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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Flooding in Vermont left the fairways at Fox Run GC in Ludlow under a layer of silt and mud. Photo courtesy of Jesse Sutton By the time more than a half-foot of rain fell during a two-day span in early July at Fox Run Golf Club, the course in Ludlow, Vermont, already had been inundated with 10 inches of precipitation in the previous three weeks.
    "We were already waterlogged,” said Fox Run superintendent Jesse Sutton. "We had 19.53 inches in five weeks. And there is more rain in the forecast today.”
    Mudslides and overflowing rivers from the rain that fell on July 9-10 left a trail of flooded golf courses, roads and towns across Vermont.
    Some have reopened already, others will be closed for the remainder of the season — or longer. 
    "Everything on mountain courses that wasn't buttoned down — roads, bridges, cart paths, was gone,” said Chris Cowan of Atlantic Golf and Turf, who has spoken with many superintendents throughout the state as they continue along the path to recovery. "There was water in places where water had never been before.”
    Many of the courses that were affected most, Cowan said, were those that sustained the worst damage during Hurricane Irene in 2011. 
    When Sutton arrived July 10 at Fox Run, which is located along the Black River at the base of the Okemo Mountain Ski Resort, he could not access the maintenance facility because the roads were impassable.
    By the time he was able to get through to the maintenance facility, three members of his 15-man team were waiting for him.
    "They walked up a Nordic skiing trail and through a cemetery,” Sutton said. "They were already popping off drain heads and doing whatever they could.”

    Floodwaters inundated many Vermont golf courses, including The Quechee Club. Photo courtesy of Chris Cowan By the time the water receded, much of the fairway turf was covered in silt and mud up to a foot deep and bunkers were washed out.
    "It was like a river coming from the woods,” Sutton said. "There was so much debris. It was like an organic landslide of sticks, leaves and dirt.
    "I had to get a mini excavator just to get to something I could work with.”
    Fox Run fared better than most. The club's California-style greens, except one, were pretty much unscathed. 
    "We were able to open by Saturday,” Sutton said. "People were blown away. All the credit goes to my crew.”
    Cowan said some courses anticipate being closed for a year-and-a-half, which will mean missing the remainder of the current golf season and most if not all of the next.
    Dozens of roads were closed across the state, including sections of U.S. 4 near Killington that were covered in up to 20 feet in debris. 
    "You see things like this on the news and it looks awful, but you can't believe how bad it is until you live through it,” Sutton said. 
    What amazed both Sutton and Cowan was the way area superintendents and local communities came together to help one another.
    Superintendents, even those literally under water, reached out to help colleagues at other courses.
    "We have a great fraternity. That was the No. 1 take-home message to me,” Cowan said. "Even the guys who were dinged up offered assistance to others who also were dinged up.”
    Sutton concurred.
    "Every business has some kind of water damage. FEMA is here and the national guard,” Sutton said. "Clean up started the next day. 
    "In town it's a volunteer effort. Residents are helping. Second-homeowners who are not full-time residents have come back to help. This has shown the good nature of people. It has been inspiring to see. When you see someone doing something for someone else, it makes you want to do something. It makes you feel good, and it becomes a domino effect.”
  • Shuttered in 2006 after only five years in operation because of financial struggles, the Beacon Hill Golf Club in Virginia has been closed longer than it has been open. Much longer.
    Nearly 20 years after it closed, the property near Leesburg, Virginia recently was acquired by Resort Development Partners, which plans to restore and reopen the golf course by 2024 as The Preserve at Beacon Hill.
    Designed by Johnny Miller, the 27-hole club opened as the Golf Club of Virginia, and the owners later changed the name to Beacon Hill. Original plans called for an additional 18-hole layout to be designed by Jack Nicklaus, but amid financial hard times the club closed prematurely.
    Eventually, the club ended up being owned by a collection of retirement funds in Massachusetts, according to reports. Another potential owner tried unsuccessfully to buy the property in 2010, and the homeowner's association finally acquired the club in 2014. Plans by the association to revive and reopen the course never materialized.
    The current restoration plans by Haymarket, Virginia-based Resort Development Partners include a redesign by architect Tom Clark, converting the course from 27 to 18 holes and adding a practice facility and a nine-hole course specifically for families.
  • One of the most economical tools for controlling many common turf pests is officially on the clock in New York.
    Proposed legislation in New York, known as the Birds and Bees Protection Act, would all but eliminate the sale and use of neonicotinoids on turf. The measure passed the New York Assembly in April and early last month was approved by the Senate. It currently awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature when it would become law. Use of some neonics would be prohibited almost right away, while others would be banned within two years. The pending legislation is sponsored by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, both of Manhattan.
