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Providing News and Information to North Texas GCSA Members • September 2014, Volume 22, Issue 5Providing News and Information to North Texas GCSA Members • September 2014, Volume 22, Issue 5

Summer Family Socialat Topgolf in The ColonyThis year’s summer family social ended up landing on a weekend that felt more like fall than summer. The cool breezes of August rolled through the three-story Topgolf facility in The Colony making it one pleasant night to eat, drink and show off our golfing skills.

This marked the first time that a NTGCSA event had been held at a Topgolf facility. There are three locations in the North Texas area with The Colony being the newest venue. For those who haven’t been to Topgolf, it’s a new take on the driving range concept. Sen-sors implanted in the balls give you the ability to score points for accuracy and compete against others. Topgolf is a combination of golf, arcade, sports bar, and nightclub all rolled up into one. Many believe Topgolf may hurt the traditional golfing facilities we all dedicate ourselves by selling supplies to or maintaining. However, one thing is for certain, these new aged driving ranges are getting more golf clubs into peoples hands that normally would be too intimidated to step foot onto a real course. Hopefully that can build the game for the future. TopGolf provided us a fun, friendly and fantastic venue for our families to unwind and enjoy a night with our bigger NTGCSA family!

Our evening wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors for this event. A big thank you goes to Fleetwood Services, Turf Materi-als, Harrell’s, and BWI.

Prizes included: GPS golf watch, Golf bag, push cart, golf umbrella, men’s rain suit, ladies rain suit, bottle of “Prisoner” wine, iFly indoor skydiving, itunes gift cards, and Topgolf gift cards. Prizes were provided by Austin Holloway with Sun Mountain, Northwood Club, Topgolf, and NTGCSA.

ResultsMen’s Division Scott Miller – 228 Bryan Tupa – 140 Matthew Meyers – 137

Ladies Division Laura Myrick – 152 Robin Carpenter - 128 Stacy Schick – 78

Boys Division Dillon Lane - 168 Henry Frizzell – 162 Cal Phillips - 46

Girls Division Cambell Carpenter – 118 Ryan Phillips – 56 Jenna Birkhimer - 34

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Texas TrophyTEXAS TROPHY 2014 - SEPTEMBER 21, 22, 23, 2014

THE CAMPUS COURSE AT TEXAS A&M

TOURNAMENT INFORMATION• Tournament includes three days of golf and food.

• Includes Daily Proximity and Long Drive Holes Cash Awards

• National GCSAA Entry Fee Paid for the Top Gross and Net Finishers

• Individual Tournament Gifts

• Individual and Team Championships are On the Line

• Take part in the Long Drive Contest

Entry fee per person: $225 for 3-day event; $250- 3 days of golf plus education;

$180 for 2-day event; $135 for 1 day. $25 for Education Only.

Deadline: Monday Sept 15, 2013

All registrations are online at: [email protected]

EDUCATION INFORMATIONGCSAA Accredited Educational Program will be held on Monday, September 22rd from 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM (Speaker: Dr. White)

Cost: $25/Breakfast Included

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Tech CornerDrones: A True ToolThere are a variety of new technologies that golf course superintendents have at their disposal, one of the newest being the remote control quadcopter. When the quadcopter is outfitted with a camera, the superintendent can take unique overhead shots of the property. Before this technol-ogy came along, the only way to get over-head shot was by paying someone to fly over with plane or use an outdated satellite image. Now, photos can be taken whenever desired, and in locations that were not ac-cessible before.

We initially purchased the quadcopter to take before and after photos of the renova-tion on our golf course greens, but have since found many other uses. Our first use for the quadcopter was mapping the irrigation pond depth. Since the Google Earth image didn’t get close enough, or have good resolution, we could not use the picture. We used the quadcopter to take a photo over the area planned to mea-sure, and then used the application Skitch to draw on the photo. The image was emailed to our irrigation consultant, so that he could determine the type of intake pipe we would need for a future pump house. The photos from the quadcopter were also used for evaluation of our turf plots at the nursery. We were able to get overhead images and determine how the chemicals were affecting the turf. The quadcopter has become a great tool for our golf main-tenance department. - See more at: http://turfrepublic.com/

Fans and hand rollers key parts of Valhalla’s PGA Championship preparations.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The greens are young, sometimes frag-ile and being trimmed to championship heights.

