Jump to content

From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    With dozens and sometimes hundreds of courses shuttering their doors each year, saving money, regardless of how much or how little, is more important than ever in the current golf economy. That is especially true at multi-course facilities like 72-hole Cog Hill Golf and Country Club near Chicago.
      Saving money, however, is not the impetus, behind an agronomic experiment that is helping Cog Hill superintendent Chris Flick slash water, fertilizer and pesticide inputs on on the property's No. 1 Course.   For Flick, finding a way to perfect that experiment so he can use it on Cog Hill's other courses is all about sustainability and staying a step ahead of pesticide rules and regulations.   "This program is a result of seeing all the legislation that is being handed down," Flick said. "If you look at New York and California and Canada, I feel like we're all going to eventually feel that. I wanted to teach myself and the guys here how we can manage that before we are required to to manage that. I wanted to stay ahead of the curve a little bit."   For two years, Flick has been experimenting with three low use rate programs that include a variety of pesticides and nutritional products. Each program, however, has one common thread - Civitas.   "I've been experimenting with a variety of things, and different rates and intervals, but Civitas is the cornerstone of the program," Flick said.   "We keep pesticide use to a minimum here, and what that boils down to with this is half-rate fungicides going into the tank. It's a process, but we're getting closer."   So far, the results have been dramatic for Flick.   Overall turf health and visual quality are up, inputs are way down without compromising playability for his members. Water use also is down, by about 30 percent, Flick said. That's a bonus on a course that gets about 20,000 rounds per year.   "We were expecting some water savings, and Civitas sort of claims to be able to produce water reductions," Flick said. "But I didn't know if we would be able to pull that off because of the traffic we get."   A graduate of Clemson University, the 33-year-old Flick said, when it comes to projects like this, he is fortunate to manage such a large piece of property.   "We have a ton of turf we manage, so we can get away with a little experimentation, a little failure and take away some learning," he said. "We fail from time to time, and that is part of the learning process. I don't mind that as long as I can communicate with customers about what trying to prove.   "If we had just one golf course, we could never tolerate this."   Flick continues to tweak and make changes to his program so that he can find the limits of what he can and cannot do to reduce inputs while still providing excellent playing conditions at one of Chicagoland's most well-known properties. Once he defines those limits, his plan is to expand it.   "I definitely plan to expand it. We've seen some excellent results on Course 1, especially on greens and approaches," he said. "When you are doing so many things like we are, it is important to define what works and what doesn't.    "Not going to get better until we find what works and what doesn't, and nothing will ever make sense if all we do is fail."    Although he definitely is saving some money, Flick said money never was his goal.   "I'm not in it for the cost savings. Anyone has that goal not going to be successful," he said. "Civitas is not cheap. None of these products are. Of course, there are some cost limitations, and you have to be effective in how you spend your money. But if you're just going to throw this out there to make yourself feel good, it's just going to be a waste."   In fact, Flick recommends that anyone attempting a similar project should set clear goals before beginning.   "My advice is set reachable goals to start and don't expect a lot right away," he said. " I expected a lot, because I wanted to see a lot, and what I did was get confused.   "Pick a goal, monitor that goal and work toward that goal."  
  • As the home to the U.S. Air Force's 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California is ground zero for the military's space and missile testing. For the past 59 years, it also has been home to Marshallia Ranch Golf Course. Even Marshallia Ranch's unique status in the golf industry has done little if anything to ensure the property is immune from the challenges that exist outside Vandenburg's gates.   Citing declining play and rising water costs, the Air Force closed Marshallia Ranch last month. The practice range and clubhouse remain open, but the golf course no longer is open for play.   Reportedly designed by Bob Baldock, who has more than 80 course designs to his credit, Marshallia Ranch has been the site of several military tournaments was dubbed by the Air Force as its "Best Kept Secret."   The real secret is out now.   According to published reports, the course, once open only to retired and active military personnel, opened its doors to public play in 2005 and has been operating in the red for 10 years. That's a problem for military courses that are part of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation division. As such, they must be self-sustaining and receive no additional funds from the government.    From 2006 through 2015, there has been a net loss of 993 golf courses, according to the National Golf Foundation.   Air Force personnel said the course has been buying water from the state for more than a decade, and the cost of water has risen 500 percent in that time.   Superintendent George Stiles has made changes in recent years in an effort to cut back, including turning off water in the fairways and cutting back on greens and tees. That still wasn't enough, as water costs soared to more than $250,000, making the operation financially unfeasible, the Air Force said.   The golf shop, practice range, putting green and chipping area all will remain open.  
  • Golf is a game inexorably linked to its past. It clings to and celebrates its history and former champions, living or dead, like no other sport.
      Although football might be the nation's most popular sport, its early pioneers, like Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham and Jim Taylor, are not revered nearly in the way golf's greats, like Jones, Hogan, Snead and Nelson, or even Palmer and Nicklaus, are remembered.   We embrace golf's venues and those who built them as icons. Augusta, East Lake, Merion, Medinah, Oakmont, Olympic and more stand the test of time in an era where football and baseball stadiums - with a few exceptions, i.e., Wrigley Field and Fenway Park - are razed to build new ones with more money-making luxury boxes. Even South Florida has its iconic tracks, and the Grand Dame of Miami-Dade is not the Biltmore or the Blue Monster at Doral, but Miami Springs, a 6,800-yard, tradition-rich layout that once was host to the longest tenured tournament in professional men's golf.   To understand Miami Springs Golf Course, one must understand the community that has embraced it for nearly a century.   Opened in 1923, the city-owned course was built by Glenn Curtiss, a giant in aeronautics and civil rights before the latter was fashionable. Today, the course remains the oldest in the Miami area. Besides being a home for many years to an early professional tour event that regularly attracted the game's greats, the course,billed as one of the country's first desegregated golf facilities, also was the home of the annual North-South Tournament.    Superintendent Laurie Bland embraces her role at the course and its place in South Florida golf history.   "There is so much history here. Everybody used to play here," Bland said.   While the course has gone through a roller coast ride that saw it rise up, fall into disrepair only to rise up again, it shares many traits with the city, namely it is small, quaint, unpolluted by time and the envy of the metropolitan Miami area.   City-owned Miami Springs is tucked into a planned community of the same name that, with its triangular shape, is bordered by a canal to the west, 36th Street and the massive Miami International Airport to the south and the Miami River that connects the two from the northwest to the southeast before emptying into Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami 8 miles away.    The town, which cannot expand because of its hard boundaries, stands in contradiction to the growth, congestion and general hub-bub that have risen around it. To date, it has some of the highest real estate taxes - and real estate prices - in Miami-Dade County, is a reminder of the romance of early South Florida and proof that sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.   The course opened as the Miami-Hialeah Golf Club. It wasn't designed by MacKenzie or Ross, it was the work of Palmer . . . not that Palmer. Tub Palmer was a founding member of the Miami Coconuts, a group of South Florida golf aficionados seeking another place to play.   Residents of Miami Springs have been protective of the property ever since it went into the ground. Many of the town's residents are descendents of those who settled here on land once owned by Curtiss. When a hotel chain tried to buy a sliver of a city land adjacent to the golf course to complete a larger real estate purchase so they could build a hotel near the airport, residents voted it down by a two-thirds majority.   "People here love this golf course," Bland said. "They didn't want anyone building anything on land owned by this golf course."   Like residents of the town he built, Curtiss, who later constructed a home on the golf course, was cut from a different cloth. Considered the father of naval aviation, his Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. merged in 1929 with the Wright Brothers' Wright Aeronautical to form Curtiss-Wright, which still is in operation today. Once an airplane and engine manufacturer, today Curtiss-Wright, with sales of more than $2 billion in 2015, provides technology solutions for the defense, industrial, commercial aerospace and power-generation markets.   Curtiss was a visionary who bought up scads of land in what is now Miami-Dade County, 116 acres of which he sold for the development of what today is Miami International Airport just south of Miami Springs.   When he paid nearly $100,000 to build the golf course, he used Seminole Indians as laborers, not to exploit them as a cheap source of labor, but to give them an opportunity for work because he could see they were a segment of the population that was being left behind as northerners swarmed into Florida in the early 20th century. Curtis, whose home on the golf course is being renovated into a museum, also established a bank just for the Seminoles.   "He could see they were being discriminated against," Bland said. "And he wanted to help them."   That ideology continued throughout the course's history.   From 1955-1989, the annual North-South Tournament was contested at Miami Springs. An integrated tournament that provided an outlet for play for black servicemen in the post-World War II era, the North-South events drew celebrity players such as Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Althea Gibson as well as professional golfers like Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Jim Dent.   