TIFSP RT
12 Reasons Why It’s the New Bermudagrass Standard For Golf Courses, Athletic Fields and Home Lawns If you’re involved with the installation or day-to-day care and maintenance of golf courses, athletic fields, home lawns or commercial properties, you’ll really appreciate how certified TifSport compares to Tifway and the other popular bermudagrass varieties in use today. Be sure to ask for Tifsport by name. It makes a dense, luxurious dark green turf.
Closer Mowing Heights
After three-times-per-week mowings at 1/4”, research conducted in Tifton GA shows that TifSport can tolerate closer mowing heights than Tifway and Midiron. Sod density was excellent.
Superior Turf Density
TifSport has a greater density than Tifway-about a 1 point difference on a 10 point scale. And it’s about 3 points better than common bermudagrass.
Good Lateral Growth
TifSport is more aggressive than genetically pure Tifway, especially during the cool weather months. This may account for TifSport’s rapid grow-in and repair time.
Superior Sod Strength
TifSport has superior sod strength. This translates into improved playing conditions and resistance to divot injury in football, golf and baseball.
Excellent Traffic Tolerance
TifSport’s density, sod strength and good lateral growth rate give it a high ranking for traffic tolerance. Athletic field managers and golf course superintendents are reporting outstanding re-growth from normal wear and tear.
Upright Leaf Blade Orientation
TifSport’s leaf blade orientation and stiffness is being touted by many golf course superintendents. They feel Tifsport gives a better ball lie in cut fairways and roughs.
Impressive Leaf Texture
TifSport has a similar leaf texture to Tifway, and a finer leaf texture than most other grasses used on fairways and tees. This also helps promote good footing on athletic fields.
Dark Green Color
TifSport has a dark emerald green color versus the somewhat lighter green of Tifway and Quickstand.
Drought Tough
TifSport developer Wayne Hanna has data from a 2-year study showing that TifSport has good drought tolerance. It not only stays green longer but it also recovers faster.
Cold Tolerant
TifSport has expanded the northern limits for warm season bermudagrasses, and has remained very consistent over multiple winters in Oklahoma.
Varietal Purity
In many cases common bermuda is being sold as Tifway 419, but Tifsport’s on-going purity is carefully controlled by a rigorous set of rules and guidelines.
Vigorous Root System
This inside view of a typical TifSport plug shows TifSport’s impressive root system, stolons and rhizomes.
To Order Your Certified TifSport Bermudagrass Sod or Sprigs, Contact One of These Licensed Tifsport Growers McFall Sod & Seed Co. •Columbia TN 931 381-3667 & 800 869-7659 Quail Valley Grasses •Little Rock AR 800 666-0007 & 501 975-6281 Super Sod •Fort Valley GA 800 535-1320 Turfgrass America •Brentwood TN 615 377-9007 •Nashville TN 800 666-0943 •Taft TN 800 627-8816 Mid Tenn Turf, Inc. •Manchester TN 800 782-4083 •Nashville TN 615 244-2333 •Murfreesboro TN 615 896-2252
DISTRIBUTOR OF TURF & INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
118 Park South Court • Nashville, TN 37210 Phone: (615) 244-9871 • Fax: (615) 255-4917
BOB LADD INC. P.O. Box 820269 • Memphis, TN 38182-0269 Phone: (901) 324-8801 • Fax: (901) 324-6814
The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association and the Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association
TABLE OF CONTENTS DECEMBE R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 4
FEATURED ARTICLES
10
Make Communications Planning One of Your Best Management Practices
15
Tennessee Turfgrass Association 38th Annual Conference & Trade Show Registration and Exhibitor Information
10
All the Right Words On-the-Road Communication
DEPARTMENTS From the President 6 A Message from TVSTMA 8 Industry News 30 Green Lines 34 Green Lines 37 GCSAA Chapter Seminar Registration Form 40 Index of Advertisers 42 Calendar of Events 42 Classified Ads 42
15 A GROWING TRADITION
IN TENNESSEE'S
GREEN INDUSTRY
20 4
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
FROM THE PRESIDENT
I
t’s time to reflect upon my experiences with TTA as my tenure as President comes to an end. In 1991 when I first arrived in
Tennessee from Charlotte, North Carolina, the TTA Conference and Trade Show was at Nashville’s Sheraton Hotel. That is also the same year David Stone won the Turf Professional of the Year award. At that conference, Dr. Tom Samples introduced himself to me and said, “We are expecting great things from you here in Tennessee.” I had no clue what he meant at the time, and I’m still not sure I do now. Two years later Dr. Tom asked if I would run for the TTA Board. Not knowing what I was getting myself into and a little nudging from Frank Turner and Jeff Rumph, I said, “Why not?”. Ten years later, volunteering for TTA was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Did I do great things for Tennessee? I don’t believe so, but I did shorten the TTA Board meetings from 5 hours to 3 hours. Over the years my feelings and opinions were always well-known—nothing held back. Sometimes I probably should have kept my mouth shut during the early years more often than I did. That changed to listening rather than talking the year Bill Blackburn asked me to serve as Vice President, 4 years ago. Leadership has its rewards and pit falls. The rewards of serving and contributing to TTA unequivocally outweigh the pit falls. The saying, “membership has its privileges,” is so true for TTA, with the privilege to meet wonderful professionals in the turfgrass industry. Every year I look forward to learning from my peers and their experiences at the conference. Meeting the up-and-coming young superintendents, assistant superintendents, sports turf, and landscape professionals. The The Tennessee Turfgrass Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Magazine, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or Turfgrass Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright ©2001 by the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. is published bi-monthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to
6
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
DAN STUMP
trade show has allowed me to find new and innovative ideas, supplies, and equipment that can make my job easier while possibly giving my clients a better product. The last thing I would like to pass along to all that read this article is we cannot thank our supporting vendors enough. I, like many, used to take the vendors for granted, expected them to be at the trade shows, sponsor fundraisers, and sponsor meetings. Even if I did not support them I expected them to support those functions. It’s a free perk, I thought. That’s not true and should never be looked upon that way. The vendors spend a lot of money to attend the trade show, sponsor fundraisers and sponsor meetings, without getting a sale. Their hope is that you will remember them, and if they can provide you with a service you will support them. They don’t have to do this, but they do. They support TTA and other turfgrass groups because they fill the need to give back to the industry, as we should, too. So please take the time at this year’s conference and trade show and visit each of the vendors and thank them for all their support. In conclusion, I wish to thank the membership for your trust and support. Please continue to support the (soon to be elected) new officers, Board of Directors, and Executive Secretary. I look forward to seeing you in January at the 2004 Conference and Trade Show at The Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. Thank you for allowing me to serve you on the TTA Board the last ten years.
Dan Stump TTA President T Tennessee Turfgrass Association, 400 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 37069. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Franklin, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, P.O. Box 680142, Franklin, TN 37068-0142, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524. Deadlines are the 1st of the month prior to the following month’s publication. (Example: August 1st for the September issue.)
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
RegalStar® has been the muscle behind turf management
twenty years, has never seen its equal. It eats broadleaf weeds,
herbicide programs for over two decades now, with no sign
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A MESSAGE FROM TVSTMA Tennessee Turfgrass is the official publication of The Tennessee Turfgrass Association 400 Franklin Road Franklin, Tennessee 37069 (615) 591-8286 tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
H
ow much would you pay for information and advice to help you maintain your sports fields? When you’re facing a problem, wouldn’t it be great to be able to look at a variety of solutions under one roof? I have the opportunity to visit many groundskeepers, field managers, and coaches who maintain their own sports fields throughout TN, AL and GA. I am always puzzled as to why most have similar concerns, but no one calls anyone else to see if there is a fix for those concerns. Now I am a newcomer to the turf industry and have been told by those who know what they are doing that there are sometimes other variables we cannot see that would make them unique situations. There is merit in that statement, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck... (okay, I will still take it to a duck expert just in case). Terry Porch, Sports Field Manager for the TN Titans, has always said to me, it is all about communication. You can always learn something new if you are just open to communication. Don Zodun, Field Manager for The McCallie School in Chattanooga, says if you have a question there is someone out there that can help you get an answer. You just have to ask. Tiff Canady, Field Manager for Franklin Road Academy in Nashville makes it a point to listen to other field managers’ challenges, just in case he comes across the same challenge. I can see why they are leaders in their field. The TVSTMA, STMA and TTA are a one-stop center for advice, contacts, inspiration, and suggestions on a wide range of topics. These associations can put you in touch with one or more individuals who have the know-how you need. The sharing of information seems to be the key to success. Today, the sports turf manager is being viewed from every part of the game, from players to the fans, parents to the owners, and lately sports anchors. With all the demands of having better and safer sports turf, the managers need all the assistance they can gather. The associations offer that assistance, and I know I will need all the guidance I can get.
