Golf Course Management - July 2013

www.gcsaa.org • July 2013 Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

golf course management

It may be tough to defne, but plant health is becoming an increasingly important phrase in golf course management PAGE 42

HEALTH KICK

www.gcsaa.org • July 2013 Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

golf course management

It may be tough to defne, but plant health is becoming an increasingly important phrase in golf course management PAGE 42

HEALTH KICK

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The future of plant health is Bayer’s top priority. To prove it, we’re committing 1% of StressGard™ FT sales to the advancement of plant health research and education through the Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow program, with GCSAA and the Environmental Institute for Golf. Visit backedbybayer.com/healthy-turf to learn more or contact your local Bayer representative to participate.

Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.BackedbyBayer.com. Bayer and the Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer. StressGard is a trademark of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label directions carefully. ©2013 Bayer CropScience LP.

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1% of StressGard ª product sales will support Healthy Turf Healthy Tomorrow. backedbybayer.com/healthy-turf Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.BackedbyBayer.com. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Chipco, Chipco Triton, Interface, and Tartan are registered trademarks of Bayer. StressGard and Signature are trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label instructions carefully. ©2013 Bayer CropScience LP.

contents

July 2013 Volume 81 • Number 7

42 The dirt on plant health Two simple words, plant health, apparently aren’t so easy to define. Yet they play a key part in the race to win over golf course superintendents.

Howard Richman

60 The power of prevention Proper attention to golf course ornamentals pays long-term dividends.

John C. Fech, Ph.D.

70 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 field asks, ‘Does it matter?’

Keith Karnok, Ph.D.

On the Cover

This month’s cover was designed by Kelly Neis, GCM’s senior manager, creative services.

No need to stay out of the kitchen.

Summer heat can go over the top no mater where you are. When the thermometer is ready to pop the pressure rises too. But Tee-2-Green bentgrasses take the heat and still give players the ultra dense, upright growth and smooth puting they love. Tat’s proven every summer from North to South.

Bentgrass. It’s all we do. www.tee-2-green.com | bentinfo@tee-2-green.com

“Penn A- /A-4 does well in the heat, we have great roots going in to the summer, and we can cut it lower. It takes a lot more abuse than some of the grasses I’ve dealt with in the past.” Randall Pinckney \ Manor Country Club \ Rockville, MD “Penn A1/A4 is a proven turf in the Washington, DC area with our humid, miserable summers. A1/A4 is tried and true and has done well for many years in this area.” Dean M. Graves, CGCS \ Chevy Chase Club \ Chevy Chase, MD “We switched over to A-1 / A-4 because we felt it is the industry standard for bentgrass. Te frst summer was really hot and we were very pleased with how the A-1 / A-4 performed.” Bob Farren CGCS \ Pinehurst Resort and Country Club \ Pinehurst, North Carolina

contents

RESEARCH

86

36

80 Effect of pre-emergence herbicides on bermudagrass recovery from SDS

THEINSIDER

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 G.M. Henry, Ph.D.

86 New options for

Poa annua control in bentgrass greens The fight against annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass continues with two new herbicides.

Robert B. Cross Bert McCarty, Ph.D. Alan G. Estes

93 Cutting edge Teresa Carson

www.gcsaa.tv

http://gcm.typepad.com

@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 July 2013

34

32

The Insider: Career

34

The Insider: Shop

36

The Insider: Environment

38

The Insider: Turf

Creating a résumé: Part II Carol D. Rau, PHR PTO safety Scott R. Nesbitt Building the buzz at Bayer An Irish rover lands in Chicago Teresa Carson

DEPARTMENTS 16 18 20 28 30 78 94 98 104 104 105 105 106 108 112

President’s message Inside GCM Front nine Field reports Photo quiz Up to speed Industry news Product news On course Coming up Newly certified New members On the move In memoriam Final shot

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Learn more at backedbybayer.com/interface.

1% of StressGard ™ product sales will support Healthy Turf Healthy Tomorrow. backedbybayer.com/healthy-turf Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.BackedbyBayer.com. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, and Interface are registered trademarks of Bayer. StressGard is a trademark of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label instructions carefully. ©2013 Bayer CropScience LP.

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 Chief Operating Offcer

CPR® 4-0-1 TrueFoliar® Fertilizer • Liquid spray-on solutions promote strong heat and drought tolerance • Based on seaplant extract and a micronutrient package • Delivers better color, performance and roots

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 RICHARD KONZEM

GCM STAFF Editor-in-Chief Sr. Managing Editor Sr. Science Editor Associate Editor Sr. Manager, Creative Services Manager, Creative Services Publications/Traffc Specialist

SCOTT HOLLISTER shollister@gcsaa.org BUNNY SMITH bsmith@gcsaa.org TERESA CARSON tcarson@gcsaa.org HOWARD RICHMAN hrichman@gcsaa.org ROGER BILLINGS rbillings@gcsaa.org KELLY NEIS kneis@gcsaa.org SHELLY URISH surish@gcsaa.org

GCSAA This Week Editor

DARCY BOYLE dboyle@gcsaa.org

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Managing Director Marketing and Business Development Business Development Manager Sr. Manager, Corporate Sales and Marketing Account Manager

MATT BROWN mbrown@gcsaa.org JIM CUMMINS jcummins@gcsaa.org ERIC BOEDEKER eboedeker@gcsaa.org KARIN CANDRL kcandrl@gcsaa.org

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.

President’s Message

by Patrick R. Finlen, CGCS

The opportunity is ours It’s been said that life by the yard is hard, but by the inch it’s a cinch.

For some time, golf has been trying to gain the proverbial yard in getting the industry back on its feet. We talked a good game about growing participation, but after all was said and done, more was said than done.

But I am heartened by what has been happening recently in golf’s efforts to grow the game. I am excited because the industry is providing tools to facilities so that they may attract new players and increase participation by those who already play the game.

For example, thanks to a concerted effort of the We Are Golf coalition — of which GCSAA was one of four founding partners — the industry is better communicating the benefts of golf. We are now hearing about the health benefts of golf in hopes of making it attractive to a demographic that seeks physical activity. Rarely have we seen this talked about in golf.

With leadership from PGA and LPGA teaching professionals, an inexpensive program known as Get Golf Ready is available to facilities so new golfers can be brought into the game.

The emphasis is on fun and getting people from the range to the course as quickly as possible. We’re also getting the message that it is perfectly fne to tee it forward and begin play from a point that is most comfortable for us. Superintendents are playing a role in this by adding tee markers forward of existing tees and in some cases at the beginning of fairways.

Last month at the U.S. Open, the USGA announced that it was leading a collaborative effort to address pace of play — long an issue for the game. The initiative will offer support to golfers and facilities alike about how to pick up the pace and make the game more enjoyable. Although there are many organizations supporting this program, those who represent leaders at facilities (GCSAA, LPGA and PGA of America) are being asked to spearhead the effort. What is different from past pace-of-play programs is this is not punitive. In the past, golfers were beat up for not playing faster, but they were given no training or information about how they could do it. Facilities would reprimand their customers for playing slow, usually with the unintended consequence of creating frustration for golfer and employee alike.

The USGA has created an online resource (www.usga.org/ 16 GCM July 2013

whilewereyoung) to help golfers learn how they can increase their pace. Facilities can also go to the website to learn what they can do to address the issue. In the upcoming months, the USGA will be surveying golfers to better understand how they perceive pace of play. It will also be collecting data at golf courses to provide the best information available to support operations such as tee time intervals and course setup.

As golf course superintendents, we know our work can

With leadership from PGA and LPGA teaching professionals, an inexpensive program known as Get Golf Ready is available to facilities so new golfers can be brought into the game. make a signifcant impact on pace. We also know that our programs are affected by ownership and committees. The data the USGA collects should help us have discussions at our facilities about our reasons for making certain decisions. At the same time, we do not have to wait on the USGA to begin the conversation. We know our courses better than anyone. We know what can be done to address pace.

GCSAA members have a huge stake in growing the game.

There are great resources out there to help. But even if you opt not to use those resources, you have the opportunity and the responsibility to attract golfers to your facility and make the experience one they will enjoy to the fullest.

GCM Patrick R. Finlen (pfinlen@olyclub.com) is the director of golf at The Olympic Club in San Francisco and a 28-year GCSAA member.

Inside GCM

by Scott Hollister

A major success story In August of 2005, I climbed aboard a plane headed east with what, at the time, was a unique assignment. My final destination was Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield Township, N.J., and that year’s playing of the PGA Championship. My assignment was to report on the activities of the golf course maintenance team in real-time on a blog we had created especially for the occasion.

Remember, this was almost eight years ago. Facebook was hardly a blip on the radar of public perception. Twitter didn’t even exist yet. Certainly, the digital revolution had already begun, but few realized just how far it would eventually go.

And from our perspective, we had no idea if anyone out there would care enough to read about what the golf course superintendent and his crew did during a major golf championship, and if they did, if they’d turn to the Internet to do that reading. It was a complete crapshoot.

But there were a few things in our corner — an audience particularly invested in the work of a superintendent and his team, a major international sporting event to galvanize that interest and a cooperative maintenance team at Baltusrol, most notably director of grounds Mark Kuhns, CGCS, who at that time was a sitting member of GCSAA’s national board of directors. We thought this had a chance to work.

Lo and behold, it actually did. People seemed to be genuinely interested in what happened during early morning rounds, how the maintenance team responded when a large limb crashed to the ground behind the fourth green during play and the long-term effects of turning several fairways on Baltusrol’s Upper Course into gravel-covered parking lots.

The numbers on the blog weren’t overwhelming (ESPN.com had nothing to worry about) but they were enough to convince us to continue providing this kind of inside-the-ropes reporting from the sites of major golf championships.

Last month’s U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club just outside of Philadelphia showcased the full evolution of that strategy.

Howard Richman’s excellent reporting on the GCM blog (http://gcm.typepad.com) attracted more than 12,000 unique page views during the week, and ESPN and Golf Magazine, among others, picked up stories from the blog. The Facebook and Twitter accounts for both GCSAA and GCM were packed with regular updates for the more than 10,000 people who fol18 GCM July 2013

low those accounts. And GCSAA TV (www.gcsaa.tv) had new video features posting daily throughout the week. When you include the updates provided by Penn State’s turfgrass team throughout the week and the coverage from other trade publications and online sources, it had to be the most thoroughly covered professional golf event — at least from a golf course management perspective — in history.

And even though we’re not usually the types to toot our own horns around here, that does make us just a tad proud. It

Remember, this was almost eight years ago. Facebook was hardly a blip on the radar of public perception. Twitter didn’t even exist yet. Certainly, the digital revolution had already begun, but few realized just how far it would eventually go. also justifed the decision we frst made back in 2005 — that GCM readers and GCSAA members had a genuine curiosity about the unique brand of golf course management that is practiced at major golf tournaments — and the decisions we continue to make regarding providing this kind of coverage for our readers.

That’s why I’ll be spending a few days this month with Eric McPherson, CGCS, and his crew at Omaha (Neb.) Country Club offering behind-the-scenes insights from the U.S. Senior Open. It’s why I’m off to Oak Hill Golf Club in Rochester, N.Y., in early August to share the stories of Jeff Corcoran and his team as they prep for the PGA Championship. And it’s why GCM plans to be on the ground in Columbus, Ohio, in October with Paul B. Latshaw, CGCS, and the gang at Muirfeld Village Golf Club for the President’s Cup competitions.

Our reports from Omaha will begin Sunday, July 7, while the frst PGA Championship blogs will appear Sunday, Aug. 4.

GCM Scott Hollister (shollister@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s editor-in-chief.

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see more @ www.gcsaa.org

Left: Golf course superintendent Bob Blalock sells barbecue sauce in his spare time.

Here he is at Krogers, offering samples.

Photos courtesy of Bob Blalock Right: Bob and Terri Blalock

Super’s sauce a hit with BBQ connoisseurs

Konzem resigns COO post GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans announced June 19 the resignation of Richard Konzem as the association’s chief operating officer. Konzem was hired for the position in October 2011. “I appreciate Richard’s contributions to the association’s operations and its members,” Evans said.

“We will miss him as a GCSAA team member, and wish him much success in his future endeavors.” Evans said that as is standard procedure, the position will be evaluated before any posting decisions are made.

20 GCM July 2013

If you just happen to be in the greater Houston area and see a 50-something man offering samples of barbecue sauce, that guy probably is a golf course superintendent.

In his spare (ribs) time, Bob Blalock, the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Lake Windcrest Golf Club in Magnolia, Texas, has a nice little business going on the side.

Uncle Bob’s Sauces appear to be a hit in the Lone Star State, and others across the country are learning about it, too. In 2012, they sold approximately 20,000 bottles.

“We just shipped 39 cases to a Von Maur department store in Iowa,” Blalock tells GCM. This truly is a labor of love. Blalock has teamed up with his wife, Terri, to operate the business.

Raised on an Angus cattle farm in Woodbury, Ga., about 60 miles south of Atlanta, Blalock earned a degree in animal science at the University of Georgia and quickly got a job managing a beef cattle experiment station for the university. Eventually, Blalock went to graduate school, later moved to Cleveland, and was bitten by the golf bug.

“That’s when I started to wonder how I could combine ag with golf,” he says.

He entered the world of golf course management as a crew member at Quail Hollow Resort in Painesville, Ohio, and in only 30 months became its superintendent. He credits people such as his mentor, Jim Loke, CGCS, for teaching him the intricacies of the business.

“His tenacity for details, his knowledge of the nuts and bolts of agronomy and how that all works on the golf course, were things I watched and learned from him,” Blalock says. “He was very cutting edge, wasn’t afraid to try new things.”

In time, Blalock moved to Southern California. Neither Cleveland nor California, though, completely satisfed his taste buds.

“You couldn’t fnd any real good barbecue in those places,”

Blalock says.

He decided to take matters into his own hands. Blalock put his memory to the test, remembering what barbecue tasted like to him as a youngster, in a house where the freezer always was stocked with beef. The Blalocks purchased a 60-gallon kettle and moved into a commercial kitchen to meet health department code requirements.

“At frst we would make small batches of our sauce and started giving it as Christmas presents,” he says. “I didn’t know how to properly bottle it; we just found some clear plastic squeeze bottles and put it in those.”

The Blalocks didn’t have to ask whether their product was a hit.

“People started showing up with empty bottles and wanted us to refll them,” Blalock says. “We saw a need to nurture this, so we did.”

Their sauce comes in multiple favors. One of the most popular is Georgia Juice, which he says is a vinegar/mustard-based sauce that goes well with chicken, pork or any type of white meat.

The Blalocks’ product line includes gourmet burger sauce, seasonings and rubs (www.unclebobssauces.com).

Oh, and they also have their own restaurant. Uncle Bob’s BBQ in Willis, Texas, is open Friday through Sunday at Stow-A-Way Marina. Terri’s son from a previous marriage, Brandon Gorman, runs the restaurant. Blalock defers much of the credit to their success to Terri.

“She is the driving force in the development of the business,” he says.

Blalock certainly has found a nice blend, both in his sauces and his career, and that is the ultimate reward.

“It is nice to be able to create something people enjoy when we prepare our golf course each day,” Blalock says, “and it is also neat to see so many people have come to like our sauces. It’s all just very gratifying.”

— Howard Richman, GCM associate editor

Checkered Flag/Label Design®, Gordon’s®, ProForm® and Q4® are registered trademarks of PBI-Gordon Corporation Always read and follow label directions. 05/2012 01750

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see more @ www.gcsaa.org the event attracted nearly 50 superintendents to Greenville CC. They made their way around a series of hands-on, interactive presentations that touched on topics ranging from precision topdressing and maximizing putting green performance and stress tolerance to frequency of clip and its effect on ball roll, and utilizing GPS technology to improve spraying effciency and accuracy.

Early returns indicate this won’t be the only Turf Science Live event offered in 2013. If offcial feedback from attendees matches the anecdotal comments event organizers received, look for a West Coast stop at some point this fall.

— Scott Hollister, GCM editor-in-chief

Pinehurst No. 2 on the clock

Scott Kinkead, the executive vice president for Turfco, discusses precision topdressing technologies on his company’s newest spreader during the Turf Science Live event at Greenville, S.C., in May. Photo by Scott Hollister

V v v

Eagles Pride Golf Course in Tacoma, Wash., became the 1,000th golf course in the world to receive designation as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Eagles Pride is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the Defense Department’s largest military installation on the West Coast. John Ford, CGCS, oversees Eagles Pride. He is a 35-year member of GCSAA.

22 GCM July 2013

Turf Science Live showcases new products, technology You often hear that golf course management is a relationship business.

Not unlike many other industries, of course, but often who you know is just as important as what you know. It can be the way many superintendents land that dream job. It can allow turf students to out-muscle the competition for that prime internship.

And it can be the way companies gain the upper hand in their efforts to land that big sale.

It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that four familiar industry names — Syngenta, Jacobsen, Turfco and Smithco — came together in mid-May in Greenville, S.C., to put on an event whose primary goal was building relationships. The frst domestic Turf Science Live event was not only a chance for the presenting companies to solidify connections with their customers, but also for those same customers to create relationships that would last far beyond the two days in South Carolina.

“I think an event like this is a good combination of networking amongst peers and a sharing of knowledge, both between the attendees themselves and the companies that are here sharing some of the things that we’ve all done to help improve turf conditions,” says Chris Vernon, Jacobsen’s vice president of marketing and product management. “It’s an interaction that creates a really good dynamic, a good mix of learning and networking.”

Turf Science Live — hosted by the 36-hole Greenville Country Club and its GCSAA Class A superintendent, Chuck Connolly — wasn’t a complete shot in the dark for the participating companies. Jacobsen and Syngenta had been using similar events to great effect in the United Kingdom for several years, so bringing the idea stateside was a natural extension, according to Shawn Potter, who is the head of marketing for Syngenta’s turf and landscape/consumer businesses.

“We all had a common goal of fnding ways to effectively introduce technology and information to superintendents, so for us it was identifying what had been so successful in the U.K., taking those components and delivering them into the U.S.,” Potter says.

Targeting superintendents largely from the Carolinas — although the fnal attendee list included participants from as far away as Georgia and Virginia — the frst domestic incarnation of

The 2014 U.S. Open is still 11 months away. That may seem like quite a while, but when your facility is hosting two U.S. Opens in back-to-back weeks, well, there is no time to waste.

“The preparations are going well,” Bob Farren, CGCS, Pinehurst’s director of golf course and grounds management, tells GCM. “Kevin Robinson, CGCS, the superintendent of No. 2 (which is the site for the two events) and his team have continued to do an excellent job in preparing the course.”

The men’s U.S. Open is set for June 12-15, 2014; the women’s U.S. Open is scheduled for the following week, June 19-22.

Currently, though, Pinehurst is busy on two of its other courses. Pinehurst No. 8 is in the process of converting its greens from bentgrass to Champion ultradwarf bermudagrass.

The course is closed and is expected to reopen July 24. A similar project on Pinehurst No. 3 is next; it is set to close Aug. 4 for the changeover in grasses, and the plan is to reopen Oct. 4. A year ago, Pinehurst No. 1 was converted. The big change, however, will wait until the U.S. Opens are completed next year when Pinehurst No. 2 will be converted, beginning in July 2014.

Such conversions have become a trend for courses in the Southeast. Atlanta Athletic Club made the change prior to its hosting of the 2011 PGA Championship, while Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C., began its switch this May shortly after hosting the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship, all in preparation for that course’s hosting of the 2017 PGA Championship.

“The conversion of the greens is a big deal,” Farren says.

“The primary energy behind our decision is simply enabling us to provide good, quality playing conditions more weeks out of the year. The green speed, though easier to safely achieve with the ultradwarfs in the summer months, is in my opinion secondary to the fact that they allow us to provide a much frmer surface throughout the year.”

Farren indicates that the changeover process has progressed without some of the anticipated problems.

“We were initially concerned that they (greens) would become too fast in the dormant months. I believe experience has proven that they can, in fact, be managed through the fall to prevent that from happening,” he says. “Another concern has been their ability

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Winning the 2013 GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl paid off in multiple ways for the team from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, including a spot on the volunteer team at TPC Sawgrass for the Players Championship in May. Photo courtesy of John Deere

24 GCM July 2013

see more @ www.gcsaa.org

to withstand the potential extreme cold temperatures. Though we have yet to experience this with only one winter under our belts with MiniVerde (bermudagrass) on Course No. 1, we feel confdent that the diligent use of protective covers will help increase our chances of success or survival of this scenario.”

Farren says no decision has been made on whether the other courses at Pinehurst will change to bermudagrass. “I believe that will be determined by the success we have as we go forward,” Farren says.

As for next year’s major championships, USGA Executive Director Mike Davis has been on site several times. The USGA’s current focus, according to Farren, is the speed, texture and frmness of the putting surfaces.

“We are on a very good track for success in this regard,” Farren says.

— Howard Richman, GCM associate editor

near impossible to prepare such a fawless golf course and such a successful event,” White says. “It was truly amazing to watch over 100 strangers become one coherent team of friends, who were able to battle through Mother Nature’s wrath and turn the wreckage into a championship golf course.”

White and his UMass teammates were part of a crew of 140 staff and volunteers. Breazeale says he needed each and every one of them on deck.

“Without the additional 60 people … we would’ve probably needed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to even get ready,” Breazeale says. “With their help we repaired the golf course, but we were also able to start tournament-prepping the greens like we normally would. So this year, more so than any year thus far, they were hugely integral in the success of this tournament.”

White and his UMass teammates impressed Vlach.

“The experience with the Turf Bowl winners has been fantastic,” he says. “We’re grateful that they’ve taken time away from school after they’ve fnished with exams to come here to spend a week with us. I’m sure they’re worn out, but they’re a fantastic, enthusiastic group and we’re grateful for them.”

White sums it all up as an unforgettable experience.

“Now that TPC Sawgrass and The Players Championship has offcially concluded, looking back on the past week my teammates and I soaked up countless valuable insights and experiences,” White says. “For the four of us, this week was not only a crash course in bermudagrass management and tournament preparation, but it was also a fantastic display of the value of teamwork and attention to detail. But the real lesson came in the form of rebuilding a golf course after 10 inches of rain. School doesn’t prepare you for what we did this week.”

Turf Bowl champs chip in at Players Championship

Mill destroyed in fre will return with golf theme

GCM guest blogger Peter White got quite an eye-opening experience as a volunteer in May for the Players Championship.

Ten inches of rain over a four-day span certainly catches your eye.

White was a part of the four-person team from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst that won the GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl — which is presented in partnership with John Deere Golf — in February at the Golf Industry Show in San Diego. Besides earning $4,000 for the school’s turf program, the team members were also given the opportunity to serve as volunteers during May’s Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Joining White at Sawgrass were Evan Brandstreet, Kevin Shewmaker and Sean Raposa.

Those heavy rains that inundated the golf course the Saturday before the event — perhaps highlighted by the path to the famous No. 17 island green that was under water — put the TPC Sawgrass crew, headed by Tom Vlach, CGCS, and Stadium Course superintendent Clay Breazeale in extreme action mode.

White, who provided live updates for GCM during tournament week, knew the moment he stepped on the property that a challenge was at hand.

“When we arrived on Saturday, we all thought that it would be

The Cheesebrough mill — a maker of wooden tools that harvested the world’s crops and groomed its lawns and golf courses for the past three centuries — burned to the ground in March 2013.

The landmark wooden structure on the main street of the Village of Freeport, Mich., turned to ash within an hour. Owners Ken and Pat Van Tol are rebuilding; they are determined to retain the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in the state.

“Our customers have been willing to give us time to reorganize, and a temporary facility is in operation,” Ken Van Tol says.

