Tournament TimeHuntingdale™s new masterOpen returns to RoseberyTournament TimeHuntingdale™s new master
Open returns to RoseberyNew technologyTelstra Dome sees the lightNew technologyTelstra Dome sees the lightResearchNitrogen leachingThatch or fiction?ResearchNitrogen leachingThatch or fiction?The good oilTurf techniciansThe good oilTurf techniciansWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.6 NOV-DEC 2007WINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTATM Nov 2007.indd   19/10/07   4:24:29 PM   Australian Turfgrass ManagementPublished by:Australian Golf Course Superintendents' AssociationABN 96 053 205 888Production:Editor:  Brett Robinson Ph:(03) 9548 8600 brett@agcsa.com.auArt Direction & Design: Jo Corne Ph: (03) 9548 8600
jo@agcsa.com.auAdvertising: Melissa Wallace Ph:(03) 9548 8600 melissa@agcsa.com.auAGCSASuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168P: (03) 9548 8600
F: (03) 9548 8622E: info@agcsa.com.auW: www.agcsa.com.auPresident:  Jeff GambinDirectors:  John Odell Allan Devlin Pat PauliGeneral ManagersScott Petersen (Business Development, Communications and Membership)
scott@agcsa.com.auJohn Neylan (AGCSATech, Education and Environmental Initiative)
john@agcsa.com.auInquiries and MembershipPip Dudleyinfo@agcsa.com.auAccountsPhilip Horsburghphilip@agcsa.com.auEvents ManagerSimone Staples
simone@agcsa.com.auAGCSATechAndrew Peartandrew@agcsa.com.auHR & Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellardaryl@agcsa.com.auExecutive AssistantMelissa Wallace
melissa@agcsa.com.auPrinted ByImpact Printing69-79 Fallon StreetBrunswick, VIC 3056Proudly supported byCopyright © 2007 The AGCSA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian Turfgrass Management is accurate, but gives no warranty in relation thereto, and disclaims liability for 
all claims against the AGCSA, its subsidiary companies, its employees, agents or any other person which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. 
No portion, in whole or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the AGCSA.AGCSASUBSCRIPTION FORMI wish to apply for:One year™s subscription to Australian Turfgrass Management(6 editions per year) PLEASE TICK BOXONE COPY PER EDITION $55.00  O/S ONE COPY PER EDITION $76.20   TWO COPIES PER EDITION $86.00  THREE COPIES PER EDITION $130.00  ORDERS CAN BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.auName: ......................................................................................................................................Company: .................................................................................................................................Postal Address: ........................................................................................................................Town/Suburb: ...........................................................................................................................State:  ......................................................................... Postcode: ............................................I enclose cheque for (amount):................................................................................................ Please charge my credit card: .................................................................................................MasterCard          VisaCard Number:  __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __
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Address: ................................................................................................................................... Signature:. ............................................................................................................................... Please send me more information about becoming an AGCSA memberForward to: Australian Turfgrass Management Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre 752 Blackburn Road Clayton, VIC 3168 FAX: (03) 9548 8622   Prices include GST.WINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTThe big dryThe big dryFarewell to a legendVince Church 1915-2006Farewell 
to a legendVince Church 1915-2006Man in the middleBlowing the whistle on Michael VozzoMan in the middleBlowing the whistle on Michael VozzoResearchWetlands manage runoffANTEP trialsResearchWetlands manage runoffANTEP trialsCombating the droughtCombating the droughtWINNER OF 4 AWARDS AT THE 1ST TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.2 MAR-APR 2007ISSN 1442-2697RRP $9.00PLUS                         GSTWINNER OF 4 AWARDS AT THE 1ST TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTRatho™s revivalRestoring Australia™s oldest golf courseRatho™s revivalRestoring Australia™s oldest golf courseProfileBarry CoxProfileBarry CoxBusiness and the big dryHow the trade is faringBusiness and the big dryHow the trade is faringResearchOverseeding couch fairwaysFungicide application effectsResearchOverseeding couch fairwaysFungicide application effectsFlemington™s $10m flutterOn track for   Spring Carnival 2007Flemington™s $10m flutterOn track for   Spring Carnival 2007WINNER OF 4 AWARDS AT THE 1ST TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.3 MAY-JUNE 2007ISSN 1442-2697RRP $9.00PLUS                         GSTWINNER OF 4 AWARDS AT THE 1ST TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST23rd Australian Turfgrass ConferenceYour official 20-page guide to CairnsCairns2007Climatic Conditions     of the Modern EraClimatic Conditions 
    of the Modern Era23rd Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition24Œ26 July, 2007 Cairns23rd Australian Turfgrass 
Conference and Trade Exhibition24Œ26 July, 2007 CairnsPrincipal SponsorsOFFICIAL GUIDEOFFICIAL GUIDE23rd Australian Turfgrass ConferenceYour official 20-page guide to CairnsResearchKikuyu breedingBuffalograss BMPWetting agents2007 Open ChampionshipUncompromising CarnoustieCaribbean callingA super life on The Rock2007 Open ChampionshipUncompromising CarnoustieResearchKikuyu breedingBuffalograss BMPWetting agentsCaribbean callingA super life on The RockWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.4 JULY-AUGUST 2007WINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTInside Augusta NationalAn Aussie™s odysseyWater managementGlenelg ASR schemeThe Sands desalinationAGIC water use survey2007 AGCSA Award WinnersReg McLarenDarren WilsonStuart MoorePeter BeachKeeping it greenKooindah Waters ResearchBentgrass propagation and salinity tolerancePoa annua ecotypes and controlWater managementGlenelg ASR schemeThe Sands desalinationAGIC water use survey2007 AGCSA Award WinnersReg McLarenDarren WilsonStuart MoorePeter BeachKeeping it greenKooindah Waters Inside Augusta NationalAn Aussie™s odysseyResearchBentgrass propagation and salinity tolerancePoa annua ecotypes and controlWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.5 SEPT-OCT 2007WINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTWINNER OF 4 AWARDS AT THE 1ST TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.1 JAN-FEB 2007ISSN 1442-2697RRP $9.00PLUS                         GSTWINNER OF 4 AWARDS AT THE 1ST TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTTurfing TasmaniaChallenging times for Tassie supersBarnbougle DunesTurfing TasmaniaChallenging times for Tassie supersBarnbougle DunesMelbourne SandbeltFlora and fauna conservationMelbourne SandbeltFlora and fauna conservationThe PulseCommunicating with committeesThe PulseCommunicating with committeesPictorial2006 Open gets the Royal treatmentPictorial2006 Open gets the Royal treatmentResearchAging golf greensResearchAging golf greens1AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCOVER: The Australian Golf Club, NSWLooking from behind the green 
back down the 1st 
at The Australian 
Golf Club, which for 
the second time in 
four years hosts the 
Australian Open in 
December. 
Inset: The 6th 
approach and green 
at Huntingdale Golf 
Club where the 
Mastercard Masters 
will be played from 
22-25 November. Photos by: Brett Robinson.contentsDome sees a new light 12Since opening in March 2000, Melbourne™s 
Telstra Dome has constantly been in the firing 
line over its surface. Over the years many 
products and methods have been employed 
to improve turf quality and recovery, but 
none quite as bold as the $2.2million project 
about to be unveiled ahead of the 2008 AFL 
season. Arena manager Gavin Darby gives 
ATM an exclusive look into what is set to be an 
Australian first. The long road from Coonabarabran Π2007 Australian Open 18The Australian Open returns to Sydney this year with The Australian Golf Club hosting the 
tournament for the second time in four years. 
While the course has changed little since the 
2004 tournament there have been plenty of 
changes elsewhere, none bigger than the 
appointment of a new superintendent. ATM 
catches up with David Honeysett to see how 
preparations are progressing for Australia™s 
most prestigious golf tournament.Turfgrass environmental risk management 24Environmental risk management expert Terry Muir looks at how turf managers can protect 
and enhance their ability to deliver better 
environmental outcomes by successfully 
integrating risk management strategies into 
their daily operations. Fairways far away 28The Ohio State Program sparked a three-year 
journey around some of the world™s finest 
turf facilities for young Pambula-Merimbula 
greenkeeper Pat Wilson. From the Robert Trent 
Jones Golf Club and the 2005 Presidents Cup, 
to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet 
Club and Wimbledon, Wilson recounts a trip 
of a life-time.AGCSA water management initiative 56Continuing its drive to improve best 
management practices across the golf course 
maintenance industry, the AGCSA is set to 
launch a new water management initiative. RESEARCHDoes splitting nitrogen applications decrease 
leaching? 40University of Western Australia researchers outline results from a two-year study looking at 
how nitrogen fertiliser management practices 
affect nitrogen leaching losses from kikuyu 
turfgrass. Tournament TimeHuntingdale™s new masterOpen returns to RoseberyTournament TimeHuntingdale™s new master
Open returns to RoseberyNew technologyTelstra Dome sees the lightNew technologyTelstra Dome sees the lightResearchNitrogen leachingThatch or fiction?ResearchNitrogen leachingThatch or fiction?The good oilTurf techniciansThe good oilTurf techniciansWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 9.6 NOV-DEC 2007WINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE ANNUAL TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTTradition continues for Huntingdale™s new master 6When TV golf commentator Sandy Roberts utters that iconic Masters phrase ‚the tradition continues™ this November, it™s fair to say he probably won™t be thinking of Huntingdale Golf 
Club™s course superintendent. Yet when the 29th Mastercard Masters tees off, Michael 
Freeman will remarkably notch up his 25th Masters tournament, his sixth as superintendent. 
ATM catches up with and profiles the new master of Huntingdale.2AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Volume 9.6Dyson Appleyard (VGA)Louise Barton (University of WA)Andy Blacker (SAGCSA)
Andrew Bowles (Axedale GC)
Peter Boyd (NZGCSA)
Renee Buck (University of WA)
Tim Colmer (University of WA)
Rod Cook (GCSAQ)
Gavin Darby (Telstra Dome)
Stewart Fenton (Pennant Hills GC)
Michael Freeman (VGCSA)
Mal Grundy (Murray Bridge GC)
David Honeysett (The Australian GC)
Tony Hopcraft (VTETA)Stephen Lewis (TGCSA)David Lunardelli (Troon Golf Australia)
Terry Muir (e-par)
John Neylan (AGCSATech)
Ben Norton-Smith (Longyard GC)
Sam Olah (NSWTETA)
Andrew Peart (AGCSATech)
Pest and Disease Image Library
Matt Roche (QDPI&F)
Peter Ruscoe (TGAA WA)
Luke Spartalis (VTETA)
Bryce Strachan (Pambula-Merimbula GC)
David Thomson (Bermagui CC)
George Wan (University of WA)
Darren Wilson (Wembley Golf Complex)
Pat Wilson (Pambula-Merimbula GC)Welcome to this final edition of Australian Turfgrass Management for 2007. The year ends just as it started with the country in the grips of widespread drought with little respite in 
sight. Talking with superintendents at the Cairns conference in July, it really was the key issue on most minds and while some areas have received some relief in the intervening months, 
there are just as many still struggling with the prospect of another tough summer on the cards. In this edition of ATM we visit two courses which are gearing up to host two of the country™s biggest professional golf tournaments. The Mastercard Masters returns to Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne for the 29th time in late November, while up in Sydney The Australian will be the venue for the 2007 Australian Open, the second time it has hosted the tournament in four years.Superintendents Michael Freeman (Huntingdale) and David Honeysett (The Australian) have reached the peak of their profession in extremely contrasting manners, but at the end of the day 
they share a passion for their vocation and no doubt will again set new benchmarks for course 
presentation during their upcoming events.Freeman, the current VGCSA president, has spent his entire turf management career at Huntingdale Golf Club, and this year™s Masters will remarkably be his 25th, his sixth as 
superintendent. Freeman was destined to enter the game thanks to his father who was 
superintendent at Yarra Yarra for over two decades and who dragged his young son around to all 
the famed sand belt giants.Honeysett, by contrast, grew up in the small NSW country town of Coonabarabran and spent the early half of his career working at country courses which honed some good honest 
greenkeeping skills. It was a big decision on his behalf to sever ties with the country to move to 
Sydney nine years ago, but he now finds himself in the top job at one of the country™s oldest and 
grandest golfing establishments.Having spent some brief time in the company of both Michael and David recently, I would personally like to wish both gentlemen and their crews all the best for their tournament 
preparations and indeed to all other superintendents hosting major tournaments at their clubs 
over the summer months. Elsewhere in this edition, Telstra Dome arena manager Gavin Darby gives ATM an exclusive insight into the radical project about to be undertaken to help improve recovery and surface quality 
at the Melbourne stadium. Following extensive research, the Dome has purchased a number of 
artificial light rigs which have been successfully employed at a number of Europe™s major sports 
stadiums, including Wembley and Twickenham. The technology behind it is extremely interesting 
and it is hoped that the $2.2milion project will go a long way to resolving some of the surface 
issues which have plagued the arena since its opening.Finally, this edition marks the inclusion of a new section dedicated to turf equipment technicians. As most superintendents will attest, a tech is without doubt the one member of their 
crew they can least afford to be without, yet finding one these days is increasingly becoming 
difficult. Following discussions with the NSW and Victorian turf technicians associations we have 
invited them to contribute articles as part of a regular new section and I would like to thank Luke 
Spartalis (VTETA) and Sam Olah (NSWTETA) for their assistance in getting the section up and 
running. If you have any comments or feedback on this section, or ways we can improve the 
content, then please don™t hesitate to contact me. Enjoy the read and have a safe and happy end to 2007.Brett RobinsonEditorNEW SECTIONTurf equipment technicians 58This edition of ATM sees the start of a regular section dedicated to a 
superintendent™s most important asset Œ 
their turf equipment technician. Over the 
course of future editions this section will 
deliver regular turf technician features as 
well as news and views from the various 
state technicians associations. To kick 
things off, Royal Melbourne Golf Club 
turf technician Luke Spartalis looks at 
how the role of an equipment tech has transformed in line with new technology. Thatch or fiction? 42Matt Roche from the QDPI&F Turf Research Group asks whether thatch is a real or 
perceived threat when it comes to the 
occurrence of sporting injuries.IN EVERY EDITIONForeword Thinking 4AGCSATech Update 32
Tech Talk - Stem Weevil 36The Pulse 38News 48Around the Trade 54State Presidents™ Reports 603AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSIGHT SCREENSAQUA WIZZTOW A TARPROLLERSwww.mentay.com.auFREECALL: 1800 037 075CRICKET PITCH EQUIPMENTJOHN NEYLAN AND SCOTT PETERSEN, AGCSA JOINT GENERAL MANAGERSforeword thinkingThe AGCSA is about to enter into a very exciting phase with a variety of initiatives 
on the verge of being delivered to assist the turf industry and our members. The first of these initiatives can be found in this edition of Australian Turfgrass Management 
magazine - the inclusion of a dedicated turf 
technicians section. This is the first phase in 
working closer with turf technicians to assist 
with their needs. The AGCSA recently met with representatives from the Victorian and NSW turf 
equipment technicians associations to discuss 
issues affecting their industry. At the top of 
the list is the critical shortage of technicians 
due to the lure of mining industry jobs that 
pay significantly more. Exacerbating this is the 
shortage of apprentices entering the industry 
because clubs do not have the funds. To overcome this hurdle, the AGCSA is looking at setting up a ‚club sharing™ turf 
equipment technician apprenticeship 
programme, whereby the AGCSA would 
co-ordinate an apprentice to work at two or 
three clubs with the costs being shared. The 
AGCSA looks forward to assisting the turf 
technicians in the future as they are a vital 
component of the wider turf industry.You will also find a new section dedicated to the AGCSA™s Water Management Initiative. 
This section highlights the new initiative which 
will set up an online water management plan 
and water resource centre for turf managers. 
After the plan is completed turf managers will 
derive an action plan with projected water 
savings, costs of infrastructure changes and 
a timeline for delivery. We are then hoping to have grant monies available to assist clubs 
with implementing such changes.In other news. the AGCSA Board is set to welcome a trade member to sit in on board 
meetings. This person will be there to offer 
valued advice and opinion from an industry 
perspective. At the time of writing, trade 
members of the AGCSA had been notified 
of the opportunity and asked to put forward 
nominations for a representative.The AGCSA is also excited about the new HR and best practice service, with manager 
Daryl Sellar recently touring the country as part 
of the AGCSA™s spring workshop series. At the 
workshops delegates were given a CD with 
tools to assist in short- and long-term planning, 
including man hour allocation by task and day. 
If you were unable to attend these workshops 
you can purchase the presentation from the 
AGCSA.Finally, the AGCSA continues to gain credibility and respect for the profession and 
its importance to the wider golf industry. The 
Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC), of 
which the AGCSA is part of, conducted the 
Australian Golf Industry Forum in September 
where 140 senior golf industry representatives 
were informed and encouraged to openly 
debate key issues affecting Australian golf.Titled ‚The industry working together to meet the challenges ahead™, the forum was 
highlighted by presentations from industry 
leaders such as PGA of Australia chief executive 
and AGIC chairman Max Garske, Golf Australia 
chief executive Tony Hallam as well as AGCSA 
joint general manager Scott Petersen. The AGCSA was able to demonstrate the importance of presenting quality golf 
courses and how superintendents need to 
be supported with an array of resources 
including education, water management plans, 
environmental management plans, quality staff 
and equipment. The AGCSA also highlighted how golf club committees are developing a poor 
reputation when it comes to using the new 
industrial relations laws to instantly dismiss 
superintendents without warning. It was quite 
obvious from discussion that for the 23,000 
people that derive a vocation from the game 
of golf in Australia they are generally managed 
by less educated volunteer committees. We 
will work closely with the other associations to 
develop a board/committee induction manual 
or possible certificate to educate incumbent 
volunteers about the industry. It is great to be a part of an industry as progressive as golf is in Australia at the 
moment. The AGIC is focused on addressing 
issues to improve the game and a national 
marketing campaign to grow the game at all 
levels.AGCSA4AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSPORTS TURF DRAINERS& CONSTRUCTIONSPECIALISTSSLIT DRAINAGESAND GROOVINGLASER LEVELLING/GRADINGLASER CONTROLLED TRENCHINGTURF DRAIN AUSTRALIABob Paddison Phone:  NSW (02) 8117 8100  VIC (03) 6328 1522Fax:    (02) 8117 8101Mobile: 0418 261 089Email: turfdrain@bigpond.comWebsite: www.turfdrain.com.auPerf_Tri_SP1530_ad.indd   18/10/07   10:38:05 AMthe mastersHuntingdale Golf Club holds a unique place in Australian golf, being the sole host of the Australian Masters since 1979. Over the years the greats of the game have strode the fairways of the Melbourne sand belt course which continually has set new standards in course presentation. Helping ensure that Huntingdale remains an integral part of a proud tradition is course superintendent Michael Freeman who will notch up his 25th Masters when the tournament tees off on 22 November. When Channel 7 commentators Jack Newton and Sandy Roberts 
rip out the now-famous line fithe tradition continuesfl when the Masters returns 
to Huntingdale Golf Club this November, it™s 
fair to say they probably won™t be thinking of 
course superintendent Michael Freeman. They will probably be more thinking along the lines of Huntingdale™s unique position as 
home to the Masters every year since 1979, or 
the tournament™s uncanny knack of producing 
dramatic finishes which has made it one of this 
country™s most endearing professional golf tournaments.Yet when this year™s tournament tees off at the earlier time of 22 November, the 
man entrusted with the upkeep of one of Melbourne™s iconic sand belt courses will be 
continuing a tradition all his own.  Having joined the groundstaff as 17-year-old apprentice in 1982, Freeman has risen 
through the ranks over the past two decades 
to become the new master of Huntingdale, and this year will mark his 25th Masters 
tournament, his sixth as superintendent.Huntingdale has produced some spectacular moments over the years Π
Greg Norman™s six Golden Jackets heads 
an exemplary list Πand at the same time 
has also set new benchmarks for course 
presentation and since taking over from former superintendent John Spencer in 2002, Freeman has continued and enhanced that 
tradition of excellence.GREEN BLOODFreeman™s rise to the peak of his profession 
comes as little surprise considering his 
background. His entire life has revolved in 
and around golf courses and he has many 
memories of being dragged around Royal Melbourne, Metropolitan and Kingston Heath by his father Lawrence who for 23 years was superintendent at another of Melbourne™s famed sand belt courses, Yarra Yarra.A young Freeman would chip in and help out the old man during tournaments at Yarra 
Yarra, whether it was raking bunkers, divotting tees or picking up litter, and whenever one of the other sand belt courses was gearing up for a tournament, father and son would head 
down and pitch in. On one occasion, although 
he can™t recall when, Freeman was introduced 
by his father to legendary Royal Melbourne 
superintendent Claude Crockford.Freeman™s father retired from the industry at a relatively early age in the 1980s but before 
doing so was able to instil in his son a passion for the industry and a work ethic that still holds him in good stead today. It was no surprise then that as soon as he finished school Freeman went straight into the game, initially applying for a job under 
Graeme Grant at Kingston Heath. Failing to get the nod there, he learnt of an opportunity a few kilometres away at Huntingdale under superintendent John Spencer. The year was 1982 and Freeman was 17. The rest, as they say, is history and Freeman can now reflect Tradition continues for Huntingdale™s new  masterTradition continues for Huntingdale™s new  masterBY BRETT ROBINSON6AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT on a career which has spanned a quarter of a century at one of Australia™s most prestigious 
courses.MASTERING HUNTINGDALEFreeman had only been on staff for a few 
months before getting his first taste of Masters 
tournament preparation in early 1983. It was 
the same year in which Norman would collect his second Masters title and befitting the duties of any young greenkeeper, Spencer handed Freeman a board, the key to the bunker rake and told to go and tend to the bunkers. The memory brings a smile to Freeman™s face, who now as superintendent will commit a team of at least five to manicure the traps before and after each day™s round. As the years and Masters tournaments went by Freeman gradually worked his way to assistant superintendent and for 12 years was Spencer™s right hand man until taking over the 
top job himself six years ago. Having played such a major part of so many tournament preparations, Freeman is in a unique position 
to fully understand what it takes to get a facility 
into prime condition year in, year out. fiThere are so many different facets which need to come together,fl reflects Freeman. fiI guess it™s about believing in what you™ve done in the past and having the confidence in your decisions, sticking by them and making them 
work. fiIt certainly helps having been involved with the Masters for this length of time and 
being able to draw from past experience. I 
learnt a lot about tournament preparation off 
John (Spencer) who was one of the best in the industry when it came to tournaments. fiObviously my methods are slightly different to what John did and it™s very much trial and error, seeing what works and what 
doesn™t. If it does work you file it away and do 
it again the following year. fiThe key thing is you have to be very observant of your turf, know where you are 
heading and not be afraid of listening to other 
people. I put a lot of faith in my assistant Barry Proctor, who has been a fantastic asset since arriving here the last couple of years. fiWe are given very little direction from the club as to how the course is prepared. It™s basically up to us to how we want to present it, so in that respect I encourage the staff to have ownership of the property and be proud 
of what they are doing which ultimately makes 
their job more enjoyable.fiI™d like to think we put a lot more emphasis on the presentation of the course than maybe in the past. Even though it may be a bit Americanised, say in the way we pattern cut fairways, but we are trying to dress the golf 
course up so that the beauty of it stands out.flSUBTLE TWEAKSWhile preparing the course each year to host 
one of this country™s premier golf tournaments 
is a challenge in itself, Freeman has also 
had the added pressure in recent times of 
undertaking major course works in between 
each tournament. Delegates at the 2004 Australian Turfgrass Conference would have seen first-hand the 
extensive work undertaken to the 8th and 11th 
holes, while the following year the 6th and 13th 
holes received considerable makeovers with 
greens rebuilt, bunkers reshaped and lakes 
enlarged.  Tradition continues for Huntingdale™s new  masterTradition continues for Huntingdale™s new  masterHuntingdale Golf Club superintendent Michael Freeman will notch up his 25th Masters tournament this November, his sixth as superintendent. Freeman™s turf management career has spanned a quarter of a century at the Melbourne sand belt courseHuntingdale has continually set a new benchmark for tournament presentation and in the lead up to this year™s Masters, Freeman™s crew of 15 will swell to 247AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTthe mastersThe rebuilding programme has continued this year with the par three 5th undergoing some subtle tweaks in January/February. The tee complex was reconstructed, carry way re-contoured and front approach redeveloped. The existing three-tier green shed a tier as part of the greens redevelopment, while the surface was returfed with a mix of 1020 and Crenshaw creeping bentgrass. The hole™s four 
bunkers were brought more into play and 
overall the hole now requires a far more 
strategic approach from the tee.fiWe are very pleased with way the 5th has come up and it will be very interesting to 
see how the pros play it,fl says Freeman. fiIt™s 
probably a bit harder from their perspective, 
but a lot fairer from a putting point of view now 
with the two tiers. fiWe™ve been very busy over the past few years and it has been a credit to the 
club and management to rebuild the whole 
property underneath the golfers™ noses, host the Masters every year and bring it up to a championship standard. fiIn the early 1990s 20-under was the winning score, whereas nowadays 11- or 
12-under is more likely to win it. The changes 
are more strategic for the better player while 
providing a better course overall for the 
members.fiI really enjoy the construction side of things. It breaks up the routine and you are 
playing a bit with history because what you™re 
constructing will be there for the next 20 or 30 
years.flLOOKING TO THE HEAVENSWhile course alterations have kept Freeman 
busy in between tournaments, the current 
drought has also increasingly taken up 
more and more of his planning schedule. 
