Tennessee Turfgrass - August / September 2014

August/september 2014

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, the Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association and the Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

Just How Safe Are Our Athletic Fields?

Special Inside! Sneak Peak at

The University of Tennessee Turf & Ornamental Field Day, September 11, 2014

Plus, TTA Member Spotlight —

Mike and Margaret Moore, Marion County High School

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association and the Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

TABLE OF CONTENTS August/september 2014

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FEATURED ARTICLES

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TTA Member Spotlight — Mike and Margaret Moore, Marion County High School Upcoming Event — The University of Tennessee Turf & Ornamental Field Day, September 11, 2014 Cover Story — Just How Safe Are Our Athletic Fields?

DEPARTMENTS From the TTA President, Paul Carter, CGCS

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From the TVSTMA President, T.J. Derrick

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From the ETGCSA President, Jeff Rumph, CGCS 10 News from TTA

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Calendar of Events

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Index of Advertisers

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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, Tennessee Turfgrass 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 ©2014 by the Tennessee Turfgrass Association.

Tennessee Turfgrass is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Turfgrass 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, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

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From the TTA President

Paul L. Carter, CGCS

Knowledge is

power

There

comes a time in everyone’s life when he or she simply needs a little help. In the turfgrass industry, that circumstance can come in the form of needing a piece of equipment, needing to diagnose a disease or needing to know what chemical will eradicate a pest or how to best deal with an employee or client issue.

We are fortunate in our industry that, for the most part, we are a close-knit group of hard-working professionals eager and willing to help another, even if we are in direct competition for business.

This is one of the traits that I have always been most proud of in our industry. In some industries, companies find every way they can to hurt their competitors, but not ours, and that makes me smile.

While having people who are willing to help us is great, it is still our responsibility to try our best to help ourselves first.

I entitled this letter “Knowledge Is Power” because it is, and as professionals, we need to take every opportunity to gain and expand our knowledge, to better help ourselves, our neighbors and our employers/clients.

One of the best opportunities we have available to us, in my humble opinion, to get up-close knowledge on new products and best management practices that will make us better turf managers is the annual University of Tennessee Turf and Ornamental Field Day coming up on September 11 in Knoxville (and featured in this issue on pages 14–15). I hope you received a registration mailer many weeks ago and have already filled it out and sent it in. If not, there is still time to register or to just come out that day and join the festivities.

TTA is a huge supporter of the UT turf program, and we are fortunate to have formed such a strong, long-lasting partnership with the UT professors and

researchers who provide us with a vast array of knowledge on new products and techniques. Each year at the UT Field Day, TTA is proud to be able to provide a donation to the UT turf program from event proceeds raised throughout the year and at the Field Day itself.

Our annual raffle program to raise funds for TTA will continue this year, but we have stepped our game up a notch by including the creation of a webpage that will allow people to purchase raffle tickets before attending the event. We hope you can attend, but if you can’t, please help TTA support the UT turf team by purchasing raffle tickets online.

The more you know, the better you can serve others.

Paul L. Carter, CGCS 2014–2015 President

The mission of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association To promote the turfgrass industry through education, scholarship and research.

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

From the TVSTMA President

T.J. Derrick

Preparing for Fall

It’s

hard to believe that summer is coming to an end. With travel sports wrapping up and preparation for fall ball beginning, I’m sure that we can all look back at the summer and reflect on certain situations that occurred. From renovation projects due to winterkill to long hours spent at the facility during tournaments,

we each have our own unique story from the summer. We can all take something from this past summer and learn from it while moving forward, as these things help us grow as professionals.

At this point, I am sure that most of you have already thought about overseeding your athletic fields. This is a time that we can all share and engage

with other TVSTMA members about the techniques, preparation, rates, etc., that they use. We all have our own ways of doing this, but at the end of the day, we are all trying to achieve the same goal — having the best playing surface available to the community or team, while being budget friendly. Lean on one another as members of TVSTMA for ideas or opinions; that is why we have this organization!

We must continue to grow as an organization, as our membership is key to having a network of fellow sportturf managers that we can always call upon. That is just one of the many benefits of being a part of TVSTMA and why we need to have ALL of you at our meetings. Very soon, we will be sending out announcements in regards to upcoming events with dates and times.

We look forward to seeing you there!

I hope that everyone has a great rest of the summer and fall!

