BCGSA DogWood - Spring 2021

The DogWood

Spring 2021

A Publication of the British Columbia Golf Superintendents Association

Richmond Country Club -

Rick Scott, Superintendent of the Year - 2020

THE BEST PERFORMING RTV IS ALSO THE MOST VERSATILE ONE. The best possible performance meets the most comfortable ride in the new RTV-X1140. Thanks to its ample seats, 4 adults can ride comfortably. Flip down the back seat and take advantage of the leading cargo capacity. No wonder it’s one of the best-selling utility vehicles in North America.

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Kubota Dealers of BC Please visit Kubota.ca for your nearest dealer

The DogWood Industry Partners

Inside This Issue Advertising Rates 44 Allied Associations

7 Appreciation 46 Brian Finnigan Memorial Bursary Scholarship 32 Board of Directors

6 BCGSA Annual General Meeting Minutes 8 CGSA 2020 Superintendent of the Year 32 Deadlines 43 Editorial 4 Industry Members

24-25 Membership Information 46 New Members 43 Office Update 43 President’s Message

5 Regional Executive 7 Sponsors of 2020 Professional Development Days 19

Regional Reports:

Interior Region - Jenn Rozek Kootenay Region - Brad Pasula Lower Mainland Region - Dennis Luick Northern Region – Murray Kutyn Vancouver Island Region – T-Jay Creamer

36 34 35 37 33

Other Reports:

Canadian Golf Superintendents Association

- Ken Bruneski KPU Report - Stan Kazymerchyk WCTA - Jerry Rousseau

38 40 42

A R Mower & Supply Ltd. Advanced Equipment Sales Bayer Environmental Science Bos Sod Farms Inc. BrettYoung Professional Turf Products Evergro Farm-Tek Turf Services Iconix Waterworks JCL Ag Services Kubota Natures Gold Organic Compost Fertilizers Oakcreek Golf & Turf PrairieCoast Equipment Rollins Machinery Limited Target Products Ltd. Target Specialty Products Taylor’s Turf Care Products Terralink Horticulture Inc. Western Turf Farms Ltd.

6 23 & 31 45 12 48 27 33 29 41 2 39 9 35 14 11 47 4 37 26

Deadlines: Next Issue of the DogWood – Summer, 2021 (deadline for submission of advertising and editorial content - May 14, 2021) Membership Roster - May, 2021 (deadline for submission of advertisements and contact information - March 15, 2021)

Feature Articles:

A Rookie Mower’s Plea...

by Di Robinson

Spring 2021

43

2020 Professional Development Days

Mechanics Corner

by Bill Januszewski

15

Obituary - Long-Time Member Ernie George

11

Rick Scott - Superintendent of the Year 2020

by

30

Steve Warnes Retirement

by Jerry Sihota

26

Fall Issue of the DogWood - October, 2021 (deadline for submission of advertising and editorial content - September 17, 2021)

12 (Cover Photo - Richmond Country Club - Rick Scott, Superintendent of the Year 2020)

Please Support Our Industry Partners “this publication was made possible because of their generous support of the BCGSA” 3

Spring 2021

The DogWood Editorial

O

ne year ago, the golf industry in BC was busy with preparing itself for the onslaught of the Covid pandemic. No one knew what to expect or how it was going to affect the golf industry as a whole. Operating budgets, particularly so with staffing, were dramatically reduced to allow for revenue shortages from reduced

green fees and food services at most golf courses.

While bracing for the worst, many of the golf courses throughout the province realized revenues well beyond expectations. Playing golf became recognized as one of the few recreational activities where social distancing could

be achieved. Thus, both rounds of golf and memberships grew beyond expectations.

Here we are, one year later, waiting with bated breath as vaccines to protect us from the Covid virus begin to be distributed throughout the province. Hopefully, everything will return to normal - or, at least, to the new normal, whatever that may look like.

As with most major crisis through out history, things never return to what they were before the crisis began. Innovation has always come into play to find new ways to get things done. People adapt to and overcome the obstacles that present themselves. We as an industry have evolved through modern advancements in technology to deliver and interact with one another via Zoom. Whether it is a meeting or a conference, Zoom has become the new platform to host such events.

Such was the case with the BCGSA Professional Development Days last November. For three full days there were world class speakers from around the globe as well as breakout sessions where our Industry reps demonstrated their products to those in attendance.

As we contemplate what the new normal will look like, we can rest assured that the golf industry of BC will adapt as it has done over the past several decades. The superintendents and industry reps of this province have, time after time, been recognized for their resilience to change, whether it be new regulations regarding pesticide use or water use – just to name a few. They have always adapted to continue to provide the same great service to meet the needs of their clients.

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President’s Message of your season. High Traffic areas, divots, ball marks, and all things that come with the extra rounds will be a challenge. But as usual, we will adapt and come up with solutions to keep our courses in prime shape and continue to succeed, because as Superintendents, adapting to challenges is where we always show our skills.

M

inus 19 as I arrived today!

I can honestly say that I've never been happier to be sitting at my desk writing a report. Even still I find it hard to complain when our friend's to the East are seeing temperatures in the minus 40`s. Yikes! Across the province we’re seeing lower than normal temperatures for this time of year, but Spring is not far away, so this is just another bump in the road for our industr y.

With our members on the coast seeing heavy traffic on their courses throughout the winter, I can only imagine some closures due to this weather is more than welcome. From those I've spoken to on the coast, rounds of golf have not slowed down through the winter months and their tur f has been taking a beating.

I believe this shows that the increase in golf rounds last year (up 23.2% in BC at the end of Oct.) will not be unique to 2020.

Our industry has already shown we can operate safely, so 2021 is surely going to be as busy as ever from start to finish for your facilities, no matter the length

The year ahead will have a similar look to last year, in regard to meetings at both the regional and provincial levels. In person events most likely won't happen until late fall, so the board has already made the decision to cancel the 2021 Exchange Event usually held in August. Our plan is to come back bigger and better than ever in 2022, and get back to the networking we all enjoy!

With the seemingly endless online educational opportunities we've all had this winter, I think once the C.G.S.A Management Conference in March is over, a break from our computers will be welcome. We will have some education from the BCGSA coming your way late spring and summer, so stay tuned for those announcements.

With plenty of CEC opportunities already, we will tr y to offer some variety of topics, but we'll make sure they're of high value to your professional development.

Last but not least, I'd like to announce for those that don't know, Stu Sheridan,

The British Columbia Golf Superintendents Association is a society to promote and support the Golf Course Management profession in British Columbia.

Superintendent from Capilano Golf & Countr y Club, has stepped in to represent the BCGSA on the AGA Board. On behalf of the BCGSA Board of Directors and all our members, ‘ Thank You’ for putting your name forward, and we know you will give us great representation alongside our Vice President, Brett Finlayson.

We're in good hands!

I wish you all great success in 2021.

Respectfully submitted, Warren Blue President

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Spring 2021

BCGSA Board of Directors Warren Blue - President Interior Region Rep Two Eagles Golf Course & Academy 3509 Carrington Road Westbank, BC V4T 2E6 Office: (250) 768-0080 Fax: (250) 768-0052 warrenb@twoeaglesgolf.com

Tom Altmann - Treasurer Kootenay Region Rep FHSR Golf Management 5225 Fairmont Resort Road Fairmont Hot Springs, BC V0B 1L0 Office: (778) 525-8005 Cell: (250) 688-1100 TAltmann@fhsr.com

Ken Bruneski, Director BC Director, CGSA Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course 6891 Tucelnuit Drive Oliver, BC V0H 1T2 Office: (250) 498-3492 Cell: (250) 498-78404 kbruneski@nkmipgolf.com

Brett Finlayson - Vice President Vancouver Island Region Rep Olympic View Golf Club 643 Latoria Road Victoria, BC V9C 3A3 Office: (250) 474-3672 Cell: (778) 679-2727 bfinlayson@golfbc.com

Mark Berg - Director Northern Region Rep Williams Lake Golf & Tennis Club 103 Fairview Drive Williams Lake, BC V2G 3T1 Office: (250) 392-3423 Cell: (250) 305-7351 super@williamslakegolf.ca

Ladd LeGeyt, Industry Liaison Nutrien - Evergro - CPS 260 D Campion Street Kelowna, BC V1X 7S8 Office: 866-765-0290 Cell: 250-215-4004 ladd.legeyt@nutrien.com

Jamie Robb - Past President Lower Mainland Region Rep Marine Drive Golf Club 7425 Yew Street Vancouver, BC V6P 6H1 Office: (604) 261-4815 jrobb@marine-drive.com

Dennis Luick - Director Lower Mainland Region Rep Fraserview Golf Course 7800 Vivian Street Vancouver, BC V5S 2V8 Office: (604) 257-6917 Dennis.Luick@vancouver.ca

Ginny Tromp, Administrator BCGSA 6382 Herons Place Duncan, BC V9L 6Z3 Office: (778) 422-1776 Fax: (778) 422-1776 Cell: (250) 715-5981 admin@bcgsa.com

Spring Savings ON NOW! Tel: 604.940.1011

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Toll Free: 800.667.4211

The DogWood Regional Presidents Interior - Jenn Rozek Shuswap Lake Estates Box 150 Blind Bay, BC V0E 1H0 Phone: (250) 803-1124 rozek.jenn@gmail.com Lower Mainland - James Muter Hazelmere Golf Club 18150 8th Avenue Surrey, BC V3Z 9R9 Office: (604) 538-1485 jhmuter@hotmail.com Vancouver Island - Matt Mamone Bear Mountain Golf Club 1999 Country Club Way Victoria, BC V9B 6R3 Phone: (250) 514-0763 mmamone@bearmtn.ca

Secretaries & Treasurers Interior Secretary/Treasurer - Jeff Bennett 3445 Mabel Lake Road Enderby, B.C. V0E 1V5 Office: (250) 838-0878 jcbenny@shaw.ca Northern Secretary/Treasurer - Darren Smith Skeena Valley Golf & Country Club 3525 Golf Course Avenue Terrace, BC V8G 4R1 Office: (250) 635-2541 terracedarren@icloud.com Vancouver Island Treasurer - Scott Webster Storey Creek Golf Club Box 723, Campbell River, B.C. V9W 6J3 Office: (250) 923-1101

websta82@gmail.com

Kootenay - Brad Pasula Shadow Mountain Golf Course 7145 Highway 95A Cranbrook, BC V1B 7B6 Office: (250) 426-3306 b.pasula@auburngroup.ca

Kootenay Secretary - Mike Knowles Copper Point Golf Club Box 28 Windermere, BC V0B 2L0 Office: (250) 341-3390 Fax: (250) 341-3491 mknowles@copperpointgolf.com

Northern - Murray Kutyn Prince George Golf & Curling Club 2601 Recreation Place Prince George, BC V2N 0G2 Office: (250) 563-0357 Fax: (250) 565-5221 murray@pggolfandcurling.com

Treasurer - Evan Olauson Greywolf Golf Course Box 122, Panorama, B.C. V0A 1T0 Office: (250) 341-4160 Fax: (250) 341-4169 Cell: (250) 361-6806 evan@greywolfgolf.com Lower Mainland Secretary - Pete Rodrigues Langara Golf Course 6706 Alberta Street Vancouver, B.C. V5X 4V8 Office: (604) 761-1720 pete.rodrigues@vancouver.ca Treasurer - Phil Bunting University Golf Club 5185 University Boulevard Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1X5 Office: (604) 224-1018 Fax: (604) 224-1621 pbunting@universitygolf.com

Spring 2021

Allied Associations British Columbia Golf Kris Jonasson, Executive Director 2110 – 13700 Mayfield Place Richmond, B.C. . V6V 2E4 Office: (888) 833-2242 Fax: (604) 207-9535 Kris@BritishColumbiaGolf.org Website: BritishColumbiaGolf.org Canadian Golf Superintendents Assn.

