rutgers professional golf course turf management school spring 2010 newsletter

8/9/2019 Rutgers Professional Golf Course Turf Management School Spring 2010 Newsletter

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Message rom the DirectorCelebrating Fifty Years of Academic Achievement

For those of you who may not know, the Rutgers Professional Golf Turf ManagementSchool grew out of the visions and dreams of Dr. Ralph Engel, a professor here within theDepartment of Soils and Crops when I arrived on campus in 1978. Ralph started his careerat Rutgers in turf research and quickly recognized the need to expand what, up to thattime, had been a series of short seminars for golf turf professionals into something moremeaningful. When Ralph had a big idea, he really had a good one and today his vision of a20-week certificate program to educate future golf turf leaders throughout New Jersey, the

United States and around the world continues to grow and flourish here at Rutgers.

As we celebrate 50 years of Ralph Engels educational vision for turf managers, it seemsfitting to review several of our half-century achievements. Since 1961 nearly 2,100 turfstudents have graduated from our Professional Golf Turf Management School and of thatnumber, we have identified 680 current superintendents throughout the United States andin ten foreign nations. In addition, another known 525 of our graduates are currentlyserving as assistant superintendents across the nation and world. A number of our alumniare serving in various other positions including irrigation and equipment sales and seedand pesticide sales. Many of our alumni are currently working in positions in sports turfmanagement managing world renowned professional baseball facilities, while others aredirectors of public and private parks nationwide. A great number of our early alumni areleading successful careers in the landscape and lawn maintenance industries throughout thecountry. What many of you may not know is that when I arrived in 1978, your 20-weekprogram accommodated both golf turf professionals and landscape professionals all in one

room, and first and second year students met together. In light of your own memories ofthe program, try to figure out how that might have worked and consider some of the crazychallenges I faced in administering the program in those early days. Through it all whatI remember most fondly is Dr. Engels unrelenting support of the program both day andnight. Ralph would always be seen at the turf mens basketball games as late as midnightand was a loyal supporter of our current students and alumni long after he retired fromhis faculty position at Rutgers. But on with the statistics. We currently have 310 alumnigolf turf professionals here in New Jersey, 185 in Pennsylvania and 130 in New York Statefollowed by numbers of between 40 and 50 in California, Ohio and Maryland. Our alumnisuperintendents currently serve in every state except four - can anyone guess what fourstates they might be? (See page 12)

The best part of my job, however, is not keeping statistics, but receiving a consistentflow of emails, letters and acknowledgement notes from recent and ancient graduates,all of whom remember fondly their experiences in one or more of the courses theyencountered in pursuit of their golf turf certificate. Through the efforts of our dedicatedfaculty, instructors and administrators, we truly do provide life-changing experiences hereat Rutgers University.

Ralph Engel would be proud of our current instructors but he would be most proud ofour alumni. Young men and women have come to Rutgers seeking answers to their dreamsof running or owning a golf course, and today we literally have helped thousands of our

(continued on page 18)

GreensThe Newsletter for Rutgers Turf Alumni

IN THIS ISSUE

Sod Sleuths 2

Noteworthy 4

GCSAA 5

Growing Careers 6

Tur Banquet 8

Scholarships 10

Whats Next? 11

Graduates 12

U.S. Open 14

Instructor

Highlight 16

Success Stories 16

Alumni 18

1.


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The Sod SleuthsReprinted by permission - Rutgers Magazine (Spring 2010)

To find environment-friendlyor aesthetically pleasing grasses,researchers with the Rutgers Centerfor Turfgrass Science travel the worldto find strains worthy of cultivationat home.

In the heart of Inner Mongolia,a world away from Rutgers, a

Jeep is winding its way throughthe steppes and meadowlands ofGenghis Khan country. Livestock

is everywhere: sheep, horses,cattle. Now and then, atop ahillside or alongside a dirt road, alone herdsman appears. Professor

William Meyer gazes out the Jeepswindow: he is looking for grass.

Here in the former MongolEmpire, Meyer, a professor ofplant biology and pathology andone of the worlds leading expertsin turfgrass breeding, is on amission. He wants to unearth a

wild variety of one of Americasmost beloved grasses, bluegrass,to help him and other scientists

develop what he likes to call theperfect bluegrass. When he spots apromising patch of terrain, the Jeepcomes to a dusty halt, and Meyerand two colleagues, professor

James White and a postdoc froma Chinese agricultural university,step outside with their tools(pocket knives, shovels), and then

walk amongst a craggy hillside or asweeping meadow, examining the

wild grasses. If a patch is worthy oftheir attentionif, that is, it lookslike its got the genetic goods tomake it to an actual lawn or golfcourse one daythen they place itin a cooler for safekeeping. With 40years of experience with turfgrass,Meyer knows how to examine athousand-year-old pasture, evenone with grazing goats or startledherdsmen, to determine whetherits grass is worth collecting for

further study. I can look at it, andI can see those areas that have a lotof genetic resources, says Meyer,director of the Turfgrass BreedingProject at the Center for TurfgrassScience, which was created in1991 and is part of the New Jersey

Agricultural Experiment Station.

If youve ever felt the soft,barefooted tickle of an Americanlawn, youve walked on grassesdeveloped at Rutgers. Varieties ofRutgers grass seed are everywhere,sold at Lowes and Home Depotand neighborhood hardwarestores. Theyre in our lawns, inour parks and athletic fields, andeven at the White House and in

Yankee Stadium. The Rutgersturfgrass center has the worldslargest collection of geneticresources for the developmentof turfgrass.Working with about25 seed companies, the turfgrassbreeding program coinventsmuch of the top-quality grass seed

sold to everyone from homeowners

to commercial landscapers. Andas farfetched as it may seem, thetypes of grass from this trip toInner Mongoliaor, perhaps,from ventures in Turkey, Italy,Uzbekistan, and points beyondmay end up in your lawn one day.

But its a long journey fromInner Mongolia to your lawn.The development of turfgrassis an arduous endeavor, oftentaking five years (or longer) as

varieties are tested and crossbred.For Meyer and his colleagues, likeStacy Bonos, a Rutgers assistantprofessor and turfgrass breeder, the

work requires an astonishing mix ofglobal sleuthing, genetic expertise,and down-and-dirty farming. Itdemands brainpower, patience,and a willingness to wield a shovel.Turfgrass breeders write scientificpapers with titles like Breedingfor Disease Resistance in the MajorCool-Season Turfgrasses for the

Annual Review of Phytopathology(coauthored by Meyer, Bonos,and Bruce B. Clarke, director ofthe Center for Turfgrass Scienceand an extension specialist in

the Department of Plant Biologyand Pathology at the School ofEnvironmental and BiologicalSciences), but they also need tosink their hands into the mud andmuck.

Were farmers, Meyer says.Its dirty. Its dusty. Its cold.

But why travel so far to gathergrass? Dont we have grass in theUnited States? In New Jersey?Right there on the George H.Cook Campus, where Meyer

works out of a three-story brickbuilding overlooking fields of sodand barns?Well, yes and no.

The grasses now common in theUnited States are not native to thecontinent. What native grassesexisted here when Europeansettlers arrived were consideredunsuitable for grazing.



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http://golfturf.rutgers.edu

Many colonists commented on theinferiority of New England and Virginiagrasses in comparison with pastures inEngland, and one New England settler

wrote in disgust that it is so devoid ofnutritive virtue, that our beasts growlousy with feeding on it, and are much

out of heart and liking, VirginiaScottJenkins writes in The Lawn: AHistory of an American Obsession(Smithsonian, 1994). Unsatisfied withthe continents grasses, Europeansshipped grass seed to the colonies, andthose grasses spread across the country.

Even now, hundreds of years later,you can find evidence of the grassesbrought here by the settlers. Go toPolish neighborhoods in Boston, saysMeyer, and youll find bluegrass fromPoland. Go to an Irish neighborhoodthere, and youll see fine fescue from

Ireland. With this bit of natural historyin mind, Meyers predecessor, C.Reed Funk GSNB62, now a professoremeritus, collected grasses from theearliest areas planted by the settlers.By tapping into the genetic makeupof old grasses, breeders would beable to improve upon the qualities incommercially sold grass seed.

But you could only go so far bylooking for the random patches ofgrass remaining from the days of theMayflower and Myles Standish. Meyertook Funks ideas one step further.Rather than just digging up old turf

from Warinanco Park in Elizabeth,or Sheep Meadow in Central Park,how about going back to the regions

where these species of grass developed?

How about searching for wild grassesin Europe and Asia, where they havebeen growing, largely undisturbed, forhundreds of years? Thats just whatMeyer and his colleagues have done,engaging in a globe-trotting scientific

journey to seek environment-friendly

grasses. Since 1996, they have collectedgrasses from a broad swath of Europe, Asia, and Africa. They have traveledthroughout Europe and parts of Asia,gathering samples from ancient pasturesand meadows. Its going back to thegrass roots, Meyer says.

