LS Links Summer 2020

Summer Edition 2020 In this issue..

LSGCSA President Mike Epps’ President’s Message

GCSAA South Central Field Staff Rep - Johnny Walker Interview regarding Covid ‘s effect on the golf industry and associations.

All this great information, latest GCSAA news and updates and Affiliated Chapter Pages!

President’s Message

Mike Epps Mira Vista Country Club Golf Course Superintendent

I am glad I work in an industry that provides a great way for people to get out, exercise, and enjoy mother nature during this challenging time with Covid19. While Covid19 has and does provide many challenges to safe operation for both the maintenance staff and the end user, most of these issues can be dealt with safely. Use the GCSAA.org web site for many helpful practices. In many locations, our industry has seen a very large increase in usage, so keep up the safe practices and follow your local guide line for your staff and golfers.

I would like to recognize TARO (Texas Alliance of Recreational Organizations) and Sam Brewster for their effort in representing our industry to the governor’s office and state representative level on how Golf as an industry can operate safely to provide a safe place for people to exercise. If you aren’t familiar with TARO please check out their web site www.txaro.org . There are several alliance bodies that have also helped in this effort which include our Texas chapter of CMAA and state PGA chapters along with GCSAA and your, LSGCSA. We are not through with this challenge, but we have a great team that will keep working on these important issues.

We are getting very close to having our BMPs for water use ready. Once the BMPs are ready for you, we will need all of our members to help review and implement them. Once completed the BMPs will give us a well-documented instrument of our environmentally responsible stewardship practices, that we work under every day. The documented BMP’s will be key to presenting to our state law makers on how we manage and use water. LSGCSA will have more updates as we get closer and I ask that you be ready to be a part of the BMP process when it’s released.

Please Engage in both your local chapters and put the Texas Trophy on your calendar. Sign up your assistants and equipment managers and come out to the meetings. Sign up to host an event and also put some serious thought in to helping serve on local / LSGCSA boards or their committees. Remember, it’s your association, help make it better. The next time you sign up for a meeting, call a buddy and tell him or her, to get off their “can” and go to the meeting with you.

I am honored to be on the 2020 board of directors for LSGCSA and serve as your President this year.

Please stay safe, healthy and as my old boss Charles Joachim would say “Keep it Green side UP”.

Talk with Johnny Walker - GCSAA Field Staff Representative In early June, Johnny Walker - GCSAA South Central Field Staff Representative, "sat down" with the Lone Star GCSA for a talk about the Covid - 19 crisis, the current state of the golf industry, and several other important topics related to the events of 2020. Thank you Johnny for taking the time to visit with us and for the great work you are doing for all of the LSGCSA membership.

LSGCSA: First things first, how are you and your family?

All is well. We started social distancing in mid-March, we have been a little more relaxed in the past two to three weeks, but for the most part, we are still doing our part. Everyone is doing fine.

LSGCSA: You typically spend so much time on the road this time of year. Quite a change in 2020?

No travel since March 10. I remember very well, I was driving home from a meeting down in Corpus Christi and I stopped to eat lunch somewhere outside of Victoria. I remember calling my wife telling her that they were cancelling the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, they are shutting it down. Couldn't believe it then and have not traveled since that trip.

LSGCSA: What role has the GCSAA Field Staff taken since the beginning of this crisis?

Early on, I mean within the first three to five days, we weren't sure about anything. You know everything started shutting down so quickly including the NBA, hockey, all sporting events. I remember the PGA Player's Championship was in day two and they said no more, we're not going to finish it, we're done. I remember calling NW Region Field Staff Rep. David Phipps on Thursday of that week and I said, hey we're supposed to leave Monday for Chapter Leadership Symposium. What do you think we should do? Do you think they'll cancel it? He said, "There's no way they'll cancel it, there are too many people with travel plans, this will go on.". And then, within 24 hours, we got the word that EVERYTHING was canceled.

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LSGCSA: Were the first few weeks filled with chaos?

