RGGCSA 3rdQ SuperNews

The SuperNews OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIO GRANDE GCSA

September 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 I have always loved the game of golf since I first picked up a club at age 5. After working my first summer at Silver City Golf Course while still in college, I knew this was the profession for me. I am not sure if it is age, or time served, but the past few seasons have had me asking myself “why do I put myself through this every year?”

I recently read an article in the July edition of GCM titled “ The 10 commandments of SUCCESSFUL superintendents” by Dave Waymire CGCS who has 19 years with American Golf and 37 years as a member of the GCSAA. The article provided me with some answers to the “why?” question and reinforced what we have heard countless times over the years: good communication, finding balance, strong work ethic, delegate, planning and organizing, etc. were some of the topics discussed in the article. If you are struggling with any part of your profession and haven’t read the article I highly recommend you do.

In flipping through the pages what especially caught my eye and caused me to stop on the article was a small side piece entitled Press On. There were a couple of “Honorable Mentions” and interesting quotes that got my mind buzzing with thoughts. One of the suggestions that didn’t make the top ten was to “Keep a sense of urgency.” IT went on to say that we as golf course superintendents deal with living turf on a daily basis. We are all well aware of that fact, but most don’t realize that If our facility needs attention, we need to be there or make sure someone capable is there to take care of the issue. If we are short-handed for whatever reason on a holiday or weekend, we may not be able to make the family cook out we promised to attend. Quoting the article, “There is no “calling it in,” the buck stops with you.”

I would imagine that most of us who have stuck with this profession for more than a few years cherish that sense of responsibility. It is sobering to think that your employer trusts you with hundreds of thousands of their dollars to spend making their tract of land a thing of beauty. Employees and golfers come to you with their problems expecting you to solve them numerous times a day. When you step back and look at the overall picture, being a golf course superintendent is an enormous responsibility, but who better than “YOU” to do the job? At times this can seem very overwhelming and difficult, but when stepping back also take note of the countless rewards this profession provides.

Seeing the sun rise almost every day, seeing that assistant or crew member promoted to bigger things, or watching your facility evolve and take shape over the course of a year are just a few of the blessings I have experienced over the throughout my career.

This is my final message as president of the RGGCSA. As president, the “buck stops with you” as well. The past two years have come and gone rather quickly, however, I believe we have made a positive impact moving forward. I benefitted from working with some fantastic individuals serving on the board in conjunction with our ED Carol Cloud. As I wind down and reflect, I can see that the association is in great shape and will be for years to come as long as we continue to have strong, committed leadership serving us. I will leave you with this final quote from Steve Burgraff CGCS in California: “Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

Thank you all for the opportunity to serve the Association. Hope to see you all at future meetings.

God Bless.

Matt Urban RGGSAA President

Member Article WHERE DO I GET THE RIGHT DRESSING SANDS? Bryan Klock, Buildology Inc. How important is it to your Golf Course Superintendent to get properly graded sands on their greens and fairways? What do they do when their dressing and topping sands are too fine or too course?

How about the sand in the bunkers they work so diligently to keep up? Even better question, how important are these questions to your Golfers who have no idea how important these questions actually are.

If you have a good Super, getting properly graded sands to the Golf Course is not only important, it is crucial to their operation. Crucial to save money, crucial in saving labor, and very crucial in keeping their Golf Course beautiful and playing true.

Poorly graded sands, as all Superintendents know, cause a myriad of problems on the Course. A sand that is too fine will stop the growth of grass by clogging the root system, ultimately starving and killing the grass, too coarse of a sand, you will do the same. Not enough water will be retained within the root zone for the grass to thrive. Having too coarse of a top dressing sand on the greens makes for a difficult couple weeks of putting for your Golfers, resulting in complaints and possibly even “Free Rounds”. Too coarse or fine of a sand in your bunkers and your Golfers either can’t hit out or end up destroying the face of their club trying to hit out. Again, resulting in complaints and possible “Free Rounds.”

Are you asking yourself this question right now: 1.

So how do we ensure we are getting the correct sands?

First, start by reviewing the USGA’s recommendations on what types and grades of sands should be used throughout your Course. These recommendations are, of course, a guideline and not a Bible. Every course will require something a little different than what the USGA recommends.

