Looking back, Keith Ihms admits that starting a new job only weeks after becoming the president of his 21,000-member professional association was a challenge. Maybe more of a challenge than he expected. But as the year draws to a close, he can look back and say it was a success.
In late February, Ihms finished his year as the president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, the culmination of his eight years on the volunteer board. He will continue to serve as immediate past president.
In April he celebrates one year in Bella Vista where he has been maintenance manager over all seven golf courses.
This is his first experience with multiple courses, Ihms said. At first, just finding his way around each of them was a learning experience.
Each course is different, he said, although there are similarities based on location. For example, all three "valley courses" -- Country Club, Kingswood and Berksdale -- are prone to flooding. They can also be affected by the traffic on U.S. 71. The Highlands has the most hills, he said. There can be a difference of two or three degrees in the temperature between the Highlands and the valley courses and that makes a difference, Ihms said.
Each of his five superintendents understand their courses. Two of the superintendents have more than one course. Reed Holly has both Kingswood and Berksdale and Geoff Smith oversees both the 18-hole Dogwood course and the nine-hole Brittany course.
"They've all been here a while and that's important in our profession," he said.
As their supervisor, he sees himself as the liaison to the board.
"I try to give them some direction and get them what they need," he said.
Because he had confidence in his superintendents, he was comfortable traveling on association business.
"With technology, you're really not that far away," he said.
Golfers in Bella Vista are a little different than most golfers, he said. There are many retired people who play golf several times a week and as a result, they know the courses very well. One of his first priorities was finding out what the golfers wanted on their courses.
Most golfers have a favorite course, and a few -- especially those who own their own golf cart -- play one course exclusively, he explained.
But more of the regular golfers belong to groups that move around between courses. They may be moving even more this year when Ihms and Golf Operations Manager Andy Mar work out a maintenance schedule that will close each course for one day each week.
In the industry, it's not unusual to have a full day for maintenance, Ihms said. It gives the crew more time to do labor intensive jobs like top dressing greens. With so many courses to chose from, he doesn't believe golfers will mind the new schedule.
Over the winter, the golfers had to adjust to schedule changes as a result of the decision to not overseed some courses.
The old practice, sowing rye grass over Bermuda each fall helped protect the Bermuda from damage from golf carts. It also kept the courses looking green. But overseeding can damage the Bermuda grass so not all the courses were overseeded and many golfers avoided the courses where golf carts had to stay on the paved path because it requires more walking.
Last year, none of the POA courses were overseeded, so Ihms and Mar worked out a schedule that allowed golfers onto the grass for a few days at individual courses. The courses rotated over the winter. After a few days of driving on the grass, the carts on path policy was again enforced to let the Bermuda recover.
It's too soon to tell if the rotating schedule made a big difference, Ihms said, because the Bermuda grass is still dormant. For some courses, this will be the first year the Bermuda grass won't have to compete with rye grass as it comes out of its dormant period.
Issues like overseeding and maintenance days are among the topics discussed by golf maintenance professionals, Ihms said.
People don't always think of golf course superintendents as professionals, but they should, he said. He has a bachelor's degree in agronomy turfgrass specialization from Texas A&M University. The association provides even more education including leadership training. Also, the experience has helped Ihms understand the POA's board better.
Working with other professionals at the association gives him a network of people he can call on if he needs help. Most of them are struggling with the same issues, including possible requirements of the American with Disabilities Act and keeping their numbers up.
"One problem with golf is it's a traditional sport," he said. "It's always played the same way, but in today's world, kids want to have fun. They want to talk and be part of a group."
Golf teams might be one answer for young golfers. But it's not the only answer.
"Playing on the correct level is more fun," he said, so one program that could be used is "Play It Forward." He thinks it may be ready in Bella Vista as early as this summer.
Play It Forward moves the tee forward for less powerful players, so different members of the same foursome would actually begin in different spots. It speeds up the game and allows golfers with different skill levels to play together. Ihms thinks Scottsdale is a good course to try the new system since there are no sand traps, but he'll probably use temporary markers for the extra tees at first.
While the last year has been challenging, Ihms has enjoyed the learning experience. Although he misses some of the "hands on" work he did as superintendent, he still loves golf and loves being outside.
"There's so much to offer here," he said, about Bella Vista, "It's not all about golf. It's about the whole village. "
General News on 04/01/2015