Caballero del campo

Picture a golfer standing on a tee box in the middle of Arizona on a hot, sunny morning. An ice-cold drink in the cart, a picturesque view of the desert in sight. A few deep breaths, and it’s time to swing the club. Suddenly, a group of cattle begins to run through the fairway.

Loose cattle on a fairway in Wickenburg, Arizona, is likely not an encounter to be expected. But for superintendent Barry Nyquist, this call wouldn’t be the first time.

Nyquist works at the unique facility Rancho de los Caballeros, where he is the superintendent of Los Caballeros Golf Club, an 18-hole course designed by Greg Nash and Jeff Hardin and operated alongside a dude ranch. 

Rancho de los Caballeros opened in 1948 and operates as a horse and cattle ranch and resort. The Spanish caballeros-themed resort offers horseback riding lessons and programs, rodeo activities, and houses cattle and 85 horses. The property is home to more than 20,000 acres of riding space, and the golf club operates as an amenity for ranch resort guests.

With views of the Bradshaw mountains, Los Caballeros Golf Club features an 18-hole, par-73 course with five par 5s, nine par 4s and four par 3s. The longest hole is No. 13, consisting of a long, straight 605-yard shot. Horses can be spotted from numerous locations on the course. One of Nyquist’s goals currently focuses on conservation, prioritizing saving water by removing out-of-play grass. 

“It’s just very unique,” Nyquist says. “There’s homes around the course, but you don’t notice them, it’s very quiet, even with a lot of play.” 

Despite working on a ranch, Nyquist hasn’t embraced the wild west quite yet. The turf pro hasn’t mounted a horse since being hired in December 2021. 

“I’m getting teased quite a bit,” Nyquist says. “That’s a running joke here.”

Nyquist has worked for a handful of golf courses over the last 36 years. Each one is a little different from the other, each marking a time of significance in his life. He worked as assistant superintendent of amenities at Desert Mountain Club in Arizona from 1989 to 1993, graduated from Rutgers University’s two-year Turfgrass Management Program in 1994, and landed his first superintendent job at Verde Santa Fe Golf Course in 1996. He worked there for nearly a decade until moving to Wickenburg Country Club in August 2005. Nyquist continued to spend several years at different Arizona courses and eventually made his way to his current role. “I’ve been very lucky to work for extremely talented people and good people,” Nyquist says. 

But none of the courses have made as lasting an impression as Los Cabelleros. Not because of the visits from cowboys or the wild west theme, but because of the people. 

Nyquist operates alongside assistant superintendent Dennis Lester. “We couldn’t do all we do without him,” Nyquist says.

Nyquist also works closely with resort management. Head wrangler Tony Thompson is a friend and Nyquist describes the team as a “close group.”

“I was in a meeting here two weeks ago, and I was kind of looking around at everybody there, and there’s not one person that hasn’t helped me in a way when I started,” Nyquist says. 

The club’s management is quick to respond to maintenance needs and problems, and the staff is supportive of the operation Nyquist runs. “They really listen to you. I mean, they really do,” he says. “We have a lot of support to make the place better.” 

One reason the maintenance team is able to function so well is thanks to Nyquist’s communication tactics. Note-taking, organization and consistent meetings help keep things in line. Each month, the superintendent asks his crew to make a list of three things they can do better. “If you can’t find three things, that isn’t good,” he says. He also consistently sends updates to the resort’s management team, highlighting goals, achievements and necessary updates. The consistent meetings and constant communication prevent errors, prepare the team for what to expect and encourage continuous improvements.

Nyquist’s tactics are inspired by his mentor, Bill Rupert. While Nyquist was working as Rupert’s assistant superintendent at Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, in the mid 1990s, Rupert taught him the importance of organization. “I learned very well from a man that always has the time to teach and guide me,” Nyquist says. “He kind of helped me with some things. I think he taught me quite a bit. He was very good at talking to people.”

Rupert is now the superintendent at Bear Creek Golf Complex, a 36-hole facility in Chandler, Arizona.

One employee special to Nyquist’s heart is Bill Green. Green is nearly 91 years old and previously worked as a rancher and farmer. He isn’t ready to say goodbye to the outside work just yet and now mows the roughs at the course. “If he’s not here, we’re going to know it,” Nyquist says. “He is a blessing.”

