TPC Scottsdale's environmental effort

Jeff Plotts, TPC Scottsdale, hosts this week WM Phoenix Open.

It's time for the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. The largest spectator golf event in the world is also now trying its hand at being the most environmentally friendly event ever. This story from PGATour.com details the efforts, which includes a goal of diverting 90 percent of tournament waste into recycling and composting facilities.

In a quote from the story, Plotts tells PGATour.com, "It's our environmental responsibility to continue to find ways to conserve natural resources and protect the environment, and we are hopeful that local golfers and tournament fans will embrace these types of green efforts in their own lives. We applaud the efforts of Waste Management and the Thunderbirds to reduce landfill waste, and look forward to supporting the Zero Waste Challenge in partnership with TPC Scottsdale employees and tournament fans during this year's Waste Management Phoenix Open."

Good luck to our friend Jeff Plotts and the crew at TPC Scottsdale... we'll be looking forward to seeing how the effort plays out!

But I don't even know how to skate!

From the new ESPN the Magazine, page 77...

Plant health -- or lack thereof

I try to avoid looking at it. Because every time I see it I am racked by guilt. Every day when I arrive to work, there it is -looking forlorn and woefully neglected: My plant.

It started as a vibrant, hot pink petunia. Now, it's not much of anything. Just look at it. I haven't seen the semblance of a flower in months. And just last week I cut nearly all of its stems and leaves off.  It seemed only right. They all had evolved to brown crisps. "Help me!" the plant seemed to be saying. I suppose I could have watered it a little more. OK, a lot more.

My tragic neglect of the plant has given it a staunch following. People around here check up on it daily. They leave shaking their heads. Because despite my desperate attempt to resuscitate it, the plant never shows marked improvement. In fact, I'm not convinced it's still a flowering plant. But those in the know assure me it's definitely not a weed.

I will continue to work hard to bring it back to life. All I can do is keep watering it, I guess. Unless you have better advice? I welcome your feedback. Help me help my plant.

Introducing the winner of the first ever Herb Graffis Business Person of the Year award...

Mr. Paul Chojnacky, superintendent of Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif.!

Congrats, Paul! Read all about it here: http://www.golfdom-digital.com/golfdom/201201?#pg1

Yep.

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Party peopplllllllllllle!

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Dinner at the BIGGA 25th anniv party -- meat pie!

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York Minster

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London calling

Well, my BTME experience is over. Feels like it just started!

The 25th anniversary dinner last night was great. Good food, good company. Jacobsen sponsored the event and was kind enough to invite Goldom to the party as their guests, so thanks to them, or, as everyone says over here , "cheers!"

We're on our way to London now before our flight out tomorrow morning. We made a quick stop in York, which was also an amazing place... The size of the cathedral there, wow.

I'll post a few pics from the event, the York minster, etc., now...

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BTME in full swing

This day has gone by too fast... got two Golfdom TV interviews, stopped by a few other booths and investigated into what they have that's new and exciting... saw an interesting survey of golfers that showed some results that might surprise supers... met with GCSAA pals and interviewed Rhett Evans about future of the GIS show.

Not much time to blog now, I'm off to the 25th BTME anniversary party! More soon...

Hendren's Hyperbole: No Shame in Turf

Question of the day: What do funeral services, weather forecasting and golf course and turfgrass management have in common?

According to an article written by Greg Voakes on www.guyism.com, they are the top online bachelor degree programs you should be ashamed of.

Thanks a pant load Gregg. Good lookin' out! Where does writing brutal, idiotic articles for a smut online magazine rate on your list? What, an article on 101 ways to please your woman or 30 days to great abs was already taken?


I am glad I dropped a lot of cash and time EARNING a degree I could be ashamed of. What a joke. This is what Greg had to say about a golf course and turfgrass management degree. “Golf course and turfgrass management sounds like the most boring online bachelor program ever. If you yearn literally to watch grass grow, deal with old rich people who smell funny and have bad attitudes, and water/mow the lawn, this is definitely for you.”

The really bad thing about this article is that people really feel this way about our industry. For example, about ten years ago I was at my wife’s work Christmas party when I found myself ditched by my wife, so I was stuck carrying on a conversation with the spouse of one of her coworkers -- you know, the worst possible Christmas party scenario. During the conversation the guy asks me what I do for a living and I tell him I'm a golf course superintendent.

Sharp Park Golf Course Stays Alive

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday not to close the Sharp Park Golf Course, much to the dismay of environmentalists who claim the course endangers frogs and snakes on the course.

The board's vote upheld San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee's December veto of an ordinance that would have closed the course and made it national parkland, meaning golf would be forbidden.

On Tuesday, Supervisor John Avalos, who wrote the ordinance, garnered 6 votes in support of closing the course; he needed 8. Though the course gets a reprieve for now, it's not home free entirely; the case is headed for trial in federal district court this July. Until then, however, golfers know for certain they can tee off all they want.

New PACE Turf Video Explores Turfgrass K

PACE Turf has released a new video educating superintendents on just how much potassium turf really requires.

In the video, Dr. Micah Woods, chief scientist of the Asian Turfgrass Center, describes research he performed on sandy soils from around the globe. Woods deduced that the amount of potassium used on golf course turf is actually more than plants require.

The Dr. Woods video is the first in a PACE series called “Interviews with the Experts". Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rMM-4XJ5dA. 

Fungicide Found in Popular Brands of Orange Juice

It appears fungicides have a new use -- orange juice additive.

