"How did you balance maintaining tournament-level conditions with everyday playability for members and guests? / How did you incorporate player feedback into your maintenance decisions?"
“Just the facts Ma’am!”, Joe Friday would always say. Now I am dating myself!
People in our business always ask, “How did you stay at one Golf Course Superintendent job for 20 years?” There are many responses, but the biggest one that comes to mind is this, “Just Give Them the Facts!”
For tournament versus day to day playing conditions, it was simple. I would ask the golf committee what conditions they wanted daily and then discuss what it would take, why, and how much it would cost. I was surprised most of the time because expectations in the 1986-2005 window were not too demanding and the club was willing to spend what was necessary to achieve their goals if all parameters could be met. They also knew and discussed major tournaments like the Member Guest and expected extra speed on greens, extra care on the course, etc. and we would deliver.
In today’s world, expectations are very high on day-to-day conditions for any position in Turf, but the equipment is there, and again… communication and player feedback play a big role. The tough part is everyone wants top conditions 365 days a year with constantly changing weather conditions. This puts a premium on communication and for the most part people understand.
I could go into many more answers to the initial questions above but truly, just give them the facts. Never get emotional, political, or take a stand. Be a “Joe Friday”!
-Mark S. Merrick, CGCS Retired
Introducing ‘Merrick Mondays’, a segment where we hear from Mark Merrick, our resident brand Ambassador, Chief ‘Cool” Officer, and general source of wisdom and secrets of the universe, to spotlight a dose of interview-style content, weekly.