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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    The voice was a familiar and friendly one.
    "Hey, John. It's been a while."
    The reception from Larry Balko upon entering his Florida home was a welcome invitation; except it wasn't his voice. Not really, anyway.
    A certified superintendent and sales rep in the West Palm Beach area for the past 20 years, Balko was diagnosed five years ago with early onset-bulbar, an especially aggressive variant of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. There is no cure. 

    Larry Balko maintains a positive attitude through his battle with ALS. All photos by John Reitman Known as "Biff" to many, Balko, 58, cannot walk or talk. He is unable to eat or breathe without assistance. He only can speak through use of an Eyegaze, a speech-generating device designed specifically to help ALS patients, of which there are more than 30,000 nationwide. The average survival rate for someone with ALS is three years, according to the ALS Association. Twenty percent of those with ALS live five years, and 15 percent live for 10 years or more.
    "The disease doesn't determine your days," said Balko's wife, Rebecca. "God determines your days."
    A virtual prisoner in his own body, Balko's time is spent exclusively in either a special motorized wheelchair or a hospital bed, yet he refuses to let ALS define him. A cheerful person before contracting ALS, he still has that same jocular outlook.
    "After high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and went to San Diego," Balko said through his Eyegaze. "It was there where Biff found Crown Royal and started talking in third-person. Last month, Biff celebrated nine years sober, so he pretty much lives on in so many stories and memories. You can ask anyone, Biff always made the party better."
    Larry and wife Rebecca are eager to share their story, which is one of devotion, love, faith and unyielding support from all corners, including his spouse, his children, his church, fellow superintendents, his employer and not least of all, the staff from the ALS clinic at the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs hospital who manage his care.
    "You know, you have your faith, and you learn to trust that the Lord is in it with you," Rebecca said. "That doesn't mean that you don't have questions. 
    "He stays so positive, but he's not in denial. But he still has many questions, like 'why me?' "
    Larry and Rebecca also want to share their story to bring awareness to this devastating disease in hopes that research scientists might one day find a cure.
    "There may be people who read stories like this about people with ALS, and maybe they know someone who has it, or a relative gets it," Rebecca said.

    Rebecca Balko has tended to her husband's every need through his battle with ALS. "ALS makes people who don't know about it feel isolated from you because they don't know what to say, or do. It's better to just rip the Band-Aid off and talk about it. I think one good thing about (talking about this) is it spreads information about ALS, which is important."
    Members of LifeSpring Church in nearby Wellington, the Balkos did not have to look far to find faith to help them navigate through this challenge. They have always lived a faith-filled life in their 23-year marriage, and were well armed to meet ALS head-on when they received the diagnosis in 2020. They hope that telling their story might help or inspire others about the power of faith.
    "Faith has been the cornerstone of our family," said Tatum Edlin of Huntsville, Alabama, one of Larry's two daughters from a previous marriage. 
    "This picture would be entirely different without it. Without comfort and support from God, he wouldn't have made it this far, and we would be having a very different conversation."
    That faith is indeed important.
    Early onset-bulbar ALS initially affects the muscles in the head and neck, namely those that control swallowing and speaking. Early symptoms typically manifest as slurred speech and difficulty breathing. That was the case for Balko. Eventually, the disease renders other parts of the body helpless. 
    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are about 33,000 cases of ALS across the U.S. Of those, about 90 percent are considered sporadic, in that they occur randomly and are not genetic, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    Also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, named in memory of the former New York Yankees player who died from the disorder in 1941 at age 37, ALS has in the past five years robbed from Balko the ability to talk, walk, the sensation in his fingers and do so many other things others take for granted. 
    "He's a tough man," said Balko's other daughter, Charlie Holbrook, who also lives in Huntsville. "A lot of people going through this would become stoic and cold, but not Larry. He's leaned into God."

    Larry Balko only can 'speak' through use of an Eyegaze voice-generating device. Long before his diagnosis in 2020, Larry and Rebecca participated in the ice bucket challenge, a viral social media campaign from about a decade ago to raise awareness for ALS, in support of friends who had the disease. An ALS diagnosis of their own was the furthest thing from their minds, when they first entered the VA hospital looking for answers.
    "I remember we were sitting on the sofa, and it was not long after his diagnosis and the memory timeline was our video from the ice bucket challenge," Rebecca said. "We had no idea what ALS even was then."
    They know now.
    Symptoms presented about six years ago as difficulty breathing, a twitch on his right side and slurred speech. Balko, who enjoyed singing, suddenly was unable to hit some of the high notes that once came so easily. Clearly, it was time to seek help.
    "He couldn't get his breath, his sinus was blocked 70 to 90 percent, and he had slurred speech," Rebecca said. "They ran a scope down and saw on one side he had a lazy, flat larynx."
    Doctors inserted a feeding tube in 2022. That was two years before he needed it, but doctors said getting it sooner than later would ease the transition when it was actually needed. Three years later, it is the only way he receives food and water and takes his medication. Confined to a bed or wheelchair, he has been breathing through a tracheostomy tube and an oxygen machine since last December. Recently, he completed the difficult task of pre-planning his own funeral.
    The VA set him up with an Eyegaze tablet as soon as the diagnosis was made, so he could speak into the device and it could bank his voice. Today, it mimics his voice as he visually scans the alphabet to piece together words and sentences.
    Among the symptoms of ALS is pseudobulbar affect, the sudden and uncontrollable outbursts of emotion, including bouts of inappropriate laughter and crying.
    "Because I have pseudobulbar, I would cry like a 16-year-old girl over a commercial, and I couldn't control," he said. 
    Said Rebecca of the combination of pseudobulbar affect and raw emotion: "It wasn't like a little emotion, but it would be like turning on the faucet and not being able to stop. 
    "Larry had to learn it was OK, that not all the crying was bullbar and that it was OK. Some of those outbursts aren't necessarily tied to emotion. It's just uncontrollable, almost a switch that you just can't control. But, for him, he also was learning that he was having emotion, and it was OK to have emotion."
    He requires in-home healthcare and nurses who monitor his vitals through the night, courtesy of the VA. He also has a devoted caretaker in Rebecca, who has been by his side for every need, whether it is administering medication or using a Hoyer lift to transfer him to and from bed. Every couple should be in love as much as they are. 
    Their relationship in the face of the most challenging thing they've ever faced is remarkable and refreshing. He still teases her, and she dotes over him and tends to his every need.
    "Oh, she is a rockstar," Charlie said. "She doesn't see it that way. She thinks she's just doing what she's supposed to do. Sometimes, I have to shake her and tell her 'what you're doing is incredible.' "

