Whiteboard

Get a life
GCI's quest to spotlight peoples' lives outside of turf

WHO: Mike Weinert, 15-year old son of Plant Food Company’s Vice President of Sales Tom Weinert, isn’t old enough to get his driver’s license, but does plenty of driving both on the course  and on the race track.

HIS LIFE OUTSIDE OF TURF: Mike is young, but he’s got plenty of experience behind the wheel. He’s been racing since he was just 5 years old, when he got the chance to drive a neighbor’s go-cart. After finishing the race, he was crying because of the noise of the engine, but he couldn’t wait to race again. Tom got an older vehicle to start with, and Mike started racing in quarter midget vehicles, then moved on to micro sprints. Last year he made the jump to the 358-modified stock car division at the Big Diamond Speedway in Minersville, Penn., walking away with several strong showings and the title of Rookie of the Year.

ON THE COURSE: Driven as he was, Mike took some time in the last year to follow his father onto the greens, simply announcing that he was going to be a part of his high school golf team that year. Just learning, just as in racing, he started swinging with a set of old clubs from a superintendent friend of Tom’s. After a year of play, Mike was not only the most improved score on the team, but only in second place to a senior.

WHAT IT’S LIKE: “I don’t think about it at all. I’m 15, yeah, but I have the chance. I know I can beat the other guys. I’m a true racer. I can’t stop thinking about it – it’s always in the back of my mind.”

WHAT’S SIMILAR ABOUT RACING AND GOLF: “It’s a little different. Both take a lot of focus. In racing, I focus. I don’t even think about what I’m going to do. I just do it. I need to be able to do the same thing in golf.”

FATHER-SON TIME: Though Tom is helping Mike learn golf (as well as different types of grass and the care of each), Mike has a crew chiefed by Jake Kaylor to rely on at the track. Tom is just as involved in keeping Mike moving in his equipment and his courage. “I think that’s really what he’s taught me. Right from the start, we worked with junk cars, and I just kept driving and winning with them. You don’t have to have the perfect stuff right out off the bat. I get a lot of my drive from him.”

THIS YEAR: Mike, teamed with his crew, will be taking on the Big Diamond season in April at about the same time he’ll be getting back on the courses. “I can’t wait to get back in the car out there, and out there with golf, too. It’s going to be a great spring and summer for me.” Mike is also involved in a literal food drive this summer with the University of Pittsburgh’s Students In Free Enterprise.

WHERE TO FIND HIM: You may not be able to actually catch him, but you can follow his progress at www.michaelweinert18.com.

Roll call

Laylah VanBibber, director of marketing for PBI/Gordon Corp., Kansas City, announced she will be retiring from the industry June 1.

Derek Kastenschmidt, SCPS, of Reinders Inc., received Toro’s highest award, 2010 Master Salesperson of the Year.

Scott Pavalko was named the new superintendent at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont, Ill.

The Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) elected Jörgen Kjellgren, general manager of Rya GolfKlubb, Helsingborg, Sweden, as its new president.

Ron Seibel has been named the new southern California sales consultant for Standard Golf Co.

Special Olympics Maryland selected the Eastern Shore Association of Golf Course Superintendents (ESAGCS) as the recipient of the inaugural “Heart of the Cup” Volunteer Golf Organization of the Year Award, which will be presented officially on May 25.

Pimp my utility vehicle

They may not have hydraulics or even a musical horn, but the Club Car utility vehicles on Washington Road during Masters week this year had a whole new look for charity.

The Augusta tradition was redesigned by Club Car and artist Raul Viera, who works out of his shop in Graniteville, S.C., with vehicles custom-painted for each business. Some of the airbrush designs also feature a pink ribbon, the logo of the American Cancer Society.

Each of the nearly 100 vehicles was painted and parked with a donation from the business to the Augusta chapter of the American Cancer Society and a matching donation from Club Car.

“We’re hoping that through the generosity of local businesses and our matching donation that we can make a significant contribution to the American Cancer Society,” says Gary Michel, Club Car president and CEO.

The airbrushed designs by Viera, 37, feature themes from the local businesses like a leaf pattern for Green Thumb Nursery and black and white splotches for Chick-Fil-A.

We are all for charity here at GCI HQ, but will someone let us know when they design one of these works of art with, say, a jet engine?

Mix & match your whiteboard

Just about every busy crew works with a whiteboard to keep the course running smoothly: managing the job list, the daily assignments, mowing instructions and problem spots. But keeping a whiteboard itself running smoothly is a little tougher once the course work stacks up.

Enter the Superintendent Whiteboard System from Par Aide. Each 2’x4’ board panel provides outlines for managing course work over time, and even has space for specific instructions per hole or for mowing directions. Pick the job list setup that works best for the crew and match it to one of the up to 12 panels (which can be magnetic or non-magnetic as necessary), attaching them to the wall together.

Make sure the most urgent jobs get done correctly and no problem spot goes unnoticed. Oh, and don’t forget to cross out “Organize Whiteboard” on your To-Do list once you’re done.