By then, the course had developed a reputation as one of the country's top golf tracks, and was the site of professional golf's Miami Open from 1925 to 1955, which was the same year the original clubhouse was lost to a fire. Past winners there include Gene Sarazan, Sam Snead, Tommy Armour, Ray Mangrum and Frank Stranahan. Its run as the longest-tenured PGA professional event of its era ended in 1956 when the City of Miami, which then owned the course, refused to support the tournament. Major League Baseball players filled the void, and played in tournaments at the course each year during Spring Training from 1956-67.   The City of Miami Springs bought the course in 1997, and though a few tees and greens moved over time not much else had changed until Bland was named superintendent three years ago. The course had fallen into disrepair and lost more than $8 million since the ownership change, and golfers left for greener pastures.   When Bland arrived, the fairways had more weeds than turf. Some areas under heavy shade were so bad that nothing grew there and Bland, who prepped under Tom Trammell just a couple miles away at Doral, thought it might take years before she could make the course playable. During her interview, she told then-city manager Ron Gorland he would have to fork out a lot of money just to give golfers something they'd want to play.   "When I started here, the fairways were dead. I told the city manager it was going to take at least $1 million to get this place back in shape, including buying products you need," she said.   She also delivered another dose of bad news.   "You're not going to get your money back. You're just not going to see that much revenue," she said. "You just need to get this place in shape first. If you put a million into a golf course don't expect to get it back. That's the kind of shape it was in. I told them to be ready to lose more money."   Eventually Bland whipped the course into shape through a program that included aggressive aerification and topdressing sand, as well as an herbicide program that comprised a lot of Xonerate, Revolver and Monument and what she described as "every ounce of Tribute available in South Florida."   "Everyone understood my gameplan," she said. "I had to attack the weeds and get those out of the way, and then the grass would come back. And it did with a lot of cultural practices, aerification and topdressing, and it worked."   Her plan and its implementation made city and course leaders happy they listened to her during the interview process.   "I refer to her quite often has my 'claim to fame.' What she has accomplished here in the three years we have been here is astonishing," said Miami Springs general manager Paul O'Dell, who took over management of the facility three months before he hired Bland. "This historic track was in shambles in many ways and she has brought the turf back to life, rebuilt all the tees, bunkers and aesthetics of this Grand Dame that is the oldest golf course in Miami."   Indeed. O'Dell, who was brought aboard to clean up the operation, has more than three decades of experience in the golf business and Bland already has been identified by city leaders as his eventual replacement whenever he decides to retire.    "In my years in the golf course business historically, it's (been) the head pro/director of golf (who has) ascended to the GM's position," O'Dell said. "Laurie will be one of the first to break that mold. She has the intelligences, demeanor and ability to direct all the departments and carry out all the functions of the general manager's position."   Since mid-July, Bland has been slowly integrating clubhouse duties into her schedule, including running the business end of the food and beverage department.   "I never knew there were so many laws, especially liquor laws," she said. "If you run out of Jack Daniels, you can't just go down to the local liquor store and buy a bottle. You have to buy it from a vendor.   "The trick is don't run out of Jack Daniels; make sure you keep it on hand. So far, we've been doing pretty good with that."   The entire city of Miami Springs is located atop the Biscayne Aquifer, and 22 well houses installed in the 1920s, including seven on the golf course, supply potable water to the City of Miami as well as Miami Springs. The sandy profile between the surface and the aquifer makes for a naturally efficient drainage system, something Bland learned early in her career there.    Her first major rain event at Miami Springs came in July 2013, the same month she was hired. By the time the rain stopped late in the afternoon she had recorded 8 inches at the golf course.   Rain in August in Miami is a common occurrence, but 8 inches is a lot, even here. That much precipitation can be especially troublesome on a course that relies solely on Mother Nature for drainage.    "There is no drainage on this course; absolutely none," Bland said. "The locals told me how well it drained. They said 'you'll see.' "   See it she did.   "When the rain ended around 5 p.m., the course, I mean it was just flooded," she said. "I thought, 'oh no, I'm going to have to shut it down tomorrow.' The next morning, I couldn't believe you could drive carts on the fairways, and we were able to reopen."   When the course was built, Tub Palmer didn't install a lot of bunkers, and most of the ones he did pencil into the design were pretty small. Since getting Springs' weed problem under control and bringing back the Bermuda turf in the fairways, Bland has rebuilt the bunkers and reduced the overall number of traps from 38 to 26, mostly by enlarging and combining them so there are fewer hazards to maintain.   "What is one bunker now used to be three small bunkers with big, deep faces. We don't need that here. It doesn't fit on this kind of golf course," she said.    "The course already is challenging because of the greens. We want to challenge golfers, but we also want to attract people and encourage them to play golf, so we needed to make the bunkers easier and easier to maintain. Now, I only have to send one person out in the morning to rake bunkers."   Some of those golfers who left when the course went to pot have never come back, though many have, enough to keep a steady stream coming through the door, even in 98-degree heat with soaring humidity.    Convincing many of them to give Springs another chance has taken some effort.   "It took a lot of work to convince them that we had changed and to come back," she said. "We offered them free golf or to just ride the course and see what they think.   "A lot of them didn't come back, but a lot did."   Those who did realized that at Miami Springs, the more things change, the more they stay the same.  
  • Once rejecting Bayer AG's proposal of a merger, Monsanto has agreed to a coupling with the German chemical company.
      Bayer AG, which is based in Leverkusen, Germany, will acquire St. Louis-based Monsanto for $66 billion in cash, pending regulatory review, the company's said in a joint statement. It is the latest in a rush of chemical company mergers that includes a $130 billion merger between Dow and DuPont that was announced in December. That merger was followed by a $43 billion buyout of Syngenta by the China National Chemical Corp. (ChemChina).   The mergers, according to Reuters, are taking place as companies scramble for position in a burgeoning global agricultural market. The deal is expected to receive intense regulatory scrutiny as lawmakers voice concerns over antitrust issues and the rising cost of food for consumers.   Monsanto, which manufactures Roundup for The Scotts Co., rejected Bayer's initial takeover bid in May, with Monsanto board members calling the $62 billion offer financially inadequate.   There could be even more mergers coming, with Monday's announcement of a planned merger between Agrium Inc. and Potash Corp of Saskatchewan, both of Canada.   Monsanto has long been considered a coup for any chemical company in a takeover bid because of its presence in the ag seed market. Monsanto is the world's largest seed producer and a leader in genetically modified foods and seeds. Bayer AG, whose subsidiaries include Bayer Environmental Science, makes a host of products for the healthcare, agriculture and chemical industries.   Once the deal has passed regulatory review, the combined agriculture business will have its global Seeds & Traits and North American commercial headquarters in St. Louis, its global Crop Protection and overall Crop Science headquarters in Monheim, Germany, as well as its presence in the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina, according to Bayer.   Nothing is certain in a merger of this size, especially in an election year, analysts say. According to Bloomberg news, mergers valued at more than $10 billion have a 1 in 3 chance of being rejected. To that end, the Dow-DuPont merger has hit several roadblocks since European Union regulators opened a full investigation into the merger in August. The latest delay was announced Sept. 11, leaving both firms to conclude the merger will not be approved, if at all, until 2017.   If Bayer-Monsanto deal is not approved, Monsanto will be owed a $2 billion breakup fee by Bayer.
  • In more ways than one, 1904 was a historic year in St. Louis. Not only were the Olympics in town that summer, but so was the World's Fair. It was, as most know by now, the last time that golf was contested as an Olympic sport until its return this summer in Rio de Janeiro.
      Golf is a game with global roots, though that sometimes can be difficult to remember since more than half the world's supply of golf courses are in North America.   It is clear that part of the intent of golf's governing bodies in working to get the game sanctioned as an Olympic sport for 2016 and 2020 (Tokyo) was to spread its footprint, and Brazil provided the perfect opportunity.    Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by population with 200 million people, and, according to the World Bank, is growing at a rate of nearly 1 percent per year. Whether the games have their intended effect of bringing golf to the masses in the southern hemisphere's largest country remains to be seen, but, golf is a global game, and organizers are looking far beyond South America to expand it. From a participation standpoint, it appears they are succeeding, according to statistics released by the National Golf Foundation.   Here are some facts about Olympic golf, according to NGF.   > 88 percent of the 208 countries competing in all Olympic sports have golf facilities;   > 74 percent of the top 50 golfing countries were represented in the Olympics;   > 29 of the top 30 golfing countries were represented;   > the top 25 golfing countries all had golfers in the Olympics;   > five nations outside of the top 50 in golf supply were represented Paraguay, Bangladesh, Russia, Hong Kong and Israel;   > the United States had the most golfers (7) in the Olympics, and has the most golf facilities in the world;   > 23 of the 120 golfers in the Olympics represented the top five countries in golf supply (U.S., Great Britain, Japan, Canada and Australia);   > Israel, which sent golfer Laetitia Beck to the Olympics, has only one golf facility;   > Paraguay, a country with seven golf facilities, had two Olympians in the field - Fabrizio Zanotti and Julieta Granada;   > countries of origin for the men's medalists (Great Britain, Sweden, United States) represent 55 percent of the world's golf course supply;   > Countries of origin for the women's medalists (South Korea, New Zealand, China) represent 4 percent of the world's golf course supply;   The International Olympic Committee will decide next year whether golf will continue as an Olympic sport beyond the 2020 games in Japan.  

