Fine Dining

During the second term at Penn State, students are expected to participate in an etiquette course. This course, instructed by Rick Capozzi, is intended to educate students on the proper way to present themselves when entering a professional environment. As part of the requirements of the class we were required to attend a luncheon to execute what we had learned in the previous six weeks.

Prior to the event, Mr. Capozzi let it be known that in business situations first impressions and appearance can say a lot about your character. This was enforced by both Mr. Capozzi and Dr. Kaminski. With check list in hand, the two of them analyzed each student head to toe, from self grooming all the way to polished shoes and everything in between. Everyone in attendance seemed to have done a fine job adhereing to the expectations of the proper dress etiquette. Networking and mingling has been an emphasis in the course as it is a valuable tool in the golf industry. There were guests in attendance not enrolled in the two year certificate program that we were expected to introduce ourselves and carry a conversation. Part of our grade was to mingle with at least three of these guests and have them sign a card. Those of us coming through the check point last left little time to accomplish this, but I think all were successful.

Now came the part everyone was looking forward to, enjoying a meal outside of the campus dining halls. During the meal Mr. Capozzi reviewed topics covered throughout the semester while Dr. Kaminski roamed the dining room critiquing student etiquette. Everything was covered from dining etiquette and manners to appropriate conversation and body language. As the host, Mr. Capozzi involved the student diners with questions and included some small role playing within each table as well. Sitting at a table of fellow students, it was sometimes easy to forget the expectations of our manners and behavior. Subtle reminders would be passed around the table to remind whom ever was straying away from the appropriate etiquette for the situation.

The overall attitude of the luncheon was positive as students exited the dining room. It is one thing to sit in a classroom discussing etiquette and another to actually act out on what we had learned in the classroom. This was a lesson that will provide us with valuable tools to maintain our professional image as well as improving our general appearance in life. Mr. Capozzi's interest and passion in educating students on the subject of etiquette made the luncheon both educational and enjoyable.

Fine Fescues Place In Golf

Fine fescues have many desirable characteristics, most importantly their tolerance to shade and drought conditions. Being drought tolerant it is assumed that a fescue fairway could be drier, thus creating a playing surface that is more firm than a bentgrass fairway. It seems fescues would benefit both the superintendent with cutting down irrigation and the golfer with some added distance.

From a management perspective fine fescues need a well drained soil.
With the compaction from everyday play and cart traffic this can be difficult. This wet soil will create an environment for annual bluegrass or even creeping bentgrass to infiltrate and ward off the fescues. With the proper cultivation practices the compaction can be prevented. Restricting cart traffic to cart paths only is another option that would reduce compaction greatly.

Across the Atlantic in Great Britain fine fescues are common on fairways as well as greens. There are fescues that can be cut to recommended low of 1 inch in height. This may be a little high for the preferred fairway height but is playable none the less. The influence of greens committees and golfers may be too strong in the United States where lush green conditions are expected. Sustaining a fescue fairway with dry conditions may not be the aesthetic look that American golfers are looking for. With people becoming more environmentally conscious, the future is leading to more strict regulations on chemical applications for golf courses. Golfers are one day going to realize that sacrificing the look of the lush green turf does not mean sacrificing the quality of play.

Social Networking, Not Just a Fad

Being new to the social networking scene, I spent some time exploring other blogs of turf professionals. One that happened to catch my attention is titled, "The Ridge at Castle Pines North - Agronomy," written by David J. Soltvedt, CGCS. Much like myself, it seems Mr. Soltvedt has recently discovered that social media isn't a fad but has evolved into an everyday means of communication.


His blog aims to include everyone from the occasional golfer to other golf course superintendents. This includes tips for golfers on fixing ball marks and replacing divots just to remind golfers of the etiquette that is required when playing the game. Mr. Soltvedt also posts blogs going out to neighboring residents of the course to keep their eyes peeled for people out disturbing the course.


Mr. Solvedt posts some of his cultural practices and lays it down for not only the turf professional to understand but the curious golfer as well. I found it especially interesting to read how he and his staff gear up for the Colorado winters. His blogs are informative yet short, keeping the readers attention using photos to give a visual of what exactly his message is.


Mr. Solvedt's blog is geared to educate golfers and professionals in the importance of agronomy on the golf course. He offers up his personal
e- mail to those with questions about golf course maintenance practices. I will go back to check on his posts frequently as Mr. Solvedt seems very passionate and sincere about his place in the industry.

Get To Know Your Local Turf Orginizations

In 1982 the Wisconsin Sod Farmers Association led a group into the development of an organization that could serve turf related professionals with insight and education into the turf industry. This organization would go on to be known as the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association (WTA).

The WTA is a non profit organization that provides industry professionals with information and knowledge from UW-Madison College of Agricultural Life Sciences. The research conducted takes place at the OJ Noer Turfgrass Research and Education facility which was built in 1992. The funds for the construction of the facility were raised by the WTA and UW Foundation. It is here that researchers explore everything from mowing practices to pest control and even take calls from homeowners looking for the answers to turf related questions.

The mission of the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association is to support turfgrass research and education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This includes funding of programs in turfgrass management and allied disciplines that enhance the understanding and general knowledge of the art and science of maintaining turfgrass. That is the mission as stated by the organization itself.

With an estimated 300,000 acres in Wisconsin, turfgrass has become the fifth largest crop in the state. WTA has done an excellent job at promoting the green industry by funding functions such as the Educational Programs Turfgrass Field Day and WI Turfgrass and Greenscape Expo. These events provide turfgrass professionals the opportunity to become students again and learn the most recent research and latest breakthroughs in the industry.

