Merewitz gets Musser award

The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation has selected Dr. Emily Merewitz, Assistant Professor in Molecular Turfgrass Biology at Michigan State University, as the 2013 Award of Excellence recipient. 

The award is given to outstanding Ph.D. candidates who, in the final phase of their graduate studies, demonstrate overall excellence throughout their doctoral program in turfgrass research.

Dr. Merewitz received her B.S. degrees in Plant Science and Plant Biotechnology from Rutgers University. She went on to earn her Ph.D. at Rutgers under the tutelage of Dr. Bingru Huang in molecular turfgrass physiology which is now the focus of her teaching and research at MSU.

“I am very grateful to be considered and to have received such a prestigious award,” Merewitz said. “It is quite an honor and it will motivate me even more to excel in the turfgrass industry. The industry has been extremely supportive of my research and this award means a lot to me.”

The criteria for selecting award recipients include graduate work, academic record, dissertation, publications, leadership and extracurricular activities. To date, awards have been granted to doctoral students from universities including; Arizona, Auburn, Cornell, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Michigan State, Rutgers, Tennessee, and Texas A&M.

To learn more about Professor H. Burton Musser, the foundation’s history and past recipients of the award, visit www.musserfoundation.org.

Snow day!

A view out the back door here at Golfdom editorial HQ in Eudora, Kan. But we're still open for business because the commute is just to the basement!

Take that, Yahoo!

New Hunter Industries president Greg Hunter positioned for success

Just got off the phone with Greg Hunter. In the wake of his father Richard's recent retirement, Hunter talked to us about how it feels to fill his father's shoes as company president, his own strengths and his goals for the company.

"I've been working for this for most of my life, and I feel very comfortable and very well prepared for it," he said. "There's been a lot of effort made over the years to make sure I've had the right kind of exposure, and I feel very confident."

As for following in his father's footsteps, Hunter said, "There are some things I'll never be able to do as well as he does."But Hunter is his own man, and he's looking forward to drawing on his own strengths as president -- especially his marketing savvy -- to grow the company into the future.

We'll have more of our interview with Greg Hunter in our March issue!

Audubon International make a move

Audubon International has relocated to its newly purchased headquarters situated in the Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy, N.Y.


The new office will allow Audubon International to continue enhancing its program offerings through an expanded workforce, and also enable the organization to operate out of an energy-efficient building in a more central, convenient location. Audubon International’s new mailing address is as follows:     

120 Defreest Drive
Troy, NY 12180
518-767-9051 (o)
518-767-9076 (f)

Rather be lucky or good?

Back on the road again, this time on a not-so-public, secret mission where I won't be blogging too much. As opposed to the GIS, where we blogged every hour...

So in the meantime, check out what I scored last week at the local casino! My second royal flush ever. The $1.25 bet paid out $1,000. That gave me a rush! I was down to my last couple bucks, too. Happy Valentine's Day to me!

Causing a stink

Trouble was cooking at one Oklahoma golf course, yesterday. Guess you never know what you'll find in the port-a-potty! Check it out here.

Wayne Kappelman is the 2013 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year!

BIG NEWS!

Today we unveil our February issue, which proudly presents Sharp Park superintendent WAYNE KAPPELMAN as our 2013 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year!

Read all about it here.

And check out our video interview with Kappelman here.

For winning this award, Wayne gets the cover story (and 100 extra copies of the magazine to share with his family and friends) as well as expenses-paid trips to the 2013 Golfdom Summit and the 2014 Golf Industry Show.

Congrats Wayne!!!

Black widow bite? No problem

Check out this story from Yahoo! Sports' "Devil Ball Golf" blog...

A golfer in Australia gets bit by a black widow mid-round, but continues playing... after cutting her leg to squeeze out the venom!

