What do the FIFA World Cup, the Breeders’ Cup, championship golf and cutting-edge turfgrass research have in common?
For three days this September, they all come together in Lexington, Kentucky.
The inaugural TurfNet Championship Showcase, scheduled for Sept. 23-25, is an immersive educational experience created for golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, assistant superintendents, directors of agronomy and other turf professionals who want far more than another conference or trade show. Instead of spending days walking exhibit aisles, attendees will step onto championship venues, visit active research facilities, operate the latest equipment, and learn directly from some of the industry’s most respected educators and researchers.
The Showcase begins Wednesday, Sept. 23, with an interactive equipment demo day at Greenbrier Golf & Country Club, where attendees can compare and operate equipment from leading manufacturers under real-world conditions. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and evaluate equipment that could make an immediate impact on their own operations.
When the demonstrations conclude, attendees can continue the day by enjoying one of Greenbrier’s premier amenities — playing a round on the club’s championship golf course or casting a line in the club’s private lake. Whether networking over 18 holes or relaxing on the water with fellow turf professionals, the afternoon offers another opportunity to build relationships in an informal setting before the Showcase’s educational sessions begin the following day.
Home base for this event for out-of-town travelers will be the Hilton in downtown Lexington. After breakfast at the hotel Thursday morning, a bus will depart at 8 a.m. for the nearby Southeastern Turfgrass Research Center. Started 21 years ago by Mike Harrell, Ph.D., the 250-acre farm is a working research laboratory and commercial sod operation.
Education will continue at SETRC with internationally recognized turfgrass scientist John Sorochan, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee, who will discuss the research, technology and maintenance practices behind the playing surfaces prepared for the FIFA World Cup. His presentation will explore how innovations developed for the world’s biggest sporting event can be adapted for golf courses and sports fields of every size.
Kenneth Clayton, a former golf course superintendent and the turf extension specialist at the University of Kentucky, will discuss emerging turfgrass management challenges in the transition zone, updates on research relevant to those issues and science-backed advice on how to manage those issues.
Dr. Harrell will discuss some of the various projects under way at his 250-acre farm, including the latest on emerging turfgrass varieties, ongoing product trials, fertility research and other projects that are shaping the future of turf management. Instead of reading about the latest research months later, participants will see it firsthand and have the can discuss the work directly with the scientists conducting it.
At 11:30 a.m. the group will board the bus with a box lunch and will depart for two stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The tours and tastings will be followed by dinner in historic Midway. These relaxed settings are designed to encourage conversations, exchange ideas and build relationships with fellow turf professionals from across the industry.
The Showcase concludes on Friday, Sept. 25 with breakfast at Keeneland Race Course followed by a behind-the-scenes morning tour of this world-class racing facility that will host the 2026 Breeders’ Cup in late October. Participants will see how one of the world’s premier racing venues prepares and maintains its championship surfaces while learning about the unique challenges involved in managing one of horse racing’s most celebrated facilities.
Unlike large conventions where meaningful conversations can be difficult to find, attendance at the TurfNet Championship Showcase is intentionally limited. The smaller format provides direct access to speakers, researchers, equipment experts and fellow decision-makers throughout the three-day event.
* Attendees are responsible for transportation to and from Lexington, Kentucky and hotel expenses. All other expenses, including meals, golf and tours, are covered through the generosity of our sponsors: STEC Equipment, Syngenta, Frost Inc., FireFly Robotix, Molasses Kings, Standard Golf, Turf Drainage Company of America and the Southeastern Turfgrass Research Center.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? Email Jon Kiger at jkiger@turfnet.com, or cal 770-395-9850, or contact John Reitman at jreitman@turfnet.com, or CALL 561-315-4119.
