Golfdom, August 2010

Things Change Continued from page 53 On a golf course a bad score is the only thing that should stink A natural solution to treating poor water quality Otterbine surface and sub surface systems effectively control algae aquatic weeds and foul odors in ponds and lakes to create healthy clean aquatic environments Superior craftsmanship combined with a dedication to our customers as well as the environment has made Otterbine the 1 choice in pond a lake aeration for over 60 years 54 Golfdom August 2010 younger ron was always on a time crunch and things could never get done to his satisfaction in now it has become a double edged sword We try to keep raising that bar slightly but were trying to do it with fewer resources than we had in the past or another way to put it with less money Thats where the difficulty now lies Its kind of fun if you can get creative and find new ways to do things but when you discover you cant duplicate a particular result it can be frustrating The answer to this dilemma may be a change in mindset by the powers that be But thats a topic for another day Respect This may be more a personal one for me than for everyone else but then again were talking about me and what Ive learned here right When I say respect Im talking about people who work for me and just as importantly the golfers who play my course Younger Ron tended to look out for younger Ron He wasnt much interested in what the golfers had to say or what the seasonal kid who string trims the ditches and around the trees gave for input Younger Ron was always on a time crunch Things could never get done to his satisfaction and he had convinced himself that it was people not following through or people golfers getting in his way Older Ron has learned from these mistakes at least I like to think he has He has a heightened sense of respect for others For some this happens at a younger age theyre better people at 25 than most are at 40 But for the rest of us its something we need to acquire like a taste for olives or beets OK I still dont like beets but Ive tried I like to think that now I actually listen to input and accept it I have time for golfers and even listen and try to respond to favors or suggestions they may have even if I dont agree with them Listening to others may actually make your job easier and more efficient Perhaps this is the one thing Ive learned thats more important than anything Respect everyone The year is 2010 Barack Obama is president Toy Story 3 is the top moneymaker at the movies John Mayer and Jack Johnson have replaced R E M and The Cure on my car stereo And Im still working on a golf course The more things change the more they well you know the rest Furlong a contributing editor to Golfdom is superintendent of Avalon Golf Club in Burlington Wash PH 1 800 AER8TER or 610 965 6018 twww otterbine com golf