| “Polishing diamonds” is the phrase David Matheson uses to describe the plans his company, Escalante Golf, has for the recently-purchased 45-hole Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Fla. “Our goal is to polish these three Tom Fazio gems, including the highly-acclaimed Quarry Course, and take the entire development to the next level,” says Matheson, one of four Escalante Golf Partners. “Jay Mullen is our director of golf maintenance and is a home-grown gem that started as a golf course laborer at one of our courses over a decade ago. Black Diamond Ranch is Mullen’s first superintendent position. He intends to apply his particular brand of polish to the operation and is ecstatic about the opportunity and challenges of maintaining this 1,200-acre residential development and golf course property.” Escalante Golf is described as a boutique owner and operator of luxury golf properties in California, Colorado, Florida and Ohio. From Escalante Golf’s offices in Fort Worth, Texas, Matheson beams when discussing his company’s recent acquisition of Black Diamond Ranch, including the Black Diamond Ranch golf courses. The Quarry, one of the Black Diamond Ranch courses, is ranked one of “America’s 100 Greatest Courses” for 20 consecutive years by Golf Digest and among the “Top 100 Courses in the U.S.” by GOLF Magazine. Fazio is forged the Quarry Course from the limestone cliffs of two abandoned quarries. The results of Fazio’s efforts are generally regarded as spectacular golf. The club includes two additional courses: The Ranch, an 18-hole layout with rolling fairways and dramatic elevation changes, and the nine-hole Highlands Course, a mix of lush fairways, stands of oak and pine and pristine water features. The Black Diamond Ranch was founded in 1987. The courses, a little farther than one hour north of Tampa, are the foundation of the Black Diamond Ranch residential golf community. Q. Why did Escalante Golf purchase Black Diamond Properties? Matheson: Escalante Golf has been acquiring some spectacular properties the past few years. The challenging golf economy has presented our company with the opportunity to acquire some world-class assets like Black Diamond. Recognized as one of Florida’s top residential golf communities, Black Diamond is a wonderful addition to our Florida portfolio. Black Diamond is our company’s fifth property either owned or managed in Florida. We are quite bullish on Florida’s economic future – especially for a property with the quality and reputation of Black Diamond. The Quarry Course was carved from two abandoned limestone quarries, bounded by live oaks, dogwoods, myrtles and magnolias. The design is considered one of Tom Fazio’s seminal works. Famed golf writer Dan Jenkins called holes 13-17, “The best consecutive five golf holes in the world.” Q. I understand Black Diamond was in excellent shape when Escalante acquired it. How do you intend to take the courses and club to an even higher level? Matheson: The three courses were in great condition when we arrived. However, as new owners, we will make subtle changes to improve the member experience. One of our first decisions was to greatly reduce outside access to the courses by nonmembers. With the exception of an occasional outing, the club is once again the exclusive domain of our members. Escalante Golf also brought in a new management team. This highly skilled team was challenged from day-one with providing members with a top 100 experience. From the clubhouse to the golf courses, creating an authentic top 100 experience remains our ultimate objective. Transparency is also the foundation of our management philosophy. All employees are expected to be committed to the transparency concept. There are no hidden agendas; everyone pulls the rope in the same direction. We are confident our management style will keep Black Diamond Ranch moving in a positive direction. Q. Speaking of your management team, can you tell us about superintendent/director of golf course maintenance, Jay Mullen? Matheson: We first met Jay when our company took over Waterlefe Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. Jay immediately stood out as a superior employee and someone with a bright future in our company. Jay started as a laborer on Waterlefe and worked his way up. When the superintendent position opened at Black Diamond we knew, “Jay was the right guy for the job. He’s a young guy, a smart guy and a strong leader. Jay leads by example. We knew he had the leadership and skills to manage a multiple course operation. Since day one, Jay has done a fantastic job. In his short time at Black Diamond, he has established a standard for superior course conditions, and has also earned the respect from our club members. We are extremely excited to have Jay on our management team.” Q. Let’s now direct the conversation to you Jay. Tell us how you got into the golf business. Mullen: I am originally from St. Louis. I attended the University of Missouri and studied engineering for a short time. As a young single guy I moved with my family to the Bradenton – Sarasota area. My first job in golf was working on the Waterlefe Golf Course in Sarasota. Having never worked on a golf course before, I started out raking bunkers and found I loved the golf course maintenance field. While at Waterlefe, I worked my way up from laborer to machine operator to irrigation technician to spray technician and eventually to assistant superintendent. Q. How did you learn the technical skills to become a successful superintendent? Mullen: I had the great fortune to work under a number of superintendents who enjoyed sharing their knowledge with everyone on the team. Ranjit Sagramsingh took me under his wing after I joined the crew at