Jeff Calderwood, Executive Director 2605 Summerville Court, Unit A2082 Mississauga, Ontario L4X 0A2 Toll Free: (800) 387-1056 Office: (416) 626-8873 cgsa@golfsupers.com Website: http://www.golfsupers.com National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada - BC Erica Beck, Regional Director Office: (866) 626-4262 ext. 40 ebeck@ngcoa.ca Website: http://www.ngcoa.ca Western Canada Turfgrass Association Jerry Rousseau, Executive Director Box 698 Hope, BC V0X 1L0 Office: (604) 869-9282 Fax: 1-866-366-5097 exec.director@wctaturf.com Website: http://www.wctaturf.com Alberta Golf Superintendents Association John Faber - President Springbank Links Golf Club 125 Hackamore Trail Calgary, AB T3Z 1C2 Office: (403) 202-2031 john@springbanklinks.com Alberta Golf Superintendents Association Box 8193, Canmore, Alberta T1W 2T9 Office/Fax: (403) 609-4602 agsa@albertagsa.com Website: www.albertagsa.com United States Golf Association Ronald Read, Dir. Western Regional Affairs Office: (831) 659-2186 Fax: (831) 659-2183 rread@usga.org

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The DogWood Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held November 17, 2020

The Annual General Meeting of the British Columbia Golf Superintendents Association was held at 3:00 pm on Tuesday, November 17, 2020 by Zoom Webinar.

A Quorum was established with approximately 100 members present.

Jamie Robb, President, called the meeting to order by thanking Dean Piller, Paul Robertson, and Miranda Robinson, Silent Auction Coordinator Dena Gent, Event Planning Committee members - Warren Blue, Brett Finlayson, and Tom Altmann, and Administration – Ginny Tromp for the effort and time in organizing and putting together this year ’s virtual event.

Jamie Robb introduced the Board of the BCGSA and Administration Staff : Paul Robertson – Past President, Warren Blue – Vice President & Interior Director, Treasurer & Kootenay Director - Tom Altmann, Vancouver Island Director - Brett Finlayson, Northern Director - Mark Berg, Ken Bruneski, BC Director, Ladd LeGeyt Industry Liaison & Ginny Tromp – Administrator.

Necrology Report: Jamie asked those present if they knew of anyone in the industry who had passed away over the past year. It was discovered after the AGM that one of the Lower Mainland’s long time members, Ernie George had passed away on November 11, 2020 and a moment of silence was held.

Adoption of Agenda: Moved by Paul Robertson, seconded by Tom Altmann, that the agenda as circulated, be approved.

“Carried” MINUTES: Moved by Paul Robertson, seconded by Dean Piller, that the minutes of the General Meeting held July 14, 2020, be approved. “Carried”

to September 30, 2021, be approved.

“Carried”

Nominations/Awards: 2020 Superintendent of the Year Award: Jamie Robb announced that Rick Scott of Richmond Country Club was unanimously chosen as the 2020 recipient of the BCGSA Superintendent of the Year Award.

Rick accepted this distinction in saying that he felt both humbled and appreciative of having this distinction of Superintendent of the Year bestowed on him and thanked the Board and the membership for this honour.

2020 Brian Finnigan Memorial Bursary: Shawn Bailey of Gallagher ’s Canyon Golf Course was awarded the 2020 Brian Finnigan Memorial Award and will receive a cheque in the amount of $1,000.00.

Shawn thanked the Board for this scholarship. He also those at Capilano Golf Course and Gallagher ’s Canyon for the opportunity to learn from them and stated that he is looking forward to being part of this industry for a long time.

AGA-BC Report: As reported at the BCGSA’s Zoom meeting on Tuesday, July 14th, 2020, The AGA-BC board and sub-committees worked hard to create a COVID19 BMP document that was presented to multiple departments of the provincial government. It was highly received and passed onto other industries as a template. We do appreciate the length of the document is quite long, but as we started through the process, we realized we needed to provide specific details for various government departments.

NEW BUSINESS: 2020/2021 Budget: Tom Altmann, Treasurer, presented the 2020-2021 proposed Budget.

Moving forward, we are looking into various amendments that WorkSafeBC is proposing. Notably there are potential changes to the restricted entry intervals of pesticide applications where some of the proposed changes supersede those of the PMRA. ROPs on utility vehicles is also a proposed change that will affect our industry. We’ve been successful with eliminating golf carts from their scope, but utility vehicles, mowers, etc. over 400kg will require ROPs once these changes are passed. There is also a proposed change to safety headgear that we are looking into as well. There will be a virtual public hearing on December 10th. For more information, please visit the worksafe BC website.

Moved by Gary Stadnek, seconded by Dennis Luick, that the Budget for the period from October 1, 2020

Lastly, AGA-BC sent out an email providing information on the economic impact of golf both

FINANCIAL REPORT: Moved by Keith Lyall, seconded by Jeff Bennett, that the Financial Report for the period October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020 be accepted. “Carried”

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in British Columbia and Canada. Golf in BC put $3.7billion towards our GDP, employed 52,183 jobs, providing $2.3 billion in household income and provided $858 million in tax revenue for the government. This information was provided to us by the National Allied Golf Association.

CGSA Report: Ken Bruneski gave an update from the CGSA in stating that they began the year in March with their conference and COVID-19 was right on the heels of the conference. Through the better part of spring it was a matter of figuring out how things were going to run and putting in place procedures and guidelines to be able to continue to operate. Together with the BCGSA, the CGSA made the decision to delay invoicing for membership but as the industry began to pick up speed invoices were sent out in July.

The CGSA is planning to hold a virtual conference from Mar 2-4, 2021 and it is hoped that there will be a Fall Field Day in the fall of 2021, but nothing has been planned as yet.

Ken concluded in saying that industry had renewed their sponsorship again this year which was much appreciated as membership and sponsorship are the primary revenue streams that keep the associations going. Check out the CGSA’s website where the Learning Centre continues to be available to all members.

WC TA Report: Travis Olson thanked the BCGSA for the opportunity to present a report from the WC TA. He also thanked Jason, Miranda and Dean for putting together such a first-class event. With the onset of COVID-19 the WC TA was also thrown into having to change operations. Jerry Rousseau and Brett Finlayson worked together on the “Best Management Practices”.

The WC TA had to cancel plans to hold its Conference and Tradeshow that was to take place in the spring of 2021.

The WC TA has put together it’s “ WOW ” series of online webinars that will run through the winter months. The next session is scheduled for December 3rd. They will also be holding an “Online Auction” for Tur fgrass Research. Also in the works is a virtual trade show planned for the spring of 2021, but nothing has been confirmed as yet.

Jamie announced that Paul Robertson would be stepping off the Board as the Past President and thanked him for the years and expertise that he has given to the Board and its membership over the years and assured him that the Board will continue to look to him for guidance and advise.

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Jamie thanked the Board, everyone involved in the Planning Committee of this event, industry members and sponsors of the event, and Copper Point for stepping up to host the Exchange this year.

PRESENTATION OF NEW BOARD: Paul Robertson addressed the meeting as the outgoing Past President in stating that its has last official duty before stepping off the Board to announce the new BCGSA Board of Directors as follows: BCGSA Board of Directors for 2020-2022: President: Warren Blue – Interior Vice President: Brett Finlayson – Vancouver Island Past President: Jamie Robb – Lower Mainland Treasurer: Tom Altmann – Kootenay Director: Mark Berg – Northern Director: Dennis Luick – Lower Mainland Paul continued by thanking Jamie Robb and the Board that he had the privilege to work with over the years and stated that serving on the Board has been one of the highlights of his life. He thanked Jason, Miranda, Dean, Warren & Brett for all the work that was done on the Planning Committee. Paul particularly wanted to thank Jason Steadwell for all the work he has done and said what an amazing resource Jason has been.

Incoming President, Warren Blue addressed the meeting by thanking the BCGSA Board and its members. He stated that he’s not sure when we may get back to normal, but it is the hope of the BCGSA to hold an Exchange and a live Professional Development Days event in the fall next year. In any event, the BCGSA will continue to offer education and networking opportunities. He thanked Jamie for taking the BCGSA through this incredible year and crazy times. He also thanked Dean Piller, who although he took a step back from the fall event, when asked if the BCGSA could put something together for the fall, he didn’t hesitate and stepped up to help deliver this jam-packed 3 day event.

A special thanks to all our industry partners for their sponsorship and support. We could not do this without their support. Warren also thanked Paul for the years of service to the BCGSA and to Jamie for leading the BCGSA for the past two years.

NEXT MEETING OF THE BCGSA: The next meeting of the BCGSA will take place in the summer of 2021.

ADJOURNMENT: Moved by Aaron Mansbridge, that there being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:50 pm

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Spring 2021

Long-Time Lower Mainland Member - Ernie George

T

he BCGSA was sad to learn of the passing of long-time member Ernie George. Ernie was born on February 5, 1940 and died peacefully November 11, 2020 after a long courageous battle with cancer.