T.J. Derrick

2014 TVSTMA President

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

The Official Publication of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association, the Tennessee Valley Sports Turf Managers Association and the Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

Tennessee Turfgrass is the official publication of The Tennessee Turfgrass Association 400 Franklin Road Franklin, Tennessee 37069 (615) 591-8286 tnturfgrassassn@aol.com www.ttaonline.org Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedge communications.com Editor Dr. James Brosnan TTA OFFICERS President Paul Carter, CGCS Bear Trace at Harrison Bay (423) 344-6374 Vice President Theo Lankford Nashville Sports Leagues (615) 799-8664 Secretary/Treasurer Bill Marbet Southern Athletic Fields (931) 380-0023 Past President Bob McCurdy McCurdy Farms (731) 692-3515 Executive Secretary Jim Uden Tennessee Turfgrass Assn.

(615) 591-8286 TTA 2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bob Elliott Scott Freund Luke Hankins Cal Hill Joe Hill Timothy Long Mickey Lovett Mitch Parker Jason Pooler Jason Sanderson Sean VanHoose Doug Ward TTA ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Bill Blackburn Dr. Jim Brosnan Dr. Brandon Horvath Lynn Ray Jeff Rumph, CGCS Dr. Tom Samples Dr. John Sorochan Dr. Wes Totten

From the E TGCSA President

Jeff Rumph, CGCS

An

Event-ful year

for the ETGCSA!

As

we ease our way into September, we know that fall is just around the corner, and of course, that means “Football Time in Tennessee.” It also means time to reflect on the year that is quickly coming to a close.

It has certainly been an interesting year in terms of weather. We had one of the coldest winters on record, which led to a lot of winter injury to the bermudagrass on tees and fairways. Many courses

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had large areas of dead grass and acres of thin areas. A cool spring kept the bermuda from recovering quickly. A few courses had to resort to sprigging, but most sodded the dead areas and grew-in the thin areas.

Everywhere that I saw damage, it followed the same patterns that we have seen in the past. Winter injury was worst in high-traffic areas, wet areas and shady areas. One course that I visited had acres of thin bermuda in the fairways, with football-shaped areas of perfectly green bermuda around the 150-yard stakes in the middle of the fairway and fan-shaped areas of damaged grass following the cart traffic. Maybe we will see owners/ managers allowing for an increase in cart restrictions this coming winter. I heard of no problems with the ultradwarf greens in East Tennessee. The covers must be working well.

ETGCSA started the year in April the same way as last year, with an “Herbicide Resistance Field Day” at the UT Turf Research Center. Dr. Jim Brosnan hosted this meeting, which included Extension agents and others in the turf business.

More than 60 were in attendance for the meeting. Golf was at the UT golf practice facility, where superintendent Mark Gossett arranged for players to be challenged by golf and skills contests. It was fun and challenging.

Moccasin Bend Golf Course in Chattanooga, TN, was the site of our May meeting, with Chad Malone as our host superintendent. David Stone was the speaker, showing us his research on

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

ultradwarfs and the conversion of his greens to Champion.

Wind River Golf Club in Lenoir City, TN, was the site of our June meeting.

Kris Drake was our host superintendent, and Mark Magnarella of Nutra Turf was our speaker, discussing fertility management. This was our first time to have a meeting at Wind River, and the attendance was excellent.

We held our July meeting at Millstone Golf Course in Morristown, TN. Our host was superintendent Scott Hayes, and Dr. Bruce Martin of Clemson University spoke about disease management on bermudagrass and bentgrass greens.

In early August, ETGCSA visited Cattails at Meadowview Golf Course in Kingsport, TN, with host superintendent Roger Frazier. Our speaker, Dr. John Sorochan of the University of Tennessee, discussed shade problems in turf.

We are looking forward to our 24th Annual Scholarship and Research Tournament, November 3, at Fox Den Country Club in Knoxville, TN. Superintendent Scott Severance will be hosting ETGCSA for the first time since he went through a major renovation several years ago. We hope to have a full field of players and sponsors, in order to raise plenty of scholarship and research money.

I hope everyone has had a great year. I look forward to seeing you in January at the TTA Conference in Franklin.

Jeff Rumph, CGCS 2014 ETGCSA President

TTA Member Spotlight TTA Member Spotlight on

Mike and Margaret Moore, Marion County High School • Jasper, TN

By Scott Boyle, UT Turfgrass Science and Management Communications Coordinator

Where did you attend college?

Mike did not attend college. I (Margaret) attended Middle Tennessee State College before it became a university. I also attended a business school and have an associate’s degree in accounting.

What did you do before your current job position?

