Zach Reineking promoted to co-GM of Erin Hills

Longtime superintendent has been at the course since before it opened

As the U.S. Women’s Open comes to Erin Hills in 2025, so does some good news for two longtime employees: Zach Reineking, longtime superintendent, and Kris Schoonover, longtime director of operations, who have both been promoted to co-general managers.

Andy Bush, who has been Erin Hills’ GM since 2015, moves into the role of president.

For the always-humble Reineking — he’s told Golfdom previously that he credits a lot of his success at Erin Hills to a case of being in the right place at the right time — the promotion was a ‘slight surprise.’

“We have a current GM who is slowly transitioning out,” Reineking told Golfdom. “I have a counterpart  who does a lot of the work in the golf shop and takes care of the hospitality side. We’re going to split those titles. It’s a huge honor for me.”

Reineking (pronounced rye-nuh-kin) got his start in golf as a caddie at Pine Hills CC in Sheboygan, Wis., which earned him a Chick Evans Scholarship. He graduated from the University of Madison-Wisconsin. Being local to Sheboygan, he had easy access to Whistling Straits and Black Wolf Run. He interned at Whistling Straits during the 2004 PGA Championship. It was a connection made there that led him to Erin Hills.

“I had aspirations to move out-of-state, but I got a call from the Straits Course that there was an opportunity at Erin Hills and I should try it, because it was a new construction,” Reineking recalls. “I made a call and got a tour of the course; it was only stakes on the ground at the time. The superintendent left a few years later. I was very fortunate to get that position. I was in the right place at the right time, and I’ve been here ever since.”

Reineking will celebrate his 20-year anniversary at the course next month.

“I had career goals and I think I’ve surpassed everything I could have hoped would happen,” Reineking says.

Reineking has a regular staff of 35 he leads at Erin Hills. That number grows by 85 volunteers the week of the championship. With many young volunteers on the staff this week, he advises them that as long as they have a passion for the industry, they’ll make it.

“The culture we try to establish is, it’s a work hard, play hard environment,” Reineking says. “It has to be fun. You have to show up every morning being passionate about your career. It’s hard showing up at 4 o’clock in the morning every day. You have to make it enjoyable and have a true passion for the industry. If you have that, you can overcome any obstacle.”

All of our coverage from the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills this week is being brought to you by Kafka Granite.