2009 Australian OpenLa Perouse perfection ΠNSW Golf Club2009 Australian OpenLa Perouse perfection ΠNSW Golf ClubSwitched onArenas embrace growth lightsSwitched onArenas embrace growth lightsResearchBentgrass variety trials
Managing water repellencyResearch
Bentgrass variety trials
Managing water repellencyGreener pasturesYering Meadows springs to lifeGreener pasturesYering Meadows springs to lifeWater and EnvironmentNeangar Park and Victoria GCsWater and EnvironmentNeangar Park and Victoria GCsVOLUME 11.6 NOV-DEC 2009www.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009New HEADWAY MAXX works faster, harder and smarter than any other fungicide.Be the ˜rst to experience HEADWAY MAXX, call your Syngenta agent or contact the Syngenta Technical Product Advice Line on: Freecall 1800 067 108 or visit www.greencast.com.auNew HEADWAY MAXX.*   The only fungicide that controls and prevents all major turf diseases ƒ in one.A first for turf*Product is not yet registered. An application is currently lodged with the APVMA. ƒPythium, Dollar Spot, Winter Fusarium, Brown Patch.®Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. ABN 33 002 933 717. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.  Syngenta Crop Protection Pty Limited, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. AD09/204. RENARD SYN6242SYN6242 HeadwMAXX DPS ATM.indd   17/10/09   11:10:16 AMNew HEADWAY MAXX works faster, harder and smarter than any other fungicide.Be the ˜rst to experience HEADWAY MAXX, call your Syngenta agent or contact the Syngenta Technical Product Advice Line on: Freecall 1800 067 108 or visit www.greencast.com.auNew HEADWAY MAXX.*   The only fungicide that controls and prevents all major turf diseases ƒ in one.A first for turf*Product is not yet registered. An application is currently lodged with the APVMA. ƒPythium, Dollar Spot, Winter Fusarium, Brown Patch.®Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. ABN 33 002 933 717. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.  Syngenta Crop Protection Pty Limited, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. AD09/204. RENARD SYN6242SYN6242 HeadwMAXX DPS ATM.indd   17/10/09   11:10:16 AMwww.truturf.comUniversity research states that if you incorporate rolling into your program on a regular basis there are many bene˜ ts:Tru-Turf for the past 25 years has been the innovative leader in golf greens rollers.Tru-Turf rollers have been chosen by the PGA TOUR to assist in preparing their greens for the tournament players.Tru-Turf greens rollers are the only world wide rollers endorsed by the PGA TOUR.Tru-Turf™s premier Golf Greens Rollers boast a unique set of patented tri rollers that give premium 
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should incorporate greens rolling into your program.SUBSCRIPTION FORMI wish to apply for:One year™s subscription to Australian Turfgrass Management(Six editions per year) PLEASE TICK BOXONE COPY PER EDITION $55.00  O/S ONE COPY PER EDITION $76.20   TWO COPIES PER EDITION $86.00  THREE COPIES PER EDITION $130.00  ORDERS CAN BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.auName: .......................................................................................................................................................................................................Company: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................Postal Address: .........................................................................................................................................................................................Town/Suburb: ......................................................................................................State: ...............................Postcode: ............................I enclose cheque for (amount):.................................................................................................................................................................Please charge my credit card: ....................MasterCard ..................Visa ..............................................................................Card Number:  __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ Expiry Date:  _____/_____Cardholder Name: .....................................................................................................................................................................................
Address: .................................................................................................................................... Signature:. ............................................ Please send me more information about becoming an AGCSA memberForward to: Australian Turfgrass Management Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre 752 Blackburn Road Clayton, VIC 3168 FAX: (03) 9548 8622  WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009The National Golf ClubAn exclusive look inside  Australia™s largest golfing facilityThe National Golf ClubAn exclusive look inside  Australia™s largest golfing facilityRising from the ashesRebuilding Marysville Golf ClubRising from the ashesRebuilding Marysville Golf ClubResearchAGCSA™s new three-yearbentgrass variety trialResearchAGCSA™s new three-yearbentgrass variety trialThe PulseSupers pull the trigger on green speedThe PulseSupers pull the trigger on green speedWINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008www.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.3 MAY-JUNE 2009Australian Turfgrass ManagementPublished by:Australian Golf Course Superintendents' AssociationABN 96 053 205 888Production:Editor:  Brett Robinson Ph:(03) 9548 8600 brett@agcsa.com.auArt Direction & Design: Jo Corne Ph: (03) 9548 8600
jo@agcsa.com.auAdvertising: Melissa Wallace Ph:(03) 9548 8600 melissa@agcsa.com.auAGCSASuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168P: (03) 9548 8600
F: (03) 9548 8622E: info@agcsa.com.auW: www.agcsa.com.auAGCSA Board
President:  Allan DevlinDirectors:  John Odell Pat Pauli Bryce StrachanGeneral Manager
John Neylanjohn@agcsa.com.auEvents ManagerSimone Staplessimone@agcsa.com.auBusiness Relationship ManagerMelissa Wallace
melissa@agcsa.com.auAccountsPhilip Horsburghphilip@agcsa.com.auAGCSATechAndrew Peart and John Gearyandrew@agcsa.com.au
jgeary@agcsa.com.auHR & Best Practice Manager
Daryl Sellar
daryl@agcsa.com.auMembership CoordinatorLyndel Conwayinfo@agcsa.com.auPrinted ByImpact Printing69-79 Fallon Street
Brunswick, VIC 3056Proudly supported byCopyright © 2009 The AGCSA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian Turfgrass Management is accurate, but gives no warranty in relation thereto, and disclaims 
liability for all claims against the AGCSA, its subsidiary companies, its employees, agents or any other person which may arise from any person acting on the materials 
contained within. No portion, in whole or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the AGCSA.Prices include GST.Made in ChinaHow Aussies are playing a major role in China™s golf boom  Made in ChinaHow Aussies are playing a major role in China™s golf boom  WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008www.agcsa.com.auJOURNALVOLUME 11.1 JAN-FEB 2009BLACK SATURDAYAs Tim Warren will attest, they breed golfers pretty tough up in Victoria™s Wimmera district. Even with the mercury tipping the mid-40s on 7 February and a fierce northerly wind blasting the course, the Saturday comp at Horsham Golf Club was in full swing and the field was good. Dropping his wife Kate off at the impressive eight-year-old clubhouse, the club™s pride and joy, Warren then did what he has done most Saturdays in the four years he has been course superintendent of the western Victorian course. Heading down to the maintenance compound he set the irrigation system for that night before going on a quick tour of the course to check everything was in order. Warren knew it was going to be a scorcher that day Œ the official temperature would eventually reach an incredible 47.4oC (see page 18 for more on the record temperatures which hit Victoria in February - Ed) Œ and he knew he would need to come back later in the afternoon to do a bit of syringing. Leaving the course he convinced himself that all was good and was confident that the bentgrass greens would make it through until he came back a few hours later. Leaving the course he headed home, had a shower, bundled the kids into the car and went down to the local plaza to do some shopping. Coming out of a toy shop Warren™s three-year-old son James grabbed him by The destructive bushfires which raged throughout Victoria in early February brought a nation to a standstill. As this edition of Australian Turfgrass Management was going to print, the death toll stood at 200 with over 7000 people displaced and thousands of homes and livelihoods destroyed. A number of Australian turf industry members were caught up in the life-changing events of Black Saturday, as it has now become known, and in this edition ATM looks at how these individuals and organisations have managed to get through this country™s worst natural disaster. To begin this edition™s extensive coverage, editor Brett Robinson talks with Horsham Golf Club course superintendent Tim Warren who together with his dedicated crew and club is slowly beginning the painstaking task of rebuilding one of Australia™s renowned country courses. Photos: John NeylanHorsham™s ‚hell on earth™Horsham™s ‚hell on earth™Horsham Golf Club was left in ruins following a devastating bushfire which ripped through the course on Saturday 7 February. With extreme temperatures and gale force winds from the north, the course erupted into flames around midday destroying course vegetation, the clubhouse and a machinery shed8     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSA7 February 2009Australian turf industry rallies around bushfire victimsAustralian turf industry rallies around bushfire victimsJOURNALWINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008www.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.2 MAR-APR 200925th Australian Turfgrass Conference25th Australian Turfgrass ConferenceYour comprehensive guide to HobartYour comprehensive guide to HobartRoyal Hobart Golf ClubA jewel in Tasmania™s crownRoyal Hobart Golf ClubA jewel in Tasmania™s crownFarewell to a MasterJohn Wilson Spencer (1943-2009) Farewell to a MasterJohn Wilson Spencer (1943-2009) The PulseSupers reveal their cost-saving measuresThe PulseSupers reveal their cost-saving measuresResearchANTEP ryegrass and tall fescueCouch salinity toleranceResearchANTEP ryegrass and tall fescueCouch salinity tolerancewww.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.4 JULY-AUG 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 20092009 Australian MastersKingston Heath gears up for Tiger2009 Australian MastersKingston Heath gears up for TigerHobart Highlights25th Australian Turfgrass Conference ReviewHobart Highlights25th Australian Turfgrass Conference Review2009 AGCSA Award WinnersPeter Frewin, Andy HugillAndrew Smith, Wade Williams2009 AGCSA Award WinnersPeter Frewin, Andy Hugill
Andrew Smith, Wade WilliamsWater and EnvironmentKingswood investigates ASRA greener CatalinaWater and EnvironmentKingswood investigates ASRA greener Catalinawww.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.5 SEPT-OCT 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   3COVER: New South Wales Golf Club: The stunning par 5 5th at New South Wales 
Golf Club, which 
will host its very first 
Australian Open this 
December. Photo: Brett Robinson. contentsLights green for Etihad 14Over the past two years Gavin Darby and his 
crew at Melbourne™s Etihad Stadium have 
been using growth lights to aid in surface 
preparation and recovery for the wide range 
of events the arena hosts. As Darby writes, the 
$2.2 million investment has already paid for 
itself and helped to transform one of the most 
talked about AFL playing surfaces into one of 
the best. Green pastures call Croydon 20In order to secure its economic future, 
Melbourne™s Croydon Golf Club made the 
bold move of selling off its existing site and 
constructing a new 27-hole Ross Watson-
designed course. Superintendent Gary Bass 
and environmental officer Jodie Grainger 
recount the creation of the club™s new pride and 
joy ΠYering Meadows Πwhich has provided 
the opportunity to significantly improve the 
environmental value of the site on which the 
new course resides. OPINIONGolf course benchmarking 28Following the recent visit by The R&A™s director of golf course management, Steve Isaac, ATM 
asks superintendents to share their thoughts 
on the concept of golf course benchmarking.RESEARCHManaging water repellency 40Louise Barton and Tim Colmer present results 
from the first year of a University of Western 
Australia project which aims to maximise 
turfgrass water use efficiency by decreasing 
the incidence of soil water repellency.Redlands greens trial concludes 44After four years, the first research project 
undertaken on the Redlands Research Station 
warm-season greens has ended.WATER MANAGEMENTNo rest for new-look Neangar Park 46Neangar Park Golf Club superintendent Brett Hawkey recounts the major works undertaken 
at the country Victoria course which have 
ultimately set it up for a prosperous future. 2009 Australian OpenLa Perouse perfection ΠNSW Golf Club2009 Australian OpenLa Perouse perfection ΠNSW Golf ClubSwitched onArenas embrace growth lightsSwitched onArenas embrace growth lightsResearchBentgrass variety trialsManaging water repellencyResearchBentgrass variety trialsManaging water repellencyGreener pasturesYering Meadows springs to lifeGreener pasturesYering Meadows springs to lifeWater and EnvironmentNeangar Park and Victoria GCsWater and EnvironmentNeangar Park and Victoria GCsVOLUME 11.6 NOV-DEC 2009www.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009La Perouse perfection Π2009 Australian Open, 3-6 December 8 Over the past 20 years course superintendent Gary Dempsey has played a key hand in bringing the New South Wales Golf Club out of the dark ages and transforming it into one of 
the world™s most talked about golfing establishments. As if to honour this fact, the Australian 
Open will be played on the picturesque La Perouse course for the very first time in the club™s 
history this December. ATM editor Brett Robinson looks at the career of one of the Australian 
turf industry™s most endearing practitioners who is getting ready to showcase his very unique 
patch of turf to the golfing world.4     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAHAVE YOU SEEN THE ‚NEW LOOK™ AGCSA WEBSITE?www.agcsa.com.auHAVE YOU SEEN THE ‚NEW LOOK™ AGCSA WEBSITE?www.agcsa.com.au     I™ve seen some tools on the golf course in my time and I™ll be the first to confess to having had a few ‚toolish™ moments myself. I shamefully admit when I was 12 to sinking my putter deep into 
the second green at Omaha Beach Golf Links after rushing a sitter. My father, having done his 
best to repair the gaping chasm I had inflicted, refused to talk to me for the rest of the round. I was young, dumb and didn™t know any better.The imbecile I™m about to tell you about, however, should have. The setting was the iconic par 3 6th hole at Sydney™s New South Wales Golf Club one Thursday afternoon in early October. The 
temperature was in the low 30s, the sky and sea were different shades of sapphire and there was 
a slight zephyr coming off the ocean. If there was a more perfect moment in time to play golf on 
one of the world™s most breathtaking courses this was it.There I was working Œ if you call it that Œ camped in the bushes between the 6th green and 7th tee, camera mounted on the tripod waiting for a foursome of 30-something chaps to play out the 
hole. All were dressed in various states of homage to Ian Poulter and the first chap up seemingly 
had the game to match, putting his shot from the hole™s unique island tee to within 15 feet. The 
other two blasted short and right but safe, while the fourth was way left and nearly on the rocks.  Approaching the green the three who were safe were gentling ribbing their playing partner who, along with one of the others, was consuming a stubbie. You could tell he wasn™t happy and 
the jibes of his mates were starting to wear thin. As he went in search of his ball, the two who were 
short played up and waited for their wayward companion to join them on the green. Cue the antics. First shot Œ a wedge-full of turf. fiF**k!fl he proclaimed. Second shot Œ over the green, over the cart path and into the bushes about six feet in front of me. Another ‚F**k™, this 
one so loud that I™m sure the seamen standing on the deck of the cargo ship drifting through the 
Botany Bay heads at that very moment would have heard. That wasn™t the end of it. After storming across the green, he slammed his carry bag on the ground and proceeded to bury the blade of his Vokey into the green surround. The sideshow 
continued on the seventh tee after a textbook hook into the banksia. As I said, a tool.It was quite an ironic incident to witness given that a few hours earlier I had been sitting in the palatial surrounds of course superintendent Gary Dempsey™s office (yes, all the stories are true) 
listening to him lament the current state of golf.  For someone who honed a passion for the game 
as a kid and has devoted his entire working life to preparing golf courses, it™s episodes like the 
above which have started to take the shine off it for him. Dempsey isn™t a fan of the modern game. An unabashed traditionalist, he bemoans how corporate the management of the game has become and, as the above anecdote so aptly 
demonstrates, how the essential ingredient of etiquette is continually being eroded. Such a culture 
change is pervading other parts of the industry too and as Dempsey eloquently points out there 
must be something wrong when expert practitioners such as Peter Frewin and Jim Porter start 
leaving the profession.Those who have had the pleasure of spending any amount of time in Gary™s company know that he is a man who doesn™t tolerate amateurs, calls a spade a spade and a dickhead a dickhead. 
He can be irritable at the best of times, but for all his lamenting of the game and the direction it 
is heading, the love he has for presenting his patch of turf still burns strong. In the 20 years he 
has been ensconced at New South Wales, Dempsey has shown what passion and dedication can 
produce and come December, when the course hosts just it™s first Australian Open, all within the 
industry will get to see how he has transformed a club known as having one of the most unique 
settings in world golf, to a club that can proudly boast one of the great courses as well. Enjoy the read.Brett Robinson,EditorENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTRegenerating Victoria 48Superintendent Ian Todd reports on the massive revegetation programme which is 
helping to create a modern interpretation 
of what one of Melbourne™s iconic sandbelt 
courses must have looked like when it was 
first formed in the 1920s.IN EVERY EDITIONForeword Thinking 6AGCSA Members Update 7AGCSATech Update - Bentgrass 
variety trials  32Tech Talk - Root systems 36Turf Techs - In-house hydraulics 50Profile - Kane McDonald 52News and On the Move 54Around the Trade 56Book Shop 58State Reports 60Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Volume 11.6 (November - December 2009) Brendan Allen (Auckland GC, NZ); Andrew Abbott (Murray Downs G&CC); Louise Barton (University of Western Australia); Gary Bass (Yering Meadows); Andy Blacker (SAGCSA); Nathan Bradbery (The Links Shell Cove); 
Malcolm Caddies (STA QLD); Brett Chivers (VGCSA); Rob Christie (Marysville Community G&BC); Tim Colmer (University of Western Australia); Gavin Darby (Etihad 
Stadium); Gary Dempsey (New South Wales GC); Robin Doodson (Sanctuary Cove G&CC); Barry Fraser (Chisholm Institute); Kym Fuller (Jack Nicklaus GC, 
Korea); John Geary (AGCSA); Tony Gordon (MCG); Jodie Grainger (Yering Meadows); Tony Guy (TGAA WA); Brett Hawkey (Neangar Park GC); Dean Henderson 
(Hyatt Coolum); Cameron Hodgkins (MCG); Peter Jans (Sandhurst Club); Graeme Logan (STA NSW); Peter Lonergan (GCSAQ); Rob Millington (Vines GC of 
Reynella); John Neylan (AGCSA); Andrew Peart (AGCSA); Jon Penberthy (DEEDI); Adam Robertson (Kew GC); Luke Spartalis (Royal Melbourne GC); Nigel Taylor (The Empire 
Hotel & CC Brunei); Ian Todd (The Victoria GC); Nathan Tovey (TGAA VIC); Darren Wilson (GCSAWA).AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   5AGCSAJOHN NEYLAN, AGCSA GENERAL MANAGERDuring September the Australian golf industry was very fortunate to have 
Steven Isaac (Director ΠGolf Course Management of The R&A) in Australia 
undertaking a series of seminars on Sustainable 
Golf. At a time when golf courses have never 
been better conditioned and presented, and 
where the demand and expectation is that the 
golf course will always be in ‚perfect condition™, 
it has been an ideal time to discuss the 
concept of what is sustainable.Daryl Sellar (AGCSA HR and Best Practice manager) provided a critical ingredient to the 
discussion of sustainable golf by outlining 
the process of how golf clubs can review the 
strengths and limitations of their facilities and 
the importance of establishing clear goals as it 
relates to the preparation and presentation of 
the golf course.   In addition to the high expectation surrounding golf courses, climate change, 
weather extremes, the global economy 
and environmental pressures have created 
new challenges for clubs to maintain 
these standards. It is a time when the term 
sustainability has never been more apt. Steven made the statement that sustainability is about your ability to adapt to 
the challenges posed by a changing world. 
From my perspective, the key aspects in 
these statements are about preparing good 
golfing surfaces while working in harmony 
with the environment, not exhausting the 
natural resources available (mainly water) and 
operating within realistic economic restraints. The important point to consider is that ‚one size does not fit all™. That is, all golf courses are different and that being sustainable is about 
understanding what is achievable within the 
site limitations and available resources. The 
extreme example is that the playing surfaces 
on a coastal links style golf course on sand 
cannot be compared to an inland, heavily 
wooded course on clay soils. These are just 
the site limitations let alone considering the 
variation in budgets from club to club.Golf course maintenance is frequently being compromised and modified so as to 
accommodate the golfing programme and to 
provide minimal inconvenience to the golfer. 
A missed renovation, maintaining low cutting 
heights during periods of stress, keeping 
greens dry and hard are just a few examples of 
what is often done to accommodate the golfer 
but has the potential to result in turf damage. The question is do turf managers know what the upper limit is in terms of how far the 
turf can be pushed? I suspect that the answer 
is yes, but we are not very good at saying 
‚no™ to unreasonable or uninformed requests 
regarding surface preparation. It is this ‚can 
do™ mentality that has raised the bar in many 
instances and pushing golf courses to the 
edge of what is sustainable.During the presentations, Steven introduced the concept of benchmarking. The 
R&A™s website www.bestcourseforgolf.org has 
created this management tool in recognition that the golf course is the fiprime asset of 
the golf club and that keeping a full record of 
greenkeeping activity is the first step towards 
analysing past operations Πand getting the 
best from future decisions and actionsfl. At 
a time where the climate is uncertain, the 
economy has hit a pot hole and there are 
increasing concerns over water supplies and 
pesticide availability, benchmarking is a means 
of monitoring the effect of these changes. It also provides a means of assessing how adjustments to your maintenance 
strategy are affecting playing quality, cost and 
environmental footprint. The major benefits 
come from being able to benchmark your 
course and review its economic, playing and 
environmental performance over time. Collecting information is one thing, however, as Daryl emphasised in his 
presentation, the first step is to understand 
what your golf course is about, what is the 
vision and expectation for turf quality and what 
are the resources currently available to achieve 
this vision. Is your vision for the golf course the 
same as the president™s and other key players 
in the organisation? The vision needs to be a 
consensus document from which a strategic 
plan and a business plan can be developed. It 
is important to utilise the expertise surrounding 
you to help develop this vision.The term benchmarking is often a flag for concern because of the implication of 
being compared to everyone else. The primary 
purpose is to use it as a means of monitoring 
how your work programmes are going. It does 
not need to be complicated and can utilise 
much of the data already being recorded.FOREWORD THINKINGCollective vision required to ensure sustainable future6     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT||AGCSA CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ONLINE RESOURCESTThe AGCSA is continuing to update and expand information available through the 
AGCSA™s environmental and water web portals which can be accessed through the 
AGCSA home page. The aim is to have both 
these portals as an online hub where golf course 
superintendents and turf managers can access a 
range of information to aid them in their water and 
environmental management practices.The ‚Resources™ tab in the Environmental Initiative website (http://environment.agcsa.com.
au/resources) now contains a host of information 
on a wide variety of environmental issues. Using 
the ‚Improving the Environmental Management 
of NSW Golf Courses™ manual as a template, 
the resources section is divided into 11 separate 
categories:Environmental principles Water management  IPMPesticide storage and application  Fertiliser practices Grass selection Soil management  Native vegetation and wetlands Facility management Machinery operations  Education and trainingThe AGCSA™s online Water Management Review was officially launched at the 25th 
Australian Turfgrass Conference in Hobart in July 
and over the next couple of years the aim is to 
get as many golf clubs to use this free resource. 
The Water Management Review can be viewed 
through http://water.agcsa.com.au In the coming months the AGCSA will be hosting a series of workshops at TAFE colleges 
in Victoria to explain how the Water Management 
Review works and how superintendents/turf 
managers can get the most out of it and use it 
as an essential tool in their water management 
practices. Venues and times are yet to be 
determined but announcements will be made 
through the AGCSA website and in The Cut. 
As well as the workshops, the AGCSA is in the 
process of compiling a comprehensive list of 
all water restriction information from around the 
country and information on current water grants 
available For more information on the Water Initiative and Australian Golf Environmental Initiative, 
contact John Geary on (03) 9548 8600 or email 
jgeary@agcsa.com.au. AGCSA MEMBERSHIPAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   7AGCSAAUSTRALIAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS™ ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORMHelping superintendents and their staff to achieve the best possible playing surfaces and adjacent environment within the limitations of the available resourcesSurname: ...............................................First Name:..........................................................Preferred Mailing Address: .................................................................................................City/Suburb: ...........................................State: .................................Postcode: .................Position: .............................................................................................................................Club/Organisation: .............................................................................................................Club Postal Address: ..........................................................................................................City/Suburb: ...........................................State: .................................Postcode: .................Phone: Work:   .......................................Home: .................................................................              Mobile:  ................................................Fax: ....................................................................Email: .................................................................................................................................Member Category:  ............................................................................................................State Membership: ............................................................................................................ PAYMENTPlease send me a tax invoice Please charge this purchase to my credit card account $ .....................................MasterCard VisaCard Number: ................................................................................Expiry Date:  ___/___Cardholder Name: ..............................................................................................................Signature: ...........................................................................................................Send completed application form and payment to:Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, 3168, VicPhone: 03 9548 8600  Fax: 03 9548 8622  Email: info@agcsa.com.auAGCSA MEMBERSHIP CATEGORYGOLF MEMBERSHIPGolf Course Superintendent.......................................................................................... ........................$339International Golf Course Superintendent..................................................................... .........................$195Assistant Golf Course Superintendent........................................................................... ........................$292Foreman/Ground Staff.................................................................................................. ........................$145Golf Course Maintenance Company............................................................................. .........................$339Consultant..................................................................................................................... ......................$339 ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPSports Turf Manager...................................................................................................... ......................$292Trade Member....................................................................................................................... ...............$292Retired Member............................................................................................................. .......................$130Ground Staff Œ Non Golf............................................................................................... ........................$145STATE MEMBERSHIP NSW - New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association  .......................................................$88 QLD - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland ..............................................................$88 SA - South Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association ............................................................ $75 TAS - Tasmania Golf Course Superintendents Association ......................................................................$60  WA - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Western Australia.....................................................$110VIC - Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association  .........................................Please call 9645 4394 THE NEXT GENERATION (STUDENT MEMBERSHIP)Turf industry apprentices...................................................................................................... ................FREEDiscount packages now available for superintendents and their staff. 
Send a list of names and positions to:
info@agcsa.com.au for a quoteTOURNAMENTSOne must have wondered what was going through the mind of Alister MacKenzie 
when he first set foot on the dramatic headland of La Perouse in early December 
1926. Invited by the foundation members of 
the then fledgling New South Wales Golf Club, 
the good Doctor was paid the handsome 
sum of 250 pounds and asked to provide the 
blueprint for what many hoped would be one 
of the country™s most prominent golf courses.The sight that greeted MacKenzie would provoke this comment which appeared a year 
later in Golf Illustrated: fiThis is a sand duned 
peninsula which overlooks Botany Bay and 
presents, I think, more spectacular views than 
any other place I know with the possible 
exception of the new Cypress Point golf course 
I am doing on the Del Monte Peninsula in 
California.fl High praise indeed and as MacKenzie would do countless times during an esteemed 
career, he crafted a course that would become 
one of the greats. His creation, which came to 
be known as ‚La Perouse™ (after Frenchman 
Jean Francois Galaup de la Perouse who 
landed on the headland in 1788 while on a 
scientific voyage), swept its way through the 
native banksia serrata scrub before tumbling down to the Pacific Ocean. Australian architect 
and noted amateur Eric Apperly would also 
play a significant hand in later years, making 
necessary changes to MacKenzie™s layout in 
the 1930s and 1950s following the advent of 
steel-shafted clubs. Since its official opening in July 1928, by Governor General Baron Stonehaven, the club 
has been a playground for many of Australia™s 
most influential and prominent names in 
politics, business and sport. Despite such 
off-course stature, however, on course it was 
a different story. Its unique location meant the course was notoriously difficult to manage and for many 
years the club accepted just about any grass 
or weed that grew on the fairways. Tee-up 
during summer was commonplace, greens 
were constantly being lost due to a lack of 
water, while substandard machinery and poor 
staff numbers meant it was always a struggle 
to maintain the course. When combined with 
little or no forward planning, it was no surprise 
that the course had never realised its full 
potential. Enter a no-nonsense, slightly cantankerous diabetic with one of the best eyes in the 
turf management game ΠGary Dempsey. 
Growing up in the western suburbs of Sydney, 
Dempsey had cut his teeth at a few courses in 
the district and in 1989 was duly appointed as 
the new course superintendent of New South 
Wales Golf Club.While the good Doctor had waxed lyrical over the sight which greeted him when he 
first visited La Perouse all those years earlier, 
Dempsey had a far more frank and less 
flattering opinion of the course that he was 
about to take charge of.fiYou wouldn™t have tied your dog up there,fl erupts Dempsey in a fit of laughter. fiIt 
was that bad. I didn™t put in for the job when it 
first came up because the club had such a bad 
reputation. But after talking to a few people I 
found out the club was serious about getting the place fixed up. To its credit the club knew 
it had a great piece of land, all it needed was 
a great golf course to match. Hopefully that™s 
what I™ve been able to give the club over the 
past 20 years.fl NOT JUST A ‚DUMB™ GREENKEEPERSon of a garbageman and a shop assistant, Dempsey, in his own words, was never 
destined to be an academic. Growing up in 
the tough environment of the commission Few superlatives do justice when describing the parcel of land on which New South Wales Golf Club resides. Located on the La Perouse headland, the course tumbles into Sydney™s historic Botany Bay and provides the 
setting for one of this country™s most unique golfing experiences. Today it is regarded as one of the world™s great golf courses, but back in 1989 it 
was far from anything special. Enter a young talented superintendent by the name of Gary Dempsey, who over the past two decades has dragged the 
club out of the dark ages and expertly nurtured a course to accentuate its 
stunning natural beauty.  BY BRETT ROBINSONLa Perouse perfectionLa Perouse perfection8     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENThousing estates of Cabramatta, golf proved to be an escape for the young Dempsey and he 
would spend endless hours down the road at 
Cabramatta Golf Club either hitting golf balls or 
scouring the roughs for them.Leaving school in Year 10, Dempsey visited the well-meaning folk at Vocational Guidance 
who put him through a test to ascertain where 
he should best direct his skills. Asked to select 
his three preferred trades, Dempsey scribbled 
down electrician, plumber and greenkeeper. 
The results came back that he was too dumb 
for the first two (their words!) and that his focus 
should be on the latter. So greenkeeping it was and after writing a letter to then Cabramatta course 
superintendent Peter Stig, Dempsey was duly 
signed on as an apprentice. Stig moved on 
not long after and handed over the reins to 
Bob Chessell who would prove to be one of 
Dempsey™s early mentors. Dempsey saw through is apprenticeship and ended up staying at Cabramatta for eight 
years before being offered the superintendent 
post at the neighbouring Orange Grove nine-
hole course. With just two others on staff, Dempsey further fine-tuned his skills and work 
ethic over a four year period before moving to 
the much larger scale operation at Cumberland 
Country Club. About four years into that role, the job at New South Wales Golf Club was advertised. 
