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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Just name the turf variety, and Mother Nature has a species of billbug to terrorize it.
      According to a study published in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management, at least 10 billbug species have most of the country's turfgrass covered, meaning that professional turf managers from Maine to Mexico struggle to control these pests.   Control methods range from biological control such as parasitic nematodes and beneficial bacteria to establishing pest-resistant turf varieties to a chemical knockout with a pyrethroid.   Research on the subject was conducted by Utah State doctoral student Madeleine Dupuy under the guidance of assistant professor and entomologist Ricardo Ramirez, Ph.D.   "There are other methods of cultural control and biological control that I think deserve a closer look," Dupuy wrote.   "If you have a problem with billbugs in one part of the golf course every year, you might consider overseeding that area with a resistant variety of turfgrass, such as a resistant Kentucky bluegrass cultivar, or an endophyte-enhanced ryegrass or fescue."   Billbug species typically found throughout the United States include the bluegrass billbug (Kentucky bluegrass, bentgrass, ryegrass, fescue, zoysiagrass), hunting billbug (Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass, fescue, zoysia, Bermudagrass), Rocky Mountain billbug (Kentucky bluegrass, ryegrass), Phoenix billbug (Bermuda, zoysia, kikuyu), uneven billbug (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass, Bermuda, zoysia), lesser billbug (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) and southern corn billbug (Bermudagrass). Each differ in their range and other behavioral characteristics, but do share a few things in common.   Typically, adults emerge from their overwintering stage to mate in spring, after which the female will chew holes in the stems of turf plants to deposit her eggs near the crown. The first instar will emerge a week or two later. That first instar will continue feeding on the plant near the crown before the second of five instar stages will drop into the soil where it will begin eating the roots of the turf plant. The combination of a weakened crown and damaged roots combine for a predictable outcome for the turf.   Damage manifests first as patches of discolored tissue and eventually death of the turf plant. Early signs of damage, Dupuy writes, often is mistaken for disease and the latter stages of misdiagnosed as drought stress. Damage, however, is accelerated in turf already under stress from another outside influence such as drought or disease.   The researchers suggest monitoring billbug activity through use of pitfall traps. The hunting billbug is nocturnal, and their activity can be monitored on greens or fairways with a strong spotlight.   Several newer Kentucky bluegrass varieties, all with fine leaf stems and tougher tissue, have exhibited resistance to billbug feeding. Billbug-resistant zoysiagrasses include Diamond, Zorro, Cavalier and Royal. TifEagle Bermudagrass also has proven to be resistant to billbug-induced stress.   Parasitic nematodes such as Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema feltiae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora all have shown to produce mortality rates among billbugs of nearly 80 percent, they have not been widely accepted because of the availability of cheaper and easier-to-use insecticides, Dupuy said.   These insecticides include pyrethroids to control emerging adults in spring and neonicotinoids and anthranilic diamides applied before the eggs hatch kill the larvae before they can begin feeding.  
  • Moraine Country Club had changed just a bit since Byron Nelson won the last of his five majors there during the waning days of World War II. Some greens had been moved over time and so many trees had been planted that the course no longer had the feel of a traditional Scottish links-style layout. 
      Thanks to a membership eager to get back to its roots, a superintendent who wanted to help take them there and an architect with a vision for retro appeal, today's version of Moraine Country Club looks more like it did when Nipper Campbell built it in 1930 than at any time since Nelson's win at the 1945 PGA Championship.   Tucked into the Dayton, Ohio suburb of Kettering, Moraine Country Club is days away from celebrating its grand opening after a $5 million Keith Foster restoration that makes one wonder whether Campbell, the Scottish-born golfer, architect and one-time Moraine club pro who died in 1942, might still be lurking around.   "Keith did a great job of putting things back the way they are supposed to be," said Moraine superintendent Jason Mahl. "Everything looks like it's always been there."   The project includes all new fairways and greens, a few of which were completely moved and rebuilt, new drainage, a new practice area and an aggressive tree-management plan that helped restore the property much to how it looked when Campbell drew it up on paper.   "This club has a great deal of tradition," said club president John Haley. "Sometime in the mid- to late 1940s, after Byron Nelson won the PGA Championship, a tree-planting campaign took place in the name of beautifying the golf course. By the late 1990s or early 2000s, we had a golf course that looked nothing like what Nipper Campbell had built."   Getting the course back to something similar to what Campbell had intended required a detailed plan.   Mahl was an assistant at Louisville Country Club in Kentucky when Foster completed a restoration of the Walter Travis design during the club's centennial year of 2005. Mahl was so enamored with Foster's work, that soon after he was named superintendent at Moraine in September 2006, he convinced the board there that a master plan was needed that would "provide a roadmap for any future changes" and that Foster was the architect to lead the course back to the future.   When Mahl sent photos of Moraine with news of a pending master plan and restoration, Foster jumped at the opportunity.    "Initially, I was thankful that Jason would invite me to his club as I personally liked Jason a lot, and when he mentioned on the phone that he thought Moraine could be a fantastic project, (it was) one worth considering," Foster said. "So, in terms of what attracted me to Moraine - Jason."   The final selling point was when Foster and Haley met, and the architect saw first hand the depth of feeling Moraine's members had for their club.   "Their love of Moraine was something I will never forget," Foster said.   "Personally I love the scale and terrain at Moraine. It is, in my opinion, a charming course with great appeal. I saw this instantly. By the end of my initial day visit and while sitting down with the wonderful committee, I simply mentioned to them what I saw and felt was so fantastic about their golf course, and then what it could return to and how to accomplish this."   Moraine is a club steeped in tradition. Founding members include early Dayton power brokers like Edward Deeds, James Cox and Charles Kettering.   According to the club's historical archives, it was built in 1930 on a 160-acre parcel of land that once was part of a farm owned by Deeds. An industrialist who was once president of National Cash Register Co., an investor in the Wright Brothers airplane company and co-founder of Dayton Engineering Laboratories Co. (which eventually became known as AC Delco), Deeds ran with some of Ohio's heavy hitters of the day.      Deeds co-founded the club with Cox, a three-term Ohio governor and two-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives who lost the 1920 presidential election to fellow Buckeye Warren G. Harding. The former owner of the Dayton Daily News, Atlanta Journal and Miami Daily News, Cox is most closely associated today with the media empire that bears his name.   Their list of friends included Delco co-founder Kettering (yes, the town of Kettering is named for him), whose inventions include the electric starter for automobiles, freon, leaded gasoline and the Kettering Bug, considered the world's first air-to-ground missile for wartime use.   It was Cox, Mahl said, who brought Campbell - once the pro at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts - to Dayton to build a golf course and stay on as the club's pro.   Foster, whose restoration portfolio of classic courses includes Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club, Southern Hills (Tulsa, Oklahoma), Colonial Country Club (Fort Worth, Texas), the Philadelphia Cricket Club and Eastward Ho (Chatham, Massachusetts) was a natural fit in the club's quest to recapture Campbell's 1930 gem. Mahl even took several members to eastern Pennsylvania to see Foster's work at the Cricket Club.   "What we found in Keith was an architect focused on the restoration of classic golf courses," Haley said.    "I used to live in Philadelphia, and played the Cricket Club in its previous condition. When I went back, I saw that Keith was able to reintroduce Tillinghast's initial design elements that had been lost through the years.    "What we liked was his sensitivity to the original design and in making the changes necessary  to bring great playing conditions back to the course. He did the same thing at Moraine."   As the project moved forward, Foster and Mahl poured over historical photos and records in preparation for the restoration. That meant removing nearly 3,000 trees, moving some bunkers and adding an additional nine hazards. It also meant changing the infrastructure of each bunker.   The deep bunkers at Moraine washed out many times through the years, mostly because of poor drainage and contouring that funneled water directly into the hazards.   Foster built up edges around the Campbell-style flat-bottomed bunkers and contoured greens to channel water off the playing surfaces.    "I wanted to re introduce the original hand crafted bunkers flat bottom bunkers that were placed there in 1930," Foster said. "The appeal of the bunkers at Moraine are the bunker faces which were hand cut or chopped into the grade of the slope. My hope was to create bunker faces that would appear to be naturally broken rather than simply and mechanically shaped."   The effects cannot be overstated on a course with more than 140 feet of natural elevation change that was cut by prehistoric glaciers.   "Now, the water drains into catch basins. Nowhere on the course does the water drain into bunkers," Mahl said. "Before, it all used to drain into bunkers and the drainage wouldn't work. Now, we have zero bunker washouts."   Improved drainage is a common thread throughout the property. A 12-inch drain line catches water from the parking lot and practice range and moves it off site.   The project also included rebuilding all greens to USGA specs and even moving a few greens that were reworked by architect Dick Wilson when he built NCR Country Club next door in the 1950s.    Through the years, Moraine had become a hodgepodge of turf types that made maintaining the property a challenge. That Heinz 57 stand included ryes, bents, vegetative Poa and Poa trivialis just to name a few. Managing against disease outbreaks for things like dollar spot became especially tough as the entire stand was only as strong as its weakest link.   Providing a clean slate from which to work meant wiping out everything with Roundup and Basamid. Mahl came back with 007 bentgrass on tees, fairways and approaches and Pure Distinction bentgrass on greens.   Deciding on the right turf for each application was an exhaustive process that included testing eight varieties for putting greens and six for fairways in three different greens mixes across a total of 10,000 square feet of nursery space.   The new grasses allow Mahl to do one thing that Campbell probably couldn't - keep them dry.   "The fairways have had no water in the last 10 days. They are super dry with no wilt at all," Mahl said. "The new grasses allow us to keep things drier and use less water."   The course has been closed since last July and is scheduled to reopen June 11. The practice range was renovated and enlarged in 2014 with zoysia targets and a bentgrass hitting area and reopened last year so members would have a place to swing away while the course was being restored to reflect Campbell's original intentions.   "It's been a little bit of a tease in that regard," Haley said. "But it gave members a taste of the quality of the work that was taking place.   Throughout the process, the club's confidence in their architect grew by the day as they watched the project unfold from the practice tee.    "Keith's attention to detail and his personal engagement with the members on this project went beyond what any of us expected," Haley said.    "If there was ever any doubt on anything that was taking place on the project, we learned to just go with Keith's judgment. In the end, it was the right move at the right time with the right person."   It turns out that their trust was well-placed.   "My hope is that the Moraine membership feels the work we accomplished is one of great value," Foster said. "Personally, I believe great renovation work must be seamless and enduring. The Moraine work is both."   And it is all because the project was a timely mix of the right membership at the right club with the right architect and the right superintendent . . . at the right time.  
  • Who knew a secret weapon could come in such a small package?
      The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved use of a fourth non-native parasitic wasp species in the fight to control the spread of emerald ash borer.   Spathius galinae is a non-stinging parasitic wasp that is native to Russia. Like Asian parasitic wasp species such as Oobius agrili, Spathius agrili and Tetrastichus planipennisi that have been used to control EAB for at least two years, Spathius galinae is a natural predator of EAB in Russia and does not parasitise any other host.   Non-native parasitic wasps have proven to be effective at parasitizing 50-90 percent of the target EAB ova or larvae.   The wasps are raised at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service facility in Michigan, and currently are used in 24 of the 25 states where EAB has been confirmed, according to the federal agency.   At least one species of wasp native to Asia, Spathius agrili, has not fared well in the United States. Researchers believe the climate here is too cold to sustain it, and the USDA has stopped raising it. Spathius galinae is thought to be better adapted to cold climates.   Since it was detected in the Detroit area in 2002, the emerald ash borer has spread like wildfire. Its presence has been confirmed in 25 states as well as the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec.   According to the Web site EmeraldAshBorer.info, EAB's U.S. range extends from New Hampshire in the East, southward to Georgia and as far west as Texas and Colorado.    States where EAB has been confirmed include Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Its progress is being monitored in at least 10 other states.   In the latest round of testing, scientists conducted research on 14 other beetle species to determine whether any were acceptable hosts for Spathius galinae. The only beetle affected, said researchers, was the gold spotted oak borer, another invasive species found in the U.S. only in Southern California.   Those interested in acquiring and releasing the parasitic wasps must have a release permit issued by the USDA, which has a host of recommendations for the size of the wooded area that has been affected, age of the trees involved and density of EAB population at the site.   EAB kills ash trees by disrupting the uptake of water and nutrients through the trunk and into the upper reaches of the tree.   Adult females, which grow to about a half-inch in length, create a hole in the bark into which they deposit their eggs. After hatching, the larvae feed on and chew galleries through the tissue beneath the bark layer, disrupting the tree's ability to move water and nutrients through its vascular system. In the spring, new adults chew through the bark and emerge, flying into the canopy to ingest ash leaves and the reproductive process begins all over again.   Symptoms of infestation include thinning of the canopy and sprouts growing from holes in the trunk that were created by the pests, along with an abundance of hungry woodpeckers that eat them. According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, canopies of mature ash tree typically are decimated within two years of infestation and the trees dead within five years.   The wasps are barely larger than a flake of pepper, according to the USDA. The adult lays her eggs on a host larva. In the ultimate irony for the EAB, the wasps larva then feed on the host, eventually killing it.   EAB.info is a collaborative effort between Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue universities; the Michigan and Ohio departments of agriculture; Indiana and Ohio departments of natural resources; the USDA-APHIS; U.S. Forest Service; and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
  • The special local needs registration granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to Avid miticide/insecticide by Syngenta for turf will expire June 30.