“Custom equipment is being fabricated by multiple machine shops; tooling built at the time of the Civil War that had lost its tempering in the fre is at the foundry being re-tempered for use.

The balance of simple tooling and handwork produces quality and durability that’s hard to match. We plan to carry on with the same system.

“The new building will be designed specifcally for our golf business. It will probably be better for business, but a lot of our history was lost and much of our past is gone.”

Cheesebrough created its golf division 20 years ago and produces high-quality wood items for golf courses — fags, fagsticks, rakes and golf ball baskets. At the time, golf was experi-

front NINE

9

The Cheesebrough mill’s original structure front.

Photo courtesy of Jean Gallup

V v v

The USGA and the R&A announced final approval of Rule 14-1B that prohibits use of anchored strokes. The new rule, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2016, means golfers won’t be able to anchor a club in making a stroke. “Having considered all of the input that we received, both before and after the proposed Rule was announced, our best judgment is that Rule 14-1B is necessary to preserve one of the important traditions and challenges of the game — that the player freely swing the entire club,” USGA President Glen D. Nager says.

26 GCM July 2013

encing growth with a renewed interest in traditional wood products the company offered to a world focused on sustainability.

Cheesebrough was classifed as “Early American Industry,” a brief period when craftsmen designed and built simple machines to help make products for a rapidly increasing population.

Those early craftsmen brought about the Industrial Revolution, and the new technology meant the end of the era of handwork and simple machines. The company survived because they had developed an international market and the rest of the world did not change as rapidly as America.

“We intend to play our part in the economic development needed to help our country prosper in the new global economy by continuing to make American products and sending them around the world,” Van Tol said.

A landmark at the site of the fre to commemorate Cheesebrough’s historical signifcance to the country’s economic development and the lives of the people in the area is being planned.

— Jean Gallup, free-lance writer

GCM receives 11 TOCA awards

GCM was honored with 11 awards during the 2013 Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) Communications Contest.

That total marked the most by any single publication entered in the writing, design and photography contest and included eight frst-place honors. The awards, presented for work completed in 2012, were announced during TOCA’s annual meeting May 7-9 in Portland, Ore. First-place awards were presented to: • Howard Richman, associate editor, writing for commercial publications, general feature article, “The spirits of giving,” November 2012 • Bunny Smith, senior managing editor, writing for commercial publications, headline writing, “On holding pond: An undercover mystery,” June 2012 • Scott Hollister, editor-in-chief, writing for web sites, original content, “The cutting edge stakes its claim at Olympic,” June 2012 • Roger Billings, senior manager, creative services, printed magazines, cover page design, “Remote Possibilities,” August 2012 • Mark Leslie, contributor, writing for commercial publications, product information article, “Radio Silence,” May 2012

see more @ www.gcsaa.org • Steve Puppe, contributor, portrait/personality, photo of individual or group of individuals, “Like father, like daughter,” July 2012 • Greg Leach (assistant superintendent at Lubbock (Texas) Country Club), contributor, pictorial one (photo of golf course, park, sports feld or any commercial or community area), Final Shot photo, February 2012 • Aidan Bradley, contributor, best photograph, print magazine cover, April 2012 Merit awards were presented to: Richman, writing for commercial publications, operations profle, “Remote Possibilities,” August 2012; Kelly Neis, senior manager, creative services, best design (full feature article) in the international awards category, “Wei Shuao profle,” GCM China, November/December 2012; and contributor Lou Ann Balderson, picture story (two or more photos to illustrate an article in a printed magazine), “Second to one,” March 2012.

In addition, Leach’s photo received a Gardner Award, a bestof-show award in the photography, video and multimedia category. The Gardner Awards are named after TOCA’s longtime executive director, Den Gardner.

Major Toms building golf academy Golfer David Toms, 2001 PGA Championship winner, hopes to build a world-class golf academy in his home state.

One of those he chose to help make it possible is 13-year GCSAA member Scott Tolar, formerly an assistant superintendent, who was hired to be Toms’ superintendent. Read more about the project in the Shreveport Times. www.shreveport times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201305181841/ SPORTS05/305180013&nclick_check=1

Mourning a loss in Florida James “Ace” Kozorra was a popular member of the golf course maintenance staff at Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Fla. His tragic death Memorial Day weekend shocked and saddened the club, and this column in the Tampa Bay Times highlights why Kozorra was such a special fgure around the club. www.tampabay.com/news/ publicsafety/accidents/greenskeepers-memory-lives-onat-feather-sound-country-club/2123273

West Virginia settlers buried near greens Golfers in West Virginia encounter an interesting situation on some of the greens at Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston. The Charleston Gazette has details about a nearby cemetery and how it intersects the club. www.wvga zette.com/Life/201305230228

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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.

Southeast A recent economic impact study in California has revealed just how much of an impact the golf industry has on the state’s economy.

The report — commissioned by Golf 20/20 for the California Alliance for Golf, a trade industry group that includes the California GCSA — says the state’s golf industry generated a total economic impact of $13.1 billion in 2013, supporting more than 128,000 jobs with $4.1 billion in wage income. Those figures represent an overall decline from 2006, when California’s golf industry generated an economic impact of $15.1 billion, with close to 160,000 jobs with $4.8 billion in wage income. The decrease has been attributed to the nationwide contraction in golf residential real estate and golf facility capital investment, including new course construction.

Golf in California generated $6.3 billion in revenue in 2011, which compares favorably to industries like movie theatres and drive-ins ($2.6 billion), greenhouse/nursery crops ($3.7 billion) and amusement/theme parks ($3.7 billion). Regarding the game’s environmental impact on the state, the survey revealed that golf represents 3.5 percent of the total turfgrass in California, consumes 1.2 percent

28 GCM July 2013

of the total water used for irrigated crops and accounts for less than 1 percent of the total fresh water consumed in the state. For more information, visit www.cagolf.org/government relations/golf-economic-study.html.

Florida One superintendent’s contributions to an important project on his course have not gone unnoticed by his membership. In fact, Wayne Phillips’ name will be remembered around Rocky Bayou Country Club in Niceville, Fla., long after he’s hung up his boots. Following the completion of a new bridge across a creek that runs in front of the green on the ninth hole, the club’s membership was so pleased with the results and Phillips’ significant efforts in getting those results that they announced the bridge would be named after the GCSAA Class A superintendent. The honor was commemorated with a plaque that was placed on the bridge. “I’m really very grateful. It’s a very nice gesture by the club,” says the 13-year association member, who’s been at Rocky Bayou since 2003. “The club president and grounds chairman came into our (Gulf Coast GCSA) chapter meeting that we were hosting to make the announcement, so the fact that they would take the time and go to that effort to announce it in front of my peers and colleagues made it very special for me.”

Northwest The Oregon GCSA has selected Randy Shults, CGCS at Tualatin Country Club, for inclusion in the chapter’s hall of fame. The superintendent at Tualatin since 1984, the 33-year GCSAA member has served a vital role in the chapter’s leadership since being elected to its board of directors as an assistant superintendent in 1978. He was the chapter’s president from 1981 to 1984, and was the driving force behind its annual pesticide seminar from 1990 to 2008. Previously, Shults was selected as the Oregon GCSA’s Superintendent of the Year and its Richard Malpass Distinguished Service Award winner.

Additionally, the chapter named Bob Senseman, CGCS at Oswego Lake Country Club in Lake Oswego and a 32-year GCSAA member, as the winner of the 2013 Distinguished Service Award, while Rick Sullivan, the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Summerfield Golf Course in Portland, was selected as the chapter’s Superintendent of the Year. The Assistant Superintendent of the Year was Gabe Hughes, a nine-year member of GCSAA, from The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Beaverton, while Russell Vandehey, CGCS at The Oregon Golf Club in Oregon City and a 29-year GCSAA member, won the Michael S. Hindahl Environmental Award of Excellence.

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Answers on page102 30 GCM July 2013

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THE INSIDER: career

Carol D. Rau, PHR

Creating a résumé: Part II In my last column (May GCM, Page 32), I began to answer the question that golf course superintendents ask me daily: “How can I create a résumé that will stand out and help me get an interview?”

RÉSUMÉ tips For an in-depth look at strategies mentioned in this column, see Rau’s new podcast “Top 5 Résumé Tips” on the GCSAA website. Click on the Jobs section (www.gcsaa.org/jobs/ Resources/Resume-tips.aspx).

32 GCM July 2013

I began with two key strategies: 1) Focus on the audience, and 2) Get the reader’s attention quickly. This month, I’m offering two additional proven tips you can implement to create a winning résumé in the golf and turf industry — activate your experience and use the format to your advantage.

Activate your experience. The experience section of your résumé should not just be a listing of employers, titles and tasks. Remember, all of the other qualifed candidates will have similar experience, titles and tasks. The goal of a résumé is to articulate what sets you apart, and it is critical that your experience section continues your message of why you are the best candidate for the target job position.

In addition to listing your employers, titles, dates of employment and a summary statement describing the scope of your responsibilities, start focusing on results and achievements. What results do you have a proven ability to generate?

Emphasize tangible, specifc outcomes from past employers and how they relate to the results you will provide for the prospective employer.

Refer to your research when determining what to include and emphasize points that you believe the target audience is seeking in their specifc job opening. Include examples such as cost savings, growth in membership and/or golf rounds, employee training and management, and leadership team contributions to demonstrate

your skills and set you apart.

Use the format to your advantage. Many GCSAA members ask simply, “How is it possible to convey all my experience, education and strengths on a one- or two-page document?”

When we critique member résumés, we often see résumés that are simply too long. Outstanding achievements can be easily overlooked among long lists, paragraphs of information and redundant listings of tasks and responsibilities. For example, if you were an assistant superintendent at multiple facilities, do not repeat a list of tasks for each employer, but rather specify noteworthy results and achievements under each listing.

Another strategy in formatting is to organize your résumé in a way that highlights your individual strengths and career successes. For example, during the recent economic downturn, many clients want to de-emphasize recent employment gaps and/or employment unrelated to the golf and turf industry. To ensure the reader doesn’t miss your relevant career experiences and achievements, include a strong summary section to start your résumé (as detailed in Part I), and then consider changing section titles to list your best employment listings frst. Perhaps use the title “Golf Management Experience” instead of just “Experience,” which would allow you to list your most recent career role in the golf industry frst. To fll in the time gap, you could also add a section such as “Additional Experience” to note supplementary work.

As you build your résumé, I would offer these fnal questions when determining the content and organization of your résumé. Is the format clean and easy to follow? Will this point help me get an interview? Does this point relate to the target employer’s needs and focus? And ultimately, does my résumé help me stand out?

GCM Carol D. Rau, PHR, is a career consultant with GCSAA and is the owner of Career Advantage, an employment consulting frm in Lawrence, Kan., specializing in golf and turf industry careers. GCSAA members receive complimentary résumé critiques by Rau and her team, résumé and cover letter creation for a reduced member rate, along with interview preparation and portfolio consultation. She can be contacted at careeradvantage@sunfower.com.

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THE INSIDER: shop

A dangerous old PTO shaft with broken shielding is compared to a new shaft with proper guards and safety chains.

Photo by Scott Nesbitt

Scott R. Nesbitt

PTO safety Although it is easy to ignore, the power-take-off (PTO) drive shaft powering implements off your

NEWS & notes Longtime golf industry equipment manager Stephen Tucker has established Partschanger.com, an online auction site. The site (www. partschanger.com), which launched in late May, allows golf course equipment technicians, superintendents, dealers and others to list for sale unwanted items from their parts inventories. “I felt this was something missing for many of us who have a boneyard of equipment or parts, old cups, flagsticks, sitting on the shelves,” says Tucker, the equipment manager at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas and the CEO of the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association. “My feeling was that instead of throwing some of this stuff out, maybe some golf courses or grounds managers could use it at their operation. We are all looking for more ways to minimize waste and maximize dollars.”

34 GCM July 2013

tractor can be dangerous — even deadly. Thanks to the Internet, the savvy superintendent can provide a quick but thorough safety review that should reduce the risk of accidents.

Te risks arising from the PTO shaft arise a PTO shaft is connected on a mid-size tractor mainly in three areas: shielding, mounting and with trailing brush mower. maintenance.

• “PTO shaft accident” (www.youtube.com/ A PTO shaft is rather simple. Tere’s a telewatch?v=gzNJrytf1g8) by farmaccidents, :49. scoping two-part steel shaft with universal joints Tis will grab the crew’s attention. and couplers on each end. Te typical golf course • “PTO (Power Take Of) safety demonstration” tractor will conform to Category 1, with a PTO (www.youtube.com/watch?v=WId4UIDqqYQ) rotation of 540 revolutions per minute. Te tracby NWAGvideo, 2:06. A quick demonstration of tor output shaft (and implement input shaft) how a common PTO shaft accident is avoided. has a 1⅜-inch diameter and six splines. Tere is • “PTO safety demonstration” (www.youtube. a groove cut through splines — a spring-loaded com/watch?v=pxLzIj68s5E) by Lake Area Tech, pin in the coupler locks the drive shaft to the 1:07. Shows the danger of approaching a PTO tractor and implement. Te basic concept has shaft with the rotating shield out of place. been in use for nearly 100 years.

• “How to install and maintain a shaft cover To keep human clothing and body parts on a tractor PTO” (www.youtube.com/ from getting snagged in the rotating shaft, plaswatch?v=uBoINyG7USU) by the Alabama tic shield tubes were developed, starting in the Cooperative Extension Service, 8:17. An expert shows and explains all the components of 1950s and are universal these days. Te shield is a modern shielded PTO shaft. supposed to remain steady while the steel shaft and U-joints rotate inside. Trouble arises when Finally, search “ComerIndustries UK” in the plastic gets damaged, or when a lack of lubrication lets the plastic weld itself onto the steel YouTube, and check these titles: shaft, creating a dangerous rotating plastic shaft. • “How to grease the PTO drive shaft” (www.

YouTube ofers a number of great instrucyoutube.com/watch?v=X8oMN92603k), 1:41 tional videos on PTO safety. Set up a computer • “How to grease the guard ring bearing and the next to a tractor-PTO-implement rig in the shop, universal joint on PTO drive” (www.youtube. gather the crew and push the play button. com/watch?v=BnW33-cayP0), 1:55 Te following is a roster of links to suggested • “How to ft chains on a PTO drive shaft” (http:// videos, with the source, the playing time and a brief www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfchfHg4sf8), 2:02 description. On my computer, the Google Chrome GCM browser seems to work best with YouTube.

• “How to drive and operate a tractor: PTO shaft on a tractor: How it works” (www.you- Scott R. Nesbitt (ORPguy@windstream.net) is a freetube.com/watch?v=qeQkEW-ubLk) by ex- lance writer and former GCSAA staff member. He lives in pertvillage, 1 minute, 19 seconds. Shows how Cleveland, Ga.

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THE INSIDER: environment

Senior company managers for Bayer CropScience, bee health experts and representatives from the community of Research Triangle Park, N.C., gathered last month to break ground on the North American Bee Care Center. Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience, is pictured ffth from left.

Photo courtesy of Bayer CropScience

Building the buzz at Bayer

NEWS & notes The city of Bexley, Ohio, has become the first city in the United States to successfully obtain arboretum accreditation by the Morton Register of Arboreta. For nearly 25 years, the city of Bexley has been a participant in the Tree City USA program, carefully compiling a catalog of the more than 14,000 trees that are managed by the city forester within the city’s right-of-ways and public parks. Next steps for the city, which achieved the accreditation in March, will include developing a more formalized educational component to the Bexley Arboretum and continuing to curate the city’s extensive collection of more than 100 unique tree species.

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36 GCM July 2013

In a recent comprehensive assessment on honey bee health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted that bees are suffering from a complex set of stressors, including parasites and diseases, lack of genetic diversity and inadequate nutrition (for more on this subject, see “Bee the solution” in the general public about the important role honey April issue of GCM, Page 44).

A critical component in promoting best bees play in pollinating crops that help meet management practices, the USDA said, is the growing global demand for a nutritious and collaboration and information sharing among all abundant food supply. To address current challenges to feeding the world’s population, the censtakeholders.

With these goals in mind, Bayer CropScience ter will bring together technological, scientifc broke ground last month on its North American and academic resources to protect and improve Bee Care Center, located in Research Triangle honey bee health and sustainable agriculture.

“At Bayer, we have been committed to bee Park, N.C. Senior company managers, bee health experts and representatives from the community health for more than 25 years,” says Jim Blome, were on hand to begin work on the new facility. president and CEO of Bayer CropScience. “Te Te 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art building bee care center is the latest example of our dediwill complement an existing bee care center that cation to sustainable agriculture, and we hope was established last year at the company’s global to continue to provide the research necessary to ensure the health of colonies and honey bees headquarters in Monheim, Germany.

Te North American Bee Care Center will around the world. Our scientists are working house a full laboratory and teaching apiary; honey to help solve some of the most pressing honey extraction and workshop space; an interactive bee health problems, as their importance to the learning center; and meeting, training and presen- global food supply cannot be overstated.”

Te North American Bee Care Center will be tation facilities for beekeepers, farmers and educators, as well as ofce space for university graduate a highly sustainable facility, Bayer says, helping students. Although the center will have its own the company reduce its carbon footprint and prohoney bee colonies for teaching and demonstra- mote corporate environmental stewardship.

For additional information about the North tion purposes, the facility will be supported by other research apiaries located near the Research American Bee Care Center and about the compaTriangle Park area to coordinate and extend re- ny’s commitment to honey bee health, visit www. bayercropscience.us/our-commitment/bee-health. search projects directed toward bee health.

Bayer says the center will support scientifc GCM research and help educate stakeholders and the

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THE INSIDER: turf

Teresa Carson

An Irish rover lands in Chicago

Seasoned traveler Ed Nangle, Ph.D., lived and worked in Ireland, England, Australia, Ohio, Florida and South Carolina before he settled in at the Chicago District Golf Association.

Photo courtesy of Ed Nangle

Ed Nangle gets around, and

NEWS & notes Elliott Dowling has been named an agronomist In the USGA Green Section’s Mid-Atlantic Region. He will be working with the region’s director, Darin Bevard, to help superintendents in the area maintain better playing conditions. Dowling has a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Iowa State and a master’s in turfgrass management from Penn State. He has worked as an intern at golf courses in Illinois, Colorado and California. Dowling was an assistant superintendent at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and was superintendent at Ivanhoe (Ill.) Club and at Cress Creek Country Club in Naperville, Ill.

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38 GCM July 2013

he’s not

ashamed to admit it.

The Irish-born director of turfgrass programs for the Chicago District Golf Association (CDGA) started traveling at a young age, leaving his hometown of Enniscorthy in 1998 to attend Myerscough College in England, which, at the time, offered the only bachelor of science degree in turfgrass science in Europe. The next year he was in South Carolina working at Daufuskie Island Club & Resort on Hilton Head Island, courtesy of Ohio State University’s international intern program. From there, it was back to Myerscough to wrap up his degree and then on to work in his hometown, in Australia and then at Ohio State, where he remained to fnish a Ph.D. before going on to post-doctoral studies with John Cisar at the University of Florida. This May, Nangle’s long and winding road led him to Chicago and the CDGA. Nangle’s original plans included returning home to teach, but when Ireland’s faltering economy made that impossible, Nangle followed a different dream. “I decided that, if I could, I would work in a position that had local responsibility but global impact. This (CDGA director of turfgrass programs) is that position, and it’s extremely unique as I don’t think there is another full-time position like this anywhere in the world,” he says.

With a wide breadth of experience (cool- and warm-season turf north and south of the equator) and a dissertation on cutting-edge topics (including UV-B light, turfgrass pigments, pheno-

lics and favonoids), Nangle is, quite fortunately, prepared for the extremes of weather and high-end expectations found in Chicago. Although he’s only been on the job since early May, the new director says, “Extreme changes have already occurred with 94 degrees and frost in the same week!”

Despite the challenges, the almost-new Ph.D. has laid out an ambitious agenda, some of which draws on his graduate work at Ohio State under David Gardner, Karl Danneberger and John Street. Assisting superintendents in managing both annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass and selecting for more cold-tolerant cultivars that can cope with the Chicago weather is high on the list as is a pigment study related to reducing water use, the effects of winter desiccation and the interaction of pigments and herbicides. To have a global impact, Nangle is bringing in researchers from Ireland and the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute, whose superintendents also work with both Poa and creeping bentgrass.

Thinking globally does not keep Nangle from focusing on issues closer to home. “I want to aid superintendents with the education of their staff and set up podcast series in English and Spanish with a focus on Poa management,” he says. And that’s not all. “I also aim to educate and work with the new tools that superintendents are using — moisture probes, daily-light-integral meters, TruFirm testing, feld pH meters, mobile thermocouples. For guys trying to control Poa, all of these tools can be important to develop strategies and to give them a number they can work off to give reproducible high quality, which is what golfers look for.”

But Nangle the sports lover (golf, rugby, Australian rules football, softball, hurling and Gaelic football), isn’t educating just superintendents and their crews. He wants to educate the golfers as well by working with CDGA’s Sunshine Course and the USGA in Chicago to talk to golfers about best practices and even extend the conversation to include home lawn care.

The 14-year-old boy who saw Augusta National on television and fell in love with golf because he thought, “How cool would it be to produce that?” is now helping superintendents in the Chicago area and around the world to achieve their dreams of beautiful golf courses.

GCM Teresa Carson (tcarson@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s science editor.

DIRT

the 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

Illustrations by Matt Everitt

Tony Blevins is no physician. He sure sounds like it, though, when you ask him to diagnose the meaning of what just may be the two sexiest words in the industry today.

Plant health.

Kyle Miller

44 GCM July 2013

“If I’m eating right, getting plenty of water, exercise, I’m going to be in better health and be able to fght off diseases,” says Blevins, whose operation is located in Lorton, Va., where he is the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Pohlic Bay Golf Course. “There’s the correlation to plant health. If the plant isn’t getting enough of what it needs, it’s going to fght for survival. If it gets what it needs, the right hydration, nutrients, I’m going to have a healthy plant.”

But …

“I don’t want to put anything in my body that hasn’t been approved. The same goes for my plants,” Blevins says.

A key for Blevins, and superintendents worldwide, is determining which plant health products reach their full potential by creating the best results — products that, in some cases, almost sound as if they are being marketed like vitamins are for humans. After all, it is the superintendent’s duty, isn’t it, to ensure turfgass fourishes, diseases are eradicated and, in many cases meet high expectations from golfers?

Now, if only somebody could agree on what plant health actually means.

Answers seem to vary, even among industry giants, on how to defne plant health. Not even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a specifc defnition for plant health. Here, though, is how some major players in the business take a crack at it: • “From my perspective, plant health comes down to two things. It’s really about turf quality. At that point in the ballgame, that’s basically measured by the color of the turf and the

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Top: The University of Kentucky’s Paul Vincelli, Ph.D., says his defnition of plant health “includes, but is not limited to disease control.” Photo courtesy of Syngenta Bottom: Thavy Staal

46 GCM July 2013

actual health of the turf, the density.” — Syngenta’s Howard Jaekle, lawn and garden fungicide brand manager • “When you’re able to provide stress tolerance, what do you get? You get better plants.

You get healthier plants. So I think that’s where the words plant health came from.” — BASF’s Kyle Miller, technical representative • “I personally defne plant health as optimal plant growth and development in the presence or absence of biotic or abiotic stresses.” — Bayer’s Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., member of Bayer’s Green Solutions team • “Pretty loose. Optimal physiological functioning, I suppose. Includes, but is not limited to, disease control, of course.” — Paul Vincelli, Ph.D., Extension professor in the University of Kentucky’s department of plant pathology There are skeptics, though, who have their doubts about how the words plant health are used. One of them is Frank Rossi, Ph.D., associate professor in Cornell University’s horticulture department. Rossi isn’t convinced anybody can truly pinpoint the defnition of plant health.

