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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    For professional turf managers who need long-lasting outdoor power equipment, the Kress line of trimmers, blowers and chainsaws are now available from dealers throughout North America.
    The Kress line of equipment, which has a long history in Europe, made its North American debut late last year with commercial-grade equipment powered by the 8-Minute CyberSystem. The Kress CyberPack batteries, 4 Ah and 11 Ah back-pack, can charge from 0% to 80% in as little as five minutes, or from 0-100% in eight minutes. Advanced cell technology allows the batteries to stay cool, so they do not have cool down prior to charging.

    The company's newly available 40- and 60-volt lines of outdoor power equipment provide users with a combination of long-lasting power and quiet performance.
    The Kress 40-volt line of outdoor power equipment is powered by the company's 20V Kross Pack lithium-ion batteries, designed to maximize power and runtime. The 40V line includes:
    15-inch line trimmer 14-inch chainsaw 24-inch hedge trimmer  The Kress 60-volt line consists of:
    850CFM axial blower 750CFM axial blower 16-inch line trimmer 16-inch carbon Fiber Line Trimmer 16-inch chainsaw 18-inch chainsaw 21-inch push mower All Kress 40V and 60V prosumer products are equipped with Kress-built brushless motors and can be customized to fit a variety of needs.
  • Sod grown on plastic produces a healthier plant faster because the roots are not cut at harvest. West Coast Turf photo In the quest to develop a stronger grass plant for customers managing turf on athletic fields, West Coast Turf has been growing sod on plastic for most of the past decade.
    This practice prevents cutting the roots at harvest, thus providing a stronger, healthier plant, says Jay Danek, chief executive officer of Palm Desert, California-based West Coast Turf.
    "The No. 1 reason we grow sod on plastic is we don't cut the root system off," Danek said. "When you go out into the field and it's 110 degrees and you cut off the roots, the grass can go into shock."
    Now, West Coast Turf offers that same stronger, healthier turf to golf course superintendents with what it calls Ready Play Grass.
    Once the plastic-grown sod is laid, the full roots that have balled up tamp down and quickly begin to migrate down into the profile saving precious weeks, Danek said.
    West Coast Turf has been growing sod on plastic for at least seven years for use on sports fields, and other growers have been doing the same with cool-season turf for twice as long, Danek said. Currently, West Coast Turf is growing several varieties on plastic, including Tahoma 31 and Tifway 419, as well as Zoysiagrasses and paspalum.
    Ready Play Grass starts as a sod product that has been through its growing cycle for eight to 12 months, and then another six to 15 months growing on the plastic. It is grown to sod strength and weight so there is no movement, and the way the company harvests allows for tight seams so the rolls mesh together perfectly.
    "Right now, some golf courses in Northern California are using it on driving range tees and greens," Danek said. "A lot of courses change out every two or three years, and then you have to stay off the tees for two or three weeks. Or at least you should in a perfect world. 
    "This way, you never cut the roots and there is no lost time."
    According to WCT, it now is in the ground in various applications at many golf courses in California, including Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, Valley Club of Montecito and Lahontan, as well as TPC Scottsdale in Arizona.
    West Coast Turf's sod on plastic has been grown on several high-profile athletic fields, including Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the Rose Bowl, Sun Devil Stadium at Arizona State University, Dodger Stadium, Anaheim Stadium and more.
  • The USGA has added 17 new sustainability projects this year as part of the Mike Davis Program for Advancing Golf Course Management.
    The program invests approximately $2 million in grants annually and includes more than 70 new and ongoing university research projects at more than 25 universities and other entities making it the golf industry's largest private turfgrass and environmental research effort.
    These research investments, as part of the USGA Green Section, total nearly $50 million since 1983. The subsequent sustainable management practices have contributed to a 29 percent decrease in water use since 2005. The Davis Grants engage university researchers and scientists in the effort to optimize natural resource use and playing conditions. Research from the program has helped to deliver stress-tolerant and higher quality turfgrasses and has enhanced all aspects of holistic management – from constructing and managing putting greens to monitoring for and controlling troublesome diseases.
    "It's not enough to simply love this game and celebrate its current growth," said USGA CEO Mike Whan in a news release. "We've got to respect the game enough to truly care about how we leave it for the generations that will follow us. We all need to appreciate the importance of improving golf's sustainability footprint and be committed to identifying new ways to reduce golf's resource consumption."
