GlenArbor and Gikis Go All Out for the MetGCSA Invitational
Posted on Oct. 6, 2024 / Subscribe 0
On October 8, MetGCSA members will be treated to our annual Invitational at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, NY. Joe Gikis, GlenArbor’s superintendent for the past six seasons, is looking forward to hosting our event—his first as a golf course superintendent.
Building His Resume
Joe was born in Gardner, MA, hometown to parents, Colleen and George. Joe’s dad, an avid golfer, introduced Joe to the game when he was just a grade schooler, and when the time was right, to Mike Hermanson, the super at the local Gardner Municipal Golf Club. It was there, working as a laborer summer during high school, that Joe was inspired to pursue a career in turf management.
Realizing that formal training would be key to his success, Joe entered UMass’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture, finishing with an associate’s degree. From there, Joe went on to earn a B.S. in Turf Management from UMass.
As part of his studies, Joe pursued his first internship at Pelham Country Club, working for Super Jeff Wentworth.
“It was a great experience coming from a municipal golf course to a high-end private country club in lower Westchester,” says Joe. “I knew after my first summer there that Westchester Country was where I wanted to be.”
Reflecting on Joe’s time at Pelham, Jeff sings his praises: “Joe was a great intern from the start. He joined my team at a young age and quickly stood out as one of the hardest workers I’ve ever had the pleasure of mentoring.”
Impressed with Joe’s work ethic, Jeff encouraged him to volunteer at Westchester Country Club working with then Super Joe Alonzi to prep for the Barclay’s Classic. Joe’s diligence set him up for his second internship, this time at Westchester Country Club.
Working at Westchester, my eyes were opened to the many hats a superintendent must wear when managing a 45-hole facility with all the amenities,” says Joe. “The club is always buzzing with activity—in every corner.”
Joe kept in touch while at UMass with his very first mentor, Gardner Super Mike. “As luck would have it,” says Joe, “Mike was pretty good friends with the superintendent of Baltusrol, Mark Kuhns. That opened the door for my third and last internship. Needless to say, the internship at Baltusrol set me up for a good start in the industry.”
Entering the Real World
No sooner did Joe graduate than he was hired at Westchester by Joe Alonzi, this time not as an intern, but as his second assistant where he helped to prep for the FedEx Cup in 2007.
Joe Alonzi can’t help but smile when he talks about Joe Gikis: “Joe was the assistant that I never had to check on. Whenever I left the property, I always knew it was in good hands. I considered myself fortunate to have him as my eyes and ears.”
After Joe Alonzi retired, Joe Gikis stayed on to serve as first assistant to the new superintendent, David Dudones. Dave reflects back and says, “Joe worked for me for six years as I was just getting started at Westchester. Members and staff all showed tremendous respect for Joe, not only for his great work ethic and dedication to WCC, but also for his easygoing attitude. Nothing got him ruffled.”
Joe was onboard to help prepare the course for the Senior Player’s Championship in 2011 and the Women’s PGA in 2015. “In my years at Westchester, I not only learned the ins and outs of tournament prep,” says Joe, “but I also gained experience in managing aspects of the hotel and beach club, as well as how to manage plowing miles of roads in the winter. It is the best assistant’s job in the country,” says Joe, adding, “You just can’t learn all of this in other places.”
In March 2019, Joe took all he’d learned to a job of his own: the superintendent’s position at GlenArbor Golf Club. The problem was nothing he learned could have prepared him for what lay ahead. “My first couple of years on the job were tough,” says Joe. “Not because of the golf course, but because of the challenges presented by managing a golf course maintenance operation in the thick of the Covid crisis.”
Though Joe will tell you he feels he’s had only two normal seasons; you would never know it. By all accounts, the course is in impeccable condition. There is no Poa on the greens, the fairways are meticulously managed, and the fescue areas are clean and well maintained.
“It’s always so special to see what Joe and his team have accomplished at GlenArbor,” says Westchester’s David Dudones.
Joe adds that there has been no micromanagement from the onset. “They have given me the directive and allowed me to lead my team as I feel best,” says Joe.
More Than the Job
When the workday is done, Joe looks forward to coming home to his family. He and wife Amber, who he’s known since high school, were married in 2009 and have three children: Hudson, 10, and twins Griffin and Lincoln, who are 6. Amber works part-time at Northwestern Mutual in their insurance division.
Aside from family time, Joe, no surprise, enjoys a good round of golf, but when prodded about other athletic pursuits he enjoys, he lists baseball, soccer, lacrosse, and basketball. What?? "Oh, not for me,” he quickly interjects, “I’m talking about enjoying my kids’ games.” A true family man.
Bob Nielsen, a member of the Tee to Green Editorial Committee, is superintendent at Bedford Golf & Tennis Club in Bedford Hills, NY.
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