N ove m b e r/ De c e m b e r 2 0 1 1
FORE YOUR INFORMATION M E S S AG E F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
BY JEFF COUWENHOVEN
President’s Message
2
Meeting Schedule
3
Chapter Delegate Report
4
Outgoing President’s Article
5
Government Relations Update
7
Wilber’s News
8
Thank You 2011 Sponsors
10
GCSAA Las Vegas
11
Meeting Highlights
14
Meeting Highlights
15
Dates to Remember
February 29, 2011 California Room Las Vegas C.C. During the GIS in Las Vegas Sierra Nevada GCSA An Affiliate Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
Every year, the new president has the honor and opportunity to write his first “Presidents Message” for the newsletter and for me, the time is now. I thought of a million things I could write about and jotted them all down on a legal size pad. Yet I struggled to figure out what exactly I was going to write about. I had writers cramp….too much to say, no direction. But one thing kept popping back into my head, “Remember the past to propel the future.” It has always
been my belief that the past is something we use as a tool, something we reflect on to harness and tweak new ideas for our future. It is something that we can use to trigger emotion and to drive us motivationally. The trick, however, is to not dwell in the past so that it prevents you from moving forward. The last few years we have had different successes and challenges. Last year we were able to celebrate more successes. Many of these successes were
started by previous leaders and the cycle is usually repeated, my challenge is keeping the momentum moving in the right direction. I thank Jim Alwine for his great leadership over the past year. Without his commitment and service to our membership, we would not have the association we do. I congratulate Jim for a job well done. At our last board meeting I asked Jim to start a new committee. It (Continued on page 2)
CALIFORNIA TURF & LANDSCAPE FOUNDAT I O N U P DAT E B Y B R U C E W I L L I A M S , C G C S The California Turfgrass and Landscape Foundation has had a busy year. Starting in May, the foundation developed a new set of bylaws and incorporated as a 501 (c) 3. The mission of the foundation is to support research in areas of turfgrass and landscape
throughout the state of California. This research will include but not be limited to turfgrass weed and disease control, insect management, turf breeding and development of water efficient grasses. Concentration on water saving will be key for the future of our state and golf
courses as well. Currently there are research plots in 5 of the 6 regions of the state for work being done by Dr. James Baird and his 5 graduate assistants at U of California Riverside. As stated, the focus for research is not just in one (Continued on page 2)
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Fore Your Information EDITOR Jim Alwine Stockton Golf & Country Club 209-462-6734
OFFICE SNGCSA 5322 N. Leonard Clovis, CA 93619 559-298-6262 Fax# 559-298-6957 sngcsaa@aol.com PRESIDENT Jeff Couwenhoven Woodcreek Golf Course 916-771-7370
VICE PRESIDENT Jeremy Payne Winchester C.C. 916-817-8106
SECRETARY/TREASURER Jesse Seguin Lincoln Hills Golf Course 916-434-7200
PAST PRESIDENT Jim Alwine Stockton Golf & Country Club 209-462-6734
DIRECTORS Dave Bermudez Del Rio Golf & Country Club 209-341-2413 Scott McCullough The Ridge Golf Course 530-888-7122 ext 2 Bob Franco Van Buskirk Golf Course 209-598-0564 Kurtis Wolford Cherry Island Golf Course 916-991-7659
Affiliate Representatives Dave Wilber Sierra Pacific Turf Supply
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE is called the Past Presidents Committee. It will serve Jeff Couwenhoven the role of watchdog and also serve as our election committee and auditing committee. This committee will provide a report at our annual election meeting next November and serve as just another way for our membership to reach our board. The future is bright for our association. We have a large role in the state association with people actively serving our association in the capacity of Government Relations, Website Chairman, and national delegates. Our new Board of Directors is ambitious and full of great ideas for our future. We have a great lineup of meeting locations for the coming year with sites like Northridge C. C., TPC Stonebrae, and starting our season off with our Grassroots tournament at Floratine AquaVive Bio-Amp JRM Farmload Distributors
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William Land Park. There will indeed be some great education with our team venturing out to find new and innovative speakers. As a last note, I feel as though we need to remember people who have served our association this past year and people who performed exceptionally, recognizing their talents in our industry. We will soon be asking for members to nominate individuals for the “Member of the Year” awards. We have awards for “Superintendent of the Year,” “Turf Grass Manager of the Year,” and “Affiliate Member of the Year.” This has been a fun tradition to have at the Grass Roots tournament. I look forward in serving you as president over the next year, and I am always willing to engage in dialogue over anything and everything. It is my duty that you feel served and I will not let you down.
