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Carper's Valley's Authority on GreensBy MAC RUTHERFORDStar Sports WriterBobby Jenkins knows the Carper's Valley golf course in Winchester better than anyone.Jenkins, the greens’ superintendent at Carper’s Valley has been working on the greens for the past 21 years. He has been green's superintendent Carper's Valley for the past eight years.I guess it sort of makes me an authority on this course,” Jenkins said. “I started working here (at Carper’s Valley) when 1 was 13 years old, because they couldn’t run me off.“I would come over here when they were building the course and watch. They kept trying to run me off, but I would come right back and watch, so they finally gave me a job racking the sand traps. This is my home.”That was back in 1962. Since then Jenkins has been attending seminars every chance he gets to learn the art of green’s keeping.“This is my life, all I really want to do,” said the 34 year-old Jenkins. The objective of this job is to keep improving the course. I guess I’m doing a good job because members keep telling me each year that the course is in better shape than the year before.”Golf is a seasonal sport, played mostly during warm weather. While the golfers take the winter months off, Jenkins and his crew go to work on the course.“We start working in September to get the course ready for the following spring,” Jenkins said.“We start by airing the greens. That is, we drill one-half inch holes in the greens that are two or three inchesnpui l, i IMA la UUIIlBOBBY JENKINSsystem of the greens air and to give the roots room to grow.We also do our heavy cutting of the greens during the off season. All this goes to making the greens putt better in the spring.“We have the make the greens to the desires of our members and our members like fast greens. To make greens fast you have to keep all the excess grass cut. Our greens are the fastest in the area.”When Jenkins first started working on the greens at Carper’s Valley, he started developing his theory of what a good greens superintendent should be.“1 kept thinking that to do the the job right one should be a golfer,” Jenkins said. “So I took up the game. Ihad never played or thought about playing until I started working on the greens here. I really didn't know what a golf ball was until I started hereJenkins now plays to a 13 handicap at Carper’s Valley.“By playing and playing with other golfers, I'm always seeing something or have something pointed out that can make the course better. By being a player I know what a golfer likes to see on a course.”When spring comes and golfers flock to the course, Jenkins does not just sit back and play golf, he still worries.“In the spring and summer you have to always guard against decease,” Jenkins said. Hot days and cold nights cause decease and if itgets too hot your grass gets deceased.“Really the whole key is timing. Timing on airing the the greens, spraying for decease, cutting the greens and fairways. Everything depends on timing and that timing comes from experience and knowing your course.After 21 years at Carper’s Valley, Jenkins is happy at his “home, but he does not rule out a change.“Sure I would go somewhere else,” Jenkins said. “Bui it would have to be a bigger club and a much better job. Until that comes along, I'm happy at home,Jenkins is a member of the National Superintendent’s Association, the Middle Atlantic Superintendent’s Association and is vice-president ofStoe GoU Page 8
Newspaper Details
Winchester Star
Winchester, Virginia, US
Sat, May 07, 1983
Page 28
Full Page
Clipped by
Handley R.
VA, USA 18 Mar 2024
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