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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    When it comes to picking winners in golf tournament pools, Kevin Clunis claims he does not know what he is doing. The results, at least the recent ones, say differently. 
    A regular participant in major pools for several year, Clunis, superintendent at Luck Golf Course in Luck, Wisconsin, won the past two TurfNet pools, presented by sponsor Standard Golf. He won the U.S. Open pool outright with the team "Not Sure" and his "Not Sure Again" finished in a three-way tie for first with Jeff Smelser and Chris Colton in The Open Championship pool.
    "I've been entering those for I don't know how many years, and I don't think I've ever finished in the top 50 in all those years," Clunis (right) said. "I literally had no clue about any of the golfers."
    That's not exactly true.
    Clunis has picked up a trick or two in all that time. When he picks golfers now, he looks across the pond.
    Except for winner Brian Harman, who is from Savannah, Georgia, the rest of Clunis' Open Championship "team" comprised Jason Day of New Zealand, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Tommy Fleetwod of England, Scotland's Robert McIntyre and Si Woo Kim of South Korea.
    "If there is anything I've done, it is pick foreign golfers in majors. They always seem to play well," Clunis said. "Tommy Fleetwood, I had him on the roster. He doesn't win majors, but he plays well in them. I do like to stick with foreign golfers."
    The TurfNet U.S. Open pool had 196 total participants, while 164 took part in The Open Championship pool. 
    No one we asked was sure what the odds are of winning two consecutive pools. But one thing those involved agree on is the chances of it happening are not very good.

    Kevin Clunis says staying up with tournament golf helps him relate to golfers at Luck Golf Course in Wisconsin where he is superintendent. "That is very rare. One other pool admin reached out this year wondering about the same thing, but you and him are the only admins tat have ever mentioned it," said Sean Hogan of Easy Office Pools, which supplies the software for hundreds of office pools. "I haven't done the analysis to get the exact stats regarding the rarity of back to backs.
    "With over 100,000 golf pools run on our platform, only twice have we heard of back to back winners in larger pools like TurfNet's."
    For his efforts, Clunis won swag from TurfNet and pool sponsor Standard Golf.
    "I got a hat and a flag that shows I won, but that's not why I do it," Clunis said. "I have enough hats."
    "Congratulations to Kevin on winning TurfNet's The Open pool, and collecting back to back victories," said Matt Pauli, VP and Director of Marketing for standard Golf. "This is certainly one way to collect Standard Golf swag. The excitement of Major golf and seeing the camaraderie and banter between the participants is one reason we enjoy sponsoring TurfNet’s Major Pools."
    Participating in pools with other superintendents is one more way for the ever-busy Clunis to stay in touch with his colleagues and the game, and he enjoyed keeping up with some of the good-natured banter that took place on social media during the Open.
    "I'm not a gambler; I just like to do this and see what happens. I know there are a few guys who really keep up with it. I saw Kevin Ross shooting his mouth off on Twitter because he was in first place on Saturday," Clunis said with a laugh. "It's fun, and I like to see that. I just don't have time to spend on social media doing that."
    Ross enjoyed the online banter, as well.
    "I tweeted out I had a two shot lead and he commented back that it would come down to two players," Ross said. "We had the same picks with only one difference. I had Cam Young and he had Jason Day. Cam Young went out on Sunday and stunk up the place, while Jason Day played well giving Kevin the victory. My hat's off to Kevin, these are not easy to win. Winning two in a row is impressive.
    "I’ll be gunning for him in the next pool, you can guarantee that. Might have to have a little side wager even."
    There also is a professional component to such pools for Clunis.
    "It helps me keep in tune to the golf season, and it's just fun to stay somewhat active, because you get caught up with the day-to-day duties," Clunis said. "Golfers look at TV, and they want to be like what they see on TV, and they want their course to look like what they see. Staying up with the golf season helps communicate to them and speak their language."
     
  • Roundup is not widely used on golf courses, but the legal wranglings that its owners have faced the past several years should make turf managers everywhere stand up and take notice as an example of what can happen to any of several pesticides that end up on the wrong side of the news cycle.
    What once was the world's most popular weedkiller, Roundup has been the center of legal struggles for the past five years amid claims it is responsible for causing cancer among users.
    The result has been a cascade of lawsuits, multi-billion-dollar settlements and eventually pulling the product from the consumer marketplace. The most recent turn in this story is the settlement of lawsuit brought by the State of New York.
