1st Qtr 2022 Fore Your Information Newsletter

FORE YOUR INFORMATION 1st Quar ter 2022

Wm Land Park Golf Course 2022 GrassRoots Tournament

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Fore Your Information

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E

BY

Greetings from Peach Tree Golf & Country Club in Marysville, CA! I am excited to say “hello” and represent our great Sierra Nevada GCSA. I am anxious to extend tremendous gratitude and appreciation to you, our outstanding members, for being a part of the GCSAA and SNGCSA. Also, a special kudos to your great Board of Directors, past leadership participants, and to Kimberly Milne, our Tracy Shanahan association manager – we truly have an organization to be proud of! I have been a member of the SNGCSA since 2005, previously as a member of the Northern California GCSA while an Assistant Superintendent at Almaden Golf & CC, and then Superintendent at Saratoga Country Club for 10 years, both located in the San Jose area.

From there I spent over 7 years at DarkHorse Golf Club in Auburn, CA, and am now entering my 11th season as Superintendent at Peach Tree. For you youngsters out there, enjoy the ride, the time goes by very quickly!!

As a brief “state of the association” message, we remain very strong financially despite the recent Covid seasons and limited gathering opportunities. Your Board sincerely accounts for costs and needs to remain a strong and valuable participant in our industry. Our annual dues cover much more than organizing some great meetings and gathering opportunities. The SNGCSA supports our profession through contributions towards research, scholarships, and the ever-growing pressure placed on golf through outside influences including political pressures, mounting drought and water usage issues, and environmental awareness regarding golf maintenance. This great game with millions of participants continues to carry a perception versus reality target on its back that requires our support and vigilance. I consider our association to be one of the strongest in the country thanks to incredible contributions of time and efforts from our members. Jim Ferrin, Kurtis Wolford, Jeremy Payne, Scott McCullough, Jeff Jensen, and countless other are tremendous contributors who do a ton of behind-thescenes work to better our industry.

I sincerely hope that we can grasp and understand the important role we play as members. Our participation plays a significant role in continuing the growth, protection, and health of the great game of golf. Please reach out and help grow our membership by joining in the fantastic gatherings we have at our meetings. Also, we would like to see growth in the Rounds4Reseach donations, an item we will begin to educate you about very shortly. The financial potential from this fundraising activity is very significant, with some chapters able to generate thousands of dollars for their chapters. Please take a moment and be sure to have your course participate in donating a round of golf, the impact will be well worth the investment!

I am also hopeful that our Superintendent members can take a little time and effort to say “thank you” to our

TRACY SHA NAHA N vendors! Our affiliate members and sponsors play a gigantic role in not only maintaining our great association, but their contributions to meetings help insure all of us enjoy a great time together at reasonable prices. Please be respectful, courteous, and helpful to our great vendors! Take a moment and thank them for their valuable help both personally and globally to our industry, yourself, and the association!

Once again, I am very proud to participate in the SNGCSA. We have some great meetings planned and I am very hopeful to see you participate. Without your participation, none of this could happen, so I hope to see you out there.

Thank you, and I hope you have a great 2022 season!

Visit us online at SierraNevadaGCSA.com or Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

Tracy

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E V E N T C A L E N DA R 2022

September 2022

M E E T I N G DATE S

April 13, 2022

President’s Cup Tournament Location and date to be confirmed

William Land Park GrassRoots Tournament Hosted by Muhammad Ali

November 2022 Annual Association Meeting & Tournament Location and date to be confirmed

May 4, 2022 Wildhorse Golf Course Education Mtg & Tournament Hosted by Lonnie Dunn

December 1, 2022 Annual Holiday Event & Tournament Teal Bend G.C. Hosted by John Farley

July 18, 2022 Scholarship & Research Tournament Cameron Park C.C. Hosted by Jeremy Payne

2023 January 2023 Turf Tech Workshop The Ridge Golf Course

August 2, 2022 Tri Chapter Meeting La Riconada C.C. Hosted by Kevin Breen, CGCS

2022 SNGCSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Tracy Shanahan Peach Tree Country Club SECRETARY/TREASURER Jeremy Payne Cameron Park C.C

Dave Bermudez Del Rio G. & C.C.