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Your Exclusive Northern California Dealers Mike Farmen
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559-709-6295
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FORE YOUR INFORMATION
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Published by the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association
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Guy Auxer 303-601-2361
916-396-9394
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TURF UPDATE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 area but statewide. Funding will also be throughout the state for projects being researched by any of our universities or independent researchers. As many are aware we have lost quite a few of our key researchers in CA in the last few years. Some have retired and others have taken other jobs and those positions have not been filled. Now is the time to support the remaining positions we have in CA. After the first of the year we should have a broad website up and working that will identify the direction of the foundation and opportunities for membership and support. Please check out www.CaTLF.org for more information. I would like to thank the Sierra Nevada Chapter of GCSAA for their continued support of turfgrass research in CA. We look forward to hearing your needs for qualified field research and working them into the pipeline for future projects. For More Information on the California Turf & Landscape Foundation you can contact:
(800) 322-8417
916-630-7600 Pete Bowman Target Specialty Products
FROM
Bruce Williams, CGCS California Turfgrass and Landscape Foundation P.O. Box 3055 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 brucewms1@hotmail.com
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MEETING SCHEDULE January 2012
May 14,2012
No Meeting Scheduled
Arbuckle Golf Course Host Superintendent Craig McDonald
February 27 to March 3 GCSAA Annual Conference and Golf Industry Show Las Vegas, Nev.
California Room February 29, 2012
June 2012 Date to be confirmed
Las Vegas Country Club
Sierra View C.C. Host Superintendent Kyle Dykstra, CGCS
March 19, 2012
July 23, 2012
William Land Park G.C. Annual GrassRoots Tournament Host Superintendent Bob Cline
April 2012 Date and Location to be Confirmed
Annual Scholarship and Research Tournament North Ridge Country Club Host Superintendent Larry Johnson, CGCS
August 13, 2012 Tri Chapter Event Hosted by Northern California GCSA
Stonebrae Country Club
If you are interested in hosting a meeting email Jeremy Payne at jspturf@hotmail.com or Dave Wilber at davewilber@yahoo.com
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CHAP TE R DEL EG AT E S MEE T ING CAL IFO RN IA REG IO N AL REVIEW BY KEVIN BREEN, CGCS, DELEGATE FOR THE CALIFORNIA GCSA The superintendents of California were well represented at the GCSAA Chapter Delegates meeting in Kansas City over the last weekend in October. This meeting presents the venue where members questions are voiced by their respective delegate, those questions and concerns are addressed at that time by the GCSAA Board of Directors, and / or the GCSAA Staff. California delegates have a reputation at this meeting for asking questions, and providing feedback that helps guide the policies and procedures of the association. The second part of this 2 way street of communication is the information that GCSAA provides on policies and initiatives that the association is undertaking, and that portion of the meeting is outlined in the article titled, “Variety of items discussed at GCSAA Chapter Delegates Meeting”. One of the topics that spe-
cifically dealt with California that was not mentioned in the GCSAA meeting review was the selection of the next field officer for the southwest region. The concern over the short tenure of the previous field officer was examined, as well as how to assist in the success of the next person in the position. There was discussion about how to evaluate the effectiveness of the position, and the delegates thought it important to be able to have a review process. Also of concern was the lack of understanding of the sustainability initiative that GCSAA undertook a few years ago. It was voiced that the people – planet – profit aspect of sustainability was poorly understood, and that most members understand sustainability as being solely about environment. The other large component of the meeting was the introduction of the candidates running for GCSAA officer and director posi-
tions. California has 2 candidates; Pat Finlen, CGCS, running for Vice President, and Rafael Barajas, CGCS, running for director. Both of these individuals represent the superintendents of the State of California very well, and will garner a lot of votes at the annual election meeting at the GIS. For a complete review of all the candidates, go to gcsaa.org. Overall , GCSAA is working hard with fewer resources, just as is much of the golf industry. If you have something you would like to know more about or would like to discuss anything that concerns you as a member of GCSAA, don‟t hesitate to contact your chapter delegate.
