The 19th Hole: Alex J. Stuedemann

Alex J. Stuedemann

Superintendent // TPC Deere Run, Moline, Ill.

What can I get you?
I’ll take a Fat Tire.

Thanks for joining the magazine’s editorial advisory board. Any advice for us? The biggest thing is staying connected via all forms of media… social media, print media, networking. I think Golfdom does very well on all of those, the social, the face-to-face and the print.

Good advice. So how old is Sophia now, and what’s she into these days? She just turned 2, and she’s into everything, but more than anything Mickey Mouse. I’m understanding why Disney is such a big company.

You can go back in time and grab one item from your childhood bedroom. What is it? It would be a little wooden rocking chair that my parents gave to me that I would like to give to Sophia. She’s getting to that age where she’ll sit and read books.

What are your sports teams? Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey.

What’s your recipe for a Starbucks Chai Latte? Six-pumps, extra hot, no water. I’m far too addicted to it; I drink it every day. When I worked in San Antonio there was a Starbucks in the hotel on the course. The girls at the Starbucks helped me out with that recipe so it would last 18 holes for my morning ride.

Your car stereo’s CD eject button breaks… what’s the best case scenario CD that gets stuck in there? “…And Justice for All,” Metallica. I just saw them in concert in Minneapolis at the U.S. Bank Stadium.
So you got to see Metallica in the new stadium before the Vikings even played a game there? First rock show at the Bank. They played the night after Luke Bryan, and the reviews made it very clear who broke the stadium in.

What’s your secret to success? My wife, Erin. She’s got to be one of the most supportive wives of turf. I met her on the golf course, she was a server in the restaurant. Without her I can’t come to work with the positive attitude I have and go home at night looking forward to going home. I can love both sides of my life because of her.

If you could snap your fingers and one maintenance challenge was gone, what would you eliminate? The first tee time, 7 a.m. It always seems we’re outrunning it.

Best excuse you’ve ever heard for missing work? That the schedule we had just didn’t work for the individual.

Who would play you in a movie? My wife requests it be Matt Damon so she could go out on a date with him.

You hit Powerball. What would you buy for yourself? A bigger garage. I’d have enough room to park my truck, have a workshop and a place to put all the kid toys.

main photo by: pete seltzer