The Grass will ALWAYS be Greener...

     It has been nearly 6 months since I last posted, and SO much has changed in such a little time. For starters I'm clean shaven for the first time since I was 18 and I'm growing my hair back out for the first time in almost as long. I also want to take a moment to apologize for some of my ignorance in some of my previous posts. I have been on this war path for so long about the difference between the guys that work at top name clubs and guys that work the more blue collared tracks, saying that it shouldn't matter where you come from as long as you can do the job that needs done... This was a folly on my part. I wanted to believe that I was being groomed and grooming myself to be successful in this business, that all I needed was a chance to shine and all would be proven... What a fool... A naive and arrogant fool... There is a definitive separation between the two, and that is evident now that I have an Assistants position at golf course that operates on that high level. Details.. Oh man is it night and day, as well as a swift kick to the ego... I have always loved golf turf, and equally, I have always loved my clientele, these values haven't change. Instead I now realize that the two are not mutually exclusive, they are one. To strive for perfection in the industry of golf, you must strive for not only the healthiest turf, but, also deliver the best playing conditions for the sole purpose to promote the game of golf and provide the highest level of clientele satisfaction on a DAILY basis. I was told that the difference between a Agronomic Superintendent and a Golf Course Superintendent, is one focuses on turf health and sustainability, while the other focuses on those, as well as the clientele's experience. By experience I don't mean how they played, I mean, is every last detail attended to? Course length fair to weather conditions, pin placements and tee markers corresponding to mix up a different feel from hole to hole, day to day? Are bunkers prepped? Rakes clean and placed neatly? Benches for sitting? Are they placed to not interfere with play or line of site? Stakes all straight and clean? Cart path edges clean? Etc. etc... It's awesome to see how much the little details can make a complete difference.  Without golfers we don't have a job. Turf health is very important, but the clientele's happiness is everything.
     I never thought to promote the game, as I previously stated, I always operated under the guise that the course and the client were two different entities. When I first realized the error of my way I was ashamed and embarrassed. I immediately saw the difference between what I was and what the Assistants at the high end places were. I think I knew all along, I just needed to see it for myself. I have matured so much in the 5 months I have  been at my new position. So much so, that looking back at my previous posts makes me laugh a bit. I loved writing those, and there is still a lot that rings true, but as far as the thoughts I shared as to my own capabilities, I can gladly take my foot out of my mouth and take the accountability for my ignorance. I want to go back to my clientele at my previous course and apologize for being so oblivious to their needs and their experience. These are the only ways we can grow in life. To step back, say "Oops", apologize, and begin our march forward. Forward. The only direction that we need to move. I enjoy looking back every once in a while, it makes me happy to see how far I've come. It helps me to see that if the grass is greener on the other side, what am I doing wrong? I have never envied those with more, because if I want more, I go out and get it.

    You get a taste for what's next and it's usually always delicious. The excitement swells your heart and you can't help but want to push forward to take another bite. There will always be bitter, sour and unpleasant flavors, but that is what makes the taste of love, happiness, and success so sweet. I'm getting a plate full of what my future can be, for myself and my family... It's exciting and scary, but I have a good feeling that I'm ready. I have always had such good patience and that has brought me steady success. Taking my time to build my "castle" can only make it stronger. I have great respect for all the guys I am peers with in this industry, they are some of the hardest working guys I know. I am honored to be able to compete with them and no matter how many times I don't finish at the top, there will always be a next time.

 
      I have accomplished so much in life and it won't stop. Life and turfgrass share one glaring similarity, the more love and nurturing you put in, the more beautiful it becomes. You can never stop putting effort in to anything you do in life, no matter if you reached your "goal" or not. The nature of life is always changing and the moment you forget what it is you need to do or stop doing it, that is when all the hard work and sacrifice collapses. We can spend a lifetime building, but all it takes is a single moment to knock it down.

      I love you all my friends...

How do you want your J.L. Swanson prepared?

Before I get a backlash, we all know I went with this picture to add a little sex appeal to this blog... HEY! I gotta try to find a way to get people to actually want to care about the stuff I write. But as usual I digress... To the MEAT of this post...

