Irma visits the Southeast

Hurricane Irma recently wreaked havoc on the Caribbean and Florida before weakening and heading up through Georgia and Alabama.  I paid a visit to coastal Georgia and South Carolina a week after the storm to see if it was a repeat performance from last year's Hurricane Matthew.

Thankfully, it only took a short time to see that things were not as bad here as it was last year after Matthew. That being said, there were still plenty of trees on the ground and many coastal facilities took on some storm surge.  One week after the storm rolled through the Hilton Head area, it was almost business as usual.  There were a few trees down in the area. Every course that I went to was open for play and things seemed pretty normal. I didn't get to visit every course on the island but there were no piles of brush and logs lying about like there was last year.

Further south down the coast. in the Savannah area, there was much more damage to courses from both wind and water.  One of the courses I went to still had water on several acres of the back nine as a result of storm surge coming up through the river that runs next to the property.  A large collection of pumps had been brought in to get the water off the course since the flood waters covered the onsite pumps causing them to fail.  There was also considerable bunker damage to the property thanks to the quick rising flood water.  Fortunately, there was no structural damage and the maintenance facility remained dry.

The St. Simmons Island area seemed to be the hardest hit area in my region. There were hundreds of trees down on the island golf courses and some flood damage to one of the courses.  I visited the King and Prince Golf Course and got a tour from Assistant Superintendent JB Workman.  There were trees down everywhere you looked but a week into the clean up the mess was now mostly in the rough areas.  Tree crews were busy removing hanging limbs but it was amazing to see that no houses were hit on this heavily-wooded property.  The club hoped to be open within a week even though many stumps and logs will take some time to be removed.  This is the second year that this area has had major tree damage.

I spoke to many superintendents throughout Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama and most felt pretty lucky compared to the damage in Florida.  There was widespread tree damage in all three states with most courses reporting anywhere from a few trees to 50 trees on the ground.  I hope everyone can get through the remainder of hurricane season without any more problems.  This area has had plenty of weather-related obstacles over the past three years.  Hopefully, 2018 will have a quieter storm season that what we've seen lately.

JB Workman stands next to some of the storm debris on the King and Prince Golf Club on St. Simons Island, Georgia, a week after Hurricane Irma.

Congressional visit in Alabama's 2nd District

It was just a few months ago that I met with superintendent Ben Anderson in his office to get to know him better and talk about some of the programs that GCSAA has to offer.  He had only been at Arrowhead County Club in Montgomery for a few months but he had a long "to do" list of projects to accomplish on the course.  During our conversation, I mentioned that I was having trouble filling the 2nd District Grassroots Ambassador position in Alabama.  We talked about the program for a time and I left the job description and application with him.  After a few days, Ben notified me that he had talked with some of the club leaders and was interested in becoming the Grassroots Ambassador with Congresswoman Martha Roby in the 2nd District of Alabama.  Ben sent his information to Michael Lee at GCSAA headquarters and was enrolled in the Ambassador training class.

I was contacted by Michael Lee a few weeks ago and informed that Ben had arranged a meeting at his course with Rep. Roby's Legislative Director Mike Albares who works in the DC office.  While many GR Ambassadors struggle to get appointments with lawmakers or their staff, Ben set this meeting up on his first try.  I contacted Ben to see if he would like me to join him for the meeting and he agreed to have me join in on the lunch meeting at Arrowhead.  We agreed to meet in Ben's office an hour before the meeting to make sure we covered all of the talking points we wanted to share with Mr. Albares.  Everything was set for our August 17 visit.

Mike Albares arrived right on time and Ben and I met him at the front door of the clubhouse.  As we walked in to find our table, we did our best to describe our work responsibilities and past experience in the golf industry.  Mike explained that he's not a golfer but he would like to give it a try when the time was right.  We helped ourselves to the lunch buffet and returned to the table where we jumped right into the meat of our conversation.  We started with the H-2B program and what it means to many of the golf courses in the country.  We then had a good conversation about fixing the clean water act and what water means to a golf course superintendent.  The topic of water led to many other discussions including irrigation management, Best Management Practices and the 50 by 2020 initiative, labor, the EPA and Ben's goose management practice of using a remote controlled boat to chase the birds out of the ponds at the course.  It was clear that Mike had a good understanding of our discussions since he grew up in the 2nd district and is keenly aware of the amount of agricultural land that lies within the district.  He also said to be sure to stop by the fourth floor of the Cannon Congressional Building the next time we were in D.C.

Many thanks to Ben for putting this meeting together.  I truly feel as though we've made another valuable ally on Capitol Hill as a result of this meeting.

Arrowhead CC Superintendent Ben Anderson with Representative Marthy Roby's Legislative Director Mike Albares on the 18th green at the club.

Say goodbye to Nemacur

Our industry scored an important victory a few years ago when the EPA agreed to give a three-year extension for the use of remaining Nemacur on hand at golf facilities. The three-year extension ends on October 6.  We found that many courses had a significant amount of Nemacur in inventory three years ago when we did some informal polling of courses in the region.  This means that until October 6, you can still use the product according to label directions on your course for nematode control.

After October 6, you cannot use the product for any reason anywhere on your property and any remaining product would be considered a hazardous waste in the eyes of state and federal regulators. It is imperative that we, as an industry, follow this timeline and abide by the end use date to ensure a good working relationship with the EPA on any upcoming issues that we may face.

