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.

The Comeback Plant

By Beth Geraci

Today at the office, huge news broke. Huge. After one full year, a flower actually bloomed on my petunia plant. There hasn't been one bloom on the thing since last summer. I admit, it is sort of girly to post about my plant, but this really is a most exciting development. I had to share.

My plant is an underdog. It did not quit! Earlier this year, its leaves were brown and crisp. It was nothing more than a thin, small stalk resembling a weed. But  reinvigorated efforts to revive it by me and a coworker (who repotted it for me) gave it a new chance at life. Look at it now!

Plant, you're an inspiration.

Before                                                                         After

                                                                                    

Audubon International's 25th

Got the below press release recently. We also covered this with our own feature story in Golfdom, which you can read here: http://www.golfdom-digital.com/golfdom/201112?pg=26#pg26

On June 25, 1987, the modernized Articles of Incorporation for The Audubon Society of New York State, Inc. were filed with the New York Department of State. On Tuesday, a quarter of a century later, Audubon International proudly celebrated the 25th anniversary of the “rebirth” of the organization.




 In 1973, Ronald G. Dodson and his family moved to Henderson, Ky. Upon crossing the Ohio River, the first sight they witnessed was Audubon State Park. With a hearty passion for parks, nature and the overall environment, Ron began volunteering at Audubon, and he was eventually asked to take over as the park naturalist. Soon, he was elected President of the Henderson Audubon Society, and for a number of years, Ron served as the president of the Audubon Society of Kentucky.

“Suffice it to say,” Ron recalls, “Audubon Park and various Audubon organizations became totally woven into the fabric of everything that our entire family was involved with.”

In 1982, Ron and his wife, Theresa, took a trip to New York in pursuit of his dream job -- working for the National Audubon Society. He interviewed for the position of northeast regional vice president, which he was offered and accepted on the spot. Over the next five years, Ron and his associate, Nan Chadwick, worked diligently on several effective nature programs, including Nestbox Network, Loon Ranger and an information program supporting the efforts to reintroduce the bald eagle to New York state.

Check out Golfdom's new columnist!

I'm very excited to introduce Golfdom's new columnist...

He's hosted a U.S. Open...

He's served as president of the GCSAA...

He's worked as the CEO of the GCSAA...

Now he's in business for himself, working both in the states and in China...

He's none other than Mark Woodward, CGCS!

From all of us a Golfdom, welcome to the team, Mark! We're excited to see what your new monthly column, "At the Turn," will offer to our readers each month!

To read Mark's first column, click here.

Introducing the Web.com Tour!

The PGA Tour and Web.com (Nasdaq:WWWW), the leading provider of internet services
and online marketing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses
(SMBs), today announced a 10-year agreement whereby the company becomes
the umbrella sponsor of the newly named Web.com Tour.

Formerly known as the Nationwide Tour, the Web.com Tour will continue
to identify and transition players who are ready to compete and win on
the PGA Tour. It currently awards PGA Tour membership to the 25 leading
money winners at the end of the season. Beginning in 2013, however, the
importance of the Web.com Tour will further increase when the new
qualifying structure for the PGA Tour expands that number to 50.

The Web.com umbrella sponsorship takes effect immediately with this
week's United Leasing Championship at Victoria National Golf Club near
Evansville, Ind., and extends through 2021. In addition to the umbrella
sponsorship, Web.com will also become an Official Marketing Partner of
the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and Champions Tour.

The announcements were made jointly by PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim
Finchem; David L. Brown, Web.com's Chairman, President and CEO; and
Bill Calfee, President of the Web.com Tour.

e-par USA gets thumb's up from Wisconsin

The e‐par USA Environmental Management System (EMS) for Golf has been accepted as “functionally equivalent” to the ISO 14001 EMS standard by the Green Tier Program, the State of Wisconsin’s environmental excellence recognition program managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). As a result of this endorsement, golf facilities adopting the e‐par EMS for Golf will be eligible for recognition of their voluntary environmental accomplishments through the Green Tier Program.

“We are pleased to receive this acknowledgement from the regulatory community, and I am confident that Wisconsin will be the first of many state environmental programs to see the value of our environmental management platform,” said Kevin A. Fletcher, Ph.D., CEO of e‐par USA. “The e‐par online EMS tool helps golf facilities protect the natural environment by using an ISO 14001‐compliant approach to regulatory compliance, risk management, liability containment, and environmental excellence. Therefore, it’s a natural way for golf facilities to participate in terrific state and local environmental recognition efforts such as Wisconsin’s Green Tier Program.”

Through Wisconsin’s Green Tier Program (http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/GreenTier/), participating organizations agree to adopt an environmental management system that meets the ISO 14001 environmental standard. Organizations adopting and implementing the e‐par USA Environmental Management System will meet this requirement. Green Tier adds value to any efforts of implementing an EMS by providing incentives for superior environmental performance, such as a customized working relationship with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

New email addresses for your friends at Golfdom

I just sent this email out to a buncha people:

Hello friends and colleagues,

I want to let you know that this will be my last week to receive email to the address sjones@questex.com. My new (and currently operational) email address is sjones@northcoastmedia.net.

In case you haven't heard, Golfdom and our sister publications (Landscape Management, Pest Management Professional, Pit and Quarry, LP Gas and GPS World) have been acquired by Cleveland-based start-up North Coast Media. For all the exciting details you can see the press release here: http://www.golfdom.com/golfdom-issue/north-coast-media-launches-acquires-golfdom-magazi

Voicemail:

Yesterday afternoon, 3:30 p.m. CST.

"Hey Seth, it's (name), got your message. Listen, I'd be happy to talk to you, but if it's OK with you, I'm just going to call you back tomorrow. I've been here since 4:30 a.m., and, well, I'm ready to get the hell out of here."

100 Holes, One Day

We are fortunate to have a lot of friends here at Golfdom... I like to think it's our glowing personalities, but it might moreso be our willingness to pick up a bar tab...

Regardless, when a friend of Golfdom (in this case, Brian Laurent, associate director over at the Ohio Turf Foundation) goes out on a mission to raise money for a good cause -- and does so by playing 100 holes of golf -- well, we're happy to spread the word.

And Brian is playing for a charity we adore... the Wee One Foundation (oh, how I'd like to be invited to a Wee One Foundation event... someday.)

You can learn more about Brian's 100 golf hole effort at http://www.hundredholehike.com/golfers/brian-laurent

In Brian's own words: "I’ll play 100+ holes of golf, walking the entire way and raising money for the Wee One Foundation through pledges from friends, strangers…anyone who wants to support the cause. Pledges come in the form of lump sum contributions ($50 to the cause) or as a per-hole pledge ($0.50 per hole, if I play 100 holes it’s $50 to the Wee One Foundation). People can also get creative in their pledges...$5 for every birdie, $25 for every round under 80, etc."

That's pretty bold, Brian, trying to raise money per birdie. If I tried that, I'd probably end up costing the charity money! (Maybe that's why the Wee One Foundation isn't calling...)

Best of luck, Brian, on your round!

Koch Agronomic Services T&O names new director

The Turf and Ornamental (T&O) division of Koch Agronomic Services has hired a new director for the group, Tim Sturm.

Sturm joins the business as vice president, T&O, and will be based in Wichita, Kan. He will lead the further development and growth of the T&O division, including sales and marketing of UMAXX and UFLEXX nitrogen stabilized fertilizer products, as well as turf applications for Nitamin slow release fertilizer products. He will also focus on growing the business through new customer partnerships, geographic expansions, new product introductions and acquisitions.

Sturm joins the KAS team from The Coleman Company where he worked as vice president of US sales. Prior to that, he gained extensive experience in the consumer turf and ornamental business at The Scotts Company. At The Scotts Company, Sturm managed the growth of large national accounts as sales director and served in a customer marketing leadership role for all retail channels.

"When KAS acquired the assets of Agrotain International late last year, including the T&O business and brands, we saw great potential to grow this business and provide additional value for our customers. We are starting with an excellent team and a solid foundation of products and customer relationships,” said Jamil Toubassi, senior vice president of KAS.

Toubassi continued, “Tim and his team will lead the process of bringing enhanced efficiency fertilizers and value-added technologies to this market. Bringing these science-based, proven technologies to the market is just one way we are working to create value for our customers and the market.”

For information about Koch Agronomic Services T&O division and products, visit www.agrotainturf.com.

"Phantom cow" loose on Kansas golf course

I saw this story in my local paper recently. Apparently there's a "phantom cow" hiding out at Sunflower Hills GC, just a few miles up the street from me in Bonner Springs, Kan. (Hendren used to work at Sunflower Hills, this cow has luckily avoided the Hendo ire!)

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/15/3660780/phantom-cow-hides-near-bonner.html

That's a pretty tough cow that can survive such an accident and then escape to the good life, roaming the outer areas of a golf course! The cow was probably a golfer in a previous life... or a superintendent.

Eagle One Golf sold

I just got off the phone with someone at Eagle One... they told me this is indeed good news for Eagle One Golf, that they knew of and had worked with Golf Supply House for a long time, and that this was "good synergy." 

Here's the press release: 

Golf Supply House is pleased to report that it has completed the purchase of Eagle One Golf Products of Anaheim, Calif.

Eagle One Golf Products has served the U.S. golf industry nationally for more than 20 years. It has a well developed manufacturing capability in several key product segments including recycled plastic golf course furnishings, golf course signage, golf flags and also distributes a broad line of other golf course equipment and supplies. Paul Cherrie, President of Golf Supply House added, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to acquire Eagle One Golf. This acquisition will allow us to increase the depth and breadth of our product offerings to better serve the North American golf market.”

Golf Supply House plans to continue to operate the Eagle One Golf office and production facility in Anaheim, as well as its Eastern Distribution Center in Charleston, S.C.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Biggest future challenge for greens managament

For our May issue, we sent out a survey to our members asking them questions about the challenges of maintaining greens. We learned things like 44 percent of you ride mow only, and that 8 to 10 on the Stimp is your preferred green speed.

We also asked two fill-in-the-blank questions: What was the biggest change to managing greens in the last five years, and what will be the biggest challenge to maintaining your greens in the next five years?

We've posted 200 responses to the first question so far. You can find those answers here (part one) and here (part two.)

Now we're switching it over to the second question, the one that asks supers to tell us (some of them reluctantly) what will be the biggest challenge in these next five years. Here are the first 100 questions, from our Golfdom readers:

1	Maintaining turf health with the pressure for fast greens speeds.
2	newer lightweight and environmentally friendlier rollers mowers.
3	Poa seed head management and salt build-up
4	Maintaing the same inputs with fewer resources, both money and plan protectant products
5	Water quality. Our course is in a part of the country with scarce water supplies.
6	Getting a better handle on preventative measures to reduce disease incidence and improve putting surfaces all year around. We are working toward this goal and with 65,000 rounds/year it is one that seems to be coming closer to reality for us and one that is necessary.
7	Fertilizer regulation. Not impossible but will change what we currently do.
8	Age of greens, lack of money to replace them
9	Probably more rolling and maybe not as much mowing if rolling is used in its place. (providing we can purchase a roller)
10	Poa annua encroachment. Why? Because it is a weed!

Dollar-Dollar Spot, y'all!

If you're signed up for Golfdom's e-newsletters, you already got the below e-blast from Dr. Karl Danneberger regarding Dollar Spot. If you're not signed up for our e-newsletters, you can sign up for them here.
***

With summer's arrival the potential for dollar spot severity increases with relatively warm, humid weather present through much of the northern and eastern United States. Dollar spot is a serious problem on annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass turf through the fall; and increasingly on bermudagrass -- especially the ultradwarfs -- and seashore paspalum during late summer. The pathogen, Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, actively grows and infects when temperatures are between 60 and 86 F. White mycelium is often present in the mornings when dew is present. With morning fog becoming more frequent, this will only increase the severity and activity of dollar spot.

Cultural practices to reduce disease severity center on soil/leaf moisture and nitrogen fertility.  Prolonged periods of wetness when temperatures are favorable are conducive for disease symptoms. To reduce disease severity try practices that help reduce leaf wetness, including dew removal through a light morning syringe or whipping or dragging the turf. This would be especially helpful on the days fairway mowing is not done. For greens, rolling after mowing has been reported to reduce the incidence of dollar spot. In addition, keeping the soil moisture on the dry side can help reduce dollar spot. Nitrogen levels should be maintained at an adequate level.

Karl Danneberger, Ph.D., Golfdom's science editor and a turfgrass professor from The Ohio State University, can be reached at danneberger.1@osu.edu

Mark Langner interview on Golfdom TV

Did you get your new issue of Golfdom in the mail today? I did!

You'll notice that the cover story is about the 10th anniversary of the Experience at FarmLinks.

Here is the Golfdom TV video I promised in the article, with Mark Langner, FarmLinks director of agronomy, talking about the fire at the maintenance facility, and some exciting partnerships that they've made at everyone's favorite research and demo golf course:

You may have seen this in yesterday's Golfdom Insider email. Was there a weird spacing issue in your version of the Golfdom Insider? I heard back from one person that there was some extra spaces that shouldn't have been there. Weird. I saw them in one draft, but they had disappeared in the draft we approved. I don't get technology sometimes, that's for sure.