Reel Turf Techs Podcast

Gary Bogdanski

Meet Gary Bogdanski, Equipment Manager at The Sharon Golf Club in northeast Ohio. Growing up on a strawberry farm and doing all the wrenching that comes with being a farm kid, Gary was introduced to the golf course by his mom who took a job in the kitchen at the Sharon Club. Tired of going home every day smelling like the rubber plant where he worked second shift while going to college, Gary agreed to give it a week working in the shop and never looked back. Gary finished his degree in mecha...

Outside the Shop: Tyler Bloom

Head Outside the Shop this week with Tyler Bloom of Tyler Bloom Consulting. This Penn State turf grad who worked his way from assistant to superintendent started his own successful workforce development consulting business in 2020. We talk about how automation to address labor shortages will impact the equipment we maintain and repair, influential mentors, and the restorative benefits of catching an episode of Daniel Tiger. Tyler shares some of his expertise in how to apply Predictive Index ...

Scott Brock

From working his life away in a copper tubing mill to getting thrown into the fire at a golf course 45 days before the season kicked off, Scott Brock has had a great career as a golf course technician. Scott emphasizes the importance of understanding agronomic practices and having an open dialogue about those practices and their impact in equipment with the superintendent. In his free time you’ll find Scott bowling strikes with his league and being a grandpa to five awesome grandkids.  Lear...

Chad Kintzer

Meet the laid-back equipment manager from The Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach - Chad Kintzer.  Chad is a self-described big kid whose dad was a mechanic too. Chad served his country in the United States Army before starting his career as an auto mechanic in a local garage. After tiring of the people side of the auto tech business, Chad transitioned to building firetrucks before finding his way to the golf course. In his free time Chad enjoys cooking and smoking meats, living the da...

Reel Talk: Twitter Space 1/23/22

James Wilkinson

Meet our first moped mechanic turned turf wrencher: James Wilkinson, equipment manager at Buckinghamshire Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, England. With an engineer dad, engineer uncle, and blacksmith grandfather it’s no wonder James ended up in a mechanical pursuit. Learn how getting his start at an auto dealership impacted James’ shop setup. Find out how engaging the crew in pre-start equipment checks brings value to the course and makes the mechanic’s job more smooth; the benefits of the ‘ba...

Outside the Shop: Pullin' Weeds

It’s our first collab! Join Trent, Tim Kreger and Allen Knight in the podcast crossover you’ve been waiting for - Pullin’ Weeds meets Reel Turf Techs. We’re talking EM stuff like: professional wrestling, paint sprayers, Pascal’s law, and of course podcasting.  Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

Reel Talk: Twitter Space 1/9/22

Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

Justin King

Meet Justin King, recent graduate of UNC Greensboro and mechanic at Jamestown Park Golf Course in Jamestown, North Carolina. After finding out the labor to install a lift kit for his Jeep was more than the kit itself, Justin decided to figure it out himself. From his entry to the professional world as a lube guy and flare-rate auto shop mechanic to working on a landscape crew at a local municipality, Justin found himself with an opportunity to learn at a municipal course with a more experien...

Reel Talk: Twitter Space 1/2/22

Reel Talk: Twitter Space 12/26/21

Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

Chris Lewis

Chris Lewis, equipment manager at East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA got his start at the golf course in the cart barn. It didn’t escape the superintendent’s notice when Chris got a messed-up ball picker working, and the rest is history. This former motorcycle mechanic hopes to pass on his love of dirt bikes to his two young daughters. Go behind the scenes with us and get all the details on the wrenching side of hosting the TOUR Championship. Interested in volunteering? Email Chris at clewis@e...

Orlando Acevedo

This week we’re talking with Orlando Acevedo, Equipment Manager at Grey Oaks Country Club in Naples, Florida. With three 18-hole courses and a grounds crew staff of 95, Orlando has his plate full. Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of managing a large fleet of equipment and staff, fabricating racks for small equipment, and how changing jobs can further your career. Orlando reminds us that during these times of parts delays and shortages, it’s more important than ever to know your fellow ...