Actually, it wasn't weeks it was just a matter of days. I remember kind of being in limbo on that Thursday and Friday once we got the call about the Leadership Symposium being canceled. That Saturday, we started getting calls from headquarters. Rhett Evans had us working on many things. Rhett was busy with his team working around the clock. We had two or three calls over that weekend starting to think about how we can draft letters and get in to contact with the right people to make sure that golf course maintenance staff members were considered "essential service workers", which was a term not too many people knew. This was in the first three or four days of what we now call the pandemic and we may not have used the term essential services but something along those lines because we weren't sure how many people were going to shut down.

But that very next week is when things really went into play. Lots of conference calls. We weren't having any virtual meetings at that point because even though they were available, they weren't regularly utilized. Many conference calls and some of them 7 or 8 at night. I would say within the first 10 to 14 days, GCSAA was ahead of this thing and already working with We Are Golf and all of the national golf organizations starting to try to do everything in their power to make sure that all golf courses would still be able to maintain their facilities.

LSGCSA: We understand the effort was two fold - one was the effort to keep golf businesses open, and that was a rocky one. And the other part was making sure our members and superintendents had jobs and were able to keep staff.

Our members were our first priority so the latter was the first thing. Our priority was golf maintenance and to make sure that superintendents and their staffs had jobs and could continue to maintain the facility. In the initial stage, there really wasn't much talk about keeping golf courses open, that came second. And that was probably a good two weeks behind the initiative for golf course maintenance.

LSGCSA: In your region, I know there were some flash closings, but everybody was able to keep maintaining golf courses at some level?

Yes, the first few states, there were a dozen or so mainly up in the Northeast, that were starting to get executive orders issued by Governors to close all aspects of golf maintenance. So Field Staff in their respective regions, were watching all the different states to see what was going to happen.

Texas was pretty quick, they were not in the initial dozen but probably in that next wave and that's when Governor Abbott came out and said he would not issue an executive order for the State of Texas. He would leave it at the county level.

So, I went from watching one office of the Governor to 254 County offices. And sure enough, as we

expected, the very first counties to act were Dallas and Harris.

So right off the bat, I'm on the phone with KD Davis, current President of the North Texas GCSAA. We started talking about County Commissioner Clay Jenkins and his office. We started drafting a letter simultaneously to Lina Hildago in Harris County. She started working on the Houston area. So, there wasn't a whole lot of sitting around the house that first week or two. There was a lot of stuff happening.

LSGCSA: What happened in San Antonio? Did they close all of the courses?

Yeah, that was a little bit further down the road. They were open for golf course maintenance and had golf play going on. This is probably a week or two after all the stuff with Dallas and Harris County was going on.

You know, we were really watching Travis County where Austin is located. We really thought that would be the most sensitive area and that they would be the first to do something negative with golf. But, they really didn't. They kind of stayed with the flow for a while. Many golf courses in the initial period, particularly private clubs, voluntarily closed. But daily fee courses, and public golf courses that were municipally operated and owned, were doing everything in their power to keep playing golf because that's the only way they had revenue streams.

And then, what you referenced, we're probably close to four weeks into the thing when the mayor of San Antonio decided to close every golf course within the city limits. Which was his jurisdiction. He couldn't go above the County Commissioner, but he could stay within his jurisdiction of the city. And sure enough, I guess there was a riff between the mayor and the county commissioner in Bexar County. But there was a week to 10 days where no golf regardless, public or private, within the city limits of San Antonio was open for play. But, I don't think it affected maintenance. I think maintenance was always protected in any of the executive orders that came out from County Commissioners. We found verbiage in the executive order that would allow golf course maintenance to continue until the infamous phone call with the Governor.

Shortly after the San Antonio mayor incident, the Governor had a conference call with probably around 900 to 1000 county elected officials to discuss many issues. When the call was over, two or three different officials interpreted what he said was that golf courses will be closed. No maintenance, no play, etc. I heard that Denton, Jim Wells, and Rockwall counties had temporary closures.

