Trio of dogs represent the Southwest Region in the annual LebanonTurf Dog of the Year Contest

We are only three short weeks from the 2014 Golf Industry Show and GCSAA Education Conference and I look forward to seeing all of you in Orlando.

As you browse the show floor, please don’t forget to visit the LebanonTurf booth (#1521) to cast your ballot in the 11^th Annual Dog of the Year Contest.  LebanonTurf has been supporting golf course superintendents and their chapters through the Dog Days of Golf Calendar for more than a decade.

This year’s contest features 14 finalists (chosen from a field of over 350) with a trio of canines proudly representing the Southwest Region.

Lance, a six year old border collie, patrols the grounds of Del Rio Golf & Country Club in Modesto, Calif., under the watchful eye of Class A superintendent Dave Bermudez.  Lance was brought in to remove geese from the property and did his job so well that none remain.  Lance now spends his days chasing other forms of water fowl and critters around one of the area’s premier private clubs.  According to Bermudez, Lance is adept at his job and is a quick learner except when it comes to skunks; he has been sprayed on several occasions.  

Lance - Del Rio Golf & Country Club, Modesto, Calif.

Honey and Tessa, sisters and four year old border collies, are employed at the Journey at Pechanga in Temecula, Calif.  Class A superintendent John Martinez oversees the pair and their main job is ridding the course of mud hens, whose acidic droppings damage the turf.  When Honey and Tessa first came to Pechanga three years ago, over 1,500 mud hens called the course home and now only a couple dozen dare to challenge the sisters.  The pair has quite a following and Martinez says that he often receives more questions about the dogs than the golf course.  

Honey and Tessa - Journey at Pechanga, Temecula, Calif.

 

The winner of the LebanonTurf Dog of the Year Contest will be announced in the April issue of GCM magazine. LebanonTurf will donate $3,000 to the winner's GCSAA affiliate chapter, award $500 to the winner's local Humane Society and award $500 to the dog's owner.

Make sure to visit the booth and show your support for Lance, Honey, Tessa and the Sierra Nevada and San Diego GCSA chapters that these great dogs are representing. 

Have a safe trip to Orlando and if I can be of any assistance to you during GIS, please don’t hesitate to email me at jjensen@gcsaa.org.