Jump to content

From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    There was some encouraging news coming out of this year's Golf Industry Show.   Aside from what appeared to be more new products on display than there has been in some time, this year's show marked the first time since 2008 that attendance was up over the previous year.   According to GCSAA, a total of 14,147 attended this year's GIS, up from 13,192 last year in San Diego. Not since 25,737 showed up in Orlando in 2008 (an increase from 23,099 that attended the 2007 GIS in Anaheim) has there been a year-over-year jump in attendance. The 561 vendors in attendance were the most since 2010 in San Diego (665). The number of qualified buyers, 6,845, also was up over last year's 6,018 and is way up over the 5,752 who showed up in Orlando in 2011. Overall attendance this year, however, lagged behind the 14,772 in Orlando three years ago.    A news release by GCSAA says "the golf industry's journey along the road to recovery continues at a steady and sustainable pace."   Is increased attendance indeed a sign that golf is moving out of the doldrums? Other economic indicators besides trade show attendance say the game is not there yet; not by a long shot. Course closings are up, construction is down, and golfers are fleeing the game faster than new ones are coming into it. Increased attendance could be a combination of location (Orlando always is a popular destination), a focus on education by superintendents driven to the brink by golfer expectations, and a need to find solutions to specific problem.   "Personally, I need to maintain a healthy dose of professional paranoia," said Scott Ramsay, CGCS at The Course at Yale (University) in New Haven, Conn. "If I do not keep up with the industry or my education, I get worried."   Like Ramsay, Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa attends GIS primarily for education as well as the opportunity to network with peers.   "I think in this new era of golf course management for you to survive you have to be the best you can be. I think you need to network with fellow superintendents," Tegtmeier said. "I think you need to see what is working for others then apply R&D.   "I also think you need to be on top of your game, otherwise there are going to be others that want your job. You have to stay educated, take advantage of as much education as you can."   Tegtmeier and his two superintendents also found solutions to specific problems at GIS, like implementing a digital job board for the crew that can be updated on a tablet or smart phone, eliminating the need to drive back to the shop to update the board in mid-day.   He also met with representatives from several companies that that specialize in, among other things, removing muck during pond dredging, a service he will require this year during the next stage of a multi-phase restoration project. He also met a fellow superintendent who had hired one of the companies, a meeting that Tegtmeier called invaluable.   "Had I not attended I would not have had the opportunity to talk to three of those companies," he said. "I would not have met a superintendent from Illinois and talked about the project that he did using one of the same companies. It is all important."   Ramsay, too, often attends GIS on a troubleshooting mission.   Last year in San Diego, he was looking for a solution to an increase in the nematode population at Yale. He met with chemical companies and manufacturers of organic pest-management products seeking answers to this problem. He also met with colleagues who had gone through the same thing, and learned how they dealt with the issue. What he learned more than paid for his trip to GIS.   "Networking at the Beer & Pretzels, on the show floor and everywhere in between, I was able to develop a protocol that ultimately got my nematode counts below a survivable threshold," Ramsay said. "I was able to reduce nematode control costs by more than $10,000 from 2012 to 2013, and more importantly (had) healthy greens.   "I think attendance is up because it's an important event to many superintendents. They can sell it to their clubs as a value-added expense."   Pat Daly, CGCS at Framingham Country Club in Massachusetts, hasn't been to GIS in years. Not because it isn't in his budget. It is. And not because he doesn't value education. He does.    He is able to get all of the education and networking he needs at the annual New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation show.   "If I find that I need to reach someone outside my area for something, I reach out to them by phone or email and do my research online and after speaking to other superintendents who have used there products," Daly said.   Several companies at this year's show seem to have a grasp on the plight affecting golf course superintendents. Job security is low, pressure is high, and superintendents need help as golfer expectations put turf under increased stress each season. Many vendors as well as their distribution networks are taking a broader approach to meeting the needs of their customers.   When visiting booths at GIS this year, words such as "partner" and "consultant" were thrown around with regularity. In fact, it was so common that I refrained from mentioning the compnanies specifically for fear of forgetting one or more of them. Suffice to say, it's a new world for superintendents, and most of the companies that serve them are aware of that.   And it is important for a superintendent to know he has a partner during the 100 days of hell.   "The guys I deal with on a regular basis, I feel give me genuine, honest advice when it comes to their own products - good or bad. They're not just looking for the quick sale," said Jared Viarengo, CGCS, superintendent and general manager at Applebrook Golf Club in Malvern, Pa.   "I'm sure they are working to retain my business over the long term."   Said Ramsay: "I have discarded the folks who only see dollar signs. The relationships that I have developed know my Scottish, value-conscious heritage and always approach it from that point. I generally believe that many suppliers understand the new normal, which is value added with a fair price."   "Knowledgeable, consistent and effective recommendations win out in the end."
  • W. C. Fields once said, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then quit.  No sense being a damn fool about it."
     
    After a year of disappointing growth and participation, TurfNet has pulled the plug on TurfNetSports as a standalone entity. 
     
    "We launched TurfNetSports in January, 2013, with all good intentions, figuring what has worked well in golf turf for twenty years should be successful in sports turf management as well," said Peter McCormick, founder of TurfNet.  "We have always had a few handfuls of professional-level sports turf managers as regular TurfNet members, and all of them as well as many others encouraged us to take the product to sports turf. We did not fully appreciate how different the two markets are," he continued.
     
    "We quickly found that much of what resonates with golf course superintendents doesn't necessarily appeal or apply in sports turf," McCormick said. "Job listings, for instance, are huge on TurfNet.com, but jobs above entry-level laborers in sports turf are few and far between. Used equipment is also big on our golf site, but most of the municipal or school facilities in sports turf can't buy or sell used items. That was two big strikes against us."
     

    Sports turf education was universally desired, but not without it's challenges... and as long as it was free. 
     
