deggans of NPR. I shudder to think what a country club's culture will be like as the millennials who are fed this age and become members of a club of privilege.

On the noble and romantic side, the golf course herself is very seductive and loyal...

On the noble and romantic side, the golf course herself is very seductive and loyal. Even though she might give you fits a couple of times a year, most of the time she rewards the hard work that is done with her in mind. People in the industry might complain that member's memories are short, but so are greenkeeper's. All that it takes is a morning when the humidity and heat are gone... the sky looks a little bluer and the grass a little greener. As we start to forget how bad that period of time was, we start to plan how we can avoid the same incident again next year. Love and hope are the first two reasons on any list of why someone stays in an abusive relationship.

Some other reasons people stay in abusive relationships include blaming oneself ("if I could just come up with the right mix of chemicals, fertilizer, and biostimulants the twelfth green would not have thinned out"), loyalty, and a rescue complex ("I can work through this, I can change her for the better"). Not that these are all bad qualities, in fact they are needed to work successfully in the field, but one cannot personally blame themselves for the failings of a natural entity such as a golf course. Trying to rectify a problem is different than taking the failings personally.

...these people are not aggressive (have manners) and stay out of cultural dust-ups, and that leaves a vacuum for the negative 2%.

Then there is the silent majority of members who exemplify what is the best in golf and our society as a whole. They have a way about them that makes you want to work harder... not all of us work primarily for a paycheck, we work to please people and provide a product all can enjoy. But these people are not aggressive (have manners) and stay out of cultural dust-ups, and that leaves a vacuum for the negative 2%.

The effects of the emotional abuse on a person in this job are substantial. Alcohol abuse and divorce rates are the easy things to point to. But what about being emotionally unavailable to your family, when the act of walking on eggshells at work follows one home, and the inevitable short fuse?

As time goes on, we start to believe our abusers; that the ills of the course are our fault. That is not always the case unless we are neglecting basic agronomics. The phenomenon where a greenkeeper either avoids going to visit a green that is damaged or if he does, he does with a feeling in the pit of his stomach, is very much a sign of the emotional toll the abusive relationship exacts on us. Why do we get this feeling? Is it the amount of work ahead to get the green back? No. No greenkeeper is afraid of hard work. It is because what is coming from the members due to the condition of the green is that you are the worst person in the world for letting/making this happen. We greenkeepers actually start to believe that it is our fault and that we are truly

Our love of the course, loyalty to the majority of members, the hope that good will come out of all the work we do...

awful organisms for not knowing how to avoid it or recover more quickly from it. It is truly the special greenkeeper who can distance himself from the product to see what is really at fault for the damage.

Greenkeepers are the most derided employees of any club. We are in a unique position to become victims of an abusive relationship. Our love of the course, loyalty to the majority of members, the hope that good will come out of all the work we do, when coupled with the verbal abuse, public humiliation, the micro-managing, the disrespect, and the harassment make us more susceptible to this abuse more than any other position at a golf facility."

Visit Michael's blog at mstachowicz.wordpress.com/

The Transition...

David Smith, Fawn Lake Country Club, Spotsylvania, VA:

"The weather is transitioning from fall to winter as we transition from routine course maintenance to project work. The leaves are still coming down and we continue to gather them up as fast as we can. Most of what will fall this year has already done so and the rest of the leaves will come down next spring. With the exception of a few really cold nights we have had a mild month and the course is much drier than it typically is for this time of year.

Sod work, tree work, drainage work, bunker work, irrigation work, equipment work, and a number of other important tasks will keep us busy...

The zoysia has turned dormant and the greens and tees have taken on the winter look as well. Greens and tees are Southshore Creeping Bentgrass and in the cold weather they appear almost like a quilt of many different shades of green. When the weather warms up this look will go away so don't be alarmed.

The staff is smaller now and our plate is full for the coming months. Sod work, tree work, drainage work, bunker work, irrigation work, equipment work, and a number of other important tasks will keep us busy. We won't get to everything, but if the weather cooperates we should make a big impact."

Visit David's blog at flccturfcare.blogspot.com.

Asleep at the wheel...

Craig DeJong, Hendersonville (NC) Country Club:

"Our EARTH QUAKE decompaction unit is SLOWLY making its way to all of our fairways. This tool was purchased by the club about two years ago, and it has played a huge part in the health of our fairways.

It is designed to relieve the compaction, improve soil structure and improve drainage. Typically, we earthquake the fairways in the spring, but we are doing it this winter to help in drain the fairways should we get snow and ice. The toughest part of the job for the operator is staying awake; the machine moves at about 2mph."

Visit Craig's blog at hccgcgd.blogspot.com.

Now I lay me down to sleep...

Dan Salois, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Swanton, OH:

Don't tell anyone, but topdressing is also effective at keeping the winter golfers from putting on the greens in the offseason.

