It would be an understatement, if not an injustice, to label David Frew simply as a golf course equipment manager. In fact, Frew has so many responsibilities, if the TurfNet Golden Wrench was still awarded to golf course technicians, Frew not only would be a sure bet to win it, he also might never have to relinquish the honor.
Frew is in charge of maintaining hundreds of pieces of equipment that Tennessee McBroom, director of agronomy at the Montecito Club, and his team use to oversee the course in Santa Barbara, California, and five other properties in the area.
The rest of that portfolio includes Sandpiper Golf Club and the grounds at San Ysidro Ranch resort, Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara and the home of billionaire Ty Warner.
The owner of Ty Inc., Warner is the mastermind of the Beanie Babies craze and owner of all of the above properties that McBroom and Frew are charged with maintaining.
"(Frew) is remarkable," said McBroom. "He can fabricate anything. He thinks ahead and has a great inventory program.
"He checks all the boxes."
While the inventory of machines under Frew's charge includes many traditional pieces of equipment for managing fine-cut turf like mowers, blowers, sprayers, seeders and aerifiers, it also comprises many unique implements not typically found on a golf course, or in few other places, for that matter.
That list includes electric motor boats used by members at Montecito, a bowling alley, equipment for tennis courts, as well as Tuk Tuk carts and a 1952 circa pizza wagon that are used to cater food and beverages for member events and parties.
"They all require specialty parts to keep running. It can be a unique challenge, but it's fun," McBroom said.
"Mr. Warner is not from the golf industry. Everything he does is unique and special, and that makes working for him a lot of fun."
Frew is a perfect fit for the golf business. He came to Montecito (et al) after years of owning his own mobile fabricating business.
"I put an ad out, and he was tired of not getting paid," McBroom said. "I found a good guy.
"He's up at 3 in the morning, and works out. He comes into work bright-eyed, and I'm still slurping coffee."
When the size of McBroom's staff and the amount of equipment used to maintain all of Warner's properties outgrew the square footage of the the maintenance facility at Montecito, Frew built overhangs to help keep machinery out of the elements.
McBroom, who himself prepped under the late Bob Zoller at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, spoke recently at a conference addressing leadership challenges in the golf industry. A topic for discussion was a shortage of qualified future leaders in the face of shrinking college turfgrass programs around the country. That shortage extends into the shop, as well, he says.
"It's not just superintendents and assistants, but includes equipment managers, too. And we have millions of dollars of equipment to maintain," McBroom said. "It used to be you recruited the skill set first and the person second. Now, you have to find the right person first and the skill set second. We struck gold with David."
With so many properties spread across the Santa Barbara area, not all equipment is kept on site at one golf course or the other. The amount of turf maintained at the casino, for example, is so small that McBroom keeps an electric mower on site — stored in a closet.
That diverse collection of far flung properties also means Frew's daily duties often consist of more than repairing engines and grinding reels. It can, and often does, include hopping from one property to another for clubhouse projects or searching for unique, hard-to-find items like Moroccan tile.
"There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of one-offs, a lot of unique projects working for Mr. Warner," McBroom said.
"David has all systems in place to stay ahead of the job, not to mention all the obstacles."