Jump to content

From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Dormant turf can be an excellent playing surface for golfers. However, the color can be off-putting for those who equate toasty brown Bermudagrass with dead or unhealthy turf.
    Superintendents throughout the transition zone and parts of the Southeast have largely had two options to provide golfers with an aesthetically pleasing green surface during winter — overseeding and painting dormant Bermudagrass turf.
    Each option has its benefits, but painting greens has largely supplanted overseeding of dormant Bermudagrass during winter.
    Painting reduces cost because dormant turf does not require mowing or fertilizer and needs very little water during winter, while still providing a dark green color that gives golfers a target while debunking the golfer myth that dormant and dead are interchangeable.
    Painting greens also makes it easier to clean up winter weeds before spring green-up, because dormant turf allows for large-scale application of non-selective herbicides. Such applications are not possible in actively growing ryegrass. 
    The competition when transitioning out of ryegrass can also affect Bermudagrass conditions after winter.

    A member of the crew at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay paints a green. Photos by Paul Carter, CGCS "Anything that is overseeded with ryegrass can delay green-up," said Grady Miller, Ph.D., of North Carolina State University. "If it is a long, wet, cool spring.
    "You also have wear and tear, because with painting you don't have a wearable surface. Painting provides some advantages, but there is some competition, too."
    Miller told of a sports turf manager in North Carolina who historically overseeds each year, but is skipping it this year because weed issues have become so severe.
    "He didn't overseed because he couldn't contend with the weeds, so he's taking a year off," Miller said. 
    "There are trade-offs. There are some big trade-offs."
    Paul Carter, CGCS at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Tennessee, has been painting greens since converting the greens from bentgrass to Champion Bermudagrass about 20 years ago.
    "If you overseed, you have to do so much work to get seed down and established," Carter said. "It's disruptive if you just want color. Everybody around here is going to painting."
    For the past two years, Carter also has been painting fairways, which are 419 Bermudagrass, and today paints everything except tees and rough.
    Painting fairways is done mostly for the benefit of his crew, and not for golfers. After months of golfers beating down dormant turf in the fairways and rough, finding that line between them in spring can be difficult.
    "As long as we give them a defined edge, they can see where that fairway line is," he said. "If we don't keep that line out there, the fairway units are all over the place in spring. They don't know where to go."
    Deciding on paints vs. pigments, which shade of green and what brand to purchase will vary from course to course based on goals, needs and conditions at each property.
    The cost to paint varies, but an average, according to Miller, is about $200 per acre. That price translates to about $500 for 2.5 acres of greens. It typically takes two or three applications to get through the winter, he said.
    Much of the Bermuda at Bear Trace still is green. Carter had hoped to paint this week, but rain has stalled the process.
    "Two times should be plenty," he said. "If we get on it before Christmas, we'll be good until early February or late January. Then we'll do it again, and that should be enough to pull us through until spring."
    Although many properties throughout the transition zone are now painting, many others in the resort market, namely locations like Myrtle Beach, continue to overseed because courses there rely on the shoulder seasons of fall and spring for their revenue, not summer when Bermuda is at its peak.
    Of the transition zone courses that are overseeding, some are seeding at a lower rate — 10 pounds or 8 pounds per acre rather than 15 pounds — and using just a little paint to fill in. Still others are painting greens, and maybe fairways, while also overseeding tees because of the beating they take throughout the golfing season.
    "A lot of them can't handle the wear and tear if they are left dormant," Miller said.

    Paul Carter, CGCS, has been painting greens at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Tennessee for 20 years. Carter has realized some unintended benefits of spraying.
    Last year, he ran out of paint, leaving a single strip on the edge of the No. 3 fairway unpainted. When he applied a non-selective herbicide to the dormant turf to clean up weeds, he noticed that the herbicide in the painted areas was more effective than in the areas where no colorant had been applied.
    "It did not kill the Poa annua in that strip," he said, "as well as it did in the painted area."
    Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., of the University of Tennessee said that enhanced weed control could be attributed to the heat-retention ability of darker painted turf.
    "There's some evidence to show that painting slightly increases canopy temperature, particularly in early spring when one would make a Roundup app for Poa control," Brosnan said via email. "It's possible that this elevated temperature led to Poa plants that were more actively growing and therefore absorbed the herbicide more readily.
    "I'm not sure that concept has ever been fully vetted in trial work, but anecdotally, I've seen it in the field."
  • Manny Torres has met many of life's major challenges head-on. Before earning a turf degree from Rutgers University, Torres scored a personal victory by beating addiction. Today, the superintendent at Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood, Washington, faces the biggest challenge of all after suffering a stroke Dec. 4 at age 45.

    A husband and father of two, Torres remains in a Washington hospital where the stroke has, so far, left him paralyzed on his left side, according to a friend.
    "Manny is a great guy," said Torres' friend Jacob Close, a former superintendent and now the Washington sales rep for J.R. Simplot Co. "I'm trying to be hopeful, but this might be the end of his career."
    Torres had been superintendent at Oakbrook for about 16 months when he had the stroke. In the days since, his father, Enrique Torres, has established a GoFundMe account to help Manny, wife Rachel and their family.
    "Manny is a loving father to Sophia (7) and step-son Hunter (11), with whom he cherished practicing soccer and creating precious memories," Enrique wrote on the GoFundMe page. "He's also a devoted husband and a man who has overcome tremendous challenges in his life. After battling addiction and turning his life around over 10 years ago, Manny earned a degree in turf management and became a respected superintendent in the golf course industry—a career he is truly passionate about."
    Before becoming a superintendent, Torres graduated from the turfgrass management program at Rutgers, and worked as an assistant at Three Lakes Golf Club in Wenatchee, Washington. It was during his time there that he met Ryan Gordon, superintendent at The Club at Snoqualmie Ridge in Snoqualmie. Torres had reached out, asking to volunteer for the Boeing Classic, the Champions Tour event held annually at Snoqualmie.
    He quickly learned just how dedicated Torres was to his profession.
    "We don't usually get a large turnout for volunteers so the answer was a resounding yes from me," Gordon said via email. "He showed up on the first day of tournament week, went to work and did a great job for us all week.  It was only later that I learned that he had slept in the front seat of his car all week."
    In 2017, when Gordon needed an assistant, Torres was his first phone call.
    That experience helped prepare him for a return to Three Lakes, this time as head superintendent.

