Tim Thurston, Equipment Manager at the Ambassador Golf Club in Windsor, Ontario, started cutting lawns to make extra money and by high school had a crew of five working under him. Next Tim went to work at the golf course where his uncle was a superintendent and studied to be one himself. After serving as superintendent and EM at a series of courses Tim became a Jacobsen service manager and John Deere sales rep, traveling the globe equivalent to 90 times in his truck before settling back in at the golf course. An avid gardener and woodworker in his free time, Tim looks back on his 43 years as a turf tech.
Transcript
Trent Manning:
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 Welcome to the real turf text podcast. Episode 54. Today, we’re talking to Tim Thurston. Equipment manager at the ambassador golf club. And Windsor Ontario. LAN Basadur is an 18 hole public golf course. Whether the driving range. Tim is the loan ranch in his shop. With mainly Toro equipment. And club car utility vehicles. Let’s talk to Tam. Welcome Tim to the real turf techs podcast. How you doing this?
TimThurston:
I’m doing great, Trent. Thanks for having me.
Trent Manning:
Yes, sir. Absolutely. This is a, it’ll be fun. Like it always, yes, we’ll get right at it. Tell us how you got into the turf industry.
TimThurston:
If we’d go back a number of years back in high school, I actually started cutting lawns for a living or for extra money. During school ended up. I was cutting 50 lawns a week. Cemeteries. I had five kids working for me, come with their bicycle every day, pick up a push mower and off they went. Yep. That’s how I got into that part of it. And it was a good business at the time and stuff learned to repair lawnmowers that kind of stopped playing with engines. And then from there my uncle was a golf course superintendent and he offered me a job back here. 1979 to come work for them.
Trent Manning:
Okay. Awesome. That was a pretty lucrative little business you had going on. I have employees.
TimThurston:
Yeah. And I sold the business when I moved and got into the golf course. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
So how much moving around, have you done since 1979?
TimThurston:
Quite a bit. I was with my uncle for three years and actually in the winter time, went to school to become a superintendent and work for him in the summer. We were on a small nine hole course, that’s where I do all the grinding, the equipment repairs. I swear. I learned all that from him. And then I went another six years at a couple of different golf courses as superintendent and mechanic at the same time. And then I went to work for a Jacobson dealership in the service department and work my way up to service manager was there for, I was into, I think about 98 when I left there while Textron bought the Jacobsen ransom And I ended up going to the other dealer that ended up with the Jacobsen ransom, worked for them for 13 years, worked my w like did all the training for the sales guys. The service guys on the Jacobson side, went from working that position to operations manager. And then I went into the sales side of it for. Four years with them. And then I changed again and went to sales for John Deere golf for the distributor up here on that. And did that for another 10 years.
Trent Manning:
Wow. Okay. Long have you been back at a golf course?
TimThurston:
Actually just months. It’ll be a year back doing the M at the golf course, but I’m on my second golf course since then.
Trent Manning:
Okay. Gotcha. Gotcha.
TimThurston:
Yeah, when I decided to get out of sales and get off the road, cause I did some calculations and found out I went around the world 90 times in my truck. I said that’s a little too much liberal, too much. The superintendent was looking for an EDM and we were talking and I took, ended up taking the possession, but two weeks before I started, he left that golf course and went to another one. I go, oh man. So I, and I ended up doing my season was with the first golf course, and now I’ve moved. At as of November, first of last year, I moved to where he is now. So I’m there now at the second course ambassador.
Trent Manning:
Did you know that superintendent for quite a while through your history and the industry and stuff.
TimThurston:
Yeah, for sure. It’s like a lot of the guys cabin David Curry, I’ve known those guys for years, so I’ve been around so long
Trent Manning:
That’s awesome.
TimThurston:
at.
Trent Manning:
And from what I’ve seen is pretty tight knit community there. And.
TimThurston:
Yeah. It is a very tight community. Yeah. You get to know people pretty well. Taylor, I known Taylor for oh God. When he first started back in, when he was up in north bay and stuff. So Yeah.
Trent Manning:
You could probably tell us some stories about those guys, but we’ll stick to the normal format
TimThurston:
Yeah. We’ll do that sometime where ice fishing or something somewhere,
Trent Manning:
Yeah, I can’t wait.
TimThurston:
some drinks.
Trent Manning:
Can’t wait to try out some auspicious. So what do you think about relief? Grinding you relief grand jury.
