Josh Linn, superintendent at the new-look Swope Memorial Golf Course in Kansas City, Mo. Photo by Roger Billings
Other superintendents told Josh Linn they envy him. “They were kind of jealous I didn’t have golf,” says Linn, who oversees Swope Memorial Golf Course in the heart of Kansas City, Mo.
Well, Linn’s time is up — and he could not be happier. “I miss having structure,” he says with a smile.
There’s plenty to smile about nowadays at the course where he’s been in charge since 2021.
The historic golf course that was designed by legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast in 1934 was set to reveal its reconstruction and renovation at the end of July. The new-look Swope Memorial GC, which also is one of the oldest public courses in the Kansas City area, features plenty, including new greens, bunkers and tees. CE Golf Design, with Todd Clark, Brent Hugo and Ron Whitten, led the work that has recaptured many of the spots that Tillinghast showcased nearly a century ago.
Linn is ecstatic the time has come to show it off. “I think I am happy with what the final product is,” says Linn, a nine-year GCSAA member.
This part of the country is familiar to Linn. Born in Abilene, Kan., Linn spent most of his early years in Smith Center, Kan. That’s where he was introduced to golf by superintendent John Boden. “He gave me my first set of junior clubs, and I worked four summers for him. It was fun to set up my first Calcutta,” Linn says. As a student at Kansas State University in Manhattan, he learned from two industry stalwarts in Jack Fry, Ph.D., and Manhattan Country Club’s longtime superintendent, Cliff Dipman.
Linn and his wife, Hannah, departed the Sunflower State for Arizona, where he continued his studies in Tucson at the University of Arizona, working at places such as Omni Tucson National Resort and Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, in Marana, Ariz. In 2013, the Linns returned to K.C. He worked more than three years at Heart of America Golf Course. He also went to work for SiteOne until his comeback five years ago at Swope Memorial GC.
The No. 7 hole at Swope Memorial GC before renovation. Photos courtesy of Josh Linn
What timing. He didn’t know it, but things were about to change in a big way. “They pitched this idea about a bunker renovation,” Linn says, “and it was about to snowball.” Think master plan. Clark was hired to draw it up. And what a drawing. We’re talking greens, irrigation, bunkers … which launched this big idea. The course had Poa annua and greens built to USGA recommendations at the time, including the 14th hole, which had solid limestone. “Battled that green there for years,” Linn says.
The Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department approved the efforts at Swope Memorial at the end of 2024. Work began in February 2025. “This all ballooned into a huge thing,” Linn says. “We got after it.” He and his crew did a lot of work in-house, such as building a nursery. They also did all the seeding of greens and tees in-house. Old images of the course were secured through local archives by GE Golf Design. All the work that eventually was completed impressed Linn when he compares it to Tillinghast’s vision. “You can see a new version of the original idea,” he says of the course under the management of Orion Management Solutions.
Among those whom Linn manages is assistant Marshall Darpall. His presence is exactly what Linn has needed, especially throughout the massive project. “I told him, ‘What I want from you every morning is to be positive and I’ll feed from that,’” says Linn, who also has been buoyed by veteran mechanic and former superintendent, Sam Marlin. Linn also recognized the efforts of Marshall Purtee, who has moved on and up to a local superintendent role (he’s a two-year GCSAA member now at Heart of America GC), but was an integral part of the renovation process. All the work started spectacularly this year. “Early warmup, dormant seeding, germinated. I thought, ‘This is looking good.’ Until we had a hard freeze and lost everything,” Linn says.
It recovered. The Centennial tees and greens looked great headed to summer. Barenbrug TurfSaver RTF rough was coming in nicely. The vast majority of Meyer zoysiagrass remained. What has occurred at this course — that has been closed nearly two years and last hosted a PGA Tour event in 1949 when major champion Jim Ferrier prevailed in the Kansas City Open over familiar names like Ben Hogan and Sam Snead — is what Linn anticipated. “If you’re going to close, do it right,” Linn says of the former par 72 that now is a par 71 and roughly 6,400 yards as golfers return.
No. 7 after the renovation.
Among those who are over the moon that Linn decided to come back to Swope Memorial GC all those years ago is Cameron Tucker, general manager/head golf professional. “I’ve been in the industry 16 years, and he’s the best one (superintendent) I’ve been with. Every superintendent I’ve been with has been great, but Josh is just exceptional. He communicates, doesn’t miss a detail. He’s honest and tells it like it is,” Tucker says.
Linn is comforted that the changes remained true to the course’s initial ambition. “That was the No. 1 goal, to be true in so many ways to Tillinghast and not abandon it,” Linn says.
As for Linn, at a place that totaled nearly 50,000 rounds two years ago, he is ready to do what he originally returned to Swope Memorial GC to do. “I want my routine back so bad of being a superintendent,” Linn says, “and I think what we have done here is what we were after.”
Howard Richman is GCM's associate editor.