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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Amid the many challenges and demands in the workplace coupled with everyday barriers to finding work-life balance, it can be difficult to remember the things that matter most. As the year winds down, we asked people across the golf turf industry to take a moment to reflect on what they are most thankful for. 
    Disclaimer: We knew everyone would mention their family first (and they did), so we asked them to skip that answer for the sake of avoiding too many redundancies.
    Justin Sims, CGCS
    Director of Grounds and Facilities
    Alotian Club, Roland, Arkansas
    Thankful I work at a club where resources match expectations. Thankful for the wonderful team I'm fortunate to work with on a daily basis. Thankful I have the support and flexibility that allows me to break away and attend all my three boys sporting events. Charlie Fultz
    General Manager and Superintendent
    Heritage Oaks Golf Course, Harrisonburg, Virginia
    Colleagues in the turf business who are always willing to help each other ADHD medication The golfers who helped us achieve the most rounds played and highest revenue year in our 24 year history. My 16 and 11 year old cats Greta and Gigi. That they are here another year healthy. Jared Viarengo
    Director of Grounds and Club Operations
    Applebrook Golf Club, Malvern, Pennsylvania
    My health. The older I get, the more I realize its importance. My career/job. I still get a tremendous amount of satisfaction going to work every day. My relationships. Some of the fantastic friends and accomplished people I have gotten to know through the years, both within and outside the golf industry. Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D.
    Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Science
    University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
    I am thankful for the incredible impact that (the late) Dr. Bruce Martin had on the turf industry. He was a great man and he left a lasting legacy. I am thankful for a fantastic turf team here at the University of Arkansas. My graduate students Mike Battaglia, Sharandeep Chahal and Sam Kreinberg are truly remarkable. Also, my mentor, Dr. Mike Richardson, has given me more opportunities than I ever thought possible. I am thankful that I have the privilege to work in the best industry in the world. The turfgrass managers that I have the joy of interacting with day to day make my job fulfilling, and I am just thankful to be a part of such a special industry. Jim Pavonetti, CGCS
    Golf and Grounds Superintendent
    Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Connecticut
    I'm thankful for my network of friends in the industry that help me succeed year after year. You cannot thrive in this industry all alone.  I'm thankful for a wonderful membership that listens and understands that without their support the golf course cannot be what they hope it could be.  I'm thankful for a great staff with a warm family culture. Everyone helps and supports each other, making the golf course better and better each year. It truly makes the season fly by and not seem like a burden that it could easily be during tough stretches of weather.  Paul MacCormack
    General Manager and Superintendent, and TurfNet Contributor
    Fox Meadow Golf Course, Prince Edward Island
    Editor's note: Although Paul is from Canada and Thanksgiving is traditionally an American holiday, we figured The Godfather of Mindfulness probably lives a life of gratitude every day.
    This year has been a trial in so many ways, so my gratitude flows for all the small things. The sunrise, watching a flower bloom over time, or seeing the joy in people's faces that comes from enjoying the simple things in life.
    Mike Goatley, Ph.D.
    Professor and Extension Specialist
    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 
    Health A job that I enjoy  A great team to work with at Virginia Tech Carlos Arraya
    General Manager and CEO
    Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri
    Daily support of my community. Grace for when I screw up. Spiritual grounding that provides direction, strength and humility in leadership decisions every day. Jorge Mendoza
    Green River Golf Club
    Corona, California
    Brand new spray rigs. Problem-free aerifications. My love for this career. I do not see this as simply a J.O.B. (Journey of the Broke). This is my passion. Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D.
    Writer and Consultant, and TurfNet Contributor
    Divot Designs, Bloomfield, Connecticut
    That the inevitable aging process and gradual limitation of physical capacities I used to take for granted have not limited my joy and appreciation for the things I can still do and experience. That I am able to earn a living and make a career doing what I love to do. That we still live in a democracy. Paul Koch, Ph.D.
    Department Chair, Professor
    University of Wisconsin Department of Plant Pathology, Madison, Wisconsin
    My research team, including lab manager Kurt Hockemeyer and my grad students past and present. Their dedication to our work is incredible and inspiring. They do all the hard work behind the scenes, and I get to do the fun part and travel around the world and present it to turf managers. But it doesn't happen without them. My fellow turf professors. Research is complex, and different skill sets and perspectives are needed to make true progress. I'm thankful I get to do this job with so many other talented turf nerds. The turf associations. It takes special people to dedicate considerable time to improve things for others, and we have incredible turf associations with incredibly dedicated people in Wisconsin. I'm grateful to be able to work with them. Kevin Ross, CGCS
    Consulting Agronomist, and TurfNet Contributor
    OnCourse Turf, Edwards, Colorado
    Thankful for retirement and the ability to wake up in the morning and do whatever I want. Thankful for the beautiful outdoors and the ability to hike, bike, fish and camp in some of the most wonderful places on earth. My time with TurfNet will come to a close at the end of the year as I will hang up my video camera. I'm so thankful for all the years working with TurfNet, it has been a big highlight of my turf career.
  • It has been an eventful, if not tumultuous, year for Jack Nicklaus and the company he founded.
    In a year marked by litigation, the Nicklaus Companies has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection a month after a Florida jury awarded the golf legend a $50 million judgment in a defamation suit against the company.
    "To protect its employees, clients, and ongoing business operations, Nicklaus Companies LLC (the 'Company') and certain of its subsidiaries today announced that they have commenced voluntary chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware," according to a news release on the Nicklaus Companies website.
    Nicklaus filed suit against his former company, now controlled by New York banker Howard Milstein, earlier this year after it claimed he considered a $750 million offer to join the LIV Golf league, suffered from dementia and was unable to manage his affairs, according to published reports. Bloomberg News reported that, citing the Chapter 11 filing, Nicklaus Companies has estimated assets of $10 million to $50 million and liabilities of between $500 million and $1 billion.
    Although the jury ruled against Nicklaus Companies, it cleared Milstein and company executive Andrew O'Brien.
    "The filing will allow the Company to proactively address its long-term funded indebtedness and other liabilities, as well as a jury verdict returned in a Florida state court last month following a lawsuit filed by company founder and former Co-Chair Jack Nicklaus. The jury ruled in favor of two Nicklaus Companies' executives but awarded $50 million in damages against the Company," continued the Nicklaus Companies release.