LSGCSA: Talk about some of the other key players that you worked with in Texas.

One of the guys that I worked very closely with during the whole thing with Sam Brewster. Sam and I were on the phone with each other three or four times a week and emailing back and forth. He was very helpful because his work on the subject through his service as the Executive Director of CMAA and TARO. His reach was different but similar to mine with GCSAA. And we had a fairly good blanket between the two of us for listening for information and talking with folks. He and I were on top of that mess after the Governor's conference call very quickly along with the PGA. As a matter of fact, I would say within a week to 10 days, it wasn't an official reversal but counties that had decided to close because they had their own interpretation of the call, reversed their decision.

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LSGCSA: So as far as you know, everyone in Texas is playing golf and maintaining golf courses?

Early on, if they were closed, it was voluntary closures and then later on, we had the San Antonio situation where it was a mandatory closure by the Mayor, but that was short-lived. There were some municipalities that closed for play but kept maintenance going. Mainly out in West Texas is where I heard most of that happening. Which is weird because it wasn't considered a real hotspot for viruses except in Amarillo.

Amarillo was a hot spot because of the meat packing industry.

LSGCSA: Everyone's playing golf under the virus precautions?

YES, that was paramount in all of the GCSAA discussions. With all of our communication that we wrote, any phone call to elected officials, or to our GCSAA members, our marching orders were to stress that we want to do everything in our power to keep golf maintenance going. And then it shifted a little into keeping golf play going but the important part of the message was "Under CDC Guidelines". We did not want to deviate or interpret or mislead with information other than what the CDC guidelines stated. And that is our message throughout the whole crisis and it is uniform.

LSGCSA: What about the concern heard that golf may look elitist or above the rules?

Yes, we were really concerned about the optics early on if golf play was going to continue. If you just look at the numbers, we know that 10% of the population are golfers. So 90% of the population that is not familiar with golf could be sitting at their home looking out their window, watching TV, whatever, and seeing people out on the golf course playing.

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First, I would like to give a huge thank you to the association for being selected as a recipient of the Marian Takushi Memorial GIS Scholarship. Yearly attendance at GIS is not always an option within our organization yet. Without this opportunity from the association I would not have had the experience that I had.

Given this opportunity I was able to attend a half day seminar and visit the trade show as well. The seminar was helpful in obtaining a time frame for some longrange goals and the trade show was excellent all by itself. The trade show gives one the opportunity to see some of the latest in equipment and accessories available to us as course managers. The time spent at the trade show is a lot of walking, but it was also a good opportunity to catch up with some past friendships and make some new acquaintances along the way.

This year was my first time to attend the Lone Star reception and it was all I had heard and read about, again, another opportunity to catch up with past friendships, and there were plenty.

If you haven’t been to the GIS in a while, I would highly recommend you applying for the Marian Takushi Memorial GIS scholarship. What is the worst that could happen, you get chosen?

Kevin Lyles, Superintendent Walden on Lake Houston

We were concerned about those optics and that’s why we really hammered home the point of social distancing, sanitation, one rider per cart and doing everything the CDC said to make sure that there was no wiggle room for people to say that golfers aren't following the rules LSGCSA: What’s going on at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence, Kansas, I have heard that everyone was working remote for a period of time?

As of this conversation today (June 1), there are about 25% of GCSAA employees back in the building. They were supposed to be all back in the building today but the governor of Kansas made some modifications.

So I think the day is the 22nd when we will be back in 100%. But utilizing staggered formations. I don’t think the entire staff will be in the building at the same time. For instance in our HR department, Nate Scott and Becky Chapple will alternate. One will come in on Monday, one will come in on Tuesday. They will take turns as one comes into the building, the other one will stay home and work remotely. But the majority of GCSAA staff is still working from home right now.

LSGCSA: No layoffs or cutbacks made within the organization?

