Shawn Riedmiller’s love for golf dates back to his childhood in Albion, hitting the links with his pals and having fun.
“Five of us grew up on golf courses from the time I was 8 years old. We played all day,” Riedmiller fondly recalled.
Fast forward decades later, things have come full circle for Riedmiller. The long-time Van Berg Golf Course crew leader was recently promoted to the City of Columbus’ golf course superintendent role, taking over for the soon-to-be-retired Keith Kline.
“I’m excited,” Riedmiller said. “I’m confident we can continue to try to put out a good product people can enjoy, and I’m looking forward to having a crew who can help me get things done.”
Riedmiller will be responsible for overseeing the maintenance at Quail Run and Van Berg golf courses, as well as working with a crew to accomplish various tasks, among other things.
City Public Property Director Doug Moore said he’s excited for Riedmiller to step into the leadership role.
“Shawn has done a fantastic job at Van Berg for us, and I think he’s really looking forward to the challenge at Quail,” Moore said. “He has some ideas for some things he would like to try, so I think he will be a really good fit for us.”
The City had previously announced a significant part of the job will be continuing efforts to improve the 18-hole Quail Run after the extensive damage that occurred there as a result of the historic March 2019 flooding which ravaged much of the area and region. Riedmiller, who noted he has a good relationship with his predecessor and is quite familiar with Quail Run, is eager to take on the challenge.
“I want to get it back to where it was. It’s on the right path, but we’re still dealing with the effects of the flood,” he said. “I want to get it back to where it was and even better.”
An Albion native, Riedmiller got his two-year degree in commercial horticulture from Central Community College in Hastings, where he also played on the golf team. He said at about age 20 he realized his interest in becoming a professional golfer wasn’t likely to become reality.
“I wasn’t good enough to make it in that line of work,” he said, with a laugh. “I decided I might as well take care of golf courses.”
He spent time helping with maintenance at Elks Country Club and the now-defunct Country Shadows before joining the City as the Van Berg crew leader in June 1999. He has loved his time at the nine-hole course, noting he hopes people have seen the value of Van Berg over the years.
“With the flood and what happened at Quail, a lot of people were reintroduced to this place,” Riedmiller said from the Van Berg clubhouse on a March 2023 morning. “Golf league had to play at both places, and I think they were pretty pleased with what we’ve done the last 20 years.”
When he’s not working, Riedmiller enjoys time with his family. He and his wife, Rachelle, have six children. They have four sons and two daughters, who all range in age from elementary, middle and high school levels to two adult sons. Riedmiller said one of his sons, Joey, has special needs, so he spends a lot of his time with him.
Riedmiller said he’s looking forward to seeing someone take on his longtime position at Van Berg and leading efforts to improve the courses overall in Columbus. He’ll officially start in his new capacity Monday, March 27th, but said people might occasionally find him on the course as a player when he’s not working.
“I still play a little bit. It gives me a chance to see the golf course from a different perspective,” he said. “I still enjoy the game.”