Welcome to my blog. My name is Carson Letot, and I am a senior at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. I am a double major in Crop and Soil Science with a concentration in Turfgrass Science, and Environmental Studies in Agriscience with a concentration in teaching, and a minor in Biology.
In layman's terms, the crop and soil science degree is for golf course management, and the environmental studies degree is for teaching environmental sciences in secondary education.
My
Inspired by John Reitman's article in TurfNetSports News about the miniZapr -- a lightwave frequency device -- Buddy isolated himself in his secret laboratory for over an hour to perfect the Charged Particle Beam Spray Rig.
While the miniZapr is designed to kill mold, viruses and bacteria on athletic fields and locker room surfaces, the CPBSR, according to Buddy, kills moles, viruses and both forms of bacteria, the bad stuff and the mythical "good" bacteria.
Buddy is quick to point out
For the last week, I've been talking a ton about water. It's kind of how it goes this time of year and crossing all the climate, locations and turf types that I work with, there is a universal truth. Spring brings on irrigation.
A good thing would be to take a look at one of the more popular posts that I've made since being made into a blogger by Maestro McCormick. You can find it here. May be a good refresher and very refreshing! (I'm starting to channel Randy Wilson, is there a spray for t
The words we use every day have a direct impact on how we think about things, and consequently our general outlook on life. Consider the following quote:
Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.
- Mahatma Gandhi
Our language also directly affects others, in both good and bad ways. Words can be helpful and encouraging, but sometime
Low and slow is an excellent strategy for cooking meats that need time to tenderize. I'm sure the Maestro has a good recipe to insert here. Low and slow also describes the season we have had to date with low temperatures that are keeping the bentgrass from pushing along and slow describes the speed we see on the putting surfaces.
It may not be exactly what the the golfers want this Spring, especially if we did some coring and greens are bumpy AND slow (see figure). But just like preparing
The following instructional video, "How To Use A Soil Thermometer", covers a wide range of essential golf course topics, including a couple of tips on alternative measurement devices.
Mystic Order of GreenKeeper CEU points: 13
Our lives are governed by stories. We have our personal ones, our family lore, the stories of our nations, and the stories of the world as a whole. These tales can tell us much about who we are as individuals, and if we can listen carefully we can use the narrative to create change for the better.
Unfortunately the people of the United States and the world are confronted with yet another tragic story, one which is all too familiar and laced with unimaginable pain and suffering. These events
In my quest to fix golf, I have found it necessary to spend time in the realm of negative energy, analyzing what is wrong with the modern game... in order to find a solution or two. I am not happy in the vacuum of negative space, but I will go there to help turn golf around.
A good example of 'negative energy' damaging golf is found in the way a few of the state golf associations set up their amateur tournaments.
A few days ago, an amateur qualifier was held on a revered old golf clu
As I write this post I am but a few scant hours away from getting three wisdom teeth yanked. I have had a virtually nonexistent relationship with my dentist over the past number of years, so it was not a great shock to learn that three of my chompers were to be banished from my mouth forever.
While I might lament my lost teeth, that is not the reason for telling you about them. I have found the behind the scenes story this week to be much more interesting. Its the story that the mind plays in
I'm a big fan of having the numbers before making the diagnosis. It just makes sense, really to try and eliminate guess work from a business that often fosters licking one's finger and sticking it in the air or throwing some grass blades in the wind to determine what shot to hit or application to make. We do bad things to ourselves with these actions.
But sometimes things are just too clear cut. Case in point, at a recent early morning meeting, I was asked to grab some soil samples to submit
Anyone who has been in the golf business for more than a few years knows the excitement about Masters Week. This marks the beginning of the golf season for many in spirit. For many superintendents it is also the beginning of the whining season.
It is not just the golfers who whine about the massive difference between Augusta National and their course, but many superintendents will lament that this week is the root of all the complaints they receive. It is such an important aspect of our live
Moving forward, we present Point 4 of the Rockbottum Country Club Ten Point Plan to Fix Golf.
To give you some idea of how such brilliant strategy is conceived, we recorded an entire brainstorming session, revealing our critical path method for coming up with a good idea.
