If you think you understand golf facility Master Planning, think again. In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report, we have one of the greatest minds in the planning process to talk about what really matters.
Andy Staples is an Architect, Master Planner and Innovator. Dave Wilber spends time with one of the brightest lights in the future of Golf. We'll get to understand what's working and what's not working in the world of design and implementation.
The TurfNet Renovation Repo
While Lahinch's signature par 3 and par 5 are givens, the best par 4 is up for debate, with many worthy holes. Out of personal taste, I believe the 13th ought to have the honor.
The 13th plays 270 yards from the member tees, and is the embodiment of a perfect risk/reward short par 4. The options off the tee are endless, with careful consideration a requirement.
The view from the tee. Largely blind, the player must trust his caddy or his own research on the best option for the hole.
In its raw form, the "Peter Principle" simply states that both organizations and people tend to develop/succeed up to their level of competence -- after which incompetence prevails.
The primary characteristics of the Peter Principle are:
It stealthfully positions a performance 'glass ceiling' upon each of us. It never goes away. Its glass ceiling can be advanced (see below) creating added upward mobility. When ignored, it can do damage.
Because it is difficult to know when we have
As with any golf club, the geographical location of the course and the natural environment that comes along with it present unique challenges. Some of these issues cannot be overcome in one big effort then put aside, but are recurring and must be tended to on a consistent basis. One of these issues at Lahinch lies in the bunkers.
The bunkers at Lahinch are subject to constant wind, usually coming off the Atlantic. After an extended time of no precipitation (resulting in dry sand) and steady
With my last day at Campeys on June 30, I said my goodbyes and headed off on July 1 for a mini vacation to Rome. I picked a place to stay near The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica.
When you first see the famous dome and balcony, it is pretty surreal knowing just how much history surrounds you, from Michaelangelo's paintings to the tombs of more than 90 popes, including the tomb of St. Peter, the first pope and a disciple of Jesus.
On Thursday, there was a ceremony at The Vatican and Pope
The 5th hole at Lahinch is perhaps the most well known and talked about holes on the course (and in Ireland), rivaled only by the Par 5 4th Klondyke. The hole measures 154 yards from the tips, with member tees measuring at 145 and women's at 118. The hole plays longer however, as one needs to take enough club to carry the front hill guarding the green.
The Dell also plays into the prevailing wind, which can be an advantage as the ball will have a more vertical flight path coming down, minimi
About midway through my green career, I spent a year working on a golf course here in Springfield, Mo. While this length of time doesn't warrant me any position of golf management authority, it did give me some appreciation for my brethren in golf, and some empathy for what golf course workers of any capacity might face. I know that there is almost nothing that compares to the intricacy of managing a green. I loved mowing greens, even double cutting in the dark before an early tee time. I did no
Accommodation in Lahinch is hard to come by in the summer, as the town comes to life from June to August when the weather heats up to a sizzling 70 degrees F. Native Irishmen and tourists swarm the beach and pubs for a summer getaway.
This quickly became an issue for me, as finding a room or apartment to rent was proving difficult. The club put me up in the Sancta Maria Hotel, just a city block away from the course. This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me.
T
In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank speaks with Jim Wagner, Vice President and Design Partner with Hanse Golf Design in Malvern, PA. Having met during the design phase of the Rio 2016 Olympic golf course, Frank and Jim discuss the recent US Open at Chambers Bay and creativity in modern design. Creativity in designing a course challenges and rewards a creative golfer and when done properly minimizes maintenance moving toward a sustainable approach to golf and golf turf maintenance.
Myth: Golf course superintendents who consistently allow their personal work schedules to stretch to 60 and 70+ hour work-weeks are perceived as being dedicated to their jobs and are respected for this commitment profession-wide.
This is a dangerous myth that has cost more than a few superintendents their jobs through the years.
Why? Because the vast majority of those responsible for hiring superintendents are private-sector executives who require the managers they hire in their day jobs
"Everything is a gift. The degree to which we are awake to this truth is a measure of our gratefulness, and gratefulness is a measure of our aliveness."
-- Brother David Steindl-Rast, Jesus and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings
When life is throwing you a series of knuckleballs it can be close to impossible to find things to be thankful for.
