Lone Star Links - Spring 2021

Spring Edition 2021

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION Traditions Club 3131 Club Dr., Bryan TX 77807 Golf Format: 2 Person Select Drive Sign up as a team or we will pair singles

Entry Fee - $150 per team - If both players are members of the LSCSA $200 per team - If only one LSGCSA member and a guest Eligibility: A,B, and C - Current Members of the Lone Star GCSA (requires chapter membership)

President’s Message

Craig Felton LSGCSA President

It is an honor to serve as your 2021 President of LSGCSA. I would be remised if I did not thank Mike Epp’s and the entire BOD for their tireless work and dedication serving this great membership during a very challenging time in our industry and country over the past 14 months.

A lot of great work has been done by our steering committee and Gina Rizzi regarding our statewide BMP. This BMP will provide a well-documented instrument of our environmentally responsible stewardship practices that we work under every day. This document will be key to presenting to our state law makers on how we manage our environmentally friendly golf courses and water use. To date there is more than $35,000 invested in this effort to bring a comprehensible document that we ALL can adopt and use as a tool at each of our facilities. This is a nationwide effort steered by GCSAA, and we will only be successful in Texas if EVERY club adopts and embraces this document. We owe it to our profession to do so!

The Texas Cup is right around the corner (May 3rd) and a BIG shout out to The Traditions Club and Simplot our Title Sponsor for hosting this year’s event. This is always a great event and it’s been nearly six months since we have had a statewide gathering. Sign-up for this event as it is almost full and this year we are capped at 96 players.

The Texas Trophy in on the calendar in West Texas and our host club will be Abilene Country Club September 26th—28th. Helena Agri-Enterprises has stepped up again as our Title Sponsor for this awesome 3-day event. Back by popular demand will be the Sunday evening steak dinner and the Monday afternoon shoot-out. Look for more details on the website.

See you on May 3rd Craig Felton

Travel with Johnny Walker - GCSAA Field Staff Representative Winter weather in Texas does not usually start until December or January for most years. We Texans know that February is usually our coldest month of the winter. A typical cold spell for us would be a few degrees below freezing for a night or two. A hard freeze would be temperatures in the low 20’s for 2 or 3 nights with the daytime temperatures back into the upper 30’s. The week after Valentine’s Day this year reminded us what a real winter storm is like.

It started on Sunday, February 15 and did not let up until Saturday, February 21. We started with temperatures in the single digits and low teens across the entire state. On Monday, all 254 counties in Texas received some amount of snow ranging from a foot deep in West Texas to a couple of inches on the beaches of Galveston. Temperatures remained in the low teens or single digits for several days, and many parts of the state did not get above freezing for 72 hours.

SNOVID - 21

Originally published 2/24/2021

We did what we could to prepare for this storm but we had no idea that electricity would be an issue.

On Sunday, February 15 is when the first rolling blackouts started throughout the state. My wife and I lost power Sunday night and it did not come back on for 10 hours. Later, on Monday night, we lost power again for 38 hours. I have heard reports that some people went 4 days in a row without any electricity.

Here is what happened to the power grid of Texas: Our grid separated from the main grid of the United States a few decades ago so that federal regulations would not be imposed, so that our power system could be deregulated and privatized with for-profit, private generating plants. Many of these private plants were not winterized for this storm and had to go offline due to their plants freezing. Our wind turbines also began to freeze up and could not generate any power. Our power grid was reduced to more than 50 percent reduction of power in the worst winter storm in over 75 years.

It will be months before we can sort out all of the things that went wrong with the power during this storm, but without power during this cold spell many, many homes, businesses and schools had frozen pipes due to the lack of heat because of no electricity. When the temperature began to warm and pipes began to thaw is when we realized the extent of the frozen pipes. In the southern part of the state, most home and small businesses have the water lines installed in the attic because we just don’t usually get that cold in the winter.

There is usually enough ambient heat from the house to keep the attic warm enough to keep the water lines from freezing.

Needless to say, when the pipes thawed and the water began to flow in the attic, a lot of damage occurred with ceilings and walls falling down. This also caused a major drop in water supply in medium to large cities which caused the water to be turned off. You would think that severe cold temperatures, no electricity, no heat and no water and thousands of dollars of damage to people’s homes and businesses would be enough for us to deal with.

