Turf Talk

Mark Kann (x/@mgkann) joins us and we talk grass varieties and how they come to be and also some FTGA

Moe Robinson ( x/@turfmow) joined us and covered features and inovations of turfRad. She is the Customer Success and Agronomy Advisor for turfRad and our 2nd International Turf Talk guest.

Dr. Bryan Unruh (x/ @jbunruh) has been instrumental in developing BMPs to protect Florida’s water quality by reducing nutrient runoff, while also guiding turf managers in complying with Basin Management Action Plans (BMAPs) to maintain high-quality turf in environmentally sensitive watersheds.

Joel Simmons (x/@soilfirst) joins us on the start of Earthworks and industry topics in the world of organic fertilizers.

Brain Beckner joins us and we cover his story of becoming the one and only Native Bird Boxes (x/@nativebirdboxes) and all of the other cool wildlife things he does.

This week Ty and Rob were joined by Curt Geron (X/@EnPCurt) and John Gruneisen (X/@Thegreeniron) of Foliar Pak and learn about the company and about amino acids and how they help turf managers everywhere.

Phillip Turturro (x/@chompchomp15) joins us and talks about the journey of building and designing Gator National Golf Club (x/@GatorNational), a 4 hole short course in his backyard near San Antonio, Texas.

Tanner Coffman (x/@TannerCoffman2) Director of Turf at TGL joins us and updates us on some new happenings at TGL and how the 1st season unfolded.

Nathan Florian (x/@TurfsolutionsFL) joins us and covers the beginnings of his company and the innovations they are doing now.

Allyn Hane (x/@AllynPaul) joins us and covers his start in the lawn care industry and how he has continued to grow in the industry.

Dr. Mike (x/@MikeFidanza) joins us and covers his career and the famous fairy ring from his #FriskyFairyRingFriday

Mike Hamilton (x/@TurfDietitian) joins us and covers his career and his company Turf Dietician. Also we cover new advances in the turf health industry.

Ty and Rob are joined by some industry partners- Shane Wright of SiteOne, Cole McNally of Harrells, Kevin Wasilewski of Syngenta, David Wells of NuFarm, and Paul Hurst of GreensPro. We talked EOP processes and the beginnings of the program.

Ryan Dillinger (x/@usatacit) joins us as we cover accessories on our courses and some ways Tacit products differ from others in the industry.

Jordan Netzel (x/@thelawntools) ,an optometrist, and half of the Youtube sensation of The Lawn Tools joins us and talks about his love of turf.

Legendary golf course superintendent Matt Shaffer (x/@MattSha20619144) joins Ty and Rob and talks about his journey, stories from along the way and advice to current and future superintendents.

John Rowland, Ph. D. (x/@1Rowland1) in soil and water science joins us and talks about his article that was in GCM Magazine on managing off type bermuda grasses in bermuda greens. We also talked some nematodes and other issues we see on South Florida Courses.

Dr. Travis Shaddox (x/@TravisShaddox) joins us and covers his background and starting his Turfgrass Epistemology YouTube channel.

Stephen Tucker (x/@StephenTucker7) the Senior Director of Golf Maintenance & Landscape at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club in Orlando & Naples Florida joins us and takes us on his journey from equipment manager side to the agronomy side.

Corey Kimball (x/@coreykimball345 ) ,President of Elite Turf Solutions among other things, joins us and covers some unique equipment used by courses for renovations, summer maintenance or projects.

Ty and Rob are joined form the course by Matt Gourlay, CGCS, MG, AGS (x/@mattgourlaycgcs). Matt is the superintendent at Hillcrest County Club in Boise, Idaho, and the recipient of the2025 GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship.

Open mic Turf Talk... What was on our minds and posting some pictures from our phones of things going on on our courses.

Ty and Rob are joined by Ryan Kraushofer, CGCS (X/@GolfSuper2GM) and Trevor Ploetz (X/@TheCrestKeeper) both of whom, along with Ty and Rob, have been a part of GCSAA First Green Field Trips. The GCSAA began managing First Green in the summer of 2018. Since then 21,379 students participated . There has been field trips in 44 states. Looking at you Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia.

