Hawk's Nest

Soaring like an eagle

Whenever ATI representatives are out and about in the region, one question is sure to be asked: "How's Hawk's Nest doing?" The 18-hole public golf course, a fixture in Wayne County, was donated to ATI in 2007.
"The short answer," said Rhonda Billman, ATI's assistant director, "is 'Just fine!'" The Ohio State University Board of Trustees was initially reluctant to accept the gift of Hawk's Nest, fearing that it would become a financial drain on the campus. "That has definitely not been the case," Billman said. "We're very fortunate to have retained the personnel that operated the course before ATI acquired it, and they have done an excellent job of utilizing resources to keep the course financially sound."
That's an achievement worth noting, considering that these are challenging economic times for golf courses everywhere, and Hawk's Nest is presented with a special challenge that few golf courses must take on--namely, operating as an educational facility as well as a public golf course.
During spring quarter, 45 students in ATI's turfgrass and landscape programs spent the first five weeks of the quarter at Hawk's Nest, where a total of four classes were held: turf practices, irrigation and drainage, turf practicum, and speech. (The speech class is taught at Hawk's Nest so students don't have to drive back and forth between the course and campus.)
Students undertake a variety of golf course maintenance and construction projects developed by David Willoughby, turfgrass management program coordinator, and Mark Smith, golf course superintendent. Balancing the educational needs of the students with the time allotted for classes and the requirements of the course can be trying. And then there's the weather. As Willoughby watched the snow fly on a particularly blustery April day, he sighed, "We should have already spent nine hours on the bunkers, and because of the weather, we haven't gotten in any."
Other class activities go on regardless of the weather, such as the calibration of sprayers and spreaders and the maintenance of twelve other pieces of turf equipment, from mowers to tractors.
Once fickle spring finally decided to stay for good, turfgrass students tackled drainage installation on two bunkers and an irrigation repair and rebuild project, and other ATI students planted annuals in beds around the clubhouse and on the course itself.
Willoughby is hopeful that the block scheduling option that will be possible with the semester conversion will enable students to have longer stretches of time to devote to more complex golf course projects, such as a complete redesign of the clubhouse landscaping or the construction of a nineteenth hole.
Whatever the scheduling and weather challenges, the experience is worth it, according to second-year turfgrass management major Jackson Edwards. "Out here, we're actually in the situations we'll encounter on other golf courses. On campus, it's more like a simulation. You can't go out and measure a tee box or calculate the grade of a green." The Massillon native is currently putting his Hawk's Nest experience to good use in an internship at the prestigious Firestone Country Club, which hosts the World Golf Championships Bridgestone Invitational.
--By Frances Whited

Alumnus Profile:

Andrew McCormick

On a day that began at 6 a.m. with employee time cards, invoices, and a host of other non-golf-related tasks, Andrew McCormick, superintendent of Hanover Country Club's golf course, managed to squeeze in a few minutes to discuss the career that began with ATI's turfgrass program. McCormick, an Ohio native, is a 2001 graduate. Commenting on his morning, he said, "It's all the stuff you don't necessarily think of when you think 'golf course.'"
"ATI's turfgrass management program gave me a great foundation," McCormick said. "Then, with experience, I took it to the next level." As a student, McCormick interned at Westfield Group Club in Westfield Center, Ohio, and stayed on as a crew member. From there, he held two assistant superintendent positions, one at Berry Hills Country Club in West Virginia and one at the prestigious Hermitage in Richmond, Virginia. He has been superintendent at Hanover Country Club, also in Richmond, since 2008.
Part of the experience he calls upon in dealing with the day-to-day challenges at his course includes the experience of other ATI turfgrass graduates. "Nobody has a problem with me calling them or with calling me," said McCormick. His classmates include superintendents at clubs "just up the road" in the D.C. area as well as Ohio and other states. "I talk to all my friends and ask, 'Hey, what are you guys doing about this or that?' There's an enormous network out there."
McCormick says he has achieved all of his career goals so far, including working at the U.S. Open and the Masters. And he still has one to go. He is working on a master's degree at Virginia Tech with the goal of returning to ATI someday to teach. "I'd like to bring all my experience back home to Ohio," he said.
--By Frances Whited

Turfgrass Student Headed to Colorado

ATI's turfgrass students are in demand for internships, and internships often lead to an offer of full-time employment.
Turfgrass student Matt Wise of Columbiana, Ohio, is headed to the Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs for an internship that he hopes will turn into a full-time spot on Broadmoor's crew. A luxury five-star resort, Broadmoor will host the 2011 U.S. Women's Open this summer.
Wise completed an internship last year at Broadmoor as well. "The turf practices class that we take prior to internship really prepares us well, " Wise said. "The internship was really helpful. I learned a lot about the golf industry."
One of the reasons Wise chose Colorado was to experience something new: "I knew I wanted to try living in a different place."
The other reason was an ATI connection. The Broadmoor superintendent, Michael Sartori, is also an ATI graduate.
--By Frances Whited