It's Time to Conserve. What Are You Doing?

On my way to work this morning, I saw this personalized bumper sticker pasted in large green capital letters on the back of a small car.

“Slow Down. Reduce Oil Use. Save Human Lives.”

With spring sprung and the weather getting warmer throughout the country, people have increased their driving (so the "experts" say). And because there’s more of a demand for oil, gas prices have skyrocketed. It’s $3 or more a gallon where I live. (Funny thing, they were saying a few months ago that we probably wouldn’t see $3 a gallon this summer.)

Which brings me back to the guy’s man-made bumper sticker. Are you doing anything to reduce your reliance on gas this summer to save money in your maintenance budget?

We’d love to hear how you’re doing it. Please drop us a line at this blog.

By the way, I’m not going to touch the meaning of the last line in the bumper sticker. But if you have a view on global warming, I’d love to hear it, too.

— Larry Aylward

Would You Like Fries With That?

About 9,500 more Americans will lose their jobs to foreign workers. They weren’t making plastic toys, vacuum cleaners or even automobiles. They were white-collar workers at Citibank, and the financial monstrosity announced today it will be nixing 5 percent of its workforce to boost its stock price. Yes, investors are greedy, boards are sycophants, and executives will do anything necessary to keep their seven-figure jobs.

How can these guys rationalize keeping their multi-million-dollar paychecks if they’ve run the company so poorly that they need to cut 5 percent of their workers? Apparently in today’s analyst-impressing world, telling your home country that you’re sending at least 9,500 jobs overseas is a good thing, probably deserving of a bonus.

It seems as though money is the only American value we really cherish. It gives new meaning to the “green industry.”

Less than a decade ago, politicians and business leaders were still advising the American workforce to retrain themselves in technology and business. Manufacturing was long gone, but intellectual occupations were thought to be secure. Few are talking about it, but that’s rapidly proving to be false. I guess even ideas are cheaper in China.

I’m just thankful the multi-national golf course management companies haven’t figured out a way to outsource agronomy. But I bet they would if they could.

— David Frabotta

Redstone Highlights Superintendents Everywhere

It’s overshadowed by a little invitational in Augusta, Ga., but the condition of Redstone Golf Club during the Shell Houston Invitational (March 29-April 1) had announcers Johnny Miller and Dan Hicks doling out the accolades.

Congratulations to certified golf course superintendent Roger Goettsch and assistant superintendent Randy Samoff for a successful Shell Houston Open.

After a little rain early in the tournament, players were able to go for the pin on most approach shots thanks to immaculate course conditions, and the announcers made mention of the fact several times. They called some camera angles “Augusta-like” and repeatedly talked about how the flawless conditions made for a very exciting and enjoyable tournament.

When Johnny Miller spoke to superintendents during the GCSAA opening session in February, he said tour players once talked about the course conditions as small talk before the tournament. Practice rounds were critical to determine the idiosyncrasies of turf managers. But those conversations don’t exist anymore because superintendents do such a good job maintaining consistent turf throughout the profession.

“You guys have it down to an art form,” Miller said. “You guys are good. You guys are almost too good.”

As spring begins to reclaim Northern courses, I’m filled with all the hope and promise the season represents. It makes me wonder if superintendents are eager for the new season, too, or are you dreading the full swing of golf course operations?

— David Frabotta

March Madness Has Made Me Crazy

I went 15-1 in my game predictions on the opening day of March Madness last week. Since then, I've gone in the tank. (Duke and Notre Dame, you are worthless!)

I'm angry, too. I hate to be wrong when it comes to sports picks, and I hate to lose money (yes, another 10 bucks wasted in an office pool).

Isn't it strange how we make March Madness about ourselves? We carry our filled-out bracket sheets everywhere -- on the plane, to the restaurant, to the bathroom, etc. We are mad, really. Here are these wonderful college athletes, most who will never play in the pros, giving their all on the floor to get to the Nirvana of college basketball ... the Final Four.

And here we are, sitting in our recliners, slugging beers, munching on Cheetos and looking at our bracket sheets during every time out.

