About US

For more than two decades, Golf Course Industry has been a trusted, independent resource for superintendents and other golf/turf professionals. The origins of the magazine date to 1988 with the launch of Golf Course News, the first independent national publication just for superintendents, developers, architects and builders. In 2003, GIE Media took over publication of Golf Course News and later renamed and redesigned it to reflect the broader scope of our editorial mission and audience. Today, Golf Course Industry provides candid, caring and creative coverage to a wide segment of industry professionals through print, digital, audio and social media platforms.

Dave Szy, Group Publisher

Dave Szy joined GIE Media in 2002 as an account manager and serves as the publisher of Golf Course Industry and its sister publication, Lawn & Landscape. Early in his GIE Media tenure, he helped launch Snow Magazine, the company’s first standalone publication serving the snow and ice industry. His proven success across multiple industries has allowed GIE Media to expand its presence in the lawn, golf and snow markets. An Xavier University graduate, Szy is an avid golfer and worked as a golf course maintenance employee at Cleveland Metroparks Big Met Golf Course while in college.

Contact Info
Email: dszy@gie.net
Phone: 216.393.0281

Guy Cipriano, Editor-in-Chief

Guy Cipriano is living the dream. Seriously. A western Pennsylvania native, Cipriano determined shortly after his father took him to the 1994 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club that he wanted to work for a golf publication. He joined the Golf Course Industry staff in 2014 after spending more than a decade covering professional, college and high school sports. He is responsible for producing and planning print and digital content, conducting industry research, coordinating the publication’s social media efforts, and working with the sales team and group publisher to accomplish business goals. An Indiana University graduate, his first job was caddying at Chartiers Country Club in Pittsburgh and he also worked as a part-time golf course maintenance employee at the Penn State Golf Courses around a full-time sports writing job with the Centre Daily Times. His hobbies include playing golf, watching golf, reading about golf and discussing golf.

Contact Info
Email: gcipriano@gie.net
Phone: 216.393.0230
Twitter: @GCIMagazineGuy

Matt LaWell, Managing Editor

Matt LaWell joined Golf Course Industry in April 2019 after stints covering high school, college and professional sports, manufacturing, technology, and business leaders. An Ohio University graduate, he writes for the magazine and website, is the producer and host of Superintendent Radio Network, and contributes to the industry’s leading social media feeds. He is an improving but still-far-below-average golfer, a longtime bar trivia writer and host, a seven-time marathon finisher, and an avowed Bill Murray fan. (You can never go wrong with Broken Flowers, The Life Aquatic, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack or Fantastic Mr. Fox.) He lives just outside Cleveland with his wife, Carolyn, their spirited daughter, and an ancient and often-mewling cat. His hair is much longer these days than it is in his headshot.

Contact Info
Email: mlawell@gie.net
Phone: 216.393.0238
Twitter: @MattLaWell

Terry Buchen, “Travels with Terry”

A columnist who never runs out of ideas. Terry Buchen, CGCS, MG, is the president of Golf Agronomy International and a 51-year life member of the GCSAA. He is a former PGA Tour agronomist and served as superintendent at Double Eagle (Ohio), Castle Pines (Colorado) Golf Club and Riviera (California) Country Club before establishing a global consulting service. Buchen is a popular speaker at international, national and regional industry events.

Henry DeLozier, “Game Plan”

The big-picture columnist. Henry DeLozier is a partner at GGA Partners, trusted advisors and thought leaders. One of the industry’s most prolific communicators, DeLozier is considered a leader on everything related to the business of golf, including asset development and financing. He is the chairman of the board of directors of Audubon International, a past president of the board of directors of the National Golf Course Owners Association and serves on the Employers Advisory Council for the PGA of America. An Oklahoma State University graduate, DeLozier earned All-American honors while competing for the school’s golf team.

Contact Info
Twitter: @HenryDeLozier

Bradley S. Klein, “Golf Therapy”

Every team can use a Ph.D. Bradley S. Klein is a veteran journalist and academic regarded as one of the world’s leading golf course architecture writers and has authored nine books on the subject, including “Discovering Donald Ross.” In 2015, he was honored with the Donald Ross Award for lifetime achievement by the American Society of Golf Course Architects. A former PGA Tour caddie, Klein has written for Golfweek, Links Magazine and the USGA Green Section, and consulted on more than 100 golf course projects. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Massachusetts and taught for 14 years at St. Lawrence (New York) University, Trinity (Connecticut) College and Clark (Massachusetts) University before retiring from formal academia in 1999 to devote himself to golf journalism and design consulting.

Contact Info
Twitter: @BradleySKlein

Tim Moraghan, “Outside the Ropes”

The industry’s most candid columnist. Tim Moraghan is the principal of ASPIRE Golf, a consulting firm that provides turf management, professional development, job placement and tournament preparation services. His list of clients includes private courses, public courses, municipalities and resorts. Before establishing his own consulting business, Moraghan worked for the USGA from 1986 to 2006 preparing courses for national championships, including the U.S. Open. He has worked at Pinehurst Resort, TPC Sawgrass, The Las Colinas Sports Club and American Golf Corporation. An engaging and, well, candid speaker, Moraghan grew up in Connecticut and graduated from Niagara (New York) University prior to beginning a golf career in Myrtle Beach.

Contact Info
Twitter: @TimMoraghan

Matthew Wharton, “America’s Greenkeeper”

The industry’s most relatable superintendent. Matthew Wharton, CGCS, MG, is the superintendent at Idle Hour Country Club, the only Donald Ross-designed course in Kentucky. A Virginia native and Virginia Tech graduate, Wharton previously worked as the superintendent Carolina Golf Club in Charlotte and Swan Point Yacht & Country Club in Maryland. He is a past president of the Carolinas GCSA and a frequent presenter at international, national and regional events. His positivity, knowledge, and enthusiasm for all things golf resulted in Wharton becoming one of the most followed turf leaders on social media. His popular column moved to Golf Course Industry’s back page in January 2020.

Contact Info
Twitter: @IHCCGreenkeeper

Russ Warner, National Sales Manager

A graduate of Kent State University, Russ Warner started his career in publishing in 2002 as an advertising sales associate with Penton Media and Meister Media. He joined GIE Media in 2006 as a regional account manager for Golf Course News. In 2012, he was promoted to national accounts manager handling advertising programs for the largest crossover accounts in the golf course and landscape markets. He was promoted in 2019 to national sales manager, where he is responsible for driving sales and growing the market share of Golf Course Industry. Warner is also a past president of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association.

Contact Info
Email: rwarner@gie.net
Phone: 216.393.0293

Jimmy Clark, Account Manager

Jimmy Clark joined Golf Course Industry in September 2022. A native Clevelander, he grew up on the city’s West Side and attended Baldwin Wallace University — where he captained the golf team for three years, won nine tournaments, and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s in sport management. Though he no longer golfs every day, he remains a scratch golfer. His love for the game is what drives him to manage accounts, provide solutions, and create lasting industry relationships.

Contact Info
Email: jclark@gie.net
Phone: 216.393.0220

Jim Blayney, Creative Director

Jim Blayney joined GIE Media in 2005 and has served as the lead designer for Golf Course Industry since 2014. He oversees the visual design of GIE Media’s entire portfolio of B2B publications.

Contact Info
Email: jblayney@gie.net
Phone: 216.393.0226