  • News and people briefs

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Rounds played down slightly in July, up for '16
      Year-over-year rounds played were down a pinch at 0.6 percent nationwide in July according to Golf Datatechs monthly report.   The largest gains were in Indiana, where rounds played in July were up 21 percent compared with the same month last year and North and South Dakota, where play was up by 18 percent. The biggest losses (nearly 12 percent) were felt in rain-plagued Louisiana.    Despite the slight downturn, rounds played for the year are up 2 percent compared with the first seven months of 2015.   DryJect expands franchise network
      DryJect recently expanded its business operations with the addition of two new franchises in the western U.S. - Northwest DryJect and Four Fleming LLC.   Northwest DryJect Inc, which is owned by Boise, Idaho-based Doug Roberts, will serve customers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana, while Four Fleming will handle Utah and Nevada under owner Jerry Fleming.   Both have several years of sales management experience, some of which has been in the golf business.   Rain Bird taps Maloney for marketing post
      Rain Bird has named Carolyn Maloney as channel marketing manager for its golf division.   Maloney formerly worked as a product manager for Rain Bird Golf, leaving in 2013 to become a fleet sales representative for Textron, a global manufacturer of task-oriented vehicles for commercial and recreational applications, including golf. Maloney directed all aspects of sales, business development and customer management for over 200 accounts in Textrons E-Z-GO Golf Division. During her tenure, she received numerous accolades for surpassing sales objectives and developing a new territory management system.    In her new role, Maloney will be responsible for managing marketing communications, segmentation strategy, data analytics and strategic marketing plans for Rain Bird Golf. She will also work with Rain Bird product managers on quality improvement and product design changes, as well as new product development for the golf irrigation market, and will oversee the division's social media presence.  
     

  • Perfect storm

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Timing, so the saying goes, is everything. Look no farther than Dubsdread Golf Course in Central Florida for proof.
      In 2008, when the economy was in the tank and owners began sucking money out of golf courses, funding already had been earmarked for a restoration of historic Dubsdread. Factor in changes in management that brought a fresh approach to customer service, and this humble city-owned, Thomas Bendelow classic in Orlando's College Park neighborhood has been able to hold its own in a market saturated with more than 150 golf courses.   "If you look at the golf recession in Florida, 2008 was a tough year. That is when things really tightened up," said Michael Stevens, southeast regional director of agronomy for Billy Casper Golf, which manages Dubsdread. "Dubsdread was well positioned by luck of timing and location in an affluent part of the city that is able to support the golf course."   Dubsdread has a long, rich history.    Built in 1923 and purchased by the city in 1978, Dubsdread is the oldest public golf course in Orlando and was the home of the former Orlando Open. Only the private Country Club of Orlando, which opened in 1911, is older. Today, a rejuvenated Dubsdread, under the watchful eye of superintendent Alan Lichter, looks more like it did in the 1920s than at any time in the past half-century. That value of playing a restored muni classic and a management company focused on customer service keep golfers coming back - about 50,000 of them - every year.   Customer service isn't just a catchphrase for Casper and Dubsdread, it's a grassroots philosophy that every employee must share, or they're not going to last. The company uses secret shoppers, not to gather dirt on its employees, but to provide honest feedback on how well the company is doing on meeting its customer service goals.   So far this year, Dubsdread has an average customer satisfaction score of 97, according to information provided by Stevens.   "It's that above-and-beyond experience that not only has helped us hold onto our customers, but also attract new ones from around the market," he said.    "As competitive as the golf market is, it's really the experience that sets you apart from everybody else. And we work really hard as a company to provide that above-and-beyond experience.    "A lot of companies say it; we all have our customer-service strategies. It really is part of our culture. It comes down from the day we hire personnel. Before we ever talk about skill sets, it's more about personality and the individual and making sure they believe in our philosophy. Once we get that the rest is easy."   Getting Dubsdread to this stage has taken some doing. Much had changed there since Bendelow put it in the ground 93 years ago. Greens and tees had moved and roads popped up, seemingly out of nowhere.   "We had two roads that went through the golf course and through holes," said Dubsdread general manager Rodney Reifsneider. "Golfers had to wait for cars and hit over the street."   In 2005, the city and Kitson Partners, the former manager of Dubsdread, began working on securing funding for a much-needed renovation. That funding came through in the form of a grant from the St. John's Water Management District as well as additional dollars from the City of Orlando Department of Public Works and the Florida Department of Transportation.   Granted, those seem like some unlikely sources for golf course renovation funding, but as luck would have it, the project coincided with plans to upgrade Little Lake Fairview that lies just north of the golf course.    Again, timing is everything.  
    He looks at the course not only from an agronomic standpoint to do what is best for the overall health and sustainability of the golf course, but he's also looking at it as to how (golfers) are going to appreciate their round of golf."
     
