Bring in the Shredder

       Do you have an end of year process? I have traditionally gone through my notes for the year to make sure all the loose ends are tied up and then the fun part.....cleaning out my office! Not the Ford F-150 I spend most of my time in but I have a small office I built in our basement. Really two walls were thrown up in the corner of the room and I put in a carpet. Which lasted all of about 6 months after two basement water events!
       Now to be completely honest there is a small chance the producers of the show "Hoarders" might stop by but I think I am not there yet. I have heard over and over about we are heading toward and paperless society, well I am not even close... I think one of my biggest struggles is a few times in my life I have needed to find some document and been lucky enough to still have it. My favorite was my last year of college at registration where I was told I had all my PE credits and did not need to take anything else to graduate on time. Well with 2 months to go to graduation, about 50 of us were called into a room to be told we could not graduate and would need to take a PE course this summer. WHAT? As luck would have it, I had saved a note from the Registrars Office questioning why had signed up for a PE class at the start of my senior year and that I did not need it. Whew!
OK, maybe the old Golf Course Industry Magazines and all the other stuff that needs to make it to the recycling station this weekend will not save my bacon but with a few bags of trash and a little organization, I will be good to go for 2013!

Hope you and your family have a great Holiday Season!



WJC

Set Yourself Apart

       On Thursday, our company hosted The Future Superintendents Academy at The Ace Club. I would have to say with the feedback we received after the event from some of the attendees, it sounds like it was a success. To quote one Superintendent " I talked with my Assistants and they agreed that it was probably one of the best seminars that they have attended in terms of forwarding their careers." That is pretty cool! The program ran close to schedule with some presenters having to sprint through some things that deserve more time but that is normal.
       Some of the highlights were Darin Bevard of the USGA giving some advice on communication with your members. This was followed by an all-star panel discussion. On the panel was Dr. Mike Fidanza of PSU, Jimmy Jones of Distinct Golf/Fairview GC,Jared Viarengo from Applebrook GC, Jim Roney of Saucon Valley CC and our host John Canavan of The Ace Club. Each had great insight for our attendees. I still have to smirk because of Jimmy & John's long tenure at each of their clubs, I had to make a comment about their start in the business vs the birth dates of the attendees. At the end of the panel discussion Bill Hughes, who is one of the owners, presented Dr. Mike Fidanza with a check for $25,000 for a scholarship fund for PSU Berks Turf Grass. It was a nice surprise for one of the really good guys in the industry!
       We then had a brief basics of financing from Paul Danielson, who is the Marketing Manager for Financing for Toro. We then had the straight talk express with Tim Moraghan, Principle of Aspire Golf Consulting. Tim tells it like it is. His advice on what you need to do to advance your career was invaluable. After lunch was Kevin Doyle, Northeast Region Rep for the GCSAA. Kevin gave a quick update of what the GCSAA has available to help. Next up was  Dann Harris. Dann is a consultant who does an eye opening program on being the interviewer & interviewee. I can guarantee no one got sleepy after lunch....High energy!I owe Matt Rogers from Aronimink GC for being our interviewee. It was a tough spot. To finish up the program Chris Harriman, Superintendent at Cattail Creek CC gave his real life experience in finding his job. Chris worked with our company back in 2010 to create the first FSA. Chris hit it out of the park. I know there are a few attendees building their personal website and working on their portfolio this weekend!
       Themes that kept coming up over and over Passion/Communication/Differentiate yourself. I cannot thank our presenters enough. All were open and more than honest about what they experienced and what it takes to be successful. And thank you to all the Future Superintendents who felt we provided enough of a valuable program to take a day away from work to attend. A special thanks goes out to Nick Lubold, who is the Assistant at Overbook GC. Nick was a key contributor to putting together the program!

What a great day!

WJC

Make Your Future Danny

       This week we will be hosting the Future Superintendent Academy at The Ace Club. We has put together an All-Star cast of speakers and will have about 50 local Assistant Superintendents. One of the things that I think is the strength of our company is the belief in continually hosting events to help our customers be successful. Our ownership is always looking for the next thing we can do.
       One of the biggest mistakes I think we all make is using the excuse "I'm too busy". I know I do it. I have tried more and more to attend educational events to learn more about how to be better at my job. All those winter projects will be there tomorrow. Even if you have to take a vacation day to improve, it is worth it. You can never go wrong when you make an investment in yourself and your future!

Excellent advice from Ty Webb....
Danny, see your future, be your future. May, make, make it, make it. Make your future Danny. I'm, I'm a veg', Danny.

WJC

'Tis The Season

       As we start the month of December it is time to get the calendar out and look at some upcoming trade shows. Next week is the Atlantic City Show. Which has had a strong rebound in the past few years. Then after the holidays we have the Eastern PA Turf Grass show in Valley Forge. This show will have a new look this year. With a big opening speaker, Philadelphia Flyers Legend Bernie Parent! There was a big effort by the board to try and get the attendance back up. They asked for input from long time vendors to see what they could improve and made some big changes.
       Then the trip out west to the GIS in Sand Diego follows in February. Will be interesting to see the attendance by the East Coast contingent. Last time in Las Vegas, I was really amazed by the international flavor of the show.  And a trip to warm weather and San Diego is always a good thing!
       Then the New England Show to follow. Sounds like there will be good group of train riders from the Philly area on the way up to Providence in 2013....
       With lots of positive news of rounds up in the Mid Atlantic USA and the golf backslide looking like it has stopped, it will be interesting to see the overall vibe of the industry.


WJC

Rather Safe Than Sorry

       How much training do you do with your staff? I have been aware of more incidents than ever recently and with today's litigious society, if I could give you some advice it would be to make sure you are doing everything you can and more! Insurance Agents and Lawyers will be looking into your training and you better have an answer. Are you keeping records? Do you have a video library that all new employees need to watch? Do you spend time on rainy days after the shop is clean to focus on training? Are you going to local distributors & Turf Grass Association training events? If the answer is no, I would ask you to take a look at your program. The safety of the people who work hard for you is the number one concern but the sad reality is that you also have to protect yourself & your employer.....



