It is called the golf “business” for a reason. With agronomy and economy often at loggerheads for today’s superintendent, this webinar will focus on these elements as you strive to balance playability values within the context of a budget. Can you become more sustainable and embrace change? How much do you invest and where and why? Can you reduce labor challenges with some strategic approaches? Does research exist to help make choices? And what about return on investment (ROI)?
John R. Bladon, PAg, ISSP, and Matthew Gourlay, CGCS, MG, focus on some theory as well as provide real-world examples of how to embrace change, take a more discerning look at elements of the operation while minimizing any bias we may have developed. In this 90-minute webinar, they discuss elements that can be integrated into operations to strengthen the golf “businesses” for which you work. In addition, with resource use concerns continuing to rise (water, pesticides and other inputs) they will touch on key hot topics that will enhance the sustainability of your operations and bring improvement.
Original presentation date: June 12, 2019 Education points: 0.2
About the Instructors
John R. Bladon has been immersed in the environment since childhood. His love affair with the outdoors was nurtured by his father, a horticulturist and manager of grounds at the University of Guelph. Since studying agriculture, horticulture and agronomy at the University of Guelph, Bladon spent time as a golf course superintendent at both private and public facilities and worked as an agronomist at a multinational providing research, innovation, and technical support to the company's global efforts. With more than 30-years in the industry, Bladon has authored in excess of 50 articles and lectured to audiences of all types all over the world. For the last eight years he has operated The Chimera Group, a green industry management, communications and consulting firm with a specialization in sustainability.
Matthew Gourlay, CGCS, MG, is the director of golf course operations at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan. He has worked at Colbert Hills Golf Course for the past 17 years. Gourlay earned his bachelor's degree in agriculture, with a minor in business management, from Kansas State University, earned GCSAA certification in 2011 and in May 2019 earned his Master Greenkeeper certificate from BIGGA. He was named the 2015 Superintendent of the Year by Turfnet. Gourlay has served on several GCSAA committees, as well as being a Grassroots Ambassador and has presented sessions at the Golf Industry Show since 2017.
