Keeping It Local

While we are still in tax season I wanted to mention a couple of organizations that I have been involved with professionally that benefit Vail Golf Club and the local community.

The first organization is the Eagle River Watershed Council. I have been active with this group for over a year now and have really enjoyed learning everything they do for the local watershed. Local golf courses have started to become more involved in this group lately with a Water Wise Wednesday presentation last year and currently we are looking at starting a golf/fish challenge fundraising event slated to happen this fall.
The mission of the Eagle River Watershed Council advocates for the health and conservation of the Upper Colorado and Eagle River basins through research, education, and projects. They provide a forum where everyone can gain a greater understanding of the Eagle River environment. Said another way, the mission is "Preserving our quality of life by protecting the Eagle and Colorado Rivers in Eagle County." Visit http://www.erwc.org/ to learn more about the educational outlets, yearly projects, fundraising events and opportunities.

The second group I am involved with is more focused on golf in particular. The Golf Foundation of Colorado is a philanthropic arm of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association.

Started by Colorado golf course superintendents, the foundation unities people to support golf and enhance the environment where the game is played. Its purpose is to raise monies for the support of education and research in turfgrass and related golf course amenities, scholarships for individuals pursuing or interested in a career in golf course management or other academic fields, for charitable and philanthropic activities that support golf course management professionals and their families, and for other non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations. Click here to learn more about the Golf Foundation of Colorado.

Harmony

Harmony Club in Timnath was the site of the RMGCSA's July Meeting. Tuesday was a very warm day just south of Ft. Collins, but this gem was a treat to play. Harmony is a 3 year old Jim Engh design that is very enjoyable to play. The Superintendent Mitch Bowers and his staff have done a fabulous job with this property.
Pictured here is the 7th green which measures 100 yards in depth. I shot a 90, which is a good score for me especially at a new course.

Inverness

The May outing for the RMGCSA was held at Inverness Hotel and Resort in Englewood yesterday. Jeff Bollig (right) was our guest speaker from the GCSAA. He is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to marketing and public relations for the Golf COurse Superintendent. I head the public relations committee for the association and during the round we chatted a lot about advancing the Superintendent.

Over 70 members of the RMGCSA were present. The course was in fantastic shape and Superintendent Joel Christensen, had those Press Maxwell greens rolling great. The round was fun, I also played with my good friend Mark Krick, Superintendent at The Homestead, Lakewood. The short game was less than desirable again, I shot a 91, which for me is alright.

Getting My Rounds

Yesterday, Alice, the boss and I began our weekly meetings on the course. We meet in an office each week to discuss upcoming events with the golf course. Now that the course is open and the weather has turned, we took the meeting to the links.
Walking the back nine while the weather began to clear for a couple hours was quite productive. We inspected the entire operation, from turf conditions to the starter.
Each week it will be nice to see the course develop and mature, especially as the tee times fill up. I just hope there is room for us to continue our meetings.
I have 5 rounds in now, which means I have completed 10% of my goal so far.
Next Tuesday, the RMGCSA has its May Meeting at Inverness Hotel and Golf Club in Denver. Jeff Bollig, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications at the GCSAA will be our guest speaker. I have gotten to know him a little over the years and he should be very good. Marketing the golf course is certainly in our job description as a golf course superintendent.

The Supers (golf superintendents) - Part 1

The Supers (golf superintendents) - Part 1

Click the above link!!! Great press from 11 News in Grand Junction for Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents.

Great Local Press

Press on Golf Course Superintendents is rare to find. Most press is very good. I came across this article in the Denver Magazine that I wish to share with you about water usage and environmental stewardship. Vail Golf Club is part of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program and with the irrigation renovation going on this summer, what we do and plan to do in the future relates to this very article. Click here to learn what other Superintendents in the state are doing to be supportive of the environment instead of "Augusta effect".

First Official Round

I played my first official round Monday at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale. The Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) had its monthly meeting there and it was a great venue. The day began with speaker Jim Moore of the USGA Green Section. It was held via the internet, using a power point presentation and he was speaking through the computer from his office in Texas. The handy part were his updates of the final round of the US Open.
Anyway, he discussed the many ways Superintendents and golf courses could look to cut costs in this economic downturn. Many of his ideas were good, however each course is different and there can be a fine line when determining if doing something different is actually saving.
As for the golf course, Superintendent Steve Ehnes and his staff did a fantastic job with the golf course, the greens were in excellent shape and the weather sure helped.
I am looking forward to going to our August meeting at Pole Creek in Fraser, CO. Landscapes Unlimited installed a new irrigation system there last year.