NTGCSA Chapter Connect 2019

Spring 2019

Volume 27 Issue 1

2018 was a great year of GIVING for the North Texas GCSA! Thank you! To all members and sponsors who made this generosity possible. We look forward to doing more in 2019 for our community, our member’s families, the game of golf that we love, and for turfgrass research. Well done members!

First Tee of Greater Dallas $607.50

Stephen Best Family Trust $2395.00

First Tee of Fort Worth $607.50

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital $7,500

Legacy Scholarships $25,500

Please consider a round donation for 2019!

Our goal is to raise a minimum of 25 rounds and the deadline is soon!

Contact the NTGCSA office if you have questions: Ntgcsa@gmail.com $1,239.20

Click here to go to Donate a Round

President’s Message As winter SLOWLY turns to spring, I think I speak for all of us when I say the focus in our departments begins to shift away from off season projects into more routine maintenance. Bentgrass guys have already or are about to perform the first core aerification of the season. Bermudagrass guys, like me, are hoping we have covered the greens for the last time and are wondering when it will be safe to bring the covers in and store them until the fall. This has definitely been a very interesting six months in North Texas with one of the wettest falls and winters in recent history. Some of us may have had to reschedule (multiple times) our pre-emergent herbicide s and are hoping to have some control of those pesky summer weeds. But, that is what makes this profession so interesting. Every year and, more specifically, every day presents a new challenge. All the planning in the world does not compete with the curveballs that Mother Nature can throw at us.

At this year’s Golf Industry Show, I was able to attend a breakfast hosted by GCSAA for Chapter Presidents. During the breakfast, we shared stories regarding the state of each of our Associations. One common theme was how do we drive member participation and increase involvement. Nothing new. This is something that comes up frequently. The question we all need to ask ourselves is, “What do I expect from my Association membership?” I want to share a Tweet from Adam Ikamas, the Executive Director of the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association. He wrote, “Association dues are not paying for a service, it is funding opportunity to promote and enhance our profession.

Getting involved will help you personally and the industry as a whole.” I firmly believe that you only get out of our association what you are willing to put in. Get involved. Come to the meetings. Write an article for the newsletter. Reach out to a Board member and ask to be part of a committee. Two years ago, Mike Epps challenged us all to be ENGAGED. This year, I challenge all of you to be INVOLVED. This year for the North Texas Chapter of GCSAA has gotten off to a very good start. The Annual Banquet at The Fort Worth Club in January was great. It is always fun to see our association members all dressed up and away from the golf course, and it fun to meet their wives and significant others. We all know that they are the true heroes of our industry for putting up with the long hours and stress that we go through. Congratulations to Scott Ebers, CGCS our 2018 Superintendent of the Year and Coby Morrow, our 2018 Assistant Superintendent of the Year. We awarded $25,000.00 in Legacy Scholarships. That is up from $20,000.00 in 2017, and we hope to increase that number again this year. In February, Royal Oaks hosted us for the annual education meeting where members earned CEUs and education points.

Thank you to KD Davis and the staff at Royal Oaks for your hospitality.

We have made some changes to this year’s calendar. The Chapter Championship has been moved from June up to April. We just wanted to switch some things up. The Chapter Championship should be one of our marquee events, and its June date made it difficult to get full participation. Change can be tough, but I truly believe this is in the best interest of the association.

Again, thank you to ALL of our sponsors. Our Platinum sponsors all renewed for another year, and we picked up a few Gold and Silver sponsors as well. This association would not be where it is today without your continued support.

It is truly my honor to serve as your President this year! Thank you for your support and I hope to see ALL of you at one of upcoming events.

Bryan Brown NTGCSA President

About Us North Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association

Network with your peers!

Join us at: Ntgcsa.org and:

Board of Directors President: Bryan Brown bryan.brown@lkpoa.org Vice President: Jorge Croda jorgecroda@yahoo.com Secretary / Treasurer: KD Davis kdavis@roccdallas.com

Past President: Kirt Phillips kirt@dallascountryclub.org

Superintendent Directors Blake Cain –blake@benttreecc.org Jay Tinsley-bgc.tinsley@gmail.com Jason Wiedeman-jwiedeman@crosstimersgc.com Mike Epps-mepps@miravistacountryclub.com Anthony Williams CGCS anthony.williams@fourseasons.com

JIM TRAVIS Cell: 469-993-3647 Office: 800-345-9387 Fax: 972-745-4315

Affiliate Directors Aaron Fox—afox@textron.com Todd Gilmour—toddgolf1@yahoo.com Chapter Executive Carol Cloud ntgcsa@gmail.com 817-368-3002 PO Box 122766, Fort Worth, TX 76121

jim.travis@target-specialty.com

Thank you to all of our North Texas Members who represented our chapter at the Lone Star Reception and 2019 Golf Industry Show.

