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INDUSTRY NEWS |
This year the Golf Course Builders Association of America is bestowing its Don A. Rossi Award on a golfing legend — Byron Nelson. Also the 1994 recipient of GCSAA’s Old Tom Morris Award, Nelson established his golf career in the 1930s and ’40s by winning 52 PGA events, including five major championships. He also won 11 consecutive tournaments in 1945, a PGA record that still stands. Nelson’s additional honors include the PGA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and the Congressional Golf Medal in 2006. Nelson died in 2006 at age 94. His wife, Peggy Nelson, will receive the award on his behalf at GCBAA’s annual awards dinner this month during conference and show week in New Orleans.
A study from the University of Glasgow shows that green spaces such as parks, forests and playing fields can help reduce the health gap between the rich and the poor. Published in The Lancet, the study surveyed more than 366,000 people who died in England between 2001 and 2005 and reported that in the most green areas, the health gap between the richest and the poorest people was about half as big as the gap in the least green areas. The difference was even greater when looking at deaths from circulatory disease. The authors concluded: “…environments that promote good health might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities.”
PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., announces a new golf instruction program with golf instructors Dave Pelz and David Leadbetter. The resulting PGA National Golf Academy will include the Dave Pelz Scoring Game School and the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, which will each be housed in separate facilities at the PGA National Resort & Spa.
Agrium Advanced Technologies has opened a new fertilizer production facility in Courtright, Ontario, Canada. The plant, which is adjacent to an existing Agrium operation, will produce the company’s controlled-release fertilizers with patented coating technology. The added annual capacity of 60,000 tons of slow- and controlled-release fertilizers allows the company to meet increased customer demand and serve customers with assured product availability at a lower freight cost, says Rod Oglesby, director of operations.
The National Alliance for Accessible Golf is spending more than $50,000 to expand its nationwide program aimed at promoting inclusive golf programs for children and adults with disabilities — Golf: Accessible and Inclusive Networks. Recipients of the GAIN program’s funding include Accessible Golf of Wilmington (N.C.): Access Inc.; The Children’s Course (and home of The First Tee), Gladstone, Ore.; Salt Lake County (Utah) Parks and Recreation; and The Ability Center of Greater Toledo (Ohio) in partnership with The First Tee of Lake Erie. As a founding member of the National Alliance for Accessible Golf, GCSAA lends financial and other types of support to the organization each year and also has a representative on its board of directors.
The city of Bexley, Ohio, is the winner of Project EverGreen’s Landscaped Areas Award in the national America in Bloom competition. Recognized for its innovative use of plants and landscape materials, Bexley, population 12,200, also won second place overall in the America in Bloom contest. Two judges visited each community in the contest to evaluate efforts in floral displays, urban forestry, landscaped areas, turf and groundcover, tidiness, environmental awareness, heritage conservation and community involvement.
By entering into agreements with distributors that serve U.S. Southeastern states and the Caribbeans, GolfLinx International Inc.’s Golf and Sports Turf Division is strengthening its distribution strategy, the company says. The company has joined forces with The Kilpatrick Co., an irrigation products distributor with operations across southern Florida and the Caribbean Island Nations. GolfLinx also signed an agreement with Keeling Co. for exclusive distribution of GolfLinx products in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and northern Alabama, and paired up with Carolina Turf Partners in South Carolina.
Arysta LifeScience in Cary, N.C., was recently named to Carolina Parenting Inc.’s annual list of the top 40 family-friendly companies in North Carolina. The company was recognized for its comprehensive benefits, on-site fitness center, “Bring Your Child to Work” day, family activities outside of the office and helping employees balance work/life demands.
The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association announced a five-year agreement with Naylor to produce its official publication, GreenMaster magazine, as well as GreenMatter news, the group’s membership directory and several online products and tools.
Converted Organics, a Boston company that takes food waste from landfills and transforms it into organic liquid fertilizer, is expanding its distribution capability to the West Coast with an agreement through Simplot Partners. The agreement gives Converted Organics access to Simplot Partners’ large customer base of golf courses. Simplot Partners will distribute Converted Organics’ liquid and granular fertilizers and liquid soil amendment products.
