Checking in at Crooked Stick Golf Club for the 2016 BMW Championship

With just one month until the 2016 BMW Championship at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., the clock is now ticking for course Superintendent Jake Gargasz and his 28-man crew. But Gargasz is no rookie to this scene.

In 2012, Gargasz’s first year at Crooked Stick, the course played host to the BMW Championship and with such incredible results in the overall presentation of the championship, the PGA Tour named the event “Tournament of the Year.”

“We’re approaching the tournament the same, we’re just more experienced this time around,” said Gargasz. “We were working with a brand new irrigation system in 2012 which was difficult, but our flooding problems are fixed and our bunkers are rebuilt. Nothing is too different, we’re just better prepared.”

Gargasz says he is enjoying every minute of the preparation for the tournament with his crew. When asked about his favorite part of the job at Crooked Stick Golf Club, he found it difficult to give just one answer.

“There’s just so many good things about this job,” Gargasz said. “One of my favorite parts is seeing what you can accomplish each and every day. Working on a course allows you to see the physical result of all the hard work put in.”

Crooked Stick Golf Club’s quality is a testament to the crew that works on it every day. Gargasz did not underestimate the importance of his staff and had a great tip for his fellow superintendents.

“Hiring the right people and providing the proper training is the best advice I can give. You’re only as good as your crew.”

The world will be able to see this hard work on display when the Tour’s top 70 finalists in the FedEx Cup take the course from Sept. 6-11.

Photos: Crooked Stick Golf Club