Alternate greens (foreground) on several Milwaukee County courses are kept in excellentplaying condition for use when the regular greens are being aerated, topdressed, sprayed,or mowed. Efficient labor use and uninterrupted golf make the cost of maintaining the extraarea worthwhile.

Government Golf -Keeping Up With the Competitionby JAMES M. LATHAMDirector, Great Lakes Region, USGA Green Section

GOVERNMENT-OWNED courses(city, county, state, or federal) arein better condition than ever, thanks

to competition. For years, golfers whoplay these courses have been subjectedto cavalier treatment by some parks andrecreation commissions, their adminis-trative staffs, or both, who rationalizedthat since there was no other publicfacility nearby, golfers would accept any-thing, provided it was cheap.

Early private operators had to meetthe price of these courses, because theirswere little better. Not anymore. Golfbusinessmen have demonstrated thatgood golf courses can be merchandisedat an affordable cost. Although they

aren't cheap, they are nevertheless afford-able to a majority of public course playerson a regular-play basis. These privatelyowned public courses are providing com-petition, and the smart park/ recreationadministrators are doing somethingabout it, even if it means raising greenfees. Most government budgets arestrapped for funds, so the users have todo more to support the institution, andrightly so.

Government courses have failed tocompete with private operations in onlya few categories, namely the quality ofgreens, tees, and fairways. Many havefailed to understand that a lot of greengrass doesn't make a good golf course.

Greens are often overwatered and over-fertilized. Putting quality is often anunknown term. It is amazing how wellsome of these greens respond to aerationand topdressing operations that havebeen properly programmed. Improvedfertilization and irrigation techniquesput the icing on the cake. Eventually somegreens must be totally rebuilt, but re-habilitation can prolong their usefulness.

Some fairways have never seen anaerifier. The poor things were just mowedand perhaps fertilized every spring justlike the lawn at city hall. When golferscomplained about cuppy lies, the mowingheight was lowered. Now, though, fair-ways are being reclaimed through inten-

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1988

sive aeration, properly timed fertilization,interplanting with new, vigorous turfcultivars, and a measure of traffic controland path development.

The tees? Well, those old postage stampsunder trees with a crabgrass-Poa annuacrop rotation are being enlarged toaccommodate play. Using the rule ofthumb calling for 100 square feet of levelsurface per 1,000 rounds of golf per year,the tees on par-4 and par-5 holes havegrown significantly. Par-3 tees, whichshould be twice the size of the others,have not come that far, but they aremuch larger than they have been in thepast. Tee quality has also been improvedby intensive cultivation and planned teemarker placement. Bentgrass is not anuncommon surface on some Great Lakesregion courses, and closely cut perennialryegrass plantings are doing quite well,too.

Unfortunately, weed control and otherpesticide work has become politicized insome areas. The policy setters in parksdepartments are quite sensitive to envi-ronmental groups that strive to makeall things natural. Geese are more impor-tant than golf, but take off your shoesbefore you come into the house.

Public course golfers have becomemore mobile, and have had access to agrowing number of fine privately owneddaily-fee courses whose owners' live li-

hoods depend on the products they sell:well-maintained turf, an interesting de-sign, and courteous, obliging employees.Sports-oriented resorts in the North andthe South are providing vacationers withthese conditions, too, and the memorycarries over when golfers return to theirhome base. Public links players aren'twithout income; check the cars in theparking lots. Many of these golfers arebeginning to growl and ask some ratherpointed questions about public courseoperations.

"Why can't we have better playing con-ditions?" or "The income from 70,000rounds of golf should provide us witha better course! Who is responsible forthis mess?"

The answers to these questions areoften embarrassing to the chiefs whomay play golf but show greater concernwith softball diamonds, soccer fields,swimming pools, and bike trails. Theuser fees for public recreation are curiosi-ties in themselves, and few operationsare self-supporting.

