InstallConfidence.ŽInstallRainBird®Reservoir to Rotor.Look around. Ask around. Nobody else is in a better position to offer golf course professionals completely integrated irrigation systems.
Nobody. Contact your Rain Bird distributor today.Working Hand in Hand toDeliver Completely IntegratedIrrigation SystemsSUBSCRIPTION FORMAustralian 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: Scott Petersen Ph:(03) 9548 8600 scott@agcsa.com.auPresident: Jeff GambinDirectors: Martyn Black Martin Greenwood Jon PenberthyChief Executive Officer: Steven Potts Ph: (03) 9548 8600
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Website: www.agcsa.com.auPrinted by: PrintGraphics, 14 Hardner Road, Mount WaverleyVictoria, 3149 AustraliaProudly supported byCopyright © 2005 The AGCSA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian Turfgrass Management is 
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reproduced without the written permission of the AGCSA.AGCSAI wish to apply for:One year™s subscription to Australian Turfgrass Management(6 editions per year) PLEASE TICK BOXONE COPY PER EDITION $45.10  O/S ONE COPY PER EDITION $66.00   TWO COPIES PER EDITION $82.50  THREE COPIES PER EDITION $121.00  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: ....................................................................................................Bankcard          MasterCard          VisaCard Number:  __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __Expiry Date:  _____/_____
Cardholder Name:  .........................................................................................................................................Address:  ........................................................................................................................................................................Signature:.  .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................Please send me more information about becoming a member of the AGCSAForward to: Australian Turfgrass Management Monash Corporate Centre Suite 1, 752 Blackburn Road Clayton North VIC 3168 FAX: (03) 9548 8622   Prices include GST.August - September 2004August - September 20046.4
6.4Legends HonouredClaude CrockfordMick and Vern MorcomRube WalkerdonGeorge RiibMeeting of MindsFull 20th Australain Turfgrass Conference ReviewAround the TrapsQueensland Projects UpdateFeeding TimeNutrition for Sand GreensxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAround the TrapsQueensland Projects UpdateFeeding TimeNutrition for Sand Greensxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx˜˜˜˜˜
˜Meeting of MindsFull 20th Australain Turfgrass Conference Review˜˚˛˝˙˛ˆˇˇ˜˚˛˝˙˛ˆˇˇ˜˘˜˚˛˝˙ˆ˙˛˜˙ˇˇˇ˜˚˛˝˙ˆ˙˛˜˙ˇˇˇOctober - November 2004October - November 20046.5
6.520042004CentenaryThe OpenHeads Back Home˜˜˜˜˜˜Around the TrapsSA and NT Projects UpdateTech TalkAmmonium Nitrate
ResearchNitrogen LeachingThe OpenHeads Back HomeOpenOne Year, Three TournamentsOne Year, Three TournamentsTournament Preparations in AustraliaAustralianOpenCentenaryDecember - January 2005December - January 20056.6
6.6Kuwait Calling˜˜˜˜˜˜The Perks and PitfallsLiving and Working AbroadThe Warringah VerdictIndustry Status One Year OnResearchBentgrass and Couchgrass TrialsDeveloping Poa annua CultivarsPesticide RunoffAussies Break New Ground in Middle EastKuwait CallingAussies Break 
New Ground in Middle EastISSN 1442-2697RRP $6.00 PLUS                          GSTVOLUME 7.1 FEBRUARY - MARCH 2005EXTREME MAKEOVERS MCG Enters New EraAROUND THE TRAPSNSW Projects UpdateRESEARCH- Integrated Pest Management- Nematodes2004 CENTENARY AUSTRALIAN OPENA Pictorial ReviewEXTREME MAKEOVERS1Australian Turfgrass ManagementSimplot Pro Line Victoria -  Phone 03 9587 4993   Simplot Pro Line NSW  -  Phone 02 8388 8730   Rural Buying Services (Qld) -  Phone 07 5571 6111   Total Turf Pty Ltd (W.A.) -  Phone 08 9488 5263         ˜e Final Word In Turf NutritionGreenskote 0-0-41 Greenskote 18-1.3-14.9                                                            Greenskote 14-0-23.2  Greenskote 19-3-19                                                    Cascade K  21-1-18 Poly Supreme 23-2-8G2A4G6BY THE NUMBERS Œ AND LETTERSManaging the Penn series bents under Australian conditionsBY THE NUMBERS Œ AND LETTERSManaging the Penn series bents under Australian conditionsA1HI-TECH TURFMelbourne Grammar™s Edwin Flack ParkHI-TECH TURFMelbourne Grammar™s Edwin Flack ParkFROM ST ANDREWS TO THE SAHARAA technical officer™s pilgrimageFROM ST ANDREWS TO THE SAHARAA technical officer™s pilgrimageRESEARCH - UWA kikuyu              project- Couchgrass     cross-breeding RESEARCH - UWA kikuyu            
  project- Couchgrass     cross-breeding ISSN 1442-2697RRP $6.00 PLUS                          GSTVOLUME 7.2 APRIL - MAY 2005contentsCOVER: By the numbers Πand lettersManaging the new Penn series bents    6Over the past eight years the new superfine Penn 
series bentgrasses have found gainful employment 
on the greens of a number of Australia™s finest golf 
courses. In ATM™s cover story, a collection of Australian 
superintendents examine some of the key management 
issues with these new bentgrasses under Australian 
conditions, from establishment and playability through 
to thatch management and Poa annua control.Melbourne Grammar™s hi-tech turf 
Edwin Flack Park 14In August 2004, Melbourne Grammar School 
officially opened its new sporting complex 
Edwin Flack Park in Port Melbourne. John 
Harding, from Cardno Young, outlines this 
challenging and unique $15 million project 
which has broken new ground in sportsfield 
construction and is being entered into the 
ACEA Awards for environmental excellence.From St Andrews to The Sahara A technical officer™s pilgrimage 20In January, AGCSATech technical officer 
Andrew Peart was told to get out of the office 
for a few weeks. Heeding the advice, he 
ended up at the 2005 BIGGA conference in 
the UK, visited Open Championship venues 
St Andrews and Royal Liverpool, and stopped 
off in the Middle East to touch base with some 
Australian superintendents who are forging 
new ground in golf course construction and 
maintenance.OPINIONThe Story of Progress 38Rick Brandenburg, turfgrass entomologist with 
North Carolina State University and a regular 
visitor to Australia, talks about dealing with 
negative press affecting turfgrass management 
and how the Australian industry could learn a 
few tips from the experiences of the American 
industry.SPECIAL FEATURES2Australian Turfgrass Management(02) 4578 1013  All varieties of high quality nursery grown turflowlands_strip   21/7/03  4:30 PM  Page 1     March was a special month for me. I was fortunate to have my old man travel across from New Zealand to spend a few quality weeks during which time we took in the Formula 1 
Grand Prix and played a few rounds of (bad) golf.Having been in a different country from my dad for the past five years, you learn to make the most of these brief get togethers and we whiled away the time reminiscing and sharing our 
experiences of where our lives were at this particular juncture.During his stay I took him down to Moonah Links on the Mornington Peninsula, home of this year™s Australian Open. The golf was pretty tragic on my behalf Œ an 11 and two nines on my 
Open scorecard were enough to bring to me too my knees on Leigh Yanner™s firm and fast Penn 
A1 greens. So what does all this have to with Vol 7.2 of ATM? Two reasons. First, one of the great strengths of the Australian golf course turf management industry is the ability and willingness of 
its members to share with others their experiences for the betterment of the profession. Second, 
Moonah Links is one of a number of courses in Australia that has recently adopted the new 
generation Penn series bentgrasses.In ATM™s cover story this edition, eight of Australia™s foremost superintendents share their management experiences with the new Penn bents. The feature examines a gamut of 
management issues ranging from thatch management and Poa annua control right through to the playability and presentation of these superfine varieties.For those superintendents thinking of converting their greens to these bents, then this is a must-read article. Elsewhere in this edition, which also incorporates further changes to the look of the magazine, Andrew Peart gives us a travelogue of his recent jaunt to the UK and Middle East. We have spared 
readers a hole-by-hole account of his first ever round at St Andrews, but he swears black and blue 
he posted an 82 (for the front nine anyway). This edition™s other special feature heads to Melbourne Grammar School™s major new sporting complex Edwin Flack Park. Due to the many unique construction challenges the project faced, it 
is set to be entered into the ACEA Awards for environmental excellence. Construction manager for 
the project John Harding gives us an insight into this four year assignment.  Speaking of construction, John Neylan travels around the country for his AGCSATech Update, detailing some of the new and challenging golf course projects underway in Victoria, Queensland, 
Western Australia and New South Wales.Finally, this edition™s research section examines David Nickson™s Australian first in the development of two new vegetative couchgrass cultivars, while Dr Lousie Barton outlines the University of Western Australia™s new kikuyu research project.Enjoy the read.Brett RobinsonEditorsharing experiencesContributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Volume 7.2Rob Ashes (The Australian Golf Club)Louise Barton (University of WA)
Martyn Black (Castle Hill CC)
Rick Brandenburg (NCSU)
Brett Burgess (Taupo Golf Club, NZ)
Rod Cook (The Grand Golf Club)
Mark Couchman (Cromer Golf Club)
Martin Greenwood 
(Kingston Heath Golf Club)John Harding (Cardno Young)
Peter Harfield (Blackwood Golf Club)
Justin Haslam (TGAA ACT)
Stephen Lewis (Royal Hobart GC)
Graeme Logan (TGAA NSW)
Jim Marchbank (TGAA Vic) 
John Neylan (AGCSATech)
David Nickson (Evergreen Turf)
Mark Parker (Concord Golf Club)Andrew Peart (AGCSATech)
Michael Picken (Riversdale Golf Club)
Steven Potts (AGCSA)
Peter Ruscoe (TGAA WA)
Peter Schumacher (Elanora Golf Club)
Brad Sofield (Gosnells Golf Club)
David Warwick (Avondale Golf Club)
Mark Warwick (Muirfield Golf Club)
Leigh Yanner (Moonah Links)RESEARCHNickson breeds a new future 32The product of 20 years of scientific interest 
and work within the turfgrass industry 
is set to pay big dividends for Victorian 
turfgrass breeder David Nickson who has 
two new couchgrass cultivars currently 
being evaluated for Plant Breeders Rights. 
Fellow agronomist John Neylan looks into 
the development of these two new cultivars 
and outlines how they are set to be an 
Australian first. Managing kikuyu under Australian conditions 36Improved information on nitrogen fertiliser 
use and the control of mat and thatch in 
established kikuyu has been identified as a 
research priority for the Western Australian 
turfgrass industry. Here, Dr Louise Barton 
outlines the University of Western Australia™s 
new three-and-a-half-year research project 
looking into these issues. In Every EditionForeword Thinking 4AGCSATech Update 28Innovative Way - NSW Golf Club 42Super Spotlight - Stephen Lewis 43News 44Around the Trade 48Membership Benefits 50AGCSA Bookshop 52State Presidents™ Reports 543Australian Turfgrass ManagementYou and your work colleagues are invitedto the 2005 Australian Turfgrass Trade Exhibition, Moama  June 7th & 8thVisit www.agcsa.com.au for more informationFREE OF CHARGEforeword thinking AGCSA CHIEF EXECUTIVE, STEVEN POTTSWelcome to the April-May edition of  Australian Turfgrass Management 
Magazine. I have received some excellent feedback about the design changes 
made in the previous edition and I think you 
will all be pleasantly surprised with the further 
changes made this time.During the first few months of 2005, the AGCSA has been working hard finalising a 
review of the association and the development 
of a strategic plan through to 2009. The process included consultation with stakeholders, members and office-bearers of 
the AGCSA, and indicated a number of issues 
relating to the association requiring attention 
in the coming years. Those issues have led 
to the development of major strategies for the 
organisation to pursue in the near future.The strategic plan does not outline every single activity the AGCSA will undertake in the 
next few years.  It is deliberately issues-based 
and focuses on those issues identified as 
being critical to future good management and 
consequential success.  That is not to say the 
AGCSA will ignore its day-to-day activities.  On 
the contrary, by effectively dealing with these 
issues, the AGCSA will be better equipped 
to undertake its normal management and 
leadership roles.Some of the issues addressed in the strategic plan include; the recognition of the 
profession; membership; communication; 
environmental management; education; 
Australian Turfgrass Management magazine; 
AGCSATech; AGCSA Board governance; 
Australian Turfgrass Conference; international golf course management associations; media; 
and the AGCSA website.The monitoring of the strategic plan will be by the AGCSA Board and will continue to 
be included as an agenda item at each board 
meeting.As we begin April, and ponder just how fast the year is going, the AGCSA is gearing 
up to host the 21st Australian Turfgrass 
Conference in Moama from 6-10 June.  One 
of the major reasons that the regional program 
has been introduced this year is to encourage 
participation from regional turf managers, and 
to enable the bigger facilities to bring their 
assistants to expose them to the additional 
education and networking opportunities with 
industry peers. This has been well received as we have already had many registrations returned. I 
would encourage everyone to take advantage 
of the early bird discount, which is in place 
until Friday, 15 April. If you have not received 
a registration brochure, please contact the 
AGCSA on (03) 9548 8600 or register online at 
www.agcsa.com.au.    This year™s conference theme is looking at how to save time and money, which is 
a constant challenge for all turf managers.  
Keynote speakers for the 2005 conference 
include Dr Louise Barton (University of WA), 
Dr Don Loch (QDPI), Professor Ken Marcum 
(University of Arizona), Craig Day (Weddin 
Agricultural and Chemical Services), Terry 
Muir (Environmental Business Solutions), Jon 
Griffin (Griffin and Company), John Neylan and 
Andrew Peart (AGCSATech). The keynote speakers will be covering budgeting, nitrogen leaching, correct spraying 
techniques, new warm-season grasses, water 
management plans, Kuwait experience and 
multiple water reuse (sewer mining).The 2005 AGCSA Awards brochure has also been distributed and I encourage all 
superintendents to consider what they or their 
colleagues have achieved and whether they 
should be nominated in order for them to 
receive the recognition they deserve.  The 
AGCSA Awards are the pinnacle of recognition 
for members of the golf course management 
industry.In closing, as an additional benefit for members, the AGCSA has recently posted the 
updated Material Safety Data Sheets on the 
website in the member™s only section.
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Cascade K  21-1-18 Poly Supreme 23-2-8One of the great strengths of the Australian turfgrass industry, and in particular the 
golf industry, is the networking between turf managers. The Penn Pals group is a great example of the networking between golf course 
superintendents and the uninhibited way in 
which they share information with their peers 
for the betterment of the profession.The Penn Pals are a group of Sydney-based superintendents who get together on a 
regular basis to discuss various management 
issues surrounding the new superfine creeping 
bentgrasses Penn A1, A4, G2 and G6.The Australian and Concord golf clubs were among the first to use the new Penn 
series bents across the entire course, with the 
former adopting A1 and the later adopting A4.In the lead up to the 2004 Centenary Australian Open, The Australian superintendent 
Rob Ashes hosted several other Sydney 
superintendents to discuss the management 
of the new bentgrasses and in particular the 
Penn series bents. The following is a summation of the discussions that took place and the information 
is shared as a guide for the rest of the industry 
utilising these grasses. As well as this meeting, seven superintendents from Sydney were canvassed 
for their experiences, while two Victorian 
superintendents ΠMartin Greenwood and 
Leigh Yanner Πwere also asked to give their 
thoughts as a comparison to their northern 
counterparts.ESTABLISHMENTOne lesson that has been learned with the new 
bentgrasses is that they require reasonably 
high temperatures to establish quickly and 
high fertility. During establishment they are gross feeders, but once established the fertility 
levels can be decreased considerably. Once 
emergence takes place they need to be 
fertilised every seven days or so using a 
‚starter™ (e.g. 8:10:10) fertiliser at 1-2kg/100m2 until there is a complete cover.The new Penn series bents have a high tiller density, but this is at the expense of lateral 
growth. Where the old Penncross exhibits 
strong stolon growth with stolons extending 
out to 40-50cm in diameter, the new Penn 
bents will only grow out to about 20cm.Consequently, the fill in rate can be a little slow particularly if there are weak or bare areas 
in newly seeded turf.  Experience indicates that 
if the seeded area is damaged by washouts or In the late 1990s, The Australian and Concord golf clubs in Sydney were among the first in Australia to convert all greens to the new Penn series bentgrasses. Since their successful introduction a number of courses have followed in their footsteps. In ATM™s cover story, those superintendents tell of their experiences managing these new ‚superfine™ bentgrasses under Australian conditions.By the numbers Œ and lettersManaging the new generation Penn series bentscover story6Australian Turfgrass ManagementBY THE PENN PALSwind damage, reseeding of the entire area will achieve a quicker result rather than waiting for 
the surviving plants to spread and fill in.The establishment process and in particular forming a dense turf cover is influenced 
considerably by mowing. It is important to start 
mowing as early as possible and to get the 
height down as quickly as possible. In some 
situations, mowing has commenced at three 
weeks after seeding at a cutting height of 6-
7mm and then reduced as quickly as possible 
to about 4mm.During establishment, topdressing will be necessary to achieve a smooth surface, 
however, it is a good time to start a dusting program for thatch control. In  AGCSATech 
research trials it was apparent that most of 
the thatch accumulation occurred in the first 
six to 12 months and if dusting is not started 
early there may be a thatch problem before 
you start.WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:fiWe had no problems with establishment. 
Seed was pre-germinated for four days prior 
to sowing. We found that frequent fertilisation 
really pushed establishment along very 
quickly.fl ΠDavid Warwick, Avondale Golf 
Club (DW)fiEstablishment was extremely easy. Some greens established in early summer came 
into play after four weeks (those in late winter 
took up to 14 weeks). When growing from sod 
it is imperative to deep scarify immediately 
when the roots have grown sufficiently down 
to stabilise turf. Topdressing can then occur.fl 
ΠMark Parker, Concord Golf Club (MP)  fiVery slow lateral growth. Likes to establish in the warmer months and slow through cooler 
months.fl Œ Leigh Yanner, Moonah Links (LY)fiWe have found that we have a 10Œ12 week seed to play situation. The seed is 
applied using a drop spreader (therefore 
no pre-germ) and we are getting four day 
germination (seeding rate is 0.7kg per 100m2 of product which equates to a true seed 
rate of 0.35kg/100m2 as the seed is coated). Once germinated and at the 2-3 leaf stage 
we pump the fertiliser into them (Nutrafeed 
23 @ 0.5kg/100m2) every seven days until we achieve a height of cut of 4.5mm. We topdress 
greens prior to the first cut, which is at 7mm. 
Heights are reduced 1mm per week from 7mm 
to 5mm and then we go down in increments 
of 0.5mm or 0.25mm depending on response 
factors at intervals not exceeding one week.fl 
ΠMark Couchman, Cromer Golf Club (MC)fiReadily established by seed.  The greens were ready to play between 8-12 weeks. We 
used preventative fungicide treatments during 
establishment.fl ΠPeter Schumacher, Elanora Country Club (PS)fiAll greens have been seeded and greens sown in the winter take three weeks 
to germinate whereas greens sown in the 
summer take 6-8 days. Best establishment has 
been achieved with first cut at 6-7mm no more 
than one to two weeks following germination. 
Weekly applications of quick release greens 
grade fertiliser are best eg: 16:3:6 at 1kg is 
fine. Don™t worry about weeds as most will The 18th at Moonah Links on Victoria™s Mornington Peninsula. All greens at the 36-hole Moonah complex were seeded with A17Australian Turfgrass ManagementASPACGolf & Turf˜Scarifying˜Topdressing˜Turf TrailersIf you are looking tor something different, log onto our web site for furtherinformation, free CD Rom, or to organise an on-site demonstration˜Aerationwww.aspacgolfandturf.com.auFREECALL: 1800 640 305˜Debri Collection1/42 Melverton Drive Hallam Vic 3803Ph:03 9796 4254 Fax:03 9708 6702Web:www.aspacgolfandturf.com.au80465 Aspac 1/4 Page Ad Aust  8/30/04  4:34 PM  Page 1mow out before opening day, however, hand weeding of some flat weeds is necessary. 
Winter sown greens take about 16 weeks to 
open and summer sown greens a little less. 
Greens will establish faster if cutting height is 
dropped very quickly. For instance, a green 
could be cut at 4mm in the fourth to sixth 
week.fl ΠMartin Greenwood, Kingston Heath Golf Club (MG)fiApproximately 15 weeks for first two greens done in summer and about 16-17 
weeks for the other two done in spring.fl 
Œ Mark Warwick, Muirfield Golf Club (MW)FERTILITYThe ‚ideal™ fertiliser program is very much 
determined on an individual, site-specific basis 
depending on traffic, wear, sand type and 
microclimate. A general comment that has 
been made is you have to figreenkeeperfl the 
grass. That is, you need to observe it, note 
how it reacts to various treatments and fertilise 
accordingly.However, a clear message was that these grasses do require a moderate level of fertility 
so as to achieve good recovery from wear and 
pitch marks and to maintain a high density turf 
to discourage the invasion of Poa annua. Fertiliser programs did vary. Typical fertiliser regimes included; 1.8-2.2kg N/100m2/yr applied every 2-3 weeks; An NK ratio of 1:3; Using a slow release fertiliser at 1-
2kg/100m2/month (NPK 15:0:18) as a base level of nitrogen; Applying liquids at 0.5kg-0.75kg/100m2 (NPK 24:0:24) every two weeks; Maintain high calcium levels; Apply iron as iron sulphate at 0.06kg-
0.08kg/100m2/month; and Soil conditioners such as seaweed extracts 
and humic acid based products.A useful indicator for the fertility program was that from a 500-600m2 green the expected quantity of clippings is about a quarter to a half 
of a catcher on a walk-behind mower.WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:fiI spoon feed and only apply enough to gain 
the growth rate I require. I supplement with 
nitro form powder in summer. I have never 
bothered to add up the total N per year as it 
is only a statistic I hold little value in.fl ΠRob 
Ashes, The Australian (RA)fiWe use a slow release as a base. Regular light feeding with N 500g/100m2 every two to three weeks. K and Fe as above. Mg. 
