It’s October 2019 and I am standing outside my home, deflated, my pregnant wife waiting with a glimpse of hope we would be returning to our home state of Pennsylvania. I poured the bad news that I came up short for the ninth time in a golf course superintendent search. Only this time, I could not hide the disappointment as I knew an opportunity was stolen from me not due to lack of experience, passion or proven systems, but rather a factor of pedigree.

I felt shamed by the search committee and general manager. At no fault of my own or of the committee’s, but they could not get behind our organization’s culture or existing infrastructure decline despite my qualifications, references and proven systems. This is a dark truth that many outstanding professionals in our industry are faced with in their climb up the professional ladder.

Selfishly, I placed great importance on my professional ascension over everything else, including my personal health. Anger, frustration and envy of others moving forward in their careers were feelings I had a difficult time letting go. I experienced dramatically self-defeating lows that I imagine others feel throughout the course of a season or job search when things don’t go according to plan.

The trajectory of my career as a golf course superintendent was at a crossroads, even though I knew I had many years left to grow and accomplishments to attain. Genuinely, I loved my job and being a golf course superintendent. I enjoyed the changing variables and environments, team development, networking, the learning opportunities and the strategizing of course management programs. In a weird way, I enjoyed the challenges of club politics and developing interpersonal skill sets to build relations even with my greatest adversaries. I could describe my career in one simple word: passion.

We are? not born with this passion. We don’t get a passion on our 18th birthday or on the day we ascend in the professional ranks. It’s something we have to work at, it’s something we have to refine. In the winter of 2019-20, I did some serious soul searching about my passion in the industry, and to find my why.

Setting the foundation

Starting with my personal life, I made a commitment to my wife that 2020 would be my last season in Baltimore. Her happiness and total support were of utmost importance to me. I realized how fortunate I am and how short-sighted I was to think I was not blessed. The golf industry provided us friendships, financial support and the ability to travel to places that most of my non-industry friends envied.

Through the advice of my closest peers and mentors, I began to develop an exit strategy by legally formalizing a conceptual business idea I had spent many nights dreaming about. The simplest way to formalize a business for me was using a Limited Liability Company. I did not get hung up on a name, as I knew I could come back later on. Requiring fewer formalities, I had more options in setting up a management structure. I could also protect my assets — car, home and bank accounts — from liability. Most importantly, I needed flexibility on tax purposes.

The total cost to set up an LLC: $390. I would recommend most if not all superintendents set up an LLC for future usage. It is an educational process when starting to think about business formation.

I was already in the process of earning an Execute Certificate in Talent Acquisition and Recruitment from Cornell University and certified partner with the Predictive Index as part of my continued education and training. These credentials would end up being important in distinguishing my credibility in my current position and establishing proper succession. I can’t overstate the value of diversifying your résumé and credentials.

At the 2020 Golf Industry Show, I received notification from a supplier on scene that club finances were struggling, and they wanted to know how they could assist us. Embarrassed that I was unaware and left out to dry by my own club leadership, I returned from GIS with restored frustration about my circumstances.

Where would my career go? The pain and emotion of losing out on another superintendent opportunity came back fresh, so I did not see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was dealing with conflicting emotions. In one instant, I was excited and rejuvenated for the 2020 season, but the realities of our business continued to elevate friction.

There were many sleepless nights not knowing how to manage up and address some underlying tones and issues. I searched for answers from key mentors and industry professionals. I fell back into the downward spiral — and the season hadn’t even started. Would I have a job at the end of the season? Did my club leadership even respect me? Were my skills transferable to other facilities? Would I need to take a step back in my career to get where I want? I assume many of these same questions are resonating with readers.

COVID-19 disruption

As COVID-19 took on an unpredictable path in March and April, I recognized that I had to put aside my personal differences and manage up. The big-picture reality was that I needed to play my part and put a plan in place to help the club survive, maintain course conditions as best as possible for a return to golf, and communicate with transparency.

At the same time, my wife lost her job. I knew I had to honor our commitment and it would be much earlier than expected. Saving our pennies, the rainy day appeared to be coming. Our second daughter was born on April 29, when the club remained shut down. As I returned to work 14 days after quarantine, the state of operations was at peak uncertainty.