So, if you're sitting on a few thousand pounds of Nemacur, you have the rest of the season to use it up, trade it with another course, or sell it. After October 6, it will cost you money to dispose of it.  We need to make sure that on October 7, there is no more Nemacur left at any golf course in the United States.  I think Nemacur has been in use as long as I've been in the industry and it has worked well for courses here in the south but there are suitable replacements available now and their potential environmental impact is far less than that of Fenamiphos.

How were you first exposed to golf?

I think most of us can remember the first time we hit a golf ball or grabbed a club and took a swing.  Chances are it was because someone else put the club in your hands or told you to try to hit the ball.  If you grew up in a household of non-golfers like I did then you certainly needed some prodding from someone else.

This question was thrown around the room at the recent North Carolina Golf Day before the coalition got on the bus and headed to the capitol.  Some people got their first taste of golf because they were a caddie at a young age, others were exposed to golf because they worked at a course either in the clubhouse or out on the maintenance staff. A few of our group learned from family members.  It was interesting to hear the different stories as the 12 members of our group shared their golf beginnings. My story was a bit different and it's due in part to the winter weather in Michigan.

January in Michigan is usually pretty cold.  There's not much outdoor activity going on unless you are a skier, ice fisherman or you just like being cold.  When you're in ninth grade physical education class the focus turns to indoor activities like swimming, dodge ball and calisthenics.  There was one week during that January when the gym teachers had rubber mats set up on the gym floor and large tape squares on the walls that were our targets.  We were told to hit the wiffle balls into the squares on the wall.  After a few demonstration swings from our instructors we were turned loose to try to hit the squares.  I believe my first club was a seven iron but I can't be sure.  It took several swings to get the ball up in the air and even more to consistently hit the target on the wall.  I didn't know it that day but by life was forever changed.  A seed had been planted in my head that took a few months to germinate.  That happened when the gym class got to go to the nearby driving range for a field trip once the weather warmed up that spring.  I couldn't believe how much fun it was to hit balls at the range and how much farther they flew than the wiffle balls we learned with in the gym.  That summer I bought a 3 wood at Montgomery Ward and practiced with wiffle balls in the back yard, I was hooked.  Now, nearly 50 years later, I still love to play golf.

If I had not been handed that 7 iron and told to hit wiffle balls against the gym wall in ninth grade I probably wouldn't have spent my entire professional career around the game of golf.  Who knows what I may have done for a living but I'm pretty happy with the way everything turned out.

When was the first time you were exposed to golf?  Should we try to get golf as part of the physical education curriculum in public schools?  How can we get more people to take that first swing?

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.

A neophyte's view of Washington D.C.

I had my first opportunity to attend National Golf Day this year and it was quite an experience.  Not only do I have a greater understanding of how our government works but I also came away with a positive feeling for the district and the people who live and work there.

First of all, the business end of the meeting:.  I had three congressional meetings and four senate meetings with my regional delegation from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.  The delegation consisted of Tenia Workman, Wally Gresham and Lydell Mack from Georgia, Billy Bagwell and Chuck Connolly from South Carolina and Bob Farren, CGCS, from North Carolina. Everyone did a great job speaking with the staffers and staying on topic asking for support on this year's three key initiatives, H-2B visas, the Clean Water Act fix and the PHIT Act.  During the course of the seven meetings, I got the chance to visit all three buildings on both the senate and house side of the hill.  While wandering through the buildings, you wind up seeing many famous politicians and news reporters. At that point, you realize that you are in the middle of the political world.  At the end of the day, my feet were tired but it felt great to tell our story to the lawmakers and really be involved in the political system.

Perhaps the most rewarding time in DC happened the day before when our group had over 100 volunteers working on the National Mall's lawn.  We were divided into work groups with different assignments ranging from cleaning and straightening park benches to mowing, aerating and seeding the turf "panels" that make up the mall.  I worked with GCSAA Vice President Darren Davis, CGCS, on adjusting the Rain Bird 900 Series' heads that irrigate the panels.  The work of adjusting the heads was second nature to us since we've done it most of our professional lives, but when you lifted up your head and saw the Washington Monument to your right and the U.S. Capitol to your left, it gave the simple task a great deal more significance.  I think everyone involved with the project came away with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

Finally, a shout out to the people of D.C. I tried to strike up conversation with the D.C. denizens whenever I could: at lunch, in the hotels or with any of the number of people who shuttled me around the town during my stay.  The district has a certain vibe to it and it's reflected in the people who call this area home.  You really never know who's sitting next to you.  After being in the city for only a few hours. while I was having lunch at Old Ebbitt's Grill, I struck up a conversation with the three people sitting next to me.  They were soaking wet having just participated in the "Science March" on the mall.  After some quick introductions. our conversation quickly turned to climate change and global warming.  I could feel the confidence and passion in their speech as we had our spirited discussion for about half an hour.  As my new friends got up to leave one of them said, "thanks for the great discussion, you know your stuff."  I handed him one of my business cards and told him thank you for the great discussion!  He apologized for not having a card to give to me but said he'd send me a note later.  Sure enough, that evening, I got an email from him with some articles to read on climate change. I did a Google search for his name since he seemed to know so much about climate change.  It turns out that for 10 years he was the head of the EPA's climate change section and the lead U.S. author on the Paris Climate Agreement.   You just don't know who's sitting next to you when you're in D.C.

