Jump to content

From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    The companies that brought zombie weeds and obnoxious trousers to the Golf Industry Show in recent years have combined to deliver another loud message to their customers.   FMC Corp. and Arysta LifeScience have reached an agreement in which FMC will develop and market Arysta's Disarm fungicide and Xonerate herbicide in the United States and Canada.   The agreement went into effect Aug. 12.   With the active ingredient amicarbizone, Xonerate is labeled for control of annual bluegrass in warm- and cool-season turf, including Kentucky bluegrass.   Xonerate should be applied in spring or summer, depending on geographic location, at least two to four weeks after turf has begun actively growing. Poa will begin to yellow within about two weeks and will be gone in three to four weeks.   Disarm, with the active ingredient fluoxastrobin, is labeled for control of a variety of common turf diseases, including anthracnose, brown patch, dollar spot, fairy ring, fusarium patch, gray leaf spot, pink snow mold, Pythium blight, spring dead spot, summer patch, take-all patch, Waitea patch and zoysia patch.  

  • Northern exposure

    By John Reitman, in News,

    An ongoing study in its first year at Ohio State University could help determine whether warm-season grasses are a viable option for some high-traffic areas on golf courses during times of summer stress.   Researchers at Ohio State will measure the viability and recuperative ability of four varieties of Bermudagrass for use during the summer playing season on golf course teeing grounds as well as practice range tees. The study, which is being conducted by OSU program coordinator Matt Williams, sports turf specialist Pam Sherratt and associate professor John Street, Ph.D., in conjunction with the USGA, also could shed light on whether any or all of those Bermuda varieties could be used to cover high school football practice fields.   "We're trying to find periods when we can use Bermudagrass on driving range tees, tee boxes and for practice fields to let them get off the cool-season grasses until October," Williams said.    After meeting with regional USGA Green Section agronomist Keith Happ last September, Ohio State researchers in March rolled out new plots of Patriot, Riviera, Latitude 36 and Northbridge Bermudagrass sod. Cup cutters and two-drum roller from Europe eventually will be used to simulate stress that the turf would be exposed to on a teeing area, Williams said. The roller, a contraption from the British company Sisis, has two drums, one of which spins faster than the other simulating traffic and divot wear.   The project hasn't been without its challenges so far. Since sodding took place in March, lingering winter conditions resulted in winter kill that necessitated resodding some isolated areas. Subsequently, prevailing cool summer conditions have forced researchers to maintain the turf at higher heights of cut than they had hoped for.   "This has not been a good Bermuda summer in Ohio," said Williams, who joked that Happ might have been turned down for the research if he'd asked after this year's winter rather than before it. "We've had plenty of water, but it's been mild, and the temperatures just have not been up there where it would thrive. We've spent the summer nursing it into condition."   Although this past five months have been an inhospitable one for growing Bermuda in Ohio, Williams said the research should be fruitful in the long term and could yield groundbreaking information for this part of the country. For example, a 250-mile stretch of Interstate 71 connects Ohio's three largest cities - Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. The average high temperatures in August - 80 degrees in Cleveland, 83 in Columbus and 84 in Cincinnati - are far greater, especially for those desiring to grow Bermudagrass.   In Cincinnati, sports turf manager Darian Daily is growing Bermuda at the Bengals' practice facility outside Paul Brown Stadium. But does that mean other locations throughout the state will have the same or similar success? Time will tell, Williams said.   "The farther north you go, every degree counts," he said.    "I think 90 miles (the approximate distance between Columbus and Cincinnati and Columbus and Cleveland) is significant. It might not seem like it going from Cincinnati to Columbus, but another 90 miles and you're in Cleveland. The farther north you go, every degree counts."   Although this project is in its early stages, Bermudagrass research has been conducted at Ohio State for many years, and Williams isn't concerned that cooler conditions will inhibit the newest trials. In fact, long-term weather trends will only help validate the research.   "This is my eighth season here. We have 10,000 square feet of Bermuda here, and this is the first sign of winter kill here since I've been here," he said. "Are we going to see it moving forward? Is it going to be one out of three years, or one out of 10 years? Those things will help people evaluate whether it is worth it to grow Bermuda where they are."   Previous Bermudagrass research at Ohio State by Street that began as long as 15 years ago has included looking into prolonging color retention beyond summer.    "Can we extend the color and still beat it up into late September or early October?" Williams said. "You can't play football on it, or use it on a tee if you can't beat it up."

