Golf Course Management - July 2014

INSIDE: Teamwork powers GCSAA, PGA partnerships PAGE 72

Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

GROW Nematicide breakthrough 84

Superintendents front and center in efforts to secure golf’s future PAGE 44

Zoysia to the rescue 62 Grassroots Ambassadors 36

Golf Course Management Magazine www.gcsaa.org • July 2014

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healthy

TECHNO

y grass

O LO G Y

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Celebrating

A Century of Innovation

1928 – First all-electric putting greens mower

2014 – Greensmaster® eFlex

Since July 10, 1914, a long line of Toro inventors have been passionate about helping Turf Managers get their jobs done more effectively. Innovations that make a difference are only accomplished through close collaboration with our end-user customers and channel partners. As we embark upon our second century, we want to take this time to say ‘Thank You’ to the many people who have allowed us to reach the Century mark as a company! At Toro, innovation is more than a slogan; it is our lifeblood, our legacy, and our ongoing commitment to every customer we are honored to serve.

Thank you for placing your confdence and trust in The Toro Company.

toro.com/100

ank you to our valued customers!

Think people don’t notice the accessories?

On a golf course every detail is important. So make sure your accessories work as hard as you do to enhance the image of your golf course.

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The right accessories improve course conditions and make golfers want to come back for more.

More than ever, you have to wow golfers with your golf course. That’s because the No. 1 reason golfers give for not returning to a golf course is “poor course conditions.” But there’s more to course conditions than greens, tees, fairways and bunkers. Consider accessories – something golfers see, touch and feel on every hole.

Having well maintained, proper golf course accessories is a crucial part of course conditions.

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8 8 8 - 8 9 3 - 2 4 3 2

Coming soon: The new A Model Mowers from John Deere.

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Hole new ballgame?

More than ever, superintendents have a hand in grow-the-game initiatives. Some have already arrived, and some may be coming soon to a course near you.

Howard Richman

Mow for less Leasing is becoming a popular and more affordable option for superintendents looking to replace their golf course equipment.

Bill Loots

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Grounds for change A golf course in the transition zone responds to years of drought with a switch from bentgrass to zoysiagrass on the fairways.

Jonathan Pokrzywinski

Making a championship course click Superintendent Roger Meier teams with general manager Keith Reese and head professional Chris Hamburger to give Valhalla Golf Club a winning team.

Roger Graves

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• On the Cover: Golf courses across the country are warming up to FootGolf and a number of other options and initiatives to grow business.

Photographer Andy Lundberg captures the action at Kansas City’s Heart of America Golf Academy.

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INSIGHTS Turf

38 Environment

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Clean and green Bunny Smith

Roundup Ready returns to turf Garett Heineck

Shop

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This and that in the shop Scott R. Nesbitt

Advocacy

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Wanted: GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors Chava McKeel

RESEARCH Improving drought performance of creeping bentgrass Sequential application of a plant growth regulator and glycine betaine, an osmoregulant, could help manage cool-season turf in prolonged periods of drought stress.

Bingru Huang, Ph.D. Patrick Burgess

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A new nematicide for turfgrass A byproduct of sugar processing has shown some efficacy as a nematicide in turfgrass.

William T. Crow, Ph.D.

Cutting Edge

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Teresa Carson

ETCETERA07.14 16 President’s message 18 Inside GCM 20 Front nine 30 Photo quiz 78 Up to speed

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Career

Don’t let body language hijack your message Carol D. Rau, PHR

90 Verdure 92 Product news 96 Industry news 102 Climbing the ladder 102 On course

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

103 Coming up 104 New members 104 In the field 105 Newly certified 105 On the move

108 In memoriam 112 Final shot

Golf Course Management Magazine Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

GCM 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 Chief Business Development Offcer

KEITH A. IHMS, CGCS JOHN J. O’KEEFE, CGCS PETER J. GRASS, CGCS PATRICK R. FINLEN, CGCS RAFAEL BARAJAS, CGCS DARREN J. DAVIS, CGCS JOHN R. FULLING JR., CGCS MARK F. JORDAN, CGCS BILL H. MAYNARD, CGCS J. RHETT EVANS MATT SHATTO J.D. DOCKSTADER

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

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 BRETT LEONARD bleonard@gcsaa.org

GCSAA This Week/Turf Weekly Editor

ADVERTISING 800-472-7878 Managing Director Marketing and Business Development Sr. Manager, Business Development Lead International Developer Account Development Managers

Best of All Worlds® 1-800-233-0628 • www.LebanonTurf.com

ANGELA HARTMANN ahartmann@gcsaa.org

MATT BROWN mbrown@gcsaa.org JIM CUMMINS jcummins@gcsaa.org ERIC BOEDEKER eboedeker@gcsaa.org BRETT ILIFF biliff@gcsaa.org KARIN CANDRL kcandrl@gcsaa.org SHELLY URISH surish@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. ©2014 by GCSAA Communications Inc., all rights reserved.

You spoke. We listened.

In answer to feedback from superintendents worldwide, our four new Country Club MD greens grade fertilizers contain phosphorus for those golf course managers who need to include P in their greens nutrition program.

Ask your sales representative for more information about Country Club MD.

www.countryclubmd.com

Best of All Worlds速 1-800-233-0628

(president’s message)

The power of persuasion For those of us who make our living as golf course superintendents, patience is more than just a virtue. It’s almost a job requirement.

Much of the work that we put in on the Keith A. Ihms, CGCS golf course doesn’t pay us back with immedikeithai79@gmail.com ate dividends. It takes time for newly seeded grass to spring to life. Bunker renovation projects don’t start and fnish in the same day.

Building new tees, creating naturalized areas, applying fertilizer — all of them require patience before we enjoy the fruits of our labor.

To some extent, the same can be said of many of the efforts that your national association puts forth on behalf of its members.

When we create and implement certain proFor many years, grams and services, we realize we likely won’t staff and committed see immediate results. But we also realize that the long-term benefts will more than make up members have for all of our hard work.

A prime example of this is GCSAA’s govworked to create ernment relations and advocacy efforts. For a consistent and many years, staff and committed members have worked to create a consistent and reliable reliable presence presence for our profession on Capitol Hill and among legislators all over the country. But for our profession like many things within the halls of government, the efforts you put in today are often on Capitol Hill and done so with an eye toward the benefts you among legislators all can realize tomorrow.

One of these key advocacy efforts is over the country.

GCSAA’s participation in National Golf Day, an annual event that I was lucky enough to take part in this past May. Now in its seventh year, National Golf Day is a product of the We Are Golf coalition — a group that includes GCSAA, the PGA of America, the PGA Tour, the National Golf Course Owners Association and the Club Managers Association of America — that brings the message of golf’s economic, environmental, charitable and ftness benefts to Capitol Hill.

This year’s GCSAA contingency at National Golf Day, which included members of the board of directors, key staff and the Government Relations Committee, carried two specifc areas of focus into its conversations with legislators. The frst was an effort to persuade members of the House Ways and Means Committee to abandon their attempt to exclude golf courses from conservationeasement tax-incentive eligibility. The second revolved around the Clean Water Act and pro-

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posed changes to how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defnes “waters of the United States,” a change that could adversely effect superintendents’ ability to maintain their golf courses.

The meetings that took place on National Golf Day were largely fact-sharing missions on our part, but I’m pleased to report that those discussions produced positive results much faster than even we could have hoped.

A few weeks following National Golf Day, we learned that the House Ways and Means Committee intended to include golf courses among land uses eligible for conservation-easement tax incentives. Although there is work to do to ensure that this decision becomes fnal, it is a positive development that can only help golf courses remain vital, healthy small businesses.

Shortly after that, the EPA announced that it had extended the comment period on the proposed changes to the Clean Water Act’s waters-of-the-U.S. provision for 91 days, which was one of GCSAA’s key requests of legislators during National Golf Day. The decision gives an industry stakeholder team that GCSAA helped create more time to develop its message and ensure those messages reach key decision makers within the EPA. Two key messages on National Golf Day, and two key victories for the golf industry, victories that did not take long in coming. Not everything in our business bears fruit so rapidly, and I certainly realize that these wins are the exception and not the rule. But for me personally, both outcomes are extremely gratifying and proof positive that the time and effort GCSAA puts into its efforts in Washington, D.C., have been worth it and do lead to positive benefts for superintendents in particular and the golf industry as a whole.

Keith A. Ihms, CGCS, is the golf course maintenance manager at Bella Vista (Ark.) Village and a 33-year member of GCSAA.

(inside gcm)

For the love of the game Scott Hollister shollister@gcsaa.org twitter: @GCM_Magazine

One summer, when I was probably 9 or 10 years old, my grandfather took me down to the course once a week, and left me in the capable hands of the club pro.

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For those of us who enjoy golf, play golf and are maybe even lucky enough to work in golf, we all have a story about what frst drew us into the game.

My story is probably similar to many of yours because it involves my father and grandfather. My dad always enjoyed the game and encouraged my participation, but it was my grandfather who frst set me up with lessons at the public course down the road from his and my grandmother’s home, Minor Park Golf Course in Kansas City, Mo. One summer, when I was probably 9 or 10 years old, my grandfather took me down to the course once a week, and left me in the capable hands of the club pro. While my grandfather grabbed a seat in the small snack bar at the course, I would join several other kids on the driving range to bang balls for an hour.

I’m not sure how much, if anything, I actually learned from those lessons — those who’ve seen me play will back me up on that — but the real payoff for me wasn’t the lessons themselves. Instead, it was the promise of a full round of golf with my grandfather once I’d fnished the lessons that kept me coming back for more. And true to his word, at the end of that summer, he and I toured the links at Minor Park. I probably shot a 120 — on the front nine — but never did my grandfather show any signs of frustration or impatience.

And despite my score, it’s a round of golf I remember to this day, especially on the rare occasions when I get back to Minor Park to tee it up again.

Did that experience have anything to do with my landing a career in the golf industry?

Probably not. That was more good fortune and dumb luck than anything. But it certainly is a fond memory of my frst real exposure to the game and one I remember frequently when the topic turns to the grow-the-game initiatives that have become such a part of our industry today.

In a business that has slowly been leaking not only players but also entire golf facilities in recent years, these efforts are absolutely key to

the future of the game. Far fewer youngsters have experiences like mine to bring them to golf, so it’s imperative that the industry identifes initiatives that will help do that for us.

In the early days of these grow-the-game efforts, superintendents often found themselves on the outside looking in, many times a view that was of their own choosing. Getting players to the course was the job of those in the pro shop, the thinking went, not for those in the maintenance building. You deal with the golfers, we’ll deal with the grass.

But that thinking is decidedly old school now. In a time where superintendents play crucial roles in the fnancial health of facilities, attracting and retaining players has become everyone’s business, and as Howard Richman’s excellent lead story in this issue of GCM illustrates, superintendents have reacted accordingly.

They’ve embraced cutting-edge concepts, such as FootGolf, as avenues that can potentially increase participation in traditional golf. They’ve joined with other facility leaders to develop new ways to utilize existing assets on the golf course. They’ve thrown their support behind efforts such as The First Tee, Play Golf America and Tee It Forward. Basically, they’ve done whatever they’ve needed to do to help secure the long-term health of not only their own facilities, but the overall game of golf as well.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a grandfather who can introduce them to the game of golf in the same way that I was. That the game of golf recognizes this and is trying to do something about it gives me hope that others will still get the opportunity to discover what is great about our game and our industry.

Scott Hollister is GCM’s editor-in-chief.

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The Bull Tractor Co. helped revolutionize the farm tractor industry in the early 1900s, but it was far from satisfed with engines that were being produced in those days.

In 1914, that all changed. The Toro Motor Co. was founded that year to build engines for the Bull Tractor Co. Although the Bull Tractor Co. folded four years later, Toro kept on humming. Its ability to grow and prosper spanned decades, and this month Toro reaches a milestone.

On July 10, Toro celebrates the 100-year anniversary of the day in 1914 when the company was founded.

Toro is planning a yearlong celebration to mark an achievement that not many businesses have matched.

What has contributed to Toro’s longevity? Toro chairman and CEO Michael J. Hoffman has an answer: “The character of our people and channel partners, and their relentless commitment to serving our customers and building market leadership through innovation.�

Landmark moments in the history of the Minneapollis-based company whose trademark red equipment now circles the globe include:

Photo courtesy of The Toro Co.

1967 Year Ted Smith founded Wayne, Pa.-based Smithco and launched the Red Rider utility truck

90 Countries representing The Toro Co.’s global reach

62,000 square feet of additional space in 2014 expansion of Deere & Co.’s Product Engineering Center in Cedar Falls

1968/1980 Jacobsen produces frst riding greens mower, the Greens King; Greens King IV updates include “power backlapping,” another industry frst

This advertisement appeared in the pages of one of Golf Course Management magazine’s predecessors.

GCM archives

• In 1918, building its frst product specifcally for golf, a power fairway roller based on a Bull Tractor frame • Unveiling the industry’s frst all-electric-powered walk-behind greens mower in 1923 • Introducing in 1966 the Valve-In-Head Sprinkler, combining the valve and sprinkler head in one unit • Launching a new concept in commercial rotary mowing equipment in 1972, the all-hydraulic Groundsmaster 72 • In 2008, showcasing the Groundsmaster 5900 Series rotary mower, which mows an acre in less than fve minutes.

In 1919, Toro entered its core golf business when it mounted fve reel mowers to a Toro tractor to cut the fairways at The Minikahda Club in Minneapolis.

Through the years, Toro has developed a deep network of professional distributor, dealer and retail partners across industries in more than 90 countries (in 1922, Toro created the golf industry’s frst national distributor network).

Toro, whose frst president was John Samuel Clapper, employs more than 5,000 worldwide. It has global manufacturing locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, California, Nebraska, Florida, Texas, Mexico, England, Romania, Italy, Australia and China.

In all, Toro has more than 1,500 patents developed by its employees. Hoffman credits those innovators for making it possible for the company to move forward into the next 100 years.

“These same values that have been core throughout

of range between 150 Miles charges for E-Z-Go’s RXV golf car

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our frst 100 years form the foundation for continued success into our next century,” Hoffman says.

Radrick Farms earns Clean Corporate Citizen Award At a reception on the grounds of Radrick Farms Golf Club in Ann Arbor, Mich., superintendent Dan Mausolf and his staff were presented with a Clean Corporate Citizen Award from the state of Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality.

Radrick Farms general manager Paul Scott and clubhouse manager Jon Moll were in attendance, as was Debra Swartz of e-Par. Kevin Frank, Ph.D., from Michigan State University was also present, along with John Fulling, CGCS, a member of GCSAA’s board of directors.

The Clean Corporate Citizen Award is a voluntary program that the state of Michigan sponsors for the business community. To earn the award, Radrick Farms had to complete three steps: Certifcation in the Pollution Prevention (P2) program; creation of an Environmental Management System that meets ISO 14001 standards; and public and DEQ review.

Radrick Farms is the frst golf course in Michigan to receive the Clean Corporate Citizen Award.

Mausolf, a 14-year member of GCSAA, had a key role in helping the golf course receive the honor. He led the charge for Radrick Farms to become certifed in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program. The course also is a Groundwater Guardian Green site, part of the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship program and Community Partners for Clean Streams. Mausolf also assembled a brochure that outlines all of the environmental programs, outreach and practices that take place at Radrick Farms.

— John Miller, CGCS, GCSAA Field Staff, Great Lakes Region

Bishop states his case

411

PGA of America President Ted Bishop is anything but afraid to speak his mind. When it comes to defending golf, his message is delivered loud and clear.

Recently, Bishop (who is a GCSAA member and owner of The Legends GC in Franklin, Ind.) responded to media criticism in the form of an open letter. GCM has provided excerpts below: When the legend becomes fact, print the legend. One of my favorite westerns when I was a kid growing up in northern Indiana back in the 1960s was “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” The movie starred Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne. It was a great John Ford flm and the most famous line of the movie was uttered near the end.

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

In the past few weeks, the sport of golf has been bullied around similar to the townsfolk of Shinbone who were

victim to Liberty Valance, the gunfghter who was brilliantly portrayed by Lee Marvin.

Enough is enough. Golf is not “in a hole” nor is the golf market “stuck in a bunker.”

Given that 2013 had the fewest days open for golf (268, less than the 288 the previous year because of weather) in the past seven years, it was encouraging to see that golfers played more rounds of golf per day than they had in previous years. There were a total of 37 states with consistent or increased rounds played per day in 2013 compared to 2012.

According to PGA Performance Trak, golf facility operators reported growth in three of four key performance revenue indicators from 2012 to 2013, including golf merchandise sales (up 2.2 percent); food and beverage revenue (up 2.0 percent); and total facility revenue (up a modest 0.3 percent).

Through annual golf participation studies conducted by the National Golf Foundation (NGF), 3.5 million to 3.7 million new and former golfers took up the game in each of the last fve years. We also note that recent declines in participation have offset gains in our sport. As such, a stagnant industry is clearly not the goal and that is why our Task Force is exploring innovative ways to bring new people into golf.

We have our legends. They are names like Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. And we have our facts. I am not suggesting for even a moment that golf does not have its challenges. We have plenty, including time, diversity and diffculty. Interestingly, 90 percent of golf played in the U.S. is on public courses at an average of $28 per round, dispelling the notion that golf is unaffordable.

It is time that the facts became the legend — print the facts. Liberty Valance is dead, and, as the script said, “Nothing’s too good for the man who shot Liberty Valance.”

GCSAA, industry partners visit Capitol Hill The mission: To show Washington, D.C., all the reasons why golf is so meaningful.

On May 21, GCSAA joined other leaders in golf for the seventh annual National Golf Day in the nation’s capital. National Golf Day is a major industry effort under the auspices of We Are Golf, which is a broad coalition of the game’s leading associations and industry partners. It is designed to showcase golf’s nearly $70 billion economy, $4 billion annual charitable impact, environmental value to local communities and ftness benefts.

For GCSAA, discussion points with lawmakers this year focused on environmental issues, most notably proposed changes to the Clean Water Act and how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defnes “waters of the United States,” a key pillar of the act. If changed, the rule could greatly expand which water bodies fall under federal jurisdiction and, ultimately, it could negatively impact superintendents’ abilities to maintain their golf courses.

Those efforts paid almost immediate dividends, as the EPA announced in early June a 91-day extension of the

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comment period about these proposed changes, which will allow an industry stakeholder group formed by GCSAA time to formulate public comments.

“This proposed change has the potential to greatly affect almost every golf facility in the country and many maintenance practices that take place on the golf course,” says Chava McKeel, GCSAA’s associate director, government relations. “Our members coming to Capitol Hill and communicating about this important issue, along with many more, sends a strong message and helps strengthen the overall position of both the profession and the association in matters of advocacy and government relations.”

GCSAA’s contingent in D.C. included members of its board of directors, Government Relations Committee and select staff who attended more than 85 individual meetings with lawmakers and their staffs, meetings that focused on the broader message of National Golf Day in addition to issues of specifc interest to golf course superintendents and the golf course management industry.

All told, golf leaders from all corners of the industry shared stories about the game’s almost 15,000 diverse small businesses, which employ more than 2 million people and provide $55.6 billion in annual wage income. In addition, industry executives discussed golf courses’ positive infuences on ecology, tax revenues and tourism.

“National Golf Day presents a unique opportunity not only for the golf industry but also for GCSAA and its members to make personal connections with members of Congress and to help them understand the role the game plays in the economic, environmental and charitable life of our communities,” says GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans. “The opportunity to educate lawmakers on issues of importance to our members and the stewardship role superintendents play every day is one we embrace. We are proud of our association with We Are Golf and our participation in National Golf Day.” National Golf Day also featured a daylong exhibit in the Cannon Caucus Room with a host of golf exhibits, including a section that was dedicated to golf course maintenance and its tools, manned by members of the Mid-Atlantic Association of GCS, and a display featuring the soon-to-be-opened Grass Roots exhibit at the U.S. National Arboretum.

In addition, live golf lessons for members of Congress and staff were provided by 2012 PGA Teacher of the Year Michael Breed, host of “The Golf Fix” on Golf Channel; and LPGA professional Dana Rader. Another special activity featured a Republican vs. Democrat putting challenge.

Bronze medal for O’Leary Norma O’Leary, CGCS, reached her silver anniversary of being a GCSAA member this year. One of her most prized possessions in 2014, though, has everything to do with bronze.

O’Leary, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Silver Bay

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Members of GCSAA’s board of directors, Government Relations Committee and staff met with members of Congress on National Golf Day in Washington, D.C. Photo by Scott Hollister

(Minn.) Golf Course earned a bronze medal as part of the U.S. Women’s Curling Team that participated this year in the World Senior Curling Championship in Scotland. Curling features a four-person team in which they slide a 42pound “stone” or “rock” down a 150-foot ice sheet, using broom sweeps to move the object.

As a teenager in Minnesota, O’Leary worked on a golf course. Obviously, she gained a passion for it; O’Leary has been a superintendent since 1983.

Also, the Ransomes Mastiff walk-behind reel mower is being used to give the felds a fnal striping before each game.

“The fnal at the Maracana will attract a television audience in excess of 300 million people around the globe, all watching the game on a playing surface prepared by our mowers,” says Jacobsen president David Withers. “I think everyone connected with the business can take pride in that.”

Is the force with them?

Jacobsen fnds a place on world stage The FIFA World Cup is a monumental event that draws attention worldwide. Jacobsen is proud to be part of it.

Jacobsen equipment is being used to maintain training facilities and stadium felds for the World Cup soccer tournament, which started June 12 and concludes July 13 in Brazil. One of the venues using Jacobsen equipment is Arena Pernambuco in Recife, which was scheduled to host the U.S. team’s fnal Group G game June 26 against Germany.

Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, site of the World Cup fnal, is being mowed with the Jacobsen TriKing small-area reel mower. The Tri-King mowers also are being used at training venues, including the Australian training camp at Vitaria in Espirito Santo, Portugal’s camp at Campinas at São Paulo and Mexico, who is using facilities of Santos Futebol Clube.

Possibly coming to a golf course near you: Jedi Putter.

A team of Rice University engineering students devised a training putter that offers golfers audio, visual and tactile feedback to help them learn a consistent putting stroke.

“In the past few years, some work has been done on modeling the physics of putting,” says Ray Simar, Rice professor of electrical and computer engineering. He gave fve seniors the task of designing and creating a putter that provides multisensory feedback, “in particular, how the ball rolls, trajectories on the green and also the sweep path and how that should perform.”

