In this episode of the Renovation Report, golf course architect Tyler Rae of Tyler Rae Design talks about his route into architecture that began with years of experience working on a golf course maintenance crew.

The discussion proceeds to include starting a design firm in the midst of a recession with no work on the horizon, and how he built a career on a well-rounded architect who knows his way around earth-moving equipment as well as he does a set of blueprints.

The conversation finally turns to how the creative process takes over with the end result being how the final product does not always look like what he presented on paper and how to have that discussion with a club's stakeholders.

Justin Sims, CGCS, has been director of grounds and facilities at The Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas for 13 years. He prepped for a position as a head superintendent at some of the country's premier facilities, including The Olympic Club in San Francisco under Pat Finlen and Augusta National Golf Club under Marsh Benson and Brad Owen.

While he climbed the career ladder, he learned the value of working varied climates where he had the opportunity to manage both warm- and cool-season turf. He has imparted that wisdom on aspiring superintendents, convincing them that a diverse work experience opens the door to more career opportunities.

He also discusses the importance of mentoring the next generation of golf course superintendents, his dream foursome and why he is a Michael Jordan fan.

Our guest this episode is Chris Hyman, the Equipment Manager at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Victor, NY about 15 miles southeast of Rochester. Chris is a longtime member of the turfgrass industry working in agronomics, sales, service/support, and now equipment manager - wrenching! He’s worked with many of the colors of iron we find in golf and sports turf and is currently a EMCP Level 2 in the equipment managers certification program on his way to be a fully CTEM. This a classic equipment deep dive we’ve come to expect when an EM comes on Frankly Speaking.

Anthony Pioppi chats with Tom Mcavoy, CGCS, about the upcoming 27-hole Brian Silva renovation of Old Westbury Golf & Country Club in Old Westbury, NY.

TurfGeeks and TechnoNerds gather round as Dave and Peter chat with Derek Houtz, co-founder and CEO of TerraRad Tech, mother ship of turfRad, the turf soil moisture sensing and mapping application and sponsor of this podcast. Derek walks us through his education at Colorado State/Boulder in aerospace engineering to how he wound up in Zurich, Switzerland working on remote sensing applications on glaciers for the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research.

Listen in as Derek ties his work in glaciology to his younger days caddying on golf courses in Colorado and the development of turfRad. Listen in to check out the rest of the story.

In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, we offer our top two secrets for protecting time off. Also, a brilliant Chuck Barber quote supporting our position is ripped from the TurfNet Forum and tossed about with little concern for any digital collateral damage.

Frank gets a chance to catch up with Dr. Michael Bekken, a research scientist at Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) conducting research on sustainable resource management with particular emphasis on turfgrass management. Michael and Frank discuss third party environmental review programs such as Audubon, GEO, E-Par and gathering data from the golf industry on detailed energy, fertilizer, water, and pesticide use. Michael expounds on how we as an industry will begin to understand a strong framework for golf course sustainability.

Frank wraps up the 11th season of Frankly Speaking with Finger Lakes native Russ Myers, Director of Agronomics for Hanse Golf Course Design. Russ’s illustrious career has humble beginnings as a coach’s son attending SUNY Cobleskill before moving onto Augusta National, Card Sound, LA CC and two stints at Southern Hills. This is one of the most candid conversations ever on Frankly Speaking, describing a career of networking and high-profile golf course construction and maintenance intersecting with all the modern giants of the golf course industry. A one of kind conversation with a one of kind professional -- a great end to our season!

In this 11th round of Wilber and McCormick Unscripted, Dave and Peter reflect on their last podcast with the folks from Firefly Automatix. Dave recounts his overall positive experience at the recent GCSAA CTS in San Diego, commenting that it was a generally happy crowd of attendees. They also touch on the rapid advancements in the industry displayed at the show, including new autonomous mowers, remote sensing, data crunching and drone technology. The conversation shifts to personal anecdotes, including updates about mental health and reflections on communication changes over the years. The episode concludes with discussions on data privacy, upcoming surgeries, and the importance of friendship.