Behind every golf course are the unseen hands, and unseen sweat, of those who built it, and those who maintain it. Glen Murry, serving as the superintendent who will prepare the launch of the opening of the new River Ranch Resort in Pasco, Wash., has been on site since day one, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Prior to coming to River Ranch, Murry (left) was named KemperSports’ Superintendent of the Year in 2025 for his work at The Governors Club in Tennessee.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Murry started working on groundskeeping crews 16 years ago. His first job in the industry was mowing fairways for a long-since-closed small golf course in Virginia. Ten years ago, he took on his first leadership role as superintendent at Black Hawk Country Club in Richmond, Texas; and five years ago, he began working on facilities within the portfolio of KemperSports, a renowned club management company.
Last year, 2025, KemperSports named Murry their Superintendent of the Year for his work at The Governors Club in Tennessee, an impressive honor, given the high-profile facilities managed by KemperSports, which includes Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Chambers Bay, among many others.
When he was approached about the opportunity at River Ranch, Murry did a site visit and met with the ownership group. “They are local people,” Murry said. “Really grounded. Very easy to have a real conversation with. They have a clear vision for this property, and that made a big impression on me, and made me want to be part of it.”
The front nine at River Ranch, seen here overlooking the Snake River, is fully grassed. (Fire Pit Productions)
In making the move to River Ranch from The Governors Club, Murry, now 44, brought with him his second assistant superintendent and his irrigation technician.
“We put the word out about who we were looking for, and a few good people signed up, and then they’d tell us, ‘I know someone else who would be good at this,’ and pretty soon we had an all-star cast.”
Murry appreciates the camaraderie of the golf industry. “Everybody kind of knows everybody,” he says. “They’re willing to offer advice and expertise from their own experiences.”
Despite River Ranch being 18 months away from its official opening, Murry had a full crew of 24 already on board this past summer, with the project going into overdrive toward its completion.
Working alongside the course’s architect, David McLay Kidd, was also a factor in Murry coming on board.
“It’s been exhilarating watching Kidd and his team at work,” Murry said. “They were on site obviously from the get-go, with Kidd himself spending many days here, walking every square inch of the property, personally involved with the entire process.
Murry, here seeding one of the greens on the back nine, has been hands-on at River Ranch.
“Watching their creative process was incredible. They had no fear. If something wasn’t working, Kidd had no problem at all in changing the entire plan on the spot. The 15th hole was originally supposed to be a par-3, but when they laid it out on site they realized it wasn’t playable for most golfers. So Kidd made it a short par-4 which dramatically overlooks the river, and because of that one change he then altered nearly every other hole on the back nine to accommodate it.”
Murry appreciates and understands the bond that is created among a group of people working together on a project of this scale. This next summer he’ll be attending the wedding of Caden Jensen, who was Kidd’s on-site manager during the construction process.
When River Ranch does open, Murry expects to have up to 30 staff working full-time on his groundskeeping crew.
“I’m a big believer in ‘walk-mowing’ the greens, rather than ‘ride-mowing,’” he says. “There will be four acres of putting surface to mow. And there will be 60 acres of fairways and teeing grounds to mow. Right now, there’s 100 acres of it, but once we open we’ll be letting the fescue rough grow in over 40 acres or so.”
Murry is not too concerned about the winters in the Tri-Cities area. The countryside around Pasco was once the wintering grounds for tribes of Native Americans. Winters are milder there, especially along the river where the golf course is set, and play will be possible year-round.
The front nine at River Ranch is already playable, and Murry says he plays it a couple times a week. The back nine was seeded in October, and by November it had already fully grassed in. The plan is to allow preview play of the full course by mid-summer of 2027, with River Ranch booking tee times in advance of then. The facility will officially open – with a fully operational clubhouse and lodging – by spring of 2028.
“I’m a perfectionist,” concedes Murry, when asked if he’ll be the one giving the green light as to when the course will be ready for public play. “My overriding attitude is, ‘It’s not good enough.’ The owners are already joking me about it. I know it obviously will need to open at some point. I just want it to be right when it does. My job is to make this the best golf course it can possibly be, and the future will take care of itself.”
And just like the ownership group, Murry pretty much has a clear vision for the property.
“This is pretty much a dream job for me,” he said of the opportunity to shepherd River Ranch literally from the ground up. “It’s my first chance to start from the dirt, to start from scratch.
“To be entrusted with this responsibility is an honor, and I’m fully aware of that. It’s a great team, from the ownership group all the way down to my crew digging the irrigation ditches.”
