BASF to acquire Becker Underwood for $1.02 billion

More big news in our industry -- big to the tune of $1.02 BILLION! BASF to acquire Becker Underwood, this news just hit my inbox at 8:03 a.m. EST... the entire press release is below.

We'll get on the phone to learn more, but for now, here's the official word from BASF: 

BASF to strengthen global crop protection business with acquisition of Becker Underwood

* BASF to become a global leader in biological seed treatments
* Strategic growth field Functional Crop Care strengthened
* Broader portfolio of integrated, sustainable solutions for agriculture

Ludwigshafen, Germany – September 20, 2012 – BASF plans to acquire Becker Underwood for a price of $1.02 billion (€785 million). The company, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, is one of the leading global providers of technologies for biological seed treatment, seed treatment colors and polymers, as well as products in the areas of biological crop protection, turf and horticulture, animal nutrition and landscape colorants and coatings. Becker Underwood has 10 production sites worldwide and 479 employees. BASF came to an agreement with Norwest Equity Partners (NEP) to acquire Becker Underwood which has been a portfolio company of NEP since 2004. The purchase is subject to approval by the responsible authorities and legal closing of the transaction is expected by the end of 2012.

“We are impressed with Becker Underwood’s ability to translate growers’ needs into innovative, tailor-made solutions that can promote higher yields while conserving resources. Becker Underwood is to become part of BASF and we are excited that together with our new colleagues we can continue expanding our competencies. Particularly in the rapidly-growing seed treatment market, we will be able to develop innovative solutions for agriculture,” said Dr. Andreas Kreimeyer, Research Executive Director and Member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors responsible for the Agricultural Solutions segment.


Becker Underwood is expected to achieve sales of $240 million (€185 million) for fiscal year 2012, ending on September 30. As part of the acquisition, BASF’s Crop Protection division will create a strategic global business unit called Functional Crop Care. The unit will merge BASF’s existing research, development and marketing activities in the areas of seed treatment, biological crop protection, plant health, as well as water and resource management with those of Becker Underwood. Becker Underwood’s animal nutrition business will be integrated into BASF’s Nutrition & Health division.

Markus Heldt, president of BASF's Crop Protection division.

“Becker Underwood has a strong position in North America. We will continue to expand this core business as we expand globally. Together we can sustainably create value for our customers,” said Markus Heldt, President of BASF’s Crop Protection division. “We are thrilled at the prospect of working with the highly-qualified employees at Becker Underwood as we continue to develop our combined businesses.”

“Over the past years, Becker Underwood has established itself as an innovative provider of solutions for agriculture,” emphasized Dr. Peter Innes, Chief Executive Officer of Becker Underwood. “Strengthened by the power of BASF’s research capabilities as well as its existing portfolio of solutions, we will be able to develop and globally market new types of solutions for growers.”


Upon receiving the necessary legal approvals, the majority of Becker Underwood’s business will be integrated into BASF’s Crop Protection division. In 2011, the division recorded sales of around €4.2 billion and is expecting another top year in 2012 as well. With its products and services, BASF helps growers to improve their yields and the quality of their products.

Northwest Oregon? Yes, please.

I was looking for some information on my upcoming travels and was very excited to see this:

http://www.ogcsa.org/Pages/events-sign-up/environ-mtg.html

Yes, Northwest Oregon, I'm coming to see you, Tuesday, Nov. 13th! The "Seth on Tour" trip continues, this time at Oregon Golf Club in West Linn, Ore., at the 2012 Golf and Environmental meeting. For the low, low price of $75, they'll have speakers such as Andy Staples (ASGCA), Kevin Fletcher (ePar USA), Chava McKeel (GCSAA), Steve Kealy (First Green) and... me (gulp. I mean... Golfdom).

And yeah... they've got me batting clean-up. Is that good or bad? Well, it certainly is cool to have the "keynote" spot, but it's also nerve-wracking to think of the mass exodus that could occur as soon as Staples gets done. Heck, I might already be at the clubhouse bar by then, too!

Reader feedback -- professional courtesy

Got a nice email from a reader regarding Mark Woodward's most recent column (which you can read here.)

Here's the note:

Mark nailed it, RE: Professional Courtesy.

It only take a moment to make an impression. I remember visiting a younger superintendent on his job who I had tried to call earlier. When I arrived on site, I could see him in the distance. I rang his cell, watch him look, and shove it right back in his pocket. I lost respect for him. I learn he lost his job later that year!

It only takes a moment to say thanks (or no thanks). Just respond!

I'm always afraid I'll have this happen to me, or do it to someone. Sometimes I don't take a cell phone call because it's not an appropriate time to chat on the cell. And I also try not to call people when I can see them, because it would crush my ego to see my call getting ignored.

There's pretty much only one person who is in the 100%-always-answer category: my wife. It could be the final seconds of the Super Bowl, and if my wife rings my cell, I answer. Mainly because she rarely dials me up, but also because that's the one person (and with her, my kids) who are so important that I would drop everything to check in on. Everything else? Everything else probably can wait, when you think about it.

So what am I rambling about here? Well, I guess I'm making a defense for NOT answering your cell phone. Because there are times when taking that call can also be a breach of etiquette, right?

What do you think?

New video!

As you probably noticed, I haven't been doing many videos since Golfdom was acquired by North Coast Media.

