MarApr 2015

F ORE Y OUR I N F O R MA T I O N

March/April 2015

May Meeting Lake Wildwood Golf Course Hosted by Bill Hamilton, CGCS

Sierra Nevada GCSA An Affiliate Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

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May 4, 2015 Lake Wildwood Golf Course Hosted by Bill Hamilton, CGCS

July 27, 2015

BILL HAMILT ON, CGC S HOS T S UPERINTENDEN T

M E E T I N G DA T E S

Annual Scholarship & Research Tournament Valley Hi Country Club Hosted by Sean McPhedran

August 10, 2015 Annual Tri Chapter Meeting Coyote Creek in Morgan Hill

Hosted by NorCal GCSA

September 2015 Annual President’s Cup Tournament Location to be confirmed

October 2015 Location to be Confirmed

November 2015 Annual Association Meeting & Election Location to be confirmed

2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

DIRECTORS

Rob Williams

Dave Bermudez Del Rio Golf & Country Club 209-341-2413 William Hamilton Lake Wildwood Association

Stockton Golf & C.C. 209-462-6734

VICE PRESIDENT Kurtis Wolford Cherry Island Golf Course 916-991-7659

530-432-2187

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Hulises Avila, Greenhorn Creek Resort 209-736-8164

Mike Scully Valley Crest/Modesto 209-578-9678

PAST PRESIDENT Jesse Seguin

Fr o n t Cove r La ke Wi ld wo o d Go l f Co u r s e

Scott Dickson Micke Grove Golf Links 209-369-7037

Affiliate Representatives Jim Barbuto Ewing Irrigation 916-502-3287 Joe Kurung West Coast Sand & Gravel 916-386-8177

FORE YOUR INFORMATION Published by the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association

EDITOR Bill Hamilton, CGCS OFFICE SNGCSA 5322 N. Leonard, Clovis, CA 93619 559-298-6262 Fax# 559-298-6957

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P R E S I D E N T S M E S S AG E Hello everyone!

Once again we are gearing up for another summer, with many greens already having been aerated, fertilized, sanded and seeded. We aerated our greens just in time for a soaking rain storm to arrive at my golf course, and what a glorious sight and sound the rain was. I hope we all receive a lot more rain now and through out the summer.

San Antonio has come and gone and it was great to catch up to friends and colleagues again. It is a good time to see the latest and greatest machines and technologies, but also to expand your network of superintendents and industry affiliates. If you have not been able to attend a GIS in a while, we will be hearing from Mike

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ROB WILLIAMS

Scully and Kurtis Wolford on some alternative ways to attend the GIS. The drought is still a major situation to deal with at our own courses and as an industry as a whole.

On April 14th at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento the Sacramento Golf Industry Water Conservation Task Force met. Associations represented at the meeting were Sierra Nevada GCSA, GCSA of Central California, Northern California GCSA, California PGA, Northern California GCOA and NCGA. We heard from the RWA-Regional Water Authority who gave us an update on the drought language and laws that have been passed and what they mean for the future of our industry. The task force also be presented the finalized alternative means of compliance document (AMC). All this information is available on the Sierra Nevada website.

The grass roots tournament at

William Land Park was well attended and we thank Bob Cline for hosting us once again. Our guest speaker was Brian Whitlark, Agronomist from the USGA. A lot of information was shared by Brian with a lot of conversation generated. Congratulation to the annual award winners.

On May 4th at Lake Wildwood, Bill Hamilton, CGCS will host our monthly meeting. We will have education also at this meeting with topics including dealing with the drought and how we can communicate our water conservation efforts to media, golfers and the general public. Bill keeps the course in great shape and I will be looking forward to visiting with him and enjoying the results of his efforts.

Sign up fast and network with friends.

The SNGCSA board is here to support our members, please let us know if you have any question or need additional information.

Cheers!

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GIS S A N A N T O N I O What an incredible year to attend the GIS in San Antonio! I really wanted to attend the GIS this year but it just wasn’t in the budget (personal or work) so I contacted Jeff Michael Scully Jenson and Irene Cline for ways to attend with little or no cost. Apparently there are numerous ways to attend not only the GIS but other professional development avenues of your choosing through various scholarships, grants, and PDI’s. The one I applied for was the Plant Health Scholarship sponsored by the EIFG and Bayer. The Plant Health Scholarship provides superintendents with an opportunity to pursue their passion in plant health, while also help-

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ing advance the turfgrass industry.

