SCOTT PAVALKO JOINS COG HILL AS SUPERINTENDENT OF COURSE #4 DUBSDREAD

When Ken Lapp the longtime course superintendent at Cog Hill approached
owner Frank Jemsek in early 2010, it wasn't to ask for more sand to put
in Dubsdreads new and deeper bunkers.

It was to tell his longtime boss, that at his next birthday he would hit 75
years young and that it was time to slow down a bit. No Lapp didn't retire
at last years end (as two publications incorrectly reported), he just took
on the new job of Director of Grounds at Cog Hill. That left an opening
for a new superintendent at Cog Hill.

Jemsek didn't want Lapp over-run with 500 resumes, so the job was
promoted behind the scenes. With the Jemsek family reaching out to
a couple of local superintendents they respected, both turned them
down.

The next step was to approach Paul Vermillion Head of Agronomy at the
PGA Tour for a recommendation, at first he had none. So a call went
out to Mike Davis at the USGA, who could only suggest a few people
to call and see if those people had someone to recommend.

Then Vermillion called back, I have someone who is available he told
Frank and Frank's daughter Katherine Jemsek (now the President
of Cog Hill). Enter Scott Pavalko who was wrapping up his eighth
year at the Jack Nicklaus designed Muirfield Village in Ohio. The home
of Jacks Memorial Tournament on the PGA Tour.

The Gog Blog waited to give Pavalko 30 days on the job, then dropped
in on him at Cog Hill to see how things were going. To see if the
famed course #4 Dubsdread had survived the winter, and what it
might take to have it in mint condition for the BMW Championship in
mid September.

During an interview with Frank Jemsek only minutes before talking
with Pavalko, Jemsek admitted that if Cog 4 wasn't in great shape
this September, the chances of Cog Hill getting another contract
with the Western Golf Association were "slim or none".

As a result the heat is on Lapp and Pavalko to make sure Dubsdread 
can both, take the heat Mother Nature dishes out this summer and
take the heat the PGA Tour and it's top 70 players will bring in
September.

GOG BLOG..Scott you have had 30 days on the job at Cog Hill, what
are your first impressions ?

SCOTT PAVALKO ..."(Cog Hill) it's a very large place. The first four
weeks have been a lot of me finding my way around. It's been great
that Ken has been here to help me and show me where everything is.
As far as Dubsdread goes and I think Ken would agree, and Paul
Vermillion from the tour who has been out already for a visit this year
would agree too, that we are set up for a really great season.
I think everything came out of winter really healthy and any of the
areas that last year were a little weak or thin at the end of the season,
the guys have a done a great patching. I think we are in good shape
to start the spring."

GOG BLOG..We haven't seen much a of spring this year, the weather
hasn't been great for golf. Has it been better for growing grass and
things like that in terms of maintenance ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."It could have been worse. I think I saw a stat that it
was the cloudiest April in 136 years in the chicagoland area. So that's
not great. We didn't receive a lot of rain, our weather station here (at Cog)
said we were up over five inches. Fortunately it was wet and cool, 
and we didn't have any issues with disease on the turf. It allowed us
to get around and do some things like sodding some spots. With a
cooler spring we haven't had to water so much, so it hasn't been
to hard of a spring. But a little hard to get any momentum and get
rolling on things. Speaking from a personal standpoint and being
new here it's been a little nice to have a slow start and ease into
things, versus If I had arrived and it was 75 everyday and the course
was packed. But I wish the weather had been better so we would
have had better business."

GOG BLOG..Is it easier to get ready for a tour event in September
than one at the end of May like you did at Muirfield Village ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."It will have advantages and disadvantages. I
spoke with some of my friends back at Muirfield and where we
had five inches of rain they had 12. It's been a struggle for them
but they are doing well. Getting a golf course to peak in late spring
or early summer can be a big challenge. Having a fall event you
have a lot of wear and tear from hopefully a lot of rounds all summer.
But the event is far enough in the fall where the grass is going to
be healthier. With cooler temperatures by then we can do what we
need to do, without damaging the course."

GOG BLOG..is there a big difference between maintaining a Jack
Nicklaus design and a Joe Lee/Dick Wilson layout, with a Rees
Jones style renovation ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."There are actually more similarities than
differences.  The greens here are a little more contoured which
presents a few challenges, more so for guys picking the hole
locations. But proximity of the bunkers to greens are very similar,
to the course at Muirfield. We don't have as much water here,
which is sort of good thing, because they can be a big task to
keep them looking nice and from eroding. There are severe
bunker slopes on both courses so I am familiar with that, and
I know mowing them is a task. But I can use a lot of what I learned
there, here on Cog Hill."

GOG BLOG..When you arrived here in early April, was there
anything that jumped out at you that you felt the need to address
right away ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."First thing was grass areas near trees or
places where there is traffic from golfers or carts. Because
of the hot summer here and like we had in Ohio, and a dry fall
the grass never really recovered. So we have pinpointed some
key areas and have gone in and fixed them with sod, and made
look nice and better for the players. But there hasn't been anything
that was really out of place, everything is in good shape and we
will tweak a few things. I have been working with the guys on
how they mow the greens, and try and limit the damage we do
as a maintenance staff to the grass because sometimes we can
be our own worst enemy with traffic pattern and things like that.
But I am fortunate to have come into a place that has been well
maintained for years.

GOG BLOG..Do you have a favorite hole on the golf course yet ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."I find the eighth hole every striking off the tee,
but I haven't played golf here yet. The bunker work Rees Jones
did here is very visually pleasing."

GOG BLOG..Paul Vermillion has been here already, what did he
say ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."Paul was happy at the condition of the golf
course, which is a tribute to what Ken and the staff did last fall.
If you didn't know there were issues last fall, you would never
know. Paul put in his report that he likes where we are and that
we are set up for a good season. Now hopefully Mother Nature
cooperates, I tell everyone that Mother nature is a good agronomist,
if she wants us to have a good year, we will."

GOG BLOG..Did you hear the comments during last years BMW
Championship, about both the course and the conditions the
players faced. If so, why did you want this job ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.." I did hear them. I know it was a difficult year
for most, if not all golf courses in the midwest all the way to the
east coast. The turf species that we grow are called "cool season
grasses" for a reason and during times of extreme heat, they
tend to do more dying than growing. The comments of last year
did not effect my decision at all. From day one I felt this to be an
opportunity of a lifetime. I am extremely excited to hopefully with
the help of Ken and some cooperation from Mother Nature, to
have a successful year and dispel some of the negativity from
last year."

GOG BLOG..:How was working at Muirfield and did it help you
to take on the challenges you face here ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.." Muirfield Village for me was a great place. A
learning experience that in my opinion was second to none. The
operation was I feel, as good as it gets from a grounds maintenance
perspective. I learned a lot there from some very good people."

GOG BLOG..Did you ever get any advice from Jack Nicklaus
and did you see him much at Muirfield Village ?

SCOTT PAVALKO.."No advice but in 2010 we rebuilt the 16th hole
so Jack was out on the property several times. It was neat to hear
him speak about golf course design and his take on things. Jack
is a very intelligent, insightful person. While I didn't get any direct
advice from him, his values and beliefs are carried through at
Muirfield Village to the highest extent. Where we always strived for
perfection. In fact I tell our guys here now that will we strive for
perfection, we won't always be perfect all the time. But we will
try as hard as we can."