Over 270 representatives of the golf industry met with House, Senate and staff members to discuss issues of importance to the golf industry

GCSAA and allied golf associations from around the country met in Washington D.C. April 30-May 2 for National Golf Day.  The American Golf Industry Coalition spearheaded the effort scheduling hundreds of meetings with legislators representing nearly all 50 states.  The event had a record turnout of 325 participants. 

Topics covered during National Golf Day included:

• House Resolution 1583, the “Par Act” which would include the golf industry in various forms of disaster relief and economic stimulus programs that are available to other businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and attractions.

• House Bill 2369 (accompanying Senate Bill 1144), the “PHIT Act” which would offer 100 million Americans the opportunity to use their HSA/FSA funds on activity expenses to lower the cost of healthy lifestyles.
• The Farm Bill provides the USDA with the ability to conduct research efforts to produce turfgrass varieties with heat, drought, salt, disease and traffic tolerance.
• The “H-2B Visa Program,” a bill that continues to provide much-needed temporary, non-immigrant workers for seasonal businesses across the country, including golf.
• Reintroduction of the “Promoting Reduction of Emissions through Landscaping Act.” The Act would provide a 40% tax credit on the purchase of zero-emission equipment, up to $25,000 annually and up to $100,000 over the course of 10 years.

I had the opportunity to personally meet with legislators and staff members from my home state of Nevada including Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Senator Jackie Lee, House Member Dina Titus, House Member Susie Lee and House Member Mark Amodei. In addition to the above topics, we were able to discuss the Nevada golf industry's $1.242 billion economic impact, 17,500 jobs, 138.6 million dollars in local and state taxes and the current water situation in Southern Nevada and along the Lower Colorado River Basin. 

To give back to the local golf community during the visit, the group participated in a community service project at Old Soldiers Golf Course and East Potomac Golf Links which included tree planting, weeding, mowing of greens, tees and fairways, seeding/topdressing and the cleaning out of flowerbeds around tees and the clubhouse. 

Find more information on the American Golf Industry Coalition's website.