Happy Veteran's Day!
"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." - Elmer Davis
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Thursday, October 8, 2015
IGM Superintendent to Run NYC Marathon
Todd Hugill, Superintendent at
IGM-maintained Widow’s Walk Golf Course, will be running the New York City
Marathon on November 1, 2015. He will run with Team Hole in the Wall, which
benefits the Paul Newman camps for seriously ill children. IGM strives to be
active in the communities in which they have contracts and supports employees
in their pursuits.
Most days, Todd
Hugill can be found walking Widow’s Walk Golf Course in Scituate, MA, looking
for problem areas and ensuring optimal turf conditions. As a course superintendent with IGM for the
past 14 years, Hugill is responsible for all aspects of the course’s daily
maintenance needs. But on November 1, 2015, he will be running. As a member of
Team Hole in the Wall, he will be running the New York City Marathon, partly as
a personal challenge and partly to benefit a worthy cause.
“My wife has always been a runner, and she
inspired me. Running the NYC Marathon was something ‘out there’ that challenged
me,” said Hugill, who began training 18 weeks before race day. “A friend has done some work with Camp Hole
in the Wall, and she knew they had some bibs available on their team. It’s a
really good cause, so I was glad to join.”
Camp Hole in
the Wall was established by actor Paul Newman to provide “a different kind of
healing to more than 30,000 children and families battling serious illness each
year, free of charge,” according to their website. Hugill has fond memories of
his own summer camp experiences, so he is pleased that donations to his run
will make those experiences possible for these families.
IGM Regional
Manager Tyler Minamyer said, “IGM has
always been proud of the fact that we become a part of the community when we
take on a course. Todd has been with Widow’s Walk Golf Course since joining
IGM, and we’re happy to support him in doing this.” IGM has been involved with projects for
Boy Scouts, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way, among others in the
communities in which they maintain golf courses.
Hugill
concurs that Minamyer and Steve Gano, IGM Vice-President of Operations, have
provided moral support throughout his training. In addition, his wife will continue
to inspire him, as she is also running in NYC, having received a running bib
through the marathon’s lottery system. “Our
kids are excited,” said Hugill. For more information or to donate on
Hugill’s behalf, visit:
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
IGM Helps Caesar’s Improve Top 100 Ranking
Golfers visiting Las Vegas are drawn to two
beautiful Rees Jones-designed golf courses that promise high-end performance:
Rio Secco and Cascata Golf Clubs, owned by Caesar’s Entertainment. Each course
brings challenges and renown to the golfing experience, and IGM is proud to be
the maintenance contractor for both.
Eric Dutt, vice-president for golf
operations for Caesar’s Entertainment, selected IGM to take over maintenance
responsibilities for the courses in February 2014. “I’m very pleased with the relationship,” said Dutt. “Greg Plotner and Steve Gano (IGM’s Executive VP and VP of
Operations) visit regularly, so I get the
value of their expertise and insight, in addition to the director of
maintenance, Jon Dodds, who oversees the courses on a daily basis.”
Cascata Golf
Club in Boulder City, Nevada is now ranked 46th among top golf courses in the
country, up from 53rd in 2014, according to Golf Digest’s, America’s Top
100 Public Golf Courses. Dutt noted that Cascata is a 15-year-old course and
maintaining a ranking at that level, more so improving it, “is a testament to the quality of IGM’s work, particularly with no
capital outlay at this point.”
Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada is home to a
teaching facility run by Butch Harmon, often referred to as "the best golf
instructor in the world." Harmon’s
students have included Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, and he regularly brings
top touring professionals to the club. “Expectations
for superior performance at the course are very high,” said Dutt.
Without yet
making capital improvements, one of the major priorities at the courses has
been improving water utilization. “We
have dramatically increased water savings by basing irrigation on the principle
of evapotranspiration, or factoring in the different watering needs created by
sun, wind, humidity and other conditions,” said Steve Gano, VP of
Operations for IGM. “We’re also using the
latest technology in wetting agents, products that break surface tension and
allow more water to be absorbed. In
addition, we have raised and leveled sprinklers to improve distribution
uniformity.”
“Efficiency with
irrigation is a big deal in the desert; water is a precious, expensive
commodity,” noted Dutt. “We have
regular discussions about getting better performance at less cost.” With a
combined 56,000 rounds of golf played at the two courses each year, daily
maintenance is a priority.
Gano added
that maintenance director Dodds’ crew includes a designated detail crew. “They don’t ride the mowers. Their job is to
take care of the flowers, keep things pruned, and ensure the course looks
beautiful.”