    Manny Torres suffered a stroke Dec. 4. His father has established a GoFundMe account on behalf of his son's family. It was not long before Torres was headed back to Snoqualmie Ridge.
    "During that year, everybody who visited him at the Club left raving about how much better the golf course looked and played since he took over," Gordon wrote. "The only problem was, during his tenure at Snoqualmie, he had met the love of his life, who happened to be working at a bank right across from the club.  They had maintained a long distance relationship during his tenure in Wenatchee. 
    "Meanwhile, the gentleman that had replaced Manny came across an opportunity to take over as superintendent at another course near his house an hour away. With an opening and a hunch, I called Manny to see if he would be interested in coming back to Snoqualmie to rejoin our team and in the back of my mind, get closer to Rachel. He told me that when he told Rachel I had called (that) she started crying with tears of joy and he agreed to rejoin our team."
    He was named superintendent at Oakbrook in August 2023. Now, it is uncertain whether he will be able to return to work.
    "Now, as Manny begins the long and difficult journey toward recovery, his family is grappling with the emotional and financial challenges of this new reality," his father wrote on GoFundMe. "Manny's dedication and resilience shine through, as he remains committed to intensive physical therapy with hopes of regaining his independence. But this will be a lengthy process, and the unexpected medical expenses, combined with the loss of income, are overwhelming for his family.
    "The Torres family is determined to adjust to this 'new normal,' but they need our support. Funds raised through this campaign will help cover medical bills, therapy, and living expenses while Manny fights to recover and his family navigates life without his income."
    Close is a former superintendent at Sudden Valley Golf Course in Bellingham, who first met Torres while both were volunteers for the Boeing Classic. 
    After Close left the business to enter sales, he naturally maintained friendships with his colleagues who then became customers and potential customers. When his friend's health was threatened, he did not hesitate to step in and try to promote the GoFundMe initiative and work with individual vendors to solicit long-term assistance.
    "I want to help as much as I can," Close said. "Golf has been good to me. It has provided me with a job, a career and friends. 
    "People in the maintenance world are my friends. These guys are an extension of my family."
  • Bernhard and Co. recently named Brent Holmes territory sales manager for its southeaastern U.S. market.
    A Georgia native, Holmes (right) began working on a golf course at age 14 and has more than 30 years of experience in the golf industry. He is a 1992 graduate of the golf course operations program at Florida Gateway College (formerly Lake City Community College). 
    "I look forward to collaborating with our team and partners to help customers achieve outstanding results with our cutting-edge solutions and support network," Holmes said.
    His career includes stops as an assistant superintendent on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, superintendent at Emirates Golf Club and project manager for Paragon Golf Construction.
    "Brent's deep industry experience and proven track record make him an outstanding addition to our team," said Steven Nixon, managing director for Bernhard. "His leadership qualities will enhance our ability to deliver reliable, high-quality turf health solutions and care to our distributors and customers."
    Bernhard is a manufacturer and supplier of grinding machines and other turfcare solutions.
    For more than 20 years, Holmes has built relationships as a distributor in Georgia and Florida, and was the recipient of the Butch Singo Award from the North Florida GCSA in 2016. Customers can reach him via email.
    Holmes will collaborate with Bernhard's business development, sales and support teams across the U.S. to serve customers throughout the Southeast and nationwide.
  • The crew from Environmental Design prepares to transplant a mature oak tree to the 11th fairway of the South Course at Olympia Fields (above). It took the crew four days to move the tree 100 yards to its new home (below). Photos courtesy of Sam MacKenzie Some of the members at Olympia Fields Country Club might have breathed a sigh of relief when a 100-foot oak tree that had stood for nearly a century in the 11th fairway of the South Course was toppled during a storm in 2020.
    A mature bur oak had been in the fairway of the hole named "Lone Tree" since before Tom Bendelow designed the Chicago-area course in 1916. Architect Andy Staples was in the midst of developing a master plan and overseeing a restoration for the South Course when the tree came down. Rather than rework, and maybe rename, the 11th hole, Staples suggested the unthinkable — transplant another mature oak tree from out-of-play to the vacated spot in the fairway.
    "The course was designed by Tom Bendelow. William Watson and Willie Park did work here, and they left it there," said Olympia Fields director of grounds Sam MacKenzie, CGCS. "Andy was adamant that we had to stick to the original design.
    "We don't just remove trees. We planted one," he joked. 
    The project illustrates how important tree-management programs can be on golf courses.
    "Tree-management plans are an opportunity to showcase the right tree in the right place," Staples said. "I wouldn't go out of my way to design a hole around a tree like that, but that is the way that hole was designed." 
    The Phoenix-based architect has a punch list of considerations when developing a tree plan:
    Agronomics: Introduction of air, relieve shade and introduce sunlight. Safety: Remove dead or dying trees and overhanging limbs. Arborist's report: Assess the health and location of trees and what trees should be planted. Non-native species: They have to go. Plant trees: Choose the right tree for the right location. Perseverance: Know that what you are doing is right and that those who are objecting to a tree plan are doing so out of emotion, not what makes a better golf experience. Because golfers often have emotional ties to specific trees, and local government officials or environmental groups might object to tree removal, it is best to have an ally, namely a golf course architect.
    "You have to be systematic and thoughtful," Staples said. "You have to understand the game of golf, and you have to understand agronomy.
    "Every project I'm involved in includes planting trees, too. It's about choosing the right trees and planting them in the right place. We're not just about going out and removing trees. It's about making the golf course better."
    "Getting the architect on board is a huge help in that regard," MacKenzie said. "The club hired him to improve the property strategically from a golf standpoint."
    Located 30 miles south of downtown Chicago, 36-hole Olympia Fields property covers 345 acres, much of which is undeveloped woodland. MacKenzie estimates 40 percent to 50 percent of the trees on the property are various species of oak. In his 18 years at Olympia Fields, MacKenzie has taken down his share of trees, virtually all of which were targeted because they were dead or dying, or were adversely affecting turf health.
    "My guess is we've taken down 3,000 to 4,000," MacKenzie said of that 18-year span.
    Although those trees were targeted for good reason, selling tree-management projects can be a challenge.
    One such challenge was the oak in the 11th fairway of Olympia Fields' South Course. 
    "The board asked for my ideas for that hole, and they told me not to let cost change my mind," Staples said. "I'd already been working with the club for a while. We had photographic evidence that Bendelow had routed that hole around that tree.
    "They gave me the ability to move that tree. I saw the pitch, and I took a swing."
    Moving the replacement tree place was no small task. The tree that eventually was chosen was so large, it took crews from Environmental Design, a tree-location service based in Tomball, Texas, four days to move it 100 yards using two backhoes. Environmental Design is the same company that famously moved a cypress tree on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach more than 20 years ago.
    The Pebble Beach tree was 67 feet in height. MacKenzie estimated the oak at Olympia Fields at 100 feet or more. Moving it required root pruning so workers could form a sort of root ball. The tree then was rolled to its new location over what MacKenzie described as several long balloons, adding the process was similar to the ancient Egyptians moving massive limestone blocks to build the pyramids of Giza.
    "There were a lot of people who were pretty skeptical and thought the tree would die," Staples said. "It's healthy as a horse."
    Aside from transplanting a bur oak from the periphery to the middle of the 11th fairway, Staples' restoration of the Olympia Fields South Course included taking down a few dozen others.
    "We took out a lot of brush and some trash trees," he said. "But the main initiative was to showcase the property."
    "Andy looked at the golf course strategically," MacKenzie said. "It was about adding vistas and opening up the golf course."
    Elliott Dowling, East region director for the USGA Green Section, recently wrote about developing a tree-management program and offered the following considerations:
    Tree removal is often a necessary part of effective tree management on a golf course, but it can be a very emotional subject. Having objective criteria for evaluating trees makes discussions about removal more productive and less contentious. Safety is the most important consideration. If a high-risk tree is in an area that people visit, it should be prioritized for removal. Negative impacts on turf conditions, architectural intent and routine maintenance are also important factors for removal. When carefully planned, tree removal can enhance the health, environmental value and attractiveness of the overall tree population on a course by removing trees that are not a good fit. As a superintendent, MacKenzie's main concern when managing trees is a simple one.
    "For me, it's easy to make decisions for the health of the turf," he said. "That's the No. 1 factor for me.
    "It's about giving the grass what it needs. That's now an easy sell for me."
  • The onset of cold temperatures throughout the South means the yearly ritual of battling winter weeds.
    Pesky winter weeds can take the form of grassy and broadleaf varieties, including Poa annua, which is especially troublesome in warm-season grass during winter.
    Managing winter weeds with a post-emergent herbicide in dormant warm-season turf can be challenging as herbicide resistance becomes an increasing problem. According to published research, weeds that are prolific seed producers, like Poa annua (a single plant can produce thousands of seeds), tend to be those that develop resistance. The number of weed varieties that have developed herbicide resistance to post-emergent herbicides has skyrocketed in the last 40 years to more than 500, according to the International Herbicide-Resistant Weed Database.
    University of Tennessee weed scientist Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., recently presented a webinar on Poa annua management in warm-season grass, and said post-emergent treatment of winter weeds in spring when turf has begun to green-up is especially difficult. The best strategy for superintendents, he added, is to prevent winter weeds from emerging, not treating them after they have surfaced.
    "Your goal," Brosnan said, "should be to never make a curative app."
    CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE WEBINAR
    He likened winter weed management to a football game, an analogy made by football executive and author Michael Lombardi.
    "You can't win in the first quarter, but you can get out to a good start and build a strong foundation," Brosnan said. "Coming back in the fourth quarter is difficult with a post-emergent herbicide."
    The key, he said, is a consistent plan from fall through spring.
    "Good teams win the middle eight (minutes), the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half," he said. "If you can win those two portions, that's where you really make strides at winning the game. I think that's true here in a Poa control context."
    Brosnan described two examples of resistance: target site and non-target site.
    He described target site resistance as a genetic mutation of the target plant that alters herbicide action at the target site. Non-target site resistance is described as physiological modifications away from the target site that negatively affect the ability of the herbicide to control weeds, in other words, plants that become resistant to multiple modes of action.