    Nicklaus sold exclusive rights to his golf course design services, including marketing, promotional and branding rights in 2007 for $145 million to Milstein, but stayed on as the face of the company. Nicklaus stepped away from the company he founded a decade later after repeated clashes between the golfer and Milstein, according to Golf Digest, supposedly triggering a five-year noncompete clause. 
    Shortly after Nicklaus stepped down from the board, his former company filed suit alleging he violated terms of the contract and should be restricted from using his name in his own design services. Golf Digest reported that Milstein wanted Nicklaus to continue to run his golf course design business through the company and use of his name for any other endeavor violated the noncompete clause. 
    A Florida arbiter ruled in July 2024 that the golfer was no longer bound by the noncompete agreement. Then in March, a New York judge dismissed the case entirely, ruling that Nicklaus could indeed use his name to promote his course design efforts. Nicklaus then filed a countersuit in response to the LIV Golf claims, the most recent round of litigation between Nicklaus and Nicklaus Companies.
    The company says it plans to dispute the $50 million verdict that triggered the Chapter 11 filing and explore options to appeal.
    The North Palm Beach, Florida-based company also says the recent decision will not affect employees.
  • The numbers are in for this year's Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show. And a record-setting show it was.
    A record 2,250 people attended this year's show, held Nov. 17-19 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. That topped the previous record of 2,162 set in 2024.
    Many other records fell this year, including 1,515 seminar seats filled. That bested the record set in 2023 of 1,508. Other records set this year were 256 exhibiting vendors, up from 240 in 2024; 446 booths sold, up from 425 in 2007; and 429 participants in the golf championship, up from 374 in 2023.

    Brian Green (right) of Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University, right, takes over as Carolinas GCSA president, succeeding Alex Tolbert (right) of Orangeburg Country Club in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Photo courtesy of Trent Bouts The record-setting success of the show illustrates the need for superintendents to network and learn from industry experts as well as from colleagues.
    "Of course, the golf industry is riding high but a week like this doesn't happen without something to bring it together," said Carolinas GCSA executive director Tim Kreger. 
    "And we certainly have 'it' here in the Carolinas with the community that has been built over the years. Our members thrive on getting together and learning from each other. Put that together with the service, quality and value we provide here at Conference and Show and that's why our show is what we saw last week - the biggest and best regional gathering of the golf course maintenance industry in the country."
    Another milestone this year was the number of companies that offered support outside presence on the trade show floor. A total of 50 companies sponsored a range of other activities associated with the gathering.

