THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER DETROIT GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION . (/)/1 A J / ’/c From head to tail, it’s one tough Gator.0 The New John Deere Turf Gator d- Powerful 10 hp Kawasaki Engine O Continuously Variable Transm ission O Automotive Rack & Pinion Steering d Large 500 lb Capacity Box d Low Center of Gravity O 600 lb Towing Capacity d Full Independent A-Arm Suspension In Stock Exc|usively at \/\je in9artZ North America's Largest Outdoor Power Equipment Dealer Utica 7/2 Mile North of M-59 46061 Van Dyke 810-731-7240 Cedar Springs 11875 Northland Dr. Just North of 14 Mile 616-696-2913 Farmington Hills 39050 Grand River East of Haggerty Road 888-4-JD-TURF SERIALS m . i ? Greater Detroit Golf Course Superintendents Association , (, MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY The Official Publication of the Greater Detroit Golf Course Superintendents Asoclatlon Officers President Paul Kolbe Vice President Roy Szyndlar, CGCS Committees: GAM Seminar, Historian, Co-Policy Book President Em eritus Paul Dushane Committees: Ethics, By-Laws, Nominating Secretary/T reasurer Mark McKinley Committees: Co-Golf Day, Co-Awards, Finance, Welfare Directors Ron Abbott, CGCS Committees: Co-Hospitality, Co-Social Tim Dorner, CGCS Committees: POG Editor, Publicity, Co-Golf Day Mike Jones Committees: Co-Education, Co-Hospitality Room Rick Murphy, CGCS Committees: Co-Awards, Co-Education, Finance Industrial Relations Tom Schall, CGCS Committees: Co-Special Olympics Co-Social Gary Thommes, c g c s Committees: Membership, Co-Special Olympics, Co-Policy Book Contents Big Event ................................... The 5 ........................On Par With The President 6 ................Remembrance of Gerald Kleino 7 .............................. The View From M.S.U. 9 ............................................ Annual Meeting 10 & 11 1 3 ............................................Irrigation Corner 1 5 ........................ The Ultimate Golf Widow 1 9 ............................. August Board Meeting 2 0 ........................September Board Meeting 21 ............Industrial & Environmental News 2 2 .................................New Member Roster 2 4 ................................. Changes To Roster 2 6 ................... Turfgrass Foundation Event 2 9 .................GCSAA Conference Schedule 3 0 ................................. Calendars of Events Contact for GDGCSA Information Kate Mason Executive Secretary GDGCSA P.O. Box 173, Troy, Ml 48099 (248) 362-1108 Fax: (248) 362-1736 E-Mail: gdgcsa@aol.com Periodical Reading Room PO NOT CIRCULATE Printed by: Schaltenbrand Printing Company 16315 Harper Avenue Detroit, Ml 48224 (313) 882-4343 A Patch of Green - 3 - Fall Issue, 1998 Yu u r K e e p rj Y u p C u n c J jtJ u /j >» a, x Legacy Golf Control water, labor and energy costs with a Legacy irrigation system. Century is your local distributor with ■ a com plete line o f rotors, valves and J f¥ controllers. L E G A C Y Valves • Controllers * Fountains * Sprinklers • G o l f c o u r se su p e r in te n d e n ts lik e y o u r s e lf are m a k in g plans to get their courses in top shape for the new season. And irrigation is at the top o f their lists. Century g o lf professionals can show you how to m aintain a highly-playable course, and can help solve any irrigation or drainage p rob lem s. T hey can also sh o w y o u w h a t's n e w lig h tin g , water features and more. 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Superior Aquatic Management Systems / c èn tu rT r à ìn à ìd ) w w w . minaid 800 - 347-4272 N ow Serving These M ajor Markets: Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, M assachusetts, M ichigan, M innesota, M issouri, N ew Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, W isconsin and O ntario, Canada. CENTURY GOLF PROFESSIONALS > MICHIGAN * BRIAN BIRDWELL • 248-588-2990 * ROGER GRIFFITH • 616-954-0660 A Patch of Green - 4 - Fall Issue, 1998 * RANDY LANE • 800-347-4272 on par ’si? president Fall is finally upon us and it’s the best season of the year. This summer I said, "come on snow" almost weekly. It was a year that had everything. We had no snowfall and mild temperatures