golf course management - november 2015
DESCRIPTION
A publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of AmericaTRANSCRIPT
Golf Course Management Magazinewww.gcsaa.org • November 2015
Offcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
INSIDE: Is propane golf’s fuel of the future? PAGE 52
GCMProtecting
the past 38
GCSAA GolfChampionships 64
Bee basics 72
It’s all about the members as GCSAA boosts its Washington, D.C., presence PAGE 44
Capitolachievements
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10 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
CONTENTS11.15
44
52
58
64
Cause and affectGCSAA is steadfast, tireless in
taking on members’ challenges.
The addition of a full-time
presence in the nation’s capital
exemplifies that commitment.
Howard Richman
Power playIs propane the fuel of the future
for golf course maintenance? A
test program at Stone Mountain
Golf Club and seven other prop-
erties is hoping to answer that
question.
Scott Hollister
Tree-mendous teamworkSahalee Country Club uses
communication, coordination
and collaboration to maintain
major championship conditions
throughout the year.
Roger Graves
Home gameA longtime participant in the
GCSAA Golf Championships, Kevin
Kienast, CGCS, relishes his oppor-
tunity to play host when the event
comes to San Diego in February.
Bill Newton
On the cover: © Shutterstock/Orhan Cam
12 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
INSIGHTS
RESEARCH
16 President’s Message
18 CEO Message
20 Front Nine
30 Photo Quiz
70 Up to Speed
80 Verdure
82 Product News
86 Industry News
92 Climbing the Ladder
92 On Course
92 Coming Up
94 In the Field
95 On the Move
97 Newly Certified
97 New Members
100 In Memoriam
104 Final Shot
ETCETERA11.15
34ShopGratitude for the
modern stuff
Scott R. Nesbitt
AdvocacyA presidential
election primer
Kaelyn Seymour
CareerProfessionalism: Small
steps equal big results
Carol D. Rau, PHR
EnvironmentProtecting the past
Pamela C. Smith, CGCS
36Small40
st3832Turf
The final adventure
Teresa Carson
Bee basics and pollinator protectionChanges in traditional land management
practices can help pollinators coexist with
current land uses, including golf courses.
Faith B. Kuehn, Ph.D.
Cutting EdgeTeresa Carson
Ed
7972
GCSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President JOHN J. O’KEEFE, CGCS
Vice President PETER J. GRASS, CGCS
Secretary/Treasurer BILL H. MAYNARD, CGCS
Immediate Past President KEITH A. IHMS, CGCS
Directors RAFAEL BARAJAS, CGCS
KEVIN P. BREEN, CGCS
DARREN J. DAVIS, CGCS
JOHN R. FULLING JR., CGCS
MARK F. JORDAN, CGCS
Chief Executive Offcer J. RHETT EVANS
Chief Operating Offcer J.D. DOCKSTADER
GCM STAFF
Editor-in-Chief SCOTT HOLLISTER
Managing Editor MEGAN HIRT
Sr. Science Editor TERESA CARSON
Associate Editor HOWARD RICHMAN
Sr. Manager, Creative Services ROGER BILLINGS
Manager, Creative Services KELLY NEIS
Traffc Coordinator BRETT LEONARD
GCSAA This Week/Turf Weekly
Editor ANGELA HARTMANN
ADVERTISING 800-472-7878
Director, Corporate Sales MATT BROWN
Sr. Manager, Business Development JIM CUMMINS
Sr. Manager, International Development ERIC BOEDEKER
Account Development Manager BRETT ILIFF
Account Managers SHELLY URISH
KARIN CANDRL
GCM MISSION
Golf Course Management magazine is dedicated to advancing the golf course superin-tendent profession and helping GCSAA members achieve career success. To that end, GCM provides authoritative “how-to,” career-oriented, technical and trend information by industry experts, researchers and golf course superintendents. By advancing the profes-sion and members’ careers, the magazine contributes to the enhancement, growth and vitality of the game of golf.
The articles, discussions, research and other information in this publication are advisory only and are not intended as a substitute for specifc manufacturer instructions or training for the processes discussed, or in the use, application, storage and handling of the products mentioned. Use of this information is voluntary and within the control and discretion of the reader. ©2015 by GCSAA Com-munications Inc., all rights reserved.
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Golf Course Management MagazineOffcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
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16 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
I have been fortunate in my career to work with many young, aspiring golf course super-intendents — professionals who have crossed my path as students, interns, recent college graduates, and even assistant superintendents looking to take the next step in their careers.
I won’t be so bold as to call myself a mentor, but I’ve always tried to share as much knowl-edge and wisdom with these young turfgrass managers as I can, to pass along the lessons that I learned from those who guided me in my own career. We talk agronomics, business, personnel management, member relations — anything they might have an interest in learning about.
But if there is a particular message that I try to impart to them during our time to-gether, it is one that has been made very clear to me during my service as a GCSAA board member, and most notably during the past nine months as your association president: We can’t do this alone.
As most of you know, service on GCSAA’s national board of directors can require signif-cant time away from home and work. Travel-ing to our quarterly board meetings, meet-ing with chapters and members from coast to coast, and representing GCSAA at various golf industry events are simply part of the commitment that one makes when taking on a role with the board.
The ability to do that without disrupting life at home or at work requires a tremendous amount of team support. And I have been blessed to receive exactly that from my fam-ily as well as the management team and my greens staff at Preakness Hills Country Club during my years serving GCSAA. Frankly, my journey as a GCSAA board member would not have been possible without them.
At work, for example, I know that when I’m away, my assistants — senior assistant Anthony Espe, Steven Aspinall and Anthony Rogic — will keep our day-to-day operations and projects on track. That allows me to focus on GCSAA business without worrying (at least not much!) about what is happening back on the course. These gentlemen have proved themselves more than capable of handling the responsibilities placed upon them.
As a result of all of these experiences, I’ve also developed a healthy sense of optimism
about the future of our profession and the abilities of those students, interns and assis-tants who will carry our business forward. It is evident among my assistants, and I see it regu-larly in the efforts that your national associa-tion directs toward the training and support of these up-and-coming superintendents.
Take the educational offerings at the 2016 Golf Industry Show in San Diego, for exam-ple. The list of programs, services and classes that will be available there for those just be-ginning their climb up the golf course man-agement ladder is extensive. It stands as stark evidence of just how important these young professionals are to GCSAA and the kinds of resources that the association dedicates to helping them along their career paths. For more information about the spread of events available in San Diego and to register to at-tend, go to www.golfndustryshow.com.
You can also look to the committees and task groups that the association has for both assistants and students as proof of GCSAA’s commitment to these efforts. On a regu-lar basis, the national association is engag-ing these groups to identify their most press-ing needs, the areas they feel most passionate about, and the ways we can work with them to ensure not only their personal success mov-ing forward, but also the collective success of our industry.
Expressing optimism about the future of our business isn’t something you hear a lot of these days, but it’s something I feel very pas-sionate about, and something that I do with-out reservation. I’ve seen it frsthand, both at my club through the work of my staff and my assistants, and through GCSAA and its efforts to engage and educate those who will serve as the future leaders in the industry.
And as long as we continue to work to-gether, to trust in others and to support those looking to make their way in this business, I remain confdent that the future of golf course management is in great hands.
John J. O’Keefe, CGCS, is the director of golf course man-
agement at Preakness Hills Country Club in Wayne, N.J.,
and a 35-year member of GCSAA.
John J. O’Keefe, CGCS
Helping hands
As long as we
continue to work
together, to trust
in others and to
support those
looking to make
their way in this
business, I remain
confdent that the
future of golf course
management is in
great hands.
(president’s message)
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T H E P O W E R T O M A K E T H I N G S G R O W
18 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
In February, our attention will be on the Golf Industry Show, scheduled for Feb. 6 through 11 in San Diego, one of our most pop-ular destinations for the biggest annual event in the golf course management business.
The Golf Industry Show is one of my favor-ite weeks of the year. It provides me, and our entire GCSAA team, the invaluable interaction with members and industry friends that gives us insight into the challenges you are facing, and helps us shape how we can best serve you.
We’re headed to sunny San Diego for the third time in seven years, and I am particularly fond of San Diego because the 2010 Golf In-dustry Show there was my frst as part of the GCSAA staff. I had attended GIS before in a prior role, but it wasn’t until I was part of GCSAA that I really got a feel for the breadth of the show and was able to appreciate every-thing that was going on. The atmosphere was electric, with so many different facets coming together under one roof.
All of these moving parts — the education conference, the trade show, the golf events, the networking — come together on a level that can’t be found anywhere else throughout the year. I know I speak for all of our staff members when I say that we feel a special responsibility in putting together this annual event, where each attendee hopefully learns and also feels it was a good use of his or her time and money.
“I’ve been coming to the show for 16 or 17 years in a row, and this is going to end up being my best show ever,” said Robert Thorn, general manager of Inject-O-Meter, at the conclusion of the 2015 GIS in San Antonio. “It was so busy that I was still working and talking to people until at least a half-hour after the show closed.”
And the superintendents I spoke with ex-pressed the same sentiment.
“I am sorry I waited so long to attend,” said Jeff Wilson, superintendent at Bandon Dunes Golf Course in Bandon, Ore., who has been a GCSAA member for 18 years but was attend-ing his frst GIS.
“There are always new things to see in equipment,” said Brian Roth, CGCS at Oquirrh Hills Golf Course in Tooele, Utah, an 18-year GCSAA member who was attend-ing his sixth GIS. “In education, I took a lot of general sessions. It was nice to have so many sessions to choose from.”
Our event offers opportunities for mem-bers, and it is a chance to get together with our generous industry partners. GIS continues to be strong, with more than 14,000 attendees, more than 500 exhibitors and more than 380 hours of education. The Show will start Feb. 6 through 8 with a mix of fun and competition at the GCSAA Golf Championships. Then we’ll move indoors for the educational seminars and trade show Feb. 8 through 11.
Among the highlights in Southern Califor-nia will be:• The GCSAA Golf Championships, pre-
sented in partnership with the Toro Co., played on fve fantastic golf courses in the San Diego area (see “Home game” on Page 64 for more information).
• The Opening Session, presented in partner-ship with Syngenta, on Tuesday afternoon, at which we will honor our award winners, including our Old Tom Morris Award re-cipient, Herb Kohler.
• Individual educational tracks that feature focused sessions and seminars for assistant superintendents and equipment managers, and for those seeking specifc training in business or environmental management.
• The increasing role of GCSAA in advocacy for the golf industry will be evident in the educational offerings and our Grassroots Ambassador Boot Camp.And before we bring the curtain down on
San Diego, we’ll spend time with friends and laugh together at the Closing Celebration, pre-sented in partnership with John Deere Golf, where talented comedian and impersonator Frank Caliendo will perform. We bookend our week with informative and entertaining events, but throughout each day, GIS will offer you the latest information, products and connections to help you succeed in your career.
Registration for the 2016 GIS begins Nov. 3, so please go to www.golfndustryshow.com to fnd more information and to sign up for your trip to San Diego. I look forward to seeing each of you there.
J. Rhett Evans is GCSAA’s chief executive offcer.
See you in San Diego
All of these
moving parts —
the education
conference, the trade
show, the golf events,
the networking —
come together on
a level that can’t be
found anywhere else
throughout the year.
(from the CEO)
J. Rhett Evans
Twitter: @GCSAACEO
Mark Soto plans to keep a close eye on the presidential
election one year from now.
So why, you ask, does the election have special meaning
to a golf course superintendent such as Soto? Well, if Donald
Trump just happens to get elected next November and moves
into the Oval Offce soon thereafter, Soto’s golf course could
be affected.
How?
Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course in Laredo, Texas,
is so close to Mexico that you can see it. In fact, golfers at the
public facility have been known to hit an errant shot across
the bordering Rio Grande, landing in Mexico.
“It is only about a 130-, 140-yard shot across,” Soto
says. “I don’t know if you could play that shot, though — not
without alerting a whole bunch of different people.”
In case you have not heard his message, Trump has
mentioned more than a time or two that he wants to build a
wall along the U.S.-Mexican border as part of his get-tough
stance on immigration. The U.S.-Mexican border from Texas
to California is approximately 2,000 miles. Certain sections
demand a wall, Trump says.
Wall of fame
Photos by Monica Hurtado
Currently, with no Trump-type wall, Max A. Mandel GC
and Mexico are separated only by the Rio Grande. Soto
says that portions of the Rio Grande bordering the golf
course are only inches deep. No wonder, then, that illegal
immigrants have on occasion used the golf course prop-
erty to enter the country.
“They know where to cross. Some spots will take you
onto the golf course itself,” says Soto, noting that holes No.
3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and even 10 are areas of entry.
Soto, who is 39, married to Ana and has a 5-year-
old son named Mateo, earned a degree in plant sciences
from the University of Arizona. He recalls how an illegal
immigrant looking for a drink of water made a stop at the
maintenance facility. Those who are not supposed to be on
the course rarely leave it by themselves.
“The golf course is well patrolled with motion sen-
sors, cameras. They (illegal immigrants) tend not to get
very far,” says Soto, whose career has included helping
build and grow in a course in Honduras. “There is a big
presence of border patrol around here — helicopters, foot
traffc. It’s nonstop.”
Max A. Mandel GC, a Robert Trent Jones II Signa-
ture Design, opened in 2012. It averages roughly 19,000
rounds annually, according to Soto, whose main challenge
is dealing with three different soil types and areas that pre-
viously had been stripped of topsoil and nutrients.
Laredo is not totally different from Soto’s upbringing.
He knows a little something about border towns, having
grown up with three brothers in Nogales, Ariz., which hugs
the Mexican border. Whether the border will contain a wall
someday, well, Soto is uncertain. If a wall ever does be-
come part of Max A. Mandel GC, Soto imagines one par-
ticular scenario playing out time and time again.
“I’m sure we’d get a lot of golf balls that would ricochet
off of it,” he says.
Trump actually might fnd it interesting that Max A.
Mandel GC already does have a fence to keep out some-
thing other than humans.
“There is a feral hog fence around the entire perimeter
of the golf course,” Soto says.
— Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
Caliendo to entertain at Golf Industry Show
Frank Caliendo has a golf course management back-
ground. He’ll tell us all about it in San Diego.
Caliendo, a stand-up comedian and impressionist,
will be the entertainer Feb. 11 for the Closing Celebration
sponsored by John Deere Golf on the fnal day of the 2016
Golf Industry Show in San Diego.
Perhaps best known for comedic impersonation of
sports personalities, such as former NFL coach John
Madden and NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, Caliendo
launched his stand-up comedy act in local clubs through-
out his hometown of Milwaukee. Yet he has experience
working on the golf course there, too.
“Most people know me from comedy, but I worked on
the golf course grounds crew at Westmoor Country Club
in Brookfeld, Wis., during high school and college,” Cali-
endo says. “Now I’ll get to combine those two things. It’s
been a while since I’ve been on a fairway mower, but I still
remember how much better that was than taking care of
bathrooms and moving tee markers on tee boxes.
“How about (former football coach) Jon Gruden on a
triplex mower, or Al Pacino rolling a green? I’m pretty sure
some of that will happen during the show. Maybe even
(Donald) Trump building a wall between a bunker and a
green. Who knows?”
Max A. Mandel GC in Laredo, Texas, is 7,069 yards from the tips.
6.4 millionNumber of millennial golfers
(18- to 34-year-olds) in the U.S.
Compare with 6.8 million
Gen X golfers and 5.4 million
baby boomer golfers.
90 millionRounds played annually by millennials.
$5 billionMillennial spending on golf annually.
Millennials account for 21 percent of total
spending on golf rounds and equipment.
44 percentMillennial golfers surveyed who perceive
golf as elitist and exclusionary.
79 percentMillennial golfers surveyed who think golf
is great for socializing.
15 percent less likely to keep score regularly.
14 percent less likely to maintain an offcial handicap.
12 percent less likely to seek help from a golf professional.
15 percent more likely to check their cell phones on the course.
10 percent more likely to drink alcohol on the course.
8 percent more likely to take two drives off the frst tee.
Compared with older golfers, millennials are …
Source: “Golf and the Millennial Generation,” National Golf Foundation. The complete report is available free for National Golf Foundation members at www.ngf.org.
By the NUMBERSGetting to know millennial golfers
R
Caliendo, 41, covers a wide range of impersonations
that includes former presidents George W. Bush and Bill
Clinton. He has performed at the White House Correspon-
dents’ Dinner and been a special guest on many national
sports shows and late-night talk shows, including “Fox
NFL Sunday” and “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
Currently, Caliendo is in the midst of a 13-state tour
titled the “Live Frank Tour,” and his performance at the
Golf Industry Show in San Diego will be between shows in
his home state of Wisconsin.
Help: Pest Management Survey due this month
GCSAA needs your help to determine nationwide pest
management practices through the Pest Management
Practices Survey.
No pesticide records are required, and this information
will provide much-needed data for GCSAA to advocate on
behalf of the golf course industry and superintendent pro-
fession. Without it, GCSAA and its allies won’t have data to
support facts showing that golf courses are professionally
managed green spaces.
The Golf Course Environmental Profle (GCEP) is spon-
sored by the USGA in conjunction with the Environmental
Institute for Golf (EIFG), GCSAA’s philanthropic organiza-
tion. The National Golf Foundation (NGF) is providing its
services to conduct the survey, analyze the data, and re-
port the results. Pace Turf scientists Larry Stowell, Ph.D.,
and Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D., are the professional scientists
who are providing their services with the survey, data anal-
ysis, reporting and publishing responsibilities.
Individual survey results are not used or shared.
GCSAA will report all results in aggregate for the U.S. and
its seven agronomic regions.
The closing date is Nov. 19, pending a suffcient num-
ber of responses. All superintendents can participate, but
data will be reported for the U.S. only. Go to www.gcsaa.
org/environment/environmental-profle/golf-course-envi
ronmental-profle-second-phase for information.
Court order places hold on Clean Water Rule
A federal court ruled Oct. 9 that President Obama’s
regulation to protect small waterways from pollution can-
not be enforced nationwide.
In a 2-1 ruling, the Cincinnati-based Court of Appeals
for the Sixth Circuit delivered a defeat to Obama’s most
ambitious effort to keep streams and wetlands clean,
according to The Hill, saying it looks likely that the rule,
dubbed “Waters of the United States (WOTUS),” is illegal.
411
4The
28.8%
26.2%19%
12.7%
11.5%1% 0.8%
Work commitments
Alternative hobbies
Family commitments
Time needed to play
Cost of play Cost of equipment
Diffculty
The
cond
ition
ing
of t
he g
olf co
urse
The
peop
le I
play
with
Acc
essi
bilit
y an
d te
e tim
e av
aila
bilit
y
Bei
ng a
ble
to p
lay
with
peo
ple
of m
y ch
oosi
ng
Cos
t/va
lue
Phy
sica
l bea
uty
and
aest
hetic
s of
cou
rse
Dire
ctio
nal s
igna
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n co
urse
Wat
er a
vaila
bilit
y at
tee
box
/car
t
How
wel
l I p
lay
Tee-
to-g
reen
leng
th o
f co
urse
82%
76%75%
74%72%
68%67%
54%53% 53% 53%
Pace
of pl
ay
A snapshot of what matters most to golfers, as well as some of the obstacles that keep them from more time on course.
Percentage of golfers who rank the factors below as important to their
enjoyment of the game Source: The USGA, 2014
Source: “Pace of Play Global Survey, 2015,” The R&A. Stats are for North American golfers.
A h t f h
Enjoyment of the Game
Fact
ors
prev
entin
g gr
eate
r go
lf pl
ay
26 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
materials to help golf course superintendents and course
offcials complete successful construction and renova-
tion projects.
Moore, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, graduated from
Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in agron-
omy and turfgrass management.
The Don A. Rossi Award will be presented Feb. 9 at
the 2016 Golf Industry Show in San Diego, during the
GCBAA Opening Reception at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.
Treasure Coast GCSA makes donation
The Treasure Coast GCSA donated $5,000 to sup-
port the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIFG). The money
for the gift to EIFG was raised through a longstanding an-
nual charity golf tournament that also supports local and
state programs.
“We want to support our profession and the import-
ant work that is being done right now, and we know that
the money will be put to good use,” says Matthew Boyd,
president of the Treasure Coast GCSA and superintendent
at Orchid Island Golf and Beach Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
“If we can help pay for even one scholarship or support
advocacy efforts, it is for a good cause.”
With this and other previous donations, Treasure
Coast GCSA becomes a member of the EIFG Platinum
Tee Club for annual giving of $5,000 or more, and the
Statesman’s Club for cumulative giving between $10,000
and $25,000 since 1987. Treasure Coast GCSA has about
225 member superintendents, and it is one of 98 state
and regional chapters that carry an affliation with GCSAA.
Pacifc Northwest superintendent honored
Steve Kealy, CGCS, was recognized for his service in
the Pacifc Northwest.
Kealy, superintendent at Glendale Country Club in
Bellevue, Wash., received the Northwest Golf Media As-
sociation (NWGMA) Local Legend award. Kealy, a 29-year
member of GCSAA, started his career as a caddie at Se-
attle’s Broadmoor Golf Club in 1972. In 1987, he earned
his bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Washington State
University, and has been employed at Glendale CC for
more than 25 years.
Currently, Kealy is serving on several golf industry
boards, including the Northwest Turfgrass Association,
Western Washington Golf Course Superintendents Asso-
ciation and The First Green Foundation. Since 2000, Kealy
has hosted more than 100 feld trips to his golf course to
teach students hands-on environmental education through
The First Green program, and serves as a mentor to super-
intendents and clubs in establishing their First Green trips.
Kealy and other honorees were recognized Oct. 8 at a
luncheon at Tacoma Country & Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash.
High school teacher applauds superintendent
Justin Ruiz, CGCS, made quite an impression on a
biology teacher.
Biology teacher Dick O’Connor from Pope John Paul II
High School in Lacey, Wash., singled out Ruiz for his ef-
forts at a First Green event earlier this year. Ruiz, a 16-year
“We conclude the petitioners have demonstrated a
substantial possibility of success on the merits of their
claims,” the judges wrote in their decision, explaining that
the Environmental Protection Agency’s new guidelines for
determining whether water is subject to federal control,
based mostly on the water’s distance and connection to
larger bodies of water, is “at odds” with a key Supreme
Court ruling.
The decision expands a stay that a North Dakota judge
imposed in August — the day before the rule took effect
— that only applied to 13 states.
The stay is not the fnal word on the regulation; the
court still needs to go through the process of making a
full ruling on it.
GCSAA is continuing to monitor the situation.
Moore receives Rossi AwardJames “Jim” Moore is the recipient of the Don A. Rossi
Award, presented annually by the Golf Course Builders As-
sociation of America (GCBAA).
For the last three decades, Moore has worked for the
USGA in a variety of roles aimed at refning and improving
golf course construction practices and standards.
“Jim is an advocate for the highest level of golf course
construction and renovation standards for the industry,
and he has dedicated his career to moving the industry
forward through education and training,” says Justin Apel,
GCBAA executive director.
The Rossi Award honors individuals who have made
signifcant contributions to the game of golf and its growth,
and who have inspired others by example. It is named for
Don A. Rossi, who served as executive director of the Na-
tional Golf Foundation from 1970 to 1983, and was instru-
mental in forming the National Golf Course Owners Asso-
ciation. Rossi served as executive director of the GCBAA
from 1984 to 1990.
Currently, Moore is the director of the USGA Green
Section’s Education Program, where he provides top-qual-
ity golf course management-related information to multiple
segments of the golf industry. Previously, Moore served as
director for USGA’s Construction Education Program for 16
years, where he worked closely with golf course architects,
builders and soil-testing laboratories to refne construction
practices and standards. He developed a wide variety of
Steve Kealy, CGCS, is being honored for his industry service. Photo courtesy of David Phipps
28 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Got their goats
Superintendents in Massachusetts are fnding that
goats can be valuable assets to their maintenance
objectives, Golfweek reports.
www.golfweek.com/news/2015/oct/01/goats-golf-
course-maintenance-boston-mass-club
Revival in progress
in Connecticut
More than $1 million has been spent to renovate
Goodwin Park Golf Course in Hartford, where pre-
viously neglected greens are now making quite the
comeback, according to the Hartford Courant.
www.courant.com/sports/golf/hc-goodwin-golf-
course-renovation-1012-20151012-story.html
Homes springing up
near Tiger’s course
Homebuilding is nearing completion on some of the
lots adjacent to Tiger Woods’ frst championship-
design golf course at Bluejack National north of Hous-
ton, the Houston Business Journal reports.
www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_
call/2015/10/frst-homes-nearing-completion-in-
tiger-woods-golf.html
Preservation act
Some golf courses in California, The Huffngton Post
reports, are solid layouts that know how to con-
serve water.
www.huffngtonpost.com/anne-phillips/golf-courses-
that-play-we_b_8235132.html
In the
NEWS
member of GCSAA, held the First Green event, which is
an environmental education outreach program that uses
golf courses as learning labs. This event occurred at Indian
Summer Country Club in Olympia, Wash.