Huntingdale is one of the more fortunate 
sand belt courses when it comes to water, 
compared to say the likes of Royal Melbourne, Victoria and Commonwealth, but that hasn™t stopped Freeman and the club from taking a 
proactive stance in ensuring the facility™s future 
water supply.The club currently has a license of take 70M of ground water from bores scattered 
around the property, however with high salinity 
and bicarbonate levels, water quality is a major issue. When ATM visited Freeman in late September he was about to sink a few more bores as well as investigate some existing 
bores that had been out of commission. While Freeman knows they will have lower yields, he is hopeful that salt levels will be less than what is currently coming from the others. To supplement the supply, over the past 10 years Huntingdale has been able to pump in water from a quarry on the opposite side of 
Huntingdale Road. While that has provided the 
club with an abundance of the wet stuff in the 
past, levels in the quarry are now at the stage 
where quality is becoming a real issue. Like most golf clubs in this current climate, Huntingdale has formed a water committee 
which is looking at a number of alternative 
options, including desalination, and has already 
spent in the vicinity of $150,000 on stormwater 
harvesting projects around the course. A harvester has been installed on the 6th which collects all water off the clubhouse roof, 
car park and southern end of the golf course (six fairways), while another is situated at the northern end of the property on 16, capturing 
runoff from the surrounding residential area. 
Estimates given indicate that in an average 
rainfall year Huntingdale will be able to 
capture anywhere between 30-40 megalitres 
of stormwater. First, however, the rains need to come and given the current climate that seems a long way off. Despite a solid winter which saw good average rainfalls (Huntingdale recorded 67mm in June and 88mm in July), Melbourne 
has endured another lean spring (the August-
September period netted just 30mm) with the 
prospect of a severe summer just around the 
corner. The 6th green complex received an extensive makeover a couple of years ago, in particular the bunkeringThe par three 3rd hole at Huntingdale. The front nine™s other par three Œ the 5th Œ has undergone some subtle tweaks since the last Masters to make it more strategic from the tee8AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT fiWe went through a very tough summer last year and the way we are heading this year it will probably be just as hard,fl predicts 
Freeman. fiFor everybody™s sake I hope we get 
some spring and summer rains to ease the intensity of the drought.fiIt™s certainly some of the harshest conditions I have experienced. It can be hard because you have to keep yourself up all the 
time so as not to bring the rest of the staff 
down. You just have to keep plugging away 
and hold the course as best as you can until 
you get a bit of a break. Every golf club is in the same boat.fiAt the Cairns conference it was the only topic everyone was talking about Πhow are 
you off for water, what are doing to get through, what are your plans to get more. You tried to 
network with as many people as you could to 
land a good idea which you could adapt and 
present to your club.fiI™ve never used so much wetting agent in all my life. Usage of wetting agents and penetrants has probably doubled. Last year I put out a penetrant in November, which I have never done before, and the way it™s heading this year I™ll probably have to do the same.fiIt all boils down to water management and trying to get as much water as we can on to our property and looking at the various avenues to 
go down to achieve that. It™s now about being 
self-sufficient. The treated effluent pipeline to the sand belt will probably not happen. It has been talked about for a long time, gone hot and then cold again, but the clubs that are most desperate for it, like Victoria and Royal Melbourne, are now undertaking projects of 
their own in order to become self-sufficient.fl PEAK CONDITION Preparations for this year™s Masters have 
started a good two weeks earlier than usual 
following the rescheduling of the three major professional tournaments. Usually the final tournament before Christmas, the Masters is this year the first major of the calendar (22-25 November), which, as it has transpired, is the same weekend as the recently announced 
Federal election. Freeman™s usual staff of 15 will swell to 24 as extra hands are brought in to finetune 
the playing surfaces closer to the tournament. 
Among that number will be an intern which 
Freeman takes in each tournament as well as 
the regulars who return each year to help out.  Caravans are set up out the back of the maintenance facility for staff to bunk in 
together for the duration of the tournament and 
Freeman says that while the hours are long a 
great camaraderie develops among the crew.In the lead-up to the tournament Freeman has been hitting the greens pretty hard with 
Endothal to get the 1020 bentgrass surfaces clean, as well as a minimal drip feed fertiliser Huntingdale is well known for its pattern cutting of fairways and greens which add to the course™s stunning appearance during the Masters9AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT‚European Engineering, World Class Reliability™JSB Equipment Pty Ltd. Sales Enquiries:2137 Frankston - Flinders Rd John Bird  0407 600 100HASTINGS VIC 3915 Steve Burgin  0408 600 400P: (03) 5979 2788 F: (03) 5979 2688 JSB Equipment have a network of 58 dealers covering AustraliaGianni Ferrari-Turbo 6At the top end of the Gianni Ferrari range is the Turbo 6, in a class of its own in 
the Wide Area Mower market. The Turbo 
6 is capable of reaching productivity in 
the region of 14 acres per hour. In this 
market segment the primary focus is 
on cutting as much grass as you can in 
as little time as possible Œ it™s all about 
productivity, and nothing does it as well 
as the Turbo 6. Some of the features 
that bring productivity to the fore in 
this machine are truly ingenious in their 
concept and application. A prime example 
of the forward thinking engineers, is the 
development of the fiSide-Shiftfl function 
of the wing decks. This feature allows 
each wing deck to independently move 
inward or outward, varying the cutting 
width. The benefits are manifold and 
significant, and among other things 
means the operator no longer needs 
to drive around trees Πsimply drive up 
to the tree, shift the wing inward and 
then shift it out again once the tree has 
passed. All this is accomplished on-the-
run; truly a time-saving (productivity 
enhancing) feature, and that™s only one 
of about 20 other patented features 
competitor offerings can™t match.the mastersprogramme to get them as firm and fast as possible. fiAs a turf manager, that first and second week of December is the best time to present a 
golf course,fl says Freeman. fiIn the earlier days when the tournament was held in February it was an extreme challenge to hold the greens in the tough, hot, windy conditions, but it was easy to get the fairways up. fiWith the tournament brought back before Christmas and now this year being in late 
November, it will be a challenge trying to get the fairways up. The greens will be no worry; it™s more getting the fairways up. When you want to start pattern cutting the fairways like we do, there™s not a great deal of growth in the Santa ana couch at that time of year. fiWe will be trying to encourage them along as much as we can with applications of 
nitrogen, iron, magnesium etc (we liquid feed 
by hand) to try and colour them up. But without 
the warmth there™s not a lot you can do. You 
have to have everything going for you. fiWe had some warm days in September and October, but you need that consistency. It™s amazing what two weeks™ difference can make and how much more growth you get and preparation you can do in that period.   fiThe challenging part I guess, which is taken out of your hands somewhat, is 
the current climate here in Melbourne. The 
extreme drought has obviously presented us 
with some issues and like most places we are 
in desperate need of a fair bit of rain to flush 
the greens and get rid of any salinity issues 
and bicarbonate problems due to the poor 
quality bore water we have.fiBut at the end of the day the course is pretty consistent throughout; the problem is as a superintendent you tend to look at your weak areas more than your better areas and you tend to get a bit wound up and be a bit hard on yourself. But when you look at the overall property it™s not that bad.  fiI™ve seen some magnificent golf courses presented over the years and one that stands out in my mind is Metropolitan when it 
hosted the World Matchplay Championships. 
(Superintendent) Richard Forsyth had that 
place immaculate, and if I could try and 
emulate or get close to that level, I™d be a happy man. But I haven™t as yet so I™ve still got Richard in my sights.fl Delegates at the 2004 Melbourne conference will recall the work undertaken to Huntingdale™s 8th greenThe 15th borders the northern end of the property, near to where a stormwater harvester has been put in10AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT To join contact Pip Dudley on (03) 9548 8600 or info@agcsa.com.auan invitationto become a trade member AGCSAAGCSA trade membership is open to individuals working in the turf or related industries.  The AGCSA offers all trade members a range of benefits designed to foster the growth and development of yourself and your organisation.  As a valued trade member, you will receive the following:Benefits5% Discount to Trade Exhibition  5% Discount of Ads in Magazine Exclusive listing on AGCSA Trade directory (Web)Copy of ATM MagDiscount to advertising jobs on internetFree Legal Advice AGCSA NewsletterEnvironmental Initiative Discount  The Cut email newsletterPermission to use AGCSA logo on your material.Discount of AGCSATech servicesDiscount to Conference (education)There is no justi˜able reason to ever use plastic or wooden tees againCANE-IT...NATURES FRIENDLIEST TEE: Creating a new ERA in golf  Environmental   Responsible    AlternativeStandard TeesStep TeesPencil TeesSPECIAL  INTRODUCTORY OFFEROffer lasts until 31st December 2007BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!RRP: $2.95 per packADVERTORIALSince the official launch in August and the PGA Golf Expo in September: Cane-It Tees are now available in many Pro Shops & retail golf accessory outlets...proud to say that the growing number 
of these stores are welcoming our product with open arms and the 
opportunity to provide the general public with a much needed & 
requested environmental alternative in tees as environmental awareness has now reached fiPriority LevelsflGolf being a figreen grass sportfl is one of those sports where Environment and Sport can combine and where all within the 
industry are doing there utmost to provide anything possible by way of new sensible products to maintain in keeping with Environmental 
Awareness...The golf tee is no exception as the common wooden and plastic tees are one of the main and worst contributors in creating negative 
environmental impacts and rising maintenance costsHundreds of Thousands of trees are cut down every year to produce Wooden Tees; they are not made of compacted glued sawdust...totally 
Unacceptable, Inappropriate and IrresponsiblePlastic tee fragments on the other hand are nothing but a pollutant providing an unsightly mess on tee-off areas and a major problem 
for grounds staff with maintaining of mower blades and general 
maintenance, once these tee fragments are left behind, they finish up in 
the surrounding landscape, our waterways or buried into the soil if not picked up and put into provided bins...now lets be honest, how many golfers does anyone know of who pics up tee fragments and places 
them in those bins???Here are some further startling statistics to consider: current tee fragments are also responsible for approximately 10,000 tons of 
rubbish on a global scale every year, taking into consideration that approximately 12 Billion Tees are manufactured each year...and around 4plastic tees in weight is the equivalent to the plastic used to 
manufacture around 6 plastic shopping bags....Why are we tending to use eco friendly bags when shopping, then go and use plastic tees???There is a simple mathematical equation to consider: the more maintenance costs keep rising, the more expensive it becomes in membership fees and to play a round of golf, someone has to cover these costs...There is also a very simple solution to consider: simply provide an environmental responsible alternative product that assists in reducing these rising costs and problem solved.....Just plain old common sense and so simple...There is no justifiable reason or excuse for golfers to keep on using plastic or wooden tees unless they simply do not care.....I am very 
proud to say that there is not many people in our nation that don™t....we may be tough and competitive, but we do care....So many pro shops are now following the trend in getting rid of old plastic and wooden tees and replacing them with the new Cane-It tees made from plantation grown bamboo cane....They have the same appearance as a natural wooden and standard plastic tee; do the job a tee should do, cost much the same as the other 
tees and no one is out of pocket, and above all; when broken, are not a visual or an environmental pollutant...Bamboo has a grass like fibrous structure and is biodegradable, when fragments are mown over they shred into small fibres and safely 
disappear into the landscape and eventually decompose...Our National Distributor: Resort Sales are there to provide you with these great new: Cane-It Bamboo Cane Tees.....and as an added bonus: an introductory special offer is available until the end of December 2007 where you buy 1 pack and get 1 free......If you are the Manager or the Proprietor of a Pro Shop and have a stock purchasing agreement in place with your buying group, please 
contact them to have your stock directed to you during this special 
introductory offer and introduce this wonderful environmental product 
to your club and members....It™s an absolute environmental necessityNow that the public are being made aware of how damaging existing wooden and plastic tees are to the eco system and overall 
damaging to our environment and to their favourite club, much needed positive changes have started to take place and the caring public are fully supportive.....The Golf Course Superintendents Association have also been informed of all the negatives and statistics associated with existing tees; 
somewhere and sometime in the near future, I feel these new tees may 
well become the golf tee of regulation.....The Australian PGA Tour & the South African PGA Tour, Ladies and Men, use Cane-It as the preferred tee and talks are in place for the 
Asian PGA Tour to commence using Cane-It starting with the Hong 
Kong Open...it will not be too long before all PGA Tours around the globe are using Cane-It tees. Our touring professionals are out to lead the way and set a standard with environmental best practice for all to 
follow.......Environmental Awareness has reached Priority levels and serious changes need to be to take place...BECAUSE WE CARE!!!Even when it was in the design stages, the challenging growing environment 
that would be created upon completion of Melbourne™s Telstra Dome (or Colonial 
Stadium as it was originally known) was well 
documented. Of all the issues we face at Telstra Dome, low light levels are by far the greatest limiting 
factor to producing a healthy turf sward. 
These light levels are at their lowest in winter 
which coincides with the majority of our event schedule being AFL. As the traffic on the arena increases to a point that surpasses the plant™s ability to withstand the wear and recover, a decline is seen in plant health and subsequently plant density and numbers. This decline continues 
to a point where the surface presented is 
inadequate and requires replacement. 
Replacing turf has created its own issues with continuity, hardness and traction and the cost of turf replacement has also exceeded financial models produced at the venue™s inception. Over time we have improved and continue to refine our shade management techniques. 
This has seen an improvement in our surface 
to the point that in three of the last four 
years we have set new low benchmarks for turf replacement quantities. A total of about 8700m² of replacement turf was used in 2007 which was less than 30 per cent of the quantity 
used in some of our previous seasons.SHEDDING NEW LIGHTWith light being identified as our greatest limiting growth factor, we have for several years been seeking solutions or ways in which to increase our light levels. These have included reflective curtains, mirrors, translucent roof panels and artificial lighting. Our first experiments with artificial lighting were conducted in 2005 and 
continued in 2006. Although these were not 
completely successful they did prove that 
artificial lighting could work in improving the 
Dome™s surface.Concurrently to our own research into artificial lighting, we had been closely following 
the progress of developments being made at a number of European venues with this technology. The first use of such technology arena managementTelstra Dome in Melbourne ranks as one of the toughest environments in which to grow and maintain high quality turf. Since its opening in March 2000 the arena™s surface has been the focus of much debate and numerous methods have been trialled to combat issues created by a coliseum-like seating bowl and retractable roof. The latest and boldest move is the use of artificial lighting rigs which have been employed effectively at a number of Europe™s major sporting arenas. Here Telstra Dome arena manager Gavin Darby gives ATM an exclusive insight into the $2.2 million project which will be unveiled ahead of the 2008 AFL season.BY GAVIN DARBYDome sees a new light12AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTwas on a penalty box area at Sunderland Football Club™s aptly named Stadium of Light 
in late 2002. From there we are not aware of any developments until Philips Stadium in the 
Netherlands introduced a full system in August 
2004, reportedly at the insistence of PSV 
Eindhoven™s coach Guus Hiddink who believed an inferior pitch was detracting from the quality of football being played by his team. 2006 witnessed an explosion of venues taking up the technology with one company, 
SGL Concept of the Netherlands, dominating 
the market. SGL Concept founder Nico van 
Vuuren is also a principal partner in a Dutch 
company that made its name by producing 
roses in a controlled environment. Forty thousand roses a day, every day of the year, are grown and sold to market in a glasshouse 
more than twice the size of Telstra Dome.In February this year Telstra Dome chief executive Ian Collins (AM) and I embarked 
on a research tour to Europe to investigate 
first hand the latest developments. Our 
tour entailed meetings with two companies producing artificial lighting rigs for stadiums ΠSGL Concept and Mobile Lighting Rig Πand 
we also visited 11 venues in five different 
countries, eight of which were using artificial 
lighting systems. Those venues were:  Philips Stadium (PSV Eindhoven) Parken Stadium (Denmark) Emirates Stadium (Arsenal FC) Twickenham (England) Wembley (England) White Hart Lane (Tottenham Hotspur FC) City of Manchester Stadium (Manchester 
City FC) Millennium Stadium (Wales)We discovered that venues with a sufficient quantity of artificial lighting have eliminated the 
use of turf replacement systems, some of which 
historically replaced the entire surface up to three times annually. Others currently employing such technology are English Premier League football clubs Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, Liverpool, Middlesborough, Newcastle and 
West Ham.On the advice of AGCSATech™s John Neylan we also trekked to the middle of 
England to meet with Dr Andy Newell at the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) in Bingley, West Yorkshire, who has become a leader in this field of research. The STRI has 
developed a programme that produces a detailed light analysis of shaded areas and then has the ability to forecast the potential 
benefits of artificial lighting rigs. Following 
that visit we contracted Dr Newell to complete 
a ‚Light Distribution and Potential Use of 
Supplementary Lighting™ report for Telstra 
Dome. To obtain the data Dr Newell required, we gridded Telstra Dome into 126 points (Figure 1) and from each point we produced a hemispherical view drawing. These can be obtained from using a hemispherical camera, or in our case we contracted our stadium 
engineers Connell Wagner to produce these 
using an AutoCAD programme. The views are best described as lying on your back looking straight up from each point. The black section represents the opening in the roof, the concentric circles are at 10° intervals Telstra Dome is set to employ a series of artificial lighting rigs in 2008 to help improve turf recovery and quality. The Dome has bought 13 MU360 rigs, identical 
to the ones seen here at Tottenham Hotspur™s White Hart Lane, which illuminate an area of 360m2The MU360 rigs have six arms of 10 light fittings for a total of 60 600watt lights 
providing about 160 micro mol of light energy13AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTThe new standard
in turf 
maintenanceUniversal turf maintenance machineGlenmac Sales & Service Pty Ltd.14 Rushdale St. . Knoxfield, VIC 3180 Phone: 03 9763 8255 . Fax: 03 9763 4367E-Mail: tony.toth@glenmac.com.auMetropolitan Machinery Pty Ltd.Lot 9, McLeod Court . Cavan, SA 5094Phone: 08 8349 5499 . Fax: 08 8349 4727 E-Mail: mark.norsworthy@bigpond.comTurf Link Australia Pty Ltd.Unit 2/37 William St. . North Richmond, NSW 2754 Phone: 02 4571 1198 . Fax: 02 4571 1138E-Mail: mpauna@turflink.com.auSweeping - Verticutting - Flail-type mowing - High dump featureOur local dealers:We offer everything for turf maintenance. 
Please contact us for 
detailed information.QTurf Machinery Pty Ltd.9 Clifford CourtCapalaba, Qld 4157
Phone: 07 3245 6082 Fax: 07 3245 1340E-Mail: terry@qturf.com.auAustralian & New Zealand Distributors of Wiedenmann EquipmentSUPER 500arena managementso represent the angle at the which the roof line is comparatively to the position. The blue 
lines are the relevant sun track for Melbourne, the more horizontal lines are for each month, and the more vertical lines represent time of 
day. In both instances solid lines are January 
through June and hatched lines being July 
through December. The overlap of the sun 
track in the roof opening shows the potential for direct sun light to reach each position.Figure 2 is from reference point H in the north east corner of the arena, by far our most challenging area in which to grow healthy turf. 
It receives direct sun roughly from 10.30am-
11.00am in November, 10.00am-12.30pm in 
December/January and 10.30am-12.00pm in 
February. For the remaining eight months it 
receives no direct sunlight. Conversely, Figure 3 is from reference point E in the opposite corner of the arena (south west corner). It receives direct sunlight every month of the year for between four-and-a-half to seven 
hours a day. Once these drawings were completed and forwarded to Dr Newell, they were analysed 
by the STRI™s software package to predict 
proportions of direct and diffuse radiation reaching the surface at different times of the day and year. The software package combines the drawings with historical global radiation figures specific to Melbourne. This data was obtained from the Australian Bureau of 
Meteorology and are a measure of total energy 
in megajoules/m². These were converted to PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) using a 
conversion factor of 2.15 prior to drawing of the diagrams. This conversion was completed to make the analysis of supplementary lighting systems, which are rated in units of PAR, easier to interpret. The result of this work is the PAR 
light diagrams (Figure 4).The diagrams show the light levels for January are fairly high for the majority of 
the arena. From January through June these 
levels decline across the arena as the effects 
of the building™s structure on light reaching 
the playing surface become more pronounced 
on the north side of the arena. In June there is a five-fold difference in predicted light levels between the north and south ends of 
the arena. From July through December the 
process reverses. The diagrams show that 60-
70 per cent of the arena will suffer from light 
deprivation throughout the year. These results are based on the roof remaining open permanently which obviously 
does not occur with closures for events and the 
expectation of a dry surface requiring the roof to be closed when rain is forecast in the lead up to an event. So in practice our light levels 
are lower and therefore our issues exasperated 
further than demonstrated. Maximising roof 
opening times is a key management tool and 
but one area we have been improving over time (Table 1).TABLE 1. ROOF OPENING TIMESMonth/Year 2004 2005 2006 2007May 66% 63% 70% 87%June 66% 60% 69% 81% July 63% 54% 60% 66% August 62% 60% 76% 79% Average 64% 59% 69% 78% SEEING THE LIGHTIn consultation with Dr Newell we have set 10 mol m-²/d-¹ as a minimum target for all areas of the arena. This represents a light level similar 
to a European spring/autumn, which is being 
replicated through the Northern Hemisphere 
winter in venues using such systems. This 
is also a benchmark we have matched to selected reference points in our venue during the process of producing the report. Once our existing light levels were measured and a minimum benchmark was 
set, we began to look at deployment plans for the various sized products available. The artificial lighting rigs are available in a range of sizes from 18m² up to 850m². Each sized rig has a different PAR output so the size and rating of each rig need to be considered in the deployment plan and operating hours.  All of the aforementioned factors, combined with our venue knowledge, were used to create Figure 1. Telstra Dome was gridded into 126 points from which hemispherical view drawings were createdFigures 2 and 3. Hemispherical drawings from reference point H (north east corner) and reference point E (south west corner). The black area represents the opening in the roof and the blue lines are the relevant sun track for MelbourneFigure 4. PAR diagrams for January and June show the huge difference in light levels reaching the Dome playing surface14AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTa deployment plan for our selected product being the SGL Concept MU360 (Figure 5). 
The plan has 10 positions through the corridor 
and seven in each of the northern pockets for 
a total of 24 deployment positions covering 8640m² or approximately 49 per cent of the arena.  From the deployment plan data, inputs including natural light levels, deployment positions, area covered for each rig, total 
area to cover, daily lighting hours available, 
light energy, total energy from lights, days 
available per month for deployment, local electricity costs, rig electricity consumption and target PAR light levels are entered into the programme. The results produced detail the number of hours required for each deployment position, how many rigs will be required to fulfil this requirement in any given month, electricity consumption and costs.At this stage of the project we had gathered a considerable amount of data allowing us to 
ascertain that the use of artificial lighting rigs 
in our venue could assist us in improving our surface. The next stage was to complete a cost 
benefit analysis of the project, from the capital expenditure required through to the ongoing maintenance and the effects on our general business. Our forecasting also included the costs associated with purchasing commercial quantities of ‚green power™ from renewable 
sources. Although the lighting rigs will account 
for less than five per cent of Telstra Dome™s 
total energy requirements, we are currently in negotiation with various energy providers to 
ensure all power requirements for the lighting rigs are from renewable sources. Our initial expenditure was not limited to the purchase of the rigs but included: Consultants reports; Freight of 13 40-foot containers; Customs duty;  Internal electrical infrastructure to hard wire over 800amp from the venue™s two 
substations to the arena boundary; Movable electrical switchboards to 
distribute this power from the arena 
boundary to each lighting rig;    Security infrastructure for a storage area;  New equipment to transport the rigs and 
electrical infrastructure; and Turf renovation equipment to allow for an 
increased maintenance regime. The Dome has also purchased two smaller rigs which illuminate an area of 18m2. These will be used between games to treat high wear areas such as goal squares and the centre circle15AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTESD Bioremediation...at it™s bestInstalled at over 800 facilities including Pebble Beach Golf Links, Spyglass, The Ritz Carlton, Isleworth Country Club, Wimbledon Tennis Club, 
Briarwood Country Club, Merion Golf Club, The Concession, The Founders 
Club and many more throughout USA, Europe and now AustraliaSee the full product range - www.waste2water.com or call Country Club International for an information packageThe latest fully closed loop washdown system for the golf & turf industries from ESD Waste2Water USA has now
been released in Australia.ESD Waste2Water is the world™s major supplier of golf course bioremediation washdown 
systems Πnow being introduced into Australia 
and New Zealand through Country Club International.All models are closed loop systems which means all water is fully recycled and there is no 
risk of environmental contamination.25 Cumberland Drive, Seaford 3198FREECALL 1300 138804Email: infor@countryclub.com.au  Representatives available in all states for information and demonstration.Fully recycle your wash water Πup to 3 million litres PA!Fully contain & treat most chemical spills & wash residuesarena managementWe do not envisage being able to eliminate turf replacement from our venue due to the additional wear of AFL compared to soccer and 
the variety of non-sporting events we host such 
as concerts, product launches and functions. Therefore our financial analysis includes a reduced allowance for turf replacement. Our ongoing costs will include; Replacement bulbs every 10,000 hours; One additional full-time staff member;  Two part-time staff specifically for rig deployment; Electricity; Ongoing education in the use of this new technology; and Turf replacement.   A BRIGHTER FUTUREAlmost three months after returning from 
our European tour we had collated all of 
the information available and arrived at the 
decision to purchase 13 SGL MU360 rigs, two 
smaller SGL MU18 rigs and an SGL Analyser. The total cost of implementing the project, including all of the matters detailed previously, is AUD$2.2 million; the forecast reduction in turf replacement quantities will see a positive 
return on our investment. In what we believe to be the first time artificial lighting on this scale has been 
deployed in a stadium outside of Europe, our rigs will arrive in Australia during January ready for deployment starting March 2008,      As the name suggests, each MU360 illuminates an area of 360m², being 24m long and 15m wide. When all 13 rigs are operating 
we will have an illumination footprint of 4680m². 
