F ORE Y OUR INFORMATION 4th Quar ter 2025
Cameron Park Country Club 2022 Scholarship & Research Tournament The Ridge Golf Course
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P R E S I D E N T ’ S M E S S AG E B Y B I L L Y W I T T Wishing a Happy Holiday season to all members of Sierra Nevada GCSA, I’d like to start with my appreciation for the job our past president, Juan Gonzalez, did in 2025! His commitment to serving our chapter as well as the state chapter, while managing multiple properties was impressive. Personally, I enjoyed getting to know Juan better and am proud to call him a close friend. As the year went along, I continued to thank him for his professionalism and leadership and hope I can continue the momentum we have built as we move into 2026. I am honored to find myself in this position and believe we are blessed to have such a hard working group of individuals working in our chapter, Kimberly Milne works tirelessly as we bombard her with questions , concerns and challenges. Many of our past presidents continue to serve and assist in providing value to our meetings, Jim Ferrin, Ali, Jeremy Payne, Scott McCullough and others I may be forgetting, have us in a great position to launch our year of education with the Turf Tech which is always well attended. We have built a strong board for the future, and I look forward to working with this group. Our affiliate members have put together education and meeting venues that are eyebrow raising, I encourage everyone to pay attention to the emails and make sure to attend as many meetings as possible this year. There have been many discussions on how to increase participation and the two topics that continually get discussed are education and venue; and what a line up that has already been built. Turf Tech will once again be held at The Ridge in Auburn and the speaker line up is incredible, I hope to bring along some of my crew and I encourage you all to expose your staff to the experience. We have nearly finished the entire year’s calendar and will be sending out notifications. I look forward to meeting some new superintendents as well as seeing some old friends. With GIS being held on the east coast this year, my hope is some members who chose not to travel can direct their energy to some local education and meetings, I know from my past the value gained from the meetings, networking and connecting with vendors made my day-to-day job much easier. I have been an active member for 19 years; but only recently connected with Sierra Nevada GCSA. I was invited to Shaefer’s Mill as a guest; and quickly gravitated to the camaraderie and closeness our chapter shares. I’ve watched as our contributions to scholarships grew. You will see how that impacted the families of our members as we share with you some stories at the meetings. The contributions to Rounds 4 Research continues to grow and I implore you to donate this year and respond should we reach out, special thanks to Jeff Jensen in working with us to make the donation process simple, it would be fabulous to increase our numbers yet again. Lonnie Dunn our Vice President was recently able to travel to the delegates meeting and our chapter was recognized as an early contributor to the 100 Year Centennial Event in Orlando and towards the Col. John Morley Fund. We were able to give a sizeable amount for such a relatively small chapter, so thanks to everyone who continues to renew memberships and support our meetings. Our BOD will have a strong showing in Orlando this year, I look forward to celebrating the 100th anniversary of GCSAA with you all. Should you ever have a question or concern please feel free to reach out or if you ever happen to be well off the beaten trail in my neighborhood, please feel free to join me and tee it up here!! -Billy Witt
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E V E N T C A L E N DA R
M E E T I N G DA T E S
2026
August 3, 2025 Granite Bay Golf Course Scholarship and Research Tournament
January 13, 2026 The Ridge GC Turf Tech February 2026 Orlando, Fl. GIS
August 31, 2026 San Luis Obispo Country Club Tri– Chapter Tournament Hosted by Central Chapter
March 16, 2026 Del Paso CC Education Meeting
September 2026 Presidents Cup TBD
April 13, 2026 Cherry Island Golf Course Grass Roots Tournament
November 2026 Annual Meeting TBD
June 15, 2026 Serrano Country Club
December 2026 Holiday Event TBD
2026 SNGCSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Billy Witt Hidden Valley Lake Assoc. SECRETARY/TREASURER Guillermo Romero Reyes Brookside CC
Dave Bermudez Del Rio G. & C.C.
