The SuperNews OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIO GRANDE GCSA
June 2018 President Matt Urban Vice President Jimmy Rodriguez Secretary / Treasurer Matt Hughes Board of Directors: Roy Johnson Paul Kerr Chad Parron Caleb Buckley (Past Pres.) Vendor Representative
Bryan Klock Chapter Executive Carol Cloud GCSAA Field Rep John Walker
President’s Message Networking Opportunities Although summer isn’t scheduled to hit us until the 21st of June, I think most of us have been feeling the heat here in the Rio Grande region. Hot and dry has been the order of business for most of us and we have been suffering right along with our turf. Hopefully the recent rains have afforded some of you the opportunity to take a brief break before strapping in to battle the remainder of the season. Tournament golf is my passion. There is nothing more enjoyable than preparing for and setting up an event here at Artesia Country Club. One of my long-range goals when I became a superintendent was to work a facility that was on television to host a professional golf tournament. It is safe to say ACC won’t be hosting any US Opens in the near future, but the dream is still alive as I continue to search to satisfy that craving. At our 2017 Annual Meeting at the Canyon Club, our speaker Kevin Ross suggested we as superintendents try to volunteer at a major, or semi-major event every few years as a way to broaden our horizons and create new networking opportunities. This past May I was blessed to be a volunteer at the PGA’s Byron Nelson Tournament in Dallas which moved from Las Colinas and was played for the first time at three-year-old Trinity Forest. The trip gave me the opportunity to shut my mind off for a week and let someone else worry about weather, logistics, start times, sick employees……you know all the stuff we do daily. The work at the Byron Nelson was quick and easy with so many guys, but it was the times in between shifts that were really of value. I gained the most knowledge sitting down to a meal with some of the local staff and hearing their account on how the course has taken shape over the past three years, or listening to a group of young assistant volunteers, still hungover from the night before, tell everyone at the table how they would do it if they were in charge. It was these exchanges that reinforced the fact that we all have so much to learn no matter how great we are at growing grass and managing people. We have such a short time in this business why not take the opportunities to learn and grow when we can? The course was here when I returned, a little burnt, but salvageable. If you are reading this and haven’t been to a meeting in a while, come join us in July at Cochiti Golf Course. There isn’t a one of us out there who wouldn’t benefit from attending a meeting. The Rio Grande is thankful for the Sponsors who give so generously of their time and dollars to travel to meetings to see us. We are especially thankful to our regular attendees who never seem to miss a meeting. In talking to those who come on a regular basis, it seems they mostly attend for the professional conversation and exchange of ideas. This board and every board before us has been looking to boost attendance. It just takes one phone call. The remainder of this year, I challenge all of you who attend meetings regularly to reach out and encourage just one person in our industry who never comes to meetings to attend at least one this year. Share with them why you come and what you get out of the experience. You never know where the conversation might take you. Be sure to join us at Cochiti in July!! Look for e-mails from our ED Carol Cloud. Cheers to a successful summer season!!!
Matt Urban RGGSAA President
Superintendent Article Environmental Excellence on the Golf Course Anthony L. Williams CGCS, CGM
Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club, Irving, TX
The cornerstone of environmental excellence on the golf course is the golf course superintendent. They must accept this role as steward of the land that encompasses the course and became the conductor of the environmental orchestra (local environmental expert) to find sustainable environmental excellence. However, the superintendent has many things that he is responsible for. In fact, the job description of the modern golf course superintendent is a complex ever changing mix of tasks and strategies that result in a successful golf operation. It is often said that the successful golf course superintendent must be an agronomist, horticulturist, arborist, irrigation consultant, electrician, plumber, carpenter, equipment operator, mechanic, accountant, artist, painter, rules official, architect, political activist, human resource specialist, counselor, priest, therapist,
meteorologist, trainer, mentor, life coach, EMT, wildlife expert and the list goes on. So how does the golf course superintendent who has so many hats to wear and things to do find the path (and time) to ensure environmental excellence on the golf course? There are three primary ways to ensure environmental excellence on the golf course.