    The cancellation affects the use of Avid on golf course greens to control nematodes in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.   

    Superintendents will be able to use existing product until June 30, 2017 - one year after the cancellation date - under the 24© SLN.

    The Avid + Heritage fungicide and Avid + Heritage Action fungicide also are available for use under the 24© SLN until June 30, 2017.

    With the active ingredient abamectin, Avid offered turf managers with a season-long tool to help control nematodes. Research showed that the product was more effective in combination products rather than when used alone.

    This cancellation does not affect the availability of Avid for ornamental plants, which is still being produced and used under its current Section 3 federal registration.
  • When Kris Bryan learned he had been named a finalist for the Golden Wrench Award, he never thought he actually had a chance to win. It wasn't because he didn't believe he wasn't "good enough."
     
    "I didn't think I was old enough," said the 29-year-old Bryan, who has been equipment manager at Pikewood National Golf Club in Morgantown, West Virginia since 2005.
     
    "I found out a few weeks ago I'd been nominated, but I never thought I'd win it."
     
    Dispelling the myth that there is an age requirement for winning the Golden Wrench Award, Bryan was named the 2016 TurfNet Technician of the Year, presented by Toro.
     
    Bryan prepped as an auto mechanic before making the switch to golf course equipment.
     
    "It means a lot to be recognized. That's for sure," he said. "There are days when you sit back here 16 hours a day in front of these grinders. The guys bring equipment in that just went off a tree, or something. 'No one cares about me.' It definitely feels good. That's for sure."
     
    Bryan was chosen by a panel of judges from a list of three finalists that included Elias Matias of Pronghorn Golf Club in Bend, Oregon, and Jori Hughes of The Wilderness at Fortune Bay in Tower, Minnesota.
     
    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.
     
    As the winner, Bryan receives the Golden Wrench Award from TurfNet and a weeklong training session at Toro's Service Training University at the company's headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota.
     
    Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.
     
    Criteria considered by Pikewood National superintendent Brett Bentley when he nominated Bryan center around his ability to keep equipment in top shape under extreme conditions, routinely going above and beyond the normal scope of his job and his ability to do just about everything under the shop roof and a lot outside it as well.
     
    Located atop a mountain in northern West Virginia, Pikewood National occupies about 200 hilly acres of a 700-acre parcel. Navigating those hills is a challenge for a gas-powered utility vehicle, much less a fairway mower. That terrain and dramatic elevation changes provide golfers with stunning view. They also create tremendous wear and tear on mowers and other equipment.
     
    "Kris has a great preventative maintenance program," Bryan said. "He does a very good job keeping equipment running.
     
    "He is a perfectionist, which is what we need."
     
    He also does a pretty good job at operating that equipment.
     
    During the height of the golf season, Pikewood National employs a staff of 20-25 people, many of whom are college interns. During the spring and fall, when those interns are in school, Pikewood National often is understaffed, and Bryan fills in, operating a mower when needed and helping during aerification and topdressing - the latter of which can a lot to ask of an equipment manager.
     
    He often serves as the club's plumber and carpenter - he helped plan and build a housing unit for the club's interns - and makes himself available to fix cars for his co-workers.
     
    "Chris will do things that a lot of equipment managers won't do," Bentley said.
     
    "Chris will come out and help us mow, help on the driving range tee, he'll fix stuff in the clubhouse," Bentley said. "He deserves some recognition."
     
