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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    A recent VIP visit to a Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex golf course is proof positive of the power of the pen.   Octavio Tripp, the Dallas-based Consul General of Mexico, and Jorge Croda, superintendent at Southern Oaks Golf Club in Burleson, Texas, have known each other for three years.   When  a mutual acquaintance told Tripp that Croda, a finalist for the 2014 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta, also was a published author on the exploits of Hispanics working in the golf industry in the United States, Tripp wanted visit the course south of Fort Worth to help the crew celebrate its successes.   "He sent me an email, asking to come and congratulate the group for doing such a good job," said Croda, a Mexican national living in the U.S. "It's good to show to all Latin people in the United States that we can do good things in this country."   A golfer and an outspoken advocate for immigration reform, Tripp tweeted about the visit to Southern Oaks.     In his third year as superintendent at Southern Oaks, Croda developed a reputation in his native Mexico for reviving golf courses that were otherwise flatlining where playing conditions are concerned. Croda credited a new crew that he hired - and trained - himself as being the difference in the turnaround of Southern Oaks.    "If you take care of your crew, your crew will take care of you," Croda said. "That's the message for the superintendent."  
    I need to understand more about this culture in the United States. If I learn more about it, I can do a better job. If I just say, 'no, no, no, this is my culture and you need to understand me,' that's not true."
      Relating to a mostly Hispanic crew is easy for a superintendent from Mexico. That said, Croda believes what has been accomplished at Southern Oaks still can be a template for success at other courses. Key to that is Americans understanding cultural differences among those from other countries, and vice versa.   "We need to understand (other) cultures. We need to respect that," Croda said. "I teach that to my crew. For Mexican workers in the United States, the motivation is to do better. You can come here, and you can better yourself.   "I need to understand more about this culture in the United States. If I learn more about it, I can do a better job. If I just say, 'no, no, no, this is my culture and you need to understand me,' that's not true."   One thing Croda has learned about the golf culture in the United States is the need for more players, and he's been active player in trying to attract more participants to the game.   A certified First Tee coach, Croda visits local schools where he teaches the organization's core values of honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. The First Tee of Fort Worth operates out of several facilities, and although Southern Oaks is not yet one of them, Croda said he hopes to have youngsters on the course learning more about the game and its values and virtues by next year.
  • Koch Agronomic Services and Eco Agro Resources have reached a settlement in a pending litigation between the companies.
     
    The parties have been involved in litigation since August 13, 2014 when Koch filed a patent-infringement suit against Eco Agro. The latter responded a month later with a countersuit.
     
    Eco Agro is a High Point, North Carolina-based maker of nutrient products for the agriculture and turf markets. With headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, Koch Agronomic Services is a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc.
     
    At issue, according to the suit, was a patent involving enhanced, stabilized nitrogen fertilizer formulated to reduce the dissipation of nitrogen into the air and groundwater. Eco Agros N-Yield product and Koch's Agrotain each contain three ingredients, two of which are the same: N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and propylene glycol. According to the suit, differences in a third ingredient made the products different.
     
    Financial terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
     

  • OnGolf and Playbooks for Golf have reached a strategic partnership that will integrate the latter's Coverage System within OnGolf's cloud-based golf course management platform.
      "Chemical and fertilizer tracking is a tedious, imperative task in the daily management for golf course superintendents, and the Coverage System leaves no room for error, helping with planning, budgeting and regulatory compliance," said Walt Norley, founder and chief executive officer of OnGolf.   "Playbook's Coverage program was developed by smart guys who have deep operational experiences in managing golf courses and the challenges superintendents face daily with this critical operating input."   OnGolf is a cloud-based, data-analytics software program that aggregates key line-item data to help superintendents manage soil conditions, water use, fertilizer and pesticide use, labor and more as efficiently as possibly. Founded by Norley, who brought golf UgMO (Advanced Sensor Technologies) and Matt Shaffer, director of grounds at Merion Golf Club, OnGolf was derived from an existing ag-based platform known as OnFarm.   Founded in 2008, the Playbooks for Golf Coverage System helps users track chemical and fertilizer use, planning and reporting in a timely manner and shows how long each product will last. This agreement offers OnGolf subscribers an opportunity to use our Coverage System software at no additional cost. It streamlines both software into one central location and even feeds some Playbooks data into their dashboard within OnGolf through use of APIs. If a superintendent is interested in the analytics that OnGolf provides, they can now also get all the benefits that Coverage System offers as well.    The Playbooks for Golf Coverage System is designed to save the superintendent time versus using their own spreadsheet formula. The software is continually updated with new features that are directly requested from superintendents.    Designed for use on smartphones, tablets and computers, the system will continue to be available as a standalone product.  
  • Ask just about anyone who knows Brian Boyer and they'll tell you he's pretty innovative, even for a golf course superintendent. But there are some things even Boyer can't do, like pull a rabbit out a hat or draw water from the arid hillsides around San Jose, California. After four years of drought in California, coaxing water from the ground and rodents from a chapeau happen are pretty much the same thing.