WJC

Giving Thanks

       Thanksgiving has a special meaning to me this year. Lately it seems there has been a rash of hard times and tragedies with people in the Philly area Turf industry. Sadly last week, Glen Thomas who was the long time Superintendent at Edgmont CC passed away. He was found by the shop and sounds like it was a heart attack. Glen was one of the the true good guys. He was someone who got IT. I always enjoyed talking with him and miss visiting with him.
       The other tough one is Tom Gosselin of Overbrook GC has been diagnosed with Leukemia. Tom is not someone I consider a customer, he is a good friend. He and I have been golf partners and have had a lot of laughs together over the years. We have known each other since high school. The good news is Tom is way too competitive a person to let something like this beat him!
       So this Thanksgiving I am truly thankful for Family & Friends more than ever and really believe it is not worth sweating the little things.
Thank you for taking the time to read my Blog this past year!

And to quote Ferris Bueller " Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."



Happy Thanksgiving!

WJC

You Say Potato....

       We hosted the Reel Technology Seminar at White Manor CC yesterday. It went off very well with over 20 Superintendents/Assistants &Technicians, we had a great turnout. It was one of those events where if you had anymore people it would have been too many.
       First thing was the facility worked out perfect! They have an excellent size break room.
Don Brown and his staff could not have been more helpful. They were awesome!
The shop area was set up just right where we could split the group in two and have the class size manageable.
       The fun part for me was hearing to views that were slightly different from two of the top reel guys I have ever met. Jim Nedin is a light contact guy who believes in lapping. While Tom Hurst is a no contact believer and does not feel the need to lap because he thinks the speed of the Bernhard Grinder makes lapping unnecessary. So now you have two experts who have worked more tournaments than probably about anybody around and they see things from a different view. But this is the part that I love about this business....BOTH WAYS WORK! In all my years of visiting golf courses the one thing that I have always found amazing is that one course has a practice that they swear by and there is no other way to do it. Then I head to a course down the street and they are coming at it from a totally different angle and it works for them. They are both right. What ever works for you is what matters! 
       Thank you to Don Brown & his staff at White Manor CC for having us! Thanks to Jim Nedin & Tom Hurst for presenting!


Jim Nedin presenting his Reel Technology Program

Tom Hurst talking to the group about the new Express Dual 3000ir

WJC  

Class is in Session!

       One of the things that I really enjoy about my job is organizing educational events. There is a lot of work that goes into making each event a good one and luckily we have some great presenters that we are affiliated with. Over the next month and half we have two really excellent programs that we are hosting. The first is a Reel Technology Class. We have Jim Nedin giving a class room talk in the morning on reel technology. I have said it over and over again, I truly believe Jim is one of the smartest people in our industry. I would urge you to attend one of his talks if you ever have the opportunity. Whether it be reels, sprayers or aerators he will amaze you with his depth of knowledge.
The afternoon will be another living legend, Mr. Tom Hurst. Tom has been selling grinders since before I was born. He is a rock star in the world of grinding. These two are both great at what they do and the real reason is they are great people! They don't leave people hanging.
       The other event we are hosting is called the Future Superintendent Academy. This program was hosted by our company in the Baltimore are a few years back and was well received. We had been working with Nick Lubold, Assistant Superintendent at Overbrook GC, to put together a similar one here in the Philadelphia area. The idea was to help local Assistant Superintendents prepare for the opportunity to become a Superintendent. The line up is filled with experience. The morning starts with Darin Bevard from the USGA discussing communication with board members & golfers. Then we will have a round table of local veteran Superintendents to give some of their thoughts. Then Tim Moraghan, Owner of Aspire Consulting, will give a little straight talk about what it takes to get considered for a position. After Tim, Paul Danielson of the Toro Company will discuss the fundamentals of financing. The afternoon will consist of Dann Harris, of Dann Harris Consulting, who will teaching interviewing skills & motivation. Dann brings a ton of energy to his presentation and guaranteed to make you think. Chris Harriman, Superintendent at Cattail Creek CC will talk about how to win the job. I saw Chris speak a few years ago and was really impressed with his plan of attack on winning the job.

       Lots of time and effort goes into these days but in the end it is one of the best parts of the business!

WJC

Frankenstorm

       It gets harder and harder to believe the hype that the news stations run with as a big storm approaches the area. Right now they are tracking Sandy coming up the Atlantic with a chance to bash our area with record rain totals and high winds. Last year we had a similar event where things built for days and every generator for hundreds of miles was sold out. That one was bad with some flooding and after spending the entire night up on guard for tornadoes, it was over hyped. Obviously, I am hoping that they are wrong again....somewhere around 12"+ of rain and 80 mile an hour winds is not something I am looking forward to and neither are any local Superintendents. The talk of the storm coming up the Delaware Bay and it being a full moon could make life interesting for all of us. So, as we always do here in Philly....Get you eggs/milk & bread to last you a month and hopfully all you have is a reason to have a big french toast party on Wednesday morning!

Hope everyone stays safe!


WJC

London Calling

       I just returned from a week in the UK. I was a guest of Bernhard & Company, who provide the Express Dual & Angle Master grinders. The big event was they were opening a state of the art new factory. I was able to visit their old one last year and it was only 150 years old, I believe....
One of the cool parts of the festivities was a Ryder Cup format golf event with the US Distributors & Bernhard Representative VS The Euporean Distributors, Bernhard Representatives & Superintendents. Sadly history repeated itself but it was a great day. The match was played at The London Golf Club which was INCREDIBLE! Peter Todd and his staff do an amazing job. I got the chance to play with some true professionals. It was really something special.

       These trips include people from all over the world and are something that I have considered a great privilidge to take part in. Kim Furnell & David Walker from Bernhard & Company are incredible hosts!