  • New breed of 'Cat

    By Peter McCormick, in News,

    Jacobsen has announced a completely updated TurfCat® out-front rotary in the 60-72" deck class.
     
    The traditional Jacobsen hydraulic-over-belt deck drive has been replaced by individual hydraulic motors on all spindles, which now feature sealed bearings to eliminate grease points. The hydraulic lines have quick couplers for easy implement exchange.
     
    Traction drive has also been updated to all hydraulic. Two- or four-wheel drive options are available. Combined, the new traction and deck drive systems eliminate all belts, pulleys, gearboxes, driveshafts and clutches for reduced maintenance and lower total cost of ownership.
     
    Powerplant is a 24.8hp Tier 4-compliant Kubota diesel.  Because it is below the 25-hp threshold, the Kubota engine is considered Tier 4 compliant without all the added filtration and other bells and whistles (and cost) associated with higher horsepower Tier 4 engines.
     
    Deck options include 60" and 72" rear discharge, 63" and 72" side discharge, and the 60" fine-cut flail mower popular for roughs, native areas and core processing.
     
    The weight transfer function previously performed by deck springs has been transferred to the deck lift cylinder, with a dial adjustment.
     
    Foldable ROPS is standard, and a premium suspension seat available as an option to the standard suspension seat. A cab, rotary brush, plow, snow blower and turbine blower are available to extend the utility of the TurfCat to all seasons.
     
    Availability is slated for August, 2014.
     

