When D.R. “Dewey” Shore was studying his way through architecture school, a professor once told him a story. The Lawrence Technological University professor used to assign students the task of putting their design process into words but eventually removed that from course plans. The reason? It was too difficult. There are hardly any books that exist that lay out, step by step, how an architect designs a building. There’s a reason for that.
That professor also said the more one writes about architecture, the more they learn. While working on a golf course years later, Shore remembered that story. He realized that no books existed describing the day-to-day life of a golf course equipment operator, the role he is in now. His inspiration bloomed from there.
Now officially the published author of “So You Wanna Mow A Golf Course?” and more than 60 articles for Grand Rapids Golf Examiner, Shore currently resides in South Carolina, just north of Savannah, Georgia. Shore worked multiple architecture jobs over the years, before becoming a self-employed architect in 2022. He first started working in the golf industry in 1994, but had already dipped his toes into the turf world by entering the Ray Haddock Lido Prize from The Alister MacKenzie Society, a golf hole design competition. He’s also been playing the sport since 1970. As mentioned in his book, Shore fell in love with the game alongside his brother, David. The pair spent many hours hitting balls in the yard and eventually routed their own 9-hole course in their neighborhood. Years later, he landed his first maintenance job at Candlestone Inn & Resort in Belding, Michigan, and fell in love with the art of mowing.
Over the last decade, Shore has worked at Egypt Valley (Michigan) Country Club, Greenville (Michigan) Country Club, Cedar Chase Golf Club (Michigan), North Kent Golf Club (Michigan), Hampton Hall Club (South Carolina), Pinecrest Golf Club (South Carolina) and, currently, The Club at Savannah Harbor (Georgia).
Shore began reading, writing and learning about course maintenance and golf course design. When he began working on a book, he first set his mind on a volume about mowing fairways. “That’s my favorite thing to do,” he says.
Writing that book took about a year, and he eventually found himself holding a hard copy of it in his hands. At that moment, he decided it wasn’t quite finished. In fact, it was only the start. Another two years later, and “So You Wanna Mow A Golf Course?” is complete and available for purchase.
In addition to mowing fairways, Shore touches on washing golf balls, cutting cups, spraying, bunker maintenance, what to eat on the job, how to dress and more. He doesn’t pretend to be a superintendent and doesn’t touch on the scientific side of turfgrass. While the book can be enjoyed by superintendents, it focuses on the crew member side of things. “I just started thinking of all the assignments I’ve had since I started working,” Shore says.
Shore used multiple methods through the writing process. He uses index cards to record ideas and thoughts and keeps them organized in a file box. From there, everything is transferred into a Microsoft Word document. He gave voice-to-text a try, but ultimately decided typing was the way to go.
His book offers a lighthearted yet informative voice, giving the reader all the knowledge they could need before starting a job as an equipment technician. His distinguished writing voice is credited to architecture school. During the time of his studies in English class, his professor would begin each class by writing four sentences on the board. Students would then have to read and edit the phrases. “Three or four of them that he would put up there were mine every single day,” Shore says. Honing in on his writing skills in architecture school would come to benefit him in more ways than one.
His writing voice may have come from school, but his architectural-based brain was inherited from his father, James Russell Shore. James worked as a draftsman. “Doing the design first, that’s ultimately what you want to do as an architect,” Shore says. “That’s a lot of redundancy, a lot of repetitive stuff.”
Blueprints are full of tedious, perfectly placed lines. So are golf courses. “Whether they’re with a pencil or a mower, it’s making the lines look nice,” he says.
The newly published author hopes readers use the book to learn how to better take care of a golf course. “Whether they really want a job doing it or just want to take care of the course better,” he says.
After draft upon draft, reading through versions hundreds of times, Shore feels pride when he holds the final copy in his hands. Shore is also in the process of starting his own tee marker business, and says more writing is in his future. “It feels good,” he says. “It’s very rewarding.”
The book is available in e-book form and in print on lulu.com.
Kelsie Horner is Golf Course Industry’s digital editor.
Share your story
Eleven out of 12 months of the year, our job as Golf Course Industry magazine staff is to help superintendents and turfgrass professionals tell their stories. We writers conduct interviews, gather research and share anecdotes and news from within the industry.
As we have for the last nine Decembers, we are wrapping up 2025 with our 10th annual Turfheads Take Over edition. This is the chance for industry pros to tell a story in their own voice.
