March Madness

It's time to turn the page on the calendar and begin the month normally associated with taxes.  I like to think of April as the official start of not only baseball season but the golf season.  I can't remember a winter where so many events were canceled due to weather.  I had to make a point of asking for ice scrapers from the rental car companies the past few months and actually using them regularly.  So lets hope mother nature cooperates with us and we can get some rounds on the books and stop looking over our shoulders for the next polar vortex.

I had the opportunity to visit Pinehurst last week for the first time.  I was amazed at the amount of golf history there and how the entire community is centered around the game of golf.  They are preparing for back to back Open Championships in June and everything seems to be in good order for the events.  If you've never been to the sand hills of North Carolina it's worth making plans for a visit in the future.  True southern hospitality!

As far as current projects go we are still looking for facilities to donate rounds for the first Rounds 4 Research auction in June.  It's a great way to earn money for your chapter to fund projects in the future.  We are also looking for facilities to host First Green meetings with local school children.  Please visit www.thefirstgreen.org to learn more about the program and how you can sign up to host a field trip at your facility.

Now let's get on with some warm weather and play some golf!

Road trip visits

Road trip visits are a new part of my weekly routine.  When I'm on the road I try to stop and see the local superintendents to say hello and introduce myself to members in the area.  These visits have been a very enlightening part of my work since it gives me a chance to see what the industry looks like in different areas of the Southeast.  It has also shown me the diversity of positions now available in the industry.  Many of the members that I meet are working in different ways than they were just a few years ago.  Some have taken on GM roles and facility manager roles, and one has even started his own management company in order to stay at his facility.  I'm sure that the majority of superintendents out there work in the traditional role but more and more I'm seeing members adapting to the changing world of golf.  I would be interested to hear from members out there who have evolved into a role other than agronomy at their facility and how they feel about these changes.

On a side note please don't forget to support the EIFG!  The world of advocacy and public perception is a difficult place to operate, but I'm happy to say our efforts can make a difference.  I'm looking for facilities in the Southeast who would be willing to house colonies of bees, and work with local bee keepers in an attempt to try to shed some light on the neonicotenoid hysteria that's out there right now.  I believe that bees and golf can share the same property.  What do you think?