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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Thanks to a joint effort by researchers at Oregon State and Washington State universities, protecting bees in the field just got as easy as clicking on a smartphone widget.   The mobile app How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides provides users with bee-toxicity ratings and other information on 150 insecticides, fungicides, miticides, slug killers and growth disruptors, all searchable by trade name and active ingredient.   "It's a smartphone world," said the publication's lead author, Ramesh Sagili, an entomologist and Extension bee researcher in Oregon State University's College of Agricultural Sciences. "Our stakeholders have been asking for an app to go along with this publication, and they're very excited that we now have one."   The app is an extension of the "How to Reduce Bee Poisoning" Web site that published in 2006. It sorts chemistries into three classes depending on toxicity level relative to bees: highly toxic, toxic and no bee precautionary statement on label. The ratings are based on the cautions and restrictions required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and listed on the products' labels. It also recommends best practices for managing pesticide applications to protect all bee species, not just honey bees.   The guide also provides estimates on residual toxicity. That information, which is not required by the EPA and might or might not be on product labels, was provided through research conducted by Louisa Hooven, assistant professor of horticulture at Oregon State.   "There was some information on residual toxicity in the previous edition," she said. "We expanded the number of products quite a lot, so we included residual toxicity information for those products for which that's known, and we updated the information for the products already listed."
  • It was a red-carpet evening for TurfNet in the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association annual Communications Awards event.
    TurfNet walked away with nine first-place awards, one best-in-show award and eight merit (runner-up) trophies. The awards ceremony was held May 5 in conjunction with the TOCA annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska.   Jon Kiger won five first-place awards, a best-in-show and three merit awards. He also swept the special events category, winning a first and a merit award. His best-in-show award (his fourth to date) was for a video series on growing the game. John Reitman won two firsts, one of which was for a series of seven stories on the drought in California, and two merit awards. Randy Wilson and Dave Wilber each were first-place winners, and Peter McCormick, Kevin Ross and Frank Rossi, Ph.D., all won a merit award.   Here are all the TurfNet winners: Best in Show
    Photography, Video and Multimedia: Jon Kiger, "Growing the Game" First Place
    Best CD/audiovisual presentation: Jon Kiger, "Growing the Game" Best long video/DVD: Jon Kiger, "TurfNet Test Drives the GolfBoard" Best short video/DVD: Jon Kiger, "Convert a Surplus Mower into a Fairway Roller" Best Instructional video/DVD: Jon Kiger, "Installing an Improved Buffalo Blower Remote Switch" Best use of Editorial or opinion in a video/DVD: Randy Wilson, "The Worst Golf Course Superintendent Mistake I Ever Made" Special Events: Jon Kiger, "TurfNet Members Trip to Ireland" Editorial/Opinion Piece: John Reitman, "Golf Industry Needs a Mulligan" Series - two or more articles defined as a series: John Reitman, "The California Water Crisis" New Media: Dave Wilber, "Turfgrass Zealot: Josh Lewis - 2015 U.S. Open" Merit (Second Place)
    Best CD/audiovisual presentation: Jon Kiger, "TurfNet Returns to Ireland 2015" Best long video/DVD: Jon Kiger, "TurfNet Visits Trinity College, Dublin" Best Instructional video/DVD: Kevin Ross, "Cured In Place Pipe" Original Content Only: John Reitman, "Mentor, Friend and Teacher" Overall Media Kit Design: Peter McCormick, "TurfNet 2016 Media Kit" New Media: Frank Rossi, Ph.D., "A Voice of Reason Within the Golf Industry: an Interview with Jim Koppenhaver" Special Events: Jon Kiger, "TurfNet Emerald Challenge" Special Projects: John Reitman, TurfNet; Mark LaFleur, Syngenta; Martin Williams Advertising, "TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar - The Many Faces of a Turf Dog".   Kiger, also a member of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland, also was recognized for a Merit award in the International Design Category for the GCSAI Greenside magazine, August 2015: "Remembering the RMS Lusitania" -- the sinking of which his great-grandfather was a survivor.   The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association is a 200-plus member association comprising editorial, advertising and marketing professionals who work in the green industry.
  • The way Aubrey McCormick sees it, the golf business has a lot of good stories to share. What it doesn't have, she says, is a voice to tell them to those outside the game or on its fringes. 
      McCormick, who spent years working as a teaching and tour professional and even landed a spot on a popular golf reality TV series, believes she can be that voice. She even created her own company to help facilitate the process of finding those stories, providing the data to prove them and then go about telling them to the public.   The golf industry has been good at preaching to the choir about sustainability. What it has lacked is a voice with authority, with celebrity clout to help spread the message outside the ropes.   McCormick's company, IMPACT360, which she started with business partner Gina Rizzi, offers sustainability consulting services, but does so much more. IMPACT360 also 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.   "I want to tell people what golf is doing and where the gaps are," McCormick said. "I want to help superintendents get the word out to the public about what they are doing."   As a college player and later a struggling tour pro, McCormick, 33, possesses the knowledge and experience of an industry insider. And through the years she has seen, firsthand, that providing great playing conditions and BMPs focused on sustainability can coexist. She also has seen the other side, working alongside activists who view golf courses as toxic dumps. Soon, when she completes work toward a graduate degree with a focus on sustainability, she will officially be an expert in the field.   "I have known for a long time that this is the message that needs to be told. I just didn't know how to do it," she said. "I wasn't as educated to the depths I am today.   "I understand that I was not a sustainability expert. I have to earn that. That's why I am getting an MBA in sustainable management."   After her college days, playing first at Daytona State College and later at Missouri State University, the Orlando, Florida native spent five years trying to work her way up the ranks as a tour player. She knocked on doors seeking her own endorsement deals and worked as a teaching pro before deciding in 2011 that she needed to try something else.   She spent a year working for Green America, a D.C.-based not-for-profit focused on achieving economic and social justice and environmental sustainability and taking jabs at those that it perceives do not share its vision. Such activism, which at times had golf in its crosshairs, was a bad fit for a former golfer who spent years soaking in the sustainability efforts of superintendents nationwide.   A year later, she earned a spot on the Golf Channel's Big Break reality show, which in 2012 took place in the Bahamas. It was then, while basking in the spotlight, that she realized she'd found an avenue to tell the message that she believed others needed to hear.   "The people I worked with at Green America couldn't believe that I played a sport that 'carpets the world with artificial turf,' " McCormick said.   "I now have more of a platform to talk about this. I need to fight for this. After seeing the environmentalist's' perspective, they're just not educated on this at all."   McCormick is scheduled to graduate this month from the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco with an MBA that focuses on environmental sustainability. And her company's first official client happens to be less than 10 miles from the Presidio.   Pat Finlen, CGCS, general manager of The Olympic Club, first met McCormick during the 2013 Golf Industry Show in San Diego. It wasn't long after McCormick and Rizzi started IMPACT360 that he realized the newfound company and its vision of promoting sustainability was something that aligned with the club's philosophy.   "We kept in touch and when I learned she was getting an MBA from Presidio Graduate School we started talking about sustainability," Finlen said. "When she co-founded IMPACT360 The Olympic Club got serious about producing a Corporate Social Responsibility Report. Aubrey understands golf having played professionally on mini tours and its positive role in society.    "Doing a CSR is not required, it is a voluntary move on our part to tell the story of sustainability within our club. I wouldn't say we are the voice to tell golf's story. I do hope other courses follow our lead and take the step in telling their story as well."   With her company still in its fledgling state, McCormick says she hasn't ruled out trying to get back out on the competitive circuit, but it's not for reasons some might think.   The Olympic Club CSR report is due out next month, and it's no surprise that a facility that embraces its place in history, yet recognizes its role in a changing world, was the first to step forward.    Membership at this 156-year-old club recognizes their responsibility in being a sound environmental neighbor in one of the country's most politically charged cities. They also know that when armed with this information, they are obligated to share it.   Proving it practices sound BMPs is not always easy for a facility that borders the Pacific Ocean on one side and Lake Merced on the other. But, the club, along with others around the Lake Merced rim, has become a leader in the use of recycled water and other management practices, and it's time to tell that story.    "The Olympic Club is first and foremost an athletic club that happens to have some great golf courses," Finlen said. "Our message is clear: 'We have a positive impact upon life in the San Francisco and greater Bay Area. We are passionate about our club, the environment and the positive impact The Olympic Club has upon the community.' "   And now it has a voice to tell it.
  • For professional turf managers who need a lightweight mower capable of clearing wide swaths of land as quickly as possible, Jacobsen has released its HR800 16-foot-wide rotary mower.   Tipping the scales at 4,801 pounds (without the optional cab), the HR800 weighs as much as 2,000 pounds less than other mowers in its class. And with its 16-foot-wide mowing deck, it can cover 21.3 acres per hour at a mowing speed of 11 mph.   "What really sets the HR800 apart from its direct competitor are its light weight and an incredibly efficient use of power," said Jacobsen product manager Ben Bruce. "By utilizing a compact chassis design and high strength, high performance steel, there is simply less mass to move around, thus requiring less fuel, hydraulic capacity and power."   Powered by a 74.3 hp Kubota engine, the HR800 is Tier IV compliant, operates at a mowing speed of 11 mph and can reach cruising speeds of up to 20 mph.   The HR800 is the second mower in a new series of wide-area rotary mowers from Jacobsen. In February, Jacobsen introduced the HR700, the world's first and only 14-foot-wide rotary mower. The series is built on a common narrow platform that easily navigates through gates and onto transport trailers. The HR800 is almost two feet narrower than its direct competitor.    The HR800 comes standard with exclusive Tilt Sensor Technology, an advanced safety feature that automatically monitors and adjusts mower decks to prevent rollovers in hilly conditions.    "The whole HR series is centered around the operator experience and nothing is more important than operator safety," Bruce said.   The HR800's optional cab was designed to integrate seamlessly into the traction unit. The comfortable and ergonomic cabin provides reduced noise, vibration and is outfitted with air conditioning and heat, fan, ventilation windows, heated windshield and a premium air suspension seat.    Jacobsen's new SureStrength decks constructed with high-strength, high-performance steel deliver greater durability in a lighter, stronger design, and the Q AMP variable-rate steering provides optimal response to operator input to mow effortlessly around obstacles. In addition, a new AdaptiCut system automatically adjusts mow speed to ensure consistent cut performance, even through the thickest grass.    Individual hydraulic deck motors with self-lubricating integral bearings deliver cutting power to each blade with fewer grease points and require no daily maintenance.
  • With nearly 900 golf courses throughout the state, golf leaves a large footprint across California. Members of the California Alliance for Golf want to ensure it has an equally loud voice.
      Representatives of the California Alliance for Golf met April 27 with lawmakers in Sacramento to reach out to legislators to help them understand the efforts golf course superintendents make toward sustainability as well as other needs of the golf industry as a whole.   "California Legislative Day is a tremendous opportunity for the collective bodies of golf to continue the dialogue with legislators regarding the sport and the business," said Bruce Williams, CCGC, of the California Alliance for Golf.    The California Alliance for Golf represents all of the allied groups of golf throughout the state and works as an advocate of the game and those working in it.   The series of meetings also presented an opportunity for golf industry professionals from throughout California to learn about the state's long-term plans toward water conservation and conveyance. Other meetings focused on the game's economic impact in California, what golf courses are doing to conserve water, updates on recycled water and golf courses as habitat for native plants and wildlife.   This was the second year members of the golf industry descended on Sacramento to voice their opinions and concerns and listen to what lawmakers had to say. And much has changed since last year, said CAG secretary Jim Ferrin of Timber Creek and Sierra Pines golf courses in Roseville.   "Last year, nobody (in the legislature) knew anything about golf," Ferrin said. "Now, we go this year, and a lot more people know what we are talking about, and we are armed with better marketing material."   CAG, which represents the interests of superintendents, golf professionals, club managers and owners, also recently hired lobbyist Tony Rice of the firm Englander, Knabe and Allen, to represent the industry's point of view.   That added voice is critical since Gov. Jerry Brown ordered statewide cutbacks last April.   "We were identified as someone who uses a lot of water," Ferrin said. "We only use 1 percent of the water. When we tell people that, they remember us.   "We tell them that it's not true when they hear how bad golf really is. We tell them to call us and we'll be happy to tell them that golf isn't what they always see on TV."   Members of the golf industry plan another trip to Sacramento this summer, and Ferrin says it likely will be a regular trip for many years to come.   "I do think we have to go forever," he said. "We want to be involved politically and toot our horn. And we want a seat at the table and a voice in how money is being used."
