Membership Justification Cancel The title field is required!

1. Ryan Bruner

   

   4 posts
   
   12/14/2015 10:12 AM

   Little help please. I have been asked to justify why I need to keep my membership. Any and all input would be very helpful.
   
   Thanks.

   
   
   
   
2. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   12/14/2015 10:12 AM

   There are a lot of different things you can find to justify your membership.
   
   The easiest is to maybe see an issue you are having at your golf course, seeing a solution on the forums and figuring out the cost savings. It should easily justify the cost of membership.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
3. Christopher Boldreghini

   

   0 posts
   
   12/14/2015 11:12 AM

   I agree with Mel. The Forums have helped me many times throughout my career.
   
   Charlie Boldreghini
   Course Superintendent
   Old Kinderhook

   
   
   
   
4. Canedo Alberto J

   
   12/14/2015 12:12 PM

   The free education classes one has available online. Watching the seminars have helped me out greatly.

   
   
   
   
5. Andrew Cross

   

   5 posts
   
   12/14/2015 1:12 PM

   Who is asking you to justify it? What professional memberships do they have? if GM does he have PGA and CMAA? I understand that is a cost to cut, but maybe kindly ask about their situation and justification on their end, I'd bet the reasoning for theirs is identical to yours. I'd also be willing to bet the club is wasting money on something of equal or greater cost than your membership.

   
   
   
   
6. David Brandenburg

   

   3 posts
   
   12/14/2015 1:12 PM

   1. Networking in person or through the Forums.
   2. Education through free webinars, Articles in Golf Course Management magazine or online, Paid seminars at the Golf Industry Show. Just peruse the website for a couple hours and see what is all offered here.
   3. Advocacy and the work GCSAA does to not only keep a eye on our leaders in Washington but also work for common sense legislation while also giving members the tools to reach out to elected leaders. If you get in a jam with right or wrong environmental or governmental issues GCSAA staff will be there to help you with ideas and resources.
   4. Research - GCSAA funds research projects throughout the country and publishes those results for members to learn from it.
   
   I would say education is the biggest benefit followed by networking and advocacy. The smaller benefits are the job service and industry news.
   
   Your membership dollars not only benefit you, but they benefit the golf industry as a whole.

   
   
   
   
7. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/14/2015 2:12 PM

   Your membership is the only way of keeping your Golf course superintendents status. Without it and the education you can get from it you simply become a grass grower!
   
   There are many reasons to keep it and only one to cancel it (cheap club) If I had to I would maintain my membership out of my own pocket before letting it go.

   
   
   
   
8. Mahaffey Donald

   
   12/14/2015 7:12 PM

   I'm not down on GCSAA, but it is a legit question.
   
   I think most can make the case, but I wouldn't just automatically think it an unfair question.
   
   For those of us who pay our own dues, it is something you think about every year.

   
   
   
   
9. Trevor Monreal

   

   5 posts
   
   12/15/2015 1:12 PM

   Donald Mahaffey said: I'm not down on GCSAA, but it is a legit question.

   
   

   James Smith said: Your membership is the only way of keeping your Golf course superintendents status. Without it and the education you can get from it you simply become a grass grower!

   
   It IS a "legit" question. I doubt I would have a legit answer.
   What's wrong with being a "grass grower"?
   Is that not what we do??
   Oh yeah, pardon me...I forgot, we are professional, agronomical type people
   PLEASE!
   You can have "superintendent status" with or without the GCSAA

   
   
   
   
10. Clay Putnam

    

    33 posts
    
    12/15/2015 2:12 PM

    Trevor Monreal said:

    Donald Mahaffey said: I'm not down on GCSAA, but it is a legit question.

    
    

    James Smith said: Your membership is the only way of keeping your Golf course superintendents status. Without it and the education you can get from it you simply become a grass grower!

    
    It IS a "legit" question. I doubt I would have a legit answer.
    What's wrong with being a "grass grower"?
    Is that not what we do??
    Oh yeah, pardon me...I forgot, we are professional, agronomical type people
    PLEASE!
    You can have "superintendent status" with or without the GCSAA

    
    
    I believe there are benefits to the membership. Having said that Trevor is correct. As a non-member you can be anything you wish. You want to be a SM? Go for it. You want to be a CGCS? Mark it down. The only thing holding a non-member back is his/her conscience. When's the last time a potential employer or current employer for that matter asked to see your GCSAA credentials?
    