No furloughs, no layoffs. The association is committed to the employees of GCSAA. LSGCSA: How has the feedback been from the Monday Town Hall meetings that the GCSAA has been conducting over the past months?

We started with four great meetings and feedback was terrific. The initial one had a sell-out audience of over 500 people. Feedback and attendance continues to be very good with more diverse topics. But as we are now in the busy growing season for the entire country, we have scaled back the frequency. But I expect them to continue in the future because of the great feedback.

LSGCSA: We really enjoyed the Town Hall with all of the Directors from the allied associations.

I tell you, that was really interesting to watch especially being as engaged as I was before I became a Field Staff member. I don’t want to put it 100% on Rhett, but I know he was the driving force for this golf coalition this group called We are Golf. And I’ll tell you what, from very early on within the first few days of this thing starting to take shape, Rhett was instrumental in pulling this group together to make sure that we had we had an extremely unified group for the golf industry. With the PGA, CMAA, GCBAA, and the USGA, I believe those guys met almost daily.

LSGCSA: What is the status for rescheduling National Golf Day? Unfortunately, nothing this year.

I think everything right now is looking for 2021 starting back up.

LSGCSA: How about the Grassroots Ambassador program?

Early on, something happened to me personally and I’m sure happened to other Field Staff reps, when

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I was working from home calling on guys to check on them and see what’s going on in their area. There were two or three opportunities when I had some guys on the phone where I started talking to them about serving as a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador. And 100% of the guys that I brought this up to were like, really Johnny? Really? You are going to talk to me about that right now? So, we as Field Staff talked about it on one of our chapter outreach conference calls and while the initial part of it does maybe hit a negative nerve, we were like, you know what better time to discuss you becoming involved in government than right now? And sure enough, as opportunities presented themselves down the road, we continued talking to people and they were little more receptive to listening. Because this is the perfect time to be dialed in to your local, state and national governments to help you be more of a leader in your facility as far as government relations go.

LSGCSA: Please talk about the GCSAA Government Relations team and the work they have done.

Michael Lee - Manager of Government Affairs, was extremely busy throughout all of this. He was driving the boat talking to all state leaders - Governors, County Commissioners, etc. because that’s more of his role with GCSAA. And he heads up the Grassroots Ambassador program. So he has all of these contacts and connections with elected officials throughout all 50 states. Let me tell you, he was busy. If we had any issues at all with a county commissioner or in some cases, the Governor, we called Michael and he would know who to call. He would have the names of the aids and staff members of certain officials to talk to.

While Michael was working at the state level, Chava McKeel - Director Government Affairs and Bob Helland - Director Congressional and Federal Affairs, were in constant communication with things going on in Washington DC, especially as the very first CARES act package was starting to be put together. They did a lot of lobbying to make sure golf was represented. We didn’t get everything we wanted in that first package because so many 501 C3 and C6s were not included. So they were not eligible for that first CARES package but we’ll see what happens with the second package. We have had Fred Upton from Michigan and the Congressman from Kansas that want to relook at that thing and make sure that it’s a little more inclusive for golf courses with a possible second CARES package.

However, many golf courses that didn’t fall into the 501 C3 or C6 category did receive assistance for being a for-profit operation that fit into the CARES package greatly.

What the outsiders looking in don’t realize, is that golf courses were playing golf during 99% of this pandemic but they weren’t making the money that they normally would have. There were no tournaments, there was no food and beverage, there were single rider carts, there were 20-minute tee times in some cases. Some golf courses once the CDC guidelines came out, elected not to open right away because they knew it would cost them money to open. There are a lot of people thinking that golf is doing fine because they’re out there playing golf. But in most cases, they weren’t. Because the revenues that were coming in were off by 70 to 80%. Even though they were open they were not having the same revenue stream to sustain the golf course.

LSGCSA: Any news on this Fall’s Chapter Delegates meeting in Lawrence?

As far as I know, nothing’s changed. We will keep chapters and delegates informed.

LSGCSA: What about the GIS 2021 Las Vegas?

