A little bit about me
Born in Newport Beach, CA Derrick has been involved in Horticulture since a very young age, and he has embraced the golf course industry ever since. His interest in Horticulture began when he was growing up on his parent’s farm in Colorado. The farm included multiple acres of land, barns, horses, and many other farm animals. Every morning, Derrick and his sister were involved in the daily chores of pushing mowing the lawn and collecting vegetables amongst other things that the farm needed. The seasons in Colorado were short, so prepping the soil required an intensive amount of labor and planning. Derricks proudest moment was when he was able to design a new striping pattern on the front lawn.
At the age of 12, he was completely armed with knowledge and he had a really clear picture on how to run a family farm. His early exposure to the farm and its responsibilities spiked his curiosity and love for the land, and for that, he feels extremely blessed. At the age of 23, he began working multiple jobs to pay for college. Just after graduation, Derricks determination for golf led him to the tropical islands of Hawaii. After graduating college in 2004 he received his first assistant position on the Big Island. “All of my friends could not believe that I was moving to Hawaii” he recalls. “I was already thinking about the ocean when there were three feet of snow in the yard”. Derrick spent 4 years as an Assistant Superintendent for both Waikoloa Kings Course and Hualalai Resort where he was involved in the MasterCard Championship.