To keep them vibrant for the PGA Championship, the Val-halla Golf Club grounds crew has resorted to high-tech and archaic tactics.

First, let’s start with what must be removed before tourna-ment play begins Thursday. The PGA of America, which owns the 28-year-old course hosting its third PGA Champi-onship, purchased 18 electrical fans last fall to place alongside the greens.

The fans are designed to keep air moving through the put-ting surfaces on muggy Kentucky afternoons. They require electrical outlets along all 18 greens, so it’s safe to call Valhalla a “wired” golf course. The infrastructure for the fans was installed in 2010, one year before the club switch to T-1 bent-grass putting surfaces. This year’s PGA is believed to be the first major championship contested on T-1 bentgrass greens.

“The fans have certainly been very instrumental in growing healthy turf here at Valhalla,” superintendent Roger Meier says. “The fans are probably our biggest tool in managing

the putting surfaces in keeping them dry and keeping the air movement across the putting surfaces. It helps that plant cool down, especially in the evenings. It keeps the putting surfaces dry and firm, which is certainly critical. When we get into those hot, humid days of the good old transition zone

weather, they are there to aid the putting surfaces and to keep the atmosphere around those greens a little bit cooler and a better growing environment.”

The Valhalla staff doesn’t always use all 18 fans at once. Some greens might require two fans on humid days. Some might not require a fan. Meier says six greens receive air from fans all 12 months. The fans are green, which blends with the turfgrass hue. Despite their massive size, they are quieter than a typical house fan.

One of Tuesday evening’s major mainte-nance tasks involves removing the fans. Monday was one of this summer’s most humid days, thus the decision to keep fans on the course for Tuesday’s practice rounds. A crane truck will lift the fans from their greenside spots, and they will be placed into storage until the tournament ends.

A throwback maintenance practice also has assisted in keeping the greens slick for the world’s best players.

The greens are being rolled by hand, instead of machine, this week. The rollers are large drums filled with water – and they are heavy. Pushing and pulling them up greenside slopes is a two-person task.

“The hand rollers are really nice for the championship because we can really manipulate the weight of the rollers, especially with the greens and working with green speeds and trying to achieve the championship speed that we want,” Meier says. “We are able to manipulate those and control the weight in them and gain different speeds by manipulating the weight of those rollers.”

Valhalla received an assist from a notable course in a neigh-boring state to obtain the rollers. Paul Latshaw, of Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, delivered rollers to the course when the ones Valhalla ordered weren’t the proper size. Latshaw visited Meier last weekend to provide input on using the heavy devices.

“I picked that up from him and learned it from him,” Meier says. “Everybody knows Paul is one of the greats in the industry and one of the best.”

Air them out, pat them down

Muirfield Village, like Valhalla, was designed by Jack Nicklaus. Muirfield Village hosts the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tourna-ment.

Meier, in his fourth year as Valhalla’s superintendent, says his course’s greens are primed for what awaits. His crew this week consists of 40 staff members and 70 maintenance volunteers from other courses. The greens are a big topic in the maintenance shed.

“They look great and they feel great,” Meier says. “They are getting firmer by the day, which is certainly our goal and we are picking up a little bit of speed as we go into champion-ship week.”

How to explain likely impacts to the course, as well as your water management efforts

Page 6 Page 7

Upcoming Webcast GCSAA.orgHerbicide Resistance in Turf: An Emerging Issue Facing Golf Course Superintendents

Sept. 18, 2014

10 a.m. (Central)

Jim Brosnan, Ph.D.Herbicide resistance is an emerging prob-lem facing golf course superintendents in the transitional and warm-climatic zones. Repeated use of similar weed management strategies has given rise to herbicide resis-tant weeds, predominantly annual bluegrass (Poa annua) and goosegrass (Eleusine in-dica). In this 90-minute webcast, Jim Bros-nan, Ph.D., will use case studies to illustrate the current status of herbicide resistance in turf. In addition, the benefits of herbicide rotation and diversifying weed management strategies to control problematic turfgrass weeds will also be discussed in detail.

About the instructorJim Brosnan, Ph.D.Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the department of plant sciences as well as co-director of the Center for Athletic Field Safety at the University of Tennessee. He earned his B.S. in turfgrass science from Penn State Uni-

versity, an M.S. in plant, soil and insect sciences (turfgrass) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and his Ph.D. in agronomy from Penn State University. Brosnan’s research focuses on effective and economical strategies for broad-leaf and grassy weed control in various turfgrass systems, including golf courses, athletic fields, and residential landscapes. He is also interested in the effects of plant growth regulators on both warm and cool-season turfgrasses. Brosnan has previ-ously taught conference seminars and webcasts for GCSAA.

