19th Hole: Jeremy Hreben

Jeremy Hreben (Photo: Dan Lawrence)

Jeremy Hreben

CGCS // Indian Spring GC, Marlton, N.J.

After 18 holes, what can I get you? Lately, I’ve been having a Kentucky Mule — a Moscow Mule with bourbon instead of vodka.

Tell me about Indian Spring. It’s an 18-hole municipal course. It sits on 150 acres. Two acres of greens, 20 acres of fairways. I’ve been here for 11 years. We have push-up greens and average around 45,000 rounds. I try to balance everyone’s needs and spend as little money as possible while producing the best conditions.

Do you have a family? I have a wife of 15 years; she is a two-time breast cancer survivor. And, I have a 13-year-old daughter who plays competitive softball. She’s right-handed, and she hits lefty and righty. Travel softball is nonstop; I’m lucky to have a job that allows me to see her play.

How did you get into the business? By chance, really. I got out of the military and was having difficulty finding a job using my military training. A golf course was the only company that would hire me. I was on the crew and enjoyed it. Pretty quickly, because people left, I was one of the senior employees on staff. I was given a lot of responsibility in a quick amount of time, and I turned out to be pretty good.

What teams do you root for? I root for the New York Giants, which is difficult living in the Philadelphia area. I don’t follow a lot of sports other than my daughter’s softball team. So, my favorite team is her team, the New Jersey Mystics.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever bought? My 1987 Jeep Wrangler. I bought it for $2,200. It was completely stock. Now, it’s got a 6-inch lift and 33-inch tires. I take it off-roading, climb rocks, go through lakes … it’s a beast.

What’s your proudest day at work? The day I received my certification from GCSAA four years ago. I wanted to do something that made people take me seriously. I’m kind of a fun guy, and I joke around a lot. I wanted to prove to people that I know what I’m doing. It took me a couple years to accomplish getting certified, but it’s something I’m very proud of.

Thank you for your service! What can you tell me about your Army career? I joined the Army at 17. Blowing stuff up sounded like fun. I was a combat engineer. I specialized in explosives and demolition: dynamite, C-4, plastic, arming and disarming land mines and clearing minefields. I was stationed in Germany a couple years, and I did a deployment in Bosnia.

Have you considered using that expertise on the golf course? There are a couple areas I’ve thought about it … but I don’t think I could get away with it.

As interviewed by Seth Jones, Aug. 3, 2021.