Industry News

ELGAs celebrate environmental excellence

Golf facilities and the superintendents who manage them have the opportunity to showcase their environmental efforts through the 2008 GCSAA/Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards. The ELGAs, presented in partnership with Syngenta Professional Products and Rain Bird Corp., Golf Division recognize golf course superintendents and golf courses around the world for their commitment to environmental stewardship.

Applicants are judged on the areas of resource conservation, water quality management, integrated pest management, wildlife/habitat management and education/outreach. Merit and Chapter Awards are given in private, public, resort, and international categories. The highest scoring applications in each division will receive National/International Awards, and from those an overall winner will be chosen. All ELGA winners receive:

• Recognition in Golf Digest and GCSAA publications
• Recognition at the 2009 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in New Orleans.
• An invitation for the winner's employer to attend the recognition activities in New Orleans.
• A personalized trophy or certificate of achievement
• National, regional and local publicity

Applications and more information is available online. Applications are due Oct. 17, 2008.

USCIS Reaches H-2B Cap for First Half of Fiscal Year 2009

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced July 30 that it has received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the congressionally mandated H-2B cap for the first half of Fiscal Year 2009.

As a result, July 29, 2008, is the "final receipt date" for new H-2B worker petitions requesting employment start dates prior to April 1, 2009.   The "final receipt date" is the date on which USCIS determines that it has received enough cap-subject petitions to reach the limit of 33,000 H-2B workers for the first half of FY2009.

USCIS will reject petitions for new H-2B workers seeking employment start dates prior to April 1, 2009, that arrive after July 29, 2008.

USCIS will apply a computer-generated random selection process to all petitions which are subject to the cap and were received on July 29, 2008. USCIS will use this process to select the number of petitions needed to meet the cap. USCIS will reject, and return the fee, for all cap-subject petitions not randomly selected.

Petitions for workers who are currently in H-2B status do not count towards the congressionally mandated bi-annual H-2B cap.   USCIS will continue to process petitions filed to extend the stay of a current H-2B worker in the United States, change the terms of employment for current H-2B workers and extend their stay, or allow current H-2B workers to change or add employers and extend their stay.

For more information call the National Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283.

Study shows Michigan's golf industry has $4.2 billion impact

With the eyes of the world turning to Michigan this week for the 90th PGA Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club, results of an independent study were have been released highlighting the importance of golf to the economy of Michigan.

As a leader in the country for golf, the study found that in 2006, golf in Michigan generated 56,977 direct and indirect jobs and over $1.3 billion in golf-related hospitality and tourism spending. The independent study also established that the state's golf industry generated $4.2 billion of direct, indirect and induced economic impact, along with providing multiple areas of positive economic impact on the state. The state ranks first in the nation in number of public golf facilities and third in the nation in the number of 18-hole equivalent courses.

The results of the study were announced at a breakfast at Oakland Hills Country Club where leaders from the national allied associations of golf and the Michigan Golf Alliance were joined by many top government leaders from around the state. 

The study was commissioned by the Michigan Golf Alliance and was accomplished through a comprehensive, standardized framework that can be replicated nationwide.

The study is part of the ongoing effort by the World Golf Foundation's Golf 20/20 initiative to quantify golf's economic, environmental and human impact at both the national and state levels. Golf 20/20 is supported by golf's national allied associations, including The PGA of America, GCSAA, CMAA, NGCOA, USGA, the PGA Tour and the LPGA.

The Michigan Golf Alliance is comprised of the Michigan PGA Section, the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Golf Association of Michigan, Michigan Turfgrass Foundation and Travel Michigan.

Among the findings in the Michigan Golf Economy Report, the golf industry:

• Generated 56,977 direct and indirect jobs for its citizens
• Generated $2.2 billion of direct economic output
• Generated $1.4 billion in direct and indirect salaries and wages in the state economy
• Generated $1.3 billion in hospitality and tourism

GCSANC members Support Play Golf America Day

The Golf Course Superintendents of Northern California made its presence known recently at the inaugural Play Golf America Day at Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa, California. Hosted by the Nor Cal PGA the event was specifically designed to attract new players to the game and welcome former golfers back to the sport.

In addition to receiving free golf instruction from local pros, attendees were greeted by GCSANC members distributing free repair tools and demonstrating how to properly use the tool when repairing ball marks on the green.
 
 "Play Golf America Days are excellent events for demonstrating how to repair a ball mark the correct way," stated Bruce Olson, GCSAA certified golf course superintendent and PGA director of golf at Golden Gate Park Golf Course (San Francisco). "Many of the folks who attend regional clinics such as this one are taking up the game for the very first time. It’s an ideal venue for providing tips on course etiquette, and the importance of ball mark repair is certainly one of them."

Besides Olson, other GCSANC volunteers at this growth of the game event were  Brian Morris of Blue Rock Springs Golf Course, Craig Faris with E-Z-GO, Mitch Frasier with Turf Star Inc., and Craig Zellers with Zellers-Plageman Just Add Water.

For more information about the program contact Chris Mains, chairman, at 408-934-7826.