This is where your local GCSAA Chapter is helping with their “Standard Operating Procedures” or SOP’s. The SOP’s are geared toward your specific location and conditions while still following USGA guidelines.

Perfect example why you want to look at your local chapters SOP’s.

A Green Side Bunker in Florida would need to filter more water than a Bunker in New Mexico.

Same holds true for or a Putting Green. In New Mexico we would need a finer top dressing to retain more of the water whereas in Florida, the top dressing would need to be little courser to allow more of the water to filter through. Pretty obvious as to why the sands need to be so different. Florida gets an average of 59” of rainfall per year, New Mexico only has an average of 14”.

Second, find a good sand supplier that is knowledgeable on the different types of sand that are available in your area. Your supplier should also be able to analyze a “Sieve Analysis Report” (Report that gives a percent passing, or percent retained, on the different size particles in the sand.

There are different Sieve Analysis Reports for the different types of sand required on a Golf Course) and produce sands that, when tested, give the same results as the Sieve Analysis Report from the USGA or your local chapter of GCSAA. This means they should have the capability to screen and blend the sand into the different mixes that would be required. Last but not least, make sure your Supplier has a QC Program. This is to ensure that every mix of sand is the same and consistent. This will only save your course time and money when the sand arrives.

Lastly, and yes the most important, TALK and LISTEN to your GUESTS (Golfers). Yes, I said Guest. Your course is your home. Everyone visiting your home deserves to be treated like a Guest, not just a paying patron. Guests are the best source for feedback on our Courses. If they like it, they most likely will not say anything. But, you can be sure they will say something if they do not like it. As a Super, be proactive, as you drive the course on your daily routine stop a few Guests and get some feedback. Make up some comment cards that are handed out on the 18th Green asking specific questions like, “How did the bunkers play?” or “How true did the Greens roll?” Good, bad, or indifferent, your Guests will see you going out of your way to check on them and how you can better your Course for them.

As we all know, this results in return business and recommendations.

Good Sand Hunting to you all!!!

Brian Hodges New Mexico and El Paso Account Manager brian.hodges@austinturf.com (505) 710-3477 or toll free: 800-528-4290

We had a fantastic chapter event at Cochiti Golf Club for our July meeting.

It was a very fun venue and the education was superb!

Thank you to our host Leon Trujillo and his staff for getting the golf course in such great shape for the event.

Thank you to John King and Winfield United for being our title sponsor and making the event possible.

We also are extremely thankful for the great lineup of speakers at the event.

Very interesting and informative topics.

Congratulations and THANK YOU to Gary Davis of Club Car who won the 50/50 raffle and then generously donated all of his winnings back to the scholarship fund!!

Thanks Gary!!

Champions (L to R)

3rd Place (L to R)

July Cochiti Winners

John Adams, Joe Dosstter, Daniel McCann, and Jimmy Rodriguez

Runner Ups (L to R) J ohnny Walker, Chad Parron, Matt Hughes, and Jeramie Smith

Anthony Garcia, Henry Martinez, and Robert Gonzales.

Not pictured Gary Hodge

Proximity Winners Daniel McCann

Anthony Garcia x2

Gary Davis

Paul Cassidy

NMSU researchers find new information on Kentucky Bluegrass Writer: Melissa R. Rutter, 575-646-4211, mrrutter@nmsu.edu New Mexico State University Regent’s Professor and Extension Turfgrass Specialist Bernd Leinauer and Research Assistant Professor Matteo Serena are finding a previous notion that Kentucky Bluegrass is a poor choice for droughty climates to be misleading if not incorrect. They are looking to change the public’s perception on which turfgrasses can survive the best in the drought conditions we find in our region. Turfgrasses can be broken down into two major groups: cool- and warmseason grasses. Warm-season grasses such as bermudagrass have greater drought tolerance than cool-season but homeowners tend to prefer cool-season grasses because they stay green all year round and feel cool and comfortable when you walk on it. Cool-season grasses include tall fescue, fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.

According to Leinauer there is a perception that cool-season grasses require a lot of water, but he says it’s not the grass that’s the problem, but rather homeowners irrigating more than what’s needed. Therefore, Leinauer and his team established multiple plots with different grasses receiving different amounts of water to look at their response to different levels of drought.

