TEE-OFF News September/October 2015
2015 Annual Lowell Stone Charities Tournament Kings Country Club Hosted by Joe Elias
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President’s Message By Steven Showers I would like to start my first President’s message with a thank you to all our members, simply, first and foremost, for being members of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Central California. With Gordon Spieth’s big win in the Fed Ex Cup competition complete, I thought I would insert a Steven Showers trivia question at the start of this Airways Golf Course message, in the hope that you will 2015 GCSACC President read till the end to find out the answer. It’s no surprise that young Mr. Spieth had the lowest cumulative score for all four majors at 54 under par a new record, beating Tiger Woods record of 53 under for the 2000 season, but can you name the second place player and the player with the highest cumulative total of the 18 men who made the cut at all four majors this year? I would also like to thank you for allowing me to once again serve as the associations President; this is my second go around on the board of directors. Without member support our chapter could not survive. Please join me in thanking the new members who have stepped up to serve this year, the new additions are Paul Barr, Albert Nunes and Zackary Moran. They join returning members Pete Bowman, Craig Johnson and Jose Alvarez, along with newly elected Vice President, Andy Cordova and Secretary/Treasurer, Glenn Matthews, CGCS. Tennessee McBroom moves to the Past President position and Jeff Kollenkark, Brian Daum, and Josh Heptig leave the board. Thank you very much Jeff, Brian, and Josh, it was a productive time for the association during your time served, thank you for your involvement! The annual election and business meeting of the association was held at Pheasant Run Golf Course on
Monday, September 28 and although we had a relatively small turnout for the event I thought we were able to pass along some valuable information to those in attendance. It was a beautiful day for golf in the central valley and although I deposited a number of balls into the lakes; I enjoyed my time on the golf course and some great company. I know that this is an extremely busy time of year for members to leave their courses, sales routes or offices, as we have historically had a small turnout this time of year. The BOD is looking at the possibility of moving the annual meeting to January starting as soon as 2017. The new date will require a bylaw change that would be voted on next September, so if you have any input regarding this change let Irene or any board member know any of your thoughts regarding this change. Also of note is the upcoming GCSAA election. Our designated chapter representative will vote, if your vote is assigned to our chapter, for our chapters choice of national board members as well as a slight change to member classes. Changes include the Class SM member to Class B (as it was in the past) and also adding an Equipment Manager classification (Mechanic). Glenn Matthews, CGCS will be our chapter delegate this year, so any input you have regarding these or any other issues please bring them to Glenn, Irene, or any other board member. Just another reminder that this is your association and we value your input, so let us know your thoughts. With many great events and meetings available to members over the next twelve months I would like to challenge all members to try and attend at least one of them this year. Upcoming on November 2 is our annual Lowell Stone Charity Golf Tournament hosted by Kings Country Club and Joe Elias. This is a truly fun event that has benefited various charities over the years. This year (Continued on page 4)
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, 5322 N. Leonard Clovis, CA 93619 Phone (559) 298-4853 Fax (559) 298-6957 Email gcsacc@aol.com Newsletter Chairman & Newsletter Editor Andy Cordova Executive Directors Irene Cline & Kimberly Milne
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Save The Dates November 2, 2015 Lowell Stone Charity Event Kings Country Club Hosted by Joe Elias December 5, 2015 Annual Holiday Event Windows on The Water Morro Bay
GIS San Diego
February 10, 2016 California Room USS Midway
Turf Pro 2015 Professional Update Series San Luis Obispo
Winter Symposium January 11, 2016 Cypress Ridge Golf Course Hosted by Andy Cordova
November 18, 2015 Fresno November 19, 2015 For Information Call 559-269-7342
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President’s Message Continued from Page 2 we will be presenting a check to the Youth on Course program, which allows junior golfers to play at reduced rates on our golf courses. Thank you to Joe for hosting this year; he has already put a lot of work into making this another successful event. Then on the first Saturday of December the association’s annual Christmas Party will be held at Windows on the Water in Morro Bay. The party coincides with the boat parade, where weather permitting, many local boats are decorated with Christmas lights and are paraded on the bay directly in front of our location. There will also be the hugely successful gift exchange hosted by our own Mike Cline, thank you Mike! If we don’t see you at one of these events then I hope you can make it to San Diego for GCSAA’s
Golf Industry Show. The CGCSA (State Chapter) will again host the California Room on the USS Midway, if you were unable to attend three years ago I would highly recommend you try and make it this time. It’s a great party and networking event! So with no further delay, according to golfweek.com, of the 18 men who made the cut in all four majors of 2015, the second lowest cumulative score belonged to Jason Day at 35 under par, edging Justin Rose by one shot at 34 under, and the eighteenth and highest over par player who made all four cuts was Jason Dufner at 8 over par. Thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event.
