Everyone needs an elevator speech

I know we’ve all heard about it, but how many times have you needed to use it? I’m talking about your elevator speech. Google defines an elevator speech as a clear, brief message or “commercial” about you. It communicates who you are, what you're looking for and how you can benefit a company or organization. It's typically about 30 seconds, the time it takes people to ride from the top to the bottom of a building in an elevator. If you are a superintendent or someone working in our industry, being prepared for that one time when someone asks you what you do can make a big difference in how that person perceives you. This can also have a huge impact in how you relate to your lawmakers as many of us will be attending our state golf days as well as National Golf Day.

Image by claybanksstudio.com

We all have our own elevator speech and are probably not even aware of it. Let’s say you run into an old friend and they ask you, “How’s the family?” For the next 30 seconds, you will probably give them a brief update on the kids and your spouse and then you’re off to the next subject. This morning after my swim at the gym, I was enjoying the sauna for a few minutes and started a light conversation with a gentleman sitting across from me. He proceeded to ask me what I did for a living so I explained that I was a golf course superintendent by trade and am now currently working for the golf course superintendent's national association (GCSAA). I knew right away that this guy wasn’t a golfer when he asked me how we keep the grass so green. I went into my elevator speech and told him how superintendents are always in the quest for knowledge and how we constantly work to reduce our inputs. Then I gave him my favorite analogy, which worked out great since I wasn’t wearing my shirt. As I patted my tummy, I said, "turfgrass is like you and me, if we overfeed it and give it too much to drink, it becomes unhealthy." Right then, I saw that look in his eye. It was either the fact that he instantly got the point or he was repulsed by my budding spare tire. I would like to think that it was the prior.
My point is: I gathered enough information in that short period to give him the golf course superintendents perspective on fertilizer and pesticide use. I feel like he left enlightened on our position and could probably tell someone else the same story. It’s all about one victory at a time. We may not be able to change the masses in one fell swoop, but if we all work as individuals with a common message, or our elevator speech, we may be able make a difference just one encounter at a time.

It's not adios, just good luck on your new endeavor

When joining the GCSAA on April 9, 2012, I could not have ever imagined the friendships that I would make in my first five years. Time sure does fly as I look back and remember some of my first trips within my region. As a superintendent, I left behind some amazing crew members that to this day carry a special place in my heart. It was that sense of family that I had with all my coworkers and the way we all came together each day to make Stone Creek that very special place.

I must confess, the first six months on the job as the Northwest field staff representative were pretty lonely. Many times I felt like a fish out of water. That soon came to an end as I met the members across the eight states that comprise my region. I felt as if I had lost my family members from Stone Creek, but instead, I expanded family to include the many new friends that I met across the Northwest region.

Not only did I foster new relationships with the Northwest region members, I also met and became very close with my fellow field staffers. Since I actually started in April 2012, I didn’t have the opportunity to meet “the gang” in person until the delegates meeting in October. But strangely enough, I had felt like I knew all of them for a long time. Immediately after I was hired, the emails started flying and we were team building like crazy. To get to know each other, Brian Cloud, our South Central team member, kept us engaged with some fun sports games. We would pick weekly NFL games, major NASCAR races, March Madness, and yes, golf’s majors, and accumulate points throughout the season. The winner would be awarded the coveted Field Staff Extravaganza trophy at the end of the season.

“In Texas, you would say he's so busy he doesn't know if he lost a horse or found a rope.”

Brian and I became good friends over the last five years and would often take calls from each other on any day of the week. At one point, Brian invited me and Ron Wright down to play in the Texas Trophy tournament in College Station, just prior to our San Antonio field staff remote meeting. In true Texan form, Brian showed us all the sites of Dallas and Fort Worth and even showed us, what I will admit, is the greatest car/truck stop I have ever seen. The highpoint of the trip was walking the campus of Texas A&M and learning the storied traditions of that university. Brian taught me things like Gig’em, or BTHO. I also learned that Aggies never lose, they simply run out of time and what it meant when an Aggie yelled REST in a crowd of people. It was demonstrated when Tom Werner yelled it during the Texas Trophy tournament and the room went silent. Brian taught me several sayings that I call "Texanisms," many that I probably shouldn’t repeat publicly, but some are just too funny not to share. “In Texas, you would say he's so busy he doesn't know if he lost a horse or found a rope.” Or,“you got to place a bet every day because you might be walking around lucky!”

