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From the TurfNet NewsDesk

  • John Reitman
    As golf course operators continue to struggle to fill open tee sheets, many are turning to alternate sources of revenue. Opening a golf course for cross country skiing or as a walking trail accomplish little in connecting non-golfers to the course and do even less to generate cash flow.
      Other games such as footgolf, disc golf and an even newer game called fling golf, which is a mix of golf and lacrosse are attracting non-golfers - and their wallets - to golf courses around the country.   Officials representing each of these three games will be on hand Oct. 12-13 when Richard Mandell Golf Architecture presents its Symposium on Affordable Golf at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course in Canton, Ohio.   The purpose of the sixth annual event, which was launched by golf course architect Richard Mandell, is to explore ways to make golf more affordable and grow the game without compromising playability.   Scheduled topics and speakers include "The Media's Responsibility in Promoting Affordable Golf" by Kevin Kane of the Virginia Golf Report; "A.W. Tillinghast, Champion of Affordable Golf" by Rick and Stuart Wolffe of the Tillinghast Society; "Women in Golf: Are They In Or Out?" by Debbie Waitkus of Golf for Cause; "Environmental Responsibility Makes Economic Sense" by Frank S. Rossi, Ph.D., of Cornell University; "The Conflict Between Playability and Challenge" by Richard Mandell; "Disc Golf, Fling Golf and Foot Golf" by Brian Graham of the Professional Disc Golf Association, Roberto Balestrini of the American FootGolf League and Alex Van Alan, founder of Fling Golf.   Day 2 topics include "A Little Friendly Competition Ain't Bad" by Chuck Bennell of Tam O'Shanter and Rick Snide of Tannehauf Golf Course; "Let's Create a Business Model" by Stuart Lindsay of Edgehill Golf Advisors.   Open topics include a discussion on the definition of affordability, maximizing customer service and case studies of the efforts of two golf courses in Virginia and Tennessee.   The event is free, but space is limited.  Click here for more information, or to register.  
  • A 20-year search for a turfgrass resistant to one of the most common diseases on golf courses throughout the Midwest and Northeast has finished on an upswing. 
        A team of researchers at Michigan State University recently released Flagstick creeping bentgrass, a new cultivar that has exhibited resistance to dollar spot in long-term field trials conducted at the university's Hancock Turfgrass Research Center and at other locations across the country.   MSU plant, soil and microbial sciences professor Joe Vargas, Ph.D., the lead researcher in developing Flagstick, said the new cultivar provides a tool to control dollar spot, lower disease management costs and reduce the environmental impact of fungicides.   "Most of the fungicide applications throughout the season in the Northeast and Midwest are for control of dollar spot. Last year in Michigan, if it was not for dollar spot, very few fungicide applications would have been applied to golf courses," Vargas said. "Golf courses usually spend about 40 to 50 percent of their fungicide budgets on controlling dollar spot. It's a disease that can't be tolerated because, if you let it go, it will spread and eventually destroy your turf."   Dollar spot is a foliar disease named for the silver-dollar-shaped patches of dead grass and silvery film left in its path. Caused by a fungal pathogen, the disease is a top concern for golf course managers in northern areas who rely on creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass for putting greens and fairways.   According to the American Phytopathological Society, more money is spent worldwide on the chemical control of dollar spot than on any other turfgrass disease.     Cultivar development began about 20 years ago when Ron Detweiler, a technician in Vargas's lab, noticed patches of grass devoid of dollar spot at the MSU Hancock Turfgrass Research Center. Using grants from the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation and Project GREEEN (a community of like-minded people who promote environmental stewardship), Vargas and his colleagues sampled the grasses and established small plots at the research center.   In 2003, Vargas and his team partnered with Seed Research of Oregon, a division of Pickseed USA, to continue testing the cultivar through the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program at various universities around the country, where Flagstick underwent 12 years of testing.   "Most of the best discoveries are made through observation," Vargas said. "The best place to look for disease resistance is in the middle of a big outbreak. Developing a dollar-spot-resistant cultivar has been a major research focus at a number of universities for the past 20 years. The fact that we at MSU were able to come up with it is very fulfilling."   Flagstick thrives in a wide variety of soils and can be mowed at putting green height.   Pickseed USA has produced 4,000 pounds of Flagstick for the 2015 season, with larger quantities expected to be available for distribution in 2016.   The work of Vargas and his team is funded in part by MSU AgBioResearch.
  • Frank Dobie first began rebuilding bunkers in 1967 at The Sharon Golf Club in northeastern Ohio. Chief agronomist and general manager at the club near Akron, Dobie has worked at Sharon for 50 years, and he's still constructing bunkers today the same way he was in 1967, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
      Dobie began reconstructing Sharon Club bunkers for the same reasons superintendents do so today: to avoid contamination of bunker sand, to retain color and consistency, to promote drainage, reduce erosion and minimize time spent maintaining bunkers.   The procedure developed by Dobie in 1967 reportedly is the first to utilize liners to protect the integrity of the sand. While this process (adapted here from a PowerPoint presentation) might be a little more expensive than other procedures, but it can be more reliable and cost-effective in the long run. The bunkers at The Sharon Club contain the same sand today that Dobie placed there during a 1967 reconstruction.  
    Other benefits of this procedure: Since the sand doesn't erode easily from the slopes, there is very little hand shoveling after a heavy rain; the absence of accumulated clay and silt in the sand eliminates the need for cultivation; the sand stays clean, so adding sand occasionally for appearance is unnecessary; the absence of small stone contamination in the bunker sand eliminates them being hit onto the green and causing mower damage; because the sand remains clean over time, it will maintain its original density and water percolation rate, draining quickly (within one hour) after a heavy rain without serious erosion, and sand on bunker slopes will remain firmer because it is not constantly being shoveled; the original sand that was put into the bunkers since 1967 has never been replaced, so replacement cost is eliminated.     Excavation
    Dobie recommends using a backhoe fitted with a 3-foot smooth bucket, and the soil was used to create mounds around bunkers. The bunker cavity was pitched to the center of the bunker and an exit point for the tile line was established. A transit was used to check all grades.   After the surrounding grade was established, a vertical cut was made at least 14 inches deep with a backhoe. Three to 4 inches of topsoil was added to the surrounding area after the bunker sand was in place, making the edge depth at least 16 inches. The slope angle of the bunker cavity floor did not exceed 15 degrees which assures minimal sand movement.   All vertical edges are smoothed with a spade bar, and the bunker bottom is smoothed out with a box grader to eliminate the potential for water pockets.   A trench 2 feet wide and 8 inches deep was dug at the lowest area in the bunker cavity with 1 inch per 10 inches of fall to the exit point. The 2-foot trench filled with gravel serves as a reservoir until the 4-inch tile can drain it.   Construction
    When it was time to form bunker edges, Dobie used plywood sheets measuring 2 feet by 8 feet by 3/8 inches held in place by rebar. Topsoil was packed along the outside of the plywood, creating a smooth vertical bunker edge and promoting deep-rooted turf next to the vertical edge of the plastic liner.     Perforated pipe, 4 inches in diameter, was placed over the 10 mil plastic (optional) covering the bottom and sides of the drainage trench. Y-shaped pipe and 45s were used for easy future access with a camera snake. The pipe was then covered with No. 57 gravel until the trench was almost full. The top of the gravel must be 2 inches lower than the rest of the bunker cavity.      In the event of future blockages, Dobie installed an inspection box, with two 4-inch risers, in the bunker's exit drain line. Ninety-degree sweep fittings were used on each riser so that a camera snake can be inserted into the line in both directions.     Filling the bunker
    The No. 57 gravel was covered with a 1-inch layer of pea gravel, blending it into the slopes of the cavity. If the bunker is on a hillside, it is extremely important to cover the entire bunker cavity floor with at least 1 inch of pea gravel. Dobie says it also is critical that the top of the pea gravel over the tile lines remains the lowest point of the cavity. Red marking paint was used to mark the tile trench so it could be visible through the plastic liner.   The cavity was then covered with 10 mil clear polyethylene. More than one sheet was needed to cover the area, so it was overlapped by 3 to 4 feet. Overlap like roof shingles so water does not go under the plastic.   Once in place, the plastic was stapled to the top and bottom of the plywood side boards with a few inches of excess plastic left above the plywood side walls. The red paint lines on the gravel were visible through plastic denoting where to cut four rows of 6-inch holes 6 inches apart directly over the entire trench. It is important to work out as many wrinkles as possible in the plastic before installing the sand.   Small piles of sand were placed on the plastic around the edges to make sure the plastic didn't shift. Dobie warns against dumping a load of sand directly onto the site as it will cause the plastic to pull away from the edges. A total of 3 inches to 4 inches of topsoil was applied to the surrounding banks butting up to the plywood. The plywood showing above grade kept the topsoil from washing into the bunker sand while turf was being established.   Staples were removed from the plywood once the turf was established on the banks, rebar and plywood were removed and the plastic liner was trimmed around the edges 2 inches below the grass line so as not to be visible.   The slope angle of the finished sand was less than 20 degrees to minimize erosion. Still, intrusion of organic matter is inevitable, but that can easily be skimmed off with a flat shovel, says Dobie. As a result, all bunkers at Sharon can drain water within 30 minutes after a heavy rain event of at least 1 inch, even those filled in 1967.   For more information, or to get a copy of the PowerPoint presentation, please email Frank Dobie.

