2012 World Bowls ChampionshipsAdelaide greens to host game™s elite2012 World Bowls ChampionshipsAdelaide greens to host game™s eliteICC U19 Cricket World CupTony Ireland Stadium hits them for sixICC U19 Cricket World CupTony Ireland Stadium hits them for six2012 Perth InternationalLake Karrinyup takes centre stage2012 Perth InternationalLake Karrinyup takes centre stageCourse reconstructionThe changing face of Bonnie DoonCourse reconstructionThe changing face of Bonnie Doonwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTISSN 1442-2697VOLUME 14.6 NOV-DEC 2012FLAME_SYCR286 08/12Don™t get stung by  root damaging nematodesFor more information see your Syngenta agent or go to greencast.com.auSyngenta Crop Protection Pty Limited, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ® Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. Ž Trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. AD 12/492 
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4-8 June 2012Welcome to MelbourneYour exclusive guide to the  28th Australian Turfgrass ConferenceWelcome to MelbourneYour exclusive guide to the  28th Australian Turfgrass ConferenceGiant stepsShowgrounds set for AFL debutGiant stepsEast meets WestRoyal Melbourne™s East Course transformationEast meets WestRoyal Melbourne™s East Course transformationThe global superFrom Toowoomba to The Tiger Woods DubaiThe global superFrom Toowoomba to The Tiger Woods DubaiResearchWarm-season wear trialsOversown couch winter ET ratesResearchWarm-season wear trials
Oversown couch winter ET rateswww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.3 MAY-JUN 2012ISSN 1442-2697Woodlands Golf Club The sandbelt™s unique siblingWoodlands Golf Club The sandbelt™s unique siblingFirm and fast Royal2011 Presidents Cup reviewFirm and fast RoyalResearchGolf course benchmarkingMowing heights and water useResearchGolf course benchmarkingMowing heights and water useWorking in ‚harmony™The new WHS Act and what               it means for turfiesWorking in ‚harmony™JOURNALwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.1 JAN-FEB 2012ISSN 1442-2697State of disasterQueensland™s summer of destructionState of disasterQueensland™s summer of destructionWarringah 10 years onWhat haven™t we learned?Warringah 10 years onWhat haven™t we learned?JOURNALwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2010 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2010 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 13.2 MAR-APR 2011ISSN 1442-2697QLD floods one year onBrisbane courses bounce backQLD floods one year onBrisbane courses bounce backMacKenzie returnsNSWGC greens conversionMacKenzie returnsResearchRyegrass clipping yieldsAnthracnose managementResearchThe PulseBunker refurbishmentand reconstructionThe PulseBunker refurbishment
and reconstructionwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2011 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.2 MAR - APR 2012ISSN 1442-2697Biodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity valueBiodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity value2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn Odell
Steve MarsdenBen TilleyScott RobertsDavid CanterburyRory Bairnsfather-Scott2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn OdellSteve MarsdenBen TilleyScott RobertsDavid CanterburyRory Bairnsfather-Scott2012 US OpenInside The Olympic Club sheds2012 US OpenInside The Olympic Club shedsMelbourne memories28th Australian Turfgrass Conference reviewMelbourne memories28th Australian Turfgrass Conference reviewwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.4 JUL-AUG 2012ISSN 1442-26972012 Perth InternationalKarrinyup kicks off tournament season2012 Perth InternationalKarrinyup kicks off tournament seasonShark attacks The Grange East Course redevelopmentShark attacks The Grange East Course redevelopmentDesert oasisKalgoorlie Golf CourseDesert oasisKalgoorlie Golf CoursePesticide usage and complianceAre your operations in order?Pesticide usage and complianceAre your operations in order?ResearchAGCSATech, UWA and  DAFFQ project updatesResearchAGCSATech, UWA and  DAFFQ project updateswww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTVOLUME 14.5 SEP-OCT 2012ISSN 1442-2697ORDERS CAN BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.auName: .............................................................................................................................................Company: ........................................................................................................................................Postal Address: ...............................................................................................................................Town/Suburb: ....................................................................State: .............Postcode: ......................I enclose cheque for (amount):.......................................................................................................Please charge my credit card: MasterCard .......................................................... Visa .........................................................................................Card Number:  __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __   __ __ __ __ Expiry Date:_____/_____Cardholder Name: ...........................................................................................................................
Address: .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Signature:. ...............................................Funds have been paid by electronic transfer to Westpac BSB 033 380 Acc 385360Please 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  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: Peter Frewin Ph:(03) 9548 8600 peter@agcsa.com.auAGCSASuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168P: (03) 9548 8600  F: (03) 9548 8622E: info@agcsa.com.au   W: www.agcsa.com.auAGCSA BoardPresident:  Peter LonerganDirectors:  Darren Wilson Tony Fogarty Brett BallochGeneral Manager 
Peter Frewinpeter@agcsa.com.auEvents and Education ManagerSimone Staplessimone@agcsa.com.auMembership and AdministrationLyndel Conwayinfo@agcsa.com.auAdministrationAllison Jenkinsadmin@agcsa.com.auAccountsPhilip Horsburgh
philip@agcsa.com.auAGCSATechAndrew Peart andrew@agcsa.com.auJohn Gearyjgeary@agcsa.com.auHR & Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellardaryl@agcsa.com.auPrinted BySouthern Colour Pty Ltd
2 Southpark CloseKeysborough Vic3173Copyright © 2012 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.SUBSCRIBE NOW2     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCONTENTSCOVER 2012 World Bowls Championships: The World Bowls Championships heads to Adelaide for the second time in its history from 24 November-9 December 2012.    2012 World Bowls ChampionshipsAdelaide greens to host game™s elite2012 World Bowls ChampionshipsAdelaide greens to host game™s eliteICC U19 Cricket World CupTony Ireland Stadium hits them for sixICC U19 Cricket World CupTony Ireland Stadium hits them for six2012 Perth InternationalLake Karrinyup takes centre stage2012 Perth InternationalLake Karrinyup takes centre stageCourse reconstructionThe changing face of Bonnie DoonCourse reconstructionThe changing face of Bonnie Doonwww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTISSN 1442-2697VOLUME 14.6 NOV-DEC 2012FEATURESRedevelopment boon for ‚The Doon™ 14 Course superintendent David Scaife looks back at the first and most significant stage of Bonnie Doon 
Golf Club™s current redevelopment project which 
was completed in May.    Tony Ireland takes U19 centre stage 20For the second time in the event™s history, Australia played host to the ICC™s Under-19 World Cup during August. A total of 48 games were played across six venues in Queensland with Townsville™s Tony Ireland Stadium hosting the final. Curator Paul Sanson looks back at his wicket preparations for the event. Hidden gems 26In June, a group of Melbourne course superintendents 
went on a 25-day study tour of the US, the UK and 
mainland Europe. Rob Halsall, Glenn Stuart, Ian Todd, Hayden Mead and Rod Tatt look back at their journey of a lifetime which saw them stop by some 
of the game™s great courses and opened their eyes 
to different course management techniques.Lake Karrinyup a cut above         48Lake Karrinyup Country Club returned to the 
tournament spotlight in October hosting the $2million 
co-sanctioned ISPS Handa Perth International.  ATM catches up with superintendent Trevor Strachan and snaps the crew in tournament prep mode.  COVER STORY: The Worlds at their feet Π2012 World Bowls Championship preview 6 Australia has a proud history at the World Bowls Championships and come late November/early December 
the green and gold will be aiming to again claim victory, this time on home soil. Over a fortnight Lockleys 
and Holdfast Bay bowling clubs in Adelaide will be the stage for the 2012 World Championships, with the 
former hosting the event for the second time. ATM editor Brett Robinson catches up with greenkeepers Brad Porter and Kevin Lewis to look at their preparations for the game™s premier event. TIME FOR SOIL TESTING! Let us provide you with a truly independent soil report Send samples toPh. 03 9548 8600Fax. 03 9548 8622Email. andrew@agcsa.com.auEmail. jgeary@agcsa.com.auSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn RoadClayton 3168 VicTechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     3               Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management JournalVolume 14.6 (November - December 2012) Michael Bradbery (Manly GC); Barry Bryant (SAGCSA); C hris Chapman (STA NSW); Glenn Cross (Mt Lawley GC); Ben Evans (Bardwell Valley GC); Andy Fraser (County Turf, UK); Peter Frewin (AGCSA); Charlie Giffard (Indooroopilly GC); Tony 
Guy (STA WA); Rob Halsall (GB&S); Steve Hewitt (VGCSA); Dean Hopper (Camden Lakeside GC); Danny Hull (STA ACT); Ryan Irwin (NZGCSA); Charles Knight (SMPImages.com); 
Kevin Lewis (Holdfast Bay BC); Peter Lonergan (GCSAQ); Ian McKendry (STANZ); Hayden Mead (Kingston Heath GC); Craig Molloy (NSWGCSA); John Neylan (Neyturf); Jim Novak (Turf 
Producers International, US); Andrew Peart (AGCSATech); Brad Porter (Lockleys BC); Des Russell (GCSAWA); Paul Sanson (Tony Ireland Stadium); David Scaife (Bonnie Doon GC); Tony 
Smith (TGCSA); Trevor Strachan (Lake Karrinyup CC); Glenn Stuart (Metropolitan GC); Rod Tatt (Woodlands GC); Wayne Tickle (Ballina GC); Ian Todd (Victoria GC); Nathan Tovey (STA 
VIC); Tony Webster (Worrigee Links); Kurt Wheeler (Greens Beach GC)Western Australian professional Greg Chalmers, one of the more down to earth and genuine nice guys on Tour, made a very interesting comment during the recent inaugural ISPS Handa Perth International held at Lake Karrinyup Country Club. Having just fired an opening round four-under 68 to be in contention for the first major event 
of the season and describing Karrinyup™s turf conditioning as fiphenomenalfl, he went on to 
make the following remark: fiMost Lake Karrinyup members think it™s the Augusta of Perth. 
It™s a fabulous golf course and... (the members), paying so much to be a member here, and 
relative to where I play my golf, they are getting a great deal.fl Golf in Australia is cheap in comparison to overseas and the product that the Australian golfer gets is, on the whole, very good. Australian golf course superintendents are world 
renowned for producing great surfaces with limited resources, yet most would agree that 
some members, committees and managers do not fully appreciate what they are getting 
relative to what they pay.Having talked to a number of superintendents in recent times, it is exasperating to hear the ongoing battles many are continually facing, especially in regards to the unrealistic 
expectations being placed on their maintenance operations by ill-informed members/
committees/management. In most cases it is a vocal minority that are the antagonists but the nature of golf clubs being as they are, these individuals can become highly influential and as 
we have seen played out many times the superintendent is often a target.  It is worrying as an industry to see the number of high profile superintendents who have departed the industry in recent times and having heard what some current supers are having 
to put up with don™t be surprised if more follow suit. At the end of the day it comes down to a few key things Œ being honest, respecting boundaries, communicating effectively and education. For the members, committees and managers its letting the experts do what they do best, which in the case of course 
maintenance is the superintendent implementing a management programme that aims 
to produce the best possible surfaces within the limitations of budgets, staffing numbers, 
climate, soil types, grass types etc... As soon as you get members, committees or general 
managers dictating matters on course and wanting what their competitor has down the 
road, that™s when the trouble starts. For the superintendent it comes back to education and communication Œ aspects that most would admit they could do better at. Such components are critical in banishing misconception and getting across what you are trying to achieve.Perhaps everyone just needs to take a trip to Scotland, as Victoria Golf Club™s Ian Todd and a group of fellow Melbourne superintendents did back in June, to get a bit of perspective. In their article in this edition Todd makes the following observation: fiThe tour confirmed that there may be too much emphasis placed on producing pristine turf here in Australia. Courses in Scotland such as St Andrews, Dornoch, Castle Stuart, North 
Berwick and Brora offer turf which would be considered sub-standard when compared 
to numerous courses in Australia. This, however, did not detract one bit from the golfing 
experience. In fact I found it refreshing! The common theme among all the courses across the 
UK and Europe was how much emphasis is placed on making visitors feel welcome, and at 
times special, so much so that when leaving I felt a real sense of fulfilment. I suppose it was 
the relaxed nature in which the course was presented which helped this feeling and that the 
‚game™ itself is the most important thing, not the turf it is played upon.fl Enjoy the read...Brett Robinson, EditorIndooroopilly™s cutting edge 54By instituting no-mow zones and incorporating 
spray out areas, Indooroopilly Golf Club has slashed its maintenance of out of play areas by 
half over the past four years.AGCSATECH UPDATESaturation point 34Andrew Peart looks at the issue of managing saturated profiles and stresses the importance of 
renovations, adequate drainage and choosing the 
correct construction material.OPINIONKeeping the troops in order 40 Internal conflict between staff and staff ill-discipline within a small team such as a turf maintenance 
crew can be debilitating and have a huge effect 
on morale and productivity. The Pulse asks how 
course superintendents deal with such issues. GRASS-ROOTS WITH JOHN NEYLAN Don™t get stung 42In his latest column, turf expert 
John Neylan looks at nematode management, the benefits of soil moisture 
monitoring and the value of conducting trials on 
your golf course to ascertain the effectiveness of 
new products on the market.
 Also in this edition–Foreword Thinking 4Regional Profile Œ Greens Beach GC, TAS 56Around the Trade 60Turf Producers 62 State Reports 64         LOOKING FOR GREENKEEPING STAFF?Advertise on the AGCSA website - the Australian turf industry™s LEADING online job resourcePost your job online now at www.agcsa.com.au/jobs or email info@agcsa.com.au4     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTFOREWORD THINKINGPETER FREWIN, GENERAL MANAGER, AGCSAAs I sit here and write this edition™s Foreword Thinking, it is interesting to think just how quickly time goes by. I like the AGCSA have grown a year older and while the association has 
just ‚come of age™ so to speak, I have a few more 
years under my belt. I always thought that 50 was 
such an old age but as you get older it™s interesting 
how your perceptions change.  It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I started as general manager of the AGCSA and what a year it has been! There have been changes at both 
Board and staff level, we had a great conference in 
Melbourne and Australian Turfgrass Management continues to be the flagship 
publication of the Australasian 
turf industry. There have also 
been some lows, such as the 
ongoing EPA investigation in NSW and budget cuts in some 
states that will impact on how 
the turf industry is shaped 
going forward.Many that read this journal will have been trained in the 
TAFE system in some way, shape or form. This training may have been via the 
apprenticeship system (like 
me) or perhaps even a short 
course to gain a qualification 
to improve your employment opportunities or hone 
a skill that you already had. The TAFE system has been the ‚go to™ place for vocational training for 
many years and has served the turf industry well. In recent times many state TAFE providers have suffered major funding cuts across the board. 
Where these cuts fit in regarding the provision of turf management training is still to be determined, 
however, it will no doubt impact on how and where 
turf training will be carried out in years to come.   With this in mind the AGCSA is investigating ways to ensure that quality turf training is available for 
future generations of turf managers. Many industries 
have taken this type of opportunity to develop their 
own training organisation and programmes (the 
dairy industry for instance) as a way to ensure 
continued quality outcomes in training, an option the 
AGCSA is also considering.Another organisation that has also recently felt the sting of the razor is the Redlands Research Station which is part of the 
Queensland Department of 
Agriculture, Fisheries and 
Forestry based in Cleveland.  While all will feel for the 25 
staff that will potentially 
lose their jobs following the 
announcement in the 2012 
Queensland State Budget that the facility will close, there is 
also another potential loss that 
could result from these cuts.  The Redlands site is home to the ‚Living Library™ where over 130 different turf varieties 
that have been collected from 
Australia and around the world have been planted and are being maintained 
under Australian growing conditions. This facility, 
developed in 2000 through the efforts of then 
principal scientist Dr Don Loch, is a great tool for the 
turf industry and I hope all in the industry get behind 
Redlands turf research head Matt Roche to ensure 
that this great asset is not lost.  Budget cuts to shape future of Australian turf industryMost employment issues can be traced back to a lack of documentation either in the form of an employment contract, a detailed position description or simple minutes/notes from a meeting.||AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     5AGCSA MEMBERSHIPTAKE NOTEIn closing, I would like to touch on an issue that is of great concern. In my first year with the AGCSA I have been surprised at the number of calls we receive from members seeking advice on employment issues. Most of these issues can be traced back to a lack of documentation either in the form 
of an employment contract, a detailed position 
description or simple minutes/notes from a meeting. 
If you do not have a current employment contract or 
a position description, I would strongly suggest you 
look into it as soon as possible. The other thing is to ensure that any contentious issues that may arise in a meeting are noted in the 
minutes or you document the issue in some manner. 
This could be as simple as a diary note or email as 
these facts can, over the course of time, clear the air 
on a difference of opinion and could ultimately be 
the difference in being employed or unemployed. The AGCSA has some excellent resources on our website www.agcsa.com.au (available within 
the members™ area Œ another reason to join the 
association!). The AGCSA also has an excellent HR and Best Practice manager in Daryl Sellar and he is 
only a phone call away, so if you have an issue don™t 
hesitate to contact the AGCSA office and we can put you in touch with him (again this service is available 
only to current AGCSA members). I trust the warmer months will treat you well and as always please feel free to contact me on 0418 
593 072 or peter@agcsa.com.au should you have 
any issues, suggestions or feedback on the AGCSA and its services. I look forward to catching up when 
our paths next cross. Turf™s ‚Living Library™ at Redlands Research Station is under threat following the announcement in September that the facility is to close due to government funding cutsAUSTRALIAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS™ ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORMHelping superintendents and their staff to achieve the best possible playing surfaces and adjacent environment within the limitations of the available resourcesSurname: ...............................................First Name:..........................................................Preferred Mailing Address: .................................................................................................City/Suburb: ...........................................State: .................................Postcode: .................Position: .............................................................................................................................Club/Organisation: .............................................................................................................Phone: Landline:   ..............................................................................................................              Mobile:  ................................................Fax: ....................................................................Email: .................................................................................................................................Member Category:  ............................................................................................................State Membership: ............................................................................................................ PAYMENTPlease send me a tax invoice Please charge this purchase to my credit card account  MasterCard VisaCard Number: ................................................................................Expiry Date:  ___/___CCV No: ..............  ............... ..............Cardholder Name: Signature: ...........................................................................................................Send completed application form and payment to:Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, 3168, Vic
Phone: 03 9548 8600  Fax: 03 9548 8622  Email: info@agcsa.com.auAGCSA MEMBERSHIPSuperintendent ..........................................................................................................$339Assistant Superintendent. ..........................................................................................$292Ground Staff/Foreman/Irrigation Technician/3IC/Arborist. ........................................$145Sports Turf Manager...................................................................................................$292Consultant ..................................................................................................................$339International . .............................................................................................................$195Trade ..........................................................................................................................$292Retired ........................................................................................................................$130STATE MEMBERSHIP NSW - New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association  .......................$88 QLD - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland ..............................$88 SA - South Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association ............................. $75 TAS - Tasmania Golf Course Superintendents Association........................................$60  WA - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Western Australia .....................$110VIC - Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association .......Please call 0408 354 100 THE NEXT GENERATION (STUDENT MEMBERSHIP)Australian Turf Industry Apprentice/Student ............................................................FREEFor superintendents and two or more staff joining AGCSA, a discounted membership rate may be available. For further information send your list of names and positions to info@agcsa.com.au6     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSThe eyes of the bowls world will be on the Lockleys and Holdfast Bay bowling clubs in Adelaide come late November/early December when they act as dual hosts of the 2012 World Championships. ATM editor Brett Robinson catches up with experienced greenkeepers Brad Porter and Kevin Lewis to look at their preparations for the game™s biggest tournament, which will also see one of the turf industry™s own flying the flag for the green and gold.  Second chances are rare, especially in the turf industry. Getting the opportunity to prepare 
surfaces for a major international event may only come along once in a turf manager™s 
lifetime, but for Brad Porter, greenkeeper at Lockleys 
Bowling Club in Adelaide, come late November/
early December he will get another crack at an event 
which first time round left an impressionable young 
greenkeeper™s ego slightly dented. Back in March 1996, a rather wet behind the ears Porter made bowls history when, at just 23, 
he became the youngest greenkeeper to prepare 
greens for the World Championships. Having started 
at Lockleys as an 18-year-old in 1990, by 1993 he 
had taken over the top job following the departure 
of his boss Barry Weckert and with it the rather 
exciting, if not daunting, prospect of hosting the 
‚Olympics™ of bowls just a few years later. Under the watchful guidance of local bowling legend Jack Houston, the 1996 World 
Championships was a baptism of fire that would 
ultimately steel Porter in a number of ways. Despite 
gaining enormous experience preparing greens 
for such a high end tournament and the immense 
personal satisfaction that came with the product he 
produced, a few sought to take the shine off of what 
was primarily a positive two weeks by knocking the 
speed of the Lockleys greens. For an up and coming greenkeeper who had put his heart and soul into preparing his turf for 
the world™s best, such criticism, albeit from a tiny 
minority of players and one member of the media, 
cut deep. Combined with a yearning to shake the 
‚apprentice™ tag which had lingered ever since he 
took over from Weckert, just three months after the 
1996 worlds Porter departed Lockleys to find himself 
in a greenkeeping sense. Initial two-year stints at 
Payneham and Adelaide bowls clubs saw Porter 
continue to hone his craft and then, after some 
time out of the industry, he took on the top job at 
Somerton Bowling Club. A major announcement in May 2007, however, would set the wheels in motion for Porter™s eventual 
return to Lockleys. Bowls Australia confirmed that 
Adelaide had been chosen as host city for the 2012 World Championships, beating challenges from 
Victoria and NSW. Lockleys was to be the primary 
host alongside Holdfast Bay Bowls and Croquet 
Club, ironically one of the clubs Lockleys had 
pipped to host the 1996 worlds. Two venues were needed to host the 2012 event because for the first time at the 2008 World 
Championships in New Zealand both the men™s and 
women™s competitions were staged concurrently. 
