![\"Jon](\"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/jon-jennings.jpg\" "\\"History")
Superintendent Jon Jennings, CGCS, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the only venue to host the U.S. Open in three different centuries. Photo by Benny Migliorino<\/p>\n
Superintendent Jon Jennings, CGCS, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the only venue to host the U.S. Open in three different centuries. Photo by Benny Migliorino<\/p>\n
The father\u2019s daughter routinely awakened before dawn. A faint, rustling noise in the family kitchen on Aberdeen Lane meant one thing \u2014 it was time for Samantha Jennings to beat the sunrise and navigate the staircase with a purpose. \u201cI would hear that cabinet open and close at the exact same time. Then I would hurry downstairs and give him a hug before he went to work,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The target of her affection, her father, Jon Jennings, CGCS, may have already gone on a run, shrouded in darkness, in his Southampton, N.Y., neighborhood on Long Island. You have to wonder, though, whether running after work might better suit this former Boston Marathon contestant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m wound tight. Like a snow globe you just shook,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
After his run, the daily bowl of oatmeal (usually covered with crushed pineapple), and a scan of The Wall Street Journal, Jennings is off and running to his place of employment. This month, the world will see what serves as his office. The 118th U.S. Open, scheduled for June 14-17 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, will be overseen by a superintendent whose pedigree aligns with his journey.<\/p>\n
Jennings\u2019 middle initial is S. That stands for Standish \u2014 as in Myles Standish, an Englishman who escorted the Pilgrims to America on the Mayflower in 1620 to establish a colony on the New England coast. Jennings\u2019 father\u2019s mother was a Standish.<\/p>\n
Jennings, who is 54 and a 34-year member of GCSAA, has lived up to the Standish name by embracing challenges and guiding a team. Jennings was hired at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill., in March 2000 to restore the esteemed facility, which was founded in 1892 and claims to be the oldest 18-hole course in the U.S. He was enlisted to do the same in March 2012 at Shinnecock Hills, which began play in 1891 (as a 12-hole course) and features what it says is the oldest clubhouse in America.<\/p>\n
The hiring of Jennings at Shinnecock Hills was historic in its own right. He is believed to be the only golf course superintendent who has overseen more than one of the five charter clubs of the USGA. Besides Chicago GC and Shinnecock Hills, the other founding clubs are St. Andrew\u2019s Golf Club in Yonkers, N.Y.; The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.; and Newport (R.I.) Golf Club.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t part of the plan. It wasn\u2019t my career target,\u201d Jennings says. \u201cBut it is pretty amazing to have your name associated with two clubs of such renowned stature. It came with progress, resources, and the desire to be the best you could be.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is no coincidence that Jennings is the person to accomplish the feat, according to Paul Vermeulen. \u201cHe is an overachiever in every way imaginable. He has more physical energy than any human being I have known. He\u2019s always prepared for opportunity when opportunity knocks,\u201d says Vermeulen, director of championship agronomy for the PGA Tour, who was a college student intern with Jennings at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. \u201cI think you can see that in his career path.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennings\u2019 stamina serves him well. Where does it come from? Ask his father, Tom. \u201cPersistence is one of his major accomplishments. He gets that from my wife (Fran). When she tackles something, she stays with it until it gets done,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Learning curve<\/p>\n
Neither the road to Chicago Golf Club nor Shinnecock Hills was exactly a straight shot for Jennings.<\/p>\n
GCSAA Class A superintendent Mike Chrzanowski hired him at Madison (Conn.) Country Club as a 12th-grader. Jennings soon learned he needed to be schooled for the job. \u201cMy first day, he had me walk-mow greens with a Toro 500. To this day, I don\u2019t think I have ever seen lines on a green that looked so crooked,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
It was a matter of time \u2014 as in being punctual for work \u2014 before Jennings straightened out. \u201cHe was one of those high school kids on his last warning,\u201d says Chrzanowski, a 38-year association member. Jennings and a friend who worked with him at Madison CC devised a way to be on time. A key element in their plan was Jennings\u2019 mother\u2019s 1973 Ford LTD, a blue station wagon with wood panel siding. \u201cWe would go out at night and roll into the shop at 3 a.m. to sleep in our car. When we heard the first sound in the morning, we\u2019d get out and go to work,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
