Best Twitter Feed: Steve Whitaker

Steve Whitaker never wants to brag about his life, or about his work, or about anything, really. Heck, he never wants to even appear to be some sort of braggart. But he does want people — in real life and, for the purposes of this story, on Twitter — to know he loves where he spends his days.

Less than five years after pivoting from fighting fires to tending to turf, the 54-year-old South Carolinian has climbed the industry ladder and is now assistant superintendent at Old Barnwell, a much-discussed Aiken course still under construction. If you’re curious about progress there, just ask Whitaker — he’ll tell you that the Upper Loop, which includes holes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 17 and 18, is open for preview play for members on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and some Sundays.

“Everything is cleared pretty wide,” he says. “The architects are shaping like crazy. It’s amazing watching them — how in the world they take a pile of dirt and the next thing you know, What in the world? How did this happen? It’s really interesting watching the whole thing develop.

“There is a lot going on.”

For a more visual experience, check out Whitaker’s Twitter feed. Tweeting under the handle @Steve1968, Whitaker has averaged a tick over eight tweets per day since he signed up for the platform in November 2020. Most of his messages these days are about Old Barnwell. Sundays are reserved for posts about church and his Christian faith. And he will trade tweets and DMs with anybody in the industry. Just don’t expect him to be somebody he’s not: “I couldn’t be like David Jones,” he says. “I couldn’t wear the loud clothes — but he pulls it off like a champ!”

Whitaker's online work earned him a 2023 Super Social Media Award in the Best Twitter Feed category. The annual awards honor the best of turf on social media. All 2023, 2022 and 2021 winners will be recognized at the 12th annual Golf Course Industry TweetUp — #GCITweetUp23 — scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8 at Aquatrols Booth #2373 at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Orlando. We talked with him in advance of the event.

What do you hope others learn from your social media usage?

Just like college football players, as assistant superintendents, we’re always in the transfer portal whether we’re looking or not. I don’t have any plans — none whatsoever — of looking for a job any time soon. But social media is a part of your résumé. Being proud of your club and showing what you do is acceptable in the business. I’m 54 years old and I’m competing with some 23-, 24-year-old rock stars, so I have to slide my angle in there somehow.

What do you learn from your industry peers on social media?

That’s a broad swath. I learn everything from footwear recommendations, to a little bit of physical and mental self-care, to cool-season grasses — which we don’t do much with down here, but I’ll still take a look. There are some great personalities, there are a lot of funny guys in the business who don’t take themselves too seriously but they’re serious about their business. Dan Francis and Paul Hurst are prime examples — they’re smart, intelligent guys, great at what they do.

What advice would you give peers looking to boost their social media game?

Don’t try to copy. Look for an original niche. A lot of people post beautiful pictures of their course. I post trees and different views of the sun in the morning. Find something that really piques your interest and share it with people, and just try to be who you are. I don’t profess to be the smartest guy or know everything. I ask questions. Sometimes, I ask probing questions — I may have an answer from my beliefs — just to get the conversation going. That’s how you learn different things. You may not like it, but it cuts down on complacency when you ask probing questions.

I don’t try to hide who I am. It’s obvious I’m a man of faith, and every day I share something from the Bible. I’ve not had anybody balk at what I say. And I know some of the guys who see my stuff aren’t believers, but I don’t try to force anything, I just try to interact. And that’s something else: Interact with people, ask questions, like other people’s stuff. Just be genuine. Be enthusiastic and proud about what you do. You don’t have to be at a top-100 club. You can be at a little mom-and-pop place out in the country. Just be proud of what you do.

Matt LaWell is Golf Course Industry’s managing editor.