      So when the Santa Clara Valley Water District informed Boyer early in 2014 that he had a month to take Cinnabar Hills Golf Club off of surface water in favor of an alternative source, there was just one teensy, weensy problem.    "We don't have an alternative source," Boyer said.    "Folks who didn't have an alternative, they let them stay on."   Recycled water will not be available at Cinnabar Hills at least for another three to five years, according to the SCVWD's five-year plan. Potable isn't an option either. The homes surrounding Cinnabar Hills on the southern reaches of San Jose all are on wells, but attempts to find well water underneath the golf course have come up dry literally. In fact, if not for surface water Boyer treats on site, even the clubhouse restaurant well let's just say there would be no clubhouse restaurant, or bathroom or you get the idea.   "We dug everywhere for wells," Boyer said. "We don't have any."   Oh, by the way, Boyer also was told by SCVWD to cut water use by 20 percent through the remainder of 2014, nearly a year-and-a-half before most other courses throughout the state were ordered to make similar cuts.   "Twenty percent last year, that was hard," Boyer said. "The learning curve was hard.   "I didn't realize what 20 percent meant last year."   Welcome to golf in California where few things are as they appear.     Boyer not only has accepted the challenge thrown down by Cinnabar's water provider, he has since barged his way (figuratively, of course) onto the San Jose water scene, sitting in on just about every SCVWD committee meeting imaginable. At a minimum, he wants to make sure water district officials know who he is and that he wants to do the right thing by them. At most, he wants district officials to know who he is so that they do the right thing by him.   Since late winter of 2014, Boyer and Cinnabar Hills general manager Ron Zraick attend SCVWD board meetings every other Tuesday and attend a host of other committee meetings as well, including those addressing use by landscape professionals and residential users.   "It helped the first day we showed up on Feb. 28, 2014," Boyer said. "One of the two of us has been to all of them. I think there have only been two meetings in a year-and-a-half where both of us weren't there."   Boyer wasn't alone when the SCVWD came around telling courses to get off surface water. Four other courses in Santa Clara County received the same directive early in 2014: Spring Valley Golf Course and Summitpointe Golf Club, both in Milpitas, The Golf Club at Boulder Ridge in San Jose and La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos. All are on the district's Cross Valley Pipeline that also happens to provide water to three treatment plants in the county that supply drinking water to California's third-largest city. And when it comes to drinking water vs. golf, the choice usually is pretty clear.   At La Rinconada in nearby Los Gatos, superintendent Kevin Breen was taken off Santa Clara Valley Water District surface water, only to be put onto a potable source the district sold to the city of San Jose. Additional treatment meant additional cost. Fortunately, he was able to locate an old well near the facility's practice range that, according to records, was first tapped in the 1920s.   Hooking up to the old well which Breen had refurbished as well as the potable backup system, required building a new reservoir and replacing an old booster system with a new MCI pump station to work with La Rinconada's Rain Bird heads and Toro control system.   It's all part of the changes necessary to comply with the state's sweeping attempt to cut urban water use by 25 percent from May 2015 through June 2016. The amount each of the state's 411 urban water providers is required to save can range from 4 percent to 36 percent, with the exact number for each district determined in Sacramento by the state's Water Resources Control Board. Then how each district arrives at its number by targeting any combination of commercial, golf sports turf, landscape and residential users is pretty much up to them as long as they achieve that goal.    SCVWD was ahead of the curve, setting mandatory use restrictions long before the state did. At La Rinconada, Breen learned of 30 percent cutbacks in mid-February when the district left a message on his voicemail telling him he had until March to find a new water source.    "We had to hit the gas pedal and find an alternative source," Breen said.   The well worked perfectly for about five months. '   "We're now using potable water, which was the last option we wanted because it's expensive," he said.   In fact, drinking water, said Breen, is running about three times what he was paying for surface water.   Administration at both La Rinconada and Cinnabar Hills were eager to the right thing and play a positive and responsible role in water management. That support came as a relief to Breen and Boyer.   "In the beginning, I didn't know what the directives from the club were going to be," Boyer said. "Then they got in front of me and said This is what we're doing, we have a commitment to this community to save water.' I didn't say We have to do this.' They told me We have to do this.' "   Meeting the district's demands of cutting use by 30 percent in response to the state-mandated program has meant more than going to meetings and switching sources. For both men, as well as hundreds of other superintendents throughout the state, it has required creativity and an ability to admit that not every inch of turf is going to be green anymore.   Typical areas to receive less or no water are practice ranges, perimeters, roughs and the areas between greens on one hole and tees on the next.   "We're an old parkland course that was watered fence line to fence line in the past, which was very typical of how private, parkland courses would go about things," Breen said.    "It gets difficult in a parkland setting to turn off areas between holes because some holes are really close together. You have to find niches and places where you can do that."   It also has meant taking areas out of management by installing native plants or mulch and making sure water goes only where it is supposed to.     Breen took advantage of a program through the water district that paid $2 per square foot (25,000 square feet maximum) taken out of irrigation. Breen easily reached the maximum and is in the process of finishing a conversion program that has taken out about 12 acres of turf since 2014. Breen also has converted 150 full-circle heads to part circle and changed out more than 500 individual nozzles.   Back at Cinnabar Hills, making the most of the water Boyer has at his disposal has meant cutting back in the roughs, changing irrigation times and duration and implementing some different agronomic practices. The result is a course that is brown around the edges, greens that are as good as ever and fairways that Boyer says are better than they've ever been since he's been there.   Deep watering over light and frequent irrigation, together with more frequent aerification and acid injection to maintain healthy soils and keep nutrients available to the plant have helped Boyer save about 10 percent from his historic water use numbers.     "We've changed our irrigation run times from 9 p.m. to about 12 or 1 a.m. so we have water on the greens through the heat of the day, and that has gotten the tees down to about 50 percent of ET. We used to be at 70 to 80 percent," Boyer said. "The biggest problem here is sodium in our soils, and the acid injection keeps the calcium and magnesium soluble, and it has some nitrogen in it, which provides some green up.   "Our fairways are better than they've ever been since I've been here, and our greens are always good. The rough is dead. That's where we've had to cut. I have a spreadsheet that says here is the percentage of where all water is going, and this is what we have to take away, and it's about 42 percent (of water) on roughs just for everything else to stay decent."   Boyer looks forward to the day when the water district makes recycled or indirect potable water (treated water that is just this side of toilet to tap) available.   "Those are the keys for us in my opinion," he said.   In the meantime, he'll continue to attend water district meetings.   "When you can put a face to a name, it makes it hard to say no," he said. "We're trying to do the right thing and be representative of the golf industry, and they know that. We have a good relationship, and that is going to be huge for getting recycled water here."   This part of a multi-part series on golf and water in California.
