My second office: Tray Maltby
Tray Maltby of Reunion Resort & Club in Orlando, Fla., always makes his passion for the game clear. It’s a passion that was fueled by his time working under Arnold Palmer.
“A superintendent who I had previously worked for was working at Bay Hill. He told me he needed an assistant and I should think about it. I said, ‘There’s nothing to think about,’” Maltby says.
No longer an assistant, Maltby played host to the Golfdom Summit in November 2012 and will again in December of this year (for details — and to apply — visit www.golfdomsummit.com).
“It’s awesome! I love golf and I love hosting tournaments. (Hosting the Golfdom Summit) is a big deal to me, because I get to meet guys like Mark Woodward and (Medinah Country Club Director of Golf Course Operations) Curtis Tyrrell. We all love golf and we all deal with the same issues.”
If an encounter with Maltby doesn’t display his passion for the game, his office will.
- Augusta green jackets. “Those are champions of the Masters from 1934-99. I love professional golf and for that reason I love hosting tournaments.”
- Summer reading. “Absolutely, I’m a reader. I love the ‘19th Hole,’ and it’s nice to be featured in it myself. I love reading the tournament triumph articles about other courses hosting tournaments and what they have done to be successful. Of course I love the articles from the turf doctors, like Mark Woodward and Karl Danneberger.”
- Fond memory. “That’s Ocean Hammock golf course in Daytona, which I helped build. Mr. (Jack) Nicklaus and I worked on that course together.”
- Two all-time greats. “I see Annika weekly and her sister daily. Annika has an academy here. Anyone can buy a package, get lessons for a couple of days, and at the end Annika plays nine holes with the person taking lessons.” That photo, by the way, is autographed by both Sorenstam and Tiger Woods.
- Tom Watson. “That’s a banner for the Conservatory Course in Palm Coast, Fla. Mr. Watson and I built it together over an 18-month period in 2007 and 2008. He was very hands on. He’s a real normal, down-to-earth, Midwestern type of guy. The banner says ‘To Tray, All my best, Tom Watson.’”
Proud of your second office? Email us a photo of you in it to sjones@northcoastmedia.net, and we may feature you and your office in an upcoming issue of Golfdom.