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?