Welcome to the new golf season! We hope that your courses are in good shape after the challenging winter months and prolonged cool, wet spring. This past winter in Ontario brought its fair share of cold temperatures and significant snowfall, which posed difficulties for many golf courses across the region. The north and northeast were hit particularly hard and are facing substantial recovery efforts this spring. Our thoughts are with those superintendents and their teams as they work tirelessly to restore their courses for the summer ahead.

We have had a great start to the 2025 year at the OGSA. The Board of Directors met in March to discuss the future of the association and the programs and services we’d like to focus on over the next several months.

One of our key priorities is to develop education and networking opportunities for equipment managers in Ontario. We have formed a committee and have already made strides. We’re excited to add an equipment manager program to the OGSA Turfgrass Conference in 2026, and we hope to add a summer networking event in 2026. Stay tuned for more information on both events.

We have also engaged in the Rounds 4 Research program executed by the GCSAA. We’re grateful for our partnership with Golf Ontario, who helped us promote this event to skilled players. Nine courses donated to the auction, and we’d like to see more participation next year. Funds will support our investment in turfgrass research in Ontario and beyond, and support youth engagement in our industry, specifically in golf course turfgrass management. We will approach clubs in October, and we hope you will consider supporting this initiative.

We have three, possibly four, First Green events scheduled for this season, and we encourage you to speak with your club to incorporate First Green into your community outreach or junior programs. It’s an excellent opportunity to plant the seed and expose kids to the work we do to elevate golf in Ontario.

I am proud to share that the OGSA membership has grown to 960 members. We are so close to our 1000-member goal, and as you plan your summer, I encourage you to consider signing up your team as members and sending them to our Assistants Tournament at The Club at North Halton on August 11, 2025. It’s open to Classes C, F, and EM, and it’s an excellent networking opportunity. We will also send one of our OGSA assistants to the CGSA Fall Field Day, which takes place at Le Club Laval-sur-le-lac, Laval-sur-le-lac, QC, on October 6, 7, 2025. All OGSA assistant members can register their interest online to win this national networking opportunity. Registration will open at the same time as the assistants tournament.

I want to thank the team that went to the CAN/AM this year at the beautiful newly renovated Pine Lake Country Club on Monday, April 28, 2025!  The US team won the year, and we look forward to the rematch in Ontario next spring. Spring is such a busy time for superintendents in Ontario, but this event is worth while if you can get away, and a great opportunity to network with supers who face similar environmental challenges as we do. The OGSA Championship is coming up in September in Muskoka, so don’t forget to register early.

The role we play as superintendents and mentors is key to our success. Not just mentoring our teams through ongoing skill development or training new hires but mentoring each other. Marc Hagedorn, the superintendent at Legacy Ridge Golf Club in Owen Sound, has reminded us in this issue how valuable our networks and mentors are when the season hits and we are staring down a summer of great expectations. Read his article in ONCourse magazine, "Seeds of Wisdom," for some inspiring insights he’s learned along the way from superintendents across Ontario. Thank you, Marc, for sharing with us.

I wish you all the best this season, and I look forward to seeing you out there.

Sincerely,
Ian McQueen

OGSA President,

Superintendent, St. George's Golf & Country Club