As a superintendent I've learned the best thing to do is take pictures the day you come on the job and continue to take pictures of the improvements to the problem areas. Golfers never remember the course of yesterday but are quick to judge the course today... Unless you have been in the business you don't know what it takes to run a successful course. Hats off to all the men and women who do it!
So much more BS you gotta deal with too. GM's, club presidents. Seen good grass farmers get let go while they're crushing it because people like that want to get a buddy a job. Thankless work.
As a 24 year old “golf course technician”, I 100% felt that “day laborer” comment lmao. It’s not for the weak and definitely not paid enough. My course is currently in the same flooded condition as yours in north east Georgia. Enjoyed the video!
Where do you work at? Let me guess..Apple Mountain or The Orchard? Or that place on the north end of Lake Rabun? The Waterfall Club. I worked at Apple Mountain and Skitts Mountain almost 20yrs ago in Habersham and White counties.
I work as a greenskeeper here at Lakeway country club in Lakeway tx full-time for just over 6yrs and I can't see myself working in any other field of work. Hydraulic leaks or a busted hose can be costly but fixable, but a busted hose blows out while on the mowing greens will kill the grass and it'll be permanent, unless the dead grass gets taken out and resodded. There's only 4 of us on an 18 hole golf course and we don't have any bunkers on the course except a few on the range but we manage quite well being under staffed. Our supervisor runs two courses and manages them to the best of his ability and doesn't get any complaints that I've heard and he's been supervisor just about 15yrs and has seen many people come n go but stays with it, the job is never done, especially for those in a higher ranking position. Thanks for your videos and if you enjoy doing what you do, stay with it! You won't be disappointed
Thanks James! That’s awesome. 4 guys busting their tale. Thanks for sharing...that’s awesome. All the best to u sir. Thanks a lot for watching. Means a lot.
As a Superintendent myself, the course looks great! I feel for the super that got let go. Many times we are expected to do more with less like budget cuts, etc.
Definitely a tough job. Your at mother nature's mercy. Was a super for 27 years in Kentucky before I retired. Many sleepless nights, many weekends where I missed activities because the course needed attention. Having said that, I loved most of that time. Now I am a distiller in the bourbon business, no weekends involved. LOL!! Truly blessed though, I was around for the golf boom...and fall, now I am in the a booming bourbon world. Nice video.
Thanks for watching Gary. Also, thanks for sharing a little about yourself. All the best to you in the bourbon business! Nothing quite like Kentucky bourbon!!
Dude! Just stumbled on this video. Brings back old memories! I spent 13 years at Sedgefield CC. Worked for three supers and a course renovation. I was like 4th man for a long time, had keys to the shop.. Was temp 3rd man for a super transition. Storms always meant more work! Myself just like you, was the guy that removed the debris off the entry to make it look better. As for getting a new boss/super. For me it was more about how I was treated and the effects it had on my job and life and not so much the effects of the course. The stories I could tell of those days.....and I got some good ones!
Gotta love Greenmaster flex mowers, we cut at .1000 on A4 bentgrass greens, 18 flex mowers 6 and 6 to trade out each week for maintenance etc or in case mowers go down, than 3 for tees and 3 for fringe and approaches.
Let's be honest he probably snake headed the guy to get his job. It's the new 'golf guy 'way. Never took any Turf programs. Has no seasons as a super under belt but wants ro make a video of this joke
Hey! I came across your channel, because recently we discussed putting up a camera on my fairway mower to make videos. We thought: "Well some folks watch train videos, why shouldn't one be watching someone else mowing the fairways?" :D Might be relaxing in case someone has problems falling asleep. So I searched for videos about greenkeeping. I just wanted to say, thanks for making these videos and showing people what we do everday and which troubles we may have! Thumps up!
I have some 15 years of experience on course and a Turf Management degree, there is so much that goes on between superintendents and the G.M.s half of the time it has nothing to do with the course. Lower end courses go theough superintendents like crazy
Lower end courses often don't have the budget for the results they're looking for and owners or management to foolish to recognize it. They often think that a superintendent should be a miracle worker. A good super needs to know how to communicate to his superiors that what they want may not be in the budget and be able to suggest cost effective alternatives. Myself I was an equipment tech and assistant super for about 2 decades. I Was fortunate to mostly work under and with people who could understand these things. Not so much with the last place I was at. They've been trying to get me to come back for over a year now but...
