The 30th Annual Al
Glaze Scholarship and Re-
search Tournament was
held on June 12th at the San
Joaquin Country Club.
Kevin Wiles, Golf Course
Superintendent, had been
cracking the whip and
working his crew many,
many long days and nights
to prep the beautiful venue
for us.
The group this year
was smaller than usual but
those that attended showed
great spirit and appreciated
the hard work that Kevin
put into hosting this very
special event.
With temperatures
in the high 90’s, everyone
was warmed up early. The
teams from the valley had a
distinct advantage over our
coastal groups when it came
to the weather.
Coming in strong
this year was the team from
Riverbend G.C.. Led by
Mike Stieler, CGCS, they
took First Place (GROSS)
for the tournament. The
team included Bill Galli,
Danny Panicia, and Ron
Toomijian. Mike was just
off his wins at the National
GCSA Golf Championship
and evidently was still on a
roll.
Taking First Place
(NET) was the team from
Riverside Golf Course.
They were lead by their new
superintendent Matt Conrad.
Other team members in-
cluded Carlos Grier, Adam
Pohll, and Lance Rohrmann.
Taking 2nd Place (NET) was
the Belmont Country Club
Team lead by Superintendent
Craig Johnson and included
Raenne Scheidt, Sal Gonza-
les, and Todd Hansen.
The closest to the
Pin sponsored by Mike Far-
(Continued on page 4)
San Joaquin Country Club Hosted the 30th Annual
Al Glaze Memorial Scholarship & Research Tournament By Brian Daum
TEE-OFF News March/April 2012
President’s Message 2
From the Field 3
Meeting Schedules 5
What does GCSAA Mean to You?
6
Highlights from River-Lakes
9
Highlights from The 2012 Al Glaze
11
Inside this issue:
Official Publication of the Golf Course Superinten-
dents Association of Central California. The purpose of this publication is informa-tion and education for the membership. Published
bi-monthly by
GCSACC
5322 N. Leonard
Clovis, CA 93619
Phone (559) 298-4853
Fax (559) 298-6957
Email [email protected]
Bob Schneiderhan,
Newsletter Chairman
Mike Scott, CGCS, Editor
2012 Scholarship Recipients We had the high-
est number of scholarship
applications submitted this
year than we have ever
had. As always it is a tre-
mendous job to make the
decision as to who will
receive the funds. This
year the GCSA of Central
California was able to
provide four turf students
with scholarships and one
legacy scholarship.
The 2012 winners
in the turf field of study
were Cody Stewart; Cody
is a Student at Cal Poly
SLO majoring in Environ-
mental Hort Science with a
concentration in Turf grass
Mgmt. He is a 3.4 GPA
and is expected to graduate
in June 2013. Second win-
ner is Tyler Clark: Tyler is a
Agricultural & Environ-
mental Plant Science Major
with a concentration in Turf
grass Mgmt. He is a 3.0
GPA and is expected to
graduate in December 2012.
Third recipient is Michael
Magnani. Mike is a Agricul-
(Continued on page 8)
Page 2
President’s Message by Michael Swing, CGCS
TEE-OFF News
For starters
the BOD
and I
would like
to welcome
Scott Wal-
wyn, Golf
Course Su-
perintendent at the Village Golf
Course in Lompoc for accepting a
vacant position on the Board. Scott
comes with great enthusiasm to the
BOD and he is a welcome addition.
The May meeting was held at
River Lakes Golf Course. If you
know Harry Dawson, he goes the ex-
tra mile in making his course shine
for us and he didn’t disappoint any-
one that attended.
The “Al Glaze Scholarship
and Research Tournament” AKA
“The Glaze” was held at San Joaquin
Country Club on June 12th. Kevin
Wiles was very busy preparing for
this event. I would like to point out
that since Kevin’s arrival at San Joa-
quin CC he has accomplished a lot, so
we all had a wonderful experience.
We are very appreciative that Bayer,
Turf Star, and Syngenta supported us
as major sponsors for this event and
because of this sponsorship we were
able to hand out a great tee prize for
each entrant. This tournament is all
about our goal to provide scholarships
for our legacy program and for the
turf students as well as support Cali-
fornia research, so we greatly appreci-
ated all those commercial members
who sponsored our tees and other spe-
cial events.
