The Central Ohio GCSA has awarded its 2020 Glenn B. Hudson Memorial Scholarships to four deserving students pursuing careers in the turfgrass industry. These scholarships are given in the memory of Glenn B. Hudson, a World War II veteran and golf course superintendent whose achievements and dedication to the industry helped develop a stronger superintendent community in Central Ohio. This year, a total of $8,000 was awarded with individual scholarships ranging from $3,000 to $1,000 each.

The 2020 outstanding recipients are as follows:

PARKER BANEY, The Ohio State University Parker is relatively new to the industry having started his first golf course job earlier in 2020 at The Golf Club. Because he enjoyed the work so much, Parker changed majors at Ohio State to pursue a career as a golf course superintendent. Parker is a member of the Ohio State Turf Club and enjoys playing golf, trap shooting, and attending OSU football and basketball games (when possible!).
RACHAEL CLINE, The Ohio State University Rachael is a senior at Ohio State and is currently the Turf Club President. She was a member of the varsity rowing team from 2017-2018 and a member of Athletes in Action. Rachael's professional aspirations are focused on managing professional athletic fields, an area she has been introduced to through The Ohio Program as an intern with Everton F.C. in Liverpool, UK and here in Ohio as a part of the grounds crew with the Columbus Crew. Upon graduation, Rachael plans to join former Crew Stadium field manager, Weston Appelfeller as an assistant manager with the new MLS stadium in Austin, Texas.
DANIEL RUSSELL, The Ohio State University Daniel has been heavily entrenched in the superintendent community as the son of River Greens Golf Course superintendent, Lee Russell. He has been a part of the grounds crew at River Greens since 2016 and served as a volunteer at the Memorial Tournament in 2019. Russell is the OSU Turf Club Treasurer, house manager of the Delta Theta Sigma fraternity, and member of the OSU Bass Fishing Club. Daniel looks forward to applying the lessons learned at Ohio State and from work experiences as a future golf course superintendent.
JAMES SCHON, The Ohio State University - ATI James began working on a golf course in 2016 at Avon Oaks Country Club in Avon, Ohio under superintendent Terry Boehm. Boehm encouraged him to follow his passion and so James enrolled at OSU ATI to pursue a career as a golf course superintendent. Recently, Schon has assisted ATI's Dr. Zane Raudenbush as a Turfgrass Research Assistant, studying silvery thread moss control in creeping bentgrass putting greens. He also worked as a summer intern at Scioto Country Club in 2020 and will be joining the club as a second assistant upon graduation. Schon was a volunteer at the 2020 Memorial Tournament, enjoys running, and playing golf.

Congratulations to all of our recipients!

The primary source of funding for these scholarships comes from our Glenn B. Hudson Memorial Fund Scholarship Outing which takes place every three years. The next scholarship outing will take place on June 14, 2021 at Jefferson Country Club.

To learn more about the Glenn B. Hudson Memorial Scholarship, visit COGCSA.org.

With the Ohio Department of Agriculture recently approving LIVE online training, several opportunities have opened up for Ohio applicators to earn credits in the coming weeks. One of those opportunities is the Conference Comes to You program presented by the Carolinas GCSA in conjunction with a local partnership with the Central Ohio GCSA.

Members of the COGCSA can register for sessions at the reduced member rate. In addition to saving on your registration, a portion of each registration comes back to the chapter to help support local initiatives such as scholarships, research projects, and other industry giving like the Wee One Foundation and OPARR support.

Central Ohio GCSA members should select our chapter and enter the code which was emailed to you (if you need your code, contact Brian at blaurent@propelsolutionsllc.com).

Upcoming ODA credit sessions include:

November 30th | 1:00 - 3:00 pm
The Challenge of Nematodes in Turf
Bruce Martin, Ph.D.
ODA Category 8 - 2 hours

December 1st | 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Plant Growth Regulators for Fine Warm-Season Turf
Jim Brosnan, Ph.D.
ODA Category 8 - 2 hours

December 3rd | 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Plant Growth Regulators for Fine Cool-Season Turf
Bill Kreuser, Ph.D & Doug Soldat, Ph.D.
ODA Category 8 - 2 hours

Many other outstanding sessions are available as part of Conference Comes to You! Check out the full line-up at ConferenceComesToYou.org.

Congratulations to our 2020 Jack Kidwell Award recipient, Mark Novotny, CGCS! Mark was presented with the award during the Central Ohio GCSA Annual Meeting at the Double Eagle Club on Monday, November 16th.

Mark began his career in the industry as a crew member at Mahoning Country Club in Northeast Ohio. He received a degree in Business Administration and Industrial Management from Youngstown State and later earned his degree in Agronomy from Ohio State.

