Iron...

Sean McCue, Country Club at Castle Pines, Castle Pines, CO:

"While driving around today I noticed an interesting phenomenon from applications of iron and other biostimulants to some of our trees. We have been treating a handful of weakened trees as a result of using effluent water for irrigation purposes on the golf course.

We have been applying this special mixture every two weeks to help buffer the salts found in the water and soil that is harming the trees. I was surprised to see that the iron in the tank mix still had a greening effect on the turf even though the plant is dormant for the winter.

The picture shows the green up from where the solution has been applied at the base of the tree, additional the runoff has moved into the fairway greening up the Bentgrass as well. Pretty cool stuff!"

Visit Sean's blog at cccpgcm.blogspot.com

Sunlight!

Steve Cook, CGCS MG, Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, MI:

"We are just finishing the darkest part of the year in the Northern Hemisphere referred to as the solar winter or the quarter of the year with the least amount of sunlight. Starting February 5th, we began a period of more sunlight that will peak at the summer solstice, which occurs in 2012 on June 20th.

In between we have the Spring Equinox. Equinox literally means 'equal night' and occurs twice a year. On the Spring or Vernal Equinox the sun rises exactly in the east, travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the west. On this date... March 20, 2012 ... the sun is directly over the equator. Every place on earth experiences a 12 hour day twice a year on the Spring and Fall Equinox.

It's because of the 23.4° tilt of the Earth's axis that we experience these changes. The date is significant in Christianity because Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. It is also probably no coincidence that early Egyptians built the Great Sphinx so that it points directly toward the rising sun on the day of the Vernal Equinox."

Visit Steve's blog at ohccturf.blogspot.com.

Great winter for outside work...

Dave Schlagetter, CGCS, Indian Hill Club, Winnetka, IL:

"Aaron Becker, our Second Assistant, has been leading the roofing and siding job on the golf course shelters. A great winter job, when winters are like the one we are experiencing this year."

Visit Dave's blog at indianhillverdure.blogspot.com/.

A little paint can do wonders...

Craig DeJong, Hendersonville Country Club, Hendersonville, NC:

"A golf course restroom is simply a place to...

We have been spending some time sprucing up our facilities out on the course. Their were some unused accessories, non-functioning doors, and some lack of color coordination that needed to be dealt with. This is a bit of updating that everyone will appreciate."

Visit Craig's blog at hccgcgd.blogspot.com

Continuing Education... A Little Different This Year

Chris Tritabaugh, Northland Country Club, Duluth, MN:

"A very important part of every winter in our industry is continuing education. Industry trends change, new products are released and conversation and ideas flow freely between friends and colleagues. Attending state and national conferences are important to staying current as a golf course superintendent.

This winter, my continuing education season will be a departure from the norm. Rather than simply receive continuing education, I am fortunate to be presenting educational seminars in two separate locations.

The third week of February I will head to Halifax, Nova Scotia for the Atlantic Golf Superintendents Association Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show. During the conference I will be presenting two seminars; one on the turfgrass management practices we have implemented at Northland and how they have favored the finer grasses. The second seminar will cover the use of social media in turfgrass and golf course management. It will be fun to visit a new city and meet and converse with a group of superintendents, who manage turf in a very similar climate to Duluth.

"I come from a family of teachers and I am excited to have the opportunity to teach others a little bit of what we have learned here at Northland..."

The week after I return from Halifax I will head to Las Vegas for the 2012 Golf Industry Show. Here I will give a social media talk focused on using Twitter as a golf course superintendent.

It will be fun to be on the other side of the lectern this winter. I also feel a great deal of pride in the fact the practices we have put into place here at Northland have garnered enough interest from colleagues to warrant an educational seminar. I come from a family of teachers and I am excited to have the opportunity to teach others a little bit of what we have learned here at Northland."

Visit Chris's blog at northlandgrounds.blogspot.com.