TurfOps Weekly

A practical newsletter for the operational side of turf

The shop door is open early. A mower is half apart, radios are crackling, and someone is already asking if the weather is going to hold. Before the first cut of the day, decisions are being made that affect everything downstream.

That moment is where TurfOps Weekly lives.

The problem we see across golf and sports turf is not a lack of agronomic knowledge. It’s the growing pressure on the physical operation. Equipment costs more. Labor is harder to find. Technology moves faster than most shops can evaluate it. And too often, the operational side of turf is learned the hard way, one breakdown or missed opportunity at a time.

TurfOps Weekly was created to focus on that gap.

This newsletter is about the machines you run, the workflows you manage, the purchasing decisions you make, and the systems that keep a crew productive when conditions aren’t perfect. It’s written for superintendents, assistants, equipment managers, and anyone responsible for keeping machines running and people moving.

What I learned in building this is simple: when operations improve, stress goes down and results go up. Better decisions in the shop show up on the course, the field, the jobsite and the balance sheet.

Here’s how each issue will work.

• We focus on one primary idea per section.
• We keep things short, practical, and skimmable.
• We favor real-world experience over theory.

You won’t find hype or sales language here. If something works, we’ll say why. If something has tradeoffs, we’ll say that too.

What to watch out for: this is not meant to replace agronomy-focused education. TurfOps Weekly is a complement. It’s about execution, operations, and the realities of running modern turf equipment programs.

Bottom line: TurfOps Weekly exists to make your operation run smoother, one practical and applicable insight at a time.

— Kurt TeWinkel

Shop Talk will live right where it should…in the shop.

This section is about small improvements that add up over a season. Things crews actually do, not things that look good on a motivational presentation.

You can expect items like:
• Tool organization ideas that save minutes every day
• Preventive maintenance habits that reduce surprises
• Simple fixes that extend equipment life

Most weeks, this section will end with one clear result, such as fewer breakdowns, cleaner workflow, or better communication between the shop and the course.

The goal is simple: give you at least one idea you can use immediately.

Running turf operations is also running a business, whether you want to call it that or not.

Behind the Business will look at the decisions that sit beneath the surface. Budget timing. Replacement cycles. Vendor choices. Downtime math. Staffing tradeoffs.

For example, one delayed equipment purchase can easily cost more in lost productivity than the payment would have. We’ll break those ideas down with real numbers and plain language.

The takeaway in every issue will be practical: what to consider before the next decision lands on your desk.

Each week, we’ll flag some items worth your attention.

• A new product or tool that affects workflow
• An industry update that impacts operations or safety
• A recall, regulation, or change that shouldn’t be missed

This section is where we slow down and think a bit.

Industry Thoughts/Opinion will cover what we’re noticing across the industry, why it matters, and what conversations are worth having. Sometimes it’ll be my take. Sometimes it’ll reflect what readers are telling us from their own operations.

The goal is not to be loud. It’s to be useful and honest.

One clear point. One clear close.

What’s one operational challenge you wish more people talked about openly in turf? Equipment, staffing, budgets, or technology. Hit reply and tell us. Your answer may shape a future issue.

If this sounds useful, please share this issue with a colleague or friend in the industry. TurfOps Weekly will grow best from crew to crew, and shop to shop. We’re building a community.

Thanks for reading Issue #0.5!
Watch for Issue #1 to be delivered on January 21st. - Kurt