The actual size of each rig when operational is 
22m long, 11.5m wide and 2.6m high; when 
collapsed for transport and storage the rig is 11.5m long, 2.3m wide and 2.6m in height. Each MU360 has six arms of 10 light fittings for a total of 60 600watt lights providing 
about 160 micro mol of light energy. Each arm can be operated individually but we 
do not envisage this occurring. The light 
energy output reaching the turf below the rig 
is a constant factor determined by the light™s height, spacing and rating. The smaller MU18 units, consisting of a single boom carrying 12 600watt lights, are for 
isolated areas and will be used overnight in between games to treat high wear areas such 
as goal squares and the centre circle area. The SGL Analyser includes sensors for relative air humidity/temperature, soil humidity/
temperature and moisture. Importantly, it also contains several light sensors, including one to be installed on the roof of the venue. This will allow us to compare the actual natural light levels against our modelled data. Therefore in combination with our artificial lighting targets we can increase or decrease our lighting hours to ensure use is optimised. All data collected through the SGL Analyser, in combination with our actual lighting hours recorded manually for each 
deployment position, is collated through the SGL Portal and accessed via the Internet. This information will form a database from which 
to review our use of the technology and refine 
our deployment plan for future use. With the 
permission of other individual users on the 
system you have the function to access their 
data, which can be used as a benchmark or for 
educational purposes. The rigs are towed or manually pushed to a position and left stationery for between 24-48 hours depending on the deployment plan which details each position™s requirement for each month. The rigs have no automated or mechanical parts and therefore repairs 
and maintenance costs are limited to the light 
fittings, all of which are warranted for 10,000 
hours of operation.Our programme will start in March 2008 on only six of the 24 deployment positions with a total of 33 days of treatment required. This will rapidly increase through to June when all 24 positions will receive treatment for a combined total of 272 days before slowly decreasing through to October when use will cease until the following March. To meet our treatment targets for May through August we will require the use of all 13 rigs almost constantly outside of event times. This will see a change to the timing of our general practices such as fertilising, applying 
chemicals, aerating and topdressing. These practices, which for continuity reasons require access to the entire arena in a single process, will be completed in a compacted time frame immediately following 
the last event of each weekend. Tasks such 
as mowing, divoting and line marking can 
continue beneath the rigs. Irrigation will be 
applied prior to the positioning of the rigs as 
we cannot irrigate when they are deployed, 
however they can operate during rainfall.The management of turf in such a challenging growing environment combined with an event schedule at least the equal of any venue in the world will remain a significant challenge as the expectations of our stakeholders and the general public continue 
to grow. We do not believe the artificial lighting 
rigs will be a one-stop solution to all our issues, 
but another useful management tool to be 
used in combination with other management practices as we continue to improve our surface. Figure 5. The deployment plan for the Dome has 10 positions through the corridor and seven in each of the northern pockets16AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2007 australian openThe Australian Golf Club stands as one of the most exclusive courses in the 
country and for course superintendent David Honeysett it couldn™t be further removed 
from where he started his career in turf 
management.Hailing from the small country NSW town of Coonabarabran, five-and-a-half hours 
northwest of Sydney, Honeysett has come a long way since his early days as an apprentice greenkeeper at the town™s local nine-hole course where operations consisted of just him and one other greenkeeper.He now finds himself in charge of agronomic operations at one of the country™s oldest and 
grandest golfing establishments and in just 
over six weeks time will present the course to 
host its seventeenth Australian Open.Appointed to the top job in September 2005, following the departure of long-serving custodian Rob Ashes, Honeysett has over the past two years embarked on a major 
restructuring of turf management operations, 
both on and off the course, which will ultimately 
get a thorough examination with the hosting of 
Australian golf™s most prestigious tournament 
now on the doorstep.HUMBLE BEGINNINGSAs the saying goes, you can take the boy out of 
the country, but you can never take the country 
out of the boy, and it certainly holds true for Honeysett. Born and bred in Coonabarabran, located between Tamworth and Dubbo, Honeysett fell into the greenkeeping trade more by accident. Leaving school, he took on a plumbing traineeship but was left stranded after his employer left for Darwin. Contemplating 
transferring his traineeship across to the local council, a greenkeeping apprenticeship became 
available at the nine-hole Coonabarabran 
Golf Club. The then 17-year-old successfully 
applied for the role and for the next four years 
he would complete his apprenticeship while attending Orange TAFE.Honeysett™s agronomic ability was quickly recognised and the promising student took out apprentice of the year and was put forward 
for the state award. That entailed a trip down 
to Sydney for an interview at which he met 
then superintendent at The Lakes, Phil Knight. 
Despite not winning the award, no sooner had 
Honeysett returned home than Knight was in contact offering him a position back down in the big smoke.Being a country lad at heart, Honeysett ummed and ahhed over whether to make the 
move to the city, but did so for a bit too long 
as when he called back the position had gone. 
Fortunately Knight knew of a greenkeeping 
position becoming available at Monash 
Country Club under Dave Potter. Making the big step, Honeysett moved down to Sydney to get a taste of golf course 
operations at a major metropolitan course. A 
yearning for the country life, however, proved 
too strong and after a year there he accepted 
the head greenkeeper role at Narrabri Golf 
Club, an hour north of his old home town.After a year there he was approached by some people from Armidale Golf Club The 2007 Australian Open returns to the Sydney suburb of Rosebery where The Australian Golf Club will entertain the game™s elite for the second time in four years. While the course has changed little since Peter Lonard last lifted the Stonehaven Cup aloft there in 2004, ATM discovers that down in the engine room there has been a major restructure in turf 
management operations.The long road  from CoonabarabranBY BRETT ROBINSONThe long road 
 from Coonabarabran18AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTwho enquired whether he would be interested in moving up there as the club was about to undertake extensive works. Grabbing the opportunity, Honeysett would spend six-and-a-half busy years as superintendent during which time he undertook a major greens 
resurfacing programme. Not only did his time at Armidale enable him to hone some figood honest greenkeeping skillsfl, it also provided a solid grounding in project and people management, which would ultimately prove beneficial given his next move.MAKING THE BREAKDespite being rather settled in Armidale, Honeysett came to the realisation in the mid-
1990s that if he was to really make it further in 
the profession and get a break at a major club, 
he needed to sever ties with the country and 
head back to the city. Around the same time the 3IC position became available at The Australian Golf 
Club under then superintendent Rob Ashes. 
Getting the nod, he was elevated to assistant 
superintendent just 18 months later and after 
seven-and-a-half years as Ashes™s right hand 
man, took over following Ashes™s decision to 
move on after 23 years in mid-2005.fiIt was a big decision to make, particularly taking a couple of steps back in terms of position even though it (The Australian) was a totally different arrangement,fl recalls Honeysett of his move from Armidale to Sydney. fiBut I got myself into a mindset where I was here to step 
back and learn how things were done and it 
was a very busy and interesting time working 
under Rob.fiThe lifestyle I had in Armidale was fantastic, but I always had it in the back of my 
mind that I wouldn™t be satisfied, because I was 
always very career motivated and knew where 
I wanted to go in the industry. I knew I just 
wouldn™t be happy with myself if I didn™t make the break and give it a go.fiYou become a very industrious sort of person working at a country golf club. You™re in a position where you haven™t got the budget 
to do things, you learn to compromise and 
improvise pretty quickly and you just put your 
head down and get the job done. I don™t think 
you ever lose that for the rest of your career and I certainly appreciate where I have come from, which in turn makes me appreciate more where I am at now. fiLooking back now, I could have easily stayed in the country. But it was a natural 
progression in the end and I™m certainly happy with way it has panned out. I wouldn™t change 
a thing.fl On Ashes™s departure Honeysett was placed in a caretaker role for a couple of months before being officially handed the role of superintendent in September 2005. The new role didn™t come too much as a culture shock, as on the one hand he knew intimately the operations and processes of the club, while 
on the other Ashes had placed a great deal of 
responsibility on him which effectively ensured 
the takeover was pretty much seamless.Once confirmed in the big seat, Honeysett set about putting in place a structure where 
he could totally focus on the superintendent role as well as get to the stage where he could start to achieve what he wanted to do 
with the course. Central to that was hand-
picking a lieutenant and after the best part 
of 18 months without an official assistant, 
following a recommendation from Ellerston 
Golf operations manager Rod Hinwood, he 
brought in former Ellerston senior greenkeeper 
Tony Walker just five months ago. fiI wanted to scout around and hand-pick someone if I could,fl says Honeysett. fiI didn™t 
rush. I let things fall into place, although 
certainly once the Open was announced 
it was imperative that we got the assistant 
position sorted out. It was probably to my own 
detriment not having an assistant for all that 
time but I™m happy with the way it has unfolded 
and the structure that is there now.fiTony has hit the ground running and is coming to terms with how the club operates. He™ll move into another phase of people management and programming things now The Australian Golf Club in Sydney will play host to its seventeenth Australian Open this DecemberThe Australian Golf Club superintendent David Honeysett19AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTwww.avivapure.com.auCall 1300 734 186Ensure your future fresh water supply with a  fully automatic AVIVAPUREŽ desalinatorOur team offers you a complete turnkey desalination solution  that will substantially reduce what you pay for water.  You will have ongoing supplies of pure fresh water Australian owned and made for  more than twenty years.2007 australian openwith the Open coming up. I™m bringing him up to speed as quick as I can but he™s a mature 
young guy and I certainly won™t have any 
problems with him performing.flFINE-TUNING OPERATIONSWhile Honeysett has carefully gone about 
setting up a new staff structure, a similar 
process has been undertaken in regards to 
agronomic operations. With the blessing of the 
board, Honeysett has totally reviewed how the 
course is managed and after a fairly intensive 
couple of years a number of significant changes 
have been made which Honeysett feels will set the course up well for the future.fiIt really feels like two months rather than two years, but I™m now in a position where I can initiate strategies that will enable me 
to manage the course the way I consider it 
needs to,fl says Honeysett. fiThe course will 
hardly change in terms of layout or from the firm, fast and lean course which it is when it™s at its best. fiWe won™t be moving away from that, but we have examined the entire maintenance operations in detail with the board and 
identified areas where we can improve on, for 
instance Poa control and keeping the course as clean as possible. fiWe™ve looked at different approaches and whether or not there are better options or alternative ideas to achieve a positive result. It™s been a very interesting process and I think we have made some very good ground over 
that time.flThe Australian, along with Concord Golf Club, was one of the first in the country to 
fully convert greens to the Penn series bents 
in 1999. Honeysett played a major role in the 
process, undertaking extensive trial work to 
assess the different varieties before the club 
ultimately decided to go with A1. Two of the A1s major management issues are Poa annua control and thatch management and it™s those two areas where Honeysett has made some significant changes in strategy in recent times now that the greens have 
matured.  Honeysett is now less aggressive 
with hand-weeding and has moved into a more 
gradual programme chemical control of Poa 
(pre-emergent and growth regulators), while 
he has also introduced a more rigorous greens 
renovation programme. fiThe A1 is still a great grass,fl says Honeysett. fiWe obviously identified a few issues after a few years of having it down in 
a true playing surface situation. Probably the 
biggest issue is that you have to be very aware of thatch management and what I™ve found in the last two years is that dusting alone and 
minimal surface disruption isn™t the way to go 
in the long-term. fiYou really have to pull a plug and get some of that thatchy material out because with 
the combination of sand dustings and thatch you get an organic layer that can™t decompose at a rate you want it to which can create issues. As a result I have found that a more intense renovation programme has been needed to 
maintain the actual surface.fiMinimal disruption will continue up until the Open this year as part of our scheduled 
surface preparation plan, but straight after the 
tournament we will give the greens a pretty 
heavy mini-tine and light scarify and a heavy topdress.fl In regards to Poa control, an issue which has always created headaches at The Australian, Honeysett has moved away from Endothal and 
increased the use of pre-emergent Exposan. 
He has taken the strategy of going in monthly 
right through spring to autumn due to the variability of weather conditions which can cause Poa to germinate pretty much all year round. Honeysett has gained a permit through the APVMA to use Tramat (a pre- and a post-emergent) for use on greens, however with 
the Open coming up he has only had the 
opportunity to trial it on a few greens. Having 
used it before in Armidale, Honeysett knows Honeysett has undertaken a major review of operations since taking over in 2005, with Poa management on the A1 greens coming under close examinationFairways are now more aggressively renovated with Santa ana coverage upwards 
of 85 per cent20AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTthe results he can get with it, which may be fitoo good, too quickfl for the Open. fiWhen the Open was put on us in early February this year, I had to submit a report to the 
board on the impact of the tournament, being so soon, on our current course management strategies,fl says Honeysett. fiOne of the main points I tried to hammer home was that we 
needed to stand back a bit, review what we needed to do with Poa management knowing that we had to prepare surfaces for the tournament later in the year. fiFrom that we decided on a programme that we know will set us up for the tournament and that some of the different methods and 
techniques we were working on and wanting to 
try will be held back until once the tournament 
is over. We certainly don™t want to take any 
risks in the lead up.fl Hand-weeding was also a major part of previous Poa control strategies, but the 
disruption factor as well as the fact that a lot of 
the plants being hand-weeded were perennial 
types that had been there from the outset, it 
was decided to discontinue hand-weeding and 
go in with more gradual chemical control.One of the unexpected benefits of the change was that because the club had 
budgeted for manual labour to come in and hand-weed greens, Honeysett was able to move those people on to the course and over a 
month long period last summer hand-weeded 
a substantial amount of chemical-resistant 
Poa out of fairways and roughs, an exercise 
which proved so successful that Honeysett is 
considering replicating again next year. While Poa infestation and thatch management rank among the some of the 
major management issues, pitch marks 
continue to remain an ongoing maintenance 
issue, more so than in the past.  fiThe biggest issue here is the size of the greens,fl says Honeysett. fiThe lack of lateral 
growth and repair with the A1 means pitch 
mark recovery does become an issue and 
you have to tailor your management practices 
accordingly Πincrease dustings to keep the greens firm, keep them as dry as you can, use products to help toughen the leaf and 
plant to make them more resilient, yet not be 
too carried away trying to promote too much 
growth and ending up with excess thatch. fiNutrition needs to be constantly monitored. The A1 likes to be fed gradually 
and slowly so you keep it ticking over rather 21AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTExclusive Australian Distributorwww.toro.com.auFor more information speak with your local Toro representative.For Customer Service call 1800 356 372HERO/TOR1652JWE™RE ON YOUR TURF.MAKING LIFE EASIERTHE FORMULA FOR TOP-NOTCH TURF BEGINS WITH THE MH-400 MATERIAL HANDLER AND THE PP-180 TOP DRESSER. TOP DRESS ALL YOUR  GREENS IN UNDER TWO HOURS USING THIS UNBEATABLE COMBINATION.WWW.TYCROPTURF.COM2007 australian openthan heavily fertilising and trying to promote a lot of recovery because you just won™t get it.flJust as the greens have been more intensely worked in recent times, so too have the fairways. Oversown with Santa ana couch in 2002, they were aggressively renovated (verticutting) in January 2005 for the first time which really stimulated growth and promoted further establishment. Honeysett now estimates 
there is between 60-85 per cent Santa ana 
across all fairways and similar renovations in 
the future will only increase that percentage.BIG TICKET ITEMSWhile Honeysett has had his hands full fine-
tuning agronomic operations, one area under 
review is the 25-year-old irrigation system 
which is on the agenda to be replaced in the near future. A Melbourne based company is currently drawing up design concept plans. Although fortunate to have five bores pumping excellent quality irrigation water, 
water conservation is a major consideration 
for the club. A new irrigation system would 
potentially save up to 20 per cent of the course's daily water use, and the club is also conducting a stormwater harvesting feasibility study as part of an investigation to better utilise this precious resource.  Another big ticket item Honeysett is gunning for is a new maintenance compound. While a number of OH&S and environmental 
management issues have been resolved with the existing facility Πthe machinery washdown bay has been modified and a WaterStax treatment system installed Πthere is little room for modification or expansion.   Honeysett is hopeful that in the future a new facility can be built further in course, on the site of the current nursery, which would not 
only provide greater freedom but also allow the 
club to lengthen the fifth and sixth holes.TRIED AND TRUEAlthough the upcoming Open will be 
Honeysett™s first as superintendent, he can call 
on the experience gained at the two previous 
Opens the club hosted in 2004 and 1996.  The 
difference this year, however, is that with the 
rescheduling of the three major tournaments Π
Masters, PGA and Open Œ the Open will now be played in mid December which will give Honeysett a few more weeks of warm weather to get the fairways ticking beautifully.fiI™m really looking forward to the tournament,fl says Honeysett, who will bring in a couple of US greenkeepers to supplement his crew of 18 in the lead-up to the tournament.  fiIt won™t be too much a shock due to my previous role when I was under Rob. fiThe main issue will be consistency. Essentially preparations won™t change 
dramatically from the previous Open and we™ll be staying with tried and true. I have been 
taught over the years not to forget basic 
turf management and try not to complicate 
something that does not need to be. fiThe main thing that always goes through my mind and something I try and instill in the guys is we™ve got the grass which will do the job, it™s us that could potentially cause ourselves problems. We know the golf course; it™s a 
matter now of fine-tuning the surfaces which 
we know we can do. We just need everyone 
focused because one lapse in concentration 
could be disastrous. But I™m lucky that I™ve 
got some great personnel here and I™m very confident we can do the job.fl22AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTOur popular Safetee Pro® OHS diary system is now available to e-par® users online at www.epar.com.au.Designed to keep your staff, contractors and visitors safe, the system provides regulatory documentation as well as a full range of Risk Assessment and Safe Work Procedure templates. These assets are provided from the collective resources of our 
member clubs and turf facilities (see below) Œ fiit™s a real industry collection facilitated 
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Glenelg, Royal Adelaide, Brookwater, Lakelands, Pacific Harbour, Settlers Run. . . For more information and order forms for Safetee Pro® and all training packages please go to www.epar.com.au What the Superintendent needs . . . .  e-par / Safetee proWhat the Superintendent needs . . . .  e-par / Safetee proOur decoder technology is at work on  more than 3,500 courses worldwideInstall Con˜dence.® Install Rain Bird® Decoders.Rain Bird decoders are the proven and reliable alternative to traditional in-˜eld satellite control. Advantages include simpler troubleshooting 
with built-in diagnostics at the central control. Easier, less costly system expansion. Quicker, cost-e˚ective installs with up to 70% less wire required. Consult with your Rain Bird Golf distributor about installing this proven 
decoder technology. Rain Bird Australia10 Mareno Rd, Tullamarine, Vic, 3043.   Freecall: 1800 424 044   Freefax: 1800 424 050Contact: Wayne Brown (0419 669 679)  Troy Barbour (Vic, WA, SA, Tas 0409 123 191)  Greg Smith (NSW, QLD 0438 503 070)Dale Sta˚ord (Technical Support 0409 115 000)  Scott Johnstone (Pump Station Sales 0437 078 677)www.rainbird.com.au   Email: info@rainbird.com.au© 2007 Rain Bird Corporationrisk managementTurfgrass management professionals operate in an environment fraught 
with environmental risk. It goes with the territory and ignoring the element of 
environmental risk when turf management strategies are being framed is unimaginable and dangerous. Environmental risk management is simply a process that involves making a distinction 
between acceptable risk and unacceptable 
risk. A turfgrass manager must decide for 
themselves what is acceptable and what is not.Even though environmental risk management costs money, it can help avoid 
even bigger costs that arise from poor risk management. By strategically managing 
environmental risk a facility will be able to 
identify areas where they must try harder, and 
areas where they can afford to maintain or 
even slow their efforts. Only by analysing and 
documenting the real state of their environment 
can the turf manager meaningfully find ways to improve. MANAGING RISK EFFECTIVELY Environmental risk is uncertain and that™s why it is important to take action to reduce 
exposure by adopting three simple steps: Assess your risks and vulnerabilities; Create prevention, contingency and 
response plans; Choose financing options that reduce your 
risk and protect your key business assets. Let™s look at a practical example to illustrate this - managing the risk of water pollution from a chemical spill during mixing.The first step is to start by assessing the potential impact on you and your organisation. Consider the likelihood of a spill and the impact 
of the spill on the environment. Also consider 
the potential costs of remediation and possible 
prosecution. How vulnerable are you?The second step is then to plan to prevent or mitigate significant losses. Planning enables 
you to manage your risk effectively. As a result of planning, you™ll identify some steps you can take to prevent a spill and limit its impact, 
should one occur.Some steps are obvious Πensure mixing occurs in a contained area; train all staff; have 
a standard operating procedure for chemical 
mixing; have a standard operating procedure 
for spill management; have a spill kit.Step three, determine how to spread your risk. Instead of automatically spending money 
on spill kits to ‚fix™ the problem, it is best to 
identify options for prudent coverage and 
significant savings. For example, is it more important that the staff receive training in chemical mixing than it is to have a spill kit in your circumstances? Is it more important to ensure chemical mixing 
is undertaken in controlled circumstances, 
therefore the development and implementation 
of standard operating procedures for mixing 
may be more important initially than developing a spill response procedure. It is important to think strategically. If, for example, in the last 12 months you mixed 
chemicals on 100 occasions in a contained mixing area and had two spill incidents Πone 
of tank overfilling and one incident in which BY GAVIN DARBYBY TERRY MUIRTerry Muir looks at environmental risk management and discusses how turf managers who successfully integrate risk concerns into their organisational structures can protect and enhance their ability to deliver better environmental outcomes. Turfgrass environmental  risk management and the   concept of ‚de-risking™Even though environmental risk management costs money, it can help avoid even bigger costs that arise from poor risk managementTurfgrass environmental  risk management and the   concept of ‚de-risking™24AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTthe chemical container was knocked over and a small amount of product spilt because the 
lid was not replaced Πwould the better risk 
management option here be to spend money 
on a spill kit? Perhaps not.Other more appropriate risk management strategies may include:- Purchase a shut off hose fitting to reduce the risk of overfilling: Develop standard operating procedures 
for chemical mixing to ensure lids are replaced on drums after use; Conduct a chemical filling demonstration exercise for staff; and Regularly monitor staff operations during filling.In 100 chemical filling events there were two circumstances in which a kit was required. The spills were small and manageable. Perhaps in this instance the capital expense of a spill kit would not be the preferred immediate option 
and attention to human behaviours might be 
the appropriate initial risk response strategy. 
This would enable the costs of spill kits to be 
appropriately budgeted for. As an environmental risk manager it is important you recognise that a spill event 
represents just one element of your club™s 
interaction with the environment. You also 
have air, noise, water, waste, soil, flora, fauna, groundwater, dangerous and hazardous goods, staff and contractor issues that require management.DE-RISKINGThe objective of environmental risk management 
is to provide a structured and systematic 
method for determining the magnitude of the 
risk. From this point, risks can be evaluated and 
prioritised to determine control treatments. One of the biggest challenges facing a turf manager is unacceptable environmental risk. 
