Grassroots Ambassador Mike Williams visits office of California Representative Pete Aguilar

Topics of discussion included WOTUS, H-2B visas, BMPs, and the economic impact of golf in California

GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador Mike Williams and I made a visit to the office of Representative Pete Aguilar (CA-31) in San Bernardino, Calif., on September 13.

Mike serves as the Class A superintendent at Shandin Hills Golf Club in San Bernardino and has been a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador since the inception of the program previously serving in CA-27 before relocating to San Bernardino. Mike is also a board member of the GCSA of Southern California and serves as the chapter’s national delegate.

Visit with Representative Pete Aguilar's office

Mike worked for months to secure a meeting with the staff of Representative Aguilar and his persistence was rewarded through a meeting with Aguilar’s community outreach director Enrique Armenta. 

Topics that were covered in the meeting included WOTUS, H-2B visas, the GCSAA BMP template and its implementation in California, and golf's $13.1 billion dollars in economic impact in California. 

We also discussed Representative Aguilar using Shandin Hills as a stop on his “Job for a Day” tour of the Inland Empire.  The “Job for a Day” program gives him the opportunity to spend time with working people in the community and to bring their voices with him back to Washington.

Mike will continue working with Enrique to set-up an in-person visit with Representative Aguilar when he returns to California in October.

We thank Mike for his dedication to the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador Program. He is a shining example of representing the golf industry at the federal and state level.

Numerous opening for Grassroots Ambassadors are available in California and other states.  Please contact Michael Lee, manager of government affairs at mlee@gcsaa.org for a list of available openings and more information.

Northern California fires have devastating impact on local golf community

Fountaingrove and Mayacama among facilities sustaining damage

Wildfires that started Sunday night, October 8, in Northern California have burned over 115,000 acres, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and businesses and killed 17 people in Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties.

Fanned by high winds and dry conditions, the fires exploded around the wine region devastating areas around the towns of Napa, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma. More than 50,000 people have been evacuated and President Trump has approved a “major disaster declaration” for California.

The golf community was not spared from the devastation and at the time of this article, several facilities had incurred extensive damage including Fountaingrove Golf and Athletic Club and Mayacama both located in Santa Rosa.

Mayacama Golf Club.  Photo courtesy of Dale Engman.

The fire swept through Fountaingrove burning down the clubhouse, maintenance facility, and areas on the golf course.  According to Fountaingrove superintendent Dustin McIntosh, the facility experienced devastating losses. 

Mayacama, an exclusive private club set on 675 acres was also hard hit.  According to Class A superintendent Dale Engman, the property, which features a Jack Nicklaus Signature design golf course was burnt in areas and the maintenance facility was severely damaged.  The clubhouse, pump station and golf course villas, fortunately, survived the fire. 

Maintenance facility at Mayacama.  Photo courtesy of Dale Engman.

I have spoken with numerous GCSAA members in the area and I will continue to provide updates as I receive them from those on the scene. At the time of writing, only 5 percent of the fire has been contained and many communities remain evacuated. 

If you are a GCSAA member residing in the area who has experienced personal losses due to the fire, please visit our GCSAA Disaster Relief page and click on the fund request criteria link for further information. 

Our prayers go out to all of those affected by these fires and our efforts will focus on providing support directly to the GCSAA members who suffer personal loss due to this disaster.

Update 10/16 - 9:00 a.m. - Good article by GCM's Howard Richman on Silverado Resort Director of Agronomy PJ Ringenberger and family who have been displaced by the fires.   http://www.gcmonline.com/business/2017/10/16/after-the-fire-ringenberger-marches-on

Update 10/15 - 8:00 a.m. - Silverado Resort Director of Agronomy PJ Ringenberger reports that the resort and course are in good shape overall but will have a massive clean up effort.  Fountaingrove Superintendent Dustin McIntosh has been able to access that property and get water to his greens.  He also has a company wiring in generators to his pump stations and the extensive and long clean up effort will begin this coming week. Dustin reports that his home and personal property were saved. 

Update 10/13 - 3:30 p.m. - Below is a link to a video shot by Fountaingrove Golf & Athletic Club employee Phil Carson showing the devastation at the facility.  We appreciate Phil allowing us to use the video and our prayers go out to all of the employees and their families at Fountaingrove.

https://www.facebook.com/phil.carson.33/videos/10155067672308295/

Update 10/12 - 5:00 p.m. -  Over 180,000 acres have now burned along with more than 3,500 structures.  29 people are reported dead with more than 400 unaccounted for.  I had a call this afternoon with Northern California PGA Executive Director Chris Thomas and we were able to compare outreach information.  We have identified that the following courses have not received any damage as of this time:  Bennett Valley Golf Club, Chardonnay Golf Club, Foxtail Golf Club, Green Valley Country Club, Napa Country Club, Oakmont Golf Club, Santa Rosa Country Club, Sonoma Golf Club, Vintners Golf Club and Windsor Golf Club.  Both voluntary and mandatory evacuations remain intact for much of the area.  

Update 10/12 - 10:15 a.m. -  Spoke with Silverado Director of Agronomy PJ Ringenberger.  While his home is lost, his family is safe and he is grateful to the golf community for everyone supporting him and the others in Napa.  Communication continues to be difficult with members in the area.  If you speak to any GCSAA members needing disaster relief funds, please have them call me at 785-840-7879 or email at jjensen@gcsaa.org.

Update 10/11 - 11:00 p.m. -  I spoke with Silverado Superintendent Ryan Nicholson who provided me with the following:  "We are anticipating increasingly dry winds out of the north this evening and the entire town of Napa is under an evacuation watch at this time. The entire area around Silverado and Napa valley C.C. is under mandatory evacuation. The golf course sustained moderate damage with our maintenance facilities, equipment, and clubhouse still intact. A large percentage of residence were damaged, however. Many tournament structures from the Safeway open were leveled as well. In the process Director of Agronomy PJ Ringenberger lost his house and everything in it, just narrowly escaping the fires."

Ryan and his wife are safe at this time and a GoFundMe page has been set up for the Ringenberger family.