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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    Every New Year brings with it promises of new resolutions; those seemingly unreachable personal goals that test one's resolve and self-discipline. Like losing that extra 10 pounds, there are things on the wish lists of many in the golf business that seem equally unattainable.

    Besides the obvious answer of more golfers, superintendents are wishing for things such as favorable weather conditions, a stronger economy (and more money in the budget) and other elusive factors that are outside a superintendent's control.

    "More job security for superintendents," said Matt Shaffer of Merion Golf Club when asked what is on his 2015 wish list. "We have the most at risk, because we deal with the most variables."

    Although a lofty wish like more job security might seem as unrealistic a goal as losing those unwanted pounds, Shaffer knows something about risk and accountability. He managed Merion through the 2013 U.S. Open as Tropical Storm Andrea swept through the area the week before the tournament. The Philadelphia-area course stood up to those extra-tropical conditions thanks in part to the work of Shaffer's staff and an army of volunteers, but also because of ongoing drainage improvements and water-management strategies that have marked his career at Merion.

    Shaffer has built a career defined by producing consistently high playing conditions while redefining what it means to minimize fertilizer, fungicide and water inputs. Like Shaffer, Mark Hoban, Sean Tully and Jim Ferrin also have embraced a similar minimalist philosophy. Part artist, part revolutionary, each has created a work of art that proves superintendent ingenuity and creativity and adopting new technology can go a lot farther than making applications with a broad brush.

    Ferrin, a certified golf course superintendent at a 36-hole Del Webb facility in Roseville, California, has taken it upon himself to be a statewide authority on water issues in California. He speaks to regularly on the subject to policy makers and other water users throughout the state in hopes of helping to educate them when it's time to either turn on the tap, adopt public policy or renew his employment contract, depending on the audience.

    "So the future of golf is unfortunately driven by marketing and PACs (political action committees). That is why I am part of the GCSAA Ambassadors program and an active member in CAG (California Alliance for Golf), all the major golf  organization involved in golf- associations, PGA, owners, superintendents etc.," Ferrin said. "Hopefully we can get the word out. Golf is good."

    Shaffer, too, has for years been judicious with water, pesticide and fertilizer inputs, and said at the 2014 Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference in early December that tracking growing degree days has allowed him to cut his all-inclusive apps budget by 69 percent from 2002 to 2013. He was an early adopter of in-ground sensor technology and speaks regularly on water use to help educate colleagues. He points to his own efforts as well as the water-saving restoration of Pinehurst No. 2, by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw that included removing 700 irrigation heads and converting 40 acres of turf to native areas, as blueprints for water-saving efforts in the future.

    "Realistically, (I'd like to see) less water use," Shaffer said. "We are going to do it at Merion. Perhaps between us and Merion it will lead the way for a new trend in golf; less water, less inputs, more affordability in golf."

    Superintendents could help improve the image of their profession by implementing more of the technological tools at their disposal, says Hoban, a certified golf course superintendent at Rivermont Country Club near Atlanta. Since the mid-1980s, Hoban has been an advocate of minimal inputs resulting in conditions that have been less than lush and green, and also cited the Pinehurst model as an example of how superintendents can diffuse public opinion about golf's impact on the environment.

    "In technology I would like to see widely used GPS for all courses that control golf car travel and for spray equipment," Hoban said. "It's out there but cost needs to come down for most of us.

    "I would like to see more courses embrace the Pinehurst model of less fertilizer, pesticide, water, and maintenance inputs. I would like to see researchers increase testing of biologicals for disease and insect control and take a new look at the soil health side of the equation and not just plant response. We know a product works on the plant but we are in the dark on what it is doing to the sub-trophic levels in the soil.

    "I think that that technology is available, but it would reduce compaction and make applications more efficient. I think that the future of turfgrass management is in being better stewards of the land and more mindful of what inputs we select and how they truly affect the whole system not just the turfgrass."

    A minimalist philosophy not only makes for good PR as the green industry constantly seeks to educate the general public about what really goes on behind the scenes in a golf course maintenance operation, it also makes sense in light of current economic times, says Tully, superintendent at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, California. Tully has gone to great lengths to try to bring the Alister MacKenzie design closer to what it looked like when it opened in 1927. He also has spent a lot of time studying MacKenzie's thoughts on golf course design, how they were applied at the Meadow Club and elsewhere, and educating others why design

    "For too long the idea of perfection has ruled the day," Tully said. "With that comes the need to add staffing and additional expenses to make perfect happen.

    "(I) Don't see a lot of industry guys getting too excited about using less product. But we have to be asking the questions, because we are the only ones that know all the details. Do we want to be spending more money for less people to enjoy the game because they can't afford the product that we provide? Can we get people to reduce their expectations and still feel good about the finished product?"
  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture has cleared the way for cultivation of genetically modified tall fescue without conducting an environmental review of the new crop, according to a story in The Capital Press.
     
    The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. developed the glyphosate-resistant turfgrass variety with genes from other plants through a process known as biolistics, in which DNA-coated metal particles are injected into the plant cell.
     
    Because the method does not involve the use of a plant pest for gene transfer, the USDA has no authority to regulate the tall fescue, according to a document recently released by the agency.
     