Back to reality (Or: Back from my best show ever)

It always takes me a day or two to get back to reality after the GIS. That's me, a week ago today, enjoying a cold one from the pitcher's mound at PetCo Park in San Diego. Now, I'm back in my home office, trying to make sense of all the business cards and flash drives I collected over three quick days at the Golf Industry Show.

Even waiting at the airport and the flight home was productive. While waiting for my flight, I was invited to two different events. On my flight, I was seated next to one of our loyal advertisers.

Everyone I talked to was thrilled with the GIS. A lot of business was conducted, a lot of traffic at the booths, a lot of socializing once the show closed. If you missed it, you missed a great event. If you were there, you know what I'm talking about.

For me personally, the show couldn't have gone any better. The Golfdom redesign created a serious buzz for my magazine, and I heard a lot of high praise for the new look. My favorite compliment was when someone who is well known as a harsh critic told us the new look was "an absolute home run" and his colleague said "I'm looking at Golfdom and it feels like I'm reading Esquire."

For a magazine journalist and a fan of Esquire, that's like playing pick-up basketball and having a stranger tell you your game reminds him of the one time he got to play against Jordan. Or to put it in superintendent terms, that's like having a member's guest tell you the greens reminded him of Pine Valley.

Yeah, my head about floated right off my head when I heard that compliment. I needed someone to bring me back down to earth again. But instead I saw someone sitting in the airport reading the new issue and I couldn't help but smile. My best show ever? Probably.

Until the next one, at least.

Florida GCSA reception hits the deck

Of the Palomar Hotel in San Diego, that is. Golfdom columnist Joel Jackson (left), the association's director of communications, is holding court as superintendents and other industry notables from throughout the state gather on the hotel terrace to bid adieu to another GIS.

The guys aren't messing around with their shots, either, as you can see!

Let's race

One happy golfer

Rain o'er me

Stick it in

Tree injection at the Mauget booth

Meet Karl

at the Carolinas GCSA reception, which was at Karl Strauss Brewery

Loud and clear

Loudmouth apparel was popular on the trade show floor.

Punchy

The Dow booth

Catchy

Welcome ...

... to San Diego

Pigmentation

At the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, Frank Rossi, Ph.D., turf extension specialist at Cornell University, discussed turfgrass color, specifically the influx of pigment products into the market. A low percentage of superintendents use pigments now, but Rossi expects that changing during the next five years. 

A criticism of using pigment products is that they can mask something superintendents need to see on the turf. Rossi says the slightest imperfection in annual bluegrass causes many superintendents who manage it to overreact and make knee-jerk decisions.

"I'm happy to paint annual bluegrass green so we see less colors in the turf," he says. "With bentgrass, though, one might take a different approach." 

Furthermore, pigments block ultraviolet light, which causes more oxidation in and damage to the plant, so pigments help protect the plant from the damaging effects of light.  

To date, all research points to the benefits of using pigments without any downsides, but Rossi says superintendents need to continue to discriminate when buying these type of products.

- John Walsh

Talking tan turf

At the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, Frank Rossi, Ph.D., turf extension specialist at Cornell University, discussed the color of turf. He started the presentation by referencing David Fay, the former executive director of the U.S. Golf Association, who has been outspoken about embracing a turfgrass color other than green. Rossi had been critical of Fay for embracing brown, which has been a persistent message from the USGA. However, that's not what golfers, especially in the larger U.S. markets, want or expect. Furthermore, superintendents can get themselves into trouble with members if they go down the brown road.

 

Rossi was surprised to hear seasoned golf course superintendents being critical of the brown look and their focus on the visual aspect of turfgrass.

 

"Are we part of the problem?" he asks. "Do we have egos? We like the green, don't we. I became part of the problem when I criticized Fay. It behooves us to think about the balance of the visual aspects of turf with how it plays. When we make decisions to improve the way turf looks – irrigation is a good example – are we lessening its playability?

 

"Can we live with tan?" Rossi adds. "Can we have less of a bias toward visibility and more of a bias toward playability."

