FRONT NINE NEWS Page 1 Volume 15, Issue 1 March 2011 A quarterly publication of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Golf Course Superintendents Association, Inc. NWPGCSA 2011 Committees March Business Meeting Meetings/Education Thursday, March 17, 2011 Wayne Rodgers/Mike Bochert (Yes, this is St. Patrick’s Day) Membership MEETING AGENDA Jerry Rice 4:00-5:00 PM Social Hour Welfare Dave Stull/Julie Powell 5:00 PM Buffet Dinner (w/St. Patrick’s Day fare) Employment 6:00 PM Business Meeting Jerry Rice Meeting Fee - $35 Finance Place: Rob Goring Venango Valley Inn & Golf Course Dress Code: Casual Attire Route 19 GCSAA/PGCSA Venango, PA 16440 Bar on site. Dave Stull/Joe Giardina Directions: Open guest policy for all Scholarship/Research From the South: From I-79, take members Durbin Loreno the Saegertown Exit heading East on Rt. 198 towards Saegertown. Credit cards accepted by Venango Valley Nominations/Ethics Go approximately 3 miles to a “T” intersection. Turn left on Rt. 19 Host Superintendent, Dave Stull heading towards Venango. Durbin Loreno Venango Valley Inn is another 3 miles on the left. RSVP to Julie by March 14th GCSAA LIAISONS From the North: Take Rt. 19 at (724) 421-7588 through the town of Venango. NOTE: While reservations are Certification Attester Venango Valley Inn is just outside needed for food preparation, last Joe Giardina of town on the right. minute reservations are understood due to the nature of the turf industry. We have Education Programming Inside This Issue never turned anyone away. Mike Bochert Chapter News: Presidents Message Page 3 Snow Mold Survey Page 6 IF THERE IS A CHECK IN First Tee Program THIS BOX, WE HAVE NOT Durbin Loreno PA News: RECEIVED YOUR 2011 DUES. Other PA Mtg. Dates Page 8 Government Relations Allegheny College Conf. Page 9 Dave Stull National News: Golf Industry Show Page 10 Media/Public Relations FYI: DUES MUST BE RECEIVED BY Julie Powell Flogton Page 12 MARCH 15TH TO BE LISTED IN Goats on Course Page 14 THE 2011 DIRECTORY. Page 2 A BIG THANK YOU To the following commercial members who donated 2011 Officers & Directors toward our President Summertime Widows Party David M. Stull, CGCS The Kahkwa Club of Erie ********************************************************************* $225 Level Vice President Bayer Environmental Science: Chris Farrell Garfield Prebor Syngenta: Jon Cuny Oakland Beach Golf Club Secretary/Treasurer Robert F. Goring, III $100 Level Whispering Woods Golf Club E. H. Griffith: Paul LaMarca, Jim Powell, Directors Tony Horvath Durbin Loreno Walker Supply: Bill Walker, Bob Windsheimer, Venango Valley Inn & Golf Dan Olson, Keith Perl Course Sunburst Turf Solutions: Mike Nati, Jim Patterson, Jerry N. Rice, CGCS Doston Kish Lawrence Park Golf Club Hodges Rash Company: Hodges Rash, Wayne Rodgers Michael L. Bochert Best Sand Sports Turf Products: Terry Gwinn Elk Valley Golf Course John Deere Golf: Pat Hassey, Fred Marklow, Commercial Director Matt Fitch Wayne Rodgers Select Source: Mike Blatt Hodges Rash Company, Inc. Maple Moutain Equipment: Bill Degitz TeamTurf Supply: Mark Conklin Past President Dominic “Joe”Giardina, CGCS New Castle Country Club Door Prize Winners: Kindle: Nicole Cuny Executive Secretary/ Mini Video Camera: Jay Mathews Newsletter Editor Julie Powell MP3 Player: Buddy Stallone (724) 421-7588 [email protected] www.nwpgcsa.com Chapter News Page 3 our first golf get-together of the year. As a speaker for the April meeting, we are currently working on having Steve Randall, GCSAA’s Senior Manager of Chapter Outreach, give us an informal talk about what is going on with our National Association. We will have confirmation of Steve’s attendance shortly, and I hope we can have a good showing. Come on everybody! It’s time. Spring also gets me back into what I really like to do, and that’s fish for bass. Yeah, it’s time for the course, but it’s really time to fish. The longer I’m in the business, the more I find it important to enjoy all life has to offer. It’s a good thing that the days are longer, because I normally need every minute of daylight. Watching the sunrise on my course is a PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE wonderful thing. Watching it set on the water is just as good. I encourage all of you to do whatever it is Winter is almost over, and spring should be right that you love best. Winter is over. Yea, it’s time. around the corner. I wish. Seems like each year we think it’s time to move outside, and Mother Nature By the way, I always catch bigger bass than Joe just laughs and slams us with more unbearable Giardina (our Past President) does. The one time I weather. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy the slow didn’t, I told him where to cast. Just ask him. times during the snow days as I always have indoor projects at home to work on. However, when you Respectfully submitted, think of the warmer days ahead, you have to start David M. Stull, CGCS thinking of that long list of work that needs to get done before those wonderful golfers set foot on the course for their first round of golf. Yea, it’s time. New Castle Superintendent Renews Professional Certification I do enjoy the confusion, the guys coming back, (From GCSAA News Release, Feb. 23, 2011) and the first cut of the year. Getting the leftover Dominick “Joe” Giardina, GCSAA certified golf leaves cut up, smelling the newly cut grass, and course superintendent at New Castle Country Club, seeing my golf course all come together is what it’s New Castle, PA, has completed the renewal process all about. Seeing the forsythia bloom gets me for maintaining his status as a Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) with the Golf Course looking for my first rye seed germination. It also Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). reminds me that I best get going on my pre- Giardina has been at New Castle Country Club emergence if I haven’t already put it down. since 1985. A 20-year GCSAA member, he initially Punching greens is right around the corner. Yea, it’s achieved his certification in 2001. Approximately, time. 1,700 golf course superintendents worldwide currently hold “CGCS” status. Spring gives us one more chance to get together According to GCSAA President Robert M. as an association before we all get “too busy”. This Randquist, CGCS, “25% of GCSAA’s Class A year, we go back to Durbin Loreno’s as we reinstate members have elected to earn the highest level of our March meeting, which is also our first business recognition through the professional designation meeting of the year. It’s always good food and drink “CGCS” by completion of the GCSAA Certification Program. This program requires their demonstration for all. I look forward to this meeting to see those of of a higher set of competencies in golf course mgmt. you who have been hibernating all winter. Then in through testing and practical application. April, we go to Dick Bartel’s course in Greenville for Chapter News Page 4 NWPGCSA , IncInc. Our New Members 2011 Meeting Schedule Keith Perl Tyler Kenyhercz Sunday, January 30th Class D Class D Summertime Widows Party 326 S. Peninsula Drive 113 Penn Woods Court Venango Valley Inn & GC Central City, PA 15926 Irwin, PA 15642 (814) 754-4458 (724) 744-7728 Venango, PA Walker Supply, Inc. Keystone Turf Products Host: Durbin Loreno PO Box 126 1014 Corporate Lane Bridgeville, PA 15017 Export, PA 15632 Thursday, March 17th (800) 792-5537 (724) 733-0829 March Business Meeting Fax: (412) 221-4011 Fax: (724) 733-0926 Venango Valley Inn & GC Cell: (412) 889-8880 Cell: (724) 552-7314 Venango, PA Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Host: Durbin Loreno Thursday, April 21st Tim Zimmerman Steve Marofsky Formal Golf Meeting Class D Class D The Greens at Greenville Spouse: Blythe Spouse: Kristen Greenville, PA 144 Shannon Drive 116 Rowe Road Host: Dick Bartel New Castle, PA 16105 Harrison City, PA 15636 (724) 656-8785 (724) 864-5528 Thursday, June 9th GC Supply, Inc. Keystone Turf Products Formal Golf Meeting 3587 Clover Lane 1014 Corporate Lane Elk Valley Golf Course New Castle, PA 16105 Export, PA 15632 Girard, PA (724) 658-1741, ext. 283 (724) 733-0926 Host: Mike Bochert Fax: (724) 658-2940 Fax: (724) 733-0926 Email: Cell: (412) 334-8413 [email protected] Email: [email protected] July Meeting (date tba) Joint mtg w/GPGCSA Grove City Country Club Mark Conklin Keith Collier Grove City, PA Class D Class D Host: Jay Mathews 5310 Cristivo Drive 3201 Sample Road Erie, PA 16506 Hermitage, PA 16148 July or August (date tba) (814) 838-5141 TerraLinks, Inc. Barbara J. Sternwheeler TeamTurf Supply 105 McQuiston Drive Riverboat Cruise 11008 Rt. 19 North Jackson Center, PA 16133 Conneaut Lake, PA Waterford, PA 16441 (724) 662-0400 (814) 796-8873 Email: [email protected] September Meeting (date tba) Fax: (814) 796-8873 New Castle Country Club Email: [email protected] New Castle, PA Host: Joe Giardina Tuesday, October 4th Annual Meeting Welcome to NWPGCSA! Cross Creek Resort Titusville, PA Host: Buddy Stallone Chapter News Page 5 ditor’s Notes Our Heartfelt Sympathy to . E . Dick Bartel and his family on the loss of his mother, Lida, who passed away on January 24, 2011. Dick is the superintendent at The Greens at Greenville Dear NWPGCSA, in Greenville, PA. SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS Hopefully by now, you all are . the family and friends of Mike DiJirolanio who aware that our NWPGCSA passed away on February 15, 2011. Mike was a scholarships are open to both turf former NWPGCSA member and most recently was AND non-turf students of ANY self-employed with Aarmark Turf Supplies in Allison NWPGCSA member.