Looking Back Course superintendents have long been known as the unsung heroes of the golf industry. A fitting description. But after the summer of 2020, with tee sheets jam-packed as more and more folks flocked to this safe and socially distanced sport, perhaps we should all be singing their praises. Or, at the very least, tipping our caps to the greenskeepers, some of the earliest-rising and hardest-working men and women on Alberta’s golf scene. “A lot of superintendents were expected to do the same amount of work with less staff, with tighter budgets,” said Terri Solodan, executive director of the Alberta Golf Superintendents Association (AGSA). “It really spotlighted how important that asset is — the golf course, the grass, the turf underneath it. And for me, I think it spotlighted that they’re just so dedicated and so adaptable. They kind of worked with what they had. “I can tell you, there’s not a superintendent I know that this past summer wasn’t getting on machines and cutting grass or cutting pins, doing work that normally they would have crew doing for them. And that’s while still doing all their normal duties.” For a lot of Albertans, golf turned out to be an important escape during a strange, stressful and sometimes scary summer. Who knew that wayward drives and double bogeys could be so good for your mental health? Hopefully, during one of your rounds, you stopped or waved to say thank you to those who do the mowing, set the pins and are occasionally spotted up to their elbows in mud as they try to fix irrigation issues. While turf-teamers start their tasks early and are typically on a second cup of coffee before the sun even rises, they were more visible than ever in 2020. It’s tough to find a gap between golfers when every tee time is filled. “It was a challenge,” acknowledged Dean Zilinski, who is superintendent at Coal Creek Golf Resort and served as president of the AGSA during an unprecedented summer. “But I think everybody should be
“A lot of superintendents were expected to do the same amount of work with less staff, with tighter budgets,” said Terri Solodan, executive director of the Alberta Golf Superintendents Association (AGSA) proud of how we were able to adapt to a fluid situation. I mean, who would have thought golf would have been so busy? I think it was a big success story for the whole industry.” Superintendents played an important part in that success story, and not just by delivering stellar conditions to the recordsetting droves of divot-diggers. Those on the AGSA’s board of directors are especially proud — and rightfully so — of their contributions in the push to convince the provincial government to allow courses to open in the spring. They banded together with several other stakeholder groups (see p. 30) presenting a long list of protocols and best practices to ensure that par-seeking would be a safe activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The politicians and health officials were convinced and Premier Jason Kenney announced in late April that golf was a go — two days later. While private club members and green fee players were doing somersaults when that news dropped, superintendents and their crews were scrambling. “When they made that announcement, it was foot to the floor,” Zilinski said. “And really, we didn’t let off until the cold snap that ended the year.” “Things had to happen fast, and every club pulled it off in a professional and safe manner,” added Chris Prodahl, who
is superintendent at Glendale Golf and Country Club and will double as president of the AGSA for 2021. “And then to fastforward to September and you look at the amount of golf that was played at each facility in a safe manner, that’s something to be recognized for. We have proven it can be a safe sport. Everybody bent every which way that they could to pull it off.” The AGSA has an active membership of about 175 head superintendents, assistant supers and students, with representation from roughly 125 courses province-wide. The association was formed in 1987, aiming to promote the work and expertise of these unsung heroes and to encourage networking and sharing between the top turfies around Alberta. As Solodan put it: “The woes and challenges that a super may have in one area, another may have had years before and have experience in how to figure it out and solve it.” With most of their meetings and get-togethers cancelled, they missed out on some of that connectivity in 2020. Their work still shone. “They’re just so dedicated and so passionate about what they do and always want their best foot forward and the course to look as good as it possibly can,” said Solodan, hired as executive director of the AGSA in 2019. “They don’t get a lot of the spotlight, but they should.” AlbertaGolf.org
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