Tate Johnson, assistant technician at Chambers Bay in University Place, WA, was brought into the turf industry by his dad who is a superintendent. He has worked alongside his dad since a young age. His dad has also brought his brothers into the industry as assistant superintendents. Tate’s decision to enter the industry took him straight to the shop where he works alongside a senior technician in Jerry Holcomb. Tate has a great passion for this career and wants to see more younger people join us.
Transcript
Trent Manning: 0:05
welcome to the reel turf techs podcast for the technician that wants to get reel follow along. As we talk to industry professionals and address hot topics that we all face along the way we’ll learn tips and tricks. I’m your host, Trent. Manning let’s have some this episode are real turf techs on golf course industries Superintendent radio network is presented by Foley county a strong supporter of equipment technicians and golf course maintenance departments everywhere Foley county offers a proven solution for above and below the turf for turf professionals To learn more about Foley company’s line of real grinders bed knife grinders and the air to G2 family of products or to find a distributor visit www dot Foley C o.com Foley Ready for play Welcome to the real turf text podcast, episode 71. Today we’re talking to Tate Johnson. He is part of a three-person equipment management team. At chambers bay and university place, Washington. Jammer’s bay is an 18 hole public. Course. Owned by the county. And has hosted many USDA championships. Tate has a mixture of Toro and John Deere equipment. Let’s talk to take. Welcome Tate to the real turf tech podcast. How you doing today? Great.
Tate Johnson: 1:39
Great. How are
Trent Manning: 1:40
doing good. Thank you so much for being here and joining us. Tell us how you got into the turf.
Tate Johnson: 1:46
I have a particular way of, I, I don’t think it’s how most people got into the turf industry. My dad I’ve been going to work with him since every birthday, since I’ve been young, he’s been superintendent. He was superintendent Bandon dunes growing up, and then he moved to chambers bay and he was director of agronomy there. And I’ve always stuck with. Then I started working once I graduated high school and just tried to learn everything I could so far still going
Trent Manning: 2:19
So did you start on the course? Just breaking bunkers mowing.
Tate Johnson: 2:24
no straight, straight in mechanic, straight in mechanic stuff. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 2:28
So he, he saw what he really needed.
Tate Johnson: 2:31
Yeah. That’s he, he needed some.
Trent Manning: 2:34
that’s good. So who did you kind of work with? Growing up learning mechanic stuff on the golf course.
Tate Johnson: 2:42
Jerry Holcomb, he’s the equipment manager at chambers bay right now. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 2:47
Awesome. Do you relief grind?
Tate Johnson: 2:50
Uh, No, not at chambers. Just, spin grind. That’s all we really need.
Trent Manning: 2:57
Yeah. And you spin grind. And do you do any lapping or anything like that?
Tate Johnson: 3:04
we have the, women’s a cut up coming up in August and we’re gonna back lap the fairways because we just ground ’em. So we don’t think they need another grind all the way through. Yeah. But not, we don’t usually back lab.
Trent Manning: 3:20
Pretty much grind only.
Tate Johnson: 3:22
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 3:22
you. Tell us something you fabricated lately.
Tate Johnson: 3:26
I’m definitely not one of the fabricators in the shop. Jerry he’s the master per se, but I’m trying to think of a cool thing. He did.
Trent Manning: 3:36
Tell us something, Jerry fabricated lately. That’s.
Tate Johnson: 3:40
he had to get to the, I think one of the, taking the belt off in a bend track and to get the tensioner off, he grinded down a socket. I can’t remember what size it was, but he just grounded down, weld it to a wrench. Cut it off. I think halfway, then he got it back there and somehow got it off. Cuz the vent track belts, front belts suck for getting those off.
Trent Manning: 4:05
I, I just changed a belt today on a John Deere, 2020, a prog. And they sucked too.
Tate Johnson: 4:12
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 4:12
the older ones were so much easier when the hydraulic pump was mounted on the, I guess, the, it was made into the timing cover and was driven that way. And now it’s a coupler. So you gotta move the hydraulic pump out of the way. Fish the belt in there. The two bolts that hold the hydraulic pump ons, the pain to get to. I was cussing some engineers.
Tate Johnson: 4:36
we just did this big project. Uh, a water pump went out on a Toro HDX and it’s behind the. Flywheel. So we had, you had to take both all the hydraulic pumps off flywheel and it, it was probably one of the most tedious jobs I’ve ever done, but it’s still working now.
Trent Manning: 4:57
That’s good. That’s a
Tate Johnson: 4:58
yeah,
Trent Manning: 4:59
Tell us what your favorite tool is.
Tate Johnson: 5:01
probably mil Milwaukee grown up with it and always been Milwaukee, probably the half inch impact driver getting Lu nets
Trent Manning: 5:10
Yeah,
Tate Johnson: 5:11
Axle nuts.
