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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Recovery from winter damage on a golf course can be a costly endeavor in more ways than one, but developing a program to minimize the threat can be, financially speaking, as expensive or more.
    According to a multi-university study, the average cost to recover from winter injury caused by factors such as crown hydration, desiccation, ice encasement, exposure to low temperatures, snow mold and winter stress ranges from $6,000 to $8,999. Expenses associated with preventing that damage can cost twice as much, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Michigan State University and the University of Massachusetts.
    The study comprised responses to an online survey from 96 golf course superintendents. The results were published recently in the Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science.
    "This wasn't scientific, peer-reviewed research, but it gives us good numbers to work from moving forward," said study co-author Paul Koch, Ph.D., at the University of Wisconsin.
    Other authors attached to the study were Doug Soldat, Ph.D, Eric Watkins, Ph.D., Chengyan Yue, Ph.D., and Uma Parasuram, Ph.D., of Minnesota; Kevin Frank, Ph.D., of Michigan State; and Michelle DaCosta, Ph.D., of Massachusetts. Click here to read the complete results of the study.
    Creeping bentgrass was the predominant turf on greens, tees and fairways, with Kentucky bluegrass comprising most of the rough area acreage. Annual bluegrass, among the most susceptible varieties to winter damage, covered 33 percent of the greens in the survey, 23 percent of fairways, 20 percent of tees and 16 percent of rough areas.

    A survey of nearly 100 golf course superintendents revealed ice encasement is a common concern during winter. Photo by Kevin Frank, Ph.D., Michigan State University Even in areas growing cool-season turf, winter damage is only an occasional issue.
    "It's been 12 or 14 years since the last big winter damage event in Wisconsin," Koch said. "Winter damage is probably not on anyone's radar until there is a big ice event."
    Ice encasement was the most common cause of winter damage reported, with 70 percent of the respondents citing it as an issue, followed by crown hydration (59%), snow mold (54%), desiccation (46%), low temperatures (26%), de-hardening (15%) and other (6%).
    It should come as no surprise that the survey revealed that annual bluegrass is more susceptible to winter damage than other cool-season turfgrasses. 
    Specific to annual bluegrass, de-hardening was reported by 71 percent of respondents, followed by crown hydration (56%), low temperature exposure (48%), ice encasement (46%), desiccation (40%) and snow mold (27%).
    Methods of prevention vary not only from one turf variety to another, but also between types of damage. Ice encasement can be prevented by removing ice after a long period of time, other crown hydration, and a one-time investment in greens covers can help minimize the threat of crown hydration, exposure and desiccation. Snow mold prevention is a recurring expense that can have limited effectiveness.
    A recent snow mold event affected fairways on golf courses throughout southern Wisconsin.
    "Fairways got hammered, but most of it was gone by May," Koch said.
    "They're probably thinking why spend $10,000 on snow mold prevention in fairways if I only get it every 10 years."
    Incidence of snow mold is weather dependent, and treatments can have limited effectiveness depending on local conditions. Efficacy can be shortened by repeated rain or snow events, especially early after applications are made, and by extended winter conditions at the end of the season.
    "Any time there is snow melt or rain, (fungicides) can wash away pretty quickly," Koch said. "It's not like we didn't get any impact, but at some point it is going to dissipate and won't persist all winter. How much injury there is from fungus also depends on how much snow we get late in the season when the product is out of reserves."
    The goal of the study was to assign costs to recovering from winter damage as well as trying to prevent it.
    On average, the costs of preventing winter injury ranged from $12,000 to $17,999 per year per golf course, according to the survey. Additional costs of inputs to recover from winter injury were between $6,000 and $8,999 per year per golf course and included weed-control products, seed, fertilizer, equipment and labor.
    Survey respondents were asked to report average annual revenue loss due to delays in golf course openings caused by winter injuries and revenue loss due to delayed openings in years with considerable winter injuries. 

    According to survey results it can cost more to prevent winter damage than it is to recover from it. USGA photo The average annual revenue loss in normal years ranged from $3,000 to $5,999, and $6,000 to $8,999 in years with considerable winter injury. About half of the courses reported no revenue loss due to delayed openings from winter injuries, and about a quarter of respondents reported revenue losses of less than $5,999. A total of 3 percent of those responding reported revenue losses exceeding $75,000.
    Researchers also attempted to identify the cost of winter injury per acre by using the self-reported acreage data from the survey. On average, the cost of preventing winter injuries was approximately $200 per acre, with a median of $121 per acre. However, some golf courses spent more than $3,000 per acre. 
    The additional cost to recover from winter injuries in years with normal winter injuries was about $89 per acre on average and went up to $147 per acre on average in years with considerable winter injuries. 
    Finally, the revenue losses averaged about $115 per acre in years with normal winter injuries and $159 per acre in years with considerable winter injuries. Some courses reported no revenue loss, while some reported higher losses up to $3,055 per acre.
    The research team concluded that the study can help superintendents make informed decisions when managing turf for winter damage. They also wrote that further research with a larger sample size would result in better data.
    "We would have liked more respondents," Koch said. "We probably could fix that by making a shorter survey. If they're too long, people don't want to do it."
  • When considering golf's most historic layouts, city-owned Delray Beach Golf Club probably is not top of mind for many.
    With nine holes designed by Donald Ross in the 1920s and a second nine added three decades later by Dick Wilson, the course in South Florida has a history that stacks up against many more well-known tracks. And it is due to get a needed facelift. 
    Plans are in the works for a $27 million restoration of the course that opened in 1926. City officials say the project will be funded through a revenue bond and repaid over 25 to 30 years from green fees, not taxpayer dollars, according to the proposal. That plan goes before city boards for finance and contract approval on Oct. 14 and Oct. 21, respectively, according to city manager Terrence Moore. 
    Golfers and residents of Delray Beach have lobbied for an update of the course for several years. A host of proposals submitted by several developers were rejected by the city commission in 2023. Many of those proposals included some sort of public-private development that involved constructing residential housing or a hotel to help offset the cost of the project.
    "Quite frankly, this has been a well-regarded plan for a number of years, since before I got here," said Moore, who has been city manager since 2021. "This is a tremendous push to bring the course up to current standards."
    Led by the Jupiter, Florida firm of Sanford Ferris Golf Course Design, the restoration will include a complete overhaul of the golf course, including everything from tee to green as well as the clubhouse. The project is expected to begin in November, and will take about a year to complete, Moore said.
