MAY 2021 • VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 3
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The Amazing Baltimore CC! |
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Talking Ocean Organics with Tim Kennelly,
Superintendent of Baltimore CC
We are very excited in this month’s Ocean newsletter to feature Tim Kennelly, longtime Superintendent at Baltimore CC in Lutherville, MD.
We’re going to talk to Tim about his professional journey, the amazing golf property he maintains and, of course, how Ocean Organics fits into his agronomic programs.
The Journey:
“I grew up in Temperance, MI which is south of Detroit and north of Toledo, Ohio,” Tim reminisced. “In high school I played on the golf team. In fact, I liked playing golf all day at the public courses along with my friends and family. I was curious about the maintenance side of the business. My high school golf coach, John White, got me in touch with Tom Walker who was the Superintendent at Highland Meadows GC. It was right over the border in Ohio. So, I began my career in high school working on Tom’s crew. It was a great place to start, a good club. Tom later moved on to Inverness Club in Toledo which hosted numerous majors. Tom was an important mentor. He’s working in Maryland and we still talk.”
After graduating high school, Tim enrolled in the turf program at Michigan State where he earned his diploma in 1983 — but not before completing a key internship.
“I interned at Oakmont CC for Paul Latshaw in 1982 and was invited to return in 1983 after graduation with the highlight not only being the 1983 US Open but also where a life-changing event occurred. Was it fate?” Tim pondered. “I lived in the clubhouse at Oakmont. There was a young lady who manned the snack bar at the pool. Mr. Latshaw was concerned about my lack of a social life and took me to the pool and introduced us. Her name was Sandy and we have been married for 35 years.”
“Another useful learning experience during this time was working with Tanto Irrigation installing an irrigation system at Oakmont following the Open.” Tim recalled, “After the season ended, I went to work with Tanto in Hilton Head to gain additional irrigation experience. That lasted about a month.”
Tim then secured an Assistant’s position in 1984 at Beverly CC, a Donald Ross design located in Chicago, Illinois, working for Les Rutan.
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“I interned at Oakmont CC for Paul Latshaw in 1982 and was invited to return in 1983 after graduation with the highlight not only being the 1983 US Open but also where a life-changing event occurred.
Was it fate?”
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Tim Kennelly, Baltimore CC |
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In 1985, Tim rejoined Tom Walker at Inverness where he helped to prepare and maintain the course for the 1986 PGA Championship. “It was great. My Dad was on the divot crew and my younger brother Terry (current Superintendent at The Pelican Club in Florida) was also on the crew — good times.”
In the spring of 1987, Tim applied for the Superintendent’s position at the US Naval Academy Golf Club in Annapolis, MD and got it.
“The Club had a great tradition,” Tim recalled, “The course wasn’t in the best of shape when I got there but the William Flynn design had great bones. It was a good place to learn. We averaged 50,000 rounds a year. I spent eight years there and enjoyed my stay. My first daughter, Torie, was born while I was there so it holds special memories for me.”
The next stop was The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, GA.
“The Farm GC was a Tom Fazio design. It opened in 1988. It had bentgrass greens and zoysia fairways. I worked for a single owner, Bob Shaw. He owned Shaw Industries which at the time was the world’s largest carpet manufacturer. We only met once a year to go over the budget but I would occasionally see Mr. Shaw in the early morning hours when he was walking his dog Buster and I was riding a mountain bike on the cart paths around the course. I worked there from 1994 till 2002. The club hosted numerous amateur events with the most recent being the US Senior Amateur in 2005. There wasn’t a lot of play. We averaged about 8,000 rounds a year. We did lots of projects during my time there. I did love those zoysia fairways though,” Tim laughed. “It was a good run and very special as my second daughter, Allison, was born while I was there.”
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In 2002 Baltimore CC came calling. |
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“It was a good move for the family. Sandy’s parents lived in York, PA which was less than an hour away. Sandy and the girls got to spend a lot more time with the grandparents.”
Tim reflected, “I’ve been at Baltimore CC for 19 years. It’s been a great work environment and we’ve made a lot of improvements. In 2014 on the Tillinghast East Course, under the auspices of Architect Keith Foster’s master plan, we’ve rebuilt all the greens to USGA specification. We employed a variable depth approach as far as the amount of mix you would find on certain areas of the green. The low spots have 14-15” of mix. On the high spots we have less, 8-10” —this has reduced our hand watering dramatically. The idea of varying the depth of the greens mix came about from research conducted at Michigan State with Dr. Crum and Dr. Rogers. The research was spot on, it worked. We also softened the slopes on the greens. They were pretty severe. The end result was more hole locations and healthier turf. We’ve re-grassed the fairways on both courses, converting them from ryegrass to bentgrass. The practice facilities have been improved and expanded. We also have a master drainage plan and have added a lot of drainage throughout the property.”
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"The idea of varying the depth of the greens mix came about from research conducted at Michigan State with Dr. Crum and Dr. Rogers. The research was spot on, it worked." |
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About Baltimore CC
Baltimore CC was founded in 1898 at Roland Park which is about 5 miles from downtown Baltimore. Renowned Scottish Golf Professional Willie Park Jr. designed the course. In 1899, it hosted the US Open Championship won with a score of 315 by Willie Smith, another Scotland native. The club was an instant success from the start with 600 members enjoying its 150-acre facility.
