Yes, there is a second undiscovered web site opportunity that is potentially more valuable to a superintendent than the well-documented highly respected personal career web site.

Properly prepared, managed and updated on regular basis, a "maintenance program" (MP) web site's attainable objectives are to promote the superintendents' "brand" in the following ways:

1. To educate course officials/players to the basic elements of the maintenance program.

    

2. To educate re: the role and job description of the golf course superintendent.

    

3. To significantly enhance superintendents' job security by illustrating his work product on an on-going basis.

    

4. To enhance superintendents' access to written contract protection, again, by illustrating his work product.

    

5. To be the ultimate support tool when superintendents apply for jobs.

How To Develop a Program Web Site?

Superintendents can select one of any number of web site development programs available on Google to develop themselves, or ask for professional help in so doing. Quite frankly, chapter Executive Directors, in due time, should become expert in this practice so that they can counsel their chapter members in this endeavor.

Web Site Development/Management Schedule
Because of the scope of the proposed web site, the appropriate time to develop and promote the MP web site to course administrations and player communities would be during the off-season. 

Once up and running, the daily management of the web site would require roughly an hour-plus a day, which could be comfortably handled by a qualified secretary, a part-time local student, or a retired professional capable of the task -- because it is doubtful the superintendent would have time or skill set to personally manage the web site on a daily basis.

Admittedly, it is no small task to set up and maintain an effective MP web site. However, because the precedent-setting benefits justify the effort -- superintendents should fully consider establishing a MP web site..

Recommended Web Site Content
It is recommended that the following matters would be directly presented, or linked to on the MP web site:

Staple Information:

• A glossary of golf course maintenance terminology.

   

• In cooperation with pro shop and the administration, a season long - constantly updated - Master Course Schedule listing playing events and the dates and duration of cultural maintenance practices that would close the course in whole, or in part.

   

• Daily updated, seven-days-in-advance official weather bureau forecasts.

   

• Daily green speeds and pin-settings.

   

• The weekly mowing schedules for greens, fairways and roughs.

   

• An ongoing Q & A opportunity for members/players to query re: key issues electronically.

   

• A weekly sign-up sheet for members/players to schedule weekday rounds of golf and educational tours of the golf course and maintenance facility with the superintendent.

   

• In conjunction with the pro shop, a presentation to educate course players re: the Rules applications for their home golf course.

   

• A concise weekly column by the superintendent to advise readers of the "whys" and "wherefores" of the coming week's maintenance program agenda.

   

• A maintenance staff organizational chart.

   

• A weekly golf-based crossword puzzle service that would regularly intrigue and draw readers to the web site.

   

• Individual profiles of grounds crew members throughout the season.

   

• Other creative presentations to educate and interest readers.

   

Timely Matters:

• Advance warnings of when the golf course might be closed and confirmation notices when the course is officially closed - with anticipated re-opening dates.

   

• Similarly, notices re: golf cart use: either not available, or available only on cart paths, or available for general use on the course.

   

• Re: disease infestation, alert players to: the problem; scheduled remedies; anticipated duration; whether the course might be closed in whole or in part; and whether situation is regional, or not.

In my opinion, no single endeavor - other than the professional management of the golf course itself - can serve a superintendent's career better job security-wise, or job advancement-wise, than being the publisher of a highly informative respected maintenance program web site.

Imagine the impact and advantage gained when job applicants provide two web site addresses within their cover letters: one for their personal career web site and the second for their maintenance program web site.