Dempsey knew he would be taking a step 
backwards to go forwards but the job ended 
up being his and he was looked forward to 
the challenge of dragging the club out of the 
dark ages and presenting a course befitting its 
regal location.Before he started, the club had already committed to reconstruct the greens so 
Dempsey™s first task was to oversee the project. 
All greens were ripped up, reconstructed and 
resurfaced with Dempsey adding his own 
personal touches here and there. A new 
irrigation system was the next big ticket item, 
followed by converting all fairways to native 
couch from the motley combination of native 
couch, kikuyu and blue couch. All that work 
was completed by the end of 1993 and with 
the course given a new lease of life the club 
enthusiastically signed up for four Australian 
PGA championships between 1994 and 1998 
to showcase its new pride and joy. One of the things that quickly became apparent to Dempsey during those early 
years at La Perouse was that many of 
the greenkeeping practices he had learnt 
previously wouldn™t apply there. The course 
had its own unique climate with the wind and 
ocean having a huge bearing on the surfaces. As Dempsey delights in explaining, the wind can get so strong that it fiblows oysters 
off the rocksfl, while during the height of 
summer the stifling heat and humidity make 
managing the Poa greens one of the toughest 
turf management gigs in town. fiIt is a unique place,fl ruminates Dempsey. fiAnd the longer I™ve been here the more I 
appreciate it. It™s special because it is an 
experience every time you play the course and 
that also applies to when you come to work. 
It changes every day. One day it can be the There are few better sights than the sweeping par 5 5th at New South Wales Golf Club at La Perouse in Sydney. Tumbling down to the Pacific Ocean, it™s natural settings like this 
which make it one of the most endearing courses this country has. Come December it will play host to the Australian Open for the 
very first timeSince 1989 Gary Dempsey has ruled the roost at New South Wales Golf Club and over time has presented the club with a course which ranks among the best in the world  AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   9AGCSATOURNAMENTSmost horrendous place on earth Πin the old workshop we used to back the tractor into the 
roller door to stop the wind from blowing it in 
Œ then on other days, like during May, it™s the 
most beautiful place in the world.fiPoa is almost impossible to get rid of in such a temperate climate so we live with it 
rather than kill it and that™s why we still have 
Poa greens today. Some of them are getting 
up to 20 years old now and, like me, they are 
starting to feel the pinch.fiWhat we had to do was try and make the place survive the summers and take advantage 
of the good times, but initially it was hard to 
determine how we were going to do that given 
the site and the limitations we had with water. 
We didn™t want to have tee-up every summer 
which had become the norm. We wanted to 
have good fairways, but attempting to grow 
a uniform cover on sand dunes without any 
water was always going to be a tough call. fiThe theory I came up with was to thatch the fairways right up which in doing so would 
knit the surface together and essentially cap off the sand dunes. And that™s what we have here 
today Πbad thatchy fairways which are a little 
spongy under foot, but they can go all summer 
long without water and will always come back.fiOne of the big problems here is that if you dig a hole and you get a drought you™ll end up 
with a bunker. Wind erosion is so severe and 
that™s one of the reasons why we had to cap 
the dunes off. fiAnd it has been a success. We use all the bad greenkeeping practices to keep them 
good, but they are very tight and provide a 
good surface to play off. I like to think of it as 
a little seaside golf Πa bit of bump and run.flRISING TO THE CHALLENGESDempsey has certainly had his share of 
challenges over the journey, most of which 
have been forced upon him by the prevailing 
conditions of the site. Whether it™s the 
bunkers, disease management or disasters 
out of left field, Dempsey™s memoirs, when 
they eventually get published, will make for a 
riveting read.By the late 1990s the high-faced bunkers introduced by a number of well-intentioned 
architects during the 80s and 90s, were starting 
to erode badly and collapse, undermining 
sections of greens in the process. Dempsey™s 
answer was to revet the bunkers and in doing 
so created a feature which has become 
synonymous with the club. (See page 12 for 
more on NSWGCs distinctive hazards).Maintaining a course within the highly sensitive and heavily regulated environment  
of a national park has also required judicious 
attention, but through canny management 
and a few old school techniques Dempsey 
has managed to maintain a balance which 
has seen the headland™s prominent stands of 
protected banksia scrub thrive.From a turf management perspective, managing 20-year-old Poa greens on sand 
has become increasingly like trench warfare. 
Over the past three years in particular, 
nematodes (primarily stubby root and spiral) 
and anthracnose have taken great delight 
in attempting to undermine the New South While the vagaries of the weather and 
ongoing parry and thrust of nematode and anthracnose control conspire to keep 
Gary Dempsey on his turf management toes, 
a more ominous threat has made its home at 
La Perouse over the past few years. About nine years ago while showing a friend around the course, Dempsey spotted 
a discoloured ring-like patch in the couch 
beside the 12th green. Nine years and 
numerous attempts to control it later, the 
ring is still there and Dempsey has watched 
helplessly as this mystery affliction has 
spread unabated across most of the course, 
all except for the extremities. Appearing at certain times of the year Πgenerally heading into summer which is 
perfect timing given the Australian Open is 
about to land in early December Πsome of 
the rings now measure up to five metres 
across and when they filight upfl, as Dempsey 
describes it, it looks as though UFOs have 
landed overnight. New South Wales isn™t the only club to have been struck down with the new disease. 
Dempsey™s eastern suburbs counterparts 
John Odell (Royal Sydney Golf Club) and 
David Scaife (Bonnie Doon) have seen 
the disease take root at their courses and 
together the trio and their clubs are investing 
significant amounts of money to try and not 
only identify it but come up with some way of 
controlling it.While intellectual property issues prohibit Dempsey from going into detail on what has 
been achieved to date, what he can say is 
that disease does have a name Œ ‚BF1™ or 
‚Black Fungus 1™ Œ and to date it still hasn™t 
been identified despite some of the big 
names of the Australian turfgrass scientific 
community on the case. It only attacks couch, 
doesn™t spore and is spread vegetatively, 
which means golfers and, more significantly, 
maintenance machinery are aiding in its 
proliferation. Chemical control trials that have 
proved successful in the laboratory have 
failed out in the field and although success 
has been achieved with one organic product, 
control has only been very minor. Having worked with Dempsey on chemical resistance trials to assist in his 
management of anthracnose, Dr Percy Wong 
from the University of Sydney is now heading 
up the programme to identify this mystery 
disease and together with Dr Peter Martin 
they have recently concluded their first round 
of trials. fiThere™s no doubt that other clubs will get it,fl warns Dempsey. fiHopefully by the 
time they do we will have come up with some 
answers. All three clubs are committed to 
keep working on the trials but unfortunately 
I don™t think there will be a silver bullet. As 
John Neylan commented when he was here 
recently, and I agree with him, more than 
likely an organic competitor or antagonist will 
eventually come along and wipe it out.fiYou can mask the rings with nitrogen, but quite a lot of luck is involved. Golf 
Australia is aware of it so I™m not going to lose 
any sleep over it come the Open. One thing 
about New South Wales Golf Club is that it 
doesn™t suit the colour green so I™m quite 
happy to let the fairways go natural for the 
tournament which will naturally mask them. fiIt™s just another challenge we have to deal with. It™s not something that practitioners 
like David, John or I are going to cure. We all 
do our own trials here and there, but this is a 
science thing and is well above my level of 
knowledge Œ I™m just a ‚dumb™ greenkeeper 
remember! But we have the right people 
working on it and they are doing a terrific 
job.fl fiBF1™ or ‚Black Fungus 1™ manifests as discoloured ring-like patches which ‚light up™ at certain times of the year. With outbreaks now prominent at New South Wales, Bonnie 
Doon and Royal Sydney, the three clubs have pooled their resources to try to identify and control the mystery diseaseBATTLING THE ‚BF1™10     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWales playing surfaces and from Dempsey™s war room numerous campaigns have been 
devised and subsequently waged with a 
mixture of outcomes. If nematodes and anthracnose weren™t enough to contend with, Dempsey has for the 
past nine years also watched as an unidentified 
disease has spread unchecked across his 
fairways. Fortunately, or rather unfortunately 
if you™re the others, Dempsey is not alone in 
his plight and together with fellow practitioners 
David Scaife (Bonnie Doon Golf Club) and 
John Odell (Royal Sydney Golf Club) have 
pooled their resources to try and identify this 
insidious pest (see page opposite for more on 
this mystery couch disease).Dempsey would also add to the list of challenges as having to work out of a 
dilapidated shed for the best part of 17 years, 
but when given the chance to do something 
about it he didn™t drop the ball. His many 
trips overseas to work at some of the game™s 
biggest tournaments provided him with plenty 
of ideas on how to design a maintenance 
facility and the resulting $2.2 million ‚Taj Mahal™ is indeed a work of art. While many rib him 
mercilessly about the dimensions of his office, 
it™s more importantly the facility as a whole 
which provides Dempsey™s staff of 16 with 
a much more comfortable and productive 
working environment.Of all the challenges which have confronted Dempsey, however, none could top the bizarre 
situation that greeted him when he answered 
the phone early one morning in July 2006. 
The words ‚dam™ and ‚collapse™ are all that 
Dempsey can remember of the call and the 
sight that confronted him after tearing up to the 
dam made his jaw drop. Spewing through the 
collapsed dam wall was all 35ML of the club™s 
sole water supply, disappearing down into 
neighbouring St Michael™s Golf Club. Dempsey admits for the first time in his turf management career he didn™t know what to 
do. Although no stranger to disasters Πin 1998, 
just five weeks out from the Australian PGA, 
he watched in horror as a deliberately lit fire 
razed the course Πthis particular catastrophe 
rendered him speechless and somewhat 
helpless. While much of the attention focussed 
on the damage inflicted on St. Michael™s, the 
dam burst had serious consequences for 
Dempsey and his turf management operations. fiIt was unbelievable,fl recalls Dempsey. fiIt was just such a random event Πone 
minute it was there, the next it was gone. As 
soon as I heard about it I was terrified that 
someone might have got hurt. Thank God CONTINUED ON PAGE 13Not a bad place to work, but as this photo hints at, the elements can conspire to make NSW Golf Club one of the toughest courses to not only play, but manage as wellAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   11AGCSAAt Bayer, we™re serious about science and even more serious about turf. Which is why we create products like Chipco Signature,® the only turf product that controls fungal disease and improves turf health. And with technology, it leaves you with turf that looks great and plays great. To ˜ nd out more, call 1800 804 479.Always use according to product label. Chipco Signature® is a Registered Trademark of Bayer ©2009 Bayer. BES1236/H&TSpearhead® TOURNAMENTSAside from its striking location, if there™s one standout feature of New South 
Wales Golf Club which intrigues many, it™s the course™s unique revetted bunkers. One 
of the few courses in Australia to embrace this 
distinctive style of hazard, over the past two 
summers Dempsey and his dedicated crew 
have completed a labour of love which has 
been more than a decade in the making.Bunkers have always been an issue at La Perouse and over the years various architects 
have had their hazards undermined and 
partially destroyed by the harsh prevailing 
winds which buffet the site. Dempsey takes 
great delight in showing newcomers to 
the course the fairway bunker on 12 which 
once upon a time was just a foot deep. The 
bunker is now large enough to accommodate 
a B-Double and Demspey reckons he has 
poured more than 300 tonnes of sand into it 
over the years only to see most of it end up as 
topdressing sand.Bunker issues came to a head in the late 1990s when some started to collapse, 
threatening to take sections of greens with 
them. The time had come to act. Earlier that 
decade, around the same time as the club 
was reconstructing greens, Dempsey, with the 
permission of the board, constructed a revet 
bunker as part of the 9th green complex. That tiny pot created more discussion than anything else Dempsey had done up until that 
point and gained true folklore status when the 
then club captain took 14 shots to extricate his 
ball! It polarised opinion but it soon became an 
accepted, although somewhat feared, addition 
to the course. fiWe had such thatchy old turf in that green that I put it to the board that we should 
construct a revetted bunker,fl recalls Dempsey. 
fiI knew it would fit the golf course aesthetically 
and in terms of playability, and ultimately it 
would have an impact on maintenance too. fiBack then we didn™t have the Internet so I did some reading up on how the European 
courses constructed theirs and gave it a 
crack. I remember showing the guys how to 
do it before heading off to a superintendent 
meeting, only to come back later in the day to find they had built the face straight up rather 
than on an incline. They had to rip it down and 
start over again!flThat small pot was it until the other bunkers on the course started to decline and it 
was purely by chance that Dempsey stumbled 
across the solution to rectify the worst of them 
Πit was literally right under his feet!When hosting the four Australian PGAs between 1994 and 1998, which were held 
in November, Dempsey would oversow 
the heavily trafficked couch surrounds with 
ryegrass to aid with wear and tear. Over time 
they had thatched up beautifully and by the 
late 1990s, when it had come time to make a 
decision about what was to be done with the 
course™s bunkers, it occurred to Dempsey that 
he had thousands of square feet of perfect 
revet sod growing in the surrounds. With the board™s approval he drew up a plan to revet the worst of the bunkers, but 
was thrown the additional challenge of having 
to construct the new revetted bunkers within 
the perimeter of the existing bunker. Dempsey 
and his crew would rise to that challenge and 
transform around 30 bunkers in that initial 
period which would ultimately set up the club 
to embark down the path of a full conversion 
a decade later. With the 2009 Australian Open on the horizon and with many of the remaining high-faced bunkers in various states of deterioration, 
in 2007 the club gave Dempsey the green light 
to knock the rest off. In May 2009, after two 
summers worth of hard work, the final slab of 
revet sod was laid. The club now boasts 61 of 
these formidable hazards and while it was an 
incredibly labour intensive project, the result 
according to Dempsey is worth it and adds 
further character to an already unique course.fiIt has been a massive undertaking to do all 61 in-house and over the years, at different 
times, I have been lucky to have a couple of 
guys from the UK who loved doing them and 
who had a knack for them,fl says Dempsey. fiDepending on the bunker, its aspect and its usage, we can get between 7-10 years 
out of them before having to renovate. We 
do regular maintenance to the tops of them 
but apart from that they are extremely easy to 
maintain, although you have to be mindful of 
couchgrass roots and earthworms. fiThe members have a love-hate relationship with them Πthey love the look of 
them and hate to play out of them Πbut they 
are now synonymous with New South Wales 
and I would think it highly unlikely the club 
would ever change them.fl The revetted style of bunker is now synonymous with New South Wales Golf Club and adds another unique feature to the courseReviving the revetReviving the revetOver two construction periods, all 61 NSWGC bunkers have been revetted in-house12     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTno one did, but it made a dreadful mess of St Michael™s and left us without water 
through until December. We ended up getting 
a temporary system set up whereby we could 
run two or three hoses at a time to hand water 
greens. The greens suffered terribly and we 
had the tendency to over water them because 
we weren™t sure when we would be able to give 
them their next drink.fiIt was a very trying period. I don™t know how to explain it. It was more shock than 
anything Œ what was I going to do now? I™ve 
seen the course burnt down before which was 
a horrible feeling. But the dam burst? Well, 
no amount of planning could prepare you for 
something so far out of left field. It was just 
another hurdle to overcome and the club™s 
support during that time was most important.fl   One of the significant implications of the dam burst was that it threw the club™s works 
programme into disarray. Reconstruction of the 
10th, 18th and practice fairway all had to go on 
hold and throw into the mix the 2007 Australian 
Amateur Championships the following March, 
and the NSW crew had its work cut out. Some 
good did come out of the dam collapse, 
however, and as well as coming away with 
a new rock-solid dam, storage capacity was 
increased by 10ML to around 45ML. OPEN DEBUTNo sooner had the dam been finished and 
reconstruction began in earnest on the 10th, 
18th and practice fairway, the club approached 
Dempsey with the prospect of hosting the 
2009 Australian Open. You can imagine his 
response! Although no stranger to hosting 
tournaments, NSW Golf Club has never 
entertained the men™s open championship, 
and after agreeing to host the event, a further 
spate of course improvement works were 
scheduled.First and foremost was revetting all the remaining sand-faced bunkers which was 
completed in May this year. Several greens 
also needed subtle re-contouring, areas of 
strategic rough were transformed into sandy 
waste areas and more than 750m of rubber 
rock cart paths were laid.To add a touch of length to the course and to assist with spectator movement come the 
tournament, new tees have been constructed, 
such as on the par 5 5th. Dempsey has also 
started cutting square tees in the lead up 
and although causing consternation among a 
few members, will add another unique visual 
element to course come December. Part of that 
tee work included extending the island tee on 
the course™s dramatic par 3 6th. Add to the above the constant environmental considerations that must be factored in when 
hosting such a tournament on the site, as well 
as a late change of tournament promoter, and 
you soon understand why Dempsey would 
never succeed in regrowing any hair.fiTournaments themselves are exhausting, but it™s all the work leading up that is hard,fl 
says Dempsey. fiWe have been bashing and 
building since 2005 and it has only been 
since May this year that we have actually 
started to ‚maintain™ the course again. I™m 
actually learning things all over again!  All of 
these projects, with the exception of the dam 
reconstruction, have all been done in-house 
and it has required a monumental effort by the 
staff to get it all done.flDempsey has introduced square tees in the lead up to the Open and although causing consternation among a few members, will add another unique element to course come 
DecemberCONTINUED FROM PAGE 11CONTINUED ON PAGE 15AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   13AGCSATOURNAMENTSWhile Gary Dempsey begins the countdown to his first Australian Open 
this December, up on the Sunshine Coast his counterpart Dean Henderson is also 
in tournament mode with the Australian PGA 
Championships due to touch down at Hyatt 
Regency Coolum a week later.In what will be his first PGA since taking over as course superintendent back in March, 
Henderson will be preparing a vastly altered 
course with six new holes making up the 
revitalised front nine.  As reported in Volume 10.6 of ATM (November-December 2008) property owners 
Lend Lease decided to develop the coastal 
track of land that houses the existing 4th, 
5th, 6th, 7th and 8th holes. To compensate 
losing those holes, six new holes have 
been constructed. The original 1st has been 
transformed from a straightforward par 4 into 
a heavily bunkered par 3 (now the 6th), the 
old 2nd and 3rd holes play as 7 and 8, while 9 
remains untouched. The new holes (1-6) work their way around a central pocket of environmentally protected 
rainforest and were designed by the course™s 
original architect Robert Trent Jones II. As 
well as attaining his services, the new holes 
have also had the expert touch of the original 
shaper. They will be open to the public the day 
after the 2009 PGA concludes while existing 
holes 4-8 will then be closed and the residential 
development will start.While Henderson says he has slotted in nicely to his new lifestyle on the Sunshine 
Coast, the job has certainly provided its fair 
share of challenges to date. On top of getting 
used to his new surrounds, Henderson has had 
the added pressure of getting the new holes 
grown in and up to championship condition for 
this year™s tournament. The weather has done him and the course no favours and in his first four months a 
total of 948mm rain lashed the region which 
significantly hampered construction. The 
new 1st, in particular, suffered major flooding 
forcing a redesign of the course™s weir system. 
Over two kilometres of extra drainage was also 
installed to combat small springs and run off 
from surrounding hillsides.The final two holes ΠThe par 5 5th and par 3 6th Πwere solid turfed in early autumn 
and since August Henderson has dumped 
close to 1000 tonnes of topdressing sand 
predominantly on the fairways with good 
results. With the usual slow down in couch 
growth over winter, the height of cut was lifted 
and mowing frequency reduced to promote 
maximum root growth. Staff also hand-
weeded and wick wiped rather than apply 
selective herbicides to allow the couch to grow 
unimpeded.Henderson has had up to six casuals Πa combination of Canadian, English, French and 
Australian greenkeepers Πworking on the new 
six holes with 3IC Scott Howes working full-
time since the new holes were handed over to 
coordinate daily works. fiThis part of the Sunshine Coast is a beautiful place to live and work and I™ve had 
great support from the local superintendents 
since starting here,fl says Henderson, who 
was superintendent at Sanctuary Cove Golf & 
Country Club before taking on the Hyatt post. 
fiWe have a good crew in place and although 
it has been a challenge to bring the new holes 
into play we are looking forward to showcasing 
them come the tournament.flThe final two holes Œ 5 (pictured) and 6 Œ were solid turfed in early autumn Above: Nearly a metre of rain during Dean Henderson™s first four months as Hyatt Coolum superintendent severely hampered 
construction and grow-in of the new holes, with the 1st (pictured) suffering the worst floodingHenderson hones new-look Hyatt CoolumHenderson hones 
new-look Hyatt CoolumAbove: As part of the major redevelopment of Hyatt Coolum™s front nine ahead of this year™s Australian PGA, existing holes 4-8 (pictured is the old 7th) have been replaced with six 
new holes (1-6)14     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAs for the playing surfaces, Dempsey renovated greens in mid-August and scarified all fairways, tees and greens surrounds and 
topdressed in late September/early October. 
Since then it has been an agonising wait 
as a cool Sydney spring has thwarted a full 
recovery and only added to the management 
challenges ahead of the Open.Dempsey is also a little nervous about the likely weather conditions come the tournament 
and he has history to back him up. Green 
speed figures will be somewhat irrelevant if 
it blows and as Dempsey points out if the 
greens are cut at 4mm and a 30-knot southerly 
descends, balls will be rolling 15 foot to the 
north and three feet the other way. fiIf it doesn™t blow then they should all shoot 30 under, but I don™t think that™ll happen,fl says 
Dempsey. fiThe greens will always worry me, 
but that™s the way things are here. They™re 
thatchy old Poa greens, sand on sand, but they™ve been living here for 20 years without 
too much issue so hopefully they™ll do the right 
thing by me and hang around for another few 
months until the pros come and go.fiYou have to be realistic and live with the fact that you can™t have fast greens at 
NSW. At the 1996 PGA play was postponed 
three times because balls were blowing of the 
greens. It was a highly stressful and frustrating 
time, especially because we were only cutting 
greens once a day and watering them like 
crazy. But when it™s blowing 40 knots, there™s 
not much you can do about it. You can™t plan 
for the weather, but anything over 30 knots 
and Golf Australia will have to be prepared for 
some trouble.fl At this stage, Dempsey plans to cut the whole golf course, except for rough, in just 
1.5-2 hours every evening after the final group 
has walked off 18. Six fairways units will be in 
operation, while greens and tees will all be cut with walk-behinds by two teams of six. Greens 
only will be cut in the morning, and rolled if 
required, and fairways dewed off. Toro will 
be providing some extra equipment for the 
tournament while for those lucky enough to be 
on bunker detail, Dempsey has imported more 
than 100 rakes from the US in recent months. 
(Since their arrival Dempsey has had his staff 
shaving down the teeth of the rakes with pencil 
sharpeners!)  On the Sunday before the pros arrive, Dempsey will assemble his 30-strong 
tournament crew and go through a full dress 
rehearsal of cutting the course. Among this 
year™s crew, Dempsey has the services of 
three UK greenkeepers who are staying for the 
summer, while former assistants Andy Hugill 
(Mona Vale Golf Club) and Shane Brogan 
(ex-Torquay Golf Club, now a firefighter with 
the MFB) will return to help their former boss 
out. Dempsey will also have an American, Mike Scott, on his team. Dempsey met Scott, who 
was then assistant at Merion, while working at 
the 1997 US Open at Congressional Country 
Club and immediately the two hit it off. A few 
months later Scott was winging his way Down 
Under for the 1997 Australian PGA and now 12 
years later will head back with family in tow to 
help out his mate for the Open.To ensure everyone enjoys themselves in between the hard grind of presenting a 
championship course, Dempsey is taking a 
leaf out of some of the US tournaments he 
has attended over the years and setting up a 
designated hospitality area in the maintenance 
facility during the Open. There superintendents 
and course maintenance personnel visiting 
to watch the golf can catch up with the crew 
and get a glimpse of what goes on behind the 
scenes of a major tournament.fiI think more than anything I want this tournament to be fun,fl enthuses Dempsey. 
fiThat was paramount in my mind when it was 
announced we were hosting the tournament. 
I know how tired everyone gets and thought 
this would be a good way of getting everyone 
involved. It can be a real anti-climax when 
the tournament actually hits because you™re 
so focused on the job at hand, but if we can 
have a bit of fun during the week it™ll make it 
enjoyable for everyone.fl No matter what happens come tournament week though, you can guarantee that come 
Sunday evening the biggest celebration will 
be happening down at the ‚Taj™. Dempsey 
happens to turn 52 the very next day and along 
with the staff he will hopefully be raising a glass 
of his favourite red and toasting what has been 
another successful milestone in a has long, 
distinguished and ultimately rewarding career 
as a ‚dumb™ greenkeeper.New South Wales™ iconic par 3 6th. Nothing more needs to be saidCONTINUED FROM PAGE 13AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   15AGCSAOase is the undisputed world leader in commercial fountain, ˜ltration and pump technology. Ideal for golf course lakes of all sizes, their range of 
˚oating fountains and ˚oating aerators will pump them full of oxygen to 
aid natural bioremediation.So now you can make algae, unpleasant odours, sludge and poor water quality a thing of the past, without the need for labour-intensive dredging. For the location of your nearest OASE dealer call their national distributor Clearpond on 1800 222 010 or logon to www.clearpond.com.auFor healthy, sparkling lakes Œ just add OaseAsk about Clearpond™s range of water treatments like Pondzyme Plus Concentrate to treat sludge and dead algaeARENA MANAGEMENTTwo years ago Etihad Stadium, as it is now known, became the first major sporting arena in Australia to adopt growth lights to help improve surface quality, recovery from wear and tear and ultimately reduce costly turf replacement programmes. With two AFL seasons now complete since the lighting rigs were first employed, arena manager Gavin Darby looks back at how they have helped to transform one of the most-talked about surfaces into one of the best.Following the bold decision by Etihad Stadium chief executive Ian Collins (AM) 
to back our quantified judgement in 2007 and spend $2.2 million on implementing an 
artificial lighting system, it is very satisfying to 
be in a position to write a follow-up article on 
their success over the last two years. Our initial research and budget forecasts (see Gavin Darby™s article that appeared in ATM Volume 9.6, November-December 
2007 - Ed) painted a bright picture that has 
been exceeded in financial terms and more 
importantly turf quality. The payback period on our capital expenditure was reduced to less than two 
years as we have limited our turf replacement 
to approximately 500m² each year (2008 and 
2009). Given that in 2007 a total of about 8700m² of replacement turf was used, which 
was less than 30 per cent of the quantity used 
in some of our previous seasons, and you 
can see the dramatic benefits the lights have 
brought. The flow on effect of this reduction has been greater continuity providing improved 
aesthetics for both patrons and users alike. 
The improved visual uniformity of the playing 
surface has removed the seed of doubt from 
the athletes™ minds and the consistent sward 
and profile provide the continuity of key 
performance characteristics, such as traction 
and hardness.Our initial research and subsequent purchase of the lighting rigs from Dutch 
company SGL Concept relied heavily on 
independent light analysis provided by the 
Sports Turf Research Institute in England, 
which has proved to be very accurate in those 
terms. What this data did not take into calculation was the significant influence of wear, whether 
it be from sport-specific wear patterns such as 
AFL™s use of the central corridor or total use in 
terms of events per month, when comparing 
our venue to say European football venues, 
a number of which have been using similar 
lighting rigs since the mid-2000s.  We have since developed our own rig deployment plans based on a combination of 
light levels, our own experiences based on the Lights greenfor EtihadLights greenfor EtihadDeployment plans for the lighting rigs are based on a combination of light data, experiences based on the visual results of their first season of operation (2008) and the wear characteristics of the Etihad Stadium surface.16     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTvisual results of 2008 (their first full season in employment) and the wear characteristics of 
our surface. SGL PROJECT PORTALThese deployment plans rely on information 
obtained through our SGL Portal with the 
arena broken into zones with each ‚zone™ 
representing a single lighting rig. We have 13 of the SGL Concept™s MU360 rigs and as the name suggests each of these 
illuminates an area of 360m² (24m long and 
15m wide). Each MU360 has six arms of 
10 light fittings for a total of 60 600watt 
lights.  We also purchased two smaller MU18 
units, consisting of a single boom carrying 12 600watt lights to treat high wear areas such as 
goal squares and the centre circle area.  The SGL Portal provides us with light data from external and internal venue sensors 
(Figure 1) and from this we are able to see 
the total light received into the venue in real 
time and cumulatively over each day, week 
or month. This data is measured in micro mol 
(µmol) and then converted to megajoules of 
Photosynthetically Active Radiation (MJPAR). This data, when combined with our shade analysis which shows the percentage of natural 
light reaching each zone for the given month 
(shown here for June in Figure 2), provides the 
total natural light energy available to the plant 
in each zone. Our deployment positions and hours for each zone are also entered into the portal 
(shown here for June in Figure 3). This then 
provides us with the total light energy figure, 
both natural and artificial, for each zone in 
terms of MJ/PAR/m² (Figure 4). Subtract from this our roof closures and we have a number which we can align with 
visual ratings of turf quality in each zone. We 
have over the last two years used this data to 
determine our optimum parameters for the 
addition of artificial lighting hours.RESULTSThe results have exceeded our expectations 
for the simple fact that the effectiveness of the 
SGL Concept is far greater than statistically 
represented by the light level output of the 
globes alone. The key additional factors are:  The efficiency of light at these low levels is 
very high;  Night time operation creates a more favourable vapour pressure deficit in 
Melbourne;  Overnight use allows the plant to make 
full use of morning light energy by already 
being ‚switched on™; and An increase in soil temperature of 2-3°C.LIGHT EFFICIENCYAs the amount of light increases, the rate 
of plant response reflected as growth also 
increases, but only until it reaches a saturation 
point where any additional light is valueless 
in terms of photosynthesis and perhaps even 
considered a negative input. We believe this saturation point for ryegrass is around 1300 µmol/m²/s at which 
point the potential plant response in terms of 
fresh growth production measured in grams/
m²/hour has reached its maximum. Melbourne has extremely high levels of light in global terms and in our initial work this 
was all calculated as a positive input. Through 
pure statistical analyses this then dilutes the 
value of adding small quantities of artificial 
light, however, when the efficiency of various 
light levels is taken into consideration the true 
value of artificial light increases significantly. In early 2008 Etihad Stadium took delivery of 15 lighting rigs from Dutch company SGL Concept to help remedy issues with the playing surface. In just two years of operation 
the growth lights have exceeded all initial expectations and seen turf replacement fall to just 500m2 in each of the 2008 and 2009 AFL seasonsEach MU360 rig illuminates an area of 360m² 
(24m long and 15m wide) and has six arms of 10 light fittings for a total of 60 600watt growth lightsAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   17AGCSAARENA MANAGEMENTThis is depicted in Figure 5. The graph is for indicative purposes only but we believe it to be reasonably accurate in our environment. 
