Golf In The Flatlands THE HEAT IS ON By Pat Norton Nettle Creek CC The fact of the matter is that it's respect...getting finished with all of financial figures for the summer. ..and now early October down here in the fall cultural tasks before the as usual, the battle to keep the golf north central Illinois, and the heat is weather collapses and November course look good the golf staff func- on ... quite literally, the heat is on ...to takes over. .. tioning smoothly and the golfers the point of being 85°F for many Don't all golf course superinten- happy ... was somewhat taken for days running this past week! dents figure that a break from the granted! So now we're facing a warm spell hectic routine is in order during Being taken for granted comes that is nothing but pure enjoyment .. October? After 'busting our cans' all with this business, I think, so it does- pure enjoyment in being outdoors season long ... we deserve a few n't do any good to complain. every day ... all day ... on a gorgeous weekends off during some nice So, with age comes a little bit of golf course that's not under any weather, don't we? Do we always experience on how to deal with stress whatsoever! have to wait until the golf course clos- things when the heat is really on ... This is beautiful growing and work- es for the season and the snow and I fully realize that while it's nice to ing weather. ..dusky, crisp early morn- begins to fly before we can siide out get verbal compliments on the condi- ings are actually moonlit for the first of town for the weekend? If so, what tion of the golf course ... the ultimate hour of the work day. Then the sun a warped and inbred life we all lead! compliment is to have a strong mem- warms us all up for the remainder of Overall though, the degree of this bership and player base that keeps the day ... by five or six PM a hint of heat is way mild compared to the on patronizing and enjoying our golf evening chill is in the air, followed by heat of battle this past summer. I course' A full golf course makes the enjoyable evening weather and star don't know much about the heat much easier to bear ... whether filled skies each night. Wisconsin summer of '97, but we out it's during the really hot summer An open golf course like ours does here on the hot flatlands experienced months or during a most idyllic have its autumn advantages. some really dry, but very golfable autumn ... Because of its open nature, lots of weather for essentially two months On any golf course I've ever been the golf course can be seen in a stretching from mid-June through at ... whether as a student, and assis- panoramic instant. Given the fact that mid-August. Our roughs became dIY, tant superintendent, or as 'the head our course has what might be called hard-baked wastelands during that cheese' ... the heat that's generated is a flat, 'prairie' look ... getting up on a period, while the daily battle to keep almost always internal. In other high greenside mound counts here for the irrigated areas fully green and words, we all put heat on ourselves to a 'blufftop vantage point'. functional wore us all down by the always do a perfect job, and have a Our course is also extremely end of August perfect golf course ... with too few spread out, which makes it possible These two months were just full of labor and equipment resources. to check things out way out there irony for our public course. The The idea list...the 'to do' list. .. on about 3/4 mile away ... "Hey, that little course was seriously suffering from any golf course ... never gets complet- red dot in the distance is one of our lack of rainfall ... the agronomic troops ed ... as some items on the list contin- guys mowing greens on the back were starting to lose their resolve ... ue to age for lack of priority and lack nine ... lthink" ... Beautiful green bent while the golfers just kept coming and of time. What's interesting about our fairways wind down through the prop- coming, resulting in some very happy attitudes toward these lists is that we erty ... contrasting vividly with the col- ownership faces as they reviewed (Continued on page 32) ors of the changing leaves and the surrounding farm fields. Green and tee complexes look so good ... so interconnected to each other because of the vivid colors. NATURAL ATHLETIC TURF INC. Top off these great fall days with the unseasonably warm weather as GOLF COURSE CONSTRUCTION & IMPROVEMENTS of late and a busy aerification work Specializing in Greens - Tees - Bunkers - Fairway schedule and it's easy to see why the Construction . Feature Shaping - Drainage Systems weeks are flying by so quickly. Like most golf courses, there's way By Contract or "T & M" basis. Also Astroturf Top Dressing drag mats too much to do and too few people 11040 N, Buntrock Ave., Mequon, WI 53092 • (414) 242-5740 available this time of year. So, in ROY G. ZEHREN. FAX (414) 242-5740· JOHN "JACK" WALLISCH addition to the weather being so nice and warm, the heat is on in another 31 (Continued from page 31) Iy are as foreign to them as nuclear up there after AM chores to help with view everything as very crucial, as a physics is to me! the moving out, prepping the con- personal challenge to get everything Others in my ownership group, struction site, and cleaning up the completed ...this week! however, cannot and do not share my entire area ...considerable man-hours The real kick is that nobody else zeal. ..nor can they be expected spent off of the golf course. but understands your priorities or your list to ... understand what all goes into helping out the overall situation. for the golf course ... nobody else on making the golf course so nice and Then, we look forward to the property really knows what's playable. Vertidraining our greens at mid-week going on with the golf course ... if you So, what often happens is that I with one of my few remaining really think about it. have my daily and weekly priorities Wisconsin connections ... Wisconsin Whether it's a daily, weekly, or changed with just one short visit from Turf Equipment...who accomplish season long thing ... each and every one of the senior owners. I always that task at a very affordable price. superintendent holds the key to that tend to put the heat on myself as Right after that, Tyler Enterprises great big secret out there called the concerns the condition of the playing calls and "needs to know how soon golf course ...and it's with some satis- surfaces and the aesthetics of the it'll be before we're finished fertilizing faction that we're all constantly trying course itself. ..1want that golf course our roughs with their two ton spread- to explain and educate our golf pro- out there to look as sweet as possible er" ... "Heck, man, we haven't even fessionals, owners, boards, or mem- every day. We have a limited number started", I reply, "but we'll get right on bers as to the secrets of this great of people available daily to accom- that and be done by mid-morning agronomic game called golf course plish that task, so when priorities get tomorrow" ...which we werel management. changed for me ... on a seeming I finish off the week by working They pretend to understand or be whim ...the heat is really on to accom- until 2:30 p.m. Saturday ... installing interested ... but the fact of the matter plish everything in a mutually satisfy- that 'can't wait' equipment washstand is that there is some mystery sur- ing and satisfactory manner! drain line with a contractor friend who rounding each and every beautiful This week, for example, we are certainly does not have children at golf course. People just can't under- moving out of our triple wide mobile home anymore ...and is the type who stand how it is that it all stays so home clubhouse and preparing for the would certainly understand it if I left beautiful. .. even if they are really initial phases of new...and very mod- for the day ... but somehow I can't interested! Things that we all take for est ... clubhouse construction. This bring myself to leave ... because he's granted agronomically or horticultural- requires all of my people to scoot on also costing us $65 per hour ...and \ \=-~:---~ j\LU\ ------ AV? \------J ~- ~~"'--'7Ik-- ~~.~.. ... ~ ,\w 0 C?cf;S- COUNTRY~/c1~S A-I2£ \RA-PPED IN lff£ fAlf:.WI\'-{ gUNF=~ ON Iff~ "1h. Hol.-l?"! &00, f'UT'rfJlt 32 we'll obviously finish the job sooner it I'd say that all of us have tremendous giving out raises and bonuses based I stay until the bitter end! pride in what we do for a living ... to solely on length of service, seniority, The heat is really on now.v.in the point of doing much more than is etc ...job performance and value to October? Am I working my life required each and every day. the company that help lead to com- away ...consumed with my obligations This is part of the formula for suc- pany profitability are the keys to a at the course above all else ..