  • Solution center

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Syngenta dedicated a lot of space in its Golf Industry Show booth to recognizing golf course superintendents for the many hats they wear in carrying out their jobs and the innovation they bring to their profession. For superintendents to be able to do that takes supporting vendors who provide more than just innovative products. It takes innovative solutions to long-term disease- and pest-management challenges.
     
    Innovation is a subject Syngenta takes seriously. The company employs 28,000 people in 90 countries around the world and spends $1.4 billion annually on research and development. For each new chemistry that makes it to market, its 5,000 R&D staffers look at 100,000 compounds per year, and the company spends an average of $250 million. That focus on innovation was on display recently at Syngenta's 240-acre research and development facility in Vero Beach, Florida, with the addition of a host of new solutions for superintendents.

    At the event, called Turf Innovation, Syngenta officials announced the addition of Heritage Action fungicide, due out later this year; Avid nematicide, which is expected to receive label registration from the U.S. EPA next year; and the return of Appear fungicide. The company also provided a closer glimpse at some recent launches, including Ference insecticide for annual bluegrass weevil control, upgrades to the Weevil Trak platform it acquired from DuPont and Velista fungicide, which was announced at this year's GIS.
     
    Heritage Action
    With anticipated availability of this summer, Heritage Action combines Heritage, a strobilurin fungicide with the active ingredient azoxystrobin, with acibenzolar-s-methyl (the same active ingredient found alongside chlorothalonil in Daconil Action) to help boost the turf's natural biotic (plant diseases and pests) and abiotic (weather conditions, agronomic practices) stress-management capabilities.

    Some of the benefits of Heritage Action that have been reported in research, says Syngenta's western technical manager Dean Mosdell, include quicker recovery from abiotic and biotic stress, less midday wilting and a corresponding reduced need to handwater, quicker fill-in after aerification, quicker green-up, enhanced disease control (especially when used in concert with Daconil Action), and exceptional control of anthracnose, bacterial wilt, dollar spot and Pythium.

    Just like Daconil Action, the key to the effectiveness of Heritage Action stems from a trait known as systemic acquired resistance, which means the acibenzolar-s-methyl enhances the plant's own genetic traits to resist stress.

    That includes enhanced drought resistance. Ongoing research at North Carolina State University headed by professor Tom Rufty, Ph.D., is aimed at providing a better understanding of just how that works. Although researchers there have not yet connected all the dots regarding SAR and drought tolerance in turf, they do know it works. And that could be beneficial for superintendents in the western United States or anywhere else who are facing drought conditions.

    "The idea that there could be a chemistry that gives you a similar kind of response is surprising," Rufty said. "But it does imply there could be a chemical intervention into the drought condition that could help diminish the damage that is being done, obviously. And so we're challenging this all the time. It's hard for me to accept, really, but it's recurring over and over, and even with our skeptical and critical approaches, we haven't been able to disprove anything yet."
     