The pink line is representative of grass growth 
increasing on the left ‚y™ axis as light levels 
increase on the ‚x™ axis. The blue line is 
representative of the decreasing efficiency of 
light measured on the right ‚y™ axis in terms of 
resulting growth. VAPOUR PRESSURE DEFICITRelative humidity (RH) is the common measure 
of water vapour in the air, the presence of 
which has a direct effect on the plant™s ability 
to transpire and hence grow. Another measure 
which is commonly used in the glasshouse 
industry is Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD). 
VPD combines both temperature and RH into 
one reading that more accurately reflects 
the plant™s wellbeing. VPD values run in the 
opposite direction to RH, so when RH is low 
VPD is high and vice-versa.When humidity is low, or high VPD, as is most often the situation in Melbourne, the plant 
will close stomata to reduce transpiration and 
limit wilting. However, in closing stomata the 
plant has also limited its ability to intake CO² and therefore reduced its rate of photosynthesis 
and efficient use of the available light.Unfortunately VPD is extremely difficult to determine accurately as it is necessary to 
know the leaf tissue temperature. However, 
by measuring the temperature and relative 
humidity within the turf canopy, the calculated 
VPD is a useful measure as it combines 
both temperature and humidity into a single 
measure. As a general rule, most plants grow well at VPDs of between 0.8-0.95Kpa. The following 
table shows the effect of varying RH at the 
same temperature, the bold VPD values are all 
outside ideal parameters.  Temp °C RH VPD 15 50 0.8520 64 0.8420 50 1.1725 73 0.8525 60 1.2630 80 0.8530 70 1.27In Melbourne™s climatic conditions, higher temperatures are typically associated with 
low humidity, which are then both negative 
factors in terms of growth response for C3 grasses. A broad but accurate statement is 
that in Melbourne the VPD is most favourable 
typically in the hours of darkness or early 
morning when light levels are not adequate 
for photosynthesis. With the use of artificial Figure 3. Deployment positions and hours for each zone (June 2009). Each zone is equivalent to one SGL Concept MU360 light rigFigure 2. Shade analysis for June 2009 showing the percentage of natural light reaching each 
zone of Etihad Stadium™s arena floorFigure 1. Light data from external and internal sensors measure total light received (in micro 
mols/m2/s) into Etihad Stadium in real time and cumulatively over each day, week or month. The blue line represents the sensor located in the roof, the red line the sensor at pitch level18     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTlighting we are now able to maximise the plant growth in these hours of optimum VPD 
conditions. Therefore the effectiveness of an SGL Concept MU360 producing only 190µmol/m²/s 
at 3am with an air temperature of 15°C, RH 
of 50 per cent and a VPD of 0.85 is perhaps 
more beneficial than the natural conditions 
which may occur at 3pm the following day 
with the sun producing 2500µmol/m²/s, an air 
temperature of 25°C, RH of 60 per cent and a 
VPD of 1.23. The overnight factors depicted are all positive growth factors and combined will allow 
for a healthy rate of photosynthesis to occur. 
Conversely, the day conditions depicted are 
all individually negative and collectively they 
will ensure that photosynthesis is significantly 
hindered.SOIL TEMPERATUREWe have also been utilising ‚Evergreen™ turf 
covers to further enhance the VPD values in 
Melbourne™s dry climate by creating a mini-
glasshouse with increased humidity under the 
covers. We have found a further 2-3°C rise in soil temperature through their use over 
consecutive days, so in combination with the 
SGL Concept we can achieve up to a 5°C 
soil temperature increase through winter by 
using both products simultaneously. The turf 
covers have also enhanced our mid-winter 
overseeding results as they also retain surface 
moisture to ensure the seed remains viable 
through germination. PHOTOSYNTHESIS ΠA TWO STAGE PROCESSWith the SGL Concept working through the night, we also gain the added benefit of 
these plants being ‚switched on™ when the first 
energy from the natural light enters the venue 
each morning. With the initial light-dependent processes of photosynthesis having already been 
completed hours or days earlier under 
artificial light, the plant is able to continue the 
secondary processes or the more productive 
phases of photosynthesis utilising all available 
natural light for the day. This allows the plants under artificial light to maximise the total energy available from 
natural light on any given day. In comparison, 
a plant without artificial light may take some 
2-3 hours from receiving its first photo signal 
to start full carbohydrate production. BRIGHT FUTUREThe combination of all the above factors has 
seen the results achieved at Etihad Stadium 
far exceed the modelled response which was 
based solely on total solar radiation data. 
Examples of this can be clearly seen where 
an area that receives a combination of artificial 
and natural light to a total of 1.8MJPAR/m²/
day exhibits significantly improved turf quality over an area that receives only natural light to 
a greater total of 2.0MJPAR/m²/day.As one of only two independently owned venues in Australia we continue to demand 
more from the arena surface and 2010 will 
be no exception. We start the year with the 
New Year™s Eve celebration ‚Sensation™ (see 
photo below). Bigger and better than the 
2008 version, it will include the construction 
of a 100 metre long water feature down the 
central corridor. We then have a minimum of 
four A-League matches before three AC/DC 
concerts spread over five days in February, 
possibly only a week before the NAB Cup 
preseason competition kicks off. So as we review our use of the system over the last two years and contemplate the surface 
with which we will start the 2010 AFL season 
with, we do have a level of confidence in our 
processes and indeed the SGL Concept.  We also currently have a proposal before our board to extend our infrastructure and 
purchase a further two MU360 units and a 
smaller MU36, just to make sure we keep 
pace with the ever-increasing demands on the 
surface and the expectations of our hirers.Figure 4. The total light energy figure, both natural and artificial, for each zone of the Etihad Stadium arena of MJ/PAR/m² (June 2009).Figure 5. The pink line is representative of grass growth increasing on the left ‚y™ axis as light levels increase on the ‚x™ axis. The blue line is representative of the decreasing efficiency of light measured on the right ‚y™ axis in terms of resulting growthAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   19AGCSAARENA MANAGEMENTIn the pursuit of a safe, durable and multi-use playing surface, the Melbourne Cricket 
Ground (MCG) has seen, in recent years, the conversion to a sand profile perched 
water table, the re-invention of portable pitch 
technology and the country™s first installation 
of a MOTZ stabilised turf system.  As the arena surface has evolved, so has the MCG™s grandstands. With the hosting 
of the Commonwealth Games in 2006, the 
Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) redeveloped 
the Northern Stand which featured a large 
overhanging roof to protect spectators from 
the elements. However, it quickly became evident that the shadow it casts, well beyond the centre of the 
ground in the busy winter months, would be 
the greatest challenge to the maintenance and 
presentation of the highest quality surfaces 
expected at such an elite sporting venue. When compounding the shadow cast by the roof with the reduction in air circulation 
through the arena, the northern half of 
the venue breeds a cold, damp and dark 
microclimate requiring new and specialised 
maintenance practices just to survive the 
winter months, notwithstanding the weekly 
staging of multiple AFL matches. To overcome this problem, a supplemental lighting system was sought to meet the basic 
photosynthetic needs of the shaded turf area 
and increase the durability and recovery of 
the highly trafficked corridor.  After much 
research, an investment was made by the 
MCC in 11 large and two small SGL Concept rigs to provide this Photosynthetically Active 
Radiation (PAR light).  A driving factor behind the purchase was the reduction of turf replacement costs.  
Approximately 10,000m2 of turf was being replaced annually on the shade-affected 
areas at great expense financially and 
environmentally.  It was determined that with 
the investment in the light rigs, that this figure 
could be reduced by half, remembering that 
returfing of the centre following the wicket 
removal was an annual process.  Additionally, 
the supplemental lighting would increase the 
playability and presentation of the surface.MAJOR IMPACTThe rigs arrived in early May 2009 and 
were being used in earnest by the start of 
June.  The introduction of the lights not only 
had an immediate impact on the shade-
affected surface at the venue, but on the turf 
maintenance programme as a whole. It was 
expected that the rigs would be an additional 
tool in the management of a major shade 
issue, when in reality they quickly formed the 
nucleus around which the arena is managed 
during the winter months.The lights work well in isolation, but when combined with modifications to conventional 
turf management practices their impact is 
accentuated.  The substantial investment made 
in the light technology prompted all current 
inputs and processes to be re-evaluated Π
fertilisation, irrigation, dusting, surface venting, 
overseeding, mowing, turf replacement strategy and even resource allocation in 
relation to the deployment and storage of the 
large, sometimes cumbersome rigs.The transition from a conventional NPK programme to a weekly spoon feeding process 
through the winter months has played a major 
role in this season™s initial success. The 
reduced amount of light causes an increase in 
gibberlic acid (GA) production and a decrease 
in natural energy production, resulting in a thin 
weak elongated leaf blade.  With the addition 
to our tank mix of GA-inhibiting PGRs and 
nutrient supplements containing amino acids, 
carbohydrates and potassium silica to counter 
these effects, a tighter, more hard-wearing 
surface has been achieved.Automatic irrigation is not practical with the light rigs deployed.  A reliance on hand watering 
has resulted in much greater control over 
surface moisture levels, which in combination 
with weekly dusting has resulted in greater 
surface traction for players.  This reduction in 
free surface water has also reduced disease 
pressure over the past season. Having a well thought out strategy for the weekly duration and location of rig deployment 
has proven to be important for the execution 
of a weekly surface venting procedure to 
penetrate the MOTZ backing layer to increase 
water and air movement, overseed and cut. Going forward, manipulation of the deployment pattern to provide additional 
treatments in high wear areas will further 
reduce the reliance upon large mid-season 
turf replacements.  Having the light rigs at 
the MCG ahead of the 2010 AFL season, will 
enable their proactive use as the days shorten 
and the shadow from the Northern Stand 
migrates out from the boundary.  The surface 
will then be in the best position to survive the 
rigorous winter fixture from the start, rather 
than trying to adopt a recovery strategy after 
the season is already underway.During the upcoming cricket season, informal trials will also be conducted with 
the use of the SGL Concept on the portable 
cricket pitches, to both accelerate pre-season 
growth and expedite post-match recovery of 
used pitches.The SGL Concept has been the catalyst for the review and adaptation of existing and 
new maintenance practices at the MCG and 
the initial results from this partial season of 
use have been very positive. With a focus over 
the summer months on preparing the surface 
for the demanding winter period, even greater 
successes should be realised.The MCG took delivery of its new SGL Concept lighting rigs in May 2009 and they quickly formed the nucleus around which the arena was managed during the past winterWhile Etihad Stadium now has two seasons™ worth of data from using its growth lights, across town at the Melbourne Cricket Ground arena 
management staff have come to the end of their first season experimenting 
with their new lighting rigs. BY CAMERON HODGKINS AND TONY GORDON  MCG on P.A.RMCG on P.A.R20     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTThe Greensmaster 3150QŽ  A model of quiet ef˜ ciencyHERO/TOR3373JLike every great golfer, a good greenskeeper knows that what happens on the green could make or break your round. 
It must be quiet and run smooth and even. 
That™s why those who know, recommend the Greensmaster 
GR3150Q. Without sacri˜ cing performance for innovation, Toro have produced the quietest riding mower yet.Still with the industry™s best quality cut, the GR3150Q with its Dual Precision Adjustment (DPA) cutting units 
and innovative new muf˚ er system, now gives golfers and 
neighbours peace and quiet when it really counts.Buying, leasing or renting. You can count on Toro to deliver the right solutions for your budget.For more information call 1800 356 372  www.toro.com.auThe quietest engine-powered riding greensmower  on the market!Sound Pressure* Level (Decibels) @ 75 feet (22.9 meters) from Mower.*An increase of 3 decibels represents an approximate doubling of the sound pressure level.Jacobsen® Greens KingTM IV@ full throttleToro® Greensmaster® 3150-Q@ full throttle5055606570John Deere® 2500E@ 2250 rpm (half throttle) @ full throttleQuietLoudCOURSE CONSTRUCTIONSome four years in the making, Yering Meadows is now the new home of Melbourne-based Croydon Golf Club. Construction of the 27-hole facility gave the club a unique opportunity to incorporate best practice environmental management techniques, as well as significantly improve the environmental value of the site which had become degraded over time. Course superintendent Gary Bass and environmental officer Jodie Grainger, a finalist in this year™s AGCSA Claude Crockford Environmental Award, look back at the substantial works to bring one of the country™s newest course developments to fruition.The Croydon Golf Club, situated in Melbourne™s outer east, was established 
in 1925. After 80 years of operation, the decision was made to relocate to help secure 
the club™s economic future.  With such a 
decision came the challenge of finding a new 
site, a course architect and a construction 
company to build the new course that was 
to be ready for play the day after the existing 
course was to close. The 330 acre (132 hectares) Coowerp property at Yering was chosen as the new 
site, a heritage homestead overlooking the 
Yarra Ranges which had been used primarily 
for rural grazing.  Yering is nestled in the 
wine-growing region of the Yarra Valley and 
classified in a Green Wedge zone (designated 
by the State Government as part of the 
Melbourne 2030 plan) which prohibits dense 
urban developments and restricts certain land 
uses.  To use the land for outdoor recreation, an agricultural component had to be incorporated 
in the club™s application and course architect 
Ross Watson™s initial 36-hole course design 
was amended to 27 holes and a 16ha walnut 
plantation included. The site, which is about 12.5km north east of the existing course and adjacent to Lilydale 
Airport, is environmentally sensitive due to the 
close proximity of four important water bodies 
Πthe Yarra River, Olinda Creek, Stringybark 
Creek and Muddy Creek.  Muddy Creek traverses through the course, once part of the old irrigation channelling 
system and was incorporated as a vital 
component of the hydrologically-engineered 
wetlands system which was designed to cope 
with the high volume of rainfall that the pre-
existing floodplain receives annually (699mm 
Coldstream mean average).The upper region of the Yarra Valley between Warburton and Warrandyte is 
classified a Victorian Heritage River magnifying 
how important it is for water exiting the site 
via Muddy Creek (then into Olinda Creek and 
finally reaching the Yarra River) to be of the 
highest quality possible. The ongoing grazing and agricultural practices that had been carried out on the site 
for decades meant the site had become highly 
degraded. The decision to relocate the club to 
the site therefore provided a great opportunity 
to substantially improve the environmental 
value of the site and significantly reduce the 
impact on existing waterways which passed 
through the property. Ross Watson™s vision for the course was that it mirror the surrounding contours and 
undulations of the Yarra Valley ranges and 
during construction we would always stand 
back from any finished product to make sure 
it blended into the environment.  This followed 
recommendations from the National Trust fithat 
the development proposal not destroy the 
landscape values of this areafl and aspects 
of the course were designed to maintain view 
lines enjoyed by the community.  The car park and clubhouse were to be recessed into the natural slope of the land to 
minimise interruption of nearby neighbouring 
views and reduce light pollution emissions.  
The use of native and locally indigenous plants 
on the course and a combination of native 
and exotic species around the clubhouse 
and homestead were to be used to visually 
integrate the development with its surrounding 
environment.NEW BEGINNINGPart of the council™s permit conditions upon 
opening were that 18 holes had to be ready 
for play and landscaping on the course, 
clubhouse, car park, driveway, front entrance Five years ago the Croydon Golf Club made the big call to relocate the club to a new site at Yering in the stunning Yarra Valley Ranges north east of Melbourne. Ross Watson was appointed course architect and his brief was to design a course that would mirror the surrounding contours and undulations of the ranges. Pictured is the new par 4 6thGreener pastures call CroydonGreener pastures call Croydon22     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTand one of the proposed walnut orchards, all had to be completed.  This was achieved by 
the opening date of 21 June, 2008.Construction of the walnut orchards started early in 2007 with the soil excavated from the 
car park and clubhouse site utilised in the 
first orchard. With little or no expertise in this 
field we enlisted the help of consultant Harold 
Adems, a senior scientist (agriculture) from the 
Department of Natural Resources in Tatura. Planting of the first orchard started in November 2007 and we now have three 
orchards around the course featuring Howard, 
Tulare and Chandler cultivars.  A total of 6700 
trees were planted at 3m spacings in rows 6m 
apart. Half of these trees were root stock and 
have been budded and grafted in the field. 
This has delayed our expected harvest by a 
year but we expect to be picking walnuts within 
the next 4-5 years.  Grove™s tender to construct the course proved successful and construction of the 
course™s main 38 megalitre irrigation dam 
started in November 2006.  Water supply 
was initially from the Yarra River under 
stringent restrictions and recycled supply will 
be available in December 2009.  A further 
10ML can be pumped into the main irrigation 
dam via water harvesting from the wetland 
system on course if needed.  Changes to 
course landscape were implemented with 
large islands deleted to increase water holding 
capacity.A&M Irrigation were contracted to install the Toro Site Pro decoder system designed 
by David Hanby, with three Grundfos variable 
speed pumps delivering both water and 
wetting agent via an injection system when the 
need arises.After our agronomic consultant John Neylan (AGCSA) walked the site and gathered 
information for the agronomy specification, 
the club decided to use the existing topsoils 
for fairway construction, unlike a lot of other 
courses where sand is imported at a high cost. 
Careful stripping and stockpiling was required 
to maintain soil structure for re-application 
onto the finished product. Bulk earthworks on the course began in February 2007 and the first 18 holes were 
open for play in June 2008 and final nine 
in mid-September 2009. Bulk earthworks, 
shaping, irrigation and topsoiling were 
staggered, finishing 3-4 holes per zone to 
allow final shaping, hydroseeding, turfing 
of tees, landscaping and grow-in tasks of 
watering, fertilising and mowing. Shaping and 
bulk earthworks were completed by Grove 
construction and fine shaping and finishing completed by Ben Chambers working closely 
with Ross Watson on site.Work started on holes 6, 7 and 8, situated some two kilometres from our brand new 
maintenance facility, before progressing 
across Muddy Creek and finishing on 9, 10, 
1, 18 and practice fairway.  The 2.5ha couch 
nursery was also sprigged with the 6th, 7th and 
8th fairways in September 2007.  This enabled 
us to use the 1.5ha of Legend and 1ha of Santa 
ana on course in January of 2008, solid turfing 
tees and approaches to greens on the last few 
holes to be completed.TALE OF THE TURFGrass selection was a crucial decision in the 
course being able to withstand the rigours 
of the Yering site, being in one the coldest, 
driest, windiest and hottest parts of Melbourne 
depending on the time of year. All two hectares of greens were hydroseeded with Penn G2 creeping bentgrass 
at a rate of 500g/100m2, with the exception of the 10th green which was seeded in February 
2009 at an increased rate of 1kg/100m2 as the course was to open in June leaving only 13 
weeks from time of sowing to opening. Green surrounds, totalling another 2ha, were sown with a creeping red and hard 
fescue blend at a rate of 3kg/100m2 and are mown at 10mm. Mowing frequencies started 
around 10-12 weeks from seeding, initially 
rolling then cutting at 10-12mm before slowly 
reducing the height of cut. All tee complexes were solid turfed with washed Santa ana on tee tops, which total 
2.2ha.  Tee surrounds were hydroseeded with 
a fescue blend (chewings, hard and red) of 
1:1:1 at 3kg/ha.AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   23AGCSACOURSE CONSTRUCTIONFairways were line planted with Legend couch 20:1 and once root establishment had taken place a weekly fertilising regime started, 
including raw chicken manure much to the 
delight of everybody working in the immediate 
vicinity!  It was decided by the club not to use 
any pre-emergent herbicides as an initial cost-
saving measure, but in doing so cost time in 
establishment of the couch surfaces.   The 50ha of roughs were drill seeded with a 1:1:1 blend of hard, sheeps and red fescues 
at a rate of 3kg/100m2.  The biggest challenge of the grow-in was the continual high winds 
and the impact this had on newly seeded 
areas. Maintaining moist soil conditions onsite 
was especially difficult around mounds, ridge 
lines and bunker edges where hydroseeded 
areas would be continually stripped back by 
the strong northerly winds we encountered.Seeding of bunker faces was also hampered by high winds and temporary 
irrigation networks were established to 
maximise chances of germination and 
establishment. The purchase of our own 
hydroseeding unit proved invaluable too as 
we had to return to areas numerous times until 
grass was established. Grow-in equipment was purchased from Toro and using second-hand gear proved to be 
the way to go due to the wear and tear on such 
an unforgiving site. Having a great mechanic 
also proved to be critical as the machinery got 
flogged to death. Weekly fertilising and fungicide control was the norm to generate rapid growth and 
in some instances grow mats were used to 
assist germination and reduce erosion caused 
by the high winds that hampered the grow-
in. Kangaroos, rabbits and even stray cows 
all added to the challenge and continual 
rectification works were required during this 
stage.Dusting and/or topdressing of all turf areas started very early on and today the putting 
surfaces are dusted fortnightly during optimal 
growing conditions and monthly during winter. 
Poa control has started with Endothal the 
preferred product at 20ml/100m2.With a deadline of June looming the clubhouse precinct was shaping up with all 
landscaping of the driveway, car park and 
clubhouse gardens successfully completed 
between Buxton finishing the construction of 
the clubhouse and Grove carrying out curbing, 
drainage and surfacing works.All labour was kept in-house and with more casual staff employed our numbers peaked at 
30 during some weeks. (We currently number 
16, with one casual and six apprentices.) While 
all this was taking place we had a small team 
back at the old site maintaining the course for 
play as the club™s commitment was to close 
the old site one day and open the new one the 
next. We almost pulled it off but developers 
Australand acquired the old site two weeks 
early which meant the members had a two-
week break prior to the opening of the new 
site.Construction of the third nine rolled on after the first 18 and final seeding and sprigging 
completed in December 2008. The summer of 
2008/2009 proved to be the hottest on record 
and temperatures at Yering soared into the 
high 40s on numerous days, peaking at 46 
degrees on Black Saturday. The fires, which devastated large parts of Victoria, came to within 500m of our northern 
boundary and put our irrigation pump at the 
Yarra at risk.  Ironically, the very same pump 
is currently under threat due to flooding! It™s 
amazing what a difference eight months and 
some spring rain makes.Heavy water restrictions meant we were only able to water putting surfaces from 
late February onwards and a lot of newly 
established rough was lost to the heat Πyet 
another battle with the elements we had to deal 
with. With a high weed burden on the site and 
surrounding areas, this was to challenge the 
team but with persistence we are now winning 
the battle.Challenging windy conditions are now a part of the golf course and provide a stern 
test when playing the site.  Pin positions 
are set more central for windy conditions 
and undulating surfaces, green speeds are 
monitored closely and height of cut is set at 
4mm to assist with the true firm surfaces.  Aaron Baddeley, a life member of the club, came out to inspect the site just after winning 
the 2007 Mastercard Masters and Channel 10 
interviewed him on the newly constructed 6th 
green. The surface was only 12 to 13 weeks 
old and he displayed his awesome putting 
ability by draining three separate puts from 
different lengths in front of the rolling cameras. 
It was a nice feeling to know we were heading 
in the right direction with so much work still 
ahead of us!ENVIRONMENTAL BEST PRACTICEThe design of the site not only encompasses 
27 holes of golf and the walnut groves, but 
includes large areas not in play which form How the 132ha Coowerp property looked before course construction. The ongoing grazing and agricultural practices that had been carried out on the site for decades meant the site had become highly degradedGrass selection was a crucial decision in the course being able to withstand the rigours of the Yering site. Greens were hydroseeded with Penn G2 creeping bentgrass, tees were 
solid turfed with washed Santa ana and the 50ha of roughs were seeded with a blend of hard, sheeps and red fescues24     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTthe new environment. Because of the minimal natural remnants on the site, due to pastoral 
use of the land, no native vegetation was 
actually lost and a substantial amount has 
been and will continue to be gained as the site 
matures.  Initial landscape plans had the quantity of trees, shrubs and grasses totalling 300,000.  
These numbers will be achieved in the next 
year as areas are thickened with supplement 
plantings, following changes made by Ross 
Watson, and also the landscape being used to 
shape the holes as it matures.  The landscape 
will continue to evolve, self-seeding and being 
worn to achieve a more natural effect. It is 
hoped that with maturity an entire new habitat 
will emerge and encourage a greater range 
of flora and fauna to populate within the Yarra 
Valley region. From the outset of the project, the club had a rare opportunity to implement environmental 
best practices.  During construction and grow-
in vast amounts of water and fertiliser were 
vital to establish grass surfaces.  Run off 
was addressed in the form of silt traps and 
co-ordinating planting of adjacent wetlands 
and roughs.  Areas were then left to mature 
with follow up weed control and removal 
of protective covers once grass was well 
established. The use of wetland species to strip nutrients before entering waterways exiting the property 
was integral to improve water quality.  This 
practice is evident throughout the entire site, 
with species such as Juncus amabilis to aid 
in filtering and reducing the residual wetland nutrient level build up as water moves through 
the hydrologically-engineered site, reducing 
risk of algal blooms as water levels drop and 
temperatures increase seasonally. Quarterly 
water quality testing by Meinhardt at numerous 
points across site occurs keeping us abreast 
of any nutrient levels registering outside the 
allowable parameters set by the EPA.The installation of a propagation polyhouse will enable us to propagate species from seed 
collected and cuttings taken from now on.  
All tubestock and cells were grown on by 
Candlebark Community Nursery who will in 
turn then collect from our site to propagate 
plants for the local community, enabling them 
to revegetate their sites with plants of local 
provenance.  We are also working in conjunction with Candlebark to build up numbers of Caesia 
calliantha (Blue Grass Lily) via propagation.  This species is particularly rare in Maroondah 
Shire and existed on the old Croydon Golf Club 
site. Numerous species have been salvaged from the old course site and either transplanted 
or retained for propagation purposes. These 
would otherwise have been lost due to the 
old site being turned into a major housing 
development. Such species include: Pale vanilla lily (Arthropodium milleflorum);Matted flax lily (Dianella amoena) Πan endangered species that no longer exists 
in the wild within Maroondah Shire; andSwamp wallaby grass (Amphibromus spp.) Πan endangered grass species found in 
wetland areas.Less showy species, but nonetheless valuable for their biodersity, include five-The Yering site contains a series of hydrologically-engineered wetlands, such as this one between holes 12 and 17, which are designed to cope with the high volume of rainfall that the pre-existing floodplain receives annuallyEASTERN GC HEADS FURTHER EASTYering Meadows is set to have a new neighbour in the not too distant future 
following Eastern Golf Club™s (EGC) 
decision earlier this year to also relocate. 
Currently situated in the eastern Melbourne 
suburb of Doncaster, EGC will sell off 
its existing site in order to fund the new 
development which is a kilometre down the 
road from Croydon Golf Club™s new Yering 
Meadows facility. EGC™s current Doncaster Rd site is on the market via an ‚expressions of interest™ 
campaign and the club will continue to 
operate until the new site is ready to 
open which is envisaged to be 3-5 years. 
EGC, home to course superintendent 
Clayton Howell, has selected a 242 hectare 
property which is currently used for cattle 
grazing and horse agistment. It also has 12 
modern, self-contained private cabins that 
are used for tourist accommodation which 
the club intends to continue operating. Greg 
Norman Golf Design has been engaged, 
with Bob Harrison as chief architect, and 
has come up with a 27-hole course design 
and a nine-hole par 3 course that blends 
with the existing terrain. The 4th and 13th holes during grow-in. All fairways were line planted with Legend couch AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   25AGCSACOURSE CONSTRUCTIONawned spear-grass (Pentapogon quadrifidus), common wheat-grass (Elymus scabrous) and reed bent-grass (Deyeuxia quadriseta).Another condition imposed by the council in development of the new course 
was a compulsory acquisition of Eucalyptus 
crenulata (Buxton Gum), which is listed as an 
endangered species under Commonwealth 
law and a threatened species under state law. 
There are only two populations left in the wild 
Πthe sites are in Buxton and Yering Πand total 
less than 670 trees.  Seed will be collected from these trees and propagated to increase the population 
in Yering.  The trees have been planted in 
their required habitat close to water, although 
not within close range of Eucalyptus ovata to 
avoid cross pollination and reduction of the 
genotype. Significant plantings were also implemented to assist in the prevention of 
erosion below the first and second walnut 
orchards where the north/south orientated 
rows converge onto the 9th and 23rd holes.  GREEN FUTUREWith such a new facility and the dynamics 
of a new staff who have come from diverse 
backgrounds bringing different experiences 
with them, it was and still is a huge task to 
co-ordinate work programmes and steer them 
toward a more environmentally aware way of 
operating. We are endeavouring to do so by further implementation of the e-par environmental 
management system and continually educating 
and training staff (e.g: spill response training 
which was undertaken by Active Hazard 
Management Australia).We are installing rainwater tanks (150,000 litres) off the maintenance facility to help 
supplying the wash bay for tank filling, washing 
down machinery and flushing toilets. Future 
recycled water plans are also in place to 
decrease our need to draw from the Yarra and we will also look at integrating the propagation 
house into the course™s irrigation system. 
The washdown bay is equipped with a triple 
interceptor system which enables waste water 
to be filtered out through wetlands on course 
after exiting the washdown facility.Other ways we have demonstrated our commitment to the protection of the existing 
natural environment, environmental best 
practice and environmental stewardship 
include: Designated green waste areas where a 
majority of clippings, soil and turf are 
dumped to minimise impact on course 
environment and planted areas; Implementing environmentally beneficial 
methods when working, such as the 
application of Rainsaver crystals and soil 
wetting agents after planting and prior to 
watering, mulching high irrigation areas to 
minimise weed germination; Attempting to control weedy areas when 
they are establishing by means of manual 
removal or, if not efficient, chemical 
application.  Bi-active glyphosate is used 
when in close proximity to wetland areas 
and Basta used on elm suckers, so poison 
is not systemically taken up by established 
trees; High priority to control umbrella sedge 
which has germinated in wetlands from the 
enormous existing seedbank;  Plant out northern boundary to deter 
weed seed from blowing in from adjacent 
paddocks with species that don™t obscure 
views to the Yarra Ranges; Traffic control measures to allow created 
bushland areas to evolve naturally; Continuous removal/controlling of non-
indigenous plant species such as 
blackberry along fencelines with Olinda 
Creek and elm suckers gradually creeping 
further out from Muddy Creek; Gradual rehabilitation of Muddy Creek over 
time, protecting remnants by selectively handweeding and spot spraying and 
eventually increasing numbers with 
enrichment plantings of species suited 
to the environment. Part of this includes 
initiating a waterway strategy for its 
rehabilitation and for it to become an 
integral and healthy feature of the course.  
