Playability v Appearance
The hallmark of his career is his reputation for creating 
playability. Petersan said it himself in an interview with 
Golfdom magazine (December 2000): “A lot of people think 
their job is to grow grass, and everything is sound if it’s green. 
You’re there to provide a quality playing surface.” 
Petersan was a proponent of “firm and fast” before “firm and 
fast” was de rigueur. Not everything had to be bright green, 
remarked Kyle Hegland, Sand Hills Golf Club superintendent 
and former Petersan assistant. “He didn’t waste a drop of 
water. He knew how to push the limits without ever letting 
conditions get away from him.” 
Golf Course Architect Dave Axland worked as an assistant 
for Doug during the construction of Austin Country Club. 
He says Doug admonished him and the crew to “never make 
it too smooth” during the final grading process. Petersan 
knew those unexpected contours and micro contours helped 
create character and shot-making decisions in a golf course 
design. “This is the kind of wisdom we pulled forward into 
our own work.”
Feel v Formula
Crenshaw notes, “Doug possessed a rare combination of 
common sense and technical expertise. He knew when to 
water or not, when to fertilize or not. His eyes were always 
attuned to the weather to tell him what to do or not to do.”
Remembering the grow-in at Austin during a Texas Hill 
Country 100+-degree spell, Dave Axland echoed this 
sentiment. “He practiced the judicious use of water, noting 
the Zoysia they had sprigged was a “C4” warm-weather plant 
and would weather just fine in the long run.” Axland also 
notes that Petersan often overrode the textbooks around 
inputs like fertilizer, often applying far less than the written 
guidance suggested.
Long-game v Immediate gratification
Whether it was a difficult turf grow-in, teaching seasoned 
veterans like Crenshaw that lush green is not always the 
sign of perfection, or personal restraint when considering 
modifications to Maxwell, Tillinghast and Coore and 
Crenshaw gems, the practiced art of patience and self-control 
was a Petersan signature.
Doug employed this same principle in growing his assistants. 
Hegland said Doug’s mother was a schoolteacher and he 
lived by her mission to first and foremost teach students to 
think for themselves. “Doug would give us the big picture and 
expect us to figure out how to make it work.”
Tough, direct and caring v Institutional
Hegland notes that Doug was stern and could get after you. 
“He demanded excellence but he really gave a sh#t about 
me! I even lived with him and Rae Jean when I first arrived 
in Austin. He was always like a father figure to me and I felt 
loved. Rae Jean was the unsung hero. As his administrative 
assistant, she not only allowed Doug to be constantly on the 
course, she took care of all of us even to the point of making 
sure we had regular medical and dental checkups.” Axland 
adds, “There was no white noise with Doug. During the 
Austin construction he decided to quit smoking and drinking 
both at the same time! That was hardcore.”
Prairie Dunes always had a special place 
in Petersan’s heart. During his tenure, the 
membership gave him the moniker “Doug 
Peter-Sand” because he used the abundant 
native sand to pioneer the art of top-dressing 
greens (now an industry standard practice). 
In many ways the Dunes was home for him. 
For those fortunate to sit under his guidance, 
the memories and lessons learned are top 
of mind. For the golf industry, the example 
has been set firm and fast. And, for the 
membership at Prairie Dunes, the legend of 
Doug Peter-Sand lives on.
17

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.