We are currently enjoying one of the best times of year in the Southeast. Cooler weather brings excellent golf conditions, football, holidays and education season for the turfgrass industry. With conferences and annual meetings throughout the Southeast and across the country, it is a great time of year to catch up on education, connect with old friends and meet new colleagues.
I had the privilege of attending the Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in November, then there was the Georgia GCSA Annual Meeting in early December, and the Tennessee Turfgrass Association Conference and Trade Show is coming in early January. While these events are always a highlight of the year, the Carolinas GCSA Student Turf Bowl reminded me of how many things we have to be thankful for and excited about in golf.
The Carolinas Turf Bowl is a student competition amongst turfgrass management programs. This year, teams included the defending champion Horry-Georgetown Technical College, North Carolina State University, Clemson University, Central Piedmont Community College, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), and the USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship Program from Sandhills Community College. Dr. Grady Miller from North Carolina State created the questions and administered the competition. The Turf Bowl ended in a tie between Clemson and Horry-Georgetown, two very deserving championship teams.
This event should be high on every attendee’s to-do list next year for many reasons. What I enjoyed most was seeing the excitement and energy that these students brought to the competition and the conference. There has never been a better time to be graduating from a turfgrass program and these future industry leaders will be critical to golf’s success. During a brief talk to the students, I emphasized that internships and networking opportunities are so important in the early part of their careers and that these men and women are responsible for continuing the great legacy and momentum of golf. I was very impressed by their professionalism, knowledge and attitudes. The future is bright!
The Carolinas Show also highlighted a changing of the guard. With multiple turfgrass professors retiring, including the Carolinas GCSA distinguished service award winner, Dr. Fred Yelverton, it is incumbent upon the industry to advocate for the replacement of these positions. When professors retire, it is not guaranteed that their position will be replaced at all, let alone with a turfgrass appointment. Please continue lobbying for the turfgrass management programs at your local colleges and universities so that these programs can continue to thrive and produce invaluable knowledge that advances our industry.
Southeast Region Agronomists:
Chris Hartwiger, director, Agronomy – chartwiger@usga.org
Jordan Booth, Ph.D., director, USGA Course Consulting Service – jbooth@usga.org
John Rowland, Ph.D., agronomist – jrowland@usga.org
Chris Neff, agronomist – cneff@usga.org