By ALLEN LAMAN
alaman@dcherald.com

Schuetter

JASPER — Twenty-five years into a career that has tasked Eric Schuetter with helping groom Buffalo Trace Golf Course’s nearly 6,000 yards of greens and fairways, the Jasper man will soon swing into a new role.

Schuetter, 43, will take over as the course’s superintendent — and fill the shoes of Philip Volz, his longtime boss and mentor who has held the title for nearly four decades — on Monday.

“I pretty much learned everything that I know from him,” Scheutter, who is currently the course’s assistant superintendent, said of Volz. “He’s been a very good teacher to me. And more than just a coworker, he’s always been a friend. So, hopefully we can continue to do what he’s built here, and continue to keep the course in great shape.”

Scheutter began working part time at Ruxer Golf Course when he was a teenager. Though he lacked golfing experience — he didn't play his first game of golf until after he was hired on at Buffalo Trace — he enjoyed the job, and as he was debating whether to go to college, the assistant position opened and he hopped on it.

Dealing with the weather and maneuvering around the golfers who visit the course can be challenging. Still, he finds fulfillment in the job and the rewarding feeling that comes with being on the maintenance team.

“I like being outdoors,” Schuetter said of why he’s enjoyed working at the course. “You get up in the morning, and it’s always something different.”

Mowing greens, repairing equipment, fixing irrigation water lines and just tidying up the course are all important parts of the maintenance crew’s work. The main thing Schuetter sees changing with his new title is that he’ll now be responsible for decision-making and creating the team’s plan.

Schuetter doesn’t want to jump in and take on too much at once, but he does have plans for the future. Under his watch, tree clearing on the course’s back nine will continue, in addition to other site work.

Reliable and community-minded, Schuetter is the head coach of the Jasper Middle School wrestling team. He is also a father of two — Samantha, 20; and Ashton, 16.

“I do care about Jasper,” Schuetter said. “One of the things I always tell my wrestling kids before we get off the bus: We don’t just represent Jasper Middle School. We represent Jasper. So, I do care about the community.”

This pride translates to his work at Buffalo Trace.

“As far as the course itself and everything else, I don’t anticipate any trouble stepping into it,” Schuetter said of his new position. “But just changing my role from always asking Phil what needs to be done, to making [those] calls, that’s the thing that’s going to really change.”