Ager Golf Course & the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Turfgrass Science Program

Fran tenBensel Benne Author

02/04/2020 Added

172 Plays

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The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Turfgrass program has partnered with the Lincoln Parks and Recreation to provide a unique learning opportunity for its turf and landscape management students. Advanced students in the program are placed in charge of all aspects of turf care at the Jim Ager Memorial Golf Course. Nebraska scientists will also have an opportunity for research as the fairways at Ager lend themselves to a top-dressing study.

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[00:00:00.211](vibrant guitar music)
[00:00:04.860]Name is Joe canny,
[00:00:05.740]I'm a PGA Professional here at Ager Golf Course,
[00:00:08.210]and the player development supervisor
[00:00:10.300]for the city of Lincoln.
[00:00:11.550]At Ager specifically we run programs
[00:00:13.420]for all ages and abilities.
[00:00:15.680]So for 2018, the Nebraska PGA selected Ager
[00:00:19.140]to be the facility of the year for our region,
[00:00:23.080]and the award is based on overall customer service,
[00:00:27.090]the golf shop, the programs you run
[00:00:28.910]and in the maintenance program,
[00:00:30.330]which the university partnership was a big part in us
[00:00:33.640]winning that award.
[00:00:35.510]So two years ago, we reached out to Lincoln Parks and Rec,
[00:00:38.030]and said wouldn't it be great opportunity for our students
[00:00:40.450]to get to maintain Jim Ager Golf Course,
[00:00:43.890]is 9 - hole Junior golf course in Lincoln,
[00:00:46.470]and just worked out that it was possible for us to do that.
[00:00:50.480]And we had a first student, run to the program last year.
[00:00:53.450]We've made a lot of changes,
[00:00:55.010]with the Turfgrass Program,
[00:00:56.280]we've re grassed the fairways.
[00:00:58.660]And the student really got to learn about
[00:01:01.260]how to, manage an entire golf course,
[00:01:04.220]and take what you learn in the classroom,
[00:01:06.100]and bring it into the real world setting.
[00:01:08.920]The University of Nebraska Lincoln,
[00:01:10.440]specifically the Turfgrass program
[00:01:12.060]runs all of our maintenance.
[00:01:14.260]Working with our maintenance supervisor,
[00:01:16.820]they develop a plan and then students of the university
[00:01:19.870]completely execute it.
[00:01:21.170]It's created unbelievable playing conditions that
[00:01:23.670]better than we've ever had before,
[00:01:25.280]and we're getting daily comments on on that.
[00:01:28.010]It's also been great coz we have
[00:01:30.220]students who are out here working on our class that
[00:01:33.030]are able to train our young golfers
[00:01:35.240]on golf course maintenance,
[00:01:36.730]and hopefully get some future superintendence.
[00:01:39.700]In addition to the great opportunities for students,
[00:01:41.800]we also have an opportunity to do research.
[00:01:44.040]The fairways at Ager led themselves to a top dressing study.
[00:01:46.950]And for the next several years,
[00:01:48.150]we'll be working with a couple of graduate students
[00:01:50.060]looking at fairway top pressing,
[00:01:51.380]a trend in the industry right now.
[00:01:53.140]But we haven't really done extensive testing in Nebraska
[00:01:55.470]to see the effects of topdressing on fairways,
[00:01:58.100]and how good they might be in Improving playing quality.
[00:02:02.270]I'm Eric Chestnut,
[00:02:03.290]I'm a research technologist at the university.
[00:02:06.090]I worked for Roger Swan,
[00:02:07.660]and I'll be getting my PhD under him.
[00:02:10.450]Starting this summer,
[00:02:12.420]working as a research tech,
[00:02:14.150]being able to do research has been really great here,
[00:02:17.290]especially being able to use golf course, Ager
[00:02:21.840]like a new site, I guess.
[00:02:23.800]Because
[00:02:25.651]doing research on plots
[00:02:27.750]in a controlled environment is one thing,
[00:02:29.540]but being able to do it on an actual golf course
[00:02:32.520]is a completely different thing,
[00:02:33.830]and it's been really great to have the experience to
[00:02:36.160]be able to do that.
[00:02:37.570]Name's Michael Carlson,
[00:02:38.860]I'm beginning my PhD program,
[00:02:41.700]here at the University of Nebraska Lincoln,
[00:02:43.360]in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture.
[00:02:45.760]I'll be focusing on remote sensing
[00:02:47.930]of creeping bentgrass fairways.
[00:02:49.810]So, here at a Ager, We're using
[00:02:51.890]three different sensor systems
[00:02:54.050]to measure the performance of the fairways out here,
[00:02:57.180]their nitrogen content and then the
[00:02:59.960]water content in the soil.
[00:03:01.530]So we're using a mower based sensor
[00:03:03.290]that's attached her fairway mower,
[00:03:05.460]to make it easy for any golf course workout here
[00:03:09.360]to collect data for us.
[00:03:10.910]A drone based system that will collect data every time,
[00:03:13.580]email as well.
[00:03:14.610]And then also using satellite imagery.
[00:03:17.120]And then we're gonna try and compare those three,
[00:03:18.680]and see
[00:03:19.860]how best to
[00:03:22.200]manage fairways using remote sensing capabilities.
[00:03:25.130]I'm Matthew Sousek, I'm research manager
[00:03:27.630]for the Turfgrass farms
[00:03:29.140]at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
[00:03:30.920]We have three different sites,
[00:03:32.500]one in on campus, East Campus is our new turf facility.
[00:03:36.460]And we have also the old one
[00:03:38.650]which is in Mid-Nebraska.
[00:03:40.480]So, in charge of those two sites and then
[00:03:42.520]helping people out here at the Ager Golf Course,
[00:03:45.640]assisting them with some of the equipment needs,
[00:03:47.770]and day-to-day maintenance.
[00:03:50.120]I'm a graduate at the University of Nebraska,
[00:03:52.750]got my bachelor's and masters in the Turfgrass Program.
[00:03:56.910]So, I really enjoyed being out here,
[00:03:58.700]seeing students, turf, everybody working together.
[00:04:02.680]I truly enjoy my opportunity to be here with
[00:04:06.870]the University of Nebraska team turf research.
[00:04:09.910]I use the University in my profession,
[00:04:13.179]and to try to develop new skills, new applications.
[00:04:18.340]So, I'm enjoying the research side of it
[00:04:20.110]and what all takes for the research,
[00:04:23.090]and so happy to be here, to be a part of
[00:04:27.050]what has helped me for so many years.
[00:04:29.430]I enjoy mentoring, visiting with the students.
[00:04:33.060]Sometimes I'm able to answer the questions that are asked
[00:04:36.530]of what it's like in the industry.
[00:04:38.290]Some of the things that they can't teach in school is
[00:04:41.766]the working politics,
[00:04:43.210]in a private setting at a country club.
[00:04:46.980]And hopefully I can bring some of that
[00:04:48.600]to light for the kids.
[00:04:50.300]Coz we all love the University of Nebraska,
[00:04:53.520]here in Lincoln and really support it is so
[00:04:55.710]having students from the University, working on the Course,
[00:04:57.870]it's something that all Ager officers are really proud.
[00:05:00.249](vibrant guitar music)

Ager Golf Course & the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Turfgrass Science Program

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Ager Golf Course & the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Turfgrass Science Program

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