The super “super”

W turf and personnel: take your choice. They're all problems today's golf course superintendent solves every day—or, at the very least, on a regular basis. They're three reasons why today's golf course "super" must be a "super" planner, organizer and executor. The results of an exclusive W E E D S T R E E S & T U R F survey reveal that unexpected weather conditions are the biggest thorns in the side of today's superintendents. When asked about "problem tasks" which they encounter, "coping with the weather" was listed on the reports of 56.5% of the respondents. And when asked about the challenges they face as individuals, a good portion cited weather problems. "My greatest challenge is trying to maintain proper playing conditions under adverse weather conditions," wrote one respondent. Many of the written comments came from superintendents of transition zone courses. Personnel/labor was the most popular response to an open-ended (fill-in) question about the biggest maintenance problem. That is, employees—for one reason or another—simply are not doing their job well enough to suit many superintendents. Another question listed various problems supers might have; though "personnel" was not on the list, it received the most write-in votes. "Managing people is the greatest challenge I face, be they summer workers or the club champion," noted one superintendent. " T h e turf can be managed with a proper budget, but people take a whole lot more." Another agreed: "Dealing with both the people above you and the people below you is important. The weather plays an important role in our job, but is a constant that can be dealt with. But working with people makes for an interesting profession." And another: "My biggest problem is keeping the staff motivated. Toward the end of summer, everyone is 'grassed out:' sick of mowing, working on, and looking at grass. You really have to work to keep the crew motivated and create job enthusiasm."