Archive for December, 2009

By Stephen Tucker, www.igcema.org founder
Equipment manager at the Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club, Bradenton, Fla

I’ve received quite a few requests from superintendents who were going to be interviewing new
equipment managers and wanted to know what they should look for and how to tell if the person they
are hiring is the right fit for their property. Here are some important interview questions for superintendents to understand what type of technician they’re getting:

What are some career goals you’d like to reach in the next five years?

With this question, you’re looking to find out if the person is goal oriented; typically, successful people
set goals. While listening to the candidates’ responses, see if any of the attributes they tell you correspond with what you’re looking for in the position. For instance, if one of my goals were to achieve a certification, you would be able to recognize that I’m motivated and interested in learning more about my profession. If I said I wanted to make $150,000 a year, you’d know that my drive would
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Dear fellow members,

The California Golf Course Superintendents Association is proud and excited to present our Annual California Room Hospitality Suite on Wednesday February 10, 2010. The location selected is the Hilton San Diego Bayfront conveniently located next to the Convention Center, the site of the GCSAA GIS conference and walking distance to the Gas Lamp District. Our gathering will be held at the “Vela” restaurant located in the Hilton hotel. This location offers ample floor space to accommodate the large number of Golf Course Superintendents and Industry Partners normally in attendance when held in our home state. Along with the beautiful décor and spacious facilities, the Vela restaurant also offers an outdoor patio with fire pits, heat lamps and seating overlooking the bay. Several bar locations will be set up as well as a buffet bar with a variety of heavy appetizers. The Hilton will provide a convenient and comfortable setting for industry peer networking and socializing.

The cost to secure a room to hold in upwards of 700 people for an event of this magnitude can be substantial. In order to secure this location there is a minimum fee of $38,750. When the cost of drinks and food is added up it can be a daunting task to raise the funds to pay for such an event. In past years this event has been complimentary for CGCSA members, wives or significant others who attend this event. The Hospitality suite was funded primarily by our industry partners who purchase sponsorships to pay for the costs. Unfortunately in this economic climate we will be unable to fund this solely by our fellow vendors. They have been very gracious in the past and we will be calling on them again to assist us by purchasing sponsorships that provide attractive advertising opportunities.
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By Teddy Rosztoczy, AA Equipment

First and foremost, a belated Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hopefully everyone had a fun, safe holiday weekend. Furthermore, a preemptive Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to everyone as the holiday season is upon us. Over Thanksgiving weekend San Diego finally received some rain, which was a nice change from the cold, dry, windy winter we’ve had thus far. Hopefully we’ll continue to see more rain moving forward. Speaking of moving forward, the SDGCSA has two of its biggest events coming up this December, plus another major event in January.

The annual Ray Spardy Memorial Golf Tournament benefitting scholarship and research will be held once again at Steele Canyon Golf Club on Thursday, December 10th. Thanks to all our membership who have contributed to our scholarship and research fund either through raffle prizes, sponsorships, or simply by signing up for our tournament. It should be another great event!
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By Brendon Reaksecker, Bonita GC

This morning I put on my beige Prudential polyester work pants and was pleasantly surprised to find that the belt hole I used to keep them on was the same belt hole I used before the Thanksgiving weekend. Reflecting on the weekend I have much to be thankful for and I hope everyone had the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the things that mean the most in life to them.

For me, it was noticing the smiling faces of my boys, holding my loving wife’s hand as we walked across a parking lot and appreciating that I have the health to work and play with the people that are close to my heart. If your belt hole changed this Thanksgiving don’t fret. You have 4 weeks before Christmas!

It feels like 2010 is already upon us. Let’s enjoy December and finish the year with a bang! On December 10th the 12th Annual Ray Spardy Memorial SDGCSA Scholarship and Research Golf Tournament will be held at Steele Canyon Golf Club. The sponsorships and sign-ups have been rolling in over the past couple weeks. Please register if you have not already done so by visiting the www.sdgcsa.com website, Events tab. continue