RECEIPIENT OF THE 2010 BOB TREVIS AWARD THE CLAUDE LANDRY EFFECT AT CLUB MÉTABÉROUTIN

Transcription

1 RECEIPIENT OF THE 2010 BOB TREVIS AWARD THE CLAUDE LANDRY EFFECT AT CLUB MÉTABÉROUTIN By Claude Loranger An insider s look at the career path of Claude Landry, who received the 2010 Bob Trevis Award at the Quebec Golf Superintendents Association s annual gala and whose reputation is well established in the Mauricie region and across the province. The little guy from Berthier First off, Claude Landry was introduced to the game of golf at the age of 4 by his mother and father, Claudette Deschamps and Réal Landry, at Club de golf de Berthier, just a stone s throw from the family home. At the tender age of 12, he was already playing the par-72 course with his father (the head pro) on Berthierville s fairways. At the time, young Claude was proud to sport the Lanaudière region bib for two seasons at the Quebec Games. Over the years, he ruled the roost at club tournaments. Today, he s keeping up the same pace with a 5-stroke margin of error and still has the same swing as his father Réal. No doubt about it, golf flows in his veins! A jack of all trades Claude gained a wealth of experience at Berthier, climbing the golf club ladder rung by rung. After starting out as a back store sales clerk ( ), he went on to work as an assistant pro ( ), a waiter and bartender (1977), a course maintenance worker (1980 and ) and an assistant superintendent ( ) before finally being named superintendent ( ). He then held the position of superintendent at Club de golf Godefroy from 2004 to 2008 before moving again in 2009 to Club de golf Métabéroutin, located on Saint-Christophe Island near the mouth of the Saint-Maurice River, right in the centre of Trois-Rivières. There, he gave the course a complete facelift.

2 Métabéroutin, from A to Z The Club offered Claude an opportunity to develop his teamwork skills and oversee crew operations ranging from aeration, seeding, watering and root development to mowing, maintaining bunkers and building new teeing grounds for holes 3 and 11. The common consensus is that he deserves 10 out of 10 for his improvements to the greens. Under his care, roughly 75 trees were cut down around greens 8, 17 and 18 in 2009 to maximize sunlight and improve air circulation. The result of all this hard work? In just two years, with the backing of owner Clément Ladouceur, he succeeded in restoring professional playing conditions to the good old Trois-Rivière course. It was Clément who gave Claude the green light to purchase the superior maintenance equipment he needed to improve course conditions. Today, the club s owner is delighted with the results. Future challenges lying ahead for Claude and his natural leadership skills consist of draining a number of fairways and making improvements to the no. 1, 9 and 17 tees. A little background Claude Landry is a graduate of Institut de technologie agroalimentaire in Saint-Hyacinthe, with a diploma in golf course management. He also has a certificate in pesticide application. For Claude, the winter season is no reason to slow down! Instead, he puts on his boots and works as an ice technician at the Trois-Rivières curling club, where he is also recognized as a master senior curler. Claude Landry was born on February 13, 1958 and has always been inspired by his father Réal Landry, his idol and model. What they said Clément Ladouceur, Claude s boss and owner of Club de golf Métabéroutin: Hiring Claude Landry was my best move in the last few years. With the help of his crew, he has made constant improvements to the course. The

3 fairways are more clearly defined, and the greens are impeccable. Our members are delighted with his work. I also greatly appreciate his participation in club activities. I m really proud of having taken him on. Says Normand Simard, a companion-at-arms from way back: Claude is very passionate about what he does. He s a real workhorse who runs on adrenaline. In the winter, at the curling rink, he cuts the ice under our feet; in the summertime, it s the grass at the golf course! In the words of Abdo Badra, an agricultural consultant who nominated Claude Landry for the QGSA award, Claude has made a remarkable improvement to Métabéroutin s greens while using a strict minimum of pesticides, which is great for the environment. On October 21, 2010, on my fifth visit to the course as a professional, I had a long conversation with the club s owner, Clément Ladouceur. He told me that he was very pleased with Claude s skills and that Claude has had good results with his team. Claude Landry, Métabéroutin Golf Club Superintendant

4 Métabéroutin Golf Club. Réal Landry, a proud father that had à 25 years career as a professional golfer and a 26 years career as a Superintendant. Where do you think Claude spent his youth?

5 Jacques Lessard QGSA president, Normand Simard from Métabéroutin Golf Club, Claude Landry Superintendant, Clément Métabéroutin s owner and Abdo Badra from Technique Gazon Inc. Métabéroutin Golf Club