The Grand Tour Scholarship committee, comprised of golf course design and maintenance officials from around the world, selected four students to participate in the first professional development tour sponsored by Rain Bird International and organized by Bettina Schrickel, design associate with Golfplan – The Ronald Fream Design Group Ltd.
The inaugural Grand Tour, based on a prior tour of American golf courses taken by Ms. Schrickel, is designed to offer students of golf course design, development and maintenance from all over the world an opportunity to tour and study elite golf courses in the United States. The tour is divided into an eastern and western route with two students selected to follow each one.
Meeting at the 2000 GCSAA International Conference and Show in New Orleans, the committee chose Jose Makk, turfgrass management student at Michigan State University and a native of Argentina, and William Bowden, turfgrass management student from England, for the tour’s eastern route. The western route winners were Paul Mogford, golf course architecture student from Australia, and Colin Mumford, turfgrass management student from England.
The tour’s eastern leg began in Orlando, Florida. on April 7 and concludes in Boston, Mass. on May 4. The western route kicked off from San Francisco on April 2 and winds up in Fort Worth, Texas. The scholarship winners are visiting legendary courses including Pebble Beach Golf Links, Augusta National and Pinehurst No. 2.
“Rain Bird is proud to be able to sponsor the first Grand Tour Scholarships,” says Jack Buzzard, vice president of Rain Bird International. “Ms. Schrickel has worked hard to organize a prestigious opportunity for students from around the world to study some of the finest courses in the United States. We believe this program fits well with our commitment to education.”
The 2000 Grand Tour Scholarship committee members include Edward C. Horton, CGCS, vice president of the Pebble Beach Company; Dr. Michael Hurdzan, ASGCA; Rolf Krueger, Rain Bird International; Bettina Schrickel, design associate at Golfplan and BIGCA graduate; Howard Swan, BIGCA; Steven M. Wright, CGCS, Long Cove Club.
Application forms and detailed information for the 2001 Grand Tour Scholarship will be available from Bettina Schrickel in August 2000.
Rain Bird’s Golf Division manufactures a wide range of irrigation products for golf courses: the new VFD Pump Station, central control irrigation systems, including the Stratus II system; radio-controlled systems; field controllers/satellites; impact and EAGLE gear drive rotors; flow meters; remote control valves; swing joints; quick coupling valves and irrigation accessories. Rain Bird central control components are also serviced and supported by a comprehensive Global Service Plan (GSP). The products are sold worldwide through an extensive network of distributors.