 |
|
||||||||||
 From the News Desk...Back to basicsby John ReitmanFew people share the ability of Frank Wong, Ph.D., to inject humor and the use of metaphor into discussions about such things as anthracnose, dollar spot and pink snow mold. “A friend of mine asked me one time what the was difference between brown patch and large patch,” Wong told a group of assistant superintendents recently. “My answer was, ‘well, sometimes large patch is pretty damn large.’ ”  Wong, turfgrass pathologist at the University of California, Riverside and statewide cooperative extension specialist for turfgrass pathology, shared that bolt from the blue during the ninth annual Northern California Golf Association Assistant Superintendent Boot Camp held Sept. 21-22 in Monterey.
Organized by Mike McCullough, director of environmental and water resources for the Northern California Golf Association, the event comprises a military-style barrage of geographic-specific agronomic curriculum from leading turfgrass researchers and professional guidance from area superintendents. It’s all designed to help prepare 40 assistant superintendents for their first calling as head golf course superintendents. Other speakers during the two-day event included Kevin Frank, Ph.D., associate professor and turfgrass extension specialist at Michigan State University; superintendents Pat Finlen, CGCS and director of golf maintenance at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Doug Ayres of Corral de Tierra Country Club in Salinas and Jeremy Payne of Empire Ranch Golf Club in Folsom; as well as Paul Vermeulen, PGA Tour Director, Competitions Agronomy. Harold Smith is a recent convert to the golf maintenance industry, working previously in a variety of fields including designing security systems. He has been in the business for 3.5 years and currently is the assistant superintendent at San Ramon Golf Club. Although he has no formal turf training other than what he learns on the ground at San Ramon, Smith has developed a belief system about agronomic programs and other tips that are more reminiscent of a seasoned superintendent than they are an untrained assistant. “It all makes an impact,” Smith said of the speakers and curriculum. “There are all sorts of perspectives that you can pull together and see what works for you. There are nuggets everywhere. That’s why I came. Some of these things I already know, but I don’t know all of it.” Other speakers included brief discussion sessions with USGA Green Section regional agronomist Pat Gross; Ryan Gregg, assistant director of rules and competition for the Northern California Golf Association; Corey Isom, superintendent of the Preserve Golf Club in Carmel; Tennessee McBroom, superintendent of Sandpiper Golf Club in Santa Barbara; and equipment managers Sal Seeno of Cypress Point Club and Carlos Vasquez of Spyglass Hill Golf Club, both in Pebble Beach. Finlen spoke to the group about water-related challenges facing the industry in general and the importance of communications up and down the chain of command.  Finlen cited statistics that indicate how proactive the golf industry has been as a whole at being stewards of water. He added how many outside the industry, including those who sell water to golf courses, are largely unaware of such efforts. He cited various examples of mandated water restrictions in parts of California, including the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and elsewhere as evidence. He also noted that current superintendents and those prepping for their first head position would be wise to develop drought-management plans as early as possible before use limits are imposed by a water district or municipal government entity that does not understand golf’s unique needs and the steps many courses have taken to be proactive water stewards.
“If you don’t plan to conserve, you will be forced to conserve,” Finlen said. Wong spoke to the group on topics such as understanding fungicide chemistry, modes of action and range of activity as well as disease identification. That includes how to detect pythium blight in warm- and cool-season grasses. “Pythium blight is one of the few diseases that you can diagnose by smell,” Wong said. “Smell it. If it smells like fish, it’s probably pythium blight.” He credits his unique delivery during presentations partly to his career choice as a turfgrass pathologist. “Pathologists – we’re just different,” Wong said. “We like seeing death and destruction in turfgrass. “If someone like (Michigan State’s) Kevin (Frank) shows up at your golf course, you show him the nicest places. When a turfgrass pathologist shows up, we want to see the worst part.” He also likes discussing turf diseases in a manner that keeps audiences engaged. For example, when discussing problems associated with dollar spot, Wong said “anytime you wake up in North Carolina and your underwear is sticking to your leg, it’s probably dollar spot weather.” Wong’s off-the-cuff delivery struck a chord with Brandon Meiners, assistant superintendent at Belmont Country Club.  “He delivers the information on a fun and interesting level,” Meiners said.