C’mon North Texas Members!

Let’s have a good showing in College Station!

Should be a great event and fun venue.

See you in College Station!

We have moved the Chapter Championship to April in order to allow more members to attend. All skill levels are welcome and we will have gross and net prizes awarded. The Championship is open to Superintendent/ Assistant and Affiliate Members.

Schedule 8:30 Check-In and Social Hour 9:45 Title Sponsor - Education 11:00 Lunch 12:15 Golf Format Individual Stroke Play Gross and Net Cost

$60.00 per person

REGISTER at NTGCSA.org

2019 Stephen Best Memorial Pro/Superintendent Championship May 14th—Sky Creek Ranch GC

Congratulations!

Gregory Neill - Equipment Manager Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club First in Texas to complete the GCSAA Turf Equipment Technician Certificate Program Level 1 Training and skills recognition for equipment managers and technicians "The TETCP is a vital part of equipment managers' professional development. All the questions on the exams are direct from our industry and create a true test of your knowledge." – Trent Manning, Ansley Golf Club Turf Equipment Technician Certificate Program Level 1 is a series of exams designed to demonstrate proficiency in key competency areas related to turf equipment. This certificate program is available to any and all turf equipment technicians regardless of whether you work for a golf course.

The program is made up of eight exams covering the key competency areas of: • • • • • • • •

cutting units drivetrain systems electrical systems engine technology hydraulic systems metalworking and fabrication spray systems fundamentals of turfgrass operations

You can choose to take one exam or work to complete the entire program by successfully completing all eight exams in any order.

For more information, Visit GCSAA and search

TETCP

Legacy Scholarship Thank You Notes

GCSAA has formed a political action committee to support members of Congress who support GCSAA's Priority Issues Agenda. The priority issues are approved biennially by the GCSAA Board of Directors to focus the association's policy work. Through personal and financial member

investments, GCSAAPAC seeks to provide a direct means to petition the government for the long-term viability of golf facilities. GCSAAPAC is a critical tool to help the association realize its aspiration to be recognized as the global leader in golf course management.

Why create a PAC? By establishing a PAC, GCSAA will have a

greater ability to: Build Congressional champions to advance the

Thank you so much to the Board of Directors for the opportunity to apply for the NTGCSA Scholarship. I’m still excited as to have received this scholarship and can’t wait to put it toward my future studies at CSU. Since I was able to go to the banquet this year, I had a lot of fun. I got to spend the weekend with my parents and got to enjoy the banquet with them as well. My mom jokingly said I looked like I was James Bond since I was wearing a suit and playing blackjack. Thank you again for accepting me and having me out for the weekend.

Sincerely,

Joseph Klein

priority issues agenda.

Gain greater access and visibility with members of Congress and establish new relationships.

Increase GCSAA's profile with allied golf groups and continue to be a leader in golf advocacy.

Fully integrate the association's direct and grassroots lobbying efforts.

To learn more: gcsaa.org/advocacy Thank you so much for the opportunity to further my education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. I am honored to be one of the recipients of the NTGCSA Legacy scholaships. My first semester of y sophomore year at OPSU was a blast, and I am excited to dive deep in to this second semester not only in my education but in my golf game as we move in to conference at the end of spring season. Go Aggies.!

Sincerely,

Karsten Harrison

Help wanted: Staffing strategies at GIS 2019 A lively discussion on labor, led by GCSAA’s Rhett Evans, underscored a new reality: Today’s superMatt Shaffer tried to attract staff any way possible.

“I had a guy come to us once who answered an ad in the paper,” said Shaffer, whose career as a superintendent included a long stay at famed Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., where he hosted the 2013 U.S. Open. “He was a high school teacher in Louisiana who came up here in the summers to visit an aunt. He saw the ad, and he started working for us in the summer for a few years.”

That man who taught eventually came to love working on a golf course and is currently a superintendent. Nowadays, though, not many people seem to read newspapers, and even with so many other avenues for reaching the masses, securing enough qualified golf course crew members is as challenging as ever.

Seven years ago, a GCSAA survey found that 19 percent of superintendents said they were having a difficult time recruiting labor. By last year, that number had risen to 63 percent. The number of college students endeavoring to make golf course management a career has declined in recent years, and while GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said there have been some positive signs on that front recently, it isn’t enough to stand still and simply hope the numbers increase.

