RGGCSA Winter SuperNews

The SuperNews OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIO GRANDE GCSA

December 2015

President’s Message Hello everyone,

President Caleb Buckley Vice President Matt Urban

I hope everyone is doing well and is ready for our quiet season. It looks like we are in store for a wet winter. I would also at this time like to thank the 2015 Board of Directors for their time and dedication to our association and also welcome our new 2016 Board of Directors.

Our 2016 Board of Directors is as follows: Caleb Buckley – President Matt Urban – Vice President

Secretary / Treasurer Jimmy Rodriguez

Jimmy Rodriguez – Sec. /Treasurer

Board of Directors: Mark Hanson CGCS Matt Alcala Matt Hughes Paul Kerr Joe Dosstter (Past Pres.)

Clay Guck - Vendor Representative

Vendor Representative Clay Guck Chapter Executive

Matt Hughes, Paul Kerr, Mark Hanson, Matt Alcala – Directors I would like to thank Todd Huslig and his team at Sandia Golf Club for hosting our meeting in October. The weather was as good as we can get in October. Thank you to everyone for your input on our event that we are going to try and put on this coming year with our tournament.

At this time I would like to send our condolences to Matt Dusenbery at Sandia Golf Club as he had a loss in his family. We are all thinking of you and our prayers go out to you and your family. If you would like to donate to Matt Dusenbery and his family please go to his GoFundMe account - everything will help.

I hope everyone has a chance of attending the upcoming GIS Show in San Diego. The show was in San Diego a couple of years ago and I believe they had a good attendance and if you have never been to the show there is a comp fee for the first time you attend.

Carol Cloud

Attention to our venders as there will be new advertising packages coming out very soon.

GCSAA Field Rep

Our next meeting will be in Hobbs at Rockwind Community Links on January 25th. More information will come out on hotel information as we get discount rates.

Brian Cloud

I hope everyone is doing well and we hope to see you in Hobbs in January.

Caleb Buckley Isleta Golf Club RGGCSA President

Featured Articles: Sandia Annual Meeting Wrap Up  Superintendent Article 

By Jorge Croda, Southern Oaks Golf Club



Golf Course Water Use Reduction GCSAA

The 2015 Annual Meeting was held at beautiful Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque, hosted by Todd Huslig. Chapter President Caleb Buckley presided over the meeting that included a financial report, chapter announcements and board elections. Board Member Jimmy Rodriguez and Brian Cloud of GCSAA gave a review of the upcoming Chapter Delegates meeting and the proposed membership standard proposals.

At the board elections, the following individuals were elected to serve in 2016:

2016 President - Caleb Buckley Vice President - Matt Urban Secretary / Treasurer - Jimmy Rodriguez Directors: Mark Hanson CGCS, Paul Kerr, Matt Alcala, Matt Hughes

Close to 50 members attended the Annual Meeting at Sandia. Following the business meeting, members participated in a Round Table discussion and were asked to discuss issues regarding a potential scholarship fundraising event to be held in 2016. Each table was asked to address questions regarding venues, scheduling, and fund raising strategies. Following the discussion, each table reported their ideas and their input will help the board shape an event for 2016. This format was a very effective way to brainstorm for new ideas and to better understand the pulse of the membership.

Meeting attendance was very good for the Annual Meeting at Sandia

Host Superintendent Todd Huslig (L) receives a plaque of appreciation from RGGCSA President Caleb Buckley

Happy Glenn Denny won the 50/50 Pot!

Jimmy Rodriguez working hard as Chapter Delegate

New Board of Director Matt Alcala, of Twin Warriors Golf Club

Robert Crandall of the Club at Las Campanas

You sure don’t have to call the PNS guys twice to lunch! John King (L) and Mike Ickes (R)

Superintendent Article Developing a solid philosophy that is based on the vision, mission and values of the organization is the foundation that successful employees and teams are built upon. Vision in business requires that you clearly see where you choose to be in future and formulate the necessary steps to get your organization there. Creating and sustaining a vision for an organization calls for discipline and creativity.

