TurfNet Podcasts

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, Tony Springmann shares his unique journey from Notre Dame football player to superintendent at Wicker Point Golf Club in Alabama. Springmann discusses how he discovered golf late in college after his football career ended and worked his way up through courses like Trinity Forest, Oakland Hills, and others. He explains the challenges of managing a new Coore...

This interview features twin brothers John and Jim Colo, both golf course superintendents in Florida, discussing their parallel careers in turf management. John works at Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens while Jim is at Naples National Golf Club. Both started their careers in their native Ohio before attending Rutgers for turf education and completing internships at Castle Pines. They shar...

Frank Rossi interviews Ken Rost, founder and CEO of Frost Spray Technologies, about the evolution and adoption of GPS guided precision spraying systems in golf course and turf management. They discuss the barriers to technology adoption, including early reliability issues with GPS systems and the advantages of the Novotel satellite system that Frost uses. Ken explains how their partnership with Gr...

Dave and Peter are back in the saddle after a three-month hiatus, mostly due to Peter's life-stage paring down, rehoming and restructuring of his life. The lesson there is, just like doing major surgery to a golf green, to do it when you're healthy and can do it. All this leads to Peter's announcement of his pending retirement at the end of January. Dave and Peter reflect on the myriad ways that T...

In this episode of the Rising Stars of Turf, sponsored by Earthworks and DryJect, Jorge Mendoza of Green River Golf Club in Corona, California, talks about his lofty career aspirations and his efforts to give back to the profession. A second-generation greenkeeper, Mendoza discusses the need to market himself and his accomplishments as he strives to achieve an industry leadership role beyond Green...

In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, RW and gang discuss the best time of year on the golf course and share a couple of tips from the Rockbottum Country Club vault that could help modern golf course superintendents survive an increasingly sensitive golf environment. Stick around for Ludell's announcement of the new online degree program from Rockbottum Country Club.

This episode features Dr. Wendell Hutchens, assistant professor of turfgrass science at the University of Arkansas, discussing his research on turfgrass disease management, particularly spring dead spot control. The conversation covers his educational background at NC State and Virginia Tech, where he worked on fungicide fate and movement in soil profiles. Dr. Hutchens explains that effective spri...

Frank catches up with F. Dan Dinelli, recent inductee to the the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and third generation golf course superintendent at North Shore Country Club in Chicagoland. Dan and Frank catch up on the putting surfaces that were renovated in 2017 to a creeping bentgrass blend and an innovative root zone mix with 33 ingredients! Dan and Frank review the complex nature or plant and micro...

In this episode of the Renovation Report, sponsored by Golf Preservations and CapillaryFlow, Brandon Johnson talks about his entry into the game playing as a child and how that led eventually to a successful career as a golf course architect. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Johnson also earned a master's degree in landscape architecture from Harvard University. Johnson discusses how...

Frank had a chance to chat with Rhett Evans, the CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Rhett and Frank discuss the path to his current role and the challenges and rewards of running large organizations and municipalities. Specifically, Frank and Rhett get a chance to dive into the GCSAA organizational efforts with partners and membership and how he established his...

Bradley S. Klein, Ph. D., talks with golf course architect Stephen Kay of Kay Golf Course Design about their friendship that dates almost 40 years, and how it intersects with the changing face of municipal golf in the United States. In this discussion, sponsored by Golf Preservations and CapillaryFlow, Key discusses how and why the majority of the design and renovation jobs have changed from mostl...

In this episode Frank visits with Professor Ming Yi Chou, Turfgrass Pathologist at Rutgers University, former sommelier, and expert microbial molecular biologist. He earned his B.Sc. from National Taiwan University, M.Sc. from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon, and Ph. D. in Horticultural Biology from Cornell University, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison...

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, Mark Lyon, the golf course superintendent of Teton Pines Resort and Country Club in Jackson Hole, WY, shares his unconventional journey into turfgrass management, which began at Michigan State University. After struggling with large class sizes, he found his passion through hands-on experiences in parks and recreation, leading to internships that solidified...

Life has intervened once again between Tag Team sessions as Dave has a second new bionic knee while Peter has emergency surgery and plunges into a sudden life-stage house move. Dave is excited about officiating at Moe Robinson and Paul Robertson's wedding in Toronto in September, while also mourning the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne. Dave recounts his activities with turfRad, and they discuss th...

Frank dives deep into warm and cool season turfgrass disease management with Dr. Jim Kerns Professor and Extension Specialist of Turfgrass Pathology and Department Extension Leader in Entomology and Plant Pathology at NC State University, where he also co-directs the Turfgrass Center for Environmental Research and Education. Frank and Jim discuss origins of Smith-Kerns model and then go undergroun...

In this episode of the Renovation Report presented by Capillary Flow and Golf Preservations, Richard Mandell of Richard Mandell Golf Architecture, speaks with Brad Klein about his approach to golf course design as well as the specifics about some of his most recent restoration and original design projects. Mandell, whose experience has a linear connection to Donald Ross, talks about the elements (...

Frank catches up with Mike 0’Keeffe who serves as Program Manager for The Ohio Program (TOP), Ohio State University's renowned international turfgrass internship program, a position he has held since 1990. A graduate of Warrenstown College in Ireland, Mike originally participated in the program himself as an intern from 1986-1988 before joining the staff. Under his leadership, TOP has become a glo...

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, the spotlight is on Moe Robinson, arguably one of the most recognizable personalities in golf turf management today. Originally from Ontario and now residing in British Columbia, Moe recently tied the knot with Paul Robertson, longtime golf course superintendent at Victoria Golf Club. They are planning a larger ceremony -- to be officiated by Dave Wilber --...

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank Rossi chats with Dr. John Sorochan of the University of Tennessee about various factors -- especially mechanical -- that affect putting green performance. HOC, frequency of clip, mowing/rolling frequency, bedknife position and attitude, topdressing,and more. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Dr. John Sorochan began working on the grounds crew at...

Frank catches up with Gunnar Håkansson who serves as the General Secretary and CEO of the Swedish Golf Federation (SGF), the governing body for golf in Sweden that was founded in 1904 and currently oversees 500 golf clubs with over 500,000 individual members. He has been actively involved in leading the federation through a period of significant change and modernization, including efforts to promo...

In this episode of Wilber and McCormick, Dave and Peter discuss their experiences with life, health, and the turf industry while navigating personal challenges. Dave shares an update on his knee surgery recovery, highlighting the progress he's made and the pain he's managing. They also touch on the importance of socializing dogs, the value of training with e-collars, and the logistics of sensor de...