Managing Poa annua in warm-season turf
2024-10-06 21:00 UTC
Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee discusses the challenges of weed management in the South, focusing primarily on Poa annua control in warm-season turf.

The presenter also discusses what is new in chemical control products, what works best and what a management program should look like. Finally, he addresses new research in the field and the importance of early order programs in helping superintendents maximize control of Poa in warm-season turfgrass.

What's new in Microdochium patch control?
2024-10-16 21:00 UTC
Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D., at Oregon State University discusses the latest research and practices to successfully manage the pathogen that causes Microdochium patch.

Among the greatest challenges facing superintendents throughout the northern tier of the country, Microdochium patch is most prevalent in areas that receive significant amounts of snowfall. However, it also is a problem in areas with a damp, cold climate where snowfall is of no concern.

The presenter discusses symptoms and how the disease manifests. He also provides an update on the newest research data available and how to develop a program to control and manage the pathogen that causes this disease.

Nematode management research update
2024-10-28 21:00 UTC
Billy Crow, Ph.D., of the University of Florida provides an update on the latest in nematode control in golf turf.

The presentation includes updates in ongoing research at the University of Florida into improved control of sting and root knot nematodes.

This presentation also includes background on the different nematode species common in finely managed turf and the behavioral differences between them.

As part of the update on ongoing research, Dr. Crow also addresses new products available for nematode control, and the conditions under which each should be used.

It's a La Niña winter — What does that mean for you?
2024-11-13 21:00 UTC
Another La Niña winter is on the horizon. What that means for golf course superintendents throughout the U.S. and Canada will vary by geographic location.

In this episode of TurfNet University sponsored by Lebanon Turf, Herb Stevens and Garrett Bastardi of T3 Golf discuss what this means, and why, depending on where you are located.

The presentation addresses the role of the solar cycle in winter weather and how this winter’s forecasts compare with previous winters and the various models that are used in forecasting.

Preventing winterkill in warm-season turf
2024-11-18 21:00 UTC
Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D., of the University of Arkansas discusses how to prepare warm-season turf heading into winter.

The presentation includes information on managing irrigation, wetting agent use, late-season nutrition and adjusting height of cut.

Much of the information is based on the results of a recent four-year study completed by researchers in Arkansas, Maryland and Virginia.

2024 — The year in review
2024-12-16 21:00 UTC
Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., of Cornell University look back at 2024 and unloads his thoughts on what has transpired throughout the year and explore recent turfgrass management trends.

Topics for discussion include various biotic and abiotic stresses that were prevalent throughout the year and how they might be exacerbated by current popular agronomic and cultural practices, legislation affecting product availability and what superintendents can do to meet these challenges.

This presentation addresses climate and pest management issues around the U.S. and Canada, and includes advice on alternative strategies to alleviate the effects of these stress factors moving forward.

Jumpstart your career in 2025
2025-01-06 21:00 UTC
Anthony Williams, CGCS, vice president of agronomy for Invited Clubs, offers career-development tips and advice for upcoming and experienced superintendents alike.

Williams discusses how goal-setting career can help attendees achieve personal and career goal this year and beyond.

His annual presentation includes how to establish realistic standards and how to achieve them.

Winter injury update — prepare and repair
2025-01-14 21:00 UTC
Winter injury comes in many forms and can wreak havoc on golf courses in various climates around the country. Understanding the different types of winter injury that can occur is important for both preparing for and recovering from damage that may occur.

Paul Koch, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, discusses abiotic forms of winter injury including crown hydration, ice encasement and desiccation.

What is new in the development of cool-season turfgrass for golf?
2025-02-11 21:00 UTC
Penn State turfgrass breeder David Huff, Ph.D., discusses some of the new cool-season turf varieties that are being developed, their traits and why they are a better choice today for golf course superintendents.

The presentation will include information on several varieties that Huff has developed, including Pure Eclipse creeping bentgrass, a seeded Poa annua and several bents currently in NTEP trials.

Turf’s hierarchy of needs: Water, light, temperature and nutrition
2025-03-11 21:00 UTC
Establishing a healthy turfgrass foundation requires a balanced combination of essential resources.

Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., of the University of Florida discusses how plant growth and development largely depend on the proper coordination of water, light, temperature and nutrition, with their alignment playing a critical role in achieving success.

The presenter discusses findings based on peer-reviewed scientific research.

Planning and building a modern golf course maintenance facility: Applebrook Golf Club Brecker Turf Care Center case study
2025-03-17 21:00 UTC
Jared Viarengo, CGCS, director of grounds and club operations at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pennsylvania, explores the critical steps involved in proposing, securing approval for, and executing such a project, using the Applebrook Golf Club Brecker Turf Care Center as a case study.

Additionally, the discussion includes strategies for optimizing the facility’s functionality, efficiency and sustainability. Attendees will gain practical insights into overcoming common obstacles, managing costs and ensuring a successful outcome that meets operational and environmental standards.