    Exactly when winter weeds emerge varies by geographic location and weather conditions, but as a rule, optimal conditions are when soil temperatures are below 66 degrees in the top 2 inches for an average of 24 hours for at least a week and when accompanied by at least a quarter-inch of rain.
    In Knoxville, the period of concern typically is early September to early May.
    To get through that period without making curative applications might require rethinking preventive herbicide programs, Brosnan said.
    "Build a program from a chemical standpoint, but also a cultural program standpoint," he said. "You want to do everything in your power to keep those plants in the ground."
    That means multiple applications throughout fall, winter and spring to ensure there are no lapses in control.
    "One application is not realistic in the modern world of Poa control," he said.
    Rather than make one application for up to 34 weeks of control, Brosnan suggests a pre-emergent application for 12 weeks, followed by applications of pre- and post-emergent products after 12 weeks and 24 weeks. 
    "When I layer those all together," he said, "that gives me my 34 weeks of protection."
    That is the same philosophy superintendents already have adopted for control of fungal diseases in turf.
    "I think the same logic is here when we think about how to manage Poa," Brosnan said, "particularly in a world where we have resistance to a lot of our post chemistry."
    Click here to watch TurfNet's complete lineup of archived webinars.
  • On the heels of the devastation levied across the Southeast by Hurricane Helene, it was a record-setting year for the Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show.
    A total of 2,173 attended this year's show held Nov. 18-20 in Myrtle Beach, the most since 2013. A record 240 individual companies were represented on the trade show floor, occupying a record 419 booths. The previous highs in those categories were 217 (in 2017) and 414 (in 2019) respectively. Also, a total of 1,477 seminar seats were sold, down slightly from last year's record of 1,508.
    Helene made landfall Sept. 26, in Florida and hovered for the next three days over the Southeast, where it has been blamed for at least 234 deaths and $119.8 billion in damage in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee.

    A total of 2,173 people and 240 vendors attended the 2024 Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach. Photos courtesy of Trent Bouts Many golf courses as well as residents still are reeling from the effects of Helene.
    "Some of the regular faces were missing this year because they had more important things to take care of," said Carolinas GCSA executive director Tim Kreger. "But they were in our hearts, prayers and conversations all week. Getting together with colleagues at the conference is something our members look forward to each year, but for those who could attend, it meant even more this year."
    Helene damaged hundreds of golf courses in North and South Carolina in late September but nowhere more severely than in the mountains of western North Carolina. Some courses will not reopen until well into next year and there are concerns that some might never reopen.

