www.gcsaa.org • December 2013 Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
golf course management
She means
BUSINESS Old Tom Morris Award recipient Annika Sorenstam’s brand proves she still has the drive to excel. PAGE 42
www.gcsaa.org • December 2013 Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
golf course management
She means
BUSINESS Old Tom Morris Award recipient Annika Sorenstam’s brand proves she still has the drive to excel. PAGE 42
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contents
December 2013 Volume 81 • Number 12
42 Driving ambition Annika Sorenstam may be one of the greatest golfers in history, but GCSAA’s 2014 Old Tom Morris Award recipient is proving she’s also got plenty of game outside the ropes. Howard Richman
62 The 2 mm view With a focus on playability and ultra-low cutting heights, a London superintendent challenges conventional wisdom about Poa greens and sustainable management practices in the UK. Scott MacCallum
70 The rating game Looking to outfit your maintenance facility with a new air compressor? Here’s what to look for in compressor specifications as you start shopping. Dan Leiss
94 Article Index 2013 On the Cover
She may not have played in a competitive event since 2008, but that doesn’t mean golf icon Annika Sorenstam has vanished from the scene. Sorenstam, 32nd recipient of GCSAA’s top honor, the Old Tom Morris Award, is as busy as ever. Her brand, which includes a charitable foundation, clothing line and golf academy, keeps Sorenstam active.
contents
RESEARCH
78
38
78 Documenting your progress toward sustainability
These practical, science-based sustainability metrics can help you and your facility measure and communicate concrete progress toward reaching sustainable goals. Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. Larry Stowell, Ph.D. Micah Woods, Ph.D.
THEINSIDER
84 Residual efficacy of
fungicides for brown patch control on creeping bentgrass fairways Fungicide residues deplete quickly, and successful disease control depends on the ability of superintendents to anticipate disease outbreaks. John Daniels Richard Latin, Ph.D.
92 Cutting edge Teresa Carson
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@GCM_Magazine
GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT (ISSN 0192-3048 [print]; ISSN 21573085 [online]) is published monthly by GCSAA Communications Inc., 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859, 785-841-2240. Subscriptions (all amounts U.S. funds only): $60 a year. Outside the United States and Canada, write for rates. Single copy: $5 for members, $7.50 for nonmembers. Offce of publication and editorial offce is at GCSAA, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859. Periodicals postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., and at additional mailing offces. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Golf Course Management, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049. CANADA POST: Publications mail agreement No. 40030949. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ONT L2E 6S8.
12 GCM December 2013
34 DEPARTMENTS 16 18 20 28 30 76 102 106 112 112 113 114 116 120
President’s message Inside GCM Front nine Field reports Photo quiz Through the green Industry news Product news On course Coming up New members On the move In memoriam Final shot
32
The Insider: Assistants
34
The Insider: Shop
36 38
Handed the keys to the course mid-season David Clark Wiring woes Scott R. Nesbitt
The Insider: Environment Beyond the textbook: IPM tool for the real world Pamela Smith, CGCS
The Insider: Turf Six-legged villains Teresa Carson
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Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
golf course management OUR MISSION Golf Course Management magazine is dedicated to advancing the golf course superintendent profession and helping GCSAA members achieve career success. To that end, GCM provides authoritative “how-to” career-oriented, technical and trend information by industry experts, researchers and golf course superintendents. By advancing the profession and members’ careers, the magazine contributes to the enhancement, growth and vitality of the game of golf. GCSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Immediate Past President Directors
Chief Executive Offcer
PATRICK R. FINLEN, CGCS KEITH A. IHMS, CGCS JOHN J. O’KEEFE, CGCS SANDY G. QUEEN, CGCS RAFAEL BARAJAS, CGCS DARREN J. DAVIS JOHN R. FULLING JR., CGCS PETER J. GRASS, CGCS BILL H. MAYNARD, CGCS J. RHETT EVANS
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The articles, discussions, research and other information in this publication are advisory only and are not intended as a substitute for specifc manufacturer instructions or training for the processes discussed, or in the use, application, storage and handling of the products mentioned. Use of this information is voluntary and within the control and discretion of the reader. ©2013 by GCSAA Communications Inc., all rights reserved.
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President’s Message by Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS
Orlando: A stop on your road to success Last month I shared some thoughts about the future of the profession, GCSAA and the game. That discussion was the focal point of our board of directors strategic planning session earlier this year, continued in committee gatherings in the spring and through the Chapter Delegates meeting in early October. The message delivered by GCSAA leadership throughout this process has been to not allow the future to shape us, but to let us shape our future, both as an organization and as individuals. That might seem like a daunting task, especially when it comes to getting started. How? When? Why? But the process need not be overly complicated. As golf course managers, we have been through a similar exercise when creating and executing master plans for our courses. We identify a weakness or need at our facility and we then look at opportunities for improvement. We then build upon those opportunities. The same can be done on a personal basis when it comes to career path progression. At some point in the process, we need the resources to implement the plan that results from our analysis. Perhaps the best of these resources is the Golf Industry Show, set for Feb. 1-6 in Orlando, (register online at www.golf industryshow.com). The week begins with the GCSAA Golf Championships featuring options to play one, two or three days of golf. Presented in partnership with The Toro Co. for the 20th consecutive year, the event features the Four Ball competition, a shamble tournament, and the traditional Golf Classic and National Championship events. Our award-winning and highly acclaimed education programs begin Feb. 3 and will feature more than 435 hours of education on topics ranging from agronomics to communications, business management to leadership. Education programs are presented in a variety of formats, from day-long seminars to 45-minute sessions on the trade show foor. Three general sessions combine education and networking: • The GCSAA Opening Session, Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 8 a.m., where we introduce Old Tom Morris Award winner Annika Sorenstam • The Golf Industry Show General Session, Thursday, Feb. 6, at 8 a.m., presented by the USGA • The GCSAA Closing Celebration, presented by John Deere 16 GCM December 2013
Golf, at 5 p.m. on Thursday, as comedian Bill Engvall caps the week. The trade show, set for Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 5-6, continues to evolve with new products and services to meet the changing needs of facility managers. GCSAA staff and other representatives also will be available to discuss such issues as career and job opportunities, membership, certifcation, advocacy and communications.
At some point in the process, we need the resources to implement the plan that results from our analysis. Perhaps the best of these resources is the Golf Industry Show. If the education, trade show and association services provide attendees the building blocks for professional development, then the many networking opportunities are the mortar. Each year, our post-event surveys reveal that attendees place a premium on the value gained in conversation in a hotel lobby, on the shuttle bus, at a seminar lunch or a brief passing on the trade show foor. I realize that for some, attending the Golf Industry Show can be a challenge due to fnances, obligations at the facility or circumstances in your personal life. We have made numerous changes to the schedule and have created housing opportunities to minimize expense and time away. We also have information online to help you justify attendance with your management. I encourage you to take a “how can I make it happen” approach as you consider the Golf Industry Show. That approach should include reaching out to your peers who have attended before and learning how they have maximized their investment. Speaking from experience, it is a decision that pays returns well above the cost of attendance. I hope to see you all in Orlando. GCM
Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS (pfinlen@olyclub.com), is the interim general manager at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and a 28-year GCSAA member.
Inside GCM
by Scott Hollister
Memories of a year gone by What will you remember about 2013? At this time of year, that question certainly isn’t uncommon. I think each of us probably takes at least a moment to refect on the previous 12 months, whether to take stock of personal events, professional milestones or which of the top 10 movies of the year we haven’t seen yet (for me, that would be all of them). I know I considered that question at least a couple of times as our staff was putting the fnishing touches on the issue of GCM that you’re now reading. We didn’t compile any year-inreview list or anything like that, but the mere fact that we were working on the fnal issue of 2013 and looking ahead to what we believe will be a banner 2014 had me reminiscing just a bit about the stories we had covered, the people we had met and the things we had done over the previous 12 months. So what will I remember about 2013? First and foremost, I’ll remember some of the stories that we were able to share with you this year, whether in the printed magazine, on the GCM blog or through our various social media channels. Stories such as Stacie Zinn Roberts’ look at American Lake Veterans Golf Course outside of Tacoma, Wash., which we published in the January issue (“A place to heal,” http:// gcmdigital.gcsaa.org/i/100776/48). Stories such as Howard Richman’s examination of the lost art of the night waterman, which ran in September’s GCM (“The night life,” http:// gcmdigital.gcsaa.org/i/157419/46). I’ll remember the work that our team did in the feld in 2013, including my own experiences embedded with the maintenance teams at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club for the U.S. Senior Open and Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., for the PGA Championship. I’ll remember the hills at Omaha CC, the early morning rains at Oak Hill and a photographer from The New York Times plying his trade from the back of a moving fairway mower as it rolled up and down the 13th fairway of Oak Hill’s famed East Course. I’ll remember meeting new people and catching up with old friends at the Golf Industry Show in San Diego, grabbing an after-dinner beverage with the attendees at the Bayer Plant Health Academy and learning about some of the industry’s up-and-comers at the Green Start Academy, a production of Bayer and John Deere Golf. I’ll remember walking the halls of Capitol Hill with Matt 18 GCM December 2013
Shaffer from Merion Golf Club and Bob Farren, CGCS, from Pinehurst Resort on National Golf Day. I’ll remember 18 holes of golf at Pinehurst No. 2 (thanks again, BASF!), even though the score I carded that day will remain a closely guarded secret. And like many of you, I’ll remember the many great people that the golf course management industry lost in 2013. There were four previous winners of GCSAA’s Old Tom Morris Award (Jaime Ortiz-Patiño; Joe Duich, Ph.D.; James Watson, Ph.D.; and William Campbell). There was one of the most helpful and accommodating superintendents I ever
And like many of you, I’ll remember the many great people that the golf course management industry lost in 2013. worked with (Philip S. “Stan” George, CGCS, from Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan.). There were titans of industry (Smithco founder Ted Smith, Jacobsen’s Vollie Carr and Turfgrass Producers International executive director Doug Fender) and some of the brightest research minds the turfgrass business has ever seen (USGA Green Section pioneer Charles G. Wilson and the University of Kentucky’s A.J. Powell, Ph.D.). And fnally, I’ll remember the herculean efforts of those responsible for producing GCM each and every month, work that resulted not only in the magazines that you’ve already seen but also in an all-new version of GCM that we will unveil in January 2014. It’s work we’re excited to share with you and work that we’re sure is going to pay off in a year that will be just as memorable as the one that is just now concluding. GCM Scott Hollister (shollister@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s editor-in-chief.
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see more @ www.gcsaa.org
Slovenian greenkeepers visited U.S. soil in October, including a stop at Liberty National GC. Photo courtesy of Greg Bohus
International affairs: Slovenian supers make U.S. visit
V v v
The PGA of America made a $100,000 pledge to the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG). It marked the third time that the PGA of America has made a $100,000 donation to the EIFG. “The PGA of America appreciates the importance of furthering golf’s relationship with the environment, so we are proud to support the work of the Environmental Institute for Golf,” said PGA of America CEO Peter Bevacqua. “We know through the EIFG our donation will have a farreaching positive effect for the environment and those who love the game of golf.”
20 GCM December 2013
Melvin B. Lucas Jr. and Mark Kuhns share much in common. Both earned the designation of certifed golf course superintendent. Each man has served GCSAA as president. They also deserve a more specifc name for the role they have taken throughout the years to expand relations abroad between American and foreign superintendents. The appropriate title for their actions: Ambassador. There they were this October at the forefront, welcoming a small party of members from the Slovenian Greenkeepers Association to Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfeld, N.J., where Kuhns serves as director of grounds. If this experience tells anything, it proves Lucas and Kuhns are bulldogs, serious proponents of GCSAA forging overseas relationships. The Slovenians were supposed to make this visit in 2012, but Hurricane Sandy postponed it. Instead of canceling on the Slovenians, though, Lucas and Kuhns were determined to make the trip happen. So in October, the Slovenians arrived. Finally. “It’s all about giving back in our industry,” says Kuhns, whose course lost 350 trees and encountered punctured greens from the hurricane. For the Slovenians, their nine-day trip here was a whirlwind. No question that they received the red-carpet treatment. Besides Baltusrol (where they got to play), the Slovenians visited Pine Valley Golf Club, Merion Golf Club, Liberty National Golf Course, Bayonne Golf Club and Fox Hollow Golf Club. They toured Lebanon Seaboard Corp., Storr Tractor Co., Grass Roots Inc., Rutgers University and the headquarters of the USGA, Golf House, in Far Hills, N.J. “They work hard back home, long hours,” says Lucas, who for more than two decades has traveled throughout Europe to promote the industry, including consultation work he has overseen on golf courses in at least a dozen countries such as Slovenia. “Some of them are not recognized that well, and that’s a shame.”
In an email to GCM, Slovenian superintendent Aljosa Golob said this about his trip here: “I have learned there is not much difference in the basics of greenkeeping, but there is a big difference in resources that are available and the attention to details. I like how golf courses collaborate with universities. I was amazed how the greens committee and golfers approve and appreciate the work that needs to be done on the golf course. “I also have realized that we have to frst teach and convince our golf club managers of work that is necessary to maintain good, quality turf and to allow us to do this work.” When the Slovenians visited Grass Roots, they dined on pizza and wine. Grass Roots Chief Executive Offcer Ken Kubik marveled at their delight in it all. “They were very animated with their questions and they were captivated by listening to our stories,” Kubik says. “They were like kids in a candy store.” A highlight of the trip was a visit to the outdoor store Cabela’s. Lucas noted that hunting is huge in Slovenia. Kuhns, who has had a Slovenian intern named Vanja Drasler working for him, learned all about it. “One of them kept looking out the vehicle for deer,” Kuhns says, “so later I took him on a golf car ride to our upper course and he saw some big bucks. He was just ecstatic.” The ties and relationships that were formed could last a while, perhaps forever, thanks in part to social media. The Grass Roots Facebook page featured the Slovenians’ visit, and the visitors have participated in the page since their departure. “When I described this trip for them to somebody, one person mentioned that this was kind of their bucket list trip,” Kubik says. “I think it really was something extraordinary.” That assessment sounds like it hits the mark. “We met great people who made us feel welcome,” Golob says. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will stay with me forever.” — Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
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9 Industry members honored at C-5 meetings
Roch Gaussoin
Michael D. Richardson
Elizabeth Guertal
Lisa A. Beirn
Scott Dworak
Several key members in the industry were honored during the annual meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society that was held Nov. 3-6 in Tampa, Fla. • Roch Gaussoin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Crop Science Extension Education Award. Gaussoin is professor and head of the department of agronomy and horticulture at Nebraska. This award is presented in recognition of excellence in extension teaching activities in the area of crop science. The award consists of a certifcate and $1,000 honorarium. The award criteria are based on educational innovations developed and used successfully in the area of crop science, including effective Extension performance evidenced by demonstrated ability to communicate ideas clearly, infuence client attitudes and motivate change in client or audience action. • Michael D. Richardson, University of Arkansas, Crop Science Society of America Fellow. Only 0.3 percent of the Crop Science Society of America’s active and emeritus members may be elected Fellows. Richardson is a professor in the horticulture department at Arkansas. • Elizabeth Guertal, Auburn University, Soil Science Society of America Fellow. Guertal is a professor in the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences at Auburn and one of only 43 scientists (including two other women) in the societies’ history to be named a Fellow of the Agronomy Society of America and the Soil Science of America. • Lisa A. Beirn, Rutgers University, Gerald O. Mott Scholarship for Meritorious Graduate Students in Crop Science. Beirn is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers University. • Scott Dworak, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Gerald O. Mott Scholarship for Meritorious Graduate Students in Crop Science. Dworak is a Ph.D. candidate in turfgrass physiology in the department of agronomy and horticulture at Nebraska and an adjunct faculty member at Doane College.
Illinois course celebrates landmark TV event Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Niles, Ill., only resembles its historical self in a few precious locations, but that doesn’t diminish the layout’s rightful place in golf history. The 60th anniversary of Tam O’Shanter’s hosting the frst national telecast of a golf tournament was celebrated there late
22 GCM December 2013
see more @ www.gcsaa.org this summer. Tam O’Shanter paid tribute to what occurred on its property, or what’s left of it, in 1953, long before the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. eventually built a plant on a portion of what used to be a large area of the golf course that was reduced to nine holes in 1975. A celebration of what was once known as the World Championship of Golf and that original broadcast on ABC featured a shotgun event, coffee, donuts and commemorative golf towels for the participants. GCSAA Class A superintendent Jim Stoneberg, a 13-year association member, ensured the place was in top condition. He is well aware of Tam O’Shanter’s importance. “The old-timers know what happened here,” Stoneberg says of the course that is less than 3 miles from downtown Chicago. “It’s very cool. They want to educate people on what it used to be here.” Stoneberg indicates that the frst and sixth holes, tee to green, are originals, but that is it. The green where golfer Lew Worsham (who won the 1947 U.S. Open) holed a fairway wedge from 104 yards for an eagle on No. 18 to win the tournament title by 1 stroke over Chandler Harper now is the back parking lot for the course. By 1958, the World Golf Championship disappeared from the PGA Tour schedule. Today, Tam O’Shanter is busier than ever. Stoneberg estimates that 36,000 to 40,000 rounds are played annually, keeping him and his staff of six on the go. “When the sun rises, they want the gate open,” Stoneberg says, “but it’s the best place to come to work in the morning.” — Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
Just sayin’: Pearls of wisdom from an anonymous superintendent This superintendent grew up in New England, counts his father as his idol and, perhaps most revealing, completed nearly 70 books on audio in the frst nine months of 2013. If you want to get to know him even more, look no further than his website. After all, it is about you, fellow superintendents. Just one thing, though. Don’t ask his name. He prefers to remain anonymous. “Thoughts from a Foolish Golf Course Superintendent” is a mecca for proverb-laced thoughts on the profession from one of its own. You want to see examples? They are sprinkled throughout this piece in italics. Such as: At his absolute best, a superintendent is a pawn of nature. “Friends of mine say I should use my name,” says the 13-year GCSAA member. “I have awesome owners. They know about this. Some of my thoughts are political. I would never want negative feedback for the golf course, so this is best. I don’t want it to be about me.” The inspiration for his proverbs sometimes are borrowed, tidbits he may have picked up at a turfgrass conference or from a conversation he had on the golf course, pearls of wisdom, as he perceives them, from close friends in the industry or perhaps a patron just playing a round. A superintendent with a limited and meager budget struggles to fulfll his dreams; a superintendent with an unlimited budget
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9 struggles to fulfll the dreams of others. “I’ve done all but about three of them,” the superintendent says. “I probably have done 400 to 500 of them, two to three a week. I’ll work them over. Even one sentence is a lot of work to get the right word.” Aerifying greens is like going to the dentist. Both produce short-term pain but relieve long-term misery. In truth, this superintendent is targeting a specifc audience: those who aspire to walk in his shoes. “It is for the younger superintendents, for those who want to be superintendents, to teach them how to treat other people, what mistakes not to make,” he says. “As you get a little older, you want to give back.” The fnal hint to his identity: He’s 50. And here is one parting proverb from him. The wife of a superintendent is grateful for a diligent and responsible assistant superintendent. For more, go to www.foolishgolfsuperintendent.com. — Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
Bell rings true for Dakota-based company
Bob Bell
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Golf course architect Tom Fazio was inducted Oct. 4 into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Fazio, GCSAA’s Old Tom Morris Award recipient in 1996, is the renovator and re-designer of Augusta National Golf Club and Pine Valley.
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The imminent retirement of longtime industry veteran Bob Bell will not go unnoticed in Grand Forks, N.D. On Jan. 17, Bell will retire as vice president of sales from Smith Turf & Irrigation Co. in Charlotte, N.C. His four-decade career has touched many lives, perhaps none more than Randy Dufault. Dufault, sales manager at Dakota Peat & Equipment in Grand Forks, tells GCM about a time in the distant past when a small company was trying to make it big, which often can be a struggle. “A long time ago we built our frst turf tender but couldn’t get a dealer to take us on,” Dufault says. “We sold a few, but most people wanted to buy them from dealers so they could get local service.” Dufault never gave up. One day, he phoned Bell. It was a conversation that helped launch Dakota Peat’s brand. Smith Turf’s link as a distributor for The Toro Co. was a key to the success of the Dakota Peat-Bell relationship. “Bob sold a guy one of our tenders, and then we started selling more and more,” Dufault says. “I used Bob to get every dealer in the U.S. After a couple of years, Bob said he needed a smaller (tender), one for greens. We came up with the Dakota 410.” Bell says, “We were looking for a product like the one Randy produced. We hit it off pretty good.” Dufault says Bell has been more than good for the industry. “I think he did what he did for us for a lot of people,” Dufault says. “He didn’t have to help me. I was a nobody. Bob always did what he said he was going to do. He always will mean a lot to me.” Bell, a past recipient of the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award and 1983 recipient of the prestigious Toro Green Blazer Award, says it is hard to believe how quickly time has passed since the day he joined Smith in 1973. “I tried to do the right things and work hard for my company,” Bell says. — Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
see more @ www.gcsaa.org
Beyond the Green: A recap Editor’s note: Sustainability in Golf: Beyond the Green, presented by Syngenta and Sea Pines Resort, took place in October at the Hilton Head Island, S.C., resort and was an opportunity for golf course industry professionals to gather and report, discuss and plan on the subject of sustainability. GCSAA’s Greg Lyman, director, environmental programs, compiled this report. GCSAA and the Carolinas GCSA were Steward Level sponsors of the event. Beyond the Green was organized by Experience Green founder Teresa Wade and attended by a diverse representation of approximately 75 individuals in the golf industry, including superintendents, golf course owners, course professionals, managers and suppliers. Three panels explored the principle elements of a sustainable business philosophy — people, planet and prosperity. Wade opened the meeting with a broad view of how the concept of sustainability is being applied to a variety of business interests and community groups on Hilton Head Island. Wade chronicled the infuence of the Royal Bank of Canada in sponsoring the RBC Heritage event at Sea Pines Resort. Andrew Craig, senior manager of environmental initiatives at RBC, explained that they are interested in fostering sustainability with all their customers because responsible resource management and proactive environmental stewardship is directly related to successful businesses. GCSAA member Josh Heptig, the GCSAA Class A director of golf at Dairy Creek Golf Course in San Luis Obispo, Calif., served as a panel member in the Planet session. Dairy Creek is considered the frst zero-waste golf course in the world. Heptig explained their system of separating waste at the point of collection and their on-site compost system for all food waste. The audience was particularly interested in the red worms that are used to consume the food waste and how the compost is used on the golf course as a soil amendment. At the conclusion of the panel sessions, the groups were asked to identify what they need from each other in order to promote environmental stewardship and advance sustainability at their golf facilities. Superintendents indicated that they need buyin and commitment from other managers at the facility along with support for continued education and training. Superintendents suggested the need to fnd new and creative ways to communicate the environmental benefts and positive environmental stewardship of golf courses. Golf course professionals need basic talking points to relay sustainability and environmental efforts to their golf clientele. They also identifed that support for continued education in these areas is needed from ownership. The owners in attendance acknowledged they see a clear need for education and training on sustainability, which should be integrated throughout all departments of the golf facility. They also were interested in pursuing programs to conserve energy throughout the golf course property.
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Architects honor design leaders
Deere makes major contribution
V v v
Comedian Bill Engvall will be the featured performer during the GCSAA Closing Session, presented in partnership with John Deere Golf, Feb. 6 at the 2014 Golf Industry Show in Orlando. One of the stalwarts of the popular Blue Collar Comedy Tour, Engvall was featured in the current season of “Dancing With The Stars” and is the former star of a self-titled show on TBS. The event will cap a week of activities in Orlando that includes the GCSAA Education Conference, the trade show and the GCSAA Golf Championships. Registration for the event is now open for GCSAA members, non-members and media at www2.gcsaa.org/conference/ registration/default.aspx. Additional information on the Golf Industry Show can be found online at www.golfindustryshow.com.
26 GCM December 2013
John Deere donated more than $400,000 of equipment and attachments that are being used to restore “America’s Front Yard,” also known as the National Mall, in Washington, D.C. Representatives from John Deere participated in a celebration of National Public Lands Day. The multi-year restoration at the National Mall is focused on improving the ability of the National Mall to serve the public need for national celebrations, demonstrations, festivals and other special events. The equipment that John Deere donated will be used between 3rd and 7th streets. The donation includes the new commercial-grade Z925M Flex Fuel ZTrak mower, Terrain Cut 8800 Rotary Mower, TX Turf Gator and X739 Lawn Tractor. “This gift will help protect the park’s investment in new turf, which provides visitors a more vibrant, welcoming and sustainable green space for recreation, civic gatherings and refection,” says Caroline Cunningham, president of the Trust for the National Mall.
American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) announced their 2013 Design Excellence honorees, cited for their work with ASGCA members in addressing unique design challenges leading to improved social, economic and environmental benefts. The honorees and their superintendents and architects, respectively, are: Butterfeld Country Club, Oak Brook, Ill. (Michael Vercautren; Steve Smyers); Camelback Golf Club, Scottsdale, Ariz., (Kirk Hardin; Dana Fry, Jason Straka); China Maple Golf Club, Dandong, Liaoning Province, China (Zhou Qingyi; Rick Robbins); Columbia (Mo.) Country Club, (Joseph Herzog; Dana Fry, Jason Straka); Ely Callaway Golf Club & Learning Center Honours Course presented by TaylorMade, Oceanside, Calif. (Alfredo Sanchez; David Rainville); Glenlaurel Resort, Rockbridge, Ohio (Rick Brown; Mike Hurdzan); Island Hills Golf Club, Centreville, Mich. (Richard Laux; Raymond Hearn); Lake Venice (Fla.) Golf Club, (David Knott; Jan Bel Jan); Mohegan Sun Country Club, Baltic, Conn. (Anthony Grosso; Robert McNeil); Rock Manor Golf Course, Wilmington, Del. (Richard Sweeney, CGCS; Lester George); Stevens Park Golf Course, Dallas (Frank Hutchins; John Colligan); and Twin Oaks Country Club, Springfeld, Mo. (Tyler Heidbreder; Todd Clark).
