Former Pennsylvania State University Graduate, Mr. Tyrrell, graced the Penn State Turf Club as a guest speaker on Jan. 26, 2010. Hints of nostalgia rang in his voice as he spoke of his classroom days. Since his graduation, Curtis has gone on to be a very successful superintendent and is currently at the pinnacle of his career as the Director of Golf Course Operations at Medinah Country Club. There have been many hurdles that Curtis has had to clear in order to gain this prestigious position; several of which he was kind to share.
Originally graduating with a degree in history, Mr. Tyrrell got his first taste of golf course management after completing college. During his exposure at Woodmore Country Club located in Maryland, Curtis fell in love with the industry. Both the superintendent and assistant were Penn State graduates. Encouraging him to follow his new passion, they recommended he enroll at PSU to further his knowledge in turfgrass management. One year into his stint into Penn States two year Turfgrass Management Program would find him conducting his internship at Cherry Hills Country Club. Followed by another whirlwind of classes, graduation came quickly, and he was out in the real world. Straight out of school he acquired a spray tech position in Palm Springs, CA., where he was mentored for just under a year. Moving on Curtis then became an irrigation professional struggling to keep a stand of rye grass alive while serving as an assistant superintendent in Scottsdale, Arizona. Courses in Arizona can have on average 2,500 to 3,000 irrigation heads. You can imagine how proficient he had to become, knowing each and every one intimately. Continuing to pay in his dues, Mr. Tyrrell finally gained the opportunity to secure a superintendent's position in Conn. at a course which was beginning to under go construction. Located on an Indian reserve, and closely situated next to Foxwoods as an accompaniment, there were no lack of funds. The Lake of Isles was finished in a single year, complete with 36 holes, club house and more, all for the price tag of 85 Million!
A short time later, Curtis was asked to applied for the superintendent's position at Medinah. After a meticulous and stingy application process Curtis was offered the position. Before he knew it he was overseeing one of the most well respected courses in the world. Never mind the fact that Medinah's #3 course, will be holding the 2012 Ryder Cup. The #3 course has undergone numerous reconstructions, the most resent by Reece Jones. In resent years the course has seen complete greens and bunker reconstruction. Although a lot of earth has been moved, the original design has been altered a very small amount; undulations have been intensified but she still closely resembles her previous form. Having a good deal of tournament experience under his belt, Mr. tyrrell hopes to have as little mention as possible of the turf during the event. The less talk about the turf the better the tournament. Mr. Tyrrell stated, “It is taken for granted that the turf is supposed to perform to certain levels. If we perform well we might be lucky and get a mention, but if we don’t perform, they won't stop talking about turf for a full week.” It appears that this upcoming Ryder Cup will be one to remember as Mr. Tyrrell and all those involved are going above and beyond the call of duty, micromanaging to the nth level.
Curtis left us with some pointers and advice; information he firmly believes is responsible for helping him to lead the successful career he has:
You must set specific goals, challenge yourself to succeed.- Be aware. Be ready and observant to see how those goals are altering and what doors are opening.
- Don’t enter into a single day believing you know it all, it's the one day the unexpected will happen. There is always something new to learn every day, don’t let your guard down, not even for a second.
- Control the controllable. Manage what is in your power, the little things often leave the greatest impressions.
- Follow up. As a supervisor never lead yourself to believe that once you’ve said it once you won't have to say it again. A constant eye must be kept on those around you and baby sitting is often in order to ensure that what needs to be done is accomplished.
- Recap. List your days objectives and what was actually accomplished.
- Manage up. This rule applies to all, everyone has a boss, it is our job to anticipate before we are told. If we can learn to do this our status with our employers will dramatically increase.
- Use your resources. those individuals you have networked with and have gotten to know will always be out there experiencing just as many unique situations as you. Don’t fail to tap into those knowledge pools while in trouble.
A bright, energetic, and successful person, Mr. Tyrrell provided plenty of helpful information. Before leaving he quoted, “There are two types of superintendents, those who have lost turf, and those who will.” Don’t let this daunt you, realize we are human and that we will all make mistakes, the key is to learn from them and avoid replication.
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