They are to identify all environmental assets, establish programs that protect and enhance these green assets (balanced with playability) and documenting the environmental work for regulatory and public relations purposes. Simply put to achieve environmental excellence the successful superintendent/steward must understand the natural assets of the property, build programs that enhance the way golf blends with these assets and document these actions/programs to better communicate the depth of care he and his team provide. Let’s take a closer look at these core steps. The first order of business for the golf course superintendent/steward is to identify the environmental or green assets that are present on the property. This usually begins with a site inventory. The site inventory is a living document that captures a list of green assets, it is important to note that this document should be updated as needed to be as accurate as possible. The site inventory should include things like total acreage managed, turf assets (separated by function, greens, tees, fairways, roughs, lawns, native grasses), water resources (lakes, streams, rivers and which river basin moves through the property), tree inventory (native and ornamental), wildlife inventory, special features (historic sites, state record trees), buildings, hard-scapes (cart paths, sidewalks and roads) and any feature that can be linked to the properties base environmental footprint. Be diligent and capture the properties environmental footprint as best you can. The second step to achieve environmental excellence on the golf course is to establish programs and processes that protect and enhance your green assets. This is literally an A to Z of your core programs. Agronomic programs to Xeriscaping each has an impact on both environmental excellence and playability. It is this balance that marks the true leaders in golf. To read entire article, CLICK HERE
Thank you to all who made it to our May event in Socorro at New Mexico Tech Golf Course. Our host was Superintendent John Adams and he and his staff had the course in great shape for his peers to enjoy. We also had a very good educational program provided by Dr. Leslie Beck, Weed Specialist from New Mexico State University. She had a great presentation on diagnosing weed problems. Thank you to our sponsor Evergreen Turf, Jonathan Ipoitis and Ken Wheeler for helping to make it a great day! Host John Adams
50/50 Winner Anthony Garcia
THANK YOU! To our Title Sponsor!
Speaker Dr. Leslie Beck
Sponsor Ken Wheeler
Champs! (L to R) Aaron Sunderlin, Chad Parron, Steve Hendley and Gilbert Contreras
Runner Ups (L to R) Joey Allatore, Anthony Garcia and Matt Urban not pictured
Proxy
Winners
Jimmy Rodriguez Closest To Pin #17
Chad Perron Closest To Pin #4
Paul Kerr Longest Drive #6
3rd Best! (L to R) Henry Martinez, Mark DeRoy, Mary Armstrong and Jimmy Rodriguez
Jeff Rivard Closest To Pin #15
Mary Armstrong Closest To Pin #9
2019 DOG DAYS OF GOLF CALENDAR Submissions for the 2019 Dog Days of Golf Calendar will be accepted through Aug. 1, 2018. From the submissions, 14 dogs will be selected. Owners of the selected dogs will be notified in September, and the calendar will be distributed with the November issue of GCM magazine. Plan now to stop by the LebanonTurf booth at the Golf Industry Show in February to place your vote for the 2019 Dog of the Year. The winner's owner will receive a $500 prize and $3,000 for his or her GCSAA-affiliated chapter. A $2,000 charitable donation will also be made by GCSAA and LebanonTurf in honor of the winner. LebanonTurf has been supporting golf course superintendents and their chapters through the Dog Days of Golf Calendar for more than a decade.
2018 Golf Advocacy, National Golf Day and Grassroots Ambassador News: Jimmy Rodriguez Golf Advocacy •
The GCSAA board of directors officially approved a political action committee late last fall.
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The title for the Pac is GCSAAPAC.
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There is a current fund raising effort to acquire $15,000 this year.
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Any member can donate at any time to the GCSAAPAC.
National Golf Day •
The National Golf Day events were held in Washington DC. from Aril 24-April 26th
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The 11th National Golf Day in Washington DC. was held on April 25th
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Members attended a record-high 230 meetings with members of Congress
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On Tuesday April 24th the release of the U.S. Golf Economy Report came out which showed $84.1 billion of golf direct activity in 2016 a 22 percent increase from$68.8 billion in the 2011 report
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Our industry supported $191. Billion in total annual activity which was employment for 1.89 million, and $58.7 billion in wages and benefits
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Charity totaled $3.94 billion raised in 2016 175 volunteers and attendees worked again on a community project on April 24th and tackled 18 beautification and preservation projects on the National Mall •
Grassroots Ambassador There are plans in the works for the Ambassador Mentorship program •
Plans are also in the works to relaunch the GCSAA Advocacy Network •
The GCSAA Advocacy network will open access to all members since the Ambassador program is limited to Class A, B and C members •
Please visit the Advocacy section on GCSAA.org for more information on all items mentioned above or other initiatives
RANDQUIST NAMED GCSAA CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Golf industry veteran assumed COO position May 29. Bringing decades of influence and experience in the golf industry, Robert M. Randquist, CGCS, has been named chief operating officer for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Randquist comes to GCSAA after 20 years serving as director of golf course and grounds at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Fla., where in the last year he oversaw the renovation of its Robert von Haggedesigned course. The leadership at Boca Rio has always been highly supportive of Randquist’s involvement with GCSAA as well as his new opportunity. Prior to Boca Rio, he spent two decades as superintendent at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., where he hosted the 1982 and 1994 PGA Championships and helped secure the 2001 U.S. Open. No stranger to GCSAA and its members, Randquist served as the association’s president in 2011. He has been a GCSAA member for 41 years and became a certified golf course superintendent in 1985. Randquist served on the USGA Green Section Committee for 27 years and has been honored by the USGA with its Ike Grainger Award, which recognizes 25 years of volunteer service. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
Caleb Buckley New Mexico and El Paso Account Manager (505) 710-3477 or toll free: 800-528-4290
Excess Surface Moisture Yields Shallow Rooting By Brian Whitlark, agronomist, West Region
Roots do not extend deeper than 3 inches in this putting green because of a disparity in moisture retention between the surface layer and the original construction mixture.