    Other glyphosate-resistant crops common in agriculture were made using a soil pathogen, which required the USDA to study the plants before deregulating them.
     
    Glyphosate-resistant grasses, while convenient for growers, can be troublesome for others.
     
    Scotts began to renew its biotechnology program after a regulated variety of Roundup-ready creeping bentgrass escaped a central Oregon field in 2003 and resulted in a $500,000 civil penalty from USDA. The bentgrass cultivar has been stuck in regulatory limbo as the USDA has not approved it to be grown commercially without restrictions.
     
    However, over the past four years the company has persuaded the USDA?s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service that several biotech varieties of Kentucky bluegrass and St. Augustinegrass did not come under its regulatory jurisdiction.
     
    Genetically modified tall fescue, which Scotts has also altered to grow shorter, thicker and darker green, is the latest grass crop to be cleared by USDA after Scotts notified the agency that it planned to begin field testing the variety.
     
    Naturally occurring resistance from repeated glyphosate spraying has already caused problems for Northwest hazelnut growers and farmers in the Midwest who use annual ryegrass as a cover crop, said Bryan Ostlund, administrator of the Oregon Tall Fescue Commission.
     
    Turf-type tall fescue that is common on golf courses, is not considered a weedy grass, Ostlund told The Capital Press.
     
    Unlike Kentucky bluegrass, which largely produces seeds asexually, tall fescue is more likely to cross-pollinate with other grasses of its variety, the story said.
     
    While the potential for cross-pollination can be mitigated during commercial seed production, it would be more difficult to control gene flow after the fescue, a perennial crop, is released.
     
    - The Capital Press
  • Never mind that industry analysts project a net loss this year of as many as 100 18-hole equivalents and a staggering number of players walking away from the game - again. Never mind that such losses have occurred every year for nearly a decade and likely will result in the fewest number of rounds played in 20 years.   Despite a steady downturn in many of the game's leading economic indicators, the National Golf Foundation says the biggest story of the year is "The Media Coverage of Golf's Supposed Demise."   In a game of "blame the messenger" NGF says in its December newsletter: "Unfortunately, 2014 was also the year when the relationship between the media and golf took a turn for the worse. Press coverage took on a sharply negative narrative about the recreational game and business of golf. Hundreds of non-golf media outlets decided that the so-called ?demise of golf' was a popular story worthy of their airtime, ink and pixels."   NGF cites Dick's Sporting Goods CEO Ed Stack for causing a furor when he said in May "We don't feel we've found the bottom yet in the golf sales number." That came after the company, which is the country's largest off-course retailer of golf equipment, reported its golf division missed projected fiscal 2012 sales by $34 million. The Pittsburgh-based sporting goods retailer followed by laying off nearly 500 in-store golf pros around the country. NGF went on to accuse news outlets such as ESPN, which was among the first to report the story, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CBS Marketwatch, HBO Sports and Fortune of piling on for simply reporting the happenings at Dick's as part of their overall financial news coverage.   They all have it wrong ? despite NGF's own industry data.   Since 2006, golf has experienced a net loss of 643 18-hole equivalents, including a net 143.5 in 2013. Projected losses for this year are between 50 and 100. Another 1,000 or so courses, many in the industry say, must close before supply-demand equilibrium is met.    The problems facing golf, however, are much deeper than an overbuilt market stemming from the real estate boom and bust. Nearly 6 million players (net) have shelved their clubs since 2001, including 400,000 in 2013, have shelved their clubs for good. Although the numbers for 2014 are not out yet (they should be available by next month's PGA Merchandise Show), there will almost assuredly be another six-figure (or worse) player attrition rate this year, according to industry estimates.   Forbes cites the game's inability to attract millennials for its decline, but the problem is larger than that. It fails to mention why 650,000 men (the game's bread and butter) quit the game last year. It fails to address changing demographics and the inability to attract growing minority populations. Forbes only digs back as far as the recession that began in 2008, when in fact golf's woes were an indicator of coming economic problems as least as early as 2006.   And, just to prove it's not all doom and gloom, many covering the game in 2014 neglected to mention how golf attracted 250,000 new female players in 2013. The real story in golf could be that after a decade of initiatives, no one has answered the $64,000 question of how to grow the game. Perhaps it's time to ask some of the quarter-million women who were drawn in last year.   Forbes and some other mainstream media outlets might be guilty of incomplete reporting, but guilty of piling on they are not.
  • Being a golf course equipment manager often means building a tool that doesn't exist so someone else can do their job faster and more efficiently.
     
    In a nutshell, that sentence describes Roland McPhearson, equipment manager at Azalea City Golf Course in Mobile, Alabama.
     
    Because of his dedication to his profession and the game, McPhearson recently was named the winner of the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association's 2014 Edwin Budding Award.
     
    Named for the inventor of the reel mower (in 1832) and the adjustable crescent wrench, the award is presented in concert with Ransomes Jacobsen and is given annually to "innovators, technicians, educators, engineers, etc. that have gone above and beyond their normal day to day jobs and made a significant impact in the golf and turf business."
     