  • Different month, same story.   Despite four straight months of overall golf-friendly weather compared to a year ago, there was another year-over-year drop in rounds played in June, according to industry reports.   Rounds played, according to the Golf Datatech National Golf Rounds Played Report, were down 2.8 percent in June, compared with the same month from a year ago. For the year, play is down by 2 percent.   The nearly 3 percent decline marks the seventh drop in play in the past eight months, a slide that was interrupted only by a 1 percent increase in May.   The drop in rounds played also came despite four straight months of an increase in what golf industry analyst Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp. calls golf playable hours, which essentially is an inventory of all the daylight hours in which one could play golf factored against climatic influences, such as wind, rain, snow and severe cold that inhibit one?s ability to play. That number was up by 1 percent in June, compared with the same month a year ago.   Rounds were up by at least 2 percent in eight states, down by at least 2 percent in 29 others, and somewhere in between in a dozen others states. The study does not measure rounds played in Alaska.   The greatest gains in June were in Oregon, where play was up by 10 percent, followed by South Carolina, Massachusetts and Rhode Island at 9 percent each. Play was up by 21 percent in Orlando, Florida, but losses in other key markets translated into an overall gain statewide of just 1 percent.   The most significant losses for the month were, according to Golf Datatech, in Nebraska (down 18 percent), Alabama (12 percent), and Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee (all down 11 percent). The study surveyed rounds played at 3,620 private and daily fee facilities nationwide.  
  • Come mid-summer, you don't have to be in California to experience the effects of drought. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, abnormally dry conditions persist in parts of at least 35 states not named California.   An article in last winter's USGA Green Section Record might be more relevant now than it was when much of the country was blanketed in snow and ice and sub-freezing temperatures.   In Birmingham, Alabama, about an inch of rain fell in July, which was 4 inches behind the monthly historic average. It was a similar story in the Kansas City area, where monthly rainfall in July was 2.5 inches off the normal range.   The article, written by USGA Green Section agronomist Pat O'Brien offers a five-step water-management plan that includes: 1. track usage, 2. agronomic practices, 3. use of wetting agents, 4. use of soil moisture monitoring devices, 5. raising and leveling irrigation heads.   Items 1-4 seem pretty basic, but failure to monitor irrigation heads in the field sometimes can be among the most common causes of irrigation inefficiency.   Writes O'Brien: "When an irrigation head is positioned too low in relation to the playing surface, the trajectory of the water stream is disrupted when it strikes turfgrass immediately adjacent to the head. As the stream of water breaks apart and never realizes its intended path, irrigation coverage is inconsistent, with the turf nearest the sprinkler becoming too wet and the turf farther away becoming too dry.    "Sprinkler heads sink, or may appear to sink, for several reasons, including soil settling after installation or construction, traffic on top of the sprinkler due to mowers and other turf equipment, thatch buildup around the sprinkler, or regular sand topdressing programs raising the surrounding terrain."   O'Brien suggests being aware of heads that might be crooked or tilted or too low in relation to the surrounding area.   Coupled with other basic agronomic practices listed here, regularly monitoring and adjusting irrigation heads can help superintendents manage water more efficiently, especially during hot, dry summer conditions when efficiency is needed most.
  • For the past three years, Jacobsen supports turfgrass education by awarding scholarships to deserving students. Recently, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based manufacturer of turf management equipment awarded scholarships to 27 college seniors in North America who are studying turfgrass management.   Auburn University senior Matthew Golson, an intern with the Green Bay Packers, said the program helps ease the burden of paying for a college education for many students.   "As turfgrass students and interns, we are so fortunate to have opportunities of financial support from generous scholarship programs like Jacobsen's," Golson said. "For part-time workers and full-time hopefuls like us, this scholarship brings some peace of mind to turf students while we manage our educational and vocational experiences and work hard to make ends meet."   Jacobsen supports industry education through the Jacobsen Turfgrass Scholarship program as well as other initiatives including the Future Turf Managers Program, a week-long educational event for recent college graduates, and Jacobsen University, an in-house educational facility providing hands-on training to students, superintendents, technicians and sales representatives. In addition, Jacobsen donates equipment and resources to several turfgrass programs throughout the United States.   "At Jacobsen, we take great pride in the turf industry and are committed to supporting turf managers at all levels. Awarding scholarships to these deserving students is one way we are able to reward their current success and invest in the future of this industry," said David Withers, president of Jacobsen.  "We look forward to working with these turf managers for many years to come."   This year's recipients are: Brandon Bousema, Iowa State; Cody Chavez, Mt. San Antonio College; Andrew Christesen, Michigan State; Morgan Creighton, Olds College; Jonathon Fox, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; Matthew Golson, Auburn; Micah Gould, Oregon State; Timothy Halvorson, Minnesota-Crookston; Wyatt Kotary, SUNY-Delhi; Jack Leising, SUNY-Delhi; Christopher Marra, Penn State; Kyle Mast, Rhode Island; Ryan May, Iowa State; Morgan McAdams, Southeast Missouri State; Luke McGhee, Wisconsin; Gerald Navarre, Michigan State; Spencer Nelson, Iowa State; Meagan Nunn, University of Guelph; Matthew Sorrell, Florida Gateway College; Mark Stoklosa, Kwantlen Polytechnic University; Zachary Strader, Texas A&M; Matthew Valeriani, University of Guelph; Joseph Villela, New Mexico State; Andrew Wilhelm, Purdue; Blake Willems, Arkansas; Cody Woods, Penn State; Tyler Zidik, Penn State.
  • At this year's Golf Industry Show, John Deere made a big splash when it introduced its A Series of fairway rough and trim mowers.
     
    To accommodate the new additions to the Deere lineup, the company overhauled the assembly line at its Turf Care Facility in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. A video from John Deere provides an inside look into that assembly line and explains some of the changes necessary to maximize efficiency and quality of the production process.
     
    According to Deere, the new assembly line was three years in planning and was designed to offer what the company called "the ultimate in mistake proofing."
     
    It incorporates common tools and components as well as manufacturing processes between products designed to simplify the assembly process, thus minimizing the chances of mistakes. Safety checks include the use of cameras, not as a surveillance tool but to help identify and prevent mistakes, job orders that tell assembly line workers what part is needed for a specific task and LED lights that identify those parts.
     
    The goal is create a mistake-proof environment, makes assembly easier and allows for anyone else to step into any station and complete its given task.
     
    Stripping down the old assembly line was completed in two days, according to the video, and the new one constructed in less than four weeks.
  • A new mobile application from the American Phytopathological Society offers a host of diagnostic tools and treatment tips to help professional turfgrass managers identify and control a variety of common turf diseases.
     
    The app, called Turf MD, includes an overview of common turfgrass diseases, diagnostic tools such as photographs, symptoms, detailed information on disease development and conditions that, decision-support tools, disease-control strategies and recommendations and a directory of turf extension resources for additional information. 
     
