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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    The Verti-Cut Flex 2000 is designed for de-thatching on uneven. For turf managers who need verticutting units for use on uneven, hard-to-navigate or compact areas, Redexim recently introduced the Verti-Cut Flex 2000 and the Turf-Tidy 1100.
    The Verti-Cut Flex 2000 is designed for de-thatching on uneven and curved terrain, while the tractor-mounted Turf-Tidy 1100 combines flail mowing, scarifying and sweeping in a compact clamshell design, allowing for the quick release of material.
    Redexim's Passive Pivoting Suspension system with multiple points of flexibility and floating wings that combine to simulate a spherical range of motion, enable the Verti-Cut Flex 2000 to work continuously across uneven terrain to remove thatch on contours and around curves with less chance for scalping. 
    Its compact build and agile turning radius work in tight spaces, while its 6.6-foot width can handle larger areas.
    The Verti-Cut Flex 2000 requires a tractor with a minimum rating of 30 hp, cuts to depths from 0 to 40 mm and can operate at speeds up to 3.1 mph. A belt-driven system ensures simple operation, and a single grease point makes maintenance straightforward. The rear debris guards can be removed for cleaning, while the floating wings can be folded up for compact storage.
    The Turf-Tidy 1100 (above right) is a tractor-mounted, close-coupled cut-and-collect unit that utilizes a flail rotor with 48 hardened knives and 18 wind paddles that sweeps to de-thatch, flail mow and scarify. It requires a tractor with a minimum of 38 hp, and its design makes it easy to pick up, take tight turns. The clamshell hopper has a capacity of 290 gallons and its low-dump design means no lifting is required. Quick-release knives enable fast switching between either a flail or a scarifier.
  • When measuring the effects of drought on golf, Hawaii might not be the first place that comes to mind, however, with more than 130 islands comprising the nation's 50th state, Hawaii has a multitude of microclimates. 
    Extreme weather on the island of Maui has resulted in the PGA Tour pulling its 2026 season-opening event, The Sentry, from the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Lahaina. The event was scheduled to be played at Kapalua from Jan. 5-11.
    Rainfall totals on Hawaii's second-largest island historically range from 180 inches per year on the windward (upwind) side of Maui and a foot or less on the leeward (downwind) side. The western side of the island, where Kapalua is located, has been water-starved for most of the year. 
    Located on Maui's arid western coast, Lahaina typically receives about 12 inches of rain per year. About 4 inches of rain fell on the area in January. Since then, the area has received less than 1.2 total inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service, resulting in stringent water-use restrictions imposed by the county's water authority.
    The PGA Tour made its announcement that The Sentry will not be played at Kapalua on Sept. 17 after Tour officials made a site visit. 
    According to the Tour's web site, officials concluded the condition of the Plantation Course had been "significantly compromised" by the drought and water limitations.
    "(T)he PGA TOUR has determined the 2026 playing of The Sentry will not be contested at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges," the Tour said in a statement.
    No information is available yet on an alternate location for the tournament.