Lockleys and Holdfast Bay fitted the bill perfectly Π
Lockleys had proved a popular venue back in 1996 
for the men™s worlds, while the clubs™ proximity to 
Adelaide airport and ample accommodation, not 
to mention each other (they are five minutes apart) 
were significant advantages. The South Australian 
government too had put its full support behind the 
bid. Shortly after that announcement, Porter, who by now had developed a reputation as one of the 
state™s most accomplished greenkeepers, fielded 
a call from Lockleys asking whether he would be 
interested in returning to the club to get their greens 
up for the World Championships. Getting another opportunity to prepare greens for the game™s most 
prestigious event proved to be a no brainer and 
Porter soon found himself leaving Somerton and 
heading back to familiar turf. As Porter (now 40) comments nearly four years on fiit was like coming back homefl and since then 
he has set about getting Lockleys back on track and TheWorldsat their feetTheWorldsat their feetAt the 1996 World Championships Brad Porter became the youngest ever greenkeeper to prepare greens for the event. Sixteen years later he is back at Lockleys about to do it all againAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     7ready for the big stage yet again. From 24 November to 9 December, 27 nations are set to converge on Adelaide for the 2012 World Championships and 
Porter, along with his experienced Holdfast Bay 
counterpart Kevin Lewis, will prepare a total of eight 
Tifdwarf greens. TURN AROUNDUpon his return to Lockleys, Porter quickly 
discovered he had his work cut out. The greens 
were in decline Πturf health was deficient and pace 
inconsistent Πwhile the state of the greenkeeping 
machinery mirrored that of the turf. As is often the case, a lack of surface renovation was the principal reason behind the greens™ average 
state, so Porter wasted little time ripping the guts 
out of them, scarifying four ways down as much as 
5mm and coring with 3/8fl tines. A heap of organic 
amendments were added before topdressing and 
after about nine weeks the long road to improvement 
had begun.Lockleys boasts four Tifdwarf greens ΠA, B and C, which are located directly out the front of the 
expansive clubhouse, and D green, which is on the 
western side of the clubhouse. All were constructed 
with native dune sand when the club relocated to 
its present site in 1965 and over the years various 
grass varieties such as bentgrass and saltwater 
couch were used before switching to Tifdwarf hybrid couchgrass in the early 1980s.While A, B, and C green all behave similarly, D green is Porter™s ‚special child™. It is heavier than the 
others, holds on to a lot more moisture despite being 
on sand and has competition from an enormous 
gum tree on the club™s western boundary.  Turf growth on D is significantly slower compared to the 
rapid lateral movement of the Tifdwarf on the other three. As a result Porter has had to completely alter 
his fertilising practices since returning to Lockleys, 
going out with a much higher rate of phosphorous 
on D green to promote lateral growth.During the winter months when bowls is played three days a week on A, B and C (bowlers play east-
west instead of the traditional north-south direction), 
invariably D green will be taken out of play because 
of its inability to handle wear and tear. Porter has 
to nurse D green through winter and into the Australia has a proud history at the bowls World Championships and come late November/early December the green and gold 
will be aiming to take home the spoils on the Tifdwarf greens of Adelaide™s Lockleys and Holdfast 
Bay bowling clubsSmooth as... volunteers Geoff Ellis (left) and Daryl Cowling roll Lockleys™ B green ahead of the recent Trans-Tasman series. That 
event was the last major hit-out for the Australian and New Zealand teams before the World 
Championships8     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSspring, yet come the summer months it™s the club™s standout green, generating far greater pace and not 
drying out as quick as the others. As such, despite 
its more finicky management requirements, come 
this December D green will be used for the grand 
finals of the singles, pairs and triples (the fours will 
be contested on B green).Once the greens were back up to a level, Porter has since set about instituting a meticulous greens 
management programme, taking in all facets from 
major renovations (which take place on each green 
about every two years), scarifying (each spring, up 
to 3-4 times each direction), cutting, rolling, watering 
and grooming regimes during the summer months, 
as well as fertiliser, amendment and chemical 
(fungicides, wetting agents, iron, growth regulators) 
applications.  One significant change that has occurred since Porter™s return to Lockleys has been the club hooking 
into the Glenelg-Adelaide Pipeline, one of the first 
bowls clubs in the city to do so. This now enables 
Lockleys to pump Class A recycled water (referred 
to as GAP water) from the Glenelg Treatment Plant into two 40,000-litre holding tanks, thus reducing the 
club™s reliance on potable water. Lockleys received a grant from the SA Government to assist with the 
project and has now been connected for the past 12 
months. At the same time as tapping into the GAP supply, the club also upgraded its old sprinklers to 
Toro 835S Series sprinklers.  fiGoing onto GAP water has meant significant savings for the club,fl says Porter. fiWe can switch 
between GAP water and mains water and I will go four weeks on GAP before switching to mains for a week to flush the profiles. The GAP water is about 1200ppm and I conducted my first soil test 
this year and the sodium levels in the greens were 
fine and we have had no adverse effects at all. We 
have obviously increased the amount of gypsum we 
apply, but to date it has been working really well.flPUT TO THE TESTWith the World Championships a constant presence 
on the horizon, Porter™s greens management 
programme got its first test when the club, along 
with Holdfast Bay, hosted the 2011 Asia Pacific 
Championships, the traditional lead-in tournament 
held a year out from the worlds. Porter was more than WHO™S CALLING WHO FAT?Bowling greenkeepers affectionately dub it the ‚Fatboy™ and if you talk to Brad Porter and Kevin Lewis, who will be 
preparing their Tifdwarf greens for the upcoming 2012 World Championships, it™s the one piece of equipment they wouldn™t be 
without. Along with the other mainstays in their greenkeeping arsenal, 
such as the Scott Bonnar Queen electric mower and Smooth Roll rollers, the Fatboy shaver/dethatcher has become an integral part of preparing the Lockleys and Holdfast Bay greens during the summer months in recent years.Lewis, who has been at Holdfast Bay coming up to 25 years next May, can lay claim to being the first greenkeeper in Adelaide to trial 
the Fatboy when it hit the market some eight years ago and such was the noticeable difference it made, it quickly gained popularity among 
the greenkeeping community.The Fatboy is essentially a 30-inch grooming reel with multiple stainless steel brushes (as the photo right shows). Used from late spring through to the start of autumn, it has become a key tool for 
many bowling greenkeepers and combined with applications of 
Primo Maxx (trinexapac-ethyl) helps to generate a smooth finish to the 
surface and plenty of pace. fiI have seen a number of changes over the years Πbetter fertilisers, fungicides Πbut the Fatboy has been a huge introduction,fl says Lewis. fiI was the guinea pig here in Adelaide and trialled it on 
one end of one of our greens and quickly realised that it would be a 
fantastic addition. Most guys would have one now I reckon.fiWhen I first started using it we would be double cutting greens six days a week over summer, but now using the Fatboy along with Primo Maxx we have reduced the amount of mowing by almost half. 
You have to have the grass there to do it, so generally I will only go out with it once every two to three weeks from late October through 
to until mid-March.fiYou have got to be very careful with your set up. It has to be perfect or else you can rip the guts out of the green. It is great for 
keeping pace in the greens and if set up right you can get beautiful 
lines. It™s surprising how much grass it takes out and I find that I use it much more than our conventional grooming reels.flThe Fatboy shaver has become a key part of greens preparation at both Lockleys and Holdfast Bay bowling clubs. Essentially a 30-inch grooming reel, the Fatboy contains multiple stainless steel brushesPorter fertilises A green as the Australian and NZ teams contest the Trans-Tasman Championships in mid-September. Lockleys™ four Tifdwarf greens will be in play for the duration of the worlds with D green to host the finals of the singles, pairs and triplesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     9happy with his structures for that 15-nation, 10-day tournament and has taken a similar management 
programme heading into the worlds. Lockleys also hosted the Trans-Tasman Championships in mid-September, the last major hit 
out before the worlds, and again Porter was satisfied 
with the product. More importantly Australia won 
both of these key lead-in events, so the players were 
happy too! Following the recent Trans-Tasman, all of Lockleys greens were given a granular fertiliser 
application and then lightly scarified with 2mm 
blades set at inch spacings down to 3mm. Porter 
was particularly pleased with how the greens came 
through what was a cold and wet Adelaide winter 
(see more on this below) and the use of his newly 
acquired Procore 648 10mm solid tines, with the 
decision to get them as thick as possible heading 
into winter paying dividends come spring. In early October cutting heights were dropped from a ‚tight 20™ (in bowling parlance that refers to 
the height of a 20 cent piece, or about 2mm) to a 
‚tight 10™ (10 cents or 1mm) which will be maintained 
right through until the end of the worlds. Six weeks 
out the greens were again fertilised with Noculate 
Complete 17.1.14 while an application of iron and 
Primo Maxx was made about five weeks out to inject 
some colour and pace. From there it has been an intense regime of daily cutting with the Scott Bonnar Queen 30fl electric mower and rolling with a 220kg six-foot 
Smooth Roller interspersed with an occasional 
groom using the ‚Fatboy™ shaving reel (see bottom of opposite page for more on this unique piece of 
equipment), with the aim of having the greens in 
worlds condition a few weeks out.As the sole greenkeeper at Lockleys, Porter relies on a core group of volunteers led by evergreen 
greens director Geoff Ellis, but for the worlds will have some extra assistance coming on board from 
the start of November through until the end of the 
tournament. Having nearly fikilledfl himself preparing The Lockleys and Holdfast Bay greens will be a ‚tight 10™ (1mm cutting height) for the duration of the World Championships with 
speeds between 14-17 secondsYou didn™t buy a generic mower. Don™t settle for generic parts.For more information call 1800 356 372 toro.com.auDon™t settle for generic parts.Don™t settle for generic parts.Don™t settle for generic parts.You bought genuine Toro equipment because you could count on it to deliver the best performance and value for your money. Could there be a better reason to buy genuine Toro replacement parts? Add in our competitive prices, fast delivery time and you™ll 
see there™s no substitute.Get Toro replacement parts. The right choice.10     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSall four greens every day at last year™s Asia Pacifics, the additional help will be very welcome. fiCome the start of November we will be in the throes of preparation and really fine-tuning the 
surfaces with constant cutting, rolling, grooming 
and syringing,fl says Porter. fiOfficial practice starts 
on Wednesday 21 November so on the Monday before we™ll give the greens a final groom two ways 
with the Fatboy to get that criss-cross effect and then follow those lines when we cut to burn them 
in. The idea is to have them as flat as a table, a nice 
‚tight 10™.fl HOLDFAST BAYAs Porter reaches the peak of his greenkeeping 
career, for his counterpart at Holdfast Bay Kevin 
Lewis, the upcoming worlds will be a swansong 
of sorts. The 63-year-old will be retiring in two years™ time and hosting the worlds in the twilight 
of his career not only caps it off perfectly but 
also provides a perfect springboard for promising 
second year apprentice and champion pennant, 
state and Australian second tier squad bowler Max 
Kleinig who Lewis is grooming as his successor.Lewis has been greenkeeper at Holdfast Bay since 1 May 1988, joining the club after a decade as 
a local cricket wicket curator which included a stint at Adelaide Oval. What Lewis doesn™t know about 
the Holdfast Bay greens is frankly not worth knowing 
and like his Lockleys counterpart Porter took over 
at the club at a time when the greens were in some 
dire need of attention. An intense management programme which essentially involved aggressive renovation, levelling 
the ends and weed management during his initial 
years saw the greens get back to a strong base 
and as the years have gone on his Tifdwarf surfaces have now become regarded as among the finest in 
the state. In recognition of that, the club has been the stage for some of the game™s major national and 
international events, including three Australian Sides Championships (the premier state teams event), last 
year™s Asia Pacific Championships and the recent 
six-nation SA International Series. Like Porter, Lewis has to finely balance the management of his greens, three of which ΠA, B 
and D Πare some 90 years old. Formed in 1928, Holdfast Bay is located on an old railway yard site 
and the greens were constructed with the heavy 
in-situ soils. C green, by contrast, was constructed 
about 18 years ago after the club lost one green due 
to a road reconfiguration around the club, with a 
metre of Mt Compass sand used for the new greens 
profile. Having three older, heavier textured greens with fishitty old dirtfl does have its pluses and 
minuses. During summer Lewis can go for extended periods without needing to water those greens 
and, for example, at the upcoming worlds he will 
more than likely get through the entire two week 
playing schedule without needing to water. C green, 
however, will need at least a couple of waterings. The drawback, however, is winter and with the advent of winter bowls which can see play up 
to three times a week, Lewis has to ensure his 
greens are in as good as health as possible before 
nurturing them through winter in order to get them 
back the following spring. Then there is also the 
constant battle with moss and algae developing on 
the surfaces.Management of the greens this past winter, particularly the amount of traffic on them, has taken 
on extra significance with the worlds just around the 
corner and as luck would have it the weather gods 
did Lewis few favours. The Adelaide Airport BOM weather station recorded 114mm for June, the third 
wettest June since records began in 1955 and the 
wettest since 1981. The winter period saw a total of 196mm while mean temperatures barely crept 
above 15. As a result, Lewis had to be somewhat ruthless in his demands to club management and called off 
play on numerous occasions, cutting winter play 
back by almost half. The result though is four very 
happy greens that have come into spring in the 
best possible condition, ready to be tweaked in 
preparation for the worlds.The Holdfast Bay team of Kevin Lewis (seated) and second year apprentice Max Kleinig. Lewis has been greenkeeper at Holdfast Bay coming up to 25 yearsLike Lockleys, Holdfast Bay boasts four Tifdwarf greens, three of which are 90 years old AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     11fiI was very happy with the way they came out of winter last year and how they played for the Asia Pacifics, but I™m even happier now with where the 
greens are at heading into the worlds,fl says Lewis. fiBecause I have heavier soils compared to Brad™s 
at Lockley™s, I tend to have a thinner surface which during winter can become a problem. Fortunately the club was very supportive keeping the play off 
those three greens and it has shown in how they 
have come out in such great condition.fiWe renovated all four greens last year with the worlds happening this year, Verti-draining them, 
heavily scarifying and laser levelling them and they 
came back really well. This spring we scarified the greens in late September/early October and then 
fertilised. We have continued to monitor traffic on the 
greens and with Night Owls starting in mid-October 
we have been playing them east-west so as to keep 
them off the ends. fiBasically it™s then just cutting and rolling, cutting and rolling through until the tournament. A 
month out we™ll put an application of Primo Maxx 
which we have been using for about 3-4 years now 
and is fantastic for providing a tighter and stronger 
sward. That will coincide with another fertiliser 
application and if the grass starts to get a bit too 
thick we™ll run the Fatboy over them. For the worlds we™ll single cut the greens every day and go hard on 
the rollers prior to the start of each day and then, if 
time permits, during lunch as well.fl HECTIC SCHEDULETwenty-seven nations have qualified for the 2012 World Championships with 24 in both the men™s 
and women™s competitions. Australia heads into 
the event as defending women™s teams champions 
after emphatically collecting gold (in the fours), 
silver (triples) and two bronzes (pairs and singles) 
at the 2008 worlds in Christchurch. Despite winning 
two silvers (singles and fours) and a bronze (pairs), 
the Australian men finished second overall to New Zealand. While Australia and New Zealand will be the bookies™ favourites, strong challenges are also 
expected from Malaysia (third overall in 2008), 
Scotland, England and South Africa.A total of 24 rinks will be in use at both Lockleys and Holdfast Bay for 10 days from Saturday 24 
November through until the start of the finals on 4 
December which will all be held solely at Lockleys. 
(There are also three official practice days from 
21-23 November). Rinks will be international size Π5.7 metres wide Πwhich is half a metre wider each side than 
a standard pennant rink, which allows for just six 
rinks per green instead of the usual seven.  As such 
the number of rink movements (i.e.: side to side 
movement) after each match will be reduced which 
means the ends (from the 2m mark to the ditch) will 
come in for a pounding.  As mentioned, Lockleys™ D 
green will be used for the major finals matches, with 
the rink closest to the western boundary and the A total of 24 international size rinks - 5.7m wide - will be used daily across both venues Available from Globe Australia Pty Ltd Ph (02) 8713 5555   SST Australia Pty Ltd Ph (03) 9720 6306Application to soils with poor moisture holding capacity are transformed with Bi-Agra. Moisture content can be increased by up to 5 x in the root zone at ˜eld capacity.  
Irrigation load can be halved in many situations.BI-AGRA - A BreakthroughFor turf managers In water 
conservationBEFORE                                    AFTER12     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSmain tournament grandstand, which seats around 900, to be used, as it was in 1996. Porter and Lewis have been in constant contact over the past year to get a handle on each other™s 
preparations and techniques all with the goal of 
providing near identical surfaces for the worlds. 
While the Australians and New Zealanders would 
prefer quicker greens (up around the 16-18 second 
mark), the worlds committee has stipulated speeds 
of around 14-17 seconds for the event. While golf course superintendents have the much maligned stimpmeter to determine the 
speed of their greens, bowling greenkeepers have 
something far more instinctive Πtheir hand. The 
speed of a bowling green is measured by the 
number of seconds it takes for a bowl to travel 90 
feet, something which the tournament umpires will 
measure daily.    Although the pace of the greens will be similar, it will be the unique conditions of each venue which 
will really test the players™ shot-making abilities. 
The Lockley™s greens are generally known for their greater pace, whereas Holdfast Bay™s greens tend to 
have a wider draw.  Lockleys is also far more exposed 
to wind, something which those who contested last 
year™s Asia Pacifics came to appreciate as 60kph 
south-easterlies buffeted Lockleys for the duration 
of the tournament. Holdfast Bay, by contrast is more 
sheltered, although as Lewis and Kleinig are quick to 
point out the wind swirls more on their greens which 
provides its own unique challenges. fiI think I can speak for Kevin when I say we are really excited about the event,fl sums up Porter, 
a former pennant and SA representative bowler himself. fiIt™s a great time of year to be hosting it 
and with no other major events on in Adelaide we 
are hoping for good crowds. Ticket sales have been great and the local pennant competition will stop for 
the duration to encourage more spectators.fiIt will be a huge challenge for both Kevin and me, in particular ensuring good turf cover and 
uniformity of pace across all four of our greens 
and also between the venues. But you™re there to 
produce the best product you can and with the 
experience we have on these greens I™m pretty confident that the plans we have put into place will 
have them in optimum condition for the worlds. fiI really enjoyed the experience back in 1996, especially meeting all the different people from 
around the world, and that™s something I™m looking 
forward to again. From a greenkeeping perspective, 1996 was a huge learning curve, but having been 
away and experienced other clubs and different 
conditions since and then coming back, it has 
certainly put me in good stead for the event. fiI think the most satisfaction I™ll get from it will be to see the results from all the hard work that 
has gone into getting everything up for these 19 
days. This event has been two-and-a-half years in 
the planning. I don™t think the worlds will be back in 
Australia for a long time after this so to get a second 
bite at the cherry is pretty special.flHOME TURF ADVANTAGE MORE THAN JUST LITERAL FOR RUEDIGER While Brad Porter, Kevin Lewis and Max Kleinig will have their 
hands full preparing the Lockleys and Holdfast Bay greens for the upcoming 2012 World Championships, they™ll be sure to have one very close eye on the scoreboard and one name in 
particular when the Australian men take to the greens for their matches Wayne Ruediger, the sole South Australian in the five-man Australian men™s team, is also greenkeeper at Adelaide™s Grange 
Bowling Club and a former apprentice of Lewis™s at Holdfast Bay, and 
will be making his first appearance at the World Championships after winning selection to the ‚Jackaroos™ team earlier in the year. With an exemplary pennant, state and under-25 Australian career already to his name, the 36-year-old current South Australian state skipper was one of four international debutantes named in the Australian squad for the six-nation SA International Series held at Holdfast Bay back in May.  Having impressed during the Australian Sides Championships the month prior (the Sides is the premier state bowls teams event), 
Ruediger was given the nod by the Australian selectors to contest the 
triples and fours. He didn™t disappoint, helping guide Australia to a gold medal in the triples with a convincing 22-9 win over New Zealand, with Australia going on to win the overall team gold medal. That form put Ruediger in strong contention for the worlds and in late July following a four-day selection camp at Warilla, NSW he was 
confirmed in the 10-strong (five men, five women) Australian team for 
the worlds. Ruediger™s inclusion was one of just two changes from the 
team that turned out for the 15-nation Asia Pacific Championships last 
November (the main lead-in event for the world championships a year out) and it will be one of the youngest Australian bowls teams to take 
to the greens for an international event, with an average age of just 30.  Ruediger will contest the triples alongside former world champion Brett Wilkie and reigning Australian Open champion Mark Casey, with 
Australia™s ‚International Bowler 
of the Year™ Aron Sherriff joining 
them in the fours. The fours begin 
their campaign on the opening 
day of the tournament (24 November) against South Africa, while the triples start five days 
later with a blockbuster against 
perennial rivals New Zealand. The Grange Bowling Club greenkeeper Wayne Ruediger (centre) will represent the green and gold in both the triples and fours at the upcoming 2012 World Championships in his home town of AdelaideThe speed of a bowling green is measured by the number of seconds it takes for a bowl to travel 90 feet14     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTRECONSTRUCTIONBonnie Doon Golf Club course superintendent David Scaife looks back at the first and most significant stage of the club™s current redevelopment project which has seen the redesign of five holes and construction of two new holes, a practice facility and installation of a new irrigation system. One of the reasons I applied for the course superintendent position at Bonnie Doon Golf 
Club back in 2002 was the opportunity to be part of the major course redevelopment that the club 
had proposed to undertake. This would include the redevelopment of the old holes and the construction 
of two new holes to be located on a spare 6.5 
hectare tract of land that was previously a rubbish tip 
and separates the club from neighbouring Eastlake 
Golf Club.Bonnie Doon lies on medium-to-fine dune sands that vary in depth of up to 16 metres, at which point 
the aquifer we utilise for watering starts. This sand 
has always been the subject of great interest and 
in several sections of the course and immediate 
surrounds sand mining has historically taken place.  The course has been on its current site in Sydney™s eastern suburbs since 1935 and was 
originally designed by Lance Giddings with input 
from Eric Apperly. At that time, it was known as 
New Metropolitan Golf Club, but by 1950 Bonnie Doon Golf Club had moved from its previous site at Kogarah and has operated as this site ever since. Since that time, various changes to the course have been made with most of the work conducted in the 1990s under the supervision of Ross Watson. 
