TurfNet Podcasts

Frank catches up with Richard Hayden to discuss all things designing, constructing, establishing and managing sports turf around the world. Highlighted recently by his work with the Wrexham AFC and Ryan Reynolds. Beyond that we cover his time at STRI, hybrid grass construction, sports turf in Ukraine, Horse Track Fraise Mowing, FIFA guidelines, etc.

Richard is one of the most recognized sports pitch consultants in the world. In 2024, Richard completed his 700th sports infrastructure project across 58 countries, with experience spanning FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO stadium pitches. Uniquely qualified in both agronomy and civil engineering, he...

Paul Carter, CGCS has been a very busy man. He is superintendent at the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Director of Agronomy for the nine-course Tennessee Golf Trail, and recently began his one-year term as president of the GCSAA in its centennial year.

In this inaugural episode of Beyond the Green, sponsored by Molasses Kings, Carter talks about his role and responsibilities as president of the association, how — and why — he became involved in representing his colleagues in Tennessee and nationwide, and who is to "blame" for that decision.

Finally, Carter talk...

This interview features twin brothers John and Jim Colo, both golf course superintendents in Florida, discussing their parallel careers in turf management. John works at Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens while Jim is at Naples National Golf Club.

Both started their careers in their native Ohio before attending Rutgers for turf education and completing internships at Castle Pines. They share insights about their mentors Steve Ehrbar and Jim Loke, and discuss the challenges of managing golf courses in South Florida's climate.

The conversation covers labor recruitment and retention strategies, with both emphasizing the importance...

In this TurfNet Renovation Report, Anthony Pioppi interviews Donnie Beck, superintendent at Fishers Island Club, about their major irrigation system renovation. Beck, the fifth superintendent in the course's 100-year history, discusses the unique challenges of maintaining a links-style golf course located seven miles off the Connecticut coast but belonging to New York. The course faces increasing saltwater flooding, now occurring 6-7 times per year compared to once or twice when Beck started in 1994. The new Rain Bird irrigation system, designed by Paul Roche and installed by Tanto, replaced a partial system from the 1990s and includes innovative long-range rotors...

Frank speaks with Marco Schiavon, assistant professor at UF's Fort Lauderdale Research Center, discusses water conservation in turfgrass.

Trained in Italy, New Mexico, and California, Schiavon now researches recycled wastewater irrigation in South Florida, finding that turf intercepts most nutrients but over-irrigation causes leaching — making water management more important than fertilizer blackout periods. He's also exploring turfgrass soil microbiome, where the field lags decades behind agriculture.

On grasses, Schiavon calls Tiftuf Bermuda a gold standard for water conservation and says St. Augustine water needs are overestimated. His top advice: Fix irrigation system efficiency first, then la...

In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report, host Bradley Klein sits down with veteran golf course architect Andy Staples. Their discussion focuses on the changes of contemporary golf course design to focus on playability, ease of maintenance and long-term sustainability in the face of shifts in pesticide and fertilizer use and the rising costs of and access to water.

The discussion also includes a look into the relationship between architects and superintendents, escalating renovation budgets, advances in drainage and bunker technology, and the influence of social media and modern golf media on member awareness.

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In this special season 13 premiere episode of Frankly Speaking, the tables are turned as Paul MacCormack, the mindful superintendent and general manager of Fox Meadow Golf Club, interviews longtime host Frank Rossi. The conversation explores Frank's journey in the turfgrass industry, from his early curiosity-driven nature to his career in academia and research. They discuss the evolution of science in turfgrass management, the importance of unlearning harmful work habits like the grind mentality, and Frank's personal experiences with vulnerability and life challenges. The discussion touches on Frank's recent transition to becoming a grandfather and how it's shifted his perspective...

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, host Frank Rossi interviews Professor Scott McElroy from Auburn University about the evolution and future of robotic mowing in turf management. McElroy shares his journey from theater and communication studies to becoming a respected weed scientist and turf management expert. The conversation explores his early skepticism about robotic mowers when he first encountered them in Italy in 2016, working with the University of Pisa group, to becoming a leading advocate for autonomous mowing technology. McElroy discusses the different categories of automated mowers, from fully autonomous small units to semi-autonomous large systems like Firefly technology...

