Year end or new year?

Well, it's been 90 days since I started this new position. In those 12 weeks I have traveled thousands of miles, meet hundreds of new friends and got to visit with some old friends.  While the terrain and license plates may be different at all the chapters, one thing remains constant - a whole lot of great people moving our industry forward.

In the past three months I've learned a great deal about my new position, GCSAA and life on the road. There have been a few bumps along the way and some lessons learned, as you might expect, but I've seen that our industry is in good hands and the future looks promising.  So as we get ready to hang a new calendar on the wall lets be thankful for all the wonderful things in our lives and the blessings we have around us.  Have a great holiday with friends and family and let's make 2014 a year of growth and prosperity for the game of golf and our personal lives, as well!

Water usage question

Even in a state that can get as much as 90 inches of rain, we can wind up with water issues!

I recently got an email from a northern Alabama facility that needs some help with a water issue. The facility uses municipal water to irrigate the golf course. However, the water authority recently changed the courses classification from industrial usage to irrigation usage, resulting in a large increase in the cost of water. The facility wants to find a way to reverse the decision, as it has been classified industrial for many years.

Does anyone know of any similar circumstances, or know if there is another facility that was able to reclassify their water usage designation?

Welcome to my office

Hats off to our friends in the Georgia GCSA for creating a "Welcome to my office" video that was shown at their annual meeting this week in Atlanta. We can't do enough to tell the world about the good things that superintendents do every day at the "office," and this video offers a quick look at the variety of tasks performed on the course.

Click on the link and take a look: Welcome to my office

Welcome to the SE regional page

I'd like to officially welcome you to the new Southeast regional page and my blog. Here you'll find information about interesting events and people, so be sure to check in on a regular basis. The goal is to share ideas and opinions about everything in the world of the golf course superintendent.

I cover the states of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina and Tennessee. Most of the topics covered in this blog will be based on my visits with members and chapters while traveling throughout the region. I plan to showcase people who are doing extraordinary things in our business, as well as the positive impact of golf on our lives and communities. Look for information on environmental stewardship, research, government relations, community leadership, new products and ideas, and just about everything else related to the game.

Please encourage others to read the information on this page, and feel free to comment on my blog. Let's face it: Most people have no idea what a golf course superintendent does on a daily basis.Therefore, the more people who view and share this page the better, since the role of the golf course superintendent will be prominently featured.

I look forward to providing you with timely information and anticipate some lively discussions in the coming months.