PAST PRESIDENT Scott McCullough The Ridge Golf Course

Sam Samuelson, CGCS Wildhawk G.C.

DIRECTORS Muhammad Ali Doug Heinrichs, CGCS Bing Maloney G.C. Montreux G. C.

Juan Gonzales Scott Hall Empire Ranch G.C. Lincoln Hills G.C.

Affiliate Representatives Ryan Nichols, Nufarm

Tim McCoy, Turf Star

Association Manager Kimberly Milne 3273 Richert Ave. Clovis, CA 559-298-6262

FORE YOUR INFORMATION Published by the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association EDITOR Jeremy Payne OFFICE SNGCSA 3273 Richert Ave., Clovis, CA 93619 559-298-6262 Fax# 559-298-6957 sngcsaa@aol.com

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SUPERINTENDENT PROFILE LONNIE DUNN, WILDHORSE GOLF COURSE

BY TIM MCCOY Lonnie started his Turf Grass career over 25 years ago in Virginia after working in IT. He started working on Sports Fields, managing several in and around Fairfax County. He eventually moved on to Golf Course Management. After moving to California, he landed at Teal Bend Golf Course starting on the crew. He quickly moved up the ranks and became the Assistant Superintendent.

While working at Teal Bend, Wildhorse Golf Course was purchased by the Kline family of Davis.

During the early days of ownership, the Kline’s visited Teal Bend for mentorship, consultaLonnie Dunn tion and local knowledge. It was during one of these visits the Kline’s took a liking to Lonnie and his work ethic and attention to detail. A season or two later when Wildhorse was looking to hire, Lonnie jumped at the opportunity to become the Superintendent.

Lonnie has an adult son Cameron and likes to spend time with family and travel. He also spends a great deal of time devoted to community service in the Davis area. When asked about relationship status he replies, with a grin, “I’m available”!

Lonnie and the Kline Family are very excited about the future of Wildhorse. Several projects are planned with more in discussion. If you haven’t been here in a while you’re going to be very impressed with the improvements already made in Lonnie’s short tenure.

Thank you, Lonnie, for hosting us and congratulations to you and the team at Wildhorse for all the hard work.

The future looks very bright for Lonnie Dunn and Wildhorse Golf Course!!!

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S I E R R A N E VA DA G C S A GOLF COURSE DOG PROFILE MAGGIE M CC ULLOUGH, THE RIDGE GO LF CO URSE Good day to all of my fellow working dogs and their humans. I’d like to take an opportunity to introduce myself. I am your loyal Association Manager, Hank. I live with my family Kim, Taylor, Alex, and Liam. They have been my family since they adopted me 2 years ago. I have been diligently learning the ropes of daily office work, guarding the house, and keeping the yard free of birds. I cant wait to meet all of my golf course dog members, and to learn about your daily lives.

In todays issue I had the pleasure of interviewing Maggie McCullough who is in training with her human Scott McCullough at The Ridge Golf Course in Auburn CA. Good Afternoon Maggie! Please state you Name, Age, Breed, Facility, and Occupation: Maggie (or Magnolia Mae when I’m in trouble) I am a 15 Week old Labrador Retriever (Fox Red) at The Ridge Golf Course. I am in training as a Geese chaser on the course.

1. Name the members of your family that live in your home.: I live with my Dad, Mom, Bigger Brother, Littler Brother, Black Cat and two mean cats. Sissy comes to watch me sometimes and other big brother brings me a friend to play with.

2. What are your hobbies outside of work? I like to try and play with Black Cat, I love to play fetch and play with my toys. Cow and empty water jug are my favorites.

3.On a scale of 1-10, how lucky are you? Please elaborate. Definitely a 10! I get to meet new people all of the time, get tons of Maggie McCullough belly rubs, and ride around in my Dad’s John Deere. I have cousin AKA Mags, Maggers, Maggie Waggie doggies to play with and the best humans that take care of me and love me.

