Willow Creek golf director replaced

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Jim Kirwan has been replaced as head general manager and director of golf at Willow Creek Golf Course as of March 6, John Ott, president of Traditional Golf Management confirmed Tuesday.

Kirwan had been golf pro at Willow Creek Golf Course and the Lake View Executive Golf Course for four and a half years. Ott said Traditional Golf Management employee Matt Call will be interim manager. Traditional Golf Management, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., was hired under a management contract by PGC Land Co., the company that bought the two Calvada golf courses in 1990.

Ott said Call is an accomplished golfer himself, a former member of the University of Colorado golf team who had played in the U.S. Open and U.S. amateur tournaments. Call was formerly an assistant golf coach at the University of Denver, worked at the Coal Creek golf course and the prestigious Interlachen golf course. Ott said he has a lot of experience working as an assistant golf pro, assistant manager and other duties.

"He's going to be filling in for a couple months while we find a replacement for Jim. Our goal is to focus on customer service and management skills so we can continue with this facility with all the improvements we made and get the golf course in good shape so it's a great asset to the community," Ott said Tuesday.

"I can honestly say that I enjoyed working with Jim, we obviously wish him the best of luck. It was time for us to make a change. I think Jim is going to pursue playing golf full time now and we wish him the best with that," Ott said.

Besides managing the Willow Creek and Lake View golf courses, Ott said Traditional Golf Management has contracts to manage golf courses in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the Denver Airport, Granby, Colo., a course in Colorado Springs and it's about to sign a management contract at a golf course in Southern California.

"Matt has been well received by the customers and the members out there. We're real excited to see Matt out there," Ott said in a telephone interview.

Kirwan didn't want to comment much on the decision. Kirwan, who previously said he didn't have time to compete in a lot of tournaments, said he'll do just that now.

"I'm going to try to play in some senior tournament events and see what happens," Kirwan said.

Ironically, Kirwan, 56, was just named Senior Player of the Year by the Southwest Section Las Vegas chapter of the Professional Golf Association. It was the second time in four years Kirwan garnered senior player of the year awards from the organization.


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