TurfNet the magazine folds / Website stays

[Brad Klein]

After 9 years of publishing, the printed version of Turfnet is folding. The magazine, started in 1999 as an offshoot of Golfweek as "SuperintendentNews" and then renamed "SuperNews" before morphing into "TurfNet Magazine" this year, has decided to shut its pages with the Dec. 2007 issue. The TurfNet Website run by Peter McCormick stays -- as he explains below in a post from the Web last night.

It's a tough business climate, but we strove to highlight the work of superintendents, architects, builders and course managers. Many regular contributors to GCA wrote for us, including Tony Pioppi, Jeff Mingay, Tommy Naccarato, Dunlop White III, George Bahto and Gib Papazian, among others. Thanks for your support over the years.

As Peter explains from the TurfNet the Website . . . .

Yes, based upon the buzz (and ad bookings for '08) created so far with the new TurfNet.com, TurfNetTV, and various things like the Milorganite Pin Sheet and BASF calendar dog show (along with a whole lot more we have in the funnel and up our sleeves), we decided to accelerate the transition to online delivery only (other than the newsletter) and refocus our assets on our two major strengths: solutions and community. The December issue of TurfNet the Magazine will be the last, although John Reitman is moving over as Editorial Director for TurfNet.com, TurfNetTV and the TurfNet Newsletter. He will continue writing news briefs for TurfNet.com, managing projects like Superintendent of the Year and Technician of the Year, and will also be directing new ventures with online webinars while expanding our line of events like Bunker Boot Camp and Greens Management Academy.

Randy Wilson will continue writing his column, which will transition to the Newsletter, and also continue producing his comedy videos for TurfNetTV. We plan to keep Frank Rossi in the fold as well, certainly for the Newsletter and perhaps for TV. We'll port over some of Brad Klein's architectural stuff from Golfweek as appropriate.

Jon Kiger will continue in his expanded role as Director of Media and Membership Sales. And I'm still the Maestro, in a nutshell.

Overall, it's an outstanding team and we're looking forward to bigger and better. In many ways, it's a return to the grassroots upon which TurfNet was founded -- but with a lot more horsepower.

A comment from one of our advertisers summed it up, and really put this decision into focus for us: "I can buy ad pages anywhere. You guys are doing things differently, and I like that."

[Mike Nuzzo]

Very unfortunate it is no longer -- for me anyway -- I liked it.
Congratulations on the accomplishments of the magazine and your contributions Brad.

[SL_Solow]

I am sorry to see it go as I still enjoy print media (call me a dinosauer).  I hope the Superintendent of the Year award continues as it is a wonderful way to bring attention to the profession.

[Geoffrey Childs]

I'll second what Shel just posted.

Maybe its the scientist in me but I enjoyed reading many of the articles on the chemistry and ecology side of agronomy.

I do hope that they keep the Superintendent of the Year awards.  I've met Shel's great super and it has made a difference for his course. In the case of Yale, the award has validated Scott's turf, maintenance and restorative efforts and without doubt contributed greatly to the momentum for restoration and improved maintenance.

Well done all those years Brad!

[Jeff_Mingay]

Sad to see the magazine will cease at the end of the year.
 
I'll forever be grateful to Brad for the opportunities he provided a young kid from Canada to write for a national US publication. It seems so long ago now.
 
At least we'll continue to enjoy Brad's architecture stuff at Golfweek and elsewhere, and the TurfNet stuff will continue on the web.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

As a writer, it is difficult to hear that a publication, especially one where you once worked, has closed. For those of us who write for and enjoy reading the print media there is a feeling of increasing doom whenever any publication goes out of business. Superintendent News - TurfNet the Magazine - filled a need within the golf course maintenance, design and constructions industries. There are, however, still magazines that do a wonderful job covering those topics.

Anthony

[John Kavanaugh]

The trees finally win one.  This is a positive step towards taking the game away from the big chemical companies and giving it back to the golfer.

[Michael_Stachowicz]

That magazine was simply the best magazine out there and I do not understand why this magazine of all of them had to fold.  Any of the other ones I would not have missed.  It really did a good job of bridging the greenkeeping profession with the mainstream golf industry.  I also believe there was some synergy there making Golfweek a very superintendent friendly golf magazine (due mostly in part to Mr. Klein).

[Jimbo]

The magazine was the National Enquirer of the industry, thought lately it had more substance.  I'm glad it is gone. I do like and pay for the website.

EDIT: Sorry, I was thinking of Golfdom.

[Michael_Stachowicz]

The magazine was the National Enquirer of the industry, thought lately it had more substance.  I'm glad it is gone. I do like and pay for the website.

Really?  I didn't get that from it, but I can be a little naive.

[Ray Richard]

Brad-I greatly enjoyed your work in Turfnet over the years. I guess the profit margins aren't all that great in a superintendent based paper publication so another one bites the dust.

[Scott_Burroughs]

What about James Koppenhaver?  I hope he can continue his articles...perhaps move them to GW.

[Jeffrey Prest]

To be honest, I wouldn't panic here. While we old 'uns might still enjoy the feel of paper in our hands at the end of a day in front of a monitor, there is a new generation that now thinks nothing of reading its magazines solely on a computer.

I don't think it's necessarily a retreat by the magazine. TurfNet may simply be getting into position to cater for that next generation of readers.

I'm very impressed by the website. As a purely recreational devotee of GCA, I tend to lose interest when it comes to the the nuts-and-bolts side of course maintenance but this site will change all that. Nice content, nice presentation.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Jeffrey,

It's a bad sign any time a publication folds especially when they lay off staff, which TurfNet the magazine did.

Anthony

[Brad Klein]

It's not just the jobs lost. It's also that for a few years there, nobody covered more news and features about golf course architecture and the relationship betrween architecture and maintenance than SuperNews. Tree management, restoration, fast & firm, innovative supers, ecological management; new books on design and turf: all of it was closely monitored and reported in SuperNews. We've been getting some of it into Golfweek but having  a freestanding publication was like no other forum. JK's predictably boorish comments aside, it's a real loss.  

[Adam Clayman]

As a layman I was lucky to get the magazine. Ran once called me a maintenance geek. I said "yeah thanks", and, I owe it to SuperNews.
Where else would one see the story about the first super at Sand Hills buying his own course? Or learn what a thumpmeter is? How about what the heck is hydrophobicity? It was a great resource to learn at ones lesuire. I'd always read the classifieds, too.

My hope is the online version will come close to delivering that same level and quality of information.

Will it be a subscription site?

[John Kavanaugh]

I must be the only guy in the world who actually paid for the magazine.  

[Chris Cupit]

Brad,

Sorry to hear about this.  Quite simply the magazine was the best at helping educate a membership about the myriad of factors and decisions that go into taking care of their golf course.

You had been kind and in the past allowed me (with proper citation) to enclose an article in my club's monthly newsletter that addressed turf care issues from a perspective rarely read in a golf magazine.

Thank you for helping reinforce the fact that today's supers are true professionals.

[Chris Cupit]

I must be the only guy in the world who actually paid for the magazine.  

You and the big chemical companies