We are despicable.

So, who do you have going to the Final Four?

I say Memphis, Kansas, Georgetown and North Carolina.

Enjoy! And don't get that Cheetoh grease all over the furniture.

-- Larry Aylward

Savings? What Savings?

It’s hard to make ends meet. But is it Great-Depression-like hard?

Personal savings fell to its lowest level in 74 years in 2006 — negative 1 percent, according to a Commerce Department report. That means Americans spend 101 percent of their income, up from 100.4 percent in 2005 and the most since 101.5 percent in 1933.

Only four years in American history have seen a negative savings rate for the entire year: 1932, 1933, 2005 and 2006.

There are numerous reasons for the 21-consecutive-month slide into the red, economists say. But the most widely acknowledged is lifestyle. That is, we’re living beyond our means.

The rich want to live like the super rich; the super rich want to live like the Sultan of Brunei, and everyone else watches them on TV. Common folk like you and me want just a little more than we can afford, too. Wages have not kept pace with inflation, but the middle class has refused to scale back on lifestyle.

Another mistake, according to financial consultants, is trying to live without a budget. You wouldn’t run a golf course without a budget, so how can you run a successful household without one?

Superintendents always have a contingency plan for golf course cuts if push comes to shove. The real question is: What’s your personal contingency plan? What would you cut if you need to shrink total expenses — by oh, say, 10 percent — tomorrow?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Selling Out

Several months ago I downloaded the Kansas song “Dust in the Wind” to my new iPod. That 1980s spiritual anthem, with its nifty and meditative violin-based groove, always stopped and made me contemplate the status of the world. Yeah, it dripped a little sap, but it was still a cool tune to me.

So it was good to hear the song again on my iPod after all these years. It took me back, and it still made me think. That is, until I heard it on TV. A few days after downloading “Dust in the Wind,” I was watching TV and the song was played on a car commercial.

It seems you can’t turn the channel these days without coming across a commercial that sports a rock or pop song as its jingle. It doesn’t matter what a song’s lyrics entail — “Dust in the Wind” flaunts a Biblically based message — just as long as the song is a good fit metaphorically. And, yes, as long as the song’s artist is cashing in on its corporate use.

So I pose a question to you. If you were John Mellencamp and Chevy offered you enough money to buy a small town for your song to be used in a car commercial, would you take the money and run? Why or why not? And, by the way, if Titleist offers you 10 grand to paint an advertisement on your course's 18th green, are you going to accept?

— Larry Aylward

Work Like Hell

Long-serving U.S. Congresspersons were asked for advice they would give new members in a story by Andrea Seabrook on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” last week.

I figured words of wisdom from legislators could very well have some applicability to superintendents, whose daily routines are often fraught with politics as well.

Rep. Al Green of Texas says it’s imperative to pick a good staff: “While a congressperson can get a lot done, the staff can get a lot more done. Get a capable, competent, qualified staff, and I assure you: You’ll do well.”

Rep. John Dingell of Michigan simply said, “Work like hell.”

And Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona says, “You spend time away from family; it’s not a particularly high-paying job, and if you can’t have fun pushing what you want to push, then it’s not worth it.”

What pearls of wisdom would you give newbie superintendents?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

What Do You Think of Global Warming?

Right now, as I write this, people in Golfdom's downtown Cleveland office building are looking out the window and marveling mournfully about the snow falling. Yes, I said “marveling mournfully.” People can’t believe it’s snowing, and they’re downright troubled that the white stuff is flying from the skies.

Wait a minute, folks, but this is January in Cleveland. It’s supposed to snow. But the people around here have gotten so accustomed to the balmy late-fall and early-winter weather that they have it in their heads they’re living in North Carolina. That said, enough people have been playing golf the past month that it seems like it is North Carolina.

So what about this global warming business? Are you buying into it?

I say there’s something to it. What are your views?

— Larry Aylward

Sour Grapes Won't Spoil Oprah's Generosity

Philanthropists should be celebrated; 89 percent of American households contribute to charity, according to the National Philanthropic Trust (NPT). That’s a good thing.

