Ozark Turf Association Education Day/Annual Meeting

The OTA had another successful Education/Annual Meeting Day this past Wednesday at Highland Springs Country Club. Our number of attendees were in the 40’s, not quite our 2020 meeting attendance, but still better than attendance used to be when it was held in late October or early November. Temperatures in the 50’s with a heavy frost that morning probably prevented some members from leaving their courses for the day, along with some of our Partner members not able to travel long distances yet.

Our education committee of Jared Brewster, Highland Springs C.C. superintendent, and Barry Siems, Owner of Gold Partner, Precision Turf Products, brought together a host of speakers, with various topics.

Thanks to our speakers: Paul Myers of Atmospheric Industries, Ted Fist of Premier Sands, Carlos Arraya, CGCS, Bellerive Country Club, Steve Randall, GCSAA, and Shareen Beal-Thater, along with Tyler Stevens from Commerce Bank. Also thanks to our host Highland Springs Country Club who was able to accommodate our last speakers virtually. Lunch was great too!

We would also like to thank our Vendors who attended and had set up to speak with our members. Gold Partners included: Barry Siems with Precision Turf Products, Austen Gearhart with Advanced Turf Solutions, Mark Slaughter, Tyler Fishel, and Wyatt Cantrell with GreensPro, Andy Klein with Van Wall, Heath Schesser with PBI Gordon, and Scott Welsh of Professional Turf Products. Also attending, Ted Fist with Premiere Sand, Steve Simpson with BWI, and new this year were Kellie Dills with New Life Agricultural, and Dr. Jared Hoyle with Corteva. Thanks goes to these vendors who support our Association.

Election results: Mike Irvine, Golf Facilities Manager for Springfield-Greene County Park Board, was reconfirmed as President. Maron Towse, Superintendent at Schifferdecker G.C., was reconfirmed at Vice-President, Melvin Waldron III, CGCS, Superintendent at Horton Smith G.C., was reconfirmed as Secretary/Treasurer. Brad Seidt, Superintendent at Lake Valley Golf and Country Club, was elected as Director, as was Chad Hoerschgen, Superintendent at Millwood Golf and Racquet Club . They replace on the board, Charlie Boldreghini, Superintendent at Old Kinderhook Golf Resort, who is retiring from the board, and Eddie Roach Jr. CGCS, Superintendent at Hickory Hills Country Club, who is moving to Cedar Ridge Country Club, Broken Arrow OK. We thank both of them for their service to the members of the OTA.

Van Wall renews as Gold Partner

We would like to thank and announce that Van Wall Golf, our John Deere equipment distributor has renewed as a Gold Partner. They have been long time Gold Partner supporters.

Van Wall will also sponsor the lunch this year at the OTA Golf Championships, Presented by Clear Creek Golf Car and Utility Vehicles. This event will be held at Old Kinderhook Golf Resort on September 21st.

Their support for our members is welcomed and that support allows us to provide member meeting and networking opportunities. We appreciate their Partnership. Please thank Andy Klein, Golf and Turf Territory Manager the next time you see him.

Precision Turf Products renews as a Gold Partner

We would like to thank and announce that Precision Turf Products has renewed as a Gold Partner. They have been long time Gold Partner supporters.

Their support for our members is welcomed and that support allows us to provide member meeting and networking opportunities. We appreciate their support. Please thank Precision Turf Owner Barry Siems the next time you see him.

New Gold Partner

We are happy to announce that Bayer has been the first Partner to renew for 2021 and they have stepped up to the Gold Partner Level, from last year’s Silver Partner status. Their support for our members is welcomed and that support allows us to provide member meeting and networking opportunities. We appreciate their support. Please thank our Bayer Representative Wes Kleffner the next time you see him.

Keep an eye on the News section of the website, as we head into the beginning of the new year where membership and partnership announcements will be shared.

Also don’t forget to RSVP for the 2021 Education/Annual Meeting Day on January 13th, at Highland Springs Country Club. Check the calendar and/or your email for more details.

