The Golfdom Conversation: Keith Ihms

Barely a month after the conclusion of the 2014 Golf Industry Show, at which Keith Ihms accepted the gavel and became the new president of the GCSAA, a surprising announcement was made: Ihms was no longer the head superintendent at the CC of Little Rock, where he had been employed since 2005.

(Editor’s note: Congrats to Keith Ihms, as he accepted the position of golf course maintenance manager of Bella Vista Village in Bella Vista, Ark., as of March 1, 2014.)

Golfdom caught up with Ihms recently to discuss the nature of his leaving CC of Little Rock, his next steps and where he hopes to land from here.

Golfdom: Keith, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Before we get going, and I’m sorry to get touchy-feely, but with a recent tragedy in your life (Ihms’ wife, Nita, passed away last year), and now being at a career crossroads, I just want to ask: are you doing OK?

Keith Ihms, CGCS: It’s been a difficult road. It’s one that people say you can’t prepare for, and you can’t. You really don’t know how long it’s going to take to recover from it. I have my moments, but I’m moving forward. I have a large support group, my second family and my first family… so yeah, I’d say I’m doing fine.

Golfdom: Good, good. So, you announced recently that you have left CC of Little Rock… what are your plans moving forward?

Ihms: It’s really kind of interesting. When I was in Dallas (at Bent Tree CC), I was there about ten years… I think we did a really good job, giving them good conditions, we did a renovation, gave the golf course back to them at a different level. I went through a personal tragedy in my life then with the separation from my wife… I was looking for a change, so I moved to CC of Little Rock.

This is parallel to that in some ways. I’ve been here about 9 years, we maintained a golf course in top condition, we did a renovation, gave them another golf course at another level. Then of course I had a personal tragedy here.

I’m looking forward to moving to a new opportunity. I don’t want to say I want to put things behind me totally, but you know, there are a lot of different memories, a lot of different things that play into when you’re somewhere… I think an opportunity to move to a new location and a new challenge, whatever that may be, I think that will be good for me both personally and professionally.

Golfdom: Keith, this one is the tough one, but it’s the one I’ve been getting calls about the most… can you tell me any more about your exiting CC of Little Rock?

Ihms: In this business, people understand job changes and what can and should be said about it. What I would say is I still have a very good relationship here with my membership and the people I work closely with. When you’re at a private club, you’re hired by a group of people on a board, and in 7, 8, 9 years that entire board changes and sometimes there are philosophical differences. I can’t really say anything specific except I left on good terms.

Golfdom: In terms of the GCSAA, for you being in a job search right now, how will that impact your year as president of the GCSAA?

Ihms: I think it would be foolish for me to say that it doesn’t have some effect on how I do my work for the GCSAA, but that being said, having a job in this business, and volunteering at this level, all of those things are going to effect being able to serve as president of the GCSAA.

My intent is to continue and go along as I have been doing. It’s not just about me. There are eight other members on that board, there’s a great staff at headquarters… it’s not going to change what my goals were, from how it would have happened if I continued to work at the CC of Little Rock… things are still moving forward. I just got back from China… I don’t foresee it changing in any way, quite frankly.

Check out the April issue of Golfdom for the complete interview, where Ihms discusses where he hopes to land, how serving on the GCSAA board of directors has impacted his career, the reaction GCSAA members have had to his announcement and more!