I look forward to getting a chance to make this trip again. It was truly a tremendous experience and I would encourage everyone to get involved in advocacy on behalf of our profession and the game of golf.  It's time and effort that really does pay off for our industry.

First ever Golf Day in Alabama

For many months, dozens of people have been putting together the pieces that would make up Golf Day in Alabama 2017.  We had partners from the Alabama Golf Association and the Dixie Section PGA on board and ready to go spread golf's good news to our state lawmakers in Montgomery.  We picked that date of April 11 because it was the week after the Masters and it fit well with everyone's busy schedules.  We made arrangements to meet with the Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey to discuss the economic and environmental importance of golf in the state.  Our meeting was at 1 p.m. on Golf Day, April 11.  Everything was set for Golf Day in Alabama 2017, what could possibly go wrong?

Well, for many months here in Alabama. our Governor Dr. Robert Bentley has been under fire for spending state money to hide a relationship he had with a staff member and the impeachment process had begun.  Who knew months ago that on April 10, he would plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges and resign as governor just hours before Golf Day in Alabama 2017.  That would have caused plenty of problems for our event all on its own but at 6:05 p.m. on the 10th, the very person we had a meeting with in 18 hours would be sworn in as the new governor.  Needless to say, Kay Ivey couldn't meet with us on the 11th since she was now the new Governor of Alabama.

When I awoke in my hotel room on the morning of April 11, I knew that there was work to be done. Our months of planning were now a smoldering pile of debris!  I made my way to the State House to see how much of the day we could salvage.  I started in the office of my local Congressman, Chris Pringle, on the fourth floor.  He hadn't arrived in Montgomery yet since the House didn't go into session until 4:30 that day because the impeachment process was supposed to be happening that morning.  I got sent up to the 5th floor to meet with the Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon who also wasn't in his office but his assistant Maggie made sure that we would be recognized on the floor of the house during the late session.  While I was in his office, I tried to find someone else to meet with that day since Kay Ivey was now governor.  Maggie helped me get a last minute meeting with Alabama Secretary of Commerce, Greg Canfield at 11 a.m.  Things were beginning to look a bit brighter.

I made my way over to the Commerce Building a few blocks west of the state house well before my 11 a.m. appointment and headed up to the 7th floor.  There, I was met by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Angela Till.  In a day filled with chaos, Angela was a welcome return to normalcy.  She spent nearly 40 minutes talking with me about everything about the economy in Alabama.  Then at about 11:20 a.m., Greg Canfield arrived having just spent the last 90 minutes with the new governor Kay Ivey.  I got to speak about the economic aspects of golf in Alabama and had a really great meeting with Greg.  Finally. our message was being heard as we talked about jobs, BMPs and the game of golf's role in the state economy.

Somewhere around 5:45 p.m., the members of the Alabama Golf Alliance were recognized by Speaker McCutcheon as we sat in the gallery above the house floor.  It was indeed Golf Day in Alabama, even though just about everything that could go wrong did.  Even so, there were new relationships created, a greater awareness of the impact of golf by the state house and senate and we had greater resolve than ever to make Golf Day in Alabama 2018 bigger and better.  Just in case you're in Montgomery next year, it will be on April 11. That sure seems to be our lucky day!

The floor of the Alabama State House on the evening of April 11th where the members of the Alabama Golf Alliance were recognized as part of the first ever Golf Day in Alabama just hours after the new governor was sworn in.

Breaking down the barriers

For the first time in my 30+ years in the golf course maintenance business, I attended a local chapter meeting where the guest speakers were from the state water authority.  Yes, I know that all of you in the Southwest have been doing this for a long time, but here in the Southeast, this was a first for me.  The Gulf Coast Chapter hosted a meeting in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where the primary speakers were from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) who oversee the waters of our state.  There was plenty of information for all the attendees to absorb during the meeting and plenty of questions asked to the presenters.  While the nuts and bolts of water use in the state was the main topic, perhaps the most important aspect of the meeting was that both sides of water use in the state, government and industry, were sharing ideas on best management practices, permitting and water use in general.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that there is a bad relationship between golf and ADEM here in Alabama, but there really wasn't any relationship between the two. Thankfully, it looks like times are changing.

As the Alabama GCSA begins working on the process of updating the Best Management Practices for Golf in the state, they will have a very willing and important partner, ADEM.  It wasn't long ago that the last person you wanted to see at your facility was someone from ADEM because it probably meant that there was a complaint or a problem that would potentially be difficult to resolve and probably expensive to fix.  It looks like those times are changing and that's a good thing for everyone involved because, at the end of the day, everyone wants the same thing: a healthy environment to raise our families in.  It's about time we break down the barriers that have kept us from working together in the past and move forward in cooperation.

The greatest show on earth!

There was no parade of elephants rolling down International Drive. There were no lion tamers snapping their whips in the center ring. There were no death-defying high wire acts going on overhead. But the Greatest Show on Earth, in terms of the golf course maintenance industry, just rolled through Orlando in grand style.