The vision for my department is to provide a challenging yet enjoyable course and an environment where guests of all golf levels, from casual to expert, can create memorable experiences.

A leader must have the passion, strength of will and necessary knowledge to achieve long-term goals. Our vision drives our goals. A focused individual who can inspire his team to reach organizational goals is a visionary leader. To cultivate this loyalty the attitude of supervisors is of utmost importance. Growing grass is very easy; to form and grow a team is a challenge that requires vision, attitude and discipline. As a leader, I strive to make leaders out of my staff in order to encourage them to learn and grow both within and outside of their job functions and department. It is important to create a personal sense of ownership and belonging for employees.

Editors Note: This letter on developing a philosophy and team leadership was submitted by 2014 Superintendent of the Year finalist Jorge Croda. Jorge is a Mexican national living and working in Burleson, Texas, where he is superintendent of Southern Oaks Golf Club.

Mr. Croda is a member of the North Texas GCSA and has shared this article with RGGCSA members. Thanks, Jorge!

We also designed a mission, values and rules that my department follows to meet the expectations of our members, guests and owners. Our mission is to provide exceptional recreational and social opportunities to our members, guests and anyone interested in gaining positive experiences through maintaining high expectations of excellence. Our values include:

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Our members are our most important asset.

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Our staff is a critical and vitally important element in our continued success.

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We treat all people, fellow members, guests, staff and suppliers, as we would like to be treated.

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We are respectful, friendly, courteous and honest in our relations.

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We value friendships and enjoyable recreational and social experiences.

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We value teamwork and volunteerism in pursuing excellence.

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We value the traditions, heritage and etiquette of the game of golf.

Leadership and management will be open and transparent as they strive to continuously improve our quality customer satisfaction in a fiscally responsible manner. The objective is to foster skills that will benefit employees in both their professional and personal lives. There are five core rules that establish discipline expectations and govern our department.

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Be Safe.

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Be kind to others.

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Give each task your best.

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If you make a mistake, tell someone.



Have fun.

These rules are essential to the smooth operation of our facility and ensure that we are all operating within our philosophy each and every day. We have weekly meetings within the department to discuss important issues such as; member and guest comments, management announcements, tasks that need focus and improvement and ideas/suggestions on how it can be done, congratulations for hard work, encouragement for giving best efforts, reinforcement of our vision and rules and an opportunity for employees to voice comments, suggestions and/or questions. These meetings are an important facet of our philosophy because it is a structured reminder of the philosophy and expectations of our department.

We focus on these skills:

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Interpersonal skills - proper introductions when greeting someone or meeting someone new and how to effectively communicate with others.

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Intrapersonal Skills - techniques for managing thoughts and emotions.

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Goal setting - setting attainable milestones to reach desired goals and dreams.

Resiliency - strategies to adapt, manage and overcome challenges.

Our employees are offered opportunities to acquire skills beyond just their job specific duties such as classes to build and improve English skills, computer skills and cross training that can translate into other areas of their life and create employees that are more well-rounded people. A strong philosophy should focus on developing a company's greatest asset, its employees.

A well-treated and motivated staff will develop loyalty and remain with a company for a long time. The goal is to create a culture of gratitude within your department. The role of the leader of the department is to effectively role-model the ways to show gratitude at all possible times. Here are three strong examples of ways you can establish a culture of gratitude within your organization or department. The first example is to encourage employees to celebrate each other This could be done by some type of structured recognition program where people can praise co-workers for specific behaviors or attitudes or another option would be a more anonymous recognition program where employees are encouraged to leave notes of gratitude for other employees in a designated location.

The second example is to show your appreciation for the entire team by hosting special events or activities. I do this in my department by having a monthly luncheon to show appreciation for my staff and their hard work. Another major event was a scramble tournament for employees that we planned. This allowed the employees to play golf on the course and increase team building skills while experiencing the importance of etiquette and safety, seeing things from the perspective of a member or guest on the course and recognizing what guest/member needs are. The main guideline for the scramble tournament was be positive, enjoy what you do, have fun, be happy and you will be successful. Last, but not least, make "thank you" a phrase heard daily. These two simple words have a significant impact on making employees, and people in general, feel valued and appreciated. By establishing a culture of gratitude, you will not only have happier employees, but employees who are more engaged, motivated, and loyal.

