The SuperNews OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIO GRANDE GCSA
December 2019 President Jimmy Rodriquez Vice President Matt Hughes Secretary / Treasurer Roy Johnson Board of Directors: Paul Kerr Mac Blevins John Adams Matt Urban (Past Pres.) Vendor Representative Bryan Klock Chapter Executive Carol Cloud GCSAA Field Rep John Walker
Greeting to all,
President’s Message
As I sit here on Black Friday November 29, 2019 I am thankful I am not out shopping! I am very pleased to be serving as second term president of RGGCSAA chapter following in the footsteps of many in the past. The annual meeting went well at Albuquerque Country Club with our host Joe Dosstter. The staff from the sweater folder side had to come in on normally their day off and could not have been more cordial to all. The board has changed a bit for the next year. Roy Johnson San Juan Country Club has moved from Secretary/ Treasurer to the Vice Presidential role and John Adams New Mexico Tech Golf Course has moved up from a Director to Secretary/Treasurer. Paul Kerr University of New Mexcio Golf Course and Mac Blevins Desert Lakes Golf Course continue as Directors for 2020. To fill our third Director position we have a new board member Aaron Sunderlin - Black Mesa Golf Club. Matt Urban at Alto Lakes Golf Club is also continuing with the board for one more year as immediate past President. Thank you all for wanting serve the chapter for the upcoming year! I want to take this opportunity to thank Matt Hughes Rockwind Community Links for the past several years of service being an active member of the RGCSA board. Matt had to step down in October 2019 as our past year Vice President due to new work constraints. Matt will be missed for all his contributions to the association. Matt was the main liaison securing grants from GCSAA twice for the funding of our state BMP efforts. We have locations for the upcoming meeting schedule but we a currently still working on dates. The meeting schedule is as follows: • • • • •
January: New Mexico State University with our host Karl Olsen, Las Cruces, date TBD March: Sierra Del Rio Golf Course, Elephant Butte NM, date TBD May: Taos Country Club with our host Mike Furgerson, Monday May 18th. This will be a combined meeting with the Rocky Mountain GCSA of Colorado July: Fox Run Golf Course with our host Matt Alcala, Gallop NM, date TBD October: Twin Warriors Golf Course with our host Mike Adkins, Monday October 19th This will be the Annual Meeting and will include elections for new board members.
Brian Cloud has what the board feels is a final draft ready to be presented to state agencies for our State BMP guidelines for RGGCSA. We are hoping to have this document published in early 2020. Brian is still in need of photos to add more NM pictures from your course to the document. Once published the next step will be to form a committee to address the individual course BMP adoption. Then moving forward possible certification of courses and individual drill down for your course using the State BMP as the guide. More info to come! I hope the upcoming months will be filled with moisture since I blew out my irrigation in early December!
Jimmy Rodriguez RGGCSA President
Member Article
My Journey
Lucy Castaneda, Superintendent UNM North Course Mountain West GolfScapes, Inc lucy@mwgs.us
My Journey began when I followed my dad around the golf course and started playing when I was eleven years old as a Jr. Golfer then high school golf, college golf, and then the Mini Tour. When I was in college, 1981-1983, I applied at the University of New Mexico maintenance department with Al Kline as a greens keeper. (Actually I went to the Pro Shop first, but they didn’t have any openings, so they sent me to see Al) Starting pay back then was $3.25 per hour….Wow, how things have changed. While I was working there, I became pro, and played the Mini Tour from 1983 until 1987. I tried for 3 years to get my LPGA card, but was not able to obtain it. I realized then that the pressure was a little too much for me, so I stopped playing golf for a while, and focus more on my career. While working at the maintenance department for the University of New Mexico, the staff was made up of 5 women and 7 men. Out of those women, 1 became an Assistant Superintendent, and I was the Irrigation Tech. The rest went on to other fields of work. I slowly climbed the ladder to become the Assistant in 2006. In 2009 I became a Superintendent at the University of New Mexico North Golf Course, thanks to John Mondragon at Mountain West GolfScapes. During this time I have not heard of any other women superintendents’ in the state of New Mexico, just Assistants. I read an article a few months ago, that only 1% of women in the United States are Superintendents. It’s like public safety, or