Unsure of what to do or where to go, I knew I was coming to the point of no return. Quite frankly, I began to drive by the little things that got under my skin. Mediocrity started to become acceptable with no consequences because financial hardships and uncertainty outweighed expectations. While we focused on the basics, I knew I was losing my passion and edge. I will be the first to admit that a lot of low-hanging fruit started to pile up. I am sure we can all look back at Q1 and Q2 with self-reflection and justify some of the limitations and sanctions imposed.

I recognized that no matter how much I wanted to help set the right course of direction, I couldn’t force issues that were out of my control. By no means am I throwing the club leadership under the bus, but I learned a valuable lesson to stay in my lane. I was not tasked to be the COO or general manager. I needed to play my part as best I could, and stay away from trying to play hero and solving the world’s problems.

These words are not meant to influence individuals to steer toward a different career path, but to relate to those who may be experiencing some of the downward spirals and to encourage consideration of Plan B. The fallout for some facilities in the face of COVID-19 is real and still unclear. I am not a skeptic, I do not believe the sky is falling, but you have to protect yourself and put yourself in the best possible position.

After careful consideration of all options, including staying with my position, I recognized my personal life and my family’s well-being would be at risk. The hardest part for me wasn’t jumping into a new venture, but my fear of other people’s opinions about my departure. I felt I was letting down a lot of friends, colleagues and members who had invested into me.

I resigned on June 1. Just 24 hours later, I ended up in the Franklin Medstar Hospital ER in Baltimore with kidney stones at 2 a.m. I had been pushing off feelings of anxiety, doubt and nervousness for months. I had played out all the scenarios in my head, obsessed about things out of my control, and pushed myself at the expense of my own health and wellness. In an odd way, this was another example of the stars aligning to my next step.

I stepped aside from the daily role as golf course superintendent on June 12. Fortunately, the club respected my decision and supported my family’s transition. We were able to develop a succession plan for someone else to take over my role, and I couldn’t have been happier to see a close peer come back into the profession. The club got a renewed sense of energy, my staff got a new leader to bring different ideas and management style, and I felt I did not leave a property so special to me underserved. If anything, they got an upgrade!

As luck would have it, a few opportunities presented themselves upon my return to central Pennsylvania. I knew I had a bit of security to fall back on while we pivoted to a new career path. The network I had developed throughout my career came back to assist me in my transition. Suppliers, former superintendents-turned-consultants, former members and new business relations had my back — it was a true win-win.

Transitioning from a ‘side hustle’

Now with a fight-or-flight scenario, I needed to transition my “side hustle” to paying the monthly bills. The summer months were spent building the foundation with financial advisors, investment groups, networking on digital platforms, taking sales webinars and acquiring new skills that I would need to grow as a potential businessman. Looking back, I intentionally committed to professional and career development by growing my network outside turf, building new critical thinking and business skills that would have served me in my previous role.

We relocated back home to central Pennsylvania, with my in-laws and parents within 20 minutes. It didn’t take more than a day to realize we made the right decision for our family, despite some hurdles on the path ahead. What I embarked on was a vision to restore my passion in the industry I love and redefine my role in it. Golf is all I know.

There were many challenging days and weeks during the summer season amid a global pandemic. Superintendents are busy people and the rigors of the job can restrict business meetings and catch-ups. On the flip side, I recognized how quickly the challenge of being on the supplier side of things is when management does not return a phone call, email or text message. We as professionals can do a better job of respecting each other.

After five months in my consulting role, I have been humbled and at times vulnerable to my own ignorance and cluelessness. While I am self-aware enough to understand my strengths, I continue to explore my blind spots as I am reminded of how much I don’t know by all the great leaders and golf courses I visit.

Through nearly 70 site visits and a week volunteering for the LPGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, I have a textbook of notes to share with others. I realized quickly that many individuals are at career crossroads, just as I was. If you are uncertain about your future, you need to do a hard self-evaluation of your next steps. Connect with trusted advisors who can keep an eye out and provide realistic viewpoints.

The power of networking and building relationships cannot be overstated. As I continued to share ideas with industry professionals on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, I built an interesting connection with club golf professionals. As it turns out, there are plenty of PGA members who enjoy professional development and team-building and are dealing with similar career and professional development challenges.

