President's Update

Reflection, Downtime and Preparation

The age-old question that vexes turf managers…What do you do in the winter? Once you brush the look of incredulity from your face, how do you respond? Are you scrambling to wrap up every loose end from the previous season? Do you enjoy some well-deserved rest? Are you chomping at the bit for 2022? With any luck, we are a combination of all three scenarios, optimizing the mix of reflection, downtime, and preparation. Regardless of the season, your PTC is always working to provide the best for our members and the Turf Program we hold in high regard.

If we have gleaned anything from the past 24 months, it is that fluidity in our daily ideas and actions often produces the most valuable of products. Evidence of this phenomenon can easily be found in our industry as we do our best to steer the ship through so many variables that lay just out of our reach. This offseason is full of exciting events with roots in tradition but retooled for the times we live in. Looking back to fall, many of our PTC members and Industry Colleagues made the trip to University Park to enjoy a beautiful day at the Blue Course for the Thomas Watshcke Memorial Golf Outing. The following day, nearly 80 Turf and Ag students attended the Job Fair presented by the College of Agriculture and the William F. Randolph Turfgrass Fund. This ever-expanding event was held in the HUB Robeson Center and boasted robust student attendance while providing important resources like mock interviews and resume critique. The 29 employers in attendance had the opportunity to meet with these students, establishing key networks with the future of our industry. A panel discussion moderated by Tyler Bloom (Tyler Bloom Consulting) featured informative insights from industry luminaries Chris Brown (Teed & Brown), Dan Douglas (Reading Fightin’ Phils), and Doug Brooks (Castle Pine Golf Club). Mid Atlantic Field Representative Katrin Wolf was in attendance and got us up to speed on happenings with GCSAA.

Looking ahead, our exciting regional seminars will welcome our members this winter and spark new ideas for the 2022 season ahead. If you haven’t registered for these seminars, please head over to PaTurf.org for a full breakdown of meeting sites and agendas. Thank you for your continued support of the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council!

Tom Fisher

PTC President