Johnny Ponce Pioneer “The Striping People” T
8
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC P.O. Box 680142 Franklin, Tennessee 37068-0142 (615) 790-3718 Fax (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editors
Mr. Bill Blackburn Mr. Derek Oglesby Mr. Lynn Ray Mr. Jeff Rumph
TTA 2003 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. Dick Breedlove Mrs. Monica Lalinde-Cooper Mr. Bill Francis Mr. Roger Frazier Mr. Bob Hogan Mr. Tommy Mittlesteadt Mr. Derek Oglesby Mr. Jeff Skinner Mr. Bobby Stringer Mr. Tim Taylor Mr. Tommy Warden Mr. Scott Wicker
TTA ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mr. Jeff Rumph Mr. Lynn Ray Dr. Tom Samples Dr. Dennis Shepard Dr. John Sorochan TTA OFFICERS President Mr. Dan Stump Chickasaw Country Club (901) 325-8320 Vice President Mr. Jeff Case Quail Ridge Golf Course (901) 388-9114 Secretary/Treasurer Mr. Phil Luckett Brentwood Country Club (615) 370-8054 Executive Secretary Jim Uden (615) 591-8286
Turfgrass for the 21st Century Excellent shade tolerance Winstead Turf Farms is now offering new Palisades™, hybrid Zoysia that solves just about all your lawn problems. Developed by Texas A & M and certified by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Palisades is tough, winter hearty, withstands low mowing and requires less water. It’s the perfect turfgrass for new lawns, athletic fields and golf courses. Call today to reserve this quality 21st Century turfgrass.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Boilig f f e J By
from rmission e p h t i w d t” Reprinte nagemen a M e s r u “Golf Co 3 200 January
ation n i t s a r c o the “pr e v a h rongu t s t s o yo o m ven the E ? ” e n on oce s g a h l a u divid er do v e n willed in “ o d y the cre ff until tob d e v i l put o casion n a c u o at y today wh ” morrow.
D
d on Continue
10
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
page 12
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
11
MAKE COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING... CONTINUED But is it Procrastination or Just a Case of Overload? We all seem busier with each passing day. Occupational demands, family obligations and social responsibilities clog our schedules. How do we get it all done? Training, practice and desire can go a long way in giving order to our lives. In the words of motivational writer-speaker Stephen R. Covey, “Put first things first.”
Take Time to Plan Preparation enhances performance. For most superintendents, the winter months are generally the best time to plan for activities and projects in the upcoming year. Though your focus may be planning for on-course projects, it should also be on mapping out activities that can help to ensure career and professional success. A well-defined communications plan is essential. If your communications activities “happen on the fly,” you run the huge risk that you will fail and could be worse off than when you started. The first step in developing your communications plan for the upcoming year is to dedicate time for planning. The elements of this “plan” should include the following: • Audience(s): Who needs to hear your message and what are your potential audiences? • Message(s): What do you want to communicate to the audience(s)? • Medium: By what means does the communication reach the audience(s)? • Timing: When do you deliver the message? • Feedback: How can you measure the effectiveness of your communication and if the message was received as intended? The communications process is not linear. There is no beginning and there is no end. As messages are communicated (by the sender) to an audience (the receiver), they are interpreted and a response is generated (by the receiver). That response is interpreted (by the sender), and communication in the form of affirmation or additional messaging is directed to the target audience (receiver). Theory tells us that communication is successful when both the sender and the receiver understand the message in the same manner. But theory is not often easy to transform into reality.
Whether you are an individual superintendent or a chapter leader developing a communications plan, there are certain individuals and/or groups to which you must direct your message. In fact, you may have to limit your audiences because your resources can’t stretch to reach the many people with whom you interact. For the golf course superintendent, the professional responsibility is clear—provide quality playing conditions based
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
For the golf course superintendent, the professional responsibility is clear—provide quality playing conditions based on the available resources. If only it were that simple. Rising golfer expectations, shrinking budgets and labor shortages are becoming ever-present challenges. Although we cannot control everything that affects our work, we can and should use communications to exert influence and enhance our careers.
What Do You Say?
Who is Your Audience?
12
on the available resources. If only it were that simple. Rising golfer expectations, shrinking budgets and labor shortages are becoming ever-present challenges. Although we cannot control everything that affects our work, we can and should use communications to exert influence and enhance our careers. Perhaps you are a superintendent at a city-owned facility, and you have identified the parks supervisor (your superior), the parks council and your employees as your critical audiences. It might be that your supervisor and council are all relatively new and their need to know your duties, staffing needs, budgetary requirements, etc., is critical. You might identify your staff as a key audience because many are either new, lack experience in golf course maintenance or are seasonal workers. Your position as a superintendent at a daily fee course might require you to focus on a different audience. If you were to pursue significant improvements at your facility, a logical audience would be the owner(s)/investor(s) who would fund such a project. Perhaps your facility is due to open later in the year. To attract business, you would identify the media and golfers as targets. Defining the audience is critical because it sets the needle of the compass in charting your communications plans.
After you have identified the audience(s), the next step is to develop your message. If you are making a presentation to a roomful of university turfgrass students, your lexicon can be more technical than if you are speaking to your child’s sixthgrade science class. The ability of your audience to understand your message is key to crafting it. You might have only 10 seconds to communicate your message if a television reporter is interviewing you. Get straight to the point so the TV audience
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
Mulcher - Seeder
CONTINUED
can hear what you want them to. What you say is either reactive or proactive: you are either responding to communication or you are communicating first on an issue. Some call this being in a defensive mode or an offensive mode. Regardless, you should develop messages in advance so that you are prepared when it is time to communicate. These messages are often referred to as talking points. If you know that you are going to have to address the city commission about a golf course project next month, it would be wise to have three or four key messages crafted. You will then be prepared for the commission meeting (proactive) or the television reporter (reactive) who knocks on your door two days before the meeting. The Internet has provided helpful information and assistance in crafting messages.
How is it Delivered? Every form of communication has its advantages and disadvantages. The written word is a good way to deliver information that may need to be retrieved later, but it does nothing to reveal nonverbal communication or allow for feedback. That might suffice if you are writing an article for a facility newsletter explaining your aeration schedule. But if you are making a presentation to the green committee for a new irrigation system, simply submitting a written report will not suffice. The media often rely on “sources” to provide information for a news story. A reporter does not want a thesis on the subject. Provide “just the facts, ma’am” and give reporters a means to contact you for more information. As the great chefs have learned in Cooking 101,“It’s all in the presentation.”
Is Timing of the Essence? When the message is delivered can be critical to the success of the communication process. If your facility is hosting a
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MAKE COMMUNICATIONS PLANNING... CONTINUED junior golf clinic, it does little good to start contacting the media the day before the event. If the goal is to attract media attention to generate participation, communication with the media should begin months in advance of the activity. If you are engaging in maintenance activities that might disrupt play, it is imperative that you communicate this to your peer managers and golfers for their planning purposes. To be successful in the business of golf course management, communicate early and often.
interview with the media on a subject that might be technical in nature. After completing the interview, the superintendent should make sure the reporter understood the comments clearly and confirm the accuracy of the quotes. If there is a sense the reporter does not understand what is being said, it is appropriate to stop and restart the communication. Both parties should hold accuracy at a premium.
Was the Message Understood?
Even the best–laid plans can go awry if they are not executed properly. To help your chances, it would be wise to practice your communications skills, both verbal and written. Consider working with a fellow superintendent to practice making presentations. Invite a member of the media to put you through training in front of the camera. A number of civic organizations or clubs such as Toastmasters, Rotary and Kiwanis offer opportunities to improve speaking skills. It might not be as fun as hitting the driving range, but the concept is the same. _________________________________________________
Practice Makes Perfect
One should not assume that because something is written or spoken it is understood. The reason for this is quite simple: The frame of reference for the sender is often different from that of the receiver. The receiver filters the message through his or her own knowledge, so there may be some disconnect. The mistake some communicators make is they fail to close the loop by facilitating the feedback process. By being attuned to verbal and nonverbal signals, the sender is then able to react and engage the communication process for a second cycle to clarify the message. A perfect example of this occurs when a superintendent conducts a telephone
14
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Jeff Bollig is GCSAA’s director of communications. T
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
IN TENNESSEE'S
GREEN INDUSTRY
38th Annual Tennessee Turfgrass Association
TTA 2004 CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
A GROWING TRADITION
Conference and trade show
JANUARY 11–13, 2004 O P R Y L AND HOTE L • NASH V I L L E , TENNESSEE
15
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
— TTA 38TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
questionsfromtheaudience. GolfCourseSymposium Moderator:Mr.JeffRumph 2:00pm “ManagingDiseasesofBentgrassDuringSummerStresses” Dr.LaneTredway 2:45pm
“Beyond2004,HowtoMaketheMediaWorkforYou” Mr.AnthonyPioppi
3:30pm “Year2003InReview,EverythingYouWantedtoKnowBut WereAfraidtoAsk” Mr.ChrisHartwiger
DUCATIONAL PROGRAM
4:15pm “TheUniversityofTennesseeTurfgrassResearchUpdate” Ms.PamelaBaird,Dr.FrankHale,Dr.ScottMcElroy,Mr.Pat Parkman,Dr.DarrenRobinson,Dr.JohnSorochan,Dr.TomSamples,Dr.Robert Trigiano,Mr.TravisTeuton,Dr.AlanWindham
16
SportsTurfSession[1pt,cat3,10&12] Moderator:Mr.BobHogan 8:30am “Welcome” Mr.BobHogan
9:45am-12:30pm TRADESHOW 12:00pm LUNCH 1:00pm-3:00pm Workshops “MicroscopicTurfDiseaseDiagnosisWorkshopforGolf CourseSuperintendents” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Dr.AlanWindham,(Limitof12participants) Thisworkshopwil emphasizetheuseofmicroscopesto diagnosecommonturfgrassdiseases.Participantswil learnhowtoexamine turfsmicroscopicallyforsignsoffungaldiseasesandtolookforfungalhypha, sporesandotherfruitingbodiesthatarehelpfultoconfirmthepresenceofthemost commonfungiassociatedwithturfgrassdiseases.
