Turf

SUper spotlight By Allen Thayer Patience, Humility and Resolve Wyoming's Whalen leans on those traits Matt Whalen knows every nook and cranny of the Cheyenne Country Club Golf Course in Wyoming. And it's more than him being the course superintendent there since Nov. 15, 2007. "It's my home course," said Whalen, who was born and raised in the capital city of the Cowboy State. "It's the Superintendent Matt Whalen oversees the Cheyenne (Wyo.) Country course I grew up on, and Club Golf Course. the golf pro that's here was my second teaching pro as a junior golfer." That would be Ken Krieger, the head golf professional at the club. "I've known Kenny since I was about 6 years old," Whalen said. "I was 30 years old when I got my dream job. It was like coming home. My mom, Katie Long, is still a member. My uncle, Jerry Long, is a member." Returning Home The now 36-year-old superintendent explains the circuitous route that led him from Cheyenne and back again. "I needed a summer job when I turned 15," Whalen said. "My stepdad, Ron Long, was instrumental in getting the 18  www.westernturfmag.com Cheyenne Airport Golf Club superintendent's position filled by one of my sister's friends." John Roth, now owner/superintendent of Paradise Valley Country Club in Casper, Wyo., proved to be a key figure in Whalen's life. "He hired me," Whalen said. "I fell in love with being outside. "The first year it stunk," he said. "All he would let me do is clean bathrooms and weed eat. Then it grew from there—being able to get off at 2 in the afternoon and go play golf or just go home to relax. "When I turned 19, I followed John out to Maryland with Landscapes Unlimited out of Lincoln, Neb.," Whalen said. "I started my career. As much as he hates to hear me say it, he's my mentor. He is a family friend and took me under his wing and showed me the ropes." Roth showed him the right way to work in the golf industry. "In our industry, there are no shortcuts," Whalen said. "There is no easy way. Work through the problem and try to find the best solution is the best thing that John taught me. Have patience with what's going on around you. He instilled in me a hard work ethic and to be aware of what's going around you and be a good person in general. "I was 19 and my parents put me on a plane, and I flew out to Maryland," Whalen said. "I lived with John for about a year in a one-bedroom apartment and slept on an air mattress." They were helping to install an irrigation system for a golf club there. "He had me in the ditches from day one," Whalen said. "He

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