MDARD Inspections on Golf Courses on the Rise

Over the last three to four years the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division (PPPMD) have been increasing their focus on the Golf Industry here in Michigan. Many members have noted a drop in visit from these inspectors across the entire state this summer.

This started heating up in 2015 and we did publish letters from the MDARD and PPPMD folks in the magazine, online and in this blog, but based on some recent reports from MiGCSA Members I thought going over some of the facts again would be a good idea.

The Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division (PPPMD) is responsible for the implementation of programs and enforcement of laws concerning agricultural products, export commodities, pesticide sale and use, pest management and groundwater protection. Here is a quote from them in 2015 on why their focus on golf has emerged: “MDARD has made a renewed effort to conduct inspections at golf courses in the last 3 years. MDARD began by identifying golf courses in Michigan that did not have a certified applicator as an employee in MDARD’s records. Of the approximate 900 golf courses in Michigan MDARD identified 322 golf courses who did not appear to employ a certified pesticide applicator. Over the past 3 years, 113 inspections have taken place with a high rate of non-compliance with MDARD’s regulations. 81 golf courses or 72% of the 113 inspected golf courses received an immediate stop order with enforcement action taken after the inspection was completed.” The goal of the PPPMD inspectors is not to fine but to help get compliance to protest our groundwater. I have many, many personal meetings with the PPPMD and MDARD and it is a very common theme among all of them.

Thankfully we here in Michigan have tools available to us to make sure your facility is following the rules and regulations. The Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP) has been around as long as these regulations that came about in the late 90's. Many MiGCSA Members probably still have their MTESP binders in their offices to this day. When I took over the MTESP in 2013 we went through a full digital conversion of this booklet along with a review from the MDARD and PPPMD folks. It is an easy to navigate online survey style module based program that is FREE. The funding for this program comes from the Michigan Water Stewardship Program. The website www.MTESP.org is always improving as is the program. The individual information is only accessed by myself and John Johnson the MTESP Stewardship Specialist and not shared with any government regulators beyond overall website traffic and statistics to show use and viability.

So if you're not already go get an account set up at MTESP.org and identify where you may be lacking or in violation, ignorance is not an acceptable response if you are inspected. Know where you stand, inform your ownership or management, be proactive not reactive. The tools are free and easy to use. As always let me know if you have any questions at adamikamas@migcsa.org or adam@mtesp.org.

Stand Up

As we here at the MiGCSA sit down to pan another year and we look forward to the many meetings during the winter months we rely on our Board and Committees to help plan and execute these many events. At every meeting there is always a Board or Committee Member who stands up in front of the group and thanks our partners, or introduces a speaker or just to give an update. I know from experience as a new young Superintendent back in 2004 that I wondered why is this person or that one standing up? How did they get there?

If you have ever had that thought too then I am about to spill the beans on how to get to be someone who stands up, ready... here is what you do: Stand Up! Maybe not physically but in a more metaphorical way, send an email to a committee chair here is a list: http://www.migcsa.org/migcsa-committees-35/ or a general email to info@migcsa.org.

If you see ways the MiGCSA can improve, get on the best committee to help. If you have a passion for something specific get with that chairman. I promise that is all it takes, no one will be turned away if they make an effort to help. More often than not the best committee members become Board Members who then become Officers and are able to have a very unique experience along the way. A bond with your fellow committee members from all over the state that last for an entire career, interactions nationally at the Chapter Leaders Symposium, National Golf Day and GCSAA Delegates Meeting. Along with local interaction with the Michigan Golf alliance (PGA, GAM, MGCOA & MCMA) the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame and all of the awesome opportunities to help to provide value to our members through programs and services that enhance and promote our profession.

So if you ever thought about standing up do it! I promise no one who has stood up or is currently would take any of it back. It is not an exclusive club, it is open and welcoming to all members and every budget. There is no time like the present!

Michigan Turf Conference

To go to Stand Up blog post from the wrong link in the News Email on 11/30 please click here 

As the irrigation is blown out and those final sprays are upon us it is the time of year that most members start the winter education planning.

