Where will leaders emerge?

John Carlone epitomizes what makes the golf industry special.

A golf enthusiast, Carlone parlayed his passion for the game into a rewarding four-decade career, which concluded with his recent retirement from Long Island’s Meadow Brook Club. As Carlone collaborated with us on his Turfheads Take Over submission (pages 19-27), he routinely joked about the irony of how somebody whose livelihood depends on the weather endured wicked conditions in his final year.

Somebody doesn’t last four decades in this business without a sense of humor.

Through the wet-to-dry, comfortable-to-humid swings of 2025, Carlone found time to write one of the longest articles published in this magazine’s 18-year history. We strongly urge turf pros to share Carlone’s article with anybody considering a golf maintenance career. In fact, share this entire issue, our 10th annual Turfheads Take Over, with everybody you know. It’s cheaper and filled with more practical lessons than an academic textbook. The 30,000-plus words in this issue describe what you do, why it matters and the tussles you face.

The lessons offered by Carlone and his wife, Leslie, demonstrate the plausibility of going wire-to-wire as a superintendent while raising a family. The job provided safety and security for a fabulous family, and Meadow Brook Club remained one of Long Island’s most revered clubs throughout Carlone’s tenure. More clubs and superintendents should strive for similar symbiosis. Haphazard change can cause significant harm to all parties.

For the good of the game and industry, Carlone’s golf zest rarely wavered despite the pressures of working at a demanding private club. He will now try to play as many gems in the Northeast and elsewhere as possible in retirement.

Carlone will have plenty of potential playing partners, because he never abandoned helping his peers. He wasn’t hunkered down, concerned solely with the conditions and politics of Meadow Brook Club. He always gave abundant time to others. The head-down, focus-on-your property mentality sounds like a solid strategy — until one realizes nobody can flourish without the help of others.

Before a spring 2019 trip to Long Island, I reached out to Carlone about touring Meadow Brook Club. He enthusiastically accommodated the request. I landed at LaGuardia Airport, grabbed the rental car and headed directly to the course, where Carlone greeted me in his driveway. Carlone and his family lived on club grounds. We meandered the Dick Wilson layout on a dreary afternoon. The visit occurred on a Sunday. I’m confident Carlone had better things to do that Sunday with the people he loves. I’m confident there was no spot I’d rather have spent my first work afternoon on Long Island.

A bevy of recent retirements, some by personal choice, others by the circumstances surrounding the demands of the post-COVID market, leave gigantic leadership voids in the industry. The calming presence in many regions is experiencing the serenity of fishing, hunting, walking or playing golf without fretting over irrigation leaks, disease pressure or green speeds. People who made extraordinary sacrifices to guide golf through surges and slumps deserve to play as much guilt-free golf as they desire.

When and where will the next generation of industry leaders arise? No artificial intelligence model can accurately answer these questions. Leadership isn’t about hunkering down and doing what’s best for a singular place or group. Lives and careers become more fulfilling when showing interest in the well-being of others. Sure, there are moments when the focus must be singular. But leaders find time, even in the middle of wicked stretches, renovations and club turmoil, to put the needs of others before their own interests. Nobody is too busy to respond to a call, text, email or DM. Listening is the most impactful form of leadership.

The modern golf market features abundant complexities, many of them stemming from gigantic money flowing into the game, which expands the pressure to always be better today than yesterday. Carlone’s words reiterate the job has never been — and will never be — for the meek.

Study his more than 6,000 words closely. They will make you a better father, husband, superintendent and leader.