Rivermont reels

© courtesy of Julie vonn

Picking up golf during the pandemic, Julie “Jules” Vonn has quickly and fully embraced it. Considering she’s from Augusta, Georgia, perhaps it was just a matter of time.

In 2020, she started learning to play, set up a putting green in her Boston apartment and met her partner on a golf chat board. They now live in a townhouse overlooking the fourth hole at Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.

In addition to her passion for golf, Vonn enjoys creating content to post on Instagram at @GolfBooJules, on TikTok at @GolfWithJules, and on Facebook. With 14,000 followers on Instagram and more than 30,000 on TikTok, Vonn has many fans. When some of Rivermont’s regulars saw that she was posting videos of the crew at work early and a time-lapse of them covering the greens during a winter cold spell, they shared it with Mark Hoban, Rivermont’s longtime superintendent.

Hoban is no stranger to making videos, using them to describe maintenance practices and everything from the purpose of pollinator plots to compost creation. When Hoban discovered what Vonn was sharing, he invited her for a course tour, an idea fully supported by Rivermont owner Chris Cupit. Vonn accepted the offer.

Known for his work ethic, wisdom and sustainability efforts, Hoban has been a leader for decades. The work with Vonn is something new.

“This is a connection with the public,” Hoban says. “Our members get a peek of what is involved in managing the course. Not many people see that. Julie has the passion, talent and humor to produce next-generation high-quality content.”

“Mark and I started talking about how super excited we are and about how many great things are happening at Rivermont,” Vonn adds. “Everywhere I turn there is something new I want to learn about and share.” That’s why she got a message at 7:15 one morning when the team was headed out to ShockWave tees. And that’s why she threw on her coat and headed out to film it.

Rivermont’s project list is heady. They are adding more pollinator gardens; making static compost with an in-house lactobacillus (milk bacteria) for topdressing tees and landscape work; continuing trial work with nanobubble technology; working with a new ultradwarf cultivar; and everyone would like to taste some honey from the onsite apiary come July.

“There is also some research in working with endophytes, which were bred from plants that were surviving at 140 degrees right next to a geyser at Yellowstone National Park,” Hoban says. “The endophytes have done incredibly well in agriculture suffering from heat and drought stress, but no one has looked at it for C4 grasses.” Rivermont has some research running for that, too.

“Living by a golf course I thought I had seen it all,” Vonn says. “There is so much that happens to maintain it. I love golf and I love connecting with people. This is going to be a huge learning experience.”

In addition to her social media accounts and her full-time job, Vonn’s paperwork is nearly finalized for her 501(c)(3), The GBJ Foundation. With the values of courage, community and development, the mission is to “transform lives through the game of golf by providing access, mentorship and resources to underprivileged youth and individuals struggling with mental health challenges.” Transformative personal experiences for Vonn have encouraged her to connect with and care for others.

“The members and staff love the videos,” Hoban says. “With Julie’s sense of humor, they inform and entertain. Management is following her accounts and so are our members. It’s very positive. Having someone take such an interest, to film, edit and make it snappy blew me away. Working with Jules makes me better. I have to plan ahead more and improve my communications. It has inspired me to give more talks and set up another field day.”

Going forward, the Rivermont team will keep Vonn informed about daily operations. “We want to try to give her followers an educational and entertaining view of as many aspects of turfgrass management and tournament prep as we can,” Hoban says. “The goal is to show people that a golf course is a good place to be. There are a lot of naysayers about what impact courses have on the environment. Let’s show them what we’re doing.”

Hoban adds, “In life, I want to engage with people that are passionate about what they do. When that intersects with my interests, it’s an extra blessing. I can’t do what Julie does well, so we are both excited. I have a story and Julie has the ability to tell it.”

Their Instagram reels are titled On the Green with Mark and Jules. “I am so thankful for Rivermont and I am so excited to have Mark and Chris and the regulars support this,” Vonn says. “Y’all just stay tuned. It’s going to be awesome.”

Tartan Talks 93

When Jim Nagle reflects on his career, 2024 should elicit strong memories.

Lancaster Country Club, a celebrated William Flynn design that Nagle and former partner Ron Forse have spent more than 20 years enhancing, will host its second U.S. Women’s Open later this spring. Nagle was raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and his affinity for the facility started as a participant in a youth swim meet at the club. “I remember standing on the blocks for the swim meet, warming up and deliberately looking over the fence to see the golf course,” he recalls on the Tartan Talks podcast. The club, coincidentally, later moved the site of the pool as part of Nagle’s and Forse’s efforts to improve the golf course by reconfiguring a high-traffic part of its grounds.

Lancaster Country Club’s return to the international stage is only part of what has already been a monumental year for Nagle. The architect launched Nagle Design Works last month. The decision ended a successful 25-year run with Forse.

Why did Nagle view 2024 as the right time to take a huge career step? What did he learn from Forse? And how did somebody from the southeastern Pennsylvania countryside opt for a career in golf course architecture?

Thoughtful answers flow on the podcast episode, which can be found on the Superintendent Radio Network page of popular distribution platforms.