TurfNet Podcasts

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Frank caught up with Adam Zubek, the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara. Adam’s career began in golf course agronomy and included leadership positions at some of Canada’s leading clubs. Adam reflects on his transition from superintendent to club executive and why communication, curiosity, and the ability to influence people became central to his leadership style. We discuss building teams around talented people, learning from mentors and colleagues, and creating a culture where department leaders trust and support one another rather than operate in silos. Adam also shares his perspective on the importance of good governance, clear roles, and giving capable people the autonomy to do their jobs. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about career growth, self-awareness, and what it takes to lead people successfully across an increasingly complex golf operation.

This episode of Beyond the Green features Mitch Rupert, communications manager for Bloom Golf Partners, discussing his career transition from sports journalism to the golf industry recruitment business. Rupert explains how his interviewing and people skills from journalism translated well to recruiting for golf course positions, particularly at the superintendent and management levels. He shares insights about the hiring process, common interview mistakes candidates make, and offers advice for job seekers in the turf industry. The conversation covers Bloom Golf Partners' growth from placing entry-level positions to focusing on executive searches, the challenges facing the golf industry including course closures and talent pipeline issues, and the emergence of non-traditional candidates entering the field. Rupert emphasizes the importance of preparation, mentorship and finding candidates with the right attitude and eagerness to learn, even if they lack traditional turf management backgrounds.

John Sorochan, Ph.D., distinguished professor of plant sciences at the University of Tennessee, discusses his eight-year collaboration with FIFA to prepare playing surfaces for the 2026 World Cup across North America. The conversation covers how Sorochan established his relationship with FIFA through Alan Ferguson, the challenges of managing 16 different stadiums across varied climates from Mexico City to Seattle to New York and Boston, and the innovative research being conducted. Key topics include converting synthetic turf stadiums to natural grass using hybrid reinforcement technology, growing sod on plastic for better transplant success, and ensuring uniform playing conditions across venues using different grass types - Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass for cooler climates, and hybrid Bermudagrass for warmer regions. Sorochan also describes the FIFA-funded research facility at the University of Tennessee that simulates dome stadium conditions and the development of the flex testing device to measure field uniformity. The interview highlights the scientific approach FIFA is taking to field management and the growth of the turfgrass research program at the University of Tennessee from humble beginnings to a world-class operation.

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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. In this discussion, Mandell goes in depth about his restoration work at drainage-plagued courses in Minnesota and Florida and how his design helps each naturally move water off the property. Finally, he discusses his plans for a new heathland-style golf course in North Carolina that will include removing and replacing all bunkers on the course with grass hollows.

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.

Peter and Dave check in with the brain trust at FireFly Automatix, manufacturers of the AMP L-100 autonomous fairway mower.

Dr. Milla-Lewis discusses how her study of these other crops has informed her process to produce improved turfgrass varieties through the “breeding pipeline”.

In this episode Frank speaks with Dr. Michael J. Goatley Jr., Professor and Turfgrass Extension Specialist at Virginia Tech. His contributions to sports turf management and turfgrass science have earned him numerous honors, including the 2023 PGMS Gold Medal Award and election as an American Society of Agronomy Fellow in 2018. Dr. Goatley and Frank do their best to not sound like the OG Muppets, covering topics such as nutrient management and training the next generation of turf professionals.

Prior to delving into holiday glimmers, Dave provides a Walter update and Peter anticipates the arrival of his new rescue dog, Kobe, inbound from Georgia. One of Peter's glimmers involved a family horse-drawn sleigh ride experience for Patty's birthday, two days after Christmas. Peter laments a catastrophic moment of stupidity with a home project that cost him dearly. Foodie talk prevails with Dave's first pizza foray with his new Ooni oven while Peter waxes poetic about his marinated tenderloin for Christmas and his better-late-than-never discovery of the virtues of finishing salt, as a result of a gift of a tub of Maldon salt. Paul MacCormack's upcoming Mindful Super Leadership Master Class comes up for discussion, as does a tribute to the late Jim Husting, CGCS, who passed away just before Christmas.

In this pre-holiday episode, Dave introduces his new puppy, Walter, named after Walter Woods, venerable course manager at the St. Andrews Links. Peter laments a depressive nosedive since he lost his dog, Frosty... coupled with short day length and the upcoming holidays, both of which can be emotionally problematic for many people. He relates his challenges with Christmas tree stands this year, in particular. Moving on to turf, the talk ranges from Toro's newly introduced autonomous fairway mower all the way back to F-10s, HF-15s and Parkmasters. Dave recalls being considered a rebel when topdressing before aerating, and both Dave and Peter applaud the rising role of equipment managers. Peter waxes poetic about his Ooni pizza oven and the challenges of creating a great dough, along with the social benefits of making pizza for dinner guests... before announcing that he has given up mushroom coffee in protest of Facebook group censorship.

After each experiencing the recent death of a beloved dog, both Dave and Peter look forward to the arrival of new puppies. Glimmers include Peter's hearing from many old friends about his written tribute to Frosty, and a barred owl on a nightime "business trip". They touch on triggers for depression, anger, and the state of social media and YouTube. Lastly, a taste test trial of Everyday Dose mushroom coffee.