Collett named Georgia GCSA Superintendent of the Year
Berry Collett, CGCS, director of golf course maintenance at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, has been named the recipient of this year's Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association Superintendent of the Year award. Collett is host superintendent for the PGA Tour's McGladrey Classic, Nov. 16-22. He oversees four courses at Sea Island, where he has worked for 15 years. He was nominated by former employee Chuck Moore, who is now superintendent at The King and Prince Golf Club. I think at one time or another just about every superintendent in this area has worked for Berry, Moore says. The best thing about Berry is he is always there to help with advice if called upon.
Collett will receive the award Nov. 9 at the Georgia GCSA annual awards banquet at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Seedway acquires Merritt Seed
Seedway LLC recently acquired the assets of family-owned Merritt Seed Co. Located in Baldwinsville, New York, Merritt Seed was owned by Stanley Boots for more than 60 years.
Longtime Merritt employee Matt Bartkowiak, who will operate the business from Lysander, will be responsible for serving golf courses, municipalities, school districts and contractors.
Seedway also has a long history in the turf business, offering turf seed varieties as well as proprietary and custom seed mixtures, mulch, fertilizer, erosion-control products and more. Seedway also has offices in Trumansburg and Mecklenburg, New York, Shoreham, Vermont as well as Mifflinburg, Emmaus and Elizabethtown in Pennsylvania, Pelham, Georgia and Lakeland, Florida.
Rounds played inch up in September
The number of year-over-year rounds of golf played in the United States in September rose by 1.2 percent, marking the sixth time in nine months that more rounds were played compared to the same month last year.
Year-to-date rounds played are up 0.7 percent through September compared with the first nine months of 2014, according to Golf Datatech Monthly Golf Rounds Played Report.
The biggest gains were made in South Carolina and Wisconsin, where play was up 11 percent; followed by Michigan, up 10 percent; then Colorado, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, all up by 7 to 9 percent in September.
The worst losses were in Arkansas, down 13 percent.