New faces on course
- Updated: March 20, 2021
Loucks joins Cider Ridge as superintendent, Patterson joins ACC as assistant pro
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
One familiar name and one new one are the newest listings on scorecards of county golf courses this week as the facilities race to fill their staffs before the start of the new season.
Dee Loucks is returning to the county golf scene as the new greens superintendent at Cider Ridge Golf Club, as new course manager Cory Etter completes his round of major hires for the Oxford facility.
Meanwhile, Patrick Patterson is the new assistant pro at Anniston Country Club, joining GM/pro Steven Driggers’ staff with an eye towards instruction and enhacing junior golf.
Local golfers will remember Loucks as the superintendent at Cane Creek Golf Course. He left there to help build and develop a golf course in south Louisiana and then was superintendent at a 36-hole facility in El Paso. He returned to Calhoun County for private business and at one time was in line to be Cider Ridge’s superintendent. He is currently a field manager for Turfmasters Lawn Care.
The Michigan State grad’s experience with both bentgrass and TifEagle Bermuda will be important to Cider Ridge going forward. The course’s greens currently are bent, but the plan is to change to TifEagle within the new management group’s first year.
“We interviewed several candidates and the biggest thing for me was it had to be somebody who had that experience,” Etter said. “Because of the quality we’re going to make sure that golf course is and maintain it, it had to be somebody with that knowledge. He knows that.”
Loucks joins director of golf Jammie Lett and pro Chris Burley on the upper levels of the Cider Ridge management team. They all will be on board when Etter takes control of the course officially April 1.
Patterson comes to ACC from Birmingham, where he’s worked at Highland Park, Heatherwood Hills and Alpine Bay.
In 2018 he created his own instruction business – Patterson Golf Performance – with numerous player development programs designed for golfers of all skill levels. Many of his students – juniors and professionals alike – have enjoyed great success. Since 2016, eight of his juniors have gone on to play college golf.
“Patrick’s passion to excel as a teacher drives his desire to continue learning from and working with the best instructors,” Driggers said.
Patterson has shadowed lessons with several of the country’s top teachers and he has earned certification with the Titleist Performance Institute, Swing Catalyst, V1 Golf and Eyeline Golf.
Understandably, one of the first things that caught his eye during his tour of the facilities was the the club’s teaching house at the driving range, which would make a perfect venue for his state-of-the-art teaching tech.
“I’m definitely excited to be back in a country club, private setting, where I can engage with the members,” Patterson said. “I’ve always found a lot of success with teaching when I’m working at a country club. I like the country club atmosphere.”
COUNTY TWO-MAN: With 38 teams currently in the field, entries are still being accepted for next weekend’s Calhoun County Team Championship at Silver Lakes. The first day’s format is a two-man scramble, with a two-man scamble played on Championship Sunday. Entry fee is $125 per player. Reach out to Silver Lakes (256-892-3268) for tournament and electronic registration details.
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