Superintendent Spotlight: Jonathan Dean of Heron Lakes Golf Course

In this month’s Superintendent Spotlight we feature Jonathan Dean who is Superintendent at Heron Lakes Golf Club.  

Describe your facility in 10 words or less:
Two inclusive, distinctive, well-designed, fun 18-hole golf courses

What is a little-known fact / fun fact about your facility?
The wells that we use to irrigate the site were original to the town of Vanport.

What’s your favorite hole at your facility?
Either No. 15 on the Greenback or No. 16 on the Great Blue.

Outside of your own, what is your favorite golf course (and why)?
Rose City. I grew up there. The people there and that site mean a lot to me.

Have you had a hole-in-one? When and where?
One – In 2003 on Campus Golf Course at Methodist College in North Carolina.

Ducks, Beavers or Neither?
Ducks

Who is your favorite all-time professional golfer?
I’m a big Tiger fan, but now find myself pulling for McIlroy.  

What’s your dream vacation?
Getting an RV with off-road tires and taking alternative routes across the country with my family.

What led you down this career path?
The game of golf and a summer job at Rose City.

What tool do you use the most on the job?
TDR moisture meter and stimp.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve witnessed or done as a golf industry professional?
Witnessed a significant decrease in fungicide use at Heron Lakes.

Who is your mentor in the golf industry?
Jim Heck, Tim Palko, Jesse Goodling