Published by TurfNet RADIO
TurfNet personalities Frank Rossi, Randy Wilson, John Reitman, Tony Pioppi, Brad Klein, Dave Wilber and Peter McCormick interview a variety of turfies on a multitude of subjects... or just pontificate upon occasion.
Listen on Apple Podcasts54 min
Frank caught up with Ross Niewola, consulting agronomist based in Washington serving the Pacific Northwest for the United States Golf Association. Frank and Ross discuss his career aspiration of being an agronomist after working all across the continental United States. Lots of good chatter about communication with golfers and staff, having course care happen in cooperation with golfers not just what happens to them, and preparing and working on championships. Ross brings a wealth of experience in discussions about water and using data. The PNW is in good hands.
44 min
31 min
49 min
Frank had a chance to catch up with his former graduate student Dr. Carson Nesbella, whose path has taken him from golf course crews and high school ag classrooms to Penn State, the USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program, and now Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. They talk about Carson’s roots in turfgrass and agricultural education, his Cornell work using environmentally responsible golf courses as living classrooms, the growth of ag education and FFA, the National Turfgrass Science Invitational, First Tee, workforce development, adult learning, and why the future of golf course labor may depend as much on teaching and mentorship as agronomy.
30 min
This episode of TurfNet Renovation Report features an in-depth conversation with Ken Mangum, former director of golf courses at Atlanta Athletic Club and current vice president of strategic growth for Bladerunner Farms. The discussion covers major trends in golf course renovations driven by increased golf ball distance, forcing courses to relocate bunkers. Mangum shares his experience managing major championships and dealing with a catastrophic fungicide contamination that killed greens at multiple courses. The conversation explores innovative approaches like single-height-of-cut courses using zoysia grass, which reduces water usage and maintenance costs. Mangum discusses advanced grass breeding developments including new bentgrasses, ultradwarf Bermudas, and zoysia varieties for greens, emphasizing the importance of selecting grasses that provide year-round playability while reducing inputs. He also touches on his transition from superintendent to consultant and the evolution of golf course technology from early irrigation computers with floppy disks to modern smartphone-controlled systems.
47 min
47 min
46 min
Frank catches up with the fellow Cornellian Tom Doak, golf course architect, author, critic, etc. to explore and reflect upon a life and career in golf. Early motivations and interests combined with exposure to golf, inspired Tom to get his first byline in Golf Digest at 18 and eventually his seminal work “The Anatomy of a Golf Course”, selling better than ever as you will learn and strongly influencing golf course design and maintenance around the world, such as “wider” courses, more land, ergo, Tom laughingly says "Ok, “It’s my fault”. If you are a golf architecture enthusiast, this ones for you.
29 min
This episode of Beyond the Green features Mitch Rupert, communications manager for Bloom Golf Partners, discussing his career transition from sports journalism to the golf industry recruitment business. Rupert explains how his interviewing and people skills from journalism translated well to recruiting for golf course positions, particularly at the superintendent and management levels. He shares insights about the hiring process, common interview mistakes candidates make, and offers advice for job seekers in the turf industry. The conversation covers Bloom Golf Partners' growth from placing entry-level positions to focusing on executive searches, the challenges facing the golf industry including course closures and talent pipeline issues, and the emergence of non-traditional candidates entering the field. Rupert emphasizes the importance of preparation, mentorship and finding candidates with the right attitude and eagerness to learn, even if they lack traditional turf management backgrounds.
47 min
Frank has a wide-ranging conversation with Alan Fitzgerald, CGCS, MG, superintendent at Rehoboth Beach Country Club along the coast of Delaware. They cover his origin story and like Richard Hayden got his start with Aiden O'Hara at Mt Juliet. Working at Pine Valley, Building LedgeRock Country Club in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, and now stewarding a 100-year-old golf course impacted by saltwater. They wrap up discussing building a team that delivers the high-quality conditions through mentoring the next generation of turf professionals.
45 min
Frank catches up with the Eric Aston, vice president of technology at Firefly Automatix based in Salt Lake City. Frank explores Eric's long interest in automation since his days at University of Utah Engineering. Development of the automated sod harvester and the early concepts and thinking behind the AMP 100” automated fairway mower. Eric and Frank cover a lot of ground concerning sensing, productivity, and adoption of this transformative technology. How the mower was initially thought to be a better fit for sports fields and sod farms, until golf got their hands on it. Now it's all golf all the time, just keeping up with demand. This is a great success story of a company driven by innovation.
30 min
John Sorochan, Ph.D., distinguished professor of plant sciences at the University of Tennessee, discusses his eight-year collaboration with FIFA to prepare playing surfaces for the 2026 World Cup across North America. The conversation covers how Sorochan established his relationship with FIFA through Alan Ferguson, the challenges of managing 16 different stadiums across varied climates from Mexico City to Seattle to New York and Boston, and the innovative research being conducted. Key topics include converting synthetic turf stadiums to natural grass using hybrid reinforcement technology, growing sod on plastic for better transplant success, and ensuring uniform playing conditions across venues using different grass types - Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass for cooler climates, and hybrid Bermudagrass for warmer regions. Sorochan also describes the FIFA-funded research facility at the University of Tennessee that simulates dome stadium conditions and the development of the flex testing device to measure field uniformity. The interview highlights the scientific approach FIFA is taking to field management and the growth of the turfgrass research program at the University of Tennessee from humble beginnings to a world-class operation.
