Every now and again a book comes along that really connects with people close to you. Originally from an uncle, given to my mother in law, then passed to my son and then my wife, the book by James Rebanks has made the family rounds. As my wife Jill finished reading it, she turned to me in bed and stated, "You have to read this. You will get it. There are so many parallels between his life and yours."
The work tells the story of a forgotten way of life in the Lake District of the nort
It's Storytime.
My personal record for running off golf pros is 13, if you count my getting Dad fired twice. The first time was an accident, but the second time was more Dad's fault. He should have run a background check on me. I hit a real winning streak in my forties, with seven pros abdicating their crown during a ten year period.
The one pro I wanted to stay, however, was Larry Nelson and I think he left because of me. (Actually, Larry was a Pro Golfer, not a golf pro.) I ha
In this episode of Frankly Speaking, I chat with Brian Winka, CSFM, about the benefits of "Bluemuda" vs the "insanity" of the traditional process of overseeding Bermudagrass on sports fields and golf courses in the south and transition zone.
Presented by DryJect/Maximus and Civitas/Intelligro.
Guest post by Greg Wojick
In the first part of this series posted last month, we covered the obstacles that contracts can encounter. So just how do you go about selling the idea of an employment contract to your green committee and board? As the other industry experts and superintendents I spoke to will agree: Its all in how you market yourself and the mutually beneficial rewards of having a contract.
To start:
Approach the idea of a contract when the course is at its bes
There is an episode of Seinfeld where Jerry takes his car to his mechanic for a knocking noise. After the mechanic determines the problem with the car, he tells Jerry the adjustments the car needs in order to operate at its maximum level. Jerry thinks these repairs are overkill and tells the mechanic that he will take the car elsewhere. At this point the mechanic steals the car rather than let it continue to be operated by an owner who does not value it adequately. He rebukes Jerry, "You don't e
A few years back my wife and I attended the annual dinner meeting of the Passamaquoddy Yacht Club, of which we were new members. Sounds kind of snooty, doesn't it? Ahhh, names often belie the true nature of things.
The Passamaquoddy Yacht Club is half sailing organization and half social club. Its locale is a triangle of ports (Eastport and Lubec, Maine, and Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada, where our summer place is located) near the entrance to Passamaquoddy Bay, off the Bay of Fu
In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, live from somewhere in the TurfNet Zone, the Gang makes a field trip to one of those newfangled bowling alley honky-tonk disco pinball golf places, while attempting to answer the question of how much PGR is required to shrink a green chairman's ego.
After a lesson in General George S. Patton tactics, and an interruption from the seniors group playing 2-Man Worst Ball, and before announcing the winner of the Turpentine Corncob Award, the topic of how wres
In this episode of Living Legends, presented by the Nufarm Insider, host John Reitman has a wide-ranging chat with Matt Shaffer, recently retired from Merion Golf Club, host of the 2013 U.S. Open.
Matt's retrospective includes his Penn State education and mentors there... the Latshaw Connection interwoven through his career... pushing the agronomic envelope and living on the edge... the cost of obscurity and value of a pedigree... doors that exceeding expectations will open... having money
I don't know what "Gird Thy Loins" actually means, but I think I read it in an ancient text, the context being "Don your metal jockstrap, lest ye be kicked in the sensitives".
It takes a hard individual to work Municipal Golf, (MG) but with sufficient preparation, it can be fun. I suggest:
Gird Thy Loins. (Steel cup, fire retardant kevlar underwear, etc.)
Seek counsel from someone currently in Muni Golf.
I spent 15 years working MG and it was great, except for the lo
In this episode of Frankly Speaking, I chat with Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation and previously CEO of the GCSAA. Topics include the rebound of the Tiger Effect and it's influence on the "green grass channel"; getting new golfers to the point of playing well enough that they enjoy the game; making golf more accessible (and user friendly) at every level of facility; altering perceptions of the game among potential new golfers; effects of course design and conditioning on the experien
How many times have you struggled with a problem only to find that the tighter your grip, the more elusive the answer became? You doubled down, squared your shoulders and refocused, only to find that in your fervor, the problem had resolved itself without your intervention. Lost in the haze of your quest to fix things, doing nothing at all was actually the best course of action.