    The two projects were combined, and in exchange for funds for the renovation, the golf course was reworked to help take stormwater runoff from nearby Interstate 4. The water feeds through a pond system and eventually replenishes wetlands to the north, Dubsdread's aqua practice range that is used to irrigate the golf course as well as the massive Floridan aquifer, all of which occur unbeknownst to the golfer.   "The Army Corps of Engineers had nowhere for water to go north of downtown," Reifsneider said. "The golf course takes water from two locations. The water feeds in slowly. We are like a giant filter.   "It feeds through so many ponds, the golfer doesn't even realize what is happening here. It doesn't affect them.   "We take the stormwater, put water back into the aquifer and the residents get a new golf course with trees that are 100 years old. It was a perfect storm."   Lichter seems to be just the sort of superintendent a course like Dubsdread needs.   The course not only is a favorite of the locals, but thanks to third-party tee time providers, it gets a fair amount of play from tourists coming to Orlando for its famed theme parks, including many players from overseas. People who play here are serious, not only about their golf game, but also about the value they receive for the golfing dollar.   A native of Hinsdale, Illinois, Lichter, 46, has been the superintendent at Dubsdread since 2005, and oversaw the renovation as a Kitson employee. He graduated from Danville (Illinois) Area Community College in 1995 and made his way to Florida shortly thereafter to try his luck on the mini-tour circuit.   It wasn't long before he realized he needed to put his degree to work, not his putter. Still, his experience as a scratch golfer gives him a different perspective - that of a golfer.   "He has done an incredible job taking care of that golf course, and representing not only himself and his team, but us and our company," Stevens said. "He absolutely embraced our culture.   "He gets the golfing aspect of golf course maintenance. He is a very good golfer, so he has that opportunity to appreciate how to set up a golf course from all levels of play.   "He looks at the course not only from an agronomic standpoint to do what is best for the overall health and sustainability of the golf course, but he's also looking at it as to how (golfers) are going to appreciate their round of golf."   Lichter came to Dubsdread from Bay Hill where he worked for Dwight Kummer and John Anderson.   The experience he gained there, particularly preparing for an annual PGA Tour event, was instrumental in helping mold him into the superintendent he is today.   "It's where I learned about cultural practices, hard work and dedication," Lichter said. "We worked long, long hours."   It also is where he first learned about customer service, so when Casper acquired the Kitson Partners portfolio in 2013, focus on the customer already was old news for Lichter.   "Most of them know who I am, but I don't always have a chance to interact with them, because I'm usually out in front of them," Lichter said. "I have my regulars who I shoot the birds and the bees with. They want to know about mole crickets and how we kill them, or how we kill weeds.   "It's all about customer service. We strive to give our customers the best product available. If we treat them right, they will be loyal and want to come back."  
  • Upon passing his citizenship exam, David Dore-Smith did not give much thought to the actual swearing-in process that would take place the following week, completing his quest to become a U.S. citizen. After all, Dore-Smith, an Australian by birth, already had been in the United States for nearly two decades.
      As the event drew closer, however, he thought more about what being a citizen in the United States actually meant and how lucky he was.   "I was dismissive of it until a couple of days beforehand," said Dore-Smith, who has spent the past 13 years as golf course superintendent at Copperleaf Golf Club in Bonita Springs, Florida, located between Fort Myers and Naples. "So many people contacted me and told me it was an amazing experience. That's when I decided to invite my family to be part of it."   So, on the morning of Aug. 30, David Dore-Smith, wife Christine, daughter Brooke, son Brady and Christine's parents and made the 150-mile drive north to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building in Tampa where he and 50 others officially were sworn in as U.S. citizens.   "When you have your hand on your heart and go through the oath, it grabs you," Dore-Smith said. "You think about how many people around the world want to be in that situation. I think I'd taken for granted how fortunate I've been."   Immigrants must be a permanent resident of the U.S. for five years before they can apply for citizenship. From there, the application process takes about three months to complete. Applicants must pass a written civics exam and prove they can read, write and comprehend English.   
    When you have your hand on your heart and go through the oath, it grabs you. You think about how many people around the world want to be in that situation. I think I'd taken for granted how fortunate I've been."
     