    Some notable projects being funded in 2023 include an effort at New Mexico State University to validate soil-moisture prediction with strategies such as satellite-based sensors, which could eventually reduce manual collection of soil-moisture readings. A new study at Rutgers University is evaluating the feasibility of using warm-season grasses in Northern regions, including the financial implications. The USGA is also working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to further characterize the drought tolerance of native grasses that also tolerate salty irrigation water.
    According to the USGA, these funded research projects have combined to save the industry nearly $2 billion annually including $201 million from advancing irrigation with efficiencies in turfgrass water use, $529 million from advancing irrigation scheduling with soil-moisture meters and $469 million from advancing naturalized rough.
  • A gofundme account has been established to benefit Adam Schloer's wife and daughter. Adam Schloer was so passionate about golf and the business world that he bought and ran his own course.
    Schloer, the owner operator of nine-hole Heritage Creek Golf Club in Jamison, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, died April 20 after, according to reports, he was involved in an on-course accident at Heritage Creek.
    Schloer was a native of Norristown, Pennsylvania. He was 36.
    A gofundme account has been established by his brother and sister-in-law to benefit his wife, Caitlin, and daughter, Norella. To date, more than $30,000 has been raised for his family.
    A graduate of Shippensburg University, where he earned a degree in business administration, Schloer had a keen interest in business, according to his obituary, which eventually led him to combine two of his passions when he bought a golf course.
    As a golf course owner and operator with a business degree, Schloer learned turfgrass management on the job.
    According to his memorial, he had a varied array of interests, including spending time with family and friends, camping, canoeing trips, the Philadelphia Flyers, collecting Zippo lighters and playing board games.
    Other survivors include brother, Ryan Schloer (Krista); sister, Katie Schloer (Chris Liptrot); parents, Craig and Felicia Schloer; mother-in-law, Leigh Ann Akers; father-in-law, James Akers (Paula); and numerous other relatives.
  • Kristy Mach of the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association presents Peter McCormick with an award signifying his induction into the TOCA Hall of Fame. Three decades ago, Peter McCormick struck out on his own, starting a business with the basic premise of helping golf course superintendents do their jobs better, faster and more efficiently. That sounds simple enough, but starting a business that centered on sharing information with a finite, niche audience is always a risk.
    Thirty years later, TurfNet is still going. And the media entity that started as a one-man operation with a print newsletter today boasts a library of instructional videos, podcasts, blogs and webcasts; a members-only forum where users can ask questions and get answers and advice from colleagues; and is the golf turf industry's leading portal to help turf managers find jobs and buy and sell used equipment. And it still operates on that same simple mission McCormick adopted when he launched TurfNet in 1994.
    On Thursday, McCormick was inducted into the Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association Hall of Fame. TOCA is a trade organization for editorial and advertising professionals in the green industry.
    "As one who is basically humble and prefers staying out of the limelight, as difficult as that may be for some to believe, I was surprised and honored to be inducted into the TOCA Hall of Fame," McCormick said. "The nominations submitted on my behalf recapped many of the innovations and accomplishments that TurfNet has implemented and achieved over the past 30 years, and were very touching for me."
    The Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association is a 200-plus member association comprising editorial, advertising and marketing professionals working in the green industry. The TOCA Hall of Fame recognizes the cumulative accomplishments of deserving communicators who have made outstanding contributions to the turf and ornamental industry.
    "Peter McCormick was a man ahead of his time both in his courage to venture into unknown professional territory and do so with a fearlessness that inspires those around him," wrote Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D. of Cornell University in his nomination. "Managing a media group such as TurfNet over the last 30 years has been an exercise in riding a roller coaster! The highest of highs and often the lowest of lows. Peter has a resilience that cannot be taught, it's in his DNA."
    One of the turf industry's true pioneers, McCormick is an alumnus of Rutgers where he earned a bachelor's degree in plant science and business management. A year after starting TurfNet, he took it online where it slowly grew into the media entity it is today. He sold TurfNet in 2001 to its current owner, Orlando-based Turnstile Publishing Co. and has continued to serve as its general manager..
    "I can't think of a better individual to receive TOCA's Hall of Fame award in 2023," said Tony Girardi, CGCS MG, at Rockrimmon Country Club in New York. "Peter is one of the classiest, most professional people I know, and I am delighted to call him a close friend. Quite frankly, I do not know where our entire golf course maintenance industry would be today without Peter McCormick and TurfNet in its various communication formats. It is safe to say that Peter is to the golf industry as Steve Jobs is to Apple and Bill Gates is to Microsoft. And that is not an overstatement."
    For McCormick, helping superintendents extended far beyond providing a platform where they can find answers to agronomics' most challenging questions. He also helped many superintendents update resumés and cover letters, build websites and blogs, and mentored many of his close friends as they started businesses of their own.