any other job, where there are more men on staff than women. We as women just need to show everyone that we can do the job, even while going through breast cancer. Yes, breast cancer. I was diagnosed December 20, 2016 and worked through the whole treatment, surgery, and radiation. Finished up with everything March of 2018, and I am good now. Through these years, I have had 5 men that were my bosses. Besides what my dad taught me, responsibility, respect, take pride in whatever you do, dedication, and be dependable, Al Kline was my first boss and mentor. I worked with him for 16 years before he retired. He taught me so much about responsibility, hard work, and what it takes to have a good golf course. This is not an easy job, it can be labor intensive at times, where instead of working 8 hours, you could be working 12-16 hours, holidays, and even weekends. So if you have a family, you don’t see them very much especially when you get up at 3:45 a.m. and don’t get home until 4:00 p.m. You have dinner, relax for a bit and in bed by 8:00 p.m. We always have obstacles that get in the way of our work which we have to overcome. For instance, the lack of staff, budget restrictions, equipment breaking down, trying to keep up with the mowing, irrigation leaks, hydraulic leaks, disease from too much rain, hot weather, cold weather, irrigation lines and heads freezing, weed control, grub control, tournaments, windy days, limbs breaking off of old trees and last but not least, trying to keep everybody happy…..golfers, walkers, joggers, and even dogs. It continues to be a great adventure for me and I am very fortune to say, I have been doing this golf course business now for 38 years, and I LOVE WHAT I DO. I am truly blessed to have family, friends, and especially my wife that are so supportive.
The RGGCSA’s event lineup wrapped up in November with the Annual Meeting held at beautiful and prestigious Albuquerque Country Club. Our host was former RGGCSA President Joe Dosstter - pictured on left with President Jimmy Rodriguez. ACC rolled out the red carpet with a great meeting venue and terrific food. Joe and his staff had the golf course in excellent condition for the golf event following the business meeting and lunch. Our sponsor for the event was Winfield United hosted by long time RGGCSA member and former President John King. Winfield has been a strong and generous supporter of the chapter and we appreciate their support very much. Jimmy Rodriguez will serve as President of the association. He provided a financial overview of the association and presided over the 2020 officer and director elections.
Thank you and congratulations to our 2020 Board of Directors. Left to Right - Past President Matt Urban, Vice President John Adams, Director Aaron Sunderlin, Vice President Roy Johnson, Director Mac Blevins, Director Paul Kerr, and President Jimmy Rodriguez.
First Time Director Aaron Sunderlin of Black Mesa Golf Club. Thank you for serving Aaron!
Our education speaker for the event was Sam Bauer (below), owner of Bauer Turf - specializing in turfgrass consulting, education and research. Sam gave a very informative talk on Soil Wetting Agents. You can learn more about Sam and his company at bauerturf.com and on twitter @bauerturf.
Everyone was a winner who enjoyed the great conditions at Albuquerque Country Club for a fun day of golf. Winning was kicked off my Paul Kerr (top left) who was all smiles after winning the 50/50 pot and a nice little stash of cash. No meeting is complete without longtime RGGCSA member Paul Tratechaud (top right) in attendance and leading the lunch charge. Thank you to our generous proximity prize donors, Mountain West GolfScapes and Helena. And congratulations to our winning teams: Runner Ups - 61 Roy Johnson Anthony Garcia Brian Kayser Harold Zuni
Third Place - 62 Todd Huslig Mac Blevins Larry Suzuki Jimmy Rodriguez
Championship - 59 Joe Dosstter Michael Jones Clay Guck Dan Turnham
Director of Athletics New Mexico State University
Chapter Delegates Provide Essential Feedback on GCSAA Programs by Steve Randall | Nov 27, 2018 84 delegates representing 89 chapters convene in Lawrence and Kansas City for the 2019 GCSAA Chapter Delegates Meeting
Association Report
Key Messages
CEO J. Rhett Evans briefed delegates on the state of GCSAA. GCSAA is in a strong financial position with investments totaling $7.7 million. The EIFG has $9.9 million in reserves. GCSAA has an operating budget of $18 million. Evans shared the following highlights: How GCSAA is funded 48% industry support 25% member dues 18% user fees How GCSAA spends its money 32% education; advocacy and environmental programs 29% Golf Industry Show 10% member and chapter services GCSAA is a not for profit – revenue is used to support programs and services that benefit GCSAA members.
