Some golf course superintendents wear jeans and boots to work, while others opt for slacks and loafers. Mark Hoban might want to think about adding a lab coat to his wardrobe.
In four decades of managing turf in the Atlanta area, Hoban, 63, embraces what he describes as a holistic approach to golf course maintenance. A disciple of Palmer Maples, Hoban has been a leader in utilizing native turf to influence the appearance of a golf course as well as minimize the amount of water, fertilizer and pesticides they require.Since 2005 when he was named superintendent at Rivermont Golf Club in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek, Hoban has expanded his quest toward sustainability to include research into and use of biological nutrients, including vermi-compost and organically enhanced topdressing.
If Rivermont is the barometer by which Hoban's success is measured, it would appear that he has discovered the end-all be-all of organic turf maintenance. He admits, however, that his program still is a work in progress as he continues to test the limits of how much water and synthetic additives he can withhold and still produce one of the Atlanta area's best golf courses.
"I can't wait for tomorrow. I want to do more of it, Hoban said of his drive to achieve sustainable turf management. "Unfortunately for me, I have my hands in a lot of different things. I'm a jack of all trades and a master of none. I can't wait that long for the answers. I want to find them on my own. I'm impatient.
Because of his role as a leader in sustainable turf management, Hoban has been named as a finalist for the 2017 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.
Other finalists include Jorge Croda of Southern Oaks Golf Course in Burleson, Texas, Chris Ortmeier of Champions Golf Club in Houston, Josh Pope of The Old White Course at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and Rick Tegtmeier of Des Moines Golf and Country Club in West Des Moines, Iowa.
The winner of the 18th annual award will be named at 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Syngenta booth during this year's Golf Industry Show in San Antonio and will receive a trip for two and a week of free golf on the TurfNet members trip to Ireland in October, courtesy of Syngenta.
Hoban has developed a worm farm for use in creating compost that he brews into an organic tea fertilizer that introduce beneficial microbes, fungi and nematodes into the soil. He even has established an onsite classroom to further study the benefits provided by earthworms.
Those attending his classes have included Rivermont members, the club's junior golf camp participants, members of the community and scores of people from throughout the golf industry.
Hoban's latest work, in cooperation with University of Georgia microbiologist Mussie Habteselassie, Ph.D., has focused on trials to enhance microbial populations to determine the impact of synthetic chemicals used on golf courses. He also has several trials under way on tees, greens and fairways involving products from companies from throughout the country and around the world.
He also shares what he has learned through presentations at golf, garden and agricultural conferences at the local, state and national levels.
Hoban has a long history of practicing environmental stewardship on golf courses long before it was chic, cool or a public relations necessity.
He was the construction and grow-in superintendent at The Standard Club in Atlanta when the club physically moved to a new location in 1986-87 and guided the course to Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status, the first course in the Southeast to do so.
A year after he took over as superintendent at Rivermont in 2006, he, in accord with architect Mike Riley and owner Chris Cupit, led a renovation that included converting almost 30 acres of turf to native grasses and sedges. It was the beginning of transforming the 1971 Joe Lee design from a typical suburban layout to an organic golf course that stood out from the rest in Atlanta.
"Mark has continued his research and has been a pioneer in organic approaches to turf grass care. The University of Georgia and other researchers have descended on Mark's office and course to look at his worm farm, his compost tea brewer and his microscopes laden with Trichoderma and other unpronounceable critters, Cupit wrote in nominating Hoban for Superintendent of the Year. "A typical morning may see Mark on a tractor, looking through a microscope, brewing compost tea or on the phone with any of a number of scientists and researchers from across the country.
Despite his work during all or part of the past five decades, Hoban's work is hardly done. In fact, with pesticide regulations in place in many parts of the country and more sure to follow, he is barely scratching the surface.
"I still think this is the future of golf course maintenance, Hoban said. "Fortunately, I have just one owner and not 400 members with ownership, so that gives me the freedom to do this. Now, we still have to maintain a golf course, so if the greens die it will be 'to hell with that organic crap'. I'm more jazzed no about this than ever and what it holds, and it makes me want to get more into the research end of it.