  • Syngenta recently added new enhancements and tools to GreenCastOnline.com, its informational and education online portal for professionals in the turf and ornamental industries. Users now can access product and program information, technical tips and an extensive collection of agronomic tools from smartphones and tablets.
      "Delivering information in the most convenient way for our customers is important to Syngenta," said Tripp Trotter, head of marketing for turf and ornamentals at Syngenta. "We know they spend most of their time outside the office and weve seen a substantial increase in mobile traffic on GreenCast, so making key tools and information easily available on mobile devices is essential."    With this redesign, the GreenCast Online Web site now is optimized for use on mobile devices or tablets, allowing users to easily browse the Syngenta product portfolio, read articles from Syngenta technical experts and university contributors, subscribe to e-newsletters and more.    Additionally, the golf, lawn and landscape, sports turf and aquatics resources have been updated with featured tools and a product selector to navigate by product type or target pest and easily search labels.    Users also can find information on agronomic programs that can be customized by geographic location, turf type, program type and rotation. The maps section provide information on pest outlook, soil temperatures, growing degree days and weather forecasts that also can be customized by location.  
  • When a real-life teachable moment arises, Bruce Martin, Ph.D., likes to think he is pretty quick to seize upon such an opportunity to make turfgrass studies more relevant for his students at Clemson University.
      One of those moments appeared this year when torrential rains resulted in flooding of Biblical proportions that inundated roads and highways, washed away farms and closed golf courses throughout much of South Carolina.   Those rains as much as 30 or so inches in a month in some parts of the state on already-wet golf courses resulted in pronounced disease pressure, much of which occurred outside the historic windows of opportunity. Those conditions also provided an up close and personal look at plant disease triangle that enveloped almost an entire state.   "It's always best if you can give (students) real-case scenarios when possible," said Martin, the university's turfgrass pathologist. "With the pathogen and environment and interaction, it was a beautiful disease triangle.   "But there was enough pain to go around."   Golf courses throughout much of South Carolina already were wet and saturated when October brought nearly 6 months of rain in less than 30 days. That was an unwelcome addition to Bermudagrass greens that already had begun the process of shutting down for the winter.   "The bentgrass took it all fine, but the Bermuda didn't," Martin said. "The Bermuda was already starting to shut down for the year, and Pythium is going to take advantage of that. The most dramatic damage, and it's too bad, occurred on Bermudagrass greens with poor drainage; low-budget courses with push-up greens. From that standpoint, it was classic."   The presence of diseases such as Pythium blight during what typically are stress-free times of the year, Martin said, probably caught a lot of superintendents and chemical companies off guard. Few if any chemistries, however, could stand up to the conditions wrought on South Carolina in October.   "I'm sure the chemical companies received a lot of complaints. But there was nothing anyone could do for from a preventive standpoint," Martin said. "I can't imagine anything that could have held this back."   Contact and systemic fungicides coupled with warmer-than-average temperatures that filled in behind the rains providing Bermuda with a chance to rebound.    Michrodochium patch and diseases linked to low fertility such as dollar spot and leaf spot, also were an issue as nutrients were flushed through the soil in rapid fashion.   "On sandy greens with a low cation-exchange capacity, the more water you have, the more nutrients are going to go with it," he said. "And if those nutrients are not replenished, you're going to have low-fertility diseases."   Impromptu fertility tests at Clemson's Pee-Dee Research and Education Center in Florence have reinforced those findings.   "We've been doing some fertility tests there, and I really like what I've been seeing," Martin said.    "I'm using this in class from here on out. Now, will the students remember it? Probably not, but they will remember it when it happens to them again in the field after they become superintendents."
