Based on the title of this blog you may be thinking how your team works with native plants, resource conservation, or uses alternative fuel. I am thinking of sustainability from a different vantage point. Crew sustainability asks 'can your team survive?' Put another way, this blog asks can you survive AND be successful over the long term? The landscapes we manage are constantly changing. Most often our responsibilities are increasing while the resources we are provided by our parent organization
In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, RW reveals an important secret to leadership success, while Jelsik gets a rough mower stuck in the lake and Boof loses his radio. Cletus is forced to put those nasty water jugs back out, Ludell makes his illegal mushroom burgers again and the beer cart driver quits.
Momma inspects the bunkhouse and the winner of The Turpentine Corncob is announced. Just a normal day at Rockbottum CC.
Presented by DryJect.
“Superintendents are their own worst enemies.” — Anonymous Greenkeeper
Many of us know this to be true and can think of a time in our careers when we made things more difficult than they needed to be. Perhaps we suffered through expectations that simply weren’t realistic, constantly aimed for perfection, or tried to do it all on our own. Our jobs are demanding enough to begin with, but by times we layer more on and suffer because of it.
I revisited this notion recently as I made my wa
On this episode of Rockbottum CC, (the longest running webisode on the whole dang internet) a mysterious leak at Jelsik Muldoon's GMO lab results in retirement fever sweeping over Rockbottum.
Roy Dell takes advantage of the crisis by attempting to gain control of the club while Willy prepares to hand over the reins of power to Bodell and Jimmy Dell, who have encountered the secretive head of an evil organization known as Turftruth or TurfPoof--hard to determine because they exist only on t
All of us want to be good employees and work with good employees, but how does that happen? Companies utilize many ways to quantify employee performance and determine who is measuring up and who is not. There are job descriptions, annual evaluations, coaching sessions, employee reward programs and other approaches to get the best out of people. But far too often there is disagreement over who is doing a respectable job. The lack of clarity can be frustrating for employees who are doing a satisfa
1969, Southwest of Fresno: It was nearing midnight on a chilly Friday in October, when an old school bus rattled into the driveway of the Polvadero Country Club, a nine holer out in the middle of the nowhere known as Kettleman Hills. The bus was loaded with high school football players being delivered home after an away game in Kerman. Fernando the driver was skillfully circling the empty clubhouse parking lot when his headlights swept across a woman standing alone, holding a shotgun at port
Most supers I know have at least one special spot on their properties that is their quiet place. It usually has a nice view, is set apart from the line of play, and generally brings with it a sense of peace. I happen to have more than a few spots like that (I like to pause often) and I recently found myself in one of the more unique spots reflecting on this post. The spot I speak of is actually on an adjacent property to the golf course, but is used to be part of our operation.
This propert
In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, RW discusses working for corporations and the increasing complexities of lengthy supply line disruptions in modern times.
Ludell returns from the future to explain how Gen Z solved the problem of professional politicians... and reveals what golf can expect from corporate water tech.
In Storytime, RW tells the tale of his first encounter with corporate indentured servitude: Woolworth's.
Presented by DryJect.
Are your stress levels cranked up to "Berserker" and beyond? Is your brain simmering in stress soup courtesy of too much input?
If so, take a few moments to learn The Rockbottum CC Method* for Adjusting Your Brain Chemistry Naturally--and become a happy and relaxed human for several hours.
*NOTE: Does not require beating a golf vandal senseless, although . . .
Infrastructure is a hot topic in our country right now. While it seems to me many different voices agree we should be investing in infrastructure, there seems to be significant differences over how much we should invest. Perhaps even more importantly, there are differences over what even defines infrastructure. While most agree roads and pipes qualify, past that agreement ends. For those of us in the Green Industry, the components of our work are rarely considered infrastructure. Not only is thi
I’ve been thinking about less a lot lately. Exploring the idea of subtraction, but more so about the notion of addition by subtraction. Our culture seems bent on development, expansion and constantly adding to what already exists. Opposition to this idea can leave you in the company of a very small minority, but what about the virtues of simplicity, unlearning and removal? How many times in your life has taking something away left you with something far more precious and manageable? How many tim
According to Ludell's contacts in the intelligence community, June of 2021 will see a huge release of UFO film, video, and documents formerly classified beyond Top Secret.
