Roles of golf course supers

As we approach the full swing of the golf season, I wanted to bring focus to one of the more important — and one of the most under-appreciated — individuals in the golf business.

The course superintendent.

I’m a picky golfer. Period.

I want the course I play to be in good shape. I think most avid players feel this way.

It’s the course superintendent’s job to make sure the course meets those lofty standards.

When we want to tee off at 6:30 Sunday morning, they are there at 5:30 a.m. with a crew ready to mow the greens (in the dark) and cut the pin placements.

They are there when it’s 95 degrees in August and the grass on the greens and fairways is trying to stay green.

And in the fall, they ensure you can squeeze in those last couple rounds without 150 acres of leaves.

That’s the superintendent.

Brad Meshula is one of those guys.

I competed against him in the high school days. He studied turf management at Kent State University after realizing his love for the job while working at a local course one summer. Approximately 10 years later, he’s now the head superintendent of Reserve Run Golf Course in Poland.

Here’s the world of golf from Brad’s vantage point:

He carries a crew of 6-8 full time employees and 6-8 part-timers.

They start weekdays at 6 a.m., and weekends at 5:30 a.m.

His most challenging season is the spring: the grass grows faster, rain interrupts the mowing, his crew is smaller, and the course needs to go very quickly from dormant to ready.

The hardest type of event to get ready for is a shotgun scramble.

The most important aspect of his job is keeping the course consistent from day to day.

The most important personal trait: Flexibility.

And just in case you’ve ever wondered, the most common ball found at Reserve Run is a Titleist Pro V 1x followed closely by a Top-Flite.

And one thing that my questions didn’t cover that he wanted to be included: Safety.

He pointed out that on top of accomplishing everything else we discussed, his crew does this in freezing cold or 100-degree heat, using dangerous machinery and avoiding off-target shots. “We take our safety record very seriously.”

In my opinion, Brad and all the other wonderful superintendents in the area have a lot to be proud of in addition to your safety records.

While most golfers couldn’t pick most superintendents out of a lineup, we are blessed in the Valley to have tremendous courses at affordable prices, thanks in part to the hard work of course superintendents and workers.

As always, thanks for reading, and until next week, “Hit ‘em Straight!”

Jonah Karzmer is a former player at YSU and a member at The Lake Club. He works in insurance when not writing a golf column every Sunday in The Vindicator. Email him at jkarzmer@farmersagent.com.