F o r e Y o u r I n f o r m a ti o n
P age 5
Remember to Shift Gears October 1st is a symbolic day for me. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of shorter, cooler days which I enjoy. I shift into low gear mentally and begin the important process of winding down. Being a turf manager in the central valley of California is stressful, to say the least. Turf loss can occur at any time due to dry spots, disease, insect damage and hydraulic spills. You have to be on your toes at all times. You have to be vigilant and have your guard up. Then, come October 1st, all that changes. It’s a time to do two things; first get away. Second; look back and assess how you did overall. I have been the superintendent at Teal Bend for 17 years. In that time I have learned how important it is to get away from the course and separate yourself both physically and mentally. While it is tempting to charge hard into the winter months and start a million
by John Farley
projects, I would advise against it. Oh sure you need to work on the things that you couldn’t complete during the summer season, like drainage projects, bunker rebuilds, and tree work., but make sure to take time off in between jobs in order to recharge your depleted batteries. If you don’t do that then you run the risk of burning out next summer when you can’t afford to. I tell my guys that I need “all hands on deck” during the critical summer months. In order to do that you’ve got to take time off and just get away for a while. October is also a great month to look back and grade yourself. How did I do? How effective was my weed prevention program? How efficiently did I irrigate this year? How consistent were the greens? How did the crew fair? Were they managed as well as they could have been? Did they receive the proper training
with regards to golf maintenance? Were they recognized adequately? Sitting down with your assistant and answering these questions together will help you make better decisions the next year. You can tweak rates and move application dates according to how well the programs performed. Use October to help you the next year. Learn from what you did wrong and make the necessary changes while leaving the programs that performed well in place. So give October its due. Shift into low gear and go trout fishing. Go camping, go to the coast ,or go to the mountains. Take a week off and work on some projects you’ve been trying to get to around your house. Do anything that gets you away from the golf course. Create that essential separation that needs to happen this time of year or risk burning out next summer because you didn’t follow my sage advice.
2019 SNGCSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Scott McCullough The Ridge Golf Course VICE PRESIDENT Sam Samuelson, CGCS Wildhawk Golf Course
Dave Bermudez Del Rio Golf & Country Club
SECRETARY/TREASURER John Farley Teal Bend Golf Course
Jason Wolf Lincoln Hills G.C.
DIRECTORS Tracy Shanahan Peach Tree C.C.
PAST PRESIDENT William Hamilton CGCS Lake Wildwood Association
Keith Hill, CGCS Hidden Valley C.C.
Affiliate Representatives Rodney Muller Akoni Ganir Sierra Pacific Turf Simplot Partners
Mark Callahan Plumas Pines