    According to reports, Bayer, which inherited the Roundup brand when it acquired Monsanto in 2018, has been accused by New York Attorney General Letitia James of misleading consumers by claiming the product is environmentally safe.
    A statement by James's office read: "Bayer and Monsanto repeatedly claimed in advertising that Roundup consumer products containing the active ingredient glyphosate were safe and non-toxic without adequate substantiation. These claims violated state laws against false and misleading advertising, and also breached a previous settlement the Office of the Attorney General reached with Monsanto in 1996, in which Monsanto committed to stop making unsubstantiated claims regarding the safety of Roundup products that contained glyphosate."

    As part of the settlement agreement, Bayer will pay the state $6.9 million that James says will be used to "prevent, abate, restore, mitigate, or control the impacts of toxic pesticides such as those containing glyphosate on pollinators or aquatic species." 
    Bayer has neither confirmed nor denied malpractice, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has refuted claims, saying that Roundup is safe when used according to label instructions.
    The settlement also requires Bayer and Monsanto to immediately remove or discontinue any advertisements that represent Roundup consumer products containing glyphosate as safe, non-toxic and harmless to pollinators and other wildlife. Bayer and Monsanto must also direct distributor and retail partners to halt any marketing materials that contain allegedly false claims.
    "It is essential," James said in a statement, "that pesticide companies — even and especially the most powerful ones — are honest with consumers about the dangers posed by their products so that they can be used responsibly."
    The New York Attorney General's office says it has been investigating Roundup and its effects on the environment for three years.
    More than 100,000 cases have been filed against Bayer claiming that glyphosate is responsible for causing non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
    Three years ago, Bayer settled many of the cases lodged against it for $11 billion. Since then,many of the 150,000-plus suits brought by plaintiffs have been settled or dismissed.
  • The majority of diseases diagnosed on greens are root diseases. And they are a threat because often the damage is already done by the time symptoms appear.
    Resilia root health solution, the newest innovation from Envu, is available in states where it is registered. The Resilia root health solution protects roots from destructive soil-borne pathogens for up to 21 days and most up to 28 days, allowing the opportunity for a more robust root system.
    "The key to healthy turf starts below the surface," Mark Brotherton, product manager, Envu Turf & Ornamentals, said in a news release. "With that foundational goal in mind, Envu developed Resilia root health solution, the first, all-in-one root health solution that was exclusively developed for soilborne root disease control. Golf course superintendents can rest easy knowing their roots are protected when they incorporate Resilia root health solution into their plant protection program."
    Resilia has proven to be effective at controlling soil-borne pathogens that cause diseases such as Pythium root rot, fairy ring and summer patch, as well as nematode damage.
    "Resilia root health solution is the only product that offers simultaneous control of patch diseases, Pythium diseases and suppression of pathogenic nematodes," said Jesse Benelli, Ph.D., Green Solutions Team specialist, Envu. "The solution is not meant to be a total replacement for other products, but it can integrate seamlessly into any program as a preventative maintenance application."
    Resilia is registered for use in the following states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
  • Sebonack Golf Club on Long Island was the site of a recent protest by climate activists. Sebonack GC photo The right to protest is a revered privilege. It also is an oft-abused one. 
    Freedom to protest can be a powerful and persuasive tool, and it also can be dangerous when the message is not entirely accurate, or even remotely so. 
    We see the results of false narratives and outright lies every day in Washington, but "fake news" is not limited to politics. In fact, few industries have been the target of hyperbole more than golf, where people speak out against much of what you do, from water use to pesticide inputs to perceived exclusivity of the game in general.
    Despite the proactive efforts of superintendents to conserve resources while maximizing playability, smear campaigns have resulted in actions such as the banning of pesticides, imposing water-use restrictions, construction embargoes and attempts at land grabs for the sole purpose of constructing high-density housing.
    Recently, protests aimed at golf took a different turn when activists voiced the ills of the game by invading, ironically, a club that is subject to some of the most stringent and intense environmental oversight anywhere in the country.

    On July 19, about 20 activists from a New York City group known as Planet Over Profit stormed Sebonack Golf Club on Long Island to protest on behalf of climate change, carrying signs reading "YOUR GREED = CLIMATE CHAOS."