Remnant flora and fauna include Poa 
ensiformis, Carex appressa and Shield shrimp (Triops australiensis australiensis); Continue to work in conjunction with Yarra 
Ranges Shire in the upkeep of remnants 
remaining outside our perimeter boundary, 
on the median strip adjacent to McIntyre 
Lane, ensuring no drift when spraying to 
keep fenceline tidy; The introduction of newer species to increase biodiversity once weed control 
measures have been successful.  Currently 
grasslands are establishing but it will only 
be when seasonal pasture grasses such 
as Yorkshire Fog Grass (Holcus lanatus) 
and others are controlled, that we can 
introduce the wildflowers and lilies that 
occur in open woodlands, without the 
competition; Initiate contact with local Landcare group 
and Land For Wildlife to monitor/document 
bird species starting to migrate to site and 
apply for Land For Wildlife status. Habitat trees placed in wetlands providing 
perches for birds and cover for frogs.                     Building a new course and opening it not long after the old course closes its doors was 
a huge concept to bring to fruition.  The actual 
construction and grow-in were probably the 
more straight forward stages of the project. 
Soil specification data collection began in 
2004, so it has been a lengthy project with 
much time elapsed before soil was even 
turned over in 2006.  Now in 2009 with 27 holes of golf open and three walnut orchards, it is with great hope that 
the Croydon Golf Club can build on its existing 
legacy and improve and grow along with its 
new course.The design of the site not only encompasses the golf course, but includes large areas not in play which form the new environment. Because of the minimal natural remnants on the site no native vegetation was lost during construction and a substantial amount has been gainedThe use of wetland species to strip nutrients before entering waterways exiting the 
property was integral to improve water quality26     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTRain Bird Australia10 Mareno Rd, Tullamarine, Vic, 3043.   Freecall: 1800 424 044   Freefax: 1800 424 050Contact: Wayne Brown (0419 669 679)    Greg Smith (NSW, QLD 0438 503 070)Dale Sta˜ord (Technical Support 0409 115 000) www.rainbird.com.au   Email: info@rainbird.com.au© 2009 Rain Bird CorporationIntroducing the NEW Rain Bird® ICŽ System, a revolutionary control platform that directly links your rotors to your central control. Our innovative Integrated Control TechnologyŽ uses up to 90% less wire and 50% fewer splices, while eliminating satellite controllers and decoders and saving precious water. It™s also more peace of mind, simpler installation and reduced maintenance. Now that™s The Intelligent Use of Water.ŽSimplifying irrigation to get straight to the point.That™s intelligent.See the future of  golf course irrigation at  
www.rainbird.com/ICSIntegrated Control ModuleThe PulseAt the recent Sustainable Golf workshops conducted by the AGCSA, The R&A™s Director of Golf Course Management Steve Isaac discussed the concept of course benchmarking. In this instalment of The Pulse, ATM wanted to get a feel for what superintendents thought about the concept and whether it would be something that would aid them in improving their course operations.OPINIONfiBenchmarking does appear to have some value and could provide information for clubs 
as a guide, but I think it would be of little value 
to us. We have no recognised benchmarking 
format in place, however, the club is constantly 
assessing its position daily. We have many 
statistics to guide the club in the right 
direction. We also share information between 
neighbouring clubs, motels, restaurants and 
retailers in a similar environment assisting us 
with decision-making via email or phone. As far as the golf course is concerned, the economic climate dictates most of our 
decisions. In recent times our financial turnover 
has been dictated by a strong global financial 
position, then a global meltdown, two stimulus 
packages, the peaks and troughs of local 
farmers, fuel prices and terrorist attacks which 
saw retired couples™ visitations increase rather 
than go overseas. Benchmarking would need 
to be incredibly diverse and detailed to absorb 
all the information that has an impact on 
statistics that affect our club™s statistics alone.fl 
Andrew Abbott, Murray Downs G&CC~~~I signed up to The R&A benchmarking website 
(www.bestcourse.forgolf.org) about 12 months 
ago. There is a fair bit of time involved in 
putting the information into the system and I 
have to admit I haven™t yet found the time to 
complete it. I really believe that if enough clubs 
got involved, especially in your local area, 
then it would be a fantastic management tool. 
Maybe the state associations should assist 
clubs in getting set up on the system, therefore 
providing a valuable database of information 
to local superintendents.fl Robin Doodson, 
Sanctuary Cove G&CC~~~fiWe haven™t seriously gone into benchmarking 
to any degree, but I certainly feel the concept 
has great merit if used in a positive context 
from within. The benefits as I see it are 
the setting of specific goals that are based 
on internal research and site specific quality guidelines that transcend the changes with 
management personnel and, in particular, 
committee personnel. Benchmarking enables 
everyone within the organisation to know and 
understand the requirements of the course, 
helps to simplify training of new staff, provides 
facts to aid with decision-making at all levels, 
which can help to settle any conflict during that 
process, and gives you a knowledge base to 
determine realistic budgeting.I think there are some dangers, however, comparing course against course or 
organisation against organisation, even when 
comparison is kept to climatic zones or similar 
course types. All clubs/courses provide the 
same basic venue to play the game but each 
stands alone with its differences in location, 
member requirements, rounds per year, 
financial position, staffing levels, focus and so 
on. Something as simple as water availability 
and quality might create a huge difference in 
maintenance at two closely situated courses. 
Benchmarking comparisons in this instance 
may have a more negative impact.fl Rob Millington, Vines Golf Club of Reynella~~~fiI use the condition of my own course as a 
yearly benchmark, taking into consideration 
influencing factors such as seasonal conditions, 
yearly budget restraints, etc. The ultimate aim 
is to improve quality when compared with 
previous years and we all know that members 
will soon tell you if something is ‚not as good 
as it was last year™. I do not make comparisons with other courses, even with the clubs we call our 
neighbours, as there are too many variables 
to distort that comparison. Budget, climate, 
staff numbers, soil conditions, etc make it 
impossible to get an accurate comparison 
between clubs. At the end of the day, I think we 
all just try to provide the best possible playing 
surface that all these constraints will allow us.fl 
Rob Christie, Marysville Community Golf 
and Bowls Club 28     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAAGCSAAGCSASERVICEProviding expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance practicesContact AGCSA HR and Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellar 0408 322 397 daryl@agcsa.com.au~~~fiAbsolutely, benchmarking must be carried out, not only for a new facility but on an annual 
basis at least. It not only keeps you up to date 
on the latest standards but can also introduce 
you to new products and management 
techniques, it can change your way of thinking 
or the way you carry out certain tasks, or 
simply change the way you are managing your 
facility. It can stimulate you to improve or give 
satisfaction you are going in the right direction. 
Benchmarking also shows how your facility 
shapes up to the competition.When planning on a benchmarking visit, contact the facility you are visiting well in 
advance. Help them understand who you are, 
what you want to do, who you want to meet 
and the time you will need. Request what you 
can and cannot do Πcan you take photos or 
video for example Πas some facilities have 
very strict policies on such visits. Many people 
are also wary of the competition who want to 
fibenchmarkfl their facility and may generally 
see it as spying, so you need to reassure the 
contact person.Be sure you have a list of questions and know the items you want to see before you go. 
Sometimes it makes sense to go with other 
managers from your facility, but this can be a 
little overwhelming to the visiting club if there 
are too many people. Ask in advance what 
they can manage and request a quiet time 
of the week. If possible, give some token of 
gratification to the manager and the people 
responsible at the visiting facility and invite 
them to your facility.Benchmarking trips should not only be restricted to your local area. Try and incorporate 
interstate or overseas trips, conferences or 
even holidays; it shows your board or client 
your professionalism and may even help pay 
a part of your trip.Your benchmarking trip should always include a full report to your board or client. 
Be sure you know the quality of the facilities you will be visiting, which should be equal or 
superior to your facility or what you are trying 
to achieve.fl Kym Fuller, Jack Nicklaus GC, Korea ~~~fiBroadly speaking I think that benchmarking is 
a very valuable part of golf course management.  
It is very hard to have a clear path for the future 
if you can™t quantify the results of the past.  
At Auckland Golf Club (New Zealand) we 
measure organic matter levels, root depth and 
surface firmness to validate our renovation and 
topdressing programmes.  Detailed records 
are kept of nutrient use, pesticide use, water 
use and energy use in an effort to get year on 
year comparisons (weather adjusted) of the 
success or failure of our practices in relation to 
long-term agronomic goals.  I think that most of this is just the type of good management that shows the club that 
we make every effort to use the resources we 
are given effectively, and then when we want 
more we can provide very clear justification 
for it.  These types of benchmarking have 
certainly helped us determine whether our 
surfaces respond better to coring, verti-
draining, dethatching, topdressing and various 
combinations of these, and have helped us 
dramatically reduce our fertiliser and pesticide 
usage which is great given the sensitivity of our 
surrounding environment. I tend to view benchmarking measures as a set of internal performance review tools and 
am sceptical about cross course or country 
comparisons for a number of reasons.  I think 
that the level of detail needed for meaningful 
comparisons and the weight given to factors 
such as staffing levels, soil profiles, historical 
drainage works, the number of rounds played 
and localised weather conditions make 
interclub comparisons problematic.  As a well-resourced private golf club we have clear advantages in staff levels and other 
resources over most other New Zealand clubs, 
yet our soil profile is atrocious in places and I™m not sure how you can balance opposing 
factors such as those in a way that allows 
for good course comparisons.  However, the 
bottom line for us is that the benchmarking 
tools that we use have allowed us to better 
allocate our resources and improve the golf 
course.fl Brendan Allen, Auckland Golf Club, NZ~~~fiThe concept of benchmarking can be 
extremely beneficial in terms of opening 
and improving  the lines of communication 
between the superintendent, management and 
committee.  It establishes a standard in which all agree, understand and work towards.  I do, however, feel that the benchmarking basis lies primarily with the club™s financial 
position (budget) and should be judged 
accordingly.  Without this clubs may demand 
a higher benchmark but not possess the 
necessary resources (money) to acquire such 
a standard therefore placing unnecessary 
and unfair burden on the superintendent.  Benchmarking on a financial basis at least compares apples with apples and provides the 
incentive and kudos for superintendents that 
are achieving above average results for the 
resources provided. Peter Jans, Sandhurst 
Club and Sanctuary Lakes~~~fiWhen I was at trade school I always saw it as 
they were teaching us the basic skills required 
to be a part of the industry. From there it was 
our own personal passion, talent and ability 
to succeed which would progress our careers 
over the journey.  As I sit here watching the 
President™s Cup, I wonder ‚Can we do such 
a thing like compare and set a standard for 
our course!™ The answer is of course yes, but 
by someone else™s standards and how they 
run their course, no! This is not even taking 
into consideration weather conditions and 
budgets. To be honest I don™t believe in benchmarking. Why? Because it would give AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   29AGCSAProviding expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance practicesOPINIONme less satisfaction in getting up and doing what I do every day. For me it™s about pride 
and passion. I am a young superintendent in 
this industry because it is something I have 
dreamed of since I was a young tacker. I have 
learnt from some of the best in the business 
and travelled to some of the best courses in 
the world. Through that I have seen many 
different operational skills used. For me it is more about being an individual and to do that you need to set yourself goals, 
be creative and stand up and be different. In 
these tough economic times it is the perfect 
chance to do that, especially as clubs tighten 
up their budgets but still look to have premium 
quality turf surfaces for members and guests.It is possible to benchmark yourself against a neighbouring club, but against an 
international club would be impossible. When 
I think of benchmarking I think of how I can 
just go one better and not be the same. In an 
industry that has very limited opportunities, 
why when you get one opportunity would you 
want to be the same as the guy next to you?fl 
Nathan Bradbery, The Links Shell Cove~~~fiAt present I do not have a course benchmarking 
or evaluation system in place, however, I have 
long thought that this would be a very useful 
programme to undertake.  I have seen a few 
clubs in the region implement benchmarking 
or regular evaluation and it seems to work 
well, limiting the misunderstandings about why 
some things are the way they are at certain 
times of the year.  I noticed at these clubs 
that the key lies in involving your committee 
and/or general manager to ensure all parties 
are on the same page and understand how 
the system works and what its intended 
application is.To me it seems that that this could be done on a monthly or even quarterly basis, with a 
course tour.  Whether it is done as individuals 
or as a group I am not sure which would 
work best, but as the system is implemented 
I am sure bugs could be ironed out taking into consideration the needs of all the parties 
involved.  As would the structure of such an 
evaluation, starting off small and then adding 
to the template as time and need arises Πno 
need to over promise and under deliver, just 
let evolution take over!  It could also be the 
case that outside, independent evaluation be 
conducted based on the agreed schedule. Appropriately, the first stages of such a system would likely hinge upon the all 
important annual budget and how much a 
club has or wants to spend.  Once you and 
the committee/members know that, you could 
then go about agreeing on the value each 
area of the golf course would have and its 
priority.  I think this would be the single most 
important part in developing a system to be 
used to not only validate the work of yourself 
and your team but to also help justify the need 
for projects, the reduction in a particular task 
being done, the need to increase attention in 
areas of concern and, to some degree, the 
need for equipment purchases. Obviously 
the committee is going to have its own needs 
based on where it would like to position itself 
and these need to be considered.  An additional tool that could be useful in conjunction with the benchmarking/evaluation 
process is that of recording the hours spent on 
each job per day/week/month/year.  This will 
show you (and others that may be unaware) 
where you are using most of your man 
power and help guide you through the tough 
decisions involved with cutting back on tasks 
or reducing the frequency that the task is being 
done.  I currently do keep records of hours spent on jobs on a daily basis and it is interesting to 
see where the bulk of work is being carried out 
each month.  If you have this information you 
can compare it to the number of rounds you 
receive and this can help in being economical 
with your scheduling of tasks, particularly if 
you put it against each day.  By doing this you 
can then assess whether you need to do some 
tasks each day Πif there are only a handful of golfers on Mondays, is it really necessary to 
rake all the bunkers every Monday or cut the 
greens?All in all benchmarking is beneficial and can help provide direction that is sometimes 
lacking for whatever reason.  It would give you 
goals that should be agreed upon by yourself 
and your management and realistically 
achievable, and helps focus on areas that 
are key to the entire club, not just your own 
ideas. It also ensures you don™t forget about 
the important and current key issues such 
as environmental management and water 
management and highlights strengths and 
weaknesses within your operation that you 
can then plan to improve and work on for the 
betterment of the club and your own career.fl 
Nigel Taylor, The Empire Hotel & Country 
Club , Brunei~~~fiI am not that comfortable with the concept 
of benchmarking from a course maintenance 
and presentation point of view. I do agree that 
some areas of a club™s business can be fairly 
assessed and benchmarked. Working with 
nature has too many variables and it is not 
conducive to good plant health to say that you 
will hold a set standard or that benchmark all 
the time. Our professionalism as a practitioner 
will drive us to achieve the best possible 
standard regularly. I don™t think it™s healthy to have a piece of paper waved in front of a superintendent 
saying fithere™s the benchmark you need to 
achievefl, especially if he doesn™t have the 
budget or resources at hand. Benchmarking is 
a tool that if not used well or in the means that 
is intended then it could be dangerous. I feel 
our courses are benchmarked constantly now, 
with pennant season, guest days, VGA and 
WGV events and the like.fl Adam Robertson, 
The Kew Golf Club. Have your say on turf issues! Send a letter to the editor - brett@agcsa.com.au or fax (03) 9548 862230     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAPick up this great book, now on special, through the AGCSA Bookshop 03 9548 8600Turfgrassproblems?AGCSA New HEADWAY MAXX works faster, harder and smarter than any other fungicide. Be the ˜rst to experience  HEADWAY MAXX, call your Syngenta agent or contact the Syngenta Technical Product Advice Line on:  Freecall 1800 067 108 or visit www.greencast.com.auNew HEADWAY MAXX.*   The only fungicide that controls and prevents all major turf diseases ƒ in one.A first for turf*Product is not yet registered. An application is currently lodged with the APVMA. ƒPythium, Dollar Spot, Winter Fusarium, Brown Patch.®Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. ABN 33 002 933 717. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company.   Syngenta Crop Protection Pty Limited, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. AD09/195. RENARD SYN6242SYN6242 headwayMaxx ATM.indd   17/10/09   11:18:20 AMAGCSATECH UPDATEAutumn 2009 saw the AGCSA embark on a new three-year research project to evaluate a number of new bentgrass cultivars which have recently hit the market. The aim of the project is to assess their management and performance under Australian conditions and in this instalment of AGCSATech Update senior agronomist Andrew Peart examines the initial establishment results across the three trial sites. In Volume 11.3 (May-June 2009) of Australian Turfgrass Management, the Australian 
Golf Course Superintendents Association (AGCSA) outlined details of a new bentgrass 
variety trial to be conducted at three sites 
around the country.Since its inception, the AGCSA™s technical division AGCSATech has been involved in a 
number of turfgrass cultivar trials, and between 
2000 and 2005 undertook an extensive project 
evaluating a range of bentgrass cultivars that 
were then available on the market. Since the 
completion of that project, the results of which 
can be viewed in full through the AGCSA 
website, several new bentgrass cultivars have 
been bred and some of these are now being 
utilised on golf courses around Australia. As part of its research activities, the AGCSA has established a new bentgrass 
trial in Victoria, NSW and South Australia to 
objectively assess the growth and performance 
characteristics of these new grasses under 
local conditions. The project is jointly funded 
by AGCSATech and Horticulture Australia Ltd 
(TU08002) and over the next three years will 
evaluate the performance and maintenance 
requirements of the new strains compared to 
the established industry standards. Working with the Australian Seed Federation (lawn and turf seed group), the 
AGCSA contacted a number of seed companies 
and gave them the opportunity to submit 
cultivars for the trial. The companies involved 
and varieties submitted were: Advanced Seed 
(varieties Tyee, 007, Dominant Xtreme, SR1150 and SRP1RH93); Simplot (T-1); Heritage (Penn 
G2, Authority and Penn A1); DLF Seeds (Cobra 
2 and CY 2); Seed Force (Shark); and PGG 
Wrightson (Declaration, Mackenzie, SRP1GMC 
and Mariner). A vegetative selection, called 
AGCSA1, has also been included as part of 
the trial.Over a two week period in April the three trial sites were established. Keysborough 
Golf Club (Melbourne) was sown on 9 April, 
Cromer Golf Club (Sydney) 15 April and Royal 
Adelaide Golf Club (Adelaide) 17 April. The 
seeding rate for the trial was based on 5 grams 
per square metre for the seeded varieties, 
while the AGCSA1 vegetative selection was 
planted at a rate equivalent to 0.28m3/100m2. The seeding rate for each variety was adjusted following results of a germination 
test conducted by Assure Quality (generally 
between 85 per cent and 98 per cent) as well 
as their seed count due to some varieties 
being coated, namely Penn A1, Penn G2, 007, 
Tyee and Mackenzie.Plot layout across the three sites is generally a replicated block design with the 
exception of Cromer Golf Club which is a 
completely randomised design due to the size of the trial area. Plot sizes range from 
3.5mx1.0m at Keysborough Golf Club to 
3.0mx1.5m at Royal Adelaide Golf Club. At Royal Adelaide there are two varieties not included at either of the other two trial 
sites. One of these is Mariner, which has been 
renowned for its tolerance of higher salinity 
water, while the other is an RAGC blend which 
consists of Seaside, Highland, Penn G2 and 
Penncross bentgrasses.RESULTSEstablishment data was collected over winter 
and early spring at each site with initial 
germination rate (0-5 scale), initial turfgrass 
vigour (0-5 scale) and per cent cover (%) 
measured. INITIAL GERMINATIONAt Cromer Golf Club there was a significant 
difference observed in initial germination at 
nine days after sowing (DAS). Authority showed 
the most seedling germination after nine days 
than any other variety with the exception of 
Penn G2, Penn A1 and SRP1GMC. At nine 
days after sowing 007 had the least amount of 
seedlings to germinate, however, this was not 
significantly less than another nine varieties.At the Keysborough Golf Club and Royal Adelaide Golf Club trial sites there was no 
significant difference between any of the 
varieties for seedling germination over the Establishment results emerge from bentgrass trialsEstablishment results emerge from bentgrass trialsCromer Golf Club in Sydney is one of three sites where the AGCSA has established a new three-year bentgrass variety trial. The Cromer plots are 
pictured at 23 days after sowingThe Keysborough Golf Club plots at 70 days after sowing32     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATABLE 3. GERMINATION (0-5) ROYAL ADELAIDE GCVariety 8 DAS 14 DAS 21 DAS007 0.7 3.0 4.3Penn A1 1.7 3.5 4.8Authority 1.3 3.7 5.0CY 2 1.7 4.0 5.0Cobra 2 1.7 4.2 5.0Declaration 1.3 3.7 4.8Dominant Xtreme 1.7 3.7 4.8Penn G2 1.7 3.7 4.8RAGC Blend 0.7 3.8 4.8MacKenzie 1.5 3.5 4.8Mariner 2.3 4.0 5.0Shark 0.5 3.2 4.8SR1150 1.0 3.0 4.7SRP1GMC 1.7 3.8 5.0SRP1RH93 1.5 3.8 4.8T-1 1.7 3.2 4.7Tyee 1.7 3.8 5.0LSD (P<0.05) ns ns nsTABLE 4. INITIAL VIGOUR (0-5) KEYSBOROUGH GCVariety 14 DAS 19 DAS 31 DAS007 2.0 1.2 3.0Penn A1 2.7 2.0 4.0Authority 3.3 2.0 4.3CY 2 3.3 2.0 3.3Cobra 2 3.0 2.0 3.7Declaration 3.7 1.7 4.0Dominant Xtreme 2.3 2.0 4.0Penn G2 2.7 2.3 4.3Mackenzie 3.3 2.7 4.0Shark 3.0 2.3 4.3SR1150 2.7 1.7 4.7SRP1GMC 3.0 1.7 4.3SRP1RH93 3.0 1.3 4.0T-1 2.3 1.3 3.0Tyee 3.3 2.0 4.0LSD (P<0.05) ns ns nsTABLE 5. INITIAL VIGOUR (0-5) CROMER GCVariety 15 DASAuthority 3.8Penn G2 3.5Penn A1 3.3Tyee 2.6SRP1GMC 2.4Cobra 2 2.4MacKenzie 2.3
CY 2 2.3SR1150 2.2SRP1RH93 2.2Declaration 2.2T-1 1.9
Dominant Xtreme 1.8Shark 1.7
007 1.5LSD (P<0.05) 0.7TABLE 6. INITIAL VIGOUR (0-5) ROYAL ADELAIDE GCVariety 14 DAS 21 DASPenn G2 2.8 4.2Mariner 3.0 4.2SRP1RH93 2.7 4.0Penn A1 2.7 4.0Tyee 2.3 3.8SRP1GMC 2.7 3.8Cobra 2 2.8 3.8Authority 2.3 3.8CY2 2.5 3.5MacKenzie 2.0 3.3Dominant Xtreme 2.2 3.3SR1150 1.7 3.2Shark 1.7 3.2RAGC Blend 1.7 3.2T-1 2.2 3.0Declaration 2.2 2.8007 1.0 2.0LSD (P<0.05) 1.0 0.9three assessment dates. Germination results 
for each location can be viewed in Tables 1-3.INITIAL VIGOURAt Cromer Golf Club there was a significant 
difference observed in initial vigour at nine 
days after sowing. Authority had the quickest 
vigour after this time than all other varieties with 
the exception of Penn G2 and Penn A1. At nine 
days after sowing 007 had the least amount 
of initial vigour, however, like the germination 
results above this was not significantly less 
than another six varieties.At Royal Adelaide Golf Club there was a significant difference observed in initial 
vigour at 14 days after sowing. Mariner was 
significantly more vigorous after 14 days than 
007, SR1150, Shark and the RAGC blend but 
was not significantly more vigorous than any 
of the other varieties. At 21 days after sowing 
Mariner and Penn G2 were significantly more 
vigorous than 007, Declaration, T-1, SR1150, 
Shark and the RAGC blend, but was not 
significantly more vigorous than any of the 
other varieties. At Keysborough Golf Club there was no significant difference between any of 
the varieties for initial vigour over the three 
assessment dates. Initial vigour results for 
each location can be viewed in Tables 4-6.PERCENTAGE COVERAt Cromer Golf Club there has been no 
significant difference in turf cover between 
any of the seeded bentgrass varieties or the 
vegetatively planted bentgrass apart from the 
initial assessment at 21 days after sowing. At 
that stage the vegetative planted variety had 
significantly more cover than all other varieties, 
however, since then the seeded varieties have 
not had significantly less cover.The percentage cover at Keysborough has illustrated that the vegetative variety has 
had significantly less coverage than all of the 
seeded bentgrass varieties since 82 days after 
seeding with the exception of one assessment 
date (119 DAS) when it did not have a 
significantly less turfgrass coverage than T-1. 
T-1 has produced the least amount of coverage 
compared to the other seeded varieties since 
the first assessment date and was significantly 
less at 108 and 119 DAS.  At Royal Adelaide there has been no significant difference in turf cover between 
any of the seeded bentgrass varieties or the 
vegetatively planted bentgrass. However, the 
overall maturity of the plots at Royal Adelaide 
in terms of a percentage cover has been 
slower than at either Cromer or Keysborough. 
Percentage cover results for Keysborough and 
Cromer can be viewed in Tables 7-8.TABLE 1. GERMINATION (0-5) KEYSBOROUGH GCVariety 7 DAS 11 DAS 14 DAS007 1.3 3.7 3.7Penn A1 1.3 3.7 3.7Authority 1.3 4.0 4.0CY 2 1.0 3.7 3.7Cobra 2 1.7 4.0 4.0Declaration 2.0 4.3 4.7Dominant Xtreme 2.0 3.3 3.7Penn G2 1.7 4.3 4.0Mackenzie 3.0 4.7 4.7Shark 1.7 4.3 4.3SR1150 1.3 4.0 4.0SRP1GMC 3.0 4.3 4.3SRP1RH93 1.7 4.0 4.0T-1 1.7 3.7 3.7Tyee 2.0 4.3 4.3LSD (P<0.05) ns ns nsTABLE 2. GERMINATION (0-5) CROMER GCVariety 6 DAS 9 DASAuthority 1.9 3.3Penn G2 2.3 3.0Penn A1 1.5 2.8SRP1GMC 2.1 2.4Cobra 2 2.0 2.3Declaration 1.5 2.1Tyee 1.2 2.0SRP1RH93 1.3 2.0CY 2 1.4 2.0T-1 1.5 1.9MacKenzie 1.6 1.8SR1150 1.3 1.8Dominant Xtreme 1.2 1.6Shark 0.9 1.5007 0.8 1.3LSD (P<0.05) ns 0.9AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   33AGCSAAGCSATECH UPDATETABLE 10. DISEASE INCIDENCE (% AFFECTED) CROMER GCVariety 25 DASPenn G2 60Authority 56Declaration 55CY 2 53Cobra 2 50MacKenzie 47Tyee 46Shark 43SRP1RH93 43T-1 41
SRP1GMC 41Dominant Xtreme 36Penn A1 33SR1150 31007 27AGCSA 1 4LSD (P<0.05) 25TABLE 9. DISEASE INCIDENCE (% AFFECTED) KEYSBOROUGH GCVariety 32 DAS007 6.7Penn A1 5.0Authority 0.0CY 2 6.7Cobra 2 5.0Declaration 5.0Dominant Xtreme 0.0Penn G2 0.0Mackenzie 3.3Shark 3.3
SR1150 5.0SRP1GMC 3.3
SRP1RH93 0.0T-1 13.3
Tyee 3.3LSD (P<0.05) nsDISEASE INCIDENCEIncidence of damping off disease (Pythium 
spp.) was recorded at both Cromer and 
Keysborough around one month after sowing. 
At Cromer the seeded varieties in general had 
more incidence of disease than the vegetatively 
planted bentgrass with all varieties, with the 
exception of 007, having a significantly greater 
area affected. At Keysborough the percentage area affected was not nearly as great and there was 
no significant difference between any of the 
seeded varieties (see Tables 9-10).FUTURE ASSESSMENTSNow that a full coverage has been achieved, 
the trial sites will continue to be assessed on 
a regular basis for the following parameters; Turf quality (bi-monthly); Turf density (bi-monthly); Turf colour (bi-monthly);  Incidence of disease and pests (as they 
occur);  Thatch depth (four times per year);  Wear tolerance (four times a year, Vic site 
only);  Spiking tolerance (four times a year, Vic 
site only);  Green speed using a modified stimpmeter 
(four times per year); and  Surface hardness (four times per year).Regular updates on these assessments will be provided in future editions of Australian 
Turfgrass Management and field days are also 
planned at the three trial sites.  VICTORIA AND OFF-LABEL USE OF PESTICIDES At the Hobart conference the issue of off-
label use of pesticides in Victoria was again raised and it is fair to say that it still causes 
consternation among turf managers and 
chemical suppliers. It is worth reviewing what 
are the general principles governing the use of 
off-label pesticides in Victoria.In Victoria, pesticide laws allow the use of a pesticide for any purpose, whether that use 
is registered or not, so long as: The pesticide is registered for at least one 
use (e.g., a crop) in Victoria; The pesticide is not one of about 25 
prescribed restricted pesticides, or is a 
Schedule 7 poison; The intended use is not specifically 
prohibited in Victoria, or if it is at a greater 
rate, or shorter interval between uses; and The intended use does not lead to a 
residue which exceeds the MRL for that 
crop. This regulatory regime allows a great deal TABLE 7. % COVER KEYSBOROUGH GCVariety 19 DAS 40 DAS 60 DAS 82 DAS 108 DAS 119 DAS 131 DASDeclaration 47 82 83 88 95 97 99SRP1GMC 40 80 88 87 93 95 98Shark 40 77 87 87 93 95 98CY 2 38 73 80 87 93 95 98Penn G2 38 80 82 87 93 95 98Mackenzie 43 78 82 85 91 93 98Authority 42 85 83 87 93 93 98SRP1RH93 32 77 82 85 90 93 97Cobra 2 43 77 82 82 92 87 97Tyee 33 75 82 82 89 93 96SR1150 32 80 83 82 90 92 96Penn A1 37 75 78 83 90 92 96Dominant Xtreme 33 80 77 82 91 92 96007 25 73 78 82 89 88 95T-1 22 67 73 80 87 83 94AGCSA 1 - - 72 65 75 75 85LSD (P<0.05) ns ns ns 8 6 10 5TABLE 8. % COVER CROMER GCVariety 21 DAS 36 DAS 53 DAS 70 DAS 84 DAS 98 DAS 126 DASAuthority 73 75 78 81 82 88 97AGCSA 1 72 78 83 77 84 86 96Penn A1 56 75 80 81 83 90 99Penn G2 40 67 73 74 75 83 99Cobra 2 38 63 71 73 71 78 97CY 2 35 63 72 73 76 81 96Tyee 34 65 73 73 79 86 99MacKenzie 33 62 73 75 78 85 99SRP1GMC 33 66 75 80 79 88 99Shark 28 58 72 72 77 85 98Dominant Xtreme 28 53 63 67 68 77 96SRP1RH93 27 59 71 73 76 81 96SR1150 25 58 67 72 72 77 97T-1 24 53 63 68 68 74 95007 24 58 68 74 74 87 98Declaration 22 57 68 73 77 84 99LSD (P<0.05) 17 ns ns ns ns ns ns34     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAof freedom to the pesticide user in Victoria in that he/she does not have to apply for a permit 
to use a pesticide for most off-label uses, as 
the regulations render a permit unnecessary. 
