Golf’s snow leopards

Snow leopards are only found in rugged, mountainous terrain in central and southern Asia. They are strong, clever and thrive in harsh conditions. They adapt well to a variety of circumstances and situations as they battle the elements. Snow leopards spend a lot of time on their own, but they could not survive without a certain degree of companionship.

Superintendents are similar, except they enjoy a much broader geography.

At most courses, superintendents are one of one. When superintendents need help, they can turn to nearby colleagues but problem-solving mostly happens with superintendents working elsewhere. Dan Dinelli, superintendent at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Illinois, recognizes how special this is.

“People are shocked, especially from the business world, that superintendents are so open with their information-sharing,” Dinelli says. “If you need a piece of equipment, maybe something breaks or you’re in a bind, everyone is willing to pitch in and help the other person. It’s a competitive business, but our tradition, our culture, has been to set competition aside and help the other person at the highest level possible. People will go out of their way. That’s what I have experienced.”

Laurie Bland is the superintendent at Miami Springs Golf & Country Club, an 18-hole public course in Miami Springs, Florida, and she knows about that bond. “Superintendents share devotion, passion and drive,” Bland says. “It’s an understanding about what kind of job this is, and it doesn’t matter where you work. That bond extends through superintendents from high-end facilities to municipalities.”

Everyone is included. But everyone isn’t actually a lot.

“The golf business is small,” says Rick Tegtmeier, director of grounds at Des Moines Golf & Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa, who recently announced his retirement. “We all know each other. It’s more of a fraternity. In the United States there are only about 16,000 of us. That’s not very many. We are all in this to do the same thing and to help each other. Now, social media plays a part in that with the sharing of ideas across platforms.”

There are comments and jokes online that only other superintendents will understand. Sure, there are “in real life” jokes between superintendents, too, and more of them. Several superintendents have confessed that their best stories are not suitable for print, but Tegtmeier has a classic anecdote that he is happy to share.

“I had a very good friend named Tim Westland. He has passed away, but we used to talk every day. I was in Cedar Rapids at Elmcrest Country Club and Tim was at Thunder Hills Country Club in Peosta. Tim called me one day in the middle of winter about some new technology in irrigation systems, dual-tone multi-frequency codes. He said, ‘I’m going to give you a phone number. Dial it and push these buttons and when you hear a tone, hang up.’ I wrote it all down, did what he said and called him back. I asked, ‘What did that do?’ He said, ‘It worked! That starts the irrigation system on my tees!’ Neat. I threw the paper in the drawer of my desk. In August, I’m cleaning out my drawer and I find that paper. I thought, why not? I dialed the number and pushed the buttons. Guess what happened on Ladies Day at Thunder Hills? Tim said he knew instantly that it was me. No one was hurt but a few women did get wet. We had a good laugh — the ladies included!”

A sense of humor goes a long way in succeeding in this industry. Bland recalls a time when it felt like her entire local chapter was on the same flight home from the national convention. They joked that if their flight got stuck somewhere, it would spell trouble for a whole region of courses!

The priority of superintendents, though bonded through their challenges, is on relationships. “In some ways the work environment is wonderful and in others it’s just not an easy job. We respect and relate to each other on the pressures,” Dinelli says. “That sounds crazy because it’s just golf, but there is a lot of pride in our profession. Whenever you help someone or problem-solve with your peers, you feel good about that. To survive you have to care, and if you care, it takes a lot of effort to meet the standards that continue to rise.”

Pressures for playing conditions and resources have increased but the care for the work and the care for one another have not changed. That care is the foundation of the superintendent culture. You would let others know about unethical practices from product representatives or services in the area. “I’m pretty forward,” Tegtmeier says. “If I see someone wronging someone else, I definitely let people know that what they are doing is unethical. I think most people do.”

Another way to show that you care is communication regarding course visits. “I definitely reach out,” Bland says. “If I don’t contact the superintendent before my round, I will send a note to them or their staff afterwards.”

Tegtmeier agrees. “I call the superintendent to let them know that I will be playing their course. I don’t want a free pass, I do it as a professional courtesy. What if the superintendent sees me and wonders why I am there? It can be a shocker. Usually, the superintendent will stop and say hi. It’s the right thing to do.”

While communication about course visits is a longstanding tradition, expectations surrounding the dress code have shifted. There are more hats in the buildings and dress codes “have become pretty lax over the years,” says Tegtmeier, who has been in golf maintenance since 1980 and earned his Master Greenkeeper designation in 2015. “You see everything under the sun now. I don’t even worry about it.”

Many organizations provide uniforms and personal protective equipment, possibly rain gear, and that is the focus. Rules vary from place to place about shorts and pants, and closed-toe shoes are the norm, whether boots or sneakers. There might be conflicting feelings about hoodies, tattoos, joggers, facial hair and other choices in appearance. Every manager must be flexible with what works for their crew.

Flexibility helps with an age gap between leaders and younger, inexperienced workers because another special way that superintendents interact is mentoring new talent in the industry. “It is rewarding to see others contribute, to watch them grow and become successful,” Bland says. “One of my favorite things about being a superintendent is the multi-generational friendships that feel like family.”

Superintendents reach out to young talent, and it’s also common practice to welcome superintendents who are new to the area, informing them about professional organizations or industry events. Some of you reach out to a superintendent taking over a property that you are moving on from. Maybe you leave behind some important knowledge about tricky areas on course, or simply share your contact details with an invitation to ask questions. These helpful, humble gestures contribute to the generous nature and friendships in the industry.

“We had a gentleman who moved to Iowa in 1992, to the Wakonda Club” in Des Moines, Tegtmeier says. “I had just left Des Moines, so I called him up. His name was Steve Cook. I told him, ‘If you need anything, call me.’ He became an icon in this industry, and we have been great friends ever since that phone call.”

Superintendents excel in a service industry due in no small part to their abilities to put other people and the work ahead of their own needs. You are able to reach out during your busy schedule to make someone else feel comfortable. Superintendents are very capable of balancing drive and unpleasant surprises with looking after their teams and managing how to work with a variety of personalities.

These abilities come more naturally for some people than others, but the culture is there as a longstanding reference. Everyone is welcome to learn and enjoy a support network that is readily shared. With common traits and a nurturing nature, superintendents, like snow leopards, are exceptional in many ways.

Lee Carr is a northeast Ohio-based writer and senior Golf Course Industry contributor.