4. After a bad day at work, what makes you feel better? What? There are no bad days at work. Work is my happy place.

5. What's your favorite treat or cheat meal?

Chicken, yummy!

6. What are some of your nicknames?

Mags, Maggers, Maggie Waggie, Most Beautiful Girl, Red Dog 7. What is your biggest vice?

Gnawing on my humans 8. What three words would someone use to describe you?

Cute, Crazy, and Sweet 9. At what age did you start working?

11 Weeks 10. If you had a favorite quote, or one to describe you, what would it be.

“Be the person your dog thinks you are” – C.J, Frick Hank Milne

It has been such a pleasure to interview Maggie. If you have a golf course dog that you would like to have interviewed by me, Hank, please reach out to Kim at the association office.

Top Dressing • Fertilizer • Gypsum

Peter Reece Jr. (209) 602-8475

preecejr@gmail.com

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INFORMATION FOR CALI FORNIA GCSA M EMBERS FROM

JEFF

JENSEN,

GCSA FIELD REPRESENTATIVE

I hope this finds all of our California GCSA members and families doing well and getting ready for a great Spring golf season.

A couple of reminders concerning some GCSAA initiatives and programs that I hope you will consider participating in.

The annual GCSAA Rounds 4 Research Program is scheduled for April 25 – May 1. Rounds 4 Research allows participating chapters to raise funds for turfgrass research, education, and advocacy. California courses can donate a twosome or foursome and 80 percent of the funds raised in the auction go back to the chapter in which the rounds were solicited. The remaining 20 percent goes to cover the costs of the auction. It only takes a few minutes to donate online, and courses can stipulate blackout dates and times as needed. Donations can be made at https://www.gcsaa.org/foundation/rounds-4-research.

Additional information including marketing materials is also available on the webpage to help you promote the auction to golfers. For those wishing to view the auction and who is participating, please visit https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action? vhost=rounds4research. Donations will be accepted through the end of the auction.

Please consider taking a few hours to adopt the California Best Management Practices Guide. The online, digital template is free of charge to GCSAA members, and you can easily create a facility specific BMP that highlights the sustainability efforts and day to day management practices at your facility. The guide can be downloaded and printed in a PDF or Word format to share with your golfers, board members, community, and local/state policymakers. At the time of this article, 81 California golf courses have adopted the guide with an overall goal of approximately 370 courses participating. The BMP facility tool can be accessed at https://www.gcsaa.org/environment/bmp-planning-guide. There is a series of twelve brief How-To videos that will assist with your adoption as well as a variety of state webinars that have been hosted on adoption including two that are specific to California. BMP adoption is critical to our industry as we continue to face challenges with water use, nutrient and pesticide use and our use of open space.

Thank you for your continued support of GCSAA and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and make sure to follow me on Twitter @GCSAA_SW for industry updates. I hope to see all of you soon at some of the great upcoming chapter events taking place.

Fore Your Information

IT’S TIME TO HONOR AND NOMINATE OUR OUTSTANDING MEMBERS

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BOB MILLER

ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

BY TIM MCCOY

Dear Fellow Members, It is that time of the year that you have the opportunity to honor your fellow members for outstanding service to our industry and community in a positive manner. The following paragraphs outline the criteria for each award.

Distinguished Member of the Year This award is presented annually to a superintendent whom has made contributions for the betterment of the SNGCSA, its members, and the golf course superintendent’s profession. Evaluation criteria for this award should include local or national committee participation, community service that represents the industry in a positive light, or local association participation.

Turfgrass Manager of the Year This award is presented to a superintendent member who maintains his/her facility to a standard that reflects consistent, high quality playing conditions, while displaying exceptional agronomic and management skills. The resourcefulness of this individual is an important consideration in the selection criteria and may include factors such as budget, site restrictions, rounds of golf, staff size, etc.

Affiliate Merit Award This award is presented annually to the affiliate representative who has made contributions resulting in the betterment of the SNGCSA and its members.