 

Rossi cites the R&A, which he says is bold about promoting sustainability and as part of that is encouraging a wider use of fescues.

 

There are many moving parts to consider to strike a balance between the visual and playability aspects of turf. As such, superintendents need to be able to recognize their clientele and discuss with them taking a more sustainable approach to managing turfgrass.

 

"Maybe breeders will work on a grass that holds color longer while we dry it," Rossi says.

- John Walsh

A bird's eye view ...

... in the Toro booth

Legoland

In the Crop Production Services booth

A giant sausage?

No. Just a gimmick in the Sandmat booth.

Joe Schmo and Jay Blasi

Came by to say hi to us at the Golfdom booth!

Suck it up

Harper Industries' turbo vac

Vroom, vroom

Let's go for a ride.

Spin the wheel!

The  EZ Hybrid Turf booth

Come on in

The Green Flush Technologies booth

Nice pants!

Style in the Arysta booth

Orange, orange everywhere

Jacobsen with a significant presence in the Gaslamp District

Think pink ...

... at the Standard Golf booth

Former Navy SEAL teaches golf to disabled vets

Fred Brattain's main goal in life is to give back, and he's been quite successful in attaining that goal. Brattain, a former Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam, teaches disabled U.S. military veterans the game of golf. While he's been doing that for years, he established the Disability Golfers Learning Foundation (disabilitygolfer.com) in Corona, Calif., three years ago.

 

Brattain, who has had 13 knee operations, has golfed since he was 8 years old. Pebble Beach was his home course, where he paid $75 a year for all the golf he could play. Brattain travels all over the country to VA hospitals to host clinics about the game of golf free of charge.

 

"He'll always continue to do this," says Joni Collins, Brattain's partner. "He has a great heart."

 

On Feb. 5, the California Golf Course Owners Association recognized Brattain with an annual award for community service for his work with disabled veterans and ADA compliance with golf courses at a reception during the Golf Industry Show in San Diego.

 

"I'm proud of the work Fred has done to help our veterans find there way in life," says Ed Smilow, Esq., the executive director of the California Golf Course Owners Association who has a law practice called Golf Course Law based in La Quinta, Calif. "I'm pleased as punch to recognize him tonight."

 

Smilow has known Brattain for years. They first met when Brattain was Smilow's student at the Professional Golfers Career College in Temecula, Calif.

 

Brattain, who also teaches computer skills to adults at military bases throughout the country, provided the entertainment for the reception as he played guitar and sang songs.

- John Walsh

GIS here we come

Ready or not!

Don't forget your November issue of GCM

Going to the GIS? Don't forget your November issue of GCM!

No, I'm not losing my mind. Listen:

In this post last week I complained that the GCSAA didn't print a GIS program this year. Well, I was wrong. Apologies to the GCSAA. They did print a program, it's in the back of the November GCM (this was the issue with the cover that had a close up of the "control" button on a computer keyboard.)

Sorry, I missed it. Now I know where it is. I will tear this out (sorry, I can't be walking around the GIS holding a GCM!) and take it with me.

I also see GCSAA included a few different languages in the program. That's cool -- well done.

I would still rather have it as a separate piece, but at least it's somewhere and not just digital (digital-only... thumb's down!)

There was some other discussion generated by that post, regarding my complaints on this year's keynote speakers. You can check it out here by scrolling down to the comments -- GCSAA gave a pretty lengthy response.

What do you think? Keep the conversation going! Or vote in the poll on this page. Am I being unfair to this year's speakers??

I'll try to post some thoughts later. Right now there's a GIS to plan for, an issue to get out the door, and an episode of The Joe Schmo Show on the DVR. I gotta get moving!

Tweeting at the GIS

Be sure you're following us on Twitter next week while we're at the Golf Industry Show.

If you're not at the show, we'll be tweeting out all the cool sights we see, doing our best to bring you to San Diego with us.

If you will be at the show, I've got a box full of free stuff turf companies have been sending me since last year's GIS... I want to give this stuff away. It's books, gizmos, etc.

