Tennesse Turfgrass – Julie Holt, Content Director, TheTurfZone.com
What is your title/who do you work for? I am the Golf Course Superintendent at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee, which is owned and operated by McConnell Golf. We are one of 12 Private Clubs owned and operated by McConnell. By joining a McConnell golf property you are not only a member of the home course you join, but also all the McConnell properties. This gives you access to some amazing courses all throughout the Carolinas.
How many years have you been in this position? I have been at Holston Hills for 20 years this summer, which at times is hard for me to believe. Everyone has always told me time goes by faster the older you get, and I am starting to be a believer in this theory.
How did you decide to pursue a career in turfgrass management? I have always enjoyed being in an outside environment and working on things with my hands. At a young age I was introduced to golf by my father who was an avid golfer. I loved to tag along and play golf with my dad and enjoyed being out on the course. As I got older and started looking for my first job, I found myself working on the golf course crew at my hometown course. Every summer, starting in high school until now, I have been working on a golf course. There were times when I thought about other career paths, but I was always drawn back to my love for being out on the course.  You always hear you should do what you love and after a few years at the University of Tennessee I switched to the Turf Program.
What path led you to your current position?  I consider myself very fortunate to be in the position I am in today and meeting the right people along the way is always a big factor in someone’s career development. While in high school I never thought college was right for me. I was happy at the little nine-hole course I was working and really enjoyed the daily job. After a year or so I had a few members and my parents pushing me to think bigger if I really wanted to work on a golf course for a living. One summer I kept asking people, “What is the best golf course in our area?” and “Where can I learn the most?” Everyone told me the Honors Course, so without knowing anyone there or anything about the course, I just drove over one day. Meeting David Stone and working there for a few years was an eye opening experience and the people I got to meet along the way I am still friends with today. In year one the Management team was David Stone, Jeff Huber, Scott Wicker, and Chris Sykes. What a dream team. When I graduated from the University Tennessee I took a position with Chris Sykes who had just taken the Superintendent position at Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville. I learned a lot those years at Cherokee and Sykes really let me be involved in everything going on at the Club. When the opportunity arose at Holston Hills I was fortunate that I was able to stay in Knoxville and get my first head Superintendent position.
What is the best part of your job? To me the best part of the job is having the flexibility to do so many different jobs throughout the day. I did not want to become a Golf Course Superintendent due to my love of spreadsheets or committee meetings. I have always enjoyed being out mowing greens in the mornings and seeing the sunrise. Today I have the flexibility to do so many jobs that every day is a brand new day.
How many employees are part of your team? In a normal year we budget for around 12 full time employees with another 6 or so people in the summer months. This year we have really reduced our team numbers as we continue to work through the COVID-19 situation. We have had to get very creative with staff scheduling as everyone is really working hard to maintain our normal standards through these difficult times. A strong team is the key to a well-maintained course and I am grateful for the guys here on staff and all they do on a daily ...