By Stan Olenik. Editor-Publisher The Golf Club

The Carolinas Golf Course Superintendent’s Association is not just a professional association, but a close knit group, who can come together as a family at the drop of a hat or a 70 mile an hour gust of wind to help each other,

While golf courses are competitive with one and another, the people who keep up the course understand you need a little help from a friend,

It is not unusual to see superintendents loaning equipment to each other. It isn’t unusual to see superintendents consulted on problems with greens and it is not unusual to see them pitch in to do the work needed to help each other out.

Tim Kreger is the executive director of the organization headquartered in Liberty.

Like most of us his home and office didn’t have power for much of the last week, but that didn’t stop Kreger from trying to help the members of the organization.

“I started getting calls from members who needed help and calls from members who wanted to help,” said Kreger. “The calls I didn’t get where the ones that concerned me the most, ” he said. “There still are a large number of people unaccounted for.”

Early reports as to the number of injured and of those who lost their lives appeared to be high and that number rises almost every day.

Kreger has been to many of the courses led by association members in Western North Carolina.

He has seen how beautiful the hills and mountains can be surrounding a golf course. He also knows the scenery that make mountain golf special can also be reasons for major concerns,

‘When you drive up in the mountains with the switch backs and narrow roads it can make getting help and essentials to many of the communities difficult if not impossible,” he noted

Kreger identified some drop off sites where concerned friends of the organization can contribute water and non perishable food. Everything from cleaning supplies to diapers are welcomed and needed.

Once the supply was gathered and dropped off in the hardest hit locations, volunteers familiar with the area took over attempting to get the essentials to the people who needed it.

In many places the golf course is at the center of the community and the superintendents are the ones who hire the staff and have an economic impact locally.

“Staff member’s families have other jobs in the communities and if they are from the area or have come there to work, they are all family and we want to do as much as we can to help them all.” said Kreger.

Donating essentials was the first step, but while loading palates of water and food and realizing the depth of the situation, raising money was the next step,

Kreger has an idea to raise money to equip schools and or community centers like golf courses with a Starlink system for broadband phone and internet.

The satellite based system can replace the internet and has the ability to connect the hard to reach locations in Western North Carolina that may never get high speed service.

“If people would like to send us a check we will put it to good use. A Starlink costs around $600, almost the entire part of the state is likely to need something like this to help rebuild,” he said,

It is feared many schools have suffered major damage and while power and accessibility need to be restored first a Starlink could be the future in the area.

While no aid can ever come quick enough in a crisis, politicians can.

As one politician back in the Clinton era said, “a crisis is a terrible thing to waste,” suggesting the problems of some can be an opportunity for others,

Unfortunately, who gets the aid and how it gets to the people who need it in the Tarheel state has become an issue in the presidential campaign.

Between a grand standing presidential candidate and the baseless social media rumors of a Chinese take over of a critical natural resource the people of Western North Carolina deserve and need real help, and not to become pawns in national politics.

It seems of late every weather related disaster is the “100 year” version of floods, tornados, hurricanes, ice and snow storms or unseasonable heat. The last time these record setting disasters took place was not 100 years ago, but less than a handful of yeas ago,

The Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association’s web page has a listing of drop off points and essential items they need to get moving up north.

Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association https://www.carolinasgcsa.org/

Information on how you can help with a financial contribution and information about the plan to help provide Starlinks can be found on the CGCSAA website.

https://carolinasgolfcoursesuperintendentsassociationinc.growthzoneapp.com/ap/contribute/MrDkNzLx