“The major reason for water overuse is based on the homeowner watering too much. If you think your grass is using too much water, apply less. Let’s find out how much water we can save. And that’s what our research is looking at.

We are using climate data to calculate water needed and are irrigating different types of grasses at the full amount (100 percent) then we dial it back to 80, 60, and 40 percent and we check how the grasses compare along this reduction,” Leinauer said.

To figure out how much water each percentage amounts to, Serena uses their water station located just outside the field. “Every Monday morning, I download the data and calculate the numbers. We use ET, which stands for evapotranspiration. At the beginning of the season we did an irrigation audit, placing catch cans on the plots to measure how much goes out in a given period of time. We then convert the amounts to inches per day and minutes of run time,” Serena said.

Applying significantly less water than what is considered adequate puts the grasses in drought stress. While it’s important for the different types of grasses to survive while being given less water, it is also important to see how well they recover.

“When we factor in both the amount of water needed and recovery after drought stress, the winner among coolseason grasses is Kentucky bluegrass. It’s not only about performance during drought, it’s equally important how quickly and well grasses can recover after drought. Such considerations are important for our region,” Leinauer said. “If homeowners want a cool-season grass and if they want to take water conservation to its fullest extent, which means less water during periods of time but then let the grasses recover (taking advantage of the rainy season) to lower irrigation amounts, the choice should be Kentucky bluegrass.”

Such findings are different than what has been previously stated. The general opinion has been that Kentucky bluegrass should not be used because of the amount water that it needs to survive.

“This message is the complete opposite of what we’ve been hearing and what Water Utilities and City politicians tell us. Kentucky bluegrass has been perceived as the worst of all and uses the most water. However, our findings don’t support that. Our results show that if a cool-season grass is chosen, Kentucky bluegrass should be grass of choice,” Leinauer said.

“Of course, choosing the right grass or plant is only one tool in the water conservation toolbox. Several other factors also contribute to irrigation overuse and need to be considered.” Leinauer is looking to provide a holistic approach and educate others on his and his team’s 15 years’ worth of findings. “There is too much emphasis on the plant selection and breeding and not enough on some of the other factors such as efficient irrigation.”

Mark your calendars Webinar Reducing Outdoor Water Use With Microirrigation Thursday, October 11, 2018, 2:00 p.m Eastern Time.

This webinar is cosponsored by EPA’s WaterSense program and the Alliance for Water Efficiency. Speaker Bernd Leinauer, Professor and Turfgrass Specialist for New Mexico State University’s Extension Plant Sciences Department, will discuss the benefits of subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. The presentation will answer some of the most commonly asked questions about SDI systems, discuss research findings regarding irrigation water use, and review turfgrass maintenance when SDI is installed. WaterSense will also review microirrigation guides developed to help both homeowners and irrigation professionals understand the benefits of and tips for installing microirrigation systems

Click To Register

GCSAA'S 2019 ANNUAL MEETING GCSAA ASSUMES LEADERSHIP ROLE FOR FIRST GREEN OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT GCSAA has officially assumed leadership for First Green with a new logo and website (www.thefirstgreen.org) that promotes a program centered on golf courses as environmental “learning labs” for students in middle school to 12thgrade.

First Green provides hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education at golf courses. Studies fall within the focus of schools’ environmental science and horticulture curriculums.

www.thefirstgreen.org

The 2019 Annual Meeting of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America will be held on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in San Diego, Calif., as part of the 2019 Golf Industry Show.

After careful evaluation by the Nominating Committee, the following members have been nominated for the GCSAA Board of Directors and will appear on the ballot: OFFICIER POSITIONS FOR PRESIDENT: Rafael Barajas, CGCS FOR VICE PRESIDENT: John R. Fulling Jr., CGCS FOR SECRETARY/TREASURER: Kevin P. Breen, CGCS Mark F. Jordan, CGCS

DIRECTOR POSITIONS Five members are on the slate to fill three open director positions: Carlos Arraya, CGCS T. A. Barker, CGCS Paul L. Carter, CGCS Douglas D. Dykstra, CGCS Jeff L. White, CGCS There are three open positions for director. T.A. Barker, CGCS; Jeff L. White, CGCS; and Mark F. Jordan, CGCS, all have terms that are expiring. All three director seats will be for two-year terms.

Darren J. Davis, CGCS, will serve on the board for one year as immediate past president.