    Bob Farren, CGCS at Pinehurst Resort, (left) was named the recipient of the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award at this year's conference held recently in Myrtle Beach. USGA image In other news from this year's show:
    Brian Green of Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University was named the association's 52nd president, taking over from Alex Tolbert of Orangeburg (South Carolina) Country Club. Tim Carpenter, CGCS at Gaston Country Club in Gastonia, North Carolina, and Zac Ramey of The Country Club of Spartanburg (South Carolina), were elected to the Carolinas GCSA board of directors. Doug Lowe, CGCS at Greensboro (North Carolina) Country Club was elected to fill a board seat reserved for past presidents. Bob Farren, CGCS at Pinehurst Resort, was named the recipient of the association's Distinguished Service Award. Students from Clemson University won the 12-team turf bowl, breaking a five-year run by Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Chad Kintzer of The Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, was elected to a three-year term as president of the Turf Equipment Technicians Association of the Carolinas. Jake Teeter, from Winding Creek Golf Club in Thomasville, North Carolina, received the Bill Ledford Award as Turf Equipment Technician of the Year. Next year's conference is scheduled for Nov. 16-18 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
  • Jim Pavonetti, CGCS at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, is a regular on the environmental awards circuit. Jim Pavonetti photo Throughout his career as a superintendent, Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, has been dedicated to making the golf course where he works a more enjoyable experience for members and the community where he lives a more environmentally sustainable place to live for his family and neighbors.
    For his efforts, Pavonetti (right), a longtime member of TurfNet and the GCSAA, has been named the recipient of the association's 2025 President's Award for Environmental Stewardship.
    The award was established in 1991 to recognize "an exceptional environmental contribution to the game of golf; a contribution that further exemplifies the golf course superintendent’s image as a steward of the land" according to the GCSAA. Pavonetti will receive the award Feb. 2 at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Orlando.
    "Being named the recipient of the President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship is both an incredible honor and a complete surprise," Pavonetti said. "I had no idea I’d even been nominated, so when (GCSAA president) T.A. Barker called to share the news, I was genuinely stunned."
    The news should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Pavonetti's stewardship work.
    Pavonetti has been a regular ELGA honoree in his 18 years at Fairview Country Club. Recently he was named an ELGA winner in the Healthy Land Stewardship category, marking Pavonetti's third consecutive ELGA win. He was named the recipient of the Natural Resource Conservation Award last year and the Innovative Conservation Award recipient in 2023. He also is a four-time first runner-up in the ELGA competition — 2018 and 2019 Natural Resource Awards and 2021 and 2022 Innovative Conservation.
    Pavonetti employs what he described as an integrated approach to sustainability where every decision considers the impact on the environment. Those decisions are made to demonstrate how efforts to protect natural resources and demonstrate how environmental sustainability and course quality are not mutually exclusive.
    That integrated environmental plan includes:
    Water Conservation: Implemented advanced irrigation technology to save water and energy, while also making the golf course play better. Habitat Restoration: Established naturalized areas and pollinator habitats that enhance biodiversity and refuge for wildlife. Nutrient and Chemical Management: Use precision application and organic alternatives to minimize runoff and protect nearby waterways. Energy Efficiency: Transitioning to electric and hybrid equipment, while improving energy performance throughout the entire club’s facilities.
    Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, was first drawn to a career in golf by his love for the outdoors. Jim Pavonetti photo Pavonetti cites the work of a host of great superintendents in the Metropolitan New York area as inspiration for his own work in implementing environmental sustainable practices.
    "My love for the outdoors is what first drew me to a career in golf course management,"  he said. "Throughout my career, I’ve looked up to the hall-of-fame superintendents whose leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship set the standard for our industry—they inspired me to follow the same path. Guys like Ted Horton, Bob and Joe Alonzi, Peter Salinetti and Matt Ceplo were pioneers in these efforts, and I wanted to be like them as I grew in my career."
    In his 18th year at Fairview, Pavonetti is a graduate of the Rutgers turfgrass management program. He previously was superintendent at the Edison Club and the West Point Golf Course at the U.S. Military Academy.
    Last year, Pavonetti was named to the board of directors of Audubon International, which certifies the environmental stewardship efforts in several arenas, including golf, lodging and sustainable communities. Two years ago, he submitted his work at Fairview that netted the 2023 ELGA Innovative Conservation Award for consideration for a sustainability award given by the Greenwich Sustainability Committee. He did not win the award, but he was invited to sit on the committee as an expert on the BMP's of Fairview and eight other golf clubs in the Greenwich area.
    "Just as we refine our agronomic programs each season to improve the course for our membership, we continually look for ways to strengthen our sustainability practices," Pavonetti said. "When you apply those ideas consistently over decades, the impact truly adds up."
    A graduate of the Rutgers turfgrass management program, Pavonetti worked at West Point Golf Club at the U.S. Military Academy and earned a winter golf turf management certificate from Rutgers University. He served as the superintendent at two New York golf courses, West Point Golf Course for two years and The Edison Club for five years, before moving to Fairview Country Club in January 2008. He became a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) in 2009.
    The win places Pavonetti in elite company.
    Previous winners are: 2025 — Matt Gourlay, CGCS; 2024 — Wayne Mills; 2023 — J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D.; 2022 — Andrew Jorgensen, CGCS; 2021 — Matt Crowther, CGCS; 2020 — Gary Ingram, CGCS; 2019 — CourseCo; 2018 — Frank Rossi, Ph.D.; 2017 — Josh Heptig; 2016 — Peter McDonough; 2015 — Paul Carter, CGCS; 2014 — Roger Stewart, CGCS; 2013 — Matt Ceplo, CGCS; 2012 — David Phipps; 2011 — Dean Graves, CGCS; 2010 — Anthony Williams, CGCS; 2009 — Dan Dinelli, CGCS; 2008 — Jeff Carlson, CGCS; 2007 — Pinehurst Resort; 2006 — Golf in Colorado: An Independent Study of the 2002 Economic Impact and Environmental Aspects of Golf in Colorado — a collaborative effort by the Rocky Mountain GCSA, Colorado Golf Association, Colorado Women's Golf Association, Colorado Section of the PGA, Colorado Chapter of the Club Managers of America and the Colorado Chapter of the Golf Course Owners Association; 2005 — Stephen A. Kealy, CGCS; Peter Lund, CGCS; Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association; 2004 — Jeffrey L. Gullikson, CGCS; 2003 — Center for Resource Management; 2002 — Environmental Management Resource Manual; Canadian Golf Course Superintendents Association; 2001 — Michigan Turgrass Environmental Stewardship Program; 2000 — Tom Watschke, Ph.D.; 1999 — Ted Horton; 1998 — Joseph A. O' Brien; 1997 — Michael J. Hurdzan, Ph.D.; 1996 — USGA Environmental Research Program; 1995 — Tim Hiers, CGCS; 1993 — Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program; Audubon Society of New York State; USGA; 1991 — Cape Cod Study Participants: Bass River Country Club (Erwin Nash), Eastward Ho! (Brian Cowan, CGCS), Falmouth Country Club (J. Buckner Hall), Hyannisport Club (Charles Passios, CGCS).
  • Another historic golf course is about to bite the dust.
    Designed by Devereux Emmet and Alfred Tull, Cape Cod Country Club in Massachusetts is three years shy of its 100th year serving golfers in New England. It will not make it to its centennial.
    Representatives at a Falmouth town meeting on Nov. 17 voted to approve a plan that will transform almost one-third of the property's 137 acres into a solar energy farm, according to Boston.com. 
    The Cape Cod Commission voted in September to approve plans to include the golf course in the plans for the town's solar farm project. The measure then went before representatives Nov. 17 for approval. 
    "I believe that a sustainable energy project where the town would own the land, have no noise, have no traffic, need no town services, and have a portion of the donated land preserved as conservation seemed like a win for everyone," wrote CCCC owner David Friel in a letter about the project and the future of the property he says he has tried to sell for the past decade.
    Long before the November vote that green lights the plan to repurpose the nearly century-old course, Friel Golf Management already had reached a deal to sell the property to PureSky Energy, according to CapeNews.net. Under the terms of the plan PureSky has agreed to donate the land — comprising 137 acres — to the town and lease back 82 acres to erect more than 45,000 solar panels. The remaining land — about 55 acres — is earmarked for green space, including 42 acres of permanently conserved open space, 1.1 acres of wetlands and a 12-acre pond, according to the plan.
    Friel Golf Management had cited financial hardship fueled by declining popularity of the game as the trigger for selling the property.
    More than 2,100 golf courses (in 18-hole equivalents) have closed in the past 20 years, however, that trend has slowed since the Covid pandemic sent golfers old and new to the course in record numbers.

