Emily Dobbs, Lead Researcher at Emory University's Environmental Science department, spoke to us about her work with pollinators, wildflower mixes for golf and the goal of Syngenta's Operation Pollinator.
Bermuda grass, more commonly known by the scientific Latin designation "muda", (pronounced mooda) is my favorite grass. After years of the "Walking Dead" lifestyle of BBA, (bent below Atlanta) experimenting with various fescues, poa triv, perennial ryes and zoysias, returning to muda was like a homecoming.
It was Tif Eagle that brought me back. On the advice of Milton Abel, former GCS and current CEO of Classic Golf, I chose Tif Eagle for the giant greens at Rockbottum CC and it has been g
In this episode of The Ladder, presented by Penn State World Campus, John Reitman caught up with Mike O'Keeffe, program manager of Ohio State's international internship program, while at the 2016 OSU Turfgrass Field Day. They chatted about the value of an overseas internship in a tight job market.
Andy O'Haver is the assistant superintendent at Meadowbrook CC outside of Detroit. Meadowbrook is being transformed by architect Andy Staples. It's a gigantic job.
Andy took the time to talk to Dave Wilber (from his cell phone, in the field) about the role that he plays as an Assistant Super at Meadowbrook. Andy's eye opening experience comes to life in a really good way. And anyone who is going to come anywhere near a golf course renovation project should understand that the team is import
In this episode of Frankly Speaking, I chat with one of my old pals, Dr. Roch Gaussoin of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Roch did some fascinating research on managing soil organic matter, and the value of sand topdressing, coring/not-coring, spiking, solid-tining, slicing/venting, and other new-age cultivation techniques.
He also has some intriguing conclusions that are bound to stimulate thought and conversations among the superintendent (and academic) community. Smart talk from lea
That's it. For this blog I am not going to take the high road. I am not going to say to myself "put yourself in their shoes". I am not going to look to understand the other perspective. I am not going to be a good soldier. This is going to be a vitriolic, hate-spewing, anger-filled, lament of many of the idiotic things I have to put up with as the head groundskeeper at a university. I am looking to vent, and vent big. So, to my fellow groundskeepers, sit back and see if you don't say "been there
Valderrama Golf Club is the most prestigious golf course in Europe. Located in the resort of Sotogrande in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, Valderrama is a members-only club that has hosted several notable tournaments through the years. Some of them include the Ryder Cup in 1997, Volvo Masters, Amex, Andalucia Masters and Spanish Open.
The superintendent of the course is Adolfo Ramos. He extended wonderful courtesy to me and took the time to show me around the whole course.
Me wit
"It's not where you go, but who picks you up." I remember Dr. Danneberger saying this about his traveling stories. Personally experiencing this on my own excursions and adventures this summer, I couldn't agree more.
My side trips have been to several spots in Ireland and one to Holland. With each adventure I met many new people, each adding to the experience.
All roads led to County Louth Golf Club at Baltray, my home for the summer.
Arriving first at the village of Baltray.
This post may sound like a bit of a rant. Okay, it's a flat out rant a Wilberesque "if it did not happen in a research trial, it did not happen"-style rant, if you will.
My kids were asked by someone the other day if they were ready for school. It wasn't even August (unlike some parts of the southern US, here in the Maritimes we don't return to school until September). My youngest daughter was perplexed by the question and asked us afterwards why adults ask kids such silly questions. Unfort
This course, Golf della Montecchia, is located in the mountains of northeast Italy, east of Verona and close to Padua. The course has twenty-seven holes with A4 bentgrass putting surfaces, and a world renowned restaurant. The superintendent is Brian O'g O'Flaherty.
Golf della Montecchia stands apart in Italy for their long-term commitment to the environment. They have received numerous awards for environmental stewardship and have presented at many golf and environmental conferences around
Exciting renovations have been taking place at Real Club De Golf Las Brisas in Marbella, Málaga, Spain. The Director of Golf, Rafael Gonzalez-Carrascosa, shared details with me on what has been done and what is still in the works.
Five years ago it was decided to completely reform all 18 holes in two phases. The reform entailed:
New greens (design, soil, grass)
New tees complex (design, soil, grass)
New bunkers
Sewer system
Irrigation
However, initially in the redesign nothing in the
Real Club de Golf El Prat near Barcelona, Spain, has 45 holes designed by Greg Norman and has hosted the Spanish Open (Open de España) ten times, most recently in 2015.