In 2010 Michael Clayton Golf Design (MCGD) was given the opportunity to develop a new master plan 
for the course, incorporating the additional 6.5ha 
of land. Over the ensuing months, MCGD also 
underwent change of its own and after agreeing to 
terms to develop a new master plan it was dissolved 
and Ogilvy Clayton Golf Design was born. The new association with Geoff Ogilvy was obviously exciting 
for the club and he has been on-site several times 
over the past two years.  The master plan was approved by the Board in September 2010 and at that time the first stage of the redevelopment was also agreed to. This would see the redesign of the old 1st (which would 
become the new 10th), 2nd (new 12th), 3rd (new 
13th), 4th (new 9th) and 8th (new 18th) with two new 
holes (14 Πa  505m par five Πand 15 Πa short, uphill 
120m par three) and a new practice facility built on 
the area of the old tip. TRANSFORMATION BEGINSAfter almost 10 years of preparatory work, the 
ground work started on 5 May 2011 with Mike 
Cocking and Ashley Mead from Ogilvy Clayton on 
site every week and Jason McCarthy, the one man 
shaping team, slowly changing the face of Bonnie 
Doon. The first and most obvious issue that was discussed at the outset of the project was tree 
removal, with particular attention paid to exotic 
species which were not suited to the site. Over 150 
trees were removed in total, most of them Pinus 
radiata. The removal of trees has given the course a ‚The Doon™Redevelopment boon for‚The Doon™Stage 1 of the Bonnie Doon Golf Club redevelopment has seen the redesign of five holes and construction of two new holes and a practice facility. One of the key elements of the redesign has been to add character to the greens complexes as well as change turf composition from Poa annua to Mackenzie creeping bentgrassAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     15feeling of space that previously was not present and a higher percentage of native trees which give the 
course a more natural look and feel.The old kikuyu fairways, Poa annua greens and irrigation system all were well past their ‚use by 
date™ and the decision was made to continue with 
the couch replacement of kikuyu that had already 
started on several holes years ago. The transition to 
couch started in 1993 with the first of Ross Watson™s 
work, however, over the years kikuyu had infested 
the planted couch. Over a three year period, through 
irrigation management and the use of Monument 
herbicide, over 95 per cent of the couch had been 
recovered. The new turf species would be washed Windsor Green couch maxi-rolls for the tees and surrounds, 
with stolons planted for the fairways. Mackenzie 
creeping bentgrass was the choice for greens and 
the old Rain Bird single row irrigation system would 
be replaced with the new ICM value-in-head system. 
Native sand was used in all of the new bunkers. Greens surfaces on the new holes have increased by about 50 per cent compared to 
their old equivalents and short-cut turf (tees and 
fairways) has increased by some 300 per cent. 
These increases may seem enormous but the 
course historically did not feature a lot of short grass 
or greens space. The new expanses of short grass 
have therefore made a significant impact on the look 
and playability of the course. Undulating greens and fairway surfaces blend in to the new holes and the 
tree removal has opened up fantastic views and 
given the course an expansive feel. The old Poa greens were flat, circular and uninteresting with the new large and undulating 
greens providing a complete transformation. The green complexes and couch surrounds make the 
greens feel even bigger. This season will see a better 
blending of surrounds and greens as renovations 
tighten up the couch and the greens complexes 
will become a very big part of the new course. The maintenance of these new areas has necessitated 
large operational changes with new machinery, 
particularly spray gear, fairway mowers and greens 
mowers being required to prepare the new holes.In order to cap the former rubbish tip site, over 30,000 cubic meters of sand was imported 
from local development sites over a three month 
period. A further 30,000m3 of sand was relocated from other sections of the existing course to enable 
the former tip site to be capped with at least one 
metre of sand. Stringent testing requirements were 
employed to ensure that all imported sand was 
free of contaminated material and was close to the 
profile of sand that was native to the site. PHOTO: RUS KIRCHNERPHOTO: RUS KIRCHNERThe practice facility and two new holes (pictured is the 505m par five 14th), were constructed on a 6.5ha tract of land which had been 
previously used as a rubbish tip16     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTRECONSTRUCTIONIt was also decided that the native sand would be used to construct the new greens, resulting in significant savings in the development budget 
by avoiding going down the path of a USGA 
construction profile. When the excavator started 
to remove the old greens surface it was certainly 
interesting to see what was underneath and as 
the photo of the old 1st green profile above shows 
what we uncovered was a veritable archaeological 
reference book! The new greens were hydroseeded with Hydromulch 1000 to bind the seed given the windy 
nature of the site and the time of the year. Dynamic 
Lifter pellets at 100kg/100m2 were spread over the finished surface and bunker-raked in with a wheel 
roll to provide the seed bed. The Mackenzie seed was spread at 600g/100m to all greens, however, there was initially very 
uneven germination across the new holes despite 
the methods we employed. Once established, liquid 
fertilisers and a combination of organic liquids 
where applied to the greens and we were lucky 
enough not to experience any disease problems 
during the grow-in phase.Rough on the new course is based on the famous Melbourne sandbelt and UK heathland courses. Native grasses were to be the overall 
cover with plantings based on the Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub species list to highlight specific 
areas. Over 40,000 tube stock plantings have been 
established throughout the new works which will 
give the course a whole new look when they mature.The establishment and maintenance of the native seed continues to be very trying as the 
germination is sporadic. One reason for this is that 
that sand profile lacks any real body. The success where we have had it is fantastic but the cost and 
amount of seed that has been sown is frustrating 
given the limited amount of successful germination. It was decided to use a PGG Wrightson ‚Out of Bounds™ blended fescue mix to replace the native 
seed, which has produced a very good outcome for 
the time and dollars expended. It will be interesting, 
however, to see how the summer treats these areas.Fairways were established using deep fowl litter at 50m3/ha tilled in before stolonising and then using the Cambridge roller to roll the couch into the sand 
followed by a smooth roller to contact the stolons 
and sand before being watered. Unfortunately, the growing season in Sydney was not ideal with temperatures well below average, 
overcast conditions and record rainfall. During the 
construction and grow-in phase, over 1400mm of 
rain fell with the months of November, December, 
(2011) January, March and April, (2012) the wettest 
in my 10 years at the club.This obviously meant the establishment and supply of couch grass was trying, while the windy 
conditions also meant our pumps were really tested 
as we tried to not only grow grass but keep sand in 
place on about 10ha of exposed land.IRRIGATION EFFICIENCIESAnother key component of the redevelopment has 
been the installation of a new irrigation system. 
Australian Turf Projects (ATP) successfully tendered for the installation of the new system which was 
designed by David Hanby of Hydro Pumping 
Controls based in Queensland. Our problem at Bonnie Doon is the high incidence of lightning strikes that occur during 
storms and being sand based it is almost impossible 
to achieve good earthing. The resulting damage 
from storms often meant days without irrigation as 
we tried to locate blown decoders and wires. We chose the Rain Bird ICM-operated sprinklers to assist with achieving good earthing and also fault-
finding with the reduced amount of wire needed to 
operate the system. David Hanby has extensive 
Asian experience and that knowledge, especially in 
preventing lightening damage, has resulted in no 
damage since installation despite several storms 
hitting the course. The installation of a copper bonding cable in conjunction with the Maxi cable to 
secure lightening surge protection rods allowed us CONTINUED ON PAGE 18When the excavators ripped into the old greens, the existing profiles, like the 1st green pictured here, were quite a sight sitting on top of the native dune sandThe Ogilvy Clayton team of Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead (foreground) with shaper Jason McCarthy (background)McIntosh & Son Western AustraliaTel: +61 (08) 9475 1600   Godings Victoria  Tel: +61 (03) 9716 9000  ProTurf Machinery Pty Ltd New South Wales  Tel: +61 (02) 9824 0811   K C Farm Equipment Queensland  Tel: +61 (07) 3807 1100    Gilbert MotorsSouth Australia Tel: +61 (08) 8536 2066Tasmania Farm Equipment Pty Ltd Tasmania Tel: +61 (04) 2705 1831Farm World NT Pty Ltd Northern Territory Tel: +61 (08) 8988 9411Power Turf New Zealand LtdNew Zealand Tel: (+64) 310 6000THE MOWERTHEY DON™T WANTYOU TO SEE.The competition doesn™t want you to see the Jacobsen ECLIPSE® 322 riding greens mower. They can™t match its ZERO leak points. They can™t provide individual reel control to vary cut patterns. They can™t offer programmable frequency-of-clip from 
an LED screen. And they can™t get anywhere near the true hybrid fuel savings or 
legendary quality-of-cut. When it comes to the ECLIPSE® 322, the competition can™t do anything except hope you don™t see it. I guess we just ruined that for them, too.For more details, please contact:ATM/E322/10/2012E322 DWYTS Aus Turfgrass Mngnt v2.indd   124/09/2012   09:1018     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTRECONSTRUCTIONto achieve a respectable ohms reading to manage any strikes. All irrigation installations were overseen by our irrigation technician Martin Dyball, whose job was 
made a lot easier than anticipated given the quality 
of the installation by ATP. POSITIVE STARTIn regards to the specific design and routing of 
holes, Ogilvy Clayton has given the club something 
that truly fits the land and has introduced a far more 
strategic and enjoyable element to the new-look 
holes. The old 1st and 4th holes where almost identical, both being short par fives played in the same 
direction over similar land. Ogilvy Clayton redirected 
the 4th (now the new 9th) to play from south-to-north 
to make a very interesting short par 5 with deep 
bunkers around the green. This hole will play directly 
into the north-east summer wind and will be sure to 
test all golfers alike. The new uphill short par three 15th has created plenty of interest with the rotation of tee markers 
making the hole play anywhere from 80m to 120m. 
With severe undulations in the green, this hole has 
produced the most holes in one with over 10 already 
since opening. Stage 1 works were opened to the members on 1 May 2012 and work is now underway finalising 
plans for Stage 2. As part of the redesign to date, the club has retained the old 16th and 18th holes which 
together with our spare par three Π6a Πmeans we 
have three extra holes at our disposal which will 
enable us to maintain an 18-hole layout and reduce 
disruption to members during the next three stages. 
At the completion of the redevelopment we will have 
a 19-hole layout.Stage 2 will see the current par three 11th (old 5th), 16th (old 6th) and 8th (old 7th) redesigned 
with the balance of the northern paddock being 
completed the following year as Stage 3. The 
development of Stage 4, which includes the 
five holes on the southern paddock, will see the 
completion of the master plan, with this work 
projected to take place within five years.Stage 1 represented the biggest part of the redevelopment and special thanks must go to 
my assistant Tim Allen and the Bonnie Doon maintenance staff for the long hours that they put 
in. Likewise to foreman Brad Glen whose job it was 
to maintain a 15-hole course for members with a 
skeleton crew. This project has been nearly 10 years in the making but to work with Ogilvy Clayton and see 
what has come out of these old sand hills so far 
has been fantastic. Mike Clayton, Geoff Ogilvy, Ashley Mead and Michael Cocking have been a 
real pleasure to work with and to see their concepts 
come to life and have member acceptance of the 
finished product has meant an unbelievably positive 
start. Roll on Stage 2! 
Editor™s Note: A full copy of the Ogilvy Clayton 
master plan for Bonnie Doon Golf Club can be found on the club™s website www.bdgc.com.au.  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16The new fairways were stolonised with Windsor Green couchgrass. Due to below average temperatures, overcast conditions and record rainfall, the grow-in period was very challengingThe new Mackenzie bentgrass greens were hydroseeded at 600g/100m with initial germination uneven despite the methods employedOver 40,000 tube stock plantings, based on Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub species, have been incorporated into the new landscape, however, establishment has been long and difficult The old Poa greens were flat, circular and uninteresting with the new large and undulating greens, such as the par three 15th pictured, providing a complete transformationPHOTO: RUS KIRCHNERJ8245 ET_GP Race Results_Full Pg Turf Grass Advert_OL_FA.indd   111/10/12   8:51 AM20     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTICC U19 WORLD CUPSince opening in 2007, Townsville™s Tony Ireland Stadium has hosted a number of major cricket matches, but none bigger than the recent 2012 International Cricket Council™s Under-19 Cricket World Cup. Curator Paul Sanson looks back at his preparations for the event which saw the game™s future stars descend on Queensland for two weeks in August. For the second time in the event™s history, Australia played host to the International 
Cricket Council™s (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup during August. Having staged the inaugural 
Youth World Cup back in 1988 as part of Australia™s 
Bicentenary celebrations, Australia was chosen by 
the ICC to again host the tournament in 2012, with a total of 48 games played across six venues in 
Townsville, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.Front and centre for the two-week tournament was Townsville™s Tony Ireland Stadium (TIS), which would host a total of 10 games including the final. 
Officially opened in December 2007, TIS is built on the Ross River and forms part of Townsville™s impressive Riverway complex.  The two hectare stadium oval is built on a complete sand profile and 
has six Conquest couchgrass turf wickets. The list of major events TIS has hosted since opening is starting to look impressive for a regional 
venue and along the way we have prepared the oval 
for a Twenty/20 game between Queensland and Victoria, two Australia A Series against Pakistan A 
and Sri Lanka A and a Ryobi Cup game between Queensland and South Australia. It has also hosted 
warm-up matches and acted as a training venue for 
North Queensland Fury (A-League). I took over as head curator at TIS in late October 2009 after spending nearly a decade at Lavington Sports Club in north Albury, NSW. My journey as 
a curator began at a young age growing up in the 
small central NSW town of Lake Cargelligo where 
for many years our family had the task of preparing 
the town™s two turf wickets. Dad began the tradition 
and then each of his four sons (I was third in line) 
had a go and it was here that I developed a passion 
for turf industry. Moving to Albury after finishing school I completed my apprenticeship at Hume Country 
Golf Club and Wodonga TAFE and was fortunate to secure the head groundsman position at Lavington, 
looking after two Tifdwarf bowling greens and the sports oval which hosted local AFL and cricket.  I held this position for nine-and-a-half years until the local football and netball club sold the ground to 
the Albury City Council and I was made redundant.  
After a very short stint as an apprentice plumber, a 
random phone call alerted me to the opportunity at 
TIS and after a quick trip there I was soon moving my beautiful family to Far North Queensland so that I could continue my love affair with preparing turf. WORLD DESCENDS ON TOWNSVILLENot long after Australia won its third U19 Cricket World Cup title in New Zealand in 2010, it was 
announced that the defending champions would 
be host nation come 2012. When the draw was 
released in February 2012, TIS was fortunate to be named as primary host with all 10 scheduled games 
(including five pool matches, two quarter-finals, two 
semis and the final) broadcast to more than 180 
territories around the world. Preparations for the event began in Easter when Townsville hosted the U19 Quadrangular Series between Australia, New Zealand, India and England.  
This was basically a test run for the teams and for 
the grounds crews at both venues in Townsville (the nearby Endeavour Park would also be used for the 
World Cup).  The series started just four days after the local cricket grand final so from a wicket point of 
view there wasn™t a great deal of extra preparation 
required. With a day™s break between games, we Townsville™s Tony Ireland Stadium was opened in 2007 with a capacity 10,000 crowd watching a Twenty/20 clash between Queensland and Victoria. The 2ha oval is Conquest couch with a six-wicket block, three of which were used for the U19 Cricket World Cup in AugustTony IrelandTony Irelandtakes U19 centre stagetakes U19 centre stageAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     21hosted five games on just one wicket which seemed to get better as each game passed.  The Quadrangular Series was a huge confidence boost and the amount of positive comments we 
received from players, officials and spectators was 
reassuring and confirmed that we could produce a 
venue that not only met, but exceeded, expectations. With that series behind us, the next challenge was to manage the wicket block through the local 
AFL season so that I had some grass to work with 
come August. This proved to be difficult at times with colder than expected weather, well cold from 
a Townsville perspective at least. One day in late May we had a top temperature of just 19oC (mean temperatures are normally in the mid-20s at least), 
while overnight temperatures consistently dropped 
below 10oC. Not surprisingly the couch on the wicket block slowed right down and coupled with a 
heavy footy schedule (Wednesdays and Saturdays 
from late April to late July) the ground quickly 
started to show signs of wear. The early plan for the World Cup was to use wickets No.1 and No.6, rotating use between them 
as required (we would end up using a third Πhalf of 
Nos. 3 and 4 Πfor the tournament as well).  The AFL 
centre circle fitted between No.1 and No.6 and was 
moved up and down the block to manage the wear.  
Each Monday after weekend footy we™d put an 
Evergreen turf cover over the entire block to try and 
maintain as much grass cover as possible before 
removing it lunchtime Wednesday.  This routine 
continued up until the end of footy on 21 July and 
during this period we applied numerous fertilisers to 
keep growth ticking over as well as manage small 
patches of ERI. We also solid tined high wear areas 
around the oval. DIALLING INOnce football had finished we had a three week 
break in which to get the oval and wickets ready for 
the World Cup opening match between Australia 
and England on 11 August. On 23-24 July the oval 
was verti-drained to a depth of six inches, the first 
time it had been aerated to this depth since I started.The following day (25 July) the wicket block was fertilised with 80kg of blood and bone and washed 
in (three weeks earlier we had fertilised the block 
with a bag of Andersons 31:1:7). Oval mowing 
height was adjusted down to 20mm with clippings 
caught and placed in the shed to dry for later use 
on the wickets. The lack of grass on the wickets at this stage was a little concerning, but I was still confident that while there was no traffic they would recover in time. 
In saying that, I helped things along by spraying the block with Green Lawnger (10l/100l water). PHOTO: MICHAEL CHAMBERSThe TIS crew (from left) Rohan Brown, leading hand Richard Shannon, curator Paul Sanson, U19 tournament curator Ross 
Harris, Mathew Smith and Kenji Steele22     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTICC U19 WORLD CUPRemembering that the oval had been verti-drained earlier in the week, I found that even the Medivac 
was leaving wheel marks so I rolled the entire 
ground using both our Mentay 2000s.  With the oval still lacking colour from winter traffic, the cooler than normal winter and knowing 
that I was going to have to drop mowing heights 
another 8-10mm, that Friday (27 July) the oval was sprayed with 60l of Coron and 1l of Primo Maxx. Two weeks out we dropped the oval mowing height down to 12mm and double cut without 
catchers.  As you can imagine there was a fair bit of 
scalping but I had to get the height down and hope 
it recovered in time.  Fortunately the weather was getting slightly warmer. On 30 July the wicket block was mowed at 8mm then fertilised with half a bag of Andersons 31-1-
7 and watered in. The following day the practice wicket block was scarified lightly, mowed at 8mm 
and fertilised as well. The oval was again double cut without catchers and a few bare areas on the edge 
of the wicket block were Turf Doctored out. Still chasing colour, on 1 August we sprayed the oval with Dispatch at 50l/400l water and washed in. 
We were actually supposed to put out Aquaforce at 
50l and with Dispatch supposed to be applied at a 
rate of 10l/oval I was very nervous about it causing 
burn.  Thankfully it didn™t. Once the oval was dry enough to mow it was double-cut again (1 August) but this time with 
catchers. We kept all the clip (there was a mountain 
of it) which would be used on all wickets at TIS and 
Endeavour Park. This was beautiful clip too as it had 
dried on the oval for two days.  It was very fine and had already changed colour so it didn™t require as 
much work in the shed to help it dry evenly.  The ground was then fertilised with 400kg of Greentop 
K (32.8:0:11) and washed in and the Evergreen growth mat put over the wicket block.Nine days out from the tournament we started on the four practice wickets, giving them an even 
watering and mow at 6mm. Practice wickets 1 and 
3 were to be used first so we rolled between two 
and three times over the next few days for between 
30-35 minutes and covered them with hessians at 
night.  The oval was sprayed with 50l Aquaforce and 
a dual application of 60l Coron and 2.5l Vision Pro 
(colourant) was made as we continued to strive to 
get some colour back.Work on wicket No.6, which would host the opening match, began in earnest on Monday 6 
August. After string-lining it, mowing it at 6mm and 
watering it the afternoon before, it was rolled three 
times for 45 minutes and covered with hessians for 
the night. That would be our rolling regime on No.6 
for the next three days.On Tuesday the next wicket Πhalf of No.3 and No.4 which would be used for the following 
Monday™s Australia v Nepal match and the 26 
August final Πwas string-lined, mowed at 6mm and 
watered. While not normally ideal to do this, using 
the two halves gave me an even gap from the middle 
wicket to the outside two and we had plenty of 
recovery time before local cricket started again. The 
following day this middle strip (No.3) was clipped, 
sealed and rolled 3 x 45 mins. Two days before the tournament start the No.6 and No.3 wickets were again rolled 3 x 45 mins 
each. At this time the scaffolding was being erected 
for the run out cameras, so we had to set up the 
front (popping) crease for the whole block. No.1 
wicket was string lined and mowed to 6mm then India claimed its third U19 World Cup title by defeating hosts Australia in the final played at TIS. TIS hosted a total of 10 matches during the tournamentPHOTO: MICHAEL CHAMBERSWicket No.6 on the TIS main oval ahead of the tournament™s opening match on 11 August between Australia and EnglandAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     23watered, ready to be worked on for its opening game on 12 August. By this stage all wickets were 
now being fully covered at night with hessians on all.The first official practice day was Friday 10 August and it was here that we had our first and, 
thankfully, only hiccup. While the practice wickets 
were fine, we had to move the Australia and England 
teams off our training oval due to wet conditions and 
onto the main oval (in runners).With just a day to go, the main wicket block was getting plenty of attention. No.6 was mowed at 2mm, broomed and mowed again in an effort to 
remove the green stuff and then rolled 3 x 45 mins. 
No.3 was rolled similarly, while No.1 was clipped, sealed and also rolled 3 x 45 mins. The oval had its 
final trim and all field restrictions were marked and 
boundary rope put out. Two hessians and a canvas were put on No.6 that night and one hessian on No. 3 before the block was fully covered.GAME ONIt was an early start (6am) on Saturday 11 August 
as the tournament proper kicked off with a 
blockbuster opener between Australia and England. 
The following is a diarised account of our wicket 
preparations throughout the tournament. It was certainly a hectic period but one we will all look back 
on in time as an experience to remember 
Day 1 (11 August): Australia v England
No.6 mowed at 2mm, rolled for 20 mins. The wicket 
was a little greener than I™d hoped, but rock hard. There would be a lot of life in the wickets each 
morning as play started at 9am. No.1 and No.3 were 
rolled for 30 mins each. At the end of play, No.6 was 
cleaned, mowed at 2mm, rolled for 20 mins then 
re-marked ready for Game 2. All wickets covered for 
the night. Oval mowed. Australia wins by six wickets.
