Super Notes

Robert Hertzing, golf course superintendent at Valencia Country Club, is hosting the AT&T Classic in Valencia, Calif.

Eleven superintendents get a shot at $35,000

Eleven superintendents from around the nation will try to make a hole-in-one during the Heritage TL Ace Challenge Finals from Syngenta, March 27-29 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, N.C.

During their stay, the superintendents will be given one chance to hit a hole-in-one to win a grand prize of a Dell Inspiron 9300 laptop computer for themselves, and a $30,000 cash prize for their course.

The Heritage TL Ace Challenge was held at numerous golf outings for superintendents in 2005.

Superintendents who made a hole-in-one on a specified Par-3 hole during an eligible outing won an expenses-paid trip to the Grandover Resort and two 1-gallon containers of Heritage TL fungicide for their courses.

In addition, superintendents who hit the shot closest to the pin on the specified holes received a FootJoy DryJoys rain suit, and were entered in a random drawing to win one of 10 trips to Grandover Resort.

Greg Bollinger, assistant superintendent of Rich Valley Golf Club in Mechanicsburg, Pa., earned a trip to the finals Sept. 19 by making an ace on the 94-yard 18th hole of Ironwood Golf Club in McVeytown, Pa., using a sand wedge.

Another 10 superintendents were selected to attend the finals by random drawing among those who hit closest to the pin at various outings. Those 10 superintendents were: William Murray, Charleston Springs Golf Club/South, Freehold, N.J.; Chris Vincent, Sunset, S.C.; Tim Allen, Westborough Country Club, Kirkwood, Mo.; John Newton, Veenker Memorial Golf Club, Ames, Iowa; Don Knop, Great Oaks Country Club, Rochester, Mich.; Dan Mulder, Landsmeer Golf Club, Orange City, Iowa; Chris Taylor, Charwood Country Club, West Columbia, S.C.; David Pawluk, Fore Lakes Golf Club, Kimball, Mich.; John Risler, Town of Colonie Golf Club, Albany, N.Y.; and Ryan Walpole, River Wild Country Club, Blair, Neb.

Syngenta will sponsor a similar Ace Challenge throughout 2006. For more information, or to inquire about holding an Ace Challenge at your local golf outing, contact your local Syngenta sales representative or the Syngenta Customer Resource Center at (866) 796-4368.

Central Pennsylvania GCSA presents award and scholarship

The Central Pennsylvania GCSA has presented its Dave Rafferty Distinguished Service and Leadership Award to Greg Borzok of Lawn and Golf Supply, Harrisburg, Pa.

Borzok began his career as a crew member at West Shore Country Club in 1964, and later worked as the assistant superintendent there. He was the superintendent at Colonial Country Club, Harrisburg, Pa. in 1976 -1988 and became a certified golf course superintendent in 1980. He was on the board and served as president of CPGCSA in 1986, during which he was one of the founding members of the Allied Golf Course Superintendents of Pennsylvania.

The award is named in memory of Dave Rafferty, superintendent and general manager at Chambersburg Country Club from 1987 – 2001. Rafferty served on the board of the Central Pennsylvania GCSA and the Allied GCSA of Pennsylvania.

The chapter also awarded its second annual scholarship to Galen Evans, a junior at Pennsylvania State University majoring in Turfgrass Science. He has worked at Waynesboro Municipal Golf Course, under Harry Grove III and Waynesboro Country Club under Faron Stoops.

S.C. superintendent earns city employee award

Clatus “Grit” Griddle has been honored by the City of Orangeburg, S.C., for his work as superintendent at city-owned Hillcrest Golf Course. Griddle received the Dick Horne Foundation employee of the year award for 2005 for his “strong work ethic, good character, and sincere dedication to the City of Orangeburg.”

A six-year member of the Carolinas GCSA, Griddle has also served on Orangeburg's City Employee Committee since 1997, and on the City Grievance Committee.
 
“Fellow committee members will agree that he is willing to handle any task given to him and contributes 100 percent of his time,” said Orangeburg Mayor Paul Miller. “It doesn't matter if the volunteer duty is after hours or on the weekends, he is always open to carry his share of the load.”

Griddle has worked at Hillcrest Golf Cub for 14 years and became superintendent in 2000.

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