  • When members at Highlands Falls Country Club had a vacant room in their clubhouse that served no purpose, it was Fred Gehrisch, CGCS, who responded, turning the vacant room into a shrine honoring the club's history and its golf course architect.  
      When the village of Highlands, North Carolina needed help clearing a lot to build a municipal park, Gehrisch was there. When the village needed help planting trees to beautify its downtown district, again it turned to Gehrisch.    Gehrisch goes above and beyond the normal call of a superintendent when it comes to serving members at the club where he works and the residents of the town where he resides. It's why he was named the 2014 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year at this year's Golf Industry Show in San Antonio.   Since 2000, the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta has been honoring Gehrisch and others like him for their ability to excel at the following criteria: labor management, maximizing budget limitations, educating and advancing the careers of colleagues and assistants, negotiating with government agencies, preparing for tournaments under unusual circumstances, service to golf clientele, upgrading or renovating the course and dealing with extreme or emergency conditions.   Nominations for his successor can be made by clicking here, but hurry, the nomination deadline is Dec. 11.   The winner will be chosen from a list of finalists determined by our panel of judges from across the golf industry and named during next year's Golf Industry Show in San Diego. The winner will receive a trip for two to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, courtesy of presenting sponsor Syngenta.   Previous winners include: Chad Mark, Kirtland Country Club, Willoughby, Ohio (2013), Dan Meersman, Philadelphia Cricket Club (2012); Paul Carter, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay, Harrison, Tennessee (2011); Thomas Bastis, The California Golf Club of San Francisco (2010); Anthony Williams, Stone Mountain (Georgia) Golf Club (2009); Sam MacKenzie, Olympia Fields (Illinois) Country Club (2008); John Zimmers, Oakmont (Pennsylvania) Country Club (2007); Scott Ramsay, Golf Course at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (2006); Mark Burchfield, Victoria Club, Riverside, California (2005); Stuart Leventhal, Interlachen Country Club, Winter Park, Florida (2004); Paul Voykin, Briarwood Country Club, Deerfield, Illinois (2003); Jeff Burgess, Seven Lakes Golf Course, Windsor, Ontario (2002); Kip Tyler, Salem (Massachusetts) Country Club (2001); Kent McCutcheon, Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (2000).  
  • The California Department of Food and Agriculture has certified two soil amendment products from The Andersons as meeting the standards for Organic Input Material in California.   Humic DG and Black Gypsum DG are humic acid-based soil amendment products designed to enhance soil microbial activity and increase the uptake of applied nutrients. The California regulatory certification meets the requirements of the National Organic Program standards. Both products already carry OMRI listings for organic use.   Humic DG and Black Gypsum DG feature The Andersons patented Dispersing Granule Technology that provides dry, spherical, and easy-to-apply granules that dissolve quickly into thousands of micro particles upon contact with water. Humic DG and Black Gypsum DG can be applied through variable rate technology equipment, or directly applied in in-furrow, bedding, broadcast or strip tillage methods. Humic DG and Black Gypsum DG also can be blended into all fertilizers materials, including urea.   Both can be used in a wide range of applications including fine turf and ornamental uses.     The Organic Input Material Program registers fertilizing materials to be used in organic crop and food production. The program is mandated by the California legislature, and products purported to be appropriate for use in organic production are verified to comply with the California Fertilizing Materials Law and Regulations and USDA National Organic Program Standards.  

  • The face of OTF

    By John Reitman, in News,

    It takes more than just a collection of eager and willing scientists to conduct research and communicate the results to professional turf managers. It takes money, organization and support from throughout the turf and ornamental industry. It also requires someone to pull those pieces together so golf course superintendents, sports turf managers and lawn and landscape professionals can stay up to date with results from the most current research data available through events such as university field days and regional and national turf conferences.