We are asking for nominations to be submitted from the general membership by April 4, 2022. Each nominee will be evaluated within the guidelines established by the committee and award winners will be decided by a vote exercised by the Board of Directors. This year we plan to present the awards at the GrassRoots Tournament on April 13th at William Land Park G.C. Thank you for your time and consideration. You should have received the nomination information via email. If you have not please contact us at the association office. Hope to see you at a meeting soon.

For those of you that have not been made aware, a long time contributor to our industry has decided to head for Greener Fairways. After over 43 years on the job, 10 years as a Superintendent and over 3 decades as a Sales Manger, Bob Miller is making the ultimate lifestyle change.

Bob hosted 10 PGA events at La Costa Country Club. For the past 30 years, he has been a Sales Manager for Scotts Fertilizer then The Anderson’s Turf & Ornamental Products. Bob has literally traveled the world as a representative for Andersons.

Please wish him well as he plans to travel with Mrs. Miller and take advantage of all the amenities at Sun City Lincoln Hills. Bob assures me he will remain active in our Chapter and continue to play from the back tees! Thank you, Bob, Enjoy!!!

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I N M E M O RY FRANK PUTNAM A U G U S T 2 2 , 1 9 6 5 - J A N UA RY 2 2 , 2 0 2 2 Frank George Putnam passed away unexpectedly on Jan 22, 2022. Frank was born August 22, 1965, in Frankfurt Germany to Maj. George J. and Hildegard Putnam. The youngest of their 5 children Frank never married and considered his 6 nieces and 6 nephews to be his children. He loved them deeply and was excited to be a Great Uncle to their 21 children. Frank was preceded in death by his parents and oldest brother, Charles Putnam. Frank is survived by his siblings Les Putnam, (Kathy); Joyce Putnam, (Tom DuVall); Anelie Belden, (Kevin); and sister-in-law Wendy Putnam (Charles).

When his father retired, they moved from El Sobrante, CA to Volcano and built their forever home. At that time Frank was the only child at home and was just entering High School and he of course moved with them. Leaving his childhood friends was difficult, but he had such a personality that he soon felt right at home. Frank followed his brother Les’s, footsteps and took up wrestling with the Amador High School wrestling team. In 1982 he won the championship of his weight division at the Golden Sierra Invitational Tournament. Not only did he win his division, but he was also voted the tournament’s outstanding wrestler.

Frank had a knack for automotive mechanics and began working for Crossroads Automotive in Martel, CA. He also worked for many years with Spinetti Honda in Jackson, CA. His career took him to work at Mace Meadows, which was the favorite of his jobs, where he was able to use his mechanical skill, rising to the position of Golf Course Superintendent. Frank served as President on the Board of the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association of America in 2008 and 2009. When Mace Meadow closed, Frank used his knowledge of Mechanics and landscaping to start his own business.

Frank longed to return to the Golfing industry and began working for the La Contenta Golf Course in Valley Springs which was very satisfying.

Frank loved the outdoors, golfing, spending time at Bear River Reservoir, and socializing with friends and family. He lived life to its fullest. As Frank always said, “I lived my life the way I wanted to.”

There will be a Celebration of Life for Frank Putnam on Saturday, May 28th, 11:00 to 3:00, at the La Contenta Golf Course in Valley Springs. The family has set up a go-fund-me page to help with his expenses and celebration of life. Any support is much appreciated by his family.

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F RO M T H E F I E L D

Jeff Jensen,

GCSAA Field Staff, Southwest Region

Thank you to all the GCSAA members, exhibitors and partners who joined us in San Diego for the 2022 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show and Golf Championships. After going virtual in 2021, it was great to see so many familiar faces around the city and convention center enjoying the opportunity to learn and network with their peers.

In addition to all the great education and products on the show floor, there were a lot of highlights throughout the week in San Diego including the election of GCSAA’s Board of Directors. California’s own Kevin Breen, CGCS, was elected the 86th President of GCSAA. Kevin serves as the Superintendent at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos. Kevin Sunderman, CGCS, will serve as Vice President with Jeff White, CGCS, being elected as Secretary/Treasurer. Doug Dykstra, CGCS, and Marc Weston, CGCS, were both re-elected to the board and were joined by the newly elected Steve HamJeff Jensen mond of Traverse City Country Club in Michigan.