    "Sports turf is very stratified in its levels of competence and education," McCormick said. "You have custodians at the lowest levels who have little interest beyond mowing grass, all the way to highly-trained turf managers (many of whom are former golf course superintendents) at the college and professional levels managing sand-based fields, in some cases with subsurface heat and artificial lighting. It's tough to offer a schedule of Webinars without boring some or being over the heads of others. Arguably the greatest need is at the lower levels, but they have little-to-no discretionary budget."
     
    All paid members of TurfNetSports have been offered a free year of membership at TurfNet.com.  A Sports Turf Management conference has been established in the TurfNet Forum, and at least six sports-turf related Webinars will continue to be offered through TurfNet University each year. Former TurfNetSports members will have access to all TurfNet University webinars, and regular TurfNet members will also be able to attend the sports-related events.
     
    "Our decision was based on both the apparent lack of interest at the paid membership level and on the fact that our staff is flat out as it is," McCormick concluded. "Every business today must continually reexamine its offerings and allocation of resources and adjust when necessary. In this case, it was time to 'cut bait' and focus on our core business."
  • Water parks and beaches might be popular winter diversions in Florida, but it was John Deere Golf that made a big splash at this year?s Golf Industry Show in Orlando.   Deere rolled out eight new mowers, two aerifiers and several product updates at this year?s GIS. It was the most aggressive new product introduction since John Deere entered the golf turf business 25 years ago, said marketing manager Mark Ford.   The rollout includes Deere?s new A model fairway, trim and surrounds, and rough mower line. Features consistent across the line include a TechControl display, AutoPedal, LoadMatch, internal wet disc brakes and improved operator stations that are all engineered to provide superintendents increased control, easier operator training and improved quality of cut.   New models include 7500A, 7700A, 8700A PrecisionCut and 7500A E-Cut Hybrid fairway mowers, 7400A TerrainCut (pictured here) and 7200A PrecisionCut trim and surrounds mowers, and the 8800A TerrainCut rough mower.   All A Models feature OnCourse Technology, which integrates electronic controls with mechanical features to deliver improved performance, better diagnostics, and more uptime and reliability. In addition, the complete line is Tier 4 compliant.   The TechControl display provides the operator with easy-to-use operations, onboard diagnostics and password-protected advanced controls.   The AutoPedal system provides advanced automotive-style control of engine RPM via use of ergonomic twin foot pedals. This eliminates the need for a separate throttle making operation and training easy. It also saves fuel and lowers sound levels on the course and around the shop. A popular feature, borrowed from the John Deere Compact Utility Tractor, is LoadMatch technology, which automatically adjusts the speed of the machine to keep consistent power to the cutting units during heavy load conditions, maximizing productivity and maintaining cut quality. The complete line is Final Tier 4 compliant.   Deere also launched the A40 and V40 PrecisionCore Aerators. These aerators were designed with superintendents? feedback in mind, and are engineered to provide increased productivity and efficiency compared to traditional aerators on the market.   The articulating frame hugs green contours for more consistent hole depth, and shift-on-the-fly technology allows operators to change hole spacing while the machine is in motion. The machines also feature a tighter turning radius for sharper, quicker turns.   The hydrostatic transmission can be shifted on the fly to change the hole spacing as conditions require, such as tighter spacing on walk-off areas but wider spacing on less highly-trafficked areas. Coring spacing is adjustable from 1 to 3 inches in quarter-inch increments. Coring depth is also adjustable up to 4 inches deep, in quarter-inch increments.
  • It's a challenge to find anyone in the business today who hasn't recognized that contraction is a necessary evil. It's even harder to find someone who is happy about it.
      After eight years of staring at an evaporating pool of golf courses, declining rounds played and golfers walking away from the course forever, many realize the line between success and failure often can be razor thin, and it takes vigilance to ensure one stays on the right side of the line.   Many of the people walking the aisles at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla., said growing the game is an effort that must take place at the facility level rather than through industry initiatives to be successful.   "We have to spread and not just focus on the avid golfer and the golfer who is a scratch player," said Ron Jaworski, the former NFL quarterback and owner of five golf courses in New Jersey. "We have to teach people how to play the game and make the game more accessible and easier."   According to the National Golf Foundation, 3.7 million new golfers found their way to a course last year, however, 4.1 million walked off the 18th green and never looked back, meaning the game lost a net 400,000 players in 2013 alone.   Golf Datatech says rounds played fell by 5 percent last year, and a although 14 new courses were built across the country, another 157.5 in 18-hole equivalents closed up. Since 2006, there has been a net loss of 643 courses. The statistics show it's a simple matter of supply and demand. Interest in the game is dwindling and no one has found a cork big enough to stop that leak.   Additional NGF research shows that 57 percent of those 18-34 said they don't play golf because they think it is boring. Other barriers to attracting and retaining new players is the time it takes to play the game.   In her 15 years as a professional golfer, Annika Sorenstam won 72 LPGA events, 10 majors and more than $20 million in career earnings. As a player, she rarely gave much thought to the investment in time required to play a round of golf. As a mother and retired professional, she can't imagine spending 4.5 hours on a golf course.   "Then, I had all the time in the world," said Sorenstam, who was at GIS to collect the GCSAA's Old Tom Morris Award. "Now, there's no way we're going out there for 4.5 hours.   "People have families and other commitments. Where do you squeeze it in?"   Discussions as to how to make the game more inviting to those who don't want to invest four or five hours took place in Orlando just days before GIS at the PGA Merchandise Show. One of the ideas put forth by TaylorMade-Adidas CEO Mark King was 15-inch cups. The oversized cups would be easier to hit than the standard 4.25-inch golf hole, and when coupled with other initiatives such as shorter holes (achieved by moving tees forward into the fairway) and three- or six-hole loops, would make the game much less threatening for beginners or high handicappers.   Although he was not aware of King's 15-inch cup idea, Anthony Williams, CGCS, wasn't opposed to it, either. Stone Mountain Golf Club, a 36-hole state park facility near Atlanta where Williams is superintendent, is reliant on walk-up business for its survival. And with several other public-access courses nearby, he knows golfers have a choice when opening their wallets.    "We're never going to grow the game if people are never converted," Williams said. "Our traditions are intimidating to those fence-sitters we want down off the fence. We have to attract people with discretionary income, and we have to do it in a way that is non-intimidating. If someone who has never played golf has one bad experience on that first trip, they're not going to come back.   "A golf course should be a 300-acre welcome mat."   Sorenstam agreed that 7,000-yard courses are not going to be the ticket to growing the game, something she desperately wants to see happen.   "Those of us in the golf industry should want the game to grow, so we have to be innovative," Sorenstam said. "We need to find a way to preserve golf's history, but we also need to look outside the box to grow the game."   But 15-inch cups? Three-hole and six-hole loops? Rafael Martinez, CGCS at South Hills Country Club in West Covina, Calif., says bring 'em on.   "I think it sounds like a wonderful idea," Martinez said. "We are responsible for setting up the golf course for our members. We also have to be able to set up a golf course to attract new golfers. If that means a little inconvenience for the crew, that's not an issue.   "If it's guest day, we set up as easy as possible. Ladies day ? as easy as possible. There are always those people who want the course to be as hard as it can be, but those people are the minority. If we follow that then we have sacrificed 95 percent of our golfers."
  • You will see the term "Turfonomics" throughout the advertising and marketing campaigns of The Toro Company during 2014. Turfonomics? That's the term Toro trademarked to underscore the importance of economics standing side-by-side with agronomics at all levels of every successful golf course operation in today's golf marketplace.
     