  • Even at an average golf course, keeping equipment in top shape is no small feat. With hundreds of feet in elevation change Pikewood National Golf Club is no run of the mill layout. Located in a forested plateau some 2000 feet above the valley floor beneath, Pikewood National in Morgantown, West Virginia, is situated on terrain that beats up equipment the way former heavyweight champ Mike Tyson beat on Marvis Frazier.   Very little dirt was moved when architects John Raese and J. Robert Gwynne built Pikewood National. The natural terrain presents a stern test of golf and a stern test for maintaining equipment. The fourth hole alone has more than 132 feet of elevation change from tee to green.   "Kris Bryan has a very difficult job as the head maintenance mechanic at Pikewood," said superintendent Brett Bentley. "He has a large fleet of equipment that has grown each year. The equipment has more than the usual maintenance issues due to the rugged terrain and elevation changes here at Pikewood. Kris does an excellent job of keeping equipment like new."   Bryan is one of three finalists for the 2016 TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by Toro. The winner will receive the Golden Wrench Award and a slot in an upcoming Toro Service Training Academy session.      Even the best equipment manager can't prevent equipment and parts from breaking down under difficult conditions. However, Bryan excels in getting the equipment back together and back out on the golf course.    "Our equipment is a mixture where we continually replace older equipment with new equipment to maintain state of the art conditions," Bentley said. "Despite this process, some of our equipment will have a tendency to have maintenance issues.   "Because of Kris' efforts, the efficiency of the crew is maintained at a high level, which reduces our labor costs. He keeps me informed on our repairs and has one of the most efficient preventative maintenance programs in place. All of these programs keep us within budget."    Perhaps Bryan's greatest attribute is the peace of mind he affords to Bentley. The pair meet at least twice every day, first thing in the morning and again before they go home.    "We talk for 5 or 10 minutes in the morning and at the end of the day, so we're always on the same page," Bentley said. "He has a great work ethic. He's just a guy I can count on, and that is important. He can self-manage. That gives me the peace of mind I need so I can I do other things on the course, knowing he will make the right decisions."   Previous winners are (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL. No award in 2008.
  • The stereotype of a curmudgeonly mechanic and wary equipment operators struggling to coexist in a world of mower reels and topdressing sand is nearly as old as the mechanized mower itself.   The Wilderness at Fortune Bay golf course in Tower, Minnesota, has been immune to such an affliction, all thanks to equipment manager Jori Hughes.   At age 28, Hughes already has been the equipment manager at The Wilderness for eight years under Vincent Dodge, CGCS. And in that time he has built a rapport with members of Dodge's crew that has resulted in 1) them being better and more efficient in the day-to-day aspects of their jobs, 2) equipment that is better cared for and lasts longer, and 3) peaceful coexistence between mechanic and operator.   Not possible, you say. Dodge says it is, and that is a big part of why Hughes is one of three finalists for the TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by Toro. The winner will receive the Golden Wrench Award and a slot in an upcoming Toro Service Training Academy session.   "Where I see the most improvement is not just his technical skills, but his social skills," Dodge says. "We have a staff of more than 20 people, and many mechanics struggle with a staff that large. Jori actively works with them, not just on fixing and repairing things, but showing them how to become a better operator. He does it all with a positive attitude. I've been around some mechanics who, when something breaks, get angry. He doesn't. His attitude makes the worker's job easier."     And when they do break or damage something?   "Since he is approachable, they will come to him if they damaged or broken something," Dodge said. "They know they're not going to get yelled at."   In fact, for Hughes, training the staff on safe operation of equipment and tools helps head off a lot of the problems he might encounter otherwise at The Wilderness, which is part of a casino and resort destination.   "Safety in the workplace for Jori involves both safety in the shop and safety in the field," Dodge said. "Safety in the shop is accomplished by the acquisition of the proper tools to do the job and then the training to use them properly. Jori makes all the right recommendations to make the shop a safer place. Where Jori truly excels, however, is in the way he assists others in operating equipment in a safe manner. He does this by ensuring that all of the safety features of equipment are working properly and by assisting in the training of other employees to operate their equipment in a safe fashion."   As its name implies, The Wilderness is located in a remote and environmentally sensitive area that is in the headwaters of Lake Superior. Maintaining a balance between golf and environment is a job Hughes takes seriously.   Hughes, who spends his free time building, maintaining and racing cars, has developed programs for recycling just about anything. All fluids drained from mechanized equipment are saved into spill containers and processed by recycling companies. He also has played a key role in a steady transition to electric and hybrid equipment. Those are important attributes to Dodge, who sees the golf course as a vehicle in the drive to achieve sustainability.   "He understands the seriousness of being an environmental steward as much as I do," Dodge said. "And he helps me achieve that goal."   Previous winners are (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL. No award in 2008.
  • Just about every golf course equipment manager casts a discerning eye on turf conditions and quality of cut. It comes with the job. Few do so from a golfer's perspective. Elias Matias is one of them.   Elias, who has worked as a technician at 36-hole Pronghorn Golf Club in Bend, Oregon since 2007, including the last six as equipment manager, plays to a 10 index when he's not in the shop. He's scratch player when under a lift, seated at a grinder or training other members of David Freitag's staff. Those skills with club and ball definitely come in handy when performing the work of a mechanic.   "It definitely helps. It's a contributing factor as to how he does his job," said Freitag, director of agronomy at Pronghorn. "He is the first one here to see everything every morning. Topdressing is a necessary practice, and a lot of times, you have to go head to head with the mechanic on things like that because of what it can do to equipment. Elias understands what things like that mean to the playing surface and why we do them.   "Elias plays to about a 10 handicap which of course isn't a requirement, but certainly gives him common ground with our superintendents and helps him understand the game and conditions we are trying to maintain on a daily basis."   Aside from being an exceptional golfer, Matias also is a pretty good wrench-turner, and it is why he was named one of three finalists for the TurfNet Technician of the Year Award, presented by Toro.   Much of the equipment at Pronghorn was purchased during construction and grow-in from 2003 to 2005. One of the club's spray units has more than 7,500 hours on it.   "Often, when you get to 3,000 hours, they just don't work anymore," Freitag said.      While superintendents at other nearby facilities say their aging equipment shows its age, but Pronghorns, while not new, at least looks it - even a fairway mower in its 14th season.   "There is a standard of expectation here that we must meet," Freitag said.    "When something is getting old and probably should be replaced, ownership asks if we can make it last, and we can. We've developed that track record, and that is because of Elias."   And Matias manages a lot of equipment.   Not only is he in charge of keeping everything running so the crew can manage Pronghorn's Jack Nicklaus- and Tom Fazio-designed golf courses, he also is responsible for all landscaping equipment for the central Oregon resort. And if that wasn't enough, Pronghorn also contracts with the local homeowner's association for snow removal of 30 miles of road, and that means maintaining a 5-yard dump truck and a 1-ton pickup and plowing apparatus for both.   "He's able to take of a lot more than just mowers," Freitag said.    Like any great mechanic, Matias goes wherever he is needed at Pronghorn. One day that might be building racks to hang buckets for capturing clippings, helping a co-worker get back on the road or making repairs in the clubhouse.   "It doesn't matter if he is dealing with cutting heights and greens speeds, hybrid systems, custom fabrication, employee training, helping troubleshoot an employee's personal vehicle, or evaluating major purchases, our entire club benefits from Elias's skills, knowledge, and efforts," Freitag said. "To have his level of expertise on staff and the freedom to send problems his way knowing that Elias will get back to us promptly is a huge advantage in managing Pronghorn's expenses, both in lost time for our staff and materials."   Previous winners are (2015) Robert Smith, Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, PA; (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club, Easton, CT; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont (PA) Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas, Irving, TX; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain (GA) Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead, Lakewood, CO; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain, Marana, AZ; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo (MI) Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort, Sarasota, FL. No award in 2008.  
