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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Tony Nunes dispels the stereotype of a typical golf course mechanic, so much so that the equipment manager at Chicago Golf Club might be due a new title.   "A lot of people who walk through that door understand his value," said Chicago Golf Club superintendent Scott Bordner.    "He is extremely diverse with his capabilities," said superintendent Scott Bordner. "If there is a fire (alarm) issue in the clubhouse, everyone calls Tony. If there is a leak in the clubhouse, everyone calls Tony. If we have an issue on the golf course, he's right there. He watches everyone come out of the shop every day and picks up on mistakes before they happen. He understands the entire operation, not just his position, and he pays attention to everything."   His is an attention to detail befitting a course billed as the oldest 18-hole layout in the country and one of the original five clubs that banded together to found the USGA.   On Wednesday, Nunes, 45, was honored for his willingness and drive to do anything and everything throughout the Chicago Golf Club operation when he was named the recipient of the 2017 TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by Toro.    He was chosen by a panel of judges from a field of three finalists that included Trent Manning of Ansley Golf Club in Atlanta, and Aaron Brown of Highlands Falls Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina.  
    He understands the entire operation, not just his position, and he pays attention to everything."
     
    Nunes was the benefactor of a half-dozen nominations, including one from a CGC member.   "Tony has played a significant role in maintaining all of our facilities and structures at CGC," Immekus said in his nomination letter. "As one of the founding members of the USGA and the oldest 18-hole facility in the country, maintaining our operation is no small task."   A celebration in Nunes' honor was disguised as a congratulatory staff luncheon in the afterglow of a recent successful member-guest tournament. Not only was Nunes nominated by a member of CGC, a handful of other members sat in the shop with Bordner's crew on a hot, sweaty afternoon dining on hot dogs, hamburgers and bratwurst to show their appreciation for Nunes and the work he does.   "It was an honor to be remembered by all these people who took it upon themselves to write a letter or mention my name," Nunes said.    As the winner, Nunes received the Golden Wrench Award and a weeklong training session at Toro's Service Training University at the company's headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota.   Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.   Previous winners include (2016) Kris Bryan, Pikewood National Golf Club, Morgantown, WV; (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL.   Every nomination submitted on behalf of Nunes mentioned his preventive maintenance program that Bordner said is extremely important considering the short window of Chicago's golf season.   "Equipment is just like a car: the better you are at taking care of it, the longer it will last. Tony understands that," Bordner said. "He takes responsibility for the equipment, and he treats everything like it is own vehicle. He makes sure everything is done preventively to try to make sure when our short golf season is here that nothing breaks down."   By keeping everything running smoothly, Nunes is able to make sure that everyone on the crew is able to get on the course to do their job, which is providing the best playing conditions possible for the club's members.   "I don't just sit inside and do nothing every day," Nunes said. "I like to get out and drive the golf course every morning and look at the place. I take it to heart how the golf course looks, and I feel proud when the golf course looks good."  
  • If the world's best women players wanted to know in advance what awaits them at the next major championship of the season, they could have played the North Course at Olympia Fields on pretty much any day since it opened in the spring.   "To be honest, we really haven't changed too much on the golf course," said Sam MacKenzie, CGCS, director of grounds at the club in suburban Chicago. "They're going to playing it the way our members do every day."   A par 70 at nearly 7,400 yards, the North Course at Olympia Fields already is a grind for members throughout the playing season. MacKenzie and his 40-person crew have to keep it tournament ready every day anyway, so when the women's PGA (formerly the LPGA Championship) came calling, there wasn't much prep work to be done.   The biggest difference the women will see during this years KPMG Women's PGA Championship, scheduled for June 29-July 2, is a reversal of holes 2-8 and 10-18.   Holes 1 and 10 will remain the same. Holes 2 through 9 will become 11 through 18, and 11 through 18 will be 2 through 9. The change is mostly for logistics, not strategy, MacKenzie said.   "The finishing holes on our front nine are slightly stronger," MacKenzie said. "But we're mostly changing them because there is more room for bleachers and pavilions behind the finishing holes on our front nine."   For example, a grove of oak trees behind the North Course No. 18 would have to be removed to put bleachers there for the gallery. But that grove of trees has been there since the Willie Park Jr. design opened in 1924.   "We're happy with those trees the way they are," MacKenzie said. "They leave us enough light to grow grass on that green, and they've been here since the club was built. We don't want to take those out."   Olympia Fields has a long history of championship golf dating back to its early beginnings.   The site of two U.S. Open Championships and a pair of PGA Championships, the North Course opened with a bold statement in the early '20s.   In the first four years after the North Course opened, Walter Hagen won the 1925 PGA Championship and the 1927 Western Open, and Johnny Farrell beat Bobby Jones in a playoff to claim the 1928 U.S. Open.   When the Women's PGA Championship comes to town, LPGA No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn will try to do something even Hagen never accomplished - win a major championship on Olympia Fields' North and South Courses.   Jutanugarn, who has won six times in the past 13 months, including last week's Manulife LPGA Classic in Waterloo, Ontario, and last year's Women's British Open, won the 2011 U.S. Girls Junior Championship on Olympia Fields' South Course.   She and the rest of the field will find in the North Course, a beast of a layout that doesn't need to be tweaked or tricked up to be hard.   Fairways will be cut at .400, rought height will be down from 2015 when the U.S. Amateur was here and way down compared with what the USGA wanted for the 2003 U.S. Open on the North Course that was won by Jim Furyk.   "We'll be targeting green speeds of about 11.5 (on the Stimpmeter). That's what the PGA wants," MacKenzie said. "We might be able to go a little faster. But if they ask me to back off, I'm fine with that. It's easier to back off than go the other way. The USGA asked us to back off for the 2015, and that was OK with me. We gave them what they wanted, and the golf course held up. That's our goal this year."  
  • Every year since 2002, the TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar has showcased 14 golf course dogs and their tireless contributions to golf courses across the country and around the world.   Nominate your canine friend for a place in the next TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar, presented for 2018 by Syngenta.   Some tips to improve your chances of winning: > Shoot at your camera's highest resolution setting. > Images should be taken in a horizontal format; we can't use vertical photos. > Get down to the dog's level; don't shoot down at them from a standing position. > Fill the frame with the dog as much as possible, but try not to center your dog in the frame. Left or right orientation often can result in a more dramatic photograph. > Avoid clutter and distracting backgrounds. > A scenic course background is fine as long as the dog is featured prominently. > All dogs must belong to the course or to a course employee and spend significant time there. Submit your best photo; multiple entries are discouraged.   A panel of judges will select the 14 dogs for the calendar, including the cover and December 2017. To nominate your dog, use our online submission form. Be sure to include the dog's name, age and breed; photographer's name; owner's name, phone number, email address; and the name of the golf course where the owner and dog both work. Email John Reitman for more information. Deadline for nominations is July 31.  
  • At age 59, John Cook might be among the last people anyone would expect to see cruising down the fairway, standing on a GolfBoard and music blaring from his golf bag. But the former PGA Tour player and current member of the Champions Tour is a forward thinker when it comes to golf. So, on June 6, when he had a chance to play Red Hawk Run, the course in Findlay, Ohio that he and his father bought last December, that's where Cook could be found, surfing the front nine - along with Stevie Ray Vaughan and ZZ Top.    A member of the broadcast team at the Golf Channel, Cook had just spent the previous week in the Columbus suburb of Dublin working the Memorial. The trip back to his native Ohio gave Cook, who played his college golf at Ohio State, a chance to catch up with family and play for the first time the course his father, Jim Cook, had been managing for four years before they decided to buy it.    As an owner-operator of Red Hawk Run and Cooks Creek near Columbus, Cook recognizes where the GolfBoard and other out-of-the-box ideas fit in today's golf model where players of nearly every demographic are fleeing the game and mom-and-pop operations are closing to make way for strip malls and apartments. The industry has lost (net) more than 1,100 golf courses and 8 million players in the last 15 years.   "The GolfBoard appeals to kids who skateboard, or surf or wakeboard. Now, we're starting to connect different sports together," Cook said. "We're coming up with innovative ways to grow the game."   Many in the golf business failed to recognize a need to change, failing to notice the world changing before its collective eyes. Video games forced many a kid into a near-permanent location on the couch. And those who did venture outside were choosing travel sports, like soccer, baseball and volleyball over golf, while their parents went along for the ride - literally.  
    Golf became stagnant. It was always the same with no breaks - 18 holes and a cart. Not everyone has five hours to spend on the golf course."
     