All kinds of plans are being put together and Continued on page 20

LSGCSA.org

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING ROUNDS 4 RESEARCH

2020 R4R auction rescheduled for July 20-26 www.eifg.org/research/rounds-4-research

Be on the lookout in this issue, for how some of our members have handled this Covid-19 crisis at their golf courses or in their businesses. There are several pictures with captions that were submitted by members. Enjoy!

Mark Your Calendar!

August 12 - Regular Meeting - 12 Shores at Ute Lake - Tucumcari, NM October 26 - 28 - 34th Annual West Texas Turfgrass & Irrigation Conference and Trade Show - Lubbock

Disaster Relief Fund - GCSAA In 2006, in reaction to Hurricane Katrina, the association established the GCSAA Disaster Relief Fund to assist GCSAA members who suffered personal loss. The fund has continued to be a resource for members who face tragedy caused by natural disasters.

Those who are affected and may be eligible for financial assistance and resources from the fund can contact 800-472-7878 or email mbrhelp@gcsaa.org.

Donations made to the fund are an opportunity for those in the golf industry to directly assist their peers. The fund is administered through GCSAA's philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf. The EIFG is a 501(c)3 organization and gifts are tax-deductible.

Your tax adviser can provide you with information specific to your gift. Be assured that 100 percent of your donation to the Disaster Relief Fund goes to impacted members. Click here to make a donation to the fund.

Whether from hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding or wildfires, GCSAA and the Environmental Institute for Golf have established a relief effort for victims. This effort will focus on providing support directly to the GCSAA members who suffer personal loss due to disasters. GCSAA’s deepest thoughts and prayers go out to those who lives are affected by such tragedies.

If you are a member who has been personally impacted, please call 800-472-7878 or email mbrhelp@gcsaa.org.

Covid Disaster Relief GCSAA knows many members around the world have had their lives impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GCSAA Disaster Relief Fund is now providing financial assistance to those affected by the crisis.

GCSAA’s friends at BASF are doing their part by donating $25,000 to the Disaster Relief Fund for those affected

by COVID-19. Thank you BASF!

GCSAA’s friends at Syngenta are doing their part by donating $15,000 to the Disaster Relief Fund for those affected

by COVID-19. Thank you Syngenta!

Service. Solutions. Insights.

Scholarship Tournament and Auction September 22 - River Hills Country Club We are planning our annual fund-raiser and hope to have a great event in spite of the ups and downs we’ve had this year. Let’s have some fun!

Get your teams ready and send in your donations. It’s been an unusual year for everyone and this chapter will need your continued support to once again make this annual event a success.

We need you and your guests. We are counting on your participation and to buy, or bring good buyers, for the auction.

Donors, please send Darlene your donations as we prepare for the auction. Forms and other information is on our website.

2019 Annual Awards

Jason Kelly 2019 Superintendent of the Year Congratulations Jason!

Thank you Andy Andress for your devoted service to our chapter as President for the last two years!

There’s always a way Anthony L. Williams, CGCS, CGM Mr. Williams has experienced plenty in his career. But he’s never experienced anything like Covid-19. He reveals the intangibles needed to handle an unprecedented situation.

There are seasons in our lives and careers that seem to define us. They force us to evolve and craft a different way of living and working. We are certainly going through an epic season of change in 2020. Covid-19 and the resulting pandemic have forever altered our lives and now we find ourselves facing a multitude of change and challenges.

The GCSAA has gathered a lot of information that can help you manage your golf facility and answer general questions about the current pandemic and the constantly changing rules, regulations and suggestions.

You can access this information at www.gcsaa.org/resources/covid-19-pandemic-resources. I want to share with you some new wisdom with old roots that can help you and our industry navigate safely in this brave new world.

