County men rising to top of their field Griffeth, McCormack excel at protecting turf

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Childhood friends Jason Griffeth and Steve McCormack from Caribou recently reached milestones in their careers as groundskeepers. Griffeth was named assistant grounds crew director at Fenway Park in Boston and McCormack the assistant superintendent at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

The County men’s friendship began when their mothers, Lona Griffeth and Carla McCormack, both registered nurses, met at work at Cary Medical Center in Caribou. The boys played recreation league basketball together and struck up a friendship that carries through to today.

The friends pursued parallel career paths, which helped lead them to experience the success they now enjoy. Griffeth and McCormack graduated from Caribou High School in 2000 and enrolled at the University of Massachusetts, Stockbridge in the two-year turfgrass management program. The Caribou men roomed together at school and shared classes, meals, rides and good times.

Upon graduation from Stockbridge in 2002 both men continued their education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, majoring in plant science. McCormack concentrated in business while Griffeth concentrated in turfgrass management. They graduated from UMass with bachelor’s degrees in 2004.

Griffeth, the son of Robert and Lona Griffeth of Caribou, began pursuing a job at Fenway while attending college.

“In December 2000 with help from Mary Owen, an extension educator at UMass, I started calling the new director of grounds at Fenway Park, David Mellor, about the possibility of an internship at the park,” he said. “I was so persistent about calling Dave that he took me on as an intern for the 2001 season.

“I can remember how excited I was the first time I reported to work with the sight and sounds of that first game.” Griffeth added. “I think I stayed for every inning of every home game that first season.”

Griffeth spent the summers of 2002, part of 2003, and 2004 as an intern at Fenway Park. He spent four months of the 2003 season working with former Red Sox assistant groundskeeper, Sean Mantucca, who was also the director of grounds for the Yankees farm club in Staten Island.

Griffeth also worked as his assistant at the Staten Island Yankees Single-A baseball park. At the end of the short- season league, Griffeth returned to Fenway for the remainder of the season. In 2005, after working for the Sox for four years, he was named the second assistant grounds crew director under Mellor.

McCormack praised his friend’s work ethic.

“Jason has been a best friend, you can trust him with anything,’ he said. “He definitely is a good person, honest, reliable and a good worker.”

Mellor is pleased to have Griffeth at Fenway.

“Jason’s been with me pretty much since the time I came to Boston. He is a pleasure to work with. He is a valuable asset to the Red Sox organization,” Mellor said. “He is an outstanding young man who is very thorough and very persistent.”

With the move to Boston, County native Griffeth was far from familiar sights and people. This opportunity afforded him a chance to make new friends and develop contacts in the turf management area.

” I kind of think of legendary Red Sox groundskeeper emeritus Joe Mooney as a grandfather figure to me. I look at director of grounds, Dave Mellor as a father figure and all those I work with as my family.”

Griffeth enjoys the early serenity at Fenway.

“I enjoy arriving at seven in the morning when there is nobody there, it’s quiet and you’re either mowing the outfield or watering the skin (the dirt part of the infield),” he said. “Just relaxing on a nice sunny morning.”

McCormack, the son of Mike and Carla McCormack, also of Caribou, developed his love of golf and golf course maintenance while meeting his high school community service graduation requirements at the Caribou Country Club. Under the tutelage of golf pro Bill McGary, McCormack learned the basics of golf course grounds keeping. His close friend Griffeth also worked at the Caribou CC to meet his graduation requirements.

Griffeth is impressed by McCormack’s new job at The Country Club.

“That’s huge! That promotion set him up for life. He’ll be able to go where he wants,” Griffeth said. “As a worker he’s very smart, he’s very knowledgeable, and he has attention for detail which serves him very well.”

McCormack’s father, Mike, said his son’s love of golf started early.

“Stephen’s love for the game of golf, including the facets of course design and maintenance, has been evident since his middle school years,” Mike McCormack said. “His work as a volunteer at Caribou Country Club and the influence of such mentors as then Caribou Country Club pro, Bill McGary, influenced him to pursue a career in turf management and soil science, resulted in an internship at Brookline.”

While in college, McCormack was a member of the UMass Stockbridge golf team coached by Jack Leaman. Leaman was the basketball coach for the UMass Minutemen teams that featured Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Louisville coach Rick Pitino, and Boston College coach Al Skinner.

“Leaman was an honest man who expected hard work,” Steve McCormack said. “I was sad when he recently passed away in March 2004. He was one of my mentors.”

Working as an intern during the summers of 2001-2004 at The Country Club in Brookline, McCormack finished many days working with Griffeth at Fenway Park.

Superintendent Bill Spence, one of America’s premier golf course superintendents, noted the pride and attention to detail McCormack exhibited while on the job. McCormack was hired full time as an assistant mechanic after graduation from college. His work ethic and self-motivation were rewarded by his recent promotion as assistant to Spence at The Country Club.

“Although very quiet in demeanor, Steve has proven to be a force behind the scenes, having assumed his duties as assistant golf course superintendent,” Spence said. “We look forward to observing Steve’s growth as a professional and to helping him to attain the next level in his profession in the not-to-distant future.”

McCormack biggest challenge at the course is temperature.

“Temperature extremes, such as August summer weather, and disease control. When the plant is stressed, I’m stressed,” he said.

“I enjoy every early morning when we plan the day. Driving out to your first job before the sun rises with the sights, smells and sounds,” he added. “It’s nice having a green space in the midst of the city. There are a couple of farms nearby and the world famous Arnold Arboretum is just down the road.”