2nd Quarter 2015

EARTH SHAPING NEWS www.gcbaa.org

Published Quarterly by the Golf Course Builders Association of America

2nd Quarter 2015

Colorado Springs to Host 2015 GCBAA Summer Meeting Members and industry leaders will gather for the Association’s Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs, CO. Members and friends of the Golf Course Builders Association (GCBAA) are anxiously awaiting the upcoming Summer Meeting in Colorful Colorado.

We hope your travel plans have been finalized and meeting registrations sent in. The Education and Meetings Committee are excited to showcase a number of educational offerings and networking opportunities throughout the week that we’re sure you’ll enjoy.

GCBAA President Rick Boylan welcomes attendees to the 2014 Summer Meeting

With the success of our newly established irrigation sessions, plan on irrigation being a staple to every event moving forward. Beginning bright and early Tuesday, July 23, join industry experts for a mix of classroom and hands-on education hitting on irrigation technologies, design, and installation. And don’t forget, CEU’s apply!

Weather permitting, Tuesday’s Opening Reception will be held on the outdoor courtyard of our headquarter hotel, The Mining Exchange. Enjoy catching up with old friends and even exchanging a few business cards throughout the evening. We ask that you pay special attention to our guests from the Golf Course Superintendents Association (GCSAA) as their Board of Directors will be joining us in the fun.

INSIDE

Wednesday’s format will begin with “Breakfast with the Vendors”, followed by 50-minute education sessions designed to teach you the latest in golf course construction trends, technology must-haves, and efficiency builders. The evening will play host to the newly branded “Buy from Within” Reception, recognizing GCBAA Associate members who continue to provide the very best in service to our Builder membership and the industry as a whole. Following the reception will be our Awards Dinner, and Silent and Live Auctions. Keep in mind that all proceeds generated go towards the GCBAA Foundation and its supporting programs. Bid early, bid high, bid often!

It is with great pleasure that we will honor Mr. Warren “Tommy” Sasser with the Association’s Perry Dye Service Award Wednesday evening. A most deserving recipient, Tommy has been a loyal member and has committed his time to fostering positive changes for the Association. Congratulations Tommy! See the full press release on Tommy on page 12.

Last but not least is the celebrated Sticks for Kids Golf Outing Thursday morning at Pine Creek Golf Club in Colorado Springs. Your entry fee includes transportation to and from the course, breakfast, golf, cart, awards luncheon, beverages, tee gifts and a golf shirt sponsored by Forward Group. The scramble format can accommodate 144 players on a first-come, first served basis so get your spot secured as soon as possible. Again, all proceeds go directly to Sticks for Kids!

Please contact the office with any questions regarding the upcoming Summer Meeting. We are here to help you register, book your hotel rooms, assist with sponsorship opportunities and everything in between.

2 President’s Perspective 3 Executive Director Notes 4 Foundation Update 6 Running the Loop 12 Tommy Sasser 14 Human Resources 15 Developer’s Guide 17 New Members 20 Allied Associations 26 Movers & Shapers 30 Advertisers

President’s Perspective

Rick Boylan GCBAA PRESIDENT

CHARTER MEMBERS ACC GOLF CONSTRUCTION

It has only been a few short months since our very successful Winter Meeting in San Antonio, and in that time many of us have seen evidence of the industry beginning to bounce back from the recent recession.

While we welcome the increase in work and the opportunity to continue growing our Association, we are still faced with a myriad of challenges as an industry—things like a negative image of the game, government overreach, and sluggish growth in numbers of new players. However, we feel confident that our Association is in a better position than ever to get involved and help the industry begin to combat and overcome some of these challenges.

So, how are we getting involved? And just what does this mean for our Association?

ASPEN CORPORATION BOYD IRRIGATION, INC. BRYANT TAYLOR GORDON GOLF CAL OLSON GOLF ARCHITECTURE CATERPILLAR, INC. COLORADO LINING INTERNATIONAL, INC. DUININCK GOLF DYE DESIGNS INTERNATIONAL EAGLE GOLF & LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS EWING IRRIGATION FLOWTRONEX

By now, you have heard about our Strategic Planning Session that took place in February during the annual Winter Meeting. The number one issue identified during the session was the need for our Association to reach out and form stronger relationships with our allied associations.

While this is something we were already doing on a smaller scale, it became very clear that our GCBAA membership was passionate about increasing our visibility and our collaboration with our allieds so we could find a way to work together toward positive change and help strengthen and promote the golf industry as it continues to rebound.

FORWARD GROUP GLASE GOLF, INC. GREENMAN MACHINERY COMPANY HARCO FITTINGS HENDERSON & COMPANY, INC. HUNTER INDUSTRIES ISCO INDUSTRIES J L PIERMAN INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES, INC. JACKLINGOLF JOHN DEERE GOLF LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED, LLC LANDIRR, INC. LASCO FITTINGS INC. LEEMCO INC. MACCURRACH GOLF MCDONALD & SONS, INC. MEDALIST GOLF MID-AMERICA GOLF & LANDSCAPE, INC. NMP GOLF CONSTRUCTION, CORP. PROFILE PRODUCTS LLC QGS DEVELOPMENT, INC. RAIN BIRD CORPORATION – GOLF DIVISION RYAN INC. CENTRAL RYANGOLF CORPORATION SHAPEMASTERS, INC. SOUTHEASTERN GOLF, INC. SUNBELT RENTALS TDI INTERNATIONAL, INC. TEE-2-GREEN THE CART PATH COMPANY THE TORO COMPANY

At this time, I’m happy to report that we have already begun taking great strides in this. In April, Justin Apel, Kurt Huseman, Scott Veazey, and I traveled to California to the ASGCA Annual Meeting and sat down with their Executive Board to discuss ways to strengthen our relationship and work more closely together in the future. From that meeting we have had subsequent conversations with the ASGCA and are happy to report positive feedback. In fact, we are hopeful that they will also accept our invitation to join us in Colorado at our Summer Meeting.

In May, Justin traveled to Minneapolis MN, to attend the annual meeting of the American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC). Our continued presence, support, and message of partnering with them is alive and well. Our deliberate reach into the irrigation industry is ongoing and is being very well-received. Additionally, the GCSAA Board has accepted our invitation to join us at our Summer Meeting in Colorado, and are holding their Board of Directors meeting in conjunction with our event.

Please help welcome them as you see them at our Opening Reception or other functions throughout the week.

Also in May, our Executive Board met in Lincoln at our new GCBAA Headquarters. One of the main bullet points of our meeting was the implementation of the strategic plan, and follow up. It was also resolved that all further Executive Meetings will be held in Lincoln to take advantage of the facility that we have secured and are proud to call home.

As we look ahead to the next event on the horizon—our annual Summer Meeting, held this year in beautiful Colorado Springs—I sincerely hope to see you all there. We will be honoring our dear friend and long-time

WADSWORTH GOLF CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WEST COAST TURF

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Executive Director Notes The GCBAA office break room was a little interesting this spring. Deliveries and guests who popped in during break time found an interesting mood.

Normal daily laughter and lively conversations were replaced with frustration, disappointment, and a lot of foul language. During April and May, Samantha and I were both going through a 24-Day Challenge fitness regime. Depending on the day, we could enjoy no more than 37 Pistachios, or perhaps a part of a piece of fruit or plain yogurt, all washed down with water.

Lori was probably the most relieved when Day 25 hit and we could get back to somewhat normal breaks. The word “challenge” does not really describe what it took to survive those 24 days. One key element was having other people—our spouses and each other—to help us remain accountable. We are both pleased with the results and are enjoying a healthier lifestyle from the restart the challenge provided. Even two months later, we are still encouraging each other to make healthier choices to keep the momentum going.

Recently, the office completed a massive mailing to different companies and groups that we have met over the years and see at different industry events.

We have a goal to increase membership for GCBAA and feel the organization offers more today than ever before. We are proud of the diverse offerings that makes being a member beneficial whether you are directly involved in golf course construction, supplies, or other services. While we have had some success with these types of campaigns, we know that the best way to recruit and retain membership is by having new companies brought in by existing members. This is where all of you come into play…

Think back to how you joined GCBAA and why you are still a member. Our guess for most of you is you were encouraged to join by a fellow member.

It makes perfect sense to have a mentor or partner whenever tackling a new challenge. We realize you are not going to pick up the phone and invite your competition to join, but think about how this association has become a family of day-to-day competitors that can come together to support the entire game. Having your competition as members helps the organization with our cooperative allied initiatives that benefit all of us.

In the strategic planning discussions taking place by leaders of the GCBAA, we know that the future of our association will include more networking and education for our membership. We also will continue to support the game through allied association initiatives that help recruit new players and retain existing players to the game.

We ask you to start first by looking within your company and recruiting your employees to become engaged with GCBAA. Whether they are currently a member or can sign up as one of the complimentary Affiliates available to all members, we would like to get more involved in our activities. There are numerous committees to join and ways to get involved and meet and work with some wonderful people. Next, look outside of your company and go down the next bid sheet and contact others that should be a part of GCBAA. If you do not want to make the call, pass along their names and let the office reach out.

We need to work together to grow and maintain our membership. Please help us by mentoring some new members, invite them to our meetings, and encourage them to get involved.