The GCSAA dues adjustment passed overwhelmingly with over 96 percent voting in favor of the adjustment which is based on CPI. Dues for Class A & B will now be $430 with Class C members at $220.

The entire outcome of the meeting including voting results can be viewed at https://www.gcsaa.org/about-gcsaa/annualmeeting/2022/2022-annual-meeting-results.

The GCSAA Golf Championships were held Feb. 5-7 at San Diego area golf facilities including Bernardo Heights Country Club, Encinitas Ranch Golf Club, Singing Hills Golf Resort and Torrey Pines. 400 players turned out to support the championships with Seth Strickland of Miami Shores Country Club (Fla.) winning his fifth GCSAA National Championship recording a two-day score of 5-over-par 149. Low Californian was Mike Stieler of Spring Creek Golf & Country Club in Ripon tying for fourth at 9-over-par 153.

While this year’s show may have been smaller than in the past, it certainly didn’t lack content and a lot of excitement, and we truly appreciate the support of our members, vendors, partners, and sponsors who make it a success. It’s a step in the right direction and I hope it encourages you to consider attending some of the upcoming chapter events that your local chapter will be hosting.

As always, if I can be of any assistance to you, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and make sure to visit my regional website at https://www.gcsaa.org/resources/regional-resources/southwest to keep up on the latest happenings in the region. Hope you all have a great Spring golf season!

Fore Your Information

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S P E C I A L THANK YOU SPONSORS

Wilbur Ellis Co.

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Sierra Nevada GCSA Annual S & R Tournament

By Dave Bermudez

Cameron Park Country Club

The money raised from this tournament goes to Scholarships, Turfgrass Research, Golf Industry Advocacy, and Association Support. Over the last ten years the money raised from this event is approaching $300,000. We could not have done this without everyone’s participation and support.

Look for more information on the event coming out soon.

Thank you, David Bermudez Tournament Chairman

Before we know it, it will be time for the Scholarship and Research Tournament. This year’s tournament is scheduled on July 18, 2022 at Cameron Park Country Club. We thank Jeremy Payne, our host superintendent for offering us his fine facility for this special event.

Once again Syngenta and Joe Ballmer will help sponsor the tee prizes.

We would like to thank all the golf industry suppliers who in the past had equipment displays, donated items for the auction, sponsored meals, and for those who sponsored tee signs and games on the course.

Superintendents, we also want to thank you for attending, bringing guests and bringing some great prizes for the raffle. Soon the SNGCSA Board of Directors will be asking all of you to help support the 2022 Sierra Nevada GCSA Scholarship &Research Tournament.

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Welcome New Members Nick Lopez Class C William Land Park Golf Course

Cal Arseneau Class B Resort at Squaw Creek

Jonathan Moulton Class B Martis Camp G.C.

Ken Mauser Class Affiliate Aquatrols

Michael Howard Class C Montreux Golf & Country Club

Matthew Smith Class C Bartley Cavanaugh G.C.

Andrew Miller Class C Montreux Golf & Country Club

Bob Franco Class A Elk Grove G.C.

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Another Interesting Winter

By Brad WUnderlich, Edgewood tahoe resort

Brad Wunderlich Director of Grounds and Agronomy Edgewood Tahoe Resort

It was again anything but a normal winter for Northern Nevada and Northern California. December seemed promising, setting a new snowfall record of 202 inches in the Sierra Nevada mountains, breaking the previous record of 170 inches from 1970. On January 1st the Sierra snowpack was at 168% of average. Winter was off to a great start, after several years of drought. It looked to be the winter we have been waiting for, replenishing the rivers and streams, filling the reservoirs, and possibly lifting some water restrictions. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

As we entered January, we saw a dry weather pattern set in and it continued for several months. In fact, it was the driest January and February in recorded history. As of March, the current snowpack is at 68% of normal, up just 7% from this time last year. As we enter the spring on a dry note, the demand for water starts earlier. There are many questions to be considered such as how much of the snowpack will make it to spring and how much will end up in the reservoirs?

