FORE YOUR INFORMATION September/October 2018
Schaffer’s Mill Golf Course 2018 President’s Cup Tournament Hosted by Bryant Wait
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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E
Bill Hamilton, CGCS
Time flies whether your having fun or not! It's already fall of 2018 and this is my last month as President of the SNGCSA. I can't believe that my term has so quickly come to an end. I was just getting warmed up. It's been a good go for the Association this past year, but like anything, there's room to improve. We still need to fix our financial house as outstanding accounts receivable are a constant issue. There was conversation of raising the dues, but all that does is punish the guys and gals that pay their debts on time. The dues will remain the same for this coming year and for a measly 42 cents per day you too can be a member in good standing. I just got and paid my invoice and you should have too. If you also have an out-
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B I L L H A M I LT O N, C G C S
standing balance from the previous year that invoice should arrive as well. Getting our financial house in order allows us to fund research, scholarships, superintendent grants, provide education, bereavements, and keep meeting costs down. In a future effort to facilitate transactions, we'll be implementing an "on-line only" registration program whereby members will have to register for meetings through the website. This is 2018 folks, and checks, snail mail, and IOU's don't apply much anymore. The Association also needs some new blood, brains, and ideas for the coming year. We're looking for a few good men or women to step up and join the Board of Directors. If I can do it, then anyone can. It looks good on your resume, plus it's not a major drain on your time and you can still do your job and get your three rounds per week. Ask not what your Association can do for you, but what can you do to further yourself and your peers. Step up. You won't be disappointed. The October President's Cup meeting was at Schaffer's Mill Golf Course up in Truckee. Big thanks to
all that made the trip and enjoyed the great track that Bryant Wait presented to us. Congratulations to all the winners. We do have some real players in our group. The next meeting, the Election Meeting, will be held on Thursday, November 15, at Cherry Island GC in Elverta, CA. Looking forward to a big turnout to get the next Board of Directors in place so I can hand over the gavel. We have a really strong chapter that covers a wide territory. It's always a treat to see everyone a few times a year, so I'm hoping I'll see you in November. The turf is taking a break and you should too. Finally, I'd like to pay last respects to an old friend and fellow superintendent, Stephen McVey. Stephen and I worked together at Sherwood Country Club back in the early 90's. We had a lot of hard work back then and did five PGA televised events at the high end golf course. We went our separate ways after that, but ended up back here in NorCal. Stephen will be remembered as a good guy that loved the profession and his family. RIP my friend.
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
John Farley Teal Bend G.C.
Keith Hill, CGCS Hidden Valley C.C.
Affiliate Representatives Matt Graves Belkorp Akoni Ganir, 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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2018
February 2-7, 2019
November 15, 2018
2019 California Room February 6, 2019 Landry’s at the Omni Hotel
Annual Association Meeting & Election Cherry Island Golf Course Hosted by Kurtis Wolford
GCSAA Golf Industry Show San Diego Convention Center
March 2019 December 6, 2018 Annual Holiday Event Teal Bend Golf Course Hosted by John Farley
If you are interested in hosting an event please call our office 559-298-6262
2019
Visit our On Line Industry Calendar for all event
January 8, 2019
https://californiagcsa.org/?page_id=3712
Turf Tech Workshop The Ridge Golf Course Hosted by Scott McCullough
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2018 SNGCSA E LECTION The Annual Meeting for the SNGCSA will be held at Cherry Island G.C on November 15, 2018. We sent out nominations forms to the membership and had a great response and some great nominations came from those. So this year we have a wonderful group that will be seeking positions on the SNGCSA Board of Directors for the 2019 fiscal year. Running for President will be Scott McCullough. Scott is the Superintendent at The Ridge Golf Course and has been on our board for the past three years. We are proud to have him lead our association. Running for the VP position will be a very familiar face. Sam Samuelson, CGCS will return to help fill that slot. Sam brings a wealth of experience to the board and we are very appreciative of his commitment to our association and all the members. John Farley, Teal Bend
G.C. has agreed to step up to an officer position and will seek the Secretary/Treasurer position on the board. John has been a board members for the past two years and we are extremely grateful that he plans to continue to work his way up. For the two open board positions and we have two new members that have agreed to step up. Tracy Shanahan, Peach Tree C.C., pictured above and Jason Wolf, Lincoln Hills G.C.. Continuing on with their positions on the board are Dave Bermudez, Del Rio C.C., at right, Mark
Valley C.C. in Reno, pictured at right. We have two affiliate members that have stepped up to fill the affiliate position that has opened up. First we have Rodney Muller, Sierra Pacific Turf Supply, and Josh Martin, BelKorp. Pictured at left.