during the winter and May was one of the driest ever. Strong winds around July 4th knocked down numerous trees and August was hot and humid with dew points above 70°, ideal for brown patch and pythium. September has been ideal, but too dry for comfort. We had to daily water as of October 1 st; we even started to water large transplanted trees from two years ago. Even with this summer, the Board of Directors continued to give quality programs throughout the year. I would like to thank all the members who volunteered to serve on committees. Also, I’d like to recognize editor Tim Dorner and Kate Mason for putting this quality magazine together. This winter, write an article for the magazine and receive credit towards future meetings. Many people are working on new irrigation systems, which is an excellent topic. Getting ready for the 1999 season can start by attending the Fall Management Seminar on October 29, 1998 and the GCSAA Seminar, Superintendent as Grow-in Manager, on November 10, 1998. Also, the Christmas Party is slated for December 5, 1998 at Grosse lie Golf and Country Club. Hope this winter cooperates, and by February I’ll start saying "come on spring" with a refreshed body and mind. A Patch of Green - 5 - Fall Issue, 1998 In Remembrance of Gerald Kleino Gerald Kleino, Manager/Superintendent of Rammler Golf Course, died on August 24, 1998 at the age of 48. Gerald was a member of GDGCSA since 1982. He started working at Rammler in 1968 at age 18 on the grounds crew and over the course of the next few years became the Golf Course Superintendent. He eventually assumed the role of Manager/Superintendent. Gerald was a life-long resident of the eastside and great friend and colleague to those who knew him. Gerald’s biggest passion was hunting and fishing in Michigan’s north country. He will be greatly missed by those who knew him. THESIER EQUIPMENT COMPANY IS NOW OFFERING CUSTOM AERIFICATION FAIRWAYS, TEES & GREENS FOR The new John Deere 1500 aerator is designed to handle large fair­ ways with ease. With a standard setup of 2.5” x 4.0” using 3/4” tines we can cover an acre per hour. Other tine sizes and hole spacing patterns are available. Cost for this service is currently $160.00 per acre. Tines are charged to the customer, and fuel is supplied by the customer with a ten acre minimum. We do not offer core cleanup at the present time. The new John Deere 800 aerator is a walk-behind unit designed for smaller areas such as greens and tees. Using 1/2” tines it will pene­ trate up to 4” deep, relieving compaction and thatch to stimulate healthy turfgrass. Rent this unit for $600.00 per day, or hire us to per­ form this service at a rate of $0.02 per square foot. CALL NOW TO RESERVE YOUR DATES-TIMES ARE FILLING FASTÜ 1- 800- 870-9791 A Patch of Green - 6 - Fall Issue, 1998 | t j ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ The View From M.S.U. Managing Summer Stress Syndrome On Putting Greens by J. M. Vargas, Jr., Professor Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, M.S.U. Many greens begin to thin during the summer stress period. The thinning of turf on the greens is usually accompanied by a shortening of the roots. This thinning can be especially severe on greens growing in poor environments. This would include greens that are growing where trees restrict air movement or prevent morning sun from reaching the green. This syndrome was originally called "creeping bentgrass decline." The phenomenon has since also been observed on bermuda grass and annual bluegrass greens. It is now referred to by some as "summer stress syndrome." that have this problem. Greens There are many cultural practices that can be done to alleviate limited air movement become thin because the turfgrass plants cannot the warm weather transpire properly during to cool themselves. Plants cool themselves during the warm weather by transpiring in much the same way people do by perspiring. In both cases, as the air passes over the plant’s surface or your skin, moisture evaporates and cools the plant or the person. If the plant cannot transpire for lack of air movement, temperatures can rise to over 125° F on warm humid days, causing a denaturation of the proteins and eventual death