    Diseases also can be cross-referenced by turf type.
     
    Developed by the American Phytopathological Society, the app's content is based on three APS Press books: Turfgrass Diseases, Third Edition (Richard W. Smiley, Peter H. Dernoeden, and Bruce B. Clarke); A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides (Richard Latin ; and additional images and keys found in the Turfgrass Diseases, Diagnosis and Management CD-Rom (Gail L. Schumann and James D. MacDonald).
     
    The app is available for iPhone and iPad for $2.99 on the Apple App Store.
  • Surveys and statistics reveal that golf course conditions are the most critical component in determining golfer satisfaction, not square footage of the clubhouse, diversity of apparel in the shop, or quality of food in the lounge. And the golf course superintendent has the single greatest influence on producing those conditions.
     
    But life at the top as a superintendent can be lonely. When conditions are good, praise often is heaped onto the staff in the golf shop. Often, it only is when something goes wrong that the work of the superintendent is singled out.
     
    If that is not enough, the superintendent not only must be a self-disciplined, multi-tasking agronomist in charge of managing the clubs most valuable asset, he or she also must be a multi-lingual manager, babysitter, therapist, accountant, electrician, hydraulics expert, ditch digger, arborist, environmentalist, integrated pest management specialist, turfgrass pathologist, entomologist, irrigation expert and mechanic.
     
    Since 2000, the TurfNet Superintendent of the Year award has been highlighting the accomplishments of golf course superintendents throughout North America.
     
    Presented by Syngenta, the Superintendent of the Year award program honors dozens of nominees each year for their work in producing great playing conditions often during times of adversity, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, flooding, extreme heat, ice damage, or stress caused from insects and disease.
     
    If you know someone who fits this description, nominate him for the 2014 Superintendent of the Year award.
     
    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.
     
    To nominate a deserving superintendent for this years award, visit the 2014 nomination page. For more information, email John Reitman.
     
    Nominations can be submitted by golf course owners, operators, general managers, club members, golf professionals, vendors, distributors and colleagues. Deadline for submitting nominations is Nov. 30.
     
    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.
     
    Previous 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.
  • The annual bluegrass weevil is one of the most destructive pests on golf courses in the northeastern United States. Syngenta recently launched Ference, a new insecticide that gives golf course superintendents another tool in their battle with this troublesome and mobile pest.
     
    With the active ingredient cyantraniliprole, Ference offers increased control of annual bluegrass weevil through Syngenta's ABW Optimum Control Strategy, detailed here.
     
    Ference controls annual bluegrass weevil larvae inside the stem (first to second instar) and outside the stem (third to fifth instar). Because Ference controls all larval stages, it is especially well-suited to control the asynchronous summer populations. Ference is in the same class of chemistry found in Acelepryn insecticide and can stop damaging feeding of young larvae within minutes after ingestion of treated turf. It can be applied to all turfgrass areas on the golf course, including tee-box areas, roughs, fairways, greens and collars.
     
    "The active ingredient in Ference provides a new, extremely effective management tool for superintendents dealing with ABW infestations, particularly when multiple generations, or asynchronous populations, are present," says Mike Agnew, Ph.D., technical manager, Syngenta Turf and Landscape. "As insect resistance to pyrethroids continues to grow, we have to integrate alternative chemistries into our pest control strategies."
     
    Ference works in tandem with Acelepryn, Provaunt and Scimitar GC insecticides as part of the Syngenta Optimum Control Strategy that can be followed through WeevilTrak.com. Weevil Trak and the Optimum Control Strategy are supported by seven independent entomologists and 38 turfgrass consultants across the Northeast.
     
    Once limited to southern New England, annual bluegrass weevil now is found on golf courses as far west as Ohio and as far south as North Carolina, as well as in Ontario and Quebec. Weather conditions determine when adult ABWs become active, and larvae from ABW reproduction develop at different times. Once active, ABW cycle through reproductive stages quickly, producing up to four generations in any given season. Historically, detecting, monitoring and tracking ABW development requires different techniques because of these life cycles and thus treatment options have varied as well.

