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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    The application deadline is rapidly approaching for this year's Syngenta Business Institute. Aug. 11 is the deadline to apply for this year's edition of SBI, a four-day education and networking event that has been helping superintendents become stronger leaders for almost two decades.
    Scheduled for Dec. 2-5 at the Graylyn International Conference Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, SBI is a conducted by the Wake Forest University Executive Education department that provides superintendents with graduate-level business instruction in the following areas:
    Leadership/decision-making Work/life balance Negotiations Leading across cultures and generations The deadline for applying for this educational and networking event is Aug. 11 Class size is limited and applicants must be a current GreenTrust 365 participant and employed in the U.S. as a golf course superintendent, director of agronomy or similar position.
    Click here to apply. Superintendents can also contact their Syngenta territory manager for more information. To be considered, candidates must fill out an application that includes a short essay on why they should be chosen to attend.
    "I would tell anybody to do it," said 2024 SBI attendee Cody Sander, superintendent at Wilmington (Delaware) Country Club. "I've done several professional-development experiences before, and this is by far the best one that I've been a part of. It really shows that Syngenta is committed to bettering us and that they put the financial side separately. It also shows their commitment to creating better superintendents and getting back to us as the end user."
    Applications must be submitted online by midnight Pacific time on Aug. 11. Selected participants will be notified in October.
  • It is not uncommon for those who kill grass for a living to have a certain fondness for turfgrass diseases.
    Nathaniel Mitkowski, Ph.D., professor of plant pathology at the University of Rhode Island, is no exception. If Mitkowski had to pick a favorite it would be gray leaf spot. And, as a model of evolution, it soon could be coming to a golf course near you.
    "Frankly, it's my favorite disease, because it's the easiest one to identify," Mitkowski said during July 24 in a TurfNet webinar on managing and preventing summer stress.
    "I said some diseases are killers and some diseases are just aesthetic. Well, this one is a killer. It moves very quickly."
    Caused by the fungal pathogen Pyricularia grisea, gray leaf spot is a foliar disease that affects perennial ryegrass and tall fescue, and also can persist in some warm-season grasses. 
    The disease, which often presents in late summer or early fall, first infects and kills leaf blades and can spread to the crown, resulting in plant death, according to Purdue University research. Severe cases can cover wide areas of turf.
    It can spread quickly under hot, humid conditions like those that have dominated this summer, Mitkowski said.
    "At this point, I have not seen any gray leaf spot in New England or the Northeast, but I am sure it is coming because we are looking at some hot weather," he said. "We are looking at some humid weather.
    "Gray leaf spot rolls through just about every summer."
    Early symptoms often resemble drought or heat stress and can manifest as small, water-soaked lesions which become necrotic, according to the University of Massachusetts.

    Gray leaf spot infects and kills leaf blades before moving on to the crown and killing the plant. It is found most often in perennial ryegrass and tall fescue as well as in some warm-season grasses. Affected leaves can become twisted and covered with grayish spores. Disease can develop rapidly under hot, humid conditions.
    Mitkowski said outbreaks of gray leaf spot almost routinely accompanied hurricane season in the Northeast.
    "Within three days of the first hurricane rolling through, gray leaf spot would explode, and that was usually September," he said. 
    Warmer winters have changed that, he said. According to the National Weather Service, the 10 warmest years on record in the U.S. (compared to the average temperature from 1900 to 1999) all have occurred since 1998. 
    "Because we have warmer winters, we have warmer growing seasons," Mitkowski said. "This is a disease that has taken advantage of warmer climates. It now overwinters. The winters don't usually kill it. It survives the winter, which means it's gonna start earlier."
    With turf diseases it is always better to prevent them than treat them, and because gray leaf spot is so destructive it is no exception.
    Mitkowski recommends preventive applications of DMI fungicides. However, not all DMIs are created equally.
    "I would avoid the strobilurins, because resistance is pretty much 100 percent widespread through the populations of gray leaf spot. DMIs are your best option," he said. 
    "There are a lot of DMI fungicides out there. They are not all the same though. So, if you are going to go and manage your gray leaf spot, if you are going to put out a preventative material, make sure that the DMI is labeled for it, because not all of these DMIs will work against gray leaf spot, which is unusual because we typically think a DMI is a DMI is a DMI, but that's absolutely not true. Every DMI is a little different and some work better on some things and others work better on other things."
    Researchers often suggest regrassing susceptible or affected areas with a turfgrass variety that is naturally resistant to gray leaf spot.
    "Plant resistant varieties, because they're the best way to solve the problem," he said. 
    "If you are growing ryegrass, you should be growing gray leaf spot-resistant ryegrass. There is a lot of it available, and you should never in the Northeast grow anything that is not GLS-resistant. . . . If it (is resistant), you don't have to worry about it. It works."
  • What began nearly 10 years ago as a way to help superintendents and sports field professionals manage turf growth has grown to become a tool to assist them in maintaining playing surfaces more efficiently.
    GreenKeeper App was founded in 2017 by Bill Kreuser, Ph.D., then of the University of Nebraska, and Doug Soldat, Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin. Its initial use was to help superintendents and sports field managers manage plant growth regulator applications by tracking growing degree days. Since then, it has undergone numerous upgrades, enhancements and program features that have armed superintendents with more data to make better agronomic decisions. 
    Among those recent updates is the addition of remote mower-mounted sensors to help diagnose turf health and integrate the data, a weather station that collects data to be used in making agronomic decisions to maintain turf health and manage green speeds, and a new whiteboard system that integrates the "who" with the "what" and the "where."
    "People are now understanding that data are important in turf management," Kreuser said.
    The rX Turf Health sensor system uses LED light to measure radiative transfer and biophysical characteristics of the turf plant. The key, Kreuser says, is monitoring the plant after the mower has passed over it.