Day 2 (12 Aug): India v West Indies
A little less crazy today as we were using the wicket 
from the previous day. Wicket mowed at 2mm, then rolled for 30 mins to try and close up some of the 
cracks which were starting to get quite large. No.1 
and No.3 both got 30 mins before play with No.3 rolled during lunch. At the end of play, No.6 was 
cleaned with the Honda mower, then a wet hessian 
was applied to try to close the cracks. No.3 was 
rolled for 20 mins and then marked up for the next 
day. No.1 broomed, mowed at 2mm, lightly watered, 
clip applied, then sealed again for 30 mins. 
Day 3 (13 Aug): Australia v Nepal 
Meaning no disrespect, as a grounds crew we 
were hoping for a short day. Completed our normal 
morning routine, then No.3 was rolled with the pedestrian roller so it didn™t crease. No.1 rolled for 40 mins with the heavy roller. At lunch No.3 was 
rolled with the pedestrian roller and No.1 with the 
heavy roller for 30 mins. After play No.3 and No.6 
were watered lightly, as was the rest of the block, 
except No.1. It was rolled for 30 mins and then 
marked for day four play, including changing fielding 
restriction markings. Wickets covered.
Day 4 (14 Aug): India v Zimbabwe 
Once covers removed No.1 rolled for 30 mins with 
the pedestrian. The best part of today was that I got the opportunity to sit in on Cricket Australia™s 
Curators Conference which was being held during As well as the three main oval wickets, four practice wickets at TIS were prepared and rotated throughout the tournament  For the name of your nearest distributor call (03) 9462 0340  www.adseed.com.auSOLUTIONS FOR PONDS, DAMS, TROUGHS & TANKSAqua-Tech Dam & Pond SealerThe most convenient solution for sealing a leaking pond or dam.Aqua-Tech Dam & Trough Water CleanerEliminates excess nutrients and organic matter in water bodies such as dams, ponds, creeks, troughs & tanks. 24     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTICC U19 WORLD CUPthe event. Sitting in a room with some of Australia™s and the world™s best curators was a huge thrill and a bit surreal. It was also a real buzz for the crew when 
most of them came out to the middle after play to 
inspect our handy work. With a day™s rest coming 
up, the wicket block was given a heavy water and 
foot holes filled in. Covers applied, no hessians.
Day 5 (15 Aug): Rest Day
Although no game, the nets were still in use and we 
switched to using practice wickets 2 and 4. Practice 
wickets 1 and 3 were watered then covered with 
hessians. Main oval sprayed with 50l Aquaforce. 
Wicket No.1 on the main oval was to be used the next day so it was clipped, rolled 3 x 45 mins and 
re-marked. Covers placed on all wickets.
Day 6 (16 Aug): England v Nepal: 
No.1 rolled with the pedestrian. After play all wickets 
plus the block were watered. Only half the block 
was covered as we now had a two-day break before 
the quarters. The nets were all watered as we had a day™s rest on them too.
Day 7 (17 Aug): Rest Day 
Clipped and rolled wickets No.1 and No.6 for 3 x 45 mins, mowed the oval, watered the rest of the main 
wicket block, then sprayed with 80l Special FeX and 60l Coron. All wickets covered.
Day 8 (18 Aug): Rest Day
Continued rolling No.1 and No.6 for 3 x 45 mins each, mowed the oval and marked up No.1 for the 
next match. Hessians and covers put on both.
Day 9 (19 Aug): England v South Africa (QF1)
No.1 rolled with the pedestrian. Covered No.6 with 
a wet hessian until closer to play. Our routine was 
getting a lot easier now. After play was completed 
we cleaned No.1, mowed No.1 and No.6 at 2mm 
and rolled both for 30 mins. No.1 was marked up for 
the next day, a damp hessian put on No.6 and the 
block then covered. SA wins by 102 runs.
Day 10 (20 Aug): India v Pakistan (QF2) 
No.1 rolled for 20 mins and No.6 for 45 mins. Today there was a little bit of pressure as it was two huge 
rivals playing and the TV audience was tipped to be around 1.2 billion (never had that many people 
look at my handy work before!). With this in mind 
I decided to use the same wicket as yesterday to 
avoid any problems. At the end of play, No.1 was 
cleaned and watered (it was finished), No.6 mowed 
at 2mm then rolled for 30 mins before being marked 
up. India wins by one wicket.
Day 11 (21 Aug): Australia v South Africa (SF1)
Semi-finals time. No.6 hand broomed, mowed at 
2mm then rolled for 40 mins. At the end of play 
it was cleaned and rolled for 10 mins then lightly 
watered. The rest of the block was watered heavily 
then covered, with hessians on No.6 only. Australia 
wins by four wickets.QUEENSLAND VENUES SHINE AT ICC U19 CRICKET WORLD CUPWhile Tony Ireland Stadium was the focal point for the recent U19 Cricket World Cup, five other venues throughout Queensland were also used to host the event. Townsville™s Endeavour Park hosted a total of 14 games on its No.1 and No.2 ovals, with three ovals in 
Brisbane ΠAllan Border Field, Peter Burge Oval (Redlands) and WEP 
Harris Oval (University of Queensland™s St Lucia Campus) Œ staging a combined total of 18 pool and playoff matches. Maroochydore 
Cricket Club™s John Blanck and Kev Hackney Ovals also hosted four 
pool matches.Newcastle City Council groundsman and AGCSA member Greg Askew was fortunate enough to secure placement as a volunteer at Allan Border Field 
in Brisbane, working under head 
curator Dave Sandurski. Allan 
Border Field is home to Cricket 
Australia™s Centre of Excellence 
and would host seven U19 
World Cup matches including 
the Plate Championship final.fiIt was fantastic to be involved in the tournament and 
helping prepare international 
class wickets,fl says Askew. 
fiMy role was to help out 
where needed across the 
facility, whether it was hauling 
covers, hessians and moving 
sightscreens, through to cutting 
the outfield and rolling wickets.fiI took a heap away from the experience. It was great watching others at their craft 
and picking up little things from them, as 
well as working in a different climate and 
work environment. It also helped to reinforce 
the knowledge and processes that you 
implement in your daily turf management 
practices. Dave and his team made me feel 
very welcome and it was clear that without 
their passion and dedication this facility wouldn™t be able to operate 
in such a clockwork manner.flShortly after the tournament, it was announced that Sandurski would be departing Allan Border Field after being appointed as the 
MCG™s new curator. Sandurski replaces Cameron Hodgkins who left 
in early August to take over as curator at Brisbane™s Anglican Church 
Grammar.Greg Askew at Allan Border Field in Brisbane which also hosted matches at the U19 ICC World Cup. Below: David SandurskiAllan Border Field hosted 
seven U19 World Cup MatchesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     25Day 12 (22 Aug): No gameNo.6 was rolled for 3 x 45 mins then re-marked. 
Work begins on No.3 for the final, which was clipped 
and rolled for 3 x 45mins. Oval mowed, covers.
Day 13 (23 Aug): India v New Zealand (SF2)
No.6 mowed at 2mm then rolled for 30 mins. No.3 rolled for 40 mins in the morning, 30 mins at lunch 
and 30 mins after play. No.6 was cleaned after play 
and watered heavily, as was the rest of the block, 
excluding No.3. India wins by nine runs.
Day 14 (24 Aug): No game
No.3 mowed at 2mm then rolled for 3 x 45 mins. 
During the day it wasn™t looking as good as I would 
have liked so it was watered reasonably heavily and 
clipped again. We then just continued rolling, hoping 
to push as many clippings in as possible. The oval 
was mowed then sprayed with 10l of Dispatch and 
watered that night. All covers were used.
Day 15 (25 Aug): No game
No.3 mowed at 2mm, hand broomed and mowed 
again then rolled for 3 x 45 mins. Wicket marked up 
ready for the final. Oval double cut in two directions, 
striping up a treat. The hessian, canvas and covers 
were put on and we were ready to go. 
Day 16 (26 Aug): Final ΠAustralia v India
No.3 mowed at 3mm (so as not to make any scalp 
marks), then it was rolled for about 15 mins. The result was out of our hands now! After play was 
completed, wicket cleaned and the block flooded. 
India wins by six wickets to claim its third U19 title.TEAM EFFORTThe tournament from my point of view was an 
amazing success. The amount of positive comments 
we received during and after has given us heaps 
of confidence in the fact that we can produce an 
international standard venue. My team worked their 
butts off during the tournament and while the long 
hours were a little foreign, the guys handled it well 
and I was extremely proud of their contribution to the 
overall success of the event.The next challenge for us is to host an AFL pre-season game and maybe a pool match of the 
main World Cup when it ventures to Australia in 
2015. Sometime in the future we would love the opportunity to host a Test match and given our achievements with the U19 tournament I believe we would be more than capable of doing so.Despite chasing colour for much of the lead-up to the tournament, the oval was looking a treat for the 26 August final26     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTUDY TOURSIn June, a group of Melbourne course superintendents went on a 25-day study tour of the US, UK and mainland Europe. Rob Halsall looks back at this journey of a lifetime which saw them stop by some of the game™s great courses and opened up their eyes to different course management techniques.Golf course superintendents by nature are inspired by cutting edge course management 
techniques and the romance of some of the great courses and legendary golf course architects. 
With these ideals in mind, the ‚Hidden Gems™ study 
tour was born and after more than 12 months 
planning Rod Tatt (Woodlands Golf Club), Ian Todd (Victoria Golf Club), Glenn Stuart (Metropolitan 
Golf Club), Steven Hughes (Peninsula Country Golf Club), Hayden Mead (Kingston Heath Golf Club) 
and Rob Halsall (GB&S Australia) embarked on a 
25-day trip to the US, UK and Europe in June. The key objectives of the tour were to obtain a better understanding of global turf management 
techniques and to gain an enhanced appreciation 
and awareness of some of the great courses 
and architects throughout some famous golfing 
destinations. By the end of the trip we had realised 
these and so much more and what follows are some 
impressions gleaned from of our travels.UNITED STATESOur first stop was the United States, or more 
specifically the north eastern pocket, where we 
couldn™t have picked a better place to begin our tour Œ The National Golf Links of America. Located in the exclusive Hamptons region of New York State, the Charles Blair Macdonald-designed masterpiece 
was inspired by famous British courses including St 
Andrews, Royal St Georges, Prestwick and North Berwick.The recent implementation of a course masterplan has seen the strategic removal of more 
than 3000 trees which has exposed and highlighted 
the original design works. An oversowing programme 
on greens with ‚new generation™ bentgrasses has 
been initiated to encourage better putting surfaces 
in readiness for amateur golf™s 2013 Walker Cup.Next door to The National resides the world™s No.3 ranked course Shinnecock Hills and we were 
given a tour of the complex by superintendent 
Jon Jennings. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are 
overseeing minor course works prior to Shinnecock hosting the 2018 US Open, including extensive tree removal and restoration of original green shapes 
which have been lost over the years. Course management programmes at Shinnecock currently include applications of 
trinexapac-ethyl and ethephon to reduce Poa annua seedhead issues. Later in the season the ‚rusty red™ As well as visiting Scotland and England, the study tour group also visited a number of courses on mainland Europe, including Royal Hague Golf Club in The Netherlands (pictured is the magnificent short par five 18th)  gemsHiddengemsHiddenAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     27 fescues become a major feature of the golf course, with red fescue, hard fescue and an unidentified 
native fescue adorning the expansive roughs.Travelling from New York and into New Jersey, the world™s number one ranked Pine Valley was next 
on the list. Sometimes when expectations are high 
you can invariably be let down, but this wasn™t the 
case at Pine Valley. We were gobsmacked with the 
classic layout, design and the incredible aura of this 
wonderful course.With 50 on staff, much of the maintenance work is carried out on Mondays when the course is 
closed. Greens are dusted with kiln-dried sand and 
sprayed with a fungicide weekly. Sandy wastelands 
and a plethora of bunkers (including Hell™s Half 
Acre) require extensive maintenance. Although 
George Crump is credited with the original design, 
the golf course is really a celebration of the golden 
age of golf architecture as names like MacKenzie, 
Ross, Colt and Tillinghast also contributed to the finished product.Across the border and into Philadelphia we called into Merion where the 2013 US Open will be held. Superintendent Matt Shaffer took time out to outline his preparation programme over the next 12 months. He has been instructed by the USGA to ‚make the course more difficult™ by lengthening 
holes and reducing fairway widths.  The roughs 
along fairways, around bunkers and throughout 
immediate green surrounds were luxuriant with the 
Aurora Gold hard fescue providing a spectacular 
seedhead. The blend of six different bentgrasses 
provided an excellent putting surface where the 
new Poa annua control herbicide methiozolin was successfully being trialled. A short flight south into Raleigh, North Carolina allowed us to reacquaint ourselves with two Pictured outside the Royal Zoute Golf Club clubhouse in Belgium are (from left) Rob Halsall, Rod Tatt, Steven Hughes, Glenn Stuart, 
Hayden Mead and Ian ToddI gained an enormous amount of technical knowledge from the USA leg of the trip, particularly on weed control after meeting with Professor Fred Yelverton and Travis Gannon.  It was interesting to gain an insight into the USGA™s and The R&A™s tournament requirements on courses such as Merion, Shinnecock Hills, St Andrews and Royal Lytham St Anne™s, particularly regarding green firmness and speed. The concept of sustainability was the strong focus throughout Europe with limited access to product use, something we may have to adapt to soon. I enjoyed experiencing the golfing culture from all ages, particularly in Scotland, and it was inspiring to see how much the game means to their communities. Protection of great course design was 
really prevalent in France and something that I will utilise for the benefit of our club.Glenn Stuart - Metropolitan Golf Club28     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTUDY TOURSworld renowned grass and weed specialists Fred Yelverton and Travis Gannon. The North Carolina State University turf research facility is located within the precinct and is predominantly a trial site for new grasses and herbicide research. We had a four hour 
round table discussion session with Fred and Travis followed by a tour of the research facility.Our field trip revealed a new trend throughout temperate climates Πultrafine bermudagrass used 
in putting greens. The trial site at NCSU consisted of Miniverde bermudagrass which was not too 
dissimilar in appearance to some of our bentgrasses. 
Rather than oversowing these areas through the 
dormancy period, green dyes are used to maintain 
colour. Other trial sites of interest focused on the 
ability of different grass species to tolerate shade 
and low irrigation levels.Within the precinct there is also an Arnold Palmer-designed championship golf course where 
Fred and Travis work closely with superintendent Mickey McCord, one of the more passionate 
superintendents we met during our travels. To assist in the prevention of disease, 5hp fans are located 
on most greens to create air movement. Mickey has 
also had great success preventing dry patch and 
associated problems by mixing Cascade wetting 
agent with Duplex soil penetrant.Our final course visit in the USA was the Carolina Country Club located in suburban Raleigh. The private club was built in 1910 by Tillinghast and had similar grass specifications to our own in southern Australia with A1/A4 bentgrass greens 
and bermudagrass fairways. Poa annua was being suppressed with bensulide and trinexapac (greens) 
and prodiamine (fairways). A new pre-emergent 
herbicide (Specticle) has recently been trialled with great success on fairways. The new practice 
fairway with a line of synthetic turf was particularly 
impressive.SCOTLANDOnwards to the home of golf and the first course we 
visited was Cruden Bay. The rolling links epitomised the idea that the landscape should dictate the golf 
course. While we didn™t have the opportunity to 
play the course, superintendent Alister Matheson 
took us on a majestic guided tour through the dune 
land. We all loved the quirkiness of the layout Π
the consecutive par three™s, the numerous blind 
shots and the iconic ‚bathtub green™. The revetted greenside bunkers were a real feature, while the 
greens were oversown annually with fescue and 
browntop bentgrass.Pine Valley failed to disappoint with its sandy waste areas and dramatic landscape reinforcing why it is perennially ranked the world™s number one golf courseThe tour confirmed that there may be too 
much emphasis placed on producing pristine turf here in Australia. The courses 
in Scotland such as St Andrews, Dornoch, Castle Stuart, North Berwick and Brora offer turf which would be considered sub-standard when 
compared to numerous courses in Australia. 
This, however, did not detract one bit from the 
golfing experience at these locations. In fact I found it refreshing to say the least!The common theme among all the courses across the UK and Europe was how much 
emphasis is placed on making their visitors feel 
welcome, and at times special, so much so that 
when leaving I felt a real sense of fulfilment. In essence, I suppose it was the relaxed nature in which the course was presented which helped 
with this feeling and that the ‚game™ itself is the 
most important thing, not the turf it is played 
upon.Ian Todd Œ Victoria Golf ClubCONTINUED ON PAGE 30Golfing heaven Œ Royal DornochThe extensive NCSU turf research and trial siteYou strive for the best turf. Tribute is your ultimate partner. Tribute delivers unparalleled control of   cool season grasses in Couch Grass   and is effective against your toughest   weed problems: - Crowsfoot Grass  - Winter Grass - Ryegrass - Other annual and perennial grasses Tribute has proven results and   unsurpassed success in the USA.   No other product can offer more.  With its unique formulation and alternate   mode of action, Tribute is the smart tool that   offers lower rates, excellent turf safety and   outstanding resistance management.To ˜nd out more contact Bayer on 1800 804 479.Always use according to product label.  Tribute® is a Registered Trademark of Bayer ©2011 www.bayeres.com.au30     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTUDY TOURSJust down the road in Aberdeen, we had our first opportunity to play golf on our trip at the very private Royal Aberdeen Golf Club which was founded in 1780. Upon arrival we were confronted with two clubhouses Œ one for the gentlemen and one for the 
ladies! Despite the heavy ‚Haar™ (fog or sea mist) 
which rolled in just after we teed off, our first taste of 
golf in Scotland was unforgettable as we traversed 
along the rugged shoreline of the North Sea (the front nine is regarded by many as the finest in the 
world.)The next port of call was always going to be one of the great days of our trip and it was with 
much anticipation that we entered the hallowed 
confines of St Andrews. Director of Greenkeeping 
for the St Andrews Links Trust, Gordon Moir, was on hand to greet us on a blustery, Arctic-like morning. 
Our discussions continued with Gordon throughout 
the morning in the staff conference room and 
substantial maintenance facility. A visit to the recently completed David Kidd Castle Course, situated just a short drive out of 
town, revealed another outstanding layout and a 
great addition to the St Andrews Trust. Following a quick lunch it was a very overawed, nervous group 
of Australians who walked to the first tee of the Old 
Course. Four hours later it was comforting to see Gordon greet us again, this time on the 18th green. 
Further stories were told and more history revealed as we enjoyed the comfort of the St Andrews clubhouse.Heading further north through the snow-capped Grampians, we discovered another iconic golfing 
region where Royal Dornoch is the centrepiece. 
Rated as the world™s ‚most natural course™ and the 
course where legendary designer Donald Ross 
began his career as a greenkeeper, it was located 
on the most dramatic site we had seen. With great 
revetted bunkering, the yellow gorse in full bloom 
complimented by superb fescue roughs framing 
each fairway, it was golfing heaven! Despite having only three on staff and a very low budget, Tain Golf Club was a pleasure to play. We met superintendent Ian Macleod on a cold, frosty summer™s morning and really enjoyed our golf and 
the Tain story as we played 18 fabulous holes. Ian has worked at the Old Tom Morris-designed Tain since 1976.We had all read and heard about the natural beauty of Brora Golf Club acknowledged as James 
Braid™s masterpiece. Brora is a step back in time 
with sheep roaming the course, necessitating the 
electrical wire fencing around each green. Thanks 
to the sheep, there is no real rough on the course.Opened in 2009, Castle Stuart has already been rubber stamped as a classic Scottish links. American 
architect Gil Hanse has draped generous fairways atop sandy links land that are spiced with wild and 
woolly bunkers and panoramas of Moray Firth and 
the Scottish Highlands. Indigenous heather was 
sourced from nearby farms during the construction 
phase. Superintendent Chris Haspell has previously 
worked on courses throughout Scandinavia and Germany (where chemical use is banned on golf 
courses) so he is well credentialed to deal with 
ongoing sustainability concerns. Haloxyfop is used 
to control Poa annua on the pure fescue site.  Another new Scottish course opened that same year is the Tom Doak-designed Renaissance Club. More than 80 hectares of deciduous trees were The Tom Doak-designed Renaissance Club in Scotland which opened in 2009The iconic rock walls which are a unique feature at North BerwickThroughout the tour the most common word 
that was spoken by clubs was sustainability of the game. The minimalistic management 
practices was an indication of how they were 
making it possible and the results many 
were achieving with limited budgets was very 
impressive.I never had an understanding before of how many great golf courses there were in the UK and Europe. Even the small country courses 
had some fantastic hole designs. The golfing culture too was an eye-opener. The whole town 
gets involved in their local golf courses and 
there is a lot of free golf for juniors!Hayden Mead ΠKingston Heath Golf ClubCONTINUED FROM PAGE 28AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     31What was most evident on tour was the way in which management practices were in harmony with Mother Nature, especially those courses in Scotland, England, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The grasses being managed grew well in those particular environments and the playing surfaces consisted of a mix of grasses rather 
than monostands of turf. Sustainability seemed to be the overriding factor in many course management programmes. Chemicals were not relied upon to produce quality surfaces, rather correct 
cultural practices which ensured the golf courses played well. Course closures at some 
clubs on a regular basis allowed general maintenance and course improvements to be 
undertaken more efficiently, something that we have also adopted at Woodlands on a 
monthly basis.Rod Tatt Œ Woodlands Golf ClubThe Berkshire™s two courses are considered by many to be the finest examples of ‚follow-the-land™ style of designSt Andrews Links Trust director of greenkeeping Gordon Moir holds courtremoved to create the golf course which has 6ha of greens and surrounds. Greens, tees and surrounds 
are all cut at 4mm.Another highlight of our trip was the afternoon spent at North Berwick Golf Club. North Berwick is a golf mad town where a community putting green 
is maintained adjacent to the foreshore for ‚young 
laddies and lassies to be indoctrinated™. Golf was 
first played in the area in 1604 and North Berwick is 
the 13th oldest club in the world. North Berwick superintendent Stuart Greenwood maintains his fescue/Poa annua greens at 4mm which stimp consistently at 9. Fungicides have not been used for four years. Our round of golf took us 
along the North Sea coast (where the beach is in play) with iconic holes incorporating original rock 
wall fencing and burns.ENGLANDHeading further south and back into England, we 
had the opportunity to visit Royal Lytham and St Anne™s just before the 2012 Open Championships. 