The property covers 550 acres and surrounded by 32,000 acres of national parkland. The 45 holes can be split up into five 9-hole courses, giving a combination of up to 9 different courses. Each tee box has seven different markers, ranging from black to pink, for all levels of play.
It also has a driving range with covered
When I was a small child, one of my daily assignments was to move the tee markers--by hand--which I did with great enthusiasm. (This was before I learned to nudge them along with the tee mower.)
For some mysterious reason, on Saturday mornings, the markers sometimes found their way back to their original slap worn-out position and the blame landed on me. Upon further investigation, I discovered the culprits: Gamblers.
Golfers who played for money wanted the course set up to their adv
Finca Cortesin is a private 18 hole course located in Cazares, Spain on the Costa Del Sol. I was met by the superintendent Ignacio Soto and his assistant Antonio when I visited. They provided me with top notch hospitality and were eager to show me their course and the exciting things going on.
Me with Ignacio Soto and his assistant, Antonio.
Finca Cortesin is the first golf course in this area that is trying to convert their greens from Bentgrass to Mini Verde. The plan is to complete th
Over the weekend I hopped on a flight to the Netherlands where I was introduced to The Dutch. Not only am I talking about the people but the reason for the trip was to visit a golf course called The Dutch.
Dutch GC flag.
Connections can take you anywhere, right? Back during the Irish Open I met Mossy Daly, an Irishman currently working at The Dutch. More than another contact, Mossy quickly became a friend. Surely I was grateful for the invitation to Holland to view the course he
Part of being a great sports organization is being able to develop young talent into the stars of tomorrow. This often means investing time and money into a facet of the club that doesn't get a lot of the attention. Think about all of the resources put into minor league baseball. It isn't talked about often, but it is an important part of the organization.
Soccer development is similar, yet many of the kids start their club careers at a very young age. Barcelona star Lionel Messi joined his fi
A week off work allowed me to put on my tourist shoes. My girlfriend, Jenna, and I spent the time traveling and checking off some Ireland must-dos.
Starting in Cork County, our first stop was at the Blarney Castle to kiss the famous Blarney Stone. While I believe I already have the gift of the gab, it was a great experience with a breathtaking view.
Blarney Castle
The Blarney Stone isn't exactly where one might expect it to be...
Kissing the Blarney Stone
The night was spent in Cork
The Costa del Sol ("Coast of the Sun") is a golf-rich region in the south of Spain along the coastline of the Province of Malaga.
On July 25th and 26th I visited Real Sotogrande Golf Club in Sotogrande, and met with Patrick Allende, Ignacio Soto and his assistant, Antonio. The course has recently undergone reconstruction. The Bermuda 419 is superb and the fairways and greens show high quality. In the afternoon I was invited by Ignacio Soto and his assistant Antonio to play the course. Part of
A recent industry magazine (it doesn't matter who), is talking about sales with the moniker of "The Dark Side". I hate this shitty phrase. And I'm gonna let my anger turn to words here. Ok..it's a rant. I often give good rant. Or so I'm told. So hold on tight. It's E-ticket rant time with Wilber.
Before I hung my shingle as an independent consultant in the early 90's, I was a superintendent. Then when the world's finances collapsed in 2007, I took a job for seven years as the Director of Agr
The first few days of my trip were spent in Madrid, Spain, and were full of relaxing and enjoying the culture of Madrid with my wife, Linda.
We began our tour at the center of Madrid at 0 km, La Puerta del Sol. Spain is rich with history. We visited monasteries, basilicas, the Palace which has housed numerous kings, Kings Philip II, Philip III and Philip IV. We have also been enjoying lots of tapas and wine!
With my wife, Linda, at the Palace in Madrid.
We then boarded the AVE, a trai
Guest post by Greg Wojick, Playbooks for Golf --
I recently visited the CMAA (Club Managers Association of America) website. One of the first things I noticed was that more than two dozen executive search firms were listed.
I looked further, scanning many of the search firm sites. I saw that there were numerous searches for general managers, most often referred to as COOs and occasionally CEOs. I also saw searches for assistant general managers, executive chefs, directors of
The next destination on our day out in London was a visit to the home of Arsenals main rival, Tottenham Hotspur, at their stadium, White Hart Lane.
White Hart Lane has been the home of Tottenham since it was built in 1899. That streak will end at the conclusion of this upcoming 2016/17 season, as Tottenham will move to Wembley Stadium for one year and White Hart Lane will be torn down to make way for a new stadium on site.
Actually, the new stadium is being built right there right n
