New Orleans is our kind of town

There’s no way of equating washed-out bunkers, a golf course full of ice-shredded tree limbs or rampant turf disease to the situation faced by residents of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in recent years. There are problems, and then there are big problems.

But there’s not a person in the golf course management industry who hasn’t smiled with pride at the resolve and dedication the people of the Bayou have exhibited in rebuilding the region despite being told their task was impossible. The human spirit is a powerful force. We see it regularly in our profession. It’s the commitment to excellence, the integrity of character, the strong kindred spirit of camaraderie and the compassionate benevolence that distinguish GCSAA members.

For those reasons we all should embrace New Orleans and the 2009 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. Where else would we feel a greater affinity?

Last month you received your conference and show brochure with GCM. You can also access information online at www.golfindustryshow.com. I encourage you to examine the virtually endless opportunities for professional development and networking that await you for the week of Feb. 2-7. Big success can be Easy in New Orleans, and attendance is particularly important in these economic times, when superintendents need to take back information to help their facilities operate successfully.

We had planned to conduct the 2006 event in New Orleans but had to relocate because of Hurricane Katrina. But we pledged to come again to New Orleans, with the understanding that the return wouldn’t occur until the city could provide a positive experience for attendees and exhibitors.

Personal experience tells me New Orleans is more than ready to be our host. Since Katrina hit the area, GCSAA has conducted board of director and various committee meetings in New Orleans. Our staff has toured hotel properties, the convention center and the outlying areas. Later this month we will conduct the GCSAA Chapter Delegates Meeting there. Chapter representatives will tour the city to see first hand what it has to offer. We’re asking delegates to return to their chapters and communicate their experiences. I’m sure those experiences will be consistent with what I and others have witnessed.

Speaking of the delegates meeting, I’d be remiss if I didn’t stress the importance of this event. Instituted in 1994, its function is to facilitate better communication between GCSAA as an entity and the chapters. The meeting is a responsibility of the delegate and of the chapter. We have challenged chapters to identify a representative who can best fulfill the responsibilities of the delegate position.

We expect delegates to go back and communicate to the chapter, and chapters should demand a complete and thorough accounting of what happened at the meeting. The expectations should be high for everyone involved — GCSAA leadership, staff, delegates and chapters.

I look forward to seeing all of you in New Orleans in February.