Hereditary Chief Ernest I. George was predeceased by his parents Ernest N. George and Lillian C. George (nee Thomas), John L. George, grandparents: Chief George and Annie, and Felix and Maude Thomas (nee Nahanee) and brothers Dale, and Herbert George and survived by John D. George. Ernie is sur vived by Deanna D. George (nee Joseph), his loving wife of 62 years and children Carleen (late Dave) Thomas, Leah (Michael Wilson) George -Wilson, Ernie (Lorraine) George and Deanna (Bill) George -Thomas. Eleven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Ernie grew up on Burrard Indian Reserve, where his parents and family taught him about our obligation to the Land and the Water. He learned at a young age about our protection of our Inlet. As an Elder, he contributed greatly to our collective knowledge in Treaty Lands & Resources Dept at Tsleil-Waututh Nation. He was one of our stewards of the Inlet and respected Knowledge Keeper.

Ernie worked in the golf industry from 19581998 starting as a grounds crew member to

Superintendent. Ernie was also one of the first Aboriginal Superintendents in BC if not Canada. After retirement the Vancouver Island Superintendents Association made Ernie an honorary member of the Island Chapter. Ernie was also the Elder-in-Residence at Capilano University from 2010 to 2020.

Ernie's love of sports was immense; he played soccer as a full back. You would see Ernie at all of his grandsons' soccer games on Saturday and all his granddaughters' games on Sunday; but his love was the canoe. Ernie loved pulling with all of his cousins and uncles and skipping T WN ladies crew.

Ernie is known all across the canoe race circuit from Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island stretching down to Neah Bay, USA. Ernie was a single paddle champion, a double paddle champion with almost anyone who paddled with him. His favourite partner was his late brother Dale (Sam) George. Ernie also skipped both the 6 man canoe and 11 man canoe.

When Ernie retired from the canoe, you would still see him at as many canoe races he could attend, either cheering on his daughters and then later on his granddaughter Kalila Ernie also enjoyed attending the Annual Elders Conference and meeting up with friends from his Native Golf tournament days.

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Mechanics Corner - by Bill Januszewski

Fluid Analysis Scheduled Fluid Analysis can maximize the life of equipment and improve reliability, while minimizing operating costs and downtime.

Monitoring the health of your equipment with a Fluid Analysis program could lead to early detection of mechanical problems to prevent costly failures and extend the life of your equipment. Regular oil and coolant testing are excellent tools to help detect impending system failures and ensure that your equipment is being protected.

I am a strong believer in using fluid analysis; it’s been a part of my equipment maintenance endeavors for over 40 years.

This article is intended to be a “Coles Notes” guide to fluid analysis. There is a lot of material on the internet that will provide a much more detailed perspective, but I like to keep things simple and easy to understand.

Originally, fluid analysis was a laborious, time consuming process with little standardization. It was also expensive and generally only per formed on large equipment. Over time standards were created and the analysis process itself became automated. The A.S.T.M. (American Society for Testing and Materials,) created several standards that describe various processes that must be followed.

In addition, the STLE (Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers) created a certification process for people working in the lab. The laboratory itself must also be certified.

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From the perspective of equipment in the lab, Atomic absorption spectrometers (AAS) were first used. As the number of elements and samples grew over the years, technology changed and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometers (ICP-OES) were used for oil analysis. Today, many oil analysis labs will handle over 2000 samples per day and analyze from 15 to 24 elements per sample. This technology is constantly evolving as is the nomenclature describing it.

The end result of this evolution made fluid analysis quick, accurate and inexpensive.

How is it done? Fluid analysis is much like when your Doctor orders tests on you to determine the attributes / condition of your various fluids. You can do the same thing with mobile equipment. In the human example you go to the lab to provide samples, but in the equipment world, it’s the opposite, you get a fluid sample from the machine and send the sample to the lab.

What kind of fluids can be analyzed? If its liquid, it can be analyzed. Engine oil, hydraulic oil and coolant are the most common fluids, but lubricant found in differentials, final drives or other wheel end gear boxes lend themselves to the process.

Diesel fuel and gasoline are also up for analysis.

Large yellow machines lend themselves to fluid analysis because of their size and the high cost of the components. Per forming a $25 analysis of hydraulic oil can prevent a hydraulic component failure costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A $25 engine oil analysis that indicates that the engine air cleaning system has been compromised can save you the cost of an engine replacement.

Pretty decent return on investment.

Even in our world of tur f equipment where the equipment and sub-components are smaller, selective targeted fluid analysis still makes good sense.

Its up to you to determine what equipment you may want to include in a fluid analysis program.

I include almost ever ything with a hydraulic propulsion system and larger diesel engine in my program. Samples cost between $25 and $50 depending on the complexity of tests being per formed.

The DogWood There are stand alone companies that per form only fluid analysis. Most major oil companies and equipment manufacturer ’s also offer fluid analysis.

My preference is the stand-alone company. It may be perception only, but I think that an independent lab would provide the most unbiased information.

The lab provides you with sample containers that you use to collect the sample. That container is placed in another container to prevent leakage should the inner container leak. Some machines have a sample port that you can access to provide a sample.

The lab must have the specifications of the oil that you are using (referred to as a reference oil) because deviations from that spec are what is important.

Its also important to know the chemistry of the additive packages, because without that an erroneous result could be returned.

These are what the sample jars look like:

Spring 2021

• Presence of Wear Metals such as copper, tin and iron • Contaminants such as silica (aka sand), compromised clean air piping around the air filter allowing dust to bypass the filter, soot • Boron or sodium (from the cooling system) • Viscosity at 40o and 100o (to check for possible fuel dilution) • Remaining Useful Life • The wrong oil has been installed Hydraulic Oil Analysis can reveal the following • Size and amount of particulate matter present in the oil • The wrong oil has been used • Presence of Water Coolant Analysis can reveal the following: • Ph • Depletion of Coolant additive • Amount of particulate matter I can’t write an article without including at least one stor y.

This is a true stor y that happened to me several years ago. I was managing a fleet of about 100 trucks and had a fluid analysis program in place which included mid inter val samples. Results started coming back from the lab that indicated a problem with the viscosity of the oil. Basically, what started out as 15/W40 multi-viscosity oil rapidly degraded into a straight SAE10 weight.

I had enough samples flagged, that suggested either the lab results were incorrect, or there was a problem with the chemistr y of the oil. This was a big-name oil company and I would not have expected a problem with the quality of their oil. When I contacted the oil analysis lab, they listened to me, reviewed their procedures, and came back to tell me that they believed that their results were accurate.

Engine Oil Analysis can reveal the following: • The current state of the additive package.

Additives include anti-foamer, ph. stability, antiwear chemicals, detergents.

• Ph of the fluid ( Total Base Number ( TBN) and Total Acid Number TAN) which is the acidity or alkalinity of the oil

Next stop was the oil company. Fortunately, I had a “lube guy ” that worked at the oil company that I was using. He got me in touch with their Quality Control group. I initially got the brush off. They could simply not believe that there was a problem with their oil that was missed by Q.C. I persisted, as I have been known to do, and finally they gave in and asked me to send some samples to a private specialty lab that they used. (Ironically, that turned out to be the same lab that I was using).

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A couple of days later, I got a telephone call from the oil company admitting that they had a problem with an additive in their lubricant. The product in question was new to the market. The oil company sent me a lube cube full of 15W40 engine oil with a revised chemistry and several cases of engine oil filters. We brought every unit in the fleet into the shop and they call got oil changes. Major problem averted.

lines. When a sample comes back flagged by the lab, you can compare the results of the flagged sample against the trend line,

But fluid analysis is not the end all be all. You must still have a robust Preventive Maintenance program in place to manage your equipment.

Think of fluid analysis as just another tool in your toolbox.

Most labs will provide help interpreting analysis results and will advise you promptly if a serious concern is identified. Send you samples in on a timely basis. There is not much point in having an oil sample bottle sitting on your desk for a month before you send it in. If there is a problem with the sample you want to know ASAP.

One sample result is usually not enough to base a decision on. In other words, don’t take an engine apart based on the results of one test. A regular testing program allows you to develop trend

If you see consistent rise in a wear metal (like iron) that’s something you want to keep your eye on. If you see consistent additive depletion, you may want to re -examine your oil change inter val or consider using a better-quality lubricant

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by Bill Januszewski, Fleet Manager Capilano Golf & Country Club

r 16, 2020 The DogWood

Spring 2021

BCGSA Professional Development Days - November 16-18, 2020 resident Jamie Robb This year with COVID-19 restrictions in place preventing large meetings from taking place, the BCGSA held a three -day, six hours per day, virtual event through Zoom. This was a first-ever for the BCGSA with the help of Jason Steadwell of Syngenta looking after the technical side of things, and Miranda Robinson organizing an interesting, varied and educational array of speakers that included 4.5 CEC’s.

tips and insights about discovering what how being clear and committed to that mines how far you will go and what success achieve both personally and professionally.

Miranda did an awesome job of moderating the three day event. Thanks Miranda!

“Drive Determines Distance” Lisa imparted tips and insights into discovering what DRIVES you and how being clear and committed to that purpose determines how far you will go and what success you are able to achieve both personally and professional.

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The BCGSA would also like to thank Dean Piller for all the time and effort that he put into organizing speakers and sponsors, as well as the Planning Committee headed by Warren Blue for the work the Committee did in putting together the event in a very short time frame. Last but not least, this event would not have been made possible without the support of our industry partners and sponsors.

on will review the toxicity of pesticides ronic, with examples from products ied in the The discussion Dayturf 1 - industry.

November 16th s will focus on work practices to reduce Jamie Robb, President of the BCGSA opened the conference by welcoming all participants to the cide exposure. virtual event.

He thanked the Event Planning

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Committee for all the work that was done to put together the event and particularly thanked all the sponsors of the event.

The program was kicked off with our Keynote Speaker, Lisa (Longball) Vlooswyk, sponsored by Syngenta. Lisa is an 8-Time National Long Drive Champion and a Peak Per formance specialist. She went from being a high-handicapped recreational golfer to a professional player who hits it farther than most men.

on will decipher thecompetes wordsonfound in Channel’s, Lisa currently the Golf World Long Drive Tour, and has finished 2nd in ormation” section pesticide the World.

She isof a Callaway Golf labels. and Nike Vision sponsored athlete. Her longest drive in competition with participants focus on the is 350 yards 2 will feet and 2 inches.

She link was the first women to ever hit it over 3 and a half football fields oduct information in competition. and the resistance so found on the product label.

