The 19th Hole: David Dore-Smith
David Dore-Smith
Superintendent // Copperleaf Golf Club, Bonita Springs, Fla.
What would you like? I’ll have a Michelob Ultra in a bottle.
Tell me about your family. I’ve been married to my beautiful wife, Christine, for 12 years. She’s a first-grade teacher. My beautiful daughter, Brooke, is in the 6th grade, and my son, Brady, is 9 years old, in the 4th grade. He goes to the same school where his mom teaches.
What is your favorite pastime? It’s evolved as I’ve gotten older. It used to be dirt bikes. Now it’s playing golf with my friends and hanging out with my family.
Seen any good movies lately? I just watched Alien: Covenant, it was really good. I’m a big fan of all the Alien movies.
So, what inspired you to move from your native Australia to America? The women! In Australia you’re watching Baywatch, 21 Jump Street, Beverly Hills 90210… it turned out not to be true, but it looked good. But in truth, the Ohio State turf program brought me here. I was 23 when I got here, and I ended up staying.
What do you miss the most from back home? The women! No, I’m kidding. I miss my mum and dad, my brothers. I miss the sports. I miss the food.
Any food in particular? Oh yes, a meat pie with tomato sauce — what you call ketchup.
What are your sports teams? I don’t follow American sports at all. Australian Rules Football, I’m a Richmond Tigers fan, and I follow Australia’s international cricket team.
When did you know you wanted to be a superintendent? I originally wanted to be a landscape builder. I went to school for it. I went out to a golf course to work on their landscaping around the clubhouse and did a decent job. On the very first day, the superintendent stopped to see who I was and told me he had an opening. It was 10-percent unemployment in Australia at the time, so I jumped at it. It turns out, this field has everything I ever wanted to do, it is so rewarding.
How often do you go back to Australia? I’ve been back a couple times. With a wife and kids, it’s expensive. We went a few years ago and it was $8,600 for the four of us — and that was just the airfare.
When you came to America at age 23, did you think you might be here to stay? March of this year was the 20-year anniversary of me coming to Fort Myers. I didn’t know I would stay… but I got hooked up with one of those beautiful American women and it ended up working out that way.
Photos: Grant B. Gannon (main)