“I am so very impressed with Justin’s hard work and
follow-up,” O’Connor wrote. “I had my sophomore biology
students each send him a short thank-you note, which
mentioned one of the things they learned about grasses
and root systems. Justin read all 21 notes, and hand-
wrote 21 replies, in each case incorporating the aspect
each student mentioned in their original note.
“When they arrived in my classroom in a large enve-
lope, we were shocked. Lesson learned? That there are
still people out there who believe in communicating with
students and rewarding them for showing good manners.”
Keiser terminates Bandon Links project
Bandon Dunes owner/developer Mike Keiser an-
nounced on Sept. 30 that he was terminating the pro-
posed Bandon Links project in southern Oregon.
Keiser hired golf course architect Gil Hanse seven
years ago to plan a destination golf course near Bandon,
Ore., to be called Bandon Links. Keiser had hoped that
residents of Coos and Curry counties would play for as
little as $10 a round. He added that up to 200 high school
students annually would earn money by caddying, and that
they would be able to apply for college scholarships in as-
sociation with the Western Golf Association, whose mis-
sion is to fund scholarships for young caddies. The project
also called for the removal of gorse along the south coast.
Most important, Keiser noted, those programs would
be made possible only by charging out-of-state tourists
$200 to $250 per round.
In his prepared statement regarding his decision to
terminate the project, Keiser said: “The Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), the federal agency with jurisdiction
over a portion of the lands which would be devoted to the
project, has just advised that in keeping with federal reg-
ulations, the fees charged must be commensurate with
other golf courses on BLM lands, and that revenues would
have to be devoted to use on the property.
“That eliminates the funding source for subsidizing
the low local rates, for the scholarship program, and for
the off-site gorse control. Additionally, recent well test-
ing has met with disappointing results, and that, in turn,
creates diffculties for meeting certain Oregon land use
requirements which protect lands designated as farmland.
“As a result of these problems, I am abandoning the
Bandon Links project and will seek a site where the same
programs would be viable.”
Keiser says the termination of the project will have no
effect on anything regarding Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
August rounds increaseYear-over-year golf rounds played at U.S. golf courses
increased 2.2 percent for the month of August, according
to PGA PerformanceTrak.
Thirty-two states reported growth in rounds played
in August 2015 compared with August 2014. The Upper
Midwest, Northern Rockies and Plains reported the largest
rounds-play increases. Also, golf facilities reported their
second-largest year-over-year increase in monthly golf fee
revenue, with a 4.4 percent increase.
Tweets
RETWEETS
Steve Rintoul @SteveRintoul @GCSAA and #PGA Tour Agronomy invaluable on days like today. @pgatour #fedexcup
Ron Read @golfdinosaurrr Aerifcation is a must. #FramMan had it right: “Pay me now or pay me later.” Pays dividends later @GCSAA
Sean McCue @SKMQU Never a good time for the loader to go down, especially when you have 600 tons of sand to move during aerifcation
Trevor Anderson, AGS @tanderson_GCS Mother Nature is being very nice to us for this year’s fairway aeration, 2nd straight week of beautiful weather.
Total Turf Golf @TotalTurfGS Beautiful morning to be out on the course. Work continues on the Par 3 11th green at Castle Pines GC, CO.
30 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Turfgrass area: Fairways
Location: Sanibel, Fla.
Grass variety: Sea Isle I seashore paspalum
(a)Soil exposed and turf lifted
Turfgrass area:Target green on driving range
Location:Sylacauga, Ala.
Grass variety: Bermudagrass
(b)
PROBLEM
Presented in partnership with Jacobsen
Deep indentions in turf
Answers on Page 90
(photo quiz)
PROBLEM
By John MascaroPresident of Turf-Tec International
The All-New Jacobsen Truckster XDTM
What new heavy-duty utility vehicle offers class-leading payload capacity, power and comfort?
Turn to page 91 for the answer.
32 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Teresa Carson
Twitter: @GCM_Magazine
Presented in partnership with Barenbrug
(turf)
After fnishing his master’s at UNL, Balten-sperger and his family returned to Texas, where he spent four years running his father-in-law’s sheep farm and working at the Texas A&M agricultural substation in Denton. Tiring of farm life but still nurturing an interest in corn breeding and genetics, Baltensperger continued his education at Iowa State University, where he changed his area of interest and earned a Ph.D. in 1958 for work in forage grass breeding.
It wasn’t until he moved to the University of Arizona that he met his fate. He’d intended to take a job as a sorghum breeder, but an opening in bermudagrass caught his eye, and his destiny was sealed.
In 2014, Baltensperger recalled the fve years he spent at the University of Arizona as “a fun go-go time.”
“We were under good leadership, we started new courses and improved our graduate pro-gram,” Baltensperger said. By the time he left to become head of the Agronomy Department at New Mexico State University (NMSU) in 1963, he was a full professor.
Twelve years after his arrival at NMSU, Dr. B was able to immerse himself in the search for a seeded bermudagrass cultivar, and in 1988, he retired from the university to work at Penning-ton Seed/Seeds West, where he was director of research and, later, a consultant.
His greatest success was in developing seeded bermudagrasses for golf course use. In 1987, NuMex Sahara, the frst of these improved ber-mudagrasses, was released, and by 2006, that cultivar alone had earned more than $1 mil-lion in royalties for NMSU. Dr. B’s research also led to the development of Princess-77, the frst fne-textured, seeded hybrid bermudagrass, which provided the playing feld for the Super Bowl in both 2004 and 2005. These and other bermudagrasses Dr. B developed have been used in 22 states and 65 countries.
In 2014, as he refected on his life, Dr. B said, “I’ve been such a fortunate person. My work has been something I’ve enjoyed. I’ve had pretty good health. Life’s been so good to me.”
Teresa Carson is GCM ’s science editor.
Scholar, soldier, farmer, teacher, mentor and turfgrass breeder Arden Baltensperger left this life and, as his family said, “went on to the next adventure,” on Oct. 6, 2015. He was probably best known as the developer of two seeded bermudagrass varieties, NuMex Sahara and Princess-77, but those who knew him re-member his kindness and generosity.
My own adventure with Dr. B, as he was known to many, began in 2014 at the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Fla., when he ap-proached me about a paper — the last paper he would ever write, he said, — that he wanted to publish in GCM. After I’d agreed to work with him, he told me he was getting on in years and he thought it would be nice if I would write the paper while he supplied the basic in-formation. Ultimately, the paper (and it was his last paper), “A century of seeded bermu-dagrass production — and more to come,” was published in the November 2014 issue of GCM, with every word written by Dr. B. I suppose that, just for a moment, he thought that writing the paper would be too much work for him, but once he started the process, there was no stopping him.
Over the several months we worked together, he told me bits and pieces of his life story, never mentioning honors he had received or making any claim to greatness, but exulting in the “fun” (his word) he had experienced working with his colleagues in turfgrass breeding. My conversa-tions with those colleagues and correspondence with his family members confrmed what I al-ready knew — Dr. B was unfailingly gracious, humble, encouraging and helpful, with a sharp, and sometimes self-deprecating, sense of humor.
The Christmas baby born in Kimball, Neb., in 1922, was encouraged to attend col-lege — even though his choice to major in agronomy was not considered the wisest deci-sion — and he attended the University of Ne-braska-Lincoln (UNL) from 1940 until World War II interrupted his studies in 1943. After serving in the Philippines, he returned to col-lege in 1946, and on graduation day in 1947, he skipped the commencement ceremonies to marry Elsie Schlosser, a student at Texas Wom-en’s University (and sometime USO hostess) whom he had met while stationed in the Army near Denton, Texas.
Arden Baltensperger, Ph.D., at a New Mexico State University research site in 2014. Photo by Bernd Leinauer
The fnal adventure
34 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
As the holidays approach, the time seems right to give thanks for some of the technolo-gies that have made shop life so much better since I frst started working on machinery back in 1956. There’s no particular ranking of these items — just a collection of things that came to mind while fxing, tinkering and puttering as the growing season winds down. For the young-sters, try these as conversation starters for a bull session with some of the senior grease-stained wretches as winter approaches.
Electronic ignition/digital engine controls. Setting ignition points was always iffy, espe-cially on small engines where you had to yank the fywheel and reinstall it just to fnd out whether the darn thing had sparked. Tuneups were more than just changing spark plugs. Even diesels have brains.
Zip ties (aka cable straps). Conceived in 1958 as two-piece gizmos for bundling air-craft wires, these beauties took their mod-ern one-piece form in 1968, and have saved countless hours since.
Velcro and its spawn. Plastic body panels. Durable, rust-proof,
easy to live with.Japanese engines. “Made in Japan” was a
punchline when I was a kid. Then, tiny two-cy-cles showed up on string trimmers. Then the four-cycles came along. They changed the world. They killed off (or forced merg-ers for) Wisconsin, Clinton, Tecumseh and many other small-engine makers. Now other Asian companies are making decent copies of Japanese power plants, all of them easy-start-ing, robust, reliable and easy to fx.
Anti-vibration and good muffers, and en-gines with vibration-canceling innards. There was a time when a chainsaw left you deaf and with numb hands. String trimmers weren’t much better.
Unleaded gasoline. When was the last time you did a valve job or de-carboned a cylinder head? Those were routine mainte-nance in the bad old days. Now if only ethanol would disappear. The website www.pure-gas.
Paper air flters. Sealed bearings that actually stay sealed.Education beyond high school shop class.
Excellent schools for technicians, both those who work in the shop and those who use or di-rect the equipment in the feld. Certifcation for knowledge and skill.
Ratcheting box-end wrenches. Lock them away for a week, and you’ll understand how tough it was in the old days. Oh, how we suffered.
Non-fammable parts cleaners. Biodegrad-able hydraulic fuid. Synthetic lubricants. Tef-lon. Silicon and its many variants, from heat-re-sistant parts to instant gasket goop. Nitrile gloves to protect the hands. All of these are mir-acles of chemistry.
Here’s hoping this mélange stirs memo-ries for some, curiosity for others, and a bit of thanks that, despite what “they” may say, things really weren’t better back in the old days.
Scott R. Nesbitt is a freelance writer and former GCSAA
staff member. He lives in Cleveland, Ga.
Gratitude for the modern stuff
(shop)
Scott R. Nesbitt
org will guide you to local non-ethanol gaso-line sources.
Digital test equipment, including easy-to-read multimeters, non-contact tachome-ters and thermometers, and scales accurate to 0.01 pound. Push a button to switch from metric to SAE measurements. These gadgets are low-cost, dependable, convenient and, most importantly, accurate. I’ve forgotten how to read a vernier caliper — not sure I ever really knew how. Ditto for slide rules.
Smartphones and digital cameras. To record what the machine looked like before you tore it apart.
Computerized parts and service manuals.Online forums.Internet shopping for parts and machines.
FedEx, UPS and U.S. Postal Service on-line package-tracking. Parts that arrive from Canada in two days and from Taiwan in three days, crossing the Pacifc and almost the entire width of North America. Oy! Such a wonderful era.
Radial tires.
Inexpensive digital meters measure electricity, engine speed, tire pressure, dimensions and temperatures with accuracy unheard of in the old days. Photos by Scott R. Nesbitt
Zip ties in various widths and lengths have replaced tape, wire and all manner of fasteners. The accompanying tools draw them tight and snip the excess, making things quick and tidy.
Electronic engine controls have taken over the world, helping engines run better and longer than ever. The downside: The robot makes all the decisions.
36 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Nov. 8, 2016, will be the day of the 58th quadren-nial presidential election. No incumbent will be on the ballot, making for a very competitive primary season for both the Democratic and Republican par-ties. One year before the election, GCSAA is keeping an eye on the presidential election pro-cess and the developments that will unfold over the next 12 months. Regardless of who wins the White House, we anticipate 2017 will have a great impact on the golf industry.
There are several steps that will get us from the 14 Republicans and three Democrats cur-rently running to the one-on-one race that will take place this time next year. The frst are the primary debates. Republicans are set to have 11 primary debates, three of which have already taken place more than a year away from Elec-tion Day. Democrats are slated to have six de-bates, with only one of those happening more than a year away from the election. As the Republican debates have taught us up to this point, debate performance can make or break a candidate. Primary debates will go on through March, and candidates will continue to drop out of the race as polling numbers come in.
The frst presidential selection contest will be the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1. The caucus process is a grassroots way for activists and par-ties to elect their candidates, though caucus rules differ from state to state. Iowa has been chosen by both parties to be the frst in the nation in the selection process. The Iowa cau-cuses are held in the roughly 1,700 precincts of
(advocacy)
Kaelyn [email protected]
Twitter: @GCSAA
the 99 counties in Iowa. The cau-cuses are run by the respective
parties, and they are the frst step in determining the delegates who will represent the states at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The Iowa caucuses are open to any
person who is eligible to vote in the state of Iowa
and will be at least 18 years old on Election Day. You must
be registered with whatever party you wish to caucus with, and you can register with a party on caucus night.
GCSAA is following the Iowa caucuses, and one question we get often is how the Iowa caucuses work. In essence, eligible caucus-goers divide to form presidential preference groups. If a preference group for a candidate does not have enough people to be considered “viable” (based on a threshold established at the begin-ning of the night), attendees have the opportu-nity to join another preference group or acquire people in their group in order to become viable. Delegates are then awarded to the preference groups based on their size. The winner of the Iowa caucuses will be the candidate who ac-crues the most delegates that evening. Those delegates then factor into the national calcu-lations for who will be the ultimate candidate from the party.
New Hampshire will host the next presi-dential selection contest, with the frst-in-the-nation primary. The difference between Iowa and New Hampshire is that New Hampshire’s primary election is run by the New Hampshire secretary of state, with input on the date from the political parties. This year, the New Hamp-
A presidential election primer
shire primary will be held Feb. 9. Rounding out the four early contests will be the South Carolina primary and the Nevada caucuses. In addition, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has a fling deadline of Jan. 31. Those four presidential selection contests along with the FEC fling deadline will separate viable candidates from those who aren’t viable, and we will see a large number of candidates drop out of the race afterward.
After all 50 states have held their caucuses or primaries, the parties will each have their nominating conventions. While it may seem like caucuses and primaries are to select the presidential candidates, they are actually to choose the delegates who will represent the states at the nominating conventions. In fact, the presidential candidate from each party isn’t “offcially” selected until the summer nominat-ing convention, after all delegates have had the opportunity to cast their ballots.
The portion of presidential elections most Americans are familiar with is the general elec-tion process. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled four debates during fall 2016, with three of those being presidential de-bates and one being a vice presidential debate. Around the time of those debates, we will see the two candidates campaigning in large states in order to win the 270 electoral votes neces-sary to secure the presidency.
The stakes are high: Control of the presi-dency includes the ability to set the regulatory agenda for the agencies that make up the ex-ecutive branch. It also comes with the power to infuence the legislative debate in Congress. This could mean a new direction for the reg-ulatory agencies that impact golf course man-agement, including the Environmental Protec-tion Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers. It may also mean a break in the gridlock Con-gress has faced over a number of hot button is-sues that affect our courses, such as immigra-tion. Expect whoever wins the White House to claim a mandate to accomplish a lot in his or her frst term.
Kaelyn Seymour is GCSAA’s government affairs specialist.
Illustration © Shutterstock/Dwi Susilo
38 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
While it may be unusual, it is not unheard of for construction and maintenance activities to unearth Native American artifacts. Items such as pottery, clothing, funerary artifacts and ancient human remains are a fnite resource, and once mishandled, are forever lost.
Before beginning any excavation, I think about the regulations and permits in place to ensure the protection of natural resources such as water and wildlife. I always wonder whether Native American artifacts might be present within the site, and what legal protections are in place to ensure the proper handling of these items. While I have never unearthed any-thing culturally signifcant, I have discovered that the laws that govern Native American arti-facts are not as forthright as the protections for endangered species. In this column, I’ll explore some of the legal and ethical concerns involved in uncovering these historical resources.
The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is a federal law enacted in 1990 for the repatriation of Native American remains and cultural items that were removed from federal or tribal land. NAGPRA requires federally funded institu-tions such as museums and schools to repa-triate Native American human remains and funerary items. Federally recognized Native American tribes that are lineal descendants or that are culturally affliated with the items are eligible to claim these items. It is no small ac-complishment that 50,518 individual remains have been repatriated to their tribes as of Sept. 30, 2014, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Under NAGPRA, it is a crime to sell, display or possess Native American re-mains or artifacts that were obtained illegally.
NAGPRA governs the discovery of remains and cultural items if your property is on tribal or federal land. It might be obvious if you are working on tribal land, but perhaps not always as clear whether you are on federal land. Many
(environment)privately operated ski resorts and golf courses are located on leased federal land.
Section 106 of the National Historic Pres-ervation Act (NHPA) applies to undertakings that the federal government carries out, as-sists with, funds, permits, licenses or approves. This law requires that interested parties such as Native American tribes be consulted and participate in the identifcation of historic sites, and provide input on how to balance the proj-ect with the need to preserve history. Golf courses that require federal permits or other federal involvement can trigger the consulta-tion processes required by NHPA.
State and local laws govern artifacts found on private land, and these laws are varied, but there are some recurring principles in many of them. In general, human remains, funerary items and other sacred objects do not belong to the landowner and may not be disturbed, sold or displayed. Doing so could result in civil and criminal sanctions. Other artifacts can be the legal property of the landowner, such as ar-rowheads found on the surface. The landowner may give permission for others to collect ar-rowheads, or may allow archaeological explo-ration. For more information on laws specifc to your location, check out resources such as your state’s offce of state archaeology or local historical preservation offces.
What if you suspect there might be an ar-chaeological site on your property? The an-swer depends on the type of property and what types of artifacts are found. An archaeologi-cal assessment can be conducted to determine whether artifacts are present, and to help de-termine a course of action if they are found. Human remains should never be disturbed, and, if they are discovered, local authorities should be contacted immediately. Items found on federal, tribal or state land should be left un-disturbed and reported to the agency responsi-ble for that land.
Artifacts found on private property are not as clearly regulated as those on federal, tribal or state land. This is an area where the laws vary from state to state and can leave the fate of artifacts to the discretion of the landowner. Private ownership and control of Native Amer-ican artifacts that are not protected by laws and
Pamela C. Smith, [email protected]
As golf course
superintendents,
we have the
opportunity to
become stewards
of the past just
as we are for the
present and
the future.
Protecting the past
regulations rely on the landowner’s ethics and personal values to govern these resources. Do we need another burial site excavated, sifted, studied and displayed in the quest for a greater understanding of indigenous people? Or, could we simply set aside this land undisturbed and consult with tribes who might have an interest in the site? Sell the artifacts, or set them as a display in the clubhouse?
Whatever the course of action, these items and sites should be treated with respect and reverence for indigenous peoples’ cultures, be-liefs and histories. In many instances, these cultural resources are vulnerable to irreparable damage and mishandling. As golf course su-perintendents, we have the opportunity to be-come stewards of the past just as we are for the present and the future.
Disclaimer: T is article is intended for informa-tional purposes only and s ould not be construed as legal advice.
Pamela C. Smith, CGCS, is an attorney and the director
of agronomy for a large city. She is a 25-year member of
GCSAA.
40 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
(career)Carol D. Rau, [email protected]
Twitter: @CareerGolf
percent of respondents rated attire and appear-ance as either a 4 or 5 (on a scale of 1 to 5), indicating this factor has a “great impact” on whether an applicant will be hired. When pre-paring to meet face to face with a potential em-ployer, ask yourself whether your appearance conveys that you are a professional in the golf industry and merit the employer’s trust as part of the leadership team for the facility. Are your clothing, shoes, hair and accessories appropri-ate and in good order to demonstrate this? If you are unsure of your answer, seek help from a mentor or trusted friend so your appearance will substantiate, not hinder, your display of professionalism.
Attitude. Another look at Merriam-Web-ster can help us better understand the concept of “attitude,” which is defned as “a feeling or way of thinking that affects a person’s behav-ior.” Picture a person who has a professional attitude. Think of the person’s posture, facial expressions and approach to situations. How would a letter from this person read? What types of words would demonstrate the per-son’s thinking and outlook, in writing and in person? Attitude is not simply appearing happy or upbeat. Employers often interpret attitude from the standpoint of how you’ll re-spond in situations, from tough, challenging circumstances to big successes. Before you hit the send button on an email to a prospective employer or fnalize your interview phrasing, consider it again through the lens of attitude. Choose language as well as stories and exam-ples from your career that shed a positive light on your thinking, outlook and approach as a professional.
The next time you set out on a job search, remember that even though employers may not be able to clearly defne professionalism, it will play a key role in candidate selection. Get the results you want by taking advantage of oppor-tunities to show this important quality.
Carol D. Rau, PHR, is a career consultant with GCSAA and
is the owner of Career Advantage, a career consulting frm
in Lawrence, Kan., specializing in golf and turf industry
careers. GCSAA members receive complimentary résumé
critiques by Rau and her team; résumé, cover letter and
LinkedIn creation for a reduced member rate; and interview
preparation and portfolio consultation.
If you were to ask any employer in the golf industry whether professionalism is import-ant, he or she would surely respond with a resounding “yes!” But if you were to ask that employer to defne professionalism? Pause. Cricket irping.
How does professionalism impact hiring de-cisions? Is it one of those factors that’s diffcult to pinpoint, but infuential in tipping the scales toward selecting the winning candidate? Yes! In this month’s column, we’ll take a closer look at the meaning of professionalism, and how you can exhibit this trait to advance your career.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictio-nary, professionalism is “the skill, good judg-ment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.” So, it’s a combination of know-how and actions, all packaged together. Unlike typical qualif-cations that job candidates can merely list on a résumé, professionalism must be demon-strated. How? Here are three strategies for showing professionalism that you can keep in mind for your next job search.
Appropriateness. Is the nature of your ré-sumé, cover letter and other correspondence suitable to the situation? Have you dou-ble-checked that there are no typos or gram-matical errors in your documents? The tone and format of your documents and communi-cation should be formal and respectful of the employer’s time, perspective and role as deci-sion-maker. You should also ensure your com-munication is clear and geared to your audi-ence and their interest in and understanding of turf management. For example, if you are applying at a private club that has a board of di-rectors, communicate in a manner that makes the complex business and science of manag-ing turf understandable and relevant to them as club members. Finally, good old-fashioned etiquette can go a long way. Use “please” and “thank you,” and carry a respectful tone in all correspondence, phone interactions and in-per-son encounters.
Appearance. First impressions are para-mount. Regardless of your credentials and ex-perience, image and attire will often override facts and fgures in the interview process. Ac-cording to the 2013 National Professionalism Survey, a poll of more than 400 employers con-ducted by York College of Pennsylvania, 80.6
Professionalism: Small steps equal big results
The next time you
set out on a job
search, remember
that even though
employers may
not be able to
clearly defne
professionalism, it
will play a key role in
candidate selection.
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11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 45
Photo © Shutterstock/Orhan Cam
GCSAA is steadfast, tireless in taking on members’ challenges.
The addition of a full-time presence in the nation’s capital
exemplifes that commitment.
Howard Richman
u Efsc
46 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Advocacy is a driving force in GCSAA’s big-picture mission.
On a day in July, Zach Bauer was the driver.Bauer, GCSAA Class A superintendent at
The Broadmoor’s West Course in Colorado Springs, Colo., embraced the opportunity to share GCSAA’s message by giving a facility tour this past summer.
As Bauer settled in behind the wheel, Annie Oatman-Gardner was in the passenger seat, her presence an example of how GCSAA is frmly engaged in the advocacy cause.
A chance to meet with policymakers who make and shape decisions that can affect golf is pure gold. Oatman-Gardner is the Pikes Peak regional director for Colorado Sen. Mi-chael Bennet.
Talk about a golden opportunity. This was it.
“She saw our shop, equipment, weather station. I let her see some of the spots we have issues, such as fairy ring, showed her our pol-lination habitat areas, and parts of the course we stopped maintaining, where we use no water or fertilizers,” says Bauer, a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador member, noting that this was Oatman-Gardner’s second visit to The Broadmoor.
“I think she was like, ‘I had no clue what you all do.’ I think it’s been a positive reaction and relationship,” Bauer says.
“Our offce is always interested in listen-ing to what our constituents have to say, and to see what businesses around the state are up to,” Oatman-Gardner says. “Zach reached out to us to discuss their efforts related to conservation.”
GCSAA’s advocacy endeavors — buoyed late last summer by the decision to enlarge its
footprint in the nation’s capital by hiring Rob-ert Helland in the newly created position of di-rector, congressional and federal affairs — are an investment in the association’s aim of being an even stronger voice for the golf industry at the state, local, regional and national levels, from Washington D.C. to Washington state.
Example: GCSAA’s collaborative effort with the EPA to help superintendents on prod-uct availability issues. They worked together to secure an extension of Nemacur’s end-use date for use of existing stocks.