    Golf provided three options to this changing world: nine holes, 18 holes or a windmill through which one could only putt.   "Golf became stagnant. It was always the same with no breaks - 18 holes and a cart. Not everyone has five hours to spend on the golf course. But just about everyone has two hours. People are coming up with 12-hole-golf and six-hole golf. Give people a GolfBoard and let them play a few holes in an hour at a cut rate."   Cook's Columbus-area golf course has four GolfBoards, which are in high demand. Joe Jiamechello, the local GolfBoard rep, was on this day, too, as the Cooks negotiate a deal for Red Hawk.   "If they're all taken, or one of them is broken down and under repair, people get upset," Jim Cook said. "They're new, and people want to ride them."   The Cook family has a long history of growing the game - or at least trying to - long before it became a necessity across an industry with a history of being resistant to change. John Cook's sister, Cathy Cook, is a pioneer in the First Tee program and developed Ohio's first chapter nearly 25 years ago at Cooks Creek. She also was a key figure in writing the curriculum that today is used to teach life skills to more than 5 million children at 1,200 golf facilities around the world.   Both were on hand at Red Hawk to teach a clinic that attracted about two-dozen players from elementary school high school.     "Junior golf was good to us growing up in Ohio and Southern California. It was a big part of our lives and it's what we did in the summer growing up," Cook said.    "To have programs that get kids out and about and active rather than indoors and inactive is important, and golf is a game you can play for a lifetime. You don't have to be great at golf to enjoy it. You have to be exposed to it in the right way. Cathy has helped grow the game for thousands of kids. She teaches them something they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. It's all about growing the game and teaching kids life skills."   The Cook family started the First Tee of Hancock County in 2015 as part of the larger First Tee of Lake Erie. Today, the Red Hawk chapter includes nearly 220 members, up from the 150 or so who started with the program three years ago.   "Sports is the greatest classroom for life," Cathy Cook said. "No one ever perfects any of it. I think bowling is the only one you can perfect, even then no one can do it all the time. And that is what is so important about this, sports helps kids make difficult decision under pressure and under control."   The program also is a way to introduce kids who years ago might have gotten their start in the game as a caddie.   "That's the way I learned the game," John Cook said. "I had to caddie before I was able to get full golf privileges at a club where my father was a member. I had to take tests to earn yellow cards, green cards and blue cards. I had to get a blue card before I could play by myself, and I never questioned it. That's how golf was then.   "Golf was big, but it became so saturated with product: 'Here's the course, now go play.' There was no competition for business. Now, you have to offer more amenities, better service and a better experience. We get that. We know what works and what doesn't. At the end of the day, people will say they had a great day, or they didn't, and here's why. That's what we bring to the table. And we're opening programs that promote the game to kids and gets their families involved. If we give them the experience and the tools to play, it can only help grow the game. It's a start."  
    - Note: Part III in a series of business-development issues affecting the golf industry
  • Granted, there are new challenges facing turfgrass managers every year that require new solutions and new ways of looking at things. But if Clemson Universitys exhaustive "Pest Control Guidelines for Professional Turfgrass Managers" doesnt have a solution, then the problem probably does not exist yet.   At 153 pages, the guide covers topics for turfgrass managers like poison control, insects, diseases, nematodes, weed identification and control, herbicide resistance, PGRs, activated charcoal, vegetation management, aquatics, tank-mixing, pesticide calibration, metric conversions and carrier water quality and how it influences pesticide stability.   Authored by Clemson University faculty, the downloadable publication also has a template for tracking and recording pesticide applications.   The section on insects includes control options for annual bluegrass weevil, nuisance and fire ants, billbugs, various caterpillars, chinch bugs, mole crickets and white grubs, including chemical control options and application rates.   The guide includes information, including control options, for dozens of diseases that include algae, anthracnose (leaf blight and basal rot), brown patch, dead spot, dollar spot, Bermudagrass decline, take-all patch and more. For each disease, the guide includes basic taxonomy, grasses affected as well as symptoms, fungicide recommendations (including active ingredients), label rates and application intervals.   A section on nematode control provides background on the challenges associated with managing sting, ring, stubby-root, lance, root-knot and spiral nematodes, tips on fumigating prior to seeding or sprigging and tips on safe applications.   The section on weed control is exhaustive and covers 35 pages. It includes a handy table that lists more than 80 types of weeds common in turf cross-referenced by effectiveness of control by more than two dozen active ingredients. It also includes a list of more than 60 active ingredients (either alone or in combination with another product), diseases for which each is labeled for control, grasses on which it can be used and tips on rates and intervals.
  • April showers might bring May flowers, but on golf courses in some parts of the eastern half of the country, May showers bring moss. At least this year.   Temperatures have fluctuated wildly so far this spring. Take Columbus, Ohio for example, where temperatures during the Memorial were in the upper 80s in the first couple days of June. Less than a week later, the same area had highs in the low- to mid-60s.   Rainfall throughout central Ohio was up in May by about 26 percent compared with the historic average, according to the National Weather Service. Coupled with the cooler weather that has prevailed throughout much of the spring, these factors have provided an ideal environment for silvery thread moss, according to a Buckeye Turf video on spring turfgrass management issues by Joe Rimelspach, Ph.D., and Todd Hicks of OSU's plant pathology department.   Fear not, there is a great deal of research on moss prevention and control available today, including work conducted by OSU's Zane Raudenbush, Ph.D., when he was a graduate student at Rutgers University under Rich Hurley, Ph.D.   Two key factors to keep in mind in moss control is that it draws water directly through irrigation, rainfall and dew, not through the soil, and the presence of N, particularly in the form of ammonium sulfate, can exacerbate the problem.   Raudenbush suggested switching to an organic nitrogen source when battling moss.   According to research conducted by Raudenbush and elsewhere, control can be achieved through use of commercially available products as well as through cultural practices.    Reducing irrigation can help reduce moss growth and prevent it from spreading. If a green that has a moss infestation must be syringed, do not apply water directly to the area where the outbreak is present, according to research.   Spot aerification of infested areas up to five times throughout the season in additional to regularly scheduled aerification days has been effective as well, the research says.   A few commercially available products have exhibited in research the ability to help minimize the spread of moss. A few off-the-shelf products from the corner store have shown some promise, too.   According to research published at Penn State, carfentrazone, iron sulfate and copper hydroxide work, but when all else fails, don't discount the efficacy of Dawn dish soap or a box of baking soda.   Dawn Ultra worked in some cases when mixed with warm water at rates of 2-8 ounces per 1,000 square feet at two-week intervals.   Baking soda was effective as a spot treatment on sunny days.
  • Whether it is at the golf course or off it, Trent Manning stays so busy that his boss wonders when he has time to rest
      Manning keeps just about everything with moving parts running like a well-oiled machine at Ansley Golf Club in Georgia, which is no small feat at a dual campus club separated by 27 miles of Atlanta traffic. When he's not working on equipment, he's probably busy training an employee how to use it, negotiating equipment purchases, helping educate his colleagues around the state and throughout the country, executing the vision of Ansley director of agronomy Courtney Young, inventing something, rebuilding tractors, winning a bass fishing tournament or working with Cherokee County Search and Rescue.   "I don't know how much he sleeps," said Young. "It can't be much."   For all he does for Ansley Golf Club's two properties, Manning has been named one of three finalists for the TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by The Toro Co.   Manning, 39, started at Ansley on the crew as a summer job when he was in high school. He graduated to irrigation tech and later assistant mechanic before leaving to pursue other positions elsewhere and finally returning as the head mechanic over two campuses.   With each new responsibility he is given, Manning charges through it in a way that no one in Georgia has seen since Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman cut a nearly 300-mile-long swath from Atlanta to Savannah in 1864.   "It took him a month to master the irrigation system," Young said. "He tested every head on the golf course every week. We had detailed lists on everything. Then the assistant mechanic position opened. I think he was already bored with the irrigation system, so he took that (with no mechanical experience) and charged right through that.    "He's been the angler of the year twice, and he helps the county with search and recovery. He's so enthusiastic about everything he does."   Golfer safety is paramount at any golf course, but that is especially true in the Southeast where summer thunderstorms are common. So, when there was a malfunction with the lightning-detection system at Ansley, getting it fixed was a priority. The cost to repair the system according to manufacturer specs would have been enormous. Manning took the system apart, identified what he says was a design flaw and fixed it. He then developed a technical troubleshooting bulletin that he gave to the manufacturer.   "When I told him how much the parts were, he said 'I guess I'm about to become an expert in lightning-detection systems,' " Young said.   
    The next thing I know, all these mechanics are here for dinner, and Trent is grilling out for them."
     
