NOVEMBER 2019
INSIDE
President’s Report Equipment Manager Tips 2020 Golf Industry Show (GIS) Stewards of the Chesapeake Results Hiring part-time and seasonal employees Assistant’s Report
GCSAA Report Annual Championship Results Getting to Know... Logan Freeman USGA Update Government Relations MAAGCS Joins Junior Achieve Inspire Letter from the Editor
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
President’s Report – Ryan Kraushofer After one of the hottest summers in years…. This was the title to a Baltimore Sun article on August 24th, and what a summer it was! Baltimore had 48 days over 90-degrees, which is the most since 2010. The heat created a lot of anxious Superintendents as they continued to watch their pond levels drop without any rain in sight. On October 2nd, during our Annual Championship Tournament at Gibson Island, we had a full house of Superintendents listening to meteorologist Tony Pann from WBAL TV discussing how weather forecasts are predicted. During Tony’s presentation, he assured us that we would be receiving rain the following week. I’ve never seen a room so full of excitement only to get their hopes and dreams crushed the following week when the rain never materialized. Even though it didn’t rain, it was still an honor to have Tony as our guest speaker. MAAGCS had been trying for the past few years to get a TV meteorologist as a guest speaker at one of our events and we wouldn’t have been successful if it wasn’t for the board’s persistence in building relationships with the local networks. In the last two years, we’ve built relationships with Megan Gilliland from Fox Baltimore, and Pete Gilbert along with Tony Pann from WBAL. It’s important that we keep these relationships going to ensure our voices are heard when advocating for golf.
Ryan Kraushofer
Blue Mash Golf Course ryan@bluemash.com @GolfSuper2Gm
Since being established in 2000, the Stewards of the Chesapeake Tournament has raised over $200,000, which has helped to fund our advocacy efforts, State BMP’s, and UMD Turfgrass Pathology Research. This year’s tournament was sold out and raised a significant amount of money that will go towards recruitment efforts. A huge thanks goes out to David McGregor and the entire staff at Westwood Country Club. The golf course was stunning, the weather was beautiful, and the education was fantastic. As mentioned in Douglas Linde’s presentation, enrollment is up at some turf schools, but we still need to do a better job at attracting generation “z” to our industry. How do we do this? I guess that’s the million dollar question! First Green field trips, career days, recruitment videos, better internship programs are some outreach efforts. MAAGCS has been working on all of these to increase interest in the younger generations with the hope that enrollment numbers will increase in the area. We just finished filming our first recruitment video, which will be ready soon! From what I saw during the filming process, we already have a lot of great, young talent that will become wonderful turf industry professionals with help from their mentors. A big thanks to the interviewees who spent countless hours with us on their days off in order to make this video possible. Another exciting bit of upcoming outreach is the Junior Achievement Inspire Career Fair at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. This two day event will get the MAAGCS and Turf Equipment and Supply in front of nearly 8,000 eighth graders. This is an important time to make an impression on students since they will start picking out their high school classes in the coming months. Our goal is to get more students enrolled in High School Ag classes, then hopefully they will become our next batch of high school summer help that we can mold into our future assistant superintendents. As we wrap up 2019, I want to thank all of our sponsors and everyone who attended a MAAGCS event this year. Without you, we wouldn’t have such a strong and successful association! And finally, SAVE THE DATE for our Annual Education Seminar at Ten Oaks Ballroom on February 19! Enjoy your holidays!
On the Cover: A view of the Chesapeake Bay from the Gibson Island Club Clubhouse Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 3
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
Equipment Manager Tips - Anthony Lewis The most effective way of managing breakdowns is by not letting them happen. Rigorous preventative maintenance, checking equipment before and after use, and being observant can cut early morning hiccups dramatically. That being said, issues still come up and handling whatever problem on hand properly and in a timely manner keeps an operation moving seamlessly. I’d like to walk you through an instance we endured the morning of November 1st with a cart blower for example. Keep things moving Our early morning goal in the shop was to connect a tractor to the large topdresser. Three operators were assigned to backpack blow greens/tees, and judiciously blow fairways and rough with cart blowers following a rainy and windy night. We had not started the cart blowers before start time in preparation of connecting then testing our topdresser. Sure enough, one had a no start condition right off the bat. First, we quickly connected a jump-pack for a boost. A daylight savings time six o’clock start is not conducive to diagnosing problems in the equipment courtyard. After confirming with a test light, the voltage was 12.4 resting - we asked the operator to begin blowing greens ahead of mowers and to move the cart blower indoors.
