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  • John Reitman

    The Rose Bowl is more than just a job for this extended family

    By John Reitman

    FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM AT INSTAGRAM.COM/TURFNET FOR MORE PHOTOS   There is a sign posted on the fence leading onto the Rose Bowl field that reads "Please pardon our mess. We're trying to grow grass." There is perhaps no place in the country better at doing just that. But what happens inside that fence is about a lot more than just growing grass. The team charged with producing the world's most famous field is a tightly knit group that redefines the term extended family. After near
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Cam Cooper - Interning in Ireland
 

Hand Topdressing Tees

We’ve been busy at Mt. Juliet with hand topdressing tees. I’ve never hand top dressed anything before so this was another new experience for me. At Mt. J. we hand top dress greens, every other week (lightly) and tees after hollow coring. On Tuesday I was actually throwing the sand down with a shovel, following the aerator. We went fairly thick on the tees, and because of pop-up showers, it was difficult at times for the sand to dry out. After the sand was thrown down we raked them with a bunker
Peter McCormick

Peter McCormick

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Cam Cooper - Interning in Ireland
 

Hand Topdressing Tees

We’ve been busy at Mt. Juliet with hand topdressing tees. I’ve never hand top dressed anything before so this was another new experience for me. At Mt. J. we hand top dress greens, every other week (lightly) and tees after hollow coring. On Tuesday I was actually throwing the sand down with a shovel, following the aerator. We went fairly thick on the tees, and because of pop-up showers, it was difficult at times for the sand to dry out. After the sand was thrown down we raked them with a bunker
Peter McCormick

Peter McCormick

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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

Neutralizing The Irrational Member

Something dark and evil has triggered a mysterious surge in the number of Irrational Member incidents on golf courses everywhere. Irrational Member Syndrome, (IMS) can strike anywhere, especially during the summer stress period.  Oddly enough, IMS is more prevalent at the finest courses, those that are maintained at such a high level that it is hard to find fault with the course playability, aesthetics or budget management.  When the GCS at this type of facility is attacked by an Irrational Mem
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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

Best/Worst Hobby # 7

Now men . . . Here at The Rock, we are proud to present the latest segment of Best and Worst Hobbies for the GCS. Today, we cover #7, a hobby capable of combining work with fun and stress reduction. Also, included free in the film are several tips for GCS success and one Rockbottum technique for smoothing over pro shop mistakes. Mystic Order of Greenkeeper CEU points will be offered, if you can pass the MOG test administered at the TurfNet Trip to Bandon Dunes in October.
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Dr. Frank Rossi: Frankly Speaking
 

Unintended Consequences

The pressure to produce flawlessly consistent playing conditions is stressful on biological organisms, i.e., plants and people. We seek any solution to enhance plant health when “backed into a corner” with weak turf, poor growing environments, stress from close mowing, etc. Sometimes these solutions help, other times they have unintended consequences. All the rage this year about Bacterial Wilt/ Decline has me wondering about these unintended consequences when it comes to our obsession with pla
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Dr. Frank Rossi: Frankly Speaking
 

Unintended Consequences

The pressure to produce flawlessly consistent playing conditions is stressful on biological organisms, i.e., plants and people. We seek any solution to enhance plant health when backed into a corner with weak turf, poor growing environments, stress from close mowing, etc. Sometimes these solutions help, other times they have unintended consequences.   All the rage this year about Bacterial Wilt/ Decline has me wondering about these unintended consequences when it comes to our obsession with pl
Frank Rossi

Frank Rossi

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Dave Wilber: Turfgrass Zealot
 

Summertime Feeding?

The common question that I seem to be getting in the last few weeks has to do with feeding greens. While there can’t be a universal rule set for all the different climates we all work in, there are a few things that I like to see happen for best practice summer stress conditioning. For me, consistency is key. Set your feeding schedule and stick to it. Sure, sometime things happen, but when we are doing it right, there isn’t much Nitrogen involved and so growth isnt a big deal. Speaking of gr
Dave Wilber

Dave Wilber

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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The Big Questions In Golf

As a veteran of several rain free summers–while in marginal control of a golf course–I learned what most Golf Course Superintendents go through in the early days of August. The GCS in the heat of August lives in a narrow, time-sensitive world, a place where attention to detail and quick reactions are critical. During a hellish summer like this one, the GCS does not have time to read long articles full of charts and equations or watch another endless wobbly 7 minute video of talking heads discu
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Cam Cooper - Interning in Ireland
 

Road Trip to Lahinch!

This weekend I’m off to Lahinch to watch a friend, Robbie Farrell, play in the South Ireland Amateur Open. It took us over three hours to make the drive out west to the course and made it late afternoon on Friday for a practice round. Alan Furness, who also works at Mt. J, will be caddying for him for the tournament. I got to walk around and see the course, and even hit a few drives. The course is unbelievable and I can see why its on so many peoples lists of courses they need to play when there
Peter McCormick

Peter McCormick

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Cam Cooper - Interning in Ireland
 

Road Trip to Lahinch!

