While the busy resort sees plenty of fundraiser golf tournaments, best ball and scrambles for local charities, John describes these smaller, one-day events as “perfect” to suit him.

The course’s repeated appearances on Golfweek Magazine’s lists of “Top 40 Casino/Resort Courses in the United States, “Top 5 Courses in Oklahoma,” and “Best Courses You Can Play in Each State” attest to the standards this superintendent and his crew are able to sustain. Most of all, John loves “the season,” as the grass begins to grow, and he is inspired anew to produce a picture-perfect course where the playing conditions are nothing short of remarkable.Īlthough Cherokee Hills is a resort course, nearly forty percent of the 24,000 average annual rounds of golf played there are by members. Personable and family-focused, John enjoys the close-knit affability of the crew at Cherokee Hills which he describes as, “his second family.” He is energized by seeing his team set goals and realize accomplishments. Although some superintendents relish the challenges of hosting a high-visibility, high-profile event at their course, John values other aspects of the superintendent’s job more. Previously, as an intern and then as the assistant superintendent at Tulsa’s prestigious, member-owned country club, Southern Hills, a host site for seven major championships, John had dealt with the nitty-gritties that go along with hosting both the 1996 Tour Championship and the 2001 US Open. When John Carothers first learned about the opening for a golf course superintendent at Cherokee Hills Golf Course in Catoosa, Oklahoma, he asked one pivotal question, “You guys don’t host any big tournaments, do you?”

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