Iowa State wins Turf Bowl, Regan takes Golf Championship
Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, general manager and director of grounds at The Golf Club Star Ranch in Austin, Texas, was elected president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) at the association’s annual meeting Feb. 23.
The annual meeting was held in conjunction with the GCSAA Education Conference (Feb. 19-24) and Golf Industry Show (Feb. 22-24) in Anaheim, Calif. Heine (pronounced high-knee) will serve until the 2008 annual meeting, Feb. 1 in Orlando.
Elected as vice president was David S. Downing II, CGCS at Rivers Edge Golf Club in Shallotte, N.C. Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS, director of grounds at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., was elected secretary/treasurer.
Keith A. Ihms, CGCS at Country Club of Little Rock in Little Rock, Ark., was newly-elected to the board of directors.
Robert M. Randquist, CGCS, director of golf course and grounds at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Fla., and James R. Fitzroy, CGCS, director/superintendent at Wollaston Recreational Facility/Presidents Golf Club in North Quincy, Mass., were re-elected to the board.
Sanford G. Queen, CGCS, manager of golf operations for the city of Overland Park, Kan., and Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, director of golf course maintenance operations at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, both enter the second year of their terms as directors. Sean A. Hoolehan, CGCS at Wildhorse Resort & Casino on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, will serve on the board for one year as immediate past president.
The GCSAA Education Conference continues to be a vital resource for the golf industry as 7,086 seats were sold for the 118 seminars. That compares favorably to the 6,780 seats filled last time the conference was on the West Coast in 2004 in San Diego. Content for the seminars focused on the professional development of attendees, including personal skills (finances, time management, quality of work/family life); leadership (teamwork, professionalism); communications (administration, management, scientific content, outreach); operations management (financial management, resource allocation, regulatory compliance); and resource utilization (staff, materials, equipment, golf course). An additional 50 hours of panel discussions, sessions and forums that touched on such subjects as diversity, media/public relations, environmental compliance, etc., were offered.
"Continuing education has become an absolute necessity for golf course superintendents," Heine said. "Not only is it important for their professional development, but for the success of the golf facility as well. I believe the quality of the programs and the number of attendees is a testament to the importance golf course superintendents and employers place on GCSAA programs."
The GCSAA Education Seminar Program has been presented in partnership with Jacobsen, a Textron Co., since 1996. The sponsorship includes the seminar activities conducted in Anaheim and regional education seminars conducted by GCSAA and its chapters throughout the year.
One of the highlights from the GCSAA Education Conference was the 13th annual Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition, won by the Iowa State University team of Matt Klingenberg, Mark Newton, Adam Hobbel, and Brad Johnson, as the Cyclones took home their sixth straight title. The Turf Bowl challenged students from universities/institutions to identify soils, turfgrass species, diseases, weeds and insects. The examination also featured a business management component that included an opportunity for the students to write a case study scenario. Other teams from Iowa State and Purdue rounded out the top five, as 81 teams participated in the competition.
Jason Regan, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Selma (Ala.) Country Club, fired a 1-under-par 71 on Feb. 20, to rally from four strokes down at the start of the final round and win the 2007 GCSAA National Championship on the Pete Dye Challenge Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Palm Springs, Calif. His three-round, 54-hole total was 219. The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic is presented in partnership with The Toro Co. Full tournament results are available at www.golfindustryshow.com.
World Golf Hall of Fame member Charlie Sifford was presented with the Old Tom Morris Award at the GCSAA Education Conference Opening Session. Anthony L. Williams, CGCS at Stone Mountain (Ga.) Golf Club was the overall winner of the GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders In Golf Awards, presented in partnership with Rain Bird and Syngenta. Douglas C. Lowe, CGCS at Greensboro (N.C.) Country Club and the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association won the GCSAA Excellence in Government Relations Awards. Stanley E. Metsker, CGCS, of Colorado Springs, Colo., and William A. Meyer, Ph.D., professor and director of the Turfgrass Breeding Project at Rutgers University, Cook College, won GCSAA Distinguished Service Awards. Pinehurst Resort won the GCSAA President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship. Charles Fultz, GCSAA Class A director of golf course management at Shenvalee Golf Course in New Market, Va., won the GCSAA Leo Feser Award.
The 2008 GCSAA Education Conference will be held Jan. 28-Feb. 2 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
GCSAA is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 21,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association’s philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf, works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
Contact:
Jeff Bollig, GCSAA director of communications
(800) 472-7878, ext. 4430 or jbollig@gcsaa.org
