Another year, another … wait a minute, not so fast. This was a particularly low-fiber year, Grainy-wise. With only limited controversy, the surfaces have been smooth and consistent. But before you settle into complacency, the new decade is just around the corner. What will 2020 have in store? We can’t wait. The envelopes please.

Best Comedy

Pace of play. What a joke! Or is it a tragedy? Tour officials work “for” the players so they’re afraid to drop the hammer when it’s obviously called for. (J.B. Holmes, Bryson and the entire LPGA Tour.) Do your job, throw some penalty shots around, and in the process let that Tour wannabe dragging his or her ass in front of me know that slow play has consequences.

Best Supporting Actor

Jack Holt, the longtime (39 years) assistant superintendent at Pebble Beach. My dear friend made all those events I worked at Pebble over the years well worth it. A true gentleman who finally got his due after working 125 professional events. Enjoy the fishing with your faithful companions, Lefty and Charlie.

Best Double Feature

While we’re praising Pebble Beach, it gets the rare double for its two events in 2019. The Monday playoff in February (Phil, I wanna play now!), then the big return in June for a U.S. Open that worked. Why? Because Pebble’s powers that be made it clear to the USGA that the only way they’d host another U.S. Open was to let the course’s professional staff do the setup. We’re anticipating similar “production” awards for Winged Foot in 2020.

Worst Script

The Rules of Golf. In trying to dumb down the essence of the game, the confusion only got more confusing. Practice your drops? Same-ball rule? A politically correct name for “hazards?” Did you use a word processor or a shredder?

Best Costume Design

Maybe that should be “barest” costume design. Brooks Koepka wanted to avoid costumes and clothes altogether, posing for ESPN Magazine’s Body Issue, then revealing his “package” for Halloween. It certainly gives new meaning to the terms implement and balls.

Best Foreign Film

And probably the happiest moment of the year was Shane Lowry’s Open Championship victory. The first Open in Ireland in more than 50 years AND it was won by an Irishman (and nobody cares that he isn’t a Northern Irishman). They’re probably still celebrating in the local pubs.

Best Adapted Screenplay

The Augusta National Women’s Amateur. (Take that, Martha Burk!) In fact, it was a triple play for Augusta: The inaugural Women’s Amateur was a home run; the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship continues to be the best junior event going; and, of course, Tiger’s win for the ages.

Best Production Design

Bethpage State Park. A tip of the Grainy to the PGA of America and director of agronomy Andrew Wilson. Moving the PGA Championship from the dog days of August to the freshness of spring makes all the difference in the world.

Worst Production Design

Mother Nature. Hurricanes, drought, snow, fires, tornadoes. Yes, ma’am, we get it: You’re the boss. Kudos if any golfer at your course actually said “thank you” for a job well done in a very demanding year.

Special Achievement Award

Steph Curry. The basketball superstar isn’t just a golf nut, he’s putting his passion to good use, including making a major donation to Howard University to support both a men’s and women’s golf team for six years. Slam dunk!

Worst Makeup

We’re not sure what’s in their makeup that regularly makes Sergio and Bryson — as well as others from time to time — act like petulant, spoiled brats. Unless they’re vying for a best acting award, all their moaning, pouting, club slamming and whining should be at least called out — and at most penalized.

Worst Subtitles

Hank Haney. Despite his crystal ball being correct about South Korean players, he was wrong to say anything in any language. Four of the five women’s majors were won by Koreans, but his suspension — and whatever business he might have lost — was justified.

Best Actor, Silent Film

Mike who? The muzzling of the USGA’s CEO was as welcome as it was surprising. The award probably should go to whoever on the USGA Executive Committee pushed his mute button. Might it be a group award?

Best Documentary

But also the saddest: Ron Whitten’s Golf Digest story about mental health issues among superintendents is required reading. Being able to work outdoors isn’t enough to keep our brethren happy and of sound body and mind. The stress our industry puts on the grounds staff is incredible … and rarely noticed.

Best Actresses

A tie: Congratulations to Suzy Whaley for assuming the president’s role at the PGA of America and to Jan Bel Jan at the American Society of Golf Course Architects. You rule!

Worst Choreography

Whoever managed the mass “retirement” at the USGA really bungled that push to the exit. Veiled in innuendo, hyperbole and age discrimination, I have to think the big winners will be lawyers. Guess 55 is the new 65?

