Episode 097
From Valhalla to the Field: Traded the Fairways for a New Career Path
with John Ballard
Summary
In this episode of Leadership on the Links, we sit down with John Ballard, a 27-year golf industry veteran and former Superintendent at Valhalla Golf Club, to talk about one of the most underexplored topics in the turf profession: what happens when you decide to walk away from a top-100 club and start over.
John shares his remarkable career story, from landing his first superintendent role at just 22 years old at Audubon Country Club, to managing cool-season transitions at the University of Louisville, to leading the grounds operation at Valhalla through COVID, a historic Zoysia renovation, and the 2024 PGA Championship. But what makes this episode truly special is what came after Valhalla: his candid reflection on identity, career transitions, and his move into a new role as Key Account Manager at Simplot Turf and Horticulture.
Whether you’re a superintendent eyeing your next move, an assistant trying to build your network, or someone navigating a career crossroads, this episode is packed with perspective you can act on today.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How John climbed from assistant to superintendent at 22 and the mentality that carried him through every step of his career.
- Why he believes your network is the single most powerful tool in landing your next opportunity, and how he has intentionally built it over 27 years.
- What it was really like to navigate Valhalla through COVID, staffing shortages, and a complete fairway and tee renovation, and why patience in building the right team made all the difference.
- The importance of engaging assistants and AITs in leadership decisions, green committee exposure, and member interactions, and why more superintendents should be doing this.
- What the job search actually looks like when you leave a high-profile role: the nerves, the strategy, and the mindset shifts required to stay focused.
- How John is discovering an entirely new side of the turf industry through his role at Simplot, and why superintendents may be limiting themselves by thinking there’s only one path.
- The honest conversation about professional identity: what happens when your job title is how others define you, and why separating the two matters.
Links & Resources
John Ballard: john.ballard@simplot.com | Twitter/X: @jballard1
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Who is Tyler Bloom?
Tyler Bloom is the leading expert on workforce development in the golf and turfgrass industry. He has worked with dozens of leading golf and sports companies in the United States including The PGA of America, Top 100 golf courses, public, municipal to professional sports teams, universities, and national historic landmarks.