5:00pm “TheTurfgrassManagementCurriculumatTheUniversityof TennesseeatMartin” Dr.TerryL.Vassey8:15am Workshops “MicroscopicTurfDiseaseDiagnosisWorkshopforGolf CourseSuperintendents” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Dr.AlanWindham,(Limitof12participants) Thisworkshopwil emphasizetheuseofmicroscopesto diagnosecommonturfgrassdiseases.Participantswil learnhowtoexamine turfsmicroscopicallyforsignsoffungaldiseasesandtolookforfungalhypha, sporesandotherfruitingbodiesthatarehelpfultoconfirmthepresenceofthemost commonfungiassociatedwithturfgrassdiseases.
“OptimizingTurfgrassNutrition:FertilizerSelectionandApplicationScheduling” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Mr.BradJakubowski Thisworkshopwil focusonthemajorconsiderationswhen developinganannualturfgrassfertilizationprogram.Attendeesareencouragedto bringquestions,fertilizersamplesandsoiltestresultsforuseduringtheworkshop.
“TakingControlofGreenSpeed” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Dr.ThomNikolai,21/2hrs. Surveysindicatethatthenumberonethinggolferswantto knowaboutgolfcoursesisgreenspeed.Giventhatthegolferistheclient,the superintendentshouldbethemostversedindividualonthegolfcourseconcerning mattersofgreenspeed.Factorsdiscussedduringthisworkshopincludeabrief historyofgreenspeed,environmentalimpact,rootzonesoilsandculturalpractices suchasmowing,fertility,lightweightrollingandtopdressing.Iftimepermits,a questionandanswerperiodwil addressotherfactorsaswell.
“ConsideringTurfgrassWeeds” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Dr.ScottMcElroy Thisworkshopwil focusonturfgrassweedmanagement andcontrol,aswellastheeffectofthemicroenvironmentonthepresenceand persistenceofindividualweedspecies.
“TurfgrassIntegratedPestManagement:Considerthe Advantages” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Dr.FrankHale&Dr.PatParkman,2hrs. Thisworkshopwil introduceseveralinsectpestsofturfgrasses andtheprocessofworkingwiththeecosystemtotakefulladvantageofnatural checksandbalancesthathelpkeepturfshealthy. “BeyondpH” [2pts,cat3,10&12] Dr.WarrenAnderson,Mr.JimMilerandDr.TomSamples, 2hrs Thisworkshopwil focusontheimpactofsoilphysicaland chemicalpropertiesonturfgrasshealth.Thewaterandnutrientholdingcapacities ofseveralsoilswil becompared.Thevalueofusingbasesaturationtomonitor theeffectivenessofsoilappliedcalcium,magnesiumandpotassiumwil be demonstrated. 11:15am SpecialPanelDiscussion Moderator:Mr.PhilLuckett GolfCourseandGreensConstruction “TheChallengesofGolfCourseandGreensConstructionin Tennessee” Mr.PaulCarter,Mr.PhilLuckett,Mr.JeffMadsen,Mr.Doug Ward Superintendentsonthepanelwil beavailabletoanswer
“AreYouSureYouAreDealingWithCompactedSoils?”[2 pts,cat3,10&12] Mr.ChuckDixon Thedetrimentaleffectofcompactiononwatermovementand oxygenlevelsinsoilswil bedemonstratedduringthisworkshop.
“ASportsTurfResearchUpdate” Dr.John(Trey)N.RogersII
9:30am
“TennesseeTitansFootball,BeyondtheTurf” Mr.BobHyde
10:15am-12:00pm TradeShow 12:00pm AwardsLuncheon GolfCourseSession[2pts,cat3,10&12] Moderator:Ms.MonicaM.LalindeCooper 1:45pm “TurfgrassWeedManagementResearchatNorthCarolina StateUniversity,AnUpdate” Dr.FredYelverton 2:30pm
“TheEvolutionofAerificationEquipment” Mr.JohnMascaro
3:00pm
“Trey’sTravels,WhatI’veSeenWorkingwithStudentInterns” Dr.JohnR.(Trey)RodgersII
3:45pm 4:15pm
GolfCourseSuperintendentsAssociationsBusinessMeeting ADJOURN PLEASEHAVEASAFETRIPHOME!
LawnandGroundsSession [2pts,cat3,10&12] Moderator:Mr.PhilLuckett 1:45pm “BeautifulLandscapeswithCompellingandDurablePlants” Ms.J.CarolReese 2:30pm tals”
“BetterMethodsofControllingWeedsinTurfandOrnamen-
3:00pmto6:00pm TradeShow 7:00amto8:30am TradeShow GolfCourseSession[1pt,cat3,10&12] Moderator:Mr.JeffCase 8:30am “Welcome” Mr.DanStump
3:15pm AnUpdate”
“TurfgrassesandNativeGrassesinTennesseeLandscapes,
8:45am
9:00am “BentgrassBallMarkRecovery– AnInvestigation” Ms.AndreaBakalyar 9:30am tion”
Dr.DarrenRobinson
Dr.TomSamples
3:45pm ADJOURN PLEASEHAVEASAFETRIPHOME! SportsTurfSession [2pts,cat3,10&12] Moderator:Mr.StanThomas 1:45pm “PerformanceofSportsTurfModulesatVirginiaTech” Mr.JoshuaMcPherson
“JohnMascaro’sPhotoQuizComesAlive” Mr.JohnMascaro
“TrendsinGolfCourseArchitecture,RestorationandRenovaMr.RonWhiten
LawnandGroundsSession [1pt,cat3,10&12] Moderator:Mr.TommyWarden 8:30am “Welcome” Mr.TommyWarden
2:15pm
“SportsTurfManagement:ToolsoftheTrade” Dr.VanCline
3:00pm
“TurfandDirt,FieldPreparationTips” Mr.TomBurns
3:45pm Thomas
“RenovatingaFootballField:TheWhitesCreekStory” Mr.BilyClark,Mr.BobElliot,Mr.PatrickRemke&Mr.Stan
8:45am
“HaveYouConsidered,...???” Dr.StephenGarton
4:15pm
TVSTMABusinessMeeting
9:30am
“ThirtyoftheTopShrubsforTennesseeLandscapes” Mr.HubertP.Conlon
4:30pm
ADJOURN PLEASEHAVEASAFETRIPHOME!
TT A 2004 CO NFERENCE & TRADE SHOW S P E A K E R Ms. Pamela R. Baird Ms. Andrea Bakalyar Mr. Tom Burns Mr. Bob Campbell Mr. Paul Carter Mr. Billy Clark Dr. Van Cline Mr. Hubert P. Conlon Mr. Bob Elliott
8:45am
Dr. Stephen Garton Dr. Frank A. Hale Mr. Chris Hartwiger Mr. Bob Hogan Mr. Bob Hyde Mr. Phil Luckett Mr. Jeff Madsen Mr. John Mascaro Dr. Scott McElroy
Mr. Joshua McPherson Mr. Jim Miller Dr. Thom Nikolai Dr. James P. “Pat” Parkman Mr. Anthony Pioppi Ms. J. Carol Reese Mr. Patrick Remke Dr. Darren Robinson
LIST
Dr. John (Trey) N. Rogers III Dr. Tom Samples Dr. John C. Sorochan Mr. Dan Stump Dr. Lane Tredway Mr. Stan Thomas Dr. Robert Trigiano Mr. Travis C. Teuton
Dr. Terry L. Vassey Mr. Doug Ward Mr. Tommy Warden Mr. Ron Whitten Dr. Alan Windham Dr. Fred Yelverton
Tennessee Turfgrass Association Conference and trade show
Please complete, sign and return this form with your payment. company name: Please list all information as you would like it to appear in the directory.
address: city/state/zip: telephone: fax: email:
PRIMARY FUNCTION COMMERCIAL q Commercial Lawn Care q Retail Center q Landscaping q Irrigation Contractor q DOT q Other_______________
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Please list the first and last names of the persons attending the 2004 Conference & Trade Show. Attach separate list if needed.