The only catch? I'll ask you what you thought about whatever it is I gave you after the fact, so I can tell our readers your opinion!

Follow us here: @Golfdom

The Andersons to unveil new iPad app at GIS

Received this from our friends at The Andersons. I think the most noteworthy part is at the end, so I've boldfaced and italicized it below.

Here's the press release, in its entirety:

The Andersons, Inc. Turf & Specialty Group’s professional business is pleased to exhibit at the Golf Industry Show February 6 – 7, 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center at booth #2438. The Andersons serves the golf industry worldwide with a product portfolio of fertilizers, amendments, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators, and spreaders.

A non-GIS reason to attend the GIS

If you're looking for one more reason to grab that last-second ticket to San Diego for next week's Golf Industry Show, I've got one for you: The Who.

Yes, the Who. As in, Roger Daltry, Pete Townshend, Pinball Wizard, Baba O'Riley... you know, The Who!

They're playing on Tuesday night at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego. They'll be performing their album Quadrophenia in its entirety. Tickets are still available.

I'm only a radio fan of The Who, so you won't have to worry about me missing any Tuesday night VIP events (you know who you are) for the show. But if you're finding out about this for the first time and you are a Who fan, I'll except your thank you in the form of a concert T-shirt, size XL.

Teenage wasteland! 

The new look is live!

We're live!

If it hasn't hit your mailbox yet, here it is... the newly redesigned GOLFDOM. We hope you enjoy.

I've got it here on my desk, and I'm excited about the way it looks. Now that I'm holding the issue in my hands, I'm happy it's all finally come together. But I'm like many of you in that I'm rarely satisfied with the finished product, so I'm already thinking of ways we can improve on this foundation... but we've got a solid foundation for sure. We'll keep tweaking and work on perfecting what we've started.

What do you think of the way the new logo stretches off the sides of the cover? What about the new paper finish we're using for the cover? What about Starter? The golf joke? My Second Office? The redesigned 19th Hole? ...Super Science???

Leave me your comments here or shoot me an email. We would love to hear your feedback.

Bacon Bomb!

Not as delicious as it sounds!

Opinion: This GIS speakers line-up needs some Monster energy drink

One of the most yawn-inspiring press releases of the new year hit my inbox yesterday, and that was the announcement of the two keynote speakers at the GIS: Tim Rosaforte and Brandel Chamblee.

Now I know why the GCSAA was so slow to release this news… because it wasn't news. The only way an announcement should be made about Rosaforte's presence at the show is if he accidentally left his reporter's notebook in the men's room and needed help finding it.

I know I sound bitter, and I hate to gripe about the GIS because it's my old colleagues who put on the show. I know they're doing all they can to make it a success. But I heard it said out loud over cocktails at last week's STMA show in Daytona Beach, Fla., in reference to the GIS; sometimes you need to be reminded that you have to spend money to make money.

I don't know that an A-list personality sells more tickets to the show, but in my opinion it helps (especially if you promote that celebrity). The person doesn't have to be an A-list celebrity, I'll take B- or C-list in a down economy. I think of all the GIS shows I've been to, and I always appreciated when they had a Norman Schwarzkopf or even a David Feherty (Feherty is two steps up the celebrity ladder from Rosaforte, in my book) to speak. It was an added bonus to being at the show, something to get people talking.

Back on the road

This trip is off to a good start! Free upgrade to a new Camaro SS at the car rental!

Kudos to GCSAA Distinguished Service Award winners

Just a shout out to the four recipients of the 2013 Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award. Frank Lamphier, Ken Mangum, Dennis Lyon and Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D., are this year's honorees, and they'll be acknowledged at the 2013 GCSAA Education Conference in San Diego Feb. 6. Way to go!

Sports Turf Managers Association show waves chekered flag in Daytona

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A town best known for rowdy spring breakers and race cars tempoararily became sports turf managers central, as turf pros from around the country flocked to the annual STMA show.