WJC

Back To The Future

       This morning I was a volunteer at Lookaway Golf Club. They were hosting an event that was in support of the Matthew Renk Foundation. Matt was the son of Dave & Jackie Renk and Matt passed away from a cancerous brain tumor at the age of 15. With the support of friends, family & the membership of Lookaway Golf Club they are working to generate awareness of brain cancer and support the families facing this challenge.
       Dave had asked me a few weeks ago if I was going to be around to help. To be honest, I was not looking forward to getting up at 3:00AM to make the trip up to Lookaway but with Robert Smith from Merion GC volunteering too, the ride up together was not as bad. The main thing that was my concern was Dave kept saying I was mowing greens...As you can guess, mowing greens is not on the list of things I do too often. And after thinking about it as I mowed this morning, it has been probably about
18 years since I mowed a greens route! a pass here and there over the years does not keep the skills sharp!
Luckily Dave put me with his son Tommy. Tommy, a future Superintendent, was great to work with and as the morning went on I really enjoyed spending time with someone who has passion about the turf business.
       Now for the bad part....I mowed the first green in the dark with my reel off -( or should I say rolled the first green for my part of the double cut. It was like mowing in a closet with the door closed. I was so focused on trying to see my lines (and could not see even with the light kit)
that I did not pick up on it. Impressive right?
With each green the old feel came back with the last two greens looking pretty straight!
A few pounds lighter and a little tired, we headed back into the shop.
Just like the old days...

       To learn more about the Matt Renk foundation go to:
http://matthewrenkfoundation.org/about-matt.html


WJCte awarhttp://matthewrenkfoundation.org/about-matt.html
       eness of childhood brain cancer and to provide support for families facing tgenerate awarenethis
challengehis
challenge

Can't Touch This!

       When I was loading a Toro GM 580-D, a 16 foot rotary, on my trailer early in my career I got some very valuable advice. DON'T EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON A BLADE OR REEL WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING!!!! Yes, it was is a loud voice and it stuck with me. Barney McFadden, who was a Master Salesman with Toro and the Toro guy in Philly for 42 years was the voice that to this day I still hear. I was going along the side of the unit and the decks were up and for some reason I had the engine running. When I grabbed the blade to go to the back of the unit was just when Barney had walked out of the office. He explained how he still had all his fingers after years of working with equipment and DON'T EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON A BLADE OR REEL WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING!!!!
       Recently I learned a local crew member of a golf course lost part of a finger and did some major damage to his hand. He is a longtime turfer and has always been talked about by coworkers as a great worker and how meticulous he is. All I know is he was hurt and it just took one second to make that mistake of having your hand near a running reel.
       We have all been there, sometimes we get to comfortable around equipment that we forget can do some serious damage when we don't respect it. Maybe on one of theses lovely frost delay mornings or the next time it rains, do some safety training. It is not always the high school or college summer help that can use that reminder.
       And like I still hear Barney's voice in my head to this day....DON'T EVER PUT YOUR HANDS ON A BLADE OR REEL WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING!!!!

Big Dipper

       I have told the story tons of times about how I quit chewing tobacco. I started chewing in high school and would have a dip in all day when I was working on the golf course. After I got into sales, I chewed less but still had not stopped. I even was chewing Red Man because my gums were getting so beat up. One day I saw a black spot on my gum in the mirror. I panicked and swore to God that if this would pass I would never chew again! That was about 15 years ago and I have not had a dip since.
Now I will have a cigar a couple time a year but no Skoal....
       Now when I golf or I am outside working, I have always loved a pinch between the cheek and gum. So I have tried just about everything from Big League Chew (gum) to the beef jerky chew and nothing has really done it. After years of trying I finally found something that packs right, tastes similar and does not bang up your gums. It is from Oregon Mint Snuff Company! It is the best alternative I have found and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try and stop chewing tobacco.
       So for those of you who just can't kick the habit, I would tell you to give this a shot.
www.mintsnuff.com

       On the turf front in the Philly area has been hammered by grey leaf spot. We have had some turf loss and not many guys escaped the damage. One Superintendent put it best when he said he remembered when grey leaf spot came into the area back in the early 1990's. You have gotten through the hard part of the season.The night time temps are perfect and BAM you have turf loss....

       Now today we are ending with tornado warnings...

This is definitely a year for the history books!

WJC

Shooting With A Long Arrow

       Recently I heard Irish singer Glen Hansard on the radio, as I was flipping through the stations in my mobile office. He was doing a live concert and talking in between each song with a little explanation of what was behind it. The one song he explained "That sometimes in life you need to shoot a long arrow". He went on to talk about how at the time it might not be the easy answer or make complete sense but you need to look at life often in the long term. I thought it was a really smart way to say something I have always believed and my coworkers have heard me say that it is a marathon and not a sprint!
       With the recent passing of USGA legend Stanley Zontek, those words seemed very fitting. I had over the years met Stanley on few occasions and heard him speak many times. One of the things in business people sometimes discuss is your sphere of influence. Well Stanley's might have been one of the largest in the golf industry and absolutely in the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. His friendship and support of Superintendents in his 41 years is truly incredible. I can't count how many times I have spoken to guys who said Stanley was just in and.....What followed always was a good thing. Even in tough times he had a positive influence on so many people's lives and careers.

Here is to a life well lived!


The link below is to a really well written article by Joe Logan.
His analogy of Stanley to an Uncle is the perfect fit.
http://myphillygolf.com/


WJC

Come on Frost Delays!

       I spoke with a Superintendent this morning and with a laugh he said "It's been a long year....!".
The weather this year has been as always interesting. For some odd reason the humidity has been up and down pretty drastically and has really dried things out more quickly than a usual Philly summer after a rain storm. I also have heard more talk of goose grass, bermuda and crab grass on steroids.

       With Labor Day weekend upon us and most people's aeration complete, I believe everybody is looking forward to some cooling temperatures and shorter days. For the most part it sounds like it has been a good year for the region. Rounds are up and no unsettling stories of turf loss. Now the next thing on the horizon is the Tier 4 emission standards that will have a big impact on the Turf Industry. I would urge you to educate yourself as much as you can. It is going to change things drastically.

This link would be a good place to start:

http://www.toro.com/en-us/customer-support/Pages/tier-4/Tier-4.aspx

       On the topic of aeration, the PAGCS Aeration Days at Walnut Lane Golf Club-Home of the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia was a big success! The course is healing up quickly and looks great.