"With normal winter weather finally coming, it is time to put the greens to bed for the season. In my eight years here, this is the longest golf season we have ever had. Fully open and operational in mid March and closing on December 10 is unprecedented. Having spoken with several members over the past few weeks, even the 'die-hards' seem ready to mothball the sticks for a few months or head south for fairer weather.

There are several things we have done this season to help the greens fare well through the winter as well as hopefully come roaring up in the spring. We started a week or so ago by applying our winter pesticides for control of snow mold followed by a dormant feed of simple fertilizer. The chemicals will hopefully control any snow mold fungi present, but just in case we missed a spot, the fertilizer will make sure that the greens and tees will wake up quite quickly in the spring to grow out of any damage.

We use the winter wisely as a time to recharge our batteries for the upcoming busy season and most will use their time off during the holidays to make up for lost time with family...

Finally, after the last few hardy golfers leave the grounds, we apply a moderate topdressing of sand. The sand will act to protect the crown of the plant from any damage through the winter as well as provide a nice layer to smooth out any surface inconsistencies in the spring.

Also, the temporary pins have been set in the fairways and approaches for winter play. If the temperature and mood suit you this winter, feel free to walk the course and hit a few balls to our temporary pins.

As we do every year, winter preventative maintenance has already begun. Golf carts and utility vehicles are being serviced as we speak, and an entire fleet of equipment awaits a tear-down and re-build. This work is important to our smooth operation during the golf season and a welcome chance for the staff to get away from the normal grind of daily golf operations. We use the winter wisely as a time to recharge our batteries for the upcoming busy season and most will use their time off during the Holidays to make up for lost time with family.

As the holidays approach and we move into the new year, occasionally check the grounds department blog. As interesting things happen I will be sure to post them. I spend a great deal of time in continuing education and industry related activities (and goose-chasing) during the off-season and always learn a few things worth repeating. Also keep an eye peeled for staff profiles over the winter. It will be a great chance to learn more about the employees that have served you for many years."

Visit Dan's blog at hmgcmaintenance.blogspot.com.

Winter approaching...

Aaron Wells, Belmont Country Club, Ashburn, VA:

"The official start of winter is only ten days away, but from the weather we've been having you'd never know. We hit the upper 60's again last weekend which made for some great late season golf.

Yesterday we started our winter cart rules of cart paths only for the remainder of the year. As you can tell the rough is starting to show signs of wear from all of the cart traffic. The turf is almost in the dormant stage due to the low soil temperatures and can no longer support carts without causing significant turf decline. Handicap flags will still be permitted to those who need them but please scatter the carts when entering and exiting the fairways.

Damage by 'root shear' can occur when the top layer of the green starts to thaw while the deeper soil remains frozen...

Looking ahead, we will be cutting temporary cups in the approaches to be used during times when foot traffic on the greens could cause damage to the roots of the plants. Last year we never had to use the temporary cups due to the warm temperatures. Damage by 'root shear' can occur when the top layer of the green starts to thaw while the deeper soil remains frozen.

We will also start our deep tine aerification process on the greens this coming Monday. This process usually takes 3 days to complete and will cause minimal disruption to the putting surface. We double roll the greens immediately after to smooth the surface. The tines on the machine will penetrate the surface to a depth of 10 inches and create a channel in the soil before exiting. The picture below demonstrates the action I explained.

By leaving the holes open any precipitation we receive has a place to go instead of sitting on the surface of the green. As this moisture freezes and thaws during the winter a natural fracturing of the soil takes place giving more open areas for oxygen to reach the roots. The half inch wide tines and hole spacing we use only amounts to disrupting 2% of the surface of the green, however it's the action below the surface that is important."

Visit Aaron's blog at belmontturfnews.blogspot.com.

Stripping Down...

Shane Conroy, asst supt, Park Ridge (IL) Country Club:

"With the freezing temperatures and potential for turf injury we have spent the last few days working indoors. We have begun to strip down some of the mowers and make any repairs as needed. We have also begun to grind all the reels on our green and fairway mowing units. Sanding and staining the tee accessories such as benches, trashcans and water coolers has also begun this week. The weather is warming up today and later in the week so we will head back outside and continue with some on course work."

Check out the Park Ridge blog at parkridgeccgrounds.blogspot.com.

Staff lunch...

Brian Boyer, Cinnabar Hills Golf Club, San Jose, CA:

"Yesterday the staff and I went to Hi Five sports bar for our end of year lunch. We typically do a carne asada which I really enjoy, but left it up to the guys to decide. They decided on pizza and wings in which I have no complaints with. The pizza was great and their wings are some of the best chicken wings I have ever had. If we do it again next year, we are organizing a wing eating contest."

Visit Brian's blog at cinnabarhills.blogspot.com.