    They descended on Sebonack, where they danced on greens. Some were dressed as orcas, others carried pitchforks or beat drums while chanting obscenities at golfers and decried the wealthy.
    For people hoping to make a statement on environmentalism by pointing out what they believe to be the negative impacts of golf courses, the protesters could not have picked a more inappropriate target than Sebonack or any of its neighbors.
    Sebonack was the subject of strict pesticide and chemical regulations when it was being built 20 years ago on the shores of Long Island's Peconic Bay next to the equally well-heeled National Golf Links and Shinnecock Hills. It has adhered to those same restrictions ever since.
    Besides a minimalist approach to daily management of the golf course, Sebonack also raises bees and a resident beekeeper helps ensure the success of one of the country's most threatened and high-profile species.
    The protest was part of a larger series of demonstrations around Long Island, including one at the East Hampton Airport, where protester Abigail Disney, the great-niece of Walt Disney, was arrested. And it came weeks after activists planted seedlings on the greens of at least 10 courses in Spain in protest of golf.
    The reality is most golf courses (never say "every"), whether they be public, municipal or ultra private like Sebonack, are managed in a more environmentally conscious manner now than ever before. Equally true is that few outside the game are aware of this. 
    Whether it is Birkenstock-wearing crackpots or killer whale-clad protesters who contribute exactly nothing, or simply the misinformed or misled on the subjects of water or chemical use who are destined not to stop until access to both is severely constrained, these assaults will continue.
  • Rounds played were up 10 percent nationwide in May and are up 5 percent for the year. Photo by John Reitman After nearly two decades of slow decline, golf enjoyed renewed popularity during Covid in what the game's stakeholders hope is the new normal. But after a few years of a pandemic-driven boom, about 50 million fewer rounds were played in 2022, compared with the previous year. Less than halfway through this year, it appears things are on their way to getting back to the new normal.
    Year-over-year rounds played in May were up by 10 percent compared with the same month last year, according to the Golf Datatech Monthly Rounds Played report. 
    Rounds played in May were up in 39 states and were up by at least 11 percent in 19 of them, with New Mexico leading the way with an increase of 57 percent. Play also was up by 35 percent in Kansas and Nebraska, 30 percent in Oregon and Minnesota, 27 percent in Illinois and 26 percent in Washington.
    Year-over-year rounds played through May were up by 5 percent, compared to the same five-month period a year ago. The increase was welcome news in an industry that saw rounds drop from 502 million two years ago to 451 million last year.
    The biggest losers in May were Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming, all of which saw play drop by 23 percent compared to the same month last year. Year-to-date rounds played are down throughout New England, including a drop of 43 percent in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
  • Flooding in Vermont left the fairways at Fox Run GC in Ludlow under a layer of silt and mud. Photo courtesy of Jesse Sutton By the time more than a half-foot of rain fell during a two-day span in early July at Fox Run Golf Club, the course in Ludlow, Vermont, already had been inundated with 10 inches of precipitation in the previous three weeks.
    "We were already waterlogged,” said Fox Run superintendent Jesse Sutton. "We had 19.53 inches in five weeks. And there is more rain in the forecast today.”
    Mudslides and overflowing rivers from the rain that fell on July 9-10 left a trail of flooded golf courses, roads and towns across Vermont.
    Some have reopened already, others will be closed for the remainder of the season — or longer. 
    "Everything on mountain courses that wasn't buttoned down — roads, bridges, cart paths, was gone,” said Chris Cowan of Atlantic Golf and Turf, who has spoken with many superintendents throughout the state as they continue along the path to recovery. "There was water in places where water had never been before.”
    Many of the courses that were affected most, Cowan said, were those that sustained the worst damage during Hurricane Irene in 2011. 
    When Sutton arrived July 10 at Fox Run, which is located along the Black River at the base of the Okemo Mountain Ski Resort, he could not access the maintenance facility because the roads were impassable.
    By the time he was able to get through to the maintenance facility, three members of his 15-man team were waiting for him.
    "They walked up a Nordic skiing trail and through a cemetery,” Sutton said. "They were already popping off drain heads and doing whatever they could.”

    Floodwaters inundated many Vermont golf courses, including The Quechee Club. Photo courtesy of Chris Cowan By the time the water receded, much of the fairway turf was covered in silt and mud up to a foot deep and bunkers were washed out.