Whatever works, right? Jennings began to earn Chrzanowski\u2019s trust. \u201cIt was ambitious that he would sleep in the parking lot,\u201d says Chrzanowski, who, more than a decade later, was in Jennings\u2019 wedding.<\/p>\n
The real turning point in Jennings\u2019 career occurred at a member-guest event in which the grounds staff was invited to the dinner. Jennings reveled in what he heard. \u201cMembers spoke outwardly about the great work Mike had done preparing the golf course for play. It was shortly after that when I approached Mike and asked him how he got the job,\u201d says Jennings, who followed in Chrzanowski\u2019s footsteps by attending the University of Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
![\"Shinnecock](\"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shinnecock-hills-maintenance-staff.jpg\" "\\"History")
Jennings (second from left) with his assistants (from left) Michael Ford, Bobby Bolin and Lindsay Brownson. Photo by Benny Migliorino<\/p>\n
Jennings flourished in college. He earned an associate\u2019s degree in golf course management and a bachelor\u2019s degree in resource economics. He was invited to apply to Harvard Business School, among others, upon graduation. For him, though, there was no business like the golf business. Joseph Troll, Ph.D., of UMass, inspired Jennings.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe spoke sternly to us the first day of class. He said, \u2018In five years, half of you won\u2019t be in the golf business.\u2019 That scared me to death. I was determined not to be part of that statistic,\u201d Jennings says. \u201cOnce I had a clear direction and decided what I wanted to achieve, I became extremely focused on the path, getting there through effectiveness and doing what others wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roads well-traveled<\/p>\n
The journey to Shinnecock Hills for Jennings \u2014 personally and professionally \u2014 began in earnest 30 years ago. He landed his first superintendent job in March 1988 at En-Joie Golf Club in Endicott, N.Y. Besides hosting the PGA Tour\u2019s B.C. Open, En-Joie did a complete bunker renovation on Jennings\u2019 watch. He left 13 months later to become superintendent at Hiland Golf Club in Queensbury, N.Y. That\u2019s when he met Susan Roberts. They crossed paths on a Friday evening at a Sunoco station. She\u2019d pulled in to inflate a tire on her Saab before a road trip. Jennings, meanwhile, pulled up in a Saab of his own. If this was a pickup line, well, it worked.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe said, \u2018My Saab is a lot cleaner than your Saab,\u2019\u201d Susan says. Less than two years later, they got married, just before he was hired as superintendent at The Patterson Club in Fairfield, Conn., where Jennings oversaw the completion of a long-range maintenance plan that featured a complete bunker renovation and extensive drainage installation. He left there 18 years ago for Chicago GC, which was pondering an agronomic upgrade at the time. It was a major step for the club \u2014 and for Jennings.<\/p>\n
Pat Sisk, CGCS, went to middle school with Jennings and knows him as well as anybody. He knew what Chicago GC had acquired. \u201cEven at 12, he was pretty driven. Don\u2019t tell him he can\u2019t do something. He\u2019ll figure out a way to do it,\u201d says Sisk, a 26-year GCSAA member at Milwaukee Country Club. \u201cI\u2019m very proud of my buddy. I\u2019ll probably never host a major. I\u2019m living this one vicariously through him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicago GC was at a crossroads when Jennings came aboard. \u201cIn the previous 50 to 60 years before Jon, I don\u2019t think the membership wanted big events,\u201d says John Moran, a Chicago GC historian and former green chairman there. \u201cWe asked ourselves, \u2018Are we going to come into the 21st century in terms of agronomic practices?\u2019 We pretty much had never aerated, injected sand in the greens or topdressed. Jon taught me a lot. He helped me help the members better understand.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Shinnecock](\"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shinnecock-hills-maintenance.jpg\" "\\"History")
Jennings (center) with equipment manager Kevin Stoeckert (left) and crew member Angel Vallespil. Photo by Benny Migliorino<\/p>\n
