From the Midwest to the Northwest

Born and raised in Woodbury, Minnesota, Oien’s introduction to the profession came early. His uncle, a golf course superintendent, employed Oien and his siblings and cousins during their high school years. “I always loved working on the golf course,” he recalls. “I wasn’t a great student in high school, so the science side made me a little nervous. But I had people who pushed me.”
One of those people was Jeff Gasseling in Nebraska, who encouraged Oien to pursue turf management as a career. That push led him to formal education—and eventually to an internship in Florida at Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples.

It didn’t take long to realize that wasn’t the right fit. “This Midwest body is not made for Florida,” he jokes. After returning to Nebraska, an opportunity in the Pacific Northwest changed everything. Hired by Matt Schult at Seattle Golf Club, where “I learned the standard of private clubs and how to operate every piece of a machinery we use in golf operations." Oien spent over a year as an Assistant-in-Training at SGC before moving on to Overlake Golf & Country Club, where he worked under Cory Brown for five years. “That’s where I really learned how to grow grass and manage people,” he says. For the past four years, Oien has been at Sahalee Country Club and has become its Golf Course Superintendent, continuing to build both his career and reputation.

Leading at Sahalee

Oien describes Sahalee not just as a golf course, but as a distinct experience. “It’s tight, it’s narrow—the crack of the club sounds different here,” he explains. “It’s challenging in a lot of ways.”
Maintaining conditions at Sahalee comes with unique challenges, particularly the heavy tree cover and shade. “We’re still learning,” he says candidly. “We’re doing a lot of shade removal and improving drainage in areas that don’t see much sun. It’s tough—but we’re making progress.”

Despite those challenges, the results speak for themselves. The course continues to host premier events and remains a point of pride for its membership. “There’s a lot of history here, and the members really take pride in that,” Oien notes. “Events bring positive attention, and people rally around them.”

The Reward—and the Challenge

Ask Oien what he enjoys most about being a superintendent, and his answer isn’t about turf conditions or tournament preparation. “It’s seeing the crew take pride in their work,” he says. “I’m lucky to have a seasoned team that really cares.” That camaraderie—and the shared sense of accomplishment—stands out as the most rewarding part of the job. The biggest challenge?
“Work-life balance,” he says. “And honestly, you never really shut your brain off. You’re always thinking about the course—what’s next, what’s coming up.”

Life Off the Course

When he does step away, Oien’s focus is simple: family. He and his wife are raising two young boys, Parker (5) and Jordan (2), who keep him busy and entertained. “Parker’s obsessed with animals—we can talk about them for hours,” he says. “Jordan just follows whatever his big brother does.”

Sports are starting to enter the picture—basketball and baseball so far—with golf clubs not far behind. “They’re swinging at pine cones and rocks right now,” he laughs. “We’ll get a golf ball in front of them soon.” As for entertainment, don’t expect many movie recommendations.

“I’m watching a lot of Bluey right now,” he admits. Of course, catching Netflix’s Full Swing is also on his list, as Pat notes “they just dropped the fourth season.”

Midwest Roots Run Deep

Despite building his career in the Pacific Northwest, Oien remains loyal to his Minnesota roots—especially when it comes to sports. “I’m all Minnesota—Vikings, Timberwolves, Twins, Wild,” he says. That loyalty hasn’t always been easy, but it’s part of who he is. “I must admit, it was hard watching our former quarterback (Vikings castoff Sam Darnold) win the Super Bowl this past season.”

A Simple Philosophy

When asked about influences outside the industry, Oien doesn’t hesitate. “My dad,” he says. “He’s the most consistent person I know. You know what you’re getting from him every day.” It’s a quality Oien strives to emulate—both at work and at home. “Just being consistent in how you approach everything.” It’s a straightforward philosophy, but one that underpins his steady rise and leadership style. And if you ask him, he’ll probably downplay it all. “I feel like I’m kind of a boring dude,” he says. But spend a few minutes hearing his story, and it becomes clear: there’s nothing boring about building a career through hard work, humility, and a commitment to getting better every day. His fellow turf students from Nebraska’s Southeast Community College would be proud.

The WWGCSA/OGCSA Service Project has been going every Spring since 2019, interrupted only by the pandemic in 2021. The two associations gather every other year at the Veterans’ Course, and at the Children’s course in Gladstone, OR in the in-between years. A return to the Children’s course in 2027 is in the works.

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Held annually at Gamble Sands resort, the fourth edition is coming this March (Wednesday the 25th thru Friday the 27th). Intended as a professional networking and education event for Golf Course Assistant Superintendents who aspire to grow in the field, the event is sponsored by Toro, BASF, Simplot, Syngenta and Troon Golf LLC. Consisting of two nights and four hours of education, social events and a round of golf at Gamble’s original course, one of only three Washington courses ranked in America’s top 100 by Golf Digest. The event and meals are provided at no charge to Assistant Superintendents. Entry is limited to 32 Assistants. If you have any questions or simply want to apply, email Gamble’s Director of Agronomy, Josh Truan, at jtruan@gamblesands.com.

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Despite frozen conditions closing most area golf courses, superintendents and industry partners gathered last week at Seattle Golf Club for the annual Winter Chapter Meeting. The chilly weather outside contrasted with a warm atmosphere inside, as attendees connected with peers and heard from three outstanding speakers representing seed science, agronomy, and university research.

The program opened with Crystal Fricker, President of Pure Seed. Pure Seed is a wholesale supplier of warm- and cool-season turfgrass and forages developed by Pure-Seed Testing. The company was founded by Crystal’s parents, Betty and Bill Rose, and today remains proudly family owned and operated. Crystal now works alongside her brother and sister—and each of their spouses—they’re fond of saying that this arrangement helps ensure Pure Seed stays firmly rooted in family values.