WELCOME NEW MEMBER
Erik Smith Class Affiliate Target Chemical Co.
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President Proposes Overtime Overhaul by Kaelyn Seymour On July 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published a notice of a proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register aimed at changing the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in terms of how overtime pay is calculated for certain salaried employees. To be classified as a salaried employee and exempt from overtime pay currently, individuals must meet three separate guidelines: a job duties test, a salary level test (salary is at least $23,660 per year, or $455 per week) and a salary basis test (employee paid on a fixed-salary basis). Under the FLSA job duties test, salaried employees are classified as either Executive, Administrative, Professional (EAP), or as Highly Compensated (HCE). The July 2015 proposal would raise the salary level threshold to $50,440 per year, or $970/week for EAP employees, and to $122,148 from $100,000 for HCE. The rule does not propose regulatory changes to the salary basis test or the job duties test, which requires employees to perform certain primary duties to qualify for an overtime exemption, although DOL is seeking feedback on whether the job duties tests should be revised. Currently, under the DOL regulations, all workers are entitled to premium overtime pay for each hour worked over 40 hours a week, unless they are found to be exempt. The President and DOL want to lift the salary cap higher. The proposal also advocates automatically adjusting exemption thresholds in the future, to ensure the threshold for EAP workers is set at the 40th percentile of full-time salaries and, for HCE workers, at the 90th percentile of fulltime salaries. There is both strong support and opposition to the overtime pay proposal. Opponents of the proposal
don’t think the proposal will help employees. The Federation of Independent Businesses guesstimates that employers will consider spreading around the same amount of money across a slightly larger pool of hourly and part-time workers. Employers, especially small businesses, may implement various cost-cutting measures in order to work within the overtime regulations without any change to their bottom line, including: • Reclassifying salaried workers as hourly workers • Reducing hours to avoid overtime premiums • Increasing salary of employees near threshold According to the National Journal, some employees may be reclassified as hourly workers and see an hourly wage reduction, while some employees with a salary near the new threshold may see their salary increased so that their employers can avoid paying overtime premiums. The Obama Administration is attempting to reverse a 2004 Bush Administration rule that it believes made more workers ineligible for overtime pay. The Department of Labor estimates 1.2 million employees would see wage increases from the new overtime regulations. Supporters of the expansion say that because of the cut in hours worked by salaried employees under the threshold, more parttime jobs will be added to pick up the slack. While supporters recognize some of the unintended consequences of the change that critics emphasize, such as reduced hours of existing employees, they think the proposal will lead to job creation and ultimately boost the economy. One thing that supporters and opponents both agree on is they
expect the proposal to be challenged in court and by Congress. (advocacy) Kaelyn Seymour, kseymour@gcsaa.org Twitter: @GCSAA GCSAA is closely monitoring the proposal and working with our golf allied partners to submit comments to the federal docket by the Sept. 4 deadline. The comments will focus on five key points: • The golf industry wants to ensure bonuses and commissions are counted in a total compensation package, and we would like a stronger definition of “total compensation.” • The golf industry objects to any change to the primary duties test without a separate proposed notice of rule-making. • The industry, along with the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE), of which GCSAA is a member, is concerned the salary threshold does not account for regional cost of living. In comments submitted to the federal docket by ASAE, the association specifically asks the DOL to take into account regional costs of living and adjust the threshold accordingly. • Because keeping morale high at facilities is important, there is concern about the impact to employees when they are “demoted” from salary to hourly. • Most important, the industry is comprised of small businesses with seasonality and fluctuating hours, which will not cleanly fit into the proposed changes. GCSAA will continue to monitor the rule as it makes its way through the regulatory process, and the industry’s official comments will be posted in Government Relations Online at www.gcsaa.org.