Scientists, researchers, and industryexperts regard the Rutgers program asa center of leadership and innovation.Its really the preeminent turf breedingprogram in the country, says Eric

Watkins GSNB04, a professor at theUniversity of Minnesota who received

his Ph.D. in plant biology from Rutgersand traveled to Norway to collectgrasses. The Rutgers researchers havegarnered widespread accolades for their

work: Funk is a member of the RutgersHall of Distinguished Alumni; Meyerreceived the New Jersey Turfgrass

Association Hall of Fame Award;Bonos received the inaugural EarlyCareer Excellence in Plant Breeding

Award from a broad-based group ofplant breeders. The turfgrass breedingprogram is a royalty producer for theuniversity, and Rutgers varieties ofturfgrasses, typically developed withpartners in the industrynamely, seedcompaniesconsistently rank at thetop in government tests. Were at theleading edge, says Meyer, and weretrying to stay there.

Their workis taking ona particularurgency, givenconcerns aboutglobal warming,the use ofpesticides, and

water quality. Bylooking in far-off

lands for genetic variations ofthe grasses nowpopular in theUnited States,Rutgers turfgrassbreeding programis producinge n v i r o n m e n t -friendly grassesrequiring less

water, pesticides

and fertilizer, and maintenance. Thesetrips bring the researchers to whaBonos calls the centers of diversityof popular turfgrass varieties, likebluegrass and fine fescue. (Settlerbrought only a small amount of seedhere, and so there is much less diversity

in the United States.) By tapping intothat genetic diversity, researchers aremore likely to find plants with desirablecharacteristics, such as drought toleranceand resistance to disease. Add droughttolerance to a popular grass, and wateusage can decrease dramatically. Finda gene with resistance to a particulardisease or insect, and less fertilizer orpesticides will be needed. Bring thesequalities together in one grass, and youcan dramatically decrease the inputs(water, fertilizer, pesticides, gasoline)needed to maintain a golf course or afront lawn.

Yet Rutgers researchers dont glooking to dig up just any patch ograss growing in Norway or TurkeyThey want old grass. Very old. They

want grass thats been growing in meadow or pasture for something like500 or 1,000 years. They want grassthats made it through the elementsthe seed falling to the ground andthe superior plants growing above the

weaker ones. We look for big patcheof surviving grass, says Meyer. Werelooking for clones that have been therefor 500 years, that have taken over altheir weak sister plants.

In trips from Spain to Sweden, andbeyond, they have searched for area

where, hundreds of years ago, tree were chopped down and sheep another livestock were put out to pastureNo effort was really made to growthe grass. It just grew. And grew andgrew until, years later, researcherlike Bonos and Meyer appeared withtheir knives, intent on collecting thehardy and intrepid surviving plantsOver those couple hundred years youcan find genotypes that are strong,Bonos says. You use natural selection

as part of your criteria. And, being experts in grass, the

can look at a New Jersey lawnor aPyrenees mountainsideand tell onegrass from another. Consider this: theRutgers program now includes morethan 2,000 varieties of bluegrassTheyre genetically diverse, saysMeyer, and when you look at 1,000


3

Proessor William Meyer, director o the Turgrass BreedingProject at the Center or Turgrass Science and Stacy Bonos,

Rutgers Assistant Proessor and turgrass breeder


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Noteworthy News

Visiting romAlaska, TurAlum Matt

Gudger andhis girlriend,Jen, went to

the top othe Empire

State Buildingwhere Mattproposed!!!

Tim Friel, Alumni 2009Employee o the Month, August 2009

Oakmont is like no other place on earth. I will continueto represent Rutgers by perorming at the highest level to

meet the expectations o John (Zimmers), the Oakmont staand the entire Oakmont membership. One o the upcomingevents that will be held at Oakmont is the Womens Open. Itis an honor to be a part o this nationally recognized event.The expectations are extremely high in order to make the

event successul. I am very proud and encouraged to meet

these expectations, and I eel that Rutgers has appropriatelyprepared me to solve any challenges that I may encounter.

William Meyer, Professor and Director of the Rutgers

Turfgrass Breeding Project, was presented the 2009New Jersey Turfgrass Association Hall of Fame Awardon December 9 in recognition of an outstanding careerthat has included more than 20 years as a corporate

president and head of the worlds largest private

turfgrass breeding program in Oregon. For the past15 years, Meyer has led the Rutgers turfgrass breedingprogram, releasing more than 300 turfgrass cultivarsthat are grown world-wide.

Rutgers Field DayRutgers Field Day will be held on July 27, 2010 at the turf farm adjacent to the Geiger Center. Are you planning

to attend? If so, please respond if youd be open to attending an alumni function to allow fellow graduates from theRutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School a chance to network and catch up with old friends and maybemake new ones. Please email me at [email protected] if this idea is of interest to you.

Christopher Holt, Class of2007, was recently promotedto Superintendent at Joe LouisThe Champ Golf Coursein Riverdale, IL, just southof Chicago. He, and his wife,

Jamie also just gave birth toanother baby boy last August,named Jacob Christopher.

C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s ,Christopher!

In MemoriamKeith Bunnell, Class of 1989

John E. Farrell, Class of 1984

Gary Galecki, Class of 1983

Frederick Law, Class of 1988Stan W. Weeks, Class of 1993

Gerard T. Whittle, Jr., Class of 1995

Congratulations to Bob Lively, Superintendentof Flossmoor Country Club, in Chicago, Illinois!Flossmoor was awarded Renovation of the Year byGolf Magazine in 2009. Michigan-based architect,

Raymond Hearn, worked with Bob to restore signatureelements of the historic golf course. The financialcommitment, dedication to hard work and enormousamount of expended energy has certainly paid off!


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Dickison, 1962 Alumni, Recognized by Gol Course SuperintendentsAssociation o America or Distinguished Service to ProessionExcerpt rom GCSAA

Golf Course Superintendents

Association of America (GCSAA)Class A members Robert A. Dickison,CGCS, James C. Husting, CGCS, andDouglas W. Petersan have been selectedas recipients of the 2010 GCSAA Col.

John Morley Distinguished ServiceAwards.

They will be acknowledged at the2010 GCSAA Education Conferenceduring Celebrate GCSAA! presentedin partnership with Syngenta, Feb. 9.Formerly the Opening Session and

Welcoming Reception, CelebrateGCSAA! is hosted by GCSAA PresidentMark D. Kuhns, CGCS. The conference

(Feb. 8-12) will be held in conjunction with the Golf Industry Show (Feb.10-11) at the San Diego ConventionCenter.

Bob, Jim and Doug are mostdeserving of the Col. John MorleyDistinguished Service Award, Kuhnssaid. They have made outstandingand significant contributions tothe advancement of the golf coursesuperintendent profession as well as tothe game of golf. Their service to ourprofession has been invaluable.

Dickison is in his 50th year at UpperMontclair Country Club in Clifton,N.J. He started there in 1960, becamehead superintendent in 1971. Hetransitioned into a project manager role

this year, overseeing irrigation, drainage

and bunker improvement programs. A38-year GCSAA member, Dickison hasbeen a GCSAA certified golf coursesuperintendent since 1977. He is a pastpresident of both the GCSA of New

Jersey and the New Jersey TurfgrassAssociation.

Dickison has hosted numerousprofessional tour events at UpperMontclair over the years, includingthe PGA Tours Thunderbird Classicin the 1960s, the LPGAs Coca-ColaClassic and Chrysler Plymouth Classicin the early 80s, and the 2007, 2008LPGA/Sybase Classic. A regular

speaker at national, regional and stateconferences, Dickisons presentationsinclude tournament preparation, treecare and water usage among othertopics. He earned the 1988 GCSANJDistinguished Service Award, the 1990Rutgers Turfgrass Alumni Achievement

Award, the 1993 New Jersey TurfgrassHall of Fame Award and the 2003Rutgers Professional Golf TurfManagement Award for ProfessionalExcellence.

The GCSAA Board of Directorsselects the winners from nominations

submitted by affiliated chapters and/or association members. The award isgiven to individuals who have made anoutstanding, substantive and enduringcontribution to the advancement of the

golf course superintendent profession

The award is named after Col. MorleyGCSAAs founder and first presidentwho was the first to earn the award in1932, and received it again in 1940.

GCSAA is a leading golf organizationand has as its focus golf coursemanagement. Since 1926, GCSAA hasbeen the top professional associationfor the men and women who managegolf courses in the United States and

worldwide. From its headquartin Lawrence, Kan., the associationprovides education, information andrepresentation to more than 20,000members in more than 72 countries

GCSAAs mission is to serve its membersadvance their profession and enhancethe enjoyment, growth and vitalityof the game of golf. The associationsphilanthropic organization, TheEnvironmental Institute for Golf, workto strengthen the compatibility of golf

with the natural environment throughresearch grants, support for educationprograms and outreach efforts. VisiGCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.