America’s fascination with the uber-rich makes much of their life media events, including their charitable donations.
So when Oprah Winfrey announced she opened a $40-million school for girls in South Africa, headlines were abound.

Not surprising, it was met with some criticism from some Americans who would have liked to see the gift in our backyards.

My response: Lashing out at Oprah is merely a symptom of the frustration many working-class families feel about the growing divide between the rich and poor. In case you haven’t noticed, the rich are getting very rich.

Record bonuses were awarded this year for top Wall Street brokers, yet media pundits have yet to hold their feet to the fire about where their philanthropic efforts might go.

Star athletes receive food stipends during away games, as if they can’t squeeze lunch money out of their $100-million contracts. High-paid executives, movie stars, athletes and trust-fund babies can insulate their families from work for centuries, but what should they owe the society that allowed them to amass their fortunes?

Granted, there are many generous givers in this stratosphere. Still, there are many Americans with enough disposable income to fix America’s ills. Unfortunately for Oprah, we single out those who give the most because we disagree with their motives and agendas. We’re jealous of their gifts, even if it’s to some of the world’s poorest children who are stricken with the fallout from decades of inequitable social policies.

Oprah doesn’t deserve one disparaging word until we as a society ask ourselves: How much money is enough? What is the role for the super-rich for the betterment of all men?

I know many are doing their part. But for the first time in American history, the richest 100 people in the country are all billionaires. Their combined wealth rivals the gross domestic product of all but the 50 most prosperous countries of the world. Seriously, let that sink in.

Andrew Carnegie furnished our country with libraries. What will the legacy of today’s super-rich be? What should it be?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Are Managers Welcome to the Show?

Don't look now, but the Golf Industry Show is lurking around the corner. It'll be here before you can say Club Managers Association of America three times fast.

By the way, the CMAA joins the GIS party in February. So now it's the superintendents, owners and managers under one roof. Does this spell
d-y-s-f-u-n-c-t-i-o-n-a-l?

Two years ago, when the National Golf Course Owners Association joined the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America to form the inaugural Golf Industry Show, we reported that Big Brother — the “all-powerful” and “forever-watching” character from George Orwell’s novel “1984” — had landed in the golf industry of all places. Twenty-one years later, golf course owners had assumed the role of Big Brother. The story went that some superintendents were wary of the NGCOA joining their annual conference and show because they wouldn’t be able to get away with doing some of the things they did at previous shows — like ditching a day’s worth of educational sessions to play 18 holes or party into the wee hours of the morning at their hotel bars — if their courses’ owners were around.

Now with the CMAA joining the show, Big Brother has reared his ugly head again. Word is some superintendents don’t want the managers attending the show — especially if the managers are the superintendents’ superiors — because they could cramp their lifestyles.

How do you feel about this? Is it a bunch of bologna? Or is it as true as a tender T-bone steak?

Blog here to share your thoughts.

— Larry Aylward

Are Your Workers Safe?

What will kill you? That’s the focus of TIME magazine’s Dec. 4 cover story.

The author says that in a world where bird flu and mad cow disease dominate the headlines with scary hyperbole, it’s no wonder we’re not really fearful of the things that probably will kill us, like fast food, tobacco use and our daily commute.

That’s because our everyday risks are tolerated more due to repetition; repetition quells the fear. So it’s easy to take our safety for granted during everyday tasks.

Superintendents and their crews encounter a slew of everyday job hazards that appear less threatening with each recurrence, but they’re not. Ear protection and respirators are Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements for many tasks, but you probably don’t need to look very far around the property to see someone taking a shortcut.

When I did tree work, our safety gear was akin to combat: hardhat, leather gloves, long sleeves, eye protection, ear protection and chainsaw chaps (they make vests, too). We would smirk at them — especially the chaps — like we were less of men by wearing them.