    Opened in 1928, Cape Cod Cod Country Club is set to be sold and part of the property used to house more than 45,000 panels as part of a solar energy project. CCCC photo Despite Friel's claims, According to the annual State of the Golf Industry report delivered by Pellucid Corp. and Edgehill Golf Advisors during the PGA Merchandise Show, there were 23.4 million golfers in the market last year as reported by TurfNet. Those figures include 4.3 million players who left the game, a number that was offset by a gain of 4.9 million new players, for a net gain of 600,000 new golfers, 400,000 of whom are women.  Those 23.4 million golfers played a record-high 532 million rounds in 2024, according to the report.
    "It was a motivated seller and a town that loves conservation, green energy and hates golf," said former CCCC superintendent Matthew Crowther, CGCS. "A real shame because it is a great piece of property and a tremendous golf course."
    The club has had several names since it opened in 1928, but the integrity of the course has remained relatively unchanged. For example, the course still utilizes a pump station that was built in the 1940s by German prisoners of war who were confined during World War II at nearby Otis Air National Guard Base on Joint Base Cape Cod (known then as Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Otis).
    "Designed by Devereux Emmet and Alfred Tull it is a perfect example of a classic era golf course," Crowther said. "The terrain is rolling hills with elevated tees and greens with blind shots and expansive corridors. The green complexes are the defense and truly amazing. It has never had extensive budgets or the renovations that alter the original design. I believe only one green has been rebuilt."
    Measures that went before the town on Nov. 17 were:
    Article 12, that allows the town to accept the donated land and authorize a lease for solar development. Article 13, that grants the Select Board the authority to petition the state legislature to accept the land as a gift and lease it back for solar development. Article 14, a petition counter-measure that would have nixed the plan.  Articles 12 and 13 passed, while the anti-solar Article 14 measure was defeated. A petition in support of Article 14 on Change.org to keep the property as a golf course has received more than 3,800 signatures.
    PureSky Energy says the project will provide enough energy to power 7 percent of the electricity needs in Barnstable County, located on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod.
    According to Energy Sage, a clearinghouse for information on green energy, solar projects have an average lifespan of 25-30 years. PureSky says after the project's operational lifespan, the panels will be removed and the land will be returned to conservation use.
    The project will next go before the Falmouth Planning Board for site plan review on Nov. 25, and, according to PureSky, is expected to be fully operational by mid-2027.
    "It has always been a public resort course with accommodations, polo fields and water sports in its hey day," Crowther said. "Although it has been just a golf course for decades it was a favorite of all who played it and will be sorely missed."
  • Toro and TerraRad have teamed up to provide superintendents with another tool to precisely meet their site-specific irrigation needs.
    Spatial Adjust is a software tool from Toro developed with TerraRad that integrates with the Toro Lynx Central Control system to provide streamlined, precision irrigation control for golf course superintendents while also eliminating the need for manual soil monitoring and sprinkler adjustments. 
    The software uses TerraRad smart sensors that are installed on Toro equipment to map soil moisture levels in real time during mowing. The data is logged by Spatial Adjust and transmitted to the Toro Lynx Central Control platform.
    The Spatial Adjust software analyzes the data, creating color-coded maps that highlight variations in soil moisture throughout the golf course and sending the superintendent sprinkler-specific irrigation adjustment recommendations. 

    Spatial Adjust software connects TerraRad's sensing technology with the Toro Lynx Central Control platform. Users can customize specific moisture level settings and even override the system as needed. Spatial Adjust is designed to help superintendents create consistent conditions and save water.
    Founded in 2020 with headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, TerraRad specializes in advanced soil-moisture sensing technology.
    Spatial Adjust is available for order now through the Toro network of distributors.
  • Nearly 100 active listings for interns on the TurfNet Jobs board illustrate the intense competition to attract tomorrow's golf course superintendents.
    Superintendents who are able to routinely attract top interns — as well as assistants — know that success hinges on showing candidates what they will take away from the experience, not telling them what will be expected of them — or else.
    At the Quechee (VT) Club, that means a customized experience based in part on what the intern wants to learn. 
    "When we interview people, we tell them they are going to get hands-on experience. We are going to tailor the job to your experience," said Ken Lallier (right), property manager at Quechee. "We try to get them for more than one year, and when they leave they will be ready to be an assistant superintendent."
    That experience also means on-site housing in a farmhouse on Lake Pinneo that the club owns. The building has a restaurant on the ground floor and apartments upstairs.
    "We've always offered housing for the simple reason that every intern we get is typically young and not from the area," Lallier said. "They need to find a place to live. In our area, housing is cost-prohibitive: $2,000 is the starting rate for a studio apartment. If you're making $20 or $22 an hour, that's just not realistic. It's not the Taj Mahal, but we don't charge them anything."

    Pine Canyon Club in Flagstaff, Arizona, where Josh Clevenger, below, is director of agronomy, covers the cost of off-site housing for interns. Pine Canyon photo Josh Clevenger tells a similar story at Pine Canyon Club in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he is in his fifth year as director of agronomy after a decade at Claremont Country Club near Oakland, California.
    Pine Canyon used to help cover the cost of housing. That has changed to fully funding the cost of short-term housing for interns since Clevenger has been there.
    "We wouldn't be able to attract interns without it," Clevenger said. 
    "We don't have on-site housing. We rented apartments in the past. This year, we rented a townhome for the entire summer. We were able to provide housing for two interns and two assistants."
    Unlike places like Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson, where play peaks in winter and during the shoulder seasons, Flagstaff, with an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet, has a traditional summer golf season.
    This year, Clevenger was looking for winter housing, to provide a longer experience for Pine Canyon's interns. He used the Furnished Finder web site to locate short-term housing in Flagstaff, the site of Northern Arizona University. The school has an enrollment of 28,000.
    "I always wanted to start an intern program in California, but we didn't have housing. The only courses that had interns also had housing. In the Bay area, you had to go 30 miles east of Oakland to find something that was affordable. Flagstaff is a college town with no shortage of options for housing.
    "I don't see how we could be competitive in the market without (housing)."
    That was a lesson he learned in California, where the club did not offer housing for interns.
    "I always wanted to start a program there," he said. "The only courses that had interns also had housing."
    Even with free on-site housing at Quechee, competing for interns with larger clubs in the Northeast can be a challenge, so Lallier, who is in his 38th year at the club, also sells amenities and lifestyle experiences that do not show up on a paycheck. The club converts to a ski resort in the winter, and there are other outdoors activities throughout the area.

    Ken Lallier says he also sells the proximity to other outdoor activities to attract interns to the Quechee Club in Vermont. Quechee Club photo "The pool of people who want to come here is already shallow. The big clubs build dorms and siphon off a dozen interns. That doesn't leave much for the rest of us who want interns," he said. 
    "We'll interview them, and they'll have six other interviews. You think it's a good interview, then they call and they're taking another job. If you like the outdoors, there is so much to do here: fish, ski, hunt. We try to sell that."
    The Country Club of Detroit has had housing for interns in an on-site house the club owns since before director of agronomy Ross Miller, CGCS (right), arrived there 13 years ago.
    Although that makes it easier to recruit interns, Miller says it is as important if not more to focus on the intern experience.
    "There are tons of world-class facilities within a half-hour," Miller said. "It's not just about housing. You have to build relationships with the universities so they know their interns are going to learn a lot when they are here. Eighty percent of our interns are not married to a property, but more so to a learning experience.
    "When we interview them, we look to see if they are going to be a good culture fit. What are they looking to get, and what are you able to provide?"