5

Alumni Continues to Send Employees to RutgersSteve Stephens, 1997 Alumni

Paxon Hollow Golf Course in Media,PA has been called the best bang forthe municipal buck and others havesaid, This may be the best golf coursethat I have ever played on. Its beautifullandscape and lush forests make this agolf course anyone can enjoy. Muchof this and other praise is testimony tothe handiwork of Superintendent andRutgers Golf Course Turf Management

Alum, Steve Stephens.

A former drywall contractor for15 years during the 1980s, Stephens

was doing a drywall job at PickeringValley golf course in Pennsylvania and

knew that he wanted to be part of thatenvironment. So Stephens did theobvious and got hired as a member ofthe groundscrew at Pickering Valley. Ididnt want to spend the rest of my lifehammering, said Stephens. Stephensquickly moved up to doing moreadvanced aerifying and seeding workbut he knew that he wanted to becomea superintendent and that he needed adegree to do it. Steve Stephens enrolledin the Rutgers Professional Golf TurfSchool in the spring of 1996 andgraduated just 2 years later. As is thegood fortune of many Rutgers students,Stephens was offered a promotion to

the assistant superintendent position aPaxon Hollow Golf Course during hisfirst and second years of the Rutgersprogram. Two years later PaxonHollows Superintendent moved onand Steve took over the position.

During his tenure at Paxon HollowStephens has sent four of his employeeto Rutgers: Brian Cross, DavidStockmal, Barry Reese and Doug Bitler

As in his own case, Stephens believethat if they are serious about thisbusiness they have to get a degree.


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Growing New Careers at RutgersMeet Three People Who Made the Switch to Golf Turf Management and Never Looked Back

Revised rom original by Margaret McHugh

Working in the fast-pacedworld of high finance was excitingfor Rutgers University graduate

Arnold Kim, but he always knewhe wanted something more. So

when the banking industry tankedin late 2008, Kim decided thetime was right to pursue his realpassion golf.

I love golf and working everyday on a golf course soundedpretty good, said Kim, 28, whobegan playing the sport while stillin grade school.

Kim shifted gears in a big wayin early 2009 by taking an entry-level position at the BedensBrook Club in Skillman, NJ.

A 2004 Rutgers graduate witha double major in finance andeconomics, Kim understood risk-return analysis but knew nothingof soil-plant relationships.He needed to quickly mastertechnical skills from designingdrainage to installing irrigationsystems and develop front-linemanagement insights to advance

in the business of golf. His bossesencouraged him to enroll in theTwo-year Professional Golf TurfManagement Program offered bythe Rutgers Office of ContinuingProfessional Education.

Now in its 50th year, theintensive two-year certificateprogram involves two, full-time 10-week classroom sessionsduring the off-season, sandwichedaround a 9-month paid golf courseinternship, minimizing the timestudents are away from home and

a paycheck. The program is no-nonsense, teaching students allthe essentials, including weeds,trees, grass, soils, irrigation andgolf course construction saidFran Koppell, senior programcoordinator. It also introducesstudents to the fundamentalleadership skills, like management,budgeting and effective speaking,needed to help students risethrough the ranks.

Between 60 and 80 studentsgraduate from the program eachyear. Rutgers uses its network tohelp them land jobs and continuesto assist them throughout theirprofessional lives. The programdraws students from just aboutevery state and around the world.For those already working in turfmanagement, our program givesthem a real boost. For newcomers,

we give them a career, Koppellsaid.

One such newcomer to the male-dominated industry was JenniferTorres. A passion for the greatoutdoors brought her to Rutgers.Having grown up on a dairy farmin Corning, NY, Torres could notimagine working behind a desk.

Im an outdoor person. Icouldnt be trapped indoors, the36-year-old said.

She joined the Army right out ofhigh school in 1992, and duringher four-year tour she marriedand became a mother. The family

relocated to Fort Dix in New Jersey in 2000 when her husbandgot a job in the state.

By then a motherof three, Torresopened a daycarefacility, providingservices to otherfamilies on thebase, but she alwayslonged to spendher days outside.One neighbor

was the assistantsuperintendent ofthe bases FountainGreen Golf Course.Hearing about his

work intriguedTorres so muchthat she got a joboperating a tractoron the course andnever looked back.Like Kim, however,Torres lacked the

skills and knowledge needed toadvance in the profession.

In 2004, she used her G.I.bill to enroll in the Rutgers turfprogram the only woman in thatyears class. She also received twoscholarships: one from the New

Jersey Turfgrass Association andthe other from the Officer and

Wives Club at Fort Dix, she said.

Upon graduating, Torres becameassistant superintendent at theIndian Springs Country Club, an

18-hole public course in Marlton,NJ.

Had I not gone to Rutgers, I would not be living up to thepotential I have, said Torres, whomakes her home in Brown Mills,NJ. It definitely opened doors.Torres was never a golfer, but now,she says, Im learning.

Torres neednt worry; passionfor the game of golf is not a pre-requisite for students who attendthe Rutgers Professional Golf Turf

Management School. Yes, mostgraduates of the Rutgers programend up on a path towards golf


Jennier Torres ound her calling in the male-dominated gol industry and is now the assistantsuperintendent at Indian Springs Country Club.


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Rutgers Proessional Gol Tur Management SchoolTwo-Year Certiicate Program

Fall Session - October 6 to December 17, 2010

Winter Session - January 5 to March 18, 2011

As an alumnus of The Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management School, we look to you to recommend qualifiedapplicants who can help build the reputation of our Rutgers program. If you have an employee, a co-worker or an associate

who may be interested in and qualified for our program, please have them contact Fran Koppell via e-mail at [email protected]. Visit our website atwww.golfturf.rutgers.edu for an online application!

course superintendent positions, but

many others have landed jobs in grassseed sales, landscape management,corporate grounds maintenance andrelated industries, Koppell said.

For example, one Rutgers graduatemaintains the grounds inside NASCARraceways and another is director ofgrounds for Pfizer Global Researchand Development, Koppell said. Butfor golf fanatics who set their sightshigh, Rutgers alumni have blazedthe trail. One such graduate is JohnZimmers, who went on to become thesuperintendent of Oakmont Country

Club in Pennsylvania, eight-time hostof the U.S. Open.

A career in professional sports football specifically seemed a certaintyfor Tim Christ, co-captain of the 1991Scarlet Knight Football team. But

when he was cut from the PhiladelphiaEagles training camp a few monthsafter graduating from Rutgers with adegree in sports management, he didnt

know what to do with his life.

Christ liked the outdoors, so whena mentor suggested he look intoRutgers turf management program, hecontacted Ned Lipman, the programdirector. Christ took Lipmans adviceand interviewed several golf coursesuperintendents to learn about the job.He landed a position at the MerionGolf Club outside Philadelphia.

By his own admission, Christ wasnt an academically motivatedundergraduate, but he took the turfmanagement course seriously. I reallybuckled down and I wanted to learneverything I could possibly learn,Christ said. I became the nerd I hadnever been.

Christ, now 40, graduated fromthe program in 1995 and went on tobe Assistant Superintendant at Pine

Valley and Merion and then becamethe superintendent of MetedeconkNational and was the Director ofGrounds at Sand Barrens. He brieflyleft the business to start a large-scalelandscaping company, but returned andis now the Director of Golf Operationsfor Essex County.

The Rutgers program teachesyou what it takes to be successful inthis field, said Christ, who lives in

Boonton Township, NJ with his wifeand four children.

For those curious about theprofession but not quite ready tomake the commitment required ofthe two-year program, Rutgers three-

week turf management course is oftenthe first step; it gives participants aflavor for what is needed on the job.Not everyone is cut out for the career,

which can require waking before dawn

and doing very physical work for longhours, Koppell said. But for thoselike Christ, Torres and Kim, who lovegolf and being outdoors, the Rutgersprogram can turn a passion into alifetime calling.

Kim finished his first 10 weeks of turfschool in December and is currentlyinterning at Bedens Brook until fall2010, when he will return to Rutgersto complete his second year.

The fast-paced nature of theprogram is highly efficient and direct,

which I appreciate, said Kim.

Perhaps more importantly,getting the Rutgers certificate in hisprofessional arsenal will help Kimstand out among his peers. As Kim said,

Rutgers is providing him knowledgeand credentials in an increasinglycompetitive industry.

Rutgers alumnus and ormer co-captain o the Scarlet Knights ootball

team Tim Christ oversees 3 countygol courses and manages over 100

employees at the height o the season.

