Golf Course Superintendents Association of America member Kevin Black weighs his options as city course closes
Lawrence, Kan. (May 3, 2016) – These days are filled with mixed emotions for Kevin Black, the 62-year-old longtime golf course superintendent at Prairie View Golf Links in Worthington, Minn., a small town of 13,000 people and just one McDonald’s.
Black has been at the course since 1995, and he has worked there for the last 21 years, including Saturdays. That is until earlier this year, when the city council voted to cut funding for the golf course and decided not to open it for play this season.
“I guess I could see the writing on the wall for a number of years,” said Black, a 23-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and recent recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the South Dakota Golf Course Superintendents Association (SDGCSA), where he is a member. “We were losing about $160,000 a year, and I think we only did 5,000 rounds last year. But it’s a shame. It was a good run. We did a lot of good out here, and golfers were always satisfied with the course.”
Black started his journey in golf course management in Iowa, where he attended Iowa State University and worked at the municipal golf course in Spencer for 13 years. Along the way, he earned distinction as a certified golf course superintendent (1996) and certification in several areas of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf, which teaches students environmentally sound principals while protecting wildlife on the course.
At the height of business for Prairie View, Black had 12 employees and enough funding to barely make ends meet. Now, he spends his days on the course with his yellow Labrador, Auggie.
“It’s just me and my dog now,” said Black, who is still grooming the bentgrass greens to perfection so they can be sold for sod later this year. I still think that if this golf course were located in a metro area, we’d would have been making money hand over fist. I won’t lie. It’s hard when something you worked on for so long is not going to exist anymore.”
But at age 62, Black is caught between considering retirement and looking for a new position.
“I don’t know if I have another golf course in me,” he said. “They told me that I will have a job until the end of the year, but after that I don’t know. I am open to trying something completely different. After spending nearly 40 years in the sun, maybe it’s time to work inside.”
In the next few months, however, Black plans to enjoy his time with his family, including taking his 14-year-old son, Jack, fishing, and getting away for a weekend with his wife, Jennifer.
“My wife and I are still trying to figure out what the next chapter is going to be,” he said. “She has been very supportive.”
Black’s many friends and colleagues are supporting him too, including Dave Wempen, the golf course superintendent at nearby Adrian Country Club.
“Kevin is a jokester, and he is pretty upbeat through all of this,” said his close friend and former intern Wempen. “I have learned a lot from him. I have been here 23 years, and I still call him for advice.”
About GCSAA and the EIFG
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org. or find us on Facebook or Twitter.
Contact:
Craig Smith, Director, Communications and Media Relations
Phone: 800-472-7878, ext. 4431 or 785-691-9197 (cell)
csmith@gcsaa.org
