Brian Archbold loves grass.
``I think grass is amazing,'' he said. ``You can walk on it, stomp on it and mow it and it still lives. It's gorgeous. There are so many different types. You can cut it different heights and there are so many different shades.''
It's a good thing Archbold, 37, has such a passion for the plant since he is responsible for 160 acres of it.
While many residents may enjoy the lush views of the El Niguel Country Club, most probably do not know Archbold is the man behind the green-scape.
As the golf course superintendent, Archbold manages a crew of 25 that keep the course as green and golfer-friendly as possible. The cost to maintain the course is about $1.7 million a year.
Archbold began working at the El Niguel Country Club when he was 24, starting out as a crew member while getting his degree in ornamental horticulture and a certificate in turf grass management.
His first experience of maintaining a course was at age 12, while spending the summer working at his grandfather's golf course in New Jersey.
``I learned not to be afraid of the work,'' the Capistrano Beach resident said. ``He (my grandfather) got me up at 4 a.m. every morning and worked me hard.''
Times haven't changed too much.
Most mornings Archbold is up at 5:30 a.m. and getting ready for a day on the course. By 6:30 a.m. he is on the dew dabbled course, the silence covering the course like a blanket.
``I love the morning,'' Archbold said. ``It's the best time of the day. No one is out here and it's so quiet. It's so peaceful.''
As Archbold rides through the course, he frequently stops his cart to walk the course -- his head down, focused on the green blades and turf.
At least the majority of the course is green and Archbold is sure to stop and look at the brown patches, padding the ground to feel the moisture levels.
Any unusual wet or dry spots Archbold makes a mental note of so he can adjust the amount of water in that specific area.
Archbold is not only concerned with the grass's moisture levels, but also the make-up of the soil. He is currently on a 5-year plan to make the fairways of the course firmer, through an intricate process of uprooting cores of grass and filling the holes with sand.
``I just want to make the course as good as we can get it,'' Archbold said, gazing at his big green office.
But occasionally Mother Nature gets in the way and Archbold is forced to go to battle with every superintendent's nightmare -- grass diseases.
They can spread like wildfire taking over a course within days and come unannounced, Archbold said.
The soles of golfer's shoes can transfer the grass assassins.
Last year El Niguel was hit by gray leaf spot, killing 40 percent of the fairways in three days.
``It was bad,'' said Archbold, shaking his head, his hand on his forehead. ``Everyone blamed it on me, which is fine that's my job, but when you are dealing with Mother Nature and other elements it can be difficult.''
The plant scientist admits to waking up in a cold sweat after a nightmare of his greens dying.
``I live and breathe this place,'' Archbold said. ``It crushes me. You can work so hard and then a disease wipes you out. There's been a few times where I've just started to cry because you see something and get so overwhelmed.''
But since the disease hit last summer, Archbold has taken additional precautions. Previously he sprayed all the greens with a fungicide, but now he is also spraying the fairways three times a year. Each pesticide application costs $15,000.
And with Archbold's job there are no hiding mistakes. The golfers are out most mornings at 7 a.m. tromping though his work, clubs in tow.
``But when you work hard, you can see the rewards over the years,'' Archbold said. ``There is so much to learn so it never gets boring. You always want to stay ahead of everything.''
One pest Archbold learned to eradicate was coots.
Thousands of the black small plumpbirds invaded the course a few years ago, covering much of the course in a tar-like film of bird poop.
After using scarecrows, fencing off the lake and getting a license to shoot the pests, Archbold bought Maid -- a sheepherder trained border collie. Maid kept the coots in the lake until eventually most of them found a new home.
``My job is all about trying to solve problems,'' Archbold said.
But Archbold doesn't take his work home with him.
``My yard is a mess,'' he said. ``My wife does more yard work than I do. I just go home and that's the last thing I want to do ... Of course I'm not going to hire a gardener, but I probably should.''
Source: The Orange County Register (Calif.)