Message from the President - Summer 2022
by Gary Bartley
If summer ever arrives, please shoot me a text. It’s certainly been much colder and wetter than usual for all of us although considering last year’s heat dome, I haven’t heard many complaints.
Hopefully I didn’t just jinx the summer forecast. As WCTA President there are certain responsibilities and duties to take care of but the weather is definitely out of my hands!
That being said and like all professional turf management types, I do need to plan, prepare and deal with everything Mother Nature dishes out. The next few months are the reason for so many of our cultural practices, wear management strategies and of course irrigation system preparation among other things. We will be ready for summer no matter what it looks like.
You may never truly feel ready for every possibility but the right preparation gives you the confidence, abilities and flexibility needed to weather the proverbial storm if it comes your way. Us older turf managers have learned this over and over again but those newer to the field may want to take note.
Guided by our mandate of Research, Education, Discussion and Advocacy, the WCTA has helped prepare golf and sportsfield managers for decades. Our annual conference is a big part of the program and I’m looking forward to the comeback show of 2023 at the River Rock Casino this February. More recently, we’ve continued our successful WOW webinar program with a wide variety of educational presentations, which is something I wanted to keep going even as in-person events and meetings started up again.
On the subject of being in-person again, we are very excited for our first summer field day since 2019 taking place Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at McArthur Island Park in Kamloops, BC, with a golf outing planned for Tuesday, July 26, hosted by the Kamloops Golf & Country Club.
A two-day event should be an immediate clue that this won’t be your average field day. It’s been a long time in the making and we wanted to add another dimension by turning this into a much more social event. Come for the whole thing, just the education and outdoor trade show or whatever you decide, but we are looking forward to gathering safely, in-person, in the ‘Tournament Capital of Canada’ this coming summer.
As I write this note, registration for both vendors and delegates has opened so go ahead and sign-up. I look forward to reconnecting with everyone in Kamloops this summer!
In addition to the Field Days and Conference, there are other offerings from Sports Turf Canada in the form of Online Synthetic Course and Turf Management Course that is offered at intervals during the year. Those of you who need to get a few more CEC points can also take advantage of the partnership between the WCTA and the GCSAA. There are several online CEC accredited courses that can be taken to top up. For more information on either of these, contact Jerry or Leslie at the WCTA Office.
