The Villages - February 2018 - 13
Rickey cRaig
Talks
TuRf,
couRse condiTions & goals foR 2018
Story By rica LewiS | PhotoS By GeorGe horSForD
Healthy turf doesn't happen by chance. Keeping the
greens in good shape requires proactive planning, strategic
adjusting, and the occasional wrestling match with
Mother Nature - a temperamental force. As director of
golf maintenance in The Villages, Rickey Craig faces new
challenges daily. Here's a look at his journey so far, and a
sneak peek at his plans for the future.
Q. How did you get into the golf industry?
A. I'm a baseball guy. I was born and raised in Center Hill,
Florida. I went to college in Virginia on a baseball scholarship.
When I graduated, I realized I had to decide on a career
because baseball was not going to pay the bills. In 1996, I
took a job at a private golf course and really enjoyed working
with my hands, making things happen and just being
outdoors. From there, I pursued a turf degree.
Q. What other positions have you held and how have they
prepared you for golf maintenance?
A. I've done everything in golf - from entry level to director
positions. That's how you prepare for the next step. I've
worked for the PGA tour, TPC Sawgrass and the courses at
Disney. I was at Harris Rosen Resorts for 14 years. I've been
pretty fortunate to have the experiences I've had in golf.
Q. Growing and maintaining golf courses is a science
that's always changing based on weather and other
factors. How do you work with superintendents and
facility managers to continually keep the courses in great
shape for our active golfing community?
A. I couldn't do it without the superintendents. They are
boots-on-the-ground guys doing everything they can to
ensure the long-term health of the courses. One of the most
important parts of our daily experience is to understand
weather patterns and forecasts, and it's the most challenging
aspect. You may have to change some things on the fly. It's
always evolving. We are dealing with a living, breathing
organism. Our golf courses need oxygen and nutrients
for sustainability. We have to hope we're making the right
decisions, because turf can't talk back to us. Weather and
chemistry are key components to being successful.
Q. What's it like to work in the largest golf community in
the world?
A. Very rewarding. The golf community here is unlike any
place in the world. There's more golf and more golfers.
We have tremendous challenges in maintenance because
of the numbers of rounds that we do annually, so those
impacts create environments we have to try and control and
adjust to. We're always trying to provide the best product
we possibly can, and we hope the golfers can appreciate
that. The cool thing about working here is that there are so
many environments to deal with - from north to south. I
like to call it a breeding ground for education -the training
opportunities, the research opportunities, the ability to try
out chemicals, equipment and methods of doing things. We
really can create a laboratory for knowledge in the industry,
so we need to be leaders. We need to create sustainability and
be good stewards of the environment.
Q. Off the course and outside of work, what activities do
you enjoy?
A. I'm a family guy. I do a lot of baseball with my kids. Staying
grounded, humble and close to family - that's my goal. I
have yet to play every golf course I oversee, so that's certainly
another goal of mine!
MAGAZINE
13
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - February 2018
Contents
The Villages - February 2018 - Cover1
The Villages - February 2018 - Contents
The Villages - February 2018 - 1
The Villages - February 2018 - 2
The Villages - February 2018 - 3
The Villages - February 2018 - 4
The Villages - February 2018 - 5
The Villages - February 2018 - 6
The Villages - February 2018 - 7
The Villages - February 2018 - 8
The Villages - February 2018 - 9
The Villages - February 2018 - 10
The Villages - February 2018 - 11
The Villages - February 2018 - 12
The Villages - February 2018 - 13
The Villages - February 2018 - 14
The Villages - February 2018 - 15
The Villages - February 2018 - 16
The Villages - February 2018 - 17
The Villages - February 2018 - 18
The Villages - February 2018 - 19
The Villages - February 2018 - 20
The Villages - February 2018 - 21
The Villages - February 2018 - 22
The Villages - February 2018 - 23
The Villages - February 2018 - 24
The Villages - February 2018 - 25
The Villages - February 2018 - 26
The Villages - February 2018 - 27
The Villages - February 2018 - 28
The Villages - February 2018 - 29
The Villages - February 2018 - 30
The Villages - February 2018 - 31
The Villages - February 2018 - 32
The Villages - February 2018 - 33
The Villages - February 2018 - 34
The Villages - February 2018 - 35
The Villages - February 2018 - 36
The Villages - February 2018 - 37
The Villages - February 2018 - 38
The Villages - February 2018 - 39
The Villages - February 2018 - 40
The Villages - February 2018 - 41
The Villages - February 2018 - 42
The Villages - February 2018 - 43
The Villages - February 2018 - 44
The Villages - February 2018 - 45
The Villages - February 2018 - 46
The Villages - February 2018 - 47
The Villages - February 2018 - 48
The Villages - February 2018 - 49
The Villages - February 2018 - 50
The Villages - February 2018 - 51
The Villages - February 2018 - 52
The Villages - February 2018 - 53
The Villages - February 2018 - 54
The Villages - February 2018 - 55
The Villages - February 2018 - 56
The Villages - February 2018 - 57
The Villages - February 2018 - 58
The Villages - February 2018 - 59
The Villages - February 2018 - 60
The Villages - February 2018 - 61
The Villages - February 2018 - 62
The Villages - February 2018 - 63
The Villages - February 2018 - 64
The Villages - February 2018 - Cover3
The Villages - February 2018 - Cover4
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