19th Hole: Jared Stanek

Jared Stanek (Photo: Stephanie Collins)

Jared Stanek

Superintendent // Toscana CC, Indian Wells, Calif.

After 18 holes, what can I get you? How about a soft seltzer with a slice of lime? Maybe a Pellegrino. You have to retire my drinking jersey in the rafters; I haven’t had a drink in quite some time.

Tell me about your family. I’ve got two sons, 6 and 8, Ashton and Logan. They’re awesome. They’re great helpers around the golf course, around the home. They’re great dudes. I love being a dad.

What would you like me to know about Toscana? These two courses are amazing. Jack Nicklaus designed both of them. We have a desert 18 called the North Course, with a real lush but desert palette — lots of agave, cactus, ocotillo, bougainvillea. Our South Course is a lot more traditional — big bunkers with white Augusta sand, date palms, roses. Two different courses with a different feel but that Nicklaus style. A lot of the holes favor his power fade.

How long have you been there? It’ll be two years. I started in February 2020, when it was a different world. Four weeks after I started, we closed the club. Now we’re adapting, and the club is in a good spot. It was a really interesting way to start a new job, a new challenge, and then have that wrenched in after you start.

What was the last game you played and how did you do? We had our superintendent scholarship tournament, a four-man scramble, and we shot 18-under 54 and took home the hardware. That was two weeks ago. We’ve got bragging rights over all the HiLo GCSA: Matt Balesteri, Indian Wells Golf Resort; his head golf pro Derek; and Jeff Stephenson, our Nutrien Ag Solutions sales rep. All great golfers. Matt is incredible, he used to be a golf pro.

What teams do you root for? I’m a proud (University of) Wyoming Cowboy, I support all things Wyoming Cowboy. And I’m a Denver Broncos fan; the majority of people from Wyoming root for Denver sports teams — Rockies, Avalanche, Broncos — but I’m Wyoming till I die.

What’s the best thing about being able to claim Wyoming as your home state? Well, not a lot of us can — it’s the least populated state in the country, but it’s such a special place. If you love the outdoors, the Big Sky Country … there’s something about Wyoming. You can drive for miles and not see anyone. Good people, there’s a sense of community there. There’s only five of us there. You have to be kind to one another.

Fill in the blank: I wouldn’t be at this point in my career without ________. You know, I never worked for him, but Rick Mooney (vice president of Shore Lodge | Whitetail Club, McCall, Idaho). He’s a guy I’ve called a couple hundred times in moments of crisis, and he always has his own unique way, his unique wisdom, of giving me just what I need. He’s always been a mentor.

As interviewed by Seth Jones, Oct. 13, 2021.