BY KIM PAYNE, PHOTO BY ALAN WYCHECK
When Mark Malasavage was 15 years old, his mom dropped him off at the Hershey Country Club early one summer morning to try his hand at caddying. He waited most of the day but never got a golf bag to loop. He never went back. It was 1972 and he enjoyed going to the swimming pool and playing baseball with his friends.
Nearly 40 years later, in an ironic twist of fate, Malasavage now oversees the course maintenance for the Hershey Golf Collection, which consists of four local golf courses – Hershey Country Club East and West, Spring Creek (nine holes) and Hershey Links (formerly Wren Dale) in South Hanover Township.
Managing a $2.5 million annual operating budget for staff, chemicals, fertilizer and supplies combined with another $2 million in equipment, his peak season runs from May to September. His work day starts at 5:30 a.m. and typically ends at 5:30 p.m. A 70-hour work week is the norm. In the winter, he gets to sleep in, reports at 7 a.m. and leaves around 3:30 p.m. He has worked for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company for 27 years, serving in various “greens keeping” capacities since 1983.
He has a full-time staff of 25 employees with a superintendent and assistant superintendent at each course. In the spring and summer, he flexes up with about 30 seasonal staff to keep the courses manicured and in pristine condition. His golf course maintenance crew includes spray techs, mechanics and leadsmen. He coordinates short-term projects, next day schedules and long-range planning. Many of his employees’ fathers were high school classmates or their dads worked with him on the golf course. As Malasavage admits, “We’re not growing older, we’re just getting more experienced.”
The elements, especially rain and snow, are not his friend, and flexibility and adaptability are critical. This past year’s heavy snows and winds wreaked havoc with the courses, and his crew went to work in earnest on March 1st to whip the courses back into tip-top shape. Fortunately, with the ability to share labor and machinery, what would have been an overwhelming task becomes much more manageable.
Originally enrolled at Penn State University in Engineering, Malasavage changed to Business. But he soon discovered, after a couple of summers spent grooming the course, that tees and greens (and the fairways in between) were his true passion. This was before the days when a Turf Science degree was a requirement for being hired in golf course management. He worked his way up the links ladder and returned to college at Rutgers in 1995, and received his Turf Grass Management degree the following year.
When Hershey Entertainment & Resorts repurchased the courses from American Golf in 2002, he said it was one of the best days of his life. He knew that the Hershey Golf Collection, which was steeped in rich history, was restored and he’s glad they’re back as part of the HE&R family.
Championship golf has been a big part of that tradition ever since the Hershey Country Club opened in 1930. Hershey hosted the 1940 PGA Championship won by Byron Nelson. Milton Hershey, who wasn’t a particularly good golfer, presented him with the winner’s trophy. Over the years, the Hershey courses, which at one time also included Parkview Golf Course and a nine-hole executive course at The Hotel Hershey, have been the venue for the State Publinx Amateur Championship (Parkview), the Lady Keystone Open (HCC West), a favorite LPGA tour stop (1978-1994) and, more recently, The Reese’s Cup Classic (HCC East), part of the Nationwide Tour for rising PGA pros (1997-2004).
Besides Nelson, many of the game’s top players have graced Hershey’s fairways, including golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead, as well as former club professionals and World Golf Hall of Fame members Ben Hogan and Henry Picard.
Malasavage is excited knowing that the golf tradition will continue in Hershey when the East Course hosts the NCAA Division III college finals in May. In June 2011, the PGA of America Club professionals will contest their annual championship at Hershey Country Club’s East and West courses. While it means more work for his staff, he enjoys the challenge and would love to see the PGA or LPGA return one day to Chocolatetown.
One of Mark’s fondest golf memories was talking with former PGA great and TV golf analyst Ken Venturi over dinner while attending a conference in Atlanta. He was impressed by Venturi’s genuineness. “He was a super nice guy,” says Mark. His favorite contemporary pro golfer is Lancaster native Jim Furyk. In recent years, Hershey has been a regular stopover for Jim Furyk the Monday after the U.S. Open, where he’s hosted a clinic for junior golfers. “Jim’s really great with the kids,” adds Mark.
The Hershey Golf Collection is committed to “going green” – literally. They’ve applied for certification from The National Audubon Society for creating wildlife habitat areas around their existing layouts and controlling chemicals, among other stringent criteria. An intensive two-year process, they are nearing completion and he’s confident Hershey will receive the prestigious designation.
His golf maintenance staff also works with local schools as part of a community outreach program. Students from Derry Township, Palmyra School District and the Milton School regularly visit the courses to get a behind-the-scenes look at his operation. “We are committed to continuing this worthwhile educational program,” he says.
Speaking of learning, Malasavage’s son, Adam, will major in Turf Science at Penn State this fall. Mark couldn’t be more proud that his son is following in his spike steps. Mark’s been married for 20 years to his very supportive wife, Carol.
Now if he could just get a chance to carry a bag as a caddy, he’ll have come full circle. HBG
