The Whiteboard

Timber!
GCI’s man in Minneapolis, Jeff Johnson, superintendent at The Minikahda Club, was out touring his course early one late-April morning when he came across this fallen Basswood at the entrance to the 6th tee.
As you can see from Johnson’s photos, while the crown of the tree appeared to be healthy, the stem of the trunk was decayed quite badly. Johnson says it was only a matter of time before the tree would have fallen. The location of the tree is right where golfers enter the 6th tee complex as they walk back from the 5th green. Thankfully no one was in the area at the time. With virtually no wind the previous night, Johnson says this is an important lesson to note. While tree maintenance is an important aspect of any maintenance program, unfortunately this is one of those budget areas that gets scaled back when costs are being scrutinized.
“There’s a time to save and maintain certain trees on the golf course and there comes a time when a decision needs to be made to remove what may even appear to be a perfectly healthy tree,” Johnson says. “This is a prefect example of why when the inside of the tree is showing signs of decay the tree needs to be removed especially when the health and safety of the golfers and employees is at risk.”
Johnson says this serves as a good example as to why, even though it may be a difficult or emotional decision to remove even a hazardous tree, the best decision a club can make is to have the tree safely removed before Mother Nature decides to have it removed. 

A hole in one
It sounds like the stuff of tall tales but Cal Surgenor, GCI’s eyes and ears in The Great White North, has the photo evidence to prove it.
According to Cal, the general manager at course accessories company Bayco Golf in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the incident in question took place about three years ago at Pinawa Golf Club in Pinawa, Manitoba, and involved a course club washer.
Apparently, this deer spied the green plastic club washer and went in for a drink of water. Only problem, she couldn’t get the lid off from around her neck. “This lid “snaps on” very tight,” Cal adds. “So she must have had to shake it very hard to get the bottom to release from the lid.”
Never fear, Greg Love, CPGA head professional at Pinawa Golf Club says all is well.
As the picture attests, the deer is doing well and sightings of her and her “ring” are still quite common on the course.

Lap of luxury
Try working this into next year’s maintenance budget.
For the luxury course that has… well… just about everything.
For a mere $52,000, the Garia Edition Soleil de Minuit is purported to be the most expensive golf car ever made. The Garia exudes European luxury:

• Rolls out of the same factory that produces the Porsche Cayman and Boxster;
• Two-colored, hand-stitched luxury seats; Alcantara roof lining;
• Numerous hand-made details;
• Double wishbone front suspension inspired by Formula 1 cars;
• An Italian-built drive train; and
• An aluminum frame profile by the same company that supplies Aston Martin, Jaguar and Volvo.

While the base price for this ride is an affordable $17,499, it’s the upgrades that will get you, including options for a built-in refrigerator and an exclusive personalization program that includes painting the car to match your “other” car.
What? No diamond-encrusted cup holders. Forget it!

Extreme No. 19
GCI’s Africa correspondent has come across the longest and most dramatic par 3 in the world.
Legend Golf and Safari Resort’s No. 19 is high up on Hanglip Mountain, situated within Entabeni Safari Conservancy in the malaria-free Waterberg Region of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. After a short helicopter flight, gofers can tee off from one of three tee boxes high up a 430-meter escarpment. According to the resort, four separate cameras and tracking equipment gives the golfer the ability to follow and capture the tee shot and the flight of the ball.
The fairway is seeded with cynodongrass and contoured to funnel the ball to the green below. And in celebration of the African Renaissance, the green has been shaped like the map of Africa and is protected by a large bunker.
Golfers can opt to play No. 19 in addition to their round of 18 holes, or as an experience on its own. And as an added bonus, anyone who shoots a hole-in-one gets $1 million U.S.!
We have one question: How do you think they get the greensmower up there?

ROLL CALL

• John Deere Golf announced a number of personnel moves in its irrigation product offering, including naming Jeff Kiewel and Kevin Johnson as division sales managers, and Dave Maholic and Nick Minas, area managers, product support.
• Dataw Island Club, Dataw Island, S.C., has promoted Dustin Nemenz superintendent of its Cotton Dike course and Anthony Robertson superintendent of its Morgan River course.
• Peter Hill, Chairman and CEO of Billy Casper Golf, was appointed to the National Golf Foundation’s Board of Directors.
• Callawassie Island, Okatie, S.C., promoted assistant Billy Bagwell to superintendent.
• Concord, N.C.-based Rocky River Golf Club named Ryan Brickley director of golf and Joel White golf course superintendent.
• Valent Professional Products hired John Johnson as its national sales manager for its non-crop business, which includes turf, LCO, ornamental and aquatics.
• Newark Country Club, Newark, Del., named James C. Nietubicz as its new golf course superintendent.
• Nolichucky View Golf Club, Greeneville, Tenn., named Shannon Shelton as its new superintendent.
• The Northern Ohio Golf Charities named Tom Watson its 2010 Ambassador of Golf.
• The Nation Golf Course Owners Association elected to its board of directors Bill Casper Golf Chairman and CEO Peter Hill.
• Arnold Palmer Design Co.’s executive vp and senior golf course architect Erik Larsen, ASGCA, was elected president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
• The State of Kentucky’s Environmental Quality Commission selected Christopher S. Gray, Sr., superintendent at the Marvel Golf Club in Benton, to receive its Earth Day Award.
• Valve and Filter Corp. appointed Steve Springer vice president of sales and marketing.
• Sandtrapper announced the addition of Chuck Hutton to its sales team.
• Clearly Chemical promoted vp of operations Bill Bewlay to the position of chief operating officer.
• Jacobsen promoted program manager Paul Drain to director of product management.
• PimeraTurf hired Dana Wilson to serve as manager of business development.
• The Environmental Institute for Golf appointed Club Car President & CEO Gary Michel to its Golf Advisory Council.