@@chrismechanic6164 of course every course will vary because of budget BUT if you have a superintendent that can better allocate funds for management practices that give Turfgrasses the best results for healthier turf helps a lot. The main thing it comes down to is how many people can you hire on the grounds crew. The more you have the more you can do each day keeping the course look better and better. Sadly the people who know the most about turf management usually have zero say on what really should be done or planted. Public courses to private courses all have the same issue's, members want different grass types, grasses cut at certain heights, management of bunkers a certain way, tee and pin locations AND the worst thing I have experienced is management letting tournament outings have free roam. It was really bad, grass killed on greens due to wrong paint. You never get away from this unless you earn yourself a job at some of the best courses, multi million budgets with a massive grounds crew. 20 plus
@@chosen1one930 yes, the last course I was at had the most acreage of all and they try to get by with about 5 or 6 on the crew. Most end up feeling overworked and underpaid and quit. The place I was at before always had a dull crew in the season made up of high school kids willing and wanting to learn and local college students looking for summer work. The rest were usually retired guys who did it for the extra $ and or the free golf. Had one retired teacher who mowed fairways 3 days a week and would have done it for the free golf alone. They practically had to force him to take a paycheck. 🤣
@@chrismechanic6164 Yea you find both of the ways you said above but you can find a third type, mostly Latinos with a few extra hires during growing season. I worked for one during the summer when I was home from college, a dog track basically built on a old rock quarry. I was fired due to a rock track I miseed in a bunker, the assistant watered the fairways after I raked them which made it even more visible. Basically I said fuck you this isnt Augusta National, I missed one thing when I was on lite duty from a hospital stay with surgery. I was put on 100ish bunkers by myself but they put two people on cutting new holes and moving tees, something only one person can do. I won a legal action I brought against them for a large sum of money. They basically paid for school and a little extra. NEVER WORK FOR A COURSE LIKE THAT, it was likemthe first one you described with a small crew but mostly lations and 2 other summer hires with me. Private courses are the best to work for, more money, overtime if needed, paid time off even if it rained or A full tournament meant we couldnt work after morning work, so basically 3 hours but get paid for 8. Oh also free lunches from the restaurant. I worked at that course for awhile until getting a assistant superintendent job, would of worked there but they had 3 superintendents already.
@@chrismechanic6164 Now im a superintendent at a private course with a free house included in the private community where the courses runs throughout. Basically they want me there all the time just in case something is needed during the summer. I have a 20 man crew, 12 full time and 8 summer hires that are college kids mostly and one in Turf Management program currently. I dont trust High school kids. A few bad apples with drugs or piss poor work habits. We walk mow greens everyday besides monday unless its a tournament, walk mow tees, collars and approaches 3 times a week, cut fairways 2 to 3 times a week depending on growth since its zoysia grass, best guess Meyer, unsure it was installed awhile back before I became superintendent. Rough once a week or twice if we get a lot of rain. I apply fungicides on everything once every 14 to 28 days, growth regulator on fairways only and wetting agents on everything once a month. Fertilizer varies. Areate twice a year with hollow tines pulling cores everywhere, solid tine greens once a month for greens during summer, sometimes hydrojet which is compressed water to areate IF its a bad drought, Vertidrain greens and fairways once a year, some courses drill and fill for compaction I do not, its mostly done on old greens. Verticut / grooming on greens every other week with light topdressing to control thatch, tees once a month. We had A4 bentgrass but we just transitioned to 777 which is like 007 but the big brother. We put that down last fall and were able to play on it a month later since we put down sod. We mow at .1000 for greens, usually greens run 11 to 11.5 but we can reach 12.5 depending on weather and how often we roll greens But that is what the members want, Semi nard greens rolling very fast. I operate with a 1.5 million budget and pay regular workers $10 to $15 per hour, I pay entire days on rainy days and tournaments
This is why you have a nursery green, sod up the old grass, dig out the root zone mix, put new 90 or 95% sand and 5 or 10% peat root zone back than cut sod and lay it down, top dressing than roll. Water ass neededthan start to mow after a couple days
haha here in Idaho in order to have a nursery green, you have to have someone on salary to maintain the green. So, we bypass that by calling it a private lesson green, that coincidentally is never used but is mowed.
