Winter road trip

The first of the year is hectic for me, with a new semester and teaching, traveling, speaking and never-ending writing. Finding time to talk turf often doesn’t even cross my mind. This year, however, started off a little different.

In early January I received an invitation from Christine Merchent to attend an art show at Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville, Ind. Besides being a professional photographer, Christine is co-developer and co-owner along with her husband, Mike, of Purgatory. I decided what the heck, I would go, and that late January would work for both of us.

Christine and I had never met in person. Our conversations over the years had been through email or social media. Our exchanges focused on how to develop and improve our iBooks, with her focus on the golf course and mine on turfgrass management.

Traveling in Ohio in January is an iffy thing, with the potential for snow, ice and obligatory cold. The day I set out was dreary but nice for the time of year. If you’ve ever traveled from Columbus, Ohio, to Indianapolis, Ind. (Noblesville is just north of Indianapolis) along Interstate 70, you know how boring the drive is. I would describe it — maybe not entirely correctly — as taking a hole shot in drag racing. The goal is to get off to a quick start and get there as quickly as possible. Actually, the drive is a lot like drag racing — 180 miles in a straight line. Truck traffic and state workers filling pot holes are the only things that slow you down.

The scenery consists of mile after mile of farmland, which during the summer is mainly corn, but at this time of year lies fallow. There are a few landmarks along the way, including Wright Patterson Air Force Base, where the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is located, Wilbur Wright’s birthplace and museum, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. You do cross a couple of bodies of water with names like Mud Creek and the Big Blue River, which was neither big nor blue on my trip. And if you like milkshakes, there are an inordinate number of Steak ’n Shakes along the way.

Indianapolis has many superb upscale public golf course facilities, and Purgatory Golf Club is one of them. Arriving at the club, I was greeted by Christine and Mike, along with Jon Schriner, the golf course superintendent, and the professional staff. Mike and Christine purchased the land on which the course is built in 1997. Purgatory opened in 2000 and was managed by Mike and Christine until recently, when they hired Billy Casper Golf to manage the day-to-day operations. Jon Schriner, the young and up-and-coming superintendent, has been there a little more than a year.

Before lunch, Christine provided a personal tour of her art show, which consisted of more than 60 amazing photographs. The title of the show was “Ballerinas on the Green.” She said ballerinas and golfers share many things, including long hours of practice often done in solitude. The photographs were taken at Purgatory and the models were ballerinas from two local academies and high school golfers from her son’s team. See the photographs at
christinemerchentart.com.

There for lunch were Christine and Mike, Jon Schriner, the general manager and the golf professionals. Conversation ranged from turf schools and their status to agronomic and business issues facing golf. Heading home, I thought about how rejuvenating and enjoyable it was to talk about turf and golf with individuals who share the same passion.

It’s not uncommon in the northern regions of the United States for superintendents to gather during the winter months for coffee or lunch and just talk. I’m envious. Don’t fall into a routine where you think you are too busy to meet with a few colleagues. It’s those gatherings that remind you why you chose this profession.