VICE PRESIDENT Lonnie Dunn William Land Park
Andy Lopez Oakdale GC
DIRECTORS Scott McCullough The Ridge
Dean Kinney, Sierra Pacific Turf
PAST PRESIDENT Juan Gonzalez Empire Ranch GC
PJ Kanir Cameron Park CC
Brian Kerr– Assistant Turkey Creek GC
Affiliate Representatives Ryan Thornberry, California Landscape Supply
FORE YOUR INFORMATION Published by the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association OFFICE SNGCSA 3273 Richert Ave., Clovis, CA 93619 559-298-6262 sngcsaa@aol.com
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F RO M T H E F I E L D J e f f J e n s e n , GCSAA Field Staff,
Southwest Region
I hope this finds everyone enjoying the holiday season and getting to spend time with family and friends. 2025 was a wonderful year for the golf industry so let’s work hard to keep the momentum going. As we inch closer to a new year, please take the time to consider completing your facility BMP guide. GCSAA worked over the summer to update the online tool making the process quick and easy. You can finish your state guide in a matter of minutes and have a document on hand that reflects the many regulatory and environmental challenges we face in California.
BMPs help protect the availability of water, pesticides and nutrients and help strengthen golf’s relationship with lawmakers at both the state and federal level. Jeff Jensen
ever to complete.
You can access the online tool at www.gcsaa.org/bmp or click on the QRcode located below. The tool is also mobile device friendly making it easier than
2026 will also provide you the opportunity to assist the chapter in raising funds for research, education and advocacy through the Rounds4Research auction. The 2026 auction is slated for April 20-26. Golf facilities can support the effort by donating rounds of golf for two or four or “stay and play” packages and other items that will be auctioned online through the BiddingForGood platform. Eighty percent goes to the chapter with the remaining twenty percent going to GCSAA Foundation to assist with marketing and technical costs of running the national auction. To date, the auction has raised nearly $5 million nationally. We have not had a lot of participation in this region, giving us an even greater opportunity to expand and grow, which benefits all members. Our national goal for 2026 is $832,000. Facilities can donate online at www.rounds4research.com and you can set blackout dates and times to fit your facilities needs. The entire process takes less than 10 minutes and you can send in your own certificate or GCSAA can create one for you. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you have a great holiday season and a Happy New Year! If I can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jjensen@gcsaa.org and follow me on Twitter at GCSAA_SW for industry updates. I look forward to seeing you all at some of the upcoming events in the new year. -
Jeff Jensen
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M ow i n g a n d G row i n g . . . M ove s a ro u n d t h e A r e a This quarter here have been a few moves that we are aware of. We love to keep everyone up to date, as much as possible, so if you are aware of changes around the area, please let the association office know, and we will pass it around. Rodney Muller moved to The Reserve at Spanos Park Steve Showers moved to Discovery Bay Golf Course Guillermo Romero took the Superintendent position at Brookside Country Club Danny Fielder, CGCS to Spring Creek Golf & Country Club. Danny was most recently at Dublin Ranch Golf Club. That’s all we have for this Quarter. Happy New Year and we look forward to more action in 2026!
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CAG NEWSLETTERS Please check out the attached links to the monthly CAG Newsletters.
CAG NEWSLETTER-OCTOBER
CAG NEWSLETTER- COLORADO RIVER NEGOTIATION
2026 Golf Industry Show Orlando, FL. Don’t miss out on the 2026 California Room at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, FL. Registration is open!
Register Here This year the California GCSA will host the popular event at Kavas Tacos Bar. Located directly across from the convention center at Pointe Orlando. The discounted registration price is good through 12/31/25, so don’t delay in signing up.
California Room Registration Hotels always book up fast for the show, so please see the attached GCSA list of accommodations and the map of their locations.
Hotel Accommodations
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Annual Meeting Whitney Oaks Golf Course This past November, members of the Sierra Nevada Golf Course Superintendents Association gathered for the Annual Meeting at the scenic Whitney Oaks Golf Course—and the day could not have been more inviting. Under clear skies and mild temperatures, attendees enjoyed a morning of golf on the beautifully maintained course, a fitting backdrop for a group dedicated to the art and science of turf management. The camaraderie on the fairways set the tone for a incredibly enjoyable day. Following the round, participants were treated to a delicious lunch, where conversations flowed easily, blending professional insights with friendly banter. The meal served as a perfect transition into the business portion of the meeting.
The afternoon concluded with a review of the association’s annual financials, providing members with a transparent look at the year’s fiscal health and setting the stage for future initiatives. The discussion reflected the association’s commitment to both professional excellence and responsible stewardship of resources. It also included the Introduction of our new Board of Directors, and the passing of the gavel from 2025 President Juan Gonzalez, to out 2026 President, Billy Witt. With great weather, good food, and meaningful dialogue, the 2025 Annual Meeting was a reminder of the value of coming together—not just to play the game we love, but to strengthen the community that supports it.
Below, our winning team for the day from Bing Maloney GC in Sacramento.
