TurfNet Podcasts

“OK, it’s my fault” | Frankly Speaking with Tom Doak

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.

Beyond the Green | Mitch Rupert, Bloom Golf Partners

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.

According to Alan . . . | Frankly Speaking with Alan Fitzgerald, CGCS, MG

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.

Transforming Golf Gourse Mowing | Frankly Speaking with Eric Aston

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.

Beyond the Green | John Sorochan, Ph.D.

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.