That's just because we've had to change over a lot of our technical... stuff. Stuff I don't even pretend to understand!

But our IT team has been hard at work, and we're ramping back up again. Golfdom.com is back up, and we'll get it up to full speed soon. And now, for the first time in a few weeks... a new video!

This is the interview I did with Bethpage Black superintendent Kevin Carroll during the Barclays. Thanks to Kevin for taking the time to hang out with me with I was there on what was a busy week!

New Sports Illustrated cover

It was interesting to see last week's Sports Illustrated cover. It has former Bears QB and golf nut Jim McMahon on the cover.

I met McMahon about five years ago at a celebrity golf event, back when I was writing the "Reflections" page regularly in Golf Course Management. My dad was a huge Bears fan, so it was exciting to meet the former Super Bowl champ.

McMahon was funny and nice. He had a few empty Coors Light cans in his cart at the time, so he was feeling fine. I caught up with him as he was signing autographs after his round. He signed for anyone who approached him, not in any rush. He was the same way with me when I asked him for an interview.

After you do so many of these interviews, you can hear when a source gives you the sound bite you need. It's an instant relief -- you know you have something you can print, something you can show as a result of your trip. With McMahon, we kept talking, but I wasn't able to get that sound bite.

I wanted him to give me something about why he appreciated a beautiful golf course. But all his answers were mostly about his game. He seemed indifferent to the quality of the golf course.

Finally, after I asked him if he had one golf course that was his favorite, he smiled at me and said, "Not really. Every time I play golf I have a few of these (shaking his beer can) and I've been hit in the head so much that... I don't really remember most golf courses after I play them."

He was smiling when he said it. I figured he mostly was referring to the beer. But now that I read that he has early-onset dementia, it just bums me out. He really can't remember golf courses after he plays them.

I love the NFL and I watched a ton of football this weekend. I don't know what the answer is, but it sure is sad to see these players suffering after they retire from the game.

Boom goes the squirrel tunnel

In this new issue of Golfdom we have an in-depth story on squirrel control on golf courses, penned by Jim Knight, Ph.D. You can read it by clicking here. Jim is an extension wildlife specialist at Montana State University, and if there's one thing he knows, it's how to kill a squirrel.

My favorite part from that story: gumballs. "Gumballs have been reported to clog the intestinal tract of squirrels... Most of the claims are anecdotal, there is no evidence populations will consume enough to result in reliable control."

So don't bother throwing a bag of Big League Chew down the squirrel tunnel!

The story has caught a few eyes, including the folks over at Rodenator. They gave me a call to see if I'd be interested in learning more about their system, which includes an "underground shockwave."

Did they say "underground shockwave?" Then you know my answer was "yes!

They sent me a longer story, but I clipped it down to the part about their product, and how it works. Here's the last part of the story, written by Del Williams of Torrance, Calif.: 

Those working to eradicate burrowing rodents in golf course facilities without poisons or other harmful chemicals, are instead finding success with a poison-free, non-chemical, pest control method that delivers a precision underground shockwave to the targeted animals while also collapsing their tunnel systems to prevent re-infestation.

“With the Rodenator system, we eliminated the prairie dog problem and much of the ground squirrel problem within the first month,” says Walker. “We have the burrowing rodent problem under control. We’re saving about 30 hours a week in burrowing rodent-related labor and grounds-equipment repair. We avoid costly, labor-intensive poison baiting and trapping. Overall, we could save tens of thousands of dollars over the next several years in repair, maintenance, and labor costs. The grounds are shaping up, which makes for better, safer, faster play, and happier golfers.”

As delivered by the Rodenator Pest Elimination System, developed by Meyer Industries, a wand is inserted into a burrow hole, and a mixture of oxygen and propane gas is shot into the hole for typically sixty to ninety seconds, depending on the type of animal. Then another button on the wand is pressed, igniting a spark into the mixture, creating a precision underground shockwave. 

GCSAA prez reaches out

An email went out to all GCSAA members this afternoon, from President Sandy Queen, asking for help identifying superintendents who may be in need. Specifically, the email asks for help identifying members who have been impacted by Hurricane Isaac.

The entire contents of the email is below:

Dear GCSAA Members,

Sandy Queen, CGCS GCSAA President

On behalf of my fellow GCSAA board members, I share my deep concern for those members, their families and staffs who have been impacted by Hurricane Isaac. We know many of them suffered personal loss and that weighs heavily on all of our minds.

GCSAA has deployed field staff to make contact with chapter leaders to help identify members in need. As much as we try to be proactive, we need your assistance in communicating with us regarding your needs. Please feel free to email me or any of your GCSAA board of directors or contact GCSAA at 800-472-7878 to alert us of any situation impacting members.

As an association, our fundamental charge is to serve its members. In times of need, we must respond with assistance. I appreciate staff's responsiveness in alerting members to our emergency assistance fund (for personal losses not covered by insurance) and with information to help manage their professional situations. If you did not see the latest information on hurricane and flood recovery, please access the following link.

Turf Toughie: Take Our One-Question Exam!

Q: Why is it important to maintain your soil pH between 6.5 and 7?

            Sometimes it’s the simple questions – like “Why does my belly growl when I’m hungry?” that are quite perplexing but also most important. Same goes for turf.

             

“Why is it important to maintain your soil pH between 6.5 and 7?” is one of the questions Benjamin A. McGraw, Ph. D., associate professor of golf and plant sciences at the State University of New York (SUNY)- Delhi, N.Y., likes to pose to his students. 

