The Location | Detroit, Michigan. The North Course, Detroit Golf Club
The Dates | July 26-August 2, 2026
Now that I’m back home, I finally had the chance to sit down and watch the tournament highlights. Watching it after spending a week behind the scenes gave me a completely different appreciation for the game. I wasn’t just watching the golfers anymore, I was admiring the course. Congratulations to Michael Thorbjornsen on an incredible performance. It was a heck of a tournament! But if I’m being honest… the real stars were the turf. Man, those bunkers looked GOOD! And those perfectly repaired divots that Mr. Kirby worked so hard on? They looked absolutely phenomenal. It’s funny how a week in agronomy can completely change the way you watch golf.
Looking back, this trip taught me far more than I ever expected. I learned the importance of networking, always looking for opportunities instead of waiting for them, finding solutions to problems, and most importantly, being a sponge. Soak up every piece of knowledge you can, because one day that information may open a door you never saw coming. Every conversation, every task, and every early morning had a lesson hidden in it.
Mr. Kirby has been an outstanding mentor throughout this entire experience. From teaching me the ins and outs of agronomy, to sharing meals, to telling hilarious stories that made the long days even better, he always looked out for me. I’m incredibly grateful for his guidance, patience, and willingness to invest in my growth. A huge thank you to him for making this experience one I’ll never forget.
Finally, a sincere thank you to the Rocket Classic for welcoming us and giving us the opportunity to learn, grow, and explore the incredible world of agronomy. This experience has given me memories, friendships, lessons, and perspectives that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. It reminded me that success isn’t just about what you know, it’s about who you meet, how willing you are to learn, and what you choose to do with the knowledge you’ve gained.
Here’s to new opportunities, lifelong lessons, and hopefully seeing those beautiful bunkers again someday!
Every great shot starts from the ground up!
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Sitting at home in front of my television watching the Final Round of the final Rocket Classic PGA Tour Tournament memories of previous tournaments continue to come to mind. I fondly recall Nate Lashley winning the first tournament in 2019 and thinking how cool it was that a major PGA Tour Tournament was played completely inside the city limits of Detroit, my birthplace. I thought of the youth from the Detroit Housing Commission who also attended that inaugural tournament and the impact it made on them.
Midway through the tournament I thought of the more than 60 kids from Detroit proper who as part of Golf. My Future. My Game. and our collaborative partner, Matrix Human Services experienced watching a professional PGA Tour Tournament on site in their hometown.
This year, 2026, the tournament was even more special because I had the opportunity to work with the Detroit Golf Club’s Agronomy team. Golf Course Superintendents and Greenskeepers. I was excited because Kevin White, Jr joined me; like me last year at The Travelers Championship, he wrote a daily diary of his experience to share with our readers.
Finally I have to share the new and renewed friendships I made during this year’s tournament. I share this because this year’s tournament for me was all about Kevin White, Jr having the experience with the agronomy team and tournament that he has shared. For me it was about the leadership in the agronomy world seeing and meeting Kevin and being able to connect his face with the strong resume he has. For him, it was about meeting people and feeling comfortable and knowing that he too belonged on that course as it was prepared daily for play by the world’s best golfers.
I mention new friendships because every morning last week at 4:15 AM I was on the course raking Bunkers on the front 9 with my friend Joe Moore. Joe is in his fifth year as a greenskeeper at the Detroit Golf Club and every morning he would push me to do better and make those bunkers look spectacular. My other (renewed) friend was Lionell Green. Two years ago I was at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), waiting to board a flight en route to Detroit.
The flight was delayed and while waiting at the Gate I started talking with this man, Lionell Green, who had been trying to get home (Detroit) for about 7 hours. To say the least we had quite the animated conversation. Lionell was able to get on the flight I was not, but the funny thing was: as he was boarding the flight and I was making my way out of the airport I stopped looked at him and said, ‘Man, I really enjoyed our conversation and I look forward to the next time we see each other– we will see each other when we’re supposed to.’ Guess what? My time for seeing Lionell again was last week as he started work as a greenskeeper 4 months ago at the Detroit Golf Club. It was amazing when we realized that we had previously met. I tell you– if you can conceive it, then you can believe it and if you believe it, you can achieve it.
Kevin White, Jr you certainly conceived what it takes to be a Golf Course Superintendent. You achieved and gathered lots of knowledge last week; now it’s up to you to believe you can and will be a Superintendent or a part of the turfgrass world because I believe in YOU!!
Until next time, Craig Kirby signing off.
