More about the PACE Turf acquisition
I’ve recently acquired the PACE Turf information service from its founders, Drs. Wendy Gelernter and Larry Stowell. We’ve shared details of this in the Announcements section of the PACE Turf website, and this article by John Reitman at TurfNet has additional information.
It was no surprise to me, therefore, that at the recent International Turfgrass Research Conference (ITRC) in Copenhagen, many people asked me about this acquisition and about my plans for PACE Turf going forward.
Here’s how I answered those inquiries.
First, Larry and Wendy have put together such a valuable library of information, and I want to make sure this continues to be available. As an example, subscribers to the PACE Turf information service can access reference guides on topics ranging from algae to zebra mussels, and pretty much everything in between. Curious about black layer, brown patch, disease diagnostic laboratories, flea beetles, irrigation audits, turf photography guides, golfer education, or water quality? You’ll find that, and much more, in the Reference section of the website.
I also explained that there is a lot of weather-related information. Climate appraisals for the past five years of daily weather data, recent actual weather and forecast temperatures compiled into a weather update that shows expected nutrient use, disease threats, and daily growth potential—that’s all found at the Weather page.
I’m going to keep this all going, and keep it available, because it’s important information. I know that turfgrass managers are reliant on site-specific information to help them make decisions about what work to do on a daily basis. What PACE Turf does is translate science—the types of things discussed at the ITRC conference, for example—into practical advice that turfgrass managers the world over can use as decision support tools. This library of material, weather data, and timely updates that you can opt-in (or out) to receive by email, is available as a USD $275 annual subscription.
Of course I’ll be adding my own view of turfgrass management as well. I’ve been fortunate to work with grasses all around the world since I got started in this business in the 1990s, and I’ll be considering new features and tools that can be added that will help turfgrass managers growing any grass at any location.
I said again and again that “this is an exciting opportunity,” or something to that effect. And it is. I’ve used information from PACE Turf since I was a young golf course superintendent myself, 25 years ago. I’ve used information from PACE Turf in my work ever since. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with Larry and Wendy on projects such as the MLSN guidelines for soil test interpretation. And to now be in charge of PACE Turf myself, it really is exciting.
A few people asked me about where I’ll live, and if I will merge ATC and PACE Turf, or how that will all work. No changes are planned in that regard at the moment. I plan to operate both ATC and the PACE Turf information service as separate entities for now, and to do so from wherever I happen to be in the world.