The last gut punch was the electric bills that started showing up just days after the storm. Many, many people had electric bills for one month that was in the thousands of dollars and there were several reports of some homeowners being charged over $10,000 for service that was not reliable. This was a storm that we will not forget anytime soon and hopefully changes will be made so something like this never happens again.

The week after the storm the temperature was back in the 70’s and 80’s and we were back in our normal weather clothing of shorts and flip flops.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE TEXAS CUP

2019 Event Fun!

How and Why I Wrote My First Book, Your Best Shot

by Jorge Croda, CGCS

Not long ago, along with Anthony Williams, I wrote an article on "Five Easy Ways to Increase Your Professionalism as a Head Greenkeeper (And Why It Matters)." It was published in several magazines. In this article I basically talk about the academic qualities that a head greenkeeper must fulfill, and how building a great platform of human qualities and moral values can help a person find success in golf and life.

I wanted to expand my experiences and share them with more people and so I wrote and published my first book entitled, Your Best Shot. I developed the fundamental aspects of golf, golf course maintenance and life, which makes the book extend to any person and situation. Above all it is tried and true, based on my own experience and rugged journey. I Thank God and golf that I have managed to build myself a safe harbor where I recharge and make the most from everything that life has given and taught me. I want to share this wisdom with everyone so they can find their own success.

It is precisely from this place, my port of peace and triumph that I have written this book where all the benefits that golf offers are explained so that anyone, regardless of their circumstance can acquire and develop all the physical, motor and moral skills that allow themselves to lay the strong foundation on which to build a future of excellence. Ultimately, enhancing their abilities and natural qualities, as well as acquiring new ones.

I have to confess that among all the skills that golf helps you acquire or develop, ingenuity is my favorite. Imagine a golf course ... it is an immense green field that you must travel to the end, although to get to the end you have to achieve a series of goals that are the holes, and between each tee and hole you can find a thousand different surprises. This is the essence of golf and life. You can have a smooth stretch that does not involve much effort, in another stretch you may find that the wind deflects your shots, and in another stretch that same wind is your best ally, in another the shot that should have been perfect ends in a sand trap, and in another one, an intense rain surprises you, or perhaps a soft breeze compensates for a hot day. This path can be traveled alone or in a group. You can teach or be taught, you can play with or without spectators as you can see this looks a lot like life itself.

Have you ever thought about writing a book or accomplishing great thing in life or golf? It is ingenuity that has allowed us to survive and thrive in any situation. We have evolved throughout the millions of years that we humans have populating this planet; it is ingenuity that has allowed us to win the day and grow different strategies, to conquer unexpected things ... in short, great inventions are the product of a need that was solved based on ingenuity and perfected based on knowledge, experience, technique, training , etc. These are the pages of my book and life in golf.

I say this to show in the best possible way the similarity that exists between golf and life, and that the practice of this sport prepares us in a unique and different way to understand life ... and be careful! I am saying face life, I am saying understand life… because when we know ourselves, when we understand ourselves, our relationship with life and with our environment is fluid. It is not that there are no setbacks or problems, it is we who know how to flow between and before these impasses, can internalize in order to live in coherence with our reality. We avoid rejections that cause unhappiness, effort and wear, but rather, in a congruence find stability and happiness for us and those who share our lives. We walk our paths in harmony and hope.

Everything that you are and achieve in this life is nothing more than the reflection of the sum of your qualities and abilities. Everyone has gifts and talents, they are innate, no one comes to this world without the necessary tools to face what they have to live, although we are the ones who must be aware of them and not only use them, but also develop and perfect them. Above all, take advantage of them, all of them in synergy and golf teaches you how! Golf is a sport and tool that, if you give it the opportunity, will teach you to lead your life first ... and from there you are able to lead yourself and your whole environment with intelligence and kindness.

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You will have a positive impact on everything and everyone to whom your influence reaches.

Believe me, our influence reaches where we cannot imagine, in each step we take we leave a mark. The idea is that this mark transcends for the good in any of our environments such as family, friends, work or even society itself!

