Breaking the mold....

I've been involved in golf course maintenance since 1982. During that time I've attended plenty of meetings, both at the national and local chapter level. Years ago, meetings consisted of 1 to 3 hours of an educational presentation followed by lunch and then golf. While this is probably still the basic structure of the average superintendent association meeting, there are now a whole bunch of other activities going on that shatter that dusty old meeting recipe.

Many chapters are going to more social events to get their members out of the office and engaged in things not necessarily related to golf. Sure, there is still plenty of talk amongst the members at these events concerning problems at work, but there is a more relaxed feeling of a group of friends getting together rather than an industry group. Perhaps the greatest part of these new social meetings is the fact that you are encouraged to bring your spouse and children along, as well.  For years we've known each other as turf managers and business people, but now we have a chance to get to know our fellow members as fathers, husbands and neighbors - and that's a great thing.

Here are some of the activities I know of that local chapters are doing to make meetings less formal and encourage attendance: beach parties, oyster roasts, pro baseball games, auto races, deep sea fishing trips, skeet shooting, bass fishing competitions, bowling, college tailgates and plenty of other activities. I'm guessing your chapter already holds similar events, but if they aren't maybe it's time to think outside the box a bit to help bring your members together. We all work hard at our jobs, isn't it time to have a bit of fun?

Next week I'm heading to a meeting that is very unconventional, so much so that I don't even want to say what it is. Look for a story and perhaps a few images in the next blog. Until then, don't forget to use your sunscreen, it's starting to get hot out there!

April 15 isn't tax day, it's National Golf Day!

The world of golf will send it's largest group to date to Washington, D.C., this year to send a message to U.S. lawmakers on everything good the game of golf brings to the world. This is the 8th annual trip to the capital for the We Are Golf coalition, which consists of GCSAA staff, board members, Government Relations Committee members and other prominent leaders in the world of golf. Some of the points being discussed will be the economic impact of the game of golf, environmental stewardship, pending legislation, such as the H2B program, and potential changes to the Clean Water Act  and "Waters of the U.S."

Even though your not going to D.C. for the meetings you can still help the cause. Let your local congressman or senator know the benefits golf provides by becoming a Grass Roots Ambassador in your home district. We already have over 150 throughout the U.S., but we need twice that many. Over the next week, include the hash tag #NGD15 in your tweets in order to connect people to the mission behind National Golf Day and help raise awareness about the event. Be a leader in your community and showcase the economic and environmental benefits that golf can bring to your city.

By the way, your taxes are still due on April 15th as well....

Nutrient Survey

It's that time again, time to take the next Environmental Profile survey. This time, we will be asking about nutrient use. This is a very important survey and I urge everyone to take the time to accurately complete it. Nutrients and water use are two huge areas in which we need solid information. When you talk with your state leaders, it's important that you have accurate information to share, in terms of what we use at our facilities and what impact that has on the environment. It's also important that we have good information on the national level, as much of the work the EIFG and We Are Golf are doing is aided by the information that you provide from your facility.

Please take the time to take the survey!

New Year

January is nearly gone and it's amazing how fast the days slip by. By the end of the month, I will have attended functions at all of my chapters so it's been a busy year already. So far this month I've been to Franklin, Tenn.; Baton Rouge, La,; Griffin, Ga.; and Sylacauga Ala. Next week it's off to Charleston, S.C., and I'll probably have a stop in North Atlanta on the way back. Santa brought me a new camera so I intend to have a whole lot more photos this year, and more Twitter action as well.

It's also great to see so many chapters working on government relations, which seems to take up a large portion of our jobs these days. All of the chapters in the southeast are working on BMPs in one way or another and the ambassador program is gaining traction. This should be a 3,000+ mile month for my travels and a good bit of it is done on the back roads. So if you think your course is in the middle of nowhere I'll probably stop by to say hello and take your picture. I have a feeling 2015 is going to be a great year!  See you soon...

A new beginning

I just learned about the retirement on Ken Mangum, CGCS, who's been at the Atlanta Athletic Club for 27 years. At the end of next May he will begin a new phase of his life, one that doesn't include golf course maintenance. But in many ways he will still be very involved in golf course management for a long time. By that, I am referring to the hundreds of people that have worked with Ken through the years and have gone on to successful careers of their own. As I travel around the Southeast, I am always amazed at how many in the profession have a connection to Ken and the Atlanta Athletic Club. And everyone holds him in the highest regard.  Ken is an innovator, educator, communicator and probably the kindest person you could ever hope to meet.

Best wishes to you Ken, you represent the golf course superintendent in the highest light, and like so many others in the profession, I am honored to call you my friend.

And the winner is...

The Alabama GCSA just held it's Annual Meeting and there were a few surprises.  No, there weren't any dark horse candidates that ran from the floor, the election of officers went as planned with Chad Robinson from Cider Ridge Golf Club in Anniston taking over as president. The surprises came during the business meeting where the chapter gives out its contributions to local charities and scholarships. President Robinson presented checks to both the University of Alabama Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center and Children's Hospital in Birmingham. To date, the AGCSA has donated over $29,000 to the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and more than $60,000 to Children's Hospital of Alabama. Much of the funding for these charities comes from the annual Donnie Arthur Tournament, which is held every October. Great work by the board and members of the Alabama chapter in its support of these important health organizations. On this day, charity was the big winner!

Below, AGCSA President Chad Robinson presents Beena Thannickal of UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center with a check from the chapter.

It's Survey Time!

About eight years ago, the membership of GCSAA took time from their busy day to complete an environmental survey about their facility. Those numbers continue to pay huge dividends today in our efforts to inform the general public and policy makers in Washington, D.C., about who we are as an industry. We need to know the metrics of golf course maintenance in order to carry on the discussion of the impact of golf on our world.

Now it's time to take a fresh look at the environmental impact of golf. In October, the EIFG will roll out the new Golf Course Environmental Profile, which will be filled out electronically by superintendents around the country. This will be the first of five surveys over the next three years and will focus largely on water usage at facilities around the country. It is vital that we get a large number of responses to the survey to insure that the numbers are a true reflection of what is happening at facilities on a daily basis. Please take the time to accurately fill out the survey when you receive it. We can't have the valuable information that we need to promote golf without your help!