    For Dore-Smith, motivation came largely in the form of current events.   "I want to be able to vote and make a difference," Dore-Smith said. "There is nothing worse than sitting back and doing nothing about what is going on. I've been paying my taxes and social security, and now, I am eligible to sit on a jury and take part in elections."   Dore-Smith came to the United States 19 years ago from his native Melbourne, where he was studying turf management at the Holmesglen Institute. He was part of a group of a dozen Australian greenkeepers headed to the United States to continue their education through the Ohio State International Program. Also aboard that flight was Matt Tacilauskas, now superintendent at Palm Beach Country Club, just across the Intracoastal Waterway from downtown West Palm Beach. That was the first time the two had met, but they have been fast friends ever since.    Knowing that Dore-Smith has successfully completed the process of becoming a U.S. citizen has helped to motivate others, including Tacilauskas.   "Yes, I certainly want to become a U.S. citizen," Tacilauskas said. "I have been studying for the test for some time, but I just can't find the time to do it. He has certainly motivated me to get it done."   Although he is now an American citizen - though one could never tell from listening to him speak - Dore-Smith said he will always be an Australian.   "I've been afforded some amazing opportunities here. I advanced quickly and was a head superintendent when I was 27," Dore-Smith said. "I've made some great friends, and I've never been homesick once. But, I'll always be an Australian. The judge who swore us in was an immigrant, and he told us never to forget our heritage. To this day, I teach my kids who they are and where they come from. It's very poignant."
  • Getting the most from a spray program depends largely on getting the most out of a sprayer, and that means accurate calibration. But calibrating a sprayer is something most spray applicators don't do nearly often enough, says Zane Raudenbush, Ph.D., of Ohio State Agricultural Technical Institute, who began teaching sprayer calibration during his days at Kansas State University.
      "I have been teaching sprayer calibration while studying for my master's and Ph.D., and now at ATI, and I have taught it a couple of different ways," said Raudenbush, turfgrass management program coordinator for ATI in Wooster. "There are a lot of opportunities for errors. From what I've seen, it's something that people struggle with."   Calibrating a sprayer to ensure an efficient and accurate spray application is not that difficult, Raudenbush said during the recent Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Turf Research Field Day.   According to Raudenbush there are three key steps in sprayer calibration: sprayer speed in mph, gallons per minute and nozzle selection/spacing.   "When calibrating a sprayer, the place I start is ground speed," Raudenbush said. "If you're on a golf course and spraying fairways, you don't want to travel 2 miles per hour, or you'll be out there all day. Pick a speed for your sprayer speed that can be repeated every time, allows operators to work in a safe manner and gives you good coverage. You know what your staff is capable of. I made that mistake of picking a wrong sprayer speed, filled the sprayer and the 11th hole was so steep the sprayer couldn't pull itself up the hill."   Drift, non-target movement and wasting product are big concerns any time a spray unit is fired up, says Raudenbush. Managing any one of the three factors mentioned above, speed, gpm and spacing, can greatly influence spray volume, as can spray unit pressure, for which, he said, the industry standard is 40 psi.   "You can change speed, but that is one I leave alone," Raudenbush said. "Next would be psi, but that is for fine tuning, not to change spray volume. The easiest way to change spray volume is to change out the nozzles."   During a demonstration at the OSU field day, Raudenbush had a sprayer outfitted with four different TeeJet nozzles: 8001, 8002, 8003 and 8004, which deliver at 0.1 gpm, 0.2 gpm, 0.3 gpm and 0.4 gpm, respectively.   If the operator keeps keep everything else constant, spray volume can be cut in half just by changing nozzles from an 8004 to an 8002.   Changing pressure and nozzle size also will influence droplet size, which can affect drift. More pressure and a smaller nozzle orifice result in finer droplet size, increasing the chance for movement. Raudenbush suggests using water-sensitive paper (available through most nozzle vendors) to check droplet size and coverage.   A rule of thumb is that nozzle spacing should be the same as the distance from the spray boom to the turf surface to ensure proper coverage.   Other ways to check nozzle accuracy include the catch-can test, but Raudenbush prefers using a SpotOn sprayer calibrator from Innoquest Inc. Models range in price from $150-$219 and measure flow rate and wear in each nozzle by determining how long it takes water passing through the nozzle to reach a series of electrodes.   "If you don't like the droplet size or coverage, confirm when you go to spray what volume is and check spacing and angles," he said.    "The catch-can test can take some time. With the flow meters you don't need a second person or a stopwatch. That's why I like to use these.   "A lot of times, things get loose and you start to see where nozzle patterns will collide with each other, and that's where you can get some streaking taking place."
  • When it comes to scientific research, some ideas stick, while many others do not. One idea that "stuck" began as a test project by Bill Kreuser during his days as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin.
      A trial on the edge of a test green that nearly a decade ago used a growing degree day model to predict plant growth regulator applications has since turned into an ongoing project at multiple universities and an invaluable resource for many golf course superintendents.   It was in 2008, when Kreuser was working toward a master's degree under Doug Soldat, Ph.D., that he got the idea to predict plant growth regulator application intervals based on a growing degree day model.    "I hid it on the side of Doug's green. One day, he asked me what we should talk about at field day, and i told him I had this crazy idea I'd been working on," Kreuser said. "Ever since then, in July 2008, we've continued to look at it and develop it."     Plant growth regulators are an integral component of nearly every golf course superintendent's toolbox, yet there is much still to learn about them and how they can best be used to achieve the desired results.   Some exhibit a systemic mode of action, while others are foliar absorbed. Some work better on Poa annua, some better on creeping bentgrass.    "When people say they are all the same, they are not all the same," said Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., professor of turfgrass science at Ohio State during the recent Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Turfgrass Research Field Day.   Indeed.   Although Primo and later Primo Maxx (trinexapac ethyl) have been on the market for more than 20 years and other chemistries, such as flurprimidol and paclobutrazol, have been around even longer, research still is being conducted at several sites around the country to help professional turf managers determine the best time to apply based on real-time weather conditions.   Bruce Branham, Ph.D., at the University of Illinois is one of the early pioneers of weather-based PGR research, and his early studies showed that as temperatures rose, the half-life of many PGRs was severely shortened.   "Either they got metabolized really quickly, or broken down and were just gone," Danneberger said. "Your first inclination would be to increase rate. That didn't do any good. Why? Because the product doesn't break down in a linear fashion.   "It breaks down like this," he said, pointing downward at nearly a 90-degree slope.   Research that predicts application intervals based on a growing degree day model took off under Kreuser, Soldat and Jim Kerns, Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin and has since spread to other universities throughout the country.    "When it is warmer out, metabolism in the plant speeds up, and reactions happen faster," Soldat said. "When you put down a plant growth regulator, it affects the physiology and hormone production in the plant. The warmer it is, the faster the plant breaks down that material.   "Calendars don't tell you anything about metabolism. Growing degree days is a calendar based on metabolism."   Kreuser, of course, went on to earn a doctorate under Frank Rossi, Ph.D., at Cornell and is an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska, where he has helped take PGR-GDD research to new heights.   He has developed an PGR GDD Tracker Excel spreadsheet that calculates growing degree days and makes application recommendations for eight different plant growth regulators based on daily weather data entered by the user (either in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit) and a 200-day GDD interval. That document, which makes predictions based on cool-season turf in a non-shaded environment says Kreuser, also allows users to plan ahead for projected application dates by entering advance forecast data. A color bar in the product recommendation column changes colors as the number of GDD accumulates. Green is good, yellow is cautionary and red means it is time to start the sprayer.   Kerns, now associate professor at North Carolina State University, also has Wisconsin roots, and was an assistant professor there during some of the early days of GDD-PGR research. He has continued the work at NC State on ultradwarf Bermudagrass.   "There are two factors involved in how well a plant growth regulator works for you," Soldat said. "How well do they suppress growth? That's why you are buying it. And how long does it work?   "We are now applying seven plant growth regulators to different grasses and measuring how each works, when each wears off, and with that we can make recommendations on another application."   Research has shown that PGRs suppress growth more effectively in higher-cut turf than in low-mowed turf. The hypothesis, Soldat said, is that the stress associated with mowing leads to an increase in gibberellic acid production, which shortens the life of the PGR.   "We haven't confirmed that," he said. "But that is our hypothesis."   Also potentially contributing to that dilemma, Kreuser said, is the natural release of fertilizer in the soil during times of higher temperatures.   "People confuse mineralization with growth regulation," Kreuser said.    "That's a weather thing; a soils thing; not a PGR thing."   Kreuser also has developed the Greenkeeper application that includes everything built into the Excel document and so much more. That app, which can be accessed from a laptop or mobile device, also helps track and schedule pesticide applications and is accessible by multiple users at the same golf course. It also does a lot of the legwork for the user.   "The problem with the Excel sheet is that you have to enter all the weather data. With this, you tell it when you applied and it tracks all of the weather for you," Kreuser said. "Besides growing degree days, it does spray apps, does all the math, all the record keeping and reporting. We're going to keep making improvements to it."   And it's all because of a side project that Kreuser hid until he learned it might work.   "You never know how these things are going to work out," he said. "It was a crazy idea that worked out fine."  
  • When Keith Ihms wanted to introduce Scottish-style bunkers to golfers in Arkansas, naturally, he turned to synthetic sports turf for a long-lasting solution.
