Scott’s Thoughts: The best of both worlds

When Seth Jones asked me to pen a column for Golfdom, my mind immediately went to Michael Corleone’s famous quote from The Godfather Part III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

Considering the context of that scene and the manner in which Al Pacino delivered that line, my comparison is probably more than a little misguided. I mean, he practically spit that line onto the screen with the frustrated, angry growl of a man who wanted anything other than a return to the life he once lived (plus, if memory serves, Corleone had a heart attack just after uttering this famous line, so there’s that).

My response to Seth’s request was the polar opposite. I was fired up by the opportunity to step back into a world that was such a huge part of my life for more than a quarter of a century and readily accepted the assignment. Plus, the chances of this request triggering a heart attack seemed remote, so I had that going for me, too.

At the risk of repeating a story that some readers might be sick and tired of hearing (and trust me … I’m getting close to that point, too), I joined the fine folks at North Coast Media in April of this year after spending 26 years working for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), where I oversaw their monthly publication, Golf Course Management.

When I made the move, it wasn’t for a role with Golfdom; my new “real” job is with the parent company’s industry-leading landscape magazine, Landscape Management. But one of the perks of taking that leap was that in addition to getting to exercise my creative muscles in a new industry, I’d also have the chance to contribute from time to time to this magazine and keep myself involved in an industry that I knew like the back of my hand.

The more attentive among you already know that this isn’t my first venture into the pages of Golfdom. I penned a feature story on a course in Tallahassee, Fla., bouncing back from not one but two tornadoes in the July issue. I’ve also written a few news-focused stories that have appeared on the magazine’s website and in the Starter section of the print publication.

But I guess I consider this my first “official” introduction to the Golfdom family, and I’m super excited to meet you all. It’s not often that you make a career change where the new gig allows you the opportunity to do all the cool stuff that you loved about your old job, but this is one of those rare situations.
Topping that cool-stuff list were always the chances I had to spend time with and learn from the amazing people who make up this industry, so it’s pretty awesome that some of my first tasks under the Golfdom banner will fall under that category.

That includes the upcoming GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, which is heading to San Diego Feb. 3-6. I won’t lie; after so many years being a part of the event as a GCSAA staffer, spending a few days in Southern California in this new role will take some getting used to. But that familiarity with this industry and the people in it will go a long way in taking that edge off, and I can’t wait to see all those familiar faces once again.

Then there is this month’s Golfdom Summit at Reunion Resort, the invitation-only event that brings together superintendents and some of the top companies in the business for a few days of presentations, product demos and plenty of networking. In my past life, I was always more than a little jealous of the concept behind the Summit and how North Coast Media had successfully implemented it, so the chance to be a part of it now is one I’m super excited about.

So basically, I’m getting the best of both worlds in this new job, and I am grateful that it has brought me back to an industry that has meant so much to me over the years. We’ll be seeing you down the road.

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