For a couple weeks in late October and early November, javelina seemed to pop up everywhere online. Newspapers across the country and around the world published stories. TV news broadcasts all aired the same 30-second video clip. The social media discourse surged. Escape was almost impossible.
Emily Casey tried to turn down the noise — ironic, perhaps, provided that her experience with the hairy ungulates is what started all the chatter.
Casey is the assistant superintendent at Seven Canyons Golf Club in Sedona, Arizona, a picturesque track surrounded by mountains and national forests. She landed in golf almost by happenstance — she and her fiancé, Lee Jarson, an assistant superintendent at Pine Canyon Golf Club in Flagstaff, headed west from Wisconsin in late 2020 after running a small business for her parents for five years — and has fallen for a game and an industry “I thought was so boring growing up,” she says. She has also documented on social media the hundreds of javelina that live around the course, normally with little online attention.
At least until an Oct. 22 post generated more than 33 million views and thousands of replies — some from other turf pros or industry researchers that provided help and guidance, most from folks outside the industry and decidedly less constructive. Casey did avoid social media for a few days but she returned quickly enough — which was a good thing for the industry.
Casey had used her X and Instagram accounts to showcase Arizona’s natural beauty — and, just as important, the working life of everyday turf professionals — long before going viral. Her most famous video only increased how many people saw her light and educational posts.
Casey’s work across various platforms has landed her a 2024 Super Social Media Award. She will be honored along with other award winners on Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the Social Media Celebration at Aquatrols booth #2747 during the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Phoenix. The event begins at 2:30 p.m., with winners being honored around 3 p.m. The event is open to all and includes free drinks.
You seem to be able to laugh about it now, but you were the attention of a lot of negative attention last year. What was that like?
It was really hard. I’m not going to lie. I never thought that random people from around the world would affect me as much as they did just from saying stupid stuff behind their phones. … I think people don’t realize just how much something going viral can affect the actual poster, because everyone hides behind their keyboard. I was pretty lucky that our industry and Turf Twitter really came to have my back.
What positives did you take from the experience of going viral?
I’m glad that that video and my Twitter in general didn’t blow up because I’m a girl. I like the fact that a lot of people thought that I was a guy and they were more interested in the content than in the person posting. I want to get where I’m going in the industry because of what I’ve accomplished, not because I’m a minority in the industry. And that’s why I have my Twitter set as Em Casey and not Emily Casey.
How has all this changed how you use social media?
You have to keep things as positive as possible. It’s so easy to get into arguments with people over social media because people say whatever they want. You don’t know them and you can’t see them. It’s not worth going back and forth with people. I did it my fair share of times initially because I was so frustrated, and then it just kept going. It’ll really affect your mental health if you let it, and it’s just not worth it.
What are you looking forward to on turf social media this year?
Turf Twitter for me has been really helpful because I can ask questions and I get actual answers from people in the industry. I look forward to interacting with more people, educating more people, and maybe using my platform to really show what our days look like on the golf course. That’s why I like Twitter and Instagram: they share the real side of what we do, and I try to be as honest as I can about what we’re doing and what it takes to do our job. I hope more people do that.
Matt LaWell is Golf Course Industry’s managing editor.