Whether it’s a personal essay, a how-to or an opinion piece on a trending topic, the possibilities of content are endless. If your course recently finished a unique project, or your staff has been through a lot of battles, share it. If your equipment manager has the ultimate hack, or your team has found a proficient way of completing a task, take the opportunity to put your writing skills to work.
Even if you feel you’re lacking in the story writing department, this issue is still for you! Stories can be written independently, or with help from our editors.
The submission deadline is November 3. Submissions and applicable images can be emailed to publisher + editor-in-chief Guy Cipriano at gcipriano@gie.net, senior editor Matt LaWell at mlawell@gie.net or digital editor Kelsie Horner at khorner@gie.net.
Sprouting facilities from courses
Davey Tree transforms a former Ohio golf course into its Science, Employee Education and Development Campus.
By Adriana Gasiewski
Davey Tree’s Science, Employee Education and Development Campus has opened its doors for employees to begin utilizing the former Oak Knolls golf course facility.
To train employees and further research, Davey Tree expanded its operations, acquiring about 200 acres composed of the course and Franklin Elementary School in Kent, Ohio, in 2016. The former golf course property and its “mature trees and natural resources made it perfect for this,” says Jill Rebuck, senior project manager for Davey Tree's corporate communications.
After the company purchased the properties in 2016, they were unsure what to do with the land until 2022, when they broke ground and began construction, Rebuck adds.
In addition to cubicles and conference rooms, the campus also features four classrooms, an archival space storing Frank Swift Chase oil paintings from past advertisements, two laboratories, an event center and a 10,700-square-foot at-height climbing training center.
In its old institute, the company was able to house two classrooms; two more will help accommodate the 50-employee national and Canadian month-long training hosted during the winter.
The climbing training center, meanwhile, will enable climbing instructors to monitor every move a trainee makes while attempting to scale the nine metal rods. When preparing to mount, the climber is attached to a safety device connected to the climbing center, preventing dangerous falls.
Davey Tree arborist skills trainer Tim Bushnell says the structure, created in collaboration with the at-height training organization Education Now Safety Assured, allows the company to create a low-stress environment while training. “They lean back, they don’t go anywhere,” he says. “They get caught by land, the device and everything is fine, no problem.”
The company also offers advanced training for experienced climbers, using a speaker system to play loud sounds they would normally encounter in the field.
“We can bring in different noises, we can bring in chainsaw noise and we can make it so that you can’t really hear each other,” Bushnell adds, “and we can make them use the communication systems that we have.”
Other features found outside of the main building include four 600-square-foot greenhouses with nursery and three par-3 golf holes.
Since Davey Tree helps maintain golf courses in Florida and Michigan, the campus functions as a place for teaching, research and recreation, says Zane Raudenbush, manager of research operations at Davey Institute.
Educating employees can include letting them use equipment, troubleshooting, conducting diagnostics and learning sustainable maintenance practices.
The company created those three golf holes to research greens practices requiring less water, fertilizer and other products. To accomplish the goal, Davey Tree is using 007XL bentgrass for putting greens and Dominant X-treme 7 creeping bentgrass on the tees and fairways, Raudenbush says.
“We think that’s gonna give us a showcase piece to demonstrate that you can still have these nice playing surfaces and use a lot less resources.”
Employees are also encouraged to play the holes for recreation.
In partnership with Ohio State University, the company is researching agrivoltaics, growing food, porridge and crops under solar panels. The facility is home to around two acres of panels, producing about 760 kilowatts, Raudenbush says.
Another current Davey Tree project is understanding how grasses like alfa and clover grow in low-light, high-heat environments, like solar panels.
“Because that is a challenge, controlling weeds, keeping them within a certain height, they can get out of compliance,” Raudenbush says. “So, we’re very interested on the kind of establishment and long-term maintenance at Davey.”
Following the completion of its SEED Campus, Davey Tree is now aiming to earn a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for the building with the inclusion of sustainable features.
These features include rain chains, repurposed wooden tables and stairs, and EV charging. As Rebuck says, “sustainability and a lot of environmental pieces are at play here.”