“We need to do a better job explaining how fun it (working at a golf course) really is,” said Evans,

Continued on next page

Get It While The Getting Is Good John Daniels, Agronomist, Central Region Timing and persistence are the keys to successful weed control. When it comes to post-emergent treatments, this means applying the product as soon as weeds begin to appear.

Mature, established weeds are always going to be much more difficult to eliminate compared to juvenile weeds. Therefore, spot treatments should be made at the first sign of weed invasion. This principle holds true regardless of which specific herbicide chemistry is selected or what weed is being targeted. Delaying postemergent treatments until after weeds are mature will often necessitate additional applications to achieve the desired level of control.

The longer weeds are left to grow unencumbered, the more Postemergence herbicides are most space they will occupy. This means more time will be required effective when weeds are still small. for turf to fill in the voids created after weeds die. If weeds are eliminated when they are small, voids in the turf canopy will be hardly noticeable.

Dauber-style applicators are ideal for targeted spot treatments. Or you can make your own version by simply attaching a bingo marker to a dowel rod. These effective, low-cost tools can deliver an effective rate of herbicide with pinpoint accuracy making them perfect for controlling small weeds such as Poa annua. An employee can quickly daub a dozen plants in a matter of seconds. Applications can even occur on windy days with no fear of drift.

The ability to make precise applications also provides the opportunity to utilize a wide range of herbicide chemistries. Non-selective herbicides, that would otherwise injure turf, can be incorporated as part of the weed management program. This flexibility can improve weed control and help to lessen issues with resistance from developing.

who hosted an event at the 2019 Golf Industry Show on Wednesday titled “Help Wanted: Creative Staffing Solutions for Your Golf Course.” Evans was joined on the GCSAA TV Stage on the GIS trade show floor by Shaffer; Patrick O’Brien from Hyde Park Golf and Country Club in Cincinnati; and John Thompson from Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind. The foursome discussed innovative ideas that superintendents might investigate to try to address hiring issues, including recruiting retirees, veterans and different groups of young people. One avenue is the youth organization Future Farmers of America (FFA), a national program with which GCSAA has engaged and appears to be making inroads, with some of the students showing interest in future careers in golf. More than 669,000 students are members of FFA. “They work outside, work with their hands, and they grow something. They’re starting to say, ‘Count me in,’” Evans said.

Another possibility that GCSAA has looked into is the PaYS program, which helps veterans prepare for careers post-service by connecting them with employers.

2019

NTGCSA Awards Banquet at the Fort Worth Club

On a beautiful January night in downtown Fort Worth, North Texas GCSA members and their guests joined together for a night of great food, wonderful company and to celebrate and honor the very deserving 2018 Award Recipients.

President Kirt Phillips passed the gavel to 2019 President Bryan Brown.

The top honoree of the evening was the A.C. and Garry Bearden Superintendent of the Year Award winner, Scott Ebers CGCS. This was the second time for Ebers to win this prestigious award and he gave a very thankful and humble speech.

Photos from above: Top row left: Kirt Phillips (r) is awarded a plaque of appreciation by 2019 President Bryan Brown. Right: New President Bryan Brown talks about his goals for 2019.

Bottom row left: Chapter Executive Carol Cloud (l) thanked for her great work in 2018.

Right: Scott Ebers CGCS thanks the association for his honor.

Pictures from our great night at the Fort Worth Club. Top row left to right: Assistant Superintendent of the Year Coby Morrow, Affiliate Champion (r) Drue Thompson, Michael Underwood (l) and Mike Epps (r), Scholarship Recipient (l) Shelby Freshwater.

Second row: Studious gamblers, Assistant Superintendent Champion (l) Spencer McCasin, Superintendent Article of the Year (l) Mitch O’Brey, Affiliate Article of the Year (l) Brian Cloud. Third row: Scott Ebers enjoying the roulette table, Scholarship Recipient: Kaleigh Harrison, 2018 Turf Care of Texas Match Play Champion (l) Frank Darnell, President Kirt Phillips thanks his wife Shannon for her love and support. Bottom row: Cushman’s Aaron Fox (l) presents generous check from Growing Greens Program.

NTGCSA Superintendents Strengthen Business Skills with Colleagues Across U.S. Chris Sorrell, CGCS, golf course superintendent at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club and K.D. Davis, CGCS, golf course superintendent at Royal Oaks Country Club were among 24 superintendents across the country to graduate from the Syngenta Business Institute (SBI). SBI is an exclusive professional development program for golf course superintendents hosted by Syngenta and the Wake Forest University School of Business in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

While agronomic expertise is critical to superintendent success, Syngenta also recognizes the need to provide superintendents with business management skills.