The practice putter also can provide data to the user through a Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone or computer. Eventually, the team plans to introduce a speaker in the head to help users synchronize their swing to tones.

The team (Matthew Lopez, Sid Mullick, Chelsea Rodrigues, Roy Wu and Yize Zhao) completed a prototype of the Jedi Putter and fled for a patent on a putter that has an accelerometer, a gyrometer and a magnetometer, all in the club head.

Courses land USGA championships Three courses are the latest to receive word they will be the sites of future USGA championships.

• Hillwood Country Club in Nashville, Tenn., was awarded the 2015 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Champion-

Tweets

RETWEETS Patrick Reinhardt@gasoutherngcm Sun and sand. TifEagle is #happyhappyhappy pic.twitter.com/cp4UStPQ41 Dan Tolson@mountainturf Photo quiz... Head not working, pulled swing joint and whuddya know but a golf ball jammed inside. #howdoyafgger? pic.twitter.com/WESHkvnhKV Benjamin Rink@benrink Hex bolt, straight blade screw and a torx bolt all on the same recoil. C’mon Mr. Mechanic, can’t we make it easier??? pic.twitter.com/bWbByVGYPg Jeff Johnson@MinikahdaTurf Still debating when fwys should get their frst app of N this yr Cloudy days are not a good day to make that decsn pic.twitter.com/bF5V3HwnU0 Craig Wilson@cragerwilson New resident on golf course. Been trying for a week to get a picture of Bambi. Thanks to Derek we have one pic.twitter.com/g61PNMF0xh Trevor Burlingame@tdburlingame Greens vented, topdressed, rolled and mowed. Ignore the small holes and sand. They still putt great. pic.twitter. com/CSuRqEjise Syngenta Turf@SyngentaTurf Bees are hitting the links and thriving w/ #OperationPollinator! Learn more about our efforts to improve #bee health: http://bit.ly/1oT0CUM CanmoreG&CC Super@ReidSolodan Longtime Assistant Spence is always thinking! pic.twitter.com/B2ovLZ2H8T

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ship. David Robertson, 12-year GCSAA member, is the superintendent at Hillwood. The golf course opened in 1957 and was renovated in 2003 and again in 2011.

This will be the 14th USGA championship held in Tennessee.

• Salem Country Club in Peabody, Mass., will host the 2017 U.S. Senior Open. Kip Tyler, CGCS, a 36-year member of the association, oversees the facility. Salem CC, designed by Donald Ross, hosted the 2001 U.S. Senior Open.

• Pinehurst Nos. 2 and 4 will be the site of the 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. No. 2 will serve as the match-play course; No. 4 will be the companion course for the competition. Bob Farren, CGCS, is director of golf course and grounds. Kevin Robinson, CGCS, is superintendent at No. 2. Steve Wilson is superintendent at No. 4.

• Shoal Creek near Birmingham, Ala., will host the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open. Forty-two year GCSAA member James Simmons is the superintendent. Shoal Creek, designed by Jack Nicklaus, hosted the 1984 and 1990 PGA Championships.

Calling all dogs It is time to enter the 2015 LebanonTurf Dog Days of Golf Calendar contest.

If your dog is selected for the calendar, it has a shot at being selected the 2015 Dog of the Year, which is worth a $3,000 prize for your affliated chapter and a $500 prize for you. In addition, a donation to a charitable cause will be made in honor of the winner. Everyone who submits a

photo receives a gift from LebanonTurf.

To enter, submit high-resolution images along with complete contact information for the dog’s owner; dog’s name, age and breed; complete contact information for the golf course superintendent; facility name and location; and photographer’s name. Multiple images may be submitted.

Entries will be accepted through Aug. 1. The Dog Days of Golf calendar accompanies the November issue of GCM. Submit images and information to lebturfdogcalen dar@gcsaa.org.

If you have any questions about the calendar, contact Cynthia Andrews at LebanonTurf (800) 532-0090, ext. 253.

Compliance deadline looming Oct. 6, 2014, is a key date.

As mandated in the EPA Federal Register notice, no fenamiphos (Nemacur nematicide) products labeled for use on golf courses can be used after that date. Fenamiphos is in the organophosphate chemical class, and Nemacur has been used to control the major genera of nematodes attacking turfgrass. This includes root knot, root lesion, sting, lance and ring nematodes.

Bayer Environmental Science will not buy back any existing stock but is willing to assist in the proper disposal of hazardous material if the remaining product is not used by Oct. 6, 2014.

In the

NEWS An unusual soda dumped on golf course A golf course in Lexington, Ky., needed repairs after vandals targeted some of the greens with soda.

Not the type of soda you might expect, according to WKYT-TV. www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Vandals-target-Lexington-golf-course-262466041.html

Female superintendent honored in Colorado GCSAA Class A superintendent D’Ann Kimbrel received a lifetime achievement award last month.

Colorado Golf Journal profles Kimbrel, a 26-year association member, who was pretty good in another sport in her younger days. www.cogolf.org/index. php?mod=NewsMedia_Read&ArticleID=1165

GolfÕs tie to D-Day The 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion at Normandy Beach was well documented last month.

Did you know famed Omaha Beach, where the Allies gallantly fought to gain a foothold in the fght against the Axis, has a golf course? Well, Golf.com provides the details. http://www.golf.com/courses-and-travel/d-day-anniversary-golf-trip-normandy’s-omahabeach-golf-club-about-more-birdies-and-bogeys

Let there be lights Can’t get a tee time during the day at Mission Bay GC in San Diego? Well, you still may be in luck.

If you want to play under the lights, that is, according to a feature at SanDiego.com. www.sandiego.org/ articles/golf/let-there-be-light-night-golf-atmission-bay-golf-course.aspx

By John Mascaro President of Turf-Tec International

(photo quiz)

Turfgrass area: Putting green

Location:

(a) PROBLEM

Oxford, Pa.

Grass variety: Dominant bentgrass

Deep dents in turf

Turfgrass area: Rough

Location: Tallahassee, Fla.

Grass variety: 419 bermudagrass

(b) PROBLEM White tops of mounds

Presented in partnership with Jacobsen

Answers on page 100

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

5 COURSES. 81 TOTAL HOLES. 365 DAYS A YEAR.

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To keep its 81 holes of world-class golf in flawless shape every day, Pebble Beach uses only

Jacobsen turf equipment on every inch of every hole.

For more than 90 years, Pebble Beach has been a national treasure. Its five breathtaking courses contain some of the most iconic golf images known to the game. Six major championships helped create an indelible image of majestic beauty and striking contrasts.

For more information about Jacobsen or to find a Jacobsen dealer near you, visit jacobsen.com.

.

1.888.922.TURF | www.jacobsen.com Pebble Beach Golf Links ® is maintained by Jacobsen equipment. Pebble Beach ®, Pebble Beach Resorts ®, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, The Lone CypressTM, The Heritage Logo and their distinctive images are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. Use is by permission. ©2014 Jacobsen division of Textron. All rights reserved.

Garett Heineck heine237@umn.edu

(turf)

Roundup Ready returns to turf Editor’s note: Employees of T e Scotts Co. are testing RRKB on t ei ome lawns during t e 2014 growing season.

In 2011 The Scott’s Co. announced it would release a genetically engineered turfgrass, a glyphosate-resistant cultivar of Kentucky bluegrass (1). Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the common nonselective herbicide Roundup.

Although Roundup Ready technology has been around since the mid-1990s, species containing the gene have been limited to agricultural crops. The Roundup Ready trait is widespread because of the low cost, effectiveness and relative safety of glyphosate. However, heavy glyphosate use is not without obstacles.

The emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds and pollen contamination of conventional crops has been an ongoing concern in agriculture (5,6). Before deciding to either condemn or praise Roundup Ready Kentucky bluegrass (RRKB), it is important to consider the risks and benefts of genetic engineering in turf.

A common misconception is that genetic modifcation is synonymous with genetic engineering. Genetic modifcation, which has been carried out for thousands of years, can be as simple as selection of plants to increase their utility. Genetic engineering, a relatively new technology that became popular in the mid-1980s, infers the insertion of a particular gene (transgene), whose function is known, into a plant of a different species where it was not previously expressed. Gene insertion can be carried out in several ways and commonly

Presented in Partnership with Barenbrug

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

involves the use of a gene gun or a biological vector such as Agrobacterium tumifaciens, a common plant pest. Because the effect and safety of these transgenes is not always known, several U.S. government agencies oversee the safety of genetically engineered crops.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates genetically engineered crops by controlling plant movement, plant pests and noxious weeds; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates genetically engineered crops, which contain plant-incorporated pesticides; and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the safety of genetically engineered crops used for food and feed purposes (3). Before a genetically engineered crop can be sold to the public, one or all of these agencies must determine the risks the crop poses to agriculture, environment and food safety.

The media attention surrounding RRKB has focused on how The Scott’s Co. was able to circumvent all government regulation of genetically engineered crops. Any plant using Agrobacterium as a gene vector is regulated by the USDA, but Scotts used a gene gun and a Roundup Ready gene from a non-plant pest to achieve glyphosate resistance (4). Any plant-incorporated pesticides (for example, the common Bt trait) are regulated by the EPA, but RRKB contains only the Roundup Ready gene, which does not express pesticides. Finally, turfgrass is neither a food nor a feed product and is not regulated by the FDA. Therefore, the U.S government has no regulatory authority over RRKB, and The Scotts Co. is free to release it as it would any other nongenetically engineered variety.

What are the possible risks from RRKB? Hypothesized risks involve pollen contamination, increased risk of glyphosate-resistant weeds and escape from intended area of use.

In turf species, pollen contamination, which occurs when pollen from a genetically engineered crop fertilizes a nongenetically engineered crop, can be considered the greatest hazard (2). It can be an issue for seed producers trying to grow seed for organic growers or consumers who wish to have turfgrass that is not genetically engineered. Pollen contamination has been a problem in Roundup Ready alfalfa, sugar beet and creeping bentgrass (2). Apomictic cross-fertilization can be an issue if any native plants are sexually compatible with the genetically engineered plant. Kentucky bluegrass belongs to the genus Poa, which has

about 300 species, some of which are native to the U.S. (7).

With all the regulations and risks surrounding genetically engineered plants, why are they so popular? Genetic engineering has the potential to increase the utility of species in ways that would be otherwise nearly impossible. Genetic engineering can enable plants to better protect themselves from disease and insect pressure; it also increases resistance to drought and heat stress and allows resistance to nonselective herbicides like glyphosate. How important is RRKB in light of the potential risks? RRKB will allow consumers to have weed-free lawns without using alternative management practices and species selection while using a lowrisk herbicide (assuming no glyphosate-resistant weeds). However, using the correct species and variety along with best management practices also yields high-quality weed-free lawns.

The deciding factor is how much time and energy the public is willing to put into education and home lawn management. Resources on species selection and appropriate management practices are available through University of Minnesota Turfgrass Extension (www.exten sion.umn.edu/garden/turfgrass/).

Garett Heineck is a research assistant in the department of horticultural science at the University of Minnesota-St. Paul.

Literature cited 1. APHIS. 2011. www.aphis.usda.gov/ newsroom/2011/07/pdf/KY_bluegrass.pdf.

Accessed May 29, 2014.

2. Mallory-Smith, C., and M. Zapiola. 2008. Pest Management Science 64(4):428–440.

3. McHughen, A., and S. Smyth. 2008. Plant Biotechnology Journal 6(1):2–12.

4. Wang, Z.-Y., and E.C. Brummer. 2012. Annals of Botany 110(6):1317–1325.

5. Watrud, L.S., E.H. Lee, A. Fairbrother et al. 2004.

Proceedings National Academy of Sciences U.S.A. 101(40):14533–14538.

6. Wilson, R.G., B.G. Young, J.L. Matthews et al. 2011. Pest Management Science 67(7): 771–780.

7. Wipff, J.K. 2002. Scientifc Methods Workshop: Ecological and agronomic consequences of gene fow from transgenic crops to wild relatives. Pages 143–161. (www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~asnow lab/Proceedings.pdf#page=145) Accessed Feb. 14, 2014.

Exclusively From

Scott R. Nesbitt ORPguy@windstream.net

which leads to thinking that the era of installing rebuild kits is fading away.

LED flashlight bulbs don’t break

(shop)

This and that in the shop This month, I’m passing along some fndings while noodling on various fxes and frustrations with golf course maintenance equipment.

Cheap carbs that seem to work fine

A shiny new will-ft carburetor that cost less than $15 will replace an old carb that was not worth rebuilding, given the low cost of many new replacement carbs. Photos by Scott Nesbitt

In a 30-day period, we had occasions to install fve cheap new carburetors instead of trying to rebuild carbs that had been stored a year or more with fuel in the system.

Cost of parts and labor was our prime consideration.

How can you resist a completely new string trimmer carb for $15.99, including freight?

How about getting a completely new Briggs carburetor for just $10 more than the $49 list price for the fuel shutoff solenoid for that same carb?

There was the will-ft carburetor for $14.32 (plus shipping) that seems to work just as well as the $73 original-equipment carb we didn’t buy for a Honda single-cylinder pressure washer engine. The will-ft included a new fuel line.

Every one of these cheap carbs worked fne,

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

A solid-state LED bulb replaces the conventional incandescent bulb, is more durable and uses less power.

I’ve owned a 19.2-volt Craftsman cordless work light for many years and always cringed when it fell over. The fragile bulbs broke easily and cost a lot to replace. I gambled on an “upgrade” bulb, which uses LED (light emitting diode) technology. One LED bulb costs about the same as two old-style bulbs. But LEDs are solid-state, so there’s no tiny internal wire just waiting to fall apart at the slightest shock. Color me happy.

The LED produces a less intense “milky” light compared to the old bulb, but the greater durability and much longer battery life outweigh any downsides.

Buy and install LEDs carefully. Unlike regular bulbs, many LEDs will work over a wide range of voltages, such as in fashlights with two, three or four batteries, or 18- to 24volt cordless work lights. But you’ll burn out the LED if you get over or under its specifed voltage.

Replacing D cell batteries

Converter cases hold two small AA batteries and take the place of D cell batteries. It’s hard to beat the cost and convenience.

In the process of adopting rechargeable batteries for all the meters, lights, radios, etc., in the shop, I balked at the high price of D

cell rechargeables. Then I stumbled across the “AA to D cell converter” on eBay. This inexpensive plastic case is the same size as the big D battery, but holds two AA batteries and the conductors to carry juice to the device. Since we have few items needing D cells, but many that use AAs, the decision to purchase this converter was a no-brainer.

There are also cases that convert a single AA to replace a C cell, but we use lots of C cells, so we skipped that gizmo. Curiously, it’s hard to fnd an adapter that lets a C cell replace the just-slightly larger D cell.

Preserving plastic pipe cement

Wrapping the threads of a can of plastic pipe cement creates an airtight seal that greatly extends the shelf life of cement.

PVC pipe cement comes in steel cans that have the lids screwed on extra tight. Once you open the can, the cement dries out pretty quickly and becomes useless.

Wrap the threads of the can with four or fve layers of Tefon tape and you’ll fnd that the cement will stay fresh and usable a lot longer. The trick is that the tape creates an airtight seal. You’ll also fnd it’s a lot easier to reopen the can.

Hand cleaner for mounting tires While fghting to get air into a new small tubeless tire, I stopped to clean my hands with a creamy white hand cleaner like GoJo or Goop. Just for grins I smeared some of the cleaner on the tire bead and the wheel — and it worked better than the soapy water I’d always used.

I’ve tried this on a couple of tires in the 4-, 6- and 8-inch rim sizes, and can report the tires can be easily mounted and flled with air, and stay flled. Multi-tasking hand cleaner!

Scott R. Nesbitt is a freelance writer and former GCSAA staff member. He lives in Cleveland, Ga.

Chava McKeel cmckeel@gcsaa.org twitter: @GCSAA

(Advocacy)

Wanted: GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors July 1 offcially kicks off the GCSAA Grassroots Network and the search for GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors, brought to you by GCSAA’s department of information and public policy.

The network includes the entirety of GCSAA’s grassroots army, which the association is trying to build. Network members receive the newly launched, monthly Greens & Grassroots e-newsletter and special targeted action alerts from Government Relations Online at www.gcsaa.org.

The goal of the ambassador program within the larger GCSAA Grassroots Network is to match a professional member of GCSAA with each member of Congress, and to proactively build relationships between the two.

The program establishes a network of committed volunteers to serve as the “go-to” people for lawmakers and their staffs on golf course management issues. This relationship will focus on the success of the facility.

It is critical that golf course superintendents across the country educate policymakers on the importance of the golf industry, and golf course management in particular, to ensure their continued license to do business, especially in light of an increasingly diffcult regulatory climate.

Nearly 200 professional members have already expressed an interest in serving as ambassadors through GCSAA feld staff postcard recruitment and the ambassador recruitment survey distributed in April.

If selected, GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors will agree to perform the following specifc actions during a two-year appointment: • Build and maintain positive relationships with assigned policymaker, and keep abreast of, and advocate for GCSAA policy statements and initiatives.

• Regularly review GCSAA publications,

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

Scott Ramsay, CGCS at Yale University GC in Middletown, Conn. (far left), and Kaelyn Seymour, GCSAA’s government relations specialist, meet on Capitol Hill with a congressional staff member as part of GCSAA advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill. Photo by Scott Hollister action alerts and updates on Government Relations Online.

• Respond to GCSAA action alerts in a timely manner and engage colleagues to participate in such efforts to the extent required or necessary. An ambassador must be able to represent GCSAA as a whole and the advancement of its members and the golf industry in general. Personal viewpoints should be set aside.

• Meet personally with assigned policymaker or his or her key staff at least twice each year (such as attending an August recess town hall; setting up a meeting in a district offce; visiting the policymaker on Capitol Hill; or hosting a golf course site visit).

• Invite assigned policymaker to attend a chapter meeting or other GCSAA-affliated function.

• Attend GCSAA Advocacy Bootcamp if attending the Golf Industry Show, if it fts in with personal schedule.

• Promptly report all actions and outcomes tied to ongoing advocacy efforts.

• Include government relations and advocacy information in chapter newsletters or chapter websites as appropriate.

• Provide biannual government relations updates at chapter meetings.

GCSAA’s government relations team will work with chapter presidents and executive directors and GCSAA feld staff to quantitatively and qualitatively vet the pool of potential GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors in the coming months.

All superintendents who are selected to be ambassadors will receive the tools and resources they need to become effective advocates for the profession. Each ambassador will receive a welcome packet that includes comprehensive information about serving in the role, a biography and contact information for their

selected member of Congress and an ambassador engagement calendar.

The calendar will outline advocacy training, meetings and education opportunities hosted

by GCSAA. This may include participation in webinars, attending town hall meetings during August recess and Get Out the Vote efforts.

For the frst time, GCSAA will also offer an Advocacy Bootcamp at the 2015 Golf Industry Show in San Antonio for its ambassadors.

Training will focus on issue awareness and political engagement.

GCSAA’s Government Relations Committee has been working hard to ensure the successful launch and implementation of the program. They’ve put on their ambassador hat and helped develop the curriculum for the training and education component of the program.

“This is an exciting time for GCSAA’s government relations program,” says Peter J. Grass, CGCS, who is secretary/treasurer of GCSAA and the committee’s current chairman. “We are taking our advocacy efforts to a higher level. At the end of the day, when there is an issue that comes up in Congress that could impact how your facility is operating, such as the recent release of the EPA’s proposed rule that redefnes a ‘Water of the U.S.’ under the Clean Water Act, we want to make sure that federal policymakers in all 50 states know GCSAA’s position on the issue.”

If you are interested in learning more about the GCSAA Grassroots Network or are interested in becoming an ambassador, please contact the program lead, Kaelyn Seymour, government relations specialist, at kseymour@ gcsaa.org or (800) 472-7878, ext. 3612.

Chava McKeel is GCSAA’s associate director, government relations.

Bunny Smith

bsmith@gcsaa.org twitter: @GCM_Magazine

(environment)

Clean and green Cleaning golf course equipment used to be as simple as hosing it down in the maintenance building parking lot and letting the water drain wherever it could. Aside from leaving a lot of grass and dirt on the parking lot, this practice was feared to result in contamination of nearby bodies of water, and today washing spray equipment without containing the wash water is against the law in most places. Proposed rules for interpreting the Clean Water Act could impact all aspects of equipment washing practices everywhere in the U.S. (see “Land grab,” Page 36, in the June 2014 issue of GCM).

Golf course operations and superintendents have been fnding solutions to the wash water runoff problem in systems that contain the water and either properly drain it or recycle it for reuse on the wash-down pad. The most sophisticated of these systems can cost well over $100,000 for equipment and installation, but some carry a more reasonable price tag and others fall into the DIY category.

Ralph J. Kepple, CGCS at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, needed a new way to handle equipment wash-down at the renowned Donald Ross-designed venue that is home to the PGA Tour Championship. The wash pad with sump and removable solids collection tank that had been in place at the maintenance facility that was built in 1995 was becoming “extremely high-maintenance,” Kepple says. The

Presented in Partnership with Aquatrols

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

The new equipment wash-down system at East Lake GC in Atlanta recycles the water through a simple, underground system. Photo courtesy of Ralph Kepple

crew was constantly spending time cleaning debris from the drains and tank, and the water was drained off the property rather than being recycled. He looked at several systems before fnding a partner in U.K.-based Highspeed Group, which offers the ClearWater wash pad water recycling system. Highspeed Group’s director David Mears was looking for a high-profle facility in the U.S. to debut the system and help spread the word.

The ClearWater system incorporates specifc microorganisms that break down the contaminants in the wash water in an underground tank after it has passed through a primary flter and grass trap/sand flter in the wash pad. The water then passes through a series of underground flter and storage steps before it is pumped up as clean water to the aboveground spray guns.

“The thing I like about it is it’s an extremely simple system,” Kepple says. “It doesn’t take a lot of maintenance. We just add the biologicals and perform some weekly maintenance.”

East Lake GC installed its ClearWater system in August 2013, and after nearly a year of use, Kepple says they expect to have to “vacuum out” the trapped silt and other non-hazardous material that has collected below ground.

He cites a couple of additional advantages to the system. First, because the temperature in the underground clean-water storage tank stays constant, the system doesn’t have to be shut down in winter — only the aboveground hoses have to be detached and re-attached when equip-

The crew was constantly spending time cleaning debris from the drains and tank, and the water was drained off the property rather than being recycled. ment has to be washed down. Second, although Kepple hasn’t run the exact numbers, the facility has been able to cut back on water usage by recycling its wash water — an important bonus in drought-plagued Georgia.