Unacceptable environmental risk is undertaking an activity that presents a significant risk of harm to the environment without any controls. When you take time to manage environmental risk you effectively de-risk by reducing your 
vulnerability and mitigate potential costs should 
disaster strike.What the turf manager must look for through risk assessment is work activity whose ‚best™ 
outcome will result in many benefits, while the ‚worst™ outcome will still allow adequate protection of the environment. Generally, there are several courses of action open to the manager at any one time and a structured analysis of the different best/
worst possibilities will enable you to balance 
the risks and chart the optimum course. Based 
on that kind of analysis, you can then proceed The risk management process can be implemented in stages, beginning with areas of operation that historically produce the greatest risks to the environment25AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTRS Tyre and Wheel Pty. Ltd. Melbourne:4A Silverton Close Laverton North 3026www.trstyreandwheel.com.auFOR EXPERT ADVICE1800127807Protect the health and beautyof your turf and lawn areas
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tyres in a wide range of brands and patterns at competitive pricing.We™re at home on your turf.>Agricultural>Industrial>Transport                      Call today for expert advice on the best wheel and tyre solutions for your requirements.11081_186x126:Layout 1  3/9/07  9:21 AM  Page 1risk managementwith the work knowing that your efforts can be concentrated on achieving the best possible 
results.Standards Australia™s HB 203 (2000) identifies a number of risk treatment options designed to minimise the impact on the environment. Some of those options relevant to golf courses are shown in Table 1.CONCLUSIONA turf manager can measure risk management performance through indicators in three key areas:  Structure Œ are the right elements in place to be able to identify and manage environmental risk?  Process Œ are the right things being done to protect the environment?  Outcome Œ is the result as intended and 
can we improve?The risk management process can be implemented in stages, beginning with areas of 
operation that historically produce the greatest 
risks to the environment. Of importance is 
not how the risk management process is undertaken, but that it is undertaken and is 
systematically continued. Environmental risk management starts with the development of a programme of 
environmental management. Through the 
programme you will be able to systematically 
identify, document and address and manage 
environmental risk.What society demands of a turf manager in the 21st Century is good environmental 
governance to ensure both current and future 
risks that affect the environment are identified 
and managed and, in some cases, the risk 
turned into an opportunity. Managers that integrate risk concerns into their organisational structures and daily 
operations will protect and enhance their ability 
to deliver better environmental outcomes.RISK TREATMENT OPTIONSAR Avoid the risk: Decide not to proceed with the activity or adopt alternative process or 
choose a more suitable location.MR Mitigate risk: introduce new technology or change practices. RL Reduce the likelihood: training or planning or supervision or monitoring or preventative 
maintenance to reduce the probability of an incident occurring or review work practices.RC Reduce the consequences: minimise physical exposure to risk sources by relocating 
an activity or improving contingency and emergency response preparedness or buffer zones or spill controlsRR Retain the risk: Administrative responses such as development of standard operating 
procedures or basic training or plans to deal with outcomes if risk realisedTABLE 1: RISK TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR GOLF COURSESSource: Standards Australia HB203:200026AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTMAINTENANCE AND REBUILDS MADE EASY WITH TORO® MVP KITSOver 100 Rebuild Kits available for a variety of repair needs: Œ Hydraulic Hose Kits  Œ Filter Kits Œ Cutting Unit Rebuild Kits  Œ Roller Rebuild Kits Œ Deck Blade & Belt Kits400 hour Maintenance Kits include all parts required to perform  all scheduled services up to and including the 400 hour service.To order call Commercial Spare Parts on 1800 356 372.www.toro.com.auHERO/TOR1654J27AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT
internshipsIn the last edition of ATM, recently appointed Elanora Country Club superintendent Daniel Cook detailed how his time on the Ohio State Program ultimately led him to securing a position at the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club. The Ohio scheme has given many young Australian greenkeepers a unique opportunity to work overseas and for aspiring NSW greenkeeper Pat Wilson his involvement sparked a three-year journey around some of the world™s finest turf facilities. After finishing my apprenticeship at Pambula-Merimbula Golf Club on the far 
south coast of NSW, it was time to take the next step in my turf management career. I 
had heard numerous stories about the Ohio 
State Program and how many aspiring Aussie 
greenkeepers had signed up and gone on to 
work at some of the world™s great courses.Taking the plunge, I applied in 2004 and after being successful I was on my way. A 13-hour flight to the US would be the first step in what would turn out to be a three-year, once in a life time work experience opportunity.Florida is a world away from Pambula-Merimbula and that was to be my first stop, 
working at the Greg Norman-designed Tiburon 
in Naples on the west coast of Florida. This was 
a great experience working with warm-season 
grasses and a very large multicultural crew 
including Mexicans and African Americans.  With very tropical temperatures and climate it was a real challenge keeping the course in tournament condition throughout the year. The 36-hole resort course had a very high budget 
and very professional course management, 
and gave me the chance to witness a lot of 
different cultural and management practices 
and the incredible attention to detail that superintendent Matt Fancher expected. After being at Tiburon for four months I was successful in moving up the ranks into a spray tech position on the championship length Gold Course. I was in control of all fertilising, pest and fungicide applications which were on a 
very tight and busy schedule in order to keep 
the Bermuda in top shape. On August 13, 2004 the course was smashed by Hurricane Charley, a category four beast which hit only a few miles up from Naples. This was one of six hurricanes that battered Tiburon in a 10-week period. The mess and damage was unbelievable, leaving 
us with a lot of work to get the course back 
to normal. As October fast approached the weather in Florida was ideal as we began preparations 
for the Franklin Templeton Shark Shootout, 
where Greg Norman invites several well known 
players from the PGA tour. The tournament was a two ball event and made it very interesting to watch a different style of tournament golf. Greens were stimping at over 14™ and were up there as the fastest on that year™s PGA 
calendar. Early starts saw 40 staff members set up for the first day™s play. Attention to detail 
was enormous, with greens double cut and doubled rolled and all bunkers hand-raked. BY PAT WILSONFairways far awayFairways far awayAfter completing his apprenticeship at Pambula-Merimbula, Pat Wilson spent time on the Ohio State Program where he was placed at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club which hosted the 2005 Presidents Cup28AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTOURNAMENT TIMEWith four months left on my visa, I had the option to extend for a further six months and 
take a different placement up north on a cool-season course. Talking with Ohio program manager Mike O™Keeffe I was successful in getting a position at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia which was hosting 
the 2005 Presidents Cup.On my way up to Virginia, I volunteered for the Players™ Championship at TPC Sawgrass, 
in Jacksonville, Florida. This was 10 days of long, hard work, and the weather certainly didn™t work in our favour. Thunder and lightning interrupted the event several times. We squeegeed all playing surfaces and at one stage had 28 hand blowers in action, blowing fairways due to the wet and windy conditions. The organisation of superintendent Fred Klauk made the 
championship a huge success and the most 
memorable part for me was cutting the well 
known 17th island green.From TPC Sawgrass I landed at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, which is an 18-hole parkland course. Arriving at the tail end of winter, there were no leaves on the trees and with very cool temperatures there was little turf 
growth, but summer and the warm weather 
soon arrived quickly. Superintendent Scott Furlong liked to keep the greens hard and fast, which during the 
middle of summer was a very tough task. 
Working 60-hour weeks, it was time to maintain the course to its best condition during the very hot weather patterns. With 40 staff members, 
the hand watering of all playing surfaces 
greens/tees/fairways was a daily practice.  It 
was important to set the greens up each 
morning, giving all tiers and ridges a good 
water and in the afternoon we gave them a 
light syringe. The spray schedule was huge, 
with wall-to-wall applications for pest and disease prevention.As part of our responsibilities working at Robert Trent Jones, we also had to maintain George Bush™s golf green at The White House! 
That meant a few trips into Washington D.C. to 
tend to his green and as an added bonus we 
also got a guided tour of The White House.The back-to-back 80-hour weeks leading up to the Presidents Cup were intense. Attention 
to detail was unexplainable with Scott™s three 
assistants running the place like a well oiled machine. Players started to arrive for practice 
rounds and we had the opportunity to talk to 
a few of the caddies and players to get their feedback on how the course was playing. PGA officials stepped in two days out from the start of play and restricted watering to nothing. The tournament teed off on Monday 19 September, 2005 and myself plus five other interns and assistants arrived at the 
RTJ maintenance shed at 4.45am to get all 
machines and gear ready for the 40 volunteers 
and 40 crew. This consisted of 18 fairway units, 18 walk behind greens mowers, six walk behind tee mowers and a lot of rakes for 
bunkers and fluffing of rough. At 5am the morning meeting was held to make sure all personnel were heading in 
the right direction with their various tasks. 
Volunteers consisted of superintendents and 
assistants from all over the USA, other Ohio 
interns and even a few lads from Down Under. Greens were double cut then rolled followed by a stimpmeter reading which 
was taken by Ohio program manager Mike 
O™Keeffe. Mike would then notify the guy rolling 
if he needed to give any greens another roll 
so all green speeds were the same. Holes were then changed to positions nominated by One of the more deadly hazards ground staff have to negotiate at Tiburon in Florida29AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTFROM A SINGLE HOLE TO A COMPLETE GOLF COURSE,  WE CAN TURN YOUR VISION  INTO REALITYPhone: (03) 5966 6251  Fax: (03) 5966 6451  Email: chris@densal.com.au 655 Little Yarra Road, Gladysdale 3797   Key Contacts: Chris Young: 0417 380 298,  Paul Reeves: 0419 895 939 or Mick O™Shannessy: 0409 231 385internshipsthe PGA. Superintendent Furlong would then come through behind everyone making sure 
nothing was out of place and all was perfect.The bentgrass fairways were double cut each morning to show a great diamond effect. After everyone had finished mowing it was time to fluff rough! This made a big difference to the course™s appearance and how it would play. The afternoon consisted of just a single 
cut to greens and fairways followed up by a 
big divot team. Sunday came and the Jack Nicklaus USA side proved to be too strong for the internationals led by Gary Player. We were lucky enough to have a few beers with the player™s caddies before we were invited out to a formal dinner in the very exclusive clubhouse.TENNIS ANYONE?After touring around the US for six weeks, I was then on a flight across the Atlantic where 
I landed a position at a private club ΠCoombe 
Hill Golf Club, located south west of London.  
Superintendent Sean Whipp had his staff of 10 greenkeepers, including a mechanic and his assistant, into a busy winter construction period, with temperatures around zero and no more than eight hours of daylight per day. 
During that time the crew built several new tees 
and pathways.With spring on the way it was time to head a few postcodes north east to Wimbledon. Twelve months prior, while I was still in Virginia, I applied to join the crew at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to work under head groundsman Eddie Seward from April 
to September 2006, which included The 
Championships for that year. I was one of 10 
contracted employees that joined a full-time 
crew of 14 which included two mechanics. Eddie and his assistant Mark Sheather have a combined 50 years™ experience at Wimbledon and their management encompasses 42 lawn 
tennis courts (of which 19 are championship courts) as well as a large croquet lawn and different surface tennis courts (clay, shale, 
hard true and soft B). After seven years working on golf courses it was an amazing experience to help prepare 
the courts for the game™s most famous Grand 
Slam tournament. The courts were obviously 
a totally different surface and profile that I was used to with the soil profile consisting of about 25 per cent clay with the rest made up of silt and sand. This was about 300mm in depth, then 200mm of drainage which lay 
below. Courts were 100 per cent perennial 
rye grass which Eddie had a custom 50/50 
mix of different varieties to suit the courts and 
conditions. Two weeks prior to tournament you would start to see and meet the players and their trainers. Ten days out the courts would be covered each night and uncovered first thing 
in the morning, which allowed us to get the 
playing surface hard and true.  We used a 
one tonne roller prior to this a few times but 
were lucky enough that the English summer 
produced some great weather to get ideal 
results. Championship time had come and all the hard work started to pay off. I was in charge of mowing Courts 18 and 19 throughout the lead up and two week period. We would have 
the courts cut, marked out and dressed by 
9.30am. Over the two weeks we had great 
weather resulting in pulling the covers only a 
few times and a lot of tennis watched. After 
each day™s play was finished we would then 
give the courts a light syringe and cover up, then up for a few beers at Wimbledon village. With the championships over it was time for autumn renovations, which are crucial to the success of the tournament the following 
year. We started on Centre Court by using a 
Koro top fieldmaker to shave off the top two 
inches which removed all traces of the rye 
grass and any Poa annua. Courts were then aerated, soil added and levelled using a big four-metre level lawn. The loose soil made a great seed bed where the ryegrass would be sown. Four weeks later the 
courts would be healthy and ready to be cut 
and left for the cold winter period. The whole 
process took about eight weeks and set up the 
venue for the following season. The end of renovations meant the end of my tenure at Wimbledon and it was sad to 
say goodbye to some great people. After a three-year stint overseas I was heading back to Australia with a heap of experience under my 
belt. This journey was something special and 
I would recommend it to anyone, especially if 
you have just finished your apprentiship and 
looking to take that next step.One of the added responsibilities of working at the Robert Trent Jones course was tending the green at The White HouseWilson spent six months in 2006 working at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club during which time he helped prepare the venue for The Championships30AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAs Australia™s leading manufacturer of plant  protection products, side with the serious players in  the ˜eld. Nufarm has an extensive range of herbicides,  fungicides and insecticides designed to cope with  the harsh Australian conditions.Weed out your speci˜c problems and produce the  highest quality turf.
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by Nufarm Australia Limited.NUF2150ATMRedhandedNUF2150ATM.indd   110/8/07   4:51:40 PM32 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTagcsatech updateAs the impacts of widespread drought and water restrictions continue to affect 
the maintenance of sportsturf areas around Australia, many golf clubs, schools 
and councils are turning to alternative water 
sources to supplement or replace their more 
traditional water supply. Many of these alternative water supplies, whether it is recycled effluent or groundwater, 
are relatively high in dissolved elements such 
as salts, sodium, chloride and bicarbonates. 
In particular, the effects of salinity and sodicity 
needs to be considered in managing these 
water sources.   SALINITYThe soluble salt level is a key indicator of the 
quality of bore, dam, recycled or runoff water 
used for irrigation. High-salinity water causes 
an increase in soil salts and as soil salinity 
increases it becomes more difficult for plants 
to extract water from the soil. This is due to an increase in the osmotic pressure of the soil water, i.e. the salts ™hold‚ 
the water so strongly that plants cannot 
remove it and therefore appear to be under 
drought stress even when adequate moisture 
is present.Table 1 outlines the different classes for irrigation water based on the soluble salt 
content. As a general rule, salts exceeding 
1000 mg/L (about 1.5dS/cm) severely limit 
water use on turf; however, this is dependent 
on grass species (and variety), soil type, thatch 
level and irrigation and soil management. 
Salt-tolerant grasses growing on well-drained 
soils that are readily leached of salts can be 
irrigated with saline water with up to 2000mg/L 
(about 3dS/cm) total salts. As the salinity of the water increases, periodic leaching or heavy watering is required 
to leach salts out of the upper rootzone.  
There are several methods for calculating the 
leaching fraction of which two are detailed as 
follows;
Formulae 1
Leaching requirement (creeping bentgrass 
putting green) = ECiw/ECtsECiw is the electrical conductivity of the irrigation water and ECts is the electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) at 
the bottom of the rootzone. An appropriate value can be chosen from Table 2 and then the 
calculation made. To calculate the leaching requirement using Formulae 1;  Bentgrass has an ECe of 3-6dS/m If the irrigation water was 2dS/m 
(1200 mg/L)ECiw/ECts = 2/3 = 0.7 = 53% to 2/6 = 0.3 = 30%Leaching requirement is 30-53%. That is, 
the amount of irrigation required is 30-53% 
greater than if low salinity water is used.The second method of calculating the leaching fraction assumes that the upper 
rootzone is not allowed to become completely 
dry and there is some salt accumulation in the 
bottom section of the rootzone.
Formulae 2
Leaching requirement (creeping bentgrass 
putting green) = ECiw/5ECts - ECiwTo calculate the leaching requirement using Formulae 2;ECiw/5ECts - ECiw = 2/5x3 Π2 = 2/13 = 15%.The leaching requirement is 7-15%. That is, 
the amount of irrigation required is 7-15% 
greater than if low salinity water is used.The leaching fraction for bentgrass greens is likely to be somewhere in between and for 
water that is around 1200mg/L it will be about 
20 per cent. This additional water can be 
applied every irrigation or as a single heavy 
irrigation once every two weeks. Depending 
on the weather and the frequency of irrigation, 
it will be possible to stretch the leaching 
application out to every three-to-four weeks. For a more salt-tolerant grass species such as couchgrass and with a water of 
salinity of 2000mg/L, the leaching fraction 
using Formulae 2 will be;BY JOHN NEYLANIn this instalment of AGCSATech update, John Neylan examines water quality in a dry environment, in particular the issues of salinity and sodicity, as well as looks at the persistent Parramatta grass species and 
the various forms of control available to turf managers.Salinity Hazard Class Comments EC (micros/cm)Low Low salinity hazard, no detrimental effects  < 750 on plants or soil build-up are expected. 750 Π1500 Medium Sensitive plants may show salts stress,  moderate leaching prevents soil  salt accumulation. High Salinity will adversely affect most plants.  1500 Π3000 Requires selection of salt tolerant plants,  careful irrigation, good drainage and leaching. Very High Generally unacceptable except for very  > 3000 salt tolerant plants, excellent drainage,  frequent leaching and intensive management. TABLE 1: SALINITY CLASS OF IRRIGATION WATERSWith many turf facilities facing the prospect of declining water quality and resources, issues of salinity and sodicity are coming to the fore33 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCouchgrass has an ECe of greater than 10dS/mIf the irrigation water was 2.9dS/m (2000mg/L)ECiw/5ECts - ECiw = 2.9/5x10 Π2.9 = 6%.The leaching requirement is about 6%. SODIUMHigh concentrations of sodium, relative to 
calcium and magnesium, in irrigation water can 
adversely affect plant growth and soil structure 
and can lead to reduced permeability, aeration, 
infiltration, leaching and soil workability. The degree to which soil dispersion occurs is also dependent on the soil™s clay content 
and mineralogy, pH, Ca/Mg ratio, EC, organic 
matter content and the presence of iron and 
aluminium oxides. The most commonly used 
method to evaluate the potential for saline 
irrigation water to cause soil problems is to calculate the sodium adsorption ratio.The sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) is defined by the equation 2+ + Mg2+) / 2] where Na, Ca and Mg represent the concentrations in milli-equivalents per litre 
of the respective ions. Table 3 shows the 
sodium hazard based on SAR and related to 
clay type.On some clay soils or soils with a low CEC, an SAR greater than 6-8 gives cause 
for concern and efforts have to be made to 
minimise the breakdown in soil structure. On 
sandy soils where permeability is less of a 
concern, the cation exchange sites become 
saturated with Na at the expense of Ca, K and 
Mg and sodium is taken up by the plant in 
preference to these other cations. Sodium accumulation in the plant can then reach toxic concentrations, resulting in a loss 
of turf vigour, low recovery potential, lower 
tolerance to heat stress, reduced tolerance to pests and diseases, reduced response 
to nitrogen and potential death of sodium-
sensitive plant species. The effects of sodium accumulate over the irrigation period and towards the end of 
the irrigation season the turf will lose vigour 
and exhibit some chlorosis (i.e. yellowing). 
Fortunately, most turfgrass species have 
moderate to good tolerance to sodium and 
while there may be a reduction in vigour and a 
lack of response to fertiliser, death of the plant 
is unlikely.Calcium must be applied to counteract the effects of high-sodium waters, most often in 
the form of gypsum (CaSO4). Gypsum can be applied directly to the turf, or it can be applied 
through the irrigation system. In situations 
where the sodium content of the water is 
very high and there is a need to apply large 
amounts of gypsum, regular small applications 
applied through the irrigation system are more 
convenient and effective than large, irregular 
applications to the turf. MANAGING HIGH SALINITY AND HIGH SODIUM WATERIn order to better manage the effects of salinity and sodicity, there are several management 
strategies that can be implemented: Vertidrain regularly with needle tynes (particularly on greens). Vertidrain fairways 
prior to summer;  During periods of no/low summer rainfall, 
heavily leach greens and fairways to 
flush accumulated salts from the upper 
rootzone;  Apply gypsum during the irrigation season 
to counteract the effects of the sodium. 
A typical strategy with high sodium water 
is to apply the gypsum at the start of the 
irrigation season, mid-summer and then in 
autumn;  In some situations increasing the nitrogen level slightly to stimulate growth will in part 
counteract the negative effects that salinity 
and sodium has on growth;   Increase the application rate of potassium 
to 4-5kg/100m2/year; and  Soil and plant tissue analysis should be 
undertaken at the end of each summer 
period.  PARRAMATTA GRASSParramatta grass (Sporobolus africanus) is 
a persistent grass species that is commonly 
found on golf courses in Australia. It is a 
tough, clumping grass that is difficult to cut, Cool-season turfgrass  Warm-season turfgrassName Rating * Name Rating *Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) S Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) TChewings fescue (Festuca rubra   Buffalograss (Buchlon L. spp. commutata Gaud.) MS dactyloides) (Nutt.) Engelms.] MTColonial bentgrass  Seashore paspalum(Agrostis tenuis Sibth) S (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz.) T Creeping bentgrass  St Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum(Agrostis palustris Huds) MS secundatam (Walter) Kruntze] T  Creeping bentgrass cv. Seaside MT Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) MTCreeping red fescue
(Festuca rubra L spp. rubra) MT  
Hard fescue
(Festuca longifolia Thuill.) MT  Perennial ryegrass
(Loloium perenne L.) S  TABLE 2: ESTIMATED SALT TOLERANCE OF COMMON TURFGRASSES (REFERENCE: HARIVANDI ET. AL., 1992)The ratings are based on soil salt levels (ECe) of: 
Sensitive (S) = <3 dS/m, Moderately Sensitive 
(MS) = 3-6 dS/m, Moderately Tolerant (MT) = 
6-10 dS/m, Tolerant (T) = >10 dS/m.Na hazard SAR or Clay type Comments on Na hazardclassification adj SAR* None <6 Montmorillonite Generally no Na hazard <8 Illite unless ECw is very low <16 Kaolinite Possible 6Œ9 Montmorillonite Possible problem unless a Ca source 8Œ16 Illite and some leaching are used 16Œ24 Kaolinite Probable >9 Montmorillonite Requires intensive corrective >16 Illite measures to use >24 Kaolinite * Westcot and Ayers (1985)TABLE 3: SODIUM HAZARD OF IRRIGATION WATERS BASED ON CLAY TYPE CLASSIFICATION*34 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTagcsatech updateBY JOHN NEYLANhighly invasive, disrupts playing surfaces and very difficult to control. A native of South 
Africa, Parramatta grass has been introduced 
to North and South America, southern Asia, 
Indonesia, South Pacific Islands, New Zealand 
and Australia. Sporobolus grasses are broadly adapted to Australian habitats. They grow on infertile, 
poorly drained silty clay loams, sands and clay 
loams, as well as well-drained fertile scrub and 
alluvial soils. It favours disturbed areas that are 
subjected to slashing (mowing), high traffic 
and where there is minimal competition. Parramatta grass is present in NSW, mainly on coastal soils where it is a declared noxious 
weed in 40 council areas. Small colonies occur 
in southern Queensland and Western Australia 
and is widely distributed in Victoria. It is also 
present in south eastern South Australia and 
Tasmania.LIFE CYCLESporobolus grasses have many traits within their life cycle which make them well adapted 
to Australian conditions Πlong plant lifespan, 
seedlings and plants are difficult to kill, high 
seed production, large seed banks, drought 
tolerance and effective seed dispersal. Parramatta grass is a C4 plant (e.g. similar to couchgrass) which has increased high light 
and temperature tolerance and is more efficient 
in using water for growth than many other 
plants. This gives it a competitive advantage in 
semi-arid and tropical environments and it can 
seriously reduce pasture production. Its tough 
leaves and stems have been known to loosen 
the teeth of cattle and horses while grazing. On golf courses, Parramatta grass is well adapted to sandy soils. It inhabits the 
rough and in particular on the extremity of the 
irrigation system where there is some water 
available to the plant but usually insufficient 
to sustain more desirable plant species. It 
occasionally invades the fairway but this is 
usually confined to the immediate edge of the 
rough and fairway where mowing can often be 
semi-regular. It has a poor tolerance to low cutting heights with sharp cutting equipment, however, 
in close-cut surrounds, using floating head 
mowers, the cutting heads will often ride over 
the grass clump. Parramatta grass has very good wear tolerance in high traffic areas and 
may persist where other grass species will not 
survive.Seed production can be in the order of 300 seeds per head with over two million seed 
heads per hectare recorded (60,000 seeds 
per square metre). Seed banks have been 
recorded at 600-4000 seeds/m2.  Seed is the only method of dispersal. Seeds become sticky 
when damp and readily adhere to fur, clothes 
and machinery that come in contact with it. 
The majority of the seeds remain dormant and 
estimates of the time it would take the seed 
bank to decline to I per cent of the initial viable 
seed are in the order of 10 years. For seedlings to germinate, they require at least four days of soil moisture but can 
emerge when soil moisture levels are at wilting 
point. Seedlings are tough when they reach 
5cm high and resistant to desiccation and fire. 
Seeds germinate in spring, the young seedlings 
develop rapidly and produce flowering stems 
in mid to late-summer. Established plants 
grow rapidly from the crown during the warmer 
months but growth rate slows in late autumn. 
Growth may continue over winter in warmer 
areas, otherwise it ceases and aerial growth 
dies. Some of the identified weaknesses of Sporobolus that can be targeted in its management are:  Seed germination and seedling 
establishment is sensitive to competition;  A fire can remove a large portion of the 
seed bank;  It is sensitive to glyphosate;  Seed transportation is largely under human 
control and can be reduced substantially;   Maintaining strong competition with 
desirable species.CONTROL OPTIONSThe control of Parramatta grass is very difficult 
and any programme undertaken by the turf manager should involve persistence and a 
range of strategies. A number of methods that 
have been used in assisting control at various 
golf courses include:Hand weeding small plants;Spot treatments with glyphosate; Using a ‚Wick Wiper™ that attaches to the 
three-point linkage of a small tractor. This 
machine is used when the height of the 
Parramatta grass is significantly higher than 
the desired grass/plant species and driven 
over the top so the weed species comes in 
contact with the wick. The chemicals used 
are non-selective such as a tank mix of 
Glyphosate and Finale® (a.i. ammonium 
glufosinate);DSMA applied when the weather is hot. Two 
applications, two weeks apart is required 
and generally provides good control. Flupropanate is also being trialled, 
however, it can damage the desired 
turfgrass species;Keep Parramatta grass mown regularly to 
keep the seed heads under control (and 
therefore the seed burden);Where the Parramatta grass is controlled it 
is essential to encourage the development 
of a competitive turfgrass species such as 
couchgrass. Editors note: While certain herbicides are mentioned, this does not imply that it is a 
recommendation. All chemicals must be used 
in accordance with label recommendations.REFERENCESWestcot D.W. and Ayers R.S. (1985) Irrigation 
water quality. In Irrigation with Reclaimed 
Municipal Wastewater ΠA Guidance manual.
Carrow R. and Duncan R. (1998) Salt-affected 
Turfgrass Sites, Assessment and Management, 
Ann Arbor Press
Harivandi M.A., Butler, J.D. and Lin Wu 
(1992).  Salinity and turfgrass culture. In: 
Turfgrass Œ Agronomy monograph No.32.Parramatta grass possesses many traits within its life cycle which makes it well adapted to Australian conditions35 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAmerica™s Best Greens RollerNow in AustraliaTen exclusive features for better green maintenance1.Excellent hill-climbing ability2.Exclusive self-trailer feature
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10.O-ring couplers on all hydraulic hosesNEW! Tournament X-pressGreens RollerTel:02 9771 9030Fax:02 9771 9060Email:John@turfcraftmachinery.com.auEmail:john.purtell@bigpond.comTRF1094129Stemming the weevilsStemming the weevilsWITH ANDREW PEARTtech talkStem weevils, or correctly known as Argentine stem weevils (Listronotus 
bonariensis), can be a destructive pest in cool-season putting greens over the summer 
months. Generally, they have been confined 
to causing damage just on the mainland 
but damage was even recorded last year in 
Tasmania. Australia is not the only country that suffers from Argentine stem weevil damage. They 
are a major pest of golf greens and pastures 
in New Zealand and the closely related 
species, annual bluegrass weevil (Listronotus 
maculicollis), causes significant damage to 
Poa annua greens in the northeastern United 
States. In the last edition of Australian Turfgrass Management, recently anointed AGCSA 
Distinguished Service Award winner Reg 
McLaren detailed his encounters with stem 
weevils and credited their introduction to 
Australia from New Zealand. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view) many of the cocktails 
of chemicals he used to control them, a lethal 
use of DDD and DDT, are no longer available 
to superintendents today.One of the major reasons they can be so damaging is that the symptoms caused 
by Argentine stem weevil are often confused 
or mistaken for dry patch. Because of this, 
the most common remedy is simply to keep 
applying more water and it may not be until a 
week later or longer that the true cause of the 
problem is realised.INSECT MORPHOLOGYInsects differ from mammals in three distinct 
ways; their exoskeleton, their three distinct 
body parts and their growth stages. The 
exoskeleton, as the name suggests, refers to 
insects having their skeleton on the outside 
of their body rather than the inside. This gives 
them great strength compared to their size as 
well as providing protection against various 
control measures.The three distinct body parts of an insect are the head, thorax and abdomen. The thorax 
(middle part) is where the wings and legs of 
the insect are attached, while the abdomen 
contains organs for respiration, digestion and 
excretion.Insects usually have three pairs of legs but never any more. Caterpillars such as cutworms 
may appear to have more but these are not 
true legs as they are not jointed.  Legs vary in function among insects and their roles include 
jumping, clinging and digging.Wings are only ever present on the adult stage of an insect. Most insects have two pairs 
of wings while a few have none and flies have 
only one. Wings give insects the opportunity 
to escape from predators, or in the case of the 
Argentine stem weevil, an opportunity to fly to 
another area that may be more favourable to 
lay eggs.The last major difference is that insects develop through a series of growth stages. 
In the case of the Argentine stem weevil, it 
undergoes complete metamorphosis which is 
characterised by four stages; egg, larva, pupa 
and lastly adult. Firstly, an egg is laid which 
develops into a larva which will go through a 
series of instar stages before entering a resting 
period (pupa) in order for the transformation to 
an adult to occur. STEM WEEVIL LIFE CYCLE The female adult can lay hundreds of eggs over 
a number of weeks. The eggs are generally 
laid in grass leaf sheaths from which tiny 
maggot-like larvae hatch after about three to 
five weeks. The larvae tunnel into stems and 
shoots initially before getting too large and 
then they feed on grass roots.The larval stage is responsible for nearly all turfgrass damage from both the boring action 
within the leaf and also from feeding on the 
root system. The damage is usually manifested 
as indistinct patches of chlorotic turf, usually 
followed by browning and death.With summer fast approaching, Argentine stem weevil will be 
active in greens around Australia. 
Andrew Peart looks at this minute 
yet destructive pest and the 
various forms of control available 
to turf managers. The Argentine stem weevil undergoes complete metamorphosis which is characterised by four stages; egg, larva, pupa and adult. The larval stage is responsible for nearly all turfgrass damage from both the boring action within the leaf and also from feeding on the root system 36AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTPhoto courtesy of Bayer Environmental ScienceLarvae are creamy white in colour with a tanned coloured head and no legs. They grow to about 5mm in length prior to pupation. The 
pupae are immobile in the soil and take several 
weeks to form an adult. Once an adult they 
still stay in the soil until their outer skeleton 
hardens. The adult Argentine stem weevil is 
about 3mm in length, grey brown in colour with 
three pale longitudinal lines on its thorax.Argentine stem weevils generally have more than one generation per year and usually 
up to three, with the first generation eggs 
being laid around October and, depending on 
the season, damage can be seen as early as 
November. Multiple generations occurring at 
once can make control more difficult due to 
adults and larvae being present at the same 
time.STEM WEEVIL CONTROLThe two major insecticide chemical groups 
registered for Argentine stem weevil control are 
the organophosphates and pyrethroids. Fipronil 
is also registered which is in the chemical group 
phenyl pyrazoles. Organophosphates are a 
nerve poison and are generally regarded as 
the most toxic turfgrass pesticide to humans. Despite the distinct differences from insects to mammals, one function that is relatively 
similar is the working of the nervous system. 
The nervous system is made up of axons that 
transfer information of signals. Between the 
axons is a gap called a synapsis which could 
be considered similar to the gap seen on a 
spark plug. Rather than a spark crossing the gap to start an engine, a signal must cross the synapsis for 
information to be sent. A compound called 
acetylcholine enables this process to occur. 
Almost as quickly as the process occurs 
another compound acetyl cholinesterase is 
responsible for stopping the action.  The mode 
of action of organophosphates is to interfere with the cholinesterase causing tremors, 
convulsions, paralysis and eventual death.Pyrethroids are a synthetic formulation of the naturally occurring botanical pyrethrum 
and therefore are much safer to humans than 
the organophosphates. Synthetic pyrethroids are much cheaper but also much faster acting than the naturally 
occurring pyrethrums and can be applied in very low amounts of the actual active ingredient.
Below is a table showing the chemical group 
and active ingredients registered for Argentine 
stem weevil control according to the APVMA 
website.Group Chemical Group Active Ingredient1B Organophosphates Chlorpyrifos  Diazinon  Methidathion2C Phenyl pyrazoles Fipronil3A Pyrethroids Betacyfluthrin  BifenthrinIn the early 2000™s work was commissioned by the Victorian Golf Association to undertake 
trial work with entomopathogenic nematodes 
(ENs) as a possible control for Argentine stem 
weevil. The results, although not in a replicated 
trial, indicated a 90 per cent kill was achieved 
of the larvae after 14 days.  The full report of 
this work can be viewed and downloaded form 
the VGA website (www.golfvic.org.au).STEM WEEVIL DETECTIONThe use of a pyrethrum spray mixture can be 
used as an irritant to bring Argentine stem 
weevils to the surface in order to monitor 
numbers. Unfortunately this is restricted to just 
adults and doesn™t give a true indication of the 
number of larvae that may be present. About 20ml of pyrethrum insecticide should be diluted in five litres of water and 
one litre of solution drenched on a 0.5mx0.5m 
area. This should be done in a few locations 
and the numbers of stem weevils emerging 
then counted. The threshold number is probably around three adults per square metre for Poa annua greens, particularly if hot weather is forecast. 
The number is higher for bent greens Πpossibly 
around seven adults per square metre (Ford 
et.al 2000).  Pictures courtesy of Pest and Disease Image LibraryThe adult Argentine stem weevil is about 3mm in length and grey brown in colour37AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT(03) 9548 8600contact: daryl@agcsa.com.auAGCSA advice for superintendents and clubs to improve golf course 
maintenance practicesAGCSAAGCSASERVICEAGCSAAGCSASERVICEHEADLINE TO GO HEREUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitAGCSAAGCSASERVICECOURSE MAINTENANCEAGCSAAGCSASERVICEAustralian Golf Course Superintendents™ AssociationSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168Tel: (03) 9548 8600 Fax: (03) 9548 8622Email: daryl@agcsa.com.au  www.agcsa.com.auAGCSAAGCSASERVICEHEADLINE TO GO HEREUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ing eum doloborper augait nibh eugue diat. El dolore ex et aci te delit adipit ad er augait, coreet nulput nulla facilitUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna faccum nim ingUt lam iliquatie molobore dip 
et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dip 
et, consequipit velis augiam et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dipUt lam iliquatie molobore dip 
et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dip 
et, consequipit velis augiam Ut lam iliquatie molobore dip et,Ut lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna fa volortisit digni-sim adipisi blan ulla alis digna 
faccum nim ing ccum nim ingUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam Ut lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiamUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan 
ulla alis digna fa volortisit dignUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna fa volortisit digni-sim adipisi blan ulla alis digna 
faccum nim ing ccum nim ingUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiam volortisit dignisim adipisi blan ulla alis digna fa volortisit dignUt lam iliquatie molobore dip et, consequipit velis augiamAGCSA advice for superintendents and clubs to improve golf course 
maintenance practices(03) 9548 8600contact: daryl@agcsa.com.auTHE PULSEIn recent times much has been made of the plight of golf courses and superintendents struggling with drought, declining water resources and turf quality. While the focus has primarily been on those superintendents in the metropolitan centres, The Pulse quizzed five country/regional based superintendents about the main challenges they were coming up against and whether they were maintaining some semblance of sanity in  these trying times.opinionANDREW BOWLESAxedale GC, VICThe drought has impacted on Axedale Golf Club in a variety 
of ways. With green fee and 
membership income reduced, 
the club has suffered income 
loss of 20 per cent. As a result, some proposed capital expenditures have 
been postponed as the club looks to survival 
and the future. The club did manage to receive 
some funding via the Community Water Grants 
scheme which enabled an upgrade of the 
irrigation system for more efficient water use.Club members have rallied with the volunteer base increasing, supporting club 
competitions and stepping up to help in any 
way they can. Member support in these ways 
has assisted staff morale greatly although it 
remains very disappointing to witness years of 
work disappear before your eyes. The lack of 
stimulating capital works has also impacted on 
staff morale. I feel last summer was worse for 
us since we had no prior experience of such 
conditions and were unsure of the likely extent 
or effect of the situation. This year we are better 
prepared in that we now realise that certain 
situations are beyond our control. In terms of water, we have very little indeed. As of early October we have just 7M in 
storage with water allocation of just 1 per cent 
providing just 0.85M. Our only option to keep 
greens and tees alive is to purchase temporary 
transfer water at a cost of $1000 per megalitre. 
With 30M required, the club™s small operating 
budget will be stretched even further. Although it™s heartbreaking to lose the proceeds of previous work, at the end of the 
day we can only work with what we have and 
present the best possible course under the 
conditions we face. The committee is very 
supportive under the current conditions and 
appreciate the difficulties faced. There is a 
resolve to figet throughfl as we did last year 
with the hope of better times ahead.BEN NORTON-SMITHLongyard GC, NSWI don™t think it matters where you ply your trade in our industry 
in Australia, the problems are 
many and variable. I do find, 
however, out here our green 
fees and membership are inexpensive, which results in limited budgets 
that won™t improve until fees go up.  Time management is essential out here. Staff definitely get paid better than metropolitan 
courses, but a 40 hour week is very rare. Our 
time sheets look more like Don Bradman™s 
batting average week in, week out. Currently we 
are transplanting 1000 mature olive trees onto 
the course and also renovating greens, tees, 
aprons and fairways. Our greens renovation 
will be the only part of this contracted out. 
Throw in preparing the course for comps and 
weekends, our four staff are pressed for time.  None of this compares to the rainfall situation and our irrigation system however. 
Our last drop was on 20 August. Fortunately 
we have a large water supply and can get 
cheap recycled water easily. The problem is 
getting it onto the course. The communication 
wires are constantly damaged from the heavily 
shale grounds. At the moment it is a matter of 
coming in late night and early morning to set 
programmes manually in seven boxes. This is 
run through a test programme which only ever 
allows us to irrigate for 16mins 39secs per 
station.  Last November we purchased a radio 
control system which was to be operational 
this April. After one of the largest assumptions 
and oversights I have witnessed, I am still 
looking at my new system sitting in my office. 
Without going into detail, this situation would 
never have happened at a coastal course. So all of these combined and trying to present high level playing surfaces each week, 
creates a lot of pressure, and not just at work! 
Am I staying sane? Ask me next March; I don™t 
have time to go insane at the moment.38 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSAEducationOur first dvd is NOW available for purchase‚Environmental Issues for Golf Course Architecture™Order through our Bookshop (Offshoot)$66incl gst$66incl gstMembersMembersAGCSAEducationOur first dvd is NOW available for purchase‚Environmental Issues for Golf Course Architecture™Order through our Bookshop (Offshoot)$66incl gst$66incl gstMembersMembersDAVID THOMSONBermagui CC, NSWBermagui Country Club is situated on the far south east 
coast of NSW. One of our biggest 
challenges is attracting qualified 
tradesmen to commit to such 
an isolated area with very little other industry capable of providing work for 
wives/partners. The only method to combat 
this is to keep training young local staff. Out 
of six staff we have two apprentices and one 
youth employee. Training in-house assistants/
tradesmen is the only way I can guarantee to 
fill these positions once they move on. The 
other obvious angle of attack was to give staff 
a better deal than what the industry award was 
offering. With these measures in place staff 
seem happy which means greater stability.Another restriction being in a regional area six hours from Sydney is attending educational 
days. You pretty much have to take two-
and-a-half days off work to attend, and, of 
course, there™s accommodation and fuel costs. 
This becomes a costly exercise for a modest 
facility. Canberra, being three hours away, is 
realistically our only possibility to attend such 
days, yet the latest workshops are in most of 
the major cities except Canberra.As far as water supply, Bermagui has a 50M dam fed by a large stormwater catchment. 
We also have the capability of topping this 
up with gravity-fed effluent water (maximum 
350kl per day). Currently under the Bega 
Valley Sewerage Program, augmentation of 
the Bermagui treatment plant is required to 
facilitate the Wallaga Lake villages coming 
online to sewerage. With these changes our 
facility will be set up with two 1M tanks. The 
change for us is that we will be using 100 per 
cent effluent instead of a stormwater/effluent 
mix. This will enable the reduction in ocean 
outfall and solve our quantity inadequacies. 
The stormwater supply will remain online for 
greens flushing and as a back up supply. MAL GRUNDYMurray Bridge GC, SAMurray Bridge is totally reliant on pumping irrigation water 
directly from the Murray River.  
Due to the drought and extreme 
low flows to the Murray Darling 
system, our normal 100 per cent irrigation allocation of 216 megalitres, of which 
we use on average 60-65 per cent (130-140M), 
has been reduced to 16 per cent (34.5M).To make things worse, Murray Bridge has experienced extreme dry and windy weather 
when, in an average season, we get a bit of 
help from Huey!  This has made us start our 
irrigation programme in mid August.  Currently 
we have received only 280mm where we 
should get 380-420mm a year. Also during 
the height of summer our area hits an average 
ET rate of 10mm, that™s 40 points/day for four 
months!  River data also predicts salinity to rise 
above 1200ppm, which will also certainly have 
an impact on turf management, as also river 
levels are significantly lower and added cost of 
foot valve work.The club has now looked at the priorities of turf with the obvious of green/surrounds, 
tees, approaches and fairways.  The club has 
‚leased™ a further 25M at a cost of $26,000 
and is currently crunching the numbers to 
see which rich members to suck up to first for 
another 20M. I have set a water budget over 
summer and any rain will be a bonus Πgreens 
180kl, tees 200kl, and fairways 1M/week split 
over two irrigations. That™s about 23 weeks of 
irrigation before the cheque book comes out.The club relies on casual green fees to 120,000-130,000 a year.  As the fairways dry 
off it™s fair to say so will the dollars. I don™t 
have to look far to see family farms being left 
by the score and I do feel that this situation has 
the potential to change the social fabric of the 
area forever!  There are a lot of people doing it 
tougher than us but if significant rains don™t fall 
soon things could get a lot worse.BRYCE STRACHANPambula-Merimbula GC, NSWAt Pambula-Merimbula we are fortunate to have as our water 
source reasonably good quality 
treated effluent and as the only 
user of this resource we have an 
abundant supply.One of our major problems is the large population of kangaroos that have made the 
course their home over the past 40 years As the 
drought increases, so do their numbers as they 
move out of the bushland and onto the course. 
Current estimates are 1000 and growing. We 
are currently looking at controlling our problem 
with high frequency sound devices set up 
around the course to discourage them. Along 
with the increasing roo population is the high 
level of traffic from golfers, at around 100,000 
rounds per year. These two issues cause major 
wear factors for the course and are a constant 
management challenge.Like most country and regional superintendents you have the pressure of 
member and visitor expectations with limited 
resources at your disposal. This in itself is one 
of the major challenges for a superintendent in 
the country today. Good communication with 
the board and GM has helped me keep this 
growing problem in perspective. Staffing levels are often hard to maintain as the pool to draw experienced groundsmen or 
qualified staff is limited in country areas, adding 
further to the challenges to maintain and keep 
quality staff. Training and further education is 
also a challenge as this usually means long 
distance travel and associated costs.As for my sanity, when a large percentage of your membership is retired and your lady 
membership exceeds 700, you can well 
imagine my stress levels at times. But for me 
being based in the country and only living 10 
minutes from the shed and not one set of traffic 
lights or one traffic jam to contend with, makes 
it all worthwhile.Have you checked our pricing lately?New year round preferred pricing on Filters, Tyres Alternators and Starters.
Call Toro Commercial Equipment Spare Parts on 1800 356 372 for further information.HERO/TOR1655J39 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT Does  splitting 
 nitrogen   fertiliser applications decrease leaching?researchAustralian turfgrass managers are seeking more cost efficient and environmentally 
acceptable approaches to manage turfgrass.  Applying fertilisers contributes to 
the cost of managing turfgrass, and depending on the fertiliser management, can also pose a risk to the environment.  Applying water-soluble nitrogen fertilisers ‚sparingly and frequently™ is often recommended for minimising nitrogen leaching from turfgrass, yet optimal frequencies have not been reported.  Furthermore, 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.  The overall aim of the University of Western Australia (UWA) project was to assess if ‚splitting™ 
nitrogen fertiliser application throughout the 
year minimises nitrogen leaching while also maintaining turfgrass quality.ASSESSING NITROGEN LEACHING AND TURFGRASS QUALITYNitrogen leaching from turfgrass has been mainly investigated from young turfgrass 
swards less than six years old (Barton and 
Colmer, 2006).  Yet most golf courses, and 
local government parks and ovals, in Australia 
include extensive areas of well established turfgrass that may be greater than 20 years 
old.  In our study, the effect of nitrogen fertiliser management on nitrogen leaching was investigated by including two turfgrass ages.  Kikuyu turfgrass plots (10m2) were established at the UWA™s Shenton Park turf research facility from either 20-week-old turfgrass (‚young™ turfgrass) or 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 50mm so as to include a mat layer.  There were three replicate plots per treatment, 
plus turfgrass plots that received no nitrogen 
fertiliser.  Each turfgrass age received one of three nitrogen application rates (50, 100 and 150kg 
N ha-1 per year), and at one of three fertiliser application frequencies (every four weeks, four 
times a year and two times per year).  These nitrogen rates and application frequencies represent the range of nitrogen fertiliser practices used for maintaining established kikuyu turfgrass in Perth.  Irrigation occurred every second day by replacing 60 per cent of net evaporation, a Maintaining high quality turfgrass, while minimising the potential environmental impacts of nitrogen fertiliser use, requires information on how fertiliser management decisions affect nitrogen losses to the environment.  The University of Western Australia, in partnership with Horticulture Australia Ltd and industry groups, is investigating how nitrogen fertiliser management practices affect nitrogen leaching losses from kikuyu turfgrass. The following article presents results from a two-year field study conducted at the university™s research facility in Perth. Does  splitting  nitrogen   fertiliser applications decrease leaching?BY GAVIN DARBYBY LOUISE BARTON, GEORGE WAN, RENEE BUCK AND TIM COLMEROver the past two years University of Western Australia researchers have evaluated how nitrogen fertiliser management practices affect nitrogen leaching losses from kikuyu turfgrass40AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTrate shown to maintain growth and not cause excessive drainage from the rootzone in the 
study environment.  Turfgrass plots were mown 
weekly during spring to autumn and fortnightly 
in winter, at a height of 15mm. The effect of the various nitrogen fertiliser regimes on nitrogen leaching was evaluated 
using soil lysimeters installed in each turfgrass plot.  Lysimeters comprised 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 was collected weekly, the volume measured and a sub-sample collected for total 
nitrogen, nitrate and ammonium analyses.  
Turfgrass growth (dry mass of clippings), 
colour, leaf nitrogen concentration and surface ‚hardness™ were also assessed for all plots throughout the study.NITROGEN FERTILISER MANAGEMENT AND TURFGRASS QUALITYRecommended annual nitrogen fertiliser rates often vary depending on turfgrass age (Barton 
and Colmer, 2006).  In our study, quality of the 
old turfgrass was maintained without additional 
nitrogen in the first year and with 50kg N ha-1 yr-1 in the second year (Table 1), whereas the young turfgrass required at least 150kg 
N ha-1 yr-1 to maintain adequate colour, leaf nitrogen concentration and hardness (Table 
2).  Mineralisation of the organic nitrogen in the 
mat layer probably supplied the old turfgrass 
with additional nitrogen, especially in the first 
year of study. Other researchers have also noted that turfgrass nitrogen requirements decrease with time after establishment (Petrovic, 1990 and Qian et al., 2003).  Estimates based on historical data and simulation modelling 
indicate that nitrogen requirements for cool-Louise Barton and John Forrest, with the help of TAFE apprentices, laying the ‚old™ turfgrass at the UWA™s Shenton Park turf research facility41AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSystemic Turf FungicideBayer Environmental Science 391Œ393 Tooronga Road  East Hawthorn, Vic. 3123. Ph. (03) 9248 6888  www.
bayercropscience.com.au   ABN 87 000 226 022Summer decline. It™s an inescapable threat to fine turf.  So make Chipco Signature your essential partner for  hot-weather turf management. Only Chipco Signature provides immediate protection against turf disease to strengthen turf™s 
natural defences. The result is stronger turf that builds up 
carbohydrates which lowers respiration during periods of stress. With Chipco Signature in your fungicide tank-mix, your fine turf 
won™t just survive Œ it will thrive.YOUR ESSENTIAL SUMMER SURVIVAL KITChipco® and SignatureŽ are Trademarks of Bayer.  Bayer Environmental Science is a business group of  Bayer Cropscience Pty Ltd. BET0005 The Hopkins Part.researchseason turfgrass will be maintained for the first 10 years after establishment and then continue 
to decline for up to 60 years (Petrovic, 1990 
and Qian et al., 2003).  Nitrogen uptake rates for varying ages of warm-season grasses grown under Australian 
conditions do not appear to have been reported.  