Second Melrose Leadership Academy class named
Nicklaus takes superintendent’s advice
The second class of GCSAA members has been selected to participate in the Melrose Leadership Academy to be conducted at the 2014 Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Feb. 1-6. Sixteen GCSAA Class A members earned the all-expensespaid trip through an application process based on fnancial need, volunteerism and a drive to advance their careers. The academy offers education specifc to risk management (health, safety, environmental compliance), operational effciency, business and environmental stewardship. Those selected are: Kelly D. Bowen, Black Rock Creek Golf Club, Sunnyside, Wash.; Brian Brown, Chisago Lakes Golf Course, Lindstrom, Minn.; Joel A. Collura, Deerwood Country Club, Mount Holly, N.J.; Thomas F. Dale, CGCS, The Links at Brigantine (N.J.) Beach; Ronald C. Garrison, Fox Hill Country Club, Exeter, Pa.; Hampton Kicklighter Jr., CGCS, Dublin (Ga.) Country Club; Patrick S. Knelly, Sugarloaf (Pa.) Golf Club; David L. Littrell, Iroquois Golf Course, Louisville, Ky.; Stephen E. Malloy, The Oaks Golf Links, Somersworth, N.H.; Shane A. Miller, Iron Lakes Country Club, Allentown, Pa.; Peter C. Powell, Boca Greens Country Club, Boca Raton, Fla.; David C. Van Auken, Antigo Bass Lake Country Club, Deerbrook, Wis.; Michael F. Walton, CGCS, QiZhong Garden Golf Club, Shanghai, China; Michael White, The Links at Kahite, Vonore, Tenn.; David R. Williams, CGCS, Mountain View Country Club, Boalsburg, Pa.; John M. Wynn, WGC Golf Course, Xenia, Ohio.
Even the all-time leader in men’s major championships listens to superintendents. An article in The New York Times chronicles how Jack Nicklaus was convinced by superintendent Paul Latshaw to make one particular change at the Golden Bear’s famed Muirfeld Village, which hosted the Presidents Cup in October and annually is the PGA Tour stop for the Memorial. www.nytimes.com/2013/09/30/sports/ golf/muirfeld-village-the-course-that-jack-keeps-building. html?pagewanted=all&_r=
Wild pigs test Bay Area golf course They are adding fences, treating grasses and sealing off entryways at Almaden Country Club in San Jose, Calif., to keep wild pigs from causing any more damage to the golf course, the NBC affliate there says. www.nbcbayarea. com/news/local/Wild-Pigs-Tearing-Up-San-Jose-GolfCourse-229019211.html
Las Vegas bets on Green Grass Project A plan is in the works to restore two Las Vegas golf courses to their original, lush appearance, according to a story in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. www.reviewjournal. com/news/government/zones-changed-restore-golf-courses
FIELD reports
Northwest Southwest Central Plains Great Lakes South Central Southeast Florida Northeast Mid-Atlantic
Editor’s note: Field Reports highlights news, notes and information from the front lines of the golf course management industry. To submit items for Field Reports, send them to editor-in-chief Scott Hollister (shollister@ gcsaa.org). To learn more about GCSAA’s efforts on the local and regional level through its affiliated chapters and field staff program, visit www.gcsaa.org/chapters/default.asp. GCSAA has launched a series of regional pages, a new Web resource that allows members to stay connected with news and information from their particular part of the country. The pages contain links to news, resources and regularly updated blogs from each of GCSAA’s nine U.S. regions. The information and tips located on these pages are designed specifically for the unique characteristics and geography of each region, whether the member is located in the Northwest, Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, Southeast, Florida, South Central, Central Plains, Northwest or Southwest. Also, these pages will give members a regular connection to the GCSAA field staff program through regularly updated blogs written by the field staff representatives from each region. To access these new regional pages, visit www.gcsaa.org and click on the “Community” tab.
Southeast George Fisher, a longtime fixture in the golf industry in the Carolinas with Smith Turf and Irrigation, was honored with the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award during the chapter’s annual conference and trade
28 GCM December 2013
show in November. A former superintendent, Fisher joined Charlotte-based Smith Turf and Irrigation in 1988 and served as golf sales manager and later manager of customer relations for 23 years before his retirement in 2011. Following his retirement, he was asked to stay on with the largest Toro distributor in North America as a goodwill ambassador at industry events and trade shows. “Throughout George’s career, it has been his relationships with his customers, vendors, peers and even competitors that have set him apart,” says Steve Smith, the president of STI. Randy Allen, CGCS, a former Carolinas GCSA president and himself a winner of the chapter’s DSA award in 2006, says of Fisher, “The memory of George Fisher and his contributions will be talked about a long time after we’re all gone. Guys, years from now, will talk about George and how he was the man back in the day. I’m tickled to death he’s won this award.” The Georgia GCSA has named Mike Crawford, CGCS, director of golf course operations at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., the Superintendent of the Year. Crawford received the award during the association’s annual banquet at Atlanta Athletic Club in November. Crawford served as the president of the Georgia GCSA in 2008-09 and currently serves as the secretary-treasurer of the Georgia Golf Environmental Fund, an organization he has served as a trustee since 2004. He is also a former winner of GCSAA’s Excellence in
Government Relations award. At TPC Sugarloaf, Crawford served as host superintendent for the Greater Gwinnett Championship, a Champions Tour event, this year after hosting the PGA Tour’s AT&T Classic at the course from 1997 through 2008. “Mike Crawford embodies the expertise and professionalism every superintendent aspires to,” says Mike Brown, current Georgia GCSA president. “He is as committed to the golf industry at large as he is to the golf course superintendent profession and his golf course. That he is able to consistently deliver such a level of dedication in each sphere is not just remarkable, it’s inspirational.”
Northwest D’Ann Kimbrel, the GCSAA Class A director of maintenance at Riverdale Golf Club in Brighton, Colo., has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. A 25-year member of the association, Kimbrel oversees maintenance at the 36-hole Riverdale, and played host to the U.S. Amateur Public Links championship in 1993 on the facility’s Dunes Course, designed by Pete Dye.
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30 GCM December 2013
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THE INSIDER: assistants
David Clark
Handed the keys to the course mid-season We have all faced adversity
in life. In our career, we face diffcult decisions, made either by ourselves or by our employers. At the beginning of the past golf season, I was pulled into the pro shop and informed that I would be taking over the golf course. I was caught off guard to say the least, and had to inform the crew of what had just transpired. I wish I could say the summer went fawlessly, but as most of us know, that is rarely how the golf season works out.
NEWS & notes The length of time employees are spending with their employers continues to climb, according to statistics gathered by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In January 2012, that organization reported the median employee tenure — the point at which half of all workers had more tenure and half had less tenure — was 4.6 years, continuing a decade long trend (median tenure was 3.5 years in 2000). Among those workers, age played a large role in the length of tenure — the median tenure of workers 65 and over was 10.5 years, while the media tenure for workers 25-34 was just 3.2 years. Additionally, wage and salary workers in the public sector had almost double the median tenure of private sector workers, 7.8 years as opposed to 4.2 years. Within the private sector, workers in manufacturing had the highest tenure among the major industries (6.0 years), while those in leisure and hospitality had the lowest (2.4 years).
32 GCM December 2013
We had started summer with a bang. The course was nearly perfect — until the irrigation pump went out in the middle of July. We were without water for nearly three days. From there, the issues just kept coming: We fought a bout with Pythium, a squirrel decided to play on the transformer to our pump house and took out one phase of our pump, and we had multiple workers coming and going. Despite these unfortunate issues, I was very pleased in the end with how my wonderful crew, board of directors, course manager and members came through to make it an unforgettable season. I am very fortunate to have an active greens chairman, president and volunteers that helped me through a few of the really diffcult times that we had. I had to learn how to be a superintendent during the busiest time of the year. I learned from my mistakes this year and wish that they could be my last, but I know that I will have many more mistakes to come. I never realized how much more there is to this industry, and certainly have a lot more respect for the diffculty of this job and the professionals who do it. When you get the keys to the course, my hope is that it is in the down months; that way there is plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming season. I had a diffcult time getting my house in order. I truly enjoyed my job as an assistant and I appreciate everything that I learned from the superintendents who trained me. I hope that I can pass along that knowledge to my current and future greens crews. I think all superinten-
dents would like to see their assistants move on to a course of their own, and I hope that is the way it works out for you. There are a lot of diffculties in taking over a course, especially from a fxture that had been there for more than 30 years. I don’t wish the sudden nature of my challenge on anyone. When given the chance to run a golf course of your own, remember that you are the teacher. Try to involve your assistants in every aspect of
I think all superintendents would like to see their assistants move on to a course of their own, and I hope that is the way it works out for you. the industry. I was most defnitely behind the eight ball in certain areas. I had to play catch-up on managing my budget and programming the irrigation system, as well as other areas. If you think you are ready and want to take on the job of superintendent, I want you to know that you will be in for quite the ride. It will test you in every way and in the end, for me at least, it has made me a better person and helped me appreciate the trust that the members and board of directors have placed in me. GCM David Clark is the superintendent at Linden Golf and Country Club in Sumner, Wash., and a three-year member of GCSAA.
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THE INSIDER: shop
Scott R. Nesbitt
Soaking ignition wires in WD-40 displaced water that was causing starting problems for an engine. The diagnosis and replacing $30 worth of wires and distributor cap produced a fne “go-fer truck” for half price. Photo by Scott Nesbitt
Wiring woes NEWS & notes
Andrew Wiebe of Eagle Ranch Golf Resort in Invermere, British Columbia, Canada, has become the first to complete all competencies in the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association’s certificate program. Wiebe, who started in the program in February 2013, maintained an average of 90.6 throughout the process, according to the IGCEMA. “I feel it is important to stay up-to-date in my field,” Wiebe says. “(The certificate program) is quite focused on the specific equipment used on a golf course, which is, of course, quite useful to me in my job as equipment manager.” For additional information about the certificate program, visit www.igcema.org.
34 GCM December 2013
Most golf course service shops have a “go-fer truck.” We recently got one at half the Kelley Blue Book price because it failed its emissions test and it had some nagging issues. The seller was an auto service business that decided their technicians’ time was better spent on customers’ vehicles. The truck had failed its emissions test, but Norm Larsen needed to fnd the right formula. that test isn’t required in my rural county. This Once warm, the engine ran with just a slight truck would crank but not start on the morn- stumble. But after rain and a sharp temperaing after a day of rain. The electric radiator fan ture drop that evening, the starting problem rewasn’t keeping the truck’s four-cylinder engine turned. While I was cranking the engine on that from overheating in slow traffc. A technician inky black night, I observed little points of light rigged a toggle switch in the cab to manually dancing on the spark plug wires. So, although turn on the radiator cooling fan, bypassing the the wires looked fairly new, the insulation was truck’s automatic system. But the fan didn’t turn breaking down. Spark current was straying, frvery fast, and it kept blowing the fuses in the by- ing plugs at the wrong time while not sending pass circuit. enough juice to fre other plugs in charged, comLoad-testing the battery showed it was in pressed cylinders. New wires and plugs effected good shape — low battery voltage during crank- a cure for $30. ing can disable the computerized ignition and A computer cured the radiator fan. From fuel systems in most vehicles. Reading the truck’s eBay, a $3.99 download produced several thoucomputer-stored trouble codes showed only a sand pages of factory service manual, all searchmisfre on the No. 2 spark plug. Replacing that able from the keyboard. Deep in the 404 pages of wiring diagrams, I discovered that the fan replug didn’t help. I have the time in retirement to problem-solve quired a 30-amp fuse and thick 12-gauge wire. patiently. The purchase day was sunny and cool. The technician’s bypass used a 20-amp fuse and The truck started fne and made the 75-mile 7 feet of thin 18-gauge wire. Undersized wire acts drive home without fuss, even with the radiator as a resistor, dropping voltage to the motor and making it turn slower — that’s the nature of difan disconnected. The next morning was misty. The truck rect current (DC) motors. Now we have a decent, reliable truck. Instead wouldn’t start. Cranking produced some blowback — partly ignited fuel popping in the air of randomly installing new parts and electronic cleaner. When engine valves and timing are OK, components, we spent some extra time observing blowback indicates ignition in a cylinder when and researching, and solved electrical problems its intake valve is open. An old-school remedy, by looking at the wires, rather than the composoaking the plugs, wires, distributor and coil nents they connect. GCM with WD-40, got the engine going. WD means “water displacement,” and the “40” in the name Scott R. Nesbitt (ORPguy@windstream.net) is a freelance writer stands for the number of attempts that chemist and former GCSAA staff member. He lives in Cleveland, Ga.
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THE INSIDER: environment
Pamela Smith, CGCS
Beyond the textbook: IPM tool for the real world NEWS & notes e-par USA Inc. and the e-par Group (Australia) have launched e-par TEE, an online environmental management training program for golf operations in the United States. The e-par TEE (Training for an Environmental Event) program provides environmental training for golf course maintenance staff through the use of animated simulations and an interactive e-learning environment. Each training module focuses on a particular area of potential environmental risk (delivery of fuel, managing chemical spills, materials handling, etc.), providing golf course staff with the procedures and practices needed to reduce the potential for environmental harm. For pricing information and to learn more about the e-par TEE program, visit www.epartraining.com. The Irrigation Association received the U.S. Environmental Association’s first WaterSense Partner of the Year Award for a professional certifying organization. The IA was selected to receive the honor for encouraging professionals to become certified through its WaterSenselabeled programs, promoting WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers and helping the EPA with plans to label soil moisture-based control technologies. Among others receiving awards at the recent WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas was John Taylor, president of Taylor Irrigation Service Inc. in Houston, who received the WaterSense Irrigation Partner of the Year award for overhauling his company’s business model in 2012 to focus on promoting water-efficient irrigation practices and helping to promote WaterSense-labeled irrigation controllers.
36 GCM December 2013
I’d like to move beyond the notion that IPM is solely about managing for pests. Integrated Plant Management is what we do, so let us talk about an Integrated Plant Management (IPM) multi-tool that captures the bigger picture. In 2008 I became the director of agronomy for the city of Denver’s seven golf courses. My frst order of business was to centralize the recordkeeping of chemicals and fertilizers applied on the golf courses. I also wanted to maintain electronic records of many other functions of the golf operations such as early orders, budgeting, inventory management, FRAC codes and age of products. My original attempt was just a digital version of a paper copy — clumsy and painful to retrieve data. I began working in Excel spreadsheets and quickly developed an IPM planning tool that captures much more than just a pest manage- as valuable as the superintendent makes it. Howment plan. ever, there are so many more useful possibilities The three components of Denver’s IPM are the for the IPM tool: Inventory, IPM Plan and Application Record. Our • Legal. There is a lot of deference given to doccurrent IPM workbook can sort and flter to any uments kept in the ordinary course of busidegree necessary for data retrieval and records the ness. You just don’t make this stuff up. following, all in one document: • Transparency. Injury claims. True story: We • Product, date, location, area, rates and enstruggled for several years with a golfer claimvironmental conditions. OK, those are the ing turf products caused a rash. We uploaded basics of any application record. our data to a shared drive within 24 hours of • Self-calculating feature for N, P, K per the application. The golfer’s doctor reviewed 1,000 square feet. Sure, I stole this concept this information and ultimately determined from industry calculators, but now I can use turf products did not cause the rash. this with any product we apply. • Reputation. Keeping comprehensive elec• Percent active ingredient (a.i.). This helps tronic records demonstrates your administraour superintendents decide what they are gettive professionalism. Do you really still have ting for their money. So often, once you see that stack of handwritten application records? the percentage of a.i., you realize that knockoff • Training for interns and assistants. Make you bought wasn’t such a bargain. them do the IPM planning and keep applica• FRAC code. We all know that switching tion records, but turn off the self-calculating to another product does not always change function! chemistry. However, working with FRAC • Golf shop and starters. They are your frst codes during your planning stages keeps you line of communication with the golfer. Give from making bad in-season impulse decisions them access to the IPM tool and the applicaand makes you realize that those combo prodtion records so they can provide precise inforucts could be messing with your resistance mation to inquisitive customers. management too. • Cause, effect and correlations. Use the tool • Budget calculator. Enter your beginning to monitor outcomes and refne for the next chemical budget, total product and price per season. unit into the IPM tool, and it will calculate • History. We won’t be here forever, so leave your total projected spend and remaining budyour successors some solid records for how you get for the year. You can “play around” with managed to keep your job for 20 years. products that matter to you and those where GCM you can compromise. Pamela Smith, CGCS, is the director of agronomy for the city of Much of this planning and recording is only Denver and a 23-year member of GCSAA.
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THE INSIDER: turf
Teresa Carson
Six-legged villains
Both annual bluegrass weevils (top) and mole crickets continue to be persistent problems on golf course turf. Photos by Davis Held and Richard Cowles
“Caddyshack” aside, if a movie were to
NEWS & notes PBI-Gordon Corp. has a new website, GordonsProfessional. com, that provides a centralized, updated source of information about the company’s professional products. Product information includes technical specification sheets, product labels, and distributor and sales rep locators. The site has resources for professional turf and ornamental managers such as sprayer calibration guides, product application schedules, a trimming-cost calculator, product registration listing by state, a weights and measures conversion chart, and links to industry resources such as WeedAlert.com. The new site separates information for the professional chemical market from PBIGordon.com, which had previously served as the Web presence for the company’s corporate information, professional and consumer products.
Presented in partnership with Barenbrug
38 GCM December 2013
be made about a superintendent’s worst enemies, many of them would have six legs. Researchers from across the United States who specialize in the insects that specialize in turf gathered in Rhode Island in late August to discuss their recent research. Although the insects of interest often remain the same from year to year, their habitats frequently expand as does the body of information about their life cycles, feeding habits and the methods used to control them. Insects of interest in 2013 include annual bluegrass weevils, chinch bugs, billbugs, mole crickets, crane fies, earthworms, caterpillars, ants (including fre ants), nematodes, various chafers, mealybugs, black cutworms, sod webworms, armyworms, white grubs, oriental and Japanese beetles and green June beetles. Among the hot topics at the meeting were protecting bees and other pollinators; insect resistance to pesticides (especially in annual bluegrass weevil, southern chinch bug and fall armyworm); and controlling insects in the most environmentally friendly way possible. A few highlights of the meetings follow. Annual bluegrass weevil. In the northeastern United States, the annual bluegrass weevil (ABW) continues to be more than a nuisance, and it has expanded its range as far south as North Carolina. It is also present in Ohio (north and east of Cleveland to Wheeling, W.Va.) as well as Virginia, Delaware and Maryland. In some
areas, the ABW consumes creeping bentgrass — although creeping bentgrass tolerates three times as many ABW as does annual bluegrass. Pat Vittum, Ph.D., at University of MassachusettsAmherst; Ben McGraw, Ph.D., at SUNY Delhi (N.Y); and Albrecht Kopenhoffer, Ph.D., at Rutgers are all studying ABW. Recent studies have shown that fecundity in ABW is higher than expected and that overwintering adults are still out in June and July. Learning more about the ABW life cycle is extremely important because more and more areas are reporting resistance to insecticides. Mole crickets. At Auburn (Ala.) University, David Held, Ph.D., and his graduate students David Bailey and Yao Xu have been studying the tunneling behavior and eating habits of mole crickets. In his feldwork, Bailey found that long tunnels in sandy and loamy soils increase water infltration rate and that infestations of mole crickets may cause the pesticide applications to control mole crickets to move more quickly to groundwater. Yao Xu has found that mole crickets prefer animal diets to plant-based and are much smaller when fed only a plant-based diet. Held says that mole crickets cause more root damage to turf when worms are present even though the mole crickets are eating the worms and very little turf. IPM. For 13 years, Jennifer Grant, Ph.D., at Cornell University has been working on alternative cultural practices and pest management systems that lead to reduced chemical use on golf courses. The publication “Reducing Chemical Use on Golf Course Turf: Redefning IPM” by Bob Portmess, Jennifer Grant and Frank Rossi (available at www.hort.cornell.edu/turf/pubs/ manual.html) is based on long-term research at Bethpage State Park’s Green Course that can help superintendents become less reliant on pesticides and fertilizers. A short document, “Reducing the Risks of Golf Course Management: The Bethpage Project” is available without charge on the Cornell website (www.nysipm.cornell.edu/ publications/red_risk_golf/default.asp). More information related to the 2013 Turfgrass Entomology Workshop will appear in subsequent issues of GCM. GCM Teresa Carson (tcarson@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s science editor.
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Old Tom Morris Award winner Annika Sorenstam ranks among the best golfers of all time. Photo by Scott A. Miller
driving
ell known for her ability to drive it straight and with supreme accuracy, none of those quality traits came in handy on this particular occasion for Annika Sorenstam. As a teenager, Sorenstam spent endless hours at Bro-Balsta Golf Club, a fve-minute bicycle ride from the family residence in the small Swedish town of Bro, northwest of Stockholm. When she wasn’t on site perfecting her game, which in time made her a legend from Scandinavia to literally all corners of the universe, Sorenstam worked on the golf
Sorenstam relaxes at her home adjacent to Lake Nona GC in Orlando. Photo by Scott A. Miller Inset: Sorenstam and her husband, Mike McGee, take a break with their son, Will, and daughter, Ava. Photo courtesy of ANNIKA Foundation.
course superintendent’s crew. “I raked bunkers, mowed fringes, picked up balls on the driving range,” Sorenstam says. Speaking of driving, Sorenstam was behind the wheel of a Cushman one time, out on the course, emptying trash cans. Unfortunately, she was running on empty. “Ran out of gas,” she says. Well, there is a frst time — and, arguably, last time — for everything. You had better be fully fueled to keep pace with her these days. Heck, even when Sorenstam was accumulating records and triumphs that place her frmly in the conversation when the topic turns to who is the greatest female golfer in history, she knew how to foor it and leave the pack behind, sniffng her fumes, mere casualties at the hands of her greatness. When she announced that she was shelving her playing career, a move that appeared as if Sorenstam would ride off into the sunset in 2008 in her prime, the way Hall of Famers such as football’s Jim Brown and baseball’s Sandy Koufax exited, those who know Sorenstam best realized this was no fnal act. Not even close. Sorenstam, a wife, mother and businesswoman whose operation already has nine corporate sponsors, landed a Fortune 500 company to support her foundation’s global junior golf initiatives. Although she isn’t on the tour anymore, golf certainly is still in the picture for Ms. 59, who earned that label by becoming the one and only to fre a 59 in LPGA history, an effort that helped her compile $22 million in career earnings as a player. No doubt that Sorenstam, who hit 51 of 56 fairways when she recorded her second U.S. Open victory in 1996, has enriched lives. People will tell you so. Softspoken when she surfaced two decades ago, Sorenstam roars now. The ANNIKA brand, simply put, is everywhere. 44 GCM December 2013
It includes the ANNIKA Foundation that teaches children the importance of living a healthy lifestyle through ftness and nutrition. This fall, she spoke to students via Skype at North Newton Elementary School in Newton, N.C. This was no one-time thing. Sorenstam has done it before and will do it again for other schools. “She is an amazingly busy lady who took time to share with us,” says Dr. Sylvia White, director of personnel for Newton city schools. “It reinforced why I’ve been a fan of hers forever and ever.” White isn’t alone. “She is the reason I started playing golf,” says Katie Brenny, 33, manager of Special Projects and Outcomes for The First Tee Metropolitan New York. “Annika made it cool.” World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Rankin says, “She has done more than her share to grow the game, keep people interested in it. She’s a smart young woman. She made a lot of her luck. I think she had a plan.”
The minus touch The men have been there, done that. Only one woman, though, has experienced it — and that is what makes Annika Sorenstam’s feat on March 16, 2001, so extraordinary. On that day, Sorenstam posted a 59 on her scorecard. It is unique because she is the only golfer in LPGA history to do it. On the PGA Tour, it has been accomplished six times, beginning in 1977 with Al Geiberger, and, most recently, this year by Jim Furyk (an interesting twist to Geiberger’s 59: Jerry McGee was in Geiberger’s group in the second round that day at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic at Colonial Country Club. McGee is the father of Mike McGee, who just happens to be Sorenstam’s husband). “She probably didn’t get enough respect when she did that,” Geiberger, 76, says. “What she did is incredible.” Sorenstam opened the second round of the Standard Register Ping at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix on the back nine and birdied her frst eight holes en route to history on the 6,459-yard layout. She went on to notch 13 birdies (zero bogeys) and faced a 10-footer for birdie on the last hole but misfred for a shot at 58. Her 13-underpar 59 was instrumental in Sorenstam’s eventual 2-stroke victory when she fnished 27-under-par 261 to establish a 72-hole LPGA record in relation to par (Sorenstam also fred rounds of 65-69-68). She reached every green in regulation and missed one fairway in the record-setting round. “I remember I never thought about a second putt,” says Sorenstam, whose Twit-
ter handle is, appropriately, @Annika59. “Every putt was boom, boom, boom, and I never had that before.” Following the historic round, Sorenstam signed a golf ball she had used and added the No. 59 to it. Photographers, including Scott Halleran of Getty Images, snapped photos of Sorenstam clutching the ball. She even tossed it to Halleran, who now has it under lock and key. How much is that ball worth? Ryan Carey of Green Jacket Auctions, a business that buys, sells and appraises memorabilia, estimates its worth for collectors ranging from $2,000 to $5,000. Tom Watson says what Sorenstam achieved is priceless. “It (59) is a magical number. It doesn’t matter which sex you are,” Watson says. “It’s something we dream about.” — H.R.