    With green fees priced at just $33 for 18 holes and $18 for nine, Delray Beach stays busy, with more than 50,000 rounds annually. That brisk business is why officials are confident the city can repay the bond using revenue derived solely from green fees.

    With nine holes designed by Donald Ross and nine by Dick Wilson, city-owned Delray Beach Golf Club is set to get a $27 million renovation. DBGC photo   "There is a great deal of excitement surrounding this project," Moore said. "We look forward to providing the city and residents the golf course they deserve."
    Delray Beach has a long and storied past.
    The original Ross-designed nine holes at Delray Beach opened in 1926. 
    By the 1930s, Delray Beach hired Wilson, then an aspiring architect, as club pro and head greenkeeper in the early days of his golf course design career. Closed during World War II, Delray Beach reopened in 1945, and city officials elected to add a second nine holes and commissioned Wilson for the job, with the routing opening in 1950.
    After the opening of the second nine, Delray Beach Golf Club became a favorite of many Tour Pros, such as Tommy Armour, and celebrity Jackie Gleason, who was the namesake of a PGA Tour event from 1972 to 1980 at Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida, was a regular there.
    Wilson's original designs include the North and South courses at NCR Country Club in Dayton, Ohio and the Blue Course at Trump Doral in Miami, which was a fixture on the PGA Tour from 1962 to 2016. He completed restoration projects at many other well-known facilities, such as The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts; Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) in Mamaroneck, New York; Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia; Bel-Air Country Club in Southern California; and Cog Hill Country Club (courses 3 and 4) in Lemont, Illinois near Chicago.
  • There is good news, and there is better news for the golf industry through August.
    The good new is rounds played in August were up in every state in Golf Datatech's Monthly Rounds Played Report. 
    The better news is that after a record-setting year for rounds played in 2024, the golf business appears headed for another year in the black as the season begins to wind down in much of the country.
    According to the report by Golf Datatech, rounds played were up in every state for August, compared with the same month in 2024. The report measures rounds played in 49 states — sorry, Alaska — and Washington, D.C. Not one state, nor the nation's reported a drop-off in play for the month.

    Golf rounds played were up in August in every state in the country compared with the same month last year, says Golf Datatech. Photo by John Reitman Leading the way were Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, D.C., New Jersey and Texas, all reporting a 14 percent year-over-year increase in rounds played, compared with August 2024. Other states with double-digit increases were Nevada (13%), Iowa and Missouri (12%), Virginia and West Virginia (11%) and Michigan (10%).
    With what historically are about 80 percent of nationwide rounds played in the books by the end of August, according to Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp., nationwide rounds played through August are up 1.4 percent, compared with the first eight months of last year. An increase in participation, even if it is a slight one, is a positive sign for an industry coming off a record 532 million rounds played in 2024.
    Favorable weather conditions likely played a role in the game's coast-to-coast popularity in August. 
    According to Koppenhaver, there was a 4 percent increase in Golf Playable Hours in August. GPH is a metric compiled by Pellucid Corp. to measure the total number of daylight hours suitable for playing golf, taking into account weather factors like precipitation and temperature.
  • For nearly a decade, Brentsville District High School in Virginia has been leading the way in preparing high school students for possible careers in turfgrass management. 
    "We want to teach students the basics of turfgrass science and get them prepared to earn a degree," said Drew Miller, Ed.D. (right), director and founder of the Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy in Nokesville, Virginia. "I don't want it to be like when I went to school where on the first day I was like 'What's a stolon?' "
    The academy is now on a trajectory that Miller once could only dream about.
    What started in 2017 with 63 students, has grown to 240 members with support from the school district as well as Toro and its Washington, D.C., area distributor Turf Equipment and Supply Co. In July, work began on a new 6,000-square foot building that will include lab space, workshops and multi-purpose areas. Construction is scheduled to be completed before the start of the 2026 school year. Also planned is a research putting green and trial plots for research projects in addition to the 30 acres of athletic fields and other grassed areas Brentsville students already maintain. The program has carried the Toro name since last year when the company and Turf Equipment and Supply stepped forward with support.
    The new building was made possible by support from the school, Prince William County Public Schools Superintendent LaTanya McDade and school board members who put a capital-improvement project on the proposed budget, as well as school board members and local elected officials who approved the plan.
    The school board approved the plan at its February meeting, and local government officials did the same in May.
    "We spent a lot of time going to different people, companies and even hedge funds trying to find philanthropic dollars to fund the facility," Miller said. 
    "I was at the (2024) SFMA (Sports Field Management Association) conference in Daytona when I got the call from a school board rep that they were going to put it on the capital-improvement plan.

    The Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy in Virginia is training the next generation of professional turfgrass managers. All photos by Drew Miller "It was a surreal moment. I thought 'This is really going to happen.' This is something before I never dreamed would happen."
    The academy has a state-of-the-art equipment fleet thanks to Turf Equipment and Supply, and only a 26X26-foot steel shed in which to store it.
    The program had outgrown its facilities in more ways than one.
    "We had gotten to the point where people in the industry took notice of what we were doing," Miller said. "We have students who three years out of college are head golf course superintendents. Our graduates are working in Major League Soccer, the NFL and Major League Baseball."
    Solar panels will be placed on the roof and the building will have a water-retention-and-filtration system that will be a source for everything from an equipment wash pad to flushing toilets. The program’s goal is to achieve LEED Platinum environmental certification while teaching students to become environmental stewards. It would be the first facility in Prince William County to attain LEED status.
    The new building will help attract more students, and a shop with a lift, reel grinder and welding station will help expand the program to train future golf course and sports field equipment managers.

    A new 6,000-square-foot building will include an equipment manager's shop complete with lift and reel grinder, lab space and multi-purpose rooms to host events. Multipurpose facilities in the building can be used to host field days and a variety of other events, Miller said.
    Currently, all turf at Brentsville is one of several varieties of Bermudagrass. Research plots will offer the chance to grow cool-season grasses, as well, and Miller says plans will include partnering on university research trials. He already has sent out or received interest from Virginia Tech, Penn State, Ohio State and Tennessee.
    "We've been in touch with Mike Goatley at Virginia Tech," Miller said. "We've heard from John Kaminski at Penn State, and we have reached out to John Sorochan at Tennessee, who is doing research for the World Cup. We would like to be involved in something like that."
