We have now had a full season without pesticides here in Ontario as a result of a provincial ban on their use for cosmetic purposes. It’s been a challenge on my lawn. I have been hand weeding the broadleaf weeds and putting a little extra fertilizer on to stimulate more growth.

For some reason Round-up is not included in the ban and is still available at Lowes and Home Depot. I used some under my fence line, until I discovered that it was only supposed to be used for “noxious weeds.” It is safe to assume that would include thistles.

A neighbor down the street applied Round-up to patches of clover and individual dandelions. His lawn was a mess after just a few days and created much interest up and down the street. I suspect the Russian lady with allergies and a loudly anti-pesticide nature may have called the environmental police. I saw some officious looking characters checking things out.

His lawn was a mess after just a few days and created much interest up and down the street. I suspect the Russian lady with allergies and a loudly anti-pesticide nature may have called the environmental police…

There have been a few lawn care companies making applications in the neighborhood. When I questioned them they became evasive, probably suspecting that I was a spy for the government. Meanwhile on a nearby soccer pitch, the grass is cut at 3 inches but there are more weeds than grass. Few kids play soccer there.

Miraculously, golf courses received an exemption from the new regulation but are under severe restrictions. They must become IPM accredited and join the Audubon program. In addition they must keep meticulous records of the pesticide applications and only spray as a last resort. Some superintendents I know have hired an extra assistant to take care of the administrative load. That’s the price to pay to squelch Dollar Spot. There is talk of compost tea helping grasses resist Dollar Spot.

Everyone, even the politicians, knows that the pesticide ban is an emotional issue not based on science. Unfortunately, scientists have lost credibility ever since the atomic bomb was created. And guess where the votes are? When the socialist mayor of Toronto and the liberal premier of the province play golf together, as they have been known to do, I wonder what they talk about. Do they admire the weed-free pristine fairways? Do they occasionally sniff a tuft of turf? More likely they are comparing their horrendous budgetary deficits. I firmly believe  it’s only a matter of time for the golf course exemption from the pesticide ban to be rescinded.

When the socialist mayor of Toronto and the liberal premier of the province play golf together, as they have been known to do, I wonder what they talk about. Do they admire the weed-free pristine fairways? Do they occasionally sniff a tuft of turf?

To my American colleagues I say, don’t be surprised if the above scenario is repeated south of the 48^th parallel. You have now been warned.

In my next blog I will address the issue of how golf courses can be maintained without pesticides.

Two Montreal area superintendents were among 1450 cyclists who participated in The Ride to Conquer Cancer, a series of two-day regional cycling events across Canada to raise money for cancer research. Pat Moir at Hillsdale GC, the current president of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, teamed with Randy Scott of Elm Ridge Country Club in the 300 km Quebec ride from Montreal to Quebec City. Scott is a past president of CGSA.

Both Moir and Scott are avid cyclists who often ride together on their racing machines. In preparation for the long distance ride, the men practiced extensively to build up their stamina. The bike ride is not limited to racers; recreational bicycle enthusiasts also participate in large numbers. For the latter, it just takes longer to get to end. Moir, 42, and Scott, 55, completed the run in less than ten hours and were in the top 10% of those who finished. At times they reached speeds in excess of 50 km/hr. Saddle sores? Not if you practice a lot and wear proper clothing, such as padded spandex pants.

The distance from Montreal to Quebec City was covered over a two-day weekend during early July of this year. Similar rides take place during the same time frame across Canada and the USA. Millions of dollars are raised for cancer research in the process. Scott and Moir had pledges in excess of $14,000 which contributed handsomely to the overall total of $5.7 million for the Quebec ride alone.

Preparations are already underway for next year’s ride. The pair will be joined by two other area superintendents.

It’s been almost eight years since we presented the Magic of Greenkeeping in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. In our audience were a number of superintendents and some committee members. Since only a few spoke English, we used a translator to get our points across. Afterward we played golf and mingled with our colleagues.

At that time, Hugo Chavez had just recently been elected president with the enthusiastic support of the slum-dwelling masses. There was much talk of the surprise election among the country club crowd and most thought his victory would be short lived. It has not turned out that way. Chavez is firmly established and is just as noisy as comrade Castro once was in Cuba . I will not get into their politics because that’s not my domain. However, both men have had their effect on golf in their respective countries and perhaps to some degree in other parts of Latin America.

When Castro took over in Cuba, golf courses quickly became obsolete and were abandoned because golf was considered a game of the elitist upper classes. But when Communist Russia stopped financing the Cubans, the country once again opened its borders to foreign tourists to cavort on its beaches and spend money freely. Some of the tourists, mainly from Canada and Europe, wanted more than to just lounge around in the sun. Gradually it dawned on the Cubans that golf was not so bad after all and bit by bit, one golf course at a time, the greens and fairways and tees were resurrected from the wilds. Golf is now once again an option for tourists and, maybe the locals will sneak in a round now and again when Castro or his brother are not watching

Meanwhile, Chavez  has made it very clear on numerous occasions that golf is not part of the social scene in Venezuela. He has threatened to expropriate the golf courses and turn them into vegetable gardens for the poor. Curious as to how this conversion was coming along, I contacted my resource in that country, a former superintendent, now a consultant. My friend became embroiled in the politics of the committee system at his club and resigned his position. Since he is a member, he still plays golf there. My friend reports that the situation is indeed grim in his country.

