Steven K Scott said: Things like this are the reason I love working in public golf. Sure I have annual pass holders that belly-ache when we aerify, topdress, verticut, CPO, etc. but they are generally happy with the course they have and rarely do we have anyone quit due to "course conditions". That being said, communication is key. If you can explain what you are doing in layman's terms and when you are planning to do it, and then document with photos on your blog/twitter/newsletter, you are going to have a lot more supporters and fewer detractors. I choose to believe that what happened to Larry with the verticutting is rare, but I may be eating rainbow stew.
It was rare until this year but as I have stated before 7 greens chairs in 5 years, you get quite a variety of people. Some do nothing , some try to manage your entire work day. My first chair in this shuffle dictated cutting heights on Fairways. We went from .375 to his desired height of .750 on poa bent. 3 Weeks went by before we could get even the slightest grass off the fairways. After complaints that we weren't cutting fairways, he decided on .500. Members still up in arms he lowered it to .411, in consultation with the GM, who openly stated he knew more about turf than myself. I suppose I should have attended Cordon Bleu training and forgotten the Penn State route.
I have found that when greens chairs, even after you explain, document, show research, still insist on doing something, I do it. The general membership eventually put them in their place. We are back at .375, I didn't have to make threats, lose my mind or sweat. I just did as I was told and then responded to questioning member, that it was a greens committee decision