Lakewood resident Marc Kouzmanoff's idea of a perfect start to the day is getting up around 4:30 in the morning and mowing the lawn.
It just so happens the lawn he's mowing is Lakewood's Homestead Golf Course.
"At 5:30, I get out on the course in my mower, and you have this amazing view of the sunrise," he explained. "Homestead has some of the best views of any golf course in the area."
Kouzmanoff, 64, is one of the course's 21 seasonal employees who help Homestead maintain its award-winning links. The bulk of these seasonal employees are retirees like Kouzmanoff, who love golf and are looking for something to do.
"Our youngest seasonal employee is 16, and our oldest is 81," said Kevin Sjursen, assistant golf course superintendent at Homestead. "The bulk of our employees are retired, and I can't say enough about these guys --; they're dedicated, enthusiastic and take care of all the equipment."
The course was built and opened in 2000 to 2001, and is a short championship course that measures more than 5,000 yards. The par-65 course features a range of natural features like native plants, water features and wildlife --; all of which require extreme attention to detail and care.
"Homestead is an Audubon Certified Sanctuary Site, so myself and another seasonal employee, Mike Ramee, do bird-count surveys as we're out there," Kouzmanoff said. "I studied wildlife biology in college, and I finally get to use it here."
Kouzmanoff spent 30 years as a tax and account representative at Thomson Reuters, and while he still does some work there, he was looking for another way to spend his time.
"I'm a member of the men's club here, and Kevin sent out an email saying they were looking for new hires," Kouzmanoff said. "I've always thought this was the best-maintained course, and thought it would be a good thing to try."
The seasonal hires work two days a week, most for about two to four hours in the morning. Employees are given their assignments at a morning meeting, then saddle up on one of the course's mowers, tractors and other machines and head out to cut grass, rake sand traps and help with large projects like erosion prevention and grass aeration.
The key to Homestead's reputation is attention to detail, Sjursen said, and that includes everything from using the most environmentally friendly practices to using scissors to cut the grass around sprinkler heads and yardage signs.
"It's a big job, and we always want to minimize play interruption," Sjursen said. "We're very fortunate that we're owned by the City of Lakewood, because it provides a lot of resources most courses normally wouldn't have access to."
After so many years in the corporate world, Kouzmanoff said he's finally found a job where everyone is happy to be there.
"I love that I'm able to ride out on my mower, not talk to anyone and just enjoy what's around me," he said. "This is the only place I've worked where everyone says they love their job."
from Lakewood Sentinel - Latest Stories http://lakewoodsentinel.comhttp://lakewoodsentinel.com/stories/Lakewood-golf-course-enjoys-some-dedicated-caretakers,233344?branding=15
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