Justin Apel GCBAA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

EARTH SHAPING NEWS © GOLF COURSE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

6040 S. 58th St., Suite D Lincoln, NE 68516 TEL (402) 476-4444 FAX (402) 476-4489 information@gcbaa.org www.gcbaa.org

Justin Apel EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

justin_apel@gcbaa.org

Samantha Huff PROGRAM & PLANNING MANAGER

samantha_huff@gcbaa.org

Lori Romano INFORMATION & EDUCATION COORDINATOR

lori_romano@gcbaa.org

Nebraska Printing Center DESIGN & LAYOUT

www.npcenter.com

Information in this publication may be reproduced for non-profit education purposes. Please include source credit if reproducing. Contact the Executive Director if material is used for any other purpose to obtain written permission. News releases via email or fax are welcomed and encouraged.

Archived issues available at www.gcbaa.org.

Justin Apel

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GCBAA FOUNDATION

Foundation Update As temperatures heat up and a brand new season begins, we’re excited to see another great year taking shape for the Foundation’s Sticks for Kids Program. This spring, the Foundation Board approved a budget to support 10 brand new programs including partnerships with the LPGA, the Middle Atlantic Blind Golf Association, and RevelationGolf (a program serving cancer survivors, veterans, and disabled and at-risk youth).

Rick Lohman GCBAA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT

BOARD MEMBERS MARK ARRIMOUR TOTAL TURF SERVICES JOE DIRIENZO PAIGE ELECTRIC CO., LLP CHRISTINE FAULKS FAULKS BROS. CONSTRUCTION BILL KUBLY LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED, LLC KUN LI FORWARD GROUP RON STEPANEK COMMUNITY GOLF SERVICES TOM SHAPLAND SHAPLAND GOLF CONSULTANTS, LLC DENNIS WAGNER EWING IRRIGATION

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In addition, replacement equipment was provided for 20 long-standing SFK Programs through the Maintenance Grant. Established in 2012, the Maintenance Grant allows existing SFK Programs to apply for additional funding to supplement their thriving programs with new equipment. With more than 330 active programs in the United States, SFK is making an incredible impact on the lives of the children we serve—tens of thousands of children who may otherwise never have an opportunity to learn the game.

As the SFK Program continues to grow and thrive, we’ve begun to ask ourselves if there is more we can do—to reach more children, to support more communities, to grow the game? Some GCBAA members have realized there is more they can do in their own communities. For instance, in Tifton, Georgia, something that began as one man’s vision has very quickly turned into a successful reality for an entire community. (You can read more about it on page 6).

Our greatest successes as an Association always come from our collaboration, from all of us pulling together toward a goal. The success of our SFK Programs is due in large part to the support and generosity of our members who continue to invest in the program year after year. With another Summer Meeting quickly approaching, we are looking to you to help us take our successful SFK Program to a whole new level.

Supporting the Foundation is easy. You can donate or bid on an item at our annual auction or raffle. You can volunteer your time to serve on one of our committees. You can participate in the annual SFK Golf Outing. You can buy a ticket (or even help us sell tickets) at our annual Winter Meeting Harley Raffle. The opportunities are endless.

I hope you’ll take a moment to ask yourself, “What can I do? How can I contribute?”

And I think you’ll find the answer is much simpler than you imagined.

I hope to see you in Colorado!

Rick Lohman

GCBAA FRIENDS OF THE FOUNDATION

President’s Perspective (cont.)

GCBAA member, Tommy Sasser, with the Perry Dye Service Award.

I am sure those of you who know and have worked with Tommy will agree that this is an honor he greatly deserves. From the years that I have served on the Board and been a part of GCBAA, I have witnessed Tommy’s commitment. The GCBAA has surely benefited from his service and the recognition he stands for in our industry. In addition, the staff has been working hard to arrange another fantastic line-up of educational offerings and events.

With our Foundation supporting 10 brand new Sticks for Kids Programs, and providing replacement equipment for 20 longstanding SFK Programs through Maintenance Grants this year, I want to challenge each and every one of you to help us make this year’s Foundation Live Auction, Silent Auction, and Raffle the best ever by donating an item or bidding on one of the fantastic items or prize packages available. Together, we raised $55,000 for the Foundation last year, and I know we can top that. And if you’re looking for a fun way to wrap up a great week, join us for the annual SFK Golf Outing. With hole prizes, trophies, and a last chance to win a variety of great raffle prizes, it’s an event you won’t want to miss.

I mean it when I say we couldn’t do all this without you. The GCBAA continues to be one of the strongest associations in the industry because of the unparalleled support and participation of our members. Just this year, as our dues increased for the first time in over a decade, we saw firsthand how dedicated our membership is as we experienced very little attrition. Instead, you all have responded positively to the fact that we want to strengthen the GCBAA’s position in the industry and become actively involved in new initiatives to help grow the game.

In return, we will continue to strive to make membership to our association increasingly valuable through first-class educational offerings, networking opportunities, member benefit programs, and unmatched customer service from our Executive Office staff.

I also ask each and every one of us to help and promote the “Buy From Within” model we are promoting! Please look favorably to our GCBAA members, and allow them the opportunity to work with you and partner with you on projects. Our best asset is the strength of our membership.

Our best work will be done when we take advantage of the opportunities of working within our devoted membership. If you see or know of potential new members, please help in the recruitment of new members by contacting Lincoln.

I would also like to reach out to every one of our Builder members. As we become busy and workloads increase, so does the opportunity to grow your company and workforce. At times such as this, I see and hear of recruitment of employees from other companies and competitors.

Please use your best judgement, and ask the proper questions in your hiring process.

See you in Colorado Springs!

Rick Boylan

Platinum Level (OVER $100,000) GOLF COURSE BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (GCBAA)

Gold Level ($50,000 - $99,999) THE TORO COMPANY AND FOUNDATION UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION (USGA) WADSWORTH GOLF CHARITIES FOUNDATION/ WADSWORTH GOLF CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

Silver Level ($10,000 - $49,999) CATERPILLAR, INC. D.H.R. CONSTRUCTION HERITAGE LINKS HYDREMA U.S. INC. ISCO INDUSTRIES, LLC JIM KIRCHDORFER MEMORIAL JOHN DEERE LANDSCAPES LANDSCAPES UNLIMITED, LLC

Bronze Level ($1,000 - $9,999) AUDUBON INTERNATIONAL COURSE CRAFTERS, LLC DUININCK GOLF DYE DESIGN INTERNATIONAL EAGLE GOLF & LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS FAIRMOUNT MINERALS FOUNDATION FEDEX SERVICES FINISH LINE YOUTH FOUNDATION FORWARD GROUP FRONTIER GOLF GENESIS GOLF BUILDERS, INC. GOLF COURSE CONSTRUCTION, INC. GOLF COURSE INDUSTRY MAGAZINE GOLF CREATIONS GOLF WORKS, INC. KEEPERS OF THE GREEN KINDER PORTER SCOTT FAMILY FOUNDATION LASCO FITTINGS LEPANTO GOLF CONSTRUCTION, INC. LIQUID FENCE COMPANY MCDONALD & SONS, INC. MID-AMERICA GOLF AND LANDSCAPE, INC. POINTENORTH INSURANCE PRINCE PROJECT EVERGREEN RAINMAKER GOLF DEVELOPMENT, INC. RYANGOLF CORPORATION SAM FERRO SEASIDE GOLF DEVELOPMENT SMITH TURF & IRRIGATION SUNBELT RENTALS TERRY & KAREN GWINN THE TURF COMPANY THOMAS TURF SERVICES, INC. TOMMY SASSER TOTAL GOLF CONSTRUCTION, INC. TOTAL TURF SERVICES, INC. UNITED GOLF, LLC

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Running the Loop – A Vision Becomes Reality at Spring Hill Country Club In the summer of 2014, members of the Spring Hill Country Club began to notice something unusual—a pack of teenage boys in gray shirts, blue shorts and matching hats jogging a loop around the first hole near the clubhouse. Driving a golf cart close behind, longtime member, Mr. Tommy Cottle, followed.

“We’re building character, boys,” Cottle hollered after the pack. “Is there any place you’d rather be?”

The story of the Spring Hill Country Club is a story that’s become all too familiar for many privately-owned clubs in America. In its heyday, Spring Hill was a gem in the community, boasting more than 500 members. In those days, the fairways were busy, and adult members playing the course would often encounter groups of young junior golfers Unused storage space was transformed who would dutifully into a rec room for Spring Hill’s youth step to the side and wait patiently as the older generation played through. The clubhouse was filled with activity as members and their families talked and laughed over drinks or a meal. And the swimming pool was filled with children whose skin had been browned by the summer sun.

“The golf industry really suffered with the recession,” said Butch Davis, club president. “You can do the math—as membership drops, revenue drops. You have to take a step back and adjust to the conditions and make some hard decisions. One of the things so important to us as a board was figuring out how to grow golf, and as a result create new members.

Everyone knows where the kids go, the parents go, so we looked to build a training center and a new practice area, but at the time, it was more than we could afford, so we had to put it on the back burner.”

It turns out, all Spring Hill really needed was a spark.

In June 2014, Tommy Cottle was recovering from back surgery. Always active, it wasn’t long before Cottle was itching to get up and out of the house and keep his two teenage grandsons from wasting an entire summer vacation the way many teenagers do—with TV and video games and too much time spent lounging on the couch.

“They aren’t doing much. I’m hurt and can’t do much.

They are both on the high school golf team and I figured I can teach them dedication and what it takes to get better,” said Cottle. “I’ve been a coach all my life. Both sets of parents agreed, and then another parent heard and another parent heard, and they came to me asking, ‘Can you take my kid too?’ I wound up with eight kids for the summer.”

Cottle sat down with the group for a meeting. The first order of business was for the boys to sign a contract.

