Employment Contract Negotiation Skills for Golf Course Superintendents   (TOP)

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speakers: Ross Dunsmore, LL.B, Dunsmore Law

Leave this session with an understanding of negotiation theory and with a defined set of actions and skills that will improve your ability to negotiate in any employment situation.

Implementing Integrated Pest Management SOLD OUT   (TOP)

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speakers: Dr. Brenda Nailor; Pam Charbonneau, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Rural Affairs, Turfgrass Specialist

This seminar will prepare the golf course IPM agent to plan, document and report in the format designated in Ontario.  Golf course personnel will leave this seminar with the start of a calendar-based plan to implement IPM at their golf course. (more...)
For the last decade, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in turfgrass has been taught as a means to better manage golf course turfgrass through integration of knowledge about the pest, plant, environment and the tools available for control. In Ontario, golf courses now face provincial regulations that mandate IPM be practiced and reported, and that golf courses are accredited and audited. Similar legislation is expected in several other provinces or municipalities across Canada in the future. This seminar will use case studies to explore the practical aspects of IPM, and will prepare the golf course IPM agent to plan, document and report in the format designated in Ontario. Golf course personnel will leave this seminar with the start of a calendar-based plan to implement IPM to the standards stipulated in the Ontario regulations.

Understanding Human Behavior in the Golf Industry (Individual, Teams and Management)   (TOP)

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speaker: Cameron Anderson, President, Anderson-Sabourin

***This session is limited to the first 25 participants***

Each participant will receive an 18 point “Attentional and Interpersonal Style” report on their behaviours and interactions with others. These assessments will collectively be used to create a golf superintendent normative group which will be discussed in the context of self awareness, understanding others in the management team and management leadership in the golf industry. This fun and inspiring session will provide you with tremendous insights into your management style and how it influences your interactions with others. (more...)
The role of Golf Superintendent has never been more challenging. Changing environmental standards, economic and financial pressures, turfgrass science and equipment advancements combined with unpredictable weather patterns all conspire to make these interesting times indeed. And none of these factors address the ever present people issues in the day to day running of course operations.

From your own self awareness of your primary, hard wired tendencies, to becoming a more effective member of the course management team, we constantly need to better manage ourselves and those around us.

Each participant will self administer the world’s leading behavioral assessment The Attentional and Interpersonal Style inventory (TAIS), prior to the session (the instrument takes about 15 minutes to complete online). Once completed, each participant will immediately receive their own comprehensive TAIS report that outlines the 18 primary factors that comprise their behaviors and interactions with others. A Golf Superintendents normative group will be created from a composite of all of the participants and will be discussed in the context of: 1) Self Awareness 2) Understanding Others on your Management Team and 3) Management and Leadership in the Golf Industry (i.e. better understanding of your staff to enhance your management skills).

Multi media presentations with videos, interactive exercises and a fun and thought provoking facilitation approach will make this day memorable for years to come!

Note: This high demand session will be limited to the first 25 participants who register on a first come, first served basis.

Golf Course Construction and Renovation   (TOP)

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speakers: Steven Young, S. Young Design Inc.

Knowing your role during construction and renovation projects will be the key outcome of this session.  In defining the superintendent role, the role of the contractor, architect, suppliers and others will also be examined.

Getting the Most from Microsoft Office   (TOP)

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speakers: SkillPath

In this workshop, you’ll discover built-in shortcuts, not only learn basic functions but advanced features and learn how to use templates to get started quickly.  Sharpen your Microsoft Office skills to improve the time and professionalism of all your PowerPoint presentations, Excel workbooks and Word documents. (more...)
Using Microsoft Word
In this workshop, you’ll discover built-in shortcuts for taking advantage of Word’s document-centric approach and how to put such power-laden features as the Ribbon User Interface, table drawing tools, text options, Internet hyperlinks, AutoShapes, multiple versioning and page borders to work for you.

Using Microsoft PowerPoint®
In this workshop, you’ll not only learn PowerPoint’s basic functions, but also how to take advantage of advanced features for preparing and designing masterful presentations.

Using Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel starts where most spreadsheet programs leave off. Excel comes loaded with statistical tools, expanded formula options and integrated graphics for creating financial presentations that include everything from sound and clip art to tilted letters, bubble charts and regional data summarized on maps.