Scott (X/@scottobrienturf) joins us and takes us on his journey thru the golf maintenance world and how he ended up at Busch Gardens with his unique position.

Josh Fleisher (X/@Molecricket09) joins the space and we cover his renovation to paspalum and some of his board service is South Florida.

Ron Pote of NanoOxygen Systems (X/@NanoOxygenSys) joins the show and introduces us to his oxygen systems.

We are joined by Nick Pappas (X/@NPappas23) Field Director for the NFL and we go thru his career from building stadiums to being on the field in some of the biggest games in sports.

Tom Vlach, CGCS (x/@TomVlach ) is the founder of Triumph Group, a search and placement firm specializing in country clubs. He has been at some amazing clubs over the years and talks about his journey to where he is today.

Sean O'Rielly (x/SeanDecisiveFL) President of Decisive Design and Environmental Services joins us and bring his knowledge of all things drones and drone spraying. Its been around a lot longer than we think it has. This Episode is in partnership with FIRM and 100th Monkey Enterprises. This ain't no hobby.

Dr. Patrick McCullough (x/@PMcCullough_) joins us and discusses his background and covers some ways to control stubborn weeds.

Dave Ragan of Ragan Technical Solutions (@ragantechnical/X) joins us to talk about his beginnings in the industry, irrigation design, mapping, programming and life experiences along the way.

Ty is joined by a number of college professors and others to address the hurdles of college admissions to 4 year turf programs

Tim Gavrich, Golf Pass Senior Writer (x/@TimGavrich) joins us and discusses courses hes played, the state of golf, and changes he's seen in the industry.

Tanner Coffman, (X/@TannerCoffman2) joins us and gives the scoop on TGL and about the agronomic processes it takes to grow the turf trays and keep the fake turf in top playing condition. Also we touch on the technology used there and innovations hopefully coming in the future.

Ty recaps his trip to the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego. We had lots of friends stop in and talk about their experience.

Steven Spatafore (@spattyspat/x) stops by to cover his background and career thus far. Also cover the Golf Course Superintendents of Northern California Chapters (GCSANC) assistant superintendent boot camp that is in a couple of weeks. Rob finds out it is not Stevens birthday.

Ryan Swilley, CGCS (@RLSwilley/x) who is the DOA at Dye Preserve in Jupiter Florida and FGCSA Vice President joins us and talks his background and we also cover some state and national topics with the golf course industry.

Dr. Drew Miller (x/@Turf_Cowboy) of Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy (x/@TurfgrassTiger) joins us and talks about the program at his high school and the exciting things that are coming to his new facility.

Mike Platt (x/@PlattMikeTurf) joins us and talks about his program and its beginning and where its headed.

Jeff White (@White70L/x) joins us towards the end of his tenure as the GCSAA President and talked about how he got to where he is and his 9 year journey on the board.

Benton Hodges (x/@BPHTurf, @turf2050) joins us and talks autonomous technologies

Kevin Sunderman (x/@kevinsunderman) joins Ty and Rob and talks with them about his backround, some GCSAA happenings, and his role with the GCSAA as its Chief Operating Officer.

2025 GCSAA Emerging Leader Award winner Chad Allen (x/@bentgrasswizard) joins us and talks some turf and leadership

Chris Neff (@chrisneffgolf/x) joins us and talks some GS3 ball and other topics related to the USGA Green Section

Justin Carlton (x/@justCLW) and Lee Marshall (x/@cmgolfdesign) of Carlton Marshall Golf Design join us and talk their company, individual backgrounds, and projects past, now, and future.

Open mic night and we were joined by a cast of characters including but not limited to Todd Lowe, John Reilly, and Chris Johnson where we talked some soils and equipment managers.

John Kaminski Ph.D. (x/@itweetturf) of Penn State University joins us and covers his career, interns, and is turf twitter dead?

Dave Wilbur (@TurfgrassZealot/x) joins us and we talk some turf and mental well being within the industry.

Thomas Bastis joins us for a short update how the 2024 Olympic golf events went now that he is back from Paris.

Mike Rollins (x/mikerollinsSIP) joins us to talk some cutting units, Cutline is King remember, but mostly talk about the industry.