Superintendent Paul Smith was in full tournament 
mode but took time out to show us around. The 11 
full-time staff were complemented by 24 extras from 
local clubs and a further 70 from around the UK. The 
course™s 205 bunkers are revetted every three years 
and fairways have not been fertilised for 10 years.  A true hidden gem which we discovered next was undoubtedly The Berkshire. The club™s two 
courses were both laid out in 1928 by Herbert Fowler (who also designed Walton Heath and Cruden Bay) 
and are considered to be the finest examples of 
‚follow-the-land™ style courses. We were privileged 
to play the Blue Course and really enjoyed the slick 
Poa annua greens, attractive undulating layout and 
abundance of heather.Another classic Surrey heathland course is Worplesdon where the groundstaff cut and prepared 
the entire course especially for our visit. We enjoyed 
the signature hole Πa short par 3 across Bridley Pond 
to a green surrounded by striking rhododendrons in 
full bloom.We saw a number of classic heathland courses but perhaps the finest was Swinley Forest. Much has been written about the tranquil vibe of Swinley Forest with its proliferation of heather framing each picture-
perfect hole. It was probably no coincidence that 
golfing legend Tom Watson was also an interested visitor to Swinley that afternoon. Designer Harry Colt 
famously once described Swinley Forest as ‚my least bad course™.Looking to evaluate turf management and tournament preparation from another perspective, 
we decided to visit the All England Club at 
Wimbledon. We arrived just one week out from the 
tournament with the Olympics to follow shortly after. With the cooler than normal summer in London persisting, head groundsman Neil Stubley had experienced some trying times in the lead-up to the 
tournament. However, he was a seasoned pro and in 
full control of preparation and management of the 41 
grass courts. The club employs 17-full time staff and 
has 15-20 extras during tournament time.The courts, which consist of a 25 per cent clay content soil, are sprayed out each year and 
reseeded with ryegrass at 10kg/100m2. A mixture of soil and pre-germinated seed is used to assist in 
the recovery of heavy wear areas during and at the 
conclusion of the tournament. Courts are cut daily 
at 8mm.THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM AND FRANCEWhile typical destinations for European golf trips normally include Scotland, Ireland and southern England, very few would consider heading across to 
continental Europe. Feeling a bit like trailblazers, we 32     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTUDY TOURSboarded a plane bound for Amsterdam with much trepidation and excitement. We had all heard of the 
Harry Colt and Tom Simpson legacy through The Netherlands, Belgium and France and we were all keen to see their famed work.Colt™s first project in The Netherlands was Kennemer Golf and Country Club located in the dune region of Zandvoort. It was some of the best 
golf course land we had witnessed on our trip. 
The golf course suffered badly during German 
occupation in World War II and at one point there 
were 122 German bunkers on the property as well 
as anti-tank walls. The course maintenance facility is 
still located in one of these bunkers! After the defeat 
of the Germans, the club resurrected archives of Colt™s old letters, hole descriptions and diagrams 
and slowly nurtured it back to its original glory. Kennemer is rightly proud of its rich history and regularly hosts the Dutch Open. The 8th hole is regarded as one of the finest par threes in Europe 
and the turf quality across the whole site was 
excellent, particularly the fescue/Poa annua greens. A flock of more than 500 sheep is released onto the 
golf course for a short period each year to control 
the abundant rough. Due to strict environmental 
regulations, chemicals are rarely used on the golf 
course with fungal disease controlled through 
applications of sulphur and copper.Our next visit to The Royal Hague Golf Club coincided with a European Seniors Tour event. The golf course is the oldest in The Netherlands and is situated on a magnificent, undulating exposed 
coastal dune landscape. The tournament promised 
to be a great success with players faced with glassy 
Poa annua/bentgrass greens, tightly cut fairways and spectacular sandy wastelands. We particularly 
loved the reachable par five 18th with the iconic 
clubhouse as a backdrop (see photo page 26/27).Another course severely affected by World War II was Royal Zoute which is located just outside of 
Brugge in Belgium. The clubhouse was occupied by the Germans during this period and the 1st fairway 
was remodelled into a shrapnel wall. Following an enjoyable round of golf and an eerie tour through 
the clubhouse, superintendent Mark Lewis took us 
on a guided tour through the historic city of Brugge.Heading into France, set in an unassuming rural location with the door firmly shut on visitors 
lies the very exclusive Morfontaine Golf Club, 
regarded alongside Ballybunion and Royal Lytham & St Anne™s as one of Tom Simpson™s finest works.  Superintendent Jon White has great passion for the 
course and its history and despite finot knowing 
a word of bloody Frenchfl when he arrived he has managed to learn the language and had the 
course looking in great shape. The fescue/colonial 
bentgrass greens provided an incredible surface 
and an abundance of heather, particularly through 
the tee carry areas, complimented the breathtaking 
layout beautifully.Chantilly would be the final course we visited on our amazing study tour. Built by Simpson in 1906, 
the 36-hole layout has survived two World Wars 
and hosted the French Open an unprecedented 10 times. The classic vigneron course was designed as the ‚continental version of St Andrews™.  Superintendent Remy Dorbeau outlined his vision for the golf course and how through 
aggressive cultural management practices and 
continual oversowing with Highland bentgrass, the 
putting surfaces, which 10 years ago were 100 per 
cent Poa, have improved dramatically. Fairways also provided an excellent surface and they are 
continually oversown with Sheeps and Slender 
fescues and have not been fertilised for 10 years.UNFORGETTABLEOur 25-day study tour left an indelible mark on all of 
us, presenting an unforgettable insight into global 
golf course management techniques and instilling 
a greater understanding of some of the classic 
courses and architects. Our time in north eastern 
America was a fascinating journey through some 
of the world™s highest ranked courses and the two 
days spent at NSCU were invaluable.We still marvel at the classic course design and incredible golfing culture we were fortunate to 
experience in Scotland and the warm hospitality bestowed upon us by our northern hemisphere 
associates. The opportunity to view preparations for 
the Open and inspect some of the great heathland 
courses in southern England also inspired, while the 
recurring theme of sustainable golf in continental 
Europe was very thought-provoking.After suffering badly during German occupation in WWII, Kennemer G&CC in The Netherlands resurrected design archives to slowly nurture the course back to its original glory Morfontaine™s fescue/colonial bentgrass greens were impressiveThere™s hype. And there™s proven history. Since 1998, innovation after innovation in 2500 Greens Mowers have led the industry toward improved results. Want to learn 
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fitriplex ringfl.How advanced is it?The features we introduced in  1998 still haven™t been duplicated.34     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEAfter years of drought-like conditions, some turf managers around the country have been caught out by recent wet weather. AGCSATech senior agronomist Andrew Peart looks at the issue of managing saturated profiles and stresses the importance of renovations, adequate drainage and choosing the correct construction material.TechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesDuring some inspections of playing surfaces over the last four months, issues with profiles 
remaining too wet have regularly been encountered. The drought conditions in the south east of Australia during the early 2000s have been well 
documented in the pages of ATM over the years and many sporting organisations maintaining natural turf 
surfaces have implemented various water harvesting 
and storage options, from the installation of water 
tanks through to complex aquifer storage and 
recharge systems.While the drought had less of an impact on those with heavier soil types or poorer draining profiles, the 
emphasis on adequate renovation may also have 
been forgotten as wet winters or indeed constant 
rainfall events were not witnessed. However, with 
the rainfall experienced through the last two years, 
particularly in Melbourne and Victoria, wet profiles 
have again become a management issue.Table 1 below highlights the change in annual rainfall in Melbourne from 2006 onwards. While this 
year to date may not be as wet as that experienced 
in 2010 and 2011, the late summer and autumn 
rainfall this year in Melbourne had many soil profiles 
at near saturation prior to the start of winter.  Profiles generally become wet due to a number of issues that may be confined to one or more of 
the following:  Poor surface shape;  Excessive thatch layer;  Poor drainage rate;  High moisture retention;  Profile too shallow; and  Lack of subsurface drainage.Many older golf greens for example are constructed from poor soil types devoid of 
subsurface drains. Having surface fall to enable 
surface water shedding is their only way of remaining 
relatively playable during the wetter months. It is the lack of surface fall on these types of constructions 
that is their major downfall in periods of wet weather. Figure 1 (opposite page) illustrates five different examples of greens profiles and surface fall at a 
regional Victorian golf course in June. Greens 1, 
5 and 8 are all very flat putting surfaces and have 
reached saturation as recorded with a Fieldscout 
TDR300 moisture probe. The moisture retention is greater than 50 per cent for the readings with the 
38mm and 120mm probes. The 4th green, however, 
has much better surface fall and the moisture 
readings are less with 46 per cent at the 38mm 
range and 40.8 per cent at 120mm.While the above four greens were constructed with the in-situ soil, the putter has been constructed 
from a turf sand. Figure 1 shows it is holding an 
excessive amount of moisture in the top 38mm, 
due to significant thatch accumulation, but at the 
120mm range the moisture retention is a much more 
acceptable 24 per cent.The photograph opposite clearly illustrates that band of thatch evident within the putter profile. 
While this amount of thatch may not have posed a 
significant problem during the drier years, it is now 
something that must be addressed with far more 
regular coring and ideally dusting in these changed 
climatic times. Generally on sportsfields the same issues can develop especially on older, poorer constructed 
grounds that have used in-situ soils. The reliance TABLE 1: MELBOURNE ANNUAL RAINFALL (2006-PRESENT)Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012Rainfall (mm) 438.4 448.4 449.4 464.8 780.2 832.4 503.81 1 To the end of September. Source: www.bom.gov.aupointSaturationpointSaturationProfiles are generally wet due to a number of issues including poor surface shape, excessive thatch and poor drainage ratesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     35on good surface fall is paramount. This last winter has been very harsh on many local sportsfields constructed with sandy loam soil or heavier soil 
types which have inherently slow drainage rates. 
Without surface falls of greater than 1:100, if not 1:80, 
waterlogged and muddy conditions will develop.Even with the inclusion of subsurface drainage the necessity to have surface fall direct water to the 
drainage line is imperative. The photo on page 36 illustrates an example where even drains placed at 
2.5 metre centres are ineffective at removing surface 
water if isolated depressions prevent the water from 
being able to move to them.While subsurface drainage is a very effective way of removing excessive surface water, it is 
important that prior to any drainage works being 
undertaken that the surface has been adequately 
topdressed to ensure no undulations are present. 
Following the installation, it is then important that the surface of the drains is not sealed with finer 
textured soils. This can firstly occur if washed sod is 
not used to re-turf the drainage lines or the ground 
is not topdressed often enough to ensure in-situ soil 
is not smeared over the drainage lines.SAND PROFILESWhile the above examples have generally illustrated 
situations with in-situ or finer textured soils, slow 
draining profiles or profiles that hold onto too 
much moisture have also been witnessed on sand 
constructions. In theory, sand profiles should have less reliance of surface fall, however, as mentioned 
earlier thatch accumulation can have a debilitating 
impact on the ability of a sand profile to efficiently 
drain and retain excessive moisture.Sand profiles in theory are excellent at facilitating the movement of free water (that which is not held 
by the particles themselves) through the profile 
and into a drainage system. The rate of this water movement is primarily governed by the particle size 
distribution of the sand and the amount of resultant 
macropores coupled with the depth of the profile. When choosing a sand for construction purposes the hydraulic conductivity (drainage rate) 
must always be known, but it is not the only 
characteristic that must be identified. Volumetric 
water is the second consideration which identifies 
how much water will be retained within the soil 
profile once the free water has drained. This water 
is available for the plant to use. It is often said that 
a sand that drains too quickly will be too droughty, 
however, while there may be some correlation this is 
not always the case.When testing sands for construction purposes ideally it should conform to the physical 
characteristics as outlined in Table 2 below, irrespective of its particle size distribution.   It is interesting to note that the most recent revision to the USGA Recommendations for Putting Green Construction (2004) altered the recommendation for 
saturated hydraulic conductivity. The 1993 version 
specified two ranges: a normal range of 6-12 inches 
(150-300mm/hr) and an accelerated range of 12-24 
inches (300-600mm/hr).  The 2004 version no longer 
carries an upper limit which would tend to indicate 
that while it is still imperative that the volumetric 
water (moisture retention) is within a prescribed 
range, the drainage rate of the sand only has to 
meet a minimum requirement.The 2004 revision also permitted the use of inorganic amendments to be incorporated with 
the sand to meet the ranges for volumetric water. 
Previously it was just organic amendments such 
as peat moss that were allowed.  The only other 
stipulations with inorganic amendments were that 
when incorporated, the sand blend still had to meet 
the USGA particle size criteria and that they were mixed through the full depth of the profile. TABLE 2: USGA PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS (2004 REVISION)Test SpecificationSaturated hydraulic conductivity  >150mm/hrTotal porosity Π30cm tension  35-55% v/vVolumetric water Π30cm tension  15-25% v/vAeration porosity Π30cm tension  15-30% v/vFigure 1. Moisture retention at two depthsABABThatch accumulation, which is clearly evident at the top of this profile, can have a debilitating impact on the ability of a sand 
profile to efficiently drain and retain excessive moisture36     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEWhile the use of inorganic amendments has increased in recent years it is recommended that they are only incorporated in response to low 
volumetric water results obtained following soil 
analysis and not simply as part of a recipe where 
they are added irrespective of the sand™s physical 
properties. The construction of profiles which are too shallow can also lead to profiles remaining unduly 
wet for extended periods of time. Again these tend 
to be imported sand-based constructions rather 
than older profiles constructed from in-situ material.The USGA recommendations state that a 300mm profile should be placed over a gravel drainage layer. In some instances, however, there 
is a tendency to construct profiles at a shallower 
depth. During the drought it may well have been a 
conscious decision to construct profiles shallower 
as a way of maintaining a higher level of moisture 
within the profile. Unfortunately for whatever reason, if a profile is too shallow it will always hold onto 
an excessive amount of moisture. The excessive 
moisture will lead to a reduction in aeration which 
may lead to possible issues of black layer, algal 
formation and softer surfaces.While different sands will have different moisture retentions, if the intention is to construct a profile 
less than 300mm in depth, a moisture release curve 
should be undertaken to evaluate if this is plausible. 
Figure 2 (left) shows the moisture release curve of a 
sand that was used in a profile where construction 
depth was only 250mm.As the chart demonstrates, the capillary fringe or air entry point of this sand is on average 275mm. 
In general, the construction depth is calculated by 
adding 100mm to the capillary fringe and subtracting 
50mm for the suction of the gravel drainage layer. In 
this instance the ideal construction depth would 
be 325mm which is far deeper than the 250mm to 
which it was constructed.With lower levels of rainfall during the drought the impact of this would be less noticeable, 
however, with increased rainfall the profile remains 
substantially wetter for prolonged periods of time 
even with excellent drainage and low levels of thatch 
accumulation.For any turf manager, the reason for the playing surface being wet must be ascertained so remedial 
action can be taken. Spring is the ideal time to undertake renovation practices such as coring 
and topdressing on cool-season grasses, while 
over summer is the ideal time to undertake similar 
practices on warm-season grasses. Drainage works 
should also be undertaken in the drier months so 
that any re-turfing that may be required has time to 
establish prior to the colder months.An example of a sportsfield holding water where isolated depressions inhibit surface flowFigure 2. Moisture release curve of a construction sandVisit www.plpgolfandturf.com.au or call 1300 363 027.SUPPLIER OFMADE IN USASupplying the golf and turf and other related industries with all the aftermarket spare parts, power equipment and 
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Waste2Water                           www.countryclub.com.au40     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSEInternal conflict between staff and staff ill-discipline within a small team such as a turf maintenance crew can be debilitating and have a huge effect on morale and productivity. The Pulse asks how course superintendents deal with staff discipline and internal conflict issues at their facility and what strategies have worked for them in the resolution of past issues.troopsorderKeeping theintroopsorderfiSpeaking from the experience of having made plenty of mistakes in the past, I 
can recommend a theory once touted as the recruitment philosophy at Manly Sea Eagles 
under former coach and Manly great Des Hasler Πa 
‚no dickhead policy™. Having let problem staff erode 
morale before, I try to keep a tight control on this. 
The impact of letting someone hang around too long 
on other staff/morale can be very detrimental and 
take a long time to re-build. You have to start with clear terms of employment, job descriptions and procedures. Reviews of 
performance and documented warnings must not 
be put off due to time constraints etc. We all know 
this industry is pretty poorly remunerated and we 
have to do everything else in our power to provide 
a good working environment for staff and build a 
great team. Recruiting takes valuable time but taking shortcuts during this phase or putting off dismissals 
due to the time it takes to re-employ can come 
back to bite you. If staff can™t respect other staff for the benefit of the team you need to hold them 
accountable, although it™s not always easy to do 
when you are struggling to get staff in the first 
place!fl Michael Bradbery, Manly Golf Club, NSW~~~~fiHaving trained in Sydney under the infamous Bill Carlon, I learnt people responded to different methods of training so I™m a little old school. 
I quickly front staff with any issues. I realised 
many years ago their attitude towards work is a 
direct reflection on my own perceived abilities as 
a greenkeeper. I don™t want to be judged by my members because staff aren™t doing what they™re 
told and paid to do. I employ grown men, so any childish behaviour or sulking is very quickly dealt 
with. I don™t mollycoddle, I don™t hold their hand; I 
do pay them to come to work at specific times and 
do their work. As far as staff clashing, as long as there is no bullying (which is something I won™t stand for) I let 
them get on with it. Staff are here to work; if they 
don™t talk to each other while weeding bunkers I™m 
not concerned. They don™t have to get on, they 
have to work together. At the end of the day if a staff 
member is more trouble than they™re worth, we soon 
part ways.This year, under a new club management, I™ve had to conduct individual staff appraisals for the first 
time. Although I found this process quite difficult at 
first, I soon discovered it to be a great tool to sort out 
many issues that have developed over the years.fl 
Glenn Cross, Mt Lawley Golf Club, WA~~~~fiDealing with conflict is not easy as it can come 
in many forms, from personality clashes, work 
ethics to general misunderstanding. The important 
thing, however, is that any issues are addressed 
immediately and everything is documented. If you let an issue drag on things can escalate and get out 
of control very quickly. Our staff are made to watch a bullying video and we have a copy of the club™s bullying policy 
for all to read. When the staff are confident they 
understand the policy we get them to sign off on 
it and date it. Should an incident occur, staff are 
requested to report any incidents immediately to 
the course superintendent or assistant.  We then 
interview both parties individually and document all AGCSAAGCSASERVICEProviding expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance standardsContact AGCSA HR and Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellar 0408 322 397 daryl@agcsa.com.auAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     41that is reported before bringing both parties together to try to resolve the issue. If no progress is made 
we will request the involvement of the club™s human 
resource manager to assist, then, if necessary, the 
first of three warnings will be issued.fl Tony Webster, 
Worrigee Links, NSW ~~~~fiIn regards to staff discipline, if a guy won™t toe the 
line, I™ll offer him five dollars, drive him to the nearest 
train station, point him roughly in the direction home 
and send him on his way. I don™t have time for crap; if you work for me and don™t play ball, out you go. 
No ifs, no buts.fl Ben Evans, Bardwell Valley Golf Club, NSW~~~~fiI believe every workplace should have an employee 
handbook which clearly sets out all the policies and 
procedures that employees must follow. Old habits 
die off quickly and new ones are formed. It also 
makes it easier to reference back to the handbook 
to discipline someone for a breach of policy and 
procedure. I think it is important that grey areas are 
eliminated and everyone knows exactly where they 
stand. Of course, the discretion can then fall back 
to the super or manager as to how flexible they are 
before progressing to the next stage. I find verbal warnings don™t work too well, but are protocol. Written warnings normally hit the 
spot and counselling sessions are held after one 
has being issued. Loss of overtime always hits an 
employee™s back pocket hardest and gets them 
moving again, while less favourable job allocations 
can push a worker out altogether. Internal conflict is tricky. Currently I have two golf course crews combined into one and see lots 
of division among them. Within any club I find there 
will be groups that get together, be it because of 
common interests, their ages or simply where they 
sit in the smoko room. I try and deal with the overall 
morale of the crew rather than the individuals, 
making it feel like a team environment. Things like BBQ™s, golf comps, tipping comps, punters clubs, 
variety and flexibility in hours etc all help build 
morale within my team. If all else fails, get them both in the office and validate both sides, even if privately you prefer one 
point of view. Guide the conversation towards a joint 
problem solving approach and away from personal 
attacks. Make sure that both sides have a win/win 
resolution to the problem and agree to move on.fl 
Dean Hopper, Camden Lakeside Golf Club, NSW~~~~fiAs a manager you realise that you cannot do 
everything yourself and, as a tradesman, your staff 
are your tools to achieve what you are hoping to 
achieve. One thing I have learnt is not to try and deal 
with the issue yourself. Inform the club so they are 
not only aware of the issue but can give you some 
advice from outside because sometimes it can be 
hard to get perspective, especially when you are 
working closely with someone. As with most things, communication seems to be the key and approaching people personally with 
sincere intentions. Sometimes no matter what you do, nothing seems to work and it may be necessary 
to remove someone to achieve harmony again. I 
think it is also important to have the staff structure 
correct, that is not having too many staff that are 
all qualified, doubting others™ knowledge and your 
practices, thinking they know best. You need to 
have staff feel valuable, cared for, happy, stress-free, 
comfortable to make decisions and able to confront 
you with any problems.No matter how long you manage staff, you are forever learning about your crew and trying to 
achieve the best results. But just when you think 
everything is going along really well, something 
will inevitably jump out and bite you on the bum.fl  
Wayne Tickle, Ballina Golf Club, NSWWe all know this industry is pretty poorly 
remunerated and we 
have to do everything 
else in our power to 
provide a good working 
environment for staff 
and build a great team.- Michael BradberyProviding expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance standards42     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANIn his latest column John Neylan looks at research into nematode control and the benefits of using a portable moisture probe to determine soil moisture content and the effectiveness of irrigation practices.Every turf area in Australia is infested with plant parasitic nematodes and at various times 
they can become a major pest. In recent times the Newcastle region has experienced severe difficulties in controlling nematodes because of 
Nemacur degradation and more recently Sting 
nematodes (Belonolaimus) have caused severe turf 
damage in WA and NSW.Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented round worms and there are many types with 
over 80,000 species recorded from three main 
types Πparasitic, predaceous and saprophytic. 