Bill H. Maynard, CGCS, retires from the board after service the last year as immediate past president.

For more information including Candidate Profiles, click: http://bit.ly/GCSAAAMPreview

FACTORY DIRECT SALES GARY DAVIS, PGA 505-503-0825 Golf Territory Manager / New Mexico and West Texas gdavis@irco.com

Superintendent Article

Volunteerism

by Matt Urban

My greens committee thought I was crazy to take a week off to travel to Dallas in mid-May this past year to work the Byron Nelson Tournament. “If you are going to take time off, why don’t you want to get away from golf and not be working,” they asked?

“A week away letting someone else sorry about dew points, humidity, logistics, crew management, etc. is a vacation for me,” I answered. Plus, if you love golf like I do what better way to be close to the action. My maiden voyage into volunteering, I didn’t know what I was in store for, but being a part of an event on that level is a unique opportunity to see how things are done on the PGA Tour. I was extremely eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible to bring back to my facility in Artesia.

I arrived at the hotel in downtown Dallas Sunday morning before tournament week with a host of other volunteers from all over the country. I was the old man in the group, with most of my fellow volunteers being assistants or 2nd assistants in their 20’s.

After settling in we boarded a shuttle bus for the 20 min ride through downtown and into a noticeably rough part of town to the new venue for the AT&T Byron Nelson, Trinity Forest Golf Club. The staff at Trinity Forest and I had something in common, this was the first time for both of us to work a PGA Tour event.

Upon arrival at the extremely large facility, we were promptly fed (we were fed well throughout the week) Continued on next page

and greeted by the Director of Grounds, Kasey Kauff and his army of assistants, Chad Kuzawa, James Morgan, and Sarah Jackson all in red shirts and blue trousers. There were around 12 of us in the volunteer group arriving to meet the nearly 45 others consisting of Trinity Forest Staff and local volunteers. It was hard to miss the 12 fairway units 15 triplexes, 20 walk mowers, light tower packs, and numerous other pieces of equipment sitting outside in the hot Dallas sun ready to go to work. The shop had been converted into our break-room for the week complete with tables and chairs, two cornhole games, pallets of bottled water, and dual 50 inch televisions tuned to the Golf Channel for updates on the tournament. Tucked in an outside corner was a nursery green with a hole cut right in the middle which several staff members seemed to be enjoying a friendly game to pass the time. Awaiting us on the tables were our volunteer packs including five blue logo shirts, Byron Nelson hat, and a head lamp.

After a great dinner of local pizza and salad, Kasey invited the out of town volunteers into the actual air-conditioned break room to formally introduce himself and his assistants to us and to discuss the events of the week. I remember thinking, as the introductions were going on, how much trust you must have to put in each of your assistants and staff to pull something like this off. “We are all warm season grass here with Champion greens and the remaining turf is Zoysia,” Kasey said, “no cool season grass here and we

don’t have any rough, just 90 acres of fairway height grass.” With that much turf we figured out quickly that we were brought in to operate the fairway units and triplexes sitting outside and to aid in hand raking the over 100 bunkers on the property. I will admit that I was nervous not knowing what to expect, but Kasey and his staff eased our fears with a training run that afternoon. After giving out assignments for the week, we mounted our respective pieces of equipment and off we went through the maze of infrastructure materials lining the access road from the shop to the course. I was assigned fairway mowing duties and was in a group of five led by one of Trinity Forests lead operators. There were two groups of five assigned two different routes. As an army of triplex mowers passed us on the way to their trial run, we started off one machine behind the other mowing the fairways half and half. A seldom used pattern, all I could figure was it was the easiest and most efficient way to cut the playing surfaces. The Zosia fairways were in beautiful shape that Sunday evening, perfectly green and uniform. As we traveled down the fairway, you could easily notice the attention given to detail. Being satisfied with our performance, we were sent back to the shop to wash up and were given the opportunity to tag along with assistant superintendent James Morgan while he took his final ride around before calling it a day.

As the sun set, James, myself and three other volunteers made our way out onto the course, parked our vehicle behind the double green of #3 and #11, and decided to walk the nearby 17th hole, up 18 and back to number three. Along the way James spoke about the challenges of building this course from the ground up to host this championship. If the drainage issues compaction issues weren’t enough, the staff was under enormous pressure to please both the Tour Agronomy Staff and impress the tour pro’s to build this event into a lasting one. James noted they had received mixed reviews by the pros who had had the chance to see the course in prior weeks, but that Dallas native Jordan Spieth had been advocating for the event.