    "Not only has Peter had a massive impact on golf course maintenance as an industry, but there is no telling how many individual golf course superintendents lives he's influenced in a positive way, either as a mentor, coach, sounding board, or just someone to listen to your concerns and offer an encouraging word," said Mickey McCord, principal of McCord Golf Services and Safety. 
    "A little over 10 years ago, I was a Golf Course Superintendent with an idea for a business and Peter was the first person I talked to. He did not hesitate to say 'yes, this is a good idea, and you can do it.' He then continued to help and guide me, sometimes with a gentle nudge, and sometimes aggressively pushing me forward when I'd stalled and didn't think I could do something. I can say without reservation, I would not be where I am today without Peter McCormick's encouragement, guidance, and support, and I know I'm not the only one.
    "Finally, I think the most telling thing about Peter McCormick is when you thank him, and ask what you can do to repay him for all of his help, all he asks is that you do the same and help someone else when you have the chance."
    Other TOCA Hall of Fame inductees include: Margaret Bell, Debbie Clayton, Cindy Code, Den Gardner, Felicia Gillham, Ron Hall, Dave Hansen, Ed Hiscock, Pat Jones, Bill Klutho, Jose Milan, Doug Obermann, Jerry Roche, Owen Towne, Bob Tracinski, Steve Trusty and Suz Trusty.
  • Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in Los Angeles County will receive $1 million for a restoration project. In advance of the 123rd U.S. Open Championship in June at Los Angeles Country Club, the USGA is announcing its plans to leave a lasting impact in Southern California, connecting its host community with the organization's ongoing commitments to promote the game.
    The USGA is collaborating with the community in four distinct areas, highlighted by a $1 million donation to restore the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course, a nine-hole, par-3 public facility operated by Los Angeles County that provides thousands in the area with affordable, accessible golf. In one of the most significant host community investments in U.S. Open history, the USGA is joining forces with the Southern California Golf Association, Los Angeles Country Club, Los Angeles County and several other organizations and donors. Golf course architect Gil Hanse will lead the restoration project.
    The project aims to improve the experience at the golf course named for Hathaway, the African-American actor, singer and activist who championed equality in golf, while also building a learning center and expanding programming for Los Angeles-area juniors. A fundraising campaign was launched by the SCGA last month to advance those junior programs and facilities.
    "Year-over-year, host communities welcome the U.S. Open, and we recognize the importance of investing back into them to leave a legacy that is felt beyond our game," said USGA CEO Mike Whan. "We are fortunate to have partners like the SCGA and LACC who believe in the power that golf can have on a community and will continue to collaborate on initiatives that create more opportunities for people to work, play, experience and enjoy the game."
    As part of that commitment to collaborate and create opportunities, the USGA will also welcome 20 college undergraduate and graduate students from diverse backgrounds to Los Angeles for the USGA Pathways Internship Program, a weeklong immersive experience that exposes participants to the many career paths in golf. Half of the students will be from the Los Angeles area, helping to foster future leaders in the community.
    Designed to promote inclusion among the suppliers and vendors supporting the championship, the USGA Open Works initiative includes a regional collaboration with the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission's Business Connect Program, which expands opportunities for businesses with diverse ownership in the greater Los Angeles area.
    The USGA will also advance its commitment through the Sports for Climate Action framework to deliver a more sustainable championship with its Reduce, Renew and Reinvest program. The initiative focuses on reducing waste, committing to renewable energy and responsible natural resource use, and reinvesting in projects that propel community sustainability. 
    Embedded into the on-site activation is a continuing commitment to reduce single-use plastics, building on last year's program that eliminated more than 700,000 plastic water bottles at concession areas in favor of more sustainable products. The USGA will also use compostable food-service products and clear recycling and waste-sorting programs to encourage fans to help with sustainability efforts. Partnerships with area vendors will demonstrate the commitment to reinvest in renewable energy and water credits in California. 
    Popular last year with fans at The Country Club, recyclable aluminum cups and products will return to the U.S. Open Championship in L.A. These products can be more quickly and easily converted into new products and greatly reduce single-use plastics at the championship.  
    Bringing to life the USGA's commitment to invest $30 million in the next 15 years, the association is advancing water resilience on California golf courses with university research, demonstrations of emerging maintenance technologies, and consulting and outreach activities. As much as a 45 percent reduction in water usage will be made possible by employing the strategies that will be advanced through the program. This includes continued grant funding to the University of California-Riverside to develop drought-resistant turfgrasses, educational symposiums in the state, and demonstration projects at Los Serranos Golf Club in Chino Hills and other courses designed to encourage the use of water-saving practices.
