Golf Industry Show - Orlando 2014

I just returned from the Golf Industry Show in Orlando. This event brings most of the top professional organizations, associations and individuals together annually to help improve and grow the game of golf. I participated as a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and a board member of the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents (CAGCS).

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) put on one of the best education conferences I have ever attended. I was able to listen to and interact with some of the top minds in turf research. Each year I try to select education focused on a certain topic, such as agronomics, budgeting, personnel management, or professional development. This year I selected two seminars focused primarily on plant health. I won't even bore you with the titles, but they centered on creating an environment where the plants would be healthy enough to tolerate the stress associated with producing firm, fast playing conditions, and how to use this stress to your advantage to create a more sustainable system. In addition to the paid seminars I attended a number of free group sessions, including one that featured the superintendents from Medinah and Merion sharing their experiences preparing for the Ryder Cup and U.S. Open. The talk was originally supposed to discuss aeration strategies, but it quickly evolved into a more general conversation about topdressing, rolling, and a host of other topics that contribute to satisfying golfers at the highest level in golf.

There were also hospitality events and celebrations that brought turf professionals from around the world together in relaxed settings where relationships could be developed and experiences shared. It has been my experience that we find more value in this part of the conference than we do looking at bar graphs and photos of dead grass in a seminar. I was watching the Super Bowl in a restaurant where Bayer Environmental was hosting forty of the top turf researchers from around the country. Over the course of the night a few of them ventured over to our table and shared ideas about hot topics in turf research, the potential of new products, and even a few laughs about past dinners and seminars. Over the years I have learned that the conversations that take place beyond the walls of the conference center provide the most value in the long term, as they often lead to support and advice that helps us save money or improve conditions back at our clubs.

While visiting the trade show I saw a number of exciting new products ($$$) and ideas that I will try to utilize this year:

• I saw the latest model sprayers from TORO, and was given the rundown from a former classmate who pointed out the most improved features and how they had improved his programs.
• I found a vendor that was selling mini-golf kits that could be used to engage kids and improve their ability to develop into avid golfers, which is critical to the future of the game.
• The vendor that sold us our roller and grinders introduced me to a company whose product claims to improve irrigation efficiency and reduces water use through magnetism. I am very skeptical but it is definitely worth a free demo and some further investigation.
•  I met with one of the contractors that is being considered for our fairway renovation project. I updated him on the status of our project and inquired about their schedule, and inquired about their availability in the future. I was pleased to hear that the number of bids was increasing indicating that the golf industry is recovering, but was a little concerned by the fact that they were busy enough to be more selective in the projects that they would consider.

Overall it was a great trip and I learned a lot, but I am glad to be home, and am eager to incorporate everything I learned into the coming golf season.
I hope you find an opportunity to steal away from the "Polar Vortex" and get to enjoy some sun, and maybe even sneak in a few holes while you're at it.

New England Regional Turfgrass Conference

This week I attended the New England Regions Turfgrass Conference and Show in Providence Rhode Island.  This is one of the top regional turf shows in the country.  It brings turf managers, researchers, and vendors together to share information and ideas related to current research, the latest products or trends in golf, as well as experiences related to challenges we are facing in the golf industry.  The conference provides educational sessions and seminarscovering a variety of topics related to turf management, project/budget management, and professional development.  I thought I would provide a brief summary of the conference and how I feel it will benefit the club in the future.

The first day of the conference includes half day seminars on a variety of topics.  Each year I try to select one class that is related to business or personnel management, and one that focuses on turf management.  This year I selected a seminar on project management and another on surface sealing of putting greens.

The project management class was instructed by Bruce Williams CGCS, former superintendent at Los Angeles Country Club and Bob-O-Link in Chicago.  A few of the highlights from this class include determining when to do work in-house and when to hire a contractor, the role and value of a project manager, and the importance of communication during all stages of the project.

He shared a number of personal stories from his time at both Bob-O-Link as well as complete renovations of both courses at L.A.C.C.   A few things that stayed with me were his description of Jack Niklaus’s $50,000 wave (Those bunkers should be moved 20 yards down that way, or Move that tee over there so the water comes into play).  That led to a discussion about change orders and how the altering the original scope of a project affects both cost and time.  He also shared the importance of offsetting the cost of change orders by keeping close watch of how much labor and materials the club contributes in the form of repairs, use of the club’s equipment, fuel, etc. 

Another story involved the renovation of the practice facility at L.A.C.C.  The former commander of the pacific fleet instructed him to renovate the range for $500,000,  when the estimates were closer to $1 million.  Bruce explained that he “would rather do half of the project the right way rather than do all of it half-assed.” 

Finally, he made a point to spend time discussing the importance of communication during all phases of the project beginning with planning and approval, providing frequent progress updates, and most importantly upon completion.  He focused on clearly defining the end of a project so that the members could determine what they got for their money, and to celebrate the event with a special tournament or party.  Hopefully each completed project will serve as the foundation and inspiration for future work.

The afternoon class was presented by one of the top soil consultants in the industry, who discussed surface sealing of putting greens.  The material is a bit technical, but there is always more to learn about soil science and how it influences the health and performance of putting green turf.  The majority of the material dealt with the interaction of water and soil, and why some greens tend to remain wet long after rain events or irrigation.  The solution was developing effective aeration and topdressing programs based on your specific conditions.  I had already been looking into this over the winter as we look to review the frequency and nature of our cultural programs, and I intend to follow up with him over the next few weeks.

I will put together more entries for the blog that review the USGA presentations, explain some of the current research that I will utilize, as well as the time spent with architect Tim Gerrish at the Trade Show.  Keep an eye out for more entries in the next few days.