Sorenstam puts on a clinic in her homeland of Sweden. Photo courtesy of ANNIKA Foundation
“She has always been and will continue to be one of the most unselfsh ambassadors the game has ever seen.” — Peter Jacobsen
Sorenstam’s husband, Mike McGee, is certain his wife and the mother of his two children (Ava, 4, and Will, 2) was and is more than just a great golf champion. “She is a far better person than she ever was a golfer,” McGee says. Sorenstam also is this: The 2014 Old Tom Morris Award recipient. She becomes the ffth female (joining Patty Berg, 1985; Dinah Shore, 1999; Nancy Lopez, 2000; and Rankin, 2010) to receive the honor that has been awarded since 1983. “She has always been and will continue to be one of the most unselfsh ambassadors the game has ever seen,” says 2012 Old Tom Morris Award winner Peter Jacobsen. “While her focus is now on raising a family, she’s never far from being involved at every level in the game of golf.” Upon being told she would receive the Old Tom Morris Award (the ceremony is Feb. 5 at the Opening Session of the GCSAA Golf Industry Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando), Sorenstam was taken aback. “I was very surprised and honored at the same time,” Sorenstam, 43, says. “You never really think you ft in.” Engineering a career path Maybe it was fate that Sorenstam never developed a solid backhand. As a youth in Sweden, Sorenstam quickly took to tennis, and why not? If you had designs on sports as a child in the
46 GCM December 2013
country that gave us Hollywood icon Greta Garbo, chances are you wanted to emulate slalom skiing star Ingemar Stenmark or tennis legend Bjorn Borg. “In tennis, you fnd a person’s weakness and you play to it,” Sorenstam says. “Mine was the backhand. They (opposing players) hit to it, and it would be frustrating.” Ultimately, Sorenstam made a decision to shift her attention to golf, a choice that in time proved to be wise. “With golf, you can go practice on your own, and I liked the solitude,” she says. “I could push myself to a certain level and I wasn’t dependent on anybody but myself and I could play my own game.” Perhaps she saw a window of opportunity that stretched beyond the nearby Baltic Sea, golf being the vehicle that might allow Sorenstam to explore life outside of Sweden. “Because we lived in a smaller town, I think we felt we needed to get some place,” says Sorenstam’s sister, Charlotta Sorenstam. “We really weren’t given anything, so to speak. We always wanted more. We worked for more. We learned hard work is what you have to do to get better. Working hard opened doors.” Sorenstam’s hunger to master golf was evident to swing instructor Henri Reis, who has remained by her side throughout her career. In her early teenage years, Sorenstam possessed a desire unlike others’. “When I frst saw her, technically, she
Photo courtesy of USGA
When Sorenstam spoke, the USGA listened Arnold Palmer. Tiger Woods. Clint Eastwood. Paula Creamer. Butch Harmon. All of these rather well known, in some cases iconic, fgures appeared this year when the USGA showcased those public service announcements to introduce the pace of play initiative titled “While We’re Young.” Annika Sorenstam participated in the TV spots, too. Truth be told, she is a major reason for the USGA’s inspiration to launch the campaign last June. One year earlier, Sorenstam helped set the process in motion. She was doing commentary in the booth for the 2012 U.S. Women’s Open when USGA President Glen Nager was interviewed on-air during the championship. What ensued was a catalyst for the “While We’re Young” program. “Some of the players were taking as long as six hours to complete their rounds, and Annika understood that such long rounds just weren’t acceptable for a major championship,” says Rand Jerris, Ph.D., senior managing director of public services for the USGA. “She challenged Glen on the issue, aggressively, and asked him how the USGA could allow this to happen. When Glen came down from the booth, he admitted that Annika was absolutely right. Her words became the motivation for the USGA to step up and take on the issue. In challenging us openly and honestly, she spurred us into action and started the ball rolling.” Nager announced in February 2013 the USGA’s research and test center “initiated an ambitious project to create the frst dynamic pace-of-play model” for competitive and recreational golfers, which evolved into the “While We’re Young” initiative. The USGA’s website now includes an educational program, online resource center and a pledge for golfers to take action in the cause. Sorenstam says she was “all in” when the USGA asked her to be featured in the public service spots. She even tried to do her best Rodney Dangerfeld impersonation in homage to the man whose line from the cult classic flm “Caddyshack” matched the USGA’s theme. In the movie, Dangerfeld grows impatient as Ted Knight continuously waggles over a shot, prompting Dangerfeld to yell, “Let’s go — while we’re young!” Sorenstam approves the message. “We play great courses, we have caddies, forecaddies, we have all the help in the world and it still takes too much time,” Sorenstam says. — H.R.
48 GCM December 2013
was one of the worst girls,” Reis says, “but the one thing I remembered about Annika is she always asked questions. Most of the other girls didn’t. She really liked to understand what she needed to do to improve. She would stay on the driving range for hours, really trying to get it.” Undoubtedly, Sorenstam grasped the subject with gusto. In 1987 she was a member of the Swedish National Golf Team. Three years later, the University of Arizona offered her a scholarship. She rewarded the program by becoming the frst foreigner and freshman to notch an NCAA individual title. Her success at Arizona greatly infuenced Sorenstam’s career path. “I was studying to become a chemical engineer,” Sorenstam says. Sorenstam, though, never needed Career Builder. She used her Arizona experience as a springboard to engineer a superb career on the links. “I don’t think she was the greatest talent we’ve ever seen, but she may go down as the greatest player,” Rankin says. “It may be hard for anyone to surpass the things she did.” A short but sweet playing career Hilary Lunke never will forget Sorenstam. Obviously, the feeling was mutual. “Back in the 1990s I was a young amateur playing in the U.S. Open, and Stephanie Louden and I signed up for a practice round. We saw Annika and Charlotta’s names up there on the board, so we signed up to play with them, thinking there’s no way they’d show up to play with us,” Lunke says. “Sure enough, they showed up. It was an amazing day.” Lunke wrote Annika Sorenstam a note to thank her for the opportunity to play that practice round. Several years down the road, Lunke was paired in a tournament with Sorenstam, who out of the blue mentioned that note and how nice it was for her to send it. “I thought about how much mail she probably got, and she remembered me? This person, who was on top of the world, singled me out. I held her in even higher regard for it,” Lunke says. Lunke, who posted her lone LPGA victory in the 2003 U.S. Open, realizes she never was able to replicate the good thing Sorenstam had going (really, who did?). In
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Old Tom Morris Award winners The Old Tom Morris Award was presented for the frst time during the 1983 Conference and Show in Atlanta. It is presented to an individual, who “through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf, has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplifed by Old Tom Morris.” The GCSAA Board of Directors determines the recipient of the award. The award is presented annually at the GCSAA Golf Industry Show and Education Conference. Annika Sorenstam will receive the award Feb. 5 at the Opening Session, presented in partnership with Syngenta. 1983: Arnold Palmer 1984: Bob Hope 1985: Gerald R. Ford 1986: Patty Berg 1987: Robert Trent Jones Sr. 1988: Gene Sarazen 1989: Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez 1990: Sherwood A. Moore, CGCS 1991: William C. Campbell 1992: Tom Watson 1993: Dinah Shore 1994: Byron Nelson 1995: James Watson, Ph.D. 1996: Tom Fazio 1997: Ben Crenshaw 1998: Ken Venturi 1999: Jaime Ortiz-Patiño 2000: Nancy Lopez 2001: Timothy W. Finchem 2002: Walter Woods, Esq. 2003: Pete Dye 2004: Rees Jones 2005: Jack Nicklaus 2006: Joseph M. Duich, Ph.D. 2007: Charles Sifford 2008: Greg Norman 2009: Col. John Morley 2010: Judy Rankin 2011: Nick Price 2012: Peter Jacobsen 2013: Mike Hurdzan, Ph.D. 2014: Annika Sorenstam
50 GCM December 2013
Sorenstam escapes a bunker in her playing days, when she claimed 72 LPGA victories. Photo by Scott A. Miller
a dominant stretch from 2001 to 2006, Sorenstam posted 46 victories in 124 starts. In that span, she notched 76 top-10s. “She was playing a game we all could play but never could play,” Lunke says. Sorenstam racked up impressive numbers, such as 89 worldwide victories, including 72 offcial LPGA wins (third on the all-time list behind Kathy Whitworth, 88, and Mickey Wright, 82) and 10 major championships (tied for fourth with Babe Zaharias; Patty Berg is No. 1 with 15). Her frst victory: the 1995 U.S. Open. Sorenstam completed the career Grand Slam by 2003. The LPGA record book is peppered with Sorenstam’s name. She fred an alltime best 27 under par to win the Standard Register Ping in 2001 at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix. In the second round at that event, she shot 59, a record nobody has matched. Sorenstam’s fve consecutive triumphs in the Mizuno Classic is a record. Nobody but Sorenstam has posted 14 straight rounds in the 60s, which she achieved in 2005 (in fact, she also is No. 2 on the list with 11 in 2002; Lorena Ochoa is third with 10 in 2005). The Rolex Player of the Year Award, presented annually since 1966, went eight times to Sorenstam in her 15-year pro career before she stepped away from competi-
tive golf at only 38 years old. Whitworth, who turned pro in 1962 and played until 1985, earned it seven times. When the topic of best female player ever arises, usually it is Sorenstam, Wright, Berg and Whitworth, all Hall of Famers, in the eye of the debate. “Her record speaks for itself,” Whitworth says of Sorenstam, who won 13 times worldwide in 2002 alone. “She is an outstanding player, brought a lot of attention to the game. Most assuredly she raised the bar and gave the game more exposure.” Rankin believes Sorenstam ascended by possessing a will that was rare, a trait that allowed her to overcome any shortcomings. “She was different and unusual. She just did it differently than anyone I’d seen,” Rankin says. “So many of us seem disciplined, but it pales in comparison with her. It has played out in the way she has reinvented her life after playing golf. She’s what I call a 100-percenter. She kept building on what she could fnally envision what she was good at, had tenacity and the will to get better and better at it.” The key to Sorenstam’s success on the golf course, according to her sister, had so much to do with focus. “If I fnished playing and didn’t have to catch a fight, I’d go watch her play and support her,” says Charlotta Sorenstam, who recorded one LPGA victory. “She
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Top: Sorenstam with Helen Demartini, who participated in one of the frst ANNIKA Academy classes. Photo courtesy of Helen Demartini Bottom: Sorenstam clutches one of the many trophies she has collected. Photo courtesy of ANNIKA Foundation Right: Students at North Newton Elementary School in Newton, N.C., use Skype to visit with Sorenstam. Photo courtesy of Sylvia White
“She handled herself so well, from the staff to the kids who wanted autographs. She was as accommodating as she ever could have been while facing pressure I couldn’t even imagine.” — Dee Finley
52 GCM December 2013
would look over at me, but she didn’t see me. Later she would say, ‘You were there?’ I would think to myself ‘What is she doing to be in that state and I can’t do it?’ That’s focus. That’s the difference between good athletes and great athletes.” Yet for all of her successes, and obviously there were a truckload, Sorenstam counts a tournament that she didn’t win as one of the key highlights of her playing career. She became the frst female since Zaharias to compete in a PGA Tour event when Sorenstam teed it up in the 2003 Bank of America Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. “She was like their Tiger Woods,” says Jason Carris in reference to his twin daughters, Kimmy and Morgan, who traveled from Oklahoma to watch Sorenstam’s historic endeavor. “The galleries were insane. You had to move three holes ahead just to get close enough to see her. Following her was something magical.” Dee Finley was Colonial’s tournament chairman when Sorenstam arrived. He recalls that she was nothing but professional and gracious throughout, even as the spotlight followed her every move. “She handled herself so well, from the staff to the kids who wanted autographs,” Finley says. “She was as accommodating as she ever could have been while facing pressure I couldn’t even imagine.” Sorenstam sensed relief when she striped her frst tee shot of the tournament,
a 4-wood, straight down the middle. Although she shot rounds of 1-over-par 71 and 74 to miss the cut by four strokes with her 5-over 145, the experience rendered results that met Sorenstam’s approval. “This wasn’t about ‘Here I am, look at me, I can prove women can play.’ It was none of that,” says Sorenstam, who entered the Hall of Fame that year. “It was just another golfer wanting to get better, and I think people understood and accepted that, and it had some other positives in other ways. I think it touched many lives in different ways, whether it was just facing a challenge in your life, daring to do something, putting yourself in a position you’re not comfortable with. I think parents may have looked at it with their kids like, ‘Hey, if you want to try to achieve something, it’s OK.’ I think it taught more from a human perspective than a golf perspective.” When Sorenstam announced in 2008 that she was stepping away from the game to start a family and explore options outside the ropes, there were no regrets other than not fully enjoying the ride. “I was on such a run, extremely focused, so determined. I just went for everything,” says Sorenstam, who still uses her clubs for corporate outings, clinics and her academy. “I’ll never forget (Hall of Fame golfer) Amy Alcott once told me to make sure you smell the roses along the way. I never did that. I don’t know if I knew how.”
Above: Sorenstam takes a swing. Often, she hit the mark, winning 10 major championships. Photo by Scott A. Miller Right: The ANNIKA brand covers everything from golf to clothing to teaching youths about proper nutrition and activity. Photo courtesy of ANNIKA Foundation
“She sent a gift certifcate that allowed us to purchase basketballs, bean bags, scooters, hula hoops, things like that. I’m not sure how she found out about us, but I am very honored that she thought about us.” — Margie Black
54 GCM December 2013
Branding ANNIKA Margie Black is haunted by the mere possibility of what might have been on May 22, 2011. The EF-5 tornado that leveled Joplin, Mo., destroyed St. Mary’s Elementary School and Church on 25th Street that Sunday evening. All that survived was a large steel cross near the main entrance and a muddy statue of Mary. Black, who teaches physical education and Spanish at the school, says, “What if this would have been a school day?” Today, Black and St. Mary’s students are located in a temporary facility, waiting for the new St. Mary’s to open, hopefully by Aug. 2014, yet she is able to do her job thanks to caring people. Sorenstam is one of them. “She sent a gift certifcate that allowed us to purchase basketballs, bean bags, scooters, hula hoops, things like that,” Black says. “I’m not sure how she found out about us, but I am very honored that she thought about us.” Acts of generosity and kindness such as this always have been percolating inside Sorenstam, who, the year before she walked away from playing golf on a regular basis, assembled a team to outline a business model. “I’m a competitor. I’m not a person who can sit still,” Sorenstam says. Sorenstam’s marketing machine churns on a daily basis. The ANNIKA Academy is a state-of-the-art teaching facility at Reunion Resort outside of Orlando. Helen Demartini, who participated in the second class at the ANNIKA Academy, sure enjoyed her experience. “After my marriage and the birth of my children, it was the best thing in my life,” Demartini says. “I was treated like family in every way, shape and form.” There is much more to this ANNIKA trademark brand. ANNIKA Course Design includes course projects she has completed in China and South Africa. ANNIKA Collection is a line of high-end ladies’ apparel with Cutter & Buck. ANNIKA Vineyards (her wines sold out in 2012) have been a success. ANNIKA Financial Group LLC was created to help other professional athletes protect their wealth. A key component of her business is the ANNIKA Foundation, her charitable organization whose mission is to teach children the importance of living healthy and active lifestyles through proper ftness and nutrition and to offer aspiring junior golfers the chance to pursue their dreams. The foundation is partnered with the Sun SafeTee Program to
Sorenstam’s ANNIKA Academy is one of her many endeavors. Photo by Scott A. Miller
“From the company’s perspective, you’ve got to align yourself with people who aren’t going to embarrass you, people who are going to walk the walk.” — Gerri Willis
56 GCM December 2013
promote sun protection education and skin cancer awareness. It also has partnered with SPARK, a public health organization dedicated to creating, implementing and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness. “She gave a speech to a young professional group that brought tears to peoples’ eyes,” says Laurie Hobbs, director of public relations and marketing coordinator at Sandestin (Fla.) Golf and Beach Resort. “She was caring, compassionate, committed. She wants to do good for children.” In October, a ringing endorsement arrived for Sorenstam. Fortune 500 company 3M announced it will sponsor the ANNIKA Award (presented to the most outstanding NCAA Division I female golfer), ANNIKA Intercollegiate (12-team college tournament) and a series of international ANNIKA Invitational junior tournaments. Fox News Business TV show host Gerri Willis took note when 3M hitched its label to Sorenstam. “It’s great for her, great for her brand,” says Willis, host of “The Willis Report.” “3M is a massive company, a powerhouse. They’re the Post-it note people, for goodness sakes. But I’ve got to tell you — this
isn’t bad for 3M either. From the company’s perspective, you’ve got to align yourself with people who aren’t going to embarrass you, people who are going to walk the walk. She is a great person who does great things and inspires a ton of people.” The R word, retirement, never was uttered by Sorenstam when she departed the LPGA scene on a regular basis; it was not a suggestion, either, that she was leaving a door open for a return. Actually, it was a loud and clear signal that Sorenstam was nowhere near withdrawing to a life of leisure at her home (previously owned by golf swing guru David Leadbetter) adjacent to Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando. In fact, Sorenstam’s to-do list is loaded. She wouldn’t have it any other way as she pursues her dreams in the same fashion she chased birdies. “I love working, creating and achieving,” Sorenstam says. “I think we have something we can share. It’s fun sharing.” GCM Howard Richman (hrichman@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s associate editor.
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Greg Evans takes aim at critics of his maintenance regimen at London’s Ealing GC, where the indigenous Poa annua greens are mowed low and fed lightly every week. Photos courtesy of Greg Evans
The 2 mm view With a focus on playability and ultra-low cutting heights, a London superintendent challenges conventional wisdom about Poa greens and sustainable management practices in the UK.
Scott MacCallum 58 GCM December 2013
Seven years ago Greg Evans was appointed course manager at London’s Ealing Golf Club, where he had been a member since he was a boy. Evans was an accomplished golfer with a stellar amateur career behind him, but his new challenge would match any of his playing achievements. The club had fallen on hard times — both commercially and agronomically — and his task was to address the latter, which would hopefully infuence the former. He set about it with real zeal, but his methods have proved extremely controversial among golf course management professionals in England. “The day I arrived on May 1, 2006, the greens were Stimping at 6, and walking across the second green, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that they suffered from dandruff with all the Poa seeds popping,” recalls Evans as we sit in the clubhouse, close to the iconic Wembley Stadium. “A month later I had them Stimping at 12 feet.” Rather than being seen as some sort of miracle worker, Evans was, and has continued to be, viewed with suspicion by the golf course management establishment. And he has gone from being virtually unknown in the industry to probably the most infamous greenkeeper in the U.K. So how did the man who has succeeded in turning around the fortunes of his club become the man who became a focus of attention at the annual British and International Golf Greenkeepers’ Association (BIGGA) conference and show in Harrogate? “It was like the famous scene at the end of ‘An American Werewolf in London,’ when the tourists walk into a pub and everyone falls quiet and stares at them. When I walked into a Harrogate pub everyone stopped talking, turned around and looked at me,” Evans says.
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ABOUT THE TEAM Laurence, a water-loving Tigers fanatic, enjoys boating, fishing, hunting, and watching Clemson football. He and his wife have two sons in college. Rob, a fellow football fan (go Bucks!), lives in Columbus and recently won a competition of “biggest loser” at Bayer. Rob “G-11” Golembiewski has one wife, three children, ten siblings, and 11 letters after the “G” in his last name. Frank, a new dad and former cycling whiz, enjoys running and is currently training for a marathon in Washington, D.C. Frank’s son Cal, age 8 months, hates Poa and is already creating a viral sensation on Twitter. Derek, the newest member of the team, lives, works and plays turf pathology. When not extolling the virtues of slime mold, the former music major (French horn) spends the holidays singing tenor in an Episcopal church choir in Georgia. He recently settled into the Jacksonville area, and has a son at K State who shares his passion for the sciences and the outdoors.
The Bayer Green Solutions Team – @BayerGolf ©2013 Bayer CropScience LP, 2 T.W. Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.BackedByBayer.com Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label instructions.
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To ensure accuracy in cutting his Poa annua greens, Evans uses an array of scientifc tools, including a gauge for setting mower blades and a prism for measuring the height of the grass.
62 GCM December 2013
The debate The controversy began in 2008 after Evans had spent two years developing Ealing and was producing putting surfaces that had not been seen on clay-based, parkland courses before. “It was not long after BIGGA launched its bulletin board on the website, and many of the threads were talking about sustainable golf and the need to develop fescue putting surfaces,” Evans recalls. “I followed it for a while, but it really made me feel bad because basically they were saying that I was unsustainable and a bad guy. So I joined in, saying that I was cutting my Poa greens to 2 millimeters and achieving excellent results.” The fallout was immediate. Well-known members of the British greenkeeping community denounced his methods, and the bulletin board lit up with anti-Evans threads. “I was told that I’d never sustain it. My greens would be dead,” the one-year member of GCSAA says. “I was called a lunatic, a mug, that I was costing greenkeepers their jobs and doing nothing for the industry. And it was being said by some of the best-known and respected names in the industry. A group called the Gingerbread Men, backed by the R&A, who promoted sustainable greenkeeping and the eradication of Poa to the beneft of fescue and bent, were particularly critical.” It came to a head at Harrogate in 2010, with tickets for the “2 mm Debate” becoming as sought after as those for the FA Cup (the premier championship for England’s Football [soccer] Association) fnal, and it was very much the main event on the BIGGA educational program. “There was me and nine others at the top table, and a total audience of 250 comprising some of the best-known greenkeepers in the country. I was the only one in the room on my side of the debate. It felt like me against the world,” Evans says. “I remember a well-known consultant and former course manager, who had been very vocal against me at the time, stood up, made his point and got a standing ovation
gcm ex t ra
from the foor. It was very intimidating. “I was never going to win the argument that day,” he adds with the matterof-fact air of a man who is comfortable in his ability to handle such things. What is it about these methods that produces such fne results but polarizes the opinion of the British course management industry? And how did Evans put them into practice? Playability perspective As a golfer, Evans won the 2001 Berkshire Trophy (one of the top amateur events in the U.K.) and was a member of the same England training squad as Luke Donald. He tackles the job of golf course management from the perspective of playability. He then develops an agronomic program to support the playability goals, rather than the other way around. “Basically I control speed with cutting height, and as we haven’t got the staff to cut and roll, we have to cut really tight to create speed. I put an agronomic plan together to back it up,” he explains. Evans has a full-time staff of six (including himself, an assistant and a mechanic) and one seasonal worker. “The plan revolves around good sanding, good fertility and embracing Poa. The greens are basically 99 percent Poa, and I’m doing my best to get rid of the 1 percent bent. Although it has shown that it can also be cut at 2 mil,” he says, laughing. “Understanding the plant is the big thing. When I came here the feeding program was very much granular and carried out every six weeks,” says Evans, who once had his greens Stimping at 14.25 for an event. “Now we feed every week with a little nitrogen mixed with some Primo Maxx. The way I look at it, the greens are like fnely tuned athletes, and you have to give them the correct amount of nutrition every week so they remain at a high level rather than experiencing peaks and troughs. Our aim is 11 on the Stimpmeter every day, and to achieve that we need the grass plant growing evenly. That means foliar feeding every week.” 64 GCM December 2013
Evans compares the care and feeding of the Poa surfaces at his course to the regimen of a fnely tuned athlete.
He was initially feeding every two weeks but noticed a dropoff from days eight to 14, so he halved the amount of each application and began feeding every week. Evans has studied the subject extensively, including the work of David Huff, Ph.D., professor of turfgrass breeding and genetics at Penn State. Huff’s research revealed that Poa was much more effcient at photosynthesizing than other plants, so it doesn’t need as much light and can be cut down to a tight height because it doesn’t have a deep root system to sustain. By the numbers Over the last few years Evans has collected data for everything he does so that he can measure improvements and answer his critics when they ask for evidence. “My budget has actually gone down on my greens. In 2010 we spent £27,000 (approximately $40,000) maintaining greens — 66 percent of which is labor. In 2012 this was down to £25,000 ($36,000); while this year we will be down to about £23,000 ($32,000). I haven’t overseeded the greens in fve years, so that has also created savings,” he explains. He also says his fungicide bill has dropped from £10,000 ($15,000) when he arrived at Ealing to £2,500 ($3,750) now. In addition, the data help Evans identify areas in which tweaks can be made to the maintenance program. “For instance, four years ago I was aerating the greens 15 times a year,” he says. “Last year we did it seven times and it didn’t impact on the required parameters. Compaction levels weren’t affected; percolation rates didn’t change; organic matter didn’t increase. So we were able to reduce costs through halving the number of procedures without having any detrimental effect on the quality of the greens.” In 2010, Evans became one of BIGGA’s small worldwide band of Master Greenkeepers. He has built his own consultancy based on his work at Ealing and is currently developing a formula for pricing the management of greens. “When you buy a carpet you get a cost per square meter, which is based on the quality of the carpet you have chosen. I am developing a program that will inform people of the cost of maintaining a green at square meter prices, with the cost varying based on the problems that the greens face and the level of playability the club wishes them to reach,” he says, adding that last year Ealing’s greens cost £3 per square meter (approximately $4.50).
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gcm ex t ra Is it sustainable? Evans questions the premise of the ongoing sustainable golf debate and the fescue-based direction promoted by the R&A and groups like the Gingerbread Men, many of whom have visited him at the club and whom he would count as friends. The general viewpoint of his critics when they visit Ealing is that the greens are fantastic.
When it comes back to sustainable golf, what is sustainable? My costs are going down. Our revenue as a golf club is going up, and we are managing an indigenous species. “But there is always a ‘but,’ whether it is, ‘But it’s still a weed grass’ or ‘But what happens if you have an irrigation breakdown?’ or ‘But what happens when chemicals are banned by the European Commission?’” says Evans. “I say to them that it’s an indigenous grass; that if the irrigation breaks down I’ll get it fxed; and that while I don’t think chemicals will be banned (as there are currently more chemicals coming onto the lists than are being removed, and they are much more environmentally friendly), if they are, we’ll all have poorer surfaces.” Evans is also aware of the irony that while he is still at Ealing seven years later, many of his critics and advocates of sustainable golf are no longer at their clubs. “When it comes back to sustainable golf, what is sustainable? My costs are going down. Our revenue as a golf club is going up, and we are managing an indigenous species. That has got to tick a
66 GCM December 2013
Evans says that cutting his aeration program in half has not had a detrimental effect on the quality of the greens.
box surely?” he argues. “And the greens are frm, fast and true, which is just what the R&A advocate.” Evans adds he is disappointed that no British college lecturers have spoken with him or even admitted the option of 2 millimeter cuts in training courses. To ensure accuracy in cutting, Evans employs an array of scientifc tools, including an accuguage to set the blades and a prism to tell him the height of the green, as well as weather stations and moisture meters. “We have to use the tools at our disposal, and we have to embrace technological advancements,” he says. “The balata ball and the persimmon driver have been replaced, and greenkeeping and the tools we use have also changed.” When he arrived at Ealing his “big sell” was championship conditions 365 days a year, every year. He has achieved that. “We are a small golf club set in 88 acres with no practice facilities, and we needed a USP (unique selling perspective) to survive. We now have that, and Ealing is renowned for the quality of its greens,” Evans says. The biggest complaint I hear is about ball washers, so we must be doing something right.” GCM Scott MacCallum is a freelance writer based in York, North Yorkshire, England, and the former editor of BIGGA’s Greenkeeper International magazine.
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Photos courtesy of Dan Leiss
The rating game Looking to outfit your maintenance facility with a new air compressor? Here’s what to look for in compressor specifications as you start your shopping.