My philosophy focuses on teaching and demonstrating to my employees the values for life, teamwork, etiquette, communication, leadership and motivation and then most importantly, having the expectation that they put these skills to use every day on the job. Richard Branson once said: "Train people well enough so they can leave; treat them well enough so they don't want to."

Albuquerque, NM

Mesquite, NM

8905 Adams NE P 505-797-5800 F 505-797-5859

251 John Grisham P 575-233-3171 F 575-233-2790

Golf at Sandia!

Paul Tratechaud sizes up his next shot

Annual Meeting attendees were treated to a great golf course and a spectacular day on the Sandia golf course.

Paul “Mickleson� Cassidy

18th Green at Sandia

Denny, Cassidy and Cloud

Matt Allen looking over the shoulder of Karl Troeger hamming it up for the camera.

Power alignment

A stride of confidence!

Presidential Putting Pose Mark Hanson and Clay Guck conducting strategic planning prior to tee time

Tournament Winners!

THIRD PLACE - Matt Dusenbery, Laurie Meredith, Aaron Taylor and Joe Dosstter

CHAMPIONS - Robb Stuart, Jeremy Roth, Brett Shaffer and Larry Suzuki RUNNER UPS - Karl Troeger, Matt Alcala, not pictured - Matt Allen and Paul Tratechaud

National survey shows golf courses using nearly 22 percent less water than eight years ago Survey conducted by Golf Course Superintendents Association of America also shows increased water conservation practices at U.S. courses Lawrence, Kan. (Dec. 1, 2015) - Golf course superintendents used 21.8 percent less water overall and just 1.44 percent of all irrigated water in the U.S. to maintain their courses in 2013, compared with usage in 2005, according to recently released survey data. The survey was conducted by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and funded by the United State Golf Association (USGA) through GCSAA’s Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG).

The survey results from nearly 2,000 golf course superintendents were collected and independently analyzed by scientists at PACE Turf and the National Golf Foundation (NGF), which published the findings for peer review before making the information public.

"This study shows us that the golf industry has been addressing water issues for some time and is realizing positive results. The numbers show that golf course superintendents across the country have reduced water consumption," said Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D., co-owner of PACE Turf, which has been providing data analysis for the golf industry for more than 25 years. "There is always room for improvement, however; and I think we will see even Continued on Next Pageless water being used and fewer acres being irrigated in the years ahead."

Along with reducing overall water usage by 500,000 acre-feet, golf course superintendents increased their use of recycled water by 33 percent over the last study. Both of those trends are positive for the industry, since golf courses are able to filter recycled water before it re-enters the ecosystem.

Golf course superintendents also have demonstrated water savings through turf reduction and improved technologies, such as computer-controlled targeted irrigation systems and sensors that measure soil moisture. Since 2005, golf courses have reduced managed irrigated turf by 14,430 acres, enough of a reduction to cover more than 100 golf courses. This reduction does not include golf course closures.

In addition, the study provides data on average water use in the seven different agronomic regions of the country, with water usage the lowest in the Northeast and the highest in the Southeast and Southwest – two regions that have year-round play and turf growth.

"The golf course superintendent profession is committed to science-based technologies and environmental stewardship," said Rhett Evans, CEO of GCSAA. "We hope that this national study will demonstrate our commitment to efficient water management and inspire the industry to continue to lead in the future. In the end, water management is about providing playing conditions that satisfy the needs of golfers today without compromising the needs of the future."

It's not surprising to find water usage down and water costs up nationally for golf course managers. The picture of the golf industry has changed, and it will continue to evolve, even at the national championship level, where the world’s best players are seeing a shift from overall uniform green to firmer surfaces that receive less water.

Visit www.gcsaa.org to review the complete survey report.

Over the next two years, GCSAA will publish four additional national surveys in key areas related to golf course management as part of its Golf Course Environmental Profile. Each of those surveys is also being funded by the USGA through the EIFG.