Creating my own luck

The irony in my story is that nearly a month to the day after telling my wife I failed to secure that next career opportunity, I received a phone call asking if I would be interested in assisting a Philadelphia-area club in their pursuit of a new golf course superintendent. Coincidentally, a large focus for my original superintendent search was to oversee a William Flynn-designed property in the state of Pennsylvania. Now I would be tasked with helping the club find their newest caretaker of one of The Nature Faker’s finest work.

I couldn’t have been more lonely the last year, doubting my self-worth and my professional worth. I questioned my abilities and career decisions and had many naysayers along the way fueling the fire. However, it was my passion for the industry that helped me withstand the obstacles and keep me centered on my why. I found myself exactly where I belonged, as a steward of the golf industry and an ambassador for professional development. Accepting that there are things in this world we can never explain or control allowed me to just enjoy the process.

That is the irony of life. It is also its beauty.

Divot Bottle Exchange Station

Instead of having replacement divot bottles at the 10th tee, Scott Coleman, golf services manager at the Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham, Michigan, came up with the idea of mounting 20 divot bottles/holders on the exterior of the restroom building that are accessible from both the seventh tee and the 14th green. The club exchanged their old fleet of 72 golf carts for a new one and they kept the existing 144 holders and bottles, which cost approximately $50 combined per unit when purchased new (E-Z-GO holder, part #28660G01, and bottle, part #28659G01). The holders were mounted to two 1-inch by 12-inch boards that were stained. The bottles are filled every morning and throughout the day by the pace of play patrol. This unique location provides easy access for persons playing either 9 or 18 holes. Zero dollars were spent for parts and two employees spent less than an hour to install. Dan Dingman is the superintendent.

Tee Sign Options

Gary Zagar was the director of golf maintenance at the Quail Hollow Golf Club in Concord, Ohio, when the 36 holes were rerouted in 2008 because of a large clubhouse expansion. New tee signs were added after considering a few options: Course maintenance signs from suppliers would have cost about $1,000 each and $300 for each pole, granite rocks etched with the hole information were in the $800 to $1,000 range, and using a high-end local sign maker ran about $500 each. They ended up going with a local studio who used an AutoCAD design printed on hard plastic that cost less than $350 each, which included sleeves on the signs that fit over each 4-inch by 4-inch post. Concrete pavers were installed ($70 each) and less than $25 for perennial flowers and mulch, which replaced annual flowers. Installation time was less than an hour for each. Jeffrey Austin is the current director of golf maintenance.

Jeremy Tindell was 25 years old and five years into his military career when he jumped out of an airplane over South Africa, tangled with another soldier and plunged toward the ground. Tindell survived and continued to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment, an elite force in the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, but he had fractured his lower back. He slid from a position with the infantry over to the staff. He worked behind a desk for most of the next 15 years. 

“It kind of slowed my promotion and progression,” Tindell says. “They kept me within the unit and helped me to rehabilitate the best that I could.”

Tindell eventually transitioned to become a career counselor within the unit. He retired in 2018, Sergeant First Class, with two full decades of service. He served his last three years at Fort Gordon — the current home of the Army Signal Corps, the Army Cyber Corps and the Cyber Center of Excellence — in Augusta, Georgia.

Augusta, of course, is a fine place for a young man who loves golf and Tindell dived into the game even before he retired. Some days, he can play 18 holes. Other days, because of lingering injuries related to that tangled jump, he might be able play three or four. Before this year, he had worked security each of the last five Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, sitting in what he calls “the catbird seat” near the practice green and the first tee. 

“I meet probably tens of thousands of people,” he says. “I love meeting people. I love conversations, just being personable.”

And that personability, that love of the game, that military drive for perfection to help his fellow servicemen and women, all blended together, helped make Tindell the perfect candidate for the position he holds in retirement: veteran outreach coordinator for The Warrior Alliance’s Operation Double Eagle.

Launched in 2018, The Warrior Alliance is one of about 43,000 veteran service nonprofit organizations. Its stated mission is to help veterans, or Warriors, and their families achieve a fulfilling civilian life by promoting collaboration between the organizations that can support them during the transition from military service.

