2025 Numbers to Know: Data-driven duty

Advancing technology brings fear for the future — and excitement and potential.

Montgomery County Golf of Maryland director of agronomy Jon Lobenstine holds high hopes for the future of the big-picture turf position, especially regarding technology’s assistance in data-driven operations. 

Lobenstine has learned how to be efficient and organized, as his role is to oversee agronomic crews at 11 courses across nine separate facilities. He thinks the future of golf course maintenance will be boosted by emerging technology in numerous areas. 

One area he forecasts will be impacted is pesticide and fertilizer formulations. “I think nanotechnology will be the norm, using dramatically lower-use rates, improved broad-spectrum efficacy and also better environmental fate, because we're using so much less product, and now that there’s environmental issues in a big way, things have gotten so much better, especially in the last 20 years,” Lobenstine says. “I think in 10 years, there’s people studying this and using new, advanced tools. I think that you can get closer to 100 percent understanding the soil microbiome in that whole world.”

As technology advances, tools have been developed to measure DNA, RNA and gene-expressed proteins to study how plants respond to stressors. “If you have a plant that’s undergoing drought stress or it’s getting attacked by a disease or whatever, and there’s certain defense mechanisms that the plants turn on, at what point are those triggered? Why are they triggered? How long do they last?” Lobenstine asks. “And to be able to monitor that stuff internally in the plant in real time as it’s happening, especially in a laboratory setting, will allow us to have just unforeseen new insights into plant health.”

Having this information will also allow for future predictions for turf reactions and changes, and turf care can be adjusted accordingly.

With improvements in weather forecasting, Lobenstine believes nearly 100 percent accurate forecasting models will be available. “I think that will also allow us to again make much more educated decisions about exactly when a spray application needs to be made,” he adds. “It will help us be able to better plan our weeks, as far as knowing that at 4 p.m. on Thursday, we’re going to be getting rain, and I can try to plan my Wednesday with a little extra time to get some mowing done or stuff like that.”

Lobenstine also expects sensors to be implemented in equipment, collecting data for maintenance recommendations based on AI. “Potentially, you could have much smaller spray systems. They could even be mounted to the same maintenance equipment that’s out there mowing that could be targeting the weeds as it’s going out for the next mow. So, you could potentially see reducing the broadcast and widespread applications of certain products, and have a much more targeted, small system that’s getting individual plants rather than thousands of square feet at a time.”

Although technology is growing, and information available is increasing, Lobenstine doesn’t envision the need for a superintendent or director of agronomy changing. 

“There’s nothing that’s ever going to replace the superintendent instincts,” he says. “I think that’s the most important thing in this whole conversation about technology, is that the superintendent is the most valuable person at the property, their collective experience. Especially after a few years at the property, you feel how the property is going to behave under certain conditions. You know your trouble spots, you know things that are going to start to experience some plant health challenges at different times a year. And there’s just nothing that’s going to replace that intuition.” 

For some, technology is a foe. For Lobenstine, it has become a friend. “I definitely love technology,” he says. “I think that with everything, it’s a balance. I’m trying to make the best use I can of what’s at my fingertips.”

Kelsie Horner