Each year Bayer and the EIFG give out two of these scholarships nationwide. I had to answer a handful of essay questions concerning challenges I face as a golf course superintendent. Most of my answers to the various questions dealt with the drought, mandatory watering restrictions and allotment reductions, high salts and nitrates in well water, and the rising pressure of Rapid Blight as a result of those above mentioned circumstances. I honestly never thought I would be chosen in a nationwide search with so many other qualified applicants. The $2500 scholarship was used to attend the GIS which covered every single one of my costs associated with the show. I attended several seminars.

The class on BMP’s for Saline and Sodic Turfgrass sites, taught by Dr. Duncan from the University of Geor-

gia and Jeff Plotts CGCS for TPC at Scottsdale, was one of my favorite. I also attended seminars on environmental sustainability, ADA compli-

ance, beekeeping in relation to the industry, and I attended an ASGCA forum with top architects from across the country. The trade show floor (Continued on page 6)

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GIS SAN ANTONIO C ONTINUED FROM P AGE 5 was amazing with what seemed like a never ending amount of great booths from familiar companies and new ones as well. It took me two complete days to make it around as I kept getting stopped by old friends at almost every turn as well as taking the time to investigate new products and equipment. The chance for networking was incredible and I was able to meet quite a few new contacts from all over the world.

I attended many evening events including a Bayer reception which included many great people and I was able to hang out with Dr. Frank Wong for quite a while. I also attended evening events with Toro, ValleyCrest, Simplot, Turfnet, and my favorite the California Room at the Historic Sunset Station. There was great attendance at this event and it provided me with a great way to catch up with some of my fellow board members, colleagues, as well as meet some new California golf course industry leaders. The closing night celebration was a fantastic

David Feherty during Closing Ceremonies GIS San Antonio

event full of laughs and good times with host David Feherty.

Bottom line, I highly encourage everyone to look into the various avenues out there to help fund your professional development. These opportunities are available not only through the GCSAA but many other sources.

Best of luck this season as it’s going to be one of the most challenging in history (unless you happen to be that course with no water restrictions or reductions) as we face the largest drought California has ever seen.

The 2015 U.S. Senior Open is only a few months away! June 22nd through June 28th Del Paso Country Club will be hosting the best players in the world over 50. This is not only an exciting time for our Club but California and the Sacramento region specifically. The 2015 U.S. Senior Open will be the largest sporting event in Sacramento history.

In order for something of this magnitude to be successful it requires people‌...good people!

We are looking for volunteers to help us for the week of the Championship. It would be an honor to have the SNGCSAA and their members be a part of this event.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Melinda Schwartz.

Melinda@delpasocountryclub.c om

or 916-246-7215.

Thank You! Mark McKinney, CGCS

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B I L L H A M I LT O N , C G C S L A K E W I L DW O O D G. C.

Bill Hamilton, CGCS at 2015 Masters

As a diversion from the typical Superintendent Spotlight, I am going to interview myself. Here are my three claims to turf grass growing fame: my first job was as Jack Nicklaus' yard boy in North Palm Beach, Florida. I've done six televised PGA tournaments, and most recently I spent a year working at a country club in China.

I think you'll agree that this is probably one of the best underpaid jobs on the planet. I got into the golf course superintendent business as an offshoot of my love of the game of golf. My folks gave me my first set of clubs at age seven, and I began hacking golf balls with reckless abandon. My game hasn't changed much in 50 years. I think that most of us got into this profession because we do love the game and what it stands for. In my mind that is honesty, integrity, and camaraderie. In any group of superintendents, you'll typically find that these same traits are common among the individuals that grow grass for a living. I have to be careful when referencing that profession here in Nevada County. As a member of SNGCSA, I have a much greater respect for this particular association than I had for the many others that I've been affiliated with over the years. If you have seen my

resume you would understand that I've been a member of many. I enjoy this group of members so much that when asked to run for the board of directors I said "Why not?" Now as a board member, I ask myself "Why don't more guys see the opportunity here that I do?" There is so much intelligence and personality in our group of members that it boggles the mind. This beautiful part of California and Nevada has attracted some of the best grass farmers in the country. Yeah, we all plant sod with the green side up, but the willingness of our comrades to share information, tips, successes, and failures is priceless.

The key is that you have to be together at the same time for that exchange to happen. Eighty percent of success is showing up. We are all as busy as the next guy, but when you make it a priority to attend then you get back more than just the price of admission. I have made it a personal mission to get to every meeting that I feasibly can. Going anywhere from Penn Valley is about an hour's worth of mission in any direction.

Anyway, I hope that you can find the time and make the effort to come to Lake Wildwood on May 4th. You will get to see the "before" pic-

ture of the clubhouse demolition. We'll actually be meeting below the big top tent that will be our activity center for the next couple of years. We have a great golf course here that is very fun to play. It is like a vitamin that most of our members have to take every day. So load the date into your smart phone and let your assistant be "employee of the day". I typically find that more gets done in my absence than my presence. Check my theory and come see your fellow chlorophyll stained comrades here at Lake Wildwood.

