Tee Off News May/June 2018
2018 Al Glaze Memorial Scholarship Tournament San Luis Obispo Country Club July 16, 2018 Hosted by Paul Barr
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President’s Message Andy Cordova I hope everyone had a chance to watch some of this year's US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. It will probably be remembered more for the debacle of the course set-up and Phil Andy Cordova Mickelson on the 13th green rather than the actual golf. However, there was one stand-out moment after the final round was over that caught the attention a few superintendents including myself. What happened in the closing ceremonies is why my new favorite player is Brooke Koepka and its not for the reasons you might think. While he is the first person in 29 years to win the US Open back-to-back and he seems like a normal, respectful person who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, it is what he said during the trophy presentation that made me a fan.
In his opening thank you speech Koepka not only thanked Shinnecock Hills for allowing the tour professionals to play the course, but he took it a step further and thanked the superintendent and his staff for getting the golf course ready for the tournament. It was nice to see a player on that stage acknowledge the magnitude of work done behind the scenes and give recognition to the people who put in countless hours of work to prepare the course. It is not something you typically hear from the players on the tour, let alone in their opening remarks. I thought it was a very classy and thoughtful gesture.
the retirement of Joe Tomkins CGCS. I'll never forget the "ode to Joe" roast after the tournament when all of his buddies got up and reminisced about the shenanigans they got into over the years. It was a neat way to end the tournament and send Joe off into retirement. I hope I am lucky enough to celebrate the end of my career that way when my time comes.
Joe always kept SLOCC in phenomenal condition and Paul has maintained that same level of quality since taking over. He has put a considerable amount of time and effort into getting the course ready for us, so please come show your support for our Hopefully by now all of you association, the scholarship and rehave received the invitation to the Al search fund, and also for Paul. Of imGlaze Scholarship and Research Tour- portant note, when you see Paul please nament on Monday July 16th at San be sure to congratulate him on his reLuis Obispo Country Club, hosted by cent engagement to Whitney Small. I Paul Barr. The golf course is in great look forward to seeing everyone out shape and I know Paul is looking for- there. ward to having everyone come out. The last time this tournament was held at SLOCC it coincided with
2018 GCSACC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT ANDY CORDOVA CYPRESS RIDGE GOLD COURSE
VICE PRESIDENT GLENN MATTHEWS, CGCS VISALIA COUNTRY CLUB
PAST PRESIDENT STEVEN SHOWERS BROOKSIDE GOLF & C.C.
ALBERT NUNES MORRO BAY GOLF COURSE MIKE CLINE WILBUR ELLIS CO.
SECRETARY/TREASURER PAUL BARR SAN LUIS OBISPO C.C.
KEVIN WILES RIVERSIDE GOLF COURSE MATT NOWLEN LAGUNA LAKES G. C.
ERIK SMITH TARGET CHEMICAL
Official Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Central California. The purpose of this publication is information and education for the membership. Published bi-monthly by GCSACC, 3273 Richert, Clovis, CA 93619 Phone (559) 298-6262 Fax (559) 298-6957 Email gcsacc@aol.com Newsletter Chairman & Newsletter Editor Mike Cline Executive Directors Irene Cline & Kimberly Milne
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Save The Dates 2018
December 1, 2018
July 16, 2018 Al Glaze Memorial Scholarship & Research Tournament San Luis Obispo Country Club Hosted by Paul Barr
August 20, 2018 Tri Chapter Tournament CordeValle Golf Club Hosted by the NorCal Chapter
September 17, 2018 Morro Bay Golf Course Hosted by Albert Nunes
November 5, 2018 Lowell Stone Charity Tournament Fort Washington C.C. Hosted by Jose Alvarez
Annual Holiday Event Windows on the Water Morro Bay, CA
2019 January Winter Conference & Annual Election Meeting Location to be confirmed
February 2-7, 2019 San Diego Convention Center
February 6, 2019 California Room Landers at the Omni Hotel
2018 Turf Pro Professional Update Series Seminars San Luis Obispo
Fresno
Morro Bay Golf Course
Copper River Country Club
201 State Park Rd.
2140 E. Clubhouse Dr.
Morro Bay, CA
93442
Fresno, CA
93710
September 5, 2018
September 6, 2018
November 7, 2018
November 8, 2018
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DONATIONS NEEDED The California GCSA BMP committee reviewing the first sections of the California BMP’s that have been completed by our consultant Mike Blankenship & Associates The California BMP committee members will be holding a meeting to discuss their recommended changes and learn more on the future portions of the BMP’s and how they will be implemented and when they will be available for our California GCSA members and clubs. The hope still is to have the BMP Template available to all California Chapter Members in late 2018. This process is being funded by the California GCSA which has
been doing fund raising efforts for the last 4 years. All net proceeds of the California Room have been set aside to put toward the BMP Program along with a grants from the GCSAA. These fund raising efforts will continue into 2019 and beyond if necessary to enable the process to be completed. If you have questions please feel free to contact any of the California GCSA officers or our chapter representatives to the CGCSA Board Glenn Matthews, CGCS or Tennessee McBroom.