    A total of 1,477 education seats were sold for this year's Carolinas GCSA show. "To be able to produce such a strong Conference and Trade Show so soon after the storm is a great reflection on the strength of the industry in our region and the people in it," Kreger said. 
    "We say it every year, but we mean it every year. This event succeeds because our members truly appreciate the incredible support we get from our industry partners. The industry partners help us stage a great event and our members keep turning up to make the most of it."
    In other news from the Conference and Trade Show:
    Alex Tolbert, from Orangeburg Country Club in Orangeburg, South Carolina, became the association's 51st president when he was elected at the annual business meeting. Dean Farlow, from Deep Springs Country Club in Stoneville, NC, was the sole newcomer to the board of directors. Members agreed to the first dues increase for Class A, B and C members in more than a decade. A and B dues increased from $200 to $250 and C, from $125 to $155. Chuck Green, from Quixote Club in Sumter, South Carolina, received the association's highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, for his leadership, mentorship and service over more than 40 years. Terry English, from the Oak Point course at Kiawah Island Resort, South Carolina, won his second Carolinas GCSA Golf Championship. English was among 369 players who registered for the championship at Wachesaw Plantation Club, Caledonia Golf and Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club.
    New Carolinas GCSA president Alex Tolbert (left) presents outgoing president Pete Gerdon with a gavel recognizing his service to 1,850-member organization. Adam Cribbet, from Old Tabby Links at Spring Island in Okatie, South Carolina, led a record field of 66 shooters to win the sporting clays championship. Andy Howard, from Moss Creek Golf Club in Bluffton, South Carolina, won a fishing trip for two to Panama in the 27-Hole Challenge. A record turnout of 110 people attended the annual show-eve reception for assistant superintendents. A total of 180 people attended the annual Fellowship Breakfast. Jimmy Murray, from Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, South Carolina, was named Turf Equipment Technician of the Year by the Turf Equipment Technicians Association of the Carolinas. For a fifth straight year, Horry-Georgetown Technical College won the Student Turf Bowl. A total of 12 teams from six different colleges competed. Life-memberships were presented to Russyll Barnette and Richard Staughton, CGCS. The association presented office manager Angie Davis with a cruise for two to Alaska in appreciation for her 30 years of service.
  • Flash Weather AI, a provider of advanced weather intelligence, has acquired Turf Threat Tracker.
    The integration of Turf Threat Tracker, known as T3 Golf, enhances Flash Weather AI's ability to deliver precision site-specific weather data for turf managers and offers a suite of tools to empower users with real-time, actionable insights to optimize operations and safeguard investments:
    Customizable Threshold Alerts: Real-time notifications on critical metrics such as frost risk and evapotranspiration rates. Disease Forecasting: Predictive insights to help mitigate risks of turf and crop diseases. Growing Degree Day Tracking and Forecasting: Facilitates long-term planning and precise application timing. Predictive Lightning Alerts: Patented technology delivering 1 to 6 hours of advanced forecast notifications. Flash Weather AI is a pioneer in weather intelligence, leveraging cutting-edge AI and proprietary meteorological algorithms to provide predictive, real-time weather insights with updates every two minutes for clients spanning industries such as sports, construction, insurance and now turf management.
    Garrett Bastardi and Herb Stevens, co-founders of T3, bring more than 20 years of forecasting experience in golf and business.
    "Four years ago, T3 set out to revolutionize weather-related agricultural decisions by leveraging agronomy-centric, high-resolution weather data," Stevens said. "By joining the Flash Weather AI family, T3's tools will reach new heights and more businesses. Flash's use of AI to advance weather intelligence aligns perfectly with the vision T3 set at its inception. Together, we're building the most valuable safety and efficiency tool available for decision-makers."
    Jason Deese, CEO of Flash Weather AI and former NOAA meteorologist, emphasized the importance of this acquisition.
    "Two of Flash Weather AI's core principles are to create products the world has never seen and to translate complex weather data into actionable insights for businesses and consumers," said Deese. "Bringing T3 into the Flash family marks a great leap forward in both principles. T3 provides unique insights in golf agronomy, and combining their expertise with our AI enhances those insights as we expand into other aspects of agronomy and beyond. This is a big day for businesses that value safety and efficiency in their operations."
    T3's state-of-the-art forecasting tools, specifically tailored for turf and agricultural professionals, integrate with Flash Weather AI's patented algorithms to offer precise, actionable weather data. The platform provides updates as much as 48 hours in advance on key metrics such as precipitation rates, soil temperature and moisture, frost formation and dissipation times, and dew severity. These and many other turf-centric forecasts enable turfgrass managers to stay ahead of weather variables impacting their operations.
  • The Aquatrols Co. recently named Troy Noble as Golf Technical Services Manager for the Americas.
    A former superintendent for 11 years at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord, Massachusetts, and a graduate of the turfgrass management program at Iowa State University, Noble (right) will have among his responsibilities driving the company's PROVE trial program.
    He will work directly with golf course superintendents on innovative trials with some of the new technology that Aquatrols is creating and studying at their Aura Farm research and development farm in New Jersey.  
    "Troy's time as a golf course superintendent brings extensive first-hand knowledge to our technical services team to bridge the gap and better understand issues our end users are facing, to better develop solution-based products. We are thrilled to have Troy on our team," said Matt Fleetwood, Ph.D., research and development/technical services manager for Aquatrols.
    Noble's previous experience in the PROVE program as a superintendent played a role in being named to the Aquatrols' post, said Aquatrols general manager Erick Koskinen.
    "Troy has been instrumental in new product developments as a superintendent PROVE partner," Koskinen said. "We are excited to have him on the team to leverage his many talents and insights as we continue to bring innovative solutions to today’s turfgrass managers."
    The Aquatrols Company is a solutions-based company, identifying problems and developing solutions for golf course superintendents for over 70 years.  
    For more about The Aquatrols Company, including finding a local distributor or choosing the product that’s right for you, visit www.aquatrols.com. The Aquatrols Company is part of Lamberti, a longstanding and well-respected European-based specialty chemicals company active in many industries including agriculture. 
  • In both cool- and warm-season turf, areas with poor drainage are especially prone to winterkill. All photos by Kevin Frank Winter usually is a time when superintendents can look forward to taking a little time away from the golf course. However, it also is time to be aware of the threat of winter damage in both cool- and warm-season turf.
    Although there are distinct differences in winter damage in cool- and warm-season turf, one thing that is common to both is plants that already are weakened are the most susceptible to damage. Examples of at-risk areas are those where drainage is poor or where heavy shade is an issue. A pair of recent TurfNet webinars by Kevin Frank, Ph.D., of Michigan State University and Wendell Hutchens, Ph.D., of the University of Arkansas, addressed winterkill in both cool- and warm-season grasses
    While winter damage on cool-season turf typically is associated with ice cover, warm-season turf is susceptible simply to extreme low temperatures. Hutchens points to December 2022 as an example when an overnight drop in temperature from the high 30s to below zero caused havoc throughout Arkansas.
    "That extreme event pretty much wiped out a lot of our warm-season grasses in Arkansas and surrounding areas," Hutchens said during a recent TurfNet webinar on preventing winterkill in warm-season turf. 
    "This extreme low temperature can cause direct kill to warm-season grasses, and that is what we saw in the winter of '22."
    Causes of winterkill in warm-season turf include:
    extreme low temperatures sustained low temps that leads to carbohydrate exhaustion rapid temperature drop in late fall or early spring desiccation caused by too little soil moisture anoxia caused by too much soil moisture Managing moisture, height of cut and nitrogen in the fall helped prevent winter damage on warm-season turf, according to Hutchens. His advice for preventing winter damage is based largely on results from a multi-year study he and others conducted in Virginia and Maryland from 2019 to 2023.
    The study was conducted on Tahoma 31, Latitude 36, Tufcote and Tifway 419, from 2019 to 2023 at outdoor and indoor locations. 
    Results of the study showed that late-season applications of slow-release nitrogen can help retain fall color without compromising cold hardiness through winter. The research also showed that increasing fall mowing height in fairway turf from 0.5 inches to 0.75 inches helped with color retention and reduced the incidence of winter weed growth.

