Super Notes

GCSAA Class A Director of Golf Course Operations Larry Napora is hosting the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club (South Course) in Akron, Ohio.

GCSAA Class A Superintendent Doug Heinrichs, CGCS, is hosting the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev.

GCSAA Superintendent Member Jeffrey J. Latka is hosting the Cox Classic presented by Chevrolet at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb.

GCSAA Class A Director of Golf Course Maintenance Fred E. Dickman, CGCS, is hosting the U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor Resort (East Course) in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Arysta sends five superintendents to the majors

Arysta LifeScience North America turf and ornamental products has presented five superintendents with expense-paid trips for two to each of five major 2008 golf events: the 2008 Masters,  U.S. Open, PGA Championship, British Open and Ryder Cup.

The winners were drawn from over two hundred entrants nationwide, who participated in the Arysta booth drawing over three days at the Golf Industry Show.

 "Unbelievable," is how Brad Gray, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Mission Hills Country Club, in Mission Hills, Kan., described winning the trip for two to the British Open in Southport, England.

Tom Prichard, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Ivanhoe Club in Mundelein, Ill., was pleased and surprised at winning a free trip award for two to the PGA Championship in Oakland Hills, Mich. "Things are hot here in August," says Prichard. "I’m taking my GM with me, and we look forward to traveling and combining business with pleasure."

Phillip Neaton, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Black Hall Country Club, Old Lyme, Conn., said, "It’s a quiet time for me to get away. I invited my greens chairman, but he couldn’t go at that time, so I invited my significant other," Neaton said. "Her son played high school golf, so she knows the game and appreciates the opportunity, as I do, to see the Ryder Cup match."

Arysta also provided two free tickets to the Masters to Gene Baldwin, superintendent at The Briar Rose Club in White Plains, Ga. "I’d never won anything before. But the great thing was, I put my family in the hotel, got a travel allowance, and my badges were waiting at the Master’s for the weekend. It was wonderful," Baldwin says.

Clark Waters, an independent golf consultant at Aransas Pass, Texas, was pleased to be able to share his trip award to this year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. "I started my career in Palm Springs, and this trip back to La Jolla allowed me to take my wife to celebrate her birthday, and also to reunite with my old colleagues. I was thrilled."

Super performance by super and his assistant

If there's any constant in the golf course maintenance world, its' that the people who work on golf courses rarely have time to play the game.

So when the staff does get a chance to play, it's often a special occasion--but none more special than the 2008 version of annual Maintenance Cup matches between Quincy (Ill.) Country Club and Westview Golf Course.

That's when Westview assistant superintendent Kevin Ritter Kevin stepped up to hit on the 176-yard seventh hole. When his ball headed for the cup, Westview's GCSAA Class A superintendent Rick Miles said "I'll be your witness."

When it went in, Miles said, the group celebrated for several minutes and then tried settle down so the rest of the group could hit. When it was Miles' turn, he looked at the group and said, jokingly, "It would be nice to have back to back."

Incredibly, his six iron also headed for the flagstick, took one bounce, hit the stick and dropped in the hole. According to Miles, it was his fourth hole in one, and Ritter's first. In fact, Ritter has only played for two years.

The Maintenance Cup is an annual competition between Quincy Country Club and WestView Golf Course that's been going on for 20 years and includes a travelling trophy. Thanks in part to Miles' and  Ritter's heroics, the Westview team took home the cup for 2008.

Superintendents in the news

Lancaster (Pa.) New Era, "CV set to hire new girls’ volleyball coach," about GCSAA member Craig Esbenshade, superintendent at Lancaster (Pa.) Host Golf Resort, taking over as the varsity girls’ volleyball coach at Conestoga Valley High School where he used to coach boys’ and girls’ junior varsity volleyball, including current Olympian Kim Glass.

Howell County News (Willow Springs, Mo.), "Willow golf course hosts ladies’ tournament," review of a women’s golf tournament at Willow Springs (Mo.) Golf Course, with updates on the golf course’s trees and greens, written by Tom Benyo, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Star-Phoenix, "Golfers eagerly await redesigned SGCC," about the $3.5 million renovation project at Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Golf and Country Club, featuring Terry McNeilly, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

Rocky Mountain News (Denver), "Dean realizes dream at Senior Open thanks to hard work," note in sidebar of feel-good stories going into the U.S. Senior Open at the Broadmoor Resort’s East Course in Colorado Springs, Colo., about Tom Robinson, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Ravinia Green Country Club in Riverwoods, Ill., qualifying.

