Divot Mix

"Extremely large greens breed slovenly play. When any green ceases to command respect, it loses its value as a test of that rarest of all strokes, the shot home." -- A.W. Tillinghast

ASGCA joins Golf Industry Show

American Society of Golf Course Architects is joining the the Golf Industry Show in Orlando beginning in February 2005.

With the addition of the architects, every facet of the golf course organizational structure, including ownership, design, construction and management, will be on display at the 2005 Golf Industry Show in Orlando.

The signing complements the participation of various other allied golf associations, including GCSAA, the National Golf Course Owners Association, the Club Managers Association of America and the Golf Course Builders Association of America in presenting the Golf Industry Show .

The inaugural show, combining the GCSAA and NGCOA trade shows, will be Feb. 10-12, 2005, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. CMAA will become associated with the event in 2007 in Anaheim, Calif., after its 2005 World Conference in New Orleans and its 2006 conference in Honolulu.

Like the builders association, ASGCA has had a presence at the GCSAA conference and show in conducting a variety of events for its constituents. Now, the architects and the builders will be front and center at the "Building of the Green" Solution Center.

ASGCA and GCBAA members will demonstrate design and construction methods and provide information on putting green complexes. ASGCA will continue to offer its highly-popular seminar "Remodeling University: A Short Course to a Better Course."

“We're excited to participate in the Golf Industry Show,” said ASGCA President Bill Love. “As one of the allied associations of golf, it made sense that ASGCA fully support an initiative that is bringing the industry together.

Although the trade shows of the organizations will combine, each will retain autonomous education conferences that will run concurrently with the Golf Industry Show. The objective is to present an industry trade show that represents significant aspects of a golf operation – from ownership, feasibility and design, construction and operations.

Steve Mona, GCSAA CEO, said "Since the initial announcement of the Golf Industry Show in February 2003, the interest of the industry and of the respective organizations' memberships has grown exponentially. The feedback we have received in bringing the organizations together has been positive. Involving the ASCGA was a natural given the importance of design on the success of the facility."

For more on the addition of ASGCA to the Golf Industry Show, visit http://www.gcsaa.org/news.

Norman honored by American Australian Association

Greg Norman, well-known golfer, chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises, and was honored for his contributions to American-Australian relations by the American Australian Association at a benefit dinner November 3 in New York City. He is also the chairman of the advisory council to The Environmental Institute for Golf.

The purpose of the American Australian Association Benefit Dinner is to raise funds for the Association's blue ribbon Education Fund and other programs. The dinner this year raised more than $1.1million. 

The Education Fund awarded over $150,000 in seven Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowships in its 2004 program. Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corp. and a patron of the association, made presentations to the Fellows.

Fantasia Barrino, the 20-year-old winner of the FOX television network's 2004 American Idol, performed at the dinner and Matt Lauer, co-anchor of NBC's Today Show, was master of ceremonies. Muhammad Ali and Cathy Freeman, internationally renowned for their athletic and cultural achievements, were special guests at the dinner in honor of Greg Norman.

Lehman named U.S. Ryder Cup captain

Tom Lehman, a member of three Ryder Cup Teams and winner of the 1996 British Open Championship, has been selected by The Professional Golfers' Association of America to captain the 2006 U.S. Ryder Cup Team. Lehman will guide a 12-member team in the 36th Ryder Cup Matches, Sept. 22-24, 2006, at The K Club in Straffan, Dublin, Ireland.

Lehman competed on the teams in 1995, '97 and '99, and left his mark in the competition with a 3-0-0 record in singles and as a member of the 1999 U.S. squad that mounted the greatest comeback victory at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

The winner of five PGA Tour events, Lehman became the first American professional to win the British Open at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1996, and the first American since amateur Bobby Jones in 1926. That same season, Lehman was the PGA Player of the Year, the leading money-winner, and was winner of the Vardon Trophy and the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Lehman is the 24th Ryder Cup Captain and the eighth British Open Champion to guide a U.S. Ryder Cup Team, joining a distinguished group that includes Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson. That roster of U.S. Captains owns a combined 13-5-0 Ryder Cup record.

For more on the appointment visit http://www.pga.com/news/rydercup.

Orlando golf courses up and running

With the Golf Industry Show headed to Orlando in only a few months, golf industry members around the country have wondered what impact the 2004 hurricane season has had on the area.

There have been several reports on the damage faced by Florida golf course superintendents, but now GolfOrlando, a marketing group of 24 courses in the area, says the golf business is back in business.

The report, which appeared on PGA.com, said golf was not “blown away.” Courses are open for play and the group has also set out to correct the image that may be lingering in the minds of golfers as they plan winter golf trips.

“Golf in Orlando is not only back but many golf courses are reporting better then normal playing conditions due to the amount of time that they closed for clean-up,” said GolfOrlando President Tony Johnson, general manager at Timacuan Golf & Country Club in Lake Mary. “We are getting several reports that our area golf courses got a much needed rest, and although the amount of downtime was financially strapping, our products on the ground only got better."

For more, visit PGA.com.

Birdies for the Brave presents check

Phil Mickelson and his partners, Ford and BearingPoint, capped the season-long Birdies for the Brave program by presenting a check for more than $100,000 to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation .

The Tampa-based organization provides college scholarship grants, not loans, for the children of U.S. Special Operations personnel killed in combat or training and currently has 90 students enrolled in colleges and universities across the country.

The team contributed $100 for each birdie and $500 for each eagle Mickelson made on the PGA Tour this year. Heading into the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, Mickelson has made six eagles and is ranked second in birdie average with 322 birdies in 1,350 holes. That means the team has paid off on one of every four holes played by Mickelson in 21 events to date.

"Amy and I wanted to do something to support the efforts of our troops and the families that have been left behind," said Mickelson. "We were excited when Ford and BearingPoint volunteered to join us in this program and it's gratifying to know we helped raise awareness of the program around the country, which was another one of our goals. We're all happy to have helped in some small way."

The program prompted Dave Farrell, bass player for the band Linkin Park, to make a contribution following a show in Tampa while the Warrior Foundation also has seen a spike in charity golf events, bringing this year's total amount raised for the foundation to more than $400,000.

"The Birdies for the Brave program in support of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation will help make dreams come true for some very special children who have had to suffer through what no child should have to face -- the loss of a parent," said John Carney, President/CEO of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. "On behalf of the more than 530 children in our program, we are grateful for their support.