Taking care of Elgin’s top-ranked golf courses

A part-time job Brad Legnaioli got in college changed the course of his entire career.

Legnaioli, of Spring Grove, was an accounting and finance major at Northern Illinois University when he got a job at a golf course in Huntley. His time there prompted him to transfer schools — to Southern Illinois University — and change majors — to plant and soil science.

“I just enjoyed the outdoors,” Legnaioli said. “I enjoyed the work that was being done at the course.”

After graduating in 1990, Legnaioli got a job at Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills, then he worked at Oak Grove in Harvard until being hired by the city of Elgin as the superintendent of its golf courses seven years ago.

Legnaioli’s days start at 5 a.m. at one of the city’s three golf courses: The Highlands, Bowes Creek and Wing Park Golf Course. As the superintendent it’s Legnaioli’s job to take care of everything outside the clubhouse — that means keeping the courses in top shape.

“Because I enjoy the game, I want to make sure all our customers and residents get the same thing that I would want when I am playing,” Legnaioli said.

He uses his training at Southern Illinois to monitor the grass on the golf course. He fertilizes, watches for diseases and insect problems and makes sure the grass always looks lush and playable.

With a plant and soil science degree, Legnaioli has other opportunities for work, but said he’ll probably always work on a golf course.

“I don’t think I would ever want to do anything else, to be honest with you,” Legnaioli said.

This year Golfweek named two Elgin courses as Top 10 in the state. The Highlands came in fourth and Bowes Creek came in ninth. And nationally the golf magazine ranked The Highlands ninth for best municipal course.

Legnaioli said that is a new source of pride for the city. Both courses are relatively new to Elgin and this is the first time they’ve made Golfweek’s ratings.

That’s good — with a caveat.

“It puts a little bit more pressure on me to make sure the facilities are kept up and we hold true to those numbers,” Legnaioli said.

With a golf season already well under way, Legnaioli will spend his days moving from one course to the other, doing his best to meet golfers’ — and his own — high expectations.

For almost 10 months out of the year, that means getting up at 3:30 a.m., getting on the course by 5 a.m. and getting to work. But Legnaioli doesn’t mind it. He thinks he made the right choice in his college switch and wouldn’t trade his job for anything.

“It’s a fun job,” Legnaioli said. “When you get up and you see the sun rise every day, it’s a good feeling.”