Playability or Aesthetics - What Really Matters?

Tom Vlach • Director of Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC Sawgrass Bill Hughes • General Manager, TPC Sawgrass Collier Miller • Director, TPC Agronomy

Presenting sponsors:

Aesthetics, or Playability

What Really Matters?

Collier Miller, CGCS, Director, TPC Agronomy

• Network Philosophy / Perspective on golf course conditions

• Success Story - TPC Summerlin

Tom Vlach, CGCS, Dir. Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC Sawgrass

• Saying Goodbye to Overseeding and creating firm and fast conditions

Bill Hughes, General Manager, TPC Sawgrass

• Managing Member and Customer Expectations

• Club Performance

Appearance

How it plays

TPC Network Agronomic and Conditioning Philosophy is

consistent with PGA TOUR Player Expectations

Firm, fast playing conditions are the priority

Touring Professionals want firm and fast playing conditions

and have less concern for visual

appeal.

Industry Challenges:

1. Fighting the “green is good” syndrome. Green and lush does not necessarily = good playing conditions.

2. Economic and Environmental Sustainability

3. Changing Member and Customer expectations

Reality:

1. “Firm and Fast” is not always sustainable, but should be the goal

2. Not always achievable – lots of variables

3. Turf must be kept healthy and actively growing to combat pests, traffic, etc.

The key is balancing the playing conditions with the environment, economics, and still providing a product people will pay for.

• TPC Summerlin is considered by tour players, members, and market competition as consistently providing excellent playing conditions

• Opened 1991

• High end private – 450 members

• Bermuda and never been overseed

• The only club in their market that does not overseed

• Hosted 19 consecutive PGA TOUR events and 4 Champions Tour events

Club is marketed and sold on playing

conditions

Focus is on providing the best “year round”

playing conditions

Educating and selling the membership is critical (Brown

“can” be beautiful)

Winter

Spring / Fall

Summer

Overseeded?

Not Overseeding allows for -

1. Water conservation and drought restrictions while minimizing any negative effects on playing conditions

2. Allow for use of poor water quality3. Easier to manage for dry and firm conditions4. Reduced inputs5. No spring/summer and fall transition6. Positive public relations

Effect of Soil and Drainage on Playing Conditions -

1. Organic / Thatch Management – aerification, verticutting, topdressing

2. TPC Summerlin is blessed with good draining soil - manufactured 3/8 minus

3. Adequate drainage system

utilizing sheet flow, inlets,

and drain tile

Water and Moisture

Management is

Critical

Irrigation Control system

Irrigation System Design and Distribution

A must – to utilize available technology

and management tools

Irrigation Control System

Water and Moisture Management is Critical

Moisture Meter

Weather Stations / ET Soil Probe

Hand / Spot Water

Turf Removal

and Alternative Playing

Surfaces

You can’t get much better than this when it comes to ball lie.

Brown “can” be very good

Tom Vlach, CGCS, Dir. Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC Sawgrass

• Saying Goodbye to Overseeding and creating firm and fast conditions

Overseeding A Case Study

History of TPC Sawgrass

THE PLAYERS Stadium opened in 1980

• Major Renovation 2006 – Re-branding Effort

• THE PLAYERS: May 2007 – Present

– Goal of firm and fast conditions

History of THE PLAYERS Stadium Golf Course

• The Players Championship in March 1982 – 2006

Overseeded entire Stadium golf course each year in October

- 36,000 lbs. seed

- 50,000 lbs. fertilizer

- 1500 man-hours

- 25% electrical increase

- $20,000 transition sod, 2 acres -

Overseeding Concerns

• Costs: $150,000 per year

• Playability

– Fall seeding window

– Spring and Summer Transition

• Organic Matter Accumulation and its negative effects

Non-Overseeding Benefits

• Firm and Fast playing conditions

• THE PLAYERS

• Improved (Fall/Spring) year round

conditions

• Savings of variable expenses

• Labor reallocation

• Weed control

Non-overseeding Challenges

• Customer expectations in winter

• Winter wear patterns

• Divots and ball marks

Thatch and organic mat management are critical to providing firm conditions

Thatch and Organic Mat Management

TPC Sawgrass took the fast track

Thatch and Organic Mat Management

Regular topdressing required to maintain firm conditions

Alternative to rebuilding and longer term strategy is through core aerification and topdressing program.

# 17 Overseeded

# 17 Non- Overseeded

Divots # 9 – Non-Overseeded

#18 Overseeded

# 18 Overseeded

# 18 Non-Overseeded

Managing Member / Customer Expectations and Effect on

Club Performance Green is good, but Brown “can” be

beautiful, too!

Bill HughesTPC Sawgrass

General Manager

Making the Reservation

• Communicate during the initial phone call about course conditions

• Talk about “Firm and Fast” conditions versus the overseed conditions of the past which were “Soft and Slow”

• Fully disclose all agronomic practices that a guest could encounter during their time at the facility

“Due to our desire to provide our members and guests with firm and fast conditions throughout the winter months, we have moved away from overseeding. It is better for the golf course from a playability perspective and much better for the environment due to a significant reduction in the water and agronomic requirements.”

Communicate !

Arrival - the Moment of Truth

Warm, sincere and genuine greeting of the Members/Guests/TOUR Players at Bag Drop Area

Arrival and Greetings

• Starter-Reconfirm course conditions and Greens Speed/Pin Position at First Tee

• “TPC Sawgrass prioritizes firm and fast conditions on a daily basis in providing the members and guests with tournament quality conditions and golf experience.”

• Player Ambassador Welcome - “The Golf Course is playing Firm and Fast today”

Impact on Club -

• Member and Customer Satisfaction

• Reputation Stadium Course

• Rounds of Golf

• Financial

Green is Good

But,

Brown is Beautiful, Too

Before and After

• Par 4, 18th Hole, PLAYERS Stadium

Before and After

• Par 5, 16th Hole, PLAYERS Stadium

Maya Angelou

Famous American biographer and poet:

You will forget what I say, you will forget what I do, but you will never forget how I

made you feel!