Looking for assistance: Assistant Superintendent Session

This is the first year for the Assistant Superintendent Session, sponsored by Syngenta and Toro.

From left to right you have the panel, namely:

• David Phipps,CGCS, Stone Creek (Ore.) GC
• John Miller, CGCS, LPGA Tour Agronomist
• Jon Jennings, CGCS, superintendent at Chicago GC
• Bob Farren, CGCS, Pinehurst Resort

I feel a little old in this room. No surprise that most of the attendees are young assistants.

"The assistant superintendent position isn't any longer an entry-level position. We as an industry have done a great job of elevating the role of the superintendent, and the assistant superintendent has moved up as well," Farren said. "A lot of assistant superintendents have started out as interns, spray techs... I'm really happy to say that at Pinehurst, each of those individuals came from the ranks of interns with us."

"Whether it's private, public, resort, you need to find the right type of person you work for. What I mean by that is you need to make sure you're getting a return on your investment," Jennings said. "You need to find something that's going to springboard you to the next level."

Communication is a key topic here. Miller suggests that assistants practice speaking whenever they can... to their girlfriends or boyfriends, to the mirror, on a video camera... to hone their speaking abilities.

Get more involved with the budget at your course, Phipps suggests. Also, ask a simple question of your superintendent: How am I doing?

The questions have been opened up to the floor, and this room is full of questions. What do you know now that you wished you knew back then? How important is it to speak with your golfers on the course? What advice to you have for the interview process?

Good stuff here. Seasoned superintendents helping out young future superintendents. Like Dave Ravel, golf marketing manager for Syngenta, said to open the panel, "Leaders invest in their future, and that's what you're doing."

Comments

[Todd Frohloff]

I believe the Assistant Superintendent session was a great addition to the show. It created an envrioment where Assistants can congregate and network with creditable individuals within the industry to enhance their skills in taking the next step to becoming a professional. I am excited to see how this session will grow in popularity.