by
Shane Conroy
| Nov 09, 2018
GCSAA's Director of Chapter Outreach Steve Randall and I were invited to participate and present at the 6th Annual Gateway PGA Golf Summit. The event brought allied golf associations together to discuss advancing the industry, as well as efficiency at individual facilities. GCSAA chapters represented included the Southern Illinois GCSA and the Mississippi Valley GCSA; a bulk of the audience included members from the Professional Golfers Association (PGA), Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), and National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA).
Steve and I presented on GCSAA programs, concentrating on Rounds 4 Research, the GCSAA Best Management Practices Template and Guide, as well as the First Green program. The summit gave us an excellent opportunity to bring attention to these programs and illustrate how they are advancing the entire golf industry.
The summit featured a great group of presenters who covered pertinent topics and offered key takeaways to the attendees. Other speakers at the event included Dr. Lee Miller from the University of Missouri, past PGA of America president Derek Sprague, as well as Marcus Gray of Audubon International and Kim Weaver of Constellation. 42-year GCSAA member Michael Vogt, CGCS of the McMahon Group and 20-year GCSAA member Alex Stuedemann, CGCS of TPC Deere Run also presented on the day. Both Michael and Alex covered the importance of implementing environmental and energy saving plans at the golf course, and how conservation efforts can have a positive effect on the not only the bottom line but with the community as well.
I would like to personally thank Mitchell Smith, PGA, for organizing this year's event and for inviting GCSAA to be a part of this collaborative effort. I look forward to strengthening our relationship in the years to come.