If you would like to see a video about the day take a look at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVYticBMxyI

Thanks again to all the volunteers!!!!

WJC

A Job Well Done!

       The PAGCS Aeration Days at Walnut Lane GC, home to the First Tee of Greater Philadelphia, has come to a close. For all those involved, It seemed that everybody was please with the outcome.
Greens/Tees/Fairways were all aerated. Even with the thunderstorms that rolled through on the first day....it all got done!
       It was a very exciting thing to be a part of. Superintendent, Gary Hite , had a full house of volunteers. We even had enough bodies to go spread plugs in some of the low spots on the course.
All the volunteers were AWESOME! Some guys who really gave their time and also donated product were Jason Criss of Genesis, Mike Janzer of Plantfood, Brian Robinson of Turf Trade & Jeff Lacour of Davission Golf. Then you had guys like Steve Cataldo of ITM and Allen Jensen-Sellers of Davey Tree, who are not directly involved in the golf industry but were a big help to the project.
       Really it was incredible to see the time and effort and support (all the vendors donations!)that people provided. The golf business is different from other industries. Even though clubs are in competition with each other, when someone needs a hand people step up! When I was younger and working for Mr. Valentine at Merion GC during the 1989 US Amateur, we needed to sod some areas. It was an awful summer to have to grow grass and even worse to host a USGA Championship in August in Philadelphia. I will never forget going over to McCall GC (PECO) and a group of us cutting rolls and rolls of bent grass sod from their nursery. Lou Amadio (one of the true good guys in the business) said take what you need.

I want to thank the management & ownership of Turf Equipment and Supply for believing in the importance of this event and their support to make it a success!

Here are some spots to see some photos:
http://www.facebook.com/TFTGreaterPhiladelphiaWL
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Turf-Equipment-and-Supply-Company/312039156193


Thank you to all the volunteers!!!!
Jay Parisien CGCS-Bala CC
Dave Stockmal-Paxon Hollow CC
Nick Lubold-Overbrook CC
Jason Criss-Genesis
Andy Dumas-Andre & Sons
Steve Cataldo-Intergrated Turf Managment
Allen Jensen-Sellers-Davey Tree
Jeff Lacour-Davisson Golf
Brian Robinson-Turf Trade
Selvin DeLeon-Bala CC
Dan Kellen-Bala CC
Jim Nedin-Jim Nedin Consulting
Tina Du Monceau-Turf Equipment
Andy Donelson-Turf Equipment
Brian Pardoe-Turf Equipment
Scott Keener-Turf Equipment
Matt Brown-Turf Equipment
Lou Bosco-Turf Equipment
George Glock-Turf Equipment
Brian Dallas-Turf Equipment
Dave Bookhiemer-Turf Equipment
Charles-First Tee Alumni
& The good Doctor!


WJC

Is That A Light At The End Of The Tunnel?

       The down side of the season is officially here in parts of the NE of the USA! Some courses have started fall aerification this week with more on the docket for next week. So where are we? The majority of courses are having major up swings in rounds. I am hearing stories of public golf killing it. Over 240 rounds on both Saturday & Sunday and 140+ rounds during the week. These are numbers I have gotten from multiple public courses. On the private side, the talk is of how beat up my tees are....which is from the big increase of rounds too. The lack of rain & heat has made it a brutal year for the Turf Manager but the club's bottom lines are looking better. The other big positive is not one horror story of turf loss in the area. Which is a big plus in a ridiculously tough year like this one.

       Will there be a restart to the golf construction boom? NO but are things much brighter than where we were 4 years ago, YES! Some of the clubs that were on life support have come out of intensive care but are still in guarded condition. It will be interesting to see the level of reinvestment this fall. That will be a good indicator of the condition of the golf industry's true health.


PAGCS First Tee Aeration Event Update:
    We are almost set for next weeks 2 day aeration event at Walnut Lane GC. One of the coolest things was all the vendors who stepped up and supplied all the seed/topdressing/fertilizer etc...

Many thanks to:

Mike Janzer-Plantfood
Jason Criss-Genesis
Chris Friel-Pocono Turf
Mike Susshine-Helena
Mike Warner-Fertl Soil
Tim Davisson-Davisson Golf
Bob Burd-Agrium

Volunteers for lending a hand are slowly coming in and hopefully by this time next week we will be full!

WJC

Meet Me at The First Tee

       About two months ago, I got the chance to play in a fund raiser for The First Tee of Greater Philadelphia at Walnut Lane Golf Club. It is the home of The First Tee program. The former owner of Philadelphia Turf, Frank Shuman, has been a big supporter of the program and I have gotten the chance to attend some of their events as his guest in the past. At this outing, I was lucky enough to get one of the kids in the program as my playing partner. It was a really enjoyable day and got me motivated to try  and get involved.
       The next day I went to see Jay Parisien. Jay is the President of the Philadelphia Area Golf Course Superintendents Association  and very involved with the First Tee. We started talking about what things could be done to help the program. We both had the same thought of an aeration day.
So the process started of trying to line everything up.....
       Jay spoke with the Superintendent at Walnut Lane GC, Gary Hite. Gary does an incredible job on this Alexander Findlay design! The owners of Turf Equipment & Supply were all behind bringing in a fleet of demo equipment. Then came trying to round up some seed/fertilizer and topdressing.
With each call to other vendors in the business it was the same answer " How much do you need?...DONE!"
       Now the request for equipment operators will be going out the start of this week through the PAGCS and our company is going to do an e-blast to our golf customers in the area too. So now it looks like we have everything in place ( Especially the lunch we are providing both days from the local cheese steak shop!).  Now if the weather will cooperate.....August 14th & 15th should be something to see!


