Globetrotter
Preparing for international events means lots of frequent filer miles for LPGA Agronomist John Miller, CGCS

While in China in 2008, LPGA Agronomist John Miller witnessed how biological weed control efforts in world's most populous country differ from the U.S. Photo by John Miller, CGCS/Courtesy of GCSAA.

By Angela Nitz

It is 6,758 miles from Xenia, Ohio, to Incheon, South Korea.

But it's all part of the commute for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America's LPGA Tour Agronomist John Miller when the LPGA Tour heads outside of U.S. borders. Whether it is the Hana Bank • KOLON Championship in Incheon at the end of October, or the Lorena Ochoa Invitational by Banamex and Corona Light in Guadalajara, Mexico, in November, Miller's passport gets a workout.

Miller, a certified golf course superintendent who lives in Xenia, makes his way from Ohio to international event sites with the same purpose as domestic ones: to help keep playing conditions consistent for Tour players.

"Our set up for tournaments is basically the same," Miller said. "The challenge is that the superintendents in different countries may not have access to the same products we have here in the United States or their equipment may not be as up to date as ours in the United States."

In the last year, Miller has traveled to South Korea and China as well as a little closer to home with stops in Mexico and Canada. Fortunately Miller knows enough Spanish to get by in Mexico, but for the Asian stops, interpreters are used.

"Really, in other parts of the world, the biggest challenge is finding out who makes the final decision when comes to how the maintenance budget is set and spent. Most of the time it's not the golf course superintendent as is usually the case in U.S.," Miller said.

There are also other considerations than just communications barriers. With different product restrictions or equipment availability, making sure the courses meet the needs of the LPGA Tour is a team effort.

Guadalajara Country Club's conditions rival those at many top U.S. courses thanks to the work of superintendent Fernando Verela and his staff. Photo by John Miller, CGCS/Courtesy of GCSAA.

"John came out about 18 months before the event to tour the course, and we really understood what the LPGA's expectations were going to be," said James Beebe, the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club in Priddis, Alberta, Canada, who hosted the CN Canadian Women's Open Aug. 30-Sept. 6. "Then he returned two months before to check on any surprises that had cropped up. He really was the liaison between us and the Tour, and really helped us out on the staging and traffic issues, and provided us with all of the resources that we needed."

In addition to restrictions on products such as growth regulators in Canada, keeping up with the established environmental reputation of Priddis Greens, which was the International Winner in the 2006 Golf Digest/GCSAA Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards, had to be part of the plan for the event.

"Really, our environmental focus has helped us focus on the condition of the course to a higher degree," Beebe said.

South of the U.S. border, Fernando Varela, a 19-year GCSAA Member, is getting ready for the Lorena Ochoa Invitational by Banamex and Corona Light to come to Guadalajara Country Club in Guadalajara, Mexico, Nov. 12. And while Varela has many of the same products in his arsenal that U.S. superintendents have, he does face issues with parts inventory and chemicals not available in Mexico and yet expectations are the same.

"Golfers are looking for the same thing everywhere," Varela said.

And perhaps nowhere on the Tour is there more pressure from locals to put on a great event in support of their hometown girl, Lorena Ochoa, and the event that shares her name.

"It's a big event, and even though most of the people do not play golf now, they have heard what Lorena is doing so they want to be close by and see it for themselves, a big tournament like this, and of course be a part of it," Varela said. "The golfers have great expectations about the tournament, and her success has changed golf in Mexico. Many people, boys and girls, now want to learn to play golf. Golf is becoming more available to more people."

While in Asia checking on conditions for the Hana Bank-KOLON Championship at SKY 72 Golf Club in South Korea, LPGA Agronomist John Miller used interpreters to discuss conditioning with the local superintendent and staff. Photo by John Miller, CGCS/Courtesy of GCSAA.

Helping bring it all together in Guadalajara, is Miller, who when not making an onsite visit, provides support to international superintendents via e-mail.

"It has been a very good relationship," Varela said. "(Miller) is clear and objective."

And while each country has its own challenges, Miller said the influence of American golf and course maintenance practices is evident.

"Many of the courses on the LPGA Tour are upper end courses, so the maintenance is similar to maintenance in the U.S. As I travel though, I see other courses that do not have the budgets or the knowledge to maintain the courses at that level," Miller said. "Overall though, I see them following trends that are set here in the U.S. Light, frequent topdressing, spoon feeding and mowing practices are followed very closely."

For Beebe, who last oversaw an LPGA event at Priddis at the 1999 DuMaurier Classic, says in the last decade, the influence of American big business has brought an added dimension to tournament preparations.

"The biggest difference was the size of the show. With skyboxes and corporate tents, everything was on a bigger scale," Beebe said. "It's real balancing act dealing with all of those outside contractors. You really have to have all of your plans in place."

But bigger can be better for the future of the game, and from Miller's perspective, no where is a better example of that than in Asia.

"Women's golf is very big internationally, especially in the Asian market. We have great crowds there that follow the LPGA, and when I travel there, I notice that there are a lot more women playing on courses than we typically see here in the U.S," he said.

For more information about what goes into professional tournament preparations, visit GCSAA's Web site at www.gcsaa.org.

Angela Nitz is the manager, corporate communications for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. GCSAA is a leading golf organization, which has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 20,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA's mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association's philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf, works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.