  • March rounds up in East, down in West
      The warm winter that prevailed throughout the eastern half of the U.S. in February and March has had a predictable outcome on the game of golf.   Rounds played were up 13 percent in March compared with the same month last year, according to the Golf Datatech National Golf Rounds Played Report for March. Year-to-date participation is up 5.5 percent compared to the first three months of 2015. The report represents self-reported data from 2,750 private and daily fee courses nationwide.   The most significant gains were made in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, where play was up by 2,100 percent. Other triple-digit gains were made in New York (577 percent), New Jersey (417 percent), Pennsylvania (354 percent), Delaware and Maryland (210 percent), Michigan (161 percent) and Ohio (118 percent).    Double-digit gains were made in West Virginia (98 percent), Virginia (97 percent), Illinois and Indiana (88 percent), Kentucky (51 percent), Minnesota (42 percent), Georgia (31 percent), Tennessee (29 percent), North Carolina (28 percent), Mississippi (23 percent), Oklahoma and Texas (17 percent) and Iowa (15 percent).   There were some big losers in March, too, namely Florida, California, the Dakotas, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico, all of which experienced double-digit losses in March.     Central Turf launches organic insecticide
      Central Turf & Irrigation Supply, a wholesale distributor of landscape supplies, has launched Organic Insect Control to help control a host of summer insect pests.   A combination of cedar oil, phenethyl propionate and soap bark ethyl lactate, OIC is formulated to control ticks, ants, mosquitoes, stink bugs, gnats, fleas and more.   The all-organic formula is not harmful to beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and earthworms, the company says.   The product can be applied with a traditional sprayer or can be used with a fogger device.   Central offers a fogger that operates from a propane tank for use in patio and deck areas.    OIC is sold in a 32oz bottle that treats up to 5000 square feet.   Wiedenmann honors top sales producers
      Wiedenmann North America recently named its top sales professionals and distributors.   Salesman of the Year was Shane Cornicelli of A-OK Turf Equipment in Coventry, Rhode Island. ShowTurf of Boynton Beach, Florida was named East Coast Dealer of the Year, while JW Turf of Hampshire Illinois was named Midwest Dealer of the Year. Dealer of the Year on the West Coast was Stotz Equipment of Escondido, California.   Most Improved Dealer was Greenville Turf & Tractor of Greenville, South Carolina.   The announcements were made at the company's annual sales meeting held in Savannah, Georgia.   BASF names new sales manager
      BASF recently named Bill Baxter as national sales manager for the professional and specialty solutions market.    Baxter has more than 25 years of experience in the agricultural crop protection and turf and pest control markets, with 17 years of sales management experience at BASF.    Throughout his career, Baxter has been active in industry associations, including the National Pest Management Association, the Professional Pest Management Alliance and Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment.
  • Since 2002, the TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar has paid tribute to the most important job in golf - that of the golf course dog. Yes, 2002. That is much older than any other dog calendar out there.
      Each year, the original golf course dog calendar highlights 14 dogs and their tireless contributions to the game across the country and around the world.   Nominate your canine friend for a place in the 2017 TurfNet Superintendent's Best Friend Calendar, presented by Syngenta.   Some tips to improve your chances of winning: > Shoot at your camera's highest resolution setting. > Images should be taken in a horizontal format; we can't use vertical photos. > Get down to the dog's level; don't shoot down at them from a standing position. > Fill the frame with the dog as much as possible, but try not to center your dog in the frame. Left or right orientation often can result in a more dramatic photograph. > Avoid clutter and distracting backgrounds. > A scenic course background is fine as long as the dog is featured prominently.   All dogs must belong to the course or to a course employee and spend significant time there. Submit your best photo; multiple entries of the same dog are discouraged and will not improve your dog's chances of being selected.   A panel of judges will select the 14 dogs for the calendar. To nominate your dog, use our online nomination form. Deadline for nominations is July 31.
  • Monsanto's board of directors has rejected a buyout bid by Bayer AG, but appear to have left the door ajar for future negotiations.
      St. Louis-based Monsanto announced May 24 that its board of directors considered the $62 billion bid to be "financially inadequate," but went on to say it is open to "continued constructive conversations to assess whether a transaction in the best interest of Monsanto shareowners can be achieved."   News of a proposed and unsolicited takeover bid were confirmed by Monsanto on May 18. Monsanto's value, according to published reports, is thought to be about $42 billion.   An acquisition that includes Monsanto would be a coup for any entity moving forward as companies maneuver for position in the race to meet the food crop needs of a growing world population. 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.   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world's population is about 7.3 billion. That number is expected to reach 8 billion by 2025, 9.2 billion by 2050 and 11 billion by 2100. An overwhelming percentage of that growth is to occur in developing countries in South America, Africa and Asia.    During that time, says the United Nations, about two dozen countries in Africa will more than double in population, India will overtake China as the world's largest country by population and Nigeria will supplant the United States as the planet's third most populous country.   Given those statistics, maybe Monsanto's board can afford to be picky on behalf of the company's shareholders.   "We believe in the substantial benefits an integrated strategy could provide to growers and broader society, and we have long respected Bayer's business," said Hugh Grant, Monsanto chairman and CEO. "However, the current proposal significantly undervalues our company and also does not adequately address or provide reassurance for some of the potential financing and regulatory execution risks related to the acquisition."   The Monsanto group also noted that there is no guarantee moving forward that a deal with Bayer, or anyone else, will be reached, and what such a deal would be worth. Any deal between Bayer and Monsanto would be subject to regulatory approval before becoming final.   It wasn't that long ago that Monsanto, the maker of Roundup, was the aggressor in takeover talks, trying on multiple occasions in 2015, to acquire Syngenta. Swiss-based Syngenta was acquired earlier this year by state-owned ChemChina for $43 billion. That move came on the heels of mega-merger of Dow and DuPont last December.
