15(4) - June 30, 2010

Tarandowah Golfers Club offers a taste of links golf in the heart of southern Ontario farm country.

Ontario Experiencing Weather Extremes

The weather so far this season has been one of extremes. Hot to cold and dry to wet. Heavy rainfall over the past weekend swelled many creeks and rivers and some golf courses have experienced flooding. The forecast for Canada Day and the following weekend is warm and dry so hopefully things will dry up although by Sunday the heat and humidity could increase disease pressure.

Tarandowah Golfers Club

One of the most pleasant aspects of my job is the opportunity to attend various industry events around the province and in the summer that means the occasional golf game. I had the pleasure of attending the Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association June event at Tarandowah Golfers Club, a relatively new course located east of London, just south of the 401 on Putnam Road.

While many courses attempt to emulate the links style of design, very few carry it out as effectively as Tarandowah. Designed by noted English architect Dr. Martin Hawtree, who recently did the redesign work at Toronto Golf Club, Tarandowah truly makes you think about every shot and where you want to be. The course is very challenging but the unique design features, in particular the bunkering and green complexes, give a very accurate links experience even though the every present breeze is blowing in off an adjacent soybean field rather than the Firth of Forth. Superintendent Dan Lavis and his team have done a great job of developing and maintaining the course. The course truly provides the advertised "pure golf" experience.

Build Your Network Through Regional Event Participation

Regional superintendent association meetings provide a great opportunity to get out and see another course in your area as well as discuss your challenges with other local industry professionals and suppliers. In addition to organizing numerous provincial events, the OGSA maintains a comprehensive list of regional associations. The time you spend participating in OGSA and regional events is extremely valuable in building and maintaining your network of professional contacts.

Summer Research Field Day

Registration is now open for the GTI Summer Research Field Day to be held on Thursday, August 19th. Please follow this link for more information and registration details. The day will feature the official opening of the new GTI Turfgrass Display Garden, research plot tours, a delicious barbecue lunch and the option of participating in one of two afternoon workshops - one covering IPM practices for the golf maintenance professionals and the other alternative management techniques for lawn care operators and sports field managers. Both workshops will include a hands-on outdoor component. The plot tours and IPM Workshop will be eligible for IPM CEC credit.

Interested suppliers are invited to participate as well. Limited equipment and product demonstration and display space will be available. There are also sponsorship opportunities for lunch and refreshments. If you are interested, please contact Rob Witherspoon by phone 519-824-4120 ext. 56886 or by email.

Turf Club Golf Tournament Announcement

Mark your calendars now for the annual Turf Club Golf Tournament to be held on Friday, September 24th at the Wildwinds Golf Club in Fergus, ON. The tournament is organized by the student run Turf Club and all students, alumni and friends of the University of Guelph turfgrass program are invited to attend. If you are interested in participating and/or being a sponsor of the event, please contact either Matt Eastman or Mika Pehkohnen for more details.

Guelph Turf Jobs

Looking for a change? Interested in keeping on top of new industry opportunities? Sign up for the Guelph Turf Jobs automatic email position listing service. It is easy to sign on, you can sign off at any time and best of all, it is free of charge. To sign up, simply click on this link which should open a new email message in your email program and just click on the send button. If by some error of technology this fails to happen on your computer, just send an email to listserv@listserv.uoguelph.ca and include the following line in your message SUBSCRIBE GUELPH-TURF-JOBS followed by your name (i.e. - SUBSCRIBE GUELPH-TURF-JOBS Bill Smith).

If you have a job posting you would like to distribute to the list, just sent is as an email or email attachment to robwith@uoguelph.ca. The list includes all graduating students, recent graduates, many alumni and other active turf professionals.

Upcoming Industry Events

July 6
Georgian Bay Golf Superintendents Association
July Meeting
Muskoka Highlands Golf Club

July 12
OGSA Presidents' Day Tournament
Brampton Golf & Country Club
For more information call OGSA at 877 824-6472
or email ogsa@gti.uoguelph.ca

July 22
4th Annual OGSA Seniors Golf Tournament
Mono Hills Golf Club
For more information 1-705-252-3932

July 22
Western Ontario Golf Superintendents Association
July Meeting
Glendale Golf & Country Club