Interactive facility tours allow participants to learn away from the convention center in a hands-on environment.
Participants at the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show Feb. 2-5 in Orlando will be able to choose from a full schedule of educational opportunities. Four interactive facility learning tours are scheduled from 8 a.m.-noon Monday, Feb. 2. Three others are planned from 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Feb. 3, with two of the Tuesday sessions set to be repeated from 1-5 p.m. that afternoon.
These sessions will give participants opportunities to take part in out-of-classroom learning at select golf sites in the Orlando area.
One morning tour — Equipment Management in Motion at the Club at Bella Collina, at nearby Monteverde, Fla. — will be presented Monday. Kyle Johnson, golf course superintendent at Bella Collina, has held the position for three years and previously served as superintendent at Southern Dunes Golf and Country Club.
Johnson said he will share how he uses technology to make daily agronomic decisions, including use of the USGA Deacon and GS3 ball for greens performance data; clipping volume collection to guide nutritional and cultural practices; TDR moisture meters for accurate water management; and ASB TaskTracker for crew assignments and recordkeeping.
“This will open the door for everyone to discuss their own experiences, compare tools and methods, and walk away with new ideas that may help refine their programs,” Johnson said.
He will be joined by Luis Ramirez, equipment manager at Bella Collina, who has been with the club for seven years after previously serving as head mechanic at ChampionsGate Country Club.
“Luis will walk you through the day-to-day processes his team uses to keep equipment organized, reliable and consistent without unnecessary complication,” Johnson said. “He will highlight the technology and support systems — especially from John Deere — that help streamline diagnostics, parts management and overall maintenance efficiency. He’ll conclude with a hands-on demonstration of reel and rotary mower setup, both on the lift and on the bench, offering practical takeaways you can implement immediately in your own shops.”
The third speaker will be Luis Silva, assistant superintendent at Bella Collina, who joined the team four months ago after serving as an assistant in training at the Country Club of Orlando.
“Luis will introduce the John Deere 2020A GPS Precision Sprayer, followed by a live demonstration,” Johnson said. “He’ll walk through key benefits of precision spraying — including improved turf consistency, increased chemical efficiency, reduced overlap and better protection of sensitive areas.”
He will also cover the sprayer’s core features: StarFire GPS and its accuracy for consistent coverage; AutoTrac steering for perfectly straight passes; nozzle-by-nozzle control to eliminate overlap and reduce waste; and documentation and reporting tools that support operator tracking and long-term planning.
“This session will give you a clear look at how precision spraying can save time, product and labor while improving results across the course,” Johnson said.
Technology on the golf course also will be the topic during “Technology in Action at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club presented by Husqvarna,” also Monday morning. Four Seasons Senior Director of Golf Course and Landscape Operations Stephen Tucker will outline how the course integrates cutting-edge technology into everyday operations. Tucker and his crew — Superintendent Kenny Vierling, Equipment Manager Brad Bailey and Assistant Equipment Manager Wyatt Harris — will provide details on how everything from autonomous mowing on the driving range to enhanced cutting unit technology in the maintenance facility can offer real-world insights into streamlining workflows and elevating course conditions. The team will share how they’ve partnered with Husqvarna as a test site for future product development, including a look at their autonomous mower in action and a discussion on how it is shaping the future of labor and efficiency. Learn from the team leading the innovation and see the tech in action.
“At Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club, technology is woven into every aspect of the guest experience — from in-room iPads that enhance convenience to smart mirrors that keep you connected while you get ready,” Tucker said. “Our golf operations reflect the same commitment to innovation. During this interactive facility tour, you’ll engage directly with our team and Husqvarna experts across four dynamic stations showcasing robotic mowing and advanced reel technology.”
Stations include “Cutting Unit Geometry,” “Robotic Mowing Demonstration,” “Husqvarna Auto Mower Insights” and “Service and Troubleshooting.”
Two other tours will be offered Monday morning, including “Optimizing Water Use at Shingle Creek presented by USGA” and “Renovation in Action at Country Club of Orlando presented by CapillaryFlow”
Three tours will be offered from 8 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Feb. 3, including “Environmental Excellence at Grande Lakes presented by Helena Agri-Enterprises LLC,” “In the Field with Frank Rossi at Hawks Landing presented by PBI-Gordon” and “Inside Tournament Prep at Bay Hill presented by The Toro Co.” The Hawks Landing and Bay Hill tours also will be offered from 1-5 p.m. Tuesday.
This year 30 popular Power Hours will be offered from Monday through Wednesday, on a wide variety of topics, from a Turf Talk on Hispanic perspectives and pathways to presentations on data-driven turf management; challenges and innovations regarding World Cup turf; the future of turfgrass education; and a behind-the-scenes look at hosting a PGA Tour event. A Power Hour will explore facility accessibility, from everyday play to the USGA U.S. Adaptive Open, presented by John Petrovsky and Ryan Severidt of USGA. Another course features speaker Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., presenting “Coming Soon: 100 Years of Golf Course Maintenance and Beyond.”
In addition, conference attendees will have dozens of educational sessions that are organized by topical “tracks,” such as Agronomy, Assistant Superintendent, Career, Communication, Environmental, In-Language Spanish, Leadership, Water Resources and more.
Each track covers a full curriculum on that topic. For example, the Environmental track includes eight sessions, ranging from “Pollution Prevention for your Wash Pad” to “Extreme Weather Calls for Extreme Preparedness” and “Integrating Biological Control into Turf Management.” The Leadership track includes a stunning 26 sessions to choose from, including “The Leader Within: Finding Your Authentic Leadership,” “Engaging with FFA,” “Beyond the Shop: Training the Next Generation of Equipment Managers” and “Mastering the Art of Effective Delegation … it’s just easier if I do it.”
Visit the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show website to learn more.
Darrell J. Pehr is GCM's science editor