Arnold Kim let the ast-paced worldo high inance to launch a career

centered on his avorite pastime: gol.


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John Meteer showing o his home state

Jason Fleming, receipient o the Trans-MississippiGol Association Award, with Ned Lipman

Thom Ritchie and Joe Bianco

Standing Ovation at the 2009 Gol Tur School Banquet

2009 Golf Turf Banquet

Undergraduate, Kate Venner,accepting her Syngenta Award


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Proessional Gol Tur Management School Alumni Award or Proessional ExcellenceDon Sauvigne

Rutgers Turgrass Alumni Association Achievement AwardKen Kubik

Paul DesChamps Memorial ScholarshipsThomas Dillon Christopher Goeben John Kaader Brady Klein

Duke Polidor Memorial ScholarshipPending Academic Achievement in current class

New Jersey Turgrass FoundationStephania Alea (Hall o Fame) Patrick Burgess (Challenge)

Norman Leising Memorial Scholarship NEW!William Reardon

New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association ScholarshipsGregory Bohus William Reardon

Allen and Scott ONEW! Pine Valley Scholarship NEW!Michael Morvay Stephanie Alea Kevin Rundstrom

Gol Course Superintendents Association o New Jersey ScholarshipsGregory Bohus Ryan Petitti Kevin Rundstrom

New Jersey State Gol Association and Ralph Engel Caddie ScholarshipsGregory Bohus Robert Mathias

Sports Field Managers Association o New Jersey ScholarshipWilliam Reardon

Gol Course Builders Association ScholarshipRobert Pyne

Henry Indyk Graduate Fellowship Syngenta Turgrass ScholarshipJoseph Roberts Katelyn Venner

Trans-Mississippi Gol Association Scholarship NEW!Joseph Adkinson Jason Fleming

2009 Scholarship Recipients

2009 Golf Turf Banquet

Motivational Incentive ProgramThis year we implemented an incentive program for second year turf students. Financial awards were given to the second year

sessions for Highest Combined Grade Point Average of the two sessions -Turf I and Turf II and for Most Improved Grade PointAverage from Turf I to Turf II . Awards were based on grade point averages alone. The students eagerly participated in this challengewhich helped keep them focused academically until the end of their second session. Congratulations to this years winners!

Fall 2009Sean Crawford (Highest GPA) Tomas Reyes (2nd Highest GPA)Shawn Bergey (Most Improved GPA) Kevin Simmons (2nd Most Improved GPA)

Winter 2010 Joseph Adkinson (Highest GPA) Brady Klein (2nd Highest GPA)Cody Trexler (Most Improved GPA) Peter Strahan (2nd Most Improved GPA)


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Peter S. Lot Memorial ScholarshipsKaren Ambrose Michael Mary Provance-Bowley Lisa Beirn Laura Cortese Iain HardakerJames Hempling David Jespersen Matthew Koch Emily Merewitz Joseph RobertsPriti Saxena Charles Schmid Sergio Sosa Katelyn Venner Yan Xu

Ralph Geiger ScholarshipsKaren Ambrose Michael Harrison Beal Lisa Beirn Gregory Bohus Patrick BurgessLaura Cortese Jonathan Dean Patrick Doran James Hempling David JespersenMatthew Koch William Reardon Priti Saxena Sergio Sosa Ryan Petitti

Nicholas Puskarich Derrit Woods Yan Xu

Ralph Engel ScholarshipsJason Devoe James Duarte Iain Hardaker Nicholas Jensen

Rutgers Turgrass Alumni Association Scholarship Cleary Chemical ScholarshipWilliam Reardon Brady Klein

Dr. Paul Sartoretto Memorial Scholarship Bayer ScholarshipTomas Reyes, III Charles Schmid

2009 Gol Tur Banquet SponsorsSponsorsDuke Polidor Memorial Scholarship Storr Tractor Company, Somervi lle, NJ

Graduate SponsorsBlind Brook Country Club, NY (Graduate Alex Matos) Forsgate Country Club, NJ(Graduate Harold Pyett)

Meadowbrook Country Club, MO(Graduate Robert Hayes) Merion Golf Club, PA (Graduate Patrick Maher)Middletown Country Club, PA (Graduate Jaret Brant) Moccasin Run Golf Club, PA (Graduate Kenton King)Mt. Kisco Country Club, NY (Graduate Jose Oceguera) Royal Oaks Country Club, WA(Graduate John Guffey)Saucon Valley Country Club, PA (Graduate Eli Ratz)

Don Sauvigne, graduate of theProfessional Golf Turf programaddressed the annual awards ceremonyon November 7, 2009. After completingthe 1980 Rutgers Professional Golf Turfprogram, Dons career led him from theSuperintendent posit ion at Forsgate CCto senior facilities management rolesin Columbia and Brown Universities.He now holds the position as EasternNorth American Regional Directoron the Pfizer account for the FacilitiesManagement firm, Jones Lang Lasalle.His career route from Rutgers wascertainly the road less traveled from

many graduates of the program. Heshared his insights into managementand leadership during his career.

His talk, Whats Next? focusedon how successful leaders approachchallenges, lead people and anticipateanswers before problems arise.Graduates of the program, who arepracticioners in the turfgrass industry,are particularly well suited to forwardthinking; demonstrating a bias toward

action, anticipating solutions beforethe problems arise, and building andgrowing strong teams; all traits that aredifferentiators for successful leaders inbusiness.

In addition to the strong technicalfoundation provided by his Rutgerseducation, Don stressed that a set ofpersonal behaviors are practiced bysuccessful leaders. Strong personalcommunications, being a champion forthe success of others, and welcomingthe constant change that businessesundergo are behaviors that distinguish

those who experience both personaland professional success.

Don shared a story that illustrated howhe overcame a personal difficulty in hisrole as a golf course superintendent (heis red-green colorblind). By entrustingevery new employee with the sharedresponsibility of seeing and addressinganything that looked amiss or understress on the grounds, he was able tobuild strong teams, and encourage

others to reach their own potentialWhile he may have not have been ableto see potential trouble spots, the team

was empowered to be responsible, and was therefore, ultimately, successfuHis lesson from this story, and adviceto graduates was simple:


Whats Next?Keynote Address, November 2009

Keynote Speaker, DonSauvigne, 1980 Graduate


12/20


2009 GraduatesDenis Bergey, in transition

Shawn Bergey, Asst Superintendent

Lulu Country Cl ub, PABrian Burkard, Asst SuperintendentRiverwood Gol Club, FL

Jamison Bushman, Asst SuperintendentPinetop Country Club, AZ

Daniel Carrizales, Asst SuperintendentSylvania Country Club, OH

Sean M. CrawordButler National Gol Club, IL

Joseph DAnnibaleShearon Environmental Design Co, NJ

Michael A. Deal, Asst SuperintendentPine Valley Gol Club, NJ

Jonathan DeanRose City Gol Course, OR

Matthew DierdorYork Revolution, PA

Richard F. Evans, Asst SuperintendentQuail Brook Gol Course, NJ

Chad Fetter, Asst SuperintendentCountry Club O St. Albans MO

Jason Fleming, Asst SuperintendentCastle Pines Gol Club, CO

Aaron J. Franklin, Asst SuperintendentBlue Ridge Trail G ol Course , PA

Adam Freeman, Asst SuperintendentLake Arrowhead Gol Club, WI

Timothy FrielOakmont Country Club, PA

Aaron Gagnon

Fiarbanks Ranch Country Club, CARyan Godman, Asst SuperintendentCatta Verdera Country Club, CA

