July/August 2019 Issue

FORE YOUR INFORMATION Ju l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 9

2019 President’s Cup Tournament Hosted by Doug Heinrichs, CGCS

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F o r e Y o u r I n f o r m a ti o n

P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E This summer, so far, seems to have been good to our courses, From what I’ve heard and seen, everyone is looking really good. Summer isn’t over yet but give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done.

The Scholarship and Research Tournament had a wonderful attendance and it was great to welcome the GCSAA board of directors to our event.

Scott McCullough We had 115 golfers and had some especially fun things out on the course to help raise money. Jeff Siegel with Events Made Better had an air cannon on the 9th hole, half of the fee to fire the air cannon was donated back to the event. Jeff also brought some sports memorabilia to the event for the silent auction and 1/3 of what it sold for was also donated back to the event. Sierra Pacific Turf Supply had a casino hole on hole 5. We had equipment displays by TurfStar Western and Belkorp Ag. Commercial Pump was on hole 2. It was great to see a lot of their staff out for the event. The Ridge donated a chance for Rafael Barajas, CGCS, President of the GCSAA, to hit a hole one on hole 17 and if he were to make it, it would have been worth $250,000 and it would be donated to The First Green. Rafael hit a great shot with perfect dis-

BY

SCOTT MCCULLOUGH

tance but unfortuELCOME nately it was about 6 feet to the left of the EW EMBERS pin.

On August 5th I attended the Tri Mitchell Frasier Chapter event at Retired Affiliate Brookside country Club. The California GCSAA helped present the Best Daniel McCann Management PracRedox tices (BMP). A few of our members Affiliate have been key in helping develop the BMP for the state of California and their hard work was shown in the template presented. The BMP is now ready and all that is left to do is for you to add your course’s specific information and details of your specific area and you are ready. You also have the choice to print it as is. This document offers so much and explains what we fellow Superintendents do.

Lastly one of my favorite events will be hosted by Doug Heinrichs, CGCS at Montreux Golf Club on September 30th. I look forward to seeing everyone there and I hope the rest of the summer is good to you.

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2019 SNGCSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Scott McCullough The Ridge Golf Course VICE PRESIDENT Sam Samuelson, CGCS Wildhawk Golf Course

Dave Bermudez Del Rio Golf & Country Club

SECRETARY/TREASURER John Farley Teal Bend Golf Course

Jason Wolf Lincoln Hills G.C.

DIRECTORS Tracy Shanahan Peach Tree C.C.

PAST PRESIDENT William Hamilton CGCS Lake Wildwood Association

Keith Hill, CGCS Hidden Valley C.C.

Affiliate Representatives Rodney Muller Akoni Ganir Sierra Pacific Turf Simplot Partners

Mark Callahan Plumas Pines G.C.

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M E E T I N G DA T E S

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2019

2020

September 30, 2019

January 7, 2020

President’s Cup Tournament Montreux Golf Club Hosted by Doug Heinrichs, CGCS

November 4, 2019 Annual Election Meeting Cameron Park C.C. Hosted by Jeremy Payne

Turf Tech Workshop The Ridge G.C. Hosted by Scott McCullough

January 25-30, 2020 Golf Industry Show ORLANDO 2020 CONNECT. DISCOVER. ELEVATE CALIFORNIA ROOM JANUARY 29,2019 Visit our On Line Industry Calendar for all event https://californiagcsa.org/?page_id=3712

December 5, 2019 Annual Holiday Event Teal Bend Golf Course Hosted by John Farley

F o r e Y o u r I n f o r m a ti o n

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MEMBER P ROFILE : D OUG HEIN RICHS , CGCS SUPERINTENDENT AT MONTREUX BY

Doug Heinrichs will be hosting the president’s cup tournament on September 30th at the highly acclaimed Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, NV. Montreux is host to the Barracuda Championship in July which is one of 45 PGA tour events worldwide and has been played at Montreux for the past 20 years. We are in for a treat to be able to walk down the fairways and play a course that so many PGA professionals have competed on over the years.

Montreux is a Jack Nicklaus designed course which opened in 1997. The course stretches 7,472 yards from the Golden Bear Tees and it has a slope rating of 140. The course features a number of drops in elevation including its signature hole the 17th par 4 with a 138 foot drop from the tee box to the fairway.