After earning his agronomy degree, Mark joined the team at New Albany Country Club where he was an assistant superintendent under Tony Mancuso. In October of 1996, Mark was hired as the superintendent at Westchester Golf Course in Canal Winchester, a position he held until his retirement in August of 2020.

Mark earned his Certified Golf Course Superintendent designation in 1999 and served two terms as a board member of the COGCSA chapter.

During Mark's career, he has served as a mentor to many aspiring superintendents and wrote numerous articles on golf course maintenance which were published in various industry publications.

The Board of Directors and membership of the Central Ohio GCSA congratulate and thank Mark Novotny, CGCS for his service and dedication to our superintendent community.

With ODA's recent approval of live online training, we've applied for and received approval for the following credit for upcoming Conference Comes To You sessions:

11/5/20
Advanced Weed Management - Warm Season
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

11/9/20
Fungicide Program Development & Dealing with Bugs & Crud in Cool-Season Turf
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

11/10/20
Aquatic Plant Management - An Introduction to Keeping Your Ponds Free of Unsightly Plants & Algae
Cat. 3A - 2 hrs

11/12/20
Advanced Weed Management - Cool Season
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

11/13/20
Poa Resistance
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

11/17/20
Advanced & Cost Effective Management of Insect Pests of Warm Season Turf
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

11/19/20
Annual Bluegrass Weevil Master Class: Proactive Management for Ever-Changing Environments
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

11/20/20
Understanding Pesticide Behavior to Optimize Applications & Minimize Collateral Damage
Core - 2 hrs

11/30/20
The Challenge of Managing Nematodes in Turf
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

12/1/20
PGRs for Fine Warm-Season Turf
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

12/3/20
PGRs for Fine Cool-Season Turf
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

12/7/20
Making Herbicides Work and Why They Sometimes Fail
Core - 2 hrs

12/8/20
Getting to the Root of Managing Soilborne Diseases - Warm Season
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

12/10/20
Getting to the Root of Managing Soilborne Diseases - Cool Season
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

12/14/20
Bentgrass Selection Management
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

12/17/20
Holy Grail - Cool Season Turf
Cat. 8 - 2 hrs

Register online at conferencecomestoyou.org! As Conference Comes To You partners, COGCSA members were emailed a registration code to receive membership pricing.

For those of you interested in virtual education, we are excited to partner with the Carolinas GCSA and dozens of other chapters across the country, as well as the British International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA), to bring you virtual education this fall and winter.

Conference Comes to You is a series of 30 talks over 30 weekdays beginning November 2nd (taking one week off for Thanksgiving).

More information about the program, including how to register and get our chapter discount, will be emailed to our members very soon.

Visit conferencecomestoyou.org for more information!

GCSAA knows your lives and businesses have been affected by the global COVID-19 Pandemic. While there is no lack of general information about the virus and its widespread impact, we wanted to provide you with resources specific to golf and business operations to assist you as golfers get back on the course. Check back as resources will be added regularly. 

GCSAA Back2Golf Resources

Many GCSAA members have had their lives impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The GCSAA Disaster Relief Fund is now providing financial assistance to those affected by the crisis.

GCSAA will provide up to $500 to members who have experienced the loss of their jobs, layoffs or have been unable to work due to the effects of COVID-19. Funds can be used for items such as, but not limited, to groceries, medication, fuel, personal bills and childcare.

Any GCSAA member is eligible for this assistance, excluding the Friend of the Golf Course Superintendent classification.

• Assistance will be processed on a first-come, first serve basis. Members must contact GCSAA at 800-472-7878 or email mbrhelp@gcsaa.org.
• Members are also welcome to submit names of GCSAA members they may know who need assistance.

GCSAA's goal is to provide financial assistance as quickly as possible.

Donations made to the fund are an opportunity for those in the golf industry to directly assist their peers and are tax deductible. The fund is administered through GCSAA's philanthropic organization, the Environmental Institute for Golf. You can donate today at https://environmental-institute-for-golf.snwbll.com/disaster-relief-fund-giving-portal or by texting Disaster to 785-693-2593 and following the link in the response.

Visit https://www.gcsaa.org/about-gcsaa/gcsaa-disaster-relief-fund for more information.

In response to yesterday’s Stay at Home Order issued by the Ohio Governor’s office and Ohio’s Department of Health, we have been seeking clarification on whether golf courses can remain open for play. Today, we received confirmation that golf courses may remain open for play under Section 5, Part C of the Stay at Home Order, as long as they can comply with Social Distancing Requirements as outlined in Section 15.

To view the Stay at Home Order in its entirety, click here.