Operation Double Eagle is just part of the organization but could become an incredibly valuable resource for the golf course maintenance industry: If the program develops like Tindell and Scott Johnson, the president and executive director of The Warrior Alliance, forecast, it will produce a cohort of as many as 15 injured veterans, trained in every aspect of the industry by a veteran college turfgrass program instructor, every nine weeks. 

Conducted at Augusta Technical College and led by Scott Smith, the 14 credit hour-program dives into turfgrass and golf course management, irrigation and pipe installation, pest management and pesticide application, water management, horticulture science, equipment safety, planting and legal — along with daily lab visits to the Double Eagle Performance Center and regular trips to Augusta Municipal Golf Club, a David Ogilvie design affectionately referred to as The Patch. Among the many projects for Operation Double Eagle Warriors: a renovation to bring The Patch up to code with current Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.

Completion will merit a Golf Turf and Landscape Specialist certificate. They will be prepared not for jobs but for careers.

“We’re lining up the employers on the back end,” Johnson says. “So it’s not like, ‘Finish this work, guys and gals, and then good luck to you. Here’s how you write your resume.’ We’re bringing the employers to them.” Landscapes Unlimited, Wadsworth Golf Construction and East Lake Golf Club have already expressed interest in cohort graduates.

“My long-term vision is not that we’re going to be able to build 500 people through this program every year,” Johnson says. “That’s not my goal. It’s to drive a 98 percent employment rate for everybody that comes through the program and we’ve become the pool of resources for the industry. … We can become a kind of constant workforce development program and even tailor some things for certain parts of the industry, like irrigation.”

For now, Operation Double Eagle will be limited geographically to Augusta, though Johnson and the rest of the team think it could scale up with more locations, more cohorts, more Warriors. “Our biggest challenge is getting the word out in the industry and finding organizations that are not just veteran-friendly but are committed,” he says.

“There are a lot of programs trying to provide veterans job opportunities,” says Benson, who serves as a strategic advisor for Johnson. “But oftentimes those job duties that come their way, I don’t think, respect the leadership skills that they’ve learned in the military.” The emphasis on careers rather than jobs attracted Benson, who never served in the military but whose family served in various branches back to the Civil War. Benson’s father, William Frank Benson, served in the 8th Air Force, and his uncle, Herbert R. Edmondson, was an Army Colonel in the Pacific.

Benson has no interest in “sitting on some board somewhere.” He wants to help make a difference. “Coming out of this program will definitely provide a head start,” he says, “and I really feel that in our industry, there truly are lots of opportunities or positions that can be careers. And I think there are facets of the business that also allow for somebody who gets experience like this to be an entrepreneur and start their own company — in irrigation, or software management, or heavy equipment operation, or you take care of an estate, you have a lawn care company.”

No matter where cohort graduates wind up — the pilot program of five is still finding their professional footing, and the first full cohort will wrap up its nine weeks of instruction and training this month — Tindell will keep in touch.

“We’re bringing a new hybrid of employees to the golf course industry when it comes to maintenance and management,” Tindell says. “And I’m dedicated to these guys and gals.”

Tartan Talks No. 53

When we’re looking to try something new on the Tartan Talks podcast, we know we can rely on Jason Straka and Kent Turner to enthusiastically participate.

Straka, a principal at Fry Straka Global Golf Design, and Turner, the director of grounds and golf course operations at Kenwood Country Club, combined for our first architect-superintendent episode last year to discuss the early stages of the renovation on the Cincinnati-area club’s Kendale Course. The project ended this summer, with nine holes reopening in June and the other nine opening in August. Pictures of the transformation sent to us from Straka sparked an idea: record a podcast with the duo about what they accomplished and learned in the past year. Consider it our first before-and-after podcast.

Plenty has changed since our visit to Kenwood in November 2019. But Straka’s and Turner’s zest for the renovation and their respective jobs has remained unyielding.

Enter bitly.com/StrakaTurner into your web browser to hear the podcast. Episodes can also be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify and other popular podcast distribution platforms.

GSA goes virtual

Bayer, John Deere receive favorable reviews for virtual Green Start Academy.

In March, when the COVID-19 pandemic was just starting to shutter shows, games and events that filled everyday lives, Bert Schmidt reached out to Mike Hirvela and the rest of the folks who had helped produce Green Start Academy — the annual program designed for the professional development of assistant superintendents and sponsored jointly by Bayer and John Deere — for the last decade and a half.