Dan Leiss 70 GCM December 2013
There are plenty of options when you are looking to purchase an air compressor for your golf course maintenance facility. In fact, it may seem as if there are too many options. What makes the situation even more complicated is that a true side-by-side comparison between compressors is diffcult to conduct, since manufacturers often rate their specifcations differently from one another. However, there are a few simple factors to keep in mind that can help you fnd the right compressor for your particular situation, even when manufacturers seem to be playing the rating game. Coming to terms When it comes to compressors, there are three main specifcations that determine performance: CFM, PSI and horsepower. CFM, or cubic feet per minute, measures the volume of air that a compressor delivers. PSI, or pounds per square inch, indicates the amount of pressure behind the air. Horsepower, of course, represents the power that the engine or motor produces to turn the pump. It seems simple enough but, unfortunately, things can get a bit more complicated. That’s because there are multiple methods for rating the CFM and horsepower of a compressor. Even more, there are other considerations, such as service factor and duty cycle, that can also come into play when determining performance. Therefore, people should come to terms with all the jargon, so they aren’t misled into making poor purchase decisions. Speaking volumes The frst and most commonly misunderstood compressor rating is CFM. In theory, this could be determined by multiplying the cylinder bore by the stroke and
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The most commonly misunderstood compressor rating is cubic feet per minute (CFM).
Generally, the ideal solution is to look for an engine with more than enough power needed to turn the pump. Otherwise, if the engine is underpowered for the unit, it will constantly run under high stress, leading to premature failure.
72 GCM December 2013
RPM. However, the formula only calculates displaced CFM. Because of factors like atmospheric pressure, temperature and friction, compressors actually produce less air than this number implies. To more accurately measure performance, other rating systems have been developed. For instance, standard CFM gives the volume of a unit according to certain conditions, such as 14.7 PSIA, 60 degrees ambient temperature and zero percent relative humidity. Actual CFM is another rating system that calculates the true output of the compressor at real-life operating conditions. Because there is no gold standard in the industry for rating CFM, manufacturers are basically free to advertise whichever number they prefer. Some companies rate their compressors with the actual CFM, while others state the larger displaced CFM number. Regardless of the rating method, the most important point is to not compare apples with oranges. In other words, a unit advertised with a displaced CFM shouldn’t be directly compared with another stating the actual CFM. In this case, the best approach is to ask for the actual CFM of the frst unit and then make a fair comparison of the compressors’ air volumes. The driving force Another specifcation that often gets confused is horsepower. For gas-powered compressors, this isn’t as much of an issue. The horsepower ratings on these units are fairly straightforward, making comparisons easier. Generally, the ideal solution is to look for an engine with more than enough power needed to turn the pump. Otherwise, if the engine is underpowered for the unit, it will constantly run under high stress, leading to premature failure. On the other hand, electric motors aren’t as well understood. A person may believe he has a 5.5-horsepower unit when it really only operates at 1½ horsepower. This is the difference between peak and continuous horsepower.
gcm ex t ra
Peak horsepower is the maximum output that a motor can produce. However, the motor only achieves this level during startup when the start windings are engaged. Once the motor reaches normal RPM, the start windings disengage, and the motor runs at its continuous horsepower rating, which can be fve to seven times less than peak horsepower. If the motor operates at its peak horsepower longer than the initial startup period, it could overheat quickly and would likely experience a very short service life. When comparing the horsepower of units, be sure to use the same rating system. Some manufacturers will advertise the peak horsepower, while others will state the continuous horsepower. In addition to horsepower, the service factor can further infer how a motor will operate under load. This number indicates the percentage of continuous horsepower at which the motor can safely operate. For example, if the service factor is 1.15, the motor can run without issue at 115 percent of its rated continuous horsepower. The higher the service factor, the better the motor is at handling various operating conditions. Furthermore, take note of the operating RPM. Most electric motors found on compressors will operate around 1,725 or 3,400 RPM. The slower-RPM units generally hold more value, since they are quieter, generate less heat and produce less wear and tear than faster motors. Quality checks Even if a unit appears to be adequately rated for the task at hand, there are just a few more items to check. By taking note of other compressor qualities, one can get a better sense of whether or not the compressor will live up to expectations. First, understand that the compressor’s duty cycle will affect its performance on the jobsite. All air-cooled piston compressors generate enough heat that they eventually need to rest in order to avoid overheating. However, some 74 GCM December 2013
The compressor’s duty cycle will affect its performance on the jobsite.
compressors can last longer than others. The best ones on the market have duty cycles up to 80 percent, meaning they can run 80 percent of the time and rest for the other 20 percent. On the other end of the spectrum are units that may only have duty cycles of 10 to 20 percent. Another item to consider is the drive system. Is the compressor direct- or beltdriven? Keep in mind that direct-drive units may be cheaper, but belt-drive compressors generally last longer and are easier to maintain. In a direct-drive system, the pump will turn at the same rate as the crankshaft, which is faster than necessary. Also, direct-drive units are susceptible to more damage because the crankshaft is coupled directly to the pump. Therefore, if the pump fails, the motor is likely to break down with it, or vice versa. Belt-drive units increase the ratio of how many revolutions the crankshaft makes to how many times the pump turns. In fact, the belt can slow the pump to almost half the speed of the motor, which greatly reduces wear and tear concerns. Furthermore, if either the motor or pump fails, the other component is likely to remain unharmed, and the damaged part can be replaced. No matter your compressor needs, you’re bound to fnd a wide variety of products that claim to have the solution. However, you can weed out some of the options by understanding the various rating methods and using that knowledge to compare compressors on a level playing feld. GCM Dan Leiss is the president of Jenny Products Inc. (www.jennyproductsinc.com), a manufacturer of air compressors located in Somerset, Pa.
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Note: Use of this magazine is open to all GCSAA members and others interested in the latest news and information from the world of golf course management. For more information, visit www.gcsaa.org/GCM.
The new GCM • Coming January 2014
Through the green Jack Fry, Ph.D.
Getting kid-friendly at your course Imagine standing on the tee of a picturesque par-4. In front of the tee is a beautiful natural area — mainly marshlands — extending forward for what seems like forever, before any hint of fairway is visible. Your focus soon shifts from the beauty of the hole to its difficulty. You’re less worried about making solid contact with the ball than you are about whether your best-struck drive even has a chance to clear the hazard. Now, imagine that you’re 12 years old and just getting a feel for the game. You take stock of the tee shot ahead of you, swing away and your shot fnds the water. Your second attempt meets the same fate. Your third, wet again. “Tin Cup” all over again. In your mind, you wonder why you came, say quietly to yourself that you’re “not good enough to be out here,” and vow to give up the game after the round. Unfortunately, some courses require juniors, of all ages and abilities, to play from the “front” tees. These teeing areas were likely put in place for shorter-hitting adults, but this distance is still likely too far for many juniors. As we in the golf industry search for ways to attract more players to the game, superintendents should keep juniors in mind as they prepare their facilities for play. When new players of any age are introduced to golf, fun should be the priority. Tee placement is a key in this effort, and superintendents can have a lot to say about tee location. Junior tournament organizers commonly have a set of tees set up relatively close for younger kids. U.S. Kids Golf invites junior golfers 14 and under to play in their tournaments, and there’s even a 6-year-old and younger division. Last spring, I witnessed 5-year-olds playing par-4s from temporary tees set in fairways less than 200 yards out. A junior tournament isn’t required to shrink the golf course for kids; it can be done for every round. Several years ago, I played 18 holes with my kids at one of the courses at San Destin Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, Fla. My daughter was 9 years old at the time, and although she could hit the ball, she lacked distance off the tee. Impressively, this course had a set of permanent junior tees on all holes that were signifcantly in front of the “standard” tees. Playing par-4s from 200 to 250 yards out made a huge difference to my daughter. She was able
76 GCM December 2013
to reach putting greens on par-4s in two shots (sometimes), and felt like she was playing a real round of golf. U.S. Kids Golf and the PGA of America have partnered to encourage shorter holes for kids as part of a “Family Course” initiative. The program involves installation of two additional junior teeing areas on each hole. In fairways, a single round tee marker is installed at each of the two locations so that it is fush with the surface to allow easy maintenance over the
U.S. Kids Golf and the PGA of America have partnered to encourage shorter holes for kids as part of a “Family Course” initiative. top. Identical markers are also installed on cart paths to help parents identify the location of the teeing area in the fairway. As superintendents, you can infuence young golfers and the experience they have at the golf course. The PGA of America is encouraging all golfers to “Tee it Forward” so the game is more enjoyable. For kids, consider giving them an even bigger advantage, which will only lead to greater enjoyment of the game. Are permanent junior tees something that would work at your facility? GCM Jack Fry, Ph.D., is a professor of turfgrass science and the director of the Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan. He is a 17-year educator member of GCSAA.
research
Documenting your progress toward sustainability These practical, science-based sustainability metrics can help you and your facility measure and communicate concrete progress toward reaching sustainability goals.
Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. Larry Stowell, Ph.D. Micah Woods, Ph.D.
78 GCM December 2013
Sustainability. The word is getting a bad rap these days, and justifably so, as it is used (and misused) for every purpose under the sun — from advertising chewing gum, to “greenwashing” environmentally damaging practices, to political campaigns and the workplace. Chances are, it even shows up in your own job goal documents. But how can you meet a goal of sustainability when its meaning has become so vague and diluted that a recent Google search on “defne sustainable” yielded more than 28 million entries? How do you develop tactics, strategies and plans around an idea that no one can pin down? And how will you and your co-workers know how successful you’ve been without some system for measuring sustainability? Without the ability to measure it, sustainability remains a mushy, confusing and frustratingly unobtainable goal. Without quantifcation, evaluating the achievement of sustainability goals becomes wholly subjective — in the eye of the beholder. Although you may think you’re doing a great job, you have no way to communicate it or to prove it, unless you have some way to measure and document it. In this article, we present several simple monitoring approaches that can help take the mush out of sustainability, and instead treat it as a measurable, science-based agronomic phenomenon. All of these procedures can easily be put into practice at your facility.
inputs — including water, pesticides, fertilizers, labor, energy and money. A recent USGA Green Section Record article (2) calculated savings of $1,700 to $7,000/acre/year in water use alone for golf courses in the southwestern U.S. that have implemented turf reduction projects. Depending on the situation, superintendents have converted out-of-play areas, tee surrounds, shady locations and other turf areas to native and/or low-maintenance vegetation, mulch, non-overseeded turf or other lower-upkeep replacements. Superintendent Sandy Clark, CGCS, of Barona Creek Golf Club in California, reduced turf acreage by 12 acres (4.85 hectares), most notably by replacing overseeded bermudagrass tee surrounds with native vegetation. Several useful software tools can provide a hard and fast quantifcation on turf acreage at the start of a turf reduction program, and periodically thereafter. Free applications, such as Google Planimeter (www.acme.com/planimeter/) can quickly obtain approximate measurement of turf acreage using satellite photos from Google Maps. For more precise measurements of acreage, a superintendent can purchase a geo-rectifed aerial photograph of the course that can be used with one of many geographic information system software packages, or a company such as Course Vision can use ground-based GPS systems to survey and inventory a course, and produce detailed maps and measurements for the entire property.
The single biggest impact on sustainability: reducing turf acreage
Fertilizer inputs: How low can you go?
Decreasing the number of highly maintained acres is without doubt the most effective way to increase sustainability by reducing almost all
We have suspected for many years that most soil nutritional guidelines (including our own) overestimated the amounts of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and other key nutrients needed
research
Barona Creek GC’s overseeded bermudagrass tee surrounds (2007) (top) were removed (bottom) and replaced with native vegetation (2008), a move that decreased the turf acreage and resulted in signifcant savings in water and fertilizer inputs. Photos by L. Stowell. Credits for Google Maps images: 2007 – Image ©2013 Digital Globe, ©2013 INEGI, ©2013 Google; 2008 − Image U.S. Geological Survey, ©2013 INEGI, ©2013 Google
for turf health. The operating principle in most cases was a desire to ensure that there is never a defcit in soil nutrients. But as economic and environmental concerns have grown, the emphasis has shifted to targeting the lowest levels of soil nutrients that will provide turf performance that meets expectations. This may seem like a subtle shift in thinking, but it can have enormous impacts on sustainability, as shown below. To fnd out how low we could really go in terms of soil nutrition, Pace Turf and the Asian Turfgrass Center pooled a huge database of more than 17,000 soil samples that had been collected from turf facilities over the past 20 years. Of these, we identifed 1,500 samples that met our requirements (primarily that they were collected from areas where the turf was performing adequately), and then statistically analyzed the data to determine the lowest levels of each major nutrient that could predictably support good-quality turf. The result was the Minimum Levels for Sus-
tainable Nutrition (MLSN) soil guidelines (Table 1), which were introduced last year (4) and call for reductions of 50% or more in many key soil nutrients. Since that time, the guidelines have been adopted by turf managers around the world, many of whom have been pleasantly surprised at how low they could go in terms of soil nutrition without sacrifcing turf quality or playability. We believe that most superintendents can make signifcant reductions in the total nutrients applied at your location by using MLSN as a guide. To participate in the effort to identify more sustainable turf nutritional guidelines, read about the Global Soil Survey for Sustainable Turf (Page 82).
Measure total pounds and toxicity levels of pesticides applied Reducing the total pounds or kilos of pesticides used is a good goal, but reducing the toxicity of the pesticides applied is equally important. Determining the weight of pesticide (insecti-
December 2013 GCM 79
research
Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition soil guidelines Nutrient
Analytical test
Conventional guideline (ppm)
MLSN guideline (ppm)
Phosphorus
Olsen
>12
6
Phosphorus
Bray 2
>75
25
Phosphorus
Mehlich 3
>50
18
Potassium
Mehlich 3
>110
35
Calcium
Mehlich 3
>750
360
Magnesium
Mehlich 3
>140
54
Sulfur
Mehlich 3
15-40
13
Nitrate (nitrogen)
KCl
3-20
1-10
Ammonium (nitrogen)
KCl
<7
0-7
Total nitrogen
KCl
<20
3-10
Table 1. The Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition (MLSN) soil guidelines, developed jointly by Pace Turf and the Asian Turfgrass Center, suggest that most key soil nutrients can be reduced by 50% or more without signifcant changes in turf quality and playability. The nitrogen requirements above are best determined based on turf growth potential, which incorporates site-specifc weather and turf type to calculate nitrogen demand (1). The values provided above can be used in the absence of growth potential data.
U.S. EPA toxicity categories Toxicity levels
Label signal word Category
High
Moderate
Low
Very low
DANGER
WARNING
CAUTION
none required
I
II
III
IV
Acute oral LD50
0–50 mg/kg
50–500 mg/kg
500–5,000 mg/kg
>5,000 mg/kg
Inhalation LC50
0–0.05 mg/liter
0.05–0.5 mg/liter
0.5–2 mg/liter
>2 mg/liter
Dermal LD50
0–200 mg/kg
200–2,000 mg/kg
2,000–5,000 mg/kg
>5,000 mg/kg
Primary eye irritation
corrosive or corneal involvement or irritation >21 days
corneal involvement or eye irritation 8-21 days
corneal involvement or eye irritation 7 days
minimal effects
Primary skin irritation
corrosive
severe irritation at 72 hours
moderate irritation at 72 hours
mild or slight irritation at 72 hours
Table 2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Pesticide Toxicity categories (5). The label signal words can be found in prominent positions on each pesticide label; the toxicology information can be found on the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) that accompany each product. Keep in mind that the terms LD50 (lethal dose) and LC50 (lethal concentration) refer to the amount of pesticide that causes death in 50% of the treated animals. The lower the dose or concentration, therefore, the more toxic the product is.
80 GCM December 2013
cide, fungicide, herbicide, nematicide, etc.) used is simply a matter of keeping track of the pounds or kilos of pesticide active ingredient applied over the course of a year. Every pesticide label contains the information necessary to calculate how much of each pesticide active ingredient is present in the jug or bag of formulated product. Using a spreadsheet to keep track of these amounts is not only the easiest method for keeping records safe, but also the most effcient in terms of comparing totals from one year to the next. To keep track of the toxicity of the products used, make a separate column on the spreadsheet for each pesticide toxicity class, and track the pounds or kilos of pesticide active ingredient used for each of these toxicity classes. In almost all countries, pesticides are separated into three or four toxicity classes, ranging from very low toxicity to high toxicity, based on the result of laboratory animal testing. These tests usually include oral, inhalation, dermal and eye exposure. The scheme used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employs the use of four toxicity classes, from Category I (most toxic) to Category IV (least toxic) (see Table 2). To fnd out which toxicity class any given product falls into, the pesticide label is the best guide. Products labeled with a “CAUTION” signal word are regarded as the least toxic products, while a “WARNING” signal word indicates increased toxicity and “DANGER” indicates the highest toxicity product. The Material Data Safety Sheet, or MSDS (in some cases known as the Safety Data Sheet, or SDS), also contains useful information on pesticide toxicity. A more detailed evaluation of pesticide toxicity, known as the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ), incorporates the results of toxicology testing, leaching potential, soil and plant halflife, farmworker and consumer risk and overall ecological risk (3). An equation that measures the impact of each of these factors is then used to generate an EIQ value for each pesticide, with lower values indicating lower overall toxicity. EIQ values for most commonly used pesticides are available online (www.nysipm.cornell.edu/ publications/eiq/fles/EIQ_values_2012entire. pdf) courtesy of Cornell University. Whichever method is used to characterize the toxicity of pesticides used at a facility — the simpler method described here or the more comprehensive EIQ approach — the bottom line is to keep careful records. Recording the changes in total pounds of all pesticides used, as well as the ways that you have shifted the types of pesticides used — from more toxic to least toxic — will
Setting the new standard for golf courses…again. Beginning in 1959 with the release of Tifway 419, the University of Georgia’s Tif-Hybrid series bermudagrass varieties set the bar for golf courses and for playing surfaces around the world. Its success was immediate and a new age in turfgrass was in full swing. Today, that same elevated success can be found on courses across the world. With the release of TifGrand® Certified Bermuda, the first and only sterile triploid bermudagrass with increased shade tolerance and drastically reduced nutrient requirements, the bar has been raised once again to a new level of play. It seems after 50 years, our turfgrass success is still growing strong. Contact The Turfgrass Group to find your way to the new golf course standard – TifGrand® Certified Bermuda.
www.TIfGrand.com www.THeTUrfGrassGroUp.com TifGrand® is protected by Us patent no. pp21017
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NEW LIFE TURF, INC. John Brown p.o. Box 212 norway, sC 29113 offce: (803) 263-4231 www.newlifeturf.com
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NG TURF, INC. Jutt Howard 1487 Blackdirt road Whitesburg, Ga 30185 offce: (770) 832-8608 www.ngturf.com
BUY SOD, INC. Charles Harris 1100 seven Lakes drive, suite G West end, nC 27376 offce: (866) 428-9763 www.buysod.com
HAWAIIAN TURFGRASS sean aukanaii fong p.o. Box 89-3340 Mililani, HI 96789 offce: (808) 371-0527 www.hawaiianturfgrass.com
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CHAMPION TURF FARMS, LLC Mike and Morris Brown 3606 avenue f Bay City, TX 77414 offce: (979) 245-3231 www.cturf.com
KING RANCH TURFGRASS Kevin Bryant 106 north dennis street Wharton, TX 77488 offce: (713) 287-2700 www.kingranchturfgrass.com
COOSA VALLEY TURF FARMS Tom Wolf 900 County road 492 Centre, aL 35960 offce: (256) 927-4228 www.coosavalleyturffarms.com
MASTER TURF FARMS, INC. ralph Williford p.o. Box 911 ruskin, fL 33575 offce: (813) 634-4000 www.masterturfsod.com
QUALITY TURF FARMS Boston Brown 90392 Hwy 35 West Columbia, TX 77486 offce: (979) 345-6490 www.qualityturf.com RHYNE SELECT TURF Hoffman rhyne, Jr 306 4th street Benton, aL 36785 offce: (866) 467-3288 www.rhyneselectturf.com SAND HILL TURF, INC. Mark Harris p.o. Box 819 Candor, nC 27229 offce: (800) 688-3950 www.sandhillturf.com
SOD ATLANTA, INC. Ken Morrow 54 Brown farm road Cartersville, Ga 30120 United states offce: (770) 382-7284 www.sodatlanta.com SUPER SOD CAROLINA-DIV. OF PATTEN SEED CO. Joe Livingston 3086 five Chop road orangeburg, sC 29115 offce: (803) 531-4443 www.super-sod.com SUPER SOD GEORGIA-DIV. OF PATTEN SEED CO. Ben Copeland Jr. p.o. Box 1036, Hwy 341 n. fort Valley, Ga 31031 offce: (478) 825-7422 www.super-sod.com TRI-STATE TURF, INC. Clark Wooten 1950 easy street road dunn, nC 28334 offce: (800) 567-2836 www.tri-stateturf.com TRI-TURF SOD FARMS, INC. Jason pooler 170 dolan road paris, Tn 38242 offce: (731) 642-3092 triturfsodfarms@bellsouth.net TURF CONNECTIONS Marc Marsh 2434 Brocks Mill road Cheraw, sC 29520 offce: (843) 862-8873 marc@turfconnections.com
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research from one year to the next.
Global Soil Survey for Sustainable Turf Pace Turf and the Asian Turfgrass Center have teamed up to administer a citizen scientist project known as the Global Soil Survey for Sustainable Turf. The survey hopes to enlist the participation of superintendents from around the globe in an effort to validate and expand on the Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition (MLSN) soil guidelines described in this article and, in so doing, contribute to positive changes in the way turf is fertilized. Participants in the survey will receive a sampling kit that allows them to collect soil samples from three areas of good-performing turf at their facility. These samples will be analyzed by Brookside Labs for nutrient content, and the data will be sent in a report to the participant. The data will also be added to the Pace Turf/Asian Turfgrass Center database. The result will be new and improved sustainable guidelines for turf nutrition that will be publicly shared with the turf community. Read more about the global soil survey at www.paceturf.org/journal/global_soil_survey and on Page 38 in the October GCM.
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The research says ➔ Superintendents should document their efforts to improve the sustainability of their golf course. ➔ Reducing turf acreage will have the greatest impact on a course’s sustainability. ➔ In many cases, nutrient inputs can be reduced by as much as 50% or more by following the Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition. ➔ Keeping records of the total number of pounds and the toxicity levels of the pesticides applied will show how changes in pesticide use have improved the sustainability of a course. ➔ Water usage can be reduced by using recycled/reclaimed water, improving irrigation efficiency, using new water technologies, avoiding overseeding, using drought-tolerant turf cultivars and reducing turf acreage. ➔ Superintendents should also keep track of fuel costs and volumes, labor hours, and kilowatt hours and electrical costs. 82 GCM December 2013
provide excellent documentation on your progress toward more sustainable practices.
Water usage Although fresh water is technically a renewable resource, humans are currently using it at a much faster rate than it is being replenished by nature. As a result, experts have voiced concern that competition for water can become serious enough in the near future to be the source of violent confict — the so-called water wars. While agriculture is by far the greatest user of water worldwide, golf courses can certainly do their share to decrease water usage in some of the following ways. • Take advantage of recycled (reclaimed) water if it is available. To evaluate the quality of potential new water sources, and to understand the impact they may have on turf quality, see these irrigation water-quality guidelines (www.pace turf.org/journal/irrigation_water_guidelines). • Improve irrigation effciency through periodic catch-can testing or professional irrigation audits. Water savings and turf-quality improvements can be signifcant when irrigation systems are maintained properly. • When possible, switch to drought-tolerant varieties, avoid overseeding or completely remove turfgrass from certain areas. • Keep abreast of new water-saving technologies such as subsurface irrigation, wetting agents and monitoring with soil moisture meters. Track water volumes in gallons or liters on a spreadsheet so that consumption can be compared
Staying on track Once you’ve got those spreadsheets going, why not keep track of other inputs that can contribute to your sustainability profle? • fuel costs and volumes • hours of labor • kilowatt hours and electrical use costs Each sustainability parameter should be measured at the start of the sustainability plan and at periodic intervals thereafter so that progress can be easily tracked. Whether it’s Jan. 1, the start of the fscal year or your birthday, select a date for annual assessment of sustainability progress using the parameters above, and hopefully, some additional ones that you identify on your own. By monitoring parameters that have hard and fast numbers attached to them, you will have a clear and easy way to communicate your progress as a means of motivating your employees, highlighting it in your job review, and publicizing it in your clubhouse, your newsletter or your website. You, your crew and your facility should be able to take pride in contributing to both a more economically and environmentally sustainable operation. Literature cited 1. Gelernter, W., and L. Stowell, 2005. Improved overseeding programs: the role of weather. Golf Course Management 73(3):108-113. 2. Gross, P., and T. Eckenrode. 2012. Turf reduction template. USGA Green Section Record 50(12). Online (http://gsr.lib. msu.edu/article/gross-turf-6-8-12.pdf). Verifed Oct. 24, 2013. 3. Kovach, J., C. Petzoldt, J. Degni and J. Tette. 2012. A method to measure the environmental impact of pesticides. Online (www.nysipm.cornell.edu/publications/eiq/default. asp). Verifed Oct. 24, 2013. 4. Stowell, L., and M. Woods. 2013. Minimum levels for sustainable nutrition. In: Proceedings: Constructed Rootzones 2012. Applied Turfgrass Science Online (http://www.plant managementnetwork.org/pub/ats/proceedings/2013/root zones/8.htm). Verifed Oct. 24, 2013. 5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2012. Label Review Manual, Chapter 7. Online (www.epa.gov/oppfead1/ labeling/lrm/chap-07.pdf). Verifed Oct. 24, 2013.
GCM Wendy Gelernter (gelernter@paceturf.org) and Larry Stowell are the principals of Pace Turf LLC, San Diego, Calif., and Micah Woods is chief scientist at the Asian Turfgrass Center and an adjunct assistant professor in the department of plant sciences at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
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research
Residual effcacy of fungicides for brown patch control on creeping bentgrass fairways Fungicide residues deplete quickly, and successful disease control depends on the ability of superintendents to anticipate disease outbreaks.