WJC

Safety First

       This past week we had an accident at one of the clubs in my territory. Not to go too deep into the details but the operator was hospitalized and the piece of equipment was destroyed. When investigators arrived their first question was were all the safety switches on the mower operational. Luckily they have a very good technician and everything was to factory spec.
       Now we all know that sometimes these switches are overridden to save down time. I started to think about how often is this done and does it ever get fixed? Years ago we changed our policy in the shop that units had to be returned after a repair with all safety features up to date. The big thing was the chute on side discharge decks that seemed to disappear. At first there was some push back but customers realized that this was a necessity.
       I would suggest you look at your fleet a little closer. Is your equipment up to spec? Have you ever done an audit of your fleet's safety features? Do you have any records to back up your safety reviews? Everyone has had to keep equipment for more seasons than they originally planned and we all get caught up in the day to day grind and take some things for granted. Hopefully a major accident NEVER happens but if it did are you and your club protected? In today's litigious world, you can't just hope that everything will be OK.
But in the end, isn't it about the safety of the guys who work so hard for you?
   

Check Yourself

       This past week was a busy one with visitors from Toro and multiple educational events. In the past, I have spoken about Jim Nedin. Jim is a consultant, who works with our company and has over 40 years in the turf business. I say it all the time, I think he is the smartest person in our industry! This past week he gave a sprayer calibration at the local STMA meeting (KAFMO). Then on Wednesday, he gave a class for the local professional teams (Eagles/Union/Phillies) interns and some staff members. That was a full day of reels, rotaries, aeration and sprayer/spreader calibration.
It was only 246 slides for the inside part of the class.....!
       Every opportunity that I have to work with Jim, I always think how some turf managers roll the dice and hope for the best on their sprayer applications. His great comment is " You check your reel mowers to make sure they are cutting right before they go out every time, why not your sprayers?" Jim further went on to say " a bad cut will grow out after a few days BUT a bad chemical application can be there for 12 weeks or more." This is not even taking in to account the financial aspect of using more chemical then you need to or the other repercussions of turf damage.
       This is normally the time you see self inflicted wounds, the mid point of a hot & dry year. Take a step back and think about some of the things you are assuming and you know what happens when you assume.....

WJC

Disney Magic

       This Sunday evening is the end of our summer family vacation. We have taken our kids to Florida and the Disneyland Parks this year for the first time. As a kid, my parents always vacationed at the New Jersey shore or the Pocono Mountains in PA. So my only experience with Disney has been through work related trips for Toro training events. 
       Well today I saw what all business' strive for, customers wanting a product at all costs....
And yes, we were 5 of them! With Tropical Storm Debby making the weather miserable, we headed off to Disney's Hollywood Studios. My wife's theory of people stay in when it rains like this was not so much on the mark. It was POURING and the park had hundreds of families with about 60% of them wearing their official Disney ponchos ($8.50 Each!!!). Being able to check wait times for things with my phone was cool but the scary part was there was even a wait time.
       Obviously Disney's product is first class and they get a premium price. They reinvest into their products and are constantly looking to evolve. But what is it that makes people feel like they need to be there during a tropical storm? So what is it that makes Disney still strong when it seems so many other extra curricular activities (Golf) are struggling? I am sure over the past couple of years, they have been below their average attendance but I will travel back home trying to understand what it is that makes that Disney Magic and does it translate to the turf business...


WJC

How Did I Get Here?

       The other day while traveling with a factory Representative, we were on the discussion of our background. I was telling him how my family was from the newspaper business and I was the only one that went a different direction. My Dad was the VP of production at the Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News. My Grandfather and his brothers were all involved in the printing department. His response was "How did you get here?"
       Somewhat fitting with the US Open finishing today that it had a part in me getting in the golf business. My older brother was a greens mower for the 1981 US Open at Merion. So when I was looking for a new summer job, my brother suggested I call one of his friends who was an assistant. And the rest is history.
       Sometimes it is a single comment in a conversation that can cause reflection on who you are and how you have gotten to this point in your life.Though I chose a different industry than my family, I still learned a great deal from my Dad. His thirty five years at one company. His working his way up from loading trucks to being a Vice President. All great examples that hard work and loyalty are still important.
       As the end of another Father's Day comes to an end, I would like to wish all the Dad's out there and especially my Dad a Happy Father's Day! 


WJC

Bag Of Laundry With A Tie On!

       When I first started at Philly Turf, the sales force had tons of experience and I was just in my early twenties. The two senior sales reps were Barney McFadden & Bob Stokes. Barney end up working at PTC for 42 years and Bob for 30! They both were legends and I was very lucky to get to learn from them both. Barney passed away a few years ago and Bob just passed away this weekend at the age of 84.
       As word was spread around between the old PTC employees and customers, there were so many great Bob Stokes stories today. Bob's nickname was "Mother" Stokes. I always thought it was because Bob cared for his customers like a Mother would her kids. He always seemed to be picking up parts and running things around for customers. 
       But I don't think that is what I will remember Bob for....He was the king of the one liners!
I will never forget one of the first trips I took to a Toro training event, we had to be in shirt & tie.
As I walked across the court yard of the hotel, Bob was standing outside his room took one look at me and said " You look like a bag of laundry with a tie!". Obviously, a 23 year old kid might not get the importance of the ironing board in the room. I am hoping the old Milorganite book that someone was keeping with all of Bob's comments might surface at some point.
       I sent out an email to some of the customers who I thought would want to know about Bob today and I got this in response from one and I think it is right on:

"Without a doubt, Bob was one of PTC's finest. He always did his business with professionalism but added a sincere humanistic side when he visited. Quality you don't see often in today's world.
Rest in peace Robert!"     

We truly lost one of the great ones!



WJC

Recalibrate Your Process

       These past two weeks, I have had the pleasure of working with one of the people that I think is one of the smartest guys in the Turf business, Jim Nedin. Jim is a consultant with our company and has background like no one else. On the first day we were working together, I had gotten a call at 6:30AM from a Superintendent who had just put new nozzles on his sprayer and really did not like the pattern he was seeing. As we went through all the obvious reasons it might be, we did not come up with a quick answer. These had been the same ones they had used for years. Well after one phone call and a few minutes Jim had the answer....(It was the nozzles being at the bottom of their range).
      One of the best lines that I think Jim has in his sprayer calibration seminar is " You check you greens mower reels every morning, for as important as your sprayer is shouldn't you check that the same way?".
We have all heard the horror stories of an application that smoked a bunch of tees or someone who has to limp through the year with some fairways that are banged up because of a misapplication.
       What is your process? How often do you recalibrate? How often do you do a catch test? Is it in writing anywhere? Have you had your local distributor do a winter service/calibration on your sprayer?