(The various alphabet agencies, foundations and associations of golf would do well to study our method.)
Anyway, listen in on a high-level tactical planning meeting of the Rockbottum CC Brain Trust as they stand up
One of the main reasons I have enjoyed TurfNet so much over the years has been Randy Wilson. From the first time I read his musings to the initial video from the mythical 'Rockbottum Country Club', his wisdom and wit have been spot on. His ability to cut through the crap with humor is only superseded by his honesty about what it has meant for him to live the life of a greenkeeper. His recent post regarding the OSV (Off-Season Vacation) may be one of his best yet. It may not be the funniest or
We have all been there; upside down in a hole, trying to convince two pieces of pipe that they really were once connected. Or maybe you are in the garage trying to put together your latest purchase with instructions in some obscure Scandinavian language. The harder you try, the worse things become, until your frustration boils over. By this point the screw head is stripped or the valve is stuck harder than when you started, and you are using expletives unfit for boot camp.
Strangely enough,
What a difference a year makes across most of the US this Spring. Last year two-thirds of the continental US had already set at least three to as many five daily high temperature records. Some had even made their second app of annual bluegrass seedhead suppression. Obviously management by the calendar is not way to operate-we must pay attention if want precision.
Growing degree days (GDD) as a measure of heat accumulation is an easy way to add precision to your management. In simple terms, e
After GIS insanity and then the Sierra Pacific Spring Symposium my plan was to disappear to Mexico for a deep breath before summer Turfhead grillage begins. I don't do well with time off. It's a language I don't really speak. So this trip was designed to take my head out of the game. Week One was dropping into a small Mexican village known as a hippie escape. Yoga twice daily. Teaching what has become my new hobby, Energy and Bodywork in the evening. Minimal booze. Maximum sun. Week Two a bit
For as much as I preach the virtues of the GCS De-Stressor--the hobby or activity that releases job tension before, during or after the workday... I have only recently realized how guilty I have been of overlooking the most important De-Stressor: The OSV, or Off-Season Vacation.
I was one of those golf course superintendents who rarely took a vacation, preferring instead to squeeze in a day off here and there, letting the wife and kids go to the beach with other wives and kids, while I worke
Buddy steps up with Point 3 of Rockbottum's Ten Point Plan for Fixin' Golf.
Ease up on the average golfer -- the guy who pays the bills -- by reducing the rough, inverting a few bunkers and slowing the greens down a little bit.
Rockbottum music video follows, to help clear any unpleasant memories inflicted by Buddy's overly simplistic analysis.
I got a message from an old friend this week. I have not seen him much in the past twenty years even though we were best friends back in the day. He lives on the other side of the country now, but tells me he is coming home for a visit next weekend. I was thrilled with the news and it got me thinking about the power of friendships and the many great bonds that I have forged since becoming a greenkeeper.
Our industry is relatively unique in this regard. I have yet to work another job which ha
I posted a blog entry after the 2012 Barclays held on the Black Course at the Bethpage State Park and mentioned "set-up man extraordinaire" Rich Roble. Rich passed away on Friday after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.
I'd known Rich for almost 15 years as a member of the Bethpage State Park staff. I can say with certainty he was the grumpiest perfectionist with the biggest heart I'd ever known. Rich was a native Long Islander born and raised around golf. He started as a really good pla
The USGA is, as Buddy would say, "On the horns of an enema" in the current Anchoring controversy.
Their very existence is being challenged and the only way the USGA can remain in the driver's seat is to stiffen their spine and stand up to the rebels.
At Rockbottum CC, we're pretty experienced at standing up to unruly ruffians and scofflaws.
Therefore, we would like to offer our support to the USGA with a re-mastered training video that explains how to put an end to the whole mess.
"Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." Mark Twain
Stepping outside the norm and taking real chances in life is tough. It takes profound courage to evaluate the status quo, decide on a completely new course of action and then take the leap.
From time to time towing the line is the wisest action... but sometimes you just have to walk to the edge of the cliff and jump.
Our society is set up totally against this notion. All of
