Sometimes we all need an impartial broker.
Our renovation project at Westmoor CC in Brookfield, Wis., was in danger of not passing a membership vote. So superintendent Jerry Kershasky and I invited some special guest speakers to a club-wide meeting and let them make the case, alongside Jerry and me. We brought in the big guns: USGA Green Section North-Central Region Senior Agronomist Bob Vavrek; Dr. Joe Vargas, the legendary Michigan State University agronomy researcher; and Dr. Tom Nikolai, another distinguished MSU agronomist.
Nikolai talked about the different approaches to managing putting surfaces for consistent green speed, something A1 enables. Vargas discussed A1’s ability — due to its extreme density — to compete with and ultimately rebuff poa annua when properly managed. Vavrek offered more anecdotal stories from clubs across the upper Midwest, and shared his experiences working just south in Chicago, where several clubs have converted to A1 greens with great results. Vavrek also discussed how many facilities in neighboring Michigan had developed reciprocity programs with nearby clubs, so members would have somewhere to play while their club was closed during replanting.
The combined expertise of the panelists helped sell the renovation proposal to the members, who backed it with an overwhelming 72 percent of the vote.
The USGA is a great resource; you can put them to work in just this way. Sometimes it just means more coming from them. The turfgrass departments at dozens of reputable universities across the country can serve the same purpose — maybe you can make alumni points by enlisting them to educate your membership in a away that advances your club’s agronomic goals.
Superintendents don’t often deal with members en masse. What are your experiences in this area? Positive or negative?
No comments:
Post a Comment