Dye's Valley is shorter than the Stadium Course, but it reveals itself differently. A miss on Valley leaves players hope as they approach the landing zone, only to realize that area is a steep slope toward a pond. The contours are deceptive. Foreground rolls into the backdrop, creating a valley where hazards await even a slight miss. Mounds lining fairways create blind shots and uneven lies. 

Unlike the lush ryegrass rough on the Stadium Course, Dye's Valley presents dormant Bermudagrass. The lies are less intimidating, almost inviting. But any imperfect strike will translate to the golf shot. Short irons and wedges become extremely difficult to control spin. Thin shots run forever, fat shots find the turf grabbing the clubface. Golfers are forced to use less loft and accept more rollout, turning short game into more of a guessing game. 

Dye's Valley sits separate from the Stadium Course. It has no clubhouse views, no island green, no hype and no flare. It's quiet and serene, an environment that should foster good golf. The walk to the first tee leaves players feeling peaceful and focused. After a few holes, you quickly realize this stunning retreat has genius architecture, lightning fast greens and the ability to turn easy pars into double-bogeys. It requires the perfect balance of committing to shots and avoiding trouble.

Most greens feature runoffs to collection areas or hazards emphasizing the need for accuracy in approach. Peeking ahead at the scorecard leaves players excited for No. 8, a short par-5 only to step to the tee and find a large oak tree in the center of the fairway. A hole that otherwise would call for a soft cut, forces you to commit to a side, or aim at the tree and hoping you miss it. 

UFC Fighters talk about two ways to win a fight, a knockout blow, or dragging an opponent into deep water. The Stadium Course at Sawgrass looks for the knockout — forcing bold shots, immediate decisions and visible punishment. Dye's Valley does the opposite. It drags players along quietly, demanding patience and discipline. Mistakes might be subtle, but they compound. Eventually players are forced into survival mode but by this point the damage is done. Dye's Valley doesn't overwhelm players; it wears them down. 

— Ryan Bain
assistant superintendent, Noyac Golf Club, Sag Harbor, New York

It is well known that Pete Dye's wife Alice had the initial vision of the island green. Original plans only featured a small pond separating Nos. 16 and 17 that was to be more in play on the former. As earth was moved, the footprint grew and the pond crept into play on 17. Pete Dye famously said "we just kept digging. And then one day Alice came out and said, 'Why don't you just go ahead and make it an island?' So we did." 

It would be easy to reduce this to a punchline — a husband and wife bickering over a design decision that spiraled into one of the most famous holes in golf. The story could be presented as such because it is amusing and convenient. It's also a fallacy. 

Alice Dye was not an old-fashioned stay-at-home wife. She knew business. She knew people. And she knew golf. 

Alice was a true life partner to Pete and a significant part of his success as a golf course architect. She was a polished amateur golfer herself and well respected within the business. In a time where women were typically kept out of meeting rooms and away from construction projects, Alice was an active participant with a credible voice. She handled many logistical and regulatory discussions, helped Pete to interpret contour maps, and played a direct role in inspiring and refining many of Pete's famous designs. 

Commanding respect equal to that of her husband, Alice was the first female member of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. Later, she was elected as the first female president of the society. When Alice died, her impact on the game of golf was recounted by people she touched in the golf world. They praised her for her knowledge of the art, her influence on Pete Dye designs and her impact on women's golf. Colleagues widely agree that she was Pete's voice of reason and a valuable partner. 

No. 17 at TPC Sawgrass was not built amid an argument, it was envisioned by a powerful woman who garnered respect from her exclusively male peers in a time where that was unheard of. While players might curse her name after dunking two shots in the water, her impact on golf reaches far beyond the island green.

— Ryan Bain, assistant superintendent Noyac Golf Club, Sag Harbor, New York

If you're feeling good about your golf game, go play TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The construction traffic and half-built grandstands tell you crews there are preparing for a tournament, but the golf course says the preparation is done, and it's Saturday of THE PLAYERS.

In true Sawgrass fashion, our round began with a light mist that progressed into a steady rain. Not enough to consider a rain check, but enough to make us think the greens were slow. At the turn, the sun came out,  the greens dried down and suddenly putts on the back nine were stretching three, four, five feet past the hole. That is part of the Sawgrass experience. An experience which also includes combing through the rough just a yard off the green looking for a ball. In the industry, this is often referred to as "US Open Rough." For me and my playing paertner, it will forever be known as "Sawgrass Rough."

Golfers like to have control: something that Sawgrass only awards you from the short grass. If you find yourself in the rough, get ready to listen to the caddie. Flopping a 60-degree wedge to a short-sided pin is a feat better left to two-time PLAYERS Champions like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Take what the course gives you, and expect it won't be very much. 