    Indeed, just about every exhibitor we spoke with at GIS2014 mentioned the terms productivity, efficiency, efficacy, capacity, price points, total cost of ownership and their various synonyms. Why?  Because while maintenance budgets continue to shrink, golfer expectations have not... so superintendents have to continually find ways to do more with less, and fiscal responsibility is paramount to the survival of every golf course operation.
     

    That's no big secret to superintendents... but now a mantra and national ad campaign of a major industry supplier have put it in the spotlight.
     
    Toro's Turfonomics advertising campaign kicked off in January with "Chapter 1", to be followed (obviously) with subsequent chapters of the story. Products are featured with emphasis on "Top Line Thinking" (focusing on providing the best course conditions possible), "Bottom Line Thinking" (operator productivity, ease of maintenance, etc) and "Real World Thinking" (meshing course conditioning with cost of ownership of any product).
     
    According to Toro, it all boils down to simple Turfonomics.
     
     
  • In his 10 years as a golf course superintendent, Chad Mark has spent a great deal of time on matters that have nothing to do with turf maintenance. He meets regular with general manager Mark Petzing and managers in other departments through The Kirtland Country Club to help make the private club in Willoughby, Ohio the best it can be for its members.

    "I do it because I plan to be there for a long time," Mark said. "If you don't plan on being somewhere for 10 years, you're not going to be."

    For his dedication to customer service at the 90-plus-year-old club, Mark was named winner of the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.

    Mark was chosen by a panel of judges from a field of six finalists that included Matt Gourlay, CGCS of Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kan.; Brad Jolliff of KickingBird Golf Course in Edmond, Okla.; Curtis Nickerson of University Park Country Club in University Park, Fla.; Josh Saunders of Longue Vue Club in Penn Hills, Pa., and Matt Shaffer of Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa. He was nominated by a group that included his club president, grounds chairman, general manager, several members, colleagues throughout the industry and former employees.

    The award is presented annually to a superintendent who excels at one or more of the following: labor-management, maximizing budget limitations, educating and advancing the careers of colleagues and assistants, negotiating with government agencies, preparing for tournaments under unusual circumstances, service to golf clientele, upgrading or renovating the course, dealing with extreme or emergency conditions.

    Previous winners include Meersman (2012); Paul Carter, CGCS (2011); Thomas Bastis, CGCS (2010); Anthony Williams, CGCS (2009); Sam MacKenzie (2008); John Zimmers (2007); Scott Ramsay, CGCS (2006); Mark Burchfield (2005); Stuart Leventhal, CGCS (2004); Paul Voykin (2003); Jeff Burgess (2002); Kip Tyler (2001); and Kent McCutcheon (2000).

    The common thread in each of the nominations Mark received, a devotion to customer service, the golf course and his staff. Mark's 10-year career at Kirtland has been defined by constant enhancements to the course, including ongoing drainage improvements, ushering the 1921 Charles Hugh Alison design through a major restoration and an irrigation upgrade project that, despite a flood event, went on without interruption.

    "Mr. Mark provides, and helps ensure others from his staff provide, only the highest level of service to our membership and our guests at Kirtland Country Club," said club member Andy Sikorovsky. "Each year since his arrival, Chad seemingly gives more and more of his time and expertise to enhancing the client experience at our golf course.  He seeks to understand the various and countless challenges and opportunities to improve the course from year to year. He helps the membership prioritize needs, set expectations, build consensus, and then delivers more than the membership expects within budget.  He is very approachable and communicative. He eagerly welcomes suggestions and seeks critique of his work.  He leads by example and isn't afraid to get dirty. Member satisfaction seems to be the sole point on his compass."

    When the Chagrin River that runs through the course flooded in 2013, it threatened not only to derail Kirtland's playing season, but an $800,000 irrigation upgrade project that included installation of a new pump house.

    Instead, Mark and his crew had the course cleared and reopened in a matter of days while the irrigation project and pump house installation went on uninterrupted.

    "We kept on running," Petzing said. "He did both at the same time without stopping.

