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re: How is Webb Park looking these days?

Posted on 9/15/23 at 3:03 pm to
Posted by LSUGolfman
Baton Rouge
Member since May 2019
182 posts
Posted on 9/15/23 at 3:03 pm to
quote:

Fairways are great. There are definitely some bare spots on the greens but they're largely puttable and coming back decently after a rough summer. Not bad all things considered.

They just hired a new PGA pro named Kevin Landry a week or two ago, so hopefully he can get it in great shape again.


Kevin is a great guy and an excellent golfer. But the hiring of a PGA pro has absolutely nothing to do with course conditions -- at any golf course. PGA Professionals do not manage the golf course maintenance staff. They don't have that kind of training. They manage the golf shop. Superintendents manage the golf course and playing conditions.

Mike Drury is the superintendent at Webb and he does a very good job, considering. Webb's biggest problem is that they're running 45,000 rounds of golf a year over 1.3 acres of Tifdwarf putting surfaces.

You know who has 1.3 acres of greens? City Park. It's nine holes. You know who has Tifdwarf on their greens? Nobody (besides of course, City Park). They are literally the last two, I think. Tifdwarf was the industry standard from about 1960-1995 -- back when greens were mowed at a quarter inch and 9-10 on a stimpmeter was lightning fast.

The only other course that I know of that had Tifdwarf greens was Copper Mill. Copper Mill's greens sucked for years. Hopefully they will do better with Tifeagle.

When you mix the tiny size of Webb's greens with their inferior genetic makeup and add 45,000 hacks trampling them down 363 days a year -- you have a recipe for one of the most difficult golf course superintendent jobs in America.

From what I've heard though, BREC may be considering enlarging and renovating greens at both Webb and City to something similar to what's going on out at Clark. Until then, if you see Mike Drury out at Webb, buy him a coke.
Posted by 904
Forever under I-10
Member since Dec 2009
792 posts
Posted on 9/15/23 at 4:11 pm to
Totally agree that the age and size of the greens is a huge issue with that amount of play. I'd love if they renovated all of them with larger putting surfaces for those reasons alone.

Exciting what they've done with a few of the greens at City Park. I've heard it's been successful. Could be a fantastic 9 hole course if they can get that going as well.

You're right about the management roles in a traditional sense, but I think Kevin might have more to do with the course as the PGA Pro than you might think. It's not like he's gonna be spending a lot of time giving lessons on the back of a range somewhere (there is none). Mike might be doing what he can, but I've played a lot of rounds at Webb over the last 15 years and don't ever remember meeting Mike, whereas I met Kevin in his first week as he was checking receipts and tidying up around the practice green and 1 tee. Talked a bit about what he/they wish to accomplish around the course and in the facility if possible. Never met the woman who preceded him either as far as I know. I think that says a lot.


Anyway, how many and which courses is Mike superintendent of?


This post was edited on 9/15/23 at 4:38 pm
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