Industry News

Everglades GCSA donates to The Institute

The Everglades Golf Course Superintendents Association continues its longtime support of The Environmental Institute for Golf, donating $5,000 towards research, education, environmental programs and outreach to enhance golf’s relationship with the environment.

"We can't thank the members of GCSAA's chapter in the Everglades enough for following through on their commitment and their continued support of The Institute," said World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, Institute trustee and chairman of its Advisory Council. "Research, education and technological advancements have resulted in positive results for golf’s association with the environment. This contribution will continue strengthening the compatibility of golf with our environment."

With this donation, the Everglades GCSA has attained Platinum Tee Club status for the 10th consecutive year. The Platinum Tee Club is the giving club for organizations that contribute a minimum of $5,000 annually. An affiliate chapter of GCSAA, the Everglades GCSA is also recognized as at the Governor's Club level in the Cumulative Giving Program, which recognizes organizations that have contributed between $50,000 and $99,999 to The Institute since 1987.

"The Everglades GCSA is pleased to continue its support of The Institute," said Everglades GCSA President Todd Draffen, GCSAA Class A superintendent at TPC Treviso Bay in Naples, Fla. "We believe that it is important to fund Institute programs such as research because of the great benefits they provide to our members."

NGCOA names 2009 Player Development Award winner

The Golf Courses at Incline Village realize today’s player development challenges don’t come with one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s why the Lake Tahoe, Nev., facility has developed a portfolio of programs to introduce golf to a wide range of area residents, including juniors, women, couples and families. The acceptance and success of those programs earned Incline Village the 2009 National Golf Course Owners Association’s Player Development Award.

Since 2005, the Golf Courses at Incline Village have started 10 player development programs. "There isn’t one magic bullet that is going to bring more players into golf," says Cathy Jo Johnson, director of golf at the 36-hole facility. "It’s a combination of a lot of things, which is what we’ve tried to do here."

Working with the physical education departments of area elementary and middle schools, Incline Village’s "Golf in the Schools" program introduces more than 300 students to golf on a weekly basis each year. The program’s success led to its expansion to Boys and Girls Clubs in a nearby community. Among the program’s participants are children who might not be exposed to golf because of their family’s financial situation.

Incline Village’s junior program offers scholarships and financial assistance to young players who want to learn the game at its award-winning practice facility during the summer. The number of juniors participating in the program has doubled in the last three years as has the number of girls participating on the local high school golf team, which is considered a direct result of the Incline Village program.

In addition to its junior activities, the Golf Courses at Incline Village host a number of player development programs for busy professionals, senior women and couples looking to find a hobby to enjoy together. One of its more creative programs is Nine and Wine, which combines nine holes of golf with a wine tasting and networking reception for busy professionals. Nine and Wine is credited with adding more than 1,400 rounds in the last three seasons. 

There are also programs aimed at women who want to become more active in the game, as well as working men and couples. For families that want to play golf together, Incline Village has added new sets of forward tees that shorten the holes for beginners and youngsters. 

Johnson admits that not all player development programs have succeeded. "Sometimes we revamp programs and try them again, and sometimes we file them away to try again in a few years," she says. "The key is to make sure people are having fun."

Rare eagle sightings at FarmLinks Golf Course

FarmLinks team members and guests have witnessed a number of eagles on the golf course over the years, but the latest report of eagles at FarmLinks wasn’t about being under par.

Over several weeks, several people have spotted a pair of bald eagles soaring over Sulfur Mountain and Marble Valley or perching in the field just behind the FarmLinks Club House and the eighteenth hole.

FarmLinks’ Ben Richardson, who was able to capture a distant photo of the pair, said, "I saw the eagles in one of the standing dead trees and watched them perch on the limbs.  One of the eagles had a completely white head and appeared very large, while the other had a few white feathers interlaced with its predominantly brown head.  When they finally flew, the flight was synchronized; each eagle would turn and bank at the same time and would fly just a wingspan apart."

Greg Bolton, FarmLinks’ director of farm operations, said, " I think it’s just awe-inspiring that these majestic birds are part of the wildlife profile here at Pursell Farms.  It’s definitely not the type of eagle most people expect to see on a golf course."  

Delighted to hear of FarmLinks’ eagle sighting, Keith Hudson, wildlife biologist with Alabama Wildlife and Fisheries, added, "Bald eagles have increased to the point where it is now not as unusual to see them in our state, particularly along or near large bodies of water and especially during this time of year when they’re migrating south to spend the winter in Alabama."

Once in danger of extinction, bald eagle populations dwindled in the 1950s and 1960s. But populations have increased across the nation and now even nest in Alabama, thanks to restoration efforts by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program.

"We’re just thrilled to have bald eagles on our property and we hope to monitor, support and encourage their presence here," Bolton said.