National IPM- It Could Happen

By Ken Cousineau

The golf industry has managed to retain its ability to use products that are approved for use on golf courses to control insect, disease and plant pests. These are pests that would otherwise threaten the livelihood of over 341,000 individuals and the future of this $11.3 billion/yr industry. It would have a negative impact on the $439 million raised annually for charities. It would endanger the $3.1 billion in property, income and sales taxes paid each year by the sector. All these benefits risked because of the dysfunctional approach used in Canada to regulate pesticide use.

Why dysfunctional?

Well, the products that are available in Canada are approved and deemed safe to use by the Federal government.

The use of these products is then regulated by provincial governments, who, in some cases with seemingly no additional research, deem them unsafe to use.

Municipalities, in most provinces, also have the legislative authority to ban the use of approved pest control products. However, they also lack the scientific resource and the enforcement ability to do so with any level of competence.

Governments would seem to be prompted to take this course of action by admonishments from other groups with little or no scientific background and even less justification for their cries to ban or control the use of products. Political decisions trump scientific fact in these cases and entire industries are demonized for political gain.

For me that says dysfunctional with a capital “D”.

Fortunately, this has not been the case in all provinces.  British Columbia has opted for a more balanced approach. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and PEI are all currently using legislation that has been in place for some time.  Nova Scotia has approved a golf course protocol developed by the industry which is consistent with best practices.

The constant defence of the golf industry and the vagaries of politics being what they are have resulted in a patchwork quilt of regulations.

In Ontario and New Brunswick, detailed and costly IPM regulatory provisions have been adopted for golf and in Ontario the use of approved products has been banned for homeowners and landscapers.  There have been different requirements imposed, but with similar results for golf, in Quebec. In Manitoba, the politicians are getting public input before deciding on what course of action to take. In all cases, thanks to vigilance and diligence golf has preserved its ability to judiciously use approved products.

IPM is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it is widely practiced by golf course superintendents and that is why the industry supported its use in Ontario in 2007 during discussions with the Ontario government rather than face a ban on product use. The Ontario approach requires disclosure of product used, for what purpose and in what area of the golf course. It also requires those decisions to be made by a qualified individual.

Based on the acceptance of those principles by superintendents and provincial governments across the country, a national IPM program should be a slam dunk. It would put an end to the often confusing and inconsistent hodgepodge of programs and requirements superintendents must spend time and money to navigate through.

If you are interested in joining the discussion on a CGSA effort to develop a national IPM program please let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter, Facebook through email or volunteer on one of our committees or special committees. You can help shape the future of our industry and keep it strong for generations to come.

Friday Thoughts: Golf Runs in the Family

This past Monday, I found myself enjoying an amazing holiday that my home province of Ontario is fortunate enough to celebrate.

It is a holiday without Hallmark cards, huge feasts, mountains of presents and an even bigger mountain of frenzy and stress.

It was Family Day and although the icy winds were threatening to topple me over and snow stretched as far as the eye could see, my mind turned to golf.

Golf has always meant family time to me, even as a young child. 

From that first time my dad took my two brothers and I to club wiffle balls at the high school football field to taking golf lessons with my sister and going, as a family, to watch the Canadian Open some years, golf has always had a strong connection to family.

And focusing on families is helping to grow the game to new levels.

Parents have often been the ones tasked with introducing their child to the game, but they are now being helped out by a growing number of programs.

Programs like CN Future Links and She Swings, She Scores! aim to teach youth how to play golf and more importantly, how to have fun playing the game.

If drawing families in is a key component of growing the game in Canada, then making courses family-friendly is also crucial. 

However, building and maintaining a course that is short enough and an appropriate skill level for youth, but challenging enough for adults is no easy task.

But there are models out there. An article in the Globe and Mail last year recommended P.E.I as an ideal locale for family golf where there are courses with a wide variety of lengths and skill levels. The province also boasts the Canadian Golf Academy, which runs out of Fox Meadow Golf Course, a course maintained by CGSA member Paul McCormack.

  

Ted Logan, manager of youth development for Golf Canada, pointed to five of the most family friendly courses in Canada in a recent CAA Magazine article. The list features The Meadows at East St. Paul Golf Course in Winnipeg, where CGSA member Vic Peters is superintendent. 

Appealing to families may be the next step in growing the game of golf in Canada and there are models and programs in place to achieve it. There are other ways in which courses around Canada are working to draw all members of the family in and that is a big step to keep the industry thriving and growing.            

The Study Hall: How Golf Makes the World Happier

Playing golf could be one of the most important activities in the world right now and that's because of one very simple reason.