ofthe plants. The simple solution is usually the removal of the trees, but this is often difficult to do because of membership resistance. The next best option is the use of fans to supply air movement across the greens. salt index. We often find over 1000 ppm of salt in the upper inch of samples sent to our lab for disease identification. Salt levels that high in the upper inch of sand on a green will result in the greens wilting and dying. Over the past few years, we have been experimenting with a new fungicide program that not only controls turfgrass diseases, but also improves the quality of the turfgrass during the heat stress period of summer. The program consists of applying Aliette Signature in combination with Daconil Ultrex, Thalonil, Fore, Chipco GT, or Protect, This program begins in mid-May and continues every other week through the first week in September. It results in a denser turf and deeper roots on the greens. The program has been successful on both creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass greens. In addition, this program controls the major foliar diseases dollar spot, brown patch and pythium blight that occur during summer. The key is starting early. If you wait until the greens go under stress, it is too late to apply any of these combinations to remedy the situation. It may be too late to do anything about the problems you had this year, but it is not too early to plan your cultural and chemical program for next year, It is also the ideal time tree removal! Lack ofmorning sun during the warm weather of July and August can be devastating to greens, especially creeping bentgrass greens. Annual bluegrass, because of its more efficient photosynthesis mechanism, will survive better with lack of morning sun; although it too will not be as healthy as where it receives morning sun. Turfgrass plants only photosynthesize during the cool weather of the morning. By the time they receive the afternoon sun, the internal temperature in the plant is so high that the photosynthetic mechanism has shut down. Respiration increases with increasing stored carbohydrates, and since photosynthesis isn’t occurring at a normal rate, the plants eventually "starve" themselves to death. temperature, burning up the Good aerification and top-dressing practices should be done on a regular basis to insure the greens will be in as healthy a condition as possible going into the summer stress period. It is also important to limit the amount of nitrogen applied at any one time, especially with fertilizers which have a high A Patch of Green - 7 - Fall Issue, 1998 We DriveTheWorldTo Work And Play. 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T Kimberly Olson James Bogart Dan Johaningsmeier Doug Johanningsmeier Keith Richards Dar Howard Steve Syrett Richard Locke Bruce Wotring *■bRFCRASS I i Todd Griebe-Mgr. 1 (800) 521-TURF Featuring: The Anderson's Emerald Isle Zajac Performance Seeds Naiad Cascade Novartis Agrevo Chipco Isk Bio Sciences Regal-Systec Profile Lebanon Lange-Polyon Standard Par-Aide Hydro-seed supplies A Patch of Green - 8 - Fall Issue, 1998 ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING HIGHLIGHTS By Rick Murphy This year’s annual business meeting was held at The Polo Fields Golf & Country Club on September 28, 1998. Our host for the day was Mark McKinley. Mark and his staff had the course in splendid shape for the 48 golfers who attended. This year, the golfers competed for the annnual golf championship. The weather was fantastic, the fairways firm and the greens rolled true and fast! It was a great day and after the final scores were tallied, the following champions were crowned: Championship Flight Low Gross - Colby Pace (Champion) Low Net - Tim Smith First Flight Low Gross - Ron Abbott Low Net - Paul Schneeberger Second Flight Low Gross - Jon Shreve Low Net - Miles Hicks Vendor Flight Low gross - Tom Gill Low Net - Mike Brannigan Congratulations to all of the winners and especially to Colby Pace, our new association champion. After enjoying a fine gourmet meal, the annual business meeting and election took place. This year’s slate of candidates included Tim Dorner, Terry Poley and Rick Murphy. Dorner and Murphy were re-elected to a 3-year term. The Board running and appreciated his desire to help run the association. Please refer to the minutes of this meeting located herein for discussion of other business matters. Upcoming Association functions are as follows: thanked Poley for The Wolfram Classic (Maple Lanes) The Fall Mgt. Meeting (Novi Hilton) October 29 October 23 November 10 The Superintendent as Growing Manager - CCSAA Regional Seminar (Novi Hilton) No matter what machine or application, WMÊ ■ ¡■ T T H E B E S T R O L L E R F O ] ....... ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ I ^ .... » 1 In MICHIGAN, contact: G r e e n & G r o w Tel: 810-323-9870 FAX: 810-323-9875 T P » i — iC J L - fL - a L ___S - f£ = ï For orders or information, call toll free 1- 800- 521-8891 601 Whitney Avenue Lontana Florida 33462 561-582-6180 A Patch of Green - 9 - Fall Issue, 1998 THANKS TO ALL WHO MADE "THE BIG EVENT" POSSIBLE C o m m it t e e M e m b e r s Co-Chair Mark McKinley, Polo Fields G&CC Michael Bay, Tam O’Shanter CC Dale Bauer, Burning Tree G&CC Tom Gill, Spartan Distributors Bill Jackson, Scalawags CC Dick Matthews, Riverview Highlands GC John Nowakowski, Great Oaks, CC Tim Dorner, St. Clair Shores CC Pat O’Brien, Wolverine GC Dave Pawluk, Fore Lakes GC Mike Plague, Green & Grow Sue Shockey Lorrie Viola, L.A. Links, Inc. Lowell Weaver, Links @ Whitmore Lake Allingham Corp. Arthur Hills & Associates Century Rain Aid Club Car Inc. Commercial/Environmental Turf Services Cougar Cutting Products & Supply D&C Distributors Emerald Isle Ltd. Fisher Fuel Inc. Bald Mountain GC Bay, Mike Bogie Lake GC Burning Tree G&CC Canadian Lakes Captain’s @ Woodfield Cattails GC CJ’s Cracklewood GC Dennis Cook Dunham Hills GC Emerald Isle Essex G&CC Fellows Creek GC Fore Lakes GC Goff-Man (Paul Shedlik) Gowanie GC Green and Grow Greystone GC Grosse lie G&CC S p o n s o r s Great Greens of America Green & Grow, Inc. Huggett Sod Farm J. Mollema & Son, Inc. Lesco Inc. Marc Dutton Irrigation Munn Tractor Sales, Inc. NEXTEL Communications Rhino Seed & Landscape Supply Spartan Distributors P r iz e D o n o r s Gunners Meters & Parts Heather Hills GC Hickory Creek GC Highland Hills GC Hotsy Midwest Cleaning Hudson Mills Metropark GC Huron Meadows Metropark Indian Springs Metropark GC Kensington Metropark GC Lake Erie Metropark GC Lakelands G&CC Links @ Pinewood Lochmoor Club Mesquite Grill Mr. B’s National Coney Island/ Bill Zanetti Oak Ridge CC Pawluk, Dave and Russ Pine Knob GC Pine View GC Terra International Inc. Terry Malburg Landscaping Inc. The Davey Tree Expert Co. The Scotts Company Turf Drain Inc. United Horticultural Supply Valley Turf Inc. Weingartz Wm. F. Sell & Son Pine View Highlands GC Polo Fields G&CC Rattle Run GC Reddeman Farms Richmond Forest GC Riverview Highlands Rush Lake Hills GC Scalawags CC Southgate GC St. Clair Shores CC Steamers Tam O’Shanter CC The Bear The Gailes The Links @ Whitmore Lake The Links of Novi The Timbers GC Wabeek CC Willow Metropark GC Wolverine GC A Patch of Green -1 0 - Fall Issue, 1998 T h e C ia T v e n t Barton Hills C.C., Bay Pointe C.C., Lochmoor Club, Oak Pointe and Katke Cousins were the sites for the Annual GDGCSA Golf Day Fundraiser known as The Big Event. October 5th marked the 33rd year for this association sponsored event. Cloudy conditions produced lower than normal temperatures for the first week of October, but that did not keep over 400 participants from coming out to help raise over $27,000 for turfgrass research and scholarships. This year was the first year that the event was played as a scramble format, which was met with a favorable reponse from most of the participants . All the participants raved about the playing conditions of the host courses. Kudos to Rick Murphy of Bay Pointe, Tom Schall of Oak Pointe, Mike Jones of Lochmoor, Jay Delcamp of Katke Cousins, Tim Dark of Barton Hills and their staffs for all the hard work preparing their courses for this annual day of fun and golf. Tonia Branch and Pete Jackson display door prizes for the annual outing After golf, all the participants went to Bay Pointe for the dinner and prize drawings. The staff at Bay Pointe provided an excellent meal and service. Over 200 prizes were given away, including a 