    Ross Miller, CGCS at the Country Club of Detroit, says golf maintenance is not just a turf business, but is also a people business. Ross Miller photo Trying to find the right person begins long before that initial interview. It is important, Miller says, to be up front when listing a job. And it is just as important for those seeking internships to be just as open and honest about their expectations and what will be expected of them. 
    "It's a turf business, but it's also a people business. You can damage relationships with potential interns from universities for quite some time if you are not transparent with them," Miller said. "Part of that transparency is in the job posting. But there has to be an understanding, but to get that you have to earn that. Show us that you are proficient and excel in the basics then we will teach you want to learn."
  • A tool to help professional turf managers manage many species of nematodes as well as a variety of common soil-borne diseases recently received federal label registration by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    With the active ingredient cyclobutrifluram, Trefiniti is a nematicide/fungicide product that utilizes Syngenta's Tymirium technology that supports the plant's ability to resist pressure from root diseases and nematodes on greens, tees and fairways.
    The new product from Syngenta is registered for control of sting, lance, root-knot and Anguina Pacifica nematode species. It also is registered for control of diseases such as fairy ring, mini-ring, spring dead spot and take-all root rot.

    "While light sandy soils have historically been conducive to nematode issues, nematodes can be found in all soil types," Lane Tredway, Ph.D., technical services manager for turf at Syngenta, said in a news release. "Over the past decade, we have conducted extensive testing to address this growing issue for turfgrass managers. The sustained R&D investment has led to Trefinti, a groundbreaking solution for controlling elusive, damaging nematodes that also offers powerful control of root diseases."
    Researchers recommend rotating Trefinti with another nematicide in areas with high nematode populations or substantial damage. A rotation with another nematicide also can help expand control of other nematode species, such as spiral and stubby root, as well as resistance management for sting and root-knot species. Trefinti can be applied as a broadcast spray or spot treatment. It will be available once it receives registration at the state level.
    "Trefinti delivers what superintendents have been asking for—broader-spectrum nematode control including lance," said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager at Syngenta, "plus the added benefit of soil-borne disease protection in one solution."
  • Ask any golfer, and they will say that providing great putting greens is Job 1 of a golf course superintendent.
    In an era where the anti-golf crowd can be loud, the job also is about education and environmental stewardship. The GCSAA recognizes those efforts through an annual awards program.
    The association recently honored four superintendents as recipients of the 2025 Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards. Seven runners-up also received recognition for their environmental stewardship efforts.
    The 2025 ELGA winners are: Healthy Land Stewardship Award — Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Connecticut; Communication and Outreach Award — Kevin Goss, Sugar Creek Golf Course, Villa Park, Illinois; Innovative Conservation Award — Robin Sadler, Mickelson National Golf Club, Calgary Alberta; and Natural Resource Conservation Award — Justin Brimley, Crystal Springs Golf Course, Burlingame, California.
    Since 1993, the awards have been conferred upon superintendents and golf courses around the world for their commitment to environmental stewardship, and since 2018 have reflected environmental best management practices and specific areas of focus.
    ELGA Award Categories
    Communications and Outreach Award: Recognizes effective communication of conservation strategies with facility employees, golfers and other members of the community. Healthy Land Stewardship Award: Recognizes effective strategies for efficient use of pesticides and nutrients, as well as pollution prevention. Innovative Conservation Award: Recognizes unique and innovative strategies for conservation. Natural Resource Conservation Award: Recognizes effective strategies for water conservation, energy conservation and sound wildlife management. "Golf course superintendents are committed to environmental sustainability and producing enjoyable playing conditions," said GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans. "The ELGA recipients are great examples of being able to combine these goals. We are proud of their accomplishments."
    The 2025 ELGA winners and runners-up include:
    Healthy Land Stewardship Award
    Jim Pavonetti, CGCS
    Fairview Country Club, Greenwich, Connecticut
    Pavonetti is a regular ELGA honoree in his 18 years at Fairview Country Club. This year marked Pavonetti's third consecutive ELGA win. He was named the recipient of the Natural Resource Conservation Award last year and the Innovative Conservation Award recipient in 2023. 
    Pavonetti also is a four-time first runner-up in the ELGA competition — 2018 and 2019 Natural Resource Awards and 2021 and 2022 Innovative Conservation.
    His stewardship efforts are not limited to Fairview's greens, tees and fairways. He is a member of Greenwich's Sustainability Committee that identifies and implements environmental policies throughout the town, and he serves on the board of directors of Audubon International.
    He praised the work of his team in securing this year's ELGA award. Pavonetti says his team has embraced data-driven course-management programs, and the detailed information they yield have helped reduce pesticide use by 10 percent and cutting water usage by 20 percent.
    He achieves water savings thanks to air diffusers and barley straw in cages for pond aeration, infrared cameras, moisture meters and sensors to identify and manage areas of need and interseeding newer drought- and pest-tolerant varieties of creeping bentgrass. 
    "I am incredibly thrilled and honored to receive the Healthy Land Stewardship Award," Pavonetti said in a news release. "As the golf course superintendent of Fairview Country Club, this recognition means so much. It reflects the passion and teamwork of our staff and members who care deeply about keeping our course sustainable and our property naturally beautiful."
    First Runner-up: Jorge Mendoza, Green River Golf Club, Corona, California
    Second Runner-up: Michael Bednar, Palouse Ridge Golf Club, Pullman, Washington

    Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, has been named an ELGA recipient the past three years at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. Jim Pavonetti photo Communication and Outreach Award
    Kevin Goss
    Sugar Creek Golf Course, Villa Park, Illinois
    Goss has been the superintendent at nine-hole Sugar Creek Golf Course since 2009. Sugar Creek also is where Goss learned the game growing up and where he started working on golf courses at age 16, so he has a unique affection for the property.
    Goss shares the word about Sugar Creek's environmental initiatives through presentations, journal articles, posters and on social media. He also hosts field trips for community groups and students from the College of DuPage, where he is a guest speaker and advisory committee member.
    During his time at Sugar Creek, Goss has contributed to Elmhurst Park District environmental committees in the areas of environmental policy, energy conservation, invasive species management, and recycling.
    In 2024, the golf course completed a streambank naturalization project that positively affected the watershed and local ecosystem.
    "Thanks to the whole group involved in the Sugar Creek Restoration Project, I have been asked to give tours to many groups," Goss said. "Many are surprised and excited to see butterflies, bees, herons, hummingbirds, turtles, and native plants thriving at their local golf course."
    Goss, the first runner-up for the Healthy Land Stewardship ELGA in 2023, also designs posters about local wildlife, native plants and environmental projects to keep golfers informed at the clubhouse.
    First Runner-up: Christopher Hayman, The Crossings at Carlsbad, Carlsbad, California
    Second Runner-up: Carl Thompson, CGCS, Columbia Point Golf Course, Richland, Washington
    Natural Resource Conservation Award
    Justin Brimley
    Crystal Springs Golf Course, Burlingame, California
    Crystal Springs, where Brimley has been the superintendent for six years, is surrounded by native habitat that supports abundant wildlife, and is adjacent to the Lower Crystal Springs Reservoir. The 58,000 acre feet impoundment is a major source of potable water for the San Francisco Bay area. 
    The course, where former superintendent Tim Powers, CGCS, was a National Overall ELGA winner in 2011, has been certified with the Audubon Sanctuary Program and Habitat Control since 1998.
    Conservation efforts under Brimley include expanding native areas to reduce water use and creating 20 acres of habitat corridors.
    Brimley was the recipient of the 2022 ELGA Healthy Land Stewardship Award and was the second runner-up for the Natural Resource Conservation Award each of the past two years. He also was the second runner-up for the Healthy Land  Stewardship honor in 2015.
    First Runner-up: Patrick Parkins, TPC Las Vegas, Las Vegas
    Second Runner-up: Robert Esposo, Pacific Grove (California) Golf Links

    Wildlife corridors are an integral part of the stewardship efforts at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Burlingame, California. Crystal Springs photo Innovative Conservation Award
    Robin Sadler
    Mickelson National Golf Club, Calgary, Alberta
    Sadler is in his fifth year at Mickelson National Golf Club, which has been recognized as one of the top environmental golf courses in the world.
    Sadler's environmental initiatives include utilizing solar power for eco-friendly algae control, grass clipping separator, reducing water use by 13 percent, honey harvesting and a lithium battery-powered equipment fleet.
    He also has become a voice for sustainable management practices throughout Canada.
    First Runner-up: James Sua, CGCS, Pei Tou Kuo Hua Golf and Country Club, Taipei, Taiwan
    Click here for a complete list of past winners and runners-up.
  • Nearly a century of golf history at the University of Minnesota ended this fall.
    Citing financial challenges and the increasing cost of maintenance, the University of Minnesota has closed the 96-year-old Les Bolstad Golf Course and plans to sell the 140.9 acres on which the course is located, according to the university.
    Designed in 1929 by Tom Vardon, the course officially closed its doors on Oct. 30. The course employed about 60 University of Minnesota students in a variety of roles.
    According to the university: "The golf course does not generate funding needed for the extensive repairs and upkeep that would ensure its ongoing viability."
    The property will be sold as-is, including all existing infrastructure and buildings. The adjacent John W. Mooty Golf Facility and associated short game outdoor training area, used by the university's golf teams, as well as Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium that is used by the women's soccer team are not part of the sale.

    The University of Minnesota closed the Les Bolstad Golf Course permanently on Oct. 30. The course has been serving the university and the local community since 1929. Playing 6,259 yards from the back tees, the golf course was home to both accomplished college players as well newcomers to the game and everyone in between.
    The university's golf teams, while continuing to practice on the adjacent site, will play home matches 15 miles away at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
    The golf course was identified by university officials as a potential area of opportunity for sale as far back as 2021. Proceeds from the sale will be earmarked for use in "areas more directly aligned with the core mission of teaching, research and service."
    The course's namesake, Les Bolstad, was the youngest U.S. Public Links Championship winner in 1926, at age 18, a record that stood for almost 40 years. He joined the University of Minnesota golf team the following year in 1927, where he won two Big Ten championships. 
    After a professional golf career, Bolstad was named coach of the university's men's golf team in 1947, a position he held for 30 years.
  • In an event that should resonate with the golf community, more than a dozen shelter dogs have new homes thanks to an adoption event held annually at the Equip Expo.
    The TurfMutt Foundation's seventh annual Mulligan's Mutt Madness, held in partnership with the Kentucky Humane Society at Equip Exposition in October in Louisville, helped find new homes for 13 shelter dogs. Brandon McMillan, an Emmy-winning dog trainer, TV personality and host of the show Lucky Dog, was on hand at the event where TurfMutt presented a $10,000 donation to KHS. 
    "It's incredible that 13 lucky dogs left Equip to start their new lives with people who have a soft spot for the green industry and dogs in need," said Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the TurfMutt Foundation.
    First-time Equip attendee Annie Brock adopted Skid, a chihuahua.
    "He was super calm for a chihuahua, and that's really what I liked about him," she said. "Skid is doing great here at our farm in Illinois. He loves my other two dogs and he and my daughter are already best buds." 

    A total of 13 shelter dogs were placed in permanent homes thanks to the TurfMutt Foundation and the Equipment Exposition in Louisville, Kentucky. Jessica Shinkle, an event manager at the Kentucky Expo Center, the site venue for Equip, took home Rose. 
    "I always go to the Mutt Madness to look at the cute pups, but when I saw Rose, I knew she would be a great playmate for our 2-year-old dog, Jack. He is super gentle with Rose, and we are very pleased with our new addition." 
    Over the years, Mutt Madness has placed more than 100 dogs in forever homes. Mulligan, the namesake dog for the event, was adopted by Kiser at the 2019 Mutt Madness event.
    "It's hard to beat seeing great dogs find great people," said Alisa Gray, president and CEO of the Kentucky Humane Society. "This year, we had Equip attendees coming to our shelter the next day to adopt dogs they met at the event."
    In its 16th year, TurfMutt was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute's TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. The foundation is title sponsor of "Lucky Dog," the Emmy-winning television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation.
  • CMF Global Inc. and Prinsco have teamed up to provide turf professionals with a one-stop shopping experience for irrigation and drainage pipe.
    CMF Global, the maker of the AquaFuse line of high-density polyethylene irrigation system solutions for the golf and turf industry, has entered into a strategic partnership with Prinsco, a manufacturer of HDPE drainage and water-management products.
    Through this alliance, CMF Global and Prinsco will provide irrigation and drainage solutions and support for golf course architects, consultants and contractors worldwide in one place.
    By leveraging their combined strengths, the companies aim to provide reliable, sustainable water management solutions that promote efficient and successful project outcomes throughout the golf and turf sectors.