This was Golf Industry Show number twenty-something for me. You would think that this event would become routine and somewhat boring at this point but nothing could be further from the truth. There were new activities to participate in, new initiatives for the industry and plenty of new technology and products on display on the show floor. It was a refreshing week in the near perfect Orlando weather for all who came to GIS 2017 but in looking back there were a few things that really stood out to me this year.

First of all, I ran into several members who were attending GIS for the first time. When asked what they thought about the show there is always a certain sense of amazement and excitement in their reply. Many of their replies began with phrases like, "I can't believe how many" or "I had no idea". That always makes me feel like we've accomplished our mission of serving out members by putting everything that they deal with in their day-to-day workplace right in front of them. I don't know why so many of our members never take advantage of their opportunity to attend GIS for free once in their career. Everyone should be at this event, if possible.

Secondly, this is the one week a year you get to visit with all those people who you have worked with through the years. Our lives and jobs have taken us in many different directions but for this one week a year, it's like old home week. I got to visit with some of the people who helped shape my career more than 30 years ago while in Orlando. Our hair has a lot more gray highlights, but the smiles and heartfelt conversations make you realize why our profession is so special — our fellow members. This year was also special having the CMAA conference going on across the street allowing us to reconnect with many of the GM's we've worked with in the past.

Finally, a hearty "job well done" to the GCSAA staff that put this event on every year. I've been working for the association for more that three years now and it's amazing to see all the moving parts come together for this event. There are always a few snags along the way but when you consider the scope of a project like the GIS, things run pretty darn seamlessly, and again, that's due to plenty of planning and hard work by the folks in Lawrence, Kansas. By the time you read this they will already be working on the next show in San Antonio.

Speaking of San Antonio, I hope your planning on attending GIS 2018 where the most influential people in our industry will all gather in the same place again!

Telling our story

Most of us have spent the better part of our lives working on golf courses. The large list of obstacles that make our professional lives interesting on a daily basis are second nature to us because we've "been there, done that." We don't really talk about dealing with insect problems or broken equipment with our neighbors or friends because they probably wouldn't understand. We're good at what we do and take great pride in our accomplishments and our ability to overcome problems. We're good at networking and sharing ideas within our community of fellow professionals, which is one of the things that I liked most about being a golf course superintendent. The problem is that we are a very small fraternity, and when you do the math, you can understand why it seems like we are constantly defending the profession and game we so dearly love.

There are somewhere around 324 million people in the United States. The current estimate of the number of golfers in the United States is around 25 million people. By my math, that's 7.7 percent of the population that plays the game of golf or, conversely, 92.3 percent of the population that doesn't have a clue what goes on inside the fence of their local golf course. GCSAA has pulled together information about the value of golf courses and the role that superintendents play as environmental stewards. It's a message that needs to be told. Many times, however, we market this material to the 7.7 percent of the population that already has some clue as to what we do every day and not the 92.3 percent that remain unaware. We've got to do a better job of broadcasting our message so that the general public realizes that there is a great deal more to that 150-acre plot of land than the game itself. Wouldn't it be great to watch a story about an endangered turtle on television that was entirely filmed on a golf course?

The good news is that we are getting better at telling our story.  Many of our chapters have produced excellent videos and articles that showcase the biodiversity that exists at most of our facilities.  The Georgia Chapter just released their latest video titled Golf is Greenspace last month at their annual meeting.  We are just getting started telling our story to the general public, a story we've known for years but just assumed that the other 92.3 percent was aware of.

Don't you think everyone should know about the good things that go on at a golf course? Maybe it's time we tell our story to 100 percent of the people.

Time to get involved!

The holiday season is upon us and there is little time to finish up your list of accomplishments for 2016, but this is the perfect time to create a plan for 2017. One thing I would hope that you add to your to-do list for next year is to be more involved in the world around you. From both a personal and professional standpoint, challenge yourself to do things that you thought were out of your reach or too difficult to do previously. If you stay in your own little comfort zone your whole life, you're probably missing out on some of the most rewarding experiences imaginable. It's been said that true personal growth comes from doing things that you are uncomfortable with.

Here is a small list of suggestions, but quite frankly, the sky is the limit, just ask Donald Trump.

• Join the Toastmasters Club
• Run for public office
• Volunteer for a charity the piques you interest
• Become active in a local watershed group
• Start a small business
• Become a Grassroots Ambassador
• Become an active leader in your church
• Simply perform a kind act for a total stranger every day

I hope that at this time next year you look back and say "I can't believe it took me this long to do this, it's been the most amazing experience of my life! Start planning today!

A glimpse of the Georgia and South Carolina coast after Hurricane Matthew

I had the opportunity to visit four golf facilities along the Georgia and South Carolina coast to get a feel for the damage that Hurricane Matthew left behind. While the eye of the storm never came ashore, there was plenty of destruction along the coast.

I visited the Georgia Southern Golf Course in Statesboro Georgia, Ford Plantation in Richmond Hill Georgia, The Landings in Savannah Georgia and Belfair Plantation in Bluffton South Carolina. I spoke with superintendent Brook Sentell of Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island over the phone to learn about damage on his course.