    Kevin Frank suggests cutting channels on poorly draining greens to help move water off the surface after snow and ice melts to prevent damage from refreezing. Irrigating dormant warm-season turf during times of prolonged drought (two weeks or more) through winter can help prevent desiccation, a major cause of winterkill.
    In Hutchens' research, plots were irrigated to levels less than 15 percent volumetric water content and more than 19 percent VWC. Results showed that irrigation at the higher rate and applications of wetting agents before short-term freeze events reduced winter injury.
    He also suggested use of permeable covers on greens for periods of sudden temperature drops or sustained cold periods.
    Winter damage in cool-season turf typically manifests as desiccation or crown hydration injury associated with ice cover.
    Michigan State's Frank has written and talked extensively on the subject of winterkill. He also suggests use of permeable covers to prevent desiccation or exposure to severe cold temperatures, but adds that covers are not always effective during periods of prolonged ice cover, a major cause of winterkill in annual bluegrass. 
    Annual bluegrass can show signs of winter damage after just 30 days or less under ice cover and is especially at risk after continued periods of thawing and refreezing. Creeping bentgrass is more tolerant to ice cover, and might not show signs of damage for up to 120 days.

    Although winterkill is a common and widespread issue, there is still much to learn about it. "All of our estimates for killing turf are just that, estimates," Frank said in his webinar on winterkill. "It could be 45-90 days in some cases. Injury could occur in 30 days for annual bluegrass. In some cases, annual bluegrass has damage in less than 30 days."
    Frank's keys for preventing winterkill in cool-season turf are:
    improve surface drainage increase mowing height promote plant health monitor for ice Good drainage is key to preventing winter damage in warm- and cool-season grass.
    Frank suggests cutting cup cutter-sized holes in areas with poor drainage and filling the holes with gravel or sand. He also suggests cutting channels to facilitate moving water off greens when snow and ice melt to prevent damage during a refreeze.
    He also suggests fall fertilization and slightly raising height of cut on greens going into winter to promote improved plant health.
    In 2020, Michigan State began using sensors to record soil and air temperatures at three depths, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and relative humidity. The goal is to develop what Frank called a warning system that conditions are right for winter damage.
    "It's not only understanding the conditions that cause winterkill," Frank said, "but then what also are the specific measures that kill (turf), because right now, to be honest, it's always a little bit of guesswork of our own experiences and opinions sprinkled in with some science that we know about for getting these diagnoses correct."
  • On more than one occasion I have been asked why TurfNet publishes updates on the case against Roundup. After all, it is not commonly used in managing low-mown turf on golf courses or athletic fields, yet almost everyone probably has at least a jug of it hanging around somewhere. 
    I publish those updates as a reminder about what can happen when people who are uninformed decide what products the rest of us can and cannot use. When government agencies impose restrictions on synthetic pesticide or fertilizer use, those decisions sometimes are made with the best of intentions, but with little or no data to support them. The public relations campaign against pesticide use has been bolstered largely by high-profile cases like the slew of cancer claims against Roundup and the misapplication of a neonicotinoid at an Oregon shopping mall that resulted in the death of thousands of bumble bees.
    Great strides have been made in bringing effective low-use-rate pesticides to market, but there are still many who believe, regardless of the consequences, that all synthetic products should be banned on public land. That should be a red flag for anyone who relies on such products every day say many in the industry, including Beth Guertal, Ph.D., of Kansas State University who recently addressed this topic at this year's Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show.
    "I just told a group of superintendents that they need to be paying attention to this," Guertal said. "It's coming."
    A golf course on Maui is among the latest to be subjected to such a ban and serves as a case study as to what can happen to those who are caught unawares.
    In 2021, Maui County, Hawaii passed a resolution that bans synthetic pesticides and fertilizers on county-owned or county-managed land. That ban includes the county-owned Waiehu Municipal Golf Course. 
    Such bans have no basis in fact, says Guertal.
    "At correct rates, there's just no evidence to support this," she said. "They're kind of making this stuff up is what they're doing."
    Andrew McGuire, Ph.D., of Washington State recently wrote that organic products are not a magic bullet and are no substitute for time-tested best practices.
    Wrote McGuire in a recent tweet: "You can't bio-product your way to soil health — products don't improve soil's physical conditions, but proven practices do. Before spending your money on an unproven product, try a time-tested practice to build soil."

    There are steps turf managers can take to minimize the chances of such bans taking hold.
    Proactive measures such as sharing BMPs with local officials and staging on-site educational events can show the public the biodiversity that can exist on a golf course with the proper use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
    Brian Boyer held such an event last year at Cinnabar Hills near San Jose, California where he and volunteers shuttled more than 60 local students through eight stations around the golf course, teaching them about the tools superintendents use, water, soil, plants, putting green management, golf course wildlife, weather and irrigation.
    The Maui rule went into effect in 2022, but the golf course was given three years to come into compliance. That deadline has arrived and county parks officials in charge of the golf course and a pair of athletic fields say none of the organic herbicide or fertilizer options available to them have been effective and they are seeking an exemption to the ban.
    At a recent county council meeting on Maui, a line of people spoke in opposition to an exemption, none of whom cited any scientific evidence to substantiate their claims. 
    Attendees at the Maui meeting, some speaking on behalf of an environmental activism group called Beyond Pesticides Hawaii, claimed that synthetic pesticides and fertilizers pose a threat to waterways, ocean reefs, golfers and visitors to the park, and degrade the native soils.
    "There is no data to support that. There's just none," Guertal said. "All the data supports that monocultures that are maintained with a good diversity of biomass, they can be very healthy systems."

