THE ROB REPORT
A Green Start GROWING UP, I HAD a skewed sense of what a golf course superintendent did and who they were. I played a couple of family-owned courses, mostly, and saw the owner or their kids mowing the fairways and greens. Maybe I assumed that’s the way it was at all courses? Not sure, as my world was very small back then and didn’t really evolve or expand until I joined the golf industry as a member of the media. My first job out of the newspaper world (I was a sports editor for quite a few years out of college) saw me covering the agronomic side of the golf industry with a business-to-business publication. It was then that I realized superintendents could be just as home in a lab as they are in nature. They have more in common with a scientist than my local landscaper, and would likely be as comfortable looking through a microscope as they are at a plot of grass. In short, golf course superintendents are the maestros of the maintenance side of our industry. With this in mind, I was thrilled to accept an invitation to cover the Green Start Academy (GSA) that was held in November at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort. While this was my first GSA, it’s far from the inaugural event. In fact, 2021 marked the 16th educational extravaganza, for which John Deere and Bayer have been longtime sponsors (and joined this year by Rain Bird). The goal of this program has been to help Assistant Superintendents build a strong foundation for their careers, as well as to support the future of golf courses and the entire golf industry by offering growth through networking, professional development courses and interactive peer groups. There were 115 applicants this year— the most to date—representing 32 states www.clubandresortbusiness.com
The Green Start Academy has become an integral part of training the best and the brightest on how to approach everything that goes into success as they enter the next phase of their careers.
and Canada. Because of the pandemic, Canadian applicants were unable to attend and were urged to apply again in 2022. The 49 who were selected to attend (one had to drop out at the last minute) represented 23 states. Nine mentors participated in this year’s event and three of them—with a combined 80-plus years of industry experience—kicked off the educational sessions. Bob Farren (Pinehurst Resort), Robert Hertzing (Lakeside Golf Club in Burbank, Calif.) and John Cunningham (Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville, N.C.) discussed topics ranging from “What I wish I knew when I was an Assistant Superintendent” to “Managing up, and how to do it.” Stephen Tucker, Director of Golf Course and Landscape Operations at the
Four Seasons in Orlando, Fla., explored the complexities of budgeting. He was followed by Lukus Harvey, Director of Golf Course and Landscape Operations at The Ritz-Carlton Club West Palm Beach (Fla.), and Seth Miller, Golf Course Superintendent at Troon Country Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., who led a conversation about diversity, staying motivated and handling stress. Other topics included hiring, communications, the industry’s outlook, digital transformation and maximizing the value of membership in the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and other industry groups. Carol Rau, PHR, a career expert and speaker, concluded the program by discussing the process of not only getting an interview for your dream job, but nailing the landing to secure that job. In all, it was so much more than “how to maintain turf.” Years of higher education and on-course experience have taught these Assistant Superintendents how to do that. The Green Start Academy has become an integral part of training the best and the brightest on how to approach everything else that goes into success as they enter the next phase of their careers.
Rob Thomas • Senior Editor
rthomas@wtwhmedia.com
December 2021 l Club + Resort Business l 5
