I am finishing a conference call with some key superintendents from the NY Metro area when I ask a simple question about early season annual bluegrass seedhead suppression. At least three of the seven superintendents chime in saying, “I wouldn’t know I’m bentgrass”. Immediately my mind began racing, “what if everyone was bentgrass, what if there was no annual bluegrass”. It is hard to imagine the differences, but as John Lennon Said, “it’s easy if you try”.
We would spray fewer pesticides with
I am finishing a conference call with some key superintendents from the NY Metro area when I ask a simple question about early season annual bluegrass seedhead suppression. At least three of the seven superintendents chime in saying, I wouldnt know Im bentgrass. Immediately my mind began racing, what if everyone was bentgrass, what if there was no annual bluegrass. It is hard to imagine the differences, but as John Lennon said, its easy if you try.
Immediately my mind began racing, what if ev
I do. Televised golf is supposed to be 20 minutes per hour of election dysfunction commercials where folks sit in tubs and watch sunsets, 30 minutes of putting and putt stalking, two minutes of interviews with sponsor CEOs and the remaining 11 minutes devoted to at least two tear-jerking human interest stories.
The Masters mind control experts have once more, ripped the tried and true programming strategy apart and forced us to watch more golf.
I hate to complain, but in the last two days of
I do. Televised golf is supposed to be 20 minutes per hour of election dysfunction commercials where folks sit in tubs and watch sunsets, 30 minutes of putting and putt stalking, two minutes of interviews with sponsor CEOs and the remaining 11 minutes devoted to at least two tear-jerking human interest stories.
The Masters mind control experts have once more, ripped the tried and true programming strategy apart and forced us to watch more golf.
They claim theyre giving us four minutes o
How to diagnose, treat and possibly cure the most dangerous early season golf disorder.
Diagnosis: The initial outbreak of Post Masters Syndrome typically begins within minutes of final round completion. First indications usually involve golfers of several levels–from muni to mid-level country club–verbalizing in pitiful, whiny voices, “Why can’t we do that?”
Tests for azalea poisoning and overseed overdose will normally read very high on the scale; additionally, the golfer/member’s listenin
How to diagnose, treat and possibly cure the most dangerous early season golf disorder.
Diagnosis: The initial outbreak of Post Masters Syndrome typically begins within minutes of final round completion.
First indications usually involve golfers of several levelsfrom muni to mid-level country clubverbalizing in pitiful, whiny voices, Why cant we do that?
Tests for azalea poisoning and overseed overdose will normally read very high on the scale; additionally, the golfer/members list
The flooding of September 2011 in upstate NY is one that Rocco Greco, Superintendent at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott, NY, site of the Dicks Sporting Goods Open Senior PGA event, is unlikely to forget anytime soon. “Having lived in the area most of my life, I knew there was flooding”, Rocco said, “but I never imagined 16 of my 18 holes would be submerged under 15-20 feet of water.”
Aerial view of En-Joie Golf Course September 2011. Note only two greens NOT flooded.
Sometimes I forget the u
The flooding of September 2011 in upstate NY is one that Rocco Greco, Superintendent at En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott, NY, site of the Dick's Sporting Goods Open Senior PGA event, is unlikely to forget anytime soon. Having lived in the area most of my life, I knew there was flooding, Rocco said, but I never imagined 16 of my 18 holes would be submerged under 15-20 feet of water.
Sometimes I forget the unprecedented access I get to not only fascinating operations but dedicated and unique
After decades of watching golfers, I think I know what normal golfers want: Affordable golf within a reasonable time limit, smooth greens, and wide fairways. They want a digestible sandwich at the turn, friendly folks behind the pro shop counter and a warning, prior to purchasing the green fee, that the course is littered with 97 big bunkers and the rough is at US Open height due to a green committee with a TV golf fixation.
As to those “other” golfers, the abnormal, the spoiled, the pampered
After decades of watching golfers, I think I know what normal golfers want: Affordable golf within a reasonable time limit, smooth greens, and wide fairways.
They want a digestible sandwich at the turn, friendly folks behind the pro shop counter and a warning, prior to purchasing the green fee, that the course is littered with 97 big bunkers and the rough is at US Open height due to a green committee with a TV golf fixation.
As to those other golfers, the abnormal, the spoiled, the pam
As a member of the National Golf Foundation and also a subscriber to Pellucid Corporation operated by Jim Koppenhaver I have access to enormous amounts of information concerning the business of golf. Recently I have found this information fascinating as it seems since the crash of 2008, the economy has exerted the strongest influence on golf turf management I have ever seen in thirty years in the industry.
it seems since the crash of 2008, the economy has exerted the strongest influence on go
It’s Storytime at Rockbottum CC.
