The return of the super bloggers

I have a folder in my e-mail in-box that I reserve for potential story ideas for this blog. When I get interesting notes from superintendents or stumble upon an industry related tidbit on the Internet that I think would make a good blog post some day, I slide it into this folder.

On Wednesday, while the snow flew in Lawrence and most of us GCSAA staff members began daydreaming about our upcoming treks to Florida for the Golf Industry Show, I dug into that folder to plot out a strategy for some upcoming posts. And while digging, I was slightly horrified by what I found, or more precisely, what I had saved and failed to post in the past.

Lists of superintendent bloggers. Lots and lots of superintendent bloggers.

One of the first things we did when we started this blog five-and-a-half years ago was to begin compiling a list of superintendents who had also taken the leap into cyberspace, superintendents who were using blogs to communicate with their golfers about the work they did on the golf course. We called our collection, simply, "Super Bloggers," we posted each to the list you can find on the right side of this page and then gave them a little shout-out here on the blog.

Well, I've fallen way off the pace in keeping that list updated. And as my trek through my e-mail folder revealed, I've got a lot of material at my disposal. So, without further ado, I'm firing back up my efforts, starting today with Turf Underground and the course maintenance blog from Wood Ranch GC in Simi Valley, Calif.

Turf Underground isn't your typical superintendent blog, which you'll clearly see if you check it out. Created and maintained by Eric von Hofen, the Class A superintendent at Riviera CC in Coral Gables, Fla., and a 20-year GCSAA member, Turf Underground has plenty about turf, to be sure. But there are also posts about the game of golf, about von Hofen's extensive travels, about his views on the world. He's also an active Twitterer (@TurfUnderground).

The course maintenance blog for Wood Ranch is much more traditional superintendent blog, focused on "many of the maintenance practices undertaken at WR. It will touch on course etiquette and highlight how we can work together to preserve playing conditions and improve the overall golf experience at WR." The site is maintained by David Coote, the course's Class A superintendent and a seven-year member of GCSAA.

I've added both blogs to our coveted list on the right side of this page, so make sure to head over to check out the work Eric and David have been putting in on their own little piece of the Internet.