Waterlefe. Ranjit was one of those unique individuals who believed it important for everyone to learn several jobs. He was a great influence in helping me with my understanding of agronomy and the science behind it. He invited me to attend numerous seminars and classes. I am a firm believer there are several ways to accomplish every goal and that sometimes the best approach is to think outside the box. My next superintendent was Erik Gowdy. Erik is an incredible leader who taught me that no job is too big or too difficult. He has a can-do attitude which is infectious with his team. He’s a hands-on leader who knows how to work through challenges. I learned an incredible amount from both Erik and Ranjit. In addition, I am a hungry proponent of research. In dealing with technical issues, I look for case studies and speak with other superintendents to bounce ideas around. I also attend every GCSAA class I can and make good use of the various reference materials available. Q. What was it like when you first arrived at Black Diamond Ranch? Mullen: I will never forget when I first arrived at the property. My wife and I drove up to the security gate to enter the compound. While I was talking to the guard my wife kept tapping me on the shoulder saying, “Jay, look, Jay – look to the right.” Off to my right I could see an incredible view of some of the quarry holes. It was simply breathtaking. I immediately knew I was going to be responsible for a very special place. Q. Share with us your thoughts, feelings and fears with your first days on the job as a new superintendent at a large, multicourse operation. Mullen: I believe that any time you start a new job there will be some nervousness and excitement. I would not say that I had any fears as I knew the crew was top-notch. My first days on the job were spent meeting the team and familiarizing myself with each course’s intricacies and priorities. The great news for me was each course was already very well maintained. In the time I have been here, I am so pleased with the team and how they have responded to a new leader. I have also enjoyed getting to know the members - they have been very gracious and welcoming to me and my family. Q. What are some of the maintenance practices you are implementing at the courses? Mullen: I feel I am a “back-to- basics” type superintendent. I believe in annually removing about 20 percent of the biomass from the greens through aeration and I do a lot of light frequent greens topdressing. I like to keep the TifEagle greens on the lean side with 6-7 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year using both foliar and granular fertilizers. Our preventative fungicide applications are usually sprayed every two to three weeks year round, on greens only. We rotate fungicides with different modes of action for resistance management and to preserve a fungicide’s effectiveness. The most challenging disease we deal with in this part of the country is Rhizoctonia Zeae. It is very damaging and hard to suppress, so we make every effort to control it before we see any visible signs. In managing turf I don’t focus too much on shoot growth but do concentrate on strong roots. I always try to balance course playability and aesthetics. A little brown on the greens and in the fairways is OK. We are looking for the courses to play fast and firm. The members have really responded positively to this change. Another change we have been implementing is the previous owners liked the oak trees to have a natural look with branches to the ground. We have been pruning up the oaks so if behind a tree, the golfer’s next shot is not completely blocked. We are also replacing some cart paths and plan some shaping around bunkers to keep water from running through the bunkers and washing out the faces. We are not doing anything real flashy. We are making subtle changes to enhance playability, aesthetics and turf conditions. The members were a little skeptical when I first took over maintenance of the courses. I am young, plus I think people are always a little anxious when things change. However, I started making little adjustments here and there, plus the changes previously mentioned and the response has been very positive. I have had members come up to me and say, “I was wrong to worry, the courses are great.” The positive reinforcement has been very rewarding. Q. Tell me how the crew is organized and about your responsibilities within the development in addition to maintaining the courses. Mullen: There is one maintenance shop for the entire complex. Each course has a superintendent. They all worked for the previous management company and know their courses well. All other employees from spray techs to equipment operators to laborers go between courses as needed. The flexibility to move employees between courses has proven very efficient. I am also responsible for maintaining the common area landscaping and the maintenance of undeveloped areas throughout the complex. Although the common areas are budgeted separately, my emphasis is using the resources I have to get the job done, whether it is on the courses or in the common areas. Escalante Golf places a lot of emphasis on the whole community, in addition to the golf courses. It’s my job to do the best I can in all areas. Q. Thanks, Jay, for sharing your journey from bunker raker to multi-course manager. It has been interesting and inspiring. Turning back to you David, do you have any final thoughts? Matheson: When I think back to my opening statement on polishing diamonds, I cannot be any more enthusiastic about Black Diamond Ranch Properties and Jay Mullen. They are both gems and the future looks exceptionally bright for both.” |
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