But it didn’t seem so silly the day a pair of chaps saved my knee from a running chainsaw. It was an awkward cut on a branch that evidently supported a couple tons of felled timber. About midway into an angled cut, the tree rolled, the saw kicked, and I grazed my leg in an attempt to save my feet from certain crushing. The chaps’ fabric filled the saw and shut it down. I was left with damaged safety gear, but not even a nick on my knee.

Nothing is predictable when working outside. Then there is the human element. A higher percentage of accidents occur after lunch, according to OSHA. That’s precisely the time when we look to make out jobs just a little bit easier. Your workers aren’t trying to hurt themselves, but each shortcut increases myriad risks for injury.

How do you emphasize the importance of safety practices and protocols?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Burned Out or Moment of Clarity?

Few frustrations get the goat of superintendents more than fickle boards that tighten budgets without telling members to expect some changes.

You’re not alone. Many superintendents voice concerns about the pressures of meeting expectations with less money each year.

“It’s a love/hate thing. I love the job and love the property and all that, but to go through all the struggles again (with the board) and have them never really figure it out is like beating my head against the wall,” says Dan Williams, who resigned as superintendent of Riverview Country Club this month.

After 27 years, Williams says he’ll miss the profession, but he’s emotionally exhausted from trying to educate 27 different boards about what it takes to maintain a golf course. As negotiations begin this year, he’s bowing out.

“There are too many cuts, and I’m tired of taking the brunt of it,” he says, “And it’s never good enough. You strive to make it the best it can be, but I don’t think people understand that.”

Career changes require gumption, confidence, passion and drive. Once the thrill is gone, it’s difficult to be successful. I admire anyone with the self-awareness and courage to sail into uncharted territory to rediscover professional passion.

In Williams’ case, he’s sailing without a map. He doesn’t have a job lined up, and he’s not really sure what profession he wants to try next, although he says sales has piqued his interest.

But he does know one thing: “I’m looking forward to sleeping in on Saturdays.”

I’m sure Williams would appreciate any job leads you might have heard about in the industry. But please, wait until a decent hour to give him a ring.

How do you rekindle the passion for your work?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Labor Crunch Could Get Tighter

If good help has been hard to find during the past few years, it doesn’t look like it will be any easier in 2007. The federal unemployment rate fell to 4.4 percent in October, its lowest level since May 2001.

Curiously, the five-year low coincides with the fewest jobs created in a month — October saw 92,000 new non-farm payroll employees — although more than 375,000 jobs were added in August and September combined, according to revised numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor. Service-providing industries propelled the growth, while employment declined in manufacturing and construction.

Employment for most major demographics showed little change, but jobless rates for adult women and Hispanics fell in October.

Wages appear to be edging higher than expected amid heightened competition for workers. The average hourly wage is $16.91, up 3.9 percent so far this year.

The low unemployment rate, creation of new jobs and salary hikes have many economists shrugging off fears of a recession as confident consumers near the holiday shopping season. Although national gross domestic product (value of goods and services) slowed to its lowest level in three years in the third quarter, many economists have attributed the trend to cooling housing markets.

With an economy expected by many to be firing on all cylinders by the end of the year and into 2007, labor will continue to be hard to come by.

So, what will you be doing differently this year to recruit/retain valuable employees?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

What Kind of Manager Are You?

An NFL football coach was fired the other day. No surprise there.

It was revealed the fired coach was “too gruff” with the players. Also, no surprise there.

What is it about people who think they have to be as nasty as Godzilla to gain respect from the people they manage? When will they realize their management styles are as outdated as shag carpet?

I recently spent time with two golf industry veterans who manage with authority — but with respect. I watched Ray Davies, a certified superintendent who’s the director of golf course maintenance and construction for CourseCo in Petaluma, Calif., interact with the people he manages, including the several superintendents he oversees at CourseCo-operated golf courses. Davies showed them respect and vice versa. It was easy to tell they enjoyed working with each other. They had a team mentality.

I also spent time with Dave Catalano, the director of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. I watched Catalano pay a wonderful compliment to the starter of Bethpage’s Black course. It made his day. I also watched many others smile widely and acknowledge Catalano as he walked by them. It told me a lot about the man.

