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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    To say technology is advancing at breathtaking speed would be an understatement of dramatic proportion.
    It took years for man to figure out how to fly, but just 66 years after Orville and Wilbur Wright of Dayton, Ohio built a plane that could get off the ground for just a few seconds, Neil Armstrong, from nearby Wapakoneta, became the first man to walk on the moon.
    Technology is improving just as rapidly in turf maintenance. A pipedream just a few years ago, electronic mowers are now mainstream. When an autonomous greens mower arrived on the trade show floor at the GCSAA show in 2009 in New Orleans, the technology was intriguing, but failed to attract much more than curiosity from onlookers.
    Today, Blackhawk Country Club in Stratford, Connecticut, maintains all of its fairways with a fleet of autonomous mowers operating under solar power.
    "We had them installed in October 2023, and used that time to troubleshoot," said former golf course superintendent Bryan Barrington, co-founder and vice president of agronomy of Alliance Golf Management, which owns four courses and manages a fifth throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.
    "This is really our first year with them. We wanted to see how they work in spring, summer and fall, with frost on the ground in the shoulder seasons and leaves on the ground — things that would impede them from going out first thing in the morning, or overnight."
    As a veteran superintendent of 27 years, Barrington has always considered himself a risk-taker and first-adopter who embraces new technology.
    A graduate of the University of Rhode Island turfgrass program, Barrington grew-in Worcester Country Club and Red Tail Golf Club, both in Massachusetts before moving on to do the same in 2004 at The Golf Club at Oxford Greens, a daily fee course winding through a Del Webb community in Oxford, Connecticut.
    In 2018, Barrington and Oxford GM Josh McKim founded Alliance Golf Management Co. with a group of other investors. Based in Farmington, Connecticut, Alliance acquired Blackhawk in 2022 and is on a path to buy a course approximately every 16 months. That portfolio includes Oxford Greens and Red Tail, as well as Silo Point Country Club in Southbury, Connecticut and Blackhawk. The company also manages Tunxis Country Club in Farmington.
    In the pre-Covid era, Alliance struggled to find enough help. During the pandemic, its Connecticut properties flourished due to lockdowns that included bans on golf in neighboring states like Massachusetts and New York.
    "It was a blessing in disguise," Barrington said. "People there flocked to Connecticut to play golf."
    Blackhawk has a collection of 29 Husqvarna 550 EPOS autonomous mowers (shown at right and in the video above) from GreenSight, with each driven by its own solar-powered charging station spread throughout the property. GreenSight is a Boston-based technology company that provides solutions to the golf, sports turf, agriculture and defense industries.
    Alliance also struggled to find enough help at Blackhawk when it bought the property two years ago. And although a shortage of labor was not why the company invested in autonomous mowing, it did play a role.
    "It wasn't our goal to deplete our labor. In fact, we've increased our staff," Barrington said. "We got (the mowers) so we can reallocate our resources to completing more of the detail work."
    Alliance chose Blackhawk for the autonomous mower program because a recent tree-management program has opened the course for the solar panels on the charging stations. Other courses in the company's portfolio either have too much shade or are prone to flooding.
    The satellite-based Husqvarna units can mow slopes up to 45 degrees, and a pin-activated alarm helps guard against theft.

    Each mowing unit has its own solar-powered charging station. All images and video courtesy of Alliance Golf Management The units can be managed through Husqvarna's mobile app, and height of cut is currently set at about 15 mm, or almost sixth-tenths of an inch, and each unit at Blackhawk can mow about 1.5 acres on a single charge before retreating to its own solar-powered station. The goal, Barrington says, is to get down to about 12-13 mm. 
    Each charging station has its own solar panel that measures about 5 feet in length, and since they require direct access to sunlight, they're not exactly hidden.
    "Some of the charging stations are visible, but GreenSight did a good job of putting them out of the way around the golf course," he said. "Now, golfers don't even notice them."
    When the charge is running low, the units return to their respective charging stations.
    "And when they leave the charging station, they go back to where they were and pick up where they left off," Barrington said.
    Among the other features of the Husqvarna unit is the ability to recognize obstacles in its path. If a mower bumps into something in its way, such as a golf car, it will back up then start moving again when the obstacle has moved out of the way.
    Stakeholders at Alliance take pride in being on the cutting edge of technology, and that played a role in choosing solar-powered charging stations rather than wired docks. There were other factors, however, involved in the decision-making process.

