I think that it is human nature to want to be included in day-to-day decisions about things in which we are involved. As a golf course superintendent I always did my best to get onto the course each day and speak with members about the playing conditions.

From the comments I would get I could predict fairly reliably how a golfers round was going. A golfer who said the course was in great shape was playing very well. A golfer who had lots of complaints about things like the positioning of bunker rakes or pin placements was not playing well at all, while a golfer who said the course was in good shape was probably playing to his or her handicap.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to the condition of the putting surfaces. Every superintendent does their best to provide excellent conditions from tee to green, but knows that it is the greens that determine the quality of a golf course.

As long as the greens are in good shape the golf course will be perceived to be in good condition regardless of the fact that the fairways may be full of divots, weeds and turf disease.

By the same token, if the fairways and tees are immaculate but the greens are not up to standard it will be determined that the course is in poor condition. Judging by relative size, one would think this should make the job of a superintendent easier as the greens take up a very small percentage of the overall maintained area. This is not the case however as putting greens require special care.

At most golf facilities the greens are the only part of the property that get mowed every day, or at least 6 times per week (tees and fairways usually 2-4 times per week). There are many superintendents that are mowing the greens below or near 1/10th of an inch, not much different than the thickness of your fingernail, in order to satisfy golfers.

The primary reason for this extremely low cutting height is green speeds. Golfer’s want the fastest greens possible and superintendents know the best way to attain these greens speeds is by reducing the height of cut. It is the desire for fast greens that plays a major role in the need for resource inputs such as water, fertilizer and pesticides, in order to keep the greens alive.

Although the golf industry has come a long way in how courses are maintained there are some examples of how we have taken some large steps backwards. Simply watch highlights of a PGA tournament from the 1960’s and you are likely to see Gary Player or Jack Nicklaus taking a full swing at a downhill putt only to see his ball stop short. This is because the greens were being cut at nearly ¼ of an inch.

I am not suggesting we raise mowing heights back up to ¼ of an inch but I am saying that they should go back up to more reasonable levels, where the turf does not require so many resource inputs.

If golfers would re-learn to accept the higher heights of cut there would be less need for as many invasive cultural practices such as aerations and topdressing. The longer the leaf blade the deeper the roots, the healthier the turf the better the putting conditions. The goal for the superintendent and the desire for the golfer should be on turf health and putting consistency not speed.

Most golf courses that exist today were built before the desire for “fast” greens was a reality. These courses were not shaped to accommodate the low cutting heights that make them nearly unputtable and virtually unmaintainable today. I find it very difficult to believe that golfers who complain about “slow” greens would have much more success on “fast” greens.

Unfortunately, we have come to a time in our society where everyone wants everything right now. This is how our environment has become overwhelmed and we must do something now to stop the inevitable environmental catastrophe that faces future generations.

Golf courses need to be sustainable or the future of our sport is in jeopardy. Changes need to be made in the way golf courses are maintained. This means creating more habitats for wildlife, staying out of water bodies on the course, reducing resource inputs and accepting playing conditions that the likes of Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus enjoyed so much.