Trent Manning: 5:12
those are so, so handy
Tate Johnson: 5:14
Yeah. They’re they’re
Trent Manning: 5:15
and it, it is funny. So you’re young, I’m old. And I grew up with all the pneumatic stuff, pneumatic, whatever ratches and impact wrenches and all that stuff. And so this was the other day. And just for the listeners here in the south, and I don’t know about the rest of the country, but the other day is anytime from the time you were born until yesterday, this is the other day. So I don’t know. This has been a few months ago. I guess I had the impact ranch, cuz I’d ran out on the course, uh, to change a tire, whatever. And I come back and the guys in the. We were kind of waiting around. I’m like, what, what are y’all waiting on? I said, well, you had the impact. I was like, we have a pneumatic impact that in the toolbox, there’s nothing wrong with it. I know you have to drag a hose over there, but it’s not the end of the world. So, but it’s funny how, you know, we train ourselves to not to wanna pull that air hose out.
Tate Johnson: 6:17
Yeah, well, J Jerry loves using the pneumatic more than the Milwaukee, cuz he thinks it has more like torque power getting stuff off, but he’s always, he’s always loved the pneumatic stuff. He’s nots definitely struggle for, I think, I mean, not all equipment managers, but learning all the new technology coming in, like all the lithium. You know, fully electric stuff.
Trent Manning: 6:43
Yeah, it’s definitely a, a learning curve. Corey Phillips and Jr. Wilson. They’re doing a class or they did one last year on can bus and how that system works and how
Tate Johnson: 6:57
yeah.
Trent Manning: 6:58
controllers talk to controllers through wires and stuff because that’s and coding and all that stuff. That’s what. That’s where we’re going. That’s where a lot of it’s already there. So we’re gonna have to get with the program. What do you do to relax or find your balance?
Tate Johnson: 7:18
I swim a lot. Go to swim at the Y. Then I work on my car too. I’m it’s basically the same mechanic stuff, but it’s, I don’t, I don’t think I could ever be a car mechanic cuz it’s, I think it’s completely different than being a mechanic outta golf course. Some things. It doesn’t make sense sometimes. Cause you go with like working as a mechanic the whole time at a golf course, and there’s certain things that you pay attention to. Then you come work at your car, come work on your car and it could be the opposite. What you’re looking for.
Trent Manning: 7:53
what kind of car do you got?
Tate Johnson: 7:55
I have a 2000 Volvo V 70
Trent Manning: 7:58
Okay. So, you know, in modifications or what are you doing to this thing?
Tate Johnson: 8:03
I’m mostly trying to keep a run, but
Trent Manning: 8:06
Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Tate Johnson: 8:06
yeah, but done a lot of suspension work on it. Ball joints, struts, everything. Yeah. It’s a fun
Trent Manning: 8:15
That’s awesome. And I think, uh, a lot of us can relate. And I kind of remember my mentor growing up, Larry Freeman, he kind of became a mechanic outta necessity. You know, if he was gonna have something to drive around, he was gonna have to work on it because he wasn’t going to buy a new vehicle. So he had to find a beater and do a few things to it, to keep it running. And I think that teaches us a good lesson too in life.
Tate Johnson: 8:46
Yeah. For
Trent Manning: 8:47
Not just, I think a lot of today’s generation is in the mindset or the habit of, oh, it doesn’t work. Let’s throw it away and get another one.
Tate Johnson: 8:58
Yeah, exactly. Not just keep it going. Just go by
Trent Manning: 9:02
be right. And I mean, granted, some of the stuff like you buy at home Depot tremors, and some of that stuff, it ain’t worth working on.
Tate Johnson: 9:10
Yeah, exactly. It all
Trent Manning: 9:11
that when I was working with, uh, Kent, helping him. And he was doing, you know, mower and two stroke repair and that kind of stuff. And some guy brings in a chainsaw and it needed new fuel lines. Well, it took me like three hours cuz you gotta disassemble the whole thing to put fuel lines in
Tate Johnson: 9:31
put ’em all
Trent Manning: 9:32
and you charge $50 an hour. You gotta $150 in fuel lines and you could go buy a new piece of crap chainsaw for 125. So really not worth it.
Tate Johnson: 9:44
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 9:45
Well, what’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at work.
Tate Johnson: 9:48
I mean, I’ve only been working for a year at chambers, but we just got these brand new Southco rollers, huge ones with the three rollers on them. And I think not even six months in of us have no, I think it was four months in of us. Having them, someone, went into a bunker, then flipped on the side, then it flipped all the way over and then it started right up and it’s back. It was back to rolling
Trent Manning: 10:12
Oh, really? Okay. That was awesome. I mean,
Tate Johnson: 10:15
we, were all so
Trent Manning: 10:16
not, not awesome that he flipped it, but awesome. That it’s still running
Tate Johnson: 10:20
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 10:21
after going over. So on that, on that machine, have you had the choke plate break off in the carburetor?
Tate Johnson: 10:30
not on no, we’ve only they’re they’re really new. So nothing so
Trent Manning: 10:37
Okay, we’ll get ready. I’m just warning you. So I, I got one, we got it, not this past February, February before, and I don’t know, maybe we had had it six months. Maybe it was a little longer than that. Maybe it was eight months and it was staying choked all the time. So I. Pull, um, the cover, the air cleaner off the carburetor and the choke plate is sitting there and it had, yeah, it’s a plastic, uh, shaft that the choke plate goes in and it had broke and I got it covered under warranty or whatever. I put a new one on there and then another six or eight months goes by and it happens again. And then just last night on Facebook in one of the groups. A guy was having the same problem. And then there was like four other people said, yeah, I had that same problem too. So I, I don’t know what’s going on there.