    "This will give our kids the opportunity to work with university professors and graduate students. We want to connect our students with the people who have seen the research in the field."
  • With the president watching the final round of the Ryder Cup Matches on Sunday from behind bullet-proof glass at Bethpage, the Donald called out boorish fan behavior that culminated with a can of beer bouncing off the hat of Rory McIlroy's wife.
    But it wasn't "that" Donald who told the media that fan behavior "crossed the line" after Europe defeated Team USA 15-13 to retain the Cup.
    "What I consider crossing the line is personal insults and making sounds when they are trying to hit on their backswings or very close to when they are trying to go into their routines," Team Europe captain Luke Donald told the media afterward. "That did happen a little bit."
    Fans shouted during backswings and hurled insults at European players and worse, much worse. McIlroy even asked security to remove one fan after an insulting comment.
    Was anyone really expecting differently from a crowd of ginned up New Yorkers . . . dressed as Uncle Sam, George Washington, Abe Lincoln, a bald eagle and the Statue of Liberty . . . at a site 30 miles from one of the earliest conflicts of the American Revolution?
    Come on, now.
    Not everyone was guilty of such outlandish behavior, but as long as sporting events hitch their wagon to revenue derived from alcohol sales to thousands of people, behavior like that which took place at Bethpage will continue.
    Northern Ireland's McIlroy seemed to take the brunt of the abuse, which reached its low point when a beer can from the gallery hit the brim of his wife's hat as the couple strode to the 18th green to watch the end of Sunday's competition.
    Video of the event showed that the can was not actually thrown at McIlroy's wife. Rather, a spectator flipped the can from another onlooker's grasp. Surprisingly, no one could be heard slurring "good shot."
    Regardless of the intent, the airborne beer was the exclamation mark on an already black eye for the game.
    As McIlroy stated to the media at the conclusion of play, golf is bolstered by virtues such as sportsmanship, fair play and character.

    Golf fans at Bethpage made headlines for all the wrong reasons at this year's Ryder Cup. PGA of America photo That lecture in etiquette, mind you, came from a man who, when he reached his boiling point, implored spectators to "shut the f*** up," reportedly flipped the middle finger when they did not and demonstrably mouthed "f*** you, f*** you, f*** you" while walking off a green. The scene had become so tense Sunday that New York State Troopers accompanied McIlroy's group.
    Whether such bravery from the crowd is the by-product of mob mentality, or is fueled by a concoction sold at Bethpage called "The All-American Transfusion," or a combination of both, such behavior at sporting events should not come as a surprise to anyone. Alcohol sales generate huge amounts of revenue, and many who attend these events have yet to master the art of responsible drinking. Has anyone ever checked out Europe's Premier League or any NFL game recently?
    It was estimated that about a half-million cans of beer would be sold throughout the event that drew about 225,000 attendees. There was no information on how many All-American Transfusions were sold at $19.59 per cup, but they most assuredly helped stoke the flames of European resentment, some of which apparently have been burning non-stop for the past 250 years.
    The Guardian, a newspaper with headquarters in London, went so far as to blame spectator behavior at Bethpage on The Donald, the one behind the bulletproof glass and who lives in Florida, not the one from England who captained the visiting team, but played collegiate golf in Illinois — and lives in Florida.
    There is no excuse for the behavior exhibited by fans at Bethpage, but good sportsmanship often is hard to come by at the Ryder Cup, by players and fans. But it also should not be a surprise, either. After all, many fans feed off the same sort of trash talk that Ryder Cup participants often direct at each other. 
    Prior to the 1997 matches at Valderrama, European captain Seve Ballesteros famously proclaimed he had 12 players who could beat Tiger Woods. 
    Two years later, at the Country Club in Brookline, USA captain Payne Stewart said his European counterparts were barely good enough to carry his team's bags. Things worsened throughout the event when European captain Mark James said fans spat on his wife and Colin Montgomerie's father left early and returned to England rather than listen to the relentless heckling.
    Montgomerie, who was shutout throughout his career in pursuit of a major championship, was one of Europe's better Ryder Cup players. He also excelled at throwing barbs at American players. While some were simple gamesmanship, some were downright cruel, including the time he said he hoped the cup-deciding putt would fall on the shoulders of Scott Hoch, referring to a missed putt on No. 18 at Augusta that cost him the 1989 Masters. Even worse, he said he didn't think Brad Faxon would be up to the task in the ‘97 matches at Valderrama because of his pending divorce.
    Even Tommy Bolt, who was known for his hot temper, complained of treatment by fans in England during a U.S. loss in 1957.
    The pro golf circuit also shares some blame, by promoting and encouraging rude behavior at some events, namely the par-3 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale where players are roundly booed or cheered and sometimes showered with beer by oiled up fans based on how they fare on that hole. It's a simple fact that there is going to be trouble of some sort by combining crowds that size with freely flowing alcohol. Period.
    If the game's stakeholders — and players — can't understand why fans who are encouraged to throw a beer in the Arizona desert one day color outside the lines the next, maybe they should look in the mirror.
  • Performance Nutrition has added a trio of new products to its Prudent plant-health lineup.  
    Prudent Turf, Prudent Turf Plus and Prudent Green all are based on the Performance Nutrition urea phosphite technology platform, formulated to promote rapid foliar uptake, support natural plant defense pathways and help turf tolerate environmental stress. All three are available through the company's nationwide distribution network.
    Performance Nutrition's urea phosphite platform delivers phosphite efficiently in a low-salt package. The charge-neutral formulation promotes foliar entry and mobility while maintaining tank mix compatibility and minimizing scale or residue. 
    Prudent Turf (2-0-0) is formulated to supply readily absorbed phosphite (PO₃) to increase rooting, improve nutrient efficiency and support the plant's natural defense mechanisms. It is a good tank mix partner with most fertilizers and plant protection products. 

    Prudent Turf Plus (3-0-0) combines urea phosphite with Pennamin amino acids to enhance nutrient transport and recovery for faster response and improved visual turf quality.
    In trials at Clemson University, Prudent Turf increased root weight versus both potassium phosphite and untreated control at equal application rates on a seven-day interval. 
    Prudent Green (2-0-0 + green pigment) pairs urea phosphite nutrition with a green pigment for color enhancement while providing clearer spray pattern visibility to support uniform application. 
    All three products are designed for foliar use on greens, tees, fairways and athletic fields. 
