Economy, Environment Concern New USGA Head

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

In Jim Hyler's first moments of being the new president of the United States Golf Association, it wasn't national championships or square grooves that he addressed.

Instead, Hyler, a Raleigh resident who assumed the USGA reins in the annual meeting Saturday at Pinehurst's Carolina Hotel, focused attention on a problem that is hanging over the industry like a huge storm cloud - the effects of a poor economy on the health of the golf industry and what it means in terms of course upkeep and environmental concerns.

"With the economic downturn, our focus on these critical issues has sharpened," said Hyler, a former bank executive. "If we are not careful, high construction costs, soaring maintenance budgets and declining membership rosters will threaten the survival of many courses and clubs.

"In my opinion, many of the standards by which we construct and maintain our courses have become, quite simply, unsustainable. While there may be short-term solutions, what we need to seek is a long-term strategy that confronts some of the deeper issues plaguing the game.

"When it comes to the issue that is perhaps of greatest concern to golf's future - namely water - we must reset the way we look at golf courses."

Hyler's address came shortly after a two-hour panel discussion concerning the state of golf courses and how to make them more cost efficient. Speakers on that panel included Jim Moore, of the USGA; architect Gil Hanse; Bradley Klein, of GolfWeek Magazine; and Jim Dodson, author, editor of PineStraw magazine and Sunday essayist in The Pilot.

The panel discussed the pristine condition that courses are expected to be held to by members and offered the opinion that "brown is the new green" in that area.

"I feel, as an agronomist, that the game is in a lot of trouble," Moore said. "It's not the really high-end courses or the extreme low-end courses that are in trouble, it's those courses in between. Courses that compete for green fees are in serious trouble.

"The maintenance budget is the most realistic place to cut costs - in labor, mowing, bunker maintenance, water and energy, equipment costs, fertilizer and pesticides.

"In my opinion, Augusta National is the worst thing that ever happened to golf courses across the county. Everybody watches the Masters and thinks their courses have to look like that. Perfect.

"We're going to have to accept that brown is the new green."

'Environmentally Responsible'

Hyler spent some time talking about the role of the USGA in maintaining the integrity of the game and the major championships it conducts, but soon returned to what he considers the game's biggest problem.

"It's not a small statement to say that the U.S. Open is upper critical to the operation of the USGA," he said. "It is our most prestigious championship and our most viable asset and branding opportunity. So much of what we are able to accomplish each year happens only because of the financial resources that we derive from the Open.

"The U.S. Open offers an unparalleled experience for all involved, from the players to the volunteers, from the media to the spectators. The USGA will thrive when the U.S. Open is at its best, and it is our obligation to make this happen.

"We can all be proud that the USGA has been an industry leader for more than three decades in promoting a healthy relationship between the game and the environment.

"Through the activities of our Green Section, our advocacy of responsible turfgrass management practices, and our funding of research into the development of new cultivars, we have supported a vision of the game that is environmentally responsible. Unfortunately, a lot of this work is our best kept secret. That will be changing.

"Water is the issue that is perhaps the greatest concern to golf's future. We must reset the way we look at golf courses. I believe that our definition of playability should include concepts of firm, fast, and yes, even brown, and allow the running game to flourish. We need to understand how brown can become the new green.

"Our maintenance expectations must be realistic, promoting a more relaxed approach to consumption of clean water.

"It is certainly not our aspiration to become the game's environmental police, but we can and will develop and encourage the best practices to sustainable turfgrass management."

'A Special Place'

Hyler is more than appreciative of the role Pinehurst has played in the history of the USGA and recalls his experiences there.

"Pinehurst is indeed a special place and to accept this role here has profound meaning for me," he said. "I've attended many business meetings in Pinehurst with so many great memories. My spirits are always lifted every time I drive into the village, turn the corner and see the green and fairway of the second hole of No. 2.

"I'll never forget my experiences with the 1999 U.S. Open. I was so fortunate to be able to work with the Pinehurst team. To have been a part of an effort that was so important to North Carolina is an accomplishment that I will always treasure.

"What I remember most clearly, however, is the first time I played Pinehurst No. 2. It was the fall of 1976, and I arrived early for a business meeting for the very reason that I wanted to play No. 2. It was the first experience I had of playing one of the world's great courses, and I can vividly recall the excitement and nervousness I felt standing on the first tee. I was thinking of all the greats of the game who had stood on that tee.

"I feel the same emotions as I stand before you this afternoon - excitement, nervousness, to be sure - wondering just what I've gotten myself into."

Contact Howard Ward by e-mail at howardward@att.net.