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

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

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

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

    Thank a Superintendent Day was created in 2015 by former GCSAA director of communications Craig Smith. USGA photo Created in 2015 by former GCSAA director of communications Craig Smith, the initiative encourages golfers, those who are in the golf business and anyone who benefits from the game to take time to thank superintendents for their hard work and dedication to the game.
    "For me, it's vitally important to show the world and our community that we are stewards of the land," Paul Carter, CGCS at The Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Harrison, Tennessee, has told TurfNet. "We sit on 660 acres and we maintain 125 of that. Three-quarters of the property is the residence for the wildlife here. It's their home, we just come out here to play.
    "We have to be conscious of what we do on the property and the only way to let people know what we're doing is to tell our story."
    The initiative will include television commercials on the Golf Channel and a social media campaign highlighting ways superintendents positively influence the game and their respective communities, like Jim Pavonetti, CGCS, at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut.
    Besides keeping Fairview in immaculate shape for a demanding membership, Pavonetti is multi-winner of the GCSAA Environmental Leaders in Golf Award, serves on the Audubon International board of directors and advocates for his profession, his golf course and his community as a member of the Greenwich Sustainability Committee that comprises volunteer leaders from the community to promote and advocate for "a community-wide strategy to safeguard a healthy, high-functioning ecosystem for the benefit of all current and future residents."
    The examples of the contributions of superintendents to the game, their profession and their communities are limitless.
    Although started a decade ago by the GCSAA, the Thank a Superintendent initiative "has evolved over the years, with the involvement of international organizations and the push of the social media hashtag #thankasuper added in 2020" said GCSAA communications director Angela Hartmann.
    Besides GCSAA, other groups taking part in the global event include the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association, the Australian Sports Turf Managers Association, the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association and the Federation of European Golf Greenkeepers Associations. The groups represent more than 31,000 golf course management professionals in 78 countries around the world. 
    On Sept. 9, those who benefit from the dedication of superintendents are urged to share stories, photos and messages of thanks on social media, according to BIGGA.
    In addition to social media, there are several ways golf clubs, golfers and others can show support and appreciation to greenkeepers, according to BIGGA:
    Organize a special breakfast or lunch for their greenkeeping staff. Players can take a moment after play to personally thank a member of the greenkeeping team and leave their own expression of thanks with their club. Industry partners and suppliers can promote the importance of greenkeeping to their audiences and actively supporting their clients and contacts Golf influencers and golf media can use their platforms to market stories, interviews and behind-the-scenes information emphasising the skills, knowledge and passion of greenkeepers. Last year's Thank a Superintendent social media campaign reached 14 million people worldwide, according to the GCSAA.
    The initiative need not end Sept. 9. 
    "While Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day is a global event that reaches millions on social media each year with the #thankasuper hashtag, you don’t have to limit your kudos to that day, and you can send a message to your superintendent any time of year at gcsaa.org/thank-my-superintendent," said Golf Oklahoma, a resource for golf tournament and news information that operates in conjunction with the Oklahoma Golf Association.
    The USGA offers the following tips:
    Minimize your impact on the course
    A little bit of care and common sense will minimize your impact on the course and make life easier for the superintendent. Don't hike up the steep grass or sand face of a bunker, don’t drive your cart into a native area looking for a lost ball, don't use the tees or fairways as a practice range…and the list goes on. Being mindful of how our conduct affects the course and the people who take care of it is a great way to thank the superintendent and show your respect for the game, your fellow players and the course itself.
    Fix what you can
    No matter how careful we are, playing golf inevitably puts some dents and dings in the maintenance team's hard work. The good news is that it's easy to repair a lot of the damage we create, which is another great way to thank the superintendent. Fixing your ball marks on the green – and any unrepaired ones you see nearby – is a good place to start. Replacing or filling divots, raking bunkers and picking up any trash you notice are all great ways to say thanks with your actions and to set an example for others. Simply making the effort means a lot.  
    Make time to say thanks
    Too often, golfers make a point of letting the superintendent know something they didn’t like about course conditions but fail to say thanks for all the times when everything was great. If you see the superintendent out on the course, take a moment to say thanks. It won’t take much effort and might just make their day. If you don’t cross paths with the superintendent very often, you can always call or send an email. One appreciative email can make up for a lot of the other ones. Oh, and dropping donuts off at the maintenance facility one morning is always a hit if you want to go the extra mile.
    George Waters, senior manager of USGA Green Section Education wrote on the USGA web site promoting last year's event: "Most superintendents are accustomed to doing their work without much fanfare. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to say thanks when we can — or at least conduct ourselves in a way that shows our appreciation for all the hard work that goes into maintaining the courses we enjoy."
  • Football season is here, and that means one thing — so are fall armyworms. Yes, it is that time of year, when superintendents throughout much of the country — and beyond — find themselves fighting off these annual invaders.
    And these voracious feeders can devastate golf course turf as well as row crops. Other than their ravenous appetite, the life of the fall armyworm is as mysterious as the inner workings of college football's playoff system. A new tool from North Carolina State University can help superintendents manage this invasive feeder.
    The caterpillars that invade golf courses throughout much of the country and parts of Canada are the larval stage of the fall armyworm moth (Spodoptera frugiperda). They are native to South Florida and South Texas in the U.S., as well as other tropical zones globally, however, evidence of their feeding habits stretch far beyond their native range. It is believed that the adult moths migrate hundreds, or even thousands of miles, on the wind.
    They prefer Bermudagrass, but with multiple generations possible throughout the summer and fall, and each new adult able to move hundreds of miles, they can be found as far away as the Midwest, Northeast or even southern Canada by autumn under the right conditions.
    Research indicates that hot, dry conditions are optimal for armyworm activity, but predicting severity from year to year is almost impossible.
    The adult moths do not feed during their short stage of the armyworm life cycle, but they are voracious as they progress through the larval caterpillar stage. Fortunately, there are many effective tools available to manage them.
    North Carolina State University recently published an infographic guide (right) to help turf managers identify the pest and life cycle stage as well as what to spray and when to apply it for maximum control. The steps to managing fall armyworm infestation and minimizing damage are:
    Step 1: Identify the pest
    Examine the turf canopy to see if you can find fall armyworms crawling across the surface during the day. If not, you can apply a soapy water flush or cut a section of the turf to find what is causing the damage. If you find caterpillars, do they have an “upside-down ‘y'” on the head capsule? If not, you need to investigate the source of damage further. Do not apply an insecticide until you have determined what is causing the damage. If the caterpillar has the “Y” marking, proceed to Step 2.
    Step 2: Determine the life stage present
    Once you have determined that fall armyworms are to blame, cut a small section of the turf and examine the top two inches of the soil profile. If you see more pupae (red-brown, inch-long capsules) than larvae (caterpillars), apply a diamide product (see “Insecticide Options” key for list of active ingredients) now or a pyrethroid product in 3-5 weeks. If you find more larvae (caterpillars) than pupae, proceed to Step 3.
    Step 3: Caterpillar size
    Get an approximate measurement of the length of a larva. If it is greater than one inch in length, apply a diamide product now or a pyrethroid product in 3-5 weeks. If it is less than one inch in length, you can spray a pyrethroid for a "quick-knockdown" that will not provide a long window of protection (1-2 weeks maximum) or apply a diamide that will take a few days to work but will provide several weeks of protection.
    NC State also has launched an interactive fall armyworm locator map where users can report where and when activity occurs and severity of damage.

