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An Interview with Alex Hultz Alex Hultz has been hired as our new Golf Course Superintendent. He comes to us from Birch Creek Golf Course in Union, Missouri. We recently asked Alex a few questions to help our membership get a better feel for who he is. |
 What
brings you to Lake Valley?I have come to Lake Valley to work as the Golf Course Superintendent. This is an excellent opportunity to manage and maintain an excellent golf course, while being able to move close to family, which I have here at the Lake and in Springfield. In fact, we have a piece of land across from lake road 54-82 that we plan to build a home on. |
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You have a wife and family? My wife Lisa and I have two children. Our son Tony is 5 and our daughter Haley is one month old. |
What kind of education or experience do you have? I have 11 years of work experience at 4 different golf courses. My most recent position as Superintendent at Birch Creek Golf Club was an excellent educational experience since I was responsible for the growth of this 18-hole golf course. My education includes a B.S. degree in management from Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois in 1993, and a B.S. degree in Agronomy from Southwest Missouri State University in 1998. |
Anything about our course that you really like? There are two things that I find quite interesting at Lake Valley. The first is the "6-6-6" layout. With 6 par 3's, 6 par 4's, and 6 par 5's, a golfer has the opportunity to score on the par 5's while being challenged on the par 3's. The second feature I like is the elevation changes throughout the course. This creates a wider variety of shots, unlike what you will find on "flat" courses. |
Anything about the course that you really don't like? Not sure yet.... |
Are you aware of our Long Range Plan, and have you had a chance to review it? I am aware of the Long Range Plan but have not reviewed it in detail yet. |
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With regard to the golf course, do you have any plans or goals of your own for the next year, two years? My first goal at Lake Valley is to provide a quality product for members and guests to enjoy. The first step in this process is to begin the reduction of poa annua infesting the greens. This sounds easy but is has taken several years for the poa to establish itself and it will take a few years to gradually reduce the population on the greens. It takes about a year to learn the personality of a course, like what areas require special attention, how the irrigation system works, quirks of the equipment, and so on. I like to get comfortable with the course first. |
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What should we expect from an Alex Hultz maintained golf course? I feel that one of my best attributes is my attention to detail. Attention to detail can take a good golf course and make it great. Also, I like to think that I have good organizational skills. |
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Has anybody clued you in about the catalpa tree on 14? Not really, but I've looked around the club web site and saw it pictured there, so I figured there must be something special about it. |
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Got any surprises brewing for us? At this time I don't have any "surprises". |