When the recession hit and the nation’s economy started its downward tumble, Spring Hill felt the impact. Families in the community were suddenly struggling to pay mortgages and put food on the table so things like club memberships and other luxuries were quickly cut from their budgets.

In 2006, Spring Hill boasted 501 members. By the end of January 2014, that number had been cut in half.

Scott Veazey of Southeastern Golf stands on the new short course green

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“You might think it’s ridiculous, but it’s my way of handling kids,” said Cottle. “I sat them down and told them, if you sign with me, these are the rules you’re going to follow. You’re not going to quit, and you’re going to show up. If you don’t want to, don’t sign your contract.”

days picking up pinecones and clearing the course.

I worked them to death and they learned a lot more than just golf. They were getting better and getting excited. The members were seeing the kids out there working and playing 18 holes a day, and they were getting excited, too.”

They all signed, and the spark ignited.

Soon, the club approached Cottle to let him know that there was an old storage area upstairs near the pool if he wanted it. Cottle decided it would be the perfect space for a recreation room where the kids could take breaks and have a little fun and relax. He rallied his group to clean it out and give it a fresh coat of paint.

When members saw the improvements, they began to donate.

“I started talking it around and people started giving,” Cottle said. “One guy gave us a pool table, and another donated a flat screen TV. Another gave a ping pong table. We got an Xbox and games. I have a son who does flooring, so he put the flooring in there. The kids did all the painting, and everything else in that room was given to us.”

From left: GCBAA Executive Director Justin Apel, GCBAA member Scott Veazey of Southeastern Golf, SHCC Superintendent Chuck Daughtry and Tommy Cottle

The group met every day at 9:00 a.m. sharp to start the day together.

“It started at 9:00, but Papa Time is 8:55. You show up at 8:57 and you’re already late,” said Grant Metts, who graduated from Tift County High School this year. Metts has known Cottle since age 5, and has been golfing since age 7.

Cottle’s contract covers details like attendance and punctuality and dress. Show up late—run the loop.

Shirt untucked—run the loop. Dirty shoes—run the loop. Leave a mess or forget to push in your chair at the clubhouse table—run the loop. It didn’t take long for people to notice the group of kids out running on the course. A few folks asked Cottle what was going on and when he told them, word began to spread.

“It wasn’t a punishment, those things,” said Cottle. “I started getting younger kids wanting to join—6 and 8 and 10-year-olds. I had a little 6-year-old that came up to me when he saw an older boy running and said, ‘Mr. Tommy, I forgot my belt, can I go run with him?’

Kids love discipline. They need it. I decided to teach the kids the basics of things like shovels and rakes. We cut trees and limbs and hauled them off. They spent

In spite of the enthusiasm and the fact that the kids were engaged and progressing, something still gnawed at Cottle. He knew that the best way for his group to learn the fundamentals and begin seeing marked improvement in their game was to spend time practicing on a short game facility, something Spring Hill just didn’t have. The only putting green on the grounds was so worn out and sloped that balls rolled right off. Most members tended to avoid it altogether.

Cottle reached out to Scott Veazey, owner of Southeastern Golf and long-time member of both the Spring Hill Country Club and the Golf Course

Tommy Cottle and his crew pose beneath the new teaching building donated by Carolina Carports and Southern Heritage Homes

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Builders Association of America (GCBAA).

“When I approached Scott, he told me he was just too busy right now,” Cottle said. “But then I started telling him about how fast these kids were progressing, and how they’re out there running the loop. I started to leave and got almost out the door and he said, ‘Wait a minute. Every year something happens that slows me down or stops me,’ and then he sat down and gave me a list of things we would need to get done. We jumped on it and got started.”

From the clubhouse patio, SHCC members can look out over the new short course facility

Next, Cottle approached club president Butch Davis about the need for a short course and practice facility.

Davis hated to turn him down.

“When Tommy came to me, I had to tell him we can’t afford it,” Davis said. “Little did I know, he’d already talked to Scott and they’d done some back work on it. When the Board found out that Tommy and Scott were involved, we knew it would be done right.” Davis pauses for a moment and points out the windows of the clubhouse, gesturing to the new putting green and the custom retaining wall and the short course beyond.

“You look out there now, not even a year later, and the practice area is one of the finest you’ll see and it didn’t cost us a dime.”

With Veazey on board, the flames of Cottle’s enthusiasm caught and quickly spread. Donations came flooding in. Jonathan Ross of Ross Construction donated field dirt and rock. Jimmy Allen of Pike Creek Turf Farms and Adrian Fletcher of Fletcher Turf Farms donated turf. Roger Womack of Red Oaks Sports provided equipment and sod. Corey Tenneson provided a beautiful stone retaining wall around the brand new putting green. Nelson and Joe Kunes donated all the bunker sand. Carolina Carports and

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Southern Heritage Homes donated a building for teaching. GCBAA Member Frank Warden and The Toro Company donated brand new infinity sprinkler heads for the new irrigation system. Lynn Kelly, who works with the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes wrote a check for $5,000 after inviting Cottle’s group to an FCA meeting.

“The support has been amazing,” Cottle said. “One Saturday morning I came to the club and found Scott on a bulldozer shaping the practice area green himself. Lee Marshall, a designer with Greg Norman Designs, is a local boy and he designed all of this for us and then Scott took off with it. People just started jumping in and said ‘Yes, we can do it.’ A buddy of mine donated a travel trailer, fully-enclosed, and we had another guy customize it and put a rack in for our equipment. Another buddy of mine is in graphics, and he designed signs for the trailer that tells the history of Tift County golf. It’s gotten the kids really excited to carry on the legacy.”

The kids are truly carrying on the legacy, with the high school team winning the 2015 Regional for the first time in 10 years. At the same time, Tommy Cottle and Scott Veazey and everyone else who has stepped up and contributed to the Spring Hill short course project are creating quite a legacy of their own.

“There are people in every community who can do what I’ve done and what Mr. Cottle has done,” Veazey explained. “But somebody has to sit down and take ownership and make something happen.

It’s contagious.

People get excited and it evolves.

Everyone has to buy into it. We’re all here for one purpose—to get Grant Metts practices putting on the newly-renovated putting green kids involved in golf. None of us— not me, not Chuck, not Jake, not Tommy—none of us can do this alone.

We had to get everyone on board and involved and now we’re seeing what it can do for the club and the community. For me, it’s just giving something back to

an industry that has given me all that I have. It’s a great end result.”

Davis agrees.

“You know, a train will just stay in the station and do nothing, and nobody will really care,” Davis said. “But once that train starts moving, once somebody puts it in motion, everybody wants to get on. That’s what’s happening here. Everybody got on board. There have been so many people involved with this in so many different ways.”

Long-time SHCC member and Tifton resident, Tommy Cottle

Still relishing the Regional Championship and looking forward to another summer at Spring Hill before heading off to college in the fall, Grant Metts cannot say enough about everything that has happened since he first penned his name to Mr. Cottle’s contract.

“We would not have won Regionals without Tommy Cottle, and everything you see wouldn’t be here without him and Mr. Scott Veazey and everyone who was willing to donate,” Metts said. “Mr. Tommy got everyone out here excited. He’s such a motivator.

He spent every day with us last summer, from 9:00 to 5:00. He took us to his farm on trips, even to

Inside the Attic Play Room, junior golfers can take a break with TV, Xbox games, a game of pool or ping pong, all generously donated by SHCC members

Alabama to play different courses. What they have done here will get more kids out here, and if the kids get involved, the families will get involved. What these guys have done is incredible. They have given the community of Tifton everything they need to play with anyone worldwide, and that’s a big deal.”

Superintendent Chuck Daughtry says the new facility is set to officially open in June 2015, less than one year since Tommy Cottle first wrangled the group of teenage boys and set them out running around the loop. The club’s PGA Pro, Jake Flynt, is already building on Cottle’s momentum with a series of junior golf camp sessions in June and July for ages 6 to 12 and 13 to 18. He is also working with the local YMCA and the GCBAA Foundation to launch a Sticks for Kids Program that he hopes will reach more children in the community.

“There has been $150,000 worth of work done here, and yet we wouldn’t be here today and telling this story if someone had just written a check for this.

You can’t buy this,” Veazey explained. “As an industry, we need to find new ways and do new things to get kids and families involved. Golf is a great avenue for kids. It’s competitive, and you can really build a kid’s confidence out on the course. You have to start with one club at a time and change their mindset. What’s happened here is a great footprint for things other clubs can take and learn.”

As the Spring Hill members and Tifton residents look forward to this brand new chapter in the club’s long history, they are energized, proud, and hopeful. They will never forget the way this particular story began— with a vision, a community’s support, and a pack of boys running a loop beneath the clear blue Georgia sky.

From left: Reid Cottle, Charlie Cottle, Zach Forshee, Grant Metts, Camden Collins, and Sam Tucker

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What We Said on Social Media!

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GCBAA Announces Certified Members with Dual Listings This spring, GCBAA Certified Builder Members were given the opportunity to add the Certified Golf Course Irrigation Contractor listing to their existing certified status. While optional, each company was advised of the requirement to complete the same criteria that existing Certified Golf Course Irrigation Contractors to remain certified. That list previously included Mike Roach, Inc. and Formost Construction Co. With that, we are happy to announce those companies that have expanded their listing to include Certified Golf Course Irrigation Contractor.

ACC Golf Construction Aspen Corporation Course Crafters, LLC Duininck Golf Glase Golf, Inc. Golf Development Construction Heritage Links Landirr, Inc. Landscapes Unlimited, LLC MacCurrach Golf

GCBAA Joins the Madness!