It was amazing to me that they had just construction began just 36 months earlier. The majority of the

course was sprigged with just two holes being sodded. The Champion Bermuda grass greens looked perfect walking across them as the rollers whizzed by. James informed us the tour was concerned about the speed and was comfortable with an 11+ on the stimpmeter. I had goosebumps as we walked up 18 toward the clubhouse into the setting sun, the leaderboard lit up while the staff watered and smoothed the bunkers in preparation for a hand rake the following day. It thought to myself, “this is the reason I became a golf course superintendent.” Making our way back to our vehicles, we observed two men racing toward us on a nearby maintenance trail followed by a cloud of dust.

As they sped past us video taping each other with their phones and yelling obscenities, we realized they were in our carts!! James gave a shout and ran to stop them and gave them a “stern” talking to. The two men slinked away in shame as James approached us and said, “this is why we always take our keys out when we exit a vehicle. Live and learn.”

I would later see why during the evening shift with the numerous inebriated patrons shuffling off to catch their shuttles asking for a ride. They would undoubtably borrow a cart if the keys had been left.

Throughout the week we arrived daily at 4 am to receive our morning assignments and information for the day. Despite the previous days training, I was still nervous as we exited the maintenance facility for the nearly 20 minute commute to the 9th fairway where we would begin our day.

Coffee cups in hand the staff of 50+ people were able to prepare the golf course in less than 3 hours.

Absolutely amazing!! Getting around a golf course you have never seen in the dark is difficult but with the expert crew assigned to each group, by Thursday we were a well-oiled machine. Despite the fact that I drove across a green with a fairway unit Kasey and his staff saw fit to keep me on the crew!! After finishing the morning tasks breakfast was waiting in the makeshift break-room for the hungry crew.

Swapping stories and ideas with superintendents and assistants from the Dallas area and around the country as we shared a meal together was by far the most beneficial time for me.

Continued on Next Page

During the day we had the option to go back to the hotel or stay on site as our uniforms allowed us access to the property for the tournament. I chose to journey back to the hotel the first few days to get some work done knowing I would likely follow a few of my favorite golfers Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. I was joined by a roommate Wednesday evening who would be my companion for the week. Between shifts we walked in the hot sun following some of the notable groups trying to find shade where we could.

At times we made our way back to the shop to catch some of the coverage on TV and cool off a little. It makes for a long week, but if you love golf like I do, it is worth it to see the professionals play.

I was assigned divot filling duties along with 11 other volunteers in the evening. After being fed some barbeque by the local vendors, our group of divot fillers, an army of bunker smoothers, and a hand watering crew made our way out to the course. The PGA Tour along with designers, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw had set this venue up to dry out over the course of the week to simulate a more links feel. The irrigation computer was shut off Sunday night and as in most Tour events only hand watering was done.

The Zosia fairways and tees held up well in the heat early in the week, but by Friday began to show signs of stress. Each evening the hand watering crews worked well into the night touching up dry areas so not to completely lose the slow growing Zoysia. Everything but the greens complexes were completely baked out by Saturday afternoon when the watering crews worked until nearly 11pm.

We all marveled at the Champion greens which didn’t receive a drop of water the entire week from even a hose. Even more amazing they held their speed of nearly 12 on the stimpmeter the entire week with only a few morning cuttings and a handful of barrel rolling by the walk mowers. On several occasions, only a dew whip was used and the crew of greens mowers were sent to aid in raking bunkers. Because of the large undulating greens complexes attempts were even made to slow the greens down. To please the professionals and ensure a large return Trinity Forest had to be careful not to scare anyone away with a +1 winning score!! Thursday morning according to our own Johnny Walker with the GCSAA an intern was sent to purchase brooms from a nearby Home Depot to help stand the grass up, but the speed remained. Fairways, tees, and green surrounds were mowed once daily making for the fast track Coore and Crenshaw were looking for. Mark Lieshman shot 65 on day one and there were a bunch of 66’s posted as well. Aaron Wise was a first time champion with a winning score of 23 under par. So much for too fast!!