  • When Jackie Gleason moved his weekly television show from New York to Miami Beach in 1964, he famously proclaimed at the opening of each broadcast that the city was "the sun and fun capital of the world."   Gleason left an indelible mark on South Florida in the 1960s and 70s, and was a great ambassador for the game of golf, bringing the rich and famous and powerful to South Florida with him. But much has changed in the South Florida golf scene since Gleason hosted a PGA Tour event at Inverrary in Broward County throughout the 1970s.     When it comes to serving as a safe haven for immigrants seeking a better life, Miami has a longer history than most U.S. cities. As golf course operators around the country search for ways to attract a growing immigrant population, those in Miami also have more experience than most. But like their colleagues in other areas, Miami operators also struggle to attract non-native Americans to the game.   But instead of thinking there is something wrong with the game that warrants looking outside the ropes to other activities to attract people to the golf course, operators here have a different opinion on why golf is not attracting new players, at least those from minority communities.   "This is not an ethnic or racial issue," said Alberto Pozzi, who manages three municipal properties in Miami-Dade County. "This is a socio-economic issue.   "When minorities are doing well financially they play golf. There are waves of wealthy South Americans coming to Miami, and those who come at a high socio-economic level play a lot of golf. But the majority of immigrants coming into this country are starting at the bottom. Recreation is not a priority for immigrants unless they are well established economically."   Pozzi is a native of Uruguay who has lived in South Florida since 1977, and it appears there is merit to his claims that a stronger economy can go much farther than FootGolf toward improving the golf industry. He points to the U.S. Cuban American Golf Association in Miami-Dade County and similar groups for those from other Latin American countries as proof that the game has cross-cultural appeal. He says Miami has been the proverbial canary in the coal mine regarding the relationship between golf and immigrant populations in that the challenges others are seeing in recent years have been prevalent in Miami for decades.   Of course, no one seems to hold the secret to an improved economy either, or if they do, they certainly are not sharing it, making the plight of golf courses in Miami as real as those in other parts of the country.   "Miami is a microcosm of the industry as a whole," Pozzi said. "It's a precursor of trends that are now showing up in other parts of the country. Those trends started here many years ago. We have a large immigrant population, we are undergoing urban revitalization, but there has been no increase in the golfer population."   There is little current reliable data available on minority participation in golf. The National Golf Foundation's last published report on the topic is 6 years old. A more recent NGF report on golf participation indicates that of the estimated 19.5 million golfers in the U.S., 4.7 million are thought to be non-caucasian, according to NGF. That's the lowest number in nearly a decade.    Although information on the relationship between minorities and golf is hard to come by, Pozzi is on top of the trends that influence the golf business in South Florida. As the manager of three city-owned properties, he has to be. Pozzi operates Miami Shores Country Club in Miami Shores and Normandy Shores Golf Club and Miami Beach Golf Club, both in Miami Beach, and he says about 25 courses in Miami-Dade and Broward counties have closed in the past decade.    "It is a necessity now to know the trends and what is going on in the market all the time; what drives it; what your competitors are doing," Pozzi said. "You have to learn from the guy next door. Is he doing something creative or better than you are?"   Dade County once was a popular destination for the rich and famous as well as northern snowbirds, but no more.   Those snowbirds began moving northward along the coast in the 1970s, first to Fort Lauderdale, and now to places like Boca Raton, Delray Beach, West Palm, and even Stuart and Vero Beach. Although the tourist industry is still strong, those coming to Miami are now coming for a few days to a week rather than for three or four months. And they are coming from overseas, not northern U.S. cities. Of Miami-Dade County's 2.7 million residents, more than 60 percent are foreign born, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. The city's population has been more than 50 percent foreign born since the late 1980s.   "The heyday of Miami in the '60s and '70s of golf was driven primarily by snowbirds from the Midwest and Northeast retiring in Dade and Broward counties. That trend slowed in the late '70s and virtually stopped by the late '80s," Pozzi said. "Miami-Dade is no longer a magnet for retirees from the Northeast, and that has affected the golf industry significantly."   Today, only 13 daily fee facilities, four equity clubs and a handful of resort properties like the Biltmore and Doral, where even the Greg Norman-designed White Course closed and was sold earlier this year for development.   The courses that remain open are doing OK financially. Pozzi believes a revival of the golf business in South Florida will come, not as more facilities convert to FootGolf, but as the immigrant population becomes more acclimated and their lot improves financially.   "If you change the focus of what you are offering, then you become something else," he said. "Not that I am a traditionalist, but at what point do you become so inviting to other non-traditional golf activities just to get people to the golf course that you compromise what you are about? If you do that with something like FootGolf, then you're not a golf course anymore.   "I sound like a doomsayer sometimes in this industry, but those facilities that remain have benefitted by the trend of golf course closures. We are thriving and doing well because we are benefitting by others closing. We are understanding the new trends and what is happening in the marketplace. I think the immigrant population eventually will get around to embracing golf in the same numbers that native Americans do, but there is some lag time."
  • STRAFFAN, IRELAND --  In an effort to extend a hand with tournament preparation at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, five TurfNet representatives are playing key roles on the golf maintenance crew at The K Club in County Kildare. The tournament is played on the Palmer Course site of the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches. Course manager Gerry Byrne has had the TurfNet crew and about 20 other volunteers on site to help with final preparations for the event.  