TimThurston:
I always have, I’m a firm believer in relief grinding. Currently I can’t do it right now. I’ve got a set of Toral express stools. We’d looked at buying the relief, grinding attachment, but it’s kind of pricey right now. So I may end up buying an old fully that I can just relate grind on.
Trent Manning:
That was another question I had for you. What did you start grinding with in 1979?
TimThurston:
blade fully.
Trent Manning:
Okay.
TimThurston:
Yep. And back then, we didn’t have your lightweight fairway mowers. We were still grinding gang mowers for both fairway and roughs. Even the green smores back then didn’t have power steering. They were all cable steer.
Trent Manning:
Yup. Yup. Crazy. And how much technology’s changed over the years and may going a little bit easier on us. Tell us something you’ve fabricated lately.
TimThurston:
The last thing I fabricated, it was a stand for my rails on wheels, so I can whole sex reels and move them around the shop. Had to design it for my little forklift thing that I can just correct. Roll under grabbing my rail off. So I don’t have to lift them up and down. I’m getting too old for that now.
Trent Manning:
no, I totally understand. And I think a lot of, especially in our younger years, Probably messed our backup, picking up gutting units and throwing them around. So anything we can do to minimize picking up a cotton unit, the better it’ll be.
TimThurston:
Yep for sure.
Trent Manning:
Tell me what your favorite tool is and why.
TimThurston:
My favorite tool would be my hoist. That was even taking this job. When I originally went to see the super worry was they didn’t have a hoist. And I said, I’m not coming until the hoists. I’m sure there’s a hoist coming it showed up finally in February. So I’m all happy now.
Trent Manning:
Okay. What kind of horse did you go with?
TimThurston:
we want, let’s say golf left.
Trent Manning:
Okay. Yep.
TimThurston:
Okay.
Trent Manning:
So that’s a solid brand. That’s out there.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
A lot of people.
TimThurston:
a nice unit.
Trent Manning:
What do you do to relax or find your balance?
TimThurston:
I got a lot of gardens around the yard and I’m a huge, I’ve been doing woodworking for years. So building furniture, that kind of stuff.
Trent Manning:
So do you have a bull woodworking shop at your place?
TimThurston:
Yeah at home. Yeah. I just, actually, since we just moved down to this area about a year ago, I’ve been insulating, got my heat in now, so I’m good to go out there in the winter time and stuff, but yeah, I’ve got, I’ve been buying tools for years and I’m all set up and go, so
Trent Manning:
Awesome. That’s very cool. I got into woodworking for a little while and not that I don’t like it. I just hadn’t had time lately
TimThurston:
Yeah, it does take a lot of time and a lot of patients for sure.
Trent Manning:
But I do find it therapeutic to you.
TimThurston:
I can’t sleep. I’ll be out there doing something.
Trent Manning:
Yup. Yup. So it was one of the favorite things you’ve built so far out of wood.
TimThurston:
I did a huge while you’re it for one of the kids. So
Trent Manning:
Okay.
TimThurston:
think that’s the one that turned out the best for me. So
Trent Manning:
Okay. Like a built-in unit. Okay.
TimThurston:
Nope, Nope. Freestanding unit.
Trent Manning:
Awesome. That’s so cool.
TimThurston:
Hold a 65 inch TV the whole shot.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. They just stay, they just keep getting bigger and bigger. Every time I go in the store of like, okay. Yup. That’s three
TimThurston:
Yeah, I do. I have a wall big enough for this.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, that’s my dad. I think he’s got a tiny TV and today’s standards like 46 inch. And I said, you need to get you a bigger TV and it wouldn’t fit. It wouldn’t fit my corner of the living room anymore. What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at work.
TimThurston:
Not necessarily at my work, but on my travels over the years, I know I was at a golf course, way up Northern Ontario, just not a log up there, but, they asked me to go out and have a look at their grains because they didn’t think the grain smaller was cutting quite right. So I go out and have a look and then I said, okay, I need to see a cutting unit. When I checked the cutting units, they had war. From back laughing and cutting right back. And the reel was actually in contact with the bed knife bar.
Trent Manning:
Wow.