Doug is originally from Iowa and obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Iowa State University before migrating out west. Doug worked at Desert Princess C.C. in Palm Springs and Monterey C.C. before becoming superintendent at Montreux in 1998.

MARK CALLAHAN

Over the years Doug said that he has really enjoyed working with the PGA and their agronomists and learning from their knowledgeable staff. The PGA agronomist makes a spring visit to ride around the course with Doug and offer suggestions and begin preparations for the PGA event in July. The PGA agronomist then spends the week prior to the tournament and the week of the tournament working closely with Doug and his staff to create the conditions desired for the event. This year was uniquely challenging as the course received thunder, lightning and heavy downpours at the beginning of the event postponing play and adding extra work to keep the course in

tournament condition.

When not on the golf course, Doug enjoys boating, hunting, fishing and spending time with his family. Doug has a daughter, Devan, who is 21 and is attending Colorado State studying medicine. Doug’s son Andy is 19 and has

worked the past 2 seasons for Doug at Montreux and plans on attending the University of Nevada Reno (UNR). Doug goes on an annual fishing trip to Canada and enjoys the outdoors with friends and family while fishing some of the most beautiful lakes in North America.

Doug is looking forward to hosting the Presidents Cup and getting the members of our association out on his golf course in September.

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2019 Scholarship & Research Tournament

By Dave Bermudez & Kurtis Wolford This year’s Scholarship and Research Tournament at The Ridge Golf Club was a huge success. It would not have been possible without the help of so many people. The SNGCSA would like extend a thank you to The Ridge Golf Club for allowing us to use their fine facility and we would also like to thank Scott McCullough for having the course in great condition.

Thank you to all who made donations for the auction, raffle, tee sponsors and a special thank you to Joe Ballmer of Syngenta who sponsored the tee prizes. We thank Turf Star Western, Commercial Pump Service Inc., and Belkrop Golf and Turf for their on-course equipment displays. VGM sponsored the breakfast. With the course games we

thank Sierra Pacific Turf Supply who sponsored the “Casino Golf Hole”, BoardTronics who sponsored the “Closet to the Pin”, and the on course beverages and giveaways by Commercial Pump.

Most importantly, we would like to thank the 114 players who came out to play golf and support our chapter.

At this year’s tournament we were able to provide $9,000 in scholarships – three turf grass student scholarships received $1500 each and six legacy scholarships who received $750 each. This year’s Research and Scholarship Tournament raised $24,000 which is terrific from our small association.

The money raised at this tournament goes to Scholarships,

Turf Grass Research, Personal and Professional Development Programs and our Benevolence Fund.

SPONSOR LIST Syngenta, BelKorp, Turf Star Western, Brown Sand, Russ Mitchell and Assoc., Toro, Horizon, Simplot, Delta Blue Grass, Sierra Pacific Turf, Aquatrols, Commercial Pump, GCSAA, Nor Cal Turf Tech and Reels, West Coast Sand & Gravel, Sports Turf Irrigation, BASF, SePro, GenNext, NuFarm, Anderson’s, West Coast Turf, Floratine, Farmload Dist., QualiPro, Wilbur Ellis, Co., Bayer, Tee 2 Green, DryJet, Turf Time, Redox, Turf Screen, Par West Turf, EarthWorks, AmVac, Simplot, Yocha De He G.C., BoTerra, and STS Turf

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F ROM T HE F IELD BY

JEFF JENSEN GCSAA FIELD STAFF

Jeff Jensen

After years of hard work, the California Golf Course Superintendents Association, with assistance from its allied golf partners, recently published the California Golf Industry Best Management Practices Guide

(BMPs).

Developed using the Best Management Practices Planning Guide and Template created by the GCSAA, California has been working on the project for two years.

The California Golf Industry BMP Committee includes superintendents from each of the California GCSA’s six regional chapters (Central California, Hi-Lo Desert, Northern California, San Diego, Sierra Nevada, Southern California) as well as the California Alliance for Golf, California Golf Course Owners Association, GCSAA, Southern California Golf Association, Southern California PGA, University of California Cooperative Extension and the USGA. The committee employed the

services of Blankenship & Associates, Inc. out of Davis, Calif. to serve as the environmental consultant and project manager.