      For the past five years, Brian Laurent has been that person for the 50-year-old Ohio Turfgrass Foundation. The son of a golf course superintendent, the 35-year-old Laurent is an Ohio State alumnus with a degree in communications whose goal is to promote turfgrass research, education and advocacy across the state through events such as the OTF Research Field Day and the upcoming OTF Conference and Show, both of which are held in cooperation with his alma mater. Through such programs, OTF raises funds to help support research efforts by the university's turf research department.   "Brian has done a great job of communicating with the turf industry in Ohio and of being our cheerleader to those groups," said Pam Sherratt, sports turf specialist at Ohio State. "He has helped promote our research and education programs by producing videos and articles and social media postings about the turf program, as well as physically helping me to host events like the sports turf short course."   The relationship between OTF and OSU is one of codependence. In fact, the foundation and OSU's turf research staff share the same building on the school's research farm on the northwest edge of campus. OTF funded the construction of the building complete with offices, lab facilities, as well as chemical and equipment storage areas 20 years ago then donated the structure to the university.    "The simple part of the relationship is that they are our primary benefactor. Part of our mission is to support the research efforts of the team at Ohio State," Laurent said. "For the past 50 years, we've done this by providing individual projects with grant money. We've built a state-of-the-art research building for Ohio State and serve as the primary source of funding for the operation of the research facility. Part of why I do what I do is because I believe deeply in the turf team at Ohio State. They're exceptionally talented at what they do and are sincere in their efforts to provide industry professionals with information to make their jobs a little easier. They go out of their way to provide us (OTF) with articles and information that we can distribute to our members and are regular contributors at our events throughout the year."   Working on behalf of the golf industry is nothing new to Laurent. His father, Terry, is co-owner and superintendent at Cross Creek Golf Club in Decatur, Indiana, and previously spent 17 years as director of golf courses and grounds at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.   The younger Laurent worked as an assistant pro, or "shirt folder" as he called it, at Hawthorns Golf and Country Club before moving on to become head pro at Cross Creek when his father bought the club in 2005. He also cut his teeth on the business side of sports selling sponsorships for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League and the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets after he and wife Kristi returned to Columbus.   It was only a matter of time before he also returned to an industry that helped serve the game of golf and those who work in it.   Laurent joined OTF as its executive director for "the opportunity to surround myself with the people of this industry," he said. "It's been a part of my life for nearly 30 years, and I've developed many relationships within the industry while attending various events with my dad. The idea of being involved with such an extraordinary group of people was a big draw for me. Additionally, the turf industry has provided me with many opportunities, and it's extremely rewarding to give back to the industry in some capacity."   His position with OTF includes attending legislative meetings at the state capitol in Columbus, planning and implementing OTF events, running board of directors meetings, generating email and video content to deliver to members and more. With just one other staff member, Laurent relies on volunteers and others to help him reach those goals.   "He takes a leadership role during our annual research field day and always extends a professional arm to industry collaborators and sponsors," Sherratt said. "In essence, he's the gel that connects us to the turf industry in Ohio, and I for one consider him part of the OSU turf team."   The upcoming OTF Conference and Show, scheduled for Dec. 7-10 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, is one of the country's largest regional turf conferences. The OTF show typically includes a keynote speaker with ties to Ohio State. This year's speaker is OSU wrestling coach Tom Ryan, who in March guided the Buckeyes to their first national championship on the mat. Past speakers during Laurent's OTF tenure have included former Buckeye and Detroit Lion Chris Spielman, former OSU All-America basketball player Jerry Lucas and ex-Buckeyes football coach Jim Tressell, who led the led Ohio State to the 2002 national championship. Those keynote talks have helped drive show attendance among turf managers from around Ohio and throughout the Midwest.   The launch of a mobile app at last year's show brought conference schedules, programs and other information directly to each attendee carrying a smartphone.   "Brian Lauren has been an innovative leader who has done an excellent job of infusing ideas that have improved programming for members and funding opportunities for Ohio State," said associate professor David Gardner, Ph.D.   "He is very creative, motivated and it is apparent that he has a passion for our industry and OTF."
  • Advanced Scoreboards and its taskTracker technology now is a key feature in the OnGolf cloud-based turf management system.
      TaskTracker is ASB's labor-management software system that was developed by a golf course superintendent and a golf pro that helps users save time and financial resources by monitoring and helping manage hours worked and associated costs.   In an industry where labor is the single largest line item in the budget, knowing where and how dollars are spent is important. Budget cuts often can be made randomly by those with a limited knowledge of the industry. TaskTracker provides superintendents with another tool to monitor and manage manhours and labor costs. It also provides superintendents with data they can present to boards and committees to illustrate how budget decisions might affect golf course conditions.   "Labor is approximately 65 percent of a golf course's budget, so it was essential for us to find the right software program that presents the most relevant labor information in the most easy-to-use format," said OnGolf co-founder and chief executive officer Walt Norley. "ASB's taskTracker was developed by people who understand golf course management and the criticalness of labor management efficiencies. On its own, taskTracker has already proven successful in saving both money and time with both high- and lower-budget courses. Under the OnGolf umbrella, superintendents and their staff can now see labor manhours and dollars as they relate to water management, pesticides and nutrient applications, weather and playing conditions. With taskTracker software as an embedded feature, the OnGolf platform casts an even wider net in its money-saving abilities and actionable insights."   OnGolf is a cloud-based, data-analytics software program that aggregates key line-item data to help superintendents manage soil conditions, water use, fertilizer and pesticide use, labor and more as efficiently as possibly.   Founded by Norley, who brought golf UgMO (Advanced Sensor Technologies) and Matt Shaffer, director of grounds at Merion Golf Club, OnGolf was derived from an existing ag-based platform known as OnFarm.   TaskTracker, which is based on years of experience of drawing on and erasing white boards, was developed by Gerald Flaherty, CGCS, and PGA professional Jaime Sharp.   Said Flaherty: "I now go into a boardroom feeling more powerful than I ever did before."
  • Aqua-Aid has named Mark Langner, CGCS, as its director of business development. 
