Introduction

I hope this is one of many letters that I will be writing you guys over the coming years.  My name is Randy Samoff, and I’m the new Golf Course Superintendent here at Sweetwater.  I am extremely excited to be here at this awesome club.  I’m a native Houstonian, growing up in Baytown, and I’m also a graduate of Texas A&M.  I have a lot of experience in the Houston area, spending a total of 16 years at clubs like Champions, Redstone, and The Woodlands.  I’m excited to get the opportunity to provide conditions that you will all be proud of. 

I fully believe that communication is a key and integral part of my job and I will be doing a lot of it with you guys through various media once I get set up (look for more info in the next month).  I will be writing articles like this on a monthly basis that will be included in the newsletter and will have information relative to upcoming projects and key issues.  Lastly, you will be able to follow me on a daily basis on Twitter – I’ll get a new account set up soon.  Twitter is a great, quick way to get small bits of information and pics out so you can see what we do on a daily basis.  I’m also free and open to the good old face to face conversation any time I’m needed. 

You have two great golf courses here at Sweetwater, and both seem to be in great shape at this time of year.  Like any course, there are issues that need attention (like cart paths), but for the most part the facility is in great shape – it just needs some new attention to detail.  My objective every place I have been is to maximize the given resources and make the facility as good as it possibly can be.  I do see a number of opportunities for improvements that we will be making in the 2015 year.  My first focus will be on getting the programs and schedules in place that will allow us to provide top notch conditions.  A lot of this is in the way we, as a maintenance staff, go about our daily tasks.  This will take some training and education with our crews and the membership.   

Greens are obviously the #1 issue at any golf course, and for the facility to be a success the greens have to be really good.  You currently have a very good stand of Emerald bermudagrass.  I’ve spent my first week on the job studying the greens and trying to learn the patterns of the crew to see where any possible issues might arise.  Most times when areas on greens fail there are more than one cause, and a lot of times there are many, many causes (causes can include drainage, soil structure, shade, moisture, chemical/fertilizer inputs, unlevel surface, excessive mechanical stress, air movement, compaction, temperature, and many more).  We all have certain tolerances as humans and when faced with too many issues or stresses we too can fail or breakdown.  Grass is no different.  Fortunately, there don’t seem to be that many issues currently hurting us.  You will see a number of changes that we will implement this year to improve the putting experience and make them even better than they have been. 

As far as the rest of the course goes and what you can expect from me, I will bring a new focus on the conditioning of the golf courses, keeping the priority always on how well they are playing.  Quality of cut is a huge issue that my crews have always strived for – grass has to be cut uniformly to play uniformly.  Cleanliness will also be a huge part of the operation – all playing surfaces will be blown as they are mowed and all areas will be trash and clutter free.  I have a simplistic/classic approach to mowing patterns - I don’t try to enhance my efforts with pretty striping, I like to put the emphasis on the golf and the architecture.  I also like a sharp edge – so look for a crisp, clean look to many of the courses features.  Firm and fast is the name of the game in my book, so expect us to focus on moisture management with the goal of giving the plant the right amount of moisture but nothing more in excess. 

Another key feature of my typical letters to the membership is some advice on your own home lawns as a lot of the practices we do on the golf course can easily transfer over to the home.  I’ll try to touch on subjects that are relative during the given time of the year. Believe me - I see a lot of mistakes on home lawns that can easily be avoided!

I can’t wait to get started earning your trust.  We will make you proud.  I look forward to meeting all of you in the coming months.  Please feel free at any time to give me a call, email, or stop by and see us.