Non-revenue producers are often sub-sidized by money siphoned from golfincome but attributed to the largesse ofthe department. Maybe golfers shouldfollow the truckers' lead about road taxesand post a sign at the courses stating:"This golf course supports two swim-ming pools, eight softball diamonds, andthe toboggan run."

User fees on golf courses are calledgreen fees, and can have the most imagi-native structure ever devised. There areresident, non-resident, senior, junior,regular, annual, ad infinitum. There aregolf car rentals and trail fees for per-sonally owned cars, and storage fees forthose who don't want to tow their golfcars every day. When they are parlayedproperly, all of these can make for awfullycheap golf. There's nothing illegal to it,but when golf on a well-maintained coursecosts a frequent player 75~ or 91~ a round,that golfer isn't paying his way. Thosenumbers, incidentally, are real. The gamecosts less than the refreshments.

Because of labor costs, budgets in mostgovernment operations are much higherthan one would expect. Fringe benefitsand wage scales, union or not, push thestaff cost-per-person much higher thanat clubs or privately owned fee courses.The hourly cost for a beginner can be$10 to $12 per hour, straight time. Thevalue received, however, is another mat-ter, because these people are usuallyprotected by rigid grievance procedures.

Outright discharge of incompetent orunwilling workers is rare. Oral and writ-ten warnings precede layoffs, which pre-cede outright discharge, and even thenappeals are possible. These steps requirethe full attention and time of the super-visor, so running government golf opera-tions gets into a serious amount of record

During the Drought oj '88, greens are everything at unirrigated Milwaukee County courses. The Brown Deer Golf Course (below) has hosted threeUSGA Public Links Championships. Dretzka Golf Course (facing page) is another challenging course, recently fitted withJairway irrigation.

keeping and time away from the job athand.

Purchasing by government golf opera-tions is difficult because of low-bid re-quirements and often inadequate specifi-cations. For example, topdressing materialand fertilizer are two of the most impor-tant components in high-traffic golfoperations, but they amount to onlysmall percentages of the budget.

There is little reason, then, to be satis-fied with anything but the best quality,but unless tight specifications are written,the courses are given inferior products.It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude some-times to defend the purchase of specialtopdressing sand that costs $25 a tonwhen someone offers washed masonrysand for $5, and the purchasing agent hasno earthly idea why either is necessary.

Golf course superintendents on govern-ment golf courses come with a varietyof abilities, depending upon individualsystems. Some are college trained andoperate their courses better than privateorganizations because of their ability tofunction despite rigid rules. Their successis fostered by progressive departmentalmanagement.

These individuals have the ear of aresponsible administration, and theywork within the system to establish goodrelationships with willing workers. Theyprepare and have a strong voice in thepresentation of realistic budgets to meetthe needs of the golf course.

Other superintendents have come upthrough the ranks to become excellentmanagers. They have the interest andthe ability to observe and learn fromevery source of information at hand.

These folks really work at turf confer-ences and superintendents associationmeetings to improve their knowledge ofgolf turf and the people who play thegame.

Then there are the others, who havesimply been there longer than anyone,and assumed the position by divine right.They become bosses, and may even growpretty grass, but it is a far cry from golfturf, simply because they don't care tolearn how their course plays, much lesshow it compares with others. They havejob security, and they take their vacationany time of the year they wish. It is heart-ening to know that this is a vanishingbreed, even if only through attrition.

Too often the structure means that payraises for a superintendent at the top ofthe scale must be accompanied by a pro-motion that takes them out of golf com-pletely. It is, therefore, impossible toretain topnotch people on golf coursesand keep them in the positions wherethey can continue to produce good resultsand train other employees to becomeskilled supervisors.

Until this sinkhole of talent is plugged,these superintendents will be lost to golfforever, or they will leave public servicefor private operations. A move of this

kind is questionable for a person with 15or 20 years of tenure. Either way, govern-ment golf will lose another skilled super-intendent.