Reel Talk: Twitter Space 12/19/21

Hiring an EM? What Superintendents Need to Know. Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

John Murray

John Murray, equipment manager at the Federal Club and the Kanawha Club, both in Virginia, shares his unique story with us this week. Growing up a tinkerer and passionate woodworker, John’s path to the shop included building custom storage buildings followed by 17 years building playground equipment. After the economic crisis in 2008, John made a big change and started building custom cabinetry and guitars after reconnecting with an old friend who turned out to be a Nashville musician. John ...

Brack Crouch

Meet Brack Crouch, Equipment Manager at the Talisker Club at Tuhaye. Early in his career, Brack made a move from recent college grad in something he didn’t want to do, to the mowing crew where he did want to be - on the golf course. After working as an assistant superintendent who did a lot of the wrenching, to having his own building company, to facilities maintenance, Brack found his home at a unique mountain facility overseeing a truck fleet and snow equipment in addition to the usual gol...

Shop Talk: TETAC 2021

Coming to you live(ish) from TETAC 2021 and the Carolinas GCSA Conference and Show. Join your host as he sits down with  Chad Kintzer, Joe Moreira, Mike Rollins and Michael Shelton and find out what it was like to join the other techs in Myrtle Beach. This roundtable discussion brings you hot topics and more than a few laughs. We might even do this again! Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

Jason Skaggs, CTEM

Jason Skaggs is the equipment manager at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. After starting out of high school as an oil-changer at a car dealership, Jason moved up quickly to apprentice. He got his reel grinding experience as a Toro dealership technician and eventually made his way to the golf course. We’re talking fabricating reel racks, going in-depth on shop floors, and how rewarding it is to see the results of your labor all day long. Jason reminds us there’s no ceiling on your drea...

Jason Skaggs

Jason Skaggs is the equipment manager at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. After starting out of high school as an oil-changer at a car dealership, Jason moved up quickly to apprentice. He got his reel grinding experience as a Toro dealership technician and eventually made his way to the golf course. We’re talking fabricating reel racks, going in-depth on shop floors, and how rewarding it is to see the results of your labor all day long. Jason reminds us there’s no ceiling on your drea...

Howard Horne

Howard Horne is the equipment manager at Bear’s Best Atlanta Golf Club. This farm kid from a no-red-light town in Florida made his way to metro Atlanta after getting hooked on the game of golf playing with friends. Howard transitioned from his first career as a meat-cutter through the storied mechanics program at Lake City Community College, working at several premier Atlanta area courses over the course of his 27 year (and counting) career. Trent and Howard discuss the challenges of outdoor...

Mental Health Series: John Borsos

John Borsos shares with us in this episode of our Mental Health Series some of the warning signs that his anxiety had become unmanageable - including being unable to sleep - and the impact of alcohol as a coping mechanism. John gives a great perspective on how our thoughts and what we focus on are the filters through which we experience our lives. It’s not always as simple as ‘just change your thoughts’ but we can have an impact on our lives by doing so. Support from a friend, therapy profes...

David Currie

David Currie, EM at Bayview Golf & Country Club in Thornhill, Ontario is the rare turf tech who received an education in turf mechanics. After a long-term layoff from workin’ on the railroad, David entered a program where his first apprenticeship interview featured tire changes and troubleshooting tests. David shares with us his latest fab projects including bench grinder stands, and backpack blower holders to prevent the dreaded “why won’t this start"s. Our host and David share their mutual...

