Did you realize that one day last month (September), the ‘created holiday’, with credits owing to the GCSAA not Hallmark©, was celebrated? That day was the annual International Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day. Two of Lake County’s suburbs and golf courses should be honored to have, and should be grateful to, Dave Groelle for his service to keep the grasses of Royal Melbourne and Vernon Hills Golf Course alive and thriving.

The following article is a re-print of the article that first appeared on the kempersports.com website.

The article was written by Gehrig Parker of KemperSports, and our thanks goes out to him for permission to forward it on to the readers of Chicago Golf Report; photo credits also.

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Spotlight Series: Dave Groelle

In honor of international “Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day,” we are proud to highlight the unsung heroes of the golf industry and KemperSports family: our incredibly hardworking and outstanding superintendents and course maintenance teams.

Dave Groelle
Golf Course Superintendent & KemperSports Midwest Regional Agronomist
Royal Melbourne Country Club (Long Grove, IL) Vernon Hills Golf Course (Vernon Hills, IL)

Number of years worked at current course: 24 years
Total years worked in the industry: 36 years

How did you get into the golf maintenance industry?
I started working on a maintenance crew to gain access to free golf. I just loved to play!

What’s your favorite part of the job?
Watching the sun rise every day.

What’s the most misunderstood part of the job?
We don’t do things to purposely aggravate golfers, like difficult pin locations, cart path only restrictions, frost delays or aerification. A close second is bunker complaints.

What advice would you give to your younger self or younger superintendents just starting out?
Have fun. We’re in the hospitality business. It should be fun for everyone, including your staff. If you’re having fun, they will too! Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. This is the best industry in the world! Help is out there from your peers if you simply ask.

Being employed at one place for 24 years is pretty solid. I am also very proud of the staff at Royal Melbourne. We have built a great culture that shows when you have the tenured staff that we have. It makes life much easier when you’re not replacing staff every year. I’m also proud of the young superintendents that have gone on to be great superintendents themselves!

This past year, have you and your team worked/completed any exciting construction/renovation projects? If so, what was your team responsible for and how will it enhance the golf course/facility?
Nothing major at Royal Melbourne this past year. I’m just proud of the great product we put out every day for our members and guests. It was a difficult season weather wise for us. We had several rain events early that caused us to have to re-build bunkers already 10 times this season. One of those storms produced 80 mile-per-hour winds that caused significant damage to the course with trees down and debris on every hole. It was the first time in my tenure that the course was closed for a day. The team stepped up, and in one week’s time we had the property shining again. They are simply the best!

What insight do you have about the future of the industry? Are there any innovative practices you’re helping lead to benefit the environment/your facility?
The future of the industry is bright in my opinion. Young people are very interested in our profession as their generation seeks a quality of life and job satisfaction that can be delivered working with nature and producing conditions that people get to enjoy every day. It is truly rewarding, and once people learn of the possibilities in the profession, it is not hard to get them to buy in. Exciting times!

What are some of the most helpful forward-thinking practices that have benefited your facility?
Less is more. We limit the amount of cultural practices in-season, such as topdressing and aerating. These are only done in the shoulder months when play is slower.

The grass responds better as well since we don’t stress it out during the most stressful and busy times. We no longer core aerate, only solid tines, verticut and topdress. This has resulted in much faster recovery times that our membership enjoys.

The use of growth regulators has allowed us to reduce mowing of fairways and tees from three times a week to only twice now. This has allowed us to re-allocate labor to the detail work on the course that helps set us apart from other facilities. Sometimes less is more!

What does the game of golf mean to you and how has that helped fuel the passion you have for your career?
The game of golf means a great deal to me. It taught me honesty and integrity at a young age. My fondest memories growing up were on the golf course either working or playing. It brought me to this amazing career, which most people when they learn about the profession say, “that sounds so amazing, I didn’t know you could do that!”

The game also became part of the fabric of my family. My oldest son Chase worked with me at Royal Melbourne and is currently in his second year at Penn State in the two-year program for turfgrass management. My younger son Dylan is on the varsity golf team and is on the relentless pursuit to beat his dad someday.

When my father retired 27 years ago, he came to work with me as my rough mower. I never thought growing up that I would be working side by side with my dad! To have these opportunities is a gift I would never have received without the great game of golf. For that, I am forever grateful.