250g/100m2 every six weeksfl - DWfiN rates are the key to producing good putting surfaces with A1. I use very low rates 
of N every 6-8 weeks.fl - LYfiN rates have yet to be firmly established, however, with newly established greens 
nutrients tend to move through the profile 
quickly. I don™t think lean and mean is the 
way to treat A1, as it would appear to require 
reasonable fertiliser rates to keep the sward 
thick.fl - MGfiWe only fertilise when needed, approximately 400g/100m2  Nutrafeed 19 about once every four weeks.fl - MWMOWING HEIGHTSMost superintendents were mowing six to 
seven days a week at a cutting height of 3-
4mm for walk-behind mowers and 3-3.5mm for 
triplex mowers. A noticeable fact with these grasses is that they can grow significantly over a day and 
because of their upright growth green speed 
can slow down. This is compared to the older 
and more prostrate cultivars that tend to lay flat 
and may exhibit an increase in green speed 
over a day. Daily mowing therefore becomes 
an important tool in maintaining a high quality 
surface.WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:fi2.8-3mm are the year-round heights.fl - MPfiIf the grass is maintained at low N, 10.5 feet can be achieved at a cutting height of 
4mm. I feel 3-4 mm is the perfect height.fl - LYfiI cut at 2.5mm, however, I will be examining 3mm as the optimum height in the 
future.fl - MGfiAnywhere between 2.5-3.5mm.fl - PSfiWe cut at 3.5mm. Optimum would be 3mm but we keep them higher to match the 
old greens.fl - MWfi3mm all year around.fl - RATHATCH CONTROL AND 
CULTIVATION
Thatch control is the greatest concern for 
superintendents maintaining the superfine 
bents. As previously discussed, thatch 
accumulation can occur rapidly and this can 
result in less than ideal surfaces. One question that was raised was, fiHow much thatch is too much?fl. Without being too 
trite, the questions that have to be answered 
are, is the thatch causing problems with water 
penetration and preventing firm, smooth and 
dry surfaces? If the answer is yes, then some 
form of cultivation is necessary. This, however, 
becomes an exercise in curative action rather 
than preventative.Preventative thatch control is the preference and a dusting program from day one is the 
commonly accepted management regime. A 
typical dusting program would entail;  Dust every 2-3 weeks and up to weekly for 
tournament preparation;Sydney-based superintendents discuss management practices with The Australian Golf Club superintendent Rob Ashes (second from left)3-4mm is the preferred mowing height 
for the new bents8Australian Turfgrass Managementcover storyCOURSE/SUPERINTENDENT NEW (OLD) CONVERSION/PROCESS REASON FOR CONVERSIONAvondale GC NSW G2 (Poa/bent) 2000-2005. Total new greens construction. New designDavid Warwick  Trialled eight different bents in a microclimate   situation and G2 proved to be the best for our site. Concord GC NSW A4 (Poa/bent) 1997. Solid washed sod.  Observed various trials  Reconstruction of greens toMark Parker  across the USA on a 1995 study tour with fellow  change profile and   superintendents.  Predominantly fine upright  improve design  leaf growth a major improvement on previously   available creeping bents.Moonah Links VIC  A1 Seeded. Three greens relayed since initial  n/aLeigh Yanner  construction using existing turf. A1 was chosen   at the start of construction by Thomson,   Wolveridge and Perrett, with the help of   Doug Robinson. Kingston Heath GC VIC  A1 (Egmont Started November 2001. Total greens  Previous variety disease prone,Martin Greenwood  browntop) reconstruction (recently approved USGA flatpipe  not heat tolerant and slow green  used extensively). Five greens and one putter  speed. Wet sloppy greens in  to go. Visited courses in Victoria and NSW with the  winter due to construction  new As and Gs. Engaged John Neylan to help  shortcomings.  collate all information. This then went before   the committee with John™s and my   recommendation. Club captain was a part of all   inspections undertaken.     Cromer GC NSW  G2 (Poa/bent  Started October 2003 and expected to be finished  Desire for better surfaces and Mark Couchman  - Penncross, by November 2005. Complete greens  uniformity. Desire also for greens 1019 and 1020) reconstruction. I can only ascertain from the  construction/profile uniformity.  club that their decision (made before I started) was   based on reading of literature and also from   testimonies from other courses.Elanora CC  NSW  A1 (Poa 90%/ July 2002-December 2003. Seeded. Complete  More able to withstand Sydney™sPeter Schumacher bent 10%) greens reconstruction to USGA specs. Nine month  humid summers.  The club  trial of A1, A4, G2, G6, L93, 1020, 1019,  wanted to upgrade.  Penncross, Egmont, and mix of Crenshaw   Pennlinks and 1020. Nothing between A1 and   G2, but thought A1 had slightly better winter   colour and just appeared to the eye to be slightly   more dense.    Muirfield GC NSW  G2 (1020) 2003-2004 rebuild of four greens. Seeded.  Rebuild and update greens.Mark Warwick  Determined upon results of trials at Castle Hill   Country Club.   The Australian GC NSW  A1 (Penncross/ September 1999-January 2000. Trialled 10  Move to a tougher more Rob Ashes Poa mix) varieties, set up by David Honeysett, to review the  sustainable Poa-free turf.  latest market trends well before we had intentions   of re-surfacing greens. We took the tops off with   a maxi roll cutter, added topdressing sand and   rotary hoed to a depth of 300mm. Then   fumigated. Surface compacted and greens returned   to original shape with softer contours. A1 seeded.9Australian Turfgrass Management Application rate of sand is 20-50kg/100m2/application; The sand must be as dry as possible; No particles greater than 2mm in size to reduce mower damage and to allow the 
sand to penetrate the surface; Use a drag mat made of synthetic grass to 
brush the sand in followed by watering;  If possible, after dusting raise cutting height 
for one or two days (a second set of 
mowers help).If there is a good dusting program in place, then heavy renovation and in particular 
scarifying is going to be unnecessary. Those 
superintendents who have heavily scarified 
the new bentgrasses find they are very slow to 
recover and provide a perfect seed bed for the 
invasion of Poa annua.If there is a good dusting program in place, then mini-tyning and vertidraining maybe all 
that is necessary. Some form of tyning is 
required to break up any layers that may form 
during the dusting program and vertidraining 
with no kick provides good soil compaction 
control. Vertidraining every month has been 
found to be very effective. The Hydroject has also been used to great effect for compaction control, particularly in the 
raised position as described by Dr. Bob Carrow 
(Surface organic matter in creeping bentgrass 
greens, Australian Turfgrass Management, Vol 
6.1, Feb-Mar 2004).WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:
fiThatch must be managed by regular dusting 
operations. Regular verticutting at the wrong 
time can give you a good crop of Poa.fl - RAfiI find that recovery from scarifying is unacceptably slow with the A4, so we rely on 
frequent dusting and mini-tyne three or four 
times per year.  Some thatch is evident, but 
acceptable.fl - MPfiI was told that thatch was a real issue, but to date this has not been the case. We have no 
real program of thatch control in place as yet 
because we still have different grass species to 
manage as well as different aged greens. We 
are sanding at about 2t/ha every two weeks. 
Scarifying showed poor recovery rate and Poa 
germination could be seen in the lines even 
after recovery. Mini-tyne two to three times a 
year to control thatch. We are looking closely 
at a program of brushing, which will be done 
selectively because of shade issues.fl - DWfiAs I am only into the first 16 months of this project I have been very mindful of thatch 
management, although low fertility rates have 
kept it in check. It is difficult to manage old 
and new greens and achieve consistency. The 
nursery green and one of the putting greens, 
which were sown 6-8 months prior to me 
starting and maintained under the same fertility 
regime as the fioldfl greens, do have, given 
their age, some significant thatch. fiRemedying the situation for us has been reduced fertility and light dethatching and 
regular dusting. In autumn and spring we 
do this about every two weeks with longer 
periods of three to four weeks in summer and 
winter. One significant point is that the G2 does 
not recover well from aggressive dethatching, 
especially with the current fert rates. How 
much is too much? It is hard to say, but I am 
aiming for somewhere between 10-20mm and 
will adjust up or down based on agronomic 
performance. We have also mini-tyned the 
greens once without too much disruption and 
with a fairly good recovery. We take every 
second tyne out too!fl - MC fiI have never scarified A1 and until a root friendly pre-emergent is available I would be 
reluctant to do so. Coring recovery is fine, 
being no slower than other creeping bents 
as long as 0.5 inch tynes or smaller are used. 
Recovery from ¾ tyning is slower.fl - MGfiWe are dusting greens every 14 days to bury thatch and firm surface.  Oldest green 
is two years and current thatch level is about 
5mm. No problems yet. Don™t know how much 
is too much yet.  Ask me in five years.fl - PSPOA ANNUA CONTROLThe density of the new bents provides a natural 
barrier against the invasion of Poa annua. However, Poa annua still remains a concern with a combination of regular hand weeding 
and chemical applications providing the most 
effective means of control. Paclobutrazol 
appears to be the preferred chemical with 
some concerns that high rates of Endothal will 
set the bentgrass back.WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:fiWe use Exposan as a pre-emergent and 
light rates of Endothal to highlight Poa. Hand 
weeding is in practice. Will look at Scotts TGR 
if problem becomes to big too.fl - DWfiGreatly reduced invasion compared with other creeping bentgrass varieties, attributed 
to the density of the sward.  Hand removal 
required at peak times June through October.  
Generally six staff members for three hours 
every two weeks.fl - MPfiThe G2 gives such a tight and dense surface that Poa struggles to get a start. The staff hand weed greens as required. We 
do make a conscious effort to control Poa 
on fairways, tees and green surrounds to 
minimise the likelihood of invasion. I would say 
that the low fert rates also helps.fl - MCfiTwo applications a year of Poa Check and hand removal.  No Poa problem as yet.  Density 
of grass also helps prevent germination.fl - PSfiWe don™t use chemicals at present. We™re trying to clean down machinery before cutting. 
Hand weeding where necessary.fl - MWfiThe turf is dense but can still let Poa into the greens. I do not disturb the surface 
with traditional renovations, instead solid spike 
monthly with a vertidrain and dust every two-
three weeks. Poa is controlled predominantly 
by handweeding and now we are using some 
chemical control (Endothal and Exposan). Poa resistant is probably the biggest myth to the 
untrained with the new bents, but people in the 
game know this is a myth.fl - RAPITCH MARKS AND RECOVERYPitch marks are a main concern with the new 
bents because of the lack of lateral growth 
and the failure of golfers to repair pitch marks 
correctly.Most superintendents are resigned to the fact that repairing pitch marks is part of the    Opinion varies as to whether the new bents are more labour intensive10Australian Turfgrass Managementcover storyregular maintenance regime, and during the Sydney meeting before the Australian Open, 
Rob Ashes demonstrated the equipment that 
he uses for repairing pitch marks.WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:fiPoa is the clear winner in terms of reduced 
susceptibility and recovery from pitch 
marks.  Greens improved significantly from 
susceptibility once dusting program started 
(one would speculate that the drier firmer 
conditions produced with dusting program 
aided in this area).fl - MP  fiThe A1 is very slow to recover because of its very little lateral growth. However, because 
of the dense nature of the grass you don™t have the big crater-like pitch mark you sometimes 
get with 1020 or Penncross.fl - LYfiIt is generally accepted that in order for a pitch mark to repair quickly it must first be 
repaired–first problem. The best way to avoid 
pitch marks is to keep firm greens and educate 
members in the best way to repair pitch marks. 
A1 is not the best grass on earth as far as 
growing in pitch marks go and is therefore not 
well suited to small greens.fl - MGfiI have found recovery to be quite good. The greens are quite hard which helps. We 
fix some marks before cutting a few times per 
week.fl - MWfiPitch mark recovery is slow and needs the help of extra work. We do this with the 
help of a device we have created Πthe lobzfix. 
This makes a huge difference, but is another 
job that has to be done. These grasses are 
susceptible to pitch marks due to the sheer 
density.fl - RA SURFACE PREPARATION, PRESENTATION AND LABOUR
Regular mowing, dusting and brushing all assist 
in providing high quality playing surfaces. In 
addition, superintendents are using a growth retardant such as Primo Maxx at 6-10ml/100m2 to assist in preparing the putting surface.       WHAT THE SUPERS SAY:
fiPresentation is of a high standard. Best results 
are with walk-behind mowers - smooth fast roll. 
Nice colour. They are more labour intensive in 
regards to Poa control and sanding, but less 
time is required for disease spraying and hand 
watering.fl - DWfiExtremely good, however, I will note that a well maintained Poa at the right time of 
year (ie: not under stress) is hard to beat.  An 
example would be the greens at NSW Golf 
Club. Gary Dempsey has these greens as 
good as it gets.fl - MP fiThe A1 is a terrific grass and when groomed for special occasions there are not 
too many grasses that can pass the overall 
performance. You need to have an excellent 
dusting program implemented, other than that, 
I feel they are less labour intensive because 
they don™t have to be worked to achieve good 
putting surfaces.fl - LYfiKHGC chose A1 because some of the G series exhibited a tendency to colonise, 
something that A1 has not done at this point                     Hand weeding is a must to keep on top of Poa11Australian Turfgrass ManagementDestiny® is a Registered Trademark of Bayer. Bayer Environmental Science is a business group of Bayer Cropscience Pty Ltd. BET018/The Hopkins Part.Onion weed and Guildford grass are just two of the previously hard-
to-control weeds that Destiny will 
take care of in couchgrass (except Qld blue) and kikuyu. Contact your supplier and let Destiny, the new 
post-emergent selective herbicide 
from Bayer, provide a better future 
for your turf!Bayer Environmental Science 391Œ393 Tooronga Road  East Hawthorn, Vic. 3123. Ph. (03) 9248 6888   
www.bayercropscience.com.au   ABN 87 000 226 022Onion weed and  Guildford grass finally  meet their makercover storyin time. The beauty of A1 is the harder that it is worked the better it responds and if it™s done 
well the surface is true, fast and consistent. 
A1 is labour intensive. Dusting, hand weeding 
and cutting are the big requirements if a pure 
surface is desired. It would be my estimate 
that between 20-30 per cent more in resource 
allocation is required. They provide a surface 
that can be worked to a high level, has good 
heat tolerance and stress recovery.fl - MGfiFar superior to anything that we have here and the members are more than happy with 
the new greens.fl - MCfiThe standout!  The A1 has the smoothest ball roll of all the new bents.  It™s the golfer™s 
grass. I believe they are no more labour 
intensive unless you want to make them that 
way by cutting short and dusting to get the 
best surface possible.fl - PSfiGreens always look good unless nutrition is down. Putt very well. The only thing is they 
get a lot firmer than the old greens. Not as 
labour intensive yet as they are still young, but 
more scarifying and light topdressing will be 
done in future.fl - MWfiWe are very happy with our choice. It is very strong and can take a beating such as 
Australian Opens. Labour requirements are no 
different to the old greens as I worked them 
hard to get a good surface. We were always 
spraying something to control the Poa in the old ones and nearly killing them, then bringing 
them back to life. So I think it balances out. 
They are worth the effort; your greens are the 
focal point.fl - RA DISEASE RESISTANCE AND MANAGEMENT
fiWe have found that there is less incidence 
of disease. We do spray preventative when 
we are spraying old greens curative. Algae is 
an issue though due to what I believe is the 
density of the canopy and the fact that the 
surface does retain moisture within that area. Not a major problem though.fl - MCfiThe only real problem I™ve encountered is Take-all patch and a bit of moss.fl - MGfiVery resistant. Some mild fairy ring problems and some very minor dollar spot, 
otherwise nothing.fl - PSfiThe G2 is very good with disease. So far we™ve only had a small amount of dollar spot 
and brown patch. Algae is the only thing that 
gets in after rain.fl - MWfiI have never suffered from dollar spot, but have experienced pythium, brown patch, 
fusarium and Take-all patchfl - LYfiHave seen brown patch. Pythium has been minimal. Dollar spot does need to be 
treated but only minimal.fl - DWfiPreventative pythium control and no major problems. A lighter fertiliser program can bring 
some fairy ring. Algae and moss can also be 
an issue in wet periods.fl - RACONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Leigh Yanner: fiI am a big fan of A1. I feel I 
have constantly high quality putting surfaces 
throughout the entire year. However, I have 
seen A1 at different courses and they all 
present and look different because growing 
conditions vary so much. I would support any 
club wishing to implement A1. However, the 
superintendent needs to have the machinery 
to prepare and maintain it. They will need to 
purchase a dusting unit, have groomers or a 
brush set up on greens mowers and have a 
good supply of sand for dusting. fiA few myths I heard was that the A1 was an aggressive grass and that you couldn™t control 
the thatch. I think this is true when maintained 
like the older bents or similar to the N rates 
the Americans suggest. However, if the correct 
maintenance practices are implemented early, 
they are no different to any other bent.flMark Parker: fiSelection of grass species should be predominately based on consistency.  
In my opinion, if a club only intends building 
several greens over a long period, the existing 
grass species should be maintained.  If a 
club has consistent Poa greens, why put in several bentgrass greens that will undoubtedly 
play differently, and also create different turf 
management requirements.  fiIf all greens are to be re-surfaced, I can only recommend trialling the grasses 
in your own conditions and under your own 
management regimes, along with seeking 
advice from fellow superintendents. At the end 
of the day, the quality of the playing surface 
has a lot to do with budgets and the turf 
manager™s ability more than the selection of 
grass species. fiRead the facts and make your own observations. In summer time there is reduced 
disease incidence and better recovery from 
damage during the late summer period.  