Best Historical Drama

Tiger catches Slammin’ Sam with 82 tour victories. Kathy Whitworth laughs.

Second-Best Historical Drama

Phil falls out of the top 50 for the first time in 26 years. Who is Tiger going to tell his dad jokes to? On the other hand, it should give Phil more time to post to his must-watch Phireside Chats. #PhiresideWithPhil

Best Sound Editing

Cutting Gary McCord and Peter Kostis from CBS broadcasts. Nothing really against either of those guys, but they won’t be missed much, and the telecasts will be better with fewer voices talking, talking and talking some more. I don’t care about down swings and divots, uphill and downhill grain, let alone how to putt on broccoli. And a warning to the incoming Davis Love III: Get your facts straight before you open your mouth.

Worst Time-Lapse Photography

The Ryder Cup won’t be played until next fall, but the silliness started months ago with tours, press conferences, photo ops, even arguments about who should be on the team and in line for tickets.

The Not-So-Good-Of-The-Game Award

To the PGA Tour for OK’ing on-site gambling. Note: Pete Rose just applied for his Tour card.

Worst Short Feature

Michelle Wie throws in the towel (but with her bad wrist, it must have really hurt). It will be interesting to see how history judges her career.

Best Picture and 2019 Grainy Winner

Tiger at The Masters.

In Memoriam

Alice Dye, Dan Jenkins, Gene Littler. They don’t make them like that anymore. RIP.

Tartan Talks No. 41

A renovation doesn’t work if a superintendent and architect fail to connect. Neither does a multi-person podcast.

For the first time in the 3½-year history of Tartan Talks, a superintendent collaborated with an architect to fill our audiowaves. We visited Cincinnati last month to tour 36-hole Kenwood Country Club, where Jason Straka of Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design is working closely with superintendent Kent Turner to improve the club’s William Diddel- designed Kendale Course.

After observing work on the irrigation system, greens, bunkers and fairways, we slipped into Turner’s office to record the podcast. The pair discussed a variety of topics, including what architects and superintendents seek from each other during a major project.

Visit our Superintendent Radio Network page by entering http://bit.ly/2QAFbhI into your web browser to hear the current and the 40 previous Tartan Talks episodes.

The other evening, I saw something posted on Twitter by a fellow golf course superintendent I really liked. It was a simple yet informative post with photos attached. I could tell he was “talking” to his membership. He’s the golf course superintendent of a private country club.

After hitting the “like” button, I switched over to DM and dropped him a quick note. I told him I admire the work he’s doing and enjoy his feed. He shares great content and sets a great example for all of us superintendents.

He quickly replied, thanking me for the kind words. What he said next surprised me: he was considering quitting Twitter because on too many occasions he’s received replies from other superintendents or industry colleagues negatively commenting on his posts. The comments mostly question what he’s doing. One individual stated what he was doing was incorrect and predicted it would most likely fail. He didn’t want his membership to see and read the negative comments about this work and decision-making from industry colleagues, so he deleted the original posts.

I joined the Twitter community six years ago following a conversation with my green committee chairman. With the average age of our membership continuing to get younger, we believed Twitter would be a great way to post course-related information in real time. So, from my outset, the target audience has always been the members at my facility.

Granted, it didn’t take long for folks in the turf world to find me and my following grew. I have embraced the information sharing and conversation that has ensued. I even compare it to the “World’s Largest Local Association Meeting,” all from the comforts of your sofa.

But occasionally a few folks still get a little overzealous in the proverbial sandbox. I too have received comments or questions at times from colleagues on my posts, and my first thought is, “Really?!” My personal philosophy has always been to “like” replies as a way to acknowledge the person who commented, so if you ever see a reply I failed to “like,” it’s probably because I didn’t appreciate your remarks in the public forum.

A couple of years ago I received a visit from a trusted colleague and friend. We’ve known each other for more than 20 years, meeting at university. He’s a former superintendent absolutely killing it on the sales side for one of the big three equipment distributors. He stopped by to tell me there were some local folks jealous and felt my Twitter posts contained too much bragging.

