No big surprise since it was announced prior, but nonetheless TurfNet's own Hector Velazquez finally put his hands on the prize as he received the Edwin Budding Award from GCSAA. The Edwin Budding Award, named for the inventor of the reel lawn mower, is given annually to an equipment manager or related innovator, technician, educator or engineer who has made a significant impact in the golf and turf business.
Hector (c) with Darren Davis, CGCS (l), outgoing president of GCSAA.
The latest Lynx 7.0 Central Control system update from Toro has improved monitoring functionality and enhanced diagnostic capabilities. This is the 14th update since Lynx was introduced in 2010.
Lynx 7.0 now has seamless compatibility with Lynx Smart Modules, and can automatically identify individual smart modules after the initial installation process. The new system also has runtime controls to the second and measures inputs to 1/100th of an inch for precise control. All new Toro hardware
Stop by Booth 1131 and speak to Ken Rost of Frost Services about the new Kubota/Ninja sprayer package being displayed at GIS2019.
Mounted on a Kubota RTV-X1140 4WD utility vehicle, the Ninja sprayer has
200 gallon elliptical tank with drain sump
20’ Electric X-fold boom
Stainless steel hydraulic centrifugal pump
15 gallon tank rinse system
Titan hose reel with 100′ of 5/8′ hose and gun
Blue LED spray lighting system
Controls include
Hunter Golf is giving away 20 of their new TTS-800 series golf rotors, total value $8,000. Stop by booth #1638 to enter to win.
TTS-800 Series rotors utilize high-torque gear drives to mitigate the challenges of reclaimed water use or poor water quality. An extra-large, fast-access flange compartment easily accommodates wire connections and other components. Total Top Serviceability (TTS) means leave your shovel in the truck.
TTS-800 series rotors include
Exclusive Press
Toro has jumped into the all-electric triplex greensmower market with the introduction of the Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex Series. The new eTriFlex has no hydraulic fluid and utilizes all-electric components for traction, steering, lift and cutting units.
The two new all-electric Greensmaster eTriFlex models are built on the TriFlex platform and include:
The Greensmaster eTriFlex 3360, powered by a Kawasaki engine/generator
The Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370, powered by a lithium-i
Baroness is highlighting their new LM551 contour-following mid-weight fairway mower at GIS2019. Fully configurable to meet the needs of any golf course, the LM551 five-plex has traditional 22" cutting units but with a forward/backward slide function on the rear units along with a unique tension support and down pressure features to increase contour-following on undulating surfaces..
A choice of 5" or 6.4" reels is available. Each cutting unit has the option of 9 or 7 blades and can be fitt
BASF is celebrating ten years of Intrinsic brand fungicides and launching "the next generation of groundbreaking science" at GIS2019. Dubbed Generat10n Turf, the festivities in Booth 1939 include:
breakfast tacos from 10-11AM on Wednesday
a panel discussion at 11:00 Wednesday on Exploring New Fungicide Technology with Drs Rick Latin, Bruce Martin, Jim Kerns and Kathie Kalmowitz - and hosted by none other than the ubiquitous PAT JONES
at 1:00 Wednesday, a panel discussion
While Toro and Turfco celebrate their centennial anniversaries in the golf turf business, why not note the 25th anniversary of the perhaps more improbable success story: TurfNet?
You'll have to catch Jon Kiger or John Reitman on the fly at the trade show, as they have places to go and people to see. Maybe you can buttonhole one or the other for a souvenir TurfNet25 coaster from last night's Beer & Pretzel Gala (our 23rd) at the Half Door Brewery.
Read about TurfNet at 25 here.
There must have been something in the water (or the grass) in the Twin Cities 100 years ago for the Cities to spawn two major players in the turf industry, The Toro Company of Minneapolis and National Mower Company/Turfco of St. Paul (see Turfco 100).
Toro was actually founded in 1914 but spent the first five years of its existence manufacturing engines for the Bull Tractor Company and other tractor and truck companies, and developing the first Toro-designed piece of farm equipment – the po
Stop by Booth 1629 and say hey to George and Scott Kinkead, the third generation of the Kinkead family to lead a family business in the turf industry. With a lineage that started with the National Mower Company of St. Paul, Minnesota 100 years ago, George (president, right in the photo) and Scott (EVP) continue the family tradition of innovation, leadership and service to the golf turf industry.
National Mower was founded by George and Scott's grandfather, Robert S. Kinkead, shortly after W
I haven’t delved into technology posts lately on this blog, instead focusing on career topics. It’s been due to not having enough time to offer quality advice in a field that constantly changes. Why, you might ask? Well, I have been working for the last 18 months on a new project for the industry that occupied any free time I had. And it’s finally done, at least version 1.