The BMP guide features 17 sections: Planning, Design and Construction; Irrigation; Surface Water Management; Water Quality Management; Nutrient Management; Cultural Practices; Integrated Pest Management; Pesticide Management; Pollinator Protection and Enhancement; Maintenance Operations; Landscape and Out of Play Areas; Energy; Groundwater Management; Air Quality; Threatened and Endangered Species; Urban Golf and Seaside Golf.

Along with the BMPs and links to state regulations and agencies, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) section is available at the end of each section which serves as a quick reference for everyday situations and questions that a golf course superintendent may be confronted with.

The guide was financed through the annual California GCSA “California Room” hospitality event held yearly at the Golf Industry Show as well as $15,000 in grants from GCSAA. The digital platform allows superintendents to customize the guides to the unique needs of their facility or agro-

nomic region and can be printed in either a PDF or Word format for distribution to policymakers, golfers, environmental groups, regulatory agencies and communities. Access to the document is free of charge for GCSAA members. View the document in its entirety here.

A big thank you goes out to the committee volunteers for their time and effort in making this guide a reality as well as the sponsors at the yearly California Room who helped contribute financially to the project. You have created a legacy that will serve future generations in the golf maintenance industry.

I appreciate your continued support and if I can be of any assistance please don’t hesitate to contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and visit my website at https://www.gcsaa.org/resources/region al-resources/secure/southwest for updates from around the region as well as a calendar of events.

The SNGCSA is now on Facebook and Twitter.

Check it out!

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Affiliate Member Highlight: Rodney Muller, Sierra Pacific Turf

By John Farley Rod Muller is the best kind of salesman.

He’s knowledgeable, professional, punctual and above all a former golf course superintendent.

He has the tools and the background to do the job well. And being a former superintendent he’s easy to trust. He’s “been there” and “done that”. He’s a man of the cloth if you will.

He hails from the Midwest being born in Pratt Kansas. He grew up and went to school there. He graduated from MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Management and Human relations. If that wasn’t enough, he went on to Kansas State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in golf course management. Suffice it to say, he’s well educated.

Once his education was complete it was time for Rod to enter the work force. He took an internship as assistant superintendent at Indian Hills Country Club and then moved onto the Topeka Country Club where he was the assistant superintendent for six years.

At this point California was calling his name and he answered. He and his wife Debbie loaded up and drove out to San Francisco where he worked at Monarch Bay as the assistant. He was only there for nine months before he was snapped up by Tilden Park Golf Course in Berkeley as superintendent.

After cutting his teeth in the bay area he applied for and received the job as superintendent at Empire Ranch Golf Course in Folsom. Since his course and my course were both managed by the same company I had the pleasure of working with Rod on several occasions. We would share equipment and manpower whenever we would aerate greens. What I noticed

most about Rod was his relaxed easy going disposition. He never seemed to get too wound up about anything. A very valuable trait in this business. He was part Chuck Yager and part Jeff Spakoli. He had the skills and training to face any situation and the cool surfer attitude to get him through any rough spots.

Rod worked at Empire for six years and then in 2016 went to Rancho Murrieta Country Club as superintendent. He was looking forward to renovating the course as new management was set to take over the property and had grand plans. Sadly the deal fell through and his hopes of renovating the course were dashed. He was then offered the job of GM and he took it. He did that for a year and decided it wasn’t his cup of tea. At this point he was ready to make a career shift. He was offered a job with Sierra Pacific Supply as the Rainbird rep and took it. Rod said “ It’s a great company and I was glad to join the team”. He’s been there since early 2018 and doesn’t see any changes in the near future. In other words, he’s quite happy where he’s at.

And by the sounds of it, Sierra Pacific is happy to have him. I’m happy too because Rod now calls on me and it’s always nice to see him. He looks forward to a nice long career at his new gig.

Rod enjoys playing golf and is a solid nine handicapper. He played in college and still loves to play in tournaments. But golf isn’t his only hobby.

He’s an accomplished fisherman. He can fish for bass because growing up in Kansas it’s what you do. But he’s also a really good trout fisherman. I know because he sends me pictures of the fish he catches and cooks for dinner.