    "It was like a river coming from the woods,” Sutton said. "There was so much debris. It was like an organic landslide of sticks, leaves and dirt.
    "I had to get a mini excavator just to get to something I could work with.”
    Fox Run fared better than most. The club's California-style greens, except one, were pretty much unscathed. 
    "We were able to open by Saturday,” Sutton said. "People were blown away. All the credit goes to my crew.”
    Cowan said some courses anticipate being closed for a year-and-a-half, which will mean missing the remainder of the current golf season and most if not all of the next.
    Dozens of roads were closed across the state, including sections of U.S. 4 near Killington that were covered in up to 20 feet in debris. 
    "You see things like this on the news and it looks awful, but you can't believe how bad it is until you live through it,” Sutton said. 
    What amazed both Sutton and Cowan was the way area superintendents and local communities came together to help one another.
    Superintendents, even those literally under water, reached out to help colleagues at other courses.
    "We have a great fraternity. That was the No. 1 take-home message to me,” Cowan said. "Even the guys who were dinged up offered assistance to others who also were dinged up.”
    Sutton concurred.
    "Every business has some kind of water damage. FEMA is here and the national guard,” Sutton said. "Clean up started the next day. 
    "In town it's a volunteer effort. Residents are helping. Second-homeowners who are not full-time residents have come back to help. This has shown the good nature of people. It has been inspiring to see. When you see someone doing something for someone else, it makes you want to do something. It makes you feel good, and it becomes a domino effect.”
  • Shuttered in 2006 after only five years in operation because of financial struggles, the Beacon Hill Golf Club in Virginia has been closed longer than it has been open. Much longer.
    Nearly 20 years after it closed, the property near Leesburg, Virginia recently was acquired by Resort Development Partners, which plans to restore and reopen the golf course by 2024 as The Preserve at Beacon Hill.
    Designed by Johnny Miller, the 27-hole club opened as the Golf Club of Virginia, and the owners later changed the name to Beacon Hill. Original plans called for an additional 18-hole layout to be designed by Jack Nicklaus, but amid financial hard times the club closed prematurely.
    Eventually, the club ended up being owned by a collection of retirement funds in Massachusetts, according to reports. Another potential owner tried unsuccessfully to buy the property in 2010, and the homeowner's association finally acquired the club in 2014. Plans by the association to revive and reopen the course never materialized.
    The current restoration plans by Haymarket, Virginia-based Resort Development Partners include a redesign by architect Tom Clark, converting the course from 27 to 18 holes and adding a practice facility and a nine-hole course specifically for families.
  • One of the most economical tools for controlling many common turf pests is officially on the clock in New York.
    Proposed legislation in New York, known as the Birds and Bees Protection Act, would all but eliminate the sale and use of neonicotinoids on turf. The measure passed the New York Assembly in April and early last month was approved by the Senate. It currently awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature when it would become law. Use of some neonics would be prohibited almost right away, while others would be banned within two years. The pending legislation is sponsored by Assemblywoman Deborah Glick and Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, both of Manhattan.
    The proposed bill reads: "No person shall apply or treat outdoor ornamental plants and turf, except for the production of agricultural commodities, with a pesticide containing the active ingredients imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or acetamiprid on or after July first, two thousand twenty-five; the active ingredients clothianidin or dinotefuran effective immediately."
    Although neonicotinoids are among the most effective and economical options for controlling a variety of pests in their larval stage, such as annual bluegrass weevil, billbugs, beetles, chafers, black turfgrass ataenius, cutworms, chinch bugs and mole crickets, research shows they also are lethal to many non-target species, including birds and pollinating insects — most notably bees.
    The relationship between pollinators and neonics has been well chronicled.
    Bee populations throughout the U.S. have been in decline for more than 40 years. Although there are other contributing factors, such as the invasive Varroa mite, neonicotinoids have been linked as contributors to bee decline for decades. The case against neonics shifted gears 10 years ago when pesticide applicators in Oregon treated flowering Linden trees for an aphid infestation on a late spring day. The trees, which are a favorite stopover for bumblebees, surrounded a local shopping center, so when the ground became carpeted with dead bees, during National Pollinator Week no less, the incident became news in a hurry.
    Initial reports put the count of dead bees at 25,000-50,000. Researchers went back into the story two years ago, and now estimate the carnage at about 100,000 dead bees — from nearly 600 colonies, according to research from the USDA and the Oregon Department of Agriculture. 

    Proposed legislation in New York would ban the use of neonicotinoids in most instances. Photo by John Reitman Bees are responsible, through pollination, for helping create much of the world's food supply of fruits, nuts and vegetables. According to research, they pollinate 35 percent of the world's food supply.
    Although the applicators in Oregon made a critical error by treating a flowering plant, which was a use violation even then, the outrage that followed was warranted, and, given the reliance on pollinators, it is understandable when politicians come down on one side or the other of such an issue. 
    The pending New York bill was approved by the Assembly by a vote of 100-49 and by the Senate by a vote of 45-16.
    The proposed measure does not just single out T&O. It would affect  the agriculture industry, targeting seeds coated with pesticides. 
    The bill also reads: "Beginning January first, two thousand twenty-seven, for any person to sell, offer for sale or use, or distribute within the state any corn, soybean or wheat seeds coated or treated with pesticides with the active ingredients clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran, or acetamiprid."
    Critics of the bill say the bill will have a disastrous outcome for New York's agriculture industry, and point to Europe, where a ban on neonicotinoids has resulted in burgeoning populations of pests such as aphids and beet weevils and causing vast losses of many varieties of crops.
    Critics also point to research that says honeybee populations have grown by 51,000 colonies in America, and say there are nearly 21 million more beehives in the world now than in 2000.
    The governor's office has not indicated whether Hochul will sign the bill. Similar legislation proposed in California was vetoed last year by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
  • For turf management professionals looking for an easier way to hand water areas throughout the golf course, Underhill launched a line of new Featherweight Series hoses.
    The Featherweight hose is available in two models, the Featherweight ProLine and the Featherweight UltraMax, that come in varying lengths. Both feature a tough, lightweight outer polyester cover that resists scuffing and tearing. Both the ProLine and UltraMax lines also resist kinking and feature tough, ergonomic aluminum fittings for easier connections.
    The UltraMax line is built for professional turf managers while the ProLine is designed specifically for landscape professionals.
    The UltraMax is available in four sizes — 50, 75, 100 and 125 feet — all of which are 1 inch in diameter. The UltraMax also can be custom cut to meet any superintendent’s specific needs. All are rated at 300 PSI with a burst pressure of 1,200 PSI, and the 100-foot version weighs just 15 pounds, so there is no more dragging heavy hoses around greens.
    The ProLine is rated to 200 PSI with a burst pressure of 800 PSI. At 0.75-inches in diameter, it is available in lengths of 50, 75 and 100 feet, the last of which weighs a mere 9 pounds.
  • The largest golf course management company in the world just got a little bigger.
    Troon will acquire the third-party Management Business division from Invited Clubs, the company formerly known as Club Corp. 
    The transaction includes 18 contracts, bringing Troon's total portfolio to more than 750 managed courses, the company says. In a separate transaction, Troon also has acquired Applied Golf Management, a New Jersey-based golf and hospitality management company. Troon takes over management of Applied Golf’s portfolio of 13 public and private golf facilities in New York, New Jersey and Florida.
    Invited, the largest owner of golf courses in the world, is also the second-largest operator. The Dallas-based company owns and operates 200 18-hole equivalents.
    As part of the agreement, management teams and all employees at the facilities will remain in their current roles. In addition, Invited vice presidents Seth Churi and Peter Faraone will move to similar positions within Troon.

    Chateau Golf & Country Club in Kenner, Louisiana. The 18 Invited Club Management contracts acquired by Troon include a mix of private clubs, resorts, and athletic clubs:
    • Bent Creek Golf Village Resort & Golf Club in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
    • Canebrake Country Club in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
    • Chateau Golf & Country Club in Kenner, Louisiana
    • Crystal Lake Country Club in Crystal Lake, Illinois
    • Hilton Head Owners Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
    • Lake Toxaway Country Club in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina
    • Lake Valley Golf Club, Longmont, Colorado
    • Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club in Celebration, Florida
    • Olde Town Athletic Club in Marietta, Georgia
    • PGA National Members Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
    • Pristine Bay Resort in Roatán, Honduras
    • Riverton Pointe Golf Club in Hardeeville, South Carolina
    • Saddlebrooke 2 in Tucson, Arizona
    • Santa Rosa Golf & Beach Club in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
    • Serenata Beach Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
    • Skyline Country Club in Tucson, Arizona
    • The Ocean Club at the Hutchinson Island Beach Resort & Marina in Stuart, Florida.