    Founded in 1999 with headquarters in Hazlet, New Jersey, Performance Nutrition is a provider of plant-health solutions for the turf, ornamental and agriculture markets. The company's portfolio includes biostimulants, nutritional blends, plant growth regulators, polymer adjuvants and other plant-health products.
  • As the Ryder Cup Matches take center stage in golf this weekend in New York, the event is a reminder that research that began more than two decades ago on the same site has helped reshape the way golf courses are managed today.
    The matches are to be contested Sept. 26-28 on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park on Long Island. The park's Green Course became a living laboratory beginning in 2000 as researchers in New York began exploring ways to manage golf courses with few inputs.
    The impetus for the research was a confluence of events that could have had significant consequences for superintendents. As Bethpage was preparing the Black Course for the 2002 U.S. Open, several counties in New York implemented some level of pesticide bans, said Jennifer Grant, Ph.D., (right) a retired Cornell University professor and the former director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management program.
    "Nobody knew if you could actually manage a golf course without pesticides," said Grant, now a scientific liaison with Global Organic Partners. "We saw some changes happening in New York that often affected golf courses.
    "The question we had was what would you do if you didn't have pesticides. In my role as IPM specialist, that was a question I wanted to answer.
    "Grass on putting greens is under so much stress, anything we can do to reduce that stress is going to pay off."
    To find answers to those questions, launching a research project on one of the five golf courses at Bethpage State Park made perfect sense. Suffolk County on Long Island, where Bethpage is located, was among those implementing rules governing pesticide use. Likewise, the state also was considering pesticide bans on the 27 golf courses across New York's 19 state parks.
    The study included six separate treatments, each of which was replicated three times:
    Standard Culture (ball roll > 9 feet)
    Unrestricted Chemical Usage (Greens 1,6, 17) Integrated Pest Management (Greens 3, 5, 12) No Chemical Usage (Greens 2,4, 16) Alternative Culture (ball roll > 8 feet)
    Unrestricted Chemical Usage (Greens 8,9, 13) Integrated Pest Management (Greens 11, 14, 18) No Chemical Usage (Greens 7, 10, 15)
    The Green Course at Bethpage State Park was the site of research that has helped shape sustainable golf course management. Bethpage State Park photo The standard treatment included height of cut from 0.110 to 0.140 inches (mowed four times weekly), light applications of topdression every three weeks, rolling to maintain green speed and verticutting as needed.
    The alternative program comprised height of cut from 0.170 to 0.185 inches (double cut five days per week), light applications of topdressing weekly, rolling three times weekly and verticutting every two weeks.
    Conducting such trials at a public multi-course property made sense economically, as well, so as not to adversely affect revenue for the host site.
    The Green Course remained open throughout the duration of the research, getting up to 50,000 rounds annually.
    According to a statement from Cornell: "In 2000, when communities on Long Island, New York, restricted pesticide use and the state later tightened chemical regulations, a debate erupted over the environmental impact on lawns and golf courses. Encouraged by the legislation, state park golf courses were eager to demonstrate environmental stewardship or risk turf decline and lost revenue under stricter regulations."
    Project success depended heavily on getting buy-in. Getting Cornell colleague Frank Rossi, Ph.D., (right) on board gave the project that needed credibility.
    "Probably my biggest accomplishment was getting Frank on board," Grant said. "I asked him: 'What would you do if you were managing a golf course and couldn't use pesticides?' " Grant said. "Probably my biggest accomplishment was getting Frank on board."
    The project showed that it was possible — at Bethpage — to produce results very similar to a traditional turf management program with 30 to 60 percent fewer inputs.
    During the research phase of the project, there were plenty of doubters. 
    "People have to want to make it work to make this program work," Grant said.
    Throughout the duration of the project, Cornell researchers hosted an annual open house for golf course superintendents as well as lawmakers and other public officials from throughout New York.
    "We invited not only superintendents who wanted to learn management strategies, but we also wanted people who set policy to come and see what a golf course might look like under these types of practices and what the cost might be."
    There is no cut-and-past management program that will work everywhere all the time. But the work conducted at Bethpage has produced results and helped lead the way to subsequent projects that have opened many doors to researchers as well as superintendents.
    "I wish there were 100 Bethpage projects going on around the country, because every site is different. Climate is different. There are different things that impact what will work and what won't," Grant said. "Really good integrated pest management is never cookbook. People tend to underestimate cultural practices and go to their chemical bases first. 
    "There were things 25 years ago that were not normal practices then, but are now. Rolling greens for disease management: People know they can do that now. Light, frequent topdressing: Any superintendent now will say that's a no-brainer. But 20 years ago, people weren't talking that way."
  • For professional turf managers seeking to maximize water use without compromising turf quality, Toro recently introduced the Eagle Plus Series commercial-grade irrigation controller.
    Designed for centralized, internet-based irrigation management, the Toro Eagle Plus Series is an expanded version of the Rain Master Series controller and includes an enhanced user interface, expanded Smart Alerts and full iCentral and mobile maintenance app connectivity. 
    The Toro Eagle Plus Series is designed specifically for professional use on a variety of properties from the smallest city parks to golf courses and athletic fields.
    Eagle Plus simplifies system management while helping to maximize water efficiency. Toro Eagle Plus users can easily connect to the iCentral web-based platform that allows two-way remote control and monitoring. The ProMax Connect app allows maintenance control, diagnostics and monitoring from anywhere via smartphone or tablet. Users also can run tests, activate stations and programs, and troubleshoot in real time from a mobile device.
    The Eagle Plus Series also features Smart Alerts that notify users by text or email of any faults, errors or shutdowns, and ET-based scheduling adjusts irrigation based on local weather with ZipETTM to optimize water usage without compromising turf quality.
    Eagle Plus supports conventional and two-wire configurations with support for up to 200 stations and is available in a variety of enclosure options, including a more economical plastic cabinet to suit a wide range of needs.
    Customers with the Rain Master Eagle Plus controllers will receive added support, service and replacement parts.
    New Toro Eagle Plus customers will receive a 60-month free subscription to the iCentral system when purchased with an iCentral card. The ProMax app is available as a free download on the App Store and Google Play.
  • The Verti-Cut Flex 2000 is designed for de-thatching on uneven. For turf managers who need verticutting units for use on uneven, hard-to-navigate or compact areas, Redexim recently introduced the Verti-Cut Flex 2000 and the Turf-Tidy 1100.