Oil leaks are an absolute nightmare on a course. On fairways you cant see the oil thats leaking or its very difficult to see. For the greens try and cut them by hand to avoid oil leaks
@@chriswarner5158the big fairway grass mowers, or green cutters. They can have oil leaks if they are damaged. Not fun at all, can cause burn markes on the grass
What were you interviewing for man? I have an interview tomorrow for the irrigation tech. Right now I'm basically a laborer but I got a small promotion right after starting to be assistant to the mechanic and current irrigation tech. I work for a city golf course, pretty small town as well so we don't have a crew and budget but I still love it and am excited for future golf courses I may work at. Gonna be a superintendent eventually so I will always remember this video as well.
@@fairwayjohn6336 and you buddy supposed to be staying on southern dunes golf course Haines city Florida in October if we’re ever allowed to travel again All the very best to you mate
@@jeffarmstrong3017 yes and no im working to complete my turfgrass management diploma and at the university i go to we are tought all about proper drainage among other things that we might need fo4 our career
I know how it feels I always got to work tired but it’s fun when you don’t got any golfers u get a lot more done but if no one golf’s you don’t get paid
Usually it is not the superintendent's fault, it is management. They want a high end club on a low end clubs budget. Superintendents play musical chairs in the industry and a lot are just plain getting out of the business. There was a practice in the early 2000's of firing super's and hiring the assistant for half the salary. I have been in the golf business 40 years and try to talk aspiring super's out of the job.
As a superintendent I've learned the best thing to do is take pictures the day you come on the job and continue to take pictures of the improvements to the problem areas. Golfers never remember the course of yesterday but are quick to judge the course today... Unless you have been in the business you don't know what it takes to run a successful course. Hats off to all the men and women who do it!
So much more BS you gotta deal with too. GM's, club presidents. Seen good grass farmers get let go while they're crushing it because people like that want to get a buddy a job. Thankless work.
The backbone of golf!! Not those dopes in the pro shop
As a 24 year old “golf course technician”, I 100% felt that “day laborer” comment lmao. It’s not for the weak and definitely not paid enough. My course is currently in the same flooded condition as yours in north east Georgia. Enjoyed the video!
Where do you work at? Let me guess..Apple Mountain or The Orchard? Or that place on the north end of Lake Rabun? The Waterfall Club. I worked at Apple Mountain and Skitts Mountain almost 20yrs ago in Habersham and White counties.
Hey dude i wanted to ask you about the “golf course technician” I would like to know what’s that about what u do?
I work as a greenskeeper here at Lakeway country club in Lakeway tx full-time for just over 6yrs and I can't see myself working in any other field of work. Hydraulic leaks or a busted hose can be costly but fixable, but a busted hose blows out while on the mowing greens will kill the grass and it'll be permanent, unless the dead grass gets taken out and resodded. There's only 4 of us on an 18 hole golf course and we don't have any bunkers on the course except a few on the range but we manage quite well being under staffed. Our supervisor runs two courses and manages them to the best of his ability and doesn't get any complaints that I've heard and he's been supervisor just about 15yrs and has seen many people come n go but stays with it, the job is never done, especially for those in a higher ranking position. Thanks for your videos and if you enjoy doing what you do, stay with it! You won't be disappointed
Thanks James! That’s awesome. 4 guys busting their tale. Thanks for sharing...that’s awesome. All the best to u sir. Thanks a lot for watching. Means a lot.
As a Superintendent myself, the course looks great! I feel for the super that got let go. Many times we are expected to do more with less like budget cuts, etc.
Alot of people have alot to say about supers but don't know dick about what to spray and when.
Definitely a tough job. Your at mother nature's mercy. Was a super for 27 years in Kentucky before I retired. Many sleepless nights, many weekends where I missed activities because the course needed attention. Having said that, I loved most of that time. Now I am a distiller in the bourbon business, no weekends involved. LOL!! Truly blessed though, I was around for the golf boom...and fall, now I am in the a booming bourbon world. Nice video.
Thanks for watching Gary. Also, thanks for sharing a little about yourself. All the best to you in the bourbon business! Nothing quite like Kentucky bourbon!!
Bourbon is poison. Your product creates torn families, and neglected children.
It's a thankless job with No such thing as a sick day and not one day off between May and October but wouldnt trade it for any other.
Dude! Just stumbled on this video. Brings back old memories! I spent 13 years at Sedgefield CC. Worked for three supers and a course renovation. I was like 4th man for a long time, had keys to the shop.. Was temp 3rd man for a super transition. Storms always meant more work! Myself just like you, was the guy that removed the debris off the entry to make it look better.
As for getting a new boss/super. For me it was more about how I was treated and the effects it had on my job and life and not so much the effects of the course.
The stories I could tell of those days.....and I got some good ones!