Anthony Lewis Chevy Chase Club alewis@chevychaseclub.org
Communicate After letting an Assistant Superintendent know we need additional time to diagnose the blower, we get to work checking for the culprit of our no-start condition. The 15-amp run circuit fuse is blown and a quick replacement pops again soon as the ignition switch is rotated to run. While checking for obvious short circuits like frayed or pinched wires, an Assistant Superintendent calls on the radio suspecting a form of fluid leak on the cart path near our practice green. I sent Walter, our Assistant Equipment Manager, to investigate and touch base with the Assistant Superintendent while I found the problem with this blower. Troubleshoot The wireless pull-behind blower has a pretty simply run circuit. Inputs and outputs run through the wireless control module that is powered when the ignition is in the on position and diagnostic codes are able to be read by flashing lights. Unplugging the module and rotating the ignition switch to “on” does not blow the fuse, which tells us no wires between the switch and power source to the module have failed. It would be easy to guess the module has an internal short, but it is important to note the module can throw trouble codes and is “smart” from a diagnostic sense. No trouble codes are flashed because the 15-amp fuse (on my third one by now) blows before and codes or normal illumination can happen. A glance at the wiring diagram shows a run relay which simply powers the module. I replaced the relay with one of the handfuls we keep in stock and wallah, the blower fires right up. By that point Walter is back after touching base that there is no oily substance on the pavement, but we will still confirm after sunrise and our blower is ready to be towed to the operator out on the course. This specific incident may seem off the wall, but these occurrences happen frequently. However, developing this type of contingency plan is crucial to success. We strive to never have an issue, to catching and resolving it before start time, to diagnosing and repairing with a part in stock in that order. Keeping things moving, communicating with management, and making sensible diagnostic steps can make your daily operations run much smoother. Something to keep in mind and even practice during the upcoming winter months!
Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 5
The 2020 Golf Industry Show (GIS) • Jan. 25-30 in Orlando Members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) can now register and make hotel reservations for the annual Golf Industry Show, Jan. 25-30 in Orlando. Non-member registration will open Oct. 29. GCSAA and presenting partners, the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA) and American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), will offer a dynamic, progressive week of unparalleled networking opportunities and hands-on access to golf course and facility management solutions for golf industry professionals. The 2020 Golf Industry Show (GIS) will be held at the Orange County Convention Center and kicks off with the annual GCSAA Golf Championships, followed by four days of innovative education and a trade show designed for golf facility owners and managers, including the association’s 18,000 members, as well as for the industries that market to those facilities. “Orlando continues as a favorite among attendees and exhibitors for its great facilities and family-friendly locale that provides a wonderful backdrop for the educational and networking opportunities the Golf Industry Show is known for,” said Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO. “We are also excited for the enhanced opportunities for attendees this year thanks to our new presenting partners, GCBAA and ASGCA.” The GCSAA Education Conference will provide more than 400 hours of content and is full of new offerings for 2020. The 103 seminars offered include 59 new and 44 returning favorites. All 23 free sessions in Orlando will debut new content. A focused education track on labor issues will make its debut, along with an expanded emotional health track and other tracks dedicated to best management practices, water, equipment management, business and environmental management.