    The autonomous mowers at Blackhawk Country Club can run night or day. "The cost of running 110 (volt electrical lines) throughout the property was just too expensive," Barrington said.
    After initial set-up and mowing, the autonomous mowers require little human interaction, most of which is limited to removing organic matter from the undercarriage and changing out blades every 10 to 14 days, Barrington says.
    "Any build up of grass can put the mower out of balance, so we have to blow out the mowers and the docking stations," he said.
    "They're really pretty trouble-free."
    Alliance is a management company dedicated to finding innovative, technology-based solutions to many of the challenges facing golf industry stakeholders on the golf course as well as in the clubhouse. Although shade and the threat of flooding prevent expanding the autonomous mowing program to other courses under the company's umbrella.
    "I think that is realistic as we pursue improvements on the other golf courses," Barrington said. "It would be great if we could get them on the other courses."
  • A new herbicide-resistant seeded paspalum is set to hit the market.
    Pure Dynasty with ACCe, is a new herbicide-resistant paspalum that was developed by Pure-Seed Testing, which markets the product along with Atlas Turf International. It will be introduced June 20 at Pure Seed's field day at the company's Rolesville, North Carolina research facility.
    Pure Dynasty with ACCe was bred with ACCe technology developed by University of Georgia plant breeder Paul Raymer, Ph.D. It was tested on multiple sites over several years to incorporate UGA's ACCe technology.
    The new paspalum was bred to produce quicker establishment, as well as quick germination; improved density; enhanced salt, disease and wear resistance; early spring green-up; and flexibility for varied mowing heights for wall-to-wall use. 
    Pure Dynasty with ACCe was developed for improved tolerance to ACCe-inhibiting herbicides, including sethoxydim, fenoxaprop, fluazifop-butyl and pinoxaden to control annual and perennial grasses, such as Bermudagrass, crabgrass, goosegrass and tropical signal grass.
    As soon as the new paspalum is established, the old turf can be sprayed out with approved herbicides. 
    Bred from Platinum TE as one of its genetic parents, Pure Dynasty shares the benefits of vegetative paspalum including salt tolerance when mature, quick recovery, dark green color, and an upright growth habit for excellent playability. However, as a seeded variety, it is easier to acquire for countries with import restrictions on vegetative paspalum.
    "For 15 or 20 years, I have had a goal to identify a strain of paspalum with herbicide resistance, as I felt this would be a great help in eliminating Bermuda and other grasses in paspalum stands," Raymer said in a news release. "This is difficult – it is very hard to kill bermuda – and I have long believed this to be one of the greatest obstacles to the adoption of seashore paspalum.
    "I knew that mutations producing resistance to ACCase herbicides had been reported in several grass species, though not, until now, paspalum. We analyzed billions of cells and eventually identified a mutation that achieved what we needed."
    Its durability and flexibility of mowing heights makes Pure Dynasty with ACCe suitable for use on golf course greens, tees, fairways and rough areas; athletic fields; lawns and landscaping; and for erosion control.
    "Paul sent the mutated plants to us, and the Pure-Seed Testing team spent years evaluating and selecting the best parents to cross for the varieties in Pure Dynasty ACCe using natural breeding practices" said Crystal Rose-Fricker, president of Pure Seed and Pure-Seed Testing. "We now have a substantial quantity of seed harvested and ready for sale, enough for courses to trial."
  • The crew at Highlands Country Club in North Carolina is busy preparing the nursery for a Penn A4 conversion. Photo by Brian Stiehler As a self-described lifelong learner and an impassioned and creative thinker, Brian Stiehler, like so many of his colleagues, fits the mold of being a research scientist as well as a golf course superintendent.
    The head greenkeeper of Highlands Country Club for the past 23 years, Stiehler (right) has regularly maintained a nursery on the property in Highlands, North Carolina.
    The putting surfaces at Highlands, a 1928 Donald Ross design, were seeded with Penn A4 creeping bentgrass in 1998, three years before Stiehler's arrival. Thanks to tree and shade issues, the amount of Poa annua on the greens ranges from 10 percent to 90 percent, according to Stiehler. 
    To that end, the 5,000-square-foot nursery routinely included some amount of Penn A4 creeping bentgrass. But there was always more to that nursery, at least in the past decade, than growing turf for repairs and regrassing projects. And years of monitoring those various turf varieties has yielded the best choice for Highlands' greens. It is a simple template that can easily be replicated anywhere.
    "My nursery has always been an experimentation place," Stiehler said. "There has always been some Penn A4 on it. But seven or eight years ago, I gridded out the nursery with the most popular bentgrasses. It was like my own NTEP trial. I wanted to see what was the best bentgrass in case we ever redid our greens."
    Part of that test nursery was the a seeded Poa annua developed by Penn State plant breeder David Huff, Ph.D.
    "He developed the first harvested Poa seed, and asked if I would do a plot at Highlands. It did really well."
    After years of analysis, Stiehler has settled on what he believes is the best turf option for Highlands, and is converting the nursery from its former use as a research plot to one for harvesting purposes.
    Although a few varieties fared well, including Huff's seeded Poa and Pure Distinction creeping bentgrass, Penn A4 stood out from the crowd at Highlands, which has an elevation of nearly 4,000 feet and receives an average of 80 to 100 inches of precipitation annually.
    "This is a very unique climate. It's ideal for growing cool-season grass," he said. "You'd think any grass would do well, but some didn't. I'm not sure why, but I think rainfall has something to do with it. You can't control (rain) water. We spend more time trying to get rid of water.
    "We were testing eight different types. I was always partial to Tee 2 Green (varieties) because I went to Penn State. Some of the others just didn't do well."
    The new nursery will yield benefits almost immediately during a renovation of the Nos. 12 and 14 greens later this year. That project will involve enlarging the putting surfaces to increase the number of pinnable options on both greens."
    Despite the age of the greens at Highlands, turf quality precludes any further work on the putting surfaces other than the enlargement project on 12 and 14.
    "At some point we probably will, but the greens are so good there's no reason to," Stiehler said. "The Poa sticks out in the spring, but by late May, it's a pretty homogenous mix. And we have zero thatch. I'm proud of how we managed that. The USGA says the life of a green is 20 to 25 years. I understand what they're saying, but if you have a supportive membership, there's no reason they can't last 35 to 40 years or longer. Besides, when you seed greens to bentgrass, your membership wants to keep the bentgrass as long as you possibly can. 
    The only reason to rebuild is if you want to regrass them. Otherwise, there is no reason to blow them up."
  • For most of the past two decades, John Deere, Rain Bird, Bayer and now Envu have teamed to help prepare hundreds of future golf course superintendents for the next stage in their careers through the Green Start Academy.
    The application period for the 19th annual professional development and peer networking event is open through Aug. 1.
    Scheduled for Dec. 11-13 at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, the three-day education and networking experience is open to 50 assistant golf course superintendents and provides attendees with the opportunity to become immersed in lectures and roundtable discussions conducted by the golf industry leaders. According to the GSA website, the program is designed to provide "the best environment for assistant superintendents to impart essential knowledge and facilitate the sharing of industry best practices, with a clear focus on professional development."
    "Green Start Academy has consistently paved the way for assistant superintendents to excel in their careers," said Mark Ford, Envu customer marketing manager.