    McPhearson was named the winner of this year's award primarily for two reasons: 1. his ability to rebuild mowing unit rollers quickly and efficiently; and 2. sharing his knowledge with others.
     
    McPhearson invented a commercially available product known as the Roller Tamer, available from Turf Pride. The Roller Tamer accommodates mower rollers of various sizes, and allows equipment managers and technicians to rebuild the units without damaging them by holding them directly in a vice.
     
    "Roland embodies what our profession is all about," said IGCEMA founder Stephen Tucker. "While Roland took his idea to production, he has done what many in our profession do every day and that is try to improve things with what we are given. I can't think of a more deserving winner of the 2014 Edwin Budding Award than Roland."
     
    McPhearson was nominated by a fellow equipment manager who wrote that the Roller Tamer is becoming an invaluable tool for fellow equipment managers. The Roller Tamer accommodates rollers from 2 inches to 5 inches in diameter and 5 inches to 30 inches in length.
     
    The nomination letter reads: "Although the need to properly rebuild rollers has been a constant it hasn't been until now that Roland took the concept through extensive engineering and finalized a commercial product all through his personal effort. This product serves as nothing short of a third hand and proves invaluable to the roller rebuilding procedure."
     
    McPhearson will receive the award at next year's Golf Industry Show in San Antonio.
     
    "In the many years of presenting this award I have not met anyone more excited and honoured to win this award than Roland," said IGCEMA president Mike Kriz. "Roland is truly genuine and represents the Turf Equipment Technician and Equipment Manager in an outstanding manner.  It will be a pleasure to present him with this award."
     
    Past winners include Ed Combest, 2007; Eric Kulaas, 2008; Eddie Konrad, 2009; Vollie Carr, 2010; Wes Danielewicz, 2011; Dana Lonn, 2012; Tom Hurst, 2013.
     
  • In drought-starved California, recent rains might be enough to provide short-term relief today for golf course superintendents. But for those wondering where their water might come from in the future, the recent storms promise to leave water users throughout the state not satisfied, but longing for more; much more.
     
    About 10.2 inches of rain have fallen in San Francisco just in December. But just how far does that go in San Francisco? It's half the Bay area's 2014 total, and about 8 inches above the historic December average of just 2 inches.
     
    With most of the state embroiled in a three-year drought that climatologists say could extend for many decades, the December storms hardly are a signal that all is suddenly hunky-dory on the country's left coast, say Jim Ferrin, CGCS, and Mike Huck, two members of California's golf industry who also are recognized experts on the region's water issues.
     
    Of California's 47 reservoirs that help provide water to the state's 38 million residents, only 13 are operating above 50 percent capacity. Among the other 72 percent of the state's reservoirs, at least 23 are operating at a capacity of 39 percent or less.
     
    "It's been a mixed bag around the state," said Huck, a Southern California-based irrigation consultant and former golf course superintendent who is as well versed as anyone on the state's water issues. "Reservoirs are increasing, but there is still a long way to go before we get to where we are supposed to be historically."
     
    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration tracks rainfall around the globe, and it says another 11 trillion gallons of rain, or 34 million acre-feet, are needed to kick California's drought status to the curb. 
     
    "Keep in mind, a golf course might use up to 250 to 300 acre feet of water (per year)," Huck said. "We're a long way off from making any progress."
     
    In fact, at that rate, according to NASA, it would take two or even three years of above-average rainfall to give California the water it needs on a long-term basis and make the term "drought" a thing of the past. Few, if any, in California are expecting that.
     
    "Since November, we have received close to 12.5 inches of rain," said Ferrin, superintendent at the Sun City Roseville complex near Sacramento and a statewide speaker on California's water plilght. "This has helped the drought minimally as reservoir levels have only filled minimally  ? far below the levels they should be at during normal climatic times."
     
    While not a regular occurrence, rain events, like those that have taken place in November and December, are not completely foreign to California.
     
    Huck recalls when he was a superintendent at Mission Viejo Country Club in Orange County, and watching the news in New Orleans during the 1991 GCSAA Education Conference, as hillside homes near the golf course were destroyed in mudslides because there was so much rain in Southern California. He also remembered when he returned from the show how he had to rent an old Jacobsen HR 15 gang unit to mow the rain-soaked overseeded rough areas.
     
    "We rented it for a week just to get caught up," he said. "It was like a hayfield."
     
    Although the rain has been a welcome respite from prolonged drought, the fact is Californians rely more on snowpack in the Sierra Nevada for their water. Runoff from the snowpack feeds into the many river systems and reservoirs scattered throughout the state. And so far this season, snowpack in the Sierra is down by about 40 percent compared with the historic average, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
     
