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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    The job of being a golf course superintendent just got a lot easier, courtesy of the turf team at North Carolina State University.   Recently, the university made available the 2017 edition of Pest Control for Professional Turfgrass Managers.   The 74-page guide, available online as well as in hard copy, includes a wide variety of information on insect, disease and weed control options in cool- and warm-season turfgrasses; a section on nematode control; how to manage aquatic environments; what's new for 2017; and tips on establishing an integrated pest management plan. There is even a short section on the pitfalls of failing to follow label directions when applying commercial pesticides.   Each pest management section includes a glossary of currently available insecticides, herbicides (including a section on aquatic weed control), fungicides and nematicides grouped by pest, then cross-referenced by active ingredient. Each section also includes trade names of each chemistry, label rates for the various formulations of each and relevant special instructions.   A section on plant growth regulators is grouped by warm-season and cool-season turfgrasses, active ingredient and trade name, along with application rates and precautionary remarks.   The guide also includes a directory, along with contact information, for NCSU's entire turf team.   The guide can be accessed online for free, and hard copies are available for $10 each, and there is a 25 percent discount for orders of five or more.  
  • The demand for the latest in education for turfgrass managers is not limited to this side of the Big Pond.   Attendance at this year's BIGGA Turf Management Exhibition attracted 4,460 attendees who soaked up 6,096 total hours of turf education. The number of attendees was up 10 percent and available education was up 22 percent from last year when 4,046 attendees took in 5,000 hours of education at the 2015 edition of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association annual show.   The Continue to Learn program alone included 83 seminars delivered by 75 speakers.   "Attendance was up and the feedback for the entire programme has been extremely positive," said Sami Strutt, BIGGA's head of member development. "The Learning and Development team worked hard to deliver a smooth running event for members and visitors, and Im glad to say we achieved just that."   The event also featured 145 vendors spanning four halls in the Harrogate International Centre that included the GolfBIC, the Golf Business & Industry Convention, and BIGGA's Continue to Learn education programs.   BIGGA also handed out a couple of awards at the show. David Stewart, deputy greenkeeper at Walmley Golf Club, was named the BIGGA Young Greenkeeper of the Year. Master Greenkeeper David Langheim and Wimbledon Park Golf Club received the BIGGA Greenkeeping Achievement of the Year award.
  • Textron Specialized Vehicles has acquired TKVGPS, a provider of GPS-based fleet management solutions and GPS technologies to enhance the on-course experience for golfers.   Textron Specialized Vehicles golf division includes the E-Z-GO, Jacobsen and Cushman lines.   The TKVGPS fleet-management solutions provide golf-course owners and operators with extensive, real-time information to help them monitor, maintain and protect their fleets of golf cars and utility vehicles. Among the company's list of features are remote amp-hour and odometer monitoring, state-of-charge reports and charging histories for electric vehicles; vehicle travel histories, fleet utilization and rotation reports, pace-of-play monitoring, remote diagnostics, and geofencing capabilities with remote vehicle shutdown that allow courses to keep vehicles within specified boundaries for safety and security.   Options include the TKVGPS TKV 7, TKV 7EX and TKV 10EX systems that provide golfers with real-time rangefinding and course layouts using bright, high-resolution 7-inch and 10-inch displays. These systems also provide automatic and two-way messaging capabilities between the clubhouse and the golfer. TKVGPS' web-based fleet-management software allows its systems to be managed from a wide range of PC and mobile hardware platforms, often by leveraging hardware already in place at the golf course.   "TKVGPS fleet-management systems add an important dimension to Textron Specialized Vehicles' portfolio of products and solutions for today's golf-course operator," said Kevin Holleran, president and CEO of Textron Specialized Vehicles. "Courses can select from a range of proven fleet-management solutions to meet the specific needs of their particular facility, protect their investments in vehicle fleets and turf-care equipment, monitor events on their course, and enhance the playing experience for their golfers."   The technology can be used not only in golf cars, but turf maintenance vehicles as well.   TKVGPS will continue to operate from its facilities in Vancouver, Canada and Pitesti, Romania.  
  • Finalists for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta, come from a pretty diverse background.
     
    The group includes superintendents from two university courses within 30 miles of each other, a multi-course property owned by the PGA of America, a Met-area country club and a nearby municipal property, and a Midwest classic-era layout that has returned to its roots.
     
    The group was chosen by our panel of industry judges from a list of 228 nominees. Criteria on which nominees are judged include: 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 and dealing with extreme or emergency conditions.
     
    Finalists are:
    Tom Feller, Cedar Rapids Country Club, Cedar Rapids, Iowa;
    Michael Golden, Longshore Golf Course, Westport, Connecticut;
    Dick Gray, PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Florida;
    Brian Green, Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University;
    Kevin Seibel, Century Country Club, Purchase, New York;
    Billy Weeks, Duke University Golf Club, Durham, North Carolina.
    (click on the link on each finalists name to read more)
     
    The winner will be announced Thursday, Feb. 9 in the Syngenta booth during the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, and will receive a trip for two on the TurfNet members golf trip in October to Scotland, courtesy of Syngenta.
     
    "Superintendents are all leaders who deserve recognition," said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager for Syngenta. "We are honored to partner with TurfNet on the Superintendent of the Year Award to recognize those who have made great sacrifices for their course and their team. We respect the humility, creativity and wisdom of this year's finalists as they represent the dedication it takes to be a superintendent. This award is about celebrating the success of superintendents and the daily challenges they overcome. I look forward to seeing everyone in Orlando and celebrating the success of this year's finalists as we announce the winner in our booth."