I don’t usually speak directly on this blog about our products, but I think this service is beneficial to both your op
Amy Bockerstette.
I am 128% confident that you do not know that name. So, stop right now and hit this link. Do not read on until you have. Period. As soon as your eyes dry, I appreciate you reading on.
As many thousands of us prepare to roll into San Diego for the 2019 GIS, there is one thing that is very clear to me...Golf Does Great Things. Of that, there is not a question in my mind. Lets take the video you just watched and do a little deconstruction. Amy, gifted with Down Syndrome
From deep in the Rockbottum CC film vault, we offer this classic short film.
Trigger Warning: This film contains implied violence, stereotypes and blatant anti-screen propaganda.
My official title here at Drury University is Assistant Director of Facilities – Grounds. I much prefer to call myself the Head Groundskeeper. I believe this job title says something about my philosophy of grounds management. Including 'Groundskeeper' in my title reminds me, and more importantly my crew, that I am to some extent like my team. We are all focused on “keeping the grounds”. Unfortunately, sometimes a rift can develop between us. The crew and I can have differing opinions on how well
In what will surely be our last outburst of serious ranting, Rockbottum Country Club offers a Skeletal Golf Theory segment on a tried and true method for adapting to economic changes.
It's like Judge Smails said, "I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber. Didn't want to, but I felt I owed it to them."
I didn't want to do this film, but I felt I owed it to you.
You are going to see all kinds of "Tips and Tricks" for doing the Golf Industry Show. Most of them all the same. Because, hey... its a trade show. And in one form or another, all trade shows follow a certain pattern. You wanna read about having a plan, getting there early, drinking lots of water, fine. It's out there. I have a different take on things. And herein, you are gonna get some info that you probably won't see anywhere else, in the more PC world of doing the GIS.
1. Leave Your Clo
With each turn of a new year, it can be a helpful exercise to both reflect on the year that was and ponder the time ahead. I’ve never been a huge fan of the resolution thing and hopefully most of us have figured out that approach doesn’t really work anyway. Most resolutions fail principally because they start from a place of deficiency; the idea that something is inherently wrong with us and we just need to buckle down and fix it.
What if instead we simply reflected on our strengths and so
There has been a ton of talk lately about Mental Health. That's good. While I am not being on the overused phrase "Creating Awareness", I also know that most people will never get or understand the topic. They should count their blessings.
I have never been shy about writing and speaking about myself. A certain lack of filter, perhaps. Sometimes, a cry for help. Sadly, a need for attention, in hard moments. Often, a simple therapeutic technique to talk about the hardest things. But mostly I
Do you remember the real reason you got into the golf course business?
I frequently ask that question and the answers can range from positive outbursts of Pavlovian Pollyanna-isms to covert confessions of discomfiture. “I don’t know”, is usually followed by nervous laughter. The recently graduated will go into interrogation mode, searching for the “correct” answer, as if their career is at stake. A few admit it was to play more golf, while others claim it was the appeal of the science.
Time for the last and final "Rockbottum Prophecies for the Next Decade of Golf". This is required listening for all those with a stake in the future of golf. Also...
ANTIGOLF protesters show up to riot and protest at Rockbottum CC...
The gang figures out what's been digging up #13 green and organizes a posse of vigilantes to hunt it down,
Momma handles a customer complaint in a new way and
Booferd resists Third Wave Feminism by telling Momma that dishwashing is woman
Our favorite method for suppressing "The Noise" is Forest Therapy. You can practice Forest Therapy with a simple, short hike, or go on an epic adventure lasting several days.
At Rockbottum Country Club, we self-medicate with Forest Therapy when we've had too much holiday feasting or too much family togetherness or too much screen time.
We just grab a pellet rifle or a slingshot and go into the forest for some big game squirrel hunting. It's similar to raccoon hunting; if you come h
Most grounds managers (including golf course superintendents) understand the important role that trees play in a landscape. Trees supply beautification, shade, pollution mitigation, etc. and on a golf course can add to the challenge of play. Show me a landscape devoid of trees and I will show you a landscape that is not even close to fulfilling its potential. The culture and maintenance of trees is a critical skill for a grounds crew and the amount of money spent on arboriculture emphasizes this
Warning! We’re about to go all Mickey McCord Safety Meeting on you, so pay attention and learn about one of the most dangerous things on your golf course. No, it’s not a chainsaw, the dimpled projectile, nasty, slippery restrooms, hovering mowers or crocodiles.
It’s THE DANGLER.
The Dangler has caused several of those injuries that still reside in my gray matter hard drive, no matter how often I delete them. (That’s saying a lot, because I have witnessed quite a few injuries.)
