It was the first year of his new job as superintendent of two golf courses at the Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough, New Jersey.

Elizer “Eli” Rodriguez was stymied by a plague of dollar spot fungus, writes Rick Woelfel for Golf Course Industry.

An agrochemical product soon had him back on track.  Another golf course challenge fixed.

Rodriguez is no stranger to golf courses, working alongside his father at 16, at the Llanerch Country Club, site of the 1956 PGA Championship.

He was so highly regarded at Llanerch that when he enrolled at Rutgers University, the members paid his tuition. Rodriguez commuted from his North Philadelphia home to the Rutgers campus each day while continuing to work at Llanerch between semesters.

After earning his degree, Rodriguez worked for a decade at Five Ponds Golf Club, in the Philadelphia suburbs before spending six years at Cobbs Creek, another municipal course on the western edge of Philadelphia designed by Hugh Wilson of Merion fame.

Cobbs Creek and Merion are a short drive apart.

Rodriguez has worked at golf courses for more than three decades.

At Royce Brook, Rodriguez oversees a staff of 14, including himself.

Read more about Eli Rodriguez here.

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