By Anthony L. Williams, MG, CGCS, CGM
A Turf Pirate’s Journal
A Captain’s Tale
Charlie Scott and I pose for a seaside photo at Enniscrone Golf Course in Ireland, official turf pirates log date October 9th, 2010
Greetings Turf Pirates, as we sail on into the Fall golf season I find myself reflecting on some the captains of our industry. Stand out Turf Pirates all but some stand taller than others and some grow taller still as the years roll by. One such captain is Charlie Scott. You see the Ancient and Honorable Tribe of Turf Pirates is ever aware that our industry has many links, levels and connections, some seen and some unseen but certainly they connect us all in the grandest of ways. I met Charlie Scott at the GCSAA conference in 2006. Historians will note that a series of epic hurricanes pushed the event to my home state of Georgia relocating from Texas and Louisiana respectively. Charlie saw that I had won a national Environmental Leaders in Golf award (an epic tie with Troy Russell from Bandon Dunes) at my then home course, Renaissance PineIsle Resort. Charlie waited until the awards presentations were over walked up to me and said, “Congratulations, I built your golf course”. We had the first of many conversations on the spot. You see Charlie, his Dad (Darl) and son (Jon) had built, owned and still operated five golf courses in Michigan, TRI (Turf Royalty Indeed). Charlie had also worked for Wadsworth Golf Construction for a time 54
Vintage medallions from an epic Turf Pirate Port-of-Call.
in the early 1970’s and he had indeed been construction superintendent on our beloved PineIsle. He was the first Captain and told a great tale of arriving to start construction to find that the state had not finished the bridge leading onto the island and all staff
and equipment was subsequently sent over by barge. The site was a series of Islands in the middle of a 38,000-acre manmade lake, Lake Sydney Lanier in Northeast Georgia. This is Turf Pirating at the highest level. The PineIsle project was designed by Ron Kirby and Gary Player and hosted five LPGA World Championships in her heyday (Germanic word for time of maximum prosperity and used in Turf Pirate lore as a way point). PineIsle would eventually fall to progress that was beyond her but from 1971 – 2005 she knew four stoic captains. Charlie Scott carved her out of the stone and clay, Allen Baston (Georgia GCSA President 1973 and 74) took over from Charlie by way of the Augusta National Golf Club, Allen passed the wheel to Bob Thompson who had been AGCS at the Atlanta Athletic Club for the famous 1976 US Open (Jerry Pate’s big win) and Bob handed her to me in 1993 where I learned the craft until 2005 when I was sent to the big rock at Stone Mountain Park but that is another story. You see we are all connected in this long green line one to another striving for excellence and hoping for good weather. I last saw Charlie unexpectedly in 2010. I had won the coveted TurfNet Superintendent of the Year award and was in Dublin, Ireland for some fun, frolic and the Emerald Cup Matches with the other TurfNet Faithful when I heard a familiar voice, it was Charlie. We had a great week and played lots of golf and told tales of turf and family and hopes and aspirations. Turf Pirates listen closely to tales from the maintenance barn for one day too soon you may also find more seasons have passed than you see on the horizon. I am blessed that I have made my way in the world surfing on a blade of grass and I count it a privilege to have known many great captains so Turf Pirates in closing raise your glass to the captain or captains that set you on your current course and look carefully to those who follow in your wake. Golf Central • Volume 22, Issue 6