Whether in the early stages of planning or preparing to present your case, this session will provide valuable strategies to guide you through the process.

Understanding fungicides
2025-03-24 21:00 UTC
Dr. Rick Latin of Purdue University (retired) explains how fungicides work, why they work, and why sometimes they do not.

Topics are addressed from a practical perspective and emphasize how this information benefits turf managers.

Specific topics covered in this 90-minute presentation include:

How fungicides move in the plant and in the turf profile.

How fungicides kill turf pathogens.

Fungicide resistance management.

Factors that influence fungicide performance.

Approaches to scheduling fungicide applications.

Winter damage in warm-season turf: Recovery, repair, prevention
2025-04-15 21:00 UTC
Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D., of the University of Arkansas discuss strategies for recovering from winter damage on warm-season turfgrass.

The presenter discusses the types of areas that are typically susceptible to winter injury, how to identify potential damage in advance and how to treat affected areas afterward. This presentation addresses recovery plans ranging from recovery from growing in from existing turf to resodding part or all of the damaged area.

Finally, the discussion includes advice on how to minimize the threat of winter injury in future years by repairing and remediating areas that are subject to repeated stress.

Nitrogen and phosphorus: Be your own environmental advocate
2025-05-05 21:00 UTC
Beth Guertal, Ph.D., discusses how nitrogen and phosphorus can be lost from the golf course environment, and what superintendents can do to reduce those losses and risks to the surrounding environment.

The presentation covers all the benefits that an intact turfgrass system offers for lessened sediment, water and nutrient loss. Viewers will come away with some easy and inexpensive management practices that can help to further reduce sediment and nutrient loss.

Sustainable golf course design
2025-06-09 21:00 UTC
Dave Zinkand of Zinkand Golf Design discusses innovative practices that promote eco-friendly golf courses. Learn how to reduce environmental impacts, promote biodiversity, and implement water conservation techniques to create more sustainable golf courses.

This webinar is for golf course superintendents committed to environmental responsibility, elevating aesthetics and adopting ecologically sensitive practices. By integrating sustainability into golf course design, superintendents can contribute to a healthier game and environment.

Irrigation system troubleshooting
2025-06-22 21:00 UTC
Brad Jakubowski of Penn State discusses the importance of troubleshooting a golf course irrigation system to ensure it functions properly.

In an interactive, format that includes live, on-site demonstrations, the discussion includes tips to determine whether your irrigation system is working properly and how to remedy any issues revealed through testing to ensure accurate and consistent performance.

What's ahead for the remainder of summer?
2025-07-21 21:00 UTC
In this TurfNet University webinar sponsored by Lebanon Turf, Herb Stevens and Garrett Bastardi, founders of T3 Golf, focus on nationwide weather patterns for the remainder of the summer.

The presenters discuss what current conditions as well as the various long-term weather predicting models they will affect the weather conditions through summer and heading into fall.

The presenters also look at forecasts based on current science and the various models used to make long-range predictions, including the threat of tropical weather.

Summer disease roundup
2025-07-23 21:00 UTC
In this TurfNet University webinar presented by Lebanon Turf, Nathaniel Mitkowski, Ph.D., of the University of Rhode Island discusses some common summer turfgrass diseases and other causes of stress.

This webinar includes how to identify and diagnose these diseases, how to prevent them and how to treat and recover from them once they manifest.

The presenter also takes a deeper look at some of the abiotic factors that influence disease pressure including cultural practices that superintendents can put into practice to help minimize the threat of disease from occurring in the first place.

Bunker construction and renovation
2025-08-06 21:00 UTC
Cory Blair, CGCS, sales and business development manager for CapillaryFlow, discusses the ABC’s of bunker management and construction.

His talk includes how to rebuild bunkers as part of a restoration or renovation project, as well as tips for building bunkers during new course construction.

The presenter also discusses how to stabilize bunkers and prevent washouts and contamination.

The Hungry Caterpillar Army
2025-09-10 21:00 UTC
In this TurfNet University webinar sponsored by Lebanon Turf, Terri Billeisen, Ph.D., of North Carolina State University discusses the fall armyworms and how to manage them.

The discussion includes the lifecycle of the fall army worm, their native range, their migratory habits and how they actually get from Point A to Point B.

The presenter also discusses differences in overcoming damage in warm- and cool-season turf, and provides advice on the best chemical tools to minimize damage.

Winter is coming: What you can do now to mitigate potential winterkill
2025-09-24 21:00 UTC
In this TurfNet University webinar sponsored by Lebanon Turf, Kevin Frank, Ph.D., of Michigan State reviews the causes of winterkill and discusses management practices to implement this fall that might help superintendents minimize damage on golf course turf.

Preventive measures such as cultural practices that include fertilizer applications, sand topdressing, adjusting mowing height and core aeration, as well as the use of covers to minimize or prevent winterkill are discussed.

