Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Winter Education

Besides a fresh couple of inches of snow, not a whole lot has changed on the golf course since the last update.  However, the latest snow certainly did come just in time to insulate the turf from the frigid stretch of weather that's being forecasted for the next few days.  Inside the cozy confines of the shop, our scheduled winter maintenance is progressing quickly, and we are on schedule to get everything done before the course reopens.

One of the highlights of the winter season are the various educational seminars that crew members are able to attend.  In this profession, problems, products, and research evolves rapidly, and these seminars keep us up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the turf world.  Each year, things learned at these seminars are incorporated into our maintenance practices, and there is no doubt that they help us in keeping the course up to par.  Besides the formal education involved in the seminars, they offer opportunities to network with our industry peers, and tips learned through these encounters are just as valuable as the university research that we learn about.  Recently, our equipment manager, Dave, attended an electrical troubleshooting seminar that was organized by our Toro distributor, Reinders.  Chad and I have gone to seminars hosted by John Deere Landscapes and the Wisconsin Club Managers Association that dealt with emerald ash borer and the summer of 2010, respectively.  This week, Chad, Nick, and I were fortunate enough to attended the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association EXPO, which is an annual day-long seminar that's filled with great information.

The commitment that Blackhawk has to continuing education is remarkable, especially in today's economic climate.  But, you can be assured that, while it may be impossible to measure, the return on investment is a positive one.

No comments:

Post a Comment