    "The snowpack will have to exceed 150 percent in order to supply enough snow melt to fill the reservoirs and end the drought for next year at least," Ferrin said. "The Sierra's provide 75 percent of California's potable water. Rain is great, but snow is more important."
  • Grigg Brothers has developed an enhanced formulation of one of its popular foliar fertilizers for turf managers seeking a product that results in both increased stress tolerance and improved green up capabilities.   The new version of Gary's Green Ultra, which is a combination of Gary's Green and Ultraplex, is a 13-2-3 formulation that also includes 1.4 percent chelated iron, 0.2 percent manganese, 0.2 percent zinc and 0.12 percent copper.   This enhanced foliar fertilizer formulation also has been fortified with additional Ascophyllum nodosum, which is a seaplant extract that promotes improved stress tolerance as well as 0.5 percent magnesium, which aids in the plant's ability to conduct photosynthesis, for improved green up and plant nutrient status.   Gary's Green Ultra also promotes an increasingly common phrase in the T&O market: plant health.   "The additional seaplant extract provides improved abiotic stress tolerance for turfgrasses by up-regulating a plant's natural defense mechanisms, most notably via cytokinin activity,? said Grigg Bros. agronomist Gordon Kauffman III, Ph.D. ?Turfgrass managers can expect subtle, yet meaningful, results and importantly this strategy requires a preventative approach, with sequential applications necessary prior to the onset of environmental stress for maximum effectiveness."   Gary's Green Ultra is designed for use in all seasons, and contains proprietary Elicitor technology, a non-ionic surfactant, and buffering agent. Gary's Green Ultra, which comes in a 2.5-gallon jug, also is available without phosphate, the company says.    
  • For 13 years, the Operation Pollinator program has been providing tips and tools for helping people the world over protect and promote the revival of hundreds of species of pollinating insects. In that time, the program, which was initially developed by Syngenta, has become increasingly popular on golf courses.
     
    In response to the challenges facing bees and other pollinators, Syngenta Turf and Landscape is offering new resources for golf course superintendents interested in creating and expanding Operation Pollinator habitats. 
     
    For information on how to establish an Operation Pollinator habitat or how to expand awareness of existing pollinator protection efforts, golf course owners and superintendents can now visit and download information from GreenCastOnline.com/OperationPollinator.
     
    Operation Pollinator provides golf course managers with the tools and information to successfully establish and manage attractive wildflower resources that are crucial for native bees and other pollinating insects to thrive, while enhancing the visual appearance of the course and the overall playing experience. The Operation Pollinator program is focused on four pillars of success: global bee health, promoting community involvement, promoting environmental stewardship and reviving pollinator populations. The program r habitats are currently helping pollinators on golf courses across 26 states and participation continues to grow.
     
    The new site offers advice on why and how to get involved, how to establish a pollinator habitat; communications tools, news release templates, brochures and signage that help managers market their efforts to external audiences; real-world success stories; and additional resources from outside Web sites such as BeeHealth.org.
     
    "The new Operation Pollinator website helps owners and superintendents explore how they can help protect pollinators and share their efforts with the community," said Syngenta key accounts manager Walt Osborne. "Pairing the expertise of local Syngenta territory managers with these resources provides superintendents a foundation to further their service as environmental stewards and inspire pride for their golf course." 
     
    Golf course managers can use the available communication tools to help tell their story about why they are involved with Operation Pollinator. Sample templates for a news release and an e-newsletter provide a starting point for golf courses to express how they support native pollinators and bee health while enhancing the course's appearance and overall playing experience.
     
    Paul Carter, CGCS, has won many awards for his work in environmental stewardship at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay near Chattanooga, Tennessee, including his work at promoting a healthy environment for nesting bald eagles. He also has developed a successful pollinator zone on the golf course.
     
    "For many years, golf courses have been accused of damaging the habitats of natural pollinators, such as bees and butterflies," Carter said. "In an effort to raise the awareness of the need and importance of these pollinators to golf courses, we are happy to be involved with Operation Pollinator at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay."
  • At some point, Anthony Williams might need a bigger room for his trophies and awards. But right now, he'll settle for simply being around to collect them, regardless of where he has to store the darned things.   Two months after a helicopter ride from one hospital to another to keep a date with a heart surgeon, Williams was named the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association Superintendent of the Year.   The award was presented recently during the association's annual awards banquet at The King and Prince Resort on St. Simons Island.   Director of grounds at Stone Mountain (Georgia) Golf Club near Atlanta, Williams has won several awards throughout his career including the GCSAA Excellence in Government Relations Award earlier this year. The Georgia chapter win capped a tumultuous period that tested Williams' faith like nothing in golf ever could. In August, his stepbrother Terry McWaters died of a heart attack, and a month later his wife, Phyllis, suffered one as well while the couple was on the road for one of Williams' many speaking engagements. Thankfully, Phyllis is recovering quite nicely. Less than three weeks after her ordeal, Williams himself fell ill at work, was transported to a local hospital and later that day transported by helicopter to another Atlanta-area hospital for same-day open-heart surgery.  
    "We were in the Lord's hands," Williams said during the awards ceremony. "It seemed very unlikely that I would be able to attend the annual meeting. We set a goal to not let that happen. God was good and rehab went well for Phyllis and I. Everything worked out all right. I have never been so blessed to be with you all and soak it all in."   Williams has a closetful of awards for his service to the golf industry. The 2009 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year winner, Williams has served on the Georgia GCSA board of directors since 2001. He received the GCSAA President's Award for Environmental Stewardship in 2010, was the overall winner of the GCSAA and Golf Digest Environmental Leaders in Golf Award in 2006 and twice was a chapter winner, and in 2012 published "The Environmental Stewardship Toolkit," a collection of best practices and ideas for the environmental management of golf courses.   "Anthony Williams personifies the maximum of every criterion we weigh when we consider this award," said Georgia GCSA president Mike Brown of The Standard Club. "The work he has done for his facility, for his association, for this profession, and for golf as a whole, establishes a new standard that stands as inspiration and motivation for the rest of us."   The award ceremony was preceded by the induction of this year's class of the Georgia GCSA Superintendent Hall of Fame: William Shirley, CGCS at Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta, Ron Sinnock, who retired in 2005 after a nearly 40-year career between Chattahoochee Golf Course in Gainesville and Coosa Country Club in Rome, and the late Bobby McGee, who in 1976 was the host superintendent for the only U.S. Open Championship played in Georgia.