  • Recently, TurfNet spoke with Cory Blair and Anthony Williams about how they approach their jobs after years of being a golf course superintendent. In Part II, they discuss how they initially coped with the loss of a job and how it affected their lives at home.
      It didn't take Cory Blair long to realize what was about to happen; that his life, and those of his wife and his children were about to be turned upside down.   It was about 5 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2008, and he was sitting in his office at the newly opened Rarity Bay golf course outside Knoxville, Tennessee completing paperwork, when a car pulled up outside his office window. Out climbed his general manager and a representative from the Rarity Communities corporate office.   "I still remember it vividly. It was one week before Christmas," said Blair, now 44. "I knew the minute I saw them together that I was getting fired."   A lot of time has passed since that day in 2008 when Blair lost his job as superintendent over multiple properties for the now-defunct real estate development company. The memories, though, are still fresh.   The feeling was like a knife in the back for Blair, who just months earlier had opened the Bob Cupp-design.   "I was shell-shocked. I had worked for the company for five years, and we had just opened a great golf course," he said. "They gave me one month's severance for five years of service."   That modest settlement came with a confidentiality clause that prevented him from publicly discussing his employment separation. The way everything was handled had robbed him of some of his dignity, at least temporarily.   "I was scared at that point. It wasn't much, but it was a month's severance," he said. "We had two young kids at home, and I needed the money.   "I really wanted to bury these people because of some of the things I had seen happening, but I couldn't. I think some people use that fear against you.   "I was here on Day 1 driving a bulldozer when we started taking down trees, and I was here when it opened. We had build a great golf course, and that's something they can't take away from me."   Ironically, Blair taught a class for years at the Golf Industry Show on how to avoid getting fired and what comes next if you do. It never occurred to him that he might have to follow his own advice. His class covered coping with the grief associated with job loss and helped provide the tools needed to eventually move on and find a new job.    While researching curriculum for his class, Blair discovered that many experts compared the grief experienced from job loss to the death of a close family member.   Executive career coach Andy Robinson agrees.   The symptoms of job-loss grief "are quite similar to the symptoms of death-related grief," Robinson writes.   "And just as a severe physical injury can take a long time to heal, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or even a job loss normally means a substantial period of grief.   "Family symptoms for job-loss grief may be considerably different from those for death-related grief, although there are some similarities. The two immediate tasks are the same, however. The family needs to be a primary support group and must adjust to the new situation by changing the way it operates."   In Blair's case, he found immediate support from his wife, Natasha, but in retrospect he admits the entire experience pulled at the thread that eventually unravelled their marriage.   "After I was fired, she was very supportive," he said. "I don't know who was more mad when it happened, her or me. She knew how hard I had worked.   "When it happened, we sat down and talked about where we wanted to live and where we wanted to raise our children."   In an ideal world, Blair had hoped to find work as a superintendent at another course in the Knoxville area to avoid uprooting his wife from her job as an engineer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Eventually, they had decided they would relocate to Atlanta, which promised more opportunities in what at the time was a downtrodden economy.   "Finding a new job became my new job," he said. "I worked on that for hours every day."   Blair quickly found work with Stovall & Co., an irrigation supply company and Rain Bird distributor in Atlanta. His wife continued to work at Oak Ridge and lived in Tennessee while she sought other opportunities in Atlanta. She wasn't as fortunate, often cramming five days of work into three or four days so she could be with the rest of the family in Atlanta.    "By then, the economy was in a shambles, and nobody was hiring anyone, much less a specialized engineer like she is," Blair said. "She couldn't find a job (in Atlanta). That's what started everything."   Nearly three years of a long-distance relationship eventually became too much for them to bear, and they divorced in 2012.   Blair has custody of the couple's two children, now aged 14 and 12. Every other weekend they spend with their mom, either in Tennessee or in Atlanta when she comes to watch them compete in sports.   "I didn't realize how much she was busting her ass, working 36 hours in three days," he said. "She was killing herself to spend three days a week with us. I didn't acknowledge that.   "Eventually, I came out of the divorce OK, but I wouldn't want to go through it again."   Anthony Williams went through a similar situation just recently at Stone Mountain Golf Club in the Atlanta area when Marriott Golf eliminated his position last year after he spent 30 years with the company. Compartmentalizing the experience and putting it away has been a challenge because his wife, Phyllis, works in the administrative offices of the Marriott hotel on the same property.   In fact, shortly after he was "retired" Williams was picking up his wife from work when he went past the 36-hole golf club and noticed the lake on the property backing up onto one of the courses because of a clogged intake.   "I was going to stop the car and get out and fix it when I remembered I wasn't responsible for that anymore," Williams said.    Like Blair, Williams also is a regular on the conference speaking circuit on topics of career development and motivational techniques. When faced with a job loss, even the always-positive Williams was knocked backward. It didn't help that he received notice of his forced retirement a little more than a year after his wife had suffered a heart attack and one year to the day after he had open heart surgery.   Trying to put a light-hearted spin on summing up his feelings, he fell back on a1960s TV show.   "It was like when Batman was about to be dropped into acid, but he always escapes," he said. "I didn't escape. They eliminated my job.   "When your employer puts you out in the streets, it sucks. Anyone who says otherwise is lying, even if you're (professional motivational speaker) Tony Robbins. When you know you've been outright wronged, there is no silver lining to that."   As the newly minted head of sales and marketing of Jacksonville, Florida-based Green Technologies, he sees others of his generation who still are in the business fearing for their jobs, and others who are younger and still oblivious to what might await them in 10 or 20 years.   "I have loved the golf business, but it's a two-edged sword," he said. "There is some real fear out there, then there are others don't realize there is a tiger out there waiting to chew their leg off."   He too found the process of getting over the loss of his job not unlike mourning the loss of a loved one.   "It's a very personal thing, and you have to cope with the loss," he said. "I put a nice double-cut on my front yard for a few weeks because I had no function, no purpose."   To get through the process, he eventually took to heart the same advice he gives others during his speaking engagements. That formula includes taking a week to reflect on what has happened, writing journal notes and conducting service work to help others to "get your mind back in the right place."   "You have to punctuate all those sentences and do something that is right, or you will stew in a dark place," he said.    "The only way to get on the saddle and put this in a positive light is to wrassle all those things up and put them behind you. When you finally get to the other end, it will be in a better place."   He didn't have to look far for support while trying to get to that spot.   "Phyllis has always been my No. 1 fan," he said. "She told me she was glad it happened and that I should find something that makes me happy. And I think she also said get something that pays the bills.   "It definitely puts a strain on the relationship, and if you were already having trouble, something like this would be gas on the fire. She told me 'I'm here with you, and our family is not going to end because of this.' When it comes to picking wives, I made a good choice. She has always picked me up and put me back together."   That support helped provide the tools he needed to get back about the task of finding another job.   "When you get bounced, you feel stuck in the mud, and that feeling grows like a fungus," he said. "You have to find the drive in you.   "Like they say in The Shawshank Redemption" 'you can get busy living, or you can get busy dying.' "   Initially, he hoped that new start would include another job as a superintendent, but that was a short-lived dream.   "I recognized if someone didn't drive up to the house in the first two months and offer me a job as a superintendent that my life was going to change," he said.   "You can't wait for the next opportunity when you're a 50-something golf course superintendent. You have to go create it."   Williams says it's not too late to reinvent himself. His plans include studying online for an MBA and after that, who knows?   "I'm in the fourth quarter, but I'm still young enough to make it count," he said. "If I was 62, then maybe I'd be in the 2-minute warning, but I'm not. I'm still driven and focused on success, but it's not about salary any more. It's about quality of life and putting me and my family in a good place."   This is the second in a two-part series on life after being a superintendent.  

  • Make golf fun again

    By John Reitman, in News,

    It is difficult to imagine a fringe sport like footgolf becoming more popular than the game it was born to complement. That said, it is equally hard to imagine golf existing in its traditional form - expensive and difficult, which equals not overly fun - into the distant future. Whatever changes must occur to keep the game solvent, rest easy, Golf 20/20 is on top of it and soon will unveil (yet another) solution to save the game.
      The demographic carrying golf - 65 and older - won't be around forever, and those coming up behind them are not embracing the game in the same manner. While the number of golf courses is declining and, according to many industry experts, will continue to do so for several more years, those properties allowing footgolf - and other non-traditional golf-related activities - is increasing at an equally astonishing rate.   According to a paper by Golf 20/20's millennial task force, a 12-person team created to increase awareness, interest and participation in golf among millennials, there are several reasons why the game is attractive to those age 18-34, such as lifelong lessons of etiquette, sportsmanship and fairplay, but there are many others, few of which have much to do with traditional golf.    There also are several reasons why golf is not attractive to millennials, namely a snobby atmosphere (especially toward newcomers), cost, time and difficulty, all of which are magnified by longer courses and balls that fly farther - even if that is left or right of the target.   Somewhere, something has to give, and right now it looks like the five-hour, 18-hole round is at the top of the list.    Oh, sure, private clubs, resorts and many of the high-end daily fees (if there is such a thing anymore) probably will be safe. But the types of courses where many people learned the game and that are critical to attracting new players - muni courses, nine-holes and low-end daily fee - continue to face an uncertain future.   The Golf 20/20 millennial task force offers a host of suggestions to make golf facilities more millennial friendly. They are broken into the segments, prior to arrival, on site and post-visit. These include enticements like a mobile-friendly web site, social media presence, accommodations that allow golfers to listen to music on the course, footgolf, special events that center on social activity and more.   These changes appear to be attracting footgolfers (that game now is played on 450 courses in 48 states and Washington, D.C.) but don't appear to be a game that is translating into paid rounds. So, where are the millennials who are going to save golf?    The game lost 1.3 million players in 2013 and 2014. One million of them were aged 7-34, including 700,000 millennials. Only the 65-and-older set gained golfers. Not exactly a recipe for long-term success.   A total of 510 courses have been built since 2006 and 1,503 have closed. That's a net loss of 993 (in 18-hole equivalents) in a decade. Industry analysts predict another 1,500 (net) or so still must close to find supply-demand equilibrium in the current economy.   The 22 million people playing golf today are the least since the mid-1980s, begging the question "Where are tomorrow's golfers going to come from?"   Just about everyone with a cash register in this business is asking that question. No one, it seems, has the answer.   The problem with golf is not a lack of wifi in every cart. The problem with golf is that it is not affordable and it is not fun. Courses, clubs and balls made for heavy hitters, make for a difficult game and contemporary maintenance standards have made it too expensive. Five hours, 7,000 yards, scores north of 100 and an uninviting golf shop atmosphere is no way to attract a generation that is defined by its need for immediate gratification.   So until millennials start turning out in droves, like Golf 20/20 insists they will, save the wifi-enabled carts and make golf fun again.
  • United Turf Alliance added two new herbicides to its ArmorTech line of professional turf-management products.