By now, most of you have probably seen the GCSAA job posting, listing the South Central field staff position. Last week when Brian called me and said that he had received a good offer from a company in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I knew that it was time for him to move on. He would have been a fool not to take the job. I was elated for him and the new opportunity that lay ahead for him, but the selfish side of me didn’t want him to leave. Brian is one of a kind and losing him will leave a huge hole in our team. However, I am sure we will find a new South Central field staff representative that will fill Brian's shoes and Brian will always be right there to ensure their success. 

Brian, thank you for everything. You are a role model, a true friend, and, a gentleman above all. We all wish you the best in your new endeavor and know you will be great at it.  It's not adios, just good luck on your new endeavor! 

A call to action in Montana

When GCSAA enacted the Grassroots Ambassadors program, the idea was to engage our members and get them to become involved in local and national issues that can affect the way we do our jobs. It was a very large undertaking but today we are seeing the benefits all across the country. Most recently, in Montana, we saw success in a huge way.
After RISE contacted Lori Russell and informed her of the pending neonic legislation, Dane Gamble, Rick Hathaway and GCSAA Past President Pete Grass, CGCS, jumped into action. When I reflect on the activities that ensued, a few words come to mind: advocacy, mentorship, and leadership. Between the three, each of the individuals brought their strengths to the table and served their industry well. When it was all said and done, everything worked out in our favor. The following is a recap written by Pete Grass, CGCS, following the event.
Peter Grass, CGCS
On Thursday, February 23, Peaks & Prairies GCSA was notified by GCSAA Government Affairs Specialist Michael Lee of Senate Bill 247 in the Montana State Legislature. The bill called for an “Act Creating The Saving Montana’s Pollinators Act; Prohibiting The Outdoor Use Of Neonicotinoid Insecticides….”
Peaks & Prairies Executive Director Lori Russell reached out to her board and Montana’s GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors along with myself as GCSAA's immediate past president, asking what should we do about this bill? The reaction was to try to educate ourselves and oppose the bill. We learned that a hearing on the bill would take place the following Tuesday in front of the Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee. With help from Dave Phipps, GCSAA Northwest Region Field Staff representative, industry information about the past pollinator issues and current status of research and regulations were shared to help prepare arguments against the bill.

Three superintendents, Rick Hathaway, Dane Gamble and I volunteered to attend the hearing and spoke in opposition to the bill in person at the State Capitol in Helena. During the hearing, there were five proponents and 20 opponents registered in the audience. The sponsor, Senator Phillips opened by speaking about his bill and why he felt it was a good thing. Those in the audience were able to give testimony, the committee members asked a few questions and then Sen. Phillips gave closing comments to the committee.

Pete Grass, CGCS. Rick Hathaway and Dane Gamble

We left that evening not knowing what may happen based on the testimony given and the issue this has been worldwide. The important thing was that those of us representing “golf” had our chance to speak to how we use that class in chemistry in doing our jobs, and what that means to our industry. Prior to the hearing, we were able to meet the Committee Chair and he shared that constituents showing up in person to testify does get noticed.

A couple days after, we learned that the bill was amended by the committee and retitled “Require a State Pollinator Report” with a few new points to be carried out and, most importantly to us, no neonic ban, by a 7-6 vote.

Last Friday night, we learned that the full Senate voted on the amended bill which failed to pass on a tie vote then was subsequently tabled indefinitely by a 31-19 vote. Most likely, this issue is done for the next two years, at least.

The main take-home from all of this is that taking action to stop something you believe is not good legislation is important and getting positive results such as this can be achieved if you show up and act. Having additional support from those who could not attend in person by letters and email was very helpful also.
I couldn’t have been more pleased with the way the members of the Peaks & Prairies GCSA jumped into action. When GCSAA set out to organize a Grassroots Ambassador network. This is exactly the outcome that we intended it to have. Dane, especially, stood out by bringing along Rick and Pete, who had never been to a committee hearing. In an email from Rick Hathaway to the group, Rick wrote:
Dane,
Thanks for taking us newbies in the process under your wing and being such an invaluable mentor for Pete and I who had never attended any sort of legislative function at the Capitol.
Beyond the fact you are such an incredibly educated upstanding citizen and role model for how we can all make a difference, I appreciate the incredible asset you are to our industry and association.
Since I am writing personal accolades…  Pete’s commitment to our industry is humbling.  Thank you for your measured and eloquent leadership.
While everyone involved deserves a sincere thank you, it was my unique experience to watch these two in action in Helena.  Once again, humbling is the only word that comes to mind.
The group’s efforts were noticed by others as well. Frank Wong from Bayer Environmental wrote:
You all are THE BEST!!! I am humbled and appreciative that Doug and I can provide trusted information on this issue.
Coming from the University, the legislative arena is highly frustrating, science doesn’t always win – but persistent representation often does; so I really appreciate the time and efforts you spend above and beyond the 60+ hour work weeks.
Thank you again for all of your efforts,
Frank

The value of peer to peer education

When I think of GCSAA and its local chapters, the first thing that comes to my mind is excellent education. And when it comes to attendance, education is the driving force behind most meetings that I have attended over the last seventeen years of being a GCSAA member. It goes without saying that speakers like Rossi, Wong, Nikolai, and many more, have been bringing amazing presentations and continue to do so. But, in recent years, I have also seen a number of superintendents provide some highly informative presentations including Chris Tritabaugh from Hazeltine Golf Club, Thomas Bastis, CGCS, from the California Golf Club and Brian Nettz from the Presidio Golf Course. All three were hosted by Western Washington in 2013 and I came away thoroughly impressed with the value of information that each one offered. They later hosted Dan Meersman from the Philadelphia Cricket Club, Curtis Tyrell from Medina and Bill Maynard, CGCS, who was from Milburn Country Club at that time.

Chris Tritibaugh speaking to the Western Washington GCSA in 2012

Usually, for just the cost of a plane ticket and a hotel room, many of these guys are happy to come out and share their experiences. From my perspective, the group dynamics are much more interactive with these speakers as opposed to a more academic speaker. I believe superintendents are more inclined to ask questions and have an ongoing dialogue with peer type speakers.

I had a conversation with Western Washington’s Past President Jim Myers. Jim is a delegate and also enjoys the networking aspect of his job. When at the Golf Industry show, he meets members from all across the country and the world and then uses those contacts as potential speakers. That was, essentially, how he rounded up all those speakers I mentioned.

Last fall, I heard Chris Carson from Echo Lake Country Club in New Jersey speak at the Peaks & Prairies Fall meeting in Billings, Montana. You couldn’t get someone further from New Jersey than Billings, but Chris was incredible and was very well received. Dan Dinelli also presented in Montana and, earlier in 2015, in Idaho. When it comes to thinking outside of the box, Dan takes the prize. His homegrown research is on par with most university institutions. The difference: his research is downright applicable to day-to-day golf course conditions.
Other speakers that come to mind: Randy Samoff of Sweetwater Country Club, Steve Southard, CGCS, of the City of Loveland Golf Operations, and Brian Youell of Uplands Golf Club and Dean Pillar, both from Victoria, Canada. I would be remiss if I didn’t list Tim Hiers, CGCS, from The Club at Mediterra, in Naples, Florida. Tim has always been one of my role models since his early years at Old Collier and my early years at Stone Creek. I was finally able to bring him out to Oregon to speak on environmental stewardship and Tim was a class act.
I have yet to see a bad presentation put on by an industry peer, so if you are on an education committee and feel you have exhausted your speaker pool, look no further than your own peers. There are so many great stories out there to share.
On a side note, I attended an Intermountain GCSA event this January and Thomas Bastis, CGCS, from the Cal Club was presenting. When I got to town I learned that Thomas had already been in town for two days. His IGCSA hosts treated him to two days of powder skiing under bluebird Utah skies. You can pretty much guarantee Thomas will be back at the next invitation!

The Greenkeepers of Broken Top

By now, many of you have seen this video on YouTube. I first learned of it while visiting some members in Central Oregon, where Broken Top is located. I tweeted it after I saw it and the views increased to well over 1.000. Then, just recently, one of our industry magazines got wind of it and they put it out on their Facebook page and the views almost shot up to 3.000.