    John Zimmers, a veteran superintendent of two U.S. Open Championships in 2007 and 2016, a U.S. Women's Open in 2010 and the 2021 Ryder Cup Matches, speaks at a recent Green Start Academy. This year marks the fourth consecutive appearance for Green Start at Pinehurst, site of this year's U.S. Open Championship.
    The goal of the GSA program is to drive both personal and professional success by providing the tools and training needed by today's golf course superintendents while also giving attendees the chance to build relationships with peers and industry leaders.
    "Spending time with the mentors, our friends at John Deere and Envu at Pinehurst, the home of American golf. What could be better?" said Tony Whelan, national sales manager for Rain Bird. " Developing a program that helps prepare assistant superintendents from across the U.S. and Canada for their next role and seeing them building a network of peers and mentors. I know the golf course community's future is bright and in good hands with the graduates of this program."
    Previous Green Start Academy participants are not eligible, with the exception of the 2020 virtual class, who may reapply for consideration in this year's or a future in-person program. Applicants selected for this year's academy will be notified by Aug. 30.
    Click here to apply.
  • For superintendents seeking a 2-in-1 spreader-sprayer with a high capacity, Steel Green Manufacturing has launched its SGXL All-Granular spreader. The unit is built on the same chassis as the SGXL sprayer, which now features stainless steel architecture.
    The SGXL Granular Attachment Kit for the standard SGXL makes it easy to switch between liquid and granular capabilities.
    The new SGXL All-Granular features a 350-pound stainless steel hopper, and its stainless steel side trays can carry up to 500 pounds of additional product, giving it a total capacity of 850 pounds. With its hydraulic power spinner motor, it can spread up to 25 feet wide, meaning operators can complete their jobs faster and with fewer passes while using less gas.
    "The SGXL All-Granular is built with efficiency in mind," said Matt Smith, Steel Green cofounder and sales manager. "Here at Steel Green, we're always looking for opportunities to make equipment that helps our customers do jobs quickly and well, and this new unit is a testament to that philosophy."
    Based in Lebanon, Indiana, Steel Green Manufacturing is an employee-owned business with more than 100 years of combined experience in the equipment industry that builds zero-turn sprayer/spreader machines.
     
  • The phrase "the best defense is a good offense" most often is associated with football. Its origins, however, more than likely are grounded in military history. It was a philosophy utilized by George Washington during the American Revolution and was a cornerstone of the "The Art of War," a book written by Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu in the fifth century BC.
    Combing through old TurfNet webinars in the midst of grub season was a reminder that this philosophy also applies to the battle against white grubs in managing golf course turf. The most effective method for eliminating this foe from its subterranean stronghold where they chew on the roots of turfgrass is to apply an insecticide before they hatch so they have no chance to survive the first or second instar stages.

    Watch this TurfNet webinar on grub control by Pat Vittum, Ph.D.
    In fact, grubs are such a formidable opponent when they become fat and sassy that retired Ohio State entomologist Dave Shetlar, Ph.D., said years ago at an OTF-OSU field day that the best tool for control for third instar grubs was a bag of fertilizer, joking that the pests were so large that a 30-pound sack dropped on their rasters might be all that could eliminate them.
    While Shetlar's advice surely would be lethal against any grub, not all beetle species are created equally.
    Among the most common culprits in the war on grubs are the Japanese beetle, Asiatic Garden beetle, Oriental beetle and the European chafer. As their names indicate, all are invasive. Other common grubs that pose a problem in turf include native species like May and June beetles and masked chafers.
    Although each has just one life cycle per year, size varies between species and the exact timing of each stage can vary slightly, according to research. That can make control a potential challenge because habitat can overlap between species.
    Threshold levels can vary by species, which can be identified by their raster patterns.