What’s your wash-down solution? GCM would like to share your best management practices for equipment washing. With new legal requirements and a growing scarcity of water resources, this is one issue that won’t dry up. Reach out to us via Twitter (@GCM_Magazine) or email at bsmith@gcsaa.org.

Bunny Smith is GCM’s senior managing editor.

High concentrations of salt in your soil disrupts osmosis, efectively sucking needed water away from turf roots. This leads to rapid wilting, reduced shoot growth and leaf tip burn.

Aquaplex Amino速 sprayable osmotic regulator works within the plant to balance osmotic potential, improving water and nutrient uptake and minimizing the impact of stress caused by high EC.

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Carol D. Rau, PHR careeradvantage@sunfower.com

(Career)

Don’t let body language hijack your message

Several of the top reasons for not selecting particular candidates can be summarized as poor nonverbal communication skills.

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

I was recently attending a continuing education class and began discussing interviewing experiences with human resources colleagues in the golf industry. The conversation quickly morphed into a list of what not to do in an interview. Their answers may surprise you, and yet research validates their responses.

Several of the top reasons for not selecting particular candidates can be summarized as poor nonverbal communication skills.

Seriously? This seems too basic to be true.

However, regularly we see applicants convey well-prepared verbal answers and ideas during an interview, while transmitting a contrasting message with their nonverbal cues. In this month’s column, I will unpack the role that body language has in interviewing to help you sidestep potential interviewing pitfalls as you advance your career in the golf and turf industry.

Be aware of your posture, both standing and sitting. I recently served on a hiring committee at a golf club. One of the candidates repeatedly expressed his desire to work at the club during the interview and presented compelling reasons to hire him. But his message was thwarted by his poor posture (leaning back in his chair, crossing his legs), which conveyed disinterest, regardless of his verbal message. Sit in an active, upright, interested posture. You want to learn more about their facility and are honored to be there. Also, avoid fddling with belongings and sudden movements, calmly arrange your folder or device on the table for notes, and confdently offer a handshake.

Be aware of your facial expressions. This may take practice, especially when you are nervous in an interview setting, but it is crucial.

UCLA professor and researcher Albert Mehrabian found that people tend to believe the facial expressions they see, not the words that are spoken. He also concluded that 55 percent of communication pertaining to feelings and attitudes is in facial expression. This is powerful! Remember that all candidates interviewed are qualifed; the interview is heavily weighted on feelings and attitudes — sometimes termed “gut instinct” — in deciding which candidate

to hire. Be intentional about keeping your facial expressions aligned with your verbal content to ensure your message will be received as expected.

Be aware of eye contact. Yes, we all know this, right? But it isn’t that simple. What about an interview with a committee of several people? How much eye contact is appropriate?

Most communication experts use the 50/70 rule as a general guideline: engage eye contact 50 percent of the time when you are speaking and 70 percent when you are listening.

Increased eye contact conveys credibility and confdence. A candidate who displays less eye contact can be perceived as intimidated, less confdent and not having conviction in what they are saying. Establish eye contact before you begin your answers and end your answers with confdent engagement. This allows you some latitude during your responses to naturally look at notes and comfortably focus on the content of your message. In a committee setting, give most of your attention to the person who asked each question along with intermittent eye contact with the other committee members. As you fnish your answers, return your concentration to the person who asked the question, which gives them the nonverbal cue that you are willing to answer any follow-up inquiry or provide clarifcation.

The longer I study interviewing and career advancement, the more I realize the power of simple communication principles. Yes, you must be strategic and carefully consider the content of your interview answers, but don’t underestimate the impact of how your message is delivered through body language.

Carol D. Rau, PHR is a career consultant with GCSAA and is the owner of Career Advantage, a career 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.

For over 50 years, Tee-2-Green, the only grower-owned bentgrass company, has led the feld with game-changing bentgrasses like Penncross, the A’s and G’s, and now the Pure bents. Today, we still set the standards for quality and purity with groundbreaking varieties bred to improve playability, resist diseases and tolerate extreme conditions.

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new More than ever, superintendents have a hand in grow-the-game initiatives. Some have already arrived, and some may be coming soon to a course near you.

Howard Richman

Kurt Austin and his daughter, Mariella, enjoy a day of FootGolf at Heart of America Golf Academy in Kansas City.

Photos By Andy Lundberg

Top: FootGolf on a weekend in Kansas City at Heart of America Golf Academy.

Bottom: PGA of America president Ted Bishop has a FootGolf course at his Indiana facility.

Photo courtesy of PGA of America

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

The lengths to which golf has gone to grow the game sometimes could be viewed as extreme.

Chicken wire might be classifed as extreme.

Then again, as golf organizations ranging from GCSAA to PGA of America and USGA seek to fuel a golf surge coming off years of economic hardships that affected everything from golf to groceries, perhaps chicken wire isn’t such a zany idea.

“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” says GCSAA Class A superintendent Kevin Fateley.

Like Fateley, superintendents nationwide have emerged as vital cogs in growing the game.

At Fateley’s Wildcat Creek Golf and Fitness, where strategically placed chicken wire fencing prevents balls from plummeting into the facility’s namesake creek, this is so much more than a golf course.

Approximately 80 miles west of GCSAA headquarters, in the heartlandesque city of Manhattan, Kan., where legendary coach Bill Snyder put Kansas State University football on the map, there is a new game in town. The craze appears to be sweeping across the country.

It is called FootGolf. You may have read about it. Seen it. In fact, “NBC Nightly News” had a segment on it in late May. In late spring, HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” was at Haggin Oaks in Sacramento to do a story. In case you are unfamiliar with it, FootGolf is played on a golf course, but you use a No. 5 size soccer ball instead of a Titleist. The cups are about 21 inches in diameter. No cleats or spikes allowed.

You tee off the same as golfers (not at the same time of course, but you do reserve tee times the same as you would in golf) to holes that usually are located off the greens. Yes, you even can kick out of a bunker.

FootGolf seems to have gained quite a foothold in America. According to American FootGolf League co-founder Roberto Balestrini, more than 130 golf courses in the U.S. had FootGolf as of June 1. He projects that number to be 500 by year’s end. “I am a big fan of the golf industry. This puts people on golf courses. Some of them are just using their leg instead of a club,” Balestrini says.

One course that has FootGolf also happens to be the home course of PGA of America President Ted Bishop.

“Since we put in FootGolf May 3, we’ve had more rounds of FootGolf than golf,” says Bishop, a fve-year member of GCSAA, from The Legends Golf Club in Franklin, Ind. “It’s incumbent upon us to embrace some of these ideas.”

Since Wildcat Creek decided to include FootGolf as one of its options for members and patrons, interest continues to escalate. “We opened March 18,” says Fateley, a 24-year GCSAA member, noting his FootGolf course measures approximately, 1,930 yards, including a par-5 that is 242 yards. “We’re up to 125 people playing. It’s taking off.”

The key for the golf course industry, including superintendents, is whether FootGolf players

Left: Superintendent Kevin Fateley is pleased with the results since adding FootGolf to his Kansas course.

Photo courtesy of Roger Hammerschmidt Right: Youths at Val Halla Golf and Recreation Center in Maine are part of a grow-the-game program.

Photo courtesy of Toby Young

“In a few years, you’ll see people who started out in FootGolf, then at some point pick up a golf club, and eventually play both. I see FootGolf as the only growthe-game initiative out there that will work.”

— Kevin Fateley

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

have an interest in playing golf, too. If enough of them do, that certainly would classify as a grow-the-game option at a time when growth arguably is a problem.

Early this year, National Golf Foundation (NGF) President Joe Beditz stated that about 5 million golfers have left the game in the last 10 years. According to the NGF, rounds of golf that were played in 2013 dropped nearly 5 percent from the previous year, and for the eighth year in a row, more courses closed than opened in the U.S. GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans understands the challenges that the golf industry has encountered in recent years. He, though, prefers to look forward rather than back — and FootGolf’s ascension is a positive development. Superintendents are at the heart of ensuring the development continues.

“I think that everyone that works in this industry — superintendents, PGA professionals and general managers — knows that it is important to embrace new ideas to help the game grow and fourish,” says Evans, whose organization supports multiple grow-the-game initiatives such as Golf 20/20, We Are Golf and Get Golf Ready. “If something draws traffc, we’re supportive of any initiative that makes a facility successful. If FootGolf is one of those, good.”

Fateley has no doubt that FootGolf will beneft more than simply course owners and operators. In fact, he is convinced it unequivocally will grow the game of golf.

“In a few years, you’ll see people who started out in FootGolf, then at some point pick up a golf club, and eventually play both,” he says. “I see FootGolf as the only grow-the-game initiative out there that will work. Superintendents

need to fnd ways to be involved. This is one they should get behind.”

Growing-the-game options galore Tee it Forward. The First Tee. SNAG. Golf 2.0.

The list of potential growing-the-game initiatives is, well, growing. Besides those listed above, others have come along such as Hack Golf, Time for Nine and now FootGolf.

Enlarging cups to as large as 15 inches has been tried.

Some may consider a cup that is the size of a steering wheel to be radical. Yet almost any initiative that potentially could grow the game is worth a look, says Mike Hughes, CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association.

“Each facility has to understand it’s part of their mission to do it,” Hughes says. “I think there are some superintendents that see that and do contribute.”

Countless superintendents have taken the initiative to help grow the game, and one example of a superintendent taking charge and hoping to make a difference is the “Learn Golf” initiative at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo, Calif.

Tom Elliott, CGCS, and PGA professional Jim Delaby launched the program almost exactly one year ago.

“We have a 12-hole par-3 that just wasn’t busy. It was driving us nuts,” Elliott says. “I was trying to keep the course in good shape but nobody was playing it. I was thinking, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ We even dropped the price, but it wasn’t a beginner’s haven like it was meant to be. I met with Jim and we put this together. You’ve got a big (8-inch) cup on every hole, and we give them a little golf bag with a

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A fvesome getting their kicks. FootGolf co-founder Roberto Balestrini says by year’s end there may be 500 courses in America that offer FootGolf.

Photo by Andy Lundberg

“We’re not just helping grow golf; the kids are learning core values and how to be good citizens. If we don’t get involved with youth golf in ways such as this, where is our industry going to be?”

— Mark Reid

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

wedge and putter to use. For $10, you play.”

Their program is paying dividends.

“Our play probably has tripled,” says Elliott, a 27-year member of GCSAA. “We have got a lot of stories of people completely hooked who had never wanted to be on a golf course.”

Elliott gains satisfaction that he is able to make a difference.

“If we as superintendents can’t do it, the industry is in trouble,” he says.

Based on numbers, grow-the-game initiatives make a solid impact.

• More than 9 million youngsters have participated in The First Tee since its inception in 1997. Recently, it started an after-school program in partnership with other youth-serving organizations.

• Get Golf Ready, which consists of a fve-lesson plan with golf clubs included for $99, reached more than 86,000 participants last year; that’s a 13 percent increase from 2012.

• PGA Junior League Golf witnessed a whopping 490 percent growth from 2012 (1,500 youths) to 2013 (8,900). Already this year, the number of participants has grown to 18,000.

• Drive, Chip and Putt competition expanded from 11 PGA sections and 19 states in 2013 to 41 sections and all 50 states this year.

In Florida, The Breakers Palm Beach has partnered with The First Tee The Palm

Beaches to support its program that teaches life skills and leadership through golf to children, adults with disabilities and area veterans. The luxury oceanfront resort oversees the agronomics of The First Tee program, built on a site at Dyer Park that previously was a dump.

Director of golf and grounds Mark Reid and his team at The Breakers each contributes an annual allocation of 16 hours of volunteer time off for the organization, using their skills to perform tasks ranging from general maintenance to aerifcation, sod preparation and installation.

“We are delighted to have such an amazing relationship with The First Tee The Palm Beaches,” says Reid, a 19-year GCSAA member. “While they are technically the benefciaries of our volunteer work, it has been so rewarding for us to participate. We’re not just helping grow golf; the kids are learning core values and how to be good citizens. If we don’t get involved with youth golf in ways such as this, where is our industry going to be? We’ve all got to look outside the box a little bit to fnd unique but important ways to get involved in our communities.”

At Val Halla Golf and Recreation Center in Cumberland, Maine, more than 600 youths and adults annually participate in grow-thegame programs, including Wine and Nine for the adults. Val Halla GCSAA Class A superintendent Toby Young and his crew are “totally involved,” he says. They have to be at certain

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The Breakers Palm Beach maintenance crew works on a First Tee facility in their area. Photo courtesy of The Breakers Palm Beach

“We have a lot of programs out there that are doing well and having an impact right now.

Something such as FootGolf cannot hurt. No way you can argue that it’s bad for golf.”

— Steve Mona

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

times when the course is packed.

“It can look like Disneyland sometimes,” Young says, “but there is something to be said about seeing 5-year-olds carrying a bag taller than them and seeing them enjoy it.”

In the Pacifc Northwest, the 17-year-old First Green Foundation has introduced thousands of children to golf course settings by using the facility as an environmental learning lab. Jeff Gullikson, CGCS at Spokane Country Club, along with Bill Meyer, Ph.D., started the program in Washington in 1997.

“We don’t teach golf. We just break down barriers and perceptions they may have about being at a golf course,” says Gullikson, who received GCSAA’s President’s Award for Environmental Stewardship a decade ago. “I would hope superintendents see the value in doing something like this. It does take time, and time is the most limiting factor in all our lives.”

Time, though, should never be an excuse for superintendents not to get involved, says GCSAA Class A superintendent Todd Bohn of Wolf Creek Golf Links in Olathe, Kan. “I think superintendents need to be part of things but sometimes may have a hard time fguring out what that entails,” says Bohn, who has helped raise more than $25,000 the last two years for equipment used in the SNAG (Starting New At Golf) program in the Kansas City area. “We have to fnd ways to help in our industry. If we don’t, we’re not going to have jobs.”

Since some grow-the-game initiatives are relatively new (Hack Golf, which hopes to increase the fun factor of the game, or Time for

Nine, initiated by Golf Digest to promote the idea that playing just nine holes is fne), estimating their full impact on how many players have chosen to enter the game of golf may not be determined for years.

That’s OK with World Golf Foundation CEO Steve Mona, who is willing to take a look at any initiative that doesn’t violate or denigrate the tradition of the game.

“We have a lot of programs out there that are doing well and having an impact right now,” Mona says. “Something such as FootGolf cannot hurt. No way you can argue that it’s bad for golf.”

Kicking around a new idea GCSAA Class A superintendent Stacy Baker didn’t say a word when he frst learned that Haggin Oaks Golf Course would consider FootGolf for their menu of member choices.

Baker did, however, respond.

“I just laughed,” he says.

Not anymore. Baker, a 10-year GCSAA member, now is all-in with the FootGolf phenomenon. After it started in July 2013 at Haggin Oaks’ Arcade Creek Course, 6,500 rounds of FootGolf were played through the end of the year. From January until June of this year, they totaled 3,612 rounds and forecast 10,000 overall for all of 2014.

“This thing has exploded. It’s amazing,” Baker says.

How invested is Haggin Oaks in FootGolf?

In April they created a new position for Karl Van Dessel, who is their FootGolf operator.

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At River Ridge GC, Oxnard, Calif., FootGolf players dressed in knickers for the event. Photo courtesy of Roberto Balestrini

“I think this goes deeper than just seeing FootGolf players wanting to also give golf a try,” Baker says. “It’s growing our industry.

My budget was increased this year because of it (FootGolf), but I wasn’t asked to spend the addition to my budget on FootGolf. I’m going to be able to get a new tee mower because of it.”

In a way, FootGolf has re-energized Baker.

“It’s fun seeing people use the property in a new way,” he says.

In Michigan, assistant superintendent Jeff LeBlanc has his own way of supporting FootGolf, besides helping prepare his course for it in Canton, Mich., called Fellows Creek Golf Club.

“I’m starting a league and will play in it,” says LeBlanc, 30. “I love the idea.”

At Wildcat Creek in Kansas, the agronomic side of FootGolf creates minimal challenges, according to Fateley, who had three members quit but insists it didn’t have to do with their feeling inconvenienced by sharing the course with FootGolf players.

“I have to jump off the sprayer and remove a fag or tee post. We have to tweak the mowing pattern a little around the cup, but that’s about it,” says Fateley, whose $4,000 investment in cups, fags, soccer balls and other materials was recouped in two months from revenues generated by FootGolf. “No practice swings with this, and we’re not replacing divots.”

Sixty-seven-year-old Les Depew, a member at Wildcat Creek, isn’t convinced that FootGolf will prompt large numbers to also use the facility to play golf.

“Most kids want success right away. It’s easier to kick a soccer ball than hit a golf ball,” Depew says.

Whether FootGolf is a fad or a fxture remains to be seen. Fateley serves as an example of a superintendent willing to take a risk, which Bishop applauds.

“Superintendents can be traditionalists, resistant to change,” Bishop says. “We’ve got to have superintendents understand these things are critical. They have to play a vital role in these initiatives because these are their courses.”

Fateley is certain it was worth it to take a chance.

“You always have to be looking for revenue streams, things to bring people to your course,” Fateley says. “You can come out here, be among nature, unwind. That seems pretty cool to me.”

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

Photo illustration by Mopic/Shutterstock.com

MOW Leasing is becoming a popular and more affordable option for superintendents looking to replace their golf course equipment.

Bill Loots

It’s possible to combine different manufacturers’ products in the same fnance package. Most major manufacturers will extend a warranty on used equipment their technicians have refurbished. GCM fle photos

The golf season may be in full swing in most parts of the country, but once it reaches the downswing, superintendents will be turning their attention to acquiring the equipment they need to facilitate the smooth operation of their golf courses. Financing and leasing are popular methods to fund turf maintenance and irrigation equipment. Understanding these methods, their advantages and challenges, can go a long way in setting up your business and your course for success.

While current interest rates are still at historic lows, many market analysts and economists are predicting interest rate increases as early as the spring of 2015. And with so many golf courses having held off on major equipment decisions during the economic slowdown, there is now significant pent up demand for new golf course turf maintenance and irrigation-related equipment. No doubt, if your facility falls into this category, now is the time to take advantage of historically low rates. U.S. Federal Reserve Policy is tightening, with the new Fed chairman cutting back on monthly bond purchases, which will drive interest rates higher.

Here are a few tips to consider when making your equipment financing decision.

Special financing terms Check with the equipment manufacturer for special fnancing terms. In an effort to increase market share, many turf equipment and irrigation vendors will offer a wide variety of incentives for spring/summer deliveries.

These incentives include zero or below market interest rates, delayed payments, skipped pay-

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

ments or extended terms. In some cases, free goods or maintenance packages may also be available. Lower rates and delayed terms help stretch your equipment budget, making it easy for you to acquire more equipment. When you receive an equipment quote, inquire about special fnancing terms. Your dealer may have a particular model they are trying to move or a leftover machine from the previous year that would qualify for a special offer or discount.

Package your deal Don’t hesitate to combine different manufacturers’ products in the same fnance package. If you prefer a specifc manufacturer for a given task, such as fairway mowing, and another manufacturer for your greens and tee box equipment, your preferences can be easily incorporated into your contracts.

Don’t forget to bundle ancillary assets such as reel grinders and other maintenance tools needed in your shop in your fnancing solution. The best equipment fnanciers have the

fexibility to incorporate all the equipment you require to maintain your course your way.

Ask for extended-term warranty packages, which can be easy to include in the total fnance package and will allow the cost of this service to be included in your monthly payment.

New or used?

Consider used or certifed pre-owned equipment. Today’s turf maintenance equipment and utility vehicles are made better than products produced even a few years ago. This is good news for managers whose budget constraints may require the acquisition of all, or a portion of their 2014 purchases, to be used or certifed pre-owned. Used or certifed preowned can be a great ft for backup equipment or equipment that is used only a few hours each month, since they are subjected to limited wear and tear.

High-quality used equipment is readily available in the marketplace with numerous reputable vendors specializing in this market segment. Used equipment runs the gamut of condition, from fresh off another golf course with no refurbishment, to a complete frame-up restoration.

With the improvement in the quality of turf maintenance equipment, fnance companies are willing to offer longer lease or loan terms on used or certifed pre-owned equipment. The combination of longer fnance terms and the lower cost of acquisition make acquiring equipment on your wish list much more affordable. Additionally, if you want to include an extended warranty in the fnancing package, most lenders will accommodate the addition of a service agreement.

It is important to determine if original manufacturer’s parts and factory trained technicians were used to complete any refurbishment.

Most major manufacturers of turf equipment and larger independent equipment distributors refurbish used equipment and provide a thorough accounting of the refurbish process and often extend a warranty. It is worth the effort to have your mechanic or other trained professional inspect the used products to be certain the asset will function properly on your course.

Do the math Weigh the cost of maintenance against your monthly outlay for new equipment. Economic necessity may require the reduction of your equipment budget to accommodate other course priorities. If this is your situation in 2014, closely examine your equipment maintenance budget.

Older, worn-out equipment has a signifcantly higher cost to maintain than is often anticipated. Take into account that over a season, repairs, parts, labor (including overtime) and equipment downtime will all have a cost. So while it may seem cheaper in the short term, older equipment can have an economic as well as an intangible impact on your golf course.

Why a lease?

Leasing has become an increasingly popular and affordable alternative to loans and full payout contracts over the past several years. As organizations have become less focused on ownership and more interested in the use of equipment, leasing has piqued their interest. Many organizations have come to realize that ownership of depreciating assets is not in their best interest. Leasing offers several advantages to full payout fnance contracts, including: • Improved cash fow. You’ll have lower monthly payments by incorporating residuals (an amount the lessor assumes the equipment will be worth at lease termination). With leasing you pay for only the portion of the asset you use.

• Lower maintenance costs. Warranties usually accompany new equipment acquisitions. Maintenance costs on older assets

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

are often higher than on new equipment, thus maintenance budgets can be reduced when new equipment is acquired.

• Accounting benefts. Many leases qualify for off-balance-sheet treatment, which improves fnancial ratios. Improved fnancial ratios can lead to better access to credit and more favorable lending terms.

• 100 percent fnancing. In most instances, lessors fnance 100 percent of the equipment cost, including dealer setup charges, taxes and freight. Available cash can be used for more productive purposes such as club improvements or taking discounts for upfront payment from suppliers.

• Administration. Leasing allows for the consolidation of many services into one transaction. Maintenance packages and insurance can be added, requiring only one monthly payment for all aspects of equipment usage.