      For the past 12 years, Langner was director of agronomy at Farm Links Golf Club in Sylacauga, Alabama. There he hosted more than 10,000 turf managers from throughout the country and around the world at Farm Links, which served as a research laboratory for testing a variety of turf management products and equipment.    "Aqua-Aid has many moving parts, achieving tremendous growth over the past few years with our surfactants, Verde-Cal, and the Campey Imants line of equipment," said Sam Green, chief operating officer of Aqua-Aid. "Mark's unique background and his experience managing a variety of grasses in a research surrounding will be a huge benefit to our distributors and end users around the world for all aspects of our business. We look forward to Mark utilizing his knowledge and experience to continue to grow our portfolio."    Aqua-Aid Inc. is the parent company for Aqua-Aid surfactants, Verde-Cal calcium and potassium products, and North American importer for the Campey Imants turf equipment.  
  • It is plainly obvious that members at Desert Highlands love their golf course. In fact, that's what they tell superintendent Phil Shoemaker all day.
      "And I never get tired of hearing it," said Shoemaker, who has been superintendent at the private Scottsdale club - for the second time - since 1999.   Conditions like those found at Desert Highlands do not just happen. They are the result of years of trial and error, as well as working with academia, local government agencies and other superintendents from throughout Scottsdale.    Although overseeding is pretty much a thing of the past in many parts of the country, it remains a necessity in Scottsdale and likely will for some time to come. And it remains a practice that the success of which is highly dependent on weather.    "Thanksgiving to Easter are our money months," said Shoemaker, who also was superintendent at Desert Highlands from 1982-86. "We've gotta have the ryegrass then.   "Sometimes we hit the weather just right. Sometimes it's a test. This year was a test. Ten days after seeding we had record-high temperatures, then rain for a couple of days, which I'll take, then near-record highs again."   And sometimes, that is easier said than done since so much of the success of overseeding depends on weather.   Shoemaker has redefined conditions at Desert Highlands through a regimen that includes an aggressive fairway topdressing program, helping to lead an effort that resulted in better quality recycled water and eliminating some of the cultural practices associated with overseeding that made the process more challenging.   About a decade ago, Shoemaker began a program that included covering the fairways with heavy amounts of sand. The next five-six years included changing out turf in the fairways, upgrades to the water source and eliminating the aggressive verticutting in advance of overseeding. The reason for the changes were native soils that were so hard they also served as the base for roads in Scottsdale they would barely drain the few times a year in Arizona when it does rain.    In those early days, sand was applied at rates of up to 100 tons per acre that helped raise the profile about 3 inches per year. Today, Shoemaker, who has taken the profile up about 7 inches, continues topdressing 40 acres of fairways two times per year with as much as 800 tons of sand per application.   He also has stopped aggressive verticutting in advance of overseeding, a tip he picked up several years ago at the urging of former Texas A&M professor Milt Engelke, Ph.D.   "Milt bugged me for a couple of years to quit doing all that verticutting and mowing," Sheomaker said. "When you do that, you take out all the Bermuda and there is nothing to come back the next spring. You're taking all the carbs away from the plant.    "The ryegrass is going to grow anyway. This way it might take a little longer, but it's going to fill in."   When Shoemaker arrived at Desert Highlands, the quality of Scottsdale's recycled water was so poor that keep the course lush and green like members demand was a challenge. About six years ago, Shoemaker and superintendents from the other 20 or so courses in the North Scottsdale Corridor approached the water utility for a solution. The provider agreed to upgrade the treatment plant, at the expense of local golf courses, to include a mix of water that has undergone reverse osmosis, which cut the number of dissolved salts in half. During the summer, when recycled water supplies run short when snowbirds return north, the utility pumps in water from the Colorado River through a system of canals that run to the Phoenix area.   "I had to tell members that I needed two years to reclaim that soil after 20 years of pumping bad water on them," he said. "It's not just like flipping a switch. Each year, it started getting better."   Match that cleaner water with a fairway turf mix that includes three Canadian ryegrasses as well as 20 percent Chewings fescue that Shoemaker went to two seasons ago, and transition is a bit easier.   "When the temps hit 90 in the spring, the fescue is going to choke out, and suddenly 20 percent of my grass is gone, and that helps get the Bermuda going," he said.    "Transition here used to be horrible. I mean appallingly horrible. I regrouped on the agronomy program, and now you don't even notice the golf course transition from one grass to another. It's basically green all year.   "For the last four years now, it's actually been fun."  
  • Developing a spray program can be a daunting experience for a golf course superintendent. Putting together a program that accounts for various types of pests on different turf types throughout the golf course that change with the seasons can be a lot to absorb for anyone. It doesn't have to be that way, says one former superintendent who speaks from a great deal of experience.