  • Flood of emotions

    By John Reitman, in News,

    There are times when Aaron Porter maybe wishes the members of his grounds crew at Fargo Country Club weren't quite so efficient.   With nine of 27 holes on the 100-year-old Willie Watson design in North Dakota prone to flooding from the Red River, Porter's crew of 18 has become very good at flood recovery work. That's a good thing, because in the six years that Porter has been superintendent at Fargo, the north-flowing river has overrun its banks onto the golf course 16 times, including this year. Nine of those floods, including this year's, are what the 40-year-old Porter calls "killers" in that they wipe out just about everything in their path.   Each time the floodwaters recede, Porter and his staff routinely have the course cleaned of silt, reseeded and ready for play in about a month. Such efficiency has made it difficult to sell members on a pricey flood-mitigation plan drafted by professional golfer and course architect Tom Lehman that would bring all of the holes out of harm's way.   "If I had a bad crew, maybe I could've gotten (the flood-mitigation plan) through by now, but we're so good at establishing ryegrass in this valley that I'm able to whip something together," Porter said.    As good as Porter and his crew are, the arduous task of recovery can take it's toll.   "All this sweat for what? So you can play golf on it for two weeks?" he said. "Because that's all we've had so far this year."   The Red River once was marked with acres of wetlands that held water and made flooding truly a 100-year event. But as more of that land is converted to agriculture use, flooding has become an annual occurrence during the past 15 years.   "We are a by-product of modern agriculture," said Porter, a finalist for TurfNet's 2009 Superintendent of the Year award. "The Red River Valley used to be part of the Prairie Pothole Region with slews and ditches. They've all been drained.   "All the water from those farm fields shears off the fields and right into the river. Now, after a 3-inch rain the river jumps 5 feet. It used to be 3 inches of rain never moved the river."   Most of the course has remained unchanged since Watson signed off on the design in 1914. Nostalgia, as much as anything, is to blame for the club's more established members not falling into line with Lehman's plan.   "The holes located down in the floodplain are beautiful, when they're not flooded. The other holes are as good as you will find anywhere," Porter said.    "Instead of this course being a 100-year-old classic, we flood. The holes that don't flood are great, but it's the holes that flood that take precedence. They are what we are known for."   Throughout the course, Fargo has bentgrass tees and Poa greens. The fairways that remain dry are a mix of old bluegrasses that have stood up to the test of time.   Although several holes are prone to flooding, Nos. 14-18 get the worst of it during summer. And each time, fairways are cleaned of silt then prepped and seeded with perennial ryegrass, for its quick establishment, at rates that Porter calls "ridiculous." Porter uses a three-way blend of Barenbrug's Regenerative Perennial Ryegrasses for quick establishment as well as for their regenerative properties.   Prep work includes running a spiker in multiple directions over the fairways, disrupting the top inch or so of the soil until it produces a smooth seedbed. The site is aerified and a spreader broadcasts seed at rates up to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet, or as much as five times the normal rate, Porter said. A drum roller helps maximize seed-soil contact before fertilizer and water are applied to help the process along. Each time, the fairways are ready for mowing after about a week.   So far this year, Porter says he's used 8,000 pounds of ryegrass seed and at least 72,000 pounds since he started at Fargo.   "It's grass on steroids," Porter said. "It's unconventional. If I had time, I'd seed at 2 to 3 pounds per 1,000, but I don't have time. We just blow it in."   A graduate of Iowa State University, Porter was the North Course superintendent at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa before taking the job at Fargo. One of his former bosses at Des Moines says Fargo's members made the right choice for such a daunting and recurrent task as flood recovery when they hired Porter in 2008.   "He has always been a hard charger. He goes 100 percent in one direction," said Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS at Des Moines. "He's not afraid to make a mistake and he doesn't worry about consequences because he is so confident in his abilities."   