Golfdom, April 2015

Tomorrows Turf Jocks Assistants today determined to be leaders tomorrow Where did you study turfgrass science I went to school at Florida Southern College in Lakeland Fla its a private DII division II school There are small classrooms which I liked and enjoyed so you get really close contact with the professors Who are your mentors in the industry Ken Mangum whom I actually work for at the Atlanta Athletic Club Also Michael Sartori the superintendent out at The Broadmoor East Course Colorado Springs Colo is another one of my mentors Why did you choose this profession I started working in the cart barn when I was 16 and Ive always enjoyed working outside I met the superintendent at my old course where I had worked in Tampa Fla and I kind of fell in love The Atlanta Athletic Club Highlands course has seen PGA history that spans from the mid 70s to 2014 The original Robert Trent Jones Sr partial design hosted the 1976 U S Open and the 1981 and 2001 PGA Championships Rees Jones handled the 2006 redesign in preparation for the 2011 PGA Championship and the course most recently hosted the 2014 U S Amateur Davis second assistant at the facility grew up in and attended turf school in Florida and worked as an assistant in Colorado but has returned to the South and he doesnt want to leave southern hospitality or the grass anytime soon with it I didnt want to be behind a desk all day I couldnt do that Im really hands on I picked it up and I really enjoy it now did anything surprise you about the industry The long days that you have to put in Especially during the summer but even in the winters down here Well put in a 12 hour day and have to cover and uncover Its a lot of work nonstop all year long What is the greatest asset you bring to a course Spraying Thats pretty much all I do right now Im kind of like the spray tech but I also get to manage the crew every day I really enjoy that What challenges do you face managing the creW Some days its hard like on the weekends Especially when giving jobs out If all of the guys dont come in and you already have planning in your mind what you wanted to do and then at the last second you have to start all over and put the guys in the right places for that day I learned now you dont make the schedule Wait until everybodys there in the morning figure out whos coming in and then make the schedule Were pretty flexible with our guys If they dont want to come in on a Saturday because theyve worked all week we arent going to write them up Where do you see yourself in 10 years A superintendent somewhere on the coast of Florida I would love to go back out to Colorado but being from the South and working in the Transition Zone and being from Florida I would enjoy it The grass is better down here advertorial Taylor Davis Second ASSiStAnt The Atlanta Athletic Club Highlands course brought to you by 16 Golfdom April 2015 Golfdom com