Peninsula Native Becker Takes Over Pen Park Golf
- Share
- Tweet
- Pin
- Share
On April 1, Peninsula State Park Golf Course welcomed Baileys Harbor native and former Assistant Superintendent of Horseshoe Bay Golf Course Mike Becker to their team as Superintendent. I sat down with Becker and asked him about his new job, his admiration of golfer Fred Couples’ style, and his favorite parts of working in the industry.
Zach Jaeger (ZJ): How did you get started in the golf industry?
Michael Becker (MB): I started at Maxwelton Braes when I was 14 years old watering greens at night. I ended up in the kitchen, then became bar manager. The opportunity at Horseshoe Bay [Golf Course] came about in 1999, and I was there until this year.
ZJ: What are the biggest differences between Horseshoe Bay and the Peninsula Park courses?
MB: Different properties. Horseshoe Bay’s all bentgrass, fairways, greens and tees; here it’s mostly bluegrass…so the maintaining process is a lot different from what I’m used to, even though I understand how it needs to be [taken care of]. It’s [the work] also a little more fast-paced here.
ZJ: What’s your favorite part of your job?
MB: It’s not a cookie cutter. Every day’s different. You get to change up what you’re doing on the fly. And at the end of the day people don’t know what happened – we do – all they know is that the golf course looks great.
ZJ: Does lawn treatment put water quality or golfers at risk?
MB: Maybe back in the day when copper sulfate [was widely used], but I don’t think that’s a major issue anymore…[Every chemical] we use here has to be passed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the DNR (Department of Natural Resources).
ZJ: Who is your favorite golfer?
MB: Fred Couples. I like how he goes about the game. He’s always going directly at what he needs to…he’s just always calm and collected.
ZJ: When did you start playing golf?
MB: When I was seven, hitting golf balls in the backyard. [Eventually] I rode my bike up to Maxwelton Braes and played there.
ZJ: Can you sum up Peninsula State Park Golf Course?
MB: It’s a really unique course. I played golf here for many years…It’s a beautiful property with some amazing views and elevation change. Not every hole is the same, so you actually have to be creative when you play golf here.