Greenside APR 2015 Low Res

The Best Show
On Earth
I have been attending the American Golf Industry Show (GIS) for
seven years and every year I feel that it gets better and better.
By Trevor Dargan
Woodenbridge Golf Club
At the beginning I used to attend full day seminars and would be
mentally drained at the end of each day, as the information you
get is quite heavy and you need to be 100% into your chosen
topic. Then I moved onto doing two half day seminars in order to try
and cover as many subjects as possible. This is not for everyone, as the
subjects covered are varied and spread over numerous subjects, and
there are too many to mention in this article. There is something for
everyone and everything. There isn’t a golf course related topic that is
not covered somewhere in GIS and if, by chance, you don’t find what
you are looking for you can always suggest your interested topic is
included at next year’s show.
Looking back now, I wish had planned my education days a lot better
and targeted areas which needed the most information relating to
my course for the coming season, and not just picking a seminar on
matters that I had personal feelings for. Now it’s so different. I plan,
or target, what I want out of each show, be it from the educational
seminars or the trade show. As this show is probably the biggest you
will ever see that is strictly golf course related, you need a plan.
Entrance to the GIS
According to GCSAA figures,12,400 people attended the show with
551 exhibitors renting 182,000 square feet. This is amazing considering
the dip in our recession. Credit must go to the GCSAA; their standards
and drive never drops. This event is about showing what is great and
good about our industry. It is like Disneyland for greenkeepers. All
machinery needs are covered, as the big companies have huge stands,
all equally impressive. Nothing is left to chance. They have it all. The
chemical and fertilizer companies have a one stop shop right there.
Their knowledge has to be commended. Gone are the days of just
trying to push stuff onto you. The technical end is covered thoroughly
before you even get a chance to discuss costs. For any assistant
superintendent these are great places to pick up that much needed
information on products.
While in America I went to Chicago as a stopover before heading to
San Antonio, mainly because I got a chance to visit Medinah, the venue
Left: Fintan Brennan, Mick Brennan, Ray Brennan exhibiting at their
Greenstester stand in GIS
for the 2012 Ryder Cup. Nothing could prepare you for a visit to such a
magnificent place. Even though it was under snow, it was not what we
went to see - it was the fantastic clubhouse and maintenance facility. We
were shown around by Dane, one of the three course superintendents.
He is a brilliant guy and has a mind full of information. He answered
all the tricky questions you would expect us to ask. If you ever want to
see record keeping at its best you should go there to see the ‘Bible of
Medinah’ as they keep a record of everything and add it into a binder
which is now 100mm plus thick, dating from 2009 to the present. It is
kept so that no matter what superintendent is in charge of what course,
they know exactly what, when, and how much product was applied.
During our stay in San Antonio we had the pleasure of meeting up with
Turfnet and Jon Kiger. It was a special meeting as Turfnet treated us like
the European team arriving to play golf against their American team.
Thank you Jon. All of the Irish team played great matches, but more
importantly made some new friends. Our Irish team won the match by
one point. We brought the coveted Hurley trophy back home again but
we look forward to playing the Americans in the Island Golf Club later
in the year. I hear on the grape vine that Turfnet are drafting in some
big guns to try and take the Hurley back to the US.
Finally, as a little island, we have a lot to be proud of. Our golfers are
taking on the world, of which we are a big part. Shane Lowery didn’t
learn his golf in Florida or Padraig Harrington in Augusta, but instead
on our very own member’s courses in Esker Hills and Stackstown
respectively. When I was at GIS I saw many Irish people trying to
make it in the new world of America such as Fintan Brennan and
his Greenstester. Well done to Fintan, his son Mick and brother Ray
for showing what is good about our Irish industry and showing the
knowledge of Irish greenkeeping in a positive light… If you want to
know more about the GIS contact the GCSAA. You can also email me
at trevordargan@inbox.com Thank you.
www.gcsai.org 18