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Mona moving on
GCSAA’s loss is golf’s gain. That’s the prevailing opinion in the wake of Steve Mona’s imminent departure as the association’s CEO after 14 years at the helm to become the first-ever CEO of the World Golf Foundation.
Mona, CAE, is remaining with the association until after the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in February at Orlando, an event he has been instrumental in elevating to world-leading status among golf shows.
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, chairman of the board of the World Golf Foundation (and the 2001 winner of GCSAA’s Old Tom Morris Award), persuaded Mona to take the newly created position of CEO of the Foundation, a nonprofit organization generally regarded as the glue that bonds the international golf industry and a staunch supporter of initiatives that enhance the growth of, and provide access to, the game.
Mona, 50, will direct the overall management of the Foundation while tending to its industry relationships and an ongoing global focus. He also will oversee three major golf initiatives that he has for several years served as a member of their advisory or executive boards: The First Tee, Golf 20/20 and the World Golf Hall of Fame.
But it’s his impending role as the head of the administration of the developing anti-doping policy for golf’s leading organizations that intrigues many in the industry, as well as Mona himself.
“Tim half-jokingly said to me, ‘You’ll have to become an expert on doping,’” Mona said in an interview with the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World. “We’re going to be advising tours on what they should and shouldn’t be doing, so that’s a pretty heavy responsibility ... The whole image of the game is at stake with this issue, because there are those of us in golf — and I’m one of them — that feel that golf is an honorable game played by honorable people.
“I personally don’t think the use of these substances is a problem in golf, and I’ll stand by that statement, yet we have to prove that, without a shadow of a doubt, and that’s what we intend to do through this drug testing.”
Mona apparently wrestled with the decision to leave GCSAA, which was something of a neophyte among golf organizations when he was hired in the fall of 1993, with a few more than 13,000 members, a headquarters staff of 70 and a budget of $12 million. Fourteen years later the association boasts more than 21,000 members with 120 staffers and a budget of $20 million and is considered a major player in the development of the game worldwide.
“It is difficult to put into words how tough this decision was to make,” Mona said in a statement following the announcement that he was taking the new position. “GCSAA is a wonderful organization and I will miss my direct association with it. The professional members — the superintendents and their assistants — are extremely talented, possess great integrity, are passionately loyal and are tireless in their support of each other. They are truly golf’s ‘unseen heroes.’
“I am also pleased and proud of my tenure at GCSAA. The accomplishments are certainly not the work of any one individual; rather they are the result of the combined efforts of elected leaders, the members, industry and staff. I point to the development of member standards, the revamping of the education program, the maturation of the GCSAA Foundation to The Environmental Institute for Golf, the increased recognition for the profession, the creation of a sponsorship program, the launch of the Golf Industry Show and the strengthening of chapters as the key milestones in my time at GCSAA. But again, these are not my achievements. These are the work of many.”
Mona also mentioned having the good fortune to serve with loyal and dedicated boards of directors during his time with GCSAA. “They have never wavered in their commitment to GCSAA’s mission and they have always provided the resources to enable the staff to achieve GCSAA’s objectives,” he said.
That last point began with the board headed by 1993 GCSAA President Randy Nichols, CGCS, who hired Mona and today is satisfied that the association is becoming everything he hoped it would as a result.
“Absolutely,” says Nichols, now retired, in answering whether he felt he had the right man back then. “At least I thought I had. Now, I think he has done a wonderful job. To me, it seems like GCSAA knows where it wants to go. We have direction now. I don’t think that was as true before. In my opinion, Steve has been outstanding and taken us to another level in the 14 years he has been at GCSAA and I think we’ve been fortunate to have had him that long.”
The current president of GCSAA, Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, speaks of unprecedented growth and the elevation of the superintendent profession during Mona’s tenure and adds that his departure in some important ways is not all bad.
“I believe his appointment also speaks well for GCSAA as a focused, responsive and dynamic organization that has been integral in enhancing the game,” Heine says. “His selection will benefit the entire golf industry. While Steve is leaving, it does not mean we are saying goodbye. We will still interact with him and the World Golf Foundation on a fairly regular basis.”