July is a time we normally do
not schedule any event due to weather
and staying close to home. However,
this year we have scheduled a retreat
to discuss our Chapter’s Strategic
Planning. During this brainstorming
and self discovery session we hope to
improve our roll in serving the mem-
bership better. To assist us we have
(Continued on page 4)
Michael Swing, CGCS
Page 3 TEE-OFF News
Three locations to serve you
Lancaster Bakersfield Fresno
From the Field Jeff Jensen, GCSAA Field Staff, Southwest Region
How time flies! Summer is
here. I hope all of our members are
enjoying the good weather, spend-
ing time with friends and family
and even getting out to play the
occasional round of golf.
I’d like to give a shout out
to CGCS Pat Finlen and his entire
staff at The Olympic Club in San
Francisco. Pat just hosted the
highly successful 2012 U.S. Open
Championship. If you missed one
of his “Behind the Scenes” presen-
tations earlier this year, you missed
out on a fabulous look at the infra-
structure and preparation required
to host a major championship.
Congratulations on a job well done
and thank you for showing the
world a glimpse of the quality of
golf on the West Coast.
I recently had the opportu-
nity to attend a Southern California
GCSA Assistants Meeting at Whit-
tier Narrows Golf Course in Rose-
mead. I came away impressed with
the knowledge and dedication to the
golf business that these young as-
sistants possess. They are the fu-
ture of our business.
With that in mind, I urge all
of our superintendents to make sure
that your assistants are involved
with your local GCSAA Chapter.
If they are not current members,
take them to an education/golf
event and get them signed up. It’s a
great reward for all of their hard
work and it will provide them with
additional leadership, communica-
tion and networking skills. I realize
that it is often difficult to do this
with shrinking crew sizes, but find-
ing a way to make it a priority will
pay dividends for you and your fa-
cility in the future.
Lastly, I have been fielding
some questions on why GCSAA
changed the dates of the National
Championship and Golf Classic so
that they coincide with the GCSAA
Education Conference and Golf
Industry Show in San Diego Feb. 4-
8, 2013. The move comes as a re-
sult of surveys and feedback from
members, chapters and industry
participants. Respondents indicated
that the length of the tournament
and conference was a deterrent in
attending all or parts of the activi-
ties.
(Continued on page 8)
Page 4
TEE-OFF News
invited Jeff Jensen and Steve Randall of
GCSAA to share what other chapters are do-
ing in these difficult times and help in defin-
ing what works best for us. This is where you
come into play. We need your impute as to
what you want in making your participation a
meaningful and
rewarding experi-
ence. Please
share your ideas
with any of the
Board Members
or pass them
along to Irene
Cline, our Execu-
tive Secretary.
President’s Message Continued from page 2
Welcome
New Member
Mathew Conrad
Class A
Riverside G.C.
Pete Bowman
Class E,
Target Specialty
Products
men and Farmload Distributers, was won by Marvin Burns of
Visalia.
In addition to the tournament winners we were able to intro-
duce several guests that attended the 30th Anniversary event. Rafael
Barajas, CGCS, GCSAA Board of Director and Jeff Jensen, GCSAA
Field Staff joined in. It was an honor to have representatives from
our National organization realize the importance of our efforts. In
addition a plaque was given to Kevin Friesen, CGCS to acknowl-
edge his dedication and hard work for our chapter. Kevin served as
a board member for many years and worked very hard to bring the
Central California to the forefront. We congratulate Kevin on his
hard work.
We want to thank Kevin Wiles and his crew for providing
such an excellent venue. The food was excellent and plentiful. The
service was superb.
With the funds raised this year we hope to provide several
scholarships for deserving students next year, as well as provide
funds for our legacy scholarship fund. In addition. this year we hope
to provide very needed research dollars for research in California.
Scholarship Tournament Continued from page 1
Page 5
TEE-OFF News
July 17, 2012 Strategic Planning Session
GCSACC Board of Directors
No Monthly Association Meeting
August 13, 2012
Tri Chapter Meeting Stone Brae C.C.