PLEASE CHECK THE BOX FOR ADDITIONAL ASSOCIATION AFFILIATIONS:
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$ $
150.00 175.00
Early Associate Member Registration $ On-Site Associate Member Registration $
105.00 120.00
Early Student Member Registration On-Site Student Member Registration
$ $
55.00 60.00
One Day Pass (Limit 1)
75.00
Price includes 2003 Membership Dues
$
Registrants from the same facility are eligible for Associate Membership if the facility has two primary members.
$
One Day Student Pass (Limit 1)
$
Awards Luncheon Ticket $ Endowment Fund Contribution
20.00
q Research q Scholarship
$ $ $
10.00
$
q Extension
Please make checks payable to:
Tennessee Turfgrass Association • 400 Franklin Road • Franklin, TN 37069
TTA Office Use Only
TTA 2004 CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
38th Annual
Date ______________
Check No. ______________
GRAND TOTAL
Cash ______________
$
Amount ______________
17
RULES & REGULATIONS
18
XH I B I T O R
I N F O R M A T I O N
A 2004 CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Opening and Closing: The exhibit officially opens at 9:45 A.M., Monday, January 12, 2004, and will close at 12:15 P.M., Tuesday, January 13, 2004. Exhibit Set-up and Breakdown: Set-up will begin at 11:00 A.M. on January 11, 2004, for island exhibitors only. General booth set-up will continue from 1:00 P.M., January 11, 2004, until 8:00 P.M. The exhibit hall will remain open for exhibitor set-up at 7:00 A.M., Monday, January 12, 2004, until 9:00 A.M. All exhibits must be completed by 9:00 A.M., Monday, January 12, 2004. Booths: There will be eighty (80) 9’ x 10’ booths available. Each will be piped, draped and carpeted. Each will have a 6’ skirted table, 2 chairs, wastebasket and one I.D. sign. All booths will be carpeted in teal with aisleways and entrances in red. There will also be four (4) islands available. Each will have three (3) skirted tables, six (6) chairs, three (3) wastebaskets and one (1) I.D. sign. Island size and cost varies. Contract for Space: The application for space and the formal notice of assignment constitutes a contract for the right to use the space so allotted. In the event of fire, strikes, or other uncontrollable circumstances, the contract will not be binding. The Tennessee Turfgrass Association reserves the right to cancel any contract with any exhibitor any time prior to or during the conference. Use of Space: All demonstrations, interviews, distributions of
advertising material or other activities must be confined to the limits of the exhibit booths. No exhibitor shall assign, sublet or share the whole or part of the space allotted without the knowledge and approval of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. Insurance and Fire Protection: The Tennessee Turfgrass Association will exercise all reasonable care for the protection of exhibitor’s material and displays. An official of the trade show committee will be on duty in the exhibit area during set-up and breakdown periods. The exhibit area will be secured during non-exhibit hours. Liability: The exhibitor agrees to make no claim against the Tennessee Turfgrass Association nor its members or employees for loss, theft, damage or destruction of goods, nor any injury to himself/herself, or employees prior, during or subsequent to the period covered by the exhibit contract, nor for any damage whatsoever, including the damage to his business by reason of failure to provide space for the exhibit, nor for failure to hold the Conference as scheduled. The exhibitor, upon signing the contract for exhibit space, expressly releases the foregoing named conference and individuals from any and all claims for such loss, damage or injury. Cancellation: In the event an exhibitor must cancel, and cannot exhibit, the following will apply. A. If the reserved booth or island can be contracted, a 100% refund will be granted. B. If the reserved booth or island can not be contracted, a 50% refund will be granted.
GCSAA SEMINAR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14TH T I M E T BA
DAVID STONE & MILT ENGELKEY
floor plan Please indicate preferences on Exhibit Space contract
“MANAGEMENT OF ZOYSIA GRASS FOR GOLF COURSES”
Please complete, sign and return this form with your payment.
BOOTHS SIZE UNIT PRICE
QUANTITY TOTAL
$50
Attend the TTA Luncheon & Business Meeting! $20/person January 13, 2004
Please make checks payable to: Tennessee Turfgrass Association 400 Franklin Road FIRST CHOICE Franklin, TN 37069
SECOND CHOICE
THIRD CHOICE
BOOTH PREFERENCE ISLAND PREFERENCE OTHER
Please print or type the following: Name: (Person responsible for the booth)
MEMBER Name:
(To be included in Directory)
Signature: Firm:
(As your ID sign should read)
Mailing Address: City:
F O R M
All reservations are made on a first-paid, first-reserved basis only. Please note the cancellation policy as outlined in the section of the brochure entitled “Rules & Regulations.” If electricity is required, please contact Opryland Hotel at (615) 889-1000. Purchased luncheon tickets will be included in vendor packet upon registration and setup.
R E G I S T R A T I O N
BOOTHS 100 – 816 90 SQ FT $495 ISLANDS A 2,500 SQ FT $3,585 B 2,500 SQ FT $3,585 C 3,000 SQ FT $4,300 D 2,400 SQ FT $3,450 ADDITIONAL MEMBERSHIP TO TTA: (1 included with 9’ x10’ booth, 4 included with island)
TTA 2004 CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
Conference and trade show
XH I B I T O R
Tennessee Turfgrass Association
State: Zip:
Telephone:
Fax:
EMAIL: **ADDITIONAL NAMES FOR BADGES:
(**If more space is needed, please attach a complete list)
**ADDITIONAL MEMBERSHIPS:
(**If more space is needed, please attach a complete list)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRODUCTS/SERVICES YOU SELL OR PROVIDE:
19
INDUSTRY NEWS
Reprinted with permission from “Golf Course Management” October 1998
Knowing what to say and how to say it can help you communicate both successes and failures to your employer, golfers and community. By John Wake
I
n the business of golf course management, there are only so many variables you can control. For all the training you’ve received to ensure everything
will go right on the course, there are still times when things will go wrong. Although you work hard to avoid mistakes and prevent unfortunate situations, they can happen. But how you communicate failures, as well as success, can make all the difference. Communicating good and bad news is a vital part of the superintendent’s profession, and it is important to know how to do both. “Your more successful people in this business, from coast to coast, are the ones who can communicate,” says Stephen Cadenelli, CGCS, superintendent at Cape Cod National Golf Club in Brewster, Mass., and a GCSAA past president (1991). “I fell into this business with a background in education and teaching, so I was able to recognize the need to communicate,” says the 25-year GCSAA member. “I think the first thing for superintendents to know is that the need to communicate is important.”
Communicating Problems
When the great outdoors serves as your workplace, much of what you deal with is outside of your control. Weather, turf diseases, insects and wildlife are just a few things that can complicate your daily duties on the golf course—maybe even your entire career. When he started as superintendent at Country Club of New Canaan in New Canaan, Conn., in 1977, Cadenelli says he faced a golf course in need of renovation, and communication was the key to his success on the job. “The golf course had a tremendous amount of thatch and a Hyperodes (bluegrass weevil) problem,” he says. “I remember walking into a committee meeting one time with a bag of turf and saying, ‘Here’s your problem.’ That worked in terms of communicating my 20
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
ALL THE RIGHT WORDS CONTINUED solution of stripping the fairways and replacing them one at a time.” The chairman of the long-range planning committee for the golf course renovation project at New Canaan was a senior planner for IBM. Cadenelli says being able to communicate effectively with these committee members earned him respect and showcased his competence. “Through my willingness to sit at the table with these people, they developed a respect for my abilities,” he says. “If you can communicate and interrelate with people, you develop respect and show you have more abilities than maintaining the turf on the golf course.”
Communicating Success
Before considering how to communicate a problem to your employer and golfers, make sure you are properly communicating your successes. If you’re currently doing a good job, let people know it. To help ensure the success of the golf course and his career, Cadenelli joined a public relations effort to inform the public about Cape Cod National GC before it opened last year. The result, he says, was a successful introduction of the new course to the public and an introduction about the important role of the golf course superintendent. “We had groups of prospective members tour the course during construction,” he explains. “We really took them through ‘Golf Course Construction 101.’ There was a high level of positive feedback. We completed a MID037-MID TENN TURF, INC.
KEYPOINTS: n To help ensure success in your career, it’s important to learn how to be a confident, wellcomposed communicator. Assessing your personal communication strengths will help you recognize what is helping or hindering you achieve this goal. n It is important to keep the lines of communication open between you, your employer and the public through both informal and formal verbal and written communication. n Being able to speak effectively will help you get your point across. A well-written letter, memo or club newsletter can break the ice and introduce you and your viewpoints to your employer, golfers and community. n If you don’t currently possess strong communication skills, seek additional education. GCSAA offers several resources through its career development and education departments.
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21
ALL THE RIGHT WORDS CONTINUED When George Manuel, superintendent at Pine Forest Country Club in Houston, graduated from Texas A&M in 1977, he worked for a small, nine-hole golf course. At first, he says, he was resolved to spending the rest of his life at a small course. But then he realized he wanted more from himself and his career. To elevate his career, he worked to improve his personal and professional skills, including his communication skills. “I think we have a real problem among superintendents, not just with a lack of communication skills, but a lack of wanting to improve those skills,” the fiveyear GCSAA member says. “If you never do that (improve your skills), you never make it to the top. There are those who have, but they are by far the exception to the rule.” Informal communication is just as essential as formal presentations. Superintendents should be visible and accessible, get to know green committee members and management, introduce themselves to golfers and offer tours of their maintenance facilities.
membership of about 200 people without spending one dollar on marketing.” Becoming a confident, wellcomposed communicator involves assessing your personal strengths and weaknesses that either help or hinder your ability to communicate: • Attitude. Are you personable? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Are you cool under pressure or a hot-head? • Presence. Are you accessible on a regular basis to your employer, other managers and golfers? • Flexibility. Are you able to change plans easily without complaints? • Commitment level. Are you committed to learning more about your profession through real-life learning experiences on the course or in the classroom receiving continuing education?
22
Getting Heard and Getting Read
Keeping the lines of communication open
Assessing your strengths and weaknesses in the areas of attitude, presence, flexibility and commitment level can help you discover how to become a better communicator.
between you, your employer and the public is a critical safeguard to your career. Superintendents should have daily, informal chats with employers and golfers, as well as formal communication with green committees or other influential groups. The possibilities are almost end-
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
less when it comes to informal communication: • Get to know members of your green committee and executive management. • Introduce yourself to golfers on the course and in the clubhouse. • Offer tours of your maintenance facility for golfers, showcasing the importance of your operation. • Be visible and accessible. When conducting a formal meeting, keep these key points in mind: • Schedule the meeting in advance. • Arrive with a wellthought position or goal. • Remember proper acknowledgments and thanks. • Follow up after the meeting. “Communication helps you to sell your programs, to put in straightforward terms what you need, to set shortand long-term goals, and to negotiate,” Cadenelli says. “So many people have a very, very limited understanding of golf course management. They think the golf course is just a big lawn, and it’s anything but that.” It’s also important to be able to communicate effectively in writing. Whether it’s a general letter, a memo or a monthly club newsletter, written communication can break the ice and introduce you and your viewpoints to others. When using the written word to communicate, remember this advice: • Be knowledgeable about the topic you’re writing about. Some research may be necessary. • Strike while the iron is hot. Hot news is good news when reporting to your employer, green committee and golfers. Whether it’s success or failure, you should be quick to address both. • Communicate in your own words. Be straightforward in your writing. Don’t anticipate winning a Pu-
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
ALL THE RIGHT WORDS CONTINUED litzer by writing above your head or your audience’s heads. • Use proper spelling, grammar and structure. Few vocations demand such a wide range of knowledge as the profession of golf course superintendent. To be successful, it takes a special marriage of agronomics and professional skills such as communication. “I truly believe we have a lot of good agronomists in the industry,” says Manuel. “We have the agronomy skills— we got them in college and we work on them every day. But if you are not aware that you are a bad communicator, you are not going to make it. It’s critical to our success.” To help build your personal and professional communication skills, the GCSAA career development department offers a variety of booklets, includ-
ing “Communication: The Cornerstone of Professional Relationships” and “A Handguide to Improving the Employer/ Superintendent Relationship.” To request materials, contact the GCSAA service center at (800) 472-7878. GCSAA’s education department will also offer the seminar “Communication Skills to Get You to the Top and Keep You There” at the 1999 conference and show in Orlando. For information about this and other career-enhancing seminars, visit the education section of this site or contact the education department at (800) 472-7878, ext. 474. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– John Wake is GCSAA’s copywriter and promotions specialist for career development. T
While it’s essential to know how to properly communicate difficult news, it’s equially important to communicate your successes. If you’re doing a good job, let people know it.
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23
INDUSTRY NEWS
On-the-Road Communication Using communication technology effectively is a key to maintaining a professional image.
By Kelly Loganbill
24
T
Reprinted with permission from “Golf Course Management” January 2001
echnology has made its way into the golf course superintendent’s mode of operation. Today’s superintendents are professionals who must manage a variety of messages from multiple technologies. Cell phones, voice mail, e-mail, personal data assistants (PDAs) and other tools have increased the learning curve and changed the way business communication is conducted in several ways. For the superintendent who wants to keep up-to-date with the latest technology, there’s more than just learning which wires to connect. Using these tools effectively and efficiently will help the superintendent build an image as a professional. “Today the people in higher levels of management are seeing the superintendent is more than a grass grower. They are seeing he needs to have the latest in technology so he can be all the professional he can be,” says Dave Johnson, CGCS at Timarron Golf Club nearDallas and a 24-year GCSAA member. When superintendents are away from the course, keeping in touch is important. Communicating with owners, managers and assistant superintendents increases the need for the superintendent to stay plugged in to course happenings. During February, superintendents attending GCSAA’s golf championship and conference and show will be away from the golf course approximately 11 days. Proper planning and preparation can make the departure easier and keep course operations running smoothly.
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
O N - T H E - R O A D C O M M U N I C A T I O N C O N T I N U E D From the Road
Maintaining effective communication is even more challenging when you are traveling. Proper preparation can make communication from the road easier to handle and more effective. During his year as GCSAA president, Dave Fearis, CGCS at Blue Hills Country Club in Kansas City, Mo., spent more than 100 days away from the golf course. He says an integral part of his trip planning was preparing the staff. Fearis’ pre-trip planning process includes preparing a list of general projects that need to be completed and holding a meeting with his assistant superintendents. “It’s a matter of organization before you leave,” says the 32-year GCSAA member. “I believe that if the assistants can’t make a decision while I’m gone, I haven’t trained them right.” Joe Traficano, CGCS at Ren-
egade Golf Course at Desert Mountain near Scottsdale, Ariz., spends approximately 30 days each year away from the course. To ensure course operations and projects stay on track, he also works to prepare the staff. “I complete a monthly outline of practices that need to be completed on the course,” says Traficano. “This gives the staff a heads-up of what needs to get done. If I’m not here, I know they are aware of what needs to be completed.” Keeping staff up-to-date on your agenda and how to contact you helps send a professional message. Staff also should be trained in how to use tools such as voice mail and e-mail. Traficano provides his administrative assistant with his schedule and contact numbers. He also copies her on pertinent e-mail messages. John Kosmalski, CGCS, from Saline, Mich., suggests leaving good instructions for the staff and others with whom
KEYPOINTS: n
Technological tools that improve your availability are effective only if properly used. n Being away from the course for an extended time period requires preparation of specific messages. n Voice mail and e-mail may be easier and faster, but protocol still applies. n Maintaining good business etiquette when using voice mail or e-mail can improve your professional image. n Remember a customer is at the other end of voice-mail and e-mail messages.
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O N - T H E - R O A D C O M M U N I C A T I O N C O N T I N U E D
Talking tool V
oice mail has become one of the most commonly used methods of staying connected from remote sites. Using this tool correctly can assist a superintendent conducting business away from the golf course. Most people prefer short messages that include specific information. Longwinded messages commonly are placed at the bottom of return-call lists. The following voice-mail practices are recommended by a professional business consultant.
Whether at work or on a business trip, superintendents need to check voice-mail messages frequently—at least three times a day— and reply to calls promptly.
you communicate. Kosmalski says this includes changing your voice-mail message to indicate you are away from the golf course. The message should include details such as if and when you will be checking messages and who to contact for immediate assistance. He also suggests leaving a forwarding number and scheduling a time when you will call in to check messages. Communication tools are effective and efficient only if they are used consistently. Johnson has some basic recommendations for superintendents away from the golf course on business. “Superintendents need to be prompt in returning their voice mail,” Johnson says. “They also need to be prompt in checking messages—voice mail or e-mail. I think you should check messages at least three times a day—once when you arrive at work, around mid-day and again before you leave.” Johnson says that frequency may change depending on the superintendent’s situation. “A superintendent on a course under construction needs to be checking messages more frequently, because the decisions that need to be made could be costly to the owner,” he says.
Technology Tools
E-mail and voice mail have nearly replaced fax machines and regular phone conversations. For today’s golf course superintendent, cell phones have become a way of life. Although these tools are designed to help save time, additional benefits can be gained by effectively using all their options. “When you’re dealing with a lot of different people, using up-to-date technology shows you are aware of advances in management in the industry,” says Johnson. “It also shows you are trying to assume a position of professionalism and you bring that about by using the latest technology.” GCSAA’s Director of Management Information Services Jim Tramba says using new technology requires proper research. “You have to do your homework to ensure the technology will do what you want it to,” says Tramba. “It’s also important to
Do
Consider whether voice mail is the best medium for your message before leaving it. n Organize your thoughts before you pick up the telephone. Anticipate the message you will leave if the receiver doesn’t pick up. n Assess the length of your voice-mail message. What is a bite-size, doable request? n Direct receivers to look for details in writing (e-mail, memo and so forth). n Determine which verb will get your request across. n Be precise. When or by when? n Break up run-on sentences by replacing and, but and so with periods. Breathe. n Keep the message simple. n Be aware that voice mail is company property. n
Don’t
Leave angry voice mails. Wait until you’ve cooled off. Leave voice mails criticizing the work of the receiver or anyone else. Voice mails can easily be forwarded. Don’t leave a message unless you’re comfortable having it heard by other people. n Pick up the phone to call until you know what you’re asking the receiver to do. n n
Source: Elizabeth Guilday, principal of Coaching, Training, Transformation, a business consulting firm in New York.