Chalk one up for GCSAA’s 24/7 mental-ity to open new doors and stand frm for its nearly 18,000 members’ wants, needs and de-sires. And there is nothing conservative about GCSAA’s efforts to be a difference-maker. Trendsetter. Expert. Revolutionary.
Observers get it. They are witnesses.“The USGA could not be more apprecia-
tive of the good work the GCSAA does to sup-port the game’s long-term health,” says USGA executive director Mike Davis. “We have en-joyed decades of collaboration in conducting research, hosting national championships, and implementing solutions that not only make the game more enjoyable, but also more effcient and environmentally responsible. The day-to-day efforts of superintendents and broader GCSAA programs are helping change how the game is perceived, both within and beyond our industry.”
Cliff Lewis, agricultural water withdrawal program manager at the Georgia Environ-mental Protection Division, says superintend-ents are forward thinking and innovative, and make his job easier. “I used to get calls (from the public) fve, six years ago about checking
“The USGA could
not be more
appreciative of
the good work
the GCSAA does
to support the
game’s long-term
health.”
— Mike Davis, USGA executive director
Merion Golf Club superintendent Matt Shaffer (right) spends some time with Pennsylvania Congressman Patrick Meehan. Photo by Scott Hollister
National Golf Day on April 15 included a GCSAA delegation featuring GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans. Photo by Buffalo Communications
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 47
on golf courses and their watering practices. I don’t get those calls anymore. People have begun to link together the environmental and economic aspects of it,” Lewis says. “I’ve spo-ken at their (superintendents’) meetings, at-tended their events. We’re adding people to our arsenal and outreach. I say ‘we’ — I feel like I’m part of their team.”
Mark Peterson, executive director of the Golf Association of Philadelphia, adds that su-perintendents are certainly more visible than they have been in years past. “I think every-body would agree they’re more visible. The focus they put on education … we’ve all seen it for years and years. They play a huge role in the bottom line of clubs,” Peterson says.
Even somebody from the second-largest city in the U.S., part of a state in which the governor has mandated water restrictions, has an opinion on GCSAA.
“You guys (superintendents) are effcient, and I’m going to stand by it. We have the data to prove it,” says Rick Silva from the Los An-geles Department of Water and Power’s Water Conservation Unit. “In Southern California, golf uses less water per square foot than you or me — and their grass looks a lot better.”
A watershed momentJuly 21.The strategic effort to boost advocacy
reached new levels that day. Because of ongo-ing regulatory scrutiny, GCSAA’s Board of Directors approved a fve-year strategic plan to increase its presence in Washington, D.C. That included the hiring of Helland.
Helland, who previously served as GCSAA’s Washington, D.C.-based federal lobbyist from the law frm of Reed Smith LLC for the past 10 years, now provides a full-time voice in the na-tion’s capital, allowing GCSAA to expand even more on building relationships.
Helland’s presence — along with those of director of government affairs Chava McKeel, government affairs specialist Kaelyn Seymour, and nine feld staff members that have done their part to fre up GCSAA chapters — adds more oomph to the momentum at GCSAA.
GCSAA is full speed ahead in its quest to take on any challenge to protect its members, whether over the Clean Water Rule (com-monly known as WOTUS), the H-2B tempo-rary guest worker program, or any other mat-ter. When the WOTUS rule was temporarily blocked nationwide Oct. 9 by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, it signaled much progress for GCSAA and allied partners in their work.
“As an association that places its members frst, we have the responsibility to protect and advocate for them and their profession,” says GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans. “As we all be-come more engaged in this vital area, taking a proactive approach to governmental affairs, our chances of success will increase.”
This determined effort already seems to be paying off.
“They have taken on the government re-lations side. It’s very important. Very impres-sive,” says Justin Apel, executive director of the Golf Course Builders Association of America. “The collaboration, the ability to network with allies, specifcally you guys, has been in-valuable. We’ve been able to help one another, avoid duplication, which shows the industry it is a team approach. They (superintendents) always have been important.”
Engaged and activeThis boots-on-the-ground campaign
by GCSAA to make inroads and protect its membership spreads far and wide. We’re talk-ing Capitol Hill. Major metropolitan cities. Golf courses. Public forums.
“Within all the leadership organizations, all of which are engaged in advocacy, the GCSAA is pre-eminent among them,” says Craig Kessler, director of governmental af-fairs for the Southern California Golf As-sociation, who adds that GCSAA Southwest feld staff representative Jeff Jensen has made
a major impact for GCSAA members and the industry.
“They are the most focused on it,” Kessler says of GCSAA. “They’ve created a culture of expectations. When it comes to advocacy ef-forts, they have a high priority on it, and it flters down to regions, chapters. That creates a culture that this is important.”
GCSAA’s engagement in the industry is vast. It includes:• We Are Golf, a coalition of GCSAA, the
PGA of America, the Club Managers As-sociation of America, USGA, U.S. Golf Manufacturing Council and National Golf
Above: GCSAA demonstrates turf practices for Congress members. Photos by Scott Hollister
Below: GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans visits with North Carolina Congresswoman Renee Elmers.
48 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
“We can’t assume we’d be looked at fa-vorably if we’re not part of the process,” says Helland, whose policy background includes working in the U.S. Senate on environmental and transportation issues for former New Jer-sey senator and governor Jon Corzine. “Folks in D.C. can have as much impact on our courses as anyone who plays them. We need to be proactive, not reactive, to how Congress is affecting us. It’s a long-term fght, and we need to stay vigilant.”
GCSAA has had a productive run so far this year.
In May, Oregon Golf Month featured more than a dozen state legislators in atten-dance at an event at Illahe Hills Country Club in Salem, Ore.
“In my community, the experience I have had with this industry has been incredibly positive,” says Oregon Democratic Represen-tative Caddy McKeown, whose father, Rich-ard Hanen, was a prominent amateur golfer (he played in the 1961 U.S. Amateur won by
Jack Nicklaus at Pebble Beach).In June, the frst-ever Pennsylvania Golf
Day took place at the state capital in Harris-burg. It was an opportunity to tell golf ’s story, and for superintendents to promote themselves as professional land managers and stewards.
In July, GCSAA chapters in Nevada (Si-erra Nevada GCSA, Southern Nevada GCSA) participated in meetings in Las Vegas for the Nevada Drought Forum (established by Ne-vada Gov. Brian Sandoval in April). Chap-ter presidents discussed current and future drought concerns with an emphasis on golf ’s water use, which accounts for less than 2 per-cent of the state’s total.
In August, a town hall meeting organized by the Cactus & Pine GCSA at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., presented an-other opportunity to educate policymakers. Sen. John McCain’s offce sent representa-tives to the event, again demonstrating that GCSAA can catch the ear of those who make a difference for its members.
“I have had the privilege to meet with the GCSAA and its members on many issues over the years. These folks continue to provide a valuable perspective on how the actions we take in Congress impact the industry,” says Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, chairman of the Sen-ate Agriculture Committee. “I look forward to working with them in the future as they ex-pand their advocacy efforts.”
GCSAA spearheaded the work with multi-ple allied associations to submit detailed com-ments on its stance on WOTUS.
On a weekly basis, Arizona-based superin-tendent Rory Van Poucke meets with water dis-tricts to discuss issues. Earlier this decade, Van
Course Owners Association, unifed to rep-resent the economic, human and environ-mental benefts of the industry at federal, state and local levels of government.
• National Golf Day each spring on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., now in its eighth year, is an opportunity for policymakers to meet with a coalition of golf ’s leading orga-nizations, including GCSAA, the USGA, the PGA of America, the PGA Tour and others. GCSAA totaled 30 participants this year, and had more than 80 meetings with members of Congress and their staffs.
• The Grassroots Ambassador program, launched in July 2014. The goal of the pro-gram is for GCSAA members to foster posi-tive, productive relationships with members of Congress to ensure the association has a political voice in all 50 states. To date, 45 states are represented by 193 participants.Jeff Sexton, CGCS, of Evansville (Ind.)
Country Club, will tell you that being a Grassroots Ambassador is valuable. When he learned that Rep. Larry Bucshon was a club member, his gesture of contacting Bucshon had rewards.
After struggling to secure a Corps of En-gineers visit to the club to check a levy that had fooding issues, Sexton informed Bucshon of the problem, which paved the way for the Corps of Engineers to fnally make a visit. On the WOTUS issue, Bucshon connected Sex-ton with his legislative assistant Jeff Lucas, who spoke to the Tri-State chapter about it.
“A lot of us go to work, do what we do. But we need more people to reach out, do more, if we want our industry to be strong,” Sexton says. “I think we help the overall health of America by doing good work, and being care-ful how we do it.”
Whether the issue is water, pesticides, or pollinator protection, the charge for GCSAA’s Government Affairs department is to support and stand up for members.
Penny Pew, second from right, represents Ariz. Congressman Paul Gosar at an event at Apache Sun Golf Course. Photo courtesy of Jeff Jensen
“In my community,
the experience I have
had with this industry
has been incredibly
positive.”
— Caddy McKeown, Oregon Democratic Representative
A tour of Bethesda CC for federal regulators showcases the course’s operations. Photo by Scott Hollister
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 49
Poucke helped secure a two-year extension for golf courses to fnd alternative sources of water.
“It (advocacy) isn’t necessarily something we learned in school,” Van Poucke says. “But it is important, as superintendents, that we are at the table, that our voices are heard.”
Van Poucke’s boss, Apache Sun Golf Course owner Mike Musulin, supports Van Poucke’s advocacy contributions.
“I want him to be active, because it’s very important. Having government be aware how valuable golf courses are and how we value water is crucial,” Musulin says. “Rory’s done a phenomenal job representing us, the state of Arizona, and golf courses in the U.S.”
From products to BMPsExamples of how GCSAA and its members
plead their case and fght for their cause are plentiful, and the efforts can make a difference.
Think Nemacur.In September 2014, the EPA collaborated
with GCSAA on extending the end-use date for existing stocks of fenamiphos (Nemacur) until Oct. 6, 2017. The extension amounted to a three-year reprieve for turfgrass managers, who were facing an Oct. 6, 2014, cutoff date for existing stocks.
“We (superintendents) could not have done that as a group. Chava was fantastic. She got people together for a conference call. She was thorough, excellent. I was surprised we got a quick ruling — and such a favorable rul-ing,” says Jeff Markow, CGCS, Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.
McKeel is the go-between for members, and sometimes it isn’t easy. She, however, is relentless in advocating for the cause.
Recently, GCSAA partnered with the PGA of America, Club Managers Association of America, National Golf Course Owners Association and National Club Association to jointly develop public comments regarding the U.S. Department of Labor’s Notice of Pro-posed Rule-making regarding overtime pay. Our industry, McKeel says, is heavily depen-dent on golf ’s seasonality to succeed, and there is a fear this new salary threshold would dis-proportionately impact golf entities that have shorter seasons in which to prosper.
“They (superintendents) are surrounded by people who love golf. I’m around the oppo-nents — those who say golf deserves to be pe-nalized or that golf does not deserve to be on a level playing feld with other industries. I use data and research and stories of professional land management to help them understand our profession,” McKeel says. “We’re well posi-
tioned to inform them. We try to chip away, on a daily basis, on what some people believe about golf course management.”
Golf has been criticized in some circles for contributing to the deterioration of water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Yet work by people such as GCSAA Mid-Atlantic feld staff representative Chase Rogan and chapter members in that region has helped shed light on the association’s efforts to develop Best Management Practices (BMPs) that illustrate members’ responsible use of water and nutri-ents. In Virginia, superintendent Peter Mc-Donough at the Keswick Club in Charlottes-ville is working with the state government to implement nutrient management plans for golf courses.
A key player in this issue sees the good that GCSAA does.
“They (GCSAA) have the ability to see the big picture,” says Derik Cataldi, urban nu-trient management specialist at the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. “Most times when you are working with su-perintendents, you are working with a highly trained individual. They show how they regu-late, don’t just do things off the cuff. GCSAA is very practical, has a mission of improving the game of golf, and lets its members know about the research and the trends. They are extremely good at that.”
If it takes years to determine an outcome, GCSAA has shown a willingness to stay the course for the cause. An example is the Ameri-
Gerald Faubel, CGCS Retired, landed
his frst superintendent job more than 50
years ago. He cannot recall government
showing much interest in the golf industry in
those days.
“I think they had bigger fsh to fry, quite
frankly,” Faubel says.
Past GCSAA president Paul McGinnis,
CGCS, became a superintendent in 1974,
and remembers a similar time.
“There really were no regulators. We
could use as much water as we wanted. No
one said we couldn’t,” McGinnis says.
Ultimately, that all changed — in some
cases, dramatically (California water restric-
tions, for example). So, in 1987, GCSAA
introduced its newest member service:
Government Relations.
As laws, rules and regulations began to
impact golf courses in regard to issues such
as fungicides and pesticides, GCSAA took
action. Faubel served as the frst director of
government relations (now known as Gov-
ernment Affairs). Its goal was to report vital
information to the membership on issues
that affected the industry, and to provide
legislators and the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) with information they may re-
quire concerning situations and techniques
that exist in the industry.
“Many superintendents then wanted to
stay out of the limelight, didn’t want to have
anything to do with government relations,”
Faubel says. “But we had to be looked
upon as stewards of the environment.
We took the tact that it is better working
together with agencies such as the EPA
in a positive manner rather than working
against one another. It was a very responsi-
ble manner in which we intended to do the
right thing for the right reasons.”
Those advocacy efforts continued —
and they still do.
In 1989, GCSAA launched its frst
offcial government relations newsletter,
Briefng, and in 2000, it hired Washington,
D.C.-based frm Reed Smith to represent its
federal interests. In 2006, GCSAA moved
its annual Government Relations committee
meeting to Washington, D.C.
Although GCSAA’s advocacy work has
blossomed enormously since 1987, Faubel
says the message today is very similar to
what frst emerged 28 years ago.
“If people in Washington were going to
make decisions that were going to affect
our lives, it is better that we helped them
be well informed, have the information they
needed, to make good decisions,” Faubel
says. “We didn’t want anyone in particular
to control our own destiny. We wanted to
be included in it.”
— H.R.
History lesson
50 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
vided some of the research and facts to support Genovesi’s cause. As he watched Genovesi tes-tify, Cohen paid close attention to those who were listening.
“I was watching their (the board’s) body language when John testifed. They were zoned in on what he was saying,” Cohen says. “When I testify on an issue at public hearings, I also try to get a superintendent up there (to testify). If (superintendents) have good communication skills, they can speak with authority.”
By the way — Genovesi got that permit. The irrigation system upgrades were installed earlier this year.
“When I told them I was certifed, edu-cated, I think that got their ear,” Genovesi says. “Once they got the message, that we would actually have a healthier environment through this project and how we would be more in control of the operation, we really won them over.”
That, in a nutshell, describes GCSAA’s ad-vocacy role, GCSAA Florida feld staff repre-sentative Ralph Dain says.
“It (advocacy) is everything we do. We’re truly the environmentalists, and we can show that in what we’re doing. It’s endless what we can do together,” Dain says.
Now hear thisWhen T.A. Barker appeared as a guest on
KSL NewsRadio in Salt Lake City, it was sim-ply another chance for the past Intermountain GCSA chapter president to spread the word.
His conversation with host Mark Jackson sure hit the mark.
“I’ve got to tell you — it was one of my favorite shows,” Jackson says.
Jackson was impressed with how Barker informed him and his listeners of how golf courses do their part to conserve water, which,
more than ever, has become a precious com-modity in so many places.
“He just laid it out, made it easy to un-derstand. He knew exactly what he was talk-ing about,” Jackson says. “The biggest thing I learned is that a brown golf course is just the same as a green course. It doesn’t mean it’s dead; it’s just not green. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
A piece of trivia: KSL (1160 on your AM dial) was the frst clear-channel radio sta-tion west of the Mississippi. There is nothing trivial about this, though: GCSAA’s pursuit of being the messenger for its constituents — from coast to coast, border to border, and even beyond — is coming in loud and clear.
Bauer, who at frst wondered whether all he got out of his membership was a magazine, thinks he is being heard, and hopes others in his profession come aboard and do their part to make a difference.
“I took the opportunity to get involved, and that has changed my whole perception of my membership,” Bauer says. “I have an asso-ciation I can go to, be part of, and I know they are there for me. Becoming involved has been a real eye-opener. And I think we’re opening up a lot of people’s eyes about us.”
Howard Richman ([email protected]) is GCM ’s asso-
ciate editor.
cans with Disabilities Act (ADA). From the early 1990s to 2012, GCSAA worked with the U.S. Access Board to develop accessibility guidelines for golf courses, which are now en-forceable by the Department of Justice.
The ability of superintendents to keep their eye on the ball impresses Karen Reardon, vice president of public affairs for the trade associa-tion RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment). Although a pesticides ban in Montgomery County, Maryland, exempts golf courses, she mentioned how superinten-dents remain committed to the issue in case the ban eventually includes their golf courses.
“They’ve got an ear to the ground. They understand what can come later on issues that don’t impact them initially,” Reardon says. “They still show up, take a leadership role, for however long it lasts.”
GCSAA also helped develop a BMP hand-book for the state of Florida. Mike Thomas, engineer for the Florida Department of En-vironmental Protection, recalls how two de-cades ago, superintendent Tim Hiers showed him how his course handled recycling and prevented contamination. It spurred Thomas to work with GCSAA members on BMPs.
“This group (superintendents) has been re-ally progressive. The superintendents are the true professionals,” Thomas says.
Dean Minchillo is a believer. As conser-vation program manager for the Tarrant Re-gional Water District in Fort Worth, Texas, Minchillo has encountered superintendents, and he got quite an education from one of them, Ken Gorzycki, CGCS, of Horseshoe Bay (Texas) Resort.
“He really explained a lot to me what it takes to keep grass alive, playable, what kind of things are necessary for a superintendent to provide the right playing surfaces and pro-tect natural resources. These people do an in-credible job with what they do and what they have,” says Minchillo, who is part of a task force seeking ways to recognize and offer ac-colades to golf courses that incorporate BMPs. “Whenever I’m dealing with a homeowner complaining about golf courses (and how they use water), I speak to them from the superin-tendent’s perspective.”
John Genovesi, CGCS, did more than speak one day at the East Hampton Village, N.Y., Zoning Board Meeting — he testifed.
Genovesi’s golf course, Maidstone Club, was planning to upgrade its irrigation system, which required a permit because of wetlands on the course. Stuart Cohen, Ph.D., presi-dent of Environmental & Turf Services, pro-
The Nevada Drought Forum was established by Gov. Brian Sandoval. It included GCSAA chapters’ input. Photo courtesy of Jeff Jensen
52 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Stone Mountain, Ga., is no stranger to rev-olution.
The granite dome that rises 1,686 feet above the surrounding landscape just 20 miles from downtown Atlanta and the small city that bears the same name both played central roles during the Civil War. The mountain it-self features the world’s largest bas-relief sculp-ture, one that pays homage to that stormy period of history through a carving of Con-federate leaders Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
Granite quarried from Stone Mountain was used in the construction of the locks in the Panama Canal, the steps to the East Wing of the U.S. Capitol Building and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Martin Luther King Jr. even mentioned the mountain during his famed “I Have a Dream” speech.
The most recent revolution to involve Stone Mountain, however, is playing out far more quietly and discreetly than the area’s previous turns in the spotlight. In fact, those closest to it — those playing 36 holes of golf at Stone Mountain Golf Club by Marriott, which sits in the shadow of the mountain it-self — probably have no idea that it’s even tak-ing place.
But, depending on the fnal outcomes of an innovative program from the Propane Ed-
ucation and Research Council (PERC) and R&R Products that is testing propane-pow-ered golf course maintenance equipment at Stone Mountain and seven other properties across the country, revolutionary is the most apt way to describe what is taking place. It’s a program that has the potential to change the way golf courses all over the world are main-tained.
“I really think this is an important step in the evolution of the greening of grounds maintenance,” says Stone Mountain superin-tendent Anthony Williams, CGCS. “That’s what intrigued me so much about working ... on this project. It’s something that, if success-ful, can really have an impact on our industry in the future.”
Propane positivesWhen Walter Snelling frst identifed
propane at the turn of the 20th century, he wasn’t necessarily in search of the world’s next great power source. He was a chemist doing chemist things, and he found that the gases released when gasoline evaporated could be changed back into a liquid form and stored at pressure.
The resulting compound was soon power-ing everything from home appliances to cut-ting torches. In the century since its discovery,
Is propane the fuel of the future for golf course maintenance? A test program at Stone Mountain Golf Club and seven other properties is hoping to answer that question.
Scott Hollister
P wer playP w
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 53
Photo courtesy of PERC
54 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
ment and removing them when empty is a simple process.Part of the progress propane has made in
recent years can be credited to PERC, an or-ganization owned, operated and funded by the propane industry that focuses efforts on promoting training and safety, and expanding the adoption of propane as a viable fuel source. That latter mission frst led PERC to its work in the lawn and landscape business and, now, to its growing interest in golf.
“In the last seven or eight years, propane as an industry started getting serious about commercial mowing,” says Jeremy Wishart, the deputy director of business development for PERC. “We’ve made some inroads there, had some great successes, so we started look-ing at where we can next take that model, where the next green pasture might be. Ob-viously, that led us to look at golf course and resort operations.”
Test drivesIt didn’t take long for those initial forays
into golf to reveal a natural partner for PERC in the endeavor: R&R Products, which had been offering superintendents propane-pow-ered options on their greens and fairway mow-ers for several years.
“Jim (Coker, R&R’s director of propane applications) and I began talking about a demonstration program where we could get
All in all, propane
is a relatively cost-
effective option in
most commercial
settings when
compared with
diesel or gasoline.
The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC) and R&R Products have been testing propane-powered golf course equipment on eight courses throughout the United States, including Stone Mountain (Ga.) GC by Marriott. Photos courtesy of PERC
propane has been adopted for use in kitchens and in laundromats, on road construction projects and on farms from coast to coast.
It also, of course, has been used to power equipment of all shapes and sizes. Forklifts moving in and out of warehouses have long utilized propane as their main power source. Buses in many U.S. cities use propane as a primary fuel source. More recently, pro-pane-powered mowers, seeders and aerators have become staples among lawn and land-scape contractors.
When you consider the strengths that pro-pane brings to the table, it’s easy to see why it’s made serious inroads in these areas.• Cost. All in all, propane is a relatively cost-
effective option in most commercial set-tings when compared with diesel or gaso-line. Overall savings can climb as high as 30 percent.
• Environmental impact. Thanks largely to emissions reductions of up to 15 percent versus diesel, propane is considered a strong green option.
• Power. Despite assumptions to the contrary, propane’s power potential is on par with other kinds of fuels. If it’s good enough to power a city bus, it’s probably good enough to power a mower.
• Safety. Propane is an extremely safe and sta-ble fuel source. With the proper training, storing canisters, installing them on equip-
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 55
mowers into the hands of superintendents in real-world settings,” Wishart says. “As we built it out, expanding that to more courses and more superintendents that already had something going on in terms of environmen-tal programs just made more and more sense.”
With the fnancial backing of PERC, equipment from R&R and additional support from Audubon International — attracted by the potential environmental benefts offered by propane — the program was born.
Its goals were relatively straightforward. PERC and R&R wanted to mine data from the real-world use of propane-powered golf course equipment — from fuel effciency and emissions reductions to maintenance costs — with the hopes of building a case for super-intendents to consider those products as safe, clean and budget-friendly options for their golf courses.
“We know we have a great fuel … but in practice, we wanted to fnd out what it’s really like for the guy using it on a day-to-day basis,” Wishart says.
They ultimately identifed eight courses spread out across the United States to serve as testing grounds in what would be a year-long program. Those courses received four pieces of equipment — two of R&R’s Reel Max 744LP4 fairway units, and a pair of the company’s Greens Max 2200LF riding greens mowers — along with assistance and instruc-
tion on everything from establishing relation-ships with local propane companies and safe storage practices to tips on the installation of the canisters on the mowers themselves.
One of the courses selected was Stone Mountain, an obvious choice considering Williams’ past accomplishments. He’s re-ceived countless environmental accolades (GCSAA’s President’s Award for Environmen-tal Leadership in 2010 among them), is an ac-tive force in government affairs, both locally and at the national level, and is renowned for his management of the 36-hole Stone Moun-tain facility with a crew of just 15 and a budget with few frills.
“We felt like we were a great ft for a pro-gram like this,” Williams says. “We felt like we could represent ‘the little guy’ a little bit, and if we could do this here, then it could be done just about anywhere.”
That doesn’t mean there wasn’t some ini-tial reluctance from some of Williams’ long-time lieutenants.
“If you grew up in this industry and you’ve only been on a Toro or John Deere greens mower, and all of a sudden this R&R truck shows up with equipment that has propane tanks strapped to them, you kind of have to take a moment and take that all in,” the 19-year GCSAA member says.