Whether your in the turf industry or just have self pride in maintaining your homelawn, I recommend familiarizing yourself with the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association.

Communication is a Skill

Both on and off the course, communication skills are a crucial assest of a superintendent. One needs to conduct themselves in a manner which well represents not only themself but the course as well. Whether it's mingling with colleagues at a conference or delegating job duties in the morning meeting, it's important to make it clear what point you're trying to get across.

On the course, it is the job of the superintendent to communicate what is expected to be done. It is lack of communication that can lead staff down a road of dissatification. Unhappy employees tend to equal low productivity which in turn needs to be explained at the next budget meeting as to why the labor cost isn't equaling the amount of work being done. Confronting the low productive employees usually results in a response of, "I wasn't sure what you exactly wanted done." A lack of understanding and lack of direction is often the cause of low moral and loss of productivity. When delegating job assingments, make sure everyone is on the same page by leading employees in the right direction with the understanding of the task at hand.

At some point a superintendent is going to be in front of a greens commitee trying to convince them that money is needed to be spent. Perhaps it is for a new piece of equipment or maybe for a project that may not seem nescessary to someone not involved in the turf industry. It is now time to communicate the long term savings in spending money now. A superintendent must be able to communicate in a business language to people whom most likely speak business for a living.

It is important for a turfgrass manager to set forth a clear path of direction and intentions of what is expected to be accomplished. Communication is a skill and can be learned and improved upon.

Getting to Know a Penn Stater

A second year student at The Pennsylvania State University, Adrien Van Dyk is studying in the two year turf program. He got his start at the early age of 13 working on a nine hole golf course near his home in West Calendonia, NS, Canada. He has been at it ever since.

His love for the turf industry brought him to Penn State to study in arguably the top program in the country. It is at Penn State that he was prepared on the importance of networking and professionalism. Being a two year program, Adrien emphasizes the importance to make the most out of the short time spent at Penn State because it will be over before you know it. Out of all his experiences one of his most memorable was a trip to Orlando, Fl. Adrien and a team of Penn State turf students went there to compete in the Sports Turf Managers Association conference and went on to win the competition. The victory would not have been possible if Penn State had not prepared him with the knowledge needed to be successful in the turfgrass industry. Adrien contributes a large part of this to a turfgrass soils class taught by Dr. McNitt. This was his favorite class of many taken at Penn State. He states that he learned a tremendous amount of information that is applicable to the industry and this proved true in Orlando.

On his internship at Greywolf Golf Course in Panorama Mountain Villiage, BC, Canada, Adrien learned the importance of setting goals and communicating those goals to his superintendent, Darren Reddekopp to make sure they were able to be carried out. Adrien held the position of second assistant and faced many challenges throughout the season. With frost as deep as 4 plus feet in the ground there were as many as 80 irrigation breaks due to frost heaving. With 25 new employees with no course experience it was added challenge due to the direct supervision that these new employees needed.

With this knowledge and experience, Adrien plans to return home to Canada and apply his Penn State education to have a successful career in the golf course management industry.

2010 Summer Internship

Shortly after the completion of my second term of schooling at Penn State, I will be heading back to Wisconsin to start an internship at Whistling Straits. Although highly respected in the golf world, Whistling Straits is quite new in terms of the golf industry. From 1949 until 1959 this 2 mile stretch along the shoreline of Lake Michigan was known as Camp Haven. Occupied by the US Army during this time it was used as an anti- aircraft training camp for US troops. Wisconsin Power and Light had purchased the land in hopes of constructing a nuclear power plant on the property. Thankfully those plans never got off the ground and in 1995 the Kohler Co. bought the 560 acres of lake front property with the vision of building a links style golf course there. Kohler Co. CEO, Herbert Kohler hired famed architect Pete Dye and together along with an estimated 170,000 truck loads of sand Whistling Straits was a reality. In its short existence, since 1998, Whistling Straits has hosted the 2004 PGA Championship, 2007 US Senior Open and will be hosting the upcoming 2010 PGA Championship in August.
With this internship I hope to soak in a ton of knowledge just from all the inter workings of tournament preparation. Not to mention the countless number of networking opportunities with others in the industry whom will all be there volunteering to make this tournament a success. Outside of the tournament aspect, I've set forth with some areas to gain experience in. I would like to get some hands on experience in the mechanic shop, reel grinding, back lapping and height adjustment to name a few. Chemical applications is crucial to master so I plan to jump on a sprayer as much as possible. I want to get involved with everything from the what and why chemicals are selected to rate calculations. I think one of the most overlooked goals is building communication skills. Learning to communicate with a magnitude of different positions and personalities is not easily learned.
I'm looking to getting out and getting my hands dirty again and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Wanamaker Trophy.

Who Am I?

My name is Ryan Brooks and I am a student at Penn State University studying golf course turfgrass management. I am originally from the Green Bay area of Wisconsin and about four years ago decided to move about an hour south to a quaint community called Kohler. In need of a job, I decided to give the golf industry a shot and applied for a golf maintenance position at Whistling Straits. A totally different world from the windowless kitchens that I was used to, I quickly adapted to the fresh air and sunrises over Lake Michigan every morning. After spending three working seasons at Whistling Straits I decided to persue my education at Penn State and thought I deserved a bit of a break from the balmy Wisconsin Winters anyways. So with a brief intro of who I am and where I call home, I hope you can bare with me as I stumble my way through this new world to me of social media.