Always a great project for that next rainy day!


WJC

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

       Have you ever heard of the trivia game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon"? It is a trivia game based on the idea that everyone who is an actor in Hollywood can be linked back to working with Kevin Bacon in six steps. This is based on the idea of six degrees of separation, that we are all just six introductions away from each other. The reason this comes to mind is I had the chance to travel with a representative from another division of our company this week. As we started to talk about who we were and how we got to where we are today, a very interesting fact came up. He was a long time Superintendent before going into sales but his two sons are now in the business. Well as we all know, this industry is smaller than we all think sometimes. His son had been an Assistant to one of my former crew mates back in the early 90's, who went on to be a Superintendent! Sure some of this is regional, because most superintendents don't change zones in the USA to often. With the amount of golf courses around, it always amazes me how when I start talking about where I have worked with a new acquaintance there is always a connection.

Maybe that is why this business is a little different than others?

Have a happy & safe Memorial Day weekend.
Thank you to all who have served our country!



WJC

Plan B

      Tim Morghan, Principle of Aspire Consulting, has given a few talks for our company at educational events about the 50/20 rule. A Superintendent has been at a club for 20 years and for his fiftieth birthday he gets a big target to put on his back.
With the job opportunities shrinking  and market full of Assistant Superintendents, there are changes now being made with the Superintendent in the 40's. Now I know there are tons of variables involved when a change is made at these positions and age is not always the main factor. But I have had more discussions recently about what other options are out there for turf managers? Now some would say golf is all I have ever done and I don't want to do anything else but what do you do when you that option isn't there? What happens if your club is struggling financially or that kid you ripped 15 years ago for taking a cart to close to a green is running for the board and gives you the stink eye every time he drives by you.
       What is your Plan B? Schools, Townships, Colleges and even Estates is what I tell people all the time.
Now these jobs are not the easiest to come by either but it is another opportunity to do what you love....manage turf! Some great benefits, and something called weekends off! It is a different pace of life but might be the answer to a career move that you did not see coming when you first started with your Plan A.


WJC

Cheesesteaks & Pretzels

       This past week I got a chance to travel with Don Lackner, an engineer with the Toro Company, as we visited customers with an upcoming new product from Toro. (I would tell you but then it wouldn't be a secret...). It was a lot of fun and productive even though we got more rain this week then we have had for a while. Super smart guy and has played a part in some of the best products Toro has today.  
(ProCore 648!). I always enjoy getting to see what the future looks like in turf equipment. I remember when I first saw the original ProCore 648 at one of our training events. First thing I thought was this is too big.It is amazing that some people have that vision to see new products that are so ingenious.
       One of my favorite parts of the travels with people from outside the area is the chance to get them a traditional Philly Cheesesteak & soft pretzel. Sorry for all those people who believe they have had one at their local restaurant but unless it is from around here it is not a Philly Cheesesteak! My personal belief is that is the lovely Philadelphia water that goes into the roll.....Just a theory but I am sticking with it.
       As we start May, Team Matches/GAP Matches and Member/Guest events have begun. With the drought breaker last week of a couple inches and bit of rain this week, things have steadied slightly.
Hopefully the temperatures in May with stay with historical averages and it will be a great year!


WJC

Slowly Step Away From The Turf

       This time of year in turf maintenance gets hectic for most everyone involved. Some of us have a tendency to get flustered and rush through things to Git-R-Done. I know for me, most of my work related mistakes (insert sarcastic comment here) are caused by rushing to get everything done and move on to the next job. When we have problems, a mower not running correctly or a chemical app not meeting expectations of coverage, it is usually your problem solving ability that will decide the extent of the impact on your operation. To me, you do not become a Superintendent or a Turf Manager unless you excel at this trait. But as we all know outside influences can sometimes reduce our strengths. I would almost compare it to the talk of an NFL quarterback when he is in the commentator favorite description of being in the "ZONE". Can you slow it down and look at how you got to this point? Do you look at all the variables involved? Do you take a long term look at the issue and think about what has changed?
       One of the best words of advice I have heard was given to the last Superintendent that I worked under. He called the legendary Dr. Joe Duich at Penn State to ask him about an issue he was having with a green. Dr. Duich told him "Don't drive by that green for the next couple of days. Just leave it alone."
 Sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing!


WJC

Super Good Friday

       The belief that Good Friday is the official start to the golf season here in the North East of the USA is what I have known since my start in the golf business. Our company had always talked about how a good start to the season would lead to a positive year. It is funny how golf has changed over the past 20 years from an expected 8 month income period and anything in the other 4 months in income is a bonus. Now this started to fade during the construction boom when many new courses, who had a mortgage on their new facility, saw the need for cash flow year round. Even some of the private clubs who traditionally had an end to the golf season and see you in the spring....not anymore!
       But in those days cash was king (to steal a phrase from leasing expert Jack Azinger). No one was leasing and financing was not a major part of the capital purchase plan.So if you started out the season on the plus side, you were going to purchase some equipment. If not, you would look to ride out the year and hope to be in the red at the end. Now the amount of clubs that use leasing as an option has grown to a majority. Even many of the old money clubs are using leasing as a solution to keep their fleets up to date. So the buying cycle is not the same as it once was....
       And finally as we all know the broadcast of The Masters gets everyone who loves to play golf wanting to get out there and hit the ball around. For me...I am pulling for the guy in the Red shirt on Sunday. I believe that the more Tiger wins the better it is for the game & business of golf! Whatever you think of him personally, he brings interest. No offense to Phil or Rory but Tiger brings them in!

Hope you and your family have a healthy and happy Easter!

WJC

Sum-(mer) Spring!

