OTA June Meeting Recap

The June 14th meeting hosted by Hidden Valley Golf Links and sponsored by SiteOne Golf and Landscape Supply, was well attended. Our speaker Jonathan Prange, CGCS, Superintendent at Highland Springs Country Club talked about setting up aperies. Jon started it as a hobby when he was in Arkansas, he continued it at his new home here in Missouri and they have also started hives at Highland Springs. A good reminder for those volunteering for the Price Cutter Championship, as the bees like to swarm around sweet drinks.

Lunch was catered in from Flat Creek Restaurant in Republic, the BBQ pulled pork was good and the chicken tenders were great, they included sides of baked beans and mac and cheese. Unfortunately, Flat Creek felt our location was a little far to include their famous catfish on the lunch menu.

After lunch the group enjoyed 18 holes of golf. We played our own ball and had prizes in three flights.

In the Championship flight placing first after a scorecard playoff, was Dusten “Duck” Buckner, using his local knowledge, shot a 76. Duck in the assistant superintendent at Hidden Valley and probably put the pins in his favorite spots. Also shooting 76 was Russell Cole, territory manager for Kansas Golf and Turf, he took second place. Coming in third place with a 77 winning a scorecard playoff was Barry Siems, owner of Precision Turf Products.

In the first flight, coming in first with a score of 80, was Andrew Jones territory manager for SiteOne. In second place also using his local knowledge was Hidden Valley Superintendent, Adam Camp with a score of 82. In third place also using local knowledge from all the rounds he has played there was Mark Slaughter of GreensPro, who had an 83. Adam and Mark must have had a side match going, their group had to play an emergency nine holes after prizes were handed out.

In second flight, coming in first with a score of 95, was Jon Prange, CGCS winning a scorecard playoff with second place Chad Short, Mt. Vernon Golf Course Manager. Third place with a 96 was Austen Gearheart, territory manager for Advanced Turf Products.

Proximity winners were as follows:

Hole # 3 sponsored by Brandt - Adam Camp, this was probably the one pin placed by Adam, it held up to the onslaught of all the other groups including the Buckner group who were the last ones to play the hole. We must of put too much pressure on them, as they were aware that Adam did have the closest to the pin but couldn’t knock his name off the card.

Hole # 5 sponsored by SiteOne - Barry Siems

Hole # 11 sponsored by GreensPro - Russell Cole

Hole # 16 sponsored by VanWall Equipment - Melvin Waldron III, CGCS, Superintendent at Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield-Greene County Park Board.

Thanks again to everyone who attended, Adam, Duck and all the staff at Hidden Valley for hosting us, SiteOne for sponsoring the meeting, Flat Creek Restaurant - Republic for lunch, proximity sponsors Brandt, SiteOne, GreensPro and VanWall.

Hopefully we will see many of you at the Price Cutter Charity Championship helping prepare the course for the Korn Ferry Event, there is still time to sign up. If not there we look forward to seeing everyone at our family fun night at the Springfield Cardinals on Friday August 11th sponsored by Syngenta.