    The fall armyworm exhibiting its trademark inverted "Y" on its head. NC State photo The female adults lay masses, each containing up to 1,000 eggs, on vertical objects in or adjacent to turf, such as ballwashers, 150-yard markers and directional stakes (right). The eggs hatch in just a few days, and the larvae fall to the ground where they begin feeding.
    Larva can do little damage in the first through third instar stages, so that is when superintendents should treat to control them. Armyworms in the fourth or fifth instar stage can be a half-inch or more in length and are more difficult to control. 
    Damage first appears as what looks like drought stress. Damage can escalate rapidly and quickly can become catastrophic. Therefore, scouting can be critical, says the USGA Green Section.
    Left untreated, hundreds of armyworms might be present once damage becomes noticeable. The NC State guide recommends pyrethroids, with active ingredients such as bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, zeta-cypermethrin, beta-cyfluthrin, gamma-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin and cypermethrin; and diamides with active ingredients like chlorantraniliprole, tetraniliprole and cyantraniliprole.
    The migratory life cycle of the armyworm is a fascinating one. Multiple generations can occur throughout their migration. As adult moths are swept north, each successive generation of caterpillars pupates and eventually emerge as moths that continue their trek northward. Since the species is unable to tolerate cold, they cannot overwinter outside their native habitat and will die at the first frost. The process begins again the following year as new adults head north from Texas and Florida.
  • The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation is offering additional assistance to graduate students in turfgrass-related studies. The amount of the cash award of the H. B. Musser Masters Scholarhip will be determined by the foundation's board of directors. The current year's announcement will be posted on the foundation website later this month. 
    Qualifications for the H. B. Musser Masters Scholarship application are:
    A minimum 3.4 GPA for the past two years of undergraduate study. Currently enrolled in a master's of science program or received master's of science degree in the current calendar year.                         Research objectives relevant to turfgrass science and management The candidate shall be pursuing a course of study and thesis research problem in the area of turfgrass science that may encompass breeding and genetics, plant physiology, ecology and culture, oil science, pest/weed management, diseases and insects, environmental science, economics or sociology.
    Email Musser Foundation scholarship chairman Mark Jordan directly for an application in Microsoft Word format. Applicants will need official transcripts and three letters of recommendation. The completed application must be emailed to Jordan with "H.B. Musser Master's Scholarships" in the subject line. The application deadline is Dec. 1.
    Envu's grub control solution available for insecticide-on-fertilizer formulation
    Launched in the golf market nearly two years ago, Envu's Durentis insecticide soon will be available to the company's industry partners that formulate fertilizers.
    With the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole, Durentis is registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for control of aphids, armyworms, bagworms, billbugs, birch leafminer, chinch bugs, clearwing moth borerm cutworms, European crane fly, lace bugs, leaf-feeding caterpillars, spittlebugs, sod webworms and white grubs.
    Formulators now can register their fertilizer with Durentis insecticide brands for use next year, according to Envu with the goal of reducing the number of separate product applications for the end user without compromising efficacy.