      "Spray programs, fungicides, fertility, herbicides, insecticides, greens, tees, fairways, approaches and roughs: All of a sudden it can get very overwhelming," said Eric Greytok. "It doesn't have to be that way. You can simplify it."   In his 15 years as a superintendent, Greytok was the youngest host greenkeeper for not just one but two U.S. Open Championships at Pebble Beach Golf Links in 2000 and again at Winged Foot Golf Club in 2006. Now the national sales director for Macro-Sorb Technologies and SMS Additive Solutions, he also has worked at places like Merion, Congressional and Riviera. In that time, he's had a lot of success stories, and a lot of failures, he said to a group of assistant superintendents gathered recently at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California.   When developing a spray program, Greytok says it pays to think like a journalist and ask the five W's.   "You have to know the who, what, where, when and why for everything you are going to treat, whether it's an insect, fungus or weed. You really have to become informed about what you're going to do, why you're going to do it and how you're going to do it," Greytok said. "The No. 1 thing to do in my opinion is to learn everything you can about the target. You have to understand the cause of what you are treating."   During his days as a superintendent, Greytok said he would use a pair of 4-foot-by-8-foot dry-erase boards to would label each area of the golf course, noting historical issues or challenges for each. He then shared the information to his assistants and interns to research.   "The No. 1 thing in my opinion is to learn everything you can about that target. Understand the cause," he said.   "We'd sit down and hash it out. We researched each area and decided what we needed to do with insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and fertilizers. Then we broke down each area for winter, spring, summer and fall."   If the same turf-related problem historically recurs in the same area "you need to delve into why it is happening, organize your information and come up with a game plan," he said. Often, that game plan might include cultural practices that help alleviate some of these problems without the need for chemical applications.   "Sometimes when applying a pesticide, you are seeing the end result of something because of something else," he said. "You need to go back and ask, Why am I seeing anthracnose? Why am I seeing salt build up?' You need to start asking yourself those questions to stop it from happening. Applying pesticides are just the result of not fixing the cause of the problem."   Greytok suggests keeping detailed records and, in the case of a job change, examining records of predecessors, discussing conditions with other staff members and other departments from throughout the operation such as the golf pro.   "You have to understand what you are trying to control and what causes these issues. You need to know what causes Pythium blight, you need to understand rapid blight," he said.   "Look at USGA reports, consultant reports, historical records and ask why it happened. Was it a board that wouldn't let the superintendent aerate, or didn't like topdressing? If it's something like that, then you might have to change the culture to take care of the problems you have."   He suggests testing all new products on a nursery or practice green before turning them lose on the golf course.   "The worst feeling in the world is pulling something off the shelf, knowing nothing about it and having to trust it," he said. "But that happens, and it will happen to you. But if you can test things prior to that you will sleep a lot better. It's not a good feeling when you go to bed thinking I hope it's all right in the morning.'   "If you understand the mode of action, what you are trying to control, when you're trying to control it, you'll save yourself a headache, you'll save yourself some money and you'll save yourself some sleep."   If something didn't work, further investigation was warranted. He recalled a time when he couldn't coax more than three days of Pythium control from a popular fungicide. Further tests revealed pH levels of 10. After adding a buffer that cut those levels nearly in half, he was able to extend coverage to about a week.   "Fungicides are really sensitive to pH," he noted. "If the pH in your water is too high, you might only get five days or less of control."   "I should have checked the water first."  
    I thought the Bermuda was dormant enough. It wasn't. Coming out of winter, it wasn't so pretty, but it was the best thing I learned."
      Timing is equally important, particularly on the West Coast and throughout much of the Sun Belt that have a year-round golf season and where there might be multiple preventive and curative herbicide apps throughout the year.   He's learned some lessons the hard way, including applying a liquid herbicide to offseason Bermuda that was still actively growing.   "I thought the Bermuda was dormant enough. It wasn't," he said. "Coming out of winter, it wasn't so pretty, but it was the best thing I learned."   During his years as a superintendent, Greytok called in chits when developing his spray programs.    "Contact your pathologist, call in chemical company reps and salesmen, call the person who sold the product and ask what people are mixing with it. Don't be afraid to ask questions, because it's your ass at the end of the day," he said. "Make sure you know where you're putting it and why."   He also used chemical reps, members of academia, consultants and even fellow superintendents to help him write his spray program.   "It doesn't mean you have to use any of them," he said. "But let them help you. You don't have to do it all yourself."
  • Ever wonder what to do with those old irrigation parts?   For superintendents in California and Texas, the answer just got a little simpler.   Hunter Industries and Ewing Irrigation are partnering in those two states to test a new sprinkler-recycling program that they hope gives new life to old sprinklers and keep them out of landfills.   All plastic Hunter rotors and spray head sprinklers - except those with stainless steel sleeves and Hunter's G80 series - will be collected at most Ewing stores in both states where collection bins already are in use.    Reusable materials from the collected sprinklers will be reclaimed and used by Hunter to manufacture new products. This recycling program is being offered at least through March 31, 2016.   To recycle your Hunter sprinklers, check with a Ewing location in California or Texas for drop-off availability.  
  • Stress related to crossing swords with an angry member on the golf course can trigger emotions similar to those one might experience when being chased by a bear, says one expert on managing workplace stress. 