Tate Johnson: 11:35
We’ll definitely check ours now
Trent Manning: 11:37
Yeah.
Tate Johnson: 11:38
just to make sure
Trent Manning: 11:38
It’s uh, I don’t know what’s causing it. I kind of think it’s the motor mounts being a little too soft and a little bit too much
Tate Johnson: 11:47
Yeah. Well, yeah, it’s weird that you mentioned that because those definitely move a lot more than I would think they should
Trent Manning: 11:53
mm-hmm
Tate Johnson: 11:54
but it’s how it was designed.
Trent Manning: 11:57
What’s one of your pet peeves around the shop.
Tate Johnson: 12:00
I try to put every tool away, like right at the end of the day, even if I’m still working on like the same thing the next day, it just helps like a reset. for that water pump, I definitely left some tools out cuz I don’t, I think I went home, not, not happy at all, taking everything apart
Trent Manning: 12:19
Well, we all have those days for sure.
Tate Johnson: 12:21
Yeah, but I think that’s one of the biggest sayings putting everything back at the end of the day.
Trent Manning: 12:26
Well, I’m gonna tell on myself, which I don’t really like to do, and I’m not proud of this, but I’m gonna tell a story anyway. So yesterday been a really, really long day. It definitely been a Monday. So today’s Tuesday when we were recording this and it was a Monday, all day long with this one failure after another failure and all, you know, a lot of dumb stuff. And this is, whatever’s like five o’clock I’m ready to go home. I’m working on our top change. I can’t get a, a fitting to line up and the bolt to go back in. I’m getting frustrated and I’m sweating to death. And I said, okay, I need the floor jacks. So I got a little closet that I keep my floor jacks in. So I open the closet up and I grab both floor Jack handles and I start pulling ’em out. And the creeper falls on me cuz somebody not put it up the right way. And I lost my cool and I grabbed the creeper and I slung it across the shop as hard as I could, you know? And there wasn’t nobody there danger or any of that stuff. And it really made me feel good that, that, that stress relief. And I’m not encouraging anybody to do that, but I think a lot of people can relate. We’ve all been there. I just had to throw something and, and I did feel better after, and this morning when we got in this shop, you know, I left it laying there. And, uh, Carter that has me, he’s like, what’s that doing over there? And I said, I had a little kind of blew a gasket yesterday when I, when that fell on me, because I should be able to get a floor Jack out of the closet without something falling on me and I just lost it. So it, it happens.
Tate Johnson: 14:04
yeah, for sure. There’s always those days.
Trent Manning: 14:07
Do you have a mentor in the industry?
Tate Johnson: 14:10
I think definitely Jerry or, and my dad definitely learning both, cuz my dad’s more the superintendent side and like the grass and all that science side and Jerry’s the all, all equipment. So getting both sides of the industry is definitely nice.
Trent Manning: 14:30
So how much has your dad taught you about the agronomy side and growing grass?
Tate Johnson: 14:35
Ever since I, I think I was mixing divot mix when I was, that’s what I wanted to do. That’s all I did when I went in for my birthday every year, going and mix divot mix RA bunkers, just to do, do something, bake to drive the cart, but never let
Trent Manning: 14:51
yeah. Yeah, yeah, no, that was
Tate Johnson: 14:52
Yeah. But and just learning, cuz we measure all the clipping volume for the greens. Like how much say point. 0.05 can affect the clip, count on the hide to cut for how much clippings we get. So it’s definitely interesting on how in depth we can
Trent Manning: 15:10
five thousands can affect clipping volume.
Tate Johnson: 15:15
yeah,
Trent Manning: 15:16
significant amount, I imagine.
Tate Johnson: 15:18
yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 15:19
That is
Tate Johnson: 15:19
It all depends on. Yeah,
Trent Manning: 15:21
Yeah. That’s good stuff. And I had never really gotten into that. So I, this is something I’ve often thought about clipping volume. How many of the people that are collecting clippings are adjusting the cutoff bar?
Tate Johnson: 15:36
Yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 15:38
do you, are you familiar? What I’m talking.
Tate Johnson: 15:41
I, yeah, I understand what you’re saying.
Trent Manning: 15:43
Are you deer or Toro?
Tate Johnson: 15:44
I,
Trent Manning: 15:44
Toro. Okay. Yeah. So Toro has they call it the cutoff bar on John Deere? You adjust the shield to help disperse the clippings?
Tate Johnson: 15:52
Cut it
Trent Manning: 15:53
Yeah, so I, I’m kind of, you know, curious how, and I know like people like Chad, bro, I don’t know if he collects kill clippings or not, but I know he is adjusting that thing religiously and, uh, I’m guilty. I don’t adjust it. Like I should. But we don’t collect clippings either. And I mean, not that I’m saying that’s a reason not to, but
Tate Johnson: 16:14
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 16:15
hasn’t really ever been an issue for our
Tate Johnson: 16:17
Yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 16:19
So collecting clippings, what all, what do you do with that information?