Schmidt is the global manager for market development and strategy for John Deere Golf; Hirvela is the Bayer CropScience Turf & Ornamental customer marketing manager. Along with other dedicated folks, they are responsible for turning Green Start Academy from idea to event. And like so many people in charge of events this year, the pandemic tossed so many knots in their plans.

“If we can’t hold Green Start Academy in person,” Schmidt recalls saying, “we might as well cancel it.”

Thank goodness, Schmidt says, not everybody listened to his suggestion.

“This program is too important,” Schmidt remembers Carlos Arraya, the assistant general manager at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis and a Green Start Academy mentor, replying. “I don’t think we should cancel it. We should think creatively and try to do it virtually.”

And after a couple more rounds of emails and calls — and more than seven months of planning — that is exactly what happened.

Bayer and John Deere welcomed about 50 assistant superintendents — and about 100 program alums — to a unique Green Start Academy, conducted not over a couple days in North Carolina but over a month of Wednesday afternoons on Zoom. The sessions featured professional keynoter Jeff Havens, human resources professional Carol Rau, and Arraya dishing out advice that should help assistants transition from grass growers to real leaders.

The event also included a series of virtual breakout sessions with industry leaders — Arraya, Bob Farren of Pinehurst Resort, Lukus Harvey of Atlanta Athletic Club, Dan Meersman of Philadelphia Cricket Club, Grant Murphy of Barrie Country Club and PJ Salter of Riviera Country Club — that provided another opportunity for assistants to develop leadership tendencies, build professional networks and think about what they need to do to land where they want to be.

“I had never been on a Zoom call until my first Green Start Academy session, and I was skeptical I wasn’t going to take as much away, I wouldn’t be as engaged,” says Will Laine, assistant superintendent at Daniel Island Club, a 36-hole facility in Charleston, South Carolina. “I was skeptical I wouldn’t have the same experience others have before, but I couldn’t imagine going to an in-person event now, I got so much out of the virtual event.

“I almost wanted to back out at the last second, but I’m glad I didn’t. The little time it took out of my afternoons was worth it. Being able to set time aside one day a week, it was something I looked forward to. I prepped for it almost like I would prep for an exam.”

Laine attended breakout sessions with Salter, a rookie Green Start Academy mentor who followed up with recap emails and packed his Tuesday breakouts with even more guest presenters. (Salter scheduled time with longtime USGA Green Section officials Steve Kammerer and Todd Lowe, who moved to Bayer in 2018; his own mentor, Eric von Hofen of The Club at Weston Hills; Ralph Dain of the GCSAA; and resume wizard Erin Wolfram of Career Advantage.) Salter calls the sessions “a labor of love.”

“Who could I bring in from my network who’s helped me along the way and could help drive home each week’s points?” Salter says. “This stuff that they’ve taught the guys is golden. It’s right at the top of the list of things I wish I had learned in college.”

Marty Paget also attended breakout sessions with Salter. He worked as a superintendent at four smaller clubs in Kansas and Missouri during his 20s and 30s. Now 44, he’s an assistant superintendent at The National Golf Club of Kansas City in Parkville, Missouri. Spurred on by what he learned during the program, he says he plans to apply for first assistant positions at clubs with a national profile or a superintendent position at an 18-hole course larger than where he worked when he was younger — while still becoming more of a leader at The National.

“Sometimes you have to be a boss, not just a friend,” Paget says. “But it’s nice to interact with your team beyond just work.”

Like the rest of the 2020 attendees, Paget and Laine will have the option to attend a future Green Start Academy in person — and there will be future in-person events, along with an expanded slate of complementary virtual events open to all alums, according to Schmidt and Hirvela — and both expressed interest in cashing in on that opportunity.

The virtual event was fantastic, after all, but, as Laine says, “I would like to meet all these people in person eventually.”

— Matt LaWell

Course news

Rees Jones returned to Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — a course designed by his father, Robert Trent Jones Sr. that will reopen this month following a project that included new greens, updated irrigation and improved drainage. The same design, playability and challenge will remain as a tribute to Jones Sr., whose vision was carved into the community.

