Peter Sorokovsky

Peter Sorokovsky
Position: Superintendent of Golf Operations
Education: M.Sc. Soil Science, University of British Columbia
Employer: City of Burnaby

How is soil science a part of your job?

As the superintendent of golf operations I am responsible for the day to day golf course conditioning. To produce high standards of playability on the golf course, as demanded by our clients, our main focus is turfgrass quality. To ensure the highest quality of turfgrass I have a strong belief that one must start with a soil foundation that is healthy and thriving. The analogy that I use is that of a building; the stronger, more precise and accurate the foundation is to the architectural plan the more stable and easier it is to construct the building. So, my job is to take care of the soil’s health and the growing grass will take care of itself, with a little help of course.

What do you like most about your work?

The thing I like most about my work with soil is the dynamic conditions of our soil foundation. With 60,000 people a year walking and driving all over the golf course, soils seem to change regularly. One needs to be a “scientific detective” to figure out all the things that go wrong with the turfgrass plant. Eight times out of 10 it’s a soil condition such as compaction, or low/high organic matter, etc., requiring many different maintenance practices that include the chemical, physical and biological aspect of the soil. Figure out the root of the turfgrass problem and it becomes much easier to solve the problematic symptom.