Speaking as a long-standing GCSAA member of 24 years and the executive director of GCSAA’s second-largest affiliated chapter, the Florida GCSA, Joel Jackson, CGCS Retired, couldn’t agree more with Heine’s take on Mona’s move.
“Steve is taking his reputation and his knowledge of the superintendents’ segment of the industry into a wider arena,” says Jackson, a former superintendent. “It’s good for GCSAA in future considerations of the game. I’m hoping that instead of a special-interest role for superintendents, Steve can, in an over-arching role, bring the issues to the forefront ... EPA cutbacks, pesticides, water ... and make the other golf people understand that these are important issues that they need to weigh in on. I think Steve’s podium just got a little bit bigger.”
Jackson adds what a great many members also are wondering — where does GCSAA go from here to preserve the vision of
Mona’s leadership and the strong working relationship he helped forge between directors and GCSAA staff.
“That begs the question, who is that person out there that we can identify who can carry on ... to come in and understand that partnership and keep us moving in that positive direction,” he said.
— Terry Ostmeyer, GCM senior staff writer
Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla., will host the 2009 U.S. Amateur, replacing Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., which suffered severe course condition problems during a prolonged drought in the mid-Atlantic region this past summer. Congressional remains scheduled to be the site of the 2011 U.S. Open.
Wee One stands tall
Somewhere up there, Wayne Otto is dancing a jig.
The fundraising organization formed in his honor four years ago to aid superintendents in need, the Wee One Foundation, has never had it better. The foundation held its fourth-annual golf outing at Pine Hills Country Club in Sheboygan, Wis., in late September and featured more participants and raised more money than ever to assist golf course management professionals or their dependents with overwhelming expenses due to medical hardship.
With Pine Hills superintendent Rod Johnson, CGCS, hosting the foundation’s major fundraiser for the fourth year in a row, the event had 168 golfers and netted more than $25,000, including sponsorships and tournament donations. Winners of the two-person alternate shot competition were Todd Marten and Brent Johnson, with Greg Kallenberg and Mark Kienert second and Steve Van Acker and Brad Legnaioli third.
In July, Phil Bailey, CGCS at Cypress Creek Golf Club in Smithfield, Va., hosted a satellite event for the Wee One Foundation and added $4,500 to the benevolent coffers.
The Wee One Foundation was developed as a tribute to Otto, longtime CGCS at Ozaukee Country Club in Mequon, Wis., who had earned the nickname during a golf trip to Scotland when a caddie said he had his money on “the wee one.” Otto, a president of the Wisconsin GCSA, a winner of its Distinguished Service Award and a member of GCSAA for 40 years, died of cancer in November 2004, shortly after the inaugural Wee One golf outing.
Danny Quast, CGCS, of DHD Tree Products in Juneau, Wis., and president of the Wee One Foundation, notes that the organization thus far has given $131,000 to 11 families in need.
“It would be wonderful if we never had to use it, but it’s there if it’s needed,” he says.
Klauk stepping down at TPC Sawgrass
Fred Klauk, superintendent at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., for 25 years, will retire following the 2008 Players Championship at the Stadium Course. Klauk will remain involved with the PGA Tour as a project manager and also will assist in the transition of his successor for the 2009 and 2010 Players.
Klauk, a 32-year GCSAA member, prepped for 27 Tour events, including 22 Players Championships and the 1996 U.S. Amateur. Most recently, he oversaw an extensive, highly publicized renovation of the Stadium Course that featured numerous competitive changes to the layout and fan enhancements.
“It has truly been a privilege to be a part of the Tour family, and to have had the privilege of working alongside so many remarkable and dedicated people. I look forward to staying connected to the Tour and to spending more time with my family,” Klauk said in an official Tour release.
“I am personally indebted to Fred for his outstanding leadership, willingness to help and consistently positive attitude,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “Fred’s contributions to the elevation of the Players Championship have had and will continue to have a dramatic and lasting effect.”
Cal Roth, PGA Tour vice president of agronomy, said, “Fred is a leader among professionals who manage the game’s most valuable asset. ... We are grateful for his contributions to the PGA Tour and to the golf course agronomy profession.”
