Assistant opportunity
At the 3rd annual Green Start Academy, held Oct. 1-3 this month in North Carolina, more than 50 assistant superintendents will gather for educational sessions and networking. Sponsored by John Deere Golf and Bayer Environmental Science, the event will bring together assistants, who were selected by a panel of judges, from 24 states and Canada to the Bayer Development and Training Center in Clayton, N.C., and John Deere’s Turf Care factory in Fuquay Varina, N.C. GCM associate editor Darcy DeVictor will be in attendance. Visit http://.gcm.typepad.com to follow the event on GCM ’s blog.

Getting smart about water
The very first Water Smart Innovations Conference, dubbed the largest such conference in the world, is coming to Las Vegas this month, and GCM  will be on hand to chronicle the activities and the role the game of golf can play in this brave new world of water efficiency. Live coverage on the GCM  blog, From the Desk of GCM  (http://gcm.typepad.com) begins Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Examining insects
The 2008 National Turfgrass Entomology Workshop will bring together researchers, students and industry professionals at the University of Florida-Gainesville, Oct. 26-28. The focus will be insects and the damage they cause to turf on golf courses, sports fields and lawns. Coverage on the GCM  blog, From the Desk of GCM  (http://gcm.typepad.com) begins Monday, Oct. 27.