“Like the word sustainable, those words (plant health) are thrown around without any ideas what the meanings in fact are,” Rossi says.

Rossi says companies “absolutely” can be trusted on their research of products that are marketed to aid in plant health. Still, in his mind, defning what plant health means will be an ongoing issue.

“If you could defne plant health, I don’t think it would be one single measure. I just think if we’re smart about trying to defne plant health, for the future of this industry, we need to stop saying that products make plants healthier,” he says. “They may contribute to one aspect of plant health that might help certain people in certain situations. But to say that something is a plant health product is completely ridiculous.”

That may not sit well with those who pump big bucks into research, development and advertising.

“We don’t make claims just to be making claims,” says Thavy Staal, marketing manager for BASF Turf & Ornamentals. Syngenta’s Jaekle adds, “We have protocols going out all the time, we’re learning things all the time, and we spend a lot of money doing that. The organization invests $1 billion a year to support R&D (research and development).”

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The Godfather?

He arguably is the godfather of the term “plant health.”

Now 70 years old, Leon Lucas, Ph.D., spent the majority of his career as a plant pathologist at North Carolina State University, an era more than two decades ago when it was popular to plant bentgrass in the South. Lucas recalls his days there testing new products that companies were selling, and says that experience prompted him to launch his own program.

“I started doing what I call ‘thinking on my own,’ particularly with pythium disease on bentgrass,” Lucas says.

Lucas mixed the fungicide mancozeb (known as Fore) with another fungicide, Aliette, which targeted pythium diseases, and he says, “surprisingly during the summer we got much better turf quality. That was a new term at that time.” His effort showed you actually could grow bentgrass in the South.

“That, in my opinion, is when the modern day discussion about plant health began,” says Frank Rossi, Ph.D., associate professor at Cornell University.

Lucas, currently an agronomist for the Carolinas Golf Association, says back in those days he used phrases such as “disease control agents.”

“I guess that’s kind of gone out of style,” Lucas says. “One of my terms was ‘summer decline.’ I stressed it was improving the survival of the plant, and you could infer it improved the plant health.”

Syngenta technical representative Lane Tredway, Ph.D., who taught at North Carolina State, says: “He found that certain fungicide combinations could increase the health and quality of bentgrass putting greens aside from just the disease control benefts that they provided. That’s really when people started to think about crop protection products as potentially providing additional benefts other than just controlling the disease or controlling biotic stress.”

The number of plant health-related products today intrigues Lucas.

“There must be 500 products out there now,” he says. “Some of them are new, some of them are old with a different name, some of them are a combination of three or four materials. I know some of them (plant health) are part of their marketing program. If they have the data to back it up, it’s OK. I assume they have the data to show that the product does somewhat what they say it does.”

Asked if superintendents today have a grasp on what plant health means, Lucas imagines they understand the essence of it.

“The superintendent understands the difference between dead grass and live grass,” Lucas says.

— H.R. 48 GCM July 2013

Rossi, though, thinks Bingru Huang, Ph.D., professor in Rutgers University’s plant biology and pathology department, expressed the best defnition of plant health that he has seen. In an email to GCM, Huang defnes plant health as “plants that are in good physiological conditions that support active growth and stress tolerance.”

Times certainly have changed; the plant health angle has replaced the focus on controlling disease and pests. Yet until there is a unanimous defnition for plant health, well …

“I think there’s a lot of confusion in the marketplace right now about what plant health means,” says Lane Tredway, Ph.D., technical representative at Syngenta. “It’s really not anything new, but it’s being framed and positioned as if it is something new and novel, and that’s creating confusion. There’s no one single product that can create plant health. It’s about the overall agronomic program.”

Bayer’s head of marketing, Scott Welge, says: “We don’t have all the answers. What we want to do is be the leader in helping further defne plant health for the industry.”

Multiple choice? You bet BASF’s Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide. Bayer’s StressGard Formulation Technology. Syngenta’s Daconil Action. Turf Max LLC’s Turf Screen.

Those are only a few of the options that are marketed as products that can aid plant health, perhaps defend the plant, induce systemic resistance material and put smiles on superintendents’ faces. The total number of products that are marketed in that fashion seems to be far greater now than a decade ago. The words “plant health” can be viewed in advertisements, including those that appear in the pages of GCM. For example, BASF’s ad for Honor Intrinsic brand fungicide with pyraclostrobin says it “delivers disease control and plant health benefts for turfgrass.” Another company, Aqua-

Some in the industry believe the modern day discussion about plant health began more than 20 years ago when plant pathologist Leon Lucas, Ph.D. (top photo), mixed two fungicides and applied it to declining bentgrass in the South.

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Scott Welge, Bayer’s head of marketing, introduces the Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow initiative at the Golf Industry Show in San Diego. To fund the program, which supports the Environmental Institute for Golf, Bayer will invest a percentage of sales of its StressGard fungicide products over the next three years.

Photo by Montana Pritchard

“It’s extremely important to know how well your roots are growing.”

— Richard Rees, Ph.D.

50 GCM July 2013

trols, says its Revolution is “the only soil surfactant that goes beyond water repellency issues, providing comprehensive water management and plant health benefts as well.”

Bayer’s StressGard product line, which includes multiple fungicides with StressGard formulation technology (such as Chipco Signature and Interface) just might be the granddaddy of them all (the technology for it was pinpointed nearly 20 years ago), making Bayer plant health pioneers, says the company’s senior principal scientist, Richard Rees, Ph.D. Syngenta, meanwhile, manufactures Daconil Action. That product features the active ingredient acibenzolar, which acts as a plant defense activator, meaning it activates the plant’s natural defenses against Richard Rees, Ph.D. certain diseases and drought, Tredway says.

Whether a product pushes the plant health agenda or not, Jim Frank, CGCS, wants to know exactly what goes into his turf.

“You’ve got to prove it to me frst,” says Frank, who oversees the Country Club of Buffalo, N.Y., and is a 29-year member of the association. “I think the perception by those who just play, when they see a spray rig, they still kind of look at it as a witch’s brew. So, when things are going good at the golf course, it is kind of perceived that the superintendent has the mojo. If the superintendent has a bad year, it’s as if he’s lost his mojo.

“Is there still mojo in the industry? And do I buy into it? Sometimes I do. But there are a lot of snake oils out there. Who, though, is going to admit they sell snake oil?”

The three major manufacturers — Bayer, BASF and Syngenta — support their claims in terms of plant health, plant protection, etc., with data, images and deep research that often takes years.

Rees says that Bayer uses sophisticated equipment to measure things such as photosynthetic rates and photochemical effciency. “It’s extremely important to know how well your roots are growing,” Rees says. “We have sophisticated radiometry equipment linked to GPS that actually measures greens to check on density and moisture changes.”

BASF, according to Miller, conducts an array of trials, such as determining how fast

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Bayer makes its case for plant health There is plenty of debate when it comes to defning plant health. Bayer Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, has every intention of getting to the bottom of it.

Bayer announced May 8 it was launching its frst annual Healthy Turf, Healthy Tomorrow Plant Health Academy. It is a four-pronged initiative done in collaboration with GCSAA’s Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG). Bayer has committed to a minimum $100,000 investment annually for three years.

The goal: Train GCSAA superintendents to study plant health and transfer what they learn to their own golf courses.

“We wanted to do more in the industry regarding plant health,” says Scott Welge, head of marketing for Bayer’s turf and ornamental business. “We really wanted to further defne it and also support it as far as generating data within the industry. Everybody talks about plant health, and very little is known within the industry about plant health, so what we wanted to do was have an outreach with multi dimensions.”

Here’s how it’ll work.

Part I: The Plant Health Academy. Twelve GCSAA member superintendents had until June 12 to apply for a spot in the academy, which includes a two-part immersive plant health curriculum with in-the-feld training Sept. 25-27 this year at Bayer’s Training and Development Center in Clayton, N.C., followed by classroom training March 3-5, 2014, at GCSAA headquarters in Lawrence, Kan. Participants’ travel, accommodations and meals are paid for through the program.

Part II: Plant health demonstration courses. The plan is to generate and collect data from one cool-season golf course and one warm-season golf course and develop case studies. Two of the 12 academy participants will have their courses chosen as living labs, where chapter meetings and plant tours will be held.

Part III: Webinars on plant health. Bayer, in conjunction with GCSAA, is going to sponsor two webinars annually.

“We’re working closely with GCSAA and industry educators and innovators to arm superintendents with the latest tools and research they can use at their courses to optimize resources and turf health,” Welge says. The frst webinar, held last month, focused on moisture- and light-monitoring technology.

Part IV: Scholarships. Bayer will fund each year a select number of scholarships for superintendents to advance their educations in plant health-related studies.

“Combine all four of these opportunities, and we really have something for everyone that’s out there,” Welge says.

— H.R. 52 GCM July 2013

aerifcation holes close; how effcient a plant is when you stress it by withholding water or subjecting it to intense heat; and whether they can affect roots and improve the rooting so that the turfgrass is healthier and possibly have seedlings or sod get off to a better start. BASF also has an 85-page brochure outlining university trials it has done in the past six years for its Intrinsic brand.

Syngenta’s research includes taking into account what happens above ground.

“One of the reasons there’s a lot of confusion about what plant health means is a lot of the claims that are being made are based on processes or results that cannot be seen, and that aren’t visible to the golf course superintendent,” Tredway says. “I think we ought to focus on visible results, on results you can see above ground, and the quality and the health of the turfgrass plant because, at the end of the day, that’s what’s important.”

In April, Virginia Tech professor of turfgrass culture and physiology Erik H. Ervin, Ph.D., wrote an article for the Virginia Turfgrass Journal about why plant health products may boost summer tolerance. Ervin tells GCM that he has conducted his own research on phosphites, pigments, salicylic acid, seaweed extracts, etc.

Ervin’s conclusion in his fndings was that plant health products can be “complex and confusing” and “it is no wonder that the spray tank often ends up with three or more products in it.” Yet he says there is some substance to plant health claims, and using those two not-so-simple words isn’t necessarily dangerous.

“Not if it’s used in the context of replicated science that is done in comparison to the proper positive and negative controls,” Ervin says.

On the horizon So what is the future of plant health?

Rossi, for one, is concerned.

“The concept of plant health may stay, but what I think is going to come in the years ahead is more of an alignment of what these products are actually doing,” Rossi says, “and so then the question is going to be — and I don’t think anybody is asking yet — how do these things interact? Are we driving these plants crazy? Are we overstimulating them? Are we putting them into a roid rage because we’ve given them so much boost in

Products promoted as benefcial to plant health have been thoroughly tested at both a company and university level. Still, questions persist. Photos courtesy of Syngenta

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The May way Scott May knocked on door after door. Getting his foot in the door, however, was anything but easy.

May, a former golf course superintendent, just knew he had something special, lightning in a bottle perhaps, with a product he developed called Turf Screen. He currently produces his product under the title of his company, Turf Max. May says Turf Screen is “absolutely a plant health product,” a type of sunscreen, that scatters UV light to reduce sunburn and keep plants cooler by refecting infrared light.

Hoping that lenders would see the light in terms of his product was the issue.

“Out of 18 banks I talked to, I got shot down by 17,” May says. “You go for a loan in 2010, right in the middle of the biggest banking crisis this country has seen since the Great Depression …”

Finally, a small regional lender in Pennsylvania, Univest Bank and Trust Co., took a chance on May, offering him a line of credit.

“We thought Scott came up with an innovative idea that people are going to eat up,” says Nicholas Yelicanin, relationship manager at Univest.

Univest’s faith in May appears to be paying off. May has approximately 2,000 customers, and Turf Screen is available in places such as Australia, Canada and China.

“I’ve been in this industry a long time, launched a lot of new products, and this is one that has been well received in the industry, i.e., the superintendent,” says distributor David Oberle of Excel Turf & Ornamental in Eagan, Minn. “Those

“Our No. 1 goal is to make sure we’re working with the superintendents to understand how these products work, working with the superintendents to make sure that they’re using our products correctly.”

— Howard Jaekle

54 GCM July 2013

in my region did their homework, called their peers across the country, participated in chat rooms. I’m tickled pink by the reception it has gotten.”

May still was in his superintendent role at Manufacturers’ Golf and Country Club in Fort Washington, Pa., when he began trials.

“I got 18 to 20 of my crew, took their bottles of sunscreen and went down to our Poa annua nursery,” he says. “They thought I was a little nutty. But I sprayed or rubbed that sunscreen that needed to be applied in the nursery, left the bottles there and called it a day.

“The next morning, my assistant calls me over, says, ‘Scott, you’ve got to see this.’ I looked at 18 to 20 plots; two weren’t stone dead. I picked up those two bottles for the ones that weren’t dead — and they said all-natural sunscreen.”

Key ingredients? Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. May, who left his superintendent job in April 2012, mixes his Turf Screen formula with green pigment.

His concoction has proven to be a winning combination.

“I think people appreciate that I don’t have 60 employees with white lab suits, trying to split atoms and making different molecules,” says May, who basically is a one-man show. “It’s no magic bullet. It certainly, though, is a tool, if used properly, that gives the superintendent a margin for error, in terms of water usage and stressing the plant, that they never had before.”

— H.R.’

their ‘plant health.’”

Jaekle says, “The confusing thing right now is we’ve got some new chemistries that are coming into the marketplace that are doing some things above and beyond, and I still think that there’s a lot for everybody to learn about what the added benefits are.”

BASF, meanwhile, plans to launch Lexicon Intrinsic brand fungicide in the second quarter of 2014. Staal says she gets the confusion part of all of this. “I think there is (confusion) just because everybody says they have something. We have something.

Bayer, Syngenta and now even some of the smaller companies claim something,” she says. “I think, Howard Jaekle in the superintendent’s mind, they think all these products have plant health in one form, fashion or another. It’s just different companies have decided to pursue different routes of explaining what it does or what it affects.”

One thing is certain: The manufacturers seem to be in lock step about their attitude toward superintendents.

“Our No. 1 goal is to make sure we’re working with the superintendents to understand how these products work, working with the superintendents to make sure that they’re using our products correctly,” Jaekle says.

Rees imagines the words “plant health” won’t go away anytime soon.

“We will provide different solutions or provide extremely advanced technical solutions,” he says.

Does that mean in time all the companies will be aboard the same platform in defining plant health? Golembiewski isn’t so sure.

“That’s one of the unique challenges we as an industry face. I think plant health is

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Rutgers University’s Bingru Huang, Ph.D., emphasizes that effcient management practices are an important component to the plant health picture.

What’s next?

So what is the next big thing after plant health?

Although they likely don’t have a crystal ball at their disposal, key fgures in the industry still have their opinions.

“We’re looking at some things now that potentially we can treat a golf course with and would require half as much water as you used to use,” says BASF technical representative Kyle Miller. “There’s something out there, and we’re looking at it.”

Water undoubtedly will be a front burner topic for a while, says Syngenta lawn and garden fungicide brand manager Howard Jaekle. “How you manage it more effciently is one of the big issues,” Jaekle says. “From a broader perspective, how do we do a better job working with people to do our part on this issue?”

Bayer senior principal scientist, Richard Rees, Ph.D., mentions nutrient optimization as a down-the-road initiative.

“I don’t know how far we want to look out there, but one of the most limiting factors in the future will be the quantity of nutrients we are able to use,” Rees says.

Cornell University associate professor Frank Rossi, Ph.D., indicates that the post-plant health era sets the stage for something major.

“The fnal frontier is the relationship between turf systems and soil microbiology,” Rossi says. “Fundamentally, we undervalue the role of the microbial communities — in the soils, both on and in the plant — for how they mediate responses to things we do and how we might be able to manipulate that system or design that system or engineer that system in a way that it is, in fact, more sustainable.”

— H.R. 56 GCM July 2013

something we all believe in,” he says. “I think we’re all very vested in trying to better understant and contribute to plant health. But defning it is another story.”

At least one expert is convinced that plant health products aren’t the only way to secure a plant’s health.

“Superintendents should keep in mind that plant health could be promoted by using other effcient management practices, such as proper mowing and irrigation in addition to chemical and pesticide applications,” Huang says.

Blevins, a 16-year member of the association, uses products that are promoted as offering plant health benefts on his course in Virginia. They have helped him with pythium control, and he certainly doesn’t mind paying a little bit extra if it is going to make a difference. In the end, though, Blevins realizes all of these products aren’t the be-all, end-all.

“You can have all the plant health products you want,” Blevins says, “but if you don’t have the soil chemistry right in the frst place, it’s an uphill battle no matter what.”

GCM Howard Richman (hrichman@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s associate editor.

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The

Human nature

like a fungicide or

is a funny thing.

fertilizer.

We’re all familiar with the concept of “you get what you pay

of

In

most

cases, it doesn’t require the outlay of a large amount of

for,” but equally true is the notion that

cash. To utilize the power of prevention,

“you value what you pay for.” The sec-

people must think with their heads, not

ond phrase is true of barbecue grills,

their hearts.

fishing trips, televisions, sports cars

At the core of the power of preven-

and paintings. When you have a signifi-

tion is the tried-and-true tenet that it’s

cant investment in a piece of property

usually much cheaper and less intrusive

or positive experience, it tends to be of

to fix a potential problem before it be-

high importance in your life.

comes a real problem down the road.

Prevention may not be perceived to

When it comes to ornamentals on the

be all that powerful or valuable; after all,

golf course, there are lots of specific ex-

it’s not blasting out of the end of a hose

amples of preventing costly problems.

To avoid the development of unsightly and unhealthy girdled roots, gently loosen the tightly bound mass of encircled underground stems before planting. Photos by John Fech

Top of root ball 10% above landscape soil Mulch covering edge of root ball, root piled on top

Irrigation device

Root ball

Backfll

62 GCM July 2013

Backfll

Planting time prevention One of the most opportune times to prevent problems is at planting time. After all, once the tree, shrub or perennial is in the ground, the level of control that a superintendent has over it goes way down. Considering the importance of the roots, both in terms of function as well as in size, it’s wise to pay attention to the root system as plants are installed.

The frst issue is digging the proper-sized hole. Actually, it’s best to think of the excavated soil as a “planting area.” A good rule of thumb is to size up the root ball and create an opening in the ground no deeper than the root mass, and three times as wide. A wide planting area helps to encourage roots to expand rather than to remain where planted. In addition, placing the root ball on top of undisturbed soil in the planting area prevents the root ball from sinking.

The next consideration is avoiding girdled roots. In many cases, trees arrive at the planting site in plastic pots or with the root ball — a mass of encircled underground stems — tightly bound with burlap. If left in this arrangement, the roots will continue to grow larger and larger in diameter, with very few breaking free of this pattern and outward into the adjacent soil. Those grown in nurseries using proprietary systems such as RootMaker, GroBag and RootTrapper technology tend to fare better, producing fewer girdling roots.

To the extent possible, break roots loose from the girdled root mass and spread them laterally in the planting hole. Inevitably, during this process, a few roots will break, exposing the inner tissues. As with many other issues, there is a balance between damaging the roots to break them loose and allowing them to remain in an arrangement that is almost certain to create problems with uptake of water and nutrients and/or create structural weakness. Ideally, all the constricted or encircled roots are able to be freed and spread laterally in the planting area. The other side of the spectrum is the need to cut through large roots in order to spread them out, an action that should be avoided to deter invasion of root decay organisms.

Another consideration in avoiding girdling roots is the matter of enhancing the planting area by adding sand, peat moss, bark, compost or other materials to encourage root growth. Unfortunately, in most cases, these amendments encourage the expanding roots to remain in the planting area instead of growing into undisturbed soil. The effect that is produced is similar to a perched water table. The soil that was removed to create the plant-

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©2012 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products. The label contains important conditions of sale, including limitations of warranty and remedy. All products may not be registered for sale or use in all states. Please check with your state or local extension service before buying or using Syngenta products. Briskway™, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta Customer Center: 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4368).

MW 1LGG2034-P1 8/12

Top: Narrow, wire-based materials are not appropriate for staking.

Bottom: Staking isn’t always necessary. At windswept sites, wide pieces of fabric should be used for staking trees.

ing area is best to use as backfll for the new tree or shrub.

Just as soil amendments should be avoided, adding nutrients at planting time is usually counterproductive as well. Woody roots tend to be stunted as a result of coming into contact with fertilizer in the planting area. If the area is known to be of low fertility, it’s a good idea to test the soil to determine which nutrients (and in which form) should be added in later years.

Though it may seem obvious, constrictions such as burlap, pressed peat moss, string and cording should be removed from the root mass. The purpose of these materials is to keep the ball intact until arrival at the planting site; unfortunately, all will increase the odds of restricting the expansion of the root system.

Unless the site is particularly windswept, staking is not necessary. The two most important guidelines for staking are to use a wide material to wrap around the trunk and to attach it loosely so that the trunk is allowed to sway lightly in the wind. Proper staking — if needed at all — encourages good lateral root growth and decreases the likelihood that a tree will become dependent on the stake. Appropriate wrapping materials greatly reduce the chance of damage to the bark. Pieces of canvas, old T-shirts, bicycle inner tubes, pieces of drapery and recycled golf green fags work well to prevent damage.

Pruning prevention Once trees and shrubs are established, small problems can be prevented from becoming larger ones by implementing sound pruning practices. Good pruning starts with the identifcation of suspect stems and branches. The ones that are most likely to cause a problem are rubbing and crossing, growing downward, are parallel to each other and are arranged in a co-dominant fashion.

Removing one leader of a co-dominant stem in the frst year of a tree’s life will prevent breakage and damage to the important targets underneath the tree — people and property.

It will also initiate the compartmentalization process, isolating the wounded tissues from the rest. If a co-dominant stem is not dealt with early in the tree’s life, removal after three to 10 years will expose sapwood, cambium and heartwood, greatly increasing the chances for decay intrusion. Once decay has invaded the inner tissues, it isn’t reversible. The overall principle for prevention is to remove a problem branch (the one with the smaller diameter)

64 GCM July 2013

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Top: Natural wood-based mulch should be placed as far into the golfscape as play will allow.

Bottom: Local botanic gardens and arboretums are good sources of disease-resistant plant material.

as soon as it is identifed, which allows for more rapid compartmentalization of the injury.

Though plant pathologists tend to disagree on the subject of decay prevention when pruning small limbs, using a disinfecting agent such as alcohol or bleach could prevent the transfer of certain diseases from one tree to the next. Generally, applying a 10 percent solution of either is a recommended practice.

Using an arborist certifed by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is a wise preventive step as well. Taking advantage of an arborist’s years of training and experience is a great way to add capacity to the maintenance staff without adding the cost of operating equipment and to transfer the liability of the pruning work to another party. In the event of a mishap, it’s their insurance that pays, not the course’s. Certifed arborists for every locale can be found at www.isa-arbor.com.

Shrub plantings, especially older stands and hedges, greatly beneft from the removal of inner stems. For shrubs that develop canes, such as ninebark, lilac, forsythia, viburnum, spirea and dogwood, removing a third of the older stems each year keeps the plant young and thrifty, preventing borers and canker problems. If cane-growing shrubs have been neglected for many years and developed pests, “renewal pruning” is the best course of action.

Use a chain saw to remove all stems at the ground level. If a healthy root system is in place, the shrub will produce new stems that are free from insects and diseases.

Biotic pest prevention Pest control can be one of the costliest line items in the budget. If the cost of controlling pests on the ornamentals were zero, all stakeholders would wear a big smile. Of course, that’s not realistic, but it is certainly a worthwhile target. Three main categories of pests should draw the most attention.

