TurfNet RADIO

Steve Cook has had a career laced with high profile tournaments, including two U.S. Amateurs, a Ryder Cup, and a PGA Championship while at Oakland Hills, and a BMW Championship in 2019 at Medinah Country Club. Yet to him, a career should be more about contribution than achievement.

He has mentored and graduated many assistants onto their own successful superintendent careers, and takes great pride and satisfaction in the ongoing relationships with them. His primary criterion for hiring an assistant is character. "I owe it to the rest of the team to not bring in someone who isn't a good fit," Cook said. "I look for good people. The other stuff they can learn."

Cook has a knack for boiling the seemingly complex down to the simple, whether it's writing a blog or orchestrating a management plan. "What we do as superintendents really isn't that complicated," he said. "I think we tend to overcomplicate it at times."

Why are there so many open positions for assistants? "Because of the self-inflicted damage we've done to ourselves as an industry over the past two or three decades," according to Cook.

This is a fascinating conversation with one who gets it. Gets the job and life away from it. Who else do you know who had climbed a 22,000 ft mountain in Nepal? Listen and learn.

Mike Lecavalier has been the golf course superintendent at the Kanawaki Golf Club in Montreal, Quebec for 17 years. For 13 of those years, and quite a few prior, he had a serious alcohol problem. Almost four years ago he looked himself in the mirror and admitted to himself that he needed help, and turned to friends, then AA, and ultimately the gym and a personal trainer.

Here is his story.

Peter McCormick visits with Paul B. Hurst, husband of Kristi, father of Nicholas, Madison and Molli, dogfather of Lyla, man of many hats, guitar-playing half of MidLife acoustic duo, instructor in the multi-part So, You Want to Be a Sales Guy video series, honoree of a 2021 TurfNet Jerry Coldiron Positivity Award, and arguably the Most Interesting Man in Turf.

They chat about a recent Tweet of Paul's and how the social media success of his and Kristi's singing and "nitwittery" on Twitter over the past two years have meant to them, and his business. Check it out.

In this episode Frank speaks with Cornell University alumnus, former president of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation and current president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Jason Straka.

After a quick wander through his formative years Jason and Frank take up practical course construction issues, working with golf course superintendents, affordable golf, and the minefield that can be mass media.

Jason speaks candidly about what is fair criticism of golf but also where we are excelling environmentally. Ending with an interesting conversation about access and addressing the length of courses by changing the golf ball.

If you are a golf geek, you will love this chat.

Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D., talks with Stephen Miles of The Preserve Golf Club, which is part of the Palace Casino Resort complex in Vancleave, Mississippi. Miles discusses the current state of the resort golf business on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the success of a recent bunker renovation project.

Anthony Pioppi chats with John McDonald II, vice president of McDonald & Sons Golf Course Builders of Jessup, MD, and newly elected president of the Golf Course Builders Association of America.

The conversation runs the gamut between current health of the build/renovation side of the golf course business, the bid or handshake process of procuring renovation work, and the new tools and technology that have impacted golf course builders... some of which might surprise you!

Frank speaks with Dr. Larry Stowell in this episode about his career path as the son of a California Dept of Agriculture professional, through having to get kicked out of the University of Arizona “'cause I loved it so much” and competing for a job his partner Dr. Wendy Gelernter was recruited for!

This pioneer in data-driven management is always asking questions and seeking the best science to help golf course superintendents be more efficient and effective in achieving their performance goals. What could be a better aspiration! A lovely chat worthy of a good listen.

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank catches up with Penn State University Professor John Kaminski in between John’s presentations to golf course superintendents. In his usual candor, John walks us through his early years, wanting to crush everyone’s turf program, and the nature of “we are”.

Some technical topics arise during the conversation regarding thatch collapse and a new Pythium species being researched in John’s lab. There is even talk of the new Diagnostic Lab John is launching. Not too bad for a Penn State Guy!

Presented by DryJect and Plant Food Company.

Anthony Pioppi chats with Doug Larson, golf course superintendent at The Shore Club in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, about his 35+ year career from superintendent to sales and back to superintendent, and the ongoing renovation work spearheaded by Tyler Rae, golf course architect.

Larson describes the bunker work as "economical but with a big impact". Listen in to find out how they're doing it.

Presented by Golf Preservations, The Andersons and Capillary Bunkers.

This is Rockbottum Radio, "What They Don't Want You To Know in '22".

In this New Year's Day episode, we offer a couple of Skeletal Golf Predictions for 2022, some in-depth analysis, a few strategies to deal with what's coming and... Cletus uncovers the most dangerous thing golf has faced in decades.

In Storytime, RW confesses the worst thing he ever did on a golf course, mostly because everybody involved has passed on, or can't remember, or maybe the Statue of Lamentations has run out.

Once again presented by DryJect, the most brilliant method for greens management ever invented.