The 2018 Michigan Turfgrass Conference is January 3rd to the 5th this year. I have had a lot of feedback on these dates being very challenging with the New Year so close. First off this conference is not planned or produced by the MiGCSA, this event is put together by the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF) and we support them in any way possible. I attend the MTF Meetings and they are very aware of the challenge these dates propose. This was a result of the mid January dates not being reserved far enough out a few years ago which left only this time frame for a few years, the hope is to get it pushed to later in the month as soon as possible.

The lineup this year is impressive, you can see it all here: http://michiganturfgrassfoundation.wildapricot.org/event-2503593

The timeline is tight but the opportunities are endless. Added bonus is that all of the proceeds from this conference go to support the turf research we all rely on from MSU. Get registered today, I hope to see you all in East Lansing!

Why are the Fundraisers so much more this year!?!?

With registration opening for the Western Golf Day Fundraiser the fall golf season is in full swing for the MiGCSA. We are heading to beautiful Muskegon C.C. on 9/18 and the Big Event is on 10/9 at newly renovated Bloomfield Hills C.C. these both follow the ever successful Arcadia Bluffs Fundraiser back in June.

However the cost of $155 has made for a few double takes. These events have been $125 per person since before the MiGCSA was formed so a jump of this amount is noticeable. This was decided by the MiGCSA Board back in March of 2017 and the following letter was sent out to all members on 3/24. I think this covers the reasoning very well so I will re post it here for clarification.

03/24/2017
2017 MiGCSA Fundraisers
For over 50 years fundraisers have taken place in Michigan to support Turf Research and provide scholarships for turf students and children of MiGCSA Members. During those years, there have been many host sites around our great state. Since inception of the MiGCSA in 2008 and even before the merger the cost of these events has remained steady at $125 per participant. However, the cost of hosting these events at these great golf venues has steadily increased. Much like a golf course budget you cannot produce the same results today with the same budget as 2008 even though many MiGCSA Members are asked to do just that. It is because of this that the Board of Directors approved an increase of $30 to the cost of all Fundraisers starting in 2017.

This was not done without thorough discussion, debate and thought. The goal of these events is to raise money, money that goes directly back to the industry. The majority of these funds go to the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation to fund the best turf research program in the world right here in our backyard. The proceeds also help fund Member Dependent Heritage and Student Scholarships, Wee One Foundation and the EIFG. As costs have continued to rise over the last eight years the income for these events has been stagnant, as a result the donations to the MTF have steadily declined.

Thankfully participation has been and remains strong as do sponsorships which has allowed the MiGCSA to crest $100,000 in donations to the MTF this year. However, this is not a sustainable model for the future. It is important to remember these events directly benefit you, our members we represent. We welcome feedback on this decision and hope you understand why it was made. Thank you for your support of the MiGCSA and the golf industry in Michigan.

Sincerely,

Your MiGCSA Board of Directors

MI Turf T Shirts

On July 7th the MiGCSA launched a new fundraiser online selling some really cool T shirts. This was an idea that was formed from an annual meeting with my fellow Great Lakes Chapter Executives in Columbus Ohio in June. The OTF did a similar fundraiser and it was very successful so we decided to do our own. The idea for the actual shirt came from Adam Garr our Syngenta rep who has been using a great hashtag #MITuf when discussing issues on turf this summer. The combination with our logo was a natural fit. The two week time frame sold 180 shirts and raised $3,820!

We will be using these funds to award an MiGCSA Member an all expenses paid trip to the 2018 Golf Industry Show. If your interested in applying for this the deadline is August 4th 2017 and here is the form: http://www.migcsa.org/uploads/2018-MiGCSA-Golf-Industry-Show-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Thank you to everyone who supported this fundraiser, it was an amazing show of support and community.

Go Time!

It is raining here at MiGCSA HQ just north of Grand Rapids, not quite the warm spring rain that is usually coming around this time of year but it is a big all day spring rain none the less. It is that slow all day soaker that reminds you the real spring is here. Another sure sign of spring is my Twitter and Facebook feeds are packed with photos of greens mowers out  making that first cut, one of my favorite days of the year when I was a Superintendent. Everyone knows it is Go Time.

1st Mowing of 2010 at Crystal Mountain

It all happens fast, all of the sudden your back on the sprayer, the first shotgun start and the double mow and roll days are upon you. Here in Michigan that is usually broken up by some brutal cold weather and sometimes snow as winter tries to hang on longer than anyone wants it to, but we all know it is Go Time.