    Young started at Ansley 30 years ago as the grow-in superintendent, and since then has been active in networking and sharing ideas with his colleagues throughout the Atlanta area through regular luncheons. He suggested to Manning that equipment managers could do the same thing.   "The next thing I know, all these mechanics are here for dinner, and Trent is grilling out for them," Young said.    He has been instrumental in developing education protocols for technicians at the state and national level. He even has developed an interactive online spreadsheet through which he and other equipment managers throughout the region can price shop for parts and record the data in a spreadsheet for others to use.   "Before that, he didn't know anything about spreadsheets or web sites," Young said. "Now, he's started a group where other mechanics can contribute to compare parts and prices."   His ability to innovate helps Young put his ideas into the ground. When Young told him he needed a way to spot water small, isolated areas on the golf course, Manning created a compact water trailer from a fertilizer tote and a gas-powered pump. The unit, Young said, cost less than $1,000 to build and paid for itself in a week. It also won a blue ribbon from the Club Managers Association of America for innovation.   "If I have a vision, he is able to execute it," Young said.    "Trent just figures things out and figures out how they work and how to fix them."   The winner will receive the Golden Wrench Award and a weeklong training session at Toro's Service Training University at the company's headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota.   Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.   Previous winners are (2016) Kris Bryan, Pikewood National Golf Club, Morgantown, WV; (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL.   There was no award in 2008.  
  • Golf course equipment managers are pretty good at preventing small challenges from turning into large problems. Tony Nunes has taken preventive maintenance to a different level at historic Chicago Golf Club.   When it was plainly evident that an equipment operator was having difficulty seeing and following mowing lines, Nunes did some investigating and discovered that the employee suffered from deteriorating vision. Nunes brought his findings to the attention of superintendent Scott Bordner, who arranged for the employee to visit an eye doctor for a new pair of glasses.   "He's a troubleshooter. And that's how far he takes it," Bordner said. "He's like that with everything. He learns all about something, and wants to make it better.   Most golf course equipment managers can't seem to ever muster even one nomination for the industry's oldest award that tries to lob just a little notoriety in their direction. So it's rare when a mechanic is nominated almost a half-dozen times.   Part building caretaker, part engineer, part inventor, part ophthalmologist, Nunes drew high praise for implementing a preventive-maintenance plan that keeps older equipment up to par at Chicago Golf Club, which in 1896 was one of the five clubs that founded the USGA.   "Tony has been responsible for instituting a preemptive maintenance program which has allowed CGC to extend equipment well beyond normal life cycles," said Scott Immekus, a member of the club's green committee. "This direct cost savings has allowed CGC to purchase job-specific equipment allowing the club to do more work in house. Tony has also been creative with repurposing equipment for new roles working with Toro and other manufactures to find solutions for our specific needs."   For his dedication at helping Chicago Golf Club perpetuate more than a century of greatness, Nunes has been named one of three finalists for the TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by The Toro Co.   Buying new equipment is a rarity for Bordner, who estimates he spends about half, or less, than what he should in capital purchases to keep an operation like Chicago running smoothly.   When he first arrived at the club in Wheaton five years ago, he gave Nunes the task of assigning a life expectancy to every piece of mechanized equipment, including a fleet of Toro Flex 21 greensmowers that already were about 10 years old.   "When I asked him how much longer he thought they'd last, he told me he could get another 20 years out of them," Bordner said. "He said 'If you want new technology, then that's different. But I can keep the engines running forever.'    "There is so much equipment here that shouldn't be here, but it is because Tony keeps it running. We spend almost nothing on capital purchases. That's what makes Tony so valuable."   The last time the club replaced a golf car - it was so old it was a three-wheeler - it was only because the frame had rusted out.   "Mechanically, it was fine. Everything Tony was responsible for worked perfectly," Bordner said. "The frame was gone. We don't replace things on a schedule. We run them into the ground and replace them when they fall apart.   "He takes preventative maintenance to a whole new level. We have some of the oldest equipment at a high level club and it runs better than most newer pieces at other facilities. He can fabricate anything we need and has an engineer's ability to make it work.   "Equipment salesmen don't like him, but even our Toro salesman nominated him."  
    When I asked him how much longer he thought they'd last, he told me he could get another 20 years out of them."
     
