Course superintendents deserve special shout-out

Despite rushing to open in past week, local links in great shape, writes Wes Gilbertson.

There’s been plenty of praise for those who helped to persuade the provincial government to allow golf courses to open for physically-distanced play during the pandemic.

There hasn’t been enough attention paid to those who managed to have the fairways and greens ready — on barely any notice — for the bogey brigade.

Course superintendents have always been the unsung heroes of the golf industry but this might be their most impressive feat yet.

“Even if the golf course wasn’t great, the members would be happy just being out there,” said Dean Ingalls, the head professional at Silver Springs. “But the course is really, really good.”

Superintendents — and their sidekicks — deserve a whole heap of credit for that.

Ingalls and many of his clubpro pals gained an even greater appreciation for the maintenance maestros during the delay in opening due to the COVID -19 crisis. With skeleton staffs at most courses, they were temporarily assisting the turf-care team.

For some, it was a reminder of past summer jobs as high-school or university students.

Chris Mcnicol, the director of operations at Woodside in Airdrie, joked that peeling tarps off greens took him back even further.

“If you have any kind of wind, it’s like playing the parachute game in elementary school,” he quipped.

Kevin Graf, the head professional at Serenity, helped to pull tarps and aerate tee-boxes. He was on a rough mower when Premier Jason Kenney announced that Albertans could hit the links ... two days later.

That set off a mad scramble. “I put in 13 km on the Wednesday, walking backwards punching tees. My dogs were barking that night,” Graf said with a laugh. “Thursday, I got trained up on the rough mower and then all hell broke loose.

“Obviously every golf pro knows and appreciated their maintenance crew, but to be a part of it like that, so hands-on … They’re the real heroes of the golf industry, that’s for sure.”

Since Serenity opened, Graf has been fielding compliments on the conditions to pass along to head superintendent Nick Plantje.

Ditto for Ingalls at Silver Springs who even convinced super Lance Morris to let him mow the dance-floors once, and for so many of his counterparts across the surrounding area.

“You wouldn’t believe how tired I was coming home from those days,” Ingalls said of his stint with the turf crew, adding that it helped to build camaraderie between the different departments. “I’ve always had a great amount of respect for superintendents, but that just got upped a level with what we’ve been through recently.”

ACE ALERT

What a way to start the season. Arlene Mankowski not only scored the first tee-time on opening day at Lynx Ridge.

She scored an ace, too. Mankowski arrived at the fifth hole, selected a pitching wedge and took aim at a tucked flag about 95 yards away.

“It was just a lovely, lovely loft and I’m thinking, ‘Man, this is just right on line,’ ” she said.

CHIP SHOTS: Several of the City of Calgary’s courses will be back in the swing this week. Maple Ridge, the recently renovated Mccall Lake and all 27 holes at Shaganappi Point will open Thursday under the same protocols and safety precautions as all other public and private tracks … Our hole-in-one report returns next week. If you’re lucky enough to notch an ace, send the details — course, hole, yardage, club, etc. — to wgilbertson@postmedia. com.