Palm Springs City Council vote to ban gas-powered leaf blowers

Ban goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2019

On June 19, the Palm Springs, Calif. City Council voted 3-2 in favor of an ordinance to ban gas-powered leaf blowers in the City of Palm Springs. 

Mayor Robert Moon and Councilmember Chris Mills voted against the ordinance with Councilmembers Ginny Foat, Geoff Kors and J.R. Roberts voting in favor. 

The ban will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, with fines starting on April 1, 2019. 

Four golf courses, including the 36-hole Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort owned by the City, will be affected by the ordinance.  The local golf industry (GCSAA, Hi-Lo Desert GCSA, SCGA) provided written comments in opposition to the ordinance and Southern California Golf Association director of government affairs Craig Kessler and I spoke at the meeting providing testimony on the burdens that such a ban would place on the golf industry. 

In addition to the golf industry, hundreds of representatives and workers from the landscape industry turned out to voice their concerns over the ban and the effect it will have on efficiency and costs associated with residential landscaping. 

While Palm Springs becomes part of the 47 percent of American cities who have banned gasoline-powered blowers, the golf industry is going to take the phase-in time to re-open dialogue with the Council in hopes of carving out an exemption for golf courses and possibly other large landscapes including hotels, parks and sports fields. 

Neighboring Indian Wells, Calif. and several other cities throughout the state have exemptions for golf courses and we will continue to pursue that avenue as well as provide the Council members with an on-course demonstration on the ineffectiveness of battery and electric blowers on large landscapes in one of the world’s harshest desert environments. 

More information on the ordinance and television coverage of the meeting.

Reflection Bay Golf Club to host Girls Junior Americas Cup

54-hole competition to be contested over Jack Nicklaus-designed course in Henderson, Nev.

As we move into the summer golf season, one of the events that I’m excited about volunteering for is the Girls Junior Americas Cup (GJAC).

GJAC, established in 1978, is a premier international team golf tournament that encourages sportsmanship, friendship, personal growth and development of young women golfers.

Reflection Bay Golf Club - Henderson, NV.

This year’s event will be contested July 30 – Aug. 3 at Reflection Bay Golf Club in my hometown of Henderson, Nev.  The 54-hole competition features 18 teams representing Alberta, Arizona, British Columbia, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Mexico, Montana, New Mexico, Northern California, Northern Nevada, Oregon, San Diego, Southern California, Southern Nevada, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. 

Each team consists of the top four girls from each city/state/country with teams counting three scores and throwing out the highest score from each day of competition.  The lowest three-day totaled score will determine the winner. There is no individual competition. 

GJAC is a major stop on the college recruiting circuit and being chosen to play for your state/country is one of the highest honors in girls’ junior golf. Former champions of the event include six-time LPGA winner Pat Hurst and World Golf Hall of Fame member Lorena Ochoa who won the tournament three consecutive years (1997-1999).

Al Greenhall is the superintendent at Reflection Bay and the Southern Nevada Golf Association (SNGA) is host golf association for the event. The tournament needs volunteers in all areas of operations and anyone with interest can contact Ann Sunstrum with the SNGA at asunstrum@snga.org. It’s a great opportunity to help junior golf and see some of the future stars of the LPGA Tour.

For complete information, visit the GJAC website.