There was some encouraging news coming out of this year's Golf Industry Show.Aside from what appeared to be more new products on display than there has been in some time, this year's show marked the first time since 2008 that attendance was up over the previous year.
According to GCSAA, a total of 14,147 attended this year's GIS, up from 13,192 last year in San Diego. Not since 25,737 showed up in Orlando in 2008 (an increase from 23,099 that attended the 2007 GIS in Anaheim) has there been a year-over-year jump in attendance. The 561 vendors in attendance were the most since 2010 in San Diego (665). The number of qualified buyers, 6,845, also was up over last year's 6,018 and is way up over the 5,752 who showed up in Orlando in 2011. Overall attendance this year, however, lagged behind the 14,772 in Orlando three years ago.
A news release by GCSAA says "the golf industry's journey along the road to recovery continues at a steady and sustainable pace."
Is increased attendance indeed a sign that golf is moving out of the doldrums? Other economic indicators besides trade show attendance say the game is not there yet; not by a long shot. Course closings are up, construction is down, and golfers are fleeing the game faster than new ones are coming into it. Increased attendance could be a combination of location (Orlando always is a popular destination), a focus on education by superintendents driven to the brink by golfer expectations, and a need to find solutions to specific problem.
"Personally, I need to maintain a healthy dose of professional paranoia," said Scott Ramsay, CGCS at The Course at Yale (University) in New Haven, Conn. "If I do not keep up with the industry or my education, I get worried."
Like Ramsay, Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa attends GIS primarily for education as well as the opportunity to network with peers.
"I think in this new era of golf course management for you to survive you have to be the best you can be. I think you need to network with fellow superintendents," Tegtmeier said. "I think you need to see what is working for others then apply R&D.
"I also think you need to be on top of your game, otherwise there are going to be others that want your job. You have to stay educated, take advantage of as much education as you can."
Tegtmeier and his two superintendents also found solutions to specific problems at GIS, like implementing a digital job board for the crew that can be updated on a tablet or smart phone, eliminating the need to drive back to the shop to update the board in mid-day.
He also met with representatives from several companies that that specialize in, among other things, removing muck during pond dredging, a service he will require this year during the next stage of a multi-phase restoration project. He also met a fellow superintendent who had hired one of the companies, a meeting that Tegtmeier called invaluable.
"Had I not attended I would not have had the opportunity to talk to three of those companies," he said. "I would not have met a superintendent from Illinois and talked about the project that he did using one of the same companies. It is all important."
Ramsay, too, often attends GIS on a troubleshooting mission.
Last year in San Diego, he was looking for a solution to an increase in the nematode population at Yale. He met with chemical companies and manufacturers of organic pest-management products seeking answers to this problem. He also met with colleagues who had gone through the same thing, and learned how they dealt with the issue. What he learned more than paid for his trip to GIS.
"Networking at the Beer & Pretzels, on the show floor and everywhere in between, I was able to develop a protocol that ultimately got my nematode counts below a survivable threshold," Ramsay said. "I was able to reduce nematode control costs by more than $10,000 from 2012 to 2013, and more importantly (had) healthy greens.
"I think attendance is up because it's an important event to many superintendents. They can sell it to their clubs as a value-added expense."
Pat Daly, CGCS at Framingham Country Club in Massachusetts, hasn't been to GIS in years. Not because it isn't in his budget. It is. And not because he doesn't value education. He does.
He is able to get all of the education and networking he needs at the annual New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation show.
"If I find that I need to reach someone outside my area for something, I reach out to them by phone or email and do my research online and after speaking to other superintendents who have used there products," Daly said.
Several companies at this year's show seem to have a grasp on the plight affecting golf course superintendents. Job security is low, pressure is high, and superintendents need help as golfer expectations put turf under increased stress each season. Many vendors as well as their distribution networks are taking a broader approach to meeting the needs of their customers.
When visiting booths at GIS this year, words such as "partner" and "consultant" were thrown around with regularity. In fact, it was so common that I refrained from mentioning the compnanies specifically for fear of forgetting one or more of them. Suffice to say, it's a new world for superintendents, and most of the companies that serve them are aware of that.
And it is important for a superintendent to know he has a partner during the 100 days of hell.
"The guys I deal with on a regular basis, I feel give me genuine, honest advice when it comes to their own products - good or bad. They're not just looking for the quick sale," said Jared Viarengo, CGCS, superintendent and general manager at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pa.
"I'm sure they are working to retain my business over the long term."
Said Ramsay: "I have discarded the folks who only see dollar signs. The relationships that I have developed know my Scottish, value-conscious heritage and always approach it from that point. I generally believe that many suppliers understand the new normal, which is value added with a fair price."
"Knowledgeable, consistent and effective recommendations win out in the end."