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T h e I n c re d i b l e L i f e S t o ry O f M uh am m ad Al i , The Bing Maloney Superintendent Who Has Risen Up To Achieve Amazing Success In His Field By Marty James, Freelance Sports Writer
Muhammad Ali grew up on a farm in Pakistan, working alongside his father after school each day. There was a lot to do, tending to fruits and vegetables, growing different crops, and taking care of horses in the countryside area of Ghour Ghushti. “I did all kinds of farming, working in the fields and all that,” said Ali. The work ethic that he acquired at a very young age has carried over into his job today, as the golf course superintendent and a certified arborist at Bing Maloney Golf Course in Sacramento and Bartley Cavanaugh Golf Course in Sacramento. Ali is with Morton Golf, which manages and oversees operations at both facilities, along with those at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento and William Land Golf Course in Sacramento. Ali is up each day at 3:30 a.m., and then at work, in time to see the sunrise. He and his team start work on the golf course at 5 a.m. “My favorite thing to do is to show up to work every day,” said Ali. “It’s a dream job for me. There are very few people on the road at that time – no traffic, nothing. Even at the time when I go home, I don’t run into traffic. It’s perfect. “Golf courses are just beautiful places. Being on a golf course every day is a blessing.”
Ali has been working at golf courses since his arrival in the United States in 2007. He has been on the grounds staff at Haggin Oaks, which has two courses – Alister MacKenzie Golf Course and Arcade Creek Course. He has also been on the team at Timber Creek Golf Course in Roseville. Ali was recognized recently with one of the top awards in his field. He received the 2019 President’s GrassRoots Award from the Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America “for his outstanding individual career efforts and for his contributions to the association and the industry.” Ali is so very honored to receive the award. “I think the SNGCSA award was a great honor for me because, in our chapter, we have lots of hard working and very knowledgeable superintendents from high-end golf courses, but they still selected me for this award,” he said. “On the other hand, it’s really encouraging for me to get recognized for representing GCSAA and Morton Golf. However, I can’t achieve all this without the help of my family and hard-working crew.” In its mission statement, at www.sierranevadagcsa.com, the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association “is established to enhance the profession and promote the growth of golf through quality education and networking opportunities for members.” In its mission statement, at www.gcsaa.org, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America “is dedicated to serving its members, advancing their profession and enhancing the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf.” Ali is a member of the Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the GCSAA. “When I came here, it was challenging for me, getting used to the cultural change,” he said. “I didn’t speak English at the time. I went to school to learn English. I took some classes for my citizenship.” Ali hasn’t stopped working since coming to Sacramento. “I love my home country, where I grew up. For me, moving here and living here, this is a great country,” he said. “There are is a lot of opportunity for somebody who wants to work for it.” He worked two jobs, at Haggin Oaks as a seasonal groundskeeper starting in July of 2008, and at Timber Creek about a year later, putting in 16-hour days. “It was tough,” he recalled. “I did it for two years.” He enrolled at American Continued on Page 9