Jennings guided an agronomic revival there, which featured work done by architect Tom Doak. Bunkers were restored, as were playing areas that had migrated over time. The challenge of implementing bentgrass in the fairways was overcome. All of it was done in time to host the 2005 Walker Cup.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe brings out the best in each employee, makes everybody feel they\u2019re part of the team, part of the family,\u201d says Aaron Willing, an assistant for Jennings at Chicago GC. \u201cHe\u2019d put out a challenge, I\u2019d accept the challenge, I\u2019d conquer the challenge, then go one step further.\u201d<\/p>\n
Obviously, Chicago GC still showcases what Jennings launched, which continues under current GCSAA Class A superintendent Scott Bordner, a 16-year association member. Next month, the club will host the U.S. Senior Women\u2019s Amateur, which is coming to Chicago GC for the first time. Although Jennings is gone, he\u2019s not forgotten. \u201cHe took us from being an outdated, tired golf course to being world-class,\u201d says Steve Daly, the green chairman when Jennings was hired.<\/p>\n
What Jennings has achieved doesn\u2019t surprise Mark Russell, PGA Tour vice president of rules and competition. \u201cSomething that sets him apart is that when these nice clubs came looking for a superintendent, they looked for Jon,\u201d Russell says.<\/p>\n
Iconic renderings<\/p>\n
Shinnecock Hills and Chicago GC offer quite the canvas. Jennings drew on his skills to aid in the restoration of their roots.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth are like museums. It\u2019s no different than having a masterpiece of art. All we did was freshen up the frame,\u201d he says. \u201cIf you look at the foundation of both golf courses, they were intact. We just cleaned them up and made them look shinier.\u201d<\/p>\n
The main commonality to the restorations that were done at both clubs was the return of playing areas to their original locations. What will patrons or viewers notice most about the changes at Shinnecock Hills? Fairways that are wider than before, including all 14 of the par 4s and par 5s.<\/p>\n
The entire agronomic plan was guided by the USGA in a collaborative effort with Shinnecock Hills. Fairways will be as much as 15 yards wider compared with when the last U.S. Open was hosted there in 2004. They will average 41 yards wide rather than 26 yards, according to Darin Bevard, director of championship agronomy for the USGA Green Section. The project, which included replacing 7 acres of fairways and greenside surrounds with intermediate-mowed fescue and seedhead fescue, was completed in September in 10 days.<\/p>\n
\u201cRestoring some of the angles was important for challenging these guys with the ultimate test of golf,\u201d Bevard says.<\/p>\n
Shinnecock Hills is more than 400 yards longer now than it was 14 years ago. The par 70 will play at more than 7,400 yards. Grasslands were restored to their original perimeters. Ten new tees were added, including No. 18. Stone contamination was eradicated from all greenside bunkers, and trees were removed. Jennings says dunes that fit brilliantly into the course architecture make for breathtaking views. Hydration factors were adjusted, including the positioning of sprinklers so they don\u2019t throw into native areas. The dunes also have a sandier appearance \u2014 the way they looked in the 1930s \u2014 a decision that was made after revisiting images of Shinnecock Hills from that era. The bentgrass\/Poa annua greens were overseeded to incorporate more bentgrass.<\/p>\n
![\"Shinnecock](\"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shinnecock-hills.jpg\" "\\"History")
Shinnecock Hills has played host to four previous U.S. Opens (1896, 1986, 1995 and 2004). Shown here is Shinnecock\u2019s 14th hole. Photo by the USGA\/John Mummert<\/p>\n
A steady breeze seems to blow at Shinnecock Hills, a byproduct of its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Although summertime brings a prevailing southern wind, Jennings advises anyone who comes to the U.S. Open to bring a coat. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to dress like it\u2019s 10 degrees cooler,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
The heat is on, though, when you are prepping for an event of this magnitude. Fact: Shinnecock Hills is the only club to host the U.S. Open in three different centuries, including the second championship.<\/p>\n
No sweat, says Michael Ford, one of Jennings\u2019 assistants at Shinnecock Hills who interned for him at Chicago GC. \u201cBoth places, Chicago and here, are historical, membership-driven, successful. They know what they want,\u201d Ford says. \u201cIt can be a stressful position to be in, but it can be successful, and it will be with Jon. He\u2019s an intense individual \u2014 not just at work, but anything he does. He takes everything to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennings, whose game was once good enough to make him a 9 handicap, had practice for what has played out at Chicago GC and Shinnecock. Although he spent only 13 months as the assistant at Onondaga Golf & Country Club in Fayetteville, N.Y., it was there that Jennings, working alongside UMass classmate Erick Holm, had his first significant encounter with helping to restore a golf course to its original appearance.