Chicago Sun Times, "Small out to regain a little of his magic," about Tom Robinson, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Ravinia Green Country Club in Riverwoods, Ill., qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open at the Broadmoor Resort’s East Course in Colorado Springs, Colo.      

Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard, "ECC’s guiding hand," feature on Chris Gaughan, CGCS at Eugene (Ore.) Country Club, and his preparations for the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Birmingham (Ala.) News, "U.S. Junior Amateur notebook," notebook about the U.S. Junior Amateur at Shoal Creek Golf Course in Birmingham, Ala., featuring GCSAA member Jim Simmons, superintendent who enlisted the help of 25 of his former assistants from as far away as Australia to come back and volunteer to help his crew for the event.

Carbondale (Ill.) Southerner, "Superintendents help keep local golf courses beautiful," about the work local superintendents do to maintain course conditions at Carbondale, Ill., area golf facilities, featuring GCSAA members Trey Anderson, Class A superintendent at Hickory Ridge Golf Center in Carbondale and Brad Schenck, superintendent at Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion, Ill.

Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Sun News, "Dog, friend killed after life filled with love," letter to the editor by Jay Nelson, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Crown Park Golf Club in Longs, S.C., about the wildlife program he encourages there as part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, including finding a puppy on his golf course in 2005 with a bullet lodged in its spine, rendering its hind legs useless, and how he kept it with him at the course every day until vandals shot, killed and dumped its body in the golf course pond while stealing gas one night this summer.

Southern Pines (N.C.) Pilot, "Weather, time of year factor for play of courses," Trent Bouts column about how despite there being no differences in Pinehurst (N.C.) No. 2 from hosting the 2005 U.S. Open and the 2008 U.S. Amateur, it will play differently because of agronomic reasons related to the time of year the two tournaments are played (Open second week of June and Amateur third week of August), featuring Paul Jett, CGCS.

LPGA.com, "Man on the scene," article on the LPGA’s Web site about GCSAA’s John Miller, CGCS, LPGA Tour agronomist, written by Angela Nitz, GCSAA manager of corporate communications.

Jackson (Tenn.) Sun, "Salyers has beginner’s luck in Stone Cup," notebook previewing the quarterfinals of the Albert A. Stone Jr. Cup tournament at Jackson (Tenn.) Country Club July 26, featuring Shawn Westacott, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Jackson CC, who is the No. 5 seed in the Stone Cup and also qualified for the state amateur.

Orange County (Calif.) Register, "A Royal Birkdale bravo for Norman," Randy Youngman column about Greg Norman receiving the 2008 Old Tom Morris Award from the GCSAA being an omen for his performance at the British Open, since Morris was a four-time Open winner and remains the oldest winner at age 46.

The Londoner (Ontario), "Retired - and still finding time to get on the golf course," column about GCSAA member John Shouldice, who retired in December after 34 years as superintendent at Highland Country Club in London, Ontario, but now oversees Bob Martin’s Golf Practice Center in London, Ontario.

XM Satellite Radio, "PGA Tour Live," radio interview on the PGA Tour Channel with GCSAA member Scott Bowman, superintendent at Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ontario, host of the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open.

The Intelligencer/Wheeling (W.Va.) News-Register, "Moundsville Country Club naturalizing," feature on GCSAA member Chris Ice, superintendent at Moundsville (W.Va.) Country Club, and his efforts to naturalize several different areas of the golf course to make the facility more environmentally friendly.

Golf Journeys, "Barona Creek Golf Club," Review of Barona Creek Golf Club on the Barona Indian Reservation in Calif., featuring Sandy Clark, CGCS, and his water management proficiency.

Program, "Preparing for the world," feature in the official publication of the Southern California PGA (pages 10-11) on the preparations at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, Calif., for the U.S. Open by current GCSAA CEO Mark Woodward, CGCS, former manager of golf operations for the city of San Diego.

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