    The proposed bill reads: "No person shall apply or treat outdoor ornamental plants and turf, except for the production of agricultural commodities, with a pesticide containing the active ingredients imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or acetamiprid on or after July first, two thousand twenty-five; the active ingredients clothianidin or dinotefuran effective immediately."
    Although neonicotinoids are among the most effective and economical options for controlling a variety of pests in their larval stage, such as annual bluegrass weevil, billbugs, beetles, chafers, black turfgrass ataenius, cutworms, chinch bugs and mole crickets, research shows they also are lethal to many non-target species, including birds and pollinating insects — most notably bees.
    The relationship between pollinators and neonics has been well chronicled.
    Bee populations throughout the U.S. have been in decline for more than 40 years. Although there are other contributing factors, such as the invasive Varroa mite, neonicotinoids have been linked as contributors to bee decline for decades. The case against neonics shifted gears 10 years ago when pesticide applicators in Oregon treated flowering Linden trees for an aphid infestation on a late spring day. The trees, which are a favorite stopover for bumblebees, surrounded a local shopping center, so when the ground became carpeted with dead bees, during National Pollinator Week no less, the incident became news in a hurry.
    Initial reports put the count of dead bees at 25,000-50,000. Researchers went back into the story two years ago, and now estimate the carnage at about 100,000 dead bees — from nearly 600 colonies, according to research from the USDA and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. 

    Proposed legislation in New York would ban the use of neonicotinoids in most instances. Photo by John Reitman Bees are responsible, through pollination, for helping create much of the world's food supply of fruits, nuts and vegetables. According to research, they pollinate 35 percent of the world's food supply.
    Although the applicators in Oregon made a critical error by treating a flowering plant, which was a use violation even then, the outrage that followed was warranted, and, given the reliance on pollinators, it is understandable when politicians come down on one side or the other of such an issue. 
    The pending New York bill was approved by the Assembly by a vote of 100-49 and by the Senate by a vote of 45-16.
    The proposed measure does not just single out T&O. It would affect  the agriculture industry, targeting seeds coated with pesticides. 
    The bill also reads: "Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-seven, for any person to sell, offer for sale or use, or distribute within the state any corn, soybean or wheat seeds coated or treated with pesticides with the active ingredients clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, or acetamiprid."
    Critics of the bill say the bill will have a disastrous outcome for New York's agriculture industry, and point to Europe, where a ban on neonicotinoids has resulted in burgeoning populations of pests such as aphids and beet weevils and causing vast losses of many varieties of crops.
    Critics also point to research that says honeybee populations have grown by 51,000 colonies in America, and say there are nearly 21 million more beehives in the world now than in 2000.
    The governor's office has not indicated whether Hochul will sign the bill. Similar legislation proposed in California was vetoed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
  • For turf management professionals looking for an easier way to hand water areas throughout the golf course, Underhill launched a line of new Featherweight Series hoses.
    The Featherweight hose is available in two models, the Featherweight ProLine and the Featherweight UltraMax, that come in varying lengths. Both feature a tough, lightweight outer polyester cover that resists scuffing and tearing. Both the ProLine and UltraMax lines also resist kinking and feature tough, ergonomic aluminum fittings for easier connections.
    The UltraMax line is built for professional turf managers while the ProLine is designed specifically for landscape professionals.
    The UltraMax is available in four sizes — 50, 75, 100 and 125 feet — all of which are 1 inch in diameter. The UltraMax also can be custom cut to meet any superintendent’s specific needs. All are rated at 300 PSI with a burst pressure of 1,200 PSI, and the 100-foot version weighs just 15 pounds, so there is no more dragging heavy hoses around greens.
    The ProLine is rated to 200 PSI with a burst pressure of 800 PSI. At 0.75-inches in diameter, it is available in lengths of 50, 75 and 100 feet, the last of which weighs a mere 9 pounds.
  • The largest golf course management company in the world just got a little bigger.
    Troon will acquire the third-party Management Business division from Invited Clubs, the company formerly known as Club Corp. 
    The transaction includes 18 contracts, bringing Troon's total portfolio to more than 750 managed courses, the company says. In a separate transaction, Troon also has acquired Applied Golf Management, a New Jersey-based golf and hospitality management company. Troon takes over management of Applied Golf’s portfolio of 13 public and private golf facilities in New York, New Jersey and Florida.
    Invited, the largest owner of golf courses in the world, is also the second-largest operator. The Dallas-based company owns and operates 200 18-hole equivalents.
    As part of the agreement, management teams and all employees at the facilities will remain in their current roles. In addition, Invited vice presidents Seth Churi and Peter Faraone will move to similar positions within Troon.

