Paul Jamrog has returned "home" to oversee the transformation of the former Metacomet Country Club in East Providence, RI, into Met Links, an innovative 9-hole public golf course on a portion of the 90 acre Metacomet property. Jamrog was the golf course superintendent at Metacomet Country Club from 1994 to 2013, when he transitioned into sales. In …

Our 11th season of Frankly Speaking begins with a conversation with Professor Ross Braun, one of the great young minds in turfgrass science from Kansas State University. Director of the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center, Ross received his MS and Ph.D. in Turfgrass Science with previous guest Professor Dale Bremer. After Kansas State Ross spent f…

Andy Mallick's trajectory as a Rising Star of Turf has been a long one, entailing stops at four golf courses over 14 years before landing his first head superintendent position. Now in his fifth season as superintendent (and 11th overall) at Metedeconk National Golf Club (Jackson, NJ), Mallick had interim stops at Pine Valley Golf Club, Country Clu…

In this sensitive and revealing episode of Rockbottum Radio, the entire crew tells it all, aided by literary inspiration from Matt Jones and Peter McCormick... and Momma's Mushroom Truth Serum. Learn what really happened on Ludell's honeymoon and how Rockbottum plans to handle the ball rollback and Golf A.I. Buddy returns from working on Science In…

Frank sits down with Pamela Sherratt, Turfgrass Specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Crop Science at THE Ohio State Unniversity. She has a BSc (Honors) in Horticulture from The University of Central Lancashire in England and her MS in Turfgrass Science from The Ohio State University. In April Pam received the 2022-2023 CFAES Distinguish…

TurfNet’s latest All Star of Turf is Steve Ehrbar, CGCS at Panther National Golf Club, a private, single-owner facility in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A graduate of the two-year program at Ohio State, Ehrbar has been a legendary fixture in South Florida for years. His career includes stops at Jupiter Hills Golf Club in Tequesta, Old Marsh Golf Clu…

Our first Rising Star of Turf for 2024 is Jeremiah Mincey, first assistant superintendent at Savannah Quarters Country Club in Pooler, Georgia. Many might recognize Jeremiah from his activity on TurfTwitter/X and as a recent recipient of a GCI/Aquatrols Super Social Media Award. Jeremiah, 26, graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BS in …

Our latest All Star of Turf is Patrick H. Sisk, CGCS, career superintendent, athlete, marathoner, inventor, entrepreneur and family man. Pat guides us through his path from a college transition to early adventures in Colorado and Arizona, then a career that took him from his native coastal Connecticut to 18 years in Milwaukee and recently back to w…

Frank sits down with frequent guest and Professor of Weed Science at the University of Tennessee, Jim Brosnan. Jim and Frank cover a wide range of topics that turfgrass managers must be aware of as we confront the lack of new herbicides, the pressure of increasing resistance in weeds, and finish up discussing the recent herbicide restrictions assoc…

Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D., talks with Marcie Mills of the executive search and consulting firm of Kopplin, Kuebler & Wallace about the evolving role of golf course superintendents, matching the right candidate with the proper opportunity and how the best customer experience first depends on delivering the best employee experience. Their discussion in…

In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, learn RW's secret for living a calm and peaceful life on the golf course, regardless of the challenges we face in the years ahead. *Note: This is not your daddy's podcast. It's more like your grandpappy's radio show from 1937.โดย TurfNet RADIO

Frank has a great conversation with old friend and repeat guest John Sorochan, Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science at the University of Tennessee. John has been involved with sports turf since his early days at Michigan State University. He was a key participant with the 1994 World Cup games held in the Pontiac Silverdome where the concept…

Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D., talks with Illinois-based golf course architect Michael Benkusky of Michael J. Benkusky Golf Course Architecture about his start in golf course design and why some consider it the best profession in the golf industry. Benkusky also discusses how his business is one of relationships and the importance of designing golf cours…

Frank Speaks with Dr. Evan Mascitti of Infinite Athlete about his career, MS and Ph.D. at Penn State University, that has led him to be one of the leading thinkers in the study of baseball “dirt”. His pathway had mentors from WI, his role as Manager of Grounds for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and all fostered a keen interest -- bordering on an obsession…

A New York Wiseguy and a Philly Punk walk into a Caddyshack with “ginned-up mobsters”… Frank sits down with the inimitable John Reilly, Director of Agronomy at The Resort at Longboat Key and discusses John’s thinking on managing resort golf in an environmentally sensitive area and why he will sometimes discuss the Kreb’s Cycle. John’s pioneering wo…

Frank catches up with Charles Goode (@GoodeTurf), the Southeastern Sales Lead for GreenSight, a provider of digital cloud-based services for turfgrass professionals to manage all aspects of their operation, from mowing and remote sensing to soil monitoring and staff planning. Charles spent his career in the turfgrass industry from landscape and sod…