    Rebecca and Larry Balko have relied heavily on their faith since he was diagnosed with ALS. The progression of the disease has been dramatic.
    When daughter Tatum and her husband, Konnor Edlin, were married three years ago in Jamaica, Larry was still upright and using a walker. To that end, he and Rebecca were able to attend, and he was even able to dance with the bride. Last October, when Charlie and husband Grant Holbrook were married in Alabama, Larry's condition had progressed to the point where it was unsafe for him to travel that far. The service was streamed live so Larry and Rebecca could watch from home in Florida, where he was able to make a speech through his Eyegaze device over FaceTime.
    "It would be easy to try to control something like this with your own plan," said Charlie. "He has gone through this with such grace and confidence. Others would have given up and been depressed. The way he's gone through this shows that God is bigger than all of this."
    A graduate of the Auburn University turfgrass management program, Balko is a past president and long-time member of the Palm Beach County GCSA chapter. It was early in his career in golf that he earned his nickname.
    "It was about the time that Back to the Future came out," he said. "There already was another Larry on staff, so my name on the work board was Biff."
    Following a stint at Pine Tree Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, Balko was superintendent at two courses in South Florida from 2006 to 2014, first at Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth and President Country Club in West Palm.
    Balko's fellow superintendents in South Florida have not forgotten him.
    At last year's Future of Golf Tournament, the largest fundraiser for the 288-member Palm Beach County GCSA, every golfer who won a cash prize donated their winnings back to Balko.
    "That has to be so frustrating," said fellow Palm Beach County superintendent Mike Rienzi of Bear Lakes Country Club. "This is just horrible to watch someone you care about go through that."
    When he left President Country Club, Larry shifted gears for a career in sales, first at Golf Safety and BMP Solutions. He followed with sales positions at Diamond Fertilizer, then started his own company, Biff Inc. Before he was diagnosed with ALS he joined Florida Superior Sand.
    "I've known Larry since he first came to Florida," said Andrew Arena, president of Florida Superior Sand. "I hired him because he's an honest guy. It's hard to find someone who you know is going to look out for your customer. He's a wholesome guy."
    Even through his bout with ALS, Larry still maintains a handful of accounts.
    "He came to us, then he got sick. He still maintains the accounts he has," Arena said. "Obviously, if he needs help with them, then we help him. These are relationships he has built, and they are loyal to him and are sticking with him."
    Servicing those accounts is about more than just business for Larry.
    "When I started 'Biff-ing', I started selling sand," Larry said. "Now, I have 10-ish accounts that text in so I can stay in touch with my friends."
  • Golf courses are responsible for just 1.3 percent of water used in the U.S., according to the USGA Green Section. The game, however, receives a disproportionate amount of blame for how much is required to keep turf playable.
    The USGA has published a guide to help turf managers become better stewards of water with an eye trained on sustainability, as well as providing a valuable PR tool.
    The Water Conservation Playbook is, says the USGA, "a comprehensive effort to provide courses with the latest tools and techniques to more effectively manage water utilization."
    The guide, available as a free download, was written by Green Section personnel and several contributors, and is part of the USGA's 15-year, $30 million investment to help golf courses reduce their overall water usage. 
    "Golf is currently in a time of great growth, but the threat of water availability and cost, combined with changing weather patterns, poses long-term threats to our playing fields," said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, in a news release. "We want to put the best intelligence into the hands of those who are making decisions and working on courses every day, and spur innovation toward a more sustainable game."

