Tuesday, February 23, 2021

CIGCSA February Update

Business continues for the CIGCSA BOD as we march towards spring.  Thank you to all the PRP sponsors that have pledged their support to advancing the art and science of turfgrass management through the PRP.  We value the partnerships we are building and commit to providing value in your investment.  For those vendors that have not joined yet, please take a look at our offers.  We have added new price points, including a lower entry level minimum.  You can find the details here: Intro Letter      ; PRP Selection choices (click on the hyperlinks to be redirected)

Our first event of 2021 is less than 4 weeks away!!! The March Shop Meeting will be held at Lincoln Greens Golf Course in Springfield, IL.  Please make plans to attend.  There will be both an in-person option and online/virtual option.  Register here: March Shop Meeting



We will be following all CDC protocols for those attending in-person.  Full details of these protocols will be provided before the event.  Our presenters will be both virtual and in-person as well.  This is an aggressive undertaking logistically and we hope you will support this event and show your appreciation for those that are working very hard behind the scenes to make this a reality. This efforts shows our commitment to provide members the opportunity to excel and strive in this industry through professional education and development. Please reciprocate those efforts by joining us at the meeting.

On the heels of the March Shop meeting will be the Memorial Match Play tournament.  This event is passive and will stretch throughout the summer.  Individuals will coordinate their own matches at a time and place that is convenient.  This is a great opportunity to grow your networking circles and play golf, without interrupting schedules at work or home.  

Thanks you for reading and please register for the March Shop meeting as soon as possible!

Travis Williams, CGCS
Immediate Past President, CIGCSA





Friday, January 22, 2021

January Board Meeting outcomes

The Central Illinois Golf Course Superintendent’s Association’s Board of Directors met January 21st, 2021 to carry on its mission to provide its members the opportunity to excel professionally and enhance the art and science of turfgrass management.    

The Boards focus the first month of the year has been revamping the PRP (Partner Recognition Program).  The goal of the revitalized program is to provide more value to our PRP sponsors, while providing new and fresh ways for our members to receive information.  It is the Boards goal to further communications via Twitter and email, while providing more engaging content, such as video links, bios, member profiles, and course highlights.  Please follow CIGCSA on twitter @CIGCSA . The full PRP program will be released soon.  Check emails and website for more details.

The Golf Industry Show (virtual addition) is right around the corner.  Please take a look at GCSAA/GIS’s latest updates for the “Show” here.  I promise it is much more than a Zoom meeting!  We will also participate in the Annual Meeting (also virtual) that will elect our new national GCSAA Board of Directors for 2021.  The 2020 Board, GCSAA Leadership, and staff did an outstanding job navigating our industry through an unprecedented year.  There is no “playbook” to follow for a once in a century pandemic and GCSAA lead the way early using all available resources and relationships to lead golf forward.  

The events calendar is being finalized, with the March Shop Meeting taking shape for Mid-March.  While many of our experiences in 2020 will be duly forgotten, CIGCSA stumbled on a successful event nonetheless.  Our first ever match play event took place last summer out of necessity to keep groups and gatherings to a minimum.  The match play format allowed members to gather, compete, and stay safe in small socially distanced pairings.  Feedback was positive and we will continue the match paly format in 2021.  This year’s event will take place from April- September and will honor founding and influential past members of CIGCSA. We will be calling it the Memorial Match Play, to honor those in our past who made our association what it is today and have passed away over the years.  It is a great way to keep their memories alive and continue to tell our CIGCSA story to our younger members.  Keep tabs on your emails and the website for dates and details of all our 2021 events.  

Thanks for reading.


Travis Williams, CGCS

Immediate Past President, CIGCSA