As you might expect, the damage was far more severe as you got closer to the ocean. Sea Pines, Ford Plantation and The Landings had extensive tree damage as well as some flooding. Some of the courses were also flooded by tidal surges resulting in salt water covering parts of their courses. Many of the superintendents were applying gypsum to try to lower the sodium concentrations in the areas affected by salt. Many of the courses in the area were using tree contractors and logging companies to do the heavy lifting involved with so many trees leaning, broken or fallen to the ground. Some areas on courses that had eroded, including bunker faces and lake banks, thanks to the 20+ inches of rain that fell on some parts of the region.

Fortunately, I didn't hear of any major damage to any members homes or personal property. The power seemed to be on everywhere, the gas stations were operating without lines and the stores had plenty of groceries in them.

Hotel rooms were another story. I had to stay well inland in Statesboro because there were no rooms available near the coast due to the high number of contractors, insurance adjusters and displaced homeowners. In fact, while driving around the Hilton Head area, I felt like I was in the way with so much work going on.

Thanks go out to Patrick Reinhardt at Georgia Southern GC, Nelson Caron at The Ford Plantation GC, Chris Steigelman, CGCS at The Landings, Brook Sentel at Sea Pines and Ken Lee, CGCS at Belfair Plantation for taking time out of their hectic schedules to spend some time showing me their post-hurricane courses.

Aerial view of Sea Pines Resort on Hilton Head Island the day after Matthew. 

Club members assisting in the clean up effort at Belfair Plantation in Bluffton, S.C.

A glimpse of South Louisiana

More than 30 inches of rain fell on areas in Louisiana over the past few weeks. For this area of the country, that's actually not unusual. What is unusual is that the 30 inches of rain fell in the span of 4 days on an already saturated ground. If you've seen the news, you know what the result is — widespread flooding. Most everyone I spoke to in the area said they've never seen this before. I got the chance to visit four courses in the area and hear the stories they had to tell.

Carter Plantation, Springfield, La. I met up with course superintendent Lessley Boyd, CGCS, on Sunday afternoon just before the crew was leaving for the day. In the building, sheetrock was already removed, indicating how high the water had risen. The water level was over 3 feet in the shop area which means that all of the equipment engines had been submerged, requiring draining the oil and cleaning out the intakes. Lessley already had several mowers running and the crew was mowing turf in areas that weren't underwater or too wet to mow. At the time of my visit, there were still large sections of the course that were underwater. The pump station blew a transformer, and all the irrigation controllers on the course had been submerged for several days. The clubhouse was spared, but the conference center and most of the homes in the development had flood damage.

Santa Maria GC, Baton Rouge. First thing Monday morning, I met superintendent Phil Watson at his maintenance facility. According to many of the people I talked with earlier in the week, this was one of the worst flooded facilities in the area. Fortunately, the shop didn't flood but pretty much the entire golf course was under water the prior week. That meant all of the irrigation controllers and pump house had been submerged for days. When we toured the course ,the turf actually looked like it was in good shape but many areas were still underwater and there was significant damage to the bunkers. Phil explained to me that a good portion of the city of Baton Rouge drains in his direction, his property is adjacent to Bayou Manchec and there simply wasn't anywhere for the rain waters to go so the bayou overtook the golf course. Most of the homes in this development seemed to be spared from the flooding damage.

Country Club of Louisiana, Baton Rouge. After leaving Santa Maria, I went right across Interstate 10 to CC of Louisiana where I met superintendent Ed Pippen at his maintenance facility. His facility was in similar shape to Santa Maria with the course being underwater for days but the maintenance facility only had a small amount of water on the floor so the equipment was spared. Ed gave me a tour of the course, and again, I was surprised at how well the turf looked in the areas that had drained for a few days. There were still several holes that were inaccessible with several feet of water covering all but the highest points on the holes. There were several portable pumps in place on the course in order to expedite the water removal. There was damage to some bunkers and a few areas where silt had formed a small sand bar, but fortunately for all the courses, the water was fairly clean, which meant there wouldn't be countless hours of picking up debris.

Greystone Country Club, Denham Springs, Louisiana. From the moment I got off of Interstate 12, I could see that this was one of the hardest hit areas. Virtually every home and business I passed had much of its water-soaked contents out at the edge of the street. It was a mess. The club was hit hard. There was a large air handling unit blowing air into the clubhouse. A large dumpster outside had some of the damaged contents in it. The were two FEMA disaster relief semitrailers in the parking lot as people scurried about trying to clean up the mess. I was met by General Manager Blaine Lindsly in front of the clubhouse. He explained that superintendent Woody Brown was off property getting parts to fix the sprayer. Blaine told me about the situation at the club and offered to show me the golf course. Our tour revealed much the same as the other courses except Greystone had much more debris on the course from home construction in the development. Entire bundles of 2x4 lumber had floated away from the home sites and now rested against trees along the rough. When we went to the maintenance facility we found that Woody had returned and he was with an insurance adjuster looking at all the equipment. At Greystone, the shop, pump house, irrigation controllers and clubhouse all had significant damage. The grass "tide line" was about 4 feet high on the walls of the shop.

This is only a brief description of the damage done to four courses in the Baton Rouge area. Many golf course staff members lost either their home, their car or both. The agronomic damage from this storm will pass quickly and the courses will be back to normal. The residents of the Baton Rouge area will take much longer to get back to normal. Support the relief efforts for the area because there are thousands of people who aren't left with much and many of the residents don't have flood insurance since it wasn't required in many of the neighborhoods.