A rootzone with consistent moisture retention from top to bottom will encourage deep rooting. However, many courses throughout the West have putting greens with excess thatch and organic matter in the top 2 -3 inches of the soil profile. This leads to excess surface moisture and shallow rooting. In these cases, roots often stop at the interface between the original green construction rootzone and the sand, organic matter and thatch that has accumulated above it. Thatch and organic matter in the top 2 inches of a soil profile act as a sponge, encouraging excess moisture and low oxygen levels that reduce aerobic decomposition of the thatch. This wet surface layer also traps salts. It is common for salt levels in this surface zone to be 10 times higher than in the original rootzone material beneath the organic matter layer.When excessive organic matter causes moisture to accumulate at the surface, oxygen diffusion is reduced and root development is limited. Deep and infrequent irrigation won't fix this problem. Organic matter must be reduced to produce more consistent moisture retention throughout the rootzone. An adequate sand topdressing program will help create a healthy comingled mixture of sand and organic matter at the surface which will improve root development. A simple way to test for organic matter issues in a putting green is to collect rootzone samples in the morning after applying approximately 1 inch of water overnight. Squeeze the upper 1 -2 inches of soil with your fingers. A healthy, ventilated and well-drained rootzone will not yield any visible water upon squeezing. For more information on developing healthy rootzone performance characteristics in putting greens, please contact your regional USGA Agronomist.
Board Member Profile Matt Urban Artesia Country Club
Matt is currently the superintendent at Artesia Country Club in Artesia, NM where he has been since May of 2012. Born and raised playing sand greens in Western Kansas, Matt played collegiate golf at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas before transferring to Western New MĂŠxico University located in Silver City, NM in 1998 on a golf scholarship. Matt obtained a BS in Construction Technology with a minor in Education in the spring of 2001. In the summer of 1999 Matt began working on the crew at Silver City Golf Course and continued working part time until he was promoted to Superintendent in the fall of 2000.
From 2002 through 2005 Matt spent time helping on the family farm in Timken, KS and during that time worked a short stint as the assistant to Marvin Andrews at Isleta in Albuquerque. In early 2006, Matt was all set to attend Kansas State University to obtain his degree in agronomy when he decided to once again join turf industry in Silver City as the Golf Course Superintendent. Matt shared time between the course in Silver City and Cree Meadows Country Club in Ruidoso before moving to Ruidoso full time in the summer of 2007. After meeting his wife Jennifer, Matt made the journey to Northern Virginia to help Billy Casper Golf finish construction on their flagship property as an Assistant Superintendent at 1757 Golf Club. Yearning for the slower pace of life in the Southwest, Matt and his wife found their way back to New Mexico in May of 2012 joining Artesia Country Club as the Superintendent. Matt has served the Rio Grande twice as a director and currently is in his second year as President. After his term he plans on fulfilling his obligation as Past-President by being involved and attending all meetings to ensure a smooth transition. Matt and his wife enjoy traveling, hiking, playing golf, and visiting with family.
It’s time to head to Santa Fe for our July meeting. Not only will you get to play a great golf course but you will also earn CEU’s for attending our great education meeting. 8:00 - 9:00
Continental Breakfast and Registration
9:00 - 9:50
Mark Bostic, Winfield
9:50 - 10:40
Cam Copley, Nufarm
10:40 - 11:30
Kevin Ross, ONCOURSETurf, LLC
11:30 - 12:30
Luch/Range Open
12:30 - 4:30
Golf Shotgun Start
5:00
Golf Awards
Without your support we would not have a successful association!