The Faldo Golf Institute by Marriott is now part of Marriott Golf Links, the company’s golfer loyalty program that allows members to earn and redeem points for golf. Students at the golf institute can now accrue points for booking golf schools and golf lessons at the three Faldo Golf Institute locations: Orlando; Palm Desert, Calif.; and Naples, Fla.
Golf course accessory company Prestwick Golf Group announces its affiliation with distributor Wittek Golf, an agreement in which two Prestwick product collections will be featured in Wittek’s catalog. Wittek owns exclusive supplier rights to all PGA properties, a detail that makes the partnership particularly valuable, the company says.
Customers of DTN/Meteorlogix, a company that provides weather information for the turf industry, should benefit from its recent partnership with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, according to the company. The long-term relationship will provide funding from DTN/Meteorlogix to develop new weather products with NCAR scientists.
ForeFront Group Inc. has opened a new global distribution center in Baldwyn, Miss. Built to support growth of the company’s accessory brands, the 200,000-square-foot center features 28 loading bays for shipping and receiving and more than 20,000 square feet of temperature-controlled customization and assembly space. The company also unveiled in December its new corporate headquarters in Brentwood, Tenn., outside of Nashville. It previously maintained headquarters in Springfield, Tenn. The new 11,500-square-foot building will house more than 40 ForeFront employees in marketing, sales, management and administrative operations for the Burton, Datrek, Devant and Miller golf brands.
Lebanon Seaboard Corp. announces its acquisition of the Emerald Isle line of foliar and granular fertilizer products from Milliken Chemical, a division of South Carolina company Milliken & Co. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Emerald Isle True Foliar products are designed to provide consistent playing surfaces, ideal color and outstanding turf density while also providing seaplant extract and other beneficial supplements for root growth, stress tolerance and disease resistance. The acquisition gives Lebanon the ability to address superintendents’ needs for advanced foliar nutrition, the company says. Katherine Bishop, president and CEO of Lebanon Seaboard, adds that the company will continue to work with Ocean Organics, Waldoboro, Maine, a manufacturer of seaplant extract and foliar products, to produce key ingredients in the Emerald Isle formulations.
The Toro Co. recently acquired certain assets of Southern Green Inc., a manufacturer of deep-tine aeration equipment based in Louisiana. The assets include Southern Green’s line of Soil Reliever aerators that Toro says will provide an entryway into the new category of cultivation equipment for the company. Toro’s ProCore aerators and ProCore processor in that category have experienced recent market success, the company says.
Tee-2-Green announced the fifth painting in the “Artistry of Golf” series, which will be unveiled and awarded at this month’s Golf Industry Show in New Orleans. The series of commissioned paintings is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of superintendents around the world. This year’s edition showcases the 17th green at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., home of the 2009 PGA Championship. The hole is completely encapsulated by bunkers and water, and narrow shelves on the right side and in the back make the par-3 one of the toughest on the course. The championship course was designed by Robert Trent Jones and later enhanced by his son Rees Jones. The painting was created by artist Sandra Cashman.
In order to help club managers address the challenges stemming from the global economic downturn, the Club Managers Association of America launches its “Clubs and the Economy” Web site at www.cmaa.org/EconResources.aspx. The site contains blogs, audio conferences, webinars and a library of resources. CMAA Economic Resource Library offers market analyses, surveys, articles and other information all aimed at surviving and thriving in today’s economic environment. Blogs feature industry experts discussing a variety of current issues. Audio conferences and the “Link Up and Learn” webinars are moderated by experts on the respective topics. Information and programs cover topics such as membership recruitment and retention, youth programs, club financing, not-for-profit versus for-profit status, strategic leadership through economic challenges, cost-saving methods and more. Visit the site at www.cmaa.org/EconResources.aspx.
People news
Curtis Orrben, national sales manager at DuPont Professional Products, died on Nov. 28, 2008, after a battle with cancer. A 25-year veteran in the turf industry, Orrben is credited with having a major role in building DuPont Professional Products from the ground up. He spent the last five years at the company leading a team of sales representatives. Orrben is survived by his wife, Brenda; his sons, Nick and Oliver; and his daughter, Gina.
Paul Jett, CGCS, superintendent at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort & Country Club’s No. 2 course, has been elected president of the Carolinas GCSA. Jett, host of two U.S. Open championships and this year’s U.S. Amateur championship, joined the Carolinas GCSA as a director in 2000.