So this is a great time of year to make sure you have some plans to do more than the day to day operations on the golf course. Of course these are very important to you and your job security, but I caution you on thinking that is the only thing you need to do to be successful. Your Chapter has many opportunities for you to meet and interact with fellow members all season, from the 24th of April to the 2nd of October. Right now make the plans to attend at least one or two of these meetings. I would also encourage you to sign up as a single, I know radical right? But when you do that I will make sure you are paired with someone you will value meeting at the end of the day. Yes golfing with your "group" is fun, and I am not saying you should drop those guys, but maybe go to a meeting in another area of the state, as a single or ride with someone and get paired up. Or even better grab that guy down the road who you know is not a member and invite them to come with you, expose them to the MiGCSA and our members, think about how much that would mean to them. Grow your network, meet some new people who are just like you. North, South East or West we are all Golf Course Superintendents. So before Go Time becomes I can't go time make your plans to utilize these opportunities, you will never know what your missing if you always miss it!

2017 Events
Monday, April 24 - Spring Opener (Spring Lake C.C., Spring Lake)

Monday, May 8 - Can-Am Tournament (Essex C.C., Ontario)

Monday, May 22 – Wee One Fundraiser (Birmingham C.C., Birmingham)

Sunday, June 4 – Northern Fundraiser Practice Round (Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia)

Monday, June 5 - Northern Fundraiser (Arcadia Bluffs, Arcadia)

Thursday, June 8 – Legislative Golf Day (Capitol Building, Lansing)

Thursday, June 22 – LaFontaine Outing (Coyote Preserve, Fenton)

Wednesday, July 12 – Mid Golf Event (Apple Mountain, Freeland) 

Thursday, July 27 - Tuck Tate Championship (TBD)

Wednesday, August 16 – MTF Field Day (Hancock Turfgrass Center, East Lansing)

Thursday, August 24 - MiGCSA State Championship (Bucks Run G.C., Mt. Pleasant)

Friday, September 8 - Assistant & Student Networking Golf Outing (College Fields, Okemos)

Monday, September 18 - Western Golf Day (Muskegon C.C., Muskegon)

Monday, October 2 - The Big Event (Bloomfield Hills C.C.) 

Us and Them

This article was spurned by a post on the Facebook page started by Gary Grigg called Golf Course Maintenance. If you are not a member it is a great group and is really a forum for many things. The topic that lead me to write this was on the GCSAA new classification system where class SM Members will go back to a classification of B. This was voted on at the 2016 GCSAA Annual Meeting after discussion by the chapter delegates and the Board of the MiGCSA did approve it as well.

There was a complaint on this page about the reclassification as feeling like a second-class citizen. It lead to many more comments about the GCSAA and the feeling that the membership dues are not worth it, things about the local chapter has my back but not he National or just flat out it is a waste of money what do they do for me? Now this is not the first time I have heard this, and personally there was a time when perhaps I would have not disagreed with it. If you look at GCSAA or MiGCSA Membership as a service, then it appears to be a terrible value. $375 for a GCSAA Membership and another $100 for the MiGCSA and all you get are a few magazines you don’t usually have time to read. When that is the mind set, I cannot blame someone for not seeing the value.

However, if that is your mindset I am not sure you understand how this all works. The GCSAA and MiGCSA are not a direct service in the traditional sense. These groups are an opportunity and can be as large of an opportunity as you can make of them.

If you sit back and wait for the GCSAA & MiGCSA do things for you it will not work, it is not supposed to work that way. It is like buying a new sprayer parking it in the barn and wondering why you have disease ridden turf, you must use it for it to work! Anything you need or could want is at your fingertips, but you must, under your own power move them. 

When I first started this job, I struggled with trying to come up with the “elevator pitch” to explain why the MiGCSA is important for members. I started listing all the things we do behind the scenes like foster relationships with the State and Local Governments, provide networking and educational opportunities, produce an industry leading magazine and a massive communication network and so on down the line into the minutia of the daily operations. But as I struggled with this I was turned on to a Ted Talk by Simon Sinek on the idea that people do not believe in what you do they believe in why you do it. This resonated with me and has changed my elevator speech completely.

