Member Spotlight

I have been the Superintendent at Kahite since June 6th, 2016. The transformation of the golf course is due to the dedication and commitment that the team has made over the years to making Kahite the special place that it is today.

I’m not sure how I made the decision. It has always been one of those “meant to be” things that inevitably worked out for the best. One thing led to another, as things do, and they fell into place: I grew up mowing lawns in the neighborhood and was always involved in sports as a kid. Golf is a family sport, but I did not pick it up until 11 years old or so. I remember applying for golf course jobs while in high school for summer help, thinking it would be a fun job. I was never hired. However, I did play for the golf team and did fairly well, but I enjoyed the aspect of being outside and active more than the scorecard. My first year in college was at The University of Kentucky where I planned on becoming an architect. I gave it a shot and quickly became uninterested. My sister was in Veterinarian School at The University of Tennessee, and she mentioned a program where you can learn to become golf course superintendents, baseball field managers, and so on. After year one in college, I transferred back in-state to the University of Tennessee and the rest is history.

My first golf course job was at Gettysvue Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jeff Dudych was and still is the Head Superintendent. I remember thinking, “man these are some really cool homes, and all I know is Bruce Pearl lives here.” I also remember driving through the neighborhood and seeing the sightlines of the golf course and thinking how well it was maintained, which inevitably attracted me to apply. Thankfully, Jeff gave me my first shot and my employment continued throughout my entire college career.

While in college, the Turfgrass Program offered a way to earn college credits and receive real-life experience working with different grasses on the UT research farm. I remember thinking this was a steal for class credits and it got me out of the classroom. With the thoughtfulness of Jeff in allowing me to explore other facilities, I was able to attend additional golf internships in North Carolina and for the Baltimore Orioles under Head Groundskeeper Nicole Sherry. I enjoyed all my experiences and the lessons that came with them, but most of all I was grateful to have found an industry that I would be fortunate to serve.

After graduation, I was not ready to leave East Tennessee, so I started looking and found Tellico Village. The entire time I was getting an education, I had no idea the place existed. I applied for the Assistant Superintendent position at Tanasi Golf Club under Patrick Rose, who is now at Kansas City Country Club. I always thought that my time in Kentucky made me a shoo-in with Pat being a former Wildcat. I worked under Pat for less than a month. Pat moved to Signal Mountain in Chattanooga and Chris Sykes, Golf Course Superintendent at Toqua Golf Club, offered me the position to work with him so I took it. Chris and I worked alongside each other for five years at Toqua transforming it into a “classic” golf course. I will forever be grateful for the time spent under his leadership as it prepared me for my first Golf Course Superintendent job at The Links at Kahite.

The best part of the job is and always will be “The People.” Our job as managers is not always easy, especially when walking into a new environment. I believe patience and time will bring good fortune. Throughout my years at Kahite, I have had the pleasure of working alongside some special people that make the average workday seem like a vacation. In our everyday morning meetings, I find myself looking around the room and am reminded how different we all are. We all come from different backgrounds, different age groups, different outlooks and opinions, yet somehow we ended up together in our current life and have found a way to work together as a team in providing the best golf experience for our membership. That is special.

I would not call this challenge unique, but it is the one that trumps all the other challenges that come to mind and that is the amount of play. I believe in the quote, “proper preparation prevents poor performance.” That holds true to many operations but especially Tellico Village. To provide world-class golf conditions in our environment, you must plan precisely before you can execute and when it’s time to execute, GO!

We have a great setup here in Tellico Village. Generally, Kahite will have 16 – 20 Team members. 10 of us are full-time year-round, 3 – 4 of us are full-time seasonal that consist of local high school or college students, and the other 3 – 6 of us are part-time seasonal staff that consist of retired villagers that enjoy staying active and take advantage of the free golf given to all employees. I could not be luckier to have two individuals by my side that help drive the operation. Equipment Manager Kim Duffey is the best at her craft and Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Josh Gunter does an incredible job leading our team. Kahite is very fortunate to have them not only for their talents and commitment, but more importantly because they are genuine people.

Generally, employment has been the answer and to some degree, it may always be the most challenging aspect of the job. But, if I were to answer this in our current state, I would answer the challenges of replacement parts and rises in costs across the board of our operations. Parts/ Equipment are not as timely as we need due to the manufacturing processes, and price increases have made it difficult to ask for more money to keep the standards of service where we feel they need to be or what is being asked from us.

I believe it is important to surround yourself with others in the industry. We all are wired in a certain way that makes us relatable. Our everyday lives in the workplace are not too different as we all hold ourselves accountable for providing the best quality of service possible. We take pride and ownership in everything we do. Seeing and hearing other testimonies can bring us together and add benefit to our own mindset and areas of responsibility.

That your golf course is not the only thing that matters. There are a lot of parts that make up the overall experience at your golf club or facility. Yes, the golf course may attract the golfer to come play, but the overall experience is what it is all about. You may not always get exactly what you want but understanding the entire operation will open your eyes to see the big picture. Tellico Village taught me that.

There is no doubt the person I have spent the most time with and learned the most from is Chris Sykes – Director of Agronomy at PGA Village. I worked for Chris as an assistant for five years and three years as a Superintendent when he was appointed Director of Golf in Tellico Village. I remember conversations with Chris, and he would talk about his days at The Honors Course while working for David Stone. He always said that he “worked for the right guy” and that is something I can easily say as well. Chris taught me “effort” more than anything.

Free time is hard to come by in this industry, but at least in this part of the country we are blessed with seasons that allow us to get away from the golf course to focus on other areas of life. I generally spend all free time with my family. My wife Mary and I have two little ones that keep us busy doing what one- and three-year old parents generally do. We love being parents and if there is a chance for us to get away for a date night, we take advantage as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

Mary and I will be celebrating our seven-year wedding anniversary this May. I’m not confident I would be able to accomplish the life as a husband, father, and golf course superintendent without her patience and support. She has given me two wonderful children: Ryan is three years old and Molly is 17 months. We have a dog named Snickers that has been with us for 10 years.

The Turfgrass Industry is an everevolving business. It seems in the 12 years that I have been a part of it as a professional, change is normal. The number of Assistant Superintendent jobs open is a little alarming and would make all of us question what the future looks like, but that also means there are incredible opportunities open for the willing. My advice for the next generation of Assistant Golf Course Superintendents, groundskeepers, field managers, etc.… is to dive in and keep your head down. Patience for the next opportunity or promotion can be a lot to ask of yourself, but there are lessons to be learned in the process. We are always learning and evolving to be better versions of ourselves. Mike Tomlin said, “its not what you’re capable of, it’s what you’re willing to do.” Learn, work hard, ask questions, and get better every day. Hard work pays off.