The owner of this video’s name is Ethan Erickson. I learned that Ethan worked for Scott Moffenbeier over the summer at Broken Top and had asked Scott permission if he could carry along his camera equipment while he did his daily chores. Scott didn’t mind and didn’t think much of it until Ethan showed the crew what he had been working on. Everyone’s jaw dropped when they saw how incredible his video was. I actually had the same reaction.

What's a visit without a selfie with Ethan?

My first thought was that this was quite a production and had to be put together by some local professional production company so I had to find out what the story was behind this video. Shelia Finney, GCSAA’s new senior director of member programs, was heading northwest to Portland to attend the local equipment managers meeting with me and were also planning on going over to Bend to attend the equipment manager gathering.  I figured that this was a good time to try to reach Ethan. I contacted Scott Moffenbeier to see if he could arrange a meeting and Scott did just that. The four of us met for dinner in Bend that evening and I had the pleasure of meeting the young man behind the camera whose talent had peaked the interest of so many across the country.

Ethan is a graduate of Oregon State University and was working at Broken Top as a seasonal job. He majored in photography and digital communication and is aspiring to be a freelance photographer. Check out some of his work. You will see many of the projects that he has worked on including content from his internship with the Oregon State University Athletics, the Portland Timbers and much more. My friends know me as a (very) amateur photographer and Ethan's work just simply exceeds my ability beyond my comprehension.

Shelia and I both agreed that Ethan needs to use his talents in the golf industry because so many people were inspired just by watching his video. If you haven’t seen it yet, I have provided below for your viewing pleasure. This young man has quite a talent and it would be a shame if the word didn’t get out about him. I have already been contacted my some who would like to use his services. I’m sure that many more will be doing the same soon.

The First Green Foundation celebrates 20 years of bringing STEM education to golf

Okay, let’s be honest with ourselves. How many times did you tell yourselves in 2016 that you really need to look into that First Green program and plan a field trip? Well, let’s make 2017 the year that you make it happen! Undoubtedly, if you have heard of the First Green Foundation, then you have heard great things about it and that is why hosting a middle school field trip seems sounds so interesting.

The First Green Foundation, led by Executive Director Karen Armstead, will be celebrating their twenty-year anniversary in 2017 and are encouraged by the increased level of interest in the program. Since partnering with GCSAA almost five years ago, the program expanded across the country with successful field trips in New Jersey, Maryland, California, Idaho and Oregon. There is currently interest in Illinois, Iowa, Montana, Pennsylvania, Georgia, the Carolina's, Colorado and Texas. Internationally, Canada is even holding First Green field trips and now Europe has taken a keen interest in the program.

GCSAA is happy to be partnering with The First Green Foundation. My fellow field staff and I are available to help you connect with the resources that you will need to get you started. If you are headed to Orlando next month, this year marks our third year that we will be offering a First Green seminar which will include a field trip to a local golf course. You will be taught by Steve Kealy, CGCS, and Jeff Gullikson, CGCS, on how to arrange and hold a successful field trip. Between the two of them, they have probably hosted over 10,000 kids at their courses over the last 20 years. You will even be able to see firsthand how a field trip works by traveling to a local golf course and actually assisting with a real field trip.

Last year in San Diego, the field trip was covered by a local news station and GCSAA.tv which brought a lot of great publicity to the event. The USGA has also been great about promoting the program. You probably even saw the segments during the 2015 U.S. Open. They have also been instrumental in the support of the program as well. Their financial commitment has been integral in the continuing success of the program.

Jeff Gullikson, CGCS, offers hands-on education at GIS in 2016

The First Green provides direct hands-on STEM education to middle school children who get an opportunity to experience a golf course in a real positive light.

When we speak of advocacy to the game of golf, we not only speak of our presence on Capitol Hill, we have to take into consideration of our impact on the local community. The First Green provides direct hands-on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education to middle school children who get an opportunity to experience a golf course in a real positive light. You never know, one of those kids that you meet may even be your future assistant superintendent. This is one way to help the younger generation become aware of what we do and stimulate interest in our profession and the game.

I urge you to take the challenge and commit yourself to hosting a field trip this year. Please follow @TheFirstGreen on Twitter so when you host your first field trip you can let the world know about it. The First Green Foundation is your one source for STEM learning at your golf course.