    Previous winners include: Matt Gourlay, Colbert Hills, Manhattan, Kansas (2015); Fred Gehrisch, Highlands Falls Country Club, Highlands, North Carolina (2014); Chad Mark, Kirtland Country Club, Willoughby, Ohio (2013), Dan Meersman, Philadelphia Cricket Club (2012), Flourtown, Pennsylvania; Paul Carter, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Harrison, Tennessee (2011); Thomas Bastis, The California Golf Club of San Francisco, South San Francisco, California (2010); Anthony Williams, Stone Mountain Golf Club, Stone Mountain, Georgia (2009); Sam MacKenzie, Olympia Fields Country Club, Olympia Fields, Illinois (2008); John Zimmers, Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania (2007); Scott Ramsay, Golf Course at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (2006); Mark Burchfield, Victoria Club, Riverside, California (2005); Stuart Leventhal, Interlachen Country Club, Winter Park, Florida (2004); Paul Voykin, Briarwood Country Club, Deerfield, Illinois (2003); Jeff Burgess, Seven Lakes Golf Course, Windsor, Ontario (2002); Kip Tyler, Salem Country Club, Peabody, Massachusetts (2001); Kent McCutcheon, Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada (2000).
  • The maker of the RG3 robotic greens mower is expanding its footprint in the turf maintenance business.    Cub Cadet, a division of MTD Products, recently acquired Advanced Turf Technology, a UK-based manufacturer of mowing equipment designed for use on golf courses and athletic fields.   The acquisition and continued investment in technology is part of Cub Cadet's commitment to provide turf professionals with innovative power equipment and tools to cover all aspects of precision turf care. This acquisition follows the recent acquisitions of CORE Outdoor Power and Precise Path Robotics.    "The addition of Advanced Turf Technology into the MTD family further demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the professional turf markets," said Rob Moll, CEO, MTD Products, which includes the Cub Cadet brand. "Cub Cadet is dedicated to providing innovative products that enable turf managers worldwide to produce the highest quality playing surfaces. Beyond improving productivity, these products enhance environmental stewardship an increasingly important attribute for many groundsmen and facilities worldwide."   Products from Advanced Turf Technology include the TMSystem and the INFiNiCut, which are used by golf courses and Premier League teams throughout Europe.   The INFiNiCut walk mower combines a lithium power source with user programmable frequency of clip rate and a dynamic return floating head, allowing the operator to optimize machine configuration to turf conditions of the day, and is used at facilities such as the All England Tennis Club, site of the Championships at Wimbledon and doubles as a golf greensmower.    "These are some of the most prestigious tennis courts in the world, so we want the best equipment to help us maintain a championship performance," said Neil Stubley, the club's groundskeeper. "We've seen an improvement in the quality of the playing surfaces since we began using the INFiNiCut."   Since its debut 10 years ago, the TMSystem of interchangeable cassettes for practices such as mowing, verticutting and grooming is compatible with all mainstream makes of triplex greens mowers and lightweight fairway mowers, including Cub Cadet's RG3 robotic mower, and the INFiNiCut. The multi-use cassette system with inserts provides flexibility to mow, aerate, brush, de-thatch, groom, level, and scarify.    "The TMSystem is a very clever design, very practical and easy to swap between the different tools. I would liken it to a Formula One pit stop straight in and straight out," said David Cole, superintendent at Loch Lomond Golf Club.    "The design has been well thought out, not just from a manufacturer's viewpoint, but also that of a greenkeeper and a mechanic."   The ATT lineup will be on display next month in the Cub Cadet booth at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando.
  • It was not that long ago when Scott and Heidi Schukraft received the message that no parent ever wants to hear: "Your child is sick, and you need to get him to the hospital. Now!"
      The Schukrafts are among the lucky. Next month, their 17-year-old son Andrew will celebrate his first year with someone else's kidney filtering the blood that passes through his body. Life has returned as close to normal as it can be for a teenager in his final year of high school, say his mother, a school teacher, and his father, a former golf course superintendent near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Days spent in dialysis have been replaced with more important things.    "The first Saturday we didn't have to go to dialysis we got in the car and went on a college visit," said Heidi Schukraft.    "We realized we'd taken a lot of things for granted."   The Schukrafts don't take much of anything for granted anymore, and their story is one of luck, love and the power of limitless friendship.   Only five months had passed from that day in August 2015 when Andrew Schukraft was diagnosed with an acute kidney disorder known as IgA Nephropathy and Feb. 17, 2016, the day he received a new kidney.    His "new" kidney was supposed to come from longtime family friend Mark McCormick, the 46-year-old superintendent at Huntsville Golf Club in Shavertown, Pennsylvania, who, despite the age gap, turned out to be a perfect match for Andrew. Instead, it came from an unknown 19-year-old donor who was killed in a car crash two weeks before the transplant was scheduled to take place.   The despair and anguish felt by one family opened the door to hope and healing for another.   For an adult needing a kidney transplant, the average wait time for a deceased donor is 5-10 years. For a minor, the wait time can vary from a few weeks to a few years depending on the state. For Andrew, the wait time was estimated at about a year. That's not awful considering there is a constant list of about 2,000 children nationwide in need of a new kidney.   The Schukrafts debated on whether to wait for a deceased donor, or seek a living donor willing to make such a sacrifice.   "It was not an easy decision," said Scott Schukraft, now the principal of Elite Sports Turf and Landscape Management. He has been a TurfNet member since 1994.   Ultimately, they decided to at least seek a living donor in hopes of speeding up the process for their son, who was undergoing dialysis four hours a day three days per week at a hospital an hour-and-a-half from home.   Heidi started a blog to tell Andrew's story, since, after all, there is no real conversation starter when your end game is to talk someone out of a kidney. To the Schukraft's surprise, nearly two dozen people, including McCormick, stepped forward offering to help their son.      McCormick's family and the Schukrafts have been friends for more than 20 years. It was Scott Schukraft, who in 1992, when he was superintendent at Huntsville, hired McCormick as an assistant. Today, their wives teach at the same school and McCormick's daughter, Payton, is classmates with Andrew, who spent a summer on a mower at Huntsville working for McCormick. When he learned of Andrew's condition, McCormick said stepping forward to help was an easy choice for him and wife Janel.   "I talked to my wife about it, and she was all for it," McCormick said. "I've known Andrew since he was born. They needed help, and I was in a position to do something about it."   McCormick, and others, stepped forward within weeks of Andrew's diagnosis, which came a week after what should have been a routine sports physical. A soccer player at private Wyoming Seminary school, Andrew tested positive for high blood pressure during the exam. Doctors, figuring nervousness might be the cause, told his parents to monitor his blood pressure at home and return in a week. Nothing changed throughout the week, and seven days later, Andrew's already-high blood pressure was even higher. Testing revealed Andrew's kidney condition, prompting that ominous call: "Get him to the hospital. Now!"    "It was shocking news to hear at first," Heidi said. "We'd been at Hershey Park the day before, and he was having fun with his cousins. It didn't dawn on us that there was a major medical issue. We had no idea it was anything life-threatening."   The next several weeks were a whirlwind of treatments for Andrew and a barrage of information for the Schukrafts to digest. Andrew spent eight days in the hospital receiving dialysis. His mother never left his side.   "It was a lot of information, and I remember asking 'is this really happening?' " she said. "At the same time, he's looking to his parents for help. We had to keep our composure. I remember thinking 'I can't fall apart in front of him.' "   IgA Nephropathy, also known as Berger's disease, inhibits the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood. Left untreated, the prognosis ranges from remission to total kidney failure.  
