Clint Smith's Perception of the GIS Trip

[StephenTucker]

This is the first in a series of the profiles of this year’s GIS trip winners and their reflections on the trip. First up is Clint Smith, sponsored by Jacobsen.

Profile
Age -33
Years in industry -18 years
Years working on equipment -15 years
Grind only or lap –Grind only
Miles roundtrip/day for work -50 KM
Personal vehicle -2000 Dodge Dakota sport 4x4
Music on shop radio –Alternative Rock
Best fabrication project I’ve done –Most equipment here gets some kinda of add on from protective mesh to reinforcing weak areas whether the machine is new or old and all is done with out interfering with the structural integrity of the existing machine
Tech assistant(s) -1 Greg Bartoszewicz

Shop/Equipment

Grinders (type) – Foley Accu pro 630 spin and 670 bedknife
Lift (yes/no) – Yes (Hydralift)
Tools provided (yes or no) –Some Specialty Tools Provided
Air Conditioning in shop? No
Computer at work (yes or no) -Yes
Greensmowers (type and #) –1-Toro 3150(topdress cleanup), 6-Toro Flex 21
Collar –2-Jac PGM
Approach –2-Jac PGM
Tee –2-Toro Greensmaster 1600
Fairway – 3-LF3400
Rough – 2-AR2500, 1-Toro 3500D,1-Toro 4500D, 1-Ransomes 728
Utility vehicles –7-Cushman Trucksters, 2-Jac Hauler 1000E, 4-Yamaha Electric Utility
Cart fleet –45-Club Car Precedent
Maintenance budget/year $48000

Course (Westmount Golf & Country Club)

# of holes 18 Holes
Superintendent (name) –Cory Janzen
Assistant(s) –1st Jeremy Krueger, 2nd David Trainor
Type of grass/height of cut/# of times mowed/week –
Greens –Bentgrass exact formula unknown to me / .110” / 7 everyday
Tees –Bentgrass exact formula unknown to me / .335” / 3 Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Fairways –Bentgrass exact formula unknown to me / .375” / 3 Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Rough –Kentucky blue, fescue, rye mixture/ 1.750” / 2 times a week in entirety
Groom greens? Yes / Several times per season usually before topdress
Double cut greens? If yes, how often? Yes Usually Once every other week or before tournaments
Roll greens? If yes, how often? Once a week on average
Greens topdressing frequency –every other week when condition are favorable


So, how did it go?
Over all The Trek to The GIS was great and that’s only because I actually made it to Orlando with no major delays or accidents. It began looking like I was going to be delayed because of the snow storm that appeared in Ontario the night before I was set to leave, I Set out for the Buffalo international Airport Mid morning giving myself lots of time to get to the airport for my 5:45 pm Flight (Usually the drive would take about 2-1/2 Hrs) but due to the storm and all the chaos on the roads including the transport that flipped over in front of me on the Burlington Skyway due to the strong winds, The trip took 4-1/2 hrs of white knuckle driving, After arriving at the airport around 2:30pm I was told by several airport personnel that there had been no flights gone out yet that day due to the storm and high winds, but to carry on as though my flight was on time and still leaving. We boarded the plane with a 45 minute delay and where delayed another hour on the plane due to a frozen toilet, which was resolved eventually and we headed for the run way. Sever turbulence for the first 15 minutes as we were climbing through the air made it a bit uneasy, but after that it was smooth sailing.
For my first time being to The US Golf industry show I was Amazed at the size and work that each vendor put into each of their booths making the show overall so HUGE and complete, if it was related to Golf it was most likely there, although I must admit that I did not get to see it in as much detail as I would have liked.

Did you get to meet your sponsor?
My Sponsor (Textron/Jacobsen) Erik Sides Was in contact with me several times to arrange Flights etc before the flight. My first meeting in person with him was when I arrived at the Rosen Hotel where he arranged for me to get my room. The following morning I met Erik and we proceeded to the Convention Center before the doors opened to the general public, where he gave me a tour of the booth and introduced me to some of the important people at the booth that day, each and everyone I met was eager to answer any question that I may have had and tell me little tips or tricks for each piece of equipment to increase my knowledge and productivity with the machines.

Did you have enough time to see everything you wanted to?
I wish I had more time to prepare for, and venture around the show


Do you think an extra day or two would have helped?
I think an extra day would have allowed me to prepare better for the show, as it was I checked into my room around 11pm and after unpacking and getting settled in I found myself looking for the supper that I didn’t have due to the busy day of traveling. I felt a little tired and unorganized the next morning, I knew I had to meet Erik at a predetermined time in the lobby, so the rush was on to get ready and find somewhere to eat breakfast before I was to meet Erik.

Name one thing that stood out the most…The size and Involvement of so many companies coming from near and far to be involved in the GIS, making it easy for all involved in the golf industry to see what is available for their use and their specific needs.

Was there anything you came away from the show with that will help you or your course?
The wealth of knowledge learned from answered questions and the variety of equipment seen at the show and contacts made will come in very handy for influencing future equipment purchases as well as repairs.

What do you think about having training for techs in conjunction with the show?
I arrived The night before the show began and was unsure if there was any training for techs etc. needless to say I would have definitely attended all the tech classes if given the opportunity.

Do you think more techs would be willing to come if there was training involved?
I think there would definitely be techs there to attend the training and yes probably more than the amount that where able to attend the show this year. As it is Techs attend Seminars and training classes at several different locations through out the year, but I believe that if there were several classes grouped together at the same location as the GIS you would see a larger attendance at both the show and training sessions. This would also encourage Clubs to send their Techs and most likely foot the bill.

Would you like to see the seminars done just by Tech. associations, or also by the equipment manufacturers since they’re already there?
BOTH, I think the more knowledge brought to the seminars by both tech associations and manufactures means that the people in attendance are getting the best bang for the buck and will leave with 99 % of their questions answered, also for Techs that do attend several seminars each year at different locations like myself, this would be a good reason to go to this show and justify the cost by reducing the need to attend several different locations. Seeing that most of the Manufactures already have most, if not all of their Products already there it would probably make for some pretty thorough seminars & If the Seminars were held on the days prior to the Show it would allow for further questions to be answered during the show.

If it wasn’t for winning, would you have been able to afford to go?
No I would not have been able to afford to attend, nor would I have known what I was missing.

If a club won’t pick up any expenses involved with the trip, how do you feel about at least getting paid time off to go?
I think any support given by the Club is definitely welcomed, and most times needed, after all what we learn at the show makes them look better in the long run.

Reflect back on meeting other techs from all over and sharing experiences amongst yourselves, including the IGCEMA reception on Friday night…

Becoming an IGCEMA member $0.00
Participating in Forums & Online Webcasts $0.00
Attending Golf Industry Show in Orlando $0.00
Putting a Face to the Voice or Screen Name PRICELESS

Was the trip worth it?
Although in my case the cost of the trip was absorbed by Textron / Jacobsen, the time that I spent away from work at GIS was well worth it and I will try to attend each and every year from now on.

Interview given by Steve Spuhler from Golf Techs.