    The GreenKeeper App now includes a fully interactive whiteboard. Some of the factors the sensors measure are:
    nitrogen status leaf density drought symptoms biotic stress damage abiotic stress damage presence of grassy and broadleaf weeds "By mounting the sensors behind the mower, an LED light is looking at the reflection of light," Kreuser said. "As a plant gets healthier, it reflects more light energy."
    The integrated AX Datalogger system turns on when the mower starts, scans turf during the mowing process, tracks mower run time and location, and uploads data to the GreenKeeper App when the mower returns to the shop.
    The WX Weather Station measures: 
    temperature humidity pressure precipitation solar radiation wind speed wind direction The station reports weather data every 15 minutes to GreenKeeper App and begins monitoring precipitation when it starts raining. Solar radiation measurements allow for accurate hourly and daily evapotranspiration. Rain gauges can be added to collect data across the property.
    The whiteboard allows for basic tasks like managing staff and scheduling labor and can also be used to integrate agronomic practices, including spray programs and mowing schedules, and assign equipment to specific personnel and jobs. 
    Later this year, GreenKeeper is adding a reporting feature that puts all of this data into the superintendent's hands at the click of a button.
    "We are taking data the superintendent is collecting and putting it in one place to help them make better decisions," Kreuser said. "This kind of decision-support helps them be more precise and save time and money."
    Previous updates include Greenkeeper CIS that allows users to map course boundaries, log pest applications, create prescription spray maps and add drone maps and application records. Users can turn data into application maps for GPS-guided sprayers allowing them to save time and money on product and water.
  • To remain current and responsive to customer needs, DryJect has launched a newly redesigned web site.
    The updated site provides turfgrass professionals with:
    agronomic-management tools and worksheets cost-analysis calculators university and industry research data library case studies testimonials service provider locator "We are thrilled to offer this new website as a resource for sports turf managers and golf course superintendents who want to learn how they can grow stronger turf with less downtime and fewer facility closures inflicted by traditional core aerification," said DryJect owner and former superintendent John Paddock.

    DryJect recently launched a newly redesigned web site that makes it easier for users to find research and a local service provider. The site also features background information on how the DryJect system works and links to book a demonstration or an appointment.
    DryJect is a one-step process that combines aeration, soil amendments and topdressing all in one easy, simultaneous service. Following a DryJect service, playing surfaces are clean, smooth and with no cores to clean up. Its high-pressure, water-based injection system creates aeration holes through the root zone to fracture the soil while simultaneously filling holes with sand or other soil amendments.
    Incorporating  DryJect into an existing aerification schedule can enhance the benefits of deep-tine aeration, and in some cases can reduce the number of coring events.
    Because DryJect is a service provided by independent franchisees, there is no large capital equipment expense, or employee training required, leaving the staff to complete routine, daily tasks. Turfgrass is ready to play almost immediately due to DryJect's minimally disruptive process reducing the threat of lost play and revenue.
  • During a teaching and extension career that spanned nearly 40 years, Tony Koski, Ph.D., had dozens of projects reviewed by peers and published. His last project, however, did not require validation from his contemporaries.
    Koski, a professor and turfgrass extension specialist at Colorado State University for 37 years, died July 12 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. One of Koski's final acts before he died was to pen his own obituary.
    "He embraced each day with optimism, gratitude, and grace until the very end," Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska, said on Facebook. "Every card, email, text message, and hug kept him going. He believed in miracles to the end."
    A native of Lockport, Illinois in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago, Koski graduated from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois in 1979, before earning a master's degree and doctorate in agronomy both from Ohio State University in 1983 and 1986, respectively. His research interests focused on:
    water use and irrigation management evaluation of soil amendments for water conservation herbicide and fertilizer efficacy evaluation of turfgrass cultivars for drought resistance His career in the golf industry began at nearby Cog Hill Golf and Country Club where he worked during summers. After earning his doctorate degree in 1986, he stayed at Ohio State for two years serving as an extension specialist before moving on to Colorado State in 1988.
    "For 37 years, I taught, researched, and worked alongside incredible students, colleagues, and Extension professionals," Koski wrote in his own obituary. "It never felt like a job it was always fun."

    Tony Koski, Ph.D., was a professor and extension specialist at Colorado State University since 1988. The consummate educator, Koski Koski recorded an interview with KUNC radio in Greely, Colorado, and a webinar shortly before his death. He donated his remains to science so others could continue to learn.
    "In his storied career at CSU, he taught thousands of people, gave hundreds of lectures, and showed so many the importance of auricles and ligules," Gaussoin wrote.
    Survivors include wife Ronda and sons Zach, Chris and Tim.
    "My greatest pride is my family," Koski wrote in his own memorial. "My sons and their partners, Lauren and Simone have supported me through everything. I’m in awe of them."
    A memorial mass is scheduled for 2 p.m. July 18 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fort Collins, Colorado. Koski requested all in attendance to wear golf attire.
    He closed his self-authored obit with the following: "May your lawns be green, your trees healthy, your friendships deep and never stop trying new things. In turf we trust."
  • Pests like fall armyworms, chinch bugs, grubs and annual bluegrass weevil plague golf courses north, south, east and west. Quali-Pro recently launched Contrado insecticide, which can offer long-lasting insect pest control with a single application, thus reducing environmental impact at the same time.
    With the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole, Contrado is registered for use in warm- and cool-season turf for control of many insect pests, including white grubs, turf caterpillars, billbugs, spittlebugs, annual bluegrass weevil, European crane fly and chinch bugs. 
    Chlorantraniliprole is an anthranilic diamide class (IRAC Group 28) insecticide and acts as a ryanodine receptor modulator that disrupts calcium ion regulation in insect muscle tissue. This leads to muscle paralysis and feeding cessation within hours of exposure, followed by death over several days.

