GCSAA Elects New President

David S. Downing II, CGCS, vice president of operations and construction for Signature Golf Group in Myrtle Beach, S.C., was elected president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) at the association's annual meeting February 1.

The annual meeting was held in conjunction with the recent GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show in Orlando. Downing will serve until the 2009 annual meeting, February 6 in New Orleans.

Elected as vice president was Mark D. Kuhns, CGCS, director of grounds at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. James R. Fitzroy, CGCS, director/superintendent at Wollaston Recreational Facility/Presidents Golf Club in North Quincy, Mass., was elected secretary/treasurer.

Sanford G. Queen, CGCS, manager of golf operations for the city of Overland Park, Kan., and Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, director of golf course maintenance operations at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, were re-elected to the board.

Robert M. Randquist, CGCS, director of golf course and grounds at Boca Rio Golf Club in Boca Raton, Fla., and Keith A. Ihms, CGCS at Country Club of Little Rock in Little Rock, Ark., both enter the second year of their terms as directors. Ricky D. Heine, CGCS, general manager and director of grounds at the Golf Club Star Ranch in Austin, Texas, will serve on the board for one year as immediate past president.

John J. O'Keefe, CGCS, director of golf course management at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, N.J., was appointed to the board of directors, filling the remaining year of Fitzroy's term, created by his election to secretary/treasurer.

The GCSAA Education Conference was a vital resource as a record 8,004 seats were sold for the 121 seminars. That compares with the 7,086 seats filled last year in Anaheim. Content for the seminars focused on the professional development of attendees, including personal skills (finances, time management, quality of work/family life); leadership (teamwork, professionalism); communications (administration, management, scientific content, outreach); operations management (financial management, resource allocation, regulatory compliance); and resource utilization (staff, materials, equipment, golf course). An additional 50 hours of panel discussions, sessions and forums that touched on such subjects as diversity, media/public relations, environmental compliance, etc., were offered.

"Continuing education has become an absolute necessity for golf course superintendents," Downing said. "Not only is it important for their professional development, but for the success of the golf facility as well. I believe the quality of the programs and the number of attendees is a testament to the importance golf course superintendents and employers place on GCSAA programs."

One of the highlights from the GCSAA Education Conference was the 14th annual Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition, won by the Iowa State University team of Adam Hebbel, Matt Hoffman, Shane Brockhoff and Brad Johnson, as the Cyclones took home their seventh straight title. The Turf Bowl challenges students from universities/institutions in areas of turfgrass growth and development, mathematics, identification of soils, diseases, weeds and insects as well as turfgrass species. The exam also allows teams to collaborate on the case study portion and submit an essay that addresses business management - facets of the golf course superintendent profession, while emphasizing the importance of communication skills. The second-, third- and fifth-place teams were from Purdue, while Connecticut, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Wisconsin and Florida rounded out the top 10, as a record 341 students from 92 teams participated in the competition.

Seth Strickland, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Miami Shores Country Club in south Florida, fired three straight 4-under-par rounds of 68 to win the 2008 GCSAA National Championship on the Independence Course at Ginn Reunion Resort in Orlando, Fla. His 12-under-par total of 204 is the lowest total winning score in the tournament's 58-year history. Strickland won the 2005 GCSAA title, also conducted in Orlando.

In other news, World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman was presented with the Old Tom Morris Award by the GCSAA. Also, CEO Steve Mona said farewell to the association after 14 years at the helm. He will begin his new post as CEO of the World Golf Foundation next month.