Living in Jackson he has ample opportunity to do what he loves. Fishing and golfing are just the tip of the iceberg.

He also loves to ski and is quite good at it. With Kirkwood resort only an hour away he spends many days on the slopes of the Sierra mountains. He and his wife Debbie live in a beautiful house that they renovated. He installed a pool for the summer months and a woodstove for the cold winter nights.

His house sits on 5.5 acres which gives him room to roam and he needs the room not only for himself but for his dogs Bosley, Mingus, Kozmo and Sturgis. Two of which have graced the pages of the Dog days calendar put out by the GCSAA. He also plays baseball but not your ordinary baseball, he plays “vintage” baseball which is a throwback to old school baseball. The rules are vintage but NOT the players he was quick to point out. It’s not old guys playing ball it’s young guys playing old ball. Big difference.

I asked Rod what he enjoys most about his current job and he said without hesitation” It’s the people you meet”. He went on to say how most guys are pretty down to earth and all working towards a common goal. He also enjoys the fact that we all try to help each other out. Most guys are more than willing to offer advice even equipment and manpower. “You don’t see that in many industries,” Rod went onto say. I couldn’t agree more and the fact that Rod sees it that way tells me he’s going to be a very successful salesman. Rod doesn’t like the term “salesman” much. He prefers to think of himself as a “trusted advisor”.

Someone who can help solve problems and move the industry forward. I certainly wish all salesman saw it that way. I guess that’s what sets him apart from the pack. I look forward to Rod calling on me for many years to come.

My office door is always open to guys like him!

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F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m a ti o n

HIGHLIGHTS SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH It was a beautiful day to host our annual Scholarship & Research Tournament and having the GCSAA Board of Directors and Members of the Nor Cal Chapter and Central Cal Chapters made it even more special.

Above are Scott McCullough and Rafael Barajas, CGCS,

Scott McCullough, Jerry Rogers, Rafael Barajas, CGCS and Shane Wright.

Below is Dave Bermudez who has provided the inspiration that helps make our event a success year after year.

The participation of Commercial Pump Co, always makes the event fun. Thank you for supporting our event.

A special air gun made for a fun event at the tournament.

This year we provided $9,000 in scholarships and legacy awards to our students. At left is Natalie Kinney, at right is Marissa Sorbella, Bottom left is David Martin who received the Turf Scholarship. Bottom middle is Ricky Fugate who also received a Turf Scholarship, and at bottom right is Kendall Covin receiving her Legacy award.

Congratulations to all the 2019 SNGCSAA scholarship recipients.

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F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m a ti o n

HIGHLIGHTS TRI CHAPTER MEETING

HOSTED BY STEVE SHOWERS BROOKSIDE C .C .

Pictured at left is Scott McCullough and Sal Sorbello of BelKorp AG. A huge THANK YOU to Belkorp for sponsoring the beverages for our event.

At right is Tracy Shanahan and host superintendent Steve Showers.

Above is Dave Bermudez with his guest Jim Stone.

Pictured above is Thomas Slevin from Napa Golf Course

Above is Kevin Friesen, Nolan Stark, and Joel Wong

Our educational speakers for the BMP roll out were, from left Dr. Koch from Koch Turf & Ornamental, Jeff Jensen, GCSAA and Emily Fuger GCSAA Manager, Environmental Programs, and Mike Blankenship.

Approximately 75 attendees were trained on how to access and use the California BMP Template.

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F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m a ti o n