I have been in the golf management industry for many years, and I have worked in multiple markets and climates. I have survived economic downturns, Y2K, droughts, floods, fires, labor shortages, language barriers, Pythium Volutum and prep for five televised golf tournaments. Collectively, all these events added together are small compared to the Covid-19 pandemic. My grandfather used to say when times were tough, “There is always a way. It may be difficult, it may seem unlikely, or even impossible, but there is always a way.” From growing up on a family farm in Indian Creek, Georgia, to managing one of Texas’s most famous golf resorts, I have observed with each problem, no matter how complex it is, there’s always a solution and way to succeed. Three things are critical to finding the way through problems whether they are ordinary (broken irrigation line) or epic (Covid-19): 1. Control your emotions; 2. Display a will to succeed; 3. Blend tradition with innovation to create a new reality.

Control your emotions The shock of how fast our normal lives changed with the pandemic was staggering. Superintendents were operating normally one minute and then they were notified by authorities that their club must close at midnight.

When this happens, superintendents must create full contingency plans and an immediate response to all stakeholders. There is no Google answer to this situation and the clock is ticking. Generally, when given these parameters, you would be mad and confused. Unfortunately, you have just arrived at the first of many decisions that will shape the future of your staff, your property and yourself. Boom! Welcome to the new world.

Your story may be worse or better than this example. No doubt you are being tested. Personally, I had to lay off 15 staff members and reduce the remaining staff to 20 hours per week during our closure, but at least we can execute essential maintenance. Your first actions should be professional, kind and full of emotional control. This will not be easy. Your attitude and words will become your legacy while fueling the response of your team. Be positive and do the job at the highest level possible with the given resources until the job ends, whether it’s today or 30 years from now. You cannot control every situation, but you can control how you react and that is the key. Replace your fear with the faith that you are the property expert and best hope of finding success in the new paradigm.

Display the will to succeed There is something powerful within each us when the will to succeed is larger than any trial or tribulation.

How committed are you to seeing your club through these difficult times? What sacrifices are you willing to make? Where do you draw the line? Champions make the all-in commitment, risking it all to win that day.

Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali said, “You have to have the will before you can gain the skills.” This is true of any endeavor. Right now, you may only have some of the skills needed to rise to the top of our profession during these trying times, but the will to succeed will inspire you to improve, learn new skills and persevere.

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Covid-19 is a serious threat and we have not yet seen the deep impact it will have. We cannot stop believing that this, too, shall pass. We can make a difference. Everyone has a breaking point. I know from personal experience that what we think is our breaking point is far from our actual breaking point. In Karate, we have a saying: Everyone wants to be a champion until they get hit (or kicked) in the face. It is a matter of choice.

Success is truly a ratio of your desire to succeed vs. your willingness to quit. I have chosen to do everything I can to help my property and staff weather the pandemic storm. I am learning new skills and perfecting old ones. I never thought I would have to take the temperature of every staff member before and after every shift or that my 9th degree black belt would make me a great security guard during the course closure. My advice to you is to take care of your mind, body and spirit, and commit 100 percent to building a better golf industry and career. Be the example for your property and, by force of will, overcome the current trials and be a hero in our most dire season.

Blend tradition with innovation Now you must draw on the best of yesterday and forge the latest skills. Combining tradition and innovation is the cornerstone that the refit golf industry will be built upon. The core best management practices that have stood the test of time must still be employed and mastered, with the missing ingredient being the skill to innovate and master your craft under new expectations.

The difference in knowing how to do something and why you do something requires a dose of reverse engineering. Starting where we are today, glance into the future and project where you want to be. You must develop people, projects and processes to move from our current reality to the brighter future.

You may need better agronomics or, perhaps, a blending of agronomy and finance. Labor and team-building will be in high demand. There will be individuals and organizations that will see a better way where everyone else sees only obstacles. Do you have some ideas that fit this synergy? Do you have the courage in these most challenging of times to put them into action? When I was 16 years old, I coined the phrase “environomics” as part my FFA SAE project. Environomics, the fusion of an environmental and financial plan, has guided my life and career. I expect that environomics 2020 will feature some new twists of execution given our current situation. We are an industry of innovators that all have apprenticed with legends of our profession.

