Behind the Course: Celebrating Our Superintendent and Maintenance Team
Every great round of golf starts long before the first tee time.
On Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day, we’re recognizing Chula Vista Golf Course Superintendent Mitch and the entire maintenance team for the work they put in each day to care for the course, improve playing conditions, and prepare CVGC for the future.
Mitch is approaching his second year as Superintendent at Chula Vista Golf Course. In that role, he oversees the maintenance team, manages the day-to-day condition of the golf course, and helps plan and execute improvement projects throughout the property.
Much of that work happens before golfers arrive, after they leave, and in areas of the course most players may never see.
A Year of Course Improvements
Over the past year, the maintenance team has completed several major projects aimed at improving both course conditions and the overall player experience.
One of the largest was a bunker renovation project, along with the installation of more than 300,000 square feet of new turf across five holes and more than 10 tee boxes.
The team has also replaced hundreds of aging irrigation and sprinkler heads throughout the property.
While projects like new turf and bunker improvements may be easy to notice during a round, the irrigation work happening underground is just as important. A reliable irrigation system is essential to maintaining healthy turf and consistent course conditions, particularly during Southern California’s warmer and drier months.
Water: One of the Course’s Biggest Priorities
One of the biggest projects on the horizon at CVGC is focused on something every golf course depends on: water.
Plans are underway for a new well project that could nearly double the amount of water available to the golf course.
The project includes re-casing the well, bringing in new electrical infrastructure, and installing more than 1,400 feet of new pipe to supplement the course’s existing well.
Once completed, the additional water supply would significantly improve the maintenance team’s ability to irrigate the course and provide consistent playing conditions throughout the year.
The project is currently expected to be completed within the next year, with the goal of having the expanded water system available before next summer.
Preparing the Course for the Rainy Season
Water management isn’t only about having enough water during dry weather. It also means being prepared when too much water arrives at once.
Drainage is another major focus for the maintenance team heading into the fall and winter months.
Crews have been cutting back and dramatically thinning reeds throughout the Sweetwater River to allow water to move through the area more effectively and improve drainage during periods of heavy rain.
At the same time, the team will continue replacing aging irrigation heads, pipes, and other infrastructure throughout the fall and winter as conditions and resources allow.
Another important piece of seasonal course maintenance is also approaching.
Fall aerification is scheduled for September 21 and 22.
Although aerification can temporarily affect playing conditions, it is an essential part of maintaining healthy greens. The process helps relieve soil compaction and allows air, water, and nutrients to reach the turf’s root system, supporting stronger and healthier playing surfaces over time.
The Work Golfers Don’t Always See
Golf course maintenance rarely follows a perfectly predictable schedule.
Each week, Mitch and the maintenance team establish priorities for the course. But unexpected problems can quickly change those plans.
A mainline irrigation break may suddenly cut off water. Aging electrical wiring can fail and require crews to locate and repair the problem. Extreme weather can create entirely new priorities overnight.
That ability to adapt and respond quickly is one of the things the team takes pride in most.
This summer provided a particularly good example.
During periods of intense heat and unusual humidity, members of the maintenance team were coming in six nights a week to water the greens with potable water when needed to help protect the course.
It is the kind of work golfers may never realize is happening because much of it takes place when the course is quiet.
Before Sunrise and After Sunset
There is a simple reality behind maintaining a golf course: the work never completely stops.
Mitch and the maintenance team are often on the property in the dark early in the morning and back into the dark at night, working around tee times, weather, irrigation schedules, repairs, and whatever unexpected challenge the course presents that day.
Those hours translate directly into the course our golfers get to enjoy.
Every repaired sprinkler head, renovated bunker, new section of turf, drainage improvement, and late-night watering session is part of the larger effort to continually improve Chula Vista Golf Course.
Thank You, Mitch and the CVGC Maintenance Team
Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day is an opportunity to recognize the people behind the conditions we sometimes take for granted.
To Mitch and our entire maintenance team: thank you.
Thank you for the early mornings, late nights, quick problem-solving, and countless hours spent making Chula Vista Golf Course better.
There is still plenty of work ahead, from drainage improvements and fall aerification to continued irrigation upgrades and the upcoming well project. We’re excited about what those improvements will mean for the future of the course.
The next time you see Mitch or a member of the maintenance crew while you’re out playing, give them a wave or take a moment to say hello.
Their work is a big part of what makes every round at Chula Vista Golf Course possible.
Happy Thank a Golf Course Superintendent Day from everyone at CVGC.
