Miranda Robinson

As we approach the summer of 2025, Miranda Robinson is viewing the turf industry from a new perspective. After spending time at seven different golf facilities, plus a stint as an administrator, Robinson has joined TerraRad Tech as an agronomy advisor. Her focus is on a moisture sensor the company has introduced.

“You can use it to scan your fairways and get a really good map of the way the current water situation is on your property,” she says. “It’s a very new way for superintendents to be able to get a lot of points of data.

“It’s a great way to be able to manage your property as well as give detailed explanations to staff and board members about different conditions on your property. Typically, people will be using it on the back of a fairway mower scanning their fairways as they’re mowing. When they come in, it uploads all their data and gives them this great map with pictorial representation of the colors and the different drought and wet options on your fairways.”

Robinson stepped away from working day-to-day on a golf course in part because of the physical toll of two decades of doing so, and also to spend more time with her father, who has been ill in recent years.

Instead of leading a crew as a superintendent, Robinson advises other turf professionals and educates them on TerraRad’s new moisture sensor. She serves in a liaison role between superintendents and Dr. Derek Houtz, the CEO of TerraRad Tech and the innovator behind the moisture sensor.

Appearing on the Wonderful Women of Golf podcast with host Rick Woelfel, Robinson says she enjoys that role.

“It’s cool to be that go-between for the end-line users and the engineers that are doing this,” she says. “It’s cool to show them the way they can use this technology in ways that are relevant to a superintendent.”

Growing up in Ontario, Robinson was an athlete and competed in team sports. Like so many who have chosen turf as a career, she was drawn to the profession because she enjoys being outdoors. Her present position provides her with opportunities to do that, or if necessary, to create her own opportunities.

“Even in my position with TerraRad I am still spending my weekends out on the golf course,” she says. “Going out with the Terra- Rad sensor or going out and changing holes or cutting greens because my partner is a superintendent.”

Robinson is pleased to see that opportunities for women in turf have increased throughout her career — particularly at high-end clubs.

“I find that really cool to see,” she says. “The amount of female representation at higher clubs. Public courses are where I grew up. That’s my mainstay. I absolutely loved my time at all my public courses. But to see (women) feeling confident enough to apply to these positions. Because I think that may have been the thing that was missing. They didn’t have that support system like they do now.

“I’ve had countless females come to me and ask me for advice going into an interview, or on their résumés, or cover letters. It’s fantastic to be there to help them, to feel their dreams and goals. And I see quite a few getting there.

“I go out of my way to try to speak to the superintendents who are the hiring people in situations to try to give them a little extra push if I can. I find it really endearing to have other people out there doing it for women as well.”