Instead we recommend turfgrass managers include plant tissue testing when developing their nitrogen fertiliser management plan.Turfgrass growth and quality consistency throughout the year was dependent upon the 
frequency of nitrogen fertiliser application.  In 
the present study, growth and quality was 
more consistent when annual nitrogen fertiliser 
was split across four applications rather than 
split across two applications.  Reducing the frequency of application tended to increase growth and the risk of scalping in spring and autumn, especially for the old turfgrass at the highest nitrogen application rate.NITROGEN LEACHING Total nitrogen leaching did not differ between 
turfgrass age or between the different nitrogen 
fertiliser application rate or frequencies.  On 
average, 51kg N ha-1 was leached from nitrogen fertilised treatments and 49kg N ha-1 was leached from non-fertilised treatments.  An average of 56 per cent of the nitrogen leached from the young turfgrass was in 
the form of nitrate, with the remaining in the organic (41 per cent) and ammonium (3 per cent) forms.  For the old turfgrass, more than 
half of the nitrogen leached was in the organic 
form (52 per cent), with the remaining in nitrate 
(45 per cent) and ammonium (3 per cent) 
forms.Nitrogen losses were not evenly distributed throughout the study.  Instead about half of the total nitrogen leached, in the forms of nitrate and organic nitrogen, occurred within the 
first five months following planting.  Shallow 
root development and increased soil nitrogen 
mineralisation probably contributed to the 
accelerated loss following establishment.  Other researchers have also reported elevated nitrogen leaching during the 
establishment of turfgrass and for up to seven months (Barton et al., 2006; Engelsjord and Singh, 1997; Geron et al., 1993 and Snyder and Cisar, 2000).  Thus in the first year of measurement an average of 44kg N ha-1 yr-1 was leached.  In the second year of measurement, an average of 7kg N ha-1 yr-1 TABLE 1. OLD TURFGRASS: VARIATION IN TURFGRASS QUALITY WITH VARIOUS NITROGEN FERTILISER MANAGEMENT REGIMES IN YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2. indicates those treatments that have met the critical value for a particular quality parameter throughout the year; a cross () denotes those treatments that have not met the critical value.1 Nitrogen concentration of leaf tissue measured every three months using a CHN analyser.  A 2considered acceptable.3 Hardness was measured on the third drop of a Clegg Hammer.  Hardness ratings: unacceptably low (<30 gravities), low normal (31Œ69 gravities), acceptable (70Œ89 gravities), high normal 
(90Œ120 gravities), unacceptably high (>120 gravities).N Rate Application  N Concentration1 Colour2 Hardness3(kg N  Frequencyha-1 yr-1)  Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 20      Low normal Low normal50 4-weekly     Low normal Low normal 4 times/year     Low normal Low normal 2 times/year     Low normal Low normal100 4-weekly     Low normal Low normal 4 times/year     Low normal Low normal 2 times/year     Low normal Low normal150 4-weekly     Low normal Low normal 4 times/year     Low normal Low normal 2 times/year     Low normal Low normalTABLE 2. YOUNG TURFGRASS: VARIATION IN TURFGRASS QUALITY WITH VARIOUS NITROGEN FERTILISER MANAGEMENT REGIMES IN YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2. indicates those treatments that have met the critical value for a particular quality parameter 
throughout the year; a cross () denotes those treatments that have not met the critical value.1 Nitrogen concentration of leaf tissue measured every three months using a CHN analyser.  A 2considered acceptable.3 Hardness was measured on the third drop of a Clegg Hammer.  Hardness ratings: unacceptably low (<30 gravities), low normal (31Œ69 gravities), acceptable (70Œ89 gravities), high normal 
(90Œ120 gravities), unacceptably high (>120 gravities).N Rate Application  N Concentration1 Colour2 Hardness3(kg N  Frequencyha-1 yr-1)  Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 2 Year 1 Year 20      High normal High normal50 4-weekly     High normal High normal 4 times/year     High normal High normal 2 times/year     High normal High normal100 4-weekly     High normal Acceptable 4 times/year     High normal Acceptable 2 times/year     High normal Acceptable150 4-weekly     High normal Acceptable 4 times/year     High normal Acceptable  2 times/year     High normal Acceptable42AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTwas leached, and is more likely to represent the losses from established parks and golf 
courses.CONCLUSIONSNitrogen losses appear to be low from 
established turfgrass that is not over-irrigated 
and has received moderate (e.g.: up 150kg 
N ha-1 yr-1) amounts of nitrogen fertiliser.  Although decreasing the frequency of nitrogen 
applications may not necessarily increase 
nitrogen leaching losses, it may affect the 
consistency of turfgrass growth and colour.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis project has been facilitated by HAL in partnership with the turf industry. It was funded by voluntary contributions from the Parks and Leisure Association of Australia (representing a consortium of local and state government 
authorities), CSBP Ltd, Organic 2000, TGAA 
WA, GCSAWA, Baileys Fertilisers, Turf Master 
Facility Management, Turf Growers Association 
of Western Australia, Lawn Doctor, Micro 
Control Engineering and the Water Corporation.  Challenger TAFE, Lovegroves, local government 
and golf course staff are thanked for assisting 
with the establishment of the turfgrass plots.  
The Western Australia Golf Course 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.  Greenacres Turf Farm is thanked for help in the design and maintenance of the irrigator.
Louise Barton, George Wan, Renee Buck and 
Tim Colmer are from the UWA™s Faculty of 
Natural & Agricultural Sciences http://www.
fnas.uwa.edu.au/turfresearch/indes.htm.REFERENCESBarton, L. and T.D. Colmer. 2006. Irrigation 
and fertiliser strategies for minimising nitrogen 
leaching from turfgrass. Agr. Water Manage. 
80, 160-175.
Barton, L., G.G.Y. Wan and T.D. Colmer. 2006. 
Turfgrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) production on 
sandy soils II: Effect of irrigation and fertiliser regimes on nitrogen leaching. Plant Soil 284, 147-164.Engelsjord, M.E and B.R. Singh. 1997. Effects 
of slow-release fertilizers on growth and on uptake and leaching of nutrients in Kentucky bluegrass turfs established on sand-based root zones. Can. J. Plant Sci. 77, 433-444.Geron, C.A., T.K. Danneberger, S.J. Traina, T.J. Logan and J.R. Street. 1993. The effects of establishment methods and fertilization practices on nitrate leaching from turfgrass. J. Environ. Qual. 22, 119-125.Petrovic, A.M. 1990. The fate of nitrogenous fertilizers applied to turfgrass. J. Environ. Qual. 19, 1-14.Qian, Y.L., W. Bandaranayake, W.J. Parton et al. 2003. Long-term effects of clipping and nitrogen management in turfgrass on soil organic carbon and nitrogen dynamics: The CENTURY model simulation. J. Environ. Qual. 
32, 1694-1700.
Snyder, G.H., and J.L. Cisar. 2000. Monitoring 
vadose-zone soil water for reducing nitrogen 
leaching on golf courses. In Fate and 
Management of Turfgrass Chemicals, Eds. J M Clark and M P Kenna. pp 243-254. American Chemical Society, Washington USA. 43AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTresearchIn recent years, sporting professionals, medical experts, stadium managers and turf 
scientists have disagreed over the influence of thatch on traction and injury occurrence to 
athletes participating on natural turf sporting surfaces. Thatch generally varies in depth depending on species selection, field usage (wear patterns) and regular or scheduled 
management activities such as mowing and 
scarification.In their recent work, Orchard et al. (2005) and Chivers et al. (2005) have expressed concern claiming that a heavier thatch layer leads to higher traction and trapping of players™ boots thereby contributing to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. These authors have also suggested that a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) sward, 
has less thatch and therefore less risk of 
obtaining an ACL injury then a pure green 
couch (Cynodon dactylon), or a mixed sward 
of couch and ryegrass. Orchard (2004) also added that perennial ryegrass in the vast majority of circumstances 
leads to conditions with reduced shoe-surface 
traction due to ryegrass producing fewer 
rhizomes or stolons which may create excess 
friction between the players™ footwear and the 
turf.Orchard et al. (2005) grouped the risk factors associated with ACL injuries into 
two categories Πintrinsic (personal) and 
extrinsic (environmental). Cochrane et al. 
(2007) evaluated the importance of intrinsic characteristics associated with ACL damage in Australian Rules football, which included the 
type of manoeuvre the player was attempting, 
direction of the knee when it ‚gave way™, 
running speed, knee angle, cutting angle and 
if the player was accelerating or decelerating 
when the injury occurred. They studied available videos of 34 ACL injuries incurred in Australian Rules football during 1992 and 1998, in an attempt to depict the factors involved in each injury. Of the 34 ACL injuries studied, 56 per cent of the athletes 
were injured in a non-contact situation, with 
sidestepping accounting for 37 per cent 
of that total, landing (32 per cent), landing 
and stepping (16 per cent), decelerating 
(10 per cent) and undertaking crossover cut 
manoeuvres (5 per cent).MEASURING TRACTIONRotational and transitional (linear) traction are the two types of forces encountered when a player™s footwear with studs, blades or spikes comes in contact with the playing surface following a change in footing. For players, the higher the rotational traction the greater the tendency is for a foot to become fixed in its original position 
during changes of direction. Being able to take 
an accurate and meaningful measurement 
of rotational traction is therefore important in 
terms of minimising the risk of knee and ankle 
injuries to players with studded shoes.A device enabling Australian researchers to acquire such reliable and repeatable traction measurements is the Automated Traction Tester (Australian patent number PAT/AU/2004270767) which has been developed 
for use by the Queensland Department of 
Primary Industry and Fisheries™ (QDPI&F) Turf 
Research Group. The portable testing unit measures the maximum torque reached during rotation of the studded disc, while generating a profile of torque (traction) showing changes over time and calculates the angle through which the studded disc moved before reaching maximum torque. Further information about 
the automated tester can be found in Volume 
8.5 (Oct-Nov 2006) of Australian Turfgrass 
Management.THATCH VS TRACTIONTo investigate in more detail the influence of thatch on traction, the QDPI&F turf research Matt Roche details research work on thatch undertaken by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Turf Research Group and asks whether thatch is a real or perceived threat when it comes to sporting injuries.BY MATT ROCHEThatch or fiction?Thatch or fiction?44AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTteam used an ongoing wear trial, which involves eight Cynodon cultivars in a randomised block design located at Redlands Research Station in Cleveland, Queensland. The experimental site was constructed in March 2006 on an irrigated 15cm sand carpet profile with internal drainage to remove excess water. Individual plots (6m 
x 2m) of the eight cultivars were allocated at 
random within each of the four blocks.Superimposed over the basic experiment was a two-level strip-plot design to accommodate wear treatments, which of necessity must be applied in straight lines. Strips within each level were again allocated at random. The first level involved oversowing perennial ryegrass into two of the five sub-
plots per cultivar to simulate standard winter management of elite fields, leaving the 
remaining three as a pure green couch sward. The second level (wear frequency) involved imposing two wear treatments (weekly and 
fortnightly wear applications at equivalent overall intensity to simulate a home-and-away schedule) within each of the couch strips 
and a fortnightly wear treatment only within 
each of the oversown ryegrass strips. In both 
situations, the worn treatments were compared 
with an unworn control treatment.Traction testing has been conducted at four to five week intervals during the winter-
early spring period in 2006 and 2007. This has involved taking a total of 160 measurements from each sub-plot over the trial area (i.e.: five wear treatments per cultivar x eight cultivars x four replications = 160).In winter 2006, bare ground increased rapidly before reaching relatively stable levels of residual cover after about five to six weeks 
of wear. By the end of the 10-and-a-half week trial period, sub-plots ranged from 100 per cent bare ground through to complete ground cover. At this stage, the dry matter yield of above-ground material on the control couch plots across all cultivars averaged 660g/m-2. Covariance analysis of the data taken at the 
end of the wear trial showed a significant linear relationship between bare ground and torque (Roche et al., 2007). Across the three sub-treatments receiving weekly or fortnightly 
wear, traction declined by 2.18 (± standard 
error of 0.702) Newton metres for every 10 per 
cent increase in bare ground. Once torsion was adjusted for the level of bare ground, there were no longer any significant differences between treatments for torsion. These data, however, in all probability 
reflected some deterioration in the root-rhizome 
system on badly denuded sub-plots, because 
subsequently they were slow to recover and in 
some cases had to be replaced by new sod.Comparable analyses of data taken five-and-a-half weeks after initiating wear showed 
no significant interaction between traction and the level of bare ground. At this stage, the rhizome-root system would have been in much The QDPI&F™s Turf Research Group has been undertaking trials, using its specially designed automated traction tester, to determine the influence of thatch on traction. Plots containing a thatch layer (left) and no thatch (within the pink highlighted area) were subjected to traction testing at four to five week intervals during the winter-early spring period in 2006 and 200745AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATechTIME FOR WATER QUALITY TESTING! Let us provide you with a truly independent water quality reportSend samples toJohn Neylan and Andrew PeartPh. 03 9548 8600 Suite 1Fax. 03 9548 8622 Monash Corporate CentreEmail. john@agcsa.com.au 752 Blackburn RoadEmail. andrew@agcsa.com.au Clayton 3168 Vicresearchbetter condition than after a further five weeks of continued wear through to the end of the trial.The above indirect inferences as to the effect of thatch on traction were subsequently confirmed by direct comparisons of peak 
traction values with or without above-ground 
material present in the control plots on 26 April 
and 5 July, 2007. On both occasions, a small area in each of the 32 unworn (control) couch sub-plots was removed mechanically down to the stolons, so that the effect on traction could be determined by comparing traction measured in the cut 
area with a paired second reading taken 
among the intact thatch in the same sub-plot 
(see photo pg 44). The dry matter yield of thatch was also determined on 5 July by cutting a 35cm x 35cm quadrat from each of the 32 control sub-plots and drying it at 60-70°C. On both 
occasions, we found no significant difference 
in traction, despite the removal of an average 
of 450g/m-2 of above-ground dry matter on the second occasion (Table 1).CONCLUSIONSRecent postulations by Orchard et al. (2005) 
and Chivers et al. (2005) that a heavier thatch 
layer leads to higher traction and trapping 
of players™ boots, thereby contributing to 
ACL injuries, would therefore appear to over-
estimate and over-emphasise the significance 
of the thatch layer. Our findings indicate that the main plant factor determining traction is the stolon and/
or rhizome and general root growth on and 
just within the ground surface. Provided the 
rhizomes of the established sod are still intact 
in areas where the top growth including thatch 
has been completely worn away, we have recorded almost no change in traction in these bare areas compared with nearby areas where the top growth is still intact (Roche et al., 2007). Our experience elsewhere in sportsfield benchmarking activities is that, provided the rhizome-root layer is still intact and healthy, 
bare areas where the top growth has been completely worn away, can still record traction levels that are adequate for good playability (>30-35Nm Πe.g. Bell and Holmes, 1988; Baker, 1999) and, in fact, tend to show little or no apparent reduction in traction compared 
with nearby areas with intact top growth.An obvious priority area for future studies is to define more accurately the critical level of rotational traction above which the playing surface could potentially lead to player injury. 
Previous assessments of playing quality 
versus traction (e.g. Baker, 1999) are based on 
ryegrass and other cool-season turfgrasses, 
which tend not to give traction readings above 
50-60Nm. Future research in this area must also include biomechanical studies, along with greater data on how such injuries might be affected by the angle of foot rotation up to this 
point. For example, Cochrane et al. (2007) 
showed that 17 of the 19 athletes injured in 
non-contact situations incurred ACL injury at 
extended knee angles of 30° or less.Our work in relation to thatch highlights the need for greater research rigour in determining field performance criteria and setting standards for playability and player safety. The development of the QDPI&F Automated 
Traction Tester (to enable more accurate and repeatable measurements of traction to be taken quickly and efficiently) also illustrates how improving the equipment available to researchers can also contribute to achieving 
more accurate and relevant benchmarking of 
natural turf playing surfaces.Further information on traction and other trials being undertaken by the Queensland 
Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries 
Turf Research Group can be found at www.dpi.
qd.gov.au/turf.REFERENCESBaker, S.W. (1999). The playing quality of 
turfgrass sports surfaces. In: D.E. Aldous (ed.), 
International Turf Management Handbook. 
Inkata Press, Melbourne. pp. 231-244.
Bell, M.J. and Holmes, G. (1988). The playing 
quality of association football pitches. Journal 
of the Sports Turf Research Institute 64:19-45.Chivers, I.H., Aldous, D.E., and Orchard, J.W. (2005). The relationship of Australian football 
grass surfaces to anterior cruciate ligament 
injury. International Turfgrass Society Research 
Journal 10:327-332
Cochrane, J.L., Lloyd, D.G., Buttfield, 
A, Seward, H. and McGivern, J. (2007). 
Characteristics of anterior cruciate ligament 
injuries in Australian football. Journal of Science 
and Medicine in Sport 10(2):96-104.Orchard, J.W. Chivers, I.H. Aldous, D.E. Bennell, K. and Seward, H. (2005). Rye grass 
is associated with fewer non-contact anterior 
cruciate ligament injuries than bermuda grass. 
British Journal of Sports Medicine 39:704-709.
Roche, M.B., Zeller, L.C., Loch, D.S. and 
Poulter R.E. (2007). Measuring the traction profile on sportsfields: equipment development and testing. Acta Horticulturae (in press)Date Traction profile Peak torsion Above-ground dry matter  (Nm) (g/m-2)April 26, 2007 + above-ground material 69.4 ND2 - above-ground material 71.5  Difference NS1 July 5, 2007 + above-ground material 74.5 450 - above-ground material 74.2  Difference NS1 A schematic of the various traction testing trials being undertakenTABLE 1. MAXIMUM TRACTION VALUES (NM) FOR BERMUDAGRASS WITH OR WITHOUT THE ABOVE-GROUND MATERIAL REMOVED1  NS (not significant P>0.05)   2  ND (not determined)46AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTnewsST ANDREWS BEACH MAINTENANCE WORKERS SACKEDMaintenance workers at one of Australia™s top private golf courses were given 
their marching orders in early October in a case which the Australian Workers Union 
(AWU) is likening to the dockyards dispute of 
the 1990s. Eleven maintenance staff, including the superintendent, at The Golf Club, St Andrews 
Beach on Victoria™s Mornington Peninsula, 
were sacked without notice in early October 
and the following day the course™s owners 
brought in staff from a subsidiary company to 
undertake routine maintenance of the course.The situation developed after superintendent John Geary and his staff downed tools on 20 
September refusing to undertake further work 
to the Gunnamatta Course until they were 
paid wages and superannuation entitlements 
owed to them by GC Operations Pty Ltd, a 
subsidiary company of course owners Golf 
Club Properties Ltd. In some cases workers hadn™t been paid for up to six weeks and no superannuation 
entitlements had been made for 2007. During 
this period employees had been seeking 
assurances with the owners for payment of these outstanding entitlements without 
success.Part payment of wages and salaries was forthcoming on 5 October, but workers refused 
to return to work until the remainder of monies 
owed were paid. That occurred on 8 October 
and maintenance staff agreed to return to 
work the following day on the proviso that their 
superannuation entitlements would be paid by 
the end of the week. No sooner had they resumed maintenance operations than company directors visited 
the maintenance facility on the afternoon of 
Tuesday 9 October informing them that GC 
Operations had ceased trading and that there 
was no longer work available.  The next day, 
staff from another of Golf Club Properties™ 
subsidiary companies were brought in to 
undertake routine maintenance operations at 
St Andrews Beach.fiWe had been running maintenance operations on a shoestring for a long time 
and the course was actually looking pretty 
good considering the limitations,fl says Geary, 
who was superintendent at St Andrews Beach 
since 2004. fiWe weren™t sacked for a lack of performance; rather we got the sack for 
standing up for ourselves and asking where 
our wages and entitlements were.fl After being contacted by St Andrews Beach staff in late September, the Australian Workers 
Union took GC Operations to the Industrial 
Relations Commission where the company™s 
lawyer admitted that more than $160,000 worth 
of wages and entitlements were outstanding.While workers were paid some of their outstanding wages, they were yet to receive 
their superannuation entitlements and did not 
receive full redundancy entitlements upon their 
termination.AWU state secretary Cesar Melhem said the union was also calling on the Australian 
Securities and Investment Commission to 
investigate whether the company™s directors 
had complied with their duties to prevent 
trading while insolvent.Geary and his fellow staff members organised two rallies outside the club in early 
October to highlight their plight and were 
heartened by the support they had received 
from their fellow turf management colleagues.fiIt™s unfortunate that it got to this stage and there are a few chapters still to be written 
yet,fl Geary said. fiI would like to make a 
special mention to all those from within the turf 
industry who called me wishing me and the 
staff all the best.fiIt™s great to know that we have their support and hopefully this will show that these 
company directors really need to be held 
responsible for their actions and that this sort 
of behaviour is unacceptable.flThe Tom Doak-designed St Andrews Beach is an exclusive members course on Victoria™s Mornington PeninsulaSacked St Andrews Beach workers held two rallies in October to highlight their plight to members48 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTNothing Runs Like A Deere www.deere.com.auMG-2653B - Golf Management News-7-2007- 4122-214212500B Greens Mower The new 2500B Triplex Riding Greens Mower contains a patented offset cutting design, which eliminates fitriplexfl 
ring. Added features for the 2500B include a Tier 3 
engine, improved air intake system and standard ROPS.2500E Hybrid Greens Mower The new 2500E Hybrid Triplex Mower uses an exclusive design that drives the cutting unit with electric reel motors instead of 
hydraulics. This not only reduces the risk of oil leaks, but also 
reduces noise levels and increases fuel ef˜ ciency.C-Series Greens Mowers Our 18-, 22-, and 26-inch C-Series Walk Behind Greens Mowers feature a reliable dual-chain drive system for years 
of continuous service.NEW MODELMaking Greens So Perfect Players Won™t Mind Three-Putting On Them. Greens are the proud focal point of your course.  That™s why we™ve put so many hours in over the years making sure that our equipment consistently delivers and unmatched quality of cut.  Attention to detail, craftsmanship and devotion set your greens apart - the same goes for our new line of greens mowers.NEW MODELNEW MODELFor more information on the new range of greens mowers visit your local John Deere dealer or free call 1800 800 981.Nothing Runs Like A Deere www.deere.com.auMG-2653B - Golf Management News-7-2007- 4122-214212500B Greens Mower The new 2500B Triplex Riding Greens Mower contains a patented offset cutting design, which eliminates fitriplexfl 
ring. Added features for the 2500B include a Tier 3 
engine, improved air intake system and standard ROPS.2500E Hybrid Greens Mower The new 2500E Hybrid Triplex Mower uses an exclusive design 
that drives the cutting unit with electric reel motors instead of 
hydraulics. This not only reduces the risk of oil leaks, but also 
reduces noise levels and increases fuel ef˜ ciency.C-Series Greens Mowers Our 18-, 22-, and 26-inch C-Series Walk Behind Greens 
Mowers feature a reliable dual-chain drive system for years 
of continuous service.NEW MODELMaking Greens So Perfect Players Won™t Mind Three-Putting On Them. Greens are the proud focal point of your course.  That™s why we™ve put so many hours in over the years making sure that our equipment consistently delivers and unmatched quality of cut.  Attention to detail, craftsmanship and devotion set your greens apart - the same goes for our new line of greens mowers.NEW MODELNEW MODELFor more information on the new range of greens mowers visit your local John Deere dealer or free call 1800 800 981.newsTroon Golf Australia has signed an agreement with Environmental Business 
Solutions to use its e-par environmental management software to minimise the impacts 
the company™s golf courses have on the 
environment.Troon will be among the first golf company in the world to take part in a comprehensive 
study on the level of carbon emitted by golf 
courses, which it hopes will be used as an 
environmental benchmark on a global level.Troon Golf Australia™s director of agronomy David Lunardelli said the long-term goal of 
the e-par initiative was to make Troon Golf-
managed courses across the world as carbon 
neutral as practically possible.fiOur aim is make Troon Golf courses as compatible with the envrionment as possible,fl 
Lunardelli says. fiWe are pleased to be a 
pioneer in this field and hopefully the results of 
our study will generate environmental benefits 
for golf courses across the world.fiTroon Golf is committed to addressing the issue of climate change through the 
implementation of programmes aimed at 
reducing and offsetting greenhouse gas 
emissions targeting reduction rather than large 
capital investment projects. fiEnergy efficiency is recognised as one of the most cost-effective elements in any greenhouse gas reduction strategy and we are 
investigating innovative energy conservation 
measures that will reduce energy consumption 
and offset our greenhouse gas emissions.fiOur ultimate goal is of sustainability, and we will continue best practice principles to 
reduce our energy demands.fl While the programme is still in its infancy, Lunardelli says Troon, which oversees 
operations at more than 190 courses in 29 
countries, has earmarked a number of initiatives 
as part of its bid to become carbon neutral. The 
first of these would be to include an energy 
management plan and waste management 
plan into each Troon Golf-managed facility™s 
e-par system.Lunardelli says that Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club in Queensland would be set 
up as a base model for all environmental and 
greenhouse gas initiatives, with the findings 
then used as a template for all Troon facilities 
worldwide.fiEarly energy audits estimate the average maintenance facility operation emits 600 
tonnes of greenhouse gas per year and of that 
figure 400 tonnes is attributed to electricity use, 
and 100 each to equipment and waste,fl says 
Lunardelli.fiOne study out of the US showed that the turf-only portion of an average golf club can remove 80 tonnes of carbon per year, and 
that™s not including all other plant life on a golf 
club. We will be conducting studies to quantify 
the carbon sequestered and demonstrate that 
our sites provide valuable carbon storage.fiIf we considered switching facilities to use green power this could potentially remove 
400 of the 600 tonnes of greenhouse gas 
emissions. fiIf we can prove to facility owners that the additional cost of switching to green power, 
which on average is two cents per kilowatt 
more than normal power, can be offset by 
energy saving initiatives, we would be well on 
the way to achieving carbon neutrality. fiIf we can save 600 tonnes of emissions across 190 clubs, this would amount to 114,000 
tonnes per year of greenhouse gas or the 
equivalent of taking 1692 cars off the road.flTo promote its environmental commitment, all Troon superintendents who attended this 
year™s 23rd Australian Turfgrass Conference 
and Trade Exhibition in Cairns were able to 
neutralise the CO2 emissions from their air travel. Carbon offsets were purchased from Origin Energy to demonstrate the trip was carbon 
neutral and together the 10 superintendents 
were able to offset about 12 tonnes of 
greenhouse gas.CARBON INITIATIVE HAS TROON COURSES TURNING GREENAs part of Troon Australia™s carbon initiative, Pacific Harbour Golf and Country Club on Bribie Island will be set up as a base model for all environmental and greenhouse gas initiatives50 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTDespite delays over winter, construction of the Pennant Hills Golf Club sewer 
mining plant is progressing and commissioning is expected to occur in late 
December/early January.Club general manager Stewart Fenton says Sydney™s wet winter put construction back 
seven weeks, but excellent spring weather had 
seen the project move ahead quickly.The project, the first of its kind undertaken by a golf club in Australia, will see Pennant 
Hills install a three-tank Zenon membrane 
bioreactor which will produce Class A+ quality 
water to stringent Queensland standards. Two storage tanks holding 2.44M of water for back-up supply are also being installed and 
the club™s current bore supply will be linked 
into the treatment plant to reduce salinity.   fiEleven of the top 12 largest recycled sewage treatment plants in the world use 
Zenon membrane bioreactors, so our plant is 
using leading edge technology,fl says Fenton. 