      ArmorTech Sulf 396, with the active ingredient sulfentrazone, is labeled for control of sedges and many other weeds, including crabgrass, goosegrass, spurge, annual bluegrass and more. It works by launching a two-pronged attack with above-ground foliar control and tuber interaction below the soil.    ArmorTech Sulf 396 can be applied in early spring, late summer and fall on established cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses. It is labeled for use on golf course fairways and roughs, sod farms and other areas. ArmorTech Sulf 396 is available in four 1-gallon or 12 6-ounce cases.   With the active ingredient mesotrione (a byproduct from the bottle brush plant), Trione can be used during turf establishment and renovation projects to prevent or eliminate weeds and reduce competition with emerging turfgrass.    It is absorbed through roots, shoots and leaves and can be used safely in Kentucky bluegrass, centipedegrass, buffalograss, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue and St. Augustinegrass for pre-emergent and post-emergent control of many grassy weeds including annual bluegrass, buckhorn plantain, chickweed, clovers, crabgrass (large, smooth, southern), purslane and more. It can be used for pre- and post-emergent control of crabgrass and can be used to eliminate bentgrass growing in unwanted environments.   Trione is available in four 64-ounce and 12 8-ounce cases.   Both products are available from suppliers throughout the UTA partner network.  
  • In times of crisis, it can be comforting to have a voice of reason. Someone who delivers the truth. Someone who tells you what you need to hear, not always what you want to hear. For many in the golf business who are struggling to cope with issues associated with water shortages in California, Mike Huck has been such a voice.
    A former superintendent and USGA Green Section agronomist, Huck has been an independent irrigation consultant and de facto water guru for the past 15 years. He consults on everything from the design and installation of the most water-efficient irrigation systems, through his company Irrigation & Turfgrass Services, to helping superintendents understand myriad water-conservation regulations and restrictions passed down at the state and local levels, including what they mean and how to comply with them.   Whether it's the California State Water Project that funnels water from rivers and snowpack in the North to millions of consumers in the South, Colorado River water diversion that siphons drinking water to SoCal or issues affecting recycled water in the Coachella Valley, Huck is the trusted go-to source of information for many.    His passion is what one might expect from a hydrologist or someone from the U.S. Geological Survey, not a former golf course superintendent.   Huck has indeed become for many, a voice of reason in, no pun intended, a sea of uncertainty.    "Mike is the most trusted voice of water issues in the state," said Russ Myers, who recently returned to Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma after spending six years at The Los Angeles Country Club. "Mike is a former golf course superintendent, but he's not a golf guy. He's a water guy.   "With Mike, you felt you had a real voice, not a blind advocate or a paid lobbyist. He knows what the issues are, what is realistic and what is not."   Water issues in California definitely are real.   It was more than a year ago - April 1, 2015 to be exact - when, after four years of drought, California Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the California Water Resources Control Board to implement cutbacks that would reduce water use statewide by 25 percent by June 2016. Implementing those restrictions became a complicated process that included giving the state's 400 urban water suppliers carte blanche to decide who among their customers they would target and how much each would be required to save. Cutbacks statewide ranged from nothing to more than 50 percent.  
    Mike is the most trusted voice of water issues in the state. Mike is a former golf course superintendent, but he's not a golf guy. He's a water guy."  
    Before final details surrounding the cutbacks were announced, Huck had predicted cutbacks would reach 40 percent or more for some golf courses. He was right.
    "The state is trying to deal with the fear factor surrounding water, and so they throw in broad-stroke regulations to try to solve it all," Myers said.    "Mike already knows it all. From Los Angeles to San Francisco, he knows the issues, understands them and share it with everyone so that these regulations make sense to them."   A native of Wisconsin, Huck, 59, has been in the golf business since the early 1970s when he worked at Maplecrest Country Club in Kenosha. He's been a Californian since his days studying turf at Cal Poly Pomona, where he graduated in 1982. While at Cal Poly, he worked at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms Resort, first on the crew, then as assistant and later superintendent until 1989. He then moved on to become superintendent at Mission Viejo Country Club and later the Southern California Golf Association Members Club.  Huck admits he struggled to deal with the private club-member mentality at Mission Viejo.   "I was getting burned out, and there was a guy coming on the board who didn't like me, and he was coming to get me, so I left," Huck said. "I thought it was better to leave on my own terms, but that hurt because I had put my heart into that property.   "Golf is a fun game, but it's a funny business."   He thought he'd find relief at the daily fee SCGA property, but he was wrong.   "I thought that opportunity would renew the fire in my belly, but it didn't," he said.   "I thought I was going to a daily fee operation, but it was more like the country club I'd just left, with all the grandiose ideas, but no money in place to do anything. They expected to reach the stars, but could only get to the moon."   It was in 1985 that he applied for a vacancy in the USGA Green Section as a regional agronomist. That turned out to be a short-lived career thanks to a benign tumor that four years later resulted in a 90 percent loss of hearing in his right ear and contributed to problems with his equilibrium that made frequent travel for Green Section work nearly impossible.   "When I turned my head, it was like things were still moving, almost like vertigo," he said. "I went back out on the road, and a year-and-a-half later it still was not getting better. I couldn't walk a straight line. It became a quality-of-life issue. I couldn't keep up that travel schedule like that."   Although the tumor was benign, that did little at the time to alleviate Huck's fears as he faced surgery to remove the growth.   "Trust me, that even with these assurances there were plenty of sleepless nights doing research online to understand what I was facing," he said. "In reality, doing research online is probably the worst thing I could've done. You only read the horror stories online. You don't read about the successes when it comes to the outcomes of these surgeries. I read plenty about people who could never get back to work and had trouble walking, etc., because of the effect on their balance and stamina from botched surgeries."   As it turned out, the USGA's loss was California golf industry's gain.  
    I thought I was going to a daily fee operation, but it was more like the country club I'd just left, with all the grandiose ideas, but no money in place to do anything. They expected to reach the stars, but could only get to the moon."  
    After a brief attempt at a career in irrigation sales, Huck's life changed forever when Mark Mahady, a turf researcher and consultant near Monterey, enlisted his help on a water-allocation project in Las Vegas. Because other players in the project were juggling other projects, Huck ended up doing a large chunk of the work to keep the Vegas job on schedule. He enjoyed the work so much, he became a certified irrigation auditor and a new career was born. He has since stayed busy writing irrigation audits, consulting on recycled water programs and helping superintendents statewide squeeze every drop from their irrigation sources.