Details

Member price: Free

Nonmember price: $60

Chapter price: $100

Education points: 0.2

Upcoming Events

August 27thTXSTMA DFW Region 4th AnnualClay Shoot Tournament & Scholarship Fund Raiser

September 21-23Texas Trophy 2014The Campus at Texas A&M

October 7thAnnual Meeting/EducationTexas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

November 10thScholarship TournamentDallas Country Club

DecemberCrew Championship

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SeeWhat’s

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Providing News and Information to North Texas GCSA Members • January 2013, Volume 21, Issue 1

President’s Message page 2

Upcoming Events page 3

Crew Championship page 5

Webinar page 9 Feature page 14

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Treat equipment with respect to mini-mize mower accidents.

It was reported in social media and on the Internet again this week—“Tractor Crushes Worker to Death at Golf Course.”

Thankfully, most golf course superintendents have never had to deal with the horror of a serious accident resulting in the death of a crew member. The golf course is a relatively safe place to work. According to OSHA statistics, between July 2003 to July 2012, 74 workers died in workplace accidents on golf courses. That is a very small percentage of the total number of golf course maintenance employees working over that same period, but it’s still too many. Most of those deaths were from what OSHA refers to as “struck by,” or “caught-in/between.” In other words, a piece of equipment either rolled over or somehow crushed or pinned the employee. This year, there have already been five accidents where a golf course maintenance worker was killed by a piece of equipment. Often the details of the ac-cident aren’t known because the employee was working alone. But typically the mower, tractor, spray rig or utility vehicle was being operated on a slope, sometimes in wet conditions, a load shifts, or gravity takes over and the equipment flips, trapping or crushing the employee. The accident might have been avoided if the employee understood the risk and used better judgment.

We need to do everything we can to protect our crew members and give them the tools to protect themselves. When teaching your crew how to mow fairways, rough, tees or operate any piece of equipment, make sure they not only know how to do the job, but how to do it safely. Here are some safety rules they need to follow every time they are on any piece of equipment.

1. Safety is their responsibility. It’s up to them to learn and fol-low the safety rules.

2. Safety starts before you start the engine. Make sure you know your assignment and are comfortable with it. Never oper-ate a piece of equipment you have not been trained on. Check your equipment before you start the engine. Make sure all guards and shields are in place, and all safety interlock switches are working.

3. Use proper PPE, personal protective equipment. Most jobs re-quire safety glasses, hearing protection, and sturdy work shoes or boots.

4. Check warning labels. They are there to warn of specific hazards. If you don’t understand them, look in the operator’s manual for an explanation.

5. Properly adjust the seat, buckle and tighten the seat belt if the equipment has Roll Over Protection, ROPS.

6. When transporting to your assignment, control your speed and approach hills slowly. Use extra caution if you have to cross roads.

7. Use extreme caution on hills and slopes, do not exceed 25 percent slope - many mowers have a slope gauge. Wet or undulating hills are more dangerous. Avoid stopping, starting or turning on slopes and hills. Mow up and down rather than across a slope.

8. Never use your hand or foot to remove something stuck in a reel or mower deck.

9. Use three points of contact when getting on or off a mower or tractor to maintain balance and prevent slipping and falling.

10. When mowing, discharge clippings away from people and buildings. If someone approaches your mower, stop mowing and shut down the equipment.

11. Just like driving a car, avoid cellphones and other distrac-tions while operating equipment.

12. After mowing, clean engine, radiator and oil cooler with air. Use low pressure water to clean reels and mower deck.

13. Before putting the equipment away, look for damaged guards, shields, tires, and hydraulic lines.

You can’t prevent every accident and ultimately each employee is responsible for their own safety, but you, the employer, are responsible for training the employee and making sure they un-derstand the hazards they face, and how to safely do their jobs.

While talking to my wife after one of this year’s deaths, she asked if safety training would have prevented the accident. I told her I didn’t know the details of the accident and wasn’t sure what had happened, but I was sure that with proper training the employee would have understood the hazards and known how to operate the mower in a safe manner. At that point it’s up to the employee to make good decisions, and follow safety rules. At least you’ll know you’ve given him the information he needs to make safe decisions.

