Genre: Golf.
Author range: Players, turfgrass pathologists, scribes, architects, essayists, head greenkeepers, agents, superintendents, coaches, business tycoons, caddies, analysts and developers.
D.R. “Dewey” Shore doesn’t fit any of the above categories. Shore is a veteran equipment operator — likely the first person with the job title to publish a book.
His recently released “So You Wanna Mow a Golf Course?” is a self-published cornucopia of anecdotes and practical guidance designed to educate, entertain and enlighten the thousands of crew members critical to golf’s success. His words resonate with current and potential peers because they reflect a from-the-mower's-seat perspective of the profession.
Reliable operators form the core of golf maintenance teams. The best superintendents deflect personal praise, instead noting the oversized role loyal crew members occupy in producing the conditions and experiences golfers’ relish. Superintendents who find and retain strong cores usually flourish. Frequent operator turnover will cause a superintendent to flounder.
Of the trillions of words published in golf books, there’s never been an inside look at core life like the one Shore provides. He explains what to eat on the job, how to interact with golfers, and where to start and end when attempting to mow various patterns.
Shore stays inside his stripes, never pretending to be a superintendent or fully grasping the technical and managerial tasks the boss juggles. He alludes to seeing sights such as sprayers on the course but humbly admits to not knowing much about the mixtures in the tank.
He portrays himself as an operator with immense gratitude for finding meaningful work. Shore discovered the golf industry after the economy stalled his career as a building architect, and he seems damn content to spend mornings on a mower. Every course boasts a few employees like Shore.
And every course is looking for a half dozen more employees like Shore. The book oozes a passion play — Shore carries a single-digit handicap and displays a keen interest in golf course architecture — while also doubling as a textbook for hourly employees.
Textbook elements in Shore’s written work include diagrams and descriptions for tasks such as equipment turning, hole cutting and pattern mowing. Excellent communicators never assume audiences possess similar knowledge or backgrounds. Shore explains what various golf and maintenance jargon mean in relatable ways for rookies. He summarizes those terms in a back-of-the-book glossary.
Unlike turfgrass science-focused books, which cater to niche audiences of superintendents, assistant superintendents, turfgrass students and researchers, “So You Wanna Mow a Golf Course?” has a potentially broad audience. Operators, after all, far outnumber superintendents on golf course payrolls. Plus, what golfer hasn’t thought about ditching the corporate world for a job mowing golf turf? Candid descriptions of mower life now reside in a first-person format.
Shore performs a gigantic favor for golf courses looking to train its workforce. How to approach and perform the job from the perspective of somebody who’s passionate about the job makes for more compelling reading than training manuals or website links.
He might even save a few superintendents from employees questioning the why behind aerification.
Guy Cipriano is Golf Course Industry’s publisher + editor-in-chief.
