Posted on

OGA-OGCSA Superintendent Spotlight: Craig Hilty of Rogue Valley CC

The OGA-OGCSA Superintendent Spotlight is a new monthly feature which highlights one of the many outstanding superintendents across Oregon and Southwest Washington. The course superintendent does the yeoman’s work – they’re tabbed with keeping our region’s green grass facilites in top notch shape. Make sure to follow this monthly special to learn a little bit more about these unsung heroes.

This month we shine the spotlight on Craig Hilty, who is in his 16th year with Rogue Valley Country Club in Medford, Ore.

Describe your facility in 10 words or less: 
A 27 hole Country Club in beautiful Southern Oregon!

What is a little-known fact / fun fact about your facility? 
Annually host The Southern Oregon Golf Championship, the largest Amateur Match-Play tournament held on a single course in the U.S.

What is your best 18-hole score at your facility? 
Let’s just say I’m not challenging any course records 🙂

What’s the biggest challenge your facility presents to you as superintendent?
Finding creative ways to continually improve our property with with a budget that is never quite enough.

What led you down the path of becoming a superintendent?
After working three years maintenance in High School, I couldn’t believe a job this fun could be a career!

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve witnessed or done as a superintendent?
Watching a Workman MXD float across the pond- Who knew the plastic bed would be so buoyant!

Do you have a superintendent dog? 
Yes – Charlie who is a Dachshund-Shepard mix (don’t ask me how that works). He’s a one-year old who serves as the club mascot / goose and widgeon chaser.

Ducks, Beavers or other? 
WAZZU

Grapes, hops or milkshake? 
Hoppy

Tiger or Phil? 
Lefty

Jack or Arnie? 
Jack

Excluding your current facility, what is your favorite golf course? 
Bandon Dunes- All of them, but I will always be patial to the original Bandon Dunes Course

What’s your favorite tool in your tool box? 
My trusty soil moisture probe

What’s your favorite major tournament?
U.S. Open

Let’s say there’s a three-day weekend coming up—what are you going to do? 
Take the travel trailer and family up in the mountains, outside of cell range!

What would you invent right now to make your professional life easier?
A clone to sit in committee and board meetings.

If you could change a Rule of Golf to make your life easier, what would that be? 
Wow, way more than one rule, it needs simplified to loose the pretentious feel and anything to speed play up.

If your owner decided to plow up your course and make it a farm. What crops would you suggest? 
Grapes, becoming a viticulturist sounds interesting.

How much sand do you accidentally take home in your socks over the course of a year? 
4.75 tons

Who is your idol in the golf world? 
Bob Barker!

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to become a superintendent? 
Be transparent with yourself, staff, members and the Superintendent profession will reward you each and every day!

——-

The Oregon Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is dedicated to providing education, a forum for communication, and the enhancement of the image of its members. The Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association will be viewed as an organization that promotes the growth and enhancement of golf, provides networking opportunities to all members, encourages leadership and professional development opportunities, supports environmental stewardship, notes the importance of research and development to provide exceptional playing conditions.

Click Here to Learn More About the OGCSA

Posted on

OGA, USGA Enter New Regional Golf Association Alliance

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J. ­­– Fifty-nine regional golf associations, including the Oregon Golf Association, have entered into a new relationship with the United States Golf Association to enhance the golfer experience at the state and local levels in the United States.

These Allied Golf Associations (AGAs), supported by the USGA’s five existing regional affairs offices, will administer the USGA Handicap and Course Rating Systems within defined geographic areas across the country. In addition, they will serve as the community’s primary resource for USGA services such as championship qualifiers, governance, golf facility support and programs that help grow and improve the long-term health of the game.

“Regional golf associations are the lifeblood of the golf community and the USGA,” said Mike Davis, USGA CEO. “We felt that now was the best time to formalize this new alliance, in the spirit of working together on grassroots programs, improving how we serve golfers and providing a healthy foundation from which the entire golf community can grow.”

Newly recognized AGAs were identified through a nearly year-long discovery process that encouraged collaboration among existing golf organizations within each state and region, sharing best practices and leveraging programs that have made a positive impact.