Handle with care

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If you want to learn how to do with less water it only makes sense to travel to places where water is extremely scarce and expensive. And, if you want to learn how some of the coun-try’s best golf courses have adapted to huge reductions in water availability for turfgrass irrigation, it only makes sense to head west to California. I had the good fortune to make such a trip this past week along with Ron Whitten of Golf Digest magazine. We visited a variety of courses that have implemented water saving techniques ranging from complete course renovation to simply turning sprinklers off in areas that seldom come into play.

One of the greatest challenges for courses that need to reduce their water consumption is that it is often neces-sary to spend money to save water. For example, replacing an outdated irrigation system with one that employees the latest technology and that is designed with water conserva-tion in mind can result in extraordinary reductions in water consumption. However, with many courses already strug-gling financially, the cost of a new irrigation system may be prohibitive.

Fortunately, there is a very inexpensive step that can be taken by virtually all courses that can significantly reduce water consumption as well as result in savings in fuel, labor and other resources. Simply eliminate the irrigation of the turf areas surrounding tees. As the adjacent photos illustrate, the Pasatiempo Golf Course in Santa Cruz, Calif., utilizes this technique with great success. Using Google Earth Pro, I have drawn a yellow polygon to illustrate the area that many golf courses irrigate in order to maintain high quality turf around the tees and extending to the fairway. The total area of the yellow polygon is just over one acre at 45, 268 square feet. The total irrigated area of the two tee complexes (outlined in red) is approximately 3,000 square feet. In other words, on this single hole Pasatiempo has reduced the irrigated area by over 90 percent. Since grass does not grow much without water, they have also realized savings in mowing which means reductions in fuel and labor as well. As the lower half of the photo shows, this type of irrigation scheme results in dry, brown areas. Golfers and golf course superintendents will have to learn to tolerate a different look than they may be used to seeing.

Tee top irrigation does not have to mean a complete redesign of the irrigation system. While it would be great to have adjustable part-circle heads along the tee’s perimeter (or some other design), simply turning off heads that are not needed by the tee is a good, no-cost option.

Communication efforts emphasizing the fact that this type of water conservation does not impact playing quality are the

key to “selling” the technique. This communication effort is greatly enhanced when a golf magazine like Golf Digest and a golf writer like Ron Whitten are willing to carry the mes-sage to millions of golfers.

Source: James F. Moore ([email protected])

The polygon outlined in yellow represents the area around tee complexes many courses irrigate to produce high quality turf. The area of this polygon is approximately 45, 268 square feet. The tee tops are identi-fied by the red polygons and encompass an area of approximately 3000 square feet. Irrigating only the tee tops can result in as much as a 90% reduction in water in this area alone.

SAVE RESOURCES WITH TEE TOP IRRIGATION

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Why education is vital to the gameSupporters of the EIFG know that they are championing continuing education for golf course superintendents by providing the latest environmental and agronomic techniques to maintain healthy turfgrass and protect environmental resources through sustainable practices.

The EIFG’s relationship with GCSAA’s extensive education offerings reaches beyond the grants from the EIFG that have provided support for the development of more than 200 environmental education learning opportunities. EIFG representatives also assisted in the development of GCSAA education’s core competencies, which ensure that the education curriculum is in sync with the current, and future, demands of the golf course superintendents’ profession. In recent updates to the core competencies, a new environmental management section was added, further demonstrating the commitment of the profession.

Superintendents have always used photography to document course conditions, communicate with golfers and identify problems. A few early adopters have taken their cameras to new heights through the use of radio-controlled aircraft – primarily quadcopters. Aerial photography/videography holds a great deal of promise for golf course management.

Free access to online satellite photos has proven invaluable to the golf course management team but suffer one major drawback – the images are invariably dated by months or even years. To get current imagery a course can commission a flyover by a fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft but these are expensive, often running $1,500 an hour or more. Fortunately, a new type of aircraft has made it possible to take high-quality digital photos and video in a matter of minutes with very little expense. Radio-controlled aircraft have been around for over 50 years, and hobbyists long ago figured out how to add cameras to their models. The introduction of small, lightweight digital cameras made it possible to take many more shots and see them immediately. However, RC aircraft have always been

difficult to fly and this is especially true of the helicopter models.