GCSAA President Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, reacted to the announcement of Klauk’s retirement by saying, “On behalf of all GCSAA members, I congratulate Fred on an impressive career. Fred represented his association, the profession, his employer and the game with the utmost dedication and integrity. … Certainly his work at such a high-profile facility as the TPC Sawgrass demonstrated the vital role of the golf course superintendent in the success of the facility and to the golfer’s enjoyment of the game.”
Syngenta, DiPaola unveil new initiative
Joe DiPaola, Ph.D., golf marketing manager for Syngenta the past half-dozen years, has taken on new duties to guide a new company initiative. Meanwhile, Dave Ravel is returning to Syngenta after a four-year stint at Bayer Environmental Science to replace DiPaola as golf market manager.
DiPaola, who has experience in both technical research and business marketing, is Syngenta’s new Plant Health Network lead and is working with a number of the company’s independent business holdings in the green industry, such as flowers, soil media, biological IPM-type pest control, and turf and ornamental plant protection.
“My role within the network will be to draw from the independent businesses’ combined innovative offers in a way they can’t do by themselves. Every business has its own culture. It will be a worthy challenge,” DiPaola told GCM.
Ravel rejoins Syngenta after most recently serving as Bayer’s head of sales for consumer products.
“Returning to Syngenta is like coming home,” he said in a company release.
Orlando will be golden for Tadge
Perseverance tells you a lot about Charlie Tadge, CGCS Retired. Without it he might not have been a superintendent for more than four decades, or president of GCSAA in 1979, and most definitely he wouldn’t have managed to attend 50 consecutive GCSAA conference and shows.
Tadge has indeed persevered and done all of that and more. And when he arrives on the scene in Orlando in February for the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show, he will officially mark his 50th show in a row, one of only a very few ever to achieve that feat.
“There have been a couple of occasions that almost knocked me out of going,” Tadge says, noting that two things especially helped keep his streak alive — having his employers agree to his annual conference and show attendance and being an association leader for so many years made going practically mandatory.
Tadge, who retired in 2002, spent his entire career working at three facilities in his native Ohio, beginning as a young boy working summers who would become superintendent at his hometown course, Miami Valley Country Club in Dayton, followed by a 21-year stint at Mayfield CC near Cleveland and then 14 years with the Hamilton County Park District in Cincinnati.
Tadge recalls his first conference and show in Chicago late in the 1950s when everything was held in one hotel and participants — a much smaller, more closely knit group then, he says — moved from one informal discussion to another and made the rounds from hospitality room to hospitality room.
“I think we might have actually learned more then than we do now in a lot of ways,” says the 47-year GCSAA member.
By 1970, GCSAA had moved its show to convention centers and many hotels around the country as the event grew from barely 1,500 attendees to as many as 25,000 today.
Tadge likes to tell about the association chasing the sun, so to speak, during that progression.
“In 1973 at Boston, the weather was so frigid that there were guys from Florida who went home after the first day,” he laughs. “Then in 1976 we were in Minneapolis (Minn.) and attendance was real low because of similar fears and it turned out to be quite mild. After that, the association started thinking seriously about scheduling the show in warmer climates.”
Tadge will turn 76 the 25th of this month. He’s looking forward to Orlando and his golden anniversary, of course, but he’s also confident there will be more to come.
“I don’t know how many more I’ve got in me, but I’ll keep going as long as I stay healthy and stay above the turf.”
— Terry Ostmeyer, GCM senior staff writer
The Toro Co., the sole partner of the GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic since 1995, has extended its sponsorship of the event through 2013.
Nike leader takes advisory council seat
Bob Wood, president of Nike Golf, is the newest member of the advisory council of The Environmental Institute for Golf. Wood already is a member of the board of trustees for The Institute, GCSAA’s philanthropic organization, and will be board chairman in 2008.
Wood, who will be on the advisory council through 2009, started with Nike in 1980 as an advertising project manager and worked his way up to the presidency in 1998. He is generally regarded as being responsible for establishing Nike Golf as one of the most desired worldwide brands in the industry.
Soldiers swing in style
When Lt. Col. Wayne Tasler, commander of Camp Victory west of Baghdad in Iraq, had his father contact Standard Golf Co. in Cedar Falls, Iowa, recently about getting a replacement ball washer for the camp’s homemade driving range, he never imagined what would happened next.
