View from the rough: superintendents offer the unvarnished views on pace of play, environment, technology.

The constant battle to keep golf rounds near the four-hour mark is nothing new. But the professionals responsible for the playability of the nation's golf courses are offering their opinions on how to speed up play. The 2004 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Leadership Survey addressed the pace of the game, distancing-killing clubs, and other issues.

Conducted at GCSAA's 2004 International Golf Course Conference and Show in San Diego, CA and on the GCSAA website, the computer-based survey questioned more than 900 golf course superintendents on trends in golf and golf course management.

Given what viewers have seen on television from professional golf events, the measures superintendents offer to increase pace of play should not be too surprising. The respondents overwhelmingly cited shortening of rough (38 percent), slowing of greens (26 percent), and widening of fairways (14 percent) as the most effective ways to speed up play. When asked the same question in 1999, only 14 percent said slowing green speed would help speed up play. In spite of golfers' long-held fascination with fast greens, it appears superintendents are putting an even larger bull's-eye on slick greens as a major culprit in clogging up the course.

Loving the Landscape

Significant resources have been devoted by golf course management professionals to advance environmental stewardship on the golf course. In this year's survey, superintendents were asked what golf course management practice has had the most positive impact on the environment. An overwhelming 55 percent said that an increase of overall environmental awareness and knowledge was the biggest contributor, while improved irrigation techniques and technologies was second at 18 percent.

Advancements in irrigation have been increasingly noticed by superintendents. When asked the same question four years ago, only one percent said irrigation techniques had the biggest impact. The results show that as technology progresses and education becomes more prevalent, so do ways to foster environmental stewardship on the golf course.

Doing More with Less

Water--both its quantity and quality--figured prominently on the minds of the superintendents. The survey found that superintendents are generally doing more with less when it comes to irrigation as they try to protect one of the environment's most precious resources. The results reveal that 54 percent of superintendents are using less water on their golf courses today than they were 10 years ago, while only 27 percent are using more. Of those using less water, nearly half (39 percent) of superintendents are using 1 percent to 25 percent less water than they were 10 years ago, and 14 percent said they are using between 26 percent and 50 percent less water than a decade ago.

Tough Turf

The golf course management industry is constantly evolving. Every year, superintendents have better equipment, expanded education, and newer technology at their disposal. Most recently they have been able to produce improved playing surfaces as researchers develop turfgrass varieties that better withstand weather, traffic, and disease and require less water and labor and few plant protectants. These include seeded bermudagrass, new bentgrass, and seashore paspalum, among others. Sixty-three percent of superintendents responding to the survey said they have used some variety of these new turfgrasses on their courses. Thirty-three percent said they have used them in limited areas while a quarter of those polled said they have used them in several locations, including greens. Five percent said they have used them everywhere on their course.

How Far is Too Far?

The latest technological advances in golf equipment also have affected the golf course management profession. While half of those surveyed believe the advances in technology are either somewhat bad or very bad for the game, 28 percent said that the maintenance of their course has changed to compensate for the increased distance. When asked the same question in 1999, only 18 percent said they changed their course to compensate, indicating the dramatic effect equipment has had on golf course management in the last five years.

Regarding the tougher hole locations, narrower fairways, and taller, thicker rough that have made an appearance at recent professional tournaments, 65 percent of superintendents responding felt that those changes compensated "slightly" for hotter balls and more powerful clubs, while 21 percent said the tougher setups curbed the technological advantage "significantly."

No Worries

GMs who are concerned about the respect their super garners from members can rest somewhat assured that most superintendents are not losing sleep over self-esteem issues. Fifty-nine percent felt that the image of superintendents was "somewhat positive" with golfers while another 24 percent felt that the image of superintendents was "excellent" (13 percent thought that it was non-issue with the players they encountered). They were equally comfortable about the status of the superintendent with club boards and owners. Forty-six percent felt that boards and owners felt somewhat positive about superintendents in general, while 42 percent had an excellent image of superintendents.

The complete results of the GSCAA survey can be accessed at www.gcsaa.org/news/leadership/2004/results.asp.

Loving the Landscape

The golf industry continues to develop the tools to improve
stewardship efforts of golf courses and their relationship
with the environment.

Golf course superintendents were asked:

What golf course management practice has had
the most positive impact on the environment?

Improved irrigation
Techniques and technologies        18%

Development of
environment-friendly plant
protection products                13%

Improved turfgrass varieties        9%

Improved techniques for
applying plant protection
products                            4%

Innovations
in controlling
run off                             1%

Increase of overall
environmental awareness
and knowledge                      55%

Source: 2004 Golf Course Superintendents Association
of America Leadership Survey

Note: Table made from pie chart.

Golfing Giddy'up

Slow play is not a new topic in golf, but effective ways
of keeping rounds near the four-hour mark are elusive.

Golf course superintendents
were asked:

Which one of these golf course
management techniques is the
best way to speed up slow play?

Slowing of greens               26%

Widenin of fairway              14%

Shortening of tees               5%

Faster/firmer fairways           3%

Don't know/no answer            14%

Shortening of rough             38%

Source: 2004 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Leadership Survey

Note: Table made from pie chart.