    Appear
    Superintendents might remember Appear fungicide, which first appeared on the market late in 2012, then quickly disappeared. A potassium phosphite fungicide, Appear is a pigmented product that has spent the past two years tied up in a patent-infringement suit. That suit was dismissed in January in federal court in North Carolina, and Appear has since been cleared for sale again.
     

    (Appear) stimulates a plant's natural defenses to help it resist infection more effectively.
     
    A pigmented product (phthalocyanine), Appear is labeled for control of Pythium and anthracnose, and is designed to work in concert with Daconil Action to offer not only enhanced disease control, but improved turf quality and protection from summer stress, even during extreme temperatures. Unlike many other potassium phosphate fungicides, which can cause foliar burn under extreme conditions, Appear is safe for use on putting green height turf.

    "It stimulates a plant's natural defenses to help it resist infection more effectively," said Syngenta technical specialist Lane Tredway, Ph.D.

    "There are no temperature restrictions on the label, and the formulation makes the active ingredient safe for greens, even under extreme conditions."

    The role the pigmentation plays in promoting enhanced turf health isn't exactly clear yet, said Tredway.

    "In cool-season grass, the primary concerns are heat stress and excess sunlight during summer, and there is some controversy and debate how a pigment can protect cool-season grasses from those abiotic stresses. But the bottom line is they do," Tredway said. "The coating of pigment on the surface of the leaf is helping protect the plant from those hot and stressful conditions."
     
    Avid
    With Nemacur no longer available for sale, and existing stock being phased out over the next two years, superintendents across the country are struggling to control nematodes.

    Due out as early as 2016, Avid is a nematicide with the active ingredient abamectin, that is effective at controlling a variety of plant-parasitic nematodes in cool- and warm-season grasses when part of a season-long program, said Syngenta's Tredway.

    "Nothing is as effective as Nemacur. This is not something you can apply once and get control, which was essentially what you could do with Nemacur," he said. "With today's products, it's going to take a season-long program. It's something that is going to require attention throughout the season with regular applications."

    While awaiting registration by the EPA, Avid does have a 24© label in 17 states.

    When used alone, Avid shows only marginal results at controlling nematodes. It works best when used in conjunction with Heritage Action. The result is not necessarily fewer nematodes, but healthier turf that is able to withstand nematode populations. The turf also is able to withstand fungal attacks that often come in behind nematode infestations.

    Syngenta surveyed customers last year, and learned that many were unsatisfied with the nematode control options at their disposal.

    "When Avid is used in combination with Heritage, that satisfaction level goes up dramatically," Tredway said.

    "You don't see a dramatic reduction in populations. You do get more root growth. Sometimes, you might see populations go flat or down a little or maybe they will even go up. At the end of the day, the turf is healthier and even though there may be just as many nematodes, there is a deeper and denser root system and the turf is able to withstand those populations better."
  • The benefits of Signature Xtra Stressgard fungicide from Bayer Environmental Science were on display at this year's Golf Industry Show in San Antonio. Recently, it came one step closer to market when it received federal label registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
     
    With the active ingredient o-ethyl phosphonate, Signature Xtra Stressgard is labeled for control of Pythium diseases. It also is labeled for control of anthracnose, summer decline and bentgrass deadspot in a tank mix.
     
    "At Bayer, we understand the challenge that superintendents face in maintaining pristine turfgrass, especially on greens, throughout the playing season," said Mike Hirvela, fungicide product manager for Bayer's professional turf and ornamentals. "That's why we've leveraged the latest plant health technology to create Signature Xtra Stressgard, a solution that allows superintendents to unlock the maximum potential of their turf and gives them the ultimate reliability and peace of mind they've come to expect from Bayer solutions."
     
    Signature Xtra Stressgard is formulated to better match intervals at which superintendents typically treat greens, as well as the natural growth of the turfgrass plant. With the addition of Bayer's Stressgard formulation, it also is designed to promote turf health and disease control on greens and maximize the plant's ability to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses. Other benefits include improved aerification recovery and winter recovery and early spring green-up.
     
  • Even the golfer in Tiger Woods knows that to attract new players to the game and keep the ones it already has, golf needs more courses suited for players who have little or nothing in common with him other than a love for the game.

    That passion for growing the game is what attracted the architect in Woods to the Bluejack National project near Houston for his first U.S. design. The course, which is scheduled to open later this year, promises to be a layout that can test scratch players and appeal to newcomers as well.

    Eric Bauer shares that same passion for growing the game, and it's a big part of why last year he left a job of 14 years to become the construction and grow-in superintendent at Bluejack National, a multi-use project that includes a lot more than just golf.

    "Tiger wanted to bring enjoyment back to the game at Bluejack National. He wants it to be fun for families and not be intimidating," said Bauer, who came aboard last April after a long career at The Club at Carlton Woods.

    "I came here because this was a great opportunity in my back yard, the excitement of being with a company like Beacon Land that has a desire to do great things, and the challenge of being part of the team to put together a Tiger Woods-designed golf course."

    Developed by Beacon Land Development, the 105-acre layout includes 10 acres of low-cut turf around the greens to accommodate options in the ground game, virtually no traditional rough and family tees that bring the layout down from 7,500 yards to 2,500.

    "There are a lot of things that went into the design of this course: pace of play, not coming out and getting beat up, but still being a challenge for the low handicapper," said Bauer, who came aboard last April after a long career at The Club at Carlton Woods.

    A series of short four-, five- and six-hole loops accommodate those who don't want to play 18 holes and a nine-hole layout with holes ranging from 35 yards to 125 yards in length provide a fun change of pace for experienced players, and a place for high-handicappers and juniors to hone their short game.

    "We have to think of golf as a fun activity for players of all levels," Bauer said. "We have that ability to offer everyone a fun experience. That's how new projects have to look at if they want to be successful.

    "The playgrounds aren't heavily bunkered, and you can just take a couple of clubs with you and walk it. Newcomers can come in and say they've experienced a Tiger Woods design."

    For more than a decade, Bauer's name had become nearly synonymous with conditions at The Club at Carlton Woods, home to a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course as well as a Tom Fazio-designed Championship Course.

