STGCSA Meeting & stellar golf course superintendent blogs

2 outlooks on social media:
"Dig your well before you are thirsty"
"I'm doing it, just in case it's true." -- Justin Leonard on why he was seaming the Pro V1

I will be talking to the STGCSA about blogging and social media (twitter, linkedin & facebook)
Here are the survey results regarding what the group would like to learn the most about.

Superintendent’s reasons for a blog and their feedback:

1. Improved communication
2. Monitor interest of membership – website traffic
3. Higher quality info vs. mass e-mail and newsletter paragraph
4. Timely information vs. monthly newsletter
5. Less re-writing about the same subject over and over and over
6. Can send a link vs. e-mailing photos which are often blocked
7. Prime information source – not pro or green chair or member rumors
8. Members have a huge appetite to know stuff, but hard to take the time to learn
9. Blogging has been the best thing I’ve done in a long time!
10. The members rave about it!
11. Pictures help members visualization.
12. Send out a mass e-mail after updating the blog to drive traffic.
13. Long gone are the days of a member starting a misinformed discussion in the grill room.
14. If I hear any type of misinformation on any subject I can squelch it in minutes and back it up with facts, pictures, links to articles from industry professionals and universities.
15. In short, the benefits of the blog have been worth every second I’ve spent on it.

Here are some interesting recent blog posts by superintendents and examples of different ideas to share.

1. Before & After - Arrowhead Country Club
2. Invitational - Northland Country Club
3. Ball Marks – Stockton Golf & Country Club
4. Bald Eagles – The Minikahda Club
5. Lightning - Onwentsia Club
6. Pin locations - Northmoor Country Club
7. Benefits of Golf – San Luis Obispo County Golf Courses
8. Results of maintenance – Stockton Golf & Country Club
9. About the super – Cinnabar Hills Golf Club
10. Gang Mower - Wolf Point Club
11. Research & Development – Hawks Landing Golf Club
12. FAQs - Oakland Hills Country Club
13. Turfgrass Terminology – Paul Sabino, The Farms Country Club

Forget the Newsletter - write your own blog:
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Lastly, 5 things I couldn’t work without and whole heartedly endorse:
Very own free radio station - Pandora
Music jukebox – Grooveshark – for after I use my monthly free hours of Pandora
Photo + video management & sharing – Picassa
Browser – Chrome
Camera – Canon Powershot

When The Saints Go Marching In

New Orleans is a great city.
This week with the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, I bet they would have rather of been in New Orleans for a great party and Mardi Gras too.

The GIS decided not to return to New Orleans in 2012. Too bad.
I read it was because of the turnout to the show last year.
Hard to believe the small turnout was mostly to blame on the city.

This blog is coming back to life, a busy January - one city proposal amongst several smaller items have kept me away.

Who dat?

The Texas Trophy

Had a fun three days at the Texas Trophy. The annual golf tournament sponsored by the Lone Star Chapter of the GCSAA.
Memorial Park is a very pleasant place to play.
Jason Harsh is the superintendent that keeps everything in order.
The great flags are provided by Gail's Flags in Fort Worth, TX.
I fared a whole lot better in the Sunday teams and all the great camaraderie.