    Chateau Golf & Country Club in Kenner, Louisiana. The 18 Invited Club Management contracts acquired by Troon include a mix of private clubs, resorts, and athletic clubs:
    • Bent Creek Golf Village Resort & Golf Club in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
    • Canebrake Country Club in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
    • Chateau Golf & Country Club in Kenner, Louisiana
    • Crystal Lake Country Club in Crystal Lake, Illinois
    • Hilton Head Owners Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
    • Lake Toxaway Country Club in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
    • Lake Valley Golf Club, Longmont, Colorado
    • Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Celebration, Florida
    • Olde Town Athletic Club in Marietta, Georgia
    • PGA National Members Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
    • Pristine Bay Resort in Roatán, Honduras
    • Riverton Pointe Golf Club in Hardeeville, South Carolina
    • Saddlebrooke 2 in Tucson, Arizona
    • Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
    • Serenata Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
    • Skyline Country Club in Tucson, Arizona
    • The Ocean Club at the Hutchinson Island Beach Resort & Marina in Stuart, Florida.
  • Don't look now, but your industry is under siege. The attack is coming from those who question the value of dedicating so much acreage for use by so few. 
    For years, it has been the same usual suspects casting aspersions on golf for all the same reasons — they use too much water and poison the land. But there is a new naysayer in this story; one who simply is hungry for the land, even if it means total disregard for the truth to get it.
    Despite the efforts of so many who work to educate the masses about the many benefits of golf and golf courses, getting the word out to those who do not want to hear it is, to say the least, challenging.
    During the past 20 years, we have seen so many superintendents and those in academia host field days and work to develop BMP programs to educate lawmakers and non-golfers about the environmental benefits of golf courses and the positive attributes of the game as physical activity.
    Still, to this day, press clippings that besmirch the game and the ground on which it is played abound. A quick Internet search of "golf" and "fertilizer" yields headlines such as "Six ways golf courses hurt the environment," "Golf is embracing the dark sky movement" and "Does nitrate in our water come from golf courses or farms?"
    There appears to be a new player in this game of blame golf – those who just want the land and are willing to say anything to get it.
    In recent years, the golf industry in Southern California, specifically municipal golf, has come under fire by those who believe the land might be better used for multi-family residential purposes in an effort to solve the area's housing crisis.
    It appeared that threat was nullified last year when Assembly Bill 1910, known by some as The Public Golf Endangerment Act, died in Sacramento. The bill proposed providing public relief in the form of developer subsidies and grants to local agencies to redevelop California's municipal golf courses into low-incoming housing and green space.

    Roosevelt Golf Course is one of the many municipal golf courses run by the City of Los Angeles. A recent editorial entitled "Why not turn golf courses into homes?" appeared in at least a half-dozen Southern California daily newspapers throughout Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
    The editorial states: "Golf courses are great for golfers but aren't accessible to families for hiking and picnics. As Reason Foundation noted on these pages last year, 24 of the 27 local California government-owned golf courses it identified through city budgets lost a total of $20 million operating them. Governments aren't good at operating anything in an efficient manner. They should not be operating facilities that cater to a few wealthier residents. Taxpayers shouldn't be forced to subsidize them."
    While we acknowledge a shortage of affordable housing in Southern California, there are several holes in this editorial.
    Do the anti-golf groups covet public land for parks and greenspace or housing? Municipal golf may accomplish many things, but "cater to a few wealthier residents" is not among them. According to the Southern California Golf Association, the average muni green fee in that area is $38 for 18 holes. That's less than a tank of gas in SoCal.
    The editorial also states that municipal golf in California loses $20 million annually. Were that the case, municipal golf in the country's largest state would have been out of business long ago.
    Such claims have not gone unnoticed by the SCGA.
    According to the SCGA, the municipal golf courses within the area where the editorial appeared clear a combined $40 million a year "after all expenses associated with operations, maintenance and long-term capital spending."
    In an email to members and partners, the SCGA wrote: "Whatever the reason, whatever the motivation, we'll do our best in combination with our allied organizations in the California Alliance for Golf to figure out the who, what, and why of this. Something prompted this. Someone prompted this. Whatever the motivation or reason, one thing is certain. Today's editorial breathed life back into the notion of singling golf and only golf out among all the various park and open space activities to help mitigate what golf agrees is an acute housing shortage in this state."
    The plight of public golf in Southern California reaffirms the need for education and outreach aimed at public policy makers and non-golfers, because now you know what you're up against and now you know the truth sometimes is not enough.
  • Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., has been named the recipient of the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award. A professor of crop and soil sciences and an extension specialist at North Carolina State University for the past 39 years, Yelverton has educated future superintendents in the classroom and working superintendents at regional and national conferences since 1984. 
    The award is the highest honor bestowed by the 1,800-member association.
    "Fred is arguably the best turfgrass weed scientist ever," NC State colleague, Dr. Jim Kerns wrote in a letter supporting Yelverton's nomination. "His contributions in research laid the groundwork for current and future weed scientists and will serve as the backbone for literature searches in research for a very long time."
    The award follows a long list of honors and recognition that Yelverton has earned over the years.
    Earlier this year, Yelverton received the Outstanding Contribution Award from the GCSAA. In 2021, he was named a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America. His expertise is sought not only throughout the U.S., but internationally, as well. To that end, he is helping with preparations for the Ryder Cup in Rome in September.
    "Fred's long list of accomplishments illustrates how incredibly busy his schedule has been over the years," said a nomination letter from the Triangle Turfgass Association. "However, when he is called on by a golf course superintendent or any other turf professional in the Carolinas, he makes you feel as though your turfgrass issue is his highest priority. That is the definition of Distinguished Service."
    Three of six letters supporting his nomination for the award came from previous recipients. One of them, Bruce Martin, Ph.D., now retired from Clemson University, wrote that Yelverton's accomplishments would be "considered 'upper echelon' when compared with other scientists' lifetime career achievements.…it is so obvious that he is more than worthy of the honor. Actually, I think this award is overdue…"

    Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., has been at North Carolina State University for nearly 40 years. NCSU photo Yelverton and his three older brothers grew up on a tobacco farm near Black Creek, North Carolina. 
    "Yeah, I knew what work was at a young age," Yelverton said. "We literally worked from 5 a.m. to probably 9 p.m. My father was a World War Two veteran, kind of a no-nonsense guy. He'd say, 'Alright boys, let's get this done.' And you didn't question it. You'd just go do it."
    He was similarly matter of fact in his approach to being diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of prostate cancer in 2009. Doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of survival.
    "It was tough. It was tough, you know, because I had a 10-year-old at the time," he said. "But they removed it, and I had chemotherapy and radiation. They threw the book at me. But there was only one way to go, so you do what you've got to do, man. Just like a project on the golf course. You do what you've got to do.
    "You know that old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think that's true because all of a sudden, I had a totally different perspective on life. We're not here forever so you better enjoy it while you are. That thinking permeates everything I do now."
    Such health challenges are why Yelverton made the decision to enter phased retirement. His current half-time duties will wrap up entirely next summer.
    "I love what I do. I don't feel like this is work," he said. "I've loved every minute of it. But you know that John Lennon quote from just before he was shot? 'Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.' It's time to start doing some other things I want to do."
    Yelverton will receive the award in November during this year's Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach.
  • For equipment managers looking to simplify the ever-important task of reel grinding, Bernhard and Co. recently launched its Express Dual 4300.
    The 4300 introduces advanced automation to deliver rapid, safe and accurate reel grinding. 
    The fully automated system comes with new advanced controls and a touchscreen interface that make it easier for operators to produce reel blades necessary to deliver the perfect grass cut and healthy turf conditions.
    "With all-new automation and improved controls, it is an incredibly advanced and versatile product that will benefit turf equipment professionals, said Steven Nixon, managing director for Bernhard and Co. "With increased speed and ease of use, getting mowers back into day-to-day action has never been quicker or simpler," he added.

    The Express Dual 4300 reel grinder incorporates new automated features to make reel sharpening easier. Key features of the new Express Dual 4300 reel grinder include:
    > backlit LCD touchscreen operator interface with automated grind programmes
    > reel drive auto-locking drive rod and drive adaptors
    > fully automated feed system with configurable grind cycles
    > high-definition graphic controls
    > Bernhard patented lift table for operator safety
    > tabletop design for rapid loading of mowers
    > 15-minute turnaround, floor-to-floor
    Sharp mower blades allow for clean shearing of the grass blade, and a cleaner cut produces fewer tears to the grass plant. This lowers the risk of disease, and in turn reduces the amount of corrective maintenance required later. Healthier plants result in improved playability and visual quality.
    The new Express Dual 4300 reel grinder is now available directly from Bernhard, or through the company's distributor network.
    Bernhard's high-performance reel grinder collection also includes Express Dual 5500, Express Dual 4100, Express Dual 300MC, Express Dual 2000 and Dual Master 3000iR.
  • The FB3 Fairway Brush from STEC serves many purposes. STEC photo For superintendents seeking to improve turf health and playing conditions in golf course fairways, STEC has introduced the FB3 Fairway Brush.