      TurfNet's volunteer crew has a variety of experience.    Nate McKinniss is a fourth-year turfgrass student at Ohio State University and is interning this summer at County Louth Golf Club near Drogeda. He is mowing a variety of areas and filling divots in the evening shift.   Two Massachusetts-based technicians, Dana Chase of Glen Ellen Country Club and Pete Williams from Framingham Country Club, are helping resident technician Pat Freaney.   TurfNet's Jon Kiger and Mike O'Keeffe, manager of The Ohio Program, an international exchange program at Ohio State that offers internships abroad for horticulture, agriculture and turf students, both are on bunker raking in the mornings and filling divots in the afternoons. O'Keeffe's bunker-raking handiwork is pictured on the front page.   Outside volunteers were necessary for the event since many golf courses in Ireland due to economic conditions that still have many facilities operating with a reduced staff. The cool, damp winter and spring also have kept some potential volunteers at home to get their own courses ready for the golf season.   Byrne is glad to get the help, even from so far away.   "These volunteers were such a welcome addition to our team," Byrne said. "The guys integrated with the team to create a cohesive and dynamic force to deliver the tournament conditions for the event. They also brought a fresh impetus and passion to the team, which was much needed. It has been a very tough winter for the in-house guys and having the extra crew to support and work to deliver the event is a breathe of fresh air."   To learn more about the Irish Open experience, visit the TurfNet on Tour blog, sponsored by OGT and Sandtrapper.   -- Jon Kiger
  • A little-known company that for years has been providing soil-amendment products to help farmers increase their yield is touting one of its products as a low-cost solution to improve turf quality on golf courses with ailing soils.   Simple Soil Solution by Pure Ag Products of Salt Lake City is a combination of 21 beneficial bacteria, 19 mycorrhizal fungi, sugars, humic acid and other ingredients that when mixed with water can replenish soils at a cost of less than $12 per acre, the company says.   The product comes pre-mixed as a freeze-dried powder to maintain its integrity and protect it from the elements. It is available in packs that can treat areas ranging in size from 1 acre to 800 acres, says Kasey Stratton of Pure Ag.    "It's cheap because it is stabilized until it gets wet," Stratton said. "Because it is freeze-dried, you can store it for a long time. As long as it does not get wet and is not exposed to extreme heat, it will be OK."   Naturally occurring microorganisms can break down for a variety of reasons, including heat, lack of moisture, compaction and contamination from chemicals and organic byproducts. When used correctly, the company says, Simple Soil Solution restores those beneficial microorganisms and can produce benefits that include improved nutrient retention, root formation, turf quality, cation-exchange capacity, water-holding ability, heat and disease resistance and more.   Once the mix is added to water (1 cup of mix per 10 gallons of water covers 10 acres of turf), the solution must be brewed for 24 hours. In that time, the mix continually multiplies as each bacterium swims around looking for food, eating, producing waste and multiplying over and over. That brewing and application process requires a few additional items, including a brew tank and pump (which Pure Ag does not sell, but they can connect you to do the company that does) to agitate the mix and keep the food source available to the bacteria. One pump by itself can churn up to 1,600 gallons of the mix.    The cost of the product is about $11.25 per acre. And even with the other equipment needed for brewing and application, the cost per acre remains lows, Stratton says.   "The pump is where the personal interaction takes place," Stratton said.    "You have to keep the food source available to the bacteria. They will swim looking for food, eat, poop and split in two, then swim to find more food. Just one of them will split to to become 256 in less than an hour if you add oxygen."   Simple Soil Solution can be used in heavy doses as part of a recovery plan or as part of a long-term maintenance option.
  • Hall to induct Clearview's Powell
      Larry Powell, superintendent of historic Clearview Golf Club in Canton, Ohio, will be inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame on May 21 in Peachtree City, Georgia.   Powell, 64, will join his sister, Renee, and father, Bill, in the hall of fame. Bill Powell designed, constructed and owned Clearview, which became golf's first integrated course and has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Renee Powell was the second black woman to play on the LPGA Tour.   Larry Powell is in his fourth decade as Clearview's caretaker.   Ohio State's Bug Doc honored
      The Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association and Project EverGreen recently named Ohio State's David Shetlar, Ph.D. as the recipient of the 2016 TOCA Environmental Communicator of the Year Award.   Shetlar, a professor of urban landscape entomology, has been at Ohio State since 1990, and his areas of insect expertise include nurseries, urban landscapes, turfgrass and Christmas trees. The award recognizes individuals in the green industry for outstanding communications efforts about environmental issues. He received the award at Toca's annual meeting held earlier this month in Omaha, Nebraska.   Known as the Bug Doc, Shetlar is universally recognized as a researcher, educator, author and speaker. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology from the University of Oklahoma and a doctorate in entomology from Penn State University.   Previous winners include: 1999 - Mark Welterlen, former publisher Grounds Maintenance magazine; 2000 - Bill Love, W.R. Love Golf Architecture; 2001 - Tim Doppel, Atwood Lawn Care; 2002 - Doug Fender, former executive director, Turfgrass Producers International; 2003 - Allen James, former CEO, RISE; 2004 - Rod Dodson, Audubon International; 2005 - Jeff Gullickson, Spokane Country Club; 2006 - Kevin Trotta, grounds manager/IPM specialist; 2007 - Helen Stone, Southwest Trees & Turf magazine; 2008 - Allied Golf Associations of Colorado; 2009 - Drs. Larry Stowell/Wendy Gelernter, PACE Turf; 2010 - Christopher Gray, formerly Marvel Golf Club; 2011 - Anthony Williams, formerly Marriott Golf and golf course consultant; 2012 - Dr. Frank Rossi, Cornell University; 2013 - Phil Fogarty, Weed Man and Crowley's Vegetation Management; 2014 -Brandon Horvath, University of Tennessee; 2015 - Dr. Brian Horgan, University of Minnesota.   Koch strikes distribution deal with Harrell's
      Koch Turf & Ornamental has named Harrell's as its nationwide distributor for Polyon controlled-release fertilizer in U.S. professional markets.    Harrell's, a Lakeland, Florida-based manufacturer and distributor of products to the professional turf industry, previously was the sole distributor of Polyon fertilizer in professional markets in the eastern United States.   Polyon is a polymer-coated, controlled-release fertilizer through which dissolved nutrients slowly release through diffusion when triggered by ideal soil temperatures. After the complete release of the nutrients, the polymer coating eventually decomposes by microbial activity into naturally occurring soil elements.   Atlantic Golf and Turf adds to sales team
      Atlantic Golf and Turf has named Paul Jamrog and Joe Amone to its sales team.   Jamrog, of Barrington, Rhode Island, will focus on the north shore of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. A former superintendent of more than 30 years, he also has more than two years of direct sales experience.   Arnone, of Ludlow, Massachusetts, will work with customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. He comes to Atlantic after 3 years of experience in the sports turf and landscape markets.   Based in Turner Falls, Massachusetts, Atlantic Golf and Turf is a full-service supplier of seed, fertilizer, surfactants and more to the golf industry.   BioSafe, Anatis Biopretech reach supply chain agreement