Anyway... How do you package yourself to prospective employers... This is the biggest challenge in the professional world today. At any given point we could be competing with anywhere from a 100 to 1000's of people applying for the same position. Personally I like my odds in a "Thunderdome" style elimination process. But sadly that doesn't count in this situation. I recently read a blog post on Turfnet about 8 things to consider when preparing a resume. Now the thing that really stuck with me about it, was the suggestion to shorten your resume to a condensed for forgoing most bullets and achievement, but to rely more on the job title, place worked, and years served... What sucks about this is any company name, or in the turf world circumstance, course name, can really have an affect on the consideration of employment. Fair? Not always, but real, yes... To have the ability to stick a Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass, Bethpage, Augusta, Baltustrol, etc etc, can really hold sway over the process of narrowing down applicants... So, now the question is, how does J.L. Swanson take his less than notable course resume, and package it for success? Well, I believe that the next factor would have to be based on variety and experience. I got that if I can elaborate a bit on my resume. Leader of men, motivator, persistent, a problem-solver, solution oriented, accountable, but we've seen these things and more a thousand times. But in defense of the blog piece, maybe elaborating is a negative? If the employers reading resumes, they'll probably read the same crap on every resume. Can't you see a committee, or individual reading the first few sentences, rolling their eyes, opening up the document seeing the name Augusta and moving to the "Good" pile, doing the same to the next, seeing Blah Golf Course and whipping it to the recycle bin. Yup... You know it. So what then? If I shorten it up, I lose the bulk of my presentation. If I over saturate it I lose my flavor. They're task to find the perfect fit has them rifling through a mountain of resumes... I would have to say from talking to some (I emphasize some) assistants at top courses, they are just waiting for their turn to be on the plate, a little arrogant, seen it done at the top, and thinking that they have a lock on how it needs to be done. But the little guy, the guy in the wake of all this, he's hungry. He thinks outside the box, reinvents himself to accommodate the needs of those variables around himself. He's seen the mistakes, the pressure of having to make a monetary decision based on limited funds, seen the least expensive route to achieve an ultimate goal, implemented an IPM program to scout for demons in the shadows, and held a crews morale together in the heat of disarray. When you drag yourself through the mud, and assume the mantle of leadership in a less privileged arena, the blood tastes more metallic, the sweat is saltier, and the muscle is leaner. Victory tastes sweeter and faltering is more bitter. The job becomes an earned blessing, not an expected result. This is the difference between me and most other wannabe superintendents. I have been lucky enough to have two men in the agronomy business whom have mentored me with honesty and nurtured my talents, while communicating my areas of growth.. Will I always succeed on a daily basis? No and to say I would represents true arrogance. Instead I will face each day with a mantra I share with each and every person I know. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best, work with a thirst, and love hard today but harder the next." We exist on this plain to ensure the success of our legacy. Everything I do, I do thinking of my grandchildren... Don't have any yet (thank god), and I'll never be ready, but to think you can set an expectation on variables you have no control over is a falsehood. Stop... Close your eyes... Breathe deep...  and smile, your still breathing... The path to true success and happiness can only be carved by you. Never back track... Allow yourself to fall every now and again, but get up... If you need to rest, do it for only a moment, maintain momentum, you'll need it to push forward... I have faith in myself to dredge though the mire... If I have to bring a few of you with me, than so be it... Just hold on tight, because I try to never look back for too long... OH and go ahead and take a bite... I usually grill up perfect to your order... ;)

I love you all, my friends.... Work hard, Play hard, Love hard...

I'm not a Mercedes...

I'm finally back at the Rutger's Professional Golf Management School, and I will tell you, I missed it... The relationships you make when entrenched in a program as demanding and fast passed as this, is extraordinary... But a subject discussed today, dredged some old thoughts from the back of my mind.... Am I ever going to have the opportunity to put a small mark on the Golf Course community? The subject is one I have batted around for, jeez, at least a decade or so... Will the fact that I have chosen a certain type of employment (ie. not well known golf courses), stop me from putting MY stamp on this community... I have had many sleepless nights (cough, tonight, cough) just sitting up and putting together hypothetical plans and actions that I would like to take, when I can finally achieve a Superintendent position...

How would I nurture my crew? How can I provide a high standard of accountability and trust to my employer, colleagues, and employees alike? What step would I take to advance the success, both in reputation and fiscal standing? How would my family benefit? What steps do I need to take to put myself on track to achieve my goals? Goals..... What a force... The drive to better ones life and the ability to go and live that life... What goals do I have? Financial comfort? To be respected and lauded for my achievements? To have the ability to give my wife and children the experiences and comforts they deserve? All these questions and ideals weigh on the mind of a person at time... I guess, I just want to make the most of my life while I'm on this beautiful planet... To love harder than I loved the day before... To dream bigger than I did last night... To take the next step without fear of failure, or disappointment, from those I love and cherish. To leave this world, just a little happier than it was... I love that ideal... To just be... and be the best YOU, you can be... Through my faults and idiosyncrasies... Through my passion and loyalty... ME... Assistant at Augusta? No.. Valhalla? Nah... Pebble? Sawgrass? Shinnecock? Nope... I'm not a Mercedes... I come with no pretty lights, or fancy gadgets... No rear view camera, or wipers on my headlights... No leather, wood accents, AC, power windows, GPS, Sirius XM, bluetooth, or $10,000 of high performance tires...... I'm a 1981 Truck... diesel (Cummins), 4X4, quad cab (because I like to carry people), mud covered, scratch covered, heavy towing capability, high mileage... I have been smashed into a time or two, and still run... I can handle any job, big or small, without second thought... I am reliable in rain or snow, freezing temps or high arid heat... I don't get parked in a garage for fear of fading, or covered up... I'm not pretty or fancy, I carry no expectation to be treated better than other vehicles, or given preferred parking, due to my branding... I preform the tasks needed quickly and efficiently... All I ask is for sufficient amounts of fuel, regular maintenance to ensure I run smooth, and maybe a Pine Tree mirror freshener.... I like the smell of pine... Though if they made one that mimicked the sent of a Golf Course in the morning hours, I'd take that too..
As always.... Thank you, and I love you all... Work hard, play hard, love hard... GOODNIGHT!!