fiThe plant has a guaranteed output of 650kl 
per day which is limited only by available 
sewage in our main.fl Over the past few months Fenton has spoken at a number of conferences about 
the project, including key note addresses 
at the Sydney Water Conference and the 
GE-sponsored World Water Tour Conference 
in Melbourne in August.  Fenton will also 
be presenting to a gathering of Melbourne 
golf club general managers interested in 
investigating sewer mining in late November.While the project has generated widespread interest among the wider turf management 
industry, Fenton says he is concerned that 
some golf clubs looking at sewer mining as 
an option are making poor decisions without 
doing the necessary research.fiThere is a lot of interest in our project and we continue to assist many clubs looking into 
sewer mining,fl says Fenton. fiHowever, there 
are many ‚cowboys™ coming into the water 
industry trying to make a quick buck. fiHaving undertaken extensive research for this project, there are only a select few 
reputable organisations capable of producing 
consistent Class A quality water and a very 
small number who have plants running. fiMy advice is to fully research the available options as there are many different types 
of technology available but few with proven 
consistent results. You basically get what you 
pay for and some of the cheap plants can be 
prone to problems.fiIt™s important to find out what the company is prepared to offer in terms of quality 
guarantee and warranty. This will normally give 
you an indication of what you might expect 
from the plant.fl Fenton adds that clubs should make it a priority to seek help from those that have gone 
down the sewer mining avenue. fiIt™s important to go and have a look at working plants. If they do not have working 
plants supplying water for irrigation purposes, 
are you prepared to take the chance that the 
system can do what the salesman tells you 
when the quality of your course is at stake.fiThere are many ‚pro forma™ style documents available for sewer mining that 
have been developed in recent times, and with 
the work we have done here I am only too 
happy to assist.flPENNANT HILLS SEWER MINING PLANT NEARS COMPLETION51AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTColiseum HerbicideTHE NEW SOLUTION FOR WINTER GRASS CONTROLThe new herbicide Turf Culture Coliseum Herbicide is now available for selective post emergent control of Winter Grass (Poa annua) in turf.  Post Emergent Control ΠColiseum is absorbed through the roots and 
shoots, and provides excellent post-emergence weed control. Biotypes of Poa annua ΠColiseum is effective against both annual 
and perennial biotypes of winter grass. Overseeding/Soil Half Life 3 to 7 Days ΠColiseum allows over-seeding 
to occur 7-10 days after application. Excellent Turf Tolerance - Coliseum does not injure or retard spring 
green-up in couch. Tracking & Lateral Movement ΠTo reduce the potential for tracking or offsite movement, short irrigation cycles are recommended just 
one hour after application and again if dew is present the following 
morning. (The first irrigation cycle should be applied prior to foot or 
machinery traffic through treated areas)ACTIVE CONSTITUENT: 250 g/kg RIMSULFURONFor the control of Winter Grass (Poa annua) in CouchTurf Culture Pty LtdABN: 38 117 986 615PO Box 381Brighton, Vic, 3186Ph: 0413 587 682Fax: 03 9885 5973newsEagle Ridge Golf Course superintendent Scott Balloch and his crew are set for 
a hectic summer after the decision was made to undertake extensive surface 
conversion and irrigation works.The public access course, situated on Victoria™s Mornington Peninsula, will be closed 
from 13 November to accommodate the works, 
with the full 18 reopening on 22 February, 
2008. Nine holes are expected to be in play 
from 8 February.The enhancement programme began in late October with the main works involving 
changing all fairways across from cool-season 
grasses to Santa ana couch and all green 
surrounds to Creeping Red fescue. Upgrades and improvements will also be made to the course™s irrigation system to 
enable the use of recycled water, as well as 
to increase the efficiency of watering and 
maintenance.fiWith the heightened awareness surrounding sustainable environmental practices these changes will enable our 
reliance on groundwater to be reduced by over 
40 per cent, as well as providing a superior 
playing surface,fl says Balloch. fiCompleting the works in one season is a challenge, but my team and I are looking 
forward to itfl As well as the resurfacing works, Eagle Ridge also plans to bring more excitement to 
the course layout with new featured tees. The 
redesign process has begun in conjunction 
with designers and will involve works on some 
tees and associated cart paths as well as laser-
leveling all the tees.HOT SUMMER AHEAD FOR EAGLE RIDGE COURSE STAFF Eagle Ridge is set to convert all fairways across to Santa ana and greens surrounds to fescue over summer52 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTwww.agcsa.com.auFIND OUT ABOUT: Members
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 News Policies State Associations SupportersfiTHE TOPAMERICAN GOLF COURSESALWAYS REQUEST AUSTRALIANTRAINEEGREENKEEPERSflHAVE YOU:COMPLETED YOUR APPRENTISHIPIN TURF MANAGEMENT OREQUIVALENT ?                                              REQUIREMENTS:SINGLE,   AGED 19 TO 28.ABLE TO SPEND 1 YEAR IN THE USA.CLEAN DRIVING / DRUG RECORD. WORK ON ATOP100 GOLF COURSE IN THE USA!BE PART OF THE CREW FOR AUS PGATOUR EVENT !IMPROVE YOUR LONG TERM CAREER PROSPECTS !GAIN VALUABLE EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE FROM THE BESTSUPERINTENDENTS IN AMERICA!    FAST TRACK TO THE FUTURE !FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT:David Goldie, International Internship Advice, 19 Newbay Close, Barwon Heads, Victoria 3227Telephone: 03 5254 1381      E-mail: dngoldie@hotmail.comOR GO TO: www.top.osu.edu/aboutus/magazinesU S AU S AGUARANTEED TO GET YOU AHEADOF THE COMPETITION˜˚˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˛˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇˇ˝˘˝˚˝˝ˇ˚˝˝˝˚˚˘˛˘˝ˆ˝˚˘˝˙˛˘ˆ˘˚˝˚˘˝ˆ˘˚ˇ˛ˇˆ˝ˇˇˆ˝ˆ˝˘˚ˆˇ˝˚˘“‘ˆ˘˝˘˝˘ˆ˚˛˘˝˝˝˚˚˚ˇ˝ˆ˘˝ˆ˝ˇˆ’ˆ˘˘˝˘˝˝˜˚˛˛˝˙ˆˇ˛˛˛˛˛˛˘˛˛˛ˆ˛˜˛˛˛ˆ˛˜˚˛˛ˇ˘ˇ˘˛ˇ˘ˆˇˆ˚˜˚˛˝˙˚˛ˆ˝ˇ˘˚ˇ˚˘˝˚ˆ˝˘ˆ˝˚˘˝˚˛ˇˇ˛ˆˆ˘˚˙š˝€ˆ˘’˝˚•˚˛‡˚…—–˝ƒƒ˝⁄˝‹ƒƒ˝›−›‡˚‰˚ˆ˚‰„ˆˆ⁄†”˝„˚‰’˝€˚˝–˚˝€˝–‚˝⁄−−ƒ˜–›™−›⁄˜˚˛˝˙—fi−ƒ−flˇ˚˘˝˝˛˚˝ˇˆ˘˝˚˝˙ˆ˚˘˝˝˚˝˚˝˝˝˝˝ˆ˚˝ˇˇ˛˙˛˛ˇ˘˛ˇ˘˙˛˚ˇ˛ˇ˘˙˛˝˙ˆˇCANE-IT TEES OFFSouthport Golf Club superintendent Stuart Moore is hailing the new Cane-It golf tee as 
the tee the golf maintenance industry has been 
waiting for. The Queensland-based course is 
currently trialling the environmentally-friendly 
tee, made from plantation-grown bamboo 
cane, and Moore says it is providing a perfect 
solution to an age old problem.Tees, traditionally made of plantation timber, have been dominated in recent times 
by non-biodegradable plastics and some 
tee manufacturers are now adding steel 
components to their mix which is a nightmare 
prospect for golf course superintendents due 
to the damage they can cause to maintenance 
machinery. Plastic tees can also find their 
way into water courses and marine parks as 
well as produce tonnes of non-biodegradable, 
unsightly litter on courses. fiThe simple golf tee creates many problems for maintenance staff and a commonsense 
alternative is now available,fl says Moore, 
winner of the 2007 AGCSA Claude Crockford 
Environmental Award.fiMy crew and I have been testing Cane-It tees over the past few months and the results 
have been positively outstanding. The tee 
does what it is supposed to do. When broken, 
and mowed over, the tee shreds into grass-like 
fibres without damaging our mower blades. 
The fibres then disappear into the landscape ridding the tee areas of unsightly pollution. fiThe tees have been impregnated with an organic formula consisting of minerals, 
nutrients and trace elements which will assist 
with soil rejuvenation by way of mulch without 
compromising turf management programmes 
in place.flCane-It tees are starting to win over clubs in Australia and around the world and just 
recently Royal Pines Resort in Queensland 
replaced its total stock of 60,000 tees with 
Cane-It tees.For more information about Cane-It tees phone (07) 5437 6900.        GARDNER FAREWELLS TOROToro™s Commercial division has bid farewell to tireless 
marketing co-ordinator 
Jade Gardner. Gardner, 
who joined Toro five 
years ago as part-time 
office administrator and 
part-time marketing 
coordinator, departed Toro in early October 
to join Zodiac as marketing communications 
manager.Gardner was responsible for a wide range of Toro marketing successes during her tenure 
and was one of the key figures behind the 
company™s highly successful 22nd Australian Turfgrass Conference Trade Exhibition turf show in Brisbane. In announcing Gardner™s departure, Toro Commercial manager Cameron Russell 
commented: fiPersonally Jade helped me with 
the marketing in a way that gave me complete 
confidence in her ability to manage each and 
every part of the marketing function of the 
business and made sure we came in under 
budget. All at Toro will miss her and we wish 
her all the very best for the future, which I know 
will be a bright one.flCROPSOL APPOINTS NEW BDMPaul Hudson has been appointed the new 
business development manager for Cropsol 
Water and Environmental, a sister business 
to Cropsol Soil and Irrigation Management. 
Hudson takes over from Marvin Tapia who will 
continue to remain in a consultancy role.FAIRY RING MANAGEMENTChemtura Australia is now selling and 
distributing Moncut, a new generation 
fungicide that provides an effective tool in the 
management of fairy ring (Basidiomycetes 
spp) on golf greens.Fairy Ring is a complex disease of turf and symptoms include rings or arcs of dark green 
grass, dead grass, depressions in the turf 
(thatch collapse) and mushrooms, in isolation 
or combination.  Soil associated with the 
rings may become hydrophobic, resulting in 
moisture stress.  Independent trials in Australia from 2006/07 have shown that Moncut delivers a significant 
reduction in both the incidence and severity of 
fairy ring. Together with a wetting agent, Moncut 
has also been associated with a reduction in 
the incidence of dry patch following a hot, dry 
period, and an improvement in turf quality.Moncut contains flutolanil in an easy-to-use suspension concentrate formulation.  Flutolanil is a systemic (group G) fungicide with both curative and protective properties.  
It is primarily active against Basidiomycete pathogens, and shows high activity against 
Rhizoctonia solani.Users of Moncut in Australia have reported reductions in thatch die-back, easing of 
thatch collapse, better water penetration and 
lessening of dark green grass colour in two to 
three weeks after application.For further information and supply, contact Jenny Haupt on 0427 013 665.around the trade SUSTAIN GREENS OVER SUMMERMATCHplay has launched two new water 
saving products on to the Australian market 
ahead of summer ΠSUSTAINgold and 
AQUAturf FORTE.When SUSTAINgold is washed into roots, soil will hold more water, and to make 
sure it is delivered effectively and evenly, 
MATCHplay has combined it with wetting 
agent in a product called AQUAturf FORTE. By increasing the efficiency of wetting around every soil 
particle, SUSTAINgold and 
AQUAturf FORTE slow 
the drying process which 
means more time before 
the need to irrigate again 
(independent laboratory 
tests show 40 per cent 
more time).  That also means a more stable 
rootzone environment 
with fewer extremes from 
dryness, so roots and soil microbes remain healthier. The choice between SUSTAINgold and AQUAturf FORTE depends on a facility™s 
situation and soil.  Both products are 
available in liquid form, for spray application 
or irrigation injection.  AQUAturf FORTE is 
also available as a granule for the ease of 
a dry application.  Being completely non 
toxic and safe to plants, this is safe to leave for the next rain or irrigation to wash it in. For more details, or to find your local distributor 
of MATCHPlay products, call Rob Cooper from 
Living Turf on 0407 
100 202 or visit www.
livingturf.com.auMATCHplay has launched two new water saving products Œ SUSTAINgold and AQUAturf FORTEJade GardnerAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT54The Australian Golf Course Superintendents™ Association (AGCSA), 
in conjunction with the Australian Golf Industry Council (AGIC), recently conducted 
research into how the current drought and 
subsequent water restrictions have impacted 
Australian golf courses. The results of the survey indicated that the industry is under severe strain from the 
drought, threatening the economic growth of 
the sport and jobs of the 23,000 people directly 
employed in the industry. The study also reported golf courses affected are currently pursuing a number of short-term practices to 
minimise water use.Alarmingly, the survey also found that only 40 per cent of golf courses in Australia had 
a formal water management plan in place. 
In light of such findings the AGCSA has 
recognised that for the long-term security of 
the industry, all golf clubs should complete 
a water management plan. Such a process would provide a comprehensive audit of water management practices at the club and explore 
alternate solutions for drought proofing the 
course. To drive this, the AGCSA is in the process of establishing a Water Management Initiative 
which will be made up of an online and interactive water management portal and 
expert support network. The central purpose of the portal is an online water management plan template for 
turf managers that not only assesses current 
practices but offers up water saving options 
in the form of products and services for turf 
managers to become aware of products 
and their water saving effectiveness in turf 
applications.The water management portal will also offer advice on:   How to apply for water grants; Contact details of water consultants; Reports of successful water management 
plans and the resultant changes made; New technology updates;Updated information on current water 
restriction levels for the turf industry across 
each state;Updates of research into drought tolerant 
turf species; How to prepare for change to alternative 
water sources such as stormwater 
harvesting, treated effluent and sewer 
mining for the turf industry etc–;Action planning and cost recovery 
budgeting for the installation/purchase of 
water saving infrastructure.The initiative also aims to conduct training seminars to upskill or refresh the irrigation 
knowledge of turf managers.GOVERNMENT GRANTSAs part of the new water management 
initiative, the AGCSA will also seek support 
through the various rounds of water grants schemes available from both Federal and State Government.The AGCSA will utilise NSW-based water consultancy company Water Conservation Group (WGC) and as a test case will put in 
an application to receive a grant from round 
five of the Victorian Government™s Smart Water 
Fund. WGC was successful in applying for grants totalling $1.045million on behalf of the Aged Care Association of Australia in rounds two and three of the NSW Government™s Water 
Savings Fund in 2006. The first of those projects, which received $545,000, was a water and energy savings 
programme across 10 residential aged care 
facility laundries which aimed to save 70 
million litres of water a year. The second 
project also focused on water and energy savings in a programme that would install rainwater tanks, dual-flush toilets and water-
efficient showerheads at 50 participating aged 
care facilities.  Together the two projects aimed 
to save 120 million litres of drinking water a 
year.The Victorian Government™s Smart Water Fund has handed out about $20 million to over 
120 individuals, community groups, businesses 
and industry that are delivering innovative sustainable water use projects benefiting metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria. 
One such project funded is the Victorian 
Golf Association™s evaluation of saline-tolerant water managementContinuing its drive to improve best management practices across the golf course maintenance industry, the AGCSA is set to launch a new water management initiative. ATM looks at how the initiative will work and how it will ultimately benefit golf courses Australia wide. BY BRETT ROBINSONCentral to the initiative is an online template which turf managers can use to assess current water management practicesAGCSA launches  water management initiativeAGCSA launches  water management initiative56AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTgrasses and reclaimed water for golf course irrigation. Round five presents a further amount 
of up to $5 million available.If the AGCSA is successful in its Smart Water Fund application, it will potentially be 
able to provide hundreds of thousands of 
dollars to golf clubs in Victoria to pay for 
infrastructure improvements at clubs which have been identified through the initiative™s 
online water management plan portal.After reviewing this test case and depending on its success, the AGCSA would then open the opportunities up to other water consultants to provide a similar service in further rounds of funding.AGCSA joint general manager Scott Petersen says that if this test case proves 
successful not only will the association be able 
to provide golf clubs with a central location for all necessary water information, they will also be able to access funds to help them deliver substantial water management savings at club level. The AGCSA will work closely 
with the state superintendent associations to 
implement the project. For further information about the AGCSA™s water management initiative, 
contact Scott Petersen on (03) 9548 8600 or 
email scott@agcsa.com.auThe AGCSA is in the process of establishing a Water Management Initiative which will be made up of an online and interactive water management portal and support networkFEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMMUNITY WATER GRANTSEarlier this year the Federal Government announced a further $5 million in funding for 167 projects under Round 2 of its Community Water Grants scheme. A number of turf organisations were successful. They included:NSWGerringong Bowling and Rec Club - 
$37,173
Petersham Bowling Club - $42,870
Jerilderie Golf Club - $43,533QLDAFL Queensland - $42, 709
Pine Rivers Golf Club - $39,984VICValley View Golf Club - $45,436
Ballarat Bowling Club - $27,370
Bendigo Golf Club - $43,182Round three grant applications will be announced in November/December. AGCSA launches  water management initiativeAGCSA launches 
 water management initiative57AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTBayer Environmental Science 391Œ393 Tooronga Road  East Hawthorn, Vic. 3123. Ph. (03) 9248 6888   www.bayercropscience.com.au   ABN 87 000 226 022Chipco Rovral GT controls Dollar Spot and a range of other turf diseases within 24 hours Œ and in most cases keeps 
working for 14 days. Mixed with Chipco Signature,  
Chipco Rovral GT will also beat the stress of Summer 
Decline. So for performance that outstrips other turf fungi-cides, insist on Chipco Rovral GT. RESTORE YOUR TURF™S PERFECT FINISH IN RECORD TIMERovral® and Chipco® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. Bayer Environmental Science is a business group of Bayer Cropscience Pty Ltd. Available fromWhen Edwin Budding first patented the reel mower back at the turn of the 19th 
Century, he could not have envisaged the technology being developed for the golf 
course industry today. With evolution in technology comes increased productivity and efficiency, but also a 
great deal of adjustment. Just as the thought of 
having a vehicle lift in a golf course workshop, 
or a full-time equipment tech for that matter, 
was once considered a luxury, both are now 
quite commonplace. As advances are made in hybrid and battery technology, so too must the technician 
be able to adapt. Dedicated electric and ‚hybrid™ 
greens mowers are already upon us, with the 
tangible benefits being diminished operating 
noise, elimination of potential hydraulic spills 
and reduced pollution emissions.The systems used to operate these machines are sophisticated and are obviously 
very different to petrol or diesel fuelled 
machines. Specialised repair equipment and 
training is needed to repair this equipment.Battery powered turf equipment is a sensible alternative to fuel-burning machines, 
however, because of the weight and charge 
time involved with lead acid type batteries this 
technology has not been fully embraced as yet. Ni metal and Ni Cad batteries are being 
researched, which may be the solution.Advancements in battery technology are gaining momentum with the development of 
a newly structured material by researchers at 
MIT and the State University of New York. This 
material could reduce the weight of battery 
packs by four to five times. Other benefits 
include lower costs and faster charging times 
which would make it attractive to our industry. 
Extensive testing is still required and its use 
could be a while off, but it looks promising.As well as battery powered turf equipment, GPS navigated, laser guided systems and 
programmable memory robotic machines are 
also being developed. Mowers with inbuilt soil 
moisture sensors are also being researched in 
an effort to efficiently utilise water resources. 
Information is uploaded into a central irrigation 
computer allowing dry areas to be remedied.KEEPING UP TO SPEEDWith all this technology being developed, it 
raises another topic - education. Unlike our US 
colleagues, no formal training colleges exist for 
golf course equipment technicians in Australia. 
Most current technicians started their careers 
elsewhere and have acquired their golf course 
skills on the job, with very few apprentices 
having been trained in the industry. This means equipment techs must acquire knowledge wherever possible and 
the computer is the perfect means to achieve 
this. It is important for technicians to be made 
aware of up-to-date advancements. No longer 
are they required to just turn spanners, but 
must also be proficient in front of a keyboard.Computers are becoming more commonplace in golf course workshops 
around the country, and the advantages 
are numerous. Machinery parts manuals, 
workshop manuals, service bulletins and 
machine specifications are currently available 
on equipment manufacturers™ websites, as well 
as online ordering of parts.turf techniciansWelcome to the first instalment of ATM™s new dedicated turf technicians section. Over the course of future editions this section will deliver regular turf technician features and to kick things off, VTETA vice-president Luke Spartalis looks at how the role of an equipment tech has transformed in line with new technology. BY LUKE SPARTALISWith evolution in technology comes increased productivity and efficiency, but also a great deal of adjustmentMoving with the timesMoving with the timesAs advances are made in machinery technology so too must the technician be able to adaptAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT58Workshop environmental responsibilities are also part of the equipment technician™s role and can be aided with the use of various 
management tools available online. The above mentioned points, combined with the fact that catalogues and crossover 
charts are also available through the use of 
your PC, makes you wonder how you did 
without one. Gone are the days of scribbling 
service dates and hour meter readings on a 
greasy wall chart, or rifling through a cabinet 
full of service and parts manuals only to find 
the manual you™re looking for isn™t there. 
Records can be easily amended with the click 
of a mouse.Several fleet management programmes are available to enable accurate records to be 
kept and accessed, and are a must for any 
workshop.Education is also accessible through many other avenues. First, there are several 
dedicated golf course equipment technician 
forums available, with www.vteta.info and www.
golftechs.net just two examples.These forums are useful tools if a tech with a particular machinery problem or query 
needs to bounce an idea around, just post a 
question, and receive information and answers from fellow techs around the world. This is 
particularly useful when purchasing new 
equipment.Second, web cast training is also available. Although in-house and online training 
is obviously available to the equipment 
distributors, until only recently this has not 
been available to golf course technicians. With the inception of the International Golf Course Equipment Managers Association this 
is now available via a web cast system, and 
through the use of the associated forums. For those not familiar with the concept of web casts, a particular topic is hosted from 
anywhere in the world by usually a factory 
technician or engineer, live. Slides or video 
is viewed while you are participating. The 
main advantage is the ability to ask direct 
questions and receive an immediate answer. 