It’s time for our generation to prove its worth. I look forward to seeing the results.

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We have never seen a challenge as great as the 2020 pandemic. I hope that you can use these words of encouragement to improve your personal and professional situation. Please follow the latest recommendations to be safe, wash your hands, avoid touching your face with your hands, practice social distancing, stay home if you are sick, cover your cough, wear a mask if you are sick or caring for someone who is, and see a doctor if you have a cough, fever or other symptoms. Follow the posted rules for shelter in place or other directives from designated authorities and above all be kind to everyone you encounter (including yourself). My thoughts and prayers are with the golf course industry and may we all find our way through this difficult time.

Anthony L. Williams, CGCS, CGM, is the director of golf course maintenance and landscaping at the Four Seasons Resort Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, and a frequent Golf Course Industry contributor.

Reprinted with permmission

The world is a much different place than when we gathered in Orlando in January for the 2020 Golf Industry Show. It seems much longer ago than just five months. And as many of you have had to adjust or adapt your business operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so has GCSAA. Each summer, we begin revving up planning for the next conference and trade show. 2021 is no exception to that, but as we look toward Las Vegas, it is with a much different lens than in other years.

Our usual work of coordinating the gold standard education, networking opportunities and industry innovations you have come to expect continues, but we are also driven by the key question in the face of an uncertain world: Can we produce a quality experience that meets the safety recommendations for COVID-19?

To help us prepare, we are developing five scenarios and mapping out what every activity would look like in each scenario. The five scenarios are based on potential pandemic threat levels.

Scenario One (low threat): Business as usual.

Scenario Two (minimal threat): Live event in Las Vegas with social distancing and large-gathering restrictions in place.

Scenario Three (moderate threat): Hybrid with a live event in Las Vegas and virtual event options.

Scenario Four (substantial threat): An all virtual event.

Scenario Five (significant threat): Event postponed or cancelled.

We were very fortunate that the 2020 GIS had already taken place before the virus took hold in most of the country. Many similar gatherings were postponed or cancelled this year, and we have been able to watch and learn from others.

Las Vegas We are equally fortunate that Las Vegas, a city so dependent on tourism, is at the forefront of making sure visitors are safe. The city reopened its casinos on June 4, and the brand-new Las Vegas Convention Center, hotels and all venues are

consulting with public health experts to redefine cleaning, safety and sanitation standards. The Global Risk Advisory Council’s STAR is the cleaning industry’s only outbreak prevention, response and recovery accreditation for facilities. The LVCC is one of the first convention centers to pursue this certification and should be accredited by the end of August.

The NFL’s 2021 Pro Bowl recently announced it plans to hold the event in Las Vegas on Jan. 31, and the Consumer Electronics Show, the largest tech industry event in the world, has announced it will go forward with its 2021 convention January 6-9 at the new LVCC. We too are currently moving ahead with hosting our event in Las Vegas.

Timeline In addition to keeping an eye on the latest data and the status of other events, we also want to know what your level of comfort is in attending a live event.

In mid-August, we will be conducting a survey of members to gauge your sentiment on traveling and any other factors that could affect your attendance.

In October, we will have a follow up survey in case circumstances have changed. Using this information and guidance from health and venue officials, we will decide on the best scenario for all involved in October, with registration opening in November.

With so much uncertainty in the world, it is difficult to know where we will be at the start of 2021.

However, I am certain that GCSAA is putting your safety and comfort first when it comes to planning the conference and show. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Rhett Evans GCSAA CEO

considered right now with about 5 different options ranging from no change to complete change. One of the things being considered, is a complete virtual conference.

One of the biggest challenges is dealing with the unknown aspects of Las Vegas. I know the Lone Star chapter is looking for a venue to hold the annual reception and have learned that many sites aren’t taking any bookings that far out. Some are saying, that they don’t even know if they’re going to be in business come next February. And that’s on a very small scale for a one night reception. So you can imagine what’s going on with the conference as far as hotel rooms, convention center space, air transportation, etc. You know there’s always so many things to consider on getting people there.