Thanks to all members that participated in the inaugural March Madness Tourney Challenge this spring. We are pleased to announce the 2015 winners: 1st Place – Sam Ferro, Turf & Soil Diagnostics (Complimentary Summer Meeting Registration) 2nd Place – Ronnie Adkins, Aspen Corporation (Complimentary Room Upgrade at the Summer Meeting) The GCBAA Foundation also scored a generous contribution as a result of March Madness. A big congratulations and “THANK YOU” to GCBAA member Terry Gwinn of Fairmount Santrol for not only winning his company’s March Madness Charity Challenge, but for donating his $500 winnings to the GCBAA Sticks for Kids program.

We hope you’ll join in the Madness next year!

Check out the Updated GCBAA Store!

We’ve got it all, and you’ll want it, too! Stop by the GCBAA’s online store to see this season’s hottest items.

Discounted pricing for GCBAA Members.

Mid-America Golf & Landscape, Inc. NMP Golf Construction Corp.

QGS Development, Inc. Southeastern Golf, Inc. Total Golf Construction Inc. Total Turf Services, Inc. Wadsworth Golf Construction Company The purpose of the Certification Program is to identify competent and experienced golf course builders and ensure uniform quality standards in the industry. To be eligible for certification, a company must submit an application and secure the necessary letters of reference and supporting documentation. A company representative will be required to pass the written certification exam, which is offered annually at the Golf Industry Show. Please contact the GCBAA office to learn more about the Certification process.

Order at www.gcbaa.org/resources/store OR call the office (402) 476-4444!

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Tommy Sasser to Receive Prestigious Perry Dye Service Award Respected for his commitment to the GCBAA and its membership, as well as his volunteer leadership and his willingness to represent the Association and the golf course construction industry, Tommy Sasser, who does consulting as Recreational Community Consultants, was chosen to receive the Perry Dye Service Award by the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA).

“Tommy’s leadership is second to none,” said Justin Apel, GCBAA executive director. “I have served with Tommy in many capacities through the years. His knowledge of golf and commitment to the Association is incredible. His leadership has created many lasting allied relationships, and his influence on both our Association and our industry will be felt for years to come.”

Rick Boylan, GCBAA president, added: “I met Tommy in 1982, and he immediately won my respect with his fairness and professional manner as he collaborated with the Golf Course Builders from the design side of projects.

Later, Tommy joined the GCBAA as a builder, and has spent years serving our Association in many facets—as a Board Member, President, Past President, and from his current role on our Board of Governors. Our association has greatly benefitted from Tommy—from his friendship, guidance, leadership, and his tireless efforts to help position the GCBAA into the Association it is today.”

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in Forest Resources, Sasser began his career in 1971 with the Sea Pines Company building recreational facilities before being assigned to the Kiawah Island Company. It was there that Sasser first worked with Jack Nicklaus and in the summer of 1978, he was offered a position with the Nicklaus Design firm. He accepted and began his career in golf course design and construction with emphasis on the construction side.

Sasser joined the GCBAA in 1992, quickly establishing himself as a leader. He was elected to the Board of

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Directors and spent the next 14 years supporting the Association, including serving as President from 2004 to 2006. From 1999 to 2006, Sasser served as VP of Business Development with Weitz Golf International, helping to establish the company in the golf course construction industry. In 2009 after serving as Vice President of Development for Reynolds Plantation, Sasser officially retired, but has been busy consulting ever since.

He continues to be an active member of the Association by serving on the Board of Governors, a position he has held since 2008.

“I always felt like if I had something to give, I should give it, so that’s what I’ve tried to do,” Sasser said. “Golf course construction is a great profession. It’s unique, and totally different than any other type of construction. The relationships are totally different. People outside golf don’t understand that, and I’m not sure any of us could explain why it works. We’re from different generations, different locations, different backgrounds—such a diverse group of people—but when you put us all together at a meeting or event, we get along. The next week, we can go out to bid on a project and it’s back to cutthroat business.

Why? Because it is family. That is why I have stayed so involved.

The Perry Dye Service Award is given periodically by the Golf Course Builders Association of America to recognize a member of the GCBAA who is an exceptional individual, who has been a loyal member of the Association, and who has unselfishly contributed their time and influence to foster positive changes for the Association and have continually endeavored to make it better. The award is named after Perry Dye, who during the early development years of the GCBAA exemplified these types of characteristics when he provided financial assistance to stabilize the GCBAA during the embryonic stages of the Association.

This is only the fourth time the Perry Dye Service Award has been granted. Previous recipients include Perry Dye (2005), Jim Kirchdorfer, Sr. (2006), Rick Elyea (2010), and Steve Christman (2013). Tommy Sasser will be honored with the award at the upcoming annual Summer Meeting of the GCBAA to be held the week of July 19 in Colorado Springs, CO.

National Golf Day 2015

Industry allieds once again met on Capitol Hill for National Golf Day. The We Are Golf coalition carries the positive golf messages to Congressional leaders on the economic, environmental, charitable, and physical benefits of golf to the nation. The game and business of golf contributes $70 billion annually in economic impact and employs over 2 million workers. With $56 billion in annual wage income for those workers, government regulations need to take into account fair and balanced decisions when considering legislation and regulations that would affect golf facilities.

April 15 was an exciting day with countless meetings of the allieds of golf converging around the Capitol. After a morning photo on the steps of the capitol, the group spent their eighth year hosting an exhibit hall in the Rayburn Building Foyer with live lessons with Michael Breed and Karen Palacios-Jansen. There were contests, “Closest to the Pin” and Republican vs. Democrat putting challenges. Also informative stations featuring turfgrass technology provided by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Executive Director Justin Apel attended representing the Golf Course Builders Association of America.

He spent the morning meeting with delegates from Nebraska including newly elected Senator Ben Sasse and Representative Brad Ashford with afternoon joint meetings with allieds.

GCBAA members who want to participate in National Golf Day 2016 should contact the office. Volunteers are always welcome and this event gives you a firsthand look at the interworkings of Washington D.C.

National Alliance for Accessible Golf Meeting

After National Golf Day, the GCBAA joined with other industry leaders at the Club Managers Association of America national headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia for the National Alliance for Accessible Golf meeting.

NAAG is an organization working to ensure the opportunity for all individuals with disabilities are able to access and play the game of golf. The organization began in 2001 and focuses on golf being available for recreational and therapeutic activity for people with disabilities. The NAAG advocates for the inclusion of people with disabilities into society. The Alliance has a number of programs that assist facilities to answer questions and provide support for inclusion. NAAG is currently headquartered in St. Augustine, Florida at the World Golf Foundation headquarters. The meeting provided a platform for strategic discussions and planning for 2015.

American Society of Irrigation Consultants Annual Conference Over 25 GCBAA Members and Executive Director Justin Apel joined the American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) for their annual meeting April 25 – 27 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Throughout the event the ASIC featured a number of speakers focusing on irrigation efficiency and new technologies available for irrigation designs. ASIC also honored Linda Davis with the societies Sam Tobey Lifetime Achievement Award.

Linda is from East Lansing, Michigan and has served as the society’s event planner for more than 10 years. She has volunteered her time and energy to plan the annual events for the group. The Sam Tobey Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual or individuals whose long-term support of the Society’s principles and shoew efforts to promote the goals of the Society are deserving of special recognition by his or her peers.

HUMAN RESOURCES

Discrimination Does Not Discriminate

BY JACK L. SHULTZ AND WESLEY A. GORANSON, HARDING & SHULTZ, P.C., L.L.O.

A recent Eighth Circuit case involving a unique set of facts provides a good reminder to GCBAA members that allegations of discrimination come in many forms. In other words, discrimination claims do not discriminate. The recent case provides a good look at the factors courts use to determine if a work environment is hostile. Additionally, it provides a good reminder to GCBAA members that the protected age class begins at age 40, and same-sex discrimination is actionable.

THE FACTS The case is Rickard v. Swedish Match North America, Inc. Rickard worked for Swedish Match as a salesman from 1984 until 2011, when he retired from the company at age 55. In 2007, Perry Payne was hired by the company as “retail team manager” and became Rickard’s supervisor. Rickard and Payne did not get along. Payne criticized the job performance of Rickard on multiple occasions through verbal comments and performance reviews. In addition to the tension with regard to job performance, Payne made several age-related comments to Rickard and engaged in inappropriate crude behavior. On one occasion Payne grabbed and twisted Rickard’s nipple. On another occasion Payne took a towel Rickard was holding and rubbed it on his own crotch before giving it back to Rickard.

Rickard never reported Payne’s comments about age, but he did report the crude comments to management. Management subsequently disciplined Payne, and Rickard never experienced crude behavior from Payne again.

In January 2011, Payne informed Rickard that if his performance did not improve, Rickard would be fired. Rickard then began having several health related issues and as a result he began taking prolonged leaves of absence. In May 2011, Rickard publicly announced his retirement explaining that it was due to his poor health condition. Privately, however, Rickard told others that he felt “forced out” despite the fact that there had never been a request that he retire. Rickard then sued Swedish Match alleging, among other things, hostile work environment based on age and sex; constructive discharge; disparate treatment; and retaliation in violation of the ADEA and Title VII. PRIMA FACIE CASE The court first noted that the standard to prove a claim of hostile work environment was the same regardless of whether the claim is based on age or sex. To successfully state a claim for hostile work environment, a plaintiff must show that: (1) he/she belongs to a protected class, (2) he/she was subjected to unwelcome harassment based on age or sex, (3) the harassment affected a term, condition, or privilege of employment, (4) his/

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her employer knew or should have known of the harassment, and (5) the employer failed to take proper action.

