Iron Masters Country Club superintendent Kellie Aungst has been working at the Ore Hill course for the past 29 years.

An already demanding summer schedule will get even busier this weekend for Iron Masters’ superintendent Kellie Aungst as he prepares the Roaring Spring club for its 46th annual Classic tournament.

“In addition to all our normal work, we do a few extra things to make sure the course looks as good as possible,” Aungst said. “We’ll be hard at work edging all the sprinkler heads and yardage markers, repainting cart path markers and doing extra work in our bunkers.”

Despite his youthful looks, the 57-year-old Aungst is currently the longest-tenured superintendent among local cubs.

He began his golf career right out of high school, working on the grounds crew for legendary greenskeeper Jerre Over and also gained valuable experience working in the Iron Masters pro shop for club pro Jim Sroka.

By the early 1990s, Aungst was determined to make the golf business his career and enrolled in Penn State’s turf management program. Upon graduating in 1993, Iron Masters happened to be in the market for a new head superintendent, and Aungst was the right man for the job.

For the past 29 years, the club has been fortunate to have him.

“I look at Kellie as more than just a superintendent. He’s more like a general manager of our entire course maintenance,” club president Ron Hinish said. “Kellie is so knowledgeable and resourceful. The fact that keeps our course in the great shape he does, on a really tight budget, is a miracle.”

While Classic week is typically busier than most, Aungst is used to the long days required during peak golf season. Early summer mornings are usually spent mowing or maintaining the regimen of spraying in order to protect the club’s turf from disease.

While he takes his responsibilities seriously, Aungst is also quick to give credit to his loyal maintenance crew.

“We have a great group of guys here who are really good at their job,” Aungst said. “They take a lot of pride in their work and make my life a lot easier here.”

Unlike some courses in the area, Iron Masters’ irrigation system is still controlled manually, so there is added work and late hours involved in watering fairways and greens, especially during this time of the year.

“Maintaining the watering system is probably the most time-consuming issue for me over the course of the season,” Aungst said.

Over his nearly three decades at the helm at Iron Masters, Aungst has become an expert at this and at all aspects of his job maintaining the Iron Masters course.

“We couldn’t have a better person than Kellie as our course superintendent. He does a tremendous job for us,” head pro Rick Grubb said. “He puts a serious amount of effort into his responsibilities, and it shows in the condition of this course.”

There’s a saying that the best superintendents keep a low profile and let course conditions speak for themselves.

It’s most likely the Iron Masters course will be speaking volumes this weekend.