Mark Jull of Target Specialty Products gave an interesting presentation on: “Introducing Vertical”

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Mario Lanthier gave two presentations, one before the lunch break and one afterwards, each containing CEC’s in Environmental Safety & Protection.

Mario is based in Kelowna, British Columbia. His company offers services related to pest management and plant health to various sectors of horticulture throughout British Columbia and Alberta.

Mario is the co-author of the revised “IPM Manual for Tur f Managers in British Columbia”.

"Pesticide Toxicity and Impact on Human Health"

Mario Lanthier reviewed the toxicity of pesticides as acute and chronic, with examples from products commonly applied in the turf industry.

The discussion with participants focussed on work practices to reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

Jacobsen profiled their “Eclipse 360 Elite and the AR530 rough mower ” as well as Jacobsen’s decision to move all manufacturing to England “Eclipse Technology”

Brad Hayhoe of BASF gave an innovative talk on: “Continuing to Innovate”

your business chieve the "Product Information” of Fungicide Labels”

Mario Lanthier deciphered the words found in the “product information” section of pesticide labels. The discussion with participants focussed on the link between the product information and the resistance ow to achieve it classification also found on the product label.

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Breakout Rooms were set up over the lunch break for infomercial sponsors so that participants could ask questions about products and services as well as network with their follow colleagues and friends.

These rooms were set up each day at lunch and at the end of the day for the Social Networking Hour.

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The final speaker of the day was Phil Helmn. Phil Helmn is a Master Greenkeeper and has risen through the greenkeeping ranks from trainee to General Manager. Since leaving college in 1987, where he gained his diploma in tur f science with honours, he has lived and breathed golf and greenkeeping all his life.

Like many others in the tur f industry he initially got the greenkeeping bug by working on his home course on weekends and during school holidays. Phil has gained over thirty-five years of valuable experience working with plentiful, as well as, tight budgets, large and small teams and has mastered the need to get the best out of all resources available.

The DogWood Phil has managed full golf course constructions, grow-in’s, re -builds and regular maintenance operations with teams on a wide range of soil types in the U.K., Europe and America and has used these experiences to fine tune his mentoring and commonsense management style.

Spring 2021

Todd Scott of Aquatrols/Redox delivered an interesting presentation on: “Key Nutrition Principles for Root Development”

Phil has also spent time college lecturing and became an industry assessor to help support more work based practical forms of learning. Phil enjoys speaking at regional, national and international conferences on tur f leadership and has been successful in applying these into more workshop style formats enabling a more ‘hands on’ learning experience.

Phil’s a natural born communicator and his infectious l Development Days 2020 passion for supporting and sharing his experiences and knowledge in a no nonsense, easy to understand way, that shines through at every level.

ovember 17, 2020

"The Power of People”

usiness 1. Understanding how important your people are to you and your theBGCSA President Jamie m Robb

Day 2 - November 17th

The first speaker of the day was Mark Bowden, business sponsored by our Keynote Sponsor - Bayer. Mark 2. The difference between is a world-renowned bodybehaviour and habit and how to n this compelling webinar specifically designed by human language thought-leader achieve the transition and founder of TRUTHPLANE® 3.

How to build a successful ehavior and body language expert Mark Bowden, you communication training team foundation will learn strategies, tools and4. techniques to enhance your company, with its training Delivering a vision with ranked in the world’s top ten setting ommunication performance,measurable bringinggoal best practices and

by Global Gurus.

5. How to formalize learning and chieve it techniques for communicating utting edge with your embed it into your workplace Mark’s cutting-edge system ients in this time of change.6. The importance of of nonverbal communication communication techniques helps audiences 7. Appreciating what a winning work culture looks become more confident, like and how to achieve it For Tomorrow, Here For You Today" collaborative, and credible in their communication.

Jason Steadwell BREAK

rge Greens Program with Biological Base" Kevin Hicks

Voted Global Gurus #1 Body Language Professional, Mark trains individuals, teams, CEOs of Fortune

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500 companies and Prime Ministers of G7 powers.

Mark’s TEDx talk reaches millions, he is a go-to body-language commentator for C T V, CBC, Global, and regularly quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes, and GQ.

Jim Hope is the General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at The Derrick Golf and Winter Club in Edmonton, Alberta who was awarded 2020 CSCM Club Manager of the Year. Jim is also a principal of “ The Engaging People” podcast.

Mark has many years of experience training salespeople and leaders across the globe on how to use digital media most effectively for superior communication. He has published many bestselling books on body language, and on understanding human behavior in order to deal with some of the trickiest situations and behaviors.

Scott Kolb comes from the PGA side of the industry.

Turning Professional in 1992 at Victoria GC before moving to Gallagher ’s Canyon in the Okanagan for Golf BC. He has started three separate golf academies including the GBC Golf Academy before changing to the management side of operations. He has served as Head Professional at a club in Ontario and managed Arbutus Ridge and now General Manager at Victoria Golf Club. He and his club have won various provincial and National Awards in the PGA and CSCM including the PGA of BC Executive of the Year, PGA of Canada Golf Shop of the Year and CSCM Club of the Year.

human you ce your es and ur

Jason Steadwell of Syngenta delivered a compelling presentation entitled: “Solutions for Tomorrow, Here for Today”

"What Makes A SUPER, Superintendent" Jim Hope and Scott Kolb Scott and Jim are two seasoned GM’s who spoke about some of the traits and qualities they feel all SUPER Superintendents have. They also recognized that these traits may also be what a Superintendent is looking for in working with a GM as well.

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Kevin Hicks of Earthworks gave an interesting presentation entitled: “Turbo Charge Greens Program with Biological Base”

The BCGSA wishes to thank the following sponsors who so generously contributed to this year’s Virtual Conference.

Special thanks to Bayer & Syngenta for hosting our Keynote Speakers

Infomercial Spots

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Spring 2021 "Tur f Management in an Era of Reduced Fungicide Use" Dr. Tom Hsiang

Dr. Tom Hsiang is a Professor in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Guelph, Ontario specializing in fungal diseases of plants.

Before arriving in Guelph, he worked on tree and landscape plant diseases in Washington State, where he obtained his Ph.D. (University of Washington) and conducted post-doctoral studies ( Washington State University). He is from Vancouver, B.C., and obtained his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Forest Biology & Pathology at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Hsiang’s current teaching and research involve diseases of trees and tur fgrasses, particularly biology and genomics of fungal pathogens as well as disease management.

r

How disease management is affected by the drive for reduced fungicide use.

Dr. Hsiang will cover the biology and management of Microdochium patch, the biology & management of dollar spot, and understand Action of Plant Disease Resistance Activators, as well as the results of reduced fungicide use programs

spot vators ams

Lewis Sharp of Tee 2 Green gave an enlightening talk entitled: “Game Changing Bentgrass Cultivars”

Day 3 - November 18th Today ’s program began with a Mindfulness Panel comprised of the following: Paul MacCormack, Jason Haines, Dave Wilbur, Brian Youell, Miranda Robinson A candid panel discussion to discuss mindfulness in a time that it is needed most.

Jay Lewis of Aquatrols/Redox spoke on the following topic: “Latest In Sur factant Technology”

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mber 16, 2020 The DogWood

Spring 2021

0GCSA New President

Jesse Benelli of Bayer gave a presentation on:

d panel discussion to discuss mindfulness in a time that it is "Solutions For Summer Stress" needed most.

dfulness in a time that it is

ons For Summer Stress" esse Benelli

Greg Moore of Plant Food Company Inc. gave a presentation on:

BREAK

"Impulse To Manage Wilt"

"Conducting Tournaments During A Pandemic" Thomas Bastis and Kelly Eddie

me

Presenters outlined how the PGA TOUR came “Back to The Tee” hosting the 1st live professional sports content during the pandemic.

Thomas Bastis and Kelly Eddy. Thomas grew up in San

e To Manage Wilt" and graduated with a bachelor's Diego, California degree in horticulture from California Polytechnic Greg Moore State University in San Luis, Obispo in 1995. He has been a superintendent for 20 years, with the last 15 at California Golf Club of San Francisco. In 2017, Thomas left his position at Cal Club and joined the PGA TOUR as a Competition Agronomist and continues to work with them today.

LUNCH

f entation will include results of at Wichita ven Kelly got her bachelorthe of arts in psychology University where she captained the women’s hium State studies spanning over the past seven golf team in 2005. She then received her masters des degree in Counseling Psychology at Oklahoma State

king atUniversity. how to manage Microdochium the absence of traditional fungicides She has worked her way up from pro shop assistant at Tallgrass Country Club in Wichita to her current al bluegrass putting greens.

position with the PGA Tour as senior manager of the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament Business and sponsor relations.

"Affirm" ick Fletcher

"Managing Microdochium Patch on AB Putting Greens Using Traditional and Non Traditional Fungicides" Dr. Clint Mattox This presentation included the results of multiple studies spanning over the past seven years looking at how to manage Microdochium patch in the absence of traditional fungicides on annual bluegrass putting greens.

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"Affirm" Rick Fletcher Spring 2021

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Dr. Clint Mattox graduated from Purdue University BREAK

with a tur fgrass science degree in 2000 and has been working in the tur fgrass industry since that time. From 2000 until 2012, Clint worked overseas, primarily in Europe, where he was an assistant superintendent in Berlin, head greenkeeper at Paris Disneyland, and finally grow-in and maintenance superintendent at the Arnold Palmer designed Vignoly golf course near Paris. In 2013, he began graduate studies at Oregon State University focusing on managing tur fgrass diseases in the absence of fungicides. He finished a doctorate degree in March 2020 majoring in Horticulture with a minor in Botany and Plant Pathology. Currently he is a postdoctoral research associate at Oregon State University where he per forms online teaching and continues to do tur fgrass research on Microdochium patch, carbon sequestration, and annual bluegrass phenology.

ike pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, nes, antibiotics, gluten, GMOs appear nly in media accounts, often in a context ses fears. We need to guide the public on raced out by evidence based science of emotion and hearsay.

igh Value Nutrients & Biostimulants" Doug Middleton

Break Out Room Socials

"The Dose Makes The Poison" Dr. Joe Schwarcz Terms like pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, hormones, antibiotics, gluten, GMOs appear commonly in media accounts, often in a context that raises fears. We need to guide the public on a path traced out by evidence based science instead of emotion and hearsay.

