Penn State Turf Club
About Penn State Turf Club
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Bill Corcoran of Lawn and Golf Supply
Sales Manager Bill Corcoran from Lawn and Golf Supply came to speak at Penn State Turf Club on Tuesday, February 19, 2018. Mr. Corcoran talked about his beginnings in the turf industry working at a few golf courses in high school and college, including Merion Golf Club. He received his degree in communications at Susquehanna University. He originally thought he would run a radio station post-graduation but ended up sticking with what he loved and stayed with turf. Shortly after graduation he became a sales representative for Toro and went on to work for various equipment companies during his career. Lawn Golf and Supply is based out of Phoenixville, Pa.
Shane Miller of Iron Lakes Golf Club
On Tuesday, Certified Golf Course Superintendent Shane Miller of Iron Lakes Country Club spoke to students on the differences between the public and private sector of golf courses in America. Shane is an alumnus of Penn State, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Turfgrass Science in 1999. Shane has worked his way up through the industry as an Assistant Superintendent at Downingtown Country Club, Waynesborough Country Club and Saucon Valley Country Club. He then moved on to becoming a golf course superintendent at Tumblebrook Country Club, Berkleigh Country Club and presently Iron Lakes Country Club in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
One of the main points Mr. Miller made in his presentation was that you should never stop bettering yourself, your education, or your resume. He touched on his recent accomplishment of becoming a Certified Golf Course Superintendent, and how the education does not stop even once you achieve your degree! Penn State Turf Club thanks Shane Miller for taking the time out of his schedule to come speak to us!
Andrew Green speaks to Turf Club
On Tuesday, Andrew Green spoke to Penn State’s Turf Club on what he does for a living and how to be successful. Mr. Green is a golf course architect that is climbing his way to the top. After receiving two degrees within 5 years in Turf Management and Landscape Architecture from The University of Virginia, he started his career by working with McDonalds & Sons Golf Course Construction. After years of gaining experience for himself he decided to branch off on his own and create his own company called AH Green Design, Green Golf and Turf, Inc. located in Baltimore, Maryland. Since then, he has worked on many notable golf clubs around the United States including Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Huntingdon Valley Country Club, Saucon Valley Country Club and more. His most current renovation is of Inverness Golf Club.
One of the main points made in is presentation is the time he has put into his work over the years. This is because he spends a lot of time researching each golf clubs history before his renovations. He believes that if he can find the roots of the golf club he can use that as inspiration for green and fairway renovations without sacrificing the playability of the hole. Andrew Green has been recognized in articles from Golf Course Architecture, Golf Week, and Golf Digest just over the past year. Penn State Turf Club thanks Andrew Green for taking the time out of his schedule to come speak to us!
Working in or working for the industry?
A New Year often means new resolutions, so what about a speech that help you to plan your career and set goals and objectives for the upcoming months? Once again, The Penn State Turf Club received wisdom from a top leader in our industry, Mark Kuhns.
The current Director of Grounds of Baltusrol Golf Club and past President of GCSAA opened his speech in a most humble and clear tone, loud enough to be audibly hear, yet soft enough to portray the total commitment he’s offering our industry for the past decades. He explained that he is not sure how he made it to his current position but he would do his best to help us get there. For this reason, he challenged the audience to find a mentor whom would help them throughout their way.
Reaching a superintendent position will require us to better ourselves by learning from the people around us and furthering our education. Mr. Kuhns is a member of eight different associations that allow him to share and learn from others. Learning from his experience was really exciting and we had the opportunity to ask ourselves the right questions. As he was speaking, he would look every person in the audience with devotion as if to say, “you can do it.”
Along with Mr. Kuhns, we had the pleasure to received comments from Kenneth Kubik. The CEO of Grass Roots completed his speech emphasizing the importance of developing relationships that allow for information sharing and building trust.
Mr. Kuhns and Mr. Kubik opened our eyes and we realized that there is no shortcut possible to become a good superintendent, only shorter roads. I think we will all take their advice moving forward.
– Nathan Wattier, Penn State Turf Club Vice President.
2017 Article of the Year
Brian Youell
Down, but not out: A superintendent’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury
Golf Course Management Magazine
John Deere Celebrates Penn State’s Turf Bowl Success
On Tuesday April 21st, John Deere Golf hosted a celebration dinner for Penn State Turf Bowl Competitors, faculty, and Alumni at the Nittany Lion Inn. Alumni from Augusta National, Merion, Shelter Harbor, and Mountaintop were present. The evening kicked off with a small mixer where students and alumni met and talked turf. Before dinner, Tom Hannigan and Dave Plaster of John Deere recognized the alumni present and the success of the PSU turf teams. Three teams placed in the top ten capturing 1st, 3rd, and 9th place. After dinner, stories and memories generated laughs by all in attendance. The students presented Dr. Ben McGraw their advisor with a framed picture of the group and a card thanking him for his dedication. Many stories about the late Dr. Joe Duich were also told, demonstrating the incredible impact he had on his students. We want to extend a big thank you to John Deere for assembling a great group and evening, celebrating Penn State’s Turf Bowl success!