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Articles by Lee Roy Carr
How GCBAA builders keep golf grounded
During the Golden Age of design through the 1920s, courses were constructed more simply — crafted with vision, shovels and horse-drawn implements. A century later, technological advancements and the evolution of the game has brought us to a place deserving of a wry smile: one equipped with laser grading, GPS-directed machinery, low-impact tires and drones to help with modern golf course construction. Yet what’s old is new.
Great family golf vacations even the nongolfers will enjoy Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy
Lee Carr The scent of freshly mowed grass and the sight of rolling fairways will always set a golfer's heart aflutter. A child feels the same palpitations when the resort pool comes into view. Why not have it all? Playing golf can be a wonderful way for families to spend time together, but it can be tricky to plan a vacation around golf when everyone in the group has different playing abilities—or don't play golf at all.
Great Family Golf Vacations Even the Nongolfers Will Enjoy
At some golf resorts, activities for the people who don’t play feel like an afterthought. These courses offer something for everybody. The scent of freshly mowed grass and the sight of rolling fairways will always set a golfer’s heart aflutter. A child feels the same palpitations when the resort pool comes into view. Why not have it all?
The heart of greenkeeping
For 14 years, The Aquatrols Company and Golf Course Industry magazine worked together to host the Super Social Media awards, recognizing the best social media content generated by the turf community. Winners were designated for the best X (Twitter) feed, best use of video and a few other categories. The awards were popular, recognizing the people working to share their joys, challenges and funny moments online.
Walking in their footsteps
The post-pandemic golf boom has led to a surge in new course construction, multiple renovations and restorations, and a creative variety of short courses and practice areas that are unprecedented in their scope. To say the least, architects are busy. I spent a summer working on a course maintenance crew when I was 17, and I started writing for a golf maintenance publication many years later.
10 Things to be Grateful for During Your Round
Succulent turkey, the perfect bite of pie, good health, great conversations, friends and family who fill Thanksgiving with love and laughter-that's what inspires gratitude. Add a lap around your home layout before feasting and you are lucky beyond compare. On a holiday, or any day at all, golf offers so many simple pleasures. Here are 10 things to be grateful for during your next round.
SURF & TURF KID - FORE Magazine
In a house filled with family and friends, cheers erupt as Levi Reilly appears on a big screen as ‘Preppy Golf Kid’ in the movie Happy Gilmore 2. The scene shows Reilly demonstrating a powerful golf swing to some young rookies before he says, “Follow that!” Reilly is 16 years old, and the swarm of kids tackle him in a frenzied rush. On-screen the action appears feisty and loud, but on the set, when filming cut, it was all smiles and giggles.
Lee Carr - FORE Magazine
With an acting debut and successes in both golf and wave-riding, 2025 has been a good year for Levi Reilly. In a house filled with family ...
Top 10 Best Smells in Golf
Golf is a game of the senses. A chip onto a quick green gently sloping away from you requires soft hands. There's the visual contrast of the bright bunker sand against surrounding mounds, or the native fescues waving golden beside verdant turf. There's the distinct sound of a well-struck shot, and a bird chirping in the distance, serenading eager golfers with early tee times.
Actor Rob Riggle
At the 45th Ryder Cup on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y., the fans will be noisy, enthusiastic, and ready to cheer on their teams. One man who has enjoyed being part of the festivities at the Ryder Cup is Rob Riggle. Acclaimed as a talented actor and a dedicated officer in the Marines, Riggle has been serving and making people laugh for decades.
My 10 Favorite Golf Course Logos
Austin Golf Club has a logo that is classy, striking perfection-two golf clubs form an A with a star between them that is the pride of Texas. Port Ludlow's stern ship encourages us. You can't change the wind, but you can adjust your ball flight, so dare to embark and set sail. Tobacco leaves and artistic lettering were added to a stylized image of a deer skull to create the logo for the ever-popular Tobacco Road. Logos are fun to recognize, think about, and discuss.
U.S. Military Academy Golf Courses
Where leaders are developed to protect the freedoms and dreams that define the United States of America, its five service academies-Military, Naval, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Merchant Marine-offer a range of opportunities. Alongside character development and a world-class education, there is the possibility to play golf.