Joe Schwarcz is Director of McGill University ’s “Office for Science and Society ” which has the mission of separating sense from nonsense. He is the recipient of numerous awards for teaching chemistry and for interpreting science for the public. “Dr Joe” has hosted a radio show on science for forty years, has appeared hundreds of times on television, writes a regular newspaper column and is the author of eighteen best-sellers. He has been awarded honorary degrees by Athabasca University, Cape Breton University, the University of Windsor and Simon Fraser University. Professor Schwarcz is also an amateur magician and often spices up his presentations with a little magic.

Rick Fletcher of Nufarm gave a presentation on Nufarm’s product: "Affirm”

Doug Middleton gave an interesting presentation on: “Understanding High Value Nutrients & Biostimulants”

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The BCGSA held its Annual General Meeting at 3:00 on November 17th which was followed by a Social & Networking time in the Breakout Rooms.

In conjuction with the virtual conference the BCGSA also ran the Silent Auction which closed at 2:00 pm on November 18th. Thanks so much to all of our industry who so generously donated to this worthwhile cause, the BCGSA was able to raise $36,000 for MS. Thanks to all of you who bid on items and supported the BCGSA MS fundraising event. The BCGSA would also like to thank Dena Gent for once again running the auction.

Our first ever virtual event proved to be a great success for the membership, the industry and the BCGSA alike. Final registration was a little over 200 and there was a count of 140+ at most times throughout the event. Feedback received from many members and industry alike indicated that although they would have preferred to meet at a live event, the virtual event provided the platform for education, CEC’s and the outreach to the membership by industry. As it is unknown at this time whether large events will be permissible in 2021, the BCGSA will endeavour to bring the opportunity of networking and education to its membership next year. Thank you to all who attended the event.

The BCGSA raised $36,000 for MS at the Professional Development Days Silent Auction held in November, 2020.

Thanks to all of our Industry Par tners for their generous contributions to the auction.

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BCGSA Industry Members

M Carrington & Company Stump Grinding 24

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Prairie Boy Turfgrass Solutions

Ross Rivers Enterprises

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Spring 2021

The DogWood Steve Warnes - All the Best in Your Retirement Ginny asked us at Evergro for a detailed list of Steve’s accomplishments as we honoured his incredible career and the vast experiences he gained in and out of the tur f industry. We thought “who could know more than Steve himself?” So, in his own words, this was Steve’s Career: Like most people I’ve met in the golf business, I too was lured by the appeal of an outdoor job and the chance to cruise around the course on some pretty cool equipment. It was 1974 when I got my first fulltime job at Meadow Brook G.C. in Montreal. At 90 Cents an hour the pay wasn’t great, but I could put in as many hours as I wanted, play golf for free, and 90 cents paid for 2 gallons of gas to fuel my beat-up 1967 Mustang.

I

t’s an understatement to say that 2020 brought many challenges to our world. The world was tested with devastating wildfires, Covid 19 pandemic, stock market crash, murder hornets, Prince Harry quitting the Royal Family, Donald Trump getting impeached... twice and we lose the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Kobe Bryant, and Alex Trebek. These were all unexpected events that would change the world as we know it.

Unbeknownst to us, it was the announcement that Steve Warnes was retiring that shocked the Evergro company and the tur f industry the most.

Steve Warnes is a humble, caring individual who always put his customers’ needs first, while trying to balance family life, hobby farming and buying extra vehicles that he really did not need. If you did not have the pleasure of meeting Steve, you were not privy to the knowledge he acquired and graciously shared regarding family, friends, fertilizer, chemicals, vehicles, whiskey, cigars, healthy eating and just about everything you could possibly need to carry on any conversation for long periods of time.

Steve had said that it was his privilege to work with hundreds of people in the golf and sports field industries who strived for a common goal… to provide the best possible conditions for their clientele, employees, and peers. It’s that kind of dedication that kept him motivated to learn as much as he could from other people’s experiences and from educational opportunities, so he could share his skills with the hopes of contributing to the success of others.

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In 1978, my girlfriend Val (my wife of for ty years in 2021) landed a summer job in Banff, Alber ta. I had never heard of the place but found out it had a golf course, so I promptly mailed an application to the Banff Springs Hotel for a job on the golf course. I received a reply stating there was nothing available but headed to Banff just the same. Taking a long shot, I dropped in to see the superintendent, Stan Bishop. After a shor t

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Jerry Sihota

Chris Ainey

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604.880.1492

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604.354.5363

Spring 2021

The DogWood On an early spring day in 1991 I accepted an offer for the sales position on Vancouver Island with Fallis Equipment. Another great adventure with people I enjoyed working with, but about 18 months in, they reduced their sales force, and the Island position was eliminated.

I decided to take a stab at entrepreneurship and star ted a reel sharpening business for the winter months. In the summer I worked par t time at a couple of golf courses and then joined the construction team at Winchelsea view GC. There I spent most of my time operating a Deere 850 dozer for Ross Rivers who was always a great source of encouragement.

In 1992-93 I instructed the Camosun College Turf grass Program in Victoria. One of the most interesting things about teaching is discovering how much or little you know. I had a diploma from The University of Massachusetts winter program from 1986 and had saved my books and material from which I figured I would build the curriculum, but yikes! I blew through most of it in a few weeks and had to work my butt off to continue generating more for the next three months.

Boy, it was a tough gig but extremely rewarding.

trip around the course to check on his staff he told me to show up at six the next morning and boom… I was on the crew. I stayed for the season and the next but came to the realization that year-round work with a decent wage was tough to find in the golf course industry, so I moved to Calgary in search of greener pastures.

After a year-long stint in the retail sector, the call of the great outdoors drew me back to a golf course. I’m not sure how I found Pinebrook G&CC, but I think I was just out for a drive to explore the foothills when an unusually shaped large structure appeared on the horizon. I couldn’t resist checking it out, and to my utter surprise, it was golf clubhouse. As I got out of my car to investigate fur ther, a stocky and energetic Ken Olsvik hopped out of his pickup truck and after a 20-minute chat, he convinced me to show up for work the following week. When Ken moved on to the Glencoe Club, he coached me into applying for the superintendent position at Pinebrook for which I am forever grateful to him for star ting my career.

After seven years there, the lure of the Rockies grabbed me when the Canmore GC supt. job came open. What a sweet golf course and welcoming town. Unfor tunately, a seven day a week job during the golfing season and an extremely busy winter curling rink maintenance program left little time for family life.

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The 1994 CGSA Conference was held in Calgary and I invested a few days and some of my dwindling savings to attend the trade show in hopes of obtaining selling rights for some new products in western Canada. While visiting the Evergro booth I was told they were looking for a sales rep for Alber ta. Although reluctant to leave the Island, this was a great oppor tunity. With our third child due in six months, Val and I agreed to relocate when the job was offered. You’d think that with my years of experience, I’d catch on to my new job quite easily, but it took me a couple of years to build confidence

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in my role. Managing a vast territory stretching from For t McMurray to Lethbridge consumed a ton of time and energy, especially with golf course construction still booming. Halfway through my tenure in Alber ta, I traded the nor th region for eastern BC extending to the west Kootenays. What a beautiful area to travel, but the time required to cover the territory properly star ted taking its toll on our family life, and the long harsh winters had us looking for milder climes.

Back to Vancouver Island we went in 1999. We bought an acreage near Lake Cowichan, with a modest greenhouse operation where we grew and sold ornamentals flowers, vegetables, with our three kids, four dogs and a dozen cats, a flock of chickens and two goats. At the same time, I also worked on the crew at Arbutus Ridge GC where I got to do whatever was needed. It was refreshing to be in a non-supervisory position for a change.

In 2000 Evergro offered me a shot at the sales position on the Island. Twenty years later I’m looking back without any regrets. I thank the many people who have helped and suppor ted me along the way. If I acknowledged every one of you, I could go on forever, and I feel that I already have. So, with that, I can sincerely say that I have learned something of value from everyone I’ve met in our world of turf, and surely appreciate the many friendships I have formed. I’ll always be grateful to Jerry Sihota and my friends at Evergro for nur turing a fabulous company culture that I was privileged to be a par t of.

So, what’s next? Retirement comes in many forms, and as you can see, I’m a sucker for new adventures.

Many thanks, Steve Warnes.

On behalf of the Evergro family, I would like to thank Steve for his years of friendship, dedication, and commitment to our company. He has been a constant source of knowledge and humor for all of us who have had the pleasure of working with him or just knowing him. We wish him all the best in his retirement and in all the new adventures he will experience with his wonder ful wife, Val. This is not goodbye Steve, this is ‘See ya Later ’.

Good luck to you both and may all your journeys be happy, healthy, and safe.

Jerry Sihota Evergro

“The Silver Fox” Dave Creamer Hockey Game - 2010

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Spring 2021

The DogWood Superintendent of the Year - Rick Scott

Rick Scott - Richmond Country Club BCGSA 2020 Superintendent of the Year

T

he British Columbia Golf Superintendents Association Board of Directors was proud to unanimously select Rick Scott, Golf Course Superintendent at Richmond Country Club as the 2020 BCGSA Superintendent of the Year.

Rick was presented this prestigious award in front of colleagues and friends at the 2020 BCGSA Annual General Meeting, held during the Professional Development Days in November over Zoom.

Over the years, Rick has volunteered his time and given back to the industry in many

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ways. In addition to ser ving on the BCGSA Board of Directors, he was President of the Lower Mainland’s chapter at a time where his leadership was counted on to pull the chapter through a time where the executive was thin.

Rick has been a leader in incorporating new technology into his arsenal as he uses ‘ Twitter ’ to communicate with him membership and has a drone which shows angles of the course most don’t get to see. Mark Strong, PGA of Canada, member and General Manager at Richmond Countr y Club, states that “Rick has been

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able to cultivate many of his staff into long term employees and fosters a positive work environment.”

Two of Rick’s closest confidants in the industr y are Wade Hawksworth, former Golf Course Superintendent at Marine Drive Golf Club and Jerr y Sihota, Sales Manager for the Evergro Division of Nutrien Solutions. These gentlemen both speak highly of Rick’s ability to maintain quality playing sur faces, but more importantly they highlight his accomplishments outside of work.

Wade says “Rick is a devoted family man with a beautiful wife and five children whom he spends all his spare time with. One of Rick’s sons, Matthew, has Down Syndrome and requires special needs and time. During the summer months Rick brings Matt to work to wash and clean machinery and helps build confidence for his son. Rick is highly respected among his peers and has been a mentor to many in the industry over the years. He is always eager to share his knowledge and experiences over the years to anyone and hopefully help them in their careers.”