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Newsletter Title
From the Field Jeff Jensen, GCSAA Field Staff, Southwest Region I hope everyone is having a great fall and enjoying some cooler weather. It was a long summer! Early registration for the 2016 Golf Jeff Jensen Industry Show Feb. 6-11 in San Diego opens Nov. 3. “Everything Under the Sun” promises to be our best show yet. The San Diego Convention Center and the Gaslamp District provides an unbelievable setting for our annual showcase. Early full pack registration cost (before Jan. 19, 2016) for the Golf
Industry Show is $420 for GCSAA members. Seminars are $180 for a full-day, $160 for six-hours, $120 for a half-day and $80 for two-hours. Registration is available online at http://www.golfindustryshow.com/re gistration. In addition to the Golf Industry Show, The GCSAA Golf Championship is scheduled for Feb. 6-8. The event features the National Championship, Golf Classic, Four-Ball and Shamble. This year’s championship is being played over some of San Diego’s finest courses including Aviara, La Costa Resort & Spa, Maderas, The Crossings at Carlsbad and Torrey Pines, upcoming host of the 2021 US Open.
For over 80 years the specialty seed source for: -Native Grasses and Wildflowers -Kikuyu, Paspalum, Hybrid Bermuda -Bentgrasses, Fine Fescues, Ryegrasses Golf Course Representatives: Jim Culley 213-268-3193 Don Lewis 213-247-3266 Home Office: 800-621-0315 www.stoverseed.com
The National Championship (open to the first 100 superintendents with a handicap index of 5.0 and below) and the Golf Classic (flighted by handicap, using a point quota scoring system) are $475 per player before Dec. 21 ($575 for affili-
ates participating in the Golf Classic). Entry fee for the Four-Ball and Shamble are $175 per player before Dec. 21 ($275 for affiliates). The 2012 GCSAA Golf Championship in San Diego had a record turnout, so make sure to register early at http://www.golfindustryshow.com/gc saa-golf-championships/registrationinformation. And don’t forget about the annual California GCSA “California Room” reception that will once again be held on the USS Midway in San Diego Harbor on Feb. 10. Registration is required and the cost of the event is $35 thru Dec. 31, $50 Jan. 1 - Jan. 31 and $100 thereafter. It’s the only place to be in San Diego on Wednesday night! Register now at http://www.californiagcsa.org. If you have any questions concerning the Golf Industry Show, the GCSAA Golf Championships or need any information about the area, please don’t hesitate to call me at 785-840-7879, email me at jjensen@gcsaa.org or visit the website at www.golfindustryshow.com. I look forward to seeing all of you in San Diego.
Volume 1, TEE-OFF N ews
Issue 1
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2015/2016 Board of Directors
Pictured above from the left are 2015/2016 Board Members, Pete Bowman, Steven Showers, Andy Cordova, Tennessee McBroom, Albert Nunes, and Jose Alvarez Not pictured Paul Barr, Zachery Moran, Glenn Matthews, CGCS, and Craig Johnson
2015/2016 GCSACC BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT STEVEN SHOWERS AIRWAYS G. C.
VICE PRESIDENT ANDY CORDOVA CYPRESS RIDGE G.C.
.JOSE ALVAREZ FORT WASHINGTON C.C.
