4 minute read
Sunniland Super Spotlight Don Johnson
SunnilandSUPERSpotlight:
Don H. Johnson, CGCS – Golf Course Superintendent, Wekiva Golf Club
Where were you born? In Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, my parents moved to Longwood, Fl when I was 6 years old. After 27 years of working internationally, (Dubai, Costa Rica, Canouan, Anguilla, Mexico, Egypt, Anguilla again) I finally moved back last year to Longwood. It is great to be home with family and friends.
What was your major in school? Associate of Science in Golf Course Operations, Lake City Community College
Did you play any sports? I did a lot of motocross riding, water skiing and jet skiing. I even competed professional in jet skiing racing while working in Dubai.
What got you interested in turf grass? I knew in High School
that I didn’t want to wear a suit and tie to work every day, and that I did want to work outside. My dad who worked at our local community college found the golf course program at Lake City and I applied immediately.
How did golf come into play? Working on a golf course for one full year was the requirement to enroll at Lake City.
How did you get your first job on the golf course? At 18 years
old after finding out about Lake City I went to a local golf course, Casselberry Golf Club, talked to the superintendent Bill Watson who agreed to give me a job so that I could start my one year of golf course experience.
What makes the course of Wekiva Golf Club outstanding? My
team is an amazing group of men who truly care for and love this golf course. They go out of their way to make the golf course the best it can each day.
What do you enjoy most about your job here? The challenge to
bring Wekiva Golf Club back to its original glory.
When did you start working here? January 2022 How has the experience here helped to develop your career?
Every course I have worked on brings on new challenges. I truly enjoy learning new methods and managing new growing conditions. This course just changed ownership and with an influx of new funding we are starting a journey for a well needed upgrade.
Who are your mentors and how do you consider them to be
your mentors? The first golf course superintendent I worked for Bill Watson, he taught me by example that hard work pays off and entrusted this 18-year-old with a lot of responsibility. My first assistant job was with Jeff Brewster, CGCS he challenged me mentally and made me use my education in figuring out the why’s and how’s a golf course is maintained.
If you were to give advice to someone starting in the field
what would that advice be? Some type of education is needed to propel upwards at a quicker pace in this field. You need to understand the basics of agronomy to understand what you are seeing happening to the turfgrass. Hard work is essential, but loyalty and dependability will be much more cherished by your employer.
How did you plan to pay it forward with others that work
in golf course maintenance? I feel that I have left my mark around the world, teaching others all that I can about golf course maintenance, who many had never even seen a golf course. Many of my assistants have gone on to become superintendents, crew members moving up to assistants, and I hope that I played a small part of their success.
Sunn 28-0-0
N-SURE ITEM #160031 GUARANTEED ANALYSIS
Sunn KTS
Soluble Potash (K2O) ..............25% Total Sulfur (S) .........................17% 17% combined sulfur 0% free sulfur
Derived from: potassium thiosulfate
Minors Blend
Total Magnesium (Mg) ..........0.50% Soluble Magnesium (Mg)....0.050% Soluble Iron (Fe) ...................3.40% Chelated Iron (Fe) .................1.60% Total Manganese (Mn) ..........0.25% Soluble Manganese (Mn)......0.25% Soluble Zinc (Zn) ..................0.10% Sulfur (S) combined..............3.50%
Derived from: Manganese Sulphate, Zinc Sulphate, Iron Glucoheptonate, Iron Sulphate, Magnesium Sulphate.
Sunn 6-0-0 Blend
Total Magnesium (Mg) ..........0.50% Soluble Magnesium (Mg)......0.50% Soluble Iron (Fe) ...................3.40% Chelated Iron (Fe) .................1.60% Total Manganese (Mn) ..........0.25% Soluble Manganese (Mn)......0.25% Soluble Zinc (Zn) ..................0.10% Sulfur (S) combined..............3.50%
Derived from: Manganese Sulphate, Zinc Sulphate, Iron Glucoheptonate, Iron Sulphate, Magnesium Sulphate.
Sunn 12-0-0 Blend
Total Nitrogen ..........................12% 12% Urea Nitrogen Chlorine not more than..............2% SECONDARY PLANT FOODS
Iron as Fe...................................6% Manganese as Mn.....................2%
Derived from: Urea, Iron Glucoheptonate, Manganese Glucoheptonate
Manufactured by SUNNILAND
CORPORATION
PO Box 8001 Sanford, Florida 32773-8001
www.sunnilandcorp.com
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