John Reitman's article on the front page of TurfNet is an absolute must-read for anyone in the golf business.
Once again, we have been savaged by the pretend eco-warriors and painted as pesticide-soaked earth molesters. The time has come to be more animated in our response to propaganda, to adamantly present our positive environmental image to mainstream media.
We need to be more like Anthony Williams and Mark Hoban . . . aggressive environmental action heroes. We must not allow these
This post is intended to complement the message presented in the last post and presents the negotiating sequence that should be considered in the pursuit of a written employment contract.
Acknowledging the fact that roughly 80% of qualifying superintendents are consistently denied the protection of written contracts and suffer the consequences thereof (see Sep 25th blog), the purpose of this blog message is to educate newly hired and already employed superintendents who have been denied writ
I'm back. Not baaaaaack... just back, from my self-imposed six-month-or-so sabbatical-of-sorts. 'Sabbatical' meaning no new projects or learning curves for awhile, sleep in (past 5:00) on occasion, take a couple hours to read a book or an afternoon snooze if the spirit moves. Take a few deep breaths... look around, regain one's bearings... hopefully emerge renewed and refreshed.
I have long said that our society should allow everyone a sabbatical at some point in their life. From Wikipedi
I wrote this post a few years back. Maestro McCormick thought it may be timely to dredge it up because not much has changed. So here goes...As always...thanks for reading. -DW
In my current, often schizophrenic situation, I find myself involved in the whole concept of Early Order Season. As I write this, there are no less than thirteen programs that in some way or another provide an opportunity. Opportunity for what? That's the big question for which every situation will have a different ans
My Sept 25th blog post advised that the primary reason why the vast majority of golf course superintendents are denied written contracts is because search committees lack the confidence to judge the technical qualifications of job applicants accurately.
Therefore, logic suggests that the best approach for superintendents to overcome this shortcoming is:
To educate search committees to the point where they would feel comfortable granting written contracts to established and newly hired su
In this second episode of Frankly Speaking on TurfNet RADIO, Dr. Doug Soldat of the University of Wisconsin-Madison talks about some surprising research into long-standing notions about turf nutrition - notably that late-season shot of nitrogen, and where it does and doesn't wind up.
He also calls into question the practice of boosting potassium fertility at the end of the season to "promote plant hardiness" - where in reality it might best be applied early- and mid-season to combat basal r
The camera platform known in current terms as a "Drone" has more potential than just another way to indulge in Metallica driven action videos.
In the following training film, Buddy explains other ways to utilize the Drone.
Time flies. I can't believe I have been writing for TurfNet now for just over a year. I've enjoyed offering advice on careers and technology and hope anyone who has read the blog receives value in some way from it as that is the goal -- to help others in the turf industry.
Because we are all pulled in different directions constantly and content is everywhere, I thought it might be a good time to recap and highlight the five key articles I wrote in this past year that would bring the most va
We just kicked off our first episode of Frankly Speaking on TurfNet RADIO, chatting with Dr. Brian Horgan of the University of Minnesota about nutrient management and water quality. Thanks to DryJect and Aquatrols for sponsoring. Check it out below!
I hate bad shoes. My brother Mike was almost killed by bad shoes. His after school job selling women's shoes sometimes required him to force size 4 high heels onto size 12 hooves. One simple detonation could fling shrapnel and clouds of compressed foot gas all over the mall.
I hate bad socks more than bad shoes. I was almost killed by bad socks. I remember a particularly grueling 12 mile ruck march in the Ozarks--complete with howling winds and snow--when I ran out of moleskin at m
Yes, there is a second undiscovered web site opportunity that is potentially more valuable to a superintendent than the well-documented highly respected personal career web site.
Properly prepared, managed and updated on regular basis, a "maintenance program" (MP) web site's attainable objectives are to promote the superintendents' "brand" in the following ways:
To educate course officials/players to the basic elements of the maintenance program.
To educate re: the role and job descript
I have this voice stuck in my head. It talks to me every day on the course. Buddy says if I retire it will go away. I don't know how much more I can take . . .
Every fall, the floodgates open and the soil tests come rolling in. I love soil tests. Probably because I actually use them for what they are intended for. Information. Not sales.