John Daniels Richard Latin, Ph.D. 84 GCM December 2013
Fungicide labels often specify application intervals of 14 to 28 days for control of brown patch on creeping bentgrass. The two-week range affords superintendents fexibility in determining the most appropriate schedule for products they select and rates they apply. In general, the archive of published research shows that effective fungicides applied at shorter intervals provide better control, and that higher application rates allow longer intervals with satisfactory control. However, despite label specifcations, there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence (accumulated outside of the experimental research setting) indicating that even the 14-day application interval does not always result in effective brown patch control. Variability in fungicide performance is natural. It is infuenced by several factors including application rate, water volume and environmental disease pressure (7). Also, fungicide residues are depleted over time, further affecting the expected duration of disease control. Intuitively, if a fungicide is applied today, then there will be more fungicide remaining with the turf tomorrow than three or four weeks from now. But is the decline slow and steady? Or, perhaps, do residue levels remain fairly high until the last few days? Some insight can be gained from research that focused on environmental fate of pesticides in turf during the 1990s and early 2000s (3,4,8,9). Several fungicides (for example, chlorothalonil, metalaxyl, propiconazole, triadimefon and vin-
clozolin) were included in various studies, but the objectives centered only on the detection of residues. Disease control concerns were not addressed and, therefore, several questions remained. Does fungicide protection really last for 28 days? How long can we expect excellent control? Can we defne a point at which fungicide residues become so depleted that they are below concentrations that are toxic to the pathogen? Answers to these questions will help improve our understanding of what happens to our chemical protection between sprays and may help explain why effective fungicides work, and why sometimes they do not perform to our expectations. Our goal was to address these questions from two perspectives â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a bioassay approach to learn how the decline in residues affects disease control, and an analytical approach to measure and quantify the amount of fungicide remaining at each sample date.
Materials and methods
Bioassay Five fungicides were tested: polyoxin D, azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, futolanil and metconazole. Fungicides were applied to Penneagle creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) maintained at 0.5 inch (1.27 centimeters) in replicated feld plots at the Daniel Turfgrass Research Center on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
research For each run of the experiment, fungicides were applied to plots once at the rates listed in Table 1. Plots were sampled seven times at threeto four-day intervals over a three-week period (days 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 and 21) by removing cup cutter plugs from each replication of each treatment plot. Bioassay experiments were run six times during the growing seasons of 2010 and 2011. Sampled plugs were inoculated with fve grains of white sorghum seed infested with a locally collected isolate of Rhizoctonia solani (the organism that causes brown patch on creeping bentgrass) and then incubated for 48 hours in a growth chamber where relative humidity exceeded 95% and temperature was maintained at 82 F (27.7 C). After the incubation period, the diameter of each
100
A. Azoxystrobin
90
Fungicide product/ company
Application rate (/1,000 square feet)
Application rate (pounds a.i./1,000 square feet)
Azoxystrobin
Heritage TL, Syngenta
2.0 fluid ounces
0.013
Flutolanil
ProStar 70 WP, Bayer
2.2 ounces
0.096
Tourney 50 WDG, Valent
0.37 ounce
0.012
Endorse WP, Arysta
4.0 ounces
0.006
Insignia, BASF
0.9 ounce
0.011
Fungicide active ingredient
Metconazole Polyoxin D Pyraclostrobin
Table 1. Fungicides used in this research included common penetrant compounds applied for brown patch control.
Residual effcacy 100 80
70
70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10 0
3
7
10
14
17
100
21 C. Flutolanil
90
0
80 70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10 3
7
10
14
17
100
21 E. Polyoxin D
90
0
80 70
60
60
50
50
40
40
30
30
20
20
10
10 3
7
10
14
17
21
10
14
0
17
21
D. Metconazole
0
3
7
10
14
17
21
F. Pyraclostrobin
90
70
0
7
100
80
0
3
90
70
0
0
100
80
0
B. Flutolanil
90
80
0
Residual efficacy (%)
Fungicides tested
0
3
7
10
14
17
Figure 1. Residual effcacy (RE) proportions for (A) azoxystrobin; (B) futolanil experiments 1, 2, 5 and 6; (C) futolanil experiments 3 and 4; (D) metconazole; (E) polyoxin D; and (F) pyraclostrobin. Data were ft to a two-parameter Weibull function to describe the decline in effcacy over time. Experiments (listed by experiment number) were initiated (1) Sept. 17, 2010; (2) Oct. 12, 2010; (3) June 8, 2011; (4) June 22, 2011; (5) July 6, 2011; and (6) Aug. 26, 2011.
21
Days after fungicide application
December 2013 GCM 85
research
Effcacy half-life and initial recovery Fungicide
Efficacy half-life (days)†
Avg. initial recovery (micrograms/gram)‡
Azoxystrobin
4.3cd
127
Flutolanil, runs 1, 2, 5, 6
14.0a
1,433
Flutolanil, runs 3, 4
8.8b
Metconazole
5.1c
Polyoxin D
3.1d
Pyraclostrobin
5.2c
128
200
†
Effcacy half-life was calculated from sigmoidal curves described by the Weibull model. Values followed by the same letter are not signifcantly different. ‡ Initial recovery represents an average from experiments (runs 3-6) conducted in 2011. Plots treated with polyoxin D were not sampled. Table 2. Effcacy half-life values and initial recovery of fungicides applied to creeping bentgrass fairways to control brown patch.
patch was measured and recorded. Residual effcacy (RE) was expressed as a percentage based on pathogen growth on fungicide-treated plugs relative to the growth on untreated plugs. By our calculation, RE = [1 − (growth on fungicide-treated plugs/ growth on untreated plugs)] * 100 . Quantitative residue analysis During 2011, additional turf samples were collected from the same experimental plots of the bioassay to further investigate the persistence of the selected fungicides applied to creeping bentgrass under fairway conditions. Sampling followed the same schedule (day 0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 and 21) as the bioassay. Fungicide residues were identifed and quantifed by liquid chromatography/time-of-fight mass spectrometry (LC/ TOF-MS). All fungicides were analyzed using this technique with the exception of polyoxin D. (The polyoxin D analytical standard could not be secured in 2011 and is therefore absent from the quantitative residue analysis). Data from LC/ TOF-MS followed frst-order kinetics and were ft to a model that describes fungicide depletion against time (6).
Results
Damage caused by brown patch, a foliar disease of cool-season turfgrass, reduces the aesthetic value of golf course turf and has a negative impact on playability. Photo by R. Latin
86 GCM December 2013
Bioassay Bioassay data were pooled for the six experiments (runs) for all fungicides except futolanil. Results of preliminary statistical analysis required futolanil experiments to be analyzed in two distinct groups. For all fungicides, a sigmoidal or backward-Sshaped depletion curve resulted when residual effcacy was plotted against time. In order to describe the decline with a model that could capture both infection points of the curve, we used a twoparameter Weibull distribution function (1). The Weibull-generated curves (Figures 1A-1F) clearly illustrate the decline in residual effcacy and allow calculation of interesting statistics (for example, effcacy half-life, which is the number of days after application that control was reduced to 50%). All fungicides effectively controlled brown patch on the frst sampling date (day 0), but differed in terms of residual effcacy in subsequent samplings. By the last sampling date (21 days after fungicide treatment), fungicide protection was virtually nonexistent for all treatments. Statistical differences were observed among mean effcacy half-life values with means ranging from 3.1 to 14 days (Table 2). Based on effcacy half-life values, futolanil provided a longer period
research
Fungicide concentrations in verdure 200
A. Azoxystrobin
Concentration in verdure (micrograms/gram)
180
2000
160
1600
140
1400
120
1200
100
1000
80
800
60
600
40
400
20
200
0
0
3
7
10
14
200
17
21
C. Metconazole
180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
0
3
7
10
14
17
21
B. Flutalonil
1800
0 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
0
3
7
10
14
17
21
D. Pyraclostrobin
0
3
7
10
14
17
21
Days after fungicide application Figure 2. Fungicide concentrations in creeping bentgrass verdure for (A) azoxystrobin, (B) futolanil, (C) metconazole and (D) pyraclostrobin.
of protection. Pyraclostrobin, metconazole and azoxystrobin had statistically similar effcacy halflife values. Azoxystrobin and pyraclostrobin, which have the same biochemical mode of action (they both are QoI) but differ in terms of phytomobility (azoxystrobin is an acropetal penetrant and pyraclostrobin is a local penetrant), did not exhibit any statistically signifcant differences based on effcacy half-life. The two fungicides classifed as local penetrants, polyoxin D and pyraclostrobin, differed with regard to their levels of brown patch control based on effcacy half-life values of 3.1 days and 5.2 days, respectively (Table 2). Quantitative residue analysis The QuEChERS multi-residue method provided acceptable chromatographic results that allowed for repeatable detection and quantifcation of fungicide residues in creeping bentgrass over a wide range of concentrations. Initial recoveries (day 0) varied greatly among the fungicides
88 GCM December 2013
(Table 2). This variation most likely refects differences in application rates (Table 1). The average amounts of fungicide detected on day 0 for azoxystrobin, futolanil, metconazole and pyraclostrobin were 127, 1,433, 128 and 200 micrograms/ gram verdure. All fungicides examined with quantitative analysis demonstrated a precipitous decline following application (Figure 2A-2D).
Discussion Differences in residual efďŹ cacy Results reported here illustrate how fungicides are rapidly depleted from turf after each application. Bioassay curves were remarkably similar, except for futolanil, which was applied at a much higher rate (fve to 10 times more active ingredient) relative to the other fungicides, accounting for the inconsistency. For azoxystrobin, metconazole, polyoxin D and pyraclostrobin, residual effcacy was reduced to 50% within three to fve days. Results of previously published fungicide trials
research
The feld research took place in replicated feld plots at the Daniel Turfgrass Research Center on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Plots were sampled seven times by removing cup cutter plugs from each replication of each treatment plot. Photos by J. Daniels
Sampled plugs were inoculated with fve grains of white sorghum seed infested with a locally collected isolate of Rhizoctonia solani (the organism that causes brown patch on creeping bentgrass) and then incubated for 48 hours in a growth chamber.
90 GCM December 2013
describe a much longer duration of brown patch control when using an effective fungicide (2). In these reports, brown patch was evaluated using feld trials where climatic fuctuations can lead to varying degrees of disease pressure. Increased duration of brown patch control in these reports could be a result of slight changes in environmental conditions, which can affect disease development and are not directly related to fungicide persistence in the turf. An advantage of the described bioassay is the ability to create high disease-pressure conditions consistently over the course of the study. Maintaining consistent disease pressure over the course of 21 days in the feld is probably not likely in most areas where creeping bentgrass fairways are common. Another possible explanation for differences in residual effcacy between bioassay results and reported feld observations is that bioassay turf plugs were inoculated with a fresh culture of Rhizoctonia solani after each sampling date. Fresh inoculum is typically not reintroduced in the same manner in fungicide feld trials. This is important given the phytomobility characteristics of the fungicides used in the present study. Penetrant fungicides have the ability to suppress existing fungal infections and reduce endemic inoculum. The resulting suppression in pathogen growth achieved by an effective fungicide creates a lag period during which the surviving pathogen population slowly recovers to the point of symptom expression. Repeatedly introducing inoculum during the bioassay may have negated the impact of this lag period and resulted in the shorter duration of brown patch control. Is thatch a fungicide reservoir? Fungicide not intercepted by leaves and stems collects in the thatch. Given the affnity of fungicide for the highly organic thatch layer, it is reasonable to ask whether it serves as a fungicide reservoir, thereby increasing the duration of control in the feld. In our bioassays, three of the fungicides (azoxystrobin, futolanil and metconazole) are acropetal penetrants. They are readily absorbed by roots and transported through xylem to leaves. If thatch served as a reservoir, then the bioassay and quantitative analysis would refect the resupply of fungicide into the verdure. A more plausible explanation is that pathogen growth stops after active mycelia encounter and absorb fungicide associated with thatch. Like the situation where penetrant fungicides suppress fungal growth inside leaf tissues, inoculum levels in the thatch are likely reduced to the point where
research
many days pass before pathogen populations resume growth suffcient to cause symptoms. Fungicide rates and classes In this research each fungicide was applied at a single rate, representing the high rate prescribed on the product label. Our interest emphasized dissipation of different classes of fungicides rather than effects of application rates. Also, we could not evaluate all possible products or active ingredients in this research. The selected fungicides include representatives of important classes (especially QoI and DMI) for brown patch control. Given that residual effcacy is largely a function of microbial degradation over time, there is no reason (or existing evidence) to suggest that other fungicides within these classes would show a signifcant departure from the depletion curves shown here. Since microbial degradation is a function of temperature, the rate of depletion is expected to lessen during extended periods of low temperature (5).
Interpretation The bioassay results, supported by analysis of fungicide residues in turf leaves and stems, clearly illustrate the rapid depletion of fungicide from turf beginning shortly after application. This pattern should be expected for all fungicides applied to turf. Results from this study help explain why fungicide treatments may not perform as expected during a given application interval and underscore the importance of applying fungicides in a timely manner for satisfactory disease control. Preventive applications that are delivered prematurely may dissipate before the arrival of environmental conditions that foster pathogen growth and promote disease outbreaks, leaving plants vulnerable to damage. The risk of disease-related damage as well as the cost associated with treatment reinforces the need to make informed management decisions concerning fungicide use. Superintendents should try to anticipate outbreaks and apply effective fungicides before disease development in order to achieve maximum fungicide performance, but they must also be aware of the rather short duration of effective residues in turf.
Literature cited 1. Daniels, J., and R. Latin. 2013. Residual activity of fungicides for control of brown patch on creeping bentgrass. Plant Disease 97:1620-1625. 2. Fidanza, M.A., and P.H. Dernoeden. 1996. Brown patch severity in perennial ryegrass as infuenced by irrigation, fungicide, and fertilizers. Crop Science 36:1631-1638. 3. Frederick, E.K., M. Bischoff, C.S. Throssell and R.F. Turco. 1994. Degradation of chloroneb, triadimefon, and vinclozolin in soil, thatch, and grass clippings. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 53:536-542. 4. Gardner, D.S., and B.E. Branham. 2001. Effect of turfgrass cover and irrigation on soil mobility and dissipation of mefenoxam and propiconazole. Journal of Environmental Quality 30:1612-1618. 5. Koch, P.L., and J.P. Kerns. 2011. Using ELISA to determine the effect of temperature on the degradation of the fungicides chlorothalonil and iprodione on golf course turfgrass. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2011 International Annual Meetings [Abstracts]. Paper 67950. Online (https://scisoc.confex. com/crops/2011am/webprogram/Paper67950.html). Verifed Oct. 30, 2013. 6. Latin, R. 2006. Residual effcacy of fungicides for control of dollar spot on creeping bentgrass. Plant Disease 90:571-575. 7. Latin, R. 2011. A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, Minn. 8. Magri, A., and D.A. Haith. 2009. Pesticide decay in turf: A review of processes and experimental data. Journal of Environmental Quality 38:4-12. 9. Wu, L., G. Liu, M.V. Yates et al. 2002. Environmental fate of metalaxyl and chlorothalonil applied to a bentgrass putting green under Southern California climatic conditions. Pest Management Science 58:335-342.
GCM
V v v
The research says ➔ A bioassay study was carried out to determine how declines in fungicide residue affect disease control; quantitative analysis was used to measure the amount of fungicide remaining at each sample date. ➔ The results of this study indicate that fungicides are depleted rapidly beginning shortly after they are applied to turf. ➔ For four of the five fungicides, residual efficacy was reduced to 50% within three to five days. ➔ To achieve satisfactory disease control, superintendents should try to anticipate disease outbreaks and apply fungicides before disease develops.
John Daniels earned his master’s degree in plant pathology at Purdue University in 2012 and currently is the assistant golf course superintendent at Wheatley Hills Golf Club, East Williston, N.Y. Richard Latin (rlatin@purdue.edu) is a professor of plant pathology in the department of botany and plant pathology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
Acknowledgments This research was supported in part by funds provided to the Midwest Regional Turf foundations. The authors wish to extend their appreciation to David Bartlett, Bruce Cooper, Amber Jannasch, Douglas Richmond and Simon Perry for their technical expertise.
December 2013 GCM 91
cutting edge
Research in progress
of both sun and shade cumulatively. Average daily light integral for the experiment was 47.2±8.9 mol/ meter/day. Under 50% shade, signifcant differences in turfgrass quality occurred at one, two and six weeks after initial shading (WAIS) for Jones Dwarf, Celebration and Tifway, respectively. For 70% shade, quality differences were observed at 2 WAIS for Celebration and 4 WAIS for Tifway. All shade treatments had below acceptable turfgrass quality for at least one week. Jones Dwarf appeared more susceptible to shade at a shorter duration than Celebration and Tifway and may require changes in management under extended cloud cover. — Photo by Z. Raudenbush
Nitrogen source affects silverythread moss Soluble nitrogen (N) has been observed to increase severity of silvery-thread moss (STM) in putting greens. It is unknown how differing soluble N sources applied at various spray volumes affect STM colonization. Two N sources, urea and ammonium sulfate (AMS), were applied weekly at 4.36 pounds N/acre at three spray volumes: 10, 44 and 108 gallons of water/acre. STM was grown in the greenhouse from a population collected in the feld. Digital images were taken weekly and analyzed to determine percent STM cover. At seven weeks after initial treatment (WAIT), plants were harvested, dried and weighed. Nitrogen source had a signifcant effect in both runs on every rating date, regardless of spray volume. At 7 WAIT, AMS resulted in 74% moss coverage in run 1 and 56% in run 2, which was signifcantly higher than urea (42% and 36%, respectively). Moss treated with AMS produced a threefold increase in dry matter compared to plants treated with urea in both runs of the study; the increased dry weight was the result of longer gametophyte flaments. Longer flaments allow STM to better compete for light in the turf’s canopy and likely improve its ability to withstand burial from frequent topdressing — Zane Raudenbush and Steven Keeley, Ph.D. (skeeley@k-state.edu), Kansas State University, Manhattan
Shade duration affects bermudagrass Photo by J. Bryan Unruh
Teresa Carson 92 GCM December 2013
Field trials were conducted to evaluate the effect of shade duration on turfgrass health in three bermudagrass cultivars: Tifway, Jones Dwarf and Celebration. Four shade intervals were implemented (no shade, weekly, biweekly, monthly) for eight weeks using 50% shade cloth for Jones Dwarf, and 50% and 70% shade cloth for Tifway and Celebration. Each treatment received four weeks
Brian Glenn, and Jason Kruse, Ph.D. (jkk@ufl.edu), University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.; J. Bryan Unruh, University of Florida, Jay, Fla.
Bermuda cultivarsÕ response to shade This study investigated the response of fve bermudagrass cultivars (Tifway, Patriot, Celebration, TifGrand and TifSport) under four light environments: full sunlight, 30%, 60% and 90% simu- Photo by Philipe Aldahir lated shade. Grass plugs from the cultivars were collected with a standard cup cutter and planted in pots prepared with a root zone built to USGA recommendations for putting greens. When turf was fully grown and had adequate quality, pots were placed under shade tents with individual irrigation systems at the Turfgrass Research Unit in Auburn, Ala. TifGrand and Tifway were also evaluated under feld conditions under 70% shade. Turf quality and cover were decreased by shade over time. Turf quality ranking for cultivars under 60% continuous shade after 10 weeks was: TifGrand > TifSport > Celebration ≥ Tifway > Patriot. TifGrand and Celebration had the lowest turfgrass quality under full sunlight, because of excessive seedhead production. Cultivars with superior quality had the least increase in leaf etiolation. In the feld, Tifway decreased in quality after six weeks under shade; TifGrand maintained maximum quality under 70% continuous shade throughout the experiment. — Philipe C.F. Aldahir and J. Scott McElroy, Ph.D. (jsm0010@auburn.edu), Auburn University, Auburn, Ala.
GCM Teresa Carson (tcarson@gcsaa.org) is GCMÕs science editor.
SILVER PARTNERS
SILVER PARTNER
Partner Recognition Program Based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., BASF Professional Turf and Ornamentals develops and markets chemical solutions for improving turf quality through pest management, which includes weed, disease and insect control. BASF supports the GSCAA via regular advertising in GCM, sponsorships and exhibiting at GIS, and as members of the GCSAA itself. Beyond GCSAA, BASF provides online training for end users, is a member of RISE, and a cornerstone partner in the Experience at FarmLinks, which is designed to educate and share industry leading insights for managing turf issues through a combination of cultural controls and effcacious pesticides.
Pioneering innovations that help customers operate more effciently while supporting the growth of the game, Club Car is one of the most respected brands in golf and small vehicle transportation. Established in 1958, Augusta, Georgia-based Club Car manufactures the golf industry’s leading golf cars and utility vehicles as well as multi-passenger vehicles, rough-terrain and off-road utility vehicles that serve a wide range of industries. Club Car is a Silver Partner of the GCSAA, the exclusive premier partner of the NGCOA, NGCOA Canada’s exclusive Golf Car Supplier and Platinum Partner and a Corporate Advantage Partner of the Club Managers Association of America.
The Par Aide name is grounded in a long-standing tradition of innovation and integrity. When we started back in 1955, we made a promise to produce only the highest quality golf course accessories to not only meet, but exceed our customers’ expectations. We’ve kept that promise and can proudly say that Par Aide graces the most prestigious golf courses in the world. Throughout the past fve decades, we’ve remained focused on innovation, quality, value and support. We have an undeniable passion for details that doesn’t stop with our products. We put as much effort into hiring top-quality people as we do in creating top-quality products. We listen to our customers. We imagine new ways to make our products more productive and functional. But most importantly, we fnd solutions to make the Superintendents’ job easier and their course the best it can possibly be. Par Aide has understood and appreciated the work of the GCSAA in promoting the Superintendent, providing education, and facilitating commerce between the Superintendents and the suppliers to them. To further support the GCSAA members, Par Aide has pioneered The Garske Grant, in honor of our founder, Joseph S. Garske. The program assists children of GCSAA members to fund their education at an accredited college or trade school by awarding $7,500 annually in scholarship funds. In partnering with the GCSAA with this scholarship, as well as all other facets of our support to the organization, we are pleased and committed to continue our efforts to strengthen the GCSAA and its members to the beneft of our industry.
article index 2013
TOPIC headings This index provides a topical overview of GCM’s editorial content from January through December 2013. It is divided into three major sections: Features/Columns, The Insider and Research. There are several subcategories in all three sections. Articles are listed under the headings chronologically as they appeared in
Features/Columns Career Development Construction/Renovation/ Restoration Environmental Golf Courses Equipment Final Shot, The GCSAA Golf Courses Golf, Game of Irrigation Management/Operations Ornamentals and Tree Management Personality Profles
Philanthropy Plugged In Roch Report Seed and Sod Technology Through the green Tournament Preparation Turf Care Applications Up to speed Water Management Weather The Insider Assistants Career
Environment Shop Turf Research Cultivar and Species Management Disease Updates Environment/Wildlife Management/Operations Pest Control Plant Science Turf Care Applications Water Management
GCM in the course of the year.
Features/Columns Career Development Finding the right ft, Understanding their professional value and how it applies at different facilities will help equipment managers weigh key factors in the big decision of whether to change positions, Stephen Tucker, January, p. 122. Now and then, A former GCSAA president looks at the superintendent’s plight in the economic downturn from a
historical perspective, Mel Lucas, CGCS retired, May, p. 82.
Construction/Renovation/ Restoration On the level, A California club digs deep to create a unique new practice area that serves not only its members, but also its maintenance department, Zachary Ohsann, September, p. 62.
Environmental Golf Courses A fnished product, The fnal survey of the Golf Course Environmental Profle gives superintendents a more complete picture of where they stand now and what they should strive for in the future, Teresa Carson, January, p. 114. Practical magic, Matt Ceplo, CGCS, the winner of GCSAA’s 2013 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship, keeps an eye on the bottom line — in both dollars and green sense — at Rockland Country Club, Bunny Smith, February, p. 60. Bee the solution, Golf courses frequently come under fre for contributing to the declining honey bee population, but one superintendent believes golf courses could actually help bring them back, Paul Sheppard, April, p. 44. 2012 ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERS IN GOLF AWARDS (February issue) Swiss sensation, A British-born superintendent at a Swiss golf course constructed on top of a former gravel pit is taking the 2012 Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards international, Scott Hollister, p. 44. • International and Overall, Steven Tierney, MG, Golfpark Nuolen, Wangen, Switzerland, p. 44. • National Public, John R. Anderes, CGCS, Queenstown Harbor Golf Course, Annapolis, Md., p. 52. • National Resort, Joshua E. Kelley, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Grande Lakes, Orlando, Fla., p. 54.
94 GCM December 2013
• National Private, Matt G. Shaffer, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa., p. 56.
Equipment The rating game, Looking to outft your maintenance facility with a new air compressor? Here’s what to look for in compressor specifcations as you start your shopping, Dan Leiss, December, p. 70.
Final Shot, The Andrew Goggans, Club de Golf Le Fontainebleau, Blainville, Quebec, Canada, January, p. 168. Chris Kukor, assistant superintendent, The Club at Nevillewood (Pa.), February, p. 128. Erwin H. McCone, CGCS, director of golf operations, Briar Ridge Country Club, Schererville, Ind., March, p. 120. Adam Brewer, second assistant superintendent, Sedgefeld Country Club, Greensboro, N.C., April, p. 128. Jason Baumeister, superintendent, Craft Farms Golf Club, Gulf Shores, Ala., May, p. 128. Dan Rogers, GCSAA Class A superintendent, Wykagyl Country Club, New Rochelle, N.Y., June, p. 112. Bob Deasy, assistant superintendent, Providence Country Club, Charlotte, N.C., July, p. 112.
article index 2013 Rich Gagnon, GCSAA Class A superintendent, Segregansett Country Club, Taunton, Mass., August, p. 104.
•
Joe Sudol, assistant superintendent, Ballyowen Golf Course, Hardyston, N.J., September, p. 112. Tom Niebling, GCSAA Class A superintendent, Columbia Golf and Country Club, Claverack, N.Y., October, p. 120. Zach Bauer, superintendent, The Broadmoor Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo., November, p. 112. Scott Schurman, superintendent, Kearney (Neb.) Country Club, December, p. 120.
GCSAA ANNUAL REPORTS • Environmental Institute for Golf 2012 Annual Report, June, p. I-1. • GCSAA 2012 Annual Report, June, p. G-1. 2013 GCSAA EDUCATION CONFERENCE AND GOLF INDUSTRY SHOW/SAN DIEGO (January issue) • New and improved, Customer feedback drives schedule changes for 2013 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show, Scott Hollister, p. 56. • Western wonderland, Known for its beaches, sensational climate and Shamu the killer whale, San Diego truly is a place to die for, at least when you ask these three golf course superintendents, who provide insight into this town they love, Howard Richman, p. 58. • San Diego: Our Top 10, So, you have some free time in San Diego but have no idea where to start? Well, here is a mini guide to some of the top attractions in town, popular spots that just might suit your fancy, Howard Richman, p. 62. • Honor bound, Compassion and leadership are themes for the special events that will accent GIS week, Bunny Smith, p. 66. • Timeless education, Superintendents prove that education is a lifelong process, Teresa Carson, p. 70. • Celebrating certifcation, allin-the-family style, Two GCSAA
• • •
members, two generations, one commitment, Bunny Smith, p. 74. Room with the views, For the newest products the industry has to offer, look no farther than the 2013 Golf Industry Show, Howard Richman, p. 76. Meet the exhibitors, p. 88. Trade show map, p. 98. Meet the candidates, p. 100.
