New course superintendent at Port Ludlow a familiar face (Sept 7)

September 7, 2015 – PORT LUDLOW GOLF Club has welcomed back Dick Schmidt, the course’s original superintendent, to serve as head golf course superintendent.

Schmidt was one of those who oversaw the construction of the golf course before its opening 40 years ago in May of 1975.

“Dick brings an array of golf maintenance knowledge, and more importantly, a fierce passion to return the Port Ludlow Golf Club to its great standing in the golf landscapes of the Pacific Northwest,” said Vito DeSantis, Port Ludlow director of golf and head pro.

“Dick is eager to answer any of your questions, please don’t hesitate to say hello if you see him out and about.”

Schmidt started his career in golf at Indian Canyon in Spokane, mowing the greens, hand watering, caddying and picking up range balls at the municipal course his father, Indian Canyon superintendent Louis Schmidt, helped to build in the early 1930s.

It was at Indian Canyon that Dick Schmidt got his taste for the sport and started learning the ins and outs of operating a good golf course.

Schmidt left Spokane at age 18 to become an assistant golf pro at Meadow Lark Golf and Country Club in Great Fall, Montana.

Two years later, Schmidt moved to become an assistant pro at Overlake Golf Club in Bellevue, eventually serving as assistant superintendent.

When Louis Schmidt moved from Spokane to Seattle to be the head superintendent at Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore, Dick became his assistant.

A year later, Dick found himself as the construction superintendent overseeing the construction of over a half-dozen golf courses in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

Golf course construction and maintenance is the Schmidt family business.

Louis Schmidt also served as Sahalee Country Club’s first superintendent from 1968 to 1977.

An uncle designed Esmeralda Golf Course in Spokane and Twin Lakes in Idaho and Dick’s brother Raymond helped construct Kayak Point in Mukilteo, Bellevue Municipal and Semiahmoo in Blaine.

When Schmidt arrived in Port Ludlow in 1971 he said, “Building Port Ludlow was the ultimate golf course construction job.”

After overseeing the construction of Port Ludlow Golf Club, Schmidt became head golf course superintendent and director of golf and recreation.

His job expanded over the years to director of golf for Village Resorts and operations in Washington, Utah, Arizona and California.

Schmidt also ran Orange Tree Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona and oversaw construction of Crosswater in Sunriver, Oregon.

He retired as director of golf at Bend Country Club.

Welcome home, Dick, you have quite the canvas to work on at Port Ludlow.