Dutt is particularly happy from a business standpoint that
he is provided an accurate forecast of his annual maintenance expenses. “That’s especially important with the way
the golf industry has been hit. I operate two high-end golf courses, and I need
them maintained in a way that allows us to charge the greens fees we do,”
said Dutt. “We serve some well-known
clients who expect a certain level of performance and experience.”
Dutt
added, “The outsourcing model is out of
the box, but it’s a model course operators need to look at. Owners with
multiple facilities get the opportunity for economies of scale in such things
as overseeding. The team at IGM are agronomists as well as business people who
can help look at savings.”
Monday, August 3, 2015
IGM to Restore Cypress Greens Golf Course
IGM is proud
to announce a new partnership with Sun Communities for the maintenance of the
Cypress Greens golf course in Lake Alfred, FL. “It’s a great opportunity to restore this course to its former beauty
and playing performance,” said IGM Executive Vice-President Greg Plotner.
When Sun
Communities purchased the Cypress Greens property, it was apparent the
retirement community’s golf course needed restoration. “The greens, tees, and bunkers were in bad shape,” said Michael
Machikas, Divisional VP of Operations and Sales for Sun Communities. The
company had successfully outsourced their golf course maintenance services in
other communities, so they put the contract out for bid and subsequently hired
IGM in May 2015. Machikas said, “I was impressed with Greg and his hands-on
approach. He was knowledgeable and made recommendations for course improvements
right away.”
Those
immediate recommendations included a focus on fertilization, weed control, and
updating the irrigation system and the maintenance facility. Plotner said, “A lot of maintenance had been deferred. We
needed to get a sound agronomic program in place and ensure that the property
was being maintained consistently.”
IGM brought
in experienced superintendent Glenn Esposito to oversee the course restoration
and daily maintenance. A previous
Cypress Greens maintenance employee remained on the crew. While the contractual
relationship is new, IGM is already in process of renovating the bunkers, leveling
tees and enlarging the teeing areas.
Machikas noted, “Cost was not our number one concern, but IGM was less expensive than
other bidders. More significantly, they were willing to do things the others
weren’t. It’s clear they want to build a
partnership. In business, you want to
work with someone willing to walk with you for the long-term.”
Monday, June 22, 2015
Golf Course Upgrade at Brays Island Plantation
The Owners at
Brays Island Plantation in Sheldon, SC, are members of some of the finest golf
courses in the country. Naturally, they expect their course in this exclusive
hunting and golfing community to be of competitive quality. However, as the course
aged, the original irrigation system and greens from the 1980’s deteriorated, and
playing conditions became an issue for the golf course ownership.
IGM, Inc.
was contracted in 2008 to manage complete maintenance of the Plantation’s Ron
Garl-designed course and practice facility. In collaboration with Brays Island Plantation’s
general manager, IGM Regional Manager Tyler Minamyer and course superintendent
Jeff Miller began a thorough evaluation of the course’s condition and
needs. From the outset, IGM knew the
original TifDwarf Bermuda grass had deteriorated and mutations had occurred
throughout the greens. “This led to inferior playing conditions
compared to other courses in the area and fell well below the Owners’
expectations. Also, the irrigation system was original and had to be replaced
before addressing the turfgrass,” explained Minamyer.
From
2009-2011, IGM and Brays Island worked together to plan the renovation and
obtain funding approval for the irrigation replacement. During the slower
summer months of 2011, the replacement process began one hole at a time to
reduce disruptions to the golfers. Goals of the irrigation project were to
maintain the integrity and value of Brays Island’s asset, as well as to install
an efficient system with the longest useful life possible.
With the
successful completion of the irrigation project, the grass upgrade began. Minamyer explained that the existing TifDwarf
Bermuda grass “affected how we over-seeded
the greens. New seed would not establish well in mutated areas, and those areas
transitioned poorly back to Bermuda grass in the spring.” After evaluating
all grasses on the market, IGM and Brays Island chose TifEagle Bermuda grass as
best suiting the needs of the Plantation. “The
owners wanted faster, more consistent greens that were comparable to
competition. And TifEagle grass won’t require over-seeding, which means less
disruption to play and better performance during spring and fall when the Plantation
is busiest,” said Minamyer.
To accomplish
the grassing renovation, the course closed on June 1, 2015 and is expected to
reopen on September 5, 2015. As part of the process, two greens were redesigned
to reduce severity of the slope and better accommodate a new type of grass. Overall
goals of the grassing project are to continue maintaining the integrity and
value of Brays Island’s asset, eliminate the risk of catastrophic failure due
to over-seeding and transition, improve playability of the greens during peak
and shoulder periods, allow for more consistency in playing conditions
throughout the entire year, remain competitive with area golf courses, and
improve owners’ enjoyment of the golf amenity.