    Researchers recommend preventive pesticide applications to control white grubs while they are in the first or second instar stage. Utah State University photo After completing the metamorphosis from larva to pupa to adult, beetles typically emerge from the soil in early to mid-summer to feed, mate and lay their eggs. Researchers recommend a preventive insecticide application typically between May and July in an attempt to get product into the ground before the eggs hatch or at least while the larva remain in the first or second instar stage when they are most vulnerable, according to Purdue University research.
    Adults are active for up to six weeks, and eggs hatch about a week after being laid. The eggs require moisture in the soil to remain viable, and females are able to delay laying them if the soil is too dry. Larvae remain in the first instar stage for about two to three weeks, and transition to the third instar typically in early fall, research says. After overwintering below the frost line, the grubs ascend through the soil and eventually pupate in late spring before emerging again in June as adults as the process starts over again.
    Larvae begin feeding right after they hatch, chewing on the roots of turfgrass and often feasting just below the thatch layer, according to research. Damage appears similar to drought stress, but can be dwarfed in comparison to secondary damage caused by predators like skunks and raccoons as they forage for a meal. Feeding, by both grubs and skunks, continues into early fall, with the exception of the European chafer, which is found in the upper Midwest and the Northeast. First identified in the U.S. in 1940 in Rochester, New York, the European chafer is less susceptible to cold than other grubs, and thus continues feeding deeper into the fall and is active earlier in the spring.
    Researchers recommend neonicotinoids, a combination of a neonicotinoid plus a pyrethroid, or chlorantraniliprole for preventive control. For curative control of third instar grubs through summer and fall, scientists recommend a carbamate or organophosphate.
    An exception is the Asiatic garden beetle. Native to Japan and China, the Asiatic garden beetle was first identified in the U.S. in 1922 in New Jersey. In a 2003 study, the neonicotinoids imidacloprid and thiamethoxam failed to provide control, but clothianidin did.
    What is consistent across grub species is the idea that it is best to strike first, because the best defense is a good offense.
  • Has anyone ever asked you "where do you see yourself in five years?" It is a question most ponder, yet few can accurately answer.
    Now, have you ever asked that about the golf business? 
    The game provides employment to more than 1.5 million Americans  while generating close to $100 billion in annual wages. The past few years have yielded a record number of golfers and more rounds played in the U.S. than ever before. It also can be a great form of exercise.
    As golf continues to ride a wave of renewed enthusiasm in a post-pandemic world, while at the same time continuing to fend off criticism from voices outside the ropes, the well-being of the game's future seems to be a fair question. How long will the comeback last? 
    There are many more non-golfers than golfers, and half of them, according to the National Golf Foundation, do not have a favorable view of the game. That's understandable considering their exposure to the game and the land on which it is played.
    When non-golfers are exposed to golf it likely occurs in a limited number of ways, watching tournaments like the Masters or the U.S. Open, and when they drive past a golf course they see irrigation running and lush, green turf.
    So, how do the game's stakeholders continue to navigate against the current of negative public opinion over golf's perceived negative environmental impact and its reputation of being exclusive? What, if anything, can be done to win them over?
    Successfully picking next week's winning lottery numbers might be easier. After all, facts have never mattered when smearing golf.
    Detractors point to several reasons they believe golf courses would be better used for other purposes.
    The game, they claim, is too exclusive. Additionally, golf courses use too much water. Fertilizers and pesticides poison the ground and present a hazard to non-target organisms. Some chemicals used on golf courses even have been blamed for causing cancer, resulting in several being banned in cities and states throughout the country, despite a lack of compelling evidence.
    An editorial in the Tampa Bay Times accused golf courses of being "an environmental blight" based on use of water, pesticides and fertilizers.
    Just a few years ago, the sports staff at CNN (didn't really know it had one) published a story declaring that golf was "on borrowed time" because of climate change. 
    The story went on to label golf as a "dirty sport that's wrecking the planet," and the game must become more sustainable "to save the planet."
    Access to water has long been a controversial topic in the West. Will golf courses in the arid West be relegated to target golf? Will the spigot for some be turned off entirely?

    Those who look unfavorably upon golf say golf courses use too much water. There are scores of alternative media that say it is time to abolish golf because of its (perceived) negative environmental impact. Further complicating this issue is a constant barrage of information — and misinformation — as the lines between mainstream and alternative media are more blurred now than ever. To that end, another common criticism by the media is that the game caters to the rich, and therefore the acreage dedicated to golf should be surrendered for the greater good for things like high-density housing or public greenspace (remember people picnicking on golf courses in the early days of Covid?). 
    The truth is more people than ever — 23 million, or about 7 percent of the U.S. population — played golf last year, and about 75 percent of U.S. golf courses are open to the public, according to the National Golf Founday.
    It's funny how those who say 150 acres of grass and trees are bad for the environment will also champion the construction of strip malls, parking lots and apartment buildings in their place.
    All those golfers and all those rounds mean spending a lot of time managing the golf course. And the game's naysayers already point fingers at mechanized equipment for belching greenhouse gas emissions into the air. Golf, they conclude, must do more to decrease their carbon footprint and become more sustainable.
    According to published reports, the United States emits about 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. That might sound like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the combined 15 billion — that's billion with a "B" — metric tons produced by China and India. Until headway is made in Asia, it matters little what anyone else does. But then again, facts seem to matter little in the cold war against golf.
    A recent University of Wisconsin study found that four golf courses emitted about 4,000 kg of carbon dioxide per year. Conversely, jet aircraft emit 6 kg of carbon dioxide per kilogram of fuel. The average private jet has a fuel capacity of about 6,000 pounds, or about 2,750 kg. That's as much as 16,500 kg of carbon dioxide in a single tank.
    If we're going to point fingers, then let's point fingers.
    The reality is golf courses are farther along on the route to sustainability than they've ever been. Products produced by chemical companies are safer than ever and are effective at lower rates. Many courses are using less water than ever. Wildlife abounds and bird boxes, bat boxes and naturalized areas are on more courses than not.
    All that seems to matter little to the anti-golf crowd. 
    Towns, cities and states from coast to coast have banned a variety of pesticides, many of which are used on golf courses. Some bans include golf, others have given the industry an exemption — for now. 
    Most recently, New York enacted a law that will ban the use of neonicotinoids. In December, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law the Birds and Bees Protection Act. The legislation is intended to protect pollinators by restricting the use of neonicotinoids containing clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran or acetamiprid on turf; coated corn, soybean and wheat seeds in agriculture; and outdoor ornamental plants. The law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2027. Despite a long history of responsible pesticide use in the turf industry, the ban includes golf, leaving superintendents there with few efficacious options.
    A total of 23 million people played golf last year. That is more than ever, but it also means more than 300 million people do not, and about 150 million of them do not look favorably on golf.
    As the cold war against golf shows no sign of letting up, have you asked where your industry will be in five years? Because facts matter little.
    Advocating for the game means more than just attracting new players. It also means educating those who will never pick up a club or strike a ball about the benefits of golf and what superintendents do to maintain the playing surface. And everyone who works in the game has a responsibility to school non-golfers and debunk the myths that others espouse.
  • Ignite Attachments recently launched a line of compact attachments, including a rock grappler (above) and bucket grappler (below). For turfgrass managers who need to move dirt, remove rocks or perform many other tasks but do not need a full-size piece of equipment to do so, Ignite Attachments has launched a compact line of its full-size grappling attachments.
    Based in Moorhead, Minnesota, Ignite offers attachments and three-point implements for compact equipment that are compatible with most compact makes and models for use in a variety of markets through a digital, direct-to-consumer storefront and retailers.
    Ignite recently introduced compact versions of its bucket, rock and rake grapples. Each unit features a laser-cut steel design resulting in a tighter fitting attachment with a long service life, all are available in 36-inch and 44-inch widths and can be paired with any brand of mini track loader.
    With a grapple opening of 26.6 inches and a minimum height of 22.1 inches, the Ignite mini bucket grapple is ideal for smaller jobs as well as those that require navigating tight spaces.
    A 2.25-inch bore by 1-inch rod cylinder is located behind the bucket, rather than on top, for increased safety and protection under the demanding conditions. Combined with a standard flat-faced coupler and full-length nylon hose sleeve, the bucket's design minimizes downtime and helps extend the life of the attachment.
    The mini rock grapple features many of the same design elements and features of its bucket cousin, including Ignite's dual interface. The grapple opening is 25.9 inches with a tine spacing of 3 inches for effective rock and debris removal. A unique faceplate design allowing for ease of integration with mixed fleets.
    The mini rake grapple has many of the same features and benefits of the bucket and rake attachments, and offers tine spacing of 6.75 inches on the 36-inch model, which allows operators to remove debris with less soil disturbance.
    Greaseable pins and heavy-duty cylinder protection minimize downtime and help extend the life cycle of the attachment.
  • Success has a way of altering one's goals.
    What once seemed like a lofty and out-of-reach dream later can become dwarfed by reality. Such is the case for Nate McKinnis, who since last April has been head superintendent at Carolina Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. 
    A decade ago, when he was a student in the turfgrass program at Ohio State, McKinniss looked forward to the day when he could buy Hillcrest Golf Club, a daily fee layout in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio.
    After six years working alongside Chad Mark, CGCS, at Jack Nicklaus's Muifield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, the last year of which he spent as golf course superintendent, McKinniss, 30, took the reins last year from Matthew Wharton, who traded one Donald Ross design for another when he left Carolina Golf Club for Idle Hour Country Club in Lexington, Kentucky.
    "They've definitely changed," McKinniss said of his career goals. "It's the realization of what this industry is and how big it is. When you're in college, you don't understand all the possibilities that are out there. Back then, I had no idea I'd be here. Never in a million years."
    Although McKinniss could not foresee the future, the writing was on the wall that his prospects were bright. He was a two-time OTF scholarship winner at Ohio State. Through cooperation with Mike O'Keeffe and The Ohio Program at OSU, McKinniss interned in Ireland at County Louth Golf Club in 2016 as part of TurfNet's Next Generation of Greenkeeping, and his experience at Muirfield earned him a spot in TurfNet's Rising Stars of Turf series sponsored by Earthworks and DryJect.
    Now, chief on the list of career goals for McKinniss is being the same kind of mentor to his assistants and interns that Mark was for him at Muirfield.
    "I had a lot of questions when I started at Muirfield, but Chad kept saying 'Do you trust me? I'm not going to let you fail.' He always had the answers," McKinniss said. "Now, a lot of those things he was telling me all those years make sense.
    "I want these interns and young assistants to know that I am here to help them."
    Working for Nicklaus at the home of The Memorial Tournament under a mentor like Mark might make one wonder why McKinniss, or anyone for that matter, would want to leave Muirfield. 
    "Chad had given me full ownership of managing the golf course," McKinniss said.

