Turf

Super Spotlight Since we made the switch, we'll get a few little spots here and there but no outbreaks. "We water greens twice a week, and that's it. We top-dress twice a month. You have to do what's best for your golf course. GenNext A & B has definitely helped me achieve some of those goals. I'm not saying I don't use chemicals, but we are using them more sparingly now. But my turf is healthier now than it has ever been. "You need to do what's best for your golf club and your career," Whalen said. "If your membership can deal with a little brown, not everything lush and green all the time, I think you're ahead of the curve because water is going to become a huge issue. Fertilizer prices are always a big issue. Chemicals in general are a big issue. And with clubs asking superintendents to do more with less every day, you have to be creative in the way you maintain your golf club. "We're trying to get our golf club Audubon certified," he said. "That's why we have cut out a lot of fertilizer application "I don't put a whole lot of emphasis on education. I think there are a lot of things you can learn in the field. "I don't have a degree from a major turf grass university. I came up from the school of hard knocks. I learned everything from the ground up. People like John Roth came into my life. They taught me the right way to do things. I see the good in education, but I also see the value of good knowledge. And without good knowledge, good education is kind of a waste to me. "I know a lot of kids who get A's in classes in chemistry and everything else only they don't know what's in it, and it kind of blows you away. So I think it's a 50-50 split. I wouldn't necessarily say I hire someone with experience over education. Working on a golf course is a lot about common sense. Knowing what's going on around you is more valuable than someone who can figure out a mathematical equation or tell me the periodic table of elements. "I see value in both of them, but I wouldn't say I particularly look for either one of them 100 percent in making a judgment call on employment. "This club took a chance on me," Whalen continued, "and I think they are happy with the work I've done. We've done some good things. We constantly try to improve. Our industry sometimes gets caught up in who you know and not what you know. It's kind of sad." Dealing with Mother Nature Trees dot the course at Cheyenne County Club. and have gone to a compost, compost tea and relying on our cultural practices more. It all has to work together." A couple par 3s have been upgraded since the original design, Whalen said. One par 4 hole has been extended and some tee boxes added here and there. "Some fairway bunkers have become out of play and sodded in," Whalen said. "We grew up some native areas and added some trees in certain spots. "We just finished building an acre and a half practice facility, which is a huge improvement to our membership and guests. We're trying to baby it through this winter and open it up next year. Right now the secret is keeping it moist, especially with the wind that we have. Lot of winter water—it's not a job where you can take off from November to March. "We're talking about building a new putting green next spring. We're spending money on the golf course which is nice. A few years ago we redid all the cart paths in concrete. We're trying to make the golf course more aesthetically pleasing." Academics or Experience? Whalen has his own take on this age-old question. "When I sit down and try to find the internships from the University of Wyoming I think it's a 50-50 split," Whalen said. 20  www.westernturfmag.com Cheyenne presents its own weather challenges. Wind is one of them. "It blows here extremely hard in the spring and fall," Whalen said. "The summer isn't bad, but you can always tell the change of season. "Winters can be hard," Whalen said. "You have times where the golf course is covered in snow. Yet within four or five days, you can have four or five greens open. And you may have to go out and water even though the course has snow on it. You're trying to combat Mother Nature. The weather extremes are extremely hard. "Last year (2012) it was the drought," he said. "We had an extremely dry year in Cheyenne. This year we had a lot of snow in April and May. In June it was hot and windy. July and August were pretty mild. September we had all the rain. It's a tale of two years. "I've been here five years and I haven't had a similar year," Whalen said. "I've had five years in five different growing conditions. We received about 8 and a half inches of rain here during the Colorado flooding but nothing like what they had south. "The first three years I struggled, especially getting through winter unscathed. I would lose parts of greens. I would lose parts of fairways. It's a humbling experience to go through. It happens to the best superintendents with the highest budgets. "In the last two years, I haven't had a major problem or major meltdown on the golf course as far as turf loss. That's the thing of which I'm most proud. My staff and members of the country club have stuck with me. Perseverance and getting through tough spots teaches you humility. "I'm always a little leery but think we're on the right track. Our membership numbers are up. The club is almost full with 444 full members at last count and 185 social members. That's pretty good for a town like Cheyenne. "A lot has to do with the condition of our course. We're doing well financially. Good members. It's a good club." WT

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