I will check back with these four courses in a month or so to see how things are progressing from a personal standpoint as well as a business standpoint.

Some of the homes in the Greystone development with piles of flooring, wall material, appliances and furniture waiting to be picked up by FEMA.

Construction debris littered the course at Greystone Country Club in Denham Springs, La. One of the hardest hit areas.

Flood water still covering part of the front nine at Santa Maria Golf Course in Baton Rouge.

Building a bridge — getting started with GOMA

Getting started three years ago in my current position with GCSAA meant dealing with a great deal of change. Gone were the days of looking after my 185 acres and worrying about things like weather, mole crickets and staff disputes. Now, my frame of reference is far more broad. I work with seven different states in my region, as well as staying on top of national issues that face the golf industry. I could see that the potential was there to get involved in things far bigger than I had previously experienced. Little did I know that listening to Chava McKeel speak about something called the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Taskforce would add a completely different aspect to my focus and forever change the way I look at environmental issues and the role that state and federal government play in those issues.

Being the curious person that I am, I did some research about the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Taskforce. As usual, I started with a Google search and wound up on the EPA's Hypoxia 101 website. The page gave a good explanation of what hypoxia is, but I was shocked when I saw the list of possible contributors to the nutrients that were responsible for the "dead zone" in the Gulf. Nestled right between agriculture and home lawn fertilization was golf courses. That observation started a mission for me that is still going strong today — working with state and federal water regulators to find out what, if any, impact the golf industry had on the dead zone in the Gulf. I wrote several emails and made many phone calls to the EPA trying to learn more about the Hypoxic zone only to get answering machines and no email replies. A few weeks went by when I got a call from a number that I didn't recognize. It was an EPA staff member who was working on the Hypoxia Taskforce and she was in the neighboring state. I tried my best not to be defensive for my profession while on the phone call and after several minutes of discussion the EPA staffer suggested I get in touch with the people at the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) where I might be able to find some answers to my many questions.

After gathering some information about GOMA on the internet, I reached out to the executive director and arranged a visit to her office, which was only a 45-minute drive from my house. Laura Bowie was welcoming and willing to listen to my constant stream of questions and I think she was a bit surprised by my enthusiasm for the environment and my willingness to get involved. Near the end of an hour-plus conversation, she suggested that I should get involved with one of the GOMA teams and attend the upcoming All Hands meeting in Biloxi. I was placed on the Water

Resources team and started to read all the team information in preparation for the big meeting.

My first All Hands meeting was a bit overwhelming. Surrounded by 300 state, federal and NGO workers, I was feeling very alone. But, once the three-day meeting got underway, I realized that everyone was there for the same reason, improving the health and well-being of the Gulf of Mexico and the residents of the five states that surround it. I got to meet many brilliant people who work on a myriad of human and marine issues that exist in the Gulf and it opened my eyes to the complexity of the problems, both ecological and social. I was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the other team members were interested in why someone from the golf industry was in attendance. It wasn't long and I started to feel like I did belong with this group and I got the chance to build relationships with people from all corners of government.

My second All Hands meeting just concluded several weeks ago and it was great to see so many of the people from the previous year, many of whom are now my friends. Also, as a result of building this network of professionals, I have been asked to work on several projects in my hometown and within the state. I am now able to put golf course properties together with local watershed managers to the benefit of both. Maybe the most important part of getting involved with GOMA is the fact that many staff members of the EPA, NOAA, USGS, NFWF and state water managers know that the golf industry is a great partner to have when working on water and environmental issues. This whole process is still relatively new to me and I have plenty to learn going forward but I would encourage GCSAA members to get involved with your local watershed groups because you will gain much more than you give and the relationships you will build will open many doors going forward.

Get involved, you'll be glad you did!

2016 GOMA All Hands Meeting

Downtown Baton Rouge, La., was the setting for this year's Gulf Of Mexico Alliance All Hands Meeting from June 15-17. It was only fitting that the host hotel was only a stone's throw from the Mississippi River. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) has this summer meeting every year in one of its five gulf states: Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. GOMA is a partnership of the five gulf states, federal agencies, academic organizations, businesses and other non-governmental organizations. The mission of GOMA is to enhance the environmental and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico through increased regional collaboration.

The alliance has been in existence since 2004 and was started in response to the U.S. Oceans Action Plan that came from the U.S. State Department that same year. The group works to create action plans that are given to the governors of the five states for implementation within their states. While we were at the meeting we had the first opportunity to see the Governors Action Plan III that was printed just a few days before the meeting. It details the areas of focus to be acted on to improve the environment, human well-being and the economy of the gulf region. More than 90 percent of the action items from Governors Action Plan II were acted upon. As you can imagine, this is a large working group with many moving parts.

If you are a volunteer working with GOMA, you will work in one or more of the following Priority Issue Teams: Water Resources, Habitat Restoration, Coastal Resilience, Education & Engagement, Data and Monitoring and Wildlife & Fisheries. I have the pleasure of working with the Water Resources Team. That team consists of water regulators and health department personnel from each of the gulf states as well as many federal and NGO staff members. Each person on the Water Resources Team brings a unique skill set with them, it may be shellfish production, harmful algal blooms, wildlife or advanced modeling techniques. It's actually a bit overwhelming to work amongst so many incredible scientists. Our work this year was to identify and prioritize actions that will be used to achieve the goals listed in Governors Action Plan III. The plan lists the actions identified by each team but not the "who and how" that it will take achieve then. That's what we spent most of the three days during the meeting working on. There were plenty of discussions, small group break-out sessions and flip charts used during the week as we identified people and processes needed to make the goals happen. Working together during this meeting gives the team members a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in knowing that your time and effort can make a difference in the vitality of the Gulf of Mexico. There's another aspect of attending this meeting that goes beyond aquatic health and coastal resilience: the like-minded people you meet and the relationships that build over time.