  • Cart traffic can cause significant damage on dormant turf in winter. USGA photo While many people took time away from work around the Christmas holiday, Mother Nature was hard at work every day making her presence known on golf courses throughout the transition zone.
    Christmas Eve ushered in a week of unseasonably cold weather throughout the transition zone, the effects of which are still felt today in warm-season turf that has been slow to green up and has been susceptible to traffic.
    Early in December, temperatures in Knoxville, Tennessee reached into the 50s and 60s for much of the first half of the month, and lows were in the 40s and 50, both of which are about 10 degrees above the historic average, according to the National Weather Service. 
    The day before Christmas, the low plummeted to 4 degrees, and remained below freezing for a week. 
    Damage did not take out entire fairways, but has taken out significant swaths of turf.
    "This year is the most significant winterkill I've seen in Tennessee in 10 or 12 years," said Brandon Horvath, Ph.D., turfgrass pathologist at the University of Tennessee. "It's concentrated areas that have to be resodded, not whole fairways. But, it's going to take time to come back."
    "In Tennessee, it wasn't on greens, because just about everybody has covers now. Greens where the covers blew off, they're set back."
    Golf courses throughout much of the transition zone manage several turf types in fairways, including newer and older varieties of Bermudagrass zoysiagrass.
    After lows of 40 or more on eight of 12 days in early to mid-December, temperatures in Knoxville dipped below freezing for eight consecutive days.
    Tricking the grass into "thinking" it might be spring, then cratering to single digits helped produce conditions that continue to persist on many golf courses in the transition zone that have Bermudagrass or zoysiagrass fairways. The USGA Green Section also suggests encouraging golfers to walk when playing on fully dormant turf.
    "There is still a lot of 419, and there is a lot of Tahoma and Northbridge," Horvath said. "And we're seeing damage in some zoysias.
    "Turf wasn't fully dormant. It was in an in-between stage, and in some places it got dinged pretty hard. Damage was variable. There were areas where there were no problems, and other areas where the damage was significant.
    "The turf wakes up and then goes back to bed. That takes carbohydrates to green up. Do that three or four times, the turf is weakened, and that can set the turf back."
    Areas showing the most damage are those affected by high cart traffic during winter play, such as exit and entry points on the fairways, or those where other issues, such as poor drainage, persist.
    "There were issues with where the wheels were constantly in the same area, then the areas between the wheels are OK," Horvath said.
    "Weaker areas definitely were more susceptible. Turf in areas where other factors played a role, if it's too wet or too dry, the cold can be problematic."
    Horvath says the best way to manage turf that struggles in spring and minimize damage is to control traffic through tactics such as altering fairway entry and exit points.
    "We play on dormant turf all the time," he said. "But you have to manage cart traffic."
  • Imagine being under the threat of flooding and drought — at the same time.
    Such a paradox sounds impossible, right? Well, welcome to California, where, when it comes to water, seemingly anything is possible.
    After three years of drought, California faced a barrage of atmospheric river storms throughout the winter that have left reservoirs filled and the Sierra Nevada range covered in snow that is more than 200 percent of the historic average. 
    About six of every 10 Californians and many of the state's golf courses get water from the State Water Project, a 700-mile system of canals, aqueducts and pipelines that convey water from 34 reservoirs to more than 25 million users statewide. Three months of constant rain and snow have left many of the state's reservoirs filled, and melting snowpack in the higher elevations brings with it the promise of flooding in towns and cities below. All the while, history says the country's most populous state is a mere step away from yet another period of prolonged drought.
    "The State Water Project is at 100 percent capacity for the first time in many years," said Craig Kessler, director of governmental affairs for the Southern California Golf Association. "The Sierra Nevada snowpack is at more than 100 percent. We are under a flood watch and a drought watch at the same time."
    In early December, nearly half of California was in extreme drought or worse. By late March, none of California was under such status, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
    Although California's seemingly all-or-nothing affair with water has provided golf courses with temporary relief from a shortage of irrigation water, the industry cannot afford to let down its guard now, according to Kessler.
    "Superintendents have done a lot to save water in California," Kessler said. "And I think they will continue to do that.
    "My sense is that we will continue to move forward on all fronts to continue to reduce our water footprint."