So what are the responsibilities of the user?This places the responsibility for minimising 
public health and environmental risk 
squarely on the shoulders of the user, who 
is probably the least informed and least 
able to make a value judgment on the 
relative risk he/she is undertaking;Risk assessments Πbecause of off-label 
use, a risk assessment must be made. 
It must be both a safety/health and an 
environmental risk assessment. In Victoria the pesticide user (is it the sprayer, 
the super who told him to spray or the 
employer?) is responsible to do so before 
any proposed off-label use;Any person who chooses to use these 
chemicals in an off-label manner does so 
accepting total responsibility for efficacy 
(whether the chemical achieves the desired 
result or not), residues in the environment 
and OH&S issues;Re-entry Πif the product is used off-label 
and has re-entry holding periods they 
must be enforced to keep staff, the public 
and golfers out until the re-entry time has 
elapsed. While registered products may also have re-entry periods, the off-label use 
requires a higher degree of diligence to 
enforce this requirement. This may require 
signage saying fioff-label chemical product 
in usefl. This is not a legal requirement, but 
if there is an event the superintendent will 
have to demonstrate he/she did everything 
reasonable to keep people from re-entering 
the site, and that includes staff.This approach has the effect of minimising the potential liability to the state government 
of any adverse outcomes arising from the use 
of pesticides. The responsibility is entirely with 
you and the club. It is important to note that registered turf chemicals have passed a rigorous testing 
programme that ensures the products are fit 
for use and that manufacturers of registered 
chemical products are providing a warranty 
when their products are used according to the 
label instructions. Registered turf chemical products are priced to include the cost of all the testing and At the Royal Adelaide Golf Club trial site (pictured here at 14 days after sowing), there are varieties not included at either of the other two trial sites ΠMariner and an RAGC 
blend consisting of Seaside, Highland, Penn G2 and Penncross bentgrassesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   35AGCSAESD Bioremediation...at it™s bestInstalled at over 800 facilities including Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass, The Ritz Carlton, Isleworth Country Club, Wimbledon Tennis Club, 
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been released in Australia.ESD Waste2Water is the world™s major supplier of golf course bioremediation washdown systems 
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that provides assurance of quality and efficacy. SOIL TESTINGSoil testing is a routine activity undertaken in 
the management of most turf areas, whether it 
is a golf course, sportsfield, racetrack or other 
sports turf surface. Whether it is soil physical 
testing for a construction project or routine 
nutrient testing, both play an important role in 
establishing and maintaining high quality turf 
surfaces.The fundamentals of soil testing are well documented, however, with a multitude of 
testing laboratories, different methodologies 
and data interpretation there is an increased 
opportunity for confusion and misuse of the 
data. One of these areas of confusion has 
been in the selection and testing of sands and 
organic amendments for the construction of 
golf greens.The selection and testing of soils used in the construction of turf areas is a critical 
factor in ensuring that the surface meets the 
requirements for the particular application. 
Good drainage, a high degree of aeration and 
adequate moisture retention are typical factors 
that determine the suitability of a soil as a 
rootzone material.Sands used for the construction of golf greens need to meet a very specific set of 
criteria and these have been well documented 
by the USGA Greens Section. Problems 
often arise where only some of the key 
selection parameters (other than particle size 
distribution) are tested. All sands for greens 
construction must be tested for the following 
physical criteria;     The test criteria that appears to be most neglected is the determination of the 
volumetric water content (VWC) which is a 
measure of how much water the soil profile 
will hold at or near field capacity. In the first 
instance it is important to determine whether 
the particular sand has adequate moisture 
retention, whether it holds too much water and 
if the moisture content is too low how much 
amendment is required.In recent experience, sands holding too much moisture has been an issue and it 
particularly relates to the addition of organic 
amendments. If the VWC is low and an organic 
amendment has to be added to raise the VWC, it is essential that the organic matter 
and sand mix is tested at various ratios before 
determining the rate of amendment. The two most commonly used organic amendments are peat moss and coco-fibre. 
It is important that any organic matter has a 
minimum of 85 per cent by weight organic 
matter based on a loss on ignition test. It is 
important to remember that what is required 
is the organic matter and not the extraneous 
matter (i.e. fine soil particles) that can come 
with it. There are ‚dirty™ peats where there is a 
high proportion of silt and clay particles, which 
if added to a sand can result in an excessively 
high VWC. Where other amendments may be added to increase moisture retention it is essential 
that the characteristics of the amendments 
are well known and that the sand/amendment 
mix is at the very least tested for VWC and 
saturated hydraulic conductivity. It is not good 
enough just to check the effect on the drainage 
rate of the mix.Determining the moisture release curve of sands and sand/organic mixtures are some 
times undertaken as a double check against 
the sand and organic matter mix. This is 
particularly useful where the characteristics 
of the amendment are not well known. The 
addition of fine particles can dramatically 
increase the capillary fringe where the perched 
water table can extend well into the rootzone, 
the result being a wetter and poorly aerated 
profile.Testing of soils used in construction and interpretation of the data is a critical step in 
the construction of any turf profile. The basic 
criteria for rootzone mixes are well known and 
should always be followed. The use of any new sand sources or amendments must be thoroughly tested before use and then check 
tested during construction.         COURSE STANDARDS During the recent Sustainable Golf seminars 
given by Steven Isaac and Daryl Sellar, it was 
often repeated that many of the confusions 
and conflicts that occur around golf clubs 
relating to course preparation relate to the club 
having no course standards policy document. This issue was again recently raised in relation to the maintenance of bunkers 
and what to do with the rakes! The ensuing 
discussions came up with a multitude of ‚solutions™ and again reinforced the fact that 
there is no one answer and that every golf 
course/club can have different philosophies 
that work for them.  It is unfortunate that too few clubs have a course standards policy document and tend 
to make statements such as fiWe want firmer 
and faster greensfl or fiThe course needs to 
be the best presented in the districtfl. These 
may be admirable sentiments and ambitions 
but are they achievable within the limitations of 
the site and the available resources? There is 
little to be gained from arguing at a committee 
meeting without being armed with the facts. 
The onus is going to be on the superintendent 
initially to define a standard and then detail 
the resources that are required to meet that 
standard. Understanding what that standard may be can be a challenge to define, however, it 
may be as simple as observing the golf course 
and picking a point in time when you believe 
that it is representative of what is achievable 
most weeks of the year. This standard should 
allow for room for improvement where with 
additional inputs the standard can be lifted for 
special events. For that selected standard, manpower and equipment requirements to undertake each 
particular task must be defined and costed and 
then presented to management. At that point, 
reasonable decisions can be made based on 
facts. The high cost and labour input areas of 
maintenance need to be highlighted in this 
process.When it comes to deciding on a particular requirement for the golf course, such as what 
to do with the bunker rakes, this should be 
decided by the club and then documented 
in the course preparation document. This 
then tells the members what the procedure 
is and gives a clear direction for the ground 
staff to follow. If nothing else it provides a 
reference point where people can be referred 
to rather than getting involved in circular and 
unresolved discussions. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe AGCSA wishes to thank the three golf 
clubs and their superintendents for being part 
of the bentgrass variety trial research project 
ΠBrett Chivers (Keysborough Golf Club), 
Mark Couchman (Cromer Golf Club) and Jeff 
Kaines (Royal Adelaide Golf Club). For more 
information about the project contact Andrew 
Peart at the AGCSA on (03) 9548 8600.Thanks to Terry Muir (e-par) for providing information for this article. Decisions on the 
off-label use of pesticides should not be based 
on this article and reference must always be 
made to the relevant legislation. AGCSATECH UPDATEPhysical properties Preferred rangeTotal Porosity (%) (at 30cm tension) 35 Œ 55Volumetric Water (%) (at 30cm tension) 15 Œ 25Aeration Porosity (%) (at 30cm tension) 15 Œ 30Hydraulic conductivity on a compacted sample (mm/hr)  > 15036     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSA·   Engine 18hp Petrol or 19hp Kubota® Liquid-Cooled Diesel·   11-blade 5fl reels with front roller and catchers·   Power Steering·   Walk-through operator station allows access from either side·   Onboard backlapping
·   Free-˜oating, steerable cutting heads move independently of the tractor·   Attachments: vertical mowers, power brushes, Turf Groomer®GKIV PLUS-PETROL  $24,990*ex gst  $27,489 inc gstStandard 11-blade machine complete with catchersGKIV PLUS-DIESEL $29,990*ex gst  $32,989 inc gstStandard 11-blade machine complete with catchersTRI-KING 1900This triplex greens mower™s simple design makes it easy to maintain and provides a superior quality-of-cut.GREENS KING IV PLUS0% FINANCE*on all new  machinery$29,990*ex gst $32,989 inc gst JACOBSEN TRI-KING 1900DStandard 7-blade machine, excludes ROPS as shown in picture ·   19hp Kubota® Liquid-Cooled Engine·   26fl Cutting head complete with 7-blade reel·   Power Steering·   Onboard backlapping
·   Two Hydraulic System Filters·   20 x 10-10 Multi-Trac Traction Tyres·   Automatic 3WDLF3800 - 4WD$59,990*ex gst        $65,989 inc gst LF3800 - 2WD$54,995*ex gst        $60,495 inc gst   ·   Kubota Liquid-Cooled Diesel Engine·   Servo-Controlled Hydrostatic Transmission·   Power Steering·   Onboard backlapping
·   22fl Cutting head complete with 11-blade reel·   Joystick Lift and Lower Control·   2wd or 4wd with Heavy-Duty Traction CircuitThe LF-3800 is the premier fairway mower on the market, offering superior quality of cut.LF3800 This tees and surrounds mower offers Superb manoeuvrability, great hill-side traction - always leaves a pristine ˜nish.www.powerturf.com.au     free call 1800 720 776Prices valid until 30 December 2009, or while stocks last. Conditions apply. Prices exclude freight and predelivery charges.  The government investment allowance of up to 50% is available until 30 December 2009. Please contact your financial or taxation adviser for eligible criteria. ·   Engine 18hp Petrol or 19hp Kubota® Liquid-Cooled Diesel·   11-blade 5fl reels with front roller and catchers·   Power Steering·   Walk-through operator station allows access from either side·   Onboard backlapping
·   Free-˜oating, steerable cutting heads move independently of the tractor·   Attachments: vertical mowers, power brushes, Turf Groomer®GKIV PLUS-PETROL  $24,990*ex gst  $27,489 inc gstStandard 11-blade machine complete with catchersGKIV PLUS-DIESEL $29,990*ex gst  $32,989 inc gstStandard 11-blade machine complete with catchersTRI-KING 1900This triplex greens mower™s simple design makes it easy to maintain and provides a superior quality-of-cut.GREENS KING IV PLUS0% FINANCE*on all new  machinery$29,990*ex gst $32,989 inc gst JACOBSEN TRI-KING 1900DStandard 7-blade machine, excludes ROPS as shown in picture ·   19hp Kubota® Liquid-Cooled Engine·   26fl Cutting head complete with 7-blade reel·   Power Steering·   Onboard backlapping
·   Two Hydraulic System Filters·   20 x 10-10 Multi-Trac Traction Tyres·   Automatic 3WDLF3800 - 4WD$59,990*ex gst        $65,989 inc gst LF3800 - 2WD$54,995*ex gst        $60,495 inc gst   ·   Kubota Liquid-Cooled Diesel Engine·   Servo-Controlled Hydrostatic Transmission·   Power Steering·   Onboard backlapping
·   22fl Cutting head complete with 11-blade reel·   Joystick Lift and Lower Control·   2wd or 4wd with Heavy-Duty Traction CircuitThe LF-3800 is the premier fairway mower on the market, offering superior quality of cut.LF3800 This tees and surrounds mower offers Superb manoeuvrability, great hill-side traction - always leaves a pristine ˜nish.www.powerturf.com.au     free call 1800 720 776Prices valid until 30 December 2009, or while stocks last. Conditions apply. Prices exclude freight and predelivery charges.  The government investment allowance of up to 50% is available until 30 December 2009. Please contact your financial or taxation adviser for eligible criteria. TECHTALKIn the last instalment of Tech Talk, AGCSATech agronomist John Geary examined the role of turf root systems. In this edition he looks at the range of environmental and cultural factors that can have a significant impact on the health of root systems.Understanding the dynamics of a healthy turfgrass root system is vital in the 
establishment and production of high quality sports turf. In the previous issue of ATM 
(Volume 11.5, pg 36-37), Tech Talk outlined 
that two of the major functions of a turf 
root system are water absorption and nutrient 
uptake. To maintain adequate water and 
nutrient absorption it is important to maximise 
rooting depth by encouraging roots to draw 
water and nutrients from as much of the soil 
profile as possible. So how can turf managers promote increased root depth? Well, there is a range 
of environmental and cultural factors (Table 
1) they can manipulate which influence the 
overall health and depth of root growth. In 
isolation, these factors may have little influence, 
however, when combined they can have a 
dramatic impact, both positive and negative. PLANT SPECIESDifferent turf species have different potentials 
for root depth and root:shoot ratios. This 
genetic characteristic is most evident when 
comparing annual plants with perennial plants. 
The survival of annual plants is dependent on 
the species successfully producing enough 
seed to carry over from one year to the next. 
As a result, the root systems of annual plants 
are shallow with nutrients and carbohydrates 
prioritised towards seed production. On the other hand, perennial plants invest in deep and extensive root systems as it 
improves the survival prospects of the plant. 
The take-home message here is to select the 
grass species/variety that is best suited to your 
needs and environmental conditions. PROFILE MOISTUREProbably the most important role turf roots 
perform is water absorption. If you were to 
observe a soil profile over several weeks, 
whereby one half of the profile received double 
the volume of water, you would see a changing 
pattern of root growth and density through the 
profile with roots growing in the moist profile 
proliferating, while roots in the drier zone 
would be reduced.In effect, roots will ‚chase™ water deep into the profile if allowed. Infrequent deep watering 
which promotes deeper root depth should be 
adopted while the management of excessive 
thatch is also vital in promoting deeper 
rooting. Excessive thatch causes an increased 
percentage of roots to be concentrated in the 
upper root zone, limiting the area from which 
water uptake occurs. PLANT HORMONESThe interaction of hormones controls the way a 
plant divides up its carbohydrates and nutrient resources, particularly between roots and 
shoots. In effect, a priority system is adopted 
whereby each part of the plant is given a 
priority.  Seedhead production is always given 
the highest followed by the youngest leaf 
shoot, the second youngest leaf shoot and so 
on. Root tips and those roots locating water 
successfully have middle priority.When the plant is under stress or lacking in resources (water and nutrients) this priority 
system means the root system will only receive 
carbohydrates and nutrients after areas of 
higher priority such as seedheads and leaf 
shoots are satisfied.TEMPERATUREWhile there is little the turf manager can do to 
influence the temperature of soil, it is helpful 
to regularly monitor soil temperature. Use soil 
temperature readings to gauge what part of the 
life cycle the root system is experiencing. SOIL PHSoil tests should be conducted every one 
to three years to check soil pH trends. Turf 
managers should be aware that each turf 
species has an optimum soil pH and maintain 
that pH accordingly. Root growth and function 
is severely restricted at soil pH levels below 5.6 
and above 7.4.COMPACTIONSoil compaction can be caused by a number of 
factors, resulting in the closure of non capillary 
pore spaces within the soil profile. Given that 
these larger pore spaces are the conduits for 
root growth and air and water movement into, 
through and out of the soil, it is important to 
alleviate any compaction via soil cultivation 
methods such as coring, verti-draining, slicing 
and backfilling/topdressing with a coarse, free-
draining sand.Environmental FactorsPlant species WaterloggingProfile moisture Lack of OxygenPlant hormones ToxicitiesTemperature Pests and diseaseSoil pH Saline and sodic soilsCompaction Microbial environmentCultural PracticesMowing height Nutrients - fertiliser practicesThatch accumulation TABLE 1. FACTORS INFLUENCING ROOT GROWTHMaximising root healthMaximising root healthThere are a range of environmental and cultural factors that turf managers can manipulate which influences the overall health and depth of turfgrass root growth 38     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAWATERLOGGINGWaterlogging is a condition where the soil porosity is saturated with water leading to the 
elimination of adequate oxygen for root growth 
and general turfgrass health (i.e.: anaerobic 
conditions). To promote adequate root growth, 
turf managers should ensure that aerobic 
conditions exist in the soil at all times. Don™t forget that anaerobic conditions can easily develop in sand profiles if thatch is 
allowed to accumulate. The same can be said 
for perched water table constructions whereby 
the wrong sand/gravels are selected.LACK OF OXYGENTurfgrass roots require oxygen for continued 
growth. Soil compaction and waterlogging 
can seriously limit the soil oxygen level. The 
USGA recommends the following parameters 
for greens constructionTotal porosity (%V/V): 25-55Volumetric water (%V/V): 15-25Aeration porosity (%V/V): 15-30PESTS AND DISEASE There is a range of pests which can feed 
actively on turfgrass root systems and cause 
damage.  Subterranean pests such as mealy 
bugs and plant parasitic nematodes have 
the potential to feed on root tips leading to a 
reduction in root depth.  Root-borne diseases such as ectotrophic root infecting (ERI) fungi has been observed 
throughout Australia and is a common 
problem associated with warm-season 
grasses. The ERI fungi consist of spring dead 
spot (Leptosphaeria spp.) and Take-all patch (Gaeumannomyces graminis) with turf damage 
tending to occur when there are other stresses 
such as high temperatures, high humidity, low 
light and wear. If Take-all patch is considered 
extensive, it is recommended the following 
action be undertaken;   Check soil pH. Alkaline soils are conducive 
to the presence of Gaeumannomyces spp 
and acidifying fertilisers should be applied 
to lower pH.   Apply manganese as a foliar 
spray. Manganese is tied up by the 
Gaeumannomyces spp fungi and becomes 
unavailable to the plant. Soils low in potassium make turfgrasses 
more susceptible to the disease. Make sure that the thatch is kept under 
control. Thatch not only harbours the 
disease organism it also reduces the 
effectiveness of fungicides that are applied. Apply a fungicide such as azoxystrobin 
(e.g. Heritage) as a preventative treatment. 
The fungicide needs to be applied about six weeks before the disease is likely to 
appear. Also, apply in late summer/early 
autumn while there is good growth.TOXICITIES Root growth can be severely restricted by a 
range of different toxicities. Anaerobic soil 
conditions can quickly lead to black layer, 
producing gases and related compounds that 
are toxic to roots. Turf managers using treated effluent need to also closely monitor the build-up of copper, 
boron, chlorine and aluminium within the soil 
profile as these elements can reach toxic 
levels harming root and plant health. Turf 
managers need to also be cautious when 
using pre-emergent herbicides as many such 
compounds are known to cause root pruning, 
severely restricting root growth. SALINE AND SODIC SOILSIncreased salinity not only severely restricts 
root growth, but can also have adverse effects 
on overall plant health. Regular soil and 
water tests should be undertaken monitoring 
electrical conductivity levels. Managing increased salinity levels is very complex, however, it is vital to promote 
leaching of the salts through the profile. This is 
best achieved through the careful management 
of irrigation practices and aerating the top 200-
300mm of the soil profile as often as possible. 
The selection of grass varieties that tolerate 
higher salinity levels such as the seashore 
paspalums may also need to be investigated. A build-up of sodium in the soil profile should also be closely monitored. Any 
imbalances should be corrected by the 
incorporation of gypsum.  MICROBIAL ENVIRONMENTThere is no doubt that the diversity and activity 
of the soil microflora play an important role in 
the health of the turfgrass root system. Some 
soil scientists believe that the increasing use 
of free-draining sands due to their excellent 
drainage and porosity characteristics has been 
to the detriment of the soil biology, resulting in 
nutrient and microbial imbalances that harm 
the root system.An example is the group of Pythium species involved in the disease complex known as 
Pythium Root Dysfunction. The incidence of 
these problems is strongly associated with the poor nutritional and microbiological status of 
new sand greens and it seems apparent that 
more emphasis should be placed on the use 
of organic and microbe enhancements such 
as molasses and composts in free-draining 
sand greens. CULTURAL PRACTICESWhile the above environmental factors play a 
critical role, there are also a number of cultural 
factors which play their part as well, most 
prominently cutting height, nutrition and thatch 
management.Mowing practices, in particular very low mowing, can be especially detrimental to deep 
rooting. Turf managers should observe the 
‚one-third rule™ which refers to not removing 
more than one third of the above ground grass 
height in any one time. This is particularly 
important as carbohydrates which are normally 
available to the roots are redirected to restore 
damaged shoots.There is also a strong correlation between increased nitrogen levels and reduced turf 
grass root depths. While nitrogen is essential 
for turfgrass root growth, excessive nitrogen 
promotes shoot growth at the expense of root 
development. As a result, carbohydrates are 
drawn from the roots which in extreme cases 
can lead to carbohydrate exhaustion of the 
roots and root senescence. It is important to only apply enough nitrogen to aid sustainable plant growth and 
recovery, while avoiding infrequent, heavy 
applications of nitrogen. It is also important 
to avoid deficiencies of phosphorus and 
potassium as both nutrients play a major role 
in root development and enhancement.  Regular soil testing and/or tissue testing should be carried out to establish base levels 
of both nutrients. A general rule of thumb for 
potassium is to apply at a rate which is 50 to 
75 per cent that of nitrogen.As discussed earlier, thatch accumulation increases the percentage of roots to be 
concentrated in the upper root zone, limiting 
the area from which water uptake occurs. 
Cultural practices, such as scarifying and light 
topdressing (dusting), are proven techniques 
aimed at limiting the build-up of thatch. REFERENCESBeard, J.B. (1986): A new perspective on root 
growth. Proceedings, 9th AGCSA Conference, 
Brisbane.
Ford, P. (2001): HRT 416: Recommend plants, 
products and treatments (Book 2), NMIT, Turf 
Management Section, Topics 26, 27a and 28.
Ford, P. (2001): HRT 424: Manage irrigation, 
drainage and treatment systems, NMIT, Turf 
Management Section, p4-5.Cultural practices, such as dusting, can limit the build-up of thatchAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   39AGCSARESEARCHSoil water repellency decreases water use efficiency by causing irrigation water 
to unevenly infiltrate the soil surface, bypassing a proportion of the turfgrass roots, 
causing localised areas of turfgrass death (i.e. 
dry-patch).  Water repellence is caused by hydrophobic (water repelling) organic compounds adhering 
to soil particles.  These compounds are common in soil, however the expression of 
water repellence is strongest in soils with low 
clay contents and when soil dries.  In southern 
Australia, the climate appears to be drying 
and restrictions are being applied to water 
supplies.  We therefore expect incidence of 
soil water repellency in sand-based turfgrass 
culture to increase.Managing water repellency in turfgrass systems requires an understanding of the 
contributing factors and the development 
of corrective procedures.  Applying wetting 
agents is one approach commonly used 
by turfgrass managers to overcome water 
repellence.  A number of factors influence the effectiveness of wetting agents, so choosing 
a wetting agent is not a particularly straight 
forward process.  Here we present the 
results from the first year of a University of 
Western Australia (UWA) study investigating Improved information on techniques for managing water repellence in broad acre turfgrass has been identified as a research priority for local government in Western Australia.  The University of Western Australia, in partnership with Horticulture Australia Ltd and industry groups, initiated a study with the objective of maximising turfgrass water use efficiency by decreasing the incidence and severity of soil water repellency. BY LOUISE BARTON AND TIM COLMERManaging water repellency in turfgrass grown in sandy soilsManaging water repellency in turfgrass grown in sandy soilsDry patch™ in kikuyu turfgrass under 60 per cent ET-replacement irrigation during summer40     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAthe suitability of a simple laboratory test for assessing granular wetting agents.LABORATORY-BASED SCREENING TESTTwo laboratory-based experiments were 
conducted using granular wetting agents.  
The first experiment assessed how easily 
non-wetting soil was able to be wetted after 
being treated with a wetting agent (i.e., ‚initial™ 
wettability test), while a second experiment 
assessed how long the wetting agent 
continued to remain effective after the initial 
application (i.e., ‚residual™ wettability test). 
Both experiments were conducted using two 
hydrophobic soil types that differed in their soil 
organic matter content. The results from the residual wettability test are not presented here, as once wet, the 
amended soils retained their wettability for up 
to three months despite experiencing a series 
(36) of wetting and drying cycles. The initial wettability experiment included two hydrophobic soil types (low or high organic 
matter content) by 12 granular wetting agents, 
by three replicates.  Each wetting agent was 
applied at the manufacturer™s recommended 
application rate to the surface of a hydrophobic 
soil contained in a Petri-dish. TABLE 1: INFILTRATION RATEProduct High Low Organic Matter Organic Matter (seconds) (seconds)A 37 (0.7) 50 (5)B 197 (74) 198 (29)C 227 (14) 118 (12)D 599 (0.5) 442 (44)NB: Time (seconds) taken for a water droplet 
to infiltrate a high and low organic matter soil 
amended with granular wetting agents selected 
for field evaluation. Values are the mean (and 
standard error) of three replicates.The initial wettability of the soils was measured by dispensing a drop of de-ionised 
water onto six randomised positions per Petri-
dish, and recording the time from initial contact 
of the water with the soil to disappearance 
of the liquid. The initial wettability of the 
unamended soils (i.e., controls) was also 
measured the same way.The time taken for a water droplet to penetrate a hydrophobic soil amended with 
a granular wetting agent varied depending 
on the product and soil type.  For example, 
average infiltration ranged from 37 to 599 
seconds for the high organic matter soil, and from 50 to 442 seconds for the low organic 
matter soil.  Product rankings were similar 
for both soil types. The time taken for a water 
droplet to penetrate an unamended soil was 
>600 seconds for both soil types.FIELD-BASED TESTINGFour granular wetting agents ranging in 
effectiveness (as determined by laboratory 
screening ΠTable 1) were further assessed in 
the field by applying to turfgrass of two different 
ages.  Turfgrass ages were approximately 
24-year-old kikuyu turfgrass, which included 
a 50mm mat layer of high organic matter 
content (36 per cent), and a four-year-old 
kikuyu turfgrass.  Two turfgrass ages were included as older turfgrass surfaces often contain a higher 
organic matter content in the surface soil, 
which can increase the incidence of water 
repellency as demonstrated in the laboratory 
testing above. Untreated plots of both turfgrass 
ages were also included in the study.  Wetting agent treatments were applied in October 2008 at the manufacturers™ 
recommended rates and frequency of 
application. Products A, B and D were only 
applied once (17 October 2008) during the 
growing season, whereas Product C was AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   41AGCSADeclaration Creeping bentgrassPhone: 1800 DURATURFwww.pggwrightsonturf.comDeclaration creeping bentgrass is a new, cutting edge creeping bentgrass developed by Lebanon Turf. Declaration exhibits top rated overall turf quality and dollar spot resistance. In the 2005 NTEP Greens trial, Declaration ranked number 1 overall for turf quality.GreenKeeping itAUSTRALIAN GOLF ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE NEWSLETTERRAISING THE PROFILE OF GOLF COURSE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTAs part of the Australian Golf Environmental Initiative, the AGCSA has launched Keeping it Green, a monthly newsletter to help increase the environmental profile of Australian golf clubs.If you™ve got a positive story to share emailJohn Geary at jgeary@agcsa.com.auCheck out the updated resources section on the AGCSAs environmental web portal http://environment.agcsa.com.auRESEARCHapplied in October and again on 12 December 2008. Nitrogen fertiliser was applied four times per year (200kg N ha-1 yr-1), while other nutrients were applied every year as required.  
All treatment plots were irrigated at 60 per 
cent replacement of net evaporation, and were 
irrigated three days per week from late spring 
to mid-autumn. The plots were mown weekly 
(height of cut 15mm).The effectiveness of the wetting agents was assessed by measuring soil water repellency 
in the surface 25mm (every four weeks), soil 
water content (every four weeks), turfgrass 
colour (every four weeks) and turfgrass growth 
(weekly) throughout the season. Soil water repellency was measured using the molarity of ethanol droplet test (MEDT), 
whereby the higher the concentration of 
ethanol needed to infiltrate the soil within 10 
seconds, the higher the water repellence.  Turfgrass plots were repellent prior to application of wetting agents in October 
(Figure 1) and before many broadacre turfgrass 
managers may consider applying a wetting 
agent.  Furthermore, the wetting agents varied 
in their ability to treat soil water repellency.  
