The Turf Zone Podcast

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. The Alabama Turfgrass Association is excited to join the Georgia Sports Field Management Association for a special Sports Turf Field Day on Tuesday, October 6, at Birmingham Barons Stadium at Regions Field in Birmingham. This event will serve as ATA’s biannual Sports Turf Field Day, bringing sports turf professionals together for a day of education, networking and sharing ideas with fellow field managers. If you manage a sports field—whether at a minor league

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Dig into Ground Pearls: Investigating Thresholds and Distributions of a Spreading Pest Complex” written by Lily Deeter, Peter Hertl, and Terri Billeisen. Ground pearls (Hemiptera: Margarodidae) are severe insect pests of warm season turfgrass in North Carolina and much of the southern United States, spanning from Florida to California. These scale insects feed on grass roots fluids, causing distinctive circular dead patches tu

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “Managing Poa annua on Ultradwarf Bermudagrass Greens” written by Chris Neff, Senior Agronomist, East Region and Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., Professor, University of Tennessee. Poa annua is one of the most persistent and disruptive weeds in ultradwarf bermudagrass greens. In this article, we explain why Poa annua thrives, how it impacts putting green playability and performance, and the cultural, chemical and routine maintenance practi

Welcome to The Turf Zone Podcast. This episode previews the Southeast’s Premier Turfgrass Event – the Deep South Turf Expo. Every year, the Deep South Turf Expo brings together the best and brightest in the turfgrass industry for three days of education, networking, and discovering the latest products and technologies shaping our profession. This year’s event promises to be one of the best yet. Mark your calendars for October 27–29, 2026, as the Deep South Turf Expo returns to the beautiful Be

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode features the article “My FIFA World Cup Experience” written by Dante Filadoro and read from New England Blade magazine. Getting the opportunity to work on the field crew for the World Cup at Boston Stadium was an experience I will never forget. Being part of an event of that size was incredible, but what made it even better was getting to work alongside so many great people from throughout the turf industry. The crew brought together local turf ma

Welcome to The Turf Zone podcast. This episode spotlights the Alabama Turfgrass Association incoming president Lee Fillingim – Golf Course Superintendent at Cherokee Pines Golf Course in Centre, Alabama. With 30 years in the golf course and turfgrass industry and 11 years as a member of the Alabama Turfgrass Association, Lee Fillingim has built a career defined by dedication, leadership, relationships, and a genuine passion for the people who make up the turfgrass industry. Lee earned his B.S.