    Parks and recreation officials say organic products used to manage Waiehu Municipal Golf Course in Hawaii have been ineffective. Some opposed to an exemption said work on drafting a pesticide ban began nearly a decade ago and accused those in the parks department of stalling.
    Shane Dudoit, deputy director for the county parks and recreation department, said his department is not stalling, adding conversion to organic management has been slow because the available products are ineffective. He talked about the challenges associated with using only organic products to manage a 94-year-old golf course that has a 12-month season and gets about 65,000 rounds per year. He came prepared with before-and-after photos that demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the products being used and said the parks division could lose the golf course to weeds if a synthetic alternative is not found.
    That can be a difficult argument to make to those who do not read the science.
    "People just don't want to hear it," Guertal said. "They've got their minds made up."
    The Maui meeting was adjourned without any decision being reached.
    "We're at a standstill," Dudoit said via email. "We're waiting for a community hearing that should be coming up soon."
    Dudoit believes the move to ban pesticides and fertilizers stems from the scare over Roundup.
    Roundup has been famously linked to causing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a blood cancer that begins in the lymphatic system despite claims from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that it is safe.
    Litigation surrounding use of Roundup ultimately resulted in a settlement that cost Bayer billions and contributed to the company selling its T&O division to Cinven in 2022.
    "No one in the turf industry believes (Roundup causes cancer), because there is no data to prove it," Guertal said. "There are literally hundreds of studies to prove it's one of the more safe and effective products available."
    That has not mattered to those pushing the use of organic products only, some of which also can have unintended consequences.
    Bryan Unruh, Ph.D., of the University of Florida says many organic fertilizers can have excess nitrogen or phosphorus that comes in the way of filler that is not part of the product's analysis.
    "The plant sees ammonium and nitrate. It doesn't care what color it is, or where they come from," Unruh said. "It doesn't care if it came from a cow, or a synthetic factory. 
    "Natural organic composts or sludges typically come with a boatload of phosphorus, and you can't stop that. You can't get it out."

    A parks and recreation manager in Hawaii is seeking an exemption on a pesticide ban to fight weeds at Waiehu Municipal Golf Course. Organic herbicides also can cause an overload of nitrogen.
    Corn gluten can be used as a pre-emergent herbicide for control of crabgrass, but it is loaded with nitrogen.
    "That means you're going to put it out in February, and the rate at which you have to apply the corn gluten is also putting out 2 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet on dormant grass," Guertal said. "So I'm putting out almost half to a third of my year's nitrogen at a time when environmentally I would never ever want to do it. So I can tell you what's more environmentally dangerous and it's that corn gluten."
    Even organic products such as copper that can be used as a fungicide should be used with caution.
    "The rates are so high," Guertal said. "It's far more damaging than a properly applied fungicide."
    When such bans are imposed elsewhere, it should be a warning sign for turf managers everywhere to be prepared by collecting scientific data on everything that is used on the golf course, information on the efficacy and other challenges associated with organic alternatives, and having at the ready your state's BMP manual.
    Then, like Boyer at Cinnabar Hills, find a creative way to share that information.
  • The Vermont golf community has lost two longtime contributors in the span of just three weeks.
    Michael O'Connor (below right), a former superintendent and the founder of Greenspace Environmental and Turf Services, died Nov. 2 at his home in Westminster. Michael, 68, had been diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's disease. He was preceded in death by his father, William (top right), a longtime Vermont superintendent, on Oct. 13.
    William O'Connor, 91, became head greenkeeper at Bellows Falls Country Club in 1951 at age 17. The product of a different era, he slept in the caddy shack so he could be at work early in the morning. His career at Bellows Falls started at age 12 as a caddy. He eventually was named superintendent, a position he held until 1979.
    When not on the golf course, William was an active member of the Westminster community. He sold insurance in the 1979s for Metropolitan Life. As the story goes, he would collect premiums in person and always brought a biscuit along for dogs on his route. He also was known to hold a baby or two while customers took a minute to throw in a load of laundry or run the vacuum.
    William served as town manager from 1982 to 1998 for Westminster, where he lived for 60 years. Before becoming town manager, he was on the school board and was a town selectman.
    As a youngster, Michael O'Connor grew up on the grounds at Bellows Falls alongside his father. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture, and went on to work at Chevy Chase Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland and Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey, before going on to become superintendent at then director of golf course operations at Basin Harbor Club in Vergennes, Vermont.
    In 1990, Michael founded Greenspace Environmental and Turf Services, an international environmental company specializing in design and permitting of golf courses in the United States and abroad.
    Throughout his career, Michael served many years on the board of the Vermont Golf Course Superintendents Association. In his spare time, he was a model train aficionado and was a self-taught guitar player.  
    After his diagnosis, Michael continued his practice in agronomy and simultaneously served the Vermont Chapter of American Parkinson's Disease Association and was an advocate for those affected by the disease.
    Survivors include wife, Barbara; mother, Marlene O’Connor; sisters Shannon O’Connor (Michael Pon) and Erin Harding (John); brother-in-law, Werner Muller; sister-in-law, Ramona El Hamzaoui; sister-in-law, Lisa Muller; uncle, Paul O’Connor; cousin, Robert Kenney (Ruth); and many nieces and nephews.
  • Playing a leadership role is nothing new for the U.S. Navy.
    Similarly, the golf course at the U.S. Naval Academy is a pioneer in its world.
    Five years ago, the Naval Academy course was among the first to grass with Tahoma 31 Bermudagrass. Developed by turfgrass breeders at Oklahoma State University, it boasted traits such as improved tolerance for cold, wear, drought and disease, attributes that have made it popular even in transition zone areas like the coastal Mid-Atlantic. Since regrassing with Tahoma after a recent renovation, the grass has provided a 12-month playing surface while making the threat of winterkill nearly a thing of the past.
    Tahoma 31 was still known under its NTEP name of OKC 1131 in 2019 when superintendent Eric David first bought a truckload of sod from Riverside Turf in Charles City, Virginia. The goal was to determine if it could be incorporated into a renovation that was just getting started at the course in Annapolis, Maryland.

    Tahoma 31 fairways provide a 12-month playing surface at the golf course at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. "I wanted to test it out, so we tested 9,000 square feet all over the place," he said. "I put it in high-traffic areas, shaded areas. I put it on tees. I did a split tee with half Tahoma and half of another Bermuda to see how they looked in the same environment. We did it that summer and through the winter and decided that's what we were going to go with in 2020. I've had Tahoma longer in Maryland on a golf course than anyone." 
    Today, David is managing 30 acres of Tahoma on tees, fairways and the practice range, areas where he previously was growing mostly common Bermudagrass. It also is in all approaches that run up to a series of annual bluegrass collars that surround the course's 007 creeping bentgrass greens.
    He also is managing Tahoma on a three-quarter-acre nursery as well as some of the Navy's athletic fields.
    Since that renovation four years ago, Tahoma 31 has popped up at about a half-dozen golf courses throughout Maryland, including Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase which incorporated it into a renovation last year.
    "I love it," David said. "It's now the standard grass around here for anybody doing Bermuda. It's pretty much just Tahoma for our region.
    "When we did the renovation of the golf course, I bought the sod in November. It was dormant when we laid it, and it was fine. That grass is still there today."

