Livermore, Calif.- The Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California (GCSANC) is pleased to announce that the 2007 Golf Course Superintendent’s Institute is set for September 24-25, 2007 at The Course at Wente Vineyards located in the heart of the Livermore Valley Wine Country.
Now celebrating its 27th year, The Institute serves as an educational retreat for golf course superintendents, affiliate and allied members. This educational conference and trade show will include industry leaders speaking on topics pertinent to the operational and maintenance success of golf facilities. This year’s institute will also serve as a joint meeting between the chapters of the Northern California and Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Associations.
Keynote speaker for The Institute is Bradley S. Klein, Ph.D., architecture editor for Golfweek and editor-at-large for TurfNet Magazine. His presentation, entitled Golf, The Impossible Profession, has been touted as an offbeat analysis of how superintendents, golf pros and club managers can thrive in an excessively competitive business that offers long hours, low margins and inflated consumer expectations. Klein, author of several books including "Rough Meditations" and "Discovering Donald Ross," also oversees Golfweek’s Best a course rating program that publishes annual lists of top-100 classic and modern golf courses.
The California Turf Disease Update: 2007 in Review and 2008 Forecasts will be provided by Frank Wong, Ph.D., specialist with the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at the University of California Riverside. Dr. Wong shared, "I’ll review what was hot, what was not, and forecasts for what to expect in 2008." Due to his ongoing efforts in turfgrass disease research, Wong is a returning guest lecturer at The Institute.
Patrick Gross, Southwestern Region Director with the USGA Green Section will discuss Water, Pesticides, and the Environment-Where Are We Now? On a regular basis, Gross shares valuable information on golf course maintenance issues with superintendents throughout the region.
Thatch Management for Golf Greens will be presented by Terry Vassey, Ph.D., assistant professor of turfgrass and golf course management in the Environmental Horticulture Unit at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Joining the list of presenters is Thomas Ruehr, Ph.D., professor in the Earth and Soil Sciences Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His presentation will focus on Soil and Water Management to Optimize Turf Quality.
The Institute, kindly sponsored by Target Specialty Products, will also include a presentation on Water Quality Issues led by conference Co-Chairman M. Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., a highly-respected Environmental Horticulturalist with the University of California Cooperative Extension. Co-chairing the event with Dr. Harivandi is GCSANC Education Committee Chairman Steve Byrne of Mira Vista G&CC.
According to Host Superintendent Glenn Matthews at The Course at Wente Vineyards, in addition to the education and trade show components attendees will have a chance to tee it up on the Greg Norman designed course, followed by an on-site reception in Wente’s wine tasting room.
Contact:
Emmy
E-mail: EmmyPGA@aol.com
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