Holding tournaments in February are far 
less stressful in hot humid conditions, with 
improved playing conditions during the 
January/February months.  This is possibly not 
an issue in temperate to cool regions.fl Mark Couchman: fiI think that some of the articles out of the US can be derisive and 
cause angst among some people. We as a 
collective group need to put things into a 
domestic frame that can help people to make 
a more informed decision if they are thinking of 
converting/changing grass type.flACKNOWLEDGEMENTSATM is grateful to the following for their contribution to this article: Rob Ashes, David 
Warwick, Mark Warwick, Peter Schumacher, 
Mark Parker, Mark Couchman, Leigh Yanner, 
Martin Greenwood and John Neylan. The Penn bents provide a firm hard surface which promotes smooth ball roll The last two Australian Opens have been fought out on A1 greens and will again in 2005 as the Open returns to Moonah Links12Australian Turfgrass ManagementOnly 102 potential leak points.WHAT IS THE INDUSTRY™S FIRST HYBRID GREENS MOWER MISSING?As the industry™s ˜ rst hybrid greens mower, our new 2500E Tri-Plex is more than just an electric mower. It operates on a traditional engine that drives an alternator which powers electric reel motors to drive the cutting units. This industry exclusive design eliminates more than 90% of the most likely points while also reducing sound levels and increasing fuel ef˜ ciency. And because the 2500E is not dependent on battery power for run time, it can keep the same frequency of clip on every green.To see the difference a 2500E can make on your course™s greens, call your local John Deere Golf & Turf dealer on 1800 800 981 or visit www.deere.com.auMG-2500E-2-2005-Aust Turfgrass Management 4122-16782Introducing the run-all-day, 2500E Hybrid Tri-Plex Greens Mower. Only 102 potential leak points.WHAT IS THE INDUSTRY™S FIRST HYBRID GREENS MOWER MISSING?As the industry™s ˜ rst hybrid greens mower, our new 2500E Tri-Plex is more than just an electric mower. It operates on a traditional engine that drives an alternator which powers electric reel motors to drive the cutting units. This industry exclusive design eliminates more than 90% of the most likely points while also reducing sound levels and increasing fuel ef˜ ciency. And because the 2500E is not dependent on battery power for run time, it can keep the same frequency of clip on every green.To see the difference a 2500E can make on your course™s greens, call your local John Deere Golf & Turf dealer on 1800 800 981 or visit www.deere.com.auMG-2500E-2-2005-Aust Turfgrass Management 4122-16782Introducing the run-all-day, 2500E Hybrid Tri-Plex Greens Mower. special featureFor the first time in more than 140 years, Melbourne Grammar School 
(MGS) committed itself to a major land purchase and development away from the 
school™s senior school campus in South Yarra, 
Melbourne.The school™s aim was to create a high quality, multi-purpose sporting facility to cater 
for a number of its 1800 students located over 
three campuses, providing for: A premier AFL football and cricket field A premier synthetic hockey/tennis surface A soccer/rugby/junior cricket field Vehicle access and parking An amenities pavilion  Spectator viewing mounds Passive recreational spaces with shade, 
seating and landscapingSome of Melbourne™s older schools have undertaken similar projects, maybe not to 
the same standard or quality required by 
the school™s headmaster, former Australian Test cricketer Paul Sheahan, and certainly 
not located within a 10 minute bus drive from 
South Yarra.A commercial real estate friend said that a ‚Greenfields™ industrial site in Port Melbourne 
is conservatively worth about $500 per square 
metre which rounded off comes to about $37 
million.  So where do you find seven hectares 
of land for sporting fields within 10 minutes of 
Melbourne™s CBD at a reasonable price?   MGS used its very good judgement, courage and determination to acquire at the 
right price, remediate and eventually develop 
to a high standard a seven hectare landfill site 
in Todd Rd, Port Melbourne. The school™s first challenge was to obtain planning approval from the City of Port 
Melbourne. The next challenge was to find 
and appoint a civil engineering consultant 
capable and experienced in complex 
environmental issues, constraints with major 
services, geotechnical concerns and capable At the first modern Olympics in 1896, athlete Edwin Flack broke new ground by becoming the first Australian to win an Olympic medal. Over a century later, a sports complex in Melbourne bearing his name has broken new ground in the art of sportsfield construction. John Harding from Cardno Young outlines Melbourne Grammar School™s challenging Edwin Flack Park project which has come to fruition over the past four years.Melbourne Grammar™sEdwin Flack ParkHi-tech Turf14Australian Turfgrass ManagementBY JOHN HARDINGof delivering high quality sporting facilities.Cardno Young were engaged as the head consultant for the project to provide masterplanning, design, documentation, 
contract administration and project 
management.  A design team was put 
together with help from sub-consultants Coffey 
Geoscience, AGCSATech, Bligh Voller Nield 
(architects), Murphy Design Group (landscape 
architects), Sportsvision Consultants 
(floodlighting) and Hydroplan (sportsfield 
irrigation).The project was programmed to start construction in June 2001 with Akron selected 
as the head civil contractor.  Akron had 
worked with Cardno Young previously on the 
reconstruction of Moonee Valley Racecourse 
and construction of athletics tracks.    THE ISSUES
The foremost issues with the Todd Rd site 
were: Old sand quarry Land fill site Negotiations with service authorities 
for fibuildoverfl of major services (gas 
transmission pipeline, Bass Strait oil 
pipeline, high voltage electricity, fibre optic 
cable, sewers, water pipelines) Tidal water table Poor ground conditions (Coode Island 
silt) Foundations for buildings and high 
tolerance structures Limited storm water outfall Exposed site Industrial visual and noiseThe environmental issues were many and 
included: Nutrient stripping/retardation/wetlands ponds required for turfed fields Clay capping to seal off landfill Methane gas disbursement systems Floodlighting spill minimisation  Wind amelioration BUILDING ON A TIP
A fiGreenfieldsfl site this was not. Cardno 
Young™s principle designer Rod Weeks directed 
the design of the project, while the client 
contact was MGCS property manager James 
Burton, an exceptionally hands-on person and 
an important member of the project team.Ray Young, the managing director of Cardno Young, was able to bring to the project a 
wealth of knowledge on the latest requirements 
for conforming sports surfaces.  Ray takes 
overall responsibility for the management of 
most of the company™s high profile sporting 
projects. Specialist equipment was used to shape the rubbish to subgrade levels throughout the 
site and densify the landfill material which was 
made up of domestic waste, building rubble, 
industrial waste, green waste and the odd EH 
Holden car body. Extensive use of geosynthetic materials was used to identify, bridge, drain vent, 
reinforce and support the underlying landfill.The striking pavilion building and caretaker™s cottage designed by Bligh Voller 
Nield were founded on friction and concrete 
piles. Some of the pavilion™s concrete piles 
penetrate through 13 metres of rubbish and 
then some 27m of Coode Island silt before 
finding solid ground.  Most of the really serious work is underneath what is now the surface of the 
sporting complex.  Unless you were involved in The main AFL oval at Melbourne Grammar™s recently completed Edwin Flack Park and (inset) the synthetic tennis and hockey facility 15Australian Turfgrass ManagementGo with Globe1800 244 300Turf Seeds339 Globe Ad   19/3/05, 10:35:57 AMevery detail of the design and the construction of the new MGS fields, it is very hard to 
appreciate the amount of engineering design 
and construction work hours involved in the 
remediation element of this project.  The fields had to be brought to a stage where we could actually begin to construct 
foundations to accept building structures, roads, 
and car parks, soft and hard landscaping and 
of most importance premier sports surfaces.SPORTS SURFACESA landfill site is subject to ongoing settlement in the form of compaction, compression, 
corrosion and creep. Ongoing settlement 
issues can be ‚engineered out™ to a point with 
the use of flexible joints in drainage, irrigation, 
and other services. Solid structure interfaces with the landfill areas and localised settlement can be controlled 
to an extent with innovative solutions, and 
buildings can be on piled foundations.How do you construct an FIH-certified synthetic hockey field and nine tennis courts 
with ±2mm tolerance on a rubbish tip?  You can 
topdress a turfed field.  How do you topdress 
polyethylene yarn, a specially imported shock 
pad from Germany, asphalt and road base?The Cardno Young design team and Coffey Geoscience came up with an inventive solution 
for addressing the problem for ongoing 
settlement under the hockey pitch and tennis 
courts Πconstruct a 1m deep geosynthetic 
reinforced recycled concrete pad beneath the 
hockey pitch footprint, load it up with 30,000 
tons of imported clay and other materials and 
leave it to compress for 12 months to induce 
the equivalent of about 30 years of settlement.Close monitoring of the synthetic field during and after construction still indicates nil 
settlement in the area.TURFED FIELDS 
AGCSATech played an important role 
in this project, having worked with us on 
many projects including Stadium Australia, 
the Sydney Cricket Ground, and Randwick 
Racecourse.The soil profile for the AFL oval and the junior cricket/rugby/soccer oval was placed on 
a consolidated clay subgrade and included: Automatic irrigation Subsoil drainage collector system A growing medium with a perched 
watertable Stolinisation with Legend couch (Cynodon 
dactylon) oversown with a perennial 
ryegrassSoil testing procedures were very strict and the 
following test was required on a regular basis throughout the delivery process: Particle size analysis using USGA specs Soil pH and total dissolved salts Soil water content and holding capacity Saturated hydraulic conductivity Bulk density Moisture release curvesThe growing medium was sourced from a 
sand quarry in Lara near Geelong. A large 
quantity of the material delivered to site was 
rejected and sent away to be re-blended. 
Design tolerances for the growing medium 
were 0mm and 10mm.The pH of the soil was naturally balanced with very good moisture retention and drainage 
qualities.  No dolomite or poultry manure was 
required to amend the secondary layer of the 
soil profile.The profile depth was 0.3m with the design hydraulic conductivity specified to a 300mm/
hour minimum.Stolonising of the AFL field took place in November with a good strike rate.  The 
Legend couch loved its new environment right 
from the start - so did all the weeds and rogue 
grasses that established themselves between 
Christmas and New Year.Construction maintenance of the newly planted sportsfields became a major issue, and 
it soon became evident that it was essential 
that the MGS groundstaff became involved as 
soon as possible.  MGS employed Paul Johnston to be the resident caretaker and groundsman. Paul has 
done a marvellous job of nurturing the new 
turfed sportsfields and surrounds.Bulk earthworks on the landfill site began in August 2001Construction of the AFL field stormwater retention tanksspecial feature16Australian Turfgrass ManagementBayer Environmental Science391Œ393 Tooronga Road East Hawthorn,Vic.3123.Ph.(03) 9248 6888  www.bayercropscience.com.au  ABN 87 000 226 022Chipco®,Spearhead®,SignatureŽ,Ronstar G® and Merit® are Trademarks of Bayer.Bayer Environmental Science is a business group of Bayer Cropscience Pty Ltd.Bayergivesyouthegreencarpettreatment.Bayer users don™t just get the benefits of the world™s leading range of turf care products Œ they get outstanding service as well. So whatever day-to-day challenges and stewardship issues you™re facing,the Bayer Green team will help you tackle
them and roll out a green carpet of your own.BET0007/ATGM/The Hopkins Part.Bayer Environmental Science391Œ393 Tooronga Road East Hawthorn,Vic.3123.Ph.(03) 9248 6888  www.bayercropscience.com.au  ABN 87 000 226 022Chipco®,Spearhead®,SignatureŽ,Ronstar G® and Merit® are Trademarks of Bayer.Bayer Environmental Science is a business group of Bayer Cropscience Pty Ltd.Bayergivesyouthegreencarpettreatment.Bayer users don™t just get the benefits of the world™s leading range of turf care products Œ they get outstanding service as well. So whatever day-to-day challenges and stewardship issues you™re facing,the Bayer Green team will help you tackle
them and roll out a green carpet of your own.BET0007/ATGM/The Hopkins Part.special featureTony Ware from the MCC supervised the construction of the cricket wickets (five on the AFL oval and one on the junior cricket 
oval.  Tony used conventional materials (eg: 
Merri Creek soils) on a drainage blanket.  
Washed Legend couch sod was used to turf 
the pitches.  RETENTION, DETENTION AND SITE DRAINAGE
The existing outfall to the City of Port Philip 
stormwater drainage system was less than 
adequate to take the catchment produced from 
seven hectares. A system of water retention 
and detention devices was devised to store 
major runoffs from the site in the event of flooding and then to slowly release the water 
into the council drainage system.A 0.7 megalitre retention tank was constructed under the AFL oval to retain water 
and then pump it through a rising main into 
a wetlands system which will also work as a 
detention system. The synthetic hockey field 
and car parking areas were also designed to 
detain water.Early in February this year, Melbourne experienced over 150mm of rain in 24 hours, 
with over 140mm of rain collected in the rain 
gauges at the new Todd Rd complex. All 
sportsfields and surrounds were fully functional 
the next day.Speaking with MGS head curator Jim Katanos shortly after, he said: fiAfter the floods 
at the start of the month we had another 
20mm of rain in a very short period and the 
sportsfields were playable within 10 minutes. 
The pitches are playing beautifully.flEDWIN FLACK PARK Melbourne Grammar School™s new sporting 
facility was officially opened by Victorian 
Governor John Landy on 24 August, 2004.  Costing in the vicinity of $15 million, the complex was renamed Edwin Flack Park in 
honour of Melbourne Grammar student and 
runner Edwin Flack who won the first ever 
Australian Olympic gold at the first of the 
modern Games in Athens, 1896. Such were the envionmental issues that needed to be overcome, the project is set to 
be entered into the environmental projects 
category at the upcoming 2005 ACEA Awards 
for Excellence.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSJohn Harding is the Victorian manager for Cardno Young and was construction manager 
for Edwin Flack Park.            Cricket wicket constructionThe completed AFL ovalPhone: (03) 5966 6251  Fax: (03) 5966 645136 Hazeldene Rd, Gladysdale, Victoria 3797   Email: chrisy@tpg.com.auKey Contacts: Chris Young: 0417 380 298,  Paul Reeves: 0419 895 939  or Mick O™Shannessy: 0409 231 385CLIENT FOCUSSED: We build to plans, budgets, desires and dreams! SPECIALISTS: All construction methods and styles. EXPERIENCED: Large and small projects and budgets. Total construction packages through to individual plant hire rates.Experienced in Golf Course landscape constructions.Previous construction experience includes:  Heritage G&CC   Hidden Valley G&CC  Eastwood GC   Medway GC  Drouin G&CC  Patawalonga GCIf your club is thinking of undertaking any course improvements please contact Densal to arrange an obligation FREE appraisal of your requirements.                                   fiBuilding golf dreamsflfiBuilding golf dreamsfl18Australian Turfgrass ManagementCOUNT ON TORO FOR FLEXIBLEFINANCING OPTIONS.With Toro and GE Commercial Finance 
you can count on it.Need to lease a few electric vehicles but still need the cash flow? Or purchase a 
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www.toro.com.auHERO/TOR8608TOR8608_finance_atm.qxd  24/2/05  1:15 PM  Page 1The BIGGA conference is held every year in Harrogate and this year included the 
international summit of superintendent associations from across the globe. The first two days of the conference were dedicated to either one or two-day workshops. 
Themes for the two-day workshops were soil 
science, communication and course design, 
while the one-day workshops focused on 
course preparation for tournaments and 
irrigation principles.I attended the one-day workshop on course preparation techniques at the professional level 
presented by Jon Scott (US PGA Tour™s vice-
president of agronomy) and Richard Stillwell 
(chief greenkeeping consultant on the PGA 
European Tour).The European Tour employs four consultants to oversee course preparation for 
37 events, whereas the US PGA employs nine 
agronomists that cover 106 events from three 
tours (PGA, Nationwide and Seniors).Overall the workshop gave a great insight into course preparation. Key elements of the 
presentation were that the role of the agronomist 
and superintendent is a partnership and not 
a takeover by the former. The importance 
of timing was also illustrated to ensure all 
agronomic procedures were correctly timed.  Staff issues were also vitally important. Staff must be kept motivated in the lead-up 
to the tournament and be allowed to take 
ownership of specific holes or roles. Secondly, 
if volunteer staff are brought in they should 
not be given roles that regular staff normally 
carry out.In January, AGCSATech technical officer Andrew Peart represented the AGCSA at the 2005 BIGGA conference in the UK. During his stay in the wintry North, he swung by Open venues St Andrews and Royal Liverpool, while on the way home he touched base with a number of Australian superintendents who now maintain some of the finest courses in the Middle East. From St Andrews to The SaharaA Technical Officer™s PilgrimageSt Andrews™ Hell bunker in all its glory. The Old Course boasts 112 bunkers all revettedThe sand course at Almadi Golf Club in Kuwaitspecial feature20Australian Turfgrass ManagementGreen speeds must be consistent, with variations of up to six inches on the stimpmeter being acceptable. Lastly, a greens roller is used 
for putting surface smoothness not firmness. The BIGGA seminar series ran from Tuesday to Thursday with a total of 12 half-
hour presentations. These were generally light 
on for technical information and some were 
presented by trade members who focused 
a lot on their own products. As well as local 
speakers there were also representatives from 
Canada, the United States and myself.The tradeshow was probably the main focus for most superintendents and their 
ground staff. It is reported to be the largest 
associated tradeshow in Europe, with over 160 
companies represented. INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT
Following the conference, representatives 
from superintendent associations around 
the globe converged for a one-day meeting. 
Representatives came from America, Canada, 
Britain, Sweden, Ireland, Holland and FEGGA 
(Federation of European Golf Greenkeeping 
Associations) as well as representatives from the R&A, Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) 
and Government Training Committee (UK).Issues discussed included the formulation of  global environmental management 
guidelines as well as guidelines that support 
the overall role of the superintendent. Preliminary drafts of these had been put together by phone hook ups that had occurred 
on previous occasions.An international website was launched www.gcsaa.org/igcm that will include meeting outcomes, contact details for all associations, 
as well as international dates for upcoming 
events. The summaries from all associations 
present during the summit tended to focus 
heavily on education initiatives. 2005 & 2006 OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS VENUES
Following the conference I visited the 2005 
and 2006 Open Championships venues St. 
Andrews and Royal Liverpool.BY ANDREW PEART         The famous St Andrews clubhouse21Australian Turfgrass ManagementMonumentHerbicideROYAL LIVERPOOLI visited Royal Liverpool with a past associate 
from the STRI. The main intention was to play 
golf but when the 9am temperature was -2oC there was little to be gained in trying to post a decent score.The course is typical of a true links course. It was nearly totally devoid of any vegetation other than grasses and is particularly flat. In 
summer the course takes on a much different 
appearance when the fescue grasses in the 
rough are at least knee height as opposed to 
no more than ankle height in winter. When weather conditions are not conducive to playing on the normal greens, winter greens 
are in play. They are cups cut into the fairways 
about 20m short of the green. The cups are cut in November. Unlike temporary greens used in Australia, these 
winter greens do not receive any additional cutting or topdressing and therefore you are simply putting on the fairway surface. However, 
due to the limited growth of the fescue during 
winter they actually provide relatively true 
putting surfaces, although very slow even on 
frozen turf.The putting green surfaces are a mixture of bentgrass, fine fescue, Poa annua and patches of ryegrass and fog grass. Species 
composition did not appear to be a huge 
concern as long as ball roll was consistent.The preferable tee grass composition is fescue and bent. Over the winter there is often 
moss invasion and this is alleviated with an 
application of lawn sand in early spring that 
is a combination of ammonium sulfate, iron 
sulfate and sand. This provides the tees with 
nutrition, moss control and some topdressing. The fairways are a mixture of fine fescue, bentgrass, ryegrass and Poa.  Fescue is the preferred species and the fairways are 
managed to provide the fescue with the best 
possible growing conditions. This means they receive minimal nitrogen fertiliser as more 
fertility would tend to promote ryegrass, which 
is seen as a weed and heavily discouraged. 
The main source of nitrogenous fertiliser 
applied would be a liquefied manure fertiliser 
maybe twice a year. The fairways also had a small percentage of broadleaf weeds, which included parsley 
piert. Generally, small percentages of weeds 
are acceptable as long as they do not interfere 
with playability or do not out-compete the 
favoured species. The roughs are being encouraged to comprise of the endemic species of fine fescue 
grasses and marram grass. In disturbed sandy 
sites these are the first species to regenerate. 
From a pure ecological viewpoint this would 
be the ideal scenario for the majority of rough 
at Royal Liverpool, however, it is slow growing 
and reasonably intolerant of traffic.  All the bunkers on the course have revetted faces and are being reconstructed prior to the 
2006 Open. The preferred grass species to 
use for this is fescue due to the woody nature 
of the fescue thatch. Two-inch thick sods are 
cut into slabs 40cmx15cm wide and stacked 
around the outside of the bunker to form the 
bunker edge with each layer of sod placed 
about 1-2fl back from each other.  ST ANDREWS ΠOLD COURSE
St Andrews Links Trust is comprised of five 
18-hole courses (the Old Course, the New 
Course, the Jubilee, Eden and Strathyrum 
- the first three are regarded as championship 
courses) and a nine-hole course known as Belgrove.  The Trust is on 675 acres of land, of which 46 acres is a turf nursery. The first thing you notice being in St. Andrews on a Sunday is that the Old Course is 
closed. This tradition has dated back centuries 
and is a constant reminder that the golf links 
belongs to the people of St. Andrews. Even 
dogs are allowed. Then there are the seven huge double greens. There are four single greens on the 
course (1, 9, 17 and 18). The 18th is quite 
large as all greens are, but very rectangular 
in shape. It is believed that Old Tom Morris 
designed it this way due to the difficulty in 
turning machinery in the late 1800™s. The greens are dominated by fescue, creeping red and chewings, to the rate of about 
70 per cent.  There appears to be around 20-
25 per cent bent and 5 per cent Poa, rye or Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanata).  Although the greens were cut at a generous 5-6mm, the 
surfaces were still very firm, possibly frozen.The 5th/13th double green was regarded as the largest green in the world, however, has 
been eclipsed by the 13th at The Montgomerie 
in Dubai (see pg 24). Its size, however, can 
still not be underestimated and to cut it with 
a walk-behind mower would mean covering a 
distance of some 7.5 miles.  As well as the sheer size, there are some imposing undulations on many of the Old 
Course greens. The 2nd/16th green has some 
huge mounds and the 3rd/15th quite a distinct 
swale. The 11th and 17th greens on the other 
hand are relatively flat and narrow but are 
protected at the front by the famous Strath and 
Road Hole bunkers, just two of 112 bunkers 
around the course.The fairways and rough are dominated    The imposing undulations of the 2nd/16th green at St AndrewsThe spectacular approach to the 3rd at Doha Golf Club in Qatar22Australian Turfgrass Managementspecial featureby fescue. As with Royal Liverpool, ryegrass is seen as an unwanted species, even to the 
extent of plugging it out. It is proposed that 
after this year™s Open, superintendent Euan 
Grant will trial some selective herbicides to rid 
it from the course.The R&A works closely with the STRI regarding the protection of areas of ecological 
importance for Open Championships. Due to 
the heather being severely checked during 
the 2000 Open, the STRI has dictated that for 
this year™s event the ropes will be outside the 
stands of heather, allowing for the regeneration 
of the species. Because of this, much of the gorse on the Old Course has been severely trimmed 
with a flail mower to allow better visibility for 
spectators.  After the tournament, a gorse 
management plan drafted by Euan will start 
to reduce much of the woodiness that has 
developed within the bushes.During winter there are a few strategies to alleviate excessive wear to the course. The first 
is through the placement of the pins. During 
winter only one temporary green is in play, 
the short par 3 11th . The rest are as normal with many pins placed close to the edge of 
the green so golfers don™t have to walk all over 
the green.Secondly, balls must be played off small strips of artificial turf if they land on the fairway. 
Balls finding the semi-rough or rough can be 
played as they lie. This is an attempt to reduce 
fairway divots, although there still appeared to 
be many divots in the fairways.THE MIDDLE EASTAs well as my time in the UK, I stopped off in 
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. 
