Learning about turf while sitting in traffic

Typically on my commute to and from work I listened to sports radio. After living in Cleveland for almost two years, and the ineptitude of the city’s sports franchises, I couldn’t handle the constant negativity anymore (thanks Billy Manziel).

I decided to find another outlet for my drive-time entertainment, and thanks to the recommendation from a co-worker I now listen to podcasts. My favorite one is called “Stuff You Should Know.”

In each episode the hosts, Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant, discuss a different topic that has been covered on the website HowStuffWorks.com (Clark and Bryant are senior editors for the site.) With more than 800 podcasts recorded since it started in April 2008, and new episodes coming out every Tuesday and Thursday, there are numerous topics to select. They are free to download, and vary from “How Jackhammers Work” to “What is a Shotgun House” to “Why does music provoke emotion?” The chemistry between the hosts is apparent and they can make what seems like a boring topic interesting.

So why am I sharing my favorite podcast with you? Well, recently while I was scrolling through old episodes I went past an entry released on July 10, 2014, titled, “How Grass Works? Yes, How Grass Works.”

In this episode the hosts start with the history of lawns in America, and eventually get into the anatomy of grass and some science behind growing and maintaining grass.

I think superintendents might get a kick out of these two novices talk about a topic supers deal with daily. Specifically listen for when they vehemently debate if listeners should spray exactly an inch of water on their lawn or keep spraying until there is an inch of water resting over the ground surface. They actually ask for a turf professional to settle the debate. The episode is almost two years old but I’m sure they would still appreciate hearing from a superintendent.

While I was listening to the episode I thought of another purpose for this specific podcast.

Some golf courses rely on students or retirees who have limited experience with turf to fill out their crew. This episode of “Stuff You Should Know” is a viable introduction to those employees to learn more about turf. Or it could be a more in-depth look at grass if you have a crew member who you want to nudge toward a career in turf maintenance.

No matter what I’ll be listening in the future and hoping for a “How Does Golf Work” or “Who was Old Tom Morris” episode to come up on my phone.