U.S. Open: Grounds director worked with Gil Hanse, USGA to prep The Country Club

When Dave Johnson snuck on to play Nichols College Golf Course in Dudley, Massachusetts, when he was young, the thought never crossed his mind that he’d become director of grounds at a U.S. Open golf course.

“I’m not even sure that I knew what the U.S. Open was at that age,” he said. “I was so young.”

Nevertheless, it’s true. Johnson has been working with the United States Golf Association to prepare to host the U.S. Open this week at The Country Club in Brookline.

Where will that U.S. Open week rank among his career highlights?

“I’ve got to say it’s right at the top,” he said. “How could it not be? I’ve done a lot of fun things, but I’ve never done this, running the show. I’ve been to U.S. Opens, but this is definitely going to be the Mecca.”

The best golfers in the world will tee off on the course that Johnson has maintained since he came to TCC, one of the five founding clubs of the USGA, in March 2018.

“A little bit of pressure, I will say that,” he said, “but in general, the field I’m in, golf course superintendents, every day we try to make our golf courses the best we can for whoever it is who’s playing our golf courses. So to have the best in the world play the property that you present every day, it’s really why we do this, and it’s exciting.”

Collaborative effort indeed

Johnson picked the brain of his predecessor, Bill Spence, who retired after working at TCC for 33 years and who was superintendent when the U.S. Open was last held at TCC in 1988. But mostly, Johnson has worked with architect Gil Hanse to restore greens and with the USGA to narrow fairways and grow rough.

“Dave is fantastic to work with,” said Jeff Hall, USGA managing director of rules and open championships. “Obviously, his technical skills with agronomy and all, that’s not where I shine. I know just enough about grass to make it grow, but he understands all of that. But he’s really made the effort to understand what we are contemplating and talking about from a set-up standpoint and of playability. He’s been a wonderful partner, he and his team.”

Johnson has impressed Hall with his even temperament.

“He’s just a steady heartbeat,” he said. “I don’t know that it ever gets too fast or too slow, just very steady. No matter what we talk about, throw at him, discuss, it’s been fantastic to work with Dave.”

“If you get too emotional in this business that’s not going to work out too well,” TCC director of golf Brendan Walsh said, “and he’s got a great staff, people that love working with him, as I always like to use the term, not working ‘for’ him. He’s done a wonderful job training his individuals, giving them a sense of autonomy to go out there and do great things and let them learn. We’re really happy to have him. I’ve really enjoyed working with him.”

When Johnson was in the seventh grade, his family moved to the other side of Dudley and bought a house across the street from the third hole at Nichols College GC, now named Dudley Hill Golf Club. At Shepherd Hill Regional, he played for the golf team and worked on the grounds crew at Nichols. After graduating from UMass-Amherst with a degree in plant and soil science, he worked as an assistant superintendent at Wachusett CC and then as superintendent at Whitinsville GC and at the Wianno Club in Osterville before TCC hired him as director of grounds.

Now four years later, the club is preparing to host the U.S. Open for the fourth time. Each of the previous three was decided by an 18-hole playoff. If there’s a playoff this year, it will be a two-hole aggregate score. The playoff rule was changed in 2018.

In 1913, Francis Ouimet recorded what is considered to be the greatest upset and most impactful victory in golf history. The 20-year-old amateur, who lived in a house adjacent to the 17th hole at the club where he used to caddie, defeated the highly favored Brittons Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff. Ouimet’s victory is credited with popularizing golf in America.

In 1963, Julius Boros defeated Arnold Palmer and Jacky Culprit in the playoff. Worcester native Paul Harney finished a stroke back.

In 1988, Curtis Strange defeated Nick Faldo in the playoff, and he repeated as U.S. Open champion by a shot the following year.

Flags blow in the wind on the 15th hole during a practice round at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on Monday, June 13, 2022. (James Gilbert/USGA)

Long preparation for Open

The USGA started preparing five or six years ago with Johnson and his staff for the 2022 U.S. Open.

“It’s exciting for me,” Johnson said, “it’s exciting for my team that’s worked so hard to get here and prepared this property, and it means a lot to my family. They’ve been by my side the whole time. So yeah, it’s very meaningful. This is why we work so hard, for moments like this.”

Johnson’s wife, Maryanne, and oldest daughter, Val, 18, will volunteer in the merchandise tent during U.S. Open week, and his youngest daughter, Sammy, 16, will volunteer in the clubhouse. His parents, Wayne and Joyce, who live in Webster, will attend the U.S. Open as fans.

Johnson has a staff of 36 workers, including two superintendents and a horticulturist. Aidan O’Sullivan, who worked with Johnson at Whitinsville and later served as assistant superintendent at Green Hill Municipal Golf Course, is one of Johnson’s lead assistants. Shaughn Mitchell, who grew up in Clinton and worked at Oak Hill, Sterling National and Wedgewood Pines, is also an assistant at TCC.

One hundred volunteers, many of them golf course superintendents at other clubs, will help Johnson and his staff.

“So many of those volunteers are superintendents at other clubs with big jobs,” Hall said, “and here that week as volunteers, they’re slinging hoses or raking bunkers. No task is beneath them because they’re going to help one of their own shine, and it’s such a wonderful tradition. But the outside-the-ropes folks don’t get much sleep, either, whether it’s trying to manage parking and traffic flows, and if we get weather, that makes life more challenging, but we’ll crown a champion, and it will be all worth it in the end.”

Members of the grounds staff work on the course during a practice round at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on Monday, June 13, 2022. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

Long days

The first tee must be ready by 6:30 a.m. for the opening round on Thursday.

“So we have to have the entire golf course prepared,” Johnson said, “and get 100 people back to our complex before all the fans get in here. So we do it in the middle of the night. Our shift will start at 3 a.m.”

They’ll be riding their maintenance vehicles with the lights on.

The maintenance staff will finish the morning shift at about 8 or 9. Then they’ll return about 4:30 p.m. and be out on the course by 5:30 or 6 p.m. to mow and do whatever else needs to be done.

“Hopefully, everybody’s in bed by 10 p.m.,” Johnson said.

Johnson and much of his staff will stay in rented housing next to the club. Volunteers will be shuttled in from their housing at Boston College.

Because of the wear and tear caused by the fans and the numerous stands and hospitality tents, Johnson said he doesn’t expect TCC to return to normal property conditions until Christmas.

The USGA began erecting tents at TCC in early March.

“Fortunately, up the middle, the championship course will be in great condition,” Johnson said, “and our members will play that golf course.”

Members will be able to play TCC until nine or 10 days before the U.S. Open begins.

Johnson said he hasn’t had many calls from friends asking for U.S. Open tickets.

“I think they know the answer,” he said. “I probably can’t help them.”

—Contact Bill Doyle at bcdoyle15@charter.net. Follow him on Twitter@BillDoyle15.