Best Greenkeeping Podcasts (2024)

1
Disease, nutrition, and control problems, with Dr. John Dempsey 1:03:48

3h ago1:03:48

1:03:48

Independent turfgrass researcher John Dempsey, Ph.D., joined me to discuss evaluating treatment effects and the importance of having a good control. We talked about diseases, nutrition, and this blog post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/problem-with-the-controls/ Find John on X at https://x.com/J_J_Dempsey Read more about all kinds of turfgras…

1
OM measurements, models, and data analysis with Dr. Henry Qu 51:15

1h ago51:15

51:15

Dr. Henry Qu, partner and data scientist at Oxbridge Economics, joined me to talk about data analysis, and statistics, and how to try to learn things in turfgrass science. We discussed NTEP, posterior distributions, disease resistance, ANOVA, total organic material expectations by species, the process of learning, and much more. ATC blog post about…

1
Doing more work to produce better turf with Jon Wall 1:05:45

1d ago1:05:45

1:05:45

Jon Wall, golf course superintendent at Shanqin Bay, joined me to discuss doing more work to make grass better, rather than doing less. And also about what I'd want everyone to do, which is doing the right amount of work for your property. We talked about many things, starting off with: Better turf conditions with more intensive maintenance blog po…

1
Heat kills: a 12 point list and thermal death point temperatures for cool-season grass 25:48

4d ago25:48

25:48

It's summer in the northern hemisphere, and the two items discussed in this episode provide guidance on managing turf when it has to survive through heat stress. From the ATC website, a 12 point list: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/catching-up-on-reading-heat-stress/ From PACE Turf, the Heat Kills document: https://www.paceturf.org/member/Docu…

1
036 - From Pinehurst to Hayling, and back again - Part 1. Graeme Roberts on managing a links in a changing climate 51:26

12d ago51:26

51:26

We are delighted to welcome Graeme back to the podcast for the third time. We discuss the challenges he faces with the weather at Hayling Golf Club and the trade-off between meeting membership expectations and managing the golf course ecosystem. Stay tuned for Part 2, where we talk more about his experience on the voluntary support team for the US …

1
Explaining MLSN and assessing ball roll on putting greens, with Carl Schimenti 1:29:08

16d ago1:29:08

1:29:08

Carl Schimenti from Cornell University joined me to discuss intro to #MLSN explanations vs. using MLSN the way it is designed to be used. We also talked a lot about ball roll assessment using the #BobbleTest, and the USGA GS3 ball, and other methods. MLSN project page: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/mlsn/ Daniel Palin with the MLSN test on The Talk…

1
Checking phosphorus gradients on putting greens with an upper and lower rootzone sample 36:00

18d ago36:00

36:00

Soil P, pH, and salinity are a few things that likely vary by depth in your rootzone. I've started recommending that 20% of putting greens tested be done with a sample divided at the 5 cm depth. Send the lab a 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depth sample from that green, rather than the standard 0-10 cm depth sample. I discussed this blog post: https://www.asia…

1
Spring green-up of cool and warm-season grasses with Maggie Reiter 1:06:37

23d ago1:06:37

1:06:37

Maggie Reiter joined me to discuss how the start (and end) of the turfgrass maintenance season might be predicted. When is spring green-up? When does the season end? We discussed, and showed charts of growth potential and temperature, from this post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/maps-of-average-temperatures-in-the-usa/ The Sunday Lawn Care p…

1
How many hours until the grass wilts? Predicting soil water content with Dr. Bill Kreuser 59:18

1M ago59:18

59:18

Bill Kreuser, Ph.D., president of GreenKeeper, joined me to discuss the new water resource planning tools in GreenKeeper, along with disease risk, PGRs, soil surfactants, and weather data. See more about these tools at the GreenKeeper app: https://www.greenkeeperapp.com/ Irrigation posts at the ATC website: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/tag/irriga…

1
Ep 41 Campbell's Corner - Resources 57:17

1M ago57:17

57:17

This episode comes from the permission of The Golfing Greenkeeper Podcast where we partnered with Steve and presented a series of episodes. This episode focuses on the resources turf managers can use on a day to day basis. Contact Nadeem zreikat@campbellchemicals.com.au See our website www.campbellchemicals.com.au ASTMA Conference trade show regist…