    Tahoma 31 was installed at the golf course at the U.S. Naval Academy during a recent renovation. The NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens also are playing on Tahoma.
    "The sports turf guys were on it earlier than the golf guys because of its tensile strength and tear resistance," David said. "You just can't tear this stuff."
    With average daily high temperatures in the 40s even throughout the winter in Annapolis, golf courses in coastal Maryland can get consistent play year-round, and common Bermuda was not up to the task.
    "The common Bermuda would already be brown at this point and start to recede to the point that you'd have to overseed," David said. 
    "With Tahoma we have really good conditions starting in April and have pretty good conditions all the way through winter. It is absolutely playable through the winter. In fact, I'd say some of the guys (who play here) really like it better in winter because it's not growing as much, and you can hit the ball farther. It's a faster playing surface. The seniors who play all winter long, they love it."
    A 2007 Michigan State graduate who prepped for 10 years at Baltimore Country Club before being named superintendent at the Naval Academy course seven years ago, David said the playing conditions on the common Bermuda were not optimal until July. Conversely, the Tahoma greens up in Annapolis in April and retains its color until late November or even into early December. 
    "We have three, three-and-a-half, at most four months of brown," he said. "Even in dormancy it performs well. That was the key. You don't have to overseed into it, and still can maintain a dense enough surface that you could play off it.

    Mowers go out shortly after spring green up occurs in April at the Naval Academy Golf Course. "In April after it starts to green up, we'll wait a week or two then mow to clean up some of the tissue on top. Then we'll be mowing once every two weeks in May. In June we're mowing weekly or bi-weekly, then by the end of June we're mowing at least two days a week depending on (plant growth) regulators."
    David said the density of the turf canopy is more reminiscent of a creeping bentgrass than an ultradwarf Bermuda that golfers would be accustomed to seeing in Florida or other parts of the South.
    Winterkill issues have been almost non-existent, except for one freeze in the winter of 2022-23 that David described as a "freak" flash freeze event that lasted less than a day.
    "Wherever there was moisture, the grass died. By the second day it was back up to 40 degrees," he said. "The only places (where grass) died was where there was field capacity moisture. It didn't have time to freeze the soil. It was just one of those things. What are you going to do? Otherwise, we've had zero turf loss."
    Tahoma 31 was developed by Oklahoma State University turfgrass breeder Yanqi Wu, Ph.D., from parents taken from cold, arid parts of China and South Africa.
    "Golfers love it because it's a hard playing surface," David said. "We like it for drought resistance, cart traffic (resistance), color and length of time we can keep it green."
  • Ozzie Smith's exploits on the baseball diamond are well known over his 19-year Major League career. Smith, who retired from baseball in 1996, also has made significant contributions to golf through his foundation, and as such has been named the recipient of the GCSAA's 2025 Old Tom Morris Award.
    Smith spent most of his professional baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals and became well known for his exploits with a glove as well as his trademark backflips on the field. He will be presented with the award Feb. 6 during the 2025 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in San Diego.
    Named for the four-time British Open winner and the legendary greenkeeper at St. Andrews in Scotland, the Old Tom Morris Award is presented annually to someone who, "through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf, has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris."
    Not merely an avid golfer, Smith works to remove barriers to the game for youths and young adults as well as affected veterans through his Ozzie Smith Charitable Foundation.
    That philanthropic work has led him to a relationship with the PGA, where he serves as president of the PGA Reach Foundation. His work has resulted in introducing the game to youths and young adults who might not otherwise have access to the game, giving them a chance to understand the game and see all of the opportunities for potential turfgrass management careers.
    "I'm just a baseball player that has gotten the opportunity to do all these things," Smith said. "I just give back where I can, to these kids, kids that may not get to experience anything like this in golf."
    Smith also donates a portion of the proceeds from his Back Flip brand of pre-made cocktails to the PGA Hope Foundation that introduces and teaches golf to veterans and active-duty military to enhance their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.
    "After a stellar Major League Baseball career, Ozzie embodies the same passion and dedication to the game of golf," said GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans. "His ongoing efforts to grow the game, including for underserved youths, have buoyed communities and exemplify what the Old Tom Morris Award represents. In the process, he has formed friendships and developed a deep respect and appreciation for the numerous golf course superintendents he continues to interact with along the way. He's a true ambassador for the game."