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FROM THE FIELD

JEFF JENSEN, GCSAA FIELD STAFF, SOUTHWEST REGION

The marketing department at GCSAA has Jeff Jensen been busy this spring creating the “Thank a Golf Course Superintendent” promotional campaign.

The campaign is aimed at the country’s 25 million golfers and features a combination of television, radio, internet and print media’s.

The television spots (15 and 30 seconds) are anchored by 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus and

feature numerous PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour professionals including Rory Mcllroy, Ricky Fowler, Jordan Spieth, Matt Kuchar, Jay Haas, Fred Funk, Michelle Wie and CBS Sports Golf Analyst Nick Faldo.

The spots can be viewed in their entirety at http://www.gcsaa.org/ community/chapter-leaders/ managing-your-chapter/materialsfor-chapter-publications and will run throughout 2015 on The Golf Channel.

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The radio spot (30 seconds) again features Nicklaus thanking golf course superintendents and is running on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (Sirius 208, XM 93) as well as golf radio shows throughout the country. Listen to the spot at http:// www.gcsaa.org/community/chapter -leaders/managing-your-chapter/ materials-for-chapter-publications.

The internet and print campaign features a giveaway for a trip to the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Golfers who submit an online thank you note to their local golf course superintendent are entered into the giveaway. The thank you notes will then be passed onto the mentioned golf course superin(Continued on page 9)

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tendent as well as the superintendent’s employer.

The creative campaign is the brainchild of Russell Sypowicz, GCSAA associate director of marketing and Craig Smith, GCSAA director of communications and media. Both are new to the staff at GCSAA and are making great strides with our marketing and outreach efforts.

In other news, Jenny Pagel-Guile is the new face of the GCSAA Certification Program replacing Penny Mitchell who retired in February after 28 years with the organization. Jenny is working to help further develop and grow the CGCS program as well as maintain the certification status. 22 CGCS were newly certified in 2014 and eight applicants have started the process in 2015. Please feel free to reach out to her directly for questions regarding the application process or eligibility at JPagel-Guile@gcsaa.org. She wants to hear member feedback in order to provide more directed services.

Thank you for your support of GCSAA and I hope you all get the opportunity to enjoy some golf this spring. If I can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me a jjensen@gcsaa.org and make sure to follow me on Twitter @GCSAA_SW for daily updates from the golf industry.

2015 SCHOLARSHIP & RESEARCH TOURNAMENT VALLEY HI C. CL. BY

DAVE BERMUDEZ

The Scholarship and Research Tournament is in full planning motion.

The Scholarship Applications are out and we are in full swing with obtaining Auction Items for this years event. Everything is confirmed with this year’s tournament scheduled on July 27 at Valley Hi Country Club. We thank Sean McPhedran, our host superintendent for offering us his fine facility for this special event.

Once again Syngenta and Joe Ballmer have donated the tee prizes. We think you will enjoy this years selection.

We would like to thank all the golf industry suppliers who in the past had 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 as well as bringing some great prizes for the raffle.

It is important to remember that the money raised from this tournament goes to Scholarships, Turfgrass Research, Personal and Professional Development Program, and our Benevolence Fund.

Over the last four years the money raised from this event exceeds $100,000. We could not have done this without everyone participating.

Put the date on your calendar for this very important event. Kurtis Wolford and I will be cochairing the event again this year and as always look forward to seeing everyone there. So remember to save the date. July 27th..

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G O L F D AY On Tuesday March 24th representatives from California’s allied golf associations convened at the State Capitol for the golf industry’s first “Day at The Capitol.” The day was an important step in creating a base of knowledge as to the involvement and efforts that our industry is participating in and working towards.

CAG legislative advocate Tony Rice was instrumental in putting the event together. Tony arranged a total of eight meetings with legislators, legislative staff, key committee staff, as well as Executive branch staff, and kept our group on schedule and on point.

In attendance were CAG President and Northern California PGA Executive Director Chris Thomas, CGCOA Past President Steve Plummer, NCGA Executive Director Vaughn Kezirian, California GCSA Board member Jim Ferrin, California Turfgrass and Landscape Foundation CEO Bruce Williams, CAG Board Member and Doctor’s Orders: Play Golf Founder Emmy MooreMinister, NCGA Board Member Tom Bone, and Marc Connerly GCOA and NCGCSA Director.

SCGA Governmental Affairs Director Craig Kessler fell ill prior to the event and was sincerely missed, but certainly deserves credit for his role

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in planning the event.

The contingent met with Assembly members Ian Calderon and Phil Ting, as well as staff for Assembly members Marc Levine, Mike Gatto, and Jimmy Gomez; staff for the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee and the Senate Committee on Governance and Finance; a Senior Advisor on Energy and Environmental issues; and a Senior Advisor to Governor Brown.

The majority of the discussion focused on water, with golf industry representatives taking turns focusing the discussion around several major points: · Golf courses, combined with parks and other large landscapes, use approximately 1% of the state’s water (in contrast to roughly 80% usage by ag.) · Approximately 1/3 of all courses in the state are on recycled water, and it is our industries goal for 100% to be on recycled eventually · The primary obstacle to increased use of recycled water is the lack of infrastructure · 70%-80% of courses are public play, not private · Golf contributes $13.3B to the state’s economy · Golf employs more than 128,000 workers in California

· The industry can point to examples of exceptional environmental stewardship, including 30% reduction in turf and installation of a highefficiency, computer-controlled irrigation systems such as that at Poppy Hills · Turf provides an excellent natural water filtration system · More Latinos and women are being introduced to golf · FootGolf is bringing soccer and golf together, increasing utilization of golf courses, and introducing new people to the courses The recurring theme of the responses received throughout the day was that there is no legislation pending or under discussion, or overall sentiment geared towards Draconian water policies that would hamstring golf courses. Quite frequently, there was surprise on the part of those with whom we met upon hearing that golf courses use less than 1% of the state’s water. That point seemed to resonate well.

A few of the other comments and recommendations that came from the day’s meetings: · The industry needs to do a better job of publicizing our use of recycled water and “tell our story.” · It was recommended that we (Continued on page 11)

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develop a one-page information piece educating elected officials and the public about golf’s efforts to conserve water, as well as the sport’s value as a source of recreation for children and communities. · It is important for golf stakeholders to form relationships with their legislators. · There is not a lot of desire by the Legislature to regulate water. They would prefer to leave that to the local districts and focus on getting bond money out the door to assist with water conservation. · There are no internal conversations at the Governor’s office about shutting off water at golf courses. · The Governor’s office understands that “one size fits all” doesn’t work for water policy, preferring a targeted savings percentage. · It was recommended that the golf industry partner with the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA). · “The first time I ever saw recycled water in use was at a golf course.” (Kip Lipper, Senior Advisor on Energy and Environmental issues) The lone negative on an otherwise entirely positive day was the news from Kip Lipper that red tape is preventing the distribution of bond money for recycling projects until late 2016 because the guidelines for said funding are encountering delays in publication by the regulatory entities.

Finally, a couple of unexpected surprises were presented. First, during a discussion on the industry’s preliminary efforts to form a self-funded California Golf Commission, John Scribner, Chief of Staff for Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez, offered to provide draft language for the bill that would be necessary to authorize the Commission. While he could not commit the Assemblyman to authoring the bill, the gesture was a necessary and welcome step in the process.

Second, Assemblyman Phil Ting indicated that he has authored AB 945, which will exempt from sales tax until 2020 all electric vehicle sales, including those golf carts that meet the definition.

All in all, it was a very informative and uplifting day for golf in California, and hopefully the first of many.

Thank you to Marc Connerly, Executive Director, Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California for supplying this overview of the day for our members

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Karen Pisani Nufarm Americas Class Affiliate

Rounds 4 Research 2015 Auction Date: June 8-21, 2015 Questions?

Contact Mischia Wright, Associate Director, EIFG 800.472.7878, ext. 4445 • mwright@gcsaa.org

The Sierra Nevada GCSA would like your assistance in helping us become a bigger part of this worthwhile program. Lets start getting those rounds donated today!!!

Contact the association office if you want to become a part of this program.

Presented in partnership with The Toro Company.

The SNGCSA is now on Facebook and Twitter. Check it out!

Check out the website: Sierranevadagcsa.com

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Highlights from GrassRoots Tournament Wm Land Park

Pictured above is Doug Heindrichs. The Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association honored Doug for maintaining his facility to a standard that reflects consistent, high quality playing conditions while displaying exceptional agronomic and management skills

Rich Scholes received the 2014 GrassRoots Award for his outstanding career efforts and his contributions to the association and the industry.

The Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association honors Kurtis Wolford and Matt Dillon, CGCS for theirs contributions for the betterment of the Association, its members, and the golf course superintendent’s profession

Reggie Pomicpic from Brown Sand is honored with the Affiliate Merit Award for 2014. Reggie is pictured at left with Rob Williams.

At right Wes Leith takes home the Grass Roots trophy again this year.

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