“I don't know if it’s a head-scratcher but the answer is important and vital to a superintendent’s career,” McGraw says.

The answer, as McGraw explains, is that most nutrients (whether applied or in the soil) are readily available to the plant in this pH range. Outside of this range many nutrients (both macro- and micro-nutrients) are not readily available to the plant.

So… keep the pH up and don’t leave your plants with their bellies growling!

Architect Richardson says Design for Drought

By Curt Harler

            Especially in dry years, there is a cost to keeping every square foot of turf green. That cost comes in dollars and in lost sleep.

“The best way to reduce your stress and stress on your turf is to have less turf,” says Golf Course Architect Forrest Richardson, ASGCA. “The number one strategy is reducing turf area.” He is the principal with Forrest Richardson & Associates in Phoenix.

While that may seem an obvious way to cut droughty areas, he finds that many superintendents and owners overlook that easy step. Cut the green area from 140 acres to 105 and there is that much less area to worry about.

Less grass to water and maintain means fewer headaches.

Less water on the rest of the turf is the next step.

“Certainly, you want the course to be enjoyable and playable,” he acknowledges. “But you’d be surprised how easy it is to get by with 10-percent less water.”

Distant roughs and areas around the tees are the first place to cut back irrigation. While greens, tees and landing areas should be watered, the side and back areas around the tee boxes do not need water. In fact, the area in front of the tee box sees less than a half-percent of play, Richardson figures. So cut the water there, too. 

NTEP "Encouraged" with new Test Results

By Curt Harler

The National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP: www.ntep.org) changed some of the ground rules for testing grasses. The new program was first outlined in the March 2010 TurfGrass Trends. The major change was a cutback from a five-year test program to four years in a number of tests. The focus of some tests changed, as well.

When we checked back this month with Kevin Morris, executive director of NTEP, to see how the changes were going, he was “encouraged” by early results but said it still is a bit too early to tell definitely.

“We just published our first data (under the new regime), a ryegrass test put out in 2010,” he says.

As part of the new program, half of the seed plots established around the country are standard variety tests. The other half are what are termed “ancillary” tests – they are specific to one aspect of the turf… say traffic tolerance or drought resistance.

“We will stay with that program for a while,” Morris says.

As the number of commercial varieties available dropped, NTEP saw a need to move away from the beauty-contest aspects of variety testing in favor of focused, trait-specific research.

Heat Blisters Turf, Scorches Roots

By Curt Harler

             

This year will go into the books as one of the toughest seasons on record for superintendents in the Midwest. Drought and record hot July temperatures slammed courses across the region.

By late August, Derek Settle, director of the turfgrass program for the Chicago District Golf Association, was able to say with relief that he was seeing Bentgrass beginning to take off.

“We muddled through this year. I think things will be better in September,” Settle continued.

Muddle is the word for it. With the drought, root mortality was high almost everywhere. There were an extraordinary number of localized dry spots. A lot of wetting agents were used. Fairy ring became a serious problem on several courses.

The cooling weather brought no relief. “Take-all is a problem now with the soil temperatures dropping below 70 degree averages at the two-inch depth,” Settle continued. That was the first time since June 13.

“We still have shallow roots. Greens are fragile,” he said. “Fairways, too. It’s pretty easy for golfers to make divots.”

This fall will be pivotal for 2013. “Right now it’s all about root growth,” he said. “I think we’ll be able to keep the grass green for one more year!”

Click here...

To check out the new issue of Golfdom...

Cover story by Clark Throssell!

http://mydigimag.rrd.com/publication/?i=122529

Syngenta acquires DuPont's insecticide business

Wow, a lot of news lately. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Stan Zontek, who passed away recently. More on that soon.

In the meantime, this Syngenta-DuPont deal just was announced. We have press releases from both Syngenta and DuPont. 

Here's the press release from Syngenta:

Syngenta announced today that it will acquire the DuPont Professional Products insecticide business, including a number of registered trademark brands. Created in 2002, the DuPont Professional Products insecticide business specializes in the development and marketing of innovative branded products for the professional turf and pest control markets, including Altriset, Advion Arilon and Acelepryn. The acquisition price is $125 million.

Back from the Barclays

I recorded the Sunday round, so I don't even know who won yet... so don't tell me who won it! I know this gent was having a good week, though...

Speaking of good weeks, I had an AWESOME week last week. From the Rocky Mountain GCSA meeting to my first tour of Bethpage Black and the Barclays, then a stop by a Mets game... it was a heck of a week for your pal Jonesy.

Now I get ready to hit the road again. Here we go.

#SethonTour continues, this time I'm staying in the Midwest to visit with some important folks. I might let you in on where later. We'll see. Sometimes we like to be mysterious here at Golfdom.

I did video interviews with both Andy Wilson and Kevin Carroll while at Bethpage. We'll try to get those up soon.

Here's a pic of Kevin chatting up the crew before they head out on the evening rounds...

Player thoughts on Bethpage, Wednesday afternoon

Photo by Adam Slick

I had a great first day out here at the Barclays. Got to meet some of the guys on the crew, watched a little golf, and even snuck in a few player interviews before I left.

