GIS 2015 - Where Big Things Happen

It's that time of year again, when Golf Course Superintendents from all over the world come together to learn, network, and take a short break from the daily routines. The Golf Industry Show is next week in San Antonio, TX and as usual promises to enrich attendees with new ideas, new ways of doing old things, and making new friends/contacts. And I can say the show never disappoints.

There are full-day/half-day/2 or 6 hour educational seminars throughout the week, but I would say the trade show floor is as educational an experience if not more. New Products are being showcased for the upcoming season, and Superintendents can get hands on with them as well as talk about them with manufacturers and salesmen. Each day there are numerous educational sessions scattered around the trade show which are free to sit in on. Many sessions are given by leading academics and peers in the industry and topics range from golf course architecture to plant health dynamics. There is definitely an abundance of knowledge being handed out and networking taking place.

All in all it is a great time, and a bonus that it is usually much warmer weather then home for those of us in the northern parts.

Back On Track For 2015

Bad, bad me. The IVGC maintenance blog was non-existent in 2014, well it is time to rectify that for 2015. Here is where you will find updates, photos, and general musings regarding the golf course, staff, and whatever else makes it to the page. My goal is to have regular (weekly perhaps) updates and summaries of what is happening on the grounds at Island View Golf Club.

For those that would like more constant info, you should follow me on Twitter where I will be tweeting about conditions and tidbits we find interesting throughout the day. While mostly work related, I do mention personal stuff from time to time. @golfsoup is my twitter handle. Click on the link above, sign-up if not registered, and follow along as we maintain the golf course property throughout the season and off-season.

Most of the course is covered with snow at the moment, though the warm temps have definitely melted a lot of it off. The fine turf areas are covered for the most part, which is good insulation as we go through this latest cold snap. Exposed turf at this point can be prone to desiccation, it is common for the tops of the mounds to go through this and then take a bit longer then typical to recover in the spring.The snow melt and subsequent refreeze could also cause problems for the turf, mainly the annual bluegrass on the course. All in all though, the mild winter we are having has been a nice change from the past few we have experienced...