PETE BOWMAN HELENA CHEMICAL
CRAIG JOHNSON BELMONT C.C.
PAUL BARR SAN LUIS OBISPO C.C..
PAST PRESIDENT TENNESSEE MCBROOM SANDPIPER GOLF CLUB /RANCHO SAN MARCOS GOLF CLUB
SECRETARY/TREASURER GLENN MATTHEWS, CGCS VISALIA COUNTRY CLUB
ALBERT NUNES MORRO BAY GOLF COURSE
ZACK MORAN WATER QUALITY CONSULTANTS
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2015 Charity Event Kings Country Club by Andy Cordova
As the 2015 year starts coming to a close, temperatures start to drop and hopefully some rain starts to fall, we focus on this years charities tournament. Since 2001 the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Central California has hosted the annual event to raise money for a charity, usually of the host superintendents choosing. Over the past 5 years, the association has donated a total of $17,000 towards a
variety of different charities. Last years tournament was held at Fort Washington Country Club in Fresno where we donated $2500 to the Central Valley Veterans to help out local veterans in a wide range of ways. This year our charities tournament comes to Kings Country Club in Hanford with our host superintendent being Joe Elias. It has been four years since our association meeting or tournament has been held at Kings C.C. so we are very grateful
that they have invited us in to host this event. The charity that Joe has suggested we donate our money to, is Youth on the Course (YOC). Established in 2005, YOC is a nonprofit organization that helps grow the game of golf by getting kids involved at an early age. By making golf more affordable to kids, helping them find jobs as caddies, finding them internships and offering scholarships they have helped not only grow the game but provide opportunities to today's youth. This is a great organization that is well deserving of our donation. We hope to see all of you out there to enjoy a great golf course, hopefully good weather (or not depending on how you look at it) and good company.
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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Around the Green by Irene Cline Things are pretty quiet around our area. Not a lot to report on which can be good news. We can report that Derek Stone has taken the assistant position at Belmont Country Club. Derek was previously with San Joaquin C.C. and made the move to Belmont when Craig’s previous assistant chose to leave the golf industry to pursue other interests. Sierra Meadows Golf Course is closing their golf course at the end of October. The course was purchased by a group out of the bay area that will be converting it to other uses. The Links at Paso Robles has completed the first phase of their remodel with planting 20 acres of wine grapes around the property. The ultimate goal is to have 60 acres when the project is completed. Remember if you have news let us know. We hope to see everyone at the Annual Charity Event on November 2.
2016 California Room February 10, 2016 Member Entry $35 for early registration from Oct. 1st to Dec. 31st. If registering after Dec 31st. The cost will be $50 per person. After Feb. 1st it will be full price of the event of $100. Member Guest Entry $35 for early registration from Oct. 1st to Dec. 31st. If registering after Dec 31st. The cost will be $50 Per person. After Feb. 1st it will be full price of the event of $100. (Limit One Guest per member) Registration is Mandatory, no walk-ins will be allowed. On Line Registration: Californiagcsa.org For questions or additional information please contact the association office at 559-298-4853 or email
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Meeting Highlights
Host Superintendent Jon Christensen and newly elected President Steve Showers.
Tennessee McBroom makes his last comments to the members as President of the GCSACC. THANK YOU TENNESSEE!!
Mike Scott, CGCS and Lowell Stone peruse the annual association report that was reviewed at the meeting. To receive a copy please contact Irene Above Jon Christensen with new member Erik Smith from Target. Erik had the opportunity to meet members at the Annual Meeting. at the association office. Pictured below are Scott Michel, Mike Farmen, and Scott Furtak. looking forward to a fun day on the course.
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Meeting Highlights
Andy Cordova and Mike Scott, CGCS, are heading out to the tee.
Be sure to register for the Mike Stieler, CGCS gets set for the tournament
2015 Lowell Stone Charity Event November 2, 2015 Kings Country Club