Keeping up with The Jones: The coincidences behind the Fall 2026 edition

There were a few happy … and interesting … coincidences with this issue. I always like to make note of these moments, even when it’s for my own enjoyment (I keep a folder on my laptop noting them). This issue has a few, and one that happened very close to my deadline. I’ll go in order.

First coincidence: I was in Cleveland working in our corporate headquarters for a few days. Scott Hollister and Jim Cummins joined me for the trip — and as you could guess, yes, we had a great time. We’re known as the “KC Three” at North Coast Media now, and while I like the nickname, it does make me worry that one day there will be a reason to make T-shirts that read, “FREE THE KC THREE!” 

Anyway, I complained out loud to Hollister that I needed nominations for the 2026 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year Award. I recently put a call for nominations out, and let’s just say that operators were standing by.

Within minutes of my complaint, longtime Chicago superintendent Mike Bavier, CGCS, called me to suggest Sam MacKenzie, CGCS, the focus of this month’s cover story. It was like Mike read my mind from across the country. He’s the person who nominated Sam and connected me with him.

I walked back into the office and told Scott, “You won’t believe this, but I just got a nomination.” The timing was great.

Coincidence No. 2: I called Mike a few months later, to tell him his nomination resulted in this month’s cover story. 

“Sam has the best temperament, he’s easy to get along with — he’s just a good-natured guy,” Bavier told me. “He set a record for tenure there, which is pretty cool. He found a home there. It takes a special guy to go in there and do that.”

Bavier then casually mentioned that this was a fun thing to add to the enjoyment of it being his 83rd birthday that day. My timing was lucky, but good.

Coincidence No. 3: I was at the 2026 BMW Championship at Bellerive in St. Louis. And while I’d hoped to be done with this month’s cover story by then, I was still working on it.

After watching golf with some friends at PBI-Gordon (Jared Hoyle, Ph.D., and Sean Lehr) I excused myself to get back on the laptop; I needed to wrap up this cover story. 

I’m sitting in the Bellerive clubhouse, locked in on my laptop, when I hear someone say, “Let’s join Seth Jones from Golfdom.” It was Robert Hertzing, a longtime California superintendent, who is now a partner in his own business: Gradoville and Hertzing Management Group. They’re consulting with golf courses on project management, agronomy and strategic alignment, from Hawaii to Illinois.

After Robert and I caught up, he then introduced me to his colleagues: Fernando Alandia and Adam Nickerson. Then he added, Fernando is the chief financial officer, and Adam is the general manager… at Olympia Fields.

Stunned, I asked, “Olympia Fields?” 

“Yeah,” Adam said. I told him I was working on a cover story on Olympia Fields at that very moment. That’s when it occurred to us that we kind of already knew each other — he’s quoted in this issue’s story. 

We all stood up and shook hands. What a small golf world it is. I spun my laptop around and showed the guys the cover. They all were thrilled to be the first people outside my office to see their friends Sam and Francisco on the cover (tip of the cap to Mark McCormick at Olympia Fields for the great photo).

It really was a great experience meeting Sam MacKenzie, Francisco Velasquez and everyone else at Olympia Fields for this month’s cover story. It is no coincidence… this industry is filled with great people.