Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/96024
TL1301-proof 11/22/12 2:21 PM Page 1 ALLIED ASSOCIATIONS STA OFFERS GREAT SYNERGIES The approach of year's end brings with it the approach of the winter conference season. Begin your planning today to attend one of the following educational and networking events. The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) is headed to Daytona Beach for the 2013 Annual Conference and Exhibition. Dates: January 15 to 18 Location: Ocean Centre Convention Center, Daytona Beach, Florida Registration and Program Information: www.stma.org/2013-conference Receive early bird discounts by registering by December 15, 2012. And remember, the Sports Turf Association (STA) is an International Affiliate Organization of the STMA. As such STA members may register for the Reddekopp -Contin'd From Page 13 has been good to me so I wanted to give a little back. It has been a great limit expense. I was attempting to save experience and I will get involved with the owners' money as well as my own AGSA and WCTA down the road when reputation by not admitting the I settle in at Bearspaw. I would seriousness of the problem. The first recommend the experience to everyone step of recovery was admitting you have and anyone. a problem. I needed a turf intervention. TLN: What do think of the current 'state What I should have done was told my of the nation' of the golf business and Director of Golf and the owners we how do you think it can be improved? needed to sod twelve greens and not DR: In our area the state of the nation seven. I nearly lost my job in June, but is not great. There was a small my Director of Golf stuck with me. His improvement this summer but things loyalty is something I have not forgotten. are still slow. There are too many golf From 2009 whenever we had marginal courses and not enough golfers. We are turf in the spring, I would just say resod. all familiar with reasons. Golf courses I then started to investigate ways to and the industry are talking about ways prevent ice. That was the hardest year to improve, streamline, cut costs, and in my career and the year that I learned get golfers new and old, back to the the most. courses. I support all those initiatives, As for advice for the new guy, surviving but I also think we have to look at supply. winter is the key and every few winters I hate to say it but courses need to close. you are going to have a rough one. Have I do not want anyone to be out of work thick skin and hope Mother Nature helps and which course should close I'm not you out in the spring. Be realistic about sure. I guess the invisible hand of the where you are with the turf and recovery. market makes that determination. Yep My hope is that the next Superintendent I just quoted Adam Smith – Nerd Alert does not have to do a massive resod in – I paid attention in social studies and the spring. (My advice to them would I need to get out more! be, 'All three of your predecessors TLN: What's your overall goal for turf experienced calling the sod farms. Also quality at your golf course? good luck. It is a great job and a unique site. You will work with great people DR: "Alive" is always good for us at Greywolf. That is the main goal. Anything that make the job easier.' after that is a bonus! Consistency is TLN: You've really stepped up your critical. Programs that benefit the turf commitment to the industry over the in the long term is another goal. But last several years as the BCGSA Kootenay we are in a guest satisfaction business Chapter President and have taken a and have to consider their wants. At leadership role with the pesticide issue. Greywolf scenery often compensates Was getting more involved something for conditioning. A snow covered you always felt you would do at a certain mountain peak staring you in the face point in your career, is it something that in July allows the greens to run a little came out of necessity or is there another slower. reason you've given so much back to TLN: On the issue of pesticide use, what's the golf business? your personal philosophy when it comes DR: It was my time. We have a small to IPM? membership in the Kootenays and everyone has to step up. The industry DR: I think most people would be surprised how much disease we tolerate US organization's annual conference and exhibition at member rates. To access the STMA/STA member conference registration form log-in to the "Members Only" section of the STA website www.sportsturfassociation.com www.turfsymposium.ca Receive early bird discounts by registering by January 11, 2013. The STA is a sponsoring partner of the Ontario Turfgrass Symposium. Indicate your STA membership on the registration form for association The Ontario Turfgrass Symposium is discounts. presented annually in Guelph, Ontario. This year's theme? Cultivate Your Make the most of your conference Mind. attendance. Visit sportsturfassociation Dates: February 20 & 21 for a link to the Top 10 Conference Tips Location: University of Guelph, Guelph, published in the Winter 2010 issue of Ontario the Sports Turf Manager. We hope to Registration and Program Information: see you along the way! in the spring at Greywolf. If we come out of winter with little disease and the turf is healthy after snow melt, it can fight off or sustain a lot of spring damage from fusarium. We know it will grow out. We tolerate disease in the spring. That philosophy changes in the fall. Our first fungicide application is in late August because we want to go into winter clean. Winter is long and I do not want to give disease a chance to get out of control. In terms of herbicides we use very little in the summer. We have thistle in the unmaintained areas that the next superintendent will have to deal with but I tolerate quite a few dandelions and clover in our primary rough. It is a temporary problem that goes away and has not reached a critical threshold yet. TLN: As a business model, do you think a fully organically maintained golf course is viable? DR: Perhaps in some regions but not at Greywolf or the surrounding courses. As I mentioned surviving winter is the key and without access to different fungicides that help us survive 140 to 150 days of snow cover, Greywolf would have to close. Those were some of the talking points to B.C. politicians. We need to survive the winter and compete with courses in Alberta and the U.S. Organic fertilizers do not work at Greywolf. We went nearly two years without a day over 30 Celsius. I have been at Greywolf for six years and in those six years we have had one calendar month without a frost delay (July of 2012). So organic fertilizers do not work because we lack soil temperatures most of the year. So no, in our area and for most of Canada a fully organic golf course is not possible without changing the expectations of golfers. TLN: What, if any, changing role(s) should superintendents expect in their jobs over the next 5-10 years? DR: Being a solid manager is key. Turf management is critical but only one facet to our business. We need to be able to manage a budget, attract and retain staff, communicate what we as superintendents are doing, as well as market our departments and to some degree ourselves. The condition of our facilities is our best marketing tool, but we also have to be able to communicate what we are doing and how we are doing it to our stakeholders. Turf management does not exist in a silo. TLN: How do you think golf course superintendents can better market themselves? DR: I think there are many things that we as Superintendents can do contribute to the newsletter; communicate to men's, ladies, and junior clubs, attend their start up events. This is standard stuff. I have also become a big fan of social media like Twitter, blogging, and Facebook. These tools allow Superintendents to instantly communicate and use pictures and video to create a brand. That brand is the Superintendent. It allows us to instantly show that we are dealing with issues and thinking about the long term. It can show we are actively dealing with issues and problems. We may only reach 10% of our membership with social media. If you reach 10% they are going to tell 50% of the membership. If you are contributing to the newsletter you are just blogging old school, so why not take it online? TLN: Ok, we were getting pretty serious there. To lighten things up, what do you think of the hockey strike? DR: See you next year. It will go on until either the players and/or owners start to hurt for cash and that is why it will be a long time before it is solved. I believe the best thing we can do for hockey in Canada is ignore the NHL when the Continued On Page 50 WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 49