Scott Bordner is on a mission to solve the labor crisis facing the golf industry, even if it takes being a little misleading to get help from his colleagues.
The director of agronomy at the Union League of Philadelphia, Bordner (at right) is one of several involved in the Super Scratch Foundation. That is the non-profit organization that teams superintendents with top amateurs in high-profile amateur golf tournaments to raise money to fund scholarships for aspiring turf students. Much of the funding so far has come directly from clubs in the Philadelphia area and has benefitted students at Delaware Valley, Penn State and Rutgers.
Bordner and others want to take the program nationwide to help wannabe superintendents and golf courses on a wider scale. But expanding the reach of the Super Scratch Foundation requires buy-in from superintendents, club members and vendors far outside southeastern Pennsylvania.
In an attempt to reach out, Bordner recently sent an email to nearly 80 colleagues under the heading "Job Openings." However, the contents of the email included an attachment about the work of the Super Scratch Foundation and a plea for input on how to expand the program.
"I had to say it was about labor. That way, I knew everyone would open it," Bordner said. "If I'd said Super Scratch, nobody would have opened it."
He received immediate input from a few recipients, but not as many as he had hoped to.
"About 10 to 15 responded right away. I have pages of information," Bordner said. "I'm going to resend it to everyone who didn't open it."
On that short list of 10 or so was Matt Shaffer. Now a consultant, Shaffer spent parts of five decades managing turf on some of the country's best golf courses including 15 years at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia.
Although he no longer is a boots-on-the-ground superintendent, Shaffer remains connected to the industry and is eager to help.
"This could become catastrophic if nobody comes into this space," Shaffer said. "I've told guys, 'you better get ready to manage three or four clubs in the future.'
"A.I. eventually will be able to do a lot of the jobs on a golf course. The obvious place where it will be beneficial is mowing. When that happens, one sharp superintendent will be able to manage three or four clubs. That's where golf is going."
Bordner's goal is to get as many of his colleagues as possible to approach their clubs about helping fund the foundation, and not just for the future of their own facility, but for the overall health of the game.
"Reaching a private club is one thing. But what about that high school kid working on a muni course who has no idea what the Super Scratch Foundation is?" Bordner said. "How do we get to that kid and support him and help him pay for college?
"We need our voice to be louder."
He is hoping there are enough superintendents and interested club members out there who know people with a louder megaphone and who can help spread the word of the foundation and its goals.
Shaffer (right) has accumulated many such contacts throughout his career.
"I forwarded that email to all sorts of different people," Shaffer said. "I keep telling (non-superintendents) if you don't have anyone taking care of the golf course this is all going to go down the tubes. What's going to happen if there is no one to take care of the golf course? It's in everyone's best interest to help. Scott's doing the heavy lifting. I'm just opening doors."
Bordner is in the right position to take on the challenge, says Shaffer.
"Scott is in a prestigious job, and a job like that gives you a lot of leverage," Shaffer said.
It also means you have to do what you can to promote the profession, Shaffer said. Besides helping spearhead the Super Scratch effort, Bordner is scheduled to teach a couple of environmental science workshops this year at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania.
"When it comes to promoting the industry, Scott's doing that," Shaffer said.
"I always told my guys if you get a job like that and don't do anything to help the industry, don't say you know me, because I'll disown you."
