With many athletic activities, opportunities to remain involved and engaged can dwindle as participants age. Not so with golf.
Not only can able-bodied enthusiasts continue playing the game regardless of what stage of life they happen to be in, but there are also many different career paths that allow a person to have a hands-on role in making sure that both themselves and others can keep learning about, competing in, and watching golf.
Case in point, Corbin’s own Zack Ingle.
Ingle was a football standout at CHS during the early 2010’s. He went on to play for a year at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill., but soon found himself back in the Bluegrass State where he finished out his college days as a student at Eastern Kentucky University.
“My Bachelor’s degree is actually in occupational safety, but while I was in school there I was trying to keep a job to help pay for my expenses,” Ingle explained, adding, “What better to do that than working at a golf course where I can also get some free golf?”
Ingle started out working in the pro shop and washing carts at Boone’s Trace Golf Club in Richmond. It was a solid part-time gig that earned him some spending money and allowed him to be around an activity that he has been passionate about since he was very young.
“My grandpa took me to the driving range and to the Golf Course in Williamsburg,” Ingle said of growing up around the sport. “Golf was always on the TV on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and I have always kept up with the PGA Tour.”
Ingle said that his father always kept a membership to the former Tri-County Country Club in Corbin, so he would play there often on the weekends. He said that he began playing less frequently once the club closed its doors about ten years ago, but he took his clubs with him when he attended classes at SIU and was able to spend some time on a course there along with some of his teammates on the football team.
“It can be a frustrating game, but also a nice way to decompress and take your mind off of everything else that is going on in life,” Ingle said of playing golf.
After Ingle found himself employed at Boone’s Trace, an opportunity presented itself that would have him staying on staff throughout a winter season to help with some renovations to couple of the holes on the course. He took advantage of that opportunity, and never went back to working in the pro shop.
“I just stayed on the maintenance team, and continued to work the rest of my way through school,” Ingle said.
Ingle graduated in the spring of 2020, when the world was being turned upside-down thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic. He said that he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, but he knew he wanted to explore options in golf course management. He began searching for jobs online, and found out about an internship program that was being advertised for a course in Colorado. He applied, was accepted, and headed west for the next several months.
At this point, another internship opportunity presented itself in Hilton Head, SC. This job brought Ingle back east, and eventually led to him being named an assistant superintendent for the first time. About a year later, yet another opportunity opened up, this time at the Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington.
Ingle said that he accepted the position at Idle Hour in order to get back closer to his friends and family. He has been serving as assistant superintendent at the facility for the past 3-4 years.
“I have gone from raking bunkers and mowing greens to being where I am now,” Ingle reflected. “I think that is something that is invaluable, no matter what field you’re in. Starting at the bottom and working your way up allows you to know the whole process, and what is to be expected. It is also valuable to know firsthand what it’s like for the crew to be doing what they’re doing.”
So, what exactly does the job of an assistant superintendent of a golf course entail?
“The superintendent and I converse at the end of each day about we want to do the next day,” Ingle explained. “We come up with a game plan that includes mowing practices, water management, and finding out anything that needs to be adjusted on the course.”
Ingle said he helps manage a budget of over $2 million at Idle Hour, as he put it, “trying to utilize that to the best of our ability.”
Ingle added that contending with weather conditions is probably the biggest factor that he and his team has to contend with on a day-to-day basis, and that trying to stay ahead of plant disease outbreaks that could result in turf loss is always a concern.
“There is a huge science component to all of this,” Ingle said. “Much more than I realized before I got involved with the internships. We have to keep chemical records, with all fertilizers, herbicides and fungicides having to be logged in accordance with state laws.”
Ingle said that technological advancements have drastically changed how turf management is done in recent years, with robotic mowers, automated moisture meters and other machines featuring GPS capabilities making it more about analyzing data in order to produce a better product for customers.
In terms of trends in playing, Ingle said there definitely seems to be a general uptick in participation right now among people who have never played before. He cites the popularity of indoor golf simulators and an increased digital presence thanks to social media as a couple of the main reasons behind this.
Ingle agreed that, historically speaking, many people have likely been discouraged from approaching golf due to the assumption that it is going to require a rather large investment right from the start. He explained that is not necessarily the case.
“I think that the sport is actually in a really good spot for the average person to come out and play,” Ingle said, adding that, while it certainly can be expensive when buying brand new clubs and expensive balls and paying for club memberships, getting started simply requires some used clubs that are in decent shape and place where you can hit some balls.
Players can even get a feel for if they’re going to enjoy golf by visiting a local putt putt course, Ingle pointed out. Of course, if you like it and want to go deeper down the rabbit hole, then you will always have the option to save up some money and take that path when you feel that you’re ready.
For those like Ingle, who decide they might want to make a living working in the world of golf, he suggests looking for professional training programs that are available, as well as any internships that will allow for some of that all-important hands-on experience.
Ingle also pointed out that you don’t have to be a golfer to work in golf, as, according to him, many people in the industry do not come from a golfing background, and many have never played the game before.
The business side of golf is a world all on its own, and it is one that we will hopefully explore on a much deeper level as this series continues. Whether you are talking about careers, competition or spectating, this is truly an activity that has universal appeal, and continues to be responsible for bringing folks from all walks of life together under one common banner.
Announcement: Speak up about your scramble! With the spring season rapidly approaching, let us help you get the word out about your golf scramble fundraiser events. If you would like to submit information on a planned scramble for spring 2025, please e-mail those details to tsherman@corbinnewsjournal.com.