    "Our partnership with CMF Global is a natural fit because we're both deeply committed to the idea that relationships matter," read a Prinsco news release. "Working with a partner who shares our values-led approach allows us to better serve our customers with a high level of personal attention and expertise."
    With headquarters in Willmar, Minnesota, Prinsco is a fourth-generation, family-owned company that operates with a foundation of core values—hard work, integrity, relationships, and humility. The company marked its 50th anniversary this year. Prinsco began manufacturing products for agricultural water management and over time expanded to include stormwater solutions for commercial construction, retail products for residential use and septic systems for the onsite wastewater market.
    San Diego-based CMF Global specializes in high-density polyethylene solutions, offering a wide range of products including pipes, valves, fittings, fusion machines and small hydroelectric equipment for irrigation and infrastructure projects worldwide.
  • The late artist formerly known as Prince was looking into the future in 1982 when he told he was going to "party like it's 1999."
    Unlike Prince, Thom Nikolai, Ph.D., (at right) of Michigan State University is, in a sense, going back in time to that same era to repeat much of the same rolling research he made famous two decades ago. 
    After conceding that most golf course superintendents were up to speed on his rolling research, Nikolai, who was dubbed Dr. Green Speed, dismissed the topic during speaking engagements quite a while ago.  
    "I stopped discussing rolling in talks probably seven or eight years ago. I figured everybody knew about it by now," Nikolai said.
    That is, until a roller company recently approached him to pick up where he'd left off when they noticed roller sales. Shortly after the 2024 GCSAA conference in Phoenix, he received funding for a multi-year study to show the many benefits of lightweight rolling on golf course greens.
    "They want me to do everything I've already done. Well, why?" he said "None of these young guys want to roll anymore. They don't care about the research I did in the '90s."
    Nikolai recounted a recent speaking engagement where his window to speak was chopped down from 90 minutes to 30 minutes to make time for an unrelated outdoor demo.
    As Nikolai explained the benefits of rolling, attendees who knew nothing about the practice implored him to continue past his appointed stop time.
    "When I stopped, people's mouths fell open and they were dead silent," he said. "Then they asked me if I could go on. I told them I could talk for an-hour-and-a-half. They said, 'can you go for 20 more minutes?' They said they thought rolling killed grass."
    Some of those findings in that early research that changed the way educated superintendents manage greens today surprised even Nikolai.
    His early trials consisted of alternating mowing and rolling every other day, rolling every two days and eventually rolling daily without any negative effects on turf health. In fact, quite the opposite was true.

    Thom Nikolai, Ph.D., changed the way superintendents maintain greens with cutting-edge rolling research two decades ago. He is now conducting multi-year rolling research project to educate those who missed the message the first time as well as to get the results published. Tru-Turf image "I was afraid to tell people what I'd found," Nikolai said. "I knew they would be afraid of compaction.
    "I have not seen a change in bulk density. I've seen a change in pore size, but not enough to influence bulk density."
    The economic benefits of rolling do not require peer approval.
    "Have you ever seen anyone have to backlap a roller? Have you ever seen anyone change the reels on a roller?" he asked. "Me either."
    Nikolai's groundbreaking research on the benefits of rolling greens became the cornerstone of cultural practices for many superintendents.
    "On Mondays we're closed, but we roll six days a week all year," said Ross Miller, CGCS at The Country Club of Detroit. "We mow based on clipping yield when we reach a half-quart of clippings per thousand (square feet). We can maintain green speed with rolling."
    His work showed anecdotal evidence of many other benefits besides just a smoother putting surface. 
    Dr. Green Speed's top 10 reasons to roll
    Improved golfer satisfaction by producing a smoother putting surface Economic impact — a program of alternating mowing and rolling every other day, or rolling daily and mowing less often is cheaper than mowing daily and still allows the superintendent to maintain consistent green speeds Disease resistance — his research showed that plots that were rolled had less incidence of dollar spot than control plots Rolling improves topdressing incorporation Reduced cutworm activity — mowing followed by rolling is thought to pick up cutworm eggs that are laid on the turf surface Improved plant health by raising height of cut while still maintaining desired green speeds Increased moisture retention without an increase in compaction, which resulted in a reduction of localized dry spot Reduction of broadleaf weeds, moss and algae Improved seedbed preparation Rolling before mowing can reduce the threat of scalping by reducing what Nikolai calls thatch swelling The benefits exhibited in his research, however, were purely anecdotal, and none of the work conducted at the Hancock Research Center on the MSU campus and other locations like Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort, Michigan, was refereed or published in a scientific journal.
    He knows rolling works, but what he hopes to prove in this latest research is the science behind those benefits, or the "how" it works.
    "Where we were double-rolling in March, to be honest, looked terrible, but it looked awesome in April," he said. "It greens-up in April two to three times faster than the check plot, and the snow mold disappears almost overnight.
    "I know that rolling decreased dollar spot more than nitrogen. Why? I don't know. I didn't publish the research. I'm getting really good at saying this for an answer: I don't know."
    He does have his theories. Now, he just has to prove them as he embarks on his second year of the study.
    "Rolling does a couple of things," he said. "It keeps soil temperature colder, I think that's because it holds more water after rolling. We've also found that rolling has resulted in strongly improved bacteria populations in soil. Diseases are caused by fungi. More bacteria in the soil may take away the food source for the disease and put beneficial nutrients in the plant. That would be my hypothesis. 
    "We just took more samples, and we're going to look at it again. I'm the person who knows better than anyone else that you need two years of data to publish it."
    A second round of research will give him that opportunity.
    "I was dumbfounded when I was asked to do that research again," he said. "I thought I solved that problem already. What did I do wrong? I thought I beat that horse to death."
  • In three decades as a plant scientist at his alma mater, Clemson University professor emeritus Bert McCarty, Ph.D., has developed a global reputation for his expertise in turfgrass science and weed biology and control.
    McCarty recently was named the recipient of the GCSAA Outstanding Contribution Award. The annual award recognizes "someone who has made a significant contribution to (GCSAA) membership, through outstanding contributions for the golf course industry." McCarty will receive the award Feb. 2 at the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Orlando.
    "His commitment and passion for turfgrass science over the last four decades is a prime example of what the Outstanding Contribution Award celebrates," said GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans.
    It was as an undergraduate at Clemson, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1981, that McCarty first considered a career serving the golf industry.

