TETAC History: Advancing the Turf Technician Profession

The idea for TETAC emerged almost spontaneously at the 2000 Carolinas Show, as founding member Dale Rogers recalls. What started as a casual conversation about equipment quickly shifted toward the need for a dedicated professional association.

The concept was formally explored at the 2001 Carolinas GCSA Conference. Rex Floyd, then the CGCSA President, hosted the service technician seminars that year. To gauge interest, attendees were invited to stay after a regular seminar for an organizational meeting. A previously unscheduled seminar, "The 100 Most Frequently Asked Questions By Service Technicians," unexpectedly contributed to the high attendance.

Floyd, who began his career as a mechanic, admitted he wasn't sure what to expect, projecting perhaps five people would stay. Instead, roughly 60 mechanics crowded into the room.

"After 15 or 20 minutes, the room was just buzzing. These guys were just networking and asking questions... After about an hour of discussion, I said, 'Let's see a show of hands of people who want to see a service technician association get started.' The whole room raised their hands," says Floyd, who continues to serve as an advisor.

This overwhelming response confirmed the profound, unmet need for a unified professional body.

The formation of TETAC was a direct effort to update the outmoded stereotype of the golf course mechanic—an image that failed to capture the complexity and skill required today.

As Dale Rogers articulated in August 2005, "There’s a lot more to being a turf equipment technician than that."

Modern turf equipment technicians have far greater responsibilities and maintain equipment that is significantly more advanced than in the past. Rogers championed the profession, asserting:

"Computerized diagnosis takes a higher level of thinking than your ‘shade tree mechanic’ has to have... The service technician is responsible for parts inventory and for shop organization. Techs at some larger golf courses have their own budgets and sometimes help manage the crew. There is a little more to it than just changing spark plugs."

Mission and Growth

In alignment with its mission—to enhance the professional image, raise safety awareness, and improve technical knowledge—TETAC provides a critical framework for service professionals to network and collaborate.

To this end, TETAC is developing a database that allows technicians with maintenance or repair problems to connect with fellow members who use similar equipment, facilitating practical, peer-to-peer advice. As Rogers notes, "TETAC is an organization for techs to get together to hash out issues, attend seminars and to really try to better the profession through education and self-image."

TETAC quickly attracted approximately 60 members in its inaugural year and has grown exponentially since. Now recognized as perhaps the largest state or regional turf technician association in America, the organization is highly diverse. While an estimated 75 percent of members are golf course service technicians, the association also includes vendors, field techs, and superintendents from across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia.

Despite impressive initial growth, Rogers remains optimistic, believing TETAC has only "tapped about 10 percent of the total number of technicians in North and South Carolina," promising even greater future expansion.