Amanda Fontaine developed her strong work ethic early during her career out of necessity. Because she is a woman. Because she was normally the youngest on the team. Because her father, Michael, was a longtime superintendent. Because she was a hockey player growing up and hockey players ... well. Now the superintendent at Ledges Golf Club — a municipal course in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she pretty much grew up thanks to her dad’s own strong work ethic — she joined Rick Woelfel on Episode 26 of Wonderful Women of Golf to discuss work, family, the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open, and more. “I just really like making a product that other people can use and appreciate,” she says.
BASF senior technical specialist Dr. Emma Lookabaugh returned to Disease Discussion to share perspective on philosophies, programs, and products needed to manage plant health on warm-season turf — and, no surprise, starting early is key. “Start with the areas that always give you trouble, areas where you know you have recurring problems,” she told Guy Cipriano. “And you’re going to put more attention from the beginning in those areas and then sort of build out the rest of your program with an emphasis on preventative maintenance.” Lookabaugh knows her turf. This episode is a great listen.
Jeff Drake loves Reel Turf Techs and, at long last, after 100 episodes, he joined Trent Manning on the podcast. Drake is a 39-year golf industry veteran (he started as a caddie and eventually became a liaison of sorts between the front of the house and the maintenance team at his childhood course) and a 32-year Toro veteran who currently handles global product marketing for the company. He isn’t in a shop every day, but his day-to-day work includes just about the same amount of variety. “Working with engineering on current products, answering customer and distributor questions about configuration or they’re seeing something in the turf and they want help addressing it, evaluating markets for new product development,” he said. “Every day is different.”
Guy returned to the podcast for Episode 51 of Greens with Envy to tell me about his recent trip through Minnesota, highlighted by a stop at the seemingly ever-expanding Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake. “This is a construction project that just does not end,” Cipriano said. “We’re in this era of massive renovations and restorations — and even new golf course being built — but I can’t think of a bigger public-access facility in the Midwest right now.” Also, FUN FACT: Did you know Minnesota is home to more golfers per capita than any other state in the country? More than 10 percent of state residents play the game! “They don’t get much time to play,” Cipriano said, “but when they do get that time to play, they are outside playing.”
Almost five full decades have passed since John Fought emerged victorious at the 1977 U.S. Amateur — he played on the Walker Cup winner that same year alongside then-future Augusta National chair Fred Ridley and 1987 U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson, among others — and he is still very much in the game. Fought joined Guy on Episode 86 of Tartan Talks to discuss how he found his ideal career fit in the game as an architect. “The art of the profession is what we drove me to it, but I quickly learned that if you didn’t make the infrastructure or the scientific construction methods work, you didn’t have anything anyhow,” he said. “People don’t realize how much thought goes into moving material from one position to another.”
Rick Woelfel bookended our month on Superintendent Radio Network, calling in to talk with me about forward tees on Episode 46 of Beyond the Page. Woelfel wrote an excellent feature story about whether forward tees are worth the extra work in the August issue and shared some of what he learned on the podcast. “The consensus seems to be that forward tees are worth it and the effort required to maintain them is minimal. It just fits into maintaining other tee boxes and fairways,” he said. “The issue is getting people to use them and pointing out the long-term benefits for the game by having a great variety of tee options available.”