Hosted by Northern California GCSA
September 17, 2012 Annual Election Meeting
Village Country Club
Host Superintendent
Scott Walwyn
October 2012 Annual Charities Event
Madera Country Club
Date to be confirmed
November 2012 Date and Location to
Be determined
December 8, 2012 Annual Holiday Event
Window On The Water
Morro Bay
Meeting Schedule
TURF PRO 2012
Dairy Creek Golf Course
2990 Dairy Creek Road
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
September 12, 2012
November 14, 2012
Copper River Country Club
11500 N. Friant Road
Fresno, CA 93730
September 13, 2012
November 15, 2012
What does GCSAA mean to you? by Josh Heptig
Page 6 TEE-OFF News
This is the question, and I
am curious to hear the answer from
all of our members. Perhaps more
specifically, the question is “What
benefit do you derive as a member
of the GCSAA?” I am hopeful that
everyone could rattle off 2-3 items
rather quickly. Items like career
resources, continued education,
governmental compliance, peer
contacts, member discounts, the
Golf Industry and Show, etc. My
list of benefits is quite long, as are
the lists of our other board mem-
bers.
In March, I had the oppor-
tunity to attend a GCSAA leader-
ship conference in Lawrence, Kan-
sas. I am originally from the state
of Kansas and have been to head-
quarters a number of times through
class field trips during my studies
in Golf Course Management at
Kansas State University just west of
Lawrence on I-70. I have always
been a proud supporter of the
GCSAA, that being said, I was a bit
skeptical about what I was going to
see and hear when I was asked to
attend this training session (and not
just because it was being held in the
town of my alma mater’s rival just
after Final Four weekend), but be-
cause I was afraid it would be a
sales pitch about the greatness of
GCSAA.
The training was kicked off
by Rhett Evans, the CEO of
GCSAA. Rhett spoke about what
we were to expect over the next
couple of days as well as issues
affecting our industry and how
GCSAA is acting and partnering to
lead the golf industry forward. He
talked about the Golf Industry and
Show and asked for each of the at-
tendees input. I assure you the room
did not give him a pass on that one.
He received some tough questions
and comments regarding the educa-
tion, golf tournament, and overall
conference. At that time, GCSAA
was considering some changes
based upon feedback that had been
received and many of those changes
have been announced over that past
few weeks. Some of the changes
include: condensing the GIS, hold-
ing the golf event near the show
location, and having some overlap
between the events so that costs can
be controlled by the GCSAA and
its members. Just another way the
GCSAA is adding value to our
members.
Representatives from all
over the US were in attendance and
I was able to make some great con-
tacts that have already
proven useful. Daily
activities involved
Financial Health, Pro-
fessional Develop-
ment, Certification,
the Environmental
Institute for Golf
(EIFG), Field Staff,
Government Rela-
tions, and of course
Leadership. Many of
these topics are self-
explanatory, but much
of the discussion re-
volved around chapter
participation and how
can we continue to be
viable.
A lot of great
ideas were tossed
around in the different
sessions that allowed
for more small group
discussion. There was
one session that fo-
cused strictly on chap-
ter attendance and
participation to assist all of us in
our own fight to increase meeting
attendance and add value to our
individual chapters. A multitude of
ideas and knowledge existed within
the room and there were great ideas
that our Board will be considering
for implementation within our Cen-
tral California Chapter.
Our Board will be meeting
in July for a strategic planning ses-
sion that will involve our Field Rep,
Jeff Jensen, and GCSAA Chapter
Outreach Manager, Steve Randall.
We will be meeting to plan for our
future and how we can best serve
each of you GCSAA members.
We strive to add value to
your membership and value your
input greatly.
(Continued on page 7)
Continued on page 7
Page 7 TEE-OFF News
Golf Course Materials
Topdressing Sand - Bunker Sand
Decomposed Granite - Drain Rock
1/8” Minus Turf & Tee Bulk Humus
Brush Removal Call for competitive rates
David Knott, Inc.
(559) 449-8935 or (559) 760-5387
What does GCSAA mean to you? Continued from Page 6
Chapter events give us all the
ability to come together and share
our successes and trials with one
another as a group of individuals
with similar lives.
This is our association
and without providing our direct
input, we are not sure how best to
serve you. All of the board mem-
bers desire to provide the services
and value that our members seek,
so that we can build a strong
Chapter that includes meetings
and other offerings that our mem-
bers cannot wait to take advan-
tage of.
I would love to hear from
you and I can be reached at
[email protected] or (805) 781
-1318 to field any of your ques-
tions or comments.
Many great events are on
the horizon and summer is here.
