In this episode of Changing the Business of Golf, host Gary Firkins sits down with Renee Geyer, Superintendent at Canterwood Golf & Country Club, Washington.
Renee was drawn to the outdoors from an early age. She found her way into turfgrass management almost by instinct, chasing a career that let her work with her hands and stay close to nature. She picked up her first golf club at age 12, introduced to the game by her godfather, and that spark grew into a lifelong career in the industry.
Now, her approach to leadership is shaped as much by who helped her as by what she's learned. Renee is a vocal advocate for mentorship in the profession. She credits her own mentor, Larry Napora at Firestone Country Club, for shaping the superintendent – and mentor – she is today.
Change #1 - Superintendents to engage the next generation of turf professionals
Mentorship was crucial to Renee's own progression, and calls for more superintendents to act as mentors to help develop the next generation.
She points to Leading Turf Together as an example of the industry unifying around this. Leading Turf Together is an annual event, supported by Syngenta, focused on championing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the professional turf management and greenkeeping industry. It takes place during the GCSAA Trade Show & Conference and welcomes turf professionals from all over the world to network, share their experiences and hear from leading figures in the industry.
For all superintendents, her message is to take responsibility for the future and show up for the next generation. Mentorship, she says, made her more open, more comfortable, and better at her job.
Change #2 - Making agronomy technology easy to access and user-friendly
The business is changing fast, and according to Renee there's a real gap in understanding new technology.
Companies need to help close that gap through education on the ground, but it’s also the role of the superintendent to have a willingness to learn.
Through Syngenta's GreenCast Connect platform, turf management professionals can create a personalised dashboard for a range of data-driven solutions that help track and predict critical agronomic decisions. The platform also offers guides and videos to help superintendents get the most out of tools like Spiio sensor data and other precision turf agronomy solutions.
Change #3 - Create more opportunities for the sharing of knowledge across local and regional turf networks
For Renee, one of the easiest ways to grow the industry is to pick up the phone to each other.
Local organizations should provide the platforms and support – but it's on the individual to engage. She calls the industry a family, and shares an example of solving a problem on her own course, then passing that solution along to peers facing the same issue elsewhere.
Watch on YouTube: Changing the Business of Golf with Renee Geyer
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