    With the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole, Contrado is registered for use in warm- and cool-season turf for control of many insect pests, including white grubs. Quali-Pro photo In research, Contrado was shown to provide season-long pest control with a single, early season application of white grubs (Asiatic garden beetle, black turfgrass ataenius, European chafer, green June beetle, Japanese beetle, May/June beetles, northern masked chafer, oriental beetle and southern masked chafer), turf caterpillars (fall armyworms, sod webworms and cutworms) and billbugs.
    Contrado’s mode of action offers the following benefits:
    Target specificity for key turfgrass pests with low toxicity to mammals and birds and minimal disruption of beneficial insect populations Low water solubility allows for prolonged residual activity in the soil and plant tissue and reduces the risk of runoff and leaching Systemic activity allows it to move from the roots through the xylem for full plant protection from above and belowground pests with one application Superintendents can make targeted spring applications prior to aerifying, or before mowing and irrigation begins for the season.
    In most locations, Contrado should be applied in April or May and watered in to move the active ingredient into the root zone and allow for systemic uptake. 
    When tank mixed with the active ingredient novaluron and applied early in the season, Contrado also provides control of bermudagrass mites and chinch bugs in warm-season turf.
    Contrado is approved for use in 48 states (all except California and Alaska) and has a restricted use label in Connecticut, Hawaii, New York and Hawaii.
  • For superintendents who want control of their irrigation system anytime, anywhere, Toro recently launched its Lynx Drive irrigation software designed specifically for golf course superintendents.
    The new Lynx Drive is a renewed system that puts irrigation management directly into the hands of superintendents and allows for real-time control on the go, faster response times and connected communication for precision and productivity. Now available, the system was first field tested on a wide range of courses.
    "The new Lynx Drive system makes it possible to respond to issues in real time with nearly pinpoint accuracy while keeping the entire crew updated on needed actions," said Kyle Macdonald, superintendent at Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta.
    With Lynx Drive, superintendents can respond in real time to changing course and weather conditions and unexpected emergencies from any smartphone or tablet. The new streamlined layout focuses on the features used daily to optimize irrigation management. An intuitive display includes larger text and high-quality imagery with brighter colors for enhanced visibility and detail.

    The Lynx Drive system helps keep the crew informed, minimizes delays and eliminates guesswork. The Smart Notes feature provides immediate communication with detailed notes and photographic images. The ability to include a device name makes it possible to identify who performed each action, while time-stamped photos add valuable detail. Smart Notes maintains a full notes history for up to one year.
    Smart Notes and Flags help to pinpoint reports and match them to an exact station on the map, ensuring precise adjustments in the correct location. All alerts and a detailed course map are visible to the entire crew on both mobile and desktop platforms for fast, coordinated action. Expanded mapping enables users to include files that can be shared through mobile and desktop programs.
    "This revolutionary system will change the way courses perform preventative and reactive maintenance, improving course conditions and crew collaboration," said John Dalman, senior product marketing manager at Toro.
    Lynx Drive is compatible with two-wire Lynx Smart Module systems. Support for additional platforms will be introduced with future releases.
  • It would be an understatement, if not an injustice, to label David Frew simply as a golf course equipment manager. In fact, Frew has so many responsibilities, if the TurfNet Golden Wrench was still awarded to golf course technicians, Frew not only would be a sure bet to win it, he also might never have to relinquish the honor.
    Frew is in charge of maintaining hundreds of pieces of equipment that Tennessee McBroom, director of agronomy at the Montecito Club, and his team use to oversee the course in Santa Barbara, California, and five other properties in the area.
    The rest of that portfolio includes Sandpiper Golf Club and the grounds at San Ysidro Ranch resort, Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara and the home of billionaire Ty Warner.
    The owner of Ty Inc., Warner is the mastermind of the Beanie Babies craze and owner of all of the above properties that McBroom and Frew are charged with maintaining.

    David Frew (left) lends a hand to a co-worker. Photos courtesy of Tennessee McBroom "(Frew) is remarkable," said McBroom. "He can fabricate anything. He thinks ahead and has a great inventory program. 
    "He checks all the boxes."
    While the inventory of machines under Frew's charge includes many traditional pieces of equipment for managing fine-cut turf like mowers, blowers, sprayers, seeders and aerifiers, it also comprises many unique implements not typically found on a golf course, or in few other places, for that matter. 
    That list includes electric motor boats used by members at Montecito, a bowling alley, equipment for tennis courts, as well as Tuk Tuk carts and a 1952 circa pizza wagon that are used to cater food and beverages for member events and parties.
    "They all require specialty parts to keep running. It can be a unique challenge, but it's fun," McBroom said. 
    "Mr. Warner is not from the golf industry. Everything he does is unique and special, and that makes working for him a lot of fun."
    Frew is a perfect fit for the golf business. He came to Montecito (et al) after years of owning his own mobile fabricating business.

