three anonymous supers
interviewed by matt cavanaugh
adjective insensitive to criticism or insults. “you have to be thick-skinned to work in the turf industry” synonyms: insensitive, unfeeling, tough, hardened, callous.
Have you ever gotten the stare? The stare of a dog owner picking up their dog’s poop as you drive by. It’s the grim beginning of knowing they have to carry around a bag of warm goo for the rest of the walk. I have never once seen a dog owner that looks happy walking their dog. Many times that same stare can be found on a superintendent driving around the course in their cart. The ‘poop just keeps heading our way’. Weather, labor issues and the golfers, oh the golfers. The business of work and life never seems to stop. As you will see below, we often don’t get everything accomplished we want to, but it’s important in many situations to not force the issue and convey information in a productive way, but the fact remains, we don’t know what we don’t know and you may need to be thick-skinned to hear it. The one simple thick-skinned question: Anonymous superintendent, you visit with and have many conversations with golf course superintendents and assistants. Based on the current facts, research and knowledge, what is Page 10