      Ihms, director of golf course maintenance at Bella Vista, a six-course property in northwestern Arkansas, became a fan of revetted bunkers during his travels abroad as president of the GCSAA in 2014. When it was time for a renovation of Bella Vista's Scottsdale course, he wanted to introduce the concept to golfers there, but there was one teeny little problem. Although natural sod walls can last for years in Scotland's temperate climate, they tend to fail prematurely under hot, humid summers in Arkansas and elsewhere throughout the United States.   During the past few years, Ihms had become familiar with the PermaEdge system that creates stable, revetted bunkers faces through a system of used used synthetic turf tiles stacked atop one another.   "When this project if finished, I don't think we will have to redo our bunkers any time soon," Ihms said.   Developed by Richard Allen, a civil engineer and avid golfer from Wales, the PermaEdge system incorporates square tiles of repurposed synthetic turf that are filled with sand and when stacked one on top of the other can create a sturdy bunker face that will resist erosion and should last for 20 years or more, the company says. It is available in North America exclusively through IVI Golf, maker of the Sandtrapper bunker liner system.   Tiles that have been prepared to meet PermaEdge specifications come in two widths, 8 inches and 4 inches. At Bella Vista, Ihms cut in 12 inches from the bunker face, stacked two tiles on the floor, went back one finger's width and stacked two more. He repeated the process until a bunker 2.5-feet thick was completed, and has plans to install up to 11 more as the bunkers play an integral role in Ihms' Scottish-themed renovation of this 1987 Edmund Ault design that is due to be completed later this month.    The installation process includes starting on a level base, backfilling the area with clean fill, topsoil and Portland cement to help stabilize the wall. Because golfers see the tiles from the side rather than from the top down, the exposure of synthetic turf is minimal.   "When the turf is green, it doesn't look artificial at all," Ihms said. "When the grass goes dormant, there will still be a green tint there, but you're looking at it from the side and each piece is filled with sand. It's not going to be an issue.   "This is not just Astroturf thrown down. This is not that look at all."   Golf course architect David Whelchel is a member at Bella Vista and has consulted with Ihms on the project, that includes the Billy Bunker liner system.   "Because of the hotter summers here, microbial action causes sod bunker walls to deteriorate more quickly," Whelchel said. "Sod has thatch in, and once that microbial action begins it just disappears. You can lose a foot or two in just three years."
  • Snow mold diseases can be challenging to manage because multiple fungi are involved that affect numerous varieties of turfgrass. Winter conditions also can vary greatly year to year making it even more challenging to manage diseases such as Typhula incarnata, Typhula ishikariensis or Microdochium nivale. Knowing which pathogen is present is critical to developing an effective management plan.   There are several traditional fungicides available that are effective for managing snow mold pathogens, as well as some non-traditional options.   Eight research trials conducted on golf courses in Utah have shown that Civitas One, alone or as part of a program, can be effective at managing various snow mold diseases while also resulting in improved turf quality and spring green up.   Civitas is an isoparaffin-based fungicide from Suncor via Petro Canada that promotes induced systemic resistance properties in plants. Induced systemic resistance is a physiological plant response in which environmental, chemical or biological activators trigger plant-defense mechanisms. This primes defense genes to respond rapidly to pathogen attack by producing defense proteins and other chemicals. Civitas, however, does not provide fungitoxic effects, or kill the fungus directly like many other fungicides. Instead, it has fungistatic properties that inhibit the growth and development of some fungi.    Suncor's Civitas One formulation is a premixed version of Civitas and the Civitas Harmonizer pigment.   Most of the Utah research has been one-off trials - not replicated over years - so the bulk of the information here is from 2012 when identical trials were conducted simultaneously at two different golf courses. The fungicide programs were applied in October or November before expected snow cover, with no follow-up applications in spring after snow melted. Replicated plots on putting greens consisting of creeping bentgrass, or mixes of creeping bentgrass with annual bluegrass were used.   Because of its systemic mode of action, Civitas should be applied while turf is still actively growing, which can be two-three weeks earlier than traditional contact fungicides. Multiple applications also are recommended, made as two split-applications, so traditional fungicides have been mixed with Civitas at the second application.    Once snow melted in spring, damage from snow molds was assessed on a damage scale of 0 percent to 100 percent. Damage means were used to calculate percent control when comparing to the damage in untreated turf. Turf quality and green up also were rated in spring on visual 1-9 scales in which 6 is the lowest acceptable quality. Leaf chlorophyll index also was measured with a chlorophyll meter in spring, and phytotoxicity was also noted.   The research showed that gray snow mold (T. incarnata) affected 36 percent of untreated turf in Salt Lake City in 2012. The standalone programs of Civitas (with harmonizer) applied either once, or as two split-applications before snow cover, provided control levels of 63 percent-67 percent of T. incarnata under fewer than 75 days of snow cover.    The same Civitas programs did not perform well in higher elevations where snow cover lasted 100 days, providing just 5 percent-7 percent control of speckled snow mold (T. ishikariensis). Gray snow mold is usually more common in areas with shorter snow cover duration and higher mean temperatures than T. ishikariensis.   Similar work from Wisconsin mirrored these results. It is not clear why the induced resistance provided by Civitas lacks efficacy under extended snow cover. Perhaps speckled snow mold is not as sensitive to Civitas, or the plant's ISR just gets overwhelmed under extended snow cover. It is clear that more research is needed. What is clear is that Civitas in concert with other fungicides improves control of snow molds.   When Civitas alone was not effective, a program that included Syngenta's Instrata in the second application provided almost complete control of speckled snow mold. The Wisconsin research showed that the addition of other traditional fungicides, such as chlorothalonil, triticonazole, tebuconazole, vinclozolin, iprodione and propiconazole to Civitas programs at standard rates provided acceptable control under moderate snow cover, but some mixtures broke down after 170 days of snow cover.  Research in New York has shown that similar control of gray snow mold can be achieved with Civitas and reduced rates of Instrata (chlorothalonil, propiconazole and fludioxonil), whereas acceptable control was achieved in 2012 in Utah with Instrata alone at 5.5 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Other years have shown that higher rates of Instrata in concert with Civitas failed to provide sufficient control, illustrating that climate conditions year to year play can be a factor as well.   The historical duration of snow cover at each respective course probably will dictate the rate of Civitas, if any, that is needed to achieve acceptable control. The highest label rate usually is a good idea where snow cover duration is long.   Fungicide programs that include Civitas have revealed other benefits, as well. Leaf injury from DMI fungicides, and leaf residues from other contact fungicides commonly seen as snow melts have been masked. Turf treated with Civitas plus Instrata exhibited better turf quality and greenup in spring compared with either product alone. Earlier greenup and growth of turf in spring can be a desirable response if some snow mold damage has occurred.    Even Civitas programs that have not controlled snow molds have provided better recovery in spring when soils warm. Responses like this have also been reported in Wisconsin, New York and Massachusetts. It also has shown positive results for preventive control of pink snow mold in research conducted in Oregon and Washington.   Although more research is needed, Civitas is not a silver bullet for controlling snow molds, but can be a beneficial component to a sound snow mold program with multiple chemistries. In areas where extended snow cover is expected, Civitas alone will not provide adequate protection and must be tank mixed with other fungicides. Specific tank mix partners and rates will depend on the pathogens that are present and length of snow cover. Based on the work in Utah, the best programs have included two sequential applications, where Civitas is applied alone, or mixed with a DMI for the first spray (on actively growing turf), then then followed approximately two-weeks later with Civitas mixed with a DMI, or contact fungicide, or both.   Adam Van Dyke is the founder of Professional Turfgrass Solutions, a Salt Lake City-based turfgrass consulting firm. 
  • Deep in the bowels of Paul Brown Stadium, in what was - until a few days ago - Darian Daily's office, is a rake. There wasn't much special about that rake, other than who gave it to Daily and why.
      The implement had been a college graduation gift in 1992 from Shelby Rye, Daily's high school baseball coach in Dickson, Tennessee. During his high school days in the mid-1980s, Daily helped Rye prep the baseball field at Dickson County High for play, and boasted of his dreams of one day playing center field for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even then, Rye knew Daily had more talent for grooming a pitcher's mound than he did throwing from one. So, in 1992, when Daily graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in plant and soil science, there was Rye with a rake.   "He told me I was never going to play for the Dodgers and that I'd need that rake," Daily told TurfNet in 2013.    "I wanted to play center field for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But when you can't run, you can't throw and you can't hit, you need to find something else to do"   Daily, who had been the head groundskeeper for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals since 2003, died Aug. 27 doing what he loved, helping paint lines on a local high school football field in preparation for the prep season. He was 47.   According to the Bengals, Daily experienced a "medical emergency" while helping paint the soccer field at Taylor High School in the Cincinnati suburb of Cleves.   Throughout Daily's career, that rake served as a reminder that the world was a bigger place than just his own little sphere.   "I still have that rake, and I look at it every day," he told TurfNet three years ago. "It reminds me of how life changes."   Indeed.   At the top of his profession in the NFL, Daily easily could have focused on his own job, but instead his career has been marked with service to others in and out of his profession.   Marcus Dean, the sports turf manager at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, about 90 miles south of Cincinnati, said he and Daily talked by phone or in person at Sport Turf Managers Association events about every other month. The pair had much in common. Both grew Bermudagrass - Daily on the Bengals' practice fields, and Dean on playing surfaces throughout the university, and they shared a common UBU Sports artificial turf system on their game fields.  
    Many of the grass selections that we have available now are based on his trials and some of the things he was doing."
     
