Since his first job on a golf course at the age of 17, Jeremy Turton has been a turfgrass professional for roughly 11,500 days, give or take. What keeps it fresh for him more than three decades in?
None of those days have been the same.
“I’ve been doing this for quite a few years now, and every day is different,” Turton sad. “No matter what, there’s always something going on.”
Turton is in the midst of his 11th season as the golf course superintendent at Chevy Chase Country Club, which is owned and operated by the Wheeling Park District. Prior to that, the Lorain, Ohio native worked at Glenwoodie Golf Course, Idlewild Country Club and George Dunne National.
He cites park district support and a “veteran crew” as crucial factors in navigating a high volume of play to create pristine playing conditions. The most valued member of that crew? Gunner, his six-and-a-half year-old husky.
[Gunner] comes to work with me every day and chases geese and squirrels around the course,” Turton explained.
“He’s a big part of the team. I have to keep him on a leash because he’s a husky and he'll take off if he gets the chance. But he's a good dog, a good partner and somebody to talk to throughout the day.”
Yet another way to keep every day feeling new. —Casey Richards