  • Shades of winter

    By John Reitman, in News,

    As the term Polar Vortex crept into the mainstream vernacular last winter, Kevin Frank, Ph.D., might be the only person on the planet who didn't greet the weather phenomenon with disdain.
     
    "I was kind of excited. I thought we might finally get to do some winterkill research," said Frank, associate professor of turfgrass science.
     
    In retrospect, his enthusiasm falls under the category of "be careful what you wish for."
     
    The university's Hancock Turfgrass Research Center wasn't the only place where winterkill was on display. Superintendents managing Poa annua greens in the Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes region and parts of eastern Canada also got an up-close and personal look at winterkill after periods of rain, followed by freezing cold temperatures and relentless snow events left golf courses throughout that death zone under a blanket of ice for months.
     
    In parts of Michigan, the cycle of death began Dec. 21 when rain turned to ice, followed by snow. Brief mini-melts here and there helped create a layer of ice underneath that remained for months, long past Poa's threshold for remaining viable under ice.
     
    Given the widespread damage left in the wake of last winter, it's never too early to start worrying about the next one. Or more specifically, how to formulate a recovery plan in the event of the next winterkill event.
     
    Frank spoke recently on the topic in successive seminars during this year's Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Conference, held Dec. 9-11 in Sandusky.
     
    The ability to recover depends entirely on the level of damage incurred, but such programs often begin with seeding bentgrass. Frank discussed 
     
    One such program Frank discussed at OTF included seeding with bentgrass, followed by a starter fertilizer application consisting of 0.75 pounds per 1,000 square feet of phosphorus, followed by a foliar program of 0.10 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 applied every four to five days through mid- to late May, and plant growth regulators weren't used until mid-June.
     
    Annual spring use of PGRs to control Poa seedhead suppression could, Frank said, leave the plants vulnerable and weakened over time.
     
    "We've been doing that for decades. When you have a massive kill like this, it's not like the Poa is raring and ready to go," Frank said. "That was a challenge."
     
    Preparing the area for seeding also played a critical role in how quickly an area recovered. 
     
    The best results last year, Frank said, were achieved using a slit seeder in at least two and sometimes three directions. One pass didn't create enough openings to maximize seed-soil contact. A spiker that created dimples in the surface resulted in seed being deposited in the thatch layer, Frank said. In fact, some greens last winter had so much dead turf that Frank said stripping the greens and starting over from seed often might make more sense, especially when maximizing seed-soil contact. Use of permeable covers also can help speed re-establishment.
     
    Affected courses throughout the southern half of Michigan that followed such a program typically were ready to reopen their greens by mid- to late June.
     
    Any re-establishment effort that comes on the heels of something potentially catastrophic like winterkill should also include regular communication with golfers. 
     
    "You don't want golfers who play your course coming out the second week of April and you have to tell them they can play the alternates or hit balls on the range," he said. "You have to be ready to tell them if it happens, this is our strategy for recovery."
  • Jacobsen believes the best way to support its customers needs throughout parts of the South is for them to deal directly with the manufacturer. To that end, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based manufacturer of turf maintenance equipment will serve as a full-service dealer to golf courses and sports fields in north and central Florida, Georgia and Alabama.
     
    The company believes it can better support customers in those parts of the Southeast by servicing them directly. They will be increasing stocking levels and adding additional sales and service staff.
     
    This change comes on the heels of Jacobsen recently establishing direct operations in the Western and Midwestern U.S., which has helped create stability for customers.
     
    "We believe we can ensure our customers are getting the highest level of support in the industry by serving them directly in Florida, Georgia and Alabama," said Ric Stone, Jacobsen's vice president of sales and marketing.

    In other news, Jacobsen named Chris Makowski as territory sales manager for its Northeast region. A former assistant golf course superintendent for more than 10 years, Makowski has more than a dozen years of experience in equipment sales.

    Based in Rochester, New York, he will serve Jacobsen customers in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.
  • For nearly 35 years, Pat Vittum, Ph.D., has been a leading voice in insect pest control on managed turf. A professor at the University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture, she has authored some of the most widely regarded books on insects and how to get rid of them and is a regular speaker on the topic at conferences all around the country.
     
    For her decades of service to the turfgrass industry and to the many students she has taught at UMass, Vittum recently was named the recipient of the 2015 USGA Green Section Award. She will receive the award, which is given annually since 1961 for "distinguished service to the game of golf through his or her work with turfgrass," Feb. 7, 2015, at the USGA Annual Meeting in New York City.
     
