Associate Spotlight - Ben Poteat

      Ben Poteat is a part-time associate on the maintenance team. He works at all four courses on the plantation. Mr. Poteat or "squirrel" as he is referred to, is a valuable asset to the St. James family. His work spans all aspects of the golf course and his attention to detail is second to none.
      Ben started at St. James in 1995. He splits time working here and caring for family in western North Carolina. Ben is originally from Marion, NC and he currently lives on Oak Island. Before joining St. James, Mr. Poteat was employed with Progress Energy at the nuclear facility in Southport.
      Ben's job duties cover all 81 holes in St. James. Some of Ben's responsibilities include:

• Tee marker restoration. There are 800+ tee markers at St. James Plantation. Ben is responsible for them all. On closed days, Ben will remove all the tees, clean and re-paint them. In addition, he replaces stolen and damaged markers throughout the year.

Mr. Poteat restoring tee markers.

• 150 yard markers. Ben maintains all the 150 poles on the plantation. Similar to tees, on closed days he removes, refinishes or replaces them.
• Yardage blocks. Below is a photo of 'squirrel' in action.

Ben making new yardage blocks.

• Hazard and boundary stake care. Painting, straightening and replacing.  
• All miscellaneous signage. Ben's famous saying, "If it isn't moving, I am painting it."
• Birdhouse maintenance.  
• Brush mowing. Ben does this on an as needed basis. He concentrates on areas that we can not mow with our rough units.
• Golf Course Appreciation Day organizer. Ben organizes and gathers the maintenance supplies for these bi-annual events. 
• Food and drink distribution on closed days. When we close for aerification we do not drive to the shop for breaks. Ben brings our refreshments to us.

      Ben, in a nutshell, is our maintenance utility guy. He takes care of all the 'little things' around the plantation. His golf knowledge and dedication make him the perfect person for this job. Mr. Poteat is a valuable member of our maintenance staff.
      You may see Ben travelling the courses. Next time, stop him and say hello. You may be amazed to hear what he is up to.