Success of Michigan’s ski resorts helps near-by golf course operations
The weather has been very cold with heavy snow accumulation. The Northern Michigan ski resorts have been in full swing for the last couple of weeks. The ski resort business is a large economic compliment to the resorts that also have golf courses. There is approx 1.5 to 2.0 feet of snow on the ground in this geography. Western Michigan also has about the same snow fall accumulation. Down state in Western Ohio where I live, we have about 8 to10 inches of snow on the ground with very cold temps.

Bruce Jones receives OTF Award
The Ohio Turfgrass Foundation presented Bruce Jones, of John Deere Landscapes/Golf, with its 2009 Professional Excellence Award. Bruce Jones is a golf sales representative based out of Dublin, a Columbus-area suburb.

The honor was bestowed upon Mr. Jones at the OTF’s 43rd Annual Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show in December. The event drew about 2,400 industry professionals to Central Ohio and more than 150 companies were featured. The OTF has presented the Professional Excellence Award since 1971.

In 2010, Bruce Jones will work as a golf sales representative in Central Ohio. In 2009, Bruce managed a SOW sales route in Central Ohio. Bruce is a close personal friend, I am very glad he was honored with this very deserving award.

Great Lakes Trade Exposition Conference & Trade Show 2010
The GLTE conference and trade show is the most impactful event in my territory. There were 350 exhibiting companies present at the show. This combined event offered a variety of education tracks including: Grower, Landscape-Design/Build, Landscape Mgt., Plants, Retail, Business, Pesticide Credits Clinic, Irrigation, 2nd Annual Assistant Superintendent Symposium, Golf, Commercial Turf and Athletic Field, Equipment Technicians, Golf Course Superintendents, Arboriculture, and Certification Central.

This event was sponsored by the MNLA (Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association) and the MTF (Michigan Turfgrass Foundation). This event was held on January 4-6th at the DeVos Place located in Grand Rapids, MI.

Talk turf solutions with our team and enter to win a Spectrum® WatchDog™ Plant Disease Weather Station

Stay ahead of turf diseases using advice and products from BASF Turf & Ornamentals, and disease alerts generated by the multichannel Spectrum® WatchDog® Plant Disease Weather Station.

The Weather Station monitors environmental conditions that contribute to disease pressure and delivers timely alerts. Enter to win the Weather Station in our GIS booth 3039 during show hours Feb. 10-11.

Get your prescription for healthy turf at BASF’s GIS booth

Visit the BASF Turf & Ornamentals team at our Golf Industry Show booth to learn about improving your turfgrass quality with our innovative products, including, Honor™ fungicide and Tower® herbicide.

Full BASF GIS booth 3039 schedule here.

BASF hosting media for Charity Round of Superintendent Thousandaire on Thurs., Feb. 11, 2 p.m.
The special Media Round for Charity of Superintendent Thousandaire offers editors from Golf Course Industry, Golf Course Management and Golfdom a chance to win and donate up to $2,000 to the charity of their choice! Each editor is guaranteed a $1,000 donation from BASF, with the opportunity to earn additional funds for each correctly answered trivia question. Read on to learn about who they’re playing for and come by Thursday during the show to cheer them on at BASF booth 3039! Note: GCI Columnist Pat Jones will stand-in for Editor Mike Zawacki, who is unable to attend.

Mike Zawacki, Golf Course Industry – “I’ll be playing for Love-A-Stray, a no-kill animal shelter in my hometown,” Zawacki said. “Love-A-Stray is a bare-bones operation that does an incredible job finding homes for abandoned and unwanted cats and dogs. The shelter subsists on the kindness and big hearts of its patrons. It’s truly amazing what they can do and how many lives they can touch with so few financial resources.”

“My wife, Kelly, and I adopted two wonderful dogs, Bella and Trent (pictured: Bella-left and Trent-right), from Love-A-Stray. We also volunteer our time to walk dogs at the shelter, run errands and do odd jobs, as well as promote and support the organization at their regular adoption and fundraising events. There are so many animals with lots of love to give and who simply need someone to care for them and love them back. Without groups like Love-A-Stray these animals would end up spending a week to 10 days at an already over-burdened municipal or county kennel before being euthanized.”

Seth Jones, Golf Course Management – “This year, let’s make my BASF 2010 Media Thousandaire check out to the LiveStrong Foundation,” Jones said. “My father, Boyd, was diagnosed with brain cancer in August of 2009. It took his life a mere six weeks later, one week shy of his 63rd birthday. I think about my dad every day, but even more now that we’re in college basketball season. We are KU Jayhawks fans and we used to talk several times a game to discuss what was going on. Not having my dad around has taken a little bit of fun out of everything, even KU basketball.”