What happened was that Camp Victory, which is home to a psychological operations task force with the U.S. Army, received a large shipment of golf course accessories from Standard Golf in mid-October, including flags, cups, balls, clubs, towels, signs and, of course, a new ball washer.
“So seldom do we get to say ‘thank you’ to our soldiers for the great and important work they’re undertaking. Standard Golf merely sees this donation as a way to give back and support our troops,” says Diana Hoffman, a customer service representative for the company.
Standard Golf also coordinated the donation with Hornung’s Golf Products Inc. out of Fond du Lac, Wis., and Hornung’s sent more clubs, balls and tees, plus red, white and blue head covers, putting greens and driving range mats.
“We want to thank Standard Golf for this donation and for all they’re doing in support of our troops,” says Tasler, who commands the reserve and active-duty unit whose members are primarily from the St. Louis, Kansas City and Fort Bragg (N.C.) areas.
Moraghan back in business
Tim Moraghan, who spent many years preparing golf courses for USGA championships before a department shakeup earlier this year, has launched his own wide-ranging consulting firm.
Aspire Golf Consulting opened its doors earlier this fall (www.aspire-golf.com), offering services covering all facets of the golf industry, including public, private and resort courses, developers, architects, club management and superintendents.
Moraghan, who spent more than 20 years with the USGA, much of that as the director of championship agronomy, says the company will focus on golf course tournament preparation, course master planning, staff evaluation, conditions and turf management, as well as equipment and maintenance facility evaluations, consultations on the Rules of Golf for superintendents and their staffs and course architectural assessments.
“Aspire Golf Consulting isn’t just about agronomic conditioning ... it’s a comprehensive golf industry consulting firm designed to support the needs of golf courses of all types around the world,” Moraghan said in a company release. “At Aspire, we help our clients to reach their goals and to hone a competitive edge by helping them achieve their maximum potential.”
Break in H-2B worker stalemate
Employers who depend upon immigrant seasonal labor, such as golf courses, received some good news in mid-October when the United States Senate passed legislation that included a one-year emergency extension of the H-2B returning worker exemption. The bill was moved on to a House-Senate conference.
The action came with many small businesses across the country in limbo because the Sept. 30 deadline had passed without Congress passing an extension for the returning-worker exemption, while news from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services noted that the mandated H-2B cap of 33,000 workers for the first half of the fiscal year had already been reached.
In a related development, American labor unions are getting in on the act and may introduce legislation of their own that would amend the extension of the returning-worker exemption. The unions propose to expand the recruitment process, require H-2B workers to be paid more than the prevailing wage and allow the Legal Services Corporation to represent guest workers in litigations against employers.
Pinehurst manager to EIFG stage
The Environmental Institute for Golf’s monthly Web feature (www.eifg.org) — Green Links, Highlights from the Edge — will feature as its 2008 host environmental award winner Robert O. Farren Jr., CGCS, golf course manager at Pinehurst Resort.
Green Links features case studies from Edge, golf’s environmental resource. Farren also will provide additional insight and information about the featured case study in each segment.
Farren was among those on the Pinehurst team that
won GCSAA’s 2007 President’s Award for Environmental
Stewardship.
“I decided to be involved with Green Links because I felt it is a very worthwhile way to communicate the message we as a golf community need to make more people aware of,” the 27-year GCSAA member says. “I think it is very important for all of those interested in golf or development to be aware of these success stories. Everyone has something to learn from those who have traveled before them.”
Carson bags another Feser Award
For only the second time in its 50-year history, a superintendent has won the Leo Feser Award twice. Chris Carson, Class A superintendent at Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, N.J., is the 2007 honoree after first winning the award seven years ago.
Carson, a 29-year member of GCSAA, won this year’s Feser for his article, “10 things I wish they’d taught me in turf school,” which appeared in the February 2007 issue of GCM. The article reflects on many of the key concepts from a career development class Carson teaches at Rutgers University.
“Chris is a dedicated GCSAA member who has always been willing to share his advice,” GCSAA President Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, said in an association release. “This article is an example of his passion for the profession. It’s practical information for anyone entering this field and demonstrates how important lifelong learning is to career success. Chris is an example of how valuable a resource our experienced members can be for those entering the profession.”