    Superintendents across California have been wise water users for years, a trend that will have to continue into the future, despite the rain and snow that fell there through the winter. SCGA photo Other sources of water in California include groundwater and the much-maligned Colorado River that provides potable water to parts of six other states besides California. The past three months of rain and snow have had little impact on the Colorado, while helping partially replenish some, but not all, aquifers. One such underground water source that remains in peril is the Central Valley aquifer that has been ravaged by the country's largest and most fertile agricultural area.
    "It depends on where you are," Kessler said. "Where I live (in Southern California) is in the desert, but the aquifer is in replenishment. In other areas, most notably the Central Valley has been way overdrafted and one year of rain is not going to do a lot to replenish that."
    Another year of drought would have spelled doom for many golf courses in California, Kessler said, and would have seriously impacted this year's U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.
    "If the drought had gone into a fourth year, I know the U.S. Open would have been irrigation on greens and tees only," Kessler said. "No exceptions."
    Drought has been a common occurrence in California during the past few decades. Prior to the most recent three-year dry spell, the state also was under drought from 2014 to 2016, which resulted in mandated water-use restrictions for users across California from Oregon to Mexico, including golf courses.
    Many superintendents already had begun conserving water long before then-Gov. Jerry Brown told them to. The current relief coupled with the impending unknown presents yet another opportunity for the state's golf industry to be leaders in stewardship.
    "Over the years, golf has been slow to change. When it came to recycled water, at first they didn't want it. Now, they're desperate for it," Kessler said. "Since then, golf has accomplished a lot of things to be proud of while reducing our water footprint over the last quarter-century, and I think we will continue to do that.
    "What happens after this year remains to be seen. This is not a do-good or a feel-good story. This is about survival."
  • The USGA says it will invest $30 million during the next 15 years to help golf courses save water. USGA image The U.S. Golf Association is accelerating its work toward a more sustainable game with the deployment of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment toward reducing golf's use of water.
    The organization's $30 million commitment over the next 15 years will advance underutilized strategies and technologies that golf courses can use to economically reduce their use of water, a vital and increasingly regulated natural resource with near- and long-term cost and availability concerns. The work will focus on irrigation optimization, advanced conservation innovation and water sourcing and storage.
    "The long-term economic and environmental sustainability of green-grass golf courses – where more than 25 million people enjoy the game and millions more are employed – will be challenged in certain regions if the game doesn't advance this critical work now," said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, in a news release. "We are enthused and impressed by the reductions golf course superintendents have pursued over the past decade, and even more optimistic about the future. The USGA is ready to not only contribute our voice, but also our resources and expertise, to help our golf course partners and ensure golf's future."
    The effort will integrate the longstanding industry leadership of the USGA Green Section – composed of agronomists and turfgrass experts – with university researchers, golf course owners, superintendents, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), regional golf associations, architects, industry partners and water agencies.
    Over the next 15 years, the USGA, along with industry allies and practitioners, will:
    > Launch and continuously update a water-resilience playbook for the game of golf.
    > Demonstrate underutilized and emerging, research-based practices.
    > Understand and break down barriers to adoption of proven strategies (including financial barriers).
    > Continue to support water resilience research and turfgrass breeding programs.
    The work toward greater water resilience propels many of the current and emerging practices employed throughout golf, which have already contributed to a 29-percent reduction in golf's use of water from 2005-2020 (Golf Course Environmental Profile, GCSAA, 2022). The USGA's initiative will build on that benchmark, with the goal of more widespread adoption nationwide.
    "The move toward greater water resilience requires everyone in golf to actively participate and bring their best efforts forward, with golf courses utilizing the assets available to them within their geographic region," said Matt Pringle, Ph.D., managing director of the USGA Green Section. "Importantly, this is not about mandates, but an important call to action to the golf industry to work together towards a common goal."
    The proactive planning process is being led by Cole Thompson, Ph.D., who leads the USGA's Davis Grant Program via annual research grants, and Matteo Serena, Ph.D., a leading expert in water conservation in the Southwest who joined the USGA last summer.
    The USGA is partnering with golf courses on numerous field projects that are designed to show where and when the water conservation potential of a strategy outweighs the investment and disruption required for implementation. For example, research supports that drought-tolerant grasses use approximately 20 percent less water than commonly used varieties, depending on location and grassing scheme, and installing them typically pays off in five to 10 years.
    With a goal of identifying early adopters, the USGA will continue to collaborate in a series of water summits in several states (three have already been held in California) along with its Allied Golf Associations, as it seeks to draw the best talent and innovations toward the program's goals.
    The organization will also work together with golf courses on sharing best practices and innovations that could be more widely adopted to advance program goals.
