We've been listening to the litany "the courses need to mature" for years now. Guess what, Havana was built after Cane and Mallory and was in better condition than either of those courses all winter long, inspite of the increased play it got over either Cane or Mallory. Why? Because they watered the heck out of it. Every time I've gone by the past month or two, they're plying it with water.. Todd Basso said they had a pump out of order for 2 weeks at Mallory. I mean, don't you think a pump can be replaced a little faster than that? I live near Mallory and have seen virtually no watering for months now. Yet every time I ride by Havana or Palmer they are getting hammered with water. If they know they have a watering problem, why don't they build additional water retention basins? And what about the decision to just not overseed Hacienda at all? Hacienda is one of the nicest layouts around, and they just didn't bother to overseed it. I too have served on greens committees, and understand the basics of turf management, as well as the $$$ considerations that go into golf course maintenance. Todd Basso actually told a friend of mine that Palmer and Cane Garden get the same amount of water. Sorry, but that just doesn't ring true.
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