    After six years at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, Nate McKinniss has been superintendent at Carolina Golf Club in Charlotte for more than a year. Photo courtesy of Nate McKinniss "I'm learning about managing a golf course in a different area. I'm working on Bermudagrass, which we learned about in class at Ohio State, but we didn't actually work on it. I want to learn as much as possible for any other opportunities that might come up in the future."
    Advancing his career did not come easily for McKinniss, who, in his own words "performed horribly" during the interview process for another position at another golf course. He was in the process of setting up an interview training session with Tim Moraghan of Aspire Golf when everything changed.
    At about the same time, Moraghan had been retained by Carolina to find Wharton's replacement and, after consulting with Mark, submitted McKinniss's resumé for consideration. 
    "The superintendents and assistants I work with, I'm picky about them. They have to have one foot over the finish line and the other off the ground," Moraghan said. "That's Nate. Chad trains his guys well.
    "Nate had construction experience and bentgrass experience."
    McKinniss said there was indeed a silver lining to that negative interview experience. As he and fiancé Alexa Spartis discussed their future, the subject of where they would like to live surfaced. North Carolina was tops on her list.
    "I needed something to motivate me," he said. 
    "I went in fired up. It felt like every moment of this opportunity felt right. This wasn't just for me. This was about where we would start our own story together."
    The outcome this time for McKinniss was a 180-degree turnaround from his earlier experience.
    "He blew them out of the water," said Moraghan, who was on the interview committee. "He arrived early, he reviewed the golf course, he talked with the assistant, he talked with Matt (Wharton), he had experience dealing with boards. Nothing came up that he hadn't already dealt with at Muirfield."

