Gordon Witteveen, 1934-2010

One of the founders of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association has passed away. Gordon Witteveen was 76.

Mr. Witteveen was born in the Netherlands and came to Canada in 1954 at the age of 20, where he attended the Ontario Agricultural College and earned a science degree in 1958.

During summer vacations, he worked at the Noranda Mines Golf Club in western Quebec and became superintendent of the London Highland Golf Club in Ontario, where he stayed for three years before moving to Northwood Country Club near Toronto.

It was during his time at Northwood that Witteveen became involved in the founding of the CGSA and GreenMaster Magazine.

In 1973, he moved to the Board of Trade Country Club in Woodbridge, Ont., before designing an additional nine-hole short course there. In 1999, he retired and operated the nine-hole Pleasant View Golf Course near Brantford, Ont., until 2008.

Below are some of his accomplishments:

• Founding director of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association and member (1966)
• Founding editor of CGSA’s GreenMaster Magazine and later a featured columnist
• President of CGSA (1970)
• GCSAA Board member (1973-1977)
• CGSA’s Superintendent of the Year (1983)
• CGSA’s John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award Winner (1999)
• Co-author, Keeping the Green in Canada A History of Golf Course Management 2008.

A donation will be made in Gordon’s memory to the CGSA Scholar’s Fund, which is used to support future turf professionals in completing their studies.

A private funeral is be held in Toronto, with a memorial service planned for after the holidays at the Board of Trade Country Club in Woodbridge.

Would You Rethink Your Course?

You may want to rethink your approach to bunkers, trees and forward tees at your golf course.

GreenMaster, the digital magazine of the Canadian Golf Course Superintendents Association, offers food for thought in its latest issue with this story by Jeff Mingay, entitled Designing Greens. How Following Architectural Trends Can Improve Your Course.

You can read that story by clicking here.

Register Early For Turfgrass Convention/Show

Registration is now being taken for the 2011 Canadian International Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show being held March 4-8 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, which will feature a dozen day-long seminars featuring a wide range of national issues from bio-stimulants to pesticide reduction to nutrient management.

Over 50 hours of education programming are on the agenda at the conference and trade show, which will also feature “scan your badge” technology to facilitate collection of continuing education credits. Show hours have also been extended.

For more information on the Canadian International Turfgrass Convention and Trade Show, click here

Service Your Records

In the latest issue of GreenMaster, the publication of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, Warren Wybenga, equipment manager at the Donalda Club in Toronto, discusses the importance of accurate, up-to-date record-keeping and how to make the entire process more manageable.

To check out the digital version of the story Service Your Records, click here.

Drawing Up A “Greenprint”

The establishment of an environmental management plan is the topic of an article written by Dean Piller of the Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria.

Piller starts at the beginning in the article Drawing Up A “Greenprint,” in the latest edition of GreenMaster, the magazine of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.

You can read the digital version of that story by clicking here. It’s on Page 18.

Awards Deadline Coming Up

November 30^th is the deadline for Canadian Golf Superintendents Association awards such as the CGSA/Toro Environmental Achievement Award, Student Scholars Awards and the Gordon Witteveen GreenMaster Superintendent Authored Article of the Year.

For more information, e-mail Lori Micucci at lmicucci@golfsupers.com.

CGSA Announces 2010 Winners

The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association announced its 2010 award winners at its annual Fall Field Day in Banff, Alta., on Monday.

Dean Piller of the Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria was named Superintendent of the Year, while Adam Graham, an irrigation technician/foreman at Predator Ridge in Vernon, B.C. was named Future Superintendent of the Year.

Ashley LeGeyt, a retired and life member of the CGSA, was the recipient of the John B. Steel Award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of golf course superintendents.

The CGSA also announced the winner of the President’s Scholarship Award, a post-secondary award to recognize the scholastic accomplishments of students who are children or grandchildren of a CGSA member and are enrolled in the first year of a full-time, post-secondary education program.

The 2010 recipient is Michael Kupchanko, son of Mike Kupchanko of the Wascana Country Club in Regina, who will be taking Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina.

For more on the 2010 winners, click here.

Veteran Superintendent Leaving Royal Mayfair

After 30 years with Royal Mayfair in Edmonton, Debbie Amirault is leaving the club to pursue other interests.

Besides her duties at the club, she has also spent the last five years on the board of directors of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association. She currently sits as vice president and will assume the role of president from Greg Holden next year.

“I am confident that the Royal Mayfair Golf Club is in a very good position to take on the long range plan that has been approved for the club and that my tenure has resulted in many improvements to the golf course and its infrastructure,” said Amirault.

“I am looking forward to taking on some exciting new challenges over the next few months and years and to continuing my involvement on the CGSA Board of Directors”, she added.