27" color TV and many other electronic items, golf merchandise, gift certificates, dinner tickets, theater tickets and several nice golf packages. Eight $300 winners were selected in the 50/50 raffle and ten $50 winners were selected in the mulligan drawing. Thanks to Mindy Knight of Zep Manufacturing, Tonia Branch of the GAM and Jim McGuire of McGuire Sales for dedicating their time and effort selling tickets for the 50/50 raffle. A special thanks goes to the donors of the door prizes and the boards of directors of Barton Hills, Oak Pointe, Lochmoor, the management staff at Katke Cousins and the owners of Bay Pointe for allowing us to use their courses for this important event. Their support helps make our event the largest turfgrass fundraiser in the state. Also, thanks to the Big Event committee and Kate Mason for all their hard work and preparation. Without their dedication and hard work, Golf Day would not be the successful event that it has become. Host superintendents (I. to r.) Tom Schall of Oak Pointe, Mike Jones of Lochmoor, Jay Delcamp of Katke cousins and Rick Murphy of Bay Pointe. Not pictured Tim Dark of Barton Hills The superintendents and their guests really enjoyed themselves at the awards banquet after a great day of golf! A Patch of Green -11 - Fall Issue, 1998 MAKE THE MOST OF THE WORST WINTER 125 YEARS! a e s ? ... H o w you ask ? — with your from Ty-Crop! That’s how. WINTER PROJECTS MADE EASY... renovate greens, tees, bunkers, install drainage lines, rebuild cartpaths, and do all your winter clean up. Exceeding our customers expectations for performance and reliability since 1978. L o a d v e h i c l e s i n 5 - 7 s e c o n d s ! Tel (604) 794-7078 • Fax (604) 794-3446 1 - 800- 845-7249 Call today for more info or a free demo W eb: w w w .tycrop.com T o p d r e s s l a r g e a r e a s * Limited time offer only. Limited quantities. Customers must lease or buy May 1, 1999. Deliveries November, 1998 through January, 1999 only. ** O.A.C. only. The definition of “FREE” means customers are obligated to purchase or lease the MH-400 on or before May 1, 1999. Customers must submit a credit application for approval prior to delivery of the MH-400. A Patch of Green -12 - Fall Issue, 1998 The Irrigation Corner The Role of Hand Watering and Manual Irrigation in Golf Management by David B. Beck, P.E. Hand watering is one of the most common forms of water application on a golf course. Hand watering provides the superintendent an active and highly tactile form of managing golf course turfgrass. In effect, most superintendents who hand water feel that they are actively participating in the cultivation of their turfgrasses. But in reality, how effective is hand watering? Very little research has been devoted to the this subject which plays such a large role in golf course water management. Consulting irrigation engineers themselves disagree on the role hand watering should play in turf cultivation1. Although there are a few instances where hand watering is beneficial, overall I highly discourage hand watering within the coverage areas of an automated irrigation system. Most well designed, constructed and operated golf course irrigation systems have the ability to control and distribute water with far greater accuracy than a person with a hose. When hand watering within the limits of these systems, superintendents begin a cycle which ultimately results in the loss of water distribution control. Personnel applying water by hand are unable to accurately judge the total depth of water added to any area. Although attempting to provide even water distribution, hand watering generally results in areas receiving excessive water while other areas directly adjacent receive little or no water. Automatic sprinklers are then adjusted to compensate for underirrigated areas and overall irrigation efficiency is reduced. The primary culprits in the inefficiencies of hand watering are the excessively high applications rates which can result from hand watering and golf course infiltration rates which are extremely small2 3 4. Although manual irrigators are providing water to dry spots, the high application rates result in water running off to the base of mounds and slopes. Believe it or