To improve their skills, many green-keepers (the normal term for golf coursesuperintendents in public operations)must use vacation time and their ownfunds to attend superintendents associ-ation meetings, so it is difficult for themto participate in the continuing educationprovided by the wide variety of speakersat these sessions.

Associations in which the clubs payfor the superintendents' membershipsand meeting costs can easily price them-selves out of the range of these individuals.Those departments that now classifymeetings of this sort as training are help-ing themselves, even though the fiscalunit may gasp at the cost of some of thedinners.

The enlightened departments who seethe round of golf the superintendent mayplay during an association meeting aseducation are providing goals towardwhich their people can strive and theknowledge with which to attain them.These meetings are the "only source ofsupply," in bid language.

The budget sometimes gets in the wayof attempts to translate good operationalprocedures at a classic private club intouseful practices at a public course, butgrass grows the same way at both places,

and the budget/traffic differences mayhave less influence than one mightImagme.

, .. THEN a decision is made to upgrade,., or rehabilitate these courses, things

happen, although slowly, because organi-zational rigidity prevents crash programs.This is not necessarily bad, providedthe time lag is not simply reluctance toact.

An assessment should be made of theentire maintenance operation, literallyfrom the ground up. Soil conditions,drainage, and turf status are the basicpoints of need. Irrigation and other equip-ment need to be evaluated for their capa-bility to perform the operations necessaryfor higher-quality turf. Past maintenancepractices must also be examined to deter-mine their effectiveness.

Whenever possible, an assessment ofthis type should be made by an agrono-mist from outside the organization whois knowledgeable in the developmentand care of golf turf. Should architecturalchanges be necessary, a qualified golfcourse architect rather than a landscapershould be brought in.

Construction work is usually done bet-ter and faster by contractors with golfcourse experience than by departmentswithin the organization, unless they, too,have the experience. When all costs arefigured in, the outsiders are probablyless expensive. Master plans offer thebest overall approach to general rehabili-tation.

People like to see action, so while thelong-term, less obvious operations aregetting underway, the more visible im-provements should begin - weed con-trol, trimming, policing the entire area,especially the entrances, to show thatsomething good is happening.If a significant amount of work is to

be done on greens or tees, temporarygreens and tees should be prepared wellin advance to develop the sites into veryplayable turf through aeration, topdress-ing to smooth the surface, overseeding,and fertilization. Play can then be trans-ferred at a later date without the threatof insurrection.

Properly located, these temporariescan become alternates for future usewhile the regular greens are being tended,perhaps while they're being mowed. Theyare especially helpful during aeration,topdressing, and pesticide applications,and they can save putting quality whenthey're put to use after storms, or duringtransition periods in the fall or spring,when the regular greens should not beplayed.

4 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

The Milwaukee County courses havedone this successfully for many years.These permanent temporaries may add 15or 20 percent more surface to maintain,but they pay that back in job efficiency.

The key personnel in the upgradingprocess are the golf course superintendentsand the administrators. Superintendentsmust be enthusiastic about the plans, orall the work to be done will accomplishnothing.

The administrators must see that thematerial, equipment, and personnel needsare provided and are protected in futurebudgets. These people must be kept ontrack and on top of the work scheduleif the fiscal and physical progress is toremain intact.

The golfers must be kept informed ofwhat is going to happen, when it is goingto happen, and why it is necessary. Theyunderstand construction and spraying,but not all those aeration holes in theground or all that mud or sand on theturf surface. Grass eradication or sup-pression prior to replanting is alwaysquestioned because the turf surface isthe wrong color. Let's not kid ourselves,green is a primary color to all golfers.

Player complaints or observations canbe a real help in identifying problemsand setting priorities. Associations atgovernment courses are most critical ofputting surface trueness and shot recep-tivity but not necessarily speed, unlessthe greens are shaggy or extra-fast.

Poor drainage anywhere on the courseis unpleasant, particularly to walkers.Thin turf on fairways brings on perpetualwinter rules, which makes handicapsquestionable.

