"There was a very strong response from people who don't believe in global warming. I was surprised by that, because global warming was actually a very minor part of the piece..."

In the July Golfdom, I pen a column/essay on the importance of Golf Digest redefining their conditioning category. Along with the piece was a column that surprisingly hasn't elicited surprisingly nice emails from superintendents.

Online, Golfdom offered editor Larry Aylward pens a column taking issue with Barton's tone toward superintendents.

I also interviewed Barton, who had plenty of great stuff to say about his research and the surprising reaction Golf Digest received.

The entire package of Golf Digest stories can be viewed here.

Comments

[dsl]

A common theme I'm seeing here is people having way too much faith in superintendants. I don't know where all these 'educated' supers are located, but there don't seem to be many where I am. At my course, they get the water for free and they spray round up on the edges of every creek and at the base of every tree. Throughout the entire organization, you get the sense that things are done 'the way they always have been'.

In July and August, we generally have super lush & soft fairways and greens and bone dry rough. I asked a board member if maybe we could let the course get firmer in the summer and possibly save money on watering costs. He told me they get the water for free and that was the end of the discussion. I mean, are we really expected to trust these guys with our futures?

[dsl]

Sorry, that comes off like more of a rant than I had intended. Here's another way to look at it:

To the average member/ visitor, our Super is good at his job. The course is soft and lush and green all season. He uses pesticides to control bugs and weeds and he knows what he'd doing with them. He is free to water the course whenever he wants, without fear of running over budget. He only waters enough to keep the course soft and green all season. The members appreciate this.

If I had blind faith in him, I'd too would say he's doing a great job and we should leave him alone. Thing is, I know he's not spending his time thinking about how to make the world a better place with his work. Why would he? What's focing him to consider the environmental impacts of his actions? That's what I'm getting at - where are these great 'thinking' supers who are doing all of this planning for our future?

[Steven T.]

Yo dsl,

They're planning for their future. Green is good. Brown spots are bad.Brown spots gets them fired.

[dsl]

Yes, exactly. At this point, how they arrive at either outcome is still largely immaterial in the vast majority of people's eyes. I just don't get how we're supposed to assume that even 10% of them are taking the 'right path' to getting the course green (or even thinking about taking the 'right path'). I guess we need to count on their governing bodies to come up with the solutions and then pass them on to the various supers.

[Pete the Luddite]

I will steadfastly maintain that ABC and Augusta are at least partially responsible for raising everyone's expectations for lush courses in the middle of summer. The course conditions in April in GA, as shown in color HD broadcasts, are amazing and those we all wish we could have. Result? Pressure on superintendents to be like Augusta or move on.

Harder, drier conditions are not the death knell for courses, but many memberships feel compelled to be as lush as possible. That keeps the money rolling in, and in a tight economic market for GC's, you have to serve the bottom line.

Don't mean to be so acerbic. I've spent a lot of time over the years working with GCs on permitting and getting/maintaining water use permits. It's an increasingly larger issue and regulators nationwide are honing in on this issue. (Ask the Supers in MA how they felt a few years ago when MA DEP came at them on their permit compliance!)

[Mark B]

Geoff

Very well done, thanks and congratulations. The interview with Barton was hilarious in a way; his take on the response reminds me of an anthropologist describing a primitive tribe.

[jason]

primitive tribe, people who deny global warming, people who still drive SUV's...yeah sounds about right to me.

[WayneK]

Pete the Luddite - what does ABC have to do with Augusta? CBS has broadcast The Masters since the Good Lord created Augusta National out of the remains of the Garden of Eden.

Or are you so much of a Luddite that you have never watched television and are therefore excused of knowing the difference amongst the networks?

[Linus]

Heh, the "gospel of conservation". I think that right there is what most of these folks object to. I realize you were just trying to turn a phrase, but it's the religion-y feel of the Green movement that turns a lot of people off, even people who have most of the same ideals, you know, be good stewards, etc.

[Pete the Luddite]

<<swish>> <<shwish>> <<shwish>>
I am busily flailing myself for the horrid and unpardonable sin of forgetting which network covered my favorite tournament. I am clearly not worthy of this site.... po-tay-to, po-tah-to, the point is still there...

sorry, back to flailing
<<swish>> <<shwish>> <<shwish>>
<<swish>> <<shwish>> <<shwish>>

[Raider Fan]

There are many things wrong with the conditioning category. First, a golf course like Bandon has fescue which most panelists cannot compare to bent fairways.

two. In the new course category, a brand new course being evaluated for "Best New" needs to be in top condition from day 1.

three: it does mean golf courses are benchmarked to Augusta which is unfair.