EARTH SHAPING NEWS www.gcbaa.org
Published Quarterly by the Golf Course Builders Association of America
3rd Quarter 2016
Jersey City Welcomes GCBAA for Summer Meeting Invoices, thank you’s, checks, and surveys have been filling the GCBAA In-and-Outboxes all while we get back to business at GCBAA headquarters. While we shift gears and tackle what’s next on our plate, we can’t dismiss the overwhelming success that was the GCBAA Summer Meeting. Success of a meeting can be measured by so many variables. The survey results have been our go-to resource to not only see what we did well, but more importantly the areas we can improve upon. For the GCBAA staff and Meetings Committee, we gauge the success of an event based on the criticism and suggestions of the surveys. Whether a speaker ran off topic, a meal was cold, or a room wasn’t ready; we look at each and every comment and implement ways to improve. On each site visit we stress to the hotel that it will be difficult to impress our membership on the facility alone as so many of you travel well over 100 days a year and have had various hotel experiences. What sets a hotel apart is the people. There is a direct correlation between our most successful meetings and how surveys ranked the hotel staff. There is something to be said for a hotel staff that says hello when you pass them in a hallway or opens the car door when they pull around your vehicle. Everyone likes to feel at home when traveling and it is our goal to provide the best environment for you to relax, learn, network, and enjoy yourself.
(Left to Right) Chris Daigle, Matt Faherty, Dan Hildebrand, & Paul Granger enjoying the views.
STICKS FOR KIDS GOLF TOURNAMENT GCBAA staff is often asked how the golf course gets selected for the annual Sticks for Kids Golf Tournament. While we would like to say it’s as easy as looking into our crystal ball, a peak behind the curtain would show you that we reach out to our local members in the area as well as allied association members to identify the best fit for our event. Galloping Hill Golf Course in Kenilworth, NJ exceeded our expectations and went above and beyond to host our event. This county owned course is managed by a team from KemperSports who understand the business of hospitality. While the course hosts hundreds of tournaments and thousands of rounds each year, they make you feel as if you’re the only group planning an event. Our friend and recent course renovation architect Rees Jones as well as his team at Rees Jones Golf Course Design were an enormous help in planning the event. GCBAA members were also involved in their course’s recent renovations, including GCBAA Certified Builder Total Turf Services, Better Billy Bunker, and Winterberry Irrigation. Early Monday morning with rain clouds above, nearly 80 golfers tee’d off for the annual outing. The rain held off and allowed teams to enjoy a great course with lots of GCBAA members staged on sponsored holes as well as plenty to eat and drink. Some impressive team scores were recorded and several tie breakers were needed. Many groups walked away with prizes donated by our hole sponsors along with trophies awarded by Eagle Golf & Landscape Products and the infamous Caterpillar Earthmover Award for the last place team…a true keepsake!
INSIDE 2 President’s Perspective 3 Executive Director Notes 4 Foundation Update 8 Summer Meeting Sponsors 10 2016 Auction & Raffle 14 Anniversaries 16 Human Resources 17 Developer’s Guide 21 Allied Associations 27 New Members 29 Movers & Shapers 36 Advertisers
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