Thanks!

Mel

The Ozark Turf Association Christmas Wishes

The Board of Directors of the Ozark Turf Association wishes all of our members and their families a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. Safe travels to all that might be going to visit loved ones.

Stay on the look out as we announce the schedule for the Education/Annual meeting to be held January 13th at Highland Springs Country Club. The Education committee of Jared Brewster and Barry Siems have provided an excellent slate of speakers and topics. That info should be coming out by Monday.

GCSAA Members - Take the 2021 Compensation and Benefits Survey Now

TAKE THE 2021 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS SURVEY

GCSAA superintendent members will receive an e-mail on Dec. 15, 2020, to complete the 2021 Compensation and Benefits Report survey and assist in collecting vital data within the industry. Please submit your survey by Jan. 29. If you did not receive the survey email, contact Greg Stacey, senior manager, market research and data, at 800-472-7878, ext. 5152.

Results from the 2019 Compensation and Benefits Survey

How the report can be used

GCSAA conducts a comprehensive study of the compensation, benefits and operations of its superintendent members. This biannual report shows whether your compensation is in line with your peers at similar facilities in your region. The report can be used to begin negotiations for an annual review, pay increases, or salary or benefits cuts. Details can be shared with constituencies, used to advocate on behalf of the profession and reveal trends.

Average, mean and percentile of reported salaries are reported. Salary information is broken down by state and metro area, by facility demographics, and for fringe benefits, insurance and bonuses.

In 2019, more than 3,191 superintendents participated, a response rate of 45%.

Highlights from the 2019 Report

• More than 69% of all superintendents responding to the 2019 survey worked at 18-hole facilities

• The average base salary for golf course superintendents rose to $93,176, a 4.5% increase over 2017

• The average base salary for certified golf course superintendents rose to $111,250, a 1.5% increase over 2017

• Member superintendents, on average: are 46.5 years old, have spent 16.4 years as a superintendent and have held their current position for an average of 10.5 years

The Ozark Turf Association Donates to the Wee One Foundation

The Board of the Ozark Turf Association made a recent donation to the Wee One Foundation. The Board’s donation of $500 was matched by Syngenta, for a total donation of $1,000. The OTA was honored to make a small effort to assist our fellow colleagues when they are faced with medical challenges.

The Wee One Mission
The Wee One Foundation was developed as a tribute to Wayne Otto, CGCS to assist golf course management professionals (or their dependents) who incur overwhelming expenses due to medical hardship without comprehensive insurance or adequate financial resources. Through the Foundation's work, Wayne's legacy will never be forgotten.

More In Need

Since its inception in 2004, membership within the Wee One Foundation has grown to over 350 in 27 states. More importantly, the Wee One Foundation has gifted over $1,500,000 to families in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin - As the Wee One grows more people are helped and more funds are needed to distribute. Please consider contributing today.

History of the Wee One Foundation

The Wee One Foundation was founded in 2004 when friends of Wayne Otto, CGCS banned together to financially assist him in his battle with cancer. Wayne was a pioneer in the turf industry always searching for new and better ways to produce a finer playing surface. As Wayne learned more about his disease, he applied those same pioneering principles to overcome his illness.

Those that knew Wayne, knew a man small in stature and a man that placed more effort and enthusiasm into his friendships and care for his fellow man. As passionate as Wayne was about turf, his love for life could not measure. Wayne died in the fall of 2004 but his passion for life and his willingness to help still live on because of the work of the Wee One Foundation.

Through the perseverance and hard work of several friends of Wayne, the group developed its mission of helping those in need. Founded on the principle of assisting golf course management professionals (or their dependents) who incur overwhelming expenses due to medical hardship without comprehensive insurance or adequate financial resources, the Foundation has evolved into a cause that goes way beyond its initial reason for existence.