A long time ago when I decided to form a business around testing soil and consulting based on those soil tests, a ton of people said that I was crazy. Charge for something that the fertilizer industry usually gives away for free? It made no sense.
When I exposed bad testing or perhaps better said, cheaper tes
Two totally independent national surveys that mutually support each other's findings tell a frightful story about the careers/lives of golf course superintendents:
FIRST SURVEY: Indicates that only about 20% of golf course superintendents enjoy the security of a written employment contract, while roughly 80% of PGA and CMAA members enjoy this privilege.
Few people in the world give thought to the devastation wrought upon families when a superintendent is summarily dismissed - which is n
I stumbled across an interesting question on Twitter a while back. Posed by consultant John Bladon, it read:
It was an interesting post to me for a few reasons. I know that business is business, but I always liked to think that on the turf side of things our shared trials and tribulations overshadow our differences. I love that when I ask a question on TurfNet or hit up a local super at the conference seminar there is no hesitation with an answer... turf guys just want to help.
Alas
This is the first in a series on building career websites for the turf industry. We will cover all aspects of content, page building, imagery, and more.
Let's start with some facts. There is still a bottleneck at the top of our industry in trying to attain a Superintendent position at a quality club. If you are applying blind to a position where you have no connections to the club at all, a standard cover letter and resume will not get it done. With dozens upon dozens of applicants, you hav
The blog series now switches to Contract Negotiations.
Too many job applicants once told by the search committee that they are being offered a job drop their guard thinking the task of pursuing their next job has been successfully concluded.
Unfortunately, this is a fundamental mistake because receiving a job offer is simply an 'invitation' to be the first or next in line to have the opportunity to negotiate an employment agreement.
Candidates should realize when offered a job that
With the recent high profile chainsaw accidents involving Greg Norman and Peter McCormick, it might be time for Mickey McCord to devote an entire training series to chainsaw safety. While we're waiting on Mickey, I'll reveal the Three Rules of Absolute Chainsaw Safety.
My entire GCS career was based on the chainsaw. The only golf courses that would hire me were the courses in trouble and they were in trouble because of trees--and bad business practices--but mostly trees. The previous supe
A couple of years ago, we released a short film about the insidious movement to replace the TurfNet Dog Calendar--The First and Still Champion Golf Course Dog Calendar--with a more diversified version.
Our film was suppressed by a relentless campaign of modern PC brainwashing, using guilt to claim less fortunate animals on the golf course were being ignored.
Quote
. . . a conspiracy to force TurfNet to add cats
Brian Nettz led a push for the inclusion of goats, Mark Hoban advocated a
What Is The Best Way To Plan To Win?
Simply stated, the best way to plan to "win" is to out-prepare the field of candidate competitors. The few that do get job offers.
Earlier blog messages in this series that addressed matters such as the best use of cover letters, stress-free interviews and submitting job applications electronically should be reviewed.
FYI: Three of the more effective concepts that best exemplify commitments to excellence that separate winning candidates from the b
Successful interviewing is all about continuing to take the initiative that started with the cover letter. (See July 2nd blog.)
Questions designed to help candidates take the initiative during job interviews:
Prior to an interview, does it help to practice job related Q&As (especially regarding salary issues) with family and associates?
Of course! Go to Google to find dozens of categories of questions traditionally exchanged at job interviews.
When is the best time to raise t
This is a confession: I have been the curmudgeonly, gruff old guy relentlessly holding on to the traditional, classic elements of golf. I have resisted the latest trends, marketing fads and new technology since the appearance of the golf cart. I fought the insanity of growing bent in The South, battled real estate course design, azalea overdose and the maniacal pursuit of stripes, checkerboards and argyle patterns burnt into bermuda choking overseed in lines so straight that astronauts notice
I recently had the good fortune of attending the movie The Giver with my oldest daughter, Maria. We had both read the book a couple of years back and were excited to see the show. Thankfully we were not disappointed. The story examines the basic human condition and how we go to extreme lengths to shield ourselves from pain and suffering. The lasting impact of this is that whenever we work hard to shelter ourselves from the pain of our emotions, we also end up cutting ourselves off from the best
