2024 OGSA Centennial & Turfgrass Management Conference
In 2024 at the OGSA's Turfgrass Management Conference, we will also celebrate 100 years of the OGSA!
Join us in Niagara Falls at the Hilton Fallsview, January 16-18, 2024.
Take in our outstanding speaker series, network with your peers and the future leaders of turf, and enjoy the magnificent Centennial Celebration Party at the Niagara Parks Power Station.
Conference Schedule - January 16, 2024
8:30am - Registration Opens, Coffee and tea available.
9:45am - Welcoming Remarks, in partnership with Syngenta
10:00am - OGSA Golf Course Best Management Practices: Why every club needs this document.
10:30am - Frank Rossi, Ph.D, - What's Your Score. Grading your environmental stewardship.
11:45am - OGSA Annual Awards Luncheon, in partnership with ENVU
2:00pm - Pat Jones, Double Edge Sword of Superintendent Culture
3:00 - Matt Legg,
3:30pm - Frank Rossi, Ph.D - Turfgrass Traffic Jam: Understanding managing and using traffic on the golf course to address cultural practices.
4:30pm - Day end Remarks, Hotel check in.
6:30pm - OGSA Centennial Reception Celebration! Cocktails and food will be served. Shuttles are available outside the hotel lobby beginning at 6:15pm. See you there!
Conference Schedule - January 17, 2024
8:00am - Day 2 Registration Opens. Breakfast and coffee are available.
8:55am - Day 2 Welcoming Remarks, in partnership with Turf Care
9:00am - John Kaminski, Ph.D - Emerging Diseases for Golf Courses
10:00am - Turf Care Session
10:40am - John Kaminski Ph.D - Technology & Managing Turf in 10 Years.
11:40am - Ryan Scott, Superintendent - First Green. Sowing the Seeds for the Next Generation of Superintendents
12:00pm - Networking Lunch
1:30pm - Ernest Coetzee, B.A., J.D.│ Counsel │ RZCD Law Firm LLP - Negotiating your contract - what you need to know before you sit down to the table.
2:30pm - Paul Grotier, Belchim Turf Protection - Phosphites in 2024 – What’s In and What’s Out?
3:15pm - Chris Tritabaugh, Superintendent, Hazeltine National Golf Club - 10 Rules for Leadership and Balance
4:30pm - Closing remarks
4:45pm - OGSA AGM
4:30pm -Turf Care Party
Conference Schedule - January 18, 2024
8:00am - Breakfast & Coffee Available
9:00am - Chris Tritabaugh - Data collection, testing and sampling procedures and methods that have allowed such minimal disruption to take place.
10:10 - Sara Stricker Ph.D - Research update from the GTI
11:00am - Superintendent Panel - Join Kevin Collier, Brad Hutchinson, and Carol Turner and moderator Cam Shaw as they discuss Golf Course Innovation on a tight budget.
12:00pm - Closing Remarks
Speaker Bios
Frank Rossi, Ph.D
Topics: What's Your Score. Grading your environmental stewardship.
Turfgrass Traffic Jam: Understanding Managing and Using Traffic on The Golf Course to Address Cultural Practices.
Dr. Frank Rossi is an Associate Professor with the School of Integrated Plant Science, Horticulture Section at Cornell University. When he isn't teaching, Frank conducts research on ecological aspects of turfgrass science. His recent research has been focusing on applying the rigorous scientific method to practical problems in turfgrass management.
John Kaminski, Ph.D
Topics: Emerging Diseases for Golf Courses.
Technology & Managing Turf in 10 Years.
Dr. John Kaminski is a Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Plant Science and Director of the Golf Course Turfgrass Management Program at PennState.
His experience in turfgrass management and the management of turfgrass diseases is extensive, and makes him a wonderful, insightful speaker for our 2024 Conference.
Chris Tritabaugh
Topics: 10 Rules for Leadership and Balance.
Data collection, testing and sampling procedures and methods that have allowed such minimal disruption to take place.
Chris is the Golf Course Superintendent at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
As Chris' Twitter bio says, "willing to learn, helping to learn, and posting about it", and that is exactly what he does! Chris' blog offers insights into a large variety of turfgrass topics.
Pat Jones
Topic: Double Edge Sword of Superintendent Culture.
Pat is an industry marketing expert and candid observer of the golf business trends. He has 30 years of passionate experience in the golf industry.
Pat is no novice to the keynote speaking game, and he is well known for his candid talks about golf, business and life!
Matthew Legg, Syngenta
Matthew Legg is the Technical Lead for Syngenta Professional Solutions, where he leads technical outreach, advanced troubleshooting, and product development on behalf of Syngenta Canada.