Find more information on "Launching a First Green Field Trip Program at Your Own Golf Course"

Who's your favorite team?

Let me start this blog post by asking a simple question: Who's your favorite team? Is it a sports team like the Seattle Seahawks or the Portland Trailblazers? What team did you think of? Did you come up with a sports team, or was there another team such as your crew, or your executive team at your job? My first thought was my crew at Stone Creek Golf Club.

I experienced some hard times and even went through a few bad eggs, but eventually, I learned how to build a team that would become a unit with a common goal. Trust me, I had no idea when I started, but I certainly had good mentors and was able to take some great classes at the Golf Industry Show.

The first thing that we all know is the key to a strong team is a strong leader. It’s cliché but true. A good leader is trusted by their team and that trust has to be earned. You cannot just assume that they are going to trust you because you have big ideas and you work harder than the rest. You have to show them that you value their work and you take the time to listen to their ideas. I hardly ever said no to an idea, I just simply put them in charge of their project. My role was to support what they were doing. I soon learned that even though some of their ideas may not have been what I would have done, I had some pretty talented individuals and their successes turned into confidence in my leadership.

Now let me fast forward to today. I’m on a new team now and am part of a group of nine individuals that have the best interest of you, our members, at hand. We’re a different team, not one that meets regularly in person, but a team that, for the most part, works independently, but yet relies on one another at the drop of a hat.

I’m of course I’m talking about the GCSAA field staff. They need no introduction but I’m going to do it anyway. Kevin Doyle covers the Northeast including the providence of Ontario, Chase Rogan covers the Mid-Atlantic, Ron Wright covers the entire Southeast with the exception of the State of Florida which is covered by Ralph Dain. Brian Cloud takes care of the South Central region and Jeff Jensen covers the entire Southwest, including Hawaii. Shane Conroy is our newest member of the team and he covers the Great Lake region. I cover the Northwest region from Alaska to Colorado, and finally, Steve Randall covers the Central Region and is also in charge of keeping this geographically challenged team working together.

What makes us such a strong team, is that we all come from assorted backgrounds. We range from golf industry management and marketing to state golf association management. We are Class A superintendents and assistant superintendents and some even have master’s degrees. We utilize our diversity to our advantage and have been able to cross-present on topics that we excel in for each other.

You have to wonder how a team can stay on the right path when they are spread across the country in about as far reaching corners as they can be. Obviously, technology is very helpful, utilizing Google Chat, conference calling or even Skype has been great for those quick meetings or even one on one video calls. If you follow any one of us on Twitter, you will see where we are and usually you will find Steve Randall out visiting with one of us in our region and helping us do strategic plans with our chapters. When he’s visiting, it’s not like the boss is in town, but more like a coach who works with you and helps you be the best you can be.

Steve recently attended the Inland Empire’s fall meeting with me. We did a strategic plan with the board then he did a phenomenal job speaking on communication to the entire membership the next day. In the time he spoke, he referenced my name four times, making sure the members knew that I was their go-to for all things concerning GCSAA. The last thing he would do would come in and relinquish my role as their field staff representative. He was there in a supporting role and conveyed a message that we were a team and were there to serve the members together. I would consider Steve a hands-off leader. He has built a team of diverse individuals and has confidence in their abilities. In return, every one of us trusts his judgment and will do whatever he asks of us.

I would be remorse if I didn’t mention the remaining GCSAA staff. Without their support there wouldn’t be a field staff program. I could write another blog post simply on how the remote staff and the in-house staff have interacted in a symbiotic way. Altogether, our team has elevated the level of service to the membership that has never been seen before. 

This is my favorite team now. Granted, I enjoy watching the Seahawks and the Trailblazers, but it’s a much greater feeling when I can be part of a team that is making such a significant difference. If you happen to be part of a great team, please comment below and tell me what makes it so great. I’m always looking for great ideas to share.

On a side note: In March, I wrote a blog post about a superintendent and his head pro that became quite a team in their own right. The pair ended up started a small business adventure together out of their relationship and I am happy to report that Gerald Flaherty, CGCS, will be receiving the Leo Feser Award this year at the Golf Industry Show. Read my post about Gerald Flaherty, CGCS, and Jamie Sharp, PGA.