I have written a lot of Cheap Seats columns over the years – some say it’s what I did best – but this one is arguably the most difficult.

An ancient proverb attributed to Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th Century states that “All good things come to an end.” It wisely advises that all situations in life are temporary and eventually conclude. Change is part of all natural cycles and must be accepted as such.

For me, the winds of change are telling me that after 32 years it’s time to wind up my career at the helm of TurfNet. It has been a great ride, well beyond my initial goal of NOT being one of the 90% of new businesses that fail within five years. We blew right past that without a sideways glance.

This is a decision that has been coming for several years, during which time I have intentionally distanced myself from some of the day-to-day operations to allow and enable things to stand on their own and carry on.

I will be 72 this year, and honestly, the fire in the belly is gone. Some things that were never a chore have become so. I also find myself making mistakes and forgetting things, part of aging I guess. There are whole new horizons – many of them AI-enabled – that need to be evaluated, tweaked and integrated where and when they make sense. I don’t have it within me to climb that mountain. It’s time to get out of the way and pass the torch to those who do.

When I incorporated TurfNet on February 1, 1994, the internet, cell phones and social media didn’t yet exist. Magazines were the thing. Job announcements were sent in the mail. Equipment was run into the boneyard or traded in for pennies on the dollar. There was no online video, podcasts, webinars. The industry has come a long way since then, and I am proud of the part TurfNet played in that.

As we did our thing and made some ripples in the early years, people noticed. Suitors came calling and I ended up selling the business to Turnstile Publishing Company of Orlando on February 1, 2001, seven years to the day from when I incorporated. I guess one could call that the “seven-year itch”. It wasn’t big money by today’s standards, but it funded my daughters’ educations and built our summer home in the Maritimes. I told the Turnstile folks that I'd stay on as long as they left me alone, which they did. 

Ironically, when I log off on January 31, that will close out 32 years to the day from incorporating TurfNet, and 25 years to the day managing it for Turnstile without an equity interest. Who does THAT?

Turnstile published Golfweek magazine and Superintendent News at the time. When they closed down SuperNEWS in the mid-2000s, Jon Kiger and John Reitman came over to TurfNet to help with advertising and editorial. They are still here and deserve a lot of credit for our success. We only saw each other at GIS or maybe on our member trips and events, but we didn’t need to. My “management” strategy was always to enable, empower, aid and abet, and give a long leash. They never needed much supervision. Both will carry on, joined by Kyle Taylor who will slide over from The Golf Wire, another Turnstile property.

Perhaps the best way to do a retrospective on 32 years is simply a stream of consciousness thing, accepting up front that I’m going to forget some things and many people.

TurfNet Monthly, our print newsletter… the Forum… Beer & Pretzels… Superintendents’ Best Friend dog calendar (Jon Kiger’s idea)… member trips to Ireland, Kohler and Bandon Dunes… 100+ guys playing for Team TurfNet at the Golf Course Hockey Challenge over 22 years… Superintendent of the Year and Tech of the Year awards… TurfNetTV video… TurfNet Radio podcasts… TurfNet University webinars… the job board and used equipment marketplace… The TurfNet Aggregator on Tuesdays, TurfNet This Week on Fridays.

One can't paint the TurfNet mural without acknowledging our correspondents, contributors and members.

Both Randy Wilson and Frank Rossi started contributing to SuperNEWS and have been with us ever since. Randy, with Momma, Buddy, Ludell and the rest of the characters, looked at the industry from the vantage point of Rockbottum Country Club and told the tale for 25 years. There were times his cerebral messages were way above my head.

When I first met Frank, I knew from his ponytail and earring that he didn't fit the mold of the staid Agronomic Old Guard of the day. His style has fit ours hand-in-glove. What a great guy.

Kevin Ross has filmed almost 200 "tips and tricks" videos culled from his career as an active superintendent. Imagine if more superintendents archived their knowledge base like Kevin has. He has been a great friend as well as a valued contributor. I salute him as he turns off his camera and puts On Course to bed this year as well.

Dave Wilber. A great friend, blogger and podcast co-conspirator, one of the smartest turf guys I know. What more can I say?

Paul MacCormack approached me in 2012 about writing a blog about mindfulness, and The Mindful Superintendent was born. Paul went on to change the industry, encouraging us to pause and breathe when necessary, acknowledging that it's OK to not be OK.

Joe Fearn is not a golf turf guy, but a turf guy nonetheless. His blog posts about managing university grounds have been insightful and engaging, and lent another facet to the TurfNet offerings. I have never met Joe in person but I'd like to some day.

Brad Klein worked for Turnstile back in the day and whispered in their corporate ear that TurfNet might make a good acquisition. He has continued to contribute his golf architecture expertise ever since. Tony Pioppi is another former Turnstiler who has hosted many Renovation Report podcasts for us over the years.

Looking in the rearview mirror, I remember those who are no longer with us. Gordon Witteveen was one of our most active members in the 2000s, a prolific contributor and a great friend. I met Jerry Coldiron through TurfNet and he became one of my closest personal friends. Tom Morris embodied what being a team member was all about as he kept the Team TurfNet dressing room loose for 20 years at the Golf Course Hockey Challenge. I miss them all.

My brother, Bob, jumped on board early on and helped me think beyond my admittedly provincial mindset at the time to a  more global one. And away we went.

I won't even try  to recognize the many TurfNet members who really got it and leveraged their membership to the hilt. There are too many, and you know who you are. Thank you.

What's next for me? Dunno. No dragons to slay or mountains to climb. I have traveled enough (with well-documented snafus) to know that I don't want to travel anymore. I don't play golf or go fishing, so no aspirations there. I am interested in men's mental health, food and housing security for those less fortunate, and the well-being of animals. I am going to dust off the guitar and piano and continue to enjoy the company of my wife and my dogs while I see if anything else comes along.

In the meantime, I am fulfilled and proud. Let's leave it at that.