TPC Southwind looks towards renovation following 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship

Nick Bisanz’s journey to TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., began in a unique place. Before he got his turf degree from Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro, Ga., Bisanz worked in a greenhouse on the retail side of the operation.

“That was always my summer job,” Bisanz says. “(But) I had always enjoyed being outside and playing golf.”

While at Ogeechee, Bisanz studied horticulture before the school announced the launch of a turf management program. That turned out to be just what he needed to kickstart a career as a superintendent.

“(After graduation) I went right from there and did my internships at Atlanta Country Club,” he says. “From there, some things fell into place and some people were moving on, and I climbed the ladder to become an assistant.”

Bisanz eventually moved on to TPC Scottsdale where he worked as a senior assistant for nearly six years. In 2012, Bisanz landed his first head superintendent position at The Heritage Club in Mason, Ohio, before joining TPC Southwind — which has hosted the FedEx St. Jude Championship event since 1989 — five years later.

New improvements

Southwind has seen several improvement projects over recent years. In 2017, the course had extensive work done on several greens and fairways. Then, from 2019 through 2020, Bisanz and his team worked through a complete bunker renovation.

“We just finished the last five before last year’s event. We finished the whole project in about two years,” he says.

The changes will keep on coming, as Southwind will rebuild and resurface all 18 greens complexes, practice greens and tee boxes while also upgrading parts of its irrigation system starting in November.

The PGA Tour has a long history in Memphis, Tenn., with a tournament taking place in the city every year since 1958. (Photo: Nick Bisanz)

Community bonding

As time inches closer to the event, Bisanz and his crew have plenty of work to do, including a full-course aerification taking place six weeks before the start of the championship.

“We’re working on getting down to our desired heights of cut from that point on,” he says. “It’s a little scary getting out and being as aggressive as we are on the golf course mechanically six weeks before the event.”

Despite that, Bisanz says his team is always ready for the challenge, especially with the tournament’s long history being a point of pride for the surrounding community.

“It hits home for people here because a lot of people work for FedEx, and everybody rallies behind St. Jude,” he says. “A lot of the homes will put signs up in support. And, on top of that, you’ve got the 70 best golfers in the world coming out here to play. It’s pretty exciting.”