9/11, A Personal View...

Joe Wachter, CGCS, Glen Echo Country Club, St. Louis, MO:

"As we reflect on the 10th anniversary of this terrible event, I want to share a couple of thoughts regarding my experiences during that time.

I was superintendent at Eagle Springs Golf Course and walked into the pro shop right around 8 a.m. There was a large screen TV with a picture of the first tower on fire. I stood there stunned for a couple of minutes watching NBC's coverage when I saw this dark flying object plow into the second tower. Initially, I thought I was watching a replay of the first flight but I found out pretty quickly that it was the second plane. The rest of the morning became a blur as the attacks continued.

The airspace over Eagle Springs was not quite as busy with air traffic as Glen Echo is but we normally went through about four hours every day when air traffic overhead was very busy. Over the next week, the daily occurrence of planes flying overhead gave way to the beautiful silence that can be experienced on a golf course... but the silence was deafening and very eerie after what our country had just experienced on 9/11. Once planes began to fly, even though we were not back to normal, the noise of those jet engines did bring some sense of normalcy back to my life.

The American Express Championship was to be held at Bellerive Country Club that week. I had volunteered for the afternoon shift to help the staff prepare for their tournament, and had worked Sunday and Monday raking bunkers. After the attacks, I reported to work that Tuesday afternoon knowing that the tournament was going to be cancelled but showed up to get the final word. I will always remember the faces of the staff who were so sad from the events earlier that morning. Tony Mancuso, CGCS attempted to give us the news but was too overcome with emotion to speak. His first assistant Rob Kick (current Superintendent at Algonquin) told us the event was cancelled. All of us connected to golf understand the work that leads up to a major event. Good guys who in the end were only concerned about what had happened to our country.

I've mentioned in the past that I have a membership in a golf course information company (TURFNET) in which I frequent the web board to share information with fellow superintendents. Through that board, I read the firsthand experiences of superintendents who watched the destruction of the twin towers from their beautiful properties around New York City. Also, a number of clubs experienced multiple members/friends who died that day.

As I make my way around the property the next few days, my thoughts will be with those we lost and those left behind. I will sit and listen to the quiet serenity that a golf course can bring but I will be very happy to have the silence broken by those planes flying overhead."

Visit Joe's blog at geccgcm.blogspot.com

Critters...

Aaron Wells, Belmont Country Club, Ashburn,VA:

"Lately we've had a lot of damage from animals digging into our greens. I believe they are digging up the dead cicadas and larvae left behind from the cicada killers. This morning we witnessed 3 foxes on #17 green digging away, Tuesday we had damage on #16 green. It was suggested by animal control to buy a few live traps and try to trap the animals so they can be relocated to a different location.

So, last night we set the trap on #16 hoping to come in this morning to find a fox in it, instead we caught an opossum. Opossums are not the targeted pest here so we let him go where he came from with a belly full of our bait...Friskies canned cat food. This method is the best way to solve our problem without hurting the animal."

Visit Aaron's blog at belmontturfnews.blogspot.com/

Natural Area Test Plot...

Dan Salois, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Swanton, OH:

"Earlier this year I seeded the old #14 tee with a 'links style' fescue blend. The motivations behind this were:

1. Test the proper technique of seeding new species into an existing stand,
2. Find the seeding rate that would work best for the course, and
3. Show the membership what a properly planted 'natural' area would look like.

I'm happy to report that it came out great, and looks just as I hope our native areas would look should we decide to kill and reseed these areas.

Looking at the areas, the differences are very noticable. First, while the area looks like a 'wispy wheatfield', the finer, bunch-type fescue is less dense, making it much easier to walk through, find your ball, hit your ball, and much easier for us to mow down.

I mowed a pass around to better define the fescue.
A nice, uniform stand of grass that looks good tall.

Secondly, and probably most important, (since none of you ever hit your ball into the native areas, hee hee) the more uniform height and texture is far more aesthetically pleasing than our existing mixed stand. Currently, our 'natural' areas consist of a mixture of bluegrass, annual bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass, and whatever else has invaded over the years. These grasses create a dense, messy, and often times 'fallen' look that is not desirable.

The matted down grass in the foreground is our existing "mix". Where Aaron stands is the re-seeded fescue. It's easy to see the difference in uniformity from our existing grass to the new fescue area.

Thirdly, the areas we have grown 'natural' do not have sprinklers. Fescue type grasses survive in good health much better in un-irrigated areas better than the bluegrasses and ryegrasses.

The point of the re-seeding will ultimately install a more appropriate and attractive grass to survive in these areas where no sprinklers exist. It is important to note that the layout of these areas will not be taken lightly. We will consult with members and architects to make sure that the proper lines and areas are re-grassed. Please swing by the old 14 tee this fall and let me know what you think."

Here's the old, existing grass grown tall. You almost can't see the ball, let alone hit it.

The less dense fescue offers a much easier view of the ball and the opportunity to make a play.

Visit Dan's blog at hmgcmaintenance.blogspot.com

Five Gallons of Good Stuff

Jim Alwine, Stockton Golf and Country Club, Stockton, CA:

"We rarely spray anything without a little premix in a five gallon bucket. Some of the typical additions are iron sulfate, manganese sulfate, zinc sulfate, ammonium sulfate, calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, mono potassium phosphate, and a product called UFLEXX. To these, we always add some other ingredients to get the final mix we are looking for.

There are many products that are ready to go in a 2.5 gallon jug. They already contain a good ratio of N-P-K plus additions like amino acids, kelps, and minors like iron, boron, copper, and magnesium. Of course, all that convenience comes with a price tag that we've decided to avoid most of the time.

The trade-off is some labor intensive mixing that takes patience and time. It also tends to ruin clothes and cheap drills. However, the greens are very happy with what we've been doing. We have dense turf, little thatch, and a few more inches of roots than before.

Someday, we might trade in the iron-stained drill for a fancy mix tank or even build one in-house. I would certainly enjoy that luxury. Until then, we will continue to shuttle five gallon buckets filled with hot water out of the shop and towards the fertilizer storage area.

Maintenance tip: If you happen to be working with the same strategy, here is a tip that might help with the process. The UFLEXX fertilizer is sometimes contaminated with a few prills of Polyon. These do not break down and will clog a nozzle. We now pour all of our granular-turned-liquid products through a tee towel to catch any solids. Jan, our mechanic, brought in an old one she used for dishes and it has been a very useful time saver."

Visit Jim's blog at sgccturf.blogspot.com.