    "We're both in the transition zone trying to grow Bermudagrass," Dean said.   "Many of the grass selections that we have available now are based on his trials and some of the things he was doing."   Daily shared his knowledge with anyone who would listen.    "He was just a wonderful person," said Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., from the University of Tennessee. "A consummate professional who cared deeply for the sports turf industry and advancing the professional sports turf manager."   In the past few years, he had become involved in speaking at the New England STMA conference and for years had served on the STMA's Information Outreach Committee, and he hosted field day events at Paul Brown Stadium to benefit others in the industry. His social media accounts were laden with time-saving tips and leads on jobs for his colleagues, as well as retweets of their exploits, not just his own. He was known by the Twitter handle @WhoDeyTurf, a play on the Bengals' game day chant.   "More than anything, I felt like I worked next to him on daily basis because he was so active on social media," Dean said. "You could see what he was doing, and you always felt connected to him."   He also was intent on continuing his own education and professional development. Three years ago, after a TurfNet Webinar by Bob Oppold, Daily turned to the Sports Turf Research Center for guidance on managing the Bengals' warm-season turf practice fields.   "While Paul Brown Stadium has plastic grass, Darian maintained exceptional turf on the practice fields," Oppold said. "It was our joint goal to promote quick recovery following the practices and provide excellent turf coverage and footing over the entire season, but it was Darian who accomplished the goal year-in and year-out. I will miss him."   His impact will be felt, and missed, around the NFL for years to come.   "He pioneered the NFL Seminar for the groundskeepers and served on many association boards," said Pam Sherratt, sport turf specialist at Ohio State University and a friend to Daily for nearly two decades. "He was a great mentor to young people and wanted to do anything he could to advance the profession."   The Jacksonville Jaguars hung a sign in his memory during their Aug. 28 NFL exhibition game with Bengals.   Like UK's Dean, Mike Goatley, Ph.D., of Virginia Tech also is a University of Kentucky graduate. And like Dean, Goatley first met Daily through the late A.J. Powell, Ph.D., who was a turfgrass legend at UK and throughout the state.   "A.J. told me the Bengals had a superstar sports fields manager I needed to meet whose only fault was he was a Tennessee (fan), but that we could overlook that," Goatley said. "Darian was a consummate professional and one of the nicest guys in the business too. Per the requests to serve from the presidents, he chaired STMA's Information Outreach Committee for many years (and) was still doing so this year. His organizational skills kept us on task. Although Darian managed fields at the highest level, he was a resource and friend to folks from any segment of our industry regardless of their position and/or education. He was everything one could ask for as a representative of this industry."   "He talked a lot with A.J.," Dean said. "Especially when the Bengals converted practice fields from bluegrass to Bermuda. Once you were one of Dr. Powell's guys, you were always one of his guys. And that was pretty cool."   Survivors include his wife, Carole; daughter, Peyton; son, William; mother Virginia; sisters Sherry Daily, Mendy Johnson and Martha Potter. He was preceded in death by his father, Ronald.
     