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe brought the course up to speed with a modern approach to turfgrass maintenance,\u201d says Holm, noting that regular verticutting became routine. \u201cJon got his feet wet on those kinds of things at a club with a big reputation in the area \u2014 big expectations in the finished product in that community. The pressure was on from when he started. Jon and I had a lot in common. It was a no-holds-barred, can-do attitude. He has the intellect, the drive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked how he feels about Jennings hosting a U.S. Open, Holm is certain of the outcome. \u201cPiece of cake. He set himself up perfectly to build for this accomplishment,\u201d Holm says.<\/p>\n
Fergie, James Bond, and a first<\/p>\n
When he isn\u2019t on the scene at Shinnecock Hills, Jennings is probably doing the music scene. Or, he could be tidying up the home \u2014 maybe even yours.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s seen the Grateful Dead 25 times. Samantha, who works in nonprofit administration, often accompanies him to concerts. They\u2019ve seen Steely Dan, Fergie, The B-52s \u2014 you name it. She\u2019s thrilled that he takes time to chill. \u201cHe\u2019s one of the most tenacious people I\u2019ve encountered in my life,\u201d says Samantha, whose aunt, Jon\u2019s sister Martha, will work on his volunteer crew. \u201cIf something needs to be done and he finds out about it, he gets it done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennings came home one time and Susan, smiling, asked whether he noticed anything different on the patio deck. Long story short: She\u2019d planted geraniums. \u201cI said, \u2018The geraniums need some water.\u2019 I don\u2019t see the good. I see the things that need to be done. I\u2019m the guy who walks into your house, and when you turn your back, I\u2019ll straighten out the picture on your wall. But I\u2019ll be polite and wait until you turn your back,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
His son, Ted, who attends the University of Minnesota, is important to the family backbone. \u201cTed\u2019s the guy who holds the door for 50 people before he goes in himself. He\u2019s on a bone marrow donor list at Minnesota. He always gives blood. He puts me to shame,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
![\"Shinnecock](\"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shinnecock-hills-golf-club.jpg\" "\\"History")
The third hole at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a par 4 that features a long approach shot to the green. Photo by the USGA\/John Mummert<\/p>\n
To keep his mind occupied, Jennings receives the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day via email, and makes it his goal is to integrate it into his vocabulary. He loves watching James Bond movies. Of course, there\u2019s a reason behind that. \u201cI find that despite any setback that comes his way, he manages to accomplish the given assignment with resourcefulness,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
Sounds like someone we know. Someone who ushered in new eras at old, legendary golf courses and is now about to host his first U.S. Open. Someone who dared. Someone who hopes to deliver. Again.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be the greatest thing I achieve in my career,\u201d Jennings says.<\/p>\n
Howard Richman is GCM\u2019s associate editor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Superintendent Jon Jennings, CGCS, at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the only venue to host the U.S. Open in…","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19697,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_display_header_overlay":false,"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_volume":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[10112,10107,10106,10116,10117,10118,10105,10102,10101,10115,10113,10111,10109,959,310,10114,10108,1806,10104,10110,10103],"class_list":["post-19696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-bobby-bolin","tag-chicago-gc","tag-chicago-golf-club","tag-darin-bevard","tag-erick-holm","tag-howard-richman","tag-jon-jennings","tag-jon-jennings-cgcs","tag-jon-jennings-shinnecock-hills","tag-kevin-stoeckert","tag-lindsay-brownson","tag-michael-ford","tag-mike-chrzanowski","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-golf","tag-pat-sisk","tag-paul-vermeulen","tag-shinnecock-hills-golf-club","tag-superintendent-jon-jennings","tag-superintendent-mike-chrzanowski","tag-us-open-shinnecock-hills","cs-entry","cs-video-wrap"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@fogolf\/117502126558566542","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19696\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19697"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fogolf.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}