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Published: Friday, 10 December 2010 11:46

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Courtesy of TurfNet...

When Herb Berg , equipment manager at historic Oakmont Country Club, was nominated for TurfNet’s Technician of the Year, the recommendation was not limited to a few words from his superintendent.

 

Sure, John Zimmers spoke volumes about Berg’s attributes and why he deserved the honor. But so did many others at the Pittsburgh-area club that has been the site of eight U.S. Open Championships, three PGA Championships and a pair of U.S. Women’s Open Championships. The list of people recommending Berg also included club president Bill Griffin, grounds chairman Chris Donohue, club manager Tom Wallace, then-assistant superintendent Dave Delsandro and several members of Zimmers’ staff.

When Berg won the award, the club celebrated with a luncheon that included members of the crew – donned in shorts and work boots no less – dining in the Oakmont clubhouse. Clearly, the appreciation for Berg was obvious and overwhelming.

After all, a good equipment technician is the backbone to any successful golf course maintenance operation. He’s the person who keeps all the equipment in good running order and all the parts and tools where they need to be so that they are easy to find when you need them.

If you have a great tech, then nominate him or her for TurfNet’s 2011 Technician of the Year Award, presented by Toro .

The winner will receive The Golden Wrench Award (a real, gold-plated wrench) from TurfNet, a weeklong training session at Toro’s Service Training University at the company’s headquarters in Bloomington, Minn., and the undying admiration of his co-workers.

Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.

Deadline for nominations is Feb. 25. Finalists and the winner will be profiled on TurfNet .

To submit your nomination, e-mail it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or download the PDF nomination form and mail it to 1500 Park Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32835, or fax it to 407-513-9108. Be sure to include the name and phone number of the tech; golf course at which he or she works; why they deserve to be considered; and your name, phone number and e-mail address.

TurfNet’s Technician of the Year Winners
2003 – Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort and GC, St. Petersburg, Fla.
2004 – Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (Mich.) Country Club
2005 – Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, Ariz.
2006 – Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead Golf Courses, Lakewood, Colo.
2007 – Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (Ga.) Golf Club
2008 – no award
2009 – Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
2010 - Herb Berg, Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club

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