Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California recognizes Boyer as Superintendent of the Year

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California (GCSANC) recently held their 2016 GCSANC Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California. 
The event was attended by over 100 GCSANC members and guests.  In addition to electing the new board of directors and officers who will oversee the chapter in 2016, the chapter gave out their yearly awards highlighting the best of the superintendent profession in Northern California.
Brian Boyer, Class A superintendent at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California. was honored as GCSANC Superintendent of the Year.
Boyer, who serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the chapter, was elated upon hearing of the honor. “It was unexpected and I truly appreciate my fellow members recognizing my efforts,” said Boyer.  “This is a team award and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my staff and the management at Cinnabar Hills.  It’s truly a humbling experience.” 
For Boyer, the award is an accumulation of his work at Cinnabar as well as his efforts advocating on behalf of the superintendent profession and the golf industry.
Boyer got his start in the golf business as a cart attendant at Cattails Golf Club in South Lyon, Michigan.  As Brian likes to tell it, all the “cool kids” at the course worked on the maintenance staff.  He approached superintendent Doug Palm to see if he could work part-time on the crew and thus began his career in turfgrass. 
He attended Michigan State University and received a B.S. in Turfgrass Management.  During his time at Michigan State, he interned at Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree, AZ. and the renowned San Francisco Golf Club.  This was Brian’s first introduction to the Bay Area golf scene and he worked under the watchful eye of superintendent Bob Klinesteker for four years. 
In 2005, Brian got an opportunity to interview at Cinnabar Hills and was hired as the superintendent just before his 26^th birthday.  During his tenure at Cinnabar, the facility has received numerous awards including the “Water Saving Hero” award from the Santa Clara Water District, Top 45 golf facilities in the USA for 2009 by Golf World Readers and Best Public Golf Course in the Silicon Valley for ten years by the San Jose Mercury News.  Additionally, he was awarded the 2009 Turfgrass Excellence Award for Public Courses from GCSANC.
“Brian is an amazing asset to our facility,” said Cinnabar Hills general manager Ron Zraick.  “His work on water issues in the San Jose area has been exemplary.  Due to the drought, our local water district's conservation requirements went well beyond the state mandates.  Brian stepped up to the plate, worked with the Santa Clara Water District and assisted with a solution that is beneficial to our facility and the community.  He sets a great example for our industry on how to work with our policymakers while protecting golf’s best interests.”



Cinnabar Hills Class A Superintendent Brian Boyer receiving the "Water Saving Hero" award from the Santa Clara Water District. 
In 2014, Cinnabar exceeded their 20 percent water reduction requirement and reduced usage 31 percent in 2015.  The facility participates in monthly conservation and recycled water committee meetings and attends water district board meetings twice per month. 
Boyer has also been an active participant with GCSANC. He hosted the 2010 Clifford and Myrtle Wagoner Scholarship and Research Tournament which peaked his interest in board service.  In 2010 he ran for the board of directors and has never looked back, currently serving as Secretary/Treasurer.  “I really enjoy the behind the scenes work of the chapter and working with my fellow board members to assure GCSANC’s continued success,” said Boyer. 
His work has also left an impression on GCSANC and California Golf Course Owners Association executive director Marc Connerly.  “Brian is very diligent in his duties as Secretary/Treasurer and puts the chapter’s best interests ahead of his own,” said Connerly.  “He has the respect of his fellow board members and superintendents in Northern California and I’m elated that he received this prestigious award.”  
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of Northern California is dedicated to serving its members, fostering communication, advancing the profession, improving the environment and enriching the quality of golf. For more information, visit gcsanc.com or follow us on Twitter (@GCSANC). It is an affiliated chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

Recommendations on extended emergency regulations for urban water conservation from California SWRCB

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) recently released draft comments and staff recommendations concerning the extended emergency regulations for urban water conservation that are scheduled to run thru October 31, 2016.

California urban water suppliers had proposed further refinement to the conservation tiers that were originally adopted May 5, 2015 and then extended on Nov. 13, 2015. Some of the factors that the urban water suppliers and other stakeholders sought refinement for included consideration of temperature, population growth/seasonal population, use of drought resilient supplies and groundwater credits.

If adopted, some of these recommendations could have a beneficial effect on golf courses using urban potable water supplies.

The SWRCB recommended a climate adjustment in the Emergency Regulation that reduces the conservation requirement by up to 4 percentage points for water suppliers located in the warmest regions of the state. The climate adjustment would be based on each urban water supplier’s approximate service area ET for the months of July through September as compared to statewide average ET for the same months.

Additionally, a formula was recommended to adjust urban water supplier conservation standards to account for water efficient growth since 2013. The adjustment will be equal to the ratio of the additional volume of water used since 2013 to the baseline water use for 2013, multiplied by the water supplier’s conservation standard.

Lastly, the SWRCB recommended a one-tier (four percentage point) reduction to the conservation standard of urban water suppliers using new drought resilient water supplies. The credit would apply to urban water suppliers that certify, and provide documentation upon request, that at least 4 percent of its potable supply is comprised of indirect potable reuse of coastal wastewater (the creation and use of which does not injure another legal user of water or the environment) or desalinated seawater developed since 2013.

All credits and adjustments are capped to allow up to a maximum of a four percentage point decrease to any individual water supplier’s conservation standard (tier).

The recommendations did not include additional credits for non-potable recycled use, relaxing conservation requirements for isolated hydrogeological regions or changing the process for assigning conservation tiers to account for year round residential per capita water use. View the draft comments in their entirety. A final draft and formal vote on the refinements to the extended regulations is expected in early February.