Viva Las Vegas: What we saw at our own imaginary GIS
Photo: Golfdom Staff
Turfco visits the Pawn Stars
A quick cab ride brought us to Las Vegas Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, known as the location of the TV show Pawn Stars. Turfco had reserved a section of the parking lot to show off the WideSpin 1550 topdresser and the Torrent 2 blower. Seth brought a Herb Graffis-signed copy of the May 1967 Golfdom with him in case he saw Rick or Chumlee, but they must have had the day off.
Turfco announced they would be giving away a Torrent 2 blower at the end of August to one winner who registers at Turfco.com, and the company will donate $25 for every registration, up to 200, to the GCSAA’s disaster recovery fund for superintendents.
“There are a lot of guys that love the control they had with the 1550s but wanted to be able to have different settings for different times of the year, for their greens, for their tees, for their approach, for a cleanup pass,” said Scott Kinkead, executive vice president, Turfco. “Now, it gives them pretty much any application they want to save. You can really dial in, ‘I’m going three miles an hour,’ ‘I’m going four-and-a-half miles an hour.’ Now, I know what my rate is.”
Turfco will be giving away one Torrent 2 blower at the end of August. Register at Turfco.com. (Photo: Turfco)
Kinkead has been attending the GIS for 30 years, and said it’s always fun. “It’s great to bump into the variety of people we’ve had the honor to meet over the years. Being able to move around and see people you haven’t seen in a while — and try to recognize those people while they’re not wearing a hat.”
Anuvia recognizes Legend Shawn Emerson
The team at Anuvia — in partnership with Audubon International and Golfdom — named its newest Legend in Las Vegas. This longtime superintendent is widely known and respected not just in the Desert Southwest, but throughout the nation. That’s why the honor for Shawn Emerson, director of agronomy for Desert Mountain Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., drew such a large crowd to the Anuvia booth.
The Legends Initiative celebrates superintendents who have gone above and beyond in their careers — not just in maintaining tremendous golf courses, but also in their contributions to the industry, creative problem-solving and mentorship.
“I’m speechless, and that’s rare for me. And, it’s because of the people who came before me — the Bob Farrens, the David Stones, the Ted Hortons, the Matt Shaffers. That’s unbelievable,” Emerson said.
To see our full interview with Emerson, where he talks about the influence of his superintendent father on him, his best advice for managers and more, watch here:
Corteva makes lemonade
Corteva promoted its GameOn broad-spectrum herbicide at its GIS booth. (Photo: Corteva)
While on the trade show floor, we stopped by the Corteva Agriscience booth to talk to Chris Moyer, turf and ornamental category lead, about what’s new and exciting for his company.
Moyer said he’s excited to promote Corteva’s podcast-style conversation between industry experts called “The Sour and Bitter of 2020 … How the Industry Made Lemonade.” Experts include Jared Hoyle, Ph.D., Midwest turf and ornamental territory manager for Corteva; Gilbert del Rosario, Western turf and ornamental sales and market development leader for Corteva; Chester VandenBerg, turf and ornamental territory manager; and Andy Jorgensen, director of golf course maintenance operations at On Top of the World Communities in Ocala, Fla.
“We hope superintendents found this conversational format more digestible and engaging,” Moyer said. “This podcast-style conversation explored the economic and social impacts of a disruptive market year on the golf industry and how our uncertain future can be met with resilience and planning.”
Other highlights at the Corteva booth included information on Dimension specialty herbicide, GameOn specialty herbicide, NativeKlean herbicide and MatchPoint insecticide.
Moyer said his favorite part of GIS is connecting with friends, new and old. But, one thing he’s sure not to miss out on is the Corteva Happy Hour.
“The Corteva Happy Hour has been a way for Corteva Agriscience to say thank you to our distribution partners, and going forward, we are excited to resume that tradition in person,” he said.
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About the Author: Christina Herrick
Christina Herrick is the former editor of Golfdom magazine.
