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President's message |
Spreading the good news
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GCSAA is currently in the midst of its largest-ever investment to communicate with employers and influential golfers on its members’ behalf.
You may already have seen our commercial and interviews on The Golf Channel or our advertisements in employer, owner and developer publications. Or perhaps you’ve seen results of our media relations efforts via articles in consumer golf publications and newspapers or on the Internet or television. (Visit www.gcsaa.org to see our commercial or to view print ads.)
Our message in these efforts quite simply reinforces what our target audience has told us through surveys. Employers tell us that superintendents are a key to the economic vitality of their facilities, that our members are team players who must have a facility-wide focus and that GCSAA is a leading golf organization on which employers rely to provide resources to help superintendents in their roles.
The message also highlights what golfers tell us: That superintendents are key to their enjoyment of the game; that they view superintendents as professionals; and that they have a good or excellent opinion of GCSAA.
The tagline for our golfer outreach program is “Golf’s Unseen Heroes.” This doesn’t mean GCSAA members should be unseen, but rather refers to the member’s state during the golfer’s experience — an experience that should be golfer versus golf course only. We do, however, want the golfer to know that it’s the GCSAA member who makes the experience enjoyable.
And after dedicating significant time, effort and resources in positioning our members, it appears the message is resonating loud and clear. There’s always room for improvement, but the needle has moved considerably.
So how do we keep this momentum going?
Well, as GCSAA increases its national reach, it’s wise to recall the saying that all politics is local — wise because in a sense, all public relations is local, too. Ultimate success won’t come without buy-in and local work on the part of individual GCSAA members and chapters. All members — each one of us — must “walk the talk” at our facilities and in our communities.
I urge you to take advantage of the opportunities you have to advance your profession, your chapter, the association and the game. GCSAA has numerous resources to assist you. There are online templates and guides. GCM’s “Inside Your Career” offers monthly tips in this area. We conduct and archive webcasts on the subject. And as always, members of the GCSAA staff are willing and able to assist.
This joint effort will continue to advance members and the association, but it also benefits employers and golfers. The more people hear our message, the greater the appreciation and support will be for superintendents and their maintenance programs. This understanding will, in turn, be good for both the game of golf and the maintenance of golf.
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