Mental Health Series: Wyatt Harris

In this bonus episode as part of our series on mental health, previous guest Wyatt Harris shares his story of dealing with depression and suicidal thoughts from a young age. With the help of professional therapy and meds, Wyatt is enjoying today and looking forward to a bright future. Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

Diarmuid Griffin

Diarmuid Griffin, equipment manager at Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg in County Clare, Ireland, got his start building off-road go-karts from a kit with his Holy Communion money. After working as a caddie and getting his education in agricultural mechanics, Diarmuid did a stint at a workshop in Saudi Arabia. When a job opened three minutes from his home in Ireland, he jumped at the chance at his dream position. Listen in on how Diarmuid fabricated a tine-holder stand and articulating...

Mental Health Series: Matthew Axton

In this bonus episode as part of our series on mental health, previous guest Matthew Axton shares his story of overcoming and continuing to deal with a traumatic experience, details the impact it had on his life, and offers us encouragement to just reach out and be there for each other.  Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] Check out our YouTube Channel

Joe Moreira

Josefth Moreira, equipment manager at Lake Toxaway Country Club in North Carolina, began his wrenching career in honor of his late dad who was a mechanic himself. Starting out as a flat-rate auto mechanic, Joe’s strength in electrical propelled his career quickly when he took the plunge into turf. With the support of the first superintendent he worked with, Joe learned to jump in and trust himself and his skills, and encourages us to do the same. Joe reminds us we are enough just as we are, ...

Don Cotton

Don Cotton is the owner of Turf Pride LLC, a turf equipment research and development facility with manufacturing and distribution located in Andalusia, Alabama. Don’s father was a Ford tractor dealer who went into business in 1949, so Don grew up working on equipment, ‘piddling,’ and later selling, researching and developing new equipment. Don takes us through his long career from the first time a customer shared his idea to plant Zoysiagrass and sell his turf to landscapers, through the ear...

Outside the Shop: Don Cotton

Don Cotton is the owner of Turf Pride LLC, a turf equipment research and development facility with manufacturing and distribution located in Andalusia, Alabama. Don’s father was a Ford tractor dealer who went into business in 1949, so Don grew up working on equipment, ‘piddling,’ and later selling, researching and developing new equipment. Don takes us through his long career from the first time a customer shared his idea to plant Zoysiagrass and sell his turf to landscapers, through the ear...

Myles Kemp

Myles Kemp is the equipment manager at Chemawa Golf Course in North Attleborough, Massachusetts and the inventor of the Birdie Bar height of cut gauge. Myles caught the turf equipment bug as a high schooler and went on to the famed turf equipment program at Lake City Community College. Myles hosted a PGA senior event at his first course fresh out of school. Hear from Myles on what it’s like grinding reels at his house instead of the golf course. Myles reminds us why it’s important to avoid c...

Matt Hyde

Matt Hyde is the equipment manager at Schuyler Meadows Club in Loudonville, New York. This 80s kid is a former dirt track racer and owner of a landscape business turned turf tech. Matt reminds us that you never know what the job you didn’t get might lead to. He gives us the low-down on Baroness walk mowers and explains how he uses Google Drive for inventory and reorder to manage the parts shortages and backorders many of us currently face. Matt and Trent get into the importance of a good che...

Mike Rollins

Mike Rollins, Regional Manager at SIP Grinder has been in the golf industry for a short 20 months but boy howdy has he made a splash on Twitter. Mike married into the reel grinding business then fell in love with it, using his background in film and media to create outstanding videos promoting equipment managers. We’re getting deep into reel theory, bedknife angles, and relief grinding this week and talking about the hazards of twisted frames. Go behind the scenes with Mike (and DeeWayne Gri...

Mike Rollins

Mike Rollins, Regional Manager at SIP Grinder has been in the golf industry for a short 20 months but boy howdy has he made a splash on Twitter. Mike married into the reel grinding business then fell in love with it, using his background in film and media to create outstanding videos promoting equipment managers. We’re getting deep into reel theory, bedknife angles, and relief grinding this week and talking about the hazards of twisted frames. Go behind the scenes with Mike (and DeeWayne Gri...