There was a serious side as well, such as using a TDS meter to determine whether a disease is anthracnose or rapid blight, which share similar symptoms. Wong’s presentations included factors that are necessary for a variety of diseases to manifest in turf, signs and symptoms, and susceptibility of a variety of host organisms. Although there are more than 50 recognized turfgrass diseases, most of which are caused by a fungus, Wong told the group that only about 18 present a concern in Northern California. Those diseases are algae, anguina gall nematode, anthracnose, bipolaris leaf spot, brown patch, brown ring patch, dollar spot, fairy ring, gray leaf spot, large patch, pink snow mold, pythium blight, root knot nematode, as well as southern blight, rapid blight, spring dead spot, summer patch and take-all patch. Remembering five factors can help superintendents make a preliminary diagnosis before shipping off a turf sample in the mail. Those factors include a suitable host, the right environmental conditions, proper cultural conditions, host and the right environmental conditions. “If you know that, you’re 95 percent of the way there for being able to take a stab at diagnosing diseases,” Wong said. Attending his first boot camp, Meiners of Belmont Country Club might not be ready to begin diagnosing diseases, but the event did make an impression on him. Formerly a technical sales rep for industry vendors and a golf course equipment manager in Oregon, Washington and Hawaii, Meiners has been on staff at Belmont since March. “I was not sure what to expect; I had not expectations,” Meiners said. “This is a great opportunity. I don’t know anyone here at all, but this is a great opportunity to learn more and network.” Corral de Tierra’s Doug Ayres has developed a reputation throughout California for being a MacGyver-like superintendent. He developed that reputation by completing a variety of in-house projects like a bunker rebuild, various course-beautification efforts and erecting an on-course waterfall. Each project is designed to improve playing conditions and/or aesthetics on the golf course while also saving gobs of money for his club. "If I save money in one spot, that is money I can use elsewhere."Recently he and his mechanic, Brian Sjoren, worked together to convert a 1985 Toro front deck rotary mower to run on 100 percent bio fuel. Although they have been using it only for a month or so, he expects it to result in savings of about $5,000 per year. “If I save money in one spot, that is money I can use elsewhere,” Ayres said. “Now, if the course wants me to save a dollar and hand that dollar back to them, fine, I can do that. But I tell them ‘here, this is what I’m doing with your dollars.’ So far they’ve said ‘fine, keep doing that .’ ” Smith of San Ramon Golf Club finds one-on-one time with successful industry professionals such as Ayres invaluable. “You can throw yourself into the middle of this and get a good education,” he said. “Anyone who can’t see the joy and enthusiasm Doug has for his job would have to be blind.” And then, of course, there are the Wongisms, including this one: “If you put (a turfgrass sample) in a bag and it comes out the next day looking like Don King’s hair," Wong said, "it’s typically waitea patch.” Now that’s science. |
In other news... Study examines spring pre-stress fertility programs Research finds no correlation between biostimulant applications before spring core cultivation and recovery. Posted: 09/02/2010 Read more » Aquatrols, TurfNet present Water Week The series of five Webinars is aimed at helping superintendents manage water and soils more efficiently. Posted: 09/01/2010 Read more » News and people briefs Registration opens soon for Irrigation Show, Briggs & Stratton elects new chairman, FMC taps new director for professional solutions division Posted: 09/01/2010 Read more » GCSAA selects firm in search for new CEO Kansas City-based company will open search process for Mark Woodward's successor in October. Posted: 08/31/2010 Read more » Water foul! Research shows that droppings from non-migratory geese on turf can result in nitrogen runoff into adjacent bodies of water. Posted: 08/26/2010 Read more » Complete news index » |
|
 |
 — The TurfNet Media Network: TurfNet.com, TurfNet TV, TurfNet Monthly, TurfNet University — Connecting golf course superintendents worldwide, since 1994. © 1994-2010, Turnstile Publishing Company. All rights reserved. |
 |