As greenkeepers we face adversity on an almost daily basis. Unrealistic expectations, unpredictable weather, equipment malfunction...the list goes on
This episode of The Renovation Report, hosted by Dave Wilber, features Armen Suny of Suny Zokol Golf Design.
If you don't know Armen, you are in for a real treat. His candid, real-world and experienced opinion is one of the most unique and sought-after opinions in the industry. His blog, The Anarchist's Guide to Golf Design is a place for true unfettered ideas.
Some quotes from Armen during the show:
"Superintendents have much more sway in renovation projects than they ever th
The official Manchester United Instagram account sent out a picture a little over a week ago that shocked a good portion of its 4.2 million followers. The picture, as you can see, features barren soil instead of grass in the Theatre of Dreams. The comments on this picture ranged from outrage to confusion, with a lot asking why they stripped the pitch that just won the joint Premier League Pitch of the Year with Arsenal. The answer can be found if we rewind back exactly one year in time.
Last
My time in Scotland has come to an end. Before I left, I got to see a traditional Scottish pipe band play. The Kilbarchan Pipe Band led a march of local school children up to the school for their end of the year dance.
One of the most supported football clubs in Scotland is the Glasgow Rangers. I got to meet their passionate head groundsman David Roxburgh. Rangers play in Ibrox Stadium which holds the unique and challenging title of the darkest stadium in Europe. It really was incredibl
While golf has brought me to Ireland, I'd be a fool not to explore all of the wonders this country has to offer. After a bit of research before my trip, I was under the impression the Cliffs of Moher were a can't miss sight. They also happened to be just seven miles away from Lahinch. With no car at my disposal and no knowledge of public transportation routes, I decided to make the trek on foot and make use of my Saturday off.
This shows the width of the roads as soon as you get off the ma
Lahinch Golf Club is a facility steeped in tradition and is associated with some of the most well-known names in all of golf. It was founded in 1892 by two high ranking members of nearby Limerick Golf Club. Their original layout was then re-designed by the highly revered Old Tom Morris of St. Andrews in 1894. The par 3 5th hole (which will be highlighted later) serves as a make-shift time machine and takes the modern golfer back to the origins of golf, as the hole remains the same as it did in O
Jon Kiger talks with Jeff Urquhart, golf course superintendent, and Robert McNeil, architect with The Northeast Golf Company (Saunderstown, Rhode Island), about the ongoing Master Plan restoration project at the 1891 Willie Park-designed Milton-Hoosic Club in Canton, Massachusetts. Two fairway bunkers on hole #9 were renovated this year. Milton-Hoosic is a 9-hole private club located south of Boston.
To download this podcast for offline listening, right-click or tap here and select "Save Li
Hello all! My name is Eric Bruening and I have been asked by the good people here at TurfNet to write a blog on my summer internship at Lahinch Golf Club in Lahinch, Ireland. First, I'd like to start with a brief introduction of myself and what brought me to Lahinch.
I am originally from Norfolk, NE, a town of 25,000 in northeast Nebraska. I am a senior Turfgrass Management student at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. I come from a family of golfers as my father was a superintendent at E
This is one of those posts that there's not a cut and dry solution for every situation, but rather recommendations based on feedback from hiring professionals and potential employees. It happens often enough that I thought it worthy of a post.
It is commonplace in most professional industries to use your full first name on your resume, cover letter, website and other career materials. Some even use the middle name initial or "junior, III, IV," etc. The main idea is that people think it make
I recently had the unique opportunity to visit the famous St. Andrews Links golf course, the home of the 2015 British Open on July 16-19. Preparations were well under way to welcome the world's best golfers to one of the world's best known and oldest courses.
The spectator stands were being constructed as we walked the fairways of the Old Course. Because the course is so flat, wind here is a major challenge for the golfers, and we certainly felt its power as it swirled around us on our
Today, I visited the famous Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. It was built in medieval times, around the 12th century and sits on Castle Rock overlooking the city. Edinburgh Castle was involved in the War of Scottish Independence (yes, the one with William Wallace!) and withstood numerous sieges, including one that lasted two years. The architecture in the castle and the rest of this city is incredible. It is best described through pictures, from both the castle and the surrounding area:
Today we are Speaking Frankly again with Dr. Micah Woods, Chief Scientist at the Asian Turfgrass Center in Bangkok, Thailand, on increasing the precision of nutrient management programs and understanding the value of light for high performance golf turf management.
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