Dick Fluter
Dick is a native Oregonian. He grew up on Glendoveer golf course where his dad “ED was the golf course “greenkeeper” or now called superintendent. Dick graduated from OSU and was the first undergraduate with a B.S. degree in Turfgrass Management. Shortly following graduation became the supt. at Oswego Lake CC. Dick became very active in the OGCSA and the NTA along with the USGA and GCSAA. During this time a lot of interns and new graduates worked on his crew and are now golf course superintendents across the NW. One of his most enjoyable pursuit’s is mentoring young people and helping them advance in their respective professions. He is as Ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church and recently resigned from the Board of Directors of Portland Youth for Christ. After 25 plus years at the country club he resigned and for a short time to become a consultant. He was asked to form a division for sports turf maintenance with Northwest Landscape Industries. They sold to Tru-green Landcare and then 1 year later Dick bought the division. He enlisted the help of Tjay to join this venture with him. Damon has been a part of the team since its inception. Dick has received two awards that he is most proud of: The Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Hall of Fame and the Isaac B. Grainger Award for Distinguished Service from the United States Golf Association. He is currently serving his 32nd year on the Trysting Tree Golf Course Board of Directors – which is tied to Oregon State University Foundation and helps the OSU Turf Program.
Dick’s goal was to put in place an organization where the relationships with the client came first and the quality of work done could not be questioned. Presently the goal is being realized. The level of expertise of all our managers is awesome and the services we provide are staying with in our area of expertise.
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: dick@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext. 2
TJay Wirth
TJay, started in the green industry in 1975 as a landscape labor, his passion was irrigation and grade work. He studied irrigation design and worked for 2 years as a draftsman, irrigation designer and wrote specifications for a landscape architect. Wanting to get back into the field and create, TJay started his own landscape construction and maintenance company in Billings Montana and did projects through-out Montana and Wyoming. With the desire to get out of the long cold winters of Montana TJay moved to Oregon in 1998 and went to work for Northwest Landscape Industry as a Special Services Manager. He was with NLI through the acquisition by TruGreen LandCare and had the opportunity to move to the Sports Turf Division. In 2000 TruGreen sold the Sports Turf Division to Dick Fluter and TJay joined Dick to create Pacific Sports Turf. TJay is the Vice President of Pacific Sports Turf and is responsible the administrative, budgeting and contract functions of the company.
TJay has a passion for the Lord, his Family, Golf, Camping and Fly Fishing the landscape and the environment to name a few. TJay has served several boards including Park boards, Zoological boards.
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: tjay@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext. 3
Damon Richardson
Damon Richardson started working with Dick in 1998 as an equipment operator in the Sports Turf Division at Northwest Landscape Industries/ Tru-Green. Dick started Pacific Sports Turf in January of 2000 with T Jay and Damon went with them leaving NLI/Tru-Green.
He migrated from Massachusetts to Oregon for a job at Northwest Landscape Industries with a degree in Landscape Development from the State University of New York at Cobleskill. During the summers while at school (High School and College) he worked as a laborer for a company in Montague Mass called New England Landscape and Wall Construction. Damon has over 25 years’ experience in the landscape realm doing everything from operating a shovel to now creating solutions to repair our clients fields.
He does estimating and consulting for Pacific Sports Turf on construction, field repair, field renovations, drainage, fraze mowing, infield soil augmentation, and water quality swale rehabilitation. He is also an active member of the Oregon Sports Turf Managers Association.
In his “off time” he enjoys a multitude of outdoor activities with his wife and daughter.
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: damon@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext. 6
Kathy Papworth
Kathy joined the PST family in April 2013. She brings 25+ years of experience in the Customer Service and Accounting fields. She enjoys the outdoors and spending time with her family and friends.
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: accounting@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext. 1
Shawn Wood
Shawn Wood Worked in the golf course industry for 9 years. He joined Pacific Sports Turf in 2007 as an equipment operator. He worked hard and has enjoyed learning the ropes at PST. Shawn worked his way up the ladder and has moved in to the Construction Manager Position.
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: shawn@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext. 8
Jim White
Jim White heads up Irrigation Management at Pacific Sports Turf. Jim joined the company in 2015, for what was to be a temporary fill-in for their retiring Irrigation Tech. Jim was immediately impressed with the professionalism and integrity that defines Pacific Sports Turf and made a long-term commitment to Dick Fluter and his team to develop PSTi. In the last four years Jim has expanded the irrigation services department to include irrigation design services, performance audits, assessments, and irrigation system enhancements – all to help our clients use water resources wisely.
Jim has worked with irrigation systems and water use efficiency since 1985. Growing up in the desert Southwest where water supplies are limited, Jim honed his irrigation skills -- designing, building, and maintaining high-efficiency irrigation systems. Jim joined the Southern Nevada Water Authority in 1993, developing innovative methods to increase irrigation efficiency, and implementing nationally recognized water conservation programs.
Jim was one of the first to complete the new ‘Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor’ program when offered by the Irrigation Association in the early 1990’s. Later he completed the Association’s ‘Certified Irrigation Designer’ program. Jim received an Associates Degree in Landscape Design in 1992 and was a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture.
Jim, and Ginger, his beautiful wife of 36 years, moved to Oregon in 2005. They enjoy climbing up mountains, hiking in forests, and skiing down the slopes – all of which required travelling many miles from their desert home. They’re very blessed now to have all of this and more in their new backyard. And they’re working on developing a couple of Northwest skills – chasing storms on the coast and attempting to catch fish!
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: jim@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext. 4
Eli Garrison
Eli Garrison is a mechanic at Pacific Sports Turf since 2017, where Eli fixes and maintains various equipment and trucks, including fabrication of parts and equipment.
Eli has worked in the mechanic field for 23yrs, from golf courses to his own performance shop in Minnesota. Served 5 years in the united states Navy where he worked on diesel generators and steam turbines/boilers. You can expect a smile and a positive attitude about everything when working with him. Eli enjoys building race cars, and spending time with his family.
Phone: 503-692-1195 Email: shop@pacificsportsturf.comExtension: ext.7