“As I told them, it’s still a horse. You’ve just never ridden a horse that looks quite like this.”
Fueled upThe following eight courses are taking
part in a research program focused on
propane-powered golf course main-
tenance equipment organized by the
Propane Education and Research Council
and R&R Products:
• Stone Mountain (Ga.) Golf Club by
Marriott; Anthony Williams, CGCS
• Fernandina Beach (Fla.) Golf Club;
Rip Phillips, GCSAA Class A superin-
tendent
• Marriott Desert Springs Golf Club,
Palm Desert, Calif.; Matthew Hoyt,
CGCS
• The Vinoy Renaissance St. Peters-
burg (Fla.) Resort and Golf Club;
Scott Corwin, GCSAA Class A super-
intendent
• Columbus (Ohio) Municipal Golf
Courses; Bill Burns, feet operations
manager
• Reston (Va.) National Golf Course;
Patrick Swedock, GCSAA Class A
superintendent
• George W. Dunne National Golf
Course, Oak Forest, Ill.; Jeremy Tur-
ton, GCSAA Class A superintendent
• Eagles Pride Golf Course, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Wash.; John Ford,
CGCS
Courses participating in PERC and R&R Products’ testing program are trained thoroughly on the use of the propane-powered equipment, including the installation and removal of canisters from each unit. In the photo on the left, Stone Mountain crew member Robert Brown (left) and equipment technician Kelly Biddy work on a fairway unit.
56 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
than $2,000 at that point. “That’s with only a couple of months of use, none of it in our heavy mowing season, and with only four parts of our feet using propane,” he explains.
He also had already come to see the real en-vironmental benefts that propane could offer, even beyond emissions reductions. “Anyone who has ever had to close and remove an un-derground storage tank can tell you how ex-pensive it is, how much hot soil is left behind,” Williams says. “Being able to eliminate the potential for spillage and seepage, to protect wildlife and soil quality, is huge. You’re just taking unwanted risk out of the equation.”
For his part, Williams’ equipment man-ager at Stone Mountain, Jim Stuart, was also a quick study with the new machines.
“There really hasn’t been any differences at all (between propane and diesel mowers),”
Stuart says. “It goes on the lift; I check it out just like I would any other piece of equipment we have. Honestly, I’m looking forward to the fact that I don’t have to change the oil half as much as I used to.”
So are the takeaways from Stone Mountain and the seven other facilities participating in the program enough to signal an impending revolution in golf course management? Wil-liams isn’t ready to make such a broad proc-lamation just yet. But he does think superin-tendents should at least give propane-powered equipment a try, and then make that judg-ment for themselves.
“There’s been plenty of curiosity among other superintendents in our area,” Williams says. “I think right now they’re going to wait and see how it goes.
“But I would just encourage anyone who is curious about it and has the fexibility to try these machines to do just that. Ask your ques-tions, put them on your course, and see what you think. That’s really the spark of genius to this program, I think. They’re not just selling the products. They’re getting them in the feld on some diverse golf courses, and they’re see-ing how they perform.”
Scott Hollister ([email protected]) is GCM ’s editor-in-
chief.
“Being able to
eliminate the potential
for spillage and
seepage, to protect
wildlife and soil
quality, is huge.”
— Anthony Williams, CGCS
Overcoming that reluctance and the other myriad concerns that come along with any-thing new in an industry rooted in tradition fell largely to R&R’s Coker, who was respon-sible for delivering the equipment to each of the participating courses and leading training sessions for the operators of those machines.
He acknowledges that reactions similar to the ones experienced at Stone Mountain were the rule rather than the exception. But at nearly every course, those reactions were short-lived.
“When I came in and trained these guys, I tried to focus on the benefts and the safety aspects,” Coker says. “For example, there are a lot of concerns that the tanks were going to blow up like they see in the movies, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. We just had to get them comfortable with how you stored tanks, how you put them on and took them off the mowers. Once that happened, you could see the light bulb go on a little bit.”
A real revolution?The early reviews from the team at Stone
Mountain do hint at signifcant potential for propane in golf course management, if not as a straight replacement for traditional die-sel units, then at least as a realistic alternative to them.
When GCM visited Stone Mountain ear-lier this year, Williams was just a few months into the program and was already realizing cost savings — a year-over-year drop of more
Above: Stone Mountain superintendent Anthony Williams, CGCS, thinks the fnancial and environmental benefts of propane can make it a viable fuel source in golf course management. Photos by Scott Hollister
Right: Kelly Biddy pilots a propane-powered greens mower on the ffth hole of the Lakemont Course at Stone Mountain.
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58 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Tree-mendous teamworkSahalee Country Club uses communication, coordination and collaboration to maintain major championship conditions throughout the year.
Editor’s note: T is is t e nint eries of article ig lig ting t e important relations ip between GCSAA superintendents and PGA of America professionals. T ese stories are being publis ed simul-taneously in bot GCM and PGA Magazine.
To say that Sahalee Country Club is renowned for its trees is tantamount to saying nearby Seattle is known for the Seahawks, the Mariners or Starbucks. There are 8,000 trees towering over the 27-hole private club in Sammamish, Wash. — the majority are western red cedar, with a healthy array of Douglas fr, hemlock and big-leaf maples.
It is the daily job of PGA of America general manager/director of golf Jim Pike and super-intendent Tom Huesgen, CGCS, and staff to manage Sahalee’s forest-like grounds to ensure the evergreens don’t compromise the integrity, playability and strategy of one of America’s most challenging major championship venues.
Sahalee, the Chinook word for “high heavenly ground,” hosted the 1998 PGA Champion-ship and is preparing for the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June. The golf staff is also maintaining its tradition of everyday excellence for its members with a variety of facility improvement projects spearheaded by Pike, Huesgen and PGA head professional Mike Mont-gomery. Communication, coordination and collaboration among the golf course operations and maintenance staffs are the three C’s that carry the day at Sahalee.
Roger Graves
AT THE TURN
(profile)The tree-heavy landscape of Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., presents challenges in playability and course maintenance, but the abundant greenery also makes for a memorable, quintessentially Pacifc Northwest venue. Photos courtesy of Sahalee Country Club
“If informed, all of
the management
team can be great
ambassadors for
the agronomy
team.”
— Jim Pike
*AMVAC recommended snow mold control program includes TURFCIDE®
at 8 fl . oz. and Concert®
II at 8.5 fl . oz.
© 2015 AMVAC Chemical Corporation. All rights reserved. AMVAC, TURFCIDE, the AMVAC and AEP logos are trademarks owned by AMVAC Chemical Corporation.
Concert II is a trademark of Syngenta Group Company. Always read and follow label directions. www.amvac-chemical.com. AV-2015-TURFCIDE100WS
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TURFCIDE®. 13 fi eld trials. At least 94% control. 100% of the time.
Recent fi eld trials compared the performance of TURFCIDE, as part of AMVAC’s
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60 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Daily communication is essential“Tom and I speak daily, as he advises me
on what he and his agronomy team are doing on the golf course,” explains Pike, who has spent 28 years at Sahalee, including the past three years as general manager and director of golf. “At Sahalee, it also is critical for the head golf professional and the superintendent to es-tablish and confrm starting sides on the golf course, since Sahalee is a 27-hole champion-ship golf course where all nines are used and rotated daily. Tom and Mike coordinate the starting sides in a monthly meeting with daily follow-up. Mike, Tom and I meet together at least once a week to coordinate club golf events, golf course setup, course conditions and play schedules.”
Pike says Huesgen provides him and his management team at Sahalee with a weekly update on the status of various projects, such as special chemical applications, turf chal-lenges, aerifcation, topdressing, tree man-agement, bunker maintenance and irrigation work. “If informed, all of the management team can be great ambassadors for the agron-omy team and can communicate to the mem-bership golf course conditions,” Pike says.
Huesgen, a 22-year member of GCSAA who came to Sahalee after successful super-
intendent tenures at Poppy Hills and Pebble Beach — and time as project manager and superintendent at Cornerstone Golf Club in Montrose, Colo. — agrees that constant com-munication and coordination are paramount to a successful golf operation.
“We all meet as a staff once a week. But truth be told, a day doesn’t go by that Jim and I don’t talk if we are both on-site,” says Hues-gen, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Or-egon State University in agricultural science and a degree in psychology and business man-agement from the University of Missouri.
“Sahalee can be a complex operation, with 27 holes, a passionate golf membership, and several major events on the way,” Huesgen says. “Our meetings cover the gamut, from short-term improvement projects on the golf course to long-term capital improvements, plus everyday maintenance matters. Every meeting includes a progress report and a report on what we are planning to accomplish that day, that week and during the next month.”
Practice range renovationsSince arriving at Sahalee CC nearly two
years ago, Huesgen has lent his expertise to a practice range tee renovation project similar to those he championed at Poppy Hills and Peb-
Top: Opened in 1969, Sahalee was designed by golf course architect Ted Robinson, and its 27 holes consist of three nine-hole courses. Rees Jones oversaw the redesign and renovations of the bunkers and many prominent features in 1996.
Bottom: Tom Huesgen, CGCS, had a hand in hosting two U.S. Opens during his past tenure at Pebble Beach Resorts in Pebble Beach, Calif.
*AMVAC recommended snow mold control
program includes TURFCIDE®
at 8 f. oz.
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ble Beach. Pike and Huesgen also have tackled a new irrigation renova-tion project around all the green complexes, and teamed with golf course architect Rees Jones to implement a complex tree management and tree-limbing program. That effort is geared toward restoring Sahalee’s origi-nal shot-making corridors from when the course opened in 1969.
During the past three-plus decades, those 8,000 trees have grown taller, thicker and have formed a canopy over some fairways that restrict normal shot-making, which curtails golfer creativity. When the 1998 PGA Championship was contested at Sahalee, the trees were a major topic of conversation. The same situation was encountered when the 2002 NEC Invitational World Golf Championship and the 2010 U.S. Senior Open were staged at Sahalee. Will the trees be an even taller topic at the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship next June?
“Sahalee has always been known for its natural beauty and its trees,” says Huesgen. “We’re working on a comprehensive tree management plan that has never been in place here before. We have studied aerial photos of the original course, and our objective is to establish a plan that preserves the integrity and strategy of the original layout.”
Those 8,000 large trees shadowing Sahalee’s 27 holes also impact the facility’s irrigation efforts.
“From a grass-growing perspective, the tree density limits air circula-tion and sunlight, which can be detrimental to turfgrass health,” notes Huesgen. “If the trees block water, you get a lot of hot spots and wet spots. As we carry out our tree-trimming program, it gives us more uni-formity in irrigation and eliminates those hot and wet spots.”
If Sahalee was looking for a tree expert, it certainly found one in Huesgen. The Carmel, Calif., resident was entrusted with fnding a re-placement for the iconic cypress tree fronting the 18th hole at Pebble Beach after the original landmark tree succumbed to lightning and dis-ease and was taken down in 2002. A year later, Huesgen located a proper replacement and headed the transplant process. Today, a tall, healthy tree stands sentinel, guarding the right-front entry to the 18th green at Pebble Beach — just as its predecessor did for so many years.
Tom Huesgen (left), PGA head professional Mike Montgomery (center), and Jim Pike.
62 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
A major range upgradeThe practice range tee and turf restoration
project conducted at Sahalee was another top priority for Pike and Huesgen when the lat-ter returned to the Pacifc Northwest, having spent his college days in Corvallis, Ore. Hues-gen had just completed a $10 million renova-tion project at Poppy Hills, which included a redesign of that facility’s practice range.
“Sahalee had approved and budgeted for synthetic turf on the back of the range tee to allow year-round member practice without destroying our grass tee during the winter months,” explains Pike, a PGA professional since 1986. “Tom had just completed a project at Poppy Hills and had watched Pebble Beach install a new synthetic range tee. Tom put to-gether a whole new design for the range tee with a new company for the synthetic turf. We made the pitch to the board of directors for ad-ditional funding, and ultimately built a range tee that is frst class and available year-round.”
Sahalee was awarded the 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship just last June, which is a short preparation timetable for a major championship. Sahalee’s immaculate daily playing conditions were a factor in the decision, which is a testament to the working relationship among Pike, Huesgen, Mont-gomery and their staffs.
“In preparing for a major championship, I feel the duties and responsibilities are shared, not divided, between the superintendent and general manager,” says Pike, a native of Ta-coma, Wash., and a graduate of Brigham Young University. “With all of our champion-ships, I have enjoyed being a part of the plan-ning of the golf course conditions and setup. For the KPMG Championship, I joined Kerry Haigh (PGA chief championships of-fcer) and Tom on the tour of the golf course. I want to know what is being requested of our agronomy team for the upcoming champion-ship so I can support my superintendent.”
Huesgen, who has been involved in stag-ing two U.S. Opens at Pebble Beach and a handful of PGA Tour events, understands that most major championship venues are given fve to 10 years to prepare for a major championship.
“That is typical, but fortunately we had already begun our major renovation and im-provement projects, so we will be focusing on our normal maintenance programs and completion of the projects already in place,” Huesgen says. “We will spend a lot of time on infrastructure coordination that is neces-sary to conduct the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, building new structures to accommodate sponsors and moving specta-
Top: The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be played at Sahalee CC in June.
Bottom: A Washington native, Jim Pike has been at Sahalee CC for 28 years, the past three of those as PGA of America general manager and director of golf.
tors seamlessly. Fortunately, we maintain a championship-caliber golf course throughout the year, so we won’t have to make a lot of modifcations for this major championship. Sahalee is ready.”
Thanks to the team of Pike and Huesgen and their three C’s, the high heavenly ground
of Sahalee Country Club is not only ready for its next major challenge, but is also prepared to provide an impeccable golf experience 365 days a year for the club’s members.
Roger Graves is the senior writer for PGA Magazine.
“Fortunately,
we maintain a
championship-
caliber golf course
throughout the
year, so we won’t
have to make a lot
of modifcations
for this major
championship.
Sahalee is ready.”
— Tom Huesgen, CGCS
Sahalee CC is known for its tight, tree-framed fairways and pristine daily playing conditions.
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64 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Home gameA longtime participant in the GCSAA Golf Championships, Kevin Kienast, CGCS, relishes his opportunity to play host when the event comes to San Diego in February.
Kevin Kienast, CGCS, is used to preparing for the GCSAA Golf Championships, having taken part in the event in some capacity for nearly 20 years.
But this February, it won’t be just his golf swing that he’ll be working on. Kienast will also be focused on making sure his facility, Park Hyatt Resort’s Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif., is ready to go, as it will serve as one of fve facilities hosting tournament play ahead of the 2016 Golf Industry Show.
Kienast has been the golf and grounds superintendent at Aviara since 2003, and he’s been through this before, hosting the GCSAA event in 2004 and 2013. But he is still excited to show off the 7,007-yard, par-72, Arnold Palmer-designed course to his peers. The course has an im-pressive list of accolades — it was named one of the top resort golf courses in the country by both Golf Digest and Golf magazine, and the readers of Condé Nast Traveler selected it as the top golf resort in San Diego — but hosting this tournament means just as much to Kienast as those rave reviews.
“It’s a beautiful layout,” Kienast says. “It’s not a pushover either. It has some challenge to it.”Among the canyons, rolling hills, eucalyptus trees, Torrey pines, and views of the Batiquitos
Lagoon nature preserve that make up Aviara’s landscape, there are also scars from the Poinsettia Wildfre in May 2014.
“It was a surreal experience,” Kienast says. “It happened so fast. The whole thing was over in four hours, but it was a pretty extensive wildfre that came right through the neighborhood.
Bill Newton
AT THE TURN
(tournament)Kevin Kienast, CGCS, a veteran player in the GCSAA Golf Championships, will take the reins in 2016 when the event comes to his home course, Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif. Photos courtesy of Kevin Kienast
“Being in the
industry, and as a
superintendent,
it is important
to play your
course to see it
from the golfers’
perspective.”
— Kevin Kienast, CGCS
66 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
We did what we could with the sprinklers and hoses, and knocked down some embers, but there wasn’t much we could do against the 30-foot fames. The helicopters took care of those. Homes were lost, but none on our course. You can still see some burned areas on holes 13 and 14.”
An annual traditionAn avid golfer, Kienast has fnished in the
top 10 of his fight at the GCSAA Golf Classic every year he has participated, and he won the second fight once. He has also enjoyed play-ing the Four Ball event that traditionally pre-cedes the Golf Classic.
“I have been playing in the Four Ball since 1998, I believe,” the 19-year GCSAA member says. “My partner for the frst several years was Dale Hahn, who hired me as an assistant su-perintendent at Pala Mesa Resort — my frst job in San Diego. It was fun playing with a good friend and mentor. Dale and I had some success and certainly a lot of fun.
“When Dale stopped playing in the tour-nament, I picked up one of the best sticks in San Diego, Mark Warren, and we teamed up
“We certainly want the course to look and play its best, and in February, it can be a chal-lenge to peak on conditioning with the cold temperatures and sometimes wetter condi-tions. I do enjoy hosting the GCSAA tourna-ment, though, and as the host resort this year, I am confdent that the participants will have a great time.”
The LPGA Kia Classic is a popular event that draws a great deal of attention from both tour players and spectators.
“We get all top-100 players since it’s the week before the frst major,” Kienast says. “We’ve had some great fnishes and some great champions. The LPGA is great to work with, and it has provided great exposure for the resort.”
An unexpected careerFighting wildfres and hosting professional
golf tournaments wasn’t exactly the career path Kienast envisioned when he graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in business management. As newlyweds, he and his wife, Amanda, moved to Arizona to housesit for relatives, and he got a job working for Mike Petty, GCSAA Class A director of agronomy at Tucson National.
“I was not sure what I wanted to do after college, but I had some entrepreneurial aspira-tions of starting my own business,” Kienast re-calls. “I certainly did not have a career as a golf course superintendent rattling around in my head at the time. I’m not sure how hand-rak-ing bunkers in the frosty mornings at Tucson National drove me into the business, but Mike
Top Left: Kienast has been the golf and grounds superintendent at Aviara Golf Club since 2013.
Bottom Left: Kienast (center) with fellow tournament participants (from left) Mark Warren, Tim Barrier, Renny Brown and Brendon Reaksecker at the 2015 GCSAA Golf Championships in San Antonio.
Right: The eighth hole at Aviara. The course’s coastal valley setting lends itself to plenty of water features.
for a few years, winning in the gross division in 2009 at Gulf Shores. And, for the last fve years, I have paired up with my good friend — and quite an accomplished golfer in his own right — Tim Barrier. I guess the key is to pick a good partner.”
Kienast discovered golf at a local munici-pal course while growing up in Seattle. Play-ing sporadically throughout high school and college, Kienast started taking it more seriously when he began working in the golf industry.
“Being in the industry, and as a superinten-dent, it is important to play your course to see it from the golfers’ perspective,” says Kienast, 48. “And it’s important to play other courses too. Plus, golf is such a great networking tool.”
Kienast has played in the GCSAA Golf Championships the past 20 years and thinks it is well worth the investment.
“This tournament is so benefcial for par-ticipants,” he says. “It’s amazing how much I learn there from spending time with superin-tendents from all over. Every year I’ve made new friends with colleagues there who I’ve kept in touch with.”
Practice makes perfectJust six weeks after hosting the GCSAA
Golf Championships, Kienast will turn the golf course around and have it ready to host the LPGA Tour’s Kia Classic for the fourth consecutive year in March.
“I think hosting the GCSAA tournament, with your colleagues and friends playing your course, can be more stressful than the LPGA tournament we host in March,” Kienast says.
They have a voice in the industryThrough the GCSAA Superintendent Research Panel, these individuals have a voice in the
industry. They are also receiving great rewards for their participation on the panel through
our quarterly prize drawings.
2015 3rd Quarter Prize Winners
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE LATEST PRIZE DRAWINGS:
Let your voice be heard. Learn more about becoming a member
of the Superintendent Research Panel at gcsaa.org/Community
Brian C. Nettz, CGCS
San Francisco, CAPresidio Golf Course
Keith H. Lamb
Riverview, FLSummerfeld Crossing Golf Club
Scott A. Peters
Baldwinsville, NYOswego Country Club
Don Naumann
Cupertino, CABlackberry Farm Golf Course
Kevin M. Shook
Elkhart, KSPoint Rock Golf Club
68 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Petty showed me the business side of manag-ing the golf course maintenance operation, and that resonated with me. I realized that it also includes managing people, resources and a budget. It was a perfect ft for me.”
Hahn, who hired Kienast as an assistant superintendent at Pala Mesa in 1995, left two years later for Morgan Run Resort in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., and Kienast was promoted to superintendent at Pala Mesa. Then, when Hahn left Morgan Run in 2002, he again rec-ommended Kienast as his replacement. Kien-ast was superintendent at Morgan Run until he took the Aviara job.
Kienast walked into an intriguing yet chal-lenging situation at Aviara, which was one of the frst golf facilities in the San Diego area to use effuent water.
“We’ve used effuent water on everything but the greens since opening the course in 1991,” Kienast says. “The quality of the water isn’t the best, so the amounts of sodium and nitrates have been a challenge, especially with the drought we’ve had the last few years. But the bermuda can take it better than our cool-season grasses in the rough, so those areas struggle in the late summer and require us to be more diligent.”
Kienast relies on his wife, their 16-year-old son Bennett and 12-year-old daughter Madilyn for support, as well as his well-ten-ured staff of 25 at Aviara.
“My assistant Franco De Jesus has been here since opening in 1991,” Kienast says. “He has more than a quarter-century of dedica-tion to this resort. He’s not the only one. Four or fve of them have been here since opening.”
That kind of continuity, consistency and experience allows Kienast and his staff to provide the caliber of conditions found at Aviara, despite whatever challenges may come their way while preparing the golf course for a professional tour event six weeks after hosting some of the most accomplished golf course critics around for the GCSAA Golf Championships.
Bill Newton is a freelance writer based in St. Louis and the
former public/media relations manager for GCSAA.
Torrey Pines
Aviara Maderas La Costa The Crossings
San Diego standoutsA past and future U.S. Open site and one of America’s top resort golf courses are among
fve San Diego-area facilities playing host to the 2016 GCSAA Golf Championships, pre-
sented in partnership with The Toro Co. for the 22nd consecutive year.
This year’s highlight is GCSAA’s return visit to Torrey Pines (www.sandiego.gov/park-
and-recreation/golf/torreypines), where both the North and South courses will be in the
tournament rotation. The famed South Course hosted the 2008 U.S. Open won by Tiger
Woods, and will again host in 2021. GCSAA’s national tournament visited there in 2013.
Paul Cushing, a 25-year member of GCSAA, serves as the GCSAA Class A golf course
maintenance director at Torrey Pines.
Both Golf Digest and Golf magazine have recognized Aviara Golf Club (www.golfaviara.
com) as one of the best resort courses in the country. The host of the LPGA Tour’s Kia Clas-
sic, Aviara is the only coastal California course designed by Arnold Palmer. The Carlsbad,
Calif., layout overlooks the Batiquitos Lagoon nature preserve and is managed by superin-
tendent Kevin Kienast, CGCS, a 19-year GCSAA member.
Maderas Golf Club (www.maderasgolf.com) is a familiar name to veteran GCSAA Golf
Championship participants, having been a part of the rotation for the event’s three previous
visits to San Diego. Located just north of downtown, the course is a Johnny Miller/Rob-
ert Muir Graves design that winds through cliffs, canyons and rock outcroppings that are
common to this part of Southern California. Patrick Reilly is the GCSAA Class A director of
agronomy at Maderas and a 13-year association member.
Another facility that hosted GCSAA play in 2013 is back for this go-around: La Costa
Resort & Spa (www.omnihotels.com/hotels/san-diego-la-costa/golf/legends-course) and
its Legends Course. Originally designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, the Legends Course
was renovated in late 2013 by Damian Pascuzzo and Steve Pate, a project that included
recontouring and regrassing all 18 greens, as well as changing the fairways to seashore
paspalum. The GCSAA Class A superintendent at La Costa is Matt Dunmyer, a 22-year
association member.
The fnal facility in this year’s rotation is also the newest: The Crossings at Carlsbad
(www.thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com). This Greg Nash-designed layout offers stunning views
of the Pacifc Ocean to the west and the California foothills to the east. It is named after
the fve bridges — or crossings — that were designed to leave existing natural areas un-
disturbed during construction. Brian Sandland, a 20-year GCSAA member, is the Class A
superintendent at The Crossings.
For more information on the GCSAA Golf Championships and to register for the event,
go to www.golfndustryshow.com/gcsaa-golf-championships.
CREATING A CULTURE OF
SUSTAINABILITYTune in to our program Sustainable Moments to see
how golf course superintendents take care of the most
important aspect of the course; the environment.