All these “roadblocks” have been overcome with the introduction of easy-to-fly, electric multi-ro-tor helicopters. Commonly referred to as quad-copters (there are hexacopters and octocopters as well), these small aircraft are highly computer-ized and equipped with GPS and IMUs (inertia measurement units) that make flying so easy you can be safely flying in a matter of few minutes. All that is necessary to get amazing photos and videos is to attach a small camera (the GoPro is the most often utilized) and start flying.

A rapidly growing number of golf course super-intendents are using this technology to identify irrigation problems, product application issues, traffic patterns and even pest issues on turf and trees. Of course video flyovers of various beau-tiful areas of the course make great additions to course websites and other marketing efforts.

The most popular aircraft among the superinten-dents I have contacted is the DJI Phantom equipped with a GoPro camera. Introductory cost is around $1,500 but like any high-tech device, there are many add-ons that can change the price significantly. In my case, I began about a year and a half ago with the Phan-tom 1 and added FPV (first person video) which allows me to see what the camera is seeing in real-time. By the time I added extra batteries, a carrying case and other accessories I had invested about $1,800 into my new hobby. The really good news is that prices have come down and the technology has gotten better. I recently acquired a Phantom II and added FPV, iOSD (allows me to see flight parameters such as altitude, speed, battery life, etc.) and ground control (allows the creation of flight plans for autonomous flight) for less than $1,500. Note that there are other companies offering similar equipment which is driving prices down even more so a little shopping is worth the effort.

The price depends largely on how many of these types of modifications you are willing to make yourself. If soldering irons are not your tool of choice, you might choose to buy a model that has been modified by the supplier and ready to use right out of the box. Regardless of how you equip the aircraft, be sure to order from an authorized dealer for the aircraft you choose.

You should also be aware that the Federal Aviation Administration is trying hard to figure out how to regulate the use of these devices. Understandably, there are privacy issues as well as safety concerns, particularly when flying around airports. Try to determine if there are local regulations regarding where you can fly, how high you can go, and how you can use the video. I use the word “try” because it may be impossible to determine exactly what you can and cannot do. This technology is so new and exciting that local and federal authorities simply cannot keep up with the onslaught of new users and applications.

From July 9 to 19, 2014, I had the privi-lege to serve as the agronomist for the 89th and final U.S. Amateur Public Links (APL) Championship and work with the grounds crew at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan. When the Standish trophy was awarded to cham-pion Byron Meth following a thrilling 37-hole finals match July 19, 2014, the end had come for the APL. But before we completely close the book on this USGA national championship, there are a num-ber of unsung heroes that helped make this final APL possible.

With a staff size of only 10, and just over a handful of volunteers available from surrounding courses, superintendent James Houchen got creative in solicit-ing additional help. First, there was the primary hole cutter, Houchen’s next-door neighbor, who took a week of vacation from work to help with the champion-ship. Then, there was Houchen’s father-in-law and brother who assisted with early-morning preparations before their day jobs. Next, general manager Chris Tuohey volunteered two staff members from clubhouse operations to assist with morning preparations on the golf course, only for them to then resume their normal positions at the clubhouse once they were finished on the course. Finally, there were dozens of volunteers from the commu-nity that helped fill fairway and tee divots in the evenings following play. These are just a few examples of how individuals stepped up in a big way to volunteer their time on the course. Needless to say, this was a team – and community – effort, and for that the entire golfing community in the Newton, Kan. area should be extreme-ly proud of the national championship they delivered.

If there was a common thread throughout the Championship, it was that the talented team at Sand Creek Station Golf Course was not going to disappoint, which was obvious through their tireless effort and determination to work effectively and

efficiently. On a side note, water manage-ment on green complexes was outstanding. The diligent use of portable soil moisture meters made this possible because they helped guide hand-waterers in their efforts to be most timely and accurate with water applications. There was no guesswork; simply a target firmness that was associ-ated with volumetric water content in the upper 2 inches of the soil that hand-waterers were able to monitor and achieve. Wilt on the bentgrass putting surfaces was avoided and greens were consistently firm and smooth for the competitors. Well done.

Obviously a big thank you is extended to the Newton, Kan., community, the volunteers and the staff at Sand Creek Sta-tion Golf Course. The final U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship was one for all involved to take great pride in. As for the players that participated in the Cham-pionship, high praise was extended for the Midwestern hospitality they received and well-conditioned golf course they played.