    The USGA's Water Conservation Playbook is part of the organization's long-term initiative to help golf courses use less water. USGA photo by JD Cuban The tool focuses on nine water-conservation strategies in three categories:
    Fundamental irrigation stewardship
    Irrigation system maintenance Effects of chemical applications on water use and drought resistance Managing golfer expectations to help conserve water Advanced irrigation techniques and conservation strategies
    Site-specific irrigation scheduling Grassing strategies for golf course water conservation Reducing irrigated acreage Subsurface drip irrigation Water sourcing and storage stewardship
    Surface water optimization Using recycled water Each section includes information on:
    Implementation considerations Potential water savings and other benefits (such as improved turf quality) Regions where the highest impact can be made Photos that demonstrate installation and results Step-by-step implementation notes and tips for success. Authors of the guide including Mike Kenna, Ph.D., Chris Hartwiger, Daniel O'Brien, Ph.D., John Petrovsky, CGCS, Matteo Serena, Ph.D., Cole Thompson, Ph.D., George Waters and Brian Whitlark all of the USGA Green Section; Dale Bremer, Ph.D., of Kansas State University; Jeffrey Danner of Pangaea Golf Architecture; David Pierce of Stellar Golf Advisors; Forrest Richardson of Forrest Richardson Golf Course Architects; and Marco Schiavon, Ph.D. University of Florida.
    "The level of collaboration we've received to bring this to life has been incredible, and it's now our job to share this tool far and wide," said Matt Pringle, Ph.D., managing director of the USGA Green Section, in a news release. "If you work on a golf course, deliver or sell water, build irrigation systems, design facilities or are part of the golf community, we encourage you to download and distribute the link to your colleagues."
    The guide was peer-reviewed by Mike Fidanza, Ph.D., Penn State University; Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., University of California Cooperative Extension; Mike Huck, Irrigation and Turfgrass Services; Craig Kessler, Southern California Golf Association; Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., New Mexico State University; and Casey O'Callaghan, Casey O'Callaghan Golf Course Design.
  • Audubon International is losing a familiar face.
    Frank LaVardera (right) is retiring as director of Environmental Programs for Golf after 45 years with Audubon International.
    During LaVardera's tenure, Audubon's Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf grew to almost 900 private, public and resort golf courses around the world. According to the association web site, there are 865 golf courses worldwide enrolled in the Cooperative Sanctuary Program.
    "Frank was key to our mission of helping more golf courses than ever reach their sustainability goals," said AI CEO Christine Kane. "He set a high bar for work ethic, attention to detail, program follow-through, and establishing strong and trusting relationships with our members as they worked toward certification or recertification. His example will be followed by his successor, and everyone else in our organization, for years to come."
    LaVardera also helped direct membership growth in Audubon International's Signature and Classic Sanctuary programs, and in 2023 helped introduce the comprehensive Signature Sanctuary Platinum level for new and redesigned golf courses, as well as their clubhouses and lodging/hospitality components. He has helped train the organization’s next generation of Environmental Specialists. The Sanctuary program has grown to include 107 golf courses, according to the AI web site.

    The Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia is one of more than 800 golf courses certified by Audubon International. Army Navy CC photo "The opportunity to work with golf course superintendents and other invested stakeholders implementing environmentally sustainable practices was very rewarding," LaVardera said. "I greatly appreciate their hard work and dedication regarding the environment."
    LaVardera brought extensive experience to Audubon International, including decades as a principal partner in a private environmental consultant firm. He worked on a wide range of projects – preparation of environmental resource plans, stormwater management plans, best management practices plans, and wildlife habitat assessments. He also worked on several golf course improvement projects for the U.S. Navy. 
    "Frank has always been thoughtful and helpful when working through recertification, offering his expertise and advice," said Jim Pavonetti, CGCS at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, and an AI board member. "Frank has been a great ambassador for the golf program, and he will be deeply missed at Audubon International."
  • Like a toxic concoction in a boiling cauldron, potential trouble is brewing in some parts of the country due to recent weather patterns.
    With summer heat on the horizon and much of the country experiencing abnormally wet spring conditions, the threat of anthracnose is very real.
    Caused by the fungal pathogen Colletotrichum cereale, anthracnose is a stress-induced disease found on annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass putting greens. The pathogen overwinters in a state of dormancy waiting for the right time to emerge, which can be: through winter under wet, mild conditions; during periods of extended overcast conditions in late spring; under hot, humid summer conditions. 
    Annual bluegrass is especially susceptible, although it can be found in creeping bentgrass, as well. According to the University of Massachusetts, anthracnose also can be found in Kentucky bluegrass, fine-leaf fescues, perennial ryegrass and Bermudagrass
    According to research published at Penn State, symptoms can vary depending on when the disease presents, but often first appears as yellowing turf in irregular patterns that range in size from an inch or two in diameter to more than a foot.

    Anthracnose on annual bluegrass. Penn State photo by Pete Landschoot, Ph.D. Many parts of the country are experiencing conditions that could be right to promote anthracnose. Pittsburgh, home to this year's U.S. Open has received nearly 20 inches of preciptiation through June 18, which is nearly double the historic average, according to the National Weather Service. The Washington, D.C., area has received a similar amount of precipitation this year.
    As summer begins June 20, emperatures in the Mid-Atlantic region are climbing. Daily high temperatures in Pittsburgh are predicted to range from the low to mid-90s for the first full week of summer. Similarly, temperatures in Washington already have reached the low 90s and are expected to reach triple digits next week.
    The pathogen may cause a foliar blight or a rot of crowns, stolons and roots, according to research at the University of Massachusetts. 
    Foliar blight occurs when leaf blades and sheaths become infected. Symptoms are most prominent during the summer stress period and include yellow to reddish brown discoloration of leaves and thinning of the turf as the plant leaves die from the tip down.
    Root and crown infections result in a basal rot. This phase produces symptoms in yellowish-brown to reddish-brown patches that can be several feet in size. Basal rot happens when the crown becomes infected and rotting, and it is difficult to suppress or control. A high organic-matter content in the root zone of a sand-based green can hold excessive amounts of moisture and that promotes infection and further complicates control, according to research at the University of Kentucky.