TimThurston:
was no knife left No wonder they couldn’t get a good quality. A cut.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, yeah. seen that in my Toro days or when I worked for a distributor and traveling around mostly all fields and stuff like that, they just. I don’t know any better. They just keep adjusting it. I
TimThurston:
just
Trent Manning:
daughter,
TimThurston:
yep. They’ve never ground. That’s one thing that I never had a grinder on our rails. They just backlash.
Trent Manning:
Do you have a mentor in the industry?
TimThurston:
The only one that I would actually put in that category, which I would say is my uncle that got me into this he’s no longer around, but yeah, he’d be the one he taught me a lot. I’m very grateful. I knew him and where he’s put me.
Trent Manning:
Could you elaborate on some of the things that you remember learning from him back in the day,
TimThurston:
Back then any and everything to do with grass and mowers. Yeah. Yeah. I knew nothing about real mowers or any of that stuff, so
Trent Manning:
Did you tinker around with engines and that kind of stuff before you started mowing lawns?
TimThurston:
Not a lot. It was more after I started that, I started playing with cars and the old hot rod. So I had a 74 Chevy Vega. Took a deal forced under, out of put on a whole new frame under an ACE,
Trent Manning:
Wow. that’s cool. Yeah. Yeah. That’s fun. What would be your dream job or opportunity?
TimThurston:
I don’t see anything other than what I’m doing right now. I know, I’m getting too old to start looking at, going somewhere else or doing anything else.
Trent Manning:
Yeah it could be anything, maybe it’s making furniture
TimThurston:
No, I’m happy with what I’m doing, trend. I love the career I picked and where I am with it. So yeah,
Trent Manning:
Well, obviously and done the math. How many years have you been this industry?
TimThurston:
43 years.
Trent Manning:
43.
TimThurston:
And the golf size.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. that is awesome, man. Thank you for that. Thank you for your service. And I was thinking about that when I was asking you about mentors. I wonder how many people you’ve mentored over the years,
TimThurston:
Yeah. I have no idea I know I’m not scared to pass information, help people out
Trent Manning:
Yeah.
TimThurston:
not same as you, when you were at the dealership, we do the same thing. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah, no that’s awesome. And you probably a touch more people than you know, or can even think about. And that’s one thing I liked about working at the dealership, all the different people I got to meet, whether it was technicians or assistant superintendents, yep. All of them.
TimThurston:
suppliers, all of them.
Trent Manning:
If you had a free day and you could work with any technician, who would that be?
TimThurston:
Actually I was thinking about that. There’s a lot of tough choices know, I wouldn’t mind coming to spend a day with you. Another one that intrigues me would be skip Heinz.
Trent Manning:
Yep.
TimThurston:
Yeah. I him on Twitter and some of the stuff he comments and does, and yeah, I find him very interesting. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
Yep is very interesting. And you would probably need more than a day with skip because he loves to talk and share his knowledge. But I say that jokingly take his kid, but he’s one of the. Nicest, most genuine people, you would meet, share knowledge a really great up guy. And I guess I’ve not been to one of his shops. I’ve seen a lot of pictures of his shops and they all look incredible. What do you know now? You wish you’d known on day one.
TimThurston:
Ooh. that’s a tough question.
Trent Manning:
You can thank miles camp for that question. He’s the one yeah, he’s the one that sent that question in and I thought it was a pretty good one and I mean, It does make.
TimThurston:
is a pretty good one. I might’ve went a manufacturer side for technicians. Maybe I had to come out and train people like us and distributors, that kind of stuff. I don’t know.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. That’s okay.
TimThurston:
a tough,
Trent Manning:
What tips or tricks you got that you want to share?
TimThurston:
Biggest tip I would think. And I know a lot of other people abuse us. One is to use the internet, use the WhatsApp group, Twitter. There’s all kinds of information out there and don’t be scared to ask because somebody will answer your questions.
Trent Manning:
For sure. And
TimThurston:
Yeah
Trent Manning:
from what I’ve found with Twitter or WhatsApp, you usually get a more positive. Good answer, then go on to Facebook.
TimThurston:
Yeah I belong to a couple of groups on there. I just read and then I never comment and I leave. I’m not yeah, there are some people on there that just don’t know how to use it properly.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, and last life’s too short for that and harp on that a good bit. About every time Facebook comes up, I get on my little soapbox. So I’m not going to do that today.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
You got anything you that’s on your mind? Rondor.
