During our two year Bad Golf Guy journey we have met a number of kind and fascinating people, including but not limited to; Brad McMakin, Mark Castillo, James Dodson, Dan Latoria, Jane Hixson and Frank Stranick. None is kinder or more fascinating than David Court, Director of Golf Course Maintenance at World Woods Golf Club in Brooksville, FL. World Woods Golf Club (Tom Fazio designs) opened in 1993, sits on 2,100 acres, including two world class championship golf courses (Pine Barrens and Rolling Oaks), a nine hole short course, three practice holes, a twenty-three acre practice range and a two acre, thirty-six hole putting green.
I met David a year or so ago and have been a part of his forty person crew for the better part of two months. David is a soft spoken, hands-on guy, who works side by side with his crew to manicure this absolutely stunning property. David is universally respected and liked, always taking the time for a short visit and to show appreciation for a job well done.
David is retiring today after an accomplished career. Inevitably there will be someone filling his office but certainly not his shoes! Your reserved demeanor, you steady disposition, your relationships with your colleagues and your knowledge of the industry and the World Woods property will be greatly missed! You are truly a class act!
Enjoy your retirement!
The Back Nine with David Court, C.G.C.S. – Part 1
Was a career in the golf industry a conscious decision or did things simply evolve? I was initially interested in the food and beverage side of the business as I worked in the dining room of Fort Lauderdale Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I was familiar with the Club as my parents were active members and we were all active players.
Note: I played in my first PGA Junior Tournament at the age of twelve years old, where I was disqualified on the first day of the event for giving myself a putt!
I attended Broward College in Fort Lauderdale, FL. To receive an “A” in my Botany class, an extra credit project was required. I informed the teacher that I was interested in writing a paper on USGA Greens Construction. The teacher asked why and I responded that I aspired to be a golf course superintendent, which was a change in direction. The professor followed his initial question by asking, “Why are you going to school here, why aren’t you attending Lake City Community College. Lake City offers an Associate of Science Degree in Golf Course Operations. The school develops golf course superintendents.” Based on my professor’s recommendation, I headed off to Lake City Community College in Lake City, FL.
Please discuss your progression in the business? In 1977, for a two year period, I was the Assistant Golf Course Superintendent at the President Country Club in West Palm Beach, FL. At the age of twenty-three, I left the President Country Club and became the Superintendent of Colony West Golf Club in Tamarac, FL. Colony West Golf Club was the original golf course designed for the Jackie Gleason’s Inverrary Classic. (Unfortunately, due to infrastructure concerns, they moved the tournament to Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, FL, which is three-miles from Colony West Golf Club.) The transition was relatively easy as I had worked at Colony West while I attended college and was familiar with the routing of the holes. All in all, the move to Colony West was a good fit. Following my time at Colony West Golf Club, I spent twenty-five years at Boca Lago Country Club in Boca Baton, FL, a private club with thirty-six holes of golf. My last stop, prior to my eight years at World Woods, was four and a half years at Black Diamond Ranch Golf and Country Club in Lecanto, FL. Black Diamond is a Tom Fazio design with forty-five holes of golf and has been ranked the #1 golf community in Florida.
Did you feel you were ready for the position? Absolutely not! At that time, it was not unusual to be employed as an assistant for two years and then transition into a superintendent’s role. If I had to do it all over again, I would have stayed or moved to another Club as an assistant. During the late 70’s, early 80’s, there were a significant number of golf courses being built across the country. It would have been beneficial to participate in the build of a golf course from the ground up. I missed out on that opportunity.
Looking back, what were things you think you should have known before you took your first superintendent’s job? I should have known more about the irrigation process. Irrigation was part of our curriculum at Lake City however it was conducted in a classroom situation. I participated in my first irrigation break when I was a golf course superintendent, working side by side with my crew. I remember that situation well. Getting comfortable with the components of an irrigation system (clocks, hydraulics, etc.) was a learning experience as well.
You manage labor/people, time, materials and equipment, all rolling up to a budget. You are a biologist, chemist, plant pathologist, entomologist and a turf manager. What am I missing other than a plumber, mechanic and equipment operator? Sometimes an electrician, which is not my strong suit! What I learned early on is that you don’t need to know how to do everything, however you need to know where to find the help to get the job done.
Were you a handy guy growing up; were you able to fix things? Not really. I wasn’t a builder, I wasn’t involved in the construction industry, I wasn’t a plumber…I was a spoiled child. I had a rough life of being dropped off at the golf course every day in the summertime, playing golf and staying out of trouble. That was my daycare and my summer camp.
Of all of the technical skills required to be a superintendent, what are the priorities and what do you absolutely need to know? Knowing how to get along with people! The job is 90% people. As a superintendent, you are dealing with your colleagues who are typically working class citizens while simultaneously dealing with individuals that have the where-with-all to be members of a Club. Those members might be on the Club’s Board of Directors or Chair the Greens Committee. I truly enjoyed the private golf club sector as it is a little more forgiving and less dependent on total rounds of golf. The public course sector, dependent on driving revenue (rounds of golf), prioritizes keeping the doors open and the cash register ringing even when conditions would warrant otherwise. I started my career in the public golf course sector and it appears I will end my career in the public golf course sector.
You work with nature, which is unpredictable and constantly changing. What are the conditions that make you crazy? Late afternoon thunderstorms! At the end of the day, the golf course is prepared and in good shape, everything is mowed out, everything is nice, neat and clean. Then, late in the afternoon, a horrendous thunderstorm with high winds moves onto the property. In addition to two-three inches of rain, which is a problem, we need to deal with fallen trees and tree limb debris. We have an enormous tree population at World Woods.
If you are enjoying our weekly posts, we’d be eternally grateful if you’d spread the word. Thank you for following Bad Golf Guy and be sure to check us out on Instagram.
The back nine can only get better!
Leave a Reply