A Scottish Theme Runs Through It .....

On the morning of September 15th, as everyone waited for Hurricane Ivan to come ashore, Gary Bush took time to show me the new course at Ballantrae in Pelham. After the tour of the 18 hole championship course designed by Bob Cupp, Gary shared some insights on the superintendent profession from one of his “offices:” a cart on hole #14. Sitting among the breathtaking scenery with Double Oak Mountain as a backdrop is a great way to conduct an interview. Much of this area is still under development. As I drove away from the course two wild turkeys crossed the road and disappeared into the woodlands.

Diverse groups of people were involved in the development of this project. It was a collaboration of the City of Pelham, Mobley Development and the Dixie Section PGA. According to Gary, “The alliance of these three groups will make this a strong facility. The course is municipally owned and operated with a strong commitment from the Mayor and City Council. I have yet to seen any municipal courses run like this. We’ve definitely set the bar for those following in the municipal arena.”

Pelham’s Mayor, Bobby Hayes was instrumental in getting the course opened. A golf course was planned for the area ten years ago, but didn’t materialize. When Thornton Properties donated the land to the city, and developer Steve Mobley bought the surrounding land with plans for 3800 homes in a subdivision, the Mayor and Council moved forward with plans to build the course. Philip Wright, formerly in Tuscaloosa at Indian Hills and Capstone Club is Director of Golf. Dixie Section PGA has made a permanent home there with spacious offices in the Scottish themed Club House pictured on the front cover. Section Executive Director Dave Berry is excited about the move and the possibility of hosting various Section events at Ballantrae.

For Gary Bush, “The uniqueness of the project is that it had to be developed from the ground up. In the beginning we had no electricity, no buildings at all, and dirt roads. I’d never built anything from ground zero. It was a challenge. There were virtually no pre-existing services to work with. We had a general contractor, but so many other groups were involved ranging from the developer to the city management to the utility companies.”

“The other unique challenge is that all my career I have managed bentgrass. Now I’m managing an ultradwarf bermudagrass called Tifeagle. As a bentgrass superintendents I used to always say in the summer, ‘I wish I had bermudagrass.’ But Tifeagle has proven not that easy. It is very delicate and must be managed carefully. We sodded the entire 135 acres of golf course. It’s a certified bermuda 419. This was done because there was no water available until the end of July, 2003. We had to build a lake and a dam. The dam wasn’t completed until the end of July and then we had to fill the lake. There was no time available for sprigging with the short season left. We began sodding on August 2, 2003 and the first rounds were played on June 1st of 2004.” Gary believes a strong contributing factor to getting the greens ready was a new turf blanket that they used. The greens never went dormant so when spring came there was a lot more to work with. The club house opened on August 1, 2004, and they are up for full service now.

The project went through some precarious times. “There was a tremendous outbreak of army worms that set us back. The fact that we didn’t have any electricity was a handicap. The irrigation pump station ran off a generator, but all the watering had to be done during the day. There is continuous wind on this course and that made it a challenge to water.”

Ballantrae has been widely acclaimed since the opening, and Gary and crew deserve much credit. “I was fortunate to have a tremendous supporting cast while constructing the course. Robert Walt, my assistant, along with Jamie Macdonald, second assistant and the service tech Bo Jowers all worked under adverse conditions to contribute to the success of the course.”

Gary, personally, is happy to be back in a job he loves. “For me, it is a dream come true. During my career I’ve had various levels I’ve wanted to achieve in my profession, and this has been one of them. I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity. I’ve always recognized the challenges put before us as superintendents. We don’t bask in the limelight or glory. If you’re looking for pats on the back, it’s not going to happen, but I prefer to be behind the scenes. I can obtain more self esteem from what I do, rather than what people tell me I do. Jim Simmons once said to me, ‘Believe in yourself, trust in yourself, and have a strength greater than yourself.’ This philosophy has helped me to overcome a lot over the years. There’s something I call the X-factor present in a superintendent’s work. The X-factor consists of Mother Nature, people and equipment. Those three things have to be overcome on a daily basis, and we do it because of our passion. You have to have a true passion and commitment to succeed in this business.”

“I have been very fortunate to have a supportive wife and family who make my work possible. My wife, Susan, and I have been together for 25 years in this business. It takes a lot out of your family and my family has been fully supportive of me. I knew I could come into this project not be worried about how my family would react.”