Coral Creek Club in Placida, Florida, completed a renovation spearheaded by original designer Tom Fazio. The project included updating the playing surfaces with new modern Bermudagrasses to allow for faster greens speeds and more consistency, the updating of bunker positions and sand, improved tee locations, the expansion of the practice facilities, and the addition of new drainage to provide firmer and faster playability conditions.

Robert McNeil guided Donald Ross-designed Kernwood Country Club in Salem, Massachusetts, through a project that included construction of 44 new bunkers, removal of others and the reshaping of several more into grassy catchment areas and pitch areas.

Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan, host of the Meijer LPGA Classic, is completing the final stage of a major renovation and revitalization of its 18-hole golf course and club grounds. Chris Wilczynski developed improvement plans and has overseen the renovation.

Notice the four-letter word in the headline. G-o-o-d. There, we wrote it. Twice already.

Much of what we heard and read this year ranged from nasty to nauseous. Lives were lost, jobs became vulnerable and main-street businesses shuttered. None of it seemed imaginable last December. Now, we’re in this December. This year will become last year in a few weeks.

Golf escaped many of the hardships pestering other industries reliant on discretionary income. Mass acreage can be tricky and costly to maintain, but it allows for spacing and safety, a pair of qualities with immeasurable societal value.

Following a spring sucker punch, which included a period in early April when more courses were closed than opened, the industry experienced quantifiable and anecdotal good in the back nine of 2020. Rounds played nationally through September were up 8.7 percent compared to the same period in 2019, according to GolfDatatech. Golf entered a good place as spring turned to summer, especially when you consider thousands of sports venues, restaurants and movie theaters are still not operating at capacity.

The stories match the numbers. For the fifth straight year, we opened our December issue to reader-submitted content. We begin pondering Turfheads Take Over in August, yet we scrap detailed advance planning because we don’t know where the issue might head until receiving submissions in late October and early November. One of these years we’ll have our creative and adaptable art director Jim Blayney concoct a December cover with the headline: Turfheads Take Over: The most random magazine you’ll ever read!!!

We received articles about self-awakening (Tyler Bloom), assistant superintendent life (Richard Brown), asset management (Nelson Caron), retirement (Sandy Clark), mentorship (Brent Downs), returning to the industry (Charlie Fultz), authentic experiences (Tim Gerrish), branding (Randy Hoffacker), gratitude (Jason Hollen), managing aging turf (Scott Krout), personal innovation (Gina Rizzi), course enhancement guidance (Kelly Shumate) and hands-on learning (Ashley Wilkinson). The randomness, in this case, contrasted what we were expecting.

I’ll be the first to admit, I thought we’d be seeing a few dour stories in our inboxes about smaller staffs, less personal interaction and pressure to use the golf course as a means to overcome lost clubhouse revenue. But the next 40 pages provide more optimism and inspiration than pessimism.

Bloom started a new business in the middle of the pandemic and Clark retired earlier than expected. Neither is ending this year fearful about their 2021 prospects. Bloom will engage with new clients; Clark will travel to enjoy experiences he often skipped during a 50-year turf career.

The pandemic actually created an opportunity for Fultz to reenter an industry he loves. Downs found the time to safely visit a pair of friends who helped shape his career. Wilkinson and the turf team at Horry Georgetown Technical College saw their dream of an outdoor classroom capable of hosting closest-to-the-pin contests become a reality.

The Arizona grass Krout and his team maintain became a year older in 2020 and courses of all ages continued pursuing the infrastructure and architectural enhancements Shumate relishes studying. Owners, boards and general managers enthralled by indoor spaces finally realized that the course represents the central asset at a golf facility, a fact-based argument Caron has been making for years.

Business remains robust thanks to the central asset and its determined protectors. Rounds played nationally surpassed 2019 totals in May, June, July, August, September and October. When the numbers are crunched, November and December will likely enter that list. We’ve all heard a superintendent or two recently grumble about the course receiving too much business in 2020. Don’t think less rest for the course beats the alternative? Spend a few minutes in an empty ballpark, restaurant or hotel.

A few days, weeks and months of demand exceeding supply creates hassles. A few days, weeks and months without customers creates heartache.

Compared to other industries, golf will exit 2020 in good shape.