As the Sports Turf Managers Association’s 24^th Annual Conference and Exhibition in Daytona Beach, Fla., wrapped up, the news seemed to be good. Attendee numbers appeared to be up, action on the trade show floor was good and both attendees and exhibitors seemed to be happy.

“It’s been excellent, we’ve had more pre-registrants this year than we’ve had any other year,” Kim Heck, CEO of the STMA, said. “The numbers aren’t final yet, but we expect this year’s attendance to be larger than last year’s.”

Zach Holm, head groundskeeper for the York (Pa.) Revolution, was attending his sixth STMA conference and said the show was going in the right direction.

“It seems like there’s a few more (people), but not terribly bigger, but bigger than my first year when it was in Phoenix. And there seems to be more and more students,” Holm said.

Joe Schmo is one of us

I just got off the phone with Joe Schmo. Or, as he is known to his friends and colleagues in our industry, Chase Rogan.

Chase, an agronomist from Pittsburgh, is the star of the new Spike TV series Joe Schmo: The Full Bounty. If you're not familiar with the concept of the show, it's a fake reality show. I know, aren't all reality shows fake? But this one, all of the competitors on the show are actors playing a role… except for the "Joe" who doesn't know that the other competitors are actors and that the whole thing is a sham. On this new season, which airs on Tuesdays on Spike, Chase is the Joe.

It makes for pretty funny TV, actually.

Rogan owns Pure Turf Consulting in Pittsburgh. He's got an M.S. from Penn State and is working on a few research projects right now, including one on snow mold.

So is Chase looking to change careers, and become a professional bounty hunter, which is the grand prize of the show?

"No," he laughs. "I was in it to win the $100,000."

So… did he win the money?

New issue out the door/STMA here we come

WHEW!

What will the new mag look like? Wait and see!

Finally, I can take a deep breath.

We just got done with a big issue of Golfdom... it was double the size and double the importance, because it was the first issue of our big redesign. 

I hope everyone likes it. It should be in your hands by the end of next week. Look twice, because you won't recognize it at first. It's not your, uhm, older brother's Golfdom.

I have the new cover here on my computer right now, and it looks so cool... I could unleash it all on you right now, but I think I'll keep it stashed away for a few more days, allowing for maximum impact when it hits your mailbox.

A tip of the hat is due to Pete Seltzer, North Coast Media's vice president of graphic design. He led the charge on this project, and it just about killed him! Ha! Seriously, Pete is in stable condition in Cleveland right now, but he really did put in the hours on this endeavor, and it shows. Thank you Pete.

Another big shout-out to Carrie Parkhill Wallace, who has been working on this redesign with us for a long time now. She is the regular designer on Golfdom and she does a great job, she's like a combo designer/editor and we couldn't have done this redesign without her.

And I would be remiss not to mention all the hours senior editor Elizabeth Geraci put in on this issue. It's not everyday a journalist gets to take part in a big redesign like this, and she recognized this and jumped into the project with great gusto. Thank you Elizabeth!

And thanks to all the contributors... the writers, photographers, the interns, the people at the post office, truck drivers, the people who make One A Day men's multivitamin... thank you Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka for inspiration... thank you to the Beastie Boys for being on the jukebox and adding energy to the office... thank you to Bigfoot just for keeping it real... and a big thank you to all of you out there who CARE!!! You, the music makers, the dreamers of dreams, the people who keep grass green and lies tight. Our readers? Bad-asses, every one of 'em.

BASF forms Specialty Products Department

News from BASF this morning. The company is taking their turf, pest and vegetation management segments and merging them into one group known as the Specialty Products Department. Jan Buberl will be the director of this group. Brian Lish and Dan Carrothers, meanwhile, take new titles and roles.