    It was Scott Schukraft, who in 1992, when he was superintendent at Huntsville, hired McCormick as an assistant..."
     
    Once willing donors were identified, they were tested for a blood type match. Eventually, doctors whittled their list of volunteers to three and then one - McCormick - who then was subjected to a battery of tests to ensure his kidney was a match and that he was healthy enough to withstand the procedure.   McCormick laughs now when looking back on the scenario.   "I don't like needles. I don't like doctors. I don't like hospitals," he said. "I was a pretty unlikely candidate to go through something like that."   With all systems go, the procedure was scheduled for March 3, 2016. Two weeks prior to the operation, the Schukraft's phone rang. It was Andrew's doctor calling to inform them that a deceased donor's kidney was available after a 19-year-old male was killed in a car crash on Valentine's Day. Given the deceased donor's age, doctors determined that 19-year-old's kidney would be a better match for Andrew.   McCormick, who for months had prepared himself mentally for the upcoming ordeal, experienced a wide range of feelings.   "When I found out, I was a little disappointed," he said. "It was kind of a strange mix of emotions. But at the same time, the important thing was for Andrew to get healthy. That was what mattered."   So far, Andrew's body has accepted the new kidney quite nicely. He's off dialysis and with a regimen of medication, a modified diet and lots and lots of water to keep his new organ hydrated, Andrew's new kidney could last 20 years or more, his doctors say. He has since become an advocate and spokesperson for organ donation.   The identify of the deceased donor and his family is kept anonymous by the Gift of Life donor programs. That didn't stop Andrew, who will graduate from high school in the spring, from penning a thank-you letter that the organ-procurement group passed along to the donor's parents.    The Schukrafts are equally grateful to McCormick, who, along with the other potential donors, was welcome at any time to change his mind with no ill will.   "We were humbled that someone was willing to do that for us," Heidi said. "At the same time, we knew that at any time if they decided it was not right for them, they should not be afraid to say that. It's scary."    Instead, McCormick was unwavering in his commitment to helping Andrew. He was approved by doctors one day after another potential donor was rejected.   "At first, you don't know if you're going to be a blood match. Then, they identify about three possible donors. Then they get down to one," McCormick said. "It's a bit of a gut-check moment when you find out you're the one, and that it's going to happen."  
    He provided relief and hope, because we knew he was there. As long as we had hope, we were able to function. He was our hope. He was our guy."
      To this day McCormick's approach to his role is beyond humble. Since he never went under the knife, he believes he really didn't do anything to help the boy, his parents and his sister, Alaina, who will graduate in May from Elon University in North Carolina.   "I still don't feel like I did anything," he said. "In fact, I didn't do anything."   That thinking, say the Schukrafts, is absurd. Just knowing they had a willing donor helped them get through some difficult times and gave them one more thing to be grateful for that Christmas.   "We got through Christmas because he decided to go through that testing, and that takes weeks," Heidi said.    "He provided relief and hope, because we knew he was there. As long as we had hope, we were able to function. He was our hope. He was our guy."  
     
  • Researchers in the New Mexico State University College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences are determining methods to improve irrigation efficiency. And subsurface irrigation may be the solution to wasted water and high water costs.   NMSU extension turfgrass specialist Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D. said subsurface drip irrigation, in particular, is the newest method in turfgrass efficiency.   "Although subsurface drip irrigation has been used in agriculture for decades, it's just making its way into the turfgrass industry," Leinauer said. "And it's the only system that limits irrigation to exactly the area that needs to be irrigated."   Leinauer has been the lead on two recent projects that will further test these research findings. Last summer, Leinauer and his research team led a project to install a subsurface drip irrigation system in several tee boxes at The Club at Las Campanas in Santa Fe. The USGA awarded NMSU a grant to assist with the research, which is a collaboration that also includes Toro and Rain Bird.   It was announced in December that Leinauer and his team are conducting a study at the City of Albuquerque's Paradise Meadows Park. While half of the park will use a traditional pop-up sprinkler watering system, NMSU will oversee the other half of the park, where a subsurface drip irrigation system has been installed.   "This project is interesting from the perspective that we were able to scale up our research findings," Leinauer said. "We're able to take our research findings and implement them in a park which is significantly larger than test plots or the traditional residential turf areas. For the funding agencies that have supported our research in water conservation, it is particularly important to document that technology not only works in a research setting but can be successfully scaled up to real-world situations."   NMSU researchers and city officials in Albuquerque should learn whether the subsurface drip irrigation system helped conserve water.   In addition to irrigation efficiency, NMSU research also focuses on salt and drought tolerance. Leinauer said there's been a shift to new types of waters with higher salinity levels, such as saline ground water, treated effluent or recycled water.   "In the future, having grasses available that can tolerate higher salt concentrations in the water and in the soil will become paramount to keeping green grass in urban settings," Leinauer said. "Therefore, we need to screen for salt tolerance in addition to screening for drought tolerance in new grasses."   Leinauer's work doesn't end with research. An important factor is outreach and education. What good are the research findings if professional turfgrass managers don't know about them?   In October, Leinauer and fellow researchers educated homeowners, master gardeners, landscape managers and turfgrass professionals at the Southwest Turfgrass Association Recreational Landscape Conference and Expo hosted by NMSU. The conference included a field trip to the NMSU Turfgrass Salinity Research Center.   "With me being a board member of the Southwest Turfgrass Association, I am closely connected with the industry," Leinauer said. "I think such outreach activities represent some of the core work of an extension specialist. We need to work with the practitioners and the industry, so we always have a close ear on what the problems and the trends are outside the university. We can work closely with each other and design projects together. We can hopefully advance science through real-world applications."   The projects at The Club at Las Campanas and Paradise Meadows Park are in line with one of the college's outlook on economic development and conservation principles.
