Great Golf Starts with Great Grass - Grass Clippings Podcast Season 2, Ep. 2

Following Crystal's award from Golf Inc., Crystal Fricker and Kelly Lynch talk innovation, sustainability, women in golf and why the future of the game starts beneath our feet.

Great golf starts long before the first tee shot. It starts with the grass beneath your feet and, even before that, with the seed.

In the latest episode of the Grass Clippings podcast, Crystal and Kelly reflect on a recent trip to the Golf Inc. Strategies Summit, where Crystal was honored with the 2026 Hilda Allen Award, recognizing five influential women shaping the future of golf. Their conversation quickly expands beyond the award to explore the role turfgrass breeding plays in golf, the importance of connecting research with decision-makers and the opportunities they see ahead for the industry.

Seeing Grass from Both Sides

Kelly brings a unique perspective to the conversation. With decades of experience in the golf industry and nearly a decade working alongside Crystal, she understands both what happens on the golf course and the research happening behind the scenes.

That connection came to life at the Golf Inc. Summit.

As architects, owners and developers were recognized for outstanding golf course projects, Kelly and Crystal realized several of the courses represented were growing Pure Seed varieties.

For Crystal, hearing directly from people using those grasses brought the work full circle.

“The breadth of where grass goes is amazing to me. It's all around the world.”

Kelly points out that the impact extends far beyond high-profile private clubs. Turfgrass innovation matters across public and municipal courses, universities, country clubs and destination facilities.

No matter the course, it all starts with the playing surface.

The Technology Beneath the Game

Technology was a major topic at the event, from AI to new tools designed to make golf course operations more efficient. But Kelly and Crystal raised another important question: What about the technology in the grass itself?

Years of research and breeding go into developing grasses that can better meet challenges such as drought, disease and salinity. These advancements give golf courses more options for managing water, inputs and changing environmental conditions while maintaining quality playing surfaces.

As Crystal explains:

“You don't have much on a golf course if you don't start with good grass seed.”

That idea was recently put to the test at Pure-Seed Testing's North Carolina research location, where unusually dry conditions provided a real-world look at how grasses performed under stress. After more than 25 years of breeding for drought tolerance, customers were able to see firsthand the differences between varieties.

Seed may represent a relatively small portion of a golf course investment, but the genetics selected can influence how that course performs for years. That's why Crystal sees value in bringing breeders and seed professionals into conversations with architects, developers, owners, superintendents and other decision-makers.

It's a point Kelly returns to throughout the conversation: innovation isn't limited to the clubhouse or the latest technology platform. Some of the most important innovation in golf is happening beneath the golfer's feet.

More Women Finding Their Place in Golf

The episode also explores changes happening beyond the turf.

While attending the event, Crystal participated in a Women's Golf Day panel focused on bringing more women into the game and creating experiences that encourage them to continue playing.

For Kelly, who has spent decades in golf, seeing more opportunities for women both on the course and within the industry is particularly meaningful.

Their discussion also highlights Women in Turf and efforts to create opportunities for women to gain experience, build relationships and envision careers within turfgrass.

It connects to a theme that surfaces repeatedly throughout their conversation: people and relationships move an industry forward.

Connecting Plants, Technology and People

Looking ahead, both Kelly and Crystal see reasons for optimism, particularly in the younger generation entering golf and turfgrass.

For Crystal, the opportunity to connect people, plants and research is at the heart of why the work remains exciting.

“Being able to work with the plants, God's creation, to develop something that makes a difference, and then connecting that, the plant world, with the industry, the people world.”

There will always be another challenge to address, another variety to develop and another opportunity to improve.

And whether you're breeding the next generation of turfgrass, managing a golf course or standing over a putt on a beautiful green, it all comes back to one thing:

Great golf starts with great grass.

Listen to the Full Conversation

Checkout Season 2, Episode 2 of Grass Clippings, “Great Golf Starts with Great Grass.”

Listen on your favorite podcast platform: https://rss.com/podcasts/grass-clippings/3288755

Pure Seed Grass on Award-Winning Courses

The connection between great grass and great golf was on display throughout the 2026 Golf Inc. awards. Pure Seed varieties were featured on three award-winning courses, including Dynasty Paspalum at Teeth of the Dog, Pure Distinction creeping bentgrass at Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, and Pure Eclipse bentgrass on the greens and fairways at Medina. Among them, Teeth of the Dog earned first place in the Public/Resort category for Golf Inc.'s Renovation of the Year.