    Bert McCarty, Ph.D., of Clemson University recently was named the recipient of the GCSAA Outstanding Contribution Award. Photo courtesy of Trent Bouts "At that point, I knew I wanted to go into turf, and at that time golf was the most lucrative portion of turf," McCarty said. "A professor advised me to do an internship at a golf course, and that was what I was doing — intern, summer help, gofer. Whatever. What I did, I really enjoyed, and I knew that was the life I wanted to live. I wanted to be a professional turf person."
    McCarty went on to earn a master's degree in turfgrass management in 1983 from North Carolina State and returned to Clemson where he graduated in 1986 with a doctoral degree in plant physiology and pathology.
    His career included a stop at the University of Florida before returning to Clemson in 1996.
    During his career, McCarty's name has become synonymous with cutting-edge weed science and he has been a trusted voice in researching new herbicide chemistries.
    McCarty authored or co-authored about 20 books, including “Best Golf Course Management Practices,” which became a useful tool in helping researchers and superintendents develop BMP guidelines and publications, including one for golf courses in North and South Carolina that he authored in 2014 with Jim Kerns, Ph.D., of NC State.

    Bert McCarty, Ph.D., (left) of Clemson University and colleague Jim Kerns, Ph.D., of North Carolina State University co-authored BMPs for golf courses in the Carolinas in 2015. File photo He has contributed to dozens of other books, authored 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, 175 extension service publications and has delivered hundreds of in-person presentations around the world.
    McCarty's dedication and service to the golf industry has resulted in several awards. McCarty received the Distinguished Service Award given by Clemson's College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences. Other awards include the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award in 2018, and the 2014 Fred Grau Turfgrass Science Award presented by the Crop Science Society of America "in recognition of significant career contributions in turfgrass science during the most recent 15 years." He has been named a Fellow of both the CSSA and the American Society of Agronomy.
    "I like teaching. I like site visits," McCarty said. "I like being at golf courses, trying to figure out issues, problems and solutions. I don't do near the research I used to, but I do the things now that interest me, things that have the potential to impact the industry in a positive way. It's been a great run for me. I enjoy the business. I enjoy the university lifestyle. I still teach and do research. Very few days of mine are alike. Every day is different. It's been a great run."
    Past winners of the award are: Larry Stowell, Ph.D., and Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D., PACE Turfgrass (2025); Tenia Workman, Georgia GCSA (2024); Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., North Carolina State University (2023); Jack Fry, Ph.D., Kansas State University (2022).
  • The company that has become synonymous with high-level golf in Wisconsin soon will begin work on a new golf experience that should appeal to players of all levels.
    Kohler Co. announced plans for Purebred Farm, a 14-hole course that will be located near Blackwolf Run in the company's namesake village. 
    King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design of Chattanooga, Tennessee, will design the course. Construction is scheduled to begin this year and open in fall 2027. Blackwolf Run is home to two regulation golf courses — the River and Meadow Valleys — and The Baths, a 10-hole, par-3 layout.

    A King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design rendering of the proposed No. 7 hole at the 14-hole Purebred Farm Golf Course in Kohler, Wisconsin. The firm's portfolio includes Sweetens Cove in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, and completion of a master plan for famed Royal Dornoch in Scotland.
    Spanning 47 acres and about 4,900 yards, the walking-only, multi-loop Purebred Farm layout will feature a mix of par 3s, 4s, and 5s inspired by Golden Age golf architecture. The course utilizes the area's natural prairie and river valley landscapes without impacting native wetlands and preserving existing hiking trails, demonstrating the company's commitment to both sustainability as well as growing the game. Kohler's historic Tomczyk Cabin – a lodging option in the Kohler Cabin Collection – will transition into a rest station.
    "Our new course will reflect a minimalist design style in an environmentally conscious way," Dirk Willis, vice president of golf, landscape and retail for Kohler Hospitality told Golf Business News. "We will use the natural terrain when setting locations for tees, fairways and greens."
    Other projects on the drawing board for Kohler include groundbreaking of The Serve, a premier racquet sports facility, and renovation of The Carriage House at The American Club Resort Hotel.
  • For crew members seeking grassroots education in golf course management science and principles, the GCSAA recently launched its Greenkeeper Certificate program.
    The entry-level program is part of the GCSAA's workforce development initiative.
    To earn the certificate, crew members must successfully complete six webinars, pass an exam and demonstrate proficiency in turfgrass prep and maintenance, equipment use and safety, teamwork, communication and golf course etiquette.
    "Labor continues to be a top challenge for the golf course management industry, and GCSAA is committed to helping our members find, train and retain qualified crew members," said GCSAA chief executive officer Rhett Evans. "The Greenkeeper Certificate program offers the opportunity to train crew and recognize high performers, which we hope will encourage them to continue along a career path in the industry."

    The GCSAA Greenkeeper Certificate program provides entry-level employees with basic instruction on golf course management science and principles, as well as equipment use and safety. Photo by John Reitman Key concepts of the entry-level instruction program are:
    Turfgrass prep and maintenance Equipment use and safety Teamwork, communication, golf course etiquette Webinar instruction, an exam and skills demonstration No time limit to complete the program Click here for more information, or to register.
    In other news, Steven Spatafore, (right) director of agronomy at Los Altos (California) Golf and Country Club, has been named the recipient of the GCSAA's 2026 Emerging Leader Award.
    The award recognizes an individual "who serves the industry as a superintendent with less than five years of experience" or a student or assistant superintendent "who displays continuous growth in service and leadership".
    Spatafore interned at Valhalla, Cypress Point and Pasatiempo. After graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, he spent one year as an assistant-in-training at Pebble Beach and as an assistant superintendent at Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill, California.
    He was promoted to superintendent at Contra Costa in September 2020 and served in that position until June of 2025 when he was named as the director of agronomy at Los Altos Golf and Country Club.
    A past president of the Northern California GCSA chapter, Spatafore serves as a mentor for associates just as former supervisors did for him. He is active in the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador program, Government Affairs Committee and PAC Board and has participated in meetings with members of Congress and their surrogates during the past two editions of National Golf Day.
    Spatafore will receive the award during the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in February in Orlando.

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