    Vittum has conducted significant research on the biology and management of turfgrass insects and the effectiveness of biological-control methods. A recognized industry leader, she is a widely sought-after resource for practical information about turfgrass pests.
     
    "Dr. Vittum has the unique ability to be a hands-on researcher who can effectively communicate her work with practical advice for the field practitioner," said Kimberly Erusha, Ph.D., managing director of the USGA Green Section. "Her contributions to the study of turfgrass insects have helped to establish industry standards and best management practices. We are proud to recognize her accomplishments and celebrate her legacy."
     
    A native of western New York, Vittum earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry from The College of Wooster (Ohio). She earned her master's and doctorate degrees at Cornell University, where she worked with Haruo Tashiro, Ph.D., an international expert in turf insect biology. Vittum also served on the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Committee from 2002 to 2008.
     
    Vittum joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1980, becoming a professor in 2000. She teaches classes on the pesticides use, insect identification and integrated pest management. She was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award by the Entomological Society of America, Eastern Branch in 2004.
     
    "Pat is an exemplary faculty member and a true leader," said Mary Owen, turf specialist and turf program coordinator at the University of Massachusetts Extension. "She has dedicated her career to advance the professionalism and competence of golf course superintendents and staff, with protection of the environment as a high priority."
     
    Vittum's research has been published in several well-respected industry journals and publications. She is the principal author of the second edition of "Turfgrass Insects of the United States and Canada," (Comstock) which is widely regarded as the leading publication on turf entomology. She also co-authored the "IPM Handbook for Golf Courses," (Wiley).
     
    "When Dr. Erusha called to tell me about this honor, I was overwhelmed," said Dr. Vittum. "The list of previous honorees includes so many giants of the turf management world, including people from academia, USGA Green Section directors, and top-shelf golf course superintendents. I am honored and humbled to be joining their ranks as a recipient of the distinguished service award. This is the highest award to which I could aspire, and it is an incredible affirmation of the studies I have conducted as a turf entomologist and the years I have spent as an educator."
  • For a man who's made his living in the dirt, Ken Mangum has a million-dollar smile. And he seems to wear it 24/7. Why shouldn't he? 
     
    For parts of the past five decades, Mangum has helped redefine what it means to be an ambassador for his profession. Director of golf courses and grounds at Atlanta Athletic Club since 1998, Mangum has dedicated his career to pleasing members and customers, cultivated a legacy that includes dozens of former employees who have gone on to become superintendents, and further shared his knowledge by speaking and teaching to colleagues and future superintendents at industry events throughout the country and around the world. He has promoted the benefits of university research and even dabbled in golf course architecture.
     
    Mangum, 61, announced Wednesday that he will retire in May, bringing to an end a career that began in 1973 as an intern for Palmer Maples Jr. at The Standard Club in Atlanta. He is to be inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in January at AAC.
     
    Mark Hoban, superintendent at Rivermont Country Club in Atlanta, interned with Mangum at The Standard Club. He recognized early on that his colleague had what it took to be a rising star.
     
    "Ken rose quickly in turfgrass management due to his passion for excellence and an affinity to seek, connect and learn from people that were industry leaders," Hoban said.
     
    Not one to forget where he came from, Mangum has been a fixture as a speaker at regional, chapter and national meetings; assistant workshops; and other industry events ever since, even though he also is accountable for daily playing conditions at one of Atlanta's most high-profile private clubs.
     
    "He's always been giving of his time and knowledge. He's always making new friends and willing to do something for someone else," said Mike Crawford, CGCS at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia and a Mangum protege. "What other legacy could you want other than to be known for helping others?"
     
    Crawford worked for Mangum from 1990 to 1995, first as an assistant superintendent and later as superintendent of Atlanta Athletic Club's highly regarded Highlands Course. During that span, Mangum designed and built AAC's par-3 course.
     
    "He not only did things at the club to make it successful and be a world-class facility and host for major championships, but he also felt a responsibility outside the club to the profession," Crawford said. "You can see that in the 50-plus superintendents who once worked for him. It shows he took his role outside the club seriously."
     
    For Mangum, giving back to his peers has been about helping to elevate the status of the golf course superintendent profession and educate the industry's next generation, traits he says were instilled in him by Maples.
     
    "Palmer Maples Jr. was a great mentor to me and lifelong friend. He set a great example on how to treat people and help enhance our profession through education," Mangum said. "I always wanted our profession to receive the recognition we deserve for what we do for the game of golf. I also really enjoy helping people be successful. I am so proud of the over 50 young men who have worked with me over the years and moved on to have successful careers on their own.  Pass it on!"
     
    A true renaissance man of the turf maintenance industry, Mangum also has been one of its pioneers. He oversaw a revival of AAC that included regrassing bentgrass greens with Champion ultradwarf Bermudagrass and the fairways with Zeon zoysia in preparation for the 2011 PGA Championship, the fifth national championship held at the club during his tenure there. 
     
