Editor's notebook: A new classroom

I graduated from Kent State University less than a year ago, and one of the things I felt the loss of was the classroom setting. Call me a nerd, but school and education have been a key component of my life, and I wasn’t ready to leave that behind.  

When I began my role as assistant editor, I quickly realized I am still going to learn and better myself. I just have a different classroom. My textbooks became previous industry articles, my teachers became my interviewees and mentors.  

Thanks to the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, I revisited the classroom setting in San Diego. As a part of the show, educational sessions on trending topics are available for attendees and exhibitors.  

At the conference, I had the opportunity to learn from numerous industry greats.  

I listened to Iowa State’s Dr. Quincy Law discuss all things soil organic matter. Law walked attendees through how soil organic matter impacts turfgrass, and how to determine what your soil is lacking.  

Gina Rizzi, president of Radius Sports, carried on the environmental conversation with the industry’s 2025 trends and best management practices. Trends she mentioned that will impact the industry this year include:  

• Regulation and corporate responsibilities 

• Energy transition and fossil fuel dependency 

• Urban sprawl and loss of biodiversity 

• Water scarcity and management 

• Plastic pollution and waste management  

Rizzi didn’t just introduce issues. She presented solutions and practices courses and superintendents can research and implement for each trend, spawning an endless amount of story ideas for myself.  

The “Turf Solutions” session covered an area I’m not as familiar with: soil, soil amendments, biosolids and topdressings. Inputs and its impact on irrigation and humic products had my mind running wild, but I ended the session with knowledge on what I need to study more of.  

After discussing inputs, Dr. Gregg Munshaw, director of agronomy at Pratum Seed Companies, discussed the pros and cons of not mowing roughs on the course. He discussed the benefits of letting your roughs grow in, and planting wildflowers in those areas. As shared in his lecture, pollinators are responsible for $29 billion in crops and are responsible for every third bite of our food. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, due to native plants being replaced, pollinator habitats are shrinking. By planting wildflowers on your course, you can help reverse those statistics.  

Munshaw described the best options for wildflower choices and how to create a seed mix that works for you. Outside of the environmental benefits of wildflowers, they make for an aesthetic appeal as well. And if I step on a course and see the flowers, I instantly enjoy the view. 

My educational day ended with discussions on data and data-driven decisions. The industry is facing a major shift to technology in many ways. Artificial intelligence, autonomous equipment, endless inventions and improvements. Thanks to technology, access to data and information on your course is at an all-time high. Former Desert Mountain Club turf leader Shawn Emerson discussed how his team processed that data, and how it impacted the course. 

Emerson used a quote during his lecture. It stated, “The world is run by those who show up.” 

The quote stood out to me and is now written on a sticky note on my desk. The idea can be applied to many aspects of your life. You show up for your family, your friends, yourself. It also applies to your career. Working in an industry I knew little about has shown me that if you show up, and put your best effort, the knowledge and relationships you can gain are infinite.  

Showing up to the trade show and educational sessions allowed me to learn more about turfgrass and the golf industry. But more importantly, it allowed me to meet so many people who make this industry so great, who can only continue to teach me more.  

Kelsie Horner is Golf Course Industry’s assistant editor.