A fnished product, The fnal survey of the Golf Course Environmental Profle gives superintendents a more complete picture of where they stand now and what they should strive for in the future, Teresa Carson, January, p. 114. Practical magic, Matt Ceplo, CGCS, the winner of GCSAA’s 2013 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship, keeps an eye on the bottom line — in both dollars and green sense — at Rockland Country Club, Bunny Smith, February, p. 60. The Fab Four, Four giants in the golf course management industry — Frank Lamphier; Ken Mangum, CGCS; Dennis Lyon, CGCS; and Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D. — all have this in common: GCSAA’s Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award for 2013, Howard Richman, February, p. 72. Membership milestones, GCSAA salutes its veteran members for their dedication to the superintendent profession and for their many years of membership in the association, February, p. 102. Pat answers, GCSAA’s new president, Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, has a business degree, oversees one of the most historic golf courses on earth, and makes a mean salsa. At a time in the industry when solutions are needed, those who have faith in him are convinced he can help provide answers, Howard Richman, March, p. 44. 2013 GCSAA EDUCATION CONFERENCE AND GOLF INDUSTRY SHOW/SAN DIEGO (April issue) • Satisfaction guaranteed, The fnal numbers from the 2013 GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show add up to a great experience for attendees in San Diego, GCM staff, p. 56. • Goods stuff, What have you
got when hundreds of exhibitors covering six fgures worth of square feet meet in the same place? The Golf Industry Show, of course, where anything and everything from the newest line of fairway mowers to mobile app devices was on display, a happening place that was loaded with the goods, Howard Richman, p. 70. • Torrey triumph, Charlie Costello makes the most of a second chance and wins his very frst GCSAA National Championship, Scott Hollister, p. 82. Certifcation milestones, GCSAA recognizes newly certifed members and those who have maintained that status over the years, Penny Mitchell, April, p. 106. Local knowledge, Looking for inside information on the courses hosting the 2014 GCSAA Golf Championships? Just turn to the golf course management professionals who know these venues the best, Scott Hollister, November, p. 62. Driving ambition, Annika Sorenstam may be one of the greatest golfers in history, but GCSAA’s 2014 Old Tom Morris Award recipient is proving she’s also got plenty of game outside the ropes, Howard Richman, December, p. 42.
support a Tacoma, Wash., golf course dedicated to military veterans, Stacie Zinn Roberts, January, p. 44. When green is brown … and everything else is going down, down and down, A retired superintendent answers a cry for help from his old hometown course, Thomas K. Lavrenz, February, p. 82. Pat answers, GCSAA’s new president, Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, has a business degree, oversees one of the most historic golf courses on earth, and makes a mean salsa. At a time in the industry when solutions are needed, those who have faith in him are convinced he can help provide answers, Howard Richman, March, p. 44. Triple threat, A Southern California golf course confronts fog, fre and fungal diseases, Barbara McCabe, March, p. 60. Local knowledge, Looking for inside information on the courses hosting the 2014 GCSAA Golf Championships? Just turn to the golf course management professionals who know these venues the best, Scott Hollister, November, p. 62.
Golf, Game of
Golf Courses
Torrey triumph, Charlie Costello makes the most of a second chance and wins his very frst GCSAA National Championship, Scott Hollister, April, p. 82.
A place to heal, The golf course management industry lines up to
Driving ambition, Annika Sorenstam may be one of the greatest golfers in
December 2013 GCM 95
article index 2013 history, but GCSAA’s 2014 Old Tom Morris Award recipient is proving she’s also got plenty of game outside the ropes, Howard Richman, December, p. 42.
Brainstorm, Thinking ahead to develop a formalized weather management plan can help superintendents prepare for severe weather events and, maybe, save lives, Stan Awtrey, May, p. 42.
a London superintendent challenges conventional wisdom about Poa greens and sustainable management practices in the UK, Scott MacCallum, December, p. 58.
Irrigation
Map quest, The technique of job mapping can help you better utilize resources and staff to accomplish management goals and fulfll golfers’ expectations, Michael D. Vogt, CGCS, May, p. 74.
Ornamentals and Tree Management
Night moves no more, Advances in golf course irrigation have provided golf course superintendents with much more than just a good night’s sleep, Stacie Zinn Roberts, June, p. 58.
Management/Operations Triple threat, A Southern California golf course confronts fog, fre and fungal diseases, Barbara McCabe, March, p. 60. The green miles, A Texas superintendent takes on his company’s challenge to answer the question: Is maintaining a golf course good for your health?, Randy Samoff, March, p. 66. Bee the solution, Golf courses frequently come under fre for contributing to the declining honey bee population, but one superintendent believes golf courses could actually help bring them back, Paul Sheppard, April, p. 44.
High stakes, A North Carolina country club is attracting members and building revenue with a whole new (old) game, Brian J. Stiehler, CGCS, June, p. 70. Just rewards, Veteran superintendents share ideas for fun and cost-effective ways to show appreciation for the golf course crew, Mike Scott, September, p. 68. Building a bridge, Firestone CC’s assistant superintendent offers her perspective on successfully managing a golf course crew’s gender and generational differences, Renee Geyer, October, p. 62.
Low maintenance, big benefts, Planning and executing a strategy of using low-maintenance ornamentals in select areas of a golf course is an affordable and relatively simple way to improve aesthetics, John Fech, Ph.D., May, p. 66. The power of prevention, Proper attention to golf course ornamentals pays long-term dividends, John C. Fech, Ph.D., July, p. 60. The forgotten season, Fall doesn’t get much attention when it comes to landscaping on a golf course. But there are plenty of ways superintendents can add a pop of color to their facilities at this time of year, John C. Fech, Ph.D., October, p. 42.
Personality Profles The 2 mm view, With a focus on playability and ultra-low cutting heights,
Practical magic, Matt Ceplo, CGCS, the winner of GCSAA’s 2013 President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship, keeps an eye on the bottom line — in both dollars and green sense — at Rockland Country Club, Bunny Smith, February, p. 60. The Fab Four, Four giants in the golf course management industry — Frank Lamphier; Ken Mangum, CGCS; Dennis Lyon, CGCS; and Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D. — all have this in common: GCSAA’s Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award for 2013, Howard Richman, February, p. 72. Pat answers, GCSAA’s new president, Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS, has a business degree, oversees one of the most historic golf courses on earth, and makes a mean salsa. At a time in the industry when solutions are needed, those who have faith in him are convinced he can help provide answers, Howard Richman, March, p. 44. Torrey triumph, Charlie Costello makes the most of a second chance and wins his very frst GCSAA National
96 GCM December 2013
Championship, Scott Hollister, April, p. 82. Seeding is believing, Merion GC superintendent Matt Shaffer, allergic to grass in his youth, needed grass more than ever eight years ago. The decision to grow grass helped secure his biggest reward: A U.S. Open, Howard Richman, June, p. 42. Returning the favor, The benefciary of plenty of help and encouragement along his own career path, Oak Hill’s Jeff Corcoran is now paying it forward to a whole new crop of golf course management professionals, Scott Hollister, August, p. 42. The night life, Even in the 21st century, as automated irrigation systems have become the standard at most golf courses, night watermen still exist. Those who have done it and are doing it now all seem to have a pretty good story to tell, Howard Richman, September, p. 42. Family heirloom, For more than four decades, the men of the Nettles family have overseen the care and maintenance of a Texas golf institution, Art Stricklin, October, p. 52. Driving ambition, Annika Sorenstam may be one of the greatest golfers in history, but GCSAA’s 2014 Old Tom Morris Award recipient is proving she’s also got plenty of game outside the ropes, Howard Richman, December, p. 42.
Philanthropy Driving ambition, Annika Sorenstam may be one of the greatest golfers in history, but GCSAA’s 2014 Old Tom Morris Award recipient is proving she’s also got plenty of game outside the ropes, Howard Richman, December, p. 42.
Plugged In Clearing up the cloud, William Brown, CGCS, January, p. 40. High-tech note taking, William Brown, CGCS, February, p. 40. Power play (chargers), William Brown, CGCS, March, p. 40.
article index 2013 The times they are a changin’ (report from GIS), William Brown, CGCS, April, p. 40.
Playing your greens by the book, Jack Fry, Ph.D., April, p. 92.
Roch Report
Golf’s edges and inches, Jack Fry, Ph.D., June, p. 78.
A fond farewell and caveat emptor, Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D., January, p. 128.
Easing the pain of lateral hazards, Jack Fry, Ph.D., August, p. 70.
Seed and Sod
The Rules of Golf and its fne lines, Jack Fry, Ph.D., October, p. 80.
When green is brown … and everything else is going down, down and down, A retired superintendent answers a cry for help from his old hometown course, Thomas K. Lavrenz, February, p. 82. 2013 seed update, Teresa Carson, May, p. 54. Finding the middle ground, What is the best choice for fairways in the MidAtlantic region, where both warm- and cool-season grasses are options? Stacie Zinn Roberts, August, p. 64. A turfgrass report card, The turf industry and golf course superintendents depend on the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program to grade the performance of new and existing turfgrass cultivars, Jeff Nus, Ph.D., October, p. 72. The ultradwarf revolution, Superintendents from the transition zone southward are sleeping better at night because of a sweeping change in bermudagrass cultivars, Mark Leslie, November, p. 42. The 2 mm view, With a focus on playability and ultra-low cutting heights, a London superintendent challenges conventional wisdom about Poa greens and sustainable management practices in the UK, Scott MacCallum, December, p. 58.
Technology What a tool! Geographic information systems could be benefcial for golf course superintendents who seek a more effcient way to get the job done, Michael W. Michelsen Jr., March, p. 74.
Through the Green Playing by the Rules, Jack Fry, Ph.D., February, p. 88.
Getting kid-friendly at your course, Jack Fry, Ph.D., December, p. 76.
Tournament Preparation Seeding is believing, Merion GC superintendent Matt Shaffer, allergic to grass in his youth, needed grass more than ever eight years ago. The decision to grow grass helped secure his biggest reward: A U.S. Open, Howard Richman, June, p. 42. Returning the favor, The benefciary of plenty of help and encouragement along his own career path, Oak Hill’s Jeff Corcoran is now paying it forward to a whole new crop of golf course management professionals, Scott Hollister, August, p. 42.
Up to Speed
crew safe when lightning threatens, Ed Brotak, Ph.D., August, p. 54.
A partnership that pays dividends, Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., March, p. 78.
The Insider
Pace of play and green speed, Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., May, p. 88. Brush daily?, Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., July, p. 78.
Doubling down, Paul B. Latshaw and his team at Muirfeld Village prepare for the rare task of hosting their second professional event of the year, the 2013 Presidents Cup, David McPherson, September, p. 56.
Results may vary … , Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., September, p. 74.
Local knowledge, Looking for inside information on the courses hosting the 2014 GCSAA Golf Championships? Just turn to the golf course management professionals who know these venues the best, Scott Hollister, November, p. 62.
Water Management
Turf Care Applications The dirt on plant health, Two simple words, plant health, apparently aren’t so easy to defne. Yet they play a key part in the race to win over golf course superintendents, Howard Richman, July, p. 42. Wetting agent chemistry: Who cares? What do consumers really know about the chemical composition of the wetting agents they purchase? An acknowledged expert in the feld asks, ‘Does it matter?’, Keith Karnok, Ph.D., July, p. 70.
Fertility: The truth often lies in the recommendation, Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., November, p. 78.
The night life, Even in the 21st century, as automated irrigation systems have become the standard at most golf courses, night watermen still exist. Those who have done it and are doing it now all seem to have a pretty good story to tell, Howard Richman, September, p. 42.
Weather Brainstorm, Thinking ahead to develop a formalized weather management plan can help superintendents prepare for severe weather events and, maybe, save lives, Stan Awtrey, May, p. 42. Before the storm, Advanced planning and new storm-detection technologies can help you keep golfers and your
Assistants Moving up, Sean McNerney, February, p. 32. Tree maintenance: Think twice, cut once, Jonathan Bennett, April, p. 32. A major moment in the heartland, Jeffrey Thoman, June, p. 32. Picking up the slack, Parker Ferren, August, p. 32. Data: Keep the light turned on, Jon Atkins, October, p. 32. Handed the keys to the course midseason, David Clark, December, p. 32.
Career Making networking work, Angela Nitz, January, p. 32. Career building: Goals and relationships, Carol D. Rau, PHR, March, p. 32. Creating a résumé: Part I, Carol D. Rau, PHR, May, p. 32. Creating a résumé: Part II, Carol D. Rau, PHR, July, p. 32.
December 2013 GCM 97
article index 2013 Winning marketing tools: Cover letters and references, Carol D. Rau, PHR, September, p. 32. Digital career tools, Carol D. Rau, PHR, November, p. 32.
R. Nesbitt, March, p. 34.
Teresa Carson, October, p. 38.
Custom night lights, Scott R. Nesbitt, April, p. 34.
The high price of ryegrass, Teresa Carson, November, p. 38.
Light up the night, Scott R. Nesbitt, May, p. 34.
Six-legged villains, Teresa Carson, December, p. 38.
Superior seating, Scott R. Nesbitt, June, p. 34.
Research
Environment In his own words, Beth Barbush, January, p. 36. IPM: It’s about time, Mark Johnson, February, p. 36. Sharing the green: Groundwater Awareness Week, Jennifer Wemhoff, March, p. 36. Investing in research, Mark Johnson, April, p. 36. Sunlight saving time (Breckenridge GC), Bunny Smith, May, p. 36. Solving a runoff dilemma, Steve Trusty, June, p. 36. Building the buzz at Bayer (North American Bee Care Center), July, p. 36. Generally electric (Bear Trace at Harrison Bay), Howard Richman, August, p. 36. Calculating runoff: No more guessing games, September, p. 36. Getting on par with updated OSHA standard, Jennifer H. Lawless, CSP, October, p. 36. Fine feathered friends (Bear Trace at Harrison Bay), Bunny Smith, November, p. 36. Beyond the textbook: IPM tool for the real world, Pamela Smith, CGCS, December, p. 36.
Shop Helping after disaster, Scott R. Nesbitt, January, p. 34. Make it fow (time management), Scott R. Nesbitt, February, p. 34.
PTO safety, Scott R. Nesbitt, July, p. 34. MVT honors man of many talents, Scott Hollister, August, p. 34. Ordering, storing plastic retainers, Scott R. Nesbitt, September, p. 34. Try cross-brand test for spark plugs, Scott R. Nesbitt, October, p. 34. Home vac in the shop, Scott R. Nesbitt, November, p. 34. Wiring woes, Scott R. Nesbitt, December, p. 34.
Turf The people’s turf, Teresa Carson, January, p. 38. A new crop of turf scientists, Part I, Teresa Carson, February, p. 38. A new crop of turf scientists, Part II, Teresa Carson, March, p. 38. Calculating your savings, Teresa Carson, April, p. 38. The 17-year itch: Brood II (cicadas), Teresa Carson, May, p. 38. Recycled and, possibly, required (water use), Teresa Carson, June, p. 38. An Irish rover lands in Chicago (Ed Nangle, Ph.D.), Teresa Carson, July, p. 38. Paints, pigment and turfgrass health, Teresa Carson, August, p. 38. Fire ant venom: A natural fungicide? September, p. 38.
Replace rope before it breaks, Scott Sustainable soil: Going global,
98 GCM December 2013
Cultivar and Species Management Relative resistance of creeping bentgrass cultivars to dollar spot and Typhula blight, Some cultivars show more resistance to fungal diseases. Should you renovate? Paul L. Koch, Ph.D., and James P. Kerns, Ph.D., January, p. 132.
and Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., September, p. 76. Glyphosate-tolerant perennial ryegrass and Poa annua control, Using glyphosate-tolerant perennial ryegrass to overseed bermudagrass can give superintendents an edge on Poa annua, Michael L. Flessner, J. Scott McElroy, Ph.D., October, p. 90. Residual effcacy of fungicides for brown patch control on creeping bentgrass fairways, Fungicide residues deplete quickly, and successful disease control depends on the ability of superintendents to anticipate disease outbreaks, John Daniels and Richard Latin, Ph.D., December, p. 86.
Disease Updates Weed control in spring-seeded hard and tall fescues, With appropriate herbicide use, tall fescue, but not hard fescue, can be established in spring with seed, Peter H. Dernoeden, Ph.D., and Steven J. McDonald, M.S., May, p. 98. Soil salinity and quality of sprinkler- and drip-irrigated warm-season turfgrasses, Most warm-season grasses can maintain acceptable quality when irrigated with saline water from a subsurface drip system, Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., and Elena Sevostianova, Ph.D., June, p. 80. New options for Poa annua control in bentgrass greens, The fght against annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass continues with two new herbicides, Robert B. Cross; Bert McCarty, Ph.D.; and Alan G. Estes, July, p. 86. Foliar uptake of nitrogen on creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass greens, Creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass show similar uptake of foliar-applied nitrogen, Chris Stiegler, Ph.D.; Mike Richardson, Ph.D.; and Doug Karcher, Ph.D., August, p. 72. Soil salinity and quality of coolseason turfgrasses under sprinkler and subsurface drip irrigation, Most cool-season grasses in an arid to semiarid transition climate cannot maintain acceptable quality levels under saline irrigation, Elena Sevostianova, Ph.D.,
JANUARY • First report of Meloidogyne marylandi infecting bermudagrass in Florida, N.S. Sekora, Ph.D.; W.T. Crow, Ph.D.; and T. Mekete, Ph.D., p. 138. • First report of dollar spot caused by Sclerotinia homoeocarpa on creeping bentgrass in North Dakota, Jared M. LeBoldus, Ph.D.; Qi Zhang, Ph.D.; and Kasia Kinzer, M.S., p. 139. • First report of leaf spot of Kentucky bluegrass caused by Nigrospora oryzae in Ontario, Lu Zheng, Ph.D.; Fang Shi, M.S.; Darren Kelly; and Tom Hsiang, Ph.D., p. 140. • Root-knot nematodes in golf course greens of the western United States, Michael A. McClure, Ph.D.; Claudia Nischwitz, Ph.D.; Andrea M. Skantar, Ph.D.; Mark E. Schmitt, Ph.D.; and Sergei A. Subbotin, Ph.D., p. 141. • First report of Magnaporthe poae, cause of summer patch disease on annual bluegrass in Canada, M.M.I. Bassoriello, M.S., and K.S. Jordan, Ph.D., p. 142.
Environment/Wildlife Coping with unwanted wildlife, Part I, Raccoons, bats, snakes and woodpeckers can all make homes on the golf course — sometimes where
article index 2013 fertilizers that supply excess phosphorus when they are applied in quantities that supply suffcient nitrogen to turf? G.K. Stahnke, Ph.D.; E.D. Miltner, Ph.D.; C.G. Cogger, Ph.D.; R.A. Luchterhand; and R.E. Bembenek, August, p. 78.
Turf Care Applications Relative resistance of creeping bentgrass cultivars to dollar spot and Typhula blight, Some cultivars show more resistance to fungal diseases. Should you renovate? Paul L. Koch, Ph.D., and James P. Kerns, Ph.D., January, p. 132. Weed control in spring-seeded hard and tall fescues, With appropriate herbicide use, tall fescue, but not hard fescue, can be established in spring with seed, Peter H. Dernoeden, Ph.D., and Steven J. McDonald, M.S., May, p. 98.
they are not wanted, Jim Knight, Ph.D., April, p. 94. Operation Pollinator for Golf Courses, Naturalized areas on golf courses can boost declining populations of native pollinators by providing habitat in out-of-play areas, Emily Dobbs and Daniel Potter, Ph.D., April, p. 100. Coping with unwanted wildlife, Part II, To varying degrees, skunks, woodchucks, mice and swallows can all be nuisances on golf courses, but they can be controlled, Jim Knight, Ph.D., May, p. 90. The plight of the bees, Why are bees and other pollinators dying, and how can the golf industry safeguard bees and even augment their populations? Jonathan L. Larson, Daniel A. Potter, Ph.D., November, p. 85. Documenting your progress toward sustainability, These practical, science-based sustainability metrics can help you and your facility measure and communicate concrete progress toward reaching sustainability goals, Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D.; Larry Stowell, Ph.D.; and Micah Woods, Ph.D., December, p. 78.
Management/Operations Operation Pollinator for Golf Courses, Naturalized areas on golf courses can boost declining populations of native pollinators by providing habitat in out-of-play areas, Emily Dobbs and Daniel Potter, Ph.D., April, p. 100. The Rules of Golf and the superintendent, A greater familiarity with the Rules of Golf can help superintendents better understand the game and make them more confdent in marking the course, Jack D. Fry, Ph.D., November, p. 80. Documenting your progress toward sustainability, These practical, science-based sustainability metrics can help you and your facility measure and communicate concrete progress toward reaching sustainability goals, Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D.; Larry Stowell, Ph.D.; and Micah Woods, Ph.D., December, p. 78.
Pest Control Monitoring turfgrass insect pests: A step-by-step pictorial guide, Monitoring turf insect pests can decrease pesticide use and pest
damage while reducing expenses, Diane E. Silcox, M.S.; Terri L. Billeisen, M.S.; and Rick L. Brandenburg, Ph.D., February, p. 90. Coping with unwanted wildlife, Part I, Raccoons, bats, snakes and woodpeckers can all make homes on the golf course â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sometimes where they are not wanted, Jim Knight, Ph.D., April, p. 94. Coping with unwanted wildlife, Part II, To varying degrees, skunks, woodchucks, mice and swallows can all be nuisances on golf courses, but they can be controlled, Jim Knight, Ph.D., May, p. 90.
Effect of pre-emergence herbicides on bermudagrass recovery from SDS, Be careful what you spray: Some pre-emergence herbicides may limit turf recovery and further weaken the turfgrass system, L.L. Beck, Ph.D.; T. Cooper; A.J. Hephner; C.M. Straw; and G.M. Henry, Ph.D., July, p. 80. New options for Poa annua control in bentgrass greens, The fght against annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass continues with two new herbicides, Robert B. Cross; Bert McCarty, Ph.D.; and Alan G. Estes, July, p. 86. Foliar uptake of nitrogen on creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass greens, Creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass show similar uptake of foliar-applied nitrogen, Chris Stiegler, Ph.D.; Mike Richardson, Ph.D.; and Doug Karcher, Ph.D., August, p. 72.
Plant Science Foliar uptake of nitrogen on creeping bentgrass and bermudagrass greens, Creeping bentgrass and hybrid bermudagrass show similar uptake of foliar-applied nitrogen, Chris Stiegler, Ph.D.; Mike Richardson, Ph.D.; and Doug Karcher, Ph.D., August, p. 72.
Phosphorus availability in root zones as affected by fertilizer type, What are the effects of organic fertilizers that supply excess phosphorus when they are applied in quantities that supply suffcient nitrogen to turf? G.K. Stahnke, Ph.D.; E.D. Miltner, Ph.D.; C.G. Cogger, Ph.D.; R.A. Luchterhand; and R.E. Bembenek, August, p. 78.
Phosphorus availability in root zones as affected by fertilizer type, What are the effects of organic
Enhancing late-fall nitrogen on greens, Complement late-fall nitrogen with a plant growth regulator to improve December 2013 GCM 99
article index 2013 Jonathan L. Larson, Daniel A. Potter, Ph.D., November, p. 85. Residual effcacy of fungicides for brown patch control on creeping bentgrass fairways, Fungicide residues deplete quickly, and successful disease control depends on the ability of superintendents to anticipate disease outbreaks, John Daniels and Richard Latin, Ph.D., December, p. 86.
Water Management
winter hardiness and nutrient suffciency of greens, Chase M. Rogan, Max Schlossberg, Ph.D., October, p. 82.
can give superintendents an edge on Poa annua, Michael L. Flessner, J. Scott McElroy, Ph.D., October, p. 90.
Glyphosate-tolerant perennial ryegrass and Poa annua control, Using glyphosate-tolerant perennial ryegrass to overseed bermudagrass
The plight of the bees, Why are bees and other pollinators dying, and how can the golf industry safeguard bees and even augment their populations?
Factors affecting salt accumulation in irrigated fairways and roughs in the arid Southwest, Many factors can be involved in salt accumulation, including irrigation systems and management, soil properties, and vegetative cover. Identifying the causes of salt accumulation is key to developing irrigation plans and appropriate management strategies, Seiichi Miyamoto, Ph.D., March, p. 80. Soil salinity and quality of sprinkler- and drip-irrigated warm-season turfgrasses, Most
warm-season grasses can maintain acceptable quality when irrigated with saline water from a subsurface drip system, Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., and Elena Sevostianova, Ph.D., June, p. 80. Soil salinity and quality of coolseason turfgrasses under sprinkler and subsurface drip irrigation, Most cool-season grasses in an arid to semiarid transition climate cannot maintain acceptable quality levels under saline irrigation, Elena Sevostianova, Ph.D., and Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., September, p. 76. Documenting your progress toward sustainability, These practical, science-based sustainability metrics can help you and your facility measure and communicate concrete progress toward reaching sustainability goals, Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D.; Larry Stowell, Ph.D.; and Micah Woods, Ph.D., December, p. 78.
GCM
Since 2001, Sunningdale has purchased four Pro-Flex's on a rotating basis with the latest in 2012. “We use two mowers at a time and we put on about 1,000 hours per season on each of them. It is their reliability and quality of cut that makes us and our members happy.” Tim Webb, CGSA, AGS, Course Superintendent, Sunningdale Golf and Country Club. London, Ontario Two 18-hole championship courses and host to the 2013 PGA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP of CANADA
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PRODUCTnews INDUSTRY news Happenings and people you should know about
Partners of the Year are Athens-Clarke County, Ga., Public Utilities Dept. (Promotional Partner of the Year); Delta Faucet Co. (Large Manufacturer Partner of the Year); Niagara Conservation Corp. (Small Manufacturer Partner of the Year); The Home Depot (Retailer Partner of the Year); KB Home (Builder Partner of the Year); The Irrigation Association (Professional Certifying Organization Partner of the Year); and John Taylor of Taylor Irrigation Service Inc. (Irrigation Partner of the Year). Excellence Awards for outstanding contributions in specifc programs went to City of Boulder, Colo., Dept. of Public Works/Utilities; Colorado Springs, Colo., Utilities; Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and Town of Sharon, Mass.; Sonoma-Marin, Calif., Saving Water Partnership; and Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver.
