"I find it more satisfying to be a bad player at golf. The worse you play, the better you remember the occasional good shot." -- Nubar Gulbenkian (1896-1972), Turkish oil magnate

NewsWeekly heading to San Diego

In February, NewsWeekly will be on the road to San Diego for GCSAA's International Golf Course Conference and Show. Beginning with the Feb. 19 edition, Product News will feature products introduced at the show.

For those in the golf course industry who can't make it to San Diego, news from the trade show will be available online for the second year. Showtime, a publication traditionally available on site during the three days of the trade show, will be on GCSAA's Web site. An e-mail push will go out to everyone who currently receives GCSAA's NewsOnline.

For a complete schedule of conference and show activities, visit http://www.golfindustryshow.com/.

Industry leaders prepare for Business of Golf conference

A group of executives who lead the golf industry will be featured in several panel discussions that focus on the outlook for golf in 2004 at the second annual Business of Golf Conference, 1-4 p.m., Jan. 31, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.

The conference will be sponsored by The PGA of America in conjunction with the 51st PGA Merchandise Show. Attendees of the show may register to attend the conference online at http://www.pgaexpo.com. PGA Professionals attending the conference will receive credit for three continuing education hours.

"The PGA of America is excited about the effort being made to make this Business of Golf Conference a valuable experience for attendees at the PGA Merchandise Show," said PGA of America President M.G. Orender. "We have another elite group of panelists representing all segments of the industry."

PGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Awtrey will serve as moderator while the panelists focus on several themes:

• Golf & Technology II - Featuring Ron Drapeau, chairman and CEO of Callaway Golf and Jerry Tarde, chairman and editorial director of Golf Digest. This segment continues a review of technological improvements in equipment performance and how manufacturers market game improvement.
• Growth of The Game - A forecast on player development for 2004 and plans by golf associations, ownership groups, manufacturers and media companies to stimulate participation. The panel includes M.G. Orender, president of the PGA of America; Bob Dedman Jr., president and CEO of ClubCorp; David Pillsbury, U.S. general manager of Nike Golf and David Manougian, chief operating officer of The Golf Channel.
• Real Estate and Travel - Featuring Henry Delozier, president of Pulte Homes; Claye Atcheson, vice president of operations of Marriott Golf and Kevin Cook, editor of GOLF magazine. This panel will review golf's impact on real estate sales and travel which together account for nearly a third of the $62 billion spent annually on golf.

The conference also features video presentations that highlight industry trends and studies.

NGCOA begins celebrating 25 years

In 1979, several owners of public access golf facilities saw the need for a place that golf course owners could turn to for needed resources, a place where owners could network and band together to further their common interests. While there were many successful organizations representing other aspects of the golf business, there was no such group representing the interests of golf course owners.

"When the NGCOA was founded there was no organization speaking on behalf of golf course owners and operators, helping shape industry action or serving as an advocate for their interests," said Mike Hughes, NGCOA executive director. "Led by the visionaries that established the association, the important role that the owner plays in the health and vitality of the entire industry is now clearly recognized."

Today the NGCOA represents decision makers-golf course owners and operators-at more than 5,600 golf courses across the United States, Canada, Europe and the world. With 31 state, local and international chapters, one international affiliate, (NGCOA Canada) and members in 26 foreign countries, the NGCOA offers a wide range of member benefits.

NGCOA's successes include Get Linked Play Golf - the association's player development program that includes Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, Kids On Course (in partnership with the USGA), Beginner Friendly Certification, Link Up 2 Golf (in partnership with the PGA of America) and www.getlinkedplaygolf.com.

The association also created the "Smart Buy" and "Preferred" supplier programs, an annual Solutions Summit and Trade Show and Golf Business magazine.

The yearlong celebration began at the 2004 Solutions Summit Conference and Trade Show, Jan. 10-14. Beginning in 2005, NGCOA and GCSAA will join to forces to conduct the Golf Industry Show, scheduled for Feb. 11-13 in Orlando. The organization's educational conferences will remain separate.

NOAA issues draft update to "Fair Weather" partnerships

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is requesting public comment on a draft policy governing NOAA’s National Weather Service interactions and cooperation with the greater consortium of public, private and academic weather and climate institutions.

“This draft policy affirms NOAA’s commitment to continue working with our partners in the private sector, the media and the academic community to provide weather and climate services to serve America,” said Conrad Lautenbacher, NOAA administrator. “NOAA will continue to provide services that are vital to public safety and economic well being, but we can all benefit by establishing better relationships and building better institutions to coordinate our roles, reduce misunderstandings and maximize the effectiveness of our shared weather and climate enterprise.”

The new policy was prompted by the 2002 publication of The National Research Council’s “Fair Weather: Effective Partnerships in Weather and Climate Services.” The NRC study commended the three-sector system for leading to an excellent array of products and services to benefit the nation’s economy. The study recommended the National Weather Service replace its 1991 public-private partnership policy with a policy that defines processes for making decisions on products, technologies and services, rather than rigidly defining the roles of the National Weather Service and the private sector.

Lautenbacher said he hoped all interested parties would read the policy and provide NOAA with comments and insights that will help develop the best possible policies to guide the National Weather Service and other related NOAA efforts.

To review the draft NOAA Partnership policy: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/fairweather

National Research Council Fair Weather can be purchased online at: http://books.nap.edu/catalog/10610.asp