In a recent post, Eric Mabie, Superintendent of Pinehurst No. 6 stated the following: “Whatever equipment situations/problems/mistakes my crew has experienced, I have made those same mistakes many times over.”
Background: My grounds crew career began in 2018 at World Woods Golf Course in Brooksville, Florida. I toiled for a month or two, filling/leveling divots on their four-station circular driving range. Once it was determined that I was committed to my new career, I was given additional responsibilities including but not limited to carving up dead trees and limbs, mowing greens, occasionally mowing fairways, mowing deep rough, changing pin locations, etc. Having moved to Pinehurst, NC, I began working at Pinehurst No. 6, where I was initially responsible for raking greenside bunkers. Once it was determined that I was committed to my new career at No. 6, I was tasked with mowing fairways, mowing tee boxes/walking paths, mowing greens, spinning fairway bunkers, collecting tees/trash and occasionally changing pin locations. My career at No. 6 accelerated to the point where I mowed greens and mowed fairways for two significant USGA events. In addition to my part-time position at Pinehurst No. 6, I elected to work an additional part-time position at the Country Club of North Carolina (CCNC). My early days at CCNC included such exhilarating tasks as collecting pinecones/debris and laying pine straw. Once it was determined that I was committed to my career at CCNC, I was invited to mow greens, mow fairways, mow rough, mow surrounds and tractor-blow the grounds.
It would appear on paper that my progression through the ranks was meteoric; forged on attention to detail and consistent high performance. However, not every day has been a walk in the park!
Eric’s quote got me thinking of the situations/problems/mistakes (transgressions) I have created for my superintendents over the past eight plus years as a member of the grounds crew on three different properties. Please recognize our days begin anywhere between 4:45 and 5:30 in the morning when the sun has not yet breached the horizon. The following checklist itemizes a few of my darker days:
✔ Did you significantly scalp the surround with a Toro green’s mower on your maiden voyage?
✔ Did you mow into the rough with a John Deere fairway mower?
✔ Did you lose a dip stick from a work cart?
✔ Did you forget to replace the fuel cap(s) after a fill-up?
✔ Did you briefly pump gasoline in a diesel-powered John Deere rough mower?
✔ Did you hit and blow a fairway sprinkler head with an aerator?
✔ Did you get stuck in a small ravine with a Jacobsen Turf Cat, requiring a tow?
✔ Did you flip one of the five mowing decks on a John Deere rough mower?
✔ Did you run over a mole trap with a John Deere rough mower at zero dark thirty?
✔ Did you blow a large tire on a John Deere fairway mower?
✔ Did you forget to engage the aerator, tearing up a few yards of a perfectly manicured fairway?
✔ Did you run over a dark green tee marker with a John Deere mower, once again, at zero dark thirty
Well, top that, Eric!!!!!
That was certainly cathartic! Surprisingly, I remain gainfully employed!
Thank you for following Bad Golf Guy. The back nine can only get better!
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