Keeping it green

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Chad Warren
  • 2d Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  In the pre-dawn darkness, hours before the hordes of Airmen arrive for their morning workouts, one small team is already hard at work ensuring the base golf course is ready for the day's patrons.

William Duckworth, Fox Run golf course superintendent, leads the maintenance team that keeps the golf course in pristine condition year round. The extreme attention to detail and precision needed to keep all 18 holes in top shape make it a very time-consuming and technical task.

On such a busy course that is open all four seasons, Mr. Duckworth must also coordinate and schedule the required maintenance in a way that causes minimal interruption to the players.

"The average golfer does not know how much work goes into maintaining the course," said Mr. Duckworth, who graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in plant and soil systems. "Our job is to maintain the course in excellent playing condition without the golfers knowing we exist."

More science than art, maintaining a golf course goes much further than making sure it looks good to the players. The moisture content, density and pH levels of the soil are continuously monitored and regulated to maintain the optimum playing conditions for the course. Continuously observing and taking soil samples from the course are fundamental in keeping Fox Run one of the top rated golf facilities in the Air Force.

The irrigation system is an elaborate network of computer controlled sprinklers, constantly adjusted based on temperature, rainfall, and the relative elevation of each section of the course; Areas at higher elevation require more watering than areas that sit lower due to runoff and drainage.

According to Mr. Duckworth, the greens require an even higher level of precision than the rest of the course because of the extremely short length of grass required. The greens are mowed daily to a uniform length of 0.140 inch using a special mower designed to cut at these acute lengths.

Mr. Duckworth is an expert at making sure every square foot of the course is the highest quality and knows better than anyone that the slightest detail can have a significant effect on how the course plays.

"If a blade is slightly off and a section of the green is cut at 0.145 inch instead of 0.140, it will affect the movement of a player's ball," said Mr. Duckworth.

All of these factors are crucial in the ongoing task of maintaining a golf course that is open for play all year long. As if the everyday challenges are not enough, there is no way to plan for the unexpected strike of Mother Nature.

In April 2009, a tornado tore directly through the center of the golf course. The tornado took out more than 60 trees and caused severe damage to the course requiring extensive repairs before it was able to re-open.

"The tornado was definitely a big setback," said Larry Busch, Fox Run golf course general manager. "We were able to get all 18 holes open after a few weeks, but we still had piles of rubble all over the rough."

This coupled with a particularly harsh winter, presented Mr. Duckworth and his team with a unique challenge over the past year.

"I have been in the business for about 12 years and from last April until now has been the toughest time I have experienced in the business," said Mr. Duckworth.

Extremely heavy rainfall in October followed by one of the coldest winters on record have made it difficult, but it has not stopped Mr. Duckworth and his team from ensuring the course remains beautiful and open for daily play.

"As a superintendent, you are never satisfied," said Mr. Duckworth. "I am always trying to take the course to the next level. That's what makes coming to work every day fun."