The resulting relationship will enable AGAs to provide a variety of competitive playing opportunities that engage more golfers of all levels within their region. The AGAs will also serve as local experts for education on topics such as modernizing golf’s rules, the new World Handicap System and related governance functions.

Each AGA will also have direct access to USGA research, funding for programs such as USGA P.J. Boatwright Internships, data and technology, additional expertise to better serve the health of golf facilities and support of national grow-the-game initiatives including PLAY9.

One of the alliance’s most significant benefits to golfers will be the centralized computation of USGA Handicap Indexes in the United States to improve efficiency, consistency and governance oversight. The move to a more modernized, digital platform will also empower Allied Golf Associations to more deeply engage golfers within their community through rich, real-time player data.

An AGA Council has been formed to share information, help ongoing service delivery and provide continuous feedback directly to the USGA to better serve golfers and golf clubs. The 12-member council consists of AGA executive directors who will represent regions and markets throughout the United States. This council includes OGA Chief Executive Officer, Barb Trammell.

The alliance marks the latest step by the USGA to more deeply engage the local and regional golf community. It complements the USGA’s existing presence in all five major golf regions in the United States – Northeast, Great Lakes, Southeast, Central and West – where dedicated Regional Affairs directors currently serve in residence.

In addition to its five Regional Affairs directors, the USGA also supports golf clubs and facilities through the USGA Green Section, providing agronomic expertise through 13 regional offices.

Posted on

OGA-OGCSA Superintendent Spotlight – January 2018

The OGA-OGCSA Superintendent Spotlight is a new monthly feature which highlights one of the many outstanding superintendents across Oregon and Southwest Washington. The course superintendent does the yeoman’s work – they’re tabbed with keeping our region’s green grass facilites in top notch shape. Make sure to follow this monthly special to learn a little bit more about these unsung heroes.

This month’s edition features Rory Allison, who is wrapping up his first year as superintendent at RiverRidge Golf Course in Eugene.

Describe your facility in 10 words or less: 
A daily fee golf course that is fun to play.

What is a little-known fact / fun fact about your facility? 
We are Audobon Certified.

What’s the biggest challenge your facility presents to you as superintendent?
Producing quality playing conditions without breaking the bank.

What led you down the path of becoming a superintendent? 
I am an avid outdoorsman who likes organization, being a superintendent you get to incorporate both.

What’s the most interesting thing you’ve witnessed or done as a superintendent? 
Watch an employee drive a cart into a lake.

Do you have a superintendent dog? 
Yes, I have two that rotate turns coming to work. Maile and Pua (they are from Hawaii).

Ducks, Beavers or other?
I live in Eugene, I have to go with the Ducks.

Grapes, hops or milkshake?
Hops for the most part, Grapes on occasion.

Tiger or Phil? 
Tiger, he put the Wow in golf for a long time.

Jack or Arnie?
I love vintage Arnie, he was classy.

Excluding your current facility, what is your favorite golf course?
Kukio, on the Big Island of Hawaii.

What is your best 18-hole score at your facility? 
Withheld to protect the innocent.

What’s your favorite tool in your tool box?
I use my pocket knife for everything.

What’s your favorite major tournament?
U.S. Open

Let’s say there’s a three-day weekend coming up—what are you going to do?
I am getting outside in the wilderness. Activity dictated by what season we are in.

What would you invent right now to make your professional life easier?
Self driving golf carts that keep them in the right areas.

If your owner decided to plow up your course and make it a farm. What crops would you suggest?
I am a vegetable lover. Tomatoes and peppers.

Who is your idol in the golf world? 
The guys who changes holes at the Masters every year. That takes some skills.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to become a superintendent? 
Know that being a superintendent is more about employee management then it is about growing grass.

——-

Click here to learn more about the OGCSA

Posted on

Cole Madey and Lara Tennant Named 2017 OGA Golfers of the Year

WOODBURN, ORE. ­­– Cole Madey (West Linn, Ore.) and Lara Tennant (Portland, Ore.) have been named the 2017 OGA Golfers of the Year, announced Friday by the Oregon Golf Association. This is the first time that the OGA has awarded both a Men’s and Women’s Golfer of the Year.