    A tow-behind unit, the FB3 can groom turf to with the purpose of:
    > blade orientation
    > propping up plants for pre-cut preparation 
    > dethatching grass
    > reducing worm casts
    > removing dew
    > brushing in top-dressing materials
    > helping control turf disease.
    The FB3 is compatible with several types of tow vehicles, and it utilizes a ground-driven rotary, contour-hugging brushing method and a stationary drag brush.
    The FB3 brush system offers 41 degrees of side-to-side wing contouring, and the hitch separates the towing vehicle from the brush allowing for independent floating and constant surface contact with 30 degrees of fore-aft contouring. 
    Two working modes — precut and topdress — are available with the brush, and the direction and speed can be adjusted. With a brushing width of 182 inches, the FB3 has a maximum working depth of 1 inch.
    Ground driven, the machine uses a 12-volt electrical supply to lift and lower, making virtually any tow vehicle operable without the need of hydraulics.
  • Atticus provides a host of branded generic products for the turf industry. Atticus, a provider of generic pesticide solutions for a variety of agricultural and T&O markets, recently named Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., as director of technical services.
    With more than 30 years in the turf industry, Golembiewski, right, will be responsible for providing technical support and product education as Atticus expands its professional non-crop division, known as EcoCore.
    Golembiewski, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State and a doctorate from Ohio State, most recently spent nearly 12 years with Bayer and then Envu in a similar capacity.
    Golembiewski spent nearly eight years in academia at Montana State, Minnesota-Crookston and Oregon State, where he directed the turf program for more than 3.5 years.
    "I love helping people do their job better and this is ultimately what led me to Atticus," Golembiewski. "Their culture and value proposition of being Relevant, Simple and Reliable are built around a customer-first approach."
    Based in Cary, North Carolina, Atticus, is an American-owned company that provides branded-generic pesticides for its Agriculture and EcoCore markets, the latter of which includes finely managed turf. EcoCure's philosophy is to fight pests in a sustainable manner.
  • A First Green field day brought 64 elementary school students to Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose. All photos courtesy of Brian Boyer When kids begin pondering career possibilities, it is hard to tell what might click.
    For Brian Boyer, superintendent at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California, that revelation came during a field trip to a water treatment plant back in Michigan when he was in college. That field trip and a job working at Cattails Golf Club in the Detroit suburb of South Lyon, carved a career for Boyer.
    In his nearly 18 years at Cinnabar Hills, Boyer has become an expert on the subject of water treatment. He manages the property's own treatment facility that supplies irrigation water for the golf course and drinking water for the clubhouse.
    "It got me interested in the environment and science," Boyer said. 
    "I was missing some direction, and that field trip along with working at Cattails Golf Club for Doug Palm gave me some direction."
    So it only seemed natural for him to host his own field trip as part of the First Green program.
    The field trip included 64 students from Barrett Elementary in nearby Morgan Hill. 
    "It was a blast," Boyer said. "Only five of the kids had ever played golf before."
    With help from 10 volunteers, six fellow superintendents, including GCSAA president Kevin Breen, CGCS, of nearby La Rinconada Country Club in nearby Los Gatos, and two teachers from Barrett, Boyer shuttled students through eight different stations to educate them about the environmental stewardship efforts that occur on golf courses and the job opportunities that can be found there.
    "The goal of the program was to highlight the benefits of golf in the community and the environment," Boyer said. "My personal goal was to show them that there is another career opportunity out there. Morgan Hill is a heavy ag community, and this is another avenue. I also happened to get into golf because of a field trip, so if it helps one kid … ."
    The 64 students were split into eight groups of eight who rotated through eight stations:
    Cool tools Water Soils Plant jar Putting green Wildlife and animal rescue Weather  Irrigation
    Kevin Breen, CGCS at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, teaches at a station at Cinnabar Hills. The First Green is a program that uses golf and golf course maintenance to introduce science, technology, engineering and math education to children.
    "I just want the kids to have fun and mix in some education," Boyer said. 
    The event was a hit with the students, as well as parents, teachers and volunteers, he said.
    "The excitement from the volunteers was cool to see," Boyer said. 
    "The kids were blown away. We taught them how we grow grass and save water. For many of them, it was the first time they'd been on a golf course. The grass was so perfect and so green, a lot of them thought it was fake."
  • Chris Wilson, holding the E.J. Marshall Platter, and his team celebrate after the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. USGA photo More than a century ago, a plea for help in advance of the 1920 U.S. Open resulted in the eventual creation later that year of the USGA Green Section.
