5 can’t-miss GIS moments

We’ve been told by HR that we can’t spend the entire time on the River Walk. So in the meantime, these five events sound pretty nifty.The 2015 Golf Industry Show (GIS) heads to San Antonio Saturday, Feb. 21 to Thursday, Feb. 26 and incorporates competition, education and plenty of networking. Teeing off the show is the GCSAA Golf Championship and provides probably the coolest reward of the week: Any hole-in-one will earn the golfer a prize package that includes a 2015 Mid-Duty Toro Workman.

That hole-in-one would be a must-see event but, there is no guaranteeing it will happen. After looking over the calendar of events, Golfdom has picked out our top five must-attend events of the 2015 GIS.

5. CSI Turf: What Killed My Grass? Surviving the Next Polar Vortex and Other Weather Anomalies

(10 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Feb. 24, Ballroom C)

Did last year’s Polar Vortex cause you to lose your grass and almost your job? Moderated by John Sorochan, Ph.D., the panel will be discussing how to prepare or recover from weather extremes.

Presenting during the session with Sorochan are Sara Croke, president of Weather or Not, Inc.; Kevin Frank, Ph.D., Michigan State; Brian Schweihofer, superintendent, Franklin Hills CC, Franklin, Mich.; and Jim Thomas, CGCS, director of maintenance, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.

Hopefully “CSI Miami’s” Horatio Caine shows up and gives one of his famous sunglasses one-liners like, “The weather outside sucks, it sucks so much it’s creating a vortex… a polar vortex.” (YYYYYEAAAAAHHHHH!!!)

4. Zero Waste Golf — A Low-Cost Model to Improve Your Facility

(1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 24, Room 006A)

As the Bruce Springsteen song goes, “From small things, mama, big things one day come.” This seminar fits Springsteen’s mantra; smaller changes now can lead to bigger ones down the road.

Josh Heptig, superintendent at Dairy Creek GC in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and Andrew J. Staples, president of Golf Resources Group, will be taking you through low- to no-cost adjustments that can be made to your facilities for immediate and long-term impact.

This seminar requests you bring an 11×17 aerial print of your course via Google Earth or another source so it can be analyzed… and then you’ll be told what you’re doing wrong.

3. BASF’s Beers, Banter and Brats

(1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25, booth 4111)

Four of Seth’s favorite things will be available simultaneously at the BASF booth: beers, banter, brats and himself.

Moderated by Golfdom EIC Seth Jones, guest speakers include Kevin Robinson, CGCS at Pinehurst Resort; Joe Kennedy, CGCS at Vanderbilt Legends Club, John Thompson, Sycamore Hills GC, along with BASF’s Strategic Account Manager Brian Thompson, among others. Seth will be slinging beers while also having the group discuss their challenges, what they’re expecting for the 2015 golf season and some recent successes they’ve witnessed.

The 1:30 p.m. session is dedicated to Northern courses, and the 3 p.m. session is dedicated to Southern courses.

2. Closing Celebration

(5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 26, Lila Cockrell Theatre)

Every ice cream sundae needs a cherry on top and every GIS needs a closing ceremony. This year’s proverbial cherry will not disappoint.

Start at 5:30 p.m. with a few drinks during the reception before the program. Watch out for the spit-takes during the speaker because CBS and Golf Channel personality David Feherty makes his return to GIS after serving as the keynote speaker in 2012.

The event also features the results of the 21st Annual Collegiate Turf Bowl.Whose alma mater will take home the top prize?

1. Golfdom’s Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year presentation

(1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25, booth 8069)

You’ve seen the man on the cover and read about his business tactics (see page 20). Now meet William Larson, CGCS, at the Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year presentation at the Golfdom booth.

Once again The Open Doctor, Rees Jones, will be making the presentation of the award named after his family’s good friend. Golfdom’s booth hosts the presentation, but surely a post-show celebration will ensue somewhere afterward on the River Walk.

(That’s our real No. 1 — we just don’t know the time or location yet, so we couldn’t list it!)