Tegtmeier joins Iowa Golf Hall of Fame

Rick Tegtmeier (left) with wife, Sherry Tegtmeier, and good friend Zach Johnson at Johnson’s Iowa Golf Hall of Fame induction in 2015. (Photo Courtesy of: Rick Tegtmeier)

Rounding out our series of superintendents enshrined into golf halls of fame, Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS, was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame in April.

“It’s rare for a superintendent to get inducted into a golf hall of fame, because usually you’re inducted because of your playing abilities,” he says. “It was a very nice feeling to be inducted for what I contribute to the game.”

A graduate of Hawkeye Community College with a degree in horticulture science, Tegtmeier has been a superintendent since 1980 and a CGCS since 1985. He earned his Master Greenkeeper Certificate in 2015. Tegtmeier is director of grounds for Des Moines Golf and Country Club (DMGCC), a 36-hole, Pete Dye-designed private club in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Among his career highlights, he mentions DMGCC hosting the Solheim Cup in 2017. “Being involved with the LPGA and hosting an international event that was seen in 60 different countries was pretty cool,” he says.

When asked about the lessons he’s learned throughout his nearly 40 years as a golf course superintendent, Tegtmeier paused a moment, then said, “Every day you learn something new. The day you quit learning is probably the day you should leave the business. You have to be on your toes and learn from your peers, because you definitely don’t know it all. The biggest thing is networking with other superintendents and their staffs and listening to your staff.”