Setting the elements aside, the course design presents a totally separate set of challenges. Pot bunkers, false fronts to bunkers or water, tight tee shots. Pete Dye likes to force players into a shot shape only to punish over-shaping by leading tee shots away from water to tree lines and palmettos. Errant tee shots can be rescued by a hero shot, but more often taking medicine and getting back in play is best. Shifts in weather leading to drastic changes in course conditions, penal rough and no room to miss, partnered with an energetic crowd lining some of golf's most iconic holes, make TPC Sawgrass one of the tallest tasks on tour. 

Proper construction, impressive drainage, and a highly successful overseed have already set the stage for what some call golf's fifth major. What remains is largely logistical: bleachers, ropes, parking, and hope that weather cooperates. The layout and the conditions do not call for any drastic measures to transition from daily play to tour play. TPC Sawgrass is built to defend itself from the world's best golfers on a daily basis. 

Bain shares how he became the first graduate of Tyler Bloom's New York State Turfgrass Association apprenticeship program, which allowed him to learn turf management while working hands-on at the golf course. He explains the benefits of this practical learning approach over traditional classroom education, where he could immediately apply concepts like aeration and chemical applications in real-world settings.

Bain discusses his current responsibilities including crew scheduling, budget management and project oversight under superintendent Brian Goleski's mentorship. He addresses common challenges like tree management and airflow issues at their tree-lined course, as well as labor-retention strategies including on-site staff housing.

Springmann discusses how he discovered golf late in college after his football career ended and worked his way up through courses like Trinity Forest, Oakland Hills, and others. 

He explains the challenges of managing a new Coore and Crenshaw-designed course that opened in 2023, including extensive drainage work in Alabama's red clay and maintaining wall-to-wall Zeon zoysia with firm playing conditions. Springman emphasizes his management philosophy of cross-training all staff members, his passion for golf history and architecture, and how his Notre Dame education taught him to think critically. 

He also discusses the importance of mentorship, team building, and maintaining high standards while creating a supportive work environment for his assistants.

A second-generation greenkeeper, Mendoza discusses the need to market himself and his accomplishments as he strives to achieve an industry leadership role beyond Green River. He also talks about what he to promote the game to area youth and introducing turf maintenance as a potential career path.

With the golf course straddling three Southern California counties, Mendoza talks about the difficulty and challenges that can come with working with government agencies from three counties on a single project and how the needs and requirements of each might be in conflict with the others.

Scott talks about how he switched majors in college from studying business at the University of Memphis to turfgrass management (agricultural science) at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

The discussion includes how Scott started his own management firm and taking over day-to-day operations at the course where he worked during high school, then buying the course in the middle of a global health crisis.

She reflects on her journey as an early woman-in-turf in a male-dominated industry, highlighting the support from her mentors. Despite initial hesitations, Moe has embraced technology in turf management and is excited about her future contributions in a customer support role with Dave Wilber at TurfRad.  Throughout her journey, she emphasizes the importance of kindness, donuts and enjoyment in life.

Moving forward, Moe will be taking on an additional role as contract on-camera personality for TurfNet.

He also talks about the challenges associated with motivating his team and keeping morale up at an operation where expectations and pressure to be the best are high every day and not just for the tour pros.

Finally, Bachman discusses mentors who helped hone and instill the work ethic neccessary to succeed at one of the country's top golf resorts that is home not only to a tour event but is also a regular on the rotation for USGA championships.

A competitive golfer at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, the Oregon native worked as an aspiring golf course architect before finally getting into golf course maintenance. 

It was while working at the California Golf Club of San Francisco when he attended the two-year program at Rutgers University, which provided him with the skills needed to become a head superintendent.

Smith also has interesting side hustles that include painting golf course portraits and co-ownership in a company the fashions carry bags for golfers from flags.

A former TurfNet intern in Ireland, Letot fills us in on how the one-year GAP program works as it helps prepare non-traditional students in the North Carolina Sandhills area for careers in golf turf maintenance. He also addresses how he personalizes it to meet the needs of each participant based on their schedule, needs and previous experience.

Finally, Letot talks about how he envisions the program changing in the future to meet the changing needs of those who are enrolled in the program.

His career shifted onto the fast track after nearly 10 years prepping under William Shirley at Peachtree Golf Club in Brookhaven, Georgia, Lambert ventured 10 miles up the road to Atlanta Country Club, a 1965 William C. Byrd design, where he has been head superintendent since 2019.

Although he has been a head superintendent for a short period, Lambert's leadership and professional skills have been recognized by his colleagues, who voted to make him a member of the Georgia GCSA board of directors.

In this episode of Rising Stars of Turf, Lambert discusses his start in the business, how he changed majors — and colleges — to pursue his passion and how a decade at Peachtree helped form his outlook on personnel management.

A native of New York, Henry first prepped at golf courses in his home state, home to the nation’s strictest pesticide regulations. A graduate of the Rutgers turf program, he eventually spent several years working for another Rutgers product, John Zimmers, at both Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh and later the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

As an AIT at Oakmont, Henry was part of a team that oversaw the 2016 U.S. Open and completed many changes and upgrades to the historic Henry Fownes design that is a regular USGA stop. 

