19th Hole: Erin Stevens
Erin Stevens, CGCS, MG (Photo: Golfdom staff)
Erin Stevens
CGCS, MG, Director of Agronomy // Coral Creek Club, Placida, Fla.
Erin, drinks are on me… what are you having? I’ll have a cold Miller Lite.
It was great seeing you at Augusta National. How was your Masters experience? The last time I visited Augusta was in the late ’90s or early 2000s … this was my first time seeing the tournament. I enjoyed it. The elevation changes there just blew me away. You see it on TV, but you don’t realize it until you’re walking the property, and God knows, I spent three days walking the property and felt it.
Tell me about Coral Creek Club. We’re a very private, exclusive membership here in Placida, Fla. I would consider us one of the premier clubs in our area. We’re a Tom Fazio-designed course, and we just did a redesign with Tom Fazio in 2020, too. It’s very reminiscent of old South Florida. We don’t really have any homes around us. We have a private airport next to us, then we’re all surrounded by preserves and creeks.
Tell me about your family. What do you like to do for fun? I’ve got my daughter, Juliana, she’s graduating high school in a couple of weeks. She’s going to go to the United Kingdom for a month, then we’re getting her into college. She doesn’t know what she wants to do yet, which I think is a smart move. My wife, Kristin and I just got married last June. We like to get on the boat and go fishing or traveling over the weekend.
What is your favorite car you’ve ever owned? Probably my first car: a 1976 Camaro. It had a 350 4-bolt main in it. I had it all restored, with an aftermarket paint job: charcoal gray with a pearl blue clear coat. It was nice. I sold it when I went into the Navy.
What years were you in the Navy? What did you learn in the Navy that you’ve applied to being a superintendent? 1990 to 1995. I think it was the discipline and the focus. Another big thing is a sense of urgency. When you know stuff needs to get done, it’s about having a sense of urgency — in a good way — because you get all your ducks in a row. You’re very organized and you shift your speed to a sense of urgency speed. It just comes naturally.
Do you have a favorite golf memory? My father really instilled golf into me and my brothers. He’s passed away, but I remember sitting in the clubhouse with him … we were at Montgomery CC in Maryland … and watching when Jack (Nicklaus) won his final green jacket in 1986. That was a pretty memorable moment with my father.
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