If we all work together we can
strengthen our Chapter to make it
successful for many more years
just as we do our root systems to
make it through the summer heat
and stress. Best wishes for the
summer season!
Calling all dogs!
Nominations for Lebanon Turf's 2013 Dog
Days of Golf Calendar are now open.
Enter your dog for a chance to appear in
the calendar, which will be mailed with the
November issue of Golf Course Manage-
ment magazine. If selected for the calen-
dar, your pup will have a chance to be
crowned 2013 Dog of the Year, earning
$3,000 for your affiliated chapter, $500 for
your local humane society, and $500 for
you. Entries are being accepted through
Aug. 1, 2012.
From the Field Continued From Page 3
Page 8 TEE-OFF News
The move will help condense
the events and those who choose to
play in the National Championship and
Golf Classic will still have numerous
educational opportunities available
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in-
cluding sessions that will be held on
the tradeshow floor.
Have a great summer and I
look forward to seeing you at upcom-
ing events. If you have any questions,
don’t hesitate to contact me at
tural Environmental Plant Science Major with a concentration in Turf grass
Mgmt also. He, too. is a 3.0 GPA with graduation in December in 2012.
We are proud to honor these young gentlemen and hope that they will con-
tinue in their field of study and work towards positions as Golf Course Su-
perintendents.
In addition to our strong commitment to the
greens industry and the turf students in our area.
We also want to provide opportunities to the chil-
dren of our members. That is why we established
the Legacy program. This year’s recipient of the
2012 Legacy Award was Zach Elliott. Zach is the
son of Tom Elliott, CGCS. Zach is entering college
at Arizona State University studying biological sci-
ences. His ultimate goal is medical school.
None of this would be possible if not for the
support of our members and, especially, our affiliate
members who continue year after year to provide
funding for our programs and events. Thank you to
all.
2012 Scholarship Recipients
Continued From Page 3
Tom Elliott, CGCS ac-
cepts the check for his
son Zech
Page 9 TEE-OFF News
Highlights from River Lakes
Pictured at left are Association President Mike Swing, CGCS
with host superintendent Harry Dawson. Congratulations
Harry on such a beautiful course.
Below from left are Jeff Jensen, GCSAA Field
Staff, Mike Swing, Troy Thompson, and Scott Furtak
From the left are Jeff Jensen, Kevin
Eppich and Mike Farman
At left Toro Trophy Winners
for Best Net Score are the team
from Riverside G.C. Matt Con-
rad, Carlos Grier, Adam Pohll,
and Lance Rohrmann
At Right is the team
from Riverbend G.C. and the
First Place Gross Score Win-
ners, Mike Stieler, Bill Galli,
Danny Panicia, and Ron
Toomajian. Bottom left is Host Superintendent
Kevin Wiles and Mike Swing, Below is the 2nd Place
Net Team from Belmont, Craig Johnson, Raenne
Scheidt, Sal Gonzales, and Todd Hansen.
At right is Kevin
Friesen, CGCS,
and Mike Swing,
CGCS
Page 10
TEE-OFF News
For over 80 years the
specialty seed source for:
-Native Grasses and
Wildflowers
-Kikuyu, Paspalum,
Hybrid Bermuda
-Bentgrasses, Fine
Fescues, Ryegrasses
Golf Course Representa-
tives:
Al Glaze Scholarship & Research Tournament Highlights
Page 11
TEE-OFF News
Thank You to our Sponsors
PRESIDENT
MICHAEL SWING, CGCS
VISALIA COUNTRY CLUB
SECRETARY/TREASURER VICE PRESIDENT
JOSH HEPTIG BRIAN DAUM
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VALLEY CREST/PALO ALTO G.C.
2011/2012 GCSACC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
TROY THOMPSON
RIVERSIDE G. C.
TRINI HERNANDEZ
BOB SCHNEIDERHAN
CAL POLY SLO
KEVIN EPPICH
TURF STAR
ANDY FERNANDEZ
AB TURF/HUSTLER TURF EQUIP.
BOARD MEMBERS
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
IRENE CLINE
PHONE (559) 298-4853 FAX (559) 298-6957
EMAIL [email protected]
5322. N. Leonard Ave.
Clovis, CA 93619
SCOTT WALWYN
THE VILLAGE C.C.
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