  • Golf has a good story to tell. What it has lacked is a voice to tell it.
      Until now.    Maybe.   A recent report detailing the day-to-day business practices of the Olympic Club helps shed light on the San Francisco club's efforts to pursue sustainability, corporate responsibility and being a good environmental neighbor in one of the country's most highly charged activist areas.   The study was completed in cooperation with IMPACT360 and measured key indicators such as Olympic's energy use, water use, biodiversity, emissions, waste and recycling and what factors the club weighs when choosing vendors, suppliers and other outside business partners.   The results were published in an 82-page corporate social responsibility report.   Billed as America's oldest athletic club, Olympic has more than 10,000 members spread across two campuses that include a 35-acre oceanside site with 45 holes of golf and a downtown City Clubhouse that accommodates multiple sports and includes an 18-room hotel. The fact that such a robust effort was undertaken at a high-profile, and massive, club like Olympic can only help communicate the story that other golf and sports clubs have to share.    "Since the report just came out last week, it is hard for me to measure any feedback from the community," said Olympic general manager Pat Finlen, CGCS. "I have received numerous emails from around the country from different agencies/associations. I have also received may emails from members who think this is the greatest thing as it tells our story. I am hoping to gain some local feedback in the coming weeks."   People inside the golf business know all about Audubon sanctuaries, low-use-rate pesticides, part-circle sprinklers, environmentally sound BMP programs and superintendents deft enough to weave all of this together while also maximizing playing conditions. Too often, those outside the industry see golf courses as chemically induced sterile playgrounds for the elite. That's where IMPACT360 comes in.    Started by Aubrey McCormick and Gina Rizzi, IMPACT360 offers sustainability consulting services, as well as collects environmental, social and economic information from a client golf course, distills it all into quantifiable data and combines it all into a corporate sustainability report designed to show how golf can positively impact the lives of those who play it as well as those who do not.   Its CSR report on Olympic shows that the club goals include reducing or eliminating completely its negative impact on the environment, including power usage. To that end, the club's Lakeside campus that includes two historic golf courses, has converted 90 percent of all light bulbs to LED. The goal is to reach 98 percent. Likewise, 82 percent of the club's waste is recycled or composted.   Olympic's efforts to expand biodiversity at the Lakeside campus have resulted in increased native plantings and installing pollinator-friendly habitat. As a result, at least 46 bird species have been recorded on property during Olympic's annual bird count   IMPACT360's McCormick said her company is in talks to undertake similar projects at other golf courses.   "We have been receiving positive feedback and many courses are finding interest in sharing their story around sustainability," McCormick said. "This report is the beginning of long-term impact we intend to help the industry achieve."   The club also is a leader in water conservation, with 97 percent of Lakeside's use coming from recycled sources - namely nearby Lake Merced that also supplies water to Harding Park and the San Francisco Golf Club, all of which, like Olympic, rim the lake.   Chemical use on the course is not quantified in the report, but it is recorded and reported to the necessary government agencies, Finlen said. The club's chemical use reporting also adheres to all G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that IMPACT360 says are the global standard for reporting pesticide and chemical use.   "This report," McCormick said, "is helping to set a standard around reporting that helps the general public gain a better understanding of how golf positively impacts their community and the environment."  

