The GCSAA perspective

GCN Iinterviews Steve Mona, chief executive officer of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

What has been the biggest change in golf during your career?

Golf has become a business. Now, is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, because throughout the same period of time, golf has moved into the mainstream of society. For example, in the early 1970s when I was in high school and started playing, you were ridiculed for being a golfer. Golf was a fringe, niche sport then. Today, it’s estimated that more than 10 percent of the population plays golf. Golf has become a respected team sport at the high school and college levels. The evolution of golf as a business has been one factor in bringing the game into the mainstream of society.
More golf courses and players encouraged invention and investment. Major advances in golf technology have been made in every aspect of the game – in clubs and balls, golf carts, irrigation systems, turfgrasses, mowers and plant protectants.
Of course, not all change to the game has been good, especially for those who revere the good old days. But golf is now big business, and it has to be viable. Wall Street is involved, and investors want a return on their investment. So, golf is now a tougher business.

What is the biggest challenge for the superintendent today?

That’s a tough question because there are a number of challenges. Probably the one talked about the most is the demand for near-perfect playing conditions – what’s been labeled the Augusta Syndrome. In such a competitive market, the customer is clearly in charge. So, golfers watch the Masters on TV and then decide they want their own course to look that good. If they are willing to pay for exceptional course quality, then the superintendent can probably invest in the necessary turfgrass, fertilization, mowers, grooming equipment and irrigation advancements to produce the desired result. But perfect course conditions are often not possible for budget or agronomic reasons.

Does the GCSAA officially advocate more realistic playing conditions?

Our position on green speed or other course expectations isn’t to say what should or should not be done but rather to communicate the facts and the costs. We advocate that each facility make decisions based on the economic and agronomic factors that are right for that particular course. In some locations, aiming for perfection is easier than in other locations. The role of a good superintendent is to tell the employer the costs in terms of plant stress, added labor and other inputs.
We also communicate to employers about the superintendent’s side of the business. Our Leader Board newsletter goes to employers six times per year. The content aims to educate employers about the  game from the golf course management side of the business. Addressing the unrealistic expectations issue, even from an education perspective, requires reaching the decision makers who ultimately must answer to the golfers.

What are other major challenges?

The environment is a significant challenge for superintendents and a huge issue for the industry. Any given superintendent might not be facing an environmental challenge presently, but the chances are that they will sometime during their career.
For the industry, the big issue is that 88 percent of the public does not play golf. The industry needs to educate and influence the huge court of public opinion about what we do, why we do it and the benefits of golf and golf courses.

What are the specific environmental issues?

We’ve identified five – water quality and availability; golf course siting, design and construction; integrated plant management; energy and waste management; and wildlife and habitat management.
To address these issues, the GCSAA, in February 2003, converted our charitable foundation into the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG). In July 2003, we identified five strategic issues and created a task force for each issue, including EIFG two task forces for water, one addressing availability and one quality.
With a generous $93,000 donation from the Toro Foundation, made during the 2004 GCSAA Show, we are conducting an extensive literature search on each of the strategic issues. Our goal is to identify the knowledge gaps, obtain information to fill those gaps, and create a body of knowledge regarding golf and the environment. We will post this body of knowledge online where it will be available to developers, owners, architects, superintendents, builders, communities, legislators and regulators.
From a public policy perspective, the end game is to provide the information needed to enable appropriate and fair-minded legislation and regulation. From an industry angle, the goal is to create environmental best management practices and then incorporate them into our education programs. We plan to introduce a body of knowledge during the Golf Industry Show in February in Orlando.

Are you addressing broader environmental issues as well?

On pesticide issues, we cooperate with Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment (RISE), whose executive director, Allen James, serves on our environmental programs committee. And members of GCSAA staff serve on RISE committees. Pesticide issues are both national and local, with cities like San Francisco banning their use. When a community bans pesticides or severely restricts them, then the superintendent doesn’t have the tools they need.
Water is also a national, regional and local issue. Water availability is always an issue in the West, but it can become an issue in any local community that’s experiencing a drought. In the areas where water is abundant, the issue tends to be quality.
We also seek to educate the public about broad, green-industry issues through participation in the Evergreen Foundation.

Does the GCSAA lobby?

Yes, for issues that could impact golf. We retain a law firm in Washington, D.C., that monitors Congress and key federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency. They have helped us present the association’s perspective on a number of environmental issues – the Food Quality Protection Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What’s the story behind the GCSAA Show becoming the Golf Industry Show in 2005?