AGE DISCRIMINATION The Court held that the plaintiff did not meet his burden to show that the age related comments affected a term or condition of his employment. Rather, the age-related comments merely amounted to “simple teasing” or “offhand comments”; such comments or teasing are not actionable.

To be actionable, the age-related comments must be severe enough such that the comments create a work environment that “a reasonable person would find hostile and one that the victim perceives as abusive.” The Court dismissed his age claim because a reasonable person would not have viewed the agerelated comments as being severe.

SEX DISCRIMINATION In proving that the harassment was unwelcome in the context of a sex-harassment claim, a plaintiff must show (1) the actions were motivated by a sexual desire, (2) his employer had a general hostility toward members of his/her sex in the workplace, or (3) offer evidence that similarly situated individuals of the opposite sex were treated more favorably.

Payne’s inappropriate behavior was alleged to constitute a general hostility towards men. The court held, however, that “while manifestly inappropriate and obnoxious,” the behavior was insufficient to show that Payne harbored hostility towards men in the workplace.

CONCLUSION Although the employer prevailed in the lawsuit, it incurred significant legal fees and a poor public image to do so.

Remember that discrimination claims are based upon protected classes and protected classes do not discriminate as evidenced by the same-sex harassment claim brought in this case. GCBAA members should properly train their supervisors to ensure that all business decisions are made for legitimate, nondiscriminatory business reasons. Supervisors should also be reminded they may have to defend their conduct or comments in court which, if inappropriate, may be difficult and embarrassing to explain.

Editor’s Note: This article is not intended to provide legal advice to our readers.

Rather, this article is intended to alert our readers to new and developing issues and to provide some common sense answers to complex legal questions. Readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel or the author of this article if the reader wishes to obtain a specific legal opinion regarding how these legal standards may apply to their particular circumstances. The authors of this article, Jack L. Shultz and Wesley A. Goranson can be contacted at 402-434-3000, or at O’Neill, Heinrich, Damkroger, Bergmeyer & Shultz, P.C., L.L.O., 121 South St., Lincoln, NE 68508, jshultz@ohdbslaw.com or wgoranson@ohdbslaw.com

DEVELOPER’S GUIDE

Opportunity/Danger and How to Judge Each

BY HENRY DELOZIER, GLOBAL GOLF ADVISORS

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis.’ One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.”

- John F. Kennedy JFK, speaking on April 12, 1959 in Indianapolis, was wrong on his interpretation from Mandarin and his error is very instructive for golf course builders.

Steve Nyguen, PhD, points out in a recent post that Victor H. Mair, a professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, firmly corrects this linguistic blunder that interprets the word “crisis” in Chinese as meaning both “danger” and “opportunity.”

Professor Mair explained, “The explication of the Chinese word for crisis as made up of two components signifying danger and opportunity is due partly to wishful thinking, but mainly to a fundamental misunderstanding about how terms are formed in Mandarin and other Sinitic languages.”

In fact, during the recessionary cycle many golf course builders went to China seeking opportunity and learned a great deal from a new and historic culture. While some may have found danger, there were some great lessons learned. Here are three important lessons to be learned when it comes to prospecting for new business: What is the scope of the business opportunity?

There are certain tactics that are used when evaluating market opportunity. There is no substitute for identifying and measuring demand. Who will be the customers?

Where are they? And, what do they want? Many golf course builders went to China searching for opportunity before identifying their clients and understanding what those clients wanted and needed.

The same circumstance may be true of the next business cycle for new golf projects in North America. There are certain to be more new golf courses developed during the emerging housing cycle. We, at Global Golf Advisors, are aware of a dozen or more new projects that are being planned. And, the fact is that new golf projects in the next cycle will be different than those that were

developed during the 2000 to 2007 period.

The key similarity is that new housing projects drove – and will drive – the new golf courses and clubs. No one amenity – other than living on the water’s edge – adds property value for new projects more so than golf courses.

However, new projects being planned now require that the golf and club amenities be economically neutral to return calculations for most projects. This stipulation means that the developer of the community must plan the golf project to be financed separately and immediately carried off balance sheet in a separate and independent entity.

The ramifications of these stipulations for golf course builders are (a) downward pressure on golf course development and construction costs; (b) mandatory membership programs for residents – to ensure economic sustainability for the golf and club entities; and (c) turn-key control with such characteristics as guaranteed maximum pricing for golf course construction contracts, no change fees, and no post-construction completion costs.

It remains to be seen whether or not developers – and their lenders – will remain committed to these requirements. What is certain, at least for now, is that golf course builders will be a focal point for budget and finance control attention. The builders that prosper will do so by being precise in calculations for unit count and cost; dependable for project and timeline management; and resourceful for efficient use of capital.

What and who are the factors that influence the market?

Market-moving factors are usually self-evident. In the rising housing cycle, which the National Association of Realtor predicts will grow 2.3% in 2015 with forecast annual home starts of 1.135 million, certain characteristics will be the indicators for GCBAA members: 1. Home Mortgage Rates – Watch changes in mortgage availability. This factor will signal the next surge of growth for homebuilders; 2. Rising Rents – The curve is shifting in favor of home ownership as more markets have shown stress arising CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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FUTURE MAJOR GOLF EVENTS

Masters

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA 2016 – April 7-10 2017 – April 6-9 2018 – April 5-8

U.S. Open

2016 Oakmont Country Club Oakmont, PA – June 13-19 2017 Erin Hills Erin, WI – June 12-18 2018 Shinnecock Hills Golf Club Southampton, NY – June 14-17

British Open 2015 St. Andrews July 16-19

DEVELOPER’S GUIDE (CONT.) from rapidly increasing rents; and 3. Market Stabilization – Key growth markets will be Naples, Phoenix, Carolinas, Tennessee and California.

The canary-in-the-mine-shaft will be the large homebuilders who have favorable access to capital and supply-chain advantage to enable them to ramp up production as market conditions warm. Monitor leading homebuilders for signals of new growth. Two key indicators that will signal growth are housing permits and corporate debt ratios.

In fact, golf course builders will see increasing growth opportunities with danger most resident with those who are unprepared, unrehearsed and uninformed. For those who are vigilant, a favorable cycle may be in the making.

Henry DeLozier is a partner in the international consulting firm called Global Golf Advisors (www.globalgolfadvisors.com) with offices in Dublin (Ireland), Phoenix (US) and Toronto (Canada).

American Society of Golf Course Architects Annual Meeting

2016 Royal Troon July 14-17

PGA Championship 2015 Whistling Straits Kohler, WI – August 10-16

2016 Baltustrol Golf Club Springfield, NJ – July 28-31 2017 Quail Hollow Charlotte, NC – August – TBA

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Scott Veazey, Lee Schmidt, Rick Boylan, Steve Smyers, Kurt Huseman

The 69th meeting of the American Society of Golf Course Architects took place at La Jolla, California March 28 – April 1. With nearly 100 members of the society in attendance along with 20 special guests, the week offered a diverse agenda of water issues affecting California along with general liability coverage for independent consultants. Bradley Klein was awarded the prestigious Donald Ross Award.

Klein, “Golfweek” magazine’s architecture editor, was the 40th recipient of the award. The award is named for the ASGCA’s first president, and is presented to an individual who has made a positive contribution to golf and golf course architecture.

new members GCBAA Hosts Executive Board to Lincoln

INDEPENDENT AFFILIATE

Kevin Touchstone

Turf World, LLC PO Box 2412 Tifton, GA 31793 Phone: (478) 494-7790 Email: kevin@myturfworld.com Website: www.agsod.com

Concentrating primarily on international projects for golf and athletic facilities by providing services and goods such as: turf (sprigs, sod & seed), irrigation systems and hardware, turf management supplies, consulting services and project management.

ASSOCIATE MEMBER

The Executive Board and GCBAA staff make good use of the conference room at the new office in Lincoln, NE

The new GCBAA Headquarter office offers a small conference room that is just the right size to host the GCBAA Executive Board. For their annual Spring Meeting members of the Executive Board traveled to Lincoln April 20 - 22. The majority of the groups agenda was continuation of the strategic planning discussions from the Winter Meeting. The 10 person conference room was the ideal setting for the discussion allowing presentations, conference and video calling access from remote attendees.

Justin Apel, Executive Director of the GCBAA said he was pleased to be able to host the group at the headquarter office. Past meetings in Lincoln needed to be hosted off-site from the office. Having the group at the main office allowed for the entire staff to participate along with access to files and documents needed during the meeting. The video conference capability is just the beginning of how the new office provides better tools for the staff to work with the membership along with the board.

Bridge Builders USA Inc.

1149 Shope Road Otto, NC 28734 Phone: (800) 874-9403 Contact: Greg Solomon Email: greg@bridgebuilders.com Website: www.bridgebuilders.com

Bridge Builders, USA, Inc. is the premiere timber bridge contractor in the United States, providing innovative and environmentally conscious construction of custom timber bridges to the golf industry for over 30 years. Our resume includes hundreds of golf course construction and renovation projects across the country which have been successfully completed with our “Concept to Completion” approach.

GCBAA MEETINGS CALENDAR 2015 Summer Meeting

July 21-23, 2015 The Mining Exchange, A Wyndham Grand Hotel Colorado Springs, CO

Future Golf Industry Show Sites February 10-11, 2016 San Diego Convention Center San Diego, CA

February 8-9, 2017 Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL

From left: Justin Apel, Lori Romano, Ellen Davis, Dennis Wagner, Samantha Huff, Pat Karnick and Rick Boylan pause for a quick photo as the Executive Meeting adjourns

February 7-8, 2018 Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center San Antonio, TX

FEATURED CERTIFIED MEMBER

Mike Roach, Inc. (MRI) Established in 1984, Mike Roach, Inc. (now MRI) has been providing residential, commercial, and golf course irrigation as well as municipal water and sewer installation for more than three decades. In that time, MRI has become a leading contractor in all new and innovative HDPE applications and all applications related to irrigation and large diameter pipe.

“We offer our skills and management to domestic and international clientele, and provide full service from start to finish,” President Mike Roach said. “We also offer management and training for projects.”

In 1986, Mike Roach, Inc.’s first golf course irrigation system was installed at Links O’Tryon in Campobello, South Carolina. Then, in 1986, Mike Roach, Inc. was awarded a prestigious 36-hole project in Ocean Isle, North Carolina. The Pearl, designed by Dan Maples, was the first of many large contracts to follow.

In 1996, Mike Roach, Inc. began a new phase working with hotel/resort chains after being awarded a contract with The River Course at the Westin Rio Mar in Puerto Rico and an irrigation project for Westin Hotel. Shortly thereafter, additional hotel/ resort contractors followed, including The Hyatt Dorado Beach Golf Club in Puerto Rico; the Ritz-Carlton Resort and Spa in Jupiter, Florida; and The Marriott/Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Project in Orlando, Florida.

In 1999, Mike Roach, Inc. opened an office in Jupiter, Florida, a location in the heart of Palm Beach County, where there are more than 140 golf courses and some of the most prestigious golf course architect design centers in the world. This move enabled the company to be centrally-located while remaining competitive and continuing to provide unparalleled customer service to clients.

“Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of turning dreams

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on paper into reality,” Roach said. “I’ve worked with some of the most renowned golf course architects including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Pete and P.B. Dye, Raymond Floyd, Arnold Palmer, and Tom Fazio.”

In 2010, Mike Roach, Inc. was awarded the Timber Pine Country Club Project in Spring Hill, Florida, a project that consisted of 64 holes, 7 miles of roadway irrigation, and 2 clubhouses. At the time, it was considered the largest HDPE and 2-wire irrigation system of its kind. Shortly after, Roach hired Karl Interrante as Vice President of Operations. With an extensive background in project management and HDPE, Interrante was also a certified inspector in all areas related to HDPE applications.

Interrante also brought a large team of highly skilled and certified technicians. This addition has proved extremely successful, and helped officially rebrand Mike Roach, Inc. as MRI. Since then, MRI has completed a number of high profile projects including the Four Seasons Resort at Disney World; Hammock Dunes in Palm Coast, Flordia; Abilene Country Club in Abilene, Texas; Mission Del Lago in San Antonio, Texas; and many more. MRI has four projects on schedule in 2015, and is looking forward to another successful year.

Since 1984, MRI has evolved into a company with more than 100 years of combined experience. MRI now has move than 20 fully-qualified HDPE Fusion Technicians and are one of the few fully-certified contractors in the U.S. and abroad. MRI holds the distinction of being the first golf course irrigation contractor certified by the Golf Course Builders Association of America (GCBAA), and will continue to provide strong leadership and outstanding professional services in all areas related to commercial irrigation, golf course irrigation, pipeline, infrastructure, and drainage.

FEATURED CERTIFIED MEMBER

Formost Construction Formost Construction Co. is dedicated to perform exclusively in the field of golf construction with a commitment to promote the sport through construction of the highest standards.

Formost’s broad background in the construction of irrigation systems in golf facilities encompasses all types of designs, topography, soils and climatic conditions.

Our expanded scope of experience from economic analysis through conceptual and detailed design along with construction and project administration, enables us to draw upon a wealth of problem solving techniques to provide a strong base of competence that accomplishes the desired results for our clients.

and maintenance costs and success in terms of golfer acceptance, membership and community pride.

Formost Construction Co. is currently installing irrigation systems at San Gabriel CC, San Gabriel, CA Orinda CC, Orinda, CA - Virginia CC, Long Beach, CA

The culmination of our construction endeavors is a greater convenience of optimum space utilization, aesthetics that will offer a real net savings in both development

Fusing 20� HDPE Poly Pipe HDPE Mainline piping at Toscana CC, Indian Wells, CA

Preparation work for tying new mainline into existing pump station

Pipe pulled underground with only a small slit that will be rolled down

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ALLIED ASSOCIATIONS

CMAA’s Certification Program: Celebrating 50 Years of Professionalism 1961 was a landmark year for the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), with its membership topping 2,000 members for the first time. While the country was debating civil rights and counterculture, the club management profession was also experiencing a dramatic shift. It was a shift that would ultimately benefit more than 1,500 club management professionals and the greater club industry.

At the 1961 CMAA Convention in Denver, more than 1,000 managers were in attendance. After a strong call by then-CMAA President Kenneth Meisnest to develop a certification program for club managers, the membership was ringing with talk.

“Someday you could have after your name… CCM for Certified Club Manager. This will be done by a committee which will determine experience and training requirements and, after examination; a method would be evolved for assuring continued competence in our field.”

Meisnest’s vision included the development of a set of training-education programs that would also benefit subordinate club staff and employees - making the entire club operation, and indeed the industry as a whole, the beneficiary of such a certification program.

In 1962, official steps were taken to develop the CMAA certification program. Bylaws were passed that incorporated the program, but the development was slow and deliberate to ensure the approach was equitable.

For years, the club management profession was one that did not require an educational background or prerequisite, and consequently many managers moved into positions and advanced their careers without formal training or even college degrees. The prospect of implementing a certification program made many of these managers question their continuing place in this evolving field.

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To honor the many members who shared these concerns while at the same time encouraging academic preparation and continued educational growth, the Association developed a point system, taking into account the work experience of current managers.

“They were attempting to create a balance in the areas of experience, education and CMAA involvement in order to give recognition where recognition was due and to measure competence,” explained former CMAA president Horace G. Duncan, CCM. “We were pioneers in certification. Only a few organizations really had a certification program at that time.”

These changes weren’t without opposition, however.

Duncan explained that many members were wary and skeptical about going through a program where they would have to become certified. “Eventually, they saw the light and accepted [certification] - it turned out to be a great thing! Many other organizations copied what we were doing. It was one of our greatest moves.”

That great move came to fruition in 1965, when the first certification requirements were officially implemented. In 1966, at the 39th CMAA Conference the first class of 150 Certified Club Managers were formally recognized for the first time and many more were in the process of completing the basic requirements. The next year, the number of CCMs jumped to 241, with an added 61 managers in the process of attaining their designation.

More than 50 years later, Mesinest’s vision has become a reality. CMAA’s certification program is the most respected in the hospitality industry and the CCM designation is considered the hallmark of professionalism in club management. It is a valuable and widely-respected mark of a manager’s commitment to professional development and the club industry.

Golf Course Superintendent Neil Cleverly Tackles Olympic Task in Brazil with Sense of Adventure The certification process has been influential in the lives of CMAA members and a benefit to the greater club industry at large. Dick Kopplin of Kopplin & Kuebler says “The CCM is the hallmark of achievement in the club industry.

Boards look more favorably on CCMs – the designation connotes to boards that a manager is committed to their professional education and their career.”

“The CCM is critical to managers who want to be successful in their profession,” Kopplin says. “It’s a calling card to boards and a tribute to a manager’s dedication to his or her professionalism.”

The development of the CCM and the certification process was just the beginning of a long tradition of stellar professional development opportunities. Over the past 50 years, the certification process has evolved and been refined to ensure that CMAA’s managers benefit from an authentic academic experience and are provided a number of opportunities to learn and grow in their careers. The next 50 years promise to continue to build upon that tradition and provide CMAA’s managers with the best ongoing education in the industry.

The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) is the largest professional association for managers of membership clubs with 6,500 members throughout the US and internationally.

Our managers operate more than 2,500 country, golf, athletic, city, faculty, military, town and yacht clubs. To learn more about CMAA’s current Certification program, please visit www.cmaa.org or contact the CMAA National Headquarters at (703) 739-9500.

Lawrence, Kan. (June 2, 2015) - Neil Cleverly welcomes a challenge. His calm demeanor belies an adventurous nature that leads his friends to call him the Indiana Jones of the golf course management business.

When he was hired in May 2013 to be the golf course superintendent for the Olympic course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he initially thought there was plenty of time to get things done. He had tackled start-up golf course constructions in remote areas before many times – Egypt, Dominican Republic and Mexico, to name a few. But nothing had prepared him for the challenges in Rio. “I don’t panic. I am a thinking person,” said Cleverly, a 16-year member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America. “But when I saw the equipment I had and the novice workforce I had, I thought, ‘Oh my God, are we really going to do this?’ It has been insane.

But I love this job.”

Now two years into the job, there is no question in Cleverly’s mind that the golf course will be ready to host an Olympic event in August 2016, despite numerous challenges.

“Neil has been dedicated to this project above and beyond what any superintendent should be asked to do,” said course architect Gil Hanse. “I can’t imagine we could have found anyone better for this project. His passion, tenacity and discipline have really been invaluable.”

“You have to embrace the culture around you,” Cleverly said. “It is what you make it. You can’t import Florida into Rio. It just doesn’t work that way. You have to be resourceful. There is no outlet here where I can go to buy everyday golf course maintenance items. Everything has to come from overseas.”