The purpose was to visit courses in Doha, 
Dubai and Kuwait City which were being 
maintained by Australian superintendents.DOHA GOLF CLUB, QATARThis course occupies 150 hectares in total, 
of which 60 hectares is grassed.  Facilities 
include an 18-hole championship course, a 
fully lit nine-hole academy course, a large 
practice putter, practice tee and the Qatar Golf 
Academy.  The course was designed by renowned architect Peter Harradine and opened in 1995.  Harradine™s design and philosophy relies on 
the natural preservation and enhancement of 
existing sites to create a unique course for 
a particular location.  If there is one word to 
describe this course, unique would be it.  The natural features of the desert have been preserved and enhanced with the inclusion of 
artificial lakes, some holding potable water 
(treated by desalination plants for irrigation) 
and others containing sea water.The site is extremely rocky and construction involved excavating and crushing most of the 
rock before the natural dune sands containing 
a small percentage of clay were used to cap 
this base material.The course is totally grassed with a combination of Tifgreen and Tifway.  During 
the cooler months, greens are oversown with 
6kg/100m2 of Poa trivialis and the roughs and tees are oversown with perennial ryegrass at 
150kg/ha. For the 2005 Qatar Masters, a small 
approach area in front of greens has also 
been oversown with Poa trivialis. Due to the 
extreme summers (>40oC) transitioning out the oversown species is not an issue.  Missing the fairway can be fraught with    23Australian Turfgrass ManagementTRANSEZETransitionalRyegrassThe latest development in intermediate ryegrass....TransEzeistruly a transitional ryegrass;a new type of intermediateryegrass that combines the turf quality of perennial ryegrass
with the quick transition of annual ryegrass.The result of a ten-year breeding program,the original parentsof TransEzewere the densest,darkest,most uniform,fineleafplants in the breeding seed facility.After a quick germination (similar to annual ryegrass),TransEzeclosely resembles perennial ryegrass in its growthpattern - from uniformity to lower growth habit.Its
appearance also closely resembles perennial ryegrass in colour,
texture,and mowability.For winter overseeding or for use as a covergrass,nothingcompares to the quality or performance of TransEze.SEEDING RATESFAIRWAYS:3-5KGS PER 100M2GREENS:4-6KGS PER 100M2Contact your Nuturf Territory Manager on1800 631 008 for further information.The Quality ofPerennial...The Speedand Transitionof Annuals!Seasonal Growth CurveAUTUMN               WINTER                 SPRING              SUMMERTRANSEZESTANDARD ANNUALSTANDARD PERENNIALdanger as there is only a small area of grassed rough between the fairway and desert. For the 
Masters, the grassed rough is cut as follows; 
a triplex-width cut at 25mm (short rough), 
another at 50mm (step rough) and outside 
that at 100mm (long rough) before the grassed 
surface disappears into natural sands and 
gravel of the desert, where the ball must be 
played as it lies.Water supply to the course is generally not a problem as potable water (desalinised) is 
pumped on a consistent basis.  The irrigation 
system was designed to pump 3000 gallons 
a minute.  This is achieved from six pumps 
and three jockey pumps, of which five main 
and two jockey pumps are in operation at any 
one time. This allows the entire course to be 
watered in 12 hours using up to 6500m3 of water per night (3000m3 over winter).The maintenance team comprises Ranald McNeil and his assistant Darren Shaw. Michael 
Styles oversees the irrigation system as well as 
much of the outside landscape contract work, 
and Hamish Rumane is project coordinator. 
As well, each nine has a foreman and another 
40-odd employees (mostly Indian, Sri Lankan 
or Bangladeshi). In total, the groundstaff would tally around 70 when the landscape workers are 
included.  Landscape projects which the golf 
club is also involved with include the Al Arabi 
Sports Complex, Al Sadd Stadium and Khalifa 
Stadium, home of the 2006 Asia Games.  Doha hosts two major tournaments for the year Πthe 36-hole Qatar Open (amateur) and 
the Qatar Masters, a co-sanctioned event with 
the European and Asian tours.  The Masters 
was first played at Doha in 1998 and is one of 
the longest layouts on the European Tour. The 
18th (played as the 9th for the Masters) is the 
longest hole on tour at 634 yards.  Greens are cut at 4mm for the tournament and do not run much faster than 10 Π10.5 feet due to a couple of exposed greens.  In 2002 
a severe sandstorm caused the cancellation 
of the first round when 2mm of sand was 
deposited on all holes.  With adequate irrigation 
that evening, the event started the next day.  THE MONTGOMERIE, DUBAIThe Montgomerie, as the name suggests, was 
designed in part by Colin Montgomerie and 
also Desmond Muirhead. It is very much a 
resort type course with wall-to-wall grass and 
landscaping. All tees, fairways and roughs on the course are Tifway that are oversown in October/
November with ryegrass.  All but the outer 
2m or so of the grassed areas are oversown, 
however, this policy may change as the final 
look is incomplete once the ryegrass has 
matured.The course is shut for three days to complete overseeding. Greens and tees are 
done on the first day, followed by the front nine 
fairways and roughs, then the back nine on 
the third day. The oversowing rate is relatively 
high to produce a lot of weaker plants aiding a 
successful transition.  All greens have been planted with Floradwarf, an ultradwarf bermudagrass, 
and are oversown in winter with Poa trivialis 
at 9lb/1000sq.ft.  It is done in a staggered 
operation with initial seeding at 6lb/1000sq.ft 
and then 10 weeks later another 3lb/1000sq.ft. 
The overall performance of the Floradwarf has 
been reported to be less than impressive and 
it is the view of the management that it should 
be replaced with Tifeagle.The course has 14 lakes of which the vast majority are groundwater filled.  The greatest 
concern to the course is that with all the recent 
development around Dubai and the necessity 
for amenity lakes, groundwater levels are 
continually dropping.  The course is now watered with treated effluent after initially being watered with 
desalinised town water.  The first year™s water 
bill with town water was around 9 million dirham 
($A3.5million) but with treated effluent and 
better management, this figure has dropped to 
about 3 million dirham ($A1.3m).The quality of the treated sewage effluent water is very good and the course can easily 
be watered in one night.  Similar to Doha, the 
pumping capacities are staggering. The pump 
station at The Montgomerie is capable of 
delivering 5000 gallons per minute.The par 5 18th is quite spectacular not simply for the layout but how much it cost 
to construct. It is reported that the 18th cost 
as much to construct as the entire front nine. 
This can be explained by the huge dam that 
runs through it, which is completely lined 
as it was once the irrigation dam filled with 
desalinised water. Then there are the six large 
concrete bridges to allow access to all points 
of the fairway, as well as all the associated 
landscaping and bunkering. The construction technique for the course was to shape the entire fairway and tee bases 
and then cap them with 300mm of ‚sweet 
soil™.  This is a local material with a higher 
percentage of silt and clay to the natural sand, 
to give the growing medium some extra water 
and nutrient holding capacity.The greens are a USGA construction with 20 per cent peat added by volume.  However, 
this was a little adhoc at construction and it has 
taken two years to get all greens to perform the 
same way.  The Montgomerie boasts the largest green in the world, the par 3 13th. It is 58,000sq.
ft (about 6200sqm) or the equivalent of nine 
greens in size. It can be played from tees 
positioned 360 degrees around the hole and 
the green is shaped in the outline of the United 
Arab Emirates. Staff numbers are not an issue, with about 51 on staff (all Pakistani), although that includes 
18 gardeners for the 38 acres of garden beds, 
and six mechanics. THE DESERT COURSE AT ARABIAN RANCHES, DUBAI   
This course was designed in conjunction 
with Ian Baker-Finch and the Nicklaus Group.  
Situated on about 200 acres of sheer desert 
landscape, the course has tried to retain much 
of this feel.  Only about 30-40 per cent of the 
course is grassed with Tifway and the rest 
remains as a desert landscape.Obviously the greatest concern in such an environment is sand movement onto the 
course.  This has been achieved by watering The 18th at The Montgomerie purportedly cost more to construct than the entire front nine24Australian Turfgrass Managementthe desert to not only keep the sand moist, but to also encourage the growth of typical 
desert plants.Fairways, roughs and tees had all been oversown with perennial ryegrass and had 
gone to the extremities of the grassed rough. 
The management of the edge of the rough 
and desert interface has changed on the 
Desert Course. The original plan was to have 
a clean edge of grass and sand but now the 
couchgrass has been allowed to encroach out 
into the desert.Given the amount of sand (desert) on the course, there is no distinction between a 
wasteland bunker and a traditional bunker. It 
has been stipulated that if the Desert Course 
wishes to host a European Tour qualifying 
event, it must enclose all greenside bunkers so 
they are not regarded as wasteland bunkers.The greens are sprigged with Tifeagle and not oversown. Even in the middle of winter 
they still present a very good putting surface 
although they had become quite purple in 
colouration and there was little recovery from 
pitch marks or where the cups had been cut.  
It is likely that the greens will be oversown for 
the following winter especially when golfer numbers are expected to rise.The ‚desert™ is constantly raked with bunker rakes for both an aesthetic look to remove 
wheel marks and footprints. The course has 
a balancing role of working out how penal 
the rough should be given the nature of the 
shrubby desert plants. The more plants the 
more penal the course plays given the ball can 
easily come to rest six inches off the ground in 
any one of them.Once there is more building development around the course, the number of shrubs could 
be reduced dramatically as the houses will 
prevent some buffering of the prevailing winds 
that causes sand to blow onto the course.THE SAHARA, KUWAIT CITY The Sahara golf course (which was featured recently in Vol 6.6 of ATM), has been designed 
by Peter Harradine, with 12 holes constructed The 2nd at The Desert Course at Arabian Ranches, Dubaispecial feature25Australian Turfgrass Managementinside the racetrack of the Kuwait Equestrian and Hunting Club.This has posed some difficult design elements given that the course could not 
detract from sight lines of the punters. Most of 
the course therefore is actually beneath track 
height with the highest point of the interior 12 
holes being at track level. As the course is by 
no means flat, a huge amount of earth was 
moved during construction. The entire course has been hand sprigged with Sea Isle 2000 seashore paspalum. At 
the time of my visit all grassing had finished 
with some holes nearly having a full cover. 
Others that were planted late in November 
still appeared bare, however, the material was 
present and ready to move when temperatures 
heated up. Winter temperatures are a huge limitation for the growth of paspalum.  From late 
November to mid February temperatures 
can be similar to a Melbourne winter with 
maximums around 15-17oC.  During January there is little that can be done except patiently 
wait until temperatures warm up.  It was 
planned to apply some potassium (potassium 
nitrate), to encourage growth as soon as 
temperatures became warmer.  While there had been little activity on the golf course over December/January, it had 
given superintendent Mick Kelly the opportunity 
to source a reasonable workforce from the 
Philippines.  He had organised about 20 
Filipino workers, which will include an assistant 
superintendent, mechanic, spray operator and 
other people skilled with machinery.  The rest 
of the labour force, probably around 25, will be 
sourced locally from the Gulf countries.The fairways  and tees were constructed  from local sand with two amendments 
incorporated to help retain moisture and 
improve nutrient retention.  The sand, however, 
tends to crust quite severely and water 
penetration can be difficult once the surface 
dries out.   This was particularly evident after 
40mm of rainfall fell within 12 hours and a substantial area of newly sprigged ground was 
washed away.  Due to the lack of area on the course, the intended areas for bunkers have not 
been shaped but levelled with the fairway 
construction and grassed.  Once mature, these 
areas on the course can be used as a source 
for plugging or other sprigging.  The bunkers 
are then formed after that.Being wall-to-wall Sea Isle 2000, the rough will probably be left short as the paspalum 
becomes quite spongy and nearly impossible 
to play from if long.  Certainly a possibility in 
the winter will be to oversow the rough with 
ryegrass to create a deeper rough.Areas outside the rough will probably be planted with shrubs and grasses, at least 
within the racetrack so as not to block the view.  
Holes outside the track (5,14,15,16,17 and 18) 
will probably be quite densely planted with 
palms and other similar species.A possible limitation to maintenance of the course will be during horse training when 
maintenance work will not be able to start 
inside the track until training has stopped at 
8am.  Training is not all year round but is during 
winter months when it is also prime golfing 
time due to far more tolerable temperatures (temperatures get up to 56oC in summer). While temperatures can be oppressive for staff, the turf is also under a fair bit of stress.  It 
has been calculated that 12mm of irrigation will 
be needed over the site each night to replace 
evapotranspiration.The course has an underground water tank that can hold about 3.5-4 megalitres and 
a pumping station that delivers 2500 gallons 
per minute. There are three ornamental lakes 
on the golf course but these are filled with 
groundwater rather than the treated sewage 
effluent (TSE) used for irrigation.The TSE has a salinity of 700ppm and few other negatives.  It will be possible to water 
the course with the groundwater if there is 
ever a problem with the TSE, however, the 
TSE is preferred due to less wear and tear on 
machinery and infrastructure.While in Kuwait, I also visited the Almadi Golf Club which is owned by the Kuwait Oil 
Company and is a traditional sand course. 
Pegs are positioned down the fairway that 
signify the boundary. If your ball is within the 
pegs you can play your ball off a piece of 
synthetic turf. However, if your ball is outside 
the pegs you must play it from the sand. The sand greens appeared to provide a firm and true putting surface and were simply 
swept at the conclusion of the hole. Somehow 
I feel the Sea Isle 2000 fairways and greens of 
The Sahara will be a great improvement to golf 
in Kuwait.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to all those who gave up their time to show me 
around their extraordinary golf courses during 
my travels, as well as the AGCSA Board and its 
members for the opportunity. Raking the desert in DubaiAt the Sahara in Kuwait, bunkers are turfed over first and formed later due to space constraintsspecial feature26Australian Turfgrass ManagementWeb Site: www.davidgolf.com.au      Email: dge@davidgolf.com.auHead Office Melbourne Sydney Office Brisbane Office39-41 Winterton Rd, 14 Fitzroy Street 3/12 Bowers Road SouthCLAYTON VIC 3168 MARRICKVILLE NSW 2204 EVERTON HILLS QLD 4053Ph: 03 9540 0011 Ph: 02 9565 1588 Ph: 07 3353 6196Fax: 03 9540 0909 Fax: 02 9565 1844 Fax: 07 3353 6197UpdateBY JOHN NEYLAN28Australian Turfgrass ManagementIn his latest instalment of AGCSATech Update, John Neylan takes a trip around Australia and outlines some of the new golf course projects underway and their unique construction challenges.Over the past few months, AGCSATech has inspected several golf courses under 
construction, and they all have different aspects that are of interest.  Whether it be soil 
type, location, grass selection or environmental 
challenges, they all offer something new.ST ANDREWS BEACH (VIC)This golf course has a spectacular topography 
and architect Tom Doak has worked it well with 
the natural landscape that is so typical of the 
Mornington Peninsula. Superintendent John 
Geary, formerly superintendent at Frankston 
Golf Club, and his staff have done an incredible 
job in grassing the course and having it almost 
ready for play in just on 12 months.Of particular interest are the quality of the Penn A4 greens, the use of fine fescue and 
bentgrass in the surrounds, and the Legend 
couchgrass on the fairways.The golf course has used the native sands for the greens and tees, with Basamid as 
a fumigant.  Given that methyl bromide is 
almost gone from the turf industry, it has been 
interesting to observe the success of Basamid 
as an alternative.As well, there is an extensive revegetation works program, including the growing and 
propagating of thousands of native plants for 
establishment around the course.PACIFIC HARBOUR BRIBIE ISLAND (QLD)
The site of this course was a flat, featureless 
former pine plantation, and architect Ross 
Watson is creating a rolling links style course 
that will cater for both the short hitter and the 
low handicapper.  Project manager Rick O™Loughlin and construction superintendent Marcus Hartup 
have done an excellent job to date.  A feature 
of the construction has been the attention 
to detail, with a clean finish as each hole is 
completed.In terms of grassing, Tifeagle has been used on the greens, an old favourite Wintergreen 
on the fairways and Plateau has been used 
around the bunkers.  Plateau was selected 
by Ross Watson as a means of stabilising the 
bunker surrounds where native grasses could 
be established without being overrun by the couch.  The prostrate growth habit of Plateau 
has served its purpose well.PORT BOUVARD GOLF CLUB (WA)This golf course is perched on the coast, and if your game is going badly then you can take 
a quick dip in the Indian Ocean.  This course 
does provide a certain ‚wow™ factor with its 
views. The course is designed by Jim Wilcher 
of Golf By Design, and the construction is 
being managed by Trevor Strachan along with 
superintendent Darryl Outhwaite.  One of the great challenges of this site is The impressive bunker complex on the 17th at Pacific Harbour Bribie Island29Australian Turfgrass Managementthe water quality, with high salinity requiring a high level of management on the bentgrass 
greens.  The bentgrass variety L-93 has been 
used to great effect, and is coping well with 
the salinity.MAGENTA SHORES (NSW)Magenta Shores is another coastal course 
constructed that has a range of features 
including an old landfill, remnants of a rutile 
mine, important remnant native rainforest, as 
well as the scourge of the NSW coast, bitou 
bush.  Bitou bush, with its aggressive growth, yellow flowers and high seed production, was 
planted originally for dune stabilisation and is 
now a major environmental weed.The construction of the golf course has involved extensive bitou bush clearing and 
dune revegetation, which is under the control 
of environmentalist Anne Clements.  It is 
interesting to note that without the golf course 
development, there may have been little done 
to control the bitou bush, or preserve the 
unique natural vegetation of the site.Golf course architect Ross Watson is relishing being able to work on such prime 
natural golfing country.  The superintendent 
is Kenton Boyd, previously of Fox Hills Golf 
Club, and is now well involved with final grass 
selection and construction issues.USE OF EFFLUENT WATERA successful seminar was held in late February 
at Barwon Heads Golf Club to discuss results 
of the trials that have been undertaken over the 
past three years.During the seminar we discussed the formulation of the environment improvement 
plan (EIP), the site-monitoring program, and 
the bentgrass/Poa annua trials.  The EIP, as it is known in Victoria, is the management document that each course 
must produce, describing the site conditions 
and how the effluent water will be managed 
in a sustainable manner.  It is both a risk 
management document and a manual of best 
practice.  We discussed the fact that the EPA is 
currently undertaking site audits, and that the 
course is following the EIP.Issues were raised concerning the strictness of the guidelines on the reuse of 
effluent and the imposition this causes from a Magenta Shores superintendent Kenton Boyd gets practical while testing bunker sandUpdateBY JOHN NEYLAN30Australian Turfgrass Managementgolf course operational perspective.  As we discussed, operational and infrastructure changes often have to be made to accommodate the use of effluent water.  
