FORE YOUR INFORMATION March April 2018
May 24, 2019 Turkey Creek Golf Course Hosted by Mike Kavaney
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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E
Bill Hamilton, CGCS
Does it feel to you that "season" starts like a Ferrari going from zero to ninety in three seconds? Or, maybe that's dormancy to lush growth in three days. While golfers are coming out in droves to play in the springtime beauty, we superintendents have a huge list of things to do. The April expectations of the "Augusta effect" doesn't help the work load either. Aerification, pre-emergents, seed heads, winter weeds, grub preventative, late season
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diseases, finding help, and don't forget to keep up with that flush of growth that happened overnight! Can you also rebuild a few bunkers now that the rain has stopped? Newsflash, it hasn't. All this is enough to make a veteran pull his hair out. But then if it was easy, anyone could do it. Good luck with all that. The March Miracle of excess rain flooded out our annual attempt at a Grass Roots Event in William Land Park. Maybe next year Bob. We're now looking at having the Grass Roots this July as a summer break event. Guaranteed no rain then. We have awards to pass out yet and are still looking for a few deserving superintendents to give them to. Please share your recommendations with Irene. We had a great educational event in beautiful Winters, CA, at Hedgerow Farms. Hedgerow is a supplier of California native grasses, flowers, ground covers, and
plants. You can check out their website and you'll be surprised at all their natural offerings. This was an educational meeting with CEU's and PDI hours available to all those that attended. There was a tour of the grounds and speakers to answer all the questions about establishing native areas. This event was a joint meeting with our Nor Cal friends. After lunch we took a short fifteen minute ride over to Wildwings G.C. and enjoyed a quick round of golf. Next up in May will be our meeting at Turkey Creek. Mike Kavaney will host the event which again will include education, knowledge, food, and camaraderie. Get out of the office for a day because it's going to be a long, hot summer. You deserve the break.
2018 SNGCSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT William Hamilton CGCS Lake Wildwood Association VICE PRESIDENT Kurtis Wolford Cherry Island G.C.
SECRETARY/TREASURER Scott McCullough The Ridge Golf Course
PAST PRESIDENT Scott Dickson Brightview
DIRECTORS Dave Bermudez Del Rio Golf & Country Club
Stacy Baker Haggin Oaks Golf Course
John Farley Teal Bend G.C.
Affiliate Representatives Matt Graves Belkorp Akoni Ganir, Simplot Partners
Keith Hill, CGCS Hidden Valley C.C.
Mark Callahan Plumas Pines G.C.
M E E T I N G DA T E S
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May 24, 2018
November 5, 2018
Turkey Creek G.C. Hosted by Mike Kaveney
Annual Association Meeting & Election Haggin Oaks Golf Club Hosted by Stacy Baker
June 18, 2018
December 6, 2018
Scholarship & Research Tournament Granite Bay G.C. Hosted by Matt Dillon, CGCS
Annual Holiday Event Teal Bend Golf Course Hosted by John Farley
2019 August 20, 2018 Tri Chapter Meeting
Cor ‘d Valle Golf Course Hosted by Nor Cal Association
January 8, 2019 Turf Tech Workshop The Ridge Golf Course
February 2-7, 2019 October 8, 2018 President’s Cup Tournament Schaffer's Mill
GCSAA Golf Industry Show San Diego Convention Center
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F ROM T HE F IELD BY
JEFF JENSEN GCSAA FIELD STAFF
Is your facility looking for a community service project that promotes the turf industry, develops future golfers and future employees while providing some positive meJeff Jensen dia coverage? Is so, The First Green might be for you. The First Green is an innovative education outreach program using golf courses as hands-on environmental learning labs. First Green has worked with golf course superintendents for over 20 years and is now under the umbrella of GCSAA through our philanthropic organization the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG). The premise of the program is simple: Superintendents host a class of students on field trips where they have the opportunity to see first-hand what the golf industry is all about. Water conservation, water quality, soil tests, plant identification, wildlife habitat, equipment demonstrations, landscaping and the
opportunity to hit balls at the practice range or putt on the putting green are just a few of the hundreds of activities that can be implemented at a First Green Field Day. The program has traditionally been for grade school age children ranging from 3rd to 8th grade. With GCSAA now overseeing the program, we will be instituting additional materials for high school students so we can better promote the turf industry as a potential career. Typical class size for a field trip is 25 students and trips are approximately 90 minutes in length. It is the responsibility of the superintendent to find a local school to arrange the field trip with. Most of us know a teacher, maybe are married to one or know somebody who can assist in setting up a trip. Once you get it set-up with the school (through personal experience it is easier to work with a private or charter school), ask a few local superintendents to help you out as well as your golf professional or general manager. The day can serve as a great teambuilding exercise for your staff as well.
