1st Year at Olds in Turfgrass

When I started out in the golf course industry it was just a summer job for me as I was enrolled in the Bachelor of Education majoring in Biology. As I came around to my second summer, I realized that Education was not the field for me.  I visited my sister here at the college and she gave me a tour around for open house. The atmosphere here was amazing. Everyone was so friendly. I enrolled in Turfgrass Management and was very nervous as I did not know what to expect coming to Olds.  Coming here I was another bewildered face completely lost.

The guys, not only in my class, but in all the years here have been supportive. This was my first time living away from my family and my first time living on my own making first week was difficult. Walking around not knowing anyone and feeling more alone without your family was hard. My classmates are great people and we all bonded quite quickly, which is good because these are the people I see for 8 hours a day for the next two years. My classmates make it easy being here and make Olds feel like a home. 

Going to school here is completely different than any other post-secondary institution I have visited or gone to. You are no longer just a face in the crowd.  It was nice to be recognized and to have the teachers help you one on one.  All of the teachers that I have encountered here have been beyond helpful. They are personable, engaging and are truly interested in your success. My favorite courses in my first year were Ian Morrows Introduction to Turfgrass Management, Gord Gilchrist CAD, and Ian Morrows Introduction to Irrigation. Ian Morrow is a fantastic teacher. Probably one of the best I have ever had.  His class is the one class that no one wants to miss. Whether we were identifying grasses, or learning how to fix irrigation heads, we always had fun. CAD was a different class. For someone with zero computer skills it was difficult. Gord was very good with making sure everyone was feeling confident with the material we were learning and you could always contact him for further help. He made it fun.

The great thing about, not only these classes, but this school, is that they take the material you learn in class and turn it practical. Whether in Gord’s class when we learned laser levels and had to take it to the College wetlands to see if we could find the volume in each pond or in Irrigation gluing PVC pipe and designing our own irrigation loops, it practical training. Olds went beyond the expectations that I had.

Morgan Creighton
1st year Turfgrass Student

Recapping the 50th Annual WCTA Conference

Greetings everyone,

March has begun, and instead of sitting in the classroom the last few days, I've been in Penticton, BC attending the 50th Annual WCTA Conference. I was graciously chosen by my peers to present a topic at the conference in front of some of Canada's most decorated professionals. My presentation was titled "The Top 10 Values I've Learned Working at a Small Town Course and How They Will Each Benefit My Career Development." The topic was popular and many of the attendees were able to relate to my presentation, as they almost all started off their careers like I did. This blog will highlight my experiences I had over the past few days.

Aside from executing a speech in front of a couple hundred people, the focal point of this opportunity was to engage in networking. British Colombia boasts some of the most lucrative pieces of golf property in our country, so I was thrilled to meet folks from this province. Paul Robertson of Victoria GC, Brian Youell of Uplands GC and Assistants hailing from Tobiano, Capilano and Whistler are some of the fine people I met, to name a few. Brian, the 2013 CGSA Superintendent of the Year, is especially inspiring because of his ability to overcome a near tragic event. He always loved to sit down with me and we got to know each other very well. Brian epitomizes professionalism and serves as one of great role models for fellow students and I.

To quickly summarize the speakers, my favourite was by Dr. Schad of McGill University as he simplified turf science and brought a new meaning behind "chemicals" we use in our industry. It was very interesting. Other speakers included Brian Youell, Doug Carrick, the controversial Paul Tukey and my instructor Jason Pick, amongst many more. If you're curious about any of these presentations, contact me and I'd be happy to share insight from my viewing pleasures.

I strongly encourage more students to make a presentation next year...it was another amazing opportunity for exposure. I'd like to thank Penticton for the warm hospitality and to the WCTA for hosting this great event.

Best Regards,

Jordan "Scooter" Collins
Turf Club President