More than 500 exhibitors are expected to fill the trade show floor of the convention center. Returning for 2020 will be “Inside the Shop,” a full, interactive replica of a maintenance facility that showcases an efficient, cost-effective and safe work environment with live education and demonstration activities. In addition, the Tech Education Pavilion will include a hands-on zone for drones. Spotlight events during GIS will include the Opening Session on Wednesday morning before the tradeshow opening, and the Trade Show Block Party and Closing Celebration on Thursday. The upcoming rotation of cities for the Golf Industry Show will be Las Vegas in 2021 and San Diego in 2022.
GIS Orlando Hotel Reservations Available DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld The DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld will be our host hotel and venue for our annual social event at the Golf Industry Show. The rate for each room is $176 and the deadline to book is December 10, 2019. Go to: https://book.passkey.com/event/49914648/owner/14227/home to access the housing website Access Code: GISGCS0120648FJJ Once you enter the website using the access code, please enter your arrival/departure dates in the top right-hand corner and only the DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld will appear to book a reservation.
Our social event joint with VGCSA and ESAGCS will be on Wednesday, January 29th from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm, so SAVE THE DATE!
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
The Stewards of the Chesapeake Westwood Country Club The Stewards of the Chesapeake is our premier golf event and annual fundraiser. It was hosted by Superintendent, David McGregor on October 28th at Westwood Country Club. David and his staff had the golf course in pristine condition and it may have been the most beautiful afternoon of the year, we could not have asked for a better day. The event kicked off with players checking in to retrieve their tee gifts before heading to the ballroom for breakfast and morning education. Doug Linde, Ph.D of Delaware Valley University gave an exceptional presentation highlighting ways to attract quality employees to your facility, a much needed discussion topic in today’s staffing environment. Over 100 players came out to support the important fundraiser in addition to many event sponsors and MAAGCS partners. This year’s winners were the team of Mike Augustin, Scott Furlong, Corey Haney and Mark Kingora with an outstanding -29 total net score of 113. Just 4 strokes back was Ryland Chapman, Brad Enie, Andrew Puddester and Carey Bailey at -25, 117.
Mark Kingora, Corey Haney, Scott Furlong, Ryan Kraushofer, Joe Haskins
presented by
Results Champions
Mike Augustin, Scott Furlong, Corey Haney and Mark Kingora, -29, total 113
2nd Place Ryland Chapman, Brad Enie, Andrew Puddester and Carey Bailey, -25, total 117 Proximities CTP #4 – Ryland Chapman – 7’ 4” CTP #6 – Josh Berman – 7’ 6” CTP #15 – Grant Friend – 7’ 2” CTP #17 – Mike Barrett – 4’ 8” Sponsors Landscape Supply, ESAGCS, Syngenta, Turf Equipment and Supply Company, Finch Services, Bayer, Nufarm, Luck Ecosystems, Pocono Turf, Helena Agri-Enterprises, BASF, M&M Consulting, BioBoost, Davisson Golf, Glenn Dale GC, Newsome Seed, Nufarm, Nutrien Solutions, Rain Bird, Target Specialty Products
Sam Camuso, Steve McDonald, David McGregor, Andrew Robertson
Joe Hough, Lester Tanner Westwood CC provided a YETI tee gift Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 7
How to hire to full-time, part-time and seasonal employees That was the theme of the presentation from Dr. Doug Linde during the Stewards of the Chesapeake. Linde oversees the turf management program at Delaware Valley University, which is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, roughly one hour outside of Philadelphia. Throughout the course of his tenure, Dr. Linde has shared his perspective as a Golf Course Superintendent with technical teaching to one of the country’s top programs. Linde launched the program in 1996, having experience as a Golf Course Superintendent along with his academic training at Delaware Valley and Penn State University. One of the unique offerings at Delaware Valley is the Experience 360 program, which immerses students into the field through internship programs, site visits and hands on learning. Recently, Turf Equipment and Supply provided a training seminar on HDPE piping components. Dr. Linde is a regular speaker at the Golf Industry Show, and relayed much of his findings that the new reality of the labor market is changing. There is no one bullet proof solution to attract and retain quality employees. He attributes the 2008 recession as a key point to shifting the job market with less upward mobility at all levels. Since, the pool of students coming into the university setting pursuing a career in golf course or turf management has dwindled. Inspiring young people to get into the profession is one of the hurdles to addressing the labor shortage in the long-term for more qualified, skilled positions such as technician roles or assistant roles. Dr. Linde discussed outreach efforts such as the GCSAA’s First Green, attending job fairs or developing a high school internship program is part of the puzzle. Understanding generational differences was also a critical piece to under-