Jerr y includes that “Rick is a true professional both on and off the course. An example of this is his ten years of suppor ting and working with Inclusion BC, Ready and Able, and the Langley Association for Community Living to help create awareness and employment for persons with Special Needs.”

Rick Scott with his son Matt

Thank you for all you’ve done for our profession Rick, for reminding us all to maintain a good work/life balance and to look after those who are dear to us.

Congratulations Rick, you are most deser ving of being recognized by your peers. We wish you continued success.

Respectfully submitted, Jamie Robb Past President, BCGSA

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2020 Brian Finnigan Memorial Bursary Award The Board of the BCGSA wishes to Congratulate Shawn Bailey, of Gallagher ’s Canyon Golf Course, for being chosen as the recipient of the 2020 Brian Finnigan Memorial Bursar y Award.

This is the second year that Shawn has received the scholarship as he shared in the award in 2017 while he was employed at Capilano Golf and Countr y Club.

Shawn Bailey

Congratulations Shawn The Board would like to take this oppor tunity to wish you all the best in your future with the golf course industry!

Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Course This p as t mo nt h Paul R o ber t s o n, gre e ns s uper intendent o f Vic to r ia G o lf C lu b, wa s awarded t he 2 0 2 0 CGSA Super inte nd e nt of t he Year. Fro m his humb le beginni ng s a s s uper intendent at Co ld Lake G o lf an d Cou nt r y Club in Alb er t a t hru to his p res ent te nu re of t hir t y-plus years as s up er intendent at V GC , Pa u l has always demo ns t rated an ins at iable pu rs u i t to improve upo n t he g o lf co urs e in hi s c a re a s well as upon himself as a profession a l.

Thro ug h lear ning and tes t ing of ne w innovative ways in golf course man a g e m e nt, Paul has g ar nered hims elf t he res pe c t of hi s peers as one of the leaders of our i n d u s t r y, no t o nly in Br it is h Co lumb ia, but a ls o a c ros s Canada. He has mento red many w ho a s pi re towards a career in golf course man a g e m e nt.

I n addit io n Paul always makes t he Vi c tor i a G o lf Club availab le to ho s t meet i ng s a nd wo r ld-renowned s p eakers fo r t he b e ne f i t of his peers.

2020 CGSA Superintendent of the Year!

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Congratulations Paul on a designation well deserved!!!

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Spring 2021

Report from the Vancouver Island Region 2021! Fresh Start… Right?

First, I would like to thank T-Jay Creamer for his work and dedication over the past two years serving as president of the Vancouver Island chapter and navigating us through THE year of 2020.

We have a fresh start in 2021 and the realization has set in that this year may not differ from 2020. There is still an unknown heading into the upcoming season.

Clubs cannot rely on corporate events, weddings and international travel this year. But on the bright side rounds are up across Canada! People are taking advantage of one of the few sports that have been able to accommodate somewhat consistently over the last 12 months.

We have seen an increase in local golf to the point where courses do not have available tee times in December and January! Superintendents are seeing wear during winter months that some aren’t accustomed to. But we adapt, and that’s what we do in this industry. We are constantly challenged to adapt on the fly, whether it be tournaments, irrigation issues, weather, or even a global pandemic!

In a time that we must distance from each other, it feels like this industry has come together to help one another. Giving advice on how teams are being managed, discussing social distancing when training new employees, sharing ideas, or even a quick phone call, just to check in. It is hard to say where we will be in July/August of 2021, hopefully having a beer together at a meeting, but if that’s not an option, we will continue to evolve and think of new ways to stay connected.

Thank you, industry representatives and superintendents for continuing to offer online education and keeping communication lines open and business as per usual.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce Bill Quin ( Vice President) & Josh Edgar (Director) to the Vancouver Island Golf Superintendents Association Board. I look forward to working with you, and other familiar faces this year.

Matt Mamone VIGSA President

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Spring 2021

The DogWood Report from the Kootenay Region

D

oing updates for the Dogwood is usually quite simple. I am able to talk about meetings from the past, common issue’s that most of us deal with etc. This time around it has become quite difficult to come up with an update from the Kootenay ’s, nothing has been happening in our region. For the first time in a long while I am stumped and lost for words. I did not want to ramble on about Covid-19 because I am sure that we have all heard enough about that. I knew that for this update from the Kootenay ’s I had to abandon my usual go to update and change things up.

and goes to work and does the job he does, it goes way beyond that. I have seen Tom in many roles, and he is very passionate about everything that he takes on. Tom first off is a Husband and a Father, too many of us he is a Mentor, Colleague, Friend, and a Leader. Tom’s greatest trait that I have seen is that he is a compassionate human being. I am sure everyone will agree that we appreciate everything that he does within our Kootenay Chapter and the BCGSA. “ Thank you” Tom for doing everything you do!!

When I asked my Assistant Superintendent (Rob Balcom) what I should include in this update from the Kootenay ’s he had that same look on his face that I probably had, we were perplexed on what to say. We sat there for a while with us both throwing things out there and we both decided that maybe it was time to recognize people that do so much for our industry. These are people that do things for our industry because they are very passionate about the job they have. These are people that rarely get the recognition they deserve. Although there are many of these people out there, two people came to my mind very quickly.

Graeme Douglas is the Manager of Golf and Hotel Facilities at St. Eugene Golf Resort and Casino in Cranbrook, BC. Graeme has dedicated over 35 years of his life in the golf industry, with the past 25 years at St. Eugene. Our region is very fortunate to have Graeme as one of our members. He has done so much for golf around the world, from building golf courses, volunteering and spreading awareness.

Graeme is a very humble man, he may or may not realize the impact he has had on the golf world.

He is the winner of the 2011 CGSA Environmental Achievement Award and the 2019 CGSA Gordon Witteveen Award. We all know Graeme as just one of the guys, but he is truly one of the best guys out there.

Tom Altmann as many of you know is the Superintendent at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. I have been in the Kootenay ’s for 15 years now, since I can remember Tom has played some sort of role within the BCGSA. Tom Currently is the Treasurer for the BCGSA, Past President of the Kootenay Chapter, and is the Kootenay liaison for the BCGSA. Although Tom probably feels that he just wakes up everyday

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Although they are many individuals out there that deserve recognition, we should all stop and think about who they might be and thank them. Everyone in our industry has a lot to offer as Tur f Grass Professionals, I am truly blessed to be part of this amazing group of individuals.

Respectfully Submitted Brad Pasula

The DogWood

Spring 2021

Report from the Lower Mainland Region

A

s we begin 2021, life with covid restrictions is becoming a normal part of our personal and professional lives. As an industry we can be thankful our segment is surviving and even thriving in most cases. I think we can all be proud of the fact our teams continuous hard work and dedication is providing some much needed recreation for our patrons and memberships.

The wet winter combined with increased traffic at most facilities has made our jobs challenging, and has us looking ahead to a busy spring. It is great to see mindfulness and mental health being brought to the forefront recently. This is a great reminder for us to take care of our mental and physical health during these challenging times, we can only do so much!

Now it is more important than ever to reach out and support each other to avoid becoming isolated in these virtual times.

With all conferences and seminars going online I would like to commend the BCGSA on the success of the recent professional development days as well as thank all the sponsors and organizers of this great event. Be sure to take in more of these opportunities

over the winter and spring to remain in touch with your peers. Feel free to reach out to any of the board members if you have ideas or suggestions for how we can provide value to our membership in 2021.

Congratulations to Rick Scott of Richmond Country club on being recognized as Superintendent of the Year for 2020. Rick has been a great friend and mentor to many of us within the BCGSA as well as past president of the lower mainland chapter.

Congratulations Rick!

I would like to thank my fellow board members for their time and support. Also, welcome Stuart Sheridan to the board. We look forward to your contributions and ideas. We would also like to thank Jamie Robb for his time and effort on our executive.

Your expertise on many levels within our industry is appreciated by all the BCGSA members!

Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy 2021 and look forward to seeing you at some of the online events this season!

Respectfully submitted, James Muter Lower Mainland Chapter President

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35

Spring 2021

The DogWood Report from the Interior Region

W

e may be happy that 2020 is finally behind us with the hope that normalcy as we know it will return, however this winter has been another different one for the books in many ways. I have been in the tur f industry for over 20 years and every year it is getting increasingly difficult to predict what Mother Nature is going to throw at us. Gone are the days where a Super could put down the last app of the season and forget about the golf course until spring broke. Remember when most of us would go away for months and then come back to the course to see that greens wintered pretty well? Now going away for a day or two can be stressful as we don’t know what we might see when we return…times sure have changed.

This particular winter has challenged me to no end. It’s been a roller coaster of mild to extreme temperatures and little -to-no-snow coverage.

Over the course of a month at my golf course, we had to remove the snow / ice from our greens four times and I’m resolved to the fact that we will be doing it again in our near future. At this present time, we are waiting for the cold snap to pass by so we can assess what our next move is.

As soon as the weather is conducive, we will have the pleasure of repairing the damage we incurred when we chipped the ice off earlier. If only there was the per fect solution to combat the perils of ice damage…

Thankfully this winter has not been all doom and gloom. There have been many excellent opportunities for us to join in Zoom meetings, webinars, virtual conferences, etc. We are so fortunate to have the means to still stay in touch with our industry without having to leave our respective areas. Sure, these virtual meet & greets are not ideal in the sense that we aren’t physically present, however some are finding ways to make this kind of medium work. There are many who are forming small groups that meet on a regular basis to still engage in networking and social aspects.

Even happy hour is virtual these days! So even though there is a physical disconnect, we still are able to maintain our relationships, camaraderie and education as well as not lose touch with the real world.

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The Interior Chapter held our AGM in November via Zoom. Even though the attendance was on the low side, it was great to be able to get together with our members to recap what’s been happening as well as discuss the upcoming year. One highlight to note is our Chapter was pleased to present 3 applicants with the Vern Burnell Interior Chapter Scholarship award with the amount of $1000.00 each. Congratulations to Shawn Bailey (Okanagan Golf Club), Aiden Hutchinson (Penticton G&CC) and Luke Evans (Kelowna G&CC)!

Another topic discussed was the potential opportunity to host the First Green Program in our region. My golf course is extremely interested in hosting this program in hopes to build the game in our community and to show students that there is a possible future in the tur f industry. There was great feedback and interest amongst our Chapter to help out with the program and my hope is that we can annually circulate this event to other golf courses in our region. Lastly, we also made some tentative plans for the upcoming season; however we have not lined up any speakers or events at this time as we are waiting to see what the Provincial restrictions will be. We did set the 2021 meeting dates (without locations) and our first meeting will be held via Zoom on March 9th at 10:00am.