Gotta love Greenmaster flex mowers, we cut at .1000 on A4 bentgrass greens, 18 flex mowers 6 and 6 to trade out each week for maintenance etc or in case mowers go down, than 3 for tees and 3 for fringe and approaches.
As a superintendent myself I feel sorry for the last super losing their job over "conditions". The golf course looks great in the video.
Let's be honest he probably snake headed the guy to get his job. It's the new 'golf guy 'way. Never took any Turf programs. Has no seasons as a super under belt but wants ro make a video of this joke
Hey! I came across your channel, because recently we discussed putting up a camera on my fairway mower to make videos. We thought: "Well some folks watch train videos, why shouldn't one be watching someone else mowing the fairways?" :D
Might be relaxing in case someone has problems falling asleep. So I searched for videos about greenkeeping. I just wanted to say, thanks for making these videos and showing people what we do everday and which troubles we may have! Thumps up!
No problem! Thanks for the comment!!!
Enjoy your videos. Great watch with my morning coffee!
Thanks a lot Michael! Appreciate you watching. Enjoy the cup!!!
I have some 15 years of experience on course and a Turf Management degree, there is so much that goes on between superintendents and the G.M.s half of the time it has nothing to do with the course. Lower end courses go theough superintendents like crazy
Lower end courses often don't have the budget for the results they're looking for and owners or management to foolish to recognize it. They often think that a superintendent should be a miracle worker. A good super needs to know how to communicate to his superiors that what they want may not be in the budget and be able to suggest cost effective alternatives.
Myself I was an equipment tech and assistant super for about 2 decades. I Was fortunate to mostly work under and with people who could understand these things. Not so much with the last place I was at. They've been trying to get me to come back for over a year now but...
@@chrismechanic6164 of course every course will vary because of budget BUT if you have a superintendent that can better allocate funds for management practices that give Turfgrasses the best results for healthier turf helps a lot.
The main thing it comes down to is how many people can you hire on the grounds crew. The more you have the more you can do each day keeping the course look better and better.
Sadly the people who know the most about turf management usually have zero say on what really should be done or planted. Public courses to private courses all have the same issue's, members want different grass types, grasses cut at certain heights, management of bunkers a certain way, tee and pin locations AND the worst thing I have experienced is management letting tournament outings have free roam. It was really bad, grass killed on greens due to wrong paint. You never get away from this unless you earn yourself a job at some of the best courses, multi million budgets with a massive grounds crew. 20 plus
@@chosen1one930 yes, the last course I was at had the most acreage of all and they try to get by with about 5 or 6 on the crew. Most end up feeling overworked and underpaid and quit.
The place I was at before always had a dull crew in the season made up of high school kids willing and wanting to learn and local college students looking for summer work. The rest were usually retired guys who did it for the extra $ and or the free golf. Had one retired teacher who mowed fairways 3 days a week and would have done it for the free golf alone. They practically had to force him to take a paycheck. 🤣
@@chrismechanic6164 Yea you find both of the ways you said above but you can find a third type, mostly Latinos with a few extra hires during growing season.
I worked for one during the summer when I was home from college, a dog track basically built on a old rock quarry. I was fired due to a rock track I miseed in a bunker, the assistant watered the fairways after I raked them which made it even more visible. Basically I said fuck you this isnt Augusta National, I missed one thing when I was on lite duty from a hospital stay with surgery. I was put on 100ish bunkers by myself but they put two people on cutting new holes and moving tees, something only one person can do. I won a legal action I brought against them for a large sum of money. They basically paid for school and a little extra. NEVER WORK FOR A COURSE LIKE THAT, it was likemthe first one you described with a small crew but mostly lations and 2 other summer hires with me.
Private courses are the best to work for, more money, overtime if needed, paid time off even if it rained or A full tournament meant we couldnt work after morning work, so basically 3 hours but get paid for 8. Oh also free lunches from the restaurant. I worked at that course for awhile until getting a assistant superintendent job, would of worked there but they had 3 superintendents already.
@@chrismechanic6164 Now im a superintendent at a private course with a free house included in the private community where the courses runs throughout. Basically they want me there all the time just in case something is needed during the summer. I have a 20 man crew, 12 full time and 8 summer hires that are college kids mostly and one in Turf Management program currently. I dont trust High school kids. A few bad apples with drugs or piss poor work habits.