We are looking for donations to our annual auction that will be held at the Scholarship Research Tournament on July 16, 2018 at SLO Country Club You can contact Irene or Kim at the association office to make your donation or Click below on additional opportunities to help support this event. Al Glaze Memorial Scholarship & Research Tournament
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From the Field Jeff Jensen, GCSAA Field Staff, Southwest Region GCSAA’s new Chief Operating Officer Bob Randquist, CGCS, has officially started his duties with the association at GCSAA headquarters in LawJeff Jensen rence, Kans. Bob is a 41-year member of GCSAA and served as the association’s president in 2011. He comes to GCSAA after 20 years serving as director of golf course and grounds at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Fla. Prior to Boca Rio, he spent two decades as superintendent at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., where he hosted the 1982 and 1994 PGA Championships.
In addition to his years on the GCSAA Board of Directors, he was active on the local level, having served on the board of the Palm Beach Golf Course Superintendents Association and as president of the Oklahoma Golf Course Superintendents Association and Oklahoma Turfgrass Research Foundation. In his senior leadership role, Randquist will be responsible for managing a broad and complex array of functions and facilitate multiple projects to meet the objectives of the association. While he will represent GCSAA and maintain relationships with industry and allied partners, his main focus will be on internal stakeholders and being an integral part of the headquarters’ culture. I started my current position with GCSAA when Bob was
president and he is the consummate professional and a great representative of the golf industry. We are excited to have him on board and I hope to have him out to the Southwest Region for a visit in the near future. In other news, Jim Ferrin, CGCS, Timber Creek Golf Course at Sun City Roseville was appointed president of the California GCSA. Jim takes over for Gary Ingram, CGCS at Metropolitan Golf Links who served two very successful years as president. Jim is a 33-year member of GCSAA, a Grassroots Ambassador, serves on numerous GCSAA committees and is also the current secretary of the California Alliance for Golf. He is well respected for his government (Continued on page 9)
Golf Course Materials Topdressing Sand - Bunker Sand Decomposed Granite - Drain Rock 1/8” Minus Turf & Tee Bulk Humus Brush Removal Call for competitive rates
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Newsletter Title
Around The Green By Mike Cline As we get into the first days of summer, we are finally starting to see some the stress events that we all know are comMike Cline ing. High temperatures, increasing salt and sodium numbers, and the beginning of our disease pressure. On the positive side, we had a good spring with mild temperatures and optimum growing conditions so most people are more than ready for the stress that will follow.
It’s quite around the chapter now but here are a couple of things going on that might be of interest. Rancho Del Rey Golf Course in Atwater is about to get their new shop open after almost 2 years following the fire that leveled their maintenance yard. Between the insurance issues, and the permit process for construction it has been a long drawn out process the Superintendent Candy Maldonado and his crew. The long-anticipated conversion of Dairy Creek Golf Course, Country of San Luis Obispo from an 18-hole complex down to a 9-hole course has finally happened. During conversations with Director of Golf Operations for the Country Josh Heptig, and Course Superintendent Albert Nunes, they gave me some in -sight into what will be happening at the course as time moves forward. On Monday, June 14th the course opened as a 9-hole facility utilizing the original back nine holes as the new course going forward. The County and Cal Poly have come to an agreement where the original holes, 1, 7, and 8 will be utilized as a practice facility for the University golf teams with access for the public when not in use by Cal Poly golfers. You will soon have a new venue next to the restaurant and bar call
“Top Tracer” which utilizes the same technology as you see on the weekend PGA events where you hit the ball into the course and watch the flight of the ball on a TV monitor. This will allow you and your friends to have a private event with food and beverage, while playing some of the greatest courses in the world. Josh reports they hope to have 10 bays when completed. There are also plans for an 18-hole synthetic putting course, an electric Go Cart track, Mountain Bike trails, Zip Lines, rental cabins and additional camp sites added around the original course property. I’m sure I’ve misstated something, or somehow embellished on what will be done, but if you are a camping family or into RV camping as I am, this would be a destination I would go. Camping, a quick 9 holes followed by dinner, cocktails, and a little Top Tracer golf followed the next day with miniature golf and go cart racing. All within walking distance. Amazing. I know the true golfer hate this idea that we don’t have an 18hole complex anymore, but I think what you will see is that younger golfer who won’t play 18 but will find a venue that speaks to them. I think a future GCASCC Chapter meeting is in order once they everything up and going. If you know of anything going on in the chapter and feel the membership would be interested, drop me a line at mcline@wilburellis.com and we will get it in the newsletter. Be safe and we will see you around the green.
