Penn State Turf Club

     On Tuesday September 29th, the Penn State Turf Club welcomed guest speaker 
Mike Mausolf to State College to share his golf course management experiences and knowledge with us. Mike is the Superintendent of the South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan. For those that are unfamiliar with Oakland Hills, it is a top 20 ranked golf course, in the United States, with a very prestigious history and culture. Mike gave us great insight on what it takes to be a superintendent at a high level course, what to expect from the job, how one should conduct themselves professionally, and how to manage time and people efficiently. He also shared great insight on possible job and internship opportunities with Oakland Hills in the future. Mike gave a very well rounded and educating presentation. We want to extend our gratitude to him and Oakland Hills for allowing him to be here and help us grow as students. We wish you good luck with the 2016 U.S. Amateur! Thank you for becoming another great connection in the Penn State turf family Mike! 

On Thursday April 23rd, Penn State hosted a guest speaker. Along with winning the Turf Bowl in San Antonio, Penn State Turf students were awarded a visit from world renown agronomist and golf course consultant, Lewis Sharp, for winning the Tee-2-Green Trivia Challenge. The reward from Mr. Sharp was an informational lecture that shared just a small portion of his vast amount knowledge in the seed and golf course industries. The turf club was informed on many of the precise, painstaking processes it takes to breed and grow different types of turf. Mr. Sharp also informed us on Penn State turf legend Dr. Joe Duich's footprint in the Tee-2-Green company and how his world famous Penncross seed is their leading seller. The meeting came to a close with the presentation of a plaque from Lewis to the turf club for winning. On behalf of the turf club, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Lewis for making the trip and taking the time to teach our students a little bit of what it takes to be successful.

On Tuesday April 21st, John Deere Golf hosted a celebration dinner for Penn State Turf Bowl Competitors, faculty, and Alumni at the Nittany Lion Inn.  Alumni from Augusta National, Merion, Shelter Harbor, and Mountaintop were present. The evening kicked off with a small mixer where students and alumni met and talked turf. Before dinner, Tom Hannigan and Dave Plaster of John Deere recognized the alumni present and the success of the PSU turf teams. Three teams placed in the top ten capturing 1st, 3rd, and 9th place. After dinner, stories and memories generated laughs by all in attendance. The students presented Dr. Ben McGraw their advisor with a framed picture of the group and a card thanking him for his dedication. Many stories about the late Dr. Joe Duich were also told, demonstrating the incredible impact he had on his students. We want to extend a big thank you to John Deere for assembling a great group and evening, celebrating Penn State’s Turf Bowl success!

   On Tuesday March 31, the Penn State Turf Club invited Beaver Stadium Groundskeeper Paul Curtis to come and speak at our meeting. Paul's task was to inform us on the many aspects of maintaining Beaver Stadiums football field and staff. Upholding the center piece of a football history this rich requires vigorous work, time, and dedication. After hearing what Paul had to say, it's easy to see that this is no easy task. Everywhere from mowing to making sure his staff is satisfied, there are no shortcuts to making our field safe and aesthetically pleasing. Paul also hinted that Beaver Stadium might soon be hosting events other than college football games (such as the NHL Winter Classic). Even if this is just speculation, it would be a historic task for our staff, one that Paul thinks we are ready for. As requested by Joe Paterno, Beaver Stadium has ONLY played host to college football. It could be the end of an era and a movement into a new market and the ticket to a free re-sodding! On behalf of the Turf Club, I would like to thank Paul for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come and meet with us. Thanks Paul!

The Penn State Turf Club would like to thank all who donated to the club this past year.  The club has received donations from the following individuals; Turf Equipment and Supply Company, Baltusrol Golf Club, Mark and Janet Kuhns, Wendell and Linda Boyd, and David Guerin of G.H Griffith Inc.  The Turf Club appreciates your donation and commitment to continuing education in the turfgrass management field.

With a growing concern in the Turfgrass industry over water management and usage the Penn State Turf Club has Chosen Dr. Phillip Watson and Dawn Thilmany's article titled "Water-use efficiency in golf" for the 2011 Article of the Year. The article appeared in the June 2011 issue of GCM magazine and was chosen because of its relevance to the industry today. Turf Club members felt that it accurately presented the facts about water consumption on golf courses and gave facts to the reader rather than myths. The Penn State Turf Club would like to congratulate Dr. Phillip Watson and Dawn Thilmany on their outstanding work and look forward to more publishings in the future.