    Nunes, 46, worked on the crew of two other Chicago-area courses, and learned mechanics on the job. He was hired at Chicago a decade ago by then superintendent Jon Jennings, CGCS, now at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, another USGA-founding club in Southampton, New York.   Since then, he not only has extended the life of virtually every piece of equipment in the maintenance shop, he services the boiler, HVAC and fire sprinkler systems in the clubhouse.   "Tony told me once that he has never had a piece of metal beat him," Jennings said in his nomination. "This positive attitude drives him to deliver equipment that is maintained and repaired at a higher standard than I could ever imagine. Tony has the ability to foresee what is needed to make the golf maintenance operation run like a Swiss watch. He has the long lost skill of repairing machinery rather than just replacing components. In many instances, items he has repaired are in better condition than they were when they left the factory."   Said Bordner: "Jon would have taken him to Shinnecock if he had been willing to move to Long Island. Fortunately, he was not willing to do that."   The winner will receive the Golden Wrench Award and a weeklong training session at Toro's Service Training University at the company's headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota.   Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.   Previous winners are (2016) Kris Bryan, Pikewood National Golf Club, Morgantown, WV; (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL.   There was no award in 2008.  
  • In just four seasons at Highlands Falls Country Club, Aaron Brown has made a big impact with his colleagues and his members.
      Located in the mountains of western North Carolina, Highlands Falls is embedded in a highly competitive market where well-heeled players have a lot of choices when picking what typically is their second or third club.    He maintains reels with a razor's edge, keeps an aging equipment fleet on the move, shops for replacement parts like he is spending his own money and even helps members with their personal vehicles.   "Aaron has a passion for the golf course maintenance industry," said Fred Gehrisch, CGCS at Highlands Falls. "He is always concerned with making sure all equipment is in the best order and that it is ready to perform at a minute's notice."   For the many contributions he has made in such a short time to the turf operation at Highlands Falls, Brown has been named one of three finalists for the TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by The Toro Co..    "He cares for the membership and his fellow employees with respect and dignity and is the best technician in the business," Gehrisch said in his nomination. "He is a great asset to the club and the industry."   When Brown started at Highlands Falls in July 2013, Gehrisch nearly was at the end of his rope.   Twice that summer two different candidates who had accepted the position called just days before their scheduled start date to tell Gehrisch they had changed their minds.   "I think what it was is they knew we work over here," Gehrisch said. "We don't just change oil and filters.   "My wife told me it was a sign that I'd find the right person. Of course, I didn't believe her."   As it turned out, he should have listened to her, because out of the blue, Brown, called to see if the position had been filled.   With experience at two other clubs in the area, Brown is certified through the Equipment and Engine Training Council and is a graduate of a diesel mechanic training program.   "He likes working outside on the golf course more than he likes working inside on trucks," Gehrisch said.    He is able to keep an aging fleet of rolling stock on the golf course, which has its good and bad sides. Equipment stays operational, but Brown keeps it in such good shape that Gehrisch cannot justify replacing some of it.   "A lot of our equipment is older and Aaron spends a lot of time making sure that this equipment runs as if it were new," Gehrisch said. "Because of his efforts, we have been able to defer several large equipment purchases, which has benefitted the club and allowed it to focus on other priorities. He has completely renovated many pieces of equipment to like-new condition."   All that training and experience had made the 26-year-old Brown a gifted mechanic. Still, there is more to being an exceptional equipment manager than turning a wrench.  
    A lot of our equipment is older and Aaron spends a lot of time making sure that this equipment runs as if it were new."
     
