Industry News

"No matter how skillfully one may lay out the holes and diversify them, nevertheless one must get the thrill of nature... The puny strivings of the architect do not quench our thirst for the ultimate.” -- George Thomas (Golf Architecture in America, 1927)

Golf Industry Show adds GCBAA

The reach of the Golf Industry Show has been extended to those who shape the game's playing fields with the addition of the Golf Course Builders Association of America.

GCBAA has agreed to join GCSAA, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Club Managers Association of America in presenting the Golf Industry Show .

The inaugural Golf Industry Show, which combines the GCSAA and NGCOA trade shows, will be Feb. 10-12, 2005 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The CMAA will join the event in 2007 in Anaheim, Calif., after holding its 2005 conference in New Orleans and its 2006 gathering in Honolulu.

GCBAA previously had a presence at the GCSAA International Golf Course Conference and Show in conducting a variety of events for its constituents, including its annual membership meeting. The GCBAA will continue to sponsor those activities, but will now participate in various trade show features, most notably the Building of the Green Solution Center. GCBAA members will demonstrate construction methods and provide information regarding putting green complexes.

"We are pleased to partner with GCSAA, NGCOA and CMAA in the Golf Industry Show," said Tommy Sasser, GCBAA president. "From the GCBAA member standpoint, exposure to key decision-makers whether by exhibiting or networking is of significant value."

While the trade shows of the organizations will be combined to form a new industry event, 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 to construction and operations.

A unique trade show floor design, in terms of physical arrangement and content, will focus on golf course and facility management solutions for the entire golf industry.

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. The addition of the Golf Course Builders Association of America brings a critically important element of the business to the show."

EGR Awards nomination deadline extended

The deadline has been extended to Nov. 1 for nominations in the 2005 GCSAA Excellence in Government Relations Awards.

The awards, which recognize and honor outstanding individual and chapter efforts in government relations, are given for for efforts and accomplishments in advocacy and compliance.

Any GCSAA member, chapter or chapter executive may submit nominations. Self-nominations are also encouraged. Those who were nominated last year but did not receive an award are eligible again this year. Nominees will be judged on how their efforts best serve the interests of the golf course industry. The awards reflect all government relations efforts and are not limited to the previous year's activities. Efforts do not have to be "successful" in order for nominees to receive the award.

To apply online, click here . To guarantee that your nomination has been received, please make certain to hit the “Submit” button after you have completed the online nomination form. Applications also are available by calling GCSAA member/customer solutions at (800) 472-7878.

Winter weather outlook released

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the weather outlook for the United States from December through February should include above-average temperatures in Alaska, much of the West and the northern and central Great Plains.

Below-average temperatures are forecast across the Gulf Coast states, the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S., while there are equal chances of warmer, cooler or near-normal temperatures this winter in the Northeast, Midwest and parts of Southwest.

NOAA scientists say to look for wetter-than-average conditions in parts of California, the extreme Southwest and across the Southern U.S. from Texas to Florida. But drier-than-average conditions should prevail in the Midwest, northern Plains and Pacific Northwest.

The winter outlook indicates some improvement in drought conditions in the West but long-term drought is expected to persist through the winter in many areas.

NOAA updated its winter outlook on Oct. 21. To view the update, visit http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2004/s2332.htm

The outlook reflects a blend of impacts associated with weak-to-moderate El Niño events in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean and is based on the likelihood that these conditions will persist through early 2005. El Niño influences the winter weather patterns by affecting the jet stream and the track storms take across the eastern Pacific and North America. NOAA scientists do not expect this El Niño to reach the strength of the1997-1998 El Niño event.

“Our winter forecast factors in the effects of a weak El Niño that may strengthen into a moderate event during the winter months,” said Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “But we'll keep our eye on other climate features in the Pacific and the North Atlantic that play an important role on the week-to-week variability in our winter weather. These patterns influence the position of the jet stream and dictate where and how winter storms will move.”

Also, the climate system called the North Atlantic Oscillation plays an important role in modulating the winter weather over the eastern half of the U.S. The NAO is a climate pattern that influences the position of the jet stream over the North Atlantic, affecting winter weather over the Northeast.

“To a large extent, our forecast of equal chances of above- or below-normal temperatures and precipitation over the northeastern U.S. is based on the NAO, which is only confidently predicted one to two weeks in advance,” said Ed O'Lenic, meteorologist at NOAA's Climate Prediction Center.

Scientists treat pests like hot dogs

Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service are suggesting that anyone who's got nematode troubles, fungi or too many weeds should think like a ball park hotdog vendor and spread some mustard on 'em.

Actually, the work highlighted in the latest edition of Agricultural Research magazine is from ARS and university scientists who are experimenting with mustards as an alternative to chemically fighting crop pests.

But they aren't smearing pests with mustard that comes in a jar. Rather, they're biofumigating pests with stands or byproducts of white mustard, brown mustard, and rapeseed—members of the Brassica plant family. Biofumigation refers to natural substances plants release while decomposing that make surrounding soils toxic to some weeds, nematodes, and fungi.

The experiments, in Washington State, dovetail with increasing grower interest in mustard crops for pest control and as "green manure"—meaning it can be disked into soil to improve tilth, organic matter, aeration and water filtration.

There's already been some work on the concept in turfgrass management, and according to the editors of Golf Course Management, an upcoming article will examine the use of mustard bran on turfgrass nematodes.

Despite the work that's been done, there's still much to learn about how mustards control pests and under what conditions they work best, notes ARS agronomist Rick Boydston, study coordinator since 2000.

For the complete article visit http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct04/pest1004.htm.