    David Frew is responsible for keeping a lot of unique pieces of machinery running, including Tuk Tuk carts used for member events. "I put an ad out, and he was tired of not getting paid," McBroom said. "I found a good guy.
    "He's up at 3 in the morning, and works out. He comes into work bright-eyed, and I'm still slurping coffee."
      When the size of McBroom's staff and the amount of equipment used to maintain all of Warner's properties outgrew the square footage of the the maintenance facility at Montecito, Frew built overhangs to help keep machinery out of the elements.
    McBroom, who himself prepped under the late Bob Zoller at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, spoke recently at a conference addressing leadership challenges in the golf industry. A topic for discussion was a shortage of qualified future leaders in the face of shrinking college turfgrass programs around the country. That shortage extends into the shop, as well, he says. 

    A circa 1952 truck has been converted into a pizza wagon and rolling bar at the Montecito Club. "It's not just superintendents and assistants, but includes equipment managers, too. And we have millions of dollars of equipment to maintain," McBroom said. "It used to be you recruited the skill set first and the person second. Now, you have to find the right person first and the skill set second. We struck gold with David." 
    With so many properties spread across the Santa Barbara area, not all equipment is kept on site at one golf course or the other. The amount of turf maintained at the casino, for example, is so small that McBroom keeps an electric mower on site — stored in a closet.
    That diverse collection of far flung properties also means Frew's daily duties often consist of more than repairing engines and grinding reels. It can, and often does, include hopping from one property to another for clubhouse projects or searching for unique, hard-to-find items like Moroccan tile.
    "There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of one-offs, a lot of unique projects working for Mr. Warner," McBroom said. 
    "David has all systems in place to stay ahead of the job, not to mention all the obstacles."
  • Research conducted at Penn State as a masters degree project for a former golf course superintendent has shown that some of the products applied to golf course turf to control many common diseases could be damaging to cool-season fairways.
    In the study, the research team tested a total of nine demethylation inhibitor fungicides used to manage a variety of turfgrass diseases, for their effects on creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass turf maintained at fairway height. The results of the two-year study provide superintendents with more information on which chemistries can be used effectively and without damaging turf.
    Results of the project showed that metconazole and triticonazole resulted in damage to annual bluegrass but was not injurious to creeping bentgrass. Mefentrifluconazole, another fungicide in the study, resulted in the lowest threat of injury to annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass.
    Conducted in 2020 and duplicated the following year, the study was the master's project for PSU grad student Maureen Kahiu (right), a former golf course superintendent in her native Kenya who is currently working toward a doctorate degree at the University of Tennessee. The results were published recently in the online edition of International Turfgrass Society Research Journal.
    This research was the result of a need to get a better understanding of the relationship between golf course turf and commonly used DMI fungicides, according to John Kaminski, Ph.D., professor of turfgrass science at Penn State.
    "While these products are highly effective for disease control, their potential to cause injury to different turfgrass species — especially under varying environmental and management conditions — hasn't been systematically studied," Kaminski said. "Golf course superintendents have long relied on anecdotal experience or manufacturer guidance, but there’s been no side-by-side comparison that puts all of these fungicides through the same testing protocols.""

    Maureen Kahiu organizes fungus isolates collected from various turfgrass species following the repeated application of DMI fungicides when she was a graduate student at Penn State. Her research on the effects of DMI fungicides on cool-season fairway turf recently was published in the online edition of International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. All photos by Penn State Two field trials were conducted in 2020 on research fairways at Penn State's Valentine Turfgrass Research Center. Nine fungicides — propiconazole, triadimefon, myclobutanil, mefentrifluconazole, pydiflumetofen, flutriafol, tebuconazole, metconazole and triticonazole — were applied in 14-day intervals over three summer months. The trials were replicated in 2021.
    "Our study is the first to directly compare a broad range of DMI) fungicides on both annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass," Kaminski said. "We focused on real-world application scenarios to make the findings immediately useful to superintendents. The results help clarify which products are more likely to cause phytotoxicity on specific species and under what circumstances, providing actionable guidance for choosing safer options without sacrificing disease control."
    Kahiu's research was partially funded by the Paul R. Latshaw Graduate Fellowship. In the study, she applied all the fungicides to the research fairways with a backpack hand sprayer. To determine any phytotoxicity caused by the fungicides, she examined the plots on a daily basis, looking for changes in color, texture, density and growth.
    "Anywhere you go in the world, when it comes to turfgrass management, Penn State is where you want to be," Kahiu said. "It's known as the best internationally."
  • Matt Taylor, CGCS, has been a fixture in greenkeeping in Florida for more than 30 years.
    For the past 25 years, he has been director of golf course operations at Royal Poinciana Golf Club, a 36-hole facility in Naples.
    Recently, Taylor (right) was named the recipient of the Florida GCSA's President's Award for Lifetime Service.
    Taylor, who was presented with the award at the Everglades GCSA annual Poa Annua Golf Classic in May at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, was nominated by the Florida GCSA executive committee.
    "I think it speaks to Matt’s impact that the leadership of the state association felt it was time for him to be honored, rather than wait for his name to be put forward," said Jennifer Bryan, Florida GCSA executive director.