For example, one month after application only 
Products A, B and C had decreased water 
repellency in comparison to the unamended 
plots.  These same products were also best at 
restricting the development of water repellency 
and maintaining turfgrass growth and quality 
during a hot, dry period in January (Figure 1; 
see photos on this page). The development of water-repellency was more severe in soil with a high organic matter 
content, and consequently wetting agents 
were not always as effective at restricting the 
development of water repellency in the high 
organic matter soil as the low organic matter 
soil (Figure 1).The rankings of the four products in the laboratory were similar, but not exactly the 
same, as that observed in the field in January 
(compare Table 1 and Figure 1).  For the 
low organic matter soil, the laboratory test 
ranked product A > product C > product B 
> product D, whereas in the field they were 
ranked product A > product B > product C 
> product D.  Although the laboratory and 
field ranking was not exactly the same, the 
laboratory testing did predict that applying 
product D did not decrease water repellency 
in either soil type.CONCLUSIONSApplying wetting agents can reduce the 
severity of soil water repellency, however, not 
all granular products are as effective as each 
other.  Furthermore, dry-patch is likely to be more severe and wetting agents less effective 
in soils with high organic matter contents i.e., 
a mat layer.  Utilising effective wetting agents, in combination with the removal of organic mat 
layer, and using an irrigation system with high 
uniformity of application, is likely to reduce the 
severity and incidence of dry-patch in turfgrass 
grown on sandy soils.  The laboratory-based 
test for wetting agents shows promise, but 
requires further field-based verification utilising 
a range of products on a range of soil types.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSLeon Hodgson is thanked for implementing the 
field-based study, George Wan for conducting 
the laboratory screening test and Matthew 
Willis for analysing soil and plant samples from 
the field-based study.  This project was funded by HAL using voluntary contributions from WA Local 
Government, Organic 2000, Turf Growers 
Association of Western Australia, Department of 
Education and Training, Department of Water, 
Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority, Turfgrass 
Association of Australia WA, Lawn Doctor and 
the Golf Course Superintendents Association 
of Western Australia and matched funds 
from the Australian Government. Members of 
the UWA Turf Industries Research Steering 
Committee and the project subcommittee are 
thanked for their support and advice.  Louise Barton and Tim Colmer are from the UWA School of Plant Biology, Faculty of 
Natural & Agricultural Sciences. For more 
information visit http://www.fnas.uwa.edu.au/
turfresearch/index.htm.Figure 1: Water repellence of surface 25mm soil collected from turfgrass (high and low organic matter) treated with various wetting agents. Samples collected in January 
2009, and values represent the means (and standard errors) of five replicates.  Increasing molarity of ethanol indicates 
increasing water repellenceKikuyu turfgrass with an organic mat layer 
not treated with a wetting agent (top), treated with Product A (middle) and treated with Product D (bottom).  Photographs were 
taken in January 2009 following a dry and hot period42     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSACovers all the angles. Literally.The new 220 E-Cut Hybrid.1800 800 981 | www.JohnDeere.com.aufull-contouring cutting unit.The new 220 E-Cut Hybrid™s ball joint design combined with an electric reel drive permits maximum movement of the cutting 
unit to follow contours. And the cutting unit™s range of motion 
can be adjusted to meet the most demanding conditions. 
This unique cutting system can even steer through the clean-up 
pass Š reducing stress around the outside of the green. 

speed consistent, to maintain a consistent frequency of clip no 
matter how severe an incline.RESEARCHFour years after the establishment of the Warm Season Greens Test Facility at 
Redlands Research Station in Cleveland, Queensland, the collection of data from the 
first research project undertaken at the site has 
been completed. Over the life of the project, the Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries facility 
has provided replicated data on nitrogen 
inputs and different cutting heights and the 
correlation between the two when applied 
to eight different Cynodon varieties and four 
different Paspalum vaginatum varieties. The site has also been an invaluable resource to 
conduct direct comparisons between varieties 
and how they perform under similar treatments 
and conditions in this region.Originally planted out with the help of volunteers from the GCSAQ, the site has been 
the focus of several industry field days over the 
years and has been visited by many interested 
turf care professionals. The Cynodon turf types planted were TifEagle, TifDwarf, TifGreen 328, Novotek, Mini 
Verde and MS Supreme. Champion and Flora 
Dwarf were also planted on the trial site but not 
in the replicated trial. The Paspalum vaginatum varieties planted were Sea Isle 2000, Sea Isle 
Supreme, Velveteen and Sea Dwarf. The differences between the two turf genuses soon became obvious with the paspalums holding colour through the bulk 
of the winter but generally proving to have a 
slower ball speed than the Cynodon species. The paspalums striped up well and usually 
attracted the most comment from visitors while 
the couches provided the better quality surface 
for ball roll. Once the data collected from the site has been collated and examined, the findings 
of the project will be presented to the 
stakeholders and the wider turf industry. With 
the amount of raw data to be analysed, it will 
take considerable effort to extrapolate the data 
but the results will benefit the industry in the 
long run.During the course of the study monthly measurements of colour, quality and thatch 
levels were taken. Every second month each 
subplot was measured using a modified 
stimpmeter to gauge greens™ speed. Maximum 
and average rooting depths were measured 
quarterly and thatch depth measurements 
were carried out twice per year.With final stimp measurements, rooting depths, thatch measurements and colour, 
quality and thatch ratings taken in late 
September, the plots have since undergone a 
heavy renovation to get them back into uniform 
order. This process began in early October 
with heavy scarification of all the plots using 
a pedestrian scarifyer set in deep enough to 
reach the bottom of the thatch layer in the most heavily fertilised subplots. Each variety 
was treated separately with the most thatchy 
plots being run over in up to eight different 
directions.The next step was to topdress the plots heavily before solid tyning using a 
Weidenmann deep tyne aerator. The plots will 
then be fertilised and treated with fungicide 
before rubbing in and heavy watering to bring 
the whole site back to good condition ready 
for the next trial. It may be necessary to use 
a hollow tyne lawn aerator to pull out some 
of the more stubborn areas of thatch but we 
will be monitoring the progress of the plots as 
they recover.In the near future the site will be retained in the expectation that ideas that have been 
suggested by industry can be developed into 
research projects that will attract their own 
funding in dealing with the new varieties of 
warm-season turfgrasses. The involvement of the golf and bowls industry has been invaluable and special 
thanks must go to the original voluntary 
contributors to the project ΠBowls Australia, 
QGU, VGA, SAGCSA, GCSAQ, Horton Park 
Golf Club, Sanctuary Cove, Indooroopilly Golf 
Club, Twin Waters Golf Club, the Jimboomba 
Turf Group, Tropical Lawns and of course the 
AGCSA.Support from the trade has been fantastic with significant input from Globe Australia, Toro, 
Twin View Turf, PowerTurf, David Burrup Golf 
Design, BHM and the support of Horticulture 
Australia Limited. Redlands warm-season greens trials wraps up Redlands warm-season greens trials wraps upJon Penberthy updates ATM on one of the industry™s major research projects which has recently come to an end.With the trial now complete, the research plots were heavily renovated in early October The warm-season greens trial facility at Redlands Research Station has provided replicated data on nitrogen inputs and different cutting heights and the correlation between the two when applied to eight different Cynodon and four different    Paspalum vaginatum varieties over the past four years44     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAWATERMANAGEMENTWith the help of two Federal Government water grants and a proactive committee, Neangar Park Golf Club course superintendent Brett Hawkey and his crew are well on the way to making sure the Bendigo course is set up for a prosperous future. ‚Neangar™ is the Aboriginal word for ‚resting place™ and at Neangar 
Park Golf Club rest, relaxation and enjoyment is a regular pastime for most of 
the members. Given the major works to the 
course over the past two years, however, a bit 
of anguish and suffering has also been thrown 
into the mix, but as the members are now 
realising such work is helping to set the club 
up for a strong future.Formerly known as Victoria Park Golf Club and formed in 1931, Neanger Park Golf Club is 
located in Bendigo. In recent years the club™s 
committees have gone a long way to ensuring 
that the course will become one of the premier 
sporting facilities in Bendigo.In early 2008 a course Master Plan was developed by Cashmore Golf Design which 
has given the club specific goals for major 
course reconstruction and improvements over 
the coming years. Shortly before this, the 
club was also successful in obtaining two 
Federal Government handouts as part of the 
Community Water Grants Scheme which has 
enabled much needed capital improvements 
to the club™s water infrastructure. The grants have been directed into two major water projects Œ upgrading all sprinklers 
and dam enlargement. To help reduce 
water consumption and improve distribution 
uniformity, the existing Rainspray fairway 
sprinklers are being replaced with 400 new 
Toro 830s. The new sprinklers will provide 
better fairway coverage as well as provide 
more control and increased water use savings. Maintenance issues that invariably cropped up with the old sprinklers will also hopefully be 
a thing of the past and this will mean staff can 
direct their efforts into more important areas. The water grants have also enabled the club to increase its onsite water storage 
capacity to 67 megalitres, up from 35ML. In 
July 2008, the club enlarged one dam from 
7-8ML to the current holding capacity of 40ML. 
As you can imagine, this new dam is a massive 
boost to the club™s infrastructure and also adds 
to the visual appeal of the course. The second 
dam on course holds 27ML.The club™s main water asset, however, is ‚Lake Tom Thumb™, a dam which sits across 
the road from the golf course. In 1981 the club 
paid $25,000 to build the dam and since then 
it has become our main water supply, holding 
between 80-90ML. It is stormwater fed and 
catches water from a seven square mile area 
in the township of Eaglehawk. With Bendigo suffering significantly from the drought in recent years, Tom Thumb has 
without doubt been the saviour of the golf 
course and whenever it has rained we have the 
ability to store the run-off and move it to fill our 
on-course dams.  With the club™s water resources effectively secured through increasing storage capacity, the club has been able to push on with a number of course improvement works 
including tripling the number of bunkersPRINCIPAL PARTNERSNo rest for new-look Neangar ParkNo rest for 
new-look Neangar Park46     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAWe are able to pump water from Tom Thumb to our second smaller course dam and from there gravity feed the water into the newly 
built 40ML dam where another pump handles 
the irrigation system. Our two pumps ΠSouthern Cross 50hp and 60hp respectively Πare a little old but are 
doing the job at the moment. A suggestion has 
been made for a variable speed pump and a 
new controller to replace the Micromaster 5000 
we have at present which would give even 
more control.Combining our dams we are now able to hold in the vicinity of 150ML which puts the 
club in a very enviable position Πprovided it 
rains of course!  Early in 2009 the club was 
also able to tap into the town™s treatment plant 
(Class A) and of the current 30.5ML license we 
have an allocation of 40 per cent which gives 
us another 12ML.  Recent tests have shown very low levels in dissolved salts (456ppm) with sodium levels 
around 87ppm. The Sodium Adsorption Ratio 
of 3.90 is a little high so applying gypsum to the 
fairways has been added to our programme to 
help deal with any sodium issues and improve 
soil structure in the long-term. The greens are 
given calcium monthly.BUNKEREDWith the club™s water resources effectively 
secured, the club has been able to push on 
with a number of course improvement works 
as recommended by the Cashmore Master 
Plan. With just 13 bunkers in total across the 
entire course, it was decided to nearly triple 
that number and in January 2009 six new 
bunkers were constructed with two older ones 
filled in and made into mounds. The construction/shaping work was undertaken by Ron Nias with the remainder of 
the work, including drainage, turfing, importing 
sand etc, carried out by the course staff. With 
just four on staff it was quite a challenging task, 
especially in the middle of a long hot summer!With those bunkers in play fairly quickly, thanks to the help of several dedicated 
volunteers and semi-retired members, the 
club set about adding 15 more bunkers 
during winter. SJM undertook the shaping/
construction and had the work completed in 
early August. We then set about completing 
them in time for the club™s annual tournament 
in September. Again with the aid of volunteers 
the work was completed almost on time and in 
play for the club™s showpiece event. We now have 33 bunkers on course, including a refurbished practice bunker, and 
they have totally changed the way the course 
is played. The course is now a good challenge 
for most golfers and the bunkers have added a 
new strategic element to many holes. Members 
have been quite receptive to the new additions 
and can see the need for progression to 
improve the golf course surfaces, appearance 
and style. Other works that have been completed in the last two years include line planting 
four fairways with Santa Ana couch. This 
now leaves just one and a half fairways to 
bring the couch conversion programme to 
an end. Elsewhere we have been replacing 
tee sprinklers to improve tee surfaces and in 
most cases new pipework was also needed to 
update the existing network. We have been busy planting some 5000 native grasses in various areas around the 
course, as well as 1000 native shrubs and 
trees. Also under construction at the moment 
is a new practice chipping area and a turf 
nursery, both of which will be seeded in the 
near future. The nursery will be used to replace turf directly around the greens to create a collar 
to keep unwanted kikuyu/couch out of the 
greens. We have also planted a number of 
trees on holes that run adjacent to roads to 
help prevant ball encroachment which has 
become an issue.The past few years have certainly been challenging for the club and course 
maintenance staff, but at the same time 
extremely rewarding. The work that has been 
carried out has completely transformed the 
course into something the club and members 
will hopefully be happy with. It has been the busiest period of my life but I have learnt a great deal and continue to 
do so. Having 600 bosses certainly keeps you 
on your toes!Neangar Park Golf Club obtained two Federal Government water grants in late 2007 to upgrade all sprinklers across the course and extend one of the course™s existing dams from 7-8ML to 40MLThe new bunkers have totally changed the way the course is playedNeangar Park superintendent Brett HawkeyAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   47AGCSAENVIRONMENTALMANAGEMENTAround 10 years ago The Victoria Golf Club embarked on a vegetation 
restoration programme to re-introduce indigenous vegetation to selected areas of 
course roughs that had been lost over the 
years. With the assistance initially from people skilled in identifying existing varieties of 
certain species, the club presently has a list 
of around 15-20 different varieties it uses to 
revegetate selected areas each year. The club 
has also benefited from the publication titled 
‚Indigenous Plants of the Sandbelt™ which has 
been a useful reference guide.The early plantings were in fact a lot of trial and error work to see which varieties 
performed best in certain areas and specific 
soil types. Contrary to many perceptions, 
Victoria Golf Club, although within the sandbelt 
region, has many areas with heavy soils which 
become quite wet following rainfall. Within the last five years the programme has progressed significantly to include stock 
purchases of around 20,000 plants per year as 
the club has acknowledged the benefits of the 
programme and encouraged its continuation 
to include many more areas around the course.  Initially, the addition of an employee with a background in horticulture was significant 
as he imparted a great deal of knowledge 
and expertise to other staff members prior 
to leaving the club to pursue another career. 
The programme continues in earnest through 
the dedication and passion of the people he 
taught, which is an important aspect and has 
ensured the ongoing success of the project. 
Without the necessary passion for indigenous 
vegetation and the ability to understand the importance of aesthetics to the course, the 
programme would most likely be unsuccessful.As mentioned, the purchase of 20,000 plants per year for five or so years has enabled 
our current staff to collect seed, propagate 
and plant a further 5000-10,000 plants per year. Although ultimately a rewarding task, 
it is difficult to imagine that Victoria will 
become entirely self-sufficient as it is a very 
labour-intensive operation and just to get the 
purchased stock in the ground takes 3-4 staff 
around 4-6 weeks to complete. The club has 
fully endorsed the revegetation programme 
and has committed to the current amount of 
purchases for many years to come.CARRIED AWAYThe programme started by targeting the 
carries from tees to fairways as these were 
deemed to be areas of poor quality turf and 
devoid of decent contouring. Once the areas 
had been stripped and slightly re-contoured, a 
walking track was required to keep golfers off 
the new plantings. Following this, the areas were then roped off and planting commenced. Victoria is 
fortunate to have an abundance of sandy soil 
in these areas that in time bleach white to 
provide a sandy waste type look as a backdrop 
to the subtle colouring of the indigenous 
vegetation.It was, and still is, extremely important not to make all the carries a mirror image of each 
other which can be achieved in many ways 
through contouring, track positioning and 
shape, plant varieties, and the use of fescues 
and sandy wastes. Presently, there is a good mixture of these areas throughout the course providing interest, 
beauty and a naturalness that blends in with 
the playing surfaces. The carries have not 
been completed yet but this programme is 
such a long-term operation that it will continue 
for many years to come.The Victoria Golf Club rates as one of Australia™s great courses and over the past five years it has invested a significant amount of time and resources into an extensive revegetation programme. Course superintendent Ian Todd outlines the project which is helping to restore interest, beauty and character to the course that had been lost for many years.PRINCIPAL PARTNERSRevegetating  Victoria Golf ClubRevegetating  Victoria Golf ClubOver the past five years The Victoria Golf Club has committed to a major indigenous revegetation programme which aims to create a modern interpretation of how the 
course used to be when the current site was chosen as the club™s home back in the 1920s48     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAProgress has also been achieved in other areas, from the very visible carries to areas behind bunkers and secondary rough areas 
away from play. These areas are just as 
important as they add to the golfing experience 
at Victoria and help to continue the natural feel 
throughout the course. Many of these areas have evolved purely through cutting back or removing coastal 
tea tree which had smothered the existing 
vegetation and not allowed the indigenous 
seed within the soil to germinate. As these areas 
are vast in size, the club has transplanted a lot 
of bracken as a backdrop to the indigenous 
plants which also assist in the revegetation 
process to create that natural look. There have been certain aspects of the programme which have been deemed 
somewhat unpopular, mainly the added 
difficulty of a misdirected shot into the 
indigenous areas. This however, has never 
been a deterrent from continuing the 
programme as there have been additional 
compromises made along the way. Many fairways have been extended back toward tees to allow the shorter hitter 
a chance of negotiating over the indigenous 
carries The primary roughs have received 
additional attention to pull a ball up from 
entering indigenous rough areas on the sides 
of fairways, and most of these areas have been 
established far enough away from the playing 
surfaces that only a very poor shot is affected.  On the positive side, once established the indigenous areas are largely self-sufficient 
when it comes to water. At Victoria, like many 
other courses throughout the state, the last few 
summers have been incredibly exhausting with 
a very limited water supply. The indigenous plants also feel the effects of heat and drought stress along with turf, 
but they are obviously well adapted to the 
conditions and tend to shut down rather than 
perish until the rain comes. It was immensely 
encouraging to see the plants recover during 
the autumn from one of the worst summers on 
record following some reasonable rains. At present, the course is only now beginning to look and feel a little like it must 
have been when the current site was chosen as 
the club™s home back in the early 1920™s. There 
are a few old photos of the era showing many 
areas of low growing indigenous vegetation 
interspersed with sandy wastes providing a 
natural, rugged appearance.It is impossible to replicate these areas to exactly how they once were, but entirely 
possible to create a modern interpretation of 
how the course used to be during the early 
years. As the years pass by, hopefully the 
course will keep evolving as the indigenous 
areas become more prevalent and mature.The revegetation programme continues to be a source of enjoyment for all of the staff as 
they can see the results of their commitment, 
diligence and hard work. The indigenous 
vegetation provides a natural ruggedness to 
the course which surrounds and complements 
the fine turf playing surfaces beautifully. Remembering that most of these areas had once been cut rough areas of poor quality 
grasses and/or overgrown with poor quality 
tree species, they are now starting to provide 
interest, beauty and character to the course 
that had been lost for many years. It is this 
aspect that will help to provide all who visit the 
course in the future a much more enjoyable 
and memorable experience.The revegetation programme started by targeting the carries from tees to fairways which were deemed areas of poor quality turf. Progress has also been achieved in other areas behind bunkers and secondary rough areas away from playAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   49AGCSA26th Australian Turfgrass Trade Exhibition, Gold Coast 22-24 June 2010Bookings for 2009 exhibitors opens 9am Monday 2nd November All other bookings taken from Monday 30th NovemberFor further enquiries contact Melissa Wallace 03 9548 8600TURF TECHNICIANSWith most of the modern mowing fleet and agricultural equipment being 
operated by hydraulics, wear and tear is inevitable and this means component repair 
is necessary from time to time. Thankfully, with 
the exception of a ruptured hydraulic hose or 
pipe, small external leaks or weeping seals can 
be detected during regular servicing and dealt 
with before the turf is compromised.Outside of shaft seal replacement of course, the major repair or overhaul of some 
components (such as variable displacement 
pumps) is probably best left to the hydraulic 
specialist as the average turf maintenance 
workshop would be ill-equipped to undertake 
this sort of work. Specialist testing equipment 
is required, to say nothing of the immaculately 
clean environment required. However, if the 
workshop is reasonably well equipped with 
both tooling and a competent technician, small 
to medium repairs can be undertaken with a 
minimum of fuss.Because hydraulic cylinders are so numerous Πthey nearly outnumber motors 
and pumps combined ΠI thought this would be 
a good place to start. Hydraulic cylinders are 
less complicated than other components and 
therefore relatively easy to repair, but the first 
step is to identify the cause of the failure and 
whether or not the cylinder can be repaired 
effectively and cost efficiently.If you have a problematic cylinder, particularly one which has been re-sealed 
before, further investigation is required. 
Before starting, ensure you have any available 
diagrams and necessary tools and that you 
have isolated the machine and released any 
hydraulic pressure from the cylinder by moving 
the hydraulic levers a few times. Causes for failure can be numerous with system contamination, heat degradation (fluid 
temperatures above 82 deg C will damage 
seals) or incorrect seal installation being just 
a few. Internal or external leakage is cause 
for disassembly and thorough inspection of 
all components is essential to determine the 
reason for failure.The main components of a cylinder are:   Cylinder barrel Πseamless, thick-walled 
pipe ground and honed internally;  Piston Πcylinder shaped metal component 
which separates both sides of the cylinder 
internally;  Rod Πchrome-plated, cold-rolled steel 
which connects to the piston and extends 
from the cylinder;  Piston seal Πelastomeric or metal seals, 
often O-rings, U-cups or metal seals;   Rod seal Πsituated in the cylinder head to 
prevent oil leakage; and  Cylinder head Πscrewed or flanged to 
the cylinder. Contains rod gland or seals. 
Also contains a rod bearing to support 
and guide the piston rod, however, it is 
common on light duty cylinders to have the 
rod run directly on the head material. Once the cylinder is dismantled, inspect the piston or rod seals for distortion or broken 
or missing pieces. Missing or badly distorted 
piston seals are an indication that the barrel 
is worn and should be replaced. It is possible 
to replace just the piston seal but this is an 
intermediate fix only. As previously mentioned 
there can be several types of seals used. Inspection of the cylinder bore should reveal a smooth surface free from any scoring 
or pitting. If on small diameter barrels damage 
is less than .005fl deep, it is possible to 
resurface the barrel by honing. The allowable 
maximum bore for standard piston seals is the 
nominal bore diameter plus 0.010fl.A worn or distorted rod seal could indicate that either the rod is bent or guide bush is worn 
resulting in the weight of the rod sliding on the 
seal. Replacement of the seal alone is again 
only a short term fix. A bent rod is indicated by 
one side of the chrome surface being dull with 
the opposite being polished.Checking the rod for straightness should always be carried out when repairing cylinders 
by placing the rod on a flat surface, or for 
larger rods on rollers as far apart as possible, 
and measuring the run-out with a dial indicator. 
Acceptable run out is generally 0.5mm per 
metre of rod.Straightening of the rod is possible using a press, however, any damage to the chrome 
surface and the rod will require re-chroming or 
replacement. Small scratches can be removed 
with the use of fine emery cloth in a cross 
hatch fashion, but pitting, dents and corrosion 
will be further causes for replacement.As an aside, for machinery which may be subject to adverse operating conditions (i.e.: 
excavators and loaders), US-based company 
Fluid Control Services has developed a range 
of protective cylinder sleeves Œ called the ‚Seal 
Saver™ (www.sealsaver.com) Œ to prevent dings 
and dents. It is, of course, easier to source original equipment seals when rebuilding a cylinder 
and is recommended also. Some components 
have manufacturer-specified seals fitted, In-house hydraulicsIn-house hydraulicsRoyal Melbourne Golf Club turf technician Luke Spartalis examines hydraulic cylinders and looks at how simple repairs can be made to this integral component of most modern turf maintenance machinery.Missing or badly distorted piston seals are an indication that the barrel is worn and should be replaced. It is possible to replace just the piston seal but this is an intermediate fix onlyMinor scoring of the piston surface itself is not detrimental to cylinder operation as long as it doesn™t exceed 0.006fl under the cylinder bore50     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAhowever, if no literature is available for the actuator in question then a quick trip to your 
local hydraulics supplier, armed with the 
machine specifications and preferably the 
cylinder, will see you right. If it™s not possible to take the cylinder, measure the piston seal grooves with a pair of 
verniers. A word of warning though, measuring 
old seals may not be accurate as seals may 
shrink or swell with use.As mentioned earlier, U-cup seals are used inside many cylinders but due to their design 
may be responsible for external leakage when 
the system is at rest. These seals require the 
system pressure to ‚energise™ the lip of the 
seal. If the cylinder has been dismantled for this reason and after careful inspection of the seal 
and rod both appear to be in good condition, 
then this could be the likely scenario. The 
situation can be remedied by changing the 
seal to an energised type. This type of seal 
has an O-ring fitted inside the U-cup which 
provides the necessary contact.All parts should be cleaned with solvent and compressed air and liberally oiled with 
clean hydraulic fluid during assembly.  Great 
care is need during installation. Sharp tools 
such as screwdrivers should not be used as 
there is the possibility of damaging the seal. 
Sharp edges and metal burrs need to be 
removed before fitting seals, with particular 
attention to areas where seals need to pass 
over or through. Fitting stiff seals can be made 
easier by heating them up in hot water first. Rod seal damage can be prevented by covering the rod threads with tape or thin plastic. Piston seal damage can be avoided by 
using a clamp to hold the seals compressed 
during fitting. This will allow them to enter the 
barrel without damage or folding over.As always, the cylinder and seals should be kept clean during installation with the 
best practice being to completely clean the 
work area beforehand. Cleanliness cannot be 
over emphasised. Before reconnecting the 
cylinder, it is important to fill the service ports 
with hydraulic fluid to reduce the risk of air 
compression and damage to both the seals 
and cylinder.Checking the rod for straightness should always be carried out when repairing cylinders by placing the rod on a flat surface and measuring the run-out with a dial indicatorAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   51AGCSADedicate® is a new turf fungicide that contains two active ingredients with two different modes of action. With preventative and curative activity on the leaf surface as well as systemic action in the turf, Dedicate provides a broad spectrum of activity (and is labelled for the control of nine turf diseases*). So now there is a new fungicide as dedicated 
as you are to healthy, great looking turf. For more information, call Bayer Environmental Science on 1800 804 479. *APVMA Registration of Dedicate Turf Fungicide is pending. Always use according to product label. www.bayeres.com.au  Dedicate® is a Registered Trademark of Bayer.20 QUESTIONSFull Name: Kane Anthony McDonald.Nickname: Kaneo.
Age: 32.
Family: Fiancé Skye, soon to be step daughter 
Sienna.
Period as a superintendent: Six years.
Period as an AGCSA member: Two years.Previous clubs: Devonport Golf Club 
(apprentice, 4 years; assistant greenkeeper, 
4 years); Port Sorell Golf Club (superintendent 
4 years).
Current club: Devonport Golf Club (2 years).
Number of staff: Three full-time, two casual 
and numerous volunteers.
Course specs: 18-hole championship course, 5900m. Tees Πcool-season blend of creeping 
red fescue, browntop bent, perennial ryegrass, 
Poa. Fairways Πfine fescue, perennial ryegrass, 
Poa. Some fairways have patches of kikuyu 
and common couch. Greens ΠPennlinks 
bentgrass with the 12th green Penneagle, Poa.
Turf qualifications: Trade Certificate in 
Greenkeeping, currently completing Level 4.
 
Give us a bit about your background in turf 
management and how you ended up at
Devonport?
I started my apprenticeship at Devonport Golf 
Club in 1996. When my time was finished I 
was fortunate enough that one of the assistant 
greenkeepers was leaving so the club offered 
me that position which I took up. In March 
2004 a position became available as course 
superintendent at Port Sorell Golf Club here 
in Tassie and I ended up being there for four 
years. In October 2007 I was approached and 
asked whether I was interested in returning to 
Devonport as course superintendent because 
the current one had resigned. I have been here 
since and loving every minute of it.Give us an overview of Devonport Golf Club and take us through your operations and 
how you have finetuned them since your 
arrival? 
Devonport Golf Club is a well-bunkered, tree-
lined course situated on the banks of the 
Mersey River and is about 5-10 minutes from 
the CBD.  It is a relatively flat course with 
some small dips and hollows. The greens are 
reasonably flat and true with a couple of two-
tiered greens to keep the golfers guessing. The greens are cored and topdressed twice a year.  I recently purchased a set of 
thatch-away cassettes and have been regularly 
verti-mowing the greens at 1-2mm which has 
reduced the need to scarify them prior to our 
renovations. Although thatch isn™t a major 
issue in our greens, prior to renovations I 
will be verti-mowing at around 4mm with 
overseeding in the autumn renos.Tees are cored 3-4 times a year, because they are small and cop a hammering, especially 
through spring and summer. Fairways are 
cored once a year but I am hoping to convince 
the committee to purchase a corer so I can do 
them more regularly. I haven™t changed course operations too much since taking over. I am hoping 
to implement an overseeding programme 
in the tees and greens. I have brought in 
a more regular de-thatching programme to 
control thatch levels in the greens and started 
re-shaping fairways and roughs. What are some of the unique turf 
management features of Devonport Golf 
Club? Is it a hard course to manage?Although it is a relatively cool climate, we have 
some good areas of kikuyu and couch slowly 
spreading through the course and we are in 
the process of trialling some Santa ana couch 
plugs which have proved successful so far.It can be a very frustrating course to manage simply because we don™t have the 
resources to irrigate the fairways properly.  
We have it looking mint during the spring but 
as soon as the dry northerly winds pick up it 
can go from green to brown almost overnight.  
We only have Bucknor Rainmobile travelling 
irrigators to water the fairways and these can 
only do so much.  Our tees and greens are 
fully automated but not the fairways.  We get comments about how we wouldn™t have to worry about dry patch too much 
because it doesn™t get hot enough, but come 
down in the middle of January or February 
and you will see lots of wetting agent being 
applied and hand watering taking up most of 
our time. Other than the fairway irrigation being 
a problem, the course is pretty easy to look 
after, but I still have my fair share of problems. What are some of the major turf management 
issues there and how are you and the club 
planning to meet those challenges? 
