Brown on Brown at Overlake GCC

I'd like to introduce Turfhugger readers to Cory, Scott and Overlake GCC. 

Cory Brown (figures he has that last name) has been an Assistant Superintendent for over 10 years, the last 5 of which have been spent at Overlake Golf and Country Club, in Medina, Washington. Scott Stambaugh has been Superintendent at golf courses in California and Washington and the Superintendent of Overlake GCC for the past 6 years. 

In conversation with Cory about Overlakes firm, "brown" conditions, I asked if he could share with Turfhugger readers a little about their experiences so far. Thanks guys. (Also, check out this local news story about their ACSP efforts)

I have been the Assistant Golf Course Superintendent at Overlake Golf and Country Club for a little over five years now, and have seen our programs grow during that time. To be honest, the dry and firm condition we maintain the course in begins with playability. Of course all of the usual environmental and turf health reasons for maintaining dry, firm turf apply, but beyond that the soil conditions and climate at Overlake present some interesting challenges. We have extremely heavy blue clay soils which can make the course much wetter and softer than desired in the winter.

Past Ten, Next Ten: Interview with Jeff Mingay

As we roll past the first year of this decade I've asked two standard questions to a few key players in our industry. I wanted to know their thoughts, from their unique role and perspective, on what we saw over this last ten years and what to expect in the ten to come.





With a strong focus on hands-on-design, resource conservation and traditional design principles Jeff Mingay has stood out to me for awhile. Mingay is a young Canadian golf architect, who has spent more than a decade working alongside designer Rod Whitman on projects across Canada. He's been involved in the creation of several prominent new layouts, including Sagebrush and the exciting Cabot Links course in Nova Scotia. He is now also working solo on projects, including some redesign work on the wonderful Victoria Golf Club on Vancouver Island.



You may have read some of Mingays articles when he contributed ‘Sair Fecht’: the 16th hole at Highlands Links and was interviewed in Golf Club Atlas, his review of Arthur Vernon Macan in Golf Course Architecture, Lessons from St. Andrews,  and his contributions here in Organic Golf Architecture and Demands for Faster Greens can be Counter Productive.

Organic Golf Architecture

While the term sustainability has different meaning to different people, a sustainable approach to golf course development begins through an “organic approach” to golf architecture.

It was legendary American building architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) who coined the termed “organic architecture”. Wright emphasized harmony between architecture and the natural world through design approaches which are sympathetic and well-integrated with the environment.

#9 Cypress Point Club at Monterey, California. Laid out by legendary golf architect Alister Mackenzie, the design of Cypress Point is extremely sympathetic and well-integrated with the environment. 

Demands For Faster Greens Can Be Counter Productive

Remarkable advancement in turf-grass science and maintenance equipment technologies continue to magnify unrealistic demand for faster greens. Such demand places heavy burden upon many aspects of golf, including a course superintendent’s nerves and a golf architect’s ability to create bold green designs in this modern era; not to mention potential environmental impact.