Super Notes

GCSAA Class A superintendent Jeff A. Kent is hosting the Wachovia Championship at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.

GCSAA Class A superintendent Mike B. Wooten, CGCS, is hosting the SemGroup Championship at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Okla.

GCSAA superintendent Jason E. Gaudreau is hosting the FedEx Kinko's Classic at The Hills Country Club in Austin, Texas.

GCSAA superintendent Steven Singley is hosting the South Georgia Classic at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, Ga.

Klauk has Sawgrass ready for his last Players

Fred Klauk will wrap up a 23-year stint as the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Class A superintendent at TPC Sawgrass by prepping for The Players Championship one last time, May 8-11 on the Players Stadium Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

The 32-year GCSAA member announced his retirement last fall and will take on responsibilities as a project manager for the PGA Tour, consulting with his successor, Tom Vlach (pronounced vlack) on the 2009 and 2010 Players Championships, and assisting with the renovations planned for TPC Sawgrass' Valley Course. Vlach, a GCSAA certified golf course superintendent, comes to TPC Sawgrass from Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Ala. He previously worked at TPC Sawgrass as Klauk's assistant.

"We congratulate Fred on an outstanding career," said GCSAA President David S. Downing II, CGCS. "He has been integral to the success of TPC Sawgrass and The Players Championship. The respect he has from his peers, the administration and Tour professionals is a testament to his character and skills."

"Fred's numerous contributions to the Tour during his 25 years of dedicated service (at TPC properties) will be dearly missed," said David Pillsbury, president of PGA Tour Golf Course Properties, and member of the board of trustees and advisory council for GCSAA's philanthropic organization, The Environmental Institute for Golf. "Fred leaves an extraordinary legacy of superb golf course maintenance and tournament agronomy excellence. We wish him the very best as he begins this next chapter in his life, and we are pleased that he will remain a valued and integral part of the PGA Tour family."

In a Florida Times-Union column last week by Garry Smits, Klauk said that the setup for the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course will have more teeth in it for the 2008 tournament. Although the rough will be nowhere near the 4-to-6 inches it was when the course was overseeded for a March playing date prior to 2007, it will be a bit deeper than the two-inch bermudagrass that was grown for the first May Players.

"We didn't want the course, with all the changes, to go over the edge," Klauk said. "But we feel confident that we can challenge them a little more this year."

"I am personally indebted to Fred for his outstanding leadership, willingness to help and consistently positive attitude," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, GCSAA's 2001 Old Tom Morris Award winner. "Fred's contributions to the elevation of The Players Championship have had and will continue to have a dramatic and lasting effect."

An accomplished golfer and former club champion, Klauk is a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture. Among the numerous awards he has received over the years, Klauk earned Golfweek's 2000 Golf Father-of-the-Year award, having passed his love for golf down to his three sons, all of whom are excellent players. His son, Jeff is a player on the Nationwide Tour and is currently ninth on the money list; son John, a former NCAA All American golfer at Texas, works for Merrill-Lynch in Los Angeles; and son Jason works as an investment banker for FBR in Washington, D.C.
Klauk looks forward to trading in his signature straw hat for a fishing cap and to traveling with Peggy, his wife of 34 years.

"I’d like to caddy for my son, Jeff, on the Nationwide Tour a little this summer and maybe do some other things I haven’t had the opportunity to do all these years," said Klauk.

For more on Klauk passing the torch to Vlach, read "Players dances to swan song" published in the May 2008 edition of GCSAA’s monthly magazine, GCM.
Built in 1982 on a marshland, TPC Sawgrass is a unique golf course in both design and philosophy. Klauk played an integral role in the $60 million renovation following the 2006 Players Championship. It is a fully-certified golf course in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Klauk is a 2007 GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards chapter resort winner.

Klauk will also be on "The Leaderboard" on ESPN Radio's 1080 Orlando and 1060 The Space Coast (listen online here), at 5:30 p.m. (Central), Monday, May 5 for a live interview about tournament preparations, course conditions. He will join "Making the Turn with Peter Kessler" on XM Satellite Radio's PGA Tour Channel (146) at 7:35 a.m., Tuesday, May 6 and he will also record an interview with "PGA Tour Live" on the PGA Tour Channel which will broadcast during the event and be posted online at PGATour.com.

Hoolehan to receive OGCSA Distinguished Service Award

The Oregon Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America has recognized Sean A. Hoolehan, CGCS at Wildhorse Resort & Casino in Pendleton, Ore., to receive the Richard W. Malpass Distinguished Service Award.  The award will be presented at the Oregon Superintendents Annual Meeting at Salashan Resort and Spa on May 4th.

The award is named in honor of Richard W. Malpass, Oregon’s first sitting president of the GCSAA in 1976 and who served as the OGCSA executive director from 1985 to 1995 before passing away in 1996.

Hoolehan, a 23-year GCSAA member, was the second superintendent from the state of Oregon to serve as president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. Through his example and leadership he has inspired other Oregon superintendents to become actively involved in the GCSAA which has benefited each individual personally and professionally.