1
Core sweepers make aeration easier, ball roll after 270 rounds, and estimating N in clippings 32:27

1M ago32:27

32:27

I discuss small plot university research with fixed treatments vs. golf course and sports turf maintenance with treatments that vary, and consider which results we should trust more. I also discuss the bobble test after 270 rounds, mention that core sweepers are a nice machine, and explain how I estimate N harvested in creeping bentgrass clippings.…

1
Ep 40 Peter McMaugh AM With Special Co-Host David Worrad Part B 58:16

1M ago58:16

58:16

This episode has been in the making for quite sometime. I speak to Peter McMaugh AM who is a stalwart of the Australian turf industry and expert in the field. He has the innovator of many practices that we use in turf locally an internationally. We speak about his career with regards to the Australian Turf Industry and you can’t talk turf in Austra…

1
What you should know about soil test P, spring growth, and #TurfSpeedo calculations 48:32

1M ago48:32

48:32

I describe what we can learn from looking at five years of Mehlich 3 soil test phosphorus results from golf course putting greens, how to calculate the turfgrass speedo in a standard way, rather than in a chaotic way, and recommend an episode of the Cornell Turfgrass Show that asks if soil testing is the answer to all your problems. These are the l…

1
Ep 39 Peter McMaugh AM With Special Co-Host David Worrad Part A 1:22:56

1M ago1:22:56

1:22:56

This episode has been in the making for quite sometime. I speak to Peter McMaugh AM who is a stalwart of the Australian turf industry and expert in the field. He has the innovator of many practices that we use in turf locally an internationally. We speak about his career with regards to the Australian Turf Industry and you can’t talk turf in Austra…

1
Putting surface management, the turf speedo (growth ratio), & surprising results with T-Jay Creamer 1:05:21

2M ago1:05:21

1:05:21

T-Jay Creamer joined me to discuss bentgrass & Poa annua (bent-Poa) management with a surprisingly low annual N rate, almost no use of PGRs, and no aeration (other than occasional needle tining) for more than two years. The results surprise me, and they may surprise you too. We discussed this blog post about the turf speedo: https://www.asianturfgr…

1
P fertilizer & Poa, the #MLSN time issue, and #ClipVol annual totals 37:58

2M ago37:58

37:58

In this episode, I discuss sixteen year old bentgrass greens that have also gone sixteen years without P fertilizer. The greens are also free of Poa annua. Then I discuss how fertilizer recommendations made from soil tests are a lot more precise if the time duration over which the fertilizer is being recommended is considered explicitly. And I expl…

1
035 - Badger & Badger - some of our favourite things, from the trivial to the essential 1:32:34

2M ago1:32:34

1:32:34

Bledge and I do tend to agree on things. So much so one of you guys asked us to put it to the test. In reality, we tend to bicker and disagree on many things. But both value an other perspective and share many of the same philosophies that underpin golf (and, indeed, life). So Producer Harriet put us to the test. Here we discuss some of our favouri…

1
034 - Greenkeeping for Dummies - the right way (and wrong way) to get quicker greens... 1:12:15

3M ago1:12:15

1:12:15

Bledge and I started this podcast to whitter away about not much in particular, meet some interesting folk, and share the odd bit of insight into the greenkeeping and architecture that underpins British golf. We are always so humbled by the number of you who tune in to the pod, and especially those who write in to ask questions or simply offer some…

1
033 - Jim Price - Contracts Director at MJ Abbott 42:01

3M ago42:01

42:01

A few weeks ago, Bledge and I were lucky enough to sit down with Jim Price of MJ Abbott. Jim will be well known to anyone who has completed an irrigation project in recent years - and offers a great insight into the contractor's perspective. Things have undoubtedly changed in recent years, especially with more dramatic droughts and wet seasons. We …

1
Optimal and practical overseeding windows with Jim Huntoon 1:02:38

3M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Jim Huntoon joined me from Horry-Georgetown Technical College to discuss overseeding and the hows and whys of this common practice on warm-season turf that goes dormant in winter. We discussed these two blog posts: - https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/optimum-overseeding-time-windows/ - https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/zoysia-beats-bermuda-on-s…