The Wee One Foundation was aptly named to honor Wayne. Nicknames are rarely chosen by their owner as in this case. On a golfing trip to Scotland with some friends, one of the group’s caddies decided to place his wager on the “wee one”. A small action (as legend has it) that turned out to be a sound decision by the caddie that day and a small gesture that has helped many other individuals through economic hardships due to overwhelming medical expenses.  Simply, that is what the Wee One Foundation accomplishes today.

Since its inception in 2004 the Wee One Foundation has gifted over $1,500,000 to those in need. The Foundation raises money through its membership, golf outings and sponsorships.

We encourage you to visit the website and learn more about The Wee One Foundation at https://weeone.org/ or click on the logo below.

Congratulations to Jon Prange, CGCS

Congratulations to Jon Prange, CGCS, who was recently notified by the Golf Course Superintendent Association of America, (GCSAA), that he successfully competed the Certified Golf Course Superintendent process. Jon is the Golf Course Superintendent at Holiday Island Country Club in Eureka Springs Arkansas. Jon is also an active member of the Ozark Turf Association.

The Certified Golf Course Superintendent (CGCS) designation is bestowed upon those who voluntarily meet the stringent requirements. The CGCS designation is one of the most widely recognized honors in the golf industry and the highest recognition that can be achieved by golf course superintendents. 

Certification is a three-part process that starts with determining your eligibility, which would be a combination of years as a golf course superintendent, education level, and education points earned. The three main parts of that process include, submitting a portfolio of work, taking a test, and then having a course visit by two certified superintendents to attest the applicant meets the qualifications. Steve Johnson, CGCS, Superintendent at Payne’s Valley in Hollister (near Branson), MO), and Melvin Waldron III, CGCS, Superintendent of Horton Smith G.C. in Springfield MO served as the attesters for Jon.

Please congratulate Jon on this career achievement.

For those that might be interested in obtaining the CGCS status, check on www.gcsaa.org for eligibility requirements.

Thanks for reading!

Mel

New Poll Questions Sent to Members

Hi all,

At our last board meeting this past Wednesday, we had discussions about the upcoming meeting Calendar. The board decided to do a poll. We sent that poll via email.

The main questions about the Annual/Educational meeting deal with how all of you would feel about the different educational options we might have at our disposition. We feel with the size of our organization, we can have an in person meeting, with the proper precautions. Some of our good industry speakers are the ones who might not be able to travel, but many of them have developed programs they can present virtually. So we just want to get a feel for how membership would feel with different presentation options.

So please do the poll, it is anonymous to the other members, Mel is the only one who sees the results. If you want to be anonymous to Mel, (I just took it, and this is what I found), it looks like you can just put a letter in the box where your name would be and you should be able to answer the poll and submit it.

Please fill out this poll at your earliest convenience so the education committee can start working on the agenda for the meeting.

Also to note, anyone interested in serving on the OTA Board, please let Mel know and he will pass that information on to the nominating committee.

Thanks,

Mel

The Ozark Turf Association awards our Industry Scholarship

The Ozark Turf Association awarded the OTA Industry Scholarship to Mr. Sam vanHoornbeck. of Springfield, MO . Sam is a 2016 graduate of Bolivar High School in Bolivar MO, and graduated Ozark Technical College in 2017 with a certificate in IT. He is currently attending Ozark Technical College working an his degree in Turf and Landscape, with a graduation date of 2022. Sam has also enrolled in the prestigious Rutgers Winter Turf Program. He is currently working on his Rutgers studies virtually, so he his missing out on great pizza that is found in that region. He hopes to attend his second year in the Rutgers program in person. Sam currently works in the golf maintenance department at Hickory Hills Country Club, where OTA member Eddie Roach Jr. CGCS, is the golf course superintendent.

The Ozark Turf Association Industry Scholarship is open to employees who work for OTA member’s facilities, and are pursuing a career in the turf industry. Awards of $2,000 are given to recipients and funded by the OTA members through their annual scholarship and research outing held each year.

