19th Hole: Matt DiMase
Photo: Matt DiMase
Matt DiMase
Director of Agronomy and Landscape // Abaco Sporting Club, Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas
David, what are you having? A Juan Daly, not John. Refreshing … with a good tequila.
Tell me about the club. We are a private club. We are called a sporting club because we have more than golf. We have three different types of boats. We offer kite-surfing and electronic surfboard lessons. We’ve got one of the prettiest beaches you’ve ever seen. And the golf course is 18 holes of championship links-style golf that’s a Tom Mackenzie and Donald Steel design. It’s one of the hardest golf courses you’ll ever play. There’s a reason why PGA Tour players are members here.
How did you get into the business? Originally, I wanted to be a cop. I was going to school for criminal justice, but the only two jobs on my resumé were maintaining baseball fields and golf courses. When I interviewed after taking the NYPD test, the lieutenant said to me, ‘you know I’ve never heard of a superintendent being shot at. Have you ever thought about that for a career?’ On the plane ride home, I bought a golf magazine and that’s how I found the Mundus Institute / San Diego Golf Academy.
Have you seen Top Gun: Maverick yet? I loved it, how could you not? Tom Cruise did everything right with that movie. I can’t remember the last time I went to the movies. I bought four tickets; my wife said you’re crazy, it’s just the two of us! I splurged because I didn’t want anybody sitting on either side of us. I wanted to be able to enjoy that movie.
You mentioned Darren Clark. Is he a member there? Yes, he’s been here since day one. I met him on my first day on the job. Darren Clark, Lee Westwood, Charl Schwartzel and Danny Willett are on No. 1 tee. I have my suitcase in my golf cart. The golf course was not in very good shape. I introduce myself and Darren says, ‘I have an event here in two weeks. What can you do to make the course more presentable?’ I said give me 10 days. He left and came back for his event and told me, ‘I don’t know what you did, but you obviously know what you’re doing.’ Our relationship blossomed from there. We play quite a bit of golf after 3:30. I can’t say enough good things about the guy — he gets it. He’s a guy’s guy.
If I’m ever there, what’s one thing I have to do beyond seeing the course? You’ve got to get a boat for a day. There’s so much to see and do. There are so many outer keys with great local bars. Rum punches anywhere, and you stick to the rum punch because every place makes it just a little bit different. And you don’t want to go from a rum punch to a tequila … I learned that lesson.
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