In this episode, RW reveals one of the key methods behind the success of Rockbottum CC: the proper use of the New Year's Resolution. Also, Buddy gets "tooken" and Ludell, Willy and Momma form a posse to rescue Buddy.โดย TurfNet RADIO

Anthony Pioppi chats with Dane Wilson, golf course superintendent at the Wakonda Club in Des Moines, IA, about the ongoing restoration of the 1922 Langford & Moreau design. Tyler Rae is the architect of the restoration.โดย TurfNet RADIO

In this month's Storytime, learn about the Christmas Miracle that led RW and familty to leave the nomadic military life and transition to the nomadic golf life. Also, we cover a few current news items in golf and maybe some non-golf stuff.โดย TurfNet RADIO

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank speaks with Dr. Sara Stricker, the Communications and Outreach Coordinator for the Guelph Turfgrass Institute in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Sara and Frank chat about the people that support the education and research at one of the historically significant turfgrass science programs in the world. Sara expound…

Bradley S. Klein talks with Nick Mazzella about consulting on golf course projects, including renovation projects as well as new construction jobs spurred by the resurgent golf economy. The discussion includes the increased need for a project manager as projects increase in complexity due to the many facets of each job.…

In this episode Franks speaks with Amy Fouty, CSFM with The Motz Group as a Natural Grass Field Consultant. She was formerly at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, but before that in the golf industry. Amy speaks with great candor and professionalism about her career path, working in very high profile situations, and dealing w…

Fred Taylor, CGCS, retired in early October, 2023, after a 43-year stint working exclusively at Mankato Golf Club in his hometown of Mankato, Minnesota. Fred followed in the "bootsteps" of Boots Fuller in 1992, becoming who would wind up as only the third superintendent at MGC in almost 100 years. Fred takes credit for all that goes wrong and give …

In this episode Vice President of Hanse Design Jim Wagner has a chat with Frank about the creative process in designing golf courses. Jim and Frank discuss how the renewed excitement for golf, climate change and a good owner are all impacting golf course architecture.โดย TurfNet RADIO

Sam Moynihan took over the reins at Detroit Golf Club this spring just 90 days prior to hosting the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Soon thereafter vandals painted two greens with Roundup as a "welcome" present. The challenge for Sam was on. A graduate of West Virginia Univiersity with a degree in agriculture, Sam kicked off his turf career with a stint a…

In this episode, RW hands out the coveted Rockbottum Major Award for the best TurfNet Forum Topic ever. Momma has a lively discussion with a government official who mistakenly believes Social Security is an "Entitlement" while helping him realize the folks north of Richmond need to improve their listening skills. Also, RW explains how to achieve po…

James Morgan was fresh out of Lake City Community College (now Florida Gateway College) and a summer/part-time stint at the Country Club of Orlando when he followed CCO superintendent Kasey Kauff to build Trinity Forest in Dallas. Morgan started as an assistant and was promoted to superintendent during his 5+ year stay at the Coore/Crenshaw layout.…

Rob Munro is finishing up his third season at Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, the #1 rated golf course in Canada. Rob landed there with a turf degree from Olds College in Alberta and Poa-and-bentgrass experience at Capilano Golf & Country Club on Vancouver Island, BC. This winter he will travel to New Zealand to satisfy …

Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D., talks with golf course architect Dan Hixson on his career in the Pacific Northwest. Hixson's career started as a golf pro, from competing on mini tours to attempting to qualify for the PGA Tour. With a nose for good golf course design, he studied golf course design and eventually shifted his career to that of a golf course …

Our latest All Star of Turf is Jason Haines, whom many in the industry will remember for his high profile social media presence (as @PenderSuper) that suddenly went dark several years ago. As the golf course superintendent at Pender Harbour Golf Club and later Sunshine Coast Golf Club in British Columbia, Jason developed (by necessity) a low-input,…

Lara Arias, golf course superintendent at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, speaks with Frank about her career and what led to her current position. She explains in one of the five languages she speaks how she grew as a professional both in the US and then returning to Europe. Lara has worked on crews at RTJ in VA, TPC Scottsdale, Congres…

Frank is joined by his old friend, mentor, colleague and gourmet eating buddy Professor Bruce Branham from the University of Illinois- Champaign-Urbana. Bruce is a chemist by his original academic training and has conducted, been involved, and reviewed many important studies focused on understanding Nitrogen and its use in turfgrass systems. Frank …

In this episode of Rockbottum Radio, a serious discussion breaks out amidst the usual goofiness, pointing out how golf is about to enter The Fourth Turning. The Rockbottum gang attempts to prepare for the onset of anti-logic perpetrated upon golf by the Rad-Greens and other irrational, oxygen-starved attention seekers. Join us for the brilliance of…