As always, these are 1-on-1 interviews, directly from player's lips to my voice recorder to the blog. As you'll see, comments were a little bit all over with the firmness, the greens, etc., but one thing everyone agreed on is that the course, overall, is looking great. "Great" and "good" are the two most popular words in this post. (The word "enchilada" is sadly never used.)

Adam Scott
"It's playing good, actually, it's nice to see it dry for a change (laughs). It's looking really good. Everything is in really good shape, it should be a good week, weather permitting.

Superintendent Andy Wilson stimps a green late Wednesday.

It's good that there are courses like this available to the public. Great golf course, great design, visually, lovely bunkering... it's a shame that there aren't more facilities like this available to the public, not just the Black Course but all five are fantastic... a fantastic venue."

Chad Campbell
"It's good. It's in good shape, a little faster than what it was for the U.S. Open, which is nice. Still pretty soft yesterday, when I played. The rough is down just a little bit where you can try to get balls up around the green. There are some lies where you can't move it, but there are some lies where you can give it a shot on the green. The greens are tough. Quite a bit of undulation on some of the greens on the back nine. Tough to get it close, the greens are pretty firm -- they were when I played it yesterday.

It's in great shape, the crew does a great job. It's cool to play a course where the general public can come out and play any time of the week."

Louis Oosthuizen
"It's certainly long, you have to hit it well off the tee... I thought the greens would be better. This afternoon, they've gone through a lot of feet from the morning pro-am, the afternoon pro-am... it's understandable in the last hour or so. They'll look after them. If it gets really firm it's going to be difficult, because there's some rough around the greens. It's going to be tough if the greens get really firm. Look, the course is in great condition -- fairways, the rough is fair. It's probably going to grow during the week, so it'll be tough Saturday/Sunday... the greens to me, I felt uncomfortable. But it's a proper golf course, you have to hit the ball really well." 

Dustin Johnson
"The course is playing good. It's drying out a little bit, yesterday it was really wet. Today it was getting a little drier, greens getting a little firmer. The course is in great shape. I think it's in really good shape, comparable to the U.S. Open... it's very similar. They're doing a great job."

Such a great day in the Golfdom world!

I had an amazing time hanging with the Syngenta team today at Pinehurst Resort! The group included Tim Kroenke, Scott Reasons, Shawn Potter, Bert Wagemans, Lane Tredway, Stephanie Schwenke, Mark LaFleur and others. What a good group of people.

The day got off to an early start when Pinehurst superintendent Bob Ferren met us early in the morning for a tour of the Pinehurst maintenance facility and some of the No. 2 practice areas.

Then it was down to work as the Syngenta team worked side by side the Pinehurst No. 2 grounds crew, doing everything from filling in divots to raking bunkers. Throughout the day we got to hear about how Daconil Action is being received, got the lowdown on the company's brand new fungicides, Briskway and Secure, and heard about the efforts the company is making to understand golf course management beyond simply chemical applications.

In between, throw in some down-home barbecue and a warm (and rainy) round of golf on Pinehurst No. 4. What else is there to say? Golfdom had a great, memorable day all around. Thanks, Syngenta, for having us! And thanks, Bob Ferren, for being our gracious host superintendent.

On top of my great day, Seth rocked his keynote address at the Rocky Mountain GCSA conference. As if there was a doubt? Way to go, Seth! So proud.

Big week for Golfdom

This is a big week for Golfdom, and not just because my little girl had her first day of kindergarten today! Check it out:

* Senior Editor Beth Geraci is just now arriving at the beautiful Pinehurst Resort to take part in a two-day seminar presenting results Syngenta is seeing with Daconil Action

* I'm about to catch a flight to Denver, and then make the drive to Pole Creek GC in Tabernash, Colo. -- tomorrow morning I'll be giving a presentation at the Rocky Mountain GCSA meeting, then teeing it up with the group afterwards

* Beginning Wednesday, I'll be reporting from Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., site of the PGA Tour's The Barclays

So there should be a lot of action around the blog this week! Check back often!

And if you're in Colorado, come out and say hello tomorrow morning!

GCBAA online charity auction ends tonight

Pssst! The GCBAA Foundation Auction closes tonight, at 9 p.m. EDT. So if you're eyeing one of the auction items, better get it while the gettin's good. Up for bids: tickets to the 2013 Wells Fargo Championship; luxurious golf getaways; an Arnold Palmer-signed putter; sports tickets; and more. 

Even better, the charity auction benefits Sticks for Kids, a youth outreach program designed to get youth interested in golf. To bid on items log on to www.biddingforgood.com/gcbaa.

Good luck!

John Deere loses a leader

Gregg Breningmeyer at last year's John Deere Classic, with GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans in the background.

Gregg and Rhett riding down 18. I don't think Rhett is waving a peace sign (but he might be), I think he's confessing to taking a mulligan on 18 tee...

Me and Gregg at John Deere World HQ in Moline, Ill. 

Gregg shakes hands with John Daly after their round. I got about five photos of these two together, and they all turned out awful. And not just because of Daly's pants.

Sad news from our friends at John Deere. Gregg Breningmeyer, who was the Global Director of Sales and Marketing for John Deere Golf, passed away last week. He was 56.

Let me keep this in perspective: I'd see Gregg literally twice, maybe three times a year. But he was one of my favorite interviews in the industry. For the last several years, Deere has always arranged for me to have a 1-on-1 sit-down with Gregg at the GIS. That didn't happen this year, as Gregg was forced to miss the Las Vegas show.