Porter had no experience dealing with flooding when he accepted the job at Fargo in 2008. He's had plenty since, and he says he's learned from the best in assistants Bill Broeckmeier and Dave Lorentz, who have more than 40 years combined experience at Fargo.   "They are rock stars," Porter said. "We've gotten so good, that a month after a flood, our members have forgotten about it."   Although most of the damage is to fairways, some greens have been damaged through the years, as well, and that is becoming a problem. In five years, Porter has exhausted his nursery and has had to take from other areas of the course for sod.   "I've been robbing from everywhere I can rob grass," he said. "We've cut up a chipping green. Now, we're regrowing the practice green to use it for sod. We rob low parts of the fairways and strip the backs of tees that are not highly used."   With so much devastation year after year, Porter says it's a challenge to keep himself and his staff motivated.   "It's hard not to show your emotions and to keep motivated," he said. "But, I have a job to do, and I love what I do. There is nothing else I'd rather be doing besides working on a golf course, except doing it where we're not constantly recovering from flooding."  
  • Golfweek says Pete Dye might be the most influential golf course architect of the past half-century. Along with his wife, Alice, the Dyes have been a formidable team that has left an imprint on golf course architecture around the world.
      Golfweek is offering Dye aficionados, or those simply interested in knowing more about to the game, a three-day symposium at Kiawah Island Resort, home to one of Dye's most renowned creations - The Ocean Course. The event will showcase the accomplishments of Pete and Alice Dye and how they influenced the game through 50 years of course design.   Scheduled for Nov. 9-11 at Kiawah Island, the 2014 Golfweek Architecture Summit, Honoring Pete and Alice Dye, will include a host of featured speakers, including honorees Pete and Alice Dye, Jerry Pate of Jerry Pate Design, Ty Votaw of the PGA Tour, Bill Coore of Coore-Crenshaw Design, Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf, Jason McCoy of Greg Norman Golf Course Design, Lee Schmidt of Curley-Schmidt Golf Course Design, former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beaman and golf course architect Jan Beljan.   A 2008 inductee into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and one of just a handful of architects to receive the honor, Pete Dye has designed, co-designed or redesigned hundreds of courses on five continents, among them TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head, Island, South Carolina; The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Resort in South Carolina; The Straits Course at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin; Des Moines (Iowa) Golf and Country Club; and The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tennessee.   According to Golfweek, Dye's "distinctly modernist appropriation of classical, links-inspired, ground-game design features and geometry revolutionized the face of American golf and provided a stunning aesthetic contrast to the strictly aerial, down-the-middle approach, of postwar golf architecture. He also transformed the craft of course construction through a design/build approach in the field that he handed down to several dozen apprentices, many of whom became influential designers in their own right, among them Bill Coore, Tom Doak, Tim Liddy, Jason McCoy, Lee Schmidt and Rod Whitman."   Says Golfweek: "Pete and his wife, Alice, also devoted considerable attention to forward and middle tee placement and course playability in an era when the experience of everyday golfers was virtually being overlooked. And their work has indelibly stamped the golf map with unforgettable images ? of island greens, railroad ties, lunar bunkering, madcap doglegs, and landscape features on an outrageous vertical and linear scale."   Click here for more information, or to register.  
  • Conduct a Google search on the terms "water" and "golf courses" and the results are fairly predictable. Stories pop up about water-use restrictions, water conservation efforts, "water-thirsty" courses that "guzzle" precious resources. But one of the first things that pop up is an article penned by former USGA Green Section director Jim Snow about water-saving efforts by superintendents. The story was written in . . . 2001.
     
