Guest Speaker: Larry Gilhuly

Today the Hort. 418 class was privileged to have Larry Gilhuly speak to us on What Makes a Good Golf Course Superintendent. Larry has been a USGA Agronomist and the director of the NW Region for over 30 years now. I will give a quick outline of the quality information he had to give. First off a few key attributes that make up a good super. Thick skin, your members will approach you with what they think is the right way to do things. Also they will always have complaints, the bunkers are inconsistent, the greens are slow and fast at the same time. These are really just cover-ups for their lack of skill so take them with a grain of salt. Do your best to educate the players and remember that not all of them can be trained to see things how you do. Next is be a good communicator. Speak intelligently and thoughtfully to players and staff both. Use your communication skills to develop quality relationships with them, fellow superintendents, and suppliers of the industry. Also remember who you are talking to, the media and environmental advocates are always listening and taking notes and will jump on any opportunity to bash the golf industry. And lastly don't forget your family. Communicate with them about your job and make them apart of it. Most superintendents have the luxury to take family members on the course with them in the evenings so use this to your advantage to make up for lost family time. Next is agronomic skills, not only common cultural practices but also fundamental skills and organic management. Also be able to play the game and understand the rules. The better golfer you are and the better you can explain the rules of golf and answer questions about the game the more respect you will receive from the players. And finally, make yourself known. Be on the course as much as possible, especially on foot. This shows that you do care and that you are out there seeing what the players see. Don't go by the 20/20 vision tactic, that is 20 mph and 20 yrds away, that wont get you very far. Also make yourself known to the pro shop. Whether its frost delays, top dressing, or aerification, be in the pro shop talking with the pro and his staff, they are the voice of the golf course and might not have all the right answers. Be there to correct the member who thinks the frost doesn't matter, but do it in an educative way. Also, always remember what you are dealing with. The golf course is ever changing with weather conditions, its a living and breathing organism, and you are preparing a surface daily for public scrutiny. Some of the most remarkably resourceful people come out of our industry so use them to your advantage to help you in any way possible. Thank you to Larry for sharing with us and also to all the other USGA Agronomists for doing such a fantastic job.
And as always, have a nice day!