Superintendent Mike McBride Joins Nicklaus Design

Muirfield welcomes Paul Latshaw Jr. to oversee club, tournament needs

Muirfield Village Golf Club, one of the world's most-respected courses and a favorite stop among the players on the PGA Tour, announced today that long-time superintendent Mike McBride has accepted a position with Nicklaus Design, the golf course design firm led by golf legend Jack Nicklaus. Taking over McBride's post will be Paul B. Latshaw, who spent the last four years at famed Oak Hill Country Club, the Rochester, N.Y.-based club that recently hosted the PGA Championship.

McBride has been involved at Muirfield Village since it opened in 1974, including the last 18 years as head superintendent. His work to annually prepare the Muirfield Village layout for the Memorial Tournament has received rave reviews from everyone from the PGA Tour to club and tournament founder Jack Nicklaus. McBride's experience will now benefit past and future Nicklaus courses, as he will oversee renovation services for Nicklaus Design and provide agronomic consulting.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Mike," Jack Nicklaus said. "He has been a valuable contributor in what we have accomplished at Muirfield Village from both a club and tournament perspective, but this is a chance for Mike to expand his resume and grow as a person.

"Mike is one of the most respected superintendents in our industry, and we are fortunate that Nicklaus Design and its clients will be able to benefit from his experience and talent. The design of a golf course and its agronomic demands go hand-in-hand. At the same time, a significant number of our older projects are exploring the need to renovate their courses, so Mike's input on that process will be invaluable."

McBride, 49, assisted in the opening of Muirfield Village, then went on to obtain degrees from both Bowling Green and Rutgers. He returned to Muirfield Village in 1982 and became golf course superintendent in 1985. McBride has not only been involved in 22 Memorial Tournaments, he has been on staff when Muirfield Village has hosted a Ryder Cup (1987), a U.S. Amateur Championship ('92), a Solheim Cup ('98), and several other professional events or amateur championships.

"I am looking forward to this great opportunity," McBride said. "Jack, Muirfield Village Golf Club, and the Memorial Tournament have been very good to me over the years. Through this position, I'll be able to share my knowledge in turf management and golf course renovation with others in our industry."

McBride will begin his new role with Nicklaus Design immediately, but will remain involved with the Memorial Tournament.

"This really is a win-win for everyone - from Muirfield Village to Nicklaus Design," said Jack Nicklaus II, who is president of Nicklaus Design, as well as chairman of Muirfield Village and general chairman of the Memorial Tournament. "Mike McBride has done a wonderful job at Muirfield Village Golf Club and we are excited to have him on board at Nicklaus Design.

"As we see fewer and fewer raw pieces of land become available for new golf courses, and as we see existing golf courses age, we are going to have many more renovation projects come on board. And there is no one better in the field and no one with more experience than Mike McBride. Look at Mike's performance at Muirfield Village, where we've undergone several renovations the last few years. Mike has been hands-on with each project, taking what is on plans to reality, and each time he's never disappointed."

The transition for Muirfield Village and the Memorial Tournament will be a seamless one, thanks to the addition of Latshaw.

Recommended by many in the industry, including McBride, the 37-year-old Latshaw brings to Dublin an impressive background and world-class pedigree. His father, Paul R. Latshaw, retired a few years ago after establishing himself as one of the most seasoned and respected superintendents in the profession. His father's stints included Augusta National, Oakmont Country Club, Congressional Country Club and Winged Foot. He hosted four Masters, two PGA Championships, one U.S. Open, and two U.S. Senior Open championships. Since the age of 12, and beginning with the 1978 PGA Championship, Paul B.Latshaw has been by his father's side, preparing the nation's finest venues for the world's best players.

The recent PGA Championship was the first major in which Paul was in charge.

"I spoke to several players who were in the PGA field, and to a person, they remarked on the fantastic condition of the golf course at Oak Hill," Nicklaus said. "August is one of the most difficult times of year for turf management, so to hear such high praises of Oak Hill is a true compliment to Paul's ability. The climates in Rochester and Dublin are similar, but more important, the high standards we set for Muirfield Village and the Memorial are very much like any venue hosting a major championship."

Latshaw has held positions at such noted courses as Augusta National, Pine Valley, Oakmont, The Honors Course in Tennessee, and Wilmington Country Club in Delaware. He spent almost seven years as superintendent at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., before taking the post at Oak Hill in 1999 and overseeing a $4.7 million renovation to the club's East and West courses.

Oak Hill's East Course, a Donald Ross design opened in 1924, has been in every Golf Digest biennial ranking of America's 100 Greatest Courses since the magazine began listing the courses 38 years ago. In the 2003 list, Oak Hill was ranked No. 10--up from No. 23 two years ago and the highest ranking ever for the club. The climb was due in large part to the course's conditioning, which ranked just .04 points behind the top-rated course in that category. This for a club that has one of the most active golf memberships in the country. Oak Hill has more than 900 members, and its two courses get as many as 26,000 rounds each from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

"What an honor it is to be on board at Muirfield Village Golf Club and be a part of the prestigious Memorial Tournament," Latshaw said. "Having the opportunity to work with Jack Nicklaus and his organization has been a long-time career ambition of mine. This is truly an exciting time for me."

Muirfield Village has been ranked by Golf Digest in America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses since it opened, and has been a top-20 mainstay for more than 25 years. In GOLF Magazine's most recent ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the World, Muirfield Village was No. 37 and Oak Hill's East Course No. 42.

For this press release and additional information on the Memorial Tournament, please visit www.thememorialtournament.com. For information on Nicklaus or Nicklaus Design, please visit www.nicklaus.com.