More information including curriculum examples, videos, and hosting tips are available at www.thefirstgreen.org. Curriculum for high school age students will be available later this summer after the transition to GCSAA/EIFG is complete. I am involved in several of these trips each year in Arizona and California and they are a great way to promote the game, the profession and environmental sustainability to our local communities. If you have any questions regarding First Green or if I can assist you with any other GCSAA related matters, please email me at jjensen@gcsaa.org. Last, but not least, please support your local chapter events this summer. Your Board of Directors and Chapter Executive Irene Cline are working hard on your behalf to provide quality education, venues and golf and they deserve your support.
The SNGCSA is now on Facebook and Twitter. Check it out!
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T E AL B E N D HO ST S D E CE MBER MEETING AND CHRISTMAS PA RT Y
May Meeting at Turkey Creek Golf Course Hosted by Mike Kavaney
Mike Kaveney, superintendent at Turkey Creek Golf Course, will host the May meeting for the Sierra NeMike Kavaney vada GCSA. Mike has been the superintendent at Turkey Creek for just under three years after moving here from Plumas Lakes Golf & Country Club. Mike grew up in the golf business. His family owned and operated Sunset Whitney Country Club, and he started working on the
course at a very young age. He went his own direction for a while working construction jobs: asphalt, concrete, framing, and painting. He even worked one season of commercial fishing in Alaska before settling down at Sunset Whitney Country Club where he remained for 30 years. He loves being on the golf course every day, directing the crew, watching the turf respond to the changes of the seasons, and he loves the game of golf. After leaving Sunset Whitney he went on to Plumas Lake Golf and Country Club where he work for another 3 years, changing and improving that course. In July 2015 the superintendent position became available and Mike was eager to take on the new position at the beautiful Turkey Creek Golf Club. Mike loves the layout of the course and its natural beauty. After getting through a very serious drought season, he starting
taking on several projects: the reconstruction and re-sodding of all the par 3 tees, a complete renovation of all the green side bunkers, and then taking on the renovation of all the fairway bunkers in house. Mike enjoys reconstructing and constantly improving any property that he has been involved with. Turkey Creek Golf Club is in Lincoln, California. It has natural surroundings that enhance any golf game. The course was designed by golf architect Brad Bell. The course is very challenging, yet beautiful, with three environmental signatures: the rolling oaks on the front nine holes, the rugged quarry area and a back nine complete with stunning heritage oaks and granite outcroppings. Mike and his wife, Carol, have been married to for 25 years. They have a daughter, Serena, 24, and a son, John, 22. Mike enjoys off road motorcycle racing, cross country and desert, golfing, camping, traveling, and working on projects at home, including gardening and wood working. Mike is looking forward to hosting the May meeting.
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
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California GCSA BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES UPDATE
The state is moving forward and has finalized the selection of the third party vendor. They are happy to report that we will be working with Blankenship & Associates of Davis, CA. Blankenship & Associates will be moving forward with the BMP document utilizing the GCSAA template. They will provide overall project management (including project timelines
and budgets) communication and administrative duties under the guidance of the committee. The committee will be holding their Kick Off meeting in early May. To read more on the BMP’s go to https://www.gcsaa.org/environment/b est-management-practices The BMP project is being funded by the California GCSA.
CGCSA has held fund raising efforts ie California Room for the last 4 years and has applied to GCSAA and received two grants to help with these efforts. This will benefit all our California Chapters and we are looking forward to telling you more as we progress. If you have questions please contact Irene Cline or Kimberly Milne at 559-298-6262
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2018 S C H O L A R S H I P & R E S E A RC H T O U R N A M E N T B Y D AV E B E R M U D E Z The excitement is climbing. Auction items are coming in for the Research and Scholarship Tournament. This year’s tournament is scheduled on June 18th at Granite Bay Golf Club. We thank Matt Dillon CGCS, our host superintendent for offering us his fine facility for this special event. Once again Syngenta and Joe Ballmer will be sponsoring the tee prizes. We would like to thank all the golf industry suppliers who have already stepped up with equipment displays, donated items for the live 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. We are still accepting and asking for donations for this year’s event. As always the money raised from this tournament goes to Scholarships, Turfgrass Research, Personal and Professional Development Program, and our Benevolence Fund. Money raised from this event is approach-
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ing $200,000. We could not have done this without everyone’s participants. Lets make this year another successful event. Be sure to let us know if you can help. You can call either myself, David Bermudez, or Kurtis Wolford. You can also email or call the association office with your donation. SNGCSA 559-298-6262 Ask for Irene or Kim they will be happy to help.
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AFFILIATE PROFILE JIM BARBUTO, EWING IRRIGATION B Y S TA C E Y B A K E R
Jim Barbuto
Sports have always been a part of Jim’s life. Growing up in a small Western Massachusetts town, he played both varsity basketball and baseball for a high school that consisted of 30 students in his graduating class. When he was not playing sports or going to school, Jim spent summers harvesting cucumbers, asparagus, strawberries and squash. He and his fellow teammates would lay on old mattresses in a contraption that looked like the starting gates for a horserace. Pulled by a tractor, the team would handpick the fruits and vegetables and place them on a conveyor belt which loaded the harvest into a pickup truck. From an early age, Jim enjoyed both sports and agriculture. After high school, Jim attended Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and played on the baseball team all four years and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in English/ Communications. After his undergraduate career, he accepted a job as the Director of Operations for the University of Massachusetts football program. Jim’s passion for sports found him pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. During that period, many late nights traveling to sporting events and
interviews later, found Jim assigned to interview a blossoming health and exercise talent by the name of Richard Simmons. In 2003, a long time friend, who worked for Ewing Irrigation in Texas, suggested Jim interview for a job with his company. That led to a meeting in Arizona with Manny Pina. Shortly after that meeting, Jim joined the Ewing Irrigation team in California. The company is named after the founder, King Ewing. His daughter, Sue and husband Ray, continue to provide vast turf grass and irrigation options. Jim and his ownership group have been active sponsors and board affiliates for the SNGCSA for many years. However, their “#8” Food Truck might contribute even more. Jim’s passion for both sports and turf, have lead him towards sports turf management with Ewing. A perfect blend of sports and turf. Supporting Baseball, Football, Golf, Soccer and Polo fields, Jim has taken his experience with golf to the sports field industry. The weekend Four-ball does not impact our turf quite like a Polo match. Having one foot in golf and another in sports turf, Jim encompasses all turf. Through his experience in both The Sports Turf Management Association and local and national golf superintendent associations, he has seen an opportunity for many collaborations with that side of our turf industry. Jim’s experience with sports and turf have been a solid combination. He has many wonderful stories of the two. But, he tells one in particular of being a
kid sitting in the bleachers of Fenway Park for game five of the 1986 World Series, the Boston Red Soxs versus the New York Mets. Jim was sitting in the section directly behind Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry when a Boston fan began chanting “Daaarrrrylllll, Daaarrrrrylllll.” The entire section began to join in the serenade to Darryl. Did the heckling propel the Red Socks to a game six? You will have to ask Jim.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Juan Gonzales Superintendent Swallows Nest Golf Course Douglas Blesse Superintendent Whitehawk Ranch G.C. Vijendra Singh Superintendent Cordova Golf Course Jonathan Moulton Superintendent Resort at Squaw Creek Heather Schapals Superintendent The Golf Club at Rio Vista
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A PRIL E VENT H IGHLIGHTS
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