Some grounds crews in sports claim that they have a tough job. Whether it be covering a baseball diamond in a rain storm or smoothing the ice in a rink, no other crew in professional sports has the daunting task of facility management like a country club maintenance staff. With over 600 acres of land to tend to, the Hamilton Farm Country Club crew needs eyes and hands on not only the championship Highlands Course but also the only USGA rated par 3 course in the country, the Hickory Course.
The necessary attention to detail for a grounds crew is excessive. Just a small divot in the fairway or dry spot on the green could spoil their reputation. So when Patrick Husby, the grounds superintendent at Hamilton Farm, heard in January that they were hosting an LPGA event in May, he knew they had some work ahead of them. “We really only had what amounted to four months of time to get ready, but two of those months were spent under mostly snow cover. So we really only had from about the 15th of March through the 15th or so of May to get ready. That put us under the gun.”
Husby and the maintenance staff can be accredited with delivering under pressure because the players and spectators alike have nothing but great things to say about the course conditions.
Fourteenth seeded Morgan Pressel, who defeated Jimin Kang in 20 holes yesterday in the first round, took notice. “I think the course is great. You know, the greens are much, much faster this morning; it’s the first thing I noticed… I’m impressed with the way the course dried out. I mean, I’m sure it looks beautiful on TV because it’s very green.”
Although the heavy rain on Tuesday may have looked like a nightmare for a grounds crew, Husby made a way to turn it into a positive and take it as a blessing in disguise. “A rain day allows us to get some of our guys a little bit of rest that they don’t generally — they’re not really afforded that luxury, and to be able to send a lot of the guys home early, they’re able to recharge a little bit. We’re working until nearly dark, or well into dark most nights. So there is a flip side to having the rain.”
The grounds staff consists of 37 people which include an administrative assistant and mechanics which leaves just about 30 staff in the field. But Husby didn’t only need to rely on the Hamilton Farm staff present year round. Hamilton Farm has received help from maintenance personnel from other high-level courses throughout the week and is a network that Husby refers to as a ‘brotherhood.’
“Where someone needs tournament support, you generally get an awful lot. We’ve had about 25 to 35 volunteers every morning, and another 20 to 25 every evening for the afternoon assignments. They’ve been great. We can’t do it without the help from other clubs and we try and reciprocate with tournament experience elsewhere. We have staff going to the U.S. Women’s Open in June for the week as well as other PGA events. So it’s a great asset to have, the network within the industry.”
Written by Meghan Flanagan