Particularly where the water is less than Class A 
quality, there are restrictions that are designed 
to minimise golfer contact and the movement 
of effluent water outside of the golf course 
boundaries.  This highlights the importance of the EIP in identifying key areas of risk, whether it 
is adjoining properties, uncontrolled public 
access areas, ensuring that water storages are 
completely leak proof, as well as protecting 
workers.The development of the EIP and similar documents has raised issues in a number 
of states.  Depending on who develops 
the document, it can, at times, have bias 
towards engineering and health issues and 
only provides scant regard to the long-term 
management of soils and turf.  It has become apparent on some sites that the salinity and soil conditions have not 
been appropriately addressed, and there are 
now significant turf management challenges 
ahead.  The key to a good EIP is to incorporate all the disciplines so that effluent reuse is sustainable, 
and does not cause site degradation.QUEENSLAND AND SOUTH 
AUSTRALIA FIELD DAYS
In early February, AGCSATech was invited 
to the GCSAQ and SAGCSA field days.  I 
attended the GCSAQ day at Gainsborough 
Greens Golf Club (superintendent Justin 
Kelly), while technical officer Andrew Peart 
attended the SAGCSA day at Glenelg Golf 
Club (superintendent Daryl Sellar).At the GCSAQ day, we discussed root diseases and the problems of ‚summer 
decline™.  This provided a good follow-up to some investigation work AGCSATech had 
undertaken following advice from Dr Bruce 
Clarke when he was in Australia last year for 
the 20th Australian Turfgrass Conference in 
Melbourne.  It was pleasing to hear that several 
superintendents had instigated some of Dr 
Clarke™s recommendations.In South Australia, Andrew spoke on winter conditioning, which tied in well with his picture 
collection from his recent trip to the UK (see 
article on page 22 ΠFrom St Andrews to 
Sahara). One of the par 3s at St Andrews BeachDune restoration at Magenta ShoresSCOTTS PROFESSIONAL SOLUTIONSArmyourselfagainstsurfacefeedinginsects©Scotts Australia Pty Ltd 2004    3681.MGTake target at the SCO TTS PAINTBALL CHALLENGE  Tuesday June 7th- Australian Turfgrass Conference-Moama Ph 03 9548 8600 for more details.MaxGuard® delivers fast acting, contactinsecticide for immediate control fo surfacefeeding insects, including Lawn armyworm, Sod webworm, Argentine stem weevil adults,African black beetle adults, Billbug adulst, andants including stinging ants.MaxGuard is available as both granular and liquid inseciticide formulations.Safe to use Low mammalian toxicityKills on contact Even at low ratesFlexible delivery  Granule, liquid or  granule + fertiliserFor more information, talk to your localturf products distributor or Scotts direct.Freecall 1800 789 338 or visitwww.scottsaustralia.comresearchI have been fortunate during my years in the turf industry to visit turf research facilities in 
the USA, and I have always been interested in what new grasses have been developed.Having inspected many trial plots, particularly those in the National Turfgrass 
Evaluation Program (NTEP), I have come to 
appreciate the superior quality of couchgrass 
varieties in Australia.It started initially with Greenlees Park and Wintergreen, and then Windsorgreen 
was developed by Peter McMaugh through 
irradiation and genetic mutation techniques.In more recent times, new selections such as Legend, Conquest and Riley™s Supersport 
have been introduced into a wide range of 
sportsturf applications.In the USA, couchgrass programs have involved the development of the dense, fine textured hybrids for use on golf courses and 
seeded varieties for more general sportsturf 
applications.Of those cultivars used on golf course fairways and sportsfields, there are few that 
match the quality, adaptability and ease of 
management of the Australian selections.Following this tradition of developing new couchgrass cultivars, there is an Australian 
first in the development of two new vegetative 
cultivars as the result of a cross-breeding 
program, followed by progeny testing and 
selection.Responsible for these new cultivars is Victorian turfgrass breeder David Nickson, 
together with the assistance of Peter McMaugh 
and Dr Arden Baltensperger from the University 
of New Mexico.I have been fortunate to know David since he Well-respected turfgrass breeder David Nickson is in the final stages of having two new vegetative couchgrass cultivars evaluated for Plant Breeders Rights. Fellow agronomist John Neylan outlines this Australian turfgrass breeding first.Nickson breeds a new future 32Australian Turfgrass ManagementBY JOHN NEYLANcame to Melbourne as course superintendent at Peninsula Country Club in the city™s south-
east. Over the years of discussing the issues 
of the turf world with David, I have always 
admired his keen scientific interest in turf and, 
in particular, the development and application 
of new grass types.The product of 20 years scientific interest and work has finally come to fruition with 
the breeding of these two new couchgrass 
cultivars.The development of new turfgrass cultivars is a long process, particularly when it involves 
cross-breeding different plants, collecting the 
seed, growing the individual seeds to mature 
plants, selecting the best of these and then 
undertaking field trials.David started collecting couchgrass plants from the Peninsula Country Club with mentor 
Peter McMaugh in 1985. Plants were selected 
from patches that demonstrated superior turf 
density, quality and winter colour retention.David has always travelled widely and has developed an enviable group of contacts among the turfgrass scientific community. Dr 
Baltensperger, from the University of New 
Mexico, is a turfgrass breeder who has assisted 
David in this breeding program.In 1987, Dr Baltensperger started a breeding program using the couchgrass 
plants collected in Australia, with the aim of 
producing seeded couch varieties.The progeny were assessed in trials at Peninsula Country Club and the variety 
Princess was released for commercial use. 
Princess is possibly the best of the seeded 
couch varieties with excellent density and turf 
coverage.In the AGCSATech trial plots at Lakelands Golf Club it has been far superior to the other 
seeded types that are more open textured and 
lack winter density.The progeny of this first cross was back-crossed to Wintergreen and the cultivar C5 
resulted. C5 was included in the National 
Couchgrass Trials (Neylan and Robinson, 1997) and rated highly in trials that included Wintergreen, Windsorgreen, Legend and 
Santa ana.In 1997, C5 was crossed with Wintergreen and the seed harvested. In 2000, the individual 
seeds were germinated on blotting paper 
and individual seedlings transferred to pots. 
Selections were made, with plant numbers reduced to 30 and then planted into field plots 
for further evaluation at Evergreen Turf Farm in 
Pakenham, Victoria in 2002.During 2003, two of the plants (DN9 and DN12) were selected for Plant Breeders 
Rights (PBR) evaluation through Dr Don Loch 
(Department of Primary Industries, Queensland) 
for registration as cultivars.PBR are exclusive commercial rights to a registered variety. The rights are a form of 
intellectual property, like patents and copyright, 
and are administered by the Plant Breeders 
Rights Act (1994).Only new or recently exploited varieties can be registered. A new variety is one which 
has not been sold with the breeder™s consent, 
while a recently exploited variety is one which 
has been sold with the breeder™s consent for 
up to 12 months in Australia.To be eligible for protection, the application must show that the new variety is distinct, 
uniform and stable. That is, the new variety 
must be distinct in at least one characteristic 
from any other variety of common knowledge. 
For example with DN9 and DN12, a comparator 
could be any other couchgrass already 
available.Uniformity relates to the number of off-types (ie: plants that do not conform to all the 
distinctive characteristics of the variety) that 
may occur in a variety. For a new variety to be considered uniform, it must not exceed a maximum number of off-
types according to the PBR table for uniformity. 
Stability is a measure of how true to description  The DN9 cultivar plot at Evergreen Turf Farm in PakenhamVictorian turfgrass breeder David Nickson currently has two vegetative couchgrass cultivars being evaluated for Plant Breeders Rights33Australian Turfgrass Managementresearcha variety remains after repeated propagation.To obtain acceptance of an application and provisional protection, it must be established that there is a prima facie case that the variety 
is distinct from all other varieties of common 
knowledge.To obtain a grant of PBR, the applicant must verify these claims normally by conducting a 
comparative test growing which include the new variety and the most similar varieties of 
common knowledge.David Nickson, under the guidance of Dr Loch, has undertaken extensive trials 
measuring various growth characteristics such 
as stolon extension rate, internode length, leaf 
width and leaf length.When a PBR application is made it is a requirement of the PBR Act that an accredited qualified person is employed to assist in the 
comparative trials and the application. This 
person (in this case Dr Loch,) in collaboration 
with the PBR office, accepts responsibility for 
all aspects of the comparative trial, including 
the choice of comparative varieties, experiment 
design, collection of data, statistical analysis 
and preparation of a description of the variety.DN9 and DN12 are also being evaluated in the Victorian Golf Association™s turfgrass 
trials at Metropolitan Golf Club (superintendent 
Richard Forsyth) where they have exhibited 
good winter colour and a high degree of heat 
and drought tolerance.DN9 is fine textured, has excellent lateral growth and has exhibited excellent winter 
colour. The proposed name, subject to PBR, 
is Winter Gem. DN12, on the other hand, is fine-medium textured and has high density which is related 
to the very short internode length. It also has 
good winter colour and the proposed name 
is Grand Prix. Both varieties will have a wide 
range of applications, in particular for tees and 
fairways.With the final PBR work now being done, the new cultivars should be commercially 
available within 18 months.     The DN12 cultivar is fine-medium textured and has high density34Australian Turfgrass ManagementHGHadv TI2403www.toro.com.auToro, the Irrigation Experts.Toro, the Irrigation Experts.Whether you need a new irrigation system, or just want to make sure your current one is efficient, talk to Toro about how to save time, money and water.Call your Toro Representative for a free irrigation system appraisal or ask about assistance with a full system audit.NSWPieter Clarke0439 318 724QldPeter White0418 400 104Vic/TasRod Lehpamer0418 364 789National Golf Manager- Patrick O™Shannesy  0418 649 675SAChris Simpson0408 858 709WAPaul Willmott0417 985 260Customer Service1300 130 898The largest range of water efficient products. The largest sales team in Australia. The only manufacturer with field service capability.Central software and hardware support available around the clock for golf courses.arehouses located in every mainland state.No other company is more dedicated to irrigation than Toro. TI2403 - Turfgrass April  1/3/05  3:38 PM  Page 1researchManaging Kikuyu Under Australian Conditions ŒUWA Research Project  Improved information on nitrogen fertiliser use and the control of mat and thatch in established kikuyu has been identified as a research priority for the Western Australian turfgrass industry.  The University of Western Australia has initiated a new study investigating practises to maximise turfgrass quality, while minimising nitrogen leaching and mat accumulation.Australian turfgrass managers are seeking more cost efficient and environmentally 
acceptable approaches to manage turfgrass. Applying fertilisers, irrigation, mat 
and thatch control all contribute to the cost 
of managing turfgrass, and depending on the 
approach taken, can also pose a risk to the 
environment.  Our understanding of turfgrass management practices and their effects on 
the environment is based mainly on data 
from cool-season turfgrasses grown in the 
Northern Hemisphere. Therefore, the overall 
aim of the University of Western Australia™s 
(UWA) three-and-a-half year Kikuyu Research 
Project is to optimise nitrogen fertiliser and 
mat control management practices for kikuyu 
under Australian conditions. SPECIFICALLY THE PROJECT WILL: Assess if optimising nitrogen fertiliser management maximises turfgrass quality 
while minimising nitrogen leaching and 
the accumulation of mat and thatch 
(Experiment 1); Determine if mat and thatch accumulation 
effects turfgrass water-use (Experiment 2); 
and Compare non-destructive and destructive 
methods for controlling and managing 
the accumulation of mat and thatch in 
turfgrass (Experiment 3).EXPERIMENTAL APPROACHThe project is being conducted at the UWA Turf Research Facility at Shenton Park, WA.  
The site includes a variable-speed travelling 
irrigator that allows water to be applied at 
known rates as calculated using an on-site 
weather station. Plots have been established from turfgrass of two ages Œ 20-week-old turfgrass (‚young™ 
turfgrass), and 20-year-old turfgrass (‚old™ 
turfgrass).  The ‚young™ turfgrass was newly 
grown sod, cut to a depth of 15mm, while 
the ‚old™ turfgrass was cut from a golf course 
fairway to a depth of 50 mm so as to include 
a mat layer.Parameters measured in the experiment will be compared with those at selected industry 
sites.  Management techniques relevant to 
the turfgrass industry will be used at both 
the experimental and industry sites, so that 
information provided by the research can be 
utilised by end-users.EXPERIMENT ONEThe effects of nitrogen fertiliser management 
on clipping production, turfgrass quality, 
mat and thatch accumulation, plus nitrogen 
leaching from kikuyu of varying age will be 
determined in this experiment. The study includes two turfgrass ages, three nitrogen application rates (50, 100 and 
150 kg N/ha per year), and three fertiliser 
application frequencies (twice a year, four times 
a year and every four weeks).  There are three 
replicate plots per treatment, plus turfgrass 
plots that receive no nitrogen fertiliser.  These 
nitrogen rates and application frequencies Establishing kikuyu plots at Shenton Park36Australian Turfgrass ManagementBY LOUISE BARTON, GEORGE WAN, RENEE BUCK AND TIM COLMERrepresent the range of practices used in Perth for maintaining established kikuyu turfgrass.  The effect of nitrogen fertiliser regimes on nitrogen leaching will be evaluated using soil 
lysimeters installed in each treatment plot.  
Lysimeters comprise of turfgrass grown on 
a column of soil (250mm in diameter by 
900mm in depth) with a container at the 
base for collecting leachate.  Leachate is 
collected weekly, the volume measured and a 
subsample collected for total nitrogen, nitrate 
and ammonium analyses.EXPERIMENT TWOThe aim of this experiment is to determine 
if the accumulation of mat and thatch alters 
water use and water infiltration rates of kikuyu 
turfgrass of two ages. The study includes two turfgrass ages, three nitrogen application rates (0, 50 and 150 kg N/ha per year), and three replicates per treatment.  Nitrogen fertiliser will be 
applied four times per year.  The effect of 
mat and thatch accumulation on water use 
(i.e. evapotranspiration) will be assessed 
using ‚weighing lysimeters™ installed in each 
treatment plot.EXPERIMENT THREEThe effectiveness of methods for controlling 
and/or managing mat and thatch accumulation 
in kikuyu turfgrass of varying age will be 
determined in this experiment.It will investigate the impacts of control methods on mat and thatch accumulation, 
water infiltration rates and turfgrass growth 
and quality.  The study includes two turfgrass 
ages, five mat and thatch control techniques 
(none, scarifying, coring, dusting, and coring 
plus dusting), and three replicate plots per 
treatment.The effect of these different control techniques on mat and thatch accumulation 
will be assessed by measuring the depth, 
density and organic matter content of the 
mat and thatch.  These parameters will be 
measured immediately before applying 
the control treatments, and then at regular 
intervals after applying the treatments.  Other 
factors known to influence mat and thatch accumulation will also be measured, including soil aeration and soil pH.BUILDING ON PREVIOUS RESEARCH 
A number of research studies have been 
conducted by the UWA Turf Research Program, 
since 1996.  These studies have investigated: Irrigation requirements for turfgrass 
maintenance in WA; Fly ash as an amendment for increasing soil 
water holding capacity under turfgrass; Soil sensor technology for improving 
irrigation management of turfgrass; and Irrigation and fertiliser regimes that 
maximise turfgrass production, and 
minimise nutrient leaching.
Findings from these studies have shown that matching irrigation rates to turfgrass 
requirements not only saves water, but also 
minimises nutrient leaching.  The research 
has also demonstrated how improving soil water holding capacity can further improve 
the water-use efficiency of turfgrass grown on 
sandy soils.The Kikuyu Research Project shifts our attention from irrigation management to other 
costs associated with turfgrass management- 
fertilising, mowing and renovation. OUTCOMESThe benefits of the kikuyu project to the turfgrass 
industry will range from cost-savings, to better 
environmental management and an improved 
public perception of turfgrass management.  
Research findings will be summarised in an 
industry fact sheet, and published in industry 
and scientific journals.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis research is supported by Horticulture 
Australia Ltd (Project TU04001), Parks & 
Leisure Association of Australia, CSBP Ltd, 
Organic 2000, Turfgrass Association of 
Australia (WA), GCSAWA, Baileys Fertilisers, 
Turf Master Facility Management, Turf Growers 
Association of WA, Lawn Doctor, Micro Control 
Engineering and WA Water Corporation.  Alroh 
Turf Machinery and Dr Baden Clegg Pty Ltd are 
thanked for providing turfgrass maintenance 
and assessment equipment.  Challenger TAFE, 
local government and golf course staff are 
thanked for assisting with the establishment 
of the turfgrass plots.  The Western Australia 
Golf Club is thanked for providing turfgrass.  
Members of the UWA Turf Industries Research 
Steering Committee and Kikuyu Research 
Committee are thanked for their support and 
advice.Louise Barton, George Wan, Renee Buck and Tim Colmer, are part of the Faculty of 
Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University 
of Western Australia, http://www.fnas.uwa.edu.
au/turfresearch/index.htm     The ‚old™ turfgrass was cut to 50mm37Australian Turfgrass Management304 Globe Ad17/11/04, 4:42 PM1In the past year, I have read with great 
interest stories in Australian Turfgrass 
Management magazine 
(ATM) about increased 
concern over the environmental consequences of turfgrass 
maintenance particularly associated with the 
use of pesticides.It seems the issue has taken on a life of its own and rarely do I read a publication 
associated with turfgrass in Australia that 
environmental concerns are not mentioned.  
Of course, one of the stories as reported by 
ATM in Vol 5.6 (December-January 2004) and 
revisited in Vol 6.6 (December-January 2005) 
was the Warringah Golf Club incident.This unfortunate incident is similar to those that have happened throughout the world 
that have seemed to galvanize the movement 
against the use of pesticides on turfgrass.  The 
stories I am now reading from Australia have a 
familiar ring to them in that they sound much 
like what we have been experiencing here in 
the US, just for a longer period of time.It seems that the ‚attacks™ come from all directions, perhaps some of them well-founded 
with facts and others so far out they seem like science fiction.  The unfortunate thing is that 
even those that are pure fiction require our 
time to address and still often have a residual 
affect of harming our industry. While I do not live in Canada, I receive constant news of the negative attacks on 
the turfgrass industry in that country and the 
frustrations that turfgrass managers face.  In 
many municipalities and other areas, the use 
of all pesticides for cosmetic purposes is 
banned or greatly reduced.This has placed a great burden on the turfgrass manager, often significantly limiting 
his/her ability to maintain quality turf and has 
often greatly increased the cost of doing so.  
This has been a challenging and frustrating 
time for the industry in that country.  We see similar attempts to greatly modify the pest management options available for 
turfgrass in the US. This has been especially 
true in areas of the Northeast and the West 
Coast (primarily California). Pesticide use has 
been banned in certain areas and the end result 
has sometimes been greatly increased costs 
of management and significant reductions in 
turfgrass quality.Now I am not trying to say that we can™t reduce pesticide use in turfgrass with the latest 
technology and a very integrated approach. Rather, my concern focuses on the total 
elimination of pesticides based on less than 
sound science, with no plan for alternative 
means to maintain turf quality. Pesticides are used today, because for the most part, they are a required input to maintain 
the quality of turfgrass that the majority of the 
public demands. The public has not, in my 
recent memory, asked for poor quality golf 
conditions, less attractive gardens and lawns, 
and sportsturf in poor condition. Rather it 
seems they keep asking for higher quality. I sympathise with Australian turfgrass managers.  It seems that the harder you try to 
do your job right, use integrated approaches 
to minimise unnecessary pesticide use, and be 
an environmentalist, that we get attacked and 
regulated even more.Of course this comes from two angles. First, it comes from people who really don™t 
have a clue as to what we do and the effort 
we put in to grow healthy turf that is tolerant 
of pest problems.  Secondly, it comes from 
groups who see little value in quality turf 
whether it be for golf courses or home lawns.  
We may never change that attitude.One thing is for sure, some people™s opinions are not going to be changed. However, 
the groups that fit into this inflexible mindset is North Carolina State University turfgrass entomologist Rick Brandenburg passes on some of his observations and experiences from the United States about dealing with negative press surrounding major turfgrass management issues such as pesticide usage.opinionThe Storyof Progress38Australian Turfgrass ManagementBY RICK BRANDENBURGa small, but very vocal, committed, and active group.  Much of society doesn™t know the truth, 
but is often scared by sensationalised stories 
of mass death and destruction.While this may be an over simplification, I think we all know that the turf industry is 
often portrayed in an inaccurate and highly 
negative perspective.  We have not taken a 
very aggressive approach in dealing with this 
negative picture of our industry.  One thing that does happen when we are aggressively attacked by groups or the media 
or an unfortunate incident such as Warringah 
occurs, is that if makes us evaluate what we 
do and how we do it. It forces us to place more attention on what we are doing, the products 
we utilise and the steps we take to minimise 
the potential for problems and develop plans 
for responding.  Whether an environmental problem happens through neglect or despite the best 
of efforts to avoid such problems, we all know 
that problems do happen. We all understand 
we must have plans to prevent problems 
that are consistently followed and frequently 
evaluated and updated. We also need two more plans. A plan to seek best management practices for the 
turfgrass we manage that reduces inputs of 
products that have the potential for negative environmental impacts.  This is an ongoing 
process that exceeds the scope of this article.  
The second plan is one of improved public 
relations both on an individual basis (you as a 
turfgrass manager) and your organisation and 
industry (as a unified and highly visible voice).Here™s what I™ve have done and encouraged my colleagues to follow.  We™ve tried hard to 
document the value of turf, the role of the plant 
in the ecosystem and its value in reducing 
erosion, reducing dust, producing oxygen, 
reducing temperatures in the summer, etc.We™ve documented the monetary value of the turfgrass industry. This is something we™ve 
done in North Carolina, the state in which I 
live, and this has really caught the attention of 
many, particularly key people in government. 
However, most people will say that this is all 
fine and good, but you can™t eat turf. Why 
expose us to potentially damaging chemicals 
for turfgrass, at least reserve those uses to 
those food crops from which we receive a 
direct feedback.  One approach we took in the US back in the 1980s to combat these constant attacks 
on pesticide use was to tell the public about 
all of the other more significant concerns 
they should be worried about. In other words, 
why would you worry about a little pesticide 
exposure, when there are so many other 
threats to your health? That™s a good question based on a lot of supporting documentation, but it falls on deaf 
ears.    Added to that is the previously mentioned fact that a lot of people don™t think pesticide 
use on turfgrass is worthwhile in the first place, 
and secondly, it is a risk they can't control. Our newer approach is two-fold.  First, we develop our pest management strategies that 
look at all options. And there are more options 
than ever for making a strong effort to reduce     The 2001 Warringah GC pesticide spill created a groundswell of negative press (photo: Martin Lange, Manly Daily)of Progress39Australian Turfgrass ManagementSHAPING CHAMPIONSHIP ENVIRONMENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE.MAW 11585 quadrant.com.au˜CONCEPT˜CONSTRUCTION˜MAINTENANCE˜˜˜˚˛From concept to completion, there's now only one name to call to shape your championship environment. The Golf Course Company. 
Call Tony Maw on (03) 5976 2455 or tony@golfcoursecompany.com˜˚˛˜˚˜˚˜˚ˇ˘˜˚ˇ˘‘11585 MAW ATGM Quarter Ad  30/8/04  10:16 AM  Page 1 environmental risk.  There are more cultural, non-chemical, and biological options. The opportunities to incorporate other options are greater than ever, but there is still 
often the lingering handicap that other options 
don™t always work as quickly or as effectively 
as our traditional chemical options and may 
require more effort. While there is some truth to 
this, the gap seems to narrow each year.The second approach is one of using those current products that have the most favorable 
environmental profile.  This is an area where 
there has been a lot of exciting developments in 
recent years. Comparing the old products that 
many of us had become accustomed to using, 
like the organophosphate and carbamate 
insecticides, to many of our newer products, 
it is easy to point out the major gains made in 
producing products that have a reduced threat 
to the environment.This is good news and it is important news.  We can use these products that are 
highly effective and typically have lower 
mammalian toxicities and other parameters 
of environmental concerns and apply them at 
lower rates than the old standards.This is a big advance and not one that we have made much noise about. I think as an 
industry we are afraid that this simply reflects a continued reliance on conventional pesticides 
and not real progress. I disagree.  I think it 
represents a significant point of progress.  This is a major success for our industry that we have failed to relay to the general 
public as well as those who have been critical 
of our industry.  Moving to the latest products 
and selecting from a greater array of products 
with better environmental profiles is progress.Our understanding of pest biology allows us to target these products more accurately to 
those sites that truly require treatment and in 
a more timely manner due to improved ability 
to forecast or predict pests. I think it is time we 
told this success story.The Australian turfgrass industry has entered a period of closer scrutiny and will 
most likely, just as seen in the US, be subject 
to more regulation, more criticism, and more 
efforts to exploit negatives associated with 
maintaining high quality turf.  We have had success documenting the benefits of turf from an environmental and 
human health perspective, the economic 
impact of the turfgrass industry, the high level 
of technology involved, and the stewardship 
we accepted to maintain high quality turf. We have shown that high quality turf is more than just a luxury item, but rather it is 
an integral part of everyone™s daily life.  Most 
importantly, we have documented that we are 
using the latest, most environmentally-sound 
products and approaches to turf management 
and that the progress in this area over the past 
10 years has been outstanding.Rather than attempting to downplay the use of pesticides, I think research has provided 
us with enough significant progress that rather 
we should recognize this as a real positive 
story for our industry to tell.Rather than allow ourselves to be the object of constant criticism, I think it is time we 
presented the story of science, education, and 
progress in our industry.             Research has led to many improvments in management practicesopinion40Australian Turfgrass Management             TIME FOR SOIL TESTING! Send samples to AGCSATechA REEL GOOD IDEAAustralians are known for their ingenuity and a 
few members of the turf industry have had their 
hand in influencing this particular innovation.Most superintendents and turf managers will be familiar with the Dutch produced 
Koro Field Topmaker used for sportsfield 
renovations. A while back it was mooted 
to include a scarifying reel attachment, but 
despite talks about it during a Koro company development meeting in 2001, the idea wasn™t 
acted upon.The actual implementation of the scarifying cassette came as a result of an initiative by 
Perth-based contractor Turfmaster for its 2m 
Koro FTM200.Then in April-May 2002, Geoff Hatton™s NSW distribution company Manoeuvre Mow 
constructed a cassette option bolt-in, bolt-
out scarifying reel complete with bearings, 
mounting plates and belt pulley for the smaller 
Koro FTM120 model. Manoeuvre Mow carried out some development work and after accommodating 
the requirements of NSW Golf Club 
superintendent Gary Dempsey, a better 
performing variant resulted following trials on 
the fairways at NSW.The Australian initiative was subsequently taken up by the Europeans after inspecting the 
results at NSW just prior to the 18th Australian 
Turfgrass Conference in Brisbane in 2002.Scarifying the fairways at NSW is one of the larger projects Dempsey undertakes and 
for some 60 years the fairways at the club had never been scarified. Since purchasing the 
Koro FTM with the scarifying reel attachment, 
Dempsey has been able to carry out some 
serious scarification programs. In 2002 he 
extracted some 23 semi-trailer loads of 
material and in the 2004 completed a second 
program which  produced 12 semi-trailer loads 
of material.  Syngenta recognises our innovative 
superintendents and is proud to present 
Gary Dempsey of NSW Golf Club with a 
$150 AGCSA book voucher.the innovative way NSW GOLF CLUB, SYDNEYIf you have, through necessity, devised or created a tool/piece 
of machinery gadget or made 
alterations to an existing piece 
of machinery or workplace tool 
to make the job easier, then 
we want to know about it! Call 
or email Brett Robinson at 
the AGCSA (03) 9548 8600 or 
brett@agcsa.com.auThe Koro FTM at work on the NSWGC fairways42Australian Turfgrass ManagementMonumentHerbicidesuper spotlightSTEPHEN LEWIS (ROYAL HOBART GOLF CLUB)Nickname: LewieAge: 42
Family: Wife Tina, daughters Keryn (15) and 
Claire (13)
Years as a superintendent: 19
Years as an AGCSA member: 20Current club: Royal Hobart, 27 years
Number of staff: 6
Course specs: 18 holes, 6130m, Poa/bent greens, tees and fairways fescue, ryegrass and 
native bent mix.Favourite piece of machinery? Postie bike 
and vertidrain.
Most embarrassing moment as a super? 
Turning a block of tee sprinklers on and not 
realising a golfer was hitting off. One sprinkler 
was right between his legs.
Funniest moment seen on course? An old 
general manager was driving around the 
course in his car when he drove off the top of 
a very high greenside bunker and wedged the 
car tittering half over. He was too scared to get 
out of the car, so he waited for help.
Plans for the course over the next two 
years? Construct new tee beds on 2, 6 and 8 
and new fairway bunkering on 2 and 16.
Best advice you have ever received? With 
a small staff, you must have good people and 
machinery.
One thing about your job you would change? To tell the staff if a golfer does anything wrong 
on course, you can mow over their ball.
Best part about being a superintendent? 
Getting up and about early when nobody is on 
the course.
Worse excuse from a staff member? Hydraulic oil dotted across a green in 20c 
piece blobs. The apprentice said he thought 
the mower wheel had driven through some 
duck droppings and had come off the wheel 
as he went up and down the green.
Favourite spot on the course? The 13th fairway early on a winter™s morning covered in 
frost with the temperature at 0oC.Career highlight? Hosting three Australian 
Amateurs and three Tasmanian Opens.  
Favourite movie? Something About Mary.Name 3 CDs you could not live without? 
Only one - Powderfinger, which I listen to loud 
while doing the housework.
If you could be any musician, who would 
you be? Peter Garrett, because he gets paid 
heaps to look like a goose.
Favourite sporting team? Go the mighty 
Bombers.
Sporting team you despise? Carlton.Dream car? 770 Charger.
Irritations? People who reckon it rains a lot in Tassie.
Beer or Bundy? A nice cold Cascade 
draught. Royal Hobart superintendent Stephen Lewis43Australian Turfgrass ManagementSupport to strengthen your turf.15 years of experience. In 23 countries.Contact us to  learn more about  
the Floratine  
approachBio Turf Australia Freecall: 1 800 422 487 
Email: pdugmore@floratine.comTurfcare NSW Phone: (02) 9684 6611 
Email: turfcare@bigpond.com.auCalpHlex Chelated liquid calcium for sodium reductionTriCal-35SP Provides significant amounts of immediately soluble,  quickly available calciumPervade Soil penetrant for use on soils with poor drainageAstron Patented 3 hormone mix  for root system enhancementWell balanced  and tested  performers  that your turf  will appreciate.21st Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade ExhibitionLEARN HOW TO SAVE TIME AND MONEYAbundance ofACCOMMODATION, ACCOMMODATION, ACCOMMODATIONOver 100 accommodation venues ranging from 3 Œ 4.5 stars Room rates from $70 per night Special conference rates negotiatedBook now through Echuca Moama Tourism for the chance to win a week™s houseboat hire on the Murray RiverPh: 1800 804 446 or email: bookings@echucamoama.comBOOK NOW TO WIN!BOOK NOW TO WIN!www.agcsa.com.aunewsSuperintendents are generally a pretty tolerable bunch, but after some of the extreme weather 
events battering courses around the country in 
February and March, the patience of many will 
have been sorely tested.The joke around Melbourne metro superintendents now is that in the short space 
of three months they have experienced two 
supposed ‚one-in-a-hundred year™ storms and 
one ‚one-in-150-year™ storm.The most recent drenching came on 2-3 February with rain falling continuously for 31 
hours and totalling 23 per cent of the city™s 
annual rainfall. For the 24-hour period to 9am 
on Thursday, 3 February, 120.2mm of rain 
fell, the highest daily total ever recorded in 
Melbourne. The previous record was 108mm 
recorded on 29 January, 1963. It was almost three-times Melbourne™s average February rainfall of 47mm and helped 
contribute to the Victoria™s wettest February 
since 1973 and the sixth wettest since records 
started 106 years ago. Compare that with Perth 
which experienced its driest summer since 1997/98 with just 5.6mm of rainfall recorded. Added to the drenching Melbourne received were wild winds which ripped up many trees and caused widespread damage 
across the city, particularly at a number of golf 
courses.VGCSA president and Riversdale Golf Club superintendent Michael Picken suffered 
$20,000 worth of tree damage, while across 
at the Commonwealth Golf in the heart of the sandbelt, superintendent Mark Prosser also 
lost a number of trees. Prosser said he had 
104mm in the rain gauge at 5.45am and had 
the greens playable just over an hour later.However, it was those supers whose courses border the Yarra River that were hardest 
hit including Kew, Greenacres, and Yarra 
Valley who in recent times have also suffered 
extensive damage and costly reconstructions 
following severe storms.One amusing anecdote to emerge out of the carnage was Greenacres superintendent 
Tim Pierce. According to Michael Picken, Pierce 
and his 2IC became stranded in the middle of 
the Yarra while inspecting their course.Greenacres has a barge on the Yarra and it is used to survey up and down the Yarra 
boundary. However, due to the river being in 
flood, the barge became snagged on some 
cables which had become submerged.  ATM is not sure how he managed to get himself and his colleague out of that bind, 
but the image of a sodden Tim on his mobile 
in the middle of the raging Yarra takes some beating.It wasn™t just Melbourne that was hit that week either. Down on the Bellarine Peninsula, superintendent Peter Frewin arrived at work to 
find his office at Barwon Heads Golf Club in 
ankle-deep water.Meanwhile, at the Rich River Country Club on the Victorian and NSW border, 
superintendent Andrew Johnson had 90mm 
one night and returned to work the following day to see his course littered with debris. 
Considering he was a week out from hosting 
a major tournament at the Moama course, it 
wasn™t exactly the ideal lead-up.Back in Melbourne, the famous grass courts at premier tennis venue Kooyonga 
were, according to alarmist television reports, 
fidestroyedfl, while the neighbouring fields 
of Scotch College and St Kevin™s College 
resembled extensions of the Yarra.Not to be outdone, Castle Hill Country Club superintendent and AGCSA Board 
member Martyn Black and his crew had a busy 
February/March with three storms unleashing 
their fury on the north west Sydney course.One of the storms took such a liking to Blackie™s patch that after passing over it from 
the south west, it came back for another look 
from the north east, dumping 40mm in 10 
minutes and hail stones the size of golf balls.           fiThe greens resembled a Ray Charles music sheet,fl quipped Monsieur Black. fiThere 
were hundreds of little pockmarks everywhere. 
We had to close them for 24 hours but they came back okay.flThe club also lost a number of trees including one its historic club emblems, a 200-year-old bunya pine, as well as a 50-year-old 
radiata pine (pictured).Sydney™s rainfall average for February was slightly up with 125mm recorded. This, 
however, fell over four days, the lowest number 
of days since 1939 and the second lowest on 
record. WHEN IT RAINS IT POURSCastle Hill superintendent Martyn Black and his trusty assistant Vincent pine for their fallen radiata 44Australian Turfgrass ManagementDOME EXTENDS 
SUPPLY 
CONTRACTHG Turf will remain the sole turf supplier to Telstra Dome following a new two-year turf 
supply agreement signed in January.Telstra Dome management has elected to take the maintenance of the playing surface 
in-house, while HG Turf will continue exclusive 
supply of turf to Telstra Dome, as it has done 
since 2001.Telstra Dome chief executive Ian Collins said that taking maintenance of the turf in-
house from 1 January, 2005, is consistent 
with other services being taken in-house, 
including security, cleaning and parking.fiThe decision to bring ground maintenance services in-house is in accordance with the 
current operating strategy of the company. 
Our decision in no way reflects upon the 
standard of service provided by HG Turf,fl 
Collins said.Telstra Dome management has also acquired the necessary expertise to undertake 
the maintenance of the Melbourne sporting 
arena by employing HG Turf™s existing arena 
manager Gavin Darby and assistant arena 
manager Justin Lang.HG Turf managing director Hamish Sutherland said he is satisfied Telstra Dome 
will have the right personnel to maintain the 
playing surface. fiOur existing arena manager 
and assistant have maintained the turf on the 
arena for a combined total of five years now,fl 
Sutherland said.fiThey have a good understanding of the stadium™s difficult growing environment and 
what it takes to make turf grow in the shade. fiThey are also familiar with our turf product (Motz Stabilised Turf) which is used 
at the stadium to replace worn turf areas 
mid-season.fiMid-season turf replacement is a necessity at the stadium. The turf at the 
northern end of the field receives no sunlight 
in the winter months and cannot recover from 
repeated use and must be replaced.flIn 2005 Telstra Dome will hold more AFL fixtures than any other stadium in the country 
Œ 49 compared to the MCG™s 42 scheduled matches Œ and on top of this Telstra Dome will 
host nine ‚triple-header™ weekends with most 
of these falling in the winter months when the 
roof is typically closed.  Mr Sutherland said the greater event schedule for the 2005 season will place added 
pressure on the turf but he believes with 
the right management and turf replacement 
system, the surface should continue to 
improve.Motz Stabilised Turf is a turf replacement system which allows worn turf to be replaced 
mid-season with minimum disturbance to 
weekend events. The product is quickly laid 
and can be played upon immediately after 
installation. Each roll weighs 80kg per m², 
hence it cannot be moved underfoot.Motz Stabilised Turf is installed in large rolls (1m x 10m) with a depth of 50mm. 
The 50mm comprises of turf and the sand-
growing medium, which is strengthened with 
an artificial base and synthetic fibres.                  Telstra Dome has renewed its turf supply contract with HG Turf45Australian Turfgrass ManagementSPORTS TURF DRAINERS& CONSTRUCTIONSPECIALISTSSLIT DRAINAGESAND GROOVING
LASER LEVELLING/GRADINGLASER CONTROLLED TRENCHINGTURF DRAIN AUSTRALIABob Paddison Phone:  (02) 9652 2208Fax:    (02) 9652 2209Mobile: 0418 261 089Email: turfdrain@bigpond.comWebsite: www.turfdrain.com.aunewsEASTON STANDS DOWNMarch was the month for resignations with two of the 
turf industry™s high profile 
superintendents standing down 
from their respective association 
postings.Craig Easton stepped down as superintendent from Carnarvon 
Golf Club and subsequently as 
president of the NSWGCSA. 
Committee member Martin Bradbery from 
Manly Golf Club will step up to take over the 
vacated president seat.Meanwhile in Victoria, Kingston Heath Golf Club superintendent Martin Greenwood 
has resigned from the AGCSA Board for personal reasons. Greenwood™s 
position as treasurer has been filled 
by Western Australia™s Allan Devlin 
(Secret Harbour Golf Club). Devlin, 
a previous winner of the AGCSA 
Golf Championships, is a former 
president and current committee 
member of the GCSAWA.In other state  association movements, Michael Picken 
(Riversdale Golf Club) will stand 
down as president of the VGCSA at the association™s AGM in May at the 
Peninsula Country Club. Picken, who has 
been president for the past three years, will 
be replaced by Commonwealth Golf Club 
superintendent and current VGCSA vice-
president Mark Prosser.IN BRIEFSPARE A THOUGHT
While parts of Australia experienced some 
extreme weather events during the summer 
months, little could top the tsunamis that 
ripped through Asia on Boxing Day 2004.The enormous loss of life and widespread devastation sparked a worldwide humanitarian 
aid effort and the many stories of survival and 
escape left many lost for words.But spare a thought for the curator of Galle Stadium in Sri Lanka. Located near the 
coastline, the famous cricketing venue took a 
direct hit when the tsunamis came ashore.Galle was one of Sri Lankan cricket™s most successful venues with the national team 
scoring seven victories from 11 Test matches 
played there since 1998. Quoted in Melbourne™s The Age newspaper, Galle Stadium curator Jayananda Warnaweera 
said it would take up to a year to remove 
15-30cm of topsoil and replant the turf. fiThe 
reconstruction will cost about 300 to 400 
million rupees ($3.8 to $5.1 million),fl he said.Warnaweera, who is a former Sri Lankan test cricketer himself, was also quoted: fiThis 
is my first love. This means I have lost a part 
of my life.fl TPA CONFERENCE
The countdown is on to the Turf Producers 
Australia conference in Wollongong from 10-
13 April. Around 200 delegates are expected 
for the four-day event to be held at the Novotel 
Northbeach Resort.Speakers include Dr Jeffery Krans from the Mississippi State University and Western 
Australian water conservation expert Jos 
Mensink. AGCSATech manager John Neylan 
will also present and will be joined by other 
local speakers Phil Ford (NMIT) and Professor 
Peter Martin (University of Sydney). A turf 
equipment field day is also scheduled. Craig Easton has stepped down as NSWGCSA president46Australian Turfgrass ManagementREGIONALLEARN HOW TO SAVE TIME AND MONEY21st Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade ExhibitionHigh quality educationProgram designed for all levels of turf management from senior management to apprentices. Local, national and international issues discussedREGISTER NOW AT www.agcsa.com.auEDUCATION SESSIONS REDUCED BY $200.00 Professor Kenneth Marcum from the Arizona State University will be the University of 
Melbourne™s School of Resource Management 
Visiting Scientist for 2005. During his stay from mid May to mid August, Dr Marcum will be working with Dr 
David Aldous in setting up a salinity tolerance screening system and initiating work that will 
screen Australian native grass germ plasm for 
turf use. Dr Marcum hails from the Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Arizona State 
University, and has research interests in turf 
and landscape water conservation, salinity 
tolerance in turf and native grasses, water, 
salinity, and heat stress physiology of grasses 
and landscape irrigation with reclaimed water. His teaching program at Arizona State includes subjects on turfgrass management, 
turfgrass science-environment, and provides 
for student internships.As part of his visit Down Under, Dr Marcum will be a keynote speaker at 21st Australian 
Turfgrass Conference to be held in Moama 
from 6-10 June where he will discuss salinity 
issues. Dr Marcum will also be presenting at the New Zealand Sportsturf Conference in late 
May and will conduct an industry seminar at 
the University of Melbourne in August.  For more information, contact Dr David Aldous at the University of Melbourne.MARCUM HEADS DOWN UNDERAPPOINTMENTS
After an incredible 40 years at Horsham 
Golf Club in country Victoria, Max Ward has 
stepped down as superintendent. Ward, 
who remarkably worked only part-time at 
the club and held down another job as 
well, started at Horsham as an apprentice 
some four decades ago. ATM wishes Max 
all the best in his future endeavours. Ward 
has been replaced by Tim Warren, who 
has come across the border from South 
Australia™s Mt Gambier Golf Club. At the 
time of going to press, Mt Gambier was 
in the process of interviewing for a new 
superintendent.Also crossing borders is former New South Wales Golf Club assistant superintendent 
Shane Brogan who has headed south to 
take up the superintendent™s posting at 
Torquay in Victoria. Pat Day has taken over from Blair Littlechild at McLean Golf Club in northern NSW.Know of any new appointments? Then contact Brett at the AGCSA on 
(03) 9548 8600 or brett@agcsa.com.au Dr Ken Marcum47Australian Turfgrass ManagementPhone: 02 4571 1198      Fax: 02 4571 1138      Email: mpauna@turflink.com.aufiSafety - Precision - Productivity - call for free video and arrange a demonstrationflturf link australia - leaders in quality equipmentHaving problems with scalping? Can™t keep up withyour  roughs mowing?Well, consider a Articulator 3682 DieselArticulator 621ER MH4004 cubic yard material handlerTD460
large capacity field top dresserPP180
greens,& all turf areas,available in tow
or mounted optionsAGCSAEvaluations,Rate theNew Ty-crop ProPassNo1for Dusting GreensTop dressing and renovations coming up? Considering a dusting program?The option of fitting a brush or spinner, who else can offer this?  of course!TTyy--ccrrooppllaasstteeccArticulator 721XRQP300 & 450 
greens,tees & all turf areas˜˜˜˜Articulator 325 EF 
Outfront deckaround the trade UHRIG A CLEAR CHOICEChristian Uhrig has been appointed as general manager of Queensland-based 
company Clearmake Pty Ltd which supplies 
environmental and waste equipment Australia 
and the Asia Pacific region. Uhrig took permanent residency in Australia in 1999 after migrating from his native 
Germany and brings a wealth of business 
training and experience gained both in 
Australia and overseas. He will be instrumental 
in the continuing growth and development of 
Clearmake.Uhrig can be contacted at christian@clearmake.com.au, or on mobile 
0439 640 512. For more information on 
Clearmake™s product and solution range, 
visit www.clearmake.com.au or call on +61 
07 5455 6822.JD HONOURS TOP DEALERSJohn Deere has welcomed six dealers into its 
elite Manager™s Club at a recent ceremony on Hamilton Island.  The six dealers Œ Shane 
Lowry (Goondiwindi, QLD), Bill Armstrong 
(Finley, NSW), Jim Rolfe (Griffiths, NSW), 
Rob Vandersee (Toowoomba, QLD), James 
Rosenberg (Roseworthy, SA), Mark Etheridge 
(Ashburton, NZ) Πachieved the highest 
performances across the 120 Australian and 
New Zealand dealer network.A HOLE NEW TWISTRedexim-Charterhouse has released the new 
Verti-Drill designed to fit all new and existing Verti-Drain units utilising standard tine heads.As the Verti-Drain pushes the drill tine into the ground, it spins or drills into the soil. 