1
032 - How a Course Manager and Architect first approach a golf course... 1:00:34

3M ago1:00:34

1:00:34

Welcome back, Badgers. This week is the first of our new style of podcast. Most importantly this week, Bledge pays tribute to friend to many in the greenkeeping industry in Bobby McDougall. A poignant reminder of how trivial many of the day to day things that occupy our minds actually are. Bledge and I discuss the freakish weather that continues to…

1
031 - Scott Aitchison - (Many) Seasons in Dornoch 1:01:50

3M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

It's safe to say that Scoosh is one of the industry's characters. Known by many for his humour and individuality, he's also a fiercely loyal and talented member of the greenkeeping industry. We hope you enjoy this (overdue) conversation with Scott as much as we enjoyed recording it.

1
Botanical walks, ecoregions, and MLSN for lawns with Maggie Reiter 1:06:18

4M ago1:06:18

1:06:18

Maggie Reiter joined me to reminisce about the grasses one can find at the back of the 7th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links, to consider soil test results for lawns, what the biggest problems are on lawns and whether solutions exists, and much more. Maggie is a Data Scientist at Sunday, https://www.getsunday.com/ The blog post with the photo of gra…

1
An example of ample light when temperature limits growth 21:25

4M ago21:25

21:25

This is a follow-up to the episode last week when I mentioned that I was looking at snow outside, that the light would be ample for growth, but the temperatures were below freezing and thus temperature was limiting the growth. I discuss the new blog post that shows those light data. An example of ample DLI: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/an-ex…

1
030 - Sam & Bledge discuss Spring on the Links, Southerness proposals and some ideas for future episodes...! 1:28:06

4M ago1:28:06

1:28:06

After a few weeks of bringing you the insight of our wonderful guests, Sam and Bledge are back to chat away about this and that, and ask for your ideas on future episode ideas. We also have a new email address! Please do get in touch with us: hello@golfbadgers.com We can't wait to hear from you!

1
The combination of light (DLI) and temperature (GP) 43:50

4M ago43:50

43:50

The growth potential converts air temperature to a 0 to 1 (or 0 to 100%) scale. Of course, there are a lot more things that affect actual growth, including light, nitrogen, and water. I discuss these and why I'm not so convinced that adding a light factor to GP makes it more useful. The blog post discussed here is https://www.asianturfgrass.com/pos…

1
029 - The Roberts' Brothers - Scott and Graeme Roberts 1:03:48

4M ago1:03:48

1:03:48

Scott and Graeme Roberts' really couldn't have been anything but greenkeepers. The brothers' grew up 'on the tools' at Hankley Common Golf Club, where their father Gareth was Course Manager for almost thirty years. Now, they are both Course Managers themselves. Scott is currently overseeing the multi million pound reconstruction of Basingstoke Golf…

1
Leaf N normals from PACE, plus #OM246 video, #MLSN testing, #TurfMath, and soil test frequency 41:00

4M ago41:00

41:00

This episode goes through a lot of updates from both the ATC and the PACE Turf websites. Topics discussed include OM246, the problem with frequent soil testing, the problem when getting soil tests done by some fertilizer companies, normal N content of grass leaves, and coefficient of uniformity (Cu) of rootzone sands. More information and and decis…

1
028 - The UK's leading Irrigation Specialist: Adrian Mortram - Irrigation and Adventure 1:32:59

4M ago1:32:59

1:32:59

Adrian says he's a specialist, not an expert. We'll let you settle on the semantics. However you badge him, Adrian Mortram has helped design countless irrigation systems throughout the world. Not just golf, his CV is as rich and varied as they come. We talk about his career, how irrigation systems have changed and how they might change still. We al…

1
027 - Andy Ewence - CM at Woking on (re)building the Buckinghamshire, persuading Japanese owners and restoring the heathland at Woking. 1:31:55

5M ago1:31:55

1:31:55

Andy Ewance has had a fascinating career. Andy joins James Bledge and Sam Cooper to share anecdotes and insights from his previous role at the Buckinghamshire, including persuading the club's Japanese owners to invest in a significant overhaul. Now, Andy is at Woking - helping to enhance one of the most architecturally significant courses in Englan…