• No risk of obsolescence. Technology has led to many recent product breakthroughs, and this trend will likely continue. Why take ownership of an asset that may become obsolete? Since the equipment is owned by the lessor, the risk of obsolescence is transferred to them instead.

• Repayment terms can match seasonal revenue streams. Repayment terms can be tailored to match seasonal revenue.

Skipped or reduced payments can be incorporated into the lease stream to refect non-revenue periods.

• Economical fxed-rate fnancing. The stream of fxed-rate lease payments will not increase, as they are guaranteed for the life of the lease. The lessor assumes the risk of interest rate fuctuations, making it easier to plan budgets.

— B.L.

Do not underestimate the opportunity cost of equipment that is not functional when considering the expense of keeping old, worn-out equipment operational.

Consider the fact that larger organizations may be able to reduce headcount by purchasing new equipment and relying on warranties to repair malfunctions as opposed to tapping in-house employees to fx equipment that continuously breaks down. New equipment typically comes with a warranty that eliminates, or greatly reduces, the cost to maintain the asset early in its life.

Also consider converting a portion of your maintenance budget to fnance payments. For every $100 per month redeployed from your maintenance budget to an equipment payment, approximately $5,300 in new equipment can be fnanced on a 60-month full-payout lease. Consult your fnance specialist to determine what your club can afford with a set monthly payment.

Negotiate the terms Negotiate the fnancing terms of your new equipment purchases as diligently as you investigate the equipment itself. As an expert in the maintenance and aesthetics of your golf fa-

cility, your choice of turf maintenance equipment is based on a number of relevant factors, including perceived value, quality of the function performed, durability and reputation of the manufacturer. You spend many hours researching product specifcations, participating in demonstrations of new products and asking opinions of your maintenance staff. After your analysis, you choose the equipment that best suits your individual needs — so why not spend the time researching the best ways to acquire it?

Your decision on the provider of leasing or fnancing services is no less important than your choice of equipment, and requires your due diligence. Take the time to compare different lease and loan proposals, shopping for the terms that are most attractive for your organization. Just as there is no one set price for a piece of equipment based on options and extra features, lenders offer a wide variety of terms and conditions that can be customized to meet your exact specifcations.

Don’t pay for features such as skip payments or extra insurance if these attributes are not important to your facility. If you are not familiar with the terminology or conditions of the fnancing proposal, don’t hesitate to ask

your fnancial provider for guidance. They’re there to answer your questions. For additional assistance, consult with your organization’s club manager, controller or fnancial offcer.

No matter what type of equipment you prefer, leasing and fnancing can make your acquisitions more affordable when stretching budgets is important. Take the time to explore fnancing options that will reduce your cost of use, including the negotiation of the terms of your contract.

Most importantly, don’t feel you are alone in navigating these fnancial decisions. Your organization has fnancial professionals that can assist you in your efforts to obtain the best equipment and the best fnancing package for your needs.

A veteran of more than 30 years in the golf fnance business, Bill Loots is the originations leader for the golf equipment fnance team of EverBank Commercial Finance, a subsidiary of EverBank. EverBank Commercial Finance is not itself a bank or a member of the FDIC.

07.14 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT

61

AT THE TURN Jonathan Pokrzywinski

Warm-season and cool-season grasses coexist. As newer zoysia varieties begin to move north into the transition zone, the Country Club of Decatur discovered the cost savings, drought tolerance and playability of zoysia for fairways in central Illinois. Photos courtesy of Jonathan Pokrzywinski

(renovation)

Grounds for change A golf course in the transition zone responds to years of drought with a switch from bentgrass to zoysiagrass on the fairways.

When drought comes creeping into any area, the farmers, arborists and superintendents are typically the frst to know.

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

The 2012 drought affected many golf courses across the country. The weather is always something we deal with, in good times and bad. Every season there will be times when the turf starts to look a bit “off” and things start to get a bit closer to the edge of living and dying. Typically, a nice rain shower or a few mild days will come along to perk everything back up and make things all better again. Or so you’d think.

At the Country Club of Decatur (Ill.), 2012 got off to a quick start. Temperatures climbed into the 80s in March and the golfers got to dust off their clubs a little earlier. The unusually dry, warm conditions proved very favorable for golfers and the maintenance crew alike.

Sometimes, what starts off as a good thing can quickly turn into a problem. As the calendar rolled from April to May, then May to June, the lack of rainfall began to add up — or not, depending on how you view it. Although irrigation cycles can help, in the end it’s supplemental and insuffcient, especially in this case.

Decatur heats up The irrigation system at the Country Club of Decatur relies on city water. In most cases, a superintendent will view this as an inconvenience and a budget-buster, but a far worse case can happen: water restrictions.

When drought comes creeping into any area, the farmers, arborists and superintendents are typically the frst to know. Of course, everyone notices lake levels dropping, but it’s the guys

While under total water restrictions along with the city of Decatur, CC of Decatur experienced major drought damage (pictured is the No. 3 fairway) in 2012.

on the ground who see the trouble and realize things are getting a little wobbly. Local media pick up on it and run stories about “averages” and historical numbers, but drought really doesn’t become anything more than a conversation until it actually impacts the area.

By the end of June, the public had been made aware of voluntary water restrictions for all city water users. By the end of July, still with no signifcant rainfall, low humidity and high temperatures knocking on 100 F, mandatory restrictions were in effect.

No one is ever pleased with water restrictions, but the city of Decatur did an excellent job of communicating the problems and informing the public. Obviously, someone who is in the business of selling water would like to have water to sell, so we are all on the same team as a community.

At frst, the water restrictions limited us to watering only three days a week. This can put any superintendent in a bind. With the high temperatures, the course didn’t need to be fooded on those days, as that would cause a different type of problem, but moderate watering was certainly not enough for a course that was already severely stressed.

A few weeks later, the city imposed total water restrictions, and no outdoor usage was permitted. While water is always a top prior-

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

ity for me, during this period the rest of the community was in the same situation. Landscape companies, sod growers and even car washes were shut down. The lake levels were a daily conversation.

Now, at the Country Club of Decatur, what started as heat stress quickly turned ugly.

Simple things like raising mowing heights, which we had been doing for weeks, became a non-factor as we were running out of grass to mow. Carts had been restricted to the deep rough and cart paths. One thing was certain: We were losing turf and losing it fast.

Considering solutions While the course continued to burn, the new focus became a plan to avoid these problems in the future. Wells were not an option.

After testing and digging, we could fnd no signifcant source of water under our course.

Although this mission was a failure, it was something we knew we had to try.

Sometimes, things have to line up just right — the perfect storm, as some call it — before you can move forward. Because we were no strangers to water restrictions, our problem was to reduce our water needs and still provide a top-notch golf course. One of the frst topics that is addressed in any golf course management textbook is turfgrass se-

lection, but most superintendents don’t have a choice: They work with whatever they are handed when they take over a golf course. At the Country Club of Decatur, that meant 36 acres of bentgrass fairways as well as greens.

Changing the turf at this century-old private club was a drastic solution in terms of cost, disruption of play and potential loss of members, but one way or another, we had to start over. Why not start over with turfgrass that would work better in this situation? The question wasn’t whether we could afford to take this drastic step. The fnal analysis concluded we couldn’t afford not to take it.

Located in central Illinois, Decatur is pretty well known as a hot box in the summer. With a lower topography similar to a crater, the oven-like conditions and cool-season golf course turf don’t quite mix. In most new climate models, Decatur is now in the transition zone range. While the summers do get testy, the winters can bring plenty of snow and ice. Several years ago, the concept of converting the fairways to zoysizgrass would have appeared to be an illogical overreaction.

Through quite a bit of research, countless conversations with multiple agronomists and researchers from leading universities, Zenith zoysia became a frontrunner for our turf of choice for fairways and tees.

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After glyphosate was applied and began to kill off the No.16 fairway at CC of Decatur in May 2013, the transition from bentgrass to zoysiagrass began.

Word of our zoysiagrass conversion spread quickly, and before I knew it, there was a parade . . . coming out to see the show.

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

Setting the stage In many areas, the talk of zoysia brings out the skeptics. I know this all too well, but this is not your grandfather’s zoysia. Grown from seed, Zenith zoysia has a much shorter dormancy period and really doesn’t compare to the older varieties. Its track record and research tied in well with our needs from a maintenance standpoint as well as a playability aspect. And, of course, the big goal here was to become less reliant on water.

With an investment like this, all the research, planning and communication are well worth the effort. Tim Bowyer of the Patten Seed Co. and Rod Maxwell, an experienced zoysia grower in central Illinois, were enormously helpful in setting us on the pathway to success. There are always surprises with any project, but I learned many years ago while working as an assistant superintendent with Steve Mueller in Fort Wayne, Ind., that if you expect the smallest thing to be an issue, you’ll be ready for all the big issues.

Throughout the fall of 2012 and winter, we had several meetings and countless conversations with the members before they decided to go ahead with the conversion in June 2013.

There is no way of closing down a course

while keeping every member happy. In our case, with the problems we needed to address, we had the right board of directors, committee, general manager and staff assembled at the right time to make the sound decision to prepare our course for the future and solve the issues of the present.

One thing that is very important to grow in any type of grass is water. With this in mind, we contacted the city about receiving a waiver to continue watering during the grow-in in the event of any restrictions. Our grounds committee chairman and our club president took the lead in this matter, citing the conversion’s compliance with the city’s “Sustainable Decatur” initiative by reducing water and chemical use. The city quickly embraced this green concept.

Time to grow All of our ducks were in a row when the project began on June 10, 2013. The June start date allowed the members to enjoy their course for a few months before the shutdown.

Although it felt a bit strange, events such as the club championships were scheduled very early to make the most of the shortened golf season. Due to the scorching from the previ-

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With the new Zenith zoysiagrass fairways and Penn A-4 bentgrass greens, CC of Decatur looks to reduce water use and cost savings in the future. ous season, the course had seen better days, but there was enough Poa seed down in the soil of this 100-year-old course to carry us through that short period.

As many can attest, no project goes entirely according to plan. Seeding took longer than anticipated and during this three-week period we had plenty of irrigation heads that became stuck. Weather wasn’t always our friend; a freak rainstorm washed out seed on a couple of the fairways. The work was slow, dusty and somewhat stressful, so it was convenient to have reliable crew members like Guy Doolen on the seeder and my assistant superintendent, Brett Oxley, keeping things together.

A pretty good estimate for zoysia germination is about 17 days. That’s a long time in superintendent time. Growing in zoysia also takes a lot of irrigation cycles to keep the soil and seed moist at all times; it seemed like every time one cycle stopped, another one would begin. Of course, I thought my course would defy science and germinate faster than ever and my impatience allowed doubt to creep in for no good reason.

Finally, after all the planning, sweating and waiting, the seed popped up — a little over here and a little more over there at frst, but in just a few days things were taking shape. By the end of August, the fairways were loaded with zoysia that was producing even more zoysia. That’s one of the great benefts of this plant; it gives you the coverage and sustainable density for a great fairway.

While the course was shut down for the conversion of the tees and fairways, we also renovated the putting surfaces of the old push-up greens — primarly Poa with a little bit of everything mixed in — with Penn A-4 bentgrass, which has a deeper root structure and is not as thirsty as our 50-year-old “mutts.” This also gave us the opportunity to modify the profles of some of the older greens that had settled and were holding water in certain areas and to make some of the greens more

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Ten months after seeding with zoysia, this CC of Decatur fairway was ready for play. The progress from seed to lush turf in one season exceeded expectations.

The zoysia also held up under extremely tough winter conditions.

challenging and enjoyable for the golfers.

The fnal aspect of the course shutdown was accommodating the members through reciprocal agreements with a number of golf courses within 30-100 miles of the Country Club of Decatur. We are also fortunate enough to have a local park district that operates three outstanding golf courses, and the district and the club reached an agreement allowing members to play these public courses for a similar reciprocal fee. This was a great way to meet the needs of our members and to help stimulate the local economy.

Leo Feser award

CANDIDATE This article is eligible for the 2015 Leo Feser Award, presented annually since 1977 to the author of the best superintendent-written article published in GCM during the previous year. Superintendents receive a $300 stipend for articles. Feser Award winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Golf Industry Show, where they are recognized. They also have their names engraved on a plaque permanently displayed at GCSAA headquarters.

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Lessons learned Word of our zoysiagrass conversion spread quickly, and before I knew it, there was a parade of superintendents, sales reps and educators coming out to see the show. Who could blame them? Ours was the frst club in the area to venture into zoysia, and since I was one of the frst guys on the block to go this route, it was always nice to have another set of eyes on the course and to discuss the project with a colleague.

The driving point of this mission was making our fairways heat- and drought-tolerant, along with the benefts of watering less and worrying less about a hot day of heavy play. Since the grow-in, irrigation amounts have changed drastically, and we expect to save more than 7 million gallons of water per year at this course. The transition provided the opportunity for a true audit of our Toro SitePro system. While the grow-in was winding down, this audit brought many changes

to our irrigation system — simple things like changing nozzles and switching from full to part circles in other areas.

These changes, along with paying close attention to each individual head’s output and percentages, really streamlined our water output to coincide with our actual needs. It’s true that numbers never lie, but one thing I’ve discovered in conversations during this time is how few superintendents know how much water they actually use. Whether the number is high or low is never really to be disputed from one course to the next because it is the superintendent’s call and he or she is the one monitoring the need. But if your only record of how much water you’re using is “10 minutes on this and 12 minutes on that,” then it’s really diffcult to plan how to conserve or, in many cases, to apply a healthier amount of water.

I believe that the support of everyone at the Country Club of Decatur as well as the publicprivate engagement made this entire project a huge success. It started with open minds and communication — something that should be stressed to any golf course community or club that pursues a project of this magnitude.

It also invites the members/golfers who have witnessed the grow-in process to take ownership and pride in the course, and that is the goal for every superintendent.

Jonathan Pokrzywinski is the GCSAA Class A superintendent at the Country Club of Decatur (Ill.) and a 16-year member of the association.

Congratulations to the Finalists.

- Joe Stefanick, Seven Lakes Golf and Tennis Community, Fort Myers, Fla. - Bill Claytor, Muirfeld Village Golf Club, Dublin, Ohio - Raymond Hooker, Interlachen Country Club, Winter Park, Fla.

We will announce the winner soon. Stay tuned!

AT THE TURN Roger Graves

Valhalla GC’s return to championship form after an extensive renovation in 2011 is a testament to the golf course maintenance team.

Photos courtesy of PGA of America

(business)

Making a championship course click Superintendent Roger Meier teams with general manager Keith Reese and head professional Chris Hamburger to give Valhalla Golf Club a winning team.

“The three of us complement each other well, and I believe we are a strong team.”

— Roger Meier

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Editor’s note: T is is t e frst in a series of article ig lig ting t e important relations ip between GCSAA superintendents and PGA of America professionals. T ese articles are being simultaneously publis ed in bot GCM and PGA Magazine.

At Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., it isn’t unusual for PGA general manager Keith Reese to converse with Roger Meier, the club’s golf course superintendent, 10 or 12 times daily during peak season. That’s in addition to formal weekly meetings and a monthly lunch with Reese, Meier and PGA head professional Chris Hamburger to detail daily events and discuss any special maintenance or operational issues that might impact member play on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course.

Reese, Meier and Hamburger all recognize it takes a trusting team to deliver exemplary course conditions and a memorable golf experience for members, guests, PGA professionals and touring professionals. That’s why communication is constant — and paramount to success — at Valhalla, which is preparing to host its third PGA Championship, Aug. 4–10.

“It’s hugely important for the general manager, golf course superintendent and PGA head professional to plan effectively, communicate regularly and be on the same page in all operations and maintenance matters,” notes Reese, who has been a Valhalla staff member since 1989.

Keith Reese

Chris Hamburger

Roger Meier

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A dedicated team Meier, a 17-year GCSAA member who came to Valhalla in 2010 from Chariot Run Golf Club in Laconia, Ind., has been instrumental in nursing all 18 of Valhalla’s greens back to championship form after an extensive golf course renovation in 2011. He believes the leadership triumvirate of Reese, himself and Hamburger has become a highly effective team dedicated to making Valhalla a national/ international championship venue and an enjoyable course for members.

“The three of us complement each other well, and I believe we are a strong team,” says Meier. “Chris is a great liaison to the members for me when I cannot be present. He’s in tune with our operation (on the grounds) quite well. Keith has a strong vision for Valhalla and what the future will look like. I think the Valhalla experience has never been better and will continue to grow.

“It’s certainly not just the three of us who have made it this way. It is the huge supporting staff in place, including the 39 men and women on my team, and certainly the PGA of America for investing in the future success of Valhalla Golf Club when we embarked on the renovation of the club in 2011. I have never worked with a more passionate team than the one we have now.”

Meier knows he has advocates — and trusted team co-leaders — in PGA professionals Reese and Hamburger.

“As with any golf course, everyone’s role is important for the overall success of the club,” says Meier, who stays in communication with Reese and Hamburger via two-way radios, cell phone calls, texts and emails. “The general manager and head professional are the face of the operation, but the golf course superintendent’s job is very important because we’re the ones providing the product and protecting the asset that everyone is playing on. The GM and head professional are the ones in contact daily with the membership and guests, so it’s paramount that the superintendent’s communication is precise.”

Hamburger, who oversees golf operations and member relations as the PGA head professional at Valhalla, says it is important for all staffs to work together to deliver a consistently memorable golf experience at the venue that also hosted the 2008 Ryder Cup. “Communication from department to department and from members to operations staff is crucial,” notes Hamburger. “We receive

“Communication from department to department and from members to operations staff is crucial.”

— Chris Hamburger a lot of feedback from the members about the golf course, so we need to pass that on to Roger and his crew so they can hear what the membership is thinking. We also stay in tune with what the superintendent and his crew is doing, so we can educate members about golf course improvements or maintenance projects that might affect play. No one likes surprises when they get out on the golf course, so we communicate among all departments to make sure everyone is aware of any special situations each day.”

Accomplishing a common goal Like most major golf course operations, Meier sets his agronomic calendar a year in advance while Reese sets Valhalla’s budget, the maintenance component of which is based on Meier’s recommendations.

“My role as a general manager is multifaceted, but it all comes down to being team leaders trying to accomplish a common goal,” says Reese. “As the GM, I’m Roger’s watchdog and I have to make sure we’re within budget. But I’m also his advocate when we identify something that must be done that might not be specifcally in the budget. I’ll go to bat for him. I’m a sounding board for Roger, and Roger is a sounding board for me. Roger has a great personality — he’s a very positive, upbeat guy. He has been more approachable by our members than any other superintendent I have worked with.”

Reese, Meier and Hamburger helped form a membership advisory committee last year at Valhalla to increase communication with the membership. The committee has proved invaluable following the extensive renovation at Valhalla, which closed the course for several months. During the renovation, the leadership trio of Reese, Meier and Hamburger kept members up to date via monthly newsletters,

Staff members from all departments at Valhalla GC are encouraged to play the golf course and offer feedback and suggestions for improvement.

“It gives you a totally different perspective when a member of the operations staff or grounds crew plays the golf course to experience the course as the members do.”

— Keith Reese

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the club’s website, Twitter and even a blog.

To underscore the team concept at Valhalla, Reese, Meier and Hamburger like staff members from all departments to play the golf course and offer feedback and suggestions for improvement. To make that more feasible for Meier’s golf course crew, which does much of its deep maintenance on Mondays, Reese allows Meier’s staffers to play the course on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings if the course is not booked for a special event.

“It gives you a totally different perspective when a member of the operations staff or grounds crew plays the golf course to experience the course as the members do,” says Reese. “I can tell you Roger’s key staff members aren’t afraid to come up to the clubhouse and chat about course conditions. It’s a twoway street when it comes to communication.”

Of course, conducting a major championship requires major planning and major maintenance, but Valhalla is prepared for next month’s PGA Championship thanks to the team coordination between Meier, Reese and Hamburger. They have been planning for the event since 2010, when Meier was hired.

“The year of the PGA Championship, our staffng numbers are the greatest change,” Meier says. “We have brought in fve addi-

tional staff members, primarily turf interns or turf graduates, to assist us with preparations.

Unfortunately, the one thing that dictates how the cards fall sometimes is weather, and we all know we can’t control it. The greatest challenge for us going into this particular PGA Championship is the ‘newness’ of the golf course after the renovation, especially the putting surfaces. A lot of study is being conducted currently on how they perform under different agronomic and environmental conditions to provide the ultimate championship surface.”

In preparation for the PGA Championship, the Valhalla course will be restricted to golf cars on paths only after the Fourth of July weekend. The course closes for member play two weeks before the PGA Championship and will remain closed for one week after the season’s fourth major for recovery and tear down. By then, the team at Valhalla Golf Club will be ready for a brief vacation — and to start planning for the club’s next big event.

Roger Graves is the senior writer for PGA Magazine.

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(up to speed)

Water conservation from the ground up On June 8, 2014, Paul Eugene Rieke,

root zone. And increased uniform moisture re-

Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D. Ph.D., became the worst golfer in history to be tention in the root zone led to signifcantly less nikolait@msu.edu

For over 30 years water conservation has been touted as one of the biggest challenges facing the golf industry, with rising water costs and water restrictions looming in many parts of the world.

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inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, or for that matter, any golf hall of fame.

The honor was not bestowed upon him because of his great athleticism, but because of the numerous contributions he has made to the advancement of golf course management. At the induction ceremony, his achievements were enumerated and praised, but that is not what this article is about. This is a story about his last research project, its relevance today and how it came about prior to his retirement in 1999.

For longer than he can remember, Rieke believed that the root zone of a putting green could be constructed in a manner to increase its water-use effciency. His idea was to decrease the rooting depth at the acme of slopes while increasing the rooting depth at the base, or valley, of slopes. An obstacle with testing his hypothesis was it would be very expensive to build and perform the research. However, as Rieke’s retirement approached, the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation allocated funds for the construction of 12 sloping research greens, and GCSAA, USGA, the O.J. Noer Foundation and Tri-Turf contributed funds for equipment and labor to test his hypothesis.

Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., currently of New Mexico State University, was a post-doctoral researcher at the time, and he was hired to construct the greens, install monitoring equipment and gather data. He was the perfect candidate given his graduate work focused on soil water use. The research greens were constructed with a 7 percent slope running down one side of the acme and a 3 percent slope down the opposite side. At the acme (or top) of the slope, the rootzone mixture was constructed to an 8-inch depth, while the root zones at the base of the slopes had a depth of 16 inches. Rieke’s variable-rooting-depth construction method was compared to standard 12-inch uniform rootzone mixtures.