    The integration of Durentis on a fertilizer carrier provides season-long grub control while ensuring optimum turfgrass health with custom blends and nutrient offerings.
    Used in the landscape industry since 2023, Durentis was introduced to the golf market by FMC Corp. in February 2024 at the 2024 GCSAA Conference and Show in Phoenix. Last November, Envu completed acquisition of the FMC Specialty Solutions Division, which includes Durentis.
    Durentis-on-fertilizer products will be available early in October.
    SiteOne adds non-selective herbicide from Site One to portfolio
    SiteOne Landscape Supply recently added Lesco's Prosecutor ProLong Total non-selective herbicide to its lineup of products. 
    With the active ingredients glyphosate, idaziflam and diquat dibromide, PPT is formulated for control of nearly 200 weeds and grasses for up to six months in hardscapes, gravel pads, fence lines, sidewalks and parking lots. Its non-staining formulation will not mar surfaces.
    With no soil residual activity, PPT targets only emerged weeds, making it ideal for site preparation, turf renovation and bare-ground maintenance. Enhanced with a built-in surfactant, PPT is rainfast within hours and is taken up quickly through the plant for rapid control.
     
  • A tragedy that occurred at a Connecticut golf course serves as a sobering reminder about the importance of workplace safety.
    According to published reports, a contractor working at Yale Golf Course was electrocuted Aug. 21 after he touched a downed power line at the golf course in New Haven. The line came down when a tree had fallen at the golf course during a recent storm. The worker, whose identity has not been released, was an employee of Eastern Land Management, a commercial landscape management company in Stamford, Connecticut.
    It is unclear how the worker came into contact with the power line. Neither the Yale University Police nor the Hartford office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration returned phone calls. 

    A contractor was killed recently at Yale Golf Course in New Haven, Connecticut after coming into contact with a live downed power line. "Yale offers its deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the deceased," the university said in a news release.
    United Illuminating, the electric utility serving the area, said they were cooperating with the investigation and offered a few tips for safe practices when working around power lines:
    Assume all downed power lines are live. Call 911 when encountering a downed power line. Beware of a downed power line touching a vehicle. Stay clear of the vehicle and the power line.  If a power line touches your vehicle while you are inside, stay inside the vehicle until emergency assistance arrives. While planning a project, contractors and customers should check the work area for any potential hazards, including overhead power lines. Yale Golf Course has been closed since 2023 while undergoing a Gil Hanse renovation and is expected to reopen next year.
  • Penn State student Ernesto Martinez was named the recipient of this year's Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award from the GCSAA.
    The $10,000 award administered through the GCSAA Foundation is given annually to outstanding non-traditional students seeking a career in golf course or turf management.
    A native of Caracas, Martinez was a member of Venezuela's national golf team from 2014 to 2021, when he was forced to quit due to vision problems. 
    He and his wife opened a restaurant in Venezuela, but hoped to one day return to the golf course, this time in the field of turfgrass management. When the restaurant closed he turned his attention to finding a place to pursue his passion.

    Ernesto Martinez was an accomplished golfer and restauranteur before entering the two-year turfgrass management program at Penn State. At age 45, Martinez is a student in Penn State's two-year turfgrass management program. He completed a year of study online in Spain while completing an internship at Real Club Valderrama.
    "Golf has provided me with numerous opportunities, lasting friendships and valuable experiences. Now, it is my turn to give back to the game," Martinez said in a news release. "It is a great honor to be selected for the Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award. Coming from a small country and leaving everything behind at 45-years-old to pursue this career, this award is a tremendous validation."
    The Allan MacCurrach Jr. Award recognizes outstanding non-traditional students enrolled in a turf management program, and is funded by Allan MacCurrach III and the PGA Tour. It is named in honor of the late Allan MacCurrach Jr., who was the PGA Tour's first staff agronomist in 1974 and was the recipient GCSAA Distinguished Service Award  in 1994.
    Martinez will be recognized at the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show scheduled for Jan. 31-Feb. 5 in Orlando.
    Previous winners since the award was separated from the GCSAA Scholars Competition in 2021 are: Andi Meadows, Central Texas College (2024); Nancy Cienfuegos, Rutgers University (2023); Connor McBride, Michigan State University (2022); Vince Romo, Oregon State University(2021).
  • Normandie Golf Club has a history matched by few golf courses. Designed by Old Tom Morris protege Robert Foulis and opened in 1901, the course in St. Louis is one of the oldest tracks west of the Mississippi.
    Through the years, many famous athletes and Hollywood personalities have walked the fairways at Normandie. But the historic St. Louis Club is casting aside its historic past for a place in the game's future.
    Located in one of St. Louis' most underserved communities, the course is undergoing a rebirth thanks to Jack Nicklaus and members of the city's golf community.