More Great Views from Sandia

RGGCSA Next Event

January 25, 2016 2016 Kickoff Meeting Rockwind Community Links Hobbs, NM More details and registration coming soon.

Ninety chapters send delegates to meeting at GCSAA headquarters

More than 100 members from 90 chapters visited GCSAA headquarters last week to cover topics ranging from a final look at the revised members

Two-day session provides superintendents the opportunity for learning, feedback and community

standards proposal, to a chance to hear from candidates nominated for the 2016 board of directors. In addition, delegates participated in constructive dialogue on association issues such as committee structure and marketing initiatives for the association’s 17,500 members.

For some of the new attendees, it was a chance to learn more about their association.

“I now have a new appreciation for how the association is run and the true value that we receive by simply getting involved,” said GCSA of New England representative Greg Cormier, a certified golf course superintendent (CGCS) and director of golf course operations at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Mass.

Jake Snyman, golf course superintendent at the Palmer Lakeside course at Barton Creek in Austin, Texas, was equally impressed: “I got more out of this than anything I have done in the last 12 years I have been a member,” said Snyman, a 40-year-old from South Africa who has been a superintendent at Barton Creek for three years and was in Lawrence representing the Central Texas GCSA. Russ Dooge, CGCS, thought it was time well spent, too, even though he has been connected to GCSAA leadership as a chapter delegate annually since 1996.

Dooge, a longtime superintendent and now general manager with golf course management oversight at The Dunes at Maui Lani Golf Course, traveled nearly 4,000 miles from Hawaii for the opportunity to spend 48 hours talking with fellow members and GCSAA staff.

“We talked about member standards at my first chapter delegates meeting in 1997,” recalled Dooge, a member of the Hawaii GCSA. “It is important. But what we are doing in advocacy for the profession and the golf industry as a whole is huge. That is something I can’t do, and it helps me stay in business.”

GCSAA President John O’Keefe, CGCS, gave an overview of the member standards proposal that will be presented for membership approval at the 2016 Golf Industry Show in February. That proposal, developed after more than a year of discussions with chapter delegates and other members,

will slightly increase the education points needed for Class A renewal as well as modify the requirements for eligibility, which will continue to be based on a combination of formal education, experience and earned education points.

“While there was some discussion about what will qualify for service points in a strong education platform, I am pleased that we have the full backing and direction from our delegates to move forward,” said O’Keefe, director of golf courses management at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, N.J. “Class A member standards are important for defining who we are, both individually and collectively. They frame a member’s professional identity.”

In addition, GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans shared with delegates a brief snapshot of their association’s priority programs, an overview of how the association has been strengthened in recent years, and a preview of plans for the 2016 Golf Industry Show in San Diego. There was also time devoted to a free-flowing Town Hall session.

Thank You, Jimmy Rodriguez Jimmy did a great job representing the Rio Grande GCSA at this event in Kansas City.

Thank you for your commitment to the profession and the association!

GCSAA’s 2016 Annual Meeting The 2016 Annual Meeting of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America will be held at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, in Ballroom 6A of the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif., as part of the 2016 Golf Industry Show

By now, many of you have heard the very difficult story about RGGCSA member Matthew Dusenbery.

And many of you have made very generous donations that have been a tremendous help to Matthew and his family. We wanted to remind you all again and encourage you to share the message as we enter the holiday season. Thank you!

Emma Raquel & Matthew – Click here to donate: GoFundMe Matthew, and his wife, Raquel, were blessed with their first child, Emma, on October 21.They were told that they would never have children. She is a medical miracle. Unimaginably, Raquel passed away only hours after giving birth due to severe complications. This account was established to help support Matthew and Emma with unexpected expenses, medical expenses and any other necessities related to a new baby. Many people have asked our family about the best way to show their love and support in this time of need. Please consider donating or sharing this with someone that may want to.

Thank you for your prayers and generosity.

GCSAA Field Staff Representative Brian Cloud has featured Matt’s story in his GCSAA blog. Please visit the blog: HERE

The story is also scheduled to appear in the January issue of Golf Course Management Magazine.

Thank you Brian!