    "Mike, by virtue of his background, became an expert in irrigation and water quality," said USGA Green Section West Region director Pat Gross, who, like Huck, lives in California's Orange County. "What sets Mike apart is his unselfishness in sharing this information. He reads all the articles, attends all the meetings because he sees how important this is to the industry."   He was among the group that founded the California Alliance for Golf, a nonprofit advocacy organization that represents the interests of the state's golf industry. He also helped found its predecessor organization.   Long before drought was a four-letter word in California, Huck was promoting water conservation and pushing the importance of regular irrigation audits. Ted Horton, CGCS, who spent more than 40 years as a superintendent at places like Pebble Beach Golf Links, said he believes it was Huck's time with the Green Section that helped form his views on smart use of irrigation water.   "Mike was an early proponent of irrigation audits and never failed to urge those he came in contact with to improve system maintenance, scheduling, moisture sensing and the like," Horton said.   "I would be willing to speculate that his visits to multiple properties convinced him that (most superintendents) would benefit from better irrigation equipment and better irrigation practices. This knowledge happens to be a strong suit for Mike, and he saw an opportunity to share earn from consulting in that part of the management of golf courses."   Like the water on which he is fixated, work as an independent consultant has its ebbs and flows.   "It comes in waves," he said. "I'm either in over my head, or twiddling my thumbs."   Whether it is when his work flow is at high tide or low, Huck's endeavors have taken on added significance since the drought, now in its fifth year, began.    Although irrigation work is how Huck earns a living, he shares a lot of his knowledge of California's big picture water challenges as a sort of value-added commodity because he knows it is important for people to be informed.   He posts reams of information on water issues in California to social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. He also provides input to state agencies in Sacramento and to local water districts about the lengths to which superintendents are reaching to use water wisely. Likewise, he provides information to those in the golf business about state and local regulations and rationing policies, how to conform to them and how to make every drop count on the golf course.   "Mike contributed significantly to the effort of informing the regulatory water agencies, counties, cities and state about turfgrass irrigation and helped the industry to obtain reasonable drought-emergency practices," Horton said.    "To keep abreast of the rapidly expanding knowledge, Mike pursued the information relentlessly. But most importantly, he shared most of what he learned with a large number of fellow turf management people and continues to filter reams of information, ultimately passing on the same to us."   It's just what one would expect from a water guy.
  • While the term tree-management is code for removing as many trees as possible without incurring the wrath of golfers, nearby residents and environmental groups, it takes on an entirely different meaning at Lochinvar Golf Club.   Built in 1980 and designed by Jack Nicklaus, Lochinvar Golf Club in Houston, embraces the thousands of trees spread across the property's 207 acres.   In recent years, several factors, including lightning (always a concern on the Gulf Coast), drought and the southern pine bark beetle, are claiming dozens of trees each year. Throw in damage from Hurricane Ike back in 2008, and Lochinvar has lost more than 1,000 trees in the past eight years.   "We are flat with loblolly pines, many of which are quite majestic," said Lochinvar superintendent Kevin Cooper. "We are losing 20 to 30 trees a year to lightning, pine bark beetle and drought."   A member of the weevil family, the southern pine bark beetle is native pest that, like other bark-burrowing critters, disrupts a tree's water and nutrient uptake ability by digging through the vascular system. During the past 50 years, the southern pine bark beetle (just one of more than 200 bark beetle species) is responsible for more than $1 billion in damage, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.   Cooper's tree-management plan includes continuing to cull dead, dying or ailing trees affected by natural phenomena, as well as promoting new tree growth.   Cooper, who has been at Lochinvar for eight years, has spent much of the past six overseeing the planting thousands of saplings to restore the area to how it looked before and gradually reintroduce trees in strategic locations on the golf course.   "Since 2010 we have planted more than 3,000 trees," Cooper said. "Many are strategic throughout the golf course, but over the next 70 to 80 years we'll help reforest the place."   Before being named superintendent at Lochinvar, Cooper prepped for Paul B. Latshaw, CGCS, at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Before beginning his tree-management plan, he invited Latshaw's father to Houston for a consulting visit.   "He took one look at the place and told me 'I'm no tree-hugger, but you can't lose these trees.' " Cooper said. "They are a big part of the property."   Cooper is fortunate that crewmember Delfino Flores, though not an arborist, is well versed in tree care and management. His primary job at Lochinvar is feeding, watering and otherwise managing trees of strategic importance. He also works with a local arborist on what to plant where, and how to care for the trees to ensure they are around for generations to come.   Tree management, even something as simple as pruning and trimming, can be a source of angst for golfers who tend to embrace things like trees. Not so at Lochinvar, where members are tree savvy.   "At a lot of places, trimming trees makes people nervous," he said. "Here, trimming trees is not frowned upon. They know we're trying to take care of everything on the property, including the trees."
  • There was a time when Cory Blair, CGCS, could not envision being anything other than a golf course superintendent. After more than eight years out of the business, he can hardly imagine going back.
      It's not the same as when Blair, now 44, entered the turf business fresh out of Auburn University some two decades ago. Superintendents are the same as they always were - eager and willing to help each other. But the business side of golf is not so friendly, say a group of former superintendents. And now as industry vendors, each says he sees those problems more clearly from the outside when talking with friends and customers who still are superintendents.   "The business has changed. There is no loyalty any more," Blair said. "The camaraderie between superintendents is still there, but everyone is job-scared.   "In the last 10 years, there has been such a glut of young guys that if you are a super making a good salary, then you have a bullseye on your back."   Since he was fired in 2007 when he was in charge of multiple properties for the now-defunct Rarity Communities in eastern Tennessee, Blair has found his comfort zone first as a sales rep and now as golf irrigation manager with Stovall & Co., an Atlanta-based irrigation supply company and Rain Bird distributor. His experience as a superintendent not only shortened the learning curve with Rain Bird products, but gave him much-needed credibility with customers.   Many superintendents are cynical by nature, Blair said. Breaking down that barrier was easier for him as a former superintendent than it might be for a professional salesman, he said. And knowing what it is like to be a superintendent fending off salesmen has helped him approach his job as someone who wants to provide long-term solutions for a colleague, not pressure a faceless customer into a sale for short-term gain.   "When they see someone new in sales, they put a wall up. You have to earn their trust," he said. "I had instant credibility. When a guy calls you stressed out on a Friday saying 'I need this' or 'I need that' because of a mainline break, as a former superintendent I know what that's like because I've been that guy."  
    I'm sympathetic to guys on the other side of the desk. For 30 years, I was that guy."
