Retired Golf Course Superintendent Joins Penn State’s Turf Team

By Michael Fidanza, Ph.D., Professor of Plant and Soil Science, Berks Campus, Pennsylvania State University, Reading, PA

M. John Nairn is the newest member of Penn State’s “turf team.” Although a retired golf course superintendent, he comes out of retirement for two days a week to help “Dr. Mike” at the 30-acre Valentine East facility at the Berks Campus. His duties include mowing the fairway height creeping bentgrass, mowing other turf areas, fixing equipment that always seems to break-down after students use it, and repairing irrigation. He also maintains the tees, fairway, rough, and green of the 440- yard, par 4 hole. Designed by golf course architect Jim Nagle of Forse Design, and shaped by Greg Nolan and Gary Nolan, again John also pitched it to help build the golf hole, known as “Lion’s Paw.”

John Nairn on a mower.

John’s grandfather was from Scotland, settled in Berks County, and introduced the famous Aryshire cow to America. Although John’s background was in dairy production, with his Scottish heritage, he found his way to golf and graduated from Penn State’s turf certificate program in 1976. He fondly remembers Dr. Duich would smoke a cigarette in class, inhale for what seemed like five minutes, then calmly share turf wisdom as he exhaled. As the superintendent at Willow Hollow GC, John was instrumental in many of the early grey leaf spot fungicide trials conducted there. John, welcome back to Penn State!