    Sorry James, one does not need to have a membership to be a golf course superintendent. Quite frankly that's bull.

    
    
    
    
11. Kim Brock

    

    3 posts
    
    12/15/2015 9:12 PM

    Ryan,
    If you aren't willing to pay out of your own pocket for the membership, then it isn't worth it to purchase with company money. In my opinion.
    Kim

    
    
    
    
12. Ronald Kirkman

    

    40 posts
    
    12/15/2015 10:12 PM

    Greetings All;
    
    It never ceases to amaze me how many of the golf clubs differ in opinion.
    
    The Town of Needham owns some of the land that Needham Golf Club uses. The club pays the town money for the lease. And, the club is run as a private golf course.
    
    In the stipulation in part of the lease is that the club must support the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent to be members of the local and National Associations.
    
    In my tenure here as Superintendent and clubhouse Manager I was able to convince (on the side) some town fathers to insert that in the lease. Lo and Behold it was done. They believe the knowledge gained by being members of their respective Associations is insurmountable in the conditioning and being good Stewards of the golf course.
    
    Capt. Kirk
    Retired Alien
    Needham Golf Club
    Needham,MA

    
    
    
    
13. Keith Fellenstein

    

    0 posts
    
    12/16/2015 11:12 AM

    The Membership section on this website is actually titled "Membership and Benefits", a good place to start when justifying your membership. Hard to believe the cost of membership would make or break anyone's budget, but when cutting costs, leave no stone unturned. I sometimes question the value of our membership, but then recall much of the benefit is difficult to define or describe to those unfamiliar with what we do and often something I take for granted. I've never had to pay myself, but pretty sure, I would if it came to that. Not sure it is a good idea, but have you considered splitting the cost with your club? It would show the GM the value you place on your membership as well as show them you are a team player when it comes to controlling costs.

    
    
    
    
14. Ryan Bruner

    

    4 posts
    
    12/17/2015 5:12 PM

    Thanks for all your inputs and suggestions. I will keep my membership even if I have to pay out of my pocket. I am part of a state run system and out budgets are really tight and about to get worse, if that is even possible. I see the many benefits and just wanted to get some other thoughts. Merry Christmas to you all and thanks again.

    
    
    
    
15. Joe Wachter

    

    5 posts
    
    12/18/2015 8:12 AM

    Ryan Bruner said: Thanks for all your inputs and suggestions. I will keep my membership even if I have to pay out of my pocket. I am part of a state run system and out budgets are really tight and about to get worse, if that is even possible. I see the many benefits and just wanted to get some other thoughts. Merry Christmas to you all and thanks again.

    
    
    Excellent Ryan, no one understands how important education/knowledge is other than the person who gains that knowledge. I've paid for it in the past, still usually pay for part of my yearly conference visit as well.

    
    
    
    
16. Darren Graf

    

    0 posts
    
    1/5/2016 8:01 AM

    The GCSAA membership is really than any other membership that is personal or professional. It comes down to how often you use the membership. If I have a gym membership and never go then it is a worthless membership if I go the GCSAA website, use the forum, educational webcasts and follow-up on research then it is well worth the membership. It is important that all members continue to look for ways to get more from the membership we have, I simply say this the more you put in the more you get out.

    
    
    
    
17. Melvin Waldron

    

    43 posts
    
    1/5/2016 8:01 AM

    Darren S Graf said: The GCSAA membership is really than any other membership that is personal or professional. It comes down to how often you use the membership. If I have a gym membership and never go then it is a worthless membership if I go the GCSAA website, use the forum, educational webcasts and follow-up on research then it is well worth the membership. It is important that all members continue to look for ways to get more from the membership we have, I simply say this the more you put in the more you get out.

    
    
    I feel like a couple of our golfers who pay about $4 around because they play out here so much on their yearly pass.
    
    Mel

    
    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO