Katie Tuttle, GCI’s assistant editor, trekked down to Dayton, Ohio last week to attend the USGA Regional Conference.
Here are a five things she picked up.
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New Legislation
A draft bill on nutrient management for water quality in Ohio circulated back in March. Comments on the bill were due by April 5. While the bill currently does not apply to golf courses, this may change, so it’s important for superintendents to keep up on the bill. There’s a possibility that fertilizer certification (education) could be added to the pesticide applicator licensing.
Better education
The USGA is currently working on a new way to present the rules of golf, making it easier for newbies and students to understand the game. The five year campaign will position the USGA as the leading educational resource to help golfers better understand the rules, thus making the game less intimidating and more welcoming.
Augusta quality? No way!
If you think you can get tournament quality playing greens all year round, think again. Paul Vermeulen, Director of Competitions Agronomy for the PGA Tour, talked about what exactly goes into making a course like Augusta tournament ready. The time and effort that goes into the course in the days leading up to the tournament can’t be done year round, even at tournament courses. To prove his point, Vermeulen showed pictures of Augusta not during the Masters and believe me, it looked just like your course probably does.
Excite, Engage, Execute!
If you want a good, well-running course, you’re going to need to do one major thing: communicate. Whether it’s your staff, your members, or the community you’re a part of, it is important to stay in contact with everyone so you know what is going on. A course can’t run on income alone, and it’s your job to make sure everyone is happy and all concerns or problems are addressed.
A final note
The last week of May, May 26-31, is Ohio Turfgrass Week, designated to increase public awareness of the importance of turfgrass to Ohio’s economy and environment. May 29 is Turfgrass Day at the State House in Columbus.