Golf Properties That Are National Historic Landmarks
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) has over 99,000 entries for buildings, sites, districts, objects, and structures worth preserving throughout the United States due to their local historical significance. Approximately three percent of those entries have additional, elevated status as National Historic Landmarks, representing American culture and heritage in a way that is nationally significant.
Host Courses of Both Men's and Women's Majors
There are only four majors each year for the men and five for the women, and some properties have hosted both for these career-defining moments. Erin Hills, masterfully shaped in the Kettle Moraine region of Wisconsin by a retreating glacier 10,000 years ago, hosted the men's U.S. Open in 2017, where Brooks Koepka won his first of five major titles. As this year's U.S. Women's Open contestants take on the challenge that Erin Hills presents, will another first-time major champion be crowned?
10 U.S. Golf Properties that Transport You to the British Isles
You may not be planning a golf trip to Scotland, England, Ireland, or anywhere else in the British Isles, but here are 10 U.S. properties that pay homage to that region through a combination of elements: a links-style course; food and beverage options; coastal views; pot bunkers; or scenic wee burns to strategically avoid. With any luck, some charming people will encourage you to feel welcome and completely transported.
5 Public Golf Regional Road Trips
I encourage you to hop in a car and journey through one (or more) of these five U.S. regions, playing a set of delightful public golf courses and rounding out your trip by relishing local cuisine and activities along the way. Within 500 miles in every region, I included courses that are highly regarded and some that are less well known but offer their own charms. The routes work forward or backward and there is plenty of golf to discover with the help of a good GPS system and a full tank of gas.
The Secret World of Member Logos
What started as a desire to celebrate some of the best member logos in the world of golf evolved into a series of thought-provoking, off-the-record conversations. Here's what I learned... "Hello. We are researching an article about member logos." "Great topic! We would love to read it." "Wonderful! We would, please, like to feature the member logo of your amazing club." "Oh, absolutely not." Everyone laughs, politely. But then...
5 Ways to Elevate Your Golf Trip Planning
Between dreaming and departing, what research are you doing to ensure that your next golf trip will be amazing? A creative approach and some informed decision-making will positively impact your upcoming holiday. Imagine a Venn diagram with two circles. The first represents your next golf outing and the second represents your next vacation. Where the circles overlap you enjoy a golf holiday-that's the sweet spot. Research will help you make the trip your best yet.
Owning your dreams
Reaching Chippewa Golf Club in Doylestown, Ohio, requires driving straight down Shank Road. It could be your straightest drive of the day. When you arrive, you'll find Brad and Melanie Stewart working hard as owners in their second full season. From the Bermuda Triangle to Finn Scooters to the Don Olney Memorial Golf Tournament, there is so much to like about this public 18-hole course, its operation and its motivated crew.
Power of one more
Eighteen holes is the standard round of golf. The handicap system and formal competitions revolve around the familiar number. When St. Andrews cut two holes in each of their eight common greens, and retained two single holes, the total was 18. In 1834, King William IV bestowed “Royal & Ancient” status upon St. Andrews, known as the home of golf, in Scotland. Golf professionals followed suit. An indeterminate number of holes then is as old as the game itself.
Pass it on
Maintenance Once an untenable practice, using triplex mowers on greens presents a major and widespread tactic to provide significant labor savings without sacrificing quality. We have the numbers and examples to prove it! By Lee Carr | January 2023 Whether on the coast of Scotland or near the coast of California, a player on the green cares only for finding the bottom of the cup. Between the player and the hole is a club, the ball and thousands of plants.
Staying open while staying ready
The Quechee Club of Hartford, Vermont, was recently named course of the year by the New England Golf Course Owners Association. Announced at NEGCOA’s annual meeting and conference earlier this month, the longstanding award recognizes four key areas of golf course operations: the exceptional quality of the course, the exceptional quality of ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the local community and to the game of golf.
The 2022 Grainy Awards
The Quechee Club of Hartford, Vermont, was recently named course of the year by the New England Golf Course Owners Association. Announced at NEGCOA’s annual meeting and conference earlier this month, the longstanding award recognizes four key areas of golf course operations: the exceptional quality of the course, the exceptional quality of ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the local community and to the game of golf.