    Golf great Jack Nicklaus donated design services to reinvent a 120-plus-year-old golf course in St. Louis. The Metropolitan Golf Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association in St. Louis and owner of the course, announced in 2021 that Nicklaus would be leading a multi-million-dollar renovation of the course. The renovation by Nicklaus and design associate Chris Cochran is part of a project with an overall goal of revitalizing one of St. Louis' most neglected neighborhoods and helping ensure access to the game in the future for the city's at-risk and underserved residents.
    Nicklaus has donated the cost of design services, and the Metropolitan Golf Foundation has been busy raising money to complete the project, which will be designated as a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course when it opens next year. The course closed in 2023 so work could begin on the project.
  • From St. Louis in the east to Kansas City in the west, Missouri is famous for its hot and oppressively humid summers. Conditions there can be so severe that Jon Miller, the late baseball announcer, once quipped during a Royals broadcast that visiting Missouri in summer was the world's most effective way to lose weight fast.
    To that end, it did not take Joe Wachter (right) long to recount the most challenging weather years during his long career as a golf course superintendent in the St. Louis area. Those memories are seared into his memory like a sun-baked green.
    "Yeah, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2022," said Wachter, with a laugh. "Those are the six big ones. I won't say they were the worst, but they were difficult.
    "You remember those years before you remember the good ones."
    Wachter's career as a head superintendent spanned 35 years at four courses — New Melle Lakes in Wentzville, Missouri, Eagle Springs in St. Louis, Spencer T. Olin across the Mississippi River in Alton, Illinois and Glen Echo in St. Louis, from which he retired in 2024. During that time, he encountered challenges like greens plagued by flooding rain, drought conditions and a host of diseases.
    Despite those many weather-related challenges, Wachter has a bit of advice for his younger self that would serve his colleagues today.
    "Be more patient," Wachter said. "Understand that sometimes there's nothing you could do."
    He pointed to the summer of 1995 at New Melle Lakes as an example. 
    "We were having trouble at the end of July. Then from August first through 10th, we had high heat and heavy rains, and I'm talking really heavy rains. Then we got basal rot anthracnose.
    "The greens were already wet, and I watched the 13th green slowly die. Luckily, it was a little here and there, and not the whole green. It got to about 30 percent turf loss. It was a slow death. You didn't just snap your fingers and it was dead. And you were kind of dying along with it. You just couldn't get it to stop because you couldn't get the green to dry out, and the humidity and temperatures were so high at night."
    He learned a valuable lesson that summer.
    "I was only five years in, and I was only two years being on my own as a superintendent," he said. "You have to realize that you're not going to know it all. I reached out to Ed, my brother (and superintendent). He worked 15, 20 miles from me at that time, and I know I reached out to him and a couple other people."
    Rick Tegtmeier, CGCS, (right) who also retired last year, recalls similar experiences during his career. He was in his first year as superintendent of the North Course at Des Moines Golf and Country Club when he had his first devastating season.
    Each time he encountered challenges of an exceptional nature, he managed to turn a negative into a positive, which also serves as a learning lesson for working superintendents.
    "The summer of 1983 was my first year at Des Moines. That was a tough one," said Tegtmeier. "It was hot and wet, and we lost a lot of grass that year. But you know what? We ended up changing varieties back then. It was all old Kentucky bluegrass and ryegrass fairways, and we ended up overseeding and going to bentgrass, and they've performed well ever since."
    Tegtmeier spent nearly 25 years in two stints at DMGCC, including the past 18 as director of grounds, 17 years at Elmcrest Country Club in Cedar Rapids and a year at Hinsdale Golf Club in Clarendon Hills, Illinois.
    "I came back to Des Moines in 2006. In the summer of 2007 it was very wet again, and we lost a lot of grass. We had patches of a lot of low areas that ended up being burned up because there was no root system because it was so wet. I used that experience to sell a major drainage project to the club."
    Turf loss is nothing new in golf, but how golfers respond to it is.
    "Back in '83 at Des Moines, we had the same issues on both (courses). And it wasn't just us. It was happening all over the state," Tegtmeier said. "Back then, summer burnout of turf was a pretty normal thing. It happened to everybody. It was just an accepted practice that you lost grass. That's kind of when the transition to better cultivars happened and people were able to manage turf in a more professional way."
    Summer issues also are common in the St. Louis area. 