GCSAA.TV/Sustainable
Produced by Presented by
70 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Thirty years ago this past summer, during my internship at Oakland Hills Country Club in Birmingham, Mich., I learned how to set the mowing height for mowers and how to back-lap them. When I asked why the front roller was not smooth, I was told grooved rollers (also known as Wiehle rollers) made the grass stand up, resulting in a better cut. I was also in-formed that smooth rollers increased the poten-tial of tissue bruising, which could minimize stress tolerance and possibly create more disease and even compaction.
That same year, several weeks after the course had hosted the 85th U.S. Open, I spent a day cleaning out the maintenance building, charged with sweeping every nook and cranny. While removing boxes and discarded equip-ment, I uncovered a piece of equipment I had never seen before. Given that I couldn’t move it, I swept around it, and later that day, I asked assistant superintendent Tom Gray about the machine. Tom said it was a roller. And its pur-pose? “Nobody knows.”
That is a true story.Over the past 15 to 20 years, the results of
numerous research projects have led almost everyone in our industry to acknowledge that regular rolling of the putting surface can de-crease some diseases, localized dry spot, moss, etc., while increasing customer satisfaction by improving smoothness and green speed. Research has also shown that regular rolling does not detrimentally increase compaction. And, every lightweight roller is equipped with smooth rollers. By this point, I bet you know where I’m going.
For nearly a decade, I’d been itching to per-form a walk-behind greens mower study with identical machines ftted with different roll-ers: a grooved front roller and a smooth roller. It only made sense to me that if we regularly mowed greens with a smooth roller, we could further decrease disease and increase green speed. Additionally, although I found it easy to believe that grooved rollers made the grass
stand up and therefore gave a better cut 20-plus years ago, I was also certain the impact today would not be the same because of the ultra-thin bedknives, lower cutting heights, and increased grinding on modern golf courses.
This past year, my friends at Toro gave in and donated two identical walk-behind mow-ers so I could test my hypotheses. One of the Flex mowers was ftted with Toro’s standard grooved roller, and the other with an extra-heavy 50-pound front roller. “Awesome! This can’t miss,” I thought to myself. For 10 weeks, my assistant, Joe Fabbo, mowed Crenshaw creeping bentgrass putting green plots with the mowers and collected data, including turfgrass quality, green speed, clipping weights and dis-ease counts.
Results from the study show no differ-ences in turfgrass quality or disease between plots mowed with the different forward roll-ers. In addition, on most occasions, there were no differences in terms of green speed. When differences did exist, however, greens mowed with the grooved roller always produced the faster green speed. Finally, every time we col-lected turfgrass clippings, plots mowed with the grooved roller resulted in greater yield, which indicates the grooved rollers made the grass stand up, creating a cleaner cut. To be honest, by the end of the study, the plots maintained with the smooth roller had a vis-ibly shaggy appearance.
In the end, a well-designed study proved that what I was told about grooved mower roll-ers 30 years ago still holds true today. As the lyrics of a Mac Davis song from that era pro-fess, “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble when you’re perfect in every way.” As the research has proved, I am wrong once again. I assure you I have no problem being humble.
Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D., is the turfgrass academic spe-
cialist at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich.,
and a frequent GCSAA educator.
Thomas A. Nikolai, [email protected] It’s hard to be humble
To be honest, by the
end of the study,
the plots maintained
with the smooth
roller had a visibly
shaggy appearance.
(up to speed)
A survey link will be sent to superintendents via email. All superintendents will be able to participate, however, only U.S. data will be used. GCSAA members who complete the survey will receive 0.25 service points. Additionally, all superintendents (members and non-members) who complete the survey will be entered into a prize drawing for a $100 Visa or American Express gif card. A total of three gif cards will be awarded to each of the seven agronomic regions as identifed on the survey (21 gif cards total).
Te Golf Course Superintendents Association of America is
conducting an industry-wide Pest Management Practices Survey
at golf facilities across the world. Tis is the third survey of the
second phase of the Golf Course Environmental Profle. Your
information will go a long way toward demonstrating a
superintendent’s leadership, environmental stewardship and
agronomic expertise at the local and national levels.
Go to www.gcsaa.org and show you care.
Please take the Pest Management Practices survey to assist your industry and profession.
HELPYOUR
WE NEED
YOURWE NEED
HELPYOUR
WE NEED
HELPYOUR
WE NEED
HELPYOUR
72 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Bee basics and pollinator protectionChanges in traditional land management practices can help pollinators coexist with current land uses, including golf courses.
Faith B. Kuehn, Ph.D.
Flowering plants are an integral part of natural, landscaped and agricultural ecosys-tems. They require the action of bees, birds, butterfies, bats and other animal pollinators to move pollen between and among fowers. This activity ensures that the plants will set seed and fruit. Bees and fowering plants have a mutualistic relationship that has been evolv-ing for more than 100 million years. Bees are the primary animal pollinator of fowering plants in most ecosystems, and this role makes them crucial to humans and the environment (4). Most tree species in tropical forests are bee-pollinated, as are many bushes, shrubs and wildfowers in temperate climates. Almost all the bushes and smaller trees in the desert Southwest, such as mesquite and creosote, are pollinated by bees. Mammals ranging from small voles to grizzly bears depend on insect-pollinated fruits and seeds.
About one-quarter of the fruits and seeds eaten by birds are pollinated by bees and other pollinators. Two-thirds of crop varieties planted and consumed by humans — primar-ily fruits and vegetables — require pollination for production. These plants have developed a variety of ways to attract bee visits, from nectar guides to fower color and fragrance. As a reward for their visit, bees have access to nectar and pollen. Nectar is composed of sugars, which provide energy. Pollen is com-posed of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and is a rich food source that female bees also gather and bring back to their nests for their offspring. Honey bees, bumble bees and other generalist species must gather pollen from a variety of plants to obtain all the essential amino acids and proteins required to build and maintain strong colonies.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus ) adult (top) and larva (bot-tom). The larva consumes the leaf, despite the pres-ence of many milkweed or
oleander aphids (Aphis nerii). Photo by TCDavis
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 73
Pollinator conservation
Approximately 4,000 species of wild bees are native to the United States. These bees have been effectively pollinating a wide vari-ety of plants since long before the arrival of honey bees with English settlers in 1621. Si-multaneous declines in wild and honey bee populations, along with diminishing over-wintering populations of monarch butterfies, have raised awareness of the need for pollina-tor conservation.
On May 19, 2015, the Pollinator Health Task Force, at the request of the White House, issued a “National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators” (6). This comprehensive strategy aims to re-duce the impact of many factors — such as pests and pathogens, habitat loss and degra-dation, and exposure to pesticides — that are negatively impacting pollinator popula-tions. The strategy outlines three major goals: reduce honey bee winter colony losses to no more than 15% within 10 years; increase the eastern population of the monarch butterfy; and restore or enhance 7 million acres of land for pollinators over the next fve years.
In response to the strategy’s call for action, a wide array of private and government organi-zations have begun pollinator protection plans and programs. Land managers of many types — from farmers and departments of transpor-tation to park managers and golf course su-perintendents — can examine their practices and make modifcations that will help im-prove the health of pollinators and suitability of their habitat for pollinators. The best way to start planning for these improvements is to begin with the basics of bees — their diversity, their habits, and what they need to maintain healthy and productive populations.
Honey bees and bumble bees:
physiology and behavior
Bee bodies have an abundance of hairs, both simple and branched, that are uniquely suited to helping them collect and transport pollen. Honey bees and bumble bees have a pollen basket or “corbicula” on the upper part of their hind legs, surrounded by stiff hairs. The bees moisten pollen with nectar, and then pack it in these baskets during foraging. Sweat bees have scopae, or pollen brushes, which are patches of stiff hair on the back of their legs where dry pollen is stored. Bees in the family Megachilidae, which includes leaf-cutter and mason bees, have rows of curved hairs on the
The orange-belted bumble bee (or tricolored bumble bee), Bombus ternarius, has numerous hairs that allow it to collect and transport pollen. Photo by Dejen Mengis
The most widespread species of squash bee, Peponapis pruinosa, ranges from Canada to Mexico and is found wherever squash is grown. Photo by Susan Ellis
74 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
underside of their abdomen. These stiff hairs collect dry pollen, almost like a comb, as the bee walks across the fower’s anthers.
Bees are distinctively structured to accom-plish their various tasks. They have strong jaws that can be used for biting, working wax and pollen, and digging. The length of a bee’s tongue determines the type of fowers it pre-fers. Long-tongued bees, such as honey bees, prefer fowers with a longer corolla (throat). Short-tongued bees, such as those within the genus Colletes (plasterer or polyester bees) favor fowers with shallow forets, such as sun-fowers and asters.
On any given foraging trip, honey bees and some other bees will repeatedly visit fow-ers of the same plant species. This behavior is known as “fower constancy.” Pollen-gath-ering and fower constancy together ensure that large quantities of pollen are transferred among fowers of the same species. These ac-tivities help foster effcient pollination. Nearly all social bees and many solitary bees, such as bumble bees and sweat bees, are generalists and visit a wide variety of fowers. Although bees gather nectar from a broad selection of fowers, some will only collect pollen from a narrow range of fower species. For example, squash bee species in the Peponapis and Xeno-glossa genera pollinate squash, pumpkin and melon fowers.
While many species of wild bees are effec-tive pollinators, in the United States, honey bees are generally preferred over other bees for pollination in agricultural systems. Pop-ulation-dense colonies of these bees can be easily transported between farms and across the country during the growing season. Gross revenue from using honey bees for pollina-tion services totaled $655.6 million in 2012 (1). Almonds account for nearly half of these pollination fees, with sunfowers following at a distant second with 17% of the pollina-tion market.
In general, scientifc studies show that an abundance and diversity of wild bees assist with crop pollination even when honey bees are present in high numbers. Small-scale prac-tices such as establishing hedgerows and for-age patches adjacent to crop felds can have a major effect on the abundance of pollinators. These practices are particularly important for many species of wild bees, which have a shorter fight range than honey bees. Long term, the best way to transform landscapes into pollinator-friendly spaces is to carry out targeted use of insecticides and establish and
maintain fower strips and hedgerows to re-store semi-natural habitats near croplands and natural areas.
Some bees collect other substances in ad-dition to pollen and nectar. Leaf-cutter bees cut and collect leaves to line the walls of their nests. Mason bees search for damp clay soil, which they fashion into mud balls for their nests. Honey bees collect water to help regu-late the temperature within the hive. Sweat bees collect perspiration, probably to obtain salts and water. Bees in the family Melittidae collect fower oils instead of nectar to line the walls of brood cells and mix with pollen for larval food. A few species visit the carcasses of dead animals to collect bits of tissue, probably for their nests and as food for larvae.
Solitary and parasitic bees
Solitary beesMost of the approximately 4,000 species of
wild bees in the U.S. are solitary species. The majority of wild bees make their nests in the ground by excavating tunnels, usually in bare or sparsely vegetated, well-drained soil. Every female builds and inhabits her own nest, where she lays eggs and stores pollen provisions for the larvae that will hatch. There is no division of labor among solitary bees — no queens or workers. Some solitary bees share a nesting site area, where females will dig their individual nest in close proximity to others of the same species. Wild bees build a variety of different nests. Some use abandoned beetle burrows or other tunnels in snags (dead or dying standing trees). Others carve out the pith of stems and twigs to make a nest. To conserve moisture and protect their offspring from predators, some bees will seal off the entrance to their nest with mud or chewed-up wood.
Parasitic beesNot all bees ft the description of industri-
ous fower foragers and selfess sisters of the hive. About one-quarter of all species of bees are parasites, laying their eggs in the nest of other bees. Females of parasitic bee species do not collect their own pollen, and don’t have special structures for collecting and holding pollen. Many of these bee species have little hair and look more like a wasp than a bee.
By laying their eggs in the nest of other bees, they are allowing their offspring to feed on the pollen collected by that nest’s owner. The most common type of parasitic bee is the cleptoparasite of solitary bees, also known as a “cuckoo bee.” After cuckoo bee larvae
hatch, they kill the eggs or larvae of the nest-host bee, and then devour the pollen stores that the nest-host bee had provisioned for her young. The cuckoo bumble bee (Psit yrus spe-cies) is an example of a social parasite. These bees, which look quite similar to bumble bees, cannot build their own nests or collect pol-len. Rather, they enter established colonies of bumble bees, kill the queen, and then subju-gate the bumble bee workers so they will raise the parasite’s larvae.
Wasps are pollinators, too
Bees are believed to have evolved from wasps, and they are similar in appearance and nesting behavior. Distinct differences exist be-tween these two close relatives, however. First, there are differences in the amount and type of hair on their bodies. Bees are much hairier than wasps, and have a fuzzy appearance be-cause their hairs are branched. Wasp hair is sparse, and hairs are a simple flament. Bees feed their young pollen and nectar.
Wasps generally don’t carry pollen to their nests, although a few species collect pollen and nectar for their young. Wasps are often found on plants with abundant pollen resources, and studies with Vespid wasps have shown that they eat this rich source of protein during their fower visits (2).
Wasps’ main ecological role, for better or worse, is that they are superb insect hunters and predators. About two-thirds of the world’s described species of wasps are either predators or parasitoids of other insects. These carnivo-rous insects have a vital ecological role in help-ing to keep insect populations — including pest insect populations — in balance.
Like their bee relatives, wasps are solitary or social. Solitary predatory wasps are specifc in the type of prey they hunt. For example, most species in the genus Cerceris hunt bee-tles, and even specifc families of beetles. Cer-ceris fumipennis hunts buprestids, the metallic wood-boring beetles. Social predatory wasps include yellow jackets, hornets and paper wasps. Although caterpillars and larvae are the most common prey, these hunters have been observed taking down almost any insect that moves. Solitary predatory wasps temporarily immobilize prey by stinging, and then carry the prey back to the nest, where it is fed to the offspring. Social wasps, on the other hand, use the stinger to kill or immobilize prey for colony defense.
Yellow jackets (Vespula species) are among the most aggressive and most feared wasp spe-
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 75
Top left: Sphecid wasps are solitary predators. Most of them live in the ground, but they can also reside in cavities in wood or in nests they make out of mud. Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University/Bugwood.org
Top right: The predatory wasp Cerceris fumipennis, the only buprestid-hunting wasp in North America, preys on the emerald ash borer beetle. Photo by Philip Careless/Wikimedia Commons
Above: Braconid wasp parasitoids nearly cover the larva of a sphinx or hawk moth. Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University/Bugwood.org
Left: Bee hotels, like this one in Tucson, Ariz., may actually attract more wasps than bees. Photo by Faith Kuehn
76 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
cies. They are most bothersome in autumn, when yellow jacket colonies have reached peak population size and food resources are dwin-dling. Compared with yellow jackets, hornets are much less aggressive.
Wasps’ hunting prowess can present issues for bee conservation tactics, such as the provi-sion of bee hotels and bee nest boxes. These structures usually consist of bundled stems, paper tubes, and holes drilled in wood, and they have been promoted as a conservation tool for cavity-nesting bees. Recent research in Canada, however, showed that native and in-troduced wasps were signifcantly more abun-dant than bees in 755 of the hotels studied (3).
Conservation practices
The presidential memorandum of May 19, 2015, calls for expanding and coordinating public conservation and education programs to help address the loss of pollinators. Further-more, it states that pollinator conservation is a shared national responsibility, and emphasizes
that the actions of one person or organization can make a difference. There are many oppor-tunities to build on existing partnerships or create new ones — from planting pollinator gardens and habitats with seed and materials supplied by garden and landscape companies, to partnering with one of the many federal agencies or private organizations dedicated to pollinator conservation.
To maintain healthy populations, all spe-cies of bees need three things: season-long and abundant supplies of pollen and nectar, nesting and overwintering resources, and landscape management that supports their health. Populations of wild bees have been sig-nifcantly reduced by several factors. The loss, degradation and fragmentation of their habi-tats have resulted in decreased availability of the weeds and fowering plants they depend on for food. Plowing and other agriculture ac-tivities, along with the construction of road-ways and developed properties, have destroyed many of the sites used by ground-nesting bees.
The overuse of insecticides and herbicides is an additional factor in their decline.
The judicious use of pesticides is an inte-gral part of a number of agricultural produc-tion and land management regimes. Pollina-tor and predatory insect populations should be protected from the direct impact of pes-ticides and pesticide drift. Herbicides can effectively control invasive plants, but they can also eliminate forage and host plants for pollinators, butterfies and moths. Insec-ticides should not be applied to blooming plants or when bees are actively foraging, as most insecticides are toxic to bees and ben-efcial insects. Systemic insecticides, which circulate through a plant’s vascular system, are also expressed in pollen and nectar. Bees can thus ingest these toxins and feed them to their young.
Bee-friendly landscapes
To support colonies of honey bees and healthy populations of wild bees, abundant
A meadow with native plants at Flint Woods Preserve in northern New Castle County in Delaware furnishes habitat for pollinators. Photo by TCDavis
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 77
supplies of pollen and nectar are required throughout the growing season. From March through the end of September, there should be a succession of suitable trees, shrubs, forbes and annual plants in bloom. Furthermore, because bees’ foraging distances range from a mile or two for bumble bees and honey bees to a few hundred feet for many wild bees, forage patches should not be spaced far apart. Suit-able plants for bees will vary by region, but, in general, a diversity of native plants with differing fower forms will be suffcient. Non-native invasive plants should be removed, as they compete with native plants that not only provide food for bees, but are also critical to the ecosystem in a variety of other ways.
Lawn and grass provide nothing for pol-linators, and regular grass mowing can dis-turb the nests of wild bees. Therefore, grass should be replaced with native perennials, or fowering native plants should be incorporated into parts of the lawn. Planting forage plants in masses creates better visual appeal and also attracts bees.
Billie, with pollinator-friendly plants and a beepod that houses a hive, at Westmoor Country Club in Brookfeld, Wis. Billie’s owner is GCSAA Class A superintendent Bryan Bergner, a 14-year association member. Photo by Bryan Bergner
Dead trees and fallen logs are ideal locations for cavity-nest-ing bees at Rock Manor Golf Club in Wilmington, Del. Mat-thew Fauerbach is the director of agronomy at Rock Manor and a 15-year GCSAA member. Photo by Faith Kuehn
The good news is that bees are resilient animals. With awareness and planning, land-scapes can be made more bee-friendly, and the health and abundance of wild bees and honey can be improved. Land managers can take a number of simple steps to help support healthy bee populations. • Inventory the fowering plants on your
property, noting the percentage of native plants. Native plants are favored by wild bees, other pollinators and benefcial in-sects. Thus, increasing the percentage of native plants would be a positive change.
• Remove invasive plants, as they will dis-place native plant populations. These non-native plants can offer pollen and nectar to bees, but they are also competing with na-tive plants for pollinator visits and for seed production. Over the long term, invasive plants contribute to habitat degradation, as they do not support the diversity of insects, birds and mammals that native plants do.
• The Pollinator Conservation Resource Cen-ter, an online resource developed through
78 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
The
RESEARCH SAYS
• About one-quarter of the fruits and seeds
eaten by birds and two-thirds of crop varieties
consumed by humans require pollination for
production.
• Severe losses of honey bees, bumble bees and
other pollinators have led the U.S. government
to encourage efforts to reduce bee losses,
increase butterfly populations and restore or
enhance habitat.
• Bees can be social, solitary or parasitic and
make nests in hives, in the ground or in cavities
of trees or logs.
• Wasps play an important ecological role as in-
sect predators and parasitoids; wasps and bees
forage on the same plants.
• Steps to improve bee/pollinator habitat include
replacing invasive plants with native plants;
providing habitat for ground- and cavity-nesting
bees; and establishing thickets and meadows
for bumble bee nesting.
• Changes in traditional land management prac-
tices can help pollinators coexist with current
land uses.
a government and private collaboration, provides information and recommenda-tions specifc to U.S. geographic regions (5). Included in the website are plant lists, fact sheets and conservation guides, and in-formation on pesticide use and native bee identifcation. The resource includes a sec-tion specifcally for parks and golf courses and suggests a three-step process to make golf courses more pollinator-friendly.
• Choose native plants with a variety of fo-ral shapes and blooming times, favoring the white, blue, purple and yellow blossom col-ors preferred by bees.
• Cultivate large clumps of native plants in various areas around the property and within range of nesting sites. The scat-tered-clump layout is more attractive to bees than providing all the favored foliage in one location.
• As the majority of wild bees nest in the ground, it is important to provide sunny, well-drained areas with direct access to the soil surface for nesting. These areas should include slopes and banks. Foot and vehicle traffc can result in soil compaction and dis-turbance and should be kept to a minimum.
• Provided that they don’t represent a safety hazard, leave some standing dead trees and downed logs for cavity-nesting bees. These should be located near clumps of native, fowering plants.
• Plant native shrubs with pithy stems, such as raspberry and elderberry, near the forag-ing resources. Cut these plants back each year to allow bee access to the pithy centers.
• Bumble bees seek out thickets and mead-ows for nesting, so identify some areas that can be managed for their nests. Mow these areas once every 3 to 5 years, and only in the fall. The sites should remain untouched during the winter to allow for the survival of dormant bumble bee queens that will produce the next season’s brood of young. Explanatory signage and public outreach can provide good information for those who may consider this practice unsightly.
A new management philosophy
Some of the recommended changes repre-sent a departure from traditional methods of property management, particularly for pub-lic spaces. Signage in areas with pollinator-friendly plantings — which may appear un-tidy to some — can alleviate these concerns and emphasize the importance of pollinators. Effective outreach can be achieved through several means, including educational bro-
chures, social media posts and programs that connect with target audiences. These changes can offer an opportunity to heighten aware-ness of the importance of pollinators and the need to shift to practices that support their conservation. We all depend on pollinators for our food and to support the ecosystems we live in. Let’s show them that they can depend on us.
Acknowledgments
Assistance for publication materials on bees and bee habitats was provided by North-east SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) and the USDA Natural Re-sources Conservation Service.
Literature cited
1. Bond, J., K. Plattner and K. Hunt. 2014. Fruit and
Tree Nuts Outlook: Economic Insight, U.S. Pollination
Services Market. USDA Economic Research Service,
FTS-357SA. (www.ers.usda.gov/media/1679173/
special-article-september_-pollinator-service-mar-
ket-4-.pdf). Accessed Oct. 1, 2015.
2. Hunt, J.H., P.A. Brown, K.M. Sago and J.A. Kerker.
1991. Vespid wasps eat pollen (Hymenoptera: Ves-
pidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society
64(2):127-130.
3. Maclvor, J.S., and L. Packer. 2015. “Bee Hotels” as
tools for native pollinator conservation: a premature
verdict? PLoS ONE 10(3): e0122126. doi:10.1371/
journal.pone.0122126.
4. National Research Council. 2007. Status of
Pollinators in North America. Committee on
the Status of Pollinators in North America.
The National Academies Press, Washing-
ton, D.C. (www.nap.edu/login.php?record_
id=11761&page=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nap.
edu%2Fdownload.php%3Frecord_id%3D11761).
Accessed Oct. 2, 2015.
5. Pollinator Conservation Resource Center. No date.
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conserva-
tion. (www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center).
Accessed Sept. 29, 2015.
6. Pollinator Health Task Force. 2015. National Strategy
to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other
Pollinators. (www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/
fles/microsites/ostp/Pollinator%20Health%20Strat-
egy%202015.pdf). Accessed Sept. 23, 2015.
Faith B. Kuehn ([email protected]) is an environ-
mental program administrator with the Delaware Depart-
ment of Agriculture in Dover, Del., and was a seminar
speaker for GCSAA at the 2015 Golf Industry Show in
San Antonio.
Suggestedreading
Grissell, E. 2010. Bees, Wasps, and Ants: The
Indispensable Role of Hymenoptera in Gar-
dens. Timber Press, Portland, Ore.
Holm, H.H. 2014. Pollinators of Native Plants:
Attract, Observe and Identify Pollinators and
Benefcial Insects with Native Plants. Pol-
lination Press LLC, Minnetonka, Minn.
Mader, E., M. Shepherd, M. Vaughan, S.H. Black
and G. LeBuhn. 2011. The Xerces Society
Guide, Attracting Native Pollinators: Protect-
ing North America’s Bees and Butterfies.
Storey Publishing, North Adams, Mass.