We walk mow greens everyday besides monday unless its a tournament, walk mow tees, collars and approaches 3 times a week, cut fairways 2 to 3 times a week depending on growth since its zoysia grass, best guess Meyer, unsure it was installed awhile back before I became superintendent. Rough once a week or twice if we get a lot of rain.
I apply fungicides on everything once every 14 to 28 days, growth regulator on fairways only and wetting agents on everything once a month. Fertilizer varies. Areate twice a year with hollow tines pulling cores everywhere, solid tine greens once a month for greens during summer, sometimes hydrojet which is compressed water to areate IF its a bad drought, Vertidrain greens and fairways once a year, some courses drill and fill for compaction I do not, its mostly done on old greens.
Verticut / grooming on greens every other week with light topdressing to control thatch, tees once a month. We had A4 bentgrass but we just transitioned to 777 which is like 007 but the big brother. We put that down last fall and were able to play on it a month later since we put down sod.
We mow at .1000 for greens, usually greens run 11 to 11.5 but we can reach 12.5 depending on weather and how often we roll greens But that is what the members want, Semi nard greens rolling very fast.
I operate with a 1.5 million budget and pay regular workers $10 to $15 per hour, I pay entire days on rainy days and tournaments
This is why you have a nursery green, sod up the old grass, dig out the root zone mix, put new 90 or 95% sand and 5 or 10% peat root zone back than cut sod and lay it down, top dressing than roll. Water ass neededthan start to mow after a couple days
haha here in Idaho in order to have a nursery green, you have to have someone on salary to maintain the green. So, we bypass that by calling it a private lesson green, that coincidentally is never used but is mowed.
Oil leaks are an absolute nightmare on a course. On fairways you cant see the oil thats leaking or its very difficult to see. For the greens try and cut them by hand to avoid oil leaks
I can't for the life of me, imagine how you would have an "oil leak" on a golf course.
Please enlighten...
@@chriswarner5158the big fairway grass mowers, or green cutters. They can have oil leaks if they are damaged. Not fun at all, can cause burn markes on the grass
You wind up smelling it before you see it.
@@bert1450 true
@@chriswarner5158 machines have hydrolic pipes that burst leaking oil everywhere
What were you interviewing for man? I have an interview tomorrow for the irrigation tech. Right now I'm basically a laborer but I got a small promotion right after starting to be assistant to the mechanic and current irrigation tech. I work for a city golf course, pretty small town as well so we don't have a crew and budget but I still love it and am excited for future golf courses I may work at. Gonna be a superintendent eventually so I will always remember this video as well.
That's awesome Duncan! Good luck on the interview. Keep us posted on a upcoming video so we know how it went. Appreciate you watching.
Enjoy your videos
I’m a green keeper in U.K. Bournemouth
Thanks a lot for watching. I appreciate it. All the best to you.
@@fairwayjohn6336 and you buddy supposed to be staying on southern dunes golf course Haines city Florida in October if we’re ever allowed to travel again
All the very best to you mate
You had me in the first half with that caption bro, not gonna lie
Whew
Thanks for watching...as always. Appreciate you.
should of hired someone who would sort the drainage issues first
Construction company who built the course are responsible for installing good drainage
@@jeffarmstrong3017 yes and no im working to complete my turfgrass management diploma and at the university i go to we are tought all about proper drainage among other things that we might need fo4 our career
I know how it feels I always got to work tired but it’s fun when you don’t got any golfers u get a lot more done but if no one golf’s you don’t get paid
Why did you wait 3 days for the hydraulic fluid spill?
Best decision I ever made was go to school and get my Turfgrass Managment and Tech degree 👍🏼🇺🇸 Im at Statesville Country Club now in North Carolina
So, how would you manage things differently?
I can think of a few.
Two words, "Rebel Golf"...
Usually it is not the superintendent's fault, it is management. They want a high end club on a low end clubs budget. Superintendents play musical chairs in the industry and a lot are just plain getting out of the business. There was a practice in the early 2000's of firing super's and hiring the assistant for half the salary. I have been in the golf business 40 years and try to talk aspiring super's out of the job.
What is the name of the course?
I heard a story about a superintendent that was let go.The rumor was he sprayed Kerosene on the greens.
👍👏😉
Check out elephant rocks!
I like the videos of the early morning stuff but you NEED a brighter flashlight
Probably smoking the devils cabbage and drinking that brown water too...:)
Aquatrols Sixteen 90 for days lol
bro said markedbly better
P
S
Unionize!!!!
BS unionization doesn't solve much except cause job loss here
How many years do you have working in the golf industry?