Frank Rossi interviews David Pierce, president of Stellar Golf Advisors and former USGA research director, about his groundbreaking research on golf course playability and golfer experience. Pierce shares his unique journey from chemical engineering at Dow Chemical to golf research, explaining how his engineering background translated perfectly to systematic golf research methodologies. The conversation centers on Pierce's development of a playability index system that categorizes golf courses from introductory to formidable based on obstacles rather than just distance, stripping out length considerations to focus on hazards, bunkers, and course forgiveness factors. Pierce reveals concerning data showing that roughly half...

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, Tony Springmann shares his unique journey from Notre Dame football player to superintendent at Wicker Point Golf Club in Alabama.

Springmann discusses how he discovered golf late in college after his football career ended and worked his way up through courses like Trinity Forest, Oakland Hills, and others.

He explains the challenges of managing a new Coore and Crenshaw-designed course that opened in 2023, including extensive drainage work in Alabama's red clay and maintaining wall-to-wall Zeon zoysia with firm playing conditions. Springman emphasizes his management philosophy of cross-training...

This interview features twin brothers John and Jim Colo, both golf course superintendents in Florida, discussing their parallel careers in turf management. John works at Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens while Jim is at Naples National Golf Club.

Both started their careers in their native Ohio before attending Rutgers for turf education and completing internships at Castle Pines. They share insights about their mentors Steve Ehrbar and Jim Loke, and discuss the challenges of managing golf courses in South Florida's climate.

The conversation covers labor recruitment and retention strategies, with both emphasizing the importance...

Frank Rossi interviews Ken Rost, founder and CEO of Frost Spray Technologies, about the evolution and adoption of GPS guided precision spraying systems in golf course and turf management. They discuss the barriers to technology adoption, including early reliability issues with GPS systems and the advantages of the Novotel satellite system that Frost uses. Ken explains how their partnership with Greenkeeper App has simplified map creation and enabled superintendents to have better control over their spray applications. The conversation covers variable rate applications, productivity improvements, and the emerging role of drone spraying technology for hard-to-reach areas like native grass...

Dave and Peter are back in the saddle after a three-month hiatus, mostly due to Peter's life-stage paring down, rehoming and restructuring of his life. The lesson there is, just like doing major surgery to a golf green, to do it when you're healthy and can do it. All this leads to Peter's announcement of his pending retirement at the end of January. Dave and Peter reflect on the myriad ways that TurfNet has changed the industry over the past 32 years, from community building to jobs, used equipment, education... and touch on some of the "agents of change" who...

In this episode of the Rising Stars of Turf, sponsored by Earthworks and DryJect, Jorge Mendoza of Green River Golf Club in Corona, California, talks about his lofty career aspirations and his efforts to give back to the profession.

A second-generation greenkeeper, Mendoza discusses the need to market himself and his accomplishments as he strives to achieve an industry leadership role beyond Green River. He also talks about what he to promote the game to area youth and introducing turf maintenance as a potential career path.

With the golf course straddling three Southern California counties...

In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, RW and gang discuss the best time of year on the golf course and share a couple of tips from the Rockbottum Country Club vault that could help modern golf course superintendents survive an increasingly sensitive golf environment.

Stick around for Ludell's announcement of the new online degree program from Rockbottum Country Club.

This episode features Dr. Wendell Hutchens, assistant professor of turfgrass science at the University of Arkansas, discussing his research on turfgrass disease management, particularly spring dead spot control. The conversation covers his educational background at NC State and Virginia Tech, where he worked on fungicide fate and movement in soil profiles. Dr. Hutchens explains that effective spring dead spot management requires immediate watering-in of fungicides within 30 minutes of application to move products into the root zone where pathogens are active. He details how GPS-guided sprayers combined with drone mapping can reduce fungicide usage by 40-65% while maintaining control efficacy...