Wes Danielewicz

Wes Danielewicz is the equipment technician at Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook, Illinois. Wes enlightens us on the many things that have changed during his 40-year career in golf course equipment maintenance and brings a unique perspective including 22 years at a municipal facility. We discuss the benefits of relief grinding and backlapping as well as the extra pluses of regularly servicing equipment.  Tweet us @ReelTurfTechs and @MTrentManning Email us at [email protected] ...

Gareth Ballard

Being a greenkeeper at a small country golf course in New South Wales, Australia means you’re doing the equipment maintenance too. After working on a golf course as a jack-of-all-trades, and seeing a need for reel grinding for those country golf courses who would otherwise be facing downtime using a city grinding service, Gareth started a reel grinding operation of his own striving for an overnight turnaround. We discuss some what-not-to-dos from early in our careers and the satisfaction of ...

Matt Leis

From zero golf experience to a head equipment manager position in a year-and-a-half: that’s just how Matt Leis rolls. Matt joins us from the Westin Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ. While earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting, Matt got a taste for turf working for his local parks & rec department. After a quick detour in selling private jets, Matt turned his focus to the golf course where, like all of us, he got hooked on the sunrises. Matt built his skills as an irrigation technic...

Michael Shelton

From farm kid to cart boy to equipment manager, Michael Shelton knows his way around the golf course maintenance industry. Michael is a Horry-Georgetown Technical College graduate with an associate’s degree in turfgrass management and worked as an assistant superintendent before moving into equipment management. Like many of us, Michael enjoys the variety of his career whether he’s building two functioning creeks from scratch or hopping on a ‘dozer. With his background and education in agron...

Herb Leyva

Herb Leyva began his career in the golf industry after 25 years of service in the United States Navy and is now the Equipment Manager at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, CA. We’re talking with Herb about how to get consistent results day after day, keeping up with the preventative maintenance requirements in a lease agreement, and the very real labor struggle that exists regardless of your facility. Herb gives us a way to avoid the dreaded black fingernail, shares his views on backlapp...

Wyatt Harris

Wyatt Harris, equipment technician at The Four Seasons Orlando, comes to us with under a year in the shop. Find out how Wyatt went from getting picked up from elementary school in a golf cart to crew to spray tech to the shop. Wyatt’s fresh perspective shines a light on the value of keeping it light and positive so that operators don’t fear the ‘grumpy mechanic’ and how handy a 90-degree drill is for QA5 reels. We discuss the value of volunteering and Wyatt’s days with John Patterson at Atla...

Hector Velazquez

You’ve never heard a ‘how I got into the industry’ story like Hector’s! Get to know the man behind the videos: a person of faith, family man, and absolutely the real deal. Hector will inspire you to speak your dreams into reality and is a living example that there is strength in being vulnerable about our fears, hopes and dreams. On the wrenching side, learn how his background as a motorcycle mechanic impacts his approach to turf equipment. Important reminders on chainsaw and chipper safety,...

Geoff Briggs

From Albany, New York to Sag Harbor to L.A. all by age 30 - Geoff Briggs is making the most of his opportunities and living with no regrets. Listen in with the EM from The Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles, CA. Hear all about the challenges of going from east coast to west coast turfgrass and adjusting to green vs. red. Geoff shares some cool details on a bridge railing fab project and donating his time and expertise to a local 9-hole veteran’s hospital golf course. We discuss the importa...

Taylor Cairns

Taylor Cairns, equipment manager at The Rock Golf Club in Muskoka, Ontario catches up with us this week and shares his story of getting into the turf equipment industry. Hear how networking, being open to learning and working on the GCSAA Equipment Management Certificate Program all led Taylor to where he is now, happy at the golf course. Get an idea for a fun project involving old bedknives and oil drums and a reminder that it’s ok to swap the side hustles for a little gaming and family tim...

