Irrigation can be a lot of things. But in a renovation and restoration situation, it can often be the most expensive and most complicated part of a project. But with the right focus and some good decision making, irrigation work doesn't have to be a nightmare.
Irrigation designer Larry Rodgers has had a great career. Working with over 680 facilities, he's seen it all. From the very top end to places no one has ever heard of, Larry has combined his love for irrigation, golf, travel and superi
My parents used to drill into my siblings and me, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything." I've taken that a step further lately with the adage, "If I don't have something meaningful to say, don't say anything." -- hence my hiatus from the Cheap Seats blog of late. But I'm back.
I was reading a book over the Easter weekend entitled When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi. Not my usual reading fare (I lean toward murder mysteries, legal and police procedurals), but w
Over the course of the last several years I have covered different aspects of creating good career materials. From tips on resumes to hiring professionals to create your personal brand through websites and portfolios, we have covered a lot of material. And I intend to cover much more in the future.
However, I've never compiled any kind of resource to some basics on job applications - your cover letter, resume and references. So, here are some links to what I consider the baseline must-haves
A couple of weeks back, I was fortunate enough to make my way down to Cocoa Beach, Florida with my thirteen year old son Lucas. It was actually our first time in the southern US, and it was a great experience. Lucas is an avid bird watcher, so for him being in Florida in March is like being the proverbial kid in the candy store.
It was a great time to decompress and forget about the real world for a while, something that I am sure most of you can relate to. Being blessed with lots of time fo
For the first time ever, inside sources reveal who first coined the term, "Augusta Syndrome", and whether it is real . . . oh, and how to fix it if it actually exists.
Join me as I do some deep diving with Andy Staples, progressive golf course architect. From bluegrass to Holiday Inn Express. Nothing is off limits.
'Thoughtful' and 'thankful' are the theme words for this episode of the TZP!
Thoughtful ideas about golf design, resource management, work/life balance and many other things. Thankful for listeners, thinkers and new ideas in the golf business today. Andy Staples has a wonderful perspective on things. He's got that focus and drive that make h
Sustainability continues to be a hot topic in the Green Industry and here at Drury University. Every aspect of how we manage and maintain our landscapes is affected. I read about amazing things happening all the time and wonder what I can do? How can I share in all these amazing steps taking place on college campuses, golf courses, parks, businesses, etc.? I sometimes feel I am getting left behind. But sustainability is not only about liquid propane mowers, compost tea, and native plants. As I s
In this episode, I Speak Frankly with Doug Bechtel (Executive Director) and Tara Donadio IDirector of Cooperative Sanctuary Programs) from Audubon International about the changes going on the last few years at AI, including the development of programs beyond golf and the the role Audubon and other environmental programs can play in supporting the "greener" side of golf turf management
Progressive talk from intelligent professionals and always Frankly Speaking!
When Mike Maffei, CGCS, asked the TurfNet Forum about crew cell phone policy, some of the top minds in golf quickly answered.
However, sometimes it's necessary to get a second opinion.
Jason Haines is one of an emerging class of Superintendent who is making environmental and financial difference with his Agronomy.
His strongly scientific, minimalist approach isn't just because of his rather remote situation. It's because he's done the study about what is best for his facility and in turn his community.
Of the episodes I have done so far, this is certainly one of my very favorite discussions. Jason's style is not to hold back, which has endeared him to some people and
During the late 1970s GCSAA unexpectedly found itself floundering with its future in doubt because its trade show (now the GIS), magazine, dues revenues and member counseling programs were all suffering because the Association was conducting business within the high risk "not-for-profit" business world without the benefit of having a definitive mission statement to guide it through troubled waters.
There are over 40,000 n-f-p associations in the country with the golf industry housing about 3
In this episode I speak frankly with Chava McKeel, Director of Government Relations, and Bob Helland, Director of Congressional and Federal Affairs from the GCSAA about what's going on in Washington DC that golf course superintendents should be aware of... from WOTUS to who will be the new POTUS.
Join the smartest people working for the golf business and responsible environmental policy. Progressive talk from leading thinkers in the turfgrass industry and always Speaking Frankly!
You can
Join me as I talk about my impressions of GIS 2016 and my experience in San Diego. If you were there or not, there's always more info to be had concerning the Golf Industry's most important event. I take you on a journey with my mind's eye and recap what was good and what was not so good. No punches pulled.
And a special guest! TurfNet's Founder and Maestro, Peter McCormick drops by for a quick chat that turns into some real deep stuff about his perspective on the show. As always, Peter is c
WARNING: Contains no actual science, only anecdotal ravings of a madman. Not responsible for migraines or drinking binge caused by reading this.
During my time on turf, I experienced several El Nino patterns and at least two were The Big Ones. I didn't know they were El Ninos at the time, but I can look back at my extensive journals, cross-reference with the interweb and clearly see the tell-tale signs of Big El were there.
For me, El Nino was a pattern of winter rain, freight-trainin
Join Dave Wilber as he talks with Samson Bailey of Golf Preservations and learns about the amazing things that this company is doing for golf!
Samson Bailey is Owner, CEO and Visionary of Golf Preservations. For a decade, his company has been installing drainage and working with renovation and restoration at some of America's finest golf facilities. Samson talks about how he got started, how he looks at often challenging work and how he believes in doing it right.
In addition to all he i
Early Saturday morning, about 0130hrs, I awoke to the scream of tires on our narrow and treacherous mountain driveway, followed by yelling and then pounding on our door.
I answered the door, wearing not much more than my headlamp, glowing red in the center of my forehead, thinking, "This is why I moved away from Atlanta."
A nervous young man stood staring into my red light, probably wondering what horror movie he had just landed in, then blurted out, "Help! My truck is about to fall off
Join me as a chat again with Paul MacCormack, author of the Mindful Superintendent blog here on TurfNet.com. Paul is the general manager and golf course superintendent at Fox Meadow Golf & Country Club in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, the smallest Canadian province.
We chat about routines and taking advantage of them to expend mental energy in positive ways... working smarter rather than harder... and procrastination as a greenkeeper's demon.
Frankly Speaking is brought
Several weeks ago, I had lunch with the vice president of Arccos Golf, a startup company that has developed technology intended to help golfers improve their games. The system they came up with allows the golfer to use the data created by each swing of the golf club (sensors are attached to the club) to identify weaknesses and strengths -- among many other useful data points -- like quantifying the percentage of time that your approach shots miss the greens to the right or to the left of the fla
One of the comments I hear from my grounds crew is that I jump around on projects too frequently. While I see some truth to this observation, there is a reasonable and desired effect from this job-jumping. Having lots of tasks -- especially broad efforts -- lined up, allows for at least one to always be practical. If factors outside my control (weather, budget, and organizational objectives) or factors within my control (scheduling, training, crew morale, etc.) put a damper on one, I have anothe
Yesterday, as the Rockbottum crew enjoyed snow, high winds and cold, a famous Golf Course Superintendent called us from San Diego and taunted us with tales of warm sun, ocean breezes and 83 degrees.
To be polite, we pretended to be envious. But the real truth is the endless parties, black-tie galas and ballroom dancing associated with attending GIS runs counter to our simple philosophy.
(Also, we hate hot weather, prefer snow and don't own any top hats and tails.)
But to show there'
Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree in the midst of them all. -- Buddha
As superintendents we are subject to a great deal of scrutiny on a daily basis. The seesaw of praise and blame can be incessant. If we are not careful it can suck us down into a ten inch deep aerification hole of constant judgment. An important part of our job involves working to rise above the pitfalls of these two evil twins and arriving at