    "He's a team player and an integral part of the management team. He is part of long-range planning for the club and sits in on board members with me. He sees the big picture."

    Among those celebrating with Mark after the announcement was 2007 Superintendent of the Year John Zimmers of Oakmont Country Club. Zimmers hired Mark as an intern at Sand Ridge Golf Club in Chardon, Ohio, when Mark was a student at Ohio State.

    Zimmers said it was clear early in Mark's career that he was focused on customer service.

    "You could tell that first year that Chad was driven, focused and had all the talent to be very successful in this profession," Zimmers said. "Chad was very loyal, and dedicated to always trying to do the job right. I got to know his family, and you could tell he was being taught great values. I am proud to say that I had a small part in Chad's successful career to date. I would consider Chad to be one of the best young superintendents in the country, and more importantly, a great friend, mentor, husband and father to his wonderful family."

    He communicates regularly with members via email updates on course conditions as well as by his attendance in committee meetings and entries in the club's newsletter.

    "I cannot imagine any group being better informed than we who are Kirtland members," said Kirtland member Paul Mouguey.

    For Mark, taking on a leadership role at the club reflects his passion for golf and giving back to the game he loves.

    "I feel like I add a lot of value because I love for the club, love for the profession, and I want to see the club sustained for another 85 years," Mark said. "It's important to me to be as involved as I can so it is a well-rounded facility."
  • What started about 20 years ago as a short course for superintendents in the upper Midwest has transformed into an online educational opportunity novice and veteran superintendents from around the country.
     
    The 2014 Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science is a 10-week program that aims to provide "thorough and practical continuing education in turfgrass management." This year marks the first time the program has been taught online.
     
    Scheduled for March 5 through May 7, the program is affiliated with the universities of Minnesota and Wisconsin and will include curriculum by 10 professors from Cornell, Michigan State, Ohio State, Purdue and South Dakota State, as well as the two host schools.
     
    The original iteration of the Great Lakes Schools of Turfgrass Science was started as a short course in 1991 by Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., when he was an assistant professor at Wisconsin. It has subsequently been administered by John Stier, Ph.D., and now Doug Soldat, Ph.D., both of Wisconsin, as well as Sam Bauer and Brian Horgan, Ph.D., of Minnesota.
     
    Classes will convene for two hours each Wednesday throughout the 10-week duration of the program and lessons will be recorded and archived for on-demand viewing for those who want to review the information or are unable to attend the live event. Cost of the program is $395. Those interested in attending can click here to register. Deadline to register is Feb. 28.
     
    "By presenting it live, but recording each session, participants can view the class at their convenience, or watch it again," said Soldat.
     
    "The program will not simply be 20 hours of webinars. The 10 instructors have been meeting regularly to ensure that we provide an interactive experience for the students. While the delivery method has changed, the goal of the Great Lakes School of Turfgrass Science will be to provide a foundation of knowledge for those who are new to the field and as a refresher for those who have been in the industry for quite some time."
     
    Students will be given regular reading assignments and quizzes will be administered weekly. Graduates will receive a certificate upon completion of the program.
  • There was a time when it seemed like nothing could stop the golf course construction juggernaut. Now, it seems as though nothing can restart it. And there are those who say it doesn't deserve a boost until there is, if ever, a seismic shift in popularity of the game.   According to the National Golf Foundation, only 14 new courses (in 18-hole equivalents) were built in 2014 in the United States and another 157.5 closed their doors, for a net loss of 143.5 courses. Declining interest of the current magnitude once was nearly inconceivable in a business marked for decades of slow, steady growth. However, last year marked the eighth straight year that more courses closed than opened, a trend that has become so common it now is known around the industry as "market correction."   But the need for a market correction goes much deeper than real estate golf gone wild. It is the result of a complex relationship of supply and demand and how the game is perceived across gender, age and racial lines at a time in which adults in their prime earning years are more willing to devote time on weekends to getting their children to travel league sporting events than their own R&R. And this correction is taking far too long to occur, said Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp., during the annual state of the industry address he conducts each year with Stuart Lindsay of Edgehill Golf Advisors during the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.    According to NGF statistics cited by Koppenhaver, a total of 3.7 million people took up golf in 2013, however, 4.1 million golfers left the game, for a net loss of 400,000 players. A net gain of almost 260,000 women golfers was offset and more by a net loss of nearly 650,000 men. The biggest losses were in the 18-34 age group, where nearly 200,000 people found something else to do with their spare time and their disposable income.   The PGA of America, through its Golf 2.0 player-development initiative, had projected a total of 28.7 million golfers in 2013. NGF estimated there would be 27.1 million players last year, and Koppenhaver's Pellucid Corp. put that number at 25.7 million. All were well off the mark with, according to Koppenhaver, the estimated number of U.S. golfers at 24.1 million. The game reached its zenith in 2000-01 when 29.8 people played 518 million rounds.   "Golfer attrition s the No. 1 problem we have in the market," Koppenhaver said.   Fewer golfers mean fewer rounds played, and rounds played also were down last year to 462 million, according to Golf Datatech. That is the fewest rounds played since 441 million in 1995, according to the report. Last year's number is well off the 10-year average of 492 million rounds played and way behind the record-setting years of 2000-01.   The golf industry began shedding its oversupply in 2006, marking the first time since 1946 that more courses closed than opened. Since this trend began eight years ago, there has been a cumulative net loss of 643 courses nationwide, according to NGF, going from an all-time high of 15,207.5 18-hole equivalents in 2005 to 14,564.5 in 2013. And even more must go, and quickly, Koppenhaver said.   "It's a lot harder to plow a golf course than it is to plant one," he said. "I hope people think about that before they put one in."   Of the 157.5 courses that closed last year, 151.5 were public-access facilities; just the kind that would appeal to those the game needs most, newcomers, casual golfers, women and juniors. A total of 144.5 of the public-access facilities were daily fee and seven were municipal operations.    Course inventory grew by 4,500 (more than 40 percent) in the 20 years from 1986 to 2005, according to NGF. Industry analysts project equilibrium to occur once the industry has shed about 1,500 courses from the 2005 inventory total. To reach that number in a timely manner, Koppenhaver said, courses should be disappearing at twice the current rate.   "It took us five years to get them in the ground. It's taken eight years and counting to get them out," Koppenhaver said. "Supply reduction was about 1 percent. And the thing I keep saying is we need to be losing 2 to 2.5 percent of our supply a year to get back to equilibrium some time in the next three to five years. So, at the current pace of 1 percent we still have probably another seven to 10 years before we get back to the equilibrium we enjoyed back in the mid-1990s when people were relatively happy and prosperous."   Koppenhaver pointed to rounds played at each facility to illustrate the need to reach equilibrium and the snail's pace at which the industry is approaching it.   An average of 31,720 rounds were played per 18-hole equivalent in 2013. That is 1,646 rounds per unit less than in a weather-aided 2012 and represents a steady downward trend that has been in place since Koppenhaver began following the business in 2000. The quicker equilibrium is reached, the better it will be for those facilities that will survive in the long run, he says.   "The average course was healthy at about 35,000 rounds per 18-hole equivalent," he said. "Other than 2012 when we got a nice bump from the weather, the trend here is not looking very favorable."

