The 2012 "Golf Industry Show" kicked off with professional golfer Peter Jacobsen receiving our association highest award, The Old Tom Morris award. His acceptance speech was one for the ages. And not to be out done, our conference's keynote speaker was the irascible Irishman David Feherty. I've posted some of his talk elsewhere in this blog.
I invested a days time taking a seminar titled "Advanced Stress Management of Cool Season Turfgrasses" to see if I could gain a better understanding and handle on the severe stresses placed on our turfs the past two seasons and to see if there was anything I could do differently or missed in trying to keep your golf course alive.
This seminar ranks right up there with the best seminars I've ever taken. BTW: As the golf course is a living organism, our answer is a no brainer, we must foster growing healthy plants. It goes without saying that healthy plants are in a better position to withstand both heat and cold stress. It did make me feel better when I overheard another golf course superintendent telling another that he lost more golf turf this past year than he had in his entire career! Count me in on that group. Misery loves company, but that's not the company I care to keep.
The show was very well attended and I was able to kick and have my questions answered if I had an issue with a particular product.
One a personal highlight of the show was my participation in a mock employment interview of an assistant golf course superintendent looking for his first golf course superintendents job to offer constructive critisim. Akoni Ganir hails from a private club I've never heard of (tongue firmly in cheek)before....Cypress Point! I think it's only right to head out to the Monterrey Peninsula for a personal course tour with clubs in hand to personally evaluate his work up close first hand.
The show wasn't without the unusual as vendors pave the way to bring more women and families to the game.
I think this would look good on our first tee. _Mk