Poor turf on tees is a gripe, even thoughpegs are used to support the ball. Toomany tees are so rough that only a smallportion is level enough to use, and thatbecomes a water-holding dish when theground is worn bare.

Those of us who do not reach thegreens in regulation consider the ap-proaches to be the second most impor-tant pieces of turf on any golf course.They are usually too wet, rutted, com-pacted, and the terrain too uneven to hita little chip shot at the hole.

Hearing and heeding criticisms is cer-tainly a part of marketing. Governmentsmust begin to do this if they are to gainpublic support. These are the hands thatfeed the kitty from two directions - greenfees and taxes.

Analytical administrators begin to seethe light when the lowest play days areSaturday and Sunday. The city golfersare outward bound. The heavy-play /poor-quality dodge doesn't work any-

more, since the private operators handle300 to 400 or so I8-hole golfers a dayin 41h-hour rounds, and on good turf,too. Competition is a strong lever in anybusiness; it can be quite keen in the fieldof recreation, where price and perfor-mance go hand in hand.

Golfer's associations can, and somedo, become friends and encourage electedofficials to think kindly enough of thecourses to redirect funds toward theircontinual upgrading. Poor turf and/ orslow play literally drives golfers awayfrom government courses. Some willdrive an hour or more to a good privatedaily-fee course, have an enjoyable round,and be home before they could finish around on a ratty local facility.It is unlikely that a government could

or would change its entrenched policieson personnel or purchasing procedures,but this means only that the plans haveto be more long-range, with set perfor-mance dates. The municipality might,however, let the golf courses become aprivate enterprise operation that retainsits income and assumes responsibilityfor all debts.

Even where operating budgets comefrom the general fund, adequate financ-ing is not impossible when public golfis shown to be a valuable lure to com-merce and tourism as well as an assetto residents.

Some public officials believe contractmaintenance or leasing their courses isa cop-out on their obligations to thepeople. Others, however, feel that theseare fiscally sound means of handling anoperation in which administrators haveneither the will nor the skill to manage.

In a few instances golf associationshave taken over the fiscal responsibilitiesand operate as a sort of semi-privateclub / non-profit corporation. Few golferscare how a course is managed as long asit is playable.

Leases of any kind or term must havesome owner protection built into thedocument to insure that the lessee main-tains or even improves the property dur-ing the term of the contract. Performanceinspections by an unbiased, authoritativeagency are usually sought by both parties.The Turf Advisory Service of the USGAGreen Section is often used in this capa-city throughout the country.

Money is the rooting medium for goodgolf turf. The quantity depends on thedollar stretch provided by good manage-ment. There are no free rides. If golferswant better playing conditions, they willhave to demand more funds from taxrevenues and be willing to pay highergreen fees, amend some of the deals, such

(Above) Milwaukee's Dretzka Park. Large, level, grassytees are a must if government golf courses are to keep pacewith the quality presented by privately owned daily-feeoperations.

(Left) Flowers are used throughout the Dwan Golf Club atBloomington, Minnesota, to complement the excellent turfquality, including bentgrass tees. This bandbox course on97 acres hosts 64,000 players every year during the shortnorthern season.

as season tickets, special age fees, oraccept surcharges in some form.

From the turfs viewpoint, every golfercontributes to soil compaction and wear,whether he is a resident or a non-resident,old or young.

Junior golfers should certainly be en-couraged, through reduced rates, becausethey are the future of the game. Rate set-ting at other levels is strictly a local affair,but perhaps this is another place wheregovernment golf should take a page fromits counterparts in the private sector.

Any way you cut it, dirt-cheap greenfees equate to dirt-poor greens. Privatelyowned daily-fee courses (not just thesupercourses) are growing, because theypresent affordable, pleasant, well-main-tained playing conditions. In them,government golf operations have a pat-tern for efficiency and effectiveness thatcan be translated to fit their needs. It isbeing done today, to the delight of public-play golfers.

SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 1988 5