Northwest Iowa visit: great event, great people, excellent networking

This past week I had the honor to speak at the Iowa GCSA State Meeting and Northwest Iowa event. There was an excellent turnout in Webster City, Iowa, at the Briggs Woods Golf Course. Many thanks to superintendent Russ Appel for serving as host.

As part of the trip, I spent some time visiting various facilities after the meeting and before returning to headquarters in Lawrence, Kans.

In this part of the state, rain has been hit or miss. In Spencer, Iowa, there has been plenty of rain. Too much, in fact. Spring started early, then temperatures cooled, then rain and now heat. In many ways, it was the perfect mixture of unique conditions for a golf course for the city.

In Okoboji, at Brooks Golf Course, a storm rolled through the area Tuesday with high winds causing damage. In touring the facility with Superintendent Brett Hetland, CGCS, trees were uprooted, water was standing in many areas and nine holes of the 27-hole facility were closed as staff cleaned up debris.

By contrast, Webster City had been relatively dry, until the same Tuesday storm hit later in the day. Webster City is roughly 90 miles from Spencer and around 110 miles from Okoboji.

Dealing with Mother Nature's changing conditions is a part of the profession, and with that, understanding there are only certain things you can control.

That's what chapter meetings and outings do. They bring people together to share the highs and lows. They allow members to pick each other's brains to ensure the best possible conditions are provided for customers.

In the end, Mother Nature wins, but it's how we can adapt to changing conditions and stay patient. In my presentation, I mentioned that sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing. The first instinct is to apply a product, or do something to the turf. Sometimes the best course of action is staying patient, but observant, to various conditions.

I hope all of you are grinding through the summer season but taking the time to appreciate the wonderful profession of being a golf course superintendent. Always maintain a great network of friends and peers and lean on your chapter and GCSAA as needed. We are here to help!

Rough weather hit Brooks Golf Course in Okoboji, Iowa. Other areas of the region have been dry.