News and people briefs

 

The warm winter that prevailed throughout the eastern half of the U.S. in February and March has had a predictable outcome on the game of golf.

 

Rounds played were up 13 percent in March compared with the same month last year, according to the Golf Datatech National Golf Rounds Played Report for March. Year-to-date participation is up 5.5 percent compared to the first three months of 2015. The report represents self-reported data from 2,750 private and daily fee courses nationwide.

 

The most significant gains were made in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where play was up by 2,100 percent. Other triple-digit gains were made in New York (577 percent), New Jersey (417 percent), Pennsylvania (354 percent), Delaware and Maryland (210 percent), Michigan (161 percent) and Ohio (118 percent). 

 

Double-digit gains were made in West Virginia (98 percent), Virginia (97 percent), Illinois and Indiana (88 percent), Kentucky (51 percent), Minnesota (42 percent), Georgia (31 percent), Tennessee (29 percent), North Carolina (28 percent), Mississippi (23 percent), Oklahoma and Texas (17 percent) and Iowa (15 percent).

 

There were some big losers in March, too, namely Florida, California, the Dakotas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico, all of which experienced double-digit losses in March.

 

 

 

Central Turf & Irrigation Supply, a wholesale distributor of landscape supplies, has launched Organic Insect Control to help control a host of summer insect pests.

 

A combination of cedar oil, phenethyl propionate and soap bark ethyl lactate, OIC is formulated to control ticks, ants, mosquitoes, stink bugs, gnats, fleas and more.

 

The all-organic formula is not harmful to beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and earthworms, the company says.

 

The product can be applied with a traditional sprayer or can be used with a fogger device.   Central offers a fogger that operates from a propane tank for use in patio and deck areas. 

 

OIC is sold in a 32oz bottle that treats up to 5000 square feet.

 

 

Wiedenmann North America recently named its top sales professionals and distributors.

 

Salesman of the Year was Shane Cornicelli of A-OK Turf Equipment in Coventry, Rhode Island. ShowTurf of Boynton Beach, Florida was named East Coast Dealer of the Year, while JW Turf of Hampshire Illinois was named Midwest Dealer of the Year. Dealer of the Year on the West Coast was Stotz Equipment of Escondido, California.

 

Most Improved Dealer was Greenville Turf & Tractor of Greenville, South Carolina.

 

The announcements were made at the company's annual sales meeting held in Savannah, Georgia.

 

 

BASF recently named Bill Baxter as national sales manager for the professional and specialty solutions market. 

 

Baxter has more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural crop protection and turf and pest control markets, with 17 years of sales management experience at BASF. 

 

Throughout his career, Baxter has been active in industry associations, including the National Pest Management Association, the Professional Pest Management Alliance and Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment.