Superintendent MacDonald Featured in Golfdom

Nov 12, 2015

 

The 91st Hole: Brad MacDonald

Superintendent // Granite Links GC at Quarry Hills, Quincy, Mass.

Only Pinehurst Resort has the 91st Hole. What can I get you?

Nothing fancy, how about a ginger ale?

What’d you think of Pinehurst No. 2?

I was blown away. It was special. The greens… it’s a whole different game getting the ball to the green and getting the ball in the hole. I’d like to get another try at it.

Where’d you go to school?

UMass. I still keep up with their teams. I was there in their heyday when they went to the Final Four. They haven’t gotten back to that level yet; hopefully that happens in a few years.

Are you married? Kids?

I’ve been married for 17 years. We have four children, three girls and one boy. Ages 4, 6, 11 and 12. With sports, everybody is going a different way… soccer, flag football, softball, a little bit of everything.

Tell me about your course?

Granite Links is a 27-hole, semi-private course that overlooks the Boston skyline. It was built on two landfills, one in the town of Milton and the other in city of Quincy. The material from the “Big Dig” was used to cap the landfill and build a golf course. I’ve been there 10 years.

Does the origin of the site cause any maintenance problems?

Not at this point. There’s a system that collects the methane gas, and it burns that energy and sends it back to the grid. But it functions as a regular golf course.

What’s your favorite app on your phone?

Google Drive. You’re able to put documents, pictures — whatever you have on your computer — on your phone. It allows me to bring my computer out to the golf course. That, and the 20 weather apps I have on my phone.

Who are your mentors?

I’ve got two. Lauren Mann, I started working for him in high school and he got me excited about the business, and Bill Spence at the Country Club. I started there as an intern and left nine years later ready to be a
superintendent.

What’s your favorite thing to do off the course?

Anything with the family. The worst part of this job is in the summer we’re the busiest, and you miss out on a lot. I like to be involved in their sports, and I like to take them to the beach.

From oldest to youngest, what are your kids’ names?

Molly, Meghan, Andrew and Emily.

Is Andrew annoyed that he’s the only boy?

No, he loves it — he’s spoiled rotten!