Diseases. Disease resistance is a very effective method of pest prevention. With so many disease-resistant cultivars of crabapple, hawthorn, juniper, cherry, maple, etc., it’s simpler to head off disease at the pass by choosing ones with genetic resistance to fungi and bacteria. Other species such as Russian olive and poplar are quite susceptible to fungal diseases and should be avoided. In addition, “trash” trees and shrubs such as tree of heaven and mulberry should be avoided. Good sources of information on specifc cultivars in each state include botanic gardens, arboretums and university Extension faculty.

Insects. Insects can also be controlled by selecting resistant species and cultivars. Certain tree and shrub species, such as ash, Scots pine and honeysuckle, are on the list to avoid.

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SILVER partners

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This reminds all of us what is important, and that our innovative foliar biostimulants, soil products and services have to stand up to that unforgiving standard.

To that end, we partner with GCSAA and the EIFG funding educational programs and university research, helping our customers stay rooted in science . We are also proud teammates with the “Wee One Foundation” that helps members of the turfgrass profession experiencing traumatic health and family crises.

A collar such as this will help to prevent sunscald and rodent damage.

During winter the sun can overheat the tissues of thinbarked trees and cause a gradual sloughing and destruction of important cambial vessels.

Weeds. Prevention with mulch and pre-emergence herbicides pays dividends by greatly reducing the number of annual and perennial weeds that become established near ornamental plantings. The ones that escape control efforts are usually much easier to control by mechanical means or spot-spraying with Roundup. However, weed fabrics are not recommended, as they don’t offer a high degree of control and are expensive. It’s common to fnd weeds growing in the fabric itself, a result of soil and fallen leaf debris collecting in the fbers.

Abiotic pest prevention In addition to pests that are caused by living organisms, agents and conditions that arise due to weather, vandalism and misunderstandings are worthy of attention as well.

Placing mulch around trees, shrubs, groundcovers and perennials prevents mower blight. A 2- to 3-inch layer of natural wood-based mulch should be used, beginning several inches away from the trunk and extending as far into the golfscape as play will allow.

Mulching will prevent fungal diseases such as armillaria root rot at the base of the trunk.

The goal is to replicate what Mother Nature provides in a native setting.

Installing protective devices around tree trunks or thicker stems of multi-trunked shrubs will reduce the incidence of sunscald. Materials such as PVC form a protective collar against the sun’s harmful rays. During winter the sun can overheat the tissues of thinbarked trees and cause a gradual sloughing and destruction of important cambial vessels.

The collar should be white or beige in color to refect the heat of the sun. A side beneft is the prevention of rodent injury.

Ice-melting products can cause serious injury to a variety of ornamentals. Especially where damage has been observed previously and in high-visibility locations, alternatives to sodium chloride should be considered, including a mix of sand and salt instead of salt alone, calcium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate.

GCM John C. Fech, Ph.D., is a horticulturalist with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and an ISA-certified arborist who is a frequent contributor to GCM.

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The author is shown emerging from the rhizotron at the University of Georgia, where wetting agent research is carried out. Photo courtesy of the University of Georgia

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 field asks, ‘Does it matter?’

Keith Karnok, Ph.D. 70 GCM July 2013

At the recent Golf Industry Show in San Diego, a superintendent asked me which wetting agent chemistry was best. He then began to rattle off long and impressive chemical names such as “alkyl polyglucosides,” “polyoxyethylene,” “super-blocked end polymers,” etc. My response was a polite but straightforward, “Who cares?”

That is, who cares about the chemistry? Of course we should all be concerned about the chemicals we use in terms of the environment and health, but here I am discussing the chemistry of wetting agents in terms of the mode of action and/or the performance of the product. The only question should be, “Does the product perform as the manufacturer claims?” The individual was obviously surprised by my response.

Here I would like to explain why I believe too much attention is being paid to the advertised chemistries of wetting agents.

‘Old’ versus ‘new’ chemistry It has become quite common over the past several years for some companies and individuals to refer to certain wetting agents as having “old” chemistry and other

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Suggesting that wetting agents can be separated in terms of performance on the basis of the age of their chemistry is misleading at best.

Localized dry spot is not uniformly distributed throughout greens and generally occurs where turf is undergoing the most stress. Photo by F. Wong

wetting agents as having “new” chemistry. The implication (intended or not) is that the old chemistries are inferior to the new chemistries.

I don’t believe any chemistry or product in any area of our lives should automatically be considered outdated or inferior simply because of age. In fact, some of the older chemistries that are still being used today in turfgrass management are among our most reliable. Take, for instance, 2,4-D (commercially released in 1946) and carbaryl (Sevin, released in 1958). Consider chemicals such as copper sulfate (1760) or sulfur dust (1824) that have been used as fungicides. Or one of the most widely used turf fungicides today, chlorothalonil, which was frst registered in 1966. The fact that these chemistries have been around so long is a testament to their effectiveness and value to turfgrass managers.

Suggesting that wetting agents can be separated in terms of performance on the basis of the age of their chemistry is misleading at best. In fact, speaking from 30 years of working with wetting agents, I know of several “old” chemistry wetting agents that are every bit as effective as wetting agents having a “new” chemistry. The effectiveness of the chemistry depends on several factors such as the degree of soil water repellency or even the amount of soil organic

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matter. Less derogatory terminology might be “earlier” or “previous” chemistries.

Are superintendents enamored with wetting agent chemistry?

The superintendent I spoke to at GIS was not the frst to raise the chemistry issue with me. I receive phone calls, emails and questions during my wetting agent lectures asking about the chemistries of specifc wetting agents. I began to wonder how widespread was this interest in the chemistry of wetting agents.

With the help of the GCSAA education staff, a pre-seminar questionnaire was sent to 257 registrants in my four seminars at GIS this year. One of the questions was, “How important is knowing the chemical composition of a wetting agent you are about to purchase?” The choices were (a) very important, (b) somewhat important, (c) not important. Although this was far from a scientifc poll, I simply wanted some feel for the signifcance of this issue. Was it something that needed to be discussed during my seminars, especially my wetting agent seminar?

There were 129 replies to this particular question, which is a 50 percent response rate. Forty-eight percent of respondents indicated that knowing the chemical composition of a wetting agent was very important, while 50 percent indicated it was somewhat important and 2% said it was not important. Thus, 98 percent of respondents believe that knowing the chemical composition of a wetting agent holds some level of importance. I had to ask myself, “Why?” Wetting agent classification systems?

Answers to other questions on the questionnaire indicated that a chemical classifcation system of wetting agents published by some wetting agent companies may have had some infuence on their purchasing decisions. For clarifcation, these classifcation systems are based on the known or suspected chemistries of certain wetting agents, and the published charts usually provide the mode of action or performance characteristics for each class of chemistries listed. The intention of such a classifcation system is to provide the turfgrass manager a guide to the expected performance of a wetting agent. In other words, knowing the chemical properties of a wetting agent should assist a turfgrass manager in selecting the wetting agent that best fts his or her needs.

To my knowledge, there is no scientifcally published classifcation system for

Working together to increase participation of people with disabilities in the game of golf

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The benefits of golf are endless. This lifelong game provides golfers with the ability to socialize, while working out their mental and physical muscles. These benefits are exponential for individuals with disabilities.

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Programs across the country benefit from funding provided by the Alliance including (left) The Children’s Course in Gladstone, OR, and the Golf Academy of Columbia in Columbia, SC (right).

Visit www.accessgolf.org to download the Toolkit for Golf Course Owners and learn more about the individuals and organizations who support this initiative.

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Recommended reading

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The following references are recommended for readers seeking additional information.

• Karcher, D. 2013. Wetting agent research update-Arkansas Turfgrass Science. Turf.uark.edu/education/ATA_2013_Karcher_ WA.pdf • Karnok, K.J, and M. Beall. 1995. Localized dry spots caused by hydrophobic soil: What have we learned? Golf Course Management 63(8):57-59.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2001. Fight localized dry spots through the roots. Golf Course Management 69(7):58-60.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2001. Effects of futalonil fungicide and Primer wetting agent on water-repellent soil. HortTechnology 11 (3):437-440.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2002. Water-repellent soils, Part I. Where are we now? Golf Course Management 70(6):59-62.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2002. Water-repellent soils, Part II. More questions and answers. Golf Course Management 70(7):49-52.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2003. Turfgrass stress, waterrepellent soils and LDS. Golf Course Management 71(6):97-98.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2004. Wetting agents: What are they, and how do they work? Golf Course Management 72(6):8486.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2005. GCSAA-USGA wetting agent evaluation: Georgia. Golf Course Management 73(4):7074.

• Karnok, K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2006. Which wetting agent is best? Golf Course Management 74(7)82-83.

• Karnok K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2007. More FAQ about LDS: Hot spots and label rates. Golf Course Management 75(6):109-111.

• Karnok K.J., and K.A. Tucker. 2008. Using wetting agents to improve irrigation effciency. Golf Course Management 76(6):109111.

• Kostka, S.J. 2000. Amelioration of water repellency in highly managed soils and the enhancement of turfgrass performance through the systematic application of surfactants. Journal of Hydrology 231-232:359-368.

• Kostka S.J., J.L. Cisar, S. Mitra, D.M. Park et al. 2007. Irrigation effciency — Surfactants can save water and help maintain turfgrass quality. Golf Course Industry 19(4):91-95.

• Miller, J.P. 2007. Sensor-based irrigation and wetting agent application effects on a sand-based putting green. M.S. thesis University of Arkansas, United States — Arkansas. Retrieved April 17, 2008, from ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. (Publication No. AAT 442383).

• Moore, Demie, S. Kostka, L. Lennert, M. Franklin, P. Bially and R. Moore. The evolution of soil wetting agents for managing water repellency in soils. Aquatrols Corporation of America. http://www.aquatrols.com/technical/technicalarticles/?LOCALE=USA&locale_confrmed=1 • Throssell, C., et al. 2005. GCSAA-USGA wetting agent evaluation. Golf Course Management 73(4):52-91.

• Throssell, C. 2005. GCSAA-USGA wetting agent evaluation: Update. Golf Course Management 73(8):71-83.

• Tucker, K.A., K.J. Karnok, D.E. Radcliffe, G. Landry Jr. et al.

1990. Localized dry spots as caused by hydrophobic sand on bentgrass greens. Agronomy Journal 82:549-555.

• Zontek, Stanley J., and Stanley J. Kostka. 2012. Understanding the different wetting agent chemistries. USGA Green Section Record 50(15).

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Wetting agents were tested at the University of Georgia to determine whether they caused phytotoxicity to turfgrass. The variation in color shows the range of phytotoxicity for several different products. Photos by Kevin Tucker

turfgrass wetting agents. Classifcation systems are usually developed by scientifc or professional associations, societies or committees. No such group has developed a turfgrass wetting agent classifcation system. One reason such an offcial system does not exist is that it is nearly impossible to know the exact chemical makeup of a wetting agent without reverse chemical engineering of each wetting agent or without each company revealing the chemical makeup of its wetting agents.

A look at the labels of the wetting agents on the market today shows that companies are not forthcoming in providing the chemical details of their products. The exact chemistry of these products is considered proprietary information. Keep in mind that wetting agents — unlike most other chemicals used in turfgrass management — are not regulated by state or federal governments, with the exception of a few states where registration is required.

What about the unoffcial turfgrass wetting agent classifcations often seen today? Are such systems valid? Can they provide turfgrass managers a guide to the proper selection of a wetting agent?

To answer that question, let’s look at one classifcation system, using the results of the Wetting Agent Evaluation Study funded by the Environmental Institute for Golf and the United States Golf Association. The study was conducted in 2003 and 2004 and the results were published in GCM in April and August 2005.

In this study, 10 wetting agents were evaluated at nine locations throughout the country. Exactly the same testing procedures were used at each location. Of the 10 wetting agents, nine (Aquaduct, Brilliance, Cascade Plus, Hydro-Wet, LescoFlo, Naiad, Primer Select, Surfside 37 and Tricure) ft into fve of the eight categories of a well-known wetting agent classifcation system developed by a wetting agent company.

Since these nine wetting agents are represented in fve different categories, one would expect distinct differences in performance as suggested by the classifcation system. Quite the contrary occurred. In general, the results of this nationwide study varied considerably among locations. In some locations, in some years, there were few or no differences found among the 10 wetting agents in terms of phytotoxicity or their effects on soil water repellency (as measured by water-droplet penetra-

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The presence of water-repellent soil can be determined by conducting a water-droplet-penetration time test. If the droplet stays on the surface of the soil core more than fve seconds, the soil is considered hydrophobic.

the exact chemical makeup of their wetting agents. Although there may be standard chemistries shared by wetting agents that can be grouped or categorized to some extent, many have additional proprietary chemistries that could, in fact, infuence performance.

Second, even under strict testing procedures as used in this nationwide study, there are variables that will affect wetting agent performance even more than the unique chemistry of the wetting agent itself.

tion time), regardless of the category of chemistry. In other locations, wetting agents in different classifcation categories performed the same in terms of both phytotoxicity and reducing soil water repellency. Likewise, wetting agents in the same category sometimes performed differently from each other among locations or even within a location from one year to the next.

There were more similarities than differences among the wetting agents tested. So the questions are: Why so much variation? Why didn’t the wetting agents within the same chemical classifcation perform similarly throughout all locations or even within the same location from year to year?

There are two reasons for the differences in performance within the same classifcation. First, the wetting agent classifcation system does not take into account that companies do not publish

Variables affecting wetting agent performance What variables can have a greater effect on wetting agent performance than the chemistry itself? Some possibilities are: rates of application, amount of carrier water, amount of irrigation applied after application, time between wetting agent application and irrigation afterward, time of day of application, soil type, degree of soil water repellency, depth of water repellency, amount and types of thatch, mat and/ or soil organic matter content, turfgrass species, air temperature, soil temperature, sunlight, etc. These are just the somewhat obvious variables. What about soil pH, water pH, irrigation water quality, formulation, spreader/sprayer calibration, irrigation system uniformity? There are probably many more.

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Conclusion It is recommended that the decision to purchase a particular wetting agent (or any product for that matter) should be based on feld performance and not on the purported chemistry and/or claims made about the product. Turf managers should always insist on university test results to support claims and be sure to conduct their own on-site evaluations.

GCM Keith Karnok (kkarnok@uga.edu) is a professor in the department of crop and soil sciences at the University of Georgia, Athens.

Up to Speed

by Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D.

Brush daily?

Brushing on golf course putting surfaces has gone in and out of vogue for decades with various styles of brushes used over that time. Browsing through the literature, I found that brushing is recommended for grain reduction, raising stolons to result in smoother surfaces (truer ball roll) and even as a method for reducing Poa annua seedheads. When I was a superintendent in the 1980s, I often used metal brushes mounted out in front of my triplex mower to burn-in vibrant, bold stripes.

During the summer of 2012, a putting green brush study was performed at Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee on three different turfgrass species. At Michigan State, the study was performed on creeping bentgrass and Poa annua, while the study at Tennessee was performed on bermudagrass and bentgrass greens. The multiple-site study was a great opportunity for both universities, as very few (if any) mower brush studies have ever been performed and, therefore, most of the attributes of brushing are speculation.

The objective of the study, which was funded by The Toro Co., was to determine how forward-rotating and counter-rotating brushes affect the putting surface and the difference between the effects of the two kinds of brushes. To clarify, forward-rotating brushes move in the same direction as the mower reel, while counter-rotating brushes move in the opposite direction of the reel. In addition to the two treatments with different rotational directions of the brushes, a third treatment used another Toro Greenmaster Flex walk-behind mower with no brush attached.

At both locations, all research greens were mowed at 0.125 inch with brushes set at 0.100 inch (light) with mowing and brushing six days per week. Greens were lightly dusted with sand once a week with mowing and brushing withheld for 48 hours after topdressing application. Nick Binder of Michigan State and Lucas Freshour at the University of Tennessee were the graduate students in charge of the research.

Results from the mowing/brushing study were similar at both sites and on all three turfgrass species. These results included: • Few meaningful differences in regard to green speed; however, the counter-rotating brush tended to decrease green speed a little more than the forward-rotating brush, and the plots that were not brushed were slightly quicker in pace.

78 GCM July 2013

• Signifcantly more topdressing sand was removed with brushing (forward and backward) than without brushing.

• On Poa annua, there were no differences in the amount of seedheads among the brush treatments.

• The counter-rotating brush decreased the bedknife thickness faster than the forward-rotating brush, and at the conclusion of research at both locations, bedknives were thickest when no brush was used.

The objective of the study, which was funded by The Toro Co., was to determine how forwardrotating and counter-rotating brushes affect the putting surface and the difference between the effects of the two kinds of brushes.

All parties involved were not anticipating results with more negatives attributed to brushing with none of the perceived attributes being revealed. So what went wrong? Well, nothing.

When research results in unexpected outcomes, many skeptics surface and claim the research was not performed correctly. That is how research should work, as this skepticism often leads to continuing research on the practice that will either support or oppose the original fndings. With that said, I would expect the same results from any study that used similar mowing heights with similar brushing depth, frequency and bristle stiffness. However, that is only what I would expect, and I hope to see future studies address this important mechanical practice.

Until then, at least brushing remains a great method to burn-in vibrant, bold lines.

GCM Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., is the turfgrass academic specialist at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich., and a frequent GCSAA educator.

Know the Numbers Purchase the 2013 GCSAA Compensaton and Benefts Report today to access key demographic data, salary trends and other valuable beneft informaton, including: • State, facility, and annual maintenance budget data you can use as a startng point for salary negotatons • Additonal employer beneft informaton that can assist you in the negotatng process • Assistant superintendent, equipment manager and crew payroll informaton that can help you advocate on behalf of your staf

Contact GCSAA at 800-472-7878 or mbrhelp@gcsaa.org to purchase your report today.

To learn more, visit www.gcsaa.org.

research

Effect of preemergence 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.

Spring dead spot (SDS) is a soil-borne disease caused by three closely related ectotrophic, rootinfecting pathogens: Ophiosphaerella narmari, O. korrae and O. herpotricha (1). Spring dead spot symptoms may occur on intensely managed home lawns, athletic felds, golf courses and sod farms located in the transition zone where winter temperatures are cold enough to induce bermudagrass dormancy (16,20).

Disease symptoms are most noticeable when bermudagrass breaks winter dormancy in the spring, but injury may persist into late summer

L.L. Beck, Ph.D. T. Cooper A.J. Hephner C.M. Straw G.M. Henry, Ph.D.

80 GCM July 2013

(7). Symptoms appear as well-defned, bleached, circular patches that range in size from a few inches to a yard in diameter (1,7). Turfgrass plants within the disease patches eventually collapse to the ground, leaving behind sunken necrotic areas (21). The germination of weeds in the center of disease patches may cause a decline in turfgrass aesthetic quality and reduce the playability of turf. In severe cases, bermudagrass may not fully recover from spring dead spot symptoms before the onset of winter, leaving the turf susceptible to further damage from freezing temperatures (14).

Exposure to dinitroaniline herbicides may cause abnormal swelling (“clubbing�) of bermudagrass roots. Photo by Jim Brosnan

research

Pre-emergence herbicides Pre-emergence herbicides are often applied to turfgrass stands in early spring to control annual grasses and broadleaf weeds (19). However, certain pre-emergence herbicides may have a negative impact on the growth of bermudagrass turf (9). The use of dinitroaniline (DNA) herbicides, such as prodiamine and pendimethalin, may cause abnormal swelling of turfgrass root tips (“clubbed-roots�), stunting of lateral root growth and/or severely pruned roots when healthy tissue comes into contact with the chemical barrier created in the upper soil profle (9,13). Other researchers (10) have observed noticeable reductions in growth and abnormal root development in bermudagrass plants treated with pendimethalin, prodiamine and dithiopyr. The dinitroaniline herbicide family exhibits low water solubility and readily binds to soil particles, so these chemistries tend to remain near the soil surface and do not leach through the soil profle (10). Therefore, the chemical barrier may remain intact for several weeks to months, until soil microorganisms and other environmental factors degrade these herbicides over time (4). As a result, using certain preemergence herbicides may interfere with bermudagrass recovery in the spring and summer from damage caused by winter desiccation, heavy traf-

fc or disease (2).

In spring, turfgrass managers often change their focus from spring dead spot control to bermudagrass recovery from disease symptoms. Turf in the center of disease patches is necrotic, so recovery requires encroachment of bermudagrass stolons from surrounding, healthy plants (18).

The presence of pre-emergence herbicides in the soil profle may inhibit the rooting of bermudagrass stolons, prolonging disease symptoms and recovery. Though research has been conducted to quantify the effect of pre-emergence herbicide applications on bermudagrass recovery from divot injury (5) and wear/traffc (2), no research has been conducted to determine the effect of pre-emergence herbicides on bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot disease. Therefore, the objective of our research was to determine foliar phytotoxicity of bermudagrass in response to preemergence herbicide applications and evaluate the effect of spring pre-emergence herbicides on the recovery of a bermudagrass fairway from spring dead spot disease symptoms.

Evaluating bermudagrass recovery Field experiments were conducted during spring and summer 2011 and 2012 at Hillcrest Country Club in Lubbock, Texas, on an Arch

Field experiments were conducted at Hillcrest CC in Lubbock, Texas, on a Tifway fairway with a history of spring dead spot infestation.

Photos by Gerald Henry

July 2013 GCM 81

research ences) at 0.499 pound/acre (0.56 kilogram/hectare), Ronstar (oxadiazon, Bayer Environmental Science) at 3.03 pounds/acre (3.4 kilograms/ hectare), Specticle (indazifam, Bayer Environmental Science) at 0.031 pound/acre (0.035 kilogram/hectare), and Tower (dimethenamid, BASF Corp.) at 1.49 pounds/acre (1.68 kilograms/ hectare). Pre-emergence herbicide treatment rates were chosen based on label recommendations for each herbicide.

Herbicide treatments were applied with a CO2-powered backpack sprayer equipped with XR8003VS nozzle tips (TeeJet) calibrated to deliver 32.6 gallons/acre (305 liters/hectare) at 40 psi (276 kPa). Herbicide applications were made on March 15, 2011, and March 23, 2012. A nontreated check was included for comparison. Irrigation at 0.236 inch (0.6 centimeter) was applied immediately following all pre-emergence herbicide treatments to increase infltration into the soil profle and activate the chemistries.

Author Leslie Beck applies pre-emergence herbicide to a bermudagrass fairway infested with spring dead spot disease.

fne sandy loam (fne-loamy, carbonatic, thermic Aridic Calciustepts) soil with a pH of 8.2 and organic matter content of 1.5%. Research was located on a Tifway 419 bermudagrass [C. dactylon × C. transvaalensis (L.) Pers.] fairway with a history of spring dead spot infestation. Ophiosphaerella narmari, O. korrae and O. herpotricha were identifed from soil samples collected from this location, and no fungicides were applied to the research area the previous spring in order to encourage spring dead spot disease infestation.

Plots measured 5 feet × 5 feet (1.5 meters × 1.5 meters) and were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. All experimental areas were mowed 24 hours before herbicide application and twice weekly thereafter at a cutting height of 0.25 inch (0.6 centimeter).

Herbicide treatments Pre-emergence herbicide treatments included Barricade (prodiamine, Syngenta) at 0.651 pound/acre (0.73 kilogram/hectare); Pendulum (pendimethalin, BASF) at 2.23 pounds/acre (2.5 kilograms/hectare), Surfan (oryzalin, United Phosphorus) at 1.49 pounds/acre (1.68 kilograms/ hectare), Dimension (dithiopyr, Dow AgroSci82 GCM July 2013

Data collection Data collected included percent bermudagrass phytotoxicity (foliar symptoms in response to herbicide application) based on visual assessments and recovery based on digital image analysis. Percent bermudagrass phytotoxicity was visually assessed one and two weeks following preemergence herbicide application on a percent scale relative to the non-treated check, where 0 equaled no bermudagrass injury and 100 equaled complete bermudagrass death. These ratings were conducted to ensure bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot was not confounded by foliar phytotoxicity symptoms.