  • Don't look now, but your industry is under siege. The attack is coming from those who question the value of dedicating so much acreage for use by so few. 
    For years, it has been the same usual suspects casting aspersions on golf for all the same reasons — they use too much water and poison the land. But there is a new naysayer in this story; one who simply is hungry for the land, even if it means total disregard for the truth to get it.
    Despite the efforts of so many who work to educate the masses about the many benefits of golf and golf courses, getting the word out to those who do not want to hear it is, to say the least, challenging.
    During the past 20 years, we have seen so many superintendents and those in academia host field days and work to develop BMP programs to educate lawmakers and non-golfers about the environmental benefits of golf courses and the positive attributes of the game as physical activity.
    Still, to this day, press clippings that besmirch the game and the ground on which it is played abound. A quick Internet search of "golf" and "fertilizer" yields headlines such as "Six ways golf courses hurt the environment," "Golf is embracing the dark sky movement" and "Does nitrate in our water come from golf courses or farms?"
    There appears to be a new player in this game of blame golf – those who just want the land and are willing to say anything to get it.
    In recent years, the golf industry in Southern California, specifically municipal golf, has come under fire by those who believe the land might be better used for multi-family residential purposes in an effort to solve the area's housing crisis.
    It appeared that threat was nullified last year when Assembly Bill 1910, known by some as The Public Golf Endangerment Act, died in Sacramento. The bill proposed providing public relief in the form of developer subsidies and grants to local agencies to redevelop California's municipal golf courses into low-incoming housing and green space.

    Roosevelt Golf Course is one of the many municipal golf courses run by the City of Los Angeles. A recent editorial entitled "Why not turn golf courses into homes?" appeared in at least a half-dozen Southern California daily newspapers throughout Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.
    The editorial states: "Golf courses are great for golfers but aren't accessible to families for hiking and picnics. As Reason Foundation noted on these pages last year, 24 of the 27 local California government-owned golf courses it identified through city budgets lost a total of $20 million operating them. Governments aren't good at operating anything in an efficient manner. They should not be operating facilities that cater to a few wealthier residents. Taxpayers shouldn't be forced to subsidize them."
    While we acknowledge a shortage of affordable housing in Southern California, there are several holes in this editorial.
    Do the anti-golf groups covet public land for parks and greenspace or housing? Municipal golf may accomplish many things, but "cater to a few wealthier residents" is not among them. According to the Southern California Golf Association, the average muni green fee in that area is $38 for 18 holes. That's less than a tank of gas in SoCal.
    The editorial also states that municipal golf in California loses $20 million annually. Were that the case, municipal golf in the country's largest state would have been out of business long ago.
    Such claims have not gone unnoticed by the SCGA.
    According to the SCGA, the municipal golf courses within the area where the editorial appeared clear a combined $40 million a year "after all expenses associated with operations, maintenance and long-term capital spending."
    In an email to members and partners, the SCGA wrote: "Whatever the reason, whatever the motivation, we'll do our best in combination with our allied organizations in the California Alliance for Golf to figure out the who, what, and why of this. Something prompted this. Someone prompted this. Whatever the motivation or reason, one thing is certain. Today's editorial breathed life back into the notion of singling golf and only golf out among all the various park and open space activities to help mitigate what golf agrees is an acute housing shortage in this state."
    The plight of public golf in Southern California reaffirms the need for education and outreach aimed at public policy makers and non-golfers, because now you know what you're up against and now you know the truth sometimes is not enough.
  • Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., has been named the recipient of the Carolinas GCSA Distinguished Service Award. A professor of crop and soil sciences and an extension specialist at North Carolina State University for the past 39 years, Yelverton has educated future superintendents in the classroom and working superintendents at regional and national conferences since 1984. 
    The award is the highest honor bestowed by the 1,800-member association.
    "Fred is arguably the best turfgrass weed scientist ever," NC State colleague, Dr. Jim Kerns wrote in a letter supporting Yelverton's nomination. "His contributions in research laid the groundwork for current and future weed scientists and will serve as the backbone for literature searches in research for a very long time."
    The award follows a long list of honors and recognition that Yelverton has earned over the years.