The press release is below. We have a conference call scheduled for later today, so there may be an update later:

 

BASF announced it will take its distinct businesses within the U.S. non-crop markets and merge them into one. The primary businesses known as Pest Control Solutions and Professional Turf & Ornamentals (T&O), and secondary businesses including Professional Vegetation Management and Market Business Development, will now collectively be known to the marketplace as the BASF Specialty Products Department (SPD). Each respective market will continue to be served, but BASF will do so as one business unit led by Jan Buberl, Director of Specialty Products.

“Having these businesses come together as one strengthens BASF and its commitment to the specialty markets, and the acquisition of Becker Underwood underscores a continued commitment and investment to grow,” said Nevin McDougall, Senior Vice President, North America, BASF Crop Protection. “The new SPD unit will be built to last for the long term, while meeting the needs of customers in these markets.”

Zombies at GIS???

I know after a hard night at the GIS, some people walk around the GIS tradeshow floor like they're zombies. But at this year's GIS, thanks to FMC, there will be "real" zombies there. BRAINS!!!

Here's the note I got from FMC:

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Come to Booth #1338 to learn about “Zombie Weeds” and the Sulfentrazone Effect during the 2013 Golf Industry Show! Get your picture taken with real life zombies while you test your Weed IQ. Participants may also receive a big Dismiss - #1 Sedge Control foam finger and/or a Weed ID poster. You won’t want to miss this encounter with weeds – the living and the undead. 

So, last year FMC did a NCAA tournament style "Weed Madness" bracket... this year they're having zombies? FMC, are you somehow inside my brain taking ideas for booth promotions that would totally entertain me? What's next? Alternative rock bands of the '90s? Comic books of the '60s? A Star Wars theme (maybe the Mos Eisley Cantina)?

And while we're talking zombies on the Golfdom blog (again), here's the preview for World War Z. The book was incredible, but the movie... there's no way they can make the movie like the book, so we'll see how it turns out...

New survey!

We have a new survey out... it's a fun one, and will only take a few minutes.

Here's the link:
 https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=iGbz57CTPY8dm9aXkX3Saw_3d_3d

We will discuss the results in an upcoming issue.

Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

My bottom 5 of 2012

Here's a rundown of my 5 lowlights of 2012...

My top 5 of 2012

Eagle One Golf acquires Fore-Par

Breaking news here... Eagle One Golf Products (Anaheim, Calif.) is set to announce today that they have acquired Fore-Par (Buena Park, Calif.) Readers might remember back in June, Eagle One Golf was acquired by Canadian company Golf Supply Warehouse.

With the acquisition, Eagle One Golf now says that they are the "largest distributors of golf course and golf range equipment, supplies and accessories in the world." 


Here is a statement from the company:

Eagle One Golf of Anaheim, Calif., is pleased to announce that it has completed the acquisition of Fore-Par of Buena Park, Calif.

Fore-Par has served the U.S. golf industry for more than 48 years. It has a tremendously well developed business in the golf course and golf range equipment, accessories and supplies product segments. Fore-Par also has an established manufacturing capability in golf flags, tee markers, as well as golf course signage, in addition to distributing a broad line of other golf course equipment and supplies from leading manufacturers such as Par-Aide and Standard Golf. Paul Cherrie, President of Eagle One Golf added, “We’re very pleased to have the opportunity to combine the Eagle One Golf and Fore-Par businesses. This will allow us to increase the depth and breadth of our product offerings to better serve our customers.”

The combined Eagle One Golf & Fore-Par businesses will operate out of the Eagle One Golf Head Office in Anaheim. Longer term, the plan is to exit the current Fore-Par distribution facilities in Buena Park, Jacksonville, Fla., and Phoenix, and merge them into existing Eagle One Golf distribution facilities in Anaheim and North Charleston, S.C.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

About Eagle One Golf

Founded in 1992, Eagle One Golf, and its parent company, Golf Supply House (founded in 1960) are now the largest distributors of golf course and golf range equipment, supplies and accessories in the world.

