Turf

Super Spotlight Superintendent Paul Robertson is responsible for the upkeep of Victoria Golf Club. charge for a lesson was $1. The rest of his time had to be devoted to tending to the links. Times have changed since then. Super in charge Paul Robertson is the current superintendent. He is going into his 14th year and has an outstanding resume to match the club's rich history. Robertson has been a superintendent for 20 years and holds two bachelor's degrees—one in horticulture/turf management and the other in project and organizational management. He also has a MBA in project and organizational management. On top of all that, Robertson displays great leadership skills and a kindness for his team and people. "In the early part of your career, you try to move around to several different golf clubs," Robertson said. "You try work at several courses in different regions before you set your feet down at your long-term superintendent position. I moved around to a few different clubs and it made me have better problemsolving skills and given me terrific leadership skills." He said his biggest challenge at Victoria Golf Club is the "small footprint of the course—its land mass." The course sits on 85 acres, of which 75 are maintained, and it hosts 50,000 rounds per year. "That's a lot of foot traffic on such a small course," Robertson said. "Having a small footprint we need to control traffic as much as possible. Moving ropes and directional signs and cultural practices are a big plus. Lots of topdressing and coring 18  www.westernturfmag.com on high traffic areas have helped. "Fertilizing has been key," he added. "We found that fertilizing high traffic areas a bit more (with 2 pounds of nitrogen) can help the course handle the wear and traffic and demand of the club." Turf management equipment continues to evolve. Roberston cites the new flex greens mowers, new sprayers and the technology of the sprayers. "The Pro pass topdressers have been outstanding to be able to apply light frequent topdressing to all areas of the course," he said. "So has the new sand banding machine we use on our fairways to incorporate sand down in the profile." Vancouver Island never really gets too hot, topping out at 82 degrees. "We do fight a bit of anthracnose each season, but our real challenge is Microdochium nivale," Robertson said. "With the club sitting so close to the ocean, the cool moist air keeps us in that window to have a good amount of disease like Microdochium nivale. We do a lot of tank mixtures with fungicide products, and we look to rotate products to keep the disease in check." Victoria Golf Club tweaked the size of its maintenance crew this year. In 2012, the club had 25 full-time members during peak season and 10 during the winter. Now it's 15 full-time members and 15 part-time members in the summer. "We have maximized our labor hours and budget dollars and put together an outstanding team this year," Robertson said. "The core staff is just outstanding. I'm very proud to be part of this team." In my visit, Robertson made a big impression on me with his easygoing demeanor, life experiences and turf management skills. I knew we would be friends from that point forward. Hogan, Snead and Hope Over the years, several players have had a chance to walk the links and play this fabulous golf club. Joyce Wethered won the Ladies British Open four times when she came to play Victoria Golf Club in 1935; spectators lined the course to see the legend play in an exhibition match. The Shell Wonderful World of Golf tournament took place here in 1967. The televised event helped give the club a bit more notoriety. Over the years several professional golfers and celebrities have played the club from Ben Hogan and Sam Snead to Bob Hope. My trip to Victoria was so educational. I was able to learn quite a bit more about the oldest club in the West and about the early days of turf management. If you ever get a chance to go to Victoria and Victoria Golf Club, I would highly suggest it. The town of Victoria is exceptional with lots of shops and taverns plus some wonderful dinning. The golf club is on the east side of the Island and not too far from downtown. It's amazing how turf management has changed over the years from when this club opened. Robertson faces many challenges with this course being. But his turf management practices keep the tradition of golf and the history of this club preserved for today as well as the future. WT

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