Association news

Environmental Institute elects officers, trustees
Lawrence, Kan. – The Environmental Institute for Golf elected officers and welcomed three new members to its board of trustees during its winter meeting at the 2005 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. Michael J. Hurdzan, Ph.D., of Hurdzan/Fry Golf Course Design, was elected chairman. Bill Kubly, owner and c.e.o. of Landscapes Unlimited, was elected vice chairman/treasurer. GCSAA secretary/treasurer Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, was added to the board of trustees and will serve a three-year term as secretary of the institute.

ESPN/ABC broadcaster Roger Twibell and Nike Golf president Bob Wood also were added as trustees and will each serve three-year terms.

Chuck Yash, a consultant for the golf industry, and Mark J. Woodward, CGCS, GCSAA immediate past president, retired from the board of trustees. Tom Chisholm, retired vice president of Eaton Corp. and past chairman of the USGA Green Section, will serve on the board for one year as immediate past chairman.

$167,000 raised at silent auction
Orlando, Fla. – The Golf Industry Show silent auction – conducted by The Environmental Institute for Golf, the National Golf Course Owners Association Foundation and the American Society of Golf Course Architects – generated $167,000 for environmental programs including research, education and player development programs. A total of 109 companies donated 160 items. A complete listing of donating companies can be found at www.eifg.org.

Additionally, Mike Grilley, golf course superintendent at The Links Golf Club in Post Falls, Idaho, won an all-expense paid trip to the 2006 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in New Orleans. His name was chosen from a list of those who participated in the silent auction.

Project EverGreen debuts at GIS
Orlando, Fla. – Project EverGreen debuted at the Golf Industry Show by presenting a message relevant to the industry: Well-maintained green spaces provide economic, lifestyle and environmental benefits to consumers.

Project EverGreen is a nonprofit alliance of green industry professionals in all facets of the business. The group has been endorsed financially by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America since its inception in 2003.

Project EverGreen is trying to expand its presence in the golf course industry. Further discussions are planned with the Golf Course Builders Association of America, American Society of Golf Course Architects and Professional Caddies of America.

Fund-raising goals for 2005 include $1.1 million in cash and donated services for a trade and consumer media campaign.

GCSAA unveils search engine
Lawrence, Kan. – The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America launched the latest version of its new search engine designed for the golf course management industry. Fore! was unveiled at the 2005 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. Available through GCSAA Online as an exclusive member service, Fore! works by searching and indexing only Web sites designated by GCSAA administrators. It provides users only qualified results and then organizes the results into specific categories. For each category, users will have access to the top results, along with a link to view all of the results in that category.

The search engine has six categories:
• GCSAA – results from gcsaa.org and other GCSAA online properties;
• Publications/media – results from the association’s monthly magazine, other publications and other golf industry-related Web sites;
• Chapters – results from 104 GCSAA affiliated chapter and student chapter Web sites;
• Universities/organizations – results from the National Golf Course Owners Association, the United States Golf Association, universities and dozens of other related groups;
• Regulatory/compliance – results from government Web sites or independently operated sites that provide regulatory and compliance information; and
• Industry – results from GCSAA 2005 Golf Industry Show exhibitor Web sites. Beginning in August 2005, the search will be revised to include the Web sites of all GCSAA affiliate member companies.

Oregon group receives award
Orlando, Fla. – The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America board of directors selected the Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association for its 2005 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship. Rod Nelson, president of the OGCSA and superintendent at Camas Meadows Golf Course, received the award at the Golf Industry Show.

The President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship was established in 1991 to recognize an exceptional environmental contribution to the game of golf.

Regulatory standards and public expectations increasingly demand protection of the environment from pesticide applications. In response to these concerns, the OGCSA developed a document to provide golf course superintendents with a working model to implement standardized best management practices, an integrated pest management plan and a water quality monitoring plan. For more information, visit www.ogcsa.org.