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 79
CUTTING EDGETeresa Carson
Investigating turf-type tallfescue for fairways
Creeping bentgrass is the dominant spe-cies in fairways throughout the cool-humid region, but in recent years, there has been an interest in alternative species that may re-quire greatly reduced management inputs. One under-used candidate for lower-mainte-nance fairways is turf-type tall fescue (TF). This durable species is very drought-tolerant and, when established, can persist with mini-mal fertilizer inputs. Some negatives to TF use include coarse leaf texture, potential for rapid spring shoot growth, and the possibil-ity of annual bluegrass (ABG) encroachment at low mowing heights. Applying a root-ab-sorbed plant growth regulator (PGR) may address these potential drawbacks. Because little is known about using TF for fairways, a feld study was conducted on a turf-type TF research fairway maintained at ½ inch (12 mm). The objective was to assess the ef-fect of three annual nitrogen (N) rates (0, 66 and 131 pounds/acre [0, 74 and 147 kilo-grams/hectare]/year) with and without a pre-mixed multi-mode PGR (furprimidol + pa-clobutrazol + trinexapac-ethyl). The N and PGR treatments were applied as low doses on 14-day intervals throughout active growth. When the study began, the turf contained ~25% to 30% ABG; by July of the frst year, ABG was <10% in PGR-treated plots. By September, ABG rebounded to ~35% in PGR-treated turf and ~85% turf with no
PGR. The best turf quality was associated with PGR applications, and, surprisingly, N rate without a PGR had no effect on ap-pearance or ABG populations. Based on our data, turf-type TF deserves further study as a low-maintenance fairway species, and future studies should assess TF tolerance to divot-ing and golf car tire traffc, and its herbicide sensitivity. — Cale A. Bigelow, Ph.D. (cbigelo1@
purdue.edu), and Gabriel Macke, Purdue Univer-
sity, West Lafayette, Ind.
Endophyte effects on salinity tolerance in perennial ryegrass
Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) naturally contains symbiotic fungi known as endophytes (Neoty odium lolii), which are known to confer resistance to insects that feed aboveground. The role of endo-phytes in salinity tolerance in turfgrasses has not been widely studied. The aim of this study was to determine the role of en-dophytes in salinity tolerance in four peren-nial ryegrass genotypes. Four perennial rye-grass clones (Brightstar SLT clone 5, Paragon GLR clone 4 [salt-susceptible], 4501-7, and 4540-9 [salt-tolerant]), with and without en-dophyte, were grown under control (0.5 dS/meter) and saline water conditions (15 dS/meter). Both water treatments were applied to 6-week-old transplanted plants in sand, using an overhead irrigation chamber in a greenhouse. Three replications of each clone
Photo by Cale Bigelow
Photo by Jennifer Vaiciunas
per treatment were arranged in a randomized complete block. Plants were irrigated every other day, and ratings of percent green were taken weekly. Leaf clippings were harvested biweekly, dried and weighed. The entire ex-periment was repeated three times. Salinity treatments reduced shoot weights by 18% to 35% and root weights by 46% to 63% across runs. Endophyte had no effect on salinity tolerance in three of the perennial ryegrass genotypes; in Paragon GLR, plants without endophyte were signifcantly more salt-toler-ant than plants with endophyte in two runs. This variability is consistent with the effects of endophyte on drought tolerance, and in-dicates that the role of endophytes in salin-ity tolerance is minimal and/or specifc to the interaction of individual genotypes and fungal isolates. — Eric D. Koch; Stacy A. Bonos,
Ph.D. ([email protected]); Joshua Honig,
Ph.D.; and Jennifer Vaiciunas, Rutgers University,
New Brunswick, N.J.
Teresa Carson ([email protected]) is GCM’s science editor.
80 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
populations in the untreated plots averaged about 70/100 cubic centimeters of soil, while populations in the treated plots had been re-duced to 20/100 cubic centimeters. Similar re-sults were observed in the second experiment as well, with reductions from 70/100 cubic cen-timeters (in untreated plots) to 10/100 cubic centimeters (in treated plots) at two weeks after treatment. Populations of sting nematodes de-clined in all the plots over the 16-week measure-ment period (May through August), indicating a possible natural seasonal fuctuation.
Turfgrass response to increasing rates of ni-trogen varied with the N source. In experiment 1, where potassium nitrate was the source, turf-grass quality was negatively affected in untreated plots (no nematicide was applied) because the irrigation system did not function correctly, and salt damage caused phytotoxicity. In exper-iment 2 (which used a slow-release N source), turfgrass quality improved in plots treated with both the nematicide and N (as compared with no-nematicide plots that received N); signif-cant improvements in quality were observed at the two highest N rates throughout most of the study. Nematicide-treated plots that received no N or the lowest N rate had improved quality as well, but only in the frst four weeks following application of the nematicide.
This research shows that, if one has high populations of sting nematodes, applying in-creased rates of N cannot compensate for the lack of a nematicide. The combination of a ne-maticide and N applied at rates of 0.75 to 1.1 pounds/1,000 square feet every two weeks pro-duced the best turf quality. However, the posi-tive effects of N on turf quality were somewhat inconsistent from study to study. This is an ex-cellent reminder that accurate water and nutri-ent management are critical, especially in areas where nitrate leaching can be a concern.
Source: Luc, J.E., W.T. Crow, J.L. Stimac, J.B. Sartain and R.M. Giblin-Davis. 2007. Effects of Belonolaimus longicaudatus management and nitrogen fertility on turf quality of golf course fairways. Journal of Nematology 39:62-66.
Beth Guertal, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Crop,
Soil and Environmental Sciences at Auburn University in
Auburn, Ala., and the editor-in-chief for the American Society
of Agronomy. She is a 19-year member of GCSAA.
Beth Guertal, [email protected]
Twitter: @AUTurfFert
Sting nematodes: Microscopic and hungry!
(verdure)
The sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicau-datus) was not identifed as a new species until 1958. Given its general level of nastiness and its ability to infict severe damage on bermuda-grass, this relatively recently identifed pest has become the most damaging plant-parasitic nematode in Florida. So, how do you control this thing? In 2007, Billy Crow, Ph.D., and his colleagues at the University Florida combined nematicides and nitrogen fertilizers to deter-mine their effects on sting nematodes.
Two experiments were conducted, both on golf course fairways with 15- to 20-year-old stands of Tifway hybrid bermudagrass. Both sites had damaging levels of sting nematodes (~100/100 cubic centimeters of soil at test initiation [100 cubic centimeters = ~6 cubic inches]). The frst experiment consisted of: (1) a nematicide treatment, Curfew Soil Fumigant (1,3-dichloropropene [1,3-D], Dow AgroSci-ences), applied at 1.1 pounds/1,000 square feet (55 kilograms/hectare); (2) a mechanical treatment of the nematicide injector slit alone (no nematicide); and (3) an untreated control. These treatments were combined with three rates of granular potassium nitrate (KNO
3)
applied every two weeks at nitrogen (N) rates of 0.37, 0.75 and 1.1 pounds/1,000 square feet (18, 37 and 55 kilograms/hectare). The nema-ticide and injector-slit treatments were applied once in May; the N treatments were applied at two-week intervals from May through Au-gust. The second experiment also had the May nematicide treatment, but the N fertilizer was a sulfur-coated 14-14-14 product applied at N rates of 0.37, 0.75 and 1.1 pounds/1,000 square feet every two weeks. The injector-slit-only treatment was not included in experi-ment 2 because results from experiment 1 (and other experiments too) found no difference in quality or nematode populations between the slit-only treatment and control plots. In both experiments, data were collected on sting nem-atode populations (every two weeks) and turf-grass quality.
Numbers of sting nematodes were signif-cantly reduced in plots in which 1,3-D had been injected. Such reductions, however, were signifcant for only six weeks after application (population levels in the treated plots remained lower after six weeks, but the reductions were not statistically signifcant). In the frst study, at four weeks after treatment, sting nematode
If one has high
populations of
sting nematodes,
applying increased
rates of nitrogen
cannot compensate
for the lack of a
nematicide.
Visit the new and improved Job Board at GCSAA.org/jobs.
The GCSAA Job Board is bigger and better than ever! We’ve made it even easier for members to find
new jobs and for golf courses to find skilled employees.
Job seekers, look no further:
• Create your own user account to save postings,
searches and applications
• Sign up for daily or weekly job alerts
• Build your resume on the site or upload it
Employers, make your listing work:
• Preview your job listing before posting
• Perform a multi-state search
• Include your company profile and logo
Find a job or fill one – it’s never been easier.
JUST HIRED
82 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
(product news)
Jacobsen launched the Professional Series
commercial-grade mowers and utility
vehicles. Built for a wide range of turf customers,
including golf parks and green spaces, the Professional
Series mowers and utility vehicles include three lines
of zero-turn mowers and six different models of utility
vehicles. The fagship of Jacobsen’s Professional Series
is the RZT line of ride-on zero-turn mowers, which
provide the power and performance to handle any turf
job with ease, the company says. The RZT mows up to
5.3 acres per hour. The SZT stand-on mower features a
26-horsepower Vanguard engine and two different deck
sizes. The WZT features an 18-horsepower Briggs &
Stratton engine and single or dual-drive drivetrain options.
The utility vehicles include the gas-powered Truckster
MS/MX, featuring a large capacity of 1,200 pounds
and a top speed of 17 mph. The Truckster MS-E/
MX-E is powered with a 72-volt electric drivetrain and
has a capacity of up to 1,000 pounds. The Truckster
LS/LX offers an 800-pound capacity and polyethylene
bed. Contact Jacobsen, www.jacobsen.com.
H20 Maximizer from Underhill Interna-
tional is a specially formulated wetting agent for golf
courses that penetrates dry soils and uses ultra-hydration
to retain more water in the root zones for healthier turf.
Available in both liquid and pellet form, H20 is a natural
blend of soil surfactants and polymer resin. The surfactant
ingredients stimulate initial soil wetting action while the
polymer resin attaches to soil particles for better water
retention. H20 remains active in the soil for four to six
weeks, then biodegrades into natural materials. H20 is
recommended for bunker facings, new sod and seedlings,
fairways, and roughs. It can be tank-mixed for spray
applications, injected directly into the irrigation fow, or
spread as pellets. Contact Underhill, 866-863-3744
(www.underhill.us).
PBI-Gordon Corp. and Ishihara Sangyo
Kaisha (ISK) of Osaka, Japan, announced U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) federal registration of
Kabuto Fungicide SC for preventive and curative
dollar spot control in the U.S. professional turf management
industry. Kabuto features the active ingredient isofetamid,
which has proved in university research and end-user trials
to effectively control dollar spot and manage resistance
concerns. Contact PBI-Gordon, www.pbigordon.com.
Harsco’s CrossOver G, a new gypsum formula-
tion, was labeled for use for turf and selected crops in Cali-
fornia by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
It is a highly refned, gypsum-enhanced calcium and
magnesium silicate soil amendment that provides multiple
benefts. The silicon component in CrossOver G enhances
the ability of plants to better tolerate water-defcit condi-
tions and other environmental stresses by improving the
effciency of the plant’s defense response systems. Contact
Harsco, 800-850-0527 (www.crossover-silicon.com).
Toro announced that Aqua-Traxx FC (Flow
Control) drip tape is now available in the popular
0.13 GPH emitter fow rate, which allows even
longer lengths of run and lower application rates
than ever before. Growers can get the best of
both worlds: improved uniformity compared with
turbulent-fow devices, and superior ability to control
the overall system fow rate compared to pressure-
compensating devices. It helps growers achieve
their objectives of increasing yield and quality while
using water, fertilizers and other resources in the
most effcient manner possible. Contact Toro, www.
toro.com/en-us/agriculture/drip-tape-dripline/drip-
tape/pages/model.aspx?pid=aqua-traxx-fc.
Increased
QUALITY
Jacobsen
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 83
SureCut, a set of lawn mower blades you can carry in
your front pocket, was designed and built for golf course
superintendents, landscapers, and parks and recreation
and commercial lawn care industries. The product does
not compete against existing steel blades, but is made to
complement the blades used in the industry today. The
replaceable steel plastic cutting blades are designed to
help reduce labor costs by allowing the operator to change
cutting blades on-site. Grinding wheels and balancing
equipment are not needed with this product. The steel
blade holders are offered in different lengths and center-
hole variations. The replaceable cutting blades are available
in both mulch and low-lift design. The ease and compact
size of the cutting blade gives the superintendent the
option to stock a set with every mower. Contact SureCut,
320-583-5504 (www.surecutllc.com).
Fame fungicides — a family of FRAC 11 group
(strobilurin) products that deliver fast-acting, patented
fuoxastrobin against all major patch, spot and mold
diseases — are available from FMC Corp. Rainfast in
15 minutes, Fame can be used on all types of golf course
turf to provide rapid foliar and root uptake. Fame fungicides
offer “fuoxastrobin action,” which ensures a high degree of
systemic activity to provide very rapid disease protec-
tion and stop further growth of established disease, says
Naimur Rahman, strategy and fungicides marketing product
manager for FMC. Contact FMC Corp., 215-299-6000
(www.fmc.com).
The FMC 2015 Early Order Program runs
through Dec. 11, 2015, and allows participants to purchase
products at current pricing but defer payment for select
qualifying FMC products until June 24, 2016. Participants
qualify for an early incentive that offers an additional rebate
of up to 40 percent more than the base rebate for qualify-
ing products. The base rate is in effect this month and
December. FMC 2015 Early Order Program rebates range
from 5 to 25 percent during the Early Order Program period.
Participating professionals must earn a rebate minimum
of $200 on FMC Early Order Program products to qualify
for rebates. After purchasing, simply submit a rebate form
online at www.fmceop.com no later than Jan. 16, 2016.
Nufarm Americas announced that Aloft
Insecticide has been added to its portfolio. Aloft pro-
vides broad-spectrum insect control on golf courses, lawns,
landscapes, athletic turf and sod production. It is designed
for long-lasting control of all major turfgrass insects, includ-
ing white grubs and surface-feeding pests. Contact Nufarm
Americas, 800-345-3330 (www.nufarm.com).
Jacklin Seed’s smartphone app has
received a major upgrade of new technical information from
Floor
COATINGS
UCoat It, a provider of do-it-yourself
foor coatings for both commercial and
residential uses, unveiled its golf market
page. UCoat It’s commercial-grade foor
coatings are resources for various golf facility
applications, including maintenance facilities,
cart barns, locker rooms, outdoor patios
and more. Contact UCoat It, 800-826-2848
(www.ucoatit.com/golf/).
SureCut
84 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
the entire 18-year history of the Research News Flash. Articles were compiled into easily
browsable categories — no search engine required. The Jacklin app is available free for
iPhone and Android devices (wireless charges may apply). Contact Jacklin Seed, 800-688-
7333 (www.jacklin.com).
The Bayer Fall Solutions Program offers early-order incentives for golf
course superintendents moving into 2016. The fexible program allows participants to save
on individual product bundles to maximize savings per acre. Premier offers for cool-season
and transition zone turf include special introductory pricing for the new Signature Xtra
Stressgard fungicide, reduced prices for Bayleton FLO and Tartan Stressgard, 11 options
for Bayer product PAKs, and new offers for Ronstar, Specticle G, Topchoice and Specticle
Total. Fall Solutions lasts through Dec. 11, 2015. To participate, access the online portal at
http://myrewards.cropscience.bayer.com.
Dow AgroSciences announced the 2015-2016 Power of More rebate
program for buyers of Defendor and Dimension specialty herbicides. Golf course superin-
tendents and lawn care operators who purchase Defendor with the equivalent Dimension
on Fertilizer are eligible for an $80 rebate per unit. Also, individuals who purchase products
from September through December 2015 will receive an additional incentive, depending on
the product. Customers earn cash back when they purchase Dow AgroSciences products
and products containing Dow AgroSciences active ingredients, including formulator brands
and on-fertilizer formulations. Qualifying products for the Power of More 2015-2016 pro-
gram must be invoiced during the purchase period Sept. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016.
Completed rebate forms and invoices must be submitted by Jan. 15, 2016, to receive a
check in March, or by Sept. 30, 2016, to receive a check in December. Products, program
guidelines and submission forms are available at www.mypowerofmore.com.
OnGolf, a cloud-based decision platform for managing all golf course
operations in one place, has helped its initial golf course customers reduce operating
costs by more than $700,000 in the frst eight months of operation, the company says.
Savings are seen over a variety of operational areas, including labor, water, chemicals, and
nutrient-management program changes. The company says the product’s unique value
is in consolidating all relevant data into a single dashboard to correlate information while
gaining actionable insight into all golf course operations. OnGolf was co-founded by Walt
Norley and Matt Shaffer, superintendent at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., and was
launched at the 2015 Golf Industry Show in San Antonio. Contact OnGolf, 610-285-8181
(www.ongolfusa.com).
Turf Max introduced the all-new TS Dormant Advanced Green Paint.
Designed and reformulated to provide the longest-lasting, most natural green color avail-
able to turf managers, TS Dormant contains the proper binder and adhesive technology to
ensure turf maintains a lush, dark color, even during the most extreme winters, and won’t
break down from ultraviolet radiation. Some of its benefts include improved turf quality and
color; delayed dormancy; increased canopy and soil temperatures; faster, frmer playing
conditions; reduced labor costs; and reduced water, fertilizer and fungicide use. Contact
Turf Max, 215-307-7712 (www.turfscreen.com/products/turf-screen-dormant).
Turf Max also announced that it has added a defoamer and four new dyes to
its product line (Blue Tracking Dye, Green Tracking Dye, Blue Pond Dye and Black Pond
Dye). Contact Turf Max, 215-307-7712 (www.turfscreen.com).
Dollamur Sports Surfaces launched GymTurf 365, an indoor, portable
sports turf developed in partnership with Shaw Sports Turf. GymTurf 365 takes
less than 30 minutes to install and features Dollamur’s Flexi-Connect technology, a
hassle-free integrated feature that connects turf sections without additional fasteners
or tape. The patented system, which uses built-in hook and loop connections to join turf
rolls, expedites setup and tear-down, and it ensures the turf won’t separate between
seams, creating a no-slip, just-grip surface. Contact Dollamur Sports Surfaces, 800-520-
7647 (www.gymturf.com).
GOLD PARTNERS
PLATINUM PARTNERS
SILVER PARTNERS
GOLD PARTNERGOLD PARTNER
Partner Recognition Program
Grounded in the turf industry.
With over 90 years of experience in the turf maintenance industry, Jacobsen has built a legacy of
precision craftsmanship, legendary quality-of-cut and a history of innovation. With a singular focus on helping our custom-
ers achieve perfectly groomed, healthy turf, Jacobsen equipment maintains some of the fnest golf courses, sports felds
and formal turf areas around the world.
Innovations that Go Well Beyond Cut
Jacobsen’s legendary quality-of-cut means more than just precisely trimmed turf. We believe in
developing innovative technologies that make our machines better for the natural environment and
customizable for individual course needs—all while delivering a better total cost of ownership.
Our commitment to innovation can be seen in the revolutionary Jacobsen Eclipse 322 riding greens mower. Completely hy-
draulic free with intuitive controls and easy accessibility, this riding greens mower allows you to program your frequency-of-
clip, mow speed, transport speed and other settings through a password-protected menu. Change your settings as course
conditions change throughout the year.
Quality that Speaks for Itself
Since 1921, one thing has remained the same at Jacobsen—a focus on quality. We take a “quality comes frst” mentality
with everything we do. Our engineers are focused on designs that perform and last. Our manufacturing processes have
built-in quality checks. The parts and components we use must meet high standards for performance and reliability. And
our products must meet rigorous testing
standards. This focus on quality behind the scenes has resulted in Jacobsen’s legendary reputation
for quality on the course.
Guided by the Environment
The environment is the cornerstone of our business, and we continue to design equipment that uses less fuel and mini-
mizes or eliminates hazardous waste. Jacobsen developed the industry’s frst electric mower and has become the industry
leader in electric and hybrid technologies. As a proud supporter of the Environmental Institute of Golf, we are squarely
focused on achieving a more sustainable approach to golf facility management.
A Partner in Progress
As part of our commitment to the turf maintenance industry, Jacobsen is proud to be a Gold-level sponsor of the GCSAA.
As we continue engineering new technologies and equipment that deliver proven results without sacrifcing the health of the
environment, we applaud partners like the GCSAA who help us push the envelope and grow the industry we serve.
GOLD PARTNERS
86 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Kiva Dunes Golf Course in Gulf Shores, Ala.,
is scheduled to reopen this month following $3.5 million
in enhancements. Houston-based Heritage Links oversaw
the renovations and enhancement project, including the
replacement of the Champion turfgrass on the greens with
TifEagle; completely rebuilding and reshaping the white
sand bunkers; and re-vegetation of native grasses and
sandy dunes throughout the course.
GCSAA Class A member Ryan Inglis from Moorhead
(Minn.) Country Club was the winner of a recent Toro
contest. His prize? A Toro ProCore 648 aerator. In an effort
to promote the launch of the @ToroGolf Twitter handle
at the 2015 Golf Industry Show in San Antonio, The Toro
Co. invited attendees to register to win a ProCore 648
walk-behind aerator. Applicants were required not only
to register for the giveaway, but also to follow the Twitter
handle @ToroGolf. In just a few months, @ToroGolf has
amassed more than 2,500 followers. MTI Distributing,
a distributor of turf equipment to seven states in the
Midwest and a trusted channel partner of The Toro Co.,
was responsible for a delivery of the ProCore unit to Inglis,
who is a 14-year member of GCSAA. All employees of
U.S. and Canadian golf courses were eligible to enter in
the drawing.
Patrick E. Bowe becomes the new CEO for The
Andersons effective Nov. 2. Bowe previously was
corporate vice president of Cargill Inc. He is succeeding
Mike Anderson, who remains as the company’s chairman
of the board. Bowe is also being appointed to the board of
directors. Bowe, who has more than 35 years of experience
(industry news)
The Alumni Turf Group (ATG) of the University
of Massachusetts has chosen William Dest, Ph.D. (right), as its 2015 honoree. Dest is a 1957
graduate of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
He received a master’s degree from the University
of Connecticut and a Ph.D. from Rutgers. Dest has
served as a superintendent at Cohasse Country
Club and Whethersfeld Country Club. He retired in
1996 from the University of Connecticut, where he
maintains the academic status of associate profes-
sor emeritus. “When I try to defne agronomist, I
think of Bill Dest. He epitomizes the word,” says
Scott Mackintosh, president of ATG.
in the agricultural sector, earned a bachelor’s degree in
political science from Stanford University. He later earned
a master’s from Stanford’s Food Research Institute. Bowe
has extensive experience in leading large organizations,
with particular expertise in commodity and futures trading,
acquisitions and joint ventures, process improvement,
strategic sourcing, capital management, and establishing
and maintaining strong customer relationships.
Henry Wallmeyer was selected to serve as presi-
dent and CEO at the National Club Association.
He began Sept. 29. Wallmeyer succeeds Susanne Wegrzyn,
who served for 22 years. Wallmeyer’s previous association
work includes the American Academy of Otolaryngology
and the National Lumber and Building Materials Dealers
Association, as well as the Club Managers Association of
America.
Project EverGreen announced the completion of
its “Healthy Turf. Healthy Kids.” project at West End
2015
HONOREE
Kiva Dunes Golf Course
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 87
Park in San Antonio. The park’s baseball and soccer
felds were given a needed face-lift to provide neighbor-
hood children and families with a safe place to play and
exercise. Project EverGreen worked in partnership with
the San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department, the
Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, and the Texas
Water Smart Foundation. Project EverGreen and industry
volunteers provided the materials and labor to restore
more than 34,000 square feet of the park’s playing
surfaces and entryways. Green industry volunteers Val-
leyCrest, Billy Long Enterprises, Keller Material and New
Earth Compost donated the organic materials, fertilizers,
plant material, hardscape products, equipment and labor
to complete the project. The initiative included soil aeration
and fertilization; application of soil topdressing; excavating
and grading the infeld surface of the baseball and soccer
felds; and installation of two new entranceway planting
beds and hardscape materials.
Steve Thorne was crowned Toro Student
Greenkeeper of the Year 2015. Thorne, dep-
uty course manager at Rushmore Golf Club, will receive a
scholarship from Toro consisting of an all-expenses-paid,
eight-week trip that includes a residential turf manage-
ment study course at the University of Massachusetts
in 2016. He also will visit Toro headquarters and attend
the Golf Industry Show in San Diego. Runners-up Sam
Sweetzer, assistant greenkeeper at West Hill Golf
Club, and Susan Reeve, frst assistant greenkeeper
at Castle Royle Golf & Country Club, are invited to attend
the Continue to Learn program at the BIGGA Turf Manage-
ment Exhibition 2016. Finalists Stefan Carter,
assistant greenkeeper at The Wentworth Club, Jon-Jo
Pitts, deputy course manager at Royston Golf Club, and
David Stewart, greenkeeper at Walmley Golf Club,
are receiving BIGGA membership for one year following
the expiration of their current membership.
The Georgia Golf Environmental Foun-
dation (GGEF) is giving nearly $10,000 for turfgrass
research at the University of Georgia to help
fund the ongoing search for more environmentally sustain-
able turfgrasses for golf courses. The money is helping
compensate graduate students working with Dr. Brian
Schwartz from UGA Crop and Soil Sciences Department.
“It seems to us to be such a sure thing to support,” says
GGEF research committee chairman Kyle Marshall from
Capital City Club in Woodstock. “I don’t know of any
research department anywhere that has had the record
of success that UGA has produced when it comes to
turfgrass.” The GGEF has supported various research
efforts since its establishment in 2004. Total funding of
research efforts by GGEF has topped more than $150,000
over the past decade. GGEF, the philanthropic arm of the
Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, also
provides an annual free, day-long educational seminar for
superintendents.
