Manny Torres has met many of life's major challenges head-on. Before earning a turf degree from Rutgers University, Torres scored a personal victory by beating addiction. Today, the superintendent at Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood, Washington, faces the biggest challenge of all after suffering a stroke Dec. 4 at age 45.
A husband and father of two, Torres remains in a Washington hospital where the stroke has, so far, left him paralyzed on his left side, according to a friend.
"Manny is a great guy," said Torres' friend Jacob Close, a former superintendent and now the Washington sales rep for J.R. Simplot Co. "I'm trying to be hopeful, but this might be the end of his career."
Now, as Manny begins the long and difficult journey toward recovery, his family is grappling with the emotional and financial challenges of this new reality.
Torres had been superintendent at Oakbrook for about 16 months when he had the stroke. In the days since, his father, Enrique Torres, has established a GoFundMe account to help Manny, wife Rachel and their family.
"Manny is a loving father to Sophia (7) and step-son Hunter (11), with whom he cherished practicing soccer and creating precious memories," Enrique wrote on the GoFundMe page. "He's also a devoted husband and a man who has overcome tremendous challenges in his life. After battling addiction and turning his life around over 10 years ago, Manny earned a degree in turf management and became a respected superintendent in the golf course industry—a career he is truly passionate about."
Before becoming a superintendent, Torres graduated from the turfgrass management program at Rutgers, and worked as an assistant at Three Lakes Golf Club in Wenatchee, Washington. It was during his time there that he met Ryan Gordon, superintendent at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie. Torres had reached out, asking to volunteer for the Boeing Classic, the Champions Tour event held annually at Snoqualmie.
He quickly learned just how dedicated Torres was to his profession.
"We don't usually get a large turnout for volunteers so the answer was a resounding yes from me," Gordon said via email. "He showed up on the first day of tournament week, went to work and did a great job for us all week. It was only later that I learned that he had slept in the front seat of his car all week."
In 2017, when Gordon needed an assistant, Torres was his first phone call.
That experience helped prepare him for a return to Three Lakes, this time as head superintendent.
It was not long before Torres was headed back to Snoqualmie Ridge.
"During that year, everybody who visited him at the Club left raving about how much better the golf course looked and played since he took over," Gordon wrote. "The only problem was, during his tenure at Snoqualmie, he had met the love of his life, who happened to be working at a bank right across from the club. They had maintained a long distance relationship during his tenure in Wenatchee.
"Meanwhile, the gentleman that had replaced Manny came across an opportunity to take over as superintendent at another course near his house an hour away. With an opening and a hunch, I called Manny to see if he would be interested in coming back to Snoqualmie to rejoin our team and in the back of my mind, get closer to Rachel. He told me that when he told Rachel I had called (that) she started crying with tears of joy and he agreed to rejoin our team."
He was named superintendent at Oakbrook in August 2023. Now, it is uncertain whether he will be able to return to work.
"Now, as Manny begins the long and difficult journey toward recovery, his family is grappling with the emotional and financial challenges of this new reality," his father wrote on GoFundMe. "Manny's dedication and resilience shine through, as he remains committed to intensive physical therapy with hopes of regaining his independence. But this will be a lengthy process, and the unexpected medical expenses, combined with the loss of income, are overwhelming for his family.
"The Torres family is determined to adjust to this 'new normal,' but they need our support. Funds raised through this campaign will help cover medical bills, therapy, and living expenses while Manny fights to recover and his family navigates life without his income."
Manny is a great guy. I'm trying to be hopeful, but this might be the end of his career.
Close is a former superintendent at Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham, who first met Torres while both were volunteers for the Boeing Classic.
After Close left the business to enter sales, he naturally maintained friendships with his colleagues who then became customers and potential customers. When his friend's health was threatened, he did not hesitate to step in and try to promote the GoFundMe initiative and work with individual vendors to solicit long-term assistance.
"I want to help as much as I can," Close said. "Golf has been good to me. It has provided me with a job, a career and friends.
"People in the maintenance world are my friends. These guys are an extension of my family."
