That Fat Little Elf knows exactly what to leave under the tree at Rockbottum: A NEW SLINGSHOT AND CHAINSAW ACCESSORIES!
He knows our goal of heavily reduced irrigation, minimal inputs and more rugged grooming standards would not be possible without an aggressive tree pacification program. In fact, our entire career has been built on turning around troubled courses by introducing sunlight to weak, shady turf.
That's why, as our gift to you, we are re-releasing "Our Very Best Tip Ever",
Two terms, Sustainability and Certified, have grown outside mere definitions and somehow transmogrified into entirely different concepts. Here at The Rock, Sustainability means, "How long can we keep this up before we go bankrupt or Momma finds out?"
Certified, in our narrow vocabulary, means words on a seed/sod label . . . or what we call Rockbottum admin types shortly after they return from one of those Customer Service pep rallies.
We thought we might better explain these two terms i
Time to pause the series to measure your evaluation of your job security and life balance. Be honest; don't cheat on yourself. Read each line below from left to right; marking the left or right column which ever is more applicable. (For a PDF of this checklist, click here.)
Grade Ratings:
Pick Left Column 24 out of 31 times = A Grade.
Pick Left Column 20 out of 31 times = B Grade.
Pick Left Column 16 out of 31 times = C Grade.
Pick Left Column 12 out of 31 times = D Grade.
Pick Le
It's that time of year -- sending holiday cards to friends and family, spending more time at home and thinking of others are all things that make the holidays unique. And while it is very important to do what's mentioned, it is just as critical to think about your professional network and how you can improve upon it for the coming new year, as you never know what may be in store. This provides an opportunity to reach out to your network of peers, club officials, members, and more, because most w
A favorite conversational topic of mine among my graying peers is whether or not they have a Bucket List, and if so, what's on it. I ask because I'm interested in them (the person), but also because I don't have one (Bucket List), and wonder if I might be missing something.
How can one not have a Bucket List? I touched on this in a post about a year ago, but in review, I have already checked off the major bullet points that would populate most lists:
I've been happily married to m
I recently read a summary of the Property Profile and Environmental Stewardship of Golf Courses, published by the Environmental Institute for Golf, an offshoot of GCSAA. This document puts golf courses in a deservedly positive environmental light, particularly with regard to non-turf areas -- which many golf courses have increased in size (44% of surveyed courses since 1996).
Forest and woodlands and something more
In this profile summary, forest and woodlands represent 137,768 acres. While
As you remember, last week's blog message profiled the definitive steps superintendents can take to survive further downturns in the economy.
The only way superintendents can get hurt when the economy heads further south is by failing to act on the guidelines presented in last week's blog on a timely basis -- which should be implemented appropriately ahead of time but rarely are.
Unfortunately, career-planning procrastination appears to be in the DNA of most male golf course superintende
Every now and again we get to be part of something wonderful that takes us out of our ordinary life and leads us somewhere special. You can't always put a name to it, but you know that being a part of such an occurrence makes you feel like you are one of the luckiest people on the earth.
I was fortunate enough to be involved in one such event a couple of weeks back. I gathered with my parents, my brothers and extended family in Sydney, Cape Breton to celebrate the life of my grandmother, Ali
Someone asked me a very similar question today. And here today, as it was then, is a response that may make sense. Or not.
February 16th, 2012.
I received this today in my email from a source that shall go unnamed because she/he/it is dumb enough to use the word 'Doctor' around my name. Kind of like using the word 'beautiful' around Susan Boyle. She can sing, however. I can't.
"Dear Dr. Wilber,
In a post in the TurfNet Turf Blog Aggregator this week, Sean McCue of Castle Pines sa
Simply put, Third Way Green is my philosophy on landscape management (while GC Superintendents are very specialized for their task, they are certainly landscape managers). I call it 'Third Way' because there are currently two dominant landscape management approaches (an intended simplification), neither of which adequately fulfills the desired landscape potential. So there needs to be a 'Third Way' that fulfills all the benefits we are seeking from our landscapes. 'Green' comes from a focus on e
A reality superintendents cannot avoid: While the collection of golf course players' groups across the country respect the person and the work ethic of their home course superintendents, they do not extrapolate this feeling throughout the profession -- leaving golf course superintendents vulnerable to the whims/ignorance of their employers and any further unsettling economic news.
Unfortunately, more unsettling economic news is already upon us as an adverse economy faces new tax and debt bur
Being the "new guy" can be difficult. When entering a new position or situation it is only normal to feel some uncertainty and to try to come up with strategies that make transition easier. Having been a kid in a military family and having switched positions several times in my green career, I have learned several tips for making the best of a new situation. Now as a new TurfNet blogger, I am in the new guy ranks again. Don't come on too strong. The team that you are entering into has a histor
Are you unbalanced? Many superintendents I have met are slightly misaligned, due to an almost evangelical devotion to career.
Some are unaware of how many hours they spend at the course and require some kind of trauma to get back on the family track. This can include the children failing to recognize their father and mistakenly calling the UPS guy "Daddy".
For me, it was Claire identifying me as an "intruder" for the police. (She had apparently changed the locks sometime during the
Here's a holiday chuckle for you:
It's no secret that I really, really don't like to travel. I don't mind being elsewhere (although home is always the best place), I just don't like the process of getting there and back. And every trip, it seems, has a story. This one has a Real Slap-Me-Upside-the-Head WTF Moment in it.
I'm not one of those who fixate on frequent flyer miles, affinity programs and all that. The LAST thing I want is a free ticket anywhere, although on second thought
We are pleased to welcome Joe Fearn to TurfNet as a contributing blogger. Joe is the Grounds Supervisor at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, and is an ISA Certified Arborist/Municipal Specialist and PGMS Certified Grounds Manager.
Several years ago I was talking to a local member of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). I was asking about a quandary I was faced with and I wanted another perspective. I had recently taken note of a patch of neglected and disturbed ground
While writing this blog I try to keep the past materials I've written as up-to-date as possible for a strong resource archive, which can be difficult when it comes to the technology stuff we sometimes cover here. One of the tutorials I wrote last year -- setting up a "smart board" for your operation -- provided a step-by-step guide to doing it with ease.
At the time, the best way to pull this off was to purchase an AppleTV and a piece of software called AirParrot, especially if you were on
Rockbottum Country Club has enjoyed tremendous success, because Rockbottum Rules.
We follow a flexible approach built on years of experience gained as a family of superintendents, pro golfers and bad golf course architecture fixers.
For instance, Rule #1: We offer weekday walker fees of $10 for 18 holes. At this price range we don't hear any complaints and we rarely have anyone take us up on the price because most golfers are far too lazy to walk.
Rule #2: We offer a form of Neo
The Geneva Convention got it right: only armies wearing uniforms are entitled to the protections of war because a uniformed military ensures that discipline and a command structure exists throughout its ranks. Non-uniformed military never acquires an identity and is disrespected more than it is respected.
Airline crews/pilots wear uniforms to ensure that they will command respect and be able to exercise authority throughout flight.
Marching bands wear well-decorated uniforms to convey th
In this episode of Frankly Speaking on TurfNet RADIO, i chat with Dr. Bruce Branham of the University of Illinois on his research with nitrogen physiology, fate and -- most recently -- foliar uptake of nitrogen.
Download the podcast here.
Buddy is a former equipment tech, assistant superintendent, hot rod builder and extra on 'Dallas'.
He was also a fairly capable producer/director until . . . the incident you are about to see. Nowadays, Buddy refuses to appear on set unless the wrangler has a tranquilizer gun.
Within virtually any other work environment, 50-plus year old executives are looked upon as being at the pinnacle of their careers.
Not so with golf course superintendents where 'aging' is not equivocated to the concept of acquiring 'wisdom' -- but rather too often to the depreciation of an old car with high mileage and little resale value.
While it is true that a small percentage of 50-plus year old golf course superintendents escape this adverse designation on merit, get well-paid and