I promptly thanked him for sharing and told him the next time he encountered those folks to politely tell them I was sorry, but they are not my target audience. If a fellow superintendent or industry professional sees my post and learns something from it, or wants to engage and ask questions, that’s great. But the intent of the post is to inform the membership, not my peers.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to engage in banter and sometimes a snarky remark can be funny. Heck, that same former committee chairman told me he thought the interactions of turf professionals on social media was like water cooler chit-chat in the office place. Because we’re out on the course all day, we don’t have the opportunity to walk down the hall and engage in a little banter with a colleague. Twitter affords us that opportunity.

But we need to pay closer attention to both the messenger and the intended audience of the message before we run the risk of embarrassing a peer in front of their owner, board, committee or members. I’ve engaged in numerous private conversations after seeing something on Twitter. I’ve learned a great deal from each of you in six short years, some of which I’ve implemented at my facility.

So, with the holidays fast approaching, I hope we can all agree to be nice to one another, because there is plenty of room in this sandbox for everyone. Just remember to hit “like” and continue to be supportive. And if you really feel someone might be making an error, shoot them a private direct message. I’m sure that person would be happy to learn without the indignity of you being off target.

OK, kids, gather round and let’s talk one last time about why this is the greatest business in the world.

First, this thing you do … it’s hopelessly inadequate to call it “golf course maintenance.” You are highly professional managers of what are, in many cases, incredibly valuable urban greenspaces. Economically, environmentally and socially, these swatches of earth and plants you care for really do matter. Each one is a gigantic community asset. Never take that for granted.

Sure, there is the daily grind of being overtasked and understaffed. And there’s the nagging feeling that golfers just don’t get it. But few of you lose sleep waiting for that rare compliment from a member. Most of you do the job for yourselves, I think. The instant gratification of seeing lasers mown, edges perfected, bunkers looking just so. And then there are those moments when you’re alone on the course and – just for a second or two – you allow yourself to feel genuine pride in this fabulous thing you’ve helped to create. Sound familiar?

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve heard the same “origin story” from supers who took a summer job on a course and then were unexpectedly smitten by the beauty and allure of it. In many cases, you were astounded to find out it was an actual career and they taught it in college. I’ve always thought it was telling how many of you said that same damned thing when I asked how you got into this crazy business.

Another commonality: A healthy fixation on making this giant living thing you’re in charge of better and healthier than it was when you started. One of the huge differences between good greenkeepers and great ones is the burning desire to make Baby better than last year. Even if players don’t really notice those little touches, you do … and it makes you smile a little every time you see them.

And that, of course, is why passion is mandatory. No one reading this is likely to get rich or famous doing what you do. Thus, you do it because you love it (and hate it) and can’t imagine not doing it (and constantly think about quitting). It’s often struck me that you seem to be having a tumultuous affair with your own job. It’s been crazy fun to watch that over the decades.

You find camaraderie with nearly everyone who does what you do. Years ago, I started borrowing from Harvey Penick’s famous line and saying, “If you grow grass, you are my friend.” I think that’s true for many of y’all. It’s a tiny, weird world yet those of us who have been welcomed into it are loath to ever leave.

And you find people to love by the boatload in this community. And now I’m crying … so let’s wrap this up.

This is my last column for Golf Course Industry and the official end of my time on the team. I’m very, very lucky I got to work with awesome people like Mike Zawacki, Jim Blayney, Russ Warner and Guy Cipriano, and friends like Tim Moraghan and Henry DeLozier who contributed amazing ideas in every issue.

I’m also beyond grateful that 10 years ago this month, GIE Media’s founder, Richard Foster, pointed me gently toward sobriety. With that came more blessings and joy than I could describe in a million columns.

As for this space, it is time to vacate the premises for a new tenant. I hope I used it to inform, enlighten, irritate, amuse and provoke you along the way. That said, please know how much your kind words about this column have meant to me over the years. Thank you, each and every one of you, for taking the time to read this nonsense.

(By the way, be assured I’m not retiring from writing. That would be like retiring from breathing for me.)

So, what’s next? I honestly don’t know at the moment. As Robert Burns said, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I remain a hopeless optimist, but a little dose of humility was good for my soul.

One thing I’m not humble about: I’m a proud honorary turfhead and I’m never leaving this business. It’s way too much fun and there are too many great stories left to tell. The next couple of decades are going to be a fabulous time in our happy little industry. It’s going to be a smarter, savvier, better market … and I can’t wait to be part of it.