Mike entered the machinist apprentice program (8,000 hours) in 1964 and worked as a machinist/welder for 44 years with TVA, all at Widows Creek Steam Plant in Stevenson, AL. I was a substitute teacher for the school system for approximately 35 years.

told Mike that since some of the other schools were starting to get lighting, he was not going to host the tournament because he was too busy getting the field ready instead of practicing like the other teams. Mike replied that he would mow the field and let the coach work with the team.

As the saying goes, the rest is history. We have served as volunteer head and assistant groundskeepers since spring 1996.

Have you won any job-related awards?

Who have been your mentors in the industry?

Tell us a little about your family.

Dr. Tom Samples, with The University of Tennessee.

We will have been married for 47 years this September. Our oldest daughter, Michele, is 46 and lives in Brooklyn, NY, where she is a speech/language pathologist.

Melissa, our middle child, is 41 and works for Hamilton County Dept. of Education.

Our son, Cliff, is 33 and employed by Quality Inn and Suites. McKenzie, our granddaughter, is 17 and will be attending Chattanooga State this fall. T

Why did you choose a career in the turfgrass industry?

What do you enjoy most about your job?

In 1996, our son started playing baseball for Marion County High School, which hosted the district tournament every year since it was the only school with lights on the baseball field. That year, the coach

High school competition will be the highest level that most of our school’s athletes will play, so we enjoy giving them the chance to play on the best field that we can possibly make for them.

Mike Moore at work as head groundskeeper at Marion County High School.

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

We have received the Bill Baxter award for volunteering from the school.

How long have you been members of TTA? Since 1997 or 1998.

What are your hobbies?

Working.

For many years, Margaret and Mike have delighted their fellow Marion County residents as Santa and Mrs. Claus during the Christmas holidays.

upcomin g event

University of Tennessee

Turf &Thursday, Ornamental Field Day September 11, 2014

By Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., The University of Tennessee (@UTturfweeds)

The

University of Tennessee Turf & Ornamental Field Day has become one of the largest and fastestgrowing field day events in the United States. Last year, our event drew more than 500 people interested in cultivar evaluations, athletic field turf, ornamental plant materials and the latest strategies for managing infestations of turfgrass weeds and diseases. This year’s event, even bigger and better with more features, will be held on Thursday, September 11, in Knoxville, TN.

What’s new in 2014?

The UT Turf & Ornamental Field Day app This year, attendees will be able to download a FREE interactive mobile app to enhance the Field Day experience. The mobile app, when launched, will be available for both iOS and Android devices.

The app is designed to enhance attendees’ Field Day experience and provide additional resources for use after the Field Day is complete. Key features include: interactive station information, including contact information for each presenter; a downloads center with digital information that presenters provide related to their presentations; a platform for attendees to answer polls that are part of Field Day

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presentations; and a full suite of socialmedia resources, including photo galleries and videos.

We are excited to bring this new level of engagement to Field Day. An update will be provided when the app is available; only attendees at Field Day, however, will have access to this fantastic mobile application.

Social-media engagement (#UTTurfFD14) The UT Field Day is once again going social this year. Last year, we provided the turf community and beyond a glimpse into our Field Day through the Turf Republic platform with The University of Tennessee Turfgrass Field Day Social Media Experience. Partnering with Turf Republic, this year’s social-media experience will once again provide a look into our program with interactive photos, videos, interviews, updates and a brand new LIVE blog. Don’t wait until September — begin engaging now with the UT turfgrass team and fellow Field Day attendees using the hashtag #UTTurfFDay14.

Updates and information about this year’s event will be posted through social media, including the launch of the new UT Turf & Ornamental Field Day app.

New UT Athletic Facilities Tour Want an inside look at Neyland Stadium?

Participate in our UT Athletic Facilities

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

Tour on Friday, September 12! This tour is limited to a maximum of 50 people, and the registration cost is $20 per person.

The tour will begin and end at the East Tennessee Ag Research and Education Center, Plant Sciences Unit (3215 Alcoa Hwy., Knoxville, TN 37996). Patrons will be bused from this location to the UT campus and back. The bus will depart from the site at 9:00 a.m. and return at approximately 12:30 p.m. Register for the tour online at www.tennesseeturfgrass weeds.org/tour.

Discounted golf Attendees can present a copy of the 2014 Turf and Ornamental Field Day proceedings to Egwani Farms Golf Course, Pine Lakes Golf Course or Lambert Acres Golf Course for a 15% discount on greens fees. The discount will be valid September 12–14 for a single golfer. To receive the discount, you must present the proceedings in the facility’s Pro Shop.

