Page 8 - GreenMaster summer 2023

uCOVER STORYu MIRANDA ROBINSON, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, CGSA
Work Hard But
Blackhawk Golf Club in Spruce Grove, AB.
Recently elected CGSA 55th
President, Dustin Zdan, AGS shares his experiences, philosophies, and takeaways about life as a turf manager and his vision for the association’s future.
Dustin’s journey with golf started while playing as a junior. He then played competitively through his high school years. While attending university, he found his way to a turf maintenance job during summer break in 1993, and it was a game changer. At the St. Charles Country Club, in Winnipeg, he was able to
Team Canada proudly wins the inaugural Can Am Cup at the Can Am tournament in New Jersey in 2017.
8 • CGSA • GreenMaster
marry his enjoyment of the outdoors with his interest in the game of golf, and call that his job.
Originally, his interest in the outdoors steered Dustin toward Wildlife Biology, but that first summer on a golf course shifted his mindset to Plant Science and Turf Manage- ment. Luckily, life on a golf course gives plenty of opportunity to see and interact with wildlife, and still feel connected to his original path. Dustin obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Manitoba, specializing in Plant Science.
When asked about his journey, Dustin replied, “I progressed from green cutter to hole changer very quickly in that first year. Being on the greens every day filled me with questions. I would bug my Superintendent many times a day, and he would feed me with reference material. I still have some of those Green Section Record magazines. It just took off from there, eventually becoming a Junior Assistant in my last year at St. Charles.”
It is no secret that having a strong mentor early on can help set you on a