John GueyThe Landings Club,GA

Charles D. HamerKachemak Bay Lynx Par 3 Gol, AK

Robert M. HayesBroadmoor Gol Club, CO

Matthew Hilgendor,2nd Asst SuperintendentBayonne Gol Club, NJ

Ryan HubleyTruro Gol Club, NOVA SCOTIA

Tracy A. Hubrig, Asst Superintendent

Minot Country Club, NDMichael KatzHyatt Hills Gol Complex, NJ

Michael KernsLlanerch Country C lub, PA

Mathew J. Kidd, Asst SuperintendentSun City Hilton Head, SC

Kenton R. King, Asst SuperintendentMoccasin Run Gol Club, PA

Keith Kirsch, Asst SuperintendentSouthern Hills Gol Club, OK

Lukas T. KlineChena Bend Gol Course, AK

Jonathan D. KylarScott Franchise, TX

Rusty W. LambertShoal Creek Gol Club, MO

Scott J. Landstrom, Asst SuperintendentSleepy Hollow Country Club, NY

Christina Linz OBrienSilver Spruce Gol Course, CO

Anthony Lipovsky, Asst Superintendent

Flanders Valley Gol Course, NJJames R. LordMountain Valley Gol Course, PA

Patrick J. MaherMerion Gol Cl ub, PA

Charles Main, Asst SuperintendentBretton Woods Country Club, MD

Alex Matos, Asst SuperintendentThe Blind Brook Club, NY

Kyle A. Mayerhoer,Asst SuperintendentEagle Lake Gol Club, MO

John P. Meteer, Asst Superintenden tSeneca Hickory Stick Gol Club, NY

John Patrick MillerCrooked Stick Gol Club, IN

Koji T. MitchellAugusta National Gol Club, GA

Chris Mogin, Asst SuperintendentRaspberry Falls Gol And Hunt Club, VA

Victor M. Morales-Rios,Asst SuperintendentOakland Hills Country Club, MI

Brian Neueld, Asst SuperintendentCastle Pines Gol Club, CO

Nicholas Nicolosi, Asst SuperintendentHollywood Gol Club, NJ

Jose J. Oceguera, Asst SuperintendentThe Gol Club O Purchase, NY

Neil PackardDallas Country Club, TX

Michael P. Percudani, Superi ntendentCherry Valley Gol Course, PA

Michael J. Peters, Asst SuperintendentFarm Neck Gol Club, MA

Joshua Potter, Asst SuperintendentQuincy Country Club, IL

Harold Pyett, Asst SuperintendentForsgate Country Club, NJ

Eli N. RahzSaucon Valley Country Club, PA

Justin RenTPC Snoqualmie, WA

Tomas Reyes III, Asst SuperintendentCentury Country Club, NY

James Cedric Rockwell, SuperintendentRichmond Country Club, RI

Matthew D. Rubin, AsstSuperintendent Beaver Creek, CO

Nicholas P. Schilperoort,Asst SuperintendentSharon Heights Gol & Country Club, CA

John Schroeder, Asst SuperintendentBrooklyn East River State Park, NY

Christopher Schultz,Asst SuperintendentSquires Gol Course, PA

Kevin Simmons, Asst SuperintendentRiver Bend Gol & Country Club, VA

Adam C. Stottlemyer,Asst SuperintendentMusket Ridge Gol Club, MD

Brett SwainThe Rim Gol Club, AZ

Josh Truan, Asst SuperintendentWing Point Gol & Country Club, WA

Tavis Tucker, Asst SuperintendentPine Valley Gol Club, NJ

Cory T. Von Tungeln,Asst Superintendent

Rich Harvest Links, ILJames O. Wallace IIIWhisper Rock Gol Club, AZ

Jonathan M. White, Asst SuperintendentGol De Joyenval, France

Scott Wiiki, Asst SuperintendentFairview Country Club, CT

Tylor P. Winograsky,Asst SuperintendentCatamount Ranch And Club, CO

Todd R. Work, Asst Superin tendentTrump National Gol Club, NJ

Bradley K. Wyatt, Asst SuperintendentLincoln Hills Gol Course, CA

Kyle Zarnetski, Asst Superintendent

Upper Montclair Country Club, NJKale M. Zimmerman,Asst SuperintendentBlackwol Run, WI

Win A Free Shirt!Think you know which are the only four states we do not have almuni superintendents in? Email your guess to

[email protected]. First correct response wins a Professional Golf Turf Management shirt. Good luck!


13/20


of these next to one another, you cansee theres every color and shape underthe sun.

On a typical trip, they may travelfrom 1,000 to 1,500 kilometers overnine days, stopping at 130 locations.One meadow might yield 50 samplesand another one just two or three. Butthats just the beginning, because thegrass collected in these far-off locations

has a long way to go before its turnedinto seed sold commercially. Packed incoolers, the grass will be transported to

Holland, where the Dutch botanist andfarmer Peter den Haan will cultivate theplants on his farm for a year to produceseed for the Rutgers program. Back atRutgers, Meyer, Bonos, and a varietyof graduate students and staff members

will plant the seeds and grow them inRutgers greenhouses and at two farms,

one in Adelphiaand the otherin NorthBrunswick. Thefarms typicallyhave upwardsof 50,000 grass

plots allocatedfor turfgrassbreeding. Theplants areevaluated andstudied. If itsa grass that hasa quality worthp u r s u i n g resistance toa troublingdisease or evenp o s s e s s i n ga strikingcolorit willbe crossbred

with existing varieties. Eventually, new variety may be developed and soldcommercially.

But this description elides the realitieof the work. The years of farming. Thedays spent analyzing data. The dirt andthe dust. The pollen. Glamorous tripsabroad? Not quite, because the days canstretch from eight in the morning unti10 at night, much of the time spent ina cramped vehicle. I imagined Id be

walking along the countryside, say Jonathan Bokmeyer GSNB09, whtraveled to Hungary (an amazing tripand is now a research scientist with theMonsanto Company. What you reallydo is drive in a car for hours at a time

We started in old parks in Budapesand drove into the countrysideYoure looking for any area thats beenundisturbed for hundreds of years. Wecovered the entire country in the car.

Yet Meyer clearly loves what hdoes, even when describing thedisappointments, like a great-lookingbluegrass from Lithuania decimated bydisease when it was planted here in New

Jersey. It just broke my heart, he saysWe didnt give up on it. Meaning

well, it may still have something toffer, genetically speaking, in the questfor that perfect bluegrass.

13The Sod SleuthsContinued rom page 3

Meyer, let, and Bruce B. Clarke, Director o the Center or TurgrassScience, and extension specialist in the Department o Plant Biology

and Pathology at the School o Environmental and Biological Sciences

No matter what you do in life, youcant see or do everything. Your success,and that of others, is interrelated.

The graduates and award recipientswere reminded that knowing themselveswhat makes them happy and motivatedis vital if they want to leverage what theyhave learned into a personally satisfying

career. All professionals, in whatever their occupation, need that self-awareness to be at their best. The life-

work of a golf course superintendent isone of stewardship. Whatever propertythey are charged with caring for, theyhave a responsibility to leave it betterthan they found it, and, if they know

what motivates them, to also be richerfor the experience.

Whats NextContinued rom page 11

Join Our Social Networkwww.goltur.rutgers.edu/acebook.asp

Are you ....

A Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Program Alumnuswho wants to connect with other alumni?

A recent turf program graduate

looking to network with established professionals?

A prospective studentintersted in seeing some of the Rutgers turf program alumni?

Then join us online!!!


14/20


Journey to the 2010 U.S. OpenWilliam Hausch, Assistant Superintendent, Pebble Beach Gol Links

Little did I know that 10 years

ago as a spectator at the 2000 USOpen at Pebble Beach, 10 yearslater I would be an integral part ofthe team that would be preparingPebble Beach for the 2010 USOpen.

My career in golf began in 1998at Quail Lodge Resort and GolfClub in Carmel Valley, CA. I hadrecently taken up the game of golfand needed a second job to supportmy newfound golf habit. I appliedfor a cart attendant position atQuail Lodge and was hired on

that winter. I quickly becamefriendly with the SuperintendentDenis Kerr and the AssistantSuperintendent Thor Larson. Sixmonths later a position on thegreens crew opened up. I inquiredand Denis hired me on.

My very first day on the job, Iknew that golf course maintenance

was my calling. I remember sayingto myself, I cant believe they aregoing to pay me to do this. Thenext four years at Quail Lodgelaid the foundation for the rest ofmy career. Once Denis realized hehad this new guy that was eagerto learn about managing a golfcourse, he threw everything butthe kitchen sink at me: irrigation,spraying, aerifying, renovatingbunkers and tees, etc. Denis andThor taught me all they couldin the time I was there, and forthat I am eternally grateful toboth of them. They providedme with knowledge necessary tomove on to the next stage of mycareer: the Rutgers ProfessionalGolf Turf Management Program.Rutgers was the perfect fit - I

needed an education to becomea Superintendent, but I couldnot afford to quit working for anextended period of time. So thetwo three month semesters fit inperfectly.

So on to Rutgers I went. It wasthe fall of 2001. Being a nativeNew Yorker, born and raised

on Long Island, I was looking

forward to getting back to theeast coast. Four days after leavingCalifornia, I crossed the VerrazanoBridge into Queens for the firsttime in five years. I was embarkingon an important chapter in mylife and fortunately I was able tocome home to do it. Going backto school would prove to be thecatalyst for launching my career asa professional turf manager.

My first day at Rutgers wasan eye opening experience forme. I had never in my four years

in the industry been around 40other people who enjoyed turflike me. I loved it!! I thought tomyself, What a great place this is.Nothing but Turf. All the time.My two years at Rutgers werememorable for many reasons.First, I was able to get to knowmany students from all walks oflife, all with unique experiencesfrom their respective golf courses.Second, I had the opportunity tospend time with the faculty. Thefaculty is comprised of a trulyspecial group of professionals that

spend each fall and winter ensuringthat the students at Rutgers receivea first rate education. WithoutBuckleys IPM class or Kristoffstree identification tests, walkingthrough the Cook College campuslooking at trees with nothing butbuds to help identify them (really!NO LEAVES!!), or any of theother essential topics covered atRutgers, I wouldnt be the wellrounded Assistant SuperintendentI am today.