One of the things I enjoyed about Gregg was, he told it like it was. He didn't mince words. He didn't speak in "Bull Durham" talk -- you know, the "take it one game at a time," and the "just happy to be here" crap.

Sportsmanship 101

OK, so we have to wait four more looong years before golf is an Olympic sport (why is that, by the way?). Even if golf is enduring one last snub during these Games, I still find the Games worth watching--and worth writing about, too. 

I love the Olympics. I love the anticipation, the photo finishes, the intense rivalries. I love the underdogs, the team favorites who live up to the hype.

The London edition of the Olympics, however, is a little rough around the edges. It has, shall we say, a cockney accent. On the one hand, we're witnesses to mind-blowing feats by Michael Phelps, the most awe-inspiring swimmer of all time, and Gabby Douglas, who came this close to not even making the U.S. gymnastics team then won gold. And how about U.S. runner Manteo Mitchell? The guy ran the 4x400 relay on a broken leg, enabling his team to qualify for the final, even though he won't be running in it.

On the flip side, you have really, really poor sportsmanship, London Games. Not just from athletes, but from well, everyone. Jordyn Wieber, the favorite to win gold in women's gymnastics, gave it her all and had an off night. She placed fourth in qualifiers, missing the finals. She interviewed on TV afterward, tears in her eyes. The loss was disappointing, she said. The reporter interviewing her disagreed, calling it "catastrophic."

Stories like that are a dime a dozen this Olympics. Fans shout at athletes' cheering parents to sit down, runners join in when their teammates are raked over the coals for being overrated (see Lolo Jones), even badminton players throw games. What's happening? 

You can tell a lot about a person's character by the way they play sports. We've seen the good, the bad and the ugly this time around. Which category will golfers fall into in 2016? Send good vibes!

 

Happy (Irrigation) Anniversary, Toro!

We never did know which anniversary was what (paper, silver, gold?) But we do know 50 years is a darn long time to be in business. So hats off to Toro today as it celebrates 50 years in the irrigation business.

Fifty years ago today, Toro purchased Moist O’Matic, a manufacturer of plastic irrigation products. With that purchase, the company got its feet wet in the underground irrigation business. The company's come a long way since then, now owning more than 225 irrigation patents and manufacturing a complete line of irrigation products.

Phil Burkart, vice president and general manager for Toro’s Irrigation Business, said of the landmark anniversary, “Our 50 years in irrigation is something to be very proud of. We are withstanding the test of time as well as pushing ourselves daily to be solution providers through innovation..."

To take advantage of special offers in honor of the celebration, log onto www.torocontractor.com.

Congrats, Toro! We're looking forward to seeing what the next 50 years hold.

Jacobsen says, "here's $500!" to 30 students

The Scripps Howard Foundation. 

I still remember when I was in college, and I got the letter from them telling me I was to be the recipient of a journalism award that included a scholarship. 

That was, as Ice Cube sang, "A good day."

Likewise, there are 30 turf students out there who just had a similar experience courtesy of Jacobsen.

From Jacobsen's press release: 

Jacobsen recently awarded over 30 college students in turfgrass management programs with $500 scholarships. Recipients were notified by Jacobsen on July 1, 2012.

Candidates from across the United States and Canada submitted essays and professor recommendations for consideration. The final list included students from 23 different schools, including large universities like The Ohio State University, Colorado State University and Kansas State University to smaller schools like Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Georgia and Kwantlen Polytechnic University in British Columbia, Canada. Review the full list of turfgrass scholarship recipients.

FMC offers free weed ID poster

FMC has a free weed ID poster available to turf professionals... here are the details:

Know your crown vetch from your cudweed? Pusley from purslane? Sign up for a free "Weed ID" Poster to learn how to identify and control 49 of North America's worst weeds, while supplies last. To receive the poster, follow these steps:

· Visit the Promotions Page on the FMC Professional Solutions web site;

· Click for the Weed ID poster sign-up page and enter information; and

· Follow @FMCturf on Twitter (you will be automatically directed to Twitter after sign-up). If you don't have a Twitter handle, sign up today at Twitter.com.

I will tell you that Adam Manwarren of FMC recently told me he'd be trying to surpass me in Twitter followers soon... as I see from the third bullet above, he is clearly gunning for me!

@FMCturf currently has 544 followers... @Golfdom currently has 872 followers...

So, along with this news of a free weed ID poster, I'll also remind you that after you follow @FMCturf, don't forget to also follow @Golfdom. I have no weed ID poster for you, but I do have a free high-five at the ready!

Field (stone) Trip!

Apologies for the radio silence here for the last couple days. I was on the road, making a big triangle on the map, with Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania all on the agenda.

One of the highlights of the trip was my round at Fieldstone GC in Greenville, Del. Big thanks to Damon Di Giorgio, super at the course. Me and Damon go way back, so it was a pleasure to see his course and check out the place he works everyday. What a phenomenal course! Also good to see another old friend, Pinki, his dog -- I've known Pinki since she was just a pup! (And yeah, she remembered me, which was cool.)

Usually I like to check in here from the road, but I was just too busy and also having too much fun. I should have left my laptop back in the office, that's how much use I got out of it! And now I get to pay for it, as I'm pushing the panic button on all my deadlines...

Anyway, here are a couple pics from my excellent round at Fieldstone. Captions included.