  • Shifting trends

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Worms, compost fertilizer, biological soil amendments and Mark Hoban.   A couple of decades ago, only one of these things could be found on golf courses around Georgia. Today, Hoban isn't the only superintendent using organic products and biologicals as part of their daily golf course maintenance routine.   According to a report by PACE Turf, the use of non-pesticide options has been on the rise in recent years. When compared with a 2007 industry survey on pest management practices on U.S. golf courses, a follow-up study conducted in 2015 revealed that cultural practices are up by 66 percent, use of plant growth regulators has increased by 44 percent and use of biological products is up 25 percent. We were curious about the shift, so we asked a few people on why management practices are changing, and everyone we spoke with said they use natural products and employ cultural practices to augment, not replace, their chemical programs.   Hoban has fashioned a career centered around using organic products at Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek, Georgia. He makes his own worm compost, brews his own compost tea and even uses carbon-enhanced topdressing sand to introduce beneficial microbes into the soil.   "I slowly became more and more aware of the soil biology . . .  . Compost and compost tea were the turning point in my program five years ago," Hoban said. "We were very successful the first year way beyond what I could have believed possible and the next year was as well."    While environmental stewardship and sustainability goals have influenced this trend toward increasing reliance on naturally occurring products, economics have played a role, as well.   "Economically, we're forced to reevaluate everything we're doing," said Fred Gehrisch, CGCS at Highlands Falls Country Club in Highlands, North Carolina. "The easy thing to do is put out pesticides and be preventive about everything. But that is expensive, and golf isn't what it used to be."   Among the changes at Highlands Falls is the use of Holganix, a blend of beneficial microorganisms. Gehrisch said he was willing to give it a try, but would not hesitate to scrap it if there were no signs of healthier turf.   "The first year, I saw an improvement of about 10 percent, which is big for us, because we're already maintaining turf at a high level," Gehrisch said.    "For us, it has to be economically feasible. It has to provide an improvement to what we're doing. It has to reduce disease. With Holganix, we saw all of that. I wasn't expecting that."   During his career, Matt Shaffer has become notorious for his increasingly minimalist approach to managing turf at Merion Golf Club, where he says his goal is to grow grass, not spray it or water it. He teaches those who work for him to do the same.   "I love to mentor young people, and I am thoroughly convinced that some day they are not going to have as much chemistry as we do now," Shaffer said. "Consequently, several years ago I started a program growing great grass with less chemistry. The really cool thing is that the young guys believe and live it. We utilize less water and grow healthy turf and work harder at not spraying (rather) than always spraying."   Incorporating cultural programs also is on the rise thanks to some of the research being conducted at universities nationwide.   During a recent TurfNet Webinar, Thom Nikolai, Ph.D., of Michigan State said rolling research conducted by Bayer's Paul Giordano, Ph.D., when he was a Master's student at MSU, produced an unintended consequences - increased dollar spot resistance. Studies showed that plots rolled twice daily showed less dollar spot than control plots as well as plots rolled once per day.   Other cultural practices, said Jim Pavonetti, CGCS at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, can help provide a natural path to improved plant health.   "Maintaining good aeration, regular topdressing, good fertility, wetting agent programs, plant growth regulators and pinpoint irrigation practices were all things that we weren't mastering 10 to 15 years ago," Pavonetti said. "Once all of these programs were in place, diseases like basal rot anthracnose became very easy to prevent, where, in the late '90s and early 2000s, it seemed like nothing would control the disease once the environmental factors would become too intense. The increased use of plant growth regulators has enabled us to increase fertility and plant health without losing the quality playing surfaces by regulating the natural flush of growth that would occur otherwise."   The trend toward incorporating more natural products and cultural practices, however, is seen as a supplement or occasional alternative to a program that includes synthetic products, not a replacement. The PACE report also reveals that use of fungicides over the past decade is up 4 percent and herbicide use has rise 2 percent. After all, there is a reason only one course - Vineyard Golf Club on Martha's Vineyard - is billed as the country's only true organic golf course.    Supplementing his program with biologicals has allowed Gehrisch to extend the period between fungicide apps, not replace them. But when it comes to eliminating insect pests, nothing beats a chemical insecticide.   "For insects, I don't see anything that I'm willing to bet my career on," Gehrisch said. "There is not a biological or holistic product out there that anyone is willing to bet their life on. While some of those products work, they all work some of the time."  

  • Seeing is bee-lieving

    By John Reitman, in News,

    It might be difficult for some to fully understand, but the sound made by thousands of buzzing honeybees is music to Scott Witte's ears.
      For the past seven years, Witte has implemented bee-conservation efforts at Cantigny Golf, the Chicago-area club where he has been director of agronomy for the past two decades. His efforts, that include the Bee Barometer Project, take aim at helping local bees rebound from a population-depleting phenomena known as Colony Collapse Disorder and incorporates them into an overall environmental program to enhance Cantigny's oneness with nature.   His efforts are beginning to gain traction. Last year, Witte and Bayer Environmental Science hosted an educational event at Cantigny, and recently the company named Witte as the recipient of The Bayer Bee Care Community Leadership Award. The award includes a $6,000 grant to continue his bee outreach work. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation, a non-profit entity that owns the property on which Cantigny is located, is giving Witte a 2-for-1 matching grant, boosting the total to $18,000.    Witte's work in bee conservation provides a safe and healthy environment for bees and aligns with the property's environmental profile. The course has been a certified Audubon Sanctuary since 1993.   Cantigny Park is located on the grounds of the former home of Chicago Tribune magnate Robert R. McCormick, who died in 1955. Prior to his death, McCormick operated an experimental farm on the grounds, and the Tribune regularly published articles on the subject. Since his death, the foundation named in McCormick's honor has operated the property as a horticultural classroom designed to provide educational and recreational opportunities for the people of Illinois.   Part of that effort now is Witte's Bee Barometer Project that promotes a healthy environment for bees and provides snapshot of the overall health and diversity of the surrounding environment at Cantigny Golf and Cantigny Park.   He also performs outreach, teaching others about bees and bee care and serving as an on-call expert to remove (and rescue) hives throughout the local community. In 2015, he conducted a webinar on bee care on TurfNet entitled Beekeeping 101. Click here to watch it.   Witte will receive the award Jan. 24 at Seven Bridges Golf Club in Woodridge, Illinois at a combined fundraiser for the Wee One Foundation and the Midwest Area of Golf Course Superintendents.   The bee population, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, dropped steadily from 1989 to 2008, but has been on the rise ever since thanks to Witte and others like him. There were 2.66 million commercial bee colonies in 2015, which is just slightly less than the 2.7 million in 2014 that represented a 20-year high, according to the USDA.  