It will be the first time golf will be part of the Olympic Games in more than 100 years. The plan is for individual competition, with 60 men and 60 women competing CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

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ALLIED ASSOCIATIONS

NGCOA in two 72-hole events, and the whole world will be watching and judging.

“I never felt like we weren’t going to make it,” said Hanse. “The project is too important to not get it finished. But, it took twice as long as it should have taken to build it.”

The course is located on the coast outside of the country’s second largest city, with saltwater tolerant paspalum greens and stiff zoysia fairways. The first test will come tentatively in November when the course at Reserva de Marapendi will host a PGA Tour LatinoAmerica event.

“We will really be testing the golf course,” said Clevery, a 56-year-old Londoner who served in the British military before turning to golf course management 25 years ago.

“We want to see how it plays. If we have to make minor changes, we’ll have a year to get it done.”

And after the Olympics, the course will become a public facility for Brazil, which has grown over the last decade to become the second largest golf-playing nation in South America, behind Argentina. Brazil has more than 100 golf courses and 25,000 golfers.

About GCSAA and the EIFG The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa. org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

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It’s A Girl’s World July is Family Golf Month, and Take Your Daughter To the Course Week is taking center stage With the weather (finally) warming up and the golf season in full swing across the country, there’s no better time to encourage golfers to bring their families to the course. And there’s no better vehicle than Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, a weeklong program that helps introduce young women to the game of golf while also promoting Family Golf Month’s (July) mission of family togetherness.

“It’s no secret the industry is working to attract more females to the game, so it just makes sense to try and get them to the course at a younger age,” says Mike Hughes, CEO of the NGCOA. “Take Your Daughter To the Course Week seeks to do that by offering programming that’s simple, fun and affordable. Course operators who offer Take Your Daughter To the Course Week promotions are not only helping the industry, they’re diversifying their customer base by reaching a historically underserved segment.”

When Take Your Daughter To the Course Week was launched more than a decade ago, the NGCOA asked participating courses to offer at least one complimentary instructional clinic and free green fees for girls participating in the event. Thousands of facilities nationwide participated, and girls flocked to the venues in droves.

This year, participating course operators are encouraged to develop similar promotions that will entice young and old alike to participate in Take Your Daughter To the Course Week and other Family Golf Month events. Effective strategies to market and promote the event include offering budget-friendly tutorials on the

NGCOA

NCA NCA and the NCA Foundation Announce New Directors and Officers

game of golf, instructional clinics and free green fees. In the past, some course owners have also:

(Washington, D.C., May 6, 2015) - The National Club Association recently held its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., where it elected new board members and officers.

Advertised the event on a calendar posted inside each of their golf carts;

The new lineup of officers includes Philip R. Kiester, General Manager of The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, as the new NCA Chairman, with Ted M. Benn, a Partner at Thompson & Knight LLP in Dallas, serving as the new Vice Chairman. Kevin P. Vitale, General Manager/COO of Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J., was elected as the new Secretary and Kevin R. Reilly, a Partner at PBMares LLP of Fairfax, Va., will assume the position as the new Treasurer. The immediate Past Chairman is Kirk O. Reese of Los Angeles.

Encouraged the ladies in their women’s golf leagues to bring their daughters; Sent out e-mail blasts, hung signs in their restrooms, and advertised in their local newspaper; Offered complimentary golf to the adults accompanying the girls at certain times during the event; and Handed out goodie bags filled with spa treats.

Unlike years past, there isn’t a set date for this year’s Take Your Daughter To the Week. Instead, course owners and operators have the freedom to pick a week in July that works best with their calendars, a change that should entice more facilities to participate.

Regardless of when or what operators do, officials contend the key is that they do something. “Summer is a great time to get involved in the game because there are so many programs that focus on the benefits that golf has for everyone—from kids to grandparents,” Hughes says. “So we urge moms and dads to bring their young daughters to the course to introduce them to the game of a lifetime.”

For more information on how to become a Take Your Daughter To the Course Week participating facility or other Family Golf Month activities, visit www.ngcoa.org.

Ted Benn was also re-elected to a new three-year term. Three new directors were elected to the NCA board for three-year terms: Michael Bruni, a Partner at Hub International Midwest Limited in Chicago, Ill.; Thomas A. Lenz, a Partner at Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo in Cerritos, Calif.; and Michelle F. Tanzer, a Shareholder at GrayRobinson in Boca Raton, Fla. The NCA Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Club Association, also held its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., and re-elected Jeffrey McFadden, COO/General Manager of The Union League of Philadelphia, as the Chairman and David Voorhees, General Manager/COO of Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif., as the Vice Chairman. Tammy Tassitano, a Partner at McGladrey LLP in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the NCA Foundation.

NCA Foundation directors re-elected to three-year terms, included: • Robert J. Crifasi, General Manager/COO of New Orleans Country Club • Christine R. Pooler, General Manager of Merion Golf Club • Kevin Vitale, General Manager/COO of Baltusrol Golf Club CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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ALLIED ASSOCIATIONS

NCA 2015 Golf Participation in the U.S. Update: Participation Remains Steady; Interest Rises About NCA For more than 50 years, the National Club Association (NCA), a Washington, D.C.-based trade association, has served as the primary advocate for private clubs, representing their interests on Capitol Hill, in the regulatory agencies, in the statehouses and in the courthouses. In addition, NCA serves as an invaluable resource for professional and volunteer club leaders, providing resources on industry trends, legislative and regulatory issues, governance best practices, operational issues, and ways to strengthen club leadership through its publications and educational programs.

For more information on NCA, visit www.nationalclub.org.

About the NCA Foundation The NCA Foundation is the National Club Association’s charitable arm and funds critical trends studies and underwrites educational programs and research. Established in 1993, the NCA Foundation seeks to prepare clubs and the club industry for the future by assessing significant developments in the world around them and providing effective solutions to help clubs and their leaders respond. For more information, visit www.ncafoundation.org.

Golf participation in 2014 remained equal to the previous 12 months, marking the third consecutive year that roughly 25 million people played at least one round of golf, according to the NGF’s Golf Participation in the U.S. 2015 edition (click here to learn how NGF measures participation). Participation appears to have found its post-recession footing, while positive signs with respect to utilization and interest in playing among non-golfers, show that golf remains attractive and aspirational to multiple segments of the population.

Utilization on the Rise While participation has remained relatively flat the past several years,golfers are playing more rounds when weather permits. Rounds per playable day increased by nearly 1% compared to 2013, according to PGA PerformanceTrak. This marks the fifth consecutive year of positive growth in utilization on days open, demonstrating that golfers are motivated to play more when Mother Nature allows.

The average number of rounds played per golfer also continued to increase in 2014. Golfers played slightly more than 18 rounds on average last year, more than one round per golfer compared to 2005, when participation was at its highest. The loss of less frequent players added to the increase in the average, but the sport has benefited from increased activity among its committed (core) golfers, who are playing two more rounds on average per year than they did in 2005.

Interest in Golf Still High While activity among current golfers is slightly up, the number of firsttime players being introduced to the sport has remained steady over the past three years. Roughly half of the 4 million players that entered the game last year were beginners, which is above the historic average of newcomers to the game (see chart below). This growth in beginner activity demonstrates that golf remains attractive to those who have never played before.

Another indicator of interest in the game is latent demand (number of non-golfers who are very or somewhat interested in playing the game now). Each year, NGF measures this group by asking people who reported no golfing activity

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In Remembrance: John Singleton in the previous year how interested they currently are in playing golf. More than 32 million non-golfers (a mix of both former players and those who have never played before) are interested in playing now—more than one prospective golfer for every existing one. Latent demand has grown steadily since 2011, when there were fewer than 27 million interested but inactive prospects.

Millennials, Boomers Remain Active Contrary to popular opinion, golf enjoys a positive relationship with millennials. This group of 18 to 34 year olds currently accounts for 25% of the golfer population and a disproportionate amount of the game’s latent demand. Of those 32 million latent golfers, nearly 13 million are millennials, meaning that for every current golfer from this group, there are two more interested in playing golf now.

The impact of Baby Boomers (ages 50 to 64), which was stalled somewhat by the recent recession, is gaining momentum. Boomers number nearly a quarter of all golfers, and accounted for a third of all rounds played last year. History shows us that as these golfers reach retirement age (nearly 4 million a year for the next 15 years) they will play about twice as much as they did before retirement.

The stabilization in participation and the modest increase in golfer activity are encouraging signs for the golf industry. While the game must maintain its base and continue to activate more beginners from its pool of latent demand (and motivate them to remain), interest among millennials and the potential for increased rounds among boomers will continue to positively impact the sport.

The Methodology Each January since 1986, NGF has surveyed Americans regarding golf participation. In 2007, NGF joined a partnership of sports associations to cooperatively conduct sports participation research (the Physical Activity Council).

This Council currently surveys 40,000 Americans ages 6 and above every year regarding their participation in more than 100 sports and fitness activities, including golf. Although the resulting sample closely matches that of the entire U.S. population demographically, a statistical weighting on key Census variables (including age, income, geographic region, etc.) is applied in order to make the sample match the population as accurately as possible.

(Bloomington, MN, May 8, 2015) - With a heavy heart, we wish to advise you that the golf industry lost a dear friend and champion and we have lost a beloved and revered member of our Toro team, John Singleton.

John passed away Saturday, April 25 at the age of eighty-nine.

John touched many lives, and for those of us fortunate to spend time with him, we will be forever grateful. John had the uncanny ability to make us feel good about ourselves and our stake in life, as he always maintained a positive outlook, despite the circumstances.