After graduating from Rutgers,I spent the next two summers

at Brookville Country Club onthe North Shore of Long Island.I had the pleasure of working

with another Rutgers alum,the Superintendent at the time,

AJ Congero. AJ and I spent thenext two years constantly tryingto improve that golf course. Thefirst spring we were faced with aplethora of irrigation issues that

were unresolved from the fall,

for example, heads that wouldntturn on from the clock and

wet spots from cracked pipes.I systematically evaluated eachissue and prioritized, decidingto address the most obviousproblems first, like a wet spot ina fairway, then worried about thebroken head in the native arealater. Meanwhile, this whole time

we faced the poa invasion of ourseven year old bentgrass greensand ryegrass fairways. Let me tellyou, this is always a fun topic

with the greens chairman! With

limited resources, it took creativethinking and planning to achieveour goals (i.e.: NO Poa!). As this

was my first assistant job, I had anopportunity to use much of mynew found knowledge that I hadacquired at Rutgers. I knew moreabout chemicals and their modes ofaction, growth regulators, and turftypes, and I got to see and use somuch of it at Brookville. With thedifferent turf types on greens andfairways and the high humiditythat caused all kinds of diseases,I had all of these things I learned

about right in front of me. It wasAWESOME!! This was exactly thetype of job I needed leaving school,a hands on position which forcedme to learn what I hadnt learnedin my previous job as a greenkeeperin California. That meant gettinginvolved with all of the ins andouts of managing a golf coursefrom top to bottom, from deciding

when to fertilize, water or mow tomonitoring a budget, to settingcutting heights. I relished everybit of the responsibility. Bring iton, I would say to myself, neversure if I could conquer the nextchallenge, but always wanting totry. AJs guidance through thosetwo years was invaluable and I

will always be indebted to him.He believed in me and gave me achance as an Assistant.



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15You know how everyone always says,

Dont burn bridges, and, Networkingis the key to success. Welltheyreright!! My next opportunity camethrough an old colleague, Thor Larsonfrom Quail Lodge. He was the newSuperintendent at the Pebble Beach

Company owned Del Monte Golf Coursein Monterey, CA. We hadnt spoken ina while and I called to let him knowthat I would be in town visiting for theholidays. He informed me that he wasthe new Superintendent at Del Monteand he was looking for an Assistant.It was a no brainer. I accepted the joband made the long drive cross countryback to the Monterey Peninsula. I wasnow a manager in the same company asPebble Beach Golf Links.

I spent three wonderful, yetchallenging, years at Del Monte.

When I arrived, the course was abit run down and in need of capitalimprovements. Pebble Beach Companydecided to make those improvements

when Del Monte received the honorof co-hosting the Senior PGA Tours

Walmart First Tee Open with PebbleBeach Golf Links. This meant somenew tees, bunker renovations and bestof all, a new irrigation system to replacethe antiquated block system that wasten years overdue for replacement. Thesystem was installed in two phases overtwo summers. It was a tremendouslearning experience. For those ofyou reading this that have done an

irrigation installation, you know whata challenge it can be to stay on time,on budget and still maintain a playablegolf course. But the reward was worthall of the blood and sweat. Del Monte,

which was built in 1897, was usheredinto its second century of operation

with a much needed facelift. No longerthe stepchild of the Pebble BeachCompany, Del Monte was now a coursethe company could be proud to have asthe co-host of the First Tee Open.

THE CALL! It was a morning like

any other at Del Monte except for a callI received while changing the cup onthe 11th hole. I looked to see who wascalling and was confused to see it wasthe Superintendent at Pebble Beach,Chris Dalhamer. He told me that hisassistant, Andrew Morgan, had given

his notice and would be moving on tobecome superintendent at Palo AltoCountry Club. He said that he and JackHolt (20 year Assistant Superintendentat Pebble Beach) would like to know ifI would be interested in joining theirteam at Pebble Beach. I remember thatmoment like it was yesterday, thinking,Did he really just ask me that? It wasone of those moments when you realizeall of the hard work you have putinto your career is about to culminate

with the opportunity of a lifetime. Iremember thinking, Pebble Beach isthree years from the US Open. THE US

OPEN!!!! My response as you mightguess was a resounding, Yes! followedby, How soon can I start?

That was three years ago, and theUS Open seemed a lifetime away. Thepreparations to the course had alreadybegun. When I arrived, we were aboutto embark on a complete rebuild of thefirst green and bunkers. The project

went smoothly and the finished productwas a new sandbased green with originalpoa sod reinstalled and a new bunkerstretching the length of the green alongits left side. Next was the installation ofa bunker liner and new sand to every

bunker on the course. It has been threeyears of similar projects and planningto get us where we are today, managingone of the worlds greatest golf coursesat the time it is about to host the USOpen.

The excitement amongst the crew hasbeen rising as well. There are 36 menand women who put their heart andsouls into the care and maintenanceof Pebble Beach every day. Theyhave exceeded Chris, Jacks and myexpectations in every way, stepping

up to every challenge that has beenpresented to them. They deserve muchof the credit for the superb conditions

we have achieved at Pebble Beach. could give a hundred examples: theshaved bunker edges along fairwaythat get trimmed to inch with string

trimmers, the carefully executed cleanup passes around greens, tees andfairways, the expertly mowed step cuaround each hole. Many of the smallesdetails will go unnoticed by somebut the pride taken in the job is therenone the less. For a few of our staffthis will be their fourth US Open atPebble Beach, which is incredible! Fosome, it will be their second or third

which is also admirable. For many ous, including myself, it will be ourfirst. Rutgers is well represented hereat Pebble, as four of us ( PJ SpellmanDoug Burdick, Adam Freeman and

myself ) are Rutgers alumni, and BubbaWright will be heading back to Rutgersfor his second year this fall. I feel agreat sense of pride when I think abouthe fine work done by our crew. Theirdedication to perfection ensures thatPebble Beach lives up to its legacy asone of the greatest US Open venues oall time

So here I sit in my office writing thipiece at this beautiful place I get spendeach breathtaking day. One hundredyards from the crystal blue water and

white sand of Carmel Beach. Thirtdays from the first practice round o

the 2010 US Open. Ten years removedfrom my experience here as a spectatorReflecting on my career in golf and alof the wonderful places I have workedand people I have met over the yearsThinking of each and every person with

whom I have crossed paths with antheir hand in helping me to becomea successful Assistant SuperintendentFor all of these things I am incrediblygrateful, all of which have led me toPebble Beach and a chance to host ournational championship, the 2010 USOpen.

Rutgers Proessional Gol Tur Management SchoolThree-Week Gol Tur Preparatory Short CourseJanuary 10 through January 28, 2011

Perfect for aspiring or current turf professionals looking to increase their professional value at an affordable price. Ourcompact course curriculum delivers essential academic turf knowledge and the practical applied training needed for successin the golf turf industry. The Three-Week Short Course provides high quality instruction by utilizing some of the bestinstructors found in our Two-Year Professional Golf Turf Management Program. The programs pace and varied subjectmatter is most valued by applicants with at least one year of golf turf experience, or an equivalent. For additional information,please contact David Breeding via email at [email protected].


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Youre going to work in TurgrassRich Buckley, Instructor

When Rich Buckley came toRutgers to earn his masters degreein plant pathology in 1988 his bosstold him, Youre going to workin turfgrass. Dr. Phil Halisky

was referring to turfgrass scienceand today Buckley is the highlyrespected director of RutgersUniversitys Soil Testing and PlantDiagnostic Services (STPDS).

The STPDS are outreach services

of the New Jersey AgriculturalExperiment Station that providedisease and insect pest diagnosis ofplant samples, as well as chemicaland physical analysis of soil.Turfgrass and ornamental plantsare the primary focus of the diseasediagnostic component of theSTPDS. Buckley is the principlediagnostician and has looked atover 30,000 samples of dead anddying plant material in his career.He is also a prolific public speakerand an instructor in the RutgersProfessional Golf Course Turf

Management Two-Year program.In the Two-Year program he teachesclasses such as Turfgrass Diseases,

Turfgrass Insect Pests, Diseases andInsect Pests of Ornamental Plants,and Integrated Pest ManagementTechniques.