TimThurston:
There’s been a lot of talk about getting more people into the us, and I’m getting to that point now that you know where I’m going to need to train somebody here in the next five years. So it’s, as a matter of trying to find somebody that I can train to take over my position that sort of thing. And it’s pretty tough to do that. This year here, this winter here in Ontario, there was tons of IAM jobs and nobody to fill There was lots of jobs out there, but it’s finding the qualified people to do it. And where do we find these people?
Trent Manning:
Do you have anybody on your current crew that you think you could bring into the shop?
TimThurston:
From what I’ve seen so far on our current crew. No, I, me and the supers talked about it. We’ve got to probably do a little more searching to add somebody to the crews. I can work outside in the morning. Let’s say go cut greens. And then when they’re done, into the shop and I’ll show him how to set the grain smaller for the next day and other stuff, Yeah, that’s the route we’re going to have to take crate, sorta another possession for it. That’s all
Trent Manning:
On, I think that’s kind of best of both worlds because it helps you in the shop and then it also helps the superintendent getting the course ready in
TimThurston:
of Fill up possession out there.
Trent Manning:
Cause honestly my club and the way we operate, if we could have. 50 people in the morning. We wouldn’t need anybody in the afternoon because we get everything done. You ready? For some rapid fire questions?
TimThurston:
Sure. Why not?
Trent Manning:
This is the fun part. What’s your favorite?
TimThurston:
I’m going to have to say caddy shack on that one.
Trent Manning:
Awesome. That movie classic. Love it.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
What would be your last meal?
TimThurston:
Oh, a nice big juicy steak.
Trent Manning:
What’s your favorite cut of steak?
TimThurston:
I like to prime rib.
Trent Manning:
Primary. Hard to beat. I actually looked it up the other day. Eh, because I didn’t know if there was a difference between prime rib and ribeye. And all I found was it’s the way it’s cooked.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Good stuff. What are you most proud of?
TimThurston:
I’d have to say family. That’s all the family. I got kids, grandkids, all that fun stuff. Yeah,
Trent Manning:
that’s awesome. So how many kids and grandkids.
TimThurston:
I two girls of my own and a step son. And then we have combined, we have four grandkids now.
Trent Manning:
Awesome. How often do they come over?
TimThurston:
It’s, she’s the youngest granddaughter we see almost every other weekend. And then I got one in a while. So we see her. Oh, seen her at Christmas time. We’ll see her for Easter, that kind of stuff. So I always see her on and off. And then the two boys grandkids we see them once every three months, roughly.
Trent Manning:
Okay. Yeah. cool. Are you the favorite ground?
TimThurston:
For most of them among the only grandpas,
Trent Manning:
That’s limited doses there.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. They locked plan in the woodshop.
TimThurston:
No, we keep them out of there. mostly outside and that kind of stuff. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
Yeah.
TimThurston:
They’re still young, so
Trent Manning:
I got you. I know. I would have been a kid in a candy store, in a wood shop
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
when I was five years old. What does this do? How does it work? We’ll be driving somebody crazy.
TimThurston:
if I’m doing any project, if I’m doing any projects around the house and I got my measuring tape and stuff out, my oldest granddaughter’s right there, know, it’s got my hammer in her hand and tapping wood and whatever, but she’ll get there.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. That’s a lot of fun. I love that age when they’re curious and ended things and that’s a lot of fun.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
What was the first piece of turf equipment you worked on?
TimThurston:
that would have been a Jacobson greens king for,
Trent Manning:
Do you know roughly when they came out with the GreenSky.
TimThurston:
No, that I don’t know. I know that when I was working on what had been, I’m not mistaken in 1976 unit.
Trent Manning:
Okay. That’s cool. What was your favorite piece of Jakobson equipment through your career?
TimThurston:
Through my career, I would have to say. With all the changes and all this stuff, they went through the LF 3,400, I sink would been in my favorite.
Trent Manning:
How much different is that than 3,800.
TimThurston:
love a 3,800. would have the 700 trails. The 3,400 would have had the five inch rail. That’d be pretty, so a little less horsepower, but basically the same machines. Yeah.
Trent Manning:
I got you. I’m not super familiar with the Jacobs and equipment, trying to think the only thing I ever
TimThurston:
I’m not familiar with their newer stuff, but the older stuff.
Trent Manning:
yeah. Yeah.
TimThurston:
yeah. yeah.
Trent Manning:
I had a greens king five back in. Yeah. Yeah. And that might be why I didn’t buy any more Jacobs
TimThurston:
Yep.