Digital photographs were taken every two weeks following initial occurrence of spring dead spot symptoms in April until mid-June (14 weeks after treatment). Each trial was located in minimally traffcked landing zones near the beginning of the fairway, so no attempts were made to remove mechanical damage (for example, divots, scalping).

Digital images were analyzed using software to quantify percent spring dead spot cover. Percent spring dead spot cover was converted to percent bermudagrass recovery (over the entire season) by comparing back to initial spring dead spot cover photographs taken in April. Initial spring dead spot cover was approximately 46% ± 5%.

Bermudagrass recovery in response to pre-emergence herbicides Data for each year are presented separately

research

% bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot disease Treatment

Rate (pounds/acre)

Bermudagrass recovery (%)† June 21, 2011

June 28, 2012

−

46 a‡

59 a

Barricade

0.651

23 cd

24 cd

Pendulum

2.23

33 b

38 b

Surflan

1.49

21 cd

26 bc

Dimension

0.499

22 cd

33 bc

Ronstar

3.03

55 a

57 a

Specticle

0.031

14 d

13 d

Tower

1.49

25 bc

34 bc

Untreated check

†

Percent spring dead spot cover was converted to percent bermudagrass recovery by comparison to initial percent spring dead spot cover recorded on April 25, 2011, or April 27, 2012. ‡ Means within a column followed by the same letter are not signifcantly different from one another.

Table 1. Percent bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot disease in June in response to pre-emergence herbicide applications made in March to a Tifway bermudagrass fairway at Hillcrest Country Club in Lubbock, Texas.

(Table 1). No bermudagrass phytotoxicity was observed in response to pre-emergence herbicide applications throughout the length of either trial (data not shown).

Ronstar. Bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot was unaffected by applications of Ronstar at 3.03 pounds/acre (3.4 kilograms/hectare).

Bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot in non-treated check plots measured 46% in 2011 and 59% in 2012, which was similar to results for Ronstar treatments (~56%) at 14 weeks after treatment (Table 1). Ronstar is absorbed primarily by shoots of susceptible weeds as they germinate and emerge through the herbicide-treated zone of the soil profle (22). Recovery from spring dead spot requires the encroachment of bermudagrass stolons from surrounding, healthy plants. Bermudagrass stolons that come into contact with Ronstar-treated soil only absorb minimal amounts of the herbicide; therefore, turfgrass rooting is not adversely affected (22). Other researchers have observed similar results in bermudagrass treated with Ronstar (10).

DNA and other herbicide families. Dinitroaniline, pyridine and chloroacetamide herbicides are absorbed by roots and shoots of susceptible weeds as they germinate and emerge through the herbicide-treated zone of the soil profle (15). Stolons that come into contact with these herbicides in the soil may have diffculty rooting because of abnormal swelling of turfgrass root tips and formation of “clubbed roots” (9,13), which potentially reduce bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot.

In our research, Pendulum at 2.23 pounds/ acre (2.5 kilograms/hectare) resulted in only 33% to 38% bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot at 14 weeks after treatment, regardless of year. Surfan, Barricade, Dimension and Tower applications resulted in 21% to 25% bermudagrass recovery from spring dead spot by 14 weeks after treatment in 2011. In 2012, bermudagrass exhibited similar recovery in response to Barricade (24%) and Surfan (26%), and 33% recovery measured in response to Dimension and 34% in response to Tower at 14 weeks after treatment.

These fndings support those of other researchers (8,10).

However, our results differ from those of other researchers (2) who did not observe differences in the recovery of traffcked Tifway bermudagrass in response to pre-emergence herbicide applications.

They found that bermudagrass recovery was similar in response to Ronstar or Pendulum applied at 3.03 pounds/acre (3.4 kilograms/hectare), Barricade at 0.499 pound/acre (0.56 kilogram/hectare), Echelon (prodiamine + sulfentrazone, FMC Corp.) (0.713 + 0.356 pound/acre [0.8 + 0.4 kilogram/hectare]), and Dimension (0.356 pound/ acre) at one to seven weeks after traffc simulations ceased. The researchers surmised this was due predominantly to bermudagrass growth from underground rhizomes, whereas recovery in our research relied on bermudagrass stolon encroachment. In other research that, like ours, measured bermudagrass recovery from surrounding stolon encroachment of healthy tissue (5), poor regrowth

July 2013 GCM 83

research

Bermudagrass exhibited the least amount of recovery from spring dead spot at 14 weeks after treatment in response to Specticle applied at 0.031 pound/acre.

of Tifway bermudagrass was observed in response to applications of Surfan (1.49 pounds/acre [1.68 kilograms/hectare]) (0% regrowth) and Barricade (0.936 pound/acre [1.05 kilograms/hectare]) (3% regrowth) compared to a non-treated check (18%) at six weeks after initial treatment.

Specticle. Bermudagrass exhibited the least amount of recovery (13% to 14%) from spring dead spot at 14 weeks after treatment in response to Specticle at 0.031 pound/acre (0.035 kilogram/ hectare). Specticle is an alkylazine herbicide that controls susceptible grass and broadleaf weeds through the inhibition of cellulose biosynthesis (3). Although Specticle offers turfgrass managers an alternative mode of action for the control of key turfgrass weeds (3,11), long soil residual activity (>150 days) may limit bermudagrass recovery from stress.

Researchers (11) have reported that perennial ryegrass cover in plots treated with Specticle at 0.047 pound/acre (0.053 kilogram/hectare) and 0.062 pound/acre (0.070 kilogram/hectare) measured 37% to 48% compared to 88% for a non-treated check 257 days after initial treatment. Reduced recovery in response to Specticle may be explained by other research (12), where hybrid bermudagrass injury on sand-based systems was 25% to 47% at six weeks after treatment in response to Specticle at 0.031 pound/ acre (0.035 kilogram/hectare), while reductions in root length density (>58%) were observed on root systems 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters) in

84 GCM July 2013

depth following applications of Specticle at 0.031 to 0.062 pound/acre (12).

Still other researchers (39) investigated Riviera common bermudagrass root strength in response to sequential applications of Specticle (0.031 or 0.046 pound/acre [0.035 or 0.052 kilogram/ hectare)], Specticle followed by Ronstar (1.99 pounds/acre [2.24 kilograms/hectare]) or Barricade (0.749 pound/acre [0.84 kilogram/hectare]), and Barricade (0.749 pound/acre [0.84 kilogram/ hectare]). No differences in loose stolon number and root strength were observed between the nontreated check and Specticle treatments at 16 weeks after initial treatment; however, bermudagrass root strength was signifcantly lower in response to sequential Barricade treatments at 16 weeks after initial treatment (17). However, this research examined the response of four-year-old rooted bermudagrass to Specticle applications, whereas our research examined the ability of bermudagrass stolons to encroach from surrounding plants and root in Specticle-treated soil.

Differential responses in spring dead spot bermudagrass recovery from year to year may be attributed to the severe drought conditions experienced in Texas during 2011. The Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) was -4.19 for April and -5.08 for May in Texas during 2011, indicating the most severe drought since 1895 (6). Although research plots were irrigated, high temperatures and low humidity during spring and summer may have increased evaporative demand, thus reducing

research bermudagrass vigor and subsequent recovery from spring dead spot symptoms.

Pre-emergence herbicide selection may be important when the site has a history of spring dead spot disease pressure. Ronstar can be safely used as a pre-emergence option when bermudagrass is recovering from spring dead spot, while the use of Surfan, Barricade, Dimension, Tower, Pendulum and Specticle may limit recovery and further weaken the turfgrass system.

Acknowledgments The authors wish to extend appreciation to Paul Dominguez, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Hillcrest Country Club and a 20-year member of the association, for the use of his facility.

This research was previously published in the online journal Applied Turfgrass Science as “Effect of pre-emergence herbicides on the recovery of bermudagrass from spring dead spot”

by L.L. Beck, T. Cooper, A.J. Hephner, C.M. Straw and G.M. Henry. 2013. doi:10.1094/ATS-2013-0328-01-RS. Literature cited 1. Baird, J.H., D.L. Martin, C.M. Taliaferro et al. 1998. Bermudagrass resistance to spring dead spot caused by Ophiosphaerella herpotricha. Plant Disease 82:771-774.

2. Brosnan, J.T., G.K. Breeden, A.W. Thoms and J.C. Sorochan 2011. Preemergence herbicide effcacy under athletic feld traffc. Online. Applied Turfgrass Science doi:10.1094/ATS2011-1128-01-BR. 3. Brosnan, J.T., G.K. Breeden, P.E. McCullough and G.M. Henry. 2012. PRE and POST control of annual bluegrass (Poa annua) with indazifam. Weed Technology 26:48-53.

4. Capo-chichi, L.J.A., J.M. Goatley Jr., W. Philley et al. 2005.

Dinitroaniline-induced genetic changes in bermudagrass.

Crop Science 45:1504-1510.

5. Cooper, T., and G.M. Henry.2010. Bermudagrass divot recovery in response to dinitroaniline preemergence herbicides. Proceedings Southern Weed Science Society 63:57. (Abstract) Online. www.swss.ws/NewWebDesign/Proceedings/Archives/ 2010%20Proceedings-SWSS.pdf (verifed June 10, 2013).

6. Dawson, B. 2011. A drought for the centuries: It hasn’t been this dry in Texas since 1789. Texas Climate News, Dec. 19, 2011.

7. Dernoeden, P.H., J.N. Crahay and D.B. Davis. 1991. Spring dead spot and bermudagrass quality as infuenced by nitrogen source and potassium. Crop Science 31:1674-1680.

8. Fagerness, M.J., F.H. Yelverton and R.J. Cooper. 2002. Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] and zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) establishment after preemergence herbicide applications. Weed Technology 16:597-602.

9. Fishel, F.M., and G.E. Coats. 1993. Effect of commonly used turfgrass herbicides on bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) root growth. Weed Science 41:641-647.

10. Fishel, F.M., and G.E. Coats. 1994. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) sod rooting as infuenced by preemergence herbicides. Weed Technology 8:46-49.

11. Henry, G.M., J.T. Brosnan, G.K. Breeden et al. 2012. Indazifam programs for weed control in overseeded bermudagrass turf. HortTechnology 22:774-777.

12. Jones, P.A., J.T. Brosnan, D.A. Kopsell and G.K. Breeden.

2012. Soil type and rooting depth affect hybrid bermudagrass injury with preemergence herbicides. Crop Science 53:660-665.

13. Mitra, S., and P.C. Bhowmik. 2005. Root pruning preemergence herbicides affect root development of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). International Turfgrass Society Research Journal 10:1227-1232.

14. Nus, J.L., and K.Shashikumar. 1993. Fungi associated with spring dead spot reduce freezing resistance in bermudagrass. HortScience 28:306-307.

15. Parka, S.J., and O.F. Soper. 1967. The physiology and mode of action of the dinitroaniline herbicides. Weed Science 25:79-87.

16. Perry, D.H., M. Tomaso-Peterson and R. Baird. 2010. Seasonal variation in frequency of isolation of Ophiosphaerella korrae from bermudagrass roots in Mississippi and pathogenicity and optimal growth of selected isolates. Mycopathologia 169:395-402.

17. Post, A.R., and S.D. Askew. 2011. Effects of indazifam on bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] quality and root strength. Proceedings Southern Weed Science Society 64:97 (Abstract). Online. www.swss.ws/NewWebDesign/ Proceedings/Archives/2011%20Proceedings-SWSS.pdf (verifed June 10, 2013).

18. Tredway, L.P., M. Tomaso-Peterson, H. Perry and N.R. Walker. 2008. Spring dead spot of bermudagrass: A challenge for researchers and turfgrass managers. Online.

APSnet Features. doi:10.1094/APSnetFeature-2008-0108.

19. Turgeon, A.J. 2011. Turfgrass Management. 9th ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. 20. Wadsworth, D.F., and H.C. Young. 1960. Spring dead spot of bermudagrass. Plant Disease 44:516-518.

21. Walker, N.R. 2009. Infuence of fungicide application timings on the management of bermudagrass spring dead spot caused by Ophiosphaerella herpotricha. Plant Disease 93:1341-1345.

22. Yelverton, F. 1995. Strategies for turfgrass weed control with preemergence herbicides. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C. Online. www.turffles.ncsu.edu/articles/ tf0071.aspx (verifed June 10, 2013).

GCM L.L. Beck is an instructor in the department of plant and soil science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; T. Cooper is a sales representative for Dow AgroSciences, Houston; A.J. Hephner is a turf and ornamental market specialist for FMC, Knightdale, N.C.; C.M. Straw is a graduate research assistant and G.M. Henry (gmhenry@uga.edu) is an associate professor in the department of crop and soil sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.

V v v

The research says ➔ Field experiments examined the recovery of a bermudagrass fairway from SDS following pre-emergence herbicide applications. ➔ Recovery from spring dead spot in the non-treated check plots on a bermudagrass fairway in Texas in 2011 (46%) and 2012 (59%) was similar to bermudagrass recovery in response to Ronstar at 3.03 pounds/ acre (2011, 55%; 2012, 57%) at 14 weeks after treatment. ➔ Bermudagrass exhibited the least amount of recovery (13% to 14%) in response to Specticle at 0.031 pound/acre, regardless of year. ➔ Ronstar can be safely used as a pre-emergence option when bermudagrass is recovering from spring dead spot. ➔ Using Surflan, Barricade, Dimension, Tower, Pendulum and Specticle may limit recovery and further weaken the turfgrass system.

July 2013 GCM 85

research

New options for Poa annua control in bentgrass greens The fght against annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass continues with two new herbicides.

Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) is the most troublesome winter annual weed in managed turfgrasses, especially creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) putting greens (11). In the southeastern United States, a perennial habit tends to dominate the annual bluegrass population in creeping bentgrass greens, as high input requirements during summer (syringing, fans, fungicide applications) allow annual bluegrass to survive.

Control of annual bluegrass in creeping bent-

Robert B. Cross Bert McCarty, Ph.D. Alan G. Estes 86 GCM July 2013

grass is diffcult to attain. Because both creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass are cool-season species, herbicide selectivity is a challenge. In addition, golf greens are under constant cultural and environmental stresses, which herbicide applications often increase.

Currently, plant growth regulators are the most viable labeled option for annual bluegrass seedhead control in creeping bentgrass greens.

However, multiple applications are required

This untreated control plot had heavy annual bluegrass infestations with a combination of perennial and annual biotypes. Photos by R. Cross

research throughout the fall and spring to suppress annual bluegrass growth and seedhead production.

Two new herbicides have recently generated interest for their potential annual bluegrass control. Xonerate (amicarbazone, Arysta LifeScience Corp.) is a triazolinone herbicide that inhibits photosynthesis by disrupting electron fow at photosystem II (5). It is currently labeled for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass tees and fairways, but not in putting greens.

Methiozolin (proposed trade name PoaCure) is a new isoxazoline compound from Moghu Research Center in South Korea with proposed modes of action being inhibition of cell-wall biosynthesis and/or inhibition of tyrosine aminotransferase (7,10). Regardless, this is a new mode of action for annual bluegrass control in turfgrass. Methiozolin is currently labeled in several Asian countries for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass putting greens. It has not been registered for use in the United States, but U.S. registration is expected in 2015.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate various herbicide and plant growth regulator treatment programs for annual bluegrass control and seedhead suppression, including several recently developed herbicides, and to determine their safety for use on creeping bentgrass putting greens.

Materials and methods From 2010 to 2013, several studies were conducted on creeping bentgrass greens built to USGA recommendations in order to analyze multiple herbicides and plant growth regulators for annual bluegrass control.

Treatments were applied at Walker Golf Course at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., from fall 2010 to spring 2012 on Crenshaw creeping bentgrass and at Cross Creek Plantation, Seneca, S.C., from fall 2011 to spring 2013 on L-93 creeping bentgrass. The same treatments were applied to the same plot area at each site during the two-year study.

All treatments were applied using a CO2-pressurized backpack sprayer calibrated to deliver 20 gallons/acre (187 liters/hectare) through 8003 fat-fan nozzles. Methiozolin treatments were sprayed at one-third of the herbicide rate three times to achieve the recommended spray volume of 60 gallons/acre (561 liters/hectare). Treatment programs, active ingredients, rates and timings are presented in Table 1.

Throughout the studies, sites were maintained by the golf course maintenance staffs to normal putting green standards. Greens were mowed daily at 0.125 inch (0.32 centimeter) with irriga-

The research sites used in the studies for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass greens were at Walker GC (top) and Cross Creek Plantation (bottom).

tion applied as needed to prevent wilt. Study sites received 6 pounds nitrogen/1,000 square feet (29 grams nitrogen/square meter) yearly and were treated with fungicides as needed to prevent disease pressure. Plots at both sites contained more than 50% annual bluegrass density at the initiation of the studies, and more than 80% of these populations were determined to be perennial biotypes (visual observation).

Data collected Subsequent performance ratings were recorded monthly from trial initiation until late spring,

July 2013 GCM 87

research

Programs for annual bluegrass control Treatment Untreated Trimmit 2 SC (paclobutrazol, Syngenta) ‡

Rate

Program description†

—

—

8-16 ounces/acre (0.6-1.2 liters/hectare)

Legacy 1.51 L (trinexapac-ethyl + flurprimidol, SePRO)

10 ounces/acre (0.7 liter/hectare)

Cutless 1.3 SC (flurprimidol, SePRO)

24.6 ounces/acre (2.5 liters/hectare)

Velocity 17.6 WDG (bispyribac-sodium, Valent)

0.7 ounce/acre (49 grams/hectare)

Xonerate 70 WG (amicarbazone, Arysta LifeScience)

1 ounce/acre (70 grams/hectare)

Four spring applications beginning mid-February with sequential applications 1 week apart.

Methiozolin 2 EC (methiozolin, Moghu Research Center)

32 ounces/acre (2.3 liters/hectare)

Initial application made in mid-October with sequential applications 1 week apart. Spring applications resumed mid-February; 3 fall, 3 spring applications.

Methiozolin 2 EC

64 ounces/acre (4.6 liters/hectare)

Initial application made in mid-October with a sequential fall application 4 weeks after initial. Additional spring application in mid-February.

0.5 + 0.5 ounce/acre (49 + 49 grams/hectare)

Four spring applications alternating products 1 week apart; 2 Velocity and 2 Xonerate applications.

8-16 ounces/acre + 0.5 ounce/acre (0.6-1.2 liters/hectare + 49 grams/hectare)

Trimmit program as described above with addition of 4 spring Xonerate applications beginning midFebruary with sequential applications 1 week apart.

Velocity 17.6 WDG + Xonerate 70 WG

Trimmit 2 SC + Xonerate 70 WG

First application of Velocity and PGR in mid-October with sequential applications following 3 weeks apart.

Applications ceased in mid-December and resumed mid-February; 4 fall, 4 spring applications.

†

Fall applications were initiated Oct. 6, 2010; Oct. 12, 2011; and Oct. 23, 2012. Spring applications were initiated Feb. 23, 2011; Feb. 13, 2012; and Feb. 27, 2013.

First and second applications of Trimmit made at 8 and 12 ounces /acre, respectively, with all additional applications made at 16 ounces/acre.

‡

Table 1. Treatments, rates and descriptions of programs evaluated for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass putting greens at the Walker Golf Course, Clemson, S.C., and Cross Creek Plantation, Seneca, S.C.

including annual bluegrass density, seedhead suppression and creeping bentgrass turf quality. Additionally, data were obtained for creeping bentgrass phytotoxicity, plot density and bermudagrass green-up, but these data are not presented.

Annual bluegrass density was visually estimated using a scale of 0% to 100%, where 0% = no annual bluegrass and 100% = complete annual bluegrass coverage. Annual bluegrass control values were calculated using visual estimates by determining the percent annual bluegrass density reduction for each plot. Seedhead suppression was calculated as a percentage of the untreated control and was evaluated using a scale of 0 to 9, where 0 = no annual bluegrass seedheads and 9 = bright white seedheads. Turfgrass quality was visually evaluated using a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 = brown, dead turfgrass, 9 = dark green, dense, uniform turf, and 7 was considered the minimum acceptable turf quality for a golf course green.

Experimental design The experimental design for each study was 88 GCM July 2013

a randomized complete block with four replications. Plot sizes were 5 feet × 26 feet (1.5 meters × 8 meters) at Walker GC and 5 feet × 6.5 feet (1.5 meters × 2 meters) at Cross Creek Plantation. Annual bluegrass control, seedhead suppression and turf quality were statistically analyzed to evaluate the effect of site on treatments. Treatment performance was not statistically equivalent at both sites with respect to all ratings, therefore, results are presented and discussed separately for each site.

Results Annual bluegrass control, seedhead suppression and turf quality data are presented from a fnal spring rating date after all treatments had been applied for two years at both sites. Although statistical analysis revealed treatments did not perform equally at both sites, four treatments provided clear separation from all other treatments with respect to annual bluegrass control and seedhead suppression.

research

Annual bluegrass control At Walker GC, methiozolin treatments provided greater control than all other treatments, where 93% control was achieved after two years of treatment with six applications (three fall, three spring) at 32 ounces/acre (2.3 liters/hectare) each, while three applications (two fall, one spring) at 64 ounces/acre (4.6 liters/hectare) provided 92% annual bluegrass control (Table 2). In comparison, at Cross Creek Plantation, 82% annual bluegrass control was achieved with the low-rate methiozolin program and 79% control with the high-rate methiozolin program. Only Trimmit (paclobutrazol, Syngenta) + Xonerate provided control similar to that of methiozolin (79%) at Cross Creek Plantation. This treatment produced 65% annual bluegrass control at Walker GC. Eight applications of Trimmit alone through the fall and spring provided 66% annual bluegrass control at Walker GC and 50% control at Cross Creek Plantation. All other plant growth regulator or herbicide treatments provided 13% or less annual bluegrass control regardless of site.

Seedhead suppression Annual bluegrass seedheads were suppressed 85% or more regardless of rate of methiozolin or site; this can be attributed to effective annual bluegrass population reduction (Table 2). Both Trimmit alone (81% at Walker GC, 68% at Cross Creek Plantation) and Trimmit + Xonerate (77% at Walker GC, 86% at Cross Creek Plan-

After two years of treatment, methiozolin applied six times in the fall and spring at 32 ounces/acre provided greater than 90% annual bluegrass control at the Walker GC site.

Annual bluegrass control, seedhead suppression and turf quality Treatment

Rate (ounces/acre)

Annual bluegrass control (%) ‡

Untreated Trimmit

Seedhead suppression (%)

Turf quality†

Walker

CCP

Walker

CCP

Walker

CCP

—

0c

0c

0e

0d

7.1 c

7.0 bc

8-16

66 b

50 b

81 a

68 ab

8.1 a

8.0 a

Legacy

10

0c

0c

7 de

20 cd

7.3 bc

7.0 bc

Cutless

24.6

0c

0c

22 cd

44 bc

7.9 ab

7.1 bc

Velocity

0.7

0c

0c

21 cde

11 d

7.0 c

7.0 bc

Xonerate

1

0c

13 c

52 b

6d

5.5 d

7.0 bc

Methiozolin

32

93 a

82 a

85 a

92 a

8.4 a

6.9 c

64

92 a

79 a

89 a

88 a

8.5 a

7.3 b

Velocity + Xonerate

Methiozolin

0.5 + 0.5

0c

0c

32 bc

0d

7.1 c

7.0 bc

Trimmit + Xonerate

8-16 + 0.5

65 b

79 a

77 a

86 a

7.9 ab

7.9 a

†

Values in a column not followed by the same letter are signifcantly different.