    Joe Wachter, front row center, during his retirement celebration last year at Glen Echo Country Club. Glen Echo CC photo via Instagram Wachter was hit with back-to-back challenging summers in 2011 and 2012 on Glen Echo's Cato-Crenshaw greens.
    Cato and Crenshaw bentgrasses were developed in 1993, and by 2011 the greens at Glen Echo exhibited various biotypes, some of which had turned shades of brown and black. 
    As new cultivars began emerging with greater regularity, golfer expectations rapidly increased which manifested in lower heights of cut, which in turn resulted in more disease challenges. Wachter realized it was time to enlist expert help.
    "You could literally see those circles on the greens dying," Wachter said. "We tried everything. We were spraying and cleaning equipment with every mow, and we were walk mowing and raising heights, aerating, venting and doing everything possible."
    He needed answers as quickly as possible and drove the soil samples from St. Louis to Columbia to pathologist Lee Miller, Ph.D., then at the University of Missouri.
    "They're only two hours away. So instead of mailing them, I drove them there," he said. "I wanted to get them there as fast as possible."
    The following year was on the other end of the weather spectrum, but equally as challenging.
    "We were desert-like. That was the summer we had hundred-degree temperatures until 7 or 8 o'clock at night for about six weeks," Wachter said. "The zoysia in our fairways was literally brown. And we had some Bermuda contamination in the fairways. That was the greenest grass we had.
    "We usually stopped hand watering at 4 o'clock. During that drought, we were out there until 7 o'clock at night. That was essentially a six-week drought. Then, when it started raining, everything that was brown was green within a week. Sometimes, you just need a break in the weather.
    "It was ultimately Lee Miller (now at Purdue University) who taught me and reminded me that sometimes there's nothing you can do until the weather changes. It kind of set me on a path the last 13 to 14 years to realize you can do everything right and do the things you need to do to make things better with sprays and aeration, but unless the weather changes you're not going to turn the corner."
    Tegtmeier agreed that new grasses, as well as other new tools at the superintendent's disposal, such as better mechanized equipment and new and improved chemistries to battle diseases, brought new challenges in the way of heightened expectations and hurdles never before seen by many agronomists.