While at Inverness, the historic Donald Ross design underwent significant changes, including an Andrew Green-led restoration and a major tree-management project. During the Covid plagued 2020 golf season, the team at Inverness held an LPGA Tour event with barely a month’s notice.

Listen as Carlton discusses how his well-rounded past helped prepare him for his role at Dedham as he ushers the course into the future.

Has conversing via social media and communicating via thumbs prevented young adults from developing confidence, poise and tact? Meet Kate Phillips: calm, cool and collected, poised beyond her years.

Can Gen Z'ers hold their own in an interview situation? Meet Kate Phillips: direct and articulate, not afraid to call it as she sees it.

Kate and I chatted for about half an hour and completely forgot about the reason she initially came to our attention: her "performance" syringing greens at the US Open at Pinehurst to a chorus of boos from the grandstands, a situation well documented in the press and on social media (and another example of "contagious ignorance" among golf galleries). The fact that we forgot about it is a testament to the more important stuff Kate has going on in her life.

In one fell swoop during this conversation, Kate dispelled many popular notions and misconceptions about her generation. 

Her parents should be proud. She will do well.

Watch or listen, and prepare to be impressed by this remarkable young woman.

Kate was also featured in a video segment from Syngenta earlier this year.

Mallick credits his girlfriend, Rachel, with grounding his peripatetic instincts and helping him settle down and find a home at Metedeconk. He looks forward to hosting another Korn Ferry Tour event this year and welcoming another Springer Spaniel puppy to their family this week.

Watch or listen to find out what makes Andy Mallick a Rising Star of Turf.

Jeremiah, 26, graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BS in business management and then took the certificate program in turfgrass management from the University of Georgia. His first exposure to turf management was when he applied for a student job on the maintenance crew at the Georgia Southern U golf course, under then-superintendent Patrick Reinhardt. From there he interned at Atlanta Athletic Club before moving on to Savannah Quarters.

He made a splash on the social media scene with a post asking people to post photos of their favorite golf holes, which generated almost 250 responses. His black Labrador Max is also a frequent subject of his social posts. More recently, he simply asked those more experienced than himself to offer words of guidance to those coming up through the ranks. That yielded a treasure trove of wisdom from over fifty superintendents and others.

With an affable, respectful manner, a quick smile and a hearty laugh, Jeremiah is one to watch as his career ascends from here. We are proud to have him as a TurfNet Rising Star of Turf for 2024. Watch or listen, and enjoy the conversation.

A graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in agriculture, Sam kicked off his turf career with a stint at Muirfield Village Golf Club, first under Paul B Latshaw and then Chad Mark. He then moved over to Caves Valley Golf Club for the next five years as first assistant, including hosting the BMW Championship in 2021.

Watch or listen in as Sam relates his stressful first months at DGC, repairing the two vandalized greens and hosting a successful Rocket Mortgage event. Find out what Sam can't do without on the golf course, while we get a glimpse of his relationship with his wife Emily since getting married at Muirfield Village. Great conversation with another Rising Star!

He enrolled in the turf management program at Wayne Community College in NC and worked at Wedgewood GC, then Country Club of Virginia, Carolina Country Club and Wade Hampton Golf Club before signing on as the first assistant at Biltmore Forest Country Club in Asheville, NC.

Jordon tells us about his journey to date, his experiences and mentors, and what hopefully lies ahead for him. Complete disclosure: Chad Kuzawa is an agronomist for EarthWorks (one of our sponsors) and recommended Jordon, among others. That's OK... he qualifies as a Rising Star in our book. Listen or watch.

A fascinating conversation with one of the up-and-comers in the world of golf turf management. Watch or listen.

Now THERE is a guy who is going to have a successful career as a superintendent.

Surico talks us through his career from Rutgers University to moving up from an internship to an assistant position at Baltusrol, before following Dan Kilpatrick from Baltusrol to their current positions at North Jersey Country  Club. He credits Kilpatrick with being a great mentor and also fostering the fun, high-performance atmosphere that the staff at North Jersey enjoys.

Check it out...

Richard participated in one of our Assistant Situation roundtable conversations earlier this year, indicating that he was ready for a head superintendent job but just waiting for the right opportunity to open up. In the meantime, he felt he was being compensated fairly, had a good work/life balance for himself, wife and young son, and didn't want to hopscotch around taking other assistant positions for the sake of a small increment in pay.

In this conversation with Peter McCormick, Richard recounts the recent process of procuring the unadvertised opening at Florence Country Club and what the experience has been like for him so far.  Watch or listen!

Very recently — only a month ago — Nate decided to shift gears and form a mobile golf course project management company (NTJ Turf, LLC) specializing in irrigation, drainage, construction/grow-in, custom applications and interim superintendent services.

During this chat with Peter McCormick, Nate describes his early entrepreneurially venture as a high school landscaper, and his internship and assistant years with Kevin Ross at the Country Club of the Rockies. Spend a few minutes with Nate and Peter to hear more about what makes Nate tick and what his future holds.