What if?

It's "What If?" Week at GCSAA, so you'll have to forgive us a little for the lack of activity around these parts of late. I owe you a report on my trip to Moline, Ill., and John Deere's world headquarters for the event they refer to by just one word — Feedback — but I'm afraid you'll have to wait until you get the October issue of the magazine to check that out in our Front 9 news section.

Wait, you say? You want to know what "What If?" week is? Well, basically the entire staff at GCSAA is taking a couple of hours out of its busy schedule each day to ask the question "What If?" as it relates to the future of the profession and the future of GCSAA. In essence, we're taking some time to do some long-range, big-picture planning in the hopes that it will ultimately improve the services the association provides and the experiences that GCSAA members enjoy. The natural skeptic in me had some questions heading into the week, but the exercises we've been through thus far have been extremely valuable and I'd encourage any superintendent interested in tapping his staffs thoughts and feelings about the future of their golf facility to take a leap and try a little "What If?" The results might surprise you.

In the meantime, a few items of interest to direct your way:

• As Jeff Bollig reported in a previous post, GCSAA has been working with LPGA star Lorena Ochoa on producing a series of public service announcements about the association and the profession of golf course management, which culminated in a photo shoot in Oregon last week. The Web site of the LPGA Tour has posted a short photo album from that shoot that you can access here.
• The LPGA is making other news today with word that it will begin requiring its players to learn and speak English within two years of beginning full-time duty on tour.
• Finally, a reminder that the second annual Patriot Golf Day will be this Labor Day weekend (yes, I realize that a weekend constitutes more than a "day" — just play along). Golfers teeing it up at a host of facilities across the country over the holiday weekend will be able to donate $1 that will go to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides education scholarships to the families of those who have been disabled or lost their lives in the line of duty. For more information, you can visit the Patriot Golf Day Web site.