    He also has worked closely through the years with University of Georgia researchers on various trials, including new cultivar evaluations, firmness studies and weed-control research, and has made those areas available for inspection for anyone who wants to see them, said Clint Waltz, Ph.D., University of Georgia professor and extension specialist.
     
    "The University of Georgia turf team always valued his input. He is an innovator who valued new ideas and concepts that come out of university research," Waltz said. "This is bittersweet. I'm happy and proud for him. But, we're going to miss him. He has been an excellent ambassador for the game and the profession."
     
    The true benefactors of his desire to better himself and those around him include members at AAC and the pros and top amateurs who play there during the five major championships that have been held there during the Mangum era.
     
    His work drew the attention of TV's David Feherty, who stopped by the maintenance facility after the 2011 PGA to commend Mangum and his staff for playing conditions during the tournament, especially in the fairways. Feherty's thoughts were captured on video  ).
     
    "I have never in my life, not at Augusta, not anywhere else, seen fairways like this," Feherty said in the video. "These are better than anything I ever putted on on the European Tour -- and they're quicker as well.
     
    "This golf course is as perfect as anything I've seen in the 16 years that I've been broadcasting."
     
    An avid outdoorsman, Mangum says he plans to do a lot of fishing during his next adventure, as well as spend time with family, promoting the benefits of zoysiagrass to other superintendents and, of course, helping colleagues wherever and whenever he can.
     
    "I owe my career to him, because he gave me a chance," said Crawford. 
     
    "When I think of Ken, I think of a true Southern gentleman. I hope others see that as well. With Ken, what you see is what you get."
  • Pre-emergent herbicide applications can do wonders for controlling winter and summer annual weeds. And although those herbicides provide extended residual control, they do not compromise stress tolerance in warm-season turf, which is good to know for superintendents who manage golf courses with brisk autumn play.
     
    That's the verdict of a recent University of Tennessee study. 
     
    The study, conducted in 2012-2013, examined the effects of four common herbicides (indaziflam, prodiamine, pendimethalin, oxadiazon) on traffic tolerance of established, weed-free Tifway Bermudagrass.
     
    Treatments were made at eight-week intervals in early March and early May and were watered in within 24 hours.
     
    A total of 18 simulated traffic events, three per week, using a CADY simulator were applied from late August to late September in both years of the study. Turf was mowed three days per week using a Jacobsen triplex greens mower.
     
    The UT research team noted no significant differences in turf cover between any of the treatments in either year of the study, leading them to conclude that pre-emergent herbicides, or at least the active ingredients in this study, can be applied in spring without compromising the turf's natural traffic tolerance traits in fall.
     
  • In the 12 years it has been buzzing around North America, the Emerald Ash Borer has been pretty busy. The tiny, invasive pest initially got off to a slow start in its first couple of years as an unwanted visitor, but has since been in the fastlane of a path to destruction, and any chances at controlling or even slowing its spread might be largely dependent on other non-native insect species.
     
    First found in the United States in 2002 in Michigan, EAB spread to Ontario, then Ohio, Maryland and Virginia throughout 2003. A year later, it was found in Indiana, but it had been quickly eradicated in Maryland. By 2005, it failed to increase its North American range, providing a brief glimmer of hope that its spread could be controlled and its population eradicated.
     
    So much for hope.
     
    Today, EAB is found in 24 states and two provinces in Canada. Its range has spread to previously unlikely locations, including southward to Tennessee and Georgia and westward into Kansas and Colorado. Scientists estimate that EAB has wiped out 8 billion trees worth as much as $280 million. More than $29 million is spent annually to combat the spread of EAB, according to research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service.
     
    And it's going to get worse.
     
    It is believed that the pest that is native to eastern Asia and came to the U.S. aboard a Chinese freighter that docked in Detroit, eventually will reach the entire ash tree range in North America, an area that covers parts of at least 42 U.S. states and six Canadian provinces. Each ash borer, however, only flies a few miles throughout its lifecycle. Its rapid spread, says Dave Smitley, Ph.D., of Michigan State University, is largely blamed on moving infested firewood. All species of ash in North America are thought to be susceptible, scientists say.
     
    "Yes, I believe EAB will eventually spread to all states with ash trees," Smitley said. "The natural range in eastern Asia covers a large gradient from cold to warm climates. We have already seen it spread to our northern-most states. I am not sure if there will be any warm temperature limitations."
     
    Several companies have developed chemistries that have proven to be effective against EAB, but cost has made saving anything more than target trees economically unrealistic. Introduction of biological parasites has provided a more realistic approach to widespread control.
     
    EAB populations have been largely unaffected by native parasitic wasps. However, parasitic wasps native to Asia, such as Oobius agrili, Spathius agrili and Tetrastichus planipennisi have been more effective, parasitising from 50 percent to 90 percent of the pest's ova and/or larvae. The non-native parasitic wasps are raised in and distributed from a USDA laboratory in Brighton, Michigan. Nearly 1 million parasitic wasps have been released since that site opened in 2009.