Results from the research clearly indicated that decreasing the depth of the root zone at the acme of the slope while increasing the depth of the root zone in the low portions of the green led to more uniform moisture retention in the

localized dry spot at the acme of the putting green surface and, ultimately, a more effcient use of water.

For over 30 years water conservation has been touted as one of the biggest challenges facing the golf industry, with rising water costs and water restrictions looming in many parts of the world. To address this issue, the use of effuent water, advancements in wetting agents and time domain refectometry (TDR) technology have been embraced by the golf industry as means to replenish water in a scientifcally responsible manner.

For those considering the construction of a golf course or reconstruction of a green, Rieke’s variable-rooting-depth construction method should be utilized. Water use can be maximized when this construction method is combined with the use of wetting agents, irrigating within plant-available water thresholds determined with TDRs, and using sound cultural management practices.

The only problem I have with this construction method is that is it often referred to as a variable-depth or modifed USGA root zone. The lack of a consistent name leads to confusion, which limits the use of this novel construction method. I propose that, from this point forward, we refer to the variable-depth root-zone method as the “USGA Rieke root zone” in honor of the soil scientist that created it and the institution that helped fund it.

I look forward to attending the offcial naming ceremony, perhaps during the USGA Green Section session at the Golf Industry Show in San Antonio?

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

BOSCO 2014 Dog of the Year

Owner: David Kohley, 22-year GCSAA Class A Member Golf Course: Silver Lake Country Club, Orland Park, Ill.

Win $3,000 for your chapter and $500 for you!

Enter your golf course canine companion in LebanonTurf’s 2015 Dog Days of Golf Calendar and Dog of the Year contest. If selected for the calendar, your dog will also have a chance to be crowned 2015 Dog of the Year, garnering a $3,000 prize for your affliated chapter and a $500 prize for you. A $1,000 donation to the Train a Dog Save a Warrior program will also be made in honor of the winner.

Entries are being accepted now through Aug. 1, 2014. Be creative, have some fun, but by all means, show off your dog! Submit your entry at www.gcsaa.org/dogcalendar or email high resolution photo(s) to lebturfdogcalendar@gcsaa.org. For more information, visit www.gcsaa. org/dogcalendar today.

The 2015 Dog Days of Golf Calendar is sponsored by LebanonTurf in cooperation with GCSAA.

Bingru Huang, Ph.D. Patrick Burgess

Improving drought performance of creeping bentgrass Sequential application of a plant growth regulator and glycine betaine, an osmoregulant, could help manage cool-season turf in prolonged periods of drought stress.

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Turf quality 9

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Drought-induced turf decline is an increasing concern for turfgrass managers because of the declining availability of fresh water for irrigation and the increased frequency of natural drought events. Two key strategies for maintaining high-quality turf stands with a limited water supply are reducing water loss from the turf canopy or lowering water consumption rates and facilitating water retention within plant cells as soil water becomes limited. Understanding the physiological factors controlling water use and water retention is critically important for enhancing turfgrass survival during drought stress and for maintaining functional aesthetics with limited water resources.

One of the major determinants of the plant water-use rate is the amount of leaf area available for transpiration, which is closely associated with vertical growth rate of shoots.

Cultural practices that suppress vertical shoot growth or reduce transpirational leaf area may reduce the plant water-use rate.

Trinexapac-ethyl is one of the most widely used plant growth regulators for suppressing shoot growth and reducing clipping accumulation (5) and has also been found to reduce evapotranspirational water loss (1,2). Exogenous application of trinexapac-ethyl before plant exposure to stress has been shown to improve turf quality under combined drought and heat stress (6) or drought stress alone (1,7,9) in several turfgrass species in controlled-environment growth chambers. The application of trinexapac-ethyl before drought events or preconditioning of turfgrass plants with trinexapac-ethyl may slow rates of water use and water depletion from the soil and pro-

PM + GB + drought

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Figure 1. Turf quality (rated on a scale of 1-9) under well-watered control and drought stress in 2010 (A) and 2011 (B) for plants treated with Primo Maxx (PM only + drought), glycine betaine (GB only + drought), and Primo Maxx plus glycine betaine (PM + GB + drought). Vertical bars indicate LSD (least signifcant difference) values (P ≤ 0.05) for comparison between treatments at a given day of treatment where signifcant differences were detected.

mote plant survival for longer duration as soil becomes dry.

The water-retention capacity of plants is regulated by the accumulation of compatible inorganic and organic solutes commonly referred to as osmoregulants or osmolytes, as they contribute to osmotic adjustment for increased or maintained cellular water retention.

Glycine betaine, a quaternary ammonium compound, is a major osmoregulant that controls osmotic adjustment for plant adaptation to drought stress (8). Foliar application of glycine betaine has also been found to strengthen the antioxidant defense system of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) under drought or salinity stress (10). Exogenous application of glycine betaine has been shown to be effective in improving drought tolerance of various agronomic crop species such as rice (3), but information on the use of glycine betaine for improving turfgrass drought tolerance is limited.

Studies in controlled-environment growth chambers have demonstrated positive effects of exogenous glycine betaine on growth and physiological activities of creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass during prolonged periods of drought and salinity (10). It is anticipated that glycine betaine application at the onset and during soil dry-down periods may alleviate leaf dehydration and sustain active growth and improved turf quality. Currently, many products that claim to be benefcial to plant health include an osmoregulant such as glycine betaine in their formulation.

As previously demonstrated in controlled environments, when either trinexapac-ethyl or glycine betaine is applied singly, each has shown some positive effects on drought tolerance of plants. The question is: Can sequential application of trinexapac-ethyl and glycine betaine be more effective than using either product alone in feld conditions? We conducted a feld study in 2010 and 2011 to evaluate sequential applications of trinexapacethyl before drought stress and applications of glycine betaine at the onset of drought stress and during drought stress for effectively promoting turfgrass performance and physiological adjustments when water is withheld.

Drought treatments

Figure 2. Drought-stressed turf plots treated with: Top, water only (untreated control), Primo Maxx (PM only) and glycine betaine (GB only); and Bottom, water only (untreated control) and Primo Maxx plus glycine betaine (PM + GB). Photos by P. Burgess

Materials and methods The experiment was performed May through August in 2010 and 2011 on 4-yearold feld plots (5 feet Ă— 6 feet [1.52 Ă— 1.83 meters]) established with 007 creeping bentgrass.

07.14 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT

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Leaf relative water content A. 2010

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Days of drought stress Figure 3. Leaf relative water content under well-watered control and drought stress in 2010 (A) and 2011 (B) for plants treated with Primo Maxx (PM only + drought), glycine betaine (GB only + drought), and Primo Maxx plus glycine betaine (PM + GB + drought). Vertical bars indicate LSD (least signifcant difference) values (P ≤ 0.05) for comparison between treatments at a given day of treatment where signifcant differences were detected.

Turf was mowed weekly at a height of 0.4 inch (10 millimeters) with clippings removed and watered three times per week to maintain soil water content at feld capacity (30%) before the drought treatment. The soil type was a Nixon sandy loam (fne-loamy, mixed, semiactive, mesic typic hapludults).

Emerald fungicide (boscalid, BASF) was applied at the manufacturer’s recommended rate of 7.8 ounces/acre (548.9 grams/hectare) in late April to preventively control dollar spot disease before trinexapac-ethyl application.

Urea (46-0-0) was also applied in late April at 24 ounces nitrogen/1,000 square feet [7.3 grams/square meter] to promote spring green-

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up. No fungicides or fertility were applied during the experimental period of 2010 or 2011 to avoid confounding effects. After the study was terminated in 2010, the feld was again treated to control dollar spot and a spoon-feeding fertility regimen was implemented to deliver 8 ounces nitrogen/1,000 square feet (2.4 grams/ square meter) every two weeks until the growing season ended.

In 2010, irrigation was withheld for 31 days. In 2011, irrigation was withheld for 48 days. The duration of drought differed between years due to weather conditions. The 2010 trial experienced hotter days with more wind during the drought period, causing rapid

drought onset compared to 2011.

Each main plot of drought was divided into replicated subplots that were treated with Primo Maxx (trinexapac-ethyl, Syngenta Professional Products), glycine betaine or Primo Maxx + glycine betaine. In 2010 and 2011, Primo Maxx was applied twice, biweekly during the month of May (May 17 and 31, 2010; May 16 and 30, 2011) as per manufacturerrecommended rates for creeping bentgrass turfgrass at 10.9 fuid ounces/acre (0.8 liter/ hectare) Primo Maxx (0.25 fuid ounce/gallon [1.95 milliliters/liter] [v/v]; a.i. trinexapac-ethyl = 11.3%). Glycine betaine (200 millimoles/ liter) was applied weekly four times over the 31-day dry-down period in 2010 (June 1, 8, 15, 22) and seven times over the 48-day dry-down period in 2011 (May 31; June 7, 14, 21, 28; July 5, 12). The carrier volume was 87.12 gallons/ acre (815 liters/hectare) applied with a pressurized (40 pounds/square inch [276 kilopacsals]) backpack sprayer. The concentration of glycine betaine used was chosen based on a preliminary test that showed positive effects on creeping bentgrass growth at the 200 millimoles/liter concentration in a growth chamber study.

Results and discussion Creeping bentgrass performance measured as visual turf quality (on a scale of 1-9, where 1 is dead, brown grass and 9 is best-quality turf) based on color, density and uniformity during drought stress was signifcantly improved by the sequential application of Primo Maxx before drought stress and glycine betaine during drought stress in 2010 and 2011 (Figure 1). Turf treated with Primo Maxx alone also maintained higher water content during early drought stress, but the effectiveness diminished following prolonged periods of drought stress in both years (Figure 2). The effects of Primo Maxx on improved turf performance were mainly due to increases in the amount of green leaves or canopy density (Figure 2).

Glycine betaine applied singly during drought stress resulted in signifcantly higher visual turf quality (Figure 1) and leaf water content (Figure 3), but did not have signifcant effects on the canopy density (Figure 2) in both years. The improvement in drought tolerance by the application of glycine betaine was mainly due to enhanced water retention and suppressed leaf dehydration. Turf treated with glycine betaine appeared to be brighter green with more active growth rather than dull green with ceased growth as seen in the

untreated control treatment (Figure 2).

The benefcial effects of sequential application of Primo Maxx and glycine betaine were more pronounced than when either product was applied singly. The two chemicals had additive or synergistic effects in maintaining higher-quality turf under prolonged drought stress. The additive effects of sequential Primo Maxx application before drought stress followed by glycine betaine application during drought stress in creeping bentgrass were manifested as enhanced turf quality and leaf hydration in creeping bentgrass exposed to drought in both 2010 and 2011 (Figures 1-3).

Combining Primo Maxx for improving turf density and reduction in water consumption before drought stress and glycine betaine for improving leaf water retention and antioxidant activity ultimately improved turf quality during prolonged periods of drought. Incorporating both plant growth regulators and osmoregulants into turfgrass management protocols in a programmatic approach could be benefcial for managing cool-season turfgrass species in environments with prolonged periods of drought stress.

Funding This research was supported by the O.J. Noer Research Foundation, the Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University.

Literature cited 1. Bian, X., E. Merewitz and B. Huang. 2009. Effects of trinexapac-ethyl on drought responses in creeping bentgrass associated with water use and osmotic adjustment. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 134:505–510.

2. Ervin, E.H., and A.J. Koski. 2001. Trinexapac-ethyl effects on Kentucky bluegrass evapotranspiration.

Crop Science 41:247-250.

3. Farooq, M., S.M.A. Basra, A. Wahid et al. 2008.

Physiological role of exogenously applied glycine betaine to improve drought tolerance in fne grain aromatic rice (Oryza sativa l.). Journal of Agronomy & Crop Science 194: 325–333. doi: 10.1111/j.1439037X.2008.00323.x 4. Khan M.S., X. Yu, A. Kikuchi et al. 2009. Genetic engineering of glycine betaine biosynthesis to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants. Plant Biotechnology Journal 26:125–134.

5. Lickfeldt, D.W., D.S. Gardner, B.E. Branham and T.B. Voigt. 2001. Implications of repeated trinexapacethyl applications on Kentucky bluegrass. Agronomy

Journal 93:1164–1168.

6. McCann, S., and B. Huang. 2007. Effects of trinexapac-ethyl foliar application on creeping bentgrass responses to combined drought and heat stress. Crop Science 47:2121-2128.

7. McCann, S., and B. Huang. 2008. Drought responses of Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass as affected by abscisic acid and trinexapac-ethyl. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 133:20–26.

8. Nilsen, E.T., and D.M. Orcutt. 1996. Physiology of plants under stress — abiotic factors. John Wiley & Sons, New York.

9. Xu, C., and B. Huang. 2012. Proteins and metabolites regulated by trinexapac-ethyl in relation to drought tolerance in Kentucky bluegrass. Plant Growth Regulation 31:25-37.

10. Yang, Z., J. Yu, E. Merewitz and B. Huang. 2012. Differential effects of abscisic acid and glycine betaine on physiological responses to drought and salinity stress for two perennial grass species. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science 137:96-106.

Bingru Huang, Ph.D. (huang@aesop.rutgers.edu), is a professor and Patrick Burgess is a laboratory researcher in the department of plant biology and pathology at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

RESEARCH SAYS • Trinexapac-ethyl (TE), a widely used plant growth regulator, has been found to reduce evapotranspirational water loss.

• Previous research indicates that applying glycine betaine at the onset of soil dry-down periods and during those periods may alleviate leaf dehydration and sustain active growth in turf.

• Our research shows that Primo Maxx and glycine betaine had additive or synergistic effects in maintaining higher-quality turf under prolonged drought stress.

• In creeping bentgrass exposed to drought, applying Primo Maxx before drought stress and glycine betaine during drought stress resulted in enhanced turf quality and leaf hydration.

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William T. Crow, Ph.D.

A new nematicide for turfgrass A byproduct of sugar processing has shown some effcacy as a nematicide in turfgrass.

A few years ago a new turfgrass nematicide, Multiguard Protect EC (furfural, Agriguard) came on the market in the United States. The active ingredient in Multiguard Protect is furfural, which is a byproduct of sugar processing. Furfural has a number of industrial uses including being an industrial solvent, and in some cases, a food additive. The activity of furfural against nematodes was frst recognized a couple of decades ago, but because it has limited solubility in water, its practicality as a nematicide was limited. Illovo Sugar in South Africa is the world’s largest producer of high-quality furfural. Their chemists began searching for new uses for furfural and came across the earlier reports of its nematicidal effects. They then developed emulsifable formulations of furfural that disperse in water and are well-suited for soil applications. Illovo has now developed several furfural-based nematicides, including CropGuard and Protect in South Africa and Multiguard Protect in the United States.

University of Florida research Although Multiguard Protect is new to the market, at the University of Florida we have been working with Illovo formulations of furfural for more than 10 years. In the laboratory and greenhouse, we have conducted doseresponse and exposure-time experiments with Multiguard Protect to determine the concentrations and exposure times required to incapacitate sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus), the most damaging nematode on turfgrasses, and several other turf nematodes

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(root-knot [Meloidogyne graminis], ring [Mesocriconema ornatum], and spiral [Helicotylenc us pseudorobustus] nematodes). We have conducted numerous feld trials with Multiguard Protect, evaluating effects on nematodes and on turf health of different rates, application timings and application methods.

Our feld trials have been conducted in a variety of environmental conditions, including the University of Florida Plant Research and Education Unit (PSREU) at Citra, Fla., and at golf courses in the area, on multiple warm-

season turf cultivars and species, and different kinds of nematodes. This paper will give an overview of Multiguard Protect, summarize our research results and outline how best to use the product based on our current knowledge about it.

Results and discussion Furfural is a contact nematicide, meaning that it affects nematodes in the soil, but not those that are inside plant roots. Therefore, in most cases, Multiguard will be more

A Multiguard Protect-treated plot shows turf improvement after three applications. Photo by W.T. Crow

Increasing concentration of Multiguard Protect

Sting nematodes/100 cc (cubic centimeters)

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Multiguard Protect in soil solution (parts per million) Figure 1. Effects of increasing concentration of Multiguard Protect in soil solution on number of healthy sting nematodes recovered three days after treatment in a laboratory experiment.

Increasing exposure time to Multiguard Protect 35

Sting nematodes/100 cc (cubic centimeters)

effective against ectoparasites like sting nematodes than it is against endoparasites like lance nematodes. Multiguard is not unique in this respect. Other than Nemacur (which will not be permitted for use on golf courses as of Oct. 6, 2014), none of the turfgrass nematicides currently on the market has systemic activity.

However, even endoparasites will spend time in the soil when they can be affected by contact nematicides like Multiguard.

Like most pesticides, the higher the concentration of furfural in soil solution, the better it works (2) (Figure 1). Unfortunately, as rates get higher, the risk of phytotoxicity to turf also increases. The current maximum labeled rate of 8 gallons/acre (74.83 liters/hectare) is on the low side with regard to effcacy, but has less potential for negative effects on turf than higher rates. This means that single applications of Multiguard are typically insuffcient and, in most cases, several applications are required to reduce nematode numbers in soil and improve turf health. In our feld trials, we usually do not start observing results until after the second or third application. A single application will kill some, but not most, of the nematodes present. Based on our research results, a sequence of applications made at twoto three-week intervals will maximize effects on nematodes while minimizing the potential for phytotoxicity. Application intervals of greater than four weeks are usually too long and allow nematode populations time to recover between applications.

Maximum effects to nematodes are realized after 18 to 24 hours of exposure to Multiguard (2) (Figure 2). Therefore, after an initial post-application irrigation with Âź-inch (0.635 centimeter) of water, we recommend not irrigating again until 24 hours have passed. This will allow maximum exposure of the nematodes to the furfural in soil solution. We also do not recommend applying Multiguard Protect if there is a high risk of substantial rainfall in the 24-hour forecast.

We have conducted numerous feld trials with Multiguard Protect on nematode-infested bermudagrass (Cynodon species) greens.

In most of these trials, we have observed turf improvement after two or three applications (1) (Figure 3). This improvement was greatest from spring and fall applications and not from summer applications. Therefore, for best results in Florida, we recommend applying

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Hours of exposure to Multiguard Protect Figure 2. Effects of increasing exposure time to Multiguard Protect (at 1,500 parts per million in soil solution) on the number of healthy sting nematodes in a laboratory experiment.

07.14 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT

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Spring applications on bermuda greens 100

A

*

90 80 70

Untreated Multiguard

*

60 50 40 30 20 10

8 Jun

29 Apr

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% turfgrass green cover

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Multiguard sequences in spring and/or fall.

This recommendation may be different for other regions.

One of the mysteries about Multiguard was that often in our feld trials, even when we observed turf improvement, we were not able to observe signifcant reductions in nematode counts. For example, in the three trials shown in Figure 3, we observed no signifcant nematode reductions despite having signifcant turf improvement. Therefore, we conducted additional trials on bermudagrass tees, studying the effects of Multiguard Protect on numbers of sting nematodes at different soil depths.

Some of the results from these trials are shown in Figure 4. In the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of the soil profle, Multiguard was not effective against sting nematodes. However, at depths of 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) and 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 centimeters) (data not shown), Multiguard reduced numbers of sting nematodes after two applications of the maximum labeled rate (1). These results indicate that Multiguard Protect is effective against sting nematodes, but not in the top 2 inches of soil.

We know that furfural is rapidly broken down by soil microbes, particularly in aerobic conditions. Therefore, we hypothesize that because the top portion of the soil profle has high microbial activity and aerobic conditions, the furfural gets broken down too quickly in that area to have the desired effects.

In lower portions of the soil profle, where less oxygen is available and microbial activity is lower, the furfural should stay around longer and have greater impact on nematodes. The reason that we were unable to observe signifcant nematode reductions in many of our earlier trials is likely because we typically sample to a depth of 4 inches, which includes the ineffective zone. This likely dilutes the overall observable effects.

20 10

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24 Apr

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29 Mar

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Figure 3. Effects of three spring applications of Multiguard Protect on the percent of turf green cover of (A) Tifdwarf, (B) Jones Dwarf and (C) Champion bermudagrass greens in Citra, Fla. Stars indicate application dates. Asterisks (*, **, ***) indicate values that are signifcantly different from the untreated plots at P ≤ 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01, respectively.

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Conclusions In summary, Multiguard Protect is an effective management tool for nematodes on turf, particularly ectoparasitic species like sting nematode. However, it must be used correctly in order to be effective. Before treatment, the soil must be moist to prevent phytotoxicity, so superintendents should pre-irrigate if necessary. After application, irrigating immediately with Âź inch of water will move the

Multiguard Protect vs. nematodes at two soil depths 0–2 inch depths

No. of sting nematodes/100 cc (cubic centimeters) of soil

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Palatka untreated Palatka Multiguard Citra untreated Citra Multiguard

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Acknowledgments Funding for these studies was provided by Illovo Sugar and Agriguard Co. The author also would like to thank Mark Kann and his staff at the University of Florida Plant Science Research and Education Center in Citra, Fla., and the superintendents and staff of the many cooperating golf courses.

Literature cited

0 Week 0

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1. Crow, W.T., and J.E. Luc. 2014. Field effcacy of furfural as a nematicide on turf. Journal of Nematology 46:8-11.

2. Luc, J.E., and W.T. Crow. 2013. Factors affecting furfural as a nematicide on turf. Journal of Nematology 45:260-264.

Week 6

2–4 inch depths

160

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140 120 100 80

William T. Crow, Ph.D. (wtcr@uf.edu), is a professor and landscape nematologist in the entomology and nematology department at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.

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Figure 4. Effects of three applications of Multiguard Protect at two-week intervals on the number of sting nematodes at depths of 0-2 inches (A) and 2-4 inches (B) of soil profle on bermudagrass golf tees at Palatka and Citra, Fla. Stars indicate application dates. Asterisks (*, **, ***) indicate values that are different from the untreated plots at P ≤ 0.1, 0.05 and 0.01, respectively.

RESEARCH SAYS • A byproduct of sugar processing, Multiguard Protect, has shown some potential as a nematicide in turfgrass, especially for sting nematode.

• The soil should be moist when the product is applied, and the product should be watered in after application.

• Multiguard does not eliminate nematodes and should be used in combination with other tools in an IPM program.

• Turf species and cultivars show varying differences in sensitivity to Multiguard, so trial tests should be carried out to determine how a particular grass/environment will react to the product.