Parasitic nematodes are the main type of nematode 
that causes concern for turf managers and 
horticulturalists. Plant parasitic nematodes are 
microscopic, translucent roundworms, generally 
0.5mm to 3 mm in length and 30 to 100 microns in 
diameter as adults. There are around 13 species that 
are commonly found on turfgrasses.Parasitic nematodes feed on plant roots and slow plant growth and in some cases they also 
allow the entry of fungal rots that destroy the roots. 
Factors exacerbating nematode damage include:  Stress caused by low mowing heights;  Excessive nitrogen fertilisation;  Inadequate nutrient inputs;  Moisture stress;  Heat stress; and   Soil compaction. As with many turf related problems associated with pests, turf health and a healthy growing 
environment is the prerequisite for providing natural 
resistance and tolerance. In situations where stress factors are apparent, turf managers should 
first attempt to minimise these stresses before 
considering other options.A certain number of nematodes may cause damage on one grass species or in a certain 
environment but have no effect on another grass or 
in a different environment. Nematodes may cause problems on a golf green whereas the grass on 
a fairway may be able to cope with many more 
nematodes. Understanding the damage thresholds indicate the nematode population density required to cause 
damage. A range of damage thresholds can be found 
in the scientific literature and Dr Graham Sterling has produced some useful tables on treatable 
thresholds as they relate to Australian conditions 
and on different turfgrass species (Sterling, 2008 
http://www.biolcrop.com.au/uploads/editor/files//
Nematodes%20on%20turfgrass.pdf).In Australia, Sting nematodes (Belonolaimus) have in recent years become the main concern 
because of the relatively low numbers required 
to cause significant turf damage. Dr Sterling considers the Sting nematode to be Australia™s most destructive nematode pest. Sting nematodes are most problematic in sand-based rootzones such as 
golf greens and sports fields, especially with couch 
(Cynodon spp.) turf (McCarty et al., 2005). Sting nematodes are ectoparasitic, feeding with their stylets penetrating into plant vascular 
tissue. Threshold populations for sting nematodes 
in warm-season grasses range from 10 to 20 per 
100cm3 of soil (McCarty et al., 2005). Above these Above: As the sample plug on the right clearly demonstrates, Sting nematodes can severely retard root developmentDon™t getstungstungAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     43threshold levels, Sting nematodes retard overall root development, predisposing plants to moisture and heat stress.Synthetic chemical control of nematodes is extremely limited and often inconsistent among 
nematode genera. Their use is restricted, including 
specific turf sites, rates, number of applications, 
and often require special equipment and special 
licensing to purchase and apply (McCarty et al., 
2005). Repeat use of certain nematicides may also lead to enhanced microbial degradation, shortening 
their effective half-lives (Skipper et al., 2001). In studies on couch and bentgrass bowling greens, Neylan et.al. (1996) demonstrated the inconsistent results of fenamiphos on different 
nematode genera. Fenamiphos was effective against Spiral (Helicotylenchus), Dagger 
(Xiphenema), Sheath (Hemicycliophora) and Stubby (Paratrichadorus) nematodes in roots and soil but 
did not control Root-knot (Meloidogyne).  It did not appear to control Lesion (Pratylenchus) established 
in the roots but controlled them in the soil.  Fenamiphos has been the most widely used nematicide and its toxicity is a concern for the 
applicator, players, birds and fish and the soil 
microflora. It is a treatment of last choice. In 2012 
the insecticide active abamectin (Agador®) was registered for use against Ring and Sting nematodes and for the first time provides turf managers with a 
pesticide alternative.ORGANIC AND BIOLOGICAL NEMATODE TREATMENTSOrganic alternative treatments are preferred, but with a lack of scientific data, claims made about 
these products need to be considered with some 
scepticism. However, anecdotal evidence indicates 
that they do have potential. The standard organic treatment has been a mix of Kelpak and molasses. There are varied views 
on how it works, whether it is toxic to nematodes 
or stimulates the soil microflora which in turn acts 
as an antagonist to the nematodes. Dr. Robin 
Bedding (CSIRO, pers. comm.) has postulated that stimulating a high population of non-parasitic Sting nematodes have in recent years become the main concern because of the relatively low numbers required to cause 
significant turf damage. Note the lack of root system in this plug taken from a bentgrass green44     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANnematodes creates competition for space along the roots and root hairs in the soil rhizosphere and 
thereby making it more difficult for the parasitic 
nematodes to attach themselves to the roots.   Biological control options are emerging to help offset the need for conventional pesticides which 
includes the use of Pasteuria sp. to control Sting (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) nematodes (Giblin-Davis, 2000). Spores of the bacterium attach to the 
cuticle of the nematode and after infection occurs, 
the parasite grows within the nematode™s body and 
eventually kills it. The spore attachment process is 
very host specific, which means that the parasite 
will not adversely affect other nematodes, including 
beneficial, free-living species. Research by Crow (2005) into bio-alternatives included plant-based products, mustard bran 
meal and microbial antagonists. This research demonstrated there were no overall trends in 
nematode population reduction as a result of 
treatments imposed and turf from treated plots 
did not have significantly greater root lengths than 
turf from the untreated controls. Crow (2005) did 
suggest that mustard bran had the most promise. Cox et.al. (2006) investigated the use of various plant extracts to control Sting nematodes. These 
studies indicated that plant extracts, from members 
of the Euphorbiaceae family and Brassica genus, appear as potential alternatives for Sting nematode 
suppression if the compounds can persist in the soil 
and plant environment for sufficient time. Bacillus firmus is another microbial alternative for nematode control (Kaapro, 2012). The Bacillus bacteria colonise around the root and stimulate 
improved root growth and provide a defensive 
barrier around the roots which protects against 
nematodes, primarily by acting against nematode 
eggs.Stowell et.al. (2010) conducted a field study on a bentgrass practice green to evaluate the 
efficacy of four biorational products for control of 
Root-knot, Spiral and Ring nematodes. The key 
findings were that Bacillus firmus and methionine 
resulted in significant reductions in populations of 
Root-knot nematode. Methionine is an amino acid and the impact of this treatment was problematic 
due to significant phytotoxicity. Crow et.al. (2009) 
also reported that methionine has potential for 
development as a turfgrass nematicide, but further 
research is needed to determine how it can best 
be used. The University of Florida has undertaken research comparing bermudagrass and seashore paspalum 
cultivars for their abilities to tolerate nematodes 
(Nus, 2012). Results of the studies showed that the change in Sting nematode populations on bermudagrass plots depended on the cultivar. Populations increased in Champion (37 per cent) and MiniVerde (40 per cent), but dropped 
in Tifgreen (4 per cent), TifEagle (18 per cent), Celebration (27 per cent), Floradwarf (32 per cent), Tifway (33 per cent), and TifSport (93 per cent). However, although TifSport couch appeared to be more effective at suppressing the reproduction 
of Sting nematodes in the field, the population of 
Spiral nematodes increased 123-fold in those same 
TifSport plots. The study also revealed not only differences in nematode populations between bermudagrass 
cultivars, but also differences between bermudagrass 
and seashore paspalum. Seashore paspalum was a 
more desirable host to Spiral nematodes than it was for Sting nematodes.NO SILVER BULLETSo where are we at? Nematode damage and 
nematode control continues to provide a significant 
turf management challenge. The recent upsurge in the presence of Sting nematodes has highlighted 
the difficulties in managing and minimising the 
damage from, potentially, a very destructive pest. 
The use of fenamiphos is a last resort and there is 
a desire to be able to minimise chemical use and 
to manage nematodes ‚naturally™ through improved 
plant and root health. There are alternatives that provide some promise, but the research data is thin. As with most pest managements practices there are no ‚silver bullets™. Good nematode control 
requires regularly monitoring of pest numbers, 
monitoring plant and root health, managing the 
turf to maximise turf health and removing stress 
factors (e.g.: low cutting heights in summer). As new 
products become available trial them on your turf. Another important consideration is that if you are importing any turf or sprigs, you must insist 
that nematode counts have been undertaken on 
the paddock from which the turf is harvested. The 
movement of contaminated turf is the primary cause 
of new nematode infestations.MONITORING SOIL MOISTUREAs we approach the summer months, turf managers 
start to think about irrigation and the importance 
of managing their water so that a strong, healthy 
turf is maintained and presents the best possible 
surface. Golf and bowling greens in particular are Nematode damage (left) on kikuyu turfSting nematodes are ectoparastic, feeding with their stylets penetrating into plant vascular tissueAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     45very reactive to soil moisture and the impact that it has on the quality of the playing surface (particularly 
on pace). The AGCSA™s recent golf course benchmarking studies have demonstrated the value of using a 
portable moisture probe to determine soil moisture 
content and the effectiveness of irrigation practices. 
The data collected to date has demonstrated a very 
clear relationship between soil moisture content 
and surface firmness. It has also demonstrated the spatial variations that occur in soil moisture due to 
surface contours and irrigation uniformity. The questions you need to ask yourself are how do I decide how much water needs to be applied 
and what effect has an irrigation had? Irrigation is about replacing soil moisture and it makes sense 
that soil moisture content is measured. For more than 25 years I have worked with soil moisture 
sensors and I believe that they are an essential tool 
for managing irrigation.By measuring soil moisture content, it can be quickly correlated with turf quality and the 
surface condition on your site. Many years ago 
when Moonee Valley Racetrack in Melbourne 
was constructed there were soil moisture sensors 
installed in the track. Over time, then track manager 
Ian Trevethan was able to manage the soil moisture content in a way that produced the best possible 
racing surface. He was able to predict how much 
water he needed to apply in the lead-up to a race meeting in order to meet his benchmark surface. It 
does take a little effort and data collection but can be 
invaluable in providing consistent surfaces.Golf greens provide some interesting challenges because of the contours and the demand for firm and 
dry surfaces. Excessive moisture encourages leaf and root diseases, softness, increased susceptibility 
to mechanical damage, algae etc.  Insufficient soil moisture results in wilt, increased leaf canopy 
temperatures and potential for more localised dry 
spot. Lake Karrinyup superintendent Trevor Strachan uses a hand-held moisture probe to check the greens during the recent Perth 
International tournament˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˝˘˝˙˚˙˘˙˝˚˛˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˝˘˝˙˚˙˘˙˝˚˛˘˙˚˘˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙46     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLAN46     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCONDUCTING TRIALS ON YOUR GOLF COURSEUndertaking trials on turf areas that are in play are very important for providing information 
on how products will work in the real world compared to trial plots. Recent experience with new 
products has highlighted the difference between 
trial plots without the effects of traffic compared to 
turf areas that are in play and exposed to all of the 
stresses involved with playing surfaces. Trialling on in-play areas is an important step in determining where a new product will fit into a 
management programme, for the registration of new 
products and for turf managers to determine the 
efficacy of a new product.The process of registering a new pesticide is a relatively long and detailed process requiring a large 
amount of detailed research. This is to ensure that the new product can be registered and placed in the 
marketplace with a high degree of confidence that 
it will be effective and not cause any unexpected 
results. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) is the government 
authority responsible for registering any new 
pesticide. In the APVMA guidelines it states that 
fiIt is the responsibility of the applicant to present 
adequate data to support any claims made in 
applications for registration or label changes for agricultural chemical products. Claims for major 
pests must be supported by statistically analysed 
datafl. Multiple, replicated trials across a range of 
localities is therefore critical in the registration of any 
new pesticide.A part of the process of introducing a new pesticide often involves user trials where turf 
managers are requested to evaluate a new turf 
product. This information provides useful feedback 
on the usability of the product from a practitioner™s 
point of view. These trials are conducted as an adjunct to the replicated trials and provide 
confirmation on how the product is best used.The input of turf managers is very useful in developing new products. If you are approached to undertake such trials it is important that you 
make sure that the product to be tested has an 
appropriate APVMA permit for undertaking trials as 
well as the relevant MSDS or safety data. This is to 
make sure that you can demonstrate compliance if 
approached by any of the regulatory departments.Every turf manager at some time will have been presented with a new ‚better than the rest™ product. 
Whether it is a fertiliser, pesticide or soil conditioner, 
you need to consider the product on its merits and 
ask the following questions Πdo I have a problem, 
does what I do now work, do I need to change for change™s sake, is there research data to support the 
product claims and what does it cost? If you believe a product may have a place in your programme you must undertake your own 
evaluation trials under your management regime 
and environmental conditions. All it takes is to run 
out 2-3 strips of the product and compare against 
what you already use as well as an untreated 
control. Depending on the product claims, take 
some plugs to look at root systems and assess turf 
health and the presence/absence of pests.- John NeylanTrialling on in-play areas is an important step in determining whether a new product will fit into your management programmeA soil moisture probe provides several advantages in surface preparation, including:  Precise directions can be given as to the 
required moisture content of the greens. That is, the volumetric water content needs to be at 
15-18 per cent rather than imprecise language 
such as it should be ‚wetter™ or ‚drier™.  The soil moisture probe can be used to conduct detailed irrigation audits using a GPS mapping 
system. It can also be used for undertaking daily checks of the effects of irrigation on wet and dry 
areas.  This is very useful information on the set 
up of the irrigation system, sprinkler spacing 
and scheduling irrigation run times.  The moisture probe can be used to estimate daily moisture loss through morning and 
evening spot checks.  Early detection of wilt symptoms and plant stress.  Understanding the soil moisture content at which wilt will occur, benchmark soil moisture levels can be established at which irrigation or 
spot watering needs to occur.  Moisture measurements after high rainfall 
events can also provide an indicator of how 
the thatch management programme is working 
and whether an aeration is required to move 
moisture away from the surface.At the 2012 Australian Turfgrass Conference, keynote Dr. Frank Rossi spoke about course superintendents using a moisture probe as a means 
of determining where to spot water rather than 
hand watering the entire green or guessing whether 
a spot was dry or not. A soil moisture probe is 
worth considering as it takes the guess-work out of 
irrigation and in turn keeps the turf healthy, firm and 
playable.J8245 ET_Product + Services Golf Course_Full Pg Turf Grass Advert_OL_FA.indd   111/10/12   9:14 AM48     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTOURNAMENTSLake Karrinyup Country Club returned to the tournament spotlight in mid-October when it played host to the inaugural ISPS Handa Perth International. ATM was in the WA capital to catch the crew going about their preparations. The inaugural ISPS Handa Perth International may not have attracted a field full of big names that the organisers might have hoped for when the tournament was announced last December, but 
they did manage to score full marks in one critical 
area Πthe venue. For the first time since the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic, a remodelled and revitalised Lake Karrinyup Country Club took centre stage in near 
perfect conditions from 18-21 October, with course 
superintendent Trevor Strachan and his team of nearly 35 pulling together to prepare a course 
renowned not only for its dramatic, tumbling layout, 
but its conditioning as well.The Perth International, co-sanctioned with the European and Australasian Tours, complemented an already impressive list of events the course has 
hosted, while for Strachan it was another major 
tournament to add to the CV, one that already 
includes a Johnnie Walker Classic, a string of 
Heineken and Vines Classics, the Queen Sirikit Cup as well as the more recent Australian Amateur 
(2010) and Australian Senior Open (2011).Affable American Bo Van Pelt, world No.24 and just one of a handful of headliners to make the long 
trip to Perth, staved off intermittent challenges from 
his tobacco-chewing compatriot and 2012 Ryder Cup debutante Jason Dufner to win with 16-under, 
adding his name alongside past Lake Karrinyup 
champions Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus.While the win was Van Pelt™s first on the European Tour and won him automatic entry into the World Golf Championships Œ HSBC Champions, for 
Strachan the Perth International provided the chance to silence a few recent knockers and also bury a few The Lake Karrinyup crew and course superintendent Trevor Strachan (front middle) with the European Tour™s David Garland (left of Strachan) and the PGA Tour of Australasia™s Andrew Langford-Jones PHOTO: CHARLES KNIGHT, SMP IMAGES cut aboveLake Karrinyup acut aboveAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     49lingering memories from the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic. Back then some fluky weather impacted 
on the event and ultimately Strachan™s surfaces, but with perfect weather conditions across all four 
days this time around few could fault the condition 
in which Lake Karrinyup presented for the first major 
tournament of the new season.Strachan™s preparations ultimately began back in September when he cored the greens with 3/8fl 
tines at 50mm x 50mm spacings and topdressed, 
before instituting an intensive grooming programme 
about a fortnight out from the start of the tournament.  
Although he would have liked another month to get 
the course up, come the week of the tournament the 
surfaces, in particular the immaculate Wintergreen 
couch fairways, were of championship calibre.fiI was a little bit nervy there for a while, but we just got there I think,fl reflected Strachan when 
talking to ATM just after the start of the tournament™s second round. fiWe had a coolish spring with a bit 
of rain. We had a couple of weak and bare areas 
especially where there was shade and we actually 
had to turf out the 2nd tee about five weeks before 
the tournament, but overall we were pretty good. fiIf I™m being honest, I wasn™t too worried about the tournament itself. The biggest concern I had was how much I could groom the greens leading into it. They had a lot of grass on them after we renovated 
in early September, so about two weeks out we 
groomed them back quite heavily with the grooming 
reels on our triplex mowers.  fiWe alter the spacings on the groomers so we pull off a lot more grass, but it actually produces a 
finer leaf at the end of it which is something I found 
when I was doing it at The Vines. You get rid of all Abbie Holland (UK) was one of three additional crew members brought onto the Lake Karrinyup crew in the lead-up to the Perth 
InternationalPHOTOS AND WORDS: BRETT ROBINSON Lake Karrinyup™s iconic par three 
8th looking a picture during the opening round of the 2012 ISPS Handa Perth International held 
in mid-October50     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTOURNAMENTSthat older, broader bentgrass leaf. I™ll admit that our greens were a bit grainy beforehand but once we groomed them you could see the tracking of the ball was very smooth.fiWe did the chipping green first and then a week later did the putter so we could see how they were progressing before getting stuck into the greens out 
on the course. (Tour professional) Kim Felton, who I know quite well, was out a couple of weeks before 
and the greens were cut back, brownish and pretty 
firm and bouncy. I told him to go over to the chipper 
and explained to him that it had been done a week 
earlier. He certainly noticed the difference and come 
the Monday of the tournament he came up to me 
and said you were spot on.fiWe groomed for a good week, doing each green on their merits, sometimes up to two times in 
a day. If it™s shaded you tend to go a bit easier on 
them. It™s best to groom them in the afternoon and you want to be bringing up sand Œ that™s when you 
know you™re getting right into them. The secret to it is the topdressing six weeks before to give you 
the base to groom into. There was probably one green Œ the 3rd Œ that we didn™t groom enough and 
you could tell that during the tournament, but overall 
they came up well.flLeading into the tournament Strachan had been double cutting the Penn G6 bentgrass greens 
morning and afternoon at 2.5mm, but during the 
tournament backed off that regime considerably. 
Greens were only single cut ahead of each round, 
while just one afternoon cut was made following 
Friday™s second round. An application of Primo the Sunday before meant they were getting, at most, 
around a quarter catcher of clip per green. Although Strachan was hoping to keep the rollers in the shed, at the request of the European Tour the greens were rolled at the end of Thursday™s opening round. With the amount of foot traffic over the greens, they were getting a little bouncy and the Tour wanted to iron them out. With that Thursday afternoon roll and single cut Friday morning, the greens effortlessly stimped 12™3fl. Speeds around 
the 12™ mark would be consistent throughout the 
tournament and was more than enough given 
some of the wicked green undulations, 16 and 18 
in particular.Moisture levels in the greens were monitored at the end of each round with Strachan using a hand-
held moisture probe to gauge the levels within each 
green. With an optimum range of between 10-15 per 
cent, those greens which dipped into single figures 
were given a short cycle on the automatics, while hot 
spots were carefully monitored and hand-watered 
when necessary. The fairways, which were double cut cross cut daily from about two weeks out, were kept at 12mm 
for the tournament, while the Santa ana tees and Wintergreen greens surrounds and approaches 
were cut with triplexes at 6mm. Like Felton, many other players were quick to praise the conditioning of the course and fellow 
Western Australian Greg Chalmers was very 
complimentary of the playing surfaces after an 
opening round 4-under:  fiThe greens are perfect; 
this morning everything was as close to perfect as 
you could get it. The greens were a nine out of 10. 
The fairways Πyou could not get a bad lie on, the 
grass coverage is phenomenal.fl Above: Second assistant Nigel Fitzpatrick cuts the 13th green. Greens were just single cut for the duration of the tournamentAbove right: Lake Karrinyup™s majestic Wintergreen couch fairways were immaculateBelow: Trevor Strachan talks to some of his course volunteers as Daytan Milne rolls the 2nd green after the opening round Below right: After suffering mite damage about four years ago, an intensive management programme on Lake Karrinyup™s fairways is now paying dividendsAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     51GREAT CREWWhile the Perth International was the first major televised tournament the bulk of the crew had been 
involved in, five members of the Lake Karrinyup 
team, including Strachan, were no strangers to the 
rigours of major tournament preparation. Long-
serving lieutenant Jarrod Boyce, Rick Raison (turf 
technician), Chris Langford (irrigation technician) 
and Geoff Liddell (assistant greenkeeper) had all assisted Strachan back when the club hosted its last major international event Πthe 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic.The Lake Karrinyup crew expanded from its usual 18 to around 35 for the tournament with an 
additional three course staff ΠAbbie Holland (UK), 
Paul Delaney (Ireland) and Michael Lucas (WA) Œ
employed at the start of September to work through 
until after the event. In the months before the event Strachan also put the call out for volunteers and a further 11 joined the crew at the start of tournament week. Among 
those volunteers were Strachan™s son Adam who is 
superintendent at Perth™s Collier Park Golf Course and former Joondalup superintendent and current Globe WA turf business consultant Jeff Lane. Josh Tiddy flew in from Melbourne™s Green Acres Golf Club especially for the event, while former crew member and current Challenger TAFE turf teacher Rob Williams also volunteered. As with any major tournament, the Lake Karrinyup crew pulled some long hours in the lead-
up to and during the tournament, but Strachan says 
he couldn™t have been happier with their attitude and Above: Irrigation technician Chris Langford gives the 10th green a light handwater ahead of the second roundAbove left: Looking back down the 16th. Greens stimped around 12 
throughout the tournament52     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTOURNAMENTSthe way they went about their work to get the course in tournament shape. To make the event a little more special, Strachan managed to raise about $9000 in sponsorship from 
the likes of Toro, Nuturf, Globe, Elliotts Irrigation and Rain Bird which helped pay for all the crew™s 
shirts, jackets and hats for the week and gave them 
something to take home from the event.fiI was absolutely over the moon with the crew,fl says Strachan. fiWe had a toolbox meeting about the 
tournament a while back and I don™t think a few of 
them realised how big these events are and all the 
peripheral work that goes on to stage them. But they 
took everything on board and did a superb job. We 
have got a good mix at the moment and they all get 
on pretty well. We also tried to make the volunteers 
as welcome as possible, so I hope they enjoyed the 
experience.fiI™m very lucky to have a very good bunch of senior staff here and Jarrod (Boyce) was an 
absolute pearler. He was always going to be our ‚go-
to™ man dealing with IMG and being here, there and everywhere with them. That gave me the opportunity to work on grooming the greens with (second 
assistants) Nigel Fitzpatrick and Daytan Milne and showing them what I was trying to achieve, which I think they enjoyed. And then we had Chris Langford 
running the irrigation and Rick Raison back in the 
workshop.flFINE-TUNINGThe Perth International is contracted to return to Lake Karrinyup for the next two years, with the 
option to extend beyond that. With the US PGA Tour moving to an October start, getting the big names Down Under could continue to prove to be a struggle if held at this time of year, but Strachan is hopeful that the event will be around for the long 
haul and is already looking ahead to how he can 
improve Lake Karrinyup™s surfaces next time. fiOverall I was very happy with the course, but there are a couple of little things that I would fine-
tune for next year,fl admits Strachan. fiWe won™t be 
coring in September for a start as the club have 
asked that we reduce the number of corings. This 
year we cored and topdressed on the same day and 
used a lot of mechanical sweeping, so there were 
was a bit of wheel-marking and where we did groom 
those areas they took the tops out a little bit.fiNext year we™ll probably just groom the greens straight after winter, take all the grass off them and 
then topdress straight into that and I reckon I™ll 
come up with a really good surface. We used the 
grooming reels on the triplexes this year, but we 
might play around with using them on the walk-
behinds as they clean into the hollows a lot better. 