This is the first OGA Golfer of the Year honor for Madey. A junior at UCLA, Madey had a stellar 2017 season in local, regional, and national events. He began his summer by completing a wire-to-wire win at the 108th Oregon Amateur Championship, earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in match play before comfortably winning all six of his matches at his home course, The Oregon Golf Club in West Linn.

Regionally, Madey advanced to match play at the 116th PNGA Men’s Amateur Championship, held at Emerald Valley Golf & Resort. He followed up his strong performances in OGA and PNGA Championships by advancing to the round of 32 at this year’s U.S. Amateur Championship.

The 20-year-old represented the OGA at the 2017 Morse Cup competition during this year’s Pacific Coast Amateur, finishing T14 and leading the Oregon squad during the four-day event at Chambers Bay. He also compiled a T9 finish at the 2017 Sahalee Players Championship, held in Sammamish, Wash.

This is also the first OGA Golfer of the Year honor for Tennant. The 50-year-old completed an outstanding year in 2017. She compiled two wins during the summer at the 34th Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur Championship and the 29th Oregon Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Perhaps her most impressive achievement, however, came at the 2017 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, held at her home course, Waverley Country Club in Portland. Tennant earned co-medalist honors and the No. 1 seed in match play.

Tennant also finished T3 at the 2017 Oregon Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship and earned a fifth place finish at the 73rd OGA Tournament of Champions in the spring.

Both Madey and Tennant earned PNGA Player of the Year in their respective divisions, announced earlier this month.

The OGA Golfer of the Year is voted on by the OGA Tournament Committee, a group of OGA staff members, volunteers and liaisons who work with the Association to help improve and promote OGA events and playing opportunities.

Posted on

OTF Holding Annual Bandon Dunes Raffle

The Oregon Turfgrass Foundation is holding its 2017 Bandon Dunes Raffle. The winner receives two nights stay at Lily Pond Lodging (for four people) AND eight rounds of golf at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The total rewards package is valued at $3,800

Prices are $25 for an individual ticket or buy five tickets for $100. No more than 499 tickets will be sold.

The drawing is slated for Dec. 6 at the Oregon Convention Center OGCSA Pest Management Seminar. Need not be present to win.

The raffle support turfgrass research and educational programs. For tickets contact the OTF via email at otf@oregonturfgrassfoundation.org or by phone at 541-979-9473.

Posted on

OGA Announces 2017 Annual Award Recipients

GRESHAM, ORE. ­­– Every year, the OGA gives out its Annual Awards to members, clubs, PGA Professionals and more for their commitment and diligence in working with the OGA, with their community and with other allied golf organizations. These awards were presented at this year’s OGA Annual Meeting, held October 23rd at Persimmon Country Club in Gresham, Ore.

Earning Member of the Year honors was Terry “T Mac” McEvilly of Creekside Golf Club. He has volunteered thousands of hours working at OGA, USGA, and high school events, also serving on many different Creekside committees. As a Senior Rules Official, McEvilly co-writes the monthly, “Rule of the Month” feature on the OGA website. He has also made a difference working with the local Creekside community.

The Club of the Year went to Charbonneau Golf Club for their work in helping grow the game. The club itself has worked with the Wilsonville High School Girls Golf Team, giving free instruction to players and even having some students work in the pro shop. The Charbonneau Niners Club has donated over $6,000 to the girls golf team the past eight years, and has donated clubs and other materials to players.

Arrowhead Golf Club earned Facility of the Year honors, as the course hosted three OGA Championships in 2017 – The OGA Tournament of Champions, Oregon Mid-Amateur, and Women’s Interclub Play (WIP) Season Finale. The facility is widely known for its impressive playing conditions all year long, and was an excellent host to not only OGA events, but plenty of other small and large gatherings throughout the year.

The Club Executive of the Year award went to Bryce Poulin, Director of Player Development at Camas Meadows Golf Club. Poulin has focused exclusively on growing the game initiatives in the Camas community and beyond. He helped develop and create the Washington Youth Golf Academy, also traveling and visiting local elementary schools and introducing the game to young people. He’s come up with programs that include entire families, while scheduling them to fit their needs.