The Leo Feser Award is given annually to the best superintendent-written article published in GCM. Carson will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the 2008 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in Orlando.
Staff changes on tap at Florida GCSA
Joel Jackson, CGCS Retired, has been named the first executive director of the Florida GCSA. Meanwhile, the longtime manager of the association, Marie Roberts, has retired and has been replaced by Jennifer Innes.
For the past nine years, Jackson, a 24-year GCSAA member, has been director of communications for the Florida GCSA and he will retain many of those duties, including government relations, media and public relations and allied industry relationships. As the executive director, Jackson will become more involved internally in program development, chapter effectiveness and local chapter and member services, recruitment and retention initiatives.
Florida GCSA is GCSAA’s second-largest affiliated chapter with
12 regional chapters and more than 1,000 superintendent and assistant superintendent members.
Zontek earns Penn State alumni award
Stan Zontek, director of the USGA Green Section’s Mid-Atlantic Region, is the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Alumni Award from the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at Penn State University.
The honor recognizes the achievements of departmental alumni who have made significant contributions to their profession. Zontek has been a highly respected agronomist for the USGA and the golf turf industry for more than 36 years. Besides his tenure in the Mid-Atlantic Region, he was also director of the North-Central and Northeastern Green Section regions.
Zontek was a 2006 winner of GCSAA’s Distinguished Service Award.
Blake McMaster, course and property manager of the host venue for this year’s Presidents Cup, the Royal Montreal Golf Club, and a 22-year member of GCSAA, has been named the 2007 Superintendent of the Year by the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.
GCSAA served as a supporting sponsor of the Special Olympics Golf National Invitational Tournament in September, hosted by Doug Miller, Class A superintendent and director of agronomy at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
In the news...
Students help keep Augusta green
A golf column in the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun News mentions the ongoing working relationship between the administrators and professors in Horry-Georgetown Technical College’s golf and sports turf management program and the directors of course maintenance at Augusta National Golf Club. The school sends five students to Augusta to take part in the four-day winter overseeding process. It features GCSAA members Marsh Benson, Class A senior director of golf course and grounds at Augusta National; Brad Owen, Class A superintendent at the course; Jim Evans, assistant superintendent; and GCSAA educator Paul Daniel, HGTC professor.
Band of brokers
An article in Club & Resort Business reports that, more than ever, superintendents are relying on strong relationships with suppliers to ensure optimal on-course performance and profitability. It features Mike Wooten, CGCS at Cedar Ridge Country Club in Broken Arrow, Okla.; James Nicol, CGCS at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.; Ed Walsh, CGCS at Shelter Harbor Golf Club in Charlestown, R.I.; Dick Stuntz, CGCS, president of Alvamar Inc., which owns two 18-hole golf courses in Lawrence, Kan.; and Dick Zepp, CGCS, director of maintenance at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, Mass.
Clean and green
Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is featured in the Victoria Times-Columnist about how it hasn’t used insecticides in 10 years, featuring Dean Piller, GCSAA Class A superintendent.
GCSAA to launch new marketing program
GCSAA has introduced a new marketing program that is intended to provide the golf course management industry with a more dynamic way to communicate with its customers.
Beginning in January, the Partner Recognition Program will begin providing year-round exposure opportunities based upon a prescribed level of investment. GCSAA industry partners can choose from three levels — Platinum, Gold and Silver — to achieve their marketing objectives by offering them unique communications and recognition options to position themselves in the marketplace.
The program was developed in part as a result of feedback from the industry. For instance, it was found that 82 percent of superintendents are more likely to purchase from a company that supports GCSAA. The response also revealed that the association’s communication vehicles are the most read in the industry and are considered vital to industry marketing activities.
“Rather than just investing in marketing activities in an á la carte fashion, industry partners can participate in the Partner Recognition Program, which offers a strategic, diverse and ongoing means to communicate,” GCSAA CEO Steve Mona, CAE, said in an association release. “One aspect that should not be lost on anyone is that this is actually an investment program. The funds that industry provides to GCSAA are invested for the benefit of its stakeholders — member superintendents, their facilities and the profession.”
Mona added that the funds would be used to develop education programs, conduct research, offer career resources and create information resources.
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