Upper Left– Pete Bowman, Georgie, Juan Gonzalez, Guillermo Reyes, Lonnie Dunn. Upper Right– Kyle Teubert, Jimmy Stewart, PJ Kaner, Matt Graves Lower Left– Bob Bonino, Lisa Foster, Brad Bonino, and Angelo Bonino Lower Right– Tim McCoy and John Farley
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VENDOR PROFILE D AV I D C O L L I E R – F I R E F L Y This quarter we had the opportunity to get to know our newest Affiliate member, David Collier. David, (Dave) grew up in Kentucky but spent his last few years of high school in Orem, Utah. He has been married to his wife Connie for 33 years. They have three children and seven grandchildren. Dave has been in management with FireFly Automatix for 11 years. He helped the company significantly grow and capture market share in the “Sod/Turfgrass” farming industry. In the last three years, he has been overseeing FireFly’s entrance into golf with the AMP, All Electric, Fully Autonomous fairway mower. Outside of sales management and relationship building, Dave enjoys the outdoors. He is always up for a ski day, lake day, hiking day, or a dirt bike/UTV ride day. He also enjoys golfing, attending concerts and plays, and playing with the grandkids. If there is adventure included, you can count on Dave being there to participate. Dave is a diehard Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan. However, he typically follows BYU sports, living 10 minutes away from the stadium and arena. He enjoys following professional and college sports but has found spending time in the outdoors as more enjoyable in recent years. In regards to the golf industry, Dave is truly living his “dream job”. Having spent many years in different industries, he has told numerous friends and relatives that the ideal job would be to represent an innovative and exciting product while calling on and building relationships in golf. There are few more rewarding situations than to see a high tech product like the AMP Mower get installed and operational for a golf maintenance team. When you get to represent a product that lives up to its billing and truly improves lives, it is inspiring. However, the best part is to build relationships with incredibly talented agronomists, superintendents, and equipment managers. It will be all the more fun as FireFly adds new autonomous and electric machines to its product mix. He wants to “Thank” all who have provided great hospitality and genuine interest in participating in the growth of the golf industry, and looks forward to seeing you all on the course.
Danny Vandecoevering danny.vandecoevering@envu.com 425-606-0491
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N EW BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2026 Welcome to our 2026 Board of Directors President– Billy Witt of Hidden Valley Lake Assoc. Vice President– Lonnie Dunn of William Land Park Secretary/ Treasurer– Guillermo Reyes of Brookside CC Returning Directors: Brian Kerr– Assistant at Turkey Creek GC New Directors:
Shown from left to right: Guillermo Reyes, Lonnie Dunn, Past President Juan Gonzalez, Billy Witt, and Ryan Thornberry
PJ Kaner– Cameron Park CC Andy Lopez– Oakdale CC (Right) Affiliate Members: Dean Kinney– Sierra Pacific Turf Supply Ryan Thornberry– California Landscape Supply Billy Managed to get Juan a little emotional with his speech and the passing of the gavel to the new President.
Top Dressing • Fertilizer • Gypsum
Peter Reece Jr. (209) 602-8475
preecejr@gmail.com
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Welcome New Members Jay Colvin Lake Wildwood Golf Course Class B Alex Dietrich Haggin Oaks Class B Mike Malcolm Class A Butte Creek
Paul Smith Sales Representative 530-327-4985 smithp@helenaagri.com
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GAVIN DICKSON
BILLY HAUSCH GRASS VALLEY, CA 831-333-6412 Billy@grassrootsturfsupply.com SERVING: SACRAMENTO, RENO, LAKE TAHOE, CARSON CITY, MONO COUNTY AND GOLD COUNTRY
MARINA, CA 831-333-6839 Gavin@grassrootsturfsupply.com SERVING: SAN FRANCISCO, STOCKTON, CENTRAL VALLEY, BAKERSFIELD, SANTA BARBARA AND SLO
THOR LARSON SALINAS, CA 831-277-4356 Thor@grassrootsturfsupply.com SERVING: MONTEREY PENINSULA, SANTA CRUZ, SAN JOSE AND SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
PETER J GALEA CGCS FAIRFIELD, CA 831-234-3218 Peterjg@pacbell.net SERVING: EAST BAY, WINE COUNTRY, NORTH COAST AND NORTHERN SIERRA
2045 Franciscan Way, Salinas CA 93908 Grassrootsturfsupply.com
