TurfNet RADIO

Host John Reitman chats with Dane Wilson, superintendent at Medinah #2 near Chicago, about his internships, career goals, development of his own personal golf course management strategies, and wisdom instilled by his father, Mark Wilson, former superintendent at Valhalla Golf Club and host superintendent of many professional tournaments and events.

"My father always told me, 'you can only do better than what your father did…'" - Dane Wilson

In another captivating discussion on TurfNet's Frankly Speaking audiocast series, host Frank Rossi chats with Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp about the current state of the golf industry, including:

reduction and absorption in golf facilities and businesses that serve themcomparisons with retail and restaurant industries that are also cyclical industrieswarning signs for superintendents that a facility might be in financial troublethe change in golf's consumer base and requirements, including digital technologynon-green grass business opportunities — do they lead to green-grass opportunities for golf facilities?TopGolf and virtual golf: good for the green-grass sector of golf?Should guidelines replace rules to increase the fun factor of golfgetting new golfers to the point of involvement that will make them stick as players and customersgrowing the game by drilling deeper into the pool of "older white guys with money" who aren’t golfers.

Spend 45 minutes for a better understanding of where golf is and where it can go... both good and bad.

In this episode of the Pin Sheet, presented by BASF, Jeff Vannoy of BASF updates us on the history, uses and best practices for utilizing turf colorants.

In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report, host Jon Kiger chats with golf course architect Forrest Richardson about the 2017 renovation and re-invention of the Short Course at Mountain Shadows (and resort) located near Scottsdale in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

The original golf course at Mountain Shadows was designed and built in 1961 by Arthur Jack Snyder. Course architect Forrest Richardson, one of Snyder’s students, completely redesigned the course to be a true par-3 with an eye toward retaining the fun for golfers, maintaining the diversity of golf holes, controlling pace of play, and containing maintenance costs while increasing the revenue potential of the facility.

With 18 holes ranging from 200 yards to 75 yards, the footprint of the Short Course at Mountain Shadows was reduced from the original 40 acres to 33 acres, with only 13.5 acres of managed turf. The reclaimed seven acres were converted to residential purposes which made the entire project attractive and successful financially.

The 17.5 hole, the Forrest Wager -- named after Richardson -- is a par 2 golf hole where the object is to play against your opponents in similar fashion to the golf game Bingo Bango Bongo. One point is awarded for the closest to the hole on the first shot played, another for the first player to hole out and a third point for the lowest score.

In this episode of the BASF Pin Sheet (recorded July 20, 2017), host Jon Kiger chats with Kyle Miller of BASF about the current state of heat and humidity around the country and what superintendents should be aware and wary of to get through this period unscathed.

Why is The Open Championship of Golf required watching, listening and study for Turfheads? Dave Wilber explains.

Do you know that The Open was once an event set aside for Greenkeepers, Clubmakers and Caddies? 

What are the key features of Royal Birkdale, host of the 146th year that this event has been played?

How does the weather and the grasses play into who will win and who will lose?

Dave wilber gives his empassioned opinion about the Soul Surfing that is Links Golf. And why events played on The Links are so special. Because in oder to understand the game's past and present, you have to have some Open Championship intelligence.

The Turfgrass Zealot Project is only on TurfNet Radio and is hosted by TurfNet.com.

In this episode of Frankly Speaking -- Resistance Radio, Summer Edition -- Frank Rossi of Cornell University relates New England sports to turf management with entomologist Dr. Ben McGraw of Penn State University and weed scientist Dr Jim Brosnan of the University of Tennessee.

Topics include data-driven precision weed management, synchronicity of adult pest populations, fraise mowing for weed management via seed bank reduction, and the effect of insect control methods on pollinators.

Smart talk from leading thinkers, only on Frankly Speaking on TurfNet Radio.  Presented by DryJect.

In this episode of the BASF Pin Sheet, host John Reitman caught up with BASF's Kyle Miller at the Southeastern Turfgrass Research Center Field Day on June 28 in Lexington, KY.

Kyle updates us on concerns of golf course superintendents regarding plant stress in mid-summer, and explains the mode of action of BASF's Intrinsic product line.

In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, direct from Rockbottum Country Club proshop, Momma demonstrates her proven techniques for handling sales reps; the health inspector visits; a no-cart shotgun start for the old-timers; Ludell innovates something; and in Storytime, that Demonized Cow During Construction, #337.

Presented by VinylGuard. Oh, and Buddy just finished VinylGuarding everything in sight at the driving range!

In this audio interview for TurfNet On Tour/TurfNet Radio live from the Irish Open, host Jon Kiger chats with Robert Hemphill, who represents the third of four generations of greenkeepers to be employed at Portstewart Golf Club, home of the 2017 Irish Open. Robert’s, father, uncle, grandfather and now son Jonathan all worked at Portstewart.

Robert discusses the Hemphill/Portstewart “family tree” and explains ways of maintaining the course that seem primitive by today’s standards. He shares his insights into the evolution of greenkeeping and even explains that rabbit trapping was a way to protect the course while providing food to families in the area and additional income for themselves.

"I was as happy as any man ever could be, working there… it was a pleasant, wonderful job.

"...the men spent the winter hand-weeding the greens. On Saturday morning we would go around with a wheelbarrow and collect the weeds, then roll the greens with a roller before the people came out."

"...the ball would have been jumping all over the place but nobody complained… everyone was just happy."

Presented by AlgaeGreen, IVI Sandtrapper and Tru-Turf.

The backing track, Escaldarium/The Greenkeeper by Northern Ireland traditional band Connla, used by permission.