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O U T G O I N G P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E BY I am very proud to have been your President in 2011. This membership has done so much for me Jim Alwine and my career and I hope my efforts show as gratitude to the Sierra Nevada GCSA. Acting as President of any association can be difficult, but if you have an energetic and talented Board of Directors, it can be quite simple. Every member of the 2011 BOD played a role in our success and I can‟t thank them enough for making my position so easy to manage. Specifically, I would like to thank them for this: Phil Brown, for managing the membership application process and making sure each new member feels at home and part of the group as soon as they sign up. Frank Putnam, for making the Haggin Oaks Golf Day a major success. Frank handled the whole process including volunteer assignments, grants from GCSAA, promotional handouts, and coordinating with Ken Mor-
J I M ALWIN E
ton, Sam Samuelson, and the Audubon. He made us look really good. Jesse Seguin, for sharing his connections in the industry when we needed a speaker, coordinating equipment demos at the Scholarship Tournament, and stepping up to join the officers as Treasurer for 2012. David Bermudez, for making the S&R Tournament the most successful in the history of the SNGCSA with the introduction of the auction. Great job, and he‟s doing it again for 2012. Jeremy Payne, for unending energy and excellent financial management. Jeremy is the man who makes this association organized with an Excel sheet for nearly everything we do. Jeff Couwenhoven, for volunteering for every position available, working closely with GCSAA, and setting up an impressive list of goals for the coming year. Dave Wilber, for running an educational lineup that is second to none. The last two years have offered some wonderful and engaging educational opportunities and there are many more to come. Pete Bowman, for working hard to diversify the offerings of our golf
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outings in both location and type of facility. Each year we get a new array of courses to visit and many more new locations for 2012. Scott Dickson, for all his efforts on the BOD from 2007-2011, setting a direction and lining up so many goals that we are just starting to check off items on his to-do list. Irene Cline and Kimberly Milne, for being so easy to work with and so good at dealing with the „right now‟ demands of superintendents. If you have any ambition in joining the Sierra Nevada GCSA, I urge you to do so. I was rewarded beyond my contribution and you will be too. Thank you for a great 2011 and I‟ll see you at William Land Park in March, 2012.
Don’t miss out on an issue, an announcement, or important information. Call the Association office today to verify your email address is correct.
559-298-6262 or email us at
sngcsaa@aol.com
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2011 ELECTIONS
The 2011 Elections were held during the state conference in Napa last month. At left Jessie Creencia, CGCS acted as the official vote counter . Above the 2012 board of directors. From left are Scott McCullough, Jim Alwine, Dave Wilber, Jesse Seguin, Bob Franco, Jeremy Payne, Jeff Couwenhoven, and Dave Bermudez. Not pictured is Pete Bowman and Kurtis Wolford. At right 2012 President Jeff Couwenhoven presents Past President Jim Alwine his plaque.