    That was when E.J. Marshall, then the green committee chairman at Inverness Club, asked the USGA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for help to solve whatever was killing turf on the greens at the Donald Ross design. 
    The Open was saved and Englishman Ted Ray went on to win the second of his two career majors, the other being the 1912 Open Championship at Murifield. In recognition of Marshall's contributions that helped launch the Green Section as well as salvaging the U.S. Open, the USGA last year started an award in his name. 
    On Sunday, at the conclusion of this year's U.S. Open, the USGA presented Chris Wilson, director of golf courses and grounds at Los Angeles Country Club, with the E.J. Marshall Platter in recognition of his contributions and those of his team on preparing for this year's event.
    Created in 2022, the silver platter recognizes "leaders in golf course management who demonstrate commitment, expertise and outstanding collaboration with the USGA to present a well-maintained course, worthy of hosting a national championship and the world's best players."
    In his eighth year at LACC, Wilson is in his second tour of the club. He was an assistant to Russ Myers in his first go-round on Wilshire Boulevard.
    The condition of the course was never a question.
    Bryson DeChambeau called LACC "diabolical" and "a completely different test of golf than a normal U.S. Open."
    Jon Rahm told Golfweek "it is a great golf course, great design, has the potential to be one of the best U.S. Opens we've seen. . . . There is a certain flow to the golf course in a U.S. Open that we haven't seen before. That I haven't. Yeah, I think it's a bit different, and it's fun."
  • Presented by Envu, John Deere and Rain Bird, Green Start Academy will be held in December at Pinehurst Resort. John Deere photo For nearly two decades, the annual Green Start Academy has helped prepare the next generation of superintendents by pairing them with some of golf's most accomplished and successful turf management professionals.
    The application period for the annual Green Start Academy is open to new applicants from the U.S. and Canada who would like to participate in this year's event that is scheduled for Dec. 6-8 at Pinehurst Resort.
    Online applications for the 18th annual event are being accepted through Aug. 1. About 50 working assistant superintendents will be selected for this year's GSA. Previous attendees are not eligible.
    Presented by John Deere, Envu and Rain Bird, Green Start includes educational sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions and networking opportunities and is developed specifically for assistant superintendents looking to advance their professional skills and includes educational sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions and networking opportunities for about 50 assistants from the United States and Canada. 
    "The importance of networking and camaraderie is everything in this business," Todd Bohn, director of agronomy at Desert Mountain Club said in a news release.
    Green Start is committed to empowering every attendee with the tools and insights they need to excel in their careers.
    "Since 2006," said Mark Ford, Envu's customer marketing manager, "hundreds of assistant superintendents have benefited from the leadership and professional training available through the Green Start Academy."
    Assistant superintendents interested in attending should complete the online application by Aug. 1.
  • The more things change at Highlands Falls Country Club, the more they stay the same.
    After nearly a quarter of a century as superintendent at the club in Highlands, North Carolina, Fred Gehrisch, CGCS, was named general manager earlier this year. And Josh Cantrell, Gehrisch's assistant for 15 years, was named as his successor.
    "The first person I hired was Josh. He knows everyone, and he knows the culture. That was the easiest hire I ever made," Gehrisch said of promoting Cantrell to superintendent. "I have complete confidence in him."
    After 24 years as superintendent, Gehrisch, 53, had been contemplating a career move to general manager, either at Highlands Falls or elsewhere. The time had come, he decided, to move up, or move on.
    "I got bored and thought I was capable of doing more," said Gehrisch. "I spent a lot of time in the clubhouse helping out whatever department needed help. I spent time with the GM on club strategy. I got to know the ins and outs of the executive position, and I liked it."

    Fred Gehrisch, CGCS, (left) and Josh Cantrell of Highlands Falls Country Club in North Carolina. Photo courtesy of Fred Gehrisch Things, however, are not always as they appear. Then again, sometimes they are, and it just takes some time to realize it.
    When Gehrisch decided a change in career might be in his future, he called upon an old friend of more than 20 years, Saeed Assadzandi, CGCS. A former superintendent, Assadzandi has been a general manager for 24 years, including the last two at the Thornblade Club in Greer, South Carolina, where he also is chief operating officer.
    "I called him and told him what my plan is," Gehrisch said. "He told me the first three months will be a killer and you'll be asking yourself if you made the right decision, but then it gets better after that. He was exactly right. The first few months, I had that deer-in-the-headlights look. I didn't know what to tackle first. It's gotten better since then.
    "Saeed knew my background and told me I can move up and do this. He was my biggest cheerleader."
    In much the same way, Gehrisch has been a cheerleader for Cantrell.
    Cantrell, 45, never thought it would take so long to become a head superintendent.
