4/3/2020 - By William Buehn

Pictured: Keith Einwag and his dog Bentley at Belfair Country Club in Bluffton, South Carolina

On a typical Tuesday at Belfair in the Low Country of Bluffton, South Carolina, you’ll probably find Keith Einwag and his dog making their way around one of the two 18-hole courses on the grounds. Keith, currently the Director of Agronomy at Belfair, grew up in Sarasota, Florida, where he cut his teeth on Florida courses. He later spent some time at Classic Club in Palm Desert, California, but now he’s excited to be a part of Belfair, whose location demands a new bag of agronomic tools. Keith is used to change though, and his experience in several diverse climates has challenged him to become the expert he is today. He did have one trick up his sleeve that made all those changes and growth a little bit easier though; a dependable, reliable friend that was there for him from the beginning. Bentley, Keith’s 5-year-old Yellow Lab is his best friend as a man, but as a superintendent, POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer has been his lifelong pal.

Keith’s trust in POLYON® fertilizer developed through his relationship with Harrell’s, which is now more like family to him than a company. That relationship started back in 1996 when Keith was at Laurel Oak in Sarasota and he got a call from Lee Crosby, Harrell’s area sales rep at the time. Lee was looking to do business with Keith, but Keith was only willing under one condition. “If you promise not to show up every week, I’ll do business with you” Keith said to Lee, “but if you start showing up all the time unannounced, we’ll have to go our separate ways.” Well, that must not have been too much to ask for Lee, because not only did Lee represent Keith’s fertilizer needs for years thereafter, they’ve also been like family to each other ever since. They attended each other’s weddings (Keith was even in Lee’s wedding party) and their wives have become best friends. That feeling of family with Harrell’s didn’t just stop with Lee though, and the whole Harrell’s team became like a family to Keith. 

After a few years at Laurel Oak, Keith moved to Lone Palm Golf Club, just down the road from the Harrell’s office and fertilizer plant in Lakeland, Florida. It was there that he really came to understand the value and appreciation that Harrell’s felt for all its customers. During Keith’s time there, Jack Harrell Sr. would make regular visits for lunch at the clubhouse, and he always took time to indulge Keith in a bit of conversation and mentorship. It was a simple gesture, but one that Keith didn’t take for granted. Keith also recalls Jack Sr. and other Harrell’s members asserting “we value your friendship more than your business,” a mindset that has really resonated with him over the years. 

In 2000, Keith left Lone Palm to become the Director of Agronomy at Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida, home to the Valspar Championship. During his 11 years at Innisbrook, which features 4 unique courses, Keith hosted 11 PGA tour events on the famous Copperhead Course. Keith then headed west in 2012, moving to Classic Club in Palm Desert, California, where he spent 5 years and hosted several Q-School events. Now, home is back on the east coast at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina, host of the 2019 PGA Professional Championship. Working with Troon for over a decade has given Keith the opportunity to manage courses from coast to coast, and in terms of climate, his portfolio would be considered by most to be quite eclectic. From the hot and humid thunderstorm-riddled summers of Central Florida to the arid desert of SoCal to the four-ish seasons of lower South Carolina, he’s dealt with a diverse range of growing conditions. He’s always excelled in such varying conditions though, thanks in large part to his unwavering confidence in POLYON®. Regardless of all the other variables and unknowns, he knew he could always deliver with POLYON® in his back pocket. 

“Performance, predictability and reliability” are some of the qualities that Keith has always loved about POLYON®. Flat out “you can rely on it” he says, and with tools like the POLYGRAPH®, you know “exactly what to expect on the release.” When Keith moved from Innisbrook to Classic Club (a tall order not only in terms of life in general, but also a major change from an agronomic perspective) it required a total change of fertility programs. Everything needed a rewrite, but he found relief in the predictability of POLYON®. He says it gives him “peace of mind knowing that your grass is being fed the way you want it to be.” Another huge advantage of POLYON® that Keith has found particularly useful, is its activation by temperature rather than moisture. Considering the extreme difference in annual rainfall between the Southeastern US and Southern California, POLYON®’s temperature-based activation has saved Keith a lot of headache and has allowed him to focus his attention on other components of his golf courses. 

Pictured: Classic Club in Riverside County, California 

Over the years, Keith has maintained world class playing conditions at several different golf courses among several different states, each featuring varying growing climates. Despite all those changes and constant adjustment to the new norm, Keith has always been able to turn to POLYON® for a bit of stability. Harrell’s has always been there for him too, and even though he now works with Matt Schrader (SC Coast Territory Manager), he’s happy to receive the same dedicated service from Harrell’s that he’s come to rely on over the years. In fact, even after moving all over the country, he still claims “Harrell’s service is just as reliable as POLYON®.” It’s that type of reliability and dependability that can make business relationships feel a lot more like family. 

Now thoroughly enjoying his work at Belfair, he’s happy to be challenged with the change of seasons in Bluffton and what that means for managing his courses. He likes the growing options available in the Low Country, which is sometimes referred to as “Slow Country” because people tend to take their time there. It’s definitely a bit of a laid-back lifestyle, but that’s ok for Keith, because with his Harrell’s family at his back, his best friend Bentley at his side and his partner POLYON® in his pocket, what could be the rush?