1
Adam Moeller on sand, #OM246, #ClipVol, and putting green management in 2024 1:08:41

5M ago1:08:41

1:08:41

Adam Moeller joined me to discuss how to manage greens in 2024. We talked about his research at Purdue University on sand and bentgrass and coring and N rates, and about clipping volume and OM246 testing and how we might manage turf and look at sands today. This post got the Doublecut introduction, about how to figure out an estimate of N harvest f…

1
Physical testing of golf putting green rootzones & soil nutrient sampling with Brian Mavis 57:19

5M ago57:19

57:19

Brian joined me to discuss his recommended soil sampling strategy for an 18 hole golf course. We also discussed what he teaches in a 2 hour GCSAA seminar on physical testing. Mavis Consulting website with lots of resources: http://mavisconsulting.com/ This blog post on soil sampling got the Doublecut treatment: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/c…

1
026 - Harrogate and Phoenix debrief. Tractors, Autonomous mowers, Riviera and the importance of a community. 1:30:22

5M ago1:30:22

1:30:22

January is never a great month in Britain, even less so if you work on a golf course. Fortunately, it's the time of year for the big trade shows and conferences. Bledge and Sam give their thoughts and recollections of a packed BTME in Harrogate and GCSAA show in Phoenix, Arizona. The importance of attending, what they can both get out of it, techno…

1
Forget about fertilizing with carbon, with Dr. Bryan Hopkins 40:23

5M ago40:23

40:23

The 2018 article by Bryan and Tyler Hopkins, "Carbon: the next frontier in fertilization?" concludes that we "should not be fertilizing with carbon." Bryan joined me to discuss this article. The blog post about their article remains one of the top viewed on the ATC website, six years after publication: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/is-carbon-…

1
Annual sand topdressing quantities, zoysia seeds, and a measuring laser 34:15

5M ago34:15

34:15

Zoysiagrass can seed year round when the conditions are right. In this episode, I discuss what those conditions are, share some tools for getting a site-specific sand topdressing estimate, describe the reshuffling of top posts on the ATC website, and discuss using a line laser to measure the effective height of cut. I have also recently been the gu…

1
Blog post bombs of 2023 with Joe Gulotti 1:56:23

6M ago1:56:23

1:56:23

Joe Gulotti, The Talking Greenkeeper, joined me to discuss the ATC blog posts that received the fewest views in 2023. We give these topics one more chance, while talking about quality of ball roll, playability, fertilizer, surface firmness, seminars, translation, and much more. The blog post with these 10 blog post "bombs" is https://www.asianturfg…

1
Nitrogen, coring, the pH chart, hourly ET, growth rate, and surface hardness: top posts of the year 32:39

6M ago32:39

32:39

With Google Analytics I can check the pages on the ATC website that get the most views. These were the ten posts from 2023 that got the most pageviews. These posts are listed, with direct links to each, at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/ten-posts-no-one-read-2023/ Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/…

1
025 - Bledge talks to Lee and Sami Strutt 57:00

6M ago57:00

57:00

There are few couples out there who have contributed more to the greenkeeping industry than Lee and Sami Strutt. Lee, a previous guest on this pod, is the Director of Agronomy at Cabot Cape Breton. Sami has spent over 30 years working for the greenkeeping association, BIGGA. She joined the association in 1993 as an admin assistant but is leaving it…

1
024 - Bledge and Phil Helmn on Managing Teams in Greenkeeping 43:46

6M ago43:46

43:46

While Sam has been locked away in a dark room trying to finish Volume 2 of his upcoming book series, Bledge sat down with old friend Phil Helmn to discuss his enormous passion for managing teams in the greenkeeping world. Phil is a Master Greenkeeper and has managed a wide range of courses throughout his distinguished career. Now, he specialises in…

1
Photos remind me of what I learned last year 49:16

6M ago49:16

49:16

I looked through my "Flights and favorite turf photos" post to see what I learned, or what I was reminded of, through these photos. I discuss N rate, grass species, dormancy, traffic, leaf area, crew size, Poa annua, pesticides, and a lot more. This is the post I discussed: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/flights-favorite-turf-photos-2023/ I me…

