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The Superintendents series of interviews on buffalogolfer shines a light on the keepers of the green in Buffalo-Niagara. Chances are, you know the starter and the club pro. Have you met your course or club superintendent? If not, find out where she/he works on the grounds and make a point of getting to know the person who keeps the grass cut, the bunkers raked, and so much more that you never considered. This week’s interview is Thad Thompson of Terry Hills golf course in Batavia.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself, where you’re from, where you work, and how long you’ve been there.
1. Thad Thompson from Java Center NY. I’ve worked at Turkey Run GC in Arcade, NY (7 years), The Fox Valley Club in Lancaster, NY (1 year), The Seneca Falls CC (9 years) and finally At Terry Hills GC in Batavia, NY for the past 9 years.
2. How did you get into golf course grounds and maintenance? Did your education/training propel you that way?
2. I grew up on a horse farm and started working at a golf course during my first year of college. I loved the work and the intricacies of growing grass, disease management and course conditioning and set up, so I went to school at SUNY Delhi and received my degree in Turf Management.
3. What aspect of golf course maintenance is the most critical/the most difficult, that the average golfer/member would have no idea about?
3. Disease and water management. As superintendents we spend countless hours on the golf course scouting for potential problems with water (lack there of or too much) and disease pressure. As stewards of the environment it is critical that we are proactive in the decisions we make about spraying any chemical or applying water. That’s why you see your superintendent out on his or her hands and knees with a magnifying glass or poking a moisture meter into all areas of the golf course.
4. In contrast, what aspect of golf course upkeep is overrated, yet you keep hearing about it.
4. Green speed and bunker maintenance. Everyone wants fast greens, but green speed needs to be based of the level of play of your golfers and the topography of the greens. Bunker maintenance has reached an all time high. What was once considered a hazard is now expected to play like every other part of the golf course and not be too penal. Bunker maintenance dollars, at a lot of courses, is now rivaling greens maintenance dollars.
5. Some people love trees. How do you feel about trees on a golf course?
5. Trees in the proper place are a huge asset for a golf course. Trees in the wrong place can be a huge liability. Shade to turfgrass, water competition, shot value and structurally unsound trees are all huge concerns in evaluating whether a tree should stay or be removed. As sound barriers, shade in the proper place, oxygen production and aesthetic beauty, a properly placed tree is wonderful asset for any golf course.
6. Talk to us about fairway width, mowing lines, and thick rough versus fairway cut. What sort of balance should be struck between penal golf and welcoming golf?
6. As a superintendent at a public golf course, it’s imperative that we get our golfers around the course in a timely manner. We maintain our fairways a little longer to promote fluffier lies and keep our rough low to avoid golfers having to search too long for their golf balls.
7. If you had all the money/support from your ownership/membership, what direction would you point them, that they might not be aware of?
7. Although I have a great deal of control over my irrigation system, I’d upgrade the entire irrigation system. The benefits would be an even higher level of control, better coverage and improved efficiency over the older technology.
8. Talk to us a bit about your grounds crew. How many do you have on staff and what is the critical part of assembling a top-notch crew?
8. I have 18 staff members in the grounds department. We employ several part timers for specific jobs as well as a handful of seasonal full timers.The most important aspect of assembling a crew is that everyone needs to be on the same page. We are a team, all working towards the same goal. Our job as superintendents is to get everyone on the same page and be an effective leader so there is no wasted time and we perform our daily tasks as efficiently as possible.
9. What question haven’t we asked, that you would like to answer? Ask it and answer it, please, and thank you for your time today.
9. What makes a golf course successful?
All departments must have an open line of communication and work as a team. The golf shop, the restaurant and the grounds department need to know what one another is doing to avoid conflicts and confusion. The other critical part to a successful golf course business is ownership/membership. A private owner or a board of directors hire an educated, experienced golf course superintendent. A superintendent is only as good as the resources that he or she has available to them. Vision, foresight and being proactive are three very important qualities for an owner or board of directors. If you look at the successful clubs, you will find great owners or a very active membership.