Frank catches up with F. Dan Dinelli, recent inductee to the the Illinois Golf Hall of Fame and third generation golf course superintendent at North Shore Country Club in Chicagoland. Dan and Frank catch up on the putting surfaces that were renovated in 2017 to a creeping bentgrass blend and an innovative root zone mix with 33 ingredients! Dan and Frank review the complex nature or plant and microbe interactions that have led to a better understanding of root zone dynamics in sand based root zones. Hold your breath as this one is a deep dive. Big congrats to Dan on...

In this episode of the Renovation Report, sponsored by Golf Preservations and CapillaryFlow, Brandon Johnson talks about his entry into the game playing as a child and how that led eventually to a successful career as a golf course architect.

A graduate of North Carolina State University, Johnson also earned a master's degree in landscape architecture from Harvard University.

Johnson discusses how his time as a student at NC State prepared him for continuing his education at Harvard, and how postgraduate studies in the Ivy League provided unique experiences that he probably would not have...

Frank had a chance to chat with Rhett Evans, the CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Rhett and Frank discuss the path to his current role and the challenges and rewards of running large organizations and municipalities. Specifically, Frank and Rhett get a chance to dive into the GCSAA organizational efforts with partners and membership and how he established his “voice” for the golf turf industry. Eventually, the discussion of high-performance athletic endeavors including multiple Ironman events and his recent ascension to the peak of Mount Everest. A rare glimpse behind the sciences with inimitable Rhet...

Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D., talks with golf course architect Stephen Kay of Kay Golf Course Design about their friendship that dates almost 40 years, and how it intersects with the changing face of municipal golf in the United States.

In this discussion, sponsored by Golf Preservations and CapillaryFlow, Key discusses how and why the majority of the design and renovation jobs have changed from mostly private to about 70 percent municipal projects.

The discussion includes how many municipalities have changed the way they view their golf course properties, and how golfers who patronize them are more...

In this episode Frank visits with Professor Ming Yi Chou, Turfgrass Pathologist at Rutgers University, former sommelier, and expert microbial molecular biologist. He earned his B.Sc. from National Taiwan University, M.Sc. from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Dijon, and Ph.D. in Horticultural Biology from Cornell University, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and Michigan State University. His research explores plant–soil–microbiome interactions, develops disease-prediction models and diagnostic tools, and directs one of the nation’s largest turfgrass fungicide evaluation programs. Widely recognized for his contributions to science and extension, Dr. Chou r...

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, Mark Lyon, the golf course superintendent of Teton Pines Resort and Country Club in Jackson Hole, WY, shares his unconventional journey into turfgrass management, which began at Michigan State University. After struggling with large class sizes, he found his passion through hands-on experiences in parks and recreation, leading to internships that solidified his love for the field. Mark emphasizes the importance of passion and networking in his career, recounting memorable wildlife encounters and the seasonal rhythms of golf course management. He balances his professional responsibilities with winter activities like skiing and...

Life has intervened once again between Tag Team sessions as Dave has a second new bionic knee while Peter has emergency surgery and plunges into a sudden life-stage house move. Dave is excited about officiating at Moe Robinson and Paul Robertson's wedding in Toronto in September, while also mourning the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne. Dave recounts his activities with turfRad, and they discuss the recent podcast interview between Moe Robinson and Cutler Robinson, noting that Cutler spent 37 years in turf management with his only positions being golf course superintendent. The discussion winds up with a conversation about surrounding...

Frank dives deep into warm and cool season turfgrass disease management with Dr. Jim Kerns Professor and Extension Specialist of Turfgrass Pathology and Department Extension Leader in Entomology and Plant Pathology at NC State University, where he also co-directs the Turfgrass Center for Environmental Research and Education. Frank and Jim discuss origins of Smith-Kerns model and then go underground for an intense discussion of Pythium root rot and the “patch” disease Take-All and Summer Patch. Jim addresses the new findings and discusses insights from molecular techniques that is enhancing control programs.