    Colletotrichum cereale on annual bluegrass. Rutgers photo by Sabrina Tirpak Since basal rot anthracnose can be devastating, prevention of the disease is worth far more than a pound of cure.
    According to Penn State, anthracnose can problematic in areas with poor drainage, compaction and persistant wetness at the surface, so any practice that solves such conditions, including aeration, redirecting traffic, reduced watering and tree management can reduce severity of the disease.
    Nitrogen fertility is the most important factor in managing anthracnose in annual bluegrass putting. Light, frequent applications of nitrogen fertilizer can reduce disease severity and promote in some areas depending on severity of infection. Other practices that might help reduce the severity of anthracnose include avoiding scalping of turf, light and frequent  topdressing, lightweight rolling with smooth rollers and soil testing to avoid potassium deficiencies in annual bluegrass.
    Preventive fungicide applications are more effective than curative, according to Rutgers University.
    Other fungicide application tips, according to Rutgers, are: Avoid sequential use of any fungicide chemistry Tank-mix or alternate fungicides with different modes of action to enhance efficacy and reduce the potential for resistance Develop fungicide programs that focus on efficacy and application timing Use as many different fungicide chemistries with proven efficacy (QoI, DMI, Nitrile, dicarboximide).
  • For turf managers with specific aerification needs, Wiedenmann North America recently launched the Terra Core line of shallow aerifiers.
    Available in 58-inch and 78-inch models, the Terra Core 6 and Terra Core 8 are designed, respectively, for use on greens, tees and sports fields. 
    The compact 58-inch Terra Core 6 features six aerification arms and heads and can be deployed using a small tractor. The larger Terra Core 8, with its 78-inch and eight aerification arms and heads, can cover larger areas in a shorter amount of time and can be used on fairways, as well as greens, tees and sports fields.

    The Terra Core line is designed to aerify at shallow depths. Features of the Terra Core shallow aerification system include:
    Shallow aerification at depths to 4-inches Adjusts in 1/64-inch increments depending on conditions Clean, round holes fill easier than oblong holes Works with multiple sizes of hollow tines and solid tines Made in the U.S., the Terra Core line can be used with solid or hollow tines on golf courses or athletic fields with satisfactory soils, noting that areas with troubled soils might benefit more from aerification at a deeper depth. Because it aerifies at shallow depths, the Terra Core line can complete tasks faster than deep tine aerifiers. 
    The Terra Core system's straight hole pattern allows the sand to drop into the hole for a more effective, cleaner aerification.
    Both models can be used with a turf retainer to help prevent unnecessary damage to the turf.
  • Baroness USA recently filled six positions in sales, training and customer service that bring to the company more than 160 years of combined experience.
    The company's new hires are:
    Tyler Dickey, director of sales Brian Nash, technical manager Nathan Cobb, training manager/operational support Darren Modin, territory sales manager Aaron Morrison, territory sales manager Bill Corcoran, territory sales manager
    From left, Aaron Morrison, Darren Modin, Nathan Cobb, Tyler Dickey, Mitch Otani, Nich Uchida, Bill Corcoran and Brian Nash, all of Baroness. Baroness USA is a manufacturer and distributor of mowing equipment for use on fine cut turf. Its portfolio includes mowers for use on greens and tees, fairways, approaches and surrounds, and roughs on golf courses as well as specialty mowers for use on athletic fields. Baroness also makes a line of golf course bunker rakes.
    Dickey has more than 30 years of experience in the golf industry. Prior to joining Baroness he spent time in sales with Ventrac Schiller Grounds Care, C&M Golf and Grounds and Colorado Golf and Turf.
    During the past 20 years, Nash has held positions with Smithco, Jacobsen, Textron Specialized Vehicles and Golf Ventures West.
    Cobb joins Baroness from Turf and Soil Management, where he was a business test analyst.
    Modin, who joins Baroness after six years in sales for Ventrac, will be responsible for sales initiatives in the Upper Midwest as well as Canada and Mexico. Morrison previously held sales management positions with Harper Industries, Ventral and Stotz Equipment. He will oversee sales in the Western U.S. Corcoran will cover the Eastern U.S. He brings more than 30 years of sales experience from posts at Ventrac, Lawn and Golf Supply Co., Turf Equipment and Supply Co. and Philadelphia Turf Co.
    In other news, Mich Otani was promoted from his previous role as director of U.S. operations for Kyoeisha USA (dba Baroness USA) to director of overseas sales at Kyoeisha, Japan.
  • The name Textron has been synonymous with mechanized golf equipment since it acquired the E-Z-GO golf car line in 1960 and Jacobsen mowers 15 years later. For most of the past decade, the Textron Specialized Vehicles division also has made a name for itself in helping uplift at-risk children and young adults in E-Z-GO/Cushman's hometown of Augusta, Georgia.
    Since 2016, TSV has partnered with the Richmond County School System in a partnership that supports at-risk high school students who need an alternative path to earning a high-school diploma. 
    The program, known as Reaching Potential Through Manufacturing,  combines four hours of classroom instruction with a four-hour shift on a plant floor at a campus that is part school and part manufacturing facility. Students receive academic instruction, produce components and subassemblies for E-Z-GO golf cars and Cushman utility vehicles and learn the soft skills necessary to succeed in business.

    Reaching Potential Through Manufacturing is a collaborative effort between Richmond County Schools in Georgia and Textron Specialized Vehicles to uplift at-risk students and give them a path to high school graduation. All images courtesy of Textron Specialized Vehicles RPM is open to at-risk students age 16 or older from all 10 high schools in Richmond County. Since its inception in 2016, RPM has helped about 400 students earn a high school diploma who otherwise might not have had a chance to graduate, including 11 graduates this spring. 
    Instead of seeking out students with the best grades, RPM seeks to help those whose path to high school graduation and a productive adult life is less certain.
    "One of the things that we do look at, we use the upside-down model to what most people are most familiar with magnet programs," said RPM Principal Kierstin Johnson, Ph.D. "So instead of looking for kids with the highest grades and the best behavior and the best attendance, we look for students who are, to qualify, you must be at a credit deficit."
    Modeled after a similar program in west-central Georgia, the RPM program was approved in January 2016 and welcomed its inaugural class eight months later for the 2016-17 school year.
    "The genesis of the program goes back to a time when we were expanding our operations here in Augusta, and spending a pretty good amount, several million dollars in capital, to expand our operations," said Phillip Bowman, director of operations for Textron Specialized Vehicles in Augusta. "As we did that, we realized that commensurate with that investment, we were going to have to make sure that we had a workforce available to us in Augusta."

