Michigan Golf Journal February 2020

35 February 2020 www.michigangolfjournal.com Rob Steger, CGCS, the Class A Golf Course Superintendent at Saginaw Country Club has been elected as the Michigan Golf Course Superin- tendents Association (MiGCSA) Chapter President for 2020. Other officers elected to the MiGCSA board include Vice Presi- dent Doug Ware from the City of Livonia and Secretary/Treasurer Ryan Moore of Forest Lake Country Club. Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association (MiGCSA) Announces New Officers New members elected to the board include Jared Milner from Meadowbrook Country Club and Adam Garr with Syngenta Profes- sional Products. Also reelected to a second term was Scott Pulaski from Walloon Lake Country Club and Jesse Shaver from Gull Lake Country Club. Course maintenance crews should be praised for the tireless work behind the scenes and in the wee hours of the morning getting the golf courses we love into tip-top shape. money the tree will cost the golf course over its lifetime. Tree-lined fairways can be appealing to the eye, but what are the costs to the budget and the playing conditions? Will the additional water needed to keep the turf healthy lead to soft fairways and increased water budgets? Has the tree been planted in an area that will require trimming and/or removal when it reaches its mature size? Will tree roots infiltrate drain lines, requiring costly repairs? Can the golf course afford the labor required to keep the course playable when the leaves begin to drop? Will the tree impact the intended design of a golf hole? These are some of the questions that every golf course superintendent thinks about when considering the planting or removal a tree on the golf course. We don’t hate trees, but we do value the playability of the course and turf quality more. There is a place for trees on a golf course, but the type and location of each tree planted and/or removed needs to be carefully considered from both a monetary and playability standpoint. MGJ