Source: Ty A. McClellan ([email protected])

For over 50 years these were called radio-controlled aircraft and viewed as toys for hobbyists. Thanks to media coverage, now they are often referred to as drones, which sounds much more ominous. Properly used, they can be a valuable new tool in golf course management.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY ARE PRACTICAL AND AFFORDABLE

THE 89TH AND FINAL U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP: A COMMUNITY EVENT

Page 14

For over 50 years these were called radio-controlled aircraft and viewed as toys for hobbyists. Thanks to media coverage, now they are often referred to as drones, which sounds much more ominous. Properly used, they can be a valuable new tool in golf course management.

Communicating golf course conditioning during a drought

How to explain likely im-pacts to the course, as well as your water management effortsThe presence of drought can have a wide and far-reaching impact on many fronts. Economic, safety, health and quality of life issues are a concern. Understanding the pervasiveness of drought is impor-tant in communicating the issue of golf course conditioning when experiencing prolonged periods without rainfall.

No one would ever equate the impor-tance of a putting green to that of human life. For that reason, it’s important that you frame the obstacles and concerns presented by drought in the proper context . At the same time, golf courses provide communities with economic, environmental and recreational benefits, and thus, their importance should not be minimized.

Course managers must communicate to both golfers and non-golfers the water application process on golf course main-tenance. It is also appropriate to share those same messages with golf facility personnel, especially owners, manag-ers and green committee chairmen as a means to display your expertise and pre-pare them should they need to respond to inquiries.

Provide informationThe best method for commenting on issues charged with emotion and passion (such as the environment) is to present fact-based statements. Often times, golf course superintendents are faced with allegations of water misuse regardless of whether a drought exists. Again, the key is to let your case be based on facts.

Your discussion should expand on the:

• hazards or overwatering

• monitoring of ET rates

• efficiency of modern irrigation

• use of drought-tolerant grasses

• implementation of water-retaining agents

• use of effluent water

• the trend of reducing turf areas

• increased use of ponds and other areas to capture water and use it for irrigation

• current trend of reduced water use on golf courses

Target your messageHow and where do you publicize? Con-sider the proactive approach. You know at sometime in your life, your water use will be questioned. Here are some steps you can take:

• Use state golf publications, regional golf newsletters/magazines and facility newsletters/bulletin boards to communi-cate environmental facts (including water use issues) to golfers.

• Guest editorials or radio interviews can reach out to golfers and non-golfers alike.

• Invite the media to your facility and ex-plain the steps you are taking to manage the lack of rainfall.

• Educate your staff on your manage-ment program so they can respond when they come under fire for syringing greens when heat is at an extreme.

Communicate your plan to golfersIn addition to communicating your ef-forts to conserve water, it is important to relay how golfers will be affected by the drought. Again, be proactive in tell-ing golfers why golf cart travel will be restricted to cart paths only. Explain how the rough will be affected by watering re-strictions. If you decide to increase mow-ing heights, let them know why and the impact it will have on play. It might also present the opportunity to show your pa-trons how a water conservation program using less water can be beneficial to the environment without affecting playability. In essence, “brown can be beautiful” and they can still have firm putting surfaces, good fairway lies and quality teeing areas.

Put it in perspectiveAs previously mentioned, perspective is important in communication. The issue of water use is also one of demand. With the human population increasing, it is only natural that the demand for water would increase. The demand for potable water doubles every 20 years Golf cannot be blamed for creating water concerns, but it can be a leader in addressing them. There are few other businesses that have the ability to conserve and manage water in a manner as a golf facility.

Some important considerations to keep in mind:

• Golf courses in the Las Vegas region account for only 5% of total potable wa-ter used, despite portrayals that they are the major consumers of water.

• Nationally, golf courses use only ½ of 1% of irrigated water.

• Only 14% of golf courses rely on pub-lic water sources – the other 86% draw from wells, ponds or impoundments that do not infringe on public water needs.