Continued on page 28 26
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
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REMOTELY CONNECTED A remote e-mail account can help golf course superintendents
stay plugged in away from the course. These accounts are Web-based and can be accessed with an Internet connection. Hotel business centers, copy centers and other businesses that offer Internet connection can be used to access these accounts. At GCSAA’s conference and show, superintendents can use the Cyber Café to check e-mail on these types of accounts. Superintendents who have e-mail accounts through their golf course should check with their local Internet service provider (ISP) to ensure they can retrieve e-mail from a remote www.hotmail.com www.yahoo.com www.zdnet.com www.juno.com www.lycos.com www.smallbizmail.com
Pre-Departure Check List
location. Items to carry when using remote e-mail include a list of important e-mail addresses and a contact number for your local ISP in case problems occur. Jim Tramba, GCSAA’s director of management information services, suggests superintendents who want to stay connected via e-mail, but because of configuration, cannot access their regular account from remote locations, create a Web-based e-mail account. This address should be given to key contacts at the superintendent’s home course. The following Web sites offer Web-based e-mail:
www.clarence.com/horde/imp (Italian) www.mail.kozmail.com www.go.com www.cometmail.com www.realcities.com www.speedy3d.com/mail
Superintendents can use the following checklist before departing for GCSAA’s conference and show. 4 Meet with assistant superintendent/staff on projects to be completed during your absence. 4 Establish a central contact with the staff. 4 Develop an itinerary, including destination phone and fax numbers for the staff contact person.
www.email.angelfire.com www.webbox.com www.nycny.net www.everyone.net www.friendlyemail.com
4 Schedule call-back times with the staff contact person. 4Create an “out-of-office” message for e-mail and forward email to your Web-based e-mail account for retrieval on the road. 4 Change your voice-mail message to reflect your absence. Include when you will be available to return messages and provide the name and phone number of a con-tact in the interim.
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O N - T H E - R O A D C O M M U N I C A T I O N C O N T I N U E D
Accessing your e-mail account on the road requires some advance planning. Don’t assume e-mail can be automatically accessed from a remote location. Check with the ISP to find out if and how you can access the account.
pick the tool that is right for the message.” Tramba says a few steps must be taken to ensure the transmission of messages will be successful when using e-mail on the road: • Work with the local Internet services provider (ISP) to make sure every-thing is connected correctly. • When e-mailing from a remote location, be brief. Limit attachments you send and receive. • Don’t assume e-mail can be automatically accessed from a remote location. Both ends have to be considered. Having an e-mail account does not automatically mean it can be accessed from any location. Check with the ISP to find out if and how you can access the account. • Use remote e-mail as a communication device, not an entertain-
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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
ment medium. • Be aware of charges that may be assessed by hotels or other locations from which the e-mail is being checked. • If using a PDA, check with the ISP to discover how to use Internet connections and ensure their availability.
Golden Rule
The immediacy of voice mail and e-mail allows for nearly instant, and sometimes not thought out, responses. In addition, these communication mediums can be somewhat impersonal. To overcome these obstacles, remember the basic rule that you want to treat others how you would like to be treated. Kosmalski is a former superintendent who now owns his own business and is on both the receiving and delivery end of several messages. As owner of Accu-Products, an industry manufacturing business, he has found for a message to be effective in any format, it first must be considerate. “You have to remember that is a customer at the other end of the phone,” says the 28-year GCSAA member. “Everybody deserves a fair chance at a respectful conversation, and they should get that.” Traficano uses e-mail to keep in contact with his staff and the club’s members. He suggests trying to person-alize emails to make the message more effective. “Sometimes e-mail can come across somewhat rough,” says the 10-year GCSAA member. “I believe being polite and asking for personal contact in the messages helps.” Staying plugged in with today’s technology can be both challenging and rewarding. Superintendents who are properly prepared before leaving the course can project a professional image that will be with them long after their return. _______________________________ Kelly Loganbill is the brand marketing specialist in GCSAA’s career development department. T
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INDUSTRY NEWS
USGA Rating System
Confirms Colonial as Toughest in Tenn.
By Zack McMillin, zmcmillin@gomemphis.com • October 23, 2003 • Photographs by Mike Maple
F
our carts are parked alongside the No. 1 tee box at Colonial Country Club’s South Course, and eight
golfers are preparing to tackle the famous layout. Remembered for hosting the FedEx St. Jude Classic for 17 years—and for yielding Al Geiberger’s legendary round of 59 in 1977—the course is stretched out before these men, who are ready to take a measure of its mettle. Literally. Only, they do not bring drivers and wedges with them. Instead, they carry clipboards and pencils and laminated books with all manner of complicated instructions. These guys are USGA volunteers, out at Colonial on a perfect September day to give the old course a makeover of sorts. Don Goin, a local USGA volunteer, is in charge of the process, with John Ross, and David Jennings and Mike Emerson under his supervision. Pat Schroeder, Larry Walker and Leo Leathers are also involved, but because they are members at Colonial, they cannot calculate the numbers. They are there to assign the course its official USGA course and slope rating. The numbers on the Colonial scorecards say the par-72 course, which measures 7,334 yards from the very back tees, is the toughest in the state, with a 76.8 course rating and 142 slope. But that’s an old number, and its members contend that the course is even tougher now, with more length and faster greens. The USGA is curious to see what its new rating methods and revised standards will make of the toughest course in the state—and one of the toughest in the country. The job of this team is to figure the difficulty of each hole based on factors like length, fairway width, elevation change, bunkering, water hazards, rough, trees (and the ability to recover from them), and doglegs. In other words, just about anything that might affect a golfer’s ability to get the ball off the tee and into the hole. “One of the toughest courses we ever rated was (the Bear Trace course) at Chickasaw State Park,” says Ross, a retired
30
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
teacher and coach at Central. “There were trees and hazards on every hole. Any course with a lot of trouble is hard to rate.”
What’s a Slope?
Most golfers are at least familiar with the course rating and slope. They see it on nearly every scorecard at every course they play. They know the higher the numbers, the tougher the course. Most know that the course rating reflects what the USGA figures a scratch golfer—that is, one who generally shoots par for 18 holes—should shoot on a given course. Hundreds of factors are measured and cross-referenced to determine the extent to which a course will challenge the scratch golfer, and that’s what the USGA volunteers are doing at Colonial. As for the slope, hardly anyone knows what that means. Does it have to do with the contour of a course? Or the speed of the greens? The terrain? All of the above. The slope is actually a number devised to give the bogey golfer—one who generally winds up 17-22 strokes above par for 18 holes—an indication of how much a course will challenge him. To determine the slope, the USGA actually has its volunteers also come up with a rating for the bogey golfer. The USGA then takes the difference between the rating for a scratch player and the bogey-player rating and multiplies it by a set factor, 5.381 for men and 4.24 for women. So, if the course is rated at 72 for a scratch player and 92 for a bogey player, you take the difference of 20 and multiply it by 5.381 to get 107.62, making the slope 108. (Thus, a bogey player need only work the equation backward —divide the slope by 5.381 and then add the course rating— to determine what he ought to shoot on a given course).
The Ratings Game
In the last few years, the USGA has changed the way it rates
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courses. Its volunteers arrive at a course Specializing in Pre-owned Golf Course Maintenance Equipment armed with a thick book explaining how to assign difficulty ratings to various factors. Toro • Jacobsen • John Deere • Ransomes It has created a set of mostly objective Contact Edward C. Balulis, Owner criteria—if more than 50 percent of a green is guarded by bunkers, for instance, 2601 E. Henry Avenue, Suite B-6 Tampa, Florida 33610 it receives a specific numerical value—the 1-800-350-2178 www.am-turf.com rating team uses to calculate difficulty. It wasn’t so long ago that much of the rating was subjective, so that one USGA volunteer might give a hole a 3 for its greenside bunkering while another might deem it only a 2. ****IMPORTANT! If ad is correct, please initial and date here:__________________ “I like the way we do it now Please fax this proof to 615-794-4524 along with the release form. Thank you. because it was so subjective before,” Goin says. “I could rate a course and somebody else could rate a course and it would be completely different. Now you are forced to be pretty near.” Goin is in charge of the black tees at Colonial, which measure at 7,334 yards. Ross has the blue tees (6,991 yards), Jennings has the gold (6,617 yards) and Emerson has the white (5,838 yards). Because the USGA uses a different book of criteria for the women’s tees, those are evaluated separately. The first hole at Colonial South provides a good example of how the rating works. It also gives the average golfer a good idea of how to best manage the game. For the purposes of rating a course, the USGA figures the scratch golfer hits his drive 250 yards, while the bogey golfer hits it 200 yards. So Goin, who has a range-finding set of binoculars, drives his cart to those two exact spots. Colonial’s par-5 first hole
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Once again, the USGA rating has confirmed that Colonial is the toughest 18 holes in Tennessee and one of the most difficult courses in the country.