Tate Johnson: 16:24
so he, he has a website, I think it’s. Greens keeper is then he put like for every spray application, he puts all the information in, then say a wedding agent application stays for 60 days. So then the timer goes up. Then it’s time to spray another wedding agent app. And, but for the clipping volume, he put, they put it in every day. Then he can decide if he wants to change a height to cut or.
Trent Manning: 16:53
Okay.
Tate Johnson: 16:54
because it gives, puts whole graph in. He’s been doing it for years. I think. So there’s huge graph that shows like in the winter months, obviously that not really any clippings come through, but in summer jumps up. I think we’re mowing. Yeah. We’re mowing once a day, basically for greens and we’re at one 20. We were just at one 10, but we’re getting a heat wave of a 95 degrees this week. So we jumped it back up to one 20,
Trent Manning: 17:24
So what I guess, what is the goal with the, the clipping yield? Is it to try to keep it consistent? Or are you just using that information that you’re gathering from that to make? What kind of decisions.
Tate Johnson: 17:39
I think for spray decisions, mostly for like PGR pro growth regulator instead, because then you can tell if it runs out or not. And then cuz growth regulator, it more stops it from growing taller. It grows out instead.
Trent Manning: 17:57
okay.
Tate Johnson: 17:57
So then once there’s a jump in clippings and nothing else, I mean, obviously everything can affect it, but if some abnormal then, you know, like the regulator went up, like ran
Trent Manning: 18:09
okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense. Cool. That’s good stuff. And this is the first time we’ve ever talked about clip and volume or clip and yield on the podcast. And I’m excited to bring that to the listeners. So what’s, uh, one of the most important lessons you’ve lo you’ve learned from either one of your mentors.
Tate Johnson: 18:29
I think from, uh, my dad is if you’re on time, you’re late. If you’re early, you’re on time.
Trent Manning: 18:36
I love it.
Tate Johnson: 18:36
one of the biggest ones he’s
Trent Manning: 18:38
Yeah. Yeah. Yep.
Tate Johnson: 18:39
And then Jerry is. I mean, I know Jerry definitely. He sweats the little things, but he teaches me not to sweat. The little things, like stuff we can’t control, like operator air and all that. Cuz if someone breaks something, then we obviously have to fix it. But I mean, it’s our job to job security. So
Trent Manning: 19:01
I don’t know, that’s almost one of my pet peeves is when some knucklehead does something not smart. And then they say, oh, that’s job security. But I don’t. That really drives me crazy because.
Tate Johnson: 19:13
yeah. Especially when someone else
Trent Manning: 19:15
Well, right. Yeah, yeah. From, yeah, from the person that wrecked the vehicle or, you know, tore something up. Oh, there’s job security for you. But if they never broke a single piece of equipment, I got enough job security I don’t need anymore. You know, I mean right there between PMs and yeah. Grinding and all that stuff, we have plenty
Tate Johnson: 19:37
Yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 19:38
natural failures that.
Tate Johnson: 19:41
Yeah, exactly. Just preventive maintenance and all that.
Trent Manning: 19:45
For sure. Well, what would be your dream job or opportunity?
Tate Johnson: 19:50
I grew up in Bandon, so definitely Bandon dunes, equipment manager there, or, spy glass. That’s another course. I’ve always liked.
Trent Manning: 20:01
Is it up there in your area?
Tate Johnson: 20:03
SP glass is, down in Monterey in
Trent Manning: 20:06
Yeah.
Tate Johnson: 20:07
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 20:08
Awesome. Well, what technician would you like to work with for a day?
Tate Johnson: 20:12
Kenneth, Heman. He’s the equipment manager at Bandon dunes right
Trent Manning: 20:16
Okay.
Tate Johnson: 20:17
So cuz they have, I think they have six courses going right now and one central maintenance building. what I’ve heard is they have five fully grinders and just in one room for all their, so I think that’d be a really great experience just to learn about
Trent Manning: 20:32
So how, how far away is he?
Tate Johnson: 20:36
band band’s about seven hours from where
Trent Manning: 20:40
All right.
Tate Johnson: 20:41
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 20:41
What’s something you could make happen though. That’s
Tate Johnson: 20:44
Oh yeah, for sure.
Trent Manning: 20:45
Just do you know him?
Tate Johnson: 20:47
I don’t know him, but my dad does,
Trent Manning: 20:49
Reach out, set it up.
Tate Johnson: 20:50
still knows everyone from there. Yeah. I know. I definitely
Trent Manning: 20:53
Set it up for sure. Um, I was lucky enough today for Shelby OI to stop by my shop. And she hung out with me all afternoon and she’s on her way to Florida. And, you know, she didn’t stop by to work with me or whatever. we did work on that prog together. We were both cussing that like crazy.
Tate Johnson: 21:14
yeah,
Trent Manning: 21:17
It’s just, it’s so fun and rewarding to hang out with another person that gets it. That’s,
Tate Johnson: 21:24
yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 21:25
a day in your shoes. So yeah. Give me his number. I’ll call him for you, you know, set it up, man.
Tate Johnson: 21:32
Yeah, I definitely
Trent Manning: 21:33
and that’s something I, I push a lot on people and any of the listeners don’t make excuses, just.
Tate Johnson: 21:41
Yeah,
Trent Manning: 21:41
And it’s hard getting outta your comfort zone and I get that, but you’ll be glad you did.