88

frst do some trial testing to familiarize themselves with the product and its effects on their grass and in their environment.

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

furfural into the soil profle. After wateringin the treatment, do not irrigate again for 24 hours. Make multiple applications at two- to four-week intervals.

Although it is helpful, Multiguard Protect is not a silver bullet against nematodes (we do not know of any product that is), and expectations should be realistic. We observe improved turf health while the Multiguard application sequence is ongoing, but usually these are not long-term benefts. Multiguard will suppress nematodes, but it will not make all of them go away. For these reasons, Multiguard will typically work best in rotation or in combination with other nematode management tools in a nematode IPM program and only rarely should be relied on as a sole tactic against nematodes. Multiguard works better against some nematodes than others, and better on some courses than others. We have also observed differences in sensitivity among grass species and cultivars. Therefore, before treating large areas, the golf course staff should

CUTTING EDGE Teresa Carson

Leaf sheath epidermal peel of big bluegrass infected with Epichloë stained with Rose Bengal.

Fungal hyphae growing in between the plant cells are indicated by arrows. Photo by F. Balengar Endophyte-mediated biotic resistance in turfgrass Turfgrass-fungal endophyte mutualism is of broad signifcance in turf. Festuca and Lolium species are known to harbor Epic loë fungi in their aboveground tissues. The endophyte infection is asymptomatic and typically confers benefts to its plant host, which in turn makes nutrients accessible to the endophyte. An intriguing aspect of this mutualism is manifested in the endophyte-mediated disease resistance unique to the F. rubra (red fescue)–E. festucae interaction. Field studies have shown that dollar spot disease caused by Sclerotinia omoeocarpa is effectively hindered in endophyte-infected F. rubra. Another study reported that endophyte-infected F. rubra is toxic to chinch bugs. In order to understand the mechanisms driving these advantages, we analyzed clonally propagated endophyte-free and E. festucae-infected F. rubra for differential plant gene expression. Analysis of the E. festucae data revealed that the most abundant E. festucae transcript constituted >10% of its transcriptome. Strikingly, the second-most abundant endophyte gene encodes a small secreted antifungal protein. Current studies are aimed at determining if the endophyte antifungal protein may be involved in the observed endophyte-mediated dollar spot resistance. Endophyte genes that may confer biotic

resistance to Epic loë-infected plants were also discovered. We have recently demonstrated one such gene to be insecticidal against black cutworms. — Karen V. Ambrose and Faith C. Belanger, Ph.D. (belanger@aesop.rutgers.edu), Rutgers University

age and turfgrass species that is sensitive to drought stress. The objective of this study was to investigate whether gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) may play a role in promoting drought tolerance in grass species. GABA was exogenously applied as foliar spray at the rate of 50 millimoles/liter or 70 millimoles/liter to CSI perennial ryegrass under well-watered or drought-stressed conditions in a controlledenvironment growth chamber. The effect of GABA on the growth physiology, drought stress response, antioxidant activity and lipid peroxidation of perennial ryegrass exposed to drought stress was measured. GABA-treated ryegrass exposed to drought stress had higher relative water content (RWC), turf quality and peroxidase activity and lower wilt rating, canopy temperature, electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation compared to untreated plants.

GABA application had no signifcant effect on the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase under well watered and drought conditions. GABA application at 50 millimoles/liter was found to be more effective in alleviating drought stress damage in ryegrass. The results from this study suggest that GABA mitigated drought stress damage in perennial ryegrass by maintaining higher RWC and membrane stability. — Sanal Kumar Krishnan, Kevin Laskowski, Vijaya Shukla and Emily B. Merewitz, Ph.D., Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.

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

Photo by E. Merewitz

GABA mitigates drought stress damage in perennial ryegrass Perennial ryegrass is an important for-

07.14 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT

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(verdure)

Poke some holes in this Beth Guertal, Ph.D. guerta@auburn.edu twitter: @AUTurfFert

It was noted that constant aerifcation at the same depth could result in the subsurface development of a cultivation pan.

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The year was 1993. Lee Janzen won the U.S. Open; the Dallas Cowboys were Super Bowl XXVII Champions; and “Jurassic Park” was the top-grossing movie. And Dr. Jim Murphy, with his advisor Dr. Paul Rieke, published the results of his Ph.D. research at Michigan State University.

Many other researchers had previously examined the impact of turfgrass cultivation on water infltration and thatch, but few had studied how cultivation affected the soil and the turf itself. This was important, as we typically core-aerify to relieve soil compaction and encourage root growth, among other benefts.

A 3-year-old Penneagle creeping bentgrass green was used. The treatments were: (1) level of soil compaction (none and compacted); (2) hollow- or solid-tine aeration (both ~½ inch diameter); and (3) soil water content (“moist” or “wet”) at the time of compaction. Cores from the hollow-tine treatments were reincorporated; treatments were not further topdressed.

The treatments were applied six times: in June, July and August of each year.

Relatively easy measurements like turf color or quality may not provide much information, so you have to collect data like bulk density (a measure of how much soil solid is crammed into a given volume, with a higher bulk density indicating greater compaction); porosity (how much of the soil is flled with air holes, ~50%); and pore size distribution (the relative number of small pores to big pores; a 50:50 mix is good). You need these numbers to determine if core cultivation really did anything to the soil.

So Murphy measured soil bulk density, porosity and pore-size distribution. He also measured the ability of water to fow through the green, both in the laboratory (saturated hydraulic conductivity) and in the feld (double-ring infltrometer). Last, he measured soil compaction with a soil penetrometer, and he collected turf quality, root and shoot responses.

This research provided some concrete data about the effects of compaction. Compaction increased soil bulk density, reduced water infltration and reduced the macropores, converting them to micropores, which created wetter soils that did not drain as effectively. The most effective treatment for restoring macropores was use of hollow-tine coring, not solid tine.

Soil resistance (as measured by the penetrometer) was also affected by the coring treatments. Hollow tines were better for relieving soil compaction, and the effect lasted longer.

With solid tines, any relief of soil compaction was gone after three weeks (as compared to the control), indicating that aerifcation with solid tines might have to be frequent if used to relieve soil compaction. Be careful, however, as it was noted that constant aerifcation at the same depth could result in the subsurface development of a cultivation pan.

Overall, hollow-tine aerifcation was the best method for increasing soil macroporosity, improving water conductivity and relieving soil compaction. Cultivation when the soil was “wet” or “moist” was a little hard to sort out.

In general, there seemed to be a little more turf injury when the soil was allowed to dry. Also, drying the soil before cultivation may limit the development of a cultivation pan.

Not surprisingly, compaction reduced root growth. Perhaps surprisingly, root weight was not increased by cultivation, and summer cultivation did not increase root development.

This was an intense aerifcation schedule (three times in summer), and analysis of root growth well after the aerifcation period may have provided more information about root response.

We need more work in this area.

Should you aerify? Yes. This paper clearly showed that hollow-core cultivation tines increased water infltration and macroporosity and decreased soil compaction. But, long-term and frequent use requires careful consideration, and the depth of effective aerifcation should be altered to avoid the development of a compaction pan. Avoid tine aeration if your soil is not compacted. This work saw the benefts of cultivation on compacted soils, but not on the noncompacted plots in the study.

Source: Murphy, J.A., P.E. Rieke and A.E. Erickson. 1993.

Core cultivation of a putting green with hollow and solid tines. Agronomy Journal 85:1-9.

Beth Guertal, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of agronomy and soils at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala., and the editor-in-chief for the Agronomy Society of America. She is a 17-year member of GCSAA.

THIS AUCTION ISN’T SILENT. It will make a lot of noise for courses everywhere.

Support Rounds 4 Research and further the game you love.

Each year, the Environmental Institute for Golf raises funds for turfgrass research by auctioning off rounds of golf. The program uses the donations to provide support for agronomic studies, awareness, scholarships and other education programs. To learn how you can bid on a round, visit rounds4research.com.

Auction Date: August 1-10, 2014

Rounds Research Presented in partnership with The Toro Company.

(Product news)

State-of-the-art

SYSTEM

Underhill International launched Flo-Pro, a state-of-the-art injection system for golf course turf products. With an effcient and time-saving design and patented, fuidfow technology, Flo-Pro utilizes a course’s irrigation system to apply liquid or water soluble wetting agents, fertilizers and soil amendments. Flo-Pro can also apply acid to help lower pH levels. Flo-Pro connects to the irrigation main line and monitors precise delivery of turf care products.

The unit has no moving parts and doesn’t require electricity. Feed rates are adjustable for various mixing ratios, and pre-mixing or pre-blending aren’t required. The user sets the dial to the desired injection rate from 1 to 20 gallons per hour and pours the wetting agent or other soluble product into the tank. The irrigation system evenly applies the solution and completes the job. Contact Underhill International, 866-863-3744 (www.underhill.us).

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

Kubota Tractor Corp. introduced a new member to its Z300 Series zero-turn mower feet with the ZD326H. It is designed for turf care professionals and large property owners alike. Its newly designed 72-inch shaft-driven commercial deck is a key feature. It was redesigned specifcally to increase power and effciency while ensuring excellent cutting performance.

The welded deck is 6 inches deep and features an advanced baffe design for a precision cut while maintaining suffcient airfow for even spread of clippings. The cutting height can be adjusted from 1 to 5 inches in 0.25-inch increments. The ZD326H features a greater engine displacement of 1,123 cubic centimeters, delivering more torque to manicure large areas with strength and effciency.

The new model boasts a 26-hp liquid-cooled Kubota diesel engine and a heavy-duty hydrostatic transmission with a wet-type power take off clutch. Contact Kubota, 888-458-2682 (www.kubota.com).

NK Technologies introduced the APN-R Series Power Monitor, which measures the power usage of a single piece of equipment, an extensive machine system, an area such as a workshop or an entire facility. APN-R is factory confgured with 0-500 A or 0-2000 A range fexible coils to measure the load current.

The line voltage (up to 600 VAC) connects directly to the transducer; no potential transformer is needed unless the line voltage exceeds 600 volts. APN-R measures three phases of current and voltage and computes 14 values necessary to track the power usage. The monitor’s digital format provides information on the system voltage, current and power factor in addition to wattage. The monitor fts seamlessly into an industrial communications network, both hard-wired and wireless, depending on the specifcs of the application. Contact NK Technologies, 800-9594014 (www.nktechnologies.com).

KP Golf Tape is a measuring tape that is designed specifcally for golf. Its main use is measuring the closest to the pin contest. Measuring is accomplished by one person and causes no damage to the hole, KP Golf Tape says. It clips onto the fagstick, stays where you position it and still has the ability to rotate 360 degrees. It will measure exactly the same every time no matter who is using the tape, according to the company. It will ft on any fagstick and can be used in other ways, such as measuring a chip-off during a horse race, marking perfect circles around cups

and setting up putting contests. Contact KP Golf Tape, 888502-6116 (www.kpgolftape.com).

Bob-Cat introduced the 8-Bushel Boss-Vac Collection Systems for FastCat mowers. The dump-from-seat model empties debris within its own footprint. The front counterweight system employs easyto-handle suitcase weights that are strategically placed where the weight is most effective without impeding the operator’s line of sight. The weights are easily removed

and replaced without tools. Each of the 8-Bushel BossVac Collection System models features an oversized air vent hood that allows high volumes of air and debris to enter the collection system and provides plenty of area to exhaust the air. The debris is moved into the collection hopper without clogging through a molded, high-density polymer grass tube with a large 15.31-inch blower fan and 6-inch-wide blades. Contact Bob-Cat, 866-469-1242 (www.bobcatturf.com).

Golf Preservations Inc. Nationwide Golf Course Drainage Company

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

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

SeaStar Paspalum was licensed

by Hawaiian Turfgrass, which is O’ahu’s producer of certifed, low-wateruse turf. SeaStar paspalum may be used for golf courses wall-to-wall, sports turf and home lawns. Paul Raymer, Ph.D., at the University of Georgia developed SeaStar paspalum, which was in testing and development for nine years before it was released. Results of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program placed SeaStar in trials at eight locations from 2007 to 2009, and the grass rated highest for quality, color and texture, according to Hawaiian Turfgrass. Other benefts of SeaStar include a high level of salt tolerance, tested and confrmed shortterm drought tolerance and the ability to be mowed with a reel or rotary mower.

Contact Hawaiian Turfgrass, 808-3710527 (www.hawaiianturfgrass.com).

The Oregon 40V Max Cordless Tool System is designed to make course grounds maintenance easy and cost effective. The lithium ion battery-powered tools feature a trimmer/edger. With a fip side edge guide and a quick-load trimmer head, it has been redesigned with 50 percent more power than the previous model. The pole saw has a tool-free telescoping shaft that offers up to 15 feet of reach for branch trimming without a ladder. The hedge trimmer has a 24-inch precision cutting blade and a 3⁄4-inch cutting capacity.

The tools also free up groundskeepers from the hassles associated with gaspowered tools, including fuel spillage, toxic emissions, noise and endless maintenance. In addition, the batteries are compatible with all tools in the Oregon tool system. Contact Oregon Cordless, 888313-8665 (www.oregoncordless.com).

Bayer CropScience launched an app for golf course superintendents and lawn care operators. Download the free app at the iTunes store for solutions and preventive tips to combat troublesome weeds, turf diseases and pests. The app offers comprehensive product information, a rate calculator, weather information and access to Bayer sales representatives, distributors and current promotions. Contact Bayer, 866-992-2937 (www.bayercropscience.us).

Turf Max introduced the Turf Max Pigment Remover, designed to remove pigment stains and buildup quickly

and easily from spray equipment and keep golf course equipment clean. To use, apply to stained equipment, wait fve minutes and pressure wash the mess away. Turf Max Pigment Remover is safe on almost all turf equipment surfaces. Contact Turf Max, 215307-7712 (www.turfscreen.com).

Hendrix Progressive Fuel Technologies developed Propane Conversion Kits, which are EPA-certifed, for the PERC Mower Incentive Program. The Hendrix kit can convert mower models featuring any of nine Kawasaki engines in three block sizes, including the 852cc, FX 751V, 726cc and FS 600V. The kits are designed to provide optimal fuel effciency and performance for geographic elevations ranging from sea level to 2,500 feet and from 2,500 feet to 5,000 feet above sea level. Contact Hendrix Progressive Fuel Technologies, 847-526-1700 (www.hendrixsystems.com).

Vanguard 810cc engine from Briggs & Stratton won an Excellence Award from the Business Marketing Association of Milwaukee. It also received a Merit Award in the American Marketing Association’s Prism Awards contest. Launched last fall, Vanguard 810cc engines have the optimum 810-cc displacement for higher torque to take on heavy workloads common in commercial mower settings, the company says.

Contact Briggs & Stratton, 800-444-7774 (www.briggsandstratton.com).

Aqua Control launched its newly designed Select 2 Series of aerating fountains, made for improved durability and increased performance at lower cost. Aqua Control says Select 2 Series fountains double the fow and still have plenty of pressure (30 feet of head at 500 gallons per minute).

Contact Aqua Control, 800-377-0019 (www.aquacontrol.com).

OpenTee acquired GolfSwitch and its online tee time business.

GolfSwitch had partnerships with more than 3,700 golf courses worldwide.

OpenTee, which was scheduled to start last month, is available on both desktop and mobile devices. Contact OpenTee, 855-223-9575 (www.opentee.com).

Solu-Cal USA received Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) Listing for its fagship

product, Solu-Cal Enhanced Calcitic Lime. The OMRI Listing is granted only for products that meet the criteria for use in certifed organic production. Solu-Cal Enhanced Calcitic Lime is used for quick and effcient soil adjustment, working rapidly to adjust soil pH in as little as six to eight weeks, the company says.

Contact Solu-Cal USA, 774-678-0288 (www.solu-cal.com).

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled EnviroAtlas. It is a Web-based interactive tool that integrates over 300 separate data layers, helps decision makers understand the implications of planning and policy decisions on fragile ecosystems and the communities that depend on goods and services from these ecosystems. EnviroAtlas developed data layers through collaboration among the EPA, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Forest Service as well as other federal, state and non-proft organizations and several universities. For information, go to http:// enviroatlas.epa.gov/enviroatlas/.

receptacles, many of which include additions to the fberglass line. Witt also introduced three new outdoor receptacles, fve indoor receptacles, one ash receptacle and a step-on recycling unit with multistream options. Contact Witt Industries, 800-543-7417 (www.witt.com).

Edgetite Products Inc. created spikes for paver edging. The spikes help solve separation problems that can occur when using regular spikes designed for paver edging. Edgetite spikes make it easy to ensure that the pavers are properly installed, which eliminates needless time spent on re-installation. They come with a how-to guide and video. Edgetite spikes have a patent pending angled tip design.

Contact Edgetite, 630-514-0052 (www.edgetite.com).

DepenDable. loyal. trustworthy. you are what you spray.

Larson Electronics unveiled its 160-watt Explosion Proof UV Fluorescent Light Fixture that is used to cure coatings and adhesives or as a germicidal agent.

Contact Larson Electronics, 800-3696671 (www.larsonelectronics.com).

Witt Industries has a new product catalog. Nineteen new products were added to the company’s extensive line of waste and recycling

Affrm™ WDG is the one fungicide turf maintenance professionals everywhere depend on year-in and year-out to cure a broad spectrum of troublesome turf diseases.

Count on Affrm for superior control of anthracnose, patch diseases, snow molds and many other diseases in turf and ornamentals. Plus, it’s an effective resistance management tool and is compatible with most commonly used pesticides.

Learn more. www.nufarm.com/uSTo

www.nufarm.com ©2014 Nufarm. Important: Always read and follow label instructions.

Affrm™ is a trademark of Cleary Chemical, LLC. Cleary Chemical, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nufarm.

(Industry news)

Professional

SUPPORT Matt Cimino, CGCS, was named senior

technical services advisor in the southern U.S. at Civitas. Cimino’s role is to support the professional turf team. “In my new role, I want to help superintendents in the feld overcome their turf challenges and achieve healthy turf they can be proud of,” Cimino says.

Project Evergreen/Birds & Blooms Magazine The fourth annual Art of Green Spaces poster contest winners sponsored by Project Evergreen/Birds & Blooms Magazine were announced. Twelve winners in all from eight states were honored for their work. Winners by age group are Abdullah Khan, Stafford, Texas, kindergarten through second grade; Vincent Ray C. Tagulao, Wildomar, Calif., third- through sixth-grade; Katy Shawke, Bloomingdale, Ill., seventh- through ninth-grade (shown above); and Carlo Tagulao, Murrieta, Calif., 10th- through 12th-grade. “Project EverGreen has worked to share the importance of healthy green spaces since our inception 10 years ago,” says Cindy Code, executive director of Project EverGreen. “It’s very encouraging to see the next generation of leaders so focused on healthy yards, parks and ball felds. It’s

comforting to know that green spaces are an important part of their lives.” A panel of professional artists and designers reviewed the entries and selected the winning posters. First-, second- and third-place artists in each age group received an Amazon gift card worth $100, $50 and $25, respectively.

The renovated Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club in Galloway, N.J., was unveiled this spring. The work was done in time for the ShopRite LPGA Classic that was held May 26-June 1.

Highlights of the renovation: New tee boxes on the fourth, ffth, 10th and 12th holes; 150 yards were added to the course; and a new bunker complex was inserted between the fourth and ffth holes.

Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel & Golf Club

The Andersons hired Tony Atchison as territory manager serving Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico and Tennessee. Previously, Atchison worked for Arysta in the same geography. He can be reached at 469-815-5214.

Bob Finnegan joined Signature Control Systems Inc. as senior business development director. Finnegan is responsible for increasing market share within strategically positioned accounts in Signature’s global market space. Finnegan, a 15-year member of the irrigation industry, is based in Stuart, Fla.

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes GC Ak-Chin Southern Dunes GC in Maricopa, Ariz., has begun a signifcant renovation aimed at improving the course’s playability for leisure players while maintaining the challenges and shot values enjoyed by experienced golfers. The renovation is scheduled for completion in September. Original course architects from Schmidt-Curley Design and Fred Couples are leading the project, which includes a complete bunker renovation. In all, 83,000 square-feet of bunkers are being removed.

The Tom Weiskopf-designed Snake River Sporting Club in Jackson Hole, Wyo., offcially reopened for play in late May. The course had been closed for fve years. Weiskopf was invited back to oversee the $5 million course renovation that included resurfacing every green with bentgrass and restoring all the bunkers.

The practice facilities were enlarged to include a newly contoured putting and chipping green.

Eric Bauer was named director of agronomy for Bluejacket National, a private club currently under development in Montgomery, Texas. Bauer previously served as director of grounds at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. Bluejacket National was created by Tiger Woods and Tiger Woods Design. The facility will include an 18-hole championship golf course as well as a one-of-a-kind Short Course and comprehensive practice facilities. Bauer earned a turf management degree from Michigan State University.

He started his career at Shoal Creek GC in Birmingham, Ala., and more recently served as superintendent for The Challenge at Manele, Lanai, Hawaii, and Spring Creek Ranch in Memphis, Tenn., before joining The Club at Carlton Woods.

Harrell’s is expanding with a plan to open warehouses in Houston and Dallas in the second quarter of this year. The company also announced it is expanding in the Midwest by adding a sales representative — Jim Dillard — dedicated to Columbus, Ohio, and two service technicians — Keith Krause and Jason

Funderburg — in Chicago. Other additions in the Houston project are sales manager Travis Klosterboer and territory managers Stephen Dolen and Clint Neely. In Dallas, Bradley Snodgrass and James Jensen are new territory managers.

Applications for the 2014 Syngenta Business Institute (SBI) are due Aug. 19. The sixth annual SBI is scheduled Dec. 8-11 in Winston-Salem, N.C. Syngenta partners with Wake Forest University School of Business to provide superintendents with heightened business and managerial skills. Twenty-fve superintendents will be selected. For information on how to apply, go to www.GreenCastonline.com/SBI. The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) had multiple announcements.

Lee Schmidt was elected president this spring.

Schmidt is principal in Schmidt-Curley Golf Design with Brian Curley. The frm has offces in the U.S. and China. Schmidt worked on numerous projects with Pete Dye, including Kingsmill Country Club in Williamsburg, Va. During 12 years with Landmark Land Co., Schmidt headed the design and construction division on such prominent jobs as PGA West and La Quinta (Calif.) Hotel & Resort and Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Three regular members achieved Fellow status: Michael Hurdzan, Ph.D., a past president; Cary Bickler; and Keith Evans. Also, two elected associate members were added: Gary Brawley and Troy MG Vincent. Their elections bring the total of ASGCA members who practice worldwide to nearly 180.

