Golf Day in North Carolina

May 24 was Golf Day in North Carolina. The game had many representatives on hand to share golf's story with state lawmakers in Raleigh. There were representatives from the Carolinas GCSA Board, the Carolinas Golf Association, Carolinas CMAA, PGA, NGCOA, ASGCA and GCSAA. There was an even dozen of us, including Chris Valauri, the North Carolina lobbyist for the Carolinas chapter. Our message this year was simple and clear: Highlight the economic impact that the game of golf has on the state of North Carolina. We had several copies of the newly completed economic impact study to share with state officials with whom we would meet throughout the day.

I made this trip a year ago, and as a result of last November's elections, we would be meeting with many new faces at the capitol. Roy Cooper defeated incumbent Pat McCrory in an extremely close election for governor and brought with him a new set of cabinet members. One of those new cabinet members is Anthony Copeland, secretary of commerce for the state of North Carolina. He and his staff would be the first group we would meet with that morning.

Our group gathered around the large conference table on the fourth floor of the State House, and we were soon joined by Copeland and three members of his staff. Everyone offered brief introductions and spoke about their role in the game of golf. It was clear that Copeland and his staff understood the economic significance of golf in the state as each of them shared a story related to the game. Brian Powell, CGCS and past president of the Carolinas GCSA, gave a presentation based on the findings in the new economic report. He was followed by Del Ratcliffe, a multiple course owner in the Charlotte area, who also spoke about golf and the North Carolina economy. Following a discussion about economic impact, Copeland read the Golf Day Proclamation signed by Governor Cooper and presented it to Brian Stiehler, CGCS, government affairs chairman for the CGCSA. After sharing a few more stories it was time to head to our next meeting.

Our group rode the elevators up a few floors to our meeting with the Commerce Committee of the North Carolina State Senate. We took our seats around the left side of the room as members of the committee made their way into the room. At precisely 11 a.m. the gavel sounded and the meeting got underway. Senator Rick Gunn, an avid golfer, got the meeting started by introducing our group and each individual by name. Senator Gunn spoke about his passion for golf and read aloud the proclamation. Following presentations highlighting the importance of golf to the N.C. economy, several senators asked questions or made statements indicating that they understood the significance of golf to the state. At this point the committee got to work on a proposed bill before them, as our group watched the government process at work before heading to our lunch meeting.

We walked several blocks to a local law firm, where we gathered in a conference room on the 17th floor to have our lunch. This was a good chance for everyone to relax for a few minutes, review the day's events and discuss events that lay ahead. After a few minutes we were joined by political consultant Paul Shumaker, who shared many interesting facts about the political process, polling and how to run a successful campaign for political office. Shumaker has managed the campaigns of many notable federal and state politicians and offered a wealth of knowledge on the process and analysis of elections. It was truly fascinating. His understanding of the demographics of the state and how that translates into votes was amazing, and he got plenty of questions from our group.

After lunch the group met with the NC General Assembly to officially recognize Golf Day and later with Lieutenant Governor Dan Forrest to further discuss golf and the economy in the state. It was at this point that I had to leave to attend a meeting at the NC State research facility on the south side of Raleigh. Golf Day was a well organized and effective event that demonstrated two important points: Golf is a significant business entity in the state, and the Carolinas chapter is a very strong advocate for its members and the industry as a whole.

Finally, there was one important piece missing that day. Tim Kreger, Carolinas GCSA executive director, had suffered some health issues a few days before the event and was unable to attend. He is a huge part of everything that happens with the CGCSA, and his spirit, energy and passion were missed. Tim and his family are in our thoughts and prayers and I look forward to seeing him back at full speed again in the near future.

Secretary of Commerce Anthony Copeland presents Brian Stiehler, CGCS,
with the proclamation that May 24, 2017, is Golf Day in North Carolina.

Brian Powell, CGCS, gives a presentation on golf's impact on the North Carolina economy to the NC Joint Commerce Committee as Senator Rick Gunn looks on.