There's an old house on the course, it sits between two holes, 14 and 16 if I remember correctly. Architect Mike Hurdzan loved the look of it, so he kept it. It's a unique site on the course, I did take the time to look closer at it, and wonder how hard it was to build something like that before power equipment...

Gary Gold, Damon, Pinki, and Golfdom publisher Pat Roberts on 17 tee.

Saw these two deer wandering around 17 green. Pat hit into the bunkers on the left (of course he did!) and the two deer didn't retreat too far past those trees. They wanted to see if he could get up and down from that bunker, apparently.

Damon, Pinki and me after dinner.

Damon's one instruction for playing No. 18: avoid that bunker! So what do I do? Scorch a 7-iron right into the sodface wall. If my ball flight would have been five feet higher, I would have been a hero. Instead, I triple-bogeyed 18...

Congrats to Mike Hurdzan

GCSAA's press release on the winner of the 2013 Old Tom Morris Award:

Mike Hurdzan, who has gained critical acclaim for his golf course design with a focus on environmental stewardship and affordability, has been selected to receive the 2013 Old Tom Morris Award by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

The award will be presented during the 2013 GCSAA Education Conference in San Diego on Feb. 6 at the Opening Session, presented in partnership with Syngenta.

GCSAA's most prestigious honor, the Old Tom Morris Award is presented each year to an individual who "through a continuing lifetime commitment to the game of golf has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplified by Old Tom Morris." Morris (1821-1908) was the greenkeeper and golf professional at the St. Andrews Links Trust Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland; a four-time winner of the British Open (1861, '62, '64 and '67); and ranked as one of the top links designers of the 19th century. Previous winners include Arnold Palmer, Bob Hope, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Nancy Lopez, Nick Price and Peter Jacobsen, among others.

"I don't hate golf..."

This is my new favorite commercial on TV:




I about fell out of my seat when I saw this one. Perfect!

Unusual wildlife at Lawrence CC

I was at Lawrence (Kan.) CC early this morning for a photo shoot... I didn't expect to spot such unusual wildlife while I was there!

Two funny things about KU's Big Jay and Baby Jay being at the course this morning:

1. Bill Irving, the superintendent of the course, has a dog named Ozzie. Ozzie, like Bill, is a die hard Nebraska Cornhusker. As you'll see from the first photo, Ozzie was NOT HAPPY about seeing the two mascots at the course this morning! (More on this after the jump!)

2. The mascots stayed "in character" the entire time they were there. It was 7 a.m., the course is quiet, it's just me and Bill at the putting green. The two mascots and their two coaches/handlers/attendees (I don't know what you call someone who assists a mascot... an assistant, I guess) show up. Big Jay wanted a golf ball. He could have walked up and said, "Hey guys, can I borrow a golf ball for this photo shoot?"

No way. These mascots were totally in character. They danced up to us and mimed out "we need a golf ball, please" for us.

Me and Bill are old enough that we're a little past mascot cuteness. Doesn't matter -- the Jayhawks were  pros. They never broke the first law of Jayhawk mascotting: be the bird.

Ed Hunter posthumously inducted into Green Industry HOF

Edwin J. Hunter, inventor and founder of Hunter Industries, has been posthumously inducted into the Green Industry Hall of Fame, an organization dedicated to honoring individuals who have made lasting contributions to the betterment of the Green Industry. Inclusion in the Hall of Fame is a distinct honor and Hunter Industries is proud to have their founder included.

According to the Hall of Fame, Ed received the honor because, "His efforts and contributions have proven valuable in ensuring the development and future of our industry." Such contributions include the world's first irrigation controller, plastic sprinkler, rotor, plastic valve, valve-in-head golf course sprinkler and stream rotor.

Ed passed away in 1998 at the age of 80. His contributions to product innovation and production processes stand as a testament to his tireless work ethic, passion for engineering, and unquestionable ingenuity. Thanks to organizations like the Green Industry Hall of Fame, his legacy and name will live on for many generations to come.

Poa products

My people:

I'm working on something along the lines of the new Poa products available on the market.

If you're using one, quit using one, considering using one... I'd love to hear from you. Drop me a call (785-690-7047) or an email!

Pictured is a photo of some Poa creeping into bentgrass... oh, and the original Batmobile on top of it.

(Yes, I went to Comic-Con two weeks ago... and yes, I took a photo of every Batmobile from every movie, as they were all parked right there next to the San Diego Convention Center! And no, I don't know that there is any Poa in this photo. And yes, I just wanted an excuse to post this photo here.)

The 5.9% Club

I'm thrilled with the reaction our July cover story is generating with readers. It's got people talking, young and old.

If you haven't read the story yet, click here.  The story, written by Jay Charnes, a former superintendent, questions whether his chosen profession was a position he could have kept until retirement. Numbers show that very few superintendents are age 60 and older.

I'm putting up a poll. What do you think: are you concerned about making it to the 5.9%?

Final thought here -- how much cooler would it have been if that number would have been 6.0%? I've had readers email me about "The 5.9% Club." That's cool. But "The 6.0% Club," where you have to be 60 or older and a working superintendent? That would have been perfect.

Ahh well. I'm not going to manipulate numbers, even a tenth of a percent, because it looks cooler.

Don't let the K-Staters see this one...

I received this in the mailbox here at Golfdom HQ last week... I'm willing to bet Golfdom magazine has never received an offer from Kansas football before.

