Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2011 - 32

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The mission statement at Hazeltine National
is " to build and maintain a golf course suitable
for the conduct of National Championships. "
So it stands to reason that everything
they do has that in mind. The course has
changed signifi cantly since hosting its fi rst
major in 1966 (the U.S. Women's Open) and
is changing again in preparation for the 2016
Ryder Cup. But that international event was
only one of the reasons the course was shut
down for construction last season.
" The biggest reason is that our grasses
were starting to get older and tired, and we
were getting a lot of different grasses [growing
in], " says head pro Mike Schultz. " Maintaining
them at the level that we wanted-
not just for major championships but for
our regular member play-was becoming
more and more diffi cult. "
It may not be visible to the layman's eyes
when members return to the course this
summer, but the grass on the greens and
fairways was replaced with bentgrass.
" Conditions may not be pushed quite to
the edge you have for a major event, but we
wanted our members to play on much faster
and fi rmer fairways and greens, " Schultz
says. " And we felt the only way we could do
that was to re-grass. The byproduct is that it
will make it easier for us to have the types of
conditions we like for our major events. "
While Hazeltine didn't have a particular
problem that precipitated the change, small
modifi cations to the greens and time brought
it to a head. Schultz said they were having
trouble with consistent grass, soil content,
compaction and drainage on the greens.
Trying to maintain them all the same way
was ineffective, and it became increasingly
diffi cult to get them to where they wanted
them. So during the re-grassing, Hazeltine
fi xed a multitude of problems-all without
changing the contours of the greens.
" We brought in GPS and lasers and
mapped the elevations, " Schultz explains.
" We went down anywhere from 18 to 24
inches on the base until we got to the drainage
system, which we replaced, and we put
in all new base. At each level we took elevation
readings so we could
get our greens back to the
same elevations and breaks
that were on them before
we started. "
Schultz says that some
of these problems happen
at most courses
over time, and he won't
be surprised to see other
courses doing the same
procedures in the next
fi ve to 10 years. Ultimately,
their efforts will
make for some great
playing conditions.
Hazeltine's award-winning clubhouse, from
the exterior and interior (right).
" Faster and fi rmer conditions-the new
grass and soil mix not only creates it, but
it creates conditions where these grasses
grow better under [extreme] conditions, " he
says. " Where before we almost had to stress
the grass in certain areas to get it where we
wanted it, these new grasses perform better
under those conditions. "
Hazeltine superintendent Jim Nicol said
several greens were expanded slightly, resulting
in a number of new hole locations.
Although these changes may be hard to
detect, newcomers to the course will notice
the new clubhouse that was completed last
fall. The modern-looking edifi ce won an International
Interior Design Association FAB
" The design
is unique and
beautiful. "
Award for its design.
" The design is unique and beautiful, " says
Schultz. " It looks like it fi ts
where it sits. When you see it in
the future, you are going to say,
'Hey, that's Hazeltine's clubhouse.'
It doesn't look like a lot
of other clubhouses. " MG
30
MINNESOTAGOLFER Summer 2011
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Minnesota Golfer - Summer 2011

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