Golf Industry Show, 2010

continuing education

It was a great week in San Diego at the Golf Industry Show.  I have gone to the conference and show for a number of years now and I have always went for the great education opportunities offered.  This year with the new schedule coupled with the innovative superintendent presentation, I was unable to take as many classes as I usually do. 



The two days set aside for the trade show gave me more time to roam the floor and talk to the vendors and view the newest technology offered in our industry.  I was able to look at new products for controling fungi on the course.  I was able to learn about interesting products like fully biodegradeable grease and hydraulic fluid.  Products that can reduce our carbon footprint.



The theme of the show was sustainable golf course management.  That has been coined as the catch phrase for 2010.  I think the industry has gone the right direction in pushing environmental awareness. For our work that had been done on water conservation, I was invited to the Environmental Leaders in Golf award breakfast, where I was lucky enough to meet the leaders in conservation.  I was able to ask questions on how they have successfully conserved resources at their facilities. 



The innovative superintendent session was also a great place to learn real life issues that superintendents were dealing with and the solutions that they had come up with.  Being a presenter myself I was able to connect with these superintendents and get an understanding of their issues and how they dealt with them.



Overall the show was a week of filling my motivation bucket.  It is nice to be surrounded for a week, by superintendents that share the drive for conditioning, and the passion of being better at what they do.  When you can be in the company of people that share your passion for a week, it does nothing but stoke the fire that burns in my belly, to solve more problems, and top the previous year's accomplishments, with even better feats. 



If you have any question about my trip to the GCSAA Golf Industry Show please feel free to contact me.



Justin Ruiz, CGCS

justinr@therimgolfclub.org

Golf Irrigation Auditors Class, GIS 2010

continuing education

I am in San Diego enjoying the opportunity to enhance my skills as a golf course superintendent.  Today I finished the first day of the Golf Irrigation Auditors class.  It is a one and a half day class that focuses on taking a more scientific look at your irrigation system and logically make it more efficient.

Water is a hot topic for The Rim Golf Club.  We have had several years where the course suffered from a lack of attention to the irrigation system.  Water became the limiting factor when fine tuning the presentation and playability of the golf course.  Three years ago, when I was employed the course was very wet.  The course was over watered in the spring leading to drastic conservation efforts in the hottest months of the year.  The range and rough became victim to the water reductions.  Since 2006 the water usage has reduced and the course has improved. Click here to read a previous blog post explaining this in detail, or read the case study on the Environmental Institute for Golf Web Page.

The amount of work during the 2007 season that was put into the irrigation system came with huge benefits.  This class is just an extension to help us dig deeper into the programming and equipment efficiency with mathematics.  I learned the math in college but was never able to get an opportunity to apply it before it became a distant memory.  This is the next step that will help us make the irrigation system apply water more efficiently and possibly increase playability, while reducing water usage.

The Golf Industry Show has always been a great educational learning experience that keeps superintendents up to date on leading edge knowledge.  I would compare it to the conferences that doctors go to where they can learn about the newest technology and procedures to help them be better at their job.  I have yet to walk away from a golf industry show where I have not learned anything.  Staying on the leading edge is a must in our industry.  Turf maintenance has evolved over time and requires superintendents to evolve with it. 

If you have any questions about the show, Golf Irrigation Auditors Class, or any general questions please feel free to contact me.

Justin C. Ruiz, CGCS

justinr@therimgolfclub.org