2025 Super Social Media Awards: Brent Downs

Brent Downs was “late to the game” when it comes to using social media. The Otter Creek Golf Club and Harrison Lake Country Club director of agronomy, known as @OtterCreekGCM on X, didn’t begin using the platform until 2019. For Downs, networking through in-person conversations and conferences was more attractive than using digital platforms.

That was until he heard about all the information being shared, and communities being created on what was known as Twitter at the time. Since his account began, Downs’ posts have evolved from words and images to short, snipped video clips. His account has more than 1,000 followers and has become a way of connecting an already tight-knit community. By posting and sharing inspirational and informative messages, Downs has earned a 2025 Super Social Media Award. 

In 2025, Downs will be launching a new podcast titled “The Lo-Downs,” where he will interview friends, mentors and educational leaders about industry topics and life. Along with the audio, Downs says he plans to create a more consistent social media posting schedule, as opposed to posting as things come up.

Downs and other Super Social Media Award winners will be recognized at 2:30 p.m. PT, Wednesday, Feb. 5, at The Aquatrols Company booth #4025 at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego, California. The event is open to all. Free drinks will be served during and after the ceremony.

Why do you feel it’s important to post updates about what’s going on in your job?

It’s telling a story. I do not always have direct contact. I have more direct contact with the membership and the director’s role, but sometimes I need to disseminate info or tell a story in a way that you feel like you’re there talking with me, even if you don’t always have the time to do that. I try to use my posts to take you on a journey, especially if I’m doing it via video. But even with the picture posts that I do, I’m trying to explain something I’m getting feedback about, and then I know both clubs will either repost me or they’ll take my post and put it into one of their other social media channels.

What do you believe the future of social media in the golf industry looks like?

I think there’s always going to be a place for long-form writing. But these days, people consume a lot of their content in, like, one-minute videos. I think spliced short videos are going to become more critical. I think more interviews, like interview podcasts, but also interview videos are going to be the future. I can’t necessarily say one site is better than the other. I don’t think the sites we use are going to change, like X versus Bluesky. You’ll use what you use, but I believe the way you post on it is going to be important. I think you’re going to go more video-based, and I think that’s an area where AI comes in and where AI is the future. And I think that the future of golf course social media content is just exciting, uplifting, really hype videos, if you will, but done in a way, using AI that they don’t take up their entire day.

How important do you feel communication is to success in your job?

Communication and connection can overcome a lot of other deficiencies, even if you’re not having a great year. And, inevitably, weather plays such a role in what we do, that not every year is going to be roses. But if you’re communicating and you are transparent and you’re honest — and also, if you communicate in a way you connect — people are going to give you the benefit of the doubt, and one bad year isn’t going to be what sinks you. But if you are closed off, if you are argumentative, if you are standoffish that you know about what you’re doing and not being transparent? Yes, I do think that’ll sink you. I think not only communication of the bad, communication of the good, I mean, being able to celebrate your win — I think things like that are critical in communication, both getting out in front of the negative, but celebrating the positive when you have it. Because I think in the past, as an industry, we haven’t, so I’ve been as guilty as anybody. It is easy for me to focus on the things that are wrong and fixing those, but we need to also celebrate what went right. And I think communication is vital to both of those things.

Kelsie Horner is Golf Course Industry’s assistant editor.