    — USGA
  • For superintendents seeking to maximize irrigation efficiency, Rain Bird Golf has introduced its new 952 series rotors. With Rapid-Adjust and MemoryArc technology, the 952 rotors can be set at a full-circle 360 degrees, or part-circle arcs from 30 degrees to 345 degrees with the turn of a screw.
     
    "Combining full-circle and part-circle capability results in less maintenance, more versatility and ease of use – all in one rotor," Jeff Lawson, Rain Bird Golf's marketing manager, said in a news release.

    Rain Bird has integrated multiple design improvements into the 952 series, including improved distribution uniformity, reduced dwell time and a crisp edge performance to help maximize playing conditions and turf health. 
    Simplicity is built into the 952 rotors with a self-adjusting stator and a single nozzle. Consistent rotation speeds maximize performance, while the rotors' wide range of throw provides greater installation flexibility with fewer parts to stock. Because the 952's internals are designed with Rain Bird's Timeless Compatibility, these rotors are a no-hassle, no-dig upgrade for courses where Rain Bird's 900/950 series rotors already are installed.
     
    "The improvements we've made to the 952 Series also maximize the potential of Rain Bird's new CirrusPRO central control system," Lawson said. 
     
    The 952 series includes three models, including an IC version compatible with the Rain Bird IC system which connects irrigation central control directly to every rotor and valve for optimal water and energy efficiency. Electric and Stopamatic models also are available. All 952 rotors are top serviceable with a snap-cover design that allows for quick access to internal components.
  • This screen grab from televised Masters coverage shows the moment patrons scattered after trees fell near the 16th hole Saturday. One of the more spectacular scenes during this year's Masters Tournament occurred during second round play on Saturday when three large trees fell near the 16th hole.
    What was just as miraculous, and at the same time not surprising, was the way in which the crew at Augusta National cleaned up the site, removing any hint of the trees' existence. 
    Miraculously no one was injured as patrons in the area heeded the warning signs and ran for cover when they heard the cracking seconds before the tall loblolly pines came crashing to the ground. 
    Some might wonder how such a thing could happen at a place like Augusta, where every blade of grass is always in place. After all, don't golf courses manage trees and keep an inventory of those that are failing and unhealthy and have to come down? Nearly 3 inches of rain in a 24-hour period and high winds combined to create an ideal environment, making it unlikely that any tree-management plan could have forewarned such an occurrence.
    "When high winds and that much rain converge, there is not a tree healthy enough to withstand that," said Anthony Williams, CGCS at Las Colinas Resort in Irving, Texas, and a certified arborist.
    "Loblolly pines that tall are probably 40 to 50 years old, and they are not heavily rooted anyway. When you have soaking rains and heavy wind, they are going to fail."
    Although it is likely that what occurred at Augusta was unavoidable, the event itself and the way Brad Owen's crew sprang into action to remove the timber before Sunday morning illustrates the need for not just a tree-management program, but contingency plans in the event of unexpected disasters.

    Alan FitzGerald's plan for removing trees that are unhealthy or affect play on the golf course can number from just a few to several dozen, depending on the year. Photo courtesy of Alan FitzGerald "We clean up dying trees or those that are showing signs of stress every year," said Alan FitzGerald of LedgeRock Golf Club in Mohnton, Pennsylvania. "Some years, that's two or three trees. Some years, it's 30, or 40, or 50.
    "We always monitor the trees for stress. We look for the ones that are leafing out, the ones that lose leaves early and we look at what they look like in mid-summer. The ones showing signs of stress we mark for removal in the fall."
    Although some trees are removed for safety reasons, others are taken out because they affect how the golf course plays.
    FitzGerald also brings in an arborist each year to help with some of the more difficult jobs.
    "We took out 60 trees," he said. "And there were another 12 we couldn't manage on our own."
    At Las Colinas, the happenings in Georgia sparked a conversation between Williams and the green committee.
    "We took advantage of it to have a discussion of what a similar situation might look like here, and what would we do to avoid it," Williams said. 
    "What amazed me was the army of people with chainsaws who took care of that. That someone even thought of that and had that many chainsaws ready and chains sharpened. Whoever hit the Seal Team 6 button and said go, putting all that into motion … Augusta has a lot more resources than everyone else. Brad and his crew also have a lot of contingencies in place, and you just saw one of them."
  • Lawmakers in Oregon are proposing converting golf courses like Pumpkin Ridge (above) for industrial use. Pumpkin Ridge photo Pumpkin Ridge has been the site of several championship events. If some lawmakers in Oregon have their way, the 36-hole club outside Portland might never see another one.