“Green Glory, A Visual Tribute to the Courses of the Majors — Golf’s Renowned Venues,” is a coffee table-style book that features 69 of the world’s most famous golf courses as seen through the eyes of world-renowned golf landscape painter Linda Hartough and photographer Patrick Drickey. The book features an introduction by Jack Nicklaus and a special tribute to golf course superintendents by Rees Jones. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the hardcover 250-page full-color book will go to The First Tee. It is available by going to www.hartough.com or www.stonehousegolf.com. The Toro Co. closed its acquisition of Xiamen Xiangfeng Water Saving Equipment Co. Ltd. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Xiamen Xiangfeng manufactures water-effcient drip irrigation products, sprinklers, emitters and flters for agriculture, landscaping and greenhouse production. “As we look to the future, water availability and increasing demand for food are driving awareness for the importance of more effcient forms of irrigation,” says Michael Drazan, vice president of Toro’s Global Micro Irrigation Business. The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) will hold its 25th annual conference and exhibition Jan. 21-25 in San Antonio. Nearly 1,200 sports
102 GCM December 2013
turf managers will attend the event at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The keynote speaker is former broadcaster and current motivational speaker Rick Rigsby, who will speak about the essential skills managers need to survive in today’s business environment. Attendees will have the opportunity to receive more than 75 hours of sports turf-specifc education, dedicated networking functions and exhibitor demonstrations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized its 2013 WaterSense Partners of the Year. The program recognizes the commitment of WaterSense partners in promoting water effciency to the American public. Those who were honored are Kohler Co. and Lowes Inc., in the Sustained Excellence Award category;
The United States Golf Association (USGA) has deployed new education tools to expand its “While We’re Young” campaign that addresses the issue of improving pace of play. The new tools include a series of six videos that address the following topics: why traffc jams occur on the course; how course setup impacts pace of play; improving pace of play around the green; being prepared to hit; when disaster strikes; and alternative formats. The frst two videos can be viewed by visiting the USGA’s Pace of Play Resource Center at www.usga. org/whilewereyoung. Additional videos will be introduced periodically. “These videos bring the key challenges to light in an engaging and creative manner that will help meet our goal of educating and mobilizing the entire golf community to understand the cause of slow play and to be part of the solution,” says Mike Davis, USGA executive director. “Today” TV host Matt Lauer, “CNN Headline News” anchor Robin Meade and 2004 U.S. Senior Open and 2012 GCSAA Old Tom Morris Award recipient Peter Jacobsen are video narrators. DLF-Pickseed USA Inc. announced that all three brands —
Saskatchewan. Swanson is a graduate of Michigan State University and has been director of grounds and golf course operations at Red Rock Country Club, Arroyo Golf Club and Siena Golf Club in Las Vegas.
Pay heed at the pump Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) announced a national ethanol education and consumer protection campaign, “Look Before You Pump.” The campaign cautions consumers that it is harmful and illegal to use higher than 10 percent ethanol gas in any outdoor power equipment such as mowers, chain saws, snow throwers and generators. A survey conducted by OPEI and Harris Interactive revealed that 71 percent of Americans are not sure what the legal level is for ethanol gas (anything higher than 10 percent ethanol) in small-engine products. The “Look Before You Pump” campaign reaches consumers through radio and video public service announcements, fact sheets, in-store displays, labeling and product hang tags. For more information, go to www.lookbeforeyoupump.com. Pickseed, Seed Research of Oregon and DLF International Seeds — will continue. “The brands and the teams supporting those brands will remain separate and distinct,” says Claus Ikjaer, CEO and president of the newly formed DLF-Pickseed USA Inc.
Josh Haggas joined Jacobsen’s sales team as national accounts manager. Haggas came to Jacobsen from E-Z-Go, where he spent nearly a decade as a sales representative. Haggas graduated with a degree in marketing management from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and
Curtis Industries added two employees as part of its ongoing strategy to strengthen business development and communications with dealers. Randy Ploof was hired to be the business development manager for the U.S. eastern region, encompassing 22 states from Maine
Jacobsen awarded 18 college students in turfgrass management programs with $500 scholarships. They are: Brown Backstrom, Kentucky; Keith Brandtjen, Oregon State; Dustin Bucher,
to Florida. Mark Manno was named marketing manager. He is leading the company’s online presence and will work to improve website capabilities.
Kioti Tractor raised more than $25,000 this year to beneft the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The fundraising surrounded Canada’s CBIC Run for the Cure, a national run that occurred in October. Aldric Robicheau was the top individual fundraiser with a total of $4,609 and received the limited edition pink CS2410 Subcompact Tractor.
PEOPLE news
State University. In 1992, The New York Mets drafted him. Haggas will be responsible for serving multi-course owners and management companies across the U.S. and Canada.
Steven Swanson was appointed territory manager for Bernhard Grinders in the western U.S. Swanson is guiding sales and distribution of the Bernhard product line in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming along with the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and
“A single sedge tuber can produce more than 1,900 shoots.”
December 2013 GCM 103
North Georgia Technical; Jerry Edmonds, Western Kentucky; Cory Fadenrecht, Oregon State; Daniel Feder, Connecticut; Kayle Fullforth, State University of New York-Delhi; Isaac Lawson, Ozarks Technical Community College; Kevin Marsh, Mt. San Antonio College; Cole McNally, Florida Gateway College; Nick Pennella, State University of New York-Delhi; Chaz Perea, Penn State; Stacy Reichert, Olds College; Steve Slaughter, State University of New York-Delhi; Tyler Spence, North Georgia Technical College; Grady Stelzel, Oregon State; Cody Stewart, California Polytechnic State; and Nicholas Youngers, Kansas State. Candidates from across the U.S. and Canada submitted essays and professor recommendations for consideration. “Receiving this scholarship is a tremendous honor and blessing for me and my family,” says Lawson (pictured with family). “Financially, going to school and supporting a wife and two children can be very diffcult. Jacobsen’s generous gift will really help with the fnancial burden attending college can bring.”
Ze’ev Barylka is the new director of marketing for Netafm USA and Netafm Mexico. Barylka oversees all new product development and introductions, education and training, and marketing communications for the irrigation manufacturer. Barylka most recently was director of sales and marketing in North America for Dorot Control Valves Inc. Barylka earned an MBA from Haifa University in Israel and is a graduate of the Technological Institute of Israel with degrees in food
104 GCM December 2013
engineering and biotechnology. Michael Cumberpatch is the recipient of the 2014 Joe Dey Award, the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced. Cumberpatch, of Annapolis, Md., has been affliated with the USGA since 1993, when he joined the association’s Regional Affairs Committee. He has worked at 20 USGA championships and since 1999 has served as offcial-in-charge of U.S. Open sectional qualifying for the Washington, D.C., region. Cumberpatch also is past president of the Middle Atlantic Golf Association. The Dey award has been presented annually since 1996 in recognition of an individual’s meritorious service to the game as a volunteer. Dey served as the USGA’s executive director from 1934 to 1969 and was the PGA Tour’s frst commissioner. Cumberpatch will receive the award Feb. 8 at the USGA’s annual meeting and service awards program at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club. The Club Foundation announced multiple scholarship recipients. The 2013 LaRocca Family Executive Scholarship recipients are Robert Josey, CCM, The Country Club, Pepper Pike, Ohio; and Daniel Cooper, CCM, The Springs Club, Rancho Mirage, Calif. The scholarship honors the LaRocca family’s commitment to professional development and recognizes their continued support of the Club Foundation. Also, the Sally Burns Rambo Scholarship recipients are Cindy Davis, CCM, Athens (Texas) Country Club; Maria Domann, CCM, Everett (Wash.) Golf & Country Club; Casey Newman, The Briar Club, Houston; and Erica Pepper, Colleton River Plantation, Bluffton, S.C. The Rambo scholarship honors mentor, role model and pioneer Sally Burns Rambo, CCM, who paved the way for the success of countless club industry leaders. The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) awarded Don Rossi Scholarships to fve students pursuing golfrelated careers. They are Daylan Bass, junior, University of Idaho; David Gamble, senior, North
Poppy Hills among courses keeping Jones busy Robert Trent Jones II (RTJ II) architecture frm has unveiled new works on multiple continents. In Argentina, RTJ II started construction on the 18-hole Rio Hondo Golf Club, part of a government-sponsored project to create a high-end tourist zone. The sandy site features wetlands and lagoons. In Columbia, the frm has completed the second nine holes of the Mesa de Yeguas Country Club, which will offcially open as an 18-hole layout this month. At Pebble Beach, RTJ II is completing the construction phase of a complete rebuilding of Poppy Hills Golf Course. Part of the work includes a major reduction in the amount of irrigated turf in order to conserve water and to introduce transitional zones of sandy area between turf and forest. Also, the frm has fnished grassing the SentryWorld Golf Course in Stevens Point, Wis. The layout has undergone extensive upgrading to drainage and irrigation to bring it up to modern standards. RTJ II also completed its multi-phase renovation of The Wisley near London. RTJ II also is completing a course at Changbaishan, north of Beijing, China.
Carolina State University; Cody Pitz, senior, University of WisconsinStout; Alexandra Westman, senior, University of Wisconsin-Stout; and Damon Kull, junior, Florida Gulf Coast University. The scholarships range from $800 to $1,650 and are given in the name of one of the founders of the association that represents golf course owners and operators. The scholarship fund assists students who are majoring in sports management, sports administration or golf enterprise management. Since its inception, more than $60,500 has been awarded to deserving candidates.
GOLF briefs SunRidge Canyon Golf Club in Fountain Hills, Ariz., reopened in October after an ambitious renovation. The golf course maintenance team deep-tine aerifed the turf twice to reduce sodium buildup in the soil. As a result, the soil quality improved signifcantly, creating better growing conditions for both the summer and winter grasses. A new tee box was built
on No. 14, all other teeing areas were leveled and new family/junior tee boxes were added to every hole. Hudson County Improvement Authority chose KemperSports to manage the construction and operation of Lincoln Park West Golf Course in Jersey City, N.J. The nine-hole course will be the cornerstone for the landfll reclamation project that is adjacent to the Hackensack River. Golf course architecture frm Tripp Davis and Associates has embarked on its two-year master plan to renovate and restore Spring Lake Golf Club in New Jersey. The original 18 holes were designed by George Thomas and redesigned in 1918 by A.W. Tillinghast.
GCM Submit items for “Industry News” to hrichman@gcsaa.org
“In one year, one sedge tuber can become 6,900 new tubers.”
December 2013 GCM 105
PRODUCTnews
What’s new and hot for your course
dual sliding windows in both the doors and rear panel, providing maximum airfow from all angles. The venting glass windshield is manufactured with double-strength reinforced laminated glass and meets industry safety regulations. Contact Curtis Industries, 800343-7676 (www.curtiscab.com).
Loftness showcases the I Series for its SnowLogix line of snow blowers. The series includes four models of industrial-duty tractor-mounted units. They are available in 9- and 10-foot widths for effciently moving large amounts of snow. All models offer a two-stage design with 16-inchdiameter augers and extra-large 36-inch-diameter fans. Both 9- and 10foot blowers are available with either two or three augers. Models with two augers measure 48 inches high while those with three augers measure 66 inches high. The I Series uses a proven, reliable chain drive, oversized gearbox, large bearings and thick steel construction for maximum durability, the company says. Maintenance is kept simple with easy-access shear bolts, extra-large skid shoes and a bolt-on cutting edge. A hydraulically adjustable spout with a 14-inch diameter and 270 degrees of rotation is standard. Contact Loftness, 800-828-7624 (www.loftness.com). John Deere released several new products. A new grass-catching option, a directly mounted grass catcher, allows for better contouring and retention of clippings and is designed to allow for easy attachment and removal. It is compatible with all John Deere 2500 riding greens mowers and the 180 and 220 E-Cut Hybrid Walk greens mowers. The direct-mounting grass catcher is designed to retain clippings by slowing the air volume and routing it out of the catcher while keeping the clippings in. Also, John Deere introduced a propane conversion kit that is designed and manufactured by EnviroGard and is available for John Deere ZTrak zero-turn mowers, QuikTrak stand-on mowers and commercial walk-behind mowers. In addition, John Deere’s NeverStop Loaner Guarantee offers landscape contractors a 24-hour loaner guarantee on
Clarification
ZTrak, QuikTrak and walk-behind mowers. NeverStop Loaner Guarantee is available from participating dealers at no additional cost with the purchase of any ZTrak, QuickTrak or commercial walk-behind mower. Contact John Deere (www.deere.com).
Curtis Industries launched a new commercial-grade cab system for John Deere Gator XUV and HPX models. The all-steel enclosure fts 2013 and prior year models and provides all-season protection. The line is made in America and mounts directly to the vehicles’ factory OPS in about three hours. The cab offers superior ventilation with the use of wide,
A Product News listing in the November issue of GCM (Page 96) implied that the USGA was involved with the launch of two new products from Spectrum Technologies, the TruFirm turf frmness meter and a new version of the FieldScout GreenIndex+ app for smartphones. In reality, the USGA and Spectrum worked together only on the launch of the TruFirm device; the FieldScout GreenIndex+ app is solely a product of Spectrum Technologies. GCM apologizes for the confusion.
Bayer CropScience introduced Specticle plus Fertilizer, a herbicide that provides warm-season turf managers up to eight months of residual control at low-use rates. Specticle plus Fertilizer is available in two different concentrations and a variety of fertilizer blends to provide for increased fexibility that meets the needs of warm-season turfgrasses. Contact Bayer CropScience, 800-3312867 (www.backedbybayer.com). Phoenix Brands introduced the 2013 Perks Program, an early order incentive for golf course superintendents. The Perks Program provides superintendents who purchase turf care products in preparation for the next season with improved pricing options and rewards for early orders. Superintendents can choose between distributor credit to use toward future agronomic purchases or a Visa gift card. Syngenta plans to launch Velista 50 WGD fungicide in 2014. Velista 50 WGD is designed to deliver broad-spectrum disease control for golf course superintendents in the U.S. and Canada. Syngenta acquired key assets for Velista from Du Pont Crop Protection. Velista will be the frst succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI) class fungicide for turf from Syngenta. The active ingredient in Velista (penthiopyrad) is designated by the Fungicide Resistance Action Committee as FRAC group 7 and a member of the pyrazole carboxamide fungicide class. VP Racing Fuels Inc. entered
106 GCM December 2013
GIE+Expo a showcase for new products
Several new products were launched at the GIE+Expo in October in Louisville, Ky. Some of them include: • John Deere introduced multiple products. The 3E and 3R Series compact utility tractors for landscape contractors who need to do more than mow grass. Five models are available (3032E, 3038E, 3033R, 3039R and 3046R). The 3E and 3R models feature Final Tier 4 engines ranging from 32 to 46 hp. Also, Deere’s QuikTrak stand-on commercial mower line added three M Series models (636M, 648M and 652M), designed to provide professional landscape contractors excellent cut quality, compact size and operational comfort. The company also added two models to its commercial walk-behind lineup (WHP61A and WH61A). They are 61-inch hydraulic models with either pistol grip or twin loop controls. Deere also unveiled the Z950M to its line of ZTRAK commercial mowers. The zero-turn mower offers more horsepower for greater effciency and performance. Contact John Deere (www.deere.com). • Honda’s EB2000i generator is a 2,000-watt portable generator equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) to meet the Electrical Test Lab requirements for the city of Los Angeles. The Eco Throttle feature allows the generator to conserve fuel by varying engine rpm to produce only the power required to operate the equipment, improving fuel economy. It can operate four to nine hours without refueling. Contact Honda, 770-497-6400 (www.honda.com). • Kubota Tractor Corp. introduced a new series of zeroturn mowers, the Z700 series. It features three models with three cutting widths — 48, 54 and 60 inches. The model numbers are Z723, Z724 and Z725. Kubota calls the series “a true workhorse,” boasting a heavy-duty integrated Parker 14-cc pump and wheel motor system. Contact Kubota, 888-458-2682 (www.kubota.com). • Dosko debuts its 13-21T-13H, a 4-inch chipper that is portable and belt-driven. It is powered by a Honda GX390 recoil start engine and features a reversible double-edge cutting knife. It can chip a 4-inchdiameter log and fts through a 32-inch doorway or gate. Contact Dosko, 866-298-3659 (www.dosko.com). • GreenWorks launches the 40V G-Max DigiPro Brushless Blower/Vac that is designed to deliver longer life, more effciency, less noise and higher performance. Variable speed offers up to 185 mph to make cleanup of major debris easy and effcient. Contact GreenWorks, 888-909-6757 (www.greenworkstools.com).
NIP IT IN THE TUBER
Can Your Fall or Spring Treatment Also Prevent Sedges? Echelon® Herbicide Can. With its patented combination of dual active ingredients, Echelon® goes beyond conventional preemergence crabgrass and Poa annua control to fight sedges and other weeds present at the time of application. What’s more, Echelon impacts sedge tubers underground to reduce future populations of perennial sedges.
Save big on Echelon herbicide and other products with the 2013 FMC Early Order Program! Visit www.fmcprosolutions.com or ask your FMC Authorized Sales Agent or Distributor for more information.
FMC Turf
@FMCturf
Source of tuber facts: Tumbleson & KIommedahl, 1961. FMC and Echelon are trademarks of FMC Corporation. ©2013 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved.
December 2013 GCM 107
into an agreement with Briggs & Stratton (B&S) to provide B&Sbranded fuel for gasoline-powered engines. VO is producing three blends — an ethanol-free fuel for 4-cycle engines and two pre-mixed gas and oil blends (40:1 and 50:1) for 2-cycle engines. Each is formulated to include B&S’s Advanced Formula Fuel Treatment & Stabilizer and will be packaged in quarts, gallons, 5-gallon pails and 54-gallon drums. Contact VP Racing Fuels at 877-515-1733 (www.vpracingfuels.com). Playbooks for Golf released its Coverage System in complete production. Coverage System is a technology-based communication tool that allows superintendents and their staffs to constantly monitor their fertilizer and plant protection applications. The system is updated daily to clearly show what and where products were applied and how long each product will last (according to label information). The details of the product coverage are made available on desktop computers, phones and tablets. It comes loaded with a full product label database that is updated each time a client uses a
new product. The accumulator provides a running tally of product used. Contact Playbooks for Golf, 203-2105623 (www.goplaybooks.com). The Hannay Reels N700 Spring Rewind Reel offers fexible installation options including truck, trailer or garage mounting, on wheels, or carried by hand. The N700 is a compact, rugged, narrow-framed hose reel that features non-sparking ratchet assembly, a four-way roller assembly and a declutching arbor to prevent damage from reverse winding. Contact Hannay Reels, 877-467-3357 (www.hannay.com).
Terramac LLC is showcasing Terramac RT9, a multipurpose carrier for the utility construction market. It features a rubber track crawler carrier that won’t tear up the ground or
The Ultimix from FrostServices is a chemical pre-mix station designed to save time and eliminate the headaches of mixing diffcult products. Meter-out the pre-mixed solution, top with water, and spray. Ultimix features a new larger CleanLoad mix basin and a powerful but quiet electric agitation pump. Also new is an option for a 135-gallon agitation tank. Contact FrostServices, 800-621-7910 (www.frostserv.com).
the RS7200E Spreader/ Sprayer. With an empty weight of 13 pounds, the TL40D Backpack Sprayer includes a 4.3-gallon tank with a unique cone-shaped bottom that ensures all liquid fows to the manually pressurized diaphragm pump. The sealed, dual-stage pump is centrally located at the bottom of the tank, allowing consistent spraying pressure and fow. TL20 Handheld Sprayer offers a 2-gallon tank with a high effciency pump for quick pressurization. It also contains professional-duty seals and O-rings for maximum durability. The RS7200E possesses an electric start, adjustable electric spray pump and hand-held spray wand. It features a 17-gallon tank system with a single port for easy flling and a balanced design for enhanced stability. Contact TrynEx International LLC, 248-5863500 (www.turfexproducts.com)
TurfEx introduced the TL40D Backpack Sprayer and TL20 Handheld Sprayer, each designed for professional application of liquid chemicals, including fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and pesticides. It also launched
Kohler Engines introduced a multitude of products, including its Confdant engine series. This new vertical-shaft, V-twin engine line is designed to meet the needs of both commercial equipment users and property owners who are seeking equipment
road surface. It has an operating weight of 26,000 pounds and a maximum carrying capacity of 18,000 pounds. Terramac RT9 does not require special oversize permitting to transport the machine. The bed on the Terramac RT9 elevates to a 67-degree angle for dumping gravel, sand, dirt and other materials. Contact Terramac LLC, 630365-4800 (www.terramac.com).
Visit us at booth #1401 at the GIS!
108 GCM December 2013
designed to deliver top-caliber performance and durability. The 7000 Series engines are specifcally created for consumer applications that require a high-performance engine. The line encompasses six engine models ranging from 20 to 26 hp. The 2000 Series model RH265 has a 6.5hp horizontal-shaft air-cooled gasoline engine, which the company says is ideal for a variety of consumer applications such as pressure washers, log splitters, tillers, edgers and other utility equipment. The KD440 diesel engine is an air-cooled single-cylinder diesel engine, designed to provide reliable performance in tough conditions. Contact Kohler, 800-544-2444 (www. kohlerengines.com).
Ditch Witch released its SaverLok System, a patent-pending saver subsystem that offers a quick and secure connection providing the
best protection against wear and tear on the drill pipe. The primary beneft of the SaverLok System is increased directional drill uptime, as it is a durable system that is easy to install, and replacement can be performed in the feld quickly. Contact Ditch Witch, 800-6546481 (www.ditchwitch.com). H2O Excel, an all-natural water conservation agent developed by Brookside Agra, signifcantly reduces the amount of water, energy and fertilizer needed to grow healthy crops and turf, according to researchers from Purdue University and the University of Central Missouri. H2O Excel can decrease water usage by 30 percent to 50 percent, thus reducing the amount of water required per application, which in turn reduces costs for families and business owners. H2O Excel can be blended with fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, is safe for use on golf course fairways, tee boxes and greens. Contact Brookside Agra, 618-6288300 (www.brookside-agra.com). Echoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s PowerFuel is a premixed 2-cycle engine fuel that is specially formulated to aid engine break-in
Yardage 3-in-1 adjuvant available
Exacto Inc. is distributing Yardage, a 3-in-1 combination adjuvant that helps applicators optimize the performance of pesticide applications. This acidifer, penetrant and drift reduction product provides a triple-action method that the company says helps create the ideal pH conditions in the tank, improves pesticide penetration of pest surfaces and maximizes the amount of solution that lands on target. Yardage is available in 1- and 2.5-gallon sizes. Contact Exactoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jay Houle, 401-651-4000 (www.exactoinc.com).
PHOTO quiz answers
John Mascaro President of Turf-Tec International
PROBLEM A This golf course is located in Michigan, between Detroit and Lansing. When they pressurized their irrigation system for the frst time in the spring, almost a dozen heads were not working and appeared to be clogged. As you can imagine, the superintendent was stunned when he removed the frst sprinkler valve assembly and found a catfsh. The irrigation water at this facility comes from a pond, and somehow, over the winter a few catfsh wandered into the main line. When the system was pressurized for the frst time, those catfsh went for a wild ride. The catfsh slightly damaged some of the heads, and most of the clogged heads were replaced due to their age. The superintendent also brought in a company to inspect the intake line from the pond to the wet well along with the strainers on the pumps. Unfortunately they did not fnd any concrete evidence of how the catfsh got into the system, and the issue remains a mystery. No more catfsh have shown up in the system, though, so at least the superintendent knows his sprinkler head inlet screens will stop catfsh. Photo submitted by Eric DeLano, superintendent at The Links at Whitmore Lake (Mich.), and a 10-year GCSAA member.
PROBLEM B This golf course uses a growth regulator on the TifSport bermudagrass fairways to keep that varietyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aggressive nature from producing too much vertical growth and to tighten up the turf. About a week before this photo was taken, a growth regulator was applied to this fairway. The operator made four passes on the fairway before realizing one of the center nozzles was clogged. Since the untreated portion of the turf was much longer in length, it was very visible in the morning dew. Because all applications are made across the fairway, the skips were not visible from the tee and could be seen only by someone looking across the fairway. Although the irregularity was very visible in the morning dew, the maintenance crew did not make additional applications to correct this skip. Picture submitted by Andrew J. Jorgensen, CGCS at Candler Hills Golf Club in Ocala, Fla., and a 14-year member of GCSAA.
If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Photo Quiz, please send it to: John Mascaro, 1471 Capital Circle NW, Suite #13, Tallahassee, FL 32303, or e-mail to john@turf-tec.com. Presented in partnership with Jacobsen
110 GCM December 2013
If your photograph is selected, you will receive full credit. All photos submitted will become property of GCM and GCSAA.
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The new Jacobsen LF510™ fairway mower offers affordability from the start, simplifed maintenance and a reliable Kubota diesel Tier 4 fnal engine – making it easy to afford, use and maintain through its entire life. The LF510’s clean and consistent quality-of-cut is provided by the new TrueSet™ cutting units with Classic XP™ reels that boast an industry-leading 425-lbs. of holding power. Mow your fairways without scalping your budget with the new Jacobsen LF510. See your local Jacobsen dealer for more information.
1.888.922.TURF | www.jacobsen.com ©2013 Jacobsen, A Textron Company/Textron Innovations Inc. All rights reserved.
and extend the life of 2-cycle power equipment engines. PowerFuel is a blend of ethanol-free, premium 93-octane gasoline and Echo Red Armor Oil and comes mixed at a 50:1 ratio. Red Armor Oil contains powerful detergents that remove carbon deposits and protect against future buildups without losing lubrication or flm strength. Contact Echo, 847-540-8400 (www. echo-usa.com).
cleanups. Turbo Shift is offered in fve models with either pistol or frefghter grips. A low-fow model opens with 7 to 12 gpm and turbo shifts from 14 to 17 gpm. The high-fow model opens with 12 to 17 gpm and turbo shifts from 20 to 43 gpm. The super-highfow model performs from 34 to 104 gpm (all fow rates are based on 80 psi). Contact Underhill International, 866-863-3744 (www.underhill.us).