E-Z-Go acquired TUG Technologies Corp., a manufacturer of ground support equipment in the aviation industry. Based in Kennesaw, Ga., TUG equipment services airlines, air freight companies, ground handlers, government agencies and airports. Its product line includes cargo tractors, belt loaders, tow tractors and pushback vehicles.

Chris Dyer was promoted to regional sales director, East Region, for E-Z-Go. Dyer joined the company in 2006 as a feet sales representative and prior to his promotion covered the Dixie Section territory of Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Dyer’s new coverage area spans New York to North Carolina.

Chuck Greif was promoted to managing director of the Asia Pacifc Division for Jacobsen. Greif previously served as director of sales for the company’s Eastern Region Division in the U.S. He relocated to Singapore. Greif has more than three decades of experience in global sales management. He began in the turfgrass industry in 1998 as national sales manager for John Deere Golf.

Market

SPECIALIST Alea Miehls was named market specialist for the turf and ornamental segment of FMC Corp. She provides sales and technical support in the western states including California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah and Arizona, working closely with distribution and key professionals in lawn care, golf and nursery and ornamental markets. Miehls replaced Corbett Schnatmeyer, who moved from the West Coast to cover the Northeast market after Allan Dufoe was named to the newly created position of turf and ornamental key account manager and nursery and greenhouse market lead. Miehls is a recent graduate of the University of California, Riverside.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a master’s in plant biology.

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The American Society of Irrigation Consultants (ASIC) National Conference attracted more than 165 people in late April to Portland, Ore. The conference included elections. The incoming president is Ivy Munion (ISC Group); vice president is Corbin Schneider (Verde Design); treasurer, Chris Mitchell (Russ Mitchell & Associates); secretary, Stacy Gardner (Irrigation Consulting Inc.); and Steve Hohl (Water Concern) moves to past president. New board of directors members are Carey June (Irrigation Consulting Services Inc.) and Lynda Wightman (Hunter Irrigation). Plaques were awarded to retiring board members Vince Nolletti (Paige Electric) and Doug MacDonald (Aqua Engineering).

Wightman received the Sam Tobey Award in recognition for her hard work and unwavering commitment through the years. Jim Laiche received the Roy Williams Award for his passion for the irrigation industry and the selfess and exemplary customer service he has provided. Fellow status was presented to Brian Vinchesi and Brendan Lynch.

Emerson Bearing recently expanded its golf division as part of the company’s recreation industry offerings.

“We originally formed our golf division a few years ago because there had been such an increase in demand for our bearings for golf carts,” says Steve Katz, president, Emerson Bearing. “Well, that has continued the past few years, and we needed to reinforce the division to serve not only golf courses but other companies that utilize golf carts for their operations. So we have added personnel and expertise to better serve this market.”

KPMG, the PGA of America and the LPGA announced the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the creation of a multifaceted program focused on the development, advancement and empowerment of women on and off the golf course. The frst championship is scheduled June 8-14, 2015, at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y., with a purse among the highest in women’s golf at $3.5 million. The championship will be operated by the PGA of America, and will work in close collaboration with the LPGA. The event will be broadcast in partnership with NBC

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and Golf Channel. “Together, we believe this championship, broadcast to millions around the world, will energize new audiences in our collective effort to grow the game,” says PGA of America President Ted Bishop, who is a member of GCSAA. Women on Course, a premier golf-lifestyle networking organization, tripled its membership since being acquired by Billy Casper Golf (BCG) in September 2013. BCG expects membership to grow by 400 percent in 2014 over 2013. Company management cites several contributors to the dramatic growth, including a new, compelling value proposition for new members in partnership with brand-name golf and lifestyle product manufacturers and service providers; addition of weekend resort destination and custom events for members; and participation in Women on Course and non-golf (social) events is up by more than 150 percent as women, no matter their skill levels, are increasingly looking to play golf with other women.

Steve Jubb was named president of the National Alliance for Accessible Golf. Jubb succeeds Betsy Clark, Ph.D., who served for the last fve years. Jubb is the director of PGA Charities and Military Liaison for the PGA of America and the PGA Foundation. Jubb previously served as head golf professional at Boca West Country Club and executive director of the New Jersey Section PGA. Ray Stukas is the 2014 Sports Turf Manager of the Year, as announced by Sports Turf Canada and sponsored by Guelph Turfgrass Institute.

The honor recognizes an individual’s professional ability and contribution to the Canadian sports turf industry and shows appreciation for his or her proactive and progressive efforts within the profession.

Stukas is manager of parks, Toronto and East York District, for the city of Toronto. He has more than three decades of industry experience.

Andrew Fleming joined KemperSports as company senior vice president-strategy and business affairs. He is charged with leading the company’s marketing technology and revenue management programs as well as corporate strategy, growth initiatives and new business lines. Fleming previously served as vice president of business

development and senior counsel for NBC Sports/Golf Channel.

Brent Bolton joined Lebanon Seaboard Corp. as its new grass seed general manager. His position focuses on building business relationships with key growers, blenders, breeders and dealers. Bolton, who has more than 15 years of experience in the industry, previously worked for Scotts Miracle-Gro.

Colorado is recognizing Smart Irrigation Month. It is the frst for Louisiana. The Irrigation Association frst launched Smart Irrigation Month in July 2005 to increase public awareness of the value of water-use effciency and water-saving products, practices and services.

Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) extended its partnership with the 2014 Green Sports Alliance Summit. Green Sports Alliance is a nonproft organization designed to help the sports industry enhance environmental performance.

More than 600 industry stakeholders, including several STMA members, are participating in the fourth annual Green Sports Alliance Summit set for July 21-23 in Santa Clara, Calif.

The Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) announced a partnership with Landscapes Unlimited to support CMAA and The Club Foundation as a bronze partner in the CMAA Corporate Alliance Program. The partnership represents a signifcant commitment by Landscapes Unlimited, a golf course construction, management and sports and recreation company, to support CMAA and The Club Foundation.

Landscapes Unlimited is a solutions-based company that provides customers with comprehensive expertise within the golf and recreation industries.

Colorado and Louisiana proclaimed July as Smart Irrigation Month in their respective states.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal issued formal proclamations to recognize the initiative.

This is the third consecutive year that

CMAA announced 18 new members in its Honor Society. They are Albert Costanini, Canoe Brook CC, Summit, N.J.; Jeffrey J. Blais, Green Island CC, Columbus, Ga.; Michael Bradfeld, Countryside Golf and CC, Naples, Fla.; Cindy R. Davis,

Athens CC, Athens, Texas; Thomas M. DeLozier, Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, N.C.; Dana R. DiChiara, Mountain Brook Club, Birmingham, Ala.; James Fields, Skaneateles CC, Skaneateles, N.Y.; John E. Foster, Wade Hampton GC, Cashiers, N.C.; Christophe Granger, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Gavin B. Inglis, Knickerbocker CC, Tenafy, N.J.; Thomas C. Janney, CC of Virginia, Richmond, Va.; Michael J. Mally, The Carriage Club, Kansas City; Max. D. Moreno, Elmcrest CC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Eric J. Rhodes, Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio; Neil Rooney, Scarboro Golf and CC, Toronto, Ontario; Larry Steve Savvides, Mizner CC, Delray Beach, Fla.; Ryan Shaw, Fiddlesticks CC, Fort Myers, Fla.; and Randle St. John, Wilshire CC, Los Angeles, Calif.

McGladrey LLP renewed its commitment to CMAA and is remaining a Bronze Alliance Partner. McGladrey is a U.S. provider of assurance, tax and consulting services focused on the middle market.

The Prestwick Group Inc. announced personnel moves, including one

that represents a homecoming. Derek Wathke, who left the company late in 2013, has returned to again work on the sales staff. Originally, Dustin Schwab had replaced Wathke. Schwab, interestingly, was recommended to The Prestwick Group

by Wathke. In between, the company also hired Ben Fahrenholz. Territories were adjusted to accommodate all three men.

Meadows Farms Golf Course in Locust Grove, Va., selected Billy Casper Golf (BCG) to manage its facility. Meadows Farms is a 27-hole layout.

The featured hole is an 841-yard par-6.

Virginia Costa, senior designer and agronomist at Fry/Straka Global Golf Course Design, was named associate member of the European Institute of Golf Course Architects (EIGCA). Costa, who resides in Italy, is an accomplished amateur player, having been a member of the Italian National Team.

Skybrook Golf Club in Huntersville, N.C., chose Troon to manage its facility. The clubhouse at the par-72 golf course sits on one of the highest elevations in CharlotteMecklenburg County.

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(photo quiz answers)

By John Mascaro President of Turf-Tec International

(a)

PROBLEM The deep dents in this putting green are a result of a contest that went awry.

During the exceptionally wet fall this past year in the Northeast, this club had an outing that was sponsored by a helicopter company. It was two weeks after the fall aerifcation, and the club had just received several inches of rain in the three days leading up to the event. The superintendent was standing on the putting green talking to a member who was playing in the outing when someone from the pro shop asked them to move to the side as they were preparing to conduct a ball-drop contest. Participants in the outing were able to buy balls with numbers on them that were then dropped, on the green, with the closest to the pin winning a prize. At that moment, a helicopter appeared over top of the clubhouse, stopped about 150-200 feet over the green and dropped a “test” ball that went into the turf like a missile, disappearing completely from view. The superintendent frantically waved his hands for them to stop, but they didn’t see him and then proceeded to pour two 5-gallon buckets full of golf balls from that distance. When the dust settled, the superintendent showed the golf pro the damage that was caused. The pro asked, “Who would have known it would cause that much damage?” to which the superintendent replied, “I would have known.” The divots were repaired with screw drivers in about an hour, however the damage could still be seen the following spring.

This also shows why communication between the clubhouse and the superintendent is so important.

Photo submitted by Mark McGreevy, the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Wyncote Golf Club in Oxford, Pa., and a 12-year member of the association.

(b)

PROBLEM

Although the white tops of these mounds appear to be frost, this phenomenon occured in 54-degree temperatures. As the assistant superintendent was out scouting the golf course this winter, he stopped to take a closer look at something he spotted in the dormant bermudagrass rough. A sample was sent to the University of Florida, and it was suspected to probably be a generic mycelium from an unknown saprophytic fungus that was just growing on the surface of the dormant bermudagrass. No treatment was applied, and the area came out of dormancy with no problems. However, it does make an interesting shot for the Photo Quiz.

Photo submitted by Jeff Heggen, the assistant superintendent at Seminole Golf Course in Tallahassee, Fla. Doug Abbuhl, a 26-year GCSAA member, is the Class A superintendent at Seminole. Philip F. Harmon, Ph.D., associate professor in the plant pathology department at the University of Florida in Gainesville, assisted in the answer.

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.

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

Presented in partnership with Jacobsen

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MEMBERS ONLY

(Climbing the ladder)

ON COURSE

July 3-6 — PGA Tour, The Greenbrier Classic, The Old White TPC, White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Jake Workman, superintendent.

Andrew Stoldorf Was:

Student, Rutgers, Professional Golf Turf Management School

July 3-6 —Web.com Tour, Nova Scotia Open, Ashburn GC-New Course, Halifax, Canada.

July 10-13 — PGA Tour, John Deere

Is:

Assistant superintendent, Bully

Pulpit, Golf Course, Medora, N.D.

Classic, TPC Deere Run, Silvis, Ill., Alex Stuedemann, superintendent.

July 10-13 — LPGA, Ricoh Women’s British Open, Royal Birkdale GC, Southport, Lancashire, United Kingdom.

Getting to know you Social media fts in the world of Andrew Stoldorf, which probably comes as no surprise for someone who is 23 years old (isn’t everyone into it at that age?). He has a Twitter account (@StoldorfTurf). He also has his own blog (stoldorfturf.blogspot.com). He certainly had fodder for both not too long ago when he went to syringe the 11th green, which had several occupants who delayed his work. “There must have been 15 to 20 cows on the green. By the time we got them off of it, it looked like it got pounded with divots,” Stoldorf says. “That is one reason I love my job — every day is a different adventure.”

Q:

What makes Bully Pulpit special? (Golf Digest rated it No. 94 on its most recent 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses in America.)

July 10-13 — Champions Tour, U.S. Senior Open, Oak Tree CC, Edmond, Okla., Tyson Thill, director of agronomy.

July 10-13 — Web.com Tour, Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank, Willow Creek CC, Sandy, Utah, Troy VanDenBerghe, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

A:

July 14-19 — USGA, U.S. Amateur Public Links, Sand Creek Station GC, Newton, Kan., James Houchen III, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

Q: Tell us about your goals.

A: Try to learn as much about the business as I possibly can. I have a great teacher (GCSAA Class A

July 14-19 — USGA, U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, The Home Course, Dupont, Wash., Dennis Roque, superintendent.

The views are unbelievable. You are in the Badlands of North Dakota. There are spots out there you can see pretty much the entire course. It’s a blessing to be here.

superintendent Kyle Fick). He likes to teach; he wants to teach. I also want to make a comfortable living so I can provide for my family. I want to fnd a balance between work and family.

Q: What is your most prized possession?

A: Probably my golf clubs, simply because of how much I love the game and how at home I feel when

I’m out playing.

Q: When did this business get into your blood?

A: When I was younger, I worked at a country club in Bloomington. They gave me a lot of respon-

sibility. Working there and being able to provide a good experience for people is something I enjoyed. It became easy to wake up, knowing you would enjoy whatever you were going to be doing. It wasn’t so much work as it was something I loved to do.

Howard Richman, GCM associate editor

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July 17-20 — PGA Tour, The Open Championship, Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake, England.

July 17-20 — LPGA, Marathon Classic presented by Owens Corning and O-I, Highland Meadows GC, Sylvania, Ohio, Daniel Salois, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

July 17-20 — Web.com Tour, Albertsons Boise Open presented by Kraft Nabisco, Hillcrest CC, Boise, Idaho, Joe Aholt, superintendent.

July 21-26 — USGA, U.S. Junior

Albany, N.Y., Scott Gallup, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

Phone: 888-561-7778 Website: www.cagcs.com

July 31-Aug. 3 — PGA Tour,

July 21 — Texas Tech Turfgrass

July 21-26 — USGA, U.S. Girls’

Reno-Tahoe Open, Montreux G&CC, Reno, Nev., Doug Heinrichs, CGCS.

Field Day, Quaker Farm, Lubbock.

Email: joey.young@ttu.edu

Junior, Forest Highlands GC, Flagstaff, Ariz., Andrew Annan, CGCS.

July 31-Aug. 3 — PGA Tour, World

July 23 — Nebraska Turfgrass Association Turf Field Day, John Seaton Anderson Turfgrass Research Center, Mead.

Phone: 402-472-5351

Amateur, The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas, Jeremy Childree, superintendent.

Canadian Open, Royal Montreal GC (Blue Course), Ile Bizard, Quebec.

Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational, Firestone CC (South), Akron, Ohio, Larry Napora, director of golf course operations; John DiMascio, CGCS.

July 24-27— LPGA, International

July 31-Aug. 3 — Web.com Tour,

Crown, Caves Valley GC, Owings Mills, Md., Steve Glossinger, GCSAA Class A superintendent.

Stonebrae Classic, TPC Stonebrae, Hayward, Calif., David Davies, CGCS.

July 24-27 — PGA Tour, RBC

July 24-27 — Champions Tour, The Senior Open Championship presented

by Rolex, Royal Porthcawl, Bridgend, Wales.

July 24-27 — Web.com Tour, Midwest Classic, Nicklaus GC at LionsGate, Overland Park, Kan., Gary Sailer, CGCS.

July 25-27 — Symetra Tour, Credit Union Challenge, Capital Hills at Albany,

COMING UP

July 13-15 — Texas Turfgrass Asso-

July 24 — Iowa Turfgrass Field Day, Horticulture Research Station, Ames.

Host superintendent: Dan Strey Phone: 515-635-0307 Website: www.iowagcsa.org

ciation Summer Conference, Hyatt Lost Pines Resort, Lost Pines.

Phone: 979-690-2201 Website: www.texasturf.com Email: info@tecasturf.com

July 29 — WTA Summer Field Day, OJ Noer Research & Education Facility, Verona, Wis. Phone: 608-445-4982 Website: www.wisconsinturfgrass association.org

July 15 — UConn Turfgrass Field

July 29-30 — Rutgers Turfgrass

Day, Plant Science Research and Education Facility, Storrs.

Research Field Days, Hort Farm II, Brunswick; and Adelphia Farm, Freehold.

Phone: 973-812-6467

July 31-Aug. 1 — PAES Recirculating Technology Workshop, Apopka, Fla. Phone: 877-347-4788 Website: www.PentairAES.com

Aug. 4-5 — Professional Grounds Maintenance Society Summer Regional Seminar and Site Visit, Minneapolis.

Website: www.pgms.org/2014-summersite-visit

Aug. 6 — Turfgrass Field Day, UGA Griffn Campus, Griffn, Ga. Phone: 706-376-3585 Website: www.ggcsa.com

Aug. 7 — Kansas Turfgrass Foundation Field Day, Rocky Ford Turfgrass Research Center, Manhattan.

Phone: 785-532-6173 Email: cdipman@ksu.edu Website: www.kansasturfgrassfoundation. com/annual-ktf-feld-day.html

Aug. 11 — August Field Day, University of Illinois Lincolnshire Fields,

Champaign.

Phone: 309-533-5838 Website: www.ci-gcsa.com

(In the field)

Mid-Atlantic Chase Rogan Recently, I attended a social media roundtable at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, Va. Curious superintendents wanted to learn how to better utilize social media to help them gather relevant information that is floating around the ever-expanding World Wide Web. The main social media players, as most of you know, are Facebook and Twitter. In my opinion, Twitter is the most applicable for golf course superintendents. Why? Because you search key words, post pictures, hashtag a topic and communicate directly to other tweeters. Most people seem to use Facebook more for family and close friends, while Twitter can be used more for business purposes, although that doesn’t mean you can’t share personal information there as well. Furthermore, you can tweet out course conditions, cart restrictions or frost delays to members of your club, and even link that post to Facebook so it will automatically post to your club’s Facebook page. David McCall, a pathologist at Virginia Tech, suggested Virginia superintendents start a hashtag campaign that is #VATurf. This way, everyone interested in sharing information about turf news in Virginia can find information easily by simply searching that hashtag on Twitter. Likewise, many industry companies and organizations share relevant news and information through Twitter. The beauty in this is how fast you can receive that information right into the palm of your hand.

If you need help getting started, or have questions along the line, feel free to contact me and I will be happy to help you work through the kinks to becoming more connected.

Aug. 13 — Michigan State University Turfgrass Field Day, Hancock Turfgrass Research Center, East Lansing.

Website: www.michiganturfgrass.org/ msu-turfgrass-feld-day.html Aug. 13 — Poa Sympoisum, Mesa Community College, Mesa, Ariz.

Phone: 480-609-6778 Website: www.cactusandpine.com Sept. 8-11 — Florida Turfgrass Association Annual Conference & Show, Buena Vista Palace, Lake Buena Vista Phone: 863-688-9413 Website: www.ftga.org

Sept. 11 — University of Tennessee Turf & Ornamental Field Day, East Tennessee Research and Education CenterPlant Sciences Unit, Knoxville Phone: 865-974-7201 Website: www.tennesseeturfgrassweeds.org ——— 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.

———

Central Plains Steve Randall I had the opportunity recently to attend two events held by the Mississippi Valley GCSA near St. Louis. On the second day, the Mississippi Valley GCSA held an inaugural equipment technicians education and networking session at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. The equipment technicians session was a first for the chapter. I counted 37 equipment technicians — an excellent turnout. How did they get such good attendance? A big thanks to Bellerive superintendent John Cunningham, CGCS, for helping organize the event. Steven Tucker from the IGCEMA (International Golf Course Equipment Manufacturers Association) was also there.

The chapter hopes this may be the first of many similar events. Following a short business meeting, Boyd Montgomery from The Toro Co. provided a Tier 4 equipment update. The “Big 3” manufacturers, with help from their local distributors, had various pieces of equipment on display. After lunch, the equipment technicians had to answer five questions regarding each piece of equipment on display (two from each manufacturer were provided). The chapter plans to set up a second event in the fall. The IGCEMA has agreed to provide a $350 travel allowance, and a 2015 conference and show registration will be auctioned off. There is no better education than the power of networking face to face with your peers. As these events grow and expand, we will provide updates on their success. Is this something your chapter would be interested in trying? Ultimately, you can never take your staff for granted.

For the latest blog posts from all of GCSAA’s feld staff representatives, visit www.gcsaa.org/ community/regions.aspx.

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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 660493859; 785-832-3638; fax: 785-8323665; email: hrichman@gcsaa.org.

NEW MEMBERS

ALABAMA Nathaniel J. Arndt, Class C, Birmingham Robert D. Collier, Student, Auburn Allen S. Dobbs, Student, Auburn ARIZONA Nicholas R. Spardy II, Student, Tucson

CALIFORNIA Wade H. Heinsch, Class C, Mammoth Lakes Patrick W. Lewis, Supt. Mbr., Mammoth Lakes FLORIDA Justin M. Gille, Class C, West Palm Beach Chad E. Libby, Class C, Leesburg GEORGIA Greg Knight, Class C, Savannah Caleb J. Malone, Class C, Perry ILLINOIS Jesse L. Gifford, Class C, Danville Justin M. Sample, Class C, Hoffman Estates IOWA Casey Herrick, Class C, Polk City Matthew M. Porter, Student, Ames

PENNSYLVANIA Matthew T. Lawrence, Student, State College RHODE ISLAND Nathaniel Mitkowski, Educator, Kingston SOUTH CAROLINA Jonathan Hammonds, Class C, North Myrtle Beach SOUTH DAKOTA Casey Eggleston, Class C, Spearfsh TEXAS Jesus Polio, Class C, Houston VIRGINIA Willie M. Cooper, Supt. Mbr., Chesapeake

MICHIGAN Scott M. Hoag, Class C, Washington Michael Wright, Student, Brimley

WISCONSIN Adam A. Ayers, Class C, North Lake James E. Cavezza, Supt. Mbr., Wisconsin Dells Brian T. Opheim, Class C, Kohler Lance A. Wagner, Class C, Oregon

MINNESOTA Joseph P. Hines, Class C, Minneapolis

AUSTRALIA Shane Baker, ISM, Roleystone

NEW JERSEY Benoit Beaulne, Student, New Brunswick

CANADA Jeremy Geer, ISM, Mactier, Ontario Kendra A. Kiss, Associate, Aurora, Ontario Steven A. Masaro, Student, Guelph, Ontario William Matthews, ISM, Stevensville, Ontario Mike Young, Student, Orangeville, Ontario Kevin J. Nieuwland, ISM, Port Colborne, Ontario David Vellinga, ISM, Blenheim, Ontario

NEW YORK Gary Byrne, Class C, Southampton Jarrod M. Shirley, Class C, Southampton NORTH CAROLINA Donald W. Caudle Jr., Class C, New Bern Christopher M. Shepard, Supt. Mbr., Vass NORTH DAKOTA Andrew Schmidt, Class C, Medora OHIO Jeff M. Boll, Class C, New Albany Tyler Graf, Class C, Beachwood Shane L. Uber, Class C, Canton

SINGAPORE Ismail Mohamed Taha, ISM, Singapore

NEWLY CERTIFIED Erik Guinther, CGCS, Roaring Cap Club, Roaring Gap, N.C. S. Matthew Wharton, CGCS, Carolina Golf Club, Charlotte, N.C.