    Gehrisch confesses to being obsessed with providing members at Highland Falls with perfect playing conditions. He also admits that Brown has him beat when it comes to being preoccupied with quality of cut.   "He looks at those reels every day. There are days I tell him they're fine and not to waste his time with them," Gehrisch said. "He goes over them anyway because he wants them to be perfect.   "He understands the agronomics behind what we do. He knows we need sand, he knows what that does to a reel, and he knows that a sharp reel reduces disease pressure and increases playability."   Even when something does break down, Brown exhibits a mix of calmness with a sense of urgency.   "If there was one thing about him that stands out, it is his determination to succeed and to please others," Gehrisch said. "He doesn't get upset or excited if equipment breaks down. He gets more upset because he knows what he does is part of a team and if something breaks down, it slows us down."   The winner will receive the Golden Wrench Award and a weeklong training session at Toro's Service Training University at the company's headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota.   Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.   Previous winners are (2016) Kris Bryan, Pikewood National Golf Club, Morgantown, WV; (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL.   There was no award in 2008.
  • A product initially developed to control nutrients runoff on Florida farmland could help golf course superintendents use less water and fertilizer. And a business-friendly climate at a major university has helped bring it to market.   Rhizosorb is a soil amendment that when applied once annually during aerification can help golf turf retain water and fertilizer until they are needed by the plant. The proprietary controlled-release technology developed decades ago by Penn State researchers results in a healthier plant with promotes longer root growth, says Hunter Swisher, founder and CEO of Phospholutions, the start-up company that markets Rhizosorb.   A December 2016 graduate of Penn State's turfgrass management program, Swisher, 22 learned about the technology as a student, and said the original version of what now is Rhizosorb was developed by PSU researchers for runoff control in Florida, but never made it out of the testing process.    Swisher found research data on the chemistry dating back 23 years. That literature, he said, described the product's ability to limit fertilizer use. What the research didn't describe were the cost-saving benefits of using less water and less fertilizer and the overall plant-health effects.   Swisher decided to conduct some studies on his, and established four plots on Penn State golf course practice green under with varying treatments.   Swisher made applications of Rhizosorb in the fall, a time when soil samples showed roots on the bent/Poa green to be about 2 inches in length.   "He told me he could double the roots," said Rick Pagett, superintendent of the university's Blue and White courses. "In the spring he came to me and said 'you have to see this.' The roots (where Rhizosorb had been applied) were 4 inches long."   That was enough for Pagett.
    All of us would love deeper roots, especially in the Northeast."
    The Penn State courses have a mix of sand-based and native-soil greens. Swisher applied Rhizosorb to both and one of Pagett's vendors even applied some through a DryJect treatment.
      Within months, the results were the same everywhere: in areas where the product had been applied, roots were twice as long as in untreated areas.   "I know it's only 4 inches compared to 2 inches," Pagett said. "But it did what he said it would do. It doubled our root length."   Today, the product covers about 6 acres of greens, tees and fairways.   "We're very excited," Pagett said. "We can't wait to see what it's going to do."   Mike McNamara also is testing the product on a much smaller scale on an ultradwarf Bermudagrass green at TPC Prestancia in Sarasota, Florida. He too was impressed with the initial results.   "As a Penn State alumni I wanted to help Hunter in any way that I could. We applied Rhizosorb to half of our Champion Bermuda nursery green after aerification," McNamara said. "We cut our irrigation run times down to stress the turf. The half with Rhizosorb had longer roots and displayed better drought resistance than the other half without the Rhizosorb. I would need to do some more testing but initial trial was encouraging."   Swisher was able to take advantage of some business-friendly entrepreneurial programs at Penn State that allowed him to start up Phospholutions and bring Rhizosorb to market.   "I was lucky enough to take a class and learn about this technology and why it never worked," he said. "We've been able to make it cheaper and more viable and get it to market."   By measuring out water and nutrients as needed, Rhizosorb promotes longer root growth as the plant searches for food and water. According to Swisher's studies, after three months turf treated with Rhizosorb had roots that were twice as long (6 inches compared with 3 inches) as untreated turf.   "Every inch below soil takes two times as long to dry out," Swisher said. "We can reduce water and fertilizer use by 15 percent in one application."   Pagett said he doesn't think he will be alone in looking for a tool that will help his bottom line and help him be a better steward of the environment.   "All of us would love deeper roots, especially in the Northeast," Pagett said.    "This could help superintendents reduce inputs. That's a home run for sustainability, and it could make superintendents' lives easier."    
  • Grooming greens through brushing or rolling, or both, have been reliable methods for producing improved playing conditions and increased putting speeds. When done together, they also help incorporate topdressing into the turf, greatly reducing the amount of sand picked up during mowing.
      Newer high-shoot density grasses, such as ultradwarf Bermudagrasses and even newer creeping bentgrass varieties, can make it difficult to work sand into the green where it can help promote the breakdown of organic matter, according to Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., at Ohio State University.   "Sand topdressing helps control/dilute organic matter accumulation on putting greens," Danneberger wrote. "The popularity of high shoot density creeping bentgrass and Bermudagrass ultradwarf varieties make the incorporation of topdressing into greens difficult.  The inability to incorporate (sand) can result in much of the topdressing being removed by mowing. Additionally, mower blades loose their sharpness resulting in poor mowing quality."   Danneberger cited a seminal study in his writings.   According to research conducted at the University of Tennessee, a regimen of brushing followed by rolling resulted in virtually no mower pick up. The amount of sand picked up during mowing after brushing then rolling on a TifEagle plot was not statistically different than that picked up from an untreated control plot that received no additional sand throughout the duration of the study.   Conversely, rolling alone after topdressing resulted in an average of 10 percent of sand lost during mowing. The sand mix was 15.6 percent coarse, 73 percent medium and 11.4 percent fine.   "When we rolled only after topdressing, it was like putting marbles on a trampoline and jumping up and down on it," said John Sorochan, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee. "The smaller stuff got in, but we picked up almost all of the coarse and very coarse grains. I think one time we picked up 30 to 35 percent of the sand. Just think of the wear and tear. The mechanic would be screaming at you.  
    ...one time we picked up 30 to 35 percent of the sand. Just think of the wear and tear. The mechanic would be screaming at you." -- John Sorochan
      "When we brushed and followed with a roller, we never picked up more than 2 to 3 percent. You couldn't tell the difference between that plot and the control plot that didn't get any sand."   The news has been a boon to superintendents, especially those in the transition zone who have converted from cool-season grass to an ultradwarf Bermuda in recent years, said Sorochan.   That is especially true of low-budget facilities that made the conversion because they thought the Bermuda would require less maintenance than cool-season grass. That hasn't been the case necessarily, says Sorochan.   The constant need for fine-particle sand to promote organic matter management can make managing ultradwarf greens nearly as time-consuming and costly as growing cool-season turf.   "It's not always easy to get fine sand, and it's not cheap when you do get," Sorochan said. "Now you don't have to."   The ability to keep more sand in the profile over two years of the study helped dilute thatch buildup and resulted in a firmer surface.   Researchers used a Clegg soil impact tester to determine surface hardness. Results of the study indicated that brushing followed by rolling produced the hardest surface, following by brushing alone. Both were much firmer than the untreated control plot, which proved to be more firm than the plot subjected to rolling alone, but the difference was not statistically different.   "It was rewarding," Sorochan said. "There was actually practical use for it that superintendents could utilize right away."  
  • Fifty years after he started in the golf business as a teenager mowing greens in Indiana, Terry Laurent's career highlight didn't come while preparing for a major championship. It came while playing in one.   During his career, Laurent prepped for a lot of tournaments, including two U.S. Senior Opens during a 17-year run as superintendent at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It was his second Senior Open, in 2000, that still stands out to this day.   There were an odd-number of players heading into the final two days, Mike Davis and Tim Moraghan of the USGA asked Laurent to play as a marker for Bill Tindall, a west coast teaching professional who was in the tournament.   "That was a dream come true," said Laurent, now 62.    "They asked me on Saturday and told me they'd call me the next morning if (Tindall) wanted a marker to play with him. We were working on the course at 4 a.m. The first tee time was 7 a.m. and at 6:30 they told me I was going to play. I had time to hit about four warm-up balls, then walked up to the first tee and had to hit it. I'd never played in front of a crowd before. I was so nervous. I just said to myself 'just get off the first tee, don't make a fool of yourself and don't hit anyone. I hit it into a fairway bunker that Jack Nicklaus had been in the day before, so I felt pretty good."   Laurent still remembers spending time on the practice range on Saturday evening in preparation for the Sunday round.   "My claim to fame, although he won't admit it, was hitting balls on the range with Tom Kite," he said. "There were just the two of us, him at one end and me all the way at the other. I stayed as far away as I could - so I wouldn't hit him."    Moraghan, who has been friends with Laurent since they first met during preparations for the '87 U.S. Senior Amateur, remembers offering some friendly advice that weekend.   "I told him that there were 1,000 people on the first tee, so just pick up if you get in the way," said Moraghan, now the owner of Aspire Golf. "He asked me if there was anything else he needed to know, and I told him, 'don't top one on the first tee in front of your members.' "   Just like that day in 2000, Laurent's career has been a whirlwind. After working for years on a golf course with no education, he decided at age 30 to enter turf school at Penn State . . . with a wife and two young children in tow. His career has included being a superintendent and accomplished amateur player, but also instructor and, since 2005, owner and operator.   Today, Laurent, whose son Brian is the executive director of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, is co-owner of Cross Creek Golf Club in Decatur, Indiana, which is an updated and lengthened version of the nine-hole course where his career began in 1967.   Decatur Golf Course was built in the 1940s as a nine-hole layout by Chicago golf course architect Robert Bruce Harris. A second nine holes and a new name were added during a late 1980s renovation.   "I grew up one block from this golf course. It was my second home growing up," he said.  "We would come in at 6 a.m., hand mow the greens, change cups and work until noon. Then we'd go home, eat and come back and play golf in the afternoon."   It was in those early days, working for Decatur superintendent and owner Luke Majorki, that Laurent realized he wanted to make a career of the golf business.   A former minor league baseball player in the 1940s, Majorki was an accomplished golfer, agronomist and manager. He sold Decatur in 1978 to Steve Kreigh who today still owns the course along with Laurent.   Laurent learned a lot from Majorki, including how to manage his game on the golf course.   "We all sat around the clubhouse hoping he would ask us to play with him," he said. "He was a very good player, and it was a big deal to get to play with him."   Majorki also taught him a lot about being a professional, including a tough lesson when Laurent was just 15 years old   "I was about 30 minutes late to work one day because I overslept. He grounded me. He sent me home for three days and told me to think about what I'd done," Laurent said. "I got in trouble with him once, and that was enough.    "He taught me everything about work ethic. He was a workaholic, as am I. I learned that from, and that's not necessarily a good thing."   During those early days at Decatur he also learned that he didn't want to work inside, opting instead for a life outside on the golf course. His goal early on was to buy Decatur and run it along with his wife, Terri. Eventually, however, he knew that if he wanted to follow that path he needed to learn the finer points of turf management first.    Already a husband and father of two young boys, he applied to Michigan State and Penn State at age 30, ultimately deciding on the latter for the opportunity to study under Joe Duich, Ph.D.   He landed a job straight out of college as a superintendent at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware, then moved on to Harbourtowne Golf Resort in Maryland. He quickly learned that a great plan and a great crew can't overcome things like an outdated irrigation system and no money in the budget.   "The grass really suffered," he said. "We were always putting Band-Aids on everything."   Much about golf has changed since those early days.   Equipment is better, newer low-use chemistries are more friendly to the environment and lower mowing heights - from three-sixteenths to one-quarter inch in the old days to 0.125 or lower today - have greens rolling faster than ever, but with increased disease pressure.   It also is a lot harder to make a buck running a golf course today than it was a generation or so ago. Saucon Valley was founded nearly 100 years ago by a group of Bethlehem Steel executives. Through the years, the company that once was the world's second-largest steel manufacturer, pumped a lot of money through Saucon Valley, until the company filed for bankruptcy in 2001 and went out of business two years later.   "A lot of his members also belonged to the big private clubs in Philadelphia. For a lot of them, Saucon Valley was their second club," Moraghan said. "Terry was under a lot of pressure to keep it as good as the other urban clubs. He met the challenge. I went there a lot during Terry's days, and there was never a blade of grass out of place."   More recently, Cross Creek has battled with other west-central Indiana golf courses for players. And although it has been a struggle at times, business finally is on the uptick.    "We're starting to see an increase now," he said. "For a while there it was a real struggle."   Instead of running the business with wife Terri, Laurent worked, for a while, with son Bryan before he left to start his own association management firm in Columbus, Ohio where he is the executive director of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation.    Being a co-owner of the business has landed Laurent where he never wanted to be, inside searching for ways to grow his business.   "I have an assistant (superintendent) who reports to me, so I don't get outside on the golf course as much as I'd like to," Laurent said. "My son Brian was supposed to do all this for me, but he bailed out on me. You can tell him I said that."  
  • Superintendents who use propane-powered equipment recognize that it can help them reduce operating costs and emissions. Those incentives, however, have not been enough to spark widespread use in the golf industry.   The Propane Education & Research Council, an advocacy group that represents the propane industry, says low fuel prices prices have stifled the demand for alternative fuels.   "Gas and diesel prices took a nosedive and have continued to stay low," said PERC's director of business development Jeremy Wishart. "That has taken the pressure off superintendents in terms of budget dollars and allocating funds toward fuel expenses."   In 2015-16, PERC recruited superintendents at eight courses around the country to participate in a pilot program designed to educate end users and original equipment manufacturers about the benefits of propane.   The benefits, the group says, are obvious: lower fuel costs compared with gas or diesel, no chance of spillage in the maintenance yard or on the golf course and reduced carbon emissions.   The Marriott Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg, Florida was one of those eight test courses. After the program.    The test program resulted in reduced fuel costs of 13 percent, a 40 percent reduction in carbon monoxide emissions and reduced greenhouse gas emissions of up to 15 percent.   One of the stumbling blocks is that the only OEM to send equipment off the line propane-ready is R&R, which was the equipment used in the pilot program. Those who used the equipment said it performed fine, but brand loyalty to orange, red and green mowers makes widespread adoption of OEM equipment unlikely until that technology is offered by one of the big three equipment makers.   There are ways around that.   After the program, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance equipment manager Eric Kulaas converted a wide array of gasoline-powered equipment to propane, including five triplex mowers, two fairway units and two bunker rakes. And he'd like to do more.   "I'd like to convert two blowers, but I haven't been able to come to grips with that yet," Kulaas said.    "We're happy with it. Anything we buy new I'd like to convert."   Georgia's Stone Mountain Golf Club also was a test site for the PERC program. Former Stone Mountain superintendent Anthony Williams was on site there when the program started.    "Across the board, there was little difference in the operation of the machine. In fact, the fairway unit was the real standout. It had plenty of power and that's where most of the savings came in," Williams said. "It proved to be viable, environmentally friendly and economical.   "Propane was cheaper than gas or diesel, it ran quieter. We probably saved 20 to 30 percent on fuel costs before the price of fuel went down."   It has been more widely accepted in the lawn and landscape market where many of the operators are small private owners.   "I think it would be tough for superintendents not to see green, red or orange out on the golf course," Williams said. "If one of them went propane, I think you'd see more interest."   Now at the Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort at Irving, Texas, Williams said he probably would have adopted its use after the program had he not taken an early retirement offer from Marriott. He added that he hopes to incorporate propane use in the future in Texas.    "Being in a new job and having to get ready right away for a PGA Tour event, the timing just hasn't been right to get it in here yet," he said. "It's definitely on our radar."   The OEM equipment did take some time to get used to, said Kulaas, and when one of the fairway units broke down under warranty, he had to send it to the dealer.   "I was able to figure out what was wrong with it, but it's not an engine any techs are going to be familiar with," he said.   Reduced emissions is a key point for Williams, who has built a career on environmental stewardship.    He has won multiple Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards at the public and resort level, and envisions propane use playing a part in pursuing yet another award.   "We are eligible to enter it again now in the private category," he said. "I'd love to win the triple crown."
  • Swan Song:
    Her heart is played
    like well-worn strings;
    in her eyes,
    the sadness sings
    of one who was destined
    for better things.
    - by Lang Leav, from the book Love & Misadventure
      Anyone who knows Anthony Williams knows he has built a career on preaching positivity. That zeal and confidence and self-promotion have resulted in a seemingly countless number of awards and a career pocked with helping others strive for the same level of greatness.   Less than six months into a new job, Williams is putting all of that to the test this week as the Four Seasons Las Colinas Resort in Irving, Texas plays host to its 35th and final PGA Tour event bearing the name of Byron Nelson. Williams doesn't look at the swan song tournament as the end of an era, but rather as an opportunity to put a lasting stamp on Nelson's legacy as well as a new start for him personally.   "I didn't come here to do the last one. I came here to make the 35th one the best one," Williams said. "We didn't have a lot of time to get up to speed and deliver a great product, but we've done it."   Anyone who knows Anthony Williams would expect nothing less.   When he took an early retirement from Marriott in 2015 after working for the company for 30 years at two properties in Georgia, Williams suddenly was cast into the unenviable position of being a man in his 50s looking for a job. It was time to follow his own advice of stay positive and get busy marketing yourself.   Since he started in January, Williams has been busy doing what he does best, motivating others to implement his vision.   Old friends like Mike Crawford and Thomas Bastis, former superintendents who have gone on to take positions as PGA Tour agronomists, have been on hand through the final run-up to the tournament. Like Williams, Bastis and Crawford have climbed to the top of the career ladder by preaching and practicing staying positive and focused.    "It's been awesome to have this moment in my career, to do a Nelson and do it with colleagues and peers," he said. "This moment wasn't lost on us. We preach positivity and how that makes things happen, and here we are."   The result has been playing conditions that will force the world's best players to be on top of their game if they want to be within striking distance of the lead on Sunday.   The rough is being maintained at 2.5 inches and the greens are lightning quick. In fact, Stimpmeter readings and slope have meant backing off the greens just a little to keep the course fair, Williams said during the Wednesday pro-am.   "The greens are perfect. We've had to slow them down a little to get to our target of 11 to 11.5," he said. "We could speed them up and make people cry. We're mowing at 0.125 (inches) and we're not always rolling. There was one today we couldn't mow. We just dew-whipped it and got out of the way. No. 16 only has a couple of pin placements, and if s windy it could be a 16 by the end of the day."   He and his crew of 35 or so, plus another 20-25 volunteers, have provided a setup that would have made Nelson proud.   "Now that I've seen this property live and not just on TV, I know what an amazing venue it is," Williams said. "It is a testament to Byron Nelson and the local community. They have poured out in huge numbers to support this, and it's an honor to be part of the last one."   After Sunday, the Nelson will move across town to Trinity Forest Golf Club where Kasey Kauff is the director of grounds. Kauff sent some of his staff to the Four Seasons to help out, and next year Williams will return the favor.   "We're going to pass this off to Kasey," he said. "He sent his assistants here to help us with the last one here, and we will reciprocate and send our people to him to help him with his first Nelson."  
    The greens are perfect. We've had to slow them down a little to get to our target of 11 to 11.5. We could speed them up and make people cry."
     