Peter Goodling of Club Green Meadows was honored with the Superintendent of the Year. Goodling, a third-generation superintendent, hs worked tirelessly to improve troubled spots on the course in an environmentally sensitive way, decreasing fungicide and pesticide use while restoring natural habitats and food sources for the bumble bee and other insects.

Handicap Chair of the Year honors went to Carole Prall of the McNary Women’s Golf Club. Prall, Handicap Chair for 26 years, has played golf at McNary Golf Club for 44 years, working with local club members to improve play. While she started calculating Handicap Indexes by hand, Prall now works with the OGA and McNary Golf Club in many different facets, including helping facilitate her club to play combo tees next year.

Posted on

Oregon Chapter of the GCSAA Announces Environmental Achievement Award

Christopher Condon, Director of Agronomy at Tetherow wins Environmental Award of Excellence.

Portland, Ore. (Oct 4, 2017):  The Oregon Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (OGCSA) has recognized Christopher Condon, Director of Agronomy at Tetherow as the recipient of the Michael S. Hindahl Environmental Award of Excellence.  This award will be presented On October 24, 2017 during the OGCSA Environmental Meeting at The Oregon Golf Club.

Tetherow is an Audubon International Certified Signature Sanctuary; and was the first golf course in Oregon to achieve the certification. Tetherow’s pledge to ensuring environmentally sound philosophies and practices are integrated into nearly every aspect of the course development and on-going agronomic practices that support sustainability and environmental excellence.

Chris Condon has been the driving force behind Tetherow’s environmental success. Chris has been at the golf course since first breaking ground in 2006. He has been part of every aspect of the club’s construction including the re-naturalization of the clubs natural areas. Recognition of Chris and Tetherow is well overdue.

Tetherow Features:

  • Golf course acreage totals 160 acres.
  • Tetherow is grassed with fine fescue which requires fewer inputs.
  • There are 9 acres of lakes and wetlands.
  • Nearly half of the total acres, 73 of the 160 acres, were left natural or were re-naturalized.
  • Rock piles and snags were retained to provide shelter for natural animal habitats throughout the resort.
  • First in Oregon designated as a Bronze certified signature sanctuary by Audubon International 9/17/2008
  • One-million-dollar re-naturalization project following construction
  • The club has a webpage dedicated to “The birds of Tetherow”
  • First Green host golf course
  • Working with the East Cascades Audubon Society to improve the nesting habitat for the Lewis’s woodpecker.
  • Bat boxes are placed around the course and brush piles are utilized for creating special habitats.
  • Lakes are stocked with bluegill and black crappie

About the Michael S. Hindahl Environmental Award of Excellence
Named in honor of the late Michael S. Hindahl who was a friend of the Oregon Superintendents and an environmental advocate. Hindahl had a PhD in Microbiology and worked for Oregon Health Science University researching AIDS. With a passion for golf and a desire to apply his skills to the industry, he helped the Oregon Superintendents pioneer its Environmental Stewardship Guidelines.  Just prior to his passing in 2005, Oregon Superintendents gained national notoriety by winning the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship for their work with the Guidelines.  It is the intent of the Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association to recognize superintendents and their facilities that have shown leadership and environmental fortitude that exemplify the life of Michael S. Hindahl.

Posted on

2017 Evans Cup of Oregon Raises Funds for Evans Scholars Foundation

PORTLAND, ORE. – The 2017 Evans Cup of Oregon was held Monday, August 28th at Portland Golf Club in Portland, Ore., which helped raise funds for the Oregon Chapter of the Evans Scholars Foundation.

The event is a premier fundraiser for the Evans Scholars Foundation, specifically the University of Oregon Evans Scholars. The UO chapter recently opened its very own Scholarship House in 2016, located just off campus, that houses all 30+ scholars.

Scholarship recipients must be nominated by their club and meet four qualifications: Strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character. The Oregon Golf Association donated over $40,000 to the Scholars Foundation in 2016, as part of OGA member dues goes to support the foundation.

For more information on the Evans Scholars Foundation and the Western Golf Association, please click here. 