And as I always say, don't be paralyzed by the image that golf is expensive, or difficult, or whatever because it is not like that at all, on the contrary, it is a friendly sport in which you will always find a hand to accompany you and show you the way. I say give it a try and you will appreciate golf and all it has to give. Look at me, I have turned difficulties into opportunities, I live in a permanent state of calm —that reaches all my surroundings— that I share in articles like this and teach through the GROW program, which I myself have created as a thank you, based on all that that golf has taught me and given me. GROW is a helpful coaching program that is based on the fundamentals of golf and is aimed at all those people who wish to live differently thanks to the changes that golf allows us to internalize and then reflect in our lives at home, work and society… so let me insist… give yourself a chance to grow yourself and the game of golf!

The Top 10 Goals “Your Best Shot” is intended to achieve

1.

Publicize the game of golf and the synergy it has with life

2.

Skills needed for the job (Golf Course Management) to learn with golf

3.

Publicize the benefits of learning the fundamentals of Golf for children, youth, adults, and people with disabilities

4.

Help build and strengthen people's character

5.

Understanding the 4 pillars; Trust, Constancy, Concentration and Balance

6.

How golf and leadership are linked for the individual

7.

Self-leadership (BE) Lead Triumph Environments (HACER) (Society and Family) Lead Others

(HAVE) (Colleagues and collaborators) Lead Opportunities (RETURN TO THE COMMUNITY, Share Knowledge)

8.

Leave footprints that leave a mark

9.

To make playing golf a lifestyle

10.

To Inspire others through my (Jorge Croda) life / golf, you are the architect of your life

Golf is the only sport that brings out the personality of the player if you want to know someone invite him to play golf. I have accomplished many things in golf some as a player, some as a teacher and some as a golf course superintendent. My life is the combination of all these things.

I hope that this article, my book and my story will inspire you to find your best future possible in golf and in life. “Your Best Shot” is available in English and Spanish “Tu Mejor Tiro”.

Click here for more information and to order

Rounds 4 Research FAQ Sheet Auction dates: April 26 - May 2, 2021

The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of GCSAA. What is the Environmental Institute for Golf and why is it helping GCSAA Chapters raise money?

We know that industries do not survive if resources are not invested to support innovation and react to changes in the climate in which they operate. Where would the golf industry be had it not invested in agronomic research over the years? There is no doubt the playing conditions would not be as enjoyable for golfers, environmental stewardship would suffer and operations would lack the efficiency to ensure facility profitability.

That is why GCSAA’s philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf, is excited to continue offering the Rounds 4 Research program as a means for GCSAA Chapters to generate the funds that will help to ensure the golf industry remains strong and viable. Rounds 4 Research is available to not only GCSAA chapters, but also to turfgrass organizations to use as a platform for revenue generation through the online auction of rounds of golf.

Funds raised can be used to further efforts in the areas of research, advocacy and education. Golfers and golf facilities are the ultimate beneficiaries of funds raised. R4R is a great way to unite our efforts to positively impact efforts at the national level, as well as at the regional and local level for golf facilities and GCSAA members.

What is Rounds 4 Research?

Rounds 4 Research helps you raise funds by auctioning donated rounds of golf through an online bidding forum. The program works in four easy steps: 1. Courses donate rounds* for auction. The course determines the restrictions.

2. The course/GCSAA member designates which chapter/organization they would like to designate the proceeds.

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3. GCSAA and its local chapters encourage golfers to bid on the rounds.

4. Proceeds raised from the auction are used to fund turfgrass research, education programs and advocacy efforts as deemed a priority for the organization receiving the funding.

5. Make a connection with the winning bidders. This is a great opportunity to have the winning bidder tell their friends about the course, come back and play more rounds, get the winning bidder to join as a member, purchase food and beverages, stay the night at your course, and so much more! *A round of golf is defined as a tee time with green fee for two or four players. Member-only clubs are encouraged to donate a threesome to play with a current member. Golf facilities that are unable to donate rounds of golf are encouraged to make a financial donation to benefit R4R efforts.

Why should GCSAA Chapters participate in R4R? The EIFG is committed to your success in R4R and will provide national administrative and communications support, as well as tools and resources to support the efforts of the participating organizations. Highlights of these efforts include: • Maintaining the Rounds 4 Research website, which will serve as the central source for news and information about the program.

• Working at the national level with allied golf organizations to promote and market the program.

• Implementing a communications and marketing plan to promote the program to members, golfs and the media.

• Providing participating organizations with a communications kit that includes advertisements and materials to support the donation process.