    The Verti-Cut Flex 2000 is designed for de-thatching on uneven and curved terrain, while the tractor-mounted Turf-Tidy 1100 combines flail mowing, scarifying and sweeping in a compact clamshell design, allowing for the quick release of material.
    Redexim's Passive Pivoting Suspension system with multiple points of flexibility and floating wings that combine to simulate a spherical range of motion, enable the Verti-Cut Flex 2000 to work continuously across uneven terrain to remove thatch on contours and around curves with less chance for scalping. 
    Its compact build and agile turning radius work in tight spaces, while its 6.6-foot width can handle larger areas.
    The Verti-Cut Flex 2000 requires a tractor with a minimum rating of 30 hp, cuts to depths from 0 to 40 mm and can operate at speeds up to 3.1 mph. A belt-driven system ensures simple operation, and a single grease point makes maintenance straightforward. The rear debris guards can be removed for cleaning, while the floating wings can be folded up for compact storage.
    The Turf-Tidy 1100 (above right) is a tractor-mounted, close-coupled cut-and-collect unit that utilizes a flail rotor with 48 hardened knives and 18 wind paddles that sweeps to de-thatch, flail mow and scarify. It requires a tractor with a minimum of 38 hp, and its design makes it easy to pick up, take tight turns. The clamshell hopper has a capacity of 290 gallons and its low-dump design means no lifting is required. Quick-release knives enable fast switching between either a flail or a scarifier.
  • When measuring the effects of drought on golf, Hawaii might not be the first place that comes to mind, however, with more than 130 islands comprising the nation's 50th state, Hawaii has a multitude of microclimates. 
    Extreme weather on the island of Maui has resulted in the PGA Tour pulling its 2026 season-opening event, The Sentry, from the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Lahaina. The event was scheduled to be played at Kapalua from Jan. 5-11.
    Rainfall totals on Hawaii's second-largest island historically range from 180 inches per year on the windward (upwind) side of Maui and a foot or less on the leeward (downwind) side. The western side of the island, where Kapalua is located, has been water-starved for most of the year. 
    Located on Maui's arid western coast, Lahaina typically receives about 12 inches of rain per year. About 4 inches of rain fell on the area in January. Since then, the area has received less than 1.2 total inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service, resulting in stringent water-use restrictions imposed by the county's water authority.
    The PGA Tour made its announcement that The Sentry will not be played at Kapalua on Sept. 17 after Tour officials made a site visit. 
    According to the Tour's web site, officials concluded the condition of the Plantation Course had been "significantly compromised" by the drought and water limitations.
    "(T)he PGA TOUR has determined the 2026 playing of The Sentry will not be contested at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges," the Tour said in a statement.
    No information is available yet on an alternate location for the tournament.

    Extreme drought conditions on Maui have led the PGA Tour to pull its 2026 season-opening event from the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Lahaina. Photo courtesy of Kapalua Resort and Alex Nakajima The event was the Tour's season-opening event from 1986 to 2013, and resumed that position on the schedule in 2024. The event has been contested at Kapalua's Plantation Course since 1999. 
    Early in September, Maui County Water Supply imposed Stage 2 water restrictions, which call for a cease of all non-essential for commercial and industrial purposes, according to the county's rule, which does not specify restrictions for golf. 
    A Stage 2 water shortage is enacted when anticipated demand in an area is projected to exceed available water supply by 16 percent to 30 percent.
    The resort says it has used almost no water throughout September. The results have been predictable, leading the resort to close both the Plantation and Bay courses for play and ending with the Tour's decision to move the tournament for next year.
    TY Management Corp., the owner and operator of the Kapalua Resort and its two golf courses, along with a local homeowners association and a commercial farm operation have filed a lawsuit in Maui Circuit Court against Maui Land and Pineapple, a land and real estate development company, that manages a series of ditches and streams that supply the resort and other users in the area with water. The suit alleges that Maui Land and Pineapple has allowed the ditch system to fall into a state of disrepair, leading to a lack of water for users downstream.
    The drought in western Maui is so great that a saltwater marsh has changed color. Water at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge is saltier than usual because of the lack of rain, and has turned pink because of a bacteria that thrives in very salty water, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  
    Moving The Sentry to a yet-to-be-determined location marked the second time in less than a year the PGA Tour has had to pivot due to extreme weather.
    In January, the Tour moved the Genesis Invitational from Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, to Torrey Pines in San Diego due to fires in the Los Angeles area.
  • John Gosselin has had a great deal of tournament experience throughout his career as a golf course superintendent. 
    For his many years of experience and contributions to the golf turf maintenance industry, Gosselin (right) has been named the recipient of the Eberhard Steiniger Award. The award is presented by the Philadelphia Association of Golf Course Superintendents to someone in the turfgrass profession "who exemplifies the spirit and legacy of Eberhard Steiniger, CGCS."
    The superintendent at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Gosselin and his team will host the 2026 PGA Championship. Aronimink also was the host site of the 2020 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Gosselin also had plenty of PGA Tour and LPGA tournament experience during his time as superintendent at DuPont Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware.
    "He is and has always been the subtle innovator in our industry and a revered figure of the PAGCS," Patrick Michener of Biderman Golf Club and a former assistant to Gosselin at Aronimink, said in a news release. "His vast success as a Superintendent is matched only by his passion for the game of golf. As a mentor to so many, he instills a quiet confidence in all of us that prioritizes course playability, building sound relationships, and strong leadership principles."
    Eb Steiniger was an advocate for the game of golf and the superintendent profession, who was known for
    his innovative research, mentoring others and professional leadership. Steiniger, who died in 2002, was president of the PAGCS in 1966-67.

    Aronimink Golf Club will be the site of next year's PGA Championship. A native of Schleiz, Germany, Steiniger was superintendent at Pine Valley for more than 50 years and was named an honorary member after his retirement. He died in 2002 at age 96. He was dedicated to his profession, serving as president of the Pennsylvania superintendent's association and the Pennsylvania Turf Council. His experience also included serving as director of the H. Burton Musser Foundation and served on the board for the Rutgers University Turfgrass Advisory Board and the O.J. Noer Turf Research Council. He was chairman of the Joseph Valentine Memorial Research Center and was instrumental in the invention and testing of many pieces of turfgrass equipment.