The IGCEMA website is www.igcema.org.As with the wider golf industry, the turf technicians industry is continually evolving, 
and it certainly makes good sense to be 
prepared. TETA COMMITTEES ELECTEDBoth the NSW and Victorian turf technicians 
associations held their AGMs recently with 
new committees elected for the coming year. 
The respective committees are:NSWTETAPresident: Nathan Healy (Penrith GC); Vice-
president: Todd Murphy (Castle Hill CC); Treasurer: Rob Rudel; Secretary: Mark 
Peatman (Ryde-Parramatta GC); Marketing: Sam Olah (Sam™s Mobile Service); 
Newsletter: Albert Jones (Silvan Australia).VTETA
President: Tony Hopcraft (Flinders GC); 
Vice-president: Luke Spartalis (Royal 
Melbourne GC); Treasurer: John Phelan 
(Woodlands GC); Secretary: Greg Stringer (The Heritage GCC). Want to join?If you would like to join either the NSW or 
Victorian TETA, contact:
NSWTETA: Sam Olah 0418 296 111 or email 
s-m-s@bigpond.com
VTETA: John Phelan john@vteta.info59AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTfuelprotectionadvancedsystemsfor our futureAUSTRALIA PTY. LTD.THE LEADERS IN ABOVE GROUND FUEL STORAGEIs your fuel storage facility up to par?Keeping your course in its best condition takes a bit of    planning, time and energy, which is why a Convault above 
       ground fuel storage tank is the perfect choice when it 
           comes to the problem of fuel storage.Our association with the golfing industry over the past 17 years has seen our tanks installed at some of Australia™s premier courses in a 
variety of sizes and finishes.  So to keep your course on par for the 
future install a Convault today.Telephone: (03) 5331 5716    www.convault.com.austate reportsTGAA WAIt™s that time of the year when renovations are in full swing and I hope that the weather 
has been kind to everyone and renovations have gone well.  The past couple of months have seen two successful GCSAQ education days.  In 
September at The Glades Golf and Spa, 
Hydro Pumping and Controls, Florentine and 
Industrial Mowers were our sponsors for the 
day.  David Hanby started the day with an open 
forum on irrigation system maintenance and 
troubleshooting with the main focus being foot 
valve maintenance and submersible pumps.  This was followed by Paul Dugmore who gave a run down on the Florentine range of 
fertilisers and the benefits of foliar feeding.  Special guest Tom Parker from the Sydney 
Cricket Ground then entertained the gathering 
with a run down on the preparation of the 
wicket for last year™s Ashes Test.  The October field day was held at Indooroopilly Golf Club which gave the 50 
members who turned up a chance to see the 
extensive capital works being undertaken by 
the club on course.  The day was sponsored 
by Ray Dufty (Tru-Turf Equipment).  Ray was on hand to give a brief outline on his company and to demonstrate the new 
Sandevil sand spreader and blower which 
left all in attendance very impressed and with lots of questions.  He also showed the latest 
electric greens roller.The day also contained presentations from Andrew Hardy of Innov8 Safety-Pro OH&S management systems and Terry Muir 
from e-par which reinforced on us all getting 
this part of our workplace in order.On behalf of all the members of GCSAQ I would like to thank all of our sponsors who 
have backed us over the past year. Hopefully 
these partnerships will continue for years to 
come. All members should get behind these 
sponsors whenever they can.On the staffing front there has been quite a bit of movement within the industry in recent 
times. Paul McLean, formerly of Simplot, has 
taken over as superintendent at Royal Pines, 
while Ben Marshall has moved north from Pelican 
Waters to Laguna Quays. Marcus Hartup has left Pacific Harbour for Dubai and Geoff Bennell has returned to Queensland from New South 
Wales to take over as superintendent at Pacific 
Harbour.  Darren Moore of Lakelands is now in China and Phil Soegaard has moved up from 
2IC to superintendent, while Paul Bevan has 
replaced Paul McLean at Simplot. Good luck to all of you in your new ventures.ROD COOKPRESIDENT, GCSAQGCSAQNZGCSAWith the start of the irrigation season in 
October, water conservation is back 
in the spotlight in WA. The State Government has introduced a range of new 
water efficiency measures aimed at reducing 
groundwater usage in the Perth region. To help inform the turf industry of the latest developments, our association organised a 
Water Forum at the WACA in early October, 
presented by Leon English from the Department 
of Water and TAFE.The forum provided an excellent opportunity to ask questions and raise issues 
with the Department of Water related to the 
use of groundwater for irrigating broad area 
turf.  The water efficiency measures include a 
daytime watering ban, installing flow meters on 
bores, and preparing water efficiency plans.The labour shortage in WA continues to have a serious impact on the turf industry. We 
are constantly losing skilled workers to other 
industries and there is no let up in sight. A worrying sign is the lack of turf apprentices and 
the decline in demand for training. It is a very 
difficult issue to address and I am concerned 
that it will lead to a long-term drop in the 
standards of turf management.On a more positive note, the annual WACA turf wicket seminar held in early September 
was an outstanding success. WACA curator 
Cameron Sutherland hosted over 70 curators 
and there was a great deal of interest in the 
partial reconstruction of the wicket block using 
the traditional WACA clay, designed to bring 
back the pace and bounce in the pitch.The UWA kikuyu research project has wound up and a new study into the 
management of hydrophobic soils has just 
started.  Our association is very supportive of 
the ongoing work at UWA and will continue as 
a financial contributor for this project. PETER RUSCOEPRESIDENT, TGAA WAThe next TGCSA meeting will held in 
Hobart on Tuesday 27 November. It is a 
long time since we have had a meeting in the south of the state and the theme for the 
day will be irrigation. The day will start at Royal Hobart Golf Club with a presentation on the new irrigation 
system and a course walk followed by a BBQ 
lunch at Tasmania Golf Club. That will be 
followed by a presentation from Pete Rand on 
the Clarence recycled water scheme before 
Tasmania superintendent Dan Gilligan shows 
us the new dam that has been constructed 
for holding recycled water for the course. 
Christmas drinks will finish the day off.Invitations will be sent out closer to the event, so please put this date in your diary. To 
book please contact Stu Matthewson on 0417 
557 488 or myself on 0419 206 402.The new board of the TGCSA for the coming year is: President: Stephen Lewis 
(Royal Hobart Golf Club); Vice-president: Peter Medwin (Riverside Golf Club); Secretary: Stu Matthewson (Devonport Golf  Club); 
Treasurer: Barrie Brtevnik (Rosny Park Golf Club); Committee: Phil Hill (Barnbougle Dunes), Kane McDonald (Port Sorrell Golf 
Club), Dan Gilligan (Tasmania Golf Club) and 
Doug Ollington (Tas Turf Solutions).Melbourne will host the 2008 24th Australian Turfgrass Conference from 21-25 July. Now is 
the time to be putting your proposal to your 
board if you wish to attend. It™s a great learning 
experience and a great chance to keep up with 
the latest trends. STEPHEN LEWISPRESIDENT, TGCSATGCSANew TGCSA president Stephen Lewis (Royal Hobart Golf Club)AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT60It is with great pleasure as the new president of the NZGCSA that I get the opportunity to 
continue our association™s participation in Australian Turfgrass Management magazine.With a very successful conference behind us it disappoints me that no directive has 
been given from the governance board into 
the hosting and staging of the 2009 Turf 
Conference. Planning and organisation of these 
events will consume a lot of time of the relevant 
turf sectors to ensure programmes, speakers 
etc can be best utilised for greatest member 
benefit and surely succession planning should 
be a priority to help this process run as 
smoothly as possible.The NZGCSA is not only indebted to the six years that Brett Burgess served as national 
president but also the previous years as an 
executive member also, and the continuity and 
stability that he brought to our association has 
seen us move ahead to a position today where 
we are now starting to ask ourselves fihow do 
we take the next stepfl and continue to move 
forward. Congratulations to Garth Williams from The Grange Golf Club in Auckland and welcome 
back to Grant Wilson from Taupo Golf Club as 
the newest elected members of the NZGCSA 
executive. Both of these gentlemen bring vast 
amounts of knowledge to our association, 
Grant having previously been involved heavily 
and holding the office as president.At the recently held AGM, members of the NZGCSA inducted Nigel Lloyd and John 
Humphries as life members of the association. 
These two gentleman are real icons of the 
golf industry and I™m sure they won™t mind 
me saying their passion and longevity in the 
industry is a source of inspiration to all of those 
they have come into contact with. They have been very instrumental in our national association over a couple of decades 
as well as the various local regions they have 
worked in. Both are still as passionate as ever 
about our industry and are still very active 
today at there respective golf clubs and it 
was great to see them recognised with this 
honour.2008 will again see a North and South Island turf conference take place during the 
year as it is our major conference year off. This 
gives the local regions the opportunity to run 
these events which are becoming more and 
more popular every year.With a good solid membership and some ideas on where we should be heading as an 
association, I believe there are some exciting 
times ahead for the NZGCSA.PETER BOYDPRESIDENT, NZGCSANZGCSANew NZGCSA president Peter Boyd (Pakuranga Country Club)AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT61The ˜ agship RS48-11C Roll ‚n™ Spike Golf Greens Roller by Tru-Turf is the culmination of 60 years design and development in the art of turf rolling. 
Our triple offset smoothing  con˚ guration allows this engineered product to 
smooth the turf by skilful design, not by weight.The RS48-11C is designed to roll your greens in any direction without line creasing. With a rolling swath of 1200mm (48fl), a split smoothing head, ˚ nger-light steering, and the patented triple offset smoothing rollers, it is 
the only roller that produces the quality of surface ˚ nished desired, without compacting the green.The RS48-11C Packed with features, not weightThe only roller in the world to have the patented triple offset smoothing roller con˚ guration·   Spikers - 11 x 8 points up to a depth of 30mm. ·   Oil Capacity Œ 6qt capacity with 
oil ˜ lter system.·  Roll only or Roll & Spike.
·   Split, Dual contour-hugging 
smoothing heads.·  Low centre of gravity.
·  Dual drive chain.
·  Powder coated.
·  Light weight.
·  Built in trailer.t. 07 5594 7199 f. 07 5571 5493  e. sales@truturf.com     w. www.truturf.comstate reportsIt is with pride that I pen this first report as the newly elected president of the GCSAWA. 
On behalf of the committee and members I would like to thank Brad Sofield (Gosnells 
Golf Club), who stepped down as president of 
our fine association at the recent AGM, for his 
efforts, commitment and dedication over the 
last four years. Brad made significant contributions in developing some important issues within our 
industry, such as trying to educate boards 
and clubs through the secretary managers 
association to encourage and support the 
rationalisation of wage structures through all 
levels of ground staff employees. He was also 
instrumental in the development and initiation 
of the Environmental Waste Audit for Golf 
Clubs. Brad always fulfilled his position with 
gusto and a unique passion and will be missed 
by all on the executive committee. I would like to welcome Brad Anderson from Sun City Country Club as the GCSWA 
golf secretary and wish him the best in his new 
role and look forward to working alongside 
him on the board. I also look forward to 
the continued support of the dedicated state 
executive committee who share the workloads 
without fuss, making my job much easier, 
as well as all members and trade in Western 
Australia. Please feel free to contact myself or any other committee person with any issues 
regarding the industry and association in WA, 
and Allan Devlin if you have any AGCSA 
issues. We are fortunate to have Allan on the 
national board representing our views and 
concerns. There are many superintendents concerned within Western Australia that good staff and 
staff in general are very hard to find with many 
clubs down significantly on numbers placing 
undue pressure on the remaining ground staff. 
Some clubs are operating at 50-70 per cent 
of their normal staffing levels with apprentices 
almost impossible to employ. This issue needs to be raised at all levels and I ask all superintendents to provide 
feedback to me via email at dwilson@
cambridge.wa.gov.au so we can estimate the 
full extent of the staffing shortage. As we head into a busy summer, I would like to wish Dion Warr and his team all the best 
at The Vines in preparations for Australia™s 
biggest female golf event this year, the Lexus 
Cup, in early December which will host most 
of the world™s best ladies golfers, including Annika Sorenstam.The winter rains seem to be fading away with better figures than last year. At the time of 
writing we have had over 600mm so far with 
the dams over 40 per cent capacity and the 
Wellington dam near Collie overflowing! I expect it™s time to get ready for turning on the irrigation systems that haven™t been 
used since early June except for maintenance 
reasons and welcome some spring weather to 
start warming us up, therefore making our time 
just that little bit busier.The Golf Masters Cup has finished for another year, with the final round held at 
Joondalup Resort on 30 October. At the time of 
writing Peter Flemming was leading the pack 
heading into Joondalup with Brad Anderson 
close behind. We also had members of the 
AGCSA team visit in late October for the Spring 
Series Workshops at Wembley Golf Complex. 
If you missed out on this a CD of the workshop 
will be made available from the AGCSA. Other events to put in the diary include the GCSAWA Christmas party which, by popular 
demand, will be held again at Rosemount 
Bowls on 7 December. On a closing note, I look forward to representing everyone within the GCSAWA and 
hope I can achieve some of the association™s 
goals in the coming year.DARREN WILSONPRESIDENT, GCSAWAGCSAWAWe often recognise the efforts of 
superintendents and individuals 
throughout the industry and rightly so.  These folks, after all, are fundamental 
to our cause.  I thought that we should also 
recognise the role of our sponsors as they 
have in no small way allowed our association 
to consolidate in recent years. With their support we have been able to put several initiatives in place such as the hiring 
of a bookkeeper to relieve SAGCSA board 
members of some administrative processes. 
This will in turn create opportunities for board 
members to concentrate on more pressing 
issues, such as water initiatives and state 
representation.  Our sponsorship partners 
have been loyal and shown genuine interest 
in association matters. I hope that we can 
maintain this relationship for many years to 
come.Other initiatives have included the recent water management survey, which was released 
in September.  I would like to acknowledge the 
support that we received from Daryl Sellar 
and the team at the AGCSA who helped to 
produce the survey in a web-based format that 
hopefully wasn™t too scary for the end user.  Thank you to those who took the time to complete the survey.  The information gathered 
will be used to generate discussion on how 
SAGCSA best represents the industry and will 
be a useful resource for water management 
strategies in the near future.I would like to wish local supers all the best as we push towards the summer months.  
It appears that we are in for another tough 
summer with spring thus far producing little to 
no useful rainfall. I know of several courses on the River Murray that are in for a really tough year due 
to small water allocations and/or extremely 
poor water quality. There have been some 
pretty amazing stories of survival over the past 
twelve months. Our next SAGCSA meeting is scheduled for mid to late November at South Lakes Golf 
Club, which is dealing with a water crisis. The 
river water is now so salty that it can no longer 
be used to irrigate the course.  I ask that all 
members show their support of South Lakes 
superintendent Leith Fletcher and his team by 
making the journey to Goolwa.  I look forward 
to seeing you there.ANDREW BLACKER PRESIDENT, SAGCSASAGCSANew GCSAWA president Darren Wilson (Wembley Golf Complex)AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT62Winter brought with it good rainfall, but unfortunately that didn™t last into 
the early part of spring with August being one of our driest on record. Hopefully 
some late spring rains will have fallen by the 
time you read this in order to relieve summer 
restrictions. In the last couple of months, there has been some movement within the industry in 
Victoria. Congratulations to Leigh Yanner who 
has moved on from Moonah Links to become 
course manager at The National Golf Club. 
Kyle Wilson has moved from The National, 
Ocean Course to take over Leigh™s old job at 
Moonah Links. Gary Smith from Huntingdale 
Golf Club has also moved on and is now the 
course superintendent at Chalambar Golf Cub. 
Good luck to all.The VGCSA recently held its Bayer Environmental Science Golf Day on 11 October 
at Kingston Heath. All money raised from the 
event will be going towards the production 
of an OH&S DVD specifically directed at the 
maintenance side of the golf course. Kingston Heath was presented in awesome condition which is a real credit to superintendent 
Martin Greenwood and his staff. Many thanks also to general manager Paul Rak who is a 
great supporter of the VGCSA. The day was 
very well organised by all staff from catering 
through to groundstaff and on behalf of the 
VGCSA I would like to thank you for a great 
day.I would also like to thank Craig Wood from Bayer Environmental Science for his input. 
Without Bayer we would not be able offer the 
winner a $2000 cheque to use on any turf 
registered conference. This year™s winner was 
Michael Vozzo from Eastwood Golf Club with 
38 points.With that day behind us, we now have just the one meeting remaining for the year Πthe 
VGCSA Christmas function at Huntingdale 
Golf Club on Saturday 8 December. Enjoy 
the fine dining, light entertainment and a fond 
farewell to the end of the year with your peers 
and partners. If you would like to attend then 
please call me on 0419 804 135.The VGCSA newsletter has come a long way over the past year. We have a fresh new 
look with different sections and articles and the 
ever-popular regional reports. The committee 
has decided that the regional reports should 
not be left to a few dedicated individuals. From now on the regional reports will be left to you. If you are one of the many that get 
the newsletter and turn straight to the back 
pages to read the regional reports then you 
should provide a piece about your club. It only 
takes a few minutes of your time to write about 
the going ons at your club. Before each newsletter an email will be sent to all superintendents reminding them of the 
deadlines. The regional reports can become 
an exceptional section of the newsletter but 
will only improve and grow with the help of the 
members of the association. Please make sure 
your details are correct so all correspondence 
will reach you.MICHAEL FREEMANPRESIDENT, VGCSAVGCSAAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT6324th Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade ShowMelbourne Conference Centre - 23-24 July 2008ON SALE NOWCall or email now for a copy of the trade exhibition brochure.For more information or to book your position contact Scott Petersen or 
Melissa Wallace on 03 9548 8600 or 
melissa@agcsa.com.au or 
scott@agcsa.com.au.Exclusive sales window for 2007 
trade exhibitors until Wednesday 21st November then open to whole industry 
to book your space at the Southern 
Hemisphere™s largest turf 
trade exhibition.state reportsHere in Victoria water is still a major issue, with most of the state still facing severe 
restrictions for the coming season, although flooding rains in parts of Gippsland 
eased their restrictions for the time being.On 8 August we held our AGM/Seminar Day at Malvern RSL where even though the 
turnout wasn™t as many as we would have 
liked, the information presented to those 
present was very valuable. Phil Ford from NMIT, Alan Mathers and Dave Gudgeon from Highton BC conducted a 
presentation on the project at Highton and the 
use of the California method in the new greens construction. Those present were intrigued by 
the idea and the courage of the club to follow 
through with it. We all wait to see how a full 
season of bowls and summer weather impact 
on the performance of the green. Des Horton from City West Water also spoke about the water shortages we are all facing, as 
well as showing charts of Melbourne™s usage 
over the past decade. Stage 4 doesn™t look 
very far away.The Distinguished Services Award for 2007 (sponsored by Henselite) was presented to 
Peter Barron, whose services to the industry 
over the years have been exceptional. Peter, who was also awarded the Australian Sports 
Medal in 2000 for services to Lawn Bowls, was 
VGA president from 1999-2002. During his 
term the following was achieved:   Millennium Conference ΠMelbourne;State Government Grant $100,000 over 
three years, which enabled the VGA to 
begin research and implement awards 
(Distinguished Service Award, VGA 
Greenkeeper of the Year);VGA was also set up with a computer, 
digital camera and video camera.The 2007 VGA Greenkeeper of the Year was down to six finalists ΠShane Harling, Dave 
Gudgeon, Dyson Appleyard, Barry Armstrong, 
Michael DeMattia and Nick Schofield.The winner was Shane Harling from Kangaroo Flat BC in Bendigo. This is a fantastic 
effort from Shane who was not only able 
to produce fantastic greens during a severe 
drought, but also gained deserved recognition 
for his services to the industry over the past 
couple of years.We can only hope now that we get some very heavy spring rains to help us through 
what is going to be a very difficult season 
again. Good luck to all greenkeepers out there 
for the impending summer ahead.DYSON APPLEYARDCOMMITTEE, VGAPeter Barron (right) was awarded the VGA™s Distinguished Service Award at the recent AGM. Presenting him the award were 
Andrew Kent (left) and Bruce Hensel2007 VGA Greenkeeper of the Year Shane HarlingHello and welcome to this inaugural report from the Victorian Turf Equipment 
Technicians Association in Australian Turfgrass Management magazine. Through 
this and future reports, as well as the dedicated 
section that will now appear in each edition of 
ATM, we hope to keep everyone up to date with 
what is going on in the world of turf techs.As we all know, the seasons have come and gone quick and over the course of this 
year the VTETA has held four general meetings. 
Our first meeting was held at Toro™s facility in 
Braeside, while the second meeting took in 
the new John Deere plant facility and parts 
warehouse at Derrimut. Our third meeting 
headed back out to Derrimut where we were 
hosted by PFG, which distributes Jacobsen, 
Daedong tractors, Cushman, Ransomes and 
Ryan turf products.Our most recent meeting was the AGM held at Silvan Australia. Wilda Francis (Elf Oils and Lubricants) opened proceedings and then 
Bob Gerritzen (Tricor Engineering) talked about 
workshop setups right through to fabrication.Other presentations were given by David Swan (Lanotec Products), Michael Creak and 
Steven Maxwell (Blackwoods Industries) and 
Jim Brennan (JRM Industries) before hosts 
Silvan Australia showed us the effects of 
diaphragm failure within pumps. Following lunch, Silvan Australia general manager Steven Lelli presented the very 
prestigious VTETA Turf Technician of the Year 
Award.  After a tough decision from seven 
nominations, the very deserving winner was 
Greg Stringer from The Heritage Golf and 
Country Club.  Congratulations to Greg for his 
years as a committee member and all the work 
behind the scenes.The day concluded with the VTETA AGM where a new look committee was elected. To 
Steve Hall, Gary Lay and Rob Campbell who stepped down from the committee, thank you 
for all your invaluable support and hard work, 
in particular Gary, our longest serving treasurer, 
who spent many years on the committee and 
helped put the association where it is now. The new committee comprises vice-president Luke Spartalis (Royal Melbourne), 
secretary Greg Stringer, who is back for a 
second stint, and John Phelan who fills the 
big shoes left by Gary. Also at the AGM we 
elected Lindsay Tomlinson as chairman of our 
conference sub-committee.To all our members, and especially our sponsors, thank you for your interest, 
attendance and support throughout the year. 
To all families, we at VTETA wish you the best 
for the remainder of 2007 and a safe and 
festive Christmas and New Year.TONY HOPCRAFTPRESIDENT, VTETAVGAVTETAAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT64COUNT ON A WINNINGPERFORMANCE.With Toro you  can count on it.It™s not just players who™ll applaud the purchase of a TORO Greensmaster® 3150 or 3250-D.The board will be delighted by their productivity and precision, managers 
and superintendents will love how 
safe they are and grounds staff and technicians will appreciate how easy  they are to operate and maintain.Discover how Toro can help you deliver a winning performance by speaking to 
your local sales manager today. www.toro.com  Customer service: 1800 356 372HERO/TOR1653JLOWARADeliveringPumpingSolutionsRChristchurchPhone (03) 365 0279Fax (03) 366 6616AucklandPhone (09) 525 8282Fax (09) 525 8284MelbournePhone (03) 9793 9999Fax (03) 9793 0022SydneyPhone (02) 9624 2577Fax (02) 9624 2561BrisbanePhone (07) 3200 6488Fax (07) 3200 3822Emailinfo@brownbros.com.auWeb Site www.brownbros.com.aufiThe growing-in phase of a new golf course is critical and requires detailed planning, particularly when it comes to irrigation.When the new Settlers Run Golf Course at Cranbourne was in the early stages of planning we had no hesitation in recommending a Lowara pumping system because of its better control, long term reliability and ease of maintenance.The Settlers Run pump installation incorporates 4 variable speed Hydrovars which are uniquely linked to Toro Irrigations™ Sitepro software which delivers to the Superintendent precise information on the performance of the total pumping system, which is absolutely critical to the grow-in phase.Combine that with Brown Brothers™ exemplary after sales service and Settlers Run couldn™t be in better hands.flBrendan Graham, A&M WateringHow 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 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 drive in one compact and unique packageHow 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.What is Flowlink?To assist green-keepers and Superintendents in the golf course, turf and irrigation markets,  Lowara and TORO Irrigation teamed up together to develop a link between the Toro Sitepro software  and Hydrovar.The link operates with up to 4 Hydrovar pump systems and monitor running / fault conditions and measures pressure and flow of the pump system.All these parameters are displayed on the central irrigation control computer