Even if next year's Golf Industry Show isn't in the budget, there are many regional educational opportunities coming up in the next few months to fit the needs of any professional turfgrass manager.
We've pulled together information on some of them so you don't have to.
After a change of venue last year on the shores of Lake Erie, the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference and Show returns to the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Scheduled for Dec. 7-10, this year's even includes tracks in golf turf, sports turf, business management, lawn and landscape, pest management, chemical application technology, equipment technician training, ornamentals, plant selection, fertilizer strategy, sustainability and arborist training.
The keynote speaker at this year's event is Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan, who coached the Buckeyes to the national championship last season.
Carolinas GCSA Conference and Show
With some 2,000 attendees annually, the Carolinas GCSA Conference and Show is the country's largest regional event and presents tremendous networking opportunities.
This year's show is scheduled for Nov. 16-18 at its regular home, the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
A combined effort of chapters in North and South Carolina, the show will feature nearly 30 seminars on a wide range of topics and will offer pesticide points for attendees from not only the Carolinas, but Georgia and Tennessee as well.
Many classes are taught through a combined effort of Clemson University and North Carolina State University.
Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association Conference and Trade Show
The 62nd annual Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association Conference and Trade Show offers a mix of long and short courses for all turf, irrigation and landscape professionals from Dec. 8-10.
Day 1 of the three-day show held at the Crowne Plaza at Denver International Airport includes a slate of half-day sessions in golf, sports turf, irrigation, landscape, service and pesticide applicator tracks.
The second day features all one-hour seminars, as well as a trade show that runs throughout the day and a silent auction.
The show concludes Dec. 10 with a mix of short courses ranging from 30 minutes to an hour in length.
Tennessee Turfgrass Association Conference and Show
The Tennessee Turfgrass Association Conference and Show has historically been held in Franklin, just outside Nashville. Next year's show still will be held in middle Tennessee, but this show, which is growing in popularity and size, has moved to a new location - the Embassy Suites in nearby Murfreesboro.
Scheduled speakers include David Stone of The Honors Course, 2011 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Paul Carter, CGCS, Chris Hartwiger of the USGA Green Section and Chris Tritabaugh of Hazeltine National Golf Club, who will discuss preparations for next year's Ryder Cup Matches.
Former University of Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer, who coached the Vols to the first BCS National Championship in 1998, will deliver the keynote address.
New York State Turfgrass Association Turf and Grounds Exposition
With nearly 50 exhibitors scheduled for the trade show, the New York State Turfgrass Association Turf and Grounds Exposition is a formidable regional turf show.
The event is scheduled for Nov. 17-18 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.
Speakers will include Jennifer Grant, Ph.D., and Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., Rich Buckley, Ph.D., of Rutgers, Alex Ellram, Ph.D., of SUNY-Delhi, Geunhwa Jun, Ph.D., of UMass, Eric Lyons, Ph.D., of the University of Guelph, Adam Moeller of the USGA Green Section and more.
The event includes tracks such as IPM, management of natural grass/artificial turf sports fields, disease management, weed management, invasive species, water issues in New York and Cornell research updates.
The two-day event also will include a turf bowl for future superintendents and turf managers.
Nebraska Turf Conference
The 2016 Nebraska Turf Conference, scheduled for Jan. 12-14, includes pre-conference workshops, along with full conference seminars.
Scheduled for Jan. 12-14, the conference will be held at the LaVista Conference Center in LaVista, Nebraska.
Speakers will include Bill Kreuser, Ph.D., of the University of Nebraska, Lee Miller, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri and Michael Boettcher of the Milwaukee Brewers, to name a few.
Pre-conference workshops will include topics on equipment management, soil and water analysis, lawn care and pesticide recertification.
Arkansas Turfgrass Association Trade Show and Conference
Scheduled for Jan. 13-14 at the Hot Springs Convention Center, the 2016 Arkansas Turfgrass Association Trade Show and Conference will include tracks in golf, sports turf, lawn care and pesticide recertification.
The event typically includes sessions led by researchers from the University of Arkansas as well as other instructors from turfgrass programs throughout the country.
Former University of Arkansas professor Aaron Patton, Ph.D., of Purdue University will be among this year's speakers. That list also will include Dale Bremer, Ph.D., of Kansas State University and Bruce Martin, Ph.D., of Clemson.