Tell your story

Three years ago, we weren’t specifically looking to start our own podcasting network – we just had some great interviews from turf experts that didn’t quite fit into print. Our multimedia page was the perfect place to showcase those stories, though, and people listened.

From those beginnings, we started the Superintendent Radio Network (SRN)with a focus on education. We wanted to share tips in short, accessible clips a superintendent could listen to on the fly, and even share with crew members. Podcasts are a great media for going in-depth on smaller topics. For example, we teamed up with Erik Sides to tackle the details of frequency of clip (check it out at bit.ly/1iyKmI2), or picked up the top tips of golf cart maintenance from Randal Crook at Club Car (look here at bit.ly/1ly5cEW). Both have plenty of useful info for the start of the season.

But while covering those issues, we also ended up collecting plenty of great stories from around the golf industry. Some of my favorite moments come from interviews with superintendents who took on tough weather or an even bigger challenge. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about seeing your stories in print, but there’s just something about hearing it told first-person by the superintendent that makes it even more powerful. Here are a few of my favorite stories direct from you in the last few years:

• Josh Heptig, superintendent at San Luis Obispo’s County Parks Golf Course, used old equipment to build a compost tea system and applied for grants to build one of the first zero-waste golf courses in the U.S. He shares how he did it, and some tips for saving money and building environmentally friendly programs. Look for it at bit.ly/1cScLkj.
   
• With the Players’ Tournament coming up, superintendent Tom Vlach had to face down severe weather that could’ve undone all his team’s hard work at TPC Sawgrass. He talks about how they got proactive to minimize the damage, including handling the media, at bit.ly/1nizOih.
   
• My favorite story from last year was part of our October “Turf Buds” cover story, when I heard the incredible story of how Bob Kohlstedt dove into the middle of a flood to save his dog, Gus, on the course. A superintendent does some amazing things on the job, but most of the time it doesn’t include something as heroic as risking his life. Listen in at bit.ly/1frO1nP.
   

We’ve begun our third year of SRN, and I’m looking forward to gathering even more powerful personal stories from superintendents. Education is always a major focus of what we bring to the podcast, but hearing about what you’re doing on turf’s frontline makes what we do even more important. Check out these stories, and share some of your own in the upcoming season.