Chavez has closed all golf courses that belonged to the oil industry. These courses were built by American oil companies for the benefit of their workers many years ago. All other golf courses are being threatened with expropriation at the whim of the dictator.

There are now 15 golf courses left in Venezuela. My friend tries to get by doing consulting work with some of these. His livelihood is precarious and he has made preparations to leave the country if the situation deteriorates further.

During the last five years, I have become a regular at the Cancer Clinic, a wing of a prominent hospital in the city of Toronto. At first I did not really think I was sick because I was feeling well and in a state of denial. Eventually, reality set in. Many of the other patients wore conspicuous head coverings indicating that they were undergoing chemo treatment. They were often accompanied by husbands, wives or sons or daughters for emotional support. The cancer clinic is always a beehive of activity with people of all walks of life undergoing tests and waiting to see their respective doctors.

At first I did not really think I was sick because I was feeling well and in a state of denial. Eventually, reality set in…

The routine is the same for most of us. After checking in with a receptionist, we are ushered to the blood lab where, in my case, five vials of blood are taken. We wait till our number comes up. When it’s my turn the female Jamaican technician shouts: “Gohhhdon” as if there is no “R’ in my name. It took a while before I caught on.

After the blood sample we wait and wait for our turn to meet with our doctors. In the meantime we mix and mingle with our fellow patients. Some do puzzles or read books and there is even a basket of knitting stuff. Every once in a while someone will pick up the needles and do a few rows of stitches to pass the time.

Away from the hospital I rarely discuss my condition with friends and family. They seem at a loss as to how to deal with it but at the Cancer Clinic we are all in the same boat to a final but uncertain destination and we exchange medical information freely. It’s a form of therapy.

Away from the hospital I rarely discuss my condition with friends and family. They seem at a loss as to how to deal with it…

During my last visit I found myself seated next to an elderly couple. They were holding hands and I asked what treatment she was taking. Reluctantly she responded that she had just been diagnosed with brain cancer and then tears welled from her eyes. I placed my arm around her and she stopped crying but no words came forth. There was no need to explain.

Each time I visit the Cancer Clinic, I pause at the entrance and look at the sign over the doors. It took a few years but I have now come to accept that the big “C” in cancer applies to me just like all the other patients.

*CMML, the disease with which I am afflicted, is a blood disorder commonly known as chronic leukemia. It is a relatively rare disease. Only about one person in 100,000 gets it, which means that more than likely I am the only GCSAA member suffering from it.

As a golfer I have come to hate aerated greens with a passion. It’s no fun to find your ball nestled in an aerator hole and wobble to the vicinity of the cup. My friends and I all hate it and become grumpier as the round progresses, and we part on barely speaking terms at the end of the day. Sometimes we walk, rather ride, off the course.

As a superintendent I loved to aerate. I knew from experience that the tired grass at the end of the summer would grow with renewed vigor after aeration. It seemed to jump out of the ground and sometimes required two cuts in a single day. But oh, how the golfers bitched and I did not care because I was the Lord and Master who knew what was best for my domain — never mind the golfers.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, I feel compelled to advise my erstwhile colleagues how to reduce the pain. Following are some words of wisdom in no particular order.

— If you absolutely must aerate greens during the playing season, use smaller tines, preferably pencil tines. They least effect the roll of the ball.

— Fill the holes with sand or topdressing immediately after aerations. Water in and fill again. A light rolling often helps smooth the surface.

— Be prepared to syringe when aerating with temperatures higher than 80F.

— Never start aerating on either #1 or #18 green, in case something goes wrong. On the #1 hole, golfers get a first impression and on the 18th, a lasting one.

Never start aerating on either #1 or #18 green, in case something goes wrong. On the #1 hole, golfers get a first impression and on the 18th, a lasting one.

— Never aerate greens on a Friday and then head for the cottage.

— Be visible during the process on the first tee and on the course. Commiserate with your golfers and listen to their gripes. No lengthy technical explanations please.

— If you are aerating to reduce compaction, consider partially aerating greens in the cupping areas only. That can save a lot of time.

— Some superintendents at courses with large greens or fewer golfers, may not need to aerate at all and some don’t.

— If you must use large diameter tines, do so in the shoulder season, when fewer golfers are affected.

— Don’t wait too long, because the turf needs to recover before winter arrives.

Finally, no matter how you do it, aerating is like major surgery and as in modern medicine, we should look to do it laparoscopically. With fewer golfers taking up the game and many dropping out, you must do your part to keep the players happy so they’ll come back and play another day.