On April 4, Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS, MG, was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame during an event at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort near Iowa City. It was an honor to attend the event, where Tegtmeier was recognized for his long and productive career in golf course maintenance and management (he was named the superintendent at Rockford Country Club in Iowa when he was just 17!).
Right: Rick Tegtmeier (on the left) with fellow Iowa Golf Hall of Fame inductee Sean McCarty April 4 at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.
Tegtmeier is currently the director of grounds at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, which hosted the 2017 Solheim Cup. Preparations for that event began years in advance, with Tegtmeier leading a sweeping renovation.
“It really showcased the Iowa golf course superintendent, and I think that was the greatest takeaway for me,” Tegtmeier said of hosting the Solheim Cup.
Watch Tegtmeier’s address at the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
A 37-year GCSAA member, Tegtmeier is one of only 74 people in the world who currently hold the Master Greenkeeper designation from the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, a status he earned in 2015. Tegtmeier has also been active off the golf course, serving on eight GCSAA committees and as past president of the Iowa GCSA.
All of Tegtmeier’s success and hard work has been a labor of love, and his efforts have not gone unnoticed. Huge congratulations, Rick!
Steve Randall is GCSAA’s director of chapter outreach.