In the 1920’s the club made the decision to acquire land north of the city and expand the popular golfing amenities to a second location. The East Course at Five Farms, designed by A.W. Tillinghast, officially opened in September of 1926 and was instantly recognized as a masterpiece of golf course architecture.
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The East Course at Five Farms, designed by A.W. Tillinghast, officially opened in September of 1926 and was instantly recognized as a masterpiece of golf course architecture. |
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A testament to the East Course’s greatness is the impressive list of golf championships it has hosted over the years. They include the 1928 PGA Championship, the 1932 U.S. Men’s Amateur, the 1965 Walker Cup, the 1988 U.S. Women’s Open, the Senior Players Championships in 2007, 2008, and 2009, and the Men’s Big 10 Golf Championships in 2017 and 2018.
In 1962 the West Course, designed by Ed Ault, opened at Five Farms. The West Course was redesigned in 1990 by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite. In 2012, Tim and his crew completed bunker, tee, and cart path work under the direction of Golf Course Architect Keith Foster.
The Roland Park Golf Course closed in 1962 when the club sold all of their property on the west side of Falls Road which contained a great deal of the original layout. The Roland Park Clubhouse is still a big part of Baltimore CC. It offers squash, paddle tennis, fitness, duck pin bowling, and fine dining. It is also an excellent wedding venue which hosts up to 20 events per year along with numerous other social events.
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Baltimore CC & Ocean Organics
Growing cool season grass in a transition zone is no easy task.
“You never know what you’re going to get weather-wise,” Tim aptly stated. “We manage cool season grass in a location that’s hot, humid, and gets a lot of rainfall. One thunderstorm followed by 90 degree plus temperatures can ruin your whole year.”
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The key to success is growing healthier turf to withstand harsh weather conditions over a long growing season. |
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“You never know what you’re going to get weather-wise,” Tim aptly stated. “We manage cool season grass in a location that’s hot, humid, and gets a lot of rainfall. One thunderstorm followed by 90 degree plus temperatures can ruin your whole year.” |
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The key to success is growing healthier turf to withstand harsh weather conditions over a long growing season.
“I started using Emerald Isle products when I was in Georgia.” Tim stated, “I started with Sand-Aid as a nutritional source to counter the low CEC’s in my greens. I also started using PanaSea (Emerald Isle’s seaweed extract) and CPR. I became friends with Bill Middleton early on. I was always impressed with the amount of university research Bill’s company invested in.”
With the advent of Ocean Organics, Tim jumped on board and has incorporated OO’s products into his agronomic programs course-wide at Baltimore CC.
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"I was always impressed with the amount of university research Bill’s company invested in.” |
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“I don’t use granular fertilizer on my greens. It’s all liquids. I like to keep nitrogen inputs low. My greens’ programs include Ocean’s 9-0-9 NK Balance which Ocean made special for me. I use XP and Stress RX to build strong roots and keep the grass on the greens healthy. On the West Course, I still like to use CPR and TF MgMn on greens and tee surfaces.”
“I use SeaBlend Granular 12-0-12 on my tees and SeaBlend Granular 5-7-5 on my high traffic areas and for seeding and sodding.”
“I’ve incorporated the new surfactant line that Ocean developed. I inject Helmsman through my fertigation system for the fairways and roughs. I will spray it when it’s warranted and combine it with Mariner on my greens when we get into the summer months. I also use a Mariner/Helmsman combo on my tees for a 90-day control. I was applying Guarantee Natural on my fairways but since there is such a good amount of that bio-stimulant in Helmsman, I no longer thought it was necessary.”
So, there you have it. Thank you, Tim, for your time and your thoughts.
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SeaBlend® Granular Fertilizer
Stress Rx® Foliar Fertilizer
XP® Foliar Fertilizer
Mariner® & Helmsman® Surfactants
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Tim uses Helmsman® and Mariner® surfactants. Helmsman is a multi-use product for fairways — it’s the most interesting surfactant on the market — every ingredient in the formula is active — working for you! You get optimum soil moisture, released nutrients in the soil, and optimized plant health. Mariner delivers firm, dry surfaces; optimum soil and root zone moisture; healthy turf.
Unique, Versatile, Cost-Efficient
Ocean Organics high-performance surfactants optimize nutrient and water use efficiency while helping boost plant fitness. Each formulation contains a surfactant, an infiltration agent, and a biostimulant.
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“Thanks for Making Me Look Good.”
– Al Choiniere
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Superior Strategic Stress Management
Ocean Organics, The Industry Leader
45 Years in the Golf Industry
Best Seaweed Processor — The Mother Ship
All products manufactured in Waldoboro, ME
Superior Surfactants:
Mariner®, Privateer®, Nautilus®, Windjammer®
Superior Liquids:
XP Extra Protection®, Stress Rx®, Guarantee®
Superior Granular Fertility:
SeaBlend®
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Need information? Want to chat?
Email or call your local distributor
or Kevin Collins
914-621-1151
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Manufacturers of High-Performance, Science-Based Plant Strengthening and Fitness Materials for Growth, Protection, Stress Tolerance and Recovery |
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