  • Last year appears, at least to a degree, to be going out on a high note in the golf business. But don't get your hopes up: Last year's late-season rally is not a sign that everything in the golf world is hunky-dory.   In fact, far from it.   Rounds played in November - yes, November - were up 11 percent compared to the same month in 2015, according to Golf Datatech's monthly rounds report. Unlike some past rallies that were saw ridiculous, three-digit bumps in participation in a handful of states, November's comeback is more grounded, with solid double-digit increases across the country. In fact, rounds played were up in 38 states and Washington, D.C., while a drop in participation was recorded in just 11 states (the report, which samples self-reported data from 3,250 private and daily fee facilities, does not include Alaska).   Although figures for December 2016 are not due for a few more weeks, November's gains are enough to signal what should be about a 2 percent increase in rounds played last year.   That's the good news.   The bad news is that it appears the golf industry is shedding yet more golfers and more golf facilities. While that means those who are playing golf are playing more often, it also means that fewer and fewer people are carrying the water for the entire industry.    According to National Golf Foundation data, it appears that 150-200 facilities (net) closed in 2015. If those numbers hold true, the (net) loss of 18-hole-equivalents since 2006 will be around 1,1000, give or take, meaning the industry is headed for another three to five years of contraction as it seeks supply-demand equilibrium.   Golfers also continue to leave the game at a rate of 3-4 percent per year. Another year like that, and there will be fewer than 20 million people playing golf in the United States. That will be the lowest number of players since the 1980s.   Koppenhaver and Stuart Lindsey of Edgehill Consulting will have all the latest data available later this month when they present their State of the Industry Report from the PGA Merchandise Show. And, at least for now, there is some good news to report unless you are an equipment manufacturer or retailer. Sales of new equipment in 2016 likely will be at its lowest since the economy tanked three presidential election cycles ago.   Of the 38 states reporting a year-over-year increase in rounds played in November, 32 saw a double-digit jump. Only three of 11 states reporting negative numbers in rounds played in November experienced double-digit losses.   TurfNet will report the full rundown for 2015 - including the good as well as the bad - when Koppenhaver and Lindsey deliver their full report later this month.
  • When Billy Weeks arrived at Duke University Golf Club six years ago, one of the most daunting challenges he faced was becoming acclimated to daily fee golf.   The former superintendent at Steelwood Country Club in Loxley, Alabama, Weeks prepped under Eric Bauer at The Club at Carlton Woods near Houston, managed a putting green at Jack Nicklaus' home in North Palm Beach, Florida and interned at Augusta National Golf Club.   While Duke looks, tastes and smells like a private club - golfer expectations run high at this course located off the university's Washington Duke Inn in a pristine forest setting - it is most definitely a public-access facility. And that transition has made Weeks a better superintendent.   "I've had to stay as organized as possible. I had to get out of the mindset of high-end private golf," said Weeks, director of agronomy at this course in Durham, North Carolina. "Everything I had at those places, I didn't have that here, but the expectations are still like those at private clubs.   "I have to make do with what was given to me. For me, it's about being as efficient as possible and getting everything I can out of labor and equipment. I have to get my guys to think the same way. We have eight hours to get things done. We use our time wisely."   Weeks also shares what he has learned by leading an educational session for assistant superintendents the past two years at the annual Green Start Academy in the Raleigh area.   Because of his ability to do more with less and share with others how to do the same, Weeks has been named a finalist for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.   "Billy Weeks is a one-man tour de force without whom our course couldn't exist as it does now," said Gavan Fitzsimmons, president of the club's golf association. "He . . . has our course in truly exceptional condition year-round."   Duke Golf Club is essentially a self-supporting operation, so conditions have to be great all the time. And they are, even in the face of modest resources.   "He is particularly skilled in managing a relatively small staff to accomplish great things," said Duke Golf Club manager Ed Ibarguen. "And he is always mindful of our budget, keeping control of spending to meet our financial requirements."   When Weeks arrived in Durham, the course still had creeping bentgrass greens, as were many courses in North Carolina,Ibarguen was in the midst of researching a conversion to Bermudagrass.    It was another couple of years before the decision was made on a greens conversion. Choosing the right one was up to Weeks, who ultimately decided on Champion. By 2013, several other courses in the Raleigh-Durham area already had made the switch to Bermuda, and many went with Champion, and Weeks was smitten with the idea of having a support system already in place when the change at Duke was completed.   Duke could have kept its bentgrass greens and everything probably would have been fine, Weeks said. The conversion, however, made sense based on a combination of Raleigh's climate and peak play at this Robert Trent Jones design that opened in 1957.   "For us at Duke, bentgrass was not a bad thing. Bermuda just fit our model better," Weeks said. "Just look at our peak time of play. From Thanksgiving to April there is not a lot of play. The weather can be bad, students are out of school over the holidays. Our peak play is April to November. If you look in that time frame, that's when you're aerifying bentgrass. We'd be discounting greens fees for a few weeks in the spring and a again in the fall for a few weeks, and that would take away from our revenue. From a playability standpoint, Bermuda just fit our model better."   The conversion paid dividends last year during what was one of the hottest summers on record in North Carolina.   "Guys who still have bentgrass and never had issues before, had issues last summer," Weeks said. "That's not to say you can't have issues with Bermuda in winter if the grass stayed iced over. That said, we had two weeks of freezing weather two winters ago, and we did just fine."  