Discounted hotel rooms Rooms are being held at the Knoxville Airport Hilton for the nights of September 10 and September 11 at a rate of $99 per night for Field Day participants. This special rate will be available until August 20 or when the group block is sold out, whichever comes first. Visit (online) goo.gl/j1CSDr to make reservations.

EDUCATIONAL TOPICS

Educational sessions will begin at 8:00 a.m. and continue until 3:30 p.m. A light breakfast and BBQ lunch will be served.

Crabgrass Control After the Polar Vortex Dr. Jim Brosnan and Greg Breeden, Univ. of Tennessee

Golf Course Disease Management Dr. Brandon Horvath, Jesse Benelli and David Shell, Univ. of Tennessee

The Working Science Behind Poly Tanks Dr. Fred Whitford, Purdue Univ.

Managing Synthetic-Turf and Natural-Turf Athletic Fields Adam Thoms and Kyley Dickson, Univ. of Tennessee

Environmental Buffers to Protect Water Quality Dr. John Stier, Univ. of Tennessee

Ornamental Grasses for Tennessee Dr. Tom Samples and Johnny Parham, Univ. of Tennessee

Recent Advances in Technology and Tools to Help Manage Turf and Ornamental Pests Dr. Amy Fulcher, Dr. Bill Kilngeman, and Javier Vargas, Univ. of Tennessee

What’s Wrong with My Plants? – An Overview of Common Ornamental Diseases and Insect Pests in TN Dr. Frank Hale and Dr. Alan Windham, Univ. of Tennessee

Is This Your Lawn? An Interactive Session about Refurbishing Residential Lawns Dr. Jim Brosnan, Dr. Tom Samples, Eric Reasor, Daniel Farnsworth, Shane Breeden, Kyley Dickson and Javier Vargas, Univ. of Tennessee

Pulp Fiction: Fact and Fiction on Managing Landscape Plants and Pests Dr. Amy Fulcher, Dr. Bill Klingeman, Dr. Diana Cochran and Phil Flanagan, Univ. of Tennessee

Preparing Golf Course Putting Greens to Optimize Ball Roll Distance & Consistency Dr. John Sorochan, Dr. Brandon Horvath, Corey Yurisic, Jesse Benelli and David Shell, Univ. of Tennessee

PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION POINTS

• Up to 6 pesticide recertification points are available in categories C3, C6, C10, and C12 for Tennessee attendees.

• Pesticide recertification credits for attendees from Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi also will be available.

• International Society of Arboriculture continuing education credits will be available.

• A total of 0.40 Golf Course Superintendents Association (GCSA) continuing education points also will be awarded.

BRING YOUR EMPLOYEES!

Do several members of your crew need further education on turf and ornamental management? Do several of your employees need pesticide recertification credits?

Additional employees of a single business can be pre-registered at a 50% discount!

TWO WAYS TO PRE-REGISTER

Pre-registration is your best option.

We encourage everyone to pre-register before the August 28 deadline in order to take advantage of reduced fees and guarantee yourself lunch and a copy of the proceedings booklet.

• Pre-register online by August 28 at www.tennesseeturfgrassweeds.org/ registration.

• Return the hard-copy pre-registration form via U.S. Mail. A copy of that form can be accessed at www.tennessee turfgrassweeds.org/fieldday.

COSTS

Individual Turf/ Ornamental Professional: $60 Group Registration: $60 first individual, $30 for additional individuals from the same company UT Faculty, Staff or Student: Free Non-UT Student: $10 On-site registration will also be available on the day of the event. Note that on-site registration costs are higher than preregistration (which ends on August 28).

Editor’s Note: Author would like to acknowledge William Brown, CGCS, (@TurfRepublic) for his contribution to this article. T

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION • Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

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COVER STO RY

Just How

Safe Are Our

Athletic Fields?

By John Sorochan, Ph.D., Adam Thoms, M.S., & Lisa Sorochan, M.S., The University of Tennessee

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TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

CONTINU ED

As

parents and guardians, we take the utmost care to prevent our children from suffering injuries during sports activities. From mouth guards to shin braces, we cover our children with equipment designed to keep them safe.

The vehicles that transport them to and from practices and games are engineered with airbags, safety restraints, reinforced impactprotection frames and traction-control tires to safeguard against accidents. Unfortunately, this is where many of the protections stop — often, too little attention is paid to the safety of the athletic field on which the majority of sports-related injuries occur.

