Ten reasons
why Augusta National shouldn't make you green with envy…
By Mike Bailey
Senior Staff Writer
Apr 05, 2016
Senior Staff Writer
Apr 05, 2016
The Masters not only has expert
staff but plenty of volunteer help to keep Augusta National pristine during the
week of the tournament. (Getty Image)
It's what's known in the golf course
maintenance business as the "Augusta effect," and high definition TV
has only amplified it. Over the past 30 or 40 years especially, the
maintenance staff at Augusta
National has set the standard extremely high for golf course
superintendents everywhere. Golfers watch the Masters on TV and salivate over
the beauty and perfection. And if you've never been to Augusta National during
tournament week and think that maybe that's just the way it looks on
television, think again. It is that perfect. Peter Grass, the newly
elected president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association, knows how
unfair this is to superintendents. "Superintendents are being asked to do
more with less -- less money, less staff and less water. There are high costs
directly related to golf course management," said Grass, who is
superintendent at Hilands
Golf Club in Billings, Mont. "However, golfers' high
expectations have not changed. They still want their courses to be impeccable.
Despite the challenges, superintendents also want their courses to offer exceptional
play on healthy turf. Every day, they strive to provide the best possible
conditions to customers." Eric Bauer, the director of agronomy at the new
Bluejack National Golf Club north of Houston, knows a little about trying to
emulate Augusta's conditioning. The exclusive course, which was designed by
Tiger Woods, has a definite Augusta look to it, and it's expected to
have that Augusta look. But even then, with a generous maintenance budget at an
exclusive club, Bauer will tell you (below) that there are other ways Augusta
National has an advantage. So yes, Augusta really shouldn't be setting the
standard, as it were; it's unattainable for all but a very few. Here, then, are
10 reasons it's unreasonable for most golfers to compare their home course to
Augusta National Golf Club
10.
Good help is hard to find, but not for Augusta National
Augusta National gets the very best
people to mow greens, blow leaves, rake bunkers and put out fresh pine needles.
"If you were to ask a majority of superintendents today labor is becoming
more and more a challenge," Bauer says. "Today's worker is getting
harder to find and motivate."
9.
Augusta also gets the best volunteers during Masters Week
When you see that army of mowers
sweeping the fairways after play each day, those aren't members of Augusta's
regular maintenance staff; many of those guys and gals are superintendents at
some pretty high-profile courses around the world, doing specific tasks
normally associated with regular crew members. In fact, just go ahead and
multiply the crew by 10 during tournament week and imagine most of those guys
with mowers and blowers having turfgrass degrees. That's Augusta National.
8.
Augusta attracts the very best young talent, too
What budding superintendent or tech
wouldn't want to work at Augusta National? Every year, the club gets flooded
with resumes from all over the country and from the very best turgrass schools.
As Bauer says, "Augusta probably has its pick of the best of the best
coming out of school or wishing to complete internships, only to have the
opportunity to put ANGC on their resume."
7.
No carts are allowed at Augusta National -- ever
Forget the 90-degree rule, this is
an all-walking, caddie course that is not going to be ruined by those pesky
golf carts driving all over its pristine fairways. (Ironically, Club Car is
headquartered in Augusta, Ga.) So, right there, Augusta National gets a lot less
wear and tear than your home course.
6.
Augusta National isn't natural
Not to imply that the folks at ANGC
are doing anything harmful to the environment, but you don't get conditions
like that without spending a lot of money on pesticides, herbicides, wetting
agents and the like. So if you're the type who likes your golf course as
natural as possible, you can forget it looking like the one on Magnolia Lane.
5.
Greens Stimped at 13 and above would slow down play
If you want really fast smooth
greens, think about the average golfer. Inducing three- and four-putts all over
the place -- especially on weekends -- would grind play to a halt. Who wants
that?
4.
Perfect conditions and affordable green fees don't go together
It takes pretty much an unlimited
budget to produce perfect conditions, and the members at Augusta not only have
deep pockets, but they get a boatload of TV money, too. Of course there are a
few private clubs and even some resort courses around the country that have
close-to-perfect conditions, but they aren't exactly affordable for the masses.
So if you're looking for any kind of value golf, you really have to learn to
overlook a few flaws.
3.
Without a lot of play, great conditions are easier to maintain
Though Augusta National isn't in the
habit of disclosing how many rounds they get (ANGC staff isn't even available
to comment for articles), you can bet it's less than your club, unless you're a
one-percenter. Much less. There are days where Augusta might get two or three
groups, and that's not abnormal. Without much play, it's much easier to give a
golf course some serious TLC.
2.
What's wrong with firm and fast?
It takes a lot of water to make a
course as green as Augusta National, which has an incredible irrigation and
drainage system that keeps it from getting soggy. For most courses, that kind
of watering would mean an awfully soft golf course, the opposite of say, Chambers Bay
near Seattle, which was heavily criticized for its brownish-green look during
the 2015 U.S. Open. But let's face it, most golfers want their drives to roll
out, and they want to be able to bounce a ball up onto the green, which is very
difficult if you're watering a course to keep it super green.
1.
No summertime golf at Augusta National
On TV we see Augusta National in all
its glory with the azaleas in bloom, the fairways and greens perfect and the
weather conducive for growing cool-season grasses. In the summer, that doesn't
work so well, so the course is closed, and it doesn't have to endure the stress
of hot weather with people taking divots and making ball marks on its perfect
greens. As the GCSAA's Grass says, "Superintendents face challenges from
Mother Nature, whether it's a rough winter or summer drought conditions. But,
superintendents are problem solvers, and they know the best ways possible to
deal with whatever Mother Nature brings."