standing the changing dynamics in today’s workforce. Dr. Linde stressed the importance of understanding unique perspectives from millennials to the baby boomers, and how that can be important to developing recruitment and retaining programs. He shared various differences that he sees in the golf course maintenance realm that impact labor forces. Often, millenials are more intrigued with meaning, challenging hierarchical structures, are tech savvy, open Doug Linde, Ph.D presents on Attracting Employees to change and task oriented. Conversely, generation X employees would focus on self-reliance, individual projects and minimal supervision. Alternative recruiting methods included posting job ads at local fitness centers, coffee shops and bulletin boards at places such as Walmart, grocery stores to hit various demographics. These ideas were all built by golf courses he visits across the country and Mid-Atlantic area. Dr. Linde’s speech hit home with a lot of attendees that developing creative recruiting and club offerings can help differentiate in a saturated market looking for qualified and educationally backed employees. Examples that he suggested included tuition reimbursement, volunteer opportunities within the association, flexible time and provide concrete start and top times.
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
Assistant’s Report by Jason Wildt - University of Maryland
Jason Wildt
Editor’s Note: Jason Wildt is currently a student of the IAA at University of Maryland. Jason recently completed his summer internship at Sparrows Point Country Club, and has accepted an assistant’s role at Baywood Greens in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
As a student coming out of school and preparing to make the leap into my first assistant’s role, I am determined and excited about the state of the industry from my viewpoint. Since I first began working on a golf course, I still am as passionate as I was 10 years ago. I have seen various scales of operations, which has provided well rounded exposure. What interested me as a 15 to 16-year-old teenager? Watching the sunrise, working outside, grinding through the demands of the growing season and the reward with a quality product are some of the perks that attracted me to the profession. However, I do recognize these are not all the tangibles that attract today’s student intern. Although some may debate my youthful perspective, golf courses are offering higher wages than ever before coming out of college. The inclusion of more personal time off is preventing some of the industry’s newer recruits from facing late summer burnout. As a recent turf graduate, I get to see the benefits of solid agronomic teachings with technological advancements. The task of meeting course expectations isn’t getting easier, but we’re able to utilize new tools to get that much better. There’s a number of outreach programs like GCSAA’s First Green or University of Maryland’s Agricultural Forward program. Both of these engage young people into the
profession, something I did not have along the way outside of my mentors. Having participated in a number of outreach programs with the University of Maryland, I am excited to see career opportunities expanded in the golf industry. It isn’t impossible to increase our reach by getting the word out through these channels. While at my internship this past summer at Sparrows Point Country Club, I was able to gain some valuable insight on the mindset of the youngest generation of greenskeepers, some of them working their first jobs. I look back to when I was still in high school and working some hot summers on a golf course. I had great people and mentors in my life that pushed me to go forward with my education and career. This summer, I was in a position where I was the leader, and told them about how promising this field is. While most Superintendents wonder if is there hope for tomorrow’s workforce, I am inspired by my interactions this summer and also at the university level. It is of paramount importance that we continue to engage in various offerings, because there are many students like myself, who are looking for a rewarding and meaningful career. We just need to see the opportunities that are out there from existing professionals.