Wishing peace, joy and boundless love to all of you.

Louis L’Amour, an accomplished American short-story writer and novelist once said, “Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” Well, you may have seen an irrigation system or two that didn’t properly work this way, but you understand the point. To write a book, or an article or that lengthy email “to management,” you simply have to get started.

Whether you are naturally a good writer, or it is a skill that you have to work at, writing is a critical communication tool, and more often than not, you should “get it in writing.” Where there is a will there is a way, and where there is writing there is reading — and a way to make time for it all. We spoke with these respected industry figures about their journeys to become authors while managing their day-to-day responsibilities (and you can, too!).

Anthony L. Williams

(Wiley, 2012), Noble Habits (Xulon Press, 2015)

To write The Environmental Stewardship Toolkit: How to Build, Implement and Maintain an Environmental Plan for Grounds and Golf Courses, Anthony L. Williams “woke up around 6 a.m., worked at the courses until 5 p.m. or so, headed home for dinner with the family, kept the dojo moving forward, then would sleep a couple of hours, get up around 11 p.m. and write for three hours or so before getting up and repeating the cycle.” And yet life was … balanced.

Williams, CGCS, is a Shihan (Master) and a 9th Degree Black Belt in the National College of Martial Arts, the author of two books and dozens of articles, has endured 24 broken bones and heart surgery, and is currently director of golf course and landscape operations at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. Actually, he is a self-titled “vintage superintendent,” with a career spanning multiple decades.

The first manuscript Williams wrote was Noble Habits, a guide to living life fully and with choices prioritizing Christian values and a balanced life. It was by following these principles that he was able to write The Toolkit. However, he didn’t publish Noble Habits until after The Toolkit was out. When Noble Habits did go to print, Williams realized, “writing doesn’t have to be perfect for it to be published, it is the best you can do in that moment.”

For The Toolkit, Williams was approached by an editor from Wiley when some of his articles caught her attention. They initially discussed a book about water conservation, but he wanted to write comprehensively about environmental stewardship and he crafted a proposal accordingly. It was accepted, and because of his schedule and projects at the course, he was determined to finish the copy in 18 months. He aimed to write “a very high-science book in common language,” and his accomplishment led to a satisfying trip to the Library of Congress, where he was able to call for the book he wrote.

Writing a book proved a new challenge, and Williams almost balked (there is always work to do!). However, a friend asked him, “Do you know how many people want to write a book?” and that was all the encouragement he needed. Williams had always loved to write, excelling at writing in high school and keeping detailed journals in college. His “writing started from a love of reading, which develops your own thoughts, and thoughts lead to a profession.”

Williams used much of the advance and proceeds from his books to support his interests by donating to rainforest and other environmental charities, endowments, PBS, missionary causes, suicide prevention and more. “Sales have never been a primary goal,” but he absolutely wants to leave a legacy “of a better tomorrow.”

For his own writing, Williams “gets ideas all over the place, writes things by hand on a legal pad, and then does a strong draft at the computer.” There are many ways to write, but a professional tip is to negotiate an indexing service into your contract – it will save you a lot of time. He also likes to read trade journals and rereads works by Napoleon Hill and J. R. R. Tolkien – you always find something new.

In the acknowledgements of The Toolkit, Williams thanks his family for inspiring him to “undertake epic causes through everyday actions.” Williams lives by the credo of “take care of the land and the land will take care of you.” Superintendents have a clear directive to communicate well to further their environmental stewardship goals and further enhance the golf experience for everyone. Just start small, move in the right direction, and when you can, make it epic.

Mike Hurdzan

other titles include Golf Greens: History, Design and Construction; Golf Course Design; Selected Golf Courses; Golf Course Architecture: Design, Construction and Restoration; Golf Course Architecture: Evolutions in Design, Construction and Restoration Technology; Building a Practical Golf Facility

Mike Hurdzan believes it takes “a thick skin” to be an author. With several titles to his credit, including Golf Course Architecture: Design, Construction and Restoration – commonly referred to as “the modern bible of golf architecture” – he knows.

Surprisingly, writing did not come easily for Hurdzan. He had to wade through two remedial English classes (yes, two) before enrolling in college English. Later, when he was working in golf architecture, someone gave him two books written in the 1920s by noted golf course architects George Thomas Jr. and Robert Hunter. He was inspired by what he learned from those books. “They are why I started writing and how I chose my topics,” Hurdzan says.