(They will, however, continue to suppress the mysterious connection between golf and Alien Space Ships.)
If you can handle the truth, watch this explosive film from RBCC, the longest running webisode on the whole dang internet.
Early in my career I was the Head Groundskeeper at a hospital in Northern Virginia. Like many hospitals mine was invested in community health and each year held a major screening and education event for the area. Because of the size of the event, volunteers were looked for from all areas of the hospital. Being eager to help my organization, I volunteered. The day of the event I checked in to get my assignment and was seriously disappointed to be assigned trash detail. While this was not the end
As superintendents we are very familiar with patterns. They affect our jobs in a great many ways. We fine tune mowing patterns on a daily basis. We keep schedules and time clocks to maintain the work patterns for our teams. And we keep meticulous records of all of our comings and goings in order to recognize flaws in the pattern in order to make any necessary corrections to keep our operations running smoothly.
One pattern we tend to follow more than any other, some would day even religious
Has your crew been ill-tempered lately? Kind of . . . on the edge, showing signs of unrest? Have you heard them muttering phrases like, "Took my stapler" or "Aye, Captain Bligh" while they work dark to dark?
Could be you're working them like a rented mule, while you and the assistants attend tea parties at the clubhouse, Downton Abbey style. Maybe the pay is too low, especially if somebody's lazy brother-in-law is sitting home making more on unemployment, running up high scores on Call o
Trees are a well-known part of most landscapes. I can’t think of anyone that hates their trees although several segments of our industry may have a more nuanced relationship with them (think golf course Superintendents and sports field managers). I, however, am a through-and-through treehugger (smile when you say that). Given my connection with trees, I have always planted quite a number at each of my professional stops. Therefore, it was no surprise when in my role with Mississippi State Univer
There's an old saying in football coaching: "It ain't the X's and the O's, it's the Jimmies and the Joes." The winless coach considers this to be profound wisdom, while the winning coach will stress the quality of leadership as the most important factor in a team's success. While coaching high school football, after my GCS career was over, I learned that the X's and O's rule was really more of a 50/50 formula. Even a great coach can't win if the team is a bunch of cupcakes . . . but it work
Take a moment to reflect on a major journey that you have embarked on. It could be anything at all really; from pursuing a lifelong dream or goal like growing and mowing grass for a living, conquering a fear or barrier, or facing headlong into a major health crisis. You may even be in the midst of the journey at this very moment.
Allow yourself to pause and let the reflection permeate your consciousness… feel it in your bones and sit with it for a spell.
How do you process the idea
All of us have heard the adage “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. Of course, many have also heard “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. One of my favorites, attributed to Abraham Lincoln and also appropriate to the green industry is “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe” . Regardless of how we view planning, it is essential to achieving goals and successful team operation.
My career has now landed me in a position that
The following online film course, "Extreme Golfer Personality Disorders" is an uncomfortable, brutal look at what lies in wait for the turf school graduate, and as such, should probably be viewed by veteran golf course superintendents only.
If you complete the course, you will not only accumulate 15 CEUs for Mystic Order of Greenkeeper certification, but will join the ranks of famous superintendents like Brian Nettz, Anthony Williams, Fred Gehrisch and Mark Hoban. (Mark had to take the t
In this film from Rockbottum CC, nematode specialist Derek Settle reveals new 'Tode Warfare secrets.
To give you some idea of how dedicated this guy is, the only time we could catch up with him was Christmas morning. Instead of opening presents around the digital fire, Derek was out in the freezing cold, helping the TurfNet Village prepare for nematode season. (We have enough microscopic trouble to deal with already, we don't need more, especially in our greens.)
Also in this episode
