Jump to content

From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Even an ongoing global health crisis in the middle of December cannot dampen thoughts of the upcoming holidays. But anyone who believes it feels more like Groundhog Day than Christmas, well, they're not alone.
    In the 1993 film of the same name, TV weatherman Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover Groundhog Day (right), and relives the day repeatedly after becoming entangled in a time loop. After nearly two years of a seemingly endless pandemic, new virus variants, varying protocols, a virtual Golf Industry Show in 2021 and the news of vaccine cards and now a mandatory masking policy in California that could extend into the upcoming GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, it feels like 2020 is coming around again on New Year's Day.
    With Covid outbreaks on the rise across the state and concerns surrounding the new Omicron variant, the California Department of Public Health announced a statewide indoor mask mandate that went into effect Dec. 15 and will run at least through Jan. 15. It could be discontinued at that time, or extended if cases continue to climb. Several counties across the state, such as Los Angeles and many in the San Francisco Bay area, already had mask mandates in place. San Diego did not. 
    Statewide protocols already require proof of vaccination for large indoor events of more than 1,000 people, or a negative Covid test and masking for the unvaccinated. That includes the upcoming GCSAA conference, set for Feb. 5-10 at the San Diego Convention Center. If the indoor mask mandate that went into effect Dec. 15 is continued beyond the January expiration date, conference attendees also will be required to wear masks at the conference, regardless of vaccination status.

    A statewide indoor mask mandate in California went into effect Dec. 15, including at the convention center (background), site of the 2022 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show. Photo courtesy of San Diego Convention Center In light of California's new protocols, the GCSAA's plans still include an in-person show, which already include proof of a vaccination or negative test, said GCSAA media relations manager Mike Strauss. It also will mean masks indoors if the latest order remains in place, according to convention center staff.
    "On an ongoing basis, our San Diego Convention Center team monitors public health guidance, provides updates to meeting planners and communicates requirements via our website," said Maran Dougherty, executive director of marketing and communications for the San Diego Convention Center Corp. "Meeting planners then communicate applicable protocols to exhibitors, attendees and contractors for their licensed areas of the building. Our Convention Center team monitors compliance among our employees and business partners, and we work collaboratively with meeting planners to help identify ways of implementing protocols for their events."
    The news brought mixed reviews from many superintendents.
    Brian Boyer, superintendent at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California, plans to attend, but is concerned about the recent spike in Covid cases in Southern California.
    "I'm not opposed to wearing masks, it's a safety concern," Boyer said. "We're seeing an uptick, mostly in Southern California, so I'm a little nervous."
    Fred Gehrisch, superintendent at Highland Falls Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina, checked off several reasons for electing to stay home rather than attend the 2022 show, including Covid concerns and a growing homeless situation across downtown San Diego.
    He noted the success of the recent Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach and how despite the overall absence of masks there appears to be no outbreaks linked to the event.
    "The minute (HFCC assistant superintendent) Josh (Cantrell) told me I would be required to show vaccine cards everywhere I go is when I decided I wasn't going," Gehrisch said. 
    "I'm not anti-vax, and my decision has nothing to do with the GCSAA other than location. If it stays like this I might never go back (to San Diego). If the show was in Orlando? I'd be on my way."
    Paul Hallock, superintendent at SaddleBrooke in Tucson, Arizona, plans to attend the conference in San Diego, but understands those who decide not to.
    "I have not booked a hotel or flight, but I plan on going," Hallock said. "I don't see anything negative about being asked for a vaccination card or wearing a mask, but I get it that some people are against that."
  • Water coolers are gone for good at Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Covid might have been an impetus to remove some accessories from golf courses, but economics and other factors provided an excuse to keep some off forever, or at least for the foreseeable future.
    Nearly two decades later, the tragic story of Nils Beeman has not been forgotten. Beeman was the 15-year-old Phoenix high school golfer whose death in 2003 was linked to contaminated water in a golf course water cooler.
    Back then, Charlie Fultz was a golf course superintendent in Virginia more than 2,000 miles away, but he still remembers when that tragedy rocked the golf world. So, it is understandable that Fultz was pretty happy when water coolers disappeared from municipal Heritage Oaks Golf Course in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2020 as many superintendents were told to limit golfer touch points in response to the pandemic. 
    He was even happier when water coolers did not make the cut as some of those accessories started to come back into play.
    "When we reopened, a hotbed discussion was water coolers," said Fultz, director of golf course operations at Heritage Oaks. "That (Beeman) story always scared me. I can't believe that has not happened more. As acting general manager and superintendent, the city came to me and said 'tell us what you want and what you don't. 
    "We sell bottled water in the pro shop. That eliminates cross contamination, so water coolers went away."
    Golf cars at Heritage Oaks have ball washers already attached arrived at Heritage Oaks, the washers that once were on every hole also never came back.

    Ball washers are a thing of the past at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California. Although bunker rakes were reintroduced for golfer use, it was not in pre-covid numbers.
    "We must have had five in each bunker. It was absurd," Fultz said. "We put one in each bunker. It's not like golfers use them anyway. Our rakes even say on the handle to put them back in the bunker. They never do it, and we all laugh at it."
    Paul Hallock also removed ball washers from the SaddleBrooke Golf Course in Tucson, Arizona. The next new armada of golf cars will have ball washers attached, so washers on the course are a thing of the past. Their long-term demise is due more to economics than a virus.
    "They were trash anway," Hallock said. "We're not going to spend $16,000 to replace them. They are staying off, and there is no plan to bring them back. We didn't make that decision because of Covid, but Covid put us over the edge."
    Brian Boyer, superintendent at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California also put the ball washers away permanently. He also has adopted a new view toward bunker rakes.
    "We removed the ball washers for good," Boyer said. "What's the point? They are gone permanently.
    "Bunker rakes are back, and that has been a plus for us. If I have a rake out there, I don't feel guilty about us not (raking bunkers). They had the option, and there's about a 50-50 chance of them raking."
    Although ball ejectors and pool noodles are pretty much gone from many golf courses, several superintendents reported that golfers still are putting with the flags in.
    "More than 50 percent of our golfers leave them in," Boyer said. "I was surprised to see that."
  • The new GSV Series plastic and brass valves from Rain Bird include numerous advanced features designed to enhance durability and provide an additional option for golf course superintendents in lightning-prone regions, those who use reclaimed water and those who need water pressure regulation.
     
    The GSV Series valves can withstand up to 25kV of surge. A pre-installed PRS-DIAL regulates and maintains constant outlet pressure between 15 and 100 psi while reducing the effects of water hammer. A waterproof dial cartridge eliminates fogging and binding.
     
    Three plastic models with NPT or BSP thread options and one red brass model with BSP threads only are available. All GSV models feature a chlorine-resistant diaphragm that protects the valves against harsh chemicals and reclaimed water.
     
    "Valves are the heart of any irrigation system," said Altan Tolan, product manager for Rain Bird Golf. "On a golf course, a valve failure can have significant repercussions and require additional money and labor to repair. That's why we built our new GSV Series Valves with a collection of upgrades that ensure optimum reliability, performance and peace of mind."
     
    The Scrubber mechanism on plastic models encapsulates a stainless steel screen to dislodge grit and plant material protecting the valve from debris. Built-in filtration on the GBS25 solenoid and the adapter offer two additional levels of debris protection. An extra purple flow-control handle (handle cover for brass model) is included for use with non-potable water.
  • At The Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas, Justin Sims is having difficulty securing rental equipment for course-improvement projects. Photo by The Alotian Club A shortage of parts and equipment as a result of supply chain disruptions, a volatile fertilizer market that is blowing up budgets, record play, labor challenges and no slowing down of golfer demands have combined to create a perfect storm for the golf industry and have left many superintendents scrambling for answers 
    "There is real volatility in the market." said Chris Reverie, superintendent at Allentown Municipal Golf Course in Pennsylvania. "I'm seeing shortages in 30-gallon drums, totes and even plastic container caps for case product. Even better, the glue to apply the product label. 
    "Where will we stand in 2022? We're seeing weekly price increases, products not available and timelines for orders placed now could arrive somewhere between late summer to fall next year."
    A recent story in The New York Times as well as a post on the Lebanon Turf blog by Chris Gray, golf channel manager for Lebanon's fertilizer segment, went a long way in explaining the upheaval in the fertilizer market. Among the many issues facing that industry are disruptions to urea supplies by manufacturers in Russia and China. It should come as no shock that manufacturers in those countries, according to the Times, have scaled back exports to meet the needs for their own growers. As a result, according to Lebanon, prices have nearly tripled for some urea products just since last year.
    China has done the same with phosphate, limiting exports to ensure growers there have enough supply. The communist dictatorship is the world's leading producer of phosphate and so many other products on which the U.S. and world economies have become so reliant.
    "I would say that this early order in October must rank as one of the largest orders placed by superintendents. I know I was among them. The question was what will 2022 look like?" Reverie said.
     
    "The fear of not having the product for the 2022 season is real and we reacted. This is the largest early order I have ever placed. The goal was to secure our pricing and product availability by putting the orders in. This plan failed. The availability of raw materials has brought companies coming back to us with updated pricing on orders already placed.
     
    "How do we budget for that? It's well known the cost of phosphate had doubled. We're always trying to do more with less but this was unexpected. How do you design a turf program, budget for the season and already be over budget while we're still in 2021?"

    Pipe and parts for mowers are hard to come by at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. Photo by TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas Shortages and higher prices have affected several markets.
    In the wake of a winter storm that ravaged Texas in February, Anthony Williams' team at TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas in Irving, took down thousands of damaged trees, but struggled with what to do with them once they were on the ground.
    "Trees, shrubs, 4,337 is how many we had to take down," Williams said. "After dropping those big oak trees, I was going to buy a log splitter. We were going to use (wood) around the resort. We were going to sell some for charity, so I ordered a log splitter at the end of May. The latest update, they tell me now, is it may be January before I can get something that you used to go and pick it up in person."
    The same scenario is occurring at The Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas, where Justin Sims is director of grounds and facilities. 
    "We are continuing to see several supply chain disruptions," Sims said. "There have been very long lead times on parts, drainage supplies, seed and various other items. Equipment lead times are the longest I've ever seen, but what might be even stranger is the inability to find rental equipment. There are so many construction projects, homes being built and infrastructure investments that it is becoming more difficult by the day to find rental equipment."
    A shortage of repair parts for mechanized equipment has affected the day-to-day operations at TPC Four Seasons where Williams and his team have more than 100 total acres of rough spread over 36 holes. He typically runs six rough mowers to keep that amount of acreage under control. But the current times are anything but typical.
    "At one point, we had five (rough mowers) waiting for parts and one out mowing," he said. "The owners asked 'What do we do?' They were supposed to be replaced last year, but because of Covid they deferred capital layout. Now, what I see is a dominoes effect. We were not able to mow rough on our normal rotation, which meant we ran the sweeper for two golf courses way more than ever. Now, we're into leaf season and that one sweeper is beginning to have issues because it is toward the end of its life cycle. In our industry, it's more than one part. There is a chain reaction."
    In some cases, superintendents have had to get creative to find what they need from non-traditional sources.
    "Last week, a 10-inch mainline broke on the Member Course. None of our pipe suppliers could supply 10-inch, high-pressure pipe," Williams said. "I eventually found it 60 miles down the road and had to put a credit card down to get it in order to put a mainline in in a timely fashion. I've lost track of how much stuff we have back ordered, and people look at you like 'well, there's nothing we can do.' "
  • In an exercise of how to confront bad legislation, the Southern California Golf Association has launched a public relations campaign in response to a proposed law that threatens municipal golf across the state.
    Assembly Bill 672, labeled the Public Golf Endangerment Act by the SCGA, provides $50 million in developer subsidies to redevelop California’s municipal golf courses into housing complexes. According to the SCGA, municipal golf courses comprise 22 percent of the state's supply and host 45 percent of all play throughout California.
    The SCGA Government Affairs web site offers a laundry list of resources to help educate residents on the issues and convince them to contact their legislators in opposition to the proposed law.
    It also serves as a template for other state associations to use to push back against proposed legislation that could negatively impact the golf business.
    The site includes statistics and facts about the benefits of golf, updates to the proposed legislation, a search engine to help California residents find their legislators and sample form letters that users can copy or download to send to them.
    AB 672, introduced in February by Cristina Garcia, who represents California's 58th district in Los Angeles County, targets municipal golf courses as potential sites for affordable housing units and open space, died in committee in April. However, the bill has been amended as of September 1 with changes, including an influx of public assistance and the elimination of certain zoning requirements. In a state starved for affordable housing, these changes likely will have mass appeal in California when the proposed legislation reappears in session in January as a two-year bill.
    Initially, the bill proposed removing the state's municipal golf courses from the protections provided by the Park Preservation Act, Surplus Land Act, California Environmental Quality Control Act, and local zoning prerogatives – all for the purpose of redeveloping them into housing tracts.
    The newest version of AB 672 makes available $50 million from the state's general fund "to provide grants to cities, counties, and cities and counties to incentivize making publicly owned golf courses in densely populated areas available for housing and publicly accessible open space," the bill states. The most recent iteration of the bill also removed zoning requirements and the need for an environmental impact statement in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
    Initially, AB 672 was referred to the Assembly's Housing and Community Development Committee and Local Government Committee, but did not meet the April 30 deadline to pass through both, and died in committee.
  • The recipients of the TurfNet Jerry Coldiron Positivity Awards for 2021 are Michael and Jenna Breuer and family of Bandon, Oregon, Paul and Kristie Hurst of St. Louis, Missouri, and Jack Percival of London, England.
    The Jerry Coldiron Positivity Awards are given annually to recognize individuals within the golf turf industry who live lives of joy, caring, sharing and compassion for others… or who have experienced personal hardship due to illness, natural events or job loss… or who do something special for the natural world. They are presented in memory of Jerry Coldiron, CGCS, a career golf course superintendent, salesperson, TurfNet member and friend to many who passed away suddenly in 2017 at age 60.

    Michael and Jenna Breuer and family
    Michael Breuer, assistant superintendent on the Pacific Dunes course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Bandon, OR), and his wife Jenna were happily expecting their third child in September, 2020. Life took a cruel twist when their newborn son, Grady, was found to have Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and resultant impaired brain function from oxygen deprivation. Grady was flown to Seattle Children's Hospital where he underwent several open heart surgeries during his first few days of life. After a year of additional surgeries, feeding and oxygen tubes, cardiac arrest events, steroids, seizures, cerebral palsy diagnosis, lifeflights and ICU stays, Michael and Jenna (and their two other children, Kasen and Emma) celebrated Grady's first birthday on September 30.
    Michael Breuer with week-old Grady. Michael chronicled Grady's journey on Twitter, which was both heartbreaking and inspirational for many who followed. Nearly every post was tagged with #Gradystrong and #neverquit. He tweeted on Dec 2, 2020: "Thank you will never be enough for the love and support my family and I have received through Grady’s journey. To the turf/ag industry, you are the best group of people and make me proud to be a part of it. Others following, you renew my faith in mankind. God bless you all."

    Tough year for Grady and family, but they persevered. Below, father/son bonding.

    The Breuer family on a train ride this past weekend. #Gradystrong.
    Sean Reehoorn of Aldarra Golf Club in Sammamish, WA, summed up the feelings of many in the turf industry with his tweet in July: "Love this kid. Sharing your story has helped many of us in the turf world stay grounded and positive when an alternative was the easier way out. My wife and I are expecting our first child in 9+ weeks. Your journey and openness in sharing it has altered my perspective and experience tremendously. Thank you."

    Paul and Kristie Hurst
    Not long after Covid-19 took hold in early 2020 and the world as we knew it ground to a halt, Paul and Kristie Hurst took their Midlife acoustic duo talents to Twitter for a series of nightly Covid Sessions from their kitchen, with Paul on guitar and vocals and Kristie on vocals and an occasional dance move. Six weeks later John Reitman profiled them in a TurfNet news piece here.

    The May 15, 2020 Covid Session featured a shoutout to John Reitman and Kevin Ross. The Covid Sessions sputtered out at 50 as the realization dawned that Covid was here to stay for a while, but was quickly replaced by more music with dedications, hat and other swag exchanges, Lyla the dog and a few beers and cocktails intermingled among the shenanigans. It was all spontaneous, light-hearted and FUN... just what all of us needed then and continue to now as this pandemic drags on.

    As a former superintendent and now a co-owner of GreensPro, a St. Louis-based turf supply house, Paul launched a 15-part "So You Want To Be A Sales Guy" video series this year. Casual and humorous but to the point, the videos provided insight into what seems to be a bottomless career sponge for absorbing superintendent "retirees" or refugees: turf sales. And the vids point out that it's a whole lot more than riding around in a truck and writing orders.

    Certainly none of this TurfTwitter entertainment was planned. Rather, it evolved from their love of music, performing, people in general and the turf industry in particular. Paul and Kristie were invited to play at the recent Carolinas GCSA Conference and Show in Myrtle Beach, which turned out to be a transcendent experience for them after 18 months or so of little interpersonal contact. "The Carolinas show reinforced for me that genuine goodness in people is still there," Paul said.
    Jack Percival
    The Coldiron Awards take a trip across the pond this year to recognize the efforts of Jack Percival, course manager at Chipstead Golf Club in Surrey, southeast England and the driving force behind Percy's Homeless Hub, an outreach program for the homeless in Croydon, South London.
    Percival's promotion to course manager (superintendent) at Chipstead earlier this year was the culmination of a rapid career path that had the unfortunate beginnings of six months spent on the streets of Croydon at age 17. Now 26, Percival credits the golf industry with helping him pull himself up by the bootstraps and get his life in order. He was profiled in several news articles (National Club Golfer, Golf Business News) in 2019 after receiving the BIGGA Outstanding Contribution of the Year award that year... for which he received a standing ovation at the 2019 BTME presentation.
    Jack's journey in turf started as a mechanic greenkeeper at a 9-hole course in Forest Hill, South London, before taking the deputy course manager job at Chipstead. During that time he never forgot his time on the streets.
    His efforts to help the homeless started simply with giving sandwiches to the hungry.  One Christmas Eve he took the bus to Croydon with a satchel of soup and sandwiches to provide a bit of Christmas cheer for those in need. The next year he put out a plea for help and ended up galvanizing an entire community, collecting van loads of food, personal hygiene items and clothing, organizing volunteers and managing logistics. Percy's Homeless Hub was born.
    It has grown from there. This year a fourth Big Feed event is planned for December 18. An Amazon wish list has been created to facilitate donations of needed items. 
    "Over the last three years we have been able to donate to the homeless of Croydon thousands of life-saving essentials and everyday items we take for granted," Percival posted on Twitter. "On December 18th we will be handing out hot meals, hot drinks, packs of everyday essentials, sleeping bags... and have opportunities for 1:1 chats with a nurse and even haircuts."
    Percy's Homeless Hub has even provided hotel rooms — when finances allow — for homeless individuals to have a hot bath and a comfortable night's sleep in a warm bed.

    Susan Coldiron, Jerry's wife, said: "Our family would like to congratulate all three winners of the Jerry Coldiron Positivity Award this year. Jerry will always be remembered for his keen ability to spread cheer and provide optimism and encouragement to everyone, even during the most difficult of times. Each of these deserving winners exemplify the positive outlook and values that make this award such a special recognition in Jerry’s honor. We would also like to thank TurfNet for helping us to continue Jerry’s legacy of paying it forward." 
    The recipients of the awards in 2018 were:
    Marcos "Mike" Morales of the Buccaneer Golf Club in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands John and Peggy Colo, Jupiter Hills Golf Club, Tequesta, Florida Adam and Erin Engle, Lake Shore Yacht and Golf Club, Cicero, NY John and Nick Paquette, Indian Hills Country Club, Northport, NY The 2019 awards were presented  to Tenia Workman, executive director of the Georgia GCSA, and posthumously to Tom Morris, CGCS, 20-year member of the TurfNet hockey team who passed away at age 61 in February 2017.
    The award program was placed on hiatus in 2020 due to the Covid lockdown.
    The recipients of this year's awards will all receive a $1,000 stipend to spend as they please.

    Peter McCormick and Dave Wilber remember Jerry Coldiron in this podcast.
  • A team of women from the golf industry volunteered at the Olympic Club in San Francisco to help the team there prepare for this year's U.S. Open. Photo by Elizabeth Guertal, Ph.D., via Twitter Since the inception of the game of golf, women have worked to gain an even footing with their male counterparts. That ongoing struggle does not just take place on the course; it also occurs off it in the golf shop and the maintenance facility.
    Golf course superintendents are innovators who take pride in how they produce a great product under increasingly trying circumstances. Women in the industry want the same thing - to be recognized and respected for their ability to do the job the same as any man. It really is that simple.
    Just how long have women collectively been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to golf? Tracing the roots of the game is no easy task, but the answer to that question might be much longer than you previously thought.
    The game in its current form dates at least to 16th century Europe. Some historians, however, believe golf got its start in early Rome in a game called paganica. If we are to believe that, it stands to reason that as Romans were conquering foreign lands, they swatted feather-filled balls with curved sticks along the way, and in the process, some say, brought what is now known as golf to Europe. If the game of golf and its earliest iterations are indeed more than 2,000 years old, it is entirely possible the game owes as much to Caesar Augustus as it does Old Tom Morris.
    More recently, many of the game's stakeholders have worked to promote the role of women across the game of golf and the business of golf. There is no question that positive strides have been made, especially in maintenance. There are more women working in golf course maintenance than ever before. Career-development seminars specifically for women at industry education conferences are now the norm, and there was even an entire team of women who volunteered at this year's U.S. Open at the Olympic Club thanks to the efforts of Troy Flanagan, director of golf maintenance at the San Francisco classic. There are many men throughout the industry who understand the value of women on their teams and are steadfastly dedicated to mentoring them and promoting their careers. But there is still much work to be done.
    Just how much work remains to be done was illustrated by what was intended to be a good-natured post on social media by a woman working in the business. Miranda Robinson, assistant superintendent at Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria, British Columbia, has been outspoken in her efforts to lift up her colleagues across the industry. Recently, Robinson addressed the plight facing women in golf in a recent post to social media that took a jab at many of the issues she and other women face while working on a golf course. The post struck a chord with many as it generated a significant amount of feedback.
    "I was just sort of kidding with that," Robinson said. "I was surprised. I had no idea it would get that much attention."
    The reality is the way some view the role of women in golf has nothing to do with golf at all, and everything to do with how they view women in any setting. And that is much more difficult to change.
    During the past several years, as career development for women has come to the forefront, many have admitted that they owe a great deal to the men who have mentored them or otherwise influenced their careers. But it is the other men they have encountered along the way, the colleagues who work to undermine careers, fellow superintendents who shun their female counterparts at industry events, golfers who mistake them for beverage cart operators or those who do worse. They're all still out there. The women who have to deal with them won't mention them publicly, because they do not want to be labeled as troublemakers, or that person, or do anything that will compromise their careers. Plenty have told us that off the record.
    That the role of women in golf continues to be a topic in the 21st century is both stunning and disappointing.
    When Syngenta held its Ladies Leading Turf event at the 2020 GIS in Orlando, there were less than a half-dozen men in the mostly packed room. By the time everyone in attendance adjourned to the hospitality room for free food and drink, that room already was packed largely by those who ignored the symposium, but showed up for beer and appetizers. It included university professors, superintendents and association big-wigs.
    Opportunity lost.
    The path to equality across the industry for women only can be won course by course, club by club, fox hole by fox hole, because that is all that is within our control. Initiatives without buy-in are pointless. 
    We have seen over the past 20 years with all the grow-the-game programs that have come . . . and gone . . . how fruitless official industry initiatives can be. The greatest minds in the game got together and for years pumped out one idea after another that were designed to attract new players, convince existing golfers to play more and to speed up pace of play. All were met with varying degrees of success, or lack of it. The reality is, it does not matter whether a plan designed to increase rounds played or make the business more accessible to women works at a golf course down the road, on the other side of town or across the country. What matters is whether it works for you.
    All women want is professional respect and recognition afforded their male counterparts. But hey, Rome wasn't built in a day. In actuality, it took 800 years, and we don't have that kind of time.
  • In what might be the most important Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in its 60-year history, nearly 1,800 people attended this year's event, the first in two years.
    This year's show attracted 1,784 attendees. Although this year's event trailed the record 2,020 people in attendance at the 2019 show, this year's show, held Nov. 15-17 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, was significant in that it was first major in-person show in the golf industry since the 2020 Golf Industry Show in Orlando.
    "For once, we didn't break any records. But by any numerical measure – attendance, exhibitor support, overall participation, you name it – it was still a hugely successful show," said Carolinas GCSA executive director Tim Kreger. "Most importantly though, we brought people together again, face to face, and they loved it. We all loved it. From start to finish, the atmosphere was incredible."
     
    Last year's in-person show was replaced by an online alternative, Conference Comes to You. Selling more than 2,200 seminar seats, Conference Comes to You was among a host of innovations and adaptations that enabled the association to get through the peak of the pandemic without tapping into financial reserves.
     
    "None of what happened last year and what happened at the show this year would be possible if there was a weak link in the chain," Kreger said. "Where we are today as an association is because our members, our industry partners and our researchers are in synch, and totally get the idea that real success is a collaborative effort. And that's not new in the Carolinas, it has been the culture all along. We are extremely grateful."
    A total of 192 vendors occupied 377 trade show booths and 1,341 seminar seats were filled in the education program.
     
    Next year's Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show is scheduled for Nov. 14-16 in Myrtle Beach.
    - Compiled from reports. Photo courtesy of Trent Bouts.
  • Some golf courses have been so busy in the recent past that even fivesomes are welcome. File photo by John Reitman Could the golf renaissance that has resurrected the game since early 2020 finally be winding down?
    Time will tell. 
    According to Golf Datatech, rounds played across the country were down in October 1.8 percent, compared with the same month in 2020, which brought record rounds to golf courses across the country. That might not sound like much, especially since golfers were turning out in record numbers a year ago, but the October numbers signalled the fourth consecutive month of decreasing rounds played.
    Year-over-year rounds played were down 8 percent in September, 7 percent in August and 4 percent in July. Stopping that fall was a whopping 0.4 percent climb in play in June.
    As the numbers are trending in the wrong direction, one industry analyst believes this year continues to be filled with good news for golf.
    "(This is an) expected correction from an unusual baseline year," said Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp. "I've been surprised that the deficit vs. last year is as shallow" as it's been."
    For the year, rounds played still are up 7 percent for the first 10 months of the year. But all of that is a long way from the good news in May that included an 18 percent year-over-year increase in rounds played for the month and cumulative gains of 33 percent covering the first five months of the year. In May, 40 states showed an increase in rounds played. In October, a total of 33 states showed a decrease in rounds. 
    Despite the recent downturn, Koppenhaver expects year-to-date rounds to hang on and outpace last year once data for the final two months of the year becomes available.
    "The more interesting fact is that we're currently projecting that '21 will beat '20 for the year so basically the gains we got in, primarily Q2, have been strong enough to keep a positive balance even in the face of the declines since July," he said. "Things are looking pretty rosy for '21 from where I sit."
    With two consecutive years of dramatic increases in play, is there any indication whether that good news will continue in 2022, or will golf begin a retraction to pre-Covid norms?
    "There's really nothing reliable or consistent in our information and insights arsenal," Kooppenhaver said. "I had forecast that this year would give back about 50 percent of last year's gains, and it turns out that we're going to beat last year, so that speaks to the fact that I don't have any unique knowledge on this subject. I'm encouraged that, A: we retained the elevated rounds, and B: that golf revenue also moved up slightly, posting a better increase than the rounds alone. I think part of the contribution this year was continuing Covid concerns and restrictions. And who knows where that will be in '22?"
  • With so many challenges and hurdles since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, we thought everyone could use a dose of good news as the holiday season approaches. 
    Thanksgiving is more than a day on which people stuff themselves with turkey and dressing, watch football and take a tryptophan-induced nap. It is day for giving thanks for our many blessings.
    Since early 2020, people have been struggling with mental issues, separation anxiety, loneliness, stress related to job security and financial uncertainty as well as physical health stress related to the virus. Add to that supply issues and personnel shortages in the service industry that add the uncertainty of being able to secure necessary goods and services in a timely manner, and it adds up to a powder keg ready to blow. Still, several people we spoke with did not hesitate to say they still have much to be thankful for in 2021. We have some of their responses here.
    Bryan Unruh
    University of Florida, Pace, Florida
    I’m thankful for friends and industry partners – some are both! This past year, we lost a few due to Covid, at it causes one to pause and reflect on what’s really important. At the end of the day, the importance of growing grass pales in comparison to growing people.
    Carlos Arraya
    Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis
    I share with my family, friends and Team at Bellerive, I’m thankful for the Triple H.
    Health (physical)- Several medical issues followed by a pandemic forced me to reflect and be truly thankful for the my life.
    Happiness (mind) - Thankful I’m surrounded and supported by people that shine love in my life, no matter what I’m going through or stupid things I do.
    Healing (spirit/emotions) - Thankful my faith has provided emotional healing following 2018, which has opened a doorway to a better life.
    Lastly, thankful I’m aware and live my life knowing I have an unknown expiration date. I just pray to be a positive light for those around me while I’m here. 
    Chris Reverie
    Allentown Golf Course, Allentown, Pennsylvania
    I would say the past two years have been a whirlwind to say the least. In 2021 I am most thankful for the culture that has been taught and grown in the turfgrass industry. Short staffs, long days, more play then ever but we adapted. The resurgence of golf has led to a boom in capital that many facilities have needed for years. Supply chain has become a battle but the strength in our relationships is strong. An example is a grow in I did for a local sod farmer. Now getting the product I need on time and local!
    Justin Sims
    Alotian Club, Roland, Arkansas
    I am most thankful for my wife and three boys, Carter, Jackson and Hayden.
    We have a very fast pace and chaotic schedule, but we always find time to spend together and show each other love and appreciation.
    I am thankful every day to have such a wonderful family.
    Tim Moraghan
    Aspire Golf, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
    Thankful for friends.
    Personal - I am thankful for the angel that is my wife and our health. 
    Professional - It is our sport which has given me everything. 
    Anthony Williams
    TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
    It has been a crazy year, but that makes us grateful in deeper and different ways. I am thankful for my family that supports all my aspirations. I am also thankful that my staff at Four Seasons is always committed to excellence no matter what weather, virus or budget issue shows up they always give the highest effort. I am grateful to still be a golf course superintendent in now my 36th season, and perhaps most of all I am thankful for all of my friends and mentors in the green industry that keep me rooted and reaching for the stars. 
    Rob Golembiewski
    Bayer Environmental Science, Columbus, Ohio
    The health and safety of my family, walking my daughter down the aisle, a new son-in-law, watching in person all of my daughter's collegiate field hockey games and my son's high school cross country meets, opportunity to spend time with my parents who live in Arizona, summer cookout with siblings in Michigan, a weekend getaway with buddies in Asheville, my co-workers and the great turf industry that I am a part of.
    Ross Miller
    Country Club of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan
    It sounds very cliché and boring, but I am beyond thankful for friends and family this year. Personally, it has been amplified by the tragic loss of one of my closest friend and his wife in a plane crash this past summer – leaving their 1-year-old son to grow up without his parents. Has definitely brought into focus work/life balance, and my time with friends and family that much more, and to appreciate the little things in life. 
    Brandon Horvath
    University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
    I'm thankful for how well golf has done this year, as I think it has excited folks in the industry. I'm thankful for my continued journey of health and weight loss personally. I'm thankful that my son has developed a great bit of self reliance this year and is growing up to be a fine young man. Rick Brandenburg said it best at the Carolinas this past week, "When we pass, are we going to want to be remembered for how many papers we published or grants that were received, or what kind of a father, husband or friend we were?” I'm thankful for all the friends I have in this industry and beyond.
    Jake Mendoza
    Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Michigan
    I have so many things to be thankful for this year! My top three are my family, a wonderful hardworking staff  and the support of our industry partners and club membership during an extremely difficult tournament this past summer!
    Gordon Kaufmann III
    Brandt Consolidated, State College, Pennsylvania
    I'm thankful for the planet Earth and the wonder of nature.
  • Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati will be the site of a new LPGA event in September. Photo by Kenwood Country Club Kenwood Country Club, a 36-hole facility in Cincinnati, will be the site of a new LPGA event, and the club's new superintendent will have just a few short months to prepare the club's championship course for the event.
    The inaugural Kroger Queen City Classic presented by P&G, a new LPGA event scheduled for early September at Kenwood Country Club, has added two key members to its tournament brain trust. The club hired Nate Herman as director of agronomy and grounds.
    "Launching and administering a new tour event requires a cast of thousands, but Nate and (tournament director) Emily (Norell) will steer the ship when it comes to successfully presenting the tournament, and the course itself," said Dylan Petrick, the CEO at Kenwood CC. "The Kroger Queen City Classic is a brand new tour stop, but Emily and Nate bring extraordinary tournament experience to the table. Everyone agrees the event could not be in better hands."
    Herman arrives in Cincinnati from Harbor Shores Golf Club in Michigan, site of the PGA Champions Tour's Kitchenaid Senior PGA Championship. Herman also spent four years as head golf course superintendent at  Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana. Before being a head superintendent, Herman prepped at such venues like Pine Valley, Oakland Hills and Crooked Stick.
    He will need that experience at Kenwood, where he has 10 months to prepare the recently restored Kendale Course for a championship event.
    "That's just the way life is: I arrived at Harbor Shores less than a year before the 2018 Senior PGA, as well," said Herman, who replaced longtime Kenwood superintendent Kent Turner. "Tournament preparation, especially at these rarefied tournament levels, is all about preparing a course to peak at the right time. And, to be honest, that's as true for an LPGA event as it is for the club's member-guest. The Kendale course here at Kenwood is an amazing golf course, newly renovated. We'll have it looking and playing its best when the best players in the world arrive in September."
    Donald Ross originally was retained for design work, but the club eventually settled on architect Bill Diddel to design the Kendale and Kenview courses, which opened in 1930. The club was the site of the 1954 Western Open and the 1963 Women's Open. The recent restoration project was completed by Fry/Straka Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design of Dublin, Ohio.
    "I've joked that we should a statue in honor of Jason Straka," Herman said. "He was on the phone with me the day I was hired, and he was here in Cincinnati the next day to help get me up to speed. He's already been an incredible resource."
    Cincinnati boasts a long history with the LPGA. The area served as host to Women' PGA Championship from 1978 to 1989. Then known as the LPGA Championship, the event was held at the City of Mason Golf Center, formerly known as the Jack Nicklaus Golf Center. Tour legend Nancy Lopez won three of those events, including the inaugural tournament in 1978, another in 1985 and the last one, in 1989.
    Fittingly, when the Kroger Queen City Classic presented by P&G was formally unveiled in early September 2021, Lopez was there at the press conference — along with one of her 21st century protégées, Lexi Thompson. They were on hand to promote the event, the city and the LPGA Tour. 
    "I always say it's my tour," Lopez said. "It's still my tour."
    The reach of the tournament will extend far beyond the golf course.
    Lopez and Thompson also helped announce the off-course centerpiece of tournament week: a women's leadership summit, the program for which is still being formulated by Kroger, Procter & Gamble and the LPGA, with input from Norell and local stakeholders like Denise Kuprionis, the immediate past president of Kenwood CC, and Lesli Hopping, immediate past president of the Greater Cincinnati Golf Association — both of whom are the first women ever to serve in those positions.
    "The LPGA has been empowering women and diversity for 75 years," Norell said. "Whatever form it takes, the Women's Leadership Conference will inspire greater opportunities for women on and off the course, especially in the workplace — because that's what the LPGA does and has always done. That's what Cincinnati has always done, which is yet another reason we're absolutely thrilled to be back in the Queen City, at Kenwood."
    - Compiled from staff reports
  • Bill Rose was a giant of a man in the turfgrass industry - both figuratively and literally. 
    Standing 6 feet, 4 inches tall, Rose towered over most people he encountered, and his chiseled features and piercing stare were enough to cut all the others down to size. As a tough and shrewd entrepreneur and businessman sharpened by a humble childhood and years behind the stick of a U.S. Air Force bomber, Rose was years ahead of his time in the grass seed business.
    Bill Lee Rose, who revolutionized the grass seed business from field to sale, died Nov. 7. He was 91.
    A native of Bakersfield, California, Rose grew up in Hubbard, Oregon, where he later founded a collection of companies that tied the grass seed industry together, all the way from grower, to research, to marketing and sales. His start-ups include: Roselawn Seed, Tee-2-Green Corp., Turf Seed,  Pure Seed Testing, HybriGene, Rose Agri-Seed and Pure Seed. He also was instrumental in establishing the Penncross Bentgrass Association, and the Manhattan Ryegrass Association to ensure higher standards across the industry.
    "He always had vision. He was always ahead of his time," said Rose's daughter, Crystal Rose-Fricker. "He could see things that had value before others could, and because of that he always had people riding on his coattails. His life was like a field day; everyone else was riding along."
    Bill Meyer, Ph.D., worked for Rose for 21 years before heading to Rutgers, where he has been a professor and turfgrass breeder since 1996. He moved his family to Oregon in 1975 to take the position of vice president of Turf Seed Inc., a deal that included stock in Turf Seed and Pure Seed. But a year after taking the job, Meyer thought all the time he was spending loading bags of seed onto trucks for delivery was beneath his title. When he approached Rose about his frustration, he received a predictable response.
    "After a year, I was pretty discouraged. I was doing a lot of loading of trucks in the afternoon instead of doing research," Meyer said. "Bill came to me and said, how about I give you your stock now and let you be president of Pure Seed? Now get to work."
    That tough exterior defined Rose throughout his life in and out of business. Many recall him as a rugged yet gentle man, who along with late Penn State professor Joe Duich, Ph.D., worked to ensure more accountability in the seed industry by working to hold seed producers accountable by making sure what was IN the bag was actually what was labeled ON the bag, and not some junked up sack of weed-contaminated seed.
    "He looked like a tough guy, but he was one of the nicest people you could ever meet," said former Penn State professor Al Turgeon, Ph.D. 
    "Along with Joe Duich, they brought a degree of integrity to an industry that some indicated beforehand was lacking. Together, they formed the Penncross growers association, and part of the reason they did that was to maintain standards in the seed industry."
    Rose's tough, rugged persona was not just talk. He earned it. The son of a pig farmer, he was B-36 Peacemaker pilot during the Korean War era. With a wingspan of 230 feet, the B-36 had the longest wingspan of any U.S. military aircraft. A 10-engine behemoth (yes, it was powered by 10 engines), the plane had a range of 10,000 miles without requiring refueling.
    It was during his days studying soils at Oregon State and flying the world's biggest bomber that he became interested in seed production.
    "He was a lieutenant in the Air Force flying bombers and I was a helicopter pilot in the Army during Vietnam, so we always talked about aviation," Turgeon said. 
    "He was a very successful man. I became a real admirer of Bill."
    Meyer remembers Rose as a detail-oriented businessman whose drive and preparation were unmatched.
    "He was organized. Before a trade meeting, we would work for maybe five days developing a file for each customer; what we sold them last year and what we have to sell them this year," Meyer said. "My job was to play devil's advocate in those meetings and tell him why his ideas were wrong. It's amazing to think back now on the rehearsals we did for those meetings. 
    "His plan was to bring the opposition to its knees. He wanted to win, not unethically, but aggressively. He had grit in the seed business. He had grit like no one else had grit."
    Survivors include Sheryl Robertson and her children and grandchildren; mother Betty Rose; daughter Crystal Rose-Fricker (Mark); grandson Austin Fricker; granddaughter McKayla Fricker-Smucker (Chris); daughter Cara Rose-Tuggle (Scott); son Ed Rose (Tami); grandson Brandon Rose and granddaughter Kahleia Rose.
  • Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, site of this year's Solheim Cup and several USGA and PGA events, has been chosen as the site of the 2029 U.S. Amateur. Photo by the PGA of America Fresh off a successful summer on the world stage, Inverness Club has been tapped by the U.S. Golf Association as the site of the 2029 U.S. Amateur.
    The news caps a successful run for the recently restored Donald Ross classic. The course in Toledo, Ohio, was the site of this year's Solheim Cup, and hosted the LPGA Drive On Championship and in 2020 and the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur. 
    When the Junior Amateur returns to northwestern Ohio on Aug. 13-19, 2029, it will be the second time Inverness has hosted the event and the club's ninth USGA event overall. Craig Stadler beat David Strawn 6-and-5 in 1973 in the only other U.S. Amateur at Inverness.
    Other USGA events at Inverness include the 1920 U.S. Open won by Ted Ray, 1931 (Billy Burke) and 1957 (Dick Mayer) and 1979 (Hale Irwin).
    The announcement is a fitting continuation of success for the club where the USGA Green Section was founded in advance of the 1920 U.S. Open. 
    The influence of the Green Section is evident still today at Inverness, where John Zimmers is superintendent and where architect Andrew Green completed a restoration in 2017 that brought back many of Ross's design elements that had been lost through the years.
    The club, where Byron Nelson was the pro from 1940-44, already was entrenched in men's championship golf. Inverness was the site of two PGA Championships (1986, '93), two U.S. Senior Open Championships (2003, '11).
    Future U.S. Amateur Sites
    2022: The Ridgewood Country Club, Paramus, New Jersey.
    2023: Cherry Hills Country Club, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado.
    2024: Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn.    Aug. 12-18
    2025: The Olympic Club, San Francisco, California.
    2026: Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
    2027: Oak Hill Country Club, Pittsford, New York.
    2028: TBD
    2029: Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio.
    2030: TBD
    2031: The Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tennessee.
  • LebanonTurf, a provider of innovative and high-performance plant nutrition for the golf and landscaping industries, announced its news Growing Together end user reward program for industry professionals to maximize their maintenance budget.
    Through Feb. 28, 2022, golf course superintendents and turf managers can earn rewards on LebanonTurf's most popular products used in the industry, which include Country Club MD, Emerald Isle Solutions, Country Club with Acelepryn + Dimension, Country Club Humic Max and Country Club Root Reviver.
    “Our industry professionals are at the center of all we do and we’re constantly looking for more ways to involve and reward them with LebanonTurf’s brands ,” said Chris Gray, golf market manager for LebanonTurf. “By offering a rich reward program with multiple ways to redeem them, we’re giving them more reasons to engage with us.”
    Industry professionals will earn a reward for each unit purchased during the program period that can be redeemed as either an Amazon e-gift card or as a distributor credit. A minimum purchase of 50 units is required to qualify for the reward payment and they can double the total reward with a purchase of 150 total units or more.
    Click here for more information on the Growing Together reward program, including the full list of eligible products and rewards.  
    LebanonTurf, a division of privately held Lebanon Seaboard, offers the landscape and golf markets both microbiological components and advanced controlled-release fertilizers delivered as part of an integrated systems approach to turf- and plant-care needs.
  • This slide reflects one of the many models Herb Stevens and Garrett Bastardi use to predict long-range weather forecasts, including an upcoming La Niña winter in 2021-22. Photo courtesy of Garrett Bastardi. Photo below from Michigan State University. Anoxia, a complete lack of oxygen in the turf plant caused by prolonged periods of ice cover on some types of cool-season putting greens, is a major concern for golf course superintendents.
    Imagine the benefits of knowing about threatening weather events long before they arrive. 
    Herb Stevens, a former TV meteorologist and one of the original on-air personalities when The Weather Channel debuted in 1982, has been providing weather reports to the skiing and golf turf industry for more than 20 years. His clients in the golf business say his mid- to long-range forecasts are more reliable than anything they can get anywhere else.
    In a recent TurfNet webinar he presented with fellow meteorologist Garrett Bastardi, Stevens said superintendents in some areas of the country can expect colder-than-average temperatures and higher-than-normal amounts of precipitation that are common in a La Niña winter.
    CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THIS AND ALL PAST TURFNET UNIVERSITY WEBINARS
    "As we take a look at the next five months or so, you have to understand the main consideration is where the potential energy is wrapped up in the whole global machine of the weather. Oceans are where we look first," Stevens said.
    "A La Niña usually results in a colder-than-normal winter for much of the country."
    Stevens has been providing weather updates for superintendents under the Grassroots Weather badge and has teamed with Bastardi and others to recently launch the Turf Threat Tracker app that provides geo-specific short-term weather updates.
    For the second straight year, the United States appears to be headed into a La Niña winter, which is triggered in part by cooler water in the Pacific Ocean according to Stevens and Bastardi. 
    Stevens explained that temperatures are colder than usual for much of the U.S. even in a weak La Niña year. 
    "There is a fair degree of variability during the course of a winter," Stevens said. 
    "If you get to moderate (La Niña), it changes things. You have a colder-than-normal winter for a good portion of the country."
    There are differences between the La Niña predicted for the upcoming winter and the last one, including pockets of warm water off the coast of Alaska last year that kept precipitation amounts down. Those warm waters have been replaced by cooler waters this year signalling more chance of precipitation in the Midwest and Northeast, and increased chance for ice accumulation where cold and warm air masses meet. As warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico sweeps north and meets a cold air mass, the result is snow, or worse, ice.
    "The weather event that scares me the most is the ice storm," he said. 
    "You tend to have dry winters in Florida. If you like to go to Florida during the winter time, La Niñas are a good time to go."
    It is no surprise that Stevens eventually brought his forecasting to the golf industry. An accomplished golfer, Stevens caddied on the PGA Tour from 1969-80, including five years for Larry Nelson. He once called caddying for Nelson during the 1979 Ryder Cup at The Greenbrier in West Virginia, his greatest golf memory. As a graduate of Penn State University's meteorology school, Stevens always believed it made sense to work with superintendents, given the school's well-known turfgrass program.
    Most traditional forecasting services use information from the National Weather Service. But those forecasts only look at small windows of time. Stevens and Bastardi make their long-range forecasts from studying time-tested forecasting models that marry current conditions with information gleaned from examining similar weather patterns and cycles from the past.
    Several European models that Stevens and Bastardi have studied point to a second straight La Niña winter.
    "There's going to be a battle between the cold air that's going to want to push in due to the driving forces through the atmosphere along with the warmer that's farther south due to some of the La Niña impacts," Bastardi said.
    "So what you're going to see is a lot of back and forth this upcoming winter. We think early on, everything is pointing toward a cool, fast start. But after we get past that cool, fast start to winter there is going to be some variance. And so when you look at these temperature anomalies at 5,000 feet above the surface it very much reflects what you see with the 500 millibar pattern: cooler across the northern plains, cooler than normal in Canada, warmer than normal across the South, and in turn, the stormiest weather you are going to see is right at the collision of those two air masses."

  • News and people briefs

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Aquatrols names 2 new managers
    Aquatrols, a manufacturer of soil surfactants and related technologies, has appointed August Young and Tom Breiner as U.S. territory managers. 
    In their new roles, Young will be responsible for overseeing the company’s business in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. Breiner will oversee business in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. 
    Both Young and Breiner join Aquatrols after holding previous sales positions within the turf industry and between them hold more than 25 years of combined experience.

    SubAir partners with Soil Scout
    SubAir Systems has announced a partnership with Soil Scout, a wireless underground soil moisture sensor startup from Finland, to give turf managers more control with automated subsurface monitoring and ventilation.
    Soil Scout’s sensor transmits moisture, temperature and salinity data in real-time from more than 6 feet below the surface and works in concert with SubAir’s subsurface aeration and moisture-removal units to automatically adjust soil-moisture levels.
    Soil Scout, which was founded by Finnish agro-technology researcher and 19th-generation farmer Johannes Tiusanen, Ph.D., and electronics expert Jussi Sirkiä, also recently announced its partnership with GreenSight, a U.S.-based provider of autonomous aerial intelligence services, and is expanding its U.S. operations to help combat the ongoing drought in California.
    LidoChem names new president and CFO 
    Lisa Pucillo has been named acting president and chief financial officer of LidoChem, Inc. She assumes the leadership role held by her longtime business partner, Don Pucillo, who died in October.
    Now in its 40th year, LidoChem will carry forth the “Partners in Growth” philosophy embodied in a quote from Don Pucillo: “We appreciate the trust growers and turf managers place in us when they buy our products, and we honor that trust by continuing to offer the best products we can.” 
    LidoChem was founded in 1981. In 1999, Don Pucillo was one of the first in the industry to acknowledge a change in the needs of crop, turf and ornamental growers. Both regulations and environmental awareness drove demand for economical, effective and greener products, and he recognized the need to utilize natural resources to provide nutrition for plants and soil microbes.
    The Performance Nutrition division was later created within LidoChem to develop eco-friendly products for the agricultural and turf markets using new and cutting-edge technologies. 

×
×
  • Create New...