    The RPM program includes a mix of working on the manufacturing plant floor and classroom instruction. RPM students work directly with Willie Powell, senior operations manager, and other Textron employees who serve as supervisors to build a variety of components, such as controllers, brake cables and many other parts for golf cars and utility vehicles.
    Textron has made offers of employment to six of this year's 11 graduates, and has hired 40 percent of all graduates since the program was launched. Since 2016, every E-Z-GO golf car and Cushman utility vehicle features components that were built by RPM students, Powell said.
    For Johnson, the payoff is seeing RPM students trade what almost certainly was a future with questionable prospects for a life of promise.
    "As far as the students are concerned, it's an awesome opportunity to get the chance to reset, the chance to leave behind some of the baggage and reputation they had garnered for themselves and start fresh with us and be your own brand new person," Johnson said.
    "When they get an opportunity to come here, they start fresh with a brand new life."
    The program allows TSV to play a key role in helping prepare the Augusta community's most at-risk population to become productive and successful, while also providing a channel to train potential future employees.
    "You hear about some of the incredibly tough situations that some of these kids come from, whether they're homeless, they're teen parents, they're coming out of poverty; just incredibly difficult circumstances that they have had to manage in their young lives," said Brandon Haddock, director of communications for Textron Specialized Vehicles. 
     
    "To be able to help them overcome those circumstances and get on track and become productive members of society, but also get their own lives on track.
    "It's special when you see the impact the program has on kids, and we have the pleasure of doing a graduation dinner to celebrate our latest graduates last week, and you see those kids and their families and the impact that the program makes on their lives."
    Johnson was a principal at the middle and high school levels before she took on the same role at RPM. She says RPM's small class size contributes to student success.
    "Our largest class, even in the summer semester, is 18," she said. "That small class size gives students the opportunity to feel seen. And for kids of this particular generation, that is a big selling point that they can ask the question in class and not feel like they're the only one who doesn't understand. The teachers know them very well. It's just a wonderful opportunity for students to reset, get a second chance."
    RPM conducts tours of the facility, and students enjoy talking with visitors about the parts they manufactured and their function. Students can earn quarterly incentive pay based on factors such as attendance and quality of work, giving them further insight into what awaits them in the workplace after completing high school.

    The RPM program has been so well received that there is a waiting list to get in. As word of RPM spreads, acceptance of the program by students has been such that there is a waiting list to get in, and feedback from parents has been positive, Johnson said.
    "Kids do lose their way," Johnson said. "And parents don't know why, don't know how. But they become a person that parents really don't know. They remember the sweet young girl and sweet young boy when they were 7, 8 and early elementary. And then somewhere along the way, they lose that person.
    "And to have a program that you really feel like brings you that person back is, again for even the whole family unit, very life changing as well."
    RPM is modeled after 12 for Life, a similar program between Carroll County Schools in west-central Georgia and Southwire, a maker of electrical wire and cable based in Carrollton, Bowman said.
    "You have to have a committed business partner," Johnson said. "The commitment of the business partner will completely drive everything."
    Such public-private partnerships do not have to be unique to Georgia, Haddock said.
    "We certainly believe that RPM is a model that other communities can follow," Haddock said. "I know Dr. Johnson, Philip and Willie spend a lot of their time showing off RPM to people who want to come see it from all over the country."
  • The application period for the 20th annual Green Start Academy is open through Aug. 1.
    Scheduled for Dec. 2-4 at Pinehurst Resort, Green Start Academy is a leadership and development program hosted by Envu, John Deere and Rain Bird, that is designed to provide assistant golf course superintendents with the "tools, knowledge and connections they need to thrive."

    Assistant superintendents looking to expand their management and agronomic expertise can apply for this year's Green Start Academy. The deadline to apply is Aug. 1 The Academy includes:
    Expert-led educational sessions with top superintendents and turf industry leaders Hands-on workshops focused on real-world challenges and solutions Mentorship opportunities with respected professionals from across the golf industry Networking events that connect participants with peers and industry innovators The program is open to U.S. and Canadian assistant superintendents only, and previous Green Start Academy participants are not eligible to apply, with the exception of the 2020 virtual class who may reapply for consideration in this year’s or a future in-person program. Applications will be evaluated throughout August and those who have been selected to attend will be notified in early September. Click here to apply.
    As part of the 25th anniversary of the program, this year's academy will include panels led by GSA alumni, expanded programming focusing on contemporary challenges and opportunities and insights from representatives from Deere, Envu and Rain Bird.
  • Yamaha recently expanded a golf car/utility vehicle recall that now includes more than 350,000 vehicles.
    According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, about 352,000 Yamaha vehicles have now been recalled because the accelerator pedal spring can fail to return to idle when a user stops pressing the accelerator pedal, posing a crash hazard. The CPSC says Yamaha has received at least 2,200 reports of incidents involving accelerator pedal return spring failures. No injuries have been reported.
    According to a report in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, there are more than 15,000 golf car-related injuries resulting in emergency room visits each year in the United States. 

    More than 350,000 Yamaha golf cars and utility vehicles have been recalled due to reports of a faulty accelerator spring. The CPSC says the recall affects Yamaha vehicles sold from July 2015 through December 2024. The expanded recalled now includes the following:
    model year 2016 Yamaha Drive gas/electric model years 2017-2024 Drive 2 gas/electric model years 2016-2018 Adventurer model years 2019-2024 UMAX golf car vehicles. Customers are advised to cease using vehicles that fall under the recall, and contact a dealer to schedule a free repair even if the vehicles in question previously were repaired for a prior recall.
  • A Texas A&M study on developing irrigation and fertilization protocols for growing-in sprigs in warm-season greens is among three research projects that will receive funding from the GCSAA Foundation. Texas A&M photo Three new university research projects have been chosen for funding support by the GCSAA.
    The projects, all chosen by a committee that included two members of the GCSAA board of directors, superintendents and university researchers, will receive a combined $182,000 from a block grant through the GCSAA Foundation. 
    The following three research projects will be funded for two years:
    Chemical and biological control of Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) on golf course putting green surfaces: Ming-Yi Chou, Ph.D., Rutgers University. Impact of soil properties on plant-parasitic nematode populations: Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D.; Hannah Rivedal, Ph.D.; Emily Braithwaite; Charles Schmid; Ph.D.; and Jen Moore, Ph.D., Oregon State University.  Environmentally sound irrigation and nitrogen management strategies for sprig establishment of warm-season putting greens: Benjamin Wherley, Ph.D.; Weston Floyd; and Ashton Franks, Ph.D., Texas A&M University There are now 11 ongoing research projects funded by GCSAA, totalling $587,535 in funding.
    Funding for research comes to GCSAA through the foundation and donors.
  • Anyone familiar with boxing might recognize the infamous photograph of Muhammad Ali standing over a fallen Sonny Liston during their 1965 heavyweight title bout, imploring him to get up only so he can knock him down again.
    A former champion who lost only four of 54 fights — two to Ali — Liston stayed on the canvas in what has become a metaphor for handling life's many and difficult challenges. Despite his many victories in the ring and the 883 days he spent as world heavyweight champion after beating Floyd Patterson in 1962, that defeat, thanks in part to that dramatic photo of the victorious Ali, has come to overshadow Liston's accomplishments and define his career.
    Some people are equipped to handle adversity. Others are not.
    Metaphorically speaking, longtime superintendent John Colo has taken a series of gut punches that would leave many unable to get off the mat. Even real-life challenges like job loss and wife Peggy's terminal battle with cancer were not enough to count out Colo, who has been director of golf course maintenance at Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida for the past five years.
    The past decade has been an example of what it means to face adversity head-on and beat it. But that ability to bounce back from adversity began a long time ago, says Colo's twin brother Jim.
    "My brother, John, has been through the obstacle course of life which started back in high school when he was hit in the head by a baseball off a bat as he stood right behind the pitcher’s mound," said Jim, superintendent at Naples National Golf Club on Florida's Gulf coast. "He spent a few days in the hospital and recovered. Although knocked down, he got back up."
    When he lost two jobs as a superintendent in less than a year in Pennsylvania, he did whatever he had to do to continue to provide for his wife and their two sons, Robert and Kevin.
    "I did landscaping. I plowed snow. I drove limousines. I was a UPS helper during the holidays," Colo said. "I just kept busy. You had to keep busy. I had to make money. I had to support the family, so I kept going. You know, perseverance. It was a big juggling act."
    A native of Painesville, Ohio, Colo is a disciple of the late Jim Loke. He had been superintendent at the Country Club of York in Pennsylvania for nearly 10 years when he was squeezed out in December 2012. Eight months later, after working for two months as superintendent at Hartefeld National in Avondale, Pennsylvania, life dealt out another blow.
    "Two days before I got let go at Hartefeld is when we found out Peggy first had cancer," Colo said. "So that's always nice."

    Every time life takes a swing at John Colo, he manages to pick himself up off the mat. Photo by John Reitman Rather than stay down, he picked himself up, took a yearlong leave of absence and went home to take care of his sick wife and their family.
    "You know, it was God saying, 'OK, Colo, you can't work an hour away from home. You have to be at home to take care of Peggy and the boys,' " he said. 
    "No matter what it is, you have to lace up your shoes and keep moving."
    He later took a landscaping job and immersed himself into the gig economy before returning to the golf course in 2015 as superintendent at Little Mountain Country Club in his hometown of Painesville. He had been there less than six months when the phone rang during a trip to an amusement park. On the other end of the line was Steve Ehrbar at Jupiter Hills in Tequesta, Florida offering Colo an assistant's position. It was the second time Ehbar, another Loke protegé, tried to recruit Colo to Florida.
    "Steve had called me twice, the first time was in early 2014. "Man, I'd love to come, but I have to sit tight.
    "The second time, we were in Sandusky at Cedar Point for the week. Peggy and I talked about it. She grew up in Kilkee, a seaside town in County Clare, Ireland, and she always wanted to live close to the beach. We decided it was time."
    Colo eventually moved up to superintendent of the Hills Course before getting the job at Frenchman's Reserve in 2020, two years after Peggy succumbed to her fight against cancer.
    "Through his golf course management career he has been through the lows and highs of this business," said Jim Colo. "John has been excused from a couple jobs, but has not let that deter him from being the best among superintendents. He was knocked down but got back up. Six years ago, John lost his wife Peggy to the dreaded disease, cancer. Again, hit directly in the teeth by life, he did not waiver. After a devastating life event, John has continued to rise and become a stronger father to Robert and Kevin and rely on his skills as a superintendent to produce conditions second to no one."
    The move to Florida reunited Colo with his brother and best friend, who has been in Naples for 13 years.
    "I have great friends, namely Jim and Steve, who have really helped me get through this," Colo said."
    Said Jim: "John’s ability to get back up and overcome everything is a testament to his perseverance and resiliency to lead a team and keep his family together. At the end of the day, he and I look for each other's phone call. Our conversation goes on for a few minutes or up to 20 minutes as we both share our day during the car ride home. It's a bond that can't be broken."
  • For superintendents seeking to maximize efficiency, Steel Green Manufacturing has added Razor Tracking GPS fleet coordination to all its new  equipment coming straight from the factory.
    The Razor Tracking software platform helps Steel Green equipment users see where their assets are performing while generating and maintaining detailed records of agronomic tasks.
    Each new machine comes with a free year of Razor Tracking service, so customers can experience the benefits of GPS-guided equipment. Customers with older inventory can buy the service and have it retrofitted to their existing older equipment.
    Located in Lebanon, Indiana, Steel Green is an employee-owned maker of a line of high-capacity zero-turn spreader-sprayers for the turf industry.

    New Steel Green equipment now comes outfitted with a factory-installed GPS fleet-coordination system from Razor Tracking. Razor Tracking helps users manage their equipment fleet through dispatching, driver location insights, details on equipment performance and video telematics for all industries. The company's real-time vehicle-tracking helps ensure operators are on the correct job site and are actually operating the equipment. The system also has built-in theft-protection and offers weather map overlays.
    "By integrating Razor Tracking into our 2025 spreader/sprayer lineup, we're giving turf professionals real-time visibility of their fleet, allowing them to optimize routes, monitor equipment performance, and improve overall productivity," said Steel Green vice president Matt Smith "At Steel Green, we’re dedicated to innovation, and with Razor Tracking, we're raising the bar on what it means to get the job done right."
    Razor Tracking is a Fargo, North Dakota-based provider of advanced GPS fleet tracking, video telematics and management software platforms to track vehicles and assets in any industry. The company also makes products that include dash cameras, equipment inspections, safety scorecards, tank monitoring, geofencing and dispatching software.
  • The Golf Course Builders Association of America has named Ellen Davis as the recipient of the 2025 Perry O. Dye Service Award.
    Davis, manager of SportZmix Solutions, was recognized for her service, leadership, and commitment to the association, GCBAA Foundation and the golf industry overall.
    The award is named for the late Perry O. Dye, whose leadership and financial stewardship helped guide the Association through its formative years, and is presented to those who contribute "above and beyond the call of duty to strengthen the GCBAA and its mission." The son of Pete and Alice Dye, Perry O. Dye passed away in 2021 at age 61. 
    Davis served on the GCBAA board of directors from 2006 to 2018, holding executive board roles including secretary (2008–18) and vice president (2018). In 2018, she transitioned to the GCBAA Foundation board and in 2021 served as president. Her passion for service to the association manifested through her work with the foundation’s Sticks For Kids program and auction and volunteering behind the scenes.
    SportZmix Solutions is a division of Faulks Brothers Construction Inc. 
    "Ellen Davis exemplifies the values that Perry O. Dye held dear—selflessness, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to service," said Justin Apel, GCBAA executive director. "Her decades of leadership and her passion for growing the game through the foundation have helped shape the direction and culture of our organization."
    In 2023, Davis played a key role in the acquisition of Kempker Greens Mix Blending to solidify the company's position in custom soil blending for golf courses and sports fields. She described the acquisition as a chance to "build upon both of our strong businesses, recognized brands, quality services and continue to be the leading custom soil blending company."
    Under her guidance, SportZmix Solutions and Waupaca Sand and Solutions have worked to deliver the highest-quality materials while helping clients exceed their project goals. Her strategic leadership and commitment to customer relationships dovetail with the principles the association seeks to honor through the Perry O. Dye Service Award.

    Ellen Davis (third from right) with (from left) Leasha Schwab, Cathy Harbin, Laurie Bland, Stephanie Schwenke of Syngenta, Kayla Kip, Davis, Beth Guertal, Ph.D., and Jan Bel Jan at the third annual Ladies Leading Turf event at the 2020 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. File photo by John Reitman In 2020, she helped promote the role of women in the turf industry as a panelist in the "Ladies Leading Turf" meeting at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Orlando. The following year, she was recognized by Golf Inc. as one of the 10 Gurus of Golf Course Construction, acknowledging the unsung heroes who influence golf construction through their expertise and innovations on both the design side and the shovel side of the business.
    "Ellen has always led with humility, purpose, and a genuine care for everyone in this industry," said Jon O’Donnell, GCBAA president. "Ellen has always led with humility, purpose, and a genuine care for everyone in this industry. Her influen". Her influence stretches well beyond boardrooms and business—she’s been a steady hand, a mentor, and a true champion of the GCBAA mission. There is no one more deserving of this recognition."
    Previous recipients include Perry Dye (2005); Jim Kirchdorfer Sr. (2006); Rick Elyea (2010); Steve Christman (2013); Tommy Sasser (2015); Dennis Wagner (2018); and O’Brien McGarey (2021).
    Davis will be presented with the award in August at the 2025 GCBAA Summer Meeting in Boston.
  • The scientific community has found another arrow in its quiver to fire at golf.
    A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates a link between increased incidence of Parkinson’s disease and living near a golf course.
    According to the study, people who live within three miles of a golf course showed a greater risk of contracting Parkinson’s disease than those outside that three-mile arc. Those living within a mile of a golf facility faced a 126 percent greater chance of getting the disease than those who lived at least six miles from a course.
    Although the study indicates a possible link between golf course management practices and the likelihood of contracting Parkinson’s disease, it does not and cannot prove a direct cause and effect.
    Limitations of the study include:
    Limited geographic context Limited demographics Does not account for surface water drinking sources Does not account for changes in golf course management practices  Does not account for other factors that play a role in causing Parkinson’s disease Does not account for other impurities in drinking water supplies
    The study indicates that those who shared a groundwater source with a golf course had a 96 percent greater chance of getting Parkinson's disease, compared with those who did not, and a 49 percent greater chance compared with those whose water came from private wells.
    The study was based on residence and health records of more than 400 participants in the Rochester Epidemiology Project from 1991-2015. Data were analyzed in the summer of 2024, and the findings published May 5 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
    The Rochester Epidemiology Project is a collaborative effort of clinics, hospitals and medical facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin that have agreed to share medical records for research purposes. That list of facilities includes the Mayo Clinic, Olmstead Medical Center and Zumbro Valley Health Center. 
    Authors of the study included researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the University of Rochester in New York.
    There are several factors this study fails to account for.
    Among those factors is the limited geographic and demographic context of the research that was limited to a largely caucasian population in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin only. It also is unable to reliably account for changes of residence three years before onset of Parkinson’s was detected. 
    The study also fails to account for other factors that contribute to Parkinson’s disease — such as genetics — that can take decades to manifest.
    Golf course superintendents have proven time and again to be good stewards of the environment, and as such much has changed in the way they manage golf courses since 1991 (the first year of data in the study). Many products that were common 35 years ago have since been banned and/or replaced by safer products with lower use rates, changes researchers were unable to factor into their findings.
    Most notably, the study does not account for the fact that most golf courses are by their nature located near population centers and that there are other impurities found in municipal drinking water supplies that come from many other sources than golf courses. 
    The Rochester team that conducted this study says it next plans to seek more information on the threat of Parkinson's disease by analyzing health records for 22 million people on Medicare and data from "about 16,000 golf courses," which sounds like all of them.
    No word yet on whether the expanded study will include effects of other contaminants from sources like agriculture runoff, industrial plants, landfills, underground fuel-storage tanks and sewage dumps, or how things like lead and microplastics get into the water system.
    People in golf should be accustomed to singularly focused attacks by now. Just know that there are more coming.
  • One of the country's most prestigious names in golf is set to embark on a project to help improve and sustain water quality in one of California's most sensitive bodies of water.
    The Pebble Beach Co., is teaming with the California Coastkeeper Alliance, The Otter Project and Monterey Waterkeeper in an effort to enhance the protection of water quality in the Carmel Bay, which is designated as an Area of Special Biological Significance.
    South of Monterey Bay on California's Central Coast, Carmel Bay is bounded by the Monterey Peninsula to the north, the town of Carmel-by-the-Sea to the east, the Carmel Highlands to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
    The Pebble Beach Co. is owned by a consortium that operates Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass Hill Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay, Del Monte Golf Course and the Hay nine-hole golf course on Monterey Peninsula.

    The Pebble Beach Co. is part of a group project to clean up Carmel Bay. Pebble Beach photo As part of the project, the company will get a special Clean Water Act permit for discharges from Pebble Beach Golf Links into the Carmel Bay, increase water-quality monitoring and developing updated best management practices related to discharges into the bay. The Pebble Beach Co. also will donate $50,000 to the Big Sur Land Trust to support environmental projects related to water quality in the bay and programs to facilitate access to it.
    "Pebble Beach Company has long been a leader in ensuring environmental sustainability and water quality," said David Stivers, president and chief executive officer of the Pebble Beach Co. "We are proud to collaborate with these organizations to further our longstanding environmental commitments through this landmark initiative."
    The Carmel Bay ASBS is one of California’s 34 Areas of Special Biological Significance, designated by the State Water Resources Control Board to safeguard distinctive biological species and communities.
    "This collaboration represents a significant advancement in our mission to protect California's coastal waters," stated Sean Bothwell, executive director of California Coastkeeper Alliance. "Pebble Beach Company's commitment to our environment is second to none, and its actions here are a model for other companies to follow. We are committed to working with Pebble Beach Company to ensure the long-term health of Carmel Bay through this innovative permitting, monitoring, and reporting framework."
  • A rendering of the new short course and putting course to be built at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens. BallenIsles CC image The one-time home of the PGA of America is growing.
    BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is adding a new 10-hole short course and a putting course, both of which will be designed by golf course architect Rees Jones. 
    With holes ranging in length from 80 yards to 160 yards and a nine-hole putting course covering a combined 4 acres, the $6 million project is scheduled to open in fall 2026, according to BallenIsles.
    "We are so proud of the work Rees Jones and Bryce Swanson did with us (on the South Course) in 2019 that we could not wait for the opportunity to work with them again," Jeff Fitzherbert, BallenIsles director of golf, said. 
    "We are eager to get to work and see what the Rees Jones design team will come up this time."

    The East Course at BallenIsles Country Club, No. 14 shown here, was the site of the 1971 PGA Championship when the facility was known as PGA National Golf Club. BallenIsles photo The 54-hole BallenIsles was developed in 1964 as PGA National Golf Club by entrepreneur and philanthropist John D. MacArthur, who also is credited with developing and naming Palm Beach Gardens five years earlier in 1959. 
    The club's East and North courses, both designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, opened in 1964. The East Course was the one-time home of the PGA Tour Qualifying School, and Jack Nicklaus won the 1971 PGA Championship there. 
    Rees Jones most recently renovated the Wilson/Lee-designed South Course in 2019. 
    Wilson was the architect of other notable South Florida designs like Pine Tree in Boynton Beach and the Blue Course at Trump Doral in Miami. Lee is credited with more than 100 designs worldwide, including dozens in Florida.
    When the PGA of America moved across Florida's Turnpike in 1973, its former home was renamed JDM Country Club in MacArthur's honor. It remained JDM until 1988 when the foundation bearing MacArthur's name sold the property that was renamed BallenIsles Country Club.
    The PGA of America moved its headquarters from Palm Beach Gardens in 2022 to Frisco, Texas.

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