I would probably also time my Primo application a 
few days earlier. Apart from that, I was pretty happy with the way they came up and the feedback from 
the European Tour was fantastic.fl Julie Pearce cuts the 5th tee complex after Thursday™s opening roundApprentice mechanic Jaryd Raffaele checks the cutting units after their Friday morning cutLake Karrinyup™s penultimate hole - the 200m par three 17thLake Karrinyup assistant superintendent Jarrod BoyceThe Wintergreen fairways 
were double cut at 12mmpggwrightsonturf.com.auinfo@pggwrightsonturf.com.auSummer StandoutsFor further  information contact your PGG Wrightson Turf Representative
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forms a much denser and ˜ ner 
turfgrass sward. Application rate: 8 g/m2 (80 kg/ha)Princess 77 is one of PGG Wrightson Turf™s elite bermudagrass varieties. 
Bred by Dr. Arden Baltensperger from 
Seeds West Inc. it has outstanding 
drought tolerance, great divot 
recovery and a dark green colour. Its 
medium ˜ ne leaf texture makes it 
a great choice for sports˜ elds, golf 
courses and amenity situations.Application rate: 10 g/m2 (100 kg/ha)REGALSTAYGREENTURF TYPE KIKUYU GRASSŽ54     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSUSTAINABILITYIndooroopilly Golf Club course superintendent Charlie Giffard outlines the club™s recent efforts to reduce costs and improve efficiencies by changing its approach towards managing rough and out of play areas.Since the 2011 Brisbane River flood, Indooroopilly Golf Club has been working hard at presenting the courses as well as possible, working within the constraints thrown up 
in the aftermath of the recent inundation. Apart from 
the usual practices of coring, sanding and scarifying 
all turf areas, we have been continuing apace the 
treatment of our roughs and out of play areas.Backing up a bit, about four years ago me and chief executive office of the time Dale Durant 
came up with several strategies to maximise 
efficiencies and contain, or even reduce, running 
costs. Indooroopilly resides on 160 hectares and 
comprises two 18-hole courses Πthe East and West 
Πwith four separate nines configured (Red and Gold 
which form the West course and Blue and Green 
which form the East). Given the size of the site, it was evident at the time we were putting a lot of resources into 
maintaining the rough and out of play areas on both 
golf courses.  This invariably would come at the expense of our more critical areas, such as greens, 
tees, fairways and primary roughs and surrounds.  As superintendents can attest, a course and the acumen of the superintendent are measured by the 
quality and consistency of the putting surface, that is 
‚how the greens are putting™ and whether they look 
healthy or ‚green™. From there the level of pressure and criticism is directly proportional to the quality of 
the aforementioned greens. At Indooroopilly we had approximately 80ha of rough that would require weekly mowing and debris 
clean up for about six months of the year. This 
naturally incurred a considerable cost regarding 
staff, machinery and time. CUTTING BACKThe first step was to conduct an audit on both 
courses paying particular attention to the outer 
roughs and out of play areas. Initially, we identified 
areas that would become ‚no-mow™ zones and 
other areas that were to be sprayed out. By staging 
the process over a period of time, we were able to 
gauge the overall acceptance from the members, 
which, I am happy to say, has been mostly positive. As time has gone by, the treatment of these out of play and, in some instances, in-play areas, has 
come to be seen more as ‚the norm™ rather than a 
special treatment or exception. I would go so far 
as to say the members have even acquired a new 
skill set, having to adapt to hitting punch shots from 
mulch, leaf litter or even bare earth.   As we progressed with the work it became evident there was a substantial saving in time and 
machinery wear and tear to be gained.  Soon 
after, we committed to downsize our fleet of rough 
mowers.  Two out-front mowers were sold within the first six months and we were able to sell off another. 
In the last six months of 2008 we had gone from four 
out-fronts and two wide area mowers which needed 
to operate for 40-plus hours each week, to two out-
front mowers and one wide area mower. By the second year we had treated a further 15ha of rough and found we were able to get 
over both courses in four days! By comparison, in 
previous times it would take six operators all week 
to cover three of the nines, with the outstanding nine 
having to be done the following week.  It became 
apparent this was at least a two-fold saving on 
labour and machinery costs. As it stands today, we 
currently operate with two x Toro 4700 wide area Above: By instituting no-mow zones and incorporating spray out areas (pictured between fairways), Indooroopilly Golf Club has slashed its maintenance of out of play areas by half over the past four yearscuttingIndooroopilly™sIndooroopilly™sedgeedgecuttingAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     55mowers, one zero turn (300 hours in three years) and one Iseki out-front. TANGIBLE BENEFITSAs well as realising the above benefits, there have 
also been a number of secondary benefits from 
having these sprayed out and no-mow zones. While the playing areas now have greater definition with leaf litter/mulch and low shrubs 
covering the spray out areas, there has also been 
a marked improvement in the general health of our 
old growth trees (Indian siris, various fig, Jacaranda, 
Poinciana and forest red gum). I put this down to 
not having to regularly go in and around them with 
mowers, which has meant less compaction and 
disturbance of the area within the drip line. From a playing perspective, golfers/members are now more easily able to find their golf balls 
which has in turn helped to speed up play. The 
contentious issue of the time it takes to play 
presents a challenge for our industry. Indooroopilly, 
as with other clubs, is required to fight for market 
share in a time-poor environment. This aspect of course set up (spray outs), albeit small on a relative 
scale, nonetheless makes a positive difference to 
the overall experience. A final and fairly important benefit from a greenkeeping point of view is the significant reduction in the weed seed bank, especially of 
the more difficult to control weed species such as 
Paspalum vaginatum, P. notatum, wireweed and other riverine weed species. We have noticed a 
steady decline in the incidence of grassy weeds 
invading fine turf areas which greatly assists our 
weed control programmes.All in all, incorporating no-mow zones and spray out areas has been a success for us, however, it may 
not be the right thing for every club and should be 
treated on a course by course basis. A salient point 
to make is the one for greater sustainability in an era 
of ever increasing costs for energy and inputs. In 
our case it has been very much a work in progress, 
but with the success of it to date, hopefully future 
savings will be realised further down the track.Examples of some of the spray out areas at Indooroopilly. As well as realising significant time, labour and cost benefits, the process has 
also improved the health of the club™s many large trees, improved the speed of play and reduced 
undesired weed species Available from Globe Australia Pty Ltd Ph (02) 8713 5555   SST Australia Pty Ltd Ph (03) 9720 6306Special purpose wetting agents and moisture maintenance aids 
for optimum turf healthOptimize water usage for turf        with SST Products56     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTREGIONAL PROFILEAfter working as assistant superintendent at Barnbougle Dunes during its formative years, for the past six years Kurt Wheeler has been improving the reputation of the small nine-hole Greens Beach Golf Club located north of Launceston.Superintendent: Kurt Wheeler.Age: 37.
Family: Wife Megan and two sons Jacob (6) and 
Benjamin (3).
Years as a superintendent: Six.
Association involvement: AGCSA (six years) and TGCSA.Qualifications: Diploma of Agriculture (TAFE Tasmania), Cert III Horticulture (Turf Management).Turf management career: Greens Beach Golf Club (superintendent, six years); Barnbougle Dunes 
(assistant superintendent, four years); Roberts 
Limited (farm/crop consultant, 10 years)Where in Australia is Greens Beach? Greens Beach is a beautiful seaside hamlet on the 
northernmost edge of the Tamar River overlooking Bass Strait, about an hour north of Launceston. In the mid-1940s, local residents carved out six holes 
using farming machinery and named it ‚The Folly™. The golf club was officially formed in 1951.Tell us a bit about your background in turf management and how you came to be at Greens 
Beach. I started out in agriculture carting hay on a 
local farm before working as a storeman for Roberts 
Limited. A year later I became a farm field consultant 
and for the next nine years the job involved sitting 
down with dairy, crop and beef farmers working out 
full farm plans. This encompassed everything from 
fertiliser and chemical applications, pasture types/
selections and feed programmes through to general 
animal health. This gave me a very good grounding for the turf industry. Towards the end I wanted another challenge so I spoke to a good friend and ex-professional Brett 
Partridge who was working on the construction 
side of things at Barnbougle Dunes. I dropped my resume to Richard Sattler and the construction 
manager and started my turf career two weeks later. 
A year later Nathan Macdonald (superintendent) 
offered me the assistant superintendent position 
which I accepted. I then worked under Danny Brown, who now runs Blue Canyon Country Club in Thailand. He 
taught me the majority of the really important things 
in turf management Πsigns to look for, weather 
conditions and the advantages of forward planning 
Πso I owe a lot to Dan who was also a terrific bloke 
both on and off the course. I was then offered the 
Greens Beach position which meant I could be 
closer to my wife (who was pregnant with our first 
boy at the time) and also the possibility of being 
involved with an 18-hole development proposed for 
the golf course which will hopefully come to fruition 
in the next 2-3 years.What are some of the unique features about Greens Beach from a turf management 
perspective?  Like all country courses with staff numbers being low, it is sometimes a hassle but 
I have a selected band of volunteers that do a lot 
of the time-consuming jobs which allows me to 
concentrate on the more important things. Without 
their help I would be under pressure to get things done. I wouldn™t say it™s an easy or hard course 
to manage. I suppose it™s like all things, you have 
days where you are under the pump and other days 
where you can sit back and enjoy seeing the results 
from your hard work. Since I started we have had some proactive boards that have allowed me free reign on most Greens BeachGreens BeachGolf Club TASAbove: Green Beach Golf Club is a picturesque nine holer located on Tasmania™s northern coastline. A redevelopment plan by Thomson Perrett, which will see it increase to 18 holes, is still in the throes of being finalised. Pictured is the 7th/16thAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     57things when it comes to improving the course for the club. Anything else I can call up one of our volunteers, Greens Beach president and ‚apprentice™ Ross Wesson, have a five minute chat 
and get a decision then and there. One thing that 
has changed since I™ve been here is having some 
current board members get on the tools with me and 
then comment that they didn™t realise that so much 
was involved in running a golf course.Take us through your turf management operations there and how you have fine-tuned them during 
your time as superintendent?  One of the major 
changes I have implemented at Greens Beach is the 
reduction of fertiliser applications. I run the course 
fairly lean and the greens and fairways really only 
get two major applications a year as well as the 
occasional liquid. Chemical use has also been cut 
back. I watch the weather forecasts and at times, but 
not always, put out preventatives before the weather 
arrives.  I also soil test and plant tissue test just to 
see how I am utilising NPK in the plant because 
with the soil being on sand leaching can happen 
quite quickly. We were lucky enough to be donated 
a fertigation unit from The Mathew Goggin Golf Foundation which I use to drip feed wetting agent to the course over summer. I have also upgraded pins, flags, markers and cups to add a more professional 
look to the course. Any special environmental considerations that you have to incorporate into the management of 
the course? Pesticide usage is kept to a minimum 
as the ocean is only 100m away from the course 
with the possibility of runoff into drains being the 
major factor to consider.What are some of the major challenges facing Greens Beach both from a turf management 
perspective and general club management perspective?  From a turf perspective our major challenge is the slow encroachment of kikuyu into 
our greens (the sooner the chemical companies 
come out with a selective herbicide the better!). 
Like a lot of small clubs financial issues are always 
a challenge but we have got the right people in the 
right places to improve that. As I said before, the 
club is proactive and implementing programmes to 
secure the course and club™s future.Outline any major course improvement works completed in the past couple of years and 
highlight any ongoing or future works that the club 
is undertaking. Due to ongoing discussions with 
potential developers (Thomson Perrett) proposing 
an 18 hole course and residential development, 
and protracted Tasmanian Government Planning Commission changes over the last eight years, we 
are still waiting for approval on various aspects of 
the development proposal. As a club we are very 
excited about the possibility of the development 
going ahead, hopefully in the next couple of years.The one product I couldn™t manage my course without is... wetting agent, due to the water issues that can arise during a hot summer and to maximise 
water usage. And PrimoMaxx to help with the 
encroachment of kikuyu into our greens.As the sole course employee, Kurt Wheeler (right) relies on a hard-working band of volunteers with (from left) Wayne McConachy, 
Michael Towns and Ross ‚the apprentice™ Wesson (Greens Beach president) leading the chargeThe Greens Beach greens comprise various bentgrasses and 
are oversown every three years. Pictured below is the 1st58     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTREGIONAL PROFILEIf you could change one thing about your job what would it be and why? Nothing. This is my 
first superintendent role and I™m loving it! You can™t 
get much better than working on a golf course near 
the beach.What are some of the pros and cons of being a regional superintendent?  The lifestyle would have 
to be a big pro. I like the small town environment 
where you can say g™day to and know nearly 
everyone you meet. The course is not as busy as those in Launceston so you can be more productive 
and get your work done. The cons are not being 
able to jump in your ute and drive down the road 
to get a part, but in saying that if I™m desperate for something Launceston is only an hour away.Are expectations of course presentation and conditioning any less than that placed on 
your metropolitan counterparts? No. From my experience at Barnbougle Dunes and here at Greens 
Beach, all players/members want a good playing surface to be able to enjoy at all times and good 
greens. At Greens Beach we have built a reputation 
for having some of the best greens in Tasmania. Do you think regional superintendents have 
a better work-life balance than their metro 
counterparts? Better I think.  Being on a small course the relationships you build with reps and 
members within the community are really good. 
The only downfall is holidays. Being the only one 
here, taking holidays is sometimes worrying. Not 
that other volunteers don™t do a super job, it™s just 
that when certain weather conditions are forecast 
and you™re not there to oversee the course, it can 
become a bit of a problem, especially when it is very 
wet or we have hot winds.Do you have to be more resourceful as a regional-based superintendent?  I think to a certain degree 
you do. Having a farming background I have seen some great things made and used, but also 
some poor things. Having a member own a steel One of the major changes Wheeler has instituted at Greens Beach is a reduction of fertiliser applications on fairways and greensA proactive board has enabled Wheeler to get Greens Beach to the position where its surfaces are widely regarded as among the best in the state  AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     59fabrication business (JB Welding) is a god send and we also have an auto electrician who can help 
me out when I have wiring issues. Being a small club, a lot of members are quite willing to lend their 
trade expertise to you. All you have to do is ask and 
most times they do it free. This is a major difference 
between country and city courses. How important are the relationships you have with other regional superintendents/trade reps?  Very important, because being on a small course 
sometimes you don™t get time to go to meetings 
due to work commitments. I rely a lot on trade reps to keep me up to date. My old Roberts Limited (agricultural supplier and club sponsor) colleague 
Bruce Smith supplies me with most of my resources 
in chemical/grass seed/fertiliser and Exeter True Value Hardware (club sponsor) supplies me with 
anything else I need. I have one rule with reps Œ I™ll 
support you if I see you and if you support me. Ring-in reps usually get hung up on.What are some of the more unusual things you have had to do as regional course superintendent? 
Take the tractor down to the beach to pull out a city person that was bogged in one metre deep sea 
water (two-wheel drives and beach sand don™t mix!). 
Also had to pull our current president out after he 
decided to drive over the course in winter only to get 
bogged on the side of our second tee!What have you got in your shed? Main machinery items are a Toro 3250D greens mower, Toro 5500 fairway mower, John Deere 2500B surrounds/tee mower, John Deere 1145 out front rough cutter, 
John Deere 4210 tractor, Rapid Plas 300-litre trailer 
spray unit, 4t Dyna truck, quad bike.Which piece of machinery gets trashed the most and if you had a wish list what would be the next 
major ticket item you would purchase?   The rough cutter is used non-stop during spring and 
summer and does a lot of hours, sometimes running 
all day for 3-4 days. That would be the main thing 
to replace along with the purchase of a SandPro 
bunker rake.Any interesting pieces of machinery in the shed? We have an early 1990s Jacobson fairway mower 
stripped down with two brooms prefabricated to the 
front lift arm of the mower. This is our broom to rub in sand during renovations.Favourite spot on your course? The 8th tee and 3rd green; both overlook the ocean and have spectacular views. Most pleasing/rewarding moment during your time as Greens Beach superintendent?  Seeing 
the improvements in the course since I started. Having overseas golfers and golfers from major 
clubs around Australia ask if they can take the 
greens back to their club. The best comment I™ve had was from a member of 45-odd years come up 
to me and say ‚Boy, this is the best condition I have 
ever seen this course in since I™ve been a member. 
Keep it up.™ These comments tell me I™m on the right 
path.AT A GLANCE - GREENS BEACH GOLF CLUB, TASCourse specs: Nine holes with 18 tees, par 72, 5829m. 0.5 hectares of greens (various bentgrasses) which are oversown every three years; 
1ha tees (mixture of kikuyu and ryegrass/fescue blends); 7ha fairways/
rough (mixture of kikuyu, ryegrass/fescue blends).
Members: 385.Annual rounds: 10,000.
Major tournaments: Tamar Valley Junior Championship (AGU point scoring event), Tamar Valley Open Championship, 2013 Thyne Trophy. Annual course budget: $36,000.
Staff structure: Kurt Wheeler (superintendent and sole course 
employee) plus a large group of committed volunteers.
Climate: Quite cold during winter. Six frosts during 2012 winter and a 
minimum temperature of 1.7oC, with averages around 10-13oC during the day (occasionally we can get a -1oC or -2oC). During summer our hottest time is between December-March with temperatures averaging 
between 20-25oC. Average annual rainfall is 637mm.Soil types: We have two types of soil; a light sandy loam on the 
bottom side of the course and a slightly heavier sand on the top. You 
only have to dig 600mm down to hit nearly pure beach sand. This is where NPK leaching can become a problem.
Water sources: Greens Beach relies heavily on winter rains with 
drains used to divert water to a six megalitre dam plus stormwater 
runoff to another 2ML dam and an 8ML dam that we use when water 
gets short and gravity feed to our other dams for extra water. The management of water through summer can best be described as a 
‚knife edge™ scenario.
Irrigation system:  4 x Rain Bird ESP Modular Timers, Rain Bird Maxi-Paw fairway sprinklers. Greens and Tees have Rain Bird 5000+ pop-up sprinklers. Two Grundfos variable speed pumps. The system is old and will need to be replaced in the next 1-5 years.
Cutting heights: Greens 3mm (2mm for major competitions), tees/
surrounds 8mm, fairways 15mm, rough 50mm.
Renovations: We carry out major greens renovations in March/September each year. Leading up I groom about a month prior to 
renovations, doing a double pass diamond pattern, then scarify the 
greens about two-and-a-half weeks later to a depth of about 14 mm 
(two passes with blades spaced about 20mm apart). We then engage 
an external contractor to core (5/8 tines, 4fl cores) then apply a real 
heavy application of local sand. We broom and drag mat until all 
holes are filled then apply a granulated fertiliser mix and wash them 
in. Weather depending, we will also vertidrain to a maximum depth of 
200-280mm in between renovations.
Major disease pressures: Dollar spot/fusarium. I use a preventative 
fungicide programme that I have put together which includes a contact and systemic fungicide mixed together that gives good residual 
control. We have also had pythium over the last three summers due 
to some hot and humid days. I spray a preventative of Proplant from 
mid-November to March.Major greens renovations are carried out in March/September each year60     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAROUND THE TRADETORO ADDS HOVERPRO SERIES TO MOWING RANGE  Toro™s new HoverPro 450 is designed for mowing turf in challenging terrainSAKURAGAWA PUMPEDSakuragawa pumps are once again available in Australia through Pioneer Pump Australia, a division 
of AGCSA Bronze Partner company Brown Brothers Engineers Australia. This heavy duty, submersible 
dewatering pump range has been distributed in 
Australia since the early 1970™s and feature a 
compact, portable and rugged-use design making 
them exceptionally functional, economical and easy 
to handle.Renowned for their quality, the Sakuragawa pump range includes mining and dewatering 
pumps and heavy duty contractor pumps that are 
widely used through the pump rental/hire industry. 
The Sakuragawa range is suited to a variety of requirements from large volume pumps through 
to high heads and also includes a larger range of 
agitator (dredger) style submersibles. All pumps 
come with hard faced double mechanical seals in 
oil baths.
