GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME GOLFERS DELIGHTED WITH LOCAL COURSE.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Despite the frigid winter that blighted plants all over town, the groundskeeper at Valencia Country Club -- where the PGA Champions Tour event is being played -- kept his greens mostly green.

With this weekend's meet just months away during January's biting cold winter, Robert Hertzing didn't have the luxury of taking a wait-and-see approach.

"From January 12 to the 27, the ground was frozen every morning," said Hertzing, superintendent at the club. "It's like a refrigerator. Any biological activity comes to a screeching halt."

The well-respected old-style course boasts 126 acres of irrigated turf and two acres of shrubs and flowers that fringe the clubhouse.

Bermuda grass lawns browned like toast in the freeze, but the club's perennial ryegrass took just a two-week siesta.

During the cold spell, a few morning and daytime lows were in the teens and many were in the low 20s.

And some other foliage didn't fare so well. Frost killed some palms and hardy pepper trees.

Since then, a lively palette burst forth from 400 perennial plants and roughly 120 flats of colorful annuals planted a couple of weeks ago. Some annuals that usually ride out winter's low digits -- like primroses -- froze to death.

The PGA agronomist who walked the course with Hertzing on Jan. 17 -- the day snow powdered Santa Clarita -- visited again last week to take stock.

There was nothing but praise from the PGA officials, who are thrilled not only with the weekend's mild weather but with the course itself.

Golf Digest ranks the course among the top 25 statewide. John Strege, a senior writer for Golf World Magazine, skipped the pro-am but planned to visit this weekend when the pros compete. He noticed this year's dry spell caused thinner roughs at Newport Beach Country Club, which hosted last week's Toshiba Classic, and Pacific Palisades' Riviera Country Club, where the Nissan Open was played last month.

"It's a good thing for the players," Strege said. "The scores will usually go a little lower."

Hertzing said those courses grow Kikuyu, a different strain of grass than Valencia's, and Valencia's roughs were unharmed.

Irrigation compensates for a seasonal drought, but less rain often means the courses play rougher, with balls jamming down the fairways hard and fast.

"It's definitely going to be dryer and faster," Hertzing said.

Hertzing has been the answer man for golfers seeking advice on their own turf.

"I get some sympathy," he said. "They're asking if their plants are still alive, if they should replace them or they'll come back."

With five tournaments under his belt, Hertzing had the perspective to be only "a little concerned" about matters.

"A couple of years ago, I might have had some sleepless nights," he said. "We do what we can and hope for the best."

He was aided by experienced staff members and a smattering of rain and warm weather in the past six weeks, which helped carry fertilizer to the plant's roots.

Concerns melted away as players hit the links. On Thursday, Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Kellar and City Manager Ken Pulskamp had the thrill of a lifetime: 2006 champion Tom Kite led their pro-am foursome.

"I cannot give the man enough accolades," Kellar said. "What a gentleman, and what a patient gentleman. He was kind enough to give me several suggestions to improve my game."

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Valencia Country Club course superintendent Robert Hertzing has had to overcome the loss of plants during winter freezes to keep the course looking good for this weekend's AT&T Champions Classic golf tournament.

(2) Valencia Country Club's greens, like the one on the third hole, are now in great shape following winter freezes.

David Crane/Staff Photographer