NGCSA

Dick Neumann

A couple of weeks ago, Bill Japp and I were standing by his shop at Shoreline Golf Course in Carter Lake, Iowa when I looked up and had cause to exclaim, “Holy shark!  Look at this!”  OK, I didn’t say “shark”, but something similar.  My utterance was prompted by a close flyover by a pair of juvenile bald eagles with wingspans of over five feet.  Bill responded to me with a calm statement that they always fly over the shop about that time of day. The young eagles then flew to a perch in a nearby cottonwood, breaking the woefully inadequate limb and playfully tumbling to the ground.  Bill explained that there is a nest on the course and this is the second year that the mating pair has successfully fledged.  I was surprised, thrilled, and amazed those bald eagles would nest and successfully fledge less than a mile from Eppley Airport, and two miles from downtown Omaha.

This experience got me thinking about all the wildlife I have seen on golf courses over the years.  Pelicans at Council Bluffs CC; wild turkeys at Hillcrest CC, Wellington Greens and Quarry Oaks; jackrabbits at Highlands and (of course) Jackrabbit Run, have all been spotted by my untrained eye.  I have seen foxes, coyotes, raccoons, cottontails, skunks, muskrats, and squirrels in the trees and on the ground. At Estes Park GC in Colorado, a sign on the first tee reads, “Free drop from elk droppings”.  We waited patiently for two monstrous bulls to clear the way.  I have watched as red tail hawks stalked their prey of ground squirrels and voles at Holmes GC.  Pheasants spooked at Highlands and Sutton Bay startled me as much as them.  The four foot rattlesnake at Sutton Bay caused my big buddy Kris to squeal like a six year old.  At Fontennelle Hills in Bellevue, I watched as a doe nursed her fawn less than 30 yards from the 4th fairway. 

By now, most members know we have hired Kristin Crawford of Kissel E&S Associates as our Executive Director.  Kristin Crawford, Katy Post, and Kay Lemmon are doing a very good job.  They are great organizers and have brought us to a new level.  I have seen more work done in the last month or so than I could have ever expected.  We have a lot more to do, but I am comfortable it will all get done.

Kristin has a lot of ideas and looks to be a good leader.  She made a huge impression on those that interviewed her.  She is a strong, decisive, straight forward person.  I like that and believe that is what NGCSA needs, to be successful as an organization.  I’m confident she will make us better.

The finances have been turned over to Kay.  In 1999, we purchased a program called QuickBooks Pro.  It is a good program for what we needed.  I set it up, read the manual, and managed to get what I thought we needed out of it.  Kay has made many changes, all for the better. I have just received our first full report from Kay and well, let’s just say, it is much better!  She will pay the bills, bank our money, and keep us updated on what our financial condition is.

Katy is the one that keeps an up to date database of the membership.  As our communicator, she will be working with the newsletter, meeting notices, job referrals, all other mailings, and incoming calls.  If you need something, she would be a good one to start with.

July 16th Registration Form and Field Day Information

Join the NGCSA on July 16th for a golf outing at Iron Horse Golf Club following the conclusion of the Turfgrass Field Day.  Click on the link above for more information and the registration form!  Be sure and sign up today.