Providing a Unified Voice for the Future of Golf in Oregon & Southwest Washington.
BEND, Ore. – With the retirement of long-time Superintendent, Tom Baty, Bend Golf and Country Club is proud to welcome Scott Moffenbeier as our new Course Superintendent effective January 1, 2017. This is a homecoming of sorts for Scott, as he worked as the Assistant Superintendent at BGCC from 1999-2004 under Tom Baty.
(This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of Golf Course Management magazine.)
For an Oregon golf course, a change in ownership meant a change in its irrigation source, and the switch has brought substantial savings of both water and money.
Middlefield Golf Course is often referred to by patrons as a fun little course, and by passersby as a beautiful introduction to the small town of Cottage Grove in western Oregon. Middlefield is fun — I can attest to that. I’ve played the course on a regular basis since it opened in 1991. And it is literally a welcome mat, as Interstate 5 runs right through the middle of it, making the course the first thing many travelers see as they arrive in our small town, which was once rooted in the mining and logging industries. Compared with today’s behemoth golf courses, Middlefield is also small. The 18-hole executive course measures just 5,200 yards.
In late 2006, the City of Cottage Grove purchased Middlefield Golf Course. Now, I know that a municipality owning a golf course isn’t exactly a groundbreaking endeavor, but this particular transaction was far more than just a land sale agreement. This fun little golf course was about to save Cottage Grove roughly $1 million, and allow for the conservation of 50 million gallons of water every year.
Courtesy of Jeff Keller at Bend Golf and Country Club:
Bend Golf and Country Club announced the retirement of their long standing superintendent, Tom Baty. Tom will be starting a new chapter in his career early this next year – hopefully playing more golf instead of managing the beautiful course at Bend.
Tom arrived here in 1997 after working at Indian Wells in Palm Springs where he managed the course setups for five different Bob Hope Classics and two Skins games at PGA West. At Indian Wells in 1995, he caddied for then-President Bill Clinton, who was playing in a foursome that included former presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush, and Bob Hope Classic defending champion Scott Hoch.
Tom served on the board of the OGCSA (Oregon Golf Course Superintendent Association) for several years and was recognized as the Superintendent of the year in 2007. He had a big job preparing for the Oregon Amateur in 2008. A brutal winter required several areas of new sod and seed, let alone repairing sections of the greens on 2 and 10. The tournament went very well and Tom became known for the preparation of the golf course.
During his time at Bend, he was instrumental in the installation and management of the new sprinkler system, the implementation of the strategic plan to update the golf course redesigned by Dan Hixson, and the removal of over 200 trees in early 2015 while still getting the course ready for play. His reputation for growth regulation is renowned and he is the “go to” person for many of the superintendents in the area.
Throughout his 19 years, Tom has been a real asset to the Country Club and to the course that we call home. Tom will be working through the winter here, before he starts the next chapter in his career. We will begin our search for our next superintendent soon so Tom can coach the next person before the transition. Whomever it is will have big shoes to fill. The members at Bend Golf and Country Club will be honoring Tom in January for his service.