The Golf Industry Show came out of discussions with the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA). Combining the two shows means bringing their 1,000 show attendees together with our 20,000, and their 10,000 square feet of exhibit space with our 250,000 square feet. Both organizations will maintain separate education tracks at the Golf Industry Show in 2005.
The result of all of this is that attendees will be given broader exposure to the game and the show will be stronger. The revenue sharing agreement ensures that we both profit proportionately to our contribution, and it protects the historic amount the owners have gained from their show.

What are the benefits for superintendents?

The Golf Industry Show will be bigger and stronger. It also creates opportunities for superintendents and owners to have an ongoing dialog and learn from one another. While there will not be joint education in 2005, over time you’ll see a morphing of elements of the education programs together. One day you might not be able to tell which session you’re in – an owner session or a superintendent session.
Both association boards will hold a joint meeting in Orlando. We’ve also invited owners to attend our seminars at the member rate, and they can sit in our educational sessions and forums at no cost. In 2006, we’ll jointly develop specific education that appeals to both superintendents and owners.

What new educational efforts are under way?

We are getting involved in virtual education. Access to our education is limited because some superintendents can’t get to our meetings or the annual show. We’ve offered correspondence courses and online training to help fill this gap but six months ago launched live Web-cast training. It’s an emerging technology that lets superintendents get the same classroom-type training that we give at regional seminars and at our annual conference and show. But they get this at their own offices. All they need is a computer. We’ve done four Web-cast programs already, and all have been well received. We’re excited by this new way to serve our members’ training needs.

What is the long-term vision for the show?

We have, and are talking to, other associations, including the architects, builders and managers associations. Ultimately, the Golf Industry Show could represent all the facets of the game from design through construction, maintenance and operations – everything up to the player level, which is handled at the PGA Show.

What is happening at the GCSAA chapter level?

There are now 103 affiliate chapters. Under our formal relationship all members of a local chapter are also members of GCSAA. An important organizational goal is to have all local chapters operate at a standard performance level with some standard competency. We offer local chapters a speaker’s bureau, educational resources and regional seminars they can participate in. Some research is also done at the local chapter. We invest something like $200,000 in research each year. One condition is that it must be cofunded at the local level and must meet other requirements.

Is the GCSAA membership elitist?

The perception is that we are skewed to the high-end clubs, but our membership data shows that we have across-the-board representation. On a percentage basis, we tend to have stronger representation of the traditional higher-end facilities than daily-fee courses. Perhaps this is because of tradition – the superintendent at many of these courses is simply expected to be a member, and the costs are covered. These clubs also have the necessary staff to make it easier for the superintendent to participate in meetings and trade shows. But our goal is to attract, serve and retain superintendents from every area of the game.

What is the most underutilized association resource?

Our career planning service. For no cost, members can find out where they need to strengthen themselves and develop a personal road map to help them move along their intended career path. This is one service every member should want. Superintendents stay in one position for an average of seven years, and the association can help in career advancement. Educating members on all the available resources is a challenge, but any superintendent that looks into all that his or her association has to offer will be surprised at breadth and depth.

How good of a job is the GCSAA doing for members?

Most of our feedback comes from surveying members about a wide variety of programs and services, so we’re being told how we’re doing all the time. Overall, the best measure of how well we are doing is our superintendent member retention rate, which runs in the 90-percent to 92-percent range. We do know that superintendents leave the GCSAA for a number of reasons, and we are actively addressing the reasons why they leave.

Does the GCSAA have the necessary resources?

One of the great things I found when I joined the GCSAA 10.5 years ago was that the association was on solid ground financially. I credit the previous executives and boards for this. I would describe the GCSAA as well funded but not rich. We have the resources to accomplish some things that we really need to do, but we can’t do everything. Our vision exceeds our resources, so resource allocation is a challenge. We constantly have to ask ourselves what is the highest and best possible use of our resources?
We’re also making sure that we protect and grow our key assets. Creating the Golf Industry Show will help ensure that it grows and is successful.
 
What is your vision for the GCSAA?

I’d like to see the Golf Industry Show become as important as any show in the golf industry by 2008. I’d like to see the industry be viewed as an environmental leader by the public. I’d like to see the association engage its members to a greater degree. The true measure of association success is having members that can say that their association is well run and is doing great things for them. GCN

Steve Mona can be reached via e-mail at smona@gcsaa.org.