    Earlier this year, Yelverton received the Outstanding Contribution Award from the GCSAA. In 2021, he was named a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America. His expertise is sought not only throughout the U.S., but internationally, as well. To that end, he is helping with preparations for the Ryder Cup in Rome in September.
    "Fred's long list of accomplishments illustrates how incredibly busy his schedule has been over the years," said a nomination letter from the Triangle Turfgass Association. "However, when he is called on by a golf course superintendent or any other turf professional in the Carolinas, he makes you feel as though your turfgrass issue is his highest priority. That is the definition of Distinguished Service."
    Three of six letters supporting his nomination for the award came from previous recipients. One of them, Bruce Martin, Ph.D., now retired from Clemson University, wrote that Yelverton's accomplishments would be "considered 'upper echelon' when compared with other scientists' lifetime career achievements.…it is so obvious that he is more than worthy of the honor. Actually, I think this award is overdue…"

    Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., has been at North Carolina State University for nearly 40 years. NCSU photo Yelverton and his three older brothers grew up on a tobacco farm near Black Creek, North Carolina. 
    "Yeah, I knew what work was at a young age," Yelverton said. "We literally worked from 5 a.m. to probably 9 p.m. My father was a World War Two veteran, kind of a no-nonsense guy. He'd say, 'Alright boys, let's get this done.' And you didn't question it. You'd just go do it."
    He was similarly matter of fact in his approach to being diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of prostate cancer in 2009. Doctors gave him a 20 percent chance of survival.
    "It was tough. It was tough, you know, because I had a 10-year-old at the time," he said. "But they removed it, and I had chemotherapy and radiation. They threw the book at me. But there was only one way to go, so you do what you've got to do, man. Just like a project on the golf course. You do what you've got to do.
    "You know that old saying, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I think that's true because all of a sudden, I had a totally different perspective on life. We're not here forever so you better enjoy it while you are. That thinking permeates everything I do now."
    Such health challenges are why Yelverton made the decision to enter phased retirement. His current half-time duties will wrap up entirely next summer.
    "I love what I do. I don't feel like this is work," he said. "I've loved every minute of it. But you know that John Lennon quote from just before he was shot? 'Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.' It's time to start doing some other things I want to do."
    Yelverton will receive the award in November during this year's Carolinas GCSA Conference and Trade Show in Myrtle Beach.
  • For equipment managers looking to simplify the ever-important task of reel grinding, Bernhard and Co. recently launched its Express Dual 4300.
    The 4300 introduces advanced automation to deliver rapid, safe and accurate reel grinding. 
    The fully automated system comes with new advanced controls and a touchscreen interface that make it easier for operators to produce reel blades necessary to deliver the perfect grass cut and healthy turf conditions.
    "With all-new automation and improved controls, it is an incredibly advanced and versatile product that will benefit turf equipment professionals, said Steven Nixon, managing director for Bernhard and Co. "With increased speed and ease of use, getting mowers back into day-to-day action has never been quicker or simpler," he added.

    The Express Dual 4300 reel grinder incorporates new automated features to make reel sharpening easier. Key features of the new Express Dual 4300 reel grinder include:
    > backlit LCD touchscreen operator interface with automated grind programmes
    > reel drive auto-locking drive rod and drive adaptors
    > fully automated feed system with configurable grind cycles
    > high-definition graphic controls
    > Bernhard patented lift table for operator safety
    > tabletop design for rapid loading of mowers
    > 15-minute turnaround, floor-to-floor
    Sharp mower blades allow for clean shearing of the grass blade, and a cleaner cut produces fewer tears to the grass plant. This lowers the risk of disease, and in turn reduces the amount of corrective maintenance required later. Healthier plants result in improved playability and visual quality.
    The new Express Dual 4300 reel grinder is now available directly from Bernhard, or through the company's distributor network.
    Bernhard's high-performance reel grinder collection also includes Express Dual 5500, Express Dual 4100, Express Dual 300MC, Express Dual 2000 and Dual Master 3000iR.
  • The FB3 Fairway Brush from STEC serves many purposes. STEC photo For superintendents seeking to improve turf health and playing conditions in golf course fairways, STEC has introduced the FB3 Fairway Brush.