    A host site of the U.S. Junior Amateur, U.S. Amateur, and a stop on the Korn Ferry, LPGA and LIV tours, 350-acre Pumpkin Ridge has been tossed around in Salem as a potential site of semiconductor factory. The same fate has been discussed for the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in nearby Aloha.
    Both locations are near the town of Hillsboro, which is the home of numerous semiconductor manufacturers and suppliers.
    The proposal is in response to Senate Bill 4, which gives Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek authority to designate farmland for industrial development.
    "Farmland has inadequate protections in the bill," legislators wrote. "Large, open fields in the Willamette Valley are not purposeless. These fields are feeding our families, Oregonians, and the world. A member-only golf course does not."
    Both golf courses are privately owned, and neither owner has expressed any interest in selling, according to the Oregonian, a Portland-based newspaper.
    SB 4 provides $190 million in grants and loans for chipmakers and their suppliers, $10 million for academic research and another $10 million for industrial development. It also gives the governor power through next year to designate hundreds of acres of rural land for industrial development.
  • Superintendents managing cool-season grasses have a new tool in their arsenal for post-emergent weed control.
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has expanded the label for Syngenta's Manuscript herbicide to include use on cool-season turf.
    Previously labeled for use on Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass and golf courses, sports fields and sod farms since it hit the market in 2018, Manuscript now is also approved for control of post-emergent weeds on fine fescue and Poa annua.
    With the active ingredient pinoxaden and formulated with a surfactant to maximize efficacy, Manuscript is labeled for control of a host of post-emergent weeds, including bahiagrass, dallisgrass, coastal sandbur, large crabgrass, smooth crabgrass, tropical signalgrass, tropical carpetgrass, kikuyugrass, paspalum, ryegrass and torpedograss.
    Manuscript can be used anytime weeds are actively growing, including in the heat of the summer when desired turfgrass is actively growing and fills in more rapidly.
    Manuscript is formulated with a built-in safener that speeds the metabolism of pinoxaden in desirable turf to help improve turf safety without sacrificing control of mature, difficult-to-control weeds. This allows for effective spot treatments, further improving selectivity against tough weeds.
    Manuscript is packaged with Adigor surfactant from Syngenta, which is custom-built for use with the herbicide and maximizes the quantity and rate of absorption of pinoxaden, as well as the degree of translocation once pinoxaden is in the plant.
    Manuscript should not be tank mixed with phenoxy herbicides, such as 2,4-D, which can compromise its efficacy, but is a safe tank mix partner with sulfonylurea herbicides.
  • Mention the phrase golf course dog, and Toto of Wizard of Oz fame is hardly the first mutt that comes to mind.
    Dorothy's pup might not roam the fairways of Foxfire Golf and Country Club in Jackson Springs, North Carolina, but his bleached lookalike, Chloe, does.
    Chloe is a 5-year-old Cairn terrier (the same breed as Toto) that Foxfire superintendent Mario Copeland inherited when his neighbor, and the dog's previous owner, Maria Lyle-purdy, passed away a little more than two years ago.
    Ever since, Chloe has not left Copeland's side - literally. Despite her diminutive stature, Chloe rides with Copeland everywhere - on a mower or spray rig, and in his utility vehicle. And when Chloe isn't riding, she's usually on the course somewhere greeting golfers.
    "If I don't bring her with me, she gives me that look," Copeland said. 
    "If members don't see her for a couple of days, they think something is wrong and ask me where she is."
    Chloe came to Foxfire five years ago, when Lyle-purdy, an elderly woman who lived next door to Copeland in a condo in the golf community, wanted a companion.
    Copeland, 49, has worked at Foxfire for 27 years, including four as superintendent, 10 as assistant and 13 seasons on the crew. In that time, Copeland, who also lives at the golf course, befriended his elderly neighbor. When the time came to go to Charleston, South Carolina to pick out a pup from a litter of Toto wannabes, Copeland accompanied his neighbor and friend. 
    "She was lonely. She didn't have anyone," Copeland said.
    "When she fell and broke her hip, I took care of her."
    Copeland was out of town when Lyle-purdy died at home two-and-a-half years ago, and the dog was alone in her unit for a week until her body was discovered. Chloe was taken to the pound by authorities, and Copeland hurried to get the dog before someone else did in an effort to make good on a vow he had made to his neighbor.
    "I always promised her that I would take the dog if something happened to her," Copeland said. 
    "When I found out she was at the pound, I rushed right over there."