    For Bauer, who like many started working on a golf course as a kid and whose professional career started as personal greenkeeper at Nicklaus' home in North Palm Beach, Florida, the chance to work alongside Woods certainly didn't hurt when considering the Bluejack National position.

    "I think everything just lined up for me," he said.

    "If you would have told me when I was 15 that I would have the opportunity to complete two Jack Nicklaus grow-ins and work on three, grow-in a Tom Fazio course and be part of Tiger's first project in the United States, I would have said you were kidding. I'm very humble and blessed to have had great people in my career who believe in me and what I can offer."

    While Bauer has been afforded the latitude to make decisions on greensmix, drainage, irrigation system design and turf selection, Woods has been aware of how his own decisions might affect play, asking the superintendent how the different aspects of his design philosophy will affect long-term maintenance. And that is important in today's economy and in a state that has grown accustomed to drought.

    To that end, there are fewer than 50 strategically placed bunkers at Bluejack National. Those that Woods did incorporate are strategically placed to make the course more challenging

    "Tiger has been great. He's very engaged in the process," Bauer said.

    "A golf course does not need to be all bunkered up from a playability standpoint. Tiger put them where they made sense, not where they looked good. From an ongoing maintenance standpoint, that was huge. Sustainability is part of the design philosophy. It has to be. As superintendents, we are faced year after year with maintaining a golf course with less and less money."
     

    A golf course does not need to be all bunkered up from a playability standpoint. Tiger put them where they made sense, not where they looked good.
     
    Bluejack was equally excited to get Bauer as its grow-in superintendent.

    "Eric delivers high quality golf course product and his remarkable reputation matches our desire to be the finest conditioned course in Texas," said Bluejack National president Casey Paulson. "Additionally, Eric's commitment to family values aligns with the culture of our community."

    Bluejack is about more than just golf. It's about creating a lifestyle in which golf is just one variable in the equation.

    The property also has hiking and jogging trails, fishing dock, a lake for swimming, rope course, zip lines, archery and facilities for various court sports. It also has indoor amenities that include a bowling alley, theater, game room, pottery center and more.

    "It's not just about golf," he said. "We are creating a resort-style community that is a residence. There is a lot to do here even if you don't like golf."
  • Kudos to Chuck Wolsborn for speaking out.
      The superintendent at Gresham Golf Course in Oregon, Wolsborn co-authored an opinion piece published in the Oregonian that called a recent municipal ban on neonicotinoid pesticides uninformed, misguided and not based in science.   If anyone or anything ever needed a friend right now, it is the neonicotinoid class of insecticides.   Among the most widely used class of pesticides in the world, neonicotinoids are taking a lot of heat from some persistent environmental activist groups who want nothing short of a widespread ban on their use. Their collective desire to do away with neonicotinoids, which are popular with many superintendents, is based primarily on a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder that some say threatens bee populations worldwide.   Those who speak out against their use often lack the science to support their claims, but instead come armed with studies widely ignored by the academic community and emotional rhetoric seeking to sway public opinion and government decision makers. Just scan the reader comments at the end of the piece written by Wolsborn, Greg Ego of Rasmussen Spray Service and Mike Coleman of Arrowhead Ornamentals for proof.   There are others, many others, who believe neonicotinoids are no more dangerous to bees than many other types of insecticides, and that education and common sense are the keys to creating harmony between man, bee and golf course. They also say neonicotinoids and bees can live harmoniously when the pesticides are used correctly. And they have science to back up their claims.   Jon Entine, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Food and Agricultural Literacy at the University of California, Davis, wrote in December a piece published in the Huffington Post that has become a seminal work in the field for those defending responsible use of neonicotinoids.   He points to how neonicotinoids were around for a decade before mature worker bees started losing their way back to the hive. He points to how bee populations are thriving despite the fact that neonicotinoids as a whole are among the most widely used insecticides on the planet. He points to the fact that their are many other chemistry classes, such as carbamates, organophosphates and pyrethroids, that are just as capable as neonicotinoids of killing bees, but have largely escaped activists' crosshairs. He points to the threat of varroa mites, which are lethal to bees, and loss of habitat.   And other scientists around the country point to his work when defending the benefits of chemistry also.   Insects are prolific breeders by nature, and it is generally accepted in the research community that even in a worst-case scenario involving exposed non-target species, the knockdown rate usually is less than 50 percent and those populations are capable of returning to normal levels within a few weeks of contact.   Detractors point to bee deaths caused by misapplications of insecticides on flowering plants and a study in which bees were subjected to pesticide unrealistically high rates of pesticides, and they prey upon an uneducated public to support their agenda.   And it works.   Despite the science to support their arguments, detractors are managing to claim victory in some key battles.   On April 1, the city of Portland, Oregon, became the latest in a short-but-growing list of municipalities to ban neonicotinoid use on city-owned land. The city owns five golf facilities and dozens of parks. The ban includes a gradual phase out of all neonicotinoids over the next two years.   Since February 2014, at least five other cities in the Pacific Northwest have banned neonicotinoid use on city property, including Eugene, Oregon, and the Washington cities of Olympia, Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma.   There are many chemistries that fall into the neonicotinoid class of insecticides, including chlothianidin, dinotefuran and imidacloprid that are used to control pests like annual bluegrass weevil, mole crickets and white grubs on golf courses.  
    One Portland commissioner stated during a meeting in which neonicotinoids were banned despite a lack of scientific proof "the cautious thing to do is get rid of them." Even the new city ordinance states: "Neonicotinoids kill more than pollinators - they kill beneficial insects in the garden and the soil that help manage pest outbreaks."
     
    The rhetoric coming out of Portland is symbolic of what might lie ahead in other cities.   Several environmental groups lobbied on behalf of the ban, including Xerces Society, Audubon Society of Portland, Center for Biological Diversity and Beyond Toxics.    According to Wolsborn, et al, one Portland commissioner stated during a meeting in which neonicotinoids were banned despite a lack of scientific proof "the cautious thing to do is get rid of them." Even the new city ordinance states: "Neonicotinoids kill more than pollinators - they kill beneficial insects in the garden and the soil that help manage pest outbreaks."   A spokesman for a coalition of Oregon farmers and other pesticide users, said the city council made its decision based on fear and ideology, rather than science.   Others are caving as well.   Lowe's recently announced its plans to phase out all neonicotinoid products by 2019. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has implemented a ban on neonicotinoid use on federal lands beginning in January 2016.   Amid the calls to strike down neonicotinoid use, few if any point to real science to back their claims. Those who defend neonicotinoid use, on the other hand, do cite science. They have to, because public perception is stacked against them before they begin to speak. Kudos to them for trying.
  • GreenSight Agronomics, Inc., a provider of drone-based turfgrass management technology, has appointed John Kaminski, Ph.D., to its staff as Chief Agronomy Officer. 
     