Buckleys lab is a testimony to hismission: computers hooked up tomicroscopes surround the room,leaf and soil samples are everywhereand a sense of hospital-like urgencyfills the air. In fact, Buckley said,We are the emergency room for

dying plants. Many of Buckleysformer students in the ProfessionalTurf School remember him and areoftentimes the biggest source ofpatients to the lab. The first timeGray Leaf Spot was diagnosed inthe laboratory the sample camefrom a former student. Its a fungaldisease that kills a lot of grass veryquickly. It came to us in 1993 fromthe assistant (a former student) atPhiladelphia Country Club. Thedisease subsequently turned intoa real epidemic and killed a lot ofgrass on golf courses and sports

fields in our region.In class Buckley has two missions:

one is to prepare students to workwith golf turf. Golf course puttinggreens are artificial by nature.Managing grass to optimize thegame of golf is often in conflict

with the health needs of the grass.The conflict makes the grasssusceptible to diseases and insects.In class, I teach how to recognizeand manage the problems thatpop up. Buckleys other missionis to get students to think about

what they are doing. Managingplant health entails a lot more thanfollowing a four-step program. Inthe end, We try to teach the loveof learning and turn average folksinto life long students of science.

After nearly 20 years in the New Jersey turf arena, Rich Buckleythinks that the turfgrass industryis filled with job opportunities.Many of our turf school studentshave gone on to very successfulcareers in the turf industry. Dr.Halisky was a prophet in my life.

Turfgrass science has given me agreat career and I am truly gratefulfor that, said Buckley.

Instructor Highlight

Alumni Success StoriesCultivating the American DreamJohn Keegan, 2007 Alumni

John Keegan of Wilmington, Vermont is only 24 years old but

he already knows that he wantsto live out the American dream.Keegan is a nationally certifiedformer ski and snowboardinginstructor who taught for sevenyears. He got interested in golfcourse turf management becauseof a background in farming anda love of the game. Hes been

working at a low budget course forthe past four years, sharing the roleof assistant with another guy. He

was recommended to the RutgersTurf Management program by his

superintendent, a Rutgers alumnus.The Rutgers program impressedKeegan because its not justabout grass. We learn surveying,construction, trees, diseases andso much more, said Keegan. Icould have gone to [another turfmanagement school] right downthe road but this [Rutgers program]fit right into my schedule. Plus thecost is right.

Since completing his firstyear in the program Keegan has

already been promoted at work.He was given more money, moreresponsibility and he has noticedthat his superintendent has takenhim under his wing more. Speakingabout his farming backgroundKeegan said, I love watchingthings grow. Earning a certificatefrom the Rutgers turf program hasalready helped John Keegan growin the turf management industry.


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17Falling Into the Perect CareerJames Dall, 2003 Alumni

After working several different jobs inthe resort town of Steamboat Springs,Colorado, James Dall learned two thingsabout himself: he likes management,

and he enjoys working outdoors. Dallgraduated from Colorado State University with an English degree in 1994 andimmediately set to work, managing a car

wash and a restaurant and working as aski lift operator in the winter months. It

was during a period of downtime betweenski seasons that a friend recommended heget a job at a golf course. Dall played golfvery poorly, he jokes, but the chanceto be outside and play free rounds wasall the incentive he needed to become agolf course maintenance crew member.Now, 12 years later, Dall has worked his

way up to golf course superintendent atCobblestone Golf Course in Kendallville,Indiana.

As soon as he began work on thecourse, Dall knew that it was for him. Ifell in love with it, he says. I wantedto figure out how best to change from

just mowing grass to growing grass.Seeing his enthusiasm for the work,Dalls manager showed him a brochurefor Rutgers Universitys Two-Year GolfCourse Turf Management CertificateProgram, offered by the NJAES Office ofContinuing Professional Education.The ten-week schedule fit perfectly withthe ebb and flow of work in a resort

town, and Dall was able to earn his turfmanagement certificate without missingout on work opportunities.

Dall was not disappointed in his

Rutgers experience. Going to class everyday was like opening a new present onChristmas morning, he says. The course

was amazing. From the accommodatingadministrators to the knowledgeableinstructors, everyone at OCPE workedhard to help Dall and his classmatesget the most out of the program. Withsupport from his classmates, Dall becamethe president of his class, which gave himthe leadership skills required for a turfmanagement job, and he was elected tohis local associations board of directorsin February 2009.

The well-rounded education Dallreceived at Rutgers prepared him formore than what he could have learned onthe job in Steamboat Springs. The diseaseand insect identification lessons provedto be especially useful when he and hisfamily relocated to Indiana, where turfis plagued by different difficulties thanin Colorado. Perhaps the most valuablepart of the course for Dall, however, wasthe class on networking and professionaldevelopment. Moving to a new stateat the beginning of his career meantstarting from scratch again, but with thelessons he learned at Rutgers, Dall madehimself known to his new colleagues, and

the contacts he made eventually helpedhim land a golf course superintendenposition.

Dalls education has stayed with him sincehe received his Rutgers turf managemencertification. I use the course regularly,he says, adding that, after the course, I

just wanted to go out and mentor guywho were interested in it, just as I am, andsend them to Rutgers. Dall understandshow the economy can make finding workdifficult, and he recommends the two-year course as a way to get ahead. Thethree-week course is a good primer, heexplains, but the Rutgers name andthe two-year certificate certainly holdtheir weight in the industry. In fact, alkinds of turf professionals can benefitfrom a turf management educationThere are certainly many opportunitieother than golf course superintendent,explains Dall, describing how a friend

who also attended the Rutgers programnow owns his own lawn care businessThe challenges and diversity involved

with turf management are, ultimately what Dall loves so much about it. Theducation he received from Rutgergave him the skills he needed to turn a

job he liked into a career he loves. Theprogram, with the Rutgers name behindit, was my way of converting a four-yeadegree into a turf education, and a goodone at that.

From Ski Instructor to Gol Course Assistant SuperintendentKeith Carper, 2004 Alumni

Keith Carper was a 24 year old USArmy Cavalry Veteran who was workingas Assistant Ski School Director of AlpineMountain in the Poconos, PA. His bossat Alpine Mountain, Scott Matthews, wasalso the Head Golf Pro at Hideaway HillsGolf Club in Kresgville, PA. Matthewsasked him what he did during the summer

when the Mountain shut down. Since he wasnt working, Carper was glad to tryout the golf industry and when he did, hefound that he liked it.

Not only did Keith Carper like GolfTurf but he knew that it could providehim and his family a good life. So hebegan working at a small nine-holegolf course but shortly after he found abetter position as a Tractor Operator atPicatinny Arsenal;,which he knew wouldprovide more opportunities for careergrowth.

In fact, it was soon after beinghired at Picatinny that Carper saw anannouncement for Rutgers Two DayGolf Course Turf Management Course.Picatinny sent me to that. I went and sawall the different subjects and everythingthat was involved in Turf Managementand soon thereafter was invited to theThree-Week Turf Management ShortCourse, said Carper.

In the Three Week Course they prettymuch gave you a little taste of everythinga Golf Course Turf Manager needs toknow. I remember thinking; wow, theresa heck of a lot more to maintaining agolf course than cutting grass. There area lot of extra things that people take forgranted. The Three-Week Course reallyopens your eyes to all that is necessary tomove up the turf management ladder,said Carper.

Upon completing the Three WeekTurf Short Course, Picatinny created a

job that never existed there, which waa Foremans position because now I hada little bit of education in the field, saidCarper. Shortly after that, at the age o28, he got an invitation to the RutgersTwo Year Turf Management Program andgot approval to attend.

Picatinny actually sent me throughthe Two-Day, Three-Week and Two-

Year process and upon completion othe Two-Year Course, they promotedme to Assistant Superintendent. Andthe education I got at Rutgers and theexperience I obtained while at Picatinny

was instrumental in landing my currenposition as the Assistant Superintendenof Sterling Farms Golf Course inStamford.


18/20


Rutgers Turf AlumniLook What They Are Doing Now!

RANDY BAHR, 1994, Superstition Mountain Gol & Country Club, AZ

DANIEL A. BLUE, 1988, Royal Lawns o Monmouth, Inc., NJ

NEIL ROBBINS, 1998, Muirield Village Gol Club, SCOTLAND

STEPHEN RUGGIERO, 2000 Monmouth University, Director or Tur Mgmt and Landscaping, NJ

CARL SAMUELSON, 1995, New Town Park and Recreation Center, CT

JAMES T. SIDEY, 1987, NYC Parks Department, retired, NY

JONATHAN M. WHITE, 2009, Gol De Joyenval, France

JEFF WYANT, 1990, Shark River Country Club, NJ

alumni turn dreams into realities. You have become real lifesuccess stories throughout theUnited States, Canada and the

world. We are so proud of youraccomplishments and your manycontributions to the golf turf

community and related industries.In this years edition of Greens, wehope you will enjoy the good newsstories about the successful lives ofour alumni and faculty.

One story of which I amespecially proud honors our 2009Distinguished Alumni Award

winner, Don Sauvigne, Presidentof the Class of 1980, who iscurrently employed as the Site

Director by Jones Lang Lasalle,managing Pfizer Global Researchand Developments portfolio ofproperties and operations in theeastern region of North America(thats a mouthful). Dons remarksat our 2009 graduation banquet

were touching and spoke to thegifts we all have and the remarkableoutcomes which can occur when

we seek out others with differentgifts to help us achieve our dreamsand missions.

Each of you in your own wayhas every reason to celebrate

with those of us at Rutgers todayin commemorating 50 years ofservice to a truly great industry

throughout the United States andbeyond. If youd like to send yourgood wishes to your fellow alums orshare how the Rutgers ProfessionalGolf Turf Management School hasbenefitted you, please visit our

website atwww.golfturf.rutgers.

edu and click on the alumni link.My hat is off to each of you, toour outstanding educators, andespecially to those who have goneon to life eternal. We are boundtogether in a special communityby hard work, special friends,and uncommon successes. Heres

wishing all of you a productiveand rewarding season ahead.

Sincerely, Ned Lipman

Directors MessageContinued rom page 1

The Rutgers Turgrass Alumni Association

2009 was a successful year for our alumni association as it was the first time we enrolled over 100 members. Thanksto your generous support we continue to offer scholarships to turfgrass students who have worked hard and excelled intheir studies, helping them on the road to success. This was the first year we offered our membership application andpayment of dues online. It was a great success with 30% of alums paying their dues online through the secured servicesof PayPal. We also offered something for sale online this year - our Rutgers Professional Golf Turf Management hat,

with profit proceeds benefiting the scholarship fund. We have more hats available so please visit our website at www.golfturf.rutgers.edu and click on the alumni link to purchase. Also on the website are photos from this years banquet

where Ken Kubik was the recipient of the Rutgers Turfgrass Alumni Achievement Award. While you are visiting ourwebsite, please take the time to offer your wishes and stories in honor of the 50th anniversary of the ProfessionalGolf Turf Management School. Curriculum and instructors may have changed over the years, but one thing hasnever waivered, and that is our alumnis commitment to the future of golf turf management. Joe Bianco, Treasurerof the Alumni Association, is a 1962 graduate and Thom Ritchie, Executive Director of the Alumni Association isa 1976 graduate. We are proud that our alumni feel this special lifelong dedication to our program, and hope thatyour dedication to our future alumni continues each year. Thank you sincerely for your support, and best wishes fora successful season.

The Rutgers Turfgrass Alumni Association is an affiliate of the New Jersey Turfgrass Association and supporter of TurfgrassResearch at Rutgers. Help us touch base with someone from the Have You Seen list and receive a Rutgers Turf hat. Formore information or questions, please contact Rosemary Mahony at 732-932-9271 or email [email protected].


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19Have You SeenThese Alumni?

Robert Adams 1999

Marty Alexander 1990

James R. Argast 1973

Todd E. Arnold 2000Patrick M. Ashburn 1995

Walter P. Atkinson 1973

Peter August 1985

Stephen Auresto 1979

Peter Auriemma 1964

Stephen A. Baldasare 1979

Carl J. Baldwin 1977

Edward Bedus 1972

Joseph D. Berggren 1999

Beth Bevins-Taggart 1993

Nick Bezuhly 1962

Donald Bisch 1986

Daniel Bohan 1985

Len Bolinsky 1985

Arthur J. Bolomey 1993

James Boyle 1992

James E. Braham 1972

David Ray Brown 1981

Richard E. Bush 1988

Jaymee P. Carey 1988

Tracey Carter 1997

Michael D. Caruso 1980

Tim F. Casey 1980

Stephen Chmielowiec 1982

Gregory Closs 1983Craig A. Cole 1962

Richard Conover 1962

Geofrey G. Drake 1978

Charles Dunn 1983

Edward M. Durkos 1979

Paul Dean Eckert 1986

Peter Erb 1993

Peter J. Farley 1983

Thomas Faulkner 1988

Eugene Festa Jr. 1979

Kris Field 1976

Robert P. Fogerty 2003

Joseph J. Fogg 1979James W. Gall 1983

Kenneth Garbecki 1977

Nicholas Gargone 1993

Gina Gatto 1988

Brian D. Gervais 2000

Frank Goldbacher 1992

Jerome Goodman III 1998

Steven G. Grimler 1997

Hugh P. Grogan 1976

Harvey R. Haupt, III 1977

David Hepburn 1974

Robert Herting 1962

Robert S. Hines 1993

Joe Honnig 1962

Angela D. Hubbell 1995Jefrey Johnson 1997

Jesse Johnson 2000

Kevin Jones 1988

Le Roy Jones 1977

David Kadesh 2001

Alexander Kaminski 1978

William Keller 1977

Benjamine Kirkland 1972

James Kistner 1978

Charles Kitlasz 1962

Tom Korinchak Jr. 1998

John Kowalski 1962

Thomas P. Krisak 1976

Mitchell Lasky 1975

David Liddle 1962

Louis A. Lucero 1999

Kevin Lyons 1976

Robert Marston 1962

Andry Martin 2000

Michael Maurin 1999

Morris Mc Cann 1974

James Mc Causland III 1983

Ronald D. Mc Hugh 2001

Gregory Mc Lain 1976

Kenneth S. Meehan 1995Cliford Midcap 1988

Darin C. Miller 1998

Peter J. Miller 1980

Kevin J. Moore 1979

Robert D. Neal 1980

Daniel Nece 1998

Richard Neill II 1994

James Newman 1979

Herman Nienhaus 1994

Santos Nieves 1999

Robert M. Novack 1988

Kevin OBrien 1982

Randall B. Olson 1996Ronald C. Oppenheimer 1979

Gary M. Orlando 1980

Brian J. Osterhout 1980

Robert Pallas 1998

Marc Palumbo 2003

Thomas W. Patterson 1978

Roland Dale Phipps 1988

Richard Pietropola 1997

Alex Praslick 1977

Alan K. Ramsey 2001

Mark D. Reed 1978

Robert E. Ritacco 1995

Brian Rockhill 1987

Jorge Rodriguez 1993

Edward Roessler 1998Ronald C. Oppenheimer 1979

Brian J. Osterhout 1980

Robert Pallas 1998

Marc Palumbo 2003

Thomas W. Patterson 1978

Eugene Petryszyn 1995

Roland Dale Phipps 1988

Richard Pietropola 1997

Alex Praslick 1977

Michael Pruser 1983

Alan K. Ramsey 2001

John E. Rautmann Ii 2002

Mark D. Reed 1978

Robert E. Ritacco 1995

Brian Rockhill 1987

Jorge Rodriguez 1993

Edward Roessler 1998

Orest V. Roshak 2002

Joseph J. Roynan 1975

George Sauerwein 1981

Jake C. Schipper 1999

John E. Scholz 1998

Russell Seibert 1989

Mark Servern 1981

Scott Shank 1992Gregory M. Sharin 2002

Raymond Sharo 1986

Nigel Skinner 1999

Jay Stadler 1997

Walter R. Starkowsky 1972

Gus Steiger 1987

Gregg M . Sullivan 1993

John Surace 1988

Kenneth J. Sutherland 1989

John Trazza 1962

John P. Tucciarone 1979

David W. Ugi 1994

David B. Vargo 2000Brian J. Vetrone 1989

Paul Walkiewicz 1972

Anthony S. Weaver 1997

Farley C. Westbrook 1995

Jason White 1998

Gerald Wisniewski 1975

Kevin B. Yoder 1996

Louis J. Zahra 1989

Peter Zimich 1967


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New Jersey AgriculturalExperiment Station

Office of ContinuingProfessional Education102 Ryders LaneNew Brunswick,NJ 08901

732.932.9271732.932.1187

[email protected]://golfturf.rutgers.edu

DIRECTOR

Ned Lipman

STUDENT /

CURRICULA ADVISOR

Dr. Richard Hurley

SENIOR PROGRAM

COORDINATOR

Fran Koppell

DIRECTOR, NJAES

CENTER FOR

TURFGRASS SCIENCE

Dr. Bruce Clarke

PROFESSOR,

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,

NJAES CENTER FOR

TURFGRASS SCIENCE

Dr. William A. Meyer

RUTGERS TURFGRASSALUMNI ASSOCIATIONEXECUTIVE BOARD

Executive Director

Thomas Ritchie (76)

PresidentDonald Heynigher (75)

Vice-President

Robert Dickison (62)

Treasurer

Joseph Bianco (62)

Past President

Dr. Karen Plumley


Nonprofit Organization

US Postage

PAIDNew Brunswick, NJ

Permit No. 153

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

A publication of the Rutgers Turfgrass Alumni Association

rutgers professional golf course turf management school spring 2010 newsletter

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