Abbreviations: Walker, Walker Golf Course; CCP, Cross Creek Plantation.

‡

Table 2. Annual bluegrass control, seedhead suppression and turf quality after two years of treatments on Crenshaw creeping bentgrass greens at Walker GC at Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., and L-93 creeping bentgrass greens at Cross Creek Plantation, Seneca, S.C.

July 2013 GCM 89

research tation) provided seedhead suppression similar to methiozolin treatments at both sites. Only Cutless (furprimidol, SePRO) provided greater seedhead suppression (44%) than the untreated control at Walker GC, while suppression with Xonerate (52%), Velocity (bispyribac-sodium, Valent) + Xonerate (32%), and Cutless (22%) was greater than the untreated control at Cross Creek Plantation. Other treatments did not provide seedhead suppression different from the untreated control at either location.

Turf quality Spring turf quality ratings (1 to 9, 9 = best) were most consistent between sites for Trimmit alone and Trimmit + Xonerate (7.9 to 8.1) (Table 2). Turf quality of methiozolin treatments at the low rate was 8.4 for Walker GC and 6.9 for Cross Creek Plantation; for the high rate, turf quality was 8.5 for Walker GC and 7.3 for Cross Creek Plantation. All other treatments evaluated in this study provided turf quality similar to the untreated control (7.1) with the exception of Xonerate alone at Walker GC (5.5).

Discussion Turfgrass managers have used plant growth regulators for annual bluegrass control for many years (4). Currently, the standard for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass is multiple

At both research sites (Cross Creek Plantation is shown here), Trimmit (paclobutrazol) applied four times in the fall and four times in the spring (8-16 ounces/acre) provided excellent seedhead suppression. For effective suppression, paclobutrazol must be applied consistently throughout the fall and spring.

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applications of paclobutrazol. (We used Trimmit in this study, but other plant growth regulators such as TGR and Turf Enhancer also have the active ingredient paclobutrazol.) Results from this study confrm paclobutrazol as the best plant growth regulator and currently labeled option for annual bluegrass control.

Paclobutrazol does not remove (control) annual bluegrass at rates used on creeping bentgrass greens (8-16 ounces/acre [0.6-1.2 liters/ hectare]), but provides a gradual transition from annual bluegrass to creeping bentgrass by providing a competitive advantage to creeping bentgrass (9). Thus, to be effective, applications of paclobutrazol must remain constant as ceasing applications allows annual bluegrass to rebound from regulation and aggressively reinvade creeping bentgrass stands (8). For adequate annual bluegrass suppression, applications of paclobutrazol should cease only during periods of summer stress and when creeping bentgrass is not actively growing during winter.

Paclobutrazol provides good suppression of annual bluegrass populations if applications remain consistent, but selective herbicides that effectively remove annual bluegrass from creeping bentgrass greens would be more benefcial long-term.

Methiozolin Results from this and other research (1,2,3,6,12) suggest multiple methiozolin applications are effective at selectively reducing annual bluegrass populations in creeping bentgrass putting greens. Although both low- and high-rate methiozolin programs provided similar control in this study, we observed reductions in turf quality and creeping bentgrass coverage at both sites in the frst year of applications with high rates of methiozolin when heavy annual bluegrass populations were removed too quickly (data not shown).

Therefore, multiple applications (6+) at lower rates (≤32 ounces/acre, 2.3 liters/hectare) over longer periods of time (14-17 days) may be safer and more effective. Although not different from the untreated control, turf quality of methiozolin treatments was lower at Cross Creek Plantation compared to Walker GC. This suggests some differences may exist in the susceptibility of creeping bentgrass cultivars to methiozolin.

Research suggests methiozolin can reduce creeping bentgrass root length (15). Therefore, methiozolin should not be applied immediately following summer heat stress when creeping bentgrass roots are weakest.

Two modes of action of methiozolin have been proposed and provide a new mode of action

research for annual bluegrass control in turfgrass (7,10).

Annual bluegrass is highly susceptible to herbicide resistance development, and thus, methiozolin should be used judiciously to delay the onset of resistance issues. Results from this study suggest two years of applications of methiozolin signifcantly reduces annual bluegrass populations. Thus, once these populations are reduced to acceptable levels, an aggressive paclobutrazol regime could be maintained until further applications of methiozolin would be needed.

Xonerate Xonerate is a newly developed herbicide for annual bluegrass control in warm- and cool-season grasses, but creeping bentgrass greens are not listed on the product label. Four spring applications of Xonerate at 1 ounce/acre (70 grams/hectare) failed to provide adequate (>70%) annual bluegrass control at either location. Spring turf quality was unacceptable (5.5) at Walker GC, but was 7.0 at Cross Creek Plantation, suggesting some variability in the safety of Xonerate at these rates on creeping bentgrass greens in the Southeast as previous research has reported (3,16). This could be attributed to environmental conditions at the time of application as Xonerate effcacy is highly temperature-dependent (13), or reduced photosynthetic effciency as Xonerate is a photosystem II-inhibiting herbicide (14).

Because Xonerate is potentially phytotoxic to creeping bentgrass (14,16) and because paclobutrazol does not control annual bluegrass at the reduced rate for greens, reduced rates of Xonerate were evaluated in combination with Trimmit and Velocity. Annual bluegrass control was signifcantly increased at Cross Creek Plantation compared to Trimmit alone (50%) when four spring applications of Xonerate at 0.5 ounce/acre (35 grams/hectare) were added to the Trimmit program (79%).

However, similar control (~65%) was observed at Walker GC with these programs. Therefore, low rates of Xonerate may increase annual bluegrass control compared to Trimmit alone, but this was not consistently shown in this study. Xonerate + Velocity combinations did not provide comparable annual bluegrass control or seedhead suppression to other treatments. Low rates of these products were used to achieve creeping bentgrass safety, but these results suggest higher rates are probably needed to control annual bluegrass.

Methiozolin was applied three times at higher rates (64 ounces/acre) for annual bluegrass control to this plot at Walker GC. One year of this aggressive treatment removed annual bluegrass too quickly, leaving voids in creeping bentgrass greens, which reduced turf and putting quality and time to heal (top).

Two years of treatment with methiozolin applied six times in the fall and spring (32 ounces/acre) at Cross Creek Plantation provided more than 80% annual bluegrass control (bottom).

Summary Results from this study confrm multiple paclobutrazol (Trimmit, TGR, Turf Enhancer) applications remain the most effective option curJuly 2013 GCM 91

research

V v v

The research says ➔ Results from this study confirm multiple paclobutrazol (Trimmit, TGR, Turf Enhancer) applications as the most effective option currently labeled for managing annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass greens in the southeastern U.S. ➔ Methiozolin, which is not yet registered for use in the U.S., appears to be extremely effective for reducing annual bluegrass while maintaining acceptable safety on creeping bentgrass greens ➔ Rates and timings of other products in the study may need to be adjusted to achieve annual bluegrass control and selectivity in creeping bentgrass.

92 GCM July 2013

rently labeled for managing annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass putting greens in the southeastern United States.

Methiozolin appears to be extremely effective for reducing annual bluegrass populations while maintaining acceptable safety on creeping bentgrass putting greens. If methiozolin were registered in the United States, low rates (≤32 ounces/ acre, 2.3 liters/hectare) applied multiple times (6+) in the fall and spring would be most effective for slow removal of annual bluegrass. This herbicide should be used judiciously to maintain its effectiveness for annual bluegrass control as resistance has developed to almost all modes of action used to control annual bluegrass.

Other treatments evaluated in this study did not provide annual bluegrass control or seedhead suppression comparable to that achieved by methiozolin. Rates and timings of the products used in these treatments may need to be adjusted to achieve annual bluegrass control and selectivity in creeping bentgrass. Future research should continue to evaluate all of these products and others to fnd optimal rates and timings for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass greens.

Acknowledgments We thank 24-year GCSAA member Don Garrett, superintendent at Walker Golf Course at Clemson University, and 14-year GCSAA member Tom Grundy, superintendent at Cross Creek Plantation, for accommodating and assisting in this research project.

Literature cited 1. Askew, S., and S.J. Koo. 2012. Annual bluegrass control on golf putting greens with spring applications of methiozolin.

Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Weed Science Society 66:94. Online. www.newss.org/proceed ings/proceedings_2012.pdf (verifed June 4, 2013).

2. Brosnan, J.T., and G.K. Breeden. 2012. Methiozolin programs for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass putting greens in Tennesee. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Weed Science Society 66:93. Online. www.newss.org/proceedings/proceedings_2012.pdf (verifed June 4, 2013).

3. Brosnan, J.T., S. Calvache, G.K. Breeden and J.C. Sorochan.

2013. Rooting depth, soil type, and application rate effects on creeping bentgrass injury with amicarbazone and methiozolin. Crop Science 53:655-659.

4. Christians, N.E. 1996. A historical perspective of annual bluegrass control. Golf Course Management 64(11):49-57.

5. Dayan, F.E., M. Trindade and E.D. Velini. 2009. Amicarbazone, a new photosystem II inhibitor. Weed Science 57:579583.

6. Flessner, M.L., G.R. Wehtje and J.S. McElroy. 2013. Methiozolin absorption and translocation in annual bluegrass (Poa

annua). Weed Science 61:201-208.

7. Grossman, K., J. Hutzler, S. Tresch, et al. 2012. On the mode of action of the herbicides cinmethylin and 5-benzyloxymethyl-1, 2-isoxazolines: putative inhibitors of plant tyrosine aminotransferase. Pest Management Science 68:482-492.

8. Johnson, B.J., and T.R. Murphy. 1995. Effect of paclobutrazol and furprimidol on suppression of Poa annua spp. reptans in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) greens. Weed Technology 9:182-186.

9. Kageyama, M.E., L.R. Widell, D.G. Cotton and G.R. McVey. 1989. Annual bluegrass to bentgrass conversion with a turf growth retardant (TGR). Proceedings of the International Turf Research Conference 6:387-390.

10. Lee, J.N., S.J. Koo, K.H. Hwang et al. 2007. Mode of action of a new isoxazoline compound. Proceedings of the Asian Pacifc Weed Science Society Conference 21:591-601.

11. McCarty, L.B. 2011. Best Golf Course Management Practices, 3rd ed. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. 12. McCullough, P.E., D.G. de Barreda and J. Yu. 2013. Selectivity of methiozolin for annual bluegrass (Poa annua) control in creeping bentgrass as infuenced by temperature and application timing. Weed Science 61:209-216.

13. McCullough, P.E., S.E. Hart, D. Weisenberger and Z.J. Reicher. 2010. Amicarbazone effcacy on annual bluegrass and safety on cool-season turfgrasses. Weed Technology 24:461-470.

14. Perry, D.H., J.S. McElroy and R.H. Walker. 2009. The infuence of amicarbazone on creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) photochemical effciency. Proceedings of the Southern Weed Science Society 62:386. Online. www.swss.ws/ NewWebDesign/Proceedings/Archives/2009%20Proceed ings-SWSS.pdf (verifed June 4, 2013).

15. Venner, K.A., S. Askew and S.J. Koo. 2012. Effects of methiozolin rates on creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass root growth. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Weed Science Society 66:14. Online. www. newss.org/proceedings/proceedings_2012.pdf (verifed June 4, 2013).

16. Warren, L.S., F.H. Yelverton and T.W. Gannon. 2009. The effect of various rates and timings of amicarbazone on bentgrass cultivar tolerance and annual bluegrass control. Proceedings of the Southern Weed Science Society 62:387. Online. www.swss. ws/NewWebDesign/Proceedings/Archives/2009%20Proceed ings-SWSS.pdf (verifed June 4, 2013).

GCM Robert B. Cross is a graduate student, Lambert B. McCarty (bmccrty@clemson.edu) is a professor and Alan G. Estes is a turfgrass research technician in the school of agriculture, forestry and environmental sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.

Research in progress

ticide. Nematicide effcacy was tested on bermudagrass greens at two golf courses in the Houston area and on the campus of Texas A&M University. Trial 1 was in Houston on Tifway 419 infested with Belonolaimus species (sting nematode); trials 2 and 3 were in Sugar Land, Texas, on MiniVerde infested with Meloidogyne species (root-knot nematode); and trial 4 was at Texas A&M on TifEagle infested with root-knot nematodes. Silver nanoparticles were chemically synthesized in the lab, agitated by hand and applied at 2 gallons of diluted nematicide spray/1,000 square feet. Soil samples were tested to determine nematode populations. In 2011 feld trials, one or two applications of silver nanoparticles in spring and summer did not decrease nematode populations in comparison to the control. Applications of silver nanoparticles in November signifcantly reduced nematode populations and improved turf quality without noticeable phytotoxicity to bermudagrass. Nematode populations were not uniformly distributed, and they changed by season and location. Nematode populations were not directly correlated with turf quality. — Young-Ki Jo, Ph.D. (ykjo@

cutting edge

Photo courtesy of Young-Ki Jo

tamu.edu); J.L. Starr, Ph.D.; and Youjun Deng, Ph.D., Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Photo courtesy of W.T. Crow

IPM for sting nematodes on bermudagrass In an effort to develop an IPM program for control of sting nematodes on bermudagrass, we are attempting to identify and develop bermudagrass cultivars that are tolerant of sting nematodes and to determine whether resistant cultivars in combination with a biopesticide program will adequately manage sting nematodes without conventional pesticides.

Five bermudagrasses (Tifway, TifSport, Celebration and two experimentals, BA 132 and PI 291590) were established and then tested under four nematicide regimes (no nematicide; annual Curfew Soil Fumigant application; calendar-based IPM program with rotations of the biological products Nortica, MustGro Invest or Multiguard Protect; or a monitoring-based IPM program in which the same biological products were applied on an as-needed basis).

In 2012, the frst year of a multi-year experiment, BA 132 and Celebration had the best establishment rate, and both IPM programs showed slight improvements in turf health compared to the untreated control. — William Crow, Ph.D. (wtcr@uf.edu), and Kevin Kenworthy, Ph.D., University of Florida

Silver nanoparticles for nematode control Silver nanoparticle compounds have been developed for use as an environmentally friendly nema-

A new system for nematode control The objectives of this research are (1) to develop methods for visualizing the ingestion of micronsize biological molecules by sting nematodes and to determine their distribution within the body of the sting nematode, and (2) to develop micron-size biological molecules to deliver biological control agent complexes to control sting nematodes in vitro and in vivo. Ingestion of micron-size molecules loaded with fuorescent dye resulted in successful oral delivery of chemicals to the intestines of root-knot and spiral nematodes. We evaluated the effects of four concentrations of two nematicides, Larvin and Oxamyl, delivered within a micron-size molecule on root-knot nematodes in vitro. Larvin was eliminated from the study because it required higher concentrations to kill the larvae. Oxamyl at 200 and 100 micrograms/ milliliter achieved 100% mortality of J2 root-knot nematode larvae. In another experiment, 5 micrograms/milliliter of Avid, an insecticide labled for nematode control on greens, was the minimum concentration that reduced gall formation on roots of tomato plants infested with root-knot nematodes. —

The research described in these summaries is funded in part by USGA.

Hanafy Fouly, Ph.D. (foulyhm@gmail.com), ADRT, LLC and Ken Watkin, Ph.D., University of Illinois

GCM Teresa Carson (tcarson@gcsaa.org) is GCM’s science editor.

Teresa Carson July 2013 GCM 93

INDUSTRYnews Happenings and people you should know about

tions. The site also features a list of all OSA members with links to their company websites, as well as information about other industry partners.

The OSA comprises 90 companies from throughout Oregon. Go to www. oregonseed.org for more information.

Bobcat Co. broke ground on a $20 million expansion and renovation project to create the Acceleration Center in Bismarck, N.D. Bobcat says the center will be a modern complex for advancing innovation. The project includes expansion of an existing building as well as development of a new test track and indoor testing facility, all at the Northern Plains Commerce Center in Bismarck. The expansion of the existing building will include a two-story offce building and provide a total of 160,000 square feet of modern workspace. Additionally, a 35,000-square-foot indoor testing arena is being constructed next to a 22-acre outdoor testing and track area. Construction is expected to be complete by summer 2014.

Syngenta and DuPont agreed on a technology exchange to launch new fungicide solutions. The agreement is expected to broaden each company’s crop protection product portfolio and enable both to bring new products to market more effciently. Syngenta obtained a global license from DuPont to develop products containing DuPont’s fungicide oxathiapiprolin. The companies say the development of this new piperidinyl thiazole isoxazoline class of fungicides represents a signifcant improvement for growers in the control of diseases in potatoes, grapes, vegetables and other specialty crops. Under the agreements, Syngenta receives exclusive rights for foliar and soil uses on all crops in North America and for lawn and garden uses globally. Syngenta also secures rights on certain crops for seed treatment globally and for the development of foliar and soil uses on certain crops outside of North America. The agreement gives DuPont exclusive access to Syngenta’s Solatenol for mixture with DuPont’s picoxystrobin fungicide on soybean and other crops in Brazil.

July is Smart Irrigation Month, and the Irrigation Association (IA) has its Smart Marketing Contest under way. The contest is free to IA members and is

94 GCM July 2013

open to non-members for a nominal fee.

Participants are invited to submit their marketing materials by Aug. 30. The contest will recognize winners in a variety of categories and irrigation disciplines, ranging from agriculture to turf and landscape and from businesses small to large. The entries are weighed by a neutral panel of judges, based on messaging, quality, creativity and integration of the Smart Irrigation month mission.

Visit www.smartirrigationmonth.org for more details.

The Oregon Seed Association (OSA) unveiled its enhanced website. Some of the new features include turf resources and articles, an industry events calendar, member spotlight articles and information regarding OSA meetings and conven-

In an effort to increase the amount of power equipment technicians for the outdoor power equipment industry, the Equipment & Engine Training Council (EETC) accredited El Campo High School in El Campo, Texas. It brings the number of accredited outdoor power equipment training programs in North America to 73. “The EETC accreditation program helps improve the quality and consistency of training offered,” says Erik Sides, EETC executive director. “Through the use of industrydeveloped standards and certifcation tests, the graduating student will truly be prepared to enter the outdoor power equipment industry with the skills and values desired by employers.”

Florida Gateway College (FGC) in Lake City, Fla., announced it is returning to a two-year format for its associate of science degree in golf course operations. Recently, it had been a three-year program, but the college used the two-year format when the program began in 1967. Now a student can take general education classes at an accredited college near them, take online department courses from FGC and complete one year of the program while working. A student would then need to be on the FGC campus for only two semesters (one academic year) to complete the golf course operations degree program.

The associate’s degree in landscape technology is also a two-year program and could be completed in one year on campus by taking local and online classes.

Spectrum Technologies Inc. was honored with the AE50 Gold Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). The AE50 awards recognize

leadership in technological innovation, with the Gold Award highlighting the best of the best among new products.

Spectrum manufactures weather stations, data loggers and handheld measurement devices.

It’s not too late to sign up for Rain Bird’s irrigation training courses.

Rain Bird is hosting events at more than 20 locations nationwide (go to www.rainbirdservices.com/training or call 800-498-1942). The company has two core irrigation training programs: The Factory Trained program trains professionals on Rain Bird products while Rain Bird Academy provides general, non-manufacturer-specifc irrigation skills training. Rain Bird is also launching fve new Factory Trained courses aimed at both residential and light commercial irrigation contractors.

These courses include water effcient product expert, low volume technician, drainage technician, decoder installer and residential installer.

Douglas Dynamics Inc. completed its acquisition of substantially all the assets of TrynEx Inc. for a purchase price of $26 million. Douglas Dynamics is a North American company that designs, manufactures and sells snow and ice control equipment for light trucks. TrynEx manufactures truckmounted salt and spreader equipment.

New Holland, the offcial agricultural equipment of NASCAR, is partnering with “NASCAR: An American Salute” to recognize and honor the nation’s military and their families. Visitors to New Holland’s True Blue Salute website are invited to show their appreciation by writing a thankyou letter to a member of the Armed Forces. For each letter, New Holland will donate $1, with up to $10,000 going to the Fisher House Foundation, which provides a home away from home for military families to be close to a loved one during hospitalization for an illness or injury.

Phoenix/UPI launched a Summer Specials incentives program for superintendents. Three unique rewards programs for products purchased feature 24 Phoenix/UPI

products such as fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and plant growth regulators. In the Pro-Pak program, superintendents receive both Titleist Pro V1x golf balls and a Nike Pro DriFit shirt when they purchase $2,500 of select Phoenix products between now and Aug. 31. In the Big Chill program, superintendents can choose between a Yeti Roadie 20 cooler and a Garmin Approach S2 GPS golf watch when they purchase $5,000 of select Phoenix/UPI products between now and Aug. 31. The third program, Bare Necessities, lets superintendents choose between an Apple iPad, a $600 Apple gift card or the Club Glove Train Reaction Ensemble #3 when they purchase $7,500 of select Phoenix/ UPI products between now and Sept.

30. Purchases must be made through an authorized Phoenix/UPI distributor.

For more information, call 888-2408856 (www.phoenixenvcare.com).

DEMAND SPECS EXPECT RESULTS

PEOPLE news Four advanced to regular membership status in the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA). They are Ian Andrew, Ian Andrew Golf Design, Inc., Brantford, Ontario; Jim Cervone, Cervone Golf Design, Trafford, Pa.; Jerry Lemons, Lemons Golf Design, Old Hickory, Tenn.; and Cal Olson, Cal Olson Golf Course Architecture, Aliso Viejo, Calif. The members earned the new designation by meeting the association’s requirements, including continuing their engagement and practice of golf course architecture while maintaining ASGCA associate membership for at least three years. Also, three regular members achieved fellow status with ASGCA by being an ASGCA member for at least 10 years and having reached age 70. They are ASGCA past president Rees Jones, Mike Poellot and Lindsay Ervin.

Also, ASGCA welcomed four associate members: Bill Bergin, Bergin Golf Designs, Atlanta, Ga.; Patrick Burton, senior design associate, Schmidt-Curley Design, Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz.; Joe Obringer, owner,

When choosing your renovation materials, demand product specifications and expect results.

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pflege as managing director. Britton is responsible for all Austrian and Italian golf courses and for international consultation. In the past, he was responsible for such well-known courses as the Jack Nicklaus 36-hole facility Lan Hai International Golf Club in Shangai, China; Bro Hof Slott Golf Club in Stockholm, Sweden; and Fontana Golf & Sport Club in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria.

Linnen, Castanza take new roles at Dow AgroSciences

Linnen

Castanza

Tom Linnen was named marketing leader for turf and ornamental business at Dow AgroSciences.

Linnen is managing the portfolio strategies for all herbicides, insecticides and fungicides in the turf and ornamentals segment. He also oversees the account management team and works closely with distributors and formulators to develop new opportunities and technologies for the market. Also, Dow AgroSciences announced Jan Castanza accepted a position as sales representative in western Florida. Castanza replaced Maureen Clark, who relocated to Indianapolis to work on the crop protection and urban pest management businesses. Castanza has been with the company since 1973 and has worked on the Sentricon System business since its inception in 1995.

JFO Design LLC, Suwanee, Ga.; and Taylor Zimbelman, principal designer, Dye Designs Group, Englewood, Colo.

The New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation held its annual meeting and elected a new executive board. Steve Mann, CGCS, of the Captain’s Course in Brewster, Mass., is the 17th president of the foundation (taking over for former president Scott Cybulski, CGCS).

Superintendent John Clark of Rochester Country Club in Gonic, N.H., is vice president. Clifford J. Drezek of Arbor Turf Services in Marlborough, Mass., is treasurer.

