Page 24 - GreenMaster Winter 2025

u FEATURE u JAYSON JACKSON, SUPERINTENDENT, PORT ROYAL & OCEAN VIEW
GOLF COURSE
EDITED BY DR. SARA STRICKER, GUELPH TURFGRASS INSTITUTE AND
CAM SHAW, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH
SIR 2025: Jayson
warm-season
Operating with a lean team of 11, Superintendent Jayson Jackson, pictured on the right with
his son on his shoulders, ensures Port Royal Golf Course remains in top condition by cultivat-
ing a knowledgeable and purpose-driven crew.
The University of Guelph’s 2025
Superintendent in Residence (SIR)
program brought a tropical twist to
Ontario’s turf management
curriculum this year, welcoming
Jayson Jackson from Bermuda’s
prestigious Port Royal & Ocean View
Golf Course.
The SIR program represents a
vital bridge between academic
theory and industry practice. This
unique initiative invites experienced
professionals to spend several days
on campus with Associate Diploma in
Turfgrass Management and Turf
Managers Short Course students,
creating opportunities for meaningful
interaction through presentations,
informal discussions, and social
outings.
Jackson’s visit to Guelph provided
students and industry members with
invaluable insights into managing
warm-season grasses and the realities
of maintaining championship-caliber
golf courses in paradise. The public
presentation, hosted by Cutten Fields,
highlighted the global nature of
modern turf management. As a 2016
graduate of the University of Guelph’s
Diploma in Turfgrass Management
(DTM) program, he experienced
firsthand the challenges facing
turfgrass managers transitioning from
cool-season grass theory to warm-
season practice.
“The DTM program focuses
mostly on cool-season grasses like
Poa and Agrostis species,” Jackson
explained during his presentation.
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