State BMP Implementation and Facility Adoption – The delegates received an update on GCSAA's goal of
BMPs in all 50 states by 2020. Mark Johnson, associate director of environmental programs, thanked the chapters that have been working diligently on making this goal a reality. There are currently 21 states with a BMP in place, 17 states that will finish up in 2019 and the remaining 12 states are anticipated to be complete by 2020. Johnson advised that facility adoption workshops have begun. Chapters can request grants to help offset the costs of this important next step.
Golf Industry Show – COO Robert M. Randquist, CGCS ,shared information regarding the 2020 Golf Industry Show Including the layout of the trade show floor and 50 percent of seminars offered this year are new plus 23 free sessions.
GCSAAPAC Fundraising – Kevin P. Sunderman, GCSAAPAC board chairman, briefed the delegates on a
few of the fundraising initiatives the GCSAAPAC has undertaken in the past year. Sunderman announced that the GCSAAPAC would sponsor a raffle during the meeting to help reach the goal of $15,000 raised in 2019.
Chapter Outreach Updates – John R. Fulling, Jr., CGCS, chairman, of the Affiliation Agreement Task Group, and Steve Randall, director of chapter outreach, covered updates around the GCSAA Affiliation Agreement, Chapter Assessment Survey and outreach activities. The Affiliation Agreement Task Group met in April to review the Affiliation Agreement.
Continued on Page 19
The 2019 Southwest Turfgrass Association Regional Landscape Conference and Expo was held in October at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North with great results thanks to an almost double attendance number of attendees from the 2018 event. All feedback was good regarding the education conference, tradeshow and meeting venue. The speaker lineup for the conference was outstanding highlighted and kicked off by a Keynote Address regarding the important Glyphosate debate presented by Dr. Becky Grubbs of Texas A&M University. Following lunch and tradeshow time, the first day of the conference finished with these great speakers: Dr. Marisa Thompson, NMSU Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University Dr. Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M John Daniels, USGA Agronomist Day 2 Continued with great education and trade show time. Thank you to the following speakers: Joran Viers, City of Albuquerque Dr. Becky Grubbs, Texas A&M Dr. Matteo Serena, NMSU Loren Dunlap, Winsupply Irrigation Dr. Elena Sevostianova, NMSU Dr. Bernd Leinauer, NMSU David Salas, SWTA President Dr. Carol Sutherland, NMSU Dr. Leslie Beck, NMSU The board of directors of the SWTA expresses sincere gratitude to all of our great speakers and to all who attended the event. They are also very appreciative to all of the terrific vendor members who sponsored activities through the event and who made the trade show great. We look forward to another great event in 2020!
Traffic School Brian Whitlark, USGA Agronomist Starting in October and November every year, golfers Stakes and ropes are used to direct golfers to enter flock to the desert southwest to escape the cold and enter and exit cart paths through the gates. Once golfers a sun-splashed golfing wonderland. This is the prime golf learn the system, only the gates are used. season for desert courses, and it will continue through April or May of the following year. This is the season where golf courses make the majority of their revenue and golfer expectations for great conditions are at their peak. With the increase in rounds, golf cart traffic is also at its peak for the year and managing traffic to minimize turf damage is a real challenge. Employing a version of traffic school is one way many courses in the Coachella Valley have successfully taught golfers where to exit and reenter cart paths. Courses have found success using the “gate system,� where two poles are used to direct golfers where to exit cart paths after teeing off and where to reenter the path near the green. However, early in the prime golf season, golfers may not be familiar with the proper etiquette for driving carts through the gates. A subtle form of education shows golfers how to use the gates, which ultimately helps to protect the turf health and aesthetics of their golf course. Courses use stakes and ropes to direct golf carts through the gates for the first few months of the prime golf season. Once the golfers are used to the system, courses often remove the stakes and ropes and leave only the gates to control traffic. In the winter, with minimal turf growth and potentially more than 100 carts per day navigating the course, it is necessary to move the gates, stakes and ropes as often as daily. While this is a labor-intensive process, it has proven to be an effective method to minimize turf damage. The process also becomes less time-consuming once golfers have learned to use only the gates. While traffic school is never fun, it has been a proven strategy to educate golfers on the best way to navigate carts to and from cart paths while minimizing turf damage. Best wishes during the winter season and please do not hesitate to contact the USGA Green Section West Office for more information on these strategies or any other agronomic practices.
