Every time members see the head groundskeeper, they’re asking him about the course. The one that’s hosting the Canadian Open this June. As in, is it dead?
Every time the head greenskeeper walks through the halls of the Hamilton Golf and Country Club’s clubhouse this brutal winter, members stop him to ask him how things are going. While they may be lovely people with genuine concern for his well-being, they’re generally not asking about him, his family or his latest Netflix recommendations.
They’re asking about the course. The one that’s hosting the Canadian Open this June. As in, is it dead?
“People are certainly aware of 2014,” superintendent Rhod Trainor says.
Ah, 2014. The winterus horribilis for the gorgeous Ancaster track that consistently ranks among the best courses in Canada. Except for that year. Just mention 2014 to members and they break into a cold sweat and start hearing the terrifying ha-ha-ha-ha-ch-ch-ch-ch soundtrack from the Friday The 13th movies.
On Jan. 6 that year — yes, Trainor recalls the exact day with zero hesitation — a monsoon-like rain fell. As it did, temperatures plummeted to -23 C. He remembers that, too. Overnight, the entire course was covered in a thick blanket of ice.
“It never left,” he says.
The resulting problem was a little biological, a little chemical and a lot practical.
As Trainor explains, even in frigid conditions, grass continues to breathe. As it does, gasses are produced. Meaning oxygen needs to be available and those gasses must be able to escape. When neither happens because a thick casing of ice is entombing it, the grass dies. In this case, the greens paid the price.
When the ice finally melted that March, the suffocated putting surfaces were botanical corpses.
Bad as that was five winters ago, having it happen again this year would be an unmitigated disaster. Could you imagine the visuals if some of the best players in the world were putting on browns instead of greens as millions of fans tuned in? Not quite the picture Hamilton — always battling that gritty, rusty steeltown image — wants to beam to the world.
So the 65-year-old must be lying in bed at night having cold sweats.
“No, I don’t do that,” he says. “Why worry about things you have no control over?”
Perhaps that’s it. More likely, his calm comes from the fact that he does have some control over it and has seemingly done everything right.
Before the bad weather came, the grounds crew covered all the greens with a blanket and then a solid plastic tarp. Under the coverings they had laid tubes that can be attached to blowers. Once a month, the tarps are inflated to look like mini tennis domes for five or 10 minutes which allows fresh air and stale air out.
It’s not cheap. Trainor says the club spends roughly $25,000 a year on these covers. But had they not, he would be concerned. Even though we’ve had some above-freezing days, the precipitation and the temperatures this winter could’ve been a big problem.
Still could be.
“I’m confident in the greens,” he says. “But the rest of the course could have battle scars.”
This is a big, big deal for all kinds of reasons. The obvious is the reputation of this club. Not to mention the fact that this is the first year the Canadian Open has been moved to the beginning of June from July. A lousy looking course would raise some questions about the wisdom of such a decision when factoring in the impact of our winters.
He doesn’t say it, but the third reason is personal. This is his last season. After 30 years at HGCC and 46 in the golf course business, he’s retiring this fall. For a guy widely regarded as one of the very best in the business, going out with a stain on his resume would be tough to take.
