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PRESIDENT's message |
Many plans, many advantages
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This time of year is always a time for planning, and the three things I'm planning for at the moment are what I always think about in November -- Thanksgiving, with its promise of time with my family; the holiday season, which seems to be at the top of everyone's list; and the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show, Feb. 19-24 in Anaheim.
The Golf Industry Show this year becomes what we have promised GCSAA members it would be Ñ an innovative trade show for professionals in the golf course and club management industry, as well as owners and operators of golf facilities.
Beginning with February's event, the Golf Industry Show is presented by GCSAA, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Club Managers Association of America, along with supporting organizations the Golf Course Builders Association of America, the American Society of Golf Course Architects and the National Golf Foundation.
February's edition also will feature the Golf Industry Show's signature interactive solution centers and the industry's largest exhibit floor. This means a powerful combination of networking, education and solutions for superintendents.
I mention networking first in my list because of my personal experience with networking at conference and show. Since 1985 I've been building my personal professional network by attending the event and meeting other superintendents, architects, builders and just about everyone else involved in the golf industry.
I'll sit next to someone at a session, talk with them, then send them a note after the conference. This technique helped me build a network of industry contacts, helped me get jobs, helped me get jobs for others and helped me find solutions for problems on my course. It means a lot to be able to pick the brains of experts from all over the country, even all over the world. Conference and show networking gave me that ability.
So yes, this is a time for planning, and GCSAA also is planning research that will benefit all members, as well as providing answers for the here-and-now. More about the here-and-now portion in a moment.
As you may know, The Environmental Institute for Golf, working with a grant from The Toro Foundation, is conducting the first nationwide survey to measure water use and conservation. The survey is part of a multi-year project to evaluate environmental performance on golf courses.
It's called the Golf Course Environmental Profile project, and the first survey was conducted earlier this spring and concerned the physical characteristics of golf courses. The second survey, measuring water use and conservation, began Oct. 9 and will continue through Nov. 20. I urge you to become involved in this effort. Learn more and access the survey at www.gcsaa.org and join your peers in this important endeavor.
As for the "here-and-now," beginning this month, a free, interactive GCM feature available through GCSAA's Web site allows GCSAA members to submit questions to industry experts on a range of topics from irrigation to herbicides to equipment. The questions and the experts' answers will be posted exclusively online.
The new feature, "GCM's Ask the Experts," will be archived on the site as well, so you can view all the questions and answers posted in each category.
"GCM's Ask the Experts" puts GCSAA members in direct contact with industry experts, and I can't think of a better way to serve members than to assist them in getting the answers they need to specific questions from some of the most reliable sources in the industry.
Got a question? Visit "GCM's Ask the Experts" at www.gcsaa.org/gcm/ask and get the answer.
RECENT issues
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October |
September 2006 |