North Coast Media, LLC

Golfdom wins industry-leading 16 awards from Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association

CLEVELAND, Ohio — May 22, 2015 — North Coast Media is pleased to announce Golfdom continues to be recognized for its outstanding editorial and design leadership by the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA), which this year held its annual awards ceremony in Milwaukee. Golfdom earned an industry-leading 16 awards including one “best in show” Gardner Award for new media, seven first place awards and eight merit awards. Sister publication Landscape Management (LM) nabbed 15 awards. North Coast Media once again led all publishing companies that competed for TOCA awards in the golf and landscape markets with 31 total awards.

Golfdom won TOCA awards for:

First Place

Photography, Video, Multimedia, Best single photo – Use of stock art, “The Golfdom Report,” Pete Seltzer
Photography, Video, Multimedia, Best print magazine cover, “The Golfdom Report,” Pete Seltzer
New Media, Blogs, “The Golfdom Daily,” Seth Jones
Writing, Editorial/Opinion Piece – commercial publications, “The dangerous art of speaking your mind,” Seth Jones
Writing, Column – commercial publications, “A post-Open reminder that freedom isn’t free,” Seth Jones
Writing, Series of columns by regular department columnist – commercial publications, “Keeping up with the Jones,” Seth Jones
Writing, General feature article – commercial publications, “Jimmy the Kid,” Seth Jones

Merit

Photography, Video, Multimedia, Portrait/Personality (photo of individual or group of individuals), “Driven to distraction,” Leah Nash
Photography, Video, Multimedia, Best single photo – created by a TOCA member or freelancer commissioned by a TOCA member, “Golf’s got 99 problems, but is the big cup one?,” Sarah Nader
Design, Single page design, editorial – printed magazines, “The 19th Hole,” Pete Seltzer
Writing, Column – commercial publications, “Those guys,” Matt Neff
Writing, Column – commercial publications, “Are you ready for some Fantasy Greenkeeping?,” Matt Neff
Writing, Product information article – commercial publications, “What’s the next big idea at GIE+Expo?,” Seth Jones
Writing, General feature article – commercial publications, “True romance,” Seth Jones
Writing, Series – two or more articles defined as series – commercial publications, “Winterkill in the crosshairs; Working undercover,” Sam Bauer, Brian Horgan, Ph.D., Lindsay Hoffman, Ph.D.

The Gardner Award was awarded in the new media category to Golfdom’s blog, “The Golfdom Daily.” This is the fourth year in a row Golfdom‘s blog has won the first place TOCA award in the New Media, Publishing category.

Golfdom also demonstrated that it has the best columnists in the industry, winning three of the four individual column-writing TOCAs awarded, and a first place series award for “Keeping up with the Jones,” the monthly column written by Golfdom’s editor-in-chief, Seth Jones.

“The results of the 2015 TOCA awards reaffirmed that our publications, Golfdom and Landscape Management, are at the top of their respective markets,” said Kevin Stoltman, president and CEO of North Coast Media. “I’m confident Golfdom and Landscape Management will continue to impress TOCA judges — and most important, our readers and marketing partners — for decades to come.”

Landscape Management earns 15 awards from Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association

CLEVELAND, Ohio — May 12, 2015 — North Coast Media is pleased to announce Landscape Management (LM) continues to be recognized for its outstanding editorial excellence and design by the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) earning 14 honors and one Gardner Award at TOCA’s annual awards ceremony held in Milwaukee on May 7. These results continue LM‘s eight-year run of winning more awards than its competing publications and more awards than any industry publication in the 26-year history of TOCA.

LM‘s sister publication Golfdom reaped a total of 16 awards: 15 TOCA awards and one Gardner Award. North Coast Media once again led all publishing companies that competed for TOCA awards in the golf and landscape markets with 31 awards.

LM‘s 15 honors included:

Gardner (Best of Show)

Design, Two-plus page design, editorial – printed magazines, “Big Picture November 2014,” Tracie Martinez

First Place

Single page design, editorial – printed magazines, “Backstory November 2014,” Tracie Martinez
Design, Two-plus page design, editorial – printed magazines, “Big Picture November 2014,” Tracie Martinez
Design, Overall magazine design – printed magazines, “Landscape Management: December 2014,” Tracie Martinez
Design, Overall company web design – electronic publishing, “LandscapeManagement.net,” Jesse Malcmacher, Bethany Chambers, Pete Seltzer
Design, Overall media kit design, “Landscape Management 2015 Media Planner,” Bill Roddy, Michelle Mitchell, Bobbi Ware
Special Projects, Best single issue, “Landscape Management: December 2014,” Marisa Palmieri, Sarah Pfledderer, Tracie Martinez
Special Projects, Writing for special projects, “LM150,” Marisa Palmieri, Sarah Pfledderer
New Media, Podcasts, “Landscape Live!”, Jody Shilan
New Media, Websites, “LandscapeManagement.net,” Marisa Palmieri, Sarah Pfledderer, Allison Barwacz, Bethany Chambers, Jesse Malcmacher
New Media, Innovative use of social media, “Landscape Management social media strategy,” Marisa Palmieri, Sarah Pfledderer, Allison Barwacz
Writing, General feature article – commercial publications, “Same tree, different branches,” Marisa Palmieri