At its dealer appreciation meeting held last year, Wiedenmann North America gave out its annual awards. The Salesman of the Year Award went to Al Hicks of Georgia Turf & Tractor. The East Coast Dealer of the Year went to Storr Tractor; the Midwest Dealer of the Year went to Commercial Turf and Tractor; and Golf Ventures West won the company’s West Coast Dealer of the Year award.
Jay Stine, CGCS at Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, has been elected to serve as president of the Lone Star GCSA effective Jan. 1, 2009. A past president of the North Texas GCSA, Stine has served on many GCSAA committees and currently serves on the board of the Texas Turfgrass Association.
Christian Baldwin, Ph.D., has joined the research staff at Jacklin Seed by Simplot as a research scientist. With experience in environmental stress physiology and cultivar evaluation, Baldwin will be working on a variety of projects, including advanced Alpha and T-1 creeping bentgrass interseeding research, salinity tolerance and Kentucky bluegrass fairway conversion and management.
Newly elected directors of the Golf Course Builders Association of America are: Patrick Karnick, Wadsworth Golf Construction; Ed Kruse, John Deere Golf; and Stephanie Zimmerman, Hancor Inc. Re-elected directors include Steve Christman, Eagle Golf & Landscape Products, treasurer; Ellen Davis, SportZmix Solutions, secretary; Rick Boylan, Mid America Golf & Landscape Inc.; Oscar Rodriguez, Weitz Golf International; and Bob Bryant, Bryant Taylor Gordon Golf.
The National Golf Course Owners Association recognized the Dedman family, owner of the Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, as the recipient of its Award of Merit. Robert Dedman Sr. founded ClubCorp in 1957, and his son Robert Dedman Jr. is the general partner of the family business that controls Pinehurst. NGCOA also named Henry DeLozier, a former president of the group, as the winner of its Don Rossi Award, which goes to a member who has served the association with distinction. NGCOA also gave its Champion Award, which recognizes work that improves opportunities for fellow course owners, to Dudley Darling of Juniper Hill Golf Course, Northborough, Mass., and Bob MacDonald of Brookmeadow Country Club, Canton, Mass.
The Performance Nutrition Division of LidoChem Inc. announces an expansion into the Northeast and Midwest with the addition of Chris Manzella to serve as the company’s Northeast/Midwest sales manager. Manzella will manage sales in the golf course, commercial and residential lawn, garden and sports turf categories, as well as expand the company’s local dealer network.
Golf briefs
The first golf course project in the Ukraine is slated to break ground this year by course architects at Golfplan-Fream, Dale & Ramsey. The 18-hole resort in the downtown area of Kiev, Ukraine, is planned to sit on the shores of Doboletsky Island, one of a series of islands on the Dnieper River just 150 feet away from the city’s downtown. A mass transit station is right across from the foot bridge to the island. Course construction is expected to begin this spring, while other amenities planned for the resort include a five-star hotel and spa, 30 to 40 villas, public recreational space and retail components. The architects have opted for a low-profile design that maximizes the riverside setting — 11 out of 18 holes sit at the water’s edge. The design will also work around the site’s ancient, red-barked pines that are native to the island.
The Resort Club at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, S.C., has won the National Golf Course Owners Association’s 2009 Golf Course of the Year award. The facility was ranked one of the best daily fee courses in the U.S. by Golf magazine and one of the 10 best courses you can play in South Carolina by Golfweek. NGCOA also recognized the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., as the winner of its Jemsek Award for Golf Course Excellence, which honors the world’s top championship-caliber courses. TPC Sawgrass recently underwent a $12.5 million renovation to help the course play firmer and faster.
Honours Golf Co. has recently purchased Craft Farms Golf Resort in Gulf Shores, Ala. The transaction includes two 18-hole championship golf courses — Cotton Creek Golf Club and Cypress Bend Golf Course. In addition to two other courses in the area, the company now owns and manages three golf properties in the region and 13 total. Originally established in 1987 by the Craft family, Craft Farms Golf Resort features Alabama’s only Arnold Palmer Signature Design Courses. Cotton Creek is a traditional, 7,000-yard layout with tree-lined fairways and large, undulating greens. Cypress Bend offers a resort-style layout with wide fairways, vast landing areas and a unique system of lakes that come into play on every hole. Shannon Easter is the superintendent at Craft Farms.