Crystal recently received national recognition with the 2025 Fred V. Grau Turfgrass Science Award from the Crop Science Society of America, honoring individuals who have made significant contributions to turfgrass science. The award was presented by Dr. Cale Bigelow of Purdue University, who many members will remember as a WTLS speaker this past year. Crystal shared updates on ongoing seed development focused on improving turf durability while reducing required inputs—an important theme as superintendents continue balancing playability, sustainability, and budgets.

Next up was Ross Niewola, the USGA Green Section’s West Region Agronomist, a role he assumed in late 2024. Ross brings 15 years of golf course maintenance experience, having worked in Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, New Jersey, Washington, and both Northern and Southern California. His background spans warm- and cool-season grasses and public and private facilities, most recently serving as superintendent at Walla Walla Country Club. A Penn State graduate with a degree in turfgrass management, Ross emphasized that his primary mission is to support regional golf courses and crews by sharing best practices and keeping them informed on current trends in course management.

The final presentation came from Dr. Michael Neff, Professor of Crop Biotechnology in Washington State University’s Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and the Washington Turfgrass Seed Commission Endowed Professor. Dr. Neff reviewed the history and current state of turf management education at WSU while highlighting ongoing research in turfgrass management and breeding programs focused on seed production, resiliency, and climate adaptation in Washington State.

Dr. Neff also provided an update on existing endowments supporting the turf program and outlined opportunities for the golf industry to help strengthen and expand WSU’s curriculum so it can compete with peer institutions such as Oregon State University. He closed with a significant call to action: seeking industry support toward an $8 million endowment to ensure his position—and the momentum of the program—continues well beyond his retirement.

Next on the this year’s timeline is GCSAA’s Conference and Trade Show, happening this week in Orlando. March is busy with an Equipment Managers’ Meeting, a Chapter Meeting at Everett Golf & Country Club, and our annual service project returning to the American Lake Veterans Golf Course. Please refer to our Association’s calendar which is found on this page of our website.

Eight years ago, Trevor Kiunke saw a snapshot of his future.

As a high school sophomore, Kiunke participated in the school’s ag science program. The group took a field trip to Monarch Dunes Golf Course in Nipomo, Calif., where Kiunke quickly fixed his eyes on what was happening on the ground. The aerification of a practice green mesmerized him. 

“They’re pulling cores, filling holes with sand, preparing all of it so golfers can go play on it. Crazy. Cool,” Kiunke says.

Kiunke met Herminio Plata, a GCSAA Class A superintendent and 28-year association member, who was looking for people to work at the golf course. Not long afterward, Kiunke drove to Monarch Dunes to tell Plata he was seeking summer employment.

Well, Kiunke got the job—and his ambitious ways are still a work in progress.

Now an assistant superintendent at Inglewood Golf Club in Kenmore, Wash., Kiunke has done what he can to advance his career. Besides earning a degree in 2024 in turfgrass management from Washington State University (where he was guided by professor Michael Neff, who oversaw crop and soil sciences), Kiunke also completed two internships at Montreaux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev., for Doug Heinrichs, CGCS, a 38-year association member.

Fast forward to two years ago, when Kiunke was hired at Inglewood GC, where he works for 25-year GCSAA member Greg Matz. The golf course is where Kiunke wanted to be. 

“I didn’t want to work inside,” says Kiunke, a one-year association member. “I like what I do. I like the hours. I like working at a private club. The standards align with my values. I have high standards for myself and the product we put out for our golfers.”

Still, what he is trying to accomplish isn’t enough. Kiunke is participating in GCSAA’s Assistant Certificate Series. It’s geared to provide ways to stand out and achieve career milestones. The series is composed of: Principles of Golf Course Agronomy, Principles of Golf Course Environmental Stewardship, Principles of Golf Course Business and Principles of Golf Course Leadership and Communications.

In the meantime, he is compiling a full-course sprinkler audit for the Leadership part of the series. “I started on all this in May 2024, and my goal is to finish it by this March,” says Kiunke.

And that’s not all, folks. After completing the Assistant Certificate Series, Kiunke’s next target is GCSAA’s Excel Program. It offers leadership training for personal, career and stewardship for GCSAA Class C members.

“For me, I know how passionate I am and want to make a difference and move the ball forward in any aspect,” says Kiunke, “and just show people I know what I’m talking about.”

Kiunke hasn’t forgotten that visit eight years ago to Monarch Dunes. This past fall, he attended the Western Washington GCSA annual meeting. There, Karen Armstead received the Paul Backman Distinguished Service Award for her dedication to First Green, the GCSAA program that has roots in Washington. Seeing her being honored reminded Kiunke of a similar type of event for youths that he went to at Monarch Dunes, which created a career path for him.

He learned from it and has chosen to follow by example. In May, Kiunke will host a GCSAA First Green event. 

“A high school soil science class, Inglemoor High School, is coming to the club,” Kiunke says. “Maybe it will light a spark in someone who doesn’t know this is something they can do one day for work. And maybe I can do this for someone else like it was done for me.”

. . . as we get ready for a big rematch with the 49ers this weekend, let’s look back to Hawks game on December 28 in Charlotte, NC. Late in the game, CBS cameras caught the image of a fan, in a Seahawks jersey, sitting in the front row, who had an uncanny resemblance to Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. The Seattle Times followed up on the story and we found out that “Stan Darnold” was actually Ben Conklin. Ben is the son of our own Mike Conklin, the Superintendent at Everett Golf and Country Club. Here is the rest of the story as reported by the Times. Enjoy.