    A tow-behind unit, the FB3 can groom turf to with the purpose of:
    > blade orientation
    > propping up plants for pre-cut preparation 
    > dethatching grass
    > reducing worm casts
    > removing dew
    > brushing in top-dressing materials
    > helping control turf disease.
    The FB3 is compatible with several types of tow vehicles, and it utilizes a ground-driven rotary, contour-hugging brushing method and a stationary drag brush.
    The FB3 brush system offers 41 degrees of side-to-side wing contouring, and the hitch separates the towing vehicle from the brush allowing for independent floating and constant surface contact with 30 degrees of fore-aft contouring. 
    Two working modes — precut and topdress — are available with the brush, and the direction and speed can be adjusted. With a brushing width of 182 inches, the FB3 has a maximum working depth of 1 inch.
    Ground driven, the machine uses a 12-volt electrical supply to lift and lower, making virtually any tow vehicle operable without the need of hydraulics.
  • Atticus provides a host of branded generic products for the turf industry. Atticus, a provider of generic pesticide solutions for a variety of agricultural and T&O markets, recently named Rob Golembiewski, Ph.D., as director of technical services.
    With more than 30 years in the turf industry, Golembiewski, right, will be responsible for providing technical support and product education as Atticus expands its professional non-crop division, known as EcoCore.
    Golembiewski, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan State and a doctorate from Ohio State, most recently spent nearly 12 years with Bayer and then Envu in a similar capacity.
    Golembiewski spent nearly eight years in academia at Montana State, Minnesota-Crookston and Oregon State, where he directed the turf program for more than 3.5 years.
    "I love helping people do their job better and this is ultimately what led me to Atticus," Golembiewski. "Their culture and value proposition of being Relevant, Simple and Reliable are built around a customer-first approach."
    Based in Cary, North Carolina, Atticus, is an American-owned company that provides branded-generic pesticides for its Agriculture and EcoCore markets, the latter of which includes finely managed turf. EcoCure's philosophy is to fight pests in a sustainable manner.
  • A First Green field day brought 64 elementary school students to Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose. All photos courtesy of Brian Boyer When kids begin pondering career possibilities, it is hard to tell what might click.
    For Brian Boyer, superintendent at Cinnabar Hills Golf Club in San Jose, California, that revelation came during a field trip to a water treatment plant back in Michigan when he was in college. That field trip and a job working at Cattails Golf Club in the Detroit suburb of South Lyon, carved a career for Boyer.
    In his nearly 18 years at Cinnabar Hills, Boyer has become an expert on the subject of water treatment. He manages the property's own treatment facility that supplies irrigation water for the golf course and drinking water for the clubhouse.
    "It got me interested in the environment and science," Boyer said. 
    "I was missing some direction, and that field trip along with working at Cattails Golf Club for Doug Palm gave me some direction."
    So it only seemed natural for him to host his own field trip as part of the First Green program.
    The field trip included 64 students from Barrett Elementary in nearby Morgan Hill. 
    "It was a blast," Boyer said. "Only five of the kids had ever played golf before."
    With help from 10 volunteers, six fellow superintendents, including GCSAA president Kevin Breen, CGCS, of nearby La Rinconada Country Club in nearby Los Gatos, and two teachers from Barrett, Boyer shuttled students through eight different stations to educate them about the environmental stewardship efforts that occur on golf courses and the job opportunities that can be found there.
    "The goal of the program was to highlight the benefits of golf in the community and the environment," Boyer said. "My personal goal was to show them that there is another career opportunity out there. Morgan Hill is a heavy ag community, and this is another avenue. I also happened to get into golf because of a field trip, so if it helps one kid … ."
    The 64 students were split into eight groups of eight who rotated through eight stations:
    Cool tools Water Soils Plant jar Putting green Wildlife and animal rescue Weather  Irrigation
    Kevin Breen, CGCS at La Rinconada Country Club in Los Gatos, teaches at a station at Cinnabar Hills. The First Green is a program that uses golf and golf course maintenance to introduce science, technology, engineering and math education to children.
    "I just want the kids to have fun and mix in some education," Boyer said. 
    The event was a hit with the students, as well as parents, teachers and volunteers, he said.
    "The excitement from the volunteers was cool to see," Boyer said. 
    "The kids were blown away. We taught them how we grow grass and save water. For many of them, it was the first time they'd been on a golf course. The grass was so perfect and so green, a lot of them thought it was fake."

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