Akoni Ganir, Simplot Partners, pictured at right will continue on for another year of his two year term. We can’t thank these volunteers enough for the time and energy they contribute on your behalf. Be sure to come to the Election Meeting next month and show your support and thank each and every one of them.
Callahan, Plumas Pines, G.C. at left, and Keith Hill, CGCS, Hidden
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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F ROM T HE F IELD BY
JEFF JENSEN GCSAA FIELD STAFF
Jeff Jensen
GCSAA recently announced candidates for the 2019 GCSAA Board of Directors. The election will take place at the GCSAA Annual Meeting on Feb. 7, 2019 in San Diego.
Below are the candidates: For President Rafael Barajas, CGCS, Boca Grove Plantation, Boca Raton, FL. For Vice President John Fulling Jr., CGCS, Kalamazoo Country Club, Kalamazoo, MI. For Secretary/Treasurer Mark Jordan, CGCS, Westfield Group Country Club, Westfield Center, OH. Kevin Breen, CGCS, La Rinconada Country Club, Los Gatos, CA. Board of Directors (3 open positions) Carlos Arraya, CGCS, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, MO. T.A. Barker, CGCS, Fore Lakes Golf Course, Taylorsville, UT.
Paul Carter, CGCS, Bear Trace Golf Club, Harrison, TN. Doug Dykstra, CGCS, White Mountain Country Club, Pinetop, AZ. Jeff White, CGCS, Indian Hills Country Club, Mission Hills, KS. Bios and candidate videos will be available following the annual GCSAA Chapter Delegates Meeting in Kansas City on Nov. 13-14. You may also contact your duly chosen chapter delegate for any questions related to board members or the GCSAA Board election. Please note that the 2019 Annual Meeting time has been moved from its traditional Thursday afternoon slot at the Golf Industry Show to Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. In other GIS related news, GCSAA staff has been hard at work putting together education for the 2019 Show and Conference. This year’s event will feature 89 seminars (39 new) as well as a couple of new education tracks focused on mental health and water management. Seminars are available in 1.5-hour, 2-hour, 4hour and full-day sessions. Seminar
costs for members are $70, $85, $135 and $185 respectively. Numerous tours and field trips will be available highlighted by the Equipment Management Tour at Barona Creek, the Hunter Irrigation Tour and the First Green Field Trip/Training Seminar at Bonita Golf Course. The cost of the learning tours is $205 per tour. Housing and early registration for GCSAA members opens on Oct. 16. Early registration price for members is $450 and registration will be available at http://www.golfindustryshow.com/. We hope to see all of you in San Diego and If you have any questions or need anything to make your GIS experience more beneficial, please contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @GCSAA_SW for daily industry updates.
The SNGCSA is now on Facebook and Twitter. Check it out!
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2018 President’s Cup Hosted by Bryant Wait By Mark Callahan
Schaffer’s Mill Golf and Lake Club and Superintendent Bryant Wait Hosted the 2018 Presidents Cup on last month. Bryant started at Schaffer’s Mill in August of 2017 and took over as superintendent in January of 2018. Bryant and his wife Michelle moved out to Reno from Mississippi with their two daughters (currently 16 and 18) as Michelle accepted a teaching position in creative writing at the University of Nevada, Reno. Their son (currently 20) stayed back home to attend Mississippi State University. Previous experience includes Montreux in Reno, Tupelo Country Club in Mississippi, Annandale Golf Club in Mississippi,
and Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. Bryant graduated from Mississippi State with and bachelor’s degree in Agronomy in 2010 and later went back to school and obtained a master’s degree in Agronomy in 2017. Bryant’s master’s thesis was titled “Water-Use characteristics of Warm-Season putting green cultivars and management practices associated with new putting green genetics”. His research was conducted both in the greenhouse at the research facility, and at the outdoor research center at Mississippi State. Bryant loves applying his research background to every day golf course maintenance.
Bryant is currently a US Navy Reservist and has been in the reserves for the past 11 years. His job in the reserves is a First Class Petty Officer (BU1) and a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Training Specialist. In 2012 and into 2013 he was deployed to Afghanistan. While deployed he got really good with his sand wedge while practicing his golf swing in his free time and believes after playing in the silts of Afghanistan that there is no room to complain about bunkers on our beautiful courses. Welcome Bryant Wait to the SNGCSA when you see him and remember to THANK him for his service.