Although no specific plans have been announced, Royal Mayfair has indicated that it plans to honour Amirault’s accomplishments at the club.

The Doctor Retires And Other Notes

 As I mentioned in a previous blog in this little corner of GNN, I recently played in an annual event played in memory of the late Rick Fraser, a Toronto Star and Toronto Sun sportswriter who was admired as much for his bluster and personality as he was for his admirable prose.

It was the final playing of The Fraz, as the tournament was known, as Fraser’s colleagues would gather to shank shots, hoist a few cold ones and tell often-exaggerated stories.  One of the regulars was summoned for a few thoughts as the last Fraz wound down at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club in Mississauga, Ont.

Star columnist Dave Perkins has the appearance of Bluto of Popeye fame, but underneath that rough exterior and his no-holds-barred opinions beats the heart that is a prerequisite for a touching tribute to Fraser and the duties he performed in his long tenure at the Star. Read more

Register Now For Fall Field Day

There are still a limited number of rooms available at the Banff Springs Hotel for the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association’s annual Fall Field Day on Monday, Sept. 13.

The special rate for CGSA members is $189 per room, per night plus applicable taxes and a $10 a night service charge. Call 1-800-441-1414 and identify yourself as a CGSA member to reserve a room.

A full field of golfers will tee off at 9 a.m, with the awards dinner scheduled for 6 p.m. Golfers will also have the opportunity to play prior to the Fall Field Day in a nine-hole best ball tournament. Cost is $79 and golfers must be registered for the Fall Field Day.

On Sunday, Sept. 12, a seminar will be conducted by Larry Gihuly, the Northwest Regional Director of the United States Golf Association on topics such as why golf courses should not attempt to achieve true championship conditions for regular play and controlling Canada Geese with a laser.

For more information on the entire Fall Field Day, see the website, www.golfsupers.com.

Responsible Wildlife Management

With increased urbanization, exposure to wildlife is on the rise, leading to golf course damage and more incidents of chance meetings with the public and staff members.

What’s the best way to deal with wildlife issues, while maintaining a healthy balance with the environment? The new July/August issue of GreenMaster, the digital magazine of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, delves into this matter.

You can read it by clicking here.

CGSA Deadlines Approaching

Canadian Golf Superintendents Association membership invoices have been mailed and those who pay their first renewal invoice prior to June 30 will have their names entered into a draw to win a $1,500 conference registration package for the 2011 Canadian International Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver.

The package includes an all-inclusive registration, two pre-conference seminars and five nights accommodation.

Members have the option of paying online at www.golfsupers.com. For more information or if members have not received their renewal notices, contact Lori Micucci, manager of member services, at (905) 602-8873 or 1-800-387-1056, ext. 226, or by e-mail at lmicucci@golfsupers.com.

June 30 is also the renewal date for members due to recertify for either their Master Superintendent or Accredited Golf Superintendent designations, as well as nominations for the President’s Scholarship Awards.
Nominations deadline for the John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award is July 1.

Strategic Planning Requires Dialogue, Education

Superintendents must be educators and communicators as part of the strategic planning process for renovations to their golf courses, including dialogue with stakeholders such as members and municipalities in which their facilities are located.

This article, written by Robin Stafford in the May/June digital edition of GreenMaster, illustrates the importance of strategic planning at the Islington Golf Club in Toronto, which is in the final stages of a multi-million renovation.

This story has qualified for consideration for the Gord Witteveen Superintendent Authored Article of the Year Award, which is presented to the superintendent or assistant superintendent whose published article is judged the best by a panel of peers.

You can read it here.

The Road Less Traveled

Greg Holden, the incoming president of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, took a less-than-traditional route to his current position, but it’s one that taught him a few things along the way.

Holden’s story is in the May/June 2010 digital edition of the CGSA’s GreenMaster Magazine. You can read his story by clicking here.

Where Are They Now? Vince Gillis

Vince Gillis, the former executive director of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, is leading an active retirement, traveling Canada and the United States by train and volunteering with the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Gillis spent 13 years as executive director and his efforts made him the winner of the 2009 John B. Steel Distinguished Service Award.

Catch up with Vince in the March / April issue of the GreenMaster digital magazine by clicking here.

Managing Student Help

The annual spring rite of hiring seasonal workers is upon us in the golf industry, but student help can be a wild card. How do you maximize their potential?

Jamie Robb is under consideration for the 2010 Gord Witteveen Superintendent Authored Article of the Year Award for his contribution Managing Student Help, which appears in the March/April 2010 digital edition of GreenMaster Magazine, the official publication of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.

All aspects of a golf operation may get something out of this article. You can read it here.

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