During a recent session with Rockbottum Behavior Modification Therapist Dr. Ludell Hogwaller, I experienced a monumental breakthrough. Using his special donut-hypnosis, he uncovered a long buried childhood memory that finally revealed just how I acquired my secret golf nickname–and why I have an unnatural fear of fish, fishing and fishermen.
It all began in ’63, when the US Army assigned Dad–or Cap’n Ahab as I called him–to teach ROTC and coach the rifle team
Its Storytime at Rockbottum CC.
During a recent session with Rockbottum Behavior Modification Therapist Dr. Ludell Hogwaller, I experienced a monumental breakthrough. Using his special donut-hypnosis, he uncovered a long buried childhood memory that finally revealed just how I acquired my secret golf nicknameand why I have an unnatural fear of fish, fishing and fishermen.
It all began in 63, when the US Army assigned Dador Capn Ahab as I called himto teach ROTC and coach the rifle team
As one of the last of the Night Watermen, I have always had a special relationship with water and golf. In fact, to this day, I continue to think of myself as an “irrigation guy” forced by extreme circumstances to serve as a GCS. I get along well with water. I can’t swim in it, due to a genetic predisposition toward sinking, but it’s pretty much all I drink and it does amazingly well as medicine for stomach ailments, dehydration issues and Friday night mistakes. Turf likes water and interestingl
As one of the last of the Night Watermen, I have always had a special relationship with water and golf. In fact, to this day, I continue to think of myself as an irrigation guy forced by extreme circumstances to serve as a GCS. I get along well with water. I cant swim in it, due to a genetic predisposition toward sinking, but its pretty much all I drink and it does amazingly well as medicine for stomach ailments, dehydration issues and Friday night mistakes. Turf likes water and interestingly en
My email and phone are blowing up these days with golf turf questions, comments, reports, inquiries about the record early Spring conditions. Golf course superintendents are asking about seedhead suppression timing with Proxy and Primo,wondering about soil temperatures and summer patch preventative control, and most importantly in the northeast US, annual bluegrass weevil sitings. With each of these issues, the old saying holds-timing is everything.
Seedhead suppression is among the most tim
An interesting topic popped up on the TurfNet Forum the other day, asking if club managers have more influence on purchasing decisions now than in past years. I gave it several seconds of deep thought and answered “Yes”, but only in my mind, primarily because I’m not intellectually equipped to debate TurfNetters with years of post-graduate work. (My post-grad work at Fort Bragg was limited to a short thesis entitled “Why You Shouldn’t Throw a Grenade up a Staircase”–the effects of the lab expe
An interesting topic popped up on the TurfNet Forum the other day, asking if club managers have more influence on purchasing decisions now than in past years. I gave it several seconds of deep thought and answered Yes, but only in my mind, primarily because Im not intellectually equipped to debate TurfNetters with years of post-graduate work. (My post-grad work at Fort Bragg was limited to a short thesis entitled Why You Shouldnt Throw a Grenade up a Staircase -- the effects of the lab experim
Rockbottum CC has never managed to get one of our golf course dogs into the TurfNet Superintendent’s Best Friend Calendar. It’s not like we haven’t tried hard, it’s just that the level of competition is so high. After all, this is the Big One, The Original, The First golf course dog centerfold calendar . . . it should be tough to be selected. We’ve tried everything–bribery and threats, pleading and whining–but nothing has worked.
The photos we submitted were apparently intercepted by elemen
Rockbottum CC has never managed to get one of our golf course dogs into the TurfNet Superintendents Best Friend Calendar. Its not like we havent tried hard, its just that the level of competition is so high. After all, this is the Big One, The Original, The First golf course dog centerfold calendar . . . it should be tough to be selected. Weve tried everything bribery and threats, pleading and whining but nothing has worked.
This year, when we realized Bosco and Chopper had been turne
It’s almost time to crank big mowers, defibrillate the pump station
and check the lawn furniture: The tee bench, the 150 yard barber pole,
(the g-rated name) and that most essential of all golfer toys, the ball washer.
The ball washer WILL function with smooth precision, whether it is the crank-wheel design that allows the operator to make engine starting noises–or the favorite among those of us with delayed maturity issues, the VPM or Vertical Plunger Model.
The VPM, when operated vig
Its almost time to crank big mowers, defibrillate the pump station and check the lawn furniture: The tee bench, the 150 yard barber pole, (the g-rated name) and that most essential of all golfer toys, the ball washer.
The ball washer must enter the season perfect and shiny.
The ball washer WILL function with smooth precision, whether it is the crank-wheel design that allows the operator to make engine starting noisesor the favorite among those of us with delayed maturity issues, the V
As budgets have tightened many golf course superintendents have forsaken their professional development line items. Often when this pinch occurs it is the National Show that gets cut as I have found most superintendents are loyal to their local, state and regional associations.
I certainly understand the impetus to cut a fairly big number when not attending the "National Show", but it makes me wonder if there is no longer any perceived value to attending. I am fortunate to be involved in the ed
