One evening, early in the week at the Solheim Cup, Rick Tegtmeier was making his rounds and stopped to chat with me. I was just shooting some b-roll video and was in no hurry, so I welcomed the chance to shoot the breeze. That's just what we did.
We didn't talk about Poa control or bunkers or fertilizer. We just generally talked about life and some special things he had in store for the tournament. I'll never forget that evening perfect weather, nobody around, just Rick and I catching up on
At most large golf events, theres usually something unique to contribute to that event's own flair, flavor and personality. LIke the $2.00 pimento cheese or egg salad sandwiches at The Masters, wrapped in green paper so if one gets away it can't be seen on TV as litter. Quintessential Masters, and only Masters. Or, the maintenance staff's toques (a Canadian/northern US term for a knitted winter hat with a beanie on top) at the Ryder Cup last year in MInnesota. Won't see them in Florida.
The
My friend, Rick Tegtmeier, has a gleam in his eye. Why? It's there because he knows. He won't admit to you he knows, but he does.
He may have doubted it over the past four or five years, but he now knows all the hard work -- every little moment of stress -- was all worth it.
He also knows that people really love him. Everyone has shown it this week by traveling from near and far to do any and all that's needed to help him make this tournament a smashing success.
Rick remembers all th
It always amazes me how you can get a group of volunteers to perform like a symphony orchestra, virtually out of the gate. I have been on the fairway mowing team the entire time since I arrived at Des Moines Golf and Country Club. There are nine of us on the team. That is a lot of mowers.
Sure, we are all professionals and have been doing this sort of thing for many years, but that is not the point.
Most of us haven't mowed (many) fairways for a long time... 10, 15, even 20 years for s
In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, from deep in the TurfNet Zone, Randy and Ludell take to the airwaves to clear the air and set the record straight on many pressing issues of the day, including personal stimpmeters, golf insurance, special VIP parking, public school prison camps, quitting social media, and... solutions to course clutter.
Presented by VinylGuard.
A few years back, I can remember discussing the 2017 Solheim Cup with Rick Tegtmeier, director of grounds at Des Moines Golf & Country Club who would be hosting the event. We discussed the possibility of me coming to Iowa to volunteer and help out. Well, how time flies. Somehow the 2017 Solheim Cup is here and I find myself in the great state of Iowa, helping my good friend and fellow longtime TurfNet member.
With Rick working in Iowa and me in Colorado, chances are that he and I would n
One of the things you should always try to include in a career website or portfolio is a biography. It can help the hiring person get to know you quickly and hit on some points of interest for them to add your application to the yes pile at the initial stages of the process.
The problem is that a biography can get out of hand in a hurry and actually work as a disservice to your application if done wrong. To this end, here are a few tips to the beginnings of a well-crafted bio.
In yet another fascinating discussion with Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp, we chat about the current state of the golf industry, including:
reduction and absorption in golf facilities and businesses that serve them
comparisons with retail and restaurant industries that are also cyclical industries
warning signs for superintendents that a facility might be in financial trouble
the change in golf's consumer base and requirements, including digital technology
n
In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report, host Jon Kiger chats with golf course architect Forrest Richardson about the 2017 renovation and re-invention of the Short Course at Mountain Shadows (and resort) located near Scottsdale in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
The original golf course at Mountain Shadows was designed and built in 1961 by Arthur Jack Snyder. Course architect Forrest Richardson, one of Snyders students, completely redesigned the course to be a true par-3 with an eye towar
"Embrace the vulnerability of being human as a source of strength." -- Pema Chodron
No, it wasn't this past week. It was actually the week before. One of our members took a serious health turn on the third hole and his playing partners brought him back to the clubhouse. It was one of those emergency events that you prepare for, hope never happens, and one that both my staff and I won't soon forget. We promptly called 911 and went into action responding to the situation, all the while keepin
Back in '73, Norm assumed command of a wonderful muni outside of Atlanta; known as The Valley of Misery, it was rumored to be the last Dick Wilson course and it lived in a little village with a special golf name: Redan.
We pronounced it "Ree-dan", but newly arrived outsiders insisted it was "Ruh-dan", which sounded more like that giant Japanese moth. We stuck with the way the locals said it, mostly because you don't get along with indigenous personnel by telling them how to say their word
Why is The Open Championship of Golf required watching, listening and study for Turfheads?