    Matt Taylor, CGCS, has been director of golf course operations at Royal Poinciana Golf Club in Naples, Florida for 25 years. Taylor is a past president of the Everglades GCSA and served as Florida GCSA president in 2007-08. He received the state association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2010. Before that, he was president of the Florida Turfgrass Association (2005-06) and was honored with that association's highest recognition, the Wreath of Grass, in 2010.
    Taylor spent three years prepping under Tim Hiers, CGCS at Collier's Reserve Country Club in Naples after graduating from the golf and landscape operations program at Lake City Community College — now Florida Gateway College. He spent four years as director of golf course operations at Bonita Bay Club in Naples from 1996 to 2000, before moving on to Royal Poinciana.
    He went back to school from 2014-17 at the University of Florida, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration.
    "Matt has devoted as much heart and soul to the well-being of our profession and the industry as anyone," said Florida GCSA president, Jason Zimmerman, CGCS at The Nest Golf Club in Bonita Springs. "He is so deserving of this honor."
  • In more than 50 years as a golf course superintendent, Frank Dobie learned a thing or two. 
    As general manager and superintendent at Sharon Golf Club near Akron, Ohio from 1964 until his retirement in 2020 he was committed to finding new solutions to old problems — and sharing what he learned with his colleagues. He developed his own bunker construction method 50 years ago to combat contamination, washouts and erosion. Three decades ago, when he was faced with moss on greens, he found the solution in a bottle of dish soap. He has been president of the Musser International Turfgrass Foundation, which recognizes excellence in turfgrass research, for 27 years, and for the past two years has been compiling the biological history of other golf course superintendents.
    Five years removed from retirement, Dobie is still looking for better ways to do things. His latest undertaking is trying to change the way people view Roundup, the non-selective herbicide developed by Monsanto more than a half-century ago that for the past seven years has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
    By now, the potential health risks of glyphosate use should be no secret to anyone. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma has almost become a household term thanks to years of late-night commercials by attorneys looking to cash in on the lawsuit craze after more than 100,000 people claimed it caused their cancer. Whether glyphosate does or does not cause cancer remains unclear, with recognized bodies falling on both sides of the debate.
    Once the world's most popular herbicide, glyphosate was first developed in the 1950s as a chelating agent to remove mineral deposits from pipes. It was patented by Monsanto as a weedkiller in 1971 under the name Roundup. Since Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018, Roundup has been blamed for causing cancer in thousands. Today, more than 150,000 cases against Bayer have been filed by farm workers, lawn care operators and homeowners. 
    While the amount of applicators professing to be affected by glyphosate is significant, it pales in comparison to the number of people who ingest it in their food, which according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection could be in the tens of millions.
    Dobie wants to do something about that, and he wants you to do so, as well. 
    As part of his effort to educate people on what he believes are the ills of glyphosate, Dobie recently sent a letter to dozens of colleagues asking them to consider finding better ways to do things, and to consider organic food options since glyphosate is so heavily use in production of dozens of row crops, from pretreating seeds, to controlling weeds during the growing process to use as a dessicant after harvesting. The letter included links to videos linking glyphosate to a variety of health problems, including malnutrition, liver disease, kidney disease and fertility issues.
    "I want people to question what is happening," Dobie said. "I want to take things that are supposed to be common knowledge and poke some holes in it."

    Frank Dobie has been giving back to the turf business for more than 60 years. Says Don Huber, Ph.D., professor emeritus in the department of botany and plant pathology at Purdue University, glyphosate persists in many food crops and strips them of much of their nutritional benefits because of its chelating characteristics. At least 8 of every 10 people are exposed to glyphosate in foods at any given time, according to the CDC.
    Glyphosate is used in golf during restoration projects and for weed control in dormant Bermudagrass. It has a half-life of about 60 days, according to the EPA.
    Whether glyphosate is or is not a carcinogen continues to be the subject of debate. The World Health Organization claims it is a "potential" cancer-causing agent. Despite the courtroom success of those blaming glyphosate for their non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has never been proven to cause cancer. Monsanto even received a patent in 2010 for use of glyphosate as an antibiotic, a fact never mentioned in litigation.
    Bayer reached an agreement in 2016 to acquire Monsanto for $66 million. Less than two months after the deal closed in mid-2018, lawsuits claiming that its active ingredient caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma began flying. By 2022, Bayer sold its Environmental Science division to Cinven, which rebranded its new acquisition as Envu. To date, thousands of cases have been filed against Bayer, which has since set aside about $11 billion to settle such claims.
    The glyphosate-based version is still available for professional markets, but was pulled from consumer retail outlets in 2023. The active was replaced for the consumer version with a combination of fluazifop-p-butyl, triclopyr TEA salt, diquat dibromide and imazapic ammonium.
    Many of the objections to controlling or banning glyphosate are due to its efficacy for non-selective weed control. That's why Dobie also is promoting a household hack for non-selective weed control.
    Vinegar, the concentrated formula found in home-improvement stores, not the watered-down stuff found on supermarket shelves, has been touted as a viable non-selective weedkiller for many years. While much of its effectiveness was initially anecdotal, it was first proven to be a viable weedkiller by USDA scientists in 2002.
    "I want people to know there are alternatives out there," he said.
    A gallon of cleaning vinegar (at least 30 percent concentration) can be even more effective at broad spectrum weed when a few drops of Dawn dish soap per gallon of vinegar is added as an adjuvant. Salt also has been shown to enhance activity, but can also cake and clog sprayers and nozzles, according to Dobie.
    Dobie has been a pioneer in golf maintenance for decades. In 1967, he reportedly was the first person to utilize liners in bunker construction. Thirty years later, he reported that a soap drench of water and Dawn dish soap was an effective control of moss on Poa annua putting greens.
  • Work continues on a greenside bunker on the ninth hole at the Dave Zinkand-designed 12-hole routing at Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, South Carolina. Zinkand Golf Design photo One of the top golf properties in South Carolina is getting a new and unique addition that will give players an alternative to the traditional nine- and 18-hole experience.
    Golf course architect Dave Zinkand (at right with pup Zoe) of Zinkand Golf Design is building a 12-hole routing at the Chechessee Creek Club in Okatie, South Carolina. The property's 2000 Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design in Okatie is ranked among the top 20 golf courses in South Carolina by Golf Digest.
    The 12-hole playing experience will present an alternative for members that does not require the time commitment of 18 holes. The layout features only short par-4s and par-3s winding through live oaks and Lowcountry wetlands. The course begins with a five-hole loop of par 3s of varying length. The routing continues with a second, seven-hole loop.
    "Our new 12-hole course fulfills the club's vision for a fun, bold playing experience that both complements and contrasts its existing 18 holes," Zinkand said in a news release. "The first loop provides avenues to the hole for any level of play without sacrificing design character, while the second loop offers a balance of shot options for all skill levels."
    Zinkand's intent is to create a fun and challenging golf experience that embraces the natural rugged environment and preserves and incorporates native vegetation. 
    "Our team is also establishing extremely varied habitats outside of turf areas, focusing on native plants and ground formations that will expand the site's ecological diversity," said Zinkand. "These planned habitats include installing what may be a true one-of-a-kind golf course feature – a carnivorous plant bog."
    Earthwork on the golf course began earlier this year and will continue throughout the summer. All shaping should be completed this fall, with a grand opening expected early next year.
    Click the video below to watch a TurfNet University webinar for more information on Zinkand's philosophy on sustainable golf course design.
     