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STEPHEN MCVEY Oct 4, 1965-Aug 23, 2018 By Kurtis Wolford at Morgan Creek C. C. back in 2003 and immediately was impressed by how knowledgeable he was. He had a real talent for growing grass. He was a tough boss at times and he truly embraced the Cal Poly “Learn By Doing “ philosophy. He took a lot of pride in Pictured above with Stephen are his wife LeeAnn, and Sons, Trevor grooming his assisand Tanner tants to move on to become superintenThe SNGCSA and a lot of su- dents. He loved to give us or at least perintendents lost a true friend on Au- me the dirtiest and smelliest jobs. gust 23rd 2018. Stephen McVey, CGCS Some of those jobs I just had to throw passed away while working on the away because the smell would not go course at El Macero CC due to compli- away. I learned a lot from him. He cations of being a Type 1 diabetic for quickly turned from a boss into a men47 years of his life. Stephen was a big tor. He taught me a lot more than just supporter of the GCSAA and growing grass. He taught me a lot SNGCSA and was a past president of about life. the Southern California GCSA. EveryWhen I got the superintendent one knew Stephen around the state and job at Cherry Island G. C. he had he touched the lives of a lot of people some great advice for me. When I got in our industry. He always had a smile married he had even better advice for on his face and was always talking and me. When I had kids well that’s when cracking jokes. the advice really started coming. We I started working for Stephen shared a lot of time together playing
golf or driving to events. For those who knew him we will always remember the “Stephen’isms” especially when playing golf. He loved to get under your skin. Stephen was also one of the best putters I have ever seen. Stephen loved life. He adored his wife and kids. Stephens marriage to his wife Lee Ann was an inspiration. He loved being a father; it was one of his proudest accomplishments. He loved coaching baseball, watching ESPN Sportscenter and watching his favorite sport, hockey. All of his family and friends have a lifetime of memories to remember him by. Next year at El Macero there will be a benevolent tournament in honor of Stephen. The 1st McVey Shootout will be on May 13th 2019. I would like to leave everyone with a story that I have told to a few people. Stephen used to end all his phone conversations and correspondence with the word “Enjoy”. It took me a while to understand it. I finally understood it when I learned of his passing. Stephen loved life. He Enjoyed life. He understood how short it could be. The simple word “Enjoy” is one last lesson that he gave me. Remember Stephen and go out and “Enjoy”.
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California BMP Update by Kurtis Wolford, SNGCSA Representative to the California GCSA BMP Committee: As we go into fall season the California GCSAA BMP and Blankinship & Associates are diligently working on drafting the documents. It has been a slow evaluation process. With having many people involved in the evaluation of the documents with a list legitimate concerns for their respective regions it tends to slow the process. This evaluation by the BMP committee is represented by each GCSAA chapter in the state. California is one of the most difficult states to write a state BMP
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from the sole reasons of our climatic diversity and our regulatory compliance. A BMP document that is drafted for San Diego would not work for Sacramento or the Tahoe region. The BMP document that is being drafted is one the end user of it can apply it to their respective region. In brief, BMPs provide: Clarification Guidance Examples to help BMP users develop the essential protocol’s to adhere to regulatory agency’s requirements We are developing the BMPs based on technical information from the national GCSAA document and specific needs for California, and existing standards. BMP’s are important and that need to work correctly. They are simply the best way to do things and have been worked out through trial and error, and are found to
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be the most sensible way to accomplish task. They will assist the user and help point them in the correct direction to learn what state agencies administer laws and regulations. Having a State Golf Course BMP Guide that is accredited and has the approval of multiple agencies is very important for the golf industry going forward. It will help serve as a buffer when state agencies and politicians come after the golf industry with bad intentions. It gives us a vetted document to show them that we are doing things correctly and using a BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICE So far the completed chapters are Groundwater and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The chapters up next are Pollinators, Urban Golf and Air Quality. We are hoping to have everything finalized in 2019 and ready for distribution. When the document is released an education meeting will follow for each GCSAA chapter.
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Austin Stinson - Textron Affiliate Member
George Fitch GC Incline Village – Class C
Thomas Slevin Napa G.C. Class B
William Barragan West Coast Turf Affiliate
Doug Blesse - Whitehaw Ranch G.C. – Class B
John Kirtland A2-G2-SW Affiliate
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M EETING H IGHLIGHTS S E V E N T H A N N UA L P E T E ’ S P A R - 3 I N V I TAT I O N A L
Pete Bowman, Doug Blesse, and Mark Stutsman
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M EETING H IGHLIGHTS President’s Cup Winners Scott McCullough Low Net Mark Stutsman Low Gross
Superintendent Winner Mike Cunniff, Clear Creek G.C. Affiliate Winner Mark Stutzman, Simplot Partners
Tim Texeira, Jeff Clouthier, CGCS, and George Fitch
Tracy Shanahan,and Chuck Talley Corbet Schnatmeyer, BASF and Guest Akoni Ganir, Mark Stutsman, Spencer Nelson, & Doug Blesse
New member John Kirtland was introduced at the meeting.
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