SAVE THE DATE - Wednesday February 19, 2020 presented by 2020 MAAGCS Education Seminar Ten Oaks Ballroom, Clarksville, MD
GCSAA CEUs ORNAMENTAL CREDITS • PESTICIDE RE-CERTIFICATIONS • FERTILIZER RE-CERTIFICATIONS
As always this will be a full day of education and will include breakfast, lunch, ice cream break and an afternoon beer and wine happy hour. There will plenty of certifications and education credits available. So, mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 19, 2020 to join us! Featured Speakers: SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE
Event sponsorship information is listed below. All sponsorships include on-site recognition, digital promotional recognition, event registration website recognition and a mention at the event. Questions or to confirm your sponsorship, please contact Tyler Eastham at teastham@gmail.com. Lunch Sponsor - $2,000 Reception Sponsor - $1,500 Ice Cream Sponsor - $1,000 Break Sponsors - $500
Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 9
Tree Management
Editor’s Note: This article as written with intention for Golf Course Superintendents to utilize at their own facilities during winter off-season tree management work.
In support of judicious tree management at your golf course: Trees can be lovely features on golf courses but are not always conducive for growing healthy and acceptable playing surfaces. Likewise, the wrong tree, located in the wrong place, can interfere with the integrity of other golf course features. Trees hinder the health of turfgrass plants for several reasons: 1. They create prolonged periods of shade. Sunlight is one of the most important components of growing healthy turfgrass, and no product or fertilizer can replace the value of extended sunlight exposure for turfgrass, especially on finely manicured areas such as putting greens. 2. Competition. Roots of trees are fiercely competitive for water and nutrients, which is no more evident than late summer when turf under tree canopies is noticeably browner and thinner compared to areas outside the tree canopy that thrive with full sun and less root competition. 3. Restricted air movement. When dense tree stands restrict air movement around putting greens or other playing surfaces, turfgrass plants can be more susceptible to stresses such as disease. Trees can also pose a safety hazard. Golf courses that have unhealthy trees could be exposed to unwarranted liability by possible falling trees or heavy tree debris on unsuspecting golfers and employees. For example, if a tree is struck by lightning, it becomes an immediate safety hazard. Diseases and other pests can create health issues for trees, and sometimes trees need to be removed for safety issues in which time is of the essence. Furthermore, while trees are good for the environment, so are many other plants, including healthy turfgrass. It’s important to note that any removal of a tree on a golf course is almost always going to be replaced with some type of alternative plant material such as flowering shrubs, another (often more appropriate) tree, or manicured turfgrass. All these alternative plantings, including turfgrass, serve the environment in a beneficial way just like trees do – by creating a living filter for our water, mitigating soil erosion, converting carbon dioxide into oxygen through photosynthesis, and creating a cooling effect in developed areas by absorbing sun radiation. Golf Course Superintendents are diligent in their decision-making regarding tree maintenance, and always consider subsequent effects on the environment, community, and golfing clientele. Superintendents are educated individuals in earth sciences, including plant health, and should be trusted to make decisions regarding tree maintenance on properties they care for.
Chase Rogan GCSAA Field Staff, Mid-Atlantic Region. CRogan@gcsaa.org @GCSAA_MidAtl.
Board Outreach in the Mid-Atlantic GCSAA’s Board of Directors is always eager to gather feedback from GCSAA members. One of the ways they do this is through board outreach visits. Each year, the five directors — not including the officers — visit a field staff region outside of that board member’s home base, in an effort to gather more information from members, network across a broader area, and learn about challenges that may not affect the region in which that board member resides. This year, I was happy to host T.A. Barker, CGCS, in the Mid-Atlantic region. T.A. is a second-year director of GCSAA, and the superintendent at Fore Lakes Golf Course in Taylorsville, Utah, where he has worked since 1995 and served as superintendent since 2006. Over the course of three days, we were able to visit six golf courses, attend the annual meeting of Pocono GCSA, and visit professors and graduate students at Penn State to learn about current research initiatives and some of the successes and challenges associated with the multiple turf programs (certificate, B.S., world-campus) offered by the university. Keeping up with the needs of a rapidly changing market is a top priority for GCSAA, and through these outreach visits the board can mine for and receive a lot of good information from a range of people within the industry. The GCSAA Board of Directors “steers the ship” on key initiatives with which GCSAA engages. But even before many of these initiatives make it to the board room, they are developed and vetted by committees made up of GCSAA members. If you’d like to get involved in volunteering to serve on a GCSAA committee, please reach out to me.
