So, what is the major championship experience like after an 11-year hiatus?
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How does the 2005 PGA Championship compare to the 1994 U.S. Open Championship he hosted at Oakmont? In a nutshell: the same, but different.
“There is always the goal of providing the best possible playing conditions for the best players in the world,” the 1977 Penn State graduate says. “But everything around it has grown, including the expectations for high-quality conditions.”
Inside the ropes, Kuhns will bring in 90 volunteers to assist his 60-person maintenance staff. At Oakmont in 1994, he had 30 volunteers. Outside the ropes, there will be 55 corporate tents, compared to 28 at the 1994 Open. The Upper Course at Baltusrol will be a staging area for the event and itself will need plenty of repairs once the grandstands, tents, television trucks and ropes depart.
“I think everyone is smarter in hosting an event of this magnitude,” Kuhns says. “From the course conditioning perspective, in ’94 the staff and volunteers were stretched. It was an absolute grind. This year, I purposely brought in more volunteers to allow for any contingencies and quite frankly, I want everyone to enjoy the experience. This is an event they should cherish, not dread.”
Kuhns, who arrived in the fall of 1999, also gave plaudits to Baltusrol club officials and administrators from the PGA of America. He noted the organization for the event is as good as any he has ever been associated with. From the volunteers and traffic flow to the placement of temporary venues and communications, Kuhns has come away amazed at the quality of coordination and communications. It is an aspect that has changed significantly since 1994.
If there is one aspect of the job where Kuhns has no control, it is his relationship with Mother Nature. Baltusrol is located on the far eastern tip of what agronomists call the “transition zone.” Stretching from New York, through the Mid-Atlantic, the Mideast and ending in the Midwest, the climate conditions are such that providing quality turfgrass at specific times is a challenge.
“The bentgrass/Poa mix (greens, tees, fairways) and the bluegrass (roughs) are cool season grasses that don’t take too kindly to the heat and humidity of New Jersey in mid-August,” Kuhns says. “I think we had the course at championship level earlier this year. Our challenge was to keep it there. To do that, there was no detail too small. Nothing has been left to chance.”
To get Baltusrol in top condition, Kuhns first spent 10 months working to correct drought-damaged, Poa annua-infested and heavily shaded greens on both the Upper and Lower courses in preparation for the 2000 U.S. Amateur. Kuhns instituted a program of aerating and topdressing greens, which combined with bentgrass overseeding, has converted the greens from a 10 percent bentgrass/90 percent Poa mix in 2000, to a 90-95 percent bentgrass today. Likewise, the fairways, which were almost totally Poa in 2000 are nearly 80 percent bentgrass today.
Turf also improved due to a tree management program, which allowed for better air movement and the sun exposure needed to maintain a healthy stand. Kuhns also re-established the challenge of Baltusrol’s rough by sodding the areas from the edge of the fairway to the gallery ropes with a blend of thick Kentucky bluegrass (80 percent) and ryegrass. At five inches, the rough should pose a significant challenge to the competitors. Fairways have been narrowed to 25 yards in the landing areas, approximately 260-330 yards off the tee.