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Josefth Moreira, equipment manager at Lake Toxaway Country Club in North Carolina, began his wrenching career in honor of his late dad who was a mechanic himself. Starting out as a flat-rate auto mechanic, Joe’s strength in electrical propelled his career quickly when he took the plunge into turf. With the support of the first superintendent he worked with, Joe learned to jump in and trust himself and his skills, and encourages us to do the same. Joe reminds us we are enough just as we are, and to give ourselves some credit for how far we’ve come since we first started. Hear about Joe’s sincere appreciation for the experienced techs out there sharing their knowledge & raising standards for the entire industry. Just like those he’s looked up to, Joe gives back with his service to the Turf Equipment Technicians Association of the Carolinas. 

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Don Cotton is the owner of Turf Pride LLC, a turf equipment research and development facility with manufacturing and distribution located in Andalusia, Alabama. Don’s father was a Ford tractor dealer who went into business in 1949, so Don grew up working on equipment, ‘piddling,’ and later selling, researching and developing new equipment. Don takes us through his long career from the first time a customer shared his idea to plant Zoysiagrass and sell his turf to landscapers, through the earliest days of relief grinding reels as a new concept, up to the innovations of today’s turf equipment. 

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Myles Kemp is the equipment manager at Chemawa Golf Course in North Attleborough, Massachusetts and the inventor of the Birdie Bar height of cut gauge. Myles caught the turf equipment bug as a high schooler and went on to the famed turf equipment program at Lake City Community College. Myles hosted a PGA senior event at his first course fresh out of school. Hear from Myles on what it’s like grinding reels at his house instead of the golf course. Myles reminds us why it’s important to avoid cheap grease and cheap washers, and gives us all the backstory and details on why he invented the Birdie Bar and how they’re made. 

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Matt Hyde is the equipment manager at Schuyler Meadows Club in Loudonville, New York. This 80s kid is a former dirt track racer and owner of a landscape business turned turf tech. Matt reminds us that you never know what the job you didn’t get might lead to. He gives us the low-down on Baroness walk mowers and explains how he uses Google Drive for inventory and reorder to manage the parts shortages and backorders many of us currently face. Matt and Trent get into the importance of a good chef and the value of attending the GCSAA Conference & Trade Show. Say HEY to both of us in San Diego this year if you can get there!

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Mike Rollins, Regional Manager at SIP Grinder has been in the golf industry for a short 20 months but boy howdy has he made a splash on Twitter. Mike married into the reel grinding business then fell in love with it, using his background in film and media to create outstanding videos promoting equipment managers. We’re getting deep into reel theory, bedknife angles, and relief grinding this week and talking about the hazards of twisted frames. Go behind the scenes with Mike (and DeeWayne Grindz) to learn what the culture of East Lake is really like during the Tour Championship. 

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Wes Danielewicz is the equipment technician at Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook, Illinois. Wes enlightens us on the many things that have changed during his 40-year career in golf course equipment maintenance and brings a unique perspective including 22 years at a municipal facility. We discuss the benefits of relief grinding and backlapping as well as the extra pluses of regularly servicing equipment. 

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Being a greenkeeper at a small country golf course in New South Wales, Australia means you’re doing the equipment maintenance too. After working on a golf course as a jack-of-all-trades, and seeing a need for reel grinding for those country golf courses who would otherwise be facing downtime using a city grinding service, Gareth started a reel grinding operation of his own striving for an overnight turnaround. We discuss some what-not-to-dos from early in our careers and the satisfaction of bringing a dull mower back to life. Gareth gives a ton of credit for the way he operates his reel grinding service today to the Reel Turf Techs community and Hector’s Shop.

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From zero golf experience to a head equipment manager position in a year-and-a-half: that’s just how Matt Leis rolls. Matt joins us from the Westin Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. While earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting, Matt got a taste for turf working for his local parks & rec department. After a quick detour in selling private jets, Matt turned his focus to the golf course where, like all of us, he got hooked on the sunrises. Matt built his skills as an irrigation technician, learned to operate heavy equipment, and threw his hat in the ring for the head EM job with less than two years in the industry under his belt. We get into the weeds on the first cut on overseed and have a whole lot of fun with spreadsheets and forecasting. Matt shares his passion for sports officiating, what that side hustle has taught him, and gives a shout-out to his dad who is a special education teacher.

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From farm kid to cart boy to equipment manager, Michael Shelton knows his way around the golf course maintenance industry. Michael is a Horry-Georgetown Technical College graduate with an associate’s degree in turfgrass management and worked as an assistant superintendent before moving into equipment management. Like many of us, Michael enjoys the variety of his career whether he’s building two functioning creeks from scratch or hopping on a ‘dozer. With his background and education in agronomy, Michael is a true believer in the importance of understanding - and being able to explain - the why behind agronomic and cultural practices. Michael reminds us to be confident in our abilities and step outside our comfort zones in order to grow. In the episode summary, a few words about mental health and the importance of asking for help.

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Herb Leyva began his career in the golf industry after 25 years of service in the United States Navy and is now the Equipment Manager at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, CA. We’re talking with Herb about how to get consistent results day after day, keeping up with the preventative maintenance requirements in a lease agreement, and the very real labor struggle that exists regardless of your facility. Herb gives us a way to avoid the dreaded black fingernail, shares his views on backlapping, and details a fab project building a monorail to pull 300-lb.

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