    Kaminski is well known within the turfgrass community for his role as Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Science and Director of the Golf Course Turfgrass Management program at Penn State. An accomplished photographer, he also is active in social media (@iTweetTurf) and the implementation of new technology in the golf course industry, including the development of turfdiseases.org and the Turfpath app.
     
    The GreenSight service installs a dedicated drone with a custom imaging sensor that automatically flies and images a golf course daily. Those images are uploaded automatically to GreenSight's cloud-based turf health analysis system, which processes the images, generates a moisture map and detects turf issues invisible to the naked eye.  The intent is to improve plant health while saving money through reductions in water, pesticide, and fertilizer usage.
     
    GreenSight subscribers receive actionable alerts with hi-resolution photos of turf issues via email or text, and can locate issues quickly with maps on their mobile device.  Current and historical maps can be easily compared to identify trends or specific issues.
     
    "GreenSight strives to deliver reliable and actionable information to our customers," commented Joel Pedlikin, GreenSight COO. "By combining Dr. Kaminski's expertise in identifying and solving agronomic challenges with our drone and imaging technology we can greatly reduce a golf course's water and chemical usage while improving the quality of their turf."
     


    For more information on GreenSight, visit greensightag.com and follow them on Twitter.
  • A good equipment technician is the backbone of any successful golf course maintenance operation. A great tech is something your operation should cherish and do everything humanly possible to retain. Not much gets accomplished if equipment does not work when you need it to, or parts are scattered about in a disorganized manner.
     
    If your equipment tech is great or just plain good, nominate him (or her) for TurfNet's 2015 Technician of the Year Award, presented by The Toro Company.
     
    The winner will receive the Golden Wrench Award (a real gold-plated wrench) from TurfNet and a weeklong training session at Toro's Service Training University at the company's headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota.
     
    Don't be fooled by imitations: The Golden Wrench Award is the original award for golf course equipment managers. Criteria on which nominees are judged include: crisis management; effective budgeting; environmental awareness; helping to further and promote the careers of colleagues and employees; interpersonal communications; inventory management and cost control; overall condition and dependability of rolling stock; shop safety; and work ethic.
     
    In other words, tell us what makes your technician worthy, with specific examples of what he or she has accomplished. The more we know, the better your tech's chances of getting noticed.
     
    CLICK HERE to submit a nomination using our online form. All finalists and the winner will be profiled on TurfNet.
     
    Deadline for nominations is April 30.
     
    Previous winners are (2014) Lee Medeiros, Timber Creek and Sierra Pines Golf Courses, Roseville, CA; (2013) Brian Sjögren, Corral de Tierra Country Club, Corral de Tierra, CA; (2012) Kevin Bauer, Prairie Bluff Golf Club, Crest Hill, IL; (2011) Jim Kilgallon, The Connecticut Golf Club; (2010) Herb Berg, Oakmont Country Club; (2009) Doug Johnson, TPC at Las Colinas; (2007) Jim Stuart, Stone Mountain Golf Club; (2006) Fred Peck, Fox Hollow and The Homestead; (2005) Jesus Olivas, Heritage Highlands at Dove Mountain; (2004) Henry Heinz, Kalamazoo Country Club; (2003) Eric Kulaas, Marriott Vinoy Renaissance Resort. No award in 2008.
  • Talk about an attention-getter.
      Gov. Jerry Brown's last winter for Californians to voluntarily curb water use by as much as 20 percent were met with mixed results. Many large water users, such as golf courses, already had been implementing smart-water practices by then, and those who hadn't been soon started. However, smaller users, including private residential customers and others exhaled a casual, dismissive "Huh? What?" But when Brown recently announced the first mandatory statewide drought restrictions in California's history, people from the Oregon state line to the border with Mexico took notice.   "What the governor wants from this bill is to get everyone's attention," said Craig Kessler, director of governmental affairs for the Southern California Golf Association. "He got it."   On April 1, Brown issued an executive order directing the State Water Resources Control Board to impose 25 cutbacks on the 400-plus urban water districts throughout the state. Just how those cutbacks will be achieved, however, is a work in progress that will unfold in the next several weeks. According to the SWRCB, the preliminary framework targets reducing "potable urban water use" by 25 percent through February 2016. Preliminary plans for meeting those cuts were published April 7, and a public comment period will run through April 13 before a final rule is published, probably next month.   "We might have some ideas soon about what this might mean," Kessler said. "But we're probably looking at May 4 or 5."   Even then, 25 percent won't mean 25 percent for everyone, and in some cases far from it. The proposed cutbacks, which will range from 10-35 percent will be based on per capita usage across 411 urban water suppliers statewide. Heavy users will be hit hardest, and those districts will have to cut as much as 35 percent to ensure statewide goals are met. Some lighter users will have to cut less than 25 percent, perhaps as little as 10 percent. To determine whether the necessary cuts have been met, water use from June 2015 through February 2016 will be compared to water use from June 2013-February 2014.   Golf courses using only reclaimed water, which represent about one-third of the state's nearly 900 facilities, likely will be exempt from any mandatory cuts, Kessler said. New legislation drafted in January technically places groundwater under state regulation. Since January, however, the SWRCB has had bigger issues than managing well water.   "As a practical matter, there are no constraints on (well water) because it is so new," said Kessler.   Water districts required to cut use by only 10 percent include San Francisco, Monterey and Santa Cruz. Cuts of 20 percent are part of the plan for Los Angeles, San Jose and Orange County. The proposed standard of 25 percent will apply in places including Livermore, Riverside, Sacramento, Fresno and Stockton. For the heaviest water uses, the plan calls for cutbacks of 35 percent in such places as the Coachella Valley and Truckee.    Cutbacks levied by the state apply to individual water districts, which in turn will mete out restrictions to their customers. That means users within the same district might be subject to different restriction levels.   "Water in California is very complicated because of pricing and conveyance," Kessler said.   The cutbacks are the result of four years of drought, mostly in the northern and central regions of the state, which happen to be the same areas that collect water and send it southward across hundreds of miles of pipe toward Los Angeles, which already has been operating under its own mandatory 20 percent cutbacks since 2010.   This much already is clear: The plan will not include agriculture, which is the state's largest water-using industry by far, and the 411 individual urban water districts will have a great deal of latitude to interpret the rule and develop a plan for individual customers to ensure it is in compliance. And it is important for water users to work in concert with their districts so they know exactly how they will be affected, says independent irrigation consultant Mike Huck.   "A lot of this is going to be left up to the individual water districts," said Huck, a former superintendent and USGA agronomist. "It's important to get organized and get with them now."  
    A lot of this is going to be left up to the individual water districts. It's important to get organized and get with them now.
     