The stats In the United States, more than 30 million children participate in organized sports each year (NIAMSD, 2006). Of these, 3.5 million children, ages 14 and under, suffer some sort of sports-related injury each year (AAOS, 1999). Of the 3.5 million injured, 775,000 had to be treated by hospital emergency personnel for their injuries sustained from athletics (Sports Injury Statistics, 2003). In the U.S. alone, the cost of injuries to 14-and-under children in 1997 amounted to more than $49 billion (NYSSF, 1997).

Legislation has been passed to promote safer playground equipment. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Society for Testing and Materials set standards and regulations regarding playground construction, as well as testing new equipment for a child’s safety. Yet, there are over a half-million more hospital visits annually for sports-related injuries than the 206,900 playground-related hospital injuries for children ages 14 and under (USCPSC, 2005).

The number of sports-related injuries requiring hospital visitation continues to rise. In 1999, football, baseball/softball and soccer accounted for nearly 300,000 emergency room treatments for children ages 14 and under (Sport Injury Statistics, 2003). Nearly 10 years later, these sports, especially soccer, have become increasingly popular. Youth soccer team players totaled 12.5 million in 2002. From 1990 to 2006, high school soccer participation more than doubled (Roniger, 2007).

Types of injuries The most common types of injury sustained during sporting events are cuts, sprains, muscle strains, bone injuries, repetitivemotion injuries and heat-related illness (NIAMSD, 2006).

Notably, even though the games of football, baseball/softball and soccer differ greatly, many of the injuries sustained playing these sports can be directly associated with an athletic field’s playability and management.

Cuts and abrasions, often suffered during base sliding, are caused when the “skinned areas” of baseball/softball infields are not sifted properly to remove large debris. Ankle sprains, muscle strains and hyperextensions can be caused from a loss of traction due to an uneven playing surface, bare ground or wet areas on an improperly managed athletic field. Broken bones result from high-force collisions with either other athletes or a compacted athletic-field surface.

Some innovations Fortunately, advancements have been made to help protect athletes from some of these injuries. New innovations, such as crumb

Cove r Story rubber topdressing, give athletic fields reduced surface hardness (decreasing impact force from falls), provide additional traction to prevent falls and help maintain turfgrass cover during wear.

In addition, to help combat heat-related illnesses, which are caused by over-exhaustion during games or practices conducted during high temperatures, surface temperatures of athletic fields can be manipulated to make them much cooler or warmer than atmospheric temperatures (Trusty, 2003). Overhead irrigation has proved to cool surface temperatures for up to four hours during the heat of the day (McNitt et al., 2008).

With proper training, field managers, park superintendents, athletic facility supervisors, coaches and parents can develop the basic knowledge and skills needed to manage athletic fields at their safest level.

Field conditions Given the myriad of levels at which athletes compete, there is naturally a wide variety in athletic field conditions. For example, natural-turf athletic fields may range from bermudagrass to Kentucky bluegrass, 80% sand based to clay-soil based, meticulously maintained to all but ignored. Artificial turf can be traditional synthetic turf or one of several in-filled synthetic-turf systems. Each type of field has its own challenges in maintenance, and adverse effects associated with surface type and/or quality can jeopardize the integrity of the game and the safety of the players (Waddington et al., 1997; Rogers et. al, 1993).

Because surface characteristics of both natural and synthetic turfs are greatly influenced not only by surface type but also maintenance procedures, it is crucial to understand what type of maintenance is required to ensure that an athletic field is safe. The Center for Athletic Field Safety (CAFS) at The University of Tennessee allows researchers to evaluate the safety and playability of both naturaland synthetic-turf systems for sports. Evaluations include surface hardness, abrasion, heat and surface-to-shoe interaction, to name a few. Additionally, maintenance practices to improve playingsurface consistency and safety are also being researched.

Legislative challenges As indicated above, maintaining a safe athletic field is not without its challenges. Unfortunately, there is yet another challenge building for field managers. Legislation restricting the use of pesticides on athletic fields in several states is being imposed upon field managers; many of these restrictions are without scientific merit. As turfgrass professionals well understand, this is potentially very dangerous, and research at UT shows that these restrictions are compromising the safety of athletic fields.

For example, research shows that bermudagrass has significantly greater wear tolerance than white clover and smooth crabgrass, each of which cause a loss of approximately 12% cover per simulated game. In addition, increased activity on the athletic fields will significantly increase surface hardness by as much as 40%. This will result in an increased potential for concussions.

Thus, instead of making claims without scientific merit, legislation should focus on making sure that athletic fields are safely maintained and that pesticides are used in a safe manner.