2019
GOLD Sponsors
Title Sponsor - Annual Meeting November, Albuquerque CC, Abq. NM
Title Sponsor - May Meeting, Rockwind Community Links, Hobbs NM
Without your support we would not have a successful association!
Brian Hodges
Title Sponsor - January Meeting, Horizon Golf Club, Horizon, TX
Employee-owned since 2016. Thank you for your trust in our products and 330+ employee- owners. We are proud to serve you. ROBERT GONZALES
rgonzales@harrells.com (719) 648 - 3535
Title Sponsor - July Meeting, Black Mesa Golf Club, Santa Clara, NM
Title Sponsor - March Meeting, Sandia Resort, Albuquerque, NM
PGA of America donates $250,000 to GCSAA’s philanthropic organization The PGA of America committed its support to fostering golf ’s sustainability with a $250,000 donation over five years to the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG), the philanthropic organization of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). “We are fortunate to be in an industry where organizations representing the different aspects of the game come together for the greater good,” GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans said. “This generous gift from the PGA of America allows us to fund research, education and advocacy that helps strengthen all aspects of the game.” The PGA’s gift will be used for EIFG-funded programs such as First Green, a STEM-education program that brings school children to golf courses; the Best Management Practices initiative that showcases environmental sustainability; and advocacy efforts that give a voice to golf at all levels of government. The PGA of America has historically been an avid supporter of various EIFG initiatives. This pledge marks the fifth time the PGA has made a donation of $100,000 or more. Darrell Crall, PGA of America chief operating officer, sits on the EIFG Board of Trustees. “The PGA of America is proud to support the work of the Environmental Institute for Golf,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. “We know that in the capable hands of the EIFG, our donation will have a positive effect on the environment and all who love the game of golf.” The PGA’s gift is part of a five-year commitment to the EIFG and its mission of fostering sustainability through research, awareness, education programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game.
Chapter Delegates Meeting Review Continued from page 9 The task group recommended and the GCSAA Board approved five changes to the agreement. The most notable of these changes involved Section III. B, Promotional Materials and Logo. All chapters who accept GCSAA chapter logo grant monies are required to change their logos and abide by the GCSAA brand and style guide. Affiliation Agreements are due on Dec. 31. The GCSAA Assessment Survey will launch Nov. 15. This survey is conducted every three years and is used to benchmark chapter activities in 10 competency areas. The assessment survey is due on Dec. 31.
Advocacy and environmental Initiatives focus group – GCSAA staff
highlighted initiatives underway to help address environmental concerns and ways GCSAA is advocating on behalf of its members.The majority of the session was spent listening to feedback from the delegates as they shared their perspectives regarding these topics.
Professional development and career opportunities focus group - Qualified labor continues to be a
challenge impacting the membership. In the Professional Development and Career Opportunities focus group a few of GCSAA’s programs and initiatives that can be used to train and develop staff were shared, including assistant and equipment manager certificate programs, outreach efforts with FFA and high school students. Feedback was gathered from the delegates on additional ideas.
Town Hall Sessions – The GCSAA Board of Directors and delegates participated in two town hall sessions. The
first session facilitated by GCSAA Vice President John R. Fulling, Jr., CGCS, provided insight into serving on the GCSAA Board of Directors. The second session was an open format town hall facilitated by GCSAA President Rafael Barajas, CGCS.
Code of Ethics – The Federal Trade Commission’s anti-trust laws prohibits associations from limiting competition amongst members. GCSAA has revised its code of ethics to comply with federal law.
Candidate Presentations and Breakouts – The candidates for the 2020 GCSAA Board of Directors gave pre-
sentations and visited delegates in breakout rooms. The delegates were awarded ample time to interact and ask questions of the candidates.
