Divot Mix

Retired PGA Tour Pro Brad Bryant's Three Rules for Retirement Golf:

Rule 1: "There are no three-putts on the first hole."
Rule 2: "If you don't use your mulligan on the first tee, you can use it somewhere else."
Rule 3: "If there's not a house on the lot, it's not out of bounds."

(From Sports Illustrated writer John Garrity)

CMAA to join GCSAA, NGCOA in premier golf industry event

As part of an effort to provide comprehensive business solutions for golf facilities, the Club Managers Association of America is joining GCSAA and the National Golf Course Owners Association in the Golf Industry Show .

The inaugural Golf Industry Show, which combines the GCSAA and NGCOA trade shows, will be Feb. 10-12, 2005 in Orlando, Fla. The CMAA will join the event in 2007 in Anaheim, Calif. Its 2005 World Conference on Club Management and Exposition will be Feb. 27 - March 3 in New Orleans and its 2006 gathering in Honolulu.

"We have spent years of cooperative dialogue with our allied associations and we are delighted to move forward with this initiative," CMAA CEO Jim Singerling, CCM, CEC said. "The Golf Industry Show is truly an initiative whose time has come. By collaborating with GCSAA and NGCOA, we embrace a new experience for our respective members, industry partners and vendors. "

While the trade shows of the three 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, construction and operations.

"Since the initial announcement of the Golf Industry Show in February 2003, the interest of the industry and of the respective GCSAA and NGCOA memberships has grown exponentially, GCSAA CEO Steve Mona, CAE said. "The feedback we have received in bringing the organizations together has been positive. I expect the addition of the CMAA will only elevate that interest."

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

"I believe the 'facility solution' orientation of the Golf Industry Show is what makes this a unique and valuable asset for those in golf," NGCOA executive director Mike Hughes said. "The industry is facing some critical challenges, therefore it is now more imperative than ever that we work together to answer those challenges."

Visit http://www.gcsaa.org, http://www.ngcoa.org and http://www.cmaa.org for more information.

R&A, PGAs of Europe support third world golf

Thanks to a joint venture of The R&A and the Professional Golfers' Associations of Europe, golf development has begun in countries where golf organizations lack funding to establish a golfing culture.

These countries look to The R&A for help, which is provided by surplus income from The Open Championship that has been set aside for the purpose.

One of the most successful programs has been established in Iran, where political and cultural boundaries have been relaxed to allow women to be taught by a man, and where the number of players has grown by as much as 900 percent over two years.

Where aid is considered appropriate, the PGAs of Europe recommend a golf development consultant for that country. An initial visit assesses the situation and sets an agenda under guidelines set by the PGAs of Europe Education Committee.

This service is helping the sport to develop among people who would otherwise not have the opportunity. Help has been provided to 19 countries from Bolivia to Uruguay, China to Peru, with a further eight seeking assistance. These countries need golf clubs, balls, clothing and training aids.

Consultant Simon Dicksee's third visit to Iran was delayed for two years because of the unrest in the Middle East, but he was amazed at the progress that had been made upon his return.

“The numbers of players has increased 900 percent among women and 500 percent among the men,” he said. “And I was delighted to learn that an idea I suggested for teaching the game in schools has been taken up in the education program.

“The chairman of their Olympic Committee is very supportive and the Iranians are very keen to send their teams to play competitively around the globe.”

EWGA boasts high percentage of "avid" golfers

Nearly 65 percent of the Executive Women's Golf Association's members are avid golfers — those who play 25 or more rounds per year, according to a recent survey conducted by the EWGA.

That compares to only 22 percent avid golfers in the total golf population. Moreover, 52 percent of respondents said they played more golf in 2003 than in the previous year.

“In a year when the rest of the golf industry was relatively flat, over half of our members indicated that they played more or much more golf in 2003 than they did in 2002,” said Sara Hume, executive director. “These numbers are solid evidence that it is possible to take new and occasional women golfers and move them into ‘core' and ‘avid' categories through the educational and organized play programs found in our 100-plus chapters across the U.S. and Canada.”

“Core” golfers, those who play between eight and 24 rounds per year, comprised 29 percent of the EWGA's membership, comparable to the total golf population's of 26 percent (according to survey results reported by Golf 20/20 and the National Golf Foundation). The “occasional” player, one who plays between one and seven rounds per year, defines seven percent of EWGA members. The “occasional” player comprises 52 percent of the overall golf population.

Hume said the survey results confirm that the EWGA is taking the proper approach with its diverse membership.

“Our members play a lot of golf, that much is clear,” Hume said. “One of the reasons that they do is that we make it easy and enjoyable for them to play golf. Each of our chapters is putting on activities throughout the year — educational clinics, 18-hole outings, nine-hole leagues, weekend events and so on for all skill level players including new golfers.”

The survey also found that EWGA's members spent an average of $1,688 last year on travel, equipment, apparel and lessons. The average EWGA “avid” golfer spent more than $500 above that figure, totaling $2,210 in 2003. (Neither figure included the amount EWGA members spend on green fees or miscellaneous expenditures.)

Contact http://www.ewga.com/.

Espinoza story takes flight

The story of the Espinoza family and Johns Golf Course, first introduced by Leo Feser Award-winner James Peacock in the May 2001 issue of Golf Course Management , is flying high thanks to Delta Airlines' Sky Magazine .

Steve, Juana and John Espinoza were featured in the August issue of the publication, which is found in the seatback pockets of the company's airplanes. The story is also available on the Web .

A broadcast version of their story is also apparently on the horizon. ESPN and ABC Family have finalized an agreement to co-produce the made-for-television movie.

Steve Espinoza, a Vietnam veteran, built a golf course on the family's Montana farm where John, who suffers from a disease similar to Down syndrome, excels at the sport. The Espinozas earlier lost an infant daughter to congenital heart disease and a son in an automobile accident.

Arizona gets $800,000 for climate research

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded $800,000 to the University of Arizona to continue work toward integrating climate research with forecast capabilities.

The grant is the first phase of a five-year program aimed to improve forecasts and create a database of climate-impact information by integrating climate research data with research from other areas such as hydrologic forecasting and fire and drought management. The data gathered throughout the project will be shared with other academic partners, government and private institutions to create a network of climate researchers.

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth's natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA's goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 years.

Contact http://www.noaa.gov.