“We offer this program to 24 superintendents as a commitment to our customers and their development in the industry,” says Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager, Syngenta. “At the Syngenta Business Institute, we focus on the business aspect of superintendents’ responsibilities, and really aim to build on their skills of leadership and employee management, which is just as important as managing turf quality.”

During the three-day educational program, participants gained knowledge in financial and employee management, negotiation skills, effective communications techniques, managing generational differences and more. Classes were led by professors from the School of Business at Wake Forest University, who provided ideas and tools to assist superintendents in their daily management and long-term planning.

Sorrell and Davis were selected from a talented pool of superintendents across the country based on an application process that reviewed their educational background, professional achievements and an essay that demonstrates why they should be selected for the program.

Applications for SBI 2019 are now open at Greencastonline.com/sbi/

5 business tips I wish I’d learned as an Assistant Superintendent Successful superintendents must possess business management smarts on par with their agronomic know-how.

A veteran super shares insight on developing this skill set.

Chris Carson Chris Carson is the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, N.J. He is a 33-year member of GCSAA.

As I look back on my early years as an assistant superintendent, I am often struck by how little I understood about the business of managing a golf course. I was pleased with my developing skills in agronomy and crew management, but I spent little time thinking about what mattered most to the membership I served. I didn’t fully appreciate that, at its core, golf is a business, and that it would be my job to lead that business as I advanced.

I’ve always tried to share those lessons with the young turf managers who have worked for me over the years, to help them learn how important balancing agronomy and business management is to the career of a superintendent.

Here are five key tips I pass along.

1. Find out how the finances at your facility work Early in my career as a superintendent, I was surprised to find out how the money flowed at my club. I had no appreciation for the impact of dues, initiation fees, bonds and assessments, and I never thought to ask.

When a green chairman took the time to explain the intricacies of establishing and maintaining a depreciation fund — money taken out of dues to replace depreciating assets such as turf equipment — I felt like I had been given a peek behind the curtain, a look at something new and exciting.

I understood that I needed to be more than an agronomist and a manager; I needed to be a businessman as well. Just about every course will handle its finances differently, but understanding that process at your facility is crucial.

2. Pay attention to what the member wants In my third year at my club, I proposed a bunker drainage/rebuild project. I was excited about it, as I knew it would solve our problem of poorly draining bunkers. I wanted to eliminate the time we spent pumping water out of bunkers and dealing with the muddy aftermath, and I was disappointed when I learned that the club wasn’t in the mood to spend money on a project that would make maintaining the course easier.

I hadn’t considered that my club simply didn’t want to spend more money at that time, and this experience helped me understand a fundamental principle of golf course management: Give the members what they want.

3. Present the story in their context, not yours A few years later, I asked to do this work again, but I took a different approach — I presented the story from the viewpoint of the golfer, not the superintendent. I talked about fixing the negative aspects of our bunkers as they related to play and our members’ enjoyment of the course. When the decision-makers at my club understood the good that golfers would derive from the work, the project was quickly approved, and I learned the power of this strategy for successful project proposals.

4. Develop and articulate an equipment purchase and maintenance strategy Many superintendents struggle to get the equipment they need to satisfy the expectations of their members, but the stumbling blocks they face can often be overcome with thoughtful planning.

Leasing can be the solution to cash flow problems, for example, and purchasing certain pieces of equipment used instead of new can also prove fruitful. Careful analysis of purchase options that includes cost per year of ownership as opposed to initial price may be able to quell management’s objections to purchases. Broadening your thinking toward the long term is also a valuable approach.

5. Speak the language When assistants are interviewing for their first head superintendent position, they’ll be up against other accomplished turf managers, and they’ll certainly be asked questions about agronomy and turf management.

But to stand out — to separate yourself from the other contenders — remember that the people who will be making the decision probably won’t be turf managers. They will be golfers and business professionals, and your chances of making a positive impression on that group will be enhanced if you can speak their language. Being able to read and understand a profit and loss statement, for instance, and being able to ask them thoughtful questions about the business side of their club will help set you apart from the other candidates.

Balancing Innovation and Sound Agronomics Sales, Contract Service, and Rental options available Call Today to See The Equipment Turf Professionals Trust

Jeff Kadlec (210) 413-3045 Rick Kadlec (314) 744-0379

Janet Hurley - Texas AgriLife

We had the opportunity to meet new Texas AgriLife Extension Specialist Chrissie Segars Ph.D. Thank you for attending!

Wes Eppele - BASF

Gary Brooks - Bayer

The Annual Education Meeting was held at Royal Oaks Country Club in February and sponsored by 2019 Platinum Sponsor - BWI. Thank you to all who attended this very informative and useful program.