is 589 yards from the back, so his scratch golfer will still have 339 yards to the green and his bogey golfer has 389 yards. His bogey golfer, however, is on an upslope, so that creates another difficult factor. From the fairway, the scratch golfer is on top of the hill with an even
MA
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stance, and the fairway is about 30 yards wide. Goin determines that the tree line gives his golfer about a 25-percent chance of recovery, and that goes on his rating form, which has around 800 boxes that may need to be filled out (if a hole doesn’t have water, there’s nothing to put in that box). The scratch golfer is assumed to hit his second shot 220 yards, the bogey golfer 180 yards. That leaves Mr. Scratch 119 yards from the green. Mr. Bogey, however, is still 209 yards away, and at Colonial this is significant because nearly every green is either guarded in front by bunkers or sits up on a hill, preventing balls from running onto them. Goin’s bogey player, if he is foolish enough to play from the back tees, faces difficult stances and impossible carries almost the entire way around the course. “My bogey player, he’s got
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problems at this course,” Goin says. Once everyone is finished with the first hole, they reach the green, and Leathers carries a device known as a stimpmeter onto the green and finds a mostly level spot. Leathers takes the stimpmeter, which is three feet long and shaped like a level, and raises it up until the ball balanced on its end rolls down and snakes across the green. He does this with three balls and they average 10 feet; going the other way, they average 12.6 feet, so the stimp rating is 11.3. That makes most of the greens a 9 on the rating scale, though a few of Colonial’s greens that are very severely contoured, like No. 9, are given one more point for toughness. “Most of the time we do a course, the greens are all the same,” Ross said. The team takes its time over much of the front nine, but they find a rhythm on the back nine and the process goes much quicker. Holes with doglegs and water take longer, but by the time they finish, it is clear Colonial is still a beast. Goin sends off the sheets to the Tennessee Golf Association, which places the numbers into a computer. Its calculation is in turn sent to the USGA for final confirmation. By the second week of October, Colonial receives a letter. The Tennessee Golf Association is pleased to confirm the new USGA Course/Slope Ratings for Colonial Country Club (South Course) are as follows: Once again, Colonial is the toughest course in the state—a 77.2 USGA course rating from the back tees, with a slope of 148 (a bogey golfer would expect to shoot about 33-over par). It’s not exactly an easy 18 from the other tees: Blue (74.5, 144), Gold (72.6, 133) or White (68.5, 124). ________________________________
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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Copyright, The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN. Used with permission. (http://www.commercialappeal.com) T
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GREEN LINES
Points Required to Maintain Certification
All certifications will expire on October 21, 2005 if the required number of points are not accrued. All points cannot be accrued in one year.
Categories
C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C16
Certified prior to Oct. 21, 2002 & before Oct. 21, 2003
18 pts 12 pts 18 pts 12 pts 12 pts 18 pts 30 pts 18 pts 18 pts 9 pts 30 pts 9 pts 9 pts 9 pts
Certified on or after Oct. 21, 2003 & before Oct. 21, 2004
6 pts 3 pts 6 pts 4 pts 4 pts 6 pts 10 pts 6 pts 6 pts 3 pts 10 pts 3 pts 3 pts 3 pts
12 pts 8 pts 12 ts 8 pts 8 pts 12 pts 20 pts 12 pts 12 pts 6 pts 20 pts 6 pts 6 pts 6 pts
Certified on or after April 21, 2005
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Example: If you were certified on October 31, 2002 in
Examples: If you become certified on April 18, 2005 in cat-
category 7 and category 8, you will need 30 points in cat. 7 and 18 points in cat. 8 by October 21, 2005. All points cannot be accrued in one year.
egory 7 you will need 10 points by October 21, 2005. If you become certified on April 25, 2005 you are certified through October 21, 2008 and would begin accruing points on October 22, 2008.
Examples: If you were certified on August 15, 2003 in cat-
Note:
egory 7 you will need 30 points by October 21, 2005. If you become certified on October 25, 2003 in category 8 you will need 12 points by October 21, 2005. All points cannot be accrued in one year.
Example: If you become certified on October 31, 2004 in category 6 you will need 6 points by October 21, 2005. If you become certified on January 14, 2004 in category 3 you will need 12 points by October 21, 2005. 34
Certified on or after Oct. 21, 2004 & before April 21, 2005
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
Individuals who obtain certification on or after October 21, 2004 and prior to April 21, 2005 must accrue all points required as indicated above by October 21, 2005. Individuals certified on or after April 21, 2005 will be certified through October 21, 2008 and will begin accruing points on October 22, 2008.
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POINTS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CERTIFICATION
CONTINUED
Commercial Pesticide Applicator Certification Information Sheet The Tennessee law requires certification for anyone applying, buying or selling a restricted-use pesticide or must work directly under the supervision of a certified applicator. It also requires commercial certification for all solicitors and technicians. The application of pesticides for a fee requires licensing and a pest control charter.
Program (PSEP), University of Tennessee, 2431 Center Dr, 205 PSB, Knoxville, TN 37996-4560, phone number: (865) 974-7138, email: gburgess1@utk.edu
Commercial Certification Certification testing varies by location and time. One must prepay 10 days prior to taking the certification exam. Then the applicant will receive confirmation of date, time, and location of the exam. Make your payment with a check or money order payable to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, at the following address, Porter Building, P.O. Box 40627 Melrose Station, Nashville, TN 37204. We will also accept payments by Mastercard or Visa. The cost for each exam is $15.00. Check for available locations and times in the Nashville office by calling (615) 837-5148, (615) 837-5232 or internet at www.state.tn.us/agriculture/ and click Download Forms. To become commercially certified an individual must successfully complete a Certification exam in the area of work. Study materials are available from the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service for a fee. It is strongly recommended that you study this material thoroughly prior to taking the exam. More information is available on the UT Dept. of Entomology & Plant Pathology web page located at http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/pat/pat. htm. TDA will reciprocate certification with other states, when possible. Obtain a reciprocity form from one of our offices or the internet and complete according to the instructions. Applicants will not receive reciprocal certification unless a current home address and social security number are provided. This form can be downloaded at www.state.tn.us/agriculture/ and click on Downloadable Forms. It is your responsibility to maintain your Tennessee certification by accumulating recertification points. Recertification points are assigned per category. The points are pre-assigned by the following agencies: • Industry training: Certification & Licensing Section, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Porter Building, PO Box 40627, Nashville, TN 37204, phone number: (615) 837-5310, email: mary.borthick@state.tn.us • Educational Institutions: Pesticide Safety Education
The primary purpose of the point system is to further enhance the skills of applicators and routinely update your knowledge as new information and technologies become available. Individuals may check their point status on the TDA website. You may login with your social security number. ID number, or last name. The address is www.state.tn.us/agriculture/ and click Online Pesticides Systems.
Additional Requirements for Commercial Recertification:
1
Individuals may accrue all of their points by attending external meetings in their category of certification. You may earn no more than 75% of your point total by attending any one external meeting. All points cannot be accrued in one year.
2
In-house points will be limited to 50% of your total point requirement during the recertification period. All training must be submitted to the office no later than 30 days prior to the date of the training session. Those approving certification training reserve the right not to grant points for training submitted late. An announcement of the training date, time, place and points assigned per category will be placed on the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s and the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, Dept. of Entomology & Plant Pathology web sites located at www. state.tn.us/agriculture/ and http:eppserver.ag.utk.edu/pat/pat.htm. Rosters must be submitted into TDA 30 days after training. The following qualifies as in-house training: Internet training (including, but not limited to) computer-based training and training that is covered by employees of the company applying for the points.
3
The sponsor must agree to permit representatives from the department of Agriculture and/or UT employees to attend training sessions without registration fees or costs. After attending a training session The Tennessee Depart-
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
35
POINTS REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN CERTIFICATION
4
ment of Agriculture or the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, upon consultation between these two agencies, training and point assignment may be re-evaluated. Point assignment may be withdrawn or revised as deemed necessary.
5
Points ar not carried over from recertification period to the next.