    Four Seasons director of golf Paul Earnest echoed Williams' sentiments.   "It's a great time, a great time to celebrate," Earnest told The Dallas Morning News recently. "It's been a rich history for our club and resort. Thirty-five years. There's very few events on Tour that last at one facility for that long.   "We've enjoyed it. We'll miss it. I'll miss it, for sure, but it's very positive. It's fueling us to make this one the best ever."   The Nelson has had eight homes since the first was contested in 1944 at Lakewood Country Club. It has been hosted each year by The Salesmanship Club, a local civic organization founded in 1920 to help underprivileged children in the Dallas area.   Before the tournament moves on to its ninth stop next year, Williams hopes the local community, tournament host, golf fans everywhere and players will remember the Four Seasons as a site that was worthy of sharing the spotlight with Nelson and his memory.   "We will always have a connection to Byron Nelson and his legacy with or without this tournament," Williams said. "I hope people recognize that Four Seasons pride and service that make this such a special place. I want them to see that that we paid special attention to the legacy of Byron Nelson. While this is a bittersweet moment, I'm proud of our effort. This is going to be the cherry on top of the sundae, not just for Nelsons, but who we are in North Texas golf.   "This is a big piece of my legacy, and that is not lost on me. I want the fourth quarter of my career to be the best yet. I want to overachieve."   Anyone who knows Anthony Williams would expect nothing less.
  • To prove that golf course superintendents are responsible stewards of the environment, Ryan Kraushofer is taking his message to the people, even if they are only 12 years old.   Privately owned Westminster National Golf Course, where Kraushofer is general manager and superintendent, doubled as a learning laboratory during a recent field trip for fifth-graders at at Winfield Elementary School in Westminster, Maryland. Kids learned about sand and soil media and how they affect water distribution, how soil meters can help superintendents use less water, the science behind determining chemical application rates and how golf is a game for lifetime.   The field trip is part of the First Green program, an STEM education initiative that since 1997 has shown students how golf course superintendents use science, technology, engineering and math to do their jobs on the golf course. The STEM program is a collaborative effort between the USGA, GCSAA and several allied associations from the Pacific Northwest.   It was the second time since November that Westminster had been used by local students as a laboratory. When skyrocketing fees for renting a school bus threatened to derail the first field trip six months ago, the Mid Atlantic GCSAA. Chapter was so intent on making the trip happen that it voted to give nearby Spring Garden Elementary $500 to help cover the cost of transportation.   "That's how much we wanted that field trip to happen," Kraushofer said.    Since then, the chapter has built into its budget a $200 line item for transportation assistance to attract local such as  Westminster.   The field trip was a hit with the school's approximately 90 fifth graders along with a handful of teachers and parent chaperones.   "We didn't realize how much water they use, and how they have to take into account wind and other things," said Westminster physical education teacher Meghan Robertson who organized the trip. "The kids loved it. Chaperones, teachers and students all said it was one of the best field trips in regard to educational value."   For many kids on the field trip, getting a chance to putt on Westminster's practice green was their first real introduction to golf. Even then, they had to first learn what goes into producing top playing conditions with minimal inputs.   "Kids have no idea what we do out here. The parents don't know either,"" Kraushofer said. ""They have no clue how we operate and do things. They are just as amused and curious as the kids."   Kraushofer hopes the First Green program catches on at other golf courses around the country so others can help to dispel some of the rumors and misconceptions about golf course management and environmental stewardship. For example, use of soil-moisture meters has help Kraushofer cut water use by more than 10 percent in recent years, and his entire spray budget is a mere $20,000.   "People don't know what we do to save water," he said. "And they every time we have a weed that we broadcast spray the whole golf course."   He also hopes the program might help create a lifelong golfer or two, or even a future superintendent.   "We all need to do this," he said.   "The more we can spread the word about we are protecting the environment, the better."  
  • Whether it is trying to steer public perception of an industry that relies on chemical pesticides and the use of millions of gallons of water, or managing fallout when a product wipes out finely managed turf or dozens of trees, the golf business could stand to learn a few things in the way of crisis communication. 
     