LSGCSA: What do you think about members’ attitudes towards traveling and attending the conference will be?

Nobody has the crystal ball but I think most everybody that is dialed in to this thing realizes that if you’re used to having 20,000 at a show, you would be lucky to have 10,000. It’s going to be an interesting next five or six months as we move forward and get close to starting registration.

All Field Staff will be back on the road effective June 15th under extreme marching orders to use caution and follow guidelines. So it won’t be business as usual. For me, I will be very cautious. Personally, the things I’m thinking about are staying at a hotel room, going out to eat, traveling in a rental car, gas stations and public areas.

GCSAA is stressing caution and individual are expected to conduct busines to the level that only they are comfortable with. Employees are encouraged to express all concerns to Bob Randquist COO and the HR department. We are able to go to them with concerns and they will help us work through it. I’m not going to not travel but I am going to be equipped with sanitizer and I probably will do some things different than what I’m used to doing.

LSGCSA: What do you know about the Texas Turfgrass Association virtual conference in July?

I would think after serving on that board for a few years, that TTA leaders have had great conversations and have tried to dot the I’s and cross the t’s in preparing for this situation. But this is such an uncharted situation. Who knows until you do the event? I’m interested to see how the virtual conference goes. I know there are several members who need the continuing education points and will attend because of the credit.

People need the credits.

LSGCSA: How has feedback been on the COVID benefit packages provided by the GCSAA and PGA? I’ve heard good news about the GCSAA and PGA plans and the impact they have had on the golf industry.

The PGA is currently into Phase 2 of their program. Phase 1 was started a month-and-a-half ago with 7 million dollars in their disaster relief account. And if you work in the golf course industry - maintenance or food and beverage or wherever, you were eligible to apply if you are affected.

There was one story of a superintendent in the Northeast who was cut back to eight hours a week and put on an hourly wage. And he could only work 8 hours a week. So, somebody like him greatly benefited from not only the GCSAA disaster fund but the PGA disaster fund as well. Members need to check out the benefits and see if they are eligible. The GCSAA program is case-by-case with a maximum of $1,000 benefit to those affected. It is intended to help members who have lost their job, had income affected, or medical expenses. And those considerations are being made. Good feedback on those programs, members need to stay abreast of these benefits.

LSGCSA: How has the pandemic impacted chapters in Texas?

My understanding is that all chapters shut down events starting March 10th. As far as future events, I think it depends if we’re in Phase 2 or phase 3 of the guidelines. And it also depends on the area that’s hosting the event. Depending on how many of the CDC guidelines they can follow. There’s already discussions of two riders per cart coming in Phase 3. North Texas will host a meeting on the 17th that’s a pretty big event. It’s the Chapter Championship and that normally has 80 - 100 participants. If it’s single rider carts at that time and maybe no shotguns, it’s going to be quite a challenge to pull off with that many people in it.

LSGCSA: Any operational changes that you know of for the chapters?

Lot of questions still out there. I have talked to Chapter Executives and they are reporting that most of the sponsors that have already committed, have said to let it ride and have not asked for any money back. It varies with the chapters and we sure appreciate those great sponsors who have stuck by us and continue to support the chapters regardless. Because there are still expenses and future expenses. Fortunately, all the chapters in Texas were in a good healthy financial position going into the pandemic.

LSGCSA: Sort of related to the topics discussed today - how has feedback been for the GCSAA Health Insurance rolled out earlier this year?

Based on information from a conference call that we had last week, it is really going well. I don’t know numbers but it’s several hundred people that have signed up for it nationwide. I’ve heard some cases as much as 50% reduction in costs by switching over to the GCSAA plan. Check it out!

Thank you again Johnny for taking the time to speak to us on such important topics.

Always good to hear about the great things going on in the golf industry in Texas and at the national level. Stay safe out there!