What’s your management style? How do you command respect — for all the right reasons?

— Larry Aylward, Editor in Chief

Have YOU Thought About Public Office?

The mainstream media are all smiles over the salacious demise of former Rep. Mark Foley. Nothing sells papers like a scandal, and a possible gay sex scandal has news writers tripping over their double entendres faster than that guy on “Scrubs”.

Democrats, too, have been looking for a chip in Republicans' armor to help give them momentum to win back the Senate in November, and this one is just about as good as it gets, especially now that House Speaker Dennis Hastert in on the skewer for a possible cover-up.

Of course, no one is saying that Foley had sex with minor boys; he only had “inappropriate” digital communications. He says he was drunk while the communications took place, and he checked himself into rehab to get a handle on his behavior — which might have been going on for five years, according to reports speculating about the House Ethics Committee testimony of Foley’s former chief of staff Kirk Fordham.

His chemical scapegoat, like so many in the public eye, spoils his remorse, which so far has been voiced only by his attorney.
I’m insulted by the presumption that a quick spin at the Mayo Clinic absolves us, any of us, of all sins and transgressions. In early May, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island nearly struck on-duty officers when he lost control of his vehicle at about 3 a.m. and struck a barricade. He told the officers he was late for a vote. They laughed, and then they drove him home without issuing a citation or sobriety test.

Sure, we have tragic flaws, but how much longer will we be lulled into submission by the lying, cheating and spin just long enough to support the lesser of two evils?

It’s time for a real people’s movement. Who better to run for office than agronomists? They are nurturing, for sure. They make a variety of decisions based on variable data. They are already in tune to the country’s shifting demographics, and most importantly: They’re trustworthy. Besides, the grassroots clichés are endless. Maybe Ralph Nader, former Green Party candidate and noteworthy public crusader, could throw is weight behind it. But don’t expect a slew of media attention. The gotcha journalists of today care more about the “what” than the “why”.

Tell us your political war stories or ambitions for public office … Join the conversation.

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Are We Still Learning?

Education is imperative in today’s world. There are still a few seasoned superintendents out there without four-year degrees, but it’s difficult to get your foot in the door without one these days.

Journalism is the same way. As a student, I once saw an old sage newspaperman (he doesn’t look so old to me anymore) say, “Journalism school is four years of bad habits that needed to be unlearned.” My advisor didn’t think that was too funny. But I did. I couldn’t wait to get out of school and get some practical experience.

About a decade has passed since then, and now I wonder what I’ve been missing while I’ve been busy on the job. Am I still learning?

I had the opportunity to see Bruce Williams, certified superintendent of the Los Angeles Country Club, speak last week at Project Green Start, a continuing education and networking event for assistant superintendents sponsored by Bayer and John Deere. You wouldn’t think a director of golf and grounds management for a prestigious club, who gives dozens of lectures each year, would still have a burning desire for learning, but he says he spends about six weeks a year in seminars.

If you’re like me, you’ve got some catching up to do to hit that mark. But it’s worth it. Those 50 assistant superintendents at the event returned to their home courses armed with new ideas, new contacts, new acquaintances and new ways to look at the same old problems. But more importantly, they went home reinvigorated with their profession and visibly proud about the personal and professional progress they were making.

As many golf courses decline into the off-season, perhaps it’s a good time to really examine continuing education opportunities — formal and informal — so spring can be met with the rejuvenation that the season deserves.

You might not have the twinkle in your eye like a 20-something all the time, but you might be surprised at how much continuing education can propel your job satisfaction, personal growth and overall happiness. And that is worth more than a line on a resume.

What seminars do you plan to attend this winter? Are you sending your staff to any events?

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Will You Need to Settle for Silver in Your Golden Years?

I call my retirement fund a 41k. 401k seems wildly optimistic, especially when my fund manager says: “It’s perfectly normal for your portfolio to show a negative gain at this stage in the game. You have plenty of time for it to rebound.”

