Golfdom donates “Golden Ticket” to EIFG

There’s more than one way to get a “golden ticket” invite to the Golfdom Summit, as two superintendents can attest.

Dane Gamble, superintendent of the Bridger Creek Golf Course, Bozeman, Mont., and David Radaj, CGCS, Green Acres CC, Northbrook, Ill., earned their tickets by making donations to charity.

Gamble earned his spot at the Summit by placing the winning bid on the Golf Industry Show’s 2016 Silent Auction, which supports the Environmental Institute for Golf. Likewise, Radaj won his spot by placing the winning bid during a 2016 Wee One Foundation fundraiser. Bidding on the Golfdom Summit golden ticket was a chance for both to have their cake and eat it too.

“One of the reasons I bid on it was to support EIFG. I’ve been a long-time supporter, so it was another avenue where I could support them,” Gamble said. “The other reason (is) since the Summit focuses in large part on those facilities with bigger budgets and more resources than we work with, I thought here’s my opportunity to get in.”

Radaj, who is the treasurer of the Wee One Foundation, echoed Gamble’s sentiment that it was an opportunity to support the Wee One while also attending an event he had heard good things about. Radaj says he “loved” the event and that it was well worth getting out his checkbook to attend.

“The information I learned from the different parts of the industry and how they operate was valuable,” Radaj said. “I enjoyed meeting the people who are a step above local sales reps… I feel like they helped me and I also helped them.”

Gamble, who also co-owns three other golf courses, added that the Summit was a great experience personally because he was able to interact with the other superintendents.

“Superintendents tend to get pretty focused on their golf course,” he said. “In quite a few cases it limits the view of the overall industry. So being closer to some of those vendors, we could see a little bit more what it’s like to be in their shoes. I think for a lot of superintendents it would be a really good thing.”

Two Golfdom Summit golden tickets again were donated to the EIFG and the Wee One Foundation. To view the EIFG’s online auction for the 2017 Golfdom Summit golden ticket, click here.