The MiGCSA or GCSAA for that matter is not about doing things for you, even though they both do, a lot. They are about giving you the opportunity to be part of us, not them, just us. We are all Michigan Golf Course Superintendents members or not, it is what we do. Why do we do it? For the giant pay checks or the glory and appreciation? It is because we are passionate about our profession. As a group of people who are passionate about our profession we are unstoppable, when we all believe in why we do it together, we are unstoppable, when we utilize the opportunities by getting involved to whatever level you would like, we are unstoppable. Not us and them, just us. When the GCSAA does well we all do well, when the MiGCSA does well we all do well. It is not they do well, we are they. So, the next time you wonder about paying your dues to either group please think of it not as a service like your cable bill, but as an investment in all of us which absolutely includes YOU!

2017 Michigan Turfgrass Conference

It is conference season time, and the 2017 Michigan Conference is again set to be a great event starting on January 3rd in East Lansing. I am often asked about the conference as if it were an MiGCSA event, but it is not. The conference is produced by the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF) and all of the planning comes from their very capable conference planning committee chaired by Amy Fouty, CSFM from MSU. Amy and her group have been doing a phenomenal job of getting speakers and topics that are up to the minute relevant to anyone who grows turf, and especially in the Golf Turf areas. This conference is also available at a great cost of only $195.00 for three days when you pre register.

If you have not attended this conference before make a point to do so now, if you have attended before get signed up. More information can be found here and you can register online at the MTF website here.

The Annual Call to Action!

It is 51 degrees and spitting a light rain today here in Rockford just north of Grand Rapids and as I write this I am taken back to this time of year pouring over budget numbers in the office as a Superintendent. The deluge of early order programs and picking them apart to maximize the dollars saved. I am betting there are more than a few people reading this doing the same thing, looking at the monitor of spreadsheets and paper laid out over the desk.

If so I am honored that you took a break from that to read this. I am also now going to make my annual call to action to add one more consideration into your decisions this fall. To consider the companies and individuals who partner with your Chapter. This is the critical part of the circle of support I often speak about. These partners are the main funding source of the MiGCSA. They do this because they believe in the Chapter and you, but they also do it because they want your business. The margins on many products you use are not a large as you may think, especially during early order. If these partners lose business to other companies that are not participating in the MiGCSA Industry Partner Program then it makes it harder every year to support you.

So please, when the early order information starts to come in, when the salesperson makes the appointment, when you make those commitments, please use the information on the signs below to help keep the circle of support intact. The Industry Partners support everything the MiGCSA does and the Fundraiser Sponsors help fund the future of our industry. This is one of the most important ways to support your Chapter and all of the members in it, thank you.

Fundraisers, where does the money go?

As we start to turn the corner into aerification, snow mold and irrigation blowouts it is also fundraiser season around Michigan. We have three every year, the first is always at Arcadia Bluffs on the first Monday in June and we blew it out again this year as this annual event continues to be a staple on many calender's. In September we have the Western Golf Day at Kent Country Club on September 19th and the Big Event at Plum Hollow on October 3rd. These are long standing events and are the highest attendance we see all year. Which allows us to raise a lot of money, but then what where does it go?

All of the proceeds from these events go right back to you... well not in direct cash form but to all of us in the form of industry support. The highest percentage goes to the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation to support the world class turf research going on a t MSU. Since the inception of the MiGCSA in 2008 the Association has been able to donate $120,000 to the MTF! All of the research done at MSU is for the benefit of our members and we are glad to be the largest single contributor to the MTF on an annual basis.

We also use these funds to support the scholarships we give out every year. There are the 4 Heritage Scholarships that are awarded for $1,500 each to dependents of current members after an application and essay. And the Student Scholarships, up to 2 at $2,000 each. These are available to turf students at MSU and are awarded based on an interview process.

The final group that regularly receives funds is the Wee One Foundation. In recent years the MiGCSA has been a sponsor of these events and have matched member donations.

Other turf related philanthropic causes and groups can also be funded by request and approval from the MiGCSA Board of Directors.

So if any of these seem important (hint: they should) to you and you want to have a great day with your colleagues then please sign up and participate in one of the remaining fundraisers and in turn help to support and fund the future of our industry.

