We Share This in Common
I am confident that I have played over 10,000 rounds of golf in my life. Of all those rounds, with so many different course and weather conditions, I have had only one round that I would call “Perfect.” In other words, when I looked back on that day, there was not a single shot that I wanted over.
As golfers, we are always trying to play better. We do the best we can, and at the end of the round, most of us picture what we could/should have done differently to have scored better. It’s why I define GOLF as “The endless pursuit of perfection.” I can say, from experience, that no matter how good we get, we are never truly satisfied.
Being a superintendent is very similar. I see a golf course/property differently than most people. I have a list of things I “want” to do. Then, I have the list of things I “can” do. Thus, my priorities are set by the list of what I can accomplish. My greens are always number one! Regardless of what some may think. Then come Tees, Fairways, Roughs and Bunkers, in that order. That being said, all of our activities are geared towards moving this property forward.
So how can the player better understand my challenge? Simple. The USGA says you are allowed 13 clubs in your bag. Next time you play, choose only five of those clubs to take with you. And give them each a name. If you can’t think of any names, I have few suggestions, like maybe, Jeff, Jim, Kim, Jeremy and Mark. How would you choose which clubs to take and which to leave behind. How differently would you approach the challenges that each hole presents, starting from the tee? What limits would you encounter based on your choices, with no opportunity to change your tools during the round? Most importantly, when you tell yourself, you wish you had chosen different tools or had just one or two more clubs in the bag, only then do you see where I stand. I say the same things as you. I wish I had a bigger budget, or one or two more people for my crew, and I even wish I had other/better pieces of equipment. I appreciate all of you.
My name is Jeffrey Lott, I am your
Superintendent, a
nd this is ROOTS.