Bladerunner Farms of Poteet, Texas, received a 10-year, nonexclusive license for Habiturf, which was developed by a University of Texas at Austin ecologist. Habiturf is a lawn mix that uses a combination of grasses that occur naturally in Texas and Midwestern states where prairies once were common. It is expected to be available as sod in spring 2014. Habiturf will incorporate at least three grass species: Buffalograss, curly mesquite and blue grama. The sod is expected to establish faster than Habiturf that is currently available from seed. Contact Bladerunner Farms, 830-276-4455 (www.bladerunnerfarms.com).
Roll-Tech Molding Products LLC introduced I-Tiles, fexible, durable and interlocking rubber pavers that are environmentally friendly. The 1¾-inch-thick tiles are easily cut and assembled into functional and attractive walkways and cart paths. Made from 100 percent recycled rubber tire, I-Tiles are comfortable to walk on and simple to install. Contact Roll-Tech Molding, 866-431-4515 (www.rolltech.net).
Waterplay Solutions Corp. unveiled Grasslands, a nature-inspired group of products designed to transform any aquatic play space into a world full of wonder. With tall blades of grass and wildfowers, friendly insect characters, smooth surf stones and critter-shaped ground sprays, these products complement Waterplay’s Discovery Stream. Contact Waterplay Solutions, 800-590-5552 (www. waterplay.com).
Eagle One Golf Products has re-engineered the Klaw ball mark repair tool. The tool performs the correct ball mark repairing motions as prescribed by superintendents and golf professionals, the company says. Simply position the Klaw directly over a ball mark and gently push down on the handle. The Klaw’s hardened stainless steel teeth will begin to penetrate the turf around the mark at a 45-degree angle. As the procedure concludes, the teeth push the outside edges of the ball mark together and tamp the turf fat in one simple motion. The Klaw is made of 100 percent stainless steel and can repair eight to 10 ball marks per minute. Contact Eagle One Products, 800-4484409 (www.eogp.com).
GCM Submit items for “Product News” to hrichman@gcsaa.org
Turbo Shift is a multi-function, dual variable-fow hose-end nozzle from Underhill International. Dual variable fow delivers light fog and low-volume jet stream patterns before shifting to high-gear, high-volume outputs. Turbo Shift can be used to syringe greens and tees and as a handwatering supplement for dry, patchy turf. The nozzles are also practical for area wash-downs and equipment 112 GCM December 2013
ON course Dec. 5-8 — PGA Tour, Northwestern Mutual World Challenge, Sherwood Country Club, Thousand Oaks, Calif., Sean Dyer, GCSAA Class A golf course maintenance director. Dec. 12-17 — Web.com Tour, Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament, PGA West Stadium
Course, LaQuinta, Calif., Greg Hrycyk, superintendent. Dec. 13-15 — PGA Tour, Franklin Templeton Shootout, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla., Dale Conzelmann, CGCS, director of golf course maintenance. Dec. 14-15 — Champions Tour, PNC Father-Son Challenge, Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Orlando, Fla., Andy Ragsdale, GCSAA Class A director of grounds.
COMING up Dec. 2-4 — Michigan Golf Business Annual Conference and Vendor Fair, Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids Website: www.mgcoa.org Dec. 3 — Toy Drive at Avery Ranch Golf Club, Austin, Texas Phone: 512-388-2874 Website: www.ctgcsa.com Dec. 3-5 — Kansas Turfgrass Conference, Kansas Expocentre, Topeka Phone: 785-532-6173 Email: cdipman@ksu.edu Website: www.kgcsa.org Dec. 3-5 — Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference and Show, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio Phone: 614-285-4683 Email: info@ohioturf.org Website: www.ohioturfgrass.org Dec. 4 — GCSAA Webcast: Set Goals & Manage Time to Achieve Success Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx Dec. 4 — Iowa GCSA Seminar, Cedar Rapids Country Club Host: Tom Feller, CGCS Phone: 515-635-0306 Website: www.iowagcsa.org Dec. 10-11 — Wisconsin Turfgrass Symposium, American Club, Kohler, Wis. Phone: 920-643-4888
Website: www.wgcsa.com Dec. 10-12 — 38th annual Green Expo, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, Atlantic City, N.J. Phone: 973-812-6467 Website: www.njturfgrass.org Dec. 11 — Target QAL/QAC State Licensing Prep Course, Target Specialty Products Offce, West Sacramento, Calif. Phone: 916-374-0900 Website: www.sierranevadagcsa.com Dec. 11-12 — Pesticide Seminar, Oregon Convention Center, Portland Phone: 877-375-1330 Website: www.ogcsa.org Dec. 11-13 — Virginia Tech Turfgrass Short Course, Fredericksburg Expo Center Phone: 757-464-1004 Email: info@virginiaturf.org Website: www.vaturf.org Dec. 12 — GCSAA Webcast: Use Microsoft OneNote to Stay Organized Contact: GCSAA Education Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/ webcasts.aspx Dec. 16 — 22nd Annual Duff Shaw Classic, North Ranch Country Club, Westlake Village, Calif. Phone: 310-320-6400 Website: www.californiagcsa.org Dec. 16-17 — Common Ground Conference, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kan. Phone: 816-561-5323 Website: www.hagcsa.org Dec. 16-18 — Washington Turf & Landscape Show, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue Phone: 253-219-8360 Website: www.wwgcsa.org JAN. 6 — First Annual G.C. Horn Memorial Turfgrass Education Seminar, Gulf Coast Chruch of Christ, Fort Myers, Fla. Phone: 239-513-8016 www.evergladesgcsa.com Jan. 7 — Golf Course
Management Training, UGA Griffn Campus Student Learning Center, Griffn, Ga. Phone: 706-376-3585 Email: tenia@ggcsa.com Website: www.ggcsa.com Jan. 8-10 — Indiana Green Expo, Indianapolis Phone: 765-494-8039 Email: biehlj@purdue.edu Website: www.agry.purdue.edu Jan. 20 — Equipment Managers Seminar, TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga. Phone: 706-376-3585 Email: tenia@ggcsa.com Website: www.ggcsa.com Jan. 22 — Fifth Annual Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents Meeting/Wee One Fundraiser, Seven Bridges Golf Club, Woodridge, Ill. Phone: 630-243-7900 Website: www.magcs.org Jan. 22-24 — Ontario Golf Course Management Conference and Trade Show, The Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto Phone: 519-767-3341 Website: www.ogsa.ca Jan. 27-30 — VTC Conference & Show, Fredericksburg Expo Center Phone: 757-464-1004 Email: info@virginiaturf.org Website: www.vaturf.org Jan. 28-30 — Iowa Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show, Downtown Des Moines Marriott Phone: 515-635-0306 Website: www.iowagcsa.org Feb. 3-6 — GCSAA Golf Industry Show and Education Conference, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando Phone: 800-472-7878 Website: www.gcsaa.org
NEWmembers ALABAMA Steven L. Banks, Class C, Prattville ARIZONA James G. Kraykovich, Affliate, Tucson Joshua T. Minson, Class C, Scottsdale ARKANSAS Tyler Carr, Student, Fayetteville CALIFORNIA Matthew T. Bottoms, Class C, Milpitas COLORADO Kyle B. Boatman, Class C, Holyoke Patrick McKenzie, Student, Fort Collins
EXPECT RESULTS
CONNECTICUT Rich Apgar, Affliate Co. Rep., Danbury Todd Apgar, Affliate Co. Rep., Danbury Christopher M. Gallant, Class C, Trumbull Wayne Lagasse, Class C, East Haddam FLORIDA Rene Lopez, Class C, Wildwood GEORGIA Daniel L. Gondek, Class C, Atlanta Robert Kuhn, Class C, Atlanta William Oakley, Supt. Mbr., Stockbridge ILLINOIS Jeremy S. Harris, Student, Carbondale INDIANA Nicholas M. Tower, Class C, Cicero IOWA Jacob A. Heck, Student, Ames Ryan C. May, Student, Ames Conrad B. Pannkuk, Student, Ames KANSAS Connor M. Castor, Student, Manhattan
——— To learn if you can receive education points for any of these upcoming programs, visit the External Education Listings in the education section at www.gcsaa.org/education/externaled/ current.aspx.
DEMAND SPECS
KENTUCKY Jon P. Brunson, Student, Elizabethtown Bryan S. Kirby, Student, Joelton MASSACHUSETTS Ryan P. Babcock, Student, Amherst
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Craig L. Olson, Class C, Plymouth MICHIGAN Mark T. Anderson, Student, Brimley Kyle D. DeRoo, Student, Brimley Chris G. Shimmin, Student, Brimley Tristen Guy Woody, Student, Brimley MINNESOTA Edric Funk, Affliate Co. Rep., Bloomington Steven Nielsen, Student, Anoka MISSISSIPPI Michael D. Denney, Student, Mississippi State NEBRASKA Dalton Clark, Student, Hastings NEW JERSEY William Creed, Student, New Brunswick James Lanza, Student, New Brunswick NEW MEXICO Joe M. Villela, Student, Las Cruces NEW YORK Jack M. Leising, Student, Delhi Shaun M. Moffe, Supt. Mbr., Wellesley Island NORTH CAROLINA Eileen Sarro, Affliate Co. Rep., Research Triangle Park Kenneth L. Thorne II, Class C, Southport Nick Tresslar, Affliate Co. Rep., Research Triangle Park OHIO Jacob G. Castro, Student, Columbus Jonathan R. Clymer, Student, Wooster Andrew G. Higgins, Student, Wooster William R. Jones, Student, Columbus Andrew Northeim, Student, Columbus Kevin A. Rhoads, Student, Wooster OKLAHOMA Joseph A. Harris II, Class C, Edmond Zach T. Roach, Class C, Monkey Island OREGON Macey Wessels, Affliate Co. Rep., Salem PENNSYLVANIA Kyle H. Behnert, Student, Doylestown Benjamin Robert Cibotti, Student, State College Stephen J. Dosiak Jr., Student, 114 GCM December 2013
Doylestown Adam D. Duncan, Student, University Park Matthew A. Herrmann, Student, University Park Sean Kelly, Student, University Park Nicholas J. Kunik, Class C, Harborcreek Justin Lewis, Student, State College Devon J. Moll, Student, State College Troy O. Pelesky, Student, State College Paul M. Schimpff, Student, State College Michael C. Stell, Student, State College Jose G. Verduzco, Student, University Park Brandon J. Wildt, Student, State College Erik M. Worcester, Student, State College Tommy D. Young, Student, State College SOUTH CAROLINA Mitchell B. Ogle, Class C, Bluffton TENNESSEE Mitchel S. Hubert, Class C, Gallatin Alan Reynolds, Class C, Germantown Brian Patrick Shutters, Supt. Mbr., Hixson TEXAS Brandyn D. Beyer, Student, San Antonio Clay Briggs, Class C, Frisco Brandon Zerface, Class C, Humble UTAH Andy D. Lindloft, Class C, Park City WISCONSIN David Bressler, Affliate, Kenosha CANADA Brian Brooker, ISM, Hornby, British Columbia Cameron Windjack, Associate, Fonthill, Ontario CHINA Rong Xue Xu, Affliate, Bei Jing Dong Cheng District ENGLAND Russell Lewis, ISM, Manchester Gary J. Walters, Student, Preston SPAIN Giol Xavier, Class C, Caldes De Malavella, Girona
GCM Editor’s note: The information in this report was pulled from GCSAA’s member database on Oct. 27, 2013.
ON THE move CALIFORNIA Eric J. Feldhusen, formerly (A) at Oakhurst Country Club, is now (A) at Mountain Gate Country Club in Los Angeles. Jason Fuertes, formerly (C) at Industry Hills at Pacifc Palms Conference Resort, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Industry Hills at Pacifc Palms Conference Resort in City of Industry. Randy L. Hopton, formerly (A) at El Camino Country Club, is now (A) at Vista Valley Country Club in Vista. Chris Hoyer, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Indian Wells Golf Resort, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Monterey Country Club in Palm Desert. Matthew J. Mulvany, CGCS, formerly (A) at Buenaventura Golf Course, is now (A) at Spanish Hills Golf & Country Club in Camarillo. Justin M. Peloquin, formerly (A) at Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort, is now (A) at Outdoor Resorts/Palm Springs in Cathedral City. Matthew P. Schaefer, formerly (A) at Leavenworth Golf Club, is now (A) at Summit Pointe Golf Club in Milpitas. Denis P. Smith, formerly (A) at Mount Shasta Resort, is now (A) at Santa Clara Golf & Tennis Club in Santa Clara. COLORADO Nick B. Bovino, formerly (S) at Colorado State University, is now (S) at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs. CONNECTICUT Brian M. Conlon, formerly (S) at University of Connecticut, is now (C) at Greenwich Country Club in Greenwich. FLORIDA Eric T. Dixon, formerly (C) at Timber Pines Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Chi Chi Rodriguez Golf Club in Clearwater. James P. Moller, formerly (A) at The Habitat Golf Course, is now (A) at Rio Pinar Golf & Country Club in Orlando. Eric Sharb, formerly (C) at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, is now (C) at
Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton. Clifford R. Thweatt Jr., formerly (C) at Shadow Wood Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Shadow Wood Country Club in Bonita Springs. William J. Wiggins, formerly (C) at Naples National Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Eagle Lakes Golf Club in Naples. GEORGIA Justin T. Solsvig, formerly (C) at Alpharetta Athletic Club West, is now (C) at The Country Club of Roswell in Roswell. HAWAII Christopher H. Hubbard, formerly (C) at Quarry Pines Golf Club, is now (A) at Mauna Kea Resort in Kamuela. KANSAS Mark P. Newton, CGCS, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Ames Golf & Country Club, is now (A) at Deer Creek Golf Course in Leawood. LOUISIANA Jeffrey T. Ryan, formerly (SM) at Fashion Golf & Country Club, is now (C) at Fashion Golf & Country Club in Hahnville. Robert C. Welborn, formerly (C) at The Oaks at Sherwood, is now (AS) at Baton Rouge Country Club in Baton Rouge. MARYLAND Kyle J. Boushell, formerly (C) at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, is now (C) at Burning Tree Club in Bethesda. MASSACHUSETTS Bill Cahill, formerly (C) at North Hempstead Country Club, is now (C) at Wollaston Golf Club in Milton. MICHIGAN Michael R. Montney, formerly (S) at Michigan State University, is now (C) at Birmingham Country Club in Birmingham. Matt Shafer, formerly (C) at Old Oakland Golf Club, is now (C) at Lost Dunes Golf Club in Bridgman. MINNESOTA Nicholas G. Folk, formerly (C) at The Minikahda Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Rochester Golf and Country Club in Rochester. Jordan Hill, formerly (C) at The Black
Bear Golf Club, is now (C) at Elk River Country Club in Elk River. Taylor J. Zinnel, formerly (C) at Bethpage State Park Golf Course, is now (C) at Interlachen Country Club in Minneapolis. MISSISSIPPI Steven Smith, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Stonebriar Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Bridges Golf Club at Hollywood Casino in Bay Saint Louis. MISSOURI Darren Binggeli, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Whiteman AFB Royal Oaks Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Keth Memorial Golf Course in Warrensburg. MONTANA Nicholas W. Harreld, formerly (S) at University of Minnesota-Crookston, is now (C) at Stock Farm Club in Hamilton. NEW JERSEY Alan P. Bean, formerly (C) at Ridge at Back Brook, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Ridge at Back Brook in Ringoes. Michael J. Vacchiano, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Glen Ridge Country Club, is
now (Supt. Mbr.) at Golf Course of Concordia in Monroe Township. NEW YORK Patrick D. Ryan, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Glen Oaks Club Inc., is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Sands Point Golf Club in Port Washington. NORTH CAROLINA John R. Johnson III, formerly (I), is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Shamrock Golf Club in Burlington. Daniel Knight, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Cardinal Golf & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Sedgefeld Country Club in Greensboro. Joe Lara, formerly (AF) at Becker Underwood Inc., is now (AFCR) at BASF Corp. in Research Triangle Park. OHIO Joshua Bryant, formerly (C) at Royal American Links Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Royal American Links Golf Club in Galena. Pat A. Mickley, formerly (SMRT), is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Apple Valley Golf Course in Howard.
PENNSYLVANIA Peter M. Daley, formerly (C) at Hopewell Valley Golf Course, is now (S) at Penn State University in University Park. Josh R. Moyer, formerly (S) at Penn State University, is now (C) at River Crest Golf Club in Phoenixville. Michael J. Nati, CGCS, formerly (AFR) at Sunburst Turf Solutions, is now (A-RT) at Sunburst Turf Solutions in Johnstown. Geoffrey J. Stricker, formerly (C) at Sunnybrook Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting. SOUTH CAROLINA Christopher J. Crawford, formerly (C) at Sun City Hilton Head Community Assoc. Inc., is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Sun City Hilton Head Community Assoc. Inc. in Bluffton. Lee B. Dempster, formerly (C) at Cherokee Town & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Belfair Plantation in Bluffton. Joseph D. Graham, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Legends Golf & Resort, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Oyster Bay Golf Links in Myrtle Beach.
Tyler S. Johanson, formerly (S) at University of Florida, is now (C) at Belfair Plantation in Bluffton. TENNESSEE Kevin Lewis, formerly (A) at Three Ridges Golf Course, is now (A) at Beaver Brook Golf & Country Club in Knoxville. Kevin Rokey, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Blue Springs Country Club, is now (AF) at Rokey Lawn Care in Spring Hill. TEXAS Jason L. Bonner, formerly (C) at Odessa Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Odessa Country Club in Odessa. Kevin Brown, formerly (C) at Pine Forest Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Falls Resort & Club in New Ulm. Ronny R. Duncan Ph.D., formerly (ERT) at Turf Ecosystems LLC, is now (ERT) at R Duncan EcoConsulting LLC in Boerne. Jared Hotchkiss, formerly (C) at Wichita Falls Country Club, is now (C) at Amarillo Country Club in Amarillo. Neal Keller, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at The Hills of Lakeway-Flintrock Falls
Course, is now (AF) at Trees, Turf and Irrigation Management in Leander. Casey Reynolds, formerly (E) at North Carolina State University, is now (E) at Texas A&M University in College Station. UTAH Clinton R. Price, formerly (C) at Reserve at East Bay, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at East Bay Golf Course in Provo. VIRGINIA Jonathan Bennett, formerly (S) at Penn State University-University Park, is now (C) at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian. Robert B. Hall, formerly (A) at Golf Club at Brickshire, is now (A) at The Club at Viniterra in New Kent. Jasen L. Sare, formerly (S) at Kansas State University, is now (C) at Westwood Country Club in Vienna. WASHINGTON Cory R. Brown, formerly (C) at Overlake Golf & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Overlake Golf & Country Club in Medina. David W. Clark, formerly (C) at Linden Golf & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Linden Golf & Country Club in Puyallup. Gregory A. Fernald, formerly (AFCR) at Target Specialty Products, is now (AFCR) at Wilbur Ellis Company in Vancouver. Robert J. Morgan, formerly (C) at Indian Canyon Golf Course, is now (C) at Esmeralda Golf Course in Spokane. Reed E. Perry, formerly (AS) at Sand Point Country Club, is now (AS) at Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle. CANADA Dean O'Doherty, formerly (ISM) at Golf St-Hyacinthe, is now (ISM) at Club de Golf Vallee du Richelieu in Ste.-Julie, Quebec. CHINA Ming Jiang, formerly (ISM) at Jinhai Lake Golf Club, is now (ISM) at Qian Dao Hu Country Club in Chun'an County. EGYPT Otto Kovacs, formerly (I), is now (ISM) at JW Marriott Hotel Cairo in Heliopolis, Cairo. ENGLAND Steven C. Swanson, formerly (A) at Red Rock Country Club-Mountain 116 GCM December 2013
Course, is now (AF) at Bernhard & Co. Ltd. in Rugby. FRANCE Nuno Morgado, formerly (ISM) at Aphrodite Hills Golf Course, is now (ISM) at Domaine de Barbossi-Riviera Golf in Alpes Maritimes. HONG KONG Christopher M. Chase, CGCS, formerly (A) at Hong Kong Golf Club, is now (AF) at Witgang Far East Ltd. in Wanchai. MAURITIUS Storm Lupier, formerly (ISM) at Tamarina Golf Course, is now (ISM) at Royal Palm Hotel in Grand Bay. PUERTO RICO Anibal Y. Garcia Jimenez, formerly (ISM) at Rio Bayamon Golf Course, is now (ISM) at Dorado Beach Resort and Club in Dorado. QATAR Darren Smith, formerly (C) at The Montgomerie Dubai, is now (ISM) at Qatar Foundation GC in Doha. VIETNAM Daniel P. Brown, formerly (ISM) at Denarau Golf and Raquet Club, is now (ISM) at Danang Golf Club in Danang. WEST INDIES Chris Biagi, (ISM) at Trump International Golf Club-St. Vincent, is now (ISM) at Kittitian Hill-Irie Fields.
GCM The information in this report was pulled from GCSAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s member database on Oct. 27, 2013.
IN memoriam Karl Renne Jr., 88, died Jan. 26, 2013. Mr. Renne, a 41-year member of GCSAA, was superintendent at Centerton Golf Club in Elmer, N.J., and Cohanzick Country Club in Fairton, N.J. He is survived by his wife, Lenora; daughters Karole (William) King and Judith (Winfeld) Cossaboon; grandchildren Pamela (Richard) Perticari, Trish (David) Paraskewich and Brent Cossaboon; and great-grandchildren Richie and Jay Perticari, and Haley and Peyton Paraskewich.
AD index Advertiser Telephone
PARTNERS
Page number URL
AMVAC (888) GO-AMVAC BoardTronics (800) 782-9938
PLATINUM PARTNER John Deere Co. (800) 257-7797
4-5 www.johndeere.com/Golf
The Toro Co. (888) 664-7489
IFC-1 www.toro.com/leaderboard
GOLD PARTNER Jacobsen (800) 232-5907
Cover 3 www.amvac-chemical.com
31, 111 www.jacobsen.com
Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC 37, Cover 4 (909) 308-1633 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com
6-7 boardtronics.com
Champion Turf Farms (888) 290-7377
8-9* www.championturffarms.com
FMC Professional Solutions (800) 235-7368 Foley United (800) 225-9810
57 www.foleyunited.com
GCSAA Services
8-9*, 47*, 49*, 65, 75, 81, 83, 89, 93, 101
Peat, Inc. (800) 441-1880 Penn State University (800) 233-4973 Phoenix UPI (888) 250-8856 PlanetAir Turf Products (507) 446-8399 Progressive Turf Equipment Inc. (800) 668-8873
Golf-Lift Div. Derek Weaver Co., Inc. (800) 788-9789
118 www.golf-lift.com
Pure Seed (503) 651-2130
Grigg Bros. (888) 623-7285
Barenbrug USA (800) 547-4101
39* www.barusa.com
J2 Golf Marketing (877) 263-1614
Baroness (707)283-0610
19 www.baroness.us
King Ranch (800) 445-2602
BASF (888) 566-5506
51 www.betterturf.basf.us
53 www.griggbros.com 87 www.j2golfmarketing.com 55 www.miniverde.com
Richway Industries (800) 553-2404 Rogers Sprayers Inc. (888) 975-8294 Sand Trapper (IVI-Golf) (888) 970-5111 The Andersons, Inc. (800) 253-5296
Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. (888) 547-4140
17 www.kasturf.com
The Turfgrass Group, Inc. (770) 207-1500
Bayer Environmental Science 60-61* (866) 550-8785 www.backedbybayer.com/golf-course-management
Kochek (800) 420-4673
118 www.kochek.com
TRIMS Software International Inc. (800) 608-7467
Club Car (800) 445-6680
Linear Rubber Products (800) 558-4040
118 www.rubbermats.com
True-Surface (Turfine, Inc.) (800) 443-8506
Milorganite (800) 287-9645
104 www.milorganite.com
Winfeld Solutions (855) 494-6343
Floratine Products Group (901) 853-2898 Lebanon Turf (800) 350-6650 Par Aide Products Co. (513) 470-0160 PBI Gordon Corp. (800) 971-7233 Precision Laboratories, Inc. (800) 323-6280 Quali-Pro (888) 584-6598
68-69 www.clubcar.com 77 www.foratine.com 14-15 www.lebanonturf.com/ 2-3 www.paraide.com
Neary Technologies (800) 233-4973
67 www.nearytec.com
27 www.nertf.org
Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, Inc. (604) 408-6697
49* www.tifeagle.com
33 www.greensgroomer.com/
Page number URL
New England Regional Turfgrass (800) 881-4832
Georgia Seed Development Commission (303) 431-7333
GreensGroomer Worldwide, Inc. (888) 298-8852 ext. 500 SILVER PARTNER
103, 105, 107 www.fmcprosolutions.com
Advertiser Telephone
Wood Bay Turf Technologies (800) 661-4942 *Denotes regional advertisement
71 www.ostara.com 119 www.peatinc.com
59 www.worldcampus.psu.edu 73 www.phoenixenvcare.com 29 www.planetair.biz 100 www.progressiveturfequip.com 11 www.pureseed.com 119 www.richway.com 119 www.rogerssprayers.com 113 www.sandtrapper.com 25 www.AndersonsPro.com 81, Insert www.theturfgrassgroup.com 119 www.trims.com Cover Tip www.true-surface.com 13 www.winfeld.com 108 www.woodbayturftech.com Bold denotes affliate member
21, 47*, 109, 115 www.pbigordon.com 23 www.precisionlab.com 35, 63 www.quali-pro.com
Standard Golf Co. (866) 743-9773
65, Insert www.standardgolf.com
Tee-2-Green Corp. (800) 547-0255
40-41 www.tee-2-green.com
December 2013 GCM 117
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December 2013 GCM 119
the fnal shot
Photographer: Scott Schurman Title: GCSAA Class A golf course superintendent Course: Kearney (Neb.) Country Club GCSAA membership: 29-year member The shot: On a foggy morning in August, Schurman captured this shot of one of his crew members getting to work on a greenside bunker near the 4th hole at Kearney CC. “I was changing cups that morning and while I was putting the pin back in the hole, I looked up and saw this view,” Schurman says. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snap a couple of shots.” Camera: iPhone 4S Do you have a photograph that you’d like the GCM staff to consider for The Final Shot? You can submit photos for consideration by e-mail to thefinalshot@gcsaa.org or to GCM editor-in-chief Scott Hollister at shollister@gcsaa.org.
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