Coca-Cola Co. has alerted the Food and Drug Administration that fungicide was found in its orange juices Minute Maid and Simply Orange, as well as in an unnamed orange juice manufactured by one of its competitors.

Coke notified the FDA Monday after low levels of the fungicide carbendazim were discovered in the juice. Carbendazim is used to control mold on orange trees in Brazil, which exports orange juice to the United States.

According to the FDA, Coca-Cola Co. found fungicide levels up to 35 parts per billion, much lower than the 80 parts per billion the Environmental Protection Agency says raises concerns. Even so, something about the thought of fungicide in our O.J. doesn't sound very appetizing.

Email from Sandy Queen, GCSAA VP

The GCSAA has been busy lately, as I've seen a few emails from my friends at 1421 Research Park Drive these past couple of days...

I just got a nice email from Sandy Queen, current VP of the GCSAA and the GCSAA golf tournament director, asking if I was going to play in the tournament this year and reminding me that the deadline to register had been extended. It was a broadcast email to all the participants in last's years tournament.

At the end of the email he asked that if I was not going, if I could email him and let him know why.

I just emailed him and told him my three big concerns:

Golfdom TV -- Syngenta Business Institute

We have a new Golfdom TV video we're set to debut here in a couple of days via the Golfdom Insider e-newsletter... for those of you loyal blog readers, here it is in advance!

The video is taken at the Graylyn Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., and is about the 2011 Syngenta Business Institute, what the seminar is like, and how superintendents can get involved in 2012.

Thanks to Stephanie Schwenke, golf marketing manager for Syngenta, for taking the time to be interviewed on camera. And thanks to everyone at Syngenta for having me there, even though I wasn't able to stay for the duration of the program!

Golfdom EIC Seth Jones had the good fortune of being invited to this year's Syngenta Business Institute at Wake Forest University. He checks in with Stephanie Schwenke, Syngenta's golf marketing manager, to discuss the event and how superintendents can get involved.

BIGGA on my mind

I'm getting emails and phone calls about the Golf Industry Show. Which is great, because I'm PUMPED for this year's GIS.

But before I can get really worked up about the GIS (I just booked my flight yesterday), I've got to get ready for the BIGGA show in Harrogate, United Kingdom, baby! (Doesn't have quite the same ring as 'Vegas, baby!' but oh well.)

This will be my first trip to the BIGGA Turfgrass Management Expo (BTME). Keep an eye out for some coverage here on the blog the week of January 23rd.

If you've been to the BIGGA show and have any advice for me, I'm all ears, shoot me an email. If you will be at the BIGGA show and would like to meet up, drop me a line and we'll make it happen.

Meanwhile, stay tuned and see what kind of trouble your pal Jonesy can get into across the pond. It's Golfdom at the BIGGA show... and it's going to be exciting, I promise.

Jacobsen adds dealer

Jacobsen today announced a new dealer for the sale of its equipment in the Maryland, Virginia and Delaware areas.

Horizon Distributors, Inc., a full-service distributor of landscape and irrigation products, has announced its expansion into the mid-Atlantic territories with the acquisition of the Jacobsen product line from G.L. Cornell Company.   

“Horizon has a proven business model based around customer satisfaction. We are confident they will make significant strides in this market due to this commitment to customer service, highly experienced personnel and dedication to the golf and turf market,” said Ric Stone, Jacobsen’s Vice President of Sales.

To golf in the GCSAA tournament, or not to golf in the GCSAA tournament?

The deadline for registering for the GCSAA golf tournament (AKA the National Championship and Golf Classic) is this Friday.

I played in my first tournament last year, after years of wanting to attend but being unable to (only a handful of GCSAA staff people go to tournament, and I wasn't one of them.) And I have to tell you, it was a classy event. The courses in Palm Beach, Fla., were great, the rooms at PGA National were nice, the registration gifts were cool (I still wear the Bolle sunglasses) and the company was excellent, a tremendous group of people. I had fun.

But by the end of the ensuing GIS, I was just done. Toasted. Wore out. Adding the golf classic made it for a looooong trip to the GIS last year. I'm looking forward to Las Vegas this year, but I'm not looking to making the trip too long for my family, my calendar and my liver, to handle.

I still love ya GCSAA, but you will have to go it without my sorry high-handicap ass this year. I'm sure you won't miss my golf, but you might miss my golf registration fee.

Take the Golfdom poll: What primary reason keeps you from going to the GCSAA tournament? The poll is right over there in the top right column -----> There you go. Go ahead, click an answer. Click any answer. I promise we won't laugh. It's anonymous, after all.

Can they take 10?

Pinehurst Resort is launching a web series tomorrow, called "Take 10 Challenge," taking two regular Joes and putting them through the Pinehurst Golf Academy to see if they can shave ten strokes off their games in four days. Here's the preview of the series:

 

Hmm... looks like it could be fun. Here's the press release:

Two men. Four Days. Ten strokes. With famed Pinehurst No. 2 as the backdrop. 

That is the scenario facing Bill Friese and Mike McClanahan in Pinehurst Golf Academy’s “Take 10 Challenge,” a weekly web series that launches today with a teaser video at www.pinehurst.com/take10. The first of six full, weekly episodes will be posted to the site on Wednesday mornings, beginning tomorrow, January 4. 

Positive thoughts to our friend Dennis Lyon

After a nice long holiday break (the entire office closed down for over a week!) we're back in action.

I was shocked to see this sad news on GCSAA.org about our friend Dennis Lyon, who was hit by a truck while walking his dog. Thankfully Dennis survived... you can send him your positive thoughts via his CaringBridge site here.

Hang in there, Dennis!