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When There’s No Margin for Error
Golf course superintendents should be thankful they’re not regulated like some sports field managers are in Connecticut, where pesticides are banned on fields used by children in grades eight and...
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Fast Times and the USGA
At the United States Golf Association’s annual meeting last month, someone asked USGA Executive Director Mike Davis what the association can do to lower green speeds at golf courses, since fast greens...
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What Can the Golf Industry Do to Save Itself?
Did you see the Washington Post story last month titled “Why America fell out of love with golf”? People in the golf industry have come to know these mainstream media stories as annual beat downs for...
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Mangum a Simple — But Impactful — Kind of Man
So I’m talking classic rock ‘n’ roll with longtime golf course superintendent Ken Mangum, who’s a huge music fan. Mangum, who was born in Alabama, mentions that one of his favorite bands is Lynyrd...
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Olympic Superintendent Deserves a Medal
The toughest job in the world of golf course maintenance right now might belong to Neil Cleverly, the slender and staunch superintendent of the course for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,...
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Maybe Golf Just Wasn’t Ready for Chambers Bay
Mike Davis is all about golf and sustainability. Forgive me, but I’m still stuck on the U.S. Open. I’m disappointed how this tournament turned out from an understanding-of-agronomics perspective....
View ArticleSuperintendent Recalls Storm of the Century
Hurricane Katrina changed Stephen Miles’ life. But Miles, the director of agronomy at The Preserve near Biloxi, Mississippi, did not let one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history change his...
View ArticleIt’s Time for Courses to Pay Up
In case you missed it, your profession made one of those “most” lists recently. Unfortunately, it wasn’t “a most pay” or “most prestigious” list. I hate to tell you, but CNNMoney ranked golf course...
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Not Once, Not Twice, But Three Times
Call it a hat trick, not to mention a career highlight. Golf course architect Mike Hurdzan, one of the most respected designers in the profession, will have three courses on which he has hosted “Open”...
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Former Greenkeeper and Now About to Become…
Golf needs a delegate – someone to minister this magnificent game to the masses. This person must be someone that people will like, relate to and learn from. It must be someone who will inspire more...
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Helping Turf, And Helping the Poor
The irony of the two responsibilities in his job as professor of entomology at North Carolina State University is not lost upon Rick Brandenburg. “It’s almost laughable,” he admits. In one role,...
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Let There Be Balance
Balancing career and family. This is one topic that will always be relevant to golf course superintendents. Fifteen years ago, I first learned about the challenges superintendents face in maintaining...
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She’s a Woman in a Man’s World… But She Doesn’t Really Care
I ask Mary Boyle, the certified golf course superintendent at Shadow Ridge Country Club in Omaha, Nebraska, if she has ever had any problems with idiot sexist males in the industry. I don’t want to ask...
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Getting to the ‘Heart’ of Technology
At the Golf Industry Show last month in San Diego, I was once again amazed at the introduction of new gadgets and gizmos introduced by industry suppliers. In my years covering the industry, I’ve met...
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Arnold Palmer’s Take on Personal Health
So, I wanted to interview Arnold Palmer, AKA “The King;’ to talk about … personal health. That’s right. I wanted to consult Arnie, one of the greatest golfers to ever live and perhaps the sport’s...
View ArticleTime to Remove Some of the Real Estate
Augusta National played 7,435 yards for the just-completed 80th Masters. In 1986, when Jack Nicklaus won the tournament and the last of his 18 Majors, the course played 6,095 yards, an increase of 340...
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Refugees Find Work and a Home at Desert Mountain
I am disheartened by Shawn Emerson’s despairing statement. “Most of them left their countries and came here because of religious persecution,” says Emerson, director of agronomy at the Desert Mountain...
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Let Oakmont’s Zimmers Work as Many Hours as He Wants to
John Zimmers might be a workaholic. But so what? We released our May cover story via our website, Facebook and Twitter — “Embracing the Challenge: For 17 years, John Zimmers has endured the most...
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A Tribute to My Big Brother… And a Message to You
My big brother has been dead for six months now. I think about him every day. I miss him every day. He was my hero. Mark died from cancer, which had permeated his body. But it all started several years...
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We Can All Learn a Lesson from Mark Kuhns
Ever wanted to give up on somebody — an employee, a co-worker, a friend and even a family member because you concluded that they were basically losers? Yeah, I’m with you. Can’t tell you how many times...
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