Industry News

Golf Industry Show makes top 200 list

The Golf Industry Show received a No. 82 ranking from Tradeshow Week 200 for its strong performance in Anaheim, Calif., February 2007.

Tradeshow Week compiles data submitted from trade shows and ranks the 200 largest annual trade shows in the United States. Rank is determined by net square feet of paid exhibit space. Show listings include: net square feet, number of exhibiting companies, number of professional attendees, number of exhibiting personnel, space rates and location. The ranking covers the 2007 calendar year only.

The total attendance was 23,109, including 981 exhibitors covering 291,250 square feet of exhibit space. Officials were pleased with the final statistics and reviews, given that the West Coast traditionally attracts fewer attendees and exhibitors.

The Golf Industry Show is designed for the owners/operators of golf facilities, and the professional members of the golf course and club management industries. Featuring the largest exhibit floor in the industry, the event combines education, networking and solutions for golf course superintendents, owners/operators, general managers, chief operating officers, architects and builders. The 2009 show will be Feb. 5-7 in New Orleans.

Dye selected for World Golf Hall of Fame

Golf course architect Pete Dye has been named as an inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame in Lifetime Achievement Category. Dye is a member of the Advisory Council of The Environmental Institute of Golf, and was recipient of GCSAA's Old Tom Morris Award in 2003. He will be inducted on Nov. 10.

Only three other members of the hall were golf course architects as their primary occupation. The others are Donald Ross, Alister Mackenzie and Robert Trent Jones Sr.

"This is really a surprise," Dye said. "With all the great people that are in the hall of fame, it's an honor to be part of them because they've all given back to the game of golf, and I'm certainly proud to be here as one of them."

The hall of fame plans to name other inductees at the U.S. Open and British Open. According to Jack Peter, chief operating officer, no one on the international ballot received the required 50 percent of the vote.

As one of the most influential golf course architects of the modern era, Dye has designed more than 120 courses, several of which have hosted major championships, a Ryder Cup and PGA and LPGA tour events.

"He came along at a time when he really changed the nature of golf course architecture, and I think that's good," USGA executive director David Fay said.

Bayer ES patent rights affirmed

Bayer CropScience LP, Etigra LLC, Nufarm Americas Inc. and Control Solutions Inc. have settled lawsuits regarding infringement of Bayer’s patent for the pesticide imidacloprid on fertilizer. The parties have acknowledged that Bayer’s patent is valid and enforceable.  Furthermore, Etigra has acknowledged the validity of Bayer's copyrights. 

Also included is the acknowledgment of Bayer’s patent rights by Frick Services Inc., Wawaka, Ind., a party in the Control Solutions litigation. Etigra, Control Solutions, and Frick Services are endeavoring to recall infringing imidacloprid product. 

Under the terms of a previous settlement agreement Nufarm and its business partners have been granted freedom to operate under the patent for imidacloprid on fertilizer, including the ability to commercialize products incorporating the patented technology.

"Bayer is pleased that the validity of its imidacloprid on fertilizer patent has again been affirmed," said Joshua H. Weeks, head of Bayer's professional products business.  "Research efforts from companies like Bayer CropScience are based on a foundation of respect for intellectual property rights," Weeks asserted. "This respect enables the significant investments needed to generate future technical innovations."

GreenCare for Troops seeking volunteers

There are currently 150,000 United States soldiers serving in Iraq, which leaves 150,000 families back home in the U.S. without their husbands, wives, dads, moms, brothers and sisters. It seems daunting, but there is a way that every American can volunteer to support them, and it’s easy.

The GreenCare for Troops program is facilitated by national non-profit organization Project EverGreen and offers free lawn and landscape care for military families whose major breadwinner is serving in the Middle East. Developed in 2006, the program is working to serve more than 4,500 military families with their lawn care needs.

"It’s not hard to mow someone’s lawn or help trim their shrubs," said Den Gardner, executive director of Project EverGreen. "What a lot of people don’t think about is that many of these families become single-parent or single-income households— many with small children—when soldiers go overseas, and by doing something so simple you help these families more than you could ever imagine."

GreenCare for Troops relies on professional and citizen volunteers to make the program possible. Gardner said in 2007 more than 1,000 volunteers supported military families in need and in 2008 the organization is hoping for even more.

Gardner said the basic mission of this program goes back to Project EverGreen’s commitment to education about the benefits of green spaces to the environment, the economy and to people’s personal lives.

"When you are worrying about the safety of a loved one there’s not much anyone can do to calm your fears," Gardner said. "But green spaces have been proven to increase happiness and serenity so we want to do anything we can to help maximize those benefits to these families."

Support for GreenCare for Troops comes from many green industry firms. Cub Cadet provides significant and important underwriting for volunteer coordination and administration. Lawn-Boy is accepting nominations at www.lawn-boy.com for a program to place new mowers into the yards of military families with loved ones serving in the Middle East.

To find out how qualified families can apply for free lawn and landscape care this summer go to http://www.projectevergreen.com and click on the GreenCare for Troops logo.