There’s one thing Algonquin native turned Wisconsinite Jordan Kalous, the golf course superintendent at The Club at Lac La Belle in Oconomowoc, doesn’t love about his adopted home.
The sports bragging rights, or lack thereof.
“I’m still a Cubs fan – and a Bears fan,” Kalous said. “My wife’s [Heather] family gives me a hard time every day.”
The 32-year-old first crossed state lines upon high school graduation to play baseball at Division III Wisconsin Lutheran College. Despite studying exercise science, Kalous was introduced to sports turf during this time by taking care of his school’s baseball field and eventually working on the Brewers' grounds crew.
Upon graduation, Kalous moved to Colorado for a job in sales. Unhappy in his role, he started working on the grounds crew at Fox Hill Club near his home. Kalous quickly realized he had a knack for the field and earned a turfgrass degree from Rutgers University. An internship at Erin Hills brought him back to Wisconsin before he was hired at Lac La Belle in 2021.
This came three years after new independent ownership, the Morse family, began to reinvigorate the facility that dates back to 1896. With generous financial support from ownership, Kalous thrives within the club’s golfer-first mentality.
“We're trying to put every last dollar back into the golf course in whatever way we can,” Kalous said. “Everything is a project at the end of the year, everything at the beginning is a project, just to make the golf experience better for you.”
The newest “project” is the construction of a new nine-hole short course called Uncle Henry’s Backyard that is expected to debut later this year.
“It turned from a piece of flat property to the Himalayas, basically,” said Kalous regarding the transformation of the 26-acre lot just northwest of the clubhouse.
That’s Kalous’ professional life. The biggest personal project? Trying to steer the sports fandoms of his kids Becca and Sage.
“I have a 2-year-old son, so I'm trying to get him into baseball a little bit, at least out of the Packers gear,” Kalous said. “It's not going to happen, but if they grow up Cubs fans, that'd be nice.” —Casey Richards