ON THE MOVE

ARIZONA Richard M. Donaldson, formerly (Supt.

Mbr.) at Vista Mar Golf and Beach Resort, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Desert Mountain Club-Renegade Course in Scottsdale.

Brian R. Nelson, formerly (C) at Oro Valley Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at General William Blanchard Golf Course in Tucson.

Steve C. Patterson, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Big Island Country Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Encanto Golf Course in Phoenix.

John M. Pollok, formerly (AA) at JP’s Consulting, is now (AA) at Ewing Irrigation Products Inc. in Phoenix.

CALIFORNIA Matthew T. Dachowski, formerly (C) at The Los Angeles Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at North Course at Los Angeles Country Club in Los Angeles.

Cory A. Fadenrecht, formerly (S) at Oregon State University, is now (C) at Bermuda Dunes Country Club in Indio.

Dave Sheldon, formerly (C) at Windsor Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Adobe Creek Golf Club in Petaluma.

Frank L. Tedescucci III, formerly (Supt.

Mbr.) at Coto De Caza Golf & Racquet Club, is now (A) at Aliso Viejo Golf Club in Laguna Woods.

FLORIDA Scott E. Dulina, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Hunters Run, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at The Club at Emerald Hills in Hollywood.

James B. Miller, formerly (A-RT) at Aerifcation Plus Inc., is now (A-RT) at

West Coast Turf Inc. in Punta Gorda.

Cale W. Priddy, formerly (C) at Old Edwards Club LLC, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples.

GEORGIA Jacob N. Darr, formerly (C) at Twin Eagles Club, is now (C) at Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta.

Zackary B. Fletcher, formerly (C) at Glen Arven Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Griffn Bell Golf Links in Americus.

IDAHO Matthew C. Nelson, formerly (AF) at Grigg Bros./BRANDT, is now (AF) at Magic Valley Bentgrass in Filer.

ILLINOIS Glenn K. Bereiter, CGCS, formerly (A) at Aldeen Golf Club, is now (A) at Rockford Park District in Rockford.

Scott B. Klingberg, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Golf Club of Illinois, is now (AS) at Elgin Country Club in Elgin.

Daniel J. Laws, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Tamarack Country Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Cardinal Creek Golf Course in Scott Air Force Base.

Cody L. Scott, formerly (C) at Howard D. Kellogg Golf Course, is now (C) at Leo Donovan Golf Course in Peoria.

Brian T. Yeager, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Lincoln Oaks, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Lincolnshire Country Club in Crete.

INDIANA Nick R. Klinkhammer, formerly (AS) at Augusta National Golf Club, is now (C) at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh.

KANSAS Brien Agler, formerly (C) at The National Golf Club of Kansas City, is now (C) at Indian Hills Country Club in Prairie Village.

Christopher Benisch, formerly (C) at

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Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Meadowbrook Golf & Country Club in Prairie Village.

KENTUCKY Brannon J. Lillard, formerly (C) at Triple Crown Country Club, is now (AS) at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville.

LOUISIANA Michael R. Lefer, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Beau Chene Country Club, The Earnest Corp, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Golden Nugget Lake Charles in Lake Charles.

MARYLAND H. Steven Evans, formerly (C) at Hampshire Greens Golf Course, is now (AS) at Norbeck Country Club in Rockville.

Adam S. Imirie, formerly (C) at Worthington Manor Golf Club, is now (C) at The Suburban Club in Pikesville.

MASSACHUSETTS Donald J. D’Errico, formerly (A) at Pleasant Valley Country Club, is now (A) at Spring Valley Country Club in Sharon.

Patrick L. VanVleck, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Sandy Burr Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at Maynard Country Club in Maynard.

MICHIGAN Aaron Golowesky, formerly (C) at Oak Pointe Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Oak Pointe Country Club in Brighton.

MINNESOTA Brooks A. Ellingson, formerly (A) at Albion Ridges Golf Course, is now (A) at Timber Creek Golf Course in Watertown.

Anthony T. Sherman, formerly (C) at Tournament Club of Iowa, is now (C) at Willingers Golf Club in Northfield.

Country Club, is now (C) at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Far Hills.

Michael S. Wenning, formerly (C) at Wild Turkey/Cascades Courses at Crystal Springs Country Club, is now (C) at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club in Far Hills.

NORTH CAROLINA Thomas C. Davis, formerly (C) at The Landings Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Sapphire National Golf Club in Sapphire.

Ryan Golay, formerly (C) at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm, is now (C) at The Hasentree Club in Wake Forest.

Steven W. Martin, CGCS, formerly (A) at The Pearl Golf Links, is now (A) at Rivers Edge Golf Club in Shallotte.

OHIO Ian Schlather, formerly (C) at Elyria Country Club, is now (C) at TPC Rivers Bend in Maineville.

Gary F. Zagar, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Quail Hollow Resort & Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Briardale Greens Golf Club in Euclid.

PENNSYLVANIA Thomas P. Height, formerly (C) at Country Club of Scranton, is now (A) at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Connellsville.

Kurt Jensen, formerly (C) at Squires Golf Club, is now (C) at Overbrook Golf Club in Bryn Mawr.

Michael A. Kachurak, formerly (C) at Merion Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore.

Jon H. Schriner, formerly (A) at Briardale Greens Golf Club, is now (A) at Butler’s Golf Course Inc. in Buena Vista.

MISSOURI Jared J. Brewster, formerly (C) at Calusa Pines Golf Club, is now (C) at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis.

SOUTH CAROLINA Scott M. Brown, formerly (C) at Surf Golf & Beach Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Surf Golf & Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach.

Daniel W. Woolley, formerly (S) at HorryGeorgetown Tech College, is now (C) at Myrtlewood Golf Club in Myrtle Beach.

NEW JERSEY Jason T. Cliver, formerly (C) at Deerwood Country Club, is now (C) at Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson.

Curtis T. Gandolfo, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at Hamilton Farm Golf Club, is now (Supt.

Mbr.) at The Mattawang Golf Club in Belle Mead.

Casey D. Holloway, formerly (C) at Meadows Course at Fiddler’s Elbow

TEXAS Eric Bauer, formerly (A) at Club at Carlton Woods, is now (A) at Bluejack National in Montgomery.

Barry R. Carter, formerly (A) at Meadowbrook Country Club, is now (A) at Southern Hills Golf Club in Gladewater.

Jason F. Floyd, formerly (C) at Tascosa Golf Club, is now (C) at Ross Rogers Municipal Golf Course in Amarillo.

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

PLATINUM PARTNERS

GOLD PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNER

Partner

Recognition Program Anywhere you see a beautiful golf course, there’s probably a PBI-Gordon product behind it.

With more than 65 years of experience and technical knowledge, and a proven line of pre- and post-emergent herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, plant growth regulators, and other products, PBI-Gordon is a leader in supporting golf course superintendents and their turf and ornamental management needs.

Proven on golf courses worldwide, the PBI-Gordon roster of products includes Trimec® and ProForm® herbicides, Zylam® insecticides, and specialty products such as Segway® Fungicide SC for exceptional protection against Pythium damage.

Based in Kansas City, Mo., and in business since 1947, PBI-Gordon is 100% employee-owned.

For more information on PBI-Gordon or the company’s products, visit PBIGordon.com or call 800.821.7925.

Since 1933, Rain Bird has focused on developing products, services and technologies that promote the effcient irrigation of the world’s crops, landscapes and green spaces. As the need to use water intelligently continues to grow, so does our commitment to the golf course maintenance industry.

Through initiatives and sponsorships with like-minded organizations such as the GCSAA, we advance state-of-the-art methods to promote responsible and effective outdoor water use with the goal to help strengthen the golf course maintenance industry and the game of golf as a whole. To learn more, visit www.rainbird.com.

Raymond T. Poskey, formerly (C) at Traditions Golf Club, is now (C) at Grapevine Golf Course in Grapevine.

John B. Wyne, formerly (C) at Bridlewood Golf Club, is now (C) at Buffalo Creek Golf Club in Rockwall.

VIRGINIA Mitchell R. Carlton, formerly (A) at Crown Pointe Golf & Country Club, is now (A) at The Carlton Club in Virginia Beach.

J. Greg Haley, formerly (I), is now (A) at Mariner’s Landing Golf & Country Club in Huddleston.

CANADA Matthew Cimino, CGCS, formerly (A) at Cimarron Hills Country Club, is now (AF) at Petro-Canada Lubricants, Inc. in Mississauga.

Steve C. Gruhl, formerly (ISM) at St. Catharines G&CC, is now (ISM) at Bellmere Winds Golf Club in Keene.

IN MEMORIAM Cory J. Huskey, 25, died May 10, 2014. Mr. Huskey, a fve-year member of GCSAA, was the superintendent at Wendell (N.C.) Country Club. Previously, he was the superintendent at Olde Liberty Golf & Country Club. Mr. Huskey grew up in Raleigh. He is survived by his wife, Jessica Huskey; son, Jackson Haga; parents, Gary and Debra Huskey; sister, Gina (Ethan) Lester; niece, Meredith; sister-in-law Jacqueline Graebner; and many other family members and friends.

GCM (ISSN 0192-3048 [print]; ISSN 2157-3085 [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.

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108

GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

ADVERTISING INDEX & MARKETPLACE PLATINUM PARTNERS

East Coast Sod & Seed ...................................... 111 (856) 769-9555 ...................www.eastcoastsod.com

John Deere Co. ................................................4-5 (800) 257-7797 .............www.johndeere.com/Golf

Foley United ...................................................... 71 (800) 225-9810 .................. www.foleyunited.com

The Toro Co. ..................................................IFC-1 (888) 664-7489 ..........www.toro.com/leaderboard

GCSAA Services..................79, 87, 91, 95, 106-108 (800) 472-7878 ...............................www.gcsaa.org GE Capital, Equipment Finance ............................ 23 (469) 586-2010 .................. www.gecapital.com/golf

GOLD PARTNERS Jacobsen ...................................................31, 101 (800) 232-5907 ......................www.jacobsen.com Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC ................. Cover 4 (909) 308-1633 ..................................................... www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com

SILVER PARTNERS The Andersons, Inc. .......................................... 11 (800) 253-5296 .............. www.AndersonsPro.com Barenbrug USA .................................33, Cover Tip (800) 547-4101 ......................... www.barusa.com Baroness ............................................................ 19 (707)283-0610 ............................ www.baroness.us BASF ................................................................ 65 (888) 566-5506 .................www.betterturf.basf.us Bayer Environmental Science ......................49, 69 (866) 550-8785 ..................................................... .......................... http://www.backedbybayer.com/ golf-course-management Civitas Fungicide (a.k.a.Petro Canada) .................. 53 .................................................www.civitasturf.com Club Car ............................................................. 37 (800) 445-6680 ........................... www.clubcar.com Cushman (a.k.a. E-Z-GO)..................................... 51 (800) 774-3946 ........................ www.cushman.com FMC Professional Solutions .............................. 13 (800) 235-7368 .......... www.fmcprosolutions.com Lebanon Turf .......................................... 14-15, 79 (800) 350-6650 ............... www.lebanonturf.com/ Par Aide Products Co. ......................................2-3 (888) 893-2433 ........................ www.paraide.com PBI Gordon Corp................................................ 21 (800) 971-7233 .................... www.pbigordon.com Precision Laboratories, Inc. .............................. 67 (800) 323-6280 .................www.precisionlab.com Quali-Pro ............................................................ 35 (888) 584-6598 .........................www.quali-pro.com Tee-2-Green Corp. ......................................... 42-43 (800) 547-0255 .................... www.tee-2-green.com

Golf-Lift Div. Derek Weaver Co., Inc. ............... 109 (800) 788-9789 .........................www.golf-lift.com Golf Preservations ............................................... 94 (606) 499-2732 .............www.golfpreservations.com Gowan Company ............................................... 68 (800) 883-1844 ......................www.gowanco.com GreensGroomer Worldwide, Inc......................... 41 (888) 298-8852 ext. 500 .................... http://www. greensgroomer.com/ Grigg Bros. ........................................................ 59 (888) 623-7285 .....................www.griggbros.com Growth Products Ltd. ...................................... 73 (800) 648-7626 ...........www.growthproducts.com Highspeed Group Ltd........................................... 54 ........................................... www.clearwatertv.co.uk Jenlis Inc. ......................................................... 105 (877) 356-6455 ..................... www.weedrazers.com Koch Agronomic Services, LLC ......................... 25 (888) 547-4140 ......................... www.kasturf.com Landmark Seed .................................................. 55 (800) 268-0180 ............www.turfandnativeseed.com Linear Rubber Products ..................................... 111 (800) 558-4040 .....................www.rubbermats.com Milorganite ........................................................ 98 (800) 287-9645 ..................... www.milorganite.com Nufarm .............................................................. 95 (800) 345-3330 ..................... www.nufarm.com/US Peat, Inc. .......................................................... 109 (800) 441-1880 ........................... www.peatinc.com Penn State University .......................................... 63 (800) 2334973 ...............www.worldcampus.psu.edu PlanetAir Turf Products ..................................... 27 (877) 800-8845 .........................www.planetair.biz Plant Food Co. Inc. ............................................ 99 (800) 562-1291 ................. www.plantfoodco.com Rogers Sprayers Inc. ......................................... 110 (888) 975-8294 ................ www.rogerssprayers.com Seago International, Inc. ................................. 110 (800) 780-9889 .....................www.seagousa.com SGM Industries ................................................. 103 (630) 688-5192 ................. www.sgmindustries.com Smithco, Inc................................................. Cover 3 (877) 833-7648 .......................... www.smithco.com

ADVERTISERS AMVAC .............................................................. 77 (888) GO-AMVAC ........www.amvac-chemical.com Aquatrols Corporation ....................................... 39 (800) 257-7797 ..................... www.aquatrols.com BoardTronics...................................................... 6-7 (800) 782-9938 ............................boardtronics.com Buffalo Turbine ............................................... 108 (716) 592-2700 ..............www.buffaloturbine.com Central Garden and Pet ....................................... 61 (816) 221-9189 ............................www.central.com Champion Turf Farms ......................................... 8-9 (888) 290-7377 ..........www.championturffarms.com Commercial Turf & Tractor ................................. 111 (800) 748-7497 www.commercialturfandtractor.com

Steven’s Water Monitoring ................................... 93 (215) 908-0044 ...................www.stevenswater.com SubAir Inc. ...................................................... 111 (800) 441-1880 ............. www.subairsystems.com TRIMS Software International Inc. .................. 110 (800) 608-7467 ............................www.trims.com Trojan Battery Company ...................................... 29 (800) 423-6569 . www.trojanbattery.com/competition Turf Screen ......................................................... 47 (267) 246-8654 ....................... www.turfmaxllc.com Underhill ............................................... 17, Insert (800) 328-3986 ......................... www.underhill.us Wiedenmann North America ............................. 75 (866) 790-3004 .........www.wiedenmannusa.com * Denotes regional advertisement Bold denotes affliate member

07.14 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT

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GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 07.14

COMMERCIAL TURF & TRACTOR DEMO AND USED EQUIPMENT

N WOODBAY GREENS IRON 3900 ROLLER W/ TRAILER .. $7,250.00 N MAREDO GT 410 VIBE SEEDER HEADS (FOR BENTGRASS PUTTING GREENS) N GT 300 VIBE SMOOTHER HEADS N GT 230 CORE DETHATCHER N GT 410-$7,875., GT 300-$6,525., AND GT 230-$7,200.

(MTG. KITS SOLD SEPARATELY FOR TORO, JAC, JDEERE AND BARONESS)

N WIEDENMANN DEEP TINE GXI 6, 10” W/DEPTH, 3 PC REAR ROLLER ........................................................ $18,800.00 Check our website for more deals!

www.commercialturfandtractor.com • (800) 748-7497

BENTGRASS SOD

Greens Height • Tee/Fairway Height

FESCUE

Fine • Blue/Fine • Tall

BLUEGRASS

Regular • Short-Cut INSTALLATION AVAILABLE

EAST COAST SOD & SEED 596 Pointers Auburn Road • Pilesgrove, NJ 08098 www.eastcoastsod.com

856-769-9555 Cover and Protect Bridges with

BridgeRunners

BridgeRunners Landscape Pavers ■ Locker Room Flooring ■

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Eliminate costly maintenance or repair ... or “resurface” damaged areas. Excellent dry and wet traction. Genuine rubber in 3', 4' or 6' widths in lengths up to 16', with optional interlocking tabs for longer installations.

Warehouse Direct Pricing!

Linear Rubber Products

1-800-558-4040

w w w.rubber mats.com

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Photographer Cody Beckley • Title Golf course superintendent • Course Nutters Crossing Golf Course, Salisbury, Md. • GCSAA membership Three-year member • The shot Although Beckley oversees maintenance at Nutters Crossing, this photo features the seventh hole at Eagle’s Landing Golf Course in Berlin, Md., just outside of Ocean City. Beckley captured the shot during the April meeting of the Eastern Shore Association of GCS, which was held at the club, and John Kaminski, Ph.D., from Penn State provided Beckley with assistance in the photo editing process. • Camera Canon EOS Rebel SL1

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 thefnalshot@gcsaa.org or to GCM editor-in-chief Scott Hollister at shollister@gcsaa.org.

Make your own environmental impact.

Sustainability begins with you. Operation Pollinator is a way to beautify your course and provide pollinating insects the habitat they need to thrive. Syngenta provides over ten years of expertise in developing pollinator friendly plots, as well as communication tools to promote the positive environmental benefits of Operation Pollinator to golfers and local communities. To see how your course can benefit from a sound ecological initiative, visit greencastonline.com/operationpollinator #OperationPollinator

© 2014 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. 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 1LGG4029-P1 6/14

Insights on Fairway Maintenance Ken Brunermer, superintendent at Montour Heights Country Club and a member of the Greater Pittsburgh Golf Course Superintendents Association, entered the golf business nearly 30 years ago as an assistant superintendent at a public golf course.

We asked Ken to share with us some of the insights he’s gained in his role as a superintendent, and his approach to maintaining exceptional fairways.

“We’ve used Bayer StressGard™ products for at least eleven years now because they consistently work for us.”

Q – What has been your most challenging fairway disease or pest to treat?

Dollar spot is a nagging issue – it can be controlled, but it is expensive. We’ve found that it’s better to be on a strong preventive program, rather than try to stretch applications and risk a hard-to-control outbreak. So we apply every other week, or at least every third week.

Q – What are some solutions that have helped you achieve healthy turf at your course, and what results have you experienced?

Signature StressGard™ is part of our greens program – we use it every other week through summer on our putting greens, and we apply Tartan® every other month on our putting greens. We’ve used Bayer StressGard products for at least eleven years now because they consistently work for us. You can see when your turf is under stress, and we notice a visible improvement in turf health within a couple days of using Signature.

Q – Why do you feel it so important to maintain beautiful fairways, and how do you feel your fairway maintenance helps contribute to a strong business and happy golfers at your course?

When managing greens and fairways, you have to have balance. You can’t have one without the other. At any good club golfers expect great greens, tees and fairways. The greens require the most work to achieve the level of perfection golfers expect.

But we do whatever it takes to make the fairways look great because they’re a big part of the picture. They’re definitely all important parts of the golf experience.

Q – What has been your biggest challenge while managing Montour Heights’ grounds? How do you overcome this challenge?

People – We are lucky to have great people at Montour Heights, but managing a crew, members – and keeping everyone happy – that takes practice. You feel kind of like the middleman. Members – I email our members whenever there’s something important to share. We try to keep people informed without over-communicating things like routine maintenance, so members know we value their time. We keep things short, direct and to the point. Crew – My crew has been with me for a long time, so fortunately training is no longer an issue.

It has taken a long time to get to that point, though.

When I first started at Montour Heights, the crew didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them. It was very challenging to build that trust and understanding of expectations.

Q – What should we know about your course that we don’t know already?

It was once an estate owned by a former club president. When he passed away, the club acquired the house and surrounding grounds, turned it into a new clubhouse and had an 18-hole course built on its grounds. The full-time estate keeper who operated the grounds donated all proceeds to charity. They also set up a trust for all employees to ensure they were paid until they died.

Q – At the end of the day, what are you most proud of managing a course like Montour Heights?

Being a superintendent is very rewarding because my work is right in front of me for everyone to see. When I arrive in the morning and everything is nice, and the grass looks beautiful, it’s a great feeling. It’s like having a 240-acre garden – when it is all looking pretty, that’s very rewarding.

Fun Facts Who would be your dream guest to golf at Montour Heights Country Club?

Arnold Palmer If you could go golfing with one person, who would you go with and why?

Arnold Palmer, because Arnie is one of the reasons that golf is as popular as it is, and he’s just a very classy individual. From all the stories I’ve heard about him over the years, he’s a very humble man and an allaround good guy.

Where are three places you would like to visit and check off your bucket list?

Banff National Park in Canada, Alaska and Costa Rica What is one thing about you that might surprise people?

My wife and I are starting to raise chickens and cattle now. We live on a 90-acre property because we enjoy farming and managing the land.

Finish this statement. When I’m not at the golf course I’m: Working! My wife has a landscaping business, so I help her with that, and we also manage our own property.

I feel landscaping has taught me how to be a better superintendent, especially in terms of attention to detail.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I like to fish – I just don’t get much time to do it!

Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

1-800-331-2867. www.BackedbyBayer.com. Bayer(reg’d), the Bayer Cross (reg’d), StressGard™ and Tartan® are trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label directions. ©2014 Bayer CropScience LP.