not, the water is not staying where it is placed. This complicates irrigation applications with the automatic sprinklers and generally results in a cycle of wet and dry areas. Automatic irrigation is adjusted to compensate for spots missed by hand watering, further hand watering is perceived as a solution, more wet and dry areas appear, nozzles are changed to compensate, and the cycle spins out of control. Whenever a superintendent perceives the need to hand water areas within the sprinkler pattern of their automatic irrigation system they will generally be far better off to make adjustments in sprinkler run times. Even though most sprinklers are not immensely accurate in their sprinkler distribution patters, a person hand watering will never be able to apply water by hand as evenly as a sprinkler. Most scenarios which are perceived to need hand watering are small dry areas which are associated with improper irrigation system management or deficiencies in irrigation system design and construction. Superintendents will be generally far better off if these deficiencies are identified and corrected than to start the hand watering cycle. If a small area is dry, adjust the individual sprinkler covering that area up by 20 percent, manually activate the sprinkler for several minutes to catch it up with the rest of the system and monitor for possible further adjustments. If a superintendent sees both wet and dry areas (slopes and tops of mounds are dry and low areas are wet) under the same sprinkler it is likely this is a result of runoff. To minimize this problem, change system operation3,4, resist the urge start the hand watering cycle. All manual irrigation is not bad. Situations where hand watering may be required can be found with excessively poor system coverage or supplemental watering in non-irrigated areas. Additional applications for hand watering may be syringing a green or watering in fertilizer, but generally a well-constructed automatic irrigation system will provide better results than hand watering. In summary, hand watering is highly labor intensive, results in extremely high water application rates and reduces the efficiency of automatic irrigation systems. New, well-constructed automatic irrigation systems should require no hand watering within the sprinkler coverage areas. If wet and dry areas are present try changing the way you are watering. By ending the cycle of wet and dry areas associated with hand watering and allowing the automatic irrigation system to do its job, superintendents can spend their valuable time in other areas on the golf course. 1 Vinchesi, B. E., "Quick Coupling Valves", Turf: North Vol. 7, No. 2, February 1994, p. 54-55. 2 Beck, D.B. "Soil Moisture Infiltration Rates" Irrigation Corner A Parch ofGreen, Spring 1998, p. 19-20 3 Beck, D. B. "Central Control Methodology for Golf Course Irrigation Scheduling" Northwest Turfgrass Topics, Fall 1997. 4 Beck, D.B. "Irrigation Scheduling: Getting the Most From Your Central Controller" A Patch of Green, Summer, 1997. A Patch of Green -13 - Fall Issue, 1998 TER R Y M A L B U R G Li L A N D S C A P IN G , IN C . CongratuCations TEES ★ G R EEN S ★ F A IR W A Y S ★ BUNKERS ★ SHAPING RENOVa t w ---¡S I ^ ^ ^ F I N I S t ^ O R I ^ ^ —---£ '------' f NEW CONSTRUCTION ^ To Mike Fouty, Superintendent at Lake Forest GC and Amy Paustian, Superintendent at The Links at Whitmore Lake, on their wedding, which occurred on September 5, 1998 810-752-3489 810-752-1026 FA X 810-560-3388 PAGER CALL FOR DETAILS TERRY M A L B U R G PRESIDENT AIS Wants Your Business! m MARC DUTTON I R R I G A T I O N , I N C . YOUR IRRIGATION PUMP STATIONS RESOURCE IN MICHIGAN IRRIGATION Installation Automation Electrical repairs Mechanical repairs Controller upgrades Radio controls Installations Service Upgrades Authorized Service for ® lAIATPDTDTOVlirQ WE INSTALL AND SERVICE ALL MAJOR IRRIGATION SYSTEM S 4720 Hatchery Road Waterford, Michigan 48329 (248) 674-4470 FAX (248) 674-3091 Contact DAVE or ED Daily • Weekly • Monthly Rentals M ichigan's Largest Rental Fleet After-hours Pager/Message Center: 1-800-AIS-NITE GRAND RAPIDS (616)538-2400 LANSING WEST DETROIT (517)321-8000 (248)437-8121 TRAVERSE CITY (616)267-5060 tm f1" (810)727-7502 ^ — - Mon-Thur 6am-10pm • Fri 6am-6pm • Sat 8am-4pm SAGINAW N.E. DETROIT (517)777-0090 A Patch of Green -14 - Fall Issue, 1998 Reprinted from On Course, July, 1998 The Ultimate "Golf Widow" By Peg Czerkies I knew what I was getting myself into. It was 1978 when he went straight from the prom to Cog Hill without first going home to sleep, and I knew. You see, it was already 3 a.m., and he couldn’t be late for work. In another two hours, he should be changing cups, mowing greens, etc., and otherwise begining to learn this trade that would consume life eternally. As a golf superintendent’s wife, I consider myself lucky in a lot of ways. It takes an ambitious man to put in the kind of hours that he does. Sending him out to spend the day doing something he hated in order to support his family would be a tremendous guilt trip for me. Instead, he is doing what he loves to do and is constantly rewarded by the progress he sees. From April to November, he is there to see his results, seven days a week. As you know, any wife of a superintendent has to deal with her husband sacrificing family time in order to be at his golf course making sure everything runs smoothly. It’s not only his job on the line, it is also his name in the business. Any of you who have gotten married in the summer and now have to spend all of your anniversaries at home, knows what I mean! If any of your children were born in the summer, I hope you had loving, caring people around to help out. Getting your husband to take time off during the golf season for ANYTHING (besides actually getting to play golf), is totally impossible. That family camping trip when the kids are out of school is virtually nonexistent, unless you’re taking them yourself. This is not a bad idea. We have built some really great memories over the years. The fact is, if I want to have a life in the summer, I’m on my own, because my husband is always going to be at work. There is a positive side to his work schedule, though. Because his day begins and ends so early, he is able to spend time with the kids. We wives see very little of our husbands during "the season". You really have to work hard at creating quality time. Unless you’re one of those wonderful women who gets up before the crack of dawn to make breakfast for her man, the first time you see him will be after work. This can be dangerous. He is tired, grumpy and stressed out. He wants to eat, take a shower, and he’s hoping he can get "Seinfeld" in before he falls asleep. Don’t let this "end of the day" image become who he is to you. He must be pleasant sometime during the day, or he wouldn’t have a job. Here are a few tips I have discovered. I I suggest shocking him in the morning with a fresh pot of coffee and a smiling face (caution: I don’t do this very often. If I spoil him, I’d be locked into getting up every day). He won’t know what to think, and we might even strike up a conversation. If I want to talk to him at all, I never turn on the weather channel! He would be glued to it like he was the Super Bowl. Superintendents watch it obsessively; with radios, weather computers, and every scientific toy on the market, nothing replaces the weather channel. "It changes every ten minutes, you know!" The only thing that challenges the weather channel on TV, for Kevin, is sports. It is also the only thing that makes me thankful that he has chosen the weather channel to watch instead. their weather If breakfast doesn’t work, or if it works so well that I want more time with him, I like to invade his world for lunch. Seeing him in his element is quite an experience, especially if he has a crew to boss around. You can also learn some Spanish that they don’t teach you in high school. I can see first hand what kind of insanely busy day he has facing him every time he wakes up. Not that I don’t appreciate that now, but seeing it really helps me to be a little nicer to him when he comes home. He really doesn’t just ride around the golf course in his cart all day. These are the ways that I get to see the different facets of my husband’s personality and confirm that during this hectic season of work, there is, in fact, still some beauty left in the beast. I wouldn’t recommend getting into