      BioSafe Systems has reached an agreement with Anatis Bioprotection of Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur, Quebec, to serve as the supplier for the bioinsecticide BioCeres throughout North America.    BioCeres WP is an insect-pathogenic bioinsecticide using Beauveria bassiana fungus. It sticks to an insect's cuticle (outer shell) infecting the insect to the point of termination.    BioCeres is OMRI listed and broadly labeled for use in both greenhouse and field crops to protect against a variety of insects including aphids, whiteflies, spotted wing drosiphila and thrips.   Anuvia launches new plant nutrient product
      Anuvia Plant Nutrients recently introduced its GreenTRX 16-1-2-17S-3Fe plant nutrient. GreenTRX uses Anuvia's Organic MaTRX slow-release system that mimics soil organic matterto deliver vital nutrients to turf while enriching the soil.   GreenTRX 16-1-2-17S-3Fe represents a sustainable solution for the turf industry and supports the 4R Nutrient Stewardship initiative of the Right fertilizer source, the Right rate, at the Right time and with the Right placement for effective management of nutrient delivery. By using reclaimed organic materials, the Anuvia process produces a highly effective plant nutrient product while supporting the environment and contributing to the circular economy.    For golf courses, GreenTRX 16-1-2-17S-3Fe comes in granular, intermediate and elite sizes and can be applied using standard equipment. Nutrient delivery lasts six to eight weeks. Benefits include better plant nutrient use, excellent turf safety, reduced nutrient loss, even feeding, deep greening and improved soil health.
  • It has taken three golf course superintendents and multiple general managers, but Pasatiempo finally has the water it has been waiting so long for.
      The course in Santa Cruz, California, recently reached a deal with the nearby city of Scotts Valley and the Scotts Valley Water District that guarantees Pasatiempo no less than 35 million gallons of recycled water per year for 30 years. Construction is underway on infrastructure needed to store and pump the water. That work will be completed in about a year, said Pasatiempo superintendent Justin Mandon.   That is welcome news at Pasatiempo, which until recently had been among some of the hardest-hit courses in California's well-chronicled drought.   "Golf is supposed to be firm and fast. The problem was we had lost control of that," Mandon said. "The difference now is that we will have control over firm and fast."   Pasatiempo is the cradle of Alister MacKenzie's designs in the United State. Although it's not his first U.S. undertaking - that title is reserved for the Meadow Club in Marin County - MacKenzie maintained a residence on the course located within sight of the northern end of Monterey Bay.   In response to the drought, the City of Santa Cruz initiated cutbacks of 15 percent to 50 percent during the past two years, resulting in a lot of brown turf. Only recently, in early April, did the city remove restrictions, thanks to an El Nino winter that dropped 40-60 inches of rain on the western slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. That was twice as much as San Jose received on the eastern side of the range, and it was enough to fill the Loch Lomond reservoir, from which the City of Santa Cruz draws much of its water.    Negotiations over recycled water for Pasatiempo have been ongoing with officials in Scotts Valley at least since 2006 when Dean Gump still was the superintendent there. A lot of faces have changed since then, but one thing has remained constant - Pasatiempo's need for water, and there is hard evidence that the idea of running recycled water to the course is one that took hold nearly 40 years ago.   Initially, Scotts Valley officials wanted to trade their dirty water for excess potable water owned by Santa Cruz. Those talks never really went anywhere.   "That was the original plan," Mandon said. "Scotts Valley wanted to trade for freshwater, but Santa Cruz was never interested in that."   The new deal is the result of a lot of hard work by parties on both sides, including Pasatiempo GM Scott Hoyt.   The SVWD treatment plant is 2.5 miles from the golf course. A line that runs from the plant to the Pacific, where it dumps millions of gallons per year, comes within a block of Pasatiempo. A year ago, Mandon unearthed a metered pipe that runs from that line onto golf course property that was installed in 1979 or 1980, according to records. The meter still reads all 0's, but will be ready to go once an underground storage tank and pump station are built at the golf course.   Pasatiempo paid the city of Scotts Valley and the SVWD a total of $1.6 million (that they divvy between them) for the rights to 35 million gallons per year for 30 years.     "This is the biggest home run (the city and water district) have ever hit," Mandon said. "They don't do anything different. We just pull the water before it goes into the ocean and hand them the money."   The water, which will enter the property as secondary treated water, will need an additional layer of filtration and chlorination to reach tertiary status. Mandon hasn't determined who that will be yet. But since the water is secondary treated, it won't require a licensed water professional. In fact, the State Water Resources Control Board provides a standard to maintain and is leaving it Mandon to find a way to reach it.   "They are leaving it up to us. We have to show the test results daily," he said.    "If it doesn't meet those standards, and alarm will sound and the system will shut itself down."   The 35 million gallon annual allotment is just 15 percent of the water the SVWD is discharging through the line that runs past Pasatiempo. And since the golf course is the only customer for that recycled water, it will have access to the excess until other users come forward in the future.   "Right now, it's all excess water," Mandon said. "There are no customers for it.   "This is the easiest thing they've ever had to do."  
  • Bayer Environmental Science has launched an online portal where golf course superintendents can find solutions to various turfgrass issues posted directly by members of the company's Green Solutions Team.   The Talking Turf blog includes a variety of categories in which Bayer's agronomic experts offer solutions relating to cool-season turf, warm-season turf, diseases/fungicides, insects/insecticides, nematodes/nematicides, and weeds/herbicides.   "As any superintendent knows, effective turf management is a non-stop and continuously evolving responsibility," said Laurence Mudge, Green Solutions Team Manager. "We hope the solutions and expertise provided in 'Talking Turf' will help add additional tools to superintendents' arsenals."   Each section features blog posts from the Bayer team that includes Mudge, Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., Zac Reicher, Ph.D., and Derek Settle, Ph.D.   Current topics in the blog include Pythium root rot in cool-season turf, leaf spot and dollar spot in the transition zone, controlling annual bluegrass weevil, controlling goosegrass in warm-season turf and controlling goosegrass in cool-season turf.  
  • 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.

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