  • Focus on plant health

    By John Reitman, in News,

    With this year's Golf Industry Show almost here, attendees once again will have many opportunities to learn about one of the most increasingly popular, yet least understood terms in the turf maintenance industry: plant health.   Plant health isn't just about new fungicide products. Plant health is a complex equation that includes new chemistries as well as tried and true agronomic and cultural practices.   Acibenzolar S methyl, the active ingredient in Syngenta's Daconil Action, triggers a plant's natural defense mechanisms to help the plant defend itself against disease pressure.   At BASF, researchers define plant health as the ability of the company's Intrinsic line of products to produce turf that has enhanced root development and is tolerant to disease stress.   Bayer says fungicides formulated with its StressGard are better able to control disease and alleviate stress.   Civitas is a petroleum-based fungicide that like Syngenta's Daconil Action, triggers the turf plant's natural defense mechanisms.   Whatever the definition, most agree that in essence that plant health is the turf's ability to tolerate stress longer before going into decline as well as its capacity to recover from stress.   Promoting year-round plant health also can result in a more consistently healthy plant. That is more important than ever before because of seasonal weather extremes that include heat, cold and drought.   "It results in a more balanced approach to seasonal turf management that is more steady," said James Rutledge, Ph.D., product development manager for Bayer Crop Science during last year's Green Start Academy by Bayer and John Deere Golf. "What we want to do is moderate that undulation throughout the season. And one way to do that is to manage the health of the plant."   Not everything in plant health is about new fungicides. In fact, some factors that influence plant health are more readily controlled by superintendents, Rutledge said.  
    Not everything in plant health is about new fungicides. In fact, some factors that influence plant health are more readily controlled by superintendents..."
      That includes selecting turf plants that are adapted to the geographic area in which they will be grown and managed and altering cultural practices such as mowing height and frequency, aerification timing and depth, and managing air movement and shade.   "You probably inherit what you have. That is more typical. You manage it the best you can," Rutledge said. "Then, the turf is more reliant on cultural management."   Cultural practices aren't always enough when producing a healthy plant. Often, because of limitations associated with such factors as weather, wind, shade and more, it is necessary to use a fungicide with plant health qualities.   "That's the final piece," Rutledge said. "That is where we fit in and tie into the other pieces."
  • Nufarm Americas will be the exclusive distributor of Turf, ornamental and aquatics products manufactured by Valent U.SA. Corp., according to an agreement released by both companies on Jan. 29.   Nufarm's portfolio now will include both Valent's products as well as its own. The newly combined portfolio of the two companies will include sales and technical teams of both companies.   "We each bring complementary strengths to the market, and by combining these resources with customer collaboration, we will generate new and innovative solutions that uniquely fit the needs of the market," said Darryl Matthews, Nufarm general manager.    The agreement builds on the many successful distribution collaborations established between Valent's parent company, Sumitomo Chemical Co., and Nufarm Limited since Sumitomo's investment in the global Nufarm Limited business in 2010.

  • War and peace

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Sometimes it's not so bad to be trapped behind the lines in enemy territory. Just ask Scott Thompson.
     
    A 2006 graduate of North Carolina State University's turfgrass management program, Thompson is the head groundskeeper at Duke University, one of the Wolfpack's most hated rivals. A mere 25 miles separate Williams Hall, home base for NCSU's crop science program in Raleigh, and Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. But that is way too close for fans who root on each school's respective athletic teams.
     
    For Thompson, 29, Duke fits like a comfortable pair of jeans.
     
    "Most of the people (in sports turf) around here are NC State guys," Thompson said.
     
    "Duke has been great. I enjoy the people here most. Working with the field crews and also being able to interact with different athletic programs and staffs. This position also combines my love of athletics and turfgrass maintenance."
     
    Thompson is in charge of maintaining 70 acres of athletic fields for seven sports teams as well as 150 additional acres of campus grounds, including Krzyzewskiville, the area around Cameron Indoor Stadium, home to the school's four-time national championship men's basketball team coached by Mike Krzyzewski.
     
    In fact, many probably equate Duke athletics with men's basketball team, but the Blue Devils have a long legacy in other sports, including national championships in men's soccer and lacrosse. Even the school's football team has enjoyed recent success under coach David Cutcliffe, including a spot in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on New Year's Eve.
     
    A native of Fremont, N.C., Thompson never envisioned a career in sports turf management during his days at NCSU. Instead, he majored in turfgrass management with his sights set on being a golf course superintendent. He even worked at Carolina Country Club in Raleigh and Wilson Country Club before focusing his career on sports turf management.
     