While Nyquist hasn’t found his home riding the horses, he certainly has on the turf.

Tartan Talks 112

Navigating a wet golf course isn’t fun.

“And,” adds Michael Beebe on the Tartan Talks podcast, “the superintendent’s job is that much more difficult if he’s battling those types of conditions. He can control the amount of water he puts out, but he can’t control how much comes down and comes on the areas he’s supposed to maintain.”

Fortunately, people like Beebe serve the industry. During a more than four-decade career as a golf course architect, Beebe has helped clients solve numerous infrastructure obstacles through a solid understanding of many disciplines related to course design including civil engineering. Along the way, he’s designed and renovated numerous fun-focused layouts like Blue Cypress Golf Course, a Jacksonville, Florida, municipal facility that recently added three par 3s, giving patrons 6-, 9- and 12-hole play options.

“With our lifestyles today and the younger generations having so much going on, having something that you get out on and get around in less than a couple hours is very enticing to people, especially if you can do it as a family,” Beebe says. “That’s why we are seeing some of those alternative-type golf facilities.”

Our fun conversation with Beebe can be found on the Superintendent Radio Network page of popular podcast distribution platforms.

People news

Bernhard and Company founder Stephen Bernhard died in early October. He was 79. After founding his eponymous company in the 1980s, Bernhard helped develop turf technology and became deeply involved in industry education. … Algie M. Pulley Jr., ASGCA Fellow, died Sept. 21, near his home in Georgetown, Texas. He was age 85. A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Pulley worked nearly six decades in the golf industry. … Casey Anderson, assistant golf course superintendent at City Park Nine Golf Course in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Jeremy Lewis, director of golf course maintenance at Kingwood Country Club in Texas, received GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Awards. … Willie Negroni joined Albaugh, LLC as its new North America region president. … After more than 25 years with KemperSports, Dave Groelle is the company’s new national agronomist. … Sipcam Agro USA, Inc. appointed Tim Riley as national sales manager for the company’s plant protection solutions. … Eight assistant superintendents, all GCSAA members, will be part of the eighth class of the EXCEL Leadership Program: Juan G. Amezcua Avalos (Hop Meadow Country Club in Connecticut), Jordan Diede (City Park Nine Golf Course in Colorado), Clinton Edger (Common Ground Golf Course in Colorado), Jonathan Kaschak (Concord Country Club in Pennsylvania), Cole Miedema (The Club at Kukui’ula in Hawaii), Elliott Pope (Frederica Golf Club in Georgia), Caleb Smith (Eugene Country Club in Oregon) and Hattie Spies (Southern Hills Country Club in Oklahoma).

Course news

McLemore, a 42-hole facility atop Lookout Mountain in northwest Georgia, opened The Keep on Oct. 1. Bill Bergin and Rees Jones designed the cliff-edge course. … Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, is almost finished with a $9.5 million transformation of its Tom Fazio-designed Harbor Course. … Olympic View Golf Club in Langford, British Columbia, unveiled a new golf course architectural master plan focused on sustainability in collaboration with international design firm Lobb + Partners. … The Club at Eaglebrooke, a semi-private facility in Lakeland, Florida, reopened its 18-hole course following a $1 million-plus, multi-phase renovation. … Shura Links, designed by architect Brian Curley and the first island golf course in Saudi Arabia, is open for play. … Singapore Island Country Club is reopening all 18 holes of its Island Course following an extensive redevelopment. … Pinnacle Golf Properties is now overseeing The Revival Golf Club at The Crescent in Salisbury, North Carolina. … Troon is now managing Las Colinas Golf Club, a daily-fee facility in Queen Creek, Arizona, and Hunting Hills Country Club, a private club in Roanoke, Virginia.

Industry buzz

AQUA-AID Solutions announced successful CE registration of its entire product lineup distributed throughout Europe, the Middle East and the United Kingdom via long-standing distribution partner Aqua Aid Europe. … Envu launched its 2025 Envu Earnings Fall Solutions Program on Oct. 1. The program runs through Dec. 5. … Albaugh, LLC released its 2024 Sustainability Report, Our Future is Rooted in Action, focusing on the company’s progress across key sustainability pillars.