“Every year I host a charity event in Lawrence called the John Wake Laugh Olympics in honor of a friend I lost in 2003. We’re going into our 9th year. For one day (the Sunday before Labor Day) about 80 participants gather to golf, bowl, play pool and throw darts. Whoever has the best overall score is the Laugh Olympics champion. Last year, thanks to BASF’s 2009 GIS Turf Media Jeopardy contribution of $1,000, we were able to disperse over $5,000 to the charities we support.”

Larry Aylward, Golfdom – “My BASF 2010 Media Thousandaire funds will go to support the The Cleveland Foodbank,” Aylward said. “To me, there’s nothing sadder than to see people going hungry. It’s a complete shame. We waste so much food in this country and this world that hunger should not be an issue; but it is for many reasons, and it always will be. Fortunately, there are places like The Cleveland Foodbank, which does a wonderful job of helping people obtain food.”

“In 2009, The Cleveland Foodbank distributed over 27.3 million pounds of food to 456 hunger programs in six Northeast Ohio counties. That’s enough food to provide over 21.3 million meals! The people who run The Cleveland Foodbank are superstars, in my opinion. I’m very thankful for BASF doing this! It’s so cool!”

Visit our GIS booth 3039 to play for up to $1,000!
We know superintendents visiting our booth will leave smarter but some will actually leave richer. Superintendents visiting the BASF booth can play Superintendent Thousandaire for a chance to win up to $1,000. Superintendent contestants will challenge wits against a computerized system of questions similar to the game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? I’ll guide contestants through turf, pop culture, sports and general knowledge trivia questions. Each correct answer earns the player a $100 cash-gift card, up to $1,000!

Click here to view the full BASF booth schedule.

Superintendent Thousandaire games: • Wed., Feb. 10 at noon and 3 p.m. • Thurs., Feb. 11 at 3:30 p.m.Turf Media Round for Charity game: • Thurs., Feb. 11 at 2 p.m.

Want to be a Thousandaire?
Comment below and tell us why you want to be a Superintendent Thousandaire. Include your name, title, course and BASF sales rep’s name (Must be present to play and BASF reserves the right to select players at its discretion). Good luck!

Meet up with your BASF Sales Rep at GIS 2010—Your turf will thank you!
The Golf Industry Show is just three weeks away and now is the time to let your BASF sales rep know you’ll be there. Learn about our team and contact your rep to get together at our booth. Full booth schedule here.

Fred Eckert, BASF T&O Senior Sales Specialist, welcomes superintendents to San Diego
Our team’s Southwest authority, Fred Eckert, is excited his territory is hosting this year’s show. Based in Southern California, Eckert has worked in the turf industry for more than 30 years. Talk with Eckert, who is a licensed California Pest Control Advisor and a Certified Crop Advisor, to develop an efficient, cost-effective weed and pest plan for turf challenges in Arizona, Southern California, and the southern regions of Nevada and Utah.

Our Turf Sales Team welcomes you to BASF’s GIS Booth 3039
Fred Eckert for Southwest turf issues. Michael Kropp helps superintendents in Idaho, Montana, Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and the northern regions of Nevada and Utah control pests including, tough diseases like anthracnose and pythium. Kropp has 15 years of experience controlling pest challenges in the West and is a licensed California Pest Control Advisor.

South, Southeast: Wayne Ducote, Travis Klosterboer, Brian McCaffrey and Willie Pennington
Seasoned chemical sales professional Wayne Ducote serves superintendents in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Florida’s Panhandle region. Travis Klosterboer, a former assistant super with 15 years of experience representing chemical manufacturers in the South, provides innovative pest management solutions for superintendents in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Known for setting the industry standard in customer service, Willie Pennington serves customers in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Midwest: Randy Lusher and Dave Maubach
Nationally recognized by the National Roadside Vegetation Management Association for his award-winning plant growth regulator program and customer service, Randy Lusher now works with superintendents in Wisconsin and Illinois. David Maubach draws on his more than 20 years of experience in plant protection to serve superintendents in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

North, Northeast: John Bresnahan, Ted Huhn, Jerry Husemann, McGee Poole and David Schell
Die-hard Boston sports fan and expert agronomic advisor, John Bresnahan, helps New England superintendents control pests, including tough diseases. An avid outdoorsman, Ted Huhn helps superintendents in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the southern region of New Jersey so they have time to pursue their passions. Jerry Husemann enthusiastically serves Michigan and Northern Ohio superintendents, who have learned that when they have pest pressure, Jerry has a pest control plan. McGee Poole works closely with superintendents in Indiana, Kentucky, Southern Ohio and West Virginia and David Schell serves superintendents in Pennsylvania and the northern region of New Jersey.

Meet your BASF rep at GIS or comment below to let us know why you can’t make it this year!