Editor’s note: The GCM team will be doing our best to maintain an up-to-date feed of announcements on this page. If you have news you think belongs here, please email GCMOnline.com editor Megan Hirt.
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
• Four GCSAA members recently completed the association’s Assistant Superintendent Certificate Series:
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Kin Ming Ho, The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course, Hong Kong
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Bryan Ingerslev, assistant superintendent at Desert Mountain Club, Scottsdale, Ariz.
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Trevor Owens, irrigation technician at Grand Harbor Golf & Beach Club, Vero Beach, Fla.
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Patrick Parkins, assistant superintendent at TPC San Antonio
• The National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech report that national golf rounds were up 44% year-to-date through April 2021. Year-over-year rounds were up 81% for April. Read more on NGF’s “The Q.”
• PBI-Gordon announced that Vexis Herbicide Granular has received registration by the State of New York Department of Pesticide Regulation for use in the state of New York. It will be available for sale in June. The company says the herbicide can be used on a variety of cool- and warm-season turfgrasses and offers control of sedges and kyllinga species.
• Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., and Todd Lowe, M.S., of the Bayer Green Solutions Team have published a new “Talking Turf” blog post: Combination programs to safeguard bermudagrass greens this summer.
Thursday, May 20, 2021
• BASF has introduced its first insecticide to the golf course market. Alucion 35 WG is a new non-restricted-use insecticide that the company says provides fast-acting, broad-spectrum control of surface-feeding insects. The insecticide is formulated with the active ingredients alpha-cypermethrin and dinotefuran. Read more from BASF.
• The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is offering a free virtual Green Industry Field Day on June 29. Among the presenters will be turf specialist Tom Samples, Ph.D., who will discuss recommended turf varieties. Although the event is free, pre-registration is required. Learn more.
• Construction will begin in June on a new 27-hole golf complex in southern Belgium, close to the Luxembourg border. The Bois d’Arlon Golf and Resort will feature courses designed by architects Stuart Hallett and Jonathan Davison. It is expected to open in 2023. Read more from Golf Course Architecture.
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
• Arthur Hills, past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, passed away May 18 in Florida. He was 91. A graduate of both Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, Hills formed his golf course architecture firm in the 1960s, and it’s known today as Hills * Forrest * Smith, Golf Course Architects. Hills designed more than 200 new golf courses around the world and renovated more than 150. His new designs include Bonita Bay in Naples, Fla.; The Golf Club of Georgia in Atlanta; and Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, Calif. An environmental pioneer, Hills designed the first Audubon Signature Sanctuary golf courses in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Read more from the ASGCA.
• Aquatrols has hired Jonathan Albert as its newest Canadian territory manager. In his new role, Albert will oversee the company’s business in the eastern region of Canada. Albert joins the Aquatrols team from Bayer, where he was a field development representative and territory manager. Prior to his roles at Bayer, Albert was an assistant superintendent at Windmill Heights Golf Club near Montreal.
Monday, May 17, 2021
• Harrell’s CEO Jack Harrell Jr. has been honored with the Florida GCSA’s Marie Roberts Lifetime Service Award. The award is given to individuals who have made significant contributions to the Florida GCSA and golf industry. Harrell has been a prominent member of the Florida golf community for many years, continually showing commitment through Harrell’s by providing financial support and ongoing educational support for industry members, and by representing the industry in government relations work. Read more.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
• The 2021 Rounds4Research online auction sold more than 1,100 rounds and raised $336,500 for turfgrass research. The top bid was $10,000 for a family membership to six private clubs, which was donated by the Dormie Network. The highest bid for a round was on a donation from Ohoopee Match Club in Cobbtown, Ga., which sold for $7,150. Read more.
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
• Two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw (on right in photo) and golf course architect Bill Coore (left) have been chosen as the 2021 recipients of the American Society of Golf Course Architects’ Donald Ross Award. The award, given annually since 1976, is presented to those who’ve made a significant contribution to the game of golf and the profession of golf course architecture. Crenshaw and Coore will officially receive the award in October during the 75th ASGCA annual meeting in Cleveland. The pair teamed up in 1985 to form the golf design firm that bears their names. Read more from the ASGCA.
• The Carolinas GCSA announced its annual Conference and Trade Show will return as an in-person event this year in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Nov. 15-17. Get more information.
• The Toro Co. has entered a 20-year contract with the National Links Trust in Washington, D.C., to provide turf maintenance and irrigation equipment support. The National Links Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting and promoting accessible, affordable and engaging municipal golf courses. Its first project is focused on improving the golf courses and facilities at three municipal courses in Washington, D.C.: East Potomac Park Golf Course, Langston Golf Course and Rock Creek Golf Course. The National Links Trust has also partnered with Troon to manage operations and collaborate on upcoming golf course renovations. Read more.
