A Mind for the Game
The CGSA's 2014 John B. Steel winner, Jim Ross, has shaped and been shaped by the turfgrass industry.
By David McPherson
A stint as a journalist – and an inquisitive mind – led Jim Ross on a circuitous and unexpected, yet somewhat predictable career journey into the golf business.
The 2014 John B. Steel award winner, who grew up on a farm in Manitoba, says he “had a feel and passion for growing turf passed on to [him].”
A passion for playing the grand-old game is also in his blood. Ross has fond childhood memories of golfing with his grandfather on a six-hole course in Sioux Lookout, Ont. He also teed it up during his formative years with his dad at a local, nine-hole sand-greens’ course, but he never really took to the game until his 20s.
“I love the game of golf and everything to do with it,” Ross says. “It was a natural transition for me to eventually get into the golf industry.”
Jim Ross (left) accepts John B. Steele Award from CGSA 2014 President, Christian Pilon
The John B. Steel award is one of the highest honours a Canadian superintendent can receive. Named after the first CGSA President and the first superintendent to be inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, the award is presented annually to the individual, chosen by the CGSA Board of Directors, who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the profession of Golf Course Superintendent.
“Jim has touched several aspects of the industry, but he is best known in Western Canada where he has spent most of his career,” says CGSA Executive Director Ken Cousineau. “Jim was selected for his lifelong commitment to the profession and his contributions to turf management.”
Brian Youell, Superintendent at Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, BC, has crossed paths with Ross many times over the years on the speaking circuit at conferences.
“As a speaker and an educator, Jim has always showed great passion in his work,” Youell says. “He has such a kind, sincere presentation style, but the information he provides has always been current and helpful to the industry. Jim is a great listener as well. The reason I say this is he always covers research that is helpful to a superintendent and he always is working on research and issues that superintendents currently face.”
Currently, Ross is the Executive Director and Research Manager at the Prairie Turfgrass Research Centre at Olds College in Olds, Alberta. Since taking on this position in the early 1990s, Ross has turned Olds College into one of the most well-respected turf research centres in North America. Ross has been responsible for business operations, and the planning and implementation of various research areas that include: stress physiology, pathology, weed studies and varietal trials.
What most don’t know is the industry veteran started his professional career working in the media; first for a prairie newspaper and also for a local radio station. This experience helped him become a better writer and communicator, he says. The job also rekindled his love for playing golf, which, somewhere along the way, he had lost.
“I never took the game up seriously until I started working at a newspaper in Brandon,” Ross recalls. “Two fellas on the sports crew with me were golf nuts. We worked nights. In the afternoons we would golf.”
During his first season working at a golf course in Brandon, the course flooded. The experience was a good introduction to Mother Nature’s influence on golf course operations.
“There was a lot of clean up that year,” Ross recalls. “The lower nine holes were closed for most the season … that was my start in the golf business.”
After two years, Ross moved to a nine-hole course in Kenora, Ont. This was his first head superintendent position. “While there, I had the opportunity to make mistakes,” he says. “It was a real learning experience.”
Later, Ross took advantage of an opportunity to attend Humber College where he completed an apprenticeship program in horticultural. After that, he returned west and worked as a golf course superintendent in both Alberta and Manitoba. In total, Ross worked as a superintendent for 11 years before taking the job at Olds College in Olds, Alta. where he still is today.
“You miss the smell of the grass first thing in the morning,” he says of making the switch from working on a golf course to working at a community college. “There is nothing like it … the smells, the sights and the lights on the golf course first thing in the morning. That’s something you don’t get in other jobs.”
When he’s not aiding academics or helping grow the game of golf as the lead researcher at Olds College and the Prairie Turf Research Centre, Ross plays between 40 and 50 rounds annually.
Reflecting back, Ross says it was natural for him to pursue a job in turf. During his distinguished career, he’s been on both sides of the industry — greenkeeper and turfgrass researcher/academic. No matter the job, Ross has always approached each task with a humble attitude and a curious mind. Ross recalls one of his professors at Humber once chiding him to “just go read a book!” because he asked so many questions. “I’ve always had a quest to answer questions that were posed to me or that came up in my mind,” he explains. “I had a desire to try to figure some of those things out. When I originally got into research, I said many things have already been answered, but it didn’t take me long to realize there were many important areas of research that had yet to be undertaken. I said, ‘If we don’t do it at Olds College, it probably won’t get done!’ That was a motivator.”
Before taking the Olds College position, Ross was the first president of the Alberta Golf Superintendents Association (AGSA). He was also involved in forming and incorporating the group in 1986 and served on the inaugural board of the Alberta Turfgrass Research Foundation.
Fellow founding member of the AGSA and good friend Walt Gooder suggested Ross apply to the newly created job at Olds College, telling him it would fit nicely with his skill set, so he applied. That was 1991. Twenty-four years later and Ross is still there.
He was so happy that his longtime friend Gooder, who had been ill lately, was able to make it to the award presentation at the CGSA conference in Calgary in February, along with many of his other friends and industry colleagues. Ross loves meeting people and helping to grow and promote the industry.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with the industry closely over the years,” he adds. “I’ve probably met more people than I would have working as a golf course superintendent.”
Early in his academic career, Ross was interested in exploring winter injuries on golf courses and conducting research on how the cold winters affected courses in Western Canada and ways to help protect them. This led to further research on this important topic.
“I went to Rhode Island three times to attend their annual turfgrass conference,” he says. “While their winters are different, they also have some similar issues. By being involved with them, I learned more on why it is different and why is it the same and what we can do to mitigate the injury that may occur.”
On winning the John B. Steel award
A soapstone sculpture carved by Bill Fach sits prominently on Ross’ desk. The piece of art doubles as the John B. Steel award. I ask Ross how he felt when he received news about winning this prestigious prize.
“I was very surprised,” Ross says. “I had just got out of the shower when I received a call at 7:45 a.m. I looked at my cellphone and saw a 646 area code and wondered who was phoning me at this time of the day and from where? I didn’t catch his name, but he had a French accent. He told me I won the award and I was in a bit of disbelief. I had to go check the CGSA website to confirm that it was current Board President Christian Pilon who had given me this news.” “I’m honoured to receive the award,” he adds. “I knew John Steel; I met him when I was working in Winnipeg. John was retired at the time, but I got to know him before he passed away. I also worked with his brother Bud. That makes this award that much more special … having known those two individuals and how much they meant to the golf industry.”
Do not go gently into that good night … just yet
Ross has plans to retire in the not too distant future. First, he wants to make sure his work at Olds College is complete. The school recently received some significant grant money for turfgrass research and he says one of the most important things is to round out the staff. Olds College started this process by hiring a lead research scientist (Katie Dodson), but there are still a number of things Ross wants to put together before he leaves.
“Retirement for me would be more about shifting gears as much as anything,” he says. “My intent is to still be involved in the industry in the promotion of turfgrass research. I don’t think I’ll ever fully leave the golf course industry. I have too many friends and too much to do to still help grow the game I love.
“Lots of times I tell people, my job is much better than working for a living! I say that because when I come to work, it’s really just an extension of who I am in the rest of my life. It’s been very rewarding and enjoyable to be involved in the turf industry,” he concludes.
reprinted with permission from Greenmaster Magazine
Editor’s note: No slowing down for Jim is in sight! He ran for election from the floor at the 2015 WCTA AGM and was elected as a 2 year term Director. We look forward to Jim taking over the Research Committee duties from current Chair, Peter Sorokovsky as he moves into his new role as Finance Director.