    Rick Tegtmeier, left, with wife Sherry and fellow Iowa Golf Hall of Famer Zach Johnson during their induction in 2019. "Expecations went higher with new grasses, which made it harder," he said. "Losing turf used to be accepted, and now it's not accepted as much. Golfers like it brown and firm, but providing that can get difficult."
    When Tegtmeier's career began, there were a few common diseases, but it wasn't long before new players soon entered the game.
    "With the advent of new cultivars, you also get new diseases, or we started learning what these diseases were," Tegtmeier said. "When I first started, you had snow mold, you had dollar spot, you had brown patch. All of a sudden we had Rhizoctonia and large brown patch."
    By the turn of the century, things had changed.
    "Once we went to bentgrass fairways, I would say in the late '90s or early 2000s, is when expectations had become really high," Tegtmeier said.
    "That's when you started pushing things to the edge. Of course, they gave you better budgets, better equipment, better chemistries, and the expectation was higher."
    Like Wachter, Tegtmeier, the 2017 TurfNet Superintendent of the Year and a 2019 inductee into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame, also knew he needed expert help as the world of professional agronomy was changing. That was especially true when it came to communicating issues to members.
    "Well, that's why I always used a USGA agronomist," he said. "I always brought them in to help manage expectations. I used that to my benefit to help me sell a larger budget, help us buy new machinery and manage expectations. Without them, it was tough."
    As much as superintendents rely on science now more than ever, it never hurts to be lucky once in a while.
    "You do what you can, but realize that no matter what you know sometimes you just have to get a change in the weather," Wachter said. "It will come back."
  • Michigan State student Dan Miller was named the winner of the Mendenhall Award scholarship.
    The $6,000 award is part of the GCSAA Scholars Competition that provides financial assistance ranging from $500 to $6,000 to recognize "outstanding students working toward careers in golf course management or other related areas of the golf course industry" according to the GCSAA. The competition is funded by the Robert Trent Jones Endowment and administered by the GCSAA Foundation.
    Applicants must be enrolled in a recognized undergraduate program in a major field related to turf management, have completed at least 24 credit hours or the equivalent of one year of full-time study of the appropriate major and be a GCSAA member.
    Miller, who earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Michigan State, began working on a golf course during his fifth year of undergraduate studies. After five declared majors, he began working on the crew at Mystic Creek Golf Course and Banquet Center in Milford, Michigan under superintendent Tyler Cooper, who also is a Michigan State alumnus. He suggested the university's two-year turfgrass management program to Miller.
    Miller entered the two-year program in 2024 and recently completed an internship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Miller has one year remaining in the two-year certificate program and is scheduled to graduate next spring.
    "Winning the Mendenhall Scholarship solidifies the confidence I have in myself that I have found my path in life, and it gives me even more confidence and drive to be the best student and future professional I can be in this industry," Miller said. "I look forward to meeting and networking with as many people as I can at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show."
    Other award winners:
    Scholars Award $2,500
    Ernesto Martinez, Pennsylvania State University Christopher Kelly, SUNY Delhi Otto Hoehl, Purdue University Scholars Award $1,000
    Bryce Thompson, Purdue University Gavin Trout, Clemson University Scholars Award $750
    Seth Knutson, Michigan State University John Monnin, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Gabriel Schneider, Michigan State University Isobelle Brasher, Michigan State University Merit Award $500
    Gavin Kenning, Purdue University James Cowden, Pennsylvania State University Owen Dodge, Michigan State University Maxum Verleye, Michigan State University Brendan Phillips, Michigan State University Tristan Carrier, Pennsylvania State University Tyler Kregel, Pennsylvania State University Evan Kluwe, Michigan State University James Anderson, Rutgers University Patrick Neustadt, Michigan State University Salman Bo Drees, Pennsylvania State University Robert Knapp, Michigan State University Jackson Reimer, Pennsylvania State World Campus The top award of the GCSAA Scholars Competition is named for the late Chet Mendenhall, who was a charter member of GCSAA, a past president (1948) and recipient of the association's Distinguished Service Award (1986). Along with this award, Miller will also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show, Feb. 2-5, in Orlando.
  • The Toro Company looked within for its next president and chief operating officer.
    Edric Funk (right) is a 29-year Toro employee and has served as vice president of the golf, grounds and irrigation group since 2022. His appointment as president and COO is effective Sept. 1, and he will report to CEO Richard Olson.
    "Edric's track record of driving business performance and fostering innovation uniquely equips him for the role of chief operating officer," Olson said. "Throughout his tenure, Edric has consistently delivered strong financial results and value creation across diverse technical and business functions – directly contributing to our growth and competitive position. His deep understanding of our customers, and technologies coupled with a disciplined strategic approach, will continue to propel The Toro Company forward and create value for all stakeholders."
    Since joining Toro in 1996 as a design engineer, Funk had held roles in marketing as well as in the company's residential, landscape contractor, international and commercial businesses. 
    In 2014, he was named director of global product management for the commercial and international businesses, and in 2017 was named managing director of Toro's Center for Technology, Research and Innovation. Funk went on to become the general manager of the Sitework Systems business in 2020, before being promoted three years ago to VP of golf, grounds and irrigation.
    Funk was instrumental in the acquisitions of Left Hand Robotics and TURFLYNX, accelerating the development of robotic mowing platforms. In 2020, he was named one of the most innovative people in golf by Golf, Inc.
    Funk received a bachelor's degree in engineering and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. He also has a professional certificate in innovation and technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and serves on the boards of the National Golf Foundation, The Toro Company Foundation and Red Iron Acceptance.
    "I am honored to serve in this role," said Funk, "and I look forward to working alongside our talented team to drive operational performance across our businesses, with a focus on accelerating profitable growth, advancing the company's technology roadmap and optimizing global supply chain operations."

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