    "(The economy of) 2007 and 2008 changed things, and changed my perspective," Cantrell said. "I wanted to be a superintendent, but I'm from this area, and I wanted to stay near it.
    "I've had chances to move on, but this place is different.
    "I was beginning to think this might not happen. If I was going to become a superintendent, I might have to leave, and my family wasn't willing to do that."
    His decade-and-a-half working under Gehrisch was time well spent.
    "I've learned so much, especially on the administrative side," Cantrell said. "I already handled the day to day on the golf course. He showed me how to do everything else."
    Still, Cantrell had to go through the official interview process, and that was no walk in the park.
    He spent three hours with Gehrisch and three more with the club's green committee chairman.
    "I never considered anybody else, but he had to go through the process," Gehrisch said. "He had earned the right to be the first to be considered, but the interview couldn't be a gimme."
    Cantrell had the knowledge to grow grass at a high level, but what he had to prove was if he had the chops for the rest of the job.
    "When you're the superintendent, everything is on your shoulders now. Are you ready for that?" Gehrisch said. "When they have social events at the club, you have to stay late, shake hands and say hi. Are you ready for that? Is your family ready for that?"
    "They wanted to make sure I was up to the challenge of everything off the golf course; emails and all the criticism that is going to come," Cantrell said. "I had to convince them I was ready for that."
    Gehrisch, too, was held to the same level of scrutiny during his interview. In fact, the GM position initially was offered to another candidate, he said, because of his lack of F&B experience.
    "I interviewed for it, then I was notified I wasn't getting the job," Gehrisch said. "I figured it was time to move on. I was probably two weeks from accepting another job when the president called me and said it didn't work out with the first guy and was I still interested in the job. My ego was bruised, and I had to think about was this something I still wanted to do, and it was, but I thought about it a lot.
    "The hard part is convincing people I am more than a superintendent. I know what I don't know, but I am spending time learning that."
    In just six months on the job, Gehrisch has proven himself many times over. He already has hired a new superintendent, food and beverage director and a fitness director, and the club is undergoing major projects, like a pool project and pickleball court construction.
    So much is happening so soon into his new job that someone recently told him "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."
    Gehrisch, who as superintendent is accustomed to tackling big projects, shrugged it off.
    "I'm used to managing risk," he said. "What I am more concerned about is making sure the member experience is excellent all the time."
    The more things change, the more they stay the same.
  • In the past two years, dozens of women have volunteered to work the two most recent U.S. Women's Open championships. 
    The goal was a multi-pronged effort that included: helping prepare course conditions for a national championship; shining a light on the abilities of women in turf; providing them with education and networking opportunities; and promoting careers in the turf industry to other women.
    One key observation that came out of each event, first in 2021 at Olympic Club in San Francisco, and last year at Pine Needles Resort and Golf Club in Southern Pines was that raising awareness of careers in golf could only benefit by more women playing the game.
    To help achieve the latter, Women's Golf Day was started seven years ago as a way to "unite women's golf across the globe" with an overall goal of growing the game both here and abroad.
    Founded in 2016 by Elisa Gaudet, president of the consulting firm Executive Golf International, Women's Golf Day has been so popular that a day no longer is enough. This year, Women's Golf Day, which is a collective effort that includes allied golf organizations, individual facilities, management companies and retailers, was extended to an entire week that took place May 30-June 6 at golf courses around the world.

    Lisa Vlooswyck (center) and some of her students during Women's Golf Day at Brudenell River Resort on Prince Edward Island. Photo courtesy of Lisa Vlooswyck "Growing demand for additional days from host locations prompted us to expand to a weeklong format, resulting in impactful and significant activation on each day this week," Gaudet said in a news release.
    Through this year's event, more than 1,300 sites in 84 countries, including more than 130 first-time courses in Japan just this year, have hosted Women's Golf Day events. On site activities include fitness tips, instruction, social activities, lunch and guest speakers. 
    "Golf is not a one-size-fits-all sport anymore," Gaudet said after the 2021 event. 
    "Women who have never played golf are beginning to see that in the 21st century it is a sport for everyone."
    One such event was a day of instruction at Brudenell River Resort on Prince Edward Island conducted by Lisa Vlooswyk, speaker, golf journalist and multiple long-drive champion from Calgary, Alberta.
    Vlooswyck has been involved in WGD since its inception as a Canadian ambassador. Promoting the game to other women is her passion, and her WGD golf school attracted other women from places such as Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, California, New Jersey Washington, D.C. Some of her students are repeat customers from past WGD events.
    "I've been doing this since 2016," Vlooswyck said. "Because I want to help grow the game by bringing more women into golf.