For instance, spot spraying weeds, posting signs to close fields 18

for 24 hours or helping fund research for the development of pest-resistant and wear-tolerant varieties of athletic turf would do a lot to increase player safety.

Interestingly, UT has done extensive traffic studies on bermudagrass varieties. Until recently, few varieties have performed as well as Tifway bermudagrass. Riviera, TifGrand, Northbridge and Latitude 36 are four of these varieties that have performed as well or better than Tifway. In addition to their high wear tolerance, Riviera, Northbridge and Latitude 36 have exceptional cold tolerance compared to Tifway. Recently, Northbridge and Latitude 36 are two new bermudagrass varieties that have shown over two years to have greater wear tolerance compared to Tifway.

Final thoughts There is an inherent risk anytime an athlete decides to play a sport. However, as field managers, parents, citizens, coaches and fans, it is our responsibility to minimize the effect the field has on player injury. We can do this with our time, our knowledge or by writing to local politicians and encouraging them to pass effective, scientifically based field-safety regulations. T

References American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Play it Safe (Fact Sheet), Rosemont (IL): AAOS, 1999 McNitt, A., Petrunak, D., and Serensits, T., 2008.

“Temperature amelioration of synthetic turf surfaces through irrigation.” In: Stier, J.C. (Ed.), Proceedings 2nd International Conference on Turfgrass, pp. 573-581.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. “Childhood Sports Injuries and Their Prevention: A Guide for Parents with Ideas for Kids.” NIH Pub. 06-4821 August 2006.

National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, Inc. 1997.

“Factsheet: Youth Sport Injuries.”

Rogers, J.N. and D.V. Waddington. 1993. “Present Status of Quantification of Sports Turf Surface Characteristics in North America.” International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. 7:231-237.

Roniger, Lori R. 2007. BioMechanics. “A kick in the grass?

Sports medicine, youth injuries, and soccer.” April.

“Sports Injury Statistics.” Weill Cornell Pediatrics. 12 February 2003. http://wo-pub2.med.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ PublicA.woa/1/wa/viewHContent?website= wmc+pediatrics &contentID=1650&wosid=mnCixthgEL6EYDtk7Gx5RM. 31 March 2008.

Trusty, Steve and S. Trusty. 2003. Grounds Maintenance.

“Turning up the heat: Controlling turf’s temperature on sports fields promotes safety and playability.” September.

38(9): p. C12-C14.

United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. 2004 product summary report. Washington (DC): US CPSC, 2005.

Waddington, D.V., A.S. McNitt, and P.J. Landschoot. 1997.

“Constructing and maintaining safe playing surfaces.” In: Safety in Baseball and Softball, ASTM Special Technical Publication 1313, Earl F. Hoerner and Frances A. Cosgrave, Eds., American Society for Testing and Materials, p. 107-113.

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

News from TTA Nominations must be postmarked no later than October 28, 2014.

Who Would You Select As

TTA Professional of the Year?

?

Do

TTA Professional of the Year • Nomination Form Person Being Nominated:_________________________________

you know an outstanding turfgrass professional in Tennessee who deserves the recognition of his or her peers? If so, now’s the time to let the TTA know who you believe should receive one of the association’s highest honors — the TTA Professional of the Year Award — at the TTA Annual Conference and Tradeshow this coming January.

Please take a moment to mail in the nomination form below.

Nominees will be reviewed by the TTA Awards & Scholarship Committee, which will make a recommendation for approval by the TTA Board of Directors. Nominations must be post-marked no later than October 28, 2014. T

Person Making the Nomination:____________________________

Please send entries to: TTA Awards Program • Paul L. Carter 8919 Harrison Bay Road • Harrison, TN 37341 (423) 344-6374 • paul.carter@tn.gov

_____________________________________________________

Reason for Nomination:__________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

2015 TTA Environmental Stewardship Award

The

Tennessee Turfgrass Association (TTA) would like to recognize outstanding contributions by individuals, organizations, businesses, educational institutions and agencies for successful projects or activities designed to improve the environment through wildlife-habitat preservation, water and resource conservation and reduction, and educational outreach. Through our Environmental Stewardship Award, we can create greater knowledge and awareness of environmental and conservation practices and projects by members of TTA who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to environmental protection and improvement.

All entry materials must be submitted according to the procedures outlined below.

The TTA Awards Committee, consisting of highly regarded TTA professionals, will independently judge the entries. The winner will be notified in November 2014, and the Environmental Stewardship Award will be presented at the TTA Awards Ceremony at the 2015 TTA Annual Conference.