    When Thompson and wife Kristen married six years ago, he soon realized the time dedication required to be a successful superintendent was not conducive to starting a new family, and that it was time to explore other career options in turf management if the couple wanted to see each other on a regular basis.
     
    "It was just the timing. I never looked to get into sports. It just happened," Thompson said. "I had been a golfer. I wasn't looking for a chance to get out, but the opportunity presented itself.
     
    "I'd just been married for a few months, and it was an opportunity to get away from that schedule of working on a golf course."
     
    Managing turf at a Division I athletic program has its challenges as well.
     
    Duke's natural grass fields include Wallace Wade Stadium (football) and an outdoor football practice facility, game and practice fields for men's and women's soccer and game and practice fields for men's and women's lacrosse. Duke also has synthetic turf on two lacrosse practice fields, an indoor practice field at the Yoh Football Center, at Jack Katz Stadium for field hockey, Jack Coombs Stadium for baseball and two practice fields for lacrosse.
     
    A hands-on manager, Thompson says his first responsibility is to provide safe and aesthetically pleasing playing surfaces for Duke's student athletes. And he can't do that until he motivates members of his crew to help him.
     
    "My biggest responsibility is to make sure my staff my staff is motivated and encouraged to be the best they can be," he said. "By doing so, they are able to perform at the highest level and maintain the fields and facilities at the same level."
     
    Among his greatest challenges was getting acclimated to the differences between managing creeping bentgrass greens mowed at one-eighth-inch and Bermudagrass fields maintained at a half-inch.
     
    "It was a huge learning curve," he said. "The fields are built like a golf course; grass over sand over gravel, so the concept is kind of the same. In this part of the country, you have to be on your toes. There is a lot of disease and insect pressure."
     
    Although the same disease pressures don't exist on high-cut Bermuda, Duke's 419 is susceptible to dollar spot, pythium after turf covers are used. Even brown patch is an occasional visitor on Duke's 419 Bermudagrass soccer fields after they are overseeded with perennial ryegrass.
     
    "We do have some disease pressure," he said.
     
    "It isn't remotely like what the golf guys see on bentgrass."
  • Since he arrived at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in 2001, Paul Carter, CGCS, admits he spends as much time on environmental management as he does tending golf course turf.
      In that time, Carter has undertaken a variety of projects, all with local wildlife and the environment in mind.   His work includes renovating the Jack Nicklaus Signature course on the banks of the Tennessee River near Chattanooga, as well as achieving status as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and becoming the first course in Tennessee to be named as a Groundwater Guardian Green Site by the Groundwater Foundation. Last year, he converted to an all-electric fleet of mechanized equipment.   The TurfNet 2011 Superintendent of the Year Award winner, Carter recently was named the public and overall winner of the GCSAA's Environmental Leaders in Golf Award. Other winners were Scott Bower of Martis Camp in Truckee, Calif. in the private category; Chad Corp, CGCS at Mountain Ridge in Thompsonville, Mich. (resort category); and Andrew Hardy of Pheasant Run Golf Club in Sharon, Ontario (international category).   Carter's work began to grab national attention with Harrison Bay's Eagle Cam, that showed the world the nesting and parenting habits of bald eagles that were named Elliott and Eloise by Carter's daughter, Hannah.   Bower was recognized for his work at managing the ecologically sensitive Martis Camp property in the Sierra Nevada. His water quality management program, which includes minimal pesticide applications, has won the praise of several local environmental groups.    Sustainability also is a goal at Mountain Ridge, where Corp was recognized for his development of compost tea as an organic fertilizer. The organic amendment also helps reduce the dependency on fungicide and growth regulators. His management program also incorporates the use of bio-diesel in rolling stock.   Spraying for control of pests of any kind is a last resort for Sharon Golf Club's Hardy. With an eye on water use, he has been able to cut consumption by as much as 23 percent through a program that includes regular use of growth regulators and surfactants. His work also was recognized by the East Gwillimbury Chamber of Commerce with its Environmental Business of the Year Award and the Town of East Gwillimbury Award for Excellence.   Chapter winners in the public category were: Paul Grogan, CGCS, TPC Deere Run, Moline, Ill.; Gary Ingram, CGCS, Metropolitan Golf Links, Oakland, Calif.; Scott Spooner, Leslie Park and Huron Hills Golf Courses, Clinton, Mich.   Chapter winners in the private category were: Steve Britton, TPC Potomac at Avenel, Potomac, Md.; Tim Connolly, TPC Jasna Polana, Princeton, N.J.; Mike Crawford, CGCS, TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga.; Tom DeGrandi, TPC River Highlands, Manchester, Conn.; Dave Faucher, CGCS, TPC Rivers Bend, Maineville, Ohio; Charles Robertson, CGCS, TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas; Jim Thomas, CGCS, TPC Southwind, Memphis, Tenn.; Russell Vandehey, CGCS, Oregon Golf Club, Oregon City; Matt Weitz, Victoria National Golf Club, Newburgh, Ind.   Chapter winner in the resort category was Tom Vlach, CGCS, TPC at Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.   Dave Davies, CGCS at Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif., was named a winner in the merit category.   The Environmental Leaders in Golf Awards recognize superintendents and their courses for overall course management excellence in the areas of water conservation, water quality management, integrated pest management, energy conservation, pollution prevention, waste management, wildlife and habitat conservation, communication and outreach, and leadership.
  • For many folks in the turf business it comes as second nature to give back to their profession. And then there was Dennis Warner.   During his career as a superintendent, including the past 35 years at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Warner's management style showed employees how much he cared about them, and they returned the favor. When the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation or regional GCSA chapters needed a speaker, he was always willing to accommodate them.   And when area superintendents were between jobs, Warner would hire them on his crew to keep some money coming in the door until they found another job.    "He was a giver," said John Fanning, a former superintendent who turned to a career in sales.    "We used to make fun of him for that. Over the years, he probably put four or five superintendents, maybe more, on his payroll until they found something. Of course, that didn't hurt the depth of his crew, either."   Warner died Jan. 20, while visiting family in California. He had suffered a heart attack while on the trip, according to the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation. He was 66.   While some will miss Warner's management and leadership philosophy, Barry Strittholt will miss his fishing buddy.   A former superintendent who found a home on the Kenwood staff for the past three years, Strittholt fished with Warner each Monday on the club's lake. It wasn't uncommon for them to pull out slab crappie and largemouth bass in the 3- to 5-pound range.   "It was a competition to see who could land more and bigger fish," Strittholt said. "He fished with live bait, and I was the angler using artificial bait. He always tried to out-do everyone," Strittholt said.    Competition among peers was always important to Warner. When he was superintendent at Portage Country Club in Akron, Ohio, he left for Kenwood because it received more play, Fanning said. Kenwood is one of the industry's true 36-hole properties from the classic era. Opened in 1930, it has layouts designed concurrently by Donald Ross and William Diddel.    "He always told me how beautiful it was at Portage and how much he loved it there," Fanning said. "But he also said it wasn't busy enough there. Members there didn't play enough for him."   A graduate of Ohio State, Warner was a devout OSU fan and was especially proud of his affiliation with the school's turfgrass program. In 1986, he won the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Professional Excellence Award, which is given annually to those who promote the turfgrass industry through fellowship, inventive ingenuity, involvement and dedication.   Fanning and his wife, Debbie, have been friends with Warner and his family for more than four decades. Their families vacationed together for years, so Fanning is as familiar with Warner as just about anyone. And as a former sales rep for such companies as The Andersons, Fanning has seen his share of golf course maintenance crews in action. He said he hasn't seen any crew as capable and polished as those who've worked for Warner.   "I saw a lot of crews in my time," Fanning said. "At any time, he might have 50 people on the ground at Kenwood. His crews among the best."   Survivors include wife Alberta; daughter Meredith (Matthew) Slater; son Gregory (Alicia) Warner; daughter Rachel (Jacob) Lawrence; grandchildren Jackson and Jillian Warner, and Audrey Slater; loving nieces and great-nephews. Visitation is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 26 at Mihovk-Rosenacker Funeral Home, 10211 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati. Services are scheduled for noon-1 p.m. Monday at St. Paul Community United Methodist Church, 8221 Miami Road, Cincinnati.
  • The run-up to the 2013 U.S. Open should have been a fun ride for Matt Shaffer and his crew at Merion Golf Club. Indeed it was a ride, although whether it was fun is a matter of debate.
     