    "Oobius agrili and Tetrastichus planipennisi have been recovered at release sites and their establishment and parasitism rates are gradually increasing," said Therese Poland, Ph.D., research entomologist at the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station in Lansing, Michigan. "They are currently being reared at the APHIS biocontrol rearing facility in Brighton.  However, Spathius agrili has not been recovered at the sites where it has been released. It is believed that the climate here may be too cool for establishment since it was collected in southern China. It is no longer being reared and released."
     
    Spathius agrili exhibited control of EAB larvae of up to 90 percent, but scientists believe the U.S. climate is too cold for it, so it is no longer raised at the Michigan lab. Research on a fourth non-native species, Spathius galinae, is under way, Poland said. That wasp is native to Russia, and scientists believe that its natural range could make it more adaptable as a control tool here.
     
    Those interested in acquiring and releasing parasitic wasps must have a release permit issued by the USDA, which has a host of recommendations for the size of the wooded area that has been affected, age of the trees involved and density of EAB population at the site.
     
    EAB kills ash trees by disrupting the uptake of water and nutrients through the trunk and into the upper reaches of the tree.
     
    Adult females, which grow to about a half-inch in length and can be difficult to spot, create a hole in the bark into which they deposit their eggs. After hatching, the larvae feed on and chew galleries through the tissue beneath the bark layer, disrupting the tree's ability to move water and nutrients through its vascular system. In the spring, new adults chew through the bark and emerge, flying into the canopy to ingest ash leaves and the reproductive process begins all over again.
     
    Symptoms of infestation include thinning of the canopy and sprouts growing from holes in the trunk that were created by the pests, along with a healthy population of voracious woodpeckers that find EAB especially pleasing to the palate.
     
    Tree canopies can be wiped out within two years, and mature, healthy trees are dead usually within three to four years.
  • Time is running out to nominate a deserving candidate for the 2014 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year Award, presented by Syngenta.
     
    Since 2000, the award has highlighted the accomplishments of golf course superintendents throughout North America who go above and beyond, often during times of severe adversity, to maximize the golf experience for members and customers.
     
    Golf course owners, operators, general managers, club members, golf professionals, vendors, distributors, colleagues, spouses, friends and others can nominate a deserving candidate by clicking here and filling out our online nomination form. Deadline for submitting nominations is Dec. 15.
     
    Nominees are judged on their ability to excel at one or more of the following criteria:
    labor management maximizing budget limitations educating and advancing the careers of colleagues and assistants negotiating with government agencies preparing for tournaments under unusual circumstances service to golf clientele upgrading or renovating the course and dealing with extreme or emergency conditions. Please be as specific as possible when relating your candidate's accomplishments.
     
    A panel of judges will select a list of finalists and a winner, who will be named at next year's Golf Industry Show in San Antonio.
     
    Winners of the award include Chad Mark, Kirtland Country Club, 2013; Dan Meersman, Philadelphia Cricket Club, 2012; Paul Carter, The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay (Tenn.), 2011; Thomas Bastis, California Golf Club of San Francisco (Calif.), 2010; Anthony Williams, Stone Mountain Golf Club (Ga.), 2009, Sam MacKenzie, Olympia Fields Country Club (Ill.), 2008; John Zimmers, Oakmont Country Club (Pa.), 2007; Scott Ramsay, Golf Course at Yale (Conn.), 2006; Mark Burchfield, Victoria Club (Calif.), 2005; Stuart Leventhal, Interlachen Country Club (Fla.), 2004; Paul Voykin, Briarwood Country Club (Ill.), 2003; Jeff Burgess, Seven Lakes Country Club (Ontario), 2002; Kip Tyler, Salem Country Club (Mass), 2001; and Kent McCutcheon, Las Vegas Paiute Resort (Nev.), 2000.
  • For the most part, TurfNet is a pretty secular Web site. However, extreme weather conditions and green committee meetings can instill the power of prayer in just about anyone. And if ever there was a bible in this business, the University of Kentucky's fungicide guide might be it.   The annual Chemical Control of Turfgrass Diseases by UK's Paul Vincelli, Ph.D., and Gregg Munshaw, Ph.D., is indeed one of the most anticipated publications of the year.   The 2015 edition of the guide is available for download through the University of Kentucky Extension Service. It contains information on a variety of common fungicides listed by active ingredient.   The guide also addresses risk of resistance for each chemistry, and ways turf managers can minimize the threat of resistance.   Other tips include improving product efficacy through proper application, non-target effects of fungicides.   Significant space is dedicated to reducing summer stress on cool-season turf putting surfaces. The authors show how raising mowing heights by 0.031-0.062 inch can be enough to provide relief to cool-season turf during times of heat stress, and can be combined with a program that includes reduced mowing frequency and increased lightweight rolling.   Other advice includes using smooth rollers rather than grooved, the role of foliar nutrition during times of stress, the importance of managing water use and minimizing leaf wetness from dew.   The authors also dedicate a considerable amount of space to control methods for specific diseases, including anthracnose, algae, brown patch, dollar spot, fairy ring, Pythium root dysfunction and various leaf spot and patch diseases.   Each disease-specific section includes information on conditions that are optimal for an outbreak, tips on disease avoidance and applicable curative control methods.    Finally, the authors include links to other online resources from within the UK turf community as well as from Purdue University and the University of Missouri.

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