AGCSA: What type of degree do you have and where did you obtain your degree?
Sutton: BS in Landscape Horticulture from Auburn University in 1996. 

AGCSA: As a Golf Course Superintendent, what percent of your job comes from experience that you obtained from working on a golf course and what percent comes from what you learned in college?
Sutton: That's a great question.  I would have to say that 80% comes from experience and 20% from college, however college gives you the foundation in which you can build your experience on. 

AGCSA: What subject or class in turf school would you say has the most influence in your job as a Head Superintendent and why?
Sutton: I think the obvious answer would be all of the turf classes, but to go a little further I would have to add accounting, landscape bidding, and plant ID courses.  I wish I would have had a class in human resources.  I think that would have been helpful. 

AGCSA: What advice would you give to a turf student who is about to embark on his first summer internship and is there any certain job at the golf course that he should make a special effort in learning?
Sutton: First off...be on time.  Second, if they don't know the basics (mowing greens, bunkers, yes, even the weed eater and flymow), they need to master those first.  After that they need to be involved in learning which chemicals do what and how to properly apply pesticides.  Something that often gets overlooked, in my opinion, is training interns about irrigation.  They need to learn everything from how to repair irrigation lines to how to set up irrigation programs in the computer.  One more thing would be to hang around the superintendent and get a sense of what his day is like.  Try to soak up as much as possible and don't forget to pick up on tasks the superintendent does that not everyone sees, such as budgeting, forecasting, and managing employees.

AGCSA: How many years have you been in Golf Course Maintenance, including any work as a crew member?
Sutton: Let's see...I'm 30 years old and have been in golf course maintenance for 16 of the 30.

AGCSA: What is your work experience and time you spent their? Who did you work for?
Sutton: I started off at age 14 working part time at a local course outside of Huntsville, Alabama named Monrovia G.C.  I basically carried a weed eater around.  During my high school years I worked summers at another course north of Huntsville called Colonial G.C.  My first internship was at Shoal Creek outside Birmingham under the tutelage of Jim Simmons.  My second internship was at the Honors Course outside of Chattanooga, TN with David Stone as the superintendent there.  After that I worked part time during my final year at Auburn at Grand National under Buddy Williams.

My first job after college was a second assistant's post at Hillwood C.C. in Nashville, TN under the watchful eye of Mark Littlejohn for about a year and a half.  From there Scott Cochran hired me as a first assistant / grow-in assistant at GreyStone G.C. in Dickson, TN.  I spent about 2 years as an assistant there.  One year growing in the golf course during construction and the following learning the first year struggles of a new course.  My experience gained there would prove to be very worthwhile.  I wanted to add to my experience after GreyStone in Tennessee, so thanks to Tom Vlach, director of maintenance at Greystone C.C. in Birmingham, Alabama, I was able to add tournament prep to my resume by working as an assistant at the Founders Course during the Bruno's Memorial Classic before moving over to the newer Legacy course and helping get it ready to open.

Moving on from Greystone C.C. I landed my first head superintendent's position at Eagle's Bluff C.C. in Bullard, Texas.  I spent almost two years there learning what it really meant to be a superintendent.  My time spent there was fantastic.    There couldn't have been a better place for me to land my first superintendent's position.  We took a great golf course that was "rough" and turned it around.  I also learned a myriad of other things as well...especially what other key staff members jobs entail.  I wanted to get closer to home and move up to a bigger club as well, and I was able to do that with the help of IGM (International Golf Maintenance).  They had a superintendent's position open at Montgomery Country Club and after the initial interviews asked me if I wanted the position.  And, of course, I said yes and am still here enjoying every minute. 

AGCSA: What person in your professional life has mentored you or been the most beneficial to you in helping you deal with the rigors of being a Head Superintendent and how did they help?
Sutton: Wow...that's a tough question.  As the previous answer shows I've had the pleasure of working for a number of superintendents.  I think I have taken something from each of them...some good...some not so good.  But the important thing is that I learned how I wanted to run the golf course maintenance by watching and learning from them.  I think some of the superintendent's I worked for like Jim Simmons, David Stone, and Tom Vlach got to where they are today by obviously knowing how to do their job and do it well.  I have to admit I have been very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work for them and learn from their experiences.  However, I would have to say the most important person in my professional life is my wife Sarah.  I think with the odd hours superintendent's sometimes have combined with dealing with everything from the weather to high maintenance members you have to have a solid personal life and that begins at home.  I believe that work should stay at work, but in reality sometimes you bring it home or in a superintendent's case wear it home...whether it's on your clothes or on your face.  She has been the most beneficial person to help me deal with the rigors of the the superintendent life.

AGCSA: What would you say is the hardest thing to overcome your first year as a Head Superintendent, after being an Assistant before? What advice would you give a first time Head Superintendent?
Sutton: The hardest thing for me to overcome was the transition from being on the course 90% of the time and 10% of the time in the office to being in the office much more than I ever expected.  The best advice I could give a first time superintendent would be to take a high profile area on the course or even around the clubhouse and make it better.   Do this as often as you can in the first 90 days.

AGCSA: What do you enjoy the most and least about being a Head Superintendent?
Sutton: The things I enjoy the most are sunrises and occasionally sunsets, the satisfaction of knowing that the golf course is in good shape, and just the joy that comes from being in God's wonderful outdoors.  The things I enjoy the least are knowing I can't do anything with "Mother Nature"...so why worry...I seem to anyway.  Wishing I had 20 more people so I could make the course even better.  And last but not least...in a word...paperwork.

AGCSA: What would you say is the most important trait to have when dealing with your maintenance crew on a day to day and long-term basis?
Sutton: Communication is key.  Listening to them and what they are seeing and going through is big.  I think that if they know they do their job and do it well that they will be rewarded for it is important, just as important is if they don't do their job well it won't be put up with.   Consistency between assistants and superintendent's is very important.  But I think if you show them you care that will take you a long way.

AGCSA: Every Superintendent has to answer to his boss/bosses (GM, owner, board etc...). What advice could you give someone in dealing with their higher-ups?
Sutton: Earn their trust, work hard, show them you care about the bottom line, and do your job to the best of your ability.

AGCSA: If you could change one thing about your job that would make it perfect in your eyes, what would it be?
Sutton: I think it's a pretty good job right now, but it would take more than one thing to make it perfect.  How about a chemical that you can spray that would keep all of the turfgrass weed free, at the perfect height of cut for two to three months straight, would do your laundry, and would tell you in the label which stocks are a sure bet for the next quarter.

AGCSA: List your family and How do they cope with your job?
Sutton: My wife, as mentioned above, is amazing in how she puts up with me and this job.  I don't have a clue how she does it.  My boys, Austin who is four, and Grant who is two, love coming to daddy's office and riding with me occasionally in the golf cart around the course. 

AGCSA: What kind of things (hobbies) do you like to do when you get away from work?
Sutton: Anything outdoors really.  I love hunting and fishing and of course golf, but sometimes you just don't want to see a golf course, so I would say hunting and fishing.