Thank you to RGGCSA Secretary / Treasurer Roy Johnson for representing the chapter at the Chapter Delegates. We appreciate you taking time from your schedule and for your report at the November Annual Meeting. Thanks!
In summer 2017, a field study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of herbicide combinations and sequential applications on bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) control in Las Cruces, N.M. The labeled rates of fluazifop-p-butyl, clethodim, and low (2% v/v) and high (4% v/v) rates of glyphosate were each applied singly, or followed by one or two sequential applications of glyphosate (2% or 4%). Digital image analysis for bermudagrass cover (%) and visual ratings for bermudagrass injury (%) were collected weekly until 78 days after initial treatment. Although the single application of glyphosate (4%) caused greater injury than fluazifop-p-butyl and clethodim, all single applications of herbicides provided inferior bermudagrass control when compared with applications that included a sequential glyphosate treatment. With clethodim, adding one sequential application of either the high or low rates of glyphosate significantly decreased bermudagrass cover, indicating that there was no need for a second sequential application of glyphosate to increase injury. There was no evidence that one sequential application of the high rate of glyphosate provided better control of bermudagrass than one sequential application of the low rate. Two sequential applications of the high rate of glyphosate did not cause greater injury than two sequential applications of the low rate. Overall, bermudagrass injury was greater when clethodim was applied in conjunction with one sequential application of glyphosate; thus, there was no need for increased rates or numbers of sequential applications with this combination. — Leslie Beck, Ph.D., and Matteo Serena, Ph.D., New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M. Editor’s note: An earlier version of this summary was published in the 2018 ASA-CSSA Meeting Abstracts, ASA and CSSA, Madison, Wis.
A coalition of golf ’s leading associations and industry partners will be presented the group award for “Outstanding Volunteer Service” for their April service project, which achieved in just one day the equivalent of 800 hours of work and four months of labor from one National Park Service (NPS) employee. On April 30, the golf industry came together for the third-annual Community Service Project, which was part of the 12th annual National Golf Day. More than 200 participants demonstrated the industry’s commitment to collaboration on beautifying and preserving historical landmarks at the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the U.S. Capitol building. Golf industry leaders, led by GCSAA, volunteered to lay sod, rake, edge, over seed, aerate, mow, mulch, plant flowers and prune shrubs across 18 projects along the National Mall. “The work accomplished annually by our industry partners during National Golf Day’s Community Service Project serves as a prime example of collaboration for a purpose that is bigger than the sport itself,” says Greg McLaughlin, CEO of the World Golf Foundation. “Congratulations to everyone involved for a very deserving recognition.” The 2019 National Golf Day Community Service Project will be recognized during a ceremony at the NPS volunteer appreciation event held at Arlington National Cemetery on Saturday, Nov. 16. Chava McKeel, director of government affairs for Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), will accept the award on behalf of the industry. “The golf industry has been coming to Washington annually since 2007, so we wanted to find a way to give back to our Nation’s Capital,” says Chava McKeel, director of government affairs for GCSAA, who leads the community service project effort. “Being able to have 200+ volunteers help beautify and preserve the National Mall has been a personal dream come true and is a great example of golf ’s dedication to the environment.” “Golf Course Superintendents and other golf facility professionals have such a high attention to detail, operations and logistics that it makes the half day of work so productive,” says Michael Stachowicz, manager of preservation maintenance for NPS. “The work completed is not only essential, the entire effort results in mentorship and training for both the volunteers and staff.” Planning is now underway for the 2020 Community Service Project on the National Mall on May 5, which will lead into National Golf Day on May 6. Under the banner of WE ARE GOLF, an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, this year’s National Golf Day produced a record-high 244 meetings with members of Congress representing 41 states to discuss the game’s $84.1 billion economy, nearly $4 billion annual charitable impact, 15,000 diverse businesses and two million jobs impacted across the United States. Throughout National Golf Day, data-driven metrics and trends reinforce the importance of the sport – from how it supports the U.S. economy to ways in which innovation is driving important topics around the environment, accessibility and inclusivity, and positively impacting the lives of Americans every day. National Golf Day is an annual time in which the golf industry comes together to raise awareness of its economic and societal impact on the U.S. with lawmakers in Washington D.C. and in local communities.
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