  • When Liam Doherty, an assistant in training, nominated Kevin Seibel for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, he described him as an excellent teacher and mentor to his staff. A deeper look into Seibel's resume reveals a pedigree that explains his outlook on education and professional development.   Seibel, 45, has been superintendent at Century Golf Club in Harrison, New York for 14 years, and surviving the Met for that long alone should qualify for some sort of award. The time he spent on the job before joining this Westchester County club prepared him for almost anything and everything. He spent time working at Pine Valley while studying at Rutgers, and worked for Paul B. Latshaw, Greg Armstrong and Matt Shaffer all at Merion Golf Club.   "We're in the heart of the met. Expectations are high, and there is a lot of competition," Seibel said. "There are great courses and superintendents all around you in Westchester County."   That learning period early in Seibel's career was an amazing opportunity to grown, and he's tried to share what he learned then with his own assistants and crew.   "Early on in my career, I was allowed to do my own thing and make mistakes and learn from them. And that was a good experience for me," Seibel said.     "I guess I'm not afraid to let them make mistakes, within reason. If there is anything they are too nervous to do the first time by themselves, I stay with them and help with it. It's just grass. We can fix that."   For his expertise as a greenkeeper, personnel manager and educator, Seibel has been named a finalist for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.   "Kevin has provided one of the greatest educational experiences a 20-year-old could ask for in the turf industry," Doherty said. "As a superintendent, he takes the time to engage with his staff in their lives inside and outside of work, showing a true compassion for those that compassion for the industry. Kevin never hesitates to tell you exactly why you are doing a greens application, why one pin position is better than another on certain days.   "But it is also more than teaching to him. It is like each of his assistants and interns are his favorite football team, the Eagles. He roots for you, he wants you to make decisions, he wants you to become a successful superintendent no matter what it is you want that success to be."   His expertise as a teacher comes in handy during projects, like an ongoing restoration of this 1927 Harry Colt-Charles Alison design near New York City.   The project, Seibel declined to call it a restoration, includes an aggressive tree-management plan.    The first nine holes of the Keith Foster-led project were completed after Labor Day 2016. The other nine will be completed after the 2017 golf season. Trees were removed before the first half of the project began.   "In 14 years, we've been taking a few trees here and there. We've been selectively taking them out where it was not noticeable," Seibel said. Anything around the greens that affects the turf, we've always had the green light to take those down. It's just evolved. So many other clubs in the area have gone on tree-removal plans and been successful. Keith came in and sold the members on it. He really sells it. He only does two to three projects a year, so each one is high on the priority list. If you hire him, that expertise comes with the territory."   Expertise comes with the territory when hiring Seibel, as well.   "The industry is really changing. There are fewer young people involved and going to turf school," Seibel said. "If we don't keep them in the fold and engages, they will go elsewhere.   "I like to develop my own assistants. I feel like I know the correct distance to keep so they can make mistakes but still be under some guidance from me. I tell them my door is always open. In fact, I need for them to ask me questions. That way, I know they are thinking about what they are doing and thinking about the process."  
  • The word complex does not begin to describe Dick Gray.   A superintendent for parts of the past six decades, Gray is immensely proud of his profession. He has known Pete Dye almost since the day he got started in the 1960s and counts the renowned architect among his personal friends. He also is humble when he thinks about his place in the industry. The director of agronomy at the mammoth, 54-hole PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Gray's business card simply reads "greenkeeper."   Given the choice between a day on the golf course with his crew and a chance to do anything anywhere, Gray will, more often than not, choose the golf course, and he's likely to bring pizza for his staff to boot.   During the past quarter century, perhaps no one has made a larger footprint on the South Florida golf scene than Dick Gray. He has been superintendent at some of the top private clubs on Florida's Treasure Coast that includes Martin and St. Lucie counties, and he is the architect of record on a highly regarded daily fee layout near Stuart, Florida. Today, the 73-year-old still is going strong while he oversees daily maintenance at the PGA of America's largest property that includes courses designed by Dye, Tom Fazio and Jim Fazio, the Jim Fazio-designed St. Lucie Trail course and a massive, 35-acre learning center.   When he learned he was nominated for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta, the Gray asked "What are the criteria, age?" After he was told he had been named a finalist for the award, his hinted at declining the honor, stating: "I'm sure the guy who finished seventh is just as deserving."   "Ever since joining PGA Golf Club, superintendent Dick Gray has been instrumental to the growth and success of the flagship facility of the PGA of America," wrote Andy DeKeuster of Buffalo Communications, who nominated Gray for the award after visiting the property during the Dye Course restoration in 2016.   When Gray arrived in Port St. Lucie after several years selling biological soil amendments to superintendents, conditions at the property were not up PGA of America standards. Greens showed wide patches of dead turf and broadleaf weed infestation was a problem everywhere.   He oversaw a restoration of the Wanamaker Course in 2015, the Dye Course in 2016 and the Ryder Course will be redone this year. Although interest in golf has been on the wane for more than a decade, golfers have taken note of the work.   "Under Gray's direction, the club's iconic Dye Course underwent a complete re-grassing and renovation," DeKeuster said. "The end result is nothing short of spectacular, not surprising given the success of a similar re-grassing project Gray directed the previous year on the resort's Wanamaker Course.   "As a result of his unwavering attention to detail, leadership, encouragement and education of fellow grounds crew, conditions at the south Florida resort have never been better, leading to a 10.5 percent increase in membership and an all-time high in members satisfaction."   Shortly before the reopening of the Dye Course, Hurricane Matthew grazed Florida's east coast on Oct. 7, a day before making actual landfall in South Carolina. Matthew uprooted trees throughout the PGA Village complex, caused power outages all along the coast. Gray, who has worked along Florida's coast for more than 25 years at Loblolly Pines in Hobe Sound, Jupiter Hills in Tequesta and Sailfish Point, an oceanfront property on the end of a peninsula in Stuart, has hurricane-preparedness down cold.   "Thanks to a quick response, plenty of preparation and cool head, the course renovation kept on schedule and opened on time," DeKeuster said. "A very impressive feat given Matthew's impact along the East Coast."   Throughout his career that started at Crooked Stick in Indiana decades ago and includes designing the Florida Club in Stuart, Florida, Gray has recognized he only is as good as the people who work on his crew. To that end, he is fiercely loyal to them and takes their contributions to his success very seriously. At a property with dozens of people on his crew, including immigrants and guest workers, Gray knows every one of his employees by name. When he encounters them while riding the course, he stops, calls them by name and checks on the status of whatever project they are working on that day.   While touring the property with Gray to study the Dye renovation, DeKeuster saw firsthand Gray's dedication to his crew.   "He called each by name, thanking them, having fun with them, constantly reminding me that they are the real magicians," he said. "It felt like family out there more than a bunch of co-workers. It was amazing."    