In closing, when I took on the position of the Interior Chapter President, I was not anticipating having to navigate this role during a pandemic (as I’m sure others echo the sentiment). I was looking forward to challenging myself with running our meetings in person, working with the Board and members to create a great environment for learning & networking as well as having the opportunity to fill the shoes of so many other great leaders we have had over the years. Instead it has been a different kind of challenge trying to stay engaged with our membership and keeping things relevant for all. I am grateful to have an excellent Board to collaborate with and our industry is second to none when it comes to inclusiveness and togetherness…to that I say thank you!

Respectfully Submitted Jennifer Rozek BCGSA Interior Chapter President

The DogWood

Spring 2021

Report from the Northern Region

A

s a beautiful, sunny winter day dawns here in the north, you would almost think things were normal. It’s February, we have snow, typical seasonal temperatures, and I am waiting for the sun to heat the day just a little, so my trip to the Nordic center for a cross country ski will be as enjoyable as possible.

You know, normal. Well, I should say, that I just happened to pick one of the few somewhat normal days we have had all winter to write my report.

Traditionally, our normal days would consist of snow sometime in November that would stay until March or early April, then spring would arrive. This is seldom the case anymore as our climate changes. As with most everyone I’m sure, I have come to expect the unexpected.

This year we got our first snowfall on the 18th of October challenging all the courses in the area to get our last protection applications and winterization programs finished. We all had to move snow to do so, and some courses had to move it more than once.

With the attitude of adapt, overcome, preserve and the great work from the Supers of the North and their dedicated teams, we went into November feeling comfortable our courses were set for the winter.

Unfortunately, the feeling was short lived, as an unseasonably warm December, accompanied with a few days of rain and wild windstorms wreaked havoc with the tarping systems and left some courses exposed or covered with ice. You can imagine the apprehension I felt while touring the course early in February thinking about little or no snow cover and temperatures of minus 30 and colder in the forecast!

Thankfully, Mother Nature cut us a small break, and we did receive a few centimeters of snow before the cold spell hit. A little cover is better than no cover at all.

Now things are back to “normal.” Well, for today at least.

Please note: The northern region’s meetings are on hold for the near future or until COVID restrictions are removed.

Stay safe.

Respectfully Submitted, Murray Kutyn BCGSA Northern Chapter President.

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Spring 2021

The DogWood CGSA Report - by Ken Bruneski

A

s winter gives us one last gasp, hopefully, many superintendents across the countr y will begin the process of getting ready to open the doors of their facilities in what appears to be another uncertain year dealing with a pandemic.

If last year is any indication, golf will once again be a prime activity for those looking for some kind of reprieve from the health orders we are required to abide by. Whatever opinion you have of our current situation I believe that rules we should adhere to are that of taking care of each other. In the end I believe that none of us should feel so confident in our belief that we should risk the health and safety of others. The sooner we all realize what it is going to take to pull us out of this crisis, the sooner we will be able to turn the tide in our favour.

The CGSA Virtual Conference will be held March 2-4th and will have passed by the time of this publication. I hope the many of you that attend will have enjoyed the effort put forth by our staff and committee members. Next year I hope we can have things return to our new normal but I hope to see some differences in the way we operate moving forward. My favourite pandemic saying thus far is, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” One thing the pandemic has proven to me is that we are in need of some forward thinking change. More effective education delivery with interesting networking ideas is something I look forward to working on for the future.

The CGSA has recently announced some of our award winners and congratulations are in order.

British Columbia has once again provided the CGSA with its Superintendent of the Year in

38

Paul Robertson from the Victoria Golf Club.

Paul’s list of accolades and contributions to the superintendent profession is long and his selection as Superintendent of the Year on his first time ballot is testament to his commitment to our industr y. The Gordon Witteveen Award for article of the year has been awarded to Reid Solodan, AGS, Canmore Golf & Countr y Club. Reid’s article on vermicomposting was excellently written and ver y informative. More recently the CGSA’s Assistant Superintendent of the year award was awarded to Ryan Marangoni from the Burlington Golf & Countr y Club.

Congratulations to all of our winners. There are more awards to come so stay tuned.

Recently the Women in Tur fgrass Management Conference was held virtually and the CGSA was a proud sponsor of this event. This is such a great initiative and I look for ward to getting to know more of the women involved in our industr y.

Keep knocking it out of the park ladies.

The Manitoba Golf Superintendents Association has now partnered with the CGSA in a relationship that has the CGSA collecting dues and doing administrative tasks for the provincial association. I know our staff will do their ver y best to support the Manitoba Superintendents.

I will finish by saying our associations, all of them, are in good hands. Good leadership cannot be under valued however, these times are strange and your associations need your support today more than ever before.

Sincerely, Ken Bruneski CGSA – BC Director

Spring 2021

The DogWood What’s it Like at Turf School During Covid Times?

KPU Tur f Students and Faculty Reflect on the Past Few Months: On Lectures?

"Most lectures are recorded and uploaded, but some require scheduled attendance.

We also use online discussion sessions that are recorded. Convenience is the big plus of this system. Recorded lectures are not subject to time and place, so it is now possible for us to listen to lectures whenever and wherever we want with stable internet. Major issue is the personal experience difference of face to face (F2F) learning. It can be hard to get motivated watching videos just for lectures when we are used to Netflix and other platforms. I miss the old face to face classes and ‘without a mask'."

On Labs?

"I personally believe that F2F format for labs was way better than what we have now, especially the practical.

Obser vation of all tur f machiner y such as greens mower, rough mower, fair way units, bunker rakes and so many more. Also, the experience of using them. We still get some live F2F labs while keeping all CoVid safety measures in mind. But, still it's less than what we had before and worst part is we don’t know how long it's going to be like this. It’s a hard pill to swallow but this is reality ever ywhere now."

On personal & work life?

go to work and look it up next day. I am thankful to my boss, Steve Peardon, who spares extra time from his busy schedule just to make things clear to me."

Josh Carlsen:

"I am working full-time as Foreman at Township of Langley Parks and attending KPU part-time. I plan to graduate with my Tur f diploma in 2021, then ladder into year 3 of my KPU Business degree. My career goal is to continue up to higher levels of responsibility within Township of Langley."

Stan Kazymerchyk, Tur f Management Instructor - Faculty Summary:

Lead

A famous writer once said, "Rumours of my death are grossly exaggerated". KPU Tur f class sizes this Fall are better than average. Eight new Tur f students have joined the Tur f world this fall. Four of them are already with Golf or Parks while the other four are new to Tur f, which is fairly typical. They join the 12 Tur f students already here. The other students comprising Tur f classes are Landscape or General diploma students taking Tur f courses for interest.

At least 14 potential new Tur f students are considering Spring 2021 intake but we won't know real numbers until late December. Most Tur f students are progressing on their own schedule around work and personal, usually at a pace to complete diploma in 3-5 years.

"Work life hasn’t been affected too much. Now I can work full and continuous shifts. I don’t have to leave early to adjust my legal weekly hours or work three random days a week just because I have classes. None of that exists for now. Even with personal life. I can watch lectures early morning or before going to bed and can have rest of the day as my day off and I can run my errands. So new format has a major positive effect on work and personal life."

Adapting course material to online format takes a tremendous amount of time for Faculty. Learning how to learn online can be challenging for students. Transitioning to mainly online delivery has been a steep learning curve for both Faculty and Students, but it has gone overall better than expected. We are all very happy to have committed to this preventative approach, as we have seen no connection of illness with our activity.

On Tur f Club?

The big plus for this format is how students can easily adapt their education around work and personal life. Down-side is the reduction in personal connection time for students, both with Faculty and other students. Faculty also miss the personal interaction with students and industry.

Student feedback we get this Fall will definitely shape our deliver y to better personalize these connections.

KPU has committed to the same format for Spring 2021.

Health care realities will guide our direction for Fall 2021 and beyond, but right now we don't really know for sure whether we will continue on this way or revert back to traditional delivery beyond this Spring.

"It’s sad that some of the Tur f Club’s main charity fundraising events have been cancelled due to CoVid. Meetings are via email/text or Zoom meetings. This year we are putting all our efforts into our annual Pat Dooley Memorial Golf Tournament this upcoming April and are very much looking for ward to this fun and memorable day.

The even gets better each year and I for one am excited to make the 2021 tourney April 23 the best one yet!

Not connecting in person with other members feels not very club-like. We all want to use our personal time to help out with events but really it comes down to the safety of ever yone and it’s just not worth the risk of gathering or making social events where family and friends and industr y members get together for an event for now. We all have to do our part to stop the spread."

Where I am in my career now?

Nishant Kumar:

"I am now working part-time at Surrey Golf Course as a greenskeeper for last 9 months (full-time in summer) and trying to acquire knowledge and experience. My job has kept me in the loop, as whatever I watch in lectures I could

40

I personally suspect that the long-term product may be some form of hybrid system involving minimal attendance based lecture and more F2F Lab time than present. The Lab time may perhaps be adapted to be more flexible for student's time. Coincidentally, this was likely the direction our Tur f grass Program Review feedback was indicating.

The Tur fgrass Program Review has been temporarily put on hold, but the final direction will likely evolve with the "new post-secondar y reality" that will soon unfold.

Josh Carlsen, Nishant Kumar and Stan Kazymerchyk

Spring 2021

The DogWood WCTA Report

T

hank you for the opportunity to present a report.

While the WC TA fiscal year-end is September 30 and our membership runs the calendar year, with the annual conference behind us and a new Board taking the reins, I always think of March as the start of the year. It’s about the only time we get a chance to reflect on the past 12 months, try to tie up some loose ends and look forward to the coming season.

Sound familiar?

Associations have moved to online education delivery in a hurry, the WC TA included, and while a lot of members feel you can never replace in-person meetings and events, we’re happy that our WOW webinar series and WOTS-UP! virtual conference and trade show were very well received.

The WC TA Online Webinar Series or ‘ WOW ’, launched on October 29th with a no charge session by KayLee Hansen aimed at providing some timely well-being and de -stressing insight. Next stop was December 3rd with a two hour CEC point session by Mario Lanthier and on January 14, Tim Garner of PD Solutions gave us a couple more hours of CEC point related education. Thanks to all our speakers!

