Bayer Announces Third Annual Plant Health Academy Class at the 2015 Golf Industry Show

March 3, 2015

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (Mar. 4, 2015)Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience LP, announced the 2015 annual Plant Health Academy class at a reception at the 2015 Golf Industry Show (GIS) held last week in San Antonio, Texas. The third annual Academy is part of the Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow program, an initiative Bayer developed in collaboration with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s (GCSAA’s) Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG) to advance plant health research and education for superintendents.

Bayer and GCSAA selected 12 superintendents to attend the 2015 Plant Health Academy:

  • Ryan Bourne, Class A member, Terradyne Country Club, Andover, Kan.
  • Rodney Crow, CGCS, Class A member, Touchstone Golf Management - Battleground Golf Club, Deer Park, Texas
  • Jamey Davis, Class A member, Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, Birmingham, Ala.
  • Anthony Gustaitis, CGCS, Class A member, Whitemarsh Valley Country Club, Lafayette Hill, Pa.
  • Brian Haines, CGCS, Class A member, Westchester Country Club, Boynton, Fla.
  • Sean Hoolehan, CGCS, Class A member, Wildhorse Resort, Pendleton, Ore.
  • Nicholas Janovich, Class A member, Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, W.Va.
  • Tray Maltby, Class A member, Reunion Resort, Davenport, Fla.
  • Jay Neunsinger, superintendent member, Tilden Park Golf Course, Berkeley, Calif.
  • Brent Racer, superintendent member, Awarii Dunes, Axtell, Neb.
  • Alex Stuedemann, superintendent member, TPC Deere Run, East Moline, Ill.
  • Jeff White, CGCS, Class A member, Indian Hills Country Club, Mission Hills, Kan.


“We were blown away by the high caliber of candidates we received this year,” said David Wells, golf business manager for the turf and ornamentals (T&O) business at Bayer. “It says a lot about our industry that we have so many bright, ambitious leaders and we are proud of their commitment to continuing education and their passion to advance their knowledge of plant health and turf management.”

The Plant Health Academy is a two-part education and training curriculum over two-and-a-half-days where golf course superintendents receive a comprehensive education and training curriculum. The first of two sessions is a classroom training held at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., on April 20-22, 2015, and the second is an in-the-field training at the Bayer Training and Development Center in Clayton, N.C., from Sept. 23-25, 2015. The Plant Health Academy is part of the Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow program, an initiative by Bayer through funding of the EIFG that provides webinars and scholarships to advance the golf industry for the future.

About Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow
To fund Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow, Bayer invests a percentage of StressGard® Formulation Technology (FT) product sales each year for three years – a minimum commitment of $300,000. Funds generated through the program will also be dedicated to the EIFG to support research, education, advocacy and scholarship initiatives executed by GCSAA.

Bayer has been developing products with plant health attributes for nearly 20 years, starting with the origin of StressGard FT, a technology now featured in Bayer fungicides including Tartan®, Interface® StressGard, Chipco® Signature™, Fiata® StressGard and Mirage® StressGard. StressGard Formulation Technology helps fortify natural plant defenses and promote plant growth. To learn more about StressGard FT and other Bayer solutions, please visit www.BackedByBayer.com.

Bayer Golf Twitter Page:
http://twitter.com/BayerGolf

Bayer CropScience is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer CropScience representative, or visit Bayer CropScience online at www.bayercropscience.us.


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About Bayer CropScience
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer CropScience, the subgroup of Bayer AG responsible for the agricultural business, has annual sales of EUR 9,494 million (2014) and is one of the world’s leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of seeds, crop protection and non-agricultural pest control. The company offers an outstanding range of products including high value seeds, innovative crop protection solutions based on chemical and biological modes of action as well as an extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture. In the area of non-agricultural applications, Bayer CropScience has a broad portfolio of products and services to control pests from home and garden to forestry applications. The company has a global workforce of 23,100 and is represented in more than 120 countries. This and further news is available at: www.press.bayercropscience.com.

About GCSAA and the EIFG
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) is a leading golf organization in the United States. Its focus is on golf course management, and since 1926 GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the U.S. and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to nearly 18,000 members in more than 78 countries. The association’s mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

The Environmental Institute for Golf is the philanthropic organization of the GCSAA. Its mission is to foster sustainability through research, awareness, education, programs and scholarships for the benefit of golf course management professionals, golf facilities and the game. Visit EIFG at www.eifg.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Contact:
Bayer CropScience Media Hotline, 1-862-404-5118, or

Casey Allen
Manager of External Communications
Bayer CropScience LP
Tel: (919) 549-2607
Email: casey.allen@bayer.com

Ciara Ahern
Global Prairie
Tel: (216) 374-1274
Email: ciara.ahern@global-prairie.com

Find more information at www.bayercropscience.us.

Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group or subgroup management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

©2015 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. Always read and follow label instructions. www.BackedByBayer.com, Bayer (reg'd), the Bayer Cross (reg'd), Stressgard®, Tartan®, Interface®, Fiata®, Chipco®, Mirage® and Signature™ are trademarks of Bayer. For additional product information call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.us.