THE GREEN COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON:Are You Up To The Challenge?by JAMES FRANCES MOOREDirector, Mid-Continent Region, USGA Green Section

One of the most difficult challenges facing the Green Committee Chairpersonis meeting the needs of all types of players.

TI'S A LOUSY JOB, for the most part.You are a previously sane individual whojoined a club for entertainment, a little

exercise, and some social camaraderie, whosomehow fmds himself not only on what isarguably the club's most important com-mittee, but also responsible for the club'smost valuable physical asset - the golfcourse. Gone are the enjoyable rounds ofgolf, uninterrupted by a playing partner'sconstant advice of what he would do if hewere in charge. Relaxing lunches at the clubturn into mini-board meetings with uninvitedattendees pursuing an agenda of gripesformulated during their morning round. Andnot only does the superintendent take everyopportunity to subtly (and sometimes not sosubtly) remind you that the management ofa golf course is no job for an amateur, thewomen, men, seniors, juniors, hackers, andflat-bellies are all convinced that you listenand respond only to the complaints of groupsother than the one they feel represents theirinterests. The final straw may be when yourspouse threatens divorce if you evervolunteer for any committee again.

Club politics aside, at first glance beingthe Green Chairperson might appear to bea no-brainer. Today's superintendents arebetter educated and more professional thanever before. There are computerized irriga-tion systems to precisely manage water, andmaintenance equipment that can do morein less time and yield improved quality.Chemical companies have developed saferyet more effective pesticides and fertilizers.And turfgrass scientists are constantly devel-oping new grasses and maintenance prac-tices that allow us to enjoy the game evenin the most demanding climate.

Unfortunately, in spite of all this progressthere has never been a time in the history ofgolf that good leadership in the position ofGreen Chairperson has been more greatlyneeded. Both the game of golf and the golfcourse maintenance industry are under attackfrom many sides. Those who know nothingabout the game or who can't afford the gameat any cost consider it a sport only for theelite. Extremist environmental advocates

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paint golf courses as ravaged tracts of for-merly pristine land that now glow in thedark as a result of chemical overload.Government regulatory agencies seem deter-mined to pattern mandates after the tax code.Every day, more and more people want touse the course and expect it to be betterconditioned than what was consideredchampionship caliber just 10years ago. Andthose better educated superintendents, com-puterized irrigation systems, and newmowers don't come cheap. Today's golfcourse budgets are growing rapidly andalmost always represent the club's largestoutlay of funds.

The position of Green Chairperson isanything but a no-brainer. In fact, this job

should be filled only by an individual withexceptional leadership skills, an interest andwillingness to learn a whole new vocabulary,the mental toughness necessary to make harddecisions, and the time to do the job right.Not many people in any club meet thesecriteria. As a result, most Green Committeesare poorly led and in many cases do moreharm than good in spite of the best ofintentions. The unfortunate truth is that thelack of good leadership may well be thebiggest problem many clubs face.

This article is written to help the newGreen Committee Chairperson be moreeffective. It is hoped the following tips willprove helpful in making your term a success -fulone.

Tip #1 - Assemble a Committeewith Club Management Experience

Many of the most serious mistakes madeby committees are due simply to a lack oftenure. When terms are limited to less thanthree years, there is an understandableinclination to want to "leave your mark" onthe course. New bunkers, tees, and moundsare added under the direction of amateurarchitects following a personal agenda.These new features seldom complement therest of the course and are almost always ex-pensive and/or difficult to maintain.

Perhaps the most dangerous additions arethe trees that are planted in every open areaof the course. This design philosophy in-variably seems to be to get the trees as closeto the greens and tees as possible. Sadly, thelegacy you and your committee leave willbe greens that remain under constant stressfrom a lack of light, poor air movement, androot competition.

The tip, of course, is to make certain thecommittee is composed of individuals withexperience in club affairs and then allowthem to remain on the committee for at least

three years. One-year terms are invitationsto poor management in any business. Golfcourse management is no exception. Anddon't forget the old saying concerning thesize of your committee - "there shouldalways be odd numbers, and three is toomany." Realistically, a committee of five toseven should offer good representation ofeven the most diverse membership.

One excellent means of guaranteeingboth continuity and experience is for theclub's immediate Past President to becomethe newest member of the Green Committee.The committee is soon made up of all PastPresidents - individuals who are veryfamiliar with the entire club operation. Witha committee of five, tenure will likewise befive years. Given the experience of the com-mittee, long-range planning will be realisticand considered by the majority of the mem-bership as credible. Variations on this for-mula also have been used successfully.

Tip #2 - Develop a Mission Statement

It should be the committee's responsi-bility to determine a realistic level of main-

tenance for the course. While most peoplewould want the course in "member guest"condition at all times, this seldom is arealistic goal due both to agronomic andbudgetary restrictions. The course can bepeaked for a special event, but the committeeand golf course superintendent jointly shoulddetermine the level of maintenance appropri-ate for day-to-day golfing activity. Thismaintenance level should provide playingconditions agreeable to the majority of themembership while placing agronomicallyreasonable demands on the course itself.Remember, for a mission statement to beuseful, it must be realistic.

Tip #3 - Prepare a Master Plan

Every club's master plan should includeat least the following:

• A tree planting and removal programthat considers the architectural and agro-nomic influence of trees on the game ofgolf. A tree care program is best developedthrough the combined efforts of the super-intendent, golf professional, a professionalarborist, members of the committee, and,

Major construction affecting the architecture of the course should not be attempted without professional guidance.

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A good relationship between the superintendent and the ChaiJperson is vital to the successof the course as well as the individuals involved.

ideally, a professional golf course architect.This team should evaluate the existinginventory of trees as well as locate futureplantings.

• A professionally prepared cart pathrouting plan so that even if the path systemis built in stages, it eventually will all fittogether.

• Location and design of new coursefeatures that can be built by the super-intendent. Tees, bunkers, mounds, etc.should be professionally designed by thearchitect and approved by the membershipprior to any construction efforts.

• An analysis of water quality and wateravailability for the future.

• Identification of large capital improve-ments so the club can ready itself financiallyover a period of years rather than in a fewfrantic months. Such improvements includenew irrigation systems, pumping plants,maintenance facilities, the reconstruction ofgreens, and other major architectural changesto the course.

Tip #4 - Develop and Adhere to aCapital Equipment Replacement Plan

The committee should request from thesuperintendent a capital equipment replace-ment and acquisition schedule. This schedule

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should identify how much longer each pieceof major equipment is expected to last andrecommend a year for replacement. Occa-sionally the Green Section staff visits aclub that has implemented this very soundbusiness practice. Unfortunately, the vastmajority of committees across the countrychoose to ignore these needs and simplypass them along to the next committee yearafter year. When the time fmally comes thatthe purchases no longer can be ignored, theclub fmds itself totally unprepared. This iscrisis management at its worst and alwaysresults in wasted funds and labor resources,membership dissatisfaction, and a prolongedreduction in the quality of the facility as awhole.

Tip #5 - AddressEnvironmental Concerns

• The committee also must accept the factthat golf course maintenance as we nowknow it will almost certainly change radi-cally due to environmental concerns. In thenear future virtually all courses will need toconserve water, reduce chemical use, convertto superior grass varieties, and implementcommunity-friendly programs such as theUSGA-sponsored Audubon CooperativeSanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

The members of the committee need tobegin educating their fellow members that:

• Absolute perfection in terms of weedcontrol is no longer a practical goal. Weedsthat threaten the course from an agronomicstandpoint and those that adversely affectplaying quality should be controlled. Butthere are many, many times golf courses aresprayed for weeds that really could betolerated. These "weeds" often can becomethe basis for sanctuary areas and nativeareas. Make no mistake, there is a selling jobinvolved here to convince people that thereis a difference between a weed patch and anesting habitat. Influential members of thecommittee will be much more persuasivethan even the most eloquent superintendent.

• The same types of compromises in termsof appearance will be necessary for waterfeatures. Instead of immaculately manicuredborders surrounding a totally weed-free lake,we need to learn to accept buffer strips anda few aquatic weeds. Repeated chemicaltreatment of water features to compensatefor insufficient depth, nutrient runoff, andstagnation is neither cost effective norsensible.

• What is perhaps most important, thecommittee members must help educate thegolfers of the club that the course cannotreasonably be kept in "member/guest" con-dition at all times. Attempting to do so willresult in a turf that is kept in a constant stateof vulnerability to damage from disease,insects, weeds, and traffic. While chemicalsare extraordinarily valuable tools for golfcourse maintenance, the goal at every courseshould be to create favorable growing condi-tions and establish a level of maintenancethat reduces the need for such crutches asmuch as possible. A course that is not con-stantly pushed to the maximum has far fewerproblems year in and year out and requiresless input in terms of chemical controls.

Tip #6 - Get to KnowYour Superintendent

Establish a personal relationship withthe golf course superintendent. Many timesthe Green Committee Chairperson takes theposition that if the superintendent is takinggood care of the course it is best not tointerfere. While this attitude might seemappropriate at first, consider the problemsthat arise when something goes wrong onthe course and the lines of communicationare not well established.

Most superintendents are like employeesin any profession. They are anxious for theopportunity to communicate their needs totheir employers. However, golf course super-intendents have the added problem of work-ing in a profession so specialized that theaverage Committee Chairperson initiallywill have little idea of what the superinten-

dent is talking about. It is equally importantthat the superintendent have a good under-standing of what the membership needs.These needs should be articulated by theGreen Chairperson.

There are a number of steps the newChairperson can take to make certain goodcommunication exists between himself andthe superintendent.

• Play golf together often. Be certain toplay with all types of members rather thanthe same group each week. This will help

~yousee the course from their perspective andbetter understand their demands. Play othercourses, too. Put together a foursome of thePro, Superintendent, Green Chairperson,and one other. Meet your counterparts at theother club if possible.

• Attend local superintendent meetingsand Green Section conferences together asoften as possible. Try to attend the annualGolf Course Superintendents Association ofAmerica meeting. This is always an "eye-opener" for the Green Chairperson, and thetime spent in the seminars and looking atthe newest innovations the industry has tooffer will prove very productive.

• Hold committee meetings in the mainte-nance facility occasionally. Let the entirecommittee learn a little more about what ittakes to care for the course. If the condition

of your maintenance facility is too poor tohold a simple meeting, consider the workingenvironment in which your course mainte-nance staff must work on a daily basis.

Tip #7 - Utilize the Green Section'sTurfgrass Advisory Service

The staff of the Green Section visits morethan 1,500 courses each year, with mainte-nance budgets ranging from much less than$100,000 to well over $1,000,000. Theagronomist can help you reach a balancebetween the agronomic needs of the courseand the desires of the players. They can helpyou identify the potential of your facility aswell as pinpoint areas in which both short-term and long-term improvement effortsneed to be made. They will give the super-intendent and the committee an honestassessment of the programs in place and helpformulate new programs if necessary. TheGreen Section's Turfgrass Advisory Serviceis one of the best bargains in golf and aresource every Green Chairperson shouldtap.

Do You Have "The Right StufT"?

How critical is this need for strongerleadership at the top? Look at it this way.Never before has our industry been betterprepared to deal with the challenges of the

future. We have the best-educated super-intendents, a scientific and research com-munity that produces invaluable informationon a regular basis, computerized irrigationcontrol that gives us the best-ever manage-ment of water, and unbelievably efficientequipment. We have immediate access tocritical information sources and a worldwidenetwork of turfgrass professionals of alltypes who freely exchange ideas. Unfor-tunately, the sad truth is that all of these assetscan be negated at the management level byone chairperson or a committee whose onlygoal is to have faster greens and 100%pristine conditions. Simply put, poor leader-ship is worse than no leadership at all. Thegame of golf and the golf course mainte-nance industry cannot meet the challengesof the future without the support and leader-ship of those who are the ultimate con-sumers - the golfers.

Hopefully, all these challenges do notscare you away from accepting the respon-sibility of Green Committee Chairperson.Make the commitment, accept the challenge,and follow the guidelines outlined above.The pay may not be great, but the knowledgethat you have had a positive impact on yourcourse, those who use it, and the lives ofthose who maintain it, should go a long waytoward justifying the effort.

The Long-Range Plan should include an evaluation of water quality andfuture availability.