Posted on

UW Student Russillo Awarded 2017 NWGMA Scholarship

Jack Russillo, a senior-to-be at the University of Washington, has been awarded the 2017 scholarship by the Northwest Golf Media Association. The $2,500 scholarship is to assist recipients in finishing their final year in college or university, and may be applied by the student toward tuition or school related expenses.

Russillo, a 2014 graduate of Orcas Island High School, is pursuing a double-major at the UW in International Studies and Communications (with an emphasis in Journalism). He’s on track to graduate in June 2018.

The 21-year-old carries a 3.58 GPA and made the Dean’s List in 2014-16. In addition to a full class load, Russillo has written sports stories for his hometown The Islands Sounder and UW Daily, and served as a news assistant focusing on high-school sports for the Seattle Times.

Of receiving the NWGMA scholarship, Russillo said: “This scholarship means an incredible amount to me. Not only is it a validation of all my hard work that I’ve put in during my time in college, but it means a less stressful end to my college career.

“The generous gift is much appreciated and I think it will go far in helping me realize my potential as a journalist, particularly representing the voices in the world that aren’t heard from as often as they should be,” added Russilo. “It’s amazing to me that there are such kind people out there who are willing to help out strangers better themselves in ways like that. Thank you (to the NWGMA) for all (its) support.”

“I’m impressed with the fact that Jack knew what he wanted to do at a young age,” said NWGMA President Bob Sherwin. “He began applying his skills in high school and followed his passion for writing and reporting through college. He will enter the market as an experienced and accomplished journalist. We’re happy to help him along his path.”

Previous recipients of the NWGMA scholarship have been Jade Richardson of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Christopher Shaw of Washington State, and Pete Treperinas of the UW.

Russillo will be formally awarded his scholarship on September 25 at the NWGMA’s annual banquet tournament. This year’s event will be held at Fircrest Golf Club in Tacoma.

For more information about the NWGMA, contact Jeff Shelley at 206/522-6981 or jeff@fairgreenspublishing.com, or visit www.nwgma.org.

Posted on

Senseman Inducted Into OGCSA Hall of Fame

The Oregon Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (OGCSA) held their 2017 Annual Meeting on May 23. In addition to the business meeting, elections and a keynote speaker, there were several awards presented. This year a very special award was given to longtime OGCSA member superintendent, Robert (Bob) Senseman, CGCS.

Senseman was presented with the OGCSA Hall of Fame Award. The OGCSA Hall of Fame was established in 1995. The purpose of the OGCSA Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor a member’s lifetime work and service to our industry. This award is the pinnacle of all awards in the OGCSA. A recipient of this award must meet certain criteria to be eligible; such as having minimum industry involvement of 20 years and the individual must have given service to the OGCSA and its members though board service, committee service, as an advocate or volunteer. A few notable past recipients of this award are: Harvey Junor, Tom Cook and Dick Fluter.

Senseman’s involvement with the OGCSA and other affiliated industry organizations through the years certainly deserves to be recognized with this award. His membership goes back over 30 years and has included many years as an OGCSA board director and a term as chapter president in 1993-1994. In 1994, Senseman was also awarded the OGCSA Superintendent of the year award. In 2013 Bob was presented with the Richard Malpass Distinguished Service Award, which is yet another highly recognized award within the OGCSA. Senseman has also been closely involved with the turfgrass program at Oregon State University for many years and has served on the Oregon Turfgrass Foundation Board since its inception in 2001.

This is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to speaking about Senseman’s long list of achievements in the turfgrass industry. He is currently the Superintendent at Oswego Lake Country with a pending retirement date for June 2017. He has served as the Superintendent at OLCC since 1995. Prior to OLCC, Senseman held the position as Superintendent at other notable clubs such as Columbia Edgewater Country Club and San Louis Obispo Country Club. Time spent as a USGA Agronomist for the North-East region is also a noteworthy experience on Senseman’s resume.

Above all the accolades, Senseman is a family man, having been married to his lovely wife, Mary, for 46 years. They have 2 children; daughter, Christy and son, Michael. He has also been a longtime friend and mentor to so many in the turfgrass industry.