Hurdzan also wanted to “memorialize what he learned as a professional” and he appreciates books. Digital information is increasingly accessible, but the in-depth explorations of topics that books offer are critical. Books provide a historical and cultural value in a different way from any online platform.

In fact, Hurdzan is an avid collector of golf memorabilia and books, with more than 6,500 volumes in his renowned collection. It’s often referenced by professors, writers and Hurdzan himself, who discovers relevant information and useful ideas in books all the time. He reads the papers daily and enjoys Bernard Darwin and the intriguing military novels of Frederick Forsyth – Hurdzan himself was a Colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces.

Despite his traditional publishing success, numerous awards and accolades, several publishers decided to pass on Golf and Law: Golf Course Safety, Security and Risk Management, Hurdzan’s most recent work. They weren’t sure it would sell in the volumes necessary to be profitable – publishing is notorious for its slim margins. Hurdzan felt it was important enough to self-publish and “didn’t write it to sell a million books but to address how ill-prepared the community is.”

Accidents happen, and lawsuits sometimes follow – Hurdzan “has been an expert witness at over 160 of them” – so with their costly nature, it makes sense to pay attention to how to make your course as safe as possible for your staff, players, spectators and the management responsible. He says, “most of the lawsuits could have been avoided through good safety management practices,” and his book addresses these shortcomings.

Besides his wonderful collection and the books he writes, books are part of the Hurdzan Golf logo, modeled on Rodin’s iconic The Thinker. “A lot of people feel golf architecture is a craft or an art form, but it’s far more than that,” Hurdzan says. “It’s a blending of science, soil and climate, and that’s the idea we had with The Thinker. We added the golf clubs and whether he’s looking at a scorecard or reading a golf book – we wanted to make that connection, as subtle as it is, between golf and the thoughtful nature of golf architecture.”

With a strong cup of coffee (Starbucks or Tim Hortons), and ideally a few successive mornings, the first draft of something new is written on a legal pad and typed into Microsoft Word. Online or printed copies suffice for editing and after just a draft or two, Hurdzan’s work is ready to be seen by a fellow expert for review.

“Writers and editors can polish your words,” he says, but the content has to be worthy – that’s how you capture the reader. Hurdzan knows that “anyone can learn to write by remembering that ‘brevity is the essence of clear thought.’” Once a superintendent and now well known as one of the co-designers of Erin Hills – home of the 2017 U.S. Open – Hurdzan is clearly a writer. Whether it’s emails, articles or books, what are you reading? Are you a writer too? Think about it.

Nick Christians

(Wiley, 2016), other titles include: The Mathematics of Turfgrass Maintenance with Michael Agnew; Scotts Lawns: Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard with Scotts, Mathematics for the Green Industry with Michael Agnew, Nancy Agnew and Ann Marie Vanderzanden

“Writing is something that I really like to do,” Christians says. With more than 40 years of experience in teaching, researching, writing and publishing, he has authored over 1,200 articles, abstracts and research papers. He is a university professor of turfgrass management at Iowa State University and writing and publishing are part of his job. Plus, he adds, “for the first 10 years of my career, writing articles was also a good way to make some extra money.”

Christians has contributed to a few “Scotts books” – yard and lawn care guides produced by the giant company – and those books have sold well – around 500,000 copies. But even where there is success, full-time employment has been supplemented or replaced by freelance work. Christians has witnessed a huge change in the publishing industry and he “has talked to a lot of freelance folks and that is now a tough industry to be in.”

Asked if he could see himself writing another book, Christians replies, “I don’t see a niche where I would work on a book,” as the market for turf books is somewhat saturated. He “worked hard on books for 16 years” and his most widely used book – Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management – has four main parts: Grasses, Turf Culture, Turf Pest Management and The Turf Industry. Christians has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and North America giving seminars about these topics and he “gets letters from all over the country about that book,” underscoring what is now its fifth edition.

Christians invited two former students, Aaron Patton and Quincy Law, to help with it and to possibly “carry it forward.” The book edition was published in 2016. Christians says he is a few years from retirement and he sees the value of that book “continuing to the future.”