• Providing donating facilities with materials that will help them market their participation to golfers.

The EIFG will also: • Manage the donated rounds, as well as maintain the auction platform.

• Notify winning bidders, collect revenues, and process the donated items sold, including certificates and thank you letters (including required tax notifications).

• Process the revenues generated from the auction and distribute the funding earmarked for participating organizations.

DONATE HERE! How does a golf facility donate?

The process to donate a round is simple. Participating GCSAA chapters will contact previous donating facilities. New facilities can simply fill out an online or paper donor form and send to the EIFG. We will take care of the rest. We can even create the winner’s certificate for you! The EIFG will keep each participating organization up-to-date on donations that have been received.

When is the auction and how do bidders participate?

The 2021 R4R auction will be held online from April 26 to May 2 on BiddingforGood.com. All packages donated, along with all relevant restrictions, will be available on this site for the public to view and place bids.

How will the proceeds be distributed?

Each participating organization will receive 80 percent of the proceeds (amount of sale per round, excluding any fees or surcharges) from each donation that has been designated for your organization. The EIFG retains 20 percent, plus any fees and surcharges collected, to offset programmatic costs, including expenses related to the auction platform, advertising and marketing costs, administrative overhead, and other fees associated with managing the program on a national scale.

All of the chapters in Texas have agreed to ask that all donations be made to the Lone Star GCSA. This will allow the state to combine forces and focus research dollars that will benefit on a state-wide basis. Thank you!

DONATE HERE!

Left: Jake Snyman, Lewis Fry, John Walker.

Laredo Country Club January 12, 2021 Thank you, LSGCSA members.

We appreciate your partnership with us in developing the Texas BMP Guide.

Congratulations to the 2020 CTGCSA Superintendent of the Year, Brody Dillard.

Brody is the Golf Course Superintendent at Landa Park - City of New Braunfels.

The award is named after CTGCSA longtime members, Roy and Edwin Kizer. Pictured, Brody Dillard (left) and Jamie Kizer (right).

IT’S A WRAP Once again, the Legacy Scholarship Tournament and Turf Day was a huge success. MANY, MANY thanks to our Industry Partners for all of their donations.

The silent acution raised $22,030. The net amount of $15,500 will go towards awarding the children and grandchildren of our members with scholarships.

Those that purchased items got some really good deals. If you haven’t attended this event or bought donated items you should sign up to do so in 2022.

We appreciated all of those that attended and helped make this event fun and successful.

We Are Golf, a coalition of the game’s leading associations and industry partners including GCSAA, hosts the annual National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C. Industry leaders meet with Members of Congress, the Executive Branch and federal agencies to discuss golf’s 15,000-plus diverse businesses, 2 million jobs impacted, tax revenue creation and tourism value.

Virtual 2021 National Golf Day set for May 10-12 The 2021 National Golf Day Event will be May 10-12, 2021. This is a virtual event in 2021.

National Golf Day celebrates the game’s $84.1 billion economy, nearly $4 billion annual charitable impact and many environmental and fitness benefits.

LOBBY DAY On May 12, GCSAA and other golf allied organizations will spend the day meeting with Member of Congress in virtual meetings to discuss golf’s 15,000 diverse businesses, 2 million jobs, tax revenue creation and tourism value.

Congressional meeting prep will be provided in advance of NGD and on May 11.

For questions or more information, contact Diana DeWald, government affairs administrative coordinator at 800-472-7878, ext. 3675

winfieldunitedpro.com |

@winfieldpro

We Love Our Sponsors!

Thank You!

The 2020 North Texas GCSA Annual Meeting was held on a beautiful day at Heritage Ranch Country Club. Monty Ashworth and the entire staff rolled out the red carpet and provided an outstanding golf course for the event.

Scholarship Tournament Success!

A big THANK YOU to the staff at Dallas National Golf Club! Participants were treated to the full DN golf experience. It was a beautiful day with lots of food, drink, golf and camaraderie.

2021 Event Schedule

Save the date: 2021 GCSAA Golf Championships rescheduled The 2021 GCSAA Golf Championships — postponed and revamped because of the COVID-19 pandemic — are set for Oct. 11-12 in Palm Springs, Calif.

The competitions, presented in partnership with The Toro Co., will take place at three courses and offer three different events for members of all abilities.