In this episode of the Renovation Report presented by Capillary Flow and Golf Preservations, Richard Mandell of Richard Mandell Golf Architecture, speaks with Brad Klein about his approach to golf course design as well as the specifics about some of his most recent restoration and original design projects.

Mandell, whose experience has a linear connection to Donald Ross, talks about the elements (such as color, form, scale, shape, space and texture) and principles (balance, contrast, proportion, unity and variety) of golf course design and how each is applied to specific parts of the golf course.

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Frank catches up with Mike 0’Keeffe who serves as Program Manager for The Ohio Program (TOP), Ohio State University's renowned international turfgrass internship program, a position he has held since 1990. A graduate of Warrenstown College in Ireland, Mike originally participated in the program himself as an intern from 1986-1988 before joining the staff. Under his leadership, TOP has become a globally recognized program that places 120+ international interns annually on some of the world's finest golf courses, helping young turfgrass professionals gain invaluable hands-on experience in the United States. Frank and Mike chat about the programs background, Mike’s passion for...

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, the spotlight is on Moe Robinson, arguably one of the most recognizable personalities in golf turf management today. Originally from Ontario and now residing in British Columbia, Moe recently tied the knot with Paul Robertson, longtime golf course superintendent at Victoria Golf Club. They are planning a larger ceremony -- to be officiated by Dave Wilber -- in the fall in back in Ontario with family and friends. She reflects on her journey in a male-dominated industry, highlighting the support from her mentors and her transition to a customer support role...

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank Rossi chats with Dr. John Sorochan of the University of Tennessee about various factors -- especially mechanical -- that affect putting green performance. HOC, frequency of clip, mowing/rolling frequency, bedknife position and attitude, topdressing,and more. A native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Dr. John Sorochan began working on the grounds crew at Earl Grey Golf and Country Club in 1988. This experience led him to Michigan State University where he earned his Ph.D. in Turfgrass Science in 2002. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management in the Plant Sciences D...

Frank catches up with Gunnar Håkansson who serves as the General Secretary and CEO of the Swedish Golf Federation (SGF), the governing body for golf in Sweden that was founded in 1904 and currently oversees 500 golf clubs with over 500,000 individual members. He has been actively involved in leading the federation through a period of significant change and modernization, including efforts to promote inclusivity and accessibility in Swedish golf. Håkansson has been prominent in making decisive leadership decisions for Swedish golf, including the federation's 2022 decision to sever ties with Henrik Stenson following his move to LIV Golf, citing concerns ab...

In this episode of Wilber and McCormick, Dave and Peter discuss their experiences with life, health, and the turf industry while navigating personal challenges. Dave shares an update on his knee surgery recovery, highlighting the progress he's made and the pain he's managing. They also touch on the importance of socializing dogs, the value of training with e-collars, and the logistics of sensor deployment in turf management. The conversation shifts to cooking, particularly pizza-making, where they share techniques and personal anecdotes. The episode concludes with reflections on the turf industry and the role of technology in its advancement.

Frank chats with Chris Haspell, founder and president of Chris Haspell and Associates. Based in the UK, Chris specializes in golf course and sports turf consulting focused on end-to-end project management, construction and shaping services, grassing and grow-in expertise working with some of the biggest names in golf course architecture. Chris was involved in the 1990s with the Danish Golf Union and was one of the  “Sons of Golf” in Denmark when pesticides were banned for use. Chris developed his construction skills on projects from Castle Stuart to Les Bourdes in France, he took some time out of his sched...

In this episode of the Renovation Report presented by Capillary Flow and Golf Preservations, Justin Mandon, superintendent at Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, California, discusses a 2023-24 restoration of greens and bunkers focused on recapturing as closely as possible Alister Mackenzie's original intent when he designed the course on the north side of Monterey Bay in 1929.

Mandon talks about the club's history from its opening and how it served as an inspiration for Bobby Jones to hire Mackenzie, who lived in a home on the 14th fairway, to design Augusta National Golf Club.

The...