    Gosselin will be presented with the award during the PAGCS centennial meeting Oct. 30 at Union League Liberty Hill in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania. Other winners of the Steiniger award include former superintendents Matt Shaffer, Jerred Golden and Richie Valentine, Tom Watschke, Ph.D., of Penn State and former USGA Green Section agronomist Stan Zontek.
  • Casey Anderson and Jeremy Lewis recently were named recipients of the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador Leadership Award.
    Anderson (right, top) is the assistant superintendent at City Park Nine Golf Course in Fort Collins, Colorado. Lewis (right, bottom) is director of golf course maintenance at Kingwood (Texas) Country Club.
    The award recognizes those who have demonstrated growth in advocacy and advancement of the GCSAA's priority issues agenda through congressional outreach and relationship development with a member of Congress. The winners receive a trip to take part in the annual National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C., courtesy of Toro.
    The award is part of the GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador program that matches GCSAA members with congressional offices to build strong relationships between them. More than 600 GCSAA members currently serve as ambassadors.
    Anderson is paired with Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colorado). He and fellow GCSAA members Ethan Howard, assistant superintendent at Pole Creek Golf Club in Winter Park, Colorado, and Scott Phelps, CGCS at the City of Fort Collins parks andgolf division, met with Neguse's field staff representative, Max Coker, to provide a better understanding of the beneficial asset that municipal golf courses are to the broader communities that they serve.  
    Lewis is paired with Rep. Daniel Crenshaw (R-Texas). 
    GCSAA names Martorana to newly created marketing, communications role
    The GCSAA has named Brian Martorana (right) senior director of marketing and communication.
    Mortorana has more than two decades of marketing experience. In this newly created position, he will provide overall direction and program management for marketing and all communications efforts to promote the impact of the association and the industry.
    Before joining GCSAA, Martorana was vice president of marketing for MDaudit (sic), a provider of technologies and analytics tools. He held other senior level marketing positions in the technology, advertising and banking industries.
    He is a graduate of Washburn University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in marketing and communications.
    PBI-Gordon names industry veteran Applegate as president, CEO
    PBI-Gordon Cos. chief operating officer Jackie Applegate, Ph.D., has been named the company's next president and chief executive officer.
    Applegate (right) has been COO of Shawnee, Kansas-based PBI-Gordon Cos. since July 2024 and will succeed Steve Clifford effective Nov. 1. She will head PBI-Gordon Companies and its subsidiaries that include PBI-Gordon Corp., Pegasus Laboratories, Pet-Ag and TriviumVet. The COO position will not be filled; rather, each of the businesses will report to Applegate. PBI-Gordon Companies develops, manufactures, and markets leading products to the professional turf and ornamental industry as well as the companion animal health industry through its three subsidiaries.
    Applegate, who earned a  joined PBI-Gordon Cos. after spending 32 years at Bayer with extensive experience in global agribusiness, animal health, and specialty markets. In her new role, she will focus on advancing the company’s leadership position in the specialty turf and ornamental, animal health, and pet care markets. Most recently, she was president of Bayer Crop Science from 2021 to 2024.
  • Wildflower areas on golf courses serve a greater purpose than just making out-of-play areas looking pretty. Sure, native wild flowers not only can improve the aesthetic quality of a golf course, but they also can provide a much-needed boost to pollinators.
    But not all pollinators are created equally.
    North Carolina State University Extension Service has published Common Insects of Wildflower Plantings within North Carolina Turfgrass A Field Guide, a guide to selecting plants to attract a host of different insects that have varying levels of effectiveness as pollinators. The guide is available through the NCSU Extension Service for $15. Although published for growers in North Carolina, it has application outside the state's border.
    According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 75 of the world's flowering plants and 35 percent of food crops rely on insect pollination to reproduce. That is a lot of flowers and more than one in every three bits of food that rely on outside help to sustain their respective populations.
    Bees do not actively try to pollinate plants. It is simply a by-product of their physiology. Bees and other insects bounce from plant to plant in search of food in the form of nectar and pollen. Because bees have short legs, their bodies pick up pollen at each stop. During a flower visit, they often brush against the flower's reproductive parts, unwittingly depositing pollen from flower to flower. The plant uses the pollen to produce a fruit or seed. Many plants cannot reproduce without pollen carried to them by foraging pollinators, the USDA says.
    Butterflies, on the other hand, although pretty to look at, are not as efficient as bees when it comes to pollinating plants.
    According to the U.S. Forest Service, butterflies pick up less pollen on their bodies because they lack specialized structures for collecting it and their long. They also prefer flat, clustered flowers that provide a landing pad and abundant supplies of nectar, while their long, thin legs often prevent their bodies from coming into contact with the plant surface.

    The NCSU guide includes preferred food source and flowers that attract dozens of beneficial insects. All photos from North Carolina State University "Bees are definitely the most valuable in terms of how much pollen they can offer," said North Carolina State University entomologist Terri Billeisen, Ph.D. "But the advantages with insects like butterflies is the ability to move great distances, and that way we're keeping up that genetic diversity of different plants. And so even if pollinators like butterflies or flies can't carry as much pollen, there are still trace amounts that they are moving over much larger distances that overall help with our pollination efforts. So, even if it's less about quantity, it's still introducing that diversity that always helps with plant longevity."
    The NC State manual is a comprehensive guide to selecting specific plants and flowers to attract a variety of insects, including several common species of bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, beetles and a category described as "true bugs." The guide includes preferred food sources of both larvae and adults, and suggested plantings to attract each species.
    "Planting native wildflowers is one way to support insect populations," the guide says. "These habitats not only attract pollinators; they also provide habitat, refuge, and other resources to many diverse insect types."
    These plantings also improve the aesthetic appeal of golf courses and can be an effective public relations tool.
    "With butterflies, it's more of a long-term pollination contribution than bees, which are very immediate," Billeisen said. "They carry a lot, and we can see it in our commercial pollination. Whereas, other insects are contributing to the long-term impact of keeping that pollination effort going.
    "Establishing pollinator zones goes a long way in terms of advertising that you're doing something, and the butterflies do that better than anything."
  • Since 1987, when she joined the plant-nutrition company started by her father 40 years earlier, Kathy Bishop has been a leader in education.
    For her efforts, Bishop (right), president and chief executive officer of Lebanon Seaboard Corp., has been awarded the 2025 E. Allen James Leadership Award by RISE — Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment. RISE is the trade association representing manufacturers, formulators, distributors and others in the specialty pesticide and fertilizer industry. The association "advocates for science-based policies that support innovation and ensure access to tools that protect public health, food, property and green spaces."