An old greenkeeping proverb states, "Doing nothing is often the hardest thing to do." But for many superintendent
Armen Suny and host Dave Wilber turn their thinking amps up to 11 and have a session. And you are invited!
From sand-based greens to robotic mowers. From chaining old rollers near golf shops to perfect biology. And more. When Armen and Dave sit and jam, anything can and usually does happen.
Enjoy this episode as a way to get motivated as the Spring of 2018 is upon us!!
The Turfgrass Zealot Project is only on TurfNet.com. And ANYONE can listen!
In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank chats with Chava McKeel, Bob Helland and Michael Lee of the GCSAA Government Affairs staff about current issues trending on national, regional and local legislative agendas.
Presented by DryJect and Intelligro/Civitas.
Inspired by the recent cacaphonius outcry on the TurfNet Forum regarding the sparsissity of workforce, we have endeavored to reveal where to find the minimum wage crew.
In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report, sponsored by Golf Preservations, (new) host Anthony Pioppi chats with Matt Powell about the soon to be opened Brian Silva renovation of the Seth Raynor layout at Dedham Country and Polo Club in the metro Boston area.
Thanks, Matt, and welcome, Tony, to the TurfNet team!
Drury University is known to our community and visitors for our many large shade trees. We have been a Tree Campus since 2014 and take appropriate steps to maintain our campus canopy. This hasn't always been the case however. By assessing the appearance of the trees (cultural signs & symptoms) and evaluating tree age/diversity it is clear that for a period of time our precious trees were somewhat ignored -- and possibly impaired -- by less than optimal management.
One of the most impor
Guest Post by Greg Wojick
I've been in the industry more than 35 years as both a golf course superintendent and now a principal in Playbooks for Golf, and in that time, I've seen many changes -- in equipment, technology, management techniques, and in the education and agronomic expertise required to do an increasingly demanding job. Despite these advances, few superintendents throughout the country are acknowledged as professionals worthy of an employment contract.
According
In this episode of Living Legends, presented by the Nufarm Insider, host John Reitman chats with Dr, Karl Danneberger of Ohio State about his knack for engaging an audience, telling stories, his love of the game of golf, a bit about the challenges facing people entering the industry, the turf team at Ohio State, and his special off-topic interest...
The Rockbottum Gang goes for ice cream while their Milleminial Golfer Study is revealed. After finding out how to prevent Old Man Smell, listen in on the first ever Rockbottum Board Meeting
There's a big accident out on the course... and then in Storytime, Ludell catches RW on tape under the effects of Truth Serum.
(This podcast has been archived. Please contact us if you'd like to listen to it and we'll restore it.)
I was finally able to attend my inaugural Golf Industry Show a few weeks back. It was a long time on the "to do list" as a Superintendent from the East Coast of Canada, and the experience did not disappoint. As I flew home, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and positive vibes from the whole event.
I would like to take a moment to thank some of the folks who made the trip so memorable.
To:
Chris Tritabaugh, for teaming up with me to deliver my first ever seminar at the GIS. Chris
In this episode of Frankly Speaking, I chat with Ted Horton, CGCS, legendary superintendent at Winged Foot and Westchester Country Club as well as VP of Resource Management at Pebble Beach, and board member of Audubon International. Now living in California, Ted is is currently a Sr. Consulting Superintendent for Brightview, specializing in environmental stewardship; golf course safety, security and risk management; tournament preparations; turfgrass agronomics and the administrative functions o
In our green industry, the jobs we perform are very diverse. Some of us are Golf Course Superintendents; some are irrigationists, others Sports-Turf Managers, Landscape Designers, and even a Head Groundskeeper or two. Likewise, the organizations we participate in are diverse also. There are commercial and residential, public and private, profit or not-for-profit. Drilling down even deeper, our diverse organizations are comprised of sections or units that all have different specialties, united to
