19th Hole: Scott Schurman

Photo: Lou Ferraro, South Park Photography

Scott Schurman

Superintendent // LaFortune Park GC, Tulsa, Okla.

Scott, what can I get you? Water would be great, but I also like a good lager.

Tell me about LaFortune Park. LaFortune Park GC was started in 1961 and is owned and operated by Tulsa County. We have an 18-hole championship course and an 18-hole par-3 course. In 2018, they renovated the par-3, rerouted a number of holes and updated the lighting. The championship course has L-93 greens, and the par-3 has TifEagle greens.

Tell me about your family. I’ve been married to Carol almost 17 years. My son is Joseph, and we have a yellow lab — Wrigley — who was in the Underdogs of Turf calendar last year.

Would you want Joseph to pursue this industry? Yes and no. It’d be nice if he were a third-generation superintendent. But right now, he’s 11, and he’s writing his “novel.” He’s creating his own space language. He wants to be an author and an artist. Whatever he decides to do, I will support him.

So, he’s into science fiction? Yes, he is. He knows more about “Star Wars” than I do!

What sports teams do you root for? I root for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Chicago Cubs.

What’s your favorite book? “The Big Three and Me,” by Billy Casper. It’s about Palmer, Nicklaus, Player and Billy Casper. I’ve had the opportunity to meet Mr. Casper a couple of times. He was one of the nicest guys I have ever met.

Where’s the best place to eat in Tulsa? Umberto’s Pizza. I once asked Umberto how he got into it. He was working for a pizza chain in New York, and they transferred him to Tulsa. They were going to transfer him again, but he liked Tulsa so much he decided to stay and open his own pizza joint.

What’s the coolest event you’ve attended in person? The 1986 Masters. I went to the practice round on Tuesday, and I got to see Sam Snead. Byron Nelson was walking around with Tom Watson. We followed those two guys from 16 green up to 18, and we got to 18 tee, and Watson looks at Byron and says, “Byron, do you want to hit a shot?” He teed up, and I got right behind him on 18 tee. I got a picture of Byron and his swing. It’s a swing you’d see back in the ’30s and ’40s. It was like going back in time, when Mr. Nelson was on the Tour.

As interviewed by Seth Jones, Sept. 6, 2019.