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Superintendent Profile, Paul Barr, San Luis Obispo C.C. By Irene Cline Paul Barr, Superintendent at San Luis Obispo Country Club is playing host to this years Al Glaze Memorial Scholarship & Research Tournament on July 16th.
and Paul was the perfect candidate for renovation and is now looking at what the job and was promoted to the super- other projects they want to do while this is going on. This sounds like intendent position. some busy times are coming Paul’s Paul has had some pretty tough issues that mother nature threw way in the not too distant future.
at him which he is quick to say isn’t any different than a lot of our members so he doesn’t like to make it seem that he has had it any worse than the next Paul is very course. The irrigation and waterPaul Barr familiar with this management challenges is one of the event as he was a things he doesn’t appreciate about his past recipient of our Turf Scholarship job, but, the fact that he gets to do his in 2003 and then again in 2004. Paul job with a group of individuals that he was attending Cal Poly San Luis has a great amount of respect for and Obispo working toward his BS degree enjoys being with as well as the fact in Environmental Horticulture and that he gets to do it outdoors with his working as an intern at SLO Country loyal companion, Brody, a Australian Club from 2000 to 2005 under Joe Shepherd ,make all the negative parts Tompkins. After graduation Paul con- tolerable. tinued at the course and became Joe’s San Luis Obispo C.C. is going assistant in 2006. Joe retired in 2013 to be working on a complete irrigation
Talking about the future, Paul and his fiancé Whitney Small have just announced plans for a January wedding. Talk about busy times! Congratulations to Paul and Whitney on this wonderful event. While not working at the course Paul enjoys, as he puts it , the game of golf and enjoys playing golf with his crew after hours. He grew up a swimmer and soccer player but now enjoys running with a group that is training for marathons and triathlons. We look forward to our event at Paul’s course and hope to see you all there on July 16th.
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2019 Al Glaze Memorial Scholarship Tournament Irene Cline
We are looking forward to our annual Scholarship & Research event this year at San Luis Obispo Country Club. July 16th is the big day and we hope to see all of our members and their guests at this event. We will start the day at 8:30 with check in and a nice continental breakfast. We will be selling mulligans, and of course raffle tickets for some great raffle items as well as some golf that our members so generously donate. This year the Tee Prize is once again donated by Syngenta, and we think you will like what has been selected for you. Thank you to Joe Ballmer and Greg Fukumitsu for their generosity. The tournament tees off at
10:00. We will once again be playing the Wilkinson System so remember to have your index ready at check in. This is always a fun tournament and makes it possible for everyone to be a winner. We will have lunch on the course provided by Crop Production Service. They do an amazing barbecue so you won’t want to miss this. On the course Mike Cline, Wilbur Ellis Co., will be holding a putting contest with a nice prize for the winner. Look for some displays on the course which include Allied Weed Control, Turf Star Equip. and BelKorp Equipment. After golf we will have our awards ceremony and will be handing out our scholarships and legacy awards. This is the first
year that we have the honor of presenting the Steve Scarbrough, CGCS Turf Scholarship and we are looking forward to having Steve’s family at the event to present the award. Steve was a vital part of our association and his legacy will live on through the support these funds will provide to turf students in our area. In addition to everything else we have going on we have our silent auction that helps raise funds for our scholarships and research projects. Don’t miss this special event. Sign Up today.
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Hunter Ranch Highlights Thank you to Ken Mauser, Aquatrols for providing an excellent educational talk for the event as well as going in with Mike Cline Wilbur Ellis Co. to provide our
Pictured below are Randy Haines With Matt Nowlan
Pictured above Joe Tompkins and Joe Elias.
Pictured above Mike and Mary Harmon of Speedy Enterprises
Above are Josh Heptig with Ken Mauser of Aquatrols
Above are Andy Cordova, Host Superintendent Jason Pautsch, and Paul Barr.
At right are Matt Pearce and Paul Barr preparing for the tournament
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From The Field Continued from page 4
relations activities both statewide and nationally. We thank Gary for his service and commitment to the state association. Under his leadership, the California GCSA is financially solvent and is in the process of completing a state BMP document. Gary will continue his role as the California BMP committee chairman. I hope you are all having a great summer and look forward to seeing you at various chapter events. If you need anything, please contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and don’t forget to visit my regional webpage at https://www.gcsaa.org/resources/r egionalresources/secure/southwest for updates and a regional calendar of events.