    Although Copeland has known Chloe since the beginning, the two are now inseparable.
    "Mario lives alone and then this dog comes into his life. Now, he's like a doting father," said Foxfire project manager Rick Tufts. "He was never like that before.
    "They're a perfect match. They feed off each other."
    Copeland describes Chloe as a friendly and fearless beast.
    "The golfers love her and bring her treats," he said. 
    "When a hurricane came through here, I'd been on a backhoe and got on the golf cart to look for her. I found her swimming in the pond. That dog is scared of nothing."
  • Tourney EZ liquid fungicide is labeled for control of several diseases. Nufarm photo For turfgrass managers who want the control of a granular fungicide in a liquid formulation, Nufarm recently launched Tourney EZ.
    With the active ingredient metconazole, Tourney EZ is a liquid formulation of Nufarm's granular fungicide. Ready for sale this spring, the new liquid Tourney EZ is a broad-spectrum DMI fungicide lasting up to 28 days for effective preventative applications on more than 16 tough turf and ornamental diseases, including dollar spot, brown patch and fairy ring; ornamental diseases apple scab, anthracnose, leaf spots, powdery mildew and conifer blights.
    Tourney EZ was developed, based on customer feedback, as an alternative to the granular version of Tourney.
    "Our partners and applicators communicated this was a need, and we delivered," said Blaine Pinkerton, Vice President, Turf and Ornamental Sales in the US for Nufarm.
    The new liquid Tourney EZ is a broad-spectrum DMI fungicide lasting up to 28 days for effective preventative applications on more than 16 tough turf and ornamental diseases − including turf diseases dollar spot, brown patch and fairy ring; ornamental diseases apple scab, anthracnose, leaf spots, powdery mildew and conifer blights.
    Preventive and early curative applications of Tourney Fungicide are effective at controlling three tough turf diseases - anthracnose, brown patch and Fairy Ring - when applied as directed.
    It is safe for use by golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, lawncare operators, on sod farms and in greenhouses.
    The liquid formulation has the same low use rate as the water-dispersible granule for both foliar and drench applications, allowing Tourney EZ users to do more with less.
  • Golf course superintendents seeking to enhance their business acumen can now apply for this year's Syngenta Business Institute.
    In its 15th year, SBI is an intensive four-day program designed to grow the professional knowledge of golf course superintendents and assist them with managing their courses. Through a partnership with the Wake Forest University School of Business, the program provides graduate school-level instruction in financial management, human resource management, negotiating, managing across generations and cultural divides, impact hiring and other leadership- and professional-development skills.
    The four-day event is scheduled for Dec. 5-8 at the Graylyn International Conference Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Deadline to apply is Aug. 21.

    Wake Forest's Bill Davis, Ph.D., (left) teaches a session in negotiating at a previous Syngenta Business Institute. "We know superintendents are responsible for not only managing course agronomics, but also being exceptional leaders, which is why Syngenta has been committed to this program for 15 years," said Stephanie Schwenke, turf market manager for Syngenta. "The education by Wake Forest University MBA professors is truly elite. It is refreshing to see the superintendents who complete the program eager to implement the strategies they have learned."
    The 2023 SBI curriculum will feature educational courses designed to teach superintendents critical business leadership skills. Superintendents will also be given the opportunity to build valuable connections with industry professionals throughout the week. Topics to be covered include:
    > Work/life balance
    > Negotiations
    > Leadership/decision-making
    > Tools for managing employees
    > Leading across cultures and generations
    "It's a lot of work, but work that will come back to you tenfold," said Jill Seymour, CGCS, golf course superintendent at Charleston Springs Golf Course in Millstone, New Jersey. "I met three fellow superintendents all within an hour of me who I have stayed in contact with since."
    Class size for SBI is limited to maximize participation. Attendees must be employed as a superintendent, director of agronomy or at an equivalent level in the U.S. golf course industry to be eligible. 
    "2023 will mark the 15th year of the Syngenta Business Institute, yet each year we continue to make curricular changes to better reflect the needs of the participants," said Kerry Shronts, executive director of executive education at Wake Forest University. "For that reason, we worked extensively with Syngenta to integrate additional leadership content into the curriculum to better prepare SBI participants for enhanced leadership roles."
    To apply, visit GreenCastOnline.com/SBI. Superintendents can also contact their local Syngenta territory manager for more information. To be considered, candidates must fill out an application, which includes a short essay on why they should be chosen to attend. 
    Applications must be submitted online by midnight PDT on Aug. 21. Selected participants will be notified in October.

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