    Founded in 2009, the E. Allen James Leadership Award is named in honor of the association's first president and recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to the specialty pesticide and fertilizer industry. Bishop received the award at the organization's annual meeting on Aug. 26.
    Lebanon was founded in 1947 as the Central Chemical Corp. of Lebanon (Pennsylvania) by Bishop's father, Vernon Bishop. Kathy Bishop joined the company in 1987 and was named CEO in 1994. She has led the company through strategic planning and acquisitions while serving the industry through leadership roles on the RISE governing board, the joint RISE–CropLife America Emerging Chemistry Issues Task Force and multiple policy initiatives.
    "Kathy Bishop has been a top contributor to our industry for decades," said RISE chairman Neil Cleveland. "Her leadership has shaped everything from fertilizer committee work to defining biostimulants at the federal level. She embodies clarity, integrity, and an 'industry first/members first' mindset that has strengthened RISE and the broader specialty pesticide and fertilizer community."
    Her commitment to education extends beyond the chemical and fertilizer industry. 
    In 2022, the Katherine J. Bishop Fund for Global Study was established in her name at Lebanon Valley College, where she has been a member of the board of trustees since 1987.  The goals of the fund are to:
    Provide grants to students to help mitigate travel cost and other barriers associated with studying abroad. Allow the college to increase the number of short-term, study-abroad courses during summer and winter break. Enable the college to increase its one-week study abroad opportunities. Enhance and expand cultural exchanges through global university partnerships. Bishop earned a bachelor's degree in physics from Wellesley College and a master's in management from the Sloan School at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She pursued additional studies at Harvard University, the Sorbonne in Paris and the University of Madrid in Spain. After graduating from MIT, she moved to California and later Australia, holding several executive positions throughout the next decade before returning to help run the company started by her father.
  • Throughout his career, Todd Draffen, director of agronomy at The Old Collier Golf Club in Naples, Florida, has diligently worked to help regulators and lawmakers understand the stewardship efforts of golf course superintendents.
    For more than 20 years, Old Collier has been a regular stop on the annual Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Tour. Coordinated by the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, the tour gives those who write regulations controlling water, crop-protection chemicals, food safety and the agricultural workforce an opportunity to see production practices in person.
    Recently, the Florida GCSA recognized Draffen's efforts by honoring him with its Distinguished Service Award. The annual award recognizes a Florida GCSA member who has performed outstanding achievements as a golf course superintendent and who has given his time unselfishly in promoting golf course management and the association. Draffen (right) received his award at the association's annual meeting in August at The Resort at Longboat Key Club.
    "Golf course superintendents are committed to environmental stewardship and Todd is a prime case in point," Florida GCSA executive director Jennifer Bryan said. "Better still, he goes above and beyond each year, taking key decision-makers behind the curtains if you like, to let them see, hear and touch a golf course maintenance operation first-hand."
    Draffen has led the tour for more than a dozen years. During each visit, dozens of representatives from federal and state agencies that monitor and create policies affecting agriculture tour the golf course and maintenance facility. Superintendents from neighboring facilities are called upon to assist with providing information and answering questions.
    Draffen remains humble about his efforts and contributions.

    Todd Draffen was recognized by the Florida GCSA for his work conducting EPA tours at The Old Collier Golf Club in Naples. GCSAA photo "I would love to say it has helped," he said in a news release. "But I don't ever see regulations being changed just because of the visits we host. Still, I do think there is more communication now. I get emails and questions. So, at least I know we've touched some people, and they are thinking about real world implications rather than just sitting behind a desk and writing decisions without any idea of what a golf course is about."
    Old Collier is a Tom Fazio design that opened in 2001. It comprises about 80 acres of maintained turf among another 190 acres of mangrove and wildlife habitat. Golf Digest named Old Collier one of the country's "most important" golf courses of the 2000s because of its conversion to seashore paspalum. Old Collier also holds the distinction of being the first Audubon International Certified Gold Signature Sanctuary.
    A protege of Tim Hiers, CGCS, Draffen started at Old Collier in 2000 before leaving for a new course construction in 2007. He returned to Old Collier in 2015.
    "Doing what's right for the environment really doesn't cost a lot of money," Draffen said at this year's tour in March. "We'll never know for sure what impact these tours have but the goal is to have an open line of communication. We want to know that decisions are being made with the best information instead of someone just sitting in Tallahassee or Washington making rules without truly understanding their impact."
    After this year's tour, Michael Aerts, vice president; science and regulatory affairs for the FFVA, wrote: "Participants were impressed with the knowledge, professionalism, and efficiency in which golf course systems are run in Florida.
    "There are so many scientific disciplines that go into managing a golf course, and our hosts did a tremendous job explaining all of these aspects. . . . Surprisingly, the depth of knowledge and applied sciences possessed by the presenters, and the fruits of their labors are impressive. . . . This is an important stop because of so many misconceptions about golf courses."
    Past winners of the award are: 1985 - William Wagner - Tequesta CC; 1986 Tim Hiers - Johns Island Club; 1987 - Dan Jones, CGCS - Banyan CC; 1988 - Mark Jarrell, CGCS - Palm Beach National CC; 1989 - Tom Burrows, CGCS - Turtle Creek; 1990 - Kevin Downing, CGCS - Wiloughby GC; 1991 - Cecil Johnston, CGCS – Thailand; 1992 - Joel Jackson, CGCS – Osprey Ridge; 1993 - Fred Klauk, CGCS - TPC-Sawgrass; 1994 - Ray Hansen - Delaire CC; 1995 - Tom Benefield CGCS; 1996 - Paul Crawford - Palm Beach CC; 1997 - Gary Grigg, CGCS - Royal Poinciana GC; 1998 - Scott Bell - Bent Pine GC; 1999 - Dale Kuehner, CGCS - Colony West; 2000 - Joseph Ondo, CGCS - Winter Pines; 2001 - Dick Blake, CGCS – Retired; 2002 - Bob Sanderson, CGCS - Retired; 2003 - Michael Perham - Jonathans Landing; 2004 - Darren Davis - Olde Florida GC; 2005 - David Court, CGCS - Boca Lago G&CC; 2006 - Alan Weitzel - Metro Dade County; 2007 - Greg Pheneger - Johns Island Club; 2008 - Joe Pantaleo - Indian Creek CC; 2009 - Craig Weyandt - The Moorings Club; 2010 - Matthew Taylor, CGCS - Royal Poinciana GC; 2011 - Shane Bass, CGCS; 2012 - Bill Kistler - One Source at Roger's Park; 2013 - Mark Kann - University of Florida, PSREU; 2015 - Kevin Sunderman – Isla Del Sol Yacht & CC; 2018 - Ricky Reeves - Miami Beach Golf Club; 2020 - David Dore-Smith - Copperleaf Golf Club; 2021 - John Curran; 2022 - Nick Kearns; 2023 - Steve Wright, CGCS (Posthumous); 2024 - Andy Jorgensen, CGCS - On Top of The World.