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G OV E R N M E N TA L R E L AT I O N S C O M M I T T E E U P DAT E By Jim Ferrin, CGCS 2012 will bring with it new regulatory efforts. It is best to be prepared. This was a major theme of the CGSA Annual Conference. It is one to take seriously. As a superintendent it will be important for each one of us to get involved and proactively protect our profession. Here is an update. American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Deadline March 2012 Sam Samuelson, ADA Consultant, gave a very informative talk at the CGCSA Conference on the new provisions of the ADA. For those golf courses that are public accessible (which might mean a private country club that holds outside public events) your facility must have all physical barriers removed per the new Recreational directives in the ADA or face fines of $4,000 for each violation starting in March 2012. Litigation on golf courses has been non-existent from ADA advocacy groups so far. Why? The ADA is a complaint driven law. A lawsuit can be initiated very easily and is one reason these ADA groups have been very successful financially over the past decade suing small businesses. They want you to be unaware that you are in non-compliance with the regulations so they can win easily. 42% of the nationwide ADA lawsuits come from California. So if your golf club is in violation (defenseless) you may become a subject to a lawsuit in the near future. NPDES Storm Water Permit Mike Blankinship also spoke at the CGCSA Conference. He gave a very concise presentation advo-
cating the need to protect your golf facility with the proper NPDES permit if hydrology patterns on your golf course might be identified as “Waters of the United States.” In order to treat these areas with labeled aquatic pesticides you need to have the proper NPDES permit in place Although the NPDES permitting process is still a bit sketchy with attempted legislation being considered in the federal legislature to amend the bill it may be wise to contact your local pesticide regulatory agency to see if the permit is mandated or you may face the possibility of a fine. The permit gains you protection. The Clean Water Act gives environmental groups the ability to sue business operations that violate its provisions. E-Verify Deadline January 1, 2012 In some better news with those golf courses that use immigrant workers Governor Brown has signed into law a new regulation in regards to confirming an individual‟s legal right to work at your facility. In effort to reign in the rapidly growing number of individualized city and local E-Verify laws and simultaneously stimulate the California economy, Governor Jerry Brown signed the “Employment Acceleration Act of 2011” (AB 1236) which will take effect on January 1, 2012. This bill prohibits the state from requiring employers to use E-Verify. In a nutshell, the new law prohibits the state, cities or counties from requiring employers to use EVerify, an electronic employment verification system that uses employees‟ Social Security numbers
to determine work eligibility. The bill makes certain exceptions for city or county workers, and also takes into account that E-Verify is a requirement for particular employers under federal or as a condition for employers receiving federal funds. While E-Verify, when used in conjunction with other best practices, can greatly assist employers in ensuring an authorized workforce, these random E-Verify laws may confuse employers. California appears to be taking a stance on the issue, recognizing, perhaps, that a patchwork of local immigration laws with different requirements, different phase in dates, and enormous penalties at city and state levels makes it difficult for national companies to operate without running afoul of a law (or two). Will the federal government follow suit? It costs companies time and money to keep abreast of these laws - and even more time and money to determine whether or not the laws apply to their businesses. Our experience is that many public companies are unaware of what is required of them in terms of E-Verify and how the procedures for complying with the state laws should be implemented internally. Sharp Park Update More good news, but just barely. Bo Links, another presenter at the CGCSA Conference, gave a passionate talk about saving Sharp Park in San Francisco from the environmental groups that are intent on eliminating golf, deeming it a negative environmental hazard in the manner in which the land is maintained with fertilizers and (Continued on page 9)
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W I L B E R ' S S I E R R A N E VA DA N E W S B Y D AV E W I L B E R
Sam Samuelson, CGCS is the new Superintendent at Wildhawk Golf Course. Sam leaves Haggin Oaks, now operated by Morton Golf with Larry Johnson (Super at Northridge Country Club) consulting, as Morton takes over operation of the City of Sacramento's golf facilities. Kevin Breen is the new Superintendent at LaRinconada Country Club in Los Gatos. A big change from Truckee. Certainly no one will ask him what he does all winter long.
You should be and will keep hearing about the fight at Sharp Park Golf Course near Pacifica. It may seem like a long way from us, but the truth is the actions taken there will affect all of us and we all have a dog in the fight. Speak up. Read the info. Be informed. Lastly, congrats to all of you who have made our chapter so strong. We should all be very proud. Come to meetings and take advantage of being part of what is becoming one of the best chapters in the USA.
If you are interested in hosting a meeting you can contact JEFF COUWENHOVEN 916-771-7370 jcouwenhoven@valleycrest.com PETE BOWMAN 916-396-9394 pete.bowman@target-specialty.com DAVE WILBER 916-276-1848 DaveWilber@yahoo.com Irene Cline 559-298-6262 sngcsaa@aol.com
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G OV E R N M E N TA L R E L AT I O N S C O M M I T T E E U P DAT E
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F R O M PAG E
pesticides. A federal district judge in San Francisco has ruled that this group of environmental activists cannot force the shutdown of historic Sharp Park Golf Course, an 80year-old municipal course operated by the City and County of San Francisco. District Judge Susan Illston denied a preliminary injunction sought by the environmental groups, who tried to close major portions of the course because it is a habitat for several endangered species of frogs, snakes and turtles whose populations have actually increased in recent decades! In her 15-page ruling denying the injunction, Judge Ilston noted that “experts for both sides agree that the overall Frog population has increased over the last 20 years,” and that “plaintiffs have failed to show a likelihood of irreparable harm,” which is a requirement for preliminary relief. She added: “the expansion of the Frog population,” coupled with other factors, “make this a situation that does not warrant the temporary, immediate, and drastic relief afforded by a preliminary injunction.”
Law firm Morrison & Foerster is representing the San Francisco Public Golf Alliance, which represents a large group of golfers in the Bay Area and successfully entered the case earlier this year. Morrison & Foerster environmental attorney Chris Carr said, "Plaintiffs' position that the Endangered Species Act is violated by the death of a single or even a few frog eggs out of the hundreds of thousands or more laid each year at Sharp is simply untenable in the face of this biological reality." However at the time of this writing the cause may still be lost if San Francisco mayor Ed Lee doesn‟t veto an Anti-Golf Ordinance. If golf course superintendents in California want to help preserve Sharp Park Golf Course, they must immediately e-mail San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, requesting a veto of the Avalos anti-golf Ordinance, which passed narrowly on December 6 at the Board of Supervisors. Mayor Ed Lee now has 10 days to veto the ordinance or it will go into effect. In a close vote with potential disastrous consequences for affordable public golf, the San
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Francisco Board of Supervisors on December 6 voted 6-5 to open negotiations to turn-over the 400-acre Sharp Park property -- including its Alister MacKenzie-designed golf course -- to the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS has already announced it will not operate a golf course on the property. The Supervisors adopted the controversial motion on "first reading" December 6; they also adopted the ordinance on "second reading" December 13.
Update Mayor Ed Lee vetoed the ordinance on December 19, 2011 Go to link below to read more on the very important issue http://blog.sfgate.com/cityinsi der/2011/12/19/mayor-edlee-vetoes-sharp-parklegislation/
To receive all the up to date government relations news go to Californiagcsa.org
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Government Relations Actively Recruiting Participation The California GCSA Annual Meeting focused on government relations during presentations and even during the breaks. Government Relations Committee Co-Chairman, Jim Alwine and GCSAA Senior Manager for Chapter Outreach, Steve Randall, both manned laptops to help attendees tell congress to block changes to H-2B visa program. GCSAA sponsored Action Alerts are an easy way to get your opinion directly to the decision makers. When you see an email from the CA Government Relations Network asking for you to take part in an Action Alert, please take a good look at the issue and decide if it is worth 1 minute of your time. Action Alerts include a pre-written message and only require your contact info. Recent successes include the veto of Sharp Park's transition to the National Park Above Jim Alwine along with GCSAA Steve Randal help Service and the passing of HR 872. Grass roots letmembers sign on to take action. ter writing campaigns are still effective and they have never been easier.
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HIGHLIGHTS FROM SILVERADO At right Matt Moore jokes with Glen Mathews. The California Meetings are a way to catch up with friends and colleagues .
Pictured at left is Kevin Breen, CGCS. Kevin was the MC for the educational meeting and helped introduce all the speakers for the event. Below is Jeff Couwenhoven
The mini trade show event allowed the attendees to meet several vendors from the local area as well as from other parts of the state. Above Jim Barbuto and Manny Pina manned the booth sponsored by Ewing. Below from the Left is Bruce Williams with Fred Eckert. Bruce helped bring everyone up to date on the California Turf Foundation, an association strongly supported by all the California GCSA Chapters. At right Bill Davis from Stoller in front of his Trade Show Booth. We thank all of our vendors who supported this event.
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MEETING HIGHLIGHTS WINCHESTER HOLIDAY
Tally & Michael Skully
Molly & Jeremy Payne
At left is Christine and Tracy Shanahan At right is Dana & David Medina from Southern LInks
Elizabeth & Jessie Creencia At right are and Steve & Kristen Beck
Karen & Jeff Couwenhoven
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MEETING HIGHLIGHTS WINCHESTER HOLIDAY Golf Tournament & Casino Night
Jessie Creencia, CGCS and Ram Sena Pictured above are Jasmine Schell, Matt Dillon, CGCS, and Scott Canfield getting ready for golf.
Pictured above are Craig Heitman, Pete Fredeen, Pete Bowman, and Jesse Seguin. Casino Night was a huge success and lots of fun. Thanks to Winchester C.C. and their staff for their generosity in supporting our event.