Matthew A. Crowther, CGCS, of Mink Meadows Golf Club in Vineyard Haven, Mass., is foundation secretary. The conference was held in Providence, R.I. Sixty-four hours of education and 13 hours of trade show were offered in a four-day span. More than 160 exhibitors supported the trade show. The 2014 show is scheduled for March 3-6 in Providence.

The Club Managers As96 GCM July 2013

sociation of America (CMAA) named four new certifed club managers (CCM). They are: Brett Draper, CCM, Canterwood Golf & Country Club, Gig Harbor, Wash.; Timothy H. Eldridge, CCM, The Landings Club, Savannah, Ga.; Bradley W. Ladik, CCM, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.; and Jason Murphy, CCM, Redlands (Calif.) Country Club. The CCM title indicates that a club management professional has completed a rigorous course of study and training and shows a dedication to, profciency and expertise in the club industry.

Exacto Inc. promoted Diana Braun to chief executive offcer.

Braun also has served as chief fnancial offcer and president at Exacto, which was founded in 1981. It is a manufacturer of innovative adjuvant technologies for wholesale and private label markets.

Spring Valley promoted Dave Wacker to general manager.

Wacker has worked at Spring Valley for three years, previously serving as its sales manager. His responsibilities include developing and executing strategic plans and objectives; communicating company goals and objectives; and overseeing the day-to-day activities of operations, human resources and sales and marketing. Spring Valley formulates turf fertilizers and ice melt-

ers for the retail and professional green industries.

Greg Parker was named brand and specifcations manager for Underhill International’s 2Wire and Mirage Series product lines.

Parker is overseeing research and development of 2Wire and Mirage Series while providing technical training and marketing support. Underhill 2Wire products include the Sapien controller, Novo 2Wire Converter, 2Wire decoders and a range of accessories. The Mirage Series features Underhill’s long-throw Mirage sprinkler heads and Mirage Total Solutions Kits. Parker most recently worked with HydroPoint Data Systems Inc., where he led the development of the frst commercial weather-based controller and Internetmanaged system.

Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) named Phil Fogarty, Weed Man sub-master franchisor of Euclid, Ohio, as its Environmental Communicator of the Year and Larry Aylward of Superintendent magazine as its Plant Health Writer of the Year in its inaugural year for that honor.

That award is sponsored by Bayer, who recognizes an outstanding writer for excellence in plant health issues to the appropriate green industry audience through writing, including new media, for a publication or publishing company.

The winner must be a TOCA member.

Wes Mathany, SCPS, is the newest member to join the Turfline Inc. sales force. Mathany is managing a portion of the domestic sales efforts as national accounts manager. Mathany has more than 45 years in the golf industry, including 30 years as a certifed golf course superintendent and 17 years as sales professional for Toro.

GOLF briefs

Barry B. Britton joined the team of golf course maintenance company Engelmann Golfplatz-

JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa announced a new $10 million course, Ambiente, for this fall. Ambiente (the Spanish word for “environment”) is being designed with a detailed eco-friendly focus and will become the frst new golf course development project in the PhoenixScottsdale and Paradise Valley areas in

more than fve years. The completion of the golf course will conclude a sevenyear, $70 million Marriott renewal project at Camelback Inn, designed to blend reverence for the past with relevance for the future. Ambiente will feature fve sets of tee boxes.

Boca Grove Plantation in Boca Raton, Fla., was set to host a golf tournament July 13 as part of the Allianz Summer Golf Series “JM Lexus Drive Fore the Green presented by WPGL.” The series gives area golfers the opportunity to play in fve tournaments held at country clubs in South Florida. Players will be awarded points based on play at each tournament.

The top four with the most points will be rewarded with a spot in the 2014 Allianz Championship Pro-Am. Transforming two large municipal landflls into golf courses near downtown Boston proved to be an award-winning effort. Sanford Golf Design in Jupiter, Fla., received the American Society of Golf Course Architects’ (ASGCA) inaugural Design Excellence Recognition Program award, honoring an outstanding effort “that shines a light on the innovation and problemsolving skills required of today’s golf course designs.” Sanford created Granite Links Golf Club on the site that once was the Quincy and Milton granite quarries. “Their visionary project led to a spectacular golf facility, saved taxpayers money and continues to beneft the environment,” said ASGCA president Bob Cupp.

Using the 27-hole golf course to cap the site saved Massachussetts taxpayers between $8 and $12 million in estimated costs to close the landflls.

Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is undergoing a $5 million renovation of all 27 holes.

The three-year project, which began in May with the closure of the nine-hole West Course, will be followed by closure of nine holes on the East Course. The South nine holes will be renovated in spring and summer 2015. All the fairways, tees and bunkers are part of the renovations. Substantial improvement work will be done on other areas of the golf course, including the bridges, drainage, cart paths, bulkheads and the irrigation system. The greens renovation is planned for the future. Sawgrass

partnered with golf course architect Robert Walker to complete the design and manage the project. Sawgrass Country Club hosted The Players Championship from 1977 to 1981 before moving to its new location.

Golf Preservations Inc. Nationwide Golf Course Drainage Company

The California Golf Course Owners Association (CGCOA) announced that the Sacramento-based association management frm Connerly & Associates Inc. was selected to manage the statewide trade association. Marc Connerly, vice president of Connerly & Associates Inc., is serving as executive director for the CGCOA. The Bald Head Island Club in Bald Head Island, N.C., was recognized for environmental excellence by achieving designation as a Certifed Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

Joseph Bradley Pope, assistant superintendent, led the effort to obtain sanctuary designation. Bald Head Island is the 24th golf course in North Carolina and 1,010th worldwide to receive the honor.

WindRiver Investments LLC selected KemperSports to manage golf operations at WindRiver Golf Course in Lenoir City, Tenn. The 18-hole, par-72 is located just outside Knoxville. WindRiver Golf Course is a certifed Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

Specializing in Drainage Installation on Existing Greens, Approach and Fairway Drainage

Cutten Fields launched its stateof-the-art learning center in Guelph, Ontario. Architect Ian Andrew led the project, which is designed to simulate real course conditions. The fully renovated practice area now includes three spacious practice greens, two practice bunkers, a new chipping area with undulating slopes, rough- and short-cut roll-off areas as well as an enhanced and enlarged tee deck.

Troon was selected to manage Torreon Golf Club in Show Low, Ariz. Torreon GC, a 36-hole facility, is located three hours from Phoenix and Tucson.

GCM Submit items for “Industry News” to hrichman@gcsaa.org

Golf Preservations Inc. 504 Gloucester Ave Middlesboro, KY 40965 606-499-2732 www.golfpreservations.com Email: golfpreservations@yahoo.com

PRODUCTnews

What’s new and hot for your course

tors mounted in weather-resistant enclosures. They use completely loomed automotive-style wiring harnesses and draw power from the tractor’s battery.

To maximize material fow, the spreaders are equipped with vibrators and use Snow Ex’s patented inverted “V” hopper design. Other standard equipment includes a top screen and ftted lid. The units are compatible with Category 1- and 3-point hitches. SD 600 is also offered with an optional receiver hitch or utility bed mount. Contact TrynEx International, 800-725-8377 (www.trynexfactory.com).

Standard Golf introduced its new “Think Pink” product line. The line’s pink products include custom event fags, aluminum and plastic golf cups, fagsticks and tee markers. “‘Think Pink’ was developed specifcally to

cally reducing the need for laborintensive manual application. Contact Bio S.I. Technology, 866-393-4786 (www.biositechnology.com).

support breast cancer awareness and honor lady golfers who are such an important part of the golfng community,” says Jim Nygren, director of marketing for Standard Golf. “It’s not only a nice, classy touch, because the vibrant pink color really stands out on the course, but it’s also a really great, highly visible way for the guys to demonstrate their support for women’s golf and breast cancer events throughout the year.” A portion of the “Think Pink” product line goes to the fght against breast cancer.

Contact Standard Golf, 866-743-9773 (www.standardgolf.com).

BASF launched Pylex herbicide, a post-emergent that is said to improve control of bermudagrass, goosegrass, crabgrass, nimblewill, white clover and speedwell. The active ingredient is topramezone. Pylex is ideal for use on most cool-season grasses, including Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, fne fescue and perennial ryegrass. Warm-season turfgass is sensitive to the product, with the exception of centipedegrass, which is tolerant. Pylex is labeled for use on golf courses, lawns, athletic felds and sod farms. Contact BASF, 800-526-1072 (www.basf.com).

Bio S.I. Technology specializes in proprietary soil inoculants that are composed of the benefcial microbes that maintain soil health and maximize healthy turf growth all year. The Turf and Turf Select formulas contain selected microbes for a broad range of activity to support maximum productivity in even the most high-traffc turf environments. The company says the formulas are made to decrease costs of fertilizer and irrigation inputs by supporting a healthy soil. The formulas can be injected directly into irrigation systems, drasti98 GCM July 2013

SnowEx launched two new tractormounted Drop Pro spreaders for controlled application of bagged ice melters and bulk rock salt. Model SD-600 has a 6-cubic-foot capacity with a 36-inch spread width; model SD-1400 has a 14-cubic-foot capacity with a 48-inch spread width. Both units include a polyethylene hopper and variable-speed auger feed system, which is run by a self-diagnosing digital controller. They offer a wide range of material application rates to help operators minimize material waste. The spreaders are fully electric powered with sealed, direct-drive mo-

SipcamAdvan expanded its ETQ fungicide portfolio for season-long use with the addition of four new products: Echo Dyad ETQ, E-Scape ETQ, Eclipse ETQ and Sipcam Clearscape ETQ. Echo Dyad ETQ contains chlorothalonil; E-Scape ETQ contains chlorothalonil and tebuconazole; Eclipse ETQ contains iprodione; and Sipcam Clearscape ETQ contains tebuconazole. All incorporate SipcamAdvan ETQ technology to optimize turfgrass color, strength, density and consistency by protecting turf from UVA and UVB rays, heat and other stress factors. Contact SipcamAdvan, 919226-1195 (www.sipcamadvan.com).

The U.S.-patented Shoe-Cleaning Sand Rake is designed for two purposes: to smooth sand and clean shoes. Adding brushes to the back side of the rake head provides a means to clean golf shoes of sand, mud and grass that might be tracked onto the greens surface or fairway.

The company says the product may reduce foot injuries because golfers won’t have to hit their shoes with their clubs, extends mower blade life, offers sharper mower blades/healthier grass, gives truer putting surfaces and promotes proper bunker etiquette.

Contact John Pfster, 260-625-3012 (jppfster@embarqmail.com).

More than 90 new ornamental cultivars have been added to the Dow AgroSciences’ label for Dimension 2EW specialty herbicide, bringing the total list of tolerant ornamentals to 444.

Additions include European white birch, blood grass, chrysanthemum, saucer magnolia, tree philodendron, groundcover rose, Japanese wisteria and several varieties of palm. Also added to the label under weeds

controlled are dandelion, sowthistle and willowherb. Dimension 2EW can be applied to landscape and feld-and container-grown ornamentals, controlling both grassy and broadleaf weeds without harming desirable plants, the company says. It also can be used on established warm- and cool-season lawns; golf course fairways, rough and tees; commercial sod farms; and non-crop industrial sites. Contact Dow AgroSciences, 317-337-3000 (www.dowgaro.com).

Rescue! scientists, with their new electro-retinogram (ERG) technology, created VisiLure to lure bugs with colors, shapes and other visual stimuli to which they respond. The frst Rescue! products to use the new technology are U.S.made Fly Tape and TrapStik for fies. Both products are made to lure common nuisance or flth fies to a sticky surface with a three-dimensional pattern and color combination they fnd most attractive. Using

IFH Group launches new systems The IFH Group’s Lubrication Storage & Dispensing Systems feature 130-gallon containers and three-way diverter valve assemblies for products such as oil and lubricants. Individual pumping systems ensure no cross contamination. The three-way diverter valves, in combination with the individual pumping systems and flters, allow product to be pumped through the flters into the containers and then pulled back out of the containers through the flters with the transfer units. Product can also be pulled from the containers, cycled through the flters and sent back into the containers (kidney loop). The system can be customized to include containers of virtually any size. Capacities include 500-, 300-, 250-, 130- and 65-gallon sizes. Contact The IFH Group, 800-435-7003 (www.ifhgroup.com).

the ERG, Rescue! scientists measured photoreceptor responses in fies’ retinas to different wavelengths of visual stimuli to identify the most attractive colors and intensities. Further lab and feld behavioral experiments indicated that the color patterns and contrasts

mimicking the natural visual characteristics of fies were most appealing. The Fly Tape hangs fat rather than curling up, leaving more surface to catch fies.

Because it has no odor, it can be used indoors or outdoors. Contact Rescue!, 800-666-6766 (www.rescue.com).

July 2013 GCM 99

Growth Products introduces a salt-reduction program for golf courses, landscapes and arbor care.

Its products Essential Plus, Re-Store Plus and Palm Pro can help correct high salt content in soil, the company says. Packets of BioNutrients also can be added to any spray tank mix again to improve organic materials in salty ground. Contact Growth Products, Ltd., 800-6487626 (www.growthproducts.com).

Standard Golf is showcasing its Dye Sub Golf Flags. Maximum UV-resistant inks help maintain long-lasting color, while exclusive quadruple-stitched edges extend fag life, the company says. Dye Sub Flags can be individually customized for each hole. Contact Standard Golf, 866-7439773 (www.standardgolf.com).

Turf Max announced product label and application rate updates for Turf Screen with enhanced solar protection. Previously, the label provided rates for individual grass species only and included a broad seven- to 21-day application interval. Now, the updated label rate includes both a seven-day and 14-day application interval on greens, as well as separate rates for greens, tees, fairways, bunkers and roughs. Contact Turf Max, LLC, 215307-7712 (www.turfscreen.com).

Underhill introduced SuperKey XL, an updated version of its all-in-one golf sprinkler-servicing tool that is now available for use with Rain Bird, Toro and John Deere golf heads.

Known as the “Swiss Army knife of golf maintenance," SuperKeyXL can be used on all electric valve-in-head sprinklers. It features a range of functions, including manual on/off sprinkler control; on/off control assembly removal; solenoid plunger removal; on/ off control for debris removal; bottom valve snap ring and rotor assembly snap ring removal; pilot valve (regulator) removal; and cap disassembly or pressure regulator adjustment. The device also has an on/off control pointer.

It measures approximately 12 inches long and is constructed from aircraftgrade stainless steel and high-strength composite for long-lasting durability.

Contact Underhill, 866-863-3744 (www.underhill.us).

Netafm USA now features 100 GCM July 2013

multi-function hydrometers, water-saving devices that monitor irrigation fow rates and usage on golf courses. The hydrometers provide visible, real-time data to help course managers evaluate water consumption on a daily basis. The versatile device features four functions: built-in master valve, water meter, fow sensor and pressure-regulating valve. Hydrometers can be used in either dripline or overhead irrigation systems and are compatible with controllers from most major manufacturers. Its globe-shaped master valve has a double chamber that provides positive openings and closings. It can function as a remote master valve for automated operation.

It also has an exclusive straightening vane that minimizes concern about water turbulence. The vane straightens water fow and results in uniform movement, which can be read more accurately by the fow sensor. Contact Netafm USA, 888-638-2346 (www. netafmusa.com).

A new hardcover book, “Turfgrass: Biology, Use, and Management,” from ASA, CSSA and SSSA, was edited by John C. Stier, Brian P. Horgan and Stacy A. Bonos. The book presents a comprehensive overview of current knowledge and issues in the feld of turfgrass research and management, including genetics and breeding, diseases and pests, and the ecology of turfgrasses.

Society members can order online at the society’s website or phone 608268-4960. The book also is available on Amazon.

Xp3 launched a new website designed to help golf course managers reduce fuel-related maintenance issues on all course machines that use any kind of fuel, reduce the carbon footprint and reduce fuel consumption. The website is www. davesfueldirectxp3.com/welcome.html Ansell and DuPont Protection Technologies collaborated to develop HyFlex 11-515 work gloves. The product combines comfort and an exclusive, highvisibility DuPont Kevlar Stretch Armor liner. The new gloves offer ANSI Level 4 cut protection and a high-visibility appearance to keep workers’ hands safe in low-light situations. An orange foam nitrile-coated palm provides ANSI Level 4 abrasion resistance and

ensures longer life, with new safetyyellow Intercept Technology yarn providing visibility and dexterity. The patented Knitted Variable Stitch Design releases tension in high-stress areas to improve comfort and ft. An extended cuff and enhanced cuff overedging supply additional cut protection and elasticity in the highly sensitive wrist area. The gloves are silicone-free and made without latex. Contact Ansell, 800-363-8340 (www.ansellpro.com).

The University of Tennessee Turf & Ornamental Weed Science Team introduced a new website and free mobile app called “Mobile Weed Manual,” which is a resource for golf course superintendents, athletic feld managers, lawn care professionals and homeowners to assist green industry enthusiasts in selecting herbicides for use in warm- and coolseason turfgrass as well as an array of ornamentals. End users can search for a weed they want to control, and the app gives advice on which herbicides are most effective. The site was designed to replace hard copy Extension manuals with a dynamic Web interface optimized for use on any mobile device.

Go to www.mobile weedmanual.com.

Hannay Reels is showcasing the PW-2 Series reel multipurpose pressure-washing model. It is designed for mobile and portable pressure-wash equipment as well as steam cleaning, spray and wash down applications. It features a pressure rating of up to 4,000 psi; is constructed of 12- and 14-gauge steel with a black powder coat fnish; adjustable split-bearing brake assembly; and permanent attached direct crank rewind. Contact Hannay Reels, 877467-3357 (www.hannay.com).

Crack Rite presents Crack Stix Gray Version, a permanent concrete joint and crack fller. It is heat-applied, gray, permanent, ropelike concrete joint and crack fller that bonds to sidewall. Crack Stix exhibits superior low-temperature ductility, weather resistance, low oxidation breakdown and is non-tracking, the company says. Contact Dalton Enterprises, Inc., 800-851-5606 (www. crackstix.com).

Larson Electronics launched its High Output Explosion Proof LED Emergency Light and also its Adjustable Light Tower. The High Output Explosion Proof LED Emergency Light is made to provide operators with a hazardous location-approved lighting solution capable of withstanding the damaging effects of corrosive environments while providing enhanced output and operation capabilities. The Adjustable Light Tower is designed to illuminate large-scale work areas and provide operators in demanding environments with an easy-to-deploy lighting system capable of producing 79,350 lumens of intense powerful light output. Contact Larson Electronics, 800-369-6671 (www.larsonelectronics.com).

Matt Madsen of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and representatives from Aquatrols Corp. of America presented new fndings on surfactant seed coating technology this spring at the International Symposium on Adjuvants for Agrochemicals (ISAA).

Madsen’s fndings showed that seed coating technology may provide a novel approach for delivering soil surfactants in water-repellent environments and aid in seed establishment of new golf course greens and sports felds.

Throughout the study, surfactant seed coating technology was shown to ameliorate a severely water-repellent soil and subsequently increase root-zone water reserves for turfgrass seedling emergence, cover and biomass production. Madsen stated that the

PHOTO quiz answers

John Mascaro President of Turf-Tec International

PROBLEM A The indentions on this golf green are actually cow divots. This golf course in Idaho has a summer pasture located in the foothills above its sixth and seventh holes. One day, the rancher was moving cows on the pasture and some of them strayed onto the unfenced course. This is not the frst time that cows have wandered onto the course; however, this is the frst time that they have caused any damage. On this occasion, the rancher saw eight or nine cows standing on this golf green and was in the process of herding them back to the pasture when they got spooked. Apparently, the optimal cow removal technique (if you ever fnd cows on your green) is not to spook them, as they tend to run and will cause much deeper indentions as they run across your green. Two other greens also had damage, but not as signifcant as the one in the photo. There was also some fairway damage and free fertilizer left behind as well. The majority of the hoof prints were repaired with ball mark repair tools and the worst ones were replaced using a cup cutter.

Photo submitted by Heather Benson on behalf of Josh Benson, superintendent at Idaho Falls (Idaho) Country Club and a six-year GCSAA member.

PROBLEM B These brown concentric circles are not the result of a new disease; instead, they are the result of cup changing. As the superintendent was inspecting the golf course one morning, he noticed these odd circles on several of his greens. He immediately recognized that they were located in the area where the prior pin placement had been located, so he had a pretty good idea of what caused it. This course uses a fve-gallon bucket as a carrier for the cup-changing tools. As it turns out, an employee had used the utility vehicle one day for spraying weeds with glyphosate, and apparently a small amount had spilled into the plastic bed liner of the utility vehicle. By the end of the day, that material had dried up so the crew member did not bother to wipe out the back of the cart. The following day, the same employee loaded the cup-changing equipment and fve-gallon bucket into the cart and performed his usual cup-changing duties. After the bucket was placed on the frst green, the bottom got wet from the dew.

When the bucket was placed back in the utility vehicle, it re-activated the chemical and transferred it to the bucket and onto several subsequent greens, leaving this brown concentric circle pattern. Fortunately, the areas grew out in about fve days and no follow-up work was needed.

Photo submitted by Tim Smith, superintendent at Tan Tara Golf Club in North Tonawanda, N.Y., and a fve-year member of GCSAA.

If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaro’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 102 GCM July 2013

If your photograph is selected, you will receive full credit. All photos submitted will become property of GCM and GCSAA.

SUPERIOR QUALITY-OF-CUT. SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE. LF510

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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.

merger of seed coating and surfactant technologies could potentially reduce the cost, time and amount of seed needed in the agricultural, horticultural and turfgrass industries. In light of increasing demands on water sources and diminishing supplies, the study noted, this may provide a solution to addressing issues related to water scarcity. Contact Aquatrols, 800-2577797 (www.aquatrols.com).

SkinCeuticals Sport UV Defense SPF 50 sunscreen is made to provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection and is specifcally formulated for extreme conditions and active use. Key benefts, the company says, include wear-off resistance from water, wiping and rubbing and 80 minutes of water resistance. The formula is non-comedogenic, alcohol-free, paraben-free, oxybenzone-free and is fortifed with Artemia salina, which increases skin’s resistance to UV and heat stress and protects collagen from UV damage, the company says.

Contact SkinCeuticals, 800-771-9489 (www.skinceuticals.com).

GCM Submit items for “Products News” to hrichman@gcsaa.org

ON course July 4-7 — PGA Tour, The Greenbrier Classic, The Old White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, West Va., Jake Workman, superintendent.

July 4-7 — European Tour, Alstom Open de France, Le Golf National, Paris.

July 11-14 — PGA Tour, John Deere Classic, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill., Paul Grogan, CGCS. July 11-14 — Champions Tour, U.S. Senior Open, Omaha Country Club, Omaha, Neb., Eric McPherson, CGCS, director of greens and grounds; Joseph Adams, superintendent.

July 11-14 — Web.com Tour, Utah Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission, Willow Creek Country Club, Sandy, Troy Van104 GCM July 2013

DenBerghe, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

July 11-14 — LPGA, Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, Grey Silo Golf Course, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, Jeff Haynes, superintendent.

July 11-14 — European Tour, Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, Castle Stuart Golf Links, Inverness.

July 12-14 — Symetra Tour, Credit Union Challenge, Capital Hills at Albany, Albany, N.Y., Scott Gallup, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

July 15-20 — U.S. Amateur Public Links, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Lorton, Va., Richard Owens, CGCS. July 18-21 — PGA Tour, British Open, Muirfeld Golf Club, East Lothian, Scotland.

July 18-21 — PGA Tour, Sanderson Farms Championship, Annandale Golf Club, Madison, Miss., Joseph Osteen, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

July 18-21 — Web.com Tour, Midwest Classic presented by Cadillac, Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions Gate, Overland Park, Kan., Gary Sailer, CGCS. July 18-21 — LPGA, Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio, Daniel Salois, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

July 19-21 — Symetra Tour, Northeast Delta Dental International, Beaver Meadows Golf Course, Concord, N.H., Christopher Jacques, GCSAA Class A superintendent and director of grounds; Bernard Chase, superintendent.

