Toro has announced the 16th annual Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program. In January 2018, one lucky turfgrass science student will travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to help the grounds crew prepare the field for the biggest game in football. 

Toro equipment and representatives have been involved in preparing the stadium and practice fields for the Super Bowl for almost 50 years. Starting with the inaugural World Championship in 1967, the NFL grounds crew has relied on Toro for its expertise and equipment in preparing the game field and multiple practice facilities. In 2002, the organizations partnered to establish the Toro Super Bowl Sports Turf Training Program. 

Through the Sports Turf Training Program, Toro and the NFL’s Super Bowl grounds team collaborate to offer a program aimed at enhancing the skills of emerging sports turf professionals. This program provides hands-on experience in establishing and maintaining one of the highest quality and safest playing surfaces in the world. This year’s recipient will work alongside NFL field director, Ed Mangan, George Toma and the Super Bowl grounds crew at U.S. Bank Stadium on synthetic turf maintenance, logo painting, field preparation for media day, halftime preparation and field clean-up. Beginning on January 27, 2018, the winner will be on hand at U.S. Bank Stadium preparing the field leading up to the game on February 4, 2018.

To be considered for the program, applicants must complete and submit an application form, as well as a 500-word typed essay, describing the applicant’s professional goals. A reference and résumé are also required.

Entries must be received by October 20, 2017. Applicants must be enrolled in at least the second year of a two-year turf program, or in at least the junior year of a four-year turf program. The application must include the contact information of a school advisor or representative, as well. 

The winner will be notified no later than November 4, 2017. Applications can be completed online here.  For additional information, potential applicants can learn more about the program by consulting with their school’s turf program. 

Any questions or comments can be directed to boyd.montgomery@toro.com.

Hundreds of golf courses were damaged by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Drone pilots and Turf.Solutions have come together to help golf management companies assess the damage and plan for remediation.   

“From what we can surmise, approximately 450 golf courses have been seriously damaged by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma,” Turf.Solutions CEO John Tull said. “In addition to countless human tragedies and home loss resulting from the hurricanes, golf course owners and operators must assess the damage and assemble a renovation plan to get back into operation. Turf.Solutions can help by providing the tools needed for golf courses to efficiently make course assessments, generate insurance claims and plan remediation efforts.”  

Several industry experts have noted that many golf course superintendents are simply overwhelmed with the scale of the assessment process – what has been damaged, measuring and quantifying impacts to turf and facilities for insurance claims, and quantify debris removal efforts. Before a damaged course is fully operational, superintendents will need to assess impacts to irrigation and drainage systems, which may not be obvious on Day 1. “We are encouraging golf course superintendents to gather aerial imagery immediately to capture this moment in time, measure damage in its original form and identify known problems on a high-resolution map,” Tull said.

Although drones have been prominent in the news, most superintendents have viewed drones as a marketing video tool, not a measurement and analytical tool.  “In our experience, many golf courses have not seen a strong use case for drones, except marketing videos,” Tull said. “Most courses damaged by Hurricane Harvey and Irma have a clear reason for employing drone flights to create damage assessments and track remediation efforts over time. Virtually any insurance claim will be many, many times larger than the cost of the drone flight and software tools. In this circumstance, using drones is a no-brainer.”

Willie Pennington, BASF turf and ornamental sales representative for North and South Carolina, is being inducted into the Tuskegee University Athletic Hall of Fame as one of their athletic legends. The ceremony, held Sept. 15, recognizes Pennington’s achievements on the football field as an offensive guard. Pennington was a vital team member whose abilities helped lead the Golden Tigers to three straight SAIC Championships from 1967-69. 
 
He earned his degree in chemistry education in 1970, and in 2017 celebrated 45 years of service with BASF. He received an extended standing ovation at the BASF National Business Conference in August, where his contributions to the company were recognized.

He is a well-known and highly regarded professional who values friendship and respect, and brings warmth and trust to every relationship: on the field, in the office, on the road and at home. Pennington resides in Raleigh with his wife Aris.

Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club has named Ed Shimkus as the club’s new director of agronomy. Shimkus will oversee all agronomic operations for the club’s 18-hole, par-71 course known as Big Wick as well as its nine-hole course.

Located in historic Wickenburg, Ariz., approximately one hour northwest of downtown Phoenix, Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club is transitioning to a private club reserved for members and their guests. For a limited time as the community builds out, the spectacular club will be open to a controlled amount of unaccompanied non-member play.

Shimkus has 23-plus years of agronomy and turf management experience at many high-profile Arizona golf courses. Most recently, Shimkus served as the golf course superintendent at Scottsdale National Golf Club where he oversaw the construction of 27 new holes and maintenance of the club’s existing 18-hole golf course. Prior to Scottsdale National (formerly The Golf Club Scottsdale), Shimkus worked as Troon Golf’s regional director of agronomy from 1998 to 2002 where he oversaw turf management at the company’s Arizona properties. A former avionics technician in the U.S. Marine Corp, Shimkus is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University’s turfgrass management program.