Architect Drew Rogers completed a total overhaul
of the practice facility at The Club at Mirasol in
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. It opened in October. The new
range, putting greens and short-game area are thoroughly
integrated into new traffc patterns serving the clubhouse
and both 18-hole courses. Rogers, who collaborated with
director of golf course maintenance Michael Thomas, took
a two-tier green and made it single-tier, which increased
square footage by 20 percent. He also added a second
putting green to reduce stress and provide players more
elbowroom. In the range area, Thomas accented the
targets with faux bunkers and landforms, and fashioned
target corridors by using two contrasting varieties of turf
(TifGrand for target greens, TifSport for rough) that don’t
require differing mowing heights. Rogers also created a
Sean Rademeyer joined the RTP Contracting team. RTP Contracting is the new
turf contracting business representing Redexim
Turf Products. Rademeyer, contracting business
manager, is a former assistant superintendent
who has transitioned into the sports turf industry.
He owned a golf and sports turf management
company whose clients included the St. Louis
Rams of the NFL.
Sports turf
CONTRACTOR
Toro student greenkeepers
88 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
seamless fow of traffc, where players can park once and
use the new range, short-game area and putting greens
without getting back in the cart.
Integrity Golf Co. is now overseeing Tiger
Point Golf Club in Gulf Breeze, Fla. Integrity Golf
Co., based in Orlando, now manages 23 golf facilities in
Florida. Overall, the company oversees 34 golf facilities,
including ones in Kentucky, New York, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Tennessee. Tiger Point GC, an 18-
hole championship course, was designed by U.S. Open
champion Jerry Pate.
Harold Wilhelm was named the new Florida terri-
tory manager for Select Source. Wilhelm, a 22-year
veteran of the golf industry, started raking bunkers at
historic Dubsdread Golf Course in Orlando, Fla., eventually
working his way up to superintendent. He worked for fve
years with golf icon Arnold Palmer at the Bay Hill Club and
Lodge. Most recently, Wilhelm worked for Quali-Pro as
Gulf Coast area manager.
The University of Georgia (UGA) has introduced
an online English version of its turfgrass man-
agement course. The certifcate course, titled
“Principles of Turfgrass Management,” covers warm- and
cool-season turfgrass establishment, growth, maintenance
and troubleshooting. More than 2,050 landscape profes-
sionals have taken the course in its print format (English
and Spanish). Those who complete UGA’s course become
Landscape Industry Certifed by the National Association of
Landscape Professionals. GCSAA, the Sports Turf Manag-
ers Association and Asociación Española de Greenkeepers
also endorse UGA’s certifcate program.
Barenbrug USA was awarded a 2015 Top
Workplaces honor by the Oregonian Media Group.
The Top Workplaces lists are based solely on the results
of an employee feedback survey administered by Work-
placeDynamics LLC, a research frm that specializes in
organizational health and workplace improvement. “Time
and time again, our research has proven that what’s most
important to them (employees) is a strong belief in where
the organization is headed, how it’s going to get there,
and the feeling that everyone is in it together,” says Doug
Claffey, CEO of WorkplaceDynamics.
More than $45,000 was raised for the Wounded
Warrior Project at Troon facilities during what it
calls the World’s Largest Golf Outing. On Aug. 3, 11 Troon
facilities joined 132 golf courses nationwide in hosting
the ffth annual event that raised more than $1 million.
Five Oaks Golf & Country Club in Lebanon, Tenn., led fund-
raising with $11,170. The overall total raised surpassed
2014’s total of $887,000.
Honours Golf was selected to manage The
Bluffs on Thompson Creek, a semi-private
club located in St. Francisville, La. The Bluffs on Thompson
Creek features an 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature Design
golf course. The 17th hole features a 60-foot drop from
the tee to a deep green guarded by Thompson Creek on
two sides.
Henry Smokler was named general counsel for the
PGA of America. Smokler, whose service started
Oct. 5, is responsible for all legal affairs for the PGA of
America. From 2004 to joining the PGA of America staff,
Smokler served in several business and legal roles for
the USGA. Most recently, he served as managing direc-
tor, broadcast and digital media, with responsibility for
developing and managing the USGA’s relationships with its
broadcast and digital media partners, and overseeing the
direction of the USGA’s digital platforms.
Rain Bird Training Services is hosting more
than 85 irrigation training events throughout the U.S.
through May 2016. These classes are open to irriga-
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 89
tion professionals of all experience levels, including
superintendents, contractors, distributors, designers and
architects. Those who attend Rain Bird training classes
are eligible to receive continuing education units from the
Irrigation Association. For information, call 800-498-1942
or go to www.rainbirdservices.com/training.
The 2016 BIGGA Turf Management
Exhibition (BTME) is set to begin Jan. 19, 2016, in
Harrogate. BIGGA announced the exhibition will cover fve
halls packed with exhibitors from every corner of the turf
management industry. The event also marks a momentous
partnership with the Golf Business & Industry Convention
presented by the UK Golf Course Owners Association and
the Organization of Golf & Range Operators. Education will
feature speakers John Kaminski, Ph.D., of Penn State, and
Beth Guertal, Ph.D., of Auburn University.
Profle Products golf business manager John
Maeder was recognized for his contributions and
commitment to the game of golf by the American
Society of Golf Course Architects
(ASGCA). Maeder was invited to share his expertise at the
frst-ever Donald Ross Roundtable during the ASGCA’s
annual meeting earlier this year. The goal of the roundtable
is to have open dialogue on the state of the golf industry,
the direction of the ASGCA, and the role of members
and partners in furthering the organization’s goals. Since
2012, Profle Products and ASGCA have worked together
to create new educational programming and tools to help
ASGCA members work more effectively in golf course
development and remodeling.
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
(OPEI) announced three additional board members joining
the current board of directors. They are Tom Duncan,
president and CEO, Positec USA Inc.; David Withers,
president, Jacobsen; and Bjoern Fischer, incoming
president, Stihl.
The restoration of the Kabul Golf Club will include
a book project that chronicles the history of the club from
its founding in 1967 through the present-day struggle in
Afghanistan. Roger Bacon, through his U.S. consulting
business HudsonPlatte, has embarked on a crowdsourcing
effort with kickstarter.com to fund the book.
Quail Lodge Golf Club in Carmel, Calif.,
completed its renovation by Todd Eckenrode-
Origins Golf Design. It includes a new bunker
scheme, boasting classic forms and a natural styling. The
renovation of green surrounds made way for the introduc-
tion of new short-cut chipping areas previously occupied
by rough. A key part of the renovation was the introduc-
tion of grass swales in strategic locations. Several lakes
were removed entirely and replaced with drought-tolerant
landscaping.
Clark County, Nev., selected Kemper-
Sports to manage Desert Rose Golf Club,
a municipal course in Las Vegas. The golf club recently
completed a two-year renovation project, including a full
redesign by Randy Heckenkemper, who most recently
completed designs at The Champions Course at TPC
Scottsdale and worked in collaboration with Phil Mickelson
at McDowell Mountain Golf Club.
Vidanta, Mexico’s largest golf course operator, chose
KemperSports to manage destination courses in
Nuevo Vallarta, Puerto Penasco and Riviera Maya. The
portfolio of courses includes a Greg Norman Signature
Design and three Nicklaus Design courses.
90 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
By John MascaroPresident of Turf-Tec International
Presented in partnership with Jacobsen
At least once a year, this club hosts an event that causes this damage — the
Helicopter Ball Drop. Tournament attendees pay for a numbered ball or balls,
which are then dropped from a helicopter hovering approximately 200 feet
above a fairway where a cup and fag have been placed. After the balls have
bounced and fnally come to rest, the person whose ball has landed closest to
the pin is declared the lucky winner and winds up with a nice cash prize. What’s
left behind is some pretty serious ball-mark damage, the kind not often seen
in a fairway. Fortunately, the damage goes away fairly quickly without any extra
inputs or repairs. The superintendent says, “They’ve been doing this for many,
many years, and it’s a lot of fun for everyone. The ball marks surprised me the
frst couple of times, but now it’s something we all look forward to seeing the
morning after the event. I thought it would be a good one for Photo Quiz!” He
adds, “At least the most recent events have used a helicopter that doesn’t blast
the exhaust into the turf. You can imagine what that would look like!”
Photo submitted by Kyle D. Sweet, CGCS, and Sharon Tucker, a green committee member, at The Sanctuary Golf Club in Sanibel, Fla. Sweet is a 24-year GCSAA member.
If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaro’s Photo Quiz, please send it to:John Mascaro, 1471 Capital Circle NW, Suite #13, Tallahassee, FL 32303, or email it to [email protected].
If your photograph is selected, you will receive full credit. All photos submitted will become property of GCM and GCSAA.
A direct lightning strike is responsible for exposing the soil and lifting the turf on
one of this club’s driving range target greens. Early one morning, a severe thun-
derstorm rolled in, well before the golfers were on the course. Because this is a
target green on the driving range, the irrigation pipe was buried directly under
the green. Apparently, lightning hit the fagstick, which was located 2 feet from
the irrigation line, which sent a jolt down the line in both directions, exploding
the pipe and creating a 120-foot-long trench that was 2 to 3 feet deep and 6 to
8 inches wide. A total of 300 feet of pipe had to be replaced; along with three ir-
rigation heads that were blown off their swing joints; all the wire in this area was
burned up. The irrigation control boxes 300 yards away had their doors blown
off, wires melted at connectors, surge protectors were destroyed, and many if
not all components were damaged. After the irrigation repairs were made, the
area was flled in, leveled and packed frm before resodding. I have seen quite a
few lightning strikes before, and a couple have been used for Photo Quiz, but I
have never seen this much damage.
Photo submitted by Tim Spanjer, director of marketing at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Ala. Mark Langner is the director of agronomy at the facility’s golf course, FarmLinks Golf Club, and a 23-year member of GCSAA.
(photo quiz answers)
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92 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Q: You have only been a superintendent for a short time. What are your initial thoughts about it?
A: How everyone is so interested in what I actually have to say.
Q: Who have been your mentors?
A: Mike Sauls (Butler National). I was an assistant-in-training for him. He showed me how a top-25 golf course (Butler National is ranked among the top courses in Illinois by Golf Digest) renovation and operation ran. Greg Rounds at Sunset Ridge essentially got me ready to be a superintendent by putting me in every situation possible that a superintendent would come across.
Q: Who is the frst person you contacted when you got the superintendent job?
A: My wife, Jen. She thought I was joking.
Q: Given that you are in Wisconsin, what is your favorite type of cheese?
A: American. Cheddar. Muenster is pretty good, too.
Q: You grew up a Green Bay Packers fan. Who was your favorite back in the day?
A: Reggie White. He made big defensive plays.
Q: Will your daughter, Gwen, be a superintendent some day?
A: Probably not. She’s a little bit of a girlie girl. I don’t think she’ll like the getting dirty part, or the insects.
— Howard Richman, GCM associate editor
Getting to know youHe may not have known it at the time, but a teenage friendship with Joe Kroeger launched Ben Larsen’s professional journey. It all began at Alpine Hills Golf Club in Rockford, Ill. That is where Joe’s father, Rick, decided to build a golf course. Larsen, then 16, had a summer job helping make the facility a reality. “I wasn’t experienced on a skid-steer. I was barely driving then,” Larsen says. “I was told what to do, what time to fnish it. At the time, I didn’t know how big a deal it was for them and for me.”
Ben LarsenWas: Assistant superintendent, Sunset Ridge
Country Club, Northfeld, Ill.
Is: Superintendent, Green Bay (Wis.)
Country Club
(climbing the ladder)
ON COURSENov. 5-8 — Champions Tour, Charles
Schwab Cup Championship, Desert
Mountain Club (Cochise), Scottsdale, Ariz.;
Jose Castillo, superintendent
Nov. 6-8 — LPGA, Toto Japan Classic,
Kintestsu Kashi Kojima Country Club,
Shima-Shi, Mie, Japan
Nov. 6-9 — PGA Tour, Sanderson
Farms Championship, Country Club of
Jackson (Miss.); Stanley Reedy, CGCS
Nov. 6-9 — PGA Tour, World Golf
Championship-HSBC Championship,
Sheshan International Golf Club, Shanghai
Nov. 12-15 — LPGA, Lorena Ochoa
Invitational presented by Banamex and
JTBC, Club de Golf Mexico, Mexico City
Nov. 12-15 — European Tour, BMW
Masters, Lake Malaren Golf Club,
Shanghai
Nov. 13-16 — PGA Tour, OHL Classic
at Mayakoba, El Camaleon Golf Club, Playa
del Carmen, Mexico
Nov. 19-22 — LPGA, CME Group Tour
Championship, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples,
Fla.; Kirk Richmond, director of golf course
maintenance
Nov. 19-22 — European Tour, DP
World Championship, Dubai, Jumeirah
Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
COMING UPNov. 3-5 — Annual Southwest
Turfgrass Association Landscape
Conference & Expo, Ruidoso Convention
Center, Ruidoso, N.M.
Phone: 575-646-1715
Website: www.southwestturfgrass.com
Nov. 5 — GCSAA Webcast: Reclaimed
wastewater for turf irrigation
Contact: GCSAA Education
Phone: 800-472-7878
Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/
webcasts
MEMBERS ONLY
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 93
Nov. 9-13 — 2015 Irrigation Show &
Education Conference, Long Beach (Calif.)
Convention & Entertainment Center
Phone: 703-536-7080
Website: www.irrigationshow.org
Nov. 10 — Pesticide Education
Seminar, Wellshire Golf Course,
Denver
Phone: 330-255-9611
Email: [email protected]
Nov. 12 — GCSAA Webcast: Hosting a
First Green feld trip
Contact: GCSAA Education
Phone: 800-472-7878
Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/
webcasts
Nov. 16-18 — Carolinas GCSA annual
Conference and Trade Show, Myrtle
Beach (S.C.) Convention Center
Phone: 800-476-4272
Website: www.carolinasgcsa.org
Nov. 17-18 — New York State
Turfgrass Association Turf & Grounds
Exposition, Rochester (N.Y.) Riverside
Convention Center
Phone: 518-783-1229
Website: www.nysta.org
Nov. 18 — GCSAA Webcast: The
BOLD speaker
Contact: GCSAA Education
Phone: 800-472-7878
Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/
webcasts
Nov. 19-20 — Green Industry Show
& Conference, BMO Centre at Stampede
Park, Calgary, Alberta
Phone: 708-489-1991
Email: Valerie.stobbe@landscape-alberta.
com
Nov. 30 — USGA Regional Seminar,
PebbleCreek Resort, Goodyear, Ariz.
Phone: 480-609-6778
Website: www.cactusandpine.org
Dec. 1-3 — Kansas Turfgrass
Conference, Topeka
Phone: 785-532-6173
Website: www.kgcsa.org
Dec. 2 — GCSAA Webcast: Factors
that affect pesticide fate and behavior
on the golf course
Contact: GCSAA Education
Phone: 800-472-7878
Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/
webcasts
Dec. 2-3 — Wisconsin Golf Course
Superintendents Association Turf
Symposium, American Club, Kohler, Wis.
Phone: 608-845-6895
Dec. 3 — Iowa GCSA December
Seminar, Atlantic (Iowa) Country Club
Phone: 515-635-0306
Website: www.iowagcsa.org
Dec. 3 — New York State Turfgrass
Association Long Island Regional
Conference, Upsky Long Island Hotel,
Hauppauge, N.Y.
Phone: 518-783-1229
Website: www.nysta.org
Dec. 7 — Duff Shaw Classic, North
Ranch Country Club, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Phone: 310-528-0723
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.gcsasc.org
Dec. 7-10 — Ohio Turfgrass
Foundation Conference and Show,
Greater Columbus Convention Center
Phone: 614-285-4683
Website: www.ohioturfgrass.org
Dec. 8-10 — Washington Turf and
Landscape Show, Lynnwood (Wash.)
Convention Center
Phone: 253-219-8360
Website: www.wwgcsa.org
Dec. 8-10 — 62nd Annual Rocky
Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association
Conference & Trade Show, Crowne Plaza
DIA, Denver
Phone: 303-770-2220
Website: www.rmrta.org
Dec. 8-10 — 2015 New Jersey Green
Expo Turf & Landscape Conference, The
Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City, N.J.
Phone: 973-812-6467
Website: www.njta.wildapricot.org/event-
865756
94 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Great Lakes Shane ConroySpreading the word about the positive impacts your golf course has on
your community and the environment can be challenging. Jeff Sexton,
CGCS, was recently able to do just that, however, by getting a local
TV news program on site at Evansville (Ind.) Country Club to cover the
course’s honey bee restoration project. Reporter Amanda Chodnicki of
44News visited the course to get a look at the setup — two bee boxes,
each of which houses about 20,000 bees — and interviewed Jeff
as well as John Scott Foster, Ph.D., of the Wesselman Woods Nature
Preserve, and Don Neyhouse, a technical sales consultant for Bayer
CropScience. Jeff, a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador, wants to demon-
strate that golf course superintendents take the surrounding environ-
ment very seriously, and that neonicotinoids can safely coexist on a
golf course with honey bee colonies when the insecticides are applied
properly. Indiana Congressman Larry Bucshon has taken an interest in
the project, which shows the impact the Grassroots Ambassador pro-
gram can have in engaging politicians with golf courses. (Read more
about Jeff, Rep. Bucshon and the Grassroots Ambassador program on
Page 44.) Evansville CC is leading the way for golf courses in southwest Indiana looking to start a beehive restoration project,
and Sexton says the club hopes to add two more bee boxes next year. You can watch the 44News segment about Evansville
CC’s bee initiative at www.gcsaa-great-lakes.blogspot.com/2015/09/honeybees-on-course.html.
Northwest David PhippsIn early September, Marty Baumann, superintendent at
Anchorage (Alaska) Golf Course, called me to ask for a
favor. He said a young man from his club, Ian Bruchhauser,
had qualified for the regional Drive, Chip & Putt contest at
Chambers Bay on Sept. 12, and the community and the
golf club had rallied together to raise enough money for
Ian to travel to University Place, Wash., to compete. Marty
asked whether I could contact the golf course manage-
ment staff at Chambers Bay to see whether Ian could get a
round of golf while he was there. Marty explained that golf
is the world to 11-year-old Ian, who is only about 4 feet tall
and has already managed to score par at Anchorage Golf
Course. Being able to play at the U.S. Open venue would
be a dream come true for Ian. I reached out, and, as I’d
expected, superintendent Josh Lewis came through. Marty
called me recently to report on Ian’s trip. When Ian arrived with a set of junior golf clubs, he was the target of some teasing
from some of the other contestants. A Ping representative was made aware of Ian’s need for clubs, and the rep arranged for
Ian to be fit by the Ping tour fitter. To top it off, Ian caught the attention of a couple of college scouts who were there as well.
The teasing turned out to have no effect on Ian’s performance, as he placed third overall in the 12- to 13-year-old division,
missing second by only a stroke. What Ian may lack in size, he more than makes up for in heart and talent. Oh, and Ian finished
his round at Chambers Bay at even bogey. Not too shabby.
For the latest updates from all of GCSAA’s feld staff representatives, go to www.gcsaa.org/community/regions.
(in the field) Dec. 14-15 — Common Ground
Conference, Olathe (Kan.) Convention
Center
Phone: 816-561-5323
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.hagcsa.org
Dec. 15-17 — Texas Turfgrass Annual
Conference & Show, Grand Hyatt &
Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio
Phone: 800-830-8873
Website: www.texasturf.com
Dec. 16 — GCSAA Webcast: GDDs for
PGR applications and re-applications
Contact: GCSAA Education
Phone: 800-472-7878
Website: www.gcsaa.org/education/
webcasts
Jan. 12 — Turfgrass Producers of
Texas Annual Conference & Trade Show,
Civic Center, Bay City
Phone: 979-533-9750
Website: www.txsod.com
Jan. 12-14 — Tennessee Turfgrass
Association 50th Annual Conference,
Embassy Suites, Murfreesboro
Phone: 615-533-3925
Website: www.ttaonline.org
Jan. 13 — North Carolina Sod
Producers Association Annual Meeting,
Greensboro Convention Center, Greensboro
Phone: 919-816-9119
Website: www.greenandgrowin.com
Jan. 17-21 — BIGGA Turf
Management Exhibition/Golf Business
& Industry Convention, Harrogate
International Centre, North Yorkshire,
England
Email: [email protected]
Jan. 19-22 — Sports Turf Managers
Association 27th Annual Conference,
San Diego Convention Center
Phone: 800-323-3875
Website: www.stma.org
Jan. 25-27 — 82nd Annual Iowa
Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show,
Coralsville Marriott Hotel & Convention
Center
Phone: 515-635-0306
Website: www.iowaturfgrass.org
(i
Ian Bruchhauser (right) placed third overall in the 12- to 13-year-old division of the Drive, Chip & Putt competition at Chambers Bay Sept. 12. Photo courtesy of Marty Baumann
Two bee boxes abuzz at Evansville (Ind.) Country Club. Photo by Jake Holcomb
Jan. 27-28 — New York State
Turfgrass Association Southeast
Regional Conference, Ramada Inn,
Fishkill
Phone: 518-783-1229
Website: www.nysta.org
———
To fnd out whether you can receive educa-
tion points for any of these upcoming pro-
grams, visit the External Education Listings
in the Education section of our website at
www.gcsaa.org.
———
We want to know about your event in
advance. To submit an entry for “Coming
Up,” please send your information fve to
six months before you’d like to see it in the
magazine. We run event information for
three months. Send a contact name if all
details are not fnal. Contact Golf Course
Management, Attention: Coming Up, 1421
Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-
3859; 785-832-3638; fax: 785-832-
3665; email: [email protected].
ON THE MOVEALABAMA
Mark W. Patterson, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Vista Plantation Golf Course, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at Huntsville Country Club in
Huntsville.
ARIZONA
Michael H. Booker, formerly (C) at
Heritage Golf Club, is now (C) at TPC of
Scottsdale in Scottsdale.
Peter Ferlicca, formerly (C) at Tonto Verde
Golf Club, is now (C) at Wickenburg Ranch
Golf and Social Club in Wickenburg.
Mark M. Licon, formerly (A) at Links at
Summerly, is now (A) at Signature Golf
Company in Fountain Hills.
Charles B. Robertson IV, CGCS, formerly
(A) at TPC Craig Ranch, is now (A) at TPC
of Scottsdale in Scottsdale.
ARKANSAS
Troy M. Fink, CGCS, formerly (A) at
Country Club of Virginia, is now (A) at
Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville.
Pen n State | On li n e
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The Industry is changing. Education is more important than ever.
For more information, visit
www.worldcampus.psu.edu/GCM
CALIFORNIA
Michael L. Bolles, formerly (C) at
Lakeside Golf Club, is now (C) at Trump
National Golf Club-Los Angeles in Rancho
Palos Verdes.
Sean M. Duffy, formerly ( I), is now (A) at
Arbuckle Golf Club in Arbuckle.
Ryan R. Hardin, formerly (C) at Pasa-
tiempo Golf Club, is now (C) at Mayacama
Golf Club in Santa Rosa.
Chris Hoyer, formerly (A) at Monterey
Country Club, is now (A) at Bermuda
Dunes Country Club in Indio.
Jon D. Maddern, CGCS, formerly (A) at
Jack Nicklaus Course at PGA West, is
now (A) at PGA West in La Quinta.
Daniel J. Miller, formerly (C) at Riviera
Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
Monarch Beach Golf Links in Dana Point.
COLORADO
Ryan E. Davis, formerly (AS) at The
Quechee Club, is now (C) at Club at
Cordillera Mountain Course in Edwards.
Jeremiah S. Stumpff, formerly (C) at
Somerby Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.
FLORIDA
Zachary R. Anderson, formerly (C) at
Seven Bridges at Springtree Golf Club, is
now (C) at Coral Ridge Country Club in
Fort Lauderdale.
Orry C. Andrews, formerly (C) at Hide-
away Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
Hideaway Country Club in Fort Myers.
Kenneth Cascadden, formerly ( I), is
now (Supt. Mbr.) at ABM Golf Services
in Tampa.
Nicholas J. Cristaldi, formerly (C) at Club
at Olde Cypress, is now (C) at Hideout
Golf Club in Naples.
Nelson deSierra Jr., formerly (C) at
Cypress Creek Country Club, is now (A)
at Bay Point Resort Golf Club in Panama
City.
John J. Flinchbaugh, formerly (C) at TPC
at Sawgrass, is now (C) at Pablo Creek
Golf Club in Jacksonville.
Russell A. Geiger, CGCS, formerly (A)
at Hole-In-The-Wall Golf Course, is now
(A) at Plantation Golf & Country Club in
Venice.
William H. Kistler, formerly (A) at Rogers
Park Golf Course, is now (A) at ABM Golf
Services in Tampa.
