While in Alaska last September, I sat down with Moose Run superintendent Jake Seabolt to learn what it’s like managing turf in Alaska. Moose Run is America’s Northernmost thirty-six-hole facility and operated by Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER). The Hill Course, the oldest, has push-up greens which are irrigated with a block and valve system that requires a night waterman to operate. The Creek Course is the more modern course with USGA-style greens and automated irrigation.

Jake was born in Alaska and like most of the Moose Run maintenance employees, he started out as a part-time employee. He started in 1995 under superintendent Al Terry. Matt Leseman, who just retired as the superintendent, was working as the equipment manager at the time. Jake says everyone starts at the bottom and they promote from within.

"Al and Matt were great mentors," Jake said. "Both brought me up to where I am today." JBER also helps train their superintendents by sending them to “superintendent school” in San Antonio. Matt was even able to attend the 18-week course at Rutgers on the Army’s dime! Jake relies heavily on GCSAA education. The webinars have been extremely helpful and he and attends the GCSAA Conference and Golf Industry Show each year, as well. I asked Jake what the most valuable tool he has learned by coming to the GIS and he said leaning how to effectively use a sprayer was number one. The use of growth regulators and spoon feeding the turfgrass has made all of the difference. However, it is difficult to find a good spray tech in Alaska. He would give anything to have a dedicated person to whom he could turn the program over.


Left: Assistant, Anthony Rushford; Right: Superintendent, Jake Seabolt 

When Jake began full-time in 2000, he started as the night waterman, then general laborer, then equipment manager, eventually working his way up to assistant. Anthony Rushford is the current assistant superintendent and his job history is the same. They all start on the bottom and learn their way to the top. With the lack of job training or similar industries, it is hard to find employees with experience. In a typical year, he turns over 80 percent of his labor force each season so he is constantly training new people. Jake also stated, since this is a federal job, it has been difficult to find a candidate that can pass a drug test. He says that’s the big drawback for the legalization of pot in the state of Alaska.

With thirty-six holes, when they’re in season, it’s go-time. It’s rare that he sees a day off between June and September. Luckily, they aren’t hampered by darkness during those months and they can get a lot done before 7 a.m. Jake said, the nice thing about working for the Army/Air Force is that he has a great budget and is able to get what he needs. Also, because they closed Eagles Landing — the course that used to be behind the gate — he has had an abundance of equipment. It’s sometimes a struggle to find places to store everything but Jake came up with a creative, low-cost equipment storage solution which is pretty cool.

 

I asked Jake his biggest struggles on the course. The first thing he noted was 60 to 70 days of solid ice. This year, for example, he lost most of his greens on the Creek Course which were the USGA-style greens. The push-up greens came through with flying colors. He says you never can tell what the winter will bring. Generally, if it’s a cool winter, the greens will be fine. But if it’s warm and ice builds up, most everything will be toast, and they’re flinging seed like crazy in the spring.

Jake told me that it feels like the season is starting earlier every year. In the past, the greens were ready to play by mid-to-late June. Now, they’re ready by Memorial Day. In the Lower 48, our tee times are governed by the daylight hours. Jake’s last tee time in June and July is 10 p.m. and that's only because he has to run irrigation. Otherwise, they could play 24 hours a day. During the summer, the tournament schedule is grueling. This year, they had fifty-six tournaments in sixty days. Between the two courses, Jake says they will run 40 to 50,000 rounds in a 5-month span. This makes it difficult to get to any projects. Luckily, they gave him four hours each Monday to close one course to get ahead. It’s always a race to get things seeded by August 15, which is about as late as he can push new grass.

This summer posed a new challenge. Alaska saw record-breaking temperatures in excess of 90 degreesfor multiple days. Since Alaska has been keeping records, they have only seen six days with average mean temperatures exceeding 70 degrees up until 2018. In 2019 alone, they saw seven days exceed the mean temperature of 70 degrees. It was over 85 degrees at 10 p.m. It was next to impossible to keep enough water on the course. Jake said jokingly, "if you live in Alaska long enough, you’re going to find plenty way to kill the grass."

There once were three golf courses on JBER: Two were outside of the gates and the third, Eagles Landing, was inside of the gates. Eagles Landing was managed by the Air Force and the two Moose Run courses were under the Army. When Eagles Landing was closed, the Air Force took over Moose Run. I asked Jake which branch of the armed forces was best to work under. Jake said he preferred the Army. The Air Force tends to be stricter on following procedures. Too much red tape and report writing left him feeling  like he spends way too much time behind the desk when he could be on the course being more productive. Army was more focused on career development. He’s not complaining too loud though. He says the pay and the benefits are great.

I asked Jake if the Air Force is good about funding capital improvement projects. The answer can vary, based on whether the base commander was a golfer or not. They just recently completed a cart path project on the Hill Course and are now considering installing irrigation wall-to-wall and rebuilding the green and tee complexes on the Hill Course as well. He says they don’t cut corners either. The cart paths that were just completed were installed with an eleven-inch gravel base!

Working on a golf course in Alaska can be a lonely job. I asked him how he stays current with the golf industry. Jake said the Golf Course Maintenance Facebook group is a huge resource for him and his equipment manager. He found the idea of using shaving cream to mark sprinkler heads instead of poking flags in the ground. He also got help on his 648 when it was ripping the turf. Right away, the problem was located based on a comment on the page. The GCSAA forum works, as well, but he finds the Facebook group to be much more convenient. Jake said he really appreciates Gary Griggs efforts to keep everything on the up and up.

 

I had heard stories about wildlife encounters on the golf course, so I asked Jake if the stories were true. Not to my surprise, the stories are true. Moose, bear and wolf are often seen on the course, hunting and grazing. One time there was a cow moose that was downed just off the fairway by a pack of wolves. He could hear her crying out but there was no way he was going to go look after it. He said you may only see two wolves around the kill site but it’s the other 15 that you must look out for. I asked if the state will do anything to control the wolves and Jake said that it is one thing that the state will do freely. They will hunt them with AR’s and helicopters. Normally, they will thin the pack and will leave a dominant pair behind.  Bear are a common sight as well. They keep to themselves for the most part but you definitely want to give them their space. The most damage occurs during the moose rut. The bulls have an affinity for the pins and will tear up a green while trying to joust with it. It’s usually best to bring the pins in at night to avoid the issue.

I asked Jake what he likes to do in his spare time. He said he doesn't have that until October when the course is put to bed but he is an avid fisherman and hunter and enjoys spending time at his cabin with his family. I asked him what it was like living in Alaska during the winter. Both he and Tony said you must get outside no matter how cold it gets. You simply dress accordingly. If you stay inside, you’ll go crazy. Those that can’t handle it fly south for the winter.