Arysta LifeScience North America turf and ornamental products has presented five superintendents with expense-paid trips for two to each of five major 2008 golf events: the 2008 Masters®, U.S. Open®, PGA Championship®, British Open©, and Ryder Cup®. The winners were drawn from over two hundred entrants nationwide, who participated in the Arysta booth drawing over three days at the Golf Industry Show.
Arysta LifeScience provided superintendents information about formulation and performance advancements of Aloft Insecticide and Disarm Fungicide, GCSAA gift certificate trial offers, and registration for additional chances to participate in the free golf trips drawing.
“Unbelievable,” is how Brad Gray, superintendent at Mission Hills Country Club, in Mission Hills, Kan., describes his free trip for two award to attend the British Open in Southport, England.
“This award is my first time to win anything, and also my first time overseas," Gray says. "I’m taking my brother as my guest, and we’re planning to play a couple of rounds together."
Tom Prichard, superintendent at Ivanhoe Club in Mundelein, Ill., was pleased and surprised at winning a free trip award for two to the PGA Championship in Oakland Hills, Mich.
“Things are hot here in August,” Prichard says. “I’m taking my GM with me, and we look forward to traveling and combining business with pleasure.”
Phillip Neaton, the superintendent for 25 years at Black Hall Country Club, a USGA championship course in Old Lyme, Conn., had never won anything at the GIS show before receiving his free trip for two to the Ryder Cup in Louisville in September.
“It’s a quiet time for me to get away,” Neaton says. “I invited my greens chairman, but he couldn’t go at that time, so I invited my significant other. Her son played high school golf, so she knows the game and appreciates the opportunity, as I do, to see the Ryder Cup match."
Arysta also provided two free tickets to the Masters to Gene Baldwin, superintendent at The Briar Rose Club in White Plains, Ga.
“I’d never won anything before," Baldwin says. "But the great thing was, I put my family in the hotel, got a travel allowance, and my badges were waiting at the Master’s for the weekend. It was wonderful.”
Clark Waters, an independent golf consultant at Aransas Pass, Texas, was pleased to be able to share his trip award to this year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
“I started my career in Palm Springs, and this trip back to La Jolla allowed me to take my wife to celebrate her birthday, and also to reunite with my old colleagues," Waters says. "I was thrilled.”
“The response from superintendents to this program was excellent, since most had never won anything at the GIS before, and the odds of winning the drawing were relatively good,” said Michael Maravich, turf and ornamentals marketing and product manager at Arysta LifeScience. “Their insect and disease control knowledge was exceptional and their interest in trying the ALOFT and DISARM products on their courses, based on what they’d heard, was gratifying."