WOW #4 was originally scheduled for Feb 11th, but the Board really wanted to do something more substantial so in December, the decision was made to create a 2 day virtual event called WC TA Online Trade Show & Unprecedented Presentations ( WOTSUP!). Timing was a little tight to pull it off but the show, taking place Feb 10 & 11, ran smoothly and registration was far better than we hoped with over 250 participants!

I wouldn’t say the technology is per fect and in terms of event production, we’re not Zoom super-users just yet but I’m encouraged by the attendance growth since our first WOW event, the ever-increasing comfort levels of everyone attending, many cool and handy features and mostly, the potential to integrate more online educational delivery options in the future. At the end of the day, we have a great new tool in the toolbox at our disposal.

Currently, staff is wrapping up the show and starting to plan the next few months. As the tur f starts to wake up and golf and sportstur f managers get busy, we have some projects of our own needing attention like completing the new CEC point tracking software and associated policy document, overhauling our

42

contact database, updating point records, maybe putting together one more WOW episode and a host of admin tasks that you don’t need to think about but are important for us to keep things running smoothly. Again, sound familiar?

I’d like to congratulate and thank Peter Sorokovsky, City of Burnaby Golf Operations, as he leaves the Board after 14 years of volunteerism having served as Director, Research Committee Chair, President and Past President. Peter has single -handedly raised tens of thousands of dollars for tur f research and strongly believes in the value of tur f and those who manage it. If you want to talk tur f, especially on the subjects of playing in frost or how to beat fusarium, give him a shout.

Finally, I’d like to introduce the 2021/2022 WC TA Board of Directors.

President Cam Watt, UBC Athletics Vice -President Gary Bartley, UBC Athletics Past-President Travis Olson, Kamloops Golf Club 2 year Director Stu Carmichael, City of Courtenay 2 year Director Davin Marr, Hillview Golf Course 1 year Director Jesse Cowan, Gallagher ’s Canyon Golf Course 1 year Director Jed McGeachie, Overton Environmental 1 year Director Andre Dionne, City of Coquitlam 1 year Director John Perry, Poppy Estates Golf Course All the best for the upcoming 2021 season!

Jerry Rousseau Executive Director Western Canada Turfgrass Association www.wcta-online.com (604) 869-WCTA (9282) Exec.director@wctaturf.com

The DogWood A Rookie Mower ’s Plea…

In the rain, in the dark, well before the dawn, We have most of your golf course cut, before your coffee’s on!

The cut type can be varied, depending on location Each one of us sincerely works to heighten your vacation We are not there to irritate, thankless job it is We even turn the other way, when guys, we see you whiz!

The fair ways, rough, tee mowers too, & ever y mower out there Each one of us works for the team, appearing out of nowhere So when you are on that tee box, or partway down the fair way And a tractor suddenly appears & blocks your shot the hard way Perhaps just take a deep breath, agree we’re human too A little bit of patience we’d be grateful for, from you A minute’s often all we need, to clear your path & cut And then, oh mighty golfer, you’d be free to hit or putt It works both ways, you may not know, as you diddle with swings or clubs We mowers will sit patiently, while we could be at the pub!

We don’t pull out our watches, or stand like angr y storks Seems we’ve time to eat full meals, including knives & forks!

Most members & the ones who faithfully give us a break We Grounds Crew do salute you! We do it for YOUR sake!

The ones who make us smile, with a cheer y thing to say You’ve no idea our gratitude. You really make our day!

The friendly wave or grateful smile, you give us on the course Comes back to you in multitudes, & opens many doors

Spring 2021

New Members to the BCGSA Welcome to all of our new members to the BCGSA. Kootenay Region Christina Lake Golf Club - Neil Bull Granite Pointe Golf Course - Daylan Van der Weyde DryJect Western Canada - Jeff Hacior Lower Mainland Marine Drive Golf Club - Ben Zlotnik Mayfair Lakes Golf Course - Corey Hewlett Mayfair Lakes Golf Course - Lane Koch Point Grey Golf Club - Matthew Mihal Mylora Executive Golf Club - Shane Hawksworth Sunshine Coast Golf & Country Club - Jason Haines Westwood Plateau - Jason Morgan Fedja Muzur - Student Vancouver Island Region Cordova Bay Golf Club - Jacob Mycio Cordova Bay Golf Club - Stuart Maclean Victoria Golf Club - Jacinda Chow Brandt Consolidated - Mike Steve

2021 BCGSA Membership Roster is coming soon!!

Please be sure and check your entry in the 2020 Roster and let the office know of any additions, deletions or changes prior to: April 1, 2021.

To those who pass us by, avoiding a glance our way Our humble hearts still wish you well, as you go about your day What really would it cost you, to acknowledge us & smile?

Who knows? The feeling for both of us, may linger just a while?

The golf course is a special place for members & each guest Please pause & do remember, we’re all tr ying to do our best!

Di Robinson Shuswap Lake Estates G&CC Maintenance Depar tment Employee

Membership Invoicing Membership Invoicing for 2021 will take place in April this year.

As in previous years, the CGSA will be sending out notices for both CGSA and BCGSA Membership Dues.

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The DogWood

Spring 2021

Advertising Rates for 2021 MEMBERSHIP ROSTER

The annual Membership Roster is our most popular publication and features valuable contact information for all Superintendents and Industry Representatives within the BCGSA. Roster is about 100 pages and is 5 1/2” X 8 1/2” in size.

The 2021 Roster publication date is May, 2021.

Roster advertising rates are as follows: Full Page $300 - B/W $570 - Colour Half Page $190 - B/W Only Inside Front Cover $350 - B/W $625 - Colour Inside Back Cover $415 - B/W $665 - Colour Center Page $325 - B/W $595 - Colour Two Full Pages $555 - B/W $1100 - Colour Back Cover in Colour $865 - Colour Only

THE DOGWOOD

The DogWood magazine is approximately 52 pages in length, produced on an 8½” x 11” page and is published in the spring, summer and fall.

Distribution of the newsletter to over 450 British Columbia golf courses, related industry and allied associations. Advertising rates are as follows: Business Card Size Quarter Page Size Half Page Size Full Page Size Two Page Centerfold Full Page Inside Back Cover Full Page Inside Front Cover Full Page Back Cover Inserts

$ 85 - B/W Only $135 - B/W Only $210 - $325 Colour $290 - $540 Colour $555 - $970 Colour $315 - $540 Colour $315 - $540 Colour $735 - Colour Only $600 - Per Page

Deadlines (ad/editorial material): DogWood - Spring: February 15th, DogWood - Summer: May 14th, DogWood - Fall: September 17th Membership Roster: March 15th

WEB SITE ADVERTISING

Each advertisement must be 120 pixels x 300 pixels and will randomly rotate in the right hand margin of the website. You can either supply an ad in this size and format or we would be happy to make one up for you. $220 Per Year 44

ADVERTISING PACKAGES

$1120.00 per Year (payable by May 1st) ($1360.00 per Year to Upgrade to 3 Full Page DogWood Ads) Advertising packages include the following: 1 Full Coloured Rotating Ad on the BCGSA Website which includes a business card with a link to your website, in addition to being listed in the “Industry Section” of our website showing your business card (also includes a link to your site) 1 Full Page Black/White Roster Ad (5 1/2” x 8 1/2”) 1 Half Page Black/ White Ad in Spring Newsletter (3 1/2” x 9” OR 7 1/4” x 4 1/2”) 1 Half Page Black/White Ad in Summer Newsletter (3 1/2” x 9” OR 7 1/4” x 4 1/2”) 1 Half Page Black/ White Ad in Winter Newsletter (3 1/2” x 9” OR 7 1/4” x 4 1/2”) Package deals can also be applied with different sized ads and coloured ads, etc. Please contact the office to enquire further.

BANNER ADS ON MONTHLY EMAILED NEWSLETTERS & BCGSA Website - What’s New Page $100 per Month This banner ad can contain circulars or flyers that you wish to distribute to the current membership database.

Cost is $100.00 per issue and we have a maximum of three banners on any given newsletter sent out.

Please contact the office for current rates if you are interested in advertising in the DogWood, Membership Roster Website & Monthly Newsletters Ginny Tromp, Administrator: Email: admin@bcgsa.com Phone/Fax: 778-422-1776 British Columbia Golf Superintendents Association 6382 Herons Place, Duncan, BC V9L 6Z3

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The DogWood

Spring 2021

Our Appreciation The BCGSA would like to acknowledge all of our sponsors.

Thank you for your tremendous support!

A R Mower & Supply Ltd. Advanced Sales AFD Petroleum Bayer Environmental Science Bos Sod Farms Inc. BrettYoung Turf Products Butler Concrete & Aggregate Ltd. Club Car English Lawns Evergro E-Z-GO & Cushman Farm-Tek Grigg Brothers Iconix Waterworks Island Tractor J. Reid & Associates Ltd. JCL Ag Services

Keso Turf Supplies Kubota Natures Gold Organic Compost Fertilizers Oakcreek Golf & Turf Inc. Okanagan Fertilizer PrairieCoast Equipment Inc. Quality Golf Services Rollins Machinery Limited Syngenta Target Products Ltd. Target Specialty Products Taylor’s Turf Care Products Terra Equipment Ltd. TerraLink Horticulture Inc. Western Rootzone Western Turf Farms Ltd.

BCGSA Membership Benefits & Application Form The British Columbia Golf Superintendents Association is a society to promote and support the Golf Course Management profession in British Columbia Professionalism- The BCGSA heightens the professional recognition of the Golf Course Superintendent, both in golf course maintenance as well as in the culture and science of turf management. The Association promotes fraternity, benevolence, justice and mutual understanding to and for its members. The BCGSA is comprised of more than 400 members located in five Regional Chapters in British Columbia: Interior, Lower Mainland, Kootenay, Vancouver Island and Northern BC. Research- The BCGSA encourages, promotes and participates in Turfgrass Research and the practical knowledge relating to the care of golf courses. This results in more and efficient golf operations, better turf, and the best possible playing conditions for golfers of all abilities.

Education- The BCGSA recognizes and promotes the value of learning and teaching and sponsors, whenever possible, conferences, meetings and exhibitions for the benefit of its members and the turfgrass industry. The BCGSA also co-operates with many other associations whose interests run parallel to, or compliment that of the BCGSA. A copy of the application for Membership in the BCGSA can be found at our website by clicking on the “Membership” tab. Fill out the Application Form and either fax or mail it to this office . If you do not have access to the internet, please phone us and we will be pleased to mail you a copy.

46

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