Personal Management
I am an advocate of managing priorities rather than trying to "time manage" each minute of the day. I believe this approach is more productive and ensures the most important objectives and issues are handled appropriately. This also helps complete things from beginning to end without having the constraints of time result in multiple, unfinished tasks.


Golf Course Management
I believe a golf course should be managed to maximize its condition and playability, while satisfying membership expectations. Where expectations parallel the best interests of the golf course, is where I feel the most important priorities lie. If the demands of a membership could compromise the overall integrity of the golf course, or vise versa, further thought and consideration should be given.


Staff Management
I practice a results-driven management philosophy through planning, organization, and leadership. I believe that a productive and motivated staff is a result of focusing time and energy on planned objectives, training, and delegation rather than micro-managing each job, project, and crew member. Leadership is the key to this style of management and is an art I focus on.


Leadership
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things."
Peter F. Drucker

This quote defines the very essence of leadership. I believe that it is among the most important elements in golf course management, and as a superintendent, I will continue to focus on providing good leadership to those around me. It is the facilitator of a motivated and productive staff, and it instills trust, confidence, and respect among members, other department employees, and peers.

Throughout my career, I have found the following leadership attributes to be most valuable.

• Give respect to members, peers, and employees.
• Take an interest in the personal lives and interests of others, and listen intently to their concerns and opinions.
• Make tough decisions with confidence, while admitting mistakes.
• Always communicate what is being done, why it is being done, how to do it, and what results should be expected.
• Delegate work and responsibility of some kind to everyone and give them a specific purpose.
• Work side-by-side with crew members, and go to battle for them to secure their best interests.
• Accept full responsibility and avoid blaming others.
• Show passion about improving the golf course and work environment.
• Be available and proactive in challenging times.
• Live and work with honesty, enthusiasm, integrity, confidence, and professionalism.
• Give public praise and credit to others.

Communication
I believe communication is the cornerstone of building and maintaining relationships. It builds trust and confidence and helps ensure that expectations are verbalized, progress is discussed, challenges are addressed, and that all parties are "on the same page". In a club environment, I feel the vast majority of the golf course’s success stems from the superintendent’s ability to establish good communication with club members, the grounds staff, department heads, the community, and colleagues.

The following is a list of what I believe to be the most effective communication channels to be utilized as a golf course superintendent.

Club Membership

• Greens committee meetings (and other formal meetings as seen fit)
• Informal meetings; on course, clubhouse, proshop, etc.
• Golf course and maintenance facility tours
• Periodic newsletter columns
• Informative articles, reports, and bulletins; including photographs
• Golf with members
• Calendar of scheduled maintenance procedures
• Email, Internet, voicemail, etc.

Grounds Staff

• Frequent meetings
  • Short, daily with staff, assistants, and equipment technician
  • Formal weekly or biweekly
• Establishment of "open door policy"
• Training and education; including manuals, videos, and seminars
• Annual reviews
• Individual interaction on course
• Informal staff outings; golf, cookouts, games, etc.
• Mission statement, goal posting, expectations, etc.
• Calendar of events

Golf Pro/Golf Shop

• Frequent meetings on maintenance practices and challenges, projects, course condition, and golfing events
• Course tours and proshop visits
• Telephone, two-way radios, and email
• Calendar of scheduled maintenance procedures
• Similar articles and bulletins as shown to members

Colleagues

• Local and national association involvement and industry shows
• Seminars, workshops, and golf outings
• Phone, email, Internet, etc.

Golf Course Architecture
I personally feel that course architecture is the most fascinating aspect of the game of golf and the most enjoyable part of being in the golf course management profession. I am a firm believer that golf is intended to be a thought provoking game, that requires not only mechanical skills with a club, but also the ability to understand the strategy of a course, how shots should be played, and how to use the features of each hole to one’s best advantage. Solid architecture is the single most contributing factor to ensure a course represents golf in this way.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of today’s popular golf fails to recognize course architecture and strategy as an integral part of the game. Instead, bigger and better drivers, long distance balls, "sticking" wedge shots, difficultly long layouts, overly narrow tree-lined fairways, excessively long rough, meticulously manicured bunkers, GPS yardage devices, wall-to-wall cart paths, and over abundant flower use, often become the standard by which a golf course is measured.

I feel it is the responsibility of golf course superintendents to pay great respect to course architecture and become stewards of its integrity. As a superintendent, I will work diligently to ensure design and strategy remain intact, or restore it if necessary. I find it truly rewarding to have the ability to bring out and exemplify architectural features that enhance the interest and fun of the game.


Playing Conditions
Excellent conditioning and playability distinguish a great golfing experience from an average one. No other element by itself (i.e. design, challenge, or aesthetics) has more impact on the purity and trueness of a golf course. Offering the best playing conditions possible rewards well played shots, provides less chance of misfortune, and allows the golf course to play to its intended strategy.

Accordingly, I believe the best golf course product is delivered when the superintendent prioritizes from tee to green rather than over-managing out-of-play areas. Beautification and manicuring have their place, but I feel that firm and dense playing surfaces, more strategic options, good ball lies, and true putting greens create a more interesting and enjoyable round of golf and a long lasting impression for all levels of play.

I also feel that superior conditioning is the biggest compliment to great architecture. Quite often a well designed course is never fully recognized because it lacks quality playing conditions and the proper maintenance practices to support it. However, when a superintendent aligns playability to the demands of the architecture, a truly great golf course is realized.


Tree Management
I believe trees provide character and beauty to any property and have their place in a golf course setting. However, trees demand a sufficient management program to ensure they do not become problematic or detrimental to the golf course. In many cases, an excess in the number and placement of trees is the direct cause of many turfgrass and playability issues.

A mentor early in my career told me, "Before you go in and replace the older grasses, or spray a bunch of chemicals, or use every tool in the shop to fix a problem, take a couple minutes to look up and around you. This is where you will often find the source of your problem."

I have seen trees negatively impact golf courses in the following ways:

Turfgrass

• Create intense root competition which robs nutrients and water from turf
• Prevent turf from getting adequate sunlight, particularly in the morning
• Reduce or eliminate air movement to greens and tees
• Produce concentrated traffic areas from maintenance equipment and golf carts
• Roots grow into drainage lines preventing water flow

Playability

• Gradually turn a strategic design in to a penal one
• Take away options off the tee
• Block designed playing angles and shots into greens and approaches
• Create double hazards (ie. Trees directly in the playing line between a bunker and the green)
• May force maintenance practices such as mowing patterns and watering to be altered which can create undesirable playing conditions

Safety

• Surface roots become hazardous to wrists and hands during golf swings
• Rotting and dead tree material can injure or kill people
• Create a "false sense of security" when used as barriers

Aesthetics

• Smaller trees and suckers often grow up into canopies of desirable, specimen trees which can distort their shape
• Block appealing vistas such as adjacent golf holes, scenic topography, and lakes and oceans
• Lack of pruning and maintenance produce unsightly canopies

A proactive tree management program will significantly reduce many of these challenges and also allow the desired specimen trees to flourish. Tree management activities that I have been actively involved with include:

• Tree inventory
• Tree evaluation conducted in coordination with arborist and architect
• Tree removal
• Canopy pruning of suckers and dead limbs
• Root pruning where competition is problematic
• Chemical injection to prevent disease and insect damage
• Tree transplanting
• Tree planting

Click here to view pictures of tree management work I have done.