Born by The Cradle
The Quechee Club of Hartford, Vermont, was recently named course of the year by the New England Golf Course Owners Association. Announced at NEGCOA’s annual meeting and conference earlier this month, the longstanding award recognizes four key areas of golf course operations: the exceptional quality of the course, the exceptional quality of ownership and management, outstanding contribution to the local community and to the game of golf.
Born by The Cradle
Editor's Notebook 50 assistant superintendents gathered at Pinehurst Resort, immersing themselves in the 17th Green Start Academy to dream big and catapult their careers into new phases. Lee Carr | December 25, 2022 So close. There it goes … hahaha, off the green. Oh-oh-OHHHHH! That’s a massive roar, crescendoing for a hole-in-one! It’s the middle of December. Laughter rings and smiles are as bright as the sun shining across Thistle Dhu and The Cradle at Pinehurst Resort. The music is upbeat.
Her job is the environment
There’s a scene in the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas (based on Dr. Seuss’s beloved children’s tale), where the Grinch can’t decide whether to accept a social invitation. The Grinch is literally and undeniably green — he’s an ace at recycling, warns against materialism and prefers renewable energy. He debates with himself, muttering, before he decides not to go and then later, he does go. Green decisions can similarly involve uncomfortable debates and reversals.
Rain Bird Golf adds Southeast Asia area manager
Australia native Rob Weiks has built and maintained courses in Dubai, China, Azerbaijan and Vietnam. Rob Weiks is the newest addition to Rain Bird’s Southeast Asia Golf Team. In his new role as area manager, Weiks will be responsible for Rain Bird’s strategic sales planning, business development and golf market share growth in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Guam and Brunei.
Quali-Pro promotes new key accounts manager
The PGA Tour has announced two major donations to the GCSAA through the GCSAA Foundation to help fund GCSAA’s Facility Best Management Practices Initiative, First Green STEM-education program, and the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award. The PGA TOUR will contribute $250,000 over five years to help implement BMPs on the golf facility level and to support the First Green.
Big Cedar names new director of agronomy
Richardson | Danner has broken ground on bunker work at Anchorage Golf Course, which will play host to the 2022 U.S Women’s Senior Open. The work follows several years of master planning and greens work at the 30-year-old public facility, originally designed by Bill Newcomb for the Municipality of Anchorage. “Doing work in Alaska is much different than most places,” Forrest Richardson said.
PGA Tour announces major donations toward GCSAA programs
$250,000 being contributed to fund implementation of BMPs and support First Green. The PGA Tour has announced two major donations to the GCSAA through the GCSAA Foundation to help fund GCSAA’s Facility Best Management Practices Initiative, First Green STEM-education program, and the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award. The PGA TOUR will contribute $250,000 over five years to help implement BMPs on the golf facility level and to support the First Green.
A centennial celebration
Tim Hiers was working in his office when he received the call, just another weekday afternoon before that first ring. Mike Huck was running around, his hands full again and again, and missed the call twice before he finally had a chance to pick up. Monroe Miller was busy, too, ever the welcoming planner and host, confirming details for another regional meeting near his home club in Madison, Wisconsin.
Turf remains in session
A Texan by birth and upstate New Yorker by more than two decades of residency, Dave Hicks becomes antsy when the calendar flips to March. Hicks wants to be outdoors with his loyal team preparing the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course at Cornell University for the Finger Lakes golf season, a charming sprint between abundant frost and foliage. The way Hicks sees it, the course represents a vital part of university life, offering alumni, students, faculty and friends escapism from the Ivy League hustle.
Palm Beach perfection
© adobe stock The structure of turf education and content delivery are being challenged, evaluated and reviewed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s as if the entire industry has been handed a tall, icy glass of real lemonade: what is initially sour becomes refreshing.
Renovation concludes on course designed by Perry Maxwell and Alister MacKenzie
Chad Mark and his crew have finished hosting cracking back-to-back weeks at Muirfield Village. Now, preparations are intensifying in Toledo, Ohio, where superintendent John Zimmers and his Inverness Club team are anticipating the LPGA’s first event since play ceased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Drive On Championship is a three-day event from July 31-Aug. 2. The LPGA didn’t officially add the Drive on Championship to its schedule until June 16. “Staff morale has been good,” Zimmers says.