Superintendents in the news

Lafayette (La.) Daily Advertiser, April 30: "Capable steward improving Vieux Chenes," about the improvements at Les Vieux Chenes Golf Course in Youngsville, La., since Eric Indest, GCSAA Class A superintendent, came on board. It also features Billy Gautreaux, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Hebert Municipal Golf Course in Lafayette, La. 

Fort Worth (Texas) Star-Telegram, April 30: "Unlike Nelson, Colonial’s face-lift won’t be drastic," Golf Insider column by Jimmy Burch about the $3 million renovation project at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, scheduled to begin June 9, just after hosting the PGA Tour’s Crowne Plaza Invitational, that will improve bunker drainage, sharpen some retaining walls and add a little length to the course, featuring Scott Ebers, CGCS.

PGATOUR.com, April 29: "Q&A with TPC Sawgrass course superintendent Fred Klauk," Q&A on golf’s most visited website with Fred Klauk, GCSAA Class A superintendent at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., who hosts his 23rd and final Players Championship on the Players Stadium Course for the PGA Tour.

Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, April 29: "Scioto’s course renovated with a golden touch," about the recently completed $1.1 million renovation at Scioto County Club in Columbus, Ohio, featuring GCSAA members Mike Yoder, CGCS; Jack Nicklaus, 2005 GCSAA Old Tom Morris Award winner; and Michael Hurdzan, Ph.D., golf course architect and principal of Hurdzan/Fry Golf Course Design, former Environmental Institute for Golf Chairman, and 1997 GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship recipient.

Austin (Texas) American-Statesman, April 29: "Storms ravage site of Kinko’s Classic," about damages to The Hills Country Club in Lakeway, Texas, from flooding April 27, just days before hosting the Champions Tour’s FedEx Kinko’s Classic, featuring Jason Gaudreau, GCSAA superintendent.

Des Moines (Iowa) Register, April 28: "Punishing winter at root of brown grass on Iowa’s golf courses," about the winter kill on Iowa golf courses, featuring GCSAA members Terry Hannah, Class A superintendent at Jester Park Golf Course in Granger, Iowa; Dave Minner, Ph.D., extension turfgrass specialist at Iowa State University; Scott Wallace, Class A superintendent at Waveland Golf Course in Des Moines, Iowa; and Chris Doocy, superintendent at Echo Valley Country Club in Norwalk, Iowa.

Tulsa World, April 28: "Course all right in spite of ice," preview for the LPGA Tour’s SemGroup Championship at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Okla., featuring Mike Wooten, CGCS, and his cleanup following a Dec. 10 ice storm.

(Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, April 26: "Setting a different course," preview of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass’ Players Stadium Course, featuring Fred Klauk, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

Lafayette (Ind.) Journal and Courier, April 25: "Tight budgets, wild weather challenge course supervisors," pat on the back for Tippecanoe County golf course superintendents featuring Jim Scott, GCSAA superintendent at Purdue University’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind.

Ocean City (Md.) Dispatch, April 25: "State tightens geese laws," about the Maryland Department of Natural Resources announcement that it is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services on a plan to provide farmers and other property owners across the state of Maryland with the necessary tools to manage the growing population of Canada geese, featuring Tom Akers, GCSAA superintendent at Lighthouse Sound Golf Course in Bishopville, Md.

Sacramento Bee, April 23: "Making the rounds: Land Park course gets super treatment," Steve Pajak column about the Sierra Nevada GCSA’s Field Day VII at Land Park Golf Course in Sacramento, Calif., on April 17 for the First Tee of Greater Sacramento’s youth development organization, featuring GCSAA Class A members John Farley, superintendent at Teal Bend Golf Club in Sacramento; Larry Johnson, CGCS at North Ridge Country Club in Fair Oaks, Calif.; Sam Samuelson, CGCS at Haggin Oaks Golf Course in Sacramento; Ram Sena, superintendent at Catta Verdera Country Club in Lincoln, Calif.; and Bob Cline, superintendent at Land Park.

London Telegraph, April 23: "Ryder Cup course to Celtic Manor born," about the opening of Celtic Manor Resort’s ‘Twenty Ten’ course in Monmouthshire, U.K., host of the 2010 Ryder Cup, featuring GCSAA Class A member Jim McKenzie, the course manager, and how it will be set up to the European players’ advantage.

XM Satellite Radio, April 23: "PGA Tour Live," radio interview on the PGA Tour Channel with John Cunningham, CGCS, director of golf and landscape operations at TPC Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas, host of the PGA Tour’s EDS Bryon Nelson Championship.

Mingay Golf: Course Architecture, April 21: "Blackhawk: bunkers," blog post by golf course architect Brian Mingay about GCSAA member Duane Sharpe’s work as superintendent at Blackhawk Golf Club in Edmonton, Alberta.

USGA.org, April 17: "Gross: South Course ahead of schedule," Q&A with GCSAA member Pat Gross, director of the Southwest Region for the USGA Green Section and the staff agronomist in charge of the 2008 U.S. Open Championship at Torrey Pines’ South Course in La Jolla, Calif., featuring incoming GCSAA CEO Mark Woodward, CGCS, director of golf operations for the city of San Diego; GCSAA past president Jon Maddern, CGCS, assistant manager of golf operations for the city of San Diego; and Candice Combs, CGCS, South Course superintendent.

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