I realize that to some of you it may sound like I am blowing up the skirt of Golfdom, and to some extent I am, but for those of you who know me, know that any form of praise from me has to be deserved and the Golfdom Summit was one of the highest marks of my golf course maintenance career.
The first ever Golfdom Summit was held at Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, N.C., and featured a unique educational experience that combined boardroom/case studies with one-on-one meetings. There were also plenty of networking opportunities including playing historic Pinehurst No.2. Pinehurst No. 2 is one of many courses on my bucket list so I was able to kill two birds with one stone. (Next on my list, Whistling Straits!)
Featured this year as keynote speakers were Rees Jones, Goldfom’s own research editor Clark Throssell, Ph.D., Anthony Williams, CGCS, CGM, Bob Farren, CGCS, Ken Mangum, CGCS and Seth Jones, editor-in-chief of Golfdom magazine. All of the speakers were great but getting to meet and listen to Rees Jones was the highlight of my trip. Rees gave a presentation on the evolution of championship golf that included before and after construction photos of the top echelon courses in the U.S. For a golf junkie like me and probably most of you it just doesn’t get any better than playing No. 2 in the morning and listening to Rees Jones in the evening!
I also had the pleasure of meeting some great superintendents from around the country. One of the best benefits of the Summit over a traditional trade show is having the opportunity to be in small groups throughout the duration of the event.
For those of you that are interested in the 2012 Golfdom Summit, more information is coming soon. Pat Roberts, publisher of Golfdom assured me the 2012 Summit would be happening!
The December issue of Golfdom will have a feature article on the first Golfdom Summit so I don’t want to give away all the goodies now. Just make sure to check out Decembers issue!
-- Matt Hendren
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