Howie Tiger
On Feb. 1 Paul Johnson was presented with a pin by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) for his active membership for 50 consecutive years. This award was presented to Paul by the association’s president, Kevin Breen, during their national Conference & Trade Show held here in Phoenix. Paul’s son, Michael, along with 8,000 members were in attendance for this distinguished presentation.
Growing up in Massachusetts, Paul started to learn his trade as a young teenager when his stepfather leased the Whaling City Country Club. He worked every aspect of golf course maintenance/operations including cutting greens/fairways, trimming bushes/trees, changing golf holes, and even caddied and ran the pro shop. He did this all through high school and decided that’s what he wanted to do for his career. So he attended the University of Massachusetts and graduated with a degree in Agronomy and Golf Course Management.
Just out of college, but based on his degree and his several years of hands-on experience, he secured the Superintendent’s position at a 9-hole course called the White Cliffs of Plymouth. The property, as the name depicts, was located near a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The grounds included not only the course but 18 cottages, four motels, and a restaurant. Quite a responsibility for his first professional job! He supervised a staff of eight and held this position for four years.
Then came an opportunity of a lifetime. He was offered the Superintendent’s position of a brand new golf course designed by world renowned architect Robert Trent Jones (RTJ). It was called Ferncroft Country Club and located at the cross-section of three Massachusetts towns. In fact, the 3rd hole had a unique feature where the tee was in Topsfield, the fairway was in Middleton and the green was in Danvers. It was also in this time period (1973) that Paul first joined the GCSAA.
In the first few years at Ferncroft, Paul worked with RTJ’s son, Rees Jones, on any architectural issues. He managed a staff of 18 to address all of the golf course and landscaping needs of the property. The terrific course design and conditions made Ferncroft an attractive property to host a professional golf competition. So, starting in 1980 and continuing for 11 straight years, Ferncroft hosted the Boston Five Classic, an LPGA tournament. Winners included Donna Caponi, Amy Alcott, and Sandra Palmer. Well known competitors included Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Joanne Carner, Jan Stephenson, and Pat Bradley. The tourney was nationally televised on ESPN.
Paul held the Superintendent position for 22 years. Then his responsibilities expanded as Director of Golf Operations to include Ferncroft plus two other golf properties. Ferncroft expanded to include a Sheraton Hotel.
Paul retired after serving 30 years at Ferncroft. He and his wife, Judy, have been PebbleCreek residents for 24 years. His sons, Michael and Darren, followed in his footsteps and also became Golf Course Superintendents.
Congrats to Paul on a great accomplishment!