The Tyranny of the Urgent

“Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important.” 
― Charles E. Hummel, Tyranny of the Urgent

Even though I am no longer an active Superintendent with the day to day concerns and worries of these very trying stretches of weather I still get the same feelings I used to get and often discuss them with members.

The stress of not knowing when to make the switch in irrigation practises from hot and dry with heavy overnight watering to hot and humid where the same irrigation cycle you had to run yesterday turns the course into a petri dish the next night. Where to find the balance of green speeds and healthy turf. Trying to get some holes into the greens to vent them and praying for some relief from the things we can not control, but control us all.

I see this from more of a distance now but that also provides a perspective that is slightly different. So many members during these times can not imagine leaving the facility for an hour much less most of a day. I can relate, but now as I attend all of the Chapter events I see the relief and benefit for all of our members in the networking and shared experience of both pain and success it is a vital part of getting through these days. I now it is really hard to get away, impossible even. But to take a step back, spend the day with your peers and know you are not alone, to know you have a huge resource in your fellow members will do more for you than any amount of hand watering ever will. No amount of spraying will ever replace a new bond or tip you will absolutely get from attending an MiGCSA event. So take a minute to look at the calendar  http://www.migcsa.org/event-calendar-291/ and make plans to get away for a day, to learn something or meet someone new. Or if you want to have an event closer to your facility or in a different format please let us know and we can help make it happen. Break away from the urgent fire extinguishing routine and take a minute to get some fire prevention tips.

Team Work

I think that no matter what section of the golf business you are in, or really any part of life it is better to work with others to achieve a common goal. As a Superintendent I know I could not be effective without a team that was motivated and had a very strong understanding of expectations for their job but more importantly the overall goal. How can each person do their job in a way that helps achieve the desired results. Once you can gain understanding from others on what your desired outcome is let them go forth and help achieve that in their own best way.

The same is true for the MiGCSA. I had the opportunity to participate in a meeting of the Midwest Chapter Executives in Chicago last week. Items discussed included Strengthening member and chapter relationships with GCSAA, Sponsorship & Commercial members - meeting their needs and maximizing revenue, Managing your volunteers/board members, Technology - what are some of the winners you’ve found / losers too!, Member communications / print / digital / social - keeping things fresh, Contracting out tasks (design, office tasks) what can you / what do you have to do Yourself, Future Local Collaboration - Research/Education. In attendance were Luke Cella, CGCS (Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents, Randy Robinson (Iowa GCSA), Brett Grams (Wisconsin GCSA), Brian Laurent (OTF & Multiple Ohio Chapters) and Shane Conroy (GCSAA Field Staff)

Much like an MiGCSA Meeting I learned so much from my peers and even more importantly formed and strengthened relationships that have the potential to be extraordinarily important now and in the future. Team work is more than you and your facility or company, look beyond at what others are doing and utilize their experience. Come to a meeting and form or strengthen those relationships. Save time money and stress by leaning on each other to achieve the desired results.

Super Supers Behind the Scenes

I hope that by now most of the membership has seen our episode of Super Supers with Michigan Golf Live, if not please check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaxKppex22Q

This idea was originally floated by Past President Jay Eccleton, CGCS years ago. It has been through many discussions and starts and stops. Finally last year it all came together. The GCSAA awarded us with an outreach grant to help offset the cost of production and we filmed this all in a few days at Egypt Valley Country Club with then President Jeff Holmes, CGCS.

We had seen this awesome video done by the Georgia Chapter: https://vimeo.com/78408239 and really wanted to do something to highlight our members and our passion for the profession. So finally the time was right to partner with MGL and Bill Hobson. His broadcasts reach 250,000 golfers in Michigan on Fox Sports Detroit every weekend. So we pulled the trigger after much panning and discussion on how best to communicate our message. The first draft of the video was sent to the board and myself in the fall of 2015. After more discussion and edits over the winter we finally got it to where we wanted it.

This was a process that none of us were used to as video editing and production is well out of our wheelhouses. So far all the responses we have had are positive. If you would like to send the board some feedback we would appreciate it at info@migcsa.org.