One thing is certain, the drought will continue; a miracle March doesn’t look to be in the cards. So, what does this mean for the upcoming golf season? Water use is going to be highly scrutinized across most of the west this year. Golf courses are always the first to be targeted. We as turf mangers will have to continue our creative ways to help conserve and reduce water use. Are the common practices of wetting agents, turf reductions, moisture monitoring, and improving irrigation efficiency enough? Most likely not, water restrictions will likely be enforced, some courses will run out of irrigation water, and there are going to be many issues that will arise this season adding to the everyday stress of a golf course Superintendent. In addition, there is the threat of wildfires in Northern Nevada and Northern California. This area saw a very active wildfire season last year that caused substantial damage throughout our region. With the dry conditions we are expecting to see this summer, it will be another component to keep in mind as we move forward into our busy season.

From monitoring the daily AQI to protect our employees, to evacuations, to property damage, it all adds up.

On a positive note, the mountain courses, despite the crazy winter, are breathing a sigh of relief as the snow begins to melt. After the extensive amount of ice damage we saw across the majority of the higher elevation courses in 2021, that delayed the opening of many courses and caused poor spring golf conditions, it appears that the heavy December snow provided a much needed insulating blanket of snow. The snow was able to absorb what little winter rain we saw this year, mostly in mid-December. Avoiding the winter rains this year helped the surface of the turf stay dry and did not alter the perfect snow cover we had all winter. The temperatures remained cold throughout most of the winter. This helped control the freeze thaw cycle that can be a major contributor to the buildup of ice over the winter. Although the ice damage appears to be minimal, the voles have been busy burrowing and eating away at the turf. It seems to be the talk around the area that the voles have really caused some substantial damage to many of the mountain courses and it will be a big undertaking to repair the damage. With the prolonged snow cover we are also seeing quite a bit of snow mold, despite preventative treatments. With a little warm weather and some common cultural practices this likely won’t cause any substantial damage.

It is shaping up to be another busy golf season, as the golf boom looks to continue. With many unknowns ahead of us this season from the lingering drought to rising fuel cost, it is again going to be a challenging year. I wish everyone a successful season and hope that we get some much-needed moisture.

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2022 TURF TECH WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS THE RIDGE GOLF COURSE. The 2022 Turf Tech Workshop was a huge success. We had about 75 attendees for the event which included presentations from Toro & TurfStar, Syngenta, Joe Ballmer, BelKorp and TurfCo, Cal OSHA, which provided us with some DPR hours, Akoni Ganir with Simplot provided some interesting information on the new “Greenskeeper Ap” . Thank you to Pat Finlen,GCCS for providing a great Key Note talk during lunch.

Below Scott McCullough is honored for serving 3 years as President of the Association. Thanks Scott for all you have done.

The trade show was hands on for our attendees Thank you to Turf Star, Tim McCoy and Brian Daum. Golf Safety, Pete Bowman, and Ben Showard for supporting the event

Jim Ferrin provided an informative update on legislation being followed by the California Alliance for Golf .

Thank you Jim for all that you do for the industry.

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2022 C ALIFORNIA HOSPITALITY NIGHT H I G H L I G H T S — U S S M I D WAY The California GCSA hosted approximately 400 members during the Hospitality Night Event held on the USS Midway during the GIS in San Diego. A Big THANK YOU to Turf Star as the Premier Sponsor for the event. Thank you to all that supported the event. For a full list of sponsors go to CaliforniaGCSA.org Remember to support those that support us.

Above is Matt Moore and guests

Mike & Carol Kaveney posing for a photo op and below is John Farley goofing around as usual.

Above is the Sierra Nevada Group taking time for a photo op.

At left is Juan Gonzales with his family.

Pictured below are Jim & Kathy Culley

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