Canada’s Busiest Golf Course – Turf Management Challenges Interview
Interview with Peter Sorokovsky, Manager of Golf Course Operations, City of Burnaby Conducted by WCTA Executive Director Jerry Rousseau
Following the Brad Zeimer feature on Golf Burnaby’s high standards and affordable green fees, this interview dives deeper into the technical realities of maintaining exceptional turf under extreme year-round traffic at Riverway and Burnaby Mountain— Canada’s busiest municipal courses.
Q: How do you manage traffic flow and wear from such high daily volume? We aim to let traffic flow naturally and “scatter” it across the course rather than restrict players. However, when concentrated patterns emerge at entry/exit points on greens, tees, and fairways, we rope off those areas to redirect play and spread wear more evenly.
Q: Are carts restricted to paths? Carts have free range year-round, except on steep mounds, native areas, and within 20 yards of greens/tees. We implement cart-path-only rules only during heavy rain events (15 mm+). Extensive drainage—about 120 km of lines in fairways and some rough—keeps the course surprisingly firm and dry even after rain.
Q: How do you combat soil compaction? Our courses benefit from a 10–12” sand cap that resists severe compaction despite constant traffic. We still core aerate high-traffic zones once or twice annually, deep-tine aerate, and topdress fairways with 800 tonnes of sand for Riverway each October.
Q: What sets your approach apart? We likely slice more frequently than most courses using various units, which helps maintain surface quality under heavy use.
Q: How do you achieve excellent turf quality and playability despite massive rounds? Top conditions should be accessible to everyone, not just private-club members. Great playing surfaces encourage repeat play and deliver real value—our core mission. While we’re not chasing Augusta perfection, we aim to match or exceed the best in our competitive local market.
Q: How do you define and measure turf quality? It’s both art and science. We use tools like stimp meters, moisture meters, NDVI readers, and Clegg firmness testers, but the superintendent’s eye and foot feel remain critical. Passion for golf helps—nothing highlights poor greens faster than a bumpy, slow putt.
Q: How do you accomplish maintenance with near-constant play? We start extremely early—4:30–5:00 a.m. in summer—to get ahead of the day’s rounds.
Q: What’s your staffing level? 1 Foreperson, 1 assistant foreperson, 4 full-time staff, 3 temporary full-time (6 months), and 6–8 seasonal part-timers (5 hours/day). Marshals help with fairway divots, and the range attendant maintains the driving range field area.
Q: How do you schedule disruptive tasks like aeration or topdressing? We begin at 4:30 a.m., delay the tee sheet by 30–45 minutes (first tee at 6:30 a.m.), and complete work on a few greens at a time. Staff efficiency ensures greens are playable by opening time—we only need to stay two greens ahead.
Q: Do you mow at night? No.
Q: How does your budget compare? Hard to say without exact figures from peers, but higher revenue from volume allows reinvestment in maintenance. I’d prefer 50,000 rounds at $100 than 100,000 at $50—same revenue, but far lower maintenance stress and cost.
Q: Do you have newer/better equipment? We used to replace equipment on an 8-year cycle, but recent cost-saving extensions have lengthened that timeline.
Q: What technologies or innovations do you use? We’ve experimented with many—soil sensors, drones, hybrid grasses, automation, and more. Golf Burnaby often early-adopts promising products on greens but waits for proven results elsewhere before wider rollout.
Q: Could you have achieved these results 20–30 years ago? Yes—great turf was possible back then (e.g., Dave Fair, Superintendent at Northview when hosting PGA Tour events was able to get fast greens cut at 0.135". Today’s innovations can sometimes overcomplicate the timeless art of turf management.
Q: Will drainage work ever be “done”? Never fully. While total slit drainage across the entire course isn’t realistic, existing lines reach end-of-life (around 40 years), fail, or require maintenance. The work is ongoing.
Q: Any nutrient program secrets? No secrets—follow science and Liebig’s law of the minimum. I lean toward luxury consumption because turf must actively recover from ~380 rounds per summer day. Annual nitrogen averages around 4.75 lbs/1,000 ft². The one product I can’t live without is Aquaritin Defend/19—its nano-technology delivers macros, micros, and silicon, noticeably improving turf resilience.
Q: What’s your irrigation philosophy? Firm and fast? I prefer slightly more moisture than the strict “firm and fast” ideal—targeting ~20% rootzone moisture to keep plants in recovery mode. Players love the resulting playability and cushion.
Q: How do you manage winter disease pressure on the wet West Coast? Our turf rarely goes fully dormant. The “pitchfork attack” includes:
1. Needle tining every two weeks to move water through the surface
2. Frequent topdressing for a gritty surface
3. Rolling 5:1 over cutting to minimize mechanical damage
4. Silicon, sulfur, and (previously) phosphites for disease resistance
5. Late-season biological compost tea
6. Judicious fungicide use when needed (e.g., Burnaby Mountain sprayed 3× last year; Riverway 6×).
Q: What’s your top IPM technique that others underuse? Sand topdressing followed immediately by three consecutive days of rolling, combined with nano-silicon delivery via Aquaritin Defend.
Q: What challenges are unique to true year-round play? No true off-season or recovery days. The team must deliver consistent quality every single day, and golfers still expect excellent conditions for their paid rounds—even in winter.
Q: If you could solve one turf problem instantly, what would it be? Disease pressure and its constant evolution. Last year we avoided Anthracnose sprays entirely—a proud moment. In 2025 it returned aggressively, reminding us diseases adapt quickly.
Q: Have you ever lost turf to a mistake? Yes—in 2010, as an early adopter of horticultural oils (Civitas) for disease prevention. I applied it into November without realizing cold temperatures (<0°C) prevent plant uptake, leaving an oil film that smothered shaded areas. A costly but valuable lesson.
Peter Sorokovsky, MSc., is Manager of Golf Course Operations for the City of Burnaby. A former WCTA President (2018–2019) and long-time Research Committee Chair, he continues to lead innovation in high-traffic municipal golf.