Must see

We have between 20 and 30 events every year and every one is a great opportunity to make new relationships that will help you and you facility in ways you may not even realize. But one event every year is targeting a larger goal, Legislative Golf Day on June 9th at the Capitol Building in Lansing. We partner with the Michigan Golf Course Owners, the Golf Association of Michigan, the Michigan Section of the PGA and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation as a group called the Michigan Golf Alliance to represent all of the golf industry in Michigan. We take the positive financial and environmental message to legislators to make sure they all know how crucial our industry is to Michigan.

Did you know golf is a 4.2 Billion dollar industry just in our state and generates 52,000 jobs? This type of information is very pertinent when legislators are making decisions that could affect the golf industry. We have been able to make a great impact with this presence every year but we are missing one thing... YOU!

It is a very hard time of year to get away, I know from experience and from helping to plan this event. But please take the time to set the date in stone to come represent your industry and facility in Lansing. The day is very easy, everything is taken care of for you. Where to go who to see and what to talk about as it relates to golf. No there are no pressing issues at this time directly related to golf, but imagine how many there could be if we had not been doing this event for so many years. It is impossible to measure lack of needless legislation that is directed at golf, but our impact can not be overlooked. But we need more people there that day, to represent the entire state. Please come see this day in action, come see what we can do as a group to help each individual on June 9th. More information at www.michigangolfalliance.com.

Mission

Do you have a mission statement at your facility or business? Can you recite it right now from memory? If not then I would guess it is not used to make decisions on a daily basis. If it is not a good mission statement then that is probably a good thing, but also a bad thing. If your mission statement is old or was not poured over in a strategic planning meeting then you may be better of not knowing it by heart and letting it help guide your decisions. However if it is good and well thought out it can be one of the most valuable tools in the entire business. I say this not just for us but from so many successful business leaders.

Our mission: The MiGCSA is dedicated to providing value to our members through programs and services that promote and enhance our profession.

I can say that this was a very thought out mission and has evolved with the growth of the chapter. I can also say that I personally run any decision or directive through the "mission filter". If an idea or directive does not succeed in helping us in this mission it will likely not get to the light of day. It helps me on a daily basis make operational decisions for the Board and Membership. It helps the Officers and Board make large decisions to help to continue on an upward path.

The latest addition to our mission is the word promote. We are doing some things this summer to promote our members. The biggest is an entire episode of Michigan Golf Live dedicated to Superintendents and the MiGCSA. The debut of the show is scheduled for the week of Saturday, May 21st. It will air 3 times that week, including Sat/Sun at 9:30 a.m. The second week of airtime is Sept 10th on Fox Sports Detroit. We work hand in hand with media outlets like the Free Press in this article about our winter damage survey. We now have a seat on the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame Board to help to promote the lifelong work of so many of our members like Dr. Joe Vargs who will be inducted this year. A seat with the Michigan golf Alliance to help promote our members to allied golf groups and associations. Before we added the promotion to the mission these ideas and directives may never have come to fruition.

Take a look at your mission at your business or facility and ask if it is part of your decision making process, should it be? Or does it need to change to reflect your current business model? Or can adding one word open up so many opportunities to be more efficient and productive? It is more than just a few words if you allow it to be.

Survey Says!

We just sent out a survey this week on the winter of 2015/16, about which one respondent appropriately responded is not over yet. We had some significant melt off in Michigan this week and thought it would be a good time to see how everyone is doing. Winter damage is a very sensitive subject and everyone wants to know how everyone else is looking. We had a great response of almost 100 Superintendents. The results can be found here.

From the results it looks like we will have a good spring as far as damage over the winter. Of course damage to putting greens and other areas can occur during the volatile spring weather. But the survey indicated that there is a good chance that the majority of properties will come into spring with no damage from ice. Of course there will always be some, but not as widespread as the last two seasons. This is great news for all of our members and their members.

These surveys are usually easy to get out to our membership. If you ever have a question, problem or idea please let us know at info@migcsa.org or by speaking to the Board Members in your district. We went from questions to answers in one week on this. Time is critical in our industry, so please take advantage of your association and our ability to increase communication to one another and to the public on widespread issues.

