The 19th Hole: Bill Maynard, CGCS
Director of GC Operations // The CC of St. Albans, St. Albans, Mo.
What can I get you, Bill?
I prefer Miller Lite, but in St. Louis, Millers are few and far between.
What is St. Albans known for?
Quality. Quality from their culinary team, professional service staff and quality golf experience on two top-10 ranked courses in the state of Missouri.
So any suggestions from the menu?
Grilled salmon on sautéed vegetables and spinach.
What has been your golfing highlight?
Two hole-in-ones, both within 9 months of taking a new job. The first hole-in-one was the very next shot after a member holed out on the par three eighth at Milburn CC (Overland Park, Kan.) during the member-guest.
Back-to-back holes-in-one?
C’mon! It was a “beat the pro” contest, I was asked to sub for the injured golf pro. After we celebrated the member’s hole-in-one, I said “there is no way I am getting it closer.” As luck would have it — and odds of 1,700,000 to 1 if Tiger Woods were hitting the shot — I knocked it in the jar on top of him. I was told to shut my exuberant mouth when I proclaimed “you haven’t beat me yet, tee it up again!” The golf professional explained, his ball is on the bottom of the cup, therefore he did knock it closer. The member won a set of irons, I won a slice of humble pie, a reputation for a golf game I don’t have and a muzzle for my mouth.
How will you and your staff celebrate the holidays?
A pot luck lunch in the shop, a gift exchange and some fun games. My favorite staff game is grown men on children’s tricycles relay games.
You don’t really have guys getting on children’s tricycles?
I sure do! Hint to success — push over the guy next to you right at the start, then pedal like your life depended on it.
Fill in the blank: The state of our industry is:
Getting smarter and smarter. We never stop learning. We are learning from each other, university researchers, technology and our association. Golf maintenance professionals are gaining recognition across the globe and we are pulling our weight like never before at our facilities.
Dressing better than ever, too. Is that a half Windsor knot?
Actually, it’s not — I go for the full Windsor. I try for the middle ground of the Shannon Sharp 4-inch-wide knot and the Blues Brothers 1-inch-wide knot.
What is the ugliest tie you own?
A tie from my college days that I used to tie my toga at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house toga party. I still keep it in the closet because you never know when you’ll get invited to another toga party.
As interviewed by Seth Jones, Nov. 22nd, 2013