      The difference between stress that comes with the threat of being devoured by a foul-tempered carnivorous beast and that which is caused by coming face to face with a bear is that, all joking aside, a bear encounter, for better or worse, typically comes to an abrupt end, while troubles on the golf course can nag all day. The inability to relieve this stress can have lasting negative health effects, said Cory Rosenberg of the Outpatient Behavioral Services department of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, at the recent Northern California Golf Association Assistant Superintendent Bootcamp.   Stress triggers an autonomic response known in the scientific community as Fight or Flight. Thrust into survival mode by some sort of acute stress, the brain sends a message to the adrenal gland that releases adrenaline into the system triggering a waterfall of physiological responses, such as dilated pupils, increased heart rate, faster breathing and muscles that are flush with blood as the body prepares to either fight the bear real or figurative or run from it. Learning how to manage that stress can be the difference between a life and career that are long and successful or those that end all too quickly, Rosenberg said. And the cure might be a lot easier than you think.   "Fight or Flight is good for short periods of time because it helps us get out of certain situations, so you can run away from the bear," Rosenberg said. "But what happens if the bear follows you onto the golf course and follows you around all day? That would be pretty stressful."   That lingering stress happens on the golf course all the time. Workers no-show, equipment breaks down as do irrigation lines as well as lines of communication, resulting in myriad problems with no easy fix. But just because the problems can follow assistant superintendents and others around a golf course all day, it doesn't mean the stress has to accompany it.     "You can't control when equipment breaks down. You can't control when someone on your staff is sick. And you can't control the drought. These are all things outside your control. That is the first component of stress," Rosenberg said. "The second component of stress is how we react to it."   Unresolved stress leads to a host of problems. For example, a rigid posture with locked knees impedes the flow of blood back out of the lower legs. And too much blood in the extremities for long periods of time translates to a shortage of blood in the brain, and that can compromise critical thinking. Glucose, which is released by the body to fuel short, quick bursts of energy during bear encounters and other crises, can cause long-term damage to blood vessels in those who make a habit of living with stress rather than managing it.    Turns out, the body has answers for that.    When Rosenberg asked bootcamp attendees how they managed stress, smoking and drinking were two common answers. Although both can produce the desired effects, there are better ways to take the edge off a rough day, she said.   "Smoking is convenient, and it's pretty effective she said. It's simultaneously relaxing and energizing, and it allows you to take a break," she said. "But it is bad for you."   Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress because physical activity also purges all those chemicals from the system, she said.   Alcohol consumption triggers the release of a chemical called GABA, which reduces neuron activity in the brain, producing a calming effect that comes when it's 5 o-clock somewhere. This also is the source for impaired thinking and motor skills that accompany alcohol consumption.   Too much GABA knocks the body out of equilibrium, resulting in the release of glutamate. That chemical counteracts GABA in an attempt to bring the body back to center. These forces working against each other, especially when the flow of alcohol has stopped, are responsible for feelings of agitation after a night of drinking has ended, Rosenberg said.    "Your body doesn't like that feeling that comes with the release of too much GABA," Rosenberg said.   "The two chemicals are opposite and work against each other because your body likes to be in balance."   Exercise, deep breathing through your mouth, proper diet, nurturing relationships with others and getting plenty of rest, she said, are much healthier solutions to beating stress.   "The No. 1 thing I tell people to do when they are stressed is to breath deeply," Rosenberg said. "People always say, Cory, you have to be kidding. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard,' " she said. "But it works."   And the results, she said, can last a lifetime.   "Stress takes a toll physically, and it is cumulative over years and wears down your body," she said.   "The key to stress management is being aware of what is going on in your body when the stress is happening. So often, what happens is you go into crisis mode when you have a problem to solve. You don't take time to notice what is going on with your body. You have to notice what is going on with your body in the moment."

  • News and people briefs

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Collett named Georgia GCSA Superintendent of the Year
      Berry Collett, CGCS, director of golf course maintenance at Sea Island Golf Club on St. Simons Island, has been named the recipient of this year's Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association Superintendent of the Year award.    Collett is host superintendent for the PGA Tour's McGladrey Classic, Nov. 16-22. He oversees four courses at Sea Island, where he has worked for 15 years. He was nominated by former employee Chuck Moore, who is now superintendent at The King and Prince Golf Club. I think at one time or another just about every superintendent in this area has worked for Berry, Moore says. The best thing about Berry is he is always there to help with advice if called upon.    Collett will receive the award Nov. 9 at the Georgia GCSA annual awards banquet at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.     Seedway acquires Merritt Seed
      Seedway LLC recently acquired the assets of family-owned Merritt Seed Co. Located in Baldwinsville, New York, Merritt Seed was owned by Stanley Boots for more than 60 years.   Longtime Merritt employee Matt Bartkowiak, who will operate the business from Lysander, will be responsible for serving golf courses, municipalities, school districts and contractors.   Seedway also has a long history in the turf business, offering turf seed varieties as well as proprietary and custom seed mixtures, mulch, fertilizer, erosion-control products and more. Seedway also has offices in Trumansburg and Mecklenburg, New York, Shoreham, Vermont as well as Mifflinburg, Emmaus and Elizabethtown in Pennsylvania, Pelham, Georgia and Lakeland, Florida.   Rounds played inch up in September
      The number of year-over-year rounds of golf played in the United States in September rose by 1.2 percent, marking the sixth time in nine months that more rounds were played compared to the same month last year.   Year-to-date rounds played are up 0.7 percent through September compared with the first nine months of 2014, according to Golf Datatech Monthly Golf Rounds Played Report.   The biggest gains were made in South Carolina and Wisconsin, where play was up 11 percent; followed by Michigan, up 10 percent; then Colorado, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, all up by 7 to 9 percent in September.   The worst losses were in Arkansas, down 13 percent.

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