9 min
As we continue to de-evolve into a race of computer-assisted meat bags, cheating our minds by not reading and writing, a new force much worse than AGI looms over the glitchy horizon: The Quantum computer chip. Cheating, the result of a lazy mind, is rampant, and it has been going on for decades. What's different now is the ease of which we can deny the cheating, even when it is so blatant that it requires face-to-lens lying on a massive scale. But, it's not too late to turn this around. We can take a hard look at the cheating, especially in our everyday activities, sports and work and entertainment. All we have to do is reboot our brains by reading a a few books. I've even included a suggestion.
51 min
Frank chats with Adam Moeller, President of Moeller Consulting and Director of North America Turfgrass. Adam traces a practical path through golf course management, starting with his Wisconsin roots—where short seasons and demanding conditions shape a no-nonsense, performance-driven mindset. That foundation carries into his time with the USGA, where exposure to broader datasets and standardized evaluation methods sharpened his ability to connect research with real-world decision-making and ask better, more relevant questions. Now working in agronomic consulting, product testing, safety, and new construction specifications, Adam operates at the intersection of science and application. A central theme is the value of independent, evidence-based evaluation in an industry often influenced by marketing claims. The conversation highlights how aligning products and practices with site-specific conditions—not trends—drives better outcomes, as expectations around playability, sustainability, and operational efficiency continue to converge.
24 min
This TurfNet Renovation Report episode features host Anthony Pioppi interviewing Dennis Hurley about his career and the evolution of golf course drainage. Hurley recounts his journey from a Kentucky upbringing and golf scholarship at Louisiana State University into insurance, chemical distribution, and ultimately founding his drainage company in 1985. A key turning point was his adaptation of a construction material into what became the “waffle drain” (marketed as Turf Drain), which he helped popularize nationwide despite early business setbacks and industry skepticism. Hurley also discusses broader trends shaping modern golf course management. There is increasing pressure from owners, players and revenue demands to keep courses open and playable even after heavy rain, unlike in past decades when closures were more accepted. This has driven demand for more advanced and intensive drainage systems, though tensions sometimes arise with architects who prioritize aesthetics over functionality. Hurley concludes that while perfect drainage is impossible, the goal today is to minimize downtime and maintain consistent playing conditions in an industry with far less tolerance for weather-related interruptions.
48 min
48 min
Frank catches up with Richard Hayden to discuss all things designing, constructing, establishing and managing sports turf around the world. Highlighted recently by his work with the Wrexham AFC and Ryan Reynolds. Beyond that we cover his time at STRI, hybrid grass construction, sports turf in Ukraine, Horse Track Fraise Mowing, FIFA guidelines, etc. Richard is one of the most recognized sports pitch consultants in the world. In 2024, Richard completed his 700th sports infrastructure project across 58 countries, with experience spanning FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO stadium pitches. Uniquely qualified in both agronomy and civil engineering, he combines over two decades of practical operations management with global design and consultancy expertise. He also authored the natural turf section of the FIFA Stadium Handbook and is known for innovations such as the soil-based gravel raft natural grass showjumping surface, while remaining equally engaged with community and soil-based pitch projects.
48 min
Paul Carter, CGCS has been a very busy man. He is superintendent at the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Director of Agronomy for the nine-course Tennessee Golf Trail, and recently began his one-year term as president of the GCSAA in its centennial year. In this inaugural episode of Beyond the Green, sponsored by Molasses Kings, Carter talks about his role and responsibilities as president of the association, how — and why — he became involved in representing his colleagues in Tennessee and nationwide, and who is to "blame" for that decision. Finally, Carter talks about the challenges of managing agronomics for nine courses throughout Tennessee, and how unseasonably cold and icy conditions during winter might affect green up of Bermudagrass stands throughout the trail.
45 min
40 min
This interview features twin brothers John and Jim Colo, both golf course superintendents in Florida, discussing their parallel careers in turf management. John works at Frenchman's Reserve in Palm Beach Gardens while Jim is at Naples National Golf Club. Both started their careers in their native Ohio before attending Rutgers for turf education and completing internships at Castle Pines. They share insights about their mentors Steve Ehrbar and Jim Loke, and discuss the challenges of managing golf courses in South Florida's climate. The conversation covers labor recruitment and retention strategies, with both emphasizing the importance of treating crew members well through competitive wages, benefits, and hands-on leadership. They maintain daily communication about work challenges and solutions, supporting each other's professional growth. The interview also touches on how the golf industry has evolved over their 30-plus year careers, from early financial struggles to current leadership roles managing multi-million dollar operations.