    Since then, the USGA has done even more to help superintendents become better water stewards. A grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative to five southern universities has helped establish new turf breeding programs that is leading to the development of new drought- and salt-tolerant grasses.
     
    Four years ago, the University of Florida, University of Georgia, North Carolina State University, Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M University received $3.8 million from the USDA initiative. Used as a financial match to secure the SCRI grant, the USGA funds $120,000 per year to a few of these universities.
     
    The timing has been perfect, with much of Oklahoma and Texas experiencing severe drought conditions for the past three years. The unseasonably cold conditions of the past winter stretched all the way into Florida and have provided an opportunity to test the many cultivars for cold tolerance as well.
     
    Recently, researchers from all five universities met at the University of Florida to discuss the ongoing results of the project that has become the focus of research projects by at least seven graduate students spread across the five schools.
     
    According to the USGA, hundreds of Bermuda, zoysia, Paspalum and St. Augustine grasses have been tested for drought and salt tolerance. Three Bermudas and at least 10 zoysiagrasses were entered into last year's National Turfgrass Evaluation Program trials.
     
    Click here to read more.
  • When the time came for a greens restoration at Duke University Golf Club, there were plenty of reasons to shun tradition and regrass the putting surfaces with warm-season turf, but superintendent Billy Weeks and general manager Ed Ibarguen couldn't come up with any good reasons not to.   "I had been researching this change for over 10 years. I was fully committed to making the change," said Ibarguen. "My only difficulty was convincing those with a stake in the golf course at the university that ultradwarf Bermuda was better than bentgrass for our location in North Carolina. That process delayed the conversion by several years."   By the time the decision finally was made to regrass the course in Durham, North Carolina with Bermuda in 2013, the university had hired superintendent Billy Weeks, who despite his age, already was an old hand at managing Bermuda.   A graduate of Mississippi State University, Weeks had spent most of his career on warm-season grass in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas until taking the job at Duke three years ago.    The former superintendent at Steelwood Country Club in Loxley, Alabama, Weeks prepped under Eric Bauer, then at The Club at Carlton Woods near Houston, managed a putting green at Jack Nicklaus' home in North Palm Beach, Florida and interned at places like Augusta National Golf Club.   Prior to the 2013 restoration, Duke Golf Club last was renovated in the mid 1990s when the greens were seeded with Penncross. Weeks found evidence that they'd since been interseeded with L-93, A-1, A-4, G-2 and Crenshaw.    Carved out of the edge of the Duke Forest, which covers more than 7,000 acres, the course is heavily lined with trees, and since the idea of using fans to promote air movement conflicts with the university's sustainability efforts, coupled with the area's historically hot summers, it wasn't long before those Heinz 57 greens began to show signs of weakness.   Some greens had become as much as 80 percent Poa annua.   "Bentgrass in the correct climate is a wonderful playing surface," Ibarguen said. "Golf courses in cooler climates have greatly benefited from improved varieties of bentgrass. However, if you have a golf course in a location that has prolonged heat during the summer months, it is insane not to convert to an ultradwarf Bermudagrass.   "There are too many (benefits) to count. The critical ones for us are related to bottom line revenue and player satisfaction."   By the time Weeks was hired at Duke three years ago, Poa had encroached on just about every putting green on the course.    "Bermudagrass was a great way to improve the course and adhere to what the university wanted to do," Weeks said.    Weeks explored all options, and looked at ultradwarf varieties from TifEagle to MiniVerde. He decided on Champion. Although Weeks doesn't consider himself a follower of the herd, several other courses throughout central North Carolina already were managing Champion, and he liked the idea of having a ready-made support network.   "All the ultradwarfs are good grasses, but Champion had the characteristics I was looking for here at Duke," he said. "Ed and I test drove all the ultradwarfs and ultimately Champion was the grass I recommended to the University."   The final choice came down to Champion and one other popular ultradwarf - MiniVerde.   "Deciding between the grasses took some research as well," Ibarguen said. "We met with both several grass suppliers, visited and/or played multiple golf courses that had already installed the grass. All the ultradwarfs are excellent grasses, but ultimately we decided that Champion would be the best fit for the Duke University Golf Club."   Seemingly like many universities, there are construction projects galore taking place at Duke, some of which include upgrades to athletic facilities. Specifically at Duke, current projects include a renovation of the Wallace Wade Stadium and construction of a new track and field complex. Because of the strain of so many projects running concurrently, the golf course restoration was completed using the no-till method.   With the help of architect Rees Jones, the plan was to reclaim as much of the original green contouring as possible. Weeks said he and Jones went over each detail of every green three times before the project started.   