Winter (and spring) prep for warm-season turf
2025-10-30 21:00 UTC
Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D., of the University of Arkansas discusses preventative maintenance practices for winterkill and spring dead spot on warm-season turfgrasses, particularly Bermudagrass, in the transition zone.

The presenter covers the foundational principles as well as the most up-to-date research on winterkill and spring dead spot prevention.

2025: The Year in Review with Frank Rossi
2025-12-16 21:00 UTC
Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., of Cornell University looks back at 2025 and shares his thoughts on what has transpired throughout the year and explores recent turfgrass management trends.

Topics for discussion include updates on new tools like the USGA G3 ball, insight into what might be a new disease, updates on the work of an emerging golf alliance in New York and lessons learned at the 2025 Ryder Cup Matches at the Black Course at Bethpage State Park.

Jumpstart your career in 2026
2026-01-07 21:00 UTC
This TurfNet University webinar features Anthony Williams, Vice President of Agronomy at Invited Clubs, sharing strategies for career advancement in the golf course management industry.

Williams presents his annual “jumpstart your career” presentation, covering reasons why professionals might need to restart their careers, from personal changes to economic factors.

He introduces three types of goal-setting frameworks: SMART goals, GREEN goals (generational, relevant, easy to start, environment, networkable), and LINKED goals for more complex, long-term achievements.

Strategies for controlling Bermudagrass in Zoysiagrass
2026-01-14 21:00 UTC
Kenneth Clayton from the University of Kentucky presents a comprehensive webinar on managing bermudagrass infestations in zoysiagrass stands.

In this webinar presented by LebanonTurf, he begins by explaining why zoysiagrass is well-suited for the transition zone, highlighting its drought tolerance, low maintenance requirements, and slow growth characteristics that make it attractive for golf courses and turf areas.

Clayton then addresses the challenge of bermudagrass as a problematic weed, explaining its aggressive spreading nature through stolons and rhizomes, and why it competes so effectively with zoysia grass.

What is ahead for the remainder of winter and what can you expect moving into spring and summer?
2026-02-18 21:00 UTC
In this webinar presented by LebanonTurf, Herb Stevens and Garrett Bastardi of Flash Agronomy discuss what is in store for the remainder of winter and what turf managers across the nation can expect moving into spring and summer.

For much of the country, winter got off to a very mild start. But that was abruptly interrupted by extreme cold, copious amounts of snow and crippling ice storms that affected about half the country.

After the groundhog said six more weeks of winter, unseasonably mild conditions have since dominated midwinter conditions.

Annual bluegrass weevil update and methods for control
2026-03-18 21:00 UTC
Annual bluegrass weevil is a pest found primarily in low mowed annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass, where it feeds on the roots and crowns of the plant. Given its preferred food source, golf course turf.

Since it was first discovered nearly 70 years ago in New York, ABW is now found in more than 20 states including parts of the upper South. In this TurfNet University webinar presented by LebanonTurf, Kenneth Clayton of the University of Kentucky discusses the history of ABW, conditions under which it thrives and why it is on the move.

The presentation includes tips on controlling this rapidly spreading pest.

Getting the jump on weed control
2026-03-25 21:00 UTC
In this TurfNet University webinar presented by LebanonTurf, David Gardner, Ph.D., discusses spring weed-control primarily in cool-season turfgrass on golf courses.
This presentation covers a refresher on common spring weeds, research updates and advice on timing for pre-emergent herbicide applications and tips on weed-specific programs and chemistries based on the latest research.

Be your own environmental champion | Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, Fairview CC
2026-04-15 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
In this TurfNet University webinar presented by LebanonTurf, Jim Pavonetti, CGCS at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, will discuss how superintendents can advocate for their own environmental stewardship efforts.
Pavonetti is a multiple winner of the GCSAA Environmental Leaders in Golf award and in February was the recipient of the GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship. In 2024, Pavonetti was named to the Audubon International board of directors and served on the Greenwich Sustainability Committee that implements sustainable environmental policies and practices to make the city a “vibrant, resilient, safe and sustainable town.”

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Future of fertilizer: Nanoparticles as an ultra-efficient delivery system
2026-04-23 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Halifax)
In this TurfNet University webinar sponsored by LebanonTurf, John Dempsey, Ph.D., explores how nanoparticle-based fertilizers are reshaping turfgrass nutrition, performance and sustainability.
He also discusses how nano-formulated NPK and nanosilica differ from traditional fertilizers in their physical and chemical behaviour—such as targeted delivery, controlled release, and improved compatibility—and why that matters for turf growth, color, stress tolerance, and overall plant health.
Key topics include:

How nanosilica enhances turf resilience through improved drought tolerance, disease suppression, and nutrient uptake.
Practical approaches for integrating nanosilica into turf programs for residential lawns, sports fields, and golf courses, including application timing and rate considerations.
The latest research on the performance, environmental footprint, and cost-effectiveness of nanosilica in turfgrass systems.
Emerging trends in nanotechnology and what they mean for future turf management strategies, regulations, and product development.

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