Kevin
Rhatigan, General Manager of Brays Island Plantation, detailed the intense
up-front education required for the renovation, from educating the golf
committee and explaining the relationship between benefits and costs to
educating the Board, then presenting recommendations for a vote of the Owners
(425 property owners). “There was a lot
of scrutiny. Our relationship with IGM is a great partnership,” said
Rhatigan. “It’s not just having a comfort
level with a really good superintendent in Jeff Miller for day-to-day operations
but more like having on-site consultants to manage a major project like this. Tyler
Minamyer and Steve Gano (Vice President of Operations, IGM) visit regularly, so we have the benefit of
their years of experience. They’ve done a great job for us.”
Minamyer
noted, “We have methodically worked to
maintain and improve quality of the owners’ asset and meet their goals. Everything
has to be replaced at some point, but we’ll do everything we can to extend the
useful life of the course and recommend investments in the course that will
have the greatest potential for return. .”
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Winter Thaw at The Ledges Golf Club: IGM Restores Greens to Tournament Conditions
While
most of New England was still recovering from harsh winter storms, the IGM team
at The
Ledges Golf Club in South Hadley, Massachusetts was preparing the 18-hole
course for a major tournament.
The
Ledges hosted its first Connecticut Section PGA championship May 14 - 15, with
an opening day temperature of 30 degrees. Superintendent Mike Fontaine with
IGM, said his crew had roughly three weeks to ensure the course was in playing
condition for the tournament’s golfers.
“The local pros were awesome. Everyone
in the area knows about the damage, and I think they were very surprised at how
well the course came together,” said Fontaine.
The
Ledges is typically closed from Thanksgiving to April, with snowfall expected
in the town west of Boston. “What was odd
this year was a heavy rainstorm in early January. Before it could run off the
course, it froze. That was followed by snow storms that just kept coming. We
had 7-foot snow drifts on the greens,” Fontaine explained. “When we scouted the course in early March,
we realized we had about two inches of ice under the snow.”
Fontaine
and his four-person winter crew implemented a plan to restore the grass as quickly as
possible. A snow-blower helped clear the snow, and a layer of sand was spread
to melt the ice faster. By the end of March, the crew was able to double-spike
and over-seed the greens, which were then top-dressed and fertilized. “When it finally warmed up about two weeks
before the tournament, Mother Nature went to work on the seed and fertilizer to
get the greens in shape.”
“Mike and his team worked from the main play
areas outward, prioritizing their time based on course knowledge. With so much
to accomplish, Mike placed a priority on greens, fairways and tees. Once these
areas were completed, the team focused on bringing the entire property up to
expectations,” said Steve Gano,
IGM’s Vice President of Operations.
While
the course was closed an extra week this winter, Fontaine maintained close
communications with the General Manager, golf agronomists, and the community
about what they were doing and why. “We
know the town needs the course open to bring in revenue. Our goal is for
everyone to have a good experience every time they come out here,” said
Fontaine.
The
result was an outstanding playing surface to host the Connecticut Section PGA
championship, in an environment that represented South Hadley admirably. TheMassLive blog quoted Kevin Shea, from Great Neck Country Club, as saying, “Conditions were perfect. It was Augusta out
there.”
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
IGM in the News
Area golf courses bouncing back from winter whiteout
By Michael Whitmer Boston Globe Staff
Aside from a chance of rain on Monday, it appears to be a glorious Memorial Day weekend forecast, the perfect kind of weather to go out and play some golf.
Just don’t expect the golf course to be in perfect shape.
The record-setting snow that blanketed Boston for much of the year’s first four months delayed the opening of nearly every golf course in the state. When the snow finally did melt away, course superintendents discovered that the challenges winter brought would extend well into spring, maybe longer. Some have it worse than others — there are still temporary greens being used — but almost every course is dealing with the after-effects of more than 100 inches of snow from a mean, unforgiving winter.
“I can tell you, in the Western Mass. area, there’s still a large group of boys still recovering. Mother Nature was pretty vicious,” said Mike Fontaine, superintendent at The Ledges Golf Club, a daily-fee facility in South Hadley. “Even still, now that the snow is gone, her weather pattern has not been all that great. Guys are chasing, getting all aspects of their golf courses ready to go.”
In the golf industry, especially here in the Northeast, Memorial Day is a key weekend; it’s when course operators and superintendents want their place to shine. It signals a start to the golf season, the unofficial start to summer, and draws eager golfers who are ready to play more after a long, forced break.