  • It would be hard to find a profession about which less is understood than that of the golf course superintendent. For proof, just ask any of the many superintendents who themselves were unaware that turf management was a possible career option until they worked on a crew for a summer job in high school or college.
    "(W)hen I was in high school, I didn't know there was such a thing as a golf course superintendent, and I live in the golf capital of the world," Laurie Bland, superintendent at Miami Springs Golf and Country Club for the past dozen years, once told TurfNet.
    There are those who believe greenkeepers simply mow grass, and the rest magically takes care of itself.
    In reality, superintendents face and overcome a multitude of challenges on a regular basis with the goal of providing golfers around the world with the best possible playing conditions while simultaneously creating a program of environmentally friendly and sustainable practices. Those routine tasks include repairing equipment; acting as parent and mentor to staff; repairing irrigation system failures; managing insect, weed and disease pests; overseeing restoration and construction projects; and managing budgets to oversee the largest and most important investment at every golf facility.
    Golfers around the world are encouraged to show their appreciation for the tireless work of golf course greenkeepers by participating in the annual international Thank a Superintendent Day that is scheduled for Sept. 9.

    Thank a Superintendent Day was created in 2015 by former GCSAA director of communications Craig Smith. USGA photo Created in 2015 by former GCSAA director of communications Craig Smith, the initiative encourages golfers, those who are in the golf business and anyone who benefits from the game to take time to thank superintendents for their hard work and dedication to the game.
    "For me, it's vitally important to show the world and our community that we are stewards of the land," Paul Carter, CGCS at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Harrison, Tennessee, has told TurfNet. "We sit on 660 acres and we maintain 125 of that. Three-quarters of the property is the residence for the wildlife here. It's their home, we just come out here to play.
    "We have to be conscious of what we do on the property and the only way to let people know what we're doing is to tell our story."
    The initiative will include television commercials on the Golf Channel and a social media campaign highlighting ways superintendents positively influence the game and their respective communities, like Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.
    Besides keeping Fairview in immaculate shape for a demanding membership, Pavonetti is multi-winner of the GCSAA Environmental Leaders in Golf Award, serves on the Audubon International board of directors and advocates for his profession, his golf course and his community as a member of the Greenwich Sustainability Committee that comprises volunteer leaders from the community to promote and advocate for "a community-wide strategy to safeguard a healthy, high-functioning ecosystem for the benefit of all current and future residents."
    The examples of the contributions of superintendents to the game, their profession and their communities are limitless.
    Although started a decade ago by the GCSAA, the Thank a Superintendent initiative "has evolved over the years, with the involvement of international organizations and the push of the social media hashtag #thankasuper added in 2020" said GCSAA communications director Angela Hartmann.
    Besides GCSAA, other groups taking part in the global event include the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association and the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations. The groups represent more than 31,000 golf course management professionals in 78 countries around the world. 
    On Sept. 9, those who benefit from the dedication of superintendents are urged to share stories, photos and messages of thanks on social media, according to BIGGA.
    In addition to social media, there are several ways golf clubs, golfers and others can show support and appreciation to greenkeepers, according to BIGGA:
    Organize a special breakfast or lunch for their greenkeeping staff. Players can take a moment after play to personally thank a member of the greenkeeping team and leave their own expression of thanks with their club. Industry partners and suppliers can promote the importance of greenkeeping to their audiences and actively supporting their clients and contacts Golf influencers and golf media can use their platforms to market stories, interviews and behind-the-scenes information emphasising the skills, knowledge and passion of greenkeepers. Last year's Thank a Superintendent social media campaign reached 14 million people worldwide, according to the GCSAA.
    The initiative need not end Sept. 9. 
    "While Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day is a global event that reaches millions on social media each year with the #thankasuper hashtag, you don’t have to limit your kudos to that day, and you can send a message to your superintendent any time of year at gcsaa.org/thank-my-superintendent," said Golf Oklahoma, a resource for golf tournament and news information that operates in conjunction with the Oklahoma Golf Association.
    The USGA offers the following tips:
    Minimize your impact on the course
    A little bit of care and common sense will minimize your impact on the course and make life easier for the superintendent. Don't hike up the steep grass or sand face of a bunker, don’t drive your cart into a native area looking for a lost ball, don't use the tees or fairways as a practice range…and the list goes on. Being mindful of how our conduct affects the course and the people who take care of it is a great way to thank the superintendent and show your respect for the game, your fellow players and the course itself.
    Fix what you can
    No matter how careful we are, playing golf inevitably puts some dents and dings in the maintenance team's hard work. The good news is that it's easy to repair a lot of the damage we create, which is another great way to thank the superintendent. Fixing your ball marks on the green – and any unrepaired ones you see nearby – is a good place to start. Replacing or filling divots, raking bunkers and picking up any trash you notice are all great ways to say thanks with your actions and to set an example for others. Simply making the effort means a lot.  
    Make time to say thanks
    Too often, golfers make a point of letting the superintendent know something they didn’t like about course conditions but fail to say thanks for all the times when everything was great. If you see the superintendent out on the course, take a moment to say thanks. It won’t take much effort and might just make their day. If you don’t cross paths with the superintendent very often, you can always call or send an email. One appreciative email can make up for a lot of the other ones. Oh, and dropping donuts off at the maintenance facility one morning is always a hit if you want to go the extra mile.
    George Waters, senior manager of USGA Green Section Education wrote on the USGA web site promoting last year's event: "Most superintendents are accustomed to doing their work without much fanfare. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to say thanks when we can — or at least conduct ourselves in a way that shows our appreciation for all the hard work that goes into maintaining the courses we enjoy."

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