Tate Johnson: 21:48
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 21:48
What do you know now? You wish you’d known on day.
Tate Johnson: 21:51
Getting up as earlier than I thought it was going to be. Cuz I, I didn’t want to get up. We usually get up start times at four 30 during the
Trent Manning: 21:59
Oh, wow.
Tate Johnson: 22:00
So I usually got up three 30,
Trent Manning: 22:02
Mm-hmm.
Tate Johnson: 22:03
once a weekend doing that every day it was, I got so used to it and it felt weird not waking up like on the weekends, felt weird, waking up at seven or eight and just outta my comfort
Trent Manning: 22:16
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s something. And a lot of people they’re either morning people or not OS, and
Tate Johnson: 22:23
Yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 22:24
of hard to make that change, but like you’re saying, once you make the change, you can do it.
Tate Johnson: 22:30
Yeah, exactly.
Trent Manning: 22:31
not be your, your preference, but something you get used to, for sure. What’s some tips and tricks you wanna share with us.
Tate Johnson: 22:43
I wouldn’t say this is mine, but Jerry, he, what we do to check the cut with the piece of paper, we fold the piece of paper over on
Trent Manning: 22:51
Mm.
Tate Johnson: 22:52
And then if it cuts both it’s perfect. And then if it cuts only one side of the piece of paper, then it all be obviously cut some of the grass, but not all the grass. So we always try to get it to both sides of piece of paper, cuz with, the PO. It’s a little thicker, so we wanna make sure that it’ll cut through both.
Trent Manning: 23:14
that’s a good one. You got any other
Tate Johnson: 23:16
Yeah. With the setting, the bed knives, putting the bed nights on the bed bars he taught, I think this is what most people do just. Put the both far sides in first, then tighten them down. Then just go each I think the foot Pou, uh, torque is 28 foot pounds, 40 foot Pou, uh, not 40, uh, 30 foot pounds for those bed knife screws. And I think then once you just put it on the bed knife, granted, you barely have to make any adjustments.
Trent Manning: 23:45
Okay. Tie, you know, if you’re toing them down the right way. I’m thinking it’s inch pounds.
Tate Johnson: 23:52
Yeah. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 23:54
be, it’s all good. That’d be pretty aggressive. 35 foot
Tate Johnson: 23:58
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 23:59
ring that thing right off. well, what else do you wanna share with us or talk about younger people in the
Tate Johnson: 24:06
I think, I think another thing talking about is the grinding is a big thing and we have, uh, the fo I think it’s the six 40. Grinder the automated real grinder
Trent Manning: 24:22
So like a six 50.
Tate Johnson: 24:23
Yeah. Yeah. And so it’s, it’s full enclosed. It’s pretty nice. Then you just go back and forth checking each side, so then same sound on each side, then you just close it. And we do, I think it’s, uh, one th 100th of an inch just off the edge. First and then if that one doesn’t work, then we just do one more. We don’t like try to do it hard at first. Keep as much material on there as possible.
Trent Manning: 24:53
Right. And I think I’ve said on the podcast before, I sure I have, um, and I heard this from skip Heinz. He said the, the bigger, the bur is after you grind, the more the reels that you’ve wasted.
Tate Johnson: 25:07
Yeah,
Trent Manning: 25:08
So, and it is a fine line of getting it sharp and it not having a.
Tate Johnson: 25:12
you just gotta find a happy medium.
Trent Manning: 25:14
So I, I like to feel a little blur. I know that I got there. I definitely think that’s the easiest way to tell that you got there. So what kind of bed knife grinder do you have?
Tate Johnson: 25:25
Uh, it’s a fully, I can’t re I know it’s the same year. I think it was made in 2012. It’s fully. It’s the auto automated.
Trent Manning: 25:34
so probably a 6 72 or something like that.
Tate Johnson: 25:38
that sounds right. I, I haven’t used any of the burn hards or any of those. Uh, we had the, the simplicity grinder guy come by and show us some of the, his grinders. And those were, those were pretty cool. How like accurate they were and how, yeah. Those were, those
Trent Manning: 25:58
yeah, yeah. Yep. No, they, they make a good machine. So what do you like best about that? Six? Probably a 6 53. What do you like best about that?
Tate Johnson: 26:07
how it’s fully enclosed. That’s probably the best
Trent Manning: 26:11
I agree. A hundred percent. I, I love that aspect. I got the same machine and I love it being enclosed, cuz it cuts down on the dust and it cuts down on the noise
Tate Johnson: 26:22
Yeah. Well, cuz then you can like start, you can focus on another project when, when you’re grinding, then you don’t have to hear the loud noise going.
Trent Manning: 26:32
Yeah, because I mean, at times I get, you get used to it. Sure. Whatever over the years, but at times it it’s nice having it a little bit
Tate Johnson: 26:41
Yeah,
Trent Manning: 26:41
in there. So you can think, and I don’t, I seen a, a meme or something the other day talking about, you know, you’re old when you, uh, Turn your radio down to try to figure out directions, or if you need to back up, you have to turn the
Tate Johnson: 27:00
yeah. Focus on it.
Trent Manning: 27:02
So we, we don’t need all those loud noises when we’re trying to focus on stuff.
