Courses

Welcome to My Learning Hub, powered by GCSAA's Professional Development Department.

Choose Log in in the upper right hand corner and you will be able to Register for On Demand webinars.

Events in which you’ve registered in the past appear under My Training.

Switch your catalog to Programs to find the certificates that are part of the Assistant Superintendent Certificate Series (ASCS).

Turf managers are inundated with product claims and testimonials that seem too good to be true. What does a turf manager need to know to critically evaluate the wealth of products available? Although the science of statistics can be cumbersome, a basic understanding will go a long way in helping turf managers make the most agronomically and economically sound decisions. In this 90-minute webinar, Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D., looks at product claims and help superintendents discern between great products and the not so great products.

At the onset of this micro learning event, Beth Guertal, Ph.D., explains, “A soil test report is supposed to give you an idea of what the nutrient status is of various soil nutrients in your soil and then give you a recommendation for how much you need to see your plant through the next cropping season.” She then proceeds to use BEER as an example to help you better understand the nuances of soil reports. Take a look to learn more about the differences between labs and how that impacts the report you receive.

In this 60-minute webinar, Beth Guertal, Ph.D., covers (briefly) the history of N fertilizers, and their use and their development. A few commonly used N fertilizers will also be discussed, with recent research in environmental fate mentioned. This is less a specific turfgrass talk (with rates and sources) but more of general background introduction to N fertilizers.

If you’ve worked with many turf researchers and scientists, you know that facts and events that can be replicated are critical to what they do. That’s partly why J. Scott McElroy, Ph.D., says he hesitates to make predictions such as those a fortune teller might reveal. Yet in this 60-minute webinar, McElroy discusses why it is highly probable that in the next 10 years autonomous technology will gain a significant portion of the professional and consumer market in the U.S.

In order for trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vines and other ornamentals to be successful on the golf course, they must be well sited, planted properly and provided with the initial appropriate care. In this 60-minute webinar, John Fech covers many components to providing a good start.

Maintained turf is critical to the playing field of golf and provides a valuable green space in urban environments. There are other elements to the golf course that can provide pollinator and wildlife habitat. You can learn more about it and what you can do from Jay McCurdy, Ph.D., as he covers interesting aspects of sustainability in this 40-minute presentation.

The Annual Bluegrass Weevil (ABW) has a known destructive preference for annual bluegrass. Can this be harnessed for good? Researchers evaluated withholding ABW control; in this 40-minute webinar, Katie Diehl explains.

Over the past 30 years, turfgrass management strategies have gone from IPM to sustainability to BMP. In this 60-minute webinar, Thom Nikolai, Ph.D., covers the transition. Nikolai begins with the history of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers then moves along to their impact on the planet and the goal of decreasing irrigation inputs. He also looks at BMPs that increase turfgrass performance and minimize inputs.

Facility BMP Plans provide many benefits for the superintendent, the superintendent profession, the golf facility and the golf course industry. GCSAA has received funding from the USGA and PGA Tour, but superintendents must participate in order for the industry to be successful.  Join J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., for this hour-long webinar to learn why having a written facility plan is so important.

Among the biggest projects any turf manager may undertake will be a new irrigation system. While many shy away from playing an active role in the system’s design, Ashley Wilkinson explains why and how you should help in planning for such a large construction project in this 90-minute webinar.
This course was Live captioned when recorded.

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Rick Fredericksen, CGCS, and assistant superintendent Ryan Ebeling share the action plan implemented at Woodhill Country Club to address impacts from COVID-19. Working in partnership with Wayzata Country Club, the team shares priorities established to address both reductions in staff and minimum maintenance practices. This 20-minute event wraps up with Woodhill’s golf pro, Paul Kelly, emphasizing the importance of communication during times of crisis and beyond.

This event is available to all at no cost.

The need for state-level best management practices (BMP) programs is greater than ever. Many golf courses in urban environments are seen as much less than the positive green spaces we know them to be. In this 90-minute webinar, J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., and Stacey Kingsbury will cover the nuts and bolts of BMP planning and development.

This recording has the option to play closed captions.

Soil aeration is key to growing healthy turf that is better able to withstand biotic and abiotic stressors. The ever-increasing pressure for pristine conditions coupled with recent advances in technology have prompted golf course superintendents to rethink their aeration practices. In this 90-minute webinar, J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., discusses the principles behind good soil aeration and shares some novel approaches, too.

As a turfgrass professional, you understand just how much the quality of cut affects the quality of turf. Your golfers want a stellar playing surface and you want to provide the best conditions. Greg Turner and Jim Nedin provide unique insights in this recording from a seminar held at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando in Jan. 2020, where they explore the vital relationships between reel mower applications, quality of cut and after cut appearance.

There are 3 chronic issues in turfgrass management:

Drainage, Air movement, Shade

This second in the series of one-hour webinars is Air Movement with Bud White.

This series was Live captioned when recorded.

En la presentación, de carácter práctico, se estudiará cómo afecta el ciclo del agua y su calidad en nuestros campos de golf. Conocida la calidad del agua a partir de un programa de análisis, primero ponderaremos el peso de los contenidos en sales y nutrientes, y posteriormente, calibraremos la repercusión de sus características en el manejo del cultivo del césped. La relación de las medidas correctoras y ajustes se establecerá para las situaciones de manejo más comunes.

Episode 44 of the GCSAA podcast has been approved for education points. Take a listen to host Scott Hollister's discussion with Herb Stevens and Garrett Bastard.

J. Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., provides important facts from the Golf Course Environmental Profile that are used to advocate for the golf course industry, superintendent profession and game. Learn up-to-date information about water use and management trends across the nation and how you can incorporate this data as you move forward.

Soil reaction (aka soil pH) is frequently managed to improve turfgrass health. Many golf course superintendents submit soil samples to soil testing laboratories for routine pH analysis in an effort to determine and implement pH management strategies.  In this 90-minute webinar, Lee Berndt, Ph.D., provides information on how to submit soil samples for analysis, how soil testing labs actually measure pH of samples, and how to interpret the results of pH analyses.