GREENS SUPERINTENDENTS
Much can be said about the critical roles played by the department heads of an active organization such as the Detroit Golf Club. But no one deals with more uncertainties - weather, turf disease and general golf course wear - than the course superintendent. Without a doubt these capable men can be called the stewards of the franchise since the golf courses are a club's prime asset.
Although the history of first groundskeeper at DGC is a little sketchy, it was most likely the man who worked the land before it became a golf course. At that time all they needed was someone to herd the sheep around to get the grass cut down, and maybe change the cups and flags on the greens once a month or so.
The first "professional" groundskeeper was Ernie Way - a Scotsman hired in 1905 by Ed Alexander, the first green chairman. While also serving as club pro, Mr. Way put together the first 18-hole course for Detroit Golf Club, located east and west of Hamilton and north of Six Mile Road. Mr. Way had no formal education in turf grass management but brought all the latest information on maintaining golf greens from Scotland.
Ernie had proved so capable of course construction, in 1910 he was allowed to leave DGC for a few years to help build Bloomfield Hills Country Club. There is no record as to who took over for Ernie when he left, however, we do know he returned to DGC in 1913 and served this time as pro and groundskeeper. Then in 1915, Donald Ross was hired to design the 36 holes on the property that we have today. Ernie Way was put in charge of construction once again. The records note that Mr. Ross told the DGC board that Mr. Way had done the finest piece of construction work that he had ever seen.
Alex Ross, Donald's brother, was hired as pro, leaving Ernie Way to devote his entire time overseeing the building of the two new courses. They were built at a total cost of $55,600.
With Ernie Way's resignation in 1919, the club hired Dave Kennedy as the new groundskeeper. Due to a green problem on the North Course, a number of greens had to be rebuilt in 1920. Mr. Kennedy was replaced by Mr. Alex McPhearson was greenskeeper in 1921. More greens were rebuilt in 1925. Up to 1929, most of the mowing on fairway and rough was done with horse power. In 1929, the last of the horses was sold, and the first tractors were brought on the scene. As stated in the record book, several of the greens were again rebuilt, much to the dismay of the membership. For the third time, Ernie Way was rehired as groundskeeper in 1932. He stayed on in that position until his retirement in 1941, at which time the fourth groundskeeper was hired, Mike Omelianoff. During his tenure, 1941-1955, many improvements to drainage and irrigation took place. This also marked the end of the so-called "greenskeeper," and the club hired a college-educated turf manager, Ward Cornwell. At the same time Mr. Cornwell also served as president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, a very prestigious position. He brought a new level of golf course maintenance to DGC. Improvements included: a semi-automatic irrigation system installed on the fairways; a new and far-superior strain of bent grass on the North greens (a fairway turf never before seen on a private club). Mr. Cornwell served as superintendent from 1956 until March of 1962. Notice that the description of the position changed from greenskeeper to golf course superintendent during this era.
Clem Wolfrom, a Michigan State University graduate, was hired as superintendent in 1962 and continues to this day. Again, the North greens wree rebuilt in 1987 for the fourth time since Donald Ross created them in 1915. A new and more labor-efficient watering system was installed in 1977, along with many other changes. This was the era that over 1,000 elm trees were lost to the Dutch Elm disease. Also during this time, levels of course management made its greatest strides forward - closely mowed fairways, greens mowed each day at heights never dreamed a few years prior. Through television, demands for better turf were much greater than at any other time in the history of golf.
We can only guess what happens to the game of golf and the maintenance of its courses in the next 100 years. As golf continues to grow, demands for better turf will be still greater, and the superintendents of tomorrow will be there to meet the challenges.
Over its first 100 years, six different greenskeepers were charged with the development of the Detroit Golf Club's 36 holes. Some served only a short time, and some not so short, but each contributed to the growth and development of two of the nation's grandest courses.