Trent Manning:
because that thing,
TimThurston:
That’s a good second. You didn’t upgrade to the greens king sex. It was even worse than,
Trent Manning:
wow. Let me regress. And I guess it get worse
TimThurston:
That’s when Textron sort of started getting involved and they moved from the factory from Racine, Wisconsin to Charlotte, was a lot of things that went downhill when that happened. So
Trent Manning:
Any ideas on why Jacobson’s moved to the UK?
TimThurston:
No, no idea at all. know that was her biggest, bigger market because of the ransoms used over there.
Trent Manning:
Hmm.
TimThurston:
Cause I actually kept the ransom name over there too. So I think that had a lot to do with it.
Trent Manning:
So they left ransom in the UK and it wasn’t available in the U S.
TimThurston:
Yeah. more or less they bought whatever ransom they did bring over, like the cheap Plex, three, that kind of stuff. They painted orange
Trent Manning:
Okay.
TimThurston:
put Jacobson on it instead of having the green machine with ransom on it.
Trent Manning:
Gotcha. Gotcha. Got any questions?
TimThurston:
long you’ve been endless industry trends?
Trent Manning:
So I started in the industry in 1995 and I was 16 years old. So I was still in high school and I just needed a job. And I always enjoyed working outside and the outdoors and all that kind of stuff. And a buddy of mine. You actually knew the mechanic at the golf course, and they lived in the same neighborhood or whatever, and he got me the job there and I started just like anybody else, my wind grains and fly Mowen and string trimming and all that fun, fun stuff. But I loved it. I was working outside and that’s a beautiful setting. It was.
TimThurston:
And then you’re just slowly worked your way into the shop then.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. And I’d always been curious about mechanics and I’d always tinkered with stuff around the house and probably tore up more stuff than I fixed back in the day. But then I was always bugging the mechanic asked him how’s this work, how’s that work. So when the assistant mechanic job opened. He put my name in the hat and said, I think this kid might work out. And he gave me my first shot and I worked with him for about three years. And then he went to help his son. His son had started a landscape business. His son was a superintendent too, and then started a landscape business and he went to help him out. So there was a. 1920 years old around the shop and thought I knew everything at the time, which I realize now how much, I didn’t know
TimThurston:
Yeah,
Trent Manning:
but yeah, and I pretty much stayed in the turf industry. My whole life. After there, I left there in oh two and I went to work with a company building sports fields, but we also maintain sports fields. I was still there. But I did most of the construction stuff, laser grading, all that kind of stuff. And then I left there and went to work for a company that built golf courses as their mechanic. So worked on heavy equipment, a bunch of stuff. I realized I didn’t like working on or like big and nasty and just Greazy come home covered head to toe in group. And then I went to work for Jerry pay the Torah distributor down here in the Southeast. And then the interesting part of the story is when I left the golf course and oh, to the mechanic that had trained me, Larry Freeman, he came back to the same golf course and filled my, build my spot. And then Larry retired in 2000. So I left the Toro distributor and went back to the golf course. the superintendent, it’s still the same superintendent or now he’s director of agronomy, he started there in 1988 and he’s only had three technicians, including me.
TimThurston:
Wow.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. And the first guy, I think he was only there for a couple of years before. They hired Larry in the shop. The amount of knowledge talking about mentors and that kind of stuff. Larry frame was definitely my mentor that gave me a shot and taught me a lot of what I know his dad was a machinist and he grew up pretty. So if he wanted something, he was going to have to buy a piece of junk and work on it. And if he wanted a car to drive He was a mechanic out of necessity, but he was really good at it. And then he went to work for general motors and he actually retired from general motors and he just loved playing golf. So he got the job at the golf course working on the crew and then he found out, oh, they need a mechanic. I can do. Yeah. I don’t know. It’s one of those things once a mechanic, always a mechanic, I don’t think he
TimThurston:
Yep. Yeah, And especially when you enjoy this as much as you do
Trent Manning:
It’s so rewarding to, to fix something and it was not working now. It is
TimThurston:
and that’s the big thing is you never know what you’re going to be working on. I got called up to the clubhouse on Monday. The switch has gone in the oven. Oh Tim, can you fix that? Can you find us a switch? Get that back up and running for us. We need it. Cause we got a wedding coming up,
Trent Manning:
Yep. That’s all.
