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Golf Industry Show: New perspective as superintendent

There were only two things to put an end to tree work this winter at Sparrows Point Country Club – muddy soil conditions and the 2015 Golf Industry Show in San Antonio, Texas. It seems the GIS came sooner. I will be able to cross off a destination bucket list item, while gaining a new found perspective as a Golf Course Superintendent. I have been fortunate to attend four GIS events over the years as a student and assistant superintendent. Each time I am humbled and honored to work in this great industry. This year will be no exception.

I have set some goals to take in a little bit of everything GIS has to offer – golf, education and business. This will be my first time playing in the GCSAA Shamble, so I look forward to dusting off the cobwebs come Sunday. The seminars that I am attending are purely focused on areas that our Club and Greens Department will be addressing over the next year to five years. I never thought education related to Foot Golf would be relevant, but our membership is dying to implement this new feature into our golf calendar. Now, I can add “Foot Golf-trained” to my list of educational accomplishments.

Check Out: The REEL Challenge at GIS 15

As a first time Superintendent, I have implemented a lot of new programs at our facility reflective of modern conditioning, team building and business standards. The trade show floor will provide a lot of new opportunities and ideas to bring back to our facility. I do not have any specific meetings set up, but will be looking at all of the latest and greatest technology. As always it will be fun to reconnect with colleagues across the country, and develop new relationships at GIS. For our department and Club to be successful, it truly takes everyone involved including our vendors. I’ll be sure to show my support to them on the trade show.

I will also be on the recruiting trail looking to meet assistants and students attending GIS. Building a strong team for 2015 is one of my biggest challenges, and the networking opportunities at GIS present a competitive avenue for us to engage with potential employees.

On that note, if you are an assistant or student, please be sure to check out the assistant only session on Tuesday from 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. I will be in presenting with Jan Fox and Andrew Stair discussing “Modern Day Managing for Today’s Assistant Superintendent”. There’s a lot to offer at 2015 GIS, and I’m sure you’ll find me tweeting along the week giving you fresh perspective on my experiences.

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