Field Day and Fundraisers

As expected the Field Day at the Hancock Turfgrass Research center at Michigan State was a great event. It is amazing to see the direct focus they have there on Turf research. So many other facilities are doing many types of agricultural studies and they have a section of the area dedicated to turf. At MSU the entire property is dedicated to cutting edge turf research. We are very lucky to have this resource here in Michigan. As a former Superintendent I know how easy it is to take this for granted, but it is an incredible advantage to have the resources of the Turf program at Michigan State at our disposal. One of the major reasons we have this amazing facility and are leading the way on so much research is because of the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation www.michiganturfgrass.org. The MTF helps to fund and support the faculty and facilities dedicated to turfgrass management at MSU. It is because of this that the MiGCSA has four separate fundraisers every year. This year we had a bowling fundraiser in February, the June event at Arcadia Bluffs and we now have opened the registration for the event at Harbor Shores and will be opening registration for Warwick Hills on Friday. So far this year we have raised over $20,000 in sponsorship alone thanks to our Premiere Sponsors, along with $8,000 from Arcadia and $1,000 from the bowling event we are on our way to the biggest fundraising season the MiGCSA has ever had, the last two years we raised $15,000 a year, we are hoping to more than double that this year. The money raised at these fundraisers is mainly used for a donation to the MTF and Student Scholarships. Supporting the MiGCSA and MTF at these events is a great way to give back and get away to some fantastic venues. So hopefully you will sign up soon before we are sold out.

Sign up for Harbor Shores by CLICKING HERE

Gearing up for fall

Last week I attended the MGCOA Summer Outing at Gull Lake View in Augusta. Charlie Scott and his family own the course and they really do a great job there and with the MGCOA and the Scott Family Educational Support Foundation. In 1996 the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association created a separate tax exempt foundation with a mission of "providing training, education and professional development for Michigan golf course owners and operators." Because of the generous initial financial support from the Scott family of Gull Lake View Golf Course in Augusta, the Foundation was named in their honor.

That evening I had a visit with John Fulling at his house to meet his two Chinese interns. It was very interesting to speak to them about their culture and ours and there interest in Turfgrass Management. There are 72 Chinese interns in the United States for the next three months. Not many in Michigan, hopefully we can help promote this program that is helping the MSU Turfgrass program.

Tomorrow is the MTF Field day. I am heading to Lansing tonight to meet up with John Fulling and Lee Collins from John Deere Golf to discuss the MiGCSA Industry Partner Program.

We are also starting into a stretch of fall events for the MiGCSA. August 25th the 1/2 day education and golf at the Emerald, September 19th the 26th annual Tuck Tate at Black Lake, September 26th Western Golf Day at Harbor Shores, and the Big Event on October 3rd at Warwick Hills. On a personal note I need to carve out some time to get married on October 1st in the middle of these important events. 

State Championship and a Southwest swing

I am back in Northern Michigan today after spending the last three days in Grand Rapids. I went down to Railside Golf Club on Monday for the 4th annual MiGCSA State Championship. We had 44 members come out and played a two best of four net team game and competed for the 2011 State Championship. Dr. Kevin Frank defended his 2010 title with a 66 to win the championship. We had hoped for more attendance but it is a hot and high stress bit of weather we are in right now. I did speak to Dan Lucas about having the 2012 championship at The Kingsley Club in Kingsley, MI. A great venue for a State Championship. On Tuesday I rode with Marc McCoy from Harrell's on sales calls. We started at 6:30 in Ionia and visited the Jackson area in the morning and early afternoon. Then a run to the warehouse in Brighton, then a drop off in Battle Creek. We finished up 14 hours later, his phone was ringing off the hook all day with people struggling with turf, mainly poa. On Wednesday I picked up MiGCSA Board Member Jeff Holmes, CGCS at Egypt Valley and went down too Harbor Shores Golf Club in Benton Harbor to meet with Brad Fry to discuss the 2011 Western Golf Day Fundraiser. Brad took us on a tour of the course and it is an amazing place. It will be a great fundraiser. It is nice to be home. I think I have found that this blog will not be as updated as I originally hoped, it looks like I will get an update on here every week or two as I find the time.

OTF Regional Seminar

Had a great experience with our turf neighbors to the south the last two days. Today I attended the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Regional seminar at Fifth Third field, home of the Toledo Mudhens. We had a great tour of the field and the operations by Jake Tyler, Field Manager. On Sunday night MiGCSA President Jay Eccleton and I attended a reception at the Park Inn right around the corner from the field. We met many professors and field staff from Ohio State. And we spent a lot of time getting to know the new Executive Director of the OTF Steve Jurick and the Associate Director Brian Laurent. There is a significant opportunity for the MiGCSA to work with the OTF to provide more education opportunities to members, especially those in the southern part of Michigan. Like the event today, .3 GCSAA CEU's and a 1/2 day of great education and discussion with fellow superintendents for no cost to any members. This is another example of why the MiGCSA was formed, to find and foster these relationships with allied associations with the same goal of improving and advance the game of golf.

Website Meeting

Just finished a meeting with Gaslight Media, our website company. We are looking into a major upgrade in how the back end of the website handles membership data. Along with this is a much more custom user interface. It will probably not be complete until this winter or even next spring. It will be in place by membership renewal in October 2012. The goal is to make everything more personal and automated. Membership renewal is like aerification, it is a process that is tough on everyone but it has to be done and the benefits are important. Look for improvements coming soon!

Flint Elks Golf Event

We had a great turnout for the Flint Elks Golf event on the 12th. We had 40 players that competed in a best two of 4 format. And there was an hour of education on conducting an irrigation audit for .1 CEU's from Ian Williams with Rainbird. I did not have a chance to post until now as I was in Detroit for this event and had to head back on Friday for my first wedding shower. I grew up in Clinton Township and still have many family members there. The shower was at Cherry Creek Golf Club and a special thank you to MiGCSA member Superintendent Scott Schellpfeffer who hosted myself, my brother in law, father in law, and nephew to be for 9 holes on Saturday. The course was great and we were able to get in on time to see everyone.

Catching Up

The Presidents of the groups that make up the Michigan
Golf Alliance met with the Speaker of the House Jase Bulger

Went down to Lansing yesterday for a recap meeting from the Michigan Golf Day in Lansing at the MGCOA headquarters. Kate Moore, MGCOA Executive Director will be coming to the Spring Management Meetings next spring to talk about how well organized the day is. It can be intimidating to go into a Representatives office and speak about golf. It is tough to get the members to understand how it is all set up for you, talking points, assignments for visits, and information packets. Once you come to the golf day it is a hard event to skip, we are really starting to make an impression on the Capitol. Hopefully the MiGCSA members will absorb the information and try to attend in 2012.