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Very strong winds blew through the area the night before our golf meeting at Diamond Oaks Country Club. This didn’t stop Chuck McCaskill and the staff from having the course in great shape. I’m not sure which was better the golf course, early morning shotgun, or the fajitas that awaited us when we finished. The two man scramble format was popular but scores were not as low as you might think. Josh Brewer drove in from East Texas to show us how to make birdies. He picked up James Jensen along the way to pair up and toast the field. They birdied their way to a 63 and a first place gross finish. Josh also took home the Neese Shotgun shoot out contest, with his closest to the hole on #2. Josh now has a chance along with Aaron Schick and the next events winners to compete for the gun at the NTGCSA Scholarship Tournament, to be held at Lakewood Country Club on November 12th. The net winner was the dynamic duo from Plantation Golf Club, Tony Rodriguez and Jeff Garza. They managed to shoot 59 and barely edged out Coby Morrow and Cody Crowther from DCC. A special thanks goes out to our Gold Sponsor Jon Schultz and EzLocator. Jon provided an in depth presentation on the features and capabilities of this innovative technology. Jon was able to show how he can help every superintendents with a task they perform every day….producing the daily pinsheet. Big thanks goes out to Chuck and his staff for playable course conditions following a big storm. Also, the clubhouse staff of Diamond Oaks for being gracious hosts. Finally, thank you to all our members that made it such a good event.

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Superintendent ProfileMatt Weitz, Director of Agronomy, Vaquero Club

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE GOLF BUSINESS?

I began working in golf course maintenance at age 20 as just a summer job while attending school at Indiana University. I really enjoyed being outside on the golf course and running any piece of equipment I could get my hands on. I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Management and had no clue what I was going to do for a career. My brother-in-law was a Golf Course Superintendent, and I sought out his advice on what it would take to become a super as well. He told me that I would need to obtain further education and steered me in the direction of the two year turf management program at Rutgers University.

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR JOB?

Finding time to take a step back

WHAT IS THE EASIEST PART OF YOUR JOB?

Picking all the low lying fruits

WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FACING YOUR PROFESSION TODAY?

I think without question that it is the decreasing popularity of golf among the younger generation today. 150+ golf courses are closing each year with less than 20 opening. It is scary to me to think where the game of golf will be in 20 years if things continue trending this way.

WHAT IS THE MOST VALUEABLE THING YOU HAVE LEARNED IN THE GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT PROFESSION?

I have learned to have very thick skin. Being a Golf Course Superintendent has to be the most “thankless” job I know. When things are good, that is the way the course is suppose to be. But no one is ever shy to let us know when something is not right.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?

I generally spend most of my spare time with my family right now. I am a big college football fan and also enjoy playing golf and fishing.

WHAT IS THE STRANGEST THING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN ON A GOLF COURSE?

Not sure if this would classify as strange, but I had lighting strike a putting green when I was at Victoria National. I had never seen that before and was amazed with the spider web pattern across the entire surface.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE NORTH TEXAS GCSA?

I have got the most value out of local GCSA groups by simply being able to network with peers that fight the same battle as I do every

day. I look forward to being a part of the NTGCSA and meeting everyone.

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO GIVE BACK TO YOUR PROFESSION?

Over the last 6 years I have been fortunate enough to have employed 31 student interns. I enjoy teaching and challenging young turf minds each year, and showing them the reality behind turf management. Instilling the dedication and professionalism that it takes to be successful in our

industry to these students I feel helps the perception of these future Superintendents. No matter how much I enjoy caddyshack, our industry needs to overcome of that image.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THE ROLE OF AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT?

Assistant Superintendents have a tough role. They obviously are there to be your right hand person in managing and delivering the best possible conditions on a daily basis. Staff management/training, quality control, and execution of the agronomic plan are the main roles in my opinion.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.

I am married with 3 daughters. My wife Jennifer has a degree in Culinary Arts. She has been a stay at home mom since the birth of our second daughter. My oldest daughter, Emma, is 8years old and getting ready heading into 3rd grade. Then I have two little ones, Emelia and Eden, who are 3 & 2 years old. Needless to say I have my hands full for quite some time.

WHO IS THE GREATEST INFLUENCE IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE?

In my personal life would be my dad. He is the most honest hard working person I have ever met, and I have always tried to model myself after him.

WHO WOULD BE IN YOUR DREAM FOURSOME, AND WHERE WOULD YOU PLAY?

Michael Jordan, George W. Bush, Urban Meyer- Crystal Downs Country Club

WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A FIRST TIME ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT?

Be patient. Take the time to develop yourself as a manager and leader.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN TEN YEARS?

In ten years I see myself here at Vaquero. My wife and I plan to raise our daughters and get them through college before considering another step. Eventually I do want to take a step back and allow my wife to pursue her dream of opening her own business.

IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO CHANGE CAREERS AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Teacher/Coach at the middle or high school level.

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