1
How a conference education program gets put together with Deb Burnett & Sami Strutt 1:06:10

6M ago1:06:10

1:06:10

In 2018, I delivered four presentations/classes at the Continue to Learn education conference in Harrogate, England. Deb Burnett and Sami Strutt from BIGGA joined me to discuss how an education program gets put together and evaluated. The Doublecut post was: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/four-presentations-at-btme/ BIGGA website: https://www.…

1
Topdressing by rote isn't the best way to do it, with Chris Tritabaugh 50:35

6M ago50:35

50:35

Chris Tritabaugh joined me to discuss sand topdressing, a long-running conversation we've been having with Dr. John Kaminski, the quantities of sand and N that are recommended vs. the amounts that seem to be required in modern turf maintenance, and much more. We discussed this post from the ATC website about nitrogen, coring, and sand: https://www.…

1
Robotic automowers for golf course (and all kinds of) turf with Janne Lehto, MG 1:01:29

6M ago1:01:29

1:01:29

Janne Lehto from Hirsala Golf joined me to discuss robotic automowers. Hirsala Golf currently has a fleet of 36 machines, mowing all fairways and 75% of the rough with these autonomous mowers. We discussed mowing heights, some of the interesting benefits that come with using these types of machines, and discussed a few drawbacks. Find Janne on Ints…

1
Updated OM246 sampling guide, GP is not MLSN, and soil samples don't dry too much 39:17

7M ago39:17

39:17

I talked about some recent blog posts, including updated #OM246 sampling instructions, there is no such thing as an MLSN nitrogen rate, soil samples cannot dry too much, and more. Links to these posts are: - https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/mlsn-is-not-gp/ - PACE climate appraisal form https://www.paceturf.org/journal/climate - https://www.asian…

1
023 - Badgers are Back - Part 2 1:13:22

7M ago1:13:22

1:13:22

The second half of our Season 2 kick off. Bledge and Sam discuss the Bernhard Academy, upcoming trips to BTME in Harrogate and GCSAA in Phoenix as well as take a few questions sent in to the studio. Bledge also discusses an archaeological find he made on the course at Deal, and the video we discuss in the episode can be viewed here: https://youtu.b…

1
Wetting agent re-application intervals by growing degree days (GDD) with Bill Kreuser 1:28:22

7M ago1:28:22

1:28:22

Can soil surfactant (wetting agent) applications be scheduled based on site temperatures? Can a growing degree day model work for this? Dr. Bill Kreuser, president of Greenkeeper, joined me to discuss his exciting progress with this research. - ATC blog post on what wetting agents really do: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/what-do-wetting-agent…

1
022 - Season 2 - Badgers are back! 1:02:00

7M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Badgers - welcome to the first episode of Season 2 of the podcast. James Bledge (Links Manager, Royal Liverpool Golf Club) and Sam Cooper (Architect, Clayton, DeVries & Pont) are back home on the Wirral, hunkered down for the winter and ready to pod. This is the first half of a general catch-up. Talking about our respective 2023 autumns and what's …

1
Bentgrass greens in Perth summer temperatures with Fraser Brown 1:13:53

8M ago1:13:53

1:13:53

Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth, Western Australia has creeping bentgrass greens and sometimes sees high temperatures over 40 °C. Course superintendent Fraser Brown joined me to discuss how he and the maintenance team manage the grass in this year-round golfing climate. Find Fraser on X at https://twitter.com/FraserJBrown_ Read the ATM profile…

1
Maximum N rates that work when linked to growth potential (GP) with Dr. Michael Bekken 38:33

8M ago38:33

38:33

I spoke with Michael Bekken about normal nitrogen rates, why they vary so much, why that matters, what a normal N rate linked to growth potential (GP) might be, and greenhouse gas emissions from turfgrass maintenance. We talked about: - how to keep up with turf info from ATC and PACE Turf, https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/whats-the-best-way-to-k…

1
Sand topdressing rates, soil organic matter/material, cultivation, and K with Chas Schmid 1:22:48

9M ago1:22:48

1:22:48

Dr. Chas Schmid has been involved with many of the same topics I often study and consider---sand topdressing, potassium fertilization, soil organic matter, putting green performance, and so on. His data, and plenty of photographic evidence, also show that there can be completely different outcomes than what I might have expected. We discuss this, o…

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