You superintendents are dialed in when it comes to the best tools available in the industry.
Now in its third year, the Supers’ Choice Awards asks the simple question: What is your favorite tool to get the job done? Then we sit back and listen. This year we learned about a new chemistry that is delivering season-long insect control in Houston; a wicked smart combination of technology that has eliminated over-regulation in the Arizona desert; and how vital a simple putter is to knowing the difference between good and great.
Get ready for the golf maintenance version of a red carpet walk as we share some of the best of the best in the industry. These are the 2024 Supers’ Choice Award winners.
“I was hot and heavy on Manuscript for tropical signalgrass for three years, which is almost gone. So that has been super important for me and the course.”
— Mike Bellino, Superintendent, Heathrow CC, Lake Mary, Fla.
“We do a lot of in-house projects and this skid steer gets used daily. Snow removal, grading, just about everything. It has a wide stance, and it’s a tracked machine, so you can drive over a fairway, and it doesn’t do any damage.”
— Bill Larson, CGCS, Town & Country Club, St. Paul, Minn.
“I use it all the time. We have a lot of mulch beds on the course, and I’m always jumping out of my cart and using it there. When I don’t have it, I feel like I’m naked.”
— Ryan Blechta, Senior Director of Grounds and Mountain Operations, Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, Big Sky, Mont.
“It’s wide, it’s fast, it doesn’t leave any ruts. It’s awesome. It gets the job done. I use it on greens every day. This thing is the Cadillac of greens rollers.”
— Patrick Affolder, Superintendent, McAllen (Texas) CC
“The TCT Fairway Trencher has been an irreplaceable piece of equipment for us. We are able to efficiently install significant drainage additions annually while maintaining a clean job site. We utilize the laser-controlled leveling feature, which allows us to successfully install long runs with precise elevation requirements. I’d highly recommend the TCT Fairway Trencher to any superintendent planning significant drainage additions.”
— Jason Tharp, Superintendent, Gulf Stream (Fla.) GC
“I used to tell my guys, the two most important tools you should carry are the putter and the sand wedge. If you don’t know how to putt, how do you know what a good green is? Every superintendent should carry a putter with them. You’ve got to know what you’re trying to achieve.”
— Shawn Emerson, Ethos Golf, Mooresville, N.C.
“I met Carmen Magro at the Golfdom Summit, and I’m grateful I did. We use the POGO so readily; it would be hard for me to recommend anything else. We use it every day. When you’re going through the season, we look at all the numbers the POGO gives us on our moisture readings, it’s assigned daily.”
— Brian Birney, CGCS, The Everglades Club, Palm Beach, Fla.
“We do about 97,000 rounds a year over our 36 holes, so our 648, whether we’re solid-tining or needing to core for compaction and wear and tear, just being able to send that machine out and open the greens up is big for us.”
— Grant Jones, Sherrill Park GC, Richardson, Texas
“It’s a staple for me with greens. We use it on tees, too, which are our two biggest problem children when it comes to water management. The real proof in the pudding was, for us, during the U.S. Open, how well it helped the greens respond and hold up. The USGA raved about it during the entire week.”
— Josh Saunders, Superintendent, Lancaster (Pa.) CC
“I’m all about the TDR Soil Moisture Meter. This industry is all about water, and you have to water correctly. If you want to save water, it’s the TDR … 100 percent.”
— David Beanblossom, CDN Golf Management, Laconia, Ind.
“With one application in May, we basically get coverage for the whole year. We spray it everywhere except greens. We face armyworms in June/July, then grubs. To have one application in May cover the whole year is definitely a win.”
— Miles Carlson, Superintendent, The Player Course, The Woodlands (Texas) CC
“This is my 14th year here, and when I got here, the greens were very heavy with clay, so (Dryject) has been a way to supplement with traditional aeration to modify the soil profile. In turn that’s made our greens much more healthy and playable, even after heavy rains.”
— Greg D’Antonio, Golf Course Superintendent / Facilities Manager, Concord CC, West Chester, Pa.
“We’ve learned a lot, and they’ve helped our entire program here as far as noise, fuel, consumption and improving the rough. It gives me flexibility. I can mow all 60 acres by myself. It’s great to have everything in your hands with an app and the help of some robots.”
— Jeff Miller, Director of Agronomy, The Santaluz Club, San Diego
“Install is easy, all it takes is a crew of five guys, some simple tools and a mortar mixer. As a crew, we’re able to line five to six full bunkers a day. The ability to mix on-site also allows for any repairs or changes to be done quickly and simply. We installed it in our full bunker renovation with Mike DeVries, who is not much of a fan of liners. To get his graces as well was nothing short of a miracle.”
— Alex Lincoln, Superintendent, Lakelands G&CC, Brighton, Mich.
<p>The post Presenting <em>Golfdom</em>‘s 2024 Supers’ Choice Award winners first appeared on Golfdom.</p>