his world too often; it is still his turf (no pun intended). They work so hard during the golf season, it is amazing to me that they still know who we are at the end of it all. When people ask me if my husband works in the winter, I tell them "just barely, he only works 40 hours a week then!" There is a definite difference between a "regular" golf widow and a superintendent’s wife. Golfers don’t go back at night just to make sure the course is still there. Our husbands do. When golfers are not on the course, they are at work. Even when our husbands are working, they are on the golf course. At least ordinary golf widows can learn how to play, or just drive the cart, and maybe spend some time with the man they married. We can do that too, but I believe it pays more to learn how you can include yourself into this time spent working. For example, if he has to go back at night, I see what i can do to help. Helping him with the routine tasks lets him know that his work is interesting to me, and it can be fun. I’ll ask him to demonstrate his irrigation system for me. He seems to be very proud of his water pipes. If we’re lucky, we get to see some non-paying, freeloading, after- hours, walk-on golfer get hit with about 20,000 pounds of water pressure. Life’s little rewards are all in his day’s work. If you really want him to admit he needs you, get his Border collie to fall in love with you. 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Man’s best friend is she who can handle his dog! OK. I was hired. I fell in love with this dog faster than he fell in love with me. The Park District hired me to travel to various parks and chase geese with Mick, the dog. It was either I take the job, or let some stranger work with him in the parks, thereby confusing my precious pup even further with three people to have to take orders from. It really has been great, though. If you have ever seen these dogs work, it is quite a rush. When picking up my dog from the golf course to do my park route, I have learned a few things about in the golf course workplace: 1. Most of the money won on a golf course is not betting on your game, it is betting whether or not it takes that novice golfer less than 10 shots to make it to the green. 2. You don’t have to speak Spanish to communicate with your crew. Slow, broken English with a heavy Ricky Ricardo accent will do nicely. 3. The most vile and contempuous creatures on earth are those pesky honkers (geese, not golfers). They make a mess every eight minutes, and they know how to play head games with your dog. Being an "ultimate golf widow" sometimes has advantages. It teaches me to be independent. I also love knowing that my husband’s job is to nurture a little piece of the earth. I have learned to appreciate his work through the beauty of the golf course. It is incredible the way the moon can shine through the trees and beam onto the strip of green velvet that is the fairway, and the gift of a perfect green cannot even be described. All this means that Mother Nature is on her throne, and Kevin is happy. His golf course truly is his Emerald City, and he is the Wizard. The Wizard: you know, the man responsible for all the magic, yet still the man behind the curtain who no one pays any attention to? When I think of what he goes through during the season, it makes it much easier to let him go on his convention alone. He needs time to be on his own without having to answer to anyone but himself. He’s earned it! It’s funny though, when I go with him, the convention is work, work, work. It’s only when I stay home that he seems to have the really big fun. It was easy to be resentful of him when we had very little ones at home. Again, this is where I had to make my own fun. Now, my kids and I usually head north to ski at convention time! It’s much better to trade stories when you get back together than to hear about all the fun you missed. The game of golf has been very good to us. At 17, I fell in love with a blonde kid on the high school golf team. It was then that I knew that I would someday be married to a golf course superintendent. I pray that his career doesn’t turn him into an old man before his time. 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