PRESS RELEASE
For additional information: John E. Porter Benbow Historic Inn Tel: 707 223-3150 E-mail: jporter@benbowinn.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Benbow Golf Course announces the hiring of Steve Mantor as Golf Course Superintendent and Director of Landscaping Benbow, CA, May 5, 2019-
Benbow Golf Course, the premier golf course in Southern Humboldt County announces the hiring of Steve Mantor as its Golf Course Superintendent. Mantor most recently was Director of Landscaping at University of San Francisco where he oversaw the 55-acre campus located between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. The main campus is nicknamed “The Hilltop” one of San Francisco’s major geographical features. During his six-year tenure at USF Steve was able to develop and design award winning landscaping working very closely with construction, athletic and other departments. Not only did he have responsibility of general landscaping but also all athletic fields of play. Prior to joining the USF team, he was Owner/Operator of Shamrock Landscaping providing maintenance and enhancement projects to a number of commercial properties, such as apartment complexes, office buildings and shopping centers.
“We are very fortunate to have Steve join our team especially after we lost our golfing season in 2018 due to mechanical problems with our irrigation system”, stated John E. Porter, Managing Partner. That irrigation system issue has been addressed and the golf course took advantage of losing the course in 2018 to rehabilitate all the greens. “Blaine Asbury our Greenskeeper and staff member for the past two years pretty much single handedly tore out the old greens and built back the new”, commented Mantor. Prior to hiring Mantor the Benbow Golf Course contracted with Rick Hansen, retired superintendent from Windsor Golf Course.
“Rick, Steve & Blaine are now working as a team and it is our plans to make the Benbow Golf Course the best 9-hole PGA rated course in Northern California”, Porter commented. Steve worked for both the Cities of Livermore (Las Positas Golf Course) and Sunnyvale (Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course) as Director of Greens earlier in his career. “I am looking forward to purchasing a home in Benbow with my wife, Mary. When I first came into the Valley, I knew I belonged here and there was a calling for me”, mentioned Mantor. Steve was commuting from Tracy, CA to downtown San Francisco during his tenure at USF and he is looking forward to walking out of his front yard onto the golf course a much shorter commute than the 126-mile round trip commute he is leaving behind.
“Both Steve and Rick feel we can open the golf course for the Memorial Day Weekend time period. We feel as a company that we have the most talented personnel now overseeing the Benbow Golf Course than the course has seen in decades”, mentioned Porter. Benbow Golf Course was established in 1927 and was originally designed by famed British golf architect Alistair MacKenzie (Cypress Point at Pebble Beach; Augusta National with Bobby Jones.)
Its first Golf Professional was H. Budd Clarke who was amateur champion in 1927.