With a background in turfgrass, both in his career and education, Matt provides educational outreach as a seasonal lecturer of Turfgrass Entomology at the University of Guelph.
Paul Grotier
Topic: Phosphites in 2024 – What’s In and What’s Out?
Paul Grotier began his career in turfgrass management, in 1990, at Hillsdale Golf & Country Club in Quebec. He went on to earn his diploma from the University of Guelph, and became the assistant superintendent at Donalda Club. More recently, Paul has joined Belchim Turf Protection Canada as a Sales and Account Manager in the Professional Turf division.
Paul will be teaching us all about phosphites with his expertise on the super and supplier side.
Dr. Sara Stricker
Topic: Research Update from The GTI.
Dr. Sara Stricker is a plant pathologist who works as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute. She aims to make turfgrass research interesting and accessible to the industry and the public. Sara obtained her B.Sc, M.Sc, and Ph.D degrees at the University of Guelph and completed a Bachelor of Education at Western University. She has conducted research on foliar diseases including tar spot of maple, Stemphylium leaf blight of onion, and Microdochium patch of creeping bentgrass. Sara has taught Environmental Turf Management, Plant Biology, Plant Pathology, and Turf Insect Pests at the University of Guelph.
Ernest Coetzee, B.A., J.D.│ Counsel │ RZCD Law Firm LLP
Topic: Negotiating Your Contract - What You Need to Know Before You Sit Down to The Table.
Ernie Coetzee has been a labour and employment lawyer in the GTA for almost 35 years. He is one of the founding partners of RZCD Law Firm in Mississauga which opened its doors in 1993 .
Ernie has negotiated many contracts over the years and has previously acted for this association and its members going back nearly 30 years. Do you all remember Bob Heron? Ernie also worked in the greens department for two summers at the Islington Golf and Country Club during his university years (hello to Tom Charters) and he has been a member of the Markland Wood Golf Club for 50 years!
Ernie also has experience in the world of professional sports having acted for professional hockey team owners, leagues and players in the past. He has also served as the President and CEO of both an American Hockey League team and the development company that designed and developed the Coca Cola Coliseum, previously the Ricoh Coliseum.
Kevin Collier, Superintendent, Riverbend Golf Community
Kevin is currently the golf course superintendent at the RiverBend Golf Community in London where he has held the position since 2012, and is a 15-year member of the OGSA. Over the past 10-years he has been instructor within the Golf and Club Management Program at Fanshawe College introducing many students to the industry. Previously, he spent time as various properties within ClubLink and many years working for a 9-hole property in the Durham region. He also is passionate about tournament golf and has worked many events including: The Masters, PGA Championship, US Open, CP Women’s Open, and the Freedom 55 Championship. He has a goal is to complete the grand slam when the opportunity arises at the British Open.
Brad Hutchinson, Superintendent, Warkworth Golf Course
More Info Coming Soon...
Carol Turner, Bigwin Golf Club
Carol Turner is a Golf Course Superintendent at Bigwin Island Golf Club in Muskoka, Ontario, Canada. Bigwin Island is a Doug Carrick-designed golf course ranked 33 on Score Golf's top 100 golf courses in Canada. It is a unique property located on an island with no access by land. Previously, Carol was Assistant Superintendent at Bigwin Island before being promoted to Superintendent. Her experience includes other top clubs in Ontario, including The Ladies Golf Club of Toronto and The National Golf Club. Carol is a past representative for the GCSAA Assistant Superintendent Task Group, a speaker at the 2023 GCSAA Conference in Orlando, and a Women in Turfgrass Program mentor. Bigwin Island is in beautiful Muskoka, Ontario, where Carol grew up and is the course where she fell in love with golf/turf nearly 20 years ago. Carol is passionate about the environment and the outdoors and is most at home near a body of water.
Cam Shaw
More Info Coming Soon...
Don White
Topic: Tier 4 Engine Systems, Practical Operation and Management Guidelines.
More Info Coming Soon...
The Awards Luncheon
The 2024 OGSA Awards Luncheon will see many of our members receive well-deserved awards.
For some of these awards, we need your say! This year we have created the OGSA #TodayInOntario calendar to commemorate 13 of our amazing member submissions.
We want you to pick your favourite shot from our #TodayInOntario Calendar.
Each year we award one of our ONCourse writers with the Barry Endicott Editorial Award. This year, we will see TWO winners of this award.
Please check out the amazing articles that our members worked so hard to write this year, and vote for your favourites.