John, a former irrigation contractor, joined Toro in 1967. John was hired to utilize his knowledge and hands-on experience to help Toro make inroads in the highly competitive golf course market. John’s experience, bold approach and relentless drive helped Toro earn contracts with some of the premier golf courses in the world and by 1972 Toro had become the most widely used automatic equipment in golf course irrigation.

Always the consummate professional, John was comfortable in any environment, including construction sites, maintenance buildings and corporate boardrooms, as he loved representing Toro. During his 37 plus years at Toro, John developed relationships with hundreds of golf course architects, builders, consultants and superintendents and many became lifelong friends.

John was a humble and compassionate person, and cared deeply for our industry.

John never lost sight of his, small town, Irish Catholic upbringing, as he lived a frugal life.

John’s success was measured by the significant contributions he made to those in need in his community.

We will forever be indebted to John and his legacy.

“Keep the faith”

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MOVERS & SHAPERS LASCO Fittings, Inc. Names Darren Hayes Southeastern Regional Sales Manager LASCO Fittings, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Darren Hayes as our Southeastern Regional Sales Manager. Darren began his LASCO Fittings, Inc. career on May 4, 2015.

Darren comes to LASCO Fittings, Inc. from Jones Stephens, where he served as a Regional Sales Manager. During his tenure, he was focused on the sales of Plumbing materials.

Darren has an extensive network base with key decision makers.

Darren’s role with LASCO Fittings, Inc. is to handle and grow all sales aspects as the Southeast regional sales manager.

Darren will operate simultaneously with our existing Regional Managers.

Darren will maintain his home office in Birmingham, AL. His contact information is as follows: Darren Hayes, Regional Sales Manager Cell: 205-876-6210 E-mail: dhayes@lascofittings.com

Profile Products Introduces Advanced Topsoil Alternative Profile Products introduces a patent-pending Engineered Soil Media™ (ESM™) to help establish sustainable vegetation in near-impossible conditions. ProGanics™ Biotic Soil Media™ (BSM™) has proven to outperform other products in the Biotic Soil Amendment (BSA) category.

“ProGanics BSM offers contractors the most efficient and cost-effective solution for poor soil conditions,” said Adam Dibble, (CESSWI) senior marketing manager for Profile Products. “It’s designed as a topsoil alternative but also contains valuable components that will bring depleted soils back to life.”

ProGanics is a sustainable solution designed for any project where soils have low organic matter, low nutrient levels and limited biological activity. Trucking in tons of healthy soil is often very expensive or not possible on challenging and difficult-to-access sites, but ProGanics BSM in place of topsoil saves significant time and money. On a one-acre site, it would traditionally require 36 trucks of topsoil to cover a depth of four inches compared with two, 3,000-gallon capacity hydroseeder tanks applying 3,500 to 5,000 pounds of ProGanics.

ProGanics outperforms leading BSA products, achieving

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twice the vegetation cover and three times greater biomass in greenhouse trials. While some BSAs contain peat harvested from non-renewable wetlands, ProGanics BSM contains a revolutionary blend of renewable, phyto-sanitized Thermally Refined® bark and wood fibers with soil building and growth establishment components. It accelerates the development of depleted soils to help build soils to their fullest potential for vegetative establishment and more effective erosion control.

ProGanics complements the performance of hydraulic and rolled erosion control products. It is applied like hydraulic mulch and mixes quickly into a viscous, dark-brown slurry that is easy to apply and meter. “The high-loading rate of 100 pounds per 100 gallons of water results in fewer tank loads per acre, and it is designed to retain water for higher yield, go down evenly, and resist dewatering,” said Dr. Michael D. Robeson, PE, CPESC, CPSWQ. Robeson is the technical development manager for Profile Products. “Testing at the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL) has shown that ProMatrix Engineered Fiber Matrix (EFM) applied over ProGanics resulted in 99 percent erosion control effectiveness with greater germination and growth versus BSA products applied and tested under the same conditions.”

Gal-XeONE Technology Moves West April 27, 2015 – Boise, Ida. The J.R. Simplot Company remains committed to creating customer value through technology. In 2013, Simplot purchased the Gal-XeONE controlled release polymer coated technology from Floridabased Florikan. Due to strong market acceptance and rising demand, Simplot is enabling production of Gal-XeONE products at its Lathrop, Calif. facility.

“Our intent has always been to grow this technology and its capabilities in order to best meet our customers’ demands for high quality, reliable controlled release fertilizer products,” said Garrett Lofto, president of Simplot’s AgriBusiness group.

“Enhanced efficiency fertilizers are in great demand; they are a key component in 4R Nutrient Stewardship by providing the right fertilizer product at the right rate at the right time and in the right place. We will now have the ability to meet that demand.”

Simplot continues its diversification efforts to meet dynamic market conditions. After the purchase, customer input and innovative processes have continued to develop and improve this technology. Globally accepted as a premiere controlled release technology, the facility in Lathrop will bring the best of these efforts to market to continue targeted growth in the Turf, Horticulture and Specialty Agriculture marketplace for the J.R. Simplot Company.

This production facility will expand not only the availability of the product, but enable customers in the Western United

MOVERS & SHAPERS States, and globally, access to Simplot’s Turf, Horticulture and Specialty Agriculture suite of products, services, and expertise. This facility is ideally suited to service the Western marketplace with easy access to international export locations. Production is expected to begin in spring 2016.

For more information, go to www.Simplot.com or contact Ken Dey. About Simplot: The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching, cattle production, food processing, food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot’s major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and China, with products marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide. The company’s mission statement is Bringing Earth’s Resources to Life.

West Coast Turf Names John Marman Vice President of Sales and Marketing Anthony Pulizzano Added to Southern California Sales Team PALM DESERT, CA---John Marman has been named Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and Anthony Pulizzano selected as the new Southern California Sales Representative for West Coast Turf (WCT).

Marman has been with WCT for nearly 20 years, and originally started working hands on in the field shortly after graduating from UC Riverside with a degree in environmental sciences. He spent several years with WCT’s Nevada operation in Las Vegas, and until recently held the company’s regional sales manager position. Marman replaces WCT’s recently retired Vice President, Jeff Cole.

“We chose John for this position for several reasons.

Obviously he had the experience with the company. He has worked for us in several capacities, so he has a real understanding of the business and a grasp on what exactly it is that our customer needs. With his education in environmental sciences, he is always current on the cutting edge new water saving grasses, and can be the ‘go-to’ guy for our clients when it comes to that technology. He has good longstanding relationships in the industry, and is well liked by his peers. He was also mentored early on by the best in the business (Cole and the late Barry Mohon). We are excited to have John heading up our sales and marketing division. We know he will continue to be a leader,” said

WCT’s President John Foster.

Pulizzano was a natural pick for WCT’s Southern California sales representative position. He is a familiar face at WCT, as he was formerly and inside customer service representative and dispatcher at their Scottsdale, Arizona farm. Pulizzano also was a groundskeeper for the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as a groundskeeper at University of California Berkley, and for the City of San Francisco Unified School District. Most recently he worked for the Oakland Athletics groundcrew under Clay Wood.

“Anthony will handle all of our Southern California sports turf, golf course, and commercial accounts (along with Tom Stafford in Los Angeles, and Jim Davis in the desert). His knowledge of turfgrass will also benefit our retail customers.

He’ll also be out on the road helping to educate our customers about our water saving drought tolerant grasses, and introducing the native grasses which are extremely water friendly. West Coast Turf has always been water conscious with our hybrid bermudas, and has led the way on finding alternative water saving turfgrasses. Anthony has an understanding of these grasses, and will be able to get the word out that there are ways to have a lawn or field and be water savvy. He is a welcome addition back to our West Coast Turf family,” Foster said.

About West Coast Turf West Coast Turf is a full-service sod, field resurfacing, stolonization and hydroseeding company with offices in Scottsdale, AZ; Livingston, CA; Winchester, CA; San Marcos, CA; Newport Beach, CA, and headquarters in Palm Desert, CA. West Coast Turf grows more than 20 varieties of turf, and is the west’s largest grower of drought tolerant warm season turfgrasses.

Clients include: • The San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers, Anaheim Angels, Oakland A’s, Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants in Major League Baseball.

• The San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers, and Oakland Raiders of the National Football League.

• The National Football League for eight Super Bowls.

• The San Jose Earthquakes soccer club.

• Bighorn Golf Club, Torrey Pines Golf Course, The Riviera, TPC Scottsdale, Spyglass Hill, Los Angeles Country Club, Bel-Air Country Club, Sherwood Country Club, Cypress Point, Madison Club, Olympic Club, and Pebble Beach.

For more information please visit www.westcoastturf.com or www.facebook.com/westcoastturf.

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Earth Shaping News Distribution of 1500 to All GCBAA Members, Architects, Allied Associations, Media, Key Superintendents, & Key Golf Industry Executives Electronic copy, which includes a hot link to advertisers website or product page, is available.

GCBAA Advertising Rates for 2015 1/12 PAGE AD or 1/15 PAGE AD B&W, 1+ issue(s): $275 per ad 4-color, 1 issue: $300 ad 4-color, 2 issues: $275 ad/issue 4-color, 4 issues: $260 ad/issue

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Earth Shaping News Distribution of 1500 to All GCBAA Members, Architects, Allied Associations, Media, Key Superintendents, & Key Golf Industry Executives Electronic copy, which includes a hot link to advertisers website or product page, is available.

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