Criteria for Consideration The following criteria must be met to submit for the TTA Environmental

Stewardship Award: • Property must be fully managed by an active and in-good-standing member of TTA. • Property must have been in use for at least two years.

• All materials must be submitted in one application packet.

How to Apply

In order to be considered for the TTA Environmental Stewardship Award, the following materials must be submitted to the TTA Awards Committee no later than October 28, 2014: 1. A type-written essay, no longer than one page in length, that includes the following information: • Name and location of the property • Name and contact information of the person in charge of the property • A detailed account of how the property has improved, protected and/or promoted environmental protection and conservation. The Awards Committee is looking for unique and innovative ways in which individuals have changed practices or programs on the property to either reduce the use

of (and conserve) natural resources, improved or created natural habitats, or encouraged environmental awareness through outreach and education.

2. A minimum of two original photographs of the property, with captions.

The committee encourages creative photos that show how actions and activities on the property have improved or benefitted the environment. Documentation of environmental certifications from Audubon International, The Groundwater Foundation or the Environmental Institute for Golf is encouraged. Materials prepared for education and outreach, as well as any published articles or case studies promoting environmental stewardship, are also encouraged. Photos of wildlife, unless unique in nature, should not be submitted. T

All entries must be postmarked no later than October 28, 2014.

Please send entries to: TTA Awards Program Paul L. Carter 8919 Harrison Bay Road Harrison, TN 37341 (423) 344-6374 • paul.carter@tn.gov

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION • Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

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Ne ws f rom TTA 2015 TTA Golf Course of the Year Award

The

Tennessee Turfgrass Association (TTA) recognizes that golf course superintendents make personal and professional contributions to our industry and to the organizations/ golfers that they serve. Therefore, the TTA would like to distinguish golf courses across the state with the Golf Course of the Year Program. Through this program, we are able to greatly further one main element of our mission: To gain acknowledgement for the professionalism of our members.

This year, based on the results of the judging, the following awards may be presented at the TTA Awards Ceremony at the TTA Annual Conference in January 2015:

• TTA Private Golf Course of the Year • TTA Public Golf Course of the Year All entry materials must be submitted according to the procedures outlined below. The TTA Awards Committee, consisting of highly regarded TTA professionals, will independently judge the entries. Winners will be notified in November 2014.

Criteria for Consideration The following criteria must be met to submit for the TTA Golf Course of the Year Awards Program: • The golf course must have had two full seasons of play.

• All materials must be submitted in one application packet.

How to Apply

In order to be considered for the TTA Golf Course of the Year Awards Program, the following materials must be submitted to the TTA Awards Committee no later than October 28, 2014: 1. A type-written essay, no longer than one page in length, that includes the following information: • Name and location of the golf course • Level of play (i.e., private, public) • Name and contact information of the golf course superintendent • An explanation any special challenges faced by you and/or your team. These challenges may include funding, lack of labor, weather, drought, event preparations/conversions or anything else that you feel the Awards Committee should know about why this golf course should be recognized as Golf Course of the Year. Include anything unusual or new that you have done to overcome these challenges. The Awards Committee is looking for innovative solutions to turfgrassmanagement problems.

2. A minimum of two original photographs of the golf course, with captions.

The committee encourages creative photos — photos that show the versatility of the course, display unique characteristics of the course and show the crew’s unique talents. Focus on issues specific to your golf course that tell the story (issues such as drainage, environmental stewardship, weather, etc.). Do not simply provide “beauty shots” of the course, as they do not reflect the true struggles and triumphs of you and your crew. T

All entries must be postmarked no later than October 28, 2014.

Please send entries to: TTA Awards Program Paul L. Carter 8919 Harrison Bay Road Harrison, TN 37341 (423) 344-6374 • paul.carter@tn.gov 20

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

Calend ar of Ev ents 2015 TTA Sports Field of the Year Award

The

Tennessee Turfgrass Association (TTA) recognizes that sports field managers make personal and professional contributions to our industry and to the organizations/athletes that they serve. Therefore, the TTA would like to distinguish athletic fields across the state with the Sports Field of the Year Program. Through this program, we are able to greatly further one main element of our mission: To gain acknowledgement for the professionalism of our members.

This year, based on the results of the judging, the following awards may be presented at the TTA Awards Ceremony at the TTA Annual Conference in January 2015: • TTA Professional Sports Field of the Year • TTA Collegiate Sports Field of the Year • TTA High School Sports Field of the Year • TTA Municipal Sports Field of the Year All entry materials must be submitted according to the procedures outlined below. The TTA Awards Committee, consisting of highly regarded TTA professionals, will independently judge the entries. Winners will be notified in November 2014.