  • Applications are now being accepted for next year's cohort for the USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship program to be held at two locations in the Carolinas.
    Developed in 2023 by leaders at Pinehurst Resort and the USGA in cooperation with Sandhills Community College, the program provides a mix of classroom instruction with on-the-job training, and pairs each student with an on-course mentor, intended to advance their professional development.
    The program was expanded in 2024 to include instruction in cooperation with Horry-Georgetown Technical College in Myrtle Beach. The program provides tuition-free learning for all students for one year and paid on-the-job training positions at partner golf courses.

    Applications are being accepted for next year's USGA Greenkeeper Apprenticeship program. USGA photo The Greenkeeper Apprenticeship program is designed to provide:
    A strong foundation in turfgrass and soils science, fertility, pest and water management, rules of golf and leadership skills Practical in-class instruction Work as an apprentice at a local golf course under the mentorship of a leader in the field to gain valuable experience and connections, all while earning an income as a full-time employee Click here to register for either cohort.
    A third program cohort in Charlotte is scheduled to be added next year.
  • The voice was a familiar and friendly one.
    "Hey, John. It's been a while."
    The reception from Larry Balko upon entering his Florida home was a welcome invitation; except it wasn't his voice. Not really, anyway.
    A certified superintendent and sales rep in the West Palm Beach area for the past 20 years, Balko was diagnosed five years ago with early onset-bulbar, an especially aggressive variant of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, a degenerative neuromuscular disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. There is no cure. 

    Larry Balko maintains a positive attitude through his battle with ALS. All photos by John Reitman Known as "Biff" to many, Balko, 58, cannot walk or talk. He is unable to eat or breathe without assistance. He only can speak through use of an Eyegaze, a speech-generating device designed specifically to help ALS patients, of which there are more than 30,000 nationwide. The average survival rate for someone with ALS is three years, according to the ALS Association. Twenty percent of those with ALS live five years, and 15 percent live for 10 years or more.
    "The disease doesn't determine your days," said Balko's wife, Rebecca. "God determines your days."
    A virtual prisoner in his own body, Balko's time is spent exclusively in either a special motorized wheelchair or a hospital bed, yet he refuses to let ALS define him. A cheerful person before contracting ALS, he still has that same jocular outlook.
    "After high school, I enlisted in the U.S. Navy and went to San Diego," Balko said through his Eyegaze. "It was there where Biff found Crown Royal and started talking in third-person. Last month, Biff celebrated nine years sober, so he pretty much lives on in so many stories and memories. You can ask anyone, Biff always made the party better."
    Larry and wife Rebecca are eager to share their story, which is one of devotion, love, faith and unyielding support from all corners, including his spouse, his children, his church, fellow superintendents, his employer and not least of all, the staff from the ALS clinic at the West Palm Beach Veterans Affairs hospital who manage his care.
    "You know, you have your faith, and you learn to trust that the Lord is in it with you," Rebecca said. "That doesn't mean that you don't have questions. 
    "He stays so positive, but he's not in denial. But he still has many questions, like 'why me?' "
    Larry and Rebecca also want to share their story to bring awareness to this devastating disease in hopes that research scientists might one day find a cure.
    "There may be people who read stories like this about people with ALS, and maybe they know someone who has it, or a relative gets it," Rebecca said.

    Rebecca Balko has tended to her husband's every need through his battle with ALS. "ALS makes people who don't know about it feel isolated from you because they don't know what to say, or do. It's better to just rip the Band-Aid off and talk about it. I think one good thing about (talking about this) is it spreads information about ALS, which is important."
    Members of LifeSpring Church in nearby Wellington, the Balkos did not have to look far to find faith to help them navigate through this challenge. They have always lived a faith-filled life in their 23-year marriage, and were well armed to meet ALS head-on when they received the diagnosis in 2020. They hope that telling their story might help or inspire others about the power of faith.
    "Faith has been the cornerstone of our family," said Tatum Edlin of Huntsville, Alabama, one of Larry's two daughters from a previous marriage. 
    "This picture would be entirely different without it. Without comfort and support from God, he wouldn't have made it this far, and we would be having a very different conversation."
    That faith is indeed important.
    Early onset-bulbar ALS initially affects the muscles in the head and neck, namely those that control swallowing and speaking. Early symptoms typically manifest as slurred speech and difficulty breathing. That was the case for Balko. Eventually, the disease renders other parts of the body helpless. 
    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are about 33,000 cases of ALS across the U.S. Of those, about 90 percent are considered sporadic, in that they occur randomly and are not genetic, according to the Mayo Clinic.
    Also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, named in memory of the former New York Yankees player who died from the disorder in 1941 at age 37, ALS has in the past five years robbed from Balko the ability to talk, walk, the sensation in his fingers and do so many other things others take for granted. 
    "He's a tough man," said Balko's other daughter, Charlie Holbrook, who also lives in Huntsville. "A lot of people going through this would become stoic and cold, but not Larry. He's leaned into God."