To this I wonder how big of an oxymoron he really is. Rebound is a very unsettling word when used in context with my hard-earned retirement money. I’ve already conceded to driving used cars for the better portion of my life, and who could possibly get tired of chicken legs and rice for dinner?

We all make sacrifices so we can retire some day, but if your monthly statement looks like mine, then the jagged undulations that resemble the lifecycle of Enron’s stock price have you a little worried. Am I supposed to know what a Multicap Value Equity 2 Index is?

Worse yet, Americans don’t save money anymore. In fact, we spend about 100.5 percent of our income, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis. The savings rate officially hit zero in August 2005, making Americans the worst savers of any industrialized nation.

That dubious distinction means our retirement accounts will see even more stress in the near future to fill the void once met by old-fashioned rainy-day funds. Nothing like tugging at the threads of an already paper-thin security blanket.

How about your budget? Do you feel stretched between current family requirements and the hope that you might retire some day? Tell us about your balancing act.

— David Frabotta, Senior Editor

Your Hometown Could Use Your Help

For the second time in three years, Cleveland was named the poorest big city in the country by the U.S. Census. About 32 percent of Cleveland residents live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census. Cleveland, by the way, is the home of Golfdom magazine.

When the news was reported, I felt a sick feeling in my stomach, much like I did two years ago when we learned our city's fate. Cleveland, like many Midwestern cities, has suffered economically because so many manufacturing jobs have been outsourced to cheaper labor overseas. What’s left is a lot of out-of-work people. And things just seem to get worse from there.

Of course, this problem has much to do about attitudes — poor people and rich people included. All of us, however, need to unite and attack poverty at its roots. It’s not about a quick fix.

That said, there are people in Cleveland and other cities — including your hometown — who need help now. They need food, clothing and shelter. Many of these people are children.

Two years ago, when Cleveland received the dubious honor of having the poorest population for the first time, I wrote a column in the Golfdom pages discussing how golf courses can help the poor. I’m not one for self promotion, but I’d like to share the column with you again. Please click here for “Some Ways We Can Help the Poor".

— Larry Aylward, Editor in Chief

That Roar You Hear Is a Dangerous Tiger

The headline in the paper the other day said, “Tiger Takes the Fifth.” It made me think of Retief Goosen.

But, first, about the meaning of the headline. It refers to how many times Tiger Woods has won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. Five. Woods has also won four tournaments in a row, including the British Open and the PGA Championship, after failing to make the cut at Winged Foot for the U.S. Open. The guy is blowing away the competition.

Now, back to Goosen. I interviewed him in early July before Tiger went on his hot streak. Goosen said competition on the PGA Tour these days is tougher than ever. But it's great to see so many players have a chance to win, he added.

"It's a lot tougher to win out there than it was five years ago," Goosen said. "But then again, Tiger Woods was so on top of his game five years ago that it seemed like he was winning every week."

You remember the Tiger Woods of five years ago, don’t you? Well, looks like he’s back.

-- Larry Aylward, Editor in Chief

A Fall Classic?

You may have heard of Charlie Cook, the veteran Washington, D.C.-based political analyst. I had the pleasure of hearing Cook speak earlier this year at a Media Summit presented by BASF.

Cook monitors political candidates and their ratings like baseball nuts watch box scores and batting averages. He’s a fascinating person to hear speak.

But despite his knowledge, Cook admitted he doesn’t have a real good feel about this fall’s election. He can’t predict who will win control of the House and the Senate in the U.S. Congress.

Cook examined the election from two perspectives — the macro political approach and the micro political approach. When you look at it from the macro political approach — or from top to bottom — Cook said Republicans appear to be in eminent trouble.

But when one looks at the election from the micro political approach, or from the bottom to the top, it appears the Democrats will have a difficult time gaining control of the House and the Senate. Republicans will lose some House and Senate seats, but they’ll probably hold their majorities, he said.

As far as the presidential election in 2008, Cook said two early contenders are John McCain and Hilary Clinton. And, yes, Hilary has a chance.

— Larry Aylward, Editor in Chief