96 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
Stephen M. Macejak, formerly (C) at
Laurel Oak Country Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at The Preserve Golf Club at Tara in
Bradenton.
James A. Moore, formerly (A) at Park-
land Golf & Country Club, is now (A) at
Jupiter Country Club in Jupiter.
Corey M. Rase, formerly (S) at Brunswick
Community College, is now (C) at Colonial
Country Club in Fort Myers.
Robert D. Sapp, formerly (A) at The Club
at Kukui’Ula, is now (A) at Old Palm Golf
Club in Palm Beach Gardens.
Thomas Trammell, CGCS, formerly (AA)
at TBT Turf Consulting, is now (AA) at
The Andersons Inc. Plant Nutrient Group
in Maitland.
John G. Yancey, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Cane Garden Country Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at Big Cypress Golf & Country Club
in Lakeland.
GEORGIA
Joseph F. Lee, formerly (A) at Lakeview
Golf Club, is now (A) at Pine Forest Coun-
try Club in Jesup.
Zachary J. Ohsann, formerly (A) at Lake
Merced Golf Club, is now (C) at Augusta
National Golf Club in Augusta.
Anthony A. Wright, formerly (C) at Capi-
tal City Club, is now (C) at Rivermont Golf
& Country Club in Alpharetta.
HAWAII
C. Luke Bennett, formerly (A) at Foun-
taingrove Golf & Athletic Club, is now (A)
at Kohanaiki in Kailua Kona.
Joel T. Krause, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Sequoyah National Golf Club, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at Kona Country Club in
Kailua Kona.
Joseph Vittum, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Kapalua Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
The Club at Kukui’Ula in Koloa.
ILLINOIS
Brian J. Borah, formerly (C) at Sunset
Hills Country Club, is now (C) at Tamarack
Country Club in O’Fallon.
Steven A. Carroll, formerly (C) at
Compass Pointe Golf Courses, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at River Oaks Golf Course in
Calumet City.
Tyler L. Donaldson, formerly (S) at Iowa
State University, is now (C) at White Eagle
Golf Club in Naperville.
Shane Eble, formerly (A) at Bay Point
Resort Golf Club, is now (A) at Kemper
Sports Management in Northbrook.
Derek Weber, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Lake Erie Country Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at Flossmoor Country Club in
Flossmoor.
Eric Willey, formerly (C) at Butler National
Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Hinsdale
Golf Club in Clarendon Hills.
INDIANA
John F. Thackery, formerly (C) at North
Course at Otter Creek Golf Course, is now
(C) at West Course at Otter Creek Golf
Course in Columbus.
KANSAS
Kent Morgison, formerly (A) at Alvamar
Public Golf Course, is now (A) at Topeka
Country Club in Topeka.
Shane L. Rengstorf, formerly (C) at Col-
bert Hills Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.)
at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan.
Dalton D. Rindt, formerly (C) at Wamego
Country Club, is now (C) at Wichita Coun-
try Club in Wichita.
KENTUCKY
Ryan E. Smith, formerly (A) at Old Silo
Golf Club, is now (A) at Canewood Golf
Course in Georgetown.
LOUISIANA
Jay R. Loudermilk, formerly (C) at Bear
Creek Golf Club, is now (C) at Contraband
Bayou Golf Club at L'Auberge du Lac in
Lake Charles.
MARYLAND
Bernard L. Hipkins, formerly (C) at Blue
Mash Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
West Winds Golf Club in New Market.
Jeffrey Rice, formerly (C) at Country Club
at Woodmore, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Oak
Creek Golf Club in Upper Marlboro.
MASSACHUSETTS
Daniel Seifert, formerly (C) at Duxbury
Yacht Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Quail
Ridge Country Club in Acton.
Eric Still, formerly (C) at Charles River
Country Club, is now (C) at The Cape Club
in East Falmouth.
MICHIGAN
Adam T. Hahn, formerly (C) at Eagle Eye
Golf Club, is now (C) at Woodside Golf
Course in Bath.
MINNESOTA
Timothy M. Halvorson, formerly (S) at
the University of Minnesota-Crookston,
is now (C) at Madden’s on Gull Lake in
Brainerd.
Michael D. Kettlehut, formerly (AS) at
Wayzata Country Club, is now (C) at Way-
zata Country Club in Wayzata.
Robert J. Zbacnik, formerly (C) at Trump
National Golf Club-Westchester, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at Valley Country Club in East
Grand Forks.
MISSOURI
Thomas C. Delman, formerly (C) at Palm
Beach National Golf & Country Club, is
now (C) at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club
in Joplin.
Chad J. Hoerschgen, formerly (C) at
Ledgestone Country Club & Stonebridge
Village, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Millwood
Golf & Racquet Club in Ozark.
NEVADA
Jeremy Adkins, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Angel Park Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.)
at OB Sports in Aliante.
Sean P. Cracraft, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Teton Springs Resort & Club, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at OB Sports in Aliante.
Kyle Mead, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Woodcreek Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.)
at Wolf Run Golf Club in Reno.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Bryan M. Conant, formerly (C) at Sky
Meadow Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.)
at Sky Meadow Country Club in Nashua.
Daniel D. Weitzel, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Bear Trap Dunes, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
Manchester Country Club in Bedford.
NEW JERSEY
Dalton Clark, formerly (SW) at Central
Community College, is now (SW) at
Rutgers University/Cook College in New
Brunswick.
Michael S. Wenning, formerly (C) at Fid-
dler’s Elbow Country Club, is now (C) at
Picatinny Golf Club in Picatinny Arsenal.
NEW MEXICO
Roy Johnson, formerly (C) at El Paso
Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Black
Mesa Golf Club in Espanola.
NEW YORK
Christopher Dyroff, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Highlands Country Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at Phillip J. Rotella Golf Course in
Thiells.
Gregory J. Klem, CGCS, formerly (A) at
Webster Golf Club, is now (A) at Monroe
County Parks in Rochester.
James Mackie, formerly (C) at Bayonne
Golf Club, is now (C) at Quaker Ridge Golf
Club in Scarsdale.
NORTH CAROLINA
Christopher S. Cowan, formerly (SW)
at North Carolina State University, is now
(C) at Highlands Falls Country Club in
Highlands.
Jeffrey A. Crouse, formerly (A) at Chock-
oyotte Country Club, is now (A) at Lincoln
Country Club in Lincolnton.
Logan Murphy, formerly (AS) at
Pinehurst Resort and Country Club, is now
(C) at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club
in Pinehurst.
OHIO
Christopher A. Brocious, formerly (EM)
at Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club, is now
(EM) at Westfeld Group Country Club in
Westfeld Center.
Thomas R. Parker, formerly (C) at Oak
Shadows Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
The Pines Golf Club in Orrville.
Travis D. Russell, formerly (SW) at Ohio
State University, is now (C) at Foxfre Golf
Club in Lockbourne.
PENNSYLVANIA
Theodore A. Chapin, formerly (S) at
Clemson University, is now (S) at Penn
State University in University Park.
Peter M. Daley, formerly (S) at Penn
State University, is now (C) at Oakmont
Country Club in Oakmont.
Matthew A. Herrmann, formerly (SW) at
Penn State University, is now (C) at Phila-
delphia Cricket Club in Flourtown.
Kory C. Kirk, formerly (S) at Penn State
University-World Campus, is now (C) at
Green Acres Golf Course in Bernville.
Justin Lewis, formerly (S) at Penn State
University-World Campus, is now (C) at
Bent Creek Country Club in Lititz.
Robert D. Sines, formerly (A) at Lakeview
Golf Resort and Spa, is now (A) at Union-
town Country Club in Uniontown.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Eric G. Dusa, CGCS, formerly (A) at
White Plains Country Club, is now (A) at
The Traces Golf Club in Florence.
Matthew Schott, formerly (C) at
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 97
Savannah Quarters Country Club, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at Crescent Pointe Golf Club
in Bluffton.
Henry O. Taylor Jr., formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at White Plains Country Club, is now
(Supt. Mbr.) at Hartsville Country Club in
Hartsville.
TENNESSEE
Colton C. Jones, formerly (C) at The Pen-
insula Club, is now (C) at Jackson Country
Club in Jackson.
Robert A. Main, CGCS, formerly (A) at
Colonial Country Club, is now (AF) at Turf-
grass Solutions Inc. in Germantown.
Phillip Vineyard, formerly (C) at High-
lands Falls Country Club, is now (C) at
The Golf Club of Tennessee in Kingston
Springs.
TEXAS
Matt Cowan, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Crenshaw Cliffside Course at Barton
Creek, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at Fazio Can-
yons Course at Barton Creek in Austin.
Brody L. Dillard, formerly (C) at Delaware
Springs Golf Course, is now (Supt. Mbr.)
at Landa Park Golf Course at Conal
Springs in New Braunfels.
Cody W. Fisseler, formerly (C) at Whis-
pering Pines Golf Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.)
at Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity.
James F. Leonard, formerly (A) at Golf
Club of Houston, is now (A) at Houston
Oaks Golf & Country Club in Hockley.
Timothy Phillips, formerly (C) at Golf-
crest Country Club, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at
Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland.
Alan M. Ragsdale, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Lake Park Executive Golf Course, is
now (Supt. Mbr.) at Riverside Golf Club in
Grand Prairie.
Kevin D. Whitten, formerly (C) at TPC of
San Antonio, is now (Supt. Mbr.) at TPC
Craig Ranch in McKinney.
VERMONT
Matt Jung, formerly (C) at Taconic Golf
Club, is now (C) at Stowe Country Club
in Stowe.
VIRGINIA
Kenneth Floyd, formerly (C) at The
Hamptons Golf Course, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at The Hamptons Golf Course in
Hampton.
Christopher G. Keen, formerly (C) at
Cedar Point Country Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at Cedar Point Country Club in
Suffolk.
WASHINGTON
Marcus A. Harness, formerly (C) at White
Horse Golf Club, is now (C) at
Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish.
WISCONSIN
Jasen Bullock, formerly (Supt. Mbr.) at
Chippewa Valley Golf Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at Pinewood Golf Course & Restau-
rant in Menomonie.
Zac M. Houfek, formerly (C) at Fire Ridge
Golf Club, is now (C) at Wisconsin Club in
Milwaukee.
Jason J. Lemanski, formerly (Supt. Mbr.)
at Water’s Edge Golf Club, is now (Supt.
Mbr.) at Sherwood Forest Country Club in
Sherwood.
Adam C. Wepfer, formerly (C) at Uni-
versity Ridge Golf Course, is now (C) at
Bishops Bay Country Club in Waunakee.
AUSTRIA
Erich Bubnik, formerly ( ISM) at Golf Club
Windischgarsten, is now (ISM) at Golf Club
Reiting in Trofaiach.
CANADA
Thom V. Charters, formerly (AA), is now
(ISM) at Taboo Golf Club in Gravenhurst,
Ontario.
Chad J. de Groot, formerly (C) at Tower
Ranch Golf Club, is now (AS) at Tower
Ranch Golf Club in Kelowna, British
Columbia.
CHINA
Ming Jiang, formerly ( ISM) at Qian Dao
Hu Country Club, is now (ISM) at Jing
Shan Hu Golf Club in Beijing.
GERMANY
Johannes Steiner, formerly ( ISM) at Golf
Club Fontana, is now (ISM) at Engelmann
Golf Course Maintenance.
SAUDI ARABIA
Timothy L. Pratt, CGCS, formerly (A) at
King Abdullah Economic City, is now (A) at
Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King
Abdullah Economic City.
Editor’s note: The information in this report
was pulled from GCSAA’s member data-
base on Sept. 23, 2015.
NEWLY CERTIFIEDJeffrey L. Seeman, CGCS, Poxabogue
Golf Course, Sagaponack, N.Y.
NEW MEMBERSALABAMA
Stuart Adams, EM, Mobile
ARIZONA
Randy Kelley, EM, Prescott
Craig W. Levitsky, Class C, Scottsdale
Scott McLaughlin, Class C, Munds Park
CALIFORNIA
Saul de la Torre, EM, Davis
Eric J. McAlister, Class C, San Mateo
David Morales Sotelo, EM, Los Gatos
Richard Navarro, EM, San Luis Obispo
William Walsh, Associate, San Diego
COLORADO
Beryl J. Snider, EM, Fort Collins
Gary S. Traphagan, Class C, Colorado
Springs
CONNECTICUT
Michael J. Boles, EM, Greenwich
DELAWARE
Al Denker, EM, Smyrna
FLORIDA
Matthew C. Claunch, Class C, Palm City
Corby Coggins, EM, Vero Beach
Tim King, EM, Fort Myers
Howard Kreutzfeld, EM, Bradenton
Hector Perez, EM, Fort Myers
Ryan M. Randolph, Class C, Naples
Isaiah R. Riddell, EM, Tampa
GEORGIA
Eric J. Holland, EM, Stone Mountain
Greg Railey, EM, Suwanee
Jerod M. Stewart, Class C, Marietta
Sladen D. Tant, Class C, Atlanta
ILLINOIS
Corey G. Wisher, Student, Normal
INDIANA
Brett P. Popp, Supt. Mbr., Jasper
Andrew G. Small, Class C, Valparaiso
98 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
IOWA
James M. Hauser II, Student,
Cedar Rapids
Peter W. Lange, Student, Cedar Rapids
Patrick Rux, Student, Cedar Rapids
KANSAS
Mitch Chalkley, Student, Manhattan
Kevin P. Horigan, Student, Manhattan
Jeff A. McAlister, EM, Leawood
Kyle B. Moore, Student, Manhattan
Chase H. Tjelmeland, Student,
Manhattan
LOUISIANA
Thomas T. Perkins, EM, Westlake
MAINE
Justin A. Foss, EM, Kennebunkport
Peter B. Rumery, EM, Kennebunkport
MARYLAND
William C. Kelso, Student, Salisbury
MASSACHUSETTS
Ryan M. Cullinan, Class C, Hyannis Port
Kevin R. Shea, Class C, Marshfeld
MICHIGAN
James C. Germain, EM, Brooklyn
MINNESOTA
Perry Martin, Class C, Hopkins
Ryan R. Melvin, Student, Anoka
MISSISSIPPI
Zach D. Dulaney, Student,
Mississippi State
MISSOURI
Nicholas J. Bergmann, Class C,
St. Charles
Carter DeMay, Class C, Saint Charles
Vincent R. Schrum, Supt. Mbr.,
Farmington
Zachary S. Sindelar, Student, Springfeld
Christopher J. Willimann, EM, St. Louis
MONTANA
Eric Reed, EM, Big Sky
NEBRASKA
Cole R. Batenhorst, Student, Lincoln
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Karl Morgan, EM, Wolfeboro
NEW JERSEY
Thomas D. Renk, Student,
New Brunswick
NEW MEXICO
Robert Kassin, Supt. Mbr., Cannon AFB
NEW YORK
Kelly R. Barrell, Class C, Scarsdale
Matt R. Carlascio, Class C, Rochester
Tony A. Grenzy, Affliate, Ransomville
Ben L. Howell, Class C, Southampton
Ryan C. Jeskie, Student, Delhi
Cam Loomis, Student, Cobleskill
Kyle J. Shaw, Student, Cobleskill
Damion M. Smith, Student, Cobleskill
Mike T. Zellner, Student, Delhi
Steve Zimicki, EM, Farmingdale
NORTH CAROLINA
Claude P. Arbogast, Supt. Mbr., Cary
Jonathan W. Roy, Student, Raleigh
OHIO
Scott Ash, EM, Fremont
Tristan L. Myers, Student, Wooster
Travis Post, Supt. Mbr., Athens
Todd F. Swope, Class C, Springboro
OKLAHOMA
Robert J. Osborne, Class C,
Oklahoma City
Michael T. Roche, Supt. Mbr., Guymon
OREGON
Kendall Schaffer, Supt. Mbr., Portland
PENNSYLVANIA
Jeffrey Amand, Student, University Park
Joshua G. Hampton, Supt. Mbr., Hershey
Nathan Heller, Student, University Park
John R. Jurich, Student, University Park
John J. Keeler, Student, University Park
Colin P. Murphy, Student, University Park
Garrett A. Newman, Student,
State College
Michael A. Runkle, EM, Mount Wolf
Connor E. Sisson, Student,
University Park
SOUTH CAROLINA
Thomas P. Dunn, Student, Conway
Joe Gifford, Class C, Hilton Head Island
SOUTH DAKOTA
Daryl C. Hunt, EM, Sioux Falls
No one knows the value
of GCSAA membership
better than you.
Help recruit new members. Get rewarded.GCSAA.org/member-get-a-member
Receive a $50 gift certifcate for each new member* that you recruit. Certifcates can be used for
GIS registration, educational
opportunities, GCSAA
merchandise and donations
to the EIFG.
For each new member that you recruit you will also receive one entry into
the grand prize drawing for
an all-expenses** paid trip
to the 2016 Golf Industry
Show in San Diego.
Secondary grand prizes include four (4)
Full Pack registrations to
the 2016 Golf Industry
Show.
* A new member is defned as someone who has not been current with their GCSAA dues for more than two years (excludes Equipment Managers).
** Grand prize includes airfare, GIS registration, and hotel accommodations for four (4) nights.
100 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
TENNESSEE
Ryan Erickson, EM, Brentwood
TEXAS
Brae A. Miner, Student, Lubbock
VIRGINIA
Benjamin B. Longest, Class C,
Manakin Sabot
WASHINGTON
Kevin R. Bligh, EM, Stevenson
Shane W. Hughes, Class C, Kennewick
Joe A. Monteleone, EM, Lakewood
Michael E. Snyder, Supt. Mbr., Sequim
WISCONSIN
Jerry Geiger, Affliate, Boulder Junction
CANADA
Robert B. Black, ISM, Warkworth,
Ontario
Jonathan A. McMorris, Class C,
Winnipeg, Manitoba
INDIA
Kamon Louhaudom, Affliate, Chennai,
Tamil Nadu
SWEDEN
Henrik Noren, Educator, Danderyd
THAILAND
Surakij Kachai, ISM, Nakornathisima
Chotvit Sungklom, ISM, Samutprakarn
UNITED KINGDOM
Dylan Brychta, EM, Leatherhead, Surrey
Editor’s note: The information in this report
was pulled from GCSAA’s member data-
base on Sept. 23, 2015.
GCM (ISSN 0192-3048 [print]; ISSN 2157-3085 [online]) is published monthly by GCSAA Communications Inc., 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859, 785-841-2240. Subscriptions (all amounts U.S. funds only): $60 a year. Outside the United States and Canada, write for rates. Single copy: $5 for members, $7.50 for nonmembers. Offce of publication and editorial offce is at GCSAA, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049-3859. Periodicals postage paid at Lawrence, Kan., and at additional mail-ing offces. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: Golf Course Management, 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, KS 66049. CANADA POST: Publications mail agreement No. 40030949. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P.O. Box 122, Niagara Falls, ONT L2E 6S8.
IN MEMORIAMHunter O. Gammon, 91, died May 3,
2015. Mr. Gammon, a 47-year member
of GCSAA, was originally a pharmacist.
He ultimately developed a love of golf,
and attended his frst of 62 Masters in
1954 (the city of Augusta, Ga., made
him an honorary citizen in 2014). Mr.
Gammon, who served in the Navy in
World War II, envisioned a nine-hole
course on the rolling land owned by his
uncle off Wolf Island Road in Reidsville,
N.C. Using a design by Johnny Johnston,
Arnold Palmer’s roommate at Wake
Forest, Gammon built a golf course out
of the trunk of a Studebaker. He and
his wife, Nancy, named it Wolf Creek.
She managed the golf shop, eventually
becoming the head professional. Gammon
also became a golf course superintendent.
At the same time, he was working at
Links Brothers Pharmacy. Mr. Gammon
is survived by his son, Tracy (Jettaka)
Gammon; daughter-in-law, Jessica
Gillespie Gammon; granddaughters,
Margaret Gammon (Bryan) Blythe,
Courtney Elizabeth Gammon and
Katharine Hunter Gammon Blythe; sisters,
Dorothy Martin and Virginia Cooke; and
numerous nieces and nephews.
James E. “Jim” Piquette, 58, died July
3, 2015, in the comfort of his home,
surrounded by family. Mr. Piquette, a
34-year member of GCSAA, earned a
degree in turfgrass management from the
University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
He grew up in Seekonk, Mass., where
he was a longtime volunteer of the fre
department. He was raised across the
street from Firefy Golf Course, which
he eventually operated for 14 years. Mr.
Piquette was inducted into the Seekonk
Sports Hall of Fame in appreciation for his
support of and generosity toward the high
school golf team. In 2001, Mr. Piquette,
who had earned Certifed Golf Course
Superintendent status, fulflled his lifelong
dream by building Mulligan’s Island Golf
and Entertainment Center in Cranston,
R.I., which he continued to successfully
manage until his illness. He was an avid
Boston Red Sox fan and a New England
Patriots fanatic. Mr. Piquette is survived
by his wife of 31 years, Patricia Houle
Piquette; sons, Brian J. Piquette and
Benjamin J. Piquette; daughter, Christa
M. Piquette; grandson, Brandon J.
Piquette; brothers, Thomas Piquette
and Kenneth Piquette; sister, Susan
Maisano; and many nieces and nephews.
Mr. Piquette’s ready smile and spirit of
generosity is greatly missed by many.
William G. Remy, 89, died July 8,
2015. Mr. Remy, a 38-year member of
GCSAA, served the U.S. in World War II,
Korea and Vietnam. He had a passion for
golf, and eventually studied golf course
management at Lake City Community
College. His frst job was at Lost Tree Golf
Club in North Palm Beach, Fla. Later, Mr.
Remy served as superintendent at Green
Oaks Golf Club in Columbus, Miss., and
eventually landed at The Breakers in Palm
Beach. Remy, born in Burlington, Kan.,
came home again when he got a job at
Rock Creek Country Club in Burlington.
He also served as a consultant at Willow
Lakes in Titusville, Fla. In all, Mr. Remy
recorded three holes-in-one. Mr. Remy
enjoyed making visits to the VFW to see
friends, and he loved America. Mr. Remy
is survived by his daughter, Candace A.
Remy; sons, Terry Remy, Billy Remy, Kevin
Remy and Mike Remy; and grandchildren
and great-grandchildren.
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GCSAA is now offering a membership
classifcation for Equipment Managers,
and from now through December 31, 2015
your Equipment Manager can enjoy a
complimentary membership.
For more information and to request
a member application, call (800) 472-7878.
102 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 11.15
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TRIMS Software International Inc. .................. 102 (800) 608-7467 ............................www.trims.com
Trojan Battery Company ...................................... 29 (800) 423-6569 . www.trojanbattery.com/competition
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(GCS) Golf Course Superintendent
(SUPT) Superintendent/Owner
(GCMD) GC Maintenance Dir.
(AGCS) Asst. Golf Course Super.
(EMPL) GC Maintenance Staff/Emp.
(OWNR) Club/Course Owner
(CP) Club President
(GC) Green Chairman
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(PUBL) Daily Fee/Public Golf Course
#of holes 9 18 27 36+
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#of holes 9 18 27 36+
(PRV) Private Golf Course
#of holes 9 18 27 36+
(REST) Resort Golf Course
#of holes 9 18 27 36+
(CSMM) City/State/Muni./Military GC
#of holes 9 18 27 36+
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golf course managementgo
Easy Ways to Subscribe800.472.7878 785.832.3643FAX www.gcsaa.orgWEB
P.O. Box 219004
Kansas City, MO
64121-9004
1421 Research Park Drive,
Lawrence, KS 66049
11.15 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 103
EAST COAST SOD & SEED596 Pointers Auburn Road • Pilesgrove, NJ 08098
www.eastcoastsod.com
856-769-9555
BENTGRASS SODGreens Height • Tee/Fairway Height
FESCUEFine • Blue/Fine • Tall
BLUEGRASSRegular • Short-Cut
INSTALLATION AVAILABLE
INNOVATORS IN
IMPERMEABLE WINTER PROTECTION
Helps prevent
Ice Damage
Crown Hydration
Desiccation
Temperature Fluctuations
Low Temperature Kill
Actual spring photo by a Superintendent — not retouched!
Learn more! Find
20 Years of Research
at GreenJacket.com
or call 888-786-2683
patented in U.S. and Canada
Photographer: Patrick Deme • Title: Head agronomist • Course: Cordova Bay Golf Course, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada • The shot: Deme
captured this striking view of the sunrise and the dew patterns on the 17th green at Cordova Bay — located on Vancouver Island just northwest of
Seattle — one morning this past January. Dean Pillar is the GCSAA Class A superintendent at Cordova Bay and a 28-year member of the association.
• Camera: iPhone 5s
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• Three rollers deliver 2220 lbs. of rolling weight. Plus 100 gallons
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A WELL-PLAYED ROTATION
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© 2015 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some crop protection products may not be registered for sale or
use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. The Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon
and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective company.
MW 1LGG5063-P1-GCM 10/15
@SyngentaTurf