Playability or Aesthetics - What Really Matters?

1. Playability or Aesthetics - What Really Matters? Tom Vlach • Director of Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC Sawgrass Bill Hughes • General Manager, TPC Sawgrass Collier Miller • Director, TPC Agronomy Presenting sponsors:

2. Aesthetics, or Playability What Really Matters?

3. Collier Miller, CGCS, Director, TPC Agronomy • Network Philosophy / Perspective on golf course conditions • Success Story - TPC Summerlin • Tom Vlach, CGCS, Dir. Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC Sawgrass • Saying Goodbye to Overseeding and creating firm and fast conditions • Bill Hughes, General Manager, TPC Sawgrass • Managing Member and Customer Expectations • Club Performance

4. Appearance How it plays TPC Network Agronomic and Conditioning Philosophy is consistent with PGA TOUR Player Expectations Firm, fast playing conditions are the priority

5. Touring Professionals want firm and fast playing conditions and have less concern for visual appeal.

6. Industry Challenges: • Fighting the “green is good” syndrome. Green and lush does not necessarily = good playing conditions. • Economic and Environmental Sustainability • Changing Member and Customer expectations

7. Reality: • “Firm and Fast” is not always sustainable, but should be the goal • Not always achievable – lots of variables • Turf must be kept healthy and actively growing to combat pests, traffic, etc. The key is balancing the playing conditions with the environment, economics, and still providing a product people will pay for.

8. Opened 1991 • High end private – 450 members • Bermuda and never been overseed • The only club in their market that does not overseed • Hosted 19 consecutive PGA TOUR events and 4 Champions Tour events • TPC Summerlin is considered by tour players, members, and market competition as consistently providing excellent playing conditions

9. Focus is on providing the best “year round” playing conditions Summer Spring / Fall Winter Club is marketed and sold on playing conditions Educating and selling the membership is critical (Brown “can” be beautiful)

12. Overseeded?

13. Water conservation and drought restrictions while minimizing any negative effects on playing conditions Allow for use of poor water quality Easier to manage for dry and firm conditions Reduced inputs No spring/summer and fall transition Positive public relations Not Overseeding allows for -

14. Effect of Soil and Drainage on Playing Conditions - • Organic / Thatch Management – aerification, verticutting, topdressing • TPC Summerlin is blessed with good draining soil - manufactured 3/8 minus • Adequate drainage system • utilizing sheet flow, inlets, • and drain tile

15. Water and Moisture Management is Critical Irrigation Control System Irrigation Control system Irrigation System Design and Distribution A must – to utilize available technology and management tools

16. Water and Moisture Management is Critical Soil Probe Weather Stations / ET Moisture Meter Hand / Spot Water

17. Turf Removal and Alternative Playing Surfaces

18. Brown “can” be very good You can’t get much better than this when it comes to ball lie.

19. Tom Vlach, CGCS, Dir. Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC Sawgrass • Saying Goodbye to Overseeding and creating firm and fast conditions

20. Overseeding A Case Study

21. History of TPC Sawgrass THE PLAYERS Stadium opened in 1980 • Major Renovation 2006 – Re-branding Effort • THE PLAYERS: May 2007 – Present • Goal of firm and fast conditions

22. History of THE PLAYERS Stadium Golf Course • The Players Championship in March 1982 – 2006 Overseeded entire Stadium golf course each year in October - 36,000 lbs. seed - 50,000 lbs. fertilizer - 1500 man-hours - 25% electrical increase - $20,000 transition sod, 2 acres-

23. Overseeding Concerns • Costs: $150,000 per year • Playability • Fall seeding window • Spring and Summer Transition • Organic Matter Accumulation and its negative effects

24. Non-Overseeding Benefits • Firm and Fast playing conditions • THE PLAYERS • Improved (Fall/Spring) year round conditions • Savings of variable expenses • Labor reallocation • Weed control

25. Non-overseeding Challenges • Customer expectations in winter • Winter wear patterns • Divots and ball marks

26. Thatch and organic mat management are critical to providing firm conditions

27. Thatch and Organic Mat Management TPC Sawgrass took the fast track

28. Thatch and Organic Mat Management Regular topdressing required to maintain firm conditions Alternative to rebuilding and longer term strategy is through core aerification and topdressing program.

29. # 17 Overseeded

30. # 17 Non- Overseeded

31. Divots # 9 – Non-Overseeded

32. #18 Overseeded

33. # 18 Overseeded

34. # 18 Non-Overseeded

35. Managing Member / Customer Expectations and Effect on Club Performance Green is good,but Brown “can” be beautiful, too! Bill Hughes TPC Sawgrass General Manager

36. Communicate during the initial phone call about course conditions Talk about “Firm and Fast” conditions versus the overseed conditions of the past which were “Soft and Slow” Fully disclose all agronomic practices that a guest could encounter during their time at the facility Making the Reservation

37. Communicate ! “Due to our desire to provide our members and guests with firm and fast conditions throughout the winter months, we have moved away from overseeding. It is better for the golf course from a playability perspective and much better for the environment due to a significant reduction in the water and agronomic requirements.”

38. Arrival - the Moment of Truth Warm, sincere and genuine greeting of the Members/Guests/TOUR Players at Bag Drop Area

39. Arrival and Greetings • Starter-Reconfirm course conditions and Greens Speed/Pin Position at First Tee • “TPC Sawgrass prioritizes firm and fast conditions on a daily basis in providing the members and guests with tournament quality conditions and golf experience.” • Player Ambassador Welcome - “The Golf Course is playing Firm and Fast today”

40. Member and Customer Satisfaction Reputation Stadium Course Rounds of Golf Financial Impact on Club -

41. Green is Good But, Brown is Beautiful, Too

42. Par 4, 18th Hole, PLAYERS Stadium Before and After

43. Before and After Par 5, 16th Hole, PLAYERS Stadium

44. Maya Angelou Famous American biographer and poet: You will forget what I say, you will forget what I do, but you will never forget how I made you feel!