Criteria for Consideration The following criteria must be met to submit for the TTA Sports Field of the Year Awards Program: • For the purposes of this program, a “field” constitutes ONE natural grass playing surface.

• A field must have had two full seasons of play (may be concurrent — i.e., football and soccer on the same field in the fall, etc.).

• All materials must be submitted in one application packet.

How to Apply In order to be considered for the TTA Sports Field of the Year Awards Program, the following materials must be submit-

ted to the TTA Awards Committee no later than October 28, 2014: 1. A type-written essay, no longer than one page in length, that includes the following information: • Name and location of the field • Level of play (i.e., professional, collegiate, high school – public, high school – private, municipal) • Name and contact information of the head turf manager • An explanation any special challenges faced by you and/or your team. These challenges may include funding, lack of labor, weather, drought, event preparations/conversions or anything else that you feel the Awards Committee should know about why this sports field should be recognized as Field of the Year. Include anything unusual or new that you have done to overcome these challenges. The Awards Committee is looking for innovative solutions to playing-surface problems.

2. A minimum of two original photographs of the field, with captions.

The committee encourages creative photos — photos that show the versatility of the field, display unique characteristics of the field and show the unique talents of the crew. Focus on issues specific to your field that tell the story (issues such as drainage, environmental stewardship, weather, etc.). Do not simply provide “beauty shots” of your field, as they do not reflect the true struggles and triumphs of you and your crew. T

All entries must be postmarked no later than October 28, 2014.

Please send entries to: TTA Awards Program Paul L. Carter 8919 Harrison Bay Road Harrison, TN 37341 (423) 344-6374 paul.carter@tn.gov

September 9 MAGCSA Scholarship and Research Tournament Winstead Turf Farms Arlington, TN

September 11 UT Turfgrass & Ornamental Field Day

East TN Research & Education Center/Plant Sciences Unit Knoxville, TN

September 22 MTGCSA Meeting Two Rivers Golf Club Nashville, TN

October 14–16 NRPA Congress and Expo (Nat. Rec. & Parks Assn.)

Charlotte Convention Center Charlotte, NC

October TBA MAGCSA Meeting

Jackson Country Club Jackson, TN

October 20 MTGCSA Scholarship and Research Tournament Govenors Club Brentwood, TN

October 22–25 School of Grounds Management and Green Industry Expo

Galt House Hotel and Kentucky Expo Center Louisville, KY

November 3 ETGCSA Scholarship and Research Tournament Fox Den Country Club Knoxville, TN

November TBA MAGCSA Meeting

Glen Eagle Golf Course Memphis, TN

January 5–7, 2015 49th Annual TTA Conference and Trade Show

Marriott Cool Springs Franklin, TN

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION • TENNESSEE VALLEY SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION • Tennessee Golf Course Superintendents Association

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Digital M arketplac e Scan the QR code: Download your favorite QR reader to your phone, and scan the code to learn more about these companies.

Index of Advertisers Bayer..................................................................... 13 www.bayerprocentral.com BWI Companies.................................................... 11 www.bwicompanies.com Covermaster, Inc..................................................... 7 www.covermaster.com Greenville Turf & Tractor, Inc................................. 3 www.greenvilleturf.com Helena Chemical..................................................... 6 www.helenachemical.com John Deere Landscapes.......................................... 9 www.johndeerelandscapes.com

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Lebanon Turf........................................... Back Cover www.countryclubmd.com McCurdy Sod Farms.............................................. 22 www.mccurdysodfarms.com Mid Tenn Turf, Inc............................................ 8, 22 www.midtennturf.com Modern Turf, Inc..................................................... 9 www.modernturf.com Sigma Organics, Inc.............................................. 10 www.sigmaturf.com Smith Seed Services............................................. 22 www.smithseed.com

TENNESSEE TURFGRASS August/september 2014 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com

Southern State Turf.............................................. 22 www.ssturf.net Sur Line Turf, Inc................................................... 11 www.surlineturf.com The Turfgrass Group................ 5, Inside Back Cover www.theturfgrassgroup.com Tri-Turf Sod Farms................................................ 22 www.triturfsod.com Turface Athletics..................................................... 7 www.profileproducts.com Turfgrass of Tennessee........................................ 20 Winstead Turf..............................Inside Front Cover www.winsteadturffarms.com