BWI put together an outstanding speaker lineup that earned attendees GCSAA and TDA Continuing Education Credits.

Lucky winner Stan Wreyford won the 50/50 Pot!

NTGCSA President Bryan Brown (l) thanks our host KD Davis CGCS (r)

Colby Johnson - BWI

The 10 commandments of successful golf course superintendents Heed the wisdom of tenured turf managers to get to the top of your game.

Dave Waymire, CGCS Dave Waymire, CGCS, is a regional agronomist for American Golf, where he has worked for 19 years. A 37-year member of GCSAA, Dave earned a two-year turf management certificate from Penn State University and has been a Certified Golf Course Superintendent since 1993.

I recently had the opportunity to hear Tim Barrier, CGCS, speak about his “10 commandments of Poa greens management.” A seasoned superintendent and 28-year GCSAA member, Tim has spent 25 years at Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.) Golf Club, and he has studied with the best, immersed himself in data, tried everything in the book, and, after years of experience, dialed in on what he thinks are the best of the best practices, which he has deemed his 10 commandments. It was a superb presentation, as I’m sure anyone who has heard it would agree.

This got me thinking. I’ve worked with many great superintendents over the years in my role as a regional agronomist for American Golf, and if I picked their brains, I was sure we could come up with the 10 commandments of the effective and successful golf course superintendent. (I wouldn’t even have to do anything!) The guidance would be helpful to our peers, particularly newcomers to the profession. So I reached out to about 20 superintendents and asked them to share their own best tips for thriving in our line of work.

Here are their top responses, along with insight on how to better put the principles into practice in your career.

Read more: https://www.gcmonline.com/course/ environment/news/successful-golf-coursesuperintendents#ixzz5jU15LILK

Ten Commandments 1 Communicate Well 2. Hold People Accountable 3. Find Balance 4. Plan and Organize 5. Embrace Humility 6. Hone Your Agronomic Skill Set 7. Cultivate Work Ethic 8. Engage 9. Delegate 10. Mind the Details

Led by Captain, Kyle Moore, the West team won the 23rd playing of the Bully Cup in resounding fashion. Although the number of matches won by each team was close, (West 8 wins, East 7 wins, 1 Tie) the winning margins of the Westsiders was more than enough to secure the victory.

Thank you to our host Michael Moore (right) and the entire staff for providing an outstanding golf course and making Bully Cup XIII a special event!

ALL TIME SERIES RECORD West 12 East 10 Tie 1

Very happy and very lucky Brian Tupa (right) was the winner or the 50/50 Pot. Thanks to all who participated and helped raise $300 to benefit The First Tee!

Glyphosate Update Last August, a state court jury in San Francisco decided Roundup caused a Vallejo, California man’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma and awarded him $289 million in punitive damages. The award was later reduced to $78 million and Monsanto has appealed.

German multinational Bayer acquired Monsanto in June.

Monsanto continues to argue that it is safe to use glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide. Glyphosate-based products, including the Roundup and Ranger Pro brands, are now worth billions of dollars in revenues, approved for use on more than 100 crops, and registered in 130 countries.

For more than 40 years, superintendents, farmers, gardeners, conservationists and other users have counted on glyphosate as a cost-effective tool that can be used to control a wide range of weeds.

More than 800 scientific studies and reviews, the U.S. EPA, the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the European Food Safety Authority, and regulatory bodies around the globe have determined that glyphosate is safe for use as directed. The lawsuit is just the first part of what could be a prolonged legal fight over glyphosate.

GCSAA believes pesticide laws and regulations should be based on sound science supported by credible peer reviewed data and university recommendations. Sound science includes the recognized/accepted science methodologies and practices for research that follow the high standards of the scientific method.

The responsible use of pesticides is essential to maintaining healthy turfgrass. Golf courses employ licensed pesticide applicators that are required to pass state administered exams and complete continuing education each year. These applicators are trained in the safe and proper use of pesticides. Golf course superintendents follow Integrated Pest Management practices including but not limited to scouting, monitoring (weather, outbreaks, etc.) and implementing specific cultural practices that incorporates science-based pest management. (Golf Course Environmental Profile, Phase II, Vol. III, 2016).

GCSAA supports the federal/state regulatory framework for the evaluation of pesticides and believes that all pesticide uses should be under the legal primacy of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). GCSAA and its members have and will continue to provide accurate and usable data to the regulatory and scientific communities for use in Registration Review implementation decisions. The continued availability of safe, effective and economically viable pesticide products is a priority for GCSAA and its members.