COURSE NEWS
The USGA announced that Oak Hill Country Club, in Rochester, New York, will host the 2037 U.S. Women’s Open, bringing women’s major championship golf to the club for the first time. … Tripp Davis is part of the team bringing The Rose to bloom just outside Athens, Georgia. Scheduled to open in 2026, Davis is designing The Rose, a new private course developed by 2001 Walker Cup golfer Nick Cassini and his brother Dimitri. … Blue Cypress Golf Course in Jacksonville, Florida, introduced three new golf holes, giving the former 9-hole layout a total of 12 holes. Designed in partnership by Michael Beebe of Beebe & Associates, the City of Jacksonville and Troon, the three new holes can be played as their own loop or as an addition to the original 9-hole layout. … Zinkand Golf Design has completed an extensive renovation of Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Construction began in August 2024 and followed ZGD’s proposed master plan for the golf course, short-game area and driving range. … The Buckinghamshire is investing £3 million (approximately $4 million) to upgrade its championship qualifying course. The private club is home to the Ladies European Tour and recently completed a renovation of all its 68 riveted bunkers this spring. … A $92 million revitalization is underway at Saddlebrook Resort, the 480-acre property near Tampa, Florida. Acquired in 2022 by Mast Capital in partnership with Amzak Capital Management, the reimagination includes a full-scale golf overhaul. … Heritage Golf Group acquired Colonial Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee, bringing its national portfolio to 43 clubs. … Golf course developer and construction company Landscapes Unlimited is planning and constructing a new golf course at Reserva Cardon by Cardon Adventure Resort in Sinaloa on Mexico’s gold coast, 45 miles north of Mazatlán. … Troon finalized a 15-year management agreement renewal with City of Seattle to operate the municipality’s four golf facilities. … KemperSports is the new management partner for Towhee Club in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
INDUSTRY BUZZ
LINNE Industries, which specializes in sustainable solar-powered pond aeration systems, is rolling out its PondHawk Defender — described as a ballistics-grade shield engineered to protect solar panels from stray golf balls, hail and other airborne debris. … Global sports and entertainment agency 54 announced a new partnership with Toro. The agreement will see 54 provide a range of services to Toro, expanding commercial opportunities. … E-Z-GO announced the latest edition of its RXV golf car for the 2026 model year. The two-passenger RXV 2 and four-passenger RXV 4 2026 edition's are available with electric or gas-powered drivetrains. … Sports surfaces specialist SIS Pitches made a multi-million-pound investment into a fleet of 16 new hybrid pitch stitching machines.
PEOPLE NEWS
Dr. Bruce Martin, a professor and turfgrass researcher, and Arthur L. “Max” Morgan Jr., VP of agronomy for Founders Group International, will be inducted into the Myrtle Beach Golf Hall of Fame at Pine Lakes Country Club this month. … Audubon International named Washington, D.C.-based journalist, comms expert and speaker Michael Williams to its board of directors. The organization also announced that Ken Benoit joined the leadership team as director of Signature Sanctuary Certification. Benoit brings over 25 years of environmental leadership and golf industry expertise to his role. … Syngenta added Ben Anderson as Digital Platforms sales specialist for the southeastern United States. A Certified Golf Course Superintendent, Anderson has more than 15 years of turf industry experience. … Advanced Turf Solutions added Chip Houmes to its team as a technical sales advisor. Houmes will provide technical support and sales training across the company.
Tartan Talks 110
Ray Hearn developed a golf passion through his 1970s childhood experiences at Chandler Park Golf Course, one of Detroit’s venerable municipal courses. His passion eventually morphed into a career as a golf course architect. He never seriously considered leaving Michigan. “The variety of the landscapes in our state are unbelievable and that’s one of the reasons why I stayed in Michigan instead of going to North Carolina or Florida,” says Hearn, who lives in Holland, a charming southwest Michigan community. “I found in this state the passion for golf is off the charts.”
Hearn offers a region-by-region breakdown of Michigan’s landscapes and industry scene in the second part of a Tartan Talks podcast series about the state’s evolution as a golf heavyweight. Hearn made a brilliant decision to stay in Michigan, as the state’s golf supply now eclipses 850 courses, with some new attractions involving Hearn on the way. Hearn offers his views on the future of Michigan golf. Teaser: he’s bullish.
The podcast, along with the first part of the Michigan series featuring W. Bruce Matthews III, can be found on the Superintendent Radio Network page of popular podcast distribution platforms.
Explore the September 2025 Issue
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