#ThankASuper Spotlight Series: Cody Woods

In honor of international “Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day,” we are proud to highlight the unsung heroes of the golf industry and KemperSports family: our incredibly hardworking and outstanding superintendents and course maintenance teams.

Cody Woods
Director of Agronomy
Lake of Isles (North Stonington, CT)

# of years worked at Lake of Isles: 3 years
Total years worked in the industry: 11 years

How did you get into the golf maintenance industry?
In high school, there was an ESPN special on MLB head groundskeepers that really interested me to pursue a career in turf. I played baseball while growing up, and always thought it would be cool to be so close to the game. I decided to go to college for Turfgrass Science and applied for the Philadelphia Phillies and Congressional Country Club for my first internship. Congressional offered me a job, while the Phillies said I didn’t have enough experience, and I’ve been in golf turf ever since.

What’s your favorite part of the job?
The people.

What’s the most misunderstood part of the job?
That we just cut grass for a living. As a superintendent, you have to be proficient in so many other categories other than just “cutting” grass.

What advice would you give to your younger self or younger superintendents just starting out?
The long work hours as an intern/assistant will make you a better superintendent. With that said, try and make more time for family and friends. You can’t get time back once it has passed.

What are a few accomplishments you are most proud of at your course/in your career?
I take a lot of pride in what my team has done over the past couple of years to raise the bar for golf course conditions and the overall golf experience at Lake of Isles. We’re constantly trying new and innovative practices, in addition to making daily processes more efficient in order to maximize our work day around two jam-packed golf courses. 

What insight do you have about the future of the industry? Are there any innovative practices you’re helping lead to benefit the environment/your facility?
I think there needs to be more of an effort put into educating the next generation of the opportunities in our industry, while also trying to retain the ones that are currently in it. We all know that it is a demanding industry, and it scares me to think what it will look like in the next 10-20 years as attendance in Turf Programs seems to shrink in addition to the amount of people that are leaving the industry for other jobs. I think in the future we will see a lot more promotions of entry level greenskeepers to the management level through club/property training rather than traditional education paths.

What are some of the most helpful forward-thinking practices that have benefitted your facility? 
Our golf courses use effluent water for irrigation, which I always saw as a forward-thinking practice, especially since water usage on golf courses has become a topic of public scrutiny over the years. Grey water from the resort gets cleaned through our wastewater treatment facility and then is pumped to an 800,000-gallon holding tank that we draw out of for irrigation. This allows us to have a constant and reliable water source, save money on water costs as well as get more use of the cleaned grey water before it returns into the environment.

What does the game of golf mean to you and how has that helped fuel the passion you have for your career?
I’ve always had a passion for golf due to sharing the same last name with Tiger (Woods), and really enjoyed watching him dominate tournaments when I was a little kid. This got me interested in playing in junior leagues while growing up, but unfortunately, I don’t play as much as I’d like to now. The passion for my career though doesn’t come from me playing golf, but from seeing other people enjoy a round on a product that my team and I have produced for them.

See below for our full series of #ThankASuper spotlights:

• Fred Parcells, Skyway Golf Course at Lincoln Park West (Jersey City, NJ)
• Michael Bostian, Waverly Woods Golf Club (Marriottsville, MD)
• Jordan Kalasky, Heritage Shores Golf Club (Bridgeville, DE)
• Brett Niner, Blue Mash Golf Course (Laytonsville, MD)
• Drew Matera, Whiskey Creek Golf Club (Ijamsville, MD)
• Steve Kuretsky, Cantigny Golf (Wheaton, IL)
• Dave Groelle, Royal Melbourne Country Club (Long Grove, IL)