    With several inches of rain falling at the course in Ardmore, Pa.,  in the week leading up to the event and the challenges it brought, Shaffer, his crew and his volunteer army of superintendents faced a stiff challenge to get Merion ready for the Open and keep it that way.
     
    But succeed they did, and Shaffer has been widely credited for his ability to provide a course that not only was playable, but, despite its length of just less than 7,000 yards, left the world's best golfers battered and bruised, including one who said via social media that he could take no more.
     
    For his ability to maintain his composure under pressure and present a U.S. Open that is talked about for all the right reasons, Shaffer is has been named as one of six finalists for the 2013 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.
     
    Other finalists include Matt Gourlay, CGCS, of Colbert Hills in Manhattan, Kan.; Brad Jolliff of KickingBird Golf Club in Edmond, Okla.; Chad Mark of The Kirtland Country Club in Willoughby, Ohio; Josh Saunders of Longue Vue Club in Penn Hills, Pa.; and Curtis Nickerson of University Park Country Club in Sarasota, Fla. Click on the links to read more about each finalist. To read more about Shaffer's year at Merion, click here.
     
    The finalists were selected by a panel of judges from a list of 96 nominees.
     
    Criteria on which nominees are judged include labor-management skills, maximizing budget limitations, educating and advancing the careers of colleagues and assistants, negotiating with government agencies, preparing for tournaments under unusual circumstances, service to golf clientele, upgrading or renovating the course, dealing with extreme or emergency conditions.
     
    Judges include Bob Goglia and Stephanie Schwenke of Syngenta; Peter McCormick, John Reitman and Jon Kiger of TurfNet; Chris Hartwiger of the USGA Green Section; Cal Roth of the PGA Tour; Tim Moraghan of Aspire Golf; Joel Jackson of Florida Green magazine; Larry Hirsh of Golf Property Analysts; Mike McCullough of the Monterey (Calif.) Regional Water Pollution Control Agency; Bradley Klein, Ph.D., of Golfweek; Dave Wilber of Sierra Pacific Turf; and current superintendent of the year Dan Meersman of The Philadelphia Cricket Club.
     
    The winner will be announced Feb. 6 at the Syngenta booth during this year's Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla.
     
    Previous winners include: Meersman (2012); Paul Carter, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Harrison, Tenn. (2011); Thomas Bastis, The California Golf Club of San Francisco (2010); Anthony Williams, Stone Mountain (Ga.) Golf Club (2009); Sam MacKenzie, Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club (2008); John Zimmers, Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club (2007); Scott Ramsay, Golf Course at Yale University, New Haven, Conn. (2006); Mark Burchfield, Victoria Club, Riverside Calif. (2005); Stuart Leventhal, Interlachen Country Club, Winter Park, Fla. (2004); Paul Voykin, Briarwood Country Club, Deerfield, Ill. (2003); Jeff Burgess, Seven Lakes Golf Course, Windsor, Ontario (2002); Kip Tyler, Salem Country Club, Peabody, Mass. (2001); Kent McCutcheon, Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (2000).
  • 2013 Superintendent of the Year finalist


    Matt Shaffer, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pennsylvania

    To say the deck was stacked against Matt Shaffer before last year's U.S. Open would be an understatement.
     