When it reaches the bottom of the stroke, 
the two bushings inside the apparatus lock, 
thus preventing the drill from reversing. As 
the drill is pulled up, the loosened soil is 
brought up with it. The soil can be dragged or 
brushed back in quickly, eliminating the work 
of collecting cores.The new Verti-Drill system consists of two parts Œ an upper apparatus with a 12½ 
or 16mm shank diameter that slips into the 
existing tine holder, and the actual 12½, 16 or 
19mm drill tines that fit into the upper adapters. 
Depths up to 250mm can be achieved, at a 
pace up to seven times that of traditional drill 
aerifiers. For more information contact Peter Ellis at Redexim-Charterhouse on (03) 9435 0955 
or 0419 310 546.Rain Bird has launched a device that shuts 
down irrigation systems when the heavens 
open. The Rain Bird RSD Series rain sensor is an easy-to-install and durable device suitable 
for 24 VAC residential and commercial 
applications. It saves water and extends the 
lives of irrigation systems by automatically 
measuring precipitation and preventing 
irrigation systems from watering in rainy 
conditions.The sensor offers the flexibility of multiple rainfall settings of between 5-20mm with the 
twist of a dial and an adjustable vent ring to 
control drying time.It comes with a 7.6m length of UV-resistant extension cord for connection to all 
popular 24 VAC irrigation controllers, and a 
five-year warranty.With a switch electrical rating of 3A at 125/250 VAC, this simple solution to the 
water saving problem is suitable for low-
voltage 24 VAC control circuits and 24 VAC 
pump start relay circuits. It can be used with 
up to 10 solenoid valves per station, plus 
one master valve.Available in both bracket and conduit versions, the Rain Bird RSD Series rain 
sensor is made of UV-resistant polymer to 
combat the elements, is UL and cUL listed and CE and C-Tick approved. It has also 
just been awarded th e Smart Approved 
WaterMark stamp of approval, a sign of 
distinction devised by the Water Services 
Association of Australia (WSAA), the Irrigation 
Association of Australia (IAA), the Nursery 
and Garden Industry of Australia (NGIA) and 
the Australian Water Association (AWA).For further information contact Dean Johnson at Rain Bird Australia, 10 
Mareno Rd, Tullamarine, VIC 3043. Ph (03) 
9338 1911, fax (03) 9338 1699 or email 
info@rainbird.com.au or visit the website 
www.rainbird.com.au.RAIN BIRD SENSES A WINNER Check out the AGCSA's new online trade directory for more turf industry product informationwww.agcsa.com.auPLANTING THE SEEDTurf Link has announced it will be 
distributing the BLEC Multi-seeder. The unit is equipped with a multi-spike roll made from high quality, individual cast 
rings, which punch a network of holes in 
the surface.  The spikes are tapered, and make the holes ideal for accepting the 
seed. Hole depth can be controlled via the 
rear smooth roll and top link. The accurate stainless steel seeding system will spread all types of grass 
seed, between 0-50 grams per square 
metre. Seed incorporation into the holes is via either an adjustable drag brush or 
hydraulic rotary brush, mounted behind 
the hopper. The operation is made complete by the smooth flat roll, which closes up the 
holes to leave a groomed finish. There 
are three models to choose from - 140cm, 
180cm and 240cm.For more information, contact Michael Pauna on 0414 821 694.The Rain Bird RSD Series rain sensor48Australian Turfgrass ManagementHAVE YOU SEEN THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE AGCSA WEBSITE?The product directory web-pages allow you to search for products and distributors near you. Keep up to date on any industry specials, get information on the latest product releases, and trade news.Contact Scott Petersen 03 9548 8600 to list your products.www.agcsa.com.auAGCSA member benefitsMEMBER BENEFIT FOCUSAGCSA Trade DirectorySince the launch of the revamped AGCSA website this time last year, it has become 
a primary tool for the association to 
communicate and service its membership 
base.New features have been continually added including the online auction, 
while members can now pay accounts 
and make purchases for discounted 
merchandise and books.One of the most recent sections to appear is the AGCSA Trade Directory, 
which enables superintendents and turf 
managers to search for anything turf 
related in Australia. Located on the AGCSA website, simply click on the trade directory link in the top 
menu bar and you will be presented with 
a series of drop down menus containing 
various product categories. You can 
search by individual product category, by 
state or via a keyword search.The product categories include: analysis and technical services; building 
supplies and prefabricated buildings; 
chemicals; contractors; course 
accessories; environmental products; 
golf course construction; hire equipment; 
irrigation; maintenance vehicles; mowers; 
safety and other work clothing; sands 
and quarried products; and seed, turf 
and soils.Once the category is selected, a separate sub-menu will appear. For 
example, under chemicals there are 
the sub-headings fertilisers, herbicides, 
fungicides, insecticides.Click on the particular item you are looking for and the details of those 
companies who stock that item will appear. 
The information includes phone and fax 
details, addresses and, where applicable, 
email details and website addresses. 
Also, a description of products stocked 
will appear along with images.The directory is meant to be a work in progress and over time new products 
and companies will be added.  For those 
companies who wish to have their details 
included in the trade directory, please 
contact Scott Petersen at the AGCSA on 
(03) 9548 8600 or scott@agcsa.com.auTHE AGCSA: WORKING FOR YOU
The AGCSA is committed to providing greater 
resources to enhance its leadership, unification 
and professional development of the Australian 
turfgrass industry and its members.Membership of the AGCSA enables golf course superintendents as a collective unit to 
have their say on matters such as education, 
turf research, legislation and industry 
development.During 2004, the AGCSA undertook a major redesign of its website for the use of 
all members of the turf industry. The AGCSA 
believes that this medium is becoming a 
vital communication tool for the industry and 
something which members need to become 
familiar with. The new-look website features a special ‚Members Only™ section, where special offers 
available only to AGCSA members will appear.  Members will also be able to update their 
contact details in this area.  In July 2004, the AGCSA and Toro Australia signed a unique agreement to help foster the 
next generation of superintendents and turf 
managers. Toro has put its name to the Next Generation membership program which will 
provide numerous incentives for student 
members of the AGCSA.As it stands, the price of an AGCSA student membership is $77 per annum. However, under 
the Next Generation membership scheme, 
existing and newtion membership scheme, 
existing and new student me student members 
of the association will only pay half that amount 
($38.50), with Toro footing the balance.The program is expected to develop a national turf management career day, access 
to overseas exchange programs, tournaments 
and regular educational tours.Other membership benefits include: Six editions of the bi-monthly AGCSA 
journal Australian Turfgrass Management 
magazine, the No.1 turf industry 
publication; AGCSA year planner and turf diary (new in 
2005) AGCSA members gift; Access to the AGCSA ‚Members Only™ 
and Online Auction sections of the AGCSA 
website;  Regular AGCSA newsletter and Turf News 
email newsletter;50Australian Turfgrass Management Reduced registration fees to the AGCSA conferences and roving workshops; Member discounts on soil and water 
testing, disease diagnosis and other 
analytical services through AGCSATech; Discounted books from the extensive 
AGCSA bookshop; Discounted AGCSA merchandise; Free legal service provided by Madgwicks 
Solicitors providing up to half an hour free 
legal advice on any subject; Regular mail-outs of positions vacant 
within the industry. Job Watch email alert 
service; Access to AGCSA Contracts of 
Employment; Regular opportunities to meet with your 
peers and the allied turf trades; Access to AGCSA Skills Recognition 
Program, Accreditation Program and 
AGCSA endorsed qualifications;  Opportunity to be involved in the Australian 
Open Course Quality Officials program; 
and Clearmake Industries offers AGCSA 
members a 10 per cent discount on all 
products and services company-wide. 
Products available include oil water 
separators, water recycling plants, gross 
pollutant traps, rope mop oil skimmers 
and diversion and spill control valves.If you have any questions or queries about becoming an AGCSA member or about any 
of the above listed membership benefits, 
please do not hesitate to contact Paula Dolan, 
membership services and administration 
co-ordinator, on (03) 9548 8600 or email 
info@agcsa.com.au. You too can discover how the AGCSA can assist and make a difference in your future 
endeavours within the turf industry. 51Australian Turfgrass ManagementAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAAGCSAMembership Application FormSecure your career in the turf industry...AGCSA MEMBERSHIP CLASSESGolf Membership Golf Course Superintendent.......................................................................................... ..........$310International Golf Course Superintendent..................................................................... .........$360Assistant Golf Course Superintendent........................................................................... ..........$277Foreman/Ground Staff.................................................................................................. ............$130Golf Course Maintenance Company............................................................................. ...........$310Consultant..................................................................................................................... ............$310 Associate MembershipSports Turf Manager...................................................................................................... ...........$277Company....................................................................................................................... ............$277Retired Member............................................................................................................. ............$130Ground Staff ΠNon Golf............................................................................................... ............$130State Membership NSW - New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association  ......................................$77 QLD - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland .............................................$88 SA - South Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association ............................................ $65 TAS - Tasmania Golf Course Superintendents Association ....................................................$120  WA - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Western Australia .Please call 08 9455 5195VIC - Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association  .......................Please call 5975 6826 The Next Generation (Student Membership)Golf and Non Golf....................................................................................................... ...........$38.50Discount Sliding Scale for joining of two or more staff 5% discount = 2-3 staff
10% discount = 4-6 staff
15% discount = 7+ staffMembership Application FormSurname:  ......................................First Name:  .....................................................Preferred Mailing Address:  ..................................................................................City/Suburb:  ...................................Postcode:  ....................................................Position:  ................................................................................................................Club/Organisation:  .................................................................................................Club Postal Address:  ............................................................................................City/Suburb:  ...................................Postcode: ......................................................Phone: Work:   ......................................Home:  .....................................................                 Mobile:  ......................................................Fax:  ......................................................Email:  ......................................................................................................................Member Class:  ......................................................................................................   MEMBERSHIP PAYMENT
Membership payments for any of the above classes are to be sent to the AGCSA.  Please charge this purchase to my credit card accountBankcard            MasterCard            VisaCard Number:  ...........................................................Expiry Date:  ___/___Cardholder Name:  ................................................................................................Address:  .................................................................................................................Signature:  ...............................................................................................................Send completed application form and payment to:AGCSA: Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Rd, Clayton North, 3168, Vic
Phone: 03 9548 8600  Fax: 03 9548 8622  
Email: info@agcsa.com.aubook shop TURF INDUSTRY BOOKSHOPGENERALA Field Guide to Australian Frogs .................................................................$56.90Arborculture Π4th Edition ..........................................................................$202.05Modern Arboriculture .................................................................................$228.452005 Turfgrass Management Diary ..............................................................$86.25GOLF
A Practical Guide to Ecological Management on the GCourse .......................$87.04Best Golf Course Management Practices ...................................................$316.25Bird Conservation on Golf Courses  .............................................................$94.88Discovering Donald Ross-The Artchitect & his golf courses .......................$300.49Ecological Golf Course Management ..........................................................$197.68Golf Architecture ........................................................................................$115.00Golf Architecture in America ......................................................................$276.79Golf Course Architecture -Design, Construction & Restoration ...................$245.17Golf Course Construction, Renovation and Gro-In ......................................$196.38Golf Course Design....................................................................................$221.38Golf Course Irrigation: Environmental Design & Mgmt Practices .................$221.38Golf Course Management & Construction ..................................................$445.63Golf Course Tree Management  ..................................................................$150.99Golf Facility Planning  ................................................................................$222.86Golf Has Never Failed Me  .........................................................................$107.86Human Resource Management for Golf Course Superintendents ................$126.50IPM Handbook for Golf Courses.................................................................$197.68Keepers of the Green: A history of GC Management ...................................$150.29Managing Wildlife Habitats on Golf Courses  ..............................................$150.29Masters of the Links ....................................................................................$87.04Practical Golf Course Maintenance ŒMagic of Greenkeeping ......................$173.99Rough Meditations (HB) ..............................................................................$87.04Superintendents Handbook of Financial Management .................................$126.50The Care of the Golf Course Œ 2nd Edition .................................................$166.06The Golden Age of Golf Design  .................................................................$221.38The Golf Course -Planning, Design, Const and Management-HB only ..............$366.61The Good Doctor Returns Alistair Mac comes back to golf ...........................$71.18The Life & Work of Dr Alistair Mackenzie ...................................................$215.63The Links ..................................................................................................$189.75The Sand Putting Green - Construction & Management (leaflet) ...................$28.51The Sandbelt .............................................................................................$143.75The Spirit of St Andrews  ...........................................................................$102.81Turf Management for Golf Courses ............................................................$363.74Wastewater Re-use for Golf Course Irrigation .............................................$316.25SOIL & COMPOSTING
Growing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf  ...........................................$94.88TURF & WEEDS
Australian Weed Control Handbook - 10th Edition ......................................$110.74Biological Control of Weeds .......................................................................$142.36Bowling Greens:The History Construction & Maintenance ..........................$145.24Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases ..............................................................$261.63Color Atlas of Turfgrass Weeds..................................................................$309.11Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases ..........................................................$205.61Controlling Turfgrass Pests 2nd Edition ......................................................$337.86Creeping Bentgrass Management - Summer stresses ................................$184.00Cricket Grounds .........................................................................................$208.49Cricket Wickets Œ Science vs Fiction ..........................................................$115.00CSIRO Handbook of Australian Weeds .........................................................$79.11Destructive Turfgrass Insect - Biology, Diagnosis & Control .......................$258.75Diseases of Turfgrass ................................................................................$345.00Diseases of Turfgrass CD-Rom ..................................................................$316.25Drainage for Sportsturf and Horticulture (PB)  .............................................$65.53Fertilisers for Turf ........................................................................................$79.11Field Guide to Weeds in Australia ...............................................................$136.61Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management ....................................................$181.12Fundamentals of Weed Science 2nd Edition ...............................................$237.24Golf Course Turf Management ...................................................................$316.25Grasses of New South Wales .......................................................................$51.75Grasses of Temperate Australia Œ A field guide ............................................$86.24Handbook of IPM for Turf & Ornamentals ..................................................$337.86International Turf Management Handbook ..................................................$337.86Management of Turfgrass Diseases ...........................................................$426.99Managing Bermudagrass Turf ....................................................................$229.31Managing Turfgrass Pests .........................................................................$323.49Manual of Grasses ....................................................................................$142.36Native Grasses: Handbook for Temperate Australia 3rd Ed ...........................$35.88Natural Turf for Sport & Amenity ................................................................$173.99Noxious Weeds of Australia ŒRevised Edition .............................................$280.36Nursery & Landscape Weed Control Manual ..............................................$142.36Organic Control of Weeds ............................................................................$21.61Picture Perfect, Mowing Tech for lawn, sports & Turf ................................$118.67Salt-Affected Turfgrass Sites - Assessment & Management .......................$221.38Sands for Sports Turf Construction & Maintenance......................................$79.11Seashore Paspalum Œ The Environmental Turfgrass ...................................$213.54Sports Fields ŒManual design, Construction & Maintenance ......................$253.00Sportsturf Protection Manual -The Complete Guide Guide to all Turf Protection Products ..........................$253.00Sports Turf & Amenity Grasses -A  manual for use & Identification ............$122.24Sports Turf - Science, Construction & Maintenance ...................................$316.25The Turfgrass Disease Handbook ..............................................................$173.99Tree, Turf, Ornamental Pesticide Guide .......................................................$115.00Turf Irrigation Manual ..................................................................................$179.74Turf Weeds and Their Control (HB) ..............................................................$313.38Turfgrass Diseases & Associated Disorders .....................................................$115.00Turfgrass Maintenance Reduction Handbook ....................................................$309.11Turfgrass Management-7th Edition ...................................................................$284.63Turfgrass Management Information Directory ...................................................$126.50Turfgrass Patch Diseases .................................................................................$194.11Turfgrass Pests ..................................................................................................$94.88Turgrass Problems: Picture Clues & Management Options ................................$115.00Turfgrass Science & Culture .............................................................................$284.63Turfgrass Science & Management 3rd Edition ..................................................$156.62Turfgrass Soil Fertility & Chemical Problems ....................................................$287.50Weeds an Illustrated Guide to Weeds of Australia ........................................$197.68WATER, IRRIGATIONDrainage for Sportsturf & Irrigation ..............................................................$58.53Effluent Water for Turfgrass Irrigation (leaflet) ................................................$7.24Evaluating Turfgrass Sprinkler Irrigation Systems (leaflet).............................$11.50Nitrates in Groundwater  ............................................................................$251.61Simplified Irrigation Design 2nd Edition ......................................................$196.29Turfgrass Irrigation scheduling (leaflet) ..........................................................$8.63Water in Australia: Resources & Management ............................................$107.86AGCSA have an extensive range of books available ie general ‚Golf Titles, Soil & Composting, Turf and Weeds, and Water & Irrigation™ that can ordered through 
the AGCSA™S website, and also through an order form in the AGCSA™s Australian 
Turfgrass Magazine.  Here are a few books that are currently on top of the list of favourites for 2004/2005:
Turfgrass Management 7th Edition by A J Turgeon
Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases by Doernoeden Smiley 
Seashore Paspalum: The Environmental Turfgrass by R R DuncanTurfgrass Science Management - 3rd Edition by R Emmons
Colour Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases by T Tani & J Beard
The Sandbelt by Paul DaleyGolf Course Architecture - Design, Construction & Restoration by Michael 
Hurzdan
Not forgetting ‚The Sportsturf Protection Manual™ Œ The Complete Guide to all Turf Protection Products  by John Neylan Œ AGCSATech - 2005 Update IncludedPlease note: All prices include GST and are subject to change without notice.
Postage: $9.90 for first book and $1.10 for every book after.52Australian Turfgrass ManagementEver since its release in 2002, the Sportsturf Protection Manual has proven to be an 
essential reference tool for Australian superintendents and turf managers.A complete guide to all turf protection products, the manual was developed by the 
AGCSA to provide turf managers with the most 
comprehensive data available on currently 
registered turf pesticide products to enable 
assistance in the selection of appropriate 
pesticides.In 2005, the AGCSA has released an update to be used in conjunction with the 2002 
edition. The update, compiled by AGCSATech 
technical officer Andrew Peart along with the 
help of Fiona McPadden, provides users with 
a complete listing of all the new pesticides 
registered for turf use since the 2002 edition 
and any changes that have occurred to 
products.The 2005 update contains a summary of changes (by pesticide group), constituent 
listing, pest listing, product listing and a 
detailed product report. The format and design 
of the update is the same as the 2002 edition, 
which allows the new pages to be slotted into 
their respective sections on top of the existing 
pages.A two-page summary of the changes has been included at the start of each pesticide 
group for easy reference. The summary pages 
are divided into two areas Πa new products 
table, and a table outlining changes to existing 
products.The new products table provides a summary of the trade name, manufacturer and 
respective pesticide group of these products. 
All of these were not registered for turf use at 
the time of the 2002 edition.For example, under herbicides, new products listed in the 2005 update include 
Chipco Spearhead, Destiny, Finale, Monument, 
Nufarm Amicide 625, Nuturf Millennium, Nuturf 
Razor and Stomp Xtra. The changes to existing products tables outline changes made to existing products 
that were included in the 2002 edition. The 
first half of the table displays how the product 
was listed in the 2002 edition. The second part 
goes on to display how the product is listed in 
2005 and the reason for the change, whether 
it be a change in poison schedule, change of 
manufacturer, or change in trade name.For example, under fungicides, Helmet has had a change of poison schedule, while 
Bayfidan Turf has had a change in trade name 
(now Chipco Bayfidan) and manufacturer (now 
Bayer). For those who purchased a 2002 manual, the 2005 update has been mailed out, while 
those wishing to purchase a manual from 
February 2005 onwards, the update will be 
included. To purchase the Sportsturf Protection 
Manual, contact the AGCSA or visit the AGCSA 
bookshop online at www.agcsa.com.au.book reviewSportsturf Protection Manual ΠThe Complete Guide to all Turf Protection Products (2005 Update)By John Neylan, Peter Anderson and Euan Laird (2005 Update: Andrew Peart and Fiona McPadden)AGCSAORDER FORM - ORDERS CAN ALSO BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.auName:  ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................Postal Address:  ..............................................................................................................................................................................................City/Suburb:  ....................................................................................................................................................................................................Postcode:  .............................................................................Daytime Phone Number: .................................................................................. Plese supply the following books:QTY BOOK TITLE AUTHOR PRICE  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................   Subtotal: ..........................................................  AGCSA Member Discount 15% if applicable  Discount amount (subtotal x .15): ...................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 accountBankcard/ Mastercard/ Visa
Card Number: ................................................................................................................................. Expiry Date: ............................. / ................................................................................................... Cardholder Name: .......................................................................................................................... Address: .......................................................................................................................................... Signature: ........................................................................................................................................ Send completed order form and payments to:
AGCSA
Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre
752 Blackburn Road, Clayton North, 3168 VicPhone: (03) 9548 8600 Fax: (03) 9548 8622 
Email: info@agcsa.com.au-$25353Australian Turfgrass Managementstate reportsGCSAQAs we head into autumn, I sit and reflect back over the 
past month and marvel at the 
superb efforts Darren Moore (Lakelands Golf Club), Ben Marshall (Club 
Pelican) and Stuart Laing (Royal Pines) and 
their staff have put in preparing their courses 
for recent tournaments. This is a difficult time of the year and once again these superintendents have 
showcased our industry. For Stuart, this task was made all the more difficult due to 
the senseless act of someone spraying his 
greens, but like the true professional he is he 
came through with flying colours.  February has seen record low rainfalls with most areas receiving around 20mm 
compared to the average for this month 
being 250mm.  Just when things seem to be getting back to a normal pattern, you wonder 
how long this dry spell will go on for.Meanwhile, in the Far North the impact of Cyclone Ingrid is still being felt after it cut a 
path through the top of the state.  If a normal storm brings down trees and branches on 
your course, imagine what would happen 
when you get 200km winds tearing through 
your place.  With the arrival of some slightly cooler weather and the dry conditions, there seems 
to be a bit of a slow down in the growth rate 
out on the golf course, after a season that 
was ideal for growing grass. So much so 
that many courses would be glad to give 
the rough mowers a rest as they have been 
going constantly since November.  With decent rains through summer the prospects for a year without the water 
restrictions of last year was looking good, 
but with very dry conditions through February 
things are now looking grim for many clubs.On a brighter note, the Gainsborough Greens field day was a great success with 
superintendents and greenkeepers attending 
from as far away as Gympie to the north and 
Byron Bay to the south.On arrival at the course, we were greeted with a magnificent BBQ breakfast 
ably manned by Ben Chapman and Steve 
Moncreiff from Water Equipment Technology 
who gave a brief run down of their company. 