I have only been a part of this organization for just over a year now but through attending meetings, I now have a working relationship with water authorities in most of my states as well as staff members of several federal branches such as NOAA, USGS, NFWF and EPA. There are actually several members of GOMA that live and work right in my hometown of Mobile. This has allowed me to get involved in even more water related activities right in my own backyard. Now, there are golf courses in the area who are active participants in the planning and programs within our local watersheds. This is a very important aspect in our outreach efforts to demonstrate that the game of golf is a great partner in the environmental sustainability of our communities.

Gulf of Mexico Alliance

Golf Day in North Carolina

May 25 was North Carolina Golf Day and the golf industry was well represented on our visit to Raleigh. Members of the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association (CGCSA), Carolinas Golf Association, Carolinas CMAA, NGCOA, Carolinas PGA, ASGCA and John Deere Equipment were in attendance. Collectively, we had several important meetings with many state leaders during our two-day duration in the capital city.

Our first meeting was on the afternoon of May 24 when we met with Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest at his office in the historic Hawkins-Hartness House. We were greeted with a cooler of RC Cola and a basket of MoonPies waiting just outside the front door — true southern hospitality! Before our meeting, we were given a history of the house and a brief tour of the landmark home which serves as the office building for the Lieutenant Governor. After introductions, Mr. Forest started by discussing HB2, which has put the state all over the headlines. The coalition then started to ask questions concerning our industry. He was asked about H2-B visas and temporary labor issues, water quality and quantity issues and property tax formulas for golf properties. We also gave him the economic impact numbers for the golf industry in the state of North Carolina. After about an hour of discussing the golf industry in the state, we thanked Lt. Governor Forest for his time and interest in our industry and headed off to our next stop for the day.

The group rounded up day one at a reception for the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Industry at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science. We got a chance to check out some of the exhibits at the state's number one tourist attraction before the reception started. It's easy to see why the museum is so popular. Once the event began, the first floor area filled with local business people and many members of the North Carolina General Assembly. Chris Valauri introduced many of the members of our group to State Senator Rick Gunn who we would be meeting with the next morning at the Governor's Mansion. It was a great, informal way to get to meet him and share some of our thoughts on the industry.

Day two took us to the Governor's Mansions, located just down the block from the Hawkins-Hartness House. A staff member delivered a brief history of the house, which has been the residence of the sitting governor since 1891. After introductions in the conference room, Secretary Skvarla gave an update on the economic condition of the state. It was refreshing to hear that North Carolina ranks in the top 10 nationally in most economic categories and the future looks bright, even with all the buzz about HB2 and what looks like a contentious election right around the corner. Many of the members of our group brought up the topics of water use, turfgrass research, property categorization and the value of the game of golf to the state. Both Senator Gunn and Secretary Skvarla are golfers and seemed to fully understand the items we were discussing. Both men agreed to maintain good lines of communication with the group. Senator Gunn commented that he would recognize the group in the afternoon session at the General Assembly and declare May 25 as Golf Day in North Carolina. After a few minutes of hand shaking and thank yous, the group boarded the buses and headed for our final destination of the trip: the North Carolina State Campus.

At the Chancellor's office, we filed into the conference room and took our seats just as the Chancellor, Dr. Randy Woodson, came into the room. The group discussed the university's turf program with Dr. Woodson. There were concerns over stringent admissions standards at the school and how it was affecting the turf program. The chancellor explained the admission procedure and helped to clear up some of the concerns. The group also stressed the importance of continued turf research and its impact on the success of our industry. Dr. Woodson was committed to the program and pledged to keep up the long tradition of turf research at NCSU.

The group of industry leaders had a busy schedule for our two day stay in Raleigh and much was accomplished in terms of keeping the game of golf on the minds of the state leaders. It was apparent that the industry has done a great job in the past building relationships with the government leaders in North Carolina and this visit to Raleigh only helped to strengthen those relationships. Special thanks go out to Tim Kreger, Chris Valauri and the CGCSA Board for putting this event together.

The North Carolina Golf Coalition group with Senator Gunn and Commerce Secretary Skvarla at the Governor's Mansion in downtown Raleigh for North Carolina Golf Day May 25, 2016.

Water quality in focus at the spring Hypoxia Task Force meeting

About 100 individuals from government agencies and the agriculture industry got together in downtown St. Louis for the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force Spring Public Meeting on April 26. This was a perfect location with the Mississippi River just a block outside the meeting room and the Gateway Arch right next to the hotel.