    Preparing for and hosting a major championship can be a once-in-a-lifetime moment for a golf course superintendent. When the USGA granted last year's U.S. Open to Merion Golf Club's East Course, many wondered whether the 100-year-old classic, was worthy of such acclaim. That was especially true after weather conditions in the Philadelphia area became a major part of the story surrounding last year's Open.
     
    There is no questioning the integrity of the 1912 Hugh Wilson design in Ardmore, Pa. that is ranked No. 7 on Golfweek's list of top 100 classic U.S. golf courses. But with a length of less than 7,000 yards, the concern was whether the East Course could provide an adequate test to the world's best players. And when the remnants of Tropical Storm Andrea coughed up as much as 9 inches of rain in eastern Pennsylvania in the week leading up to the Open last June, questions circulated about whether Shaffer, or any other superintendent for that matter, would be able to have a course measuring 6,696 yards and softened by torrents of rain ready for an event of such magnitude.
     
    The fear was that the pros would take target practice on the rain-softened soil-based greens at Merion.
     
    Shaffer, who has been at Merion since 2002, has developed the reputation as a skilled agronomist and shrewd manager. Since he stepped foot on the property he also has been known as a minimalist, keeping the historic track on the dry side while constantly improving its drainage.
     
    The end result was a 1-over-par win for England's Justin Rose on a short and narrow course that left the pros grinding. Only five players managed to shoot under par on the event's final day.
     
    After the tournament, players talked openly of the difficult conditions and set up at Merion.
     
    Tweeted Brandt Snedeker afterward: "The rough did me in this week. I am done."
     
    Lee Westwood went on Twitter with: "If Merion would have played dry this week like the USGA wanted it would have been impossible."
     
    Hunter Mahan told ESPN: "Man, it was brutal out there. It was tough finishing.
     
    "At the start of the week, everyone thought we were going to rip it up, but I just knew that somewhere around even par was going to win it."
    "Matt is considered to be one of the most innovative and forward-thinking individuals in the industry," said East Course superintendent Aaron McCurdy. 
     
    "After hosting the most prestigious event in golf on a golf course that everyone said did not deserve to do so, Merion Golf Club was the only major to record an over-par champion."
     
    Although much praise was heaped upon Merion for the way in which he prepared and maintained the course, Shaffer prefers to deflect praise to his superintendents and staff as well as his volunteers. In fact, Shaffer also has developed the reputation of mentoring others who go on to head superintendents positions elsewhere.
     
    "His philosophies encourage staff members to think critically and make decisions that ultimately are in the best interest of playability, not so much of turf health," McCurdy said. "Matt also is at the forefront of environmental stewardship with an IPM strategy and implementation that requires far less inputs than any top 100 golf course in America."
  • 2013 Superintendent of the Year finalist


    Curtis Nickerson, University Park Country Club, Sarasota, Florida

    While golfers praising the work of superintendents might, for some, appear to be a rare occurrence, club members actually standing and clapping for a greenkeeper is all but unheard of - except at University Park Country Club in southwestern Florida where Curtis Nickerson works.
     
    Three years ago, Nickerson, a veteran superintendent who has worked at courses throughout Florida, inherited a University Park course in need of some TLC. 
     
    In those three years, Nickerson has turned around a golf course that members say was "an embarrassment" and turned it into "a thing of beauty."
     
    Members have been so amazed at how he has been able to turn around conditions in such a short time that 75 of them submitted nominations on his behalf for TurfNet's 2013 Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta. A total of 36 of those nominations were submitted by members of the club's ladies golf association.
     
    "Curtis has made a huge difference in the quality of our golf course greens, fairways and bunkers in the short time he has been here," said University Park member Elaine Kulbako. "He gets a standing ovation whenever he comes to our LGA luncheons to talk about course conditions."
     
    LGA president Nancy Kopinsky echoed those sentiments.
     
    "He turned this course around in two years. When he took over the course was in really,really bad condition . . . . He is available in person and via email at all times, he answers your concerns immediately, and sends out e mails with explanations of what is happening on the course and why. He was asked to attend our opening season meeting, where he got a standing ovation and cheers from our members.
    We are happy and lucky to have him as our course superintendent."
     
    Nickerson, who worked at University Park for about a year before being named superintendent, conducted an immediate audit of equipment, agronomic programs and personnel, and he empowered members of his staff to take part in the property's pending rebirth by asking each to assess where they thought the quality of course management and where it should be headed. 
     
    He worked to replace broken down equipment, and because he had been on property for about a year, felt like he had a head start on where to focus his efforts.
     
    He immediately dialed in on an irrigation program that dried down the course and implemented an aerification program designed to begin removing an organic matter layer that had reached a depth of 5 to 7 inches in some areas of the putting greens, Nickerson said. 
     
    "When I arrived at University Park, the course was solid and had all the makings of a great golf course. The main problems, well, it was simply tired and the maintenance practices and equipment fleet a bit outdated," Nickerson said. 
     
    "After a bit of re-structuring of the management staff, a major house cleaning of obsolete and broken down old equipment and an the implementation of an entirely new agronomic plan with new core values and goals we were prepared to re-staff, retool and hit the ground running."
     
    As he began making changes throughout the course, he kept in constant communication with members and administration through a regular newsletter, open-house meetings and email.
     
    "Since Curtis Nickerson (has been) our superintendent, the fairways are lush and well maintained and the greens are true and fast," said University Park member Martin Graaf. "This is not unusual for many golf course. What is astounding is that Curtis has achieved this standard of excellence in less than a year, from a very poor and sickly looking golf course, where greens were virtually dead and the fairways had barely any grass and were poorly maintained. 
     
    "This man deserves a medal."

×
×
  • Create New...