Merit

Photography, Video, Multimedia, Best single photo – Use of stock art, “LM October 2014 Cover Photo,” Tracie Martinez
Design, Cover page design – printed magazines, “LM October 2014 Cover,” Tracie Martinez
Special Projects, Writing for special projects, “LM Industry Pulse,” Marisa Palmieri

“This recognition validates the hard work of our editorial and digital teams,” said Kevin Stoltman, president and CEO of North Coast Media. “They are committed to providing readers the content they need on all media platforms they’re using. We put a strong emphasis on our digital offerings last year and it was very rewarding to see our website, blog, podcast and social media initiatives being honored as among the best.”

Golfdom announces Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year Winner for 2015

CLEVELAND, Ohio — February 20, 2015 — North Coast Media and Golfdom magazine are proud to announce William Larson, Certified Golf Course Superintendent at Town & Country Club in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the recipient of its 2015 Herb Graffis Businessperson of the Year Award.

The Town & Country Club of St. Paul has saved untold thousands of dollars thanks to the efforts of course superintendent Bill Larson. An alumnus of Penn State University’s Turfgrass program, Larson has held his position at T&CC since 1989. One of Larson’s recent victories at the club was a bunker renovation that eventually grew to a small course renovation, all performed in-house and at a fraction of the normal cost. Another success was his help designing the course’s maintenance facility. Using his experience visiting maintenance facilities around the world, Larson was able to create one of the most environmentally friendly, cutting edge maintenance facilities in the country.

“Our award isn’t given for longevity in the industry, overcoming adversity or being a nice guy. Each year we look for an exceptionally savvy businessman,” says Pat Roberts, publisher of Golfdom. “We have found that in Bill Larson — and it just so happens he is a nice guy, too.”

“Bill exemplifies what we look for in the Graffis award recipient,” says Seth Jones, Golfdom’s editor-in-chief. “He is a shrewd businessman who has made an enormous impact at Town & Country Club, on and off the course.”

Larson will accept the Herb Graffis Award in person at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25 at the Golf Industry Show in San Antonio. Celebrated golf architect Rees Jones, “The Open Doctor,” will present the award. Herb Graffis was a close friend of Rees’ father, legendary golf course architect Robert Trent Jones.

Larson’s first reaction to learning he had won the award and would appear on Golfdom’s cover was that it should be him with his entire crew on the cover, not just him by himself. Thankfully, his club president convinced him to take the credit where credit was due.

“Work hard and good things will happen. You have to have a passion,” Larson says in his cover story, entitled ‘Man About Town.’ “I’m lucky that I’m at a place like Town & Country Club. I don’t want the limelight. I’m content to do the best we can do and then go home.”

For more information, read the Golfdom cover story on Larson. To contact Seth Jones, email sjones@northcoastmedia.net or call 785-690-7047. To reach Bill Larson, email tcturf@comcast.net.

LP Gas Hall of Fame called ‘industry’s highest honor’

A Michigan newspaper called the LP Gas Hall of Fame “the propane industry’s highest honor,” in recognizing a local inductee.

William B. McHenry of Muskegon, Michigan was part of the hall of fame class of 2014. McHenry was the president of Pro-Gas Sales and Service Co.; he was honored posthumously for his service to the industry. McHenry’s son Phillip McHenry accepted the award on his behalf from LP Gas Publisher Brian Kanaba at a ceremony in Atlanta in April.

Following the elder McHenry’s induction, the Muskegon Chronicle interviewed LP Gas magazine Editor-in-chief Brian Richesson about the hall of fame. Richesson said hall of famers are those who “moved the needle” in the propane industry.

Read: Moving the needle: William McHenry remembered after induction into LP Gas Hall of Fame

Golfdom editor spotted interviewing Arnold Palmer

Golfdom Editor-in-chief Seth Jones was spotted walking into an interview with Arnold Palmer before the aptly titled Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA Tour event at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Jones was working on his The Golfdom Conversation Q&A with Palmer at the time.

“A staff member came into the room and mentioned two men who were outside the office and wanted to say hello. One was Seth Jones, the editor of Golfdom magazine who recently interviewed Palmer for a project he was working on.

“Well, bring him in,” Palmer said, rising from behind his desk with a broadening smile. Dressed in slacks and a pink shirt, Palmer made sure the two men met everyone in the room and made small talk for a few minutes before closing with that powerful handshake and a smile. “Nice to see you guys,” he told them.

It doesn’t hurt that the shout-out comes in an article that includes the clickbait-friendly model Kate Upton in the headline. Palmer was reportedly having dinner with Upton, one Sports Illustrated cover veteran to another, later in the week. No word if Jones will be there, too.

Read: Arnold Palmer having dinner with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Kate Upton