| Favorite Quotes | ||
|---|---|---|
|
||
| Champaign Country Club |
|
|
Type: Private Number of Holes: 18 holes Driving Range: Turf Staff: 5 full time, 9 seasonal Operating Budget: $600,000 Mike’s first head golf course superintendent position was everything he hoped it would be. Fortunately or unfortunately there was much to accomplish. The members had not been pleased with the course condition the previous few seasons, particularly with respect to wet playing conditions. Mike’s first decision was to write a letter to the members describing his philosophy with respect to playing conditions stating that he would prefer to see some brown and have the course play well than for everything to be green and soggy. He explained how the club’s single row irrigation system prevented having the best of both worlds. The letter was well received and set the tone for what would be a good relationship with the members. The other decision Mike made was that we would manage the creeping bentgrass on the 60/40 bent/poa mix on the greens. This proved to be effective and after two years the greens had shifted to a 75/25 bent/poa mix. As for the fairways, the poa annua was managed due to the already high poa population, poor drainage and the single row irrigation system. While the club could not afford to install a new irrigation system at the time Mike did convince the membership via a slide show presentation to at least install a new pump station that would help improve the pressure which expanded the single row coverage somewhat and accommodate a new irrigation system in the future. Many of the members had never even seen the old system and were embarrassed when they saw a photograph of it. Communicating with the members was definitely a attribute to Mike’s success at Champaign. While some clubs may not want the superintendent to play golf with the members, the members of Champaign Country Club were very pleased to play a round with Mike. Attention to detail was the winning element that Mike brought to Champaign. Edging cart paths, installing old brick pavers around the ball washers, pruning trees for agronomic and playability issues, and establishing turfgrass underneath them, keeping bunkers edged throughout the year, planting beautiful annual and perennial flower beds, trimming around irrigation heads and yardage markers, religiously filling tee and fairway divots, diligent hand-watering of greens, tees, and fairways all contributed to a better country club experience. |
||