TimThurston:
job description, but you’re doing it anyways.
Trent Manning:
Yeah, no, that’s amazing what we get pulled into, but I think that it keeps it interesting. Keeps it fresh too. Not that I want to work on ovens all the time it gets me out of the shop and I get to see something And my experience with working in the kitchen with the chef. If you take care of him, he might take care of you too. When it comes to the vendor.
TimThurston:
That’s what I’m hoping.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. So that’s as a good person to have on your side, for sure.
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
I can’t thank you enough, honestly, for.
TimThurston:
Oh, I can’t, I’m glad I decided I was debating on it. And then I’m glad I decided to do this.
Trent Manning:
Well, good.
TimThurston:
so enjoyable.
Trent Manning:
It is fun. And honestly, this is my favorite part is meeting somebody new. I knew you from the WhatsApp group, but meeting somebody new and just picking their brain and hearing their experiences.
TimThurston:
Yesterday I get guys who were putting on one. They were graduating that kind of stuff. And I think it was Frank. He was 39 years and I’m thinking to myself, I got you beat by a little bit, Frank, but I’m not putting it on the
Trent Manning:
Yeah,
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
it’s all good. Honestly, I think that’s what, one of the great things about the WhatsApp is we have people like you, or you might be the only one with the most experience, but we have people with 40 years experience and then we have people with one year experience. Then just think about how much those people that have one year experience can learn from somebody who’s got 40 years of experience. Awesome. Thank you for being in the WhatsApp group. I appreciate that anybody that’s in there and willing to help out
TimThurston:
Yeah.
Trent Manning:
welcome.
TimThurston:
Yep. I know the one day we spent chatting with Mike gone cut Siri and real size and all that day.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Laying
TimThurston:
But I get up in the morning and there’s 87 messages or 90 messages on red message. I go, jeez, what do you guys do it? And I hate.
Trent Manning:
Yeah. Yeah. That’s funny. Actually last night, I don’t, it was like 10 o’clock or something here, Eastern and Matthew accident. That’s in. He got on there and he said it was a new record. There was like 160 messages while he was sleeping. All right. Tell the listeners how they can get ahold.
TimThurston:
Twitter at Tim one Thurston and then same for my Gmail.
Trent Manning:
Thank you, Tim. I really appreciate it. And I’ll see you in the WhatsApp group.
TimThurston:
Yep. Sounds good, bud.
Trent Manning:
I hope you enjoyed hearing from Tim. Truly amazing. 43 years in the turf industry. Just imagine all the things he’s seen over the years. I know I’ve only been in 25 and I’ve. Definitely seen a lot of advancements and technology. And there’s plenty of equipment. I don’t miss. I think one of them we talked about was the Toro two 16. Belt-driven reels. Never fun. You can learn so much. Uh, working for a distributor. Just because you get to see all these different problems. That are. Unique. That you don’t get to see every day at the golf course. But another thing I think you can do. Is go visit shops. Talk to the technician there. Find out. What they’re working on, what problems they’re seeing. So, not that we can leave our job and go work at a distributor. Just to get more experienced, but we can see the tech down the road. And see what they’ve been doing. That was one reason I love isn’t in shops. For one, you get to meet the other person. You had to find out their background. Good to find out what they’re good with. I think we all have our specialties. Some of us are. Better at electrical than others. Uh, sir, better at hydraulics than others. And if you can create your core group. Where everybody has their own skillset. This makes life a lot easier and you can pick the phone up and give him a call. Plus you can see what all they’re doing at their shop. A lot of the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up over the years. I’ve came from other shops. I would say 99.9%. Of the things that I picked up. Come from other shops. There’s very few original ideas. If you want to submit a proposal to teach other GCs a. Education conference. There’s still time. If you need a few extra days to get in. Call GCSA. They’ll work with you. We really need your content for EMS. And it’s a great way to get involved and give back. And honestly, I probably would not be doing this podcast. If I didn’t start teaching. That’s kind of where this thing started. Because it got me out of my comfort zone. And I got me more comfortable. I’m being out of my comfort zone. And you can do it too. And if you need help, reach out. I’ll be happy to help. And I know everyone at GCSA will help. And without them. I probably wouldn’t be here either. Left helped me out a lot along the way. Until next time. See you. Bye. thank you so much for listening to the real 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 real turf techs.