  • Brian Green probably would be right at home in Las Vegas. After all, he's been playing against a loaded deck at Lonnie Poole Golf Course at North Carolina State University for nearly five years - and winning all the while.   As other golf courses throughout North Carolina continue to make the shift toward ultradwarf Bermudagrass putting greens, Lonnie Poole is sticking with bentgrass, and likely will do so into the foreseeable future.   Standing in the way of any talk of a conversion is timing.   Lonnie Poole opened in 2009 at the height of the economic bust and just as contraction in the golf industry was getting into full swing. At that time, most if not all courses in the Raleigh-Durham area still were growing bentgrass, but many soon made the switch. Today, closing a public golf course that still is less than 10 years old for an entire season to grow in Bermudagrass greens is not economically feasible - even in the face of near-record summer heat.   "Not many golf courses in the area then had ultradwarf. There were still questions about it," superintendent Brian Green said. "We're so new, it would be hard to pull the trigger.   "Doing that would mean about $500,000 in lost revenue. That makes it tough."   Turns out, there is no reason to pull the trigger anyway as Green has proven to be a master of managing bentgrass even in the hot Carolina summers.   For the manner in which he is able to manage bentgrass in the summer in the transition zone, as well as implement sustainable management practices, and manage a modest budget and labor force, Green has been named a finalist for the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.   "Managing bentgrass in summer is a challenge in the transition zone. The hallmark of Brian's approach to bentgrass management is proactive decision making," said Dan Adams, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor at North Carolina State and Green's director supervisor. "He closely monitors current and long-range weather forecasts and adjusts mowing height and frequency, cultivation practices, and water management ahead of heat stress periods."   For example, last year was in the top five for all-time hottest summers on record in the Raleigh area, with daytime highs above 90 and overnight lows topping 70 for virtually all of July and August. That made for an incredibly challenging environment for growing bentgrass. To prevent all-out turfgrass failure, Poole closed the course for an eight-day stretch to give the turf a much-needed break.   "It was to keep traffic off the course and let the greens recover," Green said. "I came in that Monday and while walking the course I could see the pin placements from the weekend. I knew if we didn't do something it was going to be catastrophic turf loss."   Green also was nominated for his sustainability efforts at Lonnie Poole, which he directed to Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary status shortly after it opened.    When Green noticed localized dry spots on greens, he mapped the root zone of all greens throughout the course and learned that the depth of root zone mix was inconsistent throughout the course. By adopting use of moisture meters he was able to get water where it was needed most and limit it where it was not needed. The results included more consistent putting conditions and annual water savings of 55 percent, or 3 million gallons.   He has been equally proactive as a manager of people. Green has developed a scheduling system that ensures that he or one of his two assistants are on hand at the golf course every day. That's important on a golf course that utilizes cheap student labor throughout the academic year.   "When have to rely on student labor, they're not as experienced as others," Green said. "This system bridges the gap in that experience level."  
  • To hear golfers at municipal Longshore Golf Course tell it, Michael Golden might have made a good magician in another life. After all, it was quite a trick to bring the course in Westport, Connecticut, back from the dead.
      Years of neglect at this municipal course in Westport, Connecticut, resulted in fairways that displayed more dirt than turf, unplayable rough and a subsurface layer of organic matter right smack in the rootzone of Longshore's putting greens.   The course is home to the annual Chappa Golf Tournament, which is billed as the country's largest high school tournament, attracting nearly 100 teams. Conditions were bad enough at Longshore that the city decided to get out of the golf maintenance business altogether and call in professional help. Enter Golden (and Valleycrest) who turned fairway dirt into a fast and firm playing surface, and dying greens into some of Connecticut's best putting greens.   "Michael took over maintenance of our course three years ago," said Longshore member Richard Donoghue. "Our greens were essentially dead, the fairways and teeing grounds were terrible. Under the same skimpy municipal budget he has transformed the grounds. The greens are as good as the private courses in our area. The fairways have been dramatically improved and the tee boxes provide a comfortable stance. We are all amazed by the transformation."   For his ability to bring back Longshore like a cat with nine nine lives, Golden was named a finalist for the 2016 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.   Among the factors contributing to problems at Longshore were a series of freeze-thaw-freeze cycles resulting in two consecutive years of dead greens in 2012-2013.    Playing conditions had become so bad at Longshore that some players left to find greener pastures elsewhere. Even after the first year of the recovery process, turf was still thin.   Year after year of dead turf on the greens caused a layer of organic matter that rested just 3-4 inches below the surface.    "The dead and decaying matter was just sitting there, and the roots were getting caught up in that layer," Golden said. "We had to get the roots past 1 inch where they were stuck at. That has been the main focus."   Said Longshore member Mike Durkin: "They smelled like rotten eggs."   Getting the greens back meant breaking up that layer as much as possible. Golden put into place a program of hitting the greens with needle tines on a weekly basis, deep tining several times per year and tons and tons of topdressing.   Valleycrest merged with Brickman Sports Turf in 2014 to form a turf and landscape management company known as BrightView, and the city, as well as Longshore golfers, have been nothing but pleased with the new direction the company has taken the golf course. BrightView even uses it as its East Coast model for trying to attract new business, said Durkin.   "He would bring core samples from the greens to our golf advisory committee, allowing us to see the effects of years of neglect and improper aeration techniques," said Longshore member Gary Solomon. "This has led to the approval and installation of proper drainage systems under our greens and purchase of a deep-tine rake to allow for bi-annual deep tine aeration which will allow for proper root growth for each individual "plant".   To see Longshore before and after Golden started work there, it is difficult to comprehend how far it has come in the past few years.   "Not only has Mike provided us with an excellent golf experience, he has also provided the membership with continuous education with regards to the needs of a golf course and has helped us make important decisions to ensure course excellence in the future," Solomon said.   "While restoring the course and greens, Mike has still been able to provide us with true and fast greens, particularly on tournament and club championship weekend when he has been able to bring green speeds up to U.S. Open standards rarely seen on a public course. Mike and his crew have been seen out before sunrise double-cutting, rolling and sanding each green, creating challenging course conditions worthy of a club championship."

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