Presenting Golfdom‘s 2024 Supers’ Choice Award winners
Multitool
“I carry it with me every day, as a lot of superintendents probably do. I’ve got a Leatherman on my belt and I have had that since I got into the industry. I thought it was a neat little gadget at first, and now I’ve come to rely on it for everything … popping off quick couplers, valve lids, stripping wire, cutting open packages, pulling out slivers, whatever it may be. I’ve got it on my belt every day and it’s a pretty trusty friend to have.”
— Greg Matz, Superintendent, Inglewood GC, Kenmore, Wash.
Defend and 19
“I started using the Aquaritin products on my greens in the 2022 season. The results I saw were not so much a response on the surface but rather underground. Our primaryily Poa greens usually have roots around a half-inch by mid-July. With Aquaritin, our roots were two-plus inches and denser throughout the season. We also saw reduced drought stress and were able to go 4-or-5 percent lower on our moisture meters before needing to hand water. If we did get some areas of stress, the recovery was faster, and areas that would annually stress out were not a problem anymore. We were also able to reduce our applied nitrogen by over a pound. I was so impressed with the results that I used the products on tees and fairways in the last two seasons and saw similar results.”
— Randy Kehres, Director of Golf Course Maintenance, New Albany (Ohio) CC
Groundsmaster 4500
“I love getting out there (on the 4500), either late in the afternoon or early in the morning, putting my earbuds in and mowing fairways or rough.”
— Joshua Stutts, Superintendent, Lane Tree GC, Goldsboro, N.C.
Performance Bunker Liner
“It’s affordable for the average golf course. The cost is $1.80 a sq. ft. It comes with a 16-year warranty, and I can install it myself without having to pay a certified crew.”
— Richard Green, Superintendent, Heritage Hills Golf Resort, York, Pa.
Ultimix
Frost, Inc.
“The Ultimix pre-mix station has significantly improved our efficiency, allowing us to stay ahead of play with all applications. Its design also simplifies the mixing and rinsing process, making it easier and safer for our team.”
— J.R. Lynn, Director of Grounds Operations, Columbus (Ohio) CC
Verti-Drain *ALL-TIME FAVORITE*
“Conventional aerators would only go down at the most about four inches. We all started sand top dressing and in four years, you’d have an extra inch of root zone. The deep tine aerator came out, and all of a sudden, we could go down nine and 10 inches to penetrate layers, and it saved millions and millions of dollars from not having to rebuild greens completely.”
— Jim Moore, Director, Green Section Education, United States Golf Association (retired), McGregor, Texas
BioBoost Nest
“We had several ponds that were struggling with just regular aeration, and since we started using BioBoost Nest, they’ve just been getting better and better. We have about 25 ponds here, and we’re about halfway through adding BioBost to them. We use reclaimed water, which tends to be off-color and a little stagnant, and the ponds with BioBoost are so much clearer than the others. I’ve recommended it to several other superintendents, and the ones who have switched have had similar success.”
— Tyler Truman, Director of Agronomy and Grounds, Mountain Vista GC, Indio, Calif.
Ceora
“We use them to supplement the mowing on our fairways, have more consistent playability, and also make it so we don’t fall behind mowing during stretches of weather or flushes of growth. It saves us time and manpower and it saves us wear and tear on equipment to the point where it’s going to play a major factor in whether we lease equipment or purchase it outright.”
— Jason Meersman, Director of Grounds, The Patterson Club, Fairfield, Conn.
Hauler Pro Elite 6.2
“As a superintendent, the Cushman Hauler Pro Elite 6.2 has been a game-changer for me and my team. It’s quiet and eco-friendly and makes our job easier by allowing us to move tools and equipment effortlessly across the course with minimal disturbance to the members and guests, all while reducing our environmental impact.”
— Matt Davidson, Superintendent, Islington GC, Toronto
Eclipse 360 ELITE Triplex *ALL-TIME FAVORITE*
“We currently have two set up with 11-blade reels and two with 15-blade reels. These machines are quiet with an impressive quality of cut. No hydraulic issues to worry about, so this makes it a win-win all the way around for us here at the Samoset Resort.”
— Chris Barnicoat, Golf Course Turf and Landscape Manager, Samoset Resort, Rockport, Maine
Revert Soil Water Repellency Management System
“Revert is a game changer for heavier soils on greens. Greens that are years in age often take on properties of a ‘non-USGA’ spec green even though they were built that way. As we have eight months of rain here in the Pacific Northwest, Revert allows us to drive water down and through the profile even in times of ‘torrential mist,’ as I call it.”
— Renee Geyer, CGCS, Canterwood G&CC, Gig Harbor, Wash.
TurfMend bent
“TurfMend is a great tool for bentgrass recovery during a short growing season. Having bentgrass tees and fairways and the increased golf rounds helps us manage our bentgrass driving range tee throughout the season along with helping tee and fairway divots recover efficiently. It keeps golfer/member satisfaction high because our turf conditions are at a high level.”
— Brian Renschler, Director of Agronomy, Talisker Club at Tuhaye (Utah)
Spray Bug with Ninja GPS
Hahn and Frost, Inc.
“To my knowledge, we’re the first to put a Ninja GPS on a Spray Bug. The motivation was that throughout the year you tend to get over-regulation on the collars. By adding the Ninja, we eliminated a problem.”
— Rob Collins, Director of Greens and Grounds, Paradise Valley (Ariz.) CC
PolyPhosphite 30
“My tee surfaces had been showing no signs of dollar spot or large patch during times of heavy pressure (weather, moisture content, etc.), which, as a manager of Paspalum, was very unusual. The only change I had made from the previous season was introducing PolyPhosphite 30 to my foliar sprays on tees. We’ve been doing this program on all shortgrass for a year, and I have saved significant funds in the budget.”
— Paul Bacon, Superintendent, The GC at Crown Colony, Fort Myers, Fla.
Snake
“It’s economical and efficient. It gets the job done. Also, it’s easy to maintain.”
— Jeff Whitmire, CGCS, Williamsburg (Va.) GC
Check out previous editions of Golfdom‘s Supers’ Choice Awards!
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