Tate Johnson: 27:07
Yeah, for sure.
Trent Manning: 27:09
And then did you want to say something about younger people
Tate Johnson: 27:12
Oh, yeah, the getting young, I think it’s a, I think that’s a, definitely a huge factor in keeping the industry going. So I went to the turf show, the GCSA turf, trade show and there there’s definitely some young people there. and it was, so I think what was that class? There was a class for equipment managers and I went to that one just to watch and I, I didn’t see, I think I was the youngest one there. I. It’s so hard to find other
Trent Manning: 27:43
Mm-hmm
Tate Johnson: 27:44
people that are in the industry that I went to the Toro Toro class in Minnesota, in February, the Toro Toro equipment, tech certification. And I think the young I’m 19. So the other youngest, I think was. 37 years old. So it’s, yeah, it, it’s just crazy how we don’t have more younger audiences in
Trent Manning: 28:11
Mm-hmm
Tate Johnson: 28:12
industry.
Trent Manning: 28:12
So how do we change that?
Tate Johnson: 28:14
I think it’s reaching out to like high school trade programs and getting like a golf course trade, golf course, quote unquote trade program for we have. like a technical college, have a technical college class for golf course maintenance. I think that’d be a big thing.
Trent Manning: 28:35
I don’t. So your local high school, was there any tech program?
Tate Johnson: 28:39
there was, I think there was not at my high school. You had to go to a different tech school to find it.
Trent Manning: 28:48
I mean, I’m old, but we had some, we had an automotive class and a construction class and,
Tate Johnson: 28:55
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 28:56
like a drafting class, which I don’t even know if they do drafting anymore. Cuz it’s all CAD, I guess nowadays. you know, I have to break. The, the pencil and the ruler and all the stuff that they were doing. But I definitely, I think it’s something that’s really important and I’m so happy to see a young face like yours in our industry that that’s enjoying it. And I mean, you seem, yeah. You seem, really excited about what you’re doing and. yeah, we, if we could only find, you know, another 150 or 200 guys and girls like you and get ’em involved, I’ve been, uh, spreading the word as much as I can, especially with, uh, the women in turf and their big movement. So, and that’s, those are so great. What, what they’re doing. and I would love to see more men and women, whatever. I don’t care, whatever you wanna.
Tate Johnson: 29:58
It doesn’t matter.
Trent Manning: 29:59
Yeah. just get in there and do it.
Tate Johnson: 30:02
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 30:02
one of those things until you’ve worked on a golf course, you don’t really know what it’s like.
Tate Johnson: 30:10
No, you can’t really describe what you, you don’t know what you’re gonna do every day. There’s always something
Trent Manning: 30:16
one.
Tate Johnson: 30:17
I think that’s a main,
Trent Manning: 30:18
well, out of, as all these people I’ve interviewed, that’s one of the biggest takeaways is the variety, because you don’t know what tomorrow holds.
Tate Johnson: 30:28
No, that’s the best thing about it. You don’t know what you’re gonna, you don’t know what you’re gonna do tomorrow. You could have your whole day plan could be grinding all day, but then something breaks down on the course goes into a bunk or something, and then you have to figure that problem out.
Trent Manning: 30:45
Just like I had a kid come in today and he says, well, first he’s on a rotary mower. And he says, one, one of my reels, isn’t cutting. I was like, okay, well you’re on a rotary. So it doesn’t have a reel. Well, he’s like, you know, the thingy, I’m like, all right, the thingy. And so we go, he has it on the wash pad and we go walking out there and he said, yeah, there there’s a big stick up in. I’m like, well, okay. If there’s a big stick in there more than likely, that’s why the blade’s not spinning. Let’s see if we can get the stick out. So, uh, you know, I don’t know. It’s, it’s,
Tate Johnson: 31:21
It’s always something
Trent Manning: 31:22
it’s always something different every day
Tate Johnson: 31:25
Yeah. That’s the best
Trent Manning: 31:26
and that’s what makes it, so,
Tate Johnson: 31:28
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 31:29
then it makes it rewarding too, when they need a piece of equipment and you can get it going for ’em or you set. Greens mowers or fairway mowers. And you go out there on the course and see what it looks like.
Tate Johnson: 31:43
Oh yes. But that’s the best part
Trent Manning: 31:46
Yeah, for
Tate Johnson: 31:46
go for all the greens mowers out and see how they cut.
Trent Manning: 31:50
So do you play golf?
Tate Johnson: 31:52
when I was a kid, I did, I play with my brothers a lot. We have, I have three brothers there. The two older ones are both in turf, too. One’s a assistant superintendent at the Utah country club. then the other one is on the ground. Screw at chambers while getting his degree in horticulture at Oregon
Trent Manning: 32:14
Okay. Awesome.
Tate Johnson: 32:16
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 32:17
Super cool. I. Man. I’m so proud of your dad putting all these people in the industry.
Tate Johnson: 32:23
I think, I think he’s proud of
Trent Manning: 32:25
Well, he should be. That is great. That is great.
Tate Johnson: 32:28
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 32:30
With you being younger generation, what motivates.
Tate Johnson: 32:34
probably just the fact that we’re like, I’m not saying I’m the Fu like as the younger people, we’re the future of the industry. So we have to try to learn as much as we can from the older generation, learn their tips and tricks and just learn the way of how the, equipment’s maintained on the golf course. I think that’s the main, just keeping everything going.
Trent Manning: 33:01
Why didn’t. So from a manager standpoint, what could I do to motivate you to do your job better?
Tate Johnson: 33:12
I think giving, like, saying. I don’t, I, you probably do this, but saying like good job at the end of the day, like saying you, you did good job and all that, then it makes you want to come back the next day do even better job. And then another thing is, this, Jerry does this a lot. He might be able to figure the problem out, but then he just lets me try to try to figure out myself, even if it takes an hour longer and it. If it’s not a sense and urgency, he just tries to let me figure it out for an hour or two, then it feels really good when I come tell him I figured out and
Trent Manning: 33:49
Oh for sure. No, that’s awesome. And that, I mean, that’s definitely one of the most rewarding parts of the.
Tate Johnson: 33:55
yeah,
Trent Manning: 33:56
uh, troubleshooting and finding a solution to a problem. But no, I think that’s really good advice because most people, my age and kind of the way I was brought up there, wasn’t a whole lot of praise going on in the
Tate Johnson: 34:10
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 34:11
and it wouldn’t expected by me because it was never.
Tate Johnson: 34:18
Yeah. And
Trent Manning: 34:18
and I mean, and even as a kid and I would, you know, mow the grass or whatever. And I mean, it was, it was a struggle because I never did it the way my dad wanted me to do it.
Tate Johnson: 34:30
Oh that, yeah. I feel, I definitely feel mowing the grass with my
Trent Manning: 34:33
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ve
Tate Johnson: 34:35
my lines. Aren’t straight enough.
Trent Manning: 34:36
Yeah. And you know, and I say mowing the grass. I mean, all I was mowing as a kid was a bunch of weeds, you know, it wasn’t really even grass. but I was cutting the weeds and I wasn’t even doing that. Right.
Tate Johnson: 34:49
Yeah. Apparently
Trent Manning: 34:50
then like the guy I worked for, he’s definitely changed a lot, in that aspect of giving more praise. But when I was working with him in the nineties, I could count maybe on one hand how many times he said good job or thinks, but I didn’t really expect that because the way I was brought. Is, if you wouldn’t getting yelled at, you were doing a good job. And that was okay. so I was just happy not to get yelled at, but it, yeah, I agree with you and it’s definitely changed and I’m trying to give more praise and be more appreciative of the work the, the people do to help us. because honestly, without the people I have working in the shop with me, I mean, there’s no way I, one man can do her lady or whatever could get all that done because well, me and Shelby was joking about it today. Everything turns into em, work around the course, you know? So, I mean, the other day I was helping the chef put in a new, uh, cooler that he had. And he, you know, we had to take it halfway apart to get it through the door, to get it into the kitchen. And I don’t mind doing stuff, you know, it’s different. Like we’re talking about the variety, we’re always doing something different. And he hooks me up. When I go up there, he throws me some cookies and, you know, whatever and
Tate Johnson: 36:21
Doing it for
Trent Manning: 36:22
yeah, that’s right. Yeah. I get paid by chef and I can see it in my waist. Yeah. So was it there something else you wanted to get at?
Tate Johnson: 36:32
I think that was mostly pretty good. What I can
Trent Manning: 36:36
Okay. Awesome. You ready for some rapid fire?
Tate Johnson: 36:44
Yep.
Trent Manning: 36:45
What’s your favorite movie?
Tate Johnson: 36:47
the first Harry
Trent Manning: 36:47
First Harry Potter. Okay.
Tate Johnson: 36:49
Yeah. Wait, no, uh, the new top gun that just come
Trent Manning: 36:53
Awesome. Okay. Now, now I’m on your page, Harry Potter. Yeah. I’ve this is, that was,
Tate Johnson: 37:00
I forgot the top gun came out just a couple, like a month
Trent Manning: 37:03
So did you see the original top gun too?
Tate Johnson: 37:06
yeah. I’ve seen original tons of times. Yeah.
Trent Manning: 37:09
So what do you think? Which one was.
Tate Johnson: 37:11
I, for what they did in the second one, like how they actually, the flew, the jets and all that. I think that was, I think it’s better. The second one.
Trent Manning: 37:21
Yeah, I, I agree. And I was a big fan of the first one and I’m not bashing on it, but they did an excellent job with the
Tate Johnson: 37:29
Yeah. I don’t know who’s gonna top it.
Trent Manning: 37:31
Yeah, no, it was yeah. Blown away. Awesome. What would be your last.
Tate Johnson: 37:37
there’s a restaurant it’s called El Gauch show. It’s a steak restaurant near me and probably their Flaman YN that, yeah.
Trent Manning: 37:47
What, what, what are you getting with that play?
Tate Johnson: 37:50
probably asparagus and then mashed potatoes.
Trent Manning: 37:55
right.
Tate Johnson: 37:56
Yeah,
Trent Manning: 37:56
What are you most proud?
