Ask around at a golf or sports turf conference, and you’ll hear the same thing: everybody knows Terry.
As sales manager for BESTSAND at Covia, Sales Manager Terry Gwinn has built a reputation as the person superintendents, architects, and distributors naturally gravitate toward. He’s the calm presence at a busy show, the one who remembers your course, your last renovation, and probably the name of your assistant superintendent, too.
From Superintendent to Golf Sand Sales Leader
Before joining Covia, Terry was a golf course superintendent at The Greenbrier in West Virginia. Terry attended the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation’s annual conference in December of 2000 to evaluate some options for a bunker renovation and enjoy a short visit to his home state. Instead, he received an offer that would change the course of his career.
“When I was up there, I was asked if I wanted a job,” Terry said. “I took some time to think about it, and I eventually had the realization that it was time to try something outside of what I was already doing.”
That decision eventually led to Terry being hired as a bunker sand salesperson in May of 2001. In this role, Terry was regularly on the road, driving across Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia, and northern Indiana for roughly eight years. This rigorous schedule was a tiring time, but one that proved worthwhile for both Terry and Covia.
“All in all, it was a trying time for me because I was always on the road,” Terry shared. “But in reality, it was helpful because I got to meet a lot of people, get the name out there… It ended up being good training.”
A 600-Ton Turning Point
For all his humility, Terry’s fingerprints are on some of the most recognizable golf courses in the country. His hard work has led to projects with notable venues such as:
- Butler National (Chicago)
- Crooked Stick (Carmel, IN)
- Muirfield Village (Dublin, OH)
- Oak Hill Country Club (Pittsford, NY)
- Oakland Hills (Detroit, MI)
- Pebble Beach (Pebble Beach, CA)
- Valhalla Golf Club (Louisville, KY)
His current resume is rather impressive, but he had doubts early in his sales career. According to Terry, it took a big sale for him to realize he was on the right path.
“At first, I was wondering if this job was right for me,” Terry explains. “But once the first sale is under your belt, you just keep going.”
For Terry, that sale was a 600-ton order of bunker sand that gave him the confidence he needed to put his doubts behind him and leverage his greatest skill – building relationships.
Building Bonds from One Bunker to the Next
As a former superintendent, Terry knows the pressures of managing turf, tournaments, budgets, and boards. Between his past experience and attentive nature, Terry can connect with customers across the country.
“When I made the transition from superintendent to sales, I could relate to what these guys are going through on a certain level,” he says. “Sometimes you go out there, you don’t even talk about bunker sand. You talk about everything else under the sun and listen to them when they need it.”
That ability to listen, and genuinely care, has become an essential part of Covia’s reputation in the golf and sports turf space. It’s also why trade show aisles tend to bottleneck wherever Terry happens to be standing.
“I’ve never seen anyone work a tradeshow like Terry,” says Joel Eaton, director of sales – specialty products. “He’s genuine, knowledgeable, and takes pride in every interaction, and it shows.”
Growing a Market, No Matter the Challenge
While Terry and BESTSAND are notable figures in the industry now, it took a lot of work to get to this point. The golf market has seen its share of ups and downs over the course of Terry’s career, with the mid 2010s being particularly difficult. However, that stagnation ended abruptly following golf’s surge in popularity during the COVID pandemic.
“The tide changed 180 degrees,” Terry explained. “There’s a lot of activity in the golf business from both a renovation and a new construction standpoint. Every country club that I talk to has a waiting list now that they didn’t have prior.”
Thanks to Terry’s hard work, BESTSAND was in a position to thrive during this surge in demand. Covia also recognized Terry’s efforts and targeted golf and sports turf as a key opportunity and made several investments to help him grow the BESTSAND brand. Today, Covia is:
- A coast-to-coast supplier, with the addition of new plants and distributors enabling reliable service from the Pacific Northwest to New England and down through Texas and Florida.
- A member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, an influential group that helps open doors with designers and decision-makers.
- A visible partner through sponsorships, webinars, video testimonials, and e-blasts that highlight marquee projects and thought leadership.
For all the business milestones, some of the most telling moments in Terry’s story come from his resilience and dedication despite health issues. Terry was diagnosed with cancer six years ago. Despite this, he stayed connected with the relationships and responsibilities he cares about so deeply.
“He’s been through a lot these past few years, but he’s the hardest-working person I know,” Joel shared. “Terry is one of a kind and I’m proud to know him.”
What’s Next for Terry
As you may expect by now, Terry is not planning to slow down. His calendar is already filled with trade shows in 2026 where he’ll continue to deepen relationships, learn, and showcase what Covia can do.
“We’re working on new opportunities coming up for Covia, and I’m looking forward to being able to service even more markets than we have been in the past,” Terry said.
In the end, Terry doesn’t measure his career by the number of tons shipped or the number of high-profile courses on his resume (although there are many). He measures it in relationships he’s developed.
If you ask him, he’ll say he’s just doing his job. Everyone else knows he’s doing much more than that.