I meet a lot of superintendents, and they usually fall into one of three categories. Some are great grass growers who don’t care much about politics and association matters. Some are great organizers and communicators who aren’t particularly strong at turf management. Some are better than others at balancing their family life with their work life.
Mike Brown, CGCS, is one of the rare few who manages to be an extraordinary professional contributor, a heckuva superintendent and a damn good dad. Here’s why:
- He’s the longtime superintendent of Starmount Forest Country Club, one of Greensboro’s finest courses. He has a tremendous relationship with his membership, his golf pro (Eric Gaskell) and his general manager (Mark Cooper).
- He’s currently president of one of the largest GCSAA chapters in the nation, the Carolinas GCSA. That, by itself, is a full-time job.
- Even though he’s incredibly busy, he can tell you – in great detail – about the complexities of the routine that his daughter Courtney’s dance team will perform in their next competition.
- When he wants to, he can (gently) twist arms with the best of them.
Point No. 4 is what led me to Greensboro last week to participate in a fundraising golf tournament played annually at Starmount to support the “On Stage School of Dance,” a remarkable group of young people who practice endlessly and perform year-round throughout the South and the rest of the nation. Mike caught me during the national conference in Orlando and politely cajoled me into attending the event. He apparently applied similar tactics with a number of other media representatives, including the sports guy from a local TV station that did a live broadcast from Starmount during the tournament. Basically, Brown is a world-class PR guy disguised as a turfhead.
In most ways, the fundraiser was a lot like many others I’ve played in. Sponsorship signs on the tees, fun games you can buy for an extra fee (I particularly liked the option of buying one tee shot per round from the far forward tee box), plenty of food and beverages and great prizes for the winners.
There was even the usual superintendent’s disclaimer before the round. Starmount, like most courses in the region, saw worse than average winter kill this year, and Brown – like any proud keeper of the greens – went out of his way to suggest that participants please ignore the areas on north-facing slopes that appear to be dead grass. The sod trucks should be arriving to fix the problem as you’re reading this.
But the similarities of the typical golf fundraiser ended after the round. In addition to the traditional drinks, finger food and awards, we were witness to a dance recital like none I’ve ever seen.
The performance was a big bombing John Daly drive away from what I expected. Instead of a yawn-inducing version of “Swan Lake” performed by tutu-clad youngsters, we were treated to an incredibly well-choreographed rendition of “The Wizard of Oz” by girls ranging from 9 to 17 who wore elaborate costumes and would certainly kick the butts of most boys their age in terms of athleticism, commitment and raw talent. Hey, I’m no theater critic, but I was blown away by the effort these kids put in. Most of the other golfers were like me: slack-jawed and amazed at the performance we saw.
More amazing was what I learned from talking to the girls afterward. These were not the pampered children of affluent families that I would have previously connected with the words “dance school.” Most would never be able to afford the training or the trips to different competitions if not for the annual commitment made by Starmount, the CGCSA, the Browns, the other parents and the co-workers friends who pitched in for the event. This fundraiser – so dear to Mike – made it possible for most of them to pursue their dreams of dancing, visiting new places and meeting others with the same passion.
And, perhaps most impressively, they all learn a little about golf and the role of the golf course superintendent. There aren’t too many 11-year-old girls who can tell you that the superintendent takes care of the golf course and the environment, but I heard it straight from their cute little mouths. It was heady stuff.
What impacted me most was that Brown worked very hard to constantly focus the attention on the kids, the great golf course, his terrific colleagues and – basically – everybody and everything besides him.
Sorry Mike, but for me, you’re the story. It’s pretty unusual to encounter a renaissance man who manages to keep it all in perspective and is totally committed to his family, his employer, his friends and his profession. That’s a performance we can all enjoy…and learn from.
Keep in touch folks…
Pat