    Nate McKinniss, left, credited Chad Mark, right, his mentor and former boss at Muirfield Village for preparing him for the next step in his career. Photo courtesy of Nate McKinniss He started his job in Charlotte in April, about a month before the 2023 Memorial at Muirfield. The committee asked why, a month before a high-profile PGA Tour event, he would seek another job.
    "He told them he wanted to better himself," Moraghan said. "He said he had already been part of several tournaments at Muirfield and that when one man goes down, it's the next man up and we don't miss a beat. They were impressed by that."
    Today, McKinniss says it is his responsibility to do for his assistants and interns at Carolina what Mark did for him at Muirfield.
    "I see more of what Chad was teaching me now that I'm gone than I did when I was there," he said. "It's time for me to pay it forward. I have to put my boots on and get my hands dirty with these guys. I can start to see them getting it."
  • Envu recently launched its newest fungicide along with a handful of herbicides for use on turfgrass.
    Castlon is a fluoxastrobin fungicide that is labeled for control of more than two dozen common diseases in turfgrass, including fairy ring, summer patch, brown patch, leaf spot and Pythium. It also is OK'd for control of 22 landscape/ornamental diseases. 
    Castlon fungicide is a strobilurin chemistry that is highly systemic in plants with fast uptake. It is a good tank mix partner with Mirage Stressgard fungicide for improved plant health benefits.
    Castlon debuts alongside four postemergent turfgrass herbicides for use in cool-season turf that will be available June.
    Those new herbicides are:
    Acclaim Accelerate (quinclorac): Offers enhanced control of 3- to 5-tiller crabgrass and the many  midsummer weeds, including torpedograss on warm-season turfgrasses. Terradex Power Premix (2,4-D, triclopyr, dicamba, MCPA): Premixed formulation offers broad spectrum broadleaf weed control — including difficult-to-control weeds such as thistle on primary and no-mow roughs. Terradex Crabgrass and Broadleaf (2,4-D, quinclorac, dicamba): A combination of three active ingredients to provide postemergence control of both grassy and broadleaf weeds. Applied for late-season cleanup. Terradex Quick Strike (2,4-D, sulfentrazone, dicamba, MCPA): Rainfast in six hours, it controls broadleaf weeds fast with results in 24 to 48 hours.
  • STEC names new territory manager
    STEC Equipment recently named Ben Rothwell as its West Coast territory sales manager.
    Rothwell has an agricultural background that includes growing up working the family farm in Listowell, Ontario. He is a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Guelph.
    His experience includes working for MacDon, a Manitoba-based manufacturer of harvesting equipment for the agricultural industry. Most recently, he was the project manager for a startup turf equipment company.
    His territory includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. He can be reached at brothwell@stecequipment.com.
    Rezadone is latest Grigg turf health product
    Grigg recently launched Rezadone for enhanced turfgrass health and vitality.
    A liquid formulation, Rezadone accelerates the breakdown of grass clippings and improves water flow through the soil profile to reduce black layer, the company says.
    Rezadone prolongs microbial activity to improve soil health. 
    The product also enhances nutrient release, supporting improved growth and color, while reducing the need for frequent aeration and preserving soil structure and integrity.
    Hunter adds wireless valve certificate program
    Hunter Industries has launched its Wireless Valve Link Certificate Program that demonstrates installation methods and best practices for the company’s Wireless Valve Link System.
    The online program gives users the product knowledge needed to deliver successful results for even the most complex projects — without running costly wire or cutting into hardscape.
    The program includes 12 videos that provide an overview of product capabilities, installation, ideal applications and accessories.
    Those who complete the program with a score of 80 percent or higher will earn a professional certificate.
  • As an owner, operator and superintendent, Matthew Woodcock spends a lot of time on the golf course.
    Since he and wife Jill bought Old Erie Golf Club in Durhamville, New York three years ago, Woodcock increasingly spends more time on the course, even if the time allocated to various tasks changes year to year based on shifts in the number of customers playing the course.
    "We've had steady growth of 15 to 20 percent every year since 2021," said Woodcock. "We're seeing a lot of new golfers. We are seeing more women and more kids who are 16, 17, 18 years old. We're seeing more demographics than we did three years ago.
    "I had to hire someone to help on the golf course because we've grown so much."
    That extra help allows Woodcock to spend more time inside Old Erie's modest clubhouse so he can tend to other business matters at the course located about 30 miles east of Syracuse.
    Mind you, Woodcock is not complaining, and he welcomes the added business. Buying a golf course in the middle of a pandemic admittedly was a risk that has paid off for the Woodcocks. Indeed, there have been real costs (and benefits) stemming from the pandemic, and Woodcock's story is an example of how Covid has changed the business of golf.
    Just about every industry has been affected since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Many of the changes have been positive, others not so much. Golf has not been immune.
    Millions of newcomers have taken up the game in that time, and fortunately many of them have stuck with it, leading to an unprecedented amount of play. The game's popularity has been on a constant uptick in participation for the past four years after two decades of decline.
    The 520 million rounds played in 2023 were a record high. The Covid-driven surge in play during the past four years prompted Stuart Lindsay of Edgehill Golf Advisors to say in 2022: "It took us 19 years to lose 85 million rounds, and we regained all of them in two years."
    Although play is way up, new course construction still is way down during most of the past two decades. There has been a net loss of about 1,500 courses during the past 18 years, according to industry reports. As course closings continue to outpace new construction, the average number of players per facility has exceeded what Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Corp. has said is supply-demand equilibrium of about 35,000 rounds per year per 18-hole equivalent by as much as 11 percent.
    All that extra traffic can take a toll on turf conditions.
    "What is the true cost of Covid? What is the cost of Covid with all that extra play?" asked Chris Hartwiger, director of agronomy for the USGA Green Section.
    "The extra traffic is real. If there is 20 percent more play, then sure, there are going to be 20 percent more ball marks and 20 percent more divots. The more wear and tear there is, the more turf quality goes down, but that doesn't slow down golfers."
    At Old Erie, Woodcock is devoting more time to maintaining the golf course due to the boost in play. He is aerifying the greens three times more than he did in 2021 when he bought the golf course.