For more information about the Sakuragawa 
pump range or to download a brochure, visit 
www.pioneerpump.com.au or call Pioneer Pumps 
Australia contact Steve Bosnar on (03) 8398 0851 
or email steve.bosnar@brownbros.com.auIPSWICH WINS JOHN DEERE TT TITLEQueensland™s Ipswich Golf Club has taken out the 
2012 John Deere Trans Tasman Team Championship held at Clearwater Resort in Christchurch, New Zealand. Fourteen teams from golf courses all over Australia and NZ gathered for the final in 
mid-September, having won through from regional 
qualifying rounds conducted by John Deere dealers 
earlier in the year. In what was their first year competing in the event, the Ipswich team of course superintendent and AGCSA member Chris Fletcher, club general manager Brett Holdway and Adam Gemmell beat home the Howlong Country Golf Club team comprising of assistant superintendent Andrew 
Goddard, committee member Stephen Coonan and manager/pro Travis Merritt. In doing so Ipswich reversed last year™s result which saw NZ™s Lochiel 
Golf Club win on Australian soil at Moonah Links and 
returned to Queensland the owner of a new John 
Deere D110 tractor mower valued at $3200.As well as Fletcher and Goddard, the final saw a number of other AGCSA members and golf course maintenance staff take part including 
superintendents Des Russell (Bunbury GC, WA), 
Martyn Black (Castle Hill CC, NSW), Brett Thomson 
(Carbrook GC, QLD) and Mark Davis (Half Moon 
Bay GC, Cairns, QLD). Russell, the current GCSAWA president who was part of the winning Bunbury team 
back in the 2008 final also held at Clearwater, helped 
guide his club to third. The success and popularity of the John Deere Trans Tasman Team Championship continues to grow each year and regional qualifying rounds for 
the 2013 event will start in the New Year. The event is 
open to all golf clubs regardless of size or standard 
and for further information regarding team make-up, 
regulations and qualifying dates, contact your local 
John Deere Golf dealer.BAYER HOLDS RESEARCH FIELD DAY, LAUNCHES SCORPIO FUNGICIDETurf managers, consultants, distributors, teachers and their students were among more than 100 attendees at the Research Field Day hosted by AGCSA Silver Partner company Bayer at its trial site in Cobbity, NSW in August. Bayer research manager Jyri Kaapro and technical services manager John Hall led attendees 
around the site, looking at various ongoing trials 
including ryegrass transition with herbicides, 
kikuyu and Parramattagrass control, pre-emergent 
weed control, broadleaf weeds and wintergrass 
control, surfactants and sulphonyl urea herbicides, 
herbicides and oversowing and disease control.In other company news, Bayer has recently launched its new dual action ornamental fungicide 
Scorpio onto the Australian market. Scorpio is Sakuragawa pumps are now available through Pioneer Pump AustraliaRunners-up Howlong show their true colours during the final of the John Deere Trans Tasman ChampionshipsToro has complemented its mower range by 
introducing the HoverPro series to its line-up. 
The Toro HoverPro series mowers have a light footprint and are designed to enable turf managers 
to maintain turf in challenging places. The series 
comprises three models with the versatile and 
lightweight (17.6kg) HoverPro 450 now available 
in Australia.The HoverPro 450 comes standard with a 4-stroke 135cc Honda petrol engine and a 
pressurised fuel supply, ensuring excellent 
performance under testing conditions and on 
slopes with angles of up to 45°. The 450 has a cutting width of 46 centimetres (18fl) and is 
equipped with a nylon cutting system that offers consistent, quality results and is safer than an 
equivalent metal blade. The HoverPro 450 has a variable cutting height between 16mm and 34mm and with the fitting of 
the optional ‚Hi-Rise Kit™ the mower™s cutting height 
can be increased an additional 35mm. Comfort 
in use is assured with ergonomic handlebars, 
covered in a soft rubberised grip with full width 
operator presence control lever. It can also be fitted 
with a number of optional accessories including 
anti-vibration handlebars, extension handles and 
transportation wheel kit.
For more information about the HoverPro 450 
visit www.toro.com.au or view the YouTube video 
www.youtube.com/watch?v=plHVt6gqQg8AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     61INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTSSYNGENTA ACQUIRES DUPONT, APPOINTS DOCHERTY AGCSA Gold Partner company Syngenta announced in late August that it had agreed to acquire the DuPont Professional Products 
insecticide business, with the transaction 
expected to close in the last quarter of 
2012. The acquisition expands the range of products which Syngenta offers to golf 
course, lawn care professionals and to 
ornamental growers. Syngenta will acquire a global business including established pest control brands 
such as Acelepryn and other intellectual 
property, as well as a number of employees, 
for $125 million. Syngenta will also access 
the related active ingredients and formulated 
products from DuPont through exclusive 
supply and licensing agreements.  Syngenta has also appointed 
former Globe client manager 
Daniel Docherty (pictured) as 
sales manager for VIC, SA and WA. Docherty™s announcement completes 
the company™s restructure of its Turf & Landscape division under new business manager Dr. Henk Smith.  Docherty comes 
to Syngenta from Globe where he was a leading client manager, including winning the 
2011 National Turf Sales Award.  Prior to that he gained hands-on experience working at 
Amstel Golf Club in Melbourne™s south east. 
Docherty started his new role on 15 October 
and can be contacted on 0419 266 878 or 
email daniel.docherty@syngenta.com. JACOBSEN APPOINTS SA DISTRIBUTORAGCSA Silver Partner company Jacobsen has added to its Australian distribution network by appointing 
Gilbert Motors as its main dealer in South Australia. Founded in the late 1800s, Gilbert Motors is currently headed up by 
Chris Gilbert (pictured) and retails grounds care and turf maintenance equipment from its 
Strathalbyn premises.  Gilbert Motors can be 
contacted on (08) 8536 2066.CLARK COLLECTS CCI PRIZECairns Golf Club course superintendent 
and AGCSA member Brendan Clark will be winging his way to San Diego early next year 
after winning Country Club International™s 
2013 Golf Industry Show prize.  Clark™s name was drawn from a Par-Aide Divot 
Mate container by AGCSA general manager Peter Frewin in October with Country Club™s Victorian/SA/Tasmania sales rep Matt Wrigley in attendance. Clark was one of more than 40 superintendents to be eligible for the draw 
after spending $1000 or more on Par-Aide 
equipment over a three month period. CHIVERS JOINS GLOBEFormer Keysborough Golf Club course superintendent and VGCSA president Brett Chivers (pictured) has accepted a new role with Globe Australia. Chivers, who for the past 18 months 
has been overseeing Holmesglen TAFE™s turf management programme, started as a turf 
client manager for Victoria as of Monday 
15 October and replaces Daniel Docherty 
who has moved to Syngenta. Chivers™ new 
contact details are 0438 011 043 or email 
bchivers@globeaustralia.com.aua broad-spectrum ornamental 
fungicide containing two active 
ingredients with two different 
modes of action (Tebuconazole and Trifloxystrobin).  Scorpio comes in a handy ‚squeeze and pour™ 500ml bottle and 
currently has a number of ornamental 
diseases on its label including rust, 
powdery mildew and azalea petal 
blight.  Bayer has also recently 
completed trials on myrtle rust 
(an ever increasing issue all down 
Australia™s eastern seaboard) and is 
anticipating registration towards the 
end of 2012.fiScorpio has been proven to be rainfast within hours of application,fl 
says Kaapro.  fiOnce the spray 
application has dried on the leaf surface, rainfall will 
not interfere with its ability to control disease, due to 
combined contact action and systemic properties.flMY-RESULTS UNVEILS DISEASE CONDITION ALERT APP My-Results has launched an Australian first disease condition alert app for turf managers to monitor 
disease risk from their mobile phone. The web based app is accessible for download from Apple 
or Google ‚App™ stores and can also be accessed at 
m.my-results.com.au or from Living Turf.My-Results™ disease condition alert uses Bureau of Meteorology data, matched to user 
postcodes, to track environmental 
conditions and measure the risk of 
turf disease. As a free download, it 
delivers current, past and forecast 
weather information. Through an annual subscription ($350), users 
can also gain access to condition 
alerts for the likes of pythium, brown 
patch and dollar spot.My-Results condition alerts are compatible with all smartphones and 
tablets alike. The condition alerts 
have been adapted to be easy to 
view, allowing turf managers to 
measure their environment and make informed decisions about fungicide 
use. My-Results is developed by Greenshed Pty Ltd, a company that also trades as Living Turf and manufactures professional products under the brand MATCHplay. Greenshed director Rob Cooper says: fiThis disease prediction model is 
just another tool to help managers make judicious 
use of pesticides. I think our industry believes unilaterally in better surfaces with less pesticides 
use, and further to prediction models, biological 
control agents, smart cultural maintenance and 
fertility management all have a major part to play.fl
For more information and to register for a 14-day 
free trial, visit m.my-results.com.au or email 
service@my-results.com.auBayer™s new Scorpio ornamental fungicideScreenshots of the new My-Results 
disease condition alert app62     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTURF PRODUCERSBased out of Scunthorpe in the English county of Lincolnshire, County Turf was responsible for providing over 100,000 square metres of custom-grown turf for the London 2012 Olympic Games. As well as the main Olympic Stadium infield, 
the company also provided turf for the athletics 
warm up area next to the stadium, landscaping 
areas within the Olympic Park precinct, turf for 
Lords cricket ground where the archery events 
were staged and Greenwich Park for the equestrian 
events. The opportunity to be a supplier to one of the world™s biggest and most watched sporting festivals 
was a once in a lifetime opportunity for County Turf managing director Andy Fraser: fiThe contract was excellent news for County Turf as we have been able to safeguard existing jobs in a crucial time where 
the bulk of our business that is based in the building 
and housing markets has seen a large decline,fl 
says Fraser. fiWithout special projects, such as the Olympic contract, redundancies would have been inevitable. 
Instead we can retain our experienced and dedicated 
staff for the ongoing benefit of the company for the 
medium- to long-term.flSo how did County Turf get the opportunity to work with the Olympic Games Organising Committee? Back in July 2009 Fraser was asked to tender by Hewitt Sportsturf based in Leicester to 
custom grow the infield turf to exact specifications 
including species content, soil particle size and 
rootzone percolation rates. County Turf had worked with John and Ryan Hewitt of Hewitt Sportsturf many times before and they were delighted to win the 
prestigious contract. Seeding began in August 2009 at a variety of County Turf™s farm locations that cover in excess of 566 hectares. The surface specification called for a 
blend of 60 per cent ryegrass, 30 per cent smooth 
stalk meadow grass and 10 per cent fescue.NO ROOM FOR ERRORThere were a number of challenges that confronted 
County Turf in the lead-up to and during the installation of the turf, in particular meeting the 
exacting requirements of the organising committee. fiSecurity was obviously of paramount importance and unlike other stadium projects we 
have been involved in it did require a lot more 
organisation, over several months, to ensure all 
access passes where issued, not only for the 
contractors and delivery drivers, but also for 
all vehicles and additional information on the 
consignment itself,fl says Fraser.fiThe delivery schedule was very tight (only 12 hours), meaning there was no room for error. 
Fortunately we are experienced in meeting tight schedules because of our previous stadium 
projects. It was business as usual rather than an 
over ambitious challenge.fiWhen the Opening Ceremony concluded we had a 12-hour window to complete the installation 
of the whole infield area. We had to build another 
specialist harvester to cope with harvesting all 
the turf in a 12-hour slot and operating two crews UK-based County Turf won the contract to grow a specialised blend of ryegrass, meadowgrass and fescue turf for the 2012 London Olympic GamesIn excess of 100,000m2 of turf was delivered to various venues consisting of 540 1.25 metre wide, plastic-wrapped custom rolls, with 7000m2 used to turf the stadium infieldThe chance to be one of the primary suppliers of natural turfgrass for the recent London 2012 Olympic Games was a once in a lifetime opportunity for UK-based County Turf. Greening up theGreening up theGamesGamesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     63through the night. The transport to London took about six hours after security checks and we needed to keep the turf in the roll for a maximum of eight 
hours to avoid heat damage. Heat-damaged turf 
that would be seen by four billion people was not 
an option!flTo meet the monumental challenge presented to them, every County Turf employee was involved from preparation of the field, to the drilling, growing, 
harvesting and delivering of the turfgrass to various 
locations. In total a work force that included delivery 
drivers and laying teams numbered around 80.Fraser says that everyone associated with the project felt a tremendous sense of personal pride. 
fiIt™s unlikely that Great Britain will hold the Olympics 
again in the lifetime of most of the people involved 
at County Turf. To have been selected  to provide the turf in the main focal point of the Olympic Stadium 
was a great honour and a credit to everyone 
involved. fiAll the County Turf staff are immensely proud to be a part of British and world sporting history and it 
was a real team effort from start to finish, stretching 
over a three year period. We have been involved at 
many prestigious venues but this project was the 
most challenging and the most rewarding.fl Prior to the installation of the specially grown turf, surface prep was handled by Hewitt Sportsturf. They constructed the whole Olympic Stadium bowl, including the running track. The infield grass 
area was constructed from the base upwards and 
finished with a 100mm layer of Fibresand and then 
prepared to exact levels prior to receiving the turf.In excess of 100,000m2 of turf was delivered to various venues consisting of 540 1.25 metre wide, 
plastic-wrapped custom rolls, of which 7000m2 was used to turf the infield. Driving distance from the 
turfgrass field to the Olympic Stadium in London 
was 215 miles and required 18 truckloads. The 
turf was installed by Talbots Farm Landscapes with Fraser and County Turf operations director Chris Medley onsite to help coordinate the process. fiOur primary goal from the very start was to provide a perfect infield grass surface delivered and 
installed on time,fl says Fraser. fiWe couldn™t have possibly met the challenge of the London Games without the help and dedication of all our staff. Each 
and everyone worked tirelessly and through the 
night to help deliver the turf for the ‚greatest show 
on earth™.fl ACKNOWLEGDEMENTSThis article, written by Jim Novak, has been reprinted 
with permission from Turf Producers International. It 
first appeared in TPI™s September 2012 E-Newsletter. 
Photos courtesy of Andy Fraser (Country Turf). When the Opening Ceremony concluded there was a 12-hour window to complete installation of the Olympic Stadium infield areaTHE CHANGING FACE OF TURF AUSTRALIATurf Australia (TA) has gone through a number of changes in recent months with a new Board and president elected at the Gold Coast Annual General Meeting in August and the appointment of a new business and industry development manager.Australian Lawn Concepts owner and 2011 Farm Industry Leader of the Year Award recipient John Keleher has taken over from Adrian Pitsikas as TA chairman, with fellow Queensland grower Tony Cross (Caboolture Turf) joining the board for the first time. WA-based Pitsakis remains on the board which also comprises Andy Middleton 
(Canturf), Anthony Muscat (Greener Lawn, NSW), Brad Shearer (Coolabah Turf, VIC) and Rob Davey (Evergreen Turf, VIC).Richard Stephens has also been appointed as TA™s new business and industry development manager, replacing Matthew Holmes who 
has moved back to Syngenta to take on a sales and technical role in the company™s turf division. Stephens comes to the industry highly qualified having previously worked at Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) where he managed 
the industry development portfolio. Prior to HAL, he was the industry development manager for the nursery and garden industry from 2000 to 2004.  He has experience in developing and managing national capacity building programmes within the rural sector as well as 
coordinating and implementing industry development programmes at 
a state and regional level.  At the August AGM Stephens was introduced to TA board members and over the next few months plans to meet growers and 
gain an understanding of the key challenges facing the industry. He 
will be based out of the NSW Department of Primary Industries in 
Richmond and will work closely with Christine Hughes who remains 
at the TA office in Cleveland, Queensland. Stephens can be contacted on 0404 817 903, (02) 4588 2120 or bidm@turfaustralia.com.au.In farewelling Holmes, Keleher thanked him for his efforts since taking on the TA industry development manager role back in November 2010 which was expanded to general manager in October 
2011. fiAside from industry development, Matthew was instrumental in organising the 2011 conference, undertaking marketing activities, 
providing valuable advice on the Industry Advisory Committee, interacting with researchers and state grower associations and 
advising the Turf Australia board as well as HAL,fl Keleher says. fiWe thank Matthew for his dedication, effort and achievements over the 
past 22 months and wish him all the best for 
the futurefl.From left Turf Australia™s admin officer Christine Hughes and new BIDM Richard Stephens with the new-look board Tony Cross, John Keleher (chairman), Andy Middleton, Anthony Muscat, Brad Shearer and Adrian Pitsikas (Rob Davey absent)www.turfaustralia.com.au64     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSON THE MOVEWes Cochrane: Appointed superintendent at Leonay Golf 
Club, NSW
Mark Findlay (pictured): From superintendent 
Sunshine Golf Club, VIC to 
superintendent Midlands Golf 
Club (Ballarat), VIC
Russell Fletcher: From superintendent The Lakes Golf Club, NSW to superintendent 
at St Michaels Golf Club, NSW following the departure of Darren 
Jones.
Martin Greenwood (pictured): 
Appointed 
superintendent at 
Peninsula Country 
Golf Club, VIC, 
replacing Steven 
Hughes.GCSAQMy last report mentioned that it was nice to 
return to ‚normal™ Queensland weather.  
Unfortunately that return lasted a bit too long and a lot of golf clubs have had no rain for 
up to three months.  It seems unimaginable that 
supers would be yearning for rain after what we have 
endured over the past couple of years.  As I pen this report though in mid-October, the radar finally looks blue all over after a savage 
storm crossed much of SE Queensland.  I was quite 
happy with the rain as I was able to get four tonnes 
of fertiliser on to my fairways.  On a side note, the 
members of my club often say I must have some control over the weather as every time I fertilise fairways it rains!  The rain that has fallen today has been predicted on every weather site for the past 
five days Πgolfers never cease to amaze! The best part of the improvement in the weather has been the return of golfers and the accompanying 
revenue.  Talking with supers around the state, all agree that a lot of people ‚forgot™ about golf while 
the rain was about and found other drier activities 
on which to spend their money.  Fortunately the good recent form of Tiger Woods and Adam Scott™s showing in The Open, not to mention the Ryder Cup, has people once again venturing out.The yearly Pro-Am circuit has just about come to a close and feedback about the condition of the 
courses around the state from the pros has been 
very positive.  Spare a thought for Charlie Giffard and Indooroopilly Golf Club whose event had to be abandoned after an electrical storm had the course 
cleared of players and a miserly 1mm of rain was 
all that fell.The GCSAQ Assistant Superintendent Recognition Award has been awarded to Mathew Hartup (Pacific Harbour GC) and Glenn Gibson-Smith (Sanctuary Cove G&CC).  The boys receive 
an all expenses paid trip to attend the Sentosa Golf 
Course Tournament Preparation/Education Program in November as part of the Barclays Singapore Open.  This trip is a great reward for our assistants 
and would not be possible without the support of 
our sponsors Simplot Partners and Toro.In late August, the GCSAQ AGM was held at Indooroopilly with Brisbane Golf Club superintendent 
Dr Brett Morris the newest member of the committee. 
The full GCSAQ committee is:  President: Peter Lonergan (Coolangatta & Tweed Heads GC)  Vice-president: Charlie Giffard (Indooroopilly)   Treasurer: David Morrison (Windaroo GC)  Secretary: Mark Hauff (Palmer Colonial)  General Committee: Brendan Clark (Cairns 
GC); Robin Doodson (Sanctuary Cove G&CC); 
Ben Tilley (Headland GC) and Dr Brett Morris (Brisbane GC)Sixty GCSAQ members took to the course with Horton Park superintendent Pat Pauli taking out the honours on a countback from Arundel Hill™s Luke 
Mortimer.  Mortimer snared a nearest the pin and 
longest drive, Brian Cox (Murwillumbah GC) also 
claimed a nearest the pin prize, while new Complete 
Turf Management rep Todd McCully won the trade prize. The GCSAQ wishes to thank all staff at Indooroopilly GC and sponsors Toro.Our annual Christmas party at Wet ‚n™ Wild will be held on Saturday 8 December. The cost is only 
$10 for adults and $5 for kids and that includes all 
food and drink.  Contact Dave Morrison on 0439 284 
201. The Queensland Golf Industry Awards night has also been confirmed for 5 March 2013 and will 
be held on the Gold Coast at Jupiter™s Casino.   Finally, as many would have heard the Redlands Research Station in Cleveland is due to close its 
doors after falling victim to the recent Queensland 
State Budget. The government has made sweeping 
public sector cuts and the 25 staff at Redlands were unfortunately among them. Speaking with Matt Roche, research scientist and head of the lifestyle horticulture section at 
Redlands, all staff were called into a meeting on 
the day the Budget was handed down and told 
that the site, with the exception of two greenhouses operated as part of the crop development facility, would be closing. It is still uncertain what will happen to research projects the Turf Research Team is currently working on, but of particular concern is the future of the 
Redlands ‚Living Library™ turf demonstration plots. Established in January 2000, the collection contains 
more than 130 different turfgrass varieties sourced 
from overseas universities and breeders and from 
sources across Australia. Moves are afoot within the 
turf industry to protect this resource and let™s hope a 
favourable outcome can be resolved.PETER LONERGANPRESIDENT, GCSAQTurf™s ‚Living Library™ at Redlands is under threat due to the facility™s impending closureAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     65VGCSANSWGCSAON THE MOVESteve Marsden (pictured): From superintendent Cape 
Kidnappers, NZ 
to superintendent 
Royal Sydney Golf Club, NSW
Anthony Mills: From assistant superintendent to superintendent 
The Lakes Golf Club, NSW 
David Phillips: From assistant superintendent Woodlands Golf 
Club, VIC to superintendent 
Spring Valley Golf Club, VIC
Sam Sherriff: From superintendent Mt Barker/
Hahndorf GC to trade rep 
position with K&B Adams.
Adam Spargo: From assistant superintendent Riversdale Golf 
Club, VIC to superintendent 
Northern Golf Club, VIC
Paul Tozer: From assistant superintendent to superintendent 
Mt Barker/Hahndorf GC, SASpring has seen a return to more normal 
weather conditions after a wet winter, however 
temperatures have been struggling to rise with any sort of consistency.  In saying that, the 
weather we experienced for the VGCSA and Bayer Turf Research Golf Day in mid-October was fantastic.  Played at Barwon Heads Golf Club (host superintendent Adam Lamb), the day was sunny with a stiff southwester to test the skills. Eighty-
four players took part in the event with the overall 
winners being the AGCSA team. In a very generous gesture, the AGCSA team kindly donated the main prize Πan allocation of funds to go towards 
attending a turf registered conference Πback to 
the VGCSA.  The day could not be faulted Πgood numbers, golf course in fantastic condