Listen in as Carson Letot, Ph.D., joins TurfNet's John Reitman to discuss his less-than-traditional route from an intern on a golf course to becoming a school teacher to finally being named program coordinator of the USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program.
A former TurfNet intern in Ireland, Letot fills us in on how the one-year GAP program works as it helps prepare non-traditional students in the North Carolina Sandhills area for careers in golf turf maintenance. He also addresses how he
Scott Lambert's career in golf began like that of many superintendents — working on a golf course as a summer job.
His career shifted onto the fast track after nearly 10 years prepping under William Shirley at Peachtree Golf Club in Brookhaven, Georgia, Lambert ventured 10 miles up the road to Atlanta Country Club, a 1965 William C. Byrd design, where he has been head superintendent since 2019.
Although he has been a head superintendent for a short period, Lambert's leadership and prof
Carlton Henry was well prepared when he earned his first head superintendent position three years ago at Dedham Country and Polo Club just outside Boston.
A native of New York, Henry first prepped at golf courses in his home state, home to the nation’s strictest pesticide regulations. A graduate of the Rutgers turf program, he eventually spent several years working for another Rutgers product, John Zimmers, at both Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh and later the Inverness Club in Toledo,
Have you heard the opinion that Gen Z'ers are lazy and unfocused? Meet Kate Phillips: driven, entrepreneurial, aspiring golf course superintendent who knows where she wants to go and how she is going to get there. She shows up.
Has conversing via social media and communicating via thumbs prevented young adults from developing confidence, poise and tact? Meet Kate Phillips: calm, cool and collected, poised beyond her years.
Can Gen Z'ers hold their own in an interview situation? Meet Ka
Andy Mallick's trajectory as a Rising Star of Turf has been a long one, entailing stops at four golf courses over 14 years before landing his first head superintendent position. Now in his fifth season as superintendent (and 11th overall) at Metedeconk National Golf Club (Jackson, NJ), Mallick had interim stops at Pine Valley Golf Club, Country Club of Darien and Southward Ho Golf Club on Long Island, picking up valuable experience at each one.
Mallick credits his girlfriend, Rachel, with g
Our first Rising Star of Turf for 2024 is Jeremiah Mincey, first assistant superintendent at Savannah Quarters Country Club in Pooler, Georgia. Many might recognize Jeremiah from his activity on TurfTwitter/X and as a recent recipient of a GCI/Aquatrols Super Social Media Award.
Jeremiah, 26, graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BS in business management and then took the certificate program in turfgrass management from the University of Georgia. His first exposure to turf mana
Sam Moynihan took over the reins at Detroit Golf Club this spring just 90 days prior to hosting the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Soon thereafter somebody painted two greens with Roundup as a "welcome" present. The challenge was on.
A graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in agriculture, Sam kicked off his turf career with a stint at Muirfield Village Golf Club, first under Paul B Latshaw and then Chad Mark. He then moved over to Caves Valley Golf Club for the next five years as fir
James Morgan was fresh out of Lake City Community College (now Florida Gateway College) and a summer/part-time stint at the Country Club of Orlando when he followed CCO superintendent Kasey Kauff to build Trinity Forest in Dallas. Morgan started as an assistant and was promoted to superintendent during his 5+ year stay at the Coore/Crenshaw layout. That Coore/Crenshaw connection led him to being selected to grow in Wicker Point Golf Club on Lake Martin, the first new golf construction in Alabama
Rob Munro is finishing up his third season at Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the #1 rated golf course in Canada. Rob landed there with a turf degree from Olds College in Alberta and Poa-and-bentgrass experience at Capilano Golf & Country Club on Vancouver Island, BC. This winter he will travel to New Zealand to satisfy both his yearning for travel and to also put another bullet in his agronomic holster. Have a listen and see why Lee Strutt, Director of Agronomy a
Jordon Bowling found his calling into turfgrass management a little later than most, at 22 with a six-month old son to boot. His brother-in-law, Chad Kuzawa, was an NC State turf grad making the rounds of some clubs in the southeast and convinced Jordon to visit from his home in Michigan and shadow him for a couple of days. That set things in motion.
He enrolled in the turf management program at Wayne Community College in NC and worked at Wedgewood GC, then Country Club of Virginia, Carolin
Chad Allen, finishing up his first year as golf course superintendent at the Club at Chatham Hills near Indianapolis, IN, has a unique background and training as a substance abuse and addiction counselor prior to shifting to turf management. A recent attendee of both Green Start and the Syngenta Business Institute programs, Chad employs a "bottom up" management style that centers on listening to and engaging his staff in the processes of managing the golf course.
A fascinating conversation
Jim Surico, senior assistant superintendent at North Jersey Country Club in Wayne, NJ, is admittedly a "glass half full" kind of guy. As such, when asked to name something he doesn't like to do on the golf course, he came up blank. "Ooh, I don't know, tough question... There really isn't anything I don't like to do, even dealing with members..."
Now THERE is a guy who is going to have a successful career as a superintendent.
Surico talks us through his career from Rutgers University to
Our latest Rising Star of Turf is J. Richard Brown, newly minted golf course superintendent at Florence (SC) Country Club. Richard got the nod for the Florence job after ten years "apprenticeship" in the South Carolina golf market, starting with five years at various courses in Myrtle Beach before becoming the senior assistant at Orangeburg Country Club, where he remained for the ensuing five years.
Richard participated in one of our Assistant Situation roundtable conversations earlier this
Nate Jordan first came on our radar as an active user of the TurfNet Forum during his first gig as head superintendent, then at Saratoga Lake Golf Club in upstate New York. He created a stir when pondering whether his resume and career trajectory would be enhanced by stepping back into an assistant role at a Top 100 club, which he did for a year before finding that not completely suited to his personality and demeanor. He then went on to five years as superintendent at Mount Hawley CC in Peoria,
The big question on the turf industry's mind after the epic 2016 Ryder Cup Matches at Hazeltine National Golf Club (Chaska, MN) was, "Where's (senior assistant superintendent) Ryan Moy gonna go?" Turns out the answer was one just about nobody expected: Head Groundskeeper for the Minnesota United Football Club at the still under-construction Allianz Field in St. Paul and their training grounds in Blaine, MN.
Once Ryan settled in there he was followed by former Hazeltine interns Mitch Ronnin
To say Nate McKinniss is on the career fast track would be an understatement of almost immeasurable proportions.
McKinniss, 27, is the golf course superintendent at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, where Job 1 is keeping the course what he called “Golden Bear ready.” That's a nod to Jack Nicklaus, who designed the course, has a home there and is the host of its biggest event, the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament. McKinniss has worked at the club in suburban Columbus since he gradu
We are thrilled to recognize Luke Kringler, assistant superintendent at Laurel Creek Country Club in Moorestown, NJ, as our first Rising Star of Turf.
"Nominated" (unbeknownst to him at the time) by John Slade, superintendent at Laurel Creek and a Charter TurfNet Member, the email exchange with Peter McCormick back in November went like this:
John: I'm looking to get one of my techey young guys to work on some job postings. Over the years, I've had five employees become Supers -- but