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
Annual Championship: Jeff Rice Three-peats, Jim McHenry Wins & Mark Merrick Defends On October 2nd Gibson Island Club and Superintendent, Bill Reil hosted the MAAGCS Annual Championship. The day began with education from Tony Pann, meteorologist with WBAL. He gave an informative presentation and demonstrated how superintendents and the like can use different forecasting tools to predict the weather and how they can use that
Results
Superintendent Champion
Jeff Rice, Oak Creek Golf Club – 76
Affiliate Champion Jim McHenry, Oakwood Sod Farm - 82 Superintendent Division Net Scores
1st – Ed Gasper, Whiskey Creek Golf Club – 69 2nd – Doug Hall, Eagles Nest CC – 72
Affiliate Division Net Scores
1st – Mark Merrick, Genesis Green Supply – 67 2nd – Reid Mitchell, Finch Services – 70
Ryan Kraushofer, Jeff Rice, Joe Haskins
information to plan their daily operations and routines. It was an entertaining presentation that included a lot of audience participation. Following the education and lunch, it was time for the golf tournament. Bill had the greens ROLLING and we could not have asked for a better day to play the Seth Raynor hidden gem. For the third year in a row, Jeff Rice of Oak Creek Golf Club took home the Championship, his winning score was 76. The net score winner of the superintendent division was Ed Gasper of Whiskey Creek Golf Club with a 69. Jim McHenry of Oakwood Sod Farm won the open division with a gross score of 82 while Mark Merrick of Genesis successfully defended his title in the open division with a net score of 67. Thank you to all of the sponsors and the staff at Gibson Island Club that made this an unforgettable event!
Proximities CTP #3 – Jeff Roeder – 17’ 2” CTP #6 – Eric Snelsire 7’ 5” CTP #12 – John Newcomb – 3” 11 ¼ “ CTP #15 – Ralph Meola – 2’ 7” Long Drive – Scott Wunder Sponsors Helena Agri-Enterprises, Corteva Agriscience, Syngenta, Harrells, Eagle Pump Systems
Chris Paul, John Anderes, Tod Cowing, Lance Ernst Andrew Harrison, Ralph Meola, Eric Snelsire, Scott Wunder
Tony Pann speaks about weather forecasting Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 11
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
Getting to Know... Logan Freeman 1. H ow did you get into your current role: I moved from Idaho in January 2010, started as an assistant at Mountain Branch Golf Club in April of that year. I transitioned to the Golf Course Superintendent role in October of 2010 2. W hat do you enjoy most about the profession? I enjoy all the different people in the various sectors of turfgrass management. 3. W hat value do you see in being a member with MAAGCS? Leaning on people and can learn from various perspectives. 4. What new innovations do you look forward to in 2019-2020? Not necessarily an “innovation”, but I am excited to see the continued improvement in relationships amongst all sectors of the turfgrass industry. Logan Freeman
5. B est words of advice you’ve received in your career? The true definition of a great superintendent is one that produces a product that is superior to what his budget would suggest is possible.
