Topics of discussion included golf’s water use and management in Arizona, the game’s economic and community impact, and ongoing growth initiatives.

Representatives from the Arizona golf industry hosted Senator Mark Kelly’s State Director, Luis Heredia, at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona, on September 24.

The visit was organized by Katie Prendergast, executive director of the Arizona Alliance for Golf; Carmella Ruggiero, executive director of the Cactus and Pine GCSA; and Jonathan Williams, GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador and Troon Director of Science and Agronomy. Papago superintendent Matt Noreus served as host for the event.

Heredia had the opportunity to tour Papago’s turf reduction project and review the water management practices implemented by Noreus over the past several years. Discussions focused on the economic and environmental impact of golf in Arizona, growth of the game initiatives, and a visit to the Thunderbird Golf Complex at Papago, home to the Arizona State University Men’s and Women’s golf teams.

The visit also included a stop at the newly opened Arizona Golf House, a state-of-the-art facility that serves as the hub of golf in Arizona. The 14,000-square-foot building houses several of the state’s allied golf associations, including the Cactus and Pine GCSA, AZ Golf (formerly the Arizona Golf Association), Junior Golf Association of Arizona, First Tee – Phoenix, Club Managers Association of America Southwest Chapter, and the Southwest PGA.

A collaborative project between the Arizona Alliance for Golf, Arizona State University, the Arizona Golf Community Foundation, and the City of Phoenix, the Arizona Golf House supports golf programming, youth mentorship, job training (through initiatives such as Evans Scholars, Desert Mashies, and the National Golf Player Development Foundation), and continuing education opportunities. The facility also promotes golf’s recreational and economic benefits, supports turfgrass and water research, and helps expand the game’s reach to Arizona’s 7.5 million residents.

In addition to Prendergast, Ruggiero, Williams, and Noreus, others representing the Arizona golf community included Jeff Jensen, GCSAA Field Staff Representative; Greg Leicht, PGA Director of Golf, City of Phoenix; Erin McDonough, CEO/Executive Director, First Tee – Phoenix; Ernie Pock, Cactus and Pine past president and Director of Agronomy at Grayhawk Golf Club; Gaby Speh, Managing Director, Greater Southwest Chapter, Club Managers Association; Ryan Standifird, Superintendent at Longbow Golf Club and GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador; and Gregg Tryhus, President of the Arizona Alliance for Golf.

A special thank you to Troon, Papago General Manager Daryl Crawford, and Superintendent Matt Noreus for hosting the visit.

For more information about the Arizona Alliance for Golf, visit azallianceforgolf.org