The Jefferson Community Golf Course has a new man in charge of the clubhouse.

Elijah Block is a 2018 Greene County High School graduate, but what the 22-year-old lacks in age, he brings in experience. Block is a Greene County native and since he graduated from high school, he has only worked with other golf courses. Block tells Raccoon Valley Radio he’s previously worked at the Jefferson course while he was in high school, then he worked at Ames Golf and Country Club and the Tournament Club of Iowa in Polk City. He explains why he wanted to be the new clubhouse manager.

“I mean when this job came available it was my dream job like in my hometown, doing exactly what I’ve been wanting to do. I didn’t take the college route, but I took the golf course experience route, and that was kind of what led me to this direction, like I enjoy outside but this is the job that I’ve wanted to do and when it opened up here it was a dream come true.”  

Block was surprised to achieve his dream job at such an early age and growing up in Greene County has made the transition smoother.

“Thankfully I haven’t had a lot of people question me on my age just mostly because I know all the members who play here. I grew up playing here, I learned how to golf here, played high school golf here. Thankfully, a lot of the members are happy that I was able to come in rather than getting somebody maybe who did a lot of changes that people didn’t want. I haven’t had a lot of people tell me, ‘Well you seem too young.’ But I definitely had people who’ve been surprised or shocked that I got the position at my age.”      

Block was hired as the clubhouse manager on March 1st for an eight month contract. The golf course maintenance will continue to be led by David Destival and the Jefferson Public Works Department.