The meeting got underway with opening remarks from Ellen Gilinsky, the Hypoxia Task Force Federal co-chair and senior policy advisor for the EPA's Office of Water. She spoke about how the task force has grown since she began working with the group in 2009. She mentioned that the early years centered mostly on putting the pieces together for the group, and now there are tangible accomplishments toward the overarching goal to reduce nutrient inputs to the Mississippi River Basin by 20 percent by the year 2025. In doing so, it's believed that the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico would begin to shrink, dissolved oxygen levels would rise, making it habitable for marine life.

Many different agencies gave presentations during the four-hour meeting. While many of the presentations were centered solely on crop production and its effect on water, there were a couple of presentations that were more in line with the golf industry. Those presentations were from the SERA-46 group, who were also meeting this week in St. Louis and The Nature Conservancy.

The SERA-46 group consists of faculty members of the 12 land-grant universities that conduct research for the task group. Rebecca Power, from the University of Wisconsin, gave the group a presentation based on three primary goals: strengthening networks, research and outreach and monitoring, calibration and validation of the current studies. Both of Rebecca's first two points seem to be well suited for conducting water quality research on golf courses and could be used to develop best management practices in the 12 states represented.

The Nature Conservancy presentation was given by North American Freshwater Director Michael Reuter.  He spoke about some specific projects involving reconnecting the flood plains along the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana that they believe would significantly reduce the nutrient load in the watershed. Reuter went on to give some numerical information that speaks to the size of the problem in the Mississippi Basin.  According to current U.S. Geological Survey, there are 1,475,000 metric tons of nutrients in the entire basin. If the group is going to reach its goal of a 20 percent reduction, 295,000 metric tons need to be removed from the river basin every year. That's a big number. Reuter also spoke about the need to communicate the work that is being done and has yet to be completed, as well as the importance of strengthening relationships with industry and the public.

The meeting was very informative. I enjoyed getting to meet new members of the team and visit with many of my state water regulators and members of the task force that live in my area. I came away with the feeling of the complexities and challenges that face a group like the task force. Take the time to investigate water issues in your own community and see if you can make the 20 percent reduction a reality before 2025.

Spring Classic event in Georgia

The past few years mother nature hadn't been very kind during Georgia's Spring Classic event, doling out grey skies and cold temperatures. This year was different.  It was a beautiful spring day at Marietta Country Club, just north of Atlanta.  Many of the people on hand were tired after volunteering the previous week at The Masters tournament, which had concluded the day before. While many participants hadn't been home for many days, spirits were still high for this annual fundraising event. The field was set to take on the course, not so much to win a prize or post the lowest score, but to help fund the Georgia Golf Environmental Foundation (GGEF).

The GGEF was founded in 2004 and its mission is to fund research and education for the golf industry in Georgia.  On this day, the GGEF was presented with two $10,000 checks, one from the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association and one from the Georgia State Golf Association. The Spring Classic is one of the ways that the chapter raises money for the foundation. The check presented from the chapter was earnings from last year's event.

While the course was fabulous and the weather was ideal, the real winner on this day was the game of golf in Georgia.  The University of Georgia can continue its long tradition of turf research and breeding, and the chapter members can keep up with the very latest the industry has to offer.  It was another great event.

More information on the GGEF.

How you can help success of Rounds 4 Research

The azaleas are blooming and spring is in the air.  The weather is right for playing golf again and it's also time for Rounds 4 Research to crank up.  For months now, chapters have been gathering rounds for the auction, enrolling as many courses as they can.  Now, it's time to start to not only seek more donated rounds, but to begin promoting the auction to golfers. It takes everyone's help. Many rounds have gone unsold the past few years, likely because the right people didn't know about the auction.

If every member posted on Facebook or sent a tweet out across their network every few days during the auction, the Bidding for Good site will be a click away from millions of golfers.  It doesn't take but a minute to compose a tweet or a Facebook post, and it's something that most of us do many times every day.  Even if you like, favorite or share a post, it will accomplish the same goal of getting the word out to people every day the auction is open.

So for this year's R4R auction, let's put social media to work for us, not just for entertainment, but for making the auction a success and raising money for turfgrass research.  With just a few keystrokes a day, you can help make a difference.

Thinking outside the box for turfgrass research

The Carolinas Chapter came up with a new way to raise money for turfgrass research at its winter meeting at Bulls Bay in Awendaw, South Carolina.

First, let me introduce the club mascot at Bulls Bay.  His name is Titleist, and he is a 16-year-old longhorn bull.  He does what all cattle do — he eats for a living and deposits piles of fertilizer in a random fashion.  He's a handsome fellow who loves to have his picture taken, and on this day he was an integral part of a fundraising project.

So, what does all this have to do with raising money for turf research?  This is where the innovation part kicks in.

You may notice that Titleist is sitting on a grid of squares.  The participants at the meeting had the opportunity to "buy" a square for $20, and while we were on the course Titleist was tethered to the flagpole in the middle of the grid free to roam around the area and make a fertilizer deposit wherever and whenever he chose. Whoever "owned" the square with the biggest fertilizer deposit won half of the money collected, with the other half going towards turfgrass research.  Now, I'm happy to report that my square did receive some love from Titleist, but unfortunately, it wasn't the biggest pile.  Fifty squares were sold, and a cool $500 was raised for research at the drop of a ... well, cowpie!

It was a great meeting, and kudos go to the staff at Bulls Bay for hosting the event.  Who would have thought that raising money could be so easy — and that's no B.S.!

Is your chapter thinking outside the box?