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
• Thirty-year GCSAA member Rory Van Poucke, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Apache Sun Golf Club in San Tan Valley, Ariz., has been appointed to the Phoenix Groundwater Users Advisory Council. Members of the council are appointed by the governor based on their knowledge of, interest in and experience with water use and conservation. Among the council members’ duties are making recommendations on groundwater management programs and policies.
• Lakeland Golf Management announced that golf course architecture firm Lobb + Partners will be part of the revitalization of Waterton Lakes Golf Course, an 18-hole layout in southwest Alberta owned by Parks Canada. The course dates back to 1922 and is located within Waterton Lakes National Park. Parks Canada has awarded Lakeland Golf Management the lease to manage, operate, maintain and make capital improvements to Waterton Lakes Golf Course for the next 25 years. Read more.
• American Vanguard Corp. announced that AMVAC Environmental Products is rebranding its businesses and will now operate under the new brand name AMGUARD Environmental Technologies. The company says the emphasis on the word “guard” reinforces its mission to help professionals defend against pests, weeds, diseases and more.
Monday, May 3, 2021
• Two GCSAA members recently completed the association’s Assistant Superintendent Certificate Series:
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Skyler Arnberger, assistant superintendent at The Rail Golf Course, Springfield, Ill.
- Shaun Schlenther, assistant superintendent at The Rail Golf Course, Springfield, Ill.
• Arborjet announced a new addition to its lineup of tools for arborists, landscapers and utilities: the Supersonic Air Knife, which uses high-pressure air to dig trenches, remove compacted soils and locate utilities. The company says the unique Mach 1.7 air speed allows for the removal of even the most compacted soils without damaging tree roots or irrigation or power lines. Arborjet says the tool is ideal for installing or repairing irrigation lines or for sensitive arborist work, such as vertical mulching, bare rooting, radial trenching or soil aeration.
• Prime Source has hired April Allenbrand as its new marketing director. Allenbrand previously worked for PBI-Gordon for eight years.
Saturday, May 1, 2021
• Thirty-one GCSAA members recently achieved Class A superintendent status:
- Cal Baca, Sweetbriar Golf Course, Avon Lake, Ohio
- Dane Bennett, Red Sky Golf Club, Norman Course, Wolcott, Colo.
- Michael D. Bibler, Plum Brook Country Club, Sandusky, Ohio
- Kory A. Brown, Ballard Golf & Country Club, Huxley, Iowa
- Brad Conrad, The Country Club of Sapphire Valley, Sapphire, N.C.
- Terry Durst, WinStar Golf Club, Thackerville, Okla.
- Luke Fisher, River Bend Club, Great Falls, Va.
- Austin Heller, Reliable Property Services, Hickory Hills, Ill.
- Craig A. Howard, The Lakes Country Club, Palm Desert, Calif.
- Michael A. Jordan, Gray Eagle Golf Club & Academy, Fishers, Ind.
- Nevin J. Kotera, Iron Horse Golf Club, Ashland, Neb.
- Christopher Kukor, Williams Golf & Country Club, Weirton, W.Va.
- Frank P. Kulig, Ludlow (Mass.) Country Club
- James Lanza, Elmhurst Country Club, Moscow, Pa.
- Stephen E. Maclay, Valleaire Golf Club, Hinckley, Ohio
- Ryan P. McNamara, Kingwood (Texas) Country Club
- Brett Morris, Browns Lake Golf Course, Burlington, Wis.
- Jorge Papa, Morgado do Reguengo, Portimao, Portugal
- Brian J. Powell, Mark Twain Golf Course, Elmira, N.Y.
- Jeffrey V. Reed, Dayton Golf & Country Club, Evensville, Tenn.
- Andrew Robertson, Washington Golf & Country Club, Arlington, Va.
- Jeffrey K. Sommerer, Osage National Golf Club, Lake Ozark, Mo.
- Roy L. Staley, Latrobe Elks Golf Club, Latrobe, Pa.
- Nathan P. Trone, Quail Valley Golf Course, Littlestown, Pa.
- Kennon Tuck, London Downs Golf Club, Forest, Va.
- Joe M. Valente, Old Greenwood Golf Course, Truckee, Calif.
- Ryan T. VerNess, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Tower, Minn.
- Daniel Vetere, Brookmeadow Country Club, Canton, Mass.
- Keith Welter, IMG Academy, Rotonda West, Fla.
- Brian A. Wilcomb, The Golf Club at Little Turtle, Westerville, Ohio
- Shane R. Willey, The Great Outdoors Golf Club, Titusville, Fla.