       The month of March has been unbelievable in the weather department. Rounds are up, cash registers have been ringing and the grounds departments are a head of schedule with their preparation for opening day. Throw in a Tiger Woods win and things are just right in the golf world! OK, maybe that is a little too much on the glass being half full but I will take it.
       Most courses have completed their aeration and now just a good soaking rain day here in the North East and you would have some happy turf managers. Sadly, my guess on this upcoming season looks like a dry one. No snow melt to help things and high temps early have the look of a few years back when we went from winter to summer. That year was not pretty and lots of tired people when September rolled around. But my guess is as good as any meteorologist(hopefully wrong as often as they are...).
       With the Masters just around the corner and the official golf season about to begin, I wish you and your staff successful and healthy year!

WJC
      
      
  

Spring Cleaning

       As we hit the half way point in March, the weather has been incredible. Rounds of golf are up and everyone is itchy to get things started. With some courses mowing through a good part of the winter and most aerifying now, it looks like the busy season is here! The biggest concern seems to be if you have not charged your irrigation system yet....It has been pretty dry. With no snow melt, it has all the makings of a drought year but as we all know, there is no telling what weather we will be getting in the Mid-Atlantic region anymore.
       I keep getting asked "what is going on out there" and I would have to say things are as positive as they have been since the tough times that started back in 2008. Most clubs have some capital , there seems to be more projects (Bunkers/Irrigation) starting or research is starting to see about costs. So are we back to boom times, probably not but are things looking better, absolutely. You just have to look at it from a different angle!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand

     

WJC

Leaving Las Vegas

With the 2012 Golf Industry Show in the rear view mirror there is plenty to reflect on....

Mood ring
              The overall mood seems to be is the golf business is turning the corner but it won't take much to push things in the wrong direction again. Lots of concerns with the lack of snow in the East and Mid West leading into the possiblity of a drought to start out the year. The growth of management companies seems to be filling the void on courses that finacially are struggling to survive. It will be an interesting 2012!

Lost in translation
              I was really interested in how many attendees at the 2012 GIS were from places outside the USA. As we all know the growth of golf in the states has come to almost a complete halt but there is still some growth in other places around the world. I know just from the tone of the Toro Business Meeting (which is now refered to as the World Wide Business Meeting), that the opportunity to drastically grow the golf business can only be done by growing globally.


Philanthropy golf industry style
              Mr. Ken Melrose, retired CEO of the Toro Company, made a $1,000,000 donation to the Environmental Institute for Golf under the Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation.
The EIFG is the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, and has as its mission to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game.
WOW! If you are not familiar with Mr. Melrose, he is one of the key figures in the Toro Company's success over the past 25 years. Everyone I have ever had a conversation with from Toro has always had high praise for his time as the head of the company.

Vegas Baby
              There was a lot of concern about how much traffic would be on the floor from the vendor end. I saw most of the guys from my area. Were some guys a little short on time, sure but that happens each year. As always, there were some good stories of some late nights and good laughs but as the saying goes "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas".

WJC
 

Can You Hear Me Now?

             Last March, I attended a seminar given by Jeffery Gitomer on Social Media and it was the kick off for his new book called "Social Boom". For those of you who are not familiar with Jeffery Gitomer, he is a big sales trainer and has written some great books on the topic of sales and customer satisfaction. If you are looking some great insights on what sales is all about, he is an incredible resource. It was my first step into the putting together a plan to try and use social media to help me be better at my job.
            Now a year later, I have 401 followers on Twitter and have been slowly getting my blog up and going. The website domain name is still unused and the YouTube channel is quiet but I am getting there. On LinkedIn, I am up over 225 connections and climbing. I think the whole key was to try and do at least one thing a day. The key word in that sentence is TRY. The one thing everyone says about it in every discussion about using social media is " I don't have time". If you really think that, I would tell you to pick up Gitomer's book and read some of the statistics on the influence social media is having on society and the incredible coverage it has.
           Has all this extra work sold one more piece of equipment for me? Not that I know of....YET, but as I was talking to a Superintendent Friday afternoon, he said he had learned a few things from my tweets.
So is it worth a couple of minutes a day.....my vote is yes! I am still way behind in the whole process but I am pretty happy being a year into it. Hopefully a year from now I can direct you to my website and tell you to check out the video on my YouTube channel!

WJC

Road Trip!

        I will say after 12 hours of driving in two days from Philly to Providence, RI. and back for the New England Turf Grass show, it was worth the trip! Early Tuesday morning myself and two Philadelphia area Superintendents  hit the road to attend the much talked about NE Turf Grass Show. I have heard for years that it is one of the best shows in the country. They still had good attendance and vendor support even as other shows are slowly fading. What I found was almost a mini-national. The show was what our show in Philadelphia was back in the 90's. Lots of vendors and good attendance.
Now the great question.....WHY? What is different?
      It was $160 for a two day pass. They had food and drink on the floor, which other shows are now trying. One theory that I have been told is guys in the North Eastern part of the country don't have an issue with driving 2 or 3 hours to attend something. It also seemed like more guys who grew up in the area stayed in the area. So it seemed like a big reunion.
      Was it worth the trip? Yes but we did take off for home earlier than planned with the weather not cooperating. I will pass on trying to get over the George Washington Bridge in NYC at rush hour in a snow storm. I did learn a valuable lesson about attending....Take the train! An Assistant Superintendent from Philly made the trip up by train. Being from the area he knew better. $50 each way and about 5 hours.It also drops you right behind the convention center. Live and learn.