It makes people happy.

More specifically, being around nature makes people happy, according to a study out of Carleton University in Ottawa.

The study says that being around nature and in the great outdoors is the key to well-being in humans. Taking a walk, admiring animals and feeling the grass under your feet creates an innate feeling of joy in people.

But in today's age of urban living, you're more likely to see fields of concrete instead of grass and parking lots instead of parks.

That's where golf courses come in. They offer a rather large slice of nature in the middle of many cities, large and small.

Where else can you walk through hundreds of acres of greenery? Where else can you see wildlife like foxes, herons, muskrats and deer? Where else are there trees, marshes, meadows, ponds and dirt paths?

The answer: not many places that aren't a couple hours drive away from the closest city. The exceptions are golf courses.

And if people can become happier from spending a couple hours with friends in such a natural environment, ten minutes from home and playing such an active sport it means that their happiness will flow to other parts of their lives and society.   

That is why well managed golf courses are vital not only to the health of the environment and the economy, but also communities as a whole, all across Canada.

That is why golf course superintendents and their teams are crucial. They provide health and happiness to communities big and small. They give people a place to enjoy nature without having to travel far or trek through the urban jungle. They are a safe haven for habitats, eco-systems and nature of all sorts. 

So here's to golf course management professionals everywhere. You are making the world a happier place, one round of golf at a time. 

Behind the Scenes: How GreenMaster is Made

You've probably heard the news; the CGSA has taken over the publication of GreenMaster Magazine.

But what does that mean?

Well, let’s look at it in simple and quite honestly more appealing terms than bland numbers and jargon. What it means is the CGSA is doing some home cooking.

We’re making the magazine from scratch, with original articles that will make our industry and our members strong and thrive.

We’re making it at home, with all the recipes for success passed down from generations. GreenMaster is being written, edited and put together by staff and members who know the business inside and out with decades of combined experience.

And we’re always looking to add more flavour to the pages of GreenMaster with innovative ideas and features that will keep members up to date and ahead of the curve.

So that’s the end product, a magazine of the members, by the members and for the members.

But how does it go from lonely, blank paper in the cupboard to your course’s lunch room table?

Well, it all starts in two places.

The first is in the offices of the CGSA in Mississauga, where editors and directors get together to brainstorm for the coming editions, taking into account the issues facing golf course management professionals across Canada.

But it also begins in the minds of members just like you.

Every time we talk to the Communications, Marketing and Public Relations Committee, great ideas spring up. Every time a member wants to share new information or an innovative approach, an article starts to grow. Every time someone goes above and beyond or writes about an experience they must share with their colleagues, a feature is born.

GreenMaster starts with its members, because they are the inspiration for the magazine and the fuel behind it.

Once we have decided on the theme for the issue and the topics we would like to cover, we reach out to members and other experts, like professors, architects, lawyers, etc, and ask them to contribute with an article, a picture or an interview.

After the ideas come alive on paper, we get down to editing and polishing them for the magazine.

Next we place them in the best order to educate and entertain our readers, putting them amongst our other features such as the President’s Address and the Back Nine.

Meanwhile, we are working tirelessly to collect ads to put in the magazine for two reasons: to finance the printing of the magazine and to present to our members the people and companies they can trust to provide them with the best services and equipment.

If the members are the backbone of GreenMaster, the advertisers are the lifeblood.

Once we have gathered the articles, features, pictures and ads, determined the look of the magazine and made everything shine, we send it to the great folks at Blenheim INK, where GreenMaster is printed. It is here that the PDFs, Word documents and mock ups turn into the real-life, page turner that we ship out and deliver to your door.

This is a process that never stops. We are always looking for stories and ways to improve the magazine to provide the most benefit for our members and that includes hearing your great ideas for content. If you have any ideas for articles or stories that you would like to write or see in GreenMaster, please contact us. We always look forward to your feedback and input.

So there you have it, the making of GreenMaster, from floating ideas to solid content.

If you have any other questions about the publication please do not hesitate to contact us at the CGSA and we’ll be happy to answer them.

We’re keeping the tradition of GreenMaster going and we’re always striving to make it stronger than the issue before.

Day 3 at CITC 2013- All For One

The schedule for day three of the conference was packed with education lessons, social hours and trade show opportunities, but it started off with an act of international diplomacy.

Curtis Tyrrell, director of golf course operations at Medinah Country Club, talked about the process of preparing his course for the 2012 Ryder Cup. He shared great stories about the infamous European team comeback, dubbed the "Miracle at Medinah" and how both teams, although competitive, were eager to learn from each other and from Tyrrell. 

