Golf and a Meeting of the Minds for The Hi-Lo Desert Chapter of the GCSAA

Occasionally trading turf-tending for clubs and colleagues has broad benefits for superintendents across the Coachella Valley. As one of more than 1,500 member groups of the SCGA, the Hi-Lo Desert Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) holds approximately six annual golf gatherings, employing a variety of formats. But one thing is constant: these events are always an agronomy mind-meld.

“Everybody kind of faces the same issues here in the desert, and because we’re such a small Valley, everybody sees the same things,” says Hi-Lo member Chris Hoyer, superintendent at SilverRock Resort in La Quinta. “It’s so nice to get together with these people and share what’s working on your course, what’s not working, what problems we’re seeing, what are some of the trends.”

The events draw a blend of supers, vendors and industry sales reps, and are often hosted by some of the desert’s most prestigious clubs: Eldorado CC, Tradition GC and The Vintage Club have all served as recent sites.

“I feel like the superintendents out here work closely together,” says Nick Leitner, director of agronomy at Indian Wells GR and acting secretary/ treasurer on Hi-Lo’s Board of Directors. “If somebody has a good idea, they don’t just keep it to themselves; they share it with the other supers, trying to make all the courses out here better.”

The majority of HiLo golf gatherings find a morning of continuing education (e.g., annual pesticide registration and yearly mandated GCSAA credits) serving as pre-round starters before tees find turf.

“By nature, most superintendents are pretty competitive,” laughs Hoyer. “And the beauty of being an SCGA member group, having this partnership, is the handicapping for all our events.”

Adds Leitner of the super duels: “This is definitely a competitive bunch,” he says. “I feel like every super, at some point, was an athlete and when we get together, we have our fun but don’t take it lightly. Lots of side games, money games, lots of challenges for our events.”

The Hi-Lo’s biggest event, held annually after Labor Day, sees a full 144-player field sell out in a few weeks, raising ample funds for scholarships and research. The event’s scholastic endowment dollars are bestowed to either kids of Hi-Lo members, or student-members of the group.

“It’s a big deal and a great fundraiser; we have vendors who sponsor holes, lunches, a 50/50 drawing, raffle tickets,” details Hoyer. “Some of the funds are used for scholarships, which are handed out during our annual Christmas party; this year, we handed out around $12,000 in scholarships to different recipients. And because this event has done so well, we now divide up the funds and put a portion to research; we’ve partnered up with the University of California, Riverside, and whatever Dr. Jim Baird needs over there, we’ll help him out.”

Another event, held in January, supports a Hi-Lo Benevolent Fund. “We’ve used it on a couple of occasions,” says Leitner, “where a guy finds himself in the hospital and could use some help with a couple bills.”

Echoes Hoyer: “If there’s a health problem with somebody or maybe somebody loses their job due to an accident or something like that, we use this fund to help out.”

Considering that the group consists of esteemed peers, “I’d hate to play my own property,” Hoyer laughs. “I just think I’d be out there worrying what everybody is saying about it, waiting for their comments; I wouldn’t be able to think about playing golf.”

“The host puts everything they can into making sure (their course) is in top playing condition when having peers out,” says Leitner.

At the day’s close, Hi-Lo members are fast to compliment the grounds of the host superintendent. “For most of us, that’s the norm,” Hoyer concludes. “I’ve never been to one of our events where I didn’t see at least a dozen or more people go up to the host at some point and offer praise and thanks.”