FACTORY DIRECT SALES GARY DAVIS, PGA 505-503-0825 Golf Territory Manager / New Mexico and West Texas gdavis@irco.com
GCSAA ROUNDS 4 RESEARCH AUCTION RAISES $312,663 FOR TURFGRASS RESEARCH The 2018 Rounds 4 Research fundraising program to support turfgrass studies, administered by the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), sold more than 1,330 rounds and yielded nearly $313,000 in its May online auction, making it the most successful in the program’s history. The EIFG is the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). The Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association raised $60,000 and was the leader among more than 70 GCSAA affiliated chapters and turfgrass organizations that received proceeds from the auction to support turfgrass research at the local level. The Florida GCSA was next with nearly $26,700 raised for its chapter. "We are thrilled that Rounds 4 Research had its most successful year ever," said Rhett Evans, GCSAA chief executive officer. "This is a wonderful program that allows golfers to help support the future of the game while playing the courses they love." The national campaign is supported by a $50,000 donation from The Toro Co. The Golf Channel, Golf Advisor and GolfNow provided promotional support. Over 60 golf course management companies donated more than 350 rounds to the auction, including Billy Casper Golf, ClubCorp, Marriott Golf, the PGA Tour TPC Network and Troon Golf. The program has raised more than $1,095,000 since launching in 2012.
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Board Member Profile Matt Hughes Rockwind Golf Course
Raised in the Texas Hill Country, Matt always enjoyed the outdoors, and his hobbies included hunting, fishing and competition trap and skeet shooting. Matt’s turfgrass experience started at a very young age with his summer job mowing neighborhood lawns. His passion for the outdoors and regard for God's land ultimately led to his pursuing a career as a golf course superintendent. Currently, Matt is a Class “A” GCSAA member and he has had the opportunity to work at many golf courses in the west, including the awardwinning Johnny Miller Golf Course in Utah, Thanksgiving Point, as well as courses in Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Through Matt’s journey as a superintendent, he has been happily joined by his wife of 20 years and alongside his 7-year-old twins. For Matt, being a superintendent is not simply a career, but a lifestyle where his family and his dog Bogey are an integral part of his daily experience.
Matt traveled to Hobbs from Arizona 11 years ago to take on the superintendent position and he and his wife are very proud members of the Hobbs Community. They look forward to many more years as caretakers for Rockwind’s course. Matt played an integral role in the decision to completely redesign the former Ocotillo Park Golf Course into what is now Rockwind Community Links. He oversaw the course renovation, construction, directed the grounds crew team and worked closely with course architect Andy Staples. Matt has supervised the grow-in phase for all 27 holes and he is maintaining a high standard of conditioning for this superb daily fee facility. Matt is actively involved in the golf industry. He is a Class “A” Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) member and is a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador who shares golf course management issues with local congress representation. He currently serves as secretary/treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Rio Grande Golf Course Superintendents Association. He has been on the Board of Directors for both the Southwest Turfgrass Association and the West Texas Golf Course Superintendents Association. Matt received his Associates Degree in Golf Course Operations from Western Texas College in Snyder, Texas. He studied Agriculture Business at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. Matt and his wife have twins and reside in Hobbs, New Mexico.
Audubon International and EDF team up to launch Monarchs in the Rough Audubon International and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) recently partnered to launch Monarchs in the Rough, a program to assist golf courses in the United States, Canada and Mexico in creating habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators in out-of-play areas. The program first rolled out in January 2018 with a goal of enrolling 100 courses. Since the program surpassed its initial goal by enrolling more than 250 courses, it has set a new goal of enrolling 500 additional courses. A new website also launched to feature participating courses. “The response from the golf community to helping pollinators recover from dramatic declines in recent years has been tremendous,” said Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International. “Habitat loss is a key driver of the monarch butterfly’s decline, and golf courses are uniquely positioned to help create new habitat and turn things around for this iconic species.”
Golf course properties occupy approximately 2.5 million acres in the United States. Audubon International estimates there are at least 100,000 acres that have the potential to become suitable habitat for butterflies and bees, if managed appropriately. Monarchs in the Rough encourages golf courses to adopt conservation practices such as planting milkweed and other wildflowers that monarchs need to breed and feed, in addition to changing mowing practices to support the timing of the monarch’s migration, and protecting sites from pesticide treatments. “We bring the scientific expertise and the technical support, and the golf courses bring the land and the staff who are already well positioned to implement conservation practices,” said Daniel Kaiser, senior manager of habitat markets at EDF.
Monarchs in the Rough provides course superintendents and staff with the information they need to incorporate monarch habitat into the unique layout of each course. “This program is not only helping turn things around for the monarch – it’s also an opportunity for the golf community to change the assumptions many people have about golf courses being unsustainable,” said Yank Moore, land manager for the Jekyll Island Authority and Golf Club in Jekyll Island, Ga. “We have a real opportunity here to showcase the stewardship ethic of golf course managers and superintendents, and to educate the public about conservation practices that support monarchs and other pollinators.”
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