Do you know that The Open was once an event set aside for greenkeepers, clubmakers and caddies? What are the key features of Royal Birkdale, host of the 146th year that this event has been played? How does the weather and the grasses play into who will win and who will lose?
This is my impassioned opinion about the Soul Surfing that is links golf. And why events played on The Links are so special.
In this episode of Frankly Speaking -- Resistance Radio, Summer Edition -- I talk New England sports and relate it to turf management with Boston sports fans Dr. Ben McGraw, entomologist at Penn State University and Dr Jim Brosnan, weed scientist at the University of Tennessee.
Topics include data-driven precision weed management, synchronicity of adult pest populations, fraise mowing for weed management via seed bank reduction, and the effect of insect control methods on pollinators.
Sm
A while back, we released a short film starring Matt Crowther and it rocketed to #2 on the all time list of Rockbottum CC films, with over 250,000 hits.
Produced in a team effort--a key factor in TurfNet's high quality production--this film began as an idea in the high speed mind of Jon Kiger while visiting Matt.
Jon provided 2nd unit camera work, Matt displayed his acting ability, Rockbottum CC Films piled on and after Claire finished editing, we knew we had a winner. *Note: Buddy
Creating the connection between these two phrases is the hallmark of a great employee. But how does a manager or organization get people that can link these on their own? Is having an inquisitive mind a strength that is in one's DNA, or does the desire to learn need to be instilled in an employee?
The mind is a muscle. Like a muscle, one must use it or lose it. In our industry, not a single day goes by that is not filled with many opportunities to exercise your mind and learn something new.
During a 30-plus-year career at Oregon State University, Tom Cook was doing more than running one of the country's top turfgrass programs. He also viewed his job as part-time matchmaker.
"Looking back now, it's pretty funny. I thought what I did was run a dating service, matching personalities with golf courses," said Cook. "You have to get to know the students and their style and match them with the right superintendents so they could progress in the industry."
Cook, 67, took ove
In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, direct from Rockbottum Country Club proshop, Momma demonstrates her proven techniques for handling sales reps; the health inspector visits; a no-cart shotgun start for the old-timers; Ludell innovates something; and in Storytime, that Demonized Cow During Construction, #337.
Presented by VinylGuard. Oh, and Buddy just finished VinylGuarding everything in sight at the driving range!
(This podcast has been archived. Please contact us if you'd like to
You don't know Justin Woodland. Ok, maybe you do. But you probably don't. And guess what? You need to know him. Here is your chance.
Justin is one of those people that I think should be required meeting if you are going to understand the reality of the business of golf and of Greenkeeping itself. He's got the "It" factor that I look for and yet, will probably never see what so many think is "the spotlight". Justin is doing it his way. And he's now got a fire to help others learn. A grass roo
Buddy has always been very successful at whatever he attempts, whether it's business, competitive sports, building cars from scratch or something difficult like golf course operations. His secret: If you observe Buddy carefully, it becomes obvious. Painfully obvious.
"Without persistence, you have no psychic wellspring of strength to combat what life will throw at you."
-- Ben Stein, from Bunkhouse Logic
When Buddy accepted the position of Equipment Manager at Swamp Hell Golf C
In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report -- presented by Jacobsen and Golf Preservations -- Jon Kiger chats with Chris Monti, senior design associate with Bobby Weed Golf Design about the recent practice facility renovation at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, FL.
The new facility features a 10,000 square-foot putting green with subtle contours, a chipping green with generous surrounds to allow for a variety of shots and a bunker green with four bunkers of varying sizes. The
By Greg Wojick
Greenkeeper /green-keep-er/ noun: Someone who solves myriad problems average golfers didn't know they had in a way they don't understand. See also Wizard, Magician.
It has always been difficult for me to accept the fact that most golfers don't understand even a small fraction of what happens behind the scenes in golf course maintenance. Maybe, much like magicians whose acts continue to mystify their audiences, the work of the golf course superintendent is just too much t
It's summertime at Rockbottum CC and that means it's time for us to lighten up.
No more serious punditry, projections, predictions or pedantic posturing.
Just fishin'.