With the snow long gone and recent temperatures in the 70s, those golfers might expect area courses to be in midseason form. This year, those expectations aren’t reasonable, and likely won’t be met, at least not yet.
The issue at many courses is damage from winter kill: grass that has died, either from a layer of ice, or a combination of other factors that can lead to the plant suffocating. This time, though, there was one main culprit.
“It was the weather this year,” said Jim Skorulski, the US Golf Association’s agronomist for the Northeast region. “We can deal with weather, just not the extremes, like heavy rain or strong winds. The winter this year was extreme, there’s no doubt.”
It’s interesting, because some courses had more damage than others, and some courses experienced damage on certain parts of their course, but not others. Growing grass — and keeping it alive — in these kinds of conditions isn’t easy.
“A lot of the things that we’ve done, and a lot of the things a lot of my colleagues have done over the years, is improve the growing sites that greens and golf courses are on. They’re doing work on drainage, they’re working on tree removal to get more sunlight in. I think a lot of what’s happening in the winter has more to do with drainage and shade and environmental factors that we can control,” said Mike Luccini, the superintendent at Franklin Country Club and president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England. “What you see coming out of the winter is very course-specific, whether it’s good, bad, or indifferent. What happens over here might not be the same thing people are experiencing 5, 10, 20 miles away.”
There have been a few positive course stories this spring. George Wright Golf Course in Hyde Park and the William J. Devine course at Franklin Park were the hosts of the Massachusetts Four-Ball Championship on May 12-13. With the courses opening two weeks later this year (April 17) than last, it didn’t leave much time for the course maintenance staffs preparing them to welcome and challenge the best amateur players in the state.
“We were very concerned. We know the reputation that George Wright has, so we were more concerned for Franklin Park,” said Dennis Roache, who manages both city-owned courses. “The Four-Ball gave us an opportunity to showcase Franklin Park, and for those who had never been here, we didn’t want them to have a bad experience.
“We were very concerned about the conditions, but they got both courses looking phenomenal. Up to 10 days before we were worried that we’d be in April conditions for a May tournament.”
It will take much longer for most area courses to hit their peak condition, and that is no guarantee. A lot will depend on the weather we get going forward. Seasonal weather will help: Heat, warm nights, precipitation.
“Everybody is still nicked up, I would say,” said Fontaine, who had The Ledges ready to open April 24, the latest start date he can remember in nearly 30 years in the profession. “Superintendents are very proud of what they do, nobody wants a golf course to grow in faster than we do.”
Until then, a little patience and understanding is recommended. Winter set everybody back, reflected in most courses not opening until late April, some in early May. It will take time for the bluegrass and bentgrass greens used on the majority of area courses to get completely healthy.
“They might look healed, but they’re not. They might look recovered, but they’re not,” said Skorulski. “It’s so true in this case: Be patient. Everyone’s working hard to get them back. I would guess, based on historical principles, we’re probably looking at mid-June, maybe early July for really damaged courses to get back to normal.”
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Chicopee Country Club to Celebrate 50th Anniversary
The club will run a first-class outing, at a reasonable
rate . . . and on a terrific golf
course.
"Chicopee has always been a great deal,'' current head
golf professional Mike O'Neill said. "With its price point, the location,
conditions. And, from the back tees, it's a helluva challenge for the best
players.''
The 50th anniversary event takes place Saturday, May 30,
with a short dedication ceremony at 8:45 a.m. The four-person scramble starts
with a 9 a.m. shotgun, with a lunch buffet to follow.
Cost for golf, cart, lunch and prizes is $50, and $30 for
the season pass holders at the municipal course on Burnett Road.
"It's going to be a great day,'' O'Neill said.
"We've invited everyone . . . past commissioners, city councilors. It's
all about Chicopee Country Club.''
Chicopee CC has long had a reputation of being a
well-conditioned, challenging golf course and very affordable.
"Since the early days, Chicopee had pretty good acclaim
because of its reasonable rates . . . and that has never changed,'' said Jim
Low, a longtime golf committee chairman who has played golf there since its
opening. "The course was built during that boom (early 1960s) and that
lent itself to competitive rates.
"And it was a home run for a public golf course.''
It all started in 1965, when city resident Bob Leitch hit
the ceremonial first shot off No. 1.
"The mayor and his group didn't show up on time and the
starter was getting nervous,'' said Leitch, now retired from a longtime career
at Channel 22. "The media was in the next foursome and he said 'Who wants
to go?' I got ticket No. 1 and (the late) Rollie Jacobs took No. 2.
"I held the course record, I think 78, until the fourth
foursome came in.''