July 22-27 — U.S. Junior Amateur, Martis Camp Golf Course, Truckee, Calif., Scott Bower, GCSAA Class A superintendent and director of grounds.

July 22-27 — U.S. Girls’ Junior, Sycamore Hills Golf Club, Fort Wayne, Ind., Jeffrey Geller, superintendent.

July 25-28 — PGA Tour, RBC Canadian Open, Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

July 25-28 — Champions Tour, The Senior Open presented by Rolex, Royal Birkdale Golf Club, Southport Merseyside, England.

July 25-28 — European Tour, M2M Russian Open, Tseleevo Golf & Polo Club, Moscow Region, Russia.

July 26-28 — Symetra Tour, Credit Union Classic presented by Wegmans, Drumlins Country Club East Course, Syracuse, N.Y., Peter McPartland, superintendent.

COMING up July 9 — WSU Turf Field Day, R.L. Goss Research Facility, Puyallup, Wash.

Phone: 253-219-8360 Website: www.wwgcsa.org July 20 — Don Jensen Memorial Golf Day at Granada Golf Course, Hot Springs Village, Ark. Contact: Arkansas GCSA Phone: 501-860-0187 Email: golfsecretary@att.net Website: www.arkansasgcsa.org July 22 — Central Texas GCSA Championship at River Crossing Golf Club, Spring Branch Phone: 254-681-0725 Website: www.ctgcsa.com July 30 — University of Wisconsin Field Day at O.J. Noer Research Facility Phone: 920-643-4888 Website: www.wgcsa.com July 30-31 — Rutgers Turfgass Research Field Days, Hort Farm, New Brunswick, N.J. Phone: 866-427-2654 Website: www.wgcsa.com Aug. 1 — Kansas Turf Research Field Day, John C. Pair Horticulture Research Center, Wichita Phone: 785-532-6173 Email: cdipman@ksu.edu Website: www.kgcsa.org

Aug. 1 — Iowa Turfgrass Field Day, Ames Host: Dan Strey Phone: 800 605-0420 Website: www.iowagcsa.org Aug. 1 — UMass Turf Research Field Day, Joseph Troll Turf Research Center, South Deerfeld, Mass.

Phone: 508-892-0382 Website: www.umassturf.org Aug. 3-4 — Northern Ohio GCSA Family and Friends Days at Clay’s Park Resort Phone: 216-469-9287 Website: www.nogcsa.com Aug. 5-7 — Southern Nursery Association 2013, Georgia International Convention Center, Atlanta Phone: 678-809-9992 Email: mail@sna.org Website: www.sna.org Aug. 6 — Clemson University Turfgrass Field Day, Pee Dee Research and Education Center, Florence, S.C. Phone: 864-656-3311 Website: www.clemson.edu/extension/horticulture/turf Aug. 7 — OSU/OTF Field Day, OTF Research Center, Columbus, Ohio Phone: 614-285-4683 Website: www.ohioturfgrass.org Aug. 13 — Utah State University Field Day, Logan Phone: 801-282-5274 Email: intermountaingcsa@gmail.com Website: www.igcsa.org Aug. 19 — University of Illinois Field Day, Stone Creek Golf Club, Urbana Host: Perry Greene, CGCS Phone: 309-533-5838 Email: ci-gcsa@hotmail.com Aug. 22-24 — Farwest Trade Show, Oregon Convention Center, Portland Phone: 800-342-6401 Website: www.farwestshow.com Sept. 9-12 — Florida Turfgrass Association Conference, Hotel Caribe Royale, Orlando, Fla. Phone: 800-882-6721 Website: www.ftga.ereforida.com ————

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.

———— We want to know about your event in advance. To submit an entry for “Coming up,” please send your information fve to six months before you'd like to see it in the magazine. We run event information for three months. Send a contact name if all details are not fnal.

Contact Golf Course Management, Attention: Coming Up, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859; 785-832-3638; fax: 785-832-3665; email: hrichman@gcsaa.org.

NEWLYcertifed Kevin Seibel, CGCS, Century Country Club, Purchase, N.Y.

NEWmembers ARIZONA Nicholas J. Wolfbrandt, Class C, Goodyear ARKANSAS Scott P. Hanson, Class C, Bella Vista CALIFORNIA Calvin Gagni, Class C, Newport Coast COLORADO Travis P. Carney, Class C, Edwards CONNECTICUT Gregory E. Rotter, Class C, Redding FLORIDA Vincent Douglas Amy, Class C, Naples Zoltan Banyai, Student, Lake City Gregory A. Hausch, Class C, Palm Harbor Charles Johnson, Class C, Sarasota Dennis L. Krychowecky, Supt. Mbr., Jensen Beach Richard D. Melton, Class C, Orlando GEORGIA Mike Gondek, Class C, Jasper INDIANA Lindsay Boeglin, Affliate, Carmel

IOWA Anthony T. Sherman, Class C, Polk City KANSAS Josh A. Mullin, Supt. Mbr., Topeka MASSACHUSETTS Christopher M. Miranda, Class C, Sharon MICHIGAN Fernando Exposito Munoz, Student, Brimley MINNESOTA Alexandro A. Leou, Class C, Saint Paul Adam J. Lesmeister, Class C, Saint Paul Anthony W. Oldfather, Class C, Buffalo Dennis D. Van Veldhuizen, Supt.

Mbr., Tracy MISSISSIPPI Bradley J. Ingram, Class C, Oxford MISSOURI Michael A. Wipfler, Class C, Innsbrook NEW JERSEY Matthew J. Carmeci, Student, New Brunswick Mitchell A. Eickhoff, Student, New Brunswick Ryan J. Hanlen, Student, New Brunswick Brian Thomas Licata, Student, New Brunswick Tammy M. Stephens, Supt. Mbr., Neshanic Station Jonathan J. Tesmer, Student, New Brunswick NEW YORK Kirk Unverdorben, Supt. Mbr., Olean NORTH CAROLINA David Wallace, Supt. Mbr., Clayton OHIO David C. Stanton, Supt. Mbr., Washington Court House OKLAHOMA Tanner D. Dunlap, Student, Oklahoma City OREGON Derek Draper, Class C, Bend Micah A. Gould, Student, Corvallis July 2013 GCM 105

PENNSYLVANIA Christopher S. Douglas, Student, University Park Jake W. Manis, Student, University Park George T. Manos, Class C, Lancaster Ryan G. Massey, Student, University Park Steven A. Turner, Class C, Oakmont TENNESSEE G. Chase Austin, Student, Morristown WASHINGTON Matt Huft, Class C, Tukwila WISCONSIN Chad W. Kirchen, Class C, New Berlin BERMUDA Andre K. Cannonier, ISM, Hamilton Parish CANADA Brian Thomas, Student, Olds, Alberta

GCM Editor’s note: The information in this report was pulled from GCSAA’s member database on May 27, 2013.

ON THE move ALABAMA Phinehas P. Barnes III, formerly (C) at Saugahatchee Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Auburn University Club in Auburn.

Brody M. Cornelius, formerly (C) at Mississippi State University, is now (C) at Greystone Golf & Country ClubFounders Course in Birmingham.

ARIZONA Paul Blumke, formerly (C) at Talking Stick Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale.

Noah G. Gessler, formerly (C) at Dove Mountain 1 Course at Dove Mountain Resort, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Dove Mountain Resort in Marana.

Jim B. Key, CGCS, formerly (A) at Cochise Course at The Desert Mountain Club, is now (A) at Desert Mountain Club, Inc. in Scottsdale.

Zach I. Page, formerly (C) at The Club at Savannah Harbor, is now (C) at Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale.

ARKANSAS Vincent S. Kuhn, formerly (C) at An106 GCM July 2013

nandale Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Mystic Creek Golf Club in El Dorado.

CALIFORNIA Eric M. Andreasen, formerly (C) at Sherwood Country Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Sherwood Country Club in Westlake Village.

Bruce F. Brown, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Recreation Park, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Motor Coach Resort in Indio.

Jared Cureton, formerly (C) at Brookside Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Elkhorn Golf Club in Stockton.

James C. Daily Jr., formerly (Supt.

Mbr.) at Haggin Oaks Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Rancho Murieta Country Club in Sloughhouse.

Matthew Kozlowski, formerly (C) at Dedham Country and Polo Club, is now (C) at Calabasas Golf & Country Club in Calabasas.

Sean C. McPhedran, formerly (C) at Mayacama Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Valley Hi Country Club in Elk Grove.

Mark Reed, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Santa Barbara Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at San Gabriel Country Club in San Gabriel.

COLORADO Tim M. Davis, formerly (I) Inactive, is now (C) at The Denver Country Club in Denver.

Colton L. Donahue, formerly (S) at Front Range Community College, is now (C) at Cherry Creek Country Club in Denver.

CONNECTICUT Marc P. DuBour, formerly (C) at Country Club of New Canaan, is now (C) at Greenwich Country Club in Greenwich.

James A. Schell, formerly (C) at The Stanwich Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Oak Hills Park Golf Course in Norwalk.

FLORIDA Lucas J. Andrews, formerly (C) at TPC Sawgrass, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.

William C. Atkins, formerly (A) at Golden Hills Golf & Turf Club, is now (A) at Ocala Palms Golf Club in Ocala.

Michael P. Bruno, formerly (A) at The Golf Club at Frisco Lakes, is now (A) at Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World Golf Courses in Orlando.

Gary M. Clark Jr., formerly (A) at The Indian River Club, is now (A) at The PGA Country Club in Port Saint Lucie.

Josh S. Girven, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Lakeview Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Southwinds Golf Course in Boca Raton.

Daniel R. Green, formerly (A) at Emerald Dunes Club, is now (A) at Boca Grove Golf & Tennis in Boca Raton.

Arthur N. Horr, formerly (A) at Boca Woods Country Club, is now (A) at Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach.

Chad E. King, formerly (C) at Del Aire Country Club, is now (C) at Indian Spring Country Club in Boynton Beach.

Frederick M. Klitz, formerly (A) at Pompano Beach Golf Course, is now (A) at Palm Aire Country Club of Sarasota in Sarasota.

Case LeVally, formerly (C) at The Polo Club of Boca Raton, is now (C) at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens.

Sean M. McNerney, formerly (C) at New Course at Grand Cypress Resort, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Bonifay Golf Course in The Villages.

Mike Nowakowski, formerly (C) at Shadow Wood Preserve, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Shadow Wood Country Club in Bonita Springs.

Paul N. Rio, formerly (A) at The Palencia Club, is now (A) at The Deerwood Club in Jacksonville.

Christopher Senior, formerly (C) at Country Club of Hilton Head, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Countryside Country Club in Clearwater.

Dominic Wanchena, formerly (C) at Wyndemere Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Valencia Golf Club in Naples.

GEORGIA Mark Hayes, formerly (C) at Peachtree Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Marietta Country Club in Kennesaw.

ILLINOIS Ryan Gilmore, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Joe Louis the Champ Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Indian Boundary Golf Course in Chicago.

David Johnson, formerly (C) at Olympia Fields Country Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields.

Bret B. Jons, formerly (C) at Crow Valley Golf Club, is now (C) at Flossmoor Country Club in Flossmoor.

Peter V. Leuzinger, CGCS Retired, formerly (AA), is now (AA) at Kishwaukee College in Malta.

Edward J. Nangle, formerly (S) at University of Florida, Plant Science Unit, is now (E) at Chicago District Golf Association in Lemont.

Kyle P. Smith, formerly (C) at Arlington Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Arlington Golf Course in Granite City.

INDIANA Joel R. Sanders, formerly (C) at New Innsbrook Country Club, is now (A) at New Innsbrook Country Club in Merrillville.

KANSAS Jeff M. Eldridge, CGCS, formerly (AF) at GMEN Consulting, is now (A) at Lake Quivira Country Club in Lake Quivira.

Travis Ford, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Plattsburg Country Club, is now (AF) at Kansas City Turf Supply Inc. in Olathe.

KENTUCKY Jacob A. Blair, formerly (C) at Rolling Hills Country Club, is now (C) at Hurstbourne Country Club in Louisville.

MARYLAND Stephen M. Scott, formerly (Supt.

Mbr.) at Eastern Shore Yacht & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Walden Golf Club in Crofton.

William Smith, formerly (C) at Carroll Park Golf Course, is now (C) at Hampshire Greens Golf Course in Silver Spring.

MASSACHUSETTS Andrew C. Chapman, formerly (C) at Concord Country Club, is now (C) at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton.

Matthew D. Mol, formerly (Supt.

Mbr.) at Maidstone Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Hickory Ridge Country Club in Amherst.

MICHIGAN Jason Mcintyre, formerly (A) at Highland Woods Golf Course, is now (A) at Fellows Creek Golf Club in Canton.

Virgil Robinson, CGCS, formerly (A) at The Club at Prescott Lakes, is now (AA) at John Deere Landscapes in Madison Heights.

MINNESOTA Michael R. Mohn, formerly (S) at Rutgers University/Cook College, is now (C) at Minnesota Valley Country Club in Minneapolis.

Will Onkka, formerly (C) at Midland Hills Country Club, is now (C) at Stoneridge Golf Club in Stillwater.

Jerry A. Webb, CGCS, formerly (A) at Vintage Golf Course, is now (A) at Princeton Golf Club in Champlin.

MISSISSIPPI Adam J. Flynn, formerly (C) at New Orleans Country Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Beau Pré Country Club in Natchez.

(Supt. Mbr.) at Chisel Creek Golf Club in Landenberg.

Charles L. Hintz, formerly (A) at Lake Shore Country Club, is now (A) at Tam O’Shanter Golf Course in Hermitage.

MISSOURI Chris M. Fletcher, formerly (C) at Sage Valley Golf Club, is now (C) at Bellerive Country Club in Saint Louis.

SOUTH CAROLINA Kenneth B. Lee, CGCS, formerly (A) at Cherokee Town & Country Club, is now (A) at Belfair Golf Club in Bluffton.

Jeffrey G. Reynolds, formerly (C) at The Carolina Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Carolina Country Club in Spartanburg.

Lance E. Stone, formerly (C) at Kiawah Island Resort Osprey Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Kiawah Island Resort Oak Point Course in Johns Island.

NEBRASKA Adam M. Boston, formerly (C) at Platteview Country Club, is now (C) at Field Club of Omaha in Omaha.

Timoty M. Landsperger, formerly (S) at Iowa Western Community College, is now (C) at River Wilds Golf Club in Blair.

NEVADA Casey K. Andersen, formerly (C) at The Legacy Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Stallion Mountain Golf Club in Las Vegas.

Matt Brezina, formerly (C) at Montreux Golf & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno.

Zachary W. Stephens, formerly (Supt.

Mbr.) at Red Rock Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Canyon Gate Country Club in Las Vegas.

TEXAS Justin Allen, formerly (C) at Wildhorse Golf Club of Robson Ranch, is now (C) at Tierra Verde Golf Club in Arlington.

Timothy Phillips, formerly (C) at Redstone Golf Club, is now (C) at Sugar Creek Country Club in Sugar Land.

NEW YORK Todd W. Frary, formerly (C) at BrookLea Country Club, is now (C) at Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford.

Mathew C. Neus, formerly (C) at Siwanoy Country Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Knollwood Country Club in Elmsford.

VIRGINIA David McGregor, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Harbor Station Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Potomac Shores Golf Club in Dumfries.

James Nick, formerly (C) at The Country Club of Virginia, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at The Country Club of Virginia in Richmond.

Chris Pittman, formerly (C) at Botetourt Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Botetourt Country Club in Fincastle.

Jason M. Price, formerly (C) at The Club At Viniterra , is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club in Richmond.

NORTH CAROLINA Benjamin W. Pease, formerly (C) at Whistling Straits Golf Course, is now (AF) at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.

OHIO Jake R. Halak, formerly (AS) at Shaker Run Golf Club, is now (AS) at Moraine Country Club in Dayton.

Steven Ohl, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Sugar Ridge Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at The Mill Course in Cincinnati.

OREGON Michael M. Kisic, formerly (A) at Eaton Country Club, is now (A) at River's Edge Golf Resort in Bend.

PENNSYLVANIA Jason D. Bolivar, formerly (C) at Radnor Valley Country Club, is now

UTAH Paul J. Stokes, formerly (C) at Red Ledges Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Logan Golf and Country Club in Logan.

WEST VIRGINIA Jamie J. Borowski, formerly (C) at New Albany Country Club, is now (C) at Guyan Golf & Country Club in Huntington.

WISCONSIN Michael G. Berwick, formerly (AA), is now (A) at Tuscumbia Country Club in Green Lake.

Ryan H. Fritsch, formerly (S) at Penn State University-University Park, is now (C) at Northbrook Country Club in Luxemburg.

Dwane Wilke, formerly (AS) at Green Bay Country Club, is now (C) at Royal St. Patrick’s Golf Course in Wrightstown.

CANADA Larry Schick, formerly (ISM) at Sherwood Forest Country Club, is now (ISM) at York Lake Golf & Country Club in Yorkton, Saskatchewan SAUDI ARABIA Timothy L. Pratt, CGCS, formerly (A) at Alpensia Resort, is now (A) at King Abdulla Economic City in Jeddah.

GCM Editor’s note: The information in this report was pulled from GCSAA’s database on April 24, 2013.

IN memoriam John H. Dunn, Ph.D., 75, died Nov. 19, 2012. Mr. Dunn was a 17-year member of GCSAA. He was professor emeritus in the University of Missouri’s plant science department. Dr. Dunn graduated from Penn State in 1959 and following college served in the U.S. Army. He later earned his doctorate from Rutgers University in 1968 and joined Missouri’s faculty that same year and initiated the turfgrass research program for the College of Agriculture.

Dr. Dunn was senior author of the textbook “Turf in the Transition Zone.”

He served on GCSAA’s education committee for several years and also was an adviser to the Missouri Valley Turfgrass Association for 35 years and received two service awards from that organization. He is survived by his wife, Marilee “Cricket” Dunn; son, John Malinin Dunn; daughter, Amy (John) Dunn Moore; brother, Robert Robert Peale Dunn; fve grandchildren, nieces, great-nieces and great-nephews.

William C. Perkins, 57, died Oct. 17, 2012. Mr. Perkins was a 19-year member of GCSAA. He graduated from James Madison University with dual degrees in marketing and management, but he also pursued education in golf course management and pesticides through Virginia Tech and online courses. Mr. Perkins was employed for more than 20 years at Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Locust Grove, Va., before going to Mattaponi Springs 108 GCM July 2013

Golf Course, serving there as assistant golf course maintenance supervisor.

He is survived by his fancée, Teresa Madison; aunt and uncle, Nancy and Joe Flowers; uncle, Ike Perkins; and aunt, Winnie Perkins Browning.

GCM

AD index Advertiser Telephone

PARTNERS

Page number URL

The Andersons, Inc. (800) 253-5296

25 www.AndersonsPro.com

Aquatrols Corporation (800) 257-7797

PLATINUM PARTNER John Deere Co. (800) 257-7797

4-5 www.johndeere.com/Golf

The Toro Co. (800) 752-0463

58-59, IFC-1 www.toro.com

37 www.aquatrols.com

Bos Sod Farms (800) 267-7763

110 www.bossod.com

Champion Turf Farms (888) 290-7377

8-9 www.championturffarms.com

East Coast Sod & Seed (856) 769-9555 GOLD PARTNER Jacobsen (800) 232-5907

31, 103 www.jacobsen.com

Syngenta Professional Products 63, Cover 4 (909) 308-1633 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com

111 www.eastcoastsod.com

Foley United (800) 225-9810

55 www.foleyunited.com

GCSAA Services (800) 472-7878

8-9, 19, 49, 51, 67, 69, 53, 77, 105 www.gcsaa.org

Golf-Lift Div. Derek Weaver Co., Inc. (800) 788-9789 Golf Preservations (606) 499-2732 Grigg Bros.

(888) 623-7285

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110 www.golf-lift.com 97 www.golfpreservations.com 27 www.griggbros.com

Barenbrug USA (800) 547-4101

39, Cover Tip www.barusa.com

J2 Golf Marketing (877) 263-1614

Baroness (707)283-0610

19 www.baroness.us

Landmark Seed (800) 268-0180

33 www.turfandnativeseed.com

6-7, 13 www.backedbybayer.com

Lastec (866) 902-6454

99 www.lastec.com

Bayer Environmental Sciences (800) 643-4266 Cushman (a.k.a. E-Z-GO) (800) 774-3946 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 Tee-2-Green Corp.

(800) 547-0255

45 www.cushman.com 14-15, 47 www.lebanonturf.com/ 2-3 www.paraide.com 21 www.pbigordon.com

Linear Rubber Products (800) 558-4040 Maredo Commercial L.L.C. (877) Mar-edoC Milorganite (800) 287-9645 National Alliance for Accessible Golf

Page number URL

Premier Aerials International LLC (877) 254-9762 Project Evergreen (480) 763-1180

65 www.projectevergreen.com

Sand Trapper (IVI-Golf) (888) 970-5111

95 www.sandtrapper.com

Seago International, Inc. (800) 780-9889

109 www.seagousa.com

TRIMS Software International Inc. (800) 608-7467 Trojan Battery Company (800) 423-6569

75 www.premieraerials.com

111 www.trims.com

35 www.trojanbattery.com/competition

Turfine, Inc. (800) 443-8506

48-49 www.true-surface.com

Turf Screen (267) 246-8654

47 www.turfmaxllc.com

Valent U.S.A. Corporation (800) 89-VALENT

Polybag www.valentpro.com

*Denotes regional advertisement

Denotes affliate member

101, 107 www.j2golfmarketing.com

111 www.rubbermats.com 110 www.greensmowertools.com 100 www.milorganite.com 73 www.accessgolf.org

23 www.precisionlab.com

Nufarm (800) 345-3330

57 www.nufarm.com/USTO

17, 71 www.quali-pro.com

Peat, Inc. (800) 441-1880

110 www.peatinc.com

PlanetAir Turf Products (507) 446-8399

29 www.planetair.biz

11, 40-41 www.tee-2-green.com

Advertiser Telephone

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the fnal shot

Photographer: Bob Deasy Title: Assistant golf course superintendent Course: Providence Country Club, Charlotte, N.C. GCSAA membership: Two years The shot: Deasy captured this unique shot on Providence CC’s fourth green in late May during morning preparations for the club’s annual member-member tournament, showcasing the bright sunrise along with the complex texture of the green’s putting surface.

Camera: iPhone 5

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.

YEAH, YOU COULD SAY THIS IS A HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT. FOR THE TURF, THAT IS.

Day in, day out—your turf has it tough. It must endure daily mowing, UV rays, golfers and extreme weather conditions, not to mention the constant threat of disease. Daconil Action™ fungicide combines the power of Daconil® fungicide with a revolutionary Turf Protein Booster that helps turf activate its own natural production of PR proteins. Use on a regular application interval for stronger and healthier turf that is better able to defend itself against disease while offering greater drought tolerance. So whether it’s disease or cleats, it’s not a problem. To learn how to rotate Daconil Action with Secure™ fungicide, visit GreenCastOnline.com/programs

To hear what superintendents are saying, visit GreenCastOnline.com/DaconilAction © 2013 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions before buying or using Syngenta products. The instructions contain important conditions of sale, including limitations of warranty and remedy. Daconil Action is not currently registered for use or sale in all states. Please check with your state or local extension service prior to buying or using this product. Daconil,® Daconil Action,™ the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Secure™ is a trademark of ISK Biosciences Corporation. Syngenta Customer Center: 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4368).