Though the publishing industry has changed, there is always room for research and academic publishing. With graduate students, “we work extensively on writing” but with the undergraduates, “not as much writing is happening as it should.”

Writing needs to flow easily, as “kids who write well have a huge advantage in school.” Christians outlines a lot of his work and outlining is a skill he encourages his students to develop. With your article or paper outlined, creating your work is straightforward – simply follow your trail of ideas. “Without the outline, 75 to 80 percent of the kids just ramble, with no idea what they are talking about.”

Christians credits one particular teacher in his small high school for shaping him into the writer that he is today. Because of her, in school, “everyone had to write a theme every two weeks, and if it was good enough, you didn’t have to rewrite it.” There was a valid incentive to write exceptionally well on the first try. Christians had to work at it, but eventually he no longer needed to revise his themes. That confidence and ease led to a clear, prolific writing style.

Most of his reading time has been spent on professional books and trade journals, noting that one of the best sources of written work about turf is the online and extensive Turfgrass Information Center, hosted by Michigan State University. Foreseeing more free time, Christians says he is “branching out.” He is finding more joy in “novels and other kinds of books” and he is currently reading the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant.

“If you are telling people about writing, it is just plain hard work,” Christians observes.” It takes tenacity, you have got to sit down and do it, and procrastination is your biggest enemy. Don’t leave it until the last minute.”

Mike Bavier

Partnerships abound in publishing and while many are obvious, more go unnoticed. Michael Bavier’s and Gordon Witteveen’s book Practical Golf Course Maintenance: The Magic of Greenkeeping is a testament to collaboration and multiple successful partnerships.

Bavier and Witteveen created the first edition of Practical Golf Course Maintenance in the late 1990s, based on information they would present at seminars in North America and Europe. “Any place we could get our foot in the door, we went,” Bavier says. As they traveled, they saw the need for making the content accessible in a written format.

Witteveen worked with Sleeping Bear Press, a small publishing house in Michigan, to strike a deal for Practical Golf Course Maintenance and it was later acquired by Wiley. Witteveen has passed away, but Bavier has revised and produced the third edition with the effort and assistance of his wife, Mary – a lovely, lifelong partnership.

Bavier and Witteveen worked equally hard on the book, but Witteveen did more of the initial writing. In the beginning, chapters were traded through the mail. Witteveen would write them and Bavier would offer revisions. There is a joyful freedom in partner-writing, with one person able to brazenly create content and the other able to see it with fresh eyes. Through trust and cooperation, the product is stronger.

Also, Witteveen “is Canadian and we knew the book would sell more copies in America,” so Bavier helped with language nuances as well as technical details. Everyone involved wanted “the audience of the book to be as extensive as possible.”

This is a practical book written by superintendents and its comprehensive nature – covering everything from topdressing to course traffic to job descriptions – resonated not only with superintendents but also with those who wanted to know more about daily course management. Chapter after chapter illustrates the range of responsibilities that a superintendent has, providing a basic understanding for discussing the bottom line.

Beyond a writing partnership, and the supportive partnerships at home, other relationships include those of the editor and the author(s), the editor and the layout team, and work with printing, sales and rights before a book is even produced. The most important partnership, however, is the one between the author and his audience. This relationship comes naturally for Bavier.

Bavier connected with many people through presentations but he was also connecting with the people at Inverness (Illinois) Golf Club at home, where he started working in 1969, became the superintendent and is a member today. Witteveen, who was the superintendent at the 45-hole Board of Trade Country Club in Toronto was close to retiring when the first book was being worked on, and Bavier was in the later stages of his career. “I would go to the club on the weekends not only to work but because I knew I needed to be in contact with the members,” Bavier says. “I couldn’t just be working in the maintenance shop.”

Bavier’s work as a superintendent and as an author has benefited from those natural connections. He likes to read newspapers and golf magazines and he follows all kinds of sports. Discussing slow play, he recalls something he and his teenage friends would say while putting, “miss it quick.” Missing putts is one thing, but don’t miss this third edition of Practical Golf Course Maintenance.

Superintendents always have numerous responsibilities and Bavier acknowledges that you “can’t do this kind of book for the money.” It’s possible to be published, “but it’s going to be a challenge. You can go to a small publisher who might take a chance.” Whatever your choice, connect with your audience and know that every good partnership is worth the effort.