Golf Course Superintendent Puns

Thanks for responses

EDIT: Bedtime in my time zone but I’ll gladly answer more tomorrow. Gnite!

I’m not sure if this has been done before but there is specific flare for it so there’s a good chance it has.

I’m a golf course super who has been in the biz almost 20 years.

I have a 4 year degree in turf grass science and an internship through The Ohio State University.

I currently work at a lower end public course in Canada because of my family requirements but before my son came along I spent decades at the best courses in the country including a year at the #25 course in the world (not as super - pest management tech back then).

I know most about golf in the “cool season” climate (ie bent grass greens) but I have spent 2 years in the south.

Wanna know a real turf question? Wanna know why we can’t work at night and stay outta your way? Wanna know why we always punch greens just before you bring your boss out to impress him?

Ask away.

Cheers.

This might not make sense, and sound like I'm rambling.

I'm looking for a little advice. I'm in Minnesota, the local 9 hole course (3200yds, 14 bunkers, 3 holes with water hazards, mature trees) has offered me the superintendent job. I'm actually a school teacher, and baseball coach. The course has been in tough shape for several years, weeds and clover taking over. I have a list of course concerns from a couple members I know.

It's a little strange that I've been presented this opportunity. I would guess the reason the course has approached me is because of the baseball field I volunteer to take care of. I've worked very hard for 20 years to make the field very nice (field of the year award, has been in published books and magazines, on tv). I'm really good on a mower and with a rake, I have an eye for detail (trying not to sound like an arrogant prick). I know how to operate topdressers, aerators, repair sprinkler heads, fertilize, jobs to make a baseball field play and look nice. I HAVE NEVER WORKED ON A GOLF COURSE!!! My experience with golf is I have played it, I like it, my deceased father was a part time greenskeeper.

Is this something I should consider? I'm interested but have some reservations.

What kind of questions should I ask of the course before I give them an answer? What is the most difficult part of your job? What kind of time commitment will it be? How many hours/day are you at the course? If you are in Minnesota, what do you do at the course in April and May?

My head has been spinning trying to figure it out, and I was hoping for some insight from those of you who are pros.

does anyone know of a golf course superintendent apprenticeship?

Also does anyone know of an effective way to get a supervisor/management golf job in Hawaii?

I have been in the turfgrass industry for 8 years and have worked at some of the nicest golf courses in the Middle Atlantic or aka. Transition Zone..notorious in the turf circles for it's climatic diversity and difficulty in maintaining turf at a high level.

How important is it that greens get covered in a tarp before the snow comes?

I ask because I live near Glen Abbey in Oakville Ontario (Home of the RBC Canadian Open) and every year I would see the first green covered in a tarp, but this year the tarp is not there.

And with the future of the course in jeopardy, I can't help but think it is on purpose, to make the course worse, and not a PGA quality course.

I work as an assistant superintendent for a golf course in Arkansas. I am salaried at a rate of $500/week. Though I do perform some management and supervision, the majority of my job involves manual labor, mainly spraying, fertilizing, and irrigation repair. I work 40 hours/week in the winter and average about 65 hours/week from March until October. I believe that my boss sees salaried workers as exempt from overtime, and that I received a promotion to salary last year only to be taken advantage of. I know that some golf courses are exempt as "seasonal or recreational establishments" but I believe my course fails the tests for exemption because the gross revenue for the year is >$500,000 and the slowest 6 months average out to 48% of the revenue of the 6 months with the most business(for exemption, this must be <33%).

I am not really sure whether I should talk to my boss about it or if I should call the Wage and Hour Division and find out their opinion. However, I am afraid that I will lose my job if I go forward with option B, and option A will create a rift between myself and my employer.

I run a par 27, nine hole golf course in California and i need to redo a couple of greens due to gopher damage and broken water lines. I do know how to do a lot of things around here but a big project like that seems a little out of my league. I don't have any professional training in turf management so any tips will help a lot.

Long story short… I took a job as head super at a pretty low end course just to get the title on my resume.

Originally I had big plans; I was going to bring the condition of the course way up and make big changes and put the course on the map as one of the best in the area.

Unfortunately I ran into perhaps the cheapest owner I’ve ever worked with, and someone who has no concept of turf, playing conditions, and frankly no desire to improve his course. He’s happy with status quo.

I had originally joined the company planning to give them 2-3 years before moving on at least, but after a year I knew I couldn’t stay.

So I started to put my resume out there. And got hired at a top level course in another city so I’m about to make a big move.

That said I still hold this course close to my heart. I put a lot of hard work and long hours into it. I was showered with praise from everyone but the owner as to what a great difference I was making and how great it was to see a real super who cared about the course in charge for a change.

But I had to think about myself and my career. I couldn’t keep working for someone who didn’t appreciate me or my department. He really didn’t care. I couldn’t work for him anymore.

So today I worked my last day.

I spent my final days there trying to make sure I handed over the course/shop to the new super in the best possible shape. I cleaned the office, organized the shop, did some water records and wrote out some cheat notes.

Suddenly it was 3pm and my wife wanted me home by 4. It seemed so strange. I wasn’t ready to hand it over to someone else. I wasn’t ready to leave my friends.

Next thing I know the mechanic and assistant are heading home. So I had to say my goodbyes.

I left my keys on the desk and it was like… woah.

It’s not like leaving a desk job. This was my course for a year. I lived and breathed this place for 12-14 hours a day all season. I put out every fire and answered every late night phone call from staff all year.

I was leaving something, and some people who were important to me.

It’s just really too bad that the owner doesn’t see it that way.

He’s sad he’s losing a good manager that he didn’t have to worry about like his previous super. The last guy was lazy, a liar, a crook, and an incompetent manager. I made the owners life easy. So he’s sad to see me go. But he could care less whether the golf course is better or worse as a result of my management. And that’s why I had to go.

I was thinking about this talking with my buddies. Pretty hard to find a list of “worst courses”. Pictures are of course encouraged as is any ridiculous behavior by staff or other golfers.

Edit: if this exists please direct me, I can’t find a thread

I said goodbye to 4 courses I play every year due to 30-40% green fee increases. I know inflation is hitting hard around the world, but some of the course fee increases seem way too high. I still play courses that that only did like a 8% green fee increase, so I can still get a decent amount of golf in for the year. I am curious if other golfers have seen the same astronomical price hikes at their local courses.

Does anyone know of an effective way to get a supervisor/management job on any of the golf courses in Hawaii?

Are there any apprenticeships?

Or is it best to get a job at the bottom and work your way up?

Or are there specific schools that would be best?