A recap of the 2019 Green Start Academy

The 2019 class of Green Start Academy attendees. (Photo: John Deere)

If leadership and development were at the forefront of the Green Start Academy, connection with industry peers served as the overriding themes

Co-hosted by Bayer and John Deere, the event was held at the Bayer and John Deere facilities in North Carolina on Oct. 23-25.

While much of the programming remained similar to years’ past, more time was added for attendees to network with one another.

“(The Green Start Academy) will expand your network, and you’ll meet a lot of individuals like yourself, people in the same position,” says Sean Nolan, east/west superintendent at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y. “It’s good to collaborate with your peers, and the turf industry is unique in that everyone is rooting for each other. Everybody knows what it’s like when it’s tough.”

Terrance DiLoreto, assistant superintendent at Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland, Ohio, agrees.

“Unless I’m volunteering at a tournament or at the Golf Industry Show, I don’t really get to meet new peers. So just being able to add people into my contacts for future reference is invaluable,” he says.

The speakers for the event included Lukus Harvey of Atlanta Athletic Club; Dan Meersman of Philadelphia Golf & Cricket Club; Grant Murphy of Barrie Country Club; Carlos Arraya of Bellerive Country Club; Pat Finlen of Winchester Country Club; Billy Weeks of the Country Club of Houston; Matt Fauerbach of Billy Casper Golf; and Carol Rau of Career Advantage Golf. The topics ranged from people management to interview skills.

“The mentors there weren’t scared to tell the whole room their mistakes and what they’ve done. They want to see you succeed,” DiLoreto says.

Nolan adds that he found the speakers inspiring and that he took away at least one thing from each presentation.

The role of head superintendent is the next step for Nolan and DiLoreto, so both cited the advice speakers gave on interviewing skills as a highlight.

“I’m in the process right now for my first head superintendent job, and there were a couple things I brought back from the Green Start Academy that I feel will possibly help me get the job,” DiLoreto says. “That’s not stuff we learn every day on the golf course.”