Tate Johnson: 37:58
I think just like we were talking about being one of a pretty young guy in turf and. understanding most of what’s going on at like the course I can figure out pretty fast what it is depending on and yeah. Just get it
Trent Manning: 38:17
you got a lot to be proud. And I’ve been doing this a long time and I don’t know it all. I’ve still got a lot to learn, but just sitting down here tonight, talking to you, you, you got a really, really good grasp of what’s going on better than a lot of people I’ve talked to. That’s been doing this 10, 15 years. So you’re way ahead of the curve. And I mean, that makes me proud. I mean, you’re doing awesome. And if I can ever help. The real turf tech community can ever help
Tate Johnson: 38:48
definitely
Trent Manning: 38:48
Yeah. Don’t ever hesitate to, uh, reach out and not that you need any help. It sounds like you got everything run under control
Tate Johnson: 38:57
There’s always something.
Trent Manning: 38:59
your dream opportunity it’s in your sight. And if that’s what you want to do, do it, just do it.
Tate Johnson: 39:06
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 39:07
And if something else I wanted to talk about, so I’m gonna have Mike Elliott on. Actually I’m recording his tomorrow and he’s at the union league. So it’s in, is Philadelphia union league. And I don’t remember he is got three or four courses or whatever. Um, super awesome guy. And I was just talking to him. I went by a visit at his place when I was coming back from Rhode Island and I was talking to him, chit chat or whatever. He said he had aspiration to be the equipment manager at Augusta national. That was his goal. And then he landed at pine valley. So I mean, Augusta pine valley, you know, I mean there back and forth between, you know, so he, he achieved his goal
Tate Johnson: 40:01
Yeah, exactly. That’s awesome.
Trent Manning: 40:03
you know, I said, do you still have any interest in going. Augusta. He says, no, you know, I I’ve, I made it to the top and he left there to go to the union league. So that’s how impressive the union league is. And the, the dream they have and what they’re selling and the direction they’re going and all that stuff. so I’m really excited to interview him, but I wanted to tell you that story, that it, it is. Whatever you dream, you can do it. You put your mind to it, you can do it.
Tate Johnson: 40:38
Yeah.
Trent Manning: 40:39
So
Tate Johnson: 40:40
That’s
Trent Manning: 40:40
thank you so much, Tate, for being on I’ve really enjoyed this. I enjoy your enthusiasm and your excitement and your very young energy you bring to industry. Tell the listeners how they can get ahold.
Tate Johnson: 40:56
I don’t usually, uh, I don’t use Twitter. So email probably T Johnson. Keer sports.com.
Trent Manning: 41:04
right. Um, get on Twitter, man. Yeah. Get on Twitter. Just do it. There’s a bunch of us old guys hanging out and gas hanging out over there,
Tate Johnson: 41:14
Yeah, my dad has it. He uses it more than any, I think any of the
Trent Manning: 41:18
uh, really
Tate Johnson: 41:19
any of us? Yeah.
Trent Manning: 41:20
I don’t, it’s so good because it’s positive and there’s a lot of ideas shared and tips and tricks. And if we only knew on turf Twitter, how many DMS we’re going on behind the scenes and people helping other people out. And I don’t remember where I heard this. and if it’s a Tim Krieger thing, but you know, people need people
Tate Johnson: 41:48
yeah,
Trent Manning: 41:49
that that’s what makes it go round. Cause going out there and cutting grass is, is one thing. But if there’s no people there to experience the playing surfaces that we’re providing, why are we doing
Tate Johnson: 42:04
What’s yeah, what’s the
Trent Manning: 42:05
exactly right. Well, thank you Tate. I appreciate you being here.
Tate Johnson: 42:11
Thanks for having
Trent Manning: 42:12
talk soon.
Tate Johnson: 42:14
Yes, we will.
Trent Manning: 42:15
Hope you enjoyed hearing from Tate. What an inspiring young man we got on our hands or out here. I was so impressed talking to him. With all the knowledge that he’s got and he’s only 19. That’s really, really impressive. And he’s so passionate for this industry. And I don’t know, I don’t get it, but I love it. And I’m glad he’s here and I’m happy to see him doing what he’s doing. So how do we get more? Young people in the industry. I wish I knew the answer and that’s probably the million dollar question. But I think it’s on each one of us. Luckily tights. Dad got three of them in the industry. That’s pretty, pretty impressive. Uh, record there. But if you can get one person, two people, three people. We just got to start looking out, family, friends. Whatever it is. If you spot a young person. That could be interested in this job. Tell them about it. I think that’s where it starts right here at. The, the grass root. We got to do something because we’re all getting older. And some of us are retiring. Another important thing we talked about was managing the younger generation. And I know not all of y’all lobby managers. Even if you’re not a manager. You’re probably working with. Younger people. Because that’s a lot of our industry. And we got to figure out how to manage those people. To help them. Not to help herself. I know G C S a. They have some classes that show. On. How to talk to the younger generation. They see things different than we see things. And we gotta be able to basically speak their language. And I think that’s something. Really important. I know I need to work on it and I’m sure a lot of others do too. Until next time. See you. Bye. thank you so much for listening to the Reel turf techs podcast. I hope you learned something today. Don’t forget to subscribe. If you have any topics you’d like to discuss, or you’d like to be a guest, find us on Twitter at Reel turf techs.