    Many who met Daily on a professional level marveled at how their relationship with him developed into a valued friendship that transcended turf.
     
    "He would visit me at Lassing Pointe or Boone Links," said Jerry Coldiron, CGCS, a former superintendent in Kentucky now working for Hector Turf in Deerfield Beach, Florida. "We would golf and talk turf, equipment, life and our families.

    "I will remember him fondly for our mutual love of family first (and) the turf industry, each time UK and Tennessee played and, of course, the occasional tear when I hear 'Who Dey.' "
     
    Sherratt met Daily 17 years ago when she first arrived in the United States and he was the head groundskeeper across town for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer. Although they worked together often during Daily's years with the Crew and the Bengals, they were good friends, as well.   "When I came here from England in 1999, I drove across to the stadium to say, 'hi' " Sherratt said. "We were instant friends."   Despite Daily's accomplishments as a turfgrass professional, Sherratt says she will remember him most for his humor and personality.   "He used to say 'Hello, Love' in an English accent whenever he saw me," she said. "I'll miss him terribly."
  • East Lake Golf Club essentially is a giant bowl, with all holes arranged on a rectangular piece of land draining toward a lake in the center of the property. And for more than 100 years, the Atlanta club that was the home course of the great Bobby Jones has played the same way, ending on a challenging par-3 hole.
    Until now. After years of deliberation, the PGA Tour decided during its 2015 Tour Championship that it was time to reverse the front and back nines at East Lake for this years tournament, scheduled for Sept. 22-25.
    The old front nine, which has been in place since Donald Ross reworked Tom Bendelow's original routing in 1913, now will be Nos. 10-18, and the old back nine now will be Nos. 1-9. No longer will rounds end on a par-3.
    "The PGA Tour was concerned there were not enough birdie opportunities on No. 18," Kepple said.
    "They want a more volatile finish."
    East Lake's old No. 6, a 160-yard par-3 with a water carry, historically is a place where a lot of movement, both up and down the leaderboard, takes place. Now, that hole - and the drama that occurs there - will be in the middle of the home stretch as the new No. 15.
    "That is our most volatile hole," Kepple said. "There are double-bogeys and birdies there every year. I think they want that hole in the mix coming down the stretch.
    "There are always a lot of people there. It's going to be very loud on that hole."
    Changes also were made at the old No. 9, which will be 18 for the pros - and everyone else when the tournament is over. To entice everyone into the old risk-reward trap, the hole essentially was shortened by 10 yards by adding to the front of the championship tee. That means players who drive the ball over a plateau on the 550-yard par-5 will be within 240 yards of the green. A new fairway bunker along the right side was added to dissuade players from laying up. The changes not only will entice the shorter hitters to go for the green on their second shot, it also neutralizes a distinct advantage for the game's big hitters.
    "It's a totally different way of looking at a golf hole," Kepple said.
    The Tour has been contemplating a reversal of the East Lake nines for years, but always shelved the idea until last year. The decision has been welcomed by some of the top golfers. When Kepple, a pair of golf course architects and Tour officials were walking the course during a pre-tournament practice round last year, Justin Rose told the group to "add some teeth" to the golf course.
    "That was the exact comment we needed to hear," Kepple said.
    All changes were a joint effort between architects Rees Jones, who has been East Lake's go-to designer, and Steve Wenzloff, the PGA Tour's choice.
    An elevated back left bunker almost gives golfers the feeling of a downhill shot out of the sand to a green that will be rolling at about 12.5 on the Stimpmeter.
    "That's more difficult than a routine bunker shot," he said.
    "There are more opportunities for things to happen and a more exciting finish, and I think that's what they were looking for."
    It has been five years, when Bill Haas beat Hunter Mahan in a playoff in 2011, since anyone has come within three strokes of the winner.
    Other changes in preparation for this year's Tour Championship are more difficult to detect, said Kepple, who is in his 24th season at East Lake.
    The tee on No. 7 (new 16) was lowered and moved back 20 yards. Throw in a slight uphill grade in the fairway and the hole plays than its 440 yards and culminates at a green that breaks away to the back right..
    "They've been hitting 9- or 8-iron into the that green. Now, they'll be hitting 5- to 7-irons," Kepple said. "The chances of drifting the ball right is much stronger and brings that green feature more into play."
    The tee also was moved back 20 yards on No. 8 (new 17), and there was room to back an additional 10-20 yards.
    "These guys see a lot of golf courses, so they're not going to notice that a tee has been moved," Kepple said. "They might not notice the hole is longer until they hit drive and ask 'why am I still so far away from the green?' "
    There are challenges ahead for Kepple and his crew as well. Just weeks after the Tour Championship, the top four men's and women's Division I golf teams will descend on Atlanta for the East Lake Cup match play event, scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 2.
    By then, the Bermudagrass that has been covered by tournament infrastructure such as bleachers and hospitality venues, will be dead, and that's going to be a lot of turf. Only the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, has a larger infrastructure buildout than East Lake, says Kepple.
    "They start building hospitality on July 1, and its not all down until October," he said. "Last year, NBC's compound for the East Lake Cup wasn't up until only a few days ahead of the tournament. Everything under that hospitality is dead, and you're bound to have some shots land in those areas. Then it shows up on TV and looks awful.
    "That time of year is tough on our guys too. We put in a lot of hours, and only have a short down time after the Tour Championship before we have to get ready for the East Lake Cup. And we still have all those scars because it's the end of our growing season, and those scars don't get fixed until spring."
    Kepple anticipates some tweaking after this year's event, and the Tour probably expects some, too, since no permanent utilities were run this year.
    "The Tour is running everything on generators this year," he said.
    "We're just trying to figure out where the hospitality works."
    The reversing of the nines was implemented for member and guest play in August, and likely will stay that way in perpetuity.
    "I don't think we'll ever switch the nines back," Kepple said. "Everyone will want to play as the pros played it."
     
  • DryJect LLC, a privately held company focused on specialized turf aeration and soil-modification services, announced a change in ownership from its founders, Peter Van Drumpt and Chris des Garennes, to John Paddock, who has been the company's vice president and head of product development and production since 2011.
      The company operates on a franchise license-based business model, and is comprised of more than 35 franchises from throughout North American and around the world also known as DryJect Service Centers. The centers provide turf aeration and modification services to professional turf managers in a variety of applications, including golf and athletic fields.   Based in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, DryJect holds patents on its proprietary equipment that includes the only proven technology of its kind, the company says. High-pressure water penetrates the turf rootzone, and a mix of dry amendments including sand and peat mixtures, inorganic soil amendments and more are injected into the aeration holes through a vacuum effect caused by the water blast.    Benefits include:   > Aerate, amend and topdress in one pass, allowing a smooth surface that's ready for play in an hour. > Help new sod knit to the soil below by creating channels filled with amendment, allowing roots to penetrate deeper. > Punch through sports turf, allowing better root proliferation. > Combine soil modification with aeration for increased soil benefit. > Apply up to 250% more material than traditional topdress applications. > Adjust aeration spacing and depth (up to 8 inches). > Inject amendments such as sand and porous ceramics directly into the soil.   "We know that the business Peter and I built up since 1998 is in good hands with John Paddock at the helm," said des Garennes, DryJect's co-founder. "He is a good administrator and carries a vision for taking DryJect to the next level in growth."   Paddock is equally enthusiastic.    "I have come to appreciate the integrity and the strong brand reputation that DryJect has earned with superintendents and turf grass professionals," he said. "We intend to expand that strong presence, and have new products and services in the pipeline that are ready to launch. It's an exciting time to be associated with DryJect. I look forward to building the brand along with each employee and franchise owner as we move ahead in the coming months and years."   DryJect has a strategic alliance with BASF for the manufacture of its H.P. termiticide injection equipment, based on DryJect patented technology.    Des Garennes will continue as a special advisor to help guide company growth and consult on key business strategies.  
  • CLICK TO NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR
     
     
    When asked what they value most about the golf experience, those who play the game consistently rate one factor at the top of their list - course conditions. The new clubhouse, grill food and apparel selection in the pro shop all fall somewhere down the list.
     
    Today's golf course superintendent must wear many hats to provide the best possible playing conditions for the club's golf clientele with the resources at hand.    To do that, he (or she) must be a self-disciplined, multi-tasking agronomist in charge of managing the clubs most valuable asset; a multi-lingual personnel manager; babysitter; therapist; accountant; electrician; politician; hydraulics expert; ditch digger; plumber; arborist; environmentalist; integrated pest management specialist; turfgrass pathologist; entomologist; irrigation expert; and mechanic. One only need look to the abundant seminars and educational programs for superintendents that focus on topics besides agronomy for proof of the evolving role of the golf course superintendent.    Since 2000, the Superintendent of the Year award has recognized dozens of nominees for their work in producing great playing conditions often during times of adversity. If this sounds like your golf course superintendent, or someone you know, nominate him (or her) for the 2016 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.   Nominations can be submitted by golf course owners, operators, general managers, club members, golf professionals, vendors, distributors or colleagues, even by mothers and wives. The nomination deadline is Dec. 9.     The winner, who is selected by a panel of judges from throughout the golf industry, will be named at next year's Golf Industry Show in Orlando, and will receive trip for two on the 2017 TurfNet golf trip to Ireland, courtesy of Syngenta.   Nominees are judged on their ability to excel at one or more of the following criteria: 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.    To nominate a deserving superintendent for this year's award, visit the 2016 Superintendent of the Year Award nomination page. For more information, email John Reitman.   Previous winners of the award include Matt Gourlay, Colbert Hills, Manhattan, Kansas, 2015; Fred Gehrisch, Highlands Country Club, 2014, Highlands, North Carolina; Chad Mark, Kirtland Country Club, Willoughby, Ohio, 2013; Dan Meersman, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia, 2012; Paul Carter, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Harrison, Tennessee, 2011; Thomas Bastis, 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, 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 Country Club, LaSalle, Ontario, 2002; Kip Tyler, Salem Country Club, Peabody, Massachusetts, 2001; and Kent McCutcheon, Las Vegas Paiute Resort, Las Vegas, 2000.

×
×
  • Create New...