Low and longtime Chicopee CC golfer Tom Robak said
improvements and maintenance on the club's facilities and grounds have always
been done on minimal budgets.
"So many people and businesses have volunteered to help
with anything,'' Low said. "It's a special place. I even proposed to my
wife (Linda) on the 18th tee 41 years ago.''
There have also been only six superintendents, with Mike
Bach being the most recent. Dick Lussier, Sammy Theroux, Max Mierzwa, Donald
Nunes and Ray St. Peter have also held the post.
In recent years, the city has contracted with International
Golf Maintenance, Inc. to handle its maintenance. Their efforts have helped
improve and maintain a Geoffrey Cornish design that has both its challenges and
quirks.
"He wanted to do things like extend the ninth hole,
pushing the tees back another 60 or 70 yards,'' Low said of Cornish. "And
he put three pines, which had grown pretty tall, in the middle of the fairway
on 7. Over time, there's only one left.''
The course is bordered by Chicopee Memorial State Park and
Westover Air Base, with parts of the fourth and fifth holes in Ludlow.
Chicopee's layout has undergone a few changes over the
years, most notably a shortening of the fifth and 12th holes due to safety
issues of bordering residential properties.
And the eighth green, once too severe in its slope and
undulations, was re-constructed 30 years ago.
Chicopee has hosted its share of state and regional
championships and qualifiers, and the course record is "shared'' by
amateur Steve Bys and Elmcrest CC head pro Dan Lapierre.
Bys posted a 10-under-par 62 on the "old course,'' when
the 12th hole played as a par 4, in June 1991. He made 10 birdies, lost a
stroke for an unplayable lie and carded 31s on each side.
Lapierre's 62 was a 9-under effort from the blue tees, with
a pair of 31s in April 2003.
"There have been so many great players here . . . Bys, Mike
Lempart, the Lapierres, the Wightmans, the DiRicos, the Grochmals, the
O'Neills,'' Low said.
O'Neill is one of only six head professionals at the course,
the first being his uncle Roy O'Neill. Others to follow were Ed Rubis, Paul
Ryiz, Mark Jamrog and Tom DiRico. "And you go to any clubhouse, the name Ed Rubis is on a
plaque somewhere,'' Mike O'Neill said.
League play has helped the club thrive, a loyalty that Mike
O'Neill said is the club's "bread and butter'' along with its outings.
Uniroyal, Tigers A.C. and Chicopee Elks are among longtime leagues at the
course.
And with most any businesses, location has played a big role
in the club's success.
"Our location is super,'' O'Neill said. "We're
right off the Mass. Turnpike (Exit 6), 30 to 40 minutes from Worcester and 20
to 30 minutes from Hartford and Connecticut.''
DiRico has the honor of being the only golfer to make a
"2'' at the par-5 seventh hole, a feat he accomplished in 2005.The par-4 ninth hole is driveable for longer hitters and has yielded holes-in-one to Chicopee residents Adam Demarsh, Jeff Cyboron and John Glynn of Holbrook.
http://www.masslive.com/golf/index.ssf/2015/05/chicopee_country_club_to_celebrate_50th_anniversary_on_may_30.html
Monday, April 27, 2015
AMI Kids Croquet Tournament Set for May 15th
Since IGM began maintaining the Brays Island Plantation Golf Course in 2008, our team has been responsible for laying out and preparing the courts for this event. At the conclusion of the club’s Member/Guest, the driving range tee is closed and intensive maintenance practices begin. From a range tee that shows the traffic of a busy golf season to a top quality croquet surface in just two weeks.
About AMI Kids
AMI Kids which has "campuses" throughout the country, is the last hope for third strike delinquent boys. AMI saves these kids and makes them productive citizens in today's society. The local chapter has a 78 % success rate, while state and county centers can claim around 15 %. With the decrease in funding over the years, this fundraiser is even more important. In the past 24 years, the money raised has purchased a boat, a van, and an outdoor teaching center, to name just a few items. For more information visit http://www.amikids.org/.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
National Golf Day
The 2014 event featured industry leaders from the Club Managers Association of America, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), National Golf Course Owners Association, PGA TOUR, U.S. Golf Manufacturers Council, the PGA of America, United States Golf Association, WGF and others were in attendance to discuss golf’s economic, environmental, charitable and fitness benefits to Congressional, executive branch and agency leaders.
Find out more at http://wearegolf.org/capitol-hill/national-golf-day/
Friday, March 20, 2015
Friday, March 6, 2015
Use of Technology - Ground Penetrating Radar
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The team is preparing for a no-till regrassing of greens from TifDwarf Bermudagrass to TifEagle later this summer.
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