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 From the News Desk...Norman likes idea of going brownby John ReitmanORLANDO, FLA. When approached in 2003 about whether he would be interested in being named a trustee to the GCSAA’s Environmental Institute for Golf and if would head the group’s advisory council, Greg Norman answered in the affirmative, but on the condition that he take an active role, rather than serve in a passive celebrity capacity.  “I told (GCSAA chief executive officer) Steve Mona that I wouldn’t be just a figurehead,” Norman said prior to accepting this year’s Old Tom Morris Award during the Golf Industry Show.
Although his playing days pretty much are in the rear view mirror, Norman is passionate about improving the game. He also has some pretty big ideas about making life easier for superintendents. For one thing, Norman, who will be 53 Sunday, is out to dispel the notion that golf course turf has to be lush and green all the time. And he is willing to use his celebrity status to help get the word out. “There’s nothing wrong with the brown look sometimes,” said Norman, a two-time British Open champion and 20-time winner on the PGA Tour. That being said, there is much work to be done on that front, added the head of Jupiter, Fla.-based Great White Shark Enterprises, Norman’s multi-tiered business empire that includes golf course design, clothing, wine, restaurant, event production and turf divisions. He acknowledged that going brown has been accepted at the facility level at some locations, but said wholesale acceptance of such a look will require the efforts of many and ultimately must include superintendents being given more authority to determine long-term conditioning. “We need (a celebrity) in the game of golf for people to listen to us. There’s a mentality out there that whatever the PGA Tour pros use or do is good for me. I think we can make this happen, but it’s going to take time.” The subject was a point of discussion Jan. 30 at an EIG summit during the Golf Industry Show. Members of the EIG board of directors and advisory council recognize the need for a celebrity endorsement of the “brown is good” campaign, an idea that TurfNet columnist and Cornell University turfgrass researcher Frank Rossi, Ph.D., has written about extensively. “What do golfers like? They like firm and fast,” said outgoing GCSAA chief executive officer Steve Mona. And green. “We need (a celebrity) in the game of golf for people to listen to us,” Mona said. “There’s a mentality out there that whatever the PGA Tour pros use or do is good for me. I think we can make this happen, but it’s going to take time.” Part of the discussion during the EIG summit, Mona said, is the possibility of public service announcements that would include Norman and a current PGA Tour player or players lauding the benefits of firm, fast – and brown – conditions. “We have to put it in the hands of the pros,” said Gregg Breningmeyer, director of sales and marketing for John Deere Golf and a member of the EIG advisory committee. “I love this business, I love the game, I love the people, but we have to be able to sustain this thing. There are a lot of smart people thinking about this.” Although there appears to be widespread support for such a program, at least within the ranks of the GCSAA and EIG, there are no concrete plans on getting such a message on TV any time soon. Without the assistance of a current, high-profile PGA Tour player to publicize the brown look, widespread acceptance is “impossible,” said Steve Curry, superintendent at Berkshire Hills Country Club in Pittsfield, Mass. Curry said his attempts to dry out his course have been met with resistance. Since the inception of the Golf Industry Show in 2005, teamwork and collaboration throughout the golf operation has surfaced as a consistent show them. How then can a personality such as Norman use the GIS as a platform for going brown when many members of the other associations affiliated with the show – notably the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Club Managers Association of America – and the golfers they interact with daily are not on board with such an initiative? “Golf courses change as the seasons change. Those changing conditions make golf more interesting. A lot of us learned to play that way." “I am definitely in favor (of brown),” said NGCOA chief executive officer Mike Hughes. Hughes wrote about the benefits of going firm, fast and dry in the most recent issue of his association’s publication: Golf Business magazine. From a turf management perspective, fewer chemical inputs and less water translate into significant cost savings, greater sustainability and environmental efficacy, Hughes said. From a player’s standpoint, he noted, a renewed focus on the ground game can add variety and enjoyment to the game. “Golf courses change as the seasons change,” Hughes said. “Those changing conditions make golf more interesting. A lot of us learned to play that way. “We need to be able to tell people that you can play the game lots of different ways. We’re starting to do that.” Until the idea catches on most superintendents will have to be content with dealing with resistance and going green. |
In other news... Study examines spring pre-stress fertility programs Research finds no correlation between biostimulant applications before spring core cultivation and recovery. Posted: 09/02/2010 Read more » Aquatrols, TurfNet present Water Week The series of five Webinars is aimed at helping superintendents manage water and soils more efficiently. Posted: 09/01/2010 Read more » News and people briefs Registration opens soon for Irrigation Show, Briggs & Stratton elects new chairman, FMC taps new director for professional solutions division Posted: 09/01/2010 Read more » GCSAA selects firm in search for new CEO Kansas City-based company will open search process for Mark Woodward's successor in October. Posted: 08/31/2010 Read more » Water foul! Research shows that droppings from non-migratory geese on turf can result in nitrogen runoff into adjacent bodies of water. Posted: 08/26/2010 Read more » Complete news index » |
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