    The cutbacks already in place in Los Angeles allow for golf course superintendents to irrigate as they see fit as long as they meet a water budget established by the department. That budget is based on ET, climate and other factors. Those baselines and restrictions were established using the Model Efficient Landscape Ordinance, or Assembly Bill 1881, which was developed after a sustained drought nearly 15 years ago.    The hope is that other water districts around the state will adopt a similar plan for establishing water budgets for golf courses.   "No water district presented with that protocol has ever said no to it, but you never know when you might find one district that wants to be difficult," Kessler said. "Any golf courses in such a water district would suffer mightily."   For now, the only specific mention of golf in the proposed regulation is a requirement for large water users to report monthly usage, using standards already in place, to the SWRCB.   Those who don't meet the demands placed on them by individual water districts face myriad potential penalties, including fines of up to $10,000 per day.   Los Angeles golf courses that violate the 20 percent mandate are placed by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the state's largest water utility distributing nearly 140 billion gallons of potable water per year, on the same restrictions as residential users. Those limits are much more restrictive, including limiting water use at certain times of the day and throughout the summer.   "That is a death sentence for a golf course, especially in the summer," Kessler said. "There is tremendous incentive to be in compliance, and it works."   This is the first in a multi-part series on golf and water in California.
  • Judge upholds $12 million award for LidoChem

    A Michigan judge recently rejected an appeal ruling that representatives from Stoller Enterprises were in violation of the Lanham Act when they spread false and misleading information about one of LidoChem's agricultural grade fertilizers.
     
    The ruling by Judge Robert Wonker of the United States District Court, Western District of Michigan, upholds a 2014 decision when a jury awarded LidoChem $12 million for what it decided was Stoller's violation of the Lanham Act, which regulates interstate commerce.
     
    The ruling puts to rest a litigation process that began in 2001 when, according to court documents, representatives from Stoller claimed the LidoChem fertilizer contained an ingredient that was damaging to certain food crops.
     


    Army drafts Toro for maintenance duty


    The U.S. Army Installation Management Command chose The Toro Co. to provide equipment to help maintain nearly 50 golf facilities at installations worldwide. The recent contract award renews Toro's relationship with the U.S. Army that began in 2009. 
     
    "We are extremely honored to have been chosen by the U.S. Army to continue providing turf equipment and support to help create the best course conditions for members of the Armed Forces and their families to enjoy," said Darren Redetzke, vice president of Toro's commercial business. "These facilities provide an environment for individuals and families to come together, and we are excited to contribute to that experience."  
     
    Established in 1984, IMCOM's Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation branch provides guidance and oversight for Army garrison programs and services that benefit soldiers, families, retirees and civilians around the world, including golf facilities on installations in the United States, Germany, Japan and Korea.
     



    Rounds down nearly 3% in February

    Rounds played were down 2.7 percent nationwide in February, according to Golf Datatech. Rounds actually were up in 15 states and down in 20 others. There were no statistics available for 14 states mired in the throes of winter.
     
    Numbers were wildly dramatic on both sides of the ledger, with double-digit gains or losses reported in 27 of 35 states included in the survey.
     
    The greatest gains were in Colorado (96 percent). Gains of between 86 and 93 percent were reported in Illinois, Kansas, Oregon and Washington. The biggest losses were felt in New Jersey (down 51 percent). Losses of 23 to 43 percent were felt in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
     
    Year-to-date rounds played are up by 0.9 percent, however, thanks to a 4.9 percent year-over-year increase in play in January.
     

    BioSafe names new research engineer

    BioSafe Systems recently named Melissa Carserino as research engineer and project manager.
     
    She will be responsible for working to develop new products and assist in the day-to-day management of production and procurement schedules.
     
    Carserino comes to BioSafe from Chemtura Corp., where she worked as technical sales service engineer and product/market analyst.
     

    Hunter taps Wagner for sales lead

    Hunter Industries recently named Dennis Wagner as sales manager for its golf division.
     
    Wagner has worked in the irrigation business for more than 25 years, including 14 years with Rain Bird, where he held various titles. Most recently, he worked as specification manager for Ewing Irrigation.
     