    A new group of golfers, both young and old, have been regulars at Old Erie Golf Club in Durhamville, New York, since the pandemic. Old Erie GC Facebook photo "I am doing more cultural practices than ever. But I don't know if that is because of increased play, or because of my obsession with making this the best golf course it can be for $25 and a cart for nine holes," he said. "I'm also putting three times as much sand down. 
    "The last couple of years we've had warm, dry summers. We're blessed and cursed. We only irrigate our greens. That's 1 out of 77 acres. The rest is Mother Nature-dependent. We don't have any cart paths. That means golfers don't enter and exit the fairways at the same place, so that spreads out wear."
    With play up and new course construction is down, many clubs are capitalizing on increased revenue streams to make improvements through restoration projects.
    So many courses are or have been under renovation in the past several years that something as basic as sand has been difficult to come by, and contractors to move dirt often must be booked months in advance.
    "Many are taking the money from all that extra play, and the smart ones are reinvesting it back into the club," said Thomas Bastis, CGCS, competition agronomist with the PGA Tour.
    Labor continues to be a concern for many businesses since the pandemic when hourly workers across the spectrum were told they were non-essential. Since then, workers who have taken that message to heart have been slow to return to jobs flipping burgers, or raking bunkers. Many of those who have returned have made themselves available to the highest bidder, with golf often losing employees to other businesses in other industries.
    Other challenges brought on since the pandemic include skyrocketing costs of new — and used — equipment, fertilizers, fungicides and pesticides, and supply chain issues that make getting that new machinery in a timely manner a true test of patience.

    Matthew Woodcock says play is up 15-20 percent each year at Old Erie Golf Club since he and his wife bought it three years ago. Old Erie GC Facebook photo "Pricing has created real hardships. I've never seen anything go up in price like turf equipment has," Bastis said. "But the real problem is getting equipment delivered."
    Those rising costs coupled with slow delivery times have trickled down, leading to an increased demand for quality used equipment.
    Woodcock recalled shopping for a part that he found on the used market for $279, compared with $299 for the OEM alternative.
    "At that point," he asked, "what's the difference?"
    Woodcock has turned to a couple of different sources to help with used equipment, parts and even products to apply to the golf course.
    When he needs something, as the owner and operator of a humble nine-holer, he relies on colleagues near and far. He scours social media for superintendents who might have what he needs, and he and his peers at a handful of other golf courses in the area share inventory with each other as needed.
    "There are six or seven courses in the area, and we share parts with each other," he said.
    The same goes for fertilizers and chemical products applied to the golf course.
    "If I need something and someone has some lying around, I'll ask if I can bum some off them until my order arrives," he said. 
    As the pandemic has helped lead more players to the golf course, it likewise has, in many cases, provided an avenue off the course for hourly labor, a barrier to success that is not unique to golf. The challenges associated with labor struggles, as well as the rising costs of equipment, fertilizers and pesticides also have provided an opportunity for superintendents in an area where they excel — innovating to find new ways to get the job done.
    For many, that has meant leaning on technological advancements — like robotic mowers — in the face of a declining labor force. Dan Meersman at the Philadelphia Cricket Club has been an early adopter of using robotic mowers in out-of-play areas. He hasn't made the move to robotics because of labor problems, but that technology definitely has come out at just the right time for superintendents who want to shift more manpower to in-play areas as golfer demands increase.
    "We have to be perfect every day," Meersman said. "(Robots) allow us to spend more time in areas that golfers care about."
    Bastis agreed that robots are not necessarily a cure for a depleted labor force, but do allow superintendents to concentrate efforts on areas of increased need.
    "Superintendents are asking themselves 'how can I make this better and do it cheaper?' I think that's why we're seeing so many (robots)," Bastis said. "Drones and robotic mowers, these types of things are not exorbitantly expensive. It's almost like why don't you have these things? 
    "There have been some challenges with Covid, but overall there is a lot of positive that has happened since Covid. I don't think anyone has anything to complain about."
     
  • Covia, the parent company of Best Sand, recently acquired R.W. Sidley.
    Based in Painesville, Ohio, R.W. Sidley is a nearly century-old provider of gravel, silica and other aggregate materials for construction and landscaping.
    Among R.W. Sidley's offerings is Pro/Angle sand, which is used by many golf course superintendents for use in bunkers, as well as topdressing and divot mix.
    "This is a win for superintendents, contractors and others who need the best bunker sands and other performance aggregates," said Terry Gwinn, Best Sand's sales manager at Covia. "The Sidley brands and Covia brands complement each other really well at a busy time for construction in the golf market."
    Since new course construction has slowed to a crawl in recent years, golf course renovations have become as popular as ever. There have been many challenges associated with renovations and rebuilds, including availability of sand. 

    Covia has acquired R.W. Sidley, the maker of Pro/Angle sand. "The biggest challenge has often been securing materials and transportation and combining these two brands should help with sourcing and logistics," Gwinn said.
    Pro/Angle sand is produced through a special crushing and grinding process that fractures silica quartz pebbles into angular particles, creating a playable, weather-resistant bunker sand. Pro/Angle is designed to exceed technical demands of golf course builders and architects and is engineered to meet USGA standards.  
    In addition to stable ball support and playability, Pro/Angle reduces the cost of bunker maintenance, the company says. Its angular particle technology delivers a host of benefits: 
    Excellent drainage  Superior slope retention  Greater wind resistance  Better overall product retention  Creates firm, consistent feel from bunker to bunker   Consistent color and sustainable appearance. With headquarters in Independence, Ohio, Covia is a leading provider of diversified mineral solutions to a variety of industrial markets, including glass, ceramics, coatings, metals, foundry, polymers, construction, water filtration, sports and recreation, and oil and gas. The company serves its customers through a broad array of products, including silica sand, nepheline syenite, feldspar, clay, kaolin, resin and coated materials.
  • Audubon International recently named Mark O'Mell as its director of Signature Sanctuary Certification.
    O'Mell (right) has more than two decades of turf management and golf course maintenance experience. Most recently he was golf course superintendent at Piñon Hills Golf Course in Farmington, New Mexico. A graduate of the turf program at Michigan State University, O'Mell has also held superintendent or assistant superintendent positions at courses in Michigan, Panama and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 
    Audubon International's Signature Sanctuary Certification is for new or renovating golf courses, resorts and communities. The program involves comprehensive environmental planning with architects, owners, managers and key stakeholders to ensure sustainable design, construction and long-term management of each property. Its Bronze, Silver and Gold levels include all open space, landscaped areas, and maintenance facilities; Platinum level certification also includes clubhouses, lounges and lodging. 
    "He knows the golf course operations and maintenance business inside and out, and literally from the ground up," Audubon International CEO Christine Kane said of O'Mell. "His expertise and leadership will help ensure the program's continued growth as we add new members, especially at the elite Platinum level." 
    As director, O'Mell will work with each Signature Sanctuary member's development team before, during and after construction to ensure the property meets and maintains all sustainability requirements. He will also serve as primary point of contact for any inquiries from current, former and prospective members of the Signature Sanctuary Certification and coordinate with appropriate staff members on the development of program materials as well as marketing, growth, recruitment, and communications strategies. 
    "Working with Audubon International is the culmination of a career as a superintendent who worked with nature rather than against it," O'Mell said. "I look forward to working with current and future Signature Sanctuary members to become the best possible environmental stewards they can be."
  • Weather forecast for Tuesday, May 21. Graphic courtesy of T3 Golf The first severe weather update is in from the folks at Turf Threat Tracker. There will be a three-day outbreak of severe weather across the United States with the focus being mostly in the Midwest.
    In the attached images, areas marked in the deeper colors will be where there is the highest risk for severe storms. Today (Tuesday) will be the worst day of the three with significant severe weather risk in the western portions of the Midwest and Great Lakes.

    Wednesday, May 22 weather forecast. Graphic courtesy of T3 Golf
    Weather forecast for Thursday, May 23. Graphic courtesy of T3 Golf This information is provided by meteorologists Garrett Bastardi and Herb Stevens of T3 Golf.  Stevens is a former TV meteorologist and one of the original on-air personalities when The Weather Channel debuted in 1982. He has been providing weather reports to the skiing and golf turf industries for more than 20 years with Grass Roots Weather. In 2021, Stevens and Bastardi launched T3 Golf which provides golf course superintendents with short-term forecasts at a local level.
  • When it comes to attracting and keeping help on the golf course, the "it's my way, or the highway" management style probably has lost much of its effectiveness — at least as it pertains to traditional seasonal employees.
    "What stands out for superintendents is that generational differences is a layered piece. It's very hierarchical," said Amy Wallis, Ph.D., professor of organizational behavior and ethics at Wake Forest University. "There is a difference between the relationship between a superintendent and kids who are brand new to golf or college kids working over summer break and superintendents and, say, their assistants.
    Many business leaders believe those who fall into the Generation Z category (generally those born from 1997 to 2012) lack work ethic and are difficult to work with compared with older generations. That reputation is hurting many Gen Zers in the workforce.
    According to one poll, at least 40 percent of business leaders perceive members of Generation Z unprepared for the workforce and more than 90 percent of those polled admit that they try to avoid hiring them.
    Employers, including those in golf who rely on high school and college students to round out their seasonal roster, cannot avoid Generation Z workers forever. Gen Z employees already outnumber their Baby Boomer counterparts in the workforce and are expected to comprise 30 percent of the labor market by 2030.
    According to Deloitte, Gen Z is motivated by "engaging work" to a lesser degree than Boomers, Generation X and even Millennials. 
    Another survey by Work Trend Index indicates that nearly half of Gen Z workers prioritize personal life over professional, and more than half say they expected to leave their current job within the next year.
    Clearly, many Gen Z workers do not have the same level of loyalty to their employer that their parents and grandparents did. And while Boomers and Gen Xers were largely adept at working unsupervised and independently, younger workers today would rather be part of a team and they prefer structure in the workplace, Wallis said. 
    "They are more concerned about impressing each other than they are impressing their boss," she said.
    Wallis says there are ways to capitalize on what motivates Gen Z workers.

    Generation Z is motivated on the job by different factors than previous generations. USGA photo "One thing I suggest more and more in temporary work is team or group hiring 18-year-old kids, or those looking for summer help during college," Wallis said. "Bring five of your friends and we'll hire you as a team, and you get to work together as a team.
    "This generation is very relational, and they want to spend time with their friends."
    Wallis said she has begun giving team-based quizzes in her classes at Wake Forest, in which students collaborate to find the right answer to test questions. 
    "They perform better on these than they do working independently, and they study harder because they know everyone relies on each other to get the right answer," Wallis said. 
    Wallis says people approach the team hiring model in a manner similar to playing on an athletic team, and says it has proven to be quite successful in the manufacturing industry, for which she consults.
    In a time where there is so much competition for our attention and immediate access to information via the Internet, it is not surprising that Gen Zers, who have grown up in the digital age, crave instant gratification. 
    That same thirst for instant gratification often translates to the workplace for Gen Z, who also want structure in the workplace, Wallis said.
    "We know this generation values immediate feedback and immediate rewards. That's part of being young, but it also smacks of this generation," Wallis said. "They want to be rewarded for good work."
    Gen Z also seeks jobs with more structure, or as Wallis said, they want to be told exactly what to do — one task at a time.
    "In previous generations, if they don't hear anything from their boss they assume everything is OK. This generation wants to hear from their boss that everything is alright. They want that instant gratification."
    And they want to be rewarded for a job well done, she said. A concept that is catching on in the workplace for Gen Z employees is gamification, which, as its name implies, rewards workers for successful completion of an assignment. 
    For those worried that "gamifying" work might not be taken seriously by the younger workforce, Wallis said there are no grounds for such concern.
    "There is no evidence of that," she said. "Have you ever watched a teenager play a video game and see how seriously they take it? Many college professors are gamifying courses, and it is something students resonate with."

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