Schedule, lineup announced for 2023 Golf Course Industry Turf Technology Showcase

How can technology help a game and an industry that sometimes feels locked into the last century? Sure, you might still scribble first (and second) jobs on whiteboards and years of data are probably packed inside binders that fill your shelves, but your maintenance facility — and the industry at large — is deep into a tech revolution.

And Golf Course Industry can help you take the next step forward.

Join us and a growing panel of industry experts for the first Golf Course Industry Turf Technology Showcase — all online and designed for your busy schedule. A series of 30-minutes-or-less presentations moderated by editor-in-chief Guy Cipriano will start at 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 20. If you’re still out on the course or working behind your desk then (or maybe you’re taking a family vacation?), all presentations will be available for later on-demand viewing. Oh, and everything is free. You just need to register HERE.  

Check out one, some, or all — whenever your schedule allows. We’re confident you’ll learn some new tech tips and tricks that help you, your team, and the course.

Times, topics and speakers include: 

1 p.m.

What’s new down there? What we’re learning about engineering the rhizosphere with Excalibur and how it delivers resilient, stress tolerant turf with Dr. Mike Fidanza and Dr. Stan Kostka, sponsored by AQUA•AID Solutions

Fidanza is a professor of plant and soil sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus, where he has held a research and teaching appointment since 2000. His research focus is turfgrass ecology, the translational exploration and evaluation of plant health products, soil surfactants, seed technology, biostimulants, and cultural practices in turfgrass ecosystems, and the biology and ecology of fairy ring disease in turfgrass.

Kostka is president of RhizoSolutions, LLC, a visiting scholar at Pennsylvania State University, and an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas. He has worked nearly 30 years to understand how surfactants can be used to manage soil water repellency, improve water use, increase plant resilience under stress, and improve performance of soil applied plant production products. He has published more than 40 research papers and holds 16 patents relating to novel surfactant technologies and their use.

1:30 p.m.

Advancements in GPS sprayer technology with Ben Smith, sponsored by Toro

Currently product marketing manager for Multi Pro and GeoLink sprayers for The Toro Company, Smith started his career with the company as an equipment operator at one of their test facilities. Since then, he has worked in product management, including considerable time with Cummins Power Generation managing residential generator sets.

2 p.m.

Always solving, always evolving: The next generation of Lynx Central Control with Jason Habeck, sponsored by Toro Irrigation

Habeck worked as a golf course superintendent in Colorado and Idaho for more than 20 years before a 2014 move to The Toro Company, where he is currently technical golf sales manager. His experience brings an agronomic side to the team, helping superintendents customize, set up, and use the features of Lynx Central Control and their Toro irrigation system optimized for their facility and needs.

2:30 p.m.

Finding the best mixing station for your golf course with Ken Rost, sponsored by Frost Spray Technology Products

Rost is the founder and president of Frost Inc., which specializes in spray technology products for the golf and turf care industry. He has more than 25 years of experience in the spray technology field and has been fitting spray equipment with the most effective spraying setups for more than a decade. His experience working hands-on with precision spray technologies and the people who use it brings a realistic approach to the execution of spray applications.

3 p.m.

Simplifying root health protection with Resilia with Dr. Jesse Benelli and Dr. James Hempfling sponsored by Envu

Benelli is based in Greenville, South Carolina, and is the regional Green Solutions Specialist for Envu covering the Southeast region. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University Turfgrass Program and received his master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Tennessee. Prior to joining Envu, Benelli was the director of turfgrass programs for the Chicago District Golf Association, where he provided agronomic consulting with more than 400 member clubs throughout the region.

Hempfling is the Solution Development Manager for Turf and Ornamental Disease Management and Plant Health at Envu. His journey in the turfgrass industry began in high school when he constructed a bentgrass putting green in his parents’ backyard. This experience paved the way for him to study turfgrass management at Oklahoma State University and gain practical experience as an assistant superintendent at golf courses in Oklahoma and New Jersey. Hempfling earned his master’s and doctorate degrees at Rutgers University, where his research focused on developing best management practices for turfgrass diseases such as anthracnose and dollar spot.

3:30 p.m.

Understanding and using nanotechnology for turfgrass performance with Dr. Phil Dwyer, sponsored by Turf Nanotech

Dwyer is a turfgrass researcher and product developer and is currently category director at Turf Nanotech. He joined Nano Yield in 2022 to bring new nano-based products to market for turfgrass professionals. His entire career — and much of his life — has focused on turfgrass management, and he has previously worked as a researcher, an educator, a product developer and an innovation lead.