Our major issue here is fairway watering. As 
noted earlier we only have the travellers so 
while they put out a good volume of water, 
we can™t cover the area we would be able to 
if we had pop-ups in.  In 1996 the club trialled 
some pop-up sprinklers in the 1st fairway but 
because the club wasn™t strong financially, 
continuing this project wasn™t feasible.  We have a 30hp Southern Cross pump which holds enough pressure to run the eight 
travellers, but these take 6-8 hours to finish 
their run so we always have our backs to the 
wall trying to keep soil moisture where we want 
it. We are currently liaising with an irrigation 
company as to what are our best options and 
costing to improve our watering situation.What do you hope to achieve during your time as superintendent at Devonport?
The fairway irrigation is my main goal at this 
stage.  Convincing 500 expert greenkeepers 
is the toughest part! I also hope to maintain Kane McDonald Œ Devonport Golf Club, TASKane McDonald Œ Devonport Golf Club, TASCalled the ficity with spiritfl, Devonport is considered the gateway to Tasmania. It is also home to Kane McDonald who started his turf management career at the Devonport Golf Club back in the mid-1990s. Some 12 years later and after a four year stint at Port Sorell, McDonald is now in the top job at his ‚home town™ club.Fairway irrigation is one of McDonald™s major turf management issues of Devonport52     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAthe course at a high standard and keep our reputation as having fantastic greens.Have there been any course construction/reconstruction projects recently completed 
or currently ongoing? Any future projects in 
the pipeline? 
We are hoping to start reconstructing and 
levelling some tees in the first half of 2010. 
Over time the tees have become rippled and 
uneven due to golfers hitting from the same 
areas all the time. With the new handicapping 
system coming into place, I™m hoping to 
shift some of the tees into more favourable 
areas for all golfers as some of the current 
tees (especially the ladies) are situated in 
areas that are at a disadvantage to the higher 
handicappers. Water is obviously a critical issue around the country at present. How is Devonport 
faring in the water management stakes? 
Water isn™t too much of a problem here at 
Devonport at present.  While our dam only 
holds 21ML at full capacity, we are very 
fortunate to have a milk processing plant next 
door and they pump any excess water they 
have into our dam. On average we receive 
35ML a year so our dam is pretty full all year 
round.  The club president and I had a meeting with the company recently and we were 
informed that the plant is looking at putting a 
grey water treatment facility on site and once 
that water is safe they can pump it straight into 
our irrigation mains.  They are guaranteeing 
at least 1ML a day from November through to 
March/April.  They are looking at adding the facility in middle to late 2010/early 2011 and hopefully 
it might convince some in the club to push the 
fairway irrigation as with the current irrigation 
system we have no chance of making the most 
of what water we could be getting.Any other management issues which the club is actively looking at?
We recently had a minor overhaul of OH&S 
policies which we are currently implementing.  
A lot of cutting of corners has been removed.  If you could change one thing about your job what would it be?
Higher salary and an extra $500,000 in budget 
would be nice! What™s the most rewarding part of being a superintendent?
The satisfaction you get when you see 
the course in perfect condition and the 
compliments from serial whingers.What™s the best part about being involved in 
the turf industry?
The camaraderie between all supers and 
assistants.  Seeing enthusiasm in young 
apprentices who are genuinely interested in 
the industry.
 
Favourite spot on your course? The 14th tee at around 8pm on a clear day in 
the middle of January. The view is spectacular 
and makes you feel like you™re anywhere other 
than little ole Devonport.
 
Favourite piece of machinery?
Thatch-away cassettes recently purchased.Most embarrassing moment on course?When I was an apprentice I parked our quad 
bike next to the pump shed thinking I had 
applied the park brake. When I walked out of 
the shed the bike was upside down in the dam 
and I had to go in and fetch it.
 
Funniest moment you have seen on course?
When I was working at Port Sorell, a mate who 
I had completed my apprenticeship with was 
working for a coring company and they were 
up the road at the local bowls club. I wandered 
up to say ‚G™day™ and he was getting the corer 
ready to solid tyne the greens.  Just before 
he started he asked his boss if he wanted the 
cores rowed up or left spread out.Worst excuse from a staff member?
I have heard a few but the most common one 
has been running late for work due to
roadworks.  Not bad considering I used the 
same road and there certainly weren™t any 
roadworks!
 
Overseas course you™d most like to visit?
The home of golf ΠSt. Andrews.
 
Career highlight?
Being the superintendent of my ‚home™ course.OFF THE COURSEAny claims to fame outside of turf 
management? Top five finish in the 2008 
Tasmanian Open; semi-finals of the 2000 
Tasmanian Amateur. 
Favourite movie? Anchorman, any of the 
Bourne movies.
Three CDs you could not live without. 
Pearl Jam ΠTen; Cog ΠSharing Space; 
Birds of Tokyo ΠUniverses.
If you could be any musician, who would 
you be? Eddie Vedder.
Food you could not live without? My 
Fiancé™s cooking.
Favourite sporting team? The mighty 
Melbourne Demons.
Sporting team you like to dislike? Sydney.
Dream car? Porsche.
Irritations? People who can™t take a joke and have no sense of humour.
What book are you reading now? ‚Turn, 
turn, turn...Please!™ by Kerry O™Keefe.
Favourite golfer? Ernie Els.
Golf handicap? 2.
What do you do to get away from it all? 
Head to the mountains and the bush and go 
bushwalking.Devonport Golf Club is a well-bunkered, tree-lined course situated on the banks of the Mersey River and is about 5-10 minutes from the CBD.AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   53AGCSANEWSThe Sustainable Golf seminars presented across the country in September have 
helped to significantly strengthen relations between the Australian Golf Course 
Superintendents Association (AGCSA) and the 
golf governing body The R&A.The seminars, which were conducted by The R&A™s director of golf course 
management Steve Isaac, proved to be a hit 
with more than 530 course superintendents, 
course maintenance staff, club managers, 
professionals and architects attending the five 
workshops in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, 
Brisbane and Perth.  By way of an introduction, Isaac first discussed the role of the role of The R&A and 
its efforts around the globe before tackling 
the main issue of sustainable golf course 
management practices. One of Isaac™s key 
messages was the crucial need for all golf 
clubs and courses, regardless of whether they 
were a major metropolitan or country facility, 
to set course management goals that were 
realistic in terms of the constraints in which 
they were operating within (e.g.: environmental 
conditions, budgets etc–). At four of the workshops Isaac shared the platform with AGCSA HR and best practice manager Daryl Sellar who talked about the 
balance between cost and quality, highlighting 
the expense of managing labour intensive parts 
of the golf course. In doing so he questioned 
the justification of allotting 25-30 per cent of 
labour costs towards caring for bunkers, which 
are usually considered a hazard.fiThe R&A, the AGCSA and Golf Australia share a similar philosophy with regard to 
course management and presentation,fl says 
Isaac, who was impressed by the Australian 
philosophy of producing firm and dry 
playing surfaces, focusing more on playing 
performance than appearance. fiAddressing 
water restrictions has forced the hand of 
Australian golf clubs, though they seemed to 
be well positioned to adapt to a limited supply 
and the need to find alternative sources to 
drinking water for irrigation. fiThe trip was extremely worthwhile. We have strengthened relations with Golf Australia 
and the AGCSA, and have visited a host of 
courses that are implementing the sort of best 
practice that we want to promote. Many turf 
managers around the world could learn a great 
deal from their counterparts Down Under.flThe seminars were a major undertaking by the AGCSA and more than 18 months in the planning, and both AGCSA general manager 
John Neylan and events manager Simone 
Staples were delighted with the turn out and 
excellent representation across all industry 
sectors.  fiThe topic of sustainable golf has never been more pertinent and fits perfectly with the 
current challenges in Australia of maintaining 
acceptable golfing surfaces during a period of 
climate and economic change,fl says Neylan. fiIn the context of Steve™s presentations I am confident that as an association we are on 
the right path and that Australian golf courses 
in general can meet the challenge. One of 
the most pleasing aspects of the seminar 
series was the excellent mix of attendees 
including golf course superintendents, club 
managers, committee members and club 
professionals. We need to continue to promote 
the sustainable message with the help of Golf 
Australia and the PGA and provide some tools 
and guidance.flAs well as spreading the word on sustainable course management, during his 
three week stay in Australia Isaac was able 
to visit a range of turf facilities to view turf 
management practices. Among the some 
of the venues he visited were Marysville 
Community Golf and Bowls Club which was 
severely damaged in the Black Saturday 
bushfires, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the 
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Royal Sydney Golf 
Club and Adelaide Oval. While in Queensland 
for the Brisbane workshop, Isaac also had 
the opportunity to visit the QPIF Redlands 
Research Station turf research facility and 
Lakelands Golf Club which houses the 
AGCSA™s couchgrass selection trial plots. Isaac will be penning a series of reports on his trip to Australia which will appear on The 
R&A official website www.randa.org The R&A™s director of golf course management Steve Isaac spent three weeks in Australia in September presenting five seminars on sustainable golfSUSTAINABLE GOLF WORKSHOPS STRENGTHEN AGCSA-THE R&A RELATIONSNext time you™re planning a trip across the Nullarbor Plain, make sure you take a set of 
sticks with you. On 22 October the Nullarbor 
Links Golf Course officially opened staking its 
claim as the world™s longest golf course.The 18-hole par 72 golf course stretches over 1365 kilometres from Kalgoorlie in 
Western Australia to Ceduna in South Australia 
and contains 13 synthetic golf greens and 
tees constructed by Victorian company Grass 
That Lasts. Between tee and green there is a rugged outback-style natural terrain fairway, 
while the remaining five holes are played on 
sand greens.Construction of the course took 2000m2 of 25mm sand-filled synthetic impact golf greens, 
1000 tons of crushed rock, sand, rubber and 
turf. Half of this material had to be transported 
over 5000km from Melbourne to the site via 
Perth. The project was three years in the 
planning and the greens and tees took eight 
weeks to construct.While the harsh environmental conditions are testing, the hazards don™t just stop there. 
Brown snakes and death adders add spice to 
the bunkers, while dingoes, kangaroos and 
emus can be seen roaming the rough.NULLARBOR LINKS TEES UP FOR THE LONG HAULOne of the 13 synthetic greens that form part of the new Nullarbor Links Golf Course54     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSA ON THE MOVELong-serving superintendent Scott Harris has drawn the curtains on a 26-year career at Sydney™s Pymble Golf Club. The long-time 
AGCSA member, who was superintendent at 
the course for the past 19 years, handed in 
his resignation in September and finished at 
the end of October. ~~~Busselton Golf Club has appointed final year 
apprentice Ryan Trott to take over from superintendent Callum Hitching who moved on shortly after the Australian Turfgrass 
Conference in Hobart. Hitching, who started 
his turf management career at the Western 
Australian course back in February 2000, 
has taken up a turf consultancy role with the 
Dunsborough-based Sussex Group. During his time at Busselton, Hitching oversaw the installation of a new irrigation 
system and helped to create and implement 
the club™s operations and maintenance 
manual for the storage and use of effluent 
water. He also helped to develop new 
renovation and soil amendment programmes 
and undertook a host of construction work 
including the installation of a new covered 
and bunded fuel bay and wash down bay.~~~After spending the past two years in 
Mauritius, former Royal Sydney Golf Club 
assistant Greg Puckeridge has moved a little closer to home. After overseeing the 
grow-in and subsequent maintenance at the 
Ernie Els-designed Four Seasons Golf Club, 
Puckeridge has taken up a position with 
Turnpoint in Fiji. Puckeridge, whose wife is expecting their second child, is in charge of Turnpoint™s 
operations at the Vijay Singh designed Natadola Golf and Ocean Club, located on 
the south west corner of Viti Levu.~~~Tura Beach Golf Club superintendent Aaron 
Miller has appointed Patrick Wilson as new 
assistant superintendent at the NSW south 
coast course. Serving his apprenticeship at 
the nearby Pambula-Merimbula Golf Club, 
Wilson travelled overseas for three years, first 
as part of the Ohio State Program in the US 
and then the UK. While in the US Wilson worked at Tiburon Golf Club, TPC Sawgrass and was part of the 
crew which prepared the Robert Trent Jones 
Golf Club for the 2005 Presidents Cup. ~~~Following Rodney Ferry™s departure to join 
Michael Freeman at Huntingdale Golf Club, 
Keysborough Golf Club superintendent and 
VGCSA president Brett Chivers has found a 
replacement assistant in the form of Chris 
Allen. Allen, who comes across from Berwick-
Montuna Golf Club where he was assistant to 
Derek Wills, started on 19 October. SUSTAINABLE GOLF WORKSHOPS STRENGTHEN AGCSA-THE R&A RELATIONSJeff GambinCallum Hitching™s wayward golf game, as seen here at Royal Hobart earlier this year, wasn™t behind his decision to leave Busselton Golf Club shortly after the annual conferenceAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   55AGCSAAROUND THE TRADE VIC SMART WATER FUND CALLS FOR ROUND SEVEN APPLICATIONSThe Victorian Government™s Smart Water Fund has announced the availability of $2 million in 
grants to help find and develop smarter ways 
to conserve Victoria™s water supplies. The 
Smart Water Fund is calling on businesses, 
community groups, research organisations and 
individuals with innovative water conservation, 
water recycling and biosolids management 
ideas to apply for funding. The aim of the fund is to provide support to organisations or individuals with innovative 
ideas about water management that can act 
as demonstrations for others to follow and 
implement more broadly. Kingswood Golf Club 
in Melbourne™s south east has been one such 
golf club to benefit from the Smart Water Fund, 
receiving a grant from the last round to aid its 
investigations into the development of an ASR 
scheme. The funding application period is open until Friday 20 November 2009. The assessment 
period takes about eight weeks to complete 
and successful applicants will be notified in 
early 2010. For more information on how to 
apply for Round 7 Smart Water Grants visit 
www.smartwater.com.auCHISHOLM INSTITUTE SIGNS UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH TOROIn a new initiative for the turf management training facilities located at Chisholm Institute™s 
Rosebud Campus, a major partnership 
agreement has been formed with Toro 
Australia. While the financial details of the partnership are still to be agreed upon, the broad outline 
consists of in-principle agreements between 
the two organisations for the purchasing, 
sponsorship and technical support in areas 
such as equipment and machinery, drainage 
and irrigation and the development of new 
training programmes for turf technicians.The first agreement is for new rental arrangements to replace the Victorian-based 
Institute™s current fleet of turf machinery and 
equipment with a new state-of-the-art fleet. 
The second arrangement consists of the 
provision to supply a range of demonstration 
turf construction and renovation machinery 
and equipment when required at strategic 
times of the year. This will enable the Institute™s teaching staff to provide education and training to 
apprentices which would normally not be 
possible with existing financial resources. The agreement also consists of providing a number 
of educational days in the areas of machinery 
and equipment maintenance and cylinder and 
reel technology at Toro™s Melbourne-based 
Braeside facility. The third agreement will see Toro assist teaching staff in the education and training 
in both computerised irrigation design and 
sophisticated irrigation technology. As part 
of this Toro and A&M Watering have already 
donated over $30,000 worth of irrigation 
computer and control technology and irrigation 
sprinkler heads.The final part of the agreement establishes the formation of a ground-breaking industry 
partnership to develop, market and implement 
a range of new educational and training 
programmes in the area of technical training 
to sports turf mechanics and technicians. It 
has been identified by both parties that this 
is an area that is currently absent from the 
vocational and educational training sector. As 
a measure of its commitment Toro has donated 
a new Foley cylinder grinder valued at $34,000.While Chisholm is set to benefit from the new partnership, Toro has also donated 
equipment to the turf management programme 
at Ryde College TAFE in Sydney. Toro has Rain Bird has unveiled its new Integrated 
Control (IC) System which it hopes will 
revolutionise the way superintendents irrigate 
their golf courses. The new system, launched 
in Australia this September, places all the 
control components underground meaning 
it is easier to install, does away with control 
boxes, satellite controllers and decoders, 
uses less copper wire and costs less.By incorporating a small integrated control module (ICM) with each rotor or 
valve, the system allows the course™s central 
control computer to talk directly to the rotors 
thereby bypassing all other previous control 
functions. Rain Bird describes each ICM 
as a fithink centrefl that is built into the 
rotor housing and protected under a flange.  
Existing computer software can control all or 
any of the rotors on the course and they can 
also be contacted via a handheld radio or 
mobile phone.The system effectively does away with the complex components and bundles of 
wire associated with control boxes and Rain 
Bird claims a saving in copper wire of up to 
90 per cent can be made by adopting the 
IC System. With fewer parts and less wiring, 
the IC System is also quicker and easier to 
install.With most IC System components located underground, there is far less 
chance of damage caused by vandals, bad 
weather or above-ground pests.  It also 
means maximum protection from electrical 
surges and lightning.  With control built 
in to the rotor or valve, the IC System 
requires up to 50 per cent fewer splice 
points which further reduces the potential for 
failure. The IC System also offers feedback 
and diagnostic features that enable foolproof 
installation, simplified troubleshooting and 
overall working efficiency.For further information about the new Rain Bird IC System, call Rain Bird 
national sales manager Πgolf, Wayne 
Brown on 0419 669 679, freecall 1800 424 
044 or email wbrown@rainbird.com.auRAIN BIRD IC SYSTEM PUTS TURF MANAGERS IN CONTROLBy incorporating a small integrated control module with each rotor or valve, Rain Bird™s new IC System allows the course™s central control computer to talk directly to the 
rotors, bypassing all other previous control functions56     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAsupplied a Flex 21 walk-behind greensmower as well as three GR3150/3250 ride-on units. BROOKER JOINS PGG WRIGHTSONPGG Wrightson Turf has 
appointed Andrew Brooker as 
territory manager for its turf 
seed business in Australia. 
Brooker joins the turf seed 
team in Melbourne and will support the company™s distributors nationwide 
along with business manager Cameron Henley 
and customer service agent Adam Townsing.Brooker has 15 years™ experience in the turf industry involved with the maintenance 
and management of golf courses throughout 
England and New Zealand. These courses 
included Foxhills Resort, a 45-hole heathland 
complex set in Surrey, UK and Millbrook Resort 
in the South Island of New Zealand. Most recently Brooker was course superintendent at Castlecliff Golf Course on 
the west coast of the North Island of New 
Zealand. He has sports turf and business 
qualifications from the UK and New Zealand 
and is an assessor for the New Zealand Sports 
Turf Institute. Brooker can be contacted on 
0409 351 834.KEEPING AN EYE ON SAFETYSafety gear specialists BOC are keeping 
Australian outdoor workers protected from 
eye injuries and the sun with its range of new 
Umatta safety eyewear Πthe Umatta Redline 
Polarised and Umatta Rev.The Umatta Redline Polarised glasses feature dual, hard coating polarised lens to 
reduce glare from reflective surfaces and have 
a UV400 rating with 100 per cent UV protection. 
Polarisation technology applied to the Umatta Redline Polarised eliminates glare while still 
allowing details and obstacles to be easily 
seen.  This means that drivers are no longer 
affected by the blinding reflection of light 
from car hoods and roads. It also minimises 
the glare from concrete surfaces for outdoor 
workers and allows objects to be seen below 
the surface of the water.The lightweight Umatta Revs have medium impact protection and an anti-fog and anti-
scratch lens coating. They provide true colour 
definition by reducing glare and enhancing 
colour contrast and in the tinted lens style 
come with a UV400 rating providing 100 per 
cent UV protection. The Umatta Revs come 
with lenses available in clear, smoke or brown.GET KITTED Personal protective equipment company 
Sperian has recently released the newest 
product in its face shield line up Πthe Sperian 
Garden Kit. Combining complete protection of 
the eyes and face along with hearing protection, 
the Sperian Garden Kit is engineered to suit 
outdoor working environments where low 
flying velocity objects and noise are common 
workplace hazards.The Sperian Garden Kit comes equipped with a high quality mesh visor, as well as a 
brow guard, for added head protection from 
flying particles, while allowing for good air 
circulation and comfort. Hearing protection 
comes in the form of L1 Leightning earmuffs 
which feature patented Air Flow Control 
technology for optimal attenuation across all 
frequencies without increases in weight or size. 
For further information on the Sperian 
Garden Kit, contact Sperian Protection on 
1300 139 166 or visit www.sperianprotection.
com.auSYNGENTA MAKES NEW HEADWAY IN DISEASE CONTROLSyngenta has developed an innovative new 
fungicide that helps to control and prevent 
the four most problematic and costly diseases 
in turf. Headway MAXX is registered for the 
control and prevention of Pythium, dollar spot, 
winter fusarium, brown patch, anthracnose, 
helminthosporium complex and others.Syngenta has taken the 28-day residual strength of Heritage MAXX and combined the 
fast knockdown technology of Banner MAXX. 
As an added bonus, the cost of Headway 
MAXX is far less than the combination of these 
two fungicides. By combining azoxystrobin and 
propiconazole, Headway MAXX provides dual 
systemic control and protection, above and 
below the ground. Furthermore, a proportion 
of the azoxystrobin remains on the outside of 
the leaf to provide contact protection as well.
For more information about Headway 
MAXX, contact your Syngenta agent, visit 
greencast.com.au or call the Syngenta 
Technical Product Advice Line on 1800 067 
108.Syngenta™s new fungicide Headway MAXXAndrew BrookerAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   57AGCSATURF INDUSTRY BOOKSHOPAGCSA PRODUCED DVD™s ...................................................................Non-Member ....Member(DVD) Environmental Issues for Golf Course Architecture ............................$88.00 ....$66.00(DVD) HR presentation and templates by Daryl Sellar ..................................$88.00 ....$66.00AGCSA PUBLICATIONS .......................................................................Non-Members ....Members2008 Turfgrass Management Diary .................................................................$86.25 ....$73.30Sportsturf Protection Manual -The Complete Guide to all Turf Protection Products .......................................$253.00 ....$215.05Improving the Environmental Management of New South Wales Golf Courses .......................................................................$57.50 .....$50.00Improving the Eco-Efficiency of Golf Courses in Queensland ...........................$57.50 .....$50.00GOLF ....................................................................................................Non-Member ....Member A Century of Greenkeeping .....................................................................      $142.36 ....$123.80A Natural Course for Golf ..............................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80A Practical Guide to Ecological Management on the Golf Course .....................$87.04 ......$73.98Best Golf Course Management Practices .......................................................$316.25 ....$275.00 Bird Conservation on Golf Courses  .................................................................$94.88 ......$82.50Bunkers, Pits & Other Hazards ......................................................................$194.11 ....$168.80Cricket Grounds ............................................................................................$208.39 ....$181.30Cricket Wickets: Science & Fiction ..................................................................$62.50 ......$50.00Discovering Donald Ross-The Architect & His Golf Courses...........................$300.49 ....$261.30Ecological Golf Course Management .............................................................$197.68 ....$171.90A Guide to Golf Course Irrigation System, Design & Drainage ........................$253.00 ....$220.00Golf Course Architecture -Design, Construction & Restoration .......................$208.49 ....$181.30Golf Architecture Œ A World Perspective Vol 3 Œ Paul Daley .............................$63.25 ......$55.00Golf Course Design .......................................................................................$221.38 ....$192.50Golf Course Irrigation: Environmental Design & Mgmt Practices ....................$221.38 ....$192.50Golf Course Management & Construction ......................................................$445.63 ....$387.50Golf Course Tree Management  .....................................................................$151.00 ....$131.30Golf Course Turf Management: Tools and Techniques ....................................$316.25 ....$275.00Golf Facility Planning .....................................................................................$222.86 ....$193.80Golf Greens and Greenkeeping ......................................................................$155.25 ....$135.00How to Build a Sand based Golf Green.............................................................$86.00 ......$75.00Human Resource Management for Golf Course Superintendents ....................$126.50 ....$110.00IPM Handbook for Golf Courses ....................................................................$197.68 ....$171.90Keepers of the Green: A History of GC Management ......................................$150.29 ....$130.70 Managing Wildlife Habitats on Golf Courses  .................................................$150.29 ....$130.70Masters of the Links-Essays on Art of Golf Course Design ..............................$87.04 ......$75.70Practical Golf Course Maintenance Œ Magic of Greenkeeping .........................$173.99 ....$151.30Problem Solving in Golf courses, Sportsfields, the Landscape, 
and Racecourses ............................................................................................$80.00  .....$70.00Rough Meditations (HB) ..................................................................................$87.04 ......$75.70Superintendents Handbook of Financial Management ....................................$126.50 ....$110.00Sustainable Golf Course:Guide to Environmental Stewardship ........................$165.36 ....$143.80The Care of the Golf Course Œ 2nd Edition .....................................................$166.06 ....$144.40The Cricket Pitch & its Outfield ......................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80The Golden Age of Golf Design  ....................................................................$221.38 ....$192.50The Golf Rules Dictionary ..............................................................................$158.15 ....$137.50The Golf Course Œ Planning, Design, Const and Mgmt - HB only ........................$366.61 ....$318.80The Good Doctor Returns ................................................................................$71.18 ......$61.90The Life and Work of Dr Alistair Mackenzie ....................................................$215.63 ....$187.50The Links ......................................................................................................$189.75 ....$165.00The Sand Putting Green - Construction & Mgmt (leaflet)..................................$28.51 ......$24.80The Sandbelt .................................................................................................$156.25 ....$135.90 The Spirit of St. Andrews  .............................................................................$102.81 ......$89.40The Superintendent™s Guide to Controlling Green Speed .................................$142.36 ....$123.80Turf Management for Golf Courses ................................................................$363.74 ....$316.30SOILS ...................................................................................................Non-Member ....MemberGrowing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf  .............................................$100.63 ......$87.50Bioremediation of Contaminated Soils: Agronomy Monograph 37 ..................$347.88 ....$302.88Introduction to Soil Microbiology ...................................................................$173.99 ....$151.30Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants Œ 2nd Edition .............................................$205.61 ....$178.80Practical Soil Management ..............................................................................$57.50 ......$50.00Principles of Soil Chemistry Œ 3rd Edition ......................................................$208.49 ....$181.30Soil Analysis: An Interpretation manual ..........................................................$194.11 ....$168.80Soil Fertility Evaluation and Control................................................................$180.25 ....$156.74Soils & Soil Management ..............................................................................$257.36 ....$223.80Soils & Their Environment .............................................................................$215.63 ....$187.50Turfgrass Œ No 32 in the series Agronomy ....................................................$221.38 ....$192.50TURF & PESTS .....................................................................................Non-Member ....MemberAusgrass: Grasses of Australia: CD-Rom & Manual.................................–..$142.36 ....$123.80Australian Weed Control Handbook - 10th Edition ..........................................$110.74 ......$96.30Beards Turfgrass Encylopedia for Golf Courses, Ground, Lawns
And Sportsfields ...........................................................................................$395.36 ....$343.80Biological Control of Weeds ..........................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80Bowling Greens ΠA Practical Guide ................................................................$35.99 ......$31.30Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases..................................................................$270.25 ....$235.00Color Atlas of Turf  Weeds ............................................................................$308.78 ....$268.50Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases ................................................................$71.88 ......$62.50Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases 3rd Edition ON SPECIAL ........................$110.00 ......$98.00Complete Guide to Pest Control With & Without Chemicals ............................$208.49 ....$181.30Controlling Turfgrass Pests 2nd Edition .........................................................$337.87 ....$293.80Creeping Bentgrass Management - Summer Stresses ...................................$184.00 ....$160.00Cricket Grounds ............................................................................................$208.49 ....$181.30Cricket Wickets ΠScience vs Fiction ...............................................................$75.00 ......$65.00CSIRO Handbook of Australian Weeds ............................................................$79.11 ......$68.80Destructive Turfgrass Insect - Biology, Diagnosis & Control .......................... $258.75 ....$225.00Diseases of Turfgrass ...................................................................................$345.00 ....$300.00Diseases of Turfgrass CD-Rom .....................................................................$316.25 ....$275.00Fertilisers for Turf ............................................................................................$79.11 ......$68.80Field Guide to Weeds in Australia ..................................................................$136.61 ....$116.10Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management .......................................................$181.12 ....$157.50Fundamentals of Weed Science 2nd Edition...................................................$237.24 ....$206.30Gardening with Grasses ..................................................................................$86.25 ......$75.00 Grasses of New South Wales ..........................................................................$51.75 ......$45.00Grasses of Temperate Australia ΠA Field Guide .............................................$103.50 ......$90.00Grasses: Systematics & Evolution .................................................................$251.61 ....$218.80Handbook of IPM for Turf & Ornamentals ......................................................$337.86 ....$293.80International Turf Management Handbook ......................................................$337.86 ....$293.80Lawn Care ΠA Handbook for Professionals ...................................................$222.86 ....$193.80Management of Turfgrass Diseases -3rd Edition ............................................$244.37 ....$212.50Managing Bermudagrass Turf ΠSelection & Construction .............................$229.31 ....$199.40Managing Turfgrass Pests .............................................................................$359.38 ....$312.50Manual of Grasses ........................................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80Mathematics of Turfgrass Maintenance Π3rd Edition.....................................$126.50 ....$110.00Native Grasses:Handbook for Temperate Australia 3rd Edition ..........................$38.86 ......$33.80Natural Turf for Sport & Amenity ...................................................................$173.99 ....$151.30Noxious Weeds of Australia ΠRevised Edition ...............................................$280.36 ....$243.80Nursery & Landscape Weed Control Manual ..................................................$142.36 ....$123.80Organic Control of Weeds ...............................................................................$26.67 ......$23.20Picture Perfect, Mowing Tech for Lawn, Sports & Turf ..................................$122.24 ....$106.30Poa Annua ΠPhysiology, Culture & Control of Annual Grasses ......................$174.22 ....$151.20Rootzones, Sands & Top Dressing Materials for Sports Turf ..........................$122.24 ....$106.30Salt Affected Turfgrass Sites .........................................................................$221.38 ....$192.50Sands for Sports Turf Construction & Maintenance .........................................$79.11 ......$68.80Seashore Paspalum ΠThe Environmental Turfgrass .......................................$213.54 ....$185.70 Sports Fields ΠA Manual for Design, Construction & Maintenance ................$253.00 ....$220.00Sports Turf & Amenity Grasses ΠA  Manual for Use & Identification .............$122.24 ....$106.30Sports Turf & Amenity ΠGrassland Management ..........................................$158.13 ....$137.50Sports Turf - Science, Construction & Maintenance ......................................$316.25 ....$275.00Tree, Turf, Ornamental Pesticide Guide ..........................................................$115.00 ....$100.00Turf Irrigation Manual ....................................................................................$179.74 ....$156.30Turf Managers HBK for Golf Course Construction, Renovation & Grow-In .....................................................................................................$213.54 ....$185.70Turf Weeds and Their Control (HB) ................................................................$313.38 ....$272.50Turfgrass: Agronomy Monograph No 32........................................................$221.38 ....$192.50Turfgrass Diseases & Associated Disorders ..................................................$115.00 ....$100.00Turfgrass Installation, Management & Maintenance .......................................$337.86 ....$293.80Turfgrass Maintenance Reduction Handbook ΠSports & Golf ........................$258.75 ....$225.00Turf Management in the Transition Zone ........................................................$156.25 ....$132.80 Turfgrass Management Π7th Edition .............................................................$284.63 ....$247.50Turfgrass Management Information Directory ................................................$126.50 ....$110.00Turfgrass Patch Diseases ..............................................................................$194.11 ....$168.80Turfgrass Pests ...............................................................................................$94.88 ......$82.50Turgrass Problems: Picture Clues & Management Options ON SPECIAL .........$ 64.70 ......$56.30 Turfgrass Science & Culture ..........................................................................$323.49 ....$281.30Turfgrass Science & Management 3rd Edition ...............................................$222.86 ....$193.80Turfgrass Soil Fertility & Chemical Problems .................................................$287.50 ....$250.00Weeds an Illustrated Guide to Weeds of Australia ..........................................$197.68 ....$171.90Weed Science: Principles & Practices ...........................................................$284.63 ....$247.50Weed Ecology: Implications for Management 2nd Edition ..............................$401.11 ....$348.80Weed Control Handbook: Principles 8th Edition .............................................$363.74 ....$316.30WATER & IRRIGATION .........................................................................Non-Member ....MemberAgricultural Salinity & Drainage ....................................................................   $79.11 ......$68.80Design & Construction of Small Earth Dams ..............................................   $230.00 ....$200.00Drainage for Sportsturf & Horticulture (PB) .....................................................$58.53 ......$50.90Drip Irrigation Management leaflet ...................................................................$11.50 ......$10.00Evaluating Turfgrass Sprinkler Irrigation Systems (leaflet) ................................$11.50 ......$10.00Fertigation .....................................................................................................$253.00 ....$220.00Nitrates in Groundwater ................................................................................$251.61 ....$218.80Simplified Irrigation Design 2nd Edition .........................................................$196.29 ....$170.70The Surface Irrigation Manual .......................................................................$316.25 ....$275.00Turf Irrigation Manual ....................................................................................$186.88 ....$162.50Wastewater Re-use for Golf Course Irrigation ................................................$316.25 ....$275.00Water in Australia: Resources & Management ...............................................$136.55 ....$118.75BEST SELLERS FOR 2008 - 2009
Turf Managers Handbook for Golf Course Construction and Grow-In ΠB. Charles 
Destructive Turfgrass Insects, Biology, Diagnosis and Control ΠDaniel A. Potter
Discovering Donald Ross-The Architect & His Golf Courses ΠBradley S. KleinGrowing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf  Π3rd Edition ΠK. Handreck, N. Black
Golf Course Management & Construction ΠEnvironmental Issues ΠJames Balogh and W. Walker
Golf Course Irrigation System ΠDesign and Drainage ΠEdward Pira
Keepers of the Green ΠA History of Golf Course Management ΠBob Labbance
Turf Managers Handbook for Golf Course Construction, Renovation and Grow-In ΠB. Charles 
Turf Management for Golf Courses ΠJames B. Beard 
Turfgrass Soil Fertility & Chemical Problems ΠR. N. Carrow, Waddington & RiekePlease note: All prices include GST -  Prices are subject to change without notice
Please contact the AGCSA for confirmation of prices.The AGCSA has an extensive range of books that can ordered through the AGCSA website, and also through the accompanying order form. 
