Struggling Turf Industry

While I have greatly enjoyed your All Grass is Local series, TFE's latest showing how Bandon has had to move into poa putting surfaces to keep up with golfer expectations was super interesting. Then in the newsletter today, you discuss the decline of student attendance in the turf program. I can't help but think how these two things are connected.

Golfer expectations in the private and public sector have never been higher. I am a public golfer. I primarly play at a very busy and popular spot that 95% of people find great value in. But 5% are disappointed, angry, and very loud that the conditions are not same as the private clubs in the area, or the club they spend 2X-3X more at. I also play 50% of my golf at private clubs. And whether they are top 100 or not, I would have to talk to a lot of members before I find one who doesn't start a conversation with "this is awful" or "they are way better down at club ABC", not realizing if they want something, they just need to pay for it as a membership. They rather just blame the superintendent and managmet. There 5% are primarly what the GM and Superintendent hear from. I think this is a micorcosm of most clubs. Loud, vocal minorities who drive change. Whehter that be to the course, or in the management team.

In the past two years, I have watched two of my closest friends be releived of their duties due to "poor course conditions" and as someone who knows turf, turf was certainly not the issue. I belive the issues at Bandon, while golfer driven become a non-issue (firings of turf staff) due to the strong ownership structure and culture aroud Dream Golf. I would think in most cases, these turf conditions would have resulted in a superitedent losing their jobs......which is wrong.

As of this moment, our regional assosciations job board has the following listed:

Assistant Superintendents positions - 14

Superintendent - 4

These are big numbers for us, and many of the jobs have been listed for months. We have 1 school offering turf in our region and they are producing roughly 20 students from their 2 year program and 30 from their 6 week short course program a year. But when you see the person who hired you get fired, you find somehting else to do as you do not see Golf Course Maintenance as a career.

I thought your Bandon video and todays newsletter encapsulates our industry right now. But not everone has the Keiser family to back you. I likely have not fleshed this out well, but I think my point is in here.