Brooks Riddle New Senior Assistant at Yeamans Hall Golf Club

Brooks Riddle is now the Senior Assistant Superintendent at Yeamans Hall Golf Club. Brooks was an integral part of our golf course maintenance department and we were sad to see him go. We know that Brooks will be a great asset to Yeamans Hall as their lead assistant.

His wife, Emily Riddle, will be joining the Hollings Cancer Center at MUSC as an Oncology Case Manager. 

We will miss Brooks and his family, but are excited for this new opportunity.



Brooks Riddle standing on one of Seth Raynor's gems.

Here are a few pictures of Seth Raynor's, Yeamans Hall.

 

 

Ford Assistants Volunteer at The Wyndham Championship

Assistants Jared Nemitz and Brooks Riddle volunteered for the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina (Figure 1).   Their primary job for the week was taking moisture meter data to maintain consistent moisture in the greens (Figure 2).  This was an integral part of challenging the best players in the world with firm, fast and consistent playing surfaces.

Figure 1. View of #16 green and grandstands from #15 green.

Figure 2. Brooks Riddle taking moisture meter readings on a green at The Wyndham Championship.

 

Working with the staff at Sedgefield, other industry professionals and directly with the PGA Tour Competition Agronomist was a great experience. Furthermore, Jared and Brooks felt the most valuable part of the week was getting to observe firsthand the different management practices performed at a PGA Tour Event.

Brooks Gets Engaged!

We are happy to announce that last month Assistant Superintendent Brooks Riddle got engaged to Ms. Emily Merideth of Knoxville, TN.  The two met in Chattanooga, TN while Brooks worked at The Honors Course and have been dating for two years.  They will be married in February of 2012 in Knoxville, TN.  Please be sure to congratulate Brooks when you see him around the golf course!   

Emily and Brooks

Turf Team Attends GCSAA Show in Orlando, FL

Last week our turf management team attended the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Industry Show (GIS) in Orlando, Florida. Nelson, Jared, and Brooks participated in a wide variety of continuing education classes where they learned the latest research and management practices being used in the industry. 

The GCSAA Show offers many seminars ranging from turfgrass related educaion to professional development.

Along with taking multiple seminars, Nelson teamed with Dr. Eric Ervin from Virginia Tech and Troy Fink from the Country Club of Virginia to teach a one day seminar on organic matter control on putting greens. Leading this seminar was a great experience for Nelson and the three were honored by being asked to present their seminar twice at next years show.

Jared took a variety of seminars as well, but the highlight of his week was teaching a seminar on networking for assistant superintendents. This was Jared’s first time teaching a seminar at the GIS show and he has been asked to present this seminar again to superintendents in a webcast next month.

Brooks felt the most interesting part of the show was the trade show where he learned of the newest pesticides, equipment, and fertilizers among other things. Coupled with taking several educational seminars, he felt like it was a great GIS show.

Researching the newest equipment and advances in technology on the trade show floor is one of the highlights of the show.

Assistant Matt Sumpter participated with his alma-mater Purdue in the collegiate turf bowl competition. This is a four hour examination which test participants in comprehensive golf course management including, but not limited to; turfgrass ID and management, pest identification, business, and mechanical knowledge. We are happy to announce out of 85 teams, Matt’s team finished second.



Matt helped Purdue place 2nd at the 19th Annual Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition.



Golf Maintenance Welcomes Three New Staff Members!

   The golf course maintenance department is excited to welcome three new members to our staff; Equipment Manager, Alan Bussey; Assistant Superintendent, Brooks Riddle; and Assistant in Training, Matt Sumpter.

Alan comes to us from TPC Jasna Polana in Princeton, New Jersey where he was the Equipment Manager for four years. Prior to his time with the TPC network he was the Head Technician for the Golf Club of Georgia located in Alpharetta, Georgia. Alan holds a degree in Turf Equipment Management from Florida Gateway College, numerous manufacture training certificates and is a certified class “A” Golf Course Equipment Manager through the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association. Alan brings not only his mechanical ability but also a wealth of knowledge to our staff including agronomic skills learned from being an assistant golf course superintendent for multiple years throughout north Florida.

In his free time Alan is an all around outdoors man, enjoying golf, both fresh and salt water fishing, hiking, and hunting; with annual trips around the country to support all four interest. Alan is accompanied by his wife of three years Sarah, a teacher of the blind and visually impaired, and their two “children” Sidni- an English Springer Spaniel, and Crash- a Collie mix.

Brooks comes to us from The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he has spent the past three years as the Head Spray Technician. Like Nelson Caron, he earned a B.S. in Turfgrass Science from North Carolina State University and completed internships across the country at some of the most storied golf clubs in the nation. These include Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C., Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, The Honors Course in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the famed Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania.

Brooks is an avid golfer and reads many books on the history and game of golf. Brooks is enthusiastic about the opportunity to work as an assistant superintendent and maintain the golf course at a high level while expanding his knowledge under the direction of Nelson Caron.

Matt is originally from Plymouth, Indiana and a recent December graduate from Purdue University with a B.S. in Turfgrass Science. Matt, has completed internships at some of the top clubs in the country such as Medinah Country Club in Chicago, IL, Victoria National Golf Club in Evansville, IN, Kinloch Golf Club in Richmond, VA, and Indiana National Golf Club in Plymouth, IN. Not only did he broaden his horizons completing internships and various work experiences Matt, also spent a semester studying abroad in Aberystwyth, Wales.


Along with golf, Matt, enjoys the outdoors and traveling across the country. Matt is excited to start his career with us and broaden his understanding of agronomics and business management.

We feel extremely fortunate to have Alan, Brooks and Matt join our staff, and are excited to see what the future holds for them and our department. When you see them on the golf course make sure you welcome them to the Ford Plantation.