    Wagner also is vice president of the Golf Course Builders Association.
  • A research blog, additional research sites and new control strategies are among a host of upgrades to Syngenta's WeevilTrak site designed to help golf course superintendents maximize efforts to control annual bluegrass weevil.   Once registering for WeevilTrak updates, golf course superintendents will have access to blog posts and receive emails from select researchers throughout the spring and summer. The WeevilTrak Blog will provide live updates from the field to improve ABW tracking and recommended solutions all season long.     Now WeevilTrak also delivers a more comprehensive, geographical look at ABW pressure throughout the Northeast and in areas where ABW populations are spreading such as Ohio and North Carolina. Several new golf courses have been added to the existing program for improved tracking accuracy. Two new researchers, Rick Brandenburg, Ph.D., from North Carolina State University and Albert Koppenhöfer, Ph.D., from Rutgers University, have joined the program.    Registered users also will benefit from the addition of Ference insecticide to the Optimum Control Strategy. With the active ingredient cyantraniliprole, Ference, when applied at 12 fluid ounces per acre can help provide systemic control of ABW at all larval stages (first-fifth instar), and control asynchronous larvae populations that might be present in the summer generations from June to September. Along with Scimitar GC, Acelepryn and Provaunt insecticides, Ference enhances the Syngenta Optimum Control Strategy to help golf course superintendents achieve season-long control of ABW.   In other news, Syngenta has updated information on GreenCastOnline for monitoring and control of white grubs with Acelepryn.   With the active ingredient chlorantraniliprole, Acelepryn is labeled for control of white grubs, annual bluegrass weevil, turf caterpillars (including black cutworms, sod webworms and armyworms), billbugs, chinch bugs and more.   The site includes tips on the benefits of early season applications, favorable environmental conditions for maximum efficacy.
  • A headline in a story written three years ago asked whether the battle over environmental concerns at Sharp Park Golf Course was finally over. The rhetorical question was asked in response to a lawsuit filed by environmental activists claiming day-to-day golf course maintenance at the San Francisco municipal threatened two of the area's most infamous protected wildlife species.
      The short answer then was "no" as Sharp Park, which is located in the town of Pacifica, and the city of San Francisco, which owns the course, have withstood challenge after challenge to the validity of the property as a golf course.   Ask the same question today, and the answer - finally - might be different.   On March 11, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected a joint appeal filed on behalf of several environmental activism groups that claimed a construction project designed to provide permanent habitat for the California red-legged frog would do more harm than good and that mechanized equipment poses an undue threat to the San Francisco garter snake that doesn't know enough to get out of the way.   The decision by the three-person judicial panel could put to rest what attorneys for the city claim has been a prolonged effort by activists to paint Sharp Park, a 1932 Alister MacKenzie design, as a money-losing venture and an environmental hazard.  Their goal was to shut it down so the oceanfront property could be converted to unmanaged open space.    At issue in the latest appeal is the construction of a pond that the city says would provide reliable and consistent habitat for the frog. Attorneys for the activist groups said the project would result in depleted natural wetlands and a manmade watershed inhospitable to the frogs.  
    At issue in the latest appeal is the construction of a pond that the city says would provide reliable and consistent habitat for the frog...
      The three-person judicial panel wrote that the city and the golf course already were bound by and protected by a permit issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and under the advisement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.   The courts also rejected a suit filed in 2011 that claimed daily maintenance practices posed a threat to both species. The recent suit, brought on behalf of the Wild Equity Institute, Center for Biological Diversity, National Parks Conservation Association, Surfrider Foundation and Sequoia Audubon and ultimately rejected by the Ninth Circuit, initially was filed in San Francisco Superior Court in April 2014.
  • As golf course managers around the country try to wrap their heads around how the Affordable Care Act will affect operations in the future, it is clear that another federal initiative, the H-2B temporary worker program, is ailing and in need of medical attention.
      A federal judge in Florida ruled March 4 that the Department of Labor, which oversees the program, along with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, does not have jurisdiction in deciding legislative regulations affecting the program.   That's right. According to a federal judge, a government agency doesn't have the authority to legislate how it manage a visiting worker program it is charged with overseeing. Let the confusion begin.   The decision essentially shut down the program that provides temporary, seasonal labor to a host of industries, including golf course maintenance.   In response to the Florida ruling, the DOL ceased processing applications for nearly two weeks until March 17 when it filed an unopposed motion for a temporary stay of the ruling until April 15. The DOL says it will continue to process applications until then, however, the process could come to a halt again if another temporary fix or a permanent solution is not reached by that date.    Although the U.S. Department of Labor is continuing to process visa applications through mid-April, the events of the past month show how badly broken the system is and proves that its long-term status is, for now, up in the air.   On March 13, the Department of Labor and the Department of Homeland Security announced plans to issue a joint interim final rule by April 30 that will be consistent with the federal court decision. Employers who have missed that April 15 deadline to submit visa applications, however, run the risk of missing out on much-needed seasonal labor for the foreseeable future if a fix is not in place by the end of the month.   The fallout would be devastating for the economy from coast to coast.   The H-2B program allows for 66,000 total workers per year from 68 eligible countries, with 33,000 visas allotted for the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1-March 31) and 33,000 in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1-Sept. 30).   The program allows for many industries to fill unskilled, low-paying manual labor jobs with temporary workers, mostly, employers agree, because U.S. workers find the pay unpalatable. Some of the other industries served by the H-2B program, according to the immigration service, include landscaping, hospitality, lodging, food service, resorts and theme parks, cruise lines, construction, ski resorts, security and retail. According to the GCSAA, golf courses around the country utilize about 6,300 H-2B workers.   Jobs also must be advertised locally to give resident workers an opportunity to apply. One superintendent said he received one local applicant when advertising openings for about a half-dozen seasonal positions he typically fills with H-2B workers.  
    The H-2B program allows for 66,000 total workers per year from 68 eligible countries, with 33,000 visas allotted for the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1-March 31) and 33,000 in the second half of the fiscal year (April 1-Sept. 30).
     
    H-2B is hardly a perfect system. Even when it works as planned, it is a gamble for employers seeking seasonal workers. If the six-month cap of 33,000 workers nationwide is reached before the deadline, the department must cease processing applications, and does so without warning, leaving employers in the cold until the next fiscal period. That was the case in January, when the cap was reached for the first half of fiscal 2015 with two months to spare.   The most recent troubles affecting the H-2B program started in March, when U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers ruled that the Department of Labor lacks the authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to decide regulations affecting the visiting worker program. In response, the department said it no longer could process applications.   Rodgers' ruling was in response to a suit filed by a Florida restaurant server who claimed rules implemented by the department hindered his job opportunities.    In 2008, the department published formal regulations on the labor-certification process, and implemented even stricter rules four years later that, among other things, decreased the number of H-2B workers an employer could hire and reduced their length of employment. In 2012, however, Rodgers struck down those rules as invalid, forcing the department to revert to its 2008 H-2B rules.   Rodgers' ruling is awaiting appeal in the U.S. Circuit Court 11th Circuit. Meanwhile, thousands of employers throughout the country and tens of thousands of workers from around the world are left waiting.
  • Proposed budget cuts for the University of Wisconsin might one day reach all the way down to the school's highly regarded golf course.
      The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, recently obtained emails between a top university official and a state representative who broached the subject over the winter, and didn't dismiss it as a possibility, though the option was never officially tabled for consideration beyond that initial discourse.   The university has been targeted for $300 million in cuts in Gov. Scott Walker's proposed biennial budget for 2015-17, including $91 million in cuts that must be made by July 1. According to the emails, Kooyenga asked Blank whether the university could sell the golf course to cover the funding cuts to the university.   Built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1991, the University Ridge Golf Course is ranked No. 3 on Golfweek's Best Campus Course list and is No. 7 on Golfweek's list of best public-access courses in Wisconsin. The course is owned by the university and is operated by the school's athletics department.   Blank indicated in the email exchange that she would consider selling the course if it is deemed a viable option, but that it was a decision for the university's board. Blank told The Capital Times the sale of the golf course could be enough by itself to absorb the proposed cuts to the university's budget.   University officials also said that while there are no specific plans on selling the golf course, they are exploring several options.  

