Spend enough years in turf and you learn to be careful about anything labeled revolutionary.
Veteran turf managers have seen plenty of products, practices and technologies come and go. They've watched promises fall short. They've also watched good ideas slowly prove themselves. That's why experience doesn't usually create resistance. More often, it creates the best filters.
The stereotype says older superintendents struggle with new technology while younger operators embrace it. But the people closest to the technology say that's not always what they're seeing.
Tim Barrier CGCS, Golf Business Development Manager for Kress and a former superintendent himself, believes some of the most experienced leaders are adapting faster than many expect.
"The superintendents who are succeeding with these technologies aren't necessarily the youngest," says Barrier. "In many cases, the veteran guys are adopting quicker because they've spent decades adapting to change. They're willing to put their toe in the water rather than waiting for everyone else to prove it first."
That might surprise people, but maybe it shouldn't.
Today's veteran superintendent has already lived through enormous changes. Moisture meters replaced feel. GPS replaced foam markers. Software replaced paper logs. Labor pools changed. Expectations changed. Equipment changed. Adapting has been part of the job for decades.
What experienced leaders bring to the table isn't blind enthusiasm. It's perspective.
Ken Rost, President and CEO of Frost, says some of today's skepticism comes from memories of earlier GPS systems that simply weren't reliable enough.
"Fifteen years ago, that wasn't something you could rely on at an affordable cost," says Rost. "But today, with year over year advancements in GPS satellite technologies, the accuracies and repeatability exceed what human control can do."
That change has altered the conversation.
Years ago, much of the discussion around GPS-guided spraying focused on chemical savings. Rost says that thinking has evolved.
Photo credit: Frost
"Early on, chemical dollar saving was thought to be most important, but that has faded behind other benefits," he says.
Those benefits vary from operation to operation. Some superintendents value the precision around greens and PGR applications. Others appreciate the labor savings or the ability to make decisions from better application data. Autonomous systems also reduce exposure by keeping applicators out of the chemical environment.
Perhaps more importantly, experienced managers understand why tasks are performed in the first place.
"Experienced turf managers are usually going to understand why tasks are completed versus newer operators that are just going to do what they are told," says Rost. "These technologies provide application data that can be used to coach newer operators on how to do better next time."
That's an important distinction because technology doesn't replace judgment. It supports it.
Barrier says labor realities continue to push the conversation forward.
"Labor is still the biggest challenge," he says. "Expectations keep going up, but finding people isn't getting easier. Technology isn't replacing crews. It's helping good people keep up with higher expectations."
He's also seeing operators recognize benefits that go beyond labor. Autonomous mowing can create a quieter environment, reduce disruptions during play and maintain roughs more consistently. In some cases, better rough consistency means golfers spend less time searching for golf balls, which helps pace of play.
For Barrier, embracing technology doesn't mean chasing every new idea.
"You don't want to sit back and let everyone else beat you to the punch," he says. "You don't have to go all in, but at least put your toe in the water and learn what's possible."
That's probably where the stereotype misses the mark.
The divide in turf isn't really young versus old. It isn't traditional versus modern, either.
It's curiosity versus rigidity.
Some of the people most prepared for the future may be the same people who've spent the last 30 years adapting to change. They're not chasing technology because it's new. They're evaluating it because they understand that operations change.
Old school doesn't mean stuck.
In many cases, experience may be the thing preparing turf leaders for what's next.
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