    "I participate in long-drive championships, outings and corporate events, and I noticed that 75 to 80 percent of all the people there were men, and I thought 'Oh, gosh, where are all the women?' I'd talk to them and they'd tell me they weren't good enough, or they didn't feel comfortable."
    As a result, Vlooswyck started a golf school in Canada and the U.S. just for women.
    "Women's Golf Day is a perfect fit for something like this, because golf is hard and it can be intimidating" she said. "I want to send the message to all women that 'hey, we belong.'"
    Vlooswyck believes growing the game also could help promote careers in golf to women, including working as a superintendent.
    "The more women we bring into golf, they more they might see it as a career, whether that is as a superintendent, in the golf shop or teaching," she said. "If you see it, you can be it."
    WGD events included:
    > WGD Palooza - a specially curated USGA Museum Tour, Instruction from Callaway and Titleist players, an interview with founding members of Project Ukraine and giveaways from WGD partners, including The USGA, PGA, R&A, Callaway, Titleist, FootJoy, PGA TOUR Superstore (PGATSS), Imperial, Marco Simone and Make Golf Your Thing. 
    > NYSE Opening - WGD founder, Elisa Gaudet, was joined by a delegation including representatives from Acushnet. and LPGA player Danielle Kang as Gaudet rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
    > New Countries - Gambia, Greece, Peru, and Zambia joined the WGD community for the first time in 2023 taking the total number of participating countries to 84.
    > Japan Growth - after running three events in 2022, WGD and The Japanese Golf Federation worked in collaboration to grow the number of host locations in Japan from three to 139 in under 12 months.
    > Championship Venues - More than 1,300 locations have hosted the event since 2016, including Marco Simone, host of the 2023 Ryder Cup; Pinehurst; TPC Sawgrass; Firestone Country Club; TPC Scottsdale; Evian Resort; Taiheiyo Club Minori Course in Japan; and Aphrodite Hills Golf & Country Club in Cyprus.
    > PGA TOUR Superstore - Official Retailer of Women's Golf Day held in-store activation events. PGATSS held events at most of its stores across the country. There were driving contests in the simulators and basic instruction for new golfers as well as putting contests and the chance to win a WGD-branded Callaway Golf Bag. 
    > Golf Town - Canadian retailer hosted WGD on June 6 at all 47 locations across Canada.
  • Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California. One of the most admirable traits about the golf turf profession is the willingness of superintendents to share information to help a colleague solve a problem.
    Sometimes, however, the best answers to some of those difficult questions might come from within.
    One of those questions that might have a more obvious answer, according to some superintendents, is whether to pull or core or vent.
    When asked whether he prefers to pull or core or not, Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa, said that is an answer unique to each property.
    "Younger superintendents, they're afraid to fail and want to mimic what others are doing," Tegtmeier said. "Every course is different. Just do what is right for you. Who gives two hoots what the guy down the street is doing."
    In the case of 36-hole Des Moines G&CC, coring makes sense, Tegtmeier said. 
    "We have A4, and it's very aggressive, so we pull a core on all 36 holes," he said. 
    "I've always been a coring guy. For my golf course in Iowa, it's the right thing."
    At Cinnabar Hills Golf Club south of San Jose, California, superintendent Brian Boyer uses solid tines throughout the year, not because he is averse to pulling a core, but because he does not have to. At least not now.
    "We've gotten to the point where (coring) is not necessary based on our soil tests" Boyer said. "We're not producing much organic matter. We did a lot of aggressive coring and topdressing in the past. This didn't happen overnight. I've been here for 18 years, and it's taken 15 years to get to this point."
    Recovery time is faster, and golfers are happier, Boyer says.
    "It got on my radar five years ago that we might be able to get there," Boyer said. "Do we need to? Our results show we don't.
    "The biggest result is we were able to get rid of those cores, but we can go back to it if we ever have to."
    Back in Iowa, Tegtmeier's program historically has included needle tining in March, and once per month throughout the season until September when it was time to pull a core.
    "We have high salts," Tegtmeier said. "We have to flush the salts below the root system."
    To minimize disruption to golfers, Tegtmeier has flipped his program on one course.
    He has changed to pulling a core in spring on one course and solid tining in September, while keeping to his original schedule on the other. He also recently began using the GS3 ball from the USGA.
    Early results from the GS3 reveal there is no difference in green speed at Des Moines on greens that were cored and those that were vented with solid tines. The difference is smoothness and trueness, Tegtmeier says.
    "Golfers are happier now," Tegtmeier said. "They always have one 18 that is great to play on.
    "Don't do what works here. Find what works for you."

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