Talking 2013 with Rees Jones

Golfdom TV visits with Curtis Tyrrell, CGCS

Sharp Park case dismissed

This comes via email from the Southern California Golf Association's director of governmental affairs, Craig Kessler. He brings good news on the battle to keep Sharp Park open:

Case dismissed!

Those of you who have been reading these reports for the last two years know that the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and Sierra Club, after failing to secure the closure of San Francisco’s Sharp Park Municipal Golf Course through the political process, filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court under the Endangered Species Act alleging that operations at the 80-year old Alister MacKenzie designed golf course was killing the rare frogs and snakes that ironically only colonized the property due to the dredging that accompanied the construction of the golf course in the 1920’s.

Judge Illston dismissed all counts of the lawsuit on December 7, citing an October 2 opinion of the United States Wildlife Service that found that golf at Sharp Park is “not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of the California red-legged frog or San Francisco garter snake.”  Last summer the same Federal Judge issued some rather terse comments about the illogic of the plaintiff’s substantive claims when ruling against their prayer for injunctive relief pending resolution of the merits of their claims.

Lunch with Rees

Funny story from the Golfdom Summit...

I made a few new friends at "Eleven," the rooftop bar at the Reunion Resort. These guys were on vacation from Pennsylvania, and thought it was pretty cool that we were hosting our event at the Reunion Resort.

They thought it was even cooler that Rees Jones was giving our keynote speech.

So the next day, I get a phone call from one of the guys. "Seth, it's Roy, from Pennsylvania," he says. "Not sure if you remember from last night, but if the offer's still good, we would like to come see Rees give his talk at your event."

Pinehurst's Bob Farren gets pelted with paper during an exercise in negative feedback at Syngenta Business Institute

Back from the 2012 Golfdom Summit

Wow, that was a blur! But we had a great meeting. Lots of great stories were told, lots of new connections were made... it was exactly what we wanted it to be.

The travel doesn't settle down for us. Senior editor Beth Geraci has already boarded another flight and arrives in Winston-Salem, N.C., for the Syngenta Business Institute, any minute now. She'll have a few updates here and there from that event.

Right now I'm behind on email, voice mail, snail mail... so I'll be back with a better update later, that's what I'm trying to say!

It's been a great time here at Reunion Resort so far. Things got off to a fun start yesterday with golf on the Arnold Palmer course, which was in great shape, I might add. The weather and the company could not have been better. We've got an exceptional group of superintendents here again this year! Here a couple shots of golf yesterday and last night's festivities.

Golfdom Summit Day 2 off to a good start

Seth and Anthony Williams, CGCS, held a captive audience this morning over breakfast. Good crowd! Looking forward to the rest of the day.

Golfdom Summit boardroom presentations

We are into the meetings! Golf is up next, can't wait to lose some golf balls...

Our host super

That's me and our host superintendent for the Golfdom Summit, Tray Maltby. Tray has been super-excited about hosting this event and I have to say he has also been super helpful. Looking forward to seeing what the courses look like, we're going to have a great time here at the Reunion Resort in Orlando!

Waverley CC visit

I'm back from a fun week in Portland!

I've been meaning to post this all weekend, just now getting to it. One of the highlights of my trip was getting to stay the night at the luxurious Waverely CC in Portland. Special thanks to superintendent Brian Koffler for the hospitality!

Also a big thank you to David Phipps, Linda Whitworth, and all the people involved with the Oregon GCSA.

I'll have a full report on my trip to Oregon coming soon. Right now... sleep.

And now a word from our sponsors!

New Oregon State turf prof announced

David Phipps just announced that Alec Kowaleski will take the position at Oregon State that was left vacant when Rob Golembiewski left the school. Kowaleski currently at Abraham Baldwin. Starts at OSU in January.

At the 2012 NW Golf and the Enviro mtg

Kevin Fletcher from eParUSA is now presenting. Full roster of speakers today, I'm going last. "if you're not first your last!"