Matthew Axton

Matthew Axton jumped out of his comfort zone from the cricket pitch in the United Kingdom all the way to The Royal Golf Club in Bahrain. A rare find in our field, Matthew studied turf equipment and won a National Vocational Qualification Award which was presented by none other than Prince Phillip. Find out what it’s like to be Workshop Manager on an island in the Persian Gulf where Matthew faces challenges such as weeks delays to receive parts, and has unique opportunities like working with ...

Tommy Richey

We cover so many important topics this week with Tommy Richey, Equipment Manager at Pine Valley Golf Club in Pine Valley, New Jersey. Tommy got his start turning wrenches as a machinery technician in the United States Coast Guard and now manages the equipment for the top club in the U.S. Hear what it’s like to achieve your dream and find it’s even better than you imagined. We get an inside look at the daily shop routine at Pine Valley, a fab project that did nothing less than improve someone...

Roland McPhearson

Get ready to meet one of the best minds in the business - Roland McPhearson, Equipment Manager at Orinda Golf Club in Camino Sobrante, California. From LA (not that one - Lower Alabama) to NoCal by way of upstate New York and New Jersey, Roland is the inventor of the Roller Tamer and an Edwin Budding Award winner as well as a veteran of the United States Air Force. Roland and Trent get into the nitty gritty of backlapping and discuss Roland’s ingenious solution for tine storage. Roland gives...

Outside the Shop: Diana Kern

Join us for the first installment of our brand-new segment, Outside the Shop, where we’ll feature a guest who doesn’t turn wrenches in a turf shop but does work to support our profession. This week we’re talking with Diana Kern, GCSAA’s Manager of Certificates and Program Validation. Diana pulls back the curtain on the Golf Industry Show based on her 24 years of service in education. We get into the weeds on the development of the Equipment Management Certificate Program, how you can use the...

Ben Beard

Jack Nicklaus, Clydesdales, and fighter jets - oh my! Just another day at the golf course for Ben Beard. Ben is the Equipment Manager at American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, MI. Meet the former John Deere service tech who began his wrenching career down on the farm and knows a little bit about a lot of things. Ben discusses the role of fate in guiding his career path and shares fun stuff including: how to make a floating green and tips & tricks involving crayons, and the magical properti...

John Borsos

Imagine walking into your first day at the golf course shop with no reel mower experience and no one who knows how to work the grinder. That’s the scene John Borsos, mechanic at South Park Golf Course in Pittsburgh, PA, found himself in when he joined our industry. John is an ASE Certified Master Technician and successfully completed GCAAA’s Equipment Management Certificate Program Levels 1 and 2. John shares some great tips with the listeners including how making a change when you experienc...

Chris Whittaker

This week we’re talking with Chris Whittaker, Equipment Manager at The Winston Club in Calgary, Alberta. An experienced automotive tech and Certified Ford Master Diesel Technician, Chris was the first turf tech in Canada to complete Level 1 of the GCSAA Equipment Management Certificate Program and is a Melrose Equipment Management Experience winner. Chris encourages us to view the shop as a hub for communication with the crew, shares his latest mix tank fabrication, educates us on the Trans-...

Cory Phillips

Two old friends and former superstars of the Jerry Pate road show catch up in this week’s episode. Meet Cory Phillips, Equipment Manager at Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell Georgia. Cory and Trent discuss the ins and outs of taskTracker. Cory shares a tip on fabricating a hose reel frame, reminds us that asking questions always makes us better, and shares the benefits of giving up side hustles in favor of the ball diamond life. He even throws in some coal mine headlamp etiquette, just ...

Message from the host

This week is a little different! Hear straight from host Trent Manning on why, and find out how to get a consolation prize in the form of a Google Drive folder stuffed with turf tech resources. Join the Reel Turf Techs WhatsApp group, fill out the short survey, and help us build on the strengths of this great community. Hear the stats on the pod to date and a little behind the scenes on the production, in case you're interested in guesting. Stick around for tips & tricks. Tweet us @ReelTurf...