The Ozark Turf Association awards the Karl Anderson Legacy Scholarship

The Ozark Turf Association awarded the Karl Anderson Legacy Scholarship to Ms. Maycee Fishel of Marshfield MO. Maycee is the daughter of long time OTA member Tyler Fishel, of GreensPro, suppliers of turf products. Maycee, is a 2019 graduate of Marshfield High School, and currently attends Ozark Technical College, in Springfield MO. She is scheduled to graduate from OTC this December and will be continuing her education at Missouri State University, Springfield MO, in January. Maycee will be working towards a bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Sales Management, with a minor in Health Care Administration. Upon graduation, she hopes to seek employment in medical sales. Maycee, is also working at Whispering Oaks Golf Course in Marshfield, in the clubhouse and golf cart areas. OTA member Kevin Taylor is the golf course superintendent at Whispering Oaks.

The Karl Anderson Legacy Scholarship is named for long time Ozark Turf Association member Karl Anderson who worked for years as the golf course superintendent at Hickory Hills Country Club. He and his wife Patsy did not have children of their own, but strongly supported the association’s scholarship efforts. Karl lost his battle with brain cancer in May of 2018. The Karl Anderson Legacy Scholarship is open to the children and grandchildren of OTA members. Awards of $2,000 are given to recipients and funded by the OTA members through their annual scholarship and research outing held each year.

Ozark Turf Association donates to University of Missouri Turf Research Farm

The Ozark Turf Association board of directors would like to announce that they have donated $1,500 to the University of Missouri Turfgrass Research Center.

This donation was made possible by the OTA members, and partners who participated in the 2020 Scholarship and Research Outing. These members and partners played, sponsored teams, lunch and/or prizes.

The OTA was able to raise money to sponsor both of their scholarship recipients, while also having the funds to donate $750 to the Turf Farm. Syngenta matched that donation, which allowed the OTA to donate a grand total of $1,500. Big thanks go to Syngenta for matching our donation.

The funds will be used to help operate the Turf Farm where they conduct various research. We will share some of this research in future news articles. Dr. Lee Miller and Dr. Xi Xiong lead the research teams. For more information about MU Turf, please visit their website at https://turf.missouri.edu/

Both Dr. Miller and Dr. Xiong, were grateful and appreciated the donated funds. Dr. Miller commented, “Thank you very much for your donation to support the operating expenses at the MU Turfgrass Research Center in Columbia, MO. It takes much manpower, parts and equipment to maintain our 13 acre facility (22 if you add the irrigation pond, which isn’t a no maintenance item). We appreciate this aid, particularly in these difficult times. No business or university in this country is doing well, and the cuts that we have incurred over the last five years (mostly from a decline in state funding and enrollment) will be magnified during this current pandemic. The support of this industry has been and will be crucial to enabling us to continue serving the turf community, and we appreciate it very much.”

There will be a virtual field day this year at the farm, follow this link for more information. https://calendar.missouri.edu/event/south_farm_showcase_527#.X4oApuaSmM8

As we mentioned before, we will share some of the research being conducted at the center in future stories. Thank you to all our members and partners, and special thanks to Syngenta for making this support and donation possible.

Mel

Ozark Turf Association Championship Results

The Ozark Turf Association Championship, sponsored by Clear Creek Golf Cars and Utility Vehicles and Club Car was contested on September 14th at Hickory Hills Country Club.

Winning the Championship and taking home the trophy was Mike Irvine, Superintendent at Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course. Mike shot a -1 under round of 71. Second place in the Championship, was Jared Brewster, Golf Course Superintendent at Highland Springs Country Club, Jared finished with a 74. Third place belonged to Aaron Borland, Carthage Golf Course, he shot a 79. Finishing fourth was 2 time defending champion, going for the three-peat, Tom Russell, Golf Course Superintendent at Triple Creek Golf Course. He finished with a score of 80.

We also had two other flights, winning the First Flight was Brad Seidt, Golf Course Superintendent at Lake Valley Country Club. His score was an 84. Second place in first flight was Mark Slaughter, distributor with employee owned GreensPro. Mark beat Scott Crowell, Assistant Superintendent at Margaritaville Resort. Both shot 85’s with Mark winning on a match of cards. Scott Tucker, Assistant Superintendent at Neosho Golf Course, finished fourth with an 86.

In second flight, Dale Harrison, Assistant Superintendent at Lake Valley Country Club, shot a 91 to win. Chuck Ermish, Golf Course Superintendent at Painted Hills Golf Course, shot a 92 to finish second. Russell Cole, Equipment Dealer for Kansas Golf and Turf, finished third, with a 93, and Bubby Oliver, retired, finished 4th, carding a 95.

Closest to the pin winners were, On hole # 2 Joe Mannuci, Golf Course Superintendent at Piney Valley. On hole # 7, Melvin Waldron III, CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent at Horton Smith Golf Course, (reportedly the only shot he hit all day). Mark Slaughter, GreensPro, had it the closest to the pin on # 14, and Adam Camp, Golf Course Superintendent at Hidden Valley, got it close enough to claim the prize on # 16.

We did have some players play in a scramble format, the winning team consisted of Juan Barragan, Golf Course Superintendent at Ozark National, Charlie Boldreghini, Golf Course Superintendent at Old Kinderhook, Wyatt Cantrell, delivery driver for GreensPro, and Austen Gearheart, distributor with Advanced Turf Solutions.

Thanks again go out to Brian Cheever, Justin Fraker, and Jerry Marti, from Clear Creek Golf Cars and Utility Vehicles, and also Club Car for sponsoring our event.

Thanks also go to Hickory Hills Country Club for being our host. And hats off to Eddie Roach Jr. CGCS, Golf Course Superintendent and his assistants, Scott Hendrickson and Zach Erb, and all the hard working maintenance staff. The course was wonderfully maintained and it was a great treat to be able to play.

A final thanks to the 43 members who attended this fun event.

Mel

Backwoods Golf Event

While we had a small turnout, everyone reportedly had a fun time. I heard the food and snacks were good, I know the drinks were cold, and the service was great.

We played a variety of different games, but the long drive and closest to the pin seemed to be the most popular. There were also opportunities to play golf holes/courses with our own ball or do a scramble. I think if we do this again in the future, we could possibly set up a long drive competition in one stall, a closest to the pin in another stall, maybe a points game in another, and another stall to warm up in, or to just whack golf balls.

We also want to remind our members of our next event that is just three weeks away. The OTA Championship will be held on Monday, September 14th. This event will be hosted by Hickory Hills Country Club and sponsored by Clear Creek Golf Car and Utility Vehicles and Club Car. Cost will be $20 and will include lunch and golf. A trophy will be awarded to the person with the lowest score and prizes will be handed out in a couple of flights. For those that might not want the stress of playing your own ball, but want to enjoy Hickory, we will be setting up some scramble teams as well, with at least one team getting a prize. Please RSVP by Monday, September 7th, either by email, text or call.

Thanks!

Mel

Next Meeting/Get together

Hi all,

Just a reminder that on Friday evening, August 21st we will have a get together at Backwoods Golf, a range/simulator facility. Cost if you are participating is $20, (those that purchased the prepaid meeting plan, you can use that for this event), for those that just want to network and hangout, there will be no cost. Food and drink is on your own.

Please RSVP by Monday, August 17th, so we know if we have enough stalls reserved, and so Backwoods can have the proper staffing levels. You can RSVP by calling or texting Mel, at 417-860-9449, or email at ozarkturfassn@yahoo.com

Also to note, we are working on our email lists, if you haven’t been receiving regular emails or if you stop receiving regular emails, let us know. We will be sending out an email once a week up to the Ozark Turf Association Championship. If you don’t get them, first check your spam folder, if they are not there, contact us and we will get that fixed.

Thanks!

Mel

Highland Springs Country Club host successful Price Cutter Charity Championship

Last week Ozark Turf Association members, Superintendent Jared Brewster, assistant superintendent Caleb Seidel, second assistant, Gavin Arnold and their staff hosted a successful outcome to the 31st Korn Ferry Tour, Price Cutter Charity Championship. The Price Cutter Charity Championship is one of the original and longest running tournaments on what was originally called the Ben Hogan Tour. First contested in 1990 as the Greater Ozarks Open, it has always been held at Highland Springs Country Club. This year’s winner was Max McGreevy with a score of 267 (21 under par). They must have avoided that front left pin placement on # 16?

Jared and his crew had plenty of support from other Ozark Turf Association members and Partners. The Ozark Turf Association (you, our members), provided dinner for the crew on Monday night, pasta and salad from our local Pasta Express restaurant. On Tuesday night, dinner from Subway was provided by OTA Gold Partner, Professional Turf Products, our Toro dealer. Pizza Hut was Wednesday’s feast provided by OTA Gold Partner, GreensPro, one of our fertilizer and chemical suppliers. We did have some discussions about how hot the wing sauce was on the medium wings, and we were a little scared of the “special limited time sauce”, the medium wings were a little warm, but the special sauce had hints of teriyaki sauce, quite nice. On Thursday it was Gold Partner, VanWall Golf, our John Deere dealer, who provided dinner of BBQ from Whole Hog Cafe’. On Friday night, Gold Partner, Advanced Turf Solutions, another of our fertilizer and chemical providers, provided Jersey Mike’s Subs, if only I had saw the numbers on the boxes, I would have ate all the # 13’s. “The Original Italian”. I did successfully stay away from any turkey, I didn’t need that tryptophan before mowing fairways. On Saturday afternoon, the clubhouse at Highland Springs provided dinner, and we might just have to see if we can get the same menu for our annual education day and meeting on January 13th, 2021, (so you might want to plug that date into your calendar now).

The Ozark Turf Association members who helped the Highland Springs Crew consisted of new Ledgestone superintendent Kolby Armbruster, and his intern Anton Rhodes, Mark Slaughter from GreensPro and his wife Paula, Andy Klein from VanWall Golf, Past President and Fremont Hills C.C. superintendent Sam Richart and he brought his two boys to help fill divots, Austen Gearhart of Advanced Turf Solutions, and Ozark Turf Association Secretary/Treasurer, Horton Smith Golf Course Superintendent, Melvin Waldron III, CGCS. Hopefully when the 2021 tournament is announced, everyone will put it on their calendar and make plans to help out. The food alone is what gets me to signup.

Thanks for reading!

Mel

Congratulations to Curtis Keller Achieves Class A Status from GCSAA

Congratulations to Curtis Keller, Superintendent at Buffalo Ridge, at Big Cedar, for achieving Class A status from Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America (GCSAA).

Achieving Class A status takes a combination formal education, experience and continuing education. A brief description of the program is below. For more information visit https://www.gcsaa.org/about-gcsaa/membership/membership-classifications/class-a-membership

ELIGIBILITY

Formal education + golf course superintendent experience + continuing education = 20 points plus proof of possessing a valid pesticide license

First, identify your level of formal education, which dictates the minimum number of years of experience you must have as a golf course superintendent. A value is assigned to each level of formal education.

Then, review the Class A Sliding Scale for Eligibility If you have met the minimum number of years of experience based on your level of formal education, add the point value associated with your formal education and your years of experience to determine how many, if any, education points you must attain/document in order to have a total of 20 points or more. The education points can be from sessions and seminars that you took previously or that you will take in the future. You must also provide proof of possessing a valid pesticide license/certification or pass the GCSAA IPM Exam.

Congratulations again to Curtis for completing this achievement!

Old Kinderhook Host Missouri Golf Association Women's Amateur and Mid-Amateur

Congrats to Ozark Turf Association member and board of director, Charlie Boldreghini, Superintendent at Old Kinderhook, and his crew for hosting a successful Missouri Golf Association Women’s Amateur and Mid-Amateur Tournament. Please visit the following link for the results.

http://www.mogolf.org/2020/06/womens-amateur-mid-amateur-championship/

Scholarship and Research Outing Results

We had a great turnout for our 2020 OTA Scholarship and Research Outing. We had 19 teams competing.