We then headed out on the course, which 
was presented in fine condition by host 
superintendent Justin Kelly and his staff.After an enjoyable nine holes around this famous layout, it was down to the practice tee for an impressive display by Chris Paterson 
and Bob McKinnon of Hinterland Mowers 
who had a huge line up of machinery ready 
and waiting to be taken out for a demo on 
the practice range. Chris also introduced a range of other powered tools, hedgers and 
generators that had plenty of potential on the 
golf course or for home including some of the 
new Honda motor range.Following lunch, AGCSATech™s John Neylan gave us the inside information on the 
disease cycle we should expect at this time 
of year and some of the options for treatment 
and strategies being used worldwide to 
reduce the impact of turf disease. This very worthwhile session turned into an energetic and at times heated discussion 
on the various techniques and products 
used by different clubs in their programs and 
how effective some of these could be.  Once again, it would be interesting to see someone 
write a book on the turf industry and some of 
the characters in it.The March field day took us to Royal Pines to play the new nine holes designed 
by Graham Marsh.  This course was very well presented by Stuart Laing and his team and it 
was great to see so many new faces among 
the attendees.  Sponsors for the day were Globe Australia and all members had a thoroughly enjoyable 
day. Wayne Sear from Barmac informed 
us on new products, Paul Jackson (Bayer) discussed spraying, while David Westall of 
Scotts Australia gave an enlightening talk on 
nematodes. Hoshi Hisayuki from Japan and 
Ian Mack from Adams Australia talked about the sumo soaker hoses, before Stuart gave a 
rundown on the design concept of the new nine holes.The day saw the introduction of the Jester Hat and the inaugural winner was AGCSA 
president Jeff Gambin (just a reminder Jeff 
you still owe a round of drinks for ending up 
with the hat!).  It also saw Jeff win his first legitimate golfing trophy with a nearest the 
pin!  When you get a spare 30 minutes, ask him how he did it!The GCSAQ met with the Queensland Golf Union (QGU) at the last committee 
meeting and was brought up to date on 
the planned amalgamation of the men™s and ladies golfing bodies.  It was also noted the QGU was happy to involve the GCSAQ on relative committees 
under the new structure.  Other issues affecting golf, such as handicapping, player 
numbers, liability, as well as golf course issues 
like noise, dust and the environment were 
also discussed. Thanks to Brian Oberman for attending and bringing us up to date.  Upcoming events include the 11 April field day at Lakelands Golf Club, sponsored 
by Northern Rivers and Simplot. The day 
will have an environmental theme. The John 
Deere Team Challenge will be on 10 May.As well, throughout April and May the AGCSA™s simulated spill exercise will be 
held. Make sure you get along to the venue 
closest to you as this is a must for all 
superintendents.And finally, it has taken a Queensland superintendent to hit the headlines in 
Melbourne™s Herald Sun! What are you blokes 
doing down there!? (They were going to use your lovely mugshot Cookie, but in the 
name of taste and decency, I refused their 
request ΠEd) ROD COOK
PRESIDENT, GCSAQ.GCSAQRod Cook™s one second of fame54Australian Turfgrass ManagementGCSAWAWell before you know it another fabulous issue of ATM (Cheque™s in the post, Brad Œ Ed) is sitting pride of place abreast the huge stack of manuals, reports and other bits and pieces 
which normally inhabit my rather unimpressive 
office table at this busy time of year. This means the next issue is being created and I made a promise to ‚Ed™ to be on time 
with this report so he could have a holiday! I 
am proud to say I just made it so I hope you 
readers at least make it halfway through before 
nodding off.Western Australia has again surprised us all with kind summer weather, not much 
rain but some mild temperatures which have 
helped, especially since I have been without a fully operational pump station for the last three odd months. Whinge, whinge, whinge.Recently you may have received a survey from the WA Primary Industries Training Council 
(WAIPTC) seeking your preference towards 
two different training schemes for Certificate 
III Horticultural Studies and most importantly 
Certificate III Turf Management.Midway through 2004, the WA Government and the WAIPTC began looking at streamlining 
training in this area into one scheme, i.e. 
traineeships (two-year term) or traditional 
apprenticeships. With help from Steve Dargie 
from Challenger TAFE, who has been filling 
the role as an industry representative to the WAPITC, the views of industry including the 
GCSAWA are now being clearly thrust forward. I have included an extract of a letter I sent to the WAIPTC along with my survey.fiThe GCSAWA and its members are firmly committed to the continuation of the traditional 
Trade Certificate studies in Certificate III Turf 
Management for the following reasons: It is industry view that the required technical 
content of Certificate III Turf Management is 
and will be, better gained by students over 
three years, with a further year onsite, and 
not rushed through in two. Shorter non-traditional training schemes 
for Certificate III Turf may result in poor 
quality graduates entering an industry 
founded and developed by traditional 
tradespeople. The termination of this stream of training 
in WA will significantly undermine 
the standardisation of Certificate III 
Apprenticeship Turf Management training 
nationally. Greater workplace and training security for 
the apprentice and employer in a traditional 
apprenticeship served over four years. An employer can begin to gain a return 
from their investment in their apprentice in 
the latter stages of their training when they 
are actually on the job fulltime as skilled 
tradesperson.I hope you all find time to have your say through the survey and secure the future of 
the traditional apprenticeship scheme which 
has served our industry so well over the last 
two decades. Along with Steve, the GCSAWA 
will continue to work towards this goal and 
will keep you informed as information comes 
to hand.On 15 February, the 2005 Golf Masters Cup Series kicked off at the superb Wembley 
Golf Complex. It would be fair to say that 
the changes made to that course since the 
employment of superintendent Darren Wilson 
and facility manager Matt Day has been 
impressive. I am sure Darren is looking forward 
to the completion of the 36-hole irrigation 
upgrade.Rising to the occasion and taking out the first round winner™s trophy was, ironically, Matt 
Day with 24 points, with Craig New second 
on 22.Hopefully by now each superintendent has received their Hazardous Substance Induction 
and Training Manual and are busy working 
through them. I get the piss taken by a few 
people about fiall these safety documentsfl, but 
hey, it is required by law in most cases, may 
just prevent injury/illness which equals days 
off work, and the safety of ourselves, staff and 
patrons is a good cause.‚POP™ SOFIELD,PRESIDENT, GCSAWA.GCSAWANZGCSAGreetings from across the Tasman where Super 12 rugby is well under way, which makes a pleasant change results-wise from the international cricket! Roll on 
the Tri Nations.What™s happening in the NZ turf industry? Well, we are counting down to 
the New Zealand Sports Turf Conference 
on 31 May. The program is set and looks 
to have something for everyone, from water 
management to staff management and 
developments in course design from pro 
golfer Greg Turner™s perspective. For more 
information and online registration, visit www.
nzturfconference.org.nz. While major professional tournaments are held frequently in Australia, New Zealand has 
only recently had the status of its professional 
tournaments upgraded.During February, the New Zealand Open was held at Gulf Harbour Country Club just north of Auckland. This was upgraded to a 
European co-sanctioned event for the first 
time. As was the NZPGA Championship held 
at the Clearwater Country Club just out of 
Christchurch, which is now a Nationwide 
Tour co-sanctioned event.Both these have served to bring better quality events to New Zealand and showcase 
our country and the excellent work of our 
superintendents. Both NZ Golf and PGA 
need to be congratulated for the initiative 
shown to attract these events. Both superintendents ΠMorgan Henton (Gulf Harbour) and Tony French (Clearwater) 
Πare to be congratulated for the presentation 
of their respective courses. Nothing was 
left to chance, and the presentation and 
professionalism displayed has gone a 
long way to exemplify what we should be 
achieving in New Zealand.While the winning scores were low, both tournaments went to play offs. Low scoring 
attracts more people to watch the game. 
The public wants to watch the pros making 
birdies and not struggling to make a score 
Πthey see that type of golf every day. This 
doesn™t mean we have to make our courses 
too easy; a happy medium must be found. Training days are being held around the country at regular intervals. Common 
topics at the moment are irrigation, summer 
diseases, summer weeds. During the conference, we will be holding our AGM at Terrace Downs. Already, one 
executive member has indicated he won™t be 
standing again. Therefore we are looking for 
at least one new executive member, so to all 
supers in New Zealand, give it some thought 
and let™s have a couple of nominations.BRETT BURGESS,PRESIDENT, NZGCSA.NZGCSA55Australian Turfgrass ManagementTGAA ACTstate reportsTurf managers throughout the district have benefited from good rainfall during the past months which 
gave some relief to parched soils. These 
benefits also carried through to many turfies in 
the area who took the opportunity to carry out 
renovations on more intensively used areas.  Recent news to effect local turfies has been the lifting of Stage 3 water restrictions.  
The current Stage 2 restrictions in place have 
eased some of the pressure placed on many 
turf managers to reduce water usage. Although 
many have welcomed this, we are all aware 
that this will not be a permanent situation 
unless there are significant falls.An excellent way to gain access to the latest information on renovation equipment, 
products and techniques is the Internet.If you are interested but having difficulty in locating particular information, the TGAA ACT 
has put together a database of turf related 
websites.  To receive a copy, please contact 
the association. Well, it™s getting close to that time of year again when we hold the much-anticipated mid-
year seminar.  Topics to be covered encompass 
issues relating to OH&S in and around the 
work site.  OH&S are large, complicated, ever-
changing and quite often an area which is 
misinterpreted, misunderstood and subject to 
speculation.  For more details, please contact 
Gary Dawson on (02) 6207 4624.JUSTIN A K HASLAM, COMMITTEE, TGAA ACT AND SURROUNDING REGION.SAGCSASAGCSAIn what seems a blink of the eye, we are 
a quarter of the way through 2005. Then 
comes the inevitable phone call from that 
ATM editor with the funny accent! (Steady on Freddie ΠEd) fiWe need your nixt 
article for the magazine.fl It only seems like 
yesterday that I wrote the last one!With a cooler than average summer behind us, all turf managers will no doubt be 
in renovation mode during autumn. Those 
who attended the first SAGCSA meeting at 
Glenelg Golf Club on 10 February will have 
benefited from the information on offer.Topic for the day was pre-winter conditioning of turfgrass. Keynote speaker 
was AGCSATech™s Andrew Peart with other 
speakers including Neil Crafter, Darren 
Ferber, Phil Toy and, last but not least, 
AGCSA chief executive Steven Potts.Steven covered information coming from AGCSA, which was greatly 
appreciated by members. This, I hope, will 
be at least an annual visit from Steven to 
SAGCSA meetings.While in review mode, the recent Jacobs Creek Open held at Royal Adelaide 
Golf Club was a great success; the weather 
was kind, the golf of a high standard and 
the course looked in terrific shape. Credit must go to superintendent Jeff Kaines and his dedicated staff for 
presenting RA in such good nick! As if the 
Open wasn™t enough on the plate at this 
time of year, no sooner had the tour moved 
out than the dozers were in on the 11th 
green doing reconstruction work!The next SAGCSA meeting will be at Thaxted Park Golf Club on 12 April, while 
the AGCSA roving workshops will be at 
Murray Bridge Golf Club (19 April) and 
Blackwood Golf Club (21 April).The roving workshops will cover chemical spill response on golf courses, 
a very topical subject in light of recent 
events. I urge all superintendents to bring 
along their club managers and relevant 
committee members so as to receive the 
full picture on the club™s response of duty 
of care in relation to chemical hazards on 
the course.Finally, the SAGCSA AGM will be held in May at Kooyonga Golf Club. PETER HARFIELD,PRESIDENT, SAGCSA.TGAA ACT TGAA NSWTGAA WA TGAA NSW While 2005 is moving along 
quickly and we are preparing for our winter sports season, TGAA NSW 
is planning on a very busy and hopefully 
another successful year. I would like to 
thank members and sponsors for another 
great year of support in 2004, and remind 
everyone that we encourage member 
involvement, ideas and suggestions.The committee is currently finalising plans for two seminars this year. The first is 
targeted at our Central/North Coast members and will be held at Wyong Racecourse on 4 
May. Our Sydney Seminar will be held at the 
Sydney Showground™s on 16 August.While it has been a good growing season in Sydney with light rainfall to tie us over, we 
all know the importance of going slow on 
water usage.  Good luck to all turf managers for the upcoming winter footy season.GRAEME LOGAN,PRESIDENT, TGAA NSW.TGAA WAThe first TGAA WA event for 2005 was the President™s Breakfast held at the WACA in February. It was a very successful 
morning attended by 50 members.This event provides an opportunity to give members an overview of the 
association™s activities and future direction. 
The association has grown to 150 members, 
an increase of 50 per cent in two years.The committee has been working on a new constitution to reflect the changes in 
structure and operation of the association. It 
was presented to members at the breakfast 
and some issues were raised that will be 
addressed. We intend to present it again to 
members at the AGM in July.On 24 March, the TGAA WA Irrigation Seminar was held at Burswood on 
Swan. Topics included preparing a water 
budget, irrigation benchmarking for local government, water conservation plans, and 
using recycled water in turf.This year™s TAFE awards dinner will be held on 12 April. This is a popular event that 
recognises the achievements of graduating 
turf apprentices and students.The University of Western Australia™s kikuyu trial has been established and will be 
a three-year study into the management of 
kikuyu in the Perth region. The findings will 
be very important to our members and the 
association is sponsoring the trial. There will be an open day at the UWA™s Shenton Park field site on 19 May to inspect 
the trial work. (See page 36 of this edition 
of ATM where Dr Louise Barton outlines 
this new research project ΠEd)PETER RUSCOE,PRESIDENT, TGAA (WA).56Australian Turfgrass ManagementTGAA VICTGAA VICFinally, we have been advised that a fairer system for using water for sportsturf has been announced, 
with a lot of hard working being put in by Bill Turner on behalf of TGAA VIC members.The State Government has now introduced a series of permanent water conservation measures aimed at saving 
water within the whole community, while 
still allowing for the sensible watering of 
important community facilities such as sports 
grounds, golf courses and the like.  Members are encouraged to understand the new government measures and how 
they affect our industry operation within the 
community.  While our community wants to conserve water, they also demand that we 
produce suitable and safe turf surfaces for 
them.TGAA VIC firmly supports these State Government initiatives aimed at sharing the 
load of water conservation.The association is busily preparing for the joint TGAA and School Bursar™s Day 
which this year will be held at Eltham College 
on Thursday, 19 May.Members are encouraged to attend this day, which will feature discussions on 
risk assessment and job safety analysis 
when working with asbestos, heights and 
chemicals.  There will also be presentations on 
playground design, safety and maintenance.  Further details will soon be available.  Other dates that members may care to pencil in are the Cricket Wicket Seminar 
which will be at Telstra Dome on Wednesday, 13 July, and the Sports Celebrity Luncheon on 3 August.Members will notice a slight change in dates for the cricket wicket seminar. This is 
to accommodate a more suitable date for the 
celebrity luncheon.I look forward to catching up with as many members as possible at our upcoming 
seminars and meetings.JIM MARCHBANK,VICE-PRESIDENT, TGAA VIC.VGCSAVGCSAAs my period as VGCSA president winds 
down, I would like to highlight the benefits 
that come from being involved on a state or 
national committee.Without a doubt the most startling thing that occurs very quickly is the amount of 
people you meet who are in the same 
boat dealing with the same issues the job 
presents.Many of these like-minded folk become an integral part of an industry network and 
if you™re lucky some of those become close 
friends. These relationships I value greatly.The other area that has great rewards is being involved in where the industry is 
heading, by having input with education 
outlets, state golfing associations and the 
AGCSA.All of these groups contribute to important areas as diverse as water conservation, 
sustainable grass types and OH&S issues to 
name but a few.So if you have an interest and you want to have a say, join your state body or 
consider putting forward a nomination for the 
AGCSA board when the time is appropriate. I 
can highly recommend it.The first VGCSA meeting for 2005 was held at Keysborough Golf Club in February 
hosted by superintendent Brett Chivers. Brett, 
who originally started his apprenticeship at 
Keysborough, was appointed superintendent 
there in 2003 after a long period of training at 
Yarra Yarra Golf Club.The day™s format continued with the popular theme of having highly credentialed 
superintendents expanding on their 
experiences in major projects they have 
undertaken at their respective clubs.We were fortunate to have Mark Parker from Concord Golf Club come down from 
Sydney to enlighten us on his US travels and 
the works he has carried out at Concord.This was followed by a panel discussion consisting of Brett Chivers, John Geary (St 
Andrews Beach), Michael Riordan (Patterson 
River Country Club) and Mark Parker.They were all very candid with their presentations and each had an interesting 
angle on the difficulties their respective 
projects presented. Special thanks go to 
Mark for finding the time to add significantly 
to the day. After lunch most of the 70 
members proceeded out for golf or went on a course inspection with Brett.In other events, 60 turned up to Riversdale Golf Club for the managers-superintendents 
challenge sponsored by Clubcar and 
Scanoz. Unfortunately, the managers scored 
yet another narrow win.The AGM this year will be at Peninsula Country Club, which has been kind enough 
to accept the VGCSA™s request. Host 
superintendent Steve Hughes has taken on 
many changes there in recent times, which 
will no doubt create a great deal of interest. Guest speaker will be Neil Crafter, who needs little introduction, together with his 
partner Paul Mogford who is also the editor 
of the Golf Architecture magazine. See you 
there.   MICHAEL PICKEN,PRESIDENT, VGCSA.Keysborough Golf Club57Australian Turfgrass ManagementLOWARADelivering Pumping SolutionsRChristchurchPhone (03) 365 0279 Fax (03) 366 6616Auckland
Phone (09) 525 8282 Fax (09) 525 8284Melbourne
Phone (03) 9793 9999 Fax (03) 9793 0022Sydney
Phone (02) 9624 2577 Fax (02) 9624 2561Email info@brownbros.com.auWeb Site www.brownbros.com.aufiAt Kingston Heath the pump house has a flooded suction so it was decided to use end suction pumps because of their long term reliability and ease of maintenance. By fitting Lowara Hydrovar variable speed controllers to the pumps I am also assured of energy efficient operation and reliable on course water pressure. With the pump set now a couple of seasons old the system has been 100% reliable and extremely straightforward to use.flMartin Greenwood,Golf Course Superintendent
Kingston Heath Golf ClubHow the Hydrovar reduces 
energy consumption.Most applications involve the pump operating either along its full speed performance curve or the pumps performance is throttled or regulated by a valve. The Hydrovar eliminates 
these operating methods by regulating pump speed and hence output to match the system demand. This saves wasted energy 
traditionally lost in these conventional pump systems. Energy savings of up to 70% can be realized. (figure 1)What is a Hydrovar?Hydrovar has gained a reputation as the pump mounted, microprocessor pumping system controller. But it does much more than just change motor speed.It actually manages the performance of the pump to match a wide range of system conditions and requirements.Hydrovar is fully programmable on site as it incorporates the microprocessor and the variable speed drive in one compact and unique package.How the Hydrovar reduces maintenance cost.Hydrovar software is designed specifically for centrifugal pump operation, control and protection. Hydrovar can thus be setup to protect the pump from operating under various unfavourable conditions eg. cavitation, operating against closed head, low NPSHa or operation past a pumps maximum flow rate. Hydrovar will automatically shut down and alarm if adverse conditions occur.Hydrovar provides the Golf Course Superintendent with the flexibility of watering required with substantial savings on 
installation, power usage and maintenance. For details about the experience of some of Australia and New Zealands most prestigious Golf Clubs who have installed Hydrovar pumping systems, contact the Lowara distributors nearest you.