Postage: $9.90 for first book and $1.10 for every book after. BOOK SHOP58     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAWith increased use of alternative irrigation water sources on turfgrass 
and landscape sites, management challenges related to irrigation water 
are becoming more complex and whole 
ecosystems-oriented. In response to this, three 
of the US turf industry™s most prominent figures 
have combined to pen a book which provides a 
comprehensive, science-based and practical-
based understanding of irrigation water quality.Two of the authors will be well known to Australian turf practitioners. Ronny Duncan 
and Bob Carrow have established themselves 
as two of the world™s foremost experts in turf 
and together have written a plethora of books 
and research articles which have become 
essential reference tools for superintendents 
and turf managers. For this book, Duncan and 
Carrow have teamed with former Southern 
Californian golf course superintendent and 
USGA agronomist Michael Huck, who since 
2003 has provided independent consulting 
to the industry regarding turfgrass, soils, 
water quality, irrigation audits and water 
management.Together the triumvirate has produced the authoritative ‚Turfgrass and Landscape 
Irrigation Water Quality: Assessment and Management.™ Over 464 pages, they identify 
and present practical management options 
for problems that may occur over the whole 
spectrum of irrigation water movement, 
from issues occurring at the initial water 
source, delivery system, storage in lakes or 
ponds, application on grasses and soils and 
subsurface or surface environmental concerns. The book, which is dedicated to US water expert Dr. James Watson for his many years 
of educational and research activities for the 
turfgrass industry, is split into four distinct 
sections. Part One is titled Understanding 
Assessment of Irrigation Water and contains 
four chapters looking at irrigation water quality 
concerns, constituents of concern in irrigation 
water, water quality tests and field monitoring.In Part Two ΠIrrigation Water Quality Situations and Management Πbest 
management practices are presented 
for irrigation water sources ranging from 
ultrapure, saline (slightly brackish to seawater 
blends), reclaimed, stormwater runoff and 
drainage water reuse. Part Three examines 
in detail management options for site-specific 
problems including irrigation system design 
for poor quality water, effective leaching of 
saline/sodic sites, water treatment, nutritional considerations with variable quality water, and 
lake, pond and stream management.The concluding section addresses potential environmental concerns related to 
the use of variable quality irrigation sources on 
landscapes and recreational turfgrass areas 
from the landscape to watershed levels. This 
section also contains eight case studies, while 
there is an extensive list of global landscape 
plants relative to their salinity tolerance 
presented in the appendix.The diversity and nature of various water quality related challenges are quite daunting, 
even for the most seasoned profession. This 
book provides a foundation for understanding 
the complexities of water quality that is 
certain to lead to science-based management 
decisions that are environmentally friendly and 
sustainable for years to come.
To order this book, contact AGCSA 
membership coordinator Lyndel Conway on 
(03) 9548 8600 or email info@agcsa.com.
au.    Turfgrass and Landscape Irrigation Water Quality: Assessment and ManagementBy R.R. Duncan, R. N. Carrow and M. HuckCRC/Taylor and Francis, 2009. ORDER FORM - ORDERS CAN ALSO BE EMAILED TO info@agcsa.com.auName:  ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................Postal Address:  ..............................................................................................................................................................................................City/Suburb:   .......................................................................................................................State: .................................................................Postcode:  .............................................................................Daytime Phone Number/Mobile: ..................................................................... Please supply the following books:QTY BOOK TITLE AUTHOR PRICE  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Subtotal: ..........................................................   Please add postage ($9.90 for the first book,  Each additional book $1.10 per book)  Total now due: $  ............................................  I enclose my cheque/money order made payable to the AGCSA, or Please charge this purchase to my credit card accountMastercard  VisaCard Number: ................................................................................................................................. Expiry Date: ............................. / ................................................................................................... Cardholder Name: .......................................................................................................................... Address: .......................................................................................................................................... Signature: ........................................................................................................................................ Send completed order form and payments to:Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, 
Clayton, VIC 3168
Phone: (03) 9548 8600 
Fax: (03) 9548 8622 
Email: info@agcsa.com.auBOOK REVIEWAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   59AGCSA        STATE REPORTSTGAA WAWe have just had the annual Pro-Am run through south east Queensland 
and northern New South Wales and from all reports our GCSAQ members did 
themselves proud. All courses were turned 
out in great condition, especially considering 
the dry conditions. Yes, you heard right Œ DRY!It™s amazing what a couple of months can do as two issues ago I was bemoaning 
the fact that we had nearly 2100mm of rain 
in seven months. In the last three months 
we™ve had just 36mm!  As luck would have it 
my greens renovation is two weeks away and 
corresponds with the long range forecast for 
the first serious rain event of the season!Back to the Pro-Ams and the dry conditions gave superintendents the chance to provide 
hard and fast putting surfaces which certainly 
separated the men from the boys.  Special 
mention must go to Brian Cox and his crew at 
Murwillumbah Golf Club who presented just 
about the best greens I have ever putted on. This sentiment was echoed by numerous professionals on the day with comments such 
as fithe best greens outside the main Tourfl and 
fibest country golf course in Australiafl. The 
playing surfaces were an absolute credit to 
Coxy and those comments weren™t necessarily 
from the winners either.There is still some construction work proceeding around the state with Charlie 
Giffard (Indooroopilly Golf Club) reporting that 
the club started work on Stage 6 of the West 
Course redevelopment on 19 October. This 
entails the infill of the current lake on the 
1st which allows fairway widening and the 
incorporation of three new fairway bunkers. 
This will give the par 5 hole a total of six fairway 
bunkers and one greenside bunker.  The tees 
will then be attended to by adding another two 
boxes plus a new ladies tee box. The plan is to 
then modify some bunkers on a par 3 hole on 
the Gold Course, as well as build a complete 
new tee complex for the hole. Sanctuary Cove hosted the most recent GCSAQ meeting where host superintendent 
Robin Doodson is busy overseeing the 
revamping of the Palms Course.  Three holes 
have been completed to date with others at 
various stages of completion. GCSAQ member 
Ross Watson happens to be the archie on both 
sites which surely would be unusual for him to 
have two concurrent projects so close to his 
Gold Coast home.Prior to our meeting at the Cove we hosted Steve Isaac™s Sustainable Golf seminar 
at Nudgee Golf Club in Brisbane.  The day 
coincided with our supers/managers day which 
was well subscribed with a number of golf 
club committee representatives in attendance.  Steve was an excellent speaker and very 
approachable and fielded questions for quite 
some time.  Congratulations and thanks to 
Simone Staples for her work in organising the 
logistics of Steve™s tour.Finally, I recently had the pleasure of visiting Jeff and Karen Gambin at their new 
hideaway in the Gold Coast hinterland and 
am happy to report that life couldn™t be better 
for them.  Pulling up at the front gate to be 
greeted by Jeff resplendent in gumboots and 
Rabbitohs cap with a grin from ear to ear was a 
great sight.  Having personally been through a 
bit of what Jeff has experienced in his working 
life recently, I couldn™t have been happier for 
him and he barely took a breath telling me 
about his new lease on life and how well he is 
being looked after.  For those who don™t know, Jeff is the property manager for a Gold Coast 
businessman™s ‚country estate™.  Jeff has to 
pinch himself every morning to make sure it 
isn™t all a dream, although he is fretting about 
having never lived so far from the beach.   
And yes, as expected, the front lawn, all two 
hectares of it, gets striped up whenever the 
owner is in residence!PETER LONERGANPRESIDENT, GCSAQGCSAQThe TGAA WA held its ninth annual general 
meeting on Wednesday 26 August. 
At the meeting long-serving president Peter Ruscoe chose to step down after more 
than six years at the helm. During that time, 
Peter™s natural statesmanship and consistent 
professionalism helped guide the executive 
committee and established the TGAA WA 
as one of the most respected turf industry 
organisations in the state.The TGAA WA is greatly appreciative of Peter™s excellent voluntary work and looks 
forward to a continuing relationship as his 
focus turns back on his company Sports Turf 
Technology which he operates in partnership 
with Ken Johnston. The 2009-2010 TGAA WA 
committee now comprises:
President: Tony Guy (All Saints™ College)
Treasurer: Hugh Gardner (Swan City Council) Secretary: Clint Betts (Baileys) Events Officer: John Forrest (Challenger TAFE)  Before the meeting came to a close, Dick Lovegrove, one of the association™s respected senior members and a veteran stalwart of 
the local industry, took the opportunity to 
engage with those assembled and made 
an impassioned speech about guarding the 
resources and future of the WA turf industry. 
He spoke warnings against complacency and 
being lulled into a false sense of trust of 
others unknown determining the direction and 
security of the local industry.Following the meeting the members were privileged with a guided tour of the recently 
completed AK Reserve Athletics Stadium in 
Mt Claremont. After hearing the history of 
woes during the turf installation and then to 
see the end result was a true testament to the 
tenacity and professionalism that experienced 
operators such as Phil O™Neil espouse. TONY GUYPRESIDENT, TGAA WAAt the recent TGAA WA AGM members were able to view the recently completed AK Reserve Athletics Stadium in Mt Claremont 60       AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTGAA VICAnother spring is upon us and what a welcome sight the rain has been! With 
rainfall falling on the respective areas that we manage and in the catchments, fingers 
crossed we will have a good year ahead.The TGAA VIC recently held its AGM and OH&S day with a couple of new faces coming 
on to the board and the handing over of the 
presidential reins. Rob Sundblom has moved 
on from the role of president and on behalf of 
the committee I would like to thank him for the 
passion he brought and the service he gave 
the association during this time. I would like to welcome Grant Greenway, Matt Merrick and Danny Edmunds to the 
committee in their respective positions and 
wish the current committee all the best for 
the remainder of the year. The full TGAA VIC 
committee is:
President: Nathan Tovey (Mt Scopus College)
Vice-president: Peter Todd (City of Glen Eira)Vice-president/Education: Mike Walker (Biogreen)
Secretary: Danny Edmunds (City of Casey)Treasurer: Garry Woolard (City of Frankston)Membership: Grant Greenway (ETP)Activities: Adrian Black (Melbourne & Olympic Parks Trust) 
Marketing: Matt Merrick (Heritage Seeds)The TGAA VIC also recently held a very successful day, in conjunction with Cricket 
Victoria, for volunteer curators at the Harry 
Trott Oval. The day was attended by 45 people 
from all over Victoria. Dana James (Frankston 
City Council) and Danny Edmunds (City of 
Casey) spoke about the basics of turf wicket 
preparation and provided some handy hints along the way. The TGAA VIC commissioned 
a manual, written by John Shannon, and 
distributed this on the day which was a 
fantastic addition.Coming up, the TGAA has its Summer Seminar at Strathmore Cricket Club (Lebanon 
Reserve, Strathmore) on Wednesday 18 
November, 2009. Guest speaker will be 
Adelaide Oval curator Les Burdett and the day 
is sponsored by Anco Seed and Turf, Lilydale 
Instant Lawn and StrathAyr. The next Regional 
Seminar will be in the Colac area in March 
2010. Keep an eye on the website for further 
details which should be available in the next 
few months.Finally, I would like to remind members of our Accreditation Program with information and 
application forms available to be downloaded 
from our website Πwww.tgaa.asn.au. Visit the 
website or contact Sue Bailey at the office. 
Alternatively, you can bring the completed 
forms to the Summer Seminar and go in the 
draw to win free accreditation.NATHAN TOVEYPRESIDENT, TGAA VICAdelaide Oval curator Les Burdett will be guest speaker at the TGAA VIC Summer Seminar in NovemberAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   61HERO/TOR3431JFor more information call 1800 356 372 www.toro.com.auThe Graden GSR 1200 Roller
The most innovative roller aroundSTATE REPORTSSpring has arrived in Adelaide and most clubs have enjoyed some reasonable 
winter and early spring rainfall.  I am sure most of us have been busy with the 
usual renovation works and preparing for the 
irrigation season ahead.  It was great to see so many faces at the AGCSA Sustainable Golf workshop 
which was hosted at The Grange Golf Club 
on 17 September.  Steve Isaac (The R&A) 
and Daryl Sellar (AGCSA) presented on a 
range of topics relating to sustainable golf 
management.  With a significant number 
of clubs represented by committee/board 
members on the day, it was great to be able 
to showcase our industry by demonstrating 
our commitment to sustainability.  Thanks go 
to host superintendent Richard James and 
the staff at The Grange for providing a quality 
venue for the seminar.  I was fortunate enough to be able to spend the day with Steve and Daryl on the Friday 
after the seminar and we visited Adelaide 
Oval, Glenelg Golf Club, Royal Adelaide Golf 
Club and Adelaide Shores.  As the case had 
been in other states, Steve was impressed 
by the quality of the surfaces being produced 
relative to the available resources we have to 
work with.  Steve often had the camera out 
and was regularly deep in the undergrowth 
photographing native vegetation and birds 
and it soon became evident that he was very 
passionate about the use and protection of the 
natural environment on golf courses.The SAGCSA Superintendents/General Managers professional development seminar 
was held at Murray Bridge Golf Club on 
20 August and was also well attended.  
Topics covered on the day included crisis 
management and asset tracking and management.  Both topics invoked plenty of 
thought and discussion and those who chose 
to played a game of golf afterwards.  Thanks 
go to superintendent Mal Grundy and Murray 
Bridge for allowing us to host the day there. 
The course was a credit to Mal and staff who 
face all sorts of battles trying to keep the track 
in good condition.  Our next meeting will be held in February at Mt Barker Golf Club and will have the theme 
‚Renovating Old Greens™.  Host superintendent 
Sam Sherriff has been trialling different 
renovation techniques and it will be interesting 
to see the results. I hope the rains continue 
and that the remainder of spring treats you 
all well.   ANDREW BLACKERPRESIDENT, SAGCSASAGCSASTA QLDWe have arrived! On 2 October 2009, 
the Office of Fair Trading approved 
our application to incorporate our association, and we now have official 
notification of that decision. A bank account 
has been opened with the National Bank and 
we have an ABN. We are now ready to do all 
of the things that you want your association 
to do.To comply with the relevant act to incorporate, and in the interim period until 
our AGM, the following members were 
nominated by the steering committee of the 
unincorporated association and voted into 
these positions:
President: Mal Caddies (Suncorp Stadium)
Treasurer: Matt Roche (QPIF)Secretary: Jim Brown (Toro Australia)The above positions along with all committee positions will be declared vacant 
at the AGM and nominations will then be 
asked for in accordance with the rules of our 
association. Due to the seasonal nature of the sports turf industry, it was decided that our end of 
financial year will be 31 March each year, 
and our AGM will follow that in April of each 
year, the first being in April 2010. Pro-rata 
membership fees will be in place to take those 
that wish to be members up until the end of our 
financial year.We are now seeking commitments from those individuals and companies that 
wish to become members and/or sponsor 
the association, and would welcome you to 
contact us to discuss. These sponsorships 
will be used to fund the open days and 
educational seminars we wish to present, and 
give the association its working capital. The 
businesses and organisations that provide the 
sponsorship will have first option on displaying 
and presenting their products and services at 
each of the days we will organise, as well as 
meeting regularly with our members.We will be holding a membership drive on Tuesday 17 November at Port of Brisbane 
where we will have available membership 
application forms to complete. For those who can not make it on that day, please ask us to 
send one out for you to return to us with the 
membership fee.Pro-rata rates for membership (to 31 March 2010) are $25 (individual membership), 
$120 (firm or company membership, for 
organisations such as councils with more 
than six employees), and $15 (student 
membership).This has been a giant first step for the association, and we believe there are exciting 
times ahead. The association has been created 
to provide education, training opportunities and 
enhance the professionalism of greenkeepers 
who are involved in managing sports turf 
facilities in Queensland. The more members and organisations that support us, the more we can deliver on 
the outcomes we are all looking for. We look 
forward to seeing you all soon and value your 
commitment of support.MALCOLM CADDIES,PRESIDENT, STA QLD62       AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTIME FOR WATER QUALITY TESTING! Let us provide you with a truly independent water quality report Send samples toPh. 03 9548 8600Fax. 03 9548 8622Email. john@agcsa.com.auEmail. andrew@agcsa.com.auEmail. jgeary@agcsa.com.auSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn RoadClayton 3168 VicAGCSATechThe GCSAWA has been in direct negotiations with the Department 
of Water and the Water Corporation (yes, two different government departments 
handling water issues) regarding sprinkler 
bans during July and August. At the latest 
meeting in early August, the GCSAWA has 
formally asked for the following exemptions 
and I am very confident that they will be 
approved:  Golf greens and tees;  Irrigation maintenance, including sprinkler 
testing, pipe flushing and pump station 
servicing;  The maintenance of turf, including the 
watering in of pesticides so as to provide a 
safer environment for customers and staff;  Golf courses that harvest stormwater be 
exempt and effluent water users when 
the producers of effluent water require 
expelling of excessive reserves of 
wastewater for environmental purposes. Graeme Passmore from drumMuster has kindly donated two bulk cages that will 
be at Wembley Golf Complex and Gosnells 
Golf Club where superintendents can drop 
off their CLEANED containers for collection. 
drumMuster will also be giving a 20 minute 
cleaning demonstration after the last Golf 
Masters Cup day at Lakelands Golf Club on 
10 November. On the subject of the Golf Masters Cup, the final is set to be a nail-biter with any one 
of four in a winning position so a competitive 
morning of golf is at hand. Thanks again to 
the major sponsors for making this event 
possible. Next year we plan to incorporate the major sponsors into a presentation on their 
nominated day to add some technical input 
to the event and hopefully encourage more 
superintendents to participate.The GCSAWA has come across some research work on golf courses which we 
consider detrimental to our industry. The 
research is titled ‚Encouraging the golf industry 
to take strategic waste initiatives™ and comes in 
two parts. This research has many implications 
for our industry if noticed and taken as normal 
practice. The GCSAWA does not support the 
findings in any of the reports. There is no doubt trial work in the turf industry is beneficial, however, in a climate of 
limited funds for research it is important that 
communication between groups is essential. 
To trial products in the golf course industry 
there needs to be collaboration between 
parities for the best outcome for all, not just for 
a select group. This works very well with the 
University of Western Australia turf research 
committee where all associations and groups 
are incorporated.The message our association would like to get across to our members is not to 
support any research on your golf club unless 
sanctioned by our association. I know carrots 
may be dangled offering free soil tests and 
other incentives, but the bigger picture of what 
is happening in our industry must be a priority. 
Unfortunately poorly informed government 
departments take some information as 
gospel and can change legislation or impose 
restrictions on our industry based on this sort 
of wrong information.  The Department of Environment along with the Swan River Trust, Department of Agriculture 
of Food WA and the Water Corporation has 
formed the framework for implementation of 
the Fertiliser Action Plan. This has come from 
three ministeries ΠWater, Environment and 
Agriculture. Together they have developed a 
Government Seniors Officers Group which 
oversees several working groups that will help 
define and regulate the phosphorus use in 
high risk areas throughout WA. The GCSAWA 
is part of the end users group which will help 
to provide guidelines.In other news, the GCSAWA along with the PGA WA are in negotiations about having 
a joint awards night in early 2010. This will 
include awarding our Superintendent of the 
Year, Apprentice of the Year, Environmental 
Award and a Distinguished Service Award. The 
PGA would like to include WAGA, GMJGF and 
WGWA and this would create a great industry 
awards night for golf in WA.The GCSAWA AGM was held recently at The Vines and was well attended with no major 
issues raised. We welcome Des Russell onto 
the committee, while Brad Anderson has taken 
on the secretarial duties giving Brad Sofield 
a much-deserved rest. I™m sure the current 
committee will endeavor to fulfill all members™ 
needs. The committee consists of:
President: Darren Wilson
Vice-president/Secretary: Brad AndersonTreasurer: Craig NewCommittee: Brad Sofield, Glenn Cross, Simon Bourne, Des Russell and Geoff Kirk.DARREN WILSONPRESIDENT, GCSAWAGCSAWAThe STA NSW recently held its Annual 
General Meeting and has appointed a 
new committee to take the association through the next 12 months.  I am once again 
very pleased to accept the role of president 
and thank all the previous committee for their 
hard work and dedication to our association.  This year we also adopted a few changes to our constitution with the main change 
being the number of committee members, 
now capped at 12.  The full committee for 
2009/2010 is:
President: Graeme Logan (ANZ Stadium) 
Vice-presidents: Gary Hoy (Knox Grammar School) and Chris Chapman (Millers Turf) 
Treasurer: Nadeem Zreikat (Colin Campbell Chemicals) General committee: Frank Dempsey (TAFE NSW), Paul Jackson (Barmac), Julie-Ann Davey 
(Vermont Sands), Jerry Spencer (Endeavour 
Turf Products), Joel Toogood (Green 
Horticulture), Richard Herring (Marrickville 
Council), Paul Chalmers (St Aloysius College) 
and Peter Douglas (Turfcare NSW)I would like to especially thank former committee members Tony Janson, Dave 
McGlynn, Richard Odd, Peter Parcsi and 
Jim Linigen for their support over the years 
and while they may not be officially on the 
committee we know that they will be assisting 
behind the scenes.We are busy working on our final event for the year Œ the Sportsman™s Charity Luncheon 
on Friday 13 November at Parramatta Leagues Club Πand are pleased to announce that Brett 
Kimmorley from the Bulldogs Rugby League 
Club will be our guest speaker.  This year the chosen charity is ‚Movember™. We felt that this was a very relevant charity 
especially for such a predominantly male 
industry as ours is.  Movember raises funds 
for men™s health awareness through Beyond 
Blue and the Prostate Cancer Foundation. 
So the challenge is on to see who in the turf 
industry can grow the best moustache.  We are 
looking forward to a great event and welcome 
everyone to come along. All details can be 
found on our website www.sportsturf.asn.auGRAEME LOGANPRESIDENT, STA NSWSTA NSWAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT   63        STATE REPORTSVGCSAAs we move through spring and into what is expected to be another long, 
dry summer, many superintendents are in the midst of renovating their courses. Again 
we have had below average rainfalls and it is 
expected harsher restrictions will be placed 
on certain areas of the state. I can only wish 
all superintendents the best for this coming 
summer and hope you survive yet another 
long and tough period.At the time of writing this report Marysville Community Golf and Bowls Club was about 
to open the back nine holes and for the first 
time since the devastating Black Saturday 
bush fires be fully operational. It is a credit 
to Rob Christie and his team the work that 
has gone into getting the course back in 
operation. As always the many volunteers, 
superintendents, groundstaff, trade companies and organisations need to be congratulated and thanked for whenever Rob has needed a 
hand there has always been plenty of support.In August the VGCSA ventured over to Medway Golf Club to hold our education day. 
The focus of the meeting was on the formation 
of the association and how our association has 
evolved. To achieve this we invited all our life 
members to talk. They provided the quorum 
with many stories of how superintendents were 
never allowed in the clubhouse in the early 
years, how the name ‚superintendent™ came 
about, the formation of the VGCSA and many 
other stories. It was enlightening to hear how 
far our association has come and what steps 
were taken to be where we are today.Our sponsors of the day, ITS and Active Safety, both provided informative presentations 
on Calsap and safety products in the workplace respectively. I thank these sponsors for their 
support of the meeting and the association. 
After lunch the group divided into two with 
some brave souls venturing out onto the golf 
course for a hit while the majority followed 
course superintendent Col Winterton around 
on an informative course walk. I would like to 
thank Col Winterton and Medway Golf Club for 
hosting us.The most recent meeting was the VGCSA Turf Research Day at Commonwealth Golf 
Club hosted by superintendent Mark Prosser. 
A strong field of 72 players teed up which 
included superintendents, trade members and 
guests all contesting prizes in mild conditions. 
The course was in fantastic shape and credit 
goes to Mark and his boys. Overall winner on the day was Mark Findlay from Sunshine Golf Club with 37 points. Mark 
collects a $2000 cheque to utilise on any turf 
registered conference. Other winners were: Guest: Daniel Docherty (Globe Australia) 40pts points; Nearest the pins: Kevin Wallis (7th), Mark 
Findlay (9th) and Ken Nagle (15th);  Longest drive: Kai McKay;I would like to thank Bayer Environmental Science for their continual support of this event. It has now been 10 years that Bayer has 
sponsored this day and without their support 
we couldn™t offer such great prizes. In December we head to Huntingdale Golf Club for our second Gala Dinner. This 
night proved very successful last time and we 
expect a large turn out for this one. The night 
will consist of pre-dinner drinks followed by 
a two course meal and then we can dance 
the night away with the band. We will be 
presenting numerous awards on the night 
including the VGCSA Recognition Awards 
for both superintendent and trade member. I 
encourage all members to attend the night as 
it is a great way to finish off the year and have a 
comfortable, relaxed evening with your peers. 
Cost for the night is $88 per couple.We have now allocated golf clubs to host our meetings for 2010. There have been extra 
meetings included in June with the focus on 
education for assistant superintendents, while 
in September we will be reintroducing the 
managers/superintendents golf day.  l would 
like to thank the host clubs for their support 
and allowing the VGCSA to hold an event at 
their club. The 2010 meetings are as follows:
February: Education Day (Hidden Valley Golf Club)
April: Country Meeting (Tocumwal Golf Club)
May: AGM (Metropolitan Golf Club)
June: Assistant Superintendent Meeting 
(Kingston Links)
August: Education Meeting (Eastwood GC)
September: Managers/Superintendent Day 
(Thirteenth Beach Golf Club)
October: Turf Research Day (Riversdale GC)November: Christmas Meeting (Sunshine GC)The VGCSA committee has been analysing the information and views provided 
by members from the recent survey. I thank 
all the members who took the time to fill in the 
survey. It has certainly produced some very 
interesting suggestions and we will take these 
on board and start to implement them in the 
coming year. BRETT CHIVERSPRESIDENT, VGCSACommonwealth Golf Club played host to the recent VGCSA Turf Research Golf DayCommonwealth superintendent Mark Prosser shows The R&As Steve Isaac around during his recent visit64       AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAmerica™s Best Greens RollerNow in AustraliaTen exclusive features for better green maintenance1.Excellent hill-climbing ability2.Exclusive self-trailer feature
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