SePRO announces leadership transition
Chad Mark and his crew have finished hosting cracking back-to-back weeks at Muirfield Village. Now, preparations are intensifying in Toledo, Ohio, where superintendent John Zimmers and his Inverness Club team are anticipating the LPGA’s first event since play ceased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Drive On Championship is a three-day event from July 31-Aug. 2. The LPGA didn’t officially add the Drive on Championship to its schedule until June 16. “Staff morale has been good,” Zimmers says.
Big history, short notice
Chad Mark and his crew have finished hosting cracking back-to-back weeks at Muirfield Village. Now, preparations are intensifying in Toledo, Ohio, where superintendent John Zimmers and his Inverness Club team are anticipating the LPGA’s first event since play ceased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Drive On Championship is a three-day event from July 31-Aug. 2. The LPGA didn’t officially add the Drive on Championship to its schedule until June 16. “Staff morale has been good,” Zimmers says.
Every second and drop matters
Golf course managers and superintendents face quite a few challenges while maintaining golf courses. It’s safe to say that the lush, beautiful playing surfaces that we enjoy on golf courses don’t just happen. But you already knew that. We know it takes hard work, dedication and patience to ensure that our golf courses look fantastic during the season.
Maneuvering to maintain MacKenzie
©Adobe Stock “We want to PUMP” — (insert strong clap here) — “you up!” That was the mantra of Hans and Franz, a popular weightlifting duo created by the comic giants Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon for during its 13th season. Self-proclaimed “cousins of Arnold Schwarzenegger,” they humorously jabbed at and insulted their “crybaby” audience to encourage strength and fitness.
South Carolina club opens second course
One night in March, Chad Mark, director of grounds at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, couldn’t sleep because his mind was racing with a singular question: was The Memorial Tournament going to happen? As it turns out, Muirfield Village Golf Club is hosting both the Workday Charity Open (July 9-12) and The Memorial (July 16-19). On July 20, the crew will welcome LaBar Golf Renovations and celebrate with some major changes to the course – mostly greens, but some tees and fairways.
Plott unveils wheel to measure outdoor spaces in real time
One night in March, Chad Mark, director of grounds at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, couldn’t sleep because his mind was racing with a singular question: was The Memorial Tournament going to happen? As it turns out, Muirfield Village Golf Club is hosting both the Workday Charity Open (July 9-12) and The Memorial (July 16-19). On July 20, the crew will welcome LaBar Golf Renovations and celebrate with some major changes to the course – mostly greens, but some tees and fairways.
Getting show ready … twice
One night in March, Chad Mark, director of grounds at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, couldn’t sleep because his mind was racing with a singular question: was The Memorial Tournament going to happen? As it turns out, Muirfield Village Golf Club is hosting both the Workday Charity Open (July 9-12) and The Memorial (July 16-19). On July 20, the crew will welcome LaBar Golf Renovations and celebrate with some major changes to the course – mostly greens, but some tees and fairways.
The Carl quandary
“Billy was actually an assistant greenskeeper at a muni course by our house, now it’s called Canal Shores, but he actually mowed and did stuff.” — Joel Murray, Bill Murray’s brother and actor Carl Spackler needs no introduction.
All politics is local
©Kiawah Island Golf Resort Golf lost its greatest living example of ingenuity Jan. 9, 2020. Pete Dye designed – and motivated people to build – courses on swamps, coal mines and air bases. He never officially moved mountains or oceans, but his designs hugged stunning landforms from the California desert to the Dominican Republic coast. His creations transformed sleepy places such as Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; and Kohler, Wisconsin, into global destinations.
Seeds of Distraction
Drew Miller leads the turfgrass management program at Brentsville District High School in Prince William County, Virginia. © christine halsey It’s significant that a steely-eyed tiger peeking through the grass is the beloved logo of the Brentsville High School Turf Program. These teens are hungry to try it all and their ebullient leader, Drew Miller, is engaging support at every level to provide opportunities and expand the narrative of an industry-wide dilemma – how to attract skilled labor.
Lee Roy Carr
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