The founder of the First Green Program, Jeff Gullickson, CGCS, golf course superintendent at Kalispel Golf and Country Club (Spokane, WA) joins Frankly Speaking to discuss how a simple idea and a love of the game of golf led to the ground breaking program, now being practiced around the world! Jeff provides some excellent insight from the formation…

Dr. Brian Schwartz joins Frankly Speaking to discuss the challenges and opportunities of Bermudagrass and Zoysiagrass breeding at the Tifton, GA Experiment Station. Frank and Brian discuss the history of the station and the giants (Drs. Burton and Hanna) he has replaced. This is an excellent primer to understanding the modern Bermudagrasses and Zoy…

Josh Lewis joins this episode of Frankly Speaking to discuss his career and the challenges and opportunities he has had from his early days at Bandon Dunes to Chambers Bay and now in Project Management as a partner in Gradoville and Hertzing Management Group. Josh reflects on his journey to becoming a golf course superintendent and the many relatio…

Anthony Pioppi chats with Jeff Sexton, CGCS, about the recently opened 10-1/2 month campus-wide renovation of Evansville (IN) Country Club. ECC brought in Beau Welling Design for the architecture and Heritage Links as the construction contractor. Sexton said the membership at ECC was patient and understanding throughout the project, and is ecstatic…

Dr. Stan Kostka joins Frank on this episode of Frankly Speaking to explore the important and timely topic of water repellent soils, the use of surfactants and the potential role of surfactants on critical soil water and rooting relationships. Stan and Frank discuss different surfactant chemistries and their potential use to mitigate localized dry s…

A long-awaited conversation with Frank and his old friend and mentor Brad Klein. Brad and Frank talk about their relationship dating back to GolfWeek's Superintendent News, caddying for Bernhard Langer, translating complicated science to golfers and a variety of opinions on golf course architecture and what it has been like to speak truth to power.…

In this episode of Frankly Speaking, Frank chats with Josh Smith, the golf course superintendent of Orinda CC in Northern CA. As usual, Frank and Josh cover a lot of ground from his early days in golf course construction and having his paintings commissioned by the likes of Weiskopf and Doak, to his current role as GC Superintendent and the foundin…

In this episode, the Rockbottum CC gang gets tangled up in AI golf, but Momma figures out how to neutralize the situation.โดย TurfNet RADIO

Frank has a conversation with Tyler Bloom about the current and future labor issues facing the golf industry. Tyler outlines the value of investing in recruiting and retaining talent at every level of your organization. As usual Frank and Tyler cover a lot of ground in a short period of time, but still have time to talk about the impact of automati…

In this episode, Willy and the gang struggle to complete the radio show while running the golf course and finally just give up and go straight to Storytime for a tale about an Alphabetic Turf Consultationist . . . who hated Rockbottum CC.โดย TurfNet RADIO

Frank had a chance to catch up with an old friend and renowned turfgrass scientist Dr. Roch Gaussoin on the eve of his recent USGA Green Section Award. Roch and Frank catch up about his storied career that led to him receiving the USGA award. The conversation eventually leads to some fascinating information about organic matter testing and developm…

Frank reconnects with Paul MacCormack, The Mindful Superintendent, to reflect on 10 years of mindfulness practice and living life in a more intentional way. Frank and Paul discuss unlearning, and letting things go as means for offering yourself permission to be present and be human. This wonderful conversation ranges from vulnerability and failure,…

In this episode, Ludell is accused of embarrassing behavior at BIGGA, Boof tries to win a women's golf tournament and RW discusses modern tournament cup-changing methods. Presented by DryJectโดย TurfNet RADIO

In this episode of the TurfNet Renovation Report, host Anthony Pioppi chats with Matthew Staffieri of MAS Golf Construction (Hopkinton, MA) about building a successful golf course construction business from scratch. Staffieri graduated from UCONN with a degree in agronomy and then worked at The Country Club for the 1999 Ryder Cup, where he became i…

So who graduates from UMass in 1971 with a BS in Plant and Soil Science, takes an assistant job at a very private/secretive 500 acre facility on the NY/CT border, gets promoted to superintendent three months later, grows in a new back nine... and then stays for 51 years? We'll tell you who: Mike Maffei, CGCS, recently retired golf course superinten…

In this episode, Frank has an in-depth conversation with Dr. Adam Thoms at Iowa State University about his research on soil management for putting surfaces, use of waste products like amino acids, and other potential biostimulants effects on golf turfgrass performance. Expect some deep dives on how amino acids and glycerin from bio-diesel can impro…

Our latest All Star of Turf is Michael Morris, CGCS, 36-year Director of Buildings and Grounds at Crystal Downs Country Club in Frankfort, Michigan. A native of Frankfort, Mike is one of the few golf course property managers who has spent his entire career at one course, in his hometown. He is also a rarity in obtaining a BA and MS in English and f…