Hmm... think I can justify that expense?

OK, K-State fans: the comments section is all yours.

Fire Destroys Maintenance Building, Kills Two Dogs

Sad news from my friend Chris Sorrell, who recently took the superintendent job at Boiling Springs Golf Course in Woodward, Okla.

Last week a fire destroyed his maintenance facility, and most important to him, killed his two dogs, "Shooter," a 12-year-old schnauzer, and "Boswell," a 2-year-old Border Collie. Sorrell discovered the fire at about 6 p.m., after it was already out of control.

"It's totally awful. I couldn't get anywhere near the door... there was black smoke everywhere. (The dogs) were maybe eight or 10 feet away from me," Sorrell told me today, sadness in his voice. "You know, the whole bloody thing could have burned down if my dogs were just out on the course with me, instead of being trapped inside the shop."

Nearby courses and the local John Deere distributor, PK Equipment, have already lent a hand, donating mowers and a cup cutter. Truth be told, there just aren't many courses in this part of Oklahoma, and Sorrell, being so new to the region, doesn't know many of his fellow superintendents in the region.

"One of the real disadvantages is I've not been involved in the local chapter much, since I've only been out here for two-and-a-half months," Sorrell said. "The timing is terrible. I haven't had time to make many contacts."

If anyone would like to reach out to Chris to lend a hand, he can be reached at 580-216-5408.

Turf trials at Arkansas

Golfdom's research editor, Clark Throssell, is on the road the next couple of days, checking out research trials. He checks in with us here from Fayetteville:

Drought is the common theme on this trip. Just like in Illinois and Indiana,
it is extremely dry in Arkansas. As the plane was landing in Arkansas it was
easy to tell the turf sites that were irrigated and those that weren't. And in
a quick unscientific survey made through the airplane window, most turf sites
including home lawns, are not irrigated in northwest Arkansas. I didn't see
any golf courses as the plane was landing so I can't say much on how they are
faring with the drought.

Mike Richardson, Ph.D., and Doug Karcher, Ph.D., turfgrass scientists at the
University of Arkansas have a great turf program in place. Both Mike and Doug
have active research programs that cover many important issues facing the golf
industry. Fayetteville, Ark., home of the University of Arkansas, is one
of the places in the country where both cool and warm season grasses can be
grown so I saw all the major turfgrass species in the field.

The time I spent with Mike was devoted to looking at field experiments
designed to improve cool season turfgrass performance during heat and drought
stress, cultivar evaluations and several management studies. One of the
management studies focused on bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and Kentucky bluegrass
performance on sand capped native soil managed like a golf course tee. The
results were interesting and Mike and his graduate students will have
great practical recommendations to share based on this research.

Have you seen the kitty cat?

First we told you about the "phantom" cow that made Sunflower Hills Golf Course his home, as published here and in our July issue (pg. 8). Now we bring you news of a cat that's gone missing from her stomping grounds, Palmira Golf Course (St. John, Ind.).

The white feline, also known as Snowball, has resided on Palmira Golf Course for 10 years and hasn't been seen on the course since Sunday. Palmira owner Kelly Nicpon told The Times of northwest Indiana, "We found her as a kitten.... She's become a golf course cat. She never leaves the premises."

But when course superintendent Bill Zientara went to feed Muffins as usual Monday morning, the feline wasn't there. The Times reports that the cat's disappearance has "baffled those who knew her as the friendly cat who jumps up on golf carts, snacks on special treats and even poses for photos."

Here's hoping Muffins returns home soon!

Turf trials at Illinois

Golfdom's research editor, Clark Throssell, is on the road the next couple of days, checking out research trials. He checks in with us here from Champaign-Urbana:

On Wednesday I traveled to spend time with the turfgrass scientists at the
University of Illinois and see some of their field research in progress. As
the plane was landing in Indianapolis (I drove from Indy to Champaign-Urbana,
home of the University of Illinois) I was struck by the extremely dry
conditions. The flight path took us over two golf courses. One course was only
watering greens and the other was only watering greens, tees and fairways. All
the unwatered turf was brown. And it looked like it had been brown for a long
time. For mid-July the dry conditions were severe with much more hot summer
weather to follow. It has already been a long summer for turf in the Midwest.
Like much of the rest of the country, Indiana and Illinois need rain.

At the University of Illinois I meet with Tom Fermanian, Ph.D., to review two
fertility trials on putting greens and evaluations of tall fescue and fine
fescue cultivars. The trials looked great, they were all irrigated, and
yielding useful information. I spent my time with Bruce Branham, Ph.D,
reviewing some of his annual bluegrass control experiments. He is examining
both new and old compounds in various application strategies to selectively
remove annual bluegrass from the desired turf. Bruce keeps chipping away at
controlling annual bluegrass and over the years has developed effective annual
bluegrass control programs.

Focusing Irrigation on Priority Areas

In case you missed it, here's yesterday's Puttin' Down Roots, by Karl Danneberger.

What do you think? In times of drought, does the rough deserve a drink? Leave us a comment below! 

With drought conditions hitting many parts of the United States this year, watering is a critical issue not only in the amount available but how it should be used. In areas where water is limited, prioritize the critical areas on a golf course that need to receive water. Obviously, greens are at the top of the list, followed by tees.

