September 2021 - The Campaign - Year One
Michigan has an incredibly rich history with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and its governance over the decades. Names like Kramer, Woehrle, Timmerman, Faubel, Roberts, Maddern and most recently, Fulling, have been noted Superintendents who have stepped up to serve on the national association’s board of directors. It has been an honor for me to have talked with six of the past seven Michigan GCSAA presidents during my 33 years as a GCSAA member.
I have had a truly blessed career in this profession. My love of golf and interest in turf began when I was just seven years old at Thunder Hills Country Club in Iowa. I watched closely as their superintendent would turn on sprinklers 400 yards away on the first green with just the turn of a switch in that magic green box. Fast forward to high school where I played on the golf team and worked in the golf shop at Hickory Hills, and then Forest Hills Golf Club with golf professional Mark Wilson. I slowly migrated out of the golf shop and started working on the grounds crew with Superintendent Bob Johnson. Bob and his brother Mike, the equipment technician, both attended the Michigan State University turf program and shared their input with me and my parents which led me to attending the program in 1988 and graduating in 1989. It was great timing, as I had one year with Dr. Kenyon T. Payne and my second with Dr. Trey Rogers as the new director of the turf program.
During college, I landed an internship in Palm Springs, California working for Ross O’fee at The Springs Club and working The Skins Game for Mark Snyder at PGA West. The next six years of my career was with Mike Morris as his Assistant Superintendent at Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort. Mike prepared me very well for my first Superintendents job on the Old Course at Indianwood Golf & Country Club. Marty Sommerfeld was the Director of Operations; I spent two years on his team and now, it’s been over 25 years at Traverse City Country Club!
Here, now, at Traverse City Country Club, my green committee, board, and general managers have all supported my time serving the golf industry in Michigan on countless committees, boards and advisory groups. It has been a privilege serving and representing my own career, TCCC and all of you in so many ways. After much consideration with my club governance, current and past GCSAA board members, many Michigan colleagues, and most importantly my wife Sue and my three boys, Evan, Luke and Elliott, I have decided that this is the perfect time and an amazing opportunity for me to run for a seat on the national board of directors with the GCSAA.
It would be an honor to represent the MiGCSA, its members and the state of Michigan all while serving the profession on the GCSAA’s board of directors. With your support, I am looking forward to serving the members of the GCSAA and will continue working with all of the allied partners like the USGA, PGA, LPGA, GGCOA, ASGCA as well as giving back my time to this profession and the game of golf.