Tyrrell also talked about his experience with redoing greens, fairways, tree removal and relocation and many other monumental tasks he and his team had to accomplish in the five year lead up to the event. He shared techniques, challenges, solutions and lessons learned with his counterparts to the north. His willingness and excitement to tell others in the industry how to improve and grow shows the amazing sense of unity that always exists among golf course management professionals and unveils itself on a grand scale at this conference. 

The unity that is aimed for and achieved is one of the truly great elements of the CGSA and its members from coast to coast. From the conversation on the trade show floor to the hearty laughter of the annual banquet and even the rapid sharing of information on social media, it is evident that every single member is dedicated to building up the industry and understands that this can only be done by joining together.

Brian Youell, CGSA's 2012 Superintendent of the Year, said in his presentation "We all have a story to tell, we just need to learn how to package it together to say it powerfully." We are powerful together and we have shown that this week at the CITC. We have shown that raising our voices together is crucial to making an impact (unless it was at the silent auction; the key word being silent).

At the end of the day we have shown that if we all stand together, we all reap the rewards, which is a healthy industry, an innovative industry and definitely a fulfilling industry. 

A big thank you to all the people who made bringing everyone together at the conference and trade show possible. Thank you to the board members, committee members, staff, vendors, speakers and especially CGSA members. Without all of you, none of the learning, sharing, support or fun would have happened. 

Day 2 of CITC 2013- Full Steam Ahead

Something sprang up today at CITC 2013. It was something refreshing. It was something to keep the CGSA and its members current and further establish them as leaders in the industry. 

That something was renewal.

Leave it to golf course management professionals to make something grow even in the dead of winter. 

The day started off with the CGSA Annual General Meeting where a new mission statement, a new communications plan and new board members were introduced. The Association welcomed a new president and looked forward to a new year ahead with optimism and a promise to keep on supporting and promoting golf course management professionals across the country.

Sean Foley's keynote address and the Business of Golf panel discussion renewed discussion on how we think about the game of golf and how to make the courses the sport is played on the best in the world. Those talks renewed the sharing of ideas and techniques amongst members in areas like the environment, growing the game and communication.

The trade show gave members the opportunity to revive relationships with exhibitors and explore the latest and greatest technology on the market.

Finally, the Monday Night Party at Steam Whistle Brewery brought together friends, old and new, for a night to relax, have fun and maybe even have a sample or two of the local beer. 

Renewal is important because without it nothing can grow. The CGSA and its members showed today that they are constantly growing by learning, improving and communicating. And that is why the Association and its members are ready to go full steam ahead into a future full of challenges, but also full of optimism.      

Day 1 of CITC 2013- No Pomp, Just Passion

It was the opening ceremonies, but there were no flags waving. A few flashbulbs went off, but not a gigantic stadium full of them. There were no famous musical performers, global TV audiences or fireworks and intricate dance numbers.

No, the opening ceremonies for the Canadian International Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show did not hold the pomp of an Olympic kick-off or a royal wedding, but it did have something more special, something more important.

It had passion.

To hear Tim Kubash and Jim Flett talk about their dedication to the CGSA and their encouragement for others to not only participate, but really get involved lit a spark in me. I was ready to get to those seminars and learn all I could.

And this passion kept up right on through the day.

From the speakers, who all talked so excitedly about their research and areas of expertise, to the discussions around the lunch table about which methods of spring start up were best and what new technique to use, it was clear that everyone had arrived ready to show their dedication to their jobs and ensure a healthy, vibrant industry.

But nowhere was this passion more evident than during the awards portion of the lunch. Who would not be inspired by Brian Youell, Superintendent of the Year, and his story of mentorship, dedication, talent and overcoming some high hurdles to achieve some monumental successes.

Who could deny that the story of Gordon Witteveen, a founder of GreenMaster Magazine, a man who shaped so many people and careers, a true trailblazer and now a Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member, gave them some great motivation to get back to their clubs and make them great?

One by one, great members of the CGSA, from John B. Steele winner Pelino Scenna to Environmental Award winner Robin Sadler and every other award winner, scholarship receiver and newly certified member, showed the kind of passion that all our members have and how that dedication to their craft can change things for the better.

Of course the passion of CGSA members can also be measured by the hearty back slaps and plentiful conversation at the President's reception and the abundant questions asked at seminars.

I really saw today what it means to be a member of the CGSA. It means smiles and a hunger for learning. It means good-natured joking and educational and entertaining seminars. It means honoring those who have changed this industry for the better and looking forward to those who will keep on changing it. But above all, it means a passion.