But from a golfing perspective, areas like greens surrounds/complex and associated fairway and rough landing areas may need to be considered. The green complex provides not only a visually aesthetic area but also an important area for playability. Golfers don't want to miss the putting surface by a few yards and see their golf balls bounce 30 to 50 yards away.

One of the most difficult areas to decide how to water is fairway landing areas. In some cases where water is plentiful even with a drought, the tendency is to overwater. This results in the ball plugging or causes little roll. To the golfer this is extremely disappointing, especially if a playing partner misses the fairway slightly but gets an additional 30 yards because of drought conditions in the rough.

A room with a view

Here's a shot from our new digs!

Please pardon our dust!

Golfdom -- and North Coast Media -- is moving offices today!

Our new address is:

1360 E. 9th St.
Suite 1070
Cleveland, OH
44114

However, if you wish to reach one Seth A. Jones (allegedly the hacker pictured here,) his address remains the same:

709 E. 14th St.
Eudora, KS
66025

Thank you!

Pace Turf video on dead grass

Dr. Larry Stowell of Pace Turf has released a new video on the heat and turf conditions these next few weeks. Might be worth sharing with golfers at your course. The video is embedded here and can be embedded on your course's website as well.


It's been in the 100s consistently here in NE Kansas... my hat is off to all you guys dealing with this weather!



When catastrophic turf losses occur due to record high heat, it can be frustrating, because there is no one to blame. The reality is that there is nothing that anyone can do in the face of the radically high temperatures and humidities the U.S. has experienced this year. “We expect to see lots of dead turf in the next two weeks, and we also expect that most of that grass will need many weeks to recover,” says Dr. Larry Stowell, director of PACE Turf. To encourage golfers to take these difficult conditions in stride, PACE Turf has released a video “Golfing on Dead Grass” now showing on YouTube.

In the video, Dr. Stowell explains to golfers that there is something they can do to help the situation. “First, be patient -- the turf will eventually recover, but it may take until fall. Secondly, why not continue playing golf even if conditions are not ideal? Sure, it won't be the same, but it can still be fun. And you will be supporting the game of golf and the golf industry, as well,” he says.

Toro spreading the word

A while back I was on the phone with Bob VandenBoom and he told me about the Toro Leaderboard. I went to the site and played around with it for a bit. It's an interesting idea. And I know what Toro is thinking on this, because superintendents trust their fellow superintendent.

Below is the press release about Toro's Leaderboard:

In multiple GCSAA member surveys, golf course superintendents consistently rank word-of-mouth from other superintendents as one of the most influential factors in a new equipment purchase decision — second only to local distributor support. Based on this research and an impassioned customer base, the marketing team created the Toro Leaderboard ( www.toro.com/Leaderboard), a new website that facilitates word-of-mouth sharing between superintendents who own Toro Equipment or Irrigation solutions.

“Our customers are the best advocates for Toro products,” says Bob VandenBoom, Toro’s senior marketing manager. “The Leaderboard website simply facilitates connections for course superintendents who are researching a new equipment purchase. They can see what nearby courses say they like about Toro products in their own words and even pick up the phone and call the course to learn more details about the product or service related experience.”

Golfdom wants to fly you places!

Exciting news!

Golfdom wants to fly you to Orlando. Or maybe Los Angeles. Heck, maybe BOTH.

Seriously.

I know, other magazines want to give you free hats, free webinars, free paper weights or a free high-five. (OK, we're known to give an occasional high-five as well.) But here at Golfdom, we've got some serious stuff we want to give to you, the green industry professional.

Check this out:

The 2012 Golfdom Summit has been announced (check out page 6 of this month's issue) and we're going to the beautiful Reunion Resort in Orlando! Hopefully you remember the Golfdom Summit from last year -- we put it on our cover of the December 2011 issue.

The 2011 Golfdom Summit was at Pinehurst Resort. We played Pinehurst No. 2. We had guest speakers like Rees Jones (pictured), Bob Farren (speaking, below), Ken Mangum, Clark Throssell and Anthony Williams. Simply put, a good time was had by all.

This year we're firing up the Golfdom Summit again. We're still working on the agenda and guest speakers, using what we learned from year one. Can we improve on last year's experience at Pinehurst? It'll be tough, but we're going to try like hell.

To apply for the Golfdom Summit, click right here and enter your information. I'm not sure about the number of supers we're taking yet, but my guess would be at around 50. You have to apply before I can take you to Orlando with me!

But wait, that's not all!

Golfdom and Rain Bird are teaming up to take one lucky winner and a guest of his/her choice to the Intelligent Use of Water film competition in Beverly Hills, Calif. 

That's right -- Beverly Hills, Calif. You. A friend. And your new friends from Golfdom.

We're formally announcing this sweepstakes in the July issue, but I'm giving you a head's up right now. Go here to enter your name. If you win, you can bring your wife, or your best friend, or your assistant, or your GM, whoever. We don't care. But please bring someone fun, because you'll be hanging out with me and Golfdom publisher Pat Roberts (with Jack Hanna, petting the alligator), and we like to have fun.

The trip centers around the Intelligent Use of Water film competition. We'll attend the screening. Then we'll see some sites. That's it -- no sales pitch or anything.

But be sure to give the kind folks at Rain Bird a shout-out after you're done rollin' down Rodeo, because they're the ones who have made this whole trip possible!

Man, talk about a fun blog post... we're flying people to both coasts, just hooking superintendents up!

OK... I'll admit it, I want a high-five.