This weekend I’m off to Lahinch to watch a friend, Robbie Farrell, play in the South Ireland Amateur Open. It took us over three hours to make the drive out west to the course and made it late afternoon on Friday for a practice round. Alan Furness, who also works at Mt. J, will be caddying for him for the tournament. I got to walk around and see the course, and even hit a few drives. The course is unbelievable and I can see why its on so many peoples lists of courses they need to play when there
Peter McCormick

Peter McCormick

0
Cam Cooper - Interning in Ireland
 

The Fastest Game on Grass

“King Henry” Shefflin, widely regarded as one of the greatest hurling players of all-time. Before I came to Ireland I knew little about Gaelic sports. The most popular one in Co. Kilkenny is hurling. Its a lightning fast game that, as best as I can describe it, is a mix between, lacrosse, hockey, soccer, and Gaelic football. Fans go absolutely wild for this amateur sport. Kilkenny is the best hurling team in Ireland, being perennial favorites every year and winning the All-Ireland championshi
Peter McCormick

Peter McCormick

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Cam Cooper - Interning in Ireland
 

The Fastest Game on Grass

“King Henry” Shefflin, widely regarded as one of the greatest hurling players of all-time. Before I came to Ireland I knew little about Gaelic sports.The most popular one in Co. Kilkenny is hurling. Its a lightning fast game that, as best as I can describe it, is a mix between, lacrosse, hockey, soccer, and Gaelic football. Fans go absolutely wild for this amateur sport. Kilkenny is the best hurling team in Ireland, being perennial favorites every year and winning the All-Ireland championship
Peter McCormick

Peter McCormick

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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The RDIV and Other Irrigation Secrets

No matter what Momma says, I still consider myself an irrigation repair genius, an idiot savant in the field of quick, effective fixes.  (Momma says only one of those words applies.) Because I worked on the world’s supply of sorry, miserable, numbskull-designed irrigation systems, I learned a lot about fixing broken lines, serial pin-holes and mysterious pressure drops in hydraulic tubes; I also compiled a list of crooked contractors who installed worthless, previously failed parts, drew up fan
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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The RDIV and Other Irrigation Secrets

No matter what Momma says, I still consider myself an irrigation repair genius, an idiot savant in the field of quick, effective fixes.  (Momma says only one of those words applies.)   Because I worked on the world’s supply of sorry, miserable, numbskull-designed irrigation systems, I learned a lot about fixing broken lines, serial pin-holes and mysterious pressure drops in hydraulic tubes; I also compiled a list of crooked contractors who installed worthless, previously failed parts, drew up
Randy Wilson

Randy Wilson

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Dr. Frank Rossi: Frankly Speaking
 

I Was Wrong

If ever there was a year to appreciate golf on a brown surface this is it. In fact, the three USGA Championships I watched this year set the tone. From Olympic to Blackwolf Run and finally to Indianwood reminded me of something I was wrong about and also reminded that those of us in the golf turf industry might be part of the problem. A few years ago I was interviewed after giving a presentation at the GIS in Orlando. During the interview I made a glib and dismissive comment about David Faye’
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Guest

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Dr. Frank Rossi: Frankly Speaking
 

I Was Wrong

If there were ever a year to appreciate golf on a brown surface, this is it. In fact, the three USGA Championships I watched this year set the tone. From Olympic to Blackwolf Run and finally to Indianwood reminded me of something I was wrong about and also reminded that those of us in the golf turf industry might be part of the problem.   A few years ago I was interviewed after giving a presentation at the GIS in Orlando. During the interview I made a glib and dismissive comment about David
Frank Rossi

Frank Rossi

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Dave Wilber: Turfgrass Zealot
 

A Guide to Yummy Tank Mixing Cocktails

I’d like to take a quick break from the water quality thing to share a recent experience from the field. Everybody tank mixes fertility products. In some form or another, you put stuff in the spray tank and expect that it will come out whatever nozzles you have and do the intended job. That’s not rocket science. It’s part of Turfhead life. So when I was called this week to help a turfhead straighten out a spray mix, I was pretty excited to see what said Turf Monkey was hitting the tank with and
Dave Wilber

Dave Wilber

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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The Top Ten Best/Worst GCS Hobbies Part One

When job stress cranks up, the smart thing to do is to crank up the counter-stress tactics and the most successful counter-stress strategy is a good hobby. This is Part One of a Four Part Series by Award Winning Director Ludell Hogwaller on the Top Ten Best/Worst Hobbies for Golf Course Insiders. This Series will conclude before August, unless Ludell accepts an offer from Downton Abbey producers.
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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The Top Ten Best/Worst GCS Hobbies Part One

When job stress cranks up, the smart thing to do is to crank up the counter-stress tactics and the most successful counter-stress strategy is a good hobby.   This is Part One of a Four Part Series by Award Winning Director Ludell Hogwaller on the Top Ten Best/Worst Hobbies for Golf Course Insiders.   This Series will conclude before August, unless Ludell accepts an offer from Downton Abbey producers.
Randy Wilson

Randy Wilson

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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The Upcoming Symposium on Affordable Golf

There is one area in golf where I find myself soapboxing, evangelizing and pounding the drums without restraint and that area is affordable golf. My fixation on affordable golf is stronger than my obsession with classical strategic design, punishing slow golfers, or my favorite, exposing the “Clubhouse” as the fastest way to rack up debt, lose money and kill a golf course. Why am I fixated on affordable golf? Because affordable golf is the locomotive that drives golf, the engine that recruits
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Randy Wilson: Here at the 'Rock
 

The Upcoming Symposium on Affordable Golf

There is one area in golf where I find myself soapboxing, evangelizing and pounding the drums without restraint and that area is affordable golf.   My fixation on affordable golf is stronger than my obsession with classical strategic design, punishing slow golfers, or my favorite, exposing the Clubhouse as the fastest way to rack up debt, lose money and kill a golf course.   Why am I fixated on affordable golf?   Because affordable golf is the locomotive that drives golf, the engine that r
Randy Wilson

Randy Wilson

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