    Ozzie Smith, right, and former University of Alabama football coach Nick Saban during Smith's charity golf tournament in 2023. Ozzie Smith photo via Instagram Smith credits former Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog for introducing him to golf when his former boss invited him to hit the opening shot in his charity golf tournament.
    "I went out that day and the first ball I hit was right down the middle," Smith said. "I was hooked for life."
    Along the way, Smith has developed a deep appreciation for golf course superintendents and their teams. He has seen the essential role they play in making golf enjoyable and makes sure to promote their work when introducing new players to the game. 
    "Golfers just come out and enjoy the beauty of it," Smith said. "It's the golf course superintendents and their teams that give us these beautiful playing surfaces. Their drive, determination and teamwork to make each round the very best it can be is amazing. I've been involved in teams all my life."
    For the past 15 years, Smith has hosted the annual Ozzie and Friends Gala and Pro Am, PGA Gateway's largest fundraiser.
    A Los Angeles native, Smith made his Major League debut in 1978 with the San Diego Padres. He was traded to St. Louis in 1982 for then-Cardinals shortstop Garry Templeton and helped them to a World Series win that same year. Throughout his career, he won 13 Gold Glove Awards for his defensive proficiency and appeared in the All-Star Game 15 times. He retired in 1996 and was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2002.
    He said being recognized by the GCSAA as the Old Tom Award recipient is a true honor.
    "When GCSAA shared the list of past recipients, I was overwhelmed," he said, "it is an incredible list and I am humbled to now be part of this illustrious group."
  • The Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association has grown through the years in size and influence like no other regional turf group.
    Much of the credit for that growth can be attributed to the work and vision of longtime member and former association president Chuck Green (at right), the director of operations at the Quixote Club in Sumter, South Carolina.
    Because of his contributions to the association, Green, 67, has been named the recipient of the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award. He will receive the award at the association's annual meeting and trade show scheduled for Nov. 18-20 in Myrtle Beach. 
    An unprecedented 36 nomination letters were submitted on Green's behalf from past Carolinas presidents, fellow superintendents, university researchers and industry supporters.
    When Green served as association president in 1996, the Carolinas had fewer than 1,000 members, was run by an after-hours executive secretary and the conference and trade show attracted less than 1,000 attendees. 
    Today, the association has close to 1,900 members and has transitioned from part- to full-time management with a full-time staff of four. Its conference and trade show grew — literally — into its current digs at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center where it has become the largest regional event in the country for golf course superintendents. More than 2,000 people and 400 trade show exhibitors are expected at this year's two-day conference.
    Among those nominating Green was Jeffrey Connell, general manager at Fort Jackson Golf Club in Columbia, South Carolina. Connell was president of the Carolinas GCSA in 2010 and the South Carolina Golf Association in 2022-23.
    "Chuck was part of a special generation of men who wanted to professionalize the association," Connell said.
    In a 40-year career in the turf industry, Green was superintendent at Florence Country Club and Columbia Country Club. In 2000, he grew-in Sage Valley Golf Club in Graniteville, South Carolina, where he remained for 19 years. He was named operations manager at Sunset Country Club in 2019 where he headed up the transition to the reinvented Quixote Club. Part of that transition was a $13 million renovation in 2020.
    Green also played a lead role in helping advance turfgrass research in the Carolinas. He played a pivotal role in the establishment of Clemson University's Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, South Carolina, which became synonymous with the work of retired Clemson plant pathologist Bruce Martin, Ph.D.
    The Clemson research center was established in 1911 in Darlington, South Carolina, but was reinvented in 1985 in its current location in Florence. Until 1985, Martin's research focused primarily on corn, cotton, sorghum and tobacco.
    "(W)ithout Chuck's intervention and willingness to intercede and plead my case," Martin wrote in nominating Green for the award, "it would have been unlikely that we would ever have built our program at Florence."
  • When a fire destroyed the clubhouse at Oakland Hills Country Club in suburban Detroit two years ago, other golf facilities in Michigan set about the task of making sure they were not destined for a similar fate.
    An assessment of the fire-suppression system at Detroit Golf Club revealed that it likely lacked the water pressure necessary to combat a similar disaster in its 100-year-old clubhouse.
    To make sure the club would be prepared should a fire occur, it is putting the finishing touches on a new state-of-the-art fire-suppression system. 
    The system includes a pair of massive underground storage tanks that will feed overhead sprinklers in the clubhouse if and when needed. Each tank measures 75 feet in length and has a capacity of 40,000 gallons and also can be accessed outside at the source by firefighters if water is needed for an emergency elsewhere on the property.
    "After the fire at Oakland Hills, insurance companies looked at everyone's fire-suppression system," said DGC superintendent Sam Moynihan (at right). "We didn't have the pressure we needed."
    DGC has cast a wide net to complete the upgrade project that is taking place when there already is a lot taking place at the club, so a committee of members has been enlisted to lend their expertise. 
    The 36-hole club, which first opened in 1899, is in the midst of developing a master plan and eventual restoration by architect Tyler Rae.
    The complicated and time-consuming fire-suppression project began in early October and is scheduled to be completed around Thanksgiving, said Moynihan.
    "We have quite a few members who have experience in engineering projects like this," said Moynihan. "We're able to make sure we're not missing anything."
    The system comprises a new and updated connection to the city water main that results in improved water volume and connects to a pair of underground tanks being installed near the clubhouse and practice green. Each 75-foot-long tank measures 12 feet and together offers a combined 80,000 gallons of water.
    The tanks are constructed from durable, lightweight fiberglass and are connected to each other for a total capacity of 80,000 gallons. The system works on a gravity-feed system that features intake connections to the main at the top and a pump at the bottom. In between the tanks that are pitched slightly to assist gravity are a system of sensors and pumps that will deliver plenty of water at the desired pressure.

    A new fire-suppression system at Detroit Golf Club will draw its power from a pair of 75-foot tanks, each with a capacity of 40,000 gallons. Photo by Sam Moynihan The system was designed by PEA Group, a Detroit civil engineering firm, and the tanks were built by Xerxes Corp. of Minneapolis. Blaze Contracting, a Detroit construction firm, is moving the dirt and doing the heavy lifting — literally.
    Moynihan has been soaking up knowledge from all parties involved in the project, from planning to installation for any tips that can come in handy in future construction projects.
    "I've been involved with a lot of construction projects before, but I've never done a fire-suppression project," Moynihan said.
    "When I first heard what we were doing, I immediately was thinking back to Tonka toys in the sandbox. This has been an interesting project to be involved in. I've been picking their brains about everything." 
    Before the system is buried, a series of tests of all lines will be conducted to ensure the proper volume and pressure is produced and there are no leaks anywhere in the system.
    The tanks will be strapped to underground concrete ballasts called deadmen to prevent them from moving if groundwater infiltrates the area.
    Because they have to be accessible for inspections and repairs, the 12-foot-high tanks are buried to a depth of 8-10 feet with access points at the top of each, and each also will have vent tubes to relieve pressure if the tanks become damaged. That also means that mounds 3 feet high and 75 feet long will be new fixtures near the clubhouse and practice area. 
    Once in the ground, the tanks rest upon a 6-inch layer of angular gravel, known as #57 Stone, that also helps stabilize the tanks. Then more #57 Stone is filled in around the sides of the tank for support and stabilization, and a cover will be placed on top to preserve the integrity of the gravel before finally covering them with a couple of feet of native soil.
    "The angular gravel prevents the tanks from shifting," Moynihan said. 
    "I hope when this is finished I can find a sod farm to cut some before they close for winter so I can get the area covered."
  • Foley Co. recently completed its acquisition of Salsco Inc. Salsco photo Foley Co. expanded its reach into the turf maintenance equipment market with its recent acquisition of Salsco Inc.
    With headquarters in Cheshire, Connecticut, Salsco has been a leading manufacturer of equipment for the turf maintenance industry for the past 45 years.
    Founded by Sal Rizzo in 1979, Salsco manufactures a line of turf maintenance equipment including gasoline- and electric-powered greens rollers, core-collection vehicles, leaf vacuums, blowers, wood and brush chippers, a chipper/shredder/vacuum, shavings mills and re-sizers, slab chippers, curbing machines, pavement routers, side-dump buckets, narrow-width asphalt pavers and bale wrappers and grabbers.
    "This is a perfect match for us," said Foley president and chief executive officer Paul Rauker. "I know they have the best rollers in the industry, and we have a quality line here at Foley."
    The addition follows Foley's 2020 acquisition of the Air2G2 soil air-injection system, and to that end dovetails with the company's forward-looking plans for growth and making jobs easier for golf course superintendents.
    "We want to take the horsepower of Foley and continue to drive innovation," Rauker said. 
    "We want to continue to buy the companies that are the best at what they do, team up and innovate and make things easier for superintendents and mechanics."
    Headquartered in Prescott, Wisconsin, Foley was established in 1926 and specializes in precision reel and bedknife grinders that restore cutting reels to OEM specifications, making it an ideal partner for Salsco, said Rizzo.
    "Joining forces with Foley Company marks a significant milestone for Salsco,” Rizzo said. “Together, we can leverage our strengths and create even more impactful solutions for our clients in the golf and turf industry. I am confident that this partnership will lead to exciting new innovations and opportunities for growth."

×
×
  • Create New...