Social distancing requirements as outlined by the Director’s Stay at Home Order include:

• Maintaining a distance of at least six feet between individuals

• Having hand sanitizer and sanitizing products readily available for employees and customers

• Implementing separate hours for elderly and vulnerable customers

• Posting online whether a facility is open and how to best reach the facility and continue services by phone or remotely (applicable to tee time reservations and checking in)

Additionally, maintenance for golf courses can proceed under Section 12, Part K as they are providing services necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation and essential operation of an Essential Activity as previously outlined (Section 5, Part C).

While we are pleased to be able to provide a bit of clarity to this situation, please do not take this as an endorsement or requirement for courses to open. We believe that a course should make its own decision as to whether or not they would like to operate during these uncertain times. Courses should only open for play if they are certain that they can provide a safe environment for their employees and customers by complying with the social distancing requirements and proper sanitation of their equipment and common areas.

If you would like additional clarification regarding the Stay at Home Order as it relates to your business, we would encourage you to contact your counsel or local health department.

We hope that you will continue to make decisions that are in the best interest of your health and the health of your employees, customers, friends, and family.

Be safe out there!

Sincerely,

Brian J Laurent

Well, that was quick!  I must admit, I was a little apprehensive about serving as the Central Ohio GCSA’s President.  When I joined the board in 2014, I had full intentions of being involved and serving our association’s board as a committee member that was willing to do whatever was needed.  Then, two years in, President Carl Wittenauer and Vice President Mike Takach looked at me in a board meeting and said “you're next….are you up for it??”.  My response was yes, but in my mind I was thinking this was crazy.  I was somewhat new to my job and still had a lot to tackle at my property which included several larger projects, furthermore, my wife and I just had our first son (life is just too busy to do this right now….right?).  But deep down I knew that these were just excuses that I was making for myself to try to avoid something I was a little unsure of.

I was always told that if there was something that you were uncomfortable with, public speaking in this case, continue to expose yourself to it.  And sure enough, that was the case, as time went on the uncertainty disappeared.  So in the end, I'm the one that really benefited from this commitment in so many ways.  The apprehension of public speaking was the biggest hurdle, the rest was a cake walk.  Our association has been led by years of great leaders and we are currently run by a board of passionate members, so all I really had to do was steer the proverbial ship.

I feel like I’m leaving the association in at the very least the same condition that I received it, if not even a little improved.  We have made some slight tweaks over the last couple of years that I hope have added to members' experiences.  I am also confident that the association is being turned over to somebody that will do great work.  This isn’t the first time that Chris Allender has taken over for me, but if it’s anything like the first, I think Central Ohio GCSA can expect big things.

Although it flew by, the last two years were great and I’d like to thank everybody for their support, words of encouragement and the opportunity to serve the association.  I look forward to continuing to serve the board, but now as a member of a very prestigious group (of which I’m very PROUD to be a part of)....Central Ohio GCSA Past President!

Sincerely,
Matt Doran
Superintendent, The Links at Groveport
Past President, COGCSA

As I have touched on in the past, and I know nearly all of you would agree, our industry is built on a strong community. Although it has evolved with society over the years, it is still one of the most important features of our industry. Whether if it’s the vendor/user, fellow superintendents, sports turf/golf or student/superintendent the relationship is always composed of one key trait...sharing. Sharing of issues, methods, solutions, mistakes, you name it, we’re always learning from one another. 

The evolution has taken us from face to face encounters at association meetings, phone calls and/or visits to a more technological approach that includes the internet and social media. Although I think we all understand the value of the interaction on a personal level, our schedules (both work and personal) have become jam packed, so social media and the internet have become a big part of maintaining that community.

Last fall it seemed as though we were going to lose one of our key industry leaders when it comes to relationships. Brian Laurent reluctantly decided to walk away from his position with the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation, one that he excelled in. The one thing most of us took for granted with Brian, was how he treated everybody not only as professionals but also as friends. In addition, he is extremely creative and passionate about all forms of media and has been very innovative when it comes to strengthening our professional image and our industry’s future.

Fortunately, we won’t have to worry about that lacking from our industry as he just couldn’t walk away from the relationships he has built and the industry/game he has grown up with. Brian’s new venture, Ohio Superintendent Network, will help maintain that strong community of sharing and lead our industry in the right direction with education and content that will help make all of us better professionals.  As with anything, you will only get out of it what you put into it.  So participate at whatever level you’d like, at minimum I suggest being an observer by subscribing.

However, I would encourage all of you to participate when called upon, not only do we owe it to Brian, but by sharing you will make each of us better professionals/people and continue to strengthen our community of sharing.

And finally, the cherry on the top (at the very least in my opinion), Brian will continue as Executive Director of the Central Ohio GCSA. So if you haven’t already, check out OSN at www.ohiosuperintendentnetwork.com. And on behalf of the Central Ohio GCSA I’d like to wish Brian the best of luck with his new…“job”.

Sincerely,

Matt Doran
President, Central Ohio GCSA
Superintendent, The Links at Groveport