Registration will open Aug. 13, with a more limited number of slots available than in previous years.

Bowlinconsulting.com

http://www.larsongolfservices.com/

Thank you to all who made this Virtual Conference a success!

Our goal is to leave ​​ the land better than we found it!

We’re humbled & proud to share our ​Texas Golf Industry BMP Guide supporting environmental stewardship & high-quality golf facilities.

We are pleased to announce that the Texas Golf Industry Best Management Practices Guide has been published with a press release being distributed by GCSAA nationally and locally on Tuesday February 9, 2021.

The guide will be loaded to the GCSAA website, in addition to our LSGCSA site. We have a social media campaign running in conjunction with the launch, so please support the effort by sharing/liking on Twitter and Facebook.

The guide provides an overview of thirteen best management practices (BMPs) in golf course maintenance to support environmental stewardship and optimal course conditions in the state of Texas. Our goal is to create and maintain courses that are ecologically functional and healthy green spaces, demonstrating commitment to environmental stewardship, the community, and a quality golfing experience. BMP guidelines provide operating standards to strive toward and a resource for stakeholders including regulators, lawmakers, our communities, general managers/owners, members, and guests.

The GCSAA, supported by the USGA and PGA TOUR, initially started the nationwide initiative by providing a base template. Radius Sports Group (a sustainability consulting firm), collaborating with our BMP Steering Committee, helped us develop and customize content to address local needs, practices, and regulatory areas of importance. We engaged industry leaders, regulators, and peers to review the guide. The efforts of everyone involved are greatly appreciated. Our goal will be to utilize this state guide to begin to develop and implement individual facility BMPs. Education around the state guide and facility adoption will be forthcoming.

The design conveys a modern, bold take on the golf industry in Texas. Strong, vibrant colors of the Texas flag, natural, bright imagery, highlighted text boxes, and color-coding by sections create an engaging approach to education for all stakeholders, showcasing the sustainable practices and collaboration shared

by LSGCSA members. ​ Thank you to Radius Sports Group, our BMP steering committee, and document reviewers for their time and dedication to this initiative.

Texas BMP Guide Steering Committee Becky Bowling (Grubbs), Ph.D., Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist for Urban Water, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, The Dallas Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Michael L. Epps, Golf Course Superintendent, Mira Vista Country Club Kevin R. Girt, Golf Course Superintendent, Northshore Country Club Kenneth A. Gorzycki, Certified Golf Course Superintendent, Director of Agronomy, Horseshoe Bay Resort Chrissie A. Segars, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, The Dallas Center, Texas A&M AgriLife Cody Spivey, General Manager/Superintendent, High Meadow Ranch Golf Club, BMP Steering Committee Chair James Stow, Golf Course Superintendent/Assistant General Manager of Golf Operations, Ross Rogers and Comanche Trail Golf Complexes John Walker, South Central Regional Representative, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Anthony L. Williams, Certified Golf Course Superintendent, CGM, Director of Golf & Landscape Operations, TPC Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

Joey Young, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Turfgrass Science, Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University Texas BMP Guide Stakeholder Review Team Perry Cervantes, Director for Environmental and Biosecurity Programs, Texas Department of Agriculture Ed Corbett, Regional Maintenance Specialist, Texas Parks and Wildlife Faith Hambleton, Team Leader, Nonpoint Source Program, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Tim Huber, Certified Golf Course Superintendent, Director of Agronomy, The Club at Carlton Woods Mark A. Matocha, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Eric Reasor, Ph.D., Southeast Research Scientist, PBI-Gordon Corporation Don L. Renchie, Ph.D., Extension Program Leader and Coordinator, Texas A&M Regents Fellow and AAPSE Fellow, Professor & Extension Pesticide Safety Education Specialist, Agricultural & Environmental Safety Unit, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service ​ oby Robertson, Certified Golf Course SuperintenR dent, Director Golf Course Maintenance Operations, TPC San Antonio Foreword: Gib Lewis Ben Crenshaw Radius Sports Group Gina Rizzi, President Sarah Rowe, Project Manager Amanda Aksel, Project Assistant Rebecca McDowall, Project Specialist Sarah Vander Laan, Graphic Designer Erin Flanagan, Environmental Sustainability Assistant Payton Dorsch, Social Sustainability & Communications Assistant