Though he grew up on a farm in Indiana, Kevin Lutz wasn’t keen on becoming a farmer. But he knew from a young age that he loved golf. He combined this passion with his agricultural experience to pursue a career in turf management. Today, Kevin is a seasoned golf course superintendent at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, North Carolina. We chatted with him about his career path and his ambitions for the future of the club.
How did you get your start in the golf course industry?
Purdue University was about an hour from my house in Indiana, so I enrolled in their turf program. Our professors encouraged us to do internships, and I wanted to go someplace that had warm season grasses since I had only been around cool season grasses. I had family that lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, so I stayed with them while I did a summer internship at Carmel Country Club under [former director of greens and grounds] Bill Anderson. I ended up doing a second internship there, and when I graduated, they hired me as an assistant superintendent. I worked there for 17 years, eventually becoming a superintendent of one of their two golf courses. After that, I briefly worked at The Club at 12 Oaks in the greater Raleigh area, but I really missed Charlotte. Around that time, Cabarrus Country Club was looking for a superintendent. My wife and I thought it would be a great opportunity to come back to an area we love, so I accepted the job and have been there ever since.
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What are your most notable accomplishments at Cabarrus so far?
We’ve been able to increase our membership, which has allowed for increases to my operating budget and capital budget and allowed us to make big improvements on the golf course. We’ve installed a brand-new irrigation system and irrigation pumps throughout the course. We did a practice facility renovation and added about 20 acres worth of natural areas to the course. We’re now working on a tree removal project to improve our turf quality in some areas.
What distinguishes the golf course at Cabarrus?
It’s a great golf course to walk. We have about 50 percent walkers versus players riding in carts. I think that helps with our membership because people can do something they enjoy while exercising at the same time. Also, we are a private country club but we don’t have a very high initiation fee or high dues. We cater to the community around us.
What are your plans for the future of the golf course?
We’re still looking to increase membership. We’re not completely full yet. We want to generate as much revenue as we can so we can look into doing bigger renovations. We’re in talks of doing a green bunker project and a cart path renovation in the next five years or so; those improvements would be huge for the country club and our members.
What is your favorite type of equipment to work with?
I miss using equipment. As superintendent, I deal with more administrative work now. I miss getting on a fairway mower, putting earbuds in, listening to music, and relaxing.
What do you enjoy most about your career?
Working outside. Waking up in the morning and having 130 acres as your office is never a bad thing. I also get to work with a tight-knit group of people on my crew.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I spend a lot of time outside. My daughter plays year-round travel softball, so we spend a lot of time watching her play and just being with family.
Kyra Molinaro is an award-winning writer and editor based in Richmond, Virginia. She manages donor communications in the Advancement Office at the University of Richmond.