Happy New Year

2016 is upon us just like that, it seems to happen faster every year. The course gets closed and conference season begins, and what a great one to start off the year at the Michigan Turfgrass Conference. Another home run by the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF) and their Conference Committee, Chaired by Amy Fouty. I know it can sometimes be confusing as to who does what around here. That is actually a good thing because it means we are doing things well together. This year was no exception, the lineup was superb, the schedule Tuesday to Thursday was an amazing “why did we not do this before improvement” the organization and flow was flawless. Thank you to Amy, Becky Schooch, MTF Executive Secretary, Gordie LaFontaine, MTF Executive Director, Brian Schweihofer, MTF President, Dr. Kevin Frank and the many, many more who serve on committees and work so hard to produce such a great show.

The winter is also a great time to take stock of your shop and property. One of the hats I wear is the Program Director for the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program (MTESP) which I started with in 2013. I hope many if not all reading this know we are now a 100% online program. The winter is a great time to sit down in the office and register your facility with the MTESP at www.mtesp.org. The 12 modules are easy to complete and can really help you get a better understanding of your property and how it interacts with the local environment. Where the water goes, where it comes in, how is it impacted by your practices. It is easy and it is free to participate in the modules. Go take a look, it really is a great tool for us here in Michigan.

Conference

The 2016 Michigan Turfgrass Conference is right around the corner starting on January 5th this year. This is a great opportunity for networking and education at an incredibly low cost. This event is not produced by the MiGCSA but is a product of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation. There is often confusion on who does what in our state because we are fortunate to have a long standing and very strong Foundation in the MTF that did for many years act as a unified voice for Golf Course Superintendents. With the establishment of the MiGCSA in 2008 as a unified statewide chapter and our success since then it has muddied the water a little bit.

The MTF is a 501 c3 non profit who has one primary goal to support turf research at MSU, and they have been doing this better than anyone in the country since the 1950's. Millions of dollars have poured through the MTF into Turf Research at MSU. Many of this dollars came from the original 4 chapters and their MTF Fundraisers. Still today the MiGCSA is the largest single contributor to the MTF from the proceeds of our three fundraisers every year, more than $22,000 in 2015. One of the extra benefits of the conference is that 100% of the profits from the event go to the MTF and thus to the research we all rely on. This years conference is another blockbuster thanks to Amy Fouty and her conference committee and everyone involved with the MTF.

The MiGCSA does all we can to help support this conference as it is a benefit to being an MiGCSA Member to be in the loop on any educational opportunities. If you are reading this and are not registered for the 2016 show you are missing out on one of the best educational and networking opportunities of the year at an incredibly low cost, do yourself a favor and go to www.mtfconference.org right now and get signed up.

The Wheel of Support

It is that time of year, early order season. I remember well the piles of spreadsheets and my calculator in the office and hours moving and crunching numbers, meeting with my sales representatives and trying to find the best way to stretch a dollar.

We hear do more with less all the time and all of our members are under pressure to do just this. That has a trickle down effect and lands on our Industry Partners. They also have to do more with less, with that being said they still continue to support your Association. Many have since inception in 2008 and continue to this day. We honestly would not exist without their support. We only have two main revenue streams, Membership and Industry Partners. We try to run our events at a break even to keep costs for members low, 100% of the Fundraiser proceeds go right back into our industry every year. It is critical that we continue to have support from these partners. With that it is critical that you as end users consider the support of these companies when you make your purchasing decisions.

It is a wheel of support and if any part of the support is removed it will no longer spin. So please put one more crucial factor into your purchasing decisions this fall, is the company you are supporting doing the same for you?

Fundraisers to the Finish Line

Registration is now open for the last two Fundraisers of 2015, Western Golf Day at Cascade Hills C.C. on September 21st and the Big Event at Polo Fields on October 5th.

These events are traditionally very well attended and the golf clubs go all out to host us. So please try to make time to attend one or both of theses events to help us raise money for Student and Member Heritage Scholarships, the Wee One Foundation and other philanthropic turf related causes. The vast majority of the funds go directly to the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF) and help fund the world class research at Michigan State University (MSU).

The first Fundraiser of the year at Arcadia Bluffs was a great start, help us cross the 2015 year finish line with a bang. 100% of the proceeds from the Fundraisers are distributed back into our industry every year.