Assignment of Points:
Recertification points will be allowed only for approved topics in you category related to pests, pest control, WPS, pesticides, pesticide safety, IPM, environmental issues (water quality, endangered species, etc.) pesticide laws and regulation. Safety, environmental issues, and laws, IPM and regulations apply to all categories for assignment of points. Points will not be assigned to individual videos. Programs submitted should include the following information. A list of topics, speakers (with their titles) and length of each topic to be presented. Sponsors shall provide biographical information on instructors or other program participants upon request. An application form, E&PP info #82 should be used, when the meeting sponsor applies for points. A list of dates and locations for the year must be included on the application for repeated meetings. If the required number of points are not accrued, a recertification exam will be required the third year. It is your responsibility to contact the Nashville office if you have a name or address change. If correspondence is returned to this office because of an incorrect address, applicators will not receive future mailings until the information is corrected. T
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CONTINUED
WHY YOU SHOULD BECOME A MEMBER OF
TTA
The Tennessee Turfgrass Association is a non-profit, professional organization dedicated to the enhancement of turfgrass management from all aspects. Are you searching for new outlets to advertise and promote your business? TTA offers you a publication with reasonable advertising rates that is distributed regionally and nationally. Do you have requirements to obtain State pesticide points or continuing educational points for other certification? TTA offers a wide range of points for pesticide and other certifications through its educational seminars. Would you or a member of your family like scholarship dollars for higher education? TTA has developed a scholarship program to assist with the ever rising cost of higher education. The Tennessee Turfgrass Association is your statewide connection to the Green Industry. If you would like to become a member of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, please contact the headquarters at 400 Franklin Road, Franklin, TN 37069; Phone: (615) 591-8286; Email: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com.
GREEN LINES
If you feel like it is you against them, you have already lost. By James Francis Moore
Reprinted with permission from “USGA Green Section Record” November-December 2002
O
ver the past few years I have had the pleasure of spending time with some of the young superintendents in my home town. These men remind me of myself when I was a young golf course superintendent. They work long days without getting tired. They are learning their craft through a combination of formal education, trial and error, and input from their peers. They tend to be too hard on their crews (probably because they have the unreasonable expectation that hourly workers should have their same dedication to the golf course). And most days, they really seem to enjoy their careers. Many seasoned superintendents share these same traits. However, as superintendents travel along their career paths, my unfortunate observation is that a significant number begin to enjoy work less. Some even seem to adopt a “me against them” attitude when it comes to relationships with golfers, coworkers, and employees. I have always felt that if it is “you against them,” you have already lost. Of course, not all older superintendents find themselves in this confrontational position. Some love their work even more now than they did when they first started. Not surprisingly, these are some of the very best and most successful superintendents in the business. For the sake of my younger superintendent friends, I
thought it would be helpful to see what these older, successful superintendents have in common. I picked five men who I consider to be the best superintendents I have known in my career and identified the following shared traits (listed in no particular order). • They have lives outside the golf course. These five men contribute to their communities in many ways. One is involved with scouts. A couple are very active in their churches. One coaches his child’s baseball team. Another mentors children without father figures at a local school. As a result, these men don’t have to explain to others that they know more than mowing, watering, and fertilizing—their community involvement makes it obvious to everyone around them. They not only work to improve the turf on their golf courses, they work to improve the community in which they live. • They spend their employer’s money as if it were their own. I know this might sound a little corny, but this spending philosophy has been somewhat forgotten by many in the industry. Far too many superintendents are willing to spend large sums of someone else’s money on unproven products and technologies. Such individuals often base their purchasing decisions on testimonials, Web sites, and marketing claims instead of science and hard data. The five men at the top of my list monitor new ideas as they are introduced to the industry.
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION
37
W H O S E T E A M A R E Y O U O N ? C O N T I N U E D However, they also evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the new products. They not only evaluate whether or not the product works as advertised, they also determine whether or not the purchase is economically justifiable. Next time you get ready to spend someone else’s money, ask yourself two questions. First, would you make the purchase if you owned the course? Second, is this purchase so necessary that you would be willing to individually approach each of the golfers/members you work for and ask them to take the money out of their wallets to buy this product? • They rely strongly on basic turfgrass management principles. Having made many visits to my top five over the years and closely reviewed their turf management practices, I am always amazed at the simplicity of their agronomic programs. There is nothing magic, overly complex, or secret about their methods. They rely primarily on the principles they learned in Turfgrass 101. Their turf grows well because they make certain it has a good growing environment in which to flourish. As simple as this sounds, it is by no means easy to implement. It takes a lot of hard work to provide
proper drainage, good irrigation coverage, plenty of light and air movement, and to implement sound cultivation, mowing, fertilization, pesticide, and traffic control programs. My top five have managed to successfully combine them to achieve a very positive synergistic effect. They concentrate their efforts on programs they know have the biggest overall turf impact and not waste valuable time, money, and effort searching for miracle fixes. • These five men know a lot about the game of golf. While none is likely to play on the tour, they are all reasonably good players, understand the rules of the game, know the proper way to mark a course for tournaments, and are familiar with the history of the game as well as current events. They promote golf at their courses and are constantly looking for ways to make the game more enjoyable to their players. As a result, golfers look at these men as authorities on the game they love, not just as caretakers of the grass on which it is played. • These guys know who they work for. How many people who play your course do you know? Ride around the course with my top five and you will be amazed that they seem to know everyone on the course and address them by
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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
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W H O S E T E A M A R E Y O U O N ? C O N T I N U E D name. It is not just the “high-rollers” and low-handicappers who receive these men’s attention. They also know the elderly couple who come out in the evening for a relaxing nine and couldn’t care less about the daily Stimpmeter reading. This is customer service at its best. Obviously, learning so many faces and names is difficult and requires a concerted effort. Start with the people who are on your course the most often. Check the handicap roster and select the 25 people who play the most rounds. Once you have them down, you will find it easier to learn the next 25. • Finally, every one of these five men make it known that they enjoy their work. Sure they have problems and have to lobby for additional support for the golf course. But there is a big difference between constant griping to whoever happens to be within earshot and making a professional presentation to the leadership of the course. All five of these men are true team players. They work together with and support the efforts of the manager, the golf professional, and the leadership of the course. Disagreements among the management team are resolved in the meeting room, over breakfast, or maybe even during a round of golf—never through back-channel lobbying
of the players/ members. Obviously, there are many other traits shared by the most successful superintendents in our industry. Honesty, a good sense of humor, a supportive spouse, patience, and fortitude all improve your chances of success. Good financial planning helps offset the worry and stress of working in an industry where employment is sometimes tenuous. Learning to trust key employees and give those around you a chance to excel will give you more time to enjoy life in general. Even with all this going for them, my younger superintendent friends will encounter many potholes during their careers. It is important to remember that potholes are a part of every career worth pursuing, and the road never becomes perfectly smooth. The key is developing work habits that make the ride along the way as enjoyable as possible. ___________________________________________________ Jim Moore is director of the USGA Green Section Construction Education Program. T
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IN D E X O F ADVERTISERS American Turfgrass Equipment 31 Bayer Corp. Environmental Science 14 Carolina Green Corp. 23 Charles Williams & Associates 25 Covermaster, Inc. 33 Double Springs Grass Farms 25 E & S Soil and Peat 23 Greenville Turf & Tractor, Inc. 29 Harrell’s Custom Fertilizer Inside Back Cover Keeling Company 38 Landforms 27 McFall Sod Farm Inside Front Cover, 32 Mid Tenn Turf, Inc. Inside Front Cover, 21 Neptune’s Harvest Organic Fertilizer 42 Oldham Chemicals Co. 39 Orion Sod Farm 36 Patten Seed Company/Super Sod 33 Prosource One 28 Quail Valley Grasses Inside Front Cover, 5 Regal Chemical Co. 7 Sigma Organics 13 Smith Turf & Irrigation Back Cover Southeastern Turf, LLC 27 Sprigger’s Choice, Inc. 31 Super Sod Inside Front Cover Swihart Sales Co. 13 Syngenta Turf & Ornamental Products 36 The Compost Farm 31 Tieco Inc. 3 Tif Sport Inside Front Cover Turf Mountain Sod 13 Turfgrass America Inside Front Cover Winstead Turf Farms, Inc. 9
42
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS DECEMBER/JANUARY 2004
2004 EVENTS January 11-13 38th Annual TTA Conference & Trade Show. Location: Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN. January 14 GCSAA Seminar. Management of Zoysiagrass on the Golf Course. Location: Opryland Hotel, Nashville, TN.
CLASSIFIED ADS Neptune’s Harvest Organic Fertilizers: Commercially proven products include: Liquid Fish, Seaweed, Blends, Humate, Dry Crab Shell and Kelp Meal. Also, Liquid Garlic Spray Insect Repellent. Call for free catalog and sample. 1(800)259-4769. www.neptunesharvest.com “Our Products Work”
your advertising audience. For more information on advertising in the Tennessee Turfgrass Magazine, call the Ad Sales Department at (615) 790-3718!
Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
We’re ready to listen to you. For fast access to your Harrell’s representative, call toll-free at 1-866-245-5559, or visit our Web site: www.harrells.com
Over the years Harrell’s has been very interested in what our customers, employees and suppliers have had to say. That’s how we learn, and from that knowledge our world-class, custom-blended fertilizers are created. Each one is formulated to meet your specific growing needs. We stop by regularly to hear about your progress and concerns and to see how else we can help. And don’t forget the Web site ... it’s regularly updated and is another way to help us stay in touch.
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