ELMSFORD, N.Y. (March 24, 2025) — The MGA’s annual Green Chairman Education Series took place on Monday at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. The program included presentations from industry experts on relevant topics for superintendents and green chair attendees.
Related: Photos | Presentations
Ken Butler, Mid-Atlantic Executive Director at Club Benchmarking, kicked the day off with a presentation on capital planning and strategic funding for golf courses, providing data for clubs in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Some of the largest and growing concerns in the three states center around pest management and water conservation. Throughout the presentation, Butler answered audience questions on the current state of golf courses in the area.
In a fireside chat-style discussion, Elliot L. Dowling, Regional Director of the East Region of the USGA Green Section, spoke with Bill Cygan, Silver Spring Country Club Superintendent, discussing topics such as effective planning for golf course maintenance. Cygan, who has worked at various courses around the Met Area, gave his input on spearheading previous projects.
The final panel included Bryan Karns, Director of the 2025 Ryder Cup, and Andrew Wilson, Director of Agronomy at Bethpage State Park. Brian Crowell, General Manager at Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point and sports broadcaster for CBS moderated the conversation. Karns and Wilson shared insight of the operations behind one of the most anticipated golf events of the year.
Redding Country Club in Redding, Conn., received the 18th Arthur P. Weber MGA Club Environmental Leaders in Golf Award. The award recognized Redding’s commitment to improving their golf course through sustainable and practical measures. Under the leadership of golf course superintendent Brett Chapin, bat houses were implemented around the course to promote healthy bat populations, while water quality was improved through a variety of actions. Redding also conducted its inaugural First Green event for local school children. The award was presented by Scott Olson and received by Chapin.
The event wrapped up with a lightning round presentation by Dowling, who answered various questions on golf course maintenance.
For more information about the Green Chair Seminar and how to stay updated about future events, please reach out to Kevin Kline at kkline@mgagolf.org.