First we would like to thank Ronnie Harman and his staff for preparing the course, it was in excellent shape. We also want to thank Bryan Daniels and his staff for setting up the carts/teams/rules sheets and scoring updates.

We would like to thank Gold Partner, Barry Siems and Precision Turf Products for sponsoring lunch.

Thanks also go to these Partners who sponsored teams, Syngenta, Precision Turf Products, Advanced Turf Solutions, GreensPro, Kansas Golf and Turf, VanWall Golf, PBI Gordon, Knox Fertilizer, Professional Turf Products, Clear Creek Golf and Utility Vehicles, and The Andersons.

Also thanks go to these tee sign sponsors, All of our partners above who sponsored teams, along with Midwest Turf, NuFarm, and Premier Sand.

Sponsoring our proximity prizes were GreensPro (x2), Premier Sand, Brandt, and FMC.

Now for the winners, 1st place in the Championship flight using home course knowledge, was Silo Ridge C.C. Team #1 with a score of 54, was Superintendent Ronnie Harman, Pro Bryan Daniels, Hunter Hiskey, and Brent Butler. In second place, tied with a score of 54, was Silo Ridge C.C. Team # 2. it consisted of Pro Jake Mann, Austin Hensley, Matt Keller, Derral Cloyd. In third place was the Hickory Hills C.C. team with a 55. This team consisted of Superintendent Eddie Roach Jr. CGCS, Pro Rick Neal, Bob Newell, and Logan Smith.

The A flight winners with a score of 61 was the Hidden Valley team of Superintendent Adam Camp, Dustin (Duck) Buckner, (has to be Adam’s main irrigation guy with a name like that), David Bollenbach, and on loan from Margaritaville at Lake of the Ozarks, Scott Crowell . In second place with a score of 62, was the team from Osage National Golf Resort team consisting of Superintendent Jeff Sommerer, Eugene Jesse, Andrew Keeth, and Colin Cambell, third place was the Kansas Golf and Turf team of Russell Cole, Kristopher Moore, Darrell Easley, and Chad Short.

Closest to the Pin winner on hole # 2, sponsored by GreensPro, was Austin Hensley, from Silo Ridge C.C. team # 2. Closest to the Pin winner on hole # 5, sponsored by Brandt, was Rick Neal, pro at Hickory Hills, C.C. Closest to the Pin winner on hole # 11, sponsored by Premier Sand, was Bryan Daniels, pro at Silo Ridge C.C. (team # 1). And closest to the Pin winner on hole # 17 sponsored by GreensPro, was Adam Camp of Hidden Valley. The Long Drive contest, sponsored by FMC, was won by Hunter Hiskey, of Silo Ridge C.C. (team # 1).

We also had a raffle drawing with 14 prizes donated by our Tee sign sponsors.

A great time was had by all, we will report the final fundraising numbers once all invoices have been received and paid out. Preliminary numbers look like we have covered our $4,000 that will be awarded to 2020-21 scholarship winners. If you have college students, please remind them to fill out an application and send it to us.

Thank You to our 2020 Partners

With the delay of hosting meetings this year, our 2020 Meeting Banner with our list of partners was a little late showing up. We would like to thank Sign Pro on South Campbell in Springfield for creating a new banner for 2020, yet fitting it into last year’s frame, saving us a little money.

Thank you to our Gold Partners, Syngenta, Precision Turf Products, Advanced Turf Solutions, GreensPro, Kansas Golf and Turf, VanWall Golf, PBI Gordan, Knox Fertilizer, Professional Turf Products, Clear Creek Golf Carts and Utility Vehicles, and Club Car.

Thank you also to our Silver Partners, Bayer, Midwest Turf, BASF, SiteOne Golf, and FMC.

These partnerships are what allows the Ozark Turf Association provide for its members, valuable networking and educational opportunities, at a reasonable cost to our members.

Please thank them when they visit your facility or when you see them at one of our meetings.