My week in Dallas was sparked by our 2017 annual meeting where Kevin Ross suggested the idea of volunteering as a way to gain knowledge and network. Kevin was able to set me up with the staff at Trinity Forest and I will be forever grateful. Kasey and his staff were such wonderful hosts. I met so many amazing industry professionals and gained a few contacts that I will be calling on from time to time.

The days were long for sure but the week went by very quickly. I have always had a passion for tournament golf since I first watched Fred Couples and Davis Love play as Jim Nantz and Pat Summerall called the action. I am now set up to volunteer at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in early February, 2019.

I am hoping to be a part of a major championship in the coming years and plan to attend at least one event each year. I would suggest to anyone interested to take advantage of the full week and to bring plenty of sunscreen.

Brian Hodges

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26 YEARS AND STILL GROWING STRONG!

Join us in beautiful Ruidoso at Alto Lakes Golf and Country Club for our 2018 Annual Meeting Hosted by Glenn Denney Details and Registration at rggcsa.org

Board Member Profile Jimmy Rodriguez Towa Golf Club GCSAA Class A Member Current member and Vice President Rio Grande Chapter Current Member Rocky Mountain Chapter How did you end up in the Colorado / New Mexico region from New Orleans? I was born in New Orleans in Nov. 1957 and still consider it my “Hometown”. My dad transferred from there to Charlotte NC. In 1961ish with Esso who then became Exxon. We lived there until 1966ish and he transferred again with Exxon to Houston TX. I attended Tulane University and majored in Economics and had a minor in business. I graduated in 1979 with a BA. Went back to Houston after graduating. Life etc…..

In 1991 I quit my accounting job in Dallas and went to Colorado to help a buddy out who invested in an Après ski bar in Snowmass Colorado. I became the GM after two months of The Timbermill Bar & Restaurant in Snowmass CO. I started working at the Aspen Golf Course in 1994 in the summer months. I went back to school at CSU from Aspen commuting back and forth pursuing a turf degree. The following year I was one of the first students of Penn State on line World Campus for a turf certificate.

Got my Penn State Turf Certificate and landed a job in 2000 in Grand Junction CO. at a new course Redlands Mesa Golf Club as their Assistant Superintendent. We won a #1 Best New Public golf course under $50 in Golf Digest and at one time ranked #17 in the nation of the top 100.

Five years later, I landed a job in Trinidad CO. and did a grow in for some of the same investors and won a #3 Best New Golf courses under $75. (Chambers Bay was the #1). Unfortunately, the course was going under and Linda Howell who was the assistant there moved back to Santa Fe. She contacted me about the job at Towa and I got the job in 2010 and have been there since.

Great that you keep your Rocky Mountain GCSA membership up – why do you do that?

The Colorado chapter is one of the top five associations in the nation. They really have their Sh_t together and very well organized. The guys there are a good bunch of superintendents and they like to play “STROKE” events at meetings! I hope to return there someday for the right opportunity.

Many of us know from experience you are an outstanding chef, how did you learn to cook?

Both sides of my family contributed to that attribute.

My mom’s mom was an outstanding cook as was my dad’s dad. I grew up watching them cook meals and I wanted to be able to do the same thing. Growing up in the “South” food and feeding people is a way of showing your love for your family and friends!

How do you feel serving on the RGGCSA board benefited you?

Getting to meet more of the guys in this very spread out state and I enjoy playing all over the state at the meetings. And your GCSAA service as chapter delegate? Serving as the RGGCSA Chapter Delegate was a great opportunity to really connect around the country and with GCSAA HQ. I have made some contact and friends all over the country. I would gladly do it again! (except for the very hot bus rides to HQ) Tell us about your family. Mom and Dad still kicking in Houston TX and I have two younger sisters also living in Houston. I have a daughter serving in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk VA My much better half is Laurie Meredith who is very active in the chapter and golf industry.

Tell us more about your daughters decision / career in the Navy. She was wanting more out of life and joined the Navy where she knows she can always can get a “hot meal”. She wants to pursue a career as an officer and also go back to school and maybe get here graduate degree.

Thank you Jimmy for sharing and the opportunity to get to know you better. Jimmy wrote a great article in 2015 about his beloved hometown of New Orleans. CLICK HERE TO READ

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