About 25,000 square feet was reclaimed throughout the course, however, the No. 7 green presented a problem. The presence of a greenside bunker and slope severity prevented reclaiming lost space there because doing so would have eliminated space needed to turn greensmowers, Weeks said.   The project also included plans to selectively remove trees around the green complexes to allow for sunlight and air movement on the new greens, and that required getting the approval from officials who manage the Duke Forest.   The forest covers 7,000 acres spanning three counties and has been a research and educational tool for the university since 1931.   Weeks used a mobile app called Sun Seeker that allowed him to create a presentation showing before-and-after effects of shade on specific areas in question. Once Jud Edeburn, special projects manager for the forest, granted his stamp of approval in short order once visited the course and saw the plan firsthand and learned how it fit in with the university's overall conservancy ideals. Removing the trees occurred during the winters of 2011 and 2012.   The no-till method included sprigging the greens at a rate of 35 bushels per 1,000 square feet, or about 40-50 bags of sprigs per green, Weeks said. A heavy regimen of topdressing, often at rates of up to 200 pounds per 1,000 square feet, watering and feeding had the greens ready for mowing about a month after sprigging despite what turned out to be a cool summer in 2013.   "Every two to three days something was going out on those greens," Weeks said. "We pretty much followed Mike Brown's recommendation from Champion Turf Farms for our grow-in program.  They have perfected this process I didn't see any reason to reinvent the wheel.   "The summer was rough. We were in the 90s only five or six times with 26 inches of rain from the day we closed June 1 to the day we reopened September 1. We were still ready in 90 days."   After about 11 months of play, greens are rolling at 12 on the Stimpmeter and the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.   "The new putting surfaces provide our players with championship quality putting greens on a daily basis throughout the year," Ibarguen said. "We have never been able to say that while we had bentgrass greens because the summertime playing conditions were abysmal. Elevated mowing heights, never finding a balance between too dry and too wet, ball marks were abundant, the greens always on the verge of disease and the playing speeds were far too slow for an enjoyable round of golf.    "Our superintendent, Billy Weeks, has found the perfect blend of creating a smooth and firm surface yet, hold good shots perfectly."  
  • United Turf launches azoxystrobin fungicide
    United Turf Alliance recently introduced ArmorTech ZOXY 2 SC, a new liquid formulation fungicide.   ArmorTech ZOXY 2 SC, with the active ingredient azoxystrobin, is labeled for the control of many turfgrass diseases on golf course greens, tees and fairways, as well as residential, commercial, recreational and sports turf. The highly concentrated liquid formulation contains 2.08 pounds of active ingredient per gallon. It is a water-based product offering low odor and easy tank mixing.   ArmorTech ZOXY 2 SC is available in 4x1-gallon and 4x1-quart cases. One quart treats approximately 1 acre of turf at the standard use rate.   Engage reaches deal to market fungicide/animal repellent
    Engage Agro USA has reached a distribution agreement with Taminco U.S. Inc. to be the exclusive U.S. distributor of Defiant fungicide and animal repellent.   With the active ingredient tetramethylthiuram disulfide, Defiant is a dry flowable Thiram formulation for preventive control of several turf diseases, including dollar spot, brown patch, fusarium patch and pink snow mold.   Defiant also thwarts many species of animals, including deer, rabbits, rodents and migratory birds, and prevents the damage they can cause.
    Bayer names Batisky as sales manager
    Environmental Science, a division of Bayer CropScience, named Darrin Batisky as area sales manager for the North American turf and ornamentals business.    In his new role serving the Kentucky, Southern Indiana and Central and Southern Ohio markets, Batisky is responsible for the growth and maintenance of user relationships and initiating buyer opportunities.   A former golf course superintendent for 15 years in New York and Pennsylvania, Batisky also has a strong background in golf industry sales, having most recently served as a territory sales manager for Jacobsen.   Batisky is a graduate of Ohio State where he also served as a turfgrass research assistant while attending school at the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Research Center.
  • Turf Pride LLC has completed its purchase of Trion Lifts Inc., a manufacturer of lift equipment designed for the maintenance of turf equipment.   Formerly based in Evans, Colorado, Trion began manufacturing lifts in 1991 and later added a line of workstation accessories. Operations have been moved to Turf Pride's home in Andalusia, Alabama.    "The completion of the sale is a significant milestone in our company's history. We enter this new phase of our growth and development with a product that has an excellent reputation in North America and many areas around the world," said Don Cotton, president of Turf Pride.   "Trion has been moved to our location in Alabama, our day?to?day operations will remain the same, and our dedication to providing our customers with products enabling them to make their jobs more productive. We will invest in our growth as a company for the benefit of our customers and employees. By incorporating the Trion Lift into our existing product line, it will enable us to significantly reduce the manufacturing cost and be more competitive with other makes and models of lifts."   Turf Pride manufactures products for professional turfgrass managers, such as deep tine aerators, core collectors, reel and bedknife sharpeners, de-thatchers, large area spreaders, bedknives, rollers and replacement parts.

×
×
  • Create New...