     
    Anthony Williams, CGCS, another former superintendent-turned-salesman, had hoped to lock down another job as a superintendent after his position at Stone Mountain Golf Club was eliminated late last year. But after 30 years with Marriott Golf, high-level jobs for a 50-something superintendent were not exactly growing on trees.   "I went aggressively after another superintendent job, but the cupboard was pretty bare," Williams said. "Apparently, when you turn 50, not that many people are interested in hiring you."   Dealing with job loss was particularly hard for Williams since news of his dismissal came a year after a series of tragic events changed his life. Within a nine-week period in 2014, his stepbrother died in a one-car accident, wife Phyllis suffered a heart attack and Williams underwent open-heart surgery.   Immediately after his position was eliminated, he worked with Bruce Williams, CGCS, also a former superintendent now serving the industry as a consultant and head hunter.   "He told me that they fire you for the same reason they hire you," Anthony Williams said.   In other words, he built a system that ran so smoothly, he no longer was needed to manage it.   Williams, now 52, has won several awards throughout his career, including TurfNet Superintendent of the Year in 2009 and the J.W. Marriott Award of Excellence, and has been a regular speaker at industry conferences. In 2005, he won the GCSAA Environmental Leader in Golf Award in the resort division at the Pine Isle Resort near Atlanta. The following year, he was the public and overall winner at Stone Mountain. Because of his high-profile career, he caught one golf course administrator off guard during a recent interview.   "He looked up at me and said 'I know you. What are you doing here?' " Williams said.   His break came when he received a call from Amir Varshovi, Ph.D., founder of Florida-based Green Technologies, a maker of organic nutrient products, after someone from the company read Williams' LinkedIn bio.   Hired as the company's director of sales and marketing, Williams also prefers the soft-sell method. It's the sort of approach he appreciated from sales professionals during his 30 years as a superintendent, and figures other superintendents probably feel the same way.   "When I was a superintendent, the best kind of salesmen weren't salesmen. They were people who wanted a partner and were interested in building relationships," he said. "That's me. I'm a farmer, and if you sow your seeds hopefully there will be a good harvest at the end of the road.   "I'm sympathetic to guys on the other side of the desk. For 30 years, I was that guy."   Williams too has noticed a difference in the business since he entered it more than three decades ago. The difference appears to be tied to generational lines and economics, which seem to go hand-in-hand.   "I've been in 30 (superintendents') offices in the last month, and I've yet to find one where the mood is positive," he said. "Either it's an older guy terrified and trying to hang on, or a younger guy who is terrified that his bosses are going to find out he's not as knowledgeable as he pretends to be."   That is exactly the kind of atmosphere that has prevented Blair from getting back in the saddle over the past 8-plus years.   "It would have to be a single owner who is into golf, not a real estate developer. Even then, I don't know," Blair said.   "With a $100,000 job comes $100,000 stress."   For Blair, his time servicing golf courses rather than working at one has resulted in a whole new level of expertise in other fields.   "My skill set has changed," he said. "I'm a better manager now than I was then - on the fiscal side of the business. But my agronomic skills have probably dropped off a little. It's like anything else; if you don't use it you lose it."   Larry Balko has taken an entirely different approach to life after being a superintendent.   After working Florida's grinding 12-month golf season at Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth from 2006-2011 followed by two years at Presidential Country Club in Miami, Balko felt the need to try something different. He jumped headfirst into sales and in January 2015 started his own business Biff Inc. that distributes products for a host of companies serving the golf course maintenance business.   Among the products in his portfolio are Turf Dietitian, which is a BMP implementation program, and Playbooks. He even attended the 2015 GIS in San Antonio with the Playbooks folks to learn the product and work their booth. Sales came naturally to him.   "I can talk to a telephone poll, so talking to people is no problem," said Balko, also an Auburn grad.   "I immediately sold 10 to people I know. Connections in this business are everything."   He too calls upon his years of experience as a superintendent when constructing his own sales techniques.   "I know how I wanted to be treated by vendors, and I used that to sell," Balko said. "You know the guys who you can pop in on, and you know the guys who you better call first. In Florida, it's a gate game. With some guys, if you don't call ahead and make an appointment, you're not getting in the gate. But I know how guys wanted to be treated, and that's how I treat them. I don't pressure them. Still, I have girls in college, and I need to make money."   This is the first in a two-part series on life after being a superintendent.
  • Straight from of all places Portugal comes the newest thing to hit fairway mowing since the reel.
      The Turflynx robotic electric fairway mower promises to reduce costs associated with fairway mowing, including labor, fuel and maintenance, by as much as 60 percent.    The Turflynx is available in two models. The F312 comes equipped with a lead acid battery that can mow about 6 acres of fairway turf on a single charge.    The F315 is powered by a lithium battery capable of mowing about 8.5 acres between charges.   Both can reach speeds of 5-6 mph and come equipped with three cutting units outfitted with seven blades. Optional 11- and 14-blade set-ups also are available.   Mowing patterns and schedules are established using a web-based interface that also allows each unit to find its way to the next fairway with reels in the up position allowing employees to perform other duties. An operator is required to maneuver the vehicle to its first pre-determined fairway and to return it to the shop.   Because it is web-enabled, the Turflynx automatically produces detailed reporting after each use.   Because it has a low profile and low center of gravity, the Turflynx can mow slopes up to 16 degrees in slope and has a rollover angle of 22 degrees.
  • For superintendents who need to get the most from their irrigation source, Aquatrols has launched its Advantage Plus pellet line. 
      As a supplement to Aquatrols' line up of soil surfactants, Advantage Plus is a palletized soil amendment formulation of polyhydroxyethyl alkoxy alkylene oxides designed to improve the results of hand watering. The formulation allows each pellet to dissolve more evenly thus helping distribute water more uniformly throughout the soil profile, especially during syringing and hand-watering.   Aquatrols also introduced two other Advantage Plus lines, one with humic and fulvic acid and another formulated with seaweed extracts.    Advantage Plus Humic and Fulvic Acid helps evenly disperse water in the soil profile, improves plant vigor, enhances stress tolerance and promotes longer and deeper roots.   Combined with seaweed extract, Advantage Plus Seaweed does all of the above while also promoting rapid recovery of stressed and damaged turf.   The pellets come with an applicator that fits a 1-inch or can be attached to a 0.75-inch hose by using an adaptor. Each pellet can cover up to six average-sized greens at a rate of 20 to 30 minutes per green.

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