Cool Season Turfgrass Nutrition and Fertilizer Programming  MORE SEATS ADDED (TOP)

Date: Friday, February 26, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speaker: Dr. Kevin Frank, Associate Professor, Michigan State University

New fertilizers, new cultivars, new research, new turfgrass management philosophies and new regulations on what you can and can not do. There are numerous factors that are critical to understanding turfgrass nutritional needs. A broad range of topics related to turfgrass fertility will be covered and include: plant, soil, and fertilizer factors that influence turfgrass nutrition, turf response to nutrients, environmental fate of nutrients, fertilizer characteristics, and planning a fertilization program.

Hiring/Disciplining/Terminating   (TOP)

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speaker: Ross Dunsmore, LL.B, Dunsmore Law

Ross Dunsmore provides you with the tips and techniques that will improve your annual hiring process, provide a system for taking proper disciplinary action and keep you and your club out of court when termination of an employee is required.

Water Use and Water Quality: The Impact on Turf   (TOP)

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speakers: Dr. Eric Lyons, Assistant Professor, University of Guelph; Tim Fredericks, Fredericks McGuire Ltd.

The minimization of water use and the maximization of available technologies to conserve and make efficient and effective use of the water used are the tools that you will gain from attending this session.  You will also learn about and leave with tools related to water quality and how to deal with different water quality issues on the golf course.

Disease Identification/Treatment/Causes SOLD OUT   (TOP)

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speaker: Dr. John Kaminski, Assistant Professor, Penn State University

Dr. John Kaminski from Penn State University will provide participants with a tool box of what causes disease, how to identify specific problems and how to treat individual disease issues. He’ll discuss the impact of grass species, general disease management, major diseases of turf, turfgrass disease biology, control methods and more! (more...)
This full-day seminar provides everything you need to know on the topic of turf disease management. Dr. Kaminski will cover all the bases on turgrass maintenance and disease management strategies for golf courses. He’ll discuss the impact of grass species, general disease management, major diseases of turf, turfgrass disease biology, control methods and more! Specifically, attendees will: 1) gain a better understanding and appreciation for the biology of turgrass pathogens, epidemiology of turfgrass diseases; 2) identify techniques that will assist in the identification of turfgrass diseases; and 3) learn the latest cultural and chemical control strategies based on Univeristy research trials.

Presentation & Public Speaking Skills for Golf Professionals   (TOP)

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speaker: C. Mike Jousan, Founder and President, Clear Communication

This session will deal with the tools and skills to make you a better public speaker.

You will learn to:
• Deal with the fear of public speaking
• Turn nervousness into positive energy
• Make better connections with the audience
• Use eye contact and voice for better impact
• Turn distracting mannerisms into positive gestures
• Prepare presentations to meet the needs of the audience
• Handle difficult questions

IPM Exam Preparation and IPM Exam SOLD OUT   (TOP)

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Duration: 4 hours of preparation, 2 hour exam
Format: Workshop and Exam
Speaker: Guelph Turfgrass Institute

The University of Guelph Turfgrass Institute will take you through four hours of preparation aimed at getting you ready to pass your IPM exam. The afternoon portion of the day will be used to allow you to write the two hour exam.

Leading and Motivating Others   (TOP)

Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Duration: 7 hours of instruction
Format: Workshop
Speakers: McKinley Solutions

Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. This session will leave you with the tools on how to guide your team and overcome the five most common dysfunctions of a team: inattention to results, absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment and avoidance of accountability. (more...)
Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience.

True leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. Although your position as a manager, supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in the organization, this power does not make you a leader...it simply makes you the boss. Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than simply bossing people around.

Leadership style varies with the individual, yet there are certain “keys” to great leadership. According to GE’s Jeff Immelt, they include personal responsibility, simplify constantly, learn constantly and learn how to teach, stay true to your own style, set boundaries but encourage others to challenge within those boundaries. There has been a major shift in philosophy from conventional or traditional leadership to “fusion” leadership. Through fusion leadership you will learn how to lead and motivate others through mindfulness, vision, heart and courage.

As a leader you will learn how guide your team in overcoming the five most common dysfunctions of a team: inattention to results, absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment and avoidance of accountability. You will learn how to teach your team to:

• Define & build trust
• Encourage and master conflict
• Achieve commitment & alignment
• Define & embrace accountability
• Focus on results