    Larry Balko only can 'speak' through use of an Eyegaze voice-generating device. Long before his diagnosis in 2020, Larry and Rebecca participated in the ice bucket challenge, a viral social media campaign from about a decade ago to raise awareness for ALS, in support of friends who had the disease. An ALS diagnosis of their own was the furthest thing from their minds, when they first entered the VA hospital looking for answers.
    "I remember we were sitting on the sofa, and it was not long after his diagnosis and the memory timeline was our video from the ice bucket challenge," Rebecca said. "We had no idea what ALS even was then."
    They know now.
    Symptoms presented about six years ago as difficulty breathing, a twitch on his right side and slurred speech. Balko, who enjoyed singing, suddenly was unable to hit some of the high notes that once came so easily. Clearly, it was time to seek help.
    "He couldn't get his breath, his sinus was blocked 70 to 90 percent, and he had slurred speech," Rebecca said. "They ran a scope down and saw on one side he had a lazy, flat larynx."
    Doctors inserted a feeding tube in 2022. That was two years before he needed it, but doctors said getting it sooner than later would ease the transition when it was actually needed. Three years later, it is the only way he receives food and water and takes his medication. Confined to a bed or wheelchair, he has been breathing through a tracheostomy tube and an oxygen machine since last December. Recently, he completed the difficult task of pre-planning his own funeral.
    The VA set him up with an Eyegaze tablet as soon as the diagnosis was made, so he could speak into the device and it could bank his voice. Today, it mimics his voice as he visually scans the alphabet to piece together words and sentences.
    Among the symptoms of ALS is pseudobulbar affect, the sudden and uncontrollable outbursts of emotion, including bouts of inappropriate laughter and crying.
    "Because I have pseudobulbar, I would cry like a 16-year-old girl over a commercial, and I couldn't control," he said. 
    Said Rebecca of the combination of pseudobulbar affect and raw emotion: "It wasn't like a little emotion, but it would be like turning on the faucet and not being able to stop. 
    "Larry had to learn it was OK, that not all the crying was bullbar and that it was OK. Some of those outbursts aren't necessarily tied to emotion. It's just uncontrollable, almost a switch that you just can't control. But, for him, he also was learning that he was having emotion, and it was OK to have emotion."
    He requires in-home healthcare and nurses who monitor his vitals through the night, courtesy of the VA. He also has a devoted caretaker in Rebecca, who has been by his side for every need, whether it is administering medication or using a Hoyer lift to transfer him to and from bed. Every couple should be in love as much as they are. 
    Their relationship in the face of the most challenging thing they've ever faced is remarkable and refreshing. He still teases her, and she dotes over him and tends to his every need.
    "Oh, she is a rockstar," Charlie said. "She doesn't see it that way. She thinks she's just doing what she's supposed to do. Sometimes, I have to shake her and tell her 'what you're doing is incredible.' "

    Rebecca and Larry Balko have relied heavily on their faith since he was diagnosed with ALS. The progression of the disease has been dramatic.
    When daughter Tatum and her husband, Konnor Edlin, were married three years ago in Jamaica, Larry was still upright and using a walker. To that end, he and Rebecca were able to attend, and he was even able to dance with the bride. Last October, when Charlie and husband Grant Holbrook were married in Alabama, Larry's condition had progressed to the point where it was unsafe for him to travel that far. The service was streamed live so Larry and Rebecca could watch from home in Florida, where he was able to make a speech through his Eyegaze device over FaceTime.
    "It would be easy to try to control something like this with your own plan," said Charlie. "He has gone through this with such grace and confidence. Others would have given up and been depressed. The way he's gone through this shows that God is bigger than all of this."
    A graduate of the Auburn University turfgrass management program, Balko is a past president and long-time member of the Palm Beach County GCSA chapter. It was early in his career in golf that he earned his nickname.
    "It was about the time that Back to the Future came out," he said. "There already was another Larry on staff, so my name on the work board was Biff."
    Following a stint at Pine Tree Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, Balko was superintendent at two courses in South Florida from 2006 to 2014, first at Park Ridge Golf Course in Lake Worth and President Country Club in West Palm.
    Balko's fellow superintendents in South Florida have not forgotten him.
    At last year's Future of Golf Tournament, the largest fundraiser for the 288-member Palm Beach County GCSA, every golfer who won a cash prize donated their winnings back to Balko.
    "That has to be so frustrating," said fellow Palm Beach County superintendent Mike Rienzi of Bear Lakes Country Club. "This is just horrible to watch someone you care about go through that."
    When he left President Country Club, Larry shifted gears for a career in sales, first at Golf Safety and BMP Solutions. He followed with sales positions at Diamond Fertilizer, then started his own company, Biff Inc. Before he was diagnosed with ALS he joined Florida Superior Sand.
    "I've known Larry since he first came to Florida," said Andrew Arena, president of Florida Superior Sand. "I hired him because he's an honest guy. It's hard to find someone who you know is going to look out for your customer. He's a wholesome guy."
    Even through his bout with ALS, Larry still maintains a handful of accounts.
    "He came to us, then he got sick. He still maintains the accounts he has," Arena said. "Obviously, if he needs help with them, then we help him. These are relationships he has built, and they are loyal to him and are sticking with him."
    Servicing those accounts is about more than just business for Larry.
    "When I started 'Biff-ing', I started selling sand," Larry said. "Now, I have 10-ish accounts that text in so I can stay in touch with my friends."
  • Golf courses are responsible for just 1.3 percent of water used in the U.S., according to the USGA Green Section. The game, however, receives a disproportionate amount of blame for how much is required to keep turf playable.
    The USGA has published a guide to help turf managers become better stewards of water with an eye trained on sustainability, as well as providing a valuable PR tool.
    The Water Conservation Playbook is, says the USGA, "a comprehensive effort to provide courses with the latest tools and techniques to more effectively manage water utilization."
    The guide, available as a free download, was written by Green Section personnel and several contributors, and is part of the USGA's 15-year, $30 million investment to help golf courses reduce their overall water usage. 
    "Golf is currently in a time of great growth, but the threat of water availability and cost, combined with changing weather patterns, poses long-term threats to our playing fields," said Mike Whan, CEO of the USGA, in a news release. "We want to put the best intelligence into the hands of those who are making decisions and working on courses every day, and spur innovation toward a more sustainable game."

    The USGA's Water Conservation Playbook is part of the organization's long-term initiative to help golf courses use less water. USGA photo by JD Cuban The tool focuses on nine water-conservation strategies in three categories:
    Fundamental irrigation stewardship
    Irrigation system maintenance Effects of chemical applications on water use and drought resistance Managing golfer expectations to help conserve water Advanced irrigation techniques and conservation strategies
    Site-specific irrigation scheduling Grassing strategies for golf course water conservation Reducing irrigated acreage Subsurface drip irrigation Water sourcing and storage stewardship
    Surface water optimization Using recycled water Each section includes information on:
    Implementation considerations Potential water savings and other benefits (such as improved turf quality) Regions where the highest impact can be made Photos that demonstrate installation and results Step-by-step implementation notes and tips for success. Authors of the guide including Mike Kenna, Ph.D., Chris Hartwiger, Daniel O'Brien, Ph.D., John Petrovsky, CGCS, Matteo Serena, Ph.D., Cole Thompson, Ph.D., George Waters and Brian Whitlark all of the USGA Green Section; Dale Bremer, Ph.D., of Kansas State University; Jeffrey Danner of Pangaea Golf Architecture; David Pierce of Stellar Golf Advisors; Forrest Richardson of Forrest Richardson Golf Course Architects; and Marco Schiavon, Ph.D. University of Florida.
    "The level of collaboration we've received to bring this to life has been incredible, and it's now our job to share this tool far and wide," said Matt Pringle, Ph.D., managing director of the USGA Green Section, in a news release. "If you work on a golf course, deliver or sell water, build irrigation systems, design facilities or are part of the golf community, we encourage you to download and distribute the link to your colleagues."
    The guide was peer-reviewed by Mike Fidanza, Ph.D., Penn State University; Ali Harivandi, Ph.D., University of California Cooperative Extension; Mike Huck, Irrigation and Turfgrass Services; Craig Kessler, Southern California Golf Association; Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D., New Mexico State University; and Casey O'Callaghan, Casey O'Callaghan Golf Course Design.
  • Audubon International is losing a familiar face.
    Frank LaVardera (right) is retiring as director of Environmental Programs for Golf after 45 years with Audubon International.
    During LaVardera's tenure, Audubon's Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf grew to almost 900 private, public and resort golf courses around the world. According to the association web site, there are 865 golf courses worldwide enrolled in the Cooperative Sanctuary Program.
    "Frank was key to our mission of helping more golf courses than ever reach their sustainability goals," said AI CEO Christine Kane. "He set a high bar for work ethic, attention to detail, program follow-through, and establishing strong and trusting relationships with our members as they worked toward certification or recertification. His example will be followed by his successor, and everyone else in our organization, for years to come."
    LaVardera also helped direct membership growth in Audubon International's Signature and Classic Sanctuary programs, and in 2023 helped introduce the comprehensive Signature Sanctuary Platinum level for new and redesigned golf courses, as well as their clubhouses and lodging/hospitality components. He has helped train the organization’s next generation of Environmental Specialists. The Sanctuary program has grown to include 107 golf courses, according to the AI web site.

    The Army Navy Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia is one of more than 800 golf courses certified by Audubon International. Army Navy CC photo "The opportunity to work with golf course superintendents and other invested stakeholders implementing environmentally sustainable practices was very rewarding," LaVardera said. "I greatly appreciate their hard work and dedication regarding the environment."
    LaVardera brought extensive experience to Audubon International, including decades as a principal partner in a private environmental consultant firm. He worked on a wide range of projects – preparation of environmental resource plans, stormwater management plans, best management practices plans, and wildlife habitat assessments. He also worked on several golf course improvement projects for the U.S. Navy. 
    "Frank has always been thoughtful and helpful when working through recertification, offering his expertise and advice," said Jim Pavonetti, CGCS at Fairview Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, and an AI board member. "Frank has been a great ambassador for the golf program, and he will be deeply missed at Audubon International."

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