Berndt may save turf education program

Southwest Florida's highly respected turf educator, Lee Berndt, Ph.D., may land on his feet after the ouster of him and his Golf Course Operations program at Edison State College a month ago.

Hodges University, a private college with campuses in Fort Myers and Naples, is considering taking on Berndt and his program, thanks to a chance phone call by the 23-year GCSAA member.

"After wrapping things up at Edison and some conversations with friends, I decided to call the president of Hodges out the blue," says Berndt, who has more than 30 years of experience in golf course turf management. "I told him who I was and that I wanted to bring the program over to Hodges. I said there was a need in the community for it based on the number of golf courses, the extent of turf and the local ornamental and horticulture industries."

After 13 years, Edison officially discontinued the Golf Course Operations program on June 30 as part of what the school called cost-cutting measures. The college also indicated that it would convert the three-hole, par-3 golf course Berndt built for both turfgrass education and research and for student recreation into an unmaintained area.

Berndt says his overture to Hodges administrators sparked considerable interest and subsequent meetings have been held in recent weeks. The key, he says, is that the university wants to establish a needs assessment concerning the program.

To that end, Berndt and the university's Kenneth Oscar Johnson School of Business will host a turfgrass management seminar on Tuesday, Aug. 18, on the Fort Myers campus. Berndt says the event, which is approved for .30 GCSAA education points, is intended as a show of support by superintendents for turf education and research in southwest Florida.

The seminar is schedueld from 8 a.m., to 1 p.m., Community Room 364. The cost per preson is $20 to offset breakfast and lunch expenses. The agenda includes remarks by Berndt and three seminar sessions -- "Turf Management Trends for Forida Golf Courses," by Todd Lowe of the USGA; "Tree Care for the Golf Course Professional," by A.D. Ali, Ph.D., Davey Tree Co.; and "The Effect of Cellulose on Hybrid Bermudagrass Thatch," by Berndt.

Those interested in participating in the seminar, should contact Vicki Brody at 239-598-6167 or vbrody@hodges.edu.

"So far the response has been overwhelmingly positive," Berndt says. "I think most of the superintendents here locally want to see the program come back. I think they see that it has value and merit in the community. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed."

Comments

[KIRBY]

PLEASE GET THIS PROGRAM STARTED I HAD TO RELOCATE TO IRSC ON THE EAST COAST. I NEED TO BE BACK HOME WITH MY FAMILY!I MISS MY OLD JOB I HAVE AN ASSITANTS JOB WAITING!!!