WJC

Simply The Best

                   I feel very lucky that our company is associated with two of the best technical support people in the turf industry. Jim Nedin is a consultant and Tom Hurst is the factory representative for Bernhard & Company.  Between Tom and Jim they have over 85 years in the business and have volunteered for too many professional tournaments to count. When I have had a chance to be with either of them working with a customer or just sharing lunch, the opportunity to learn from them is off the charts.
                  Jim Nedin started as a mechanic then became a Superintendent.From there he became the Service Manager for the Toro Distributor in Pittsburgh. After years of award winning work, he then joined the Toro Company's service department. He is now a consultant for our company and Toro.
I have had the opportunity to introduce Jim at some of his talks and when I do I always say the same thing....There are people who know turf and there are people who know equipment but Jim is the only one who knows both. Technically I have never met anyone who knows specifications and understands why equipment works better than Jim. From harmonics to the K factor, he is scary smart.
                  Tom Hurst was the Service Manager for the Jacobsen distributor in Philly for 40 years. Towards the end of his career he began to focus on being their Bernhard grinder specialist. Leading them to being the number one sales distributor in the country for Bernhard for years. After a short retirement, Tom became the factory rep for Bernhard. Tom is one of the good guys. Always with a positive word and a helping hand. I sat in a meeting back in the '90's where we talked about his impact on our competition's sales and my boss said " He is only one guy and I am pretty sure he does not have a twin!". There are not many technicians in the Philly market who were not trained by Tom in how to grind reels and bedknives.
                 These two men in their own right are legends in the turf business. What is an interesting part is that these two are both experts in reel technology. The funny part is they both members of the same church of customer satisfaction is the most important thing but sit in different pews of Spin vs Relief.
There are many reasons why Jim and Tom are as well respected as they are but the key is they never leave anyone hanging.        
        I would urge you if you ever get the chance to work with Tom or Jim, jump at it.

WJC

Learn me somethin'

            Our company recently held Turf Equipment University, our customer training event. This year we had the event in partnership with the University of Maryland, in the first week of January, & Penn State-Berks County, in the second week of January. The PA event was held at The Ace Conference center in Lafayette Hill. TEU's have multiple tracks for Superintendents/Sports Fields & Grounds Managers/Technicians/Irrigation Contractors &Technicians.
I was fortunate enough to be the track leader for the Superintendent classes for the last two TEU's we have held in conjunction with Penn State Berks Campus & Dr. Mike Fidanza. Dr. Mike is one of the true good guys in the turf business. Always with a smile and a kind word. He also spoke at a field day I organized at the Philadelphia Union's stadium, this past year summer. Dr. Mike kicked us off with a year in review to start. He had some great pictures of his trip to China, this past summer, with some other turf professors.
            After Dr. Mike, Bill Brown, CGCS from Hartefeld National GC gave his turf & social media talk. Bill is speaking at the Golf Industry Show this year. If you want to hear someone who is really at the cutting edge in the turf industry in the use of social media, I would urge you to catch Bill's talk.
Following Bill was John Gosselin, Superintendent at Aronimink GC & host of the AT&T event for the PGA the past 2 years, and Mike Giuffre, Director of Golf, Grounds & Maintenance at Congressional CC, host of the 2011 US Open. I had to use a cheat sheet for the introduction because of the unreal list of professional tournaments they had hosted between the two of them (OVER 20!). John focused on the pre tournament experiences he had with great behind the scene information and then discussed the week of the tournament. Mike spoke about the US Open and some lead up but focused on what happens afterwards. He had some truly amazing things to deal with and some great photos of things returning to normal.
            Next on the agenda was Jim Nedin, to discuss the upcoming Tier IV government regulations & the truth about clip rates. Jim is currently a consultant for our company. Jim is without a doubt one of the smartest guys I know. I always say when I introduce him, that there are guys who are turf experts and then there are guys who equipment experts but he is the only one I know who knows both to the incredible amounts he does! He was a former Superintendent/Service Manager for a Toro Distributor/Worked for Toro in their Service Division and is now back consulting.
           After lunch was Tim Moraghan, Principle of Aspire Consulting. Tim was the Championship Agronomist for the USGA for over 20 years. His topic was the 20-50 Rule. The sad truth that if you are at a club for 20 years and are in your 50's, you should be doing somethings to protect yourself. Tim was honest in what he is seeing out there. This was still being talked about that night at the dinner.
           Dann Harris, of DHC Consulting was the final speaker of the day. Dann spoke on the topic of manage and motivating employees. His discussions are always highly interactive. Dann also was our last speaker on the second day of our event. That topic was hiring the right people.
           In addition to Dann, on the second day, we had Paul Danielson from the Toro Company to speak about acquisition strategies. Paul is a great resource for financing information.
We also had Anne Holderried of Ameriprise Financial to speak about retirement planning.
         In the end some we had a chance to get many turf industry leaders on one all-Star line up card.
I think I know what our customers opinion was of TEU but I know for me, I was really excited about how much information was provided by our speakers. They did an incredible job in making our Turf Equipment University special and for that I wanted to say THANK YOU!

WJC

The Show Must Go On!

             Our company was one the vendors who purchased a booth at the Eastern PA Turf Conference this past week. I have been attending this show since I was a kid back in the 80's as a crew member at Merion GC. How things have changed. It is now a table top show, which is OK. When the show was at it high mark, Philly Turf would bring over 15 pieces of equipment. As the winner of the "who gets to haul the Toro GM 580-D" every year, trust me I am not complaining. After multiple times of near death experiences towing the biggest piece we sold in the snow and ice of January, I am very happy to walk in with my box of literature in hand!
             The most important thing I have noticed is attendance is definetly up. I was not in attendance at the Atlantic City Show back in the fall but I had heard that also was better attended. For the first time in my career, I am going to attend the New England Show next month. I have always heard great things and there is a group from the Philly area going up together. Really looking forward to it.
The unanswered question is why? We have all listened to everyone in the turf industry talk about how trade shows are a dieing. As for the Eastern PA show, my guess is a good speaker line up/ strong sprayer licence credits/ replacement of attending the GIS. It will be really interesting to see how Vegas is attended.
             There are two pieces to the revitalization of the regional trade show that if someone focuses on I think they can accomplish their true goal, grow revenue! The first part is getting the word out to the non-golf turf managers. When the shows attendance was much higher, at least 50% of the attendees were municipalities/landscape contractors/School Districts. I spoke with a Public Works Director and said I will have to get back to you I am at the show in Valley Forge and his response "What Show?".
As we spoke on the phone, I got him to the PA Turfgrass website and he said it was something they would have liked to attend. The second piece is to make your vendor partners feel like they got something out of their investment. It sounds like the AC Show had the right idea, attendees had to walk through the trade show floor to get to lunch. There were a bunch of people I saw at lunch or in the silent auction area that never made it through the trade show floor. I know running the gauntlet of vendors is not the highlight of any ones day but even the walk by and wave is better than nothing at all.

WJC