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COOKING FOR THE CREW BY JOHN FARLEY Welcome to “The Crew Q”, a column that will highlight the monthly BBQ’s I hold for my maintenance team here at Teal Bend. I will talk about the importance of the crew BBQ and the vital roll it plays in team building and how it can be a great opportunity to express your gratitude for all their hard work and dedication. Also included in each column will be a description of the food for being prepared and the recipe for any of the dishes served. These BBQs don’t have to be complicated or too involved. All you need is a bit of “Q” equipment and infrastructure such as a couple BBQ’s and a table to serve as a work surface, two or three serving pans with warmers and a couple of 12-quart tubs with lids to marinade your meat in. The large restaurant storage tubs work best but using food grade 5 gallon buckets also works in a pinch. Just ask your F & B manager to save one for you. I used an old pickle bucket for years prior to getting the restaurant grade tubs I now use. The tubs can be ordered online but I recommend going to Cresco restaurant supply on Richards Boulevard. If you like to cook, you will love this store! And for the serving pans and warmers I just borrow those from the restaurant here at Teal Bend. If those are not available to you then just use disposable tinfoil trays. They work great and there’s no clean up. Just toss them out. For my most recent crew Q I stuck to the traditional taco bar. I marinaded chicken in lemon, garlic and white wine. The pork was tossed with a puree of red chilis, garlic, onions and roasted tomatoes. Both tubs marinaded overnight. Then I grilled the meat over charcoal and chopped it into bite size pieces. Then I heated up a stack of tortillas and put out a plethora of toppings such as fresh salsa, onions, cilantro, guacamole and bottled hot sauces like Chillula and Tapatio. All of the toppings I just listed can be bought in bulk at most Mexican supermarkets. Typically these markets will have a deli case with many different salsas, sauces and toppings. I also heated up a gallon can of whole pinto beans and served it right in the pot. Super simple and delicious. The crew Q takes a bit of effort but once you get the basic equipment it’s simple. Just schedule it like you would any other course activity. It gives you a chance to speak to the crew as a group and let them know how much you appreciate the work they do.
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SUPERINTENDENT PROFILE MIKE MALCOLM– BUTTE CREEK C.C. My journey in the golf course industry has been anything but ordinary, and it is one built on perseverance, hard work, and a love for the profession. In 2006, after being diagnosed with cancer and going through extensive treatment I had to leave my job as a groundskeeper with a local school district. The following year, I began my career in the golf industry at a public course, Table Mountain Golf Course in Oroville, California. I started as an irrigation technician and worked my way up to assistant superintendent within two years through long hours, dedication, and a constant desire to learn.
I often worked seven days a week, often arriving early and leaving late. I made it a point to learn every piece of equipment, work closely with our mechanic on repairs—drawing on my background and AA degree in auto mechanics and deepen my knowledge of turf varieties and practice new chemical applications since I already had my spray license. Attending the 2009 Assistant Superintendent Bootcamp in Monterey further strengthened my technical skills and understanding of course management.
In 2014, the Superintendent, Patrick Waymire, was leaving and I was offered the superintendent position. Over the next five years, I learned that being a superintendent involves far more than maintaining turf, it’s about leadership, budgeting, planning, relationship building and pride in your course. I attended many classes, workshops, and met a lot of great vendors, many of them I still work with today. During that time the course was improving and things were going well then in 2016 I was diagnosed with Cancer once again. After treatment I continued putting my all into making the course the best it could be while navigating the realities of my disease.
Above, Mike is pictured with his wife, and their 2 daughters, and their husbands.
I have a rare form of cancer called Hairy Cell Leukemia. This cancer never goes into full remission and has about a 10 year cycle. Writing this article reminds me that my 10 years will be in 2026 and I may have to face the extreme challenges of chemotherapy a third time.
In 2019, I moved on to Butte Creek Country Club in Chico, California, initially joining the team as a mechanic. In 2020, I stepped into an interim superintendent role and was soon honored to be offered the superintendent position. Not long after, life tested me once again—multiple brain surgeries at Stanford University between October 2020 and March 2021. After four surgeries and extensive treatment, I returned to work in April 2021 with complete hearing loss in my right ear & I had to learn to walk again due to tumor removal damaging my balance & hearing nerves. Being part of Butte Creek Country Club and seeing where we are now compared to years ago, the improvements we have made and what we want to do in the future fills me with immense pride. The support of our Board, General Manager, and an outstanding maintenance team makes the early mornings, late nights, and hard work worthwhile. I am excited for what lies ahead.