Registration Open! - MAAGCS Annual Meeting & Elections sponsored by Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 Argyle Country Club 14600 Argyle Club Road, Silver Spring, MD 20906
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USGA Update – by the GCSAA The USGA has committed $20,000 in funding support to GCSAA and GCSAA’s philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), for First Green, an outreach program that provides hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education on golf courses. Prior to GCSAA assuming leadership of First Green in 2018, the USGA was a longtime supporter of the program, which has its origins in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1997, First Green is the only STEM education and environmental outreach program that uses golf courses as learning labs. Each First Green field trip averages 75 students who learn about topics such as soil, insects, plants, water conservation, wildlife habitat and golf. For most students, such outdoor classrooms represent their first exposure to a golf course. “First Green is the first introduction to golf for many students, and so we are very fortunate to have the USGA as an ally in making it happen,” says Rhett Evans, GCSAA CEO. “This program is just one of many where the USGA’s dedication to the game shows through its support of GCSAA and the superintendents we serve.” “It’s been exciting to support the continual growth of First Green and its efforts to get kids engaged in the exciting science of golf,” says Kimberly Erusha, Ph.D., managing director of the USGA Green Section. “This program is another part of GCSAA’s overall efforts to promote golf course superintendents, and it’s a great way for the USGA to continue our commitment to environmental stewardship in golf.” In addition, the USGA financially supports GCSAA’s Best Management Practices initiative, which has a goal of establishing golf course environmental best management practices in all 50 states by 2020. The USGA committed $800,000 to help support an online resource that simplifies and expedites the creation of golf course BMP programs at the state level. The USGA also provided funding for the second phase of GCSAA’s Golf Course Environmental Profile, a groundbreaking project launched in 2006 that compiles data on the land use, inputs, management of natural resources and environmental stewardship associated with golf courses in the United States. The USGA is a member of the EIFG’s Platinum Tee Club, which denotes donors that contribute $5,000 or more annually, and the USGA has reached the Victory Club level — the highest level — in the EIFG’s Cumulative Giving Program, which recognizes donors that have given $1 million or more since 1987.
Government Relations – by the GCSAA Staff The Golf Course Superintendents Association of American (GCSAA) is looking to recruit 177 Grassroots Ambassadors by the end of 2020 to join the 358 ambassadors currently serving in their volunteer advocacy roles. The GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador program matches a member of GCSAA with each member of Congress to build strong relationships between them. Once this goal has been met, all 535 members of Congress will have been paired with a GCSAA member serving as their “go-to” resource for golf course management issues. GCSAA would like to commend 16 states for pairing each member of their congressional delegation with a Grassroots Ambassador: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. Several other states have only one or two ambassador spots remaining: Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, Kansas, Alaska, Georgia, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Twenty additional states have multiple openings. As GCSAA continues to search for enthusiastic members to serve as ambassadors, the GCSAA Government Affairs Committee recently expanded the pool of eligible candidates to include not only golf course superintendents and assistant superintendents, but also retired superintendents, chapter executives, college students, and equipment managers. Being part of the Grassroots Ambassadors program allows members
to advocate for the industry and provides a unique opportunity to share their stories of professional land management with lawmakers. With regulatory pressure on the rise across the country, the need is greater now more than ever. Ambassadors meet twice a year with members of Congress and their staff. The Public Affairs Council reports that 83 percent of Congressional staff say meeting in person is the most effective way to influence the decisions made by congress, thus ambassadors are asked to discuss federal issues impacting golf course management either through hosting a site visit at their golf course or by scheduling a meeting in a congressional district office. All ambassadors receive the training and resources needed to become effective advocates for the profession. Ambassadors also receive education and service points for their efforts. In addition, they have the opportunity to win GCSAA’s Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award, which offers four individuals each year the chance to attend National Golf Day in Washington, D.C. at no cost. In addition to year-round online training, GCSAA offers the Grassroots Ambassador Academy at the annual Golf Industry Show where ambassadors interact with grassroots trainers and learn the art of advocacy and engagement. To attend Ambassador Academy, they must be currently serving as a Grassroots Ambassador. There are 15 months left to fill 177 ambassador spots. For more information, contact Michael Lee, GCSAA manager of government affairs, at 785-832-3612 or mlee@gcsaa.org.
Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 15
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Mid-Atlantic Association of Golf Course Superintendents
MAAGCS Joins Junior Achieve Inspire Event for Young Students Members of the Mid-Atlantic participated in the Junior Achieve (JA) Inspire event to advocate for the golf course industry profession to over 8,000 8th grade students. The event at Timonium Fairgrounds features a showcase of careers held at local businesses, non-profits, government agencies and educational organizations. Exhibits include interactive career stations with mentors who will share their career advice with the students and will engage students with equipment, technology, and the opportunity to see various industries. This capstone experience is designed as an interactive, hands-on, career exploration for 8th grade students. The dynamic career development experiences gives middle school students access to high-growth careers and employers. The goal’s of the program will provide students to explore career pathways and learn about the skills needed for in-demand jobs and strengthen their coursework pathway for high school and beyond. The MAAGCS’s efforts and initiatives through the First Green and beginning stages of a formalized mentorship/internship program coincide with this program. Bridging the gap between elementary and high school is important to connect to tomorrow’s workforce. The program is in partnership with Baltimore County Public Schools, Maryland Department of Commerce, Maryland Department of Labor and University System of Maryland. Junior Achievement of Central Maryland is empowering students to expand their thinking and think beyond what’s right in front of them. Career readiness within the state department of education is a focal point in their curriculums. It is estimated that 95-percent of high school students have never been exposed to a workplace setting. In 2017-2018, JA gave more than 750 middle and high school students the opportunity to visit a workplace and network with
JA Inspire is designed as an interactive, hands-on, career exploration for 8th grade students
business leaders in the Baltimore region. The statistics provided by the JA of Central Maryland include that due to this program, 30% of attendees are more likely to have a four-year degree and 67% are more likely to have a graduate degree than the general population. There are a variety of volunteer programs outside of Junior Achievement that our industry can get involved with. Please visit JA Inspire’s web site at https://www.juniorachievement.org/web/ja-centralmaryland/ja-inspire
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Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 17
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Letter from the Editor – Tyler Bloom The Washington Nationals won the World Series, the Baltimore Ravens came off a smackdown victory against the New England Patriots, and the irrigation system is being winterized. The 2019 golf season is coming to an end! As per usual, the season in the Mid-Atlantic provided some crazy twists and turns, so the winter will hopefully provide time to regroup, reorganize and get acquainted with your MAAGCS peers. I wanted to share a personal nugget that has helped guide me through 2019 through highs and lows. If you called me in August or September, there’s no question I was going through my own personal funk dealing with outside factors and challenges within the daily job. Sound familiar? A daily practice that I have implemented is the habit of gratitude. Cultivating gratitude can help shift our perspective and take on a positive approach. Taking a step back and seeing the forest instead of the trees has kept me grounded. It is very simple to fall off track and lose focus when things aren’t going as planned or unexpected circumstances alter direction. Consequently, it can impact your own personal health or relationships at home. Every night, I write three things I am grateful for. As airy fairy as it sounds, here are some takeaways that have come from this practice.
Tyler Bloom Superintendent, Sparrows Point Country Club @tbloom_SPCC tbloom@sparrowspointcc.org
1. M y focus shifts towards my priorities - I found myself stressing over work I didn’t do, tasks upcoming that needed to be done or projecting various outcomes that could happen. As I reflected more on the good, I started to refocus on the task at hand and became more efficient. 2. L etting go of things that don’t matter - We all, at one time or another, have been the subject of criticism in our roles. Instead of agonizing, spending time thinking about the positive impacts you have made can keep you focused and look back on your contributions in a |positive way. 3. A bility to adjust during the challenging times - The challenges Mother Nature and expectations (whether self-inflicted or through our direct reports) are never going to go away. I have learned through observation of respected peers or through my own tribulations, recalibrating to appreciate those moments will ultimately lead to positive outcomes. 4. R ecognized how fortunate I truly am - We are very fortunate, regardless of scale of club or title/rank, to have the type of roles to impact our environment, serve our staff and members. We get to make an impact in the lives of others. Holding a position of leadership, while can be stressful, provides opportunity to contribute for greater purpose. On a personal note, I do want to use this space to thank the many vendors and industry colleagues, who have continued to be a great support network for myself through 2019. When I moved from Philadelphia in 2014, I could not have predicted how meaningful the relationships established in the MAAGCS would become for me and my family. Have a great holiday season with friends and family!
Turfgrass Matters | September 2019 19
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