MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ON
TTA Board Member
MARK STOVALL
TERRITORY MANAGER AT HARRELL’S How long have you served on the TTA Board, and why did you decide take on this role?
This is my second year on the board. I really wanted to be able to give back to the organization that supported us through my career as a superintendent. I really enjoy seeing the growth and direction of the TTA organization. When you’re having to be very flexible and it changes daily with each conversation we have, it seems to be monthly now, something else has changed. I think Doug Ward and Melissa and the Directors have done an excellent job.
I got to spend 6 months at Augusta National when I was a student at Mississippi State, as an intern. I did a little bit of everything throughout those six months. I was there, luckily, for the tournament. It was a great six months, I learned a lot, had some great people I got to work with, and got to meet a lot of people. Other tournaments, one that I really enjoyed because I love architecture — I got to go work the Open Championship at St. Andrews in 2005, a Tiger win there. It’s The Home of Golf, so that was a great. I think I was there ten days. That was a totally different experience working that one.
What was the career path that led you to your current position?
My only assistant job was Chattanooga Golf and Country Club working with Jeff Hollister. I worked there for three and a half years. Then, Fox Den was my first superintendent job, and I spent three years there in Knoxville. After that, I went to Lookout Mountain Golf Club and spent 15 years there. I love golf course architecture — Lookout is a Seth Raynor design. Then I moved to Pinehurst, North Carolina and Forest Creek Golf Club. We had 36 holes and 1,263 acres on the property, so that was a large property. I held the Director of Golf Course Maintenance position. There were multiple superintendents, club and grounds staff and people that took care of the property, so that was a larger position than I’d had previously in the superintendent’s job. Then I wanted to get back home. My daughters were born here in Tennessee, and we wanted to get back west. The job with BuySod, which is based in Pinehurst, I got to know them, and they had a position in Tennessee, so it brought us back to Chattanooga. We loved Pinehurst, but this is home now. I’ve spent over half my life here in TN.
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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 Email TTA at: info@ttaonline.org