Jim Husting, CGCS Inducted into the SNGCSA Turf Grass Hall of Fame from 1995 to 1998 at which time he became the president of the State Association. Jim was also serving on the Sierra Nevada GCSA Board during that time and became President of the chapter in 1997. In addition to his State and local chapter board duties he pretty much single handedly became the voice of advocacy for the California At the 2019 Scholarship and GCSA members. This was a position Research Tournament Jim Husting he took on without being asked and was inducted into the SNGCSA Turf became the industry's government Grass Hall of Fame. On hand to prerelations liaison in California for 13 sent the plaque to Jim was his long years. Jim served on the GCSAA’s government relations committee from time friend Rafael Barajas, CGCS, Jim served on the State Board 1997-98 and again from 2008-09. He played an instrumental part in keeping all the California chapters informed of government issues that affected California's golf industry. Jim established a government relations network of more than 300 industry professionals throughout the state who received his 800 MOSSDALE RD, LATHROP, CA. action alerts. His gov209 234-1500 www.brownsandinc.com ernment relations upPRODUCTSSERVICES AVAILABLEdates were also posted USGA Top Dressing Sand Deliveries by MAGNUM TRUCKING INC. on the California Greens Top Dressing Sand Blend Materials to Customers Specifications Bunker Sand GCSA's web site and Profile / Sand Blends his efforts in Sacra0-0-50 / Kiln Dried Sand blends Kiln Dried USGA Sand - 3000lbs Super Sacks mento include helping Dakota Peat Sand Blends obtain funding in supPeat Inc Sand Blends port of research on Pea Gravel Top Soil pine pitch canker, fire ants, and sudden oak death syndrome; as FOR ALL YOUR MATERIAL NEEDS PLEASE CALL OUR OFFICE OR well as a successful REGGIE POMICPIC – Director of Sales and Market grassroots campaign Cell# 209 993-5211 E-mail: reggie@brownsandinc.com to expand the triploid

grass carp permit statewide as a nonchemical method of aquatic pest control in golf course waterways. Jim initiated the first economic impact study to research the financial impact of golf in California -- findings from which continue to serve as a tool for the golf industry to educate lawmakers on the value and substantial economic impact of golf to the state.

Jim’s efforts did not go unrecognized.

In 1998 and again in 2009 Jim was awarded the Member of the Year by the Sierra Nevada GCSA, In 2006 the Northern California GCSA awarded Jim the George Santana Distinguished Service Award and in 2010 Jim was awarded the GCSAA Colonel John Morley Distinguished Service Award and was honored at the 2011 GCSAA Golf Industry Show.

Jim attended school at California Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo and at Kent State University. He also served as an Adjunct Professor of Ornamental Horticulture at San Joaquin Delta College.

His experience in all golf course operations including long-range planning, business management, turfgrass science as well as pest management has made him a valuable asset of the team at Woodbridge Golf & Country Club. He was with the club for 32 years and retired from there in 2019 With all these accomplishments and with the dedication this man has shown to our industry it was a natural decision of the Sierra Nevada Board of Directors to induct James Christopher Husting, CGCS to the Sierra Nevada GCSA Turfgrass Hall of Fame.

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F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m a ti o n

California Golf Course Superintendents Association publishes state Best Management Practices Guide The California Golf Course Superintendents Association, with assistance from its allied golf partners, recently published the California Golf Industry Best Management Practices Guide (BMPs). It was developed using the Best Management Practices Planning Guide and Template created by the GCSAA. California has been working on the project for two years.

The California Golf Industry BMP Committee includes superintendents from each of the California GCSA’s six regional chapters (Central California, Hi-Lo Desert, Northern California, San Diego, Sierra Nevada, Southern California) as well as the California Alliance for Golf, California Golf Course Owners Association, GCSAA, Southern California Golf Association, Southern California PGA, University of California Cooperative

Extension and the USGA. The committee employed the services of Blankenship & Associates, Inc. out of Davis, Calif. to serve as the environmental consultant and project manager.

The BMP guide features 17 sections: Planning, Design and Construction; Irrigation; Surface Water Management; Water Quality Management; Nutrient Management; Cultural Practices; Integrated Pest Management; Pesticide Management; Pollinator Protection and Enhancement; Maintenance Operations; Landscape and Out of Play Areas; Energy; Groundwater Management; Air Quality, Threatened and Endangered Species; Urban Golf and Seaside Golf.

Along with the BMPs and links to state regulations and agencies, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) section is available at the end of each section

which serves as a quick reference for everyday situations and questions that a golf course superintendent may be confronted with.

The guide was financed through the annual California GCSA “California Room” hospitality event held yearly at the Golf Industry Show as well as $15,000 in grants from GCSAA. he digital platform allows superintendents to customize the guides to the unique needs of their facility or agronomic region and can be printed in either a PDF or Word format for distribution to policymakers, golfers, environmental groups, regulatory agencies and communities. Access to the document is free of charge for GCSAA members.

F o r e Y o ur I nf o r m a ti o n

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