When it comes to helping golf course equipment managers further their education and promote their profession, the Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendents Association is putting its money where its collective mouth is.Last month, nearly 50 equipment managers, superintendents, dealers and vendor distributors and others, including some from almost 200 miles away, turned out at Sunset Country Club in St. Louis for the second MVGCSA equipment managers meeting of 2014.
The event, held in cooperation with the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association, included education and networking opportunities as well as a chance for technicians to get an up close and personal look at new mower technology from Jacobsen, John
"The enhanced education (that) things like this bring to technicians in our industry is beneficial to both the technician and the golf club," said Stephen Tucker, founder and chief executive officer of the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association and the equipment manager at Tranquilo Golf Club at the Four Seasons in Orlando, Florida. "We are just happy that the IGCEMA could contribute and hope to see many more of these starting up around the country."
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The event also included an opportunity for one lucky attendee to win an all-expenses-paid trip to next month's Golf Industry Show in San Antonio. Steve Wright, equipment manager at Norwood Hills Country Club in St. Louis, will attend this year's GIS, courtesy of the MVGCSA.
"I feel that winning the trip to the show is a huge career opportunity," Wright said. "I'm looking forward to meeting other technicians, advancing my knowledge at equipment classes and increasing my involvement with the IGCEMA. A special thanks to all who helped make this happen for me."
John Cunningham, CGCS at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis said improving learning opportunities for equipment managers is cause every superintendent should want to support."It's the one job most of us superintendents can't do," Cunningham said.
"Events like this will only make the golf course better."
Cunningham and Bellerive equipment manager Chris Rapp have worked closely with Tucker in helping build IGCEMA. Rapp is a member of the association's board of directors. While great strides have been made in promoting the equipment managers profession, there is still much work to be done, Cunningham said. Two more meetings in the MVGCSA area will be held this year, one in the spring and a second in the fall. Dates and locations for each have not been finalized.
"We have to have an audience first," Cunningham said. "There is no sense in someone doing a Webinar on reel grinding if we don't have an audience. We have to try to create that first.
"With these meetings, we're hoping to get more people involved and get some momentum going."
Not only did attendees have a chance to learn all about the latest in mower technology, they were tested on what they learned.
"We don't want them just to come to a meeting," said Cunningham, who graded the exams himself. "We want them to participate in the meeting."