    Some tips for communicating through a crisis include plan ahead, plan for the worst, act fast, show sorrow or remorse for victims without admitting guilt and try to get past it as quickly as possible.
     
    "We spend an inordinate amount of time building our brand and earning consumer trust," said Lisa Lochridge, director of public affairs for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, whose talk entitled "Preparing for the Worst: Communicating in a Crisis" kicked off this year's Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association annual meeting recently in Tampa. "That is our capital, and one crisis can wipe that out overnight."
     
    As the face of an industry that also relies on working the ground to produce living crops, Lochridge knows a thing or two about communicating in a crisis.
     
    When a Texas fertilizer plant built next to a school exploded killing dozens of people and sending dozens more to the hospital, she fielded countless calls from Floridians and members of the mainstream media who wondered whether the same thing could happen in their state.
     
    She guided her association and managed the message through an e-coli breakout that initially was blamed on Florida-grown tomatoes before it was eventually determined that peppers grown in Mexico were the source. 
     
    "It was like a runaway horse. I'd listen to 10 voicemails, and 10 more calls would come in in the meantime," she said. "If you've ever been on a runaway horse, you want to feel like you are steering, but you're really just holding on for dear life.
     
    "You have to consider the world we live in with 24-hour social media and 24-hour news. You have to be out there telling your story. If you're not out there telling it, someone else will be, and they might not get it right."
     
    Lochridge defined a crisis as any "unplanned or unwanted visibility."
     
    "It's when you find yourself in the crosshairs and you don't want to be," she said.
     
    There are four types of crises, any of which can apply throughout the golf business either to individual operations, vendors, associations, or the overall industry as a whole.
     
    Immediate - unexpected and devastating. Smoldering - preventable, signs it is coming, failure to act can cause things to erupt. Strategic - intentional, for business reasons, must be explained. Sustained - nagging, ongoing, never goes away.  
    The steps to managing a crisis are mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.
     
    "You want to spend a lot of your time in mitigation and prevention," Lochridge said.
     
    "Crisis communication gives you a chance to look at what risk is and put measures and processes into place that hopefully will keep a crisis from happening in first place. Another goal is shortening the lifecycle of the crisis as soon as you can. You want to get through it, and you want to get over it and resume normal operations as soon as possible. How you respond in first 12 hours is going to go a long way in determining how you are going to recover and how quickly you are going to recover."



    Another goal is shortening the lifecycle of the crisis as soon as you can...
     
    She suggests assembling a team of key players who can help draft a communications plan that can be adapted to a variety of challenges.
     
    "Messaging is a critical component of your plan. Who has to say what to whom? You have to make decisions in an informed way" she said. 
     
    "A plan is a blueprint for what you want to say, to whom you want to say it and how do you want to say it and when. It guides you through the process and is a framework that is adaptable. If you have a plan, you might have to adapt it, but if something happens you already have something from which to work."
     
    When something does occur, it is critical to be on top of it early. Otherwise, depending on the crisis, it is only a matter of time before someone else's version shows up on social media or a video on YouTube.
     
    "People are slow to come around to the idea of be out there quickly and deal with a crisis and get it over with," Lochridge said. "People tend to go into hunker down mode and that can be fatal in this world of 24-hour social media and 24-hour news."
     
    If managing through the crisis will include addressing the media, try to anticipate what questions will be asked and be ready for those tough questions that you dread. 
     
    "Keep your message on point," she said. "Think of the one question you would love to answer only if someone would ask you. If you haven't been asked that one thing, ask it yourself, and answer it."
     
    A large part of any response must be to show concern and regard for any victims without admitting guilt or negligence. That might mean including attorneys in the preventive planning process.
     
    "If you are the face of the crisis, be a leader and show decisiveness," she said. "In today's world, many people fall flat on their face when showing concern and care. With today's consumers, that is not going to get you very far if you are not saying we are really concerned about this and we are going to do everything we can to get to the bottom of it and make sure it doesn't happen again. And you want to be out there telling your story. If you're not someone else will be and chances are they will be getting it wrong."
     

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