  • Taking the plunge

    By John Reitman, in News,

    Dan Kaar doesn't think he's unlike a lot of other superintendents whose families have had to make personal sacrifices to accommodate his profession, who become frustrated with their jobs and who on occasion dream about walking out were it not for a shortage of open jobs in the marketplace.   What might set Kaar apart is that he's finally done something about it. He had been working as a superintendent for about 10 years in the Indianapolis area when it finally clicked that the sacrifices others, namely wife Stacie, were making because of him just weren't worth it.   "I remember the day like it was yesterday," said Kaar, 42. "It was Memorial Day weekend in 2013. My wife hung up the phone on me when I told her I was missing church with her for about the 50th time because I had to work. She was right, and 15 minutes later I was done. I walked out."   Kaar had bought his own aerifier and had been renting it out to superintendents who didn't have one and began refurbishing irrigation system components and took over management of a small golf course operation on a contract basis. Fortunately, his wife has a stable job as a pharmacist, so the couple could indulge his impulse decision and he could chase his dream of combining agronomy with entrepreneurship.   Just recently, Kaar, a 2000 graduate of Purdue's turf program, began leasing Fair-Way Golf Course from owners Marilyn Neese and Judy Cunningham, whose father Henry Corbly build the course in Lebanon, Indiana in 1961.   Kaar bought all machinery and equipment, leases the course and keeps the profit.   "If there is any," he said.   "I give them a check, then it's sink or swim. It's all your skin in the game."   Kaar's lease on the property began March 21, but was months in the works. Wearing the hat of superintendent and general manager, Kaar is determined to create a new business model for golf because: "The current model doesn't work. It's an intimidating and expensive game, and we sit behind a counter and wait for people to come to us. It's too expensive for families to get into, and we have to do something about that," he said.  
    Kaar is determined to create a new business model for golf because: "The current model doesn't work..."
      He charges $12 for nine holes with a cart, and $9 to walk ($5 through March). He has a special rate for families, and foursomes can play after 3 p.m. for $20 total. Local veterans can play for free on May 1.   His concession stand is a 20-foot-by-25-foot hut that also is the clubhouse, pro shop and bathroom, offers hot dogs, candy, chips and soft drinks and nothing costs more than $2. He employs two part-time workers on his crew, including a high school student who is his neighbor, and a couple of people to work inside the hut, greeting golfers, working the cash register and selling hot dogs.   "I'd had the idea to go out on my own for years. I finally decided to do it, or shut up and stop talking about it."   Fair-Way redefines simplicity, a concept that for golf is way overdue, he said. He makes the course available at no cost to local school golf teams, and even extends free play to those w
    ho tried out but were cut. Foot golf also is coming this year.   "The golf business overdoes everything," he said. "The $50 round of golf doesn't make sense anymore."   In other efforts to hold down his costs and attract clientele, Kaar collects golf clubs from wherever he can get them for use as free loaners (no rentals here). Superintendents from other area facilities have given him flagsticks and loan out equipment, such as trailers and bunker rakes. Because of the lack of space at Fair-Way, Kaar has equipment stored at three other golf clubs in the Indianapolis area.   He still is trying to figure out the right pricing model that will attract enough customers so he can pay the bills and one day hopefully have a little extra left over.   Fair-Way doesn't have in-ground irrigation, and spigots at each green allow Kaar to handwater where and when it's necessary.   Kaar isn't a fan of industry initiatives designed to help drive play. Industry efforts to grow the game, he says, don't do much good at a 3,000-hole layout in America's heartland. Nor does he like the idea of charging newcomers for lessons then asking them to cough up more money to play when their lesson is over. Kaar knows that to grow the game at Fair-Way, it's all up to him.   "I'm not a fan of that crap," he said. "Golf needs to be more like the cruise business where they might have free dance lessons on the lido deck, then you can go to dinner and go dancing afterward. Every golf course should offer free lessons, teach you how to swing then let you go have fun."   Granted, his philosophy won't fit at the most well-heeled private clubs in Indianapolis, or anywhere else for that matter, but he figures it might have a broad appeal at daily fee facilities nationwide. "The model we have now just keeps creating upper middle class golfers," he said. "That doesn't work.   "Then, when things don't work, the first thing that happens is they cut labor and cut our salaries."   He's even been critical of the foot golf industry for being too much like the rest of the golf business. Rather than pay $125 each for a regulation foot golf cup insert, he learned that a rubber livestock feed pan from Tractor Supply Co. that run $25 each works just fine.   The worst advice he's heard while striking out on his own was from someone who told him: "Your job is to get every penny out of every golfer that you can while they are at your course."  
    The worst advice he's heard while striking out on his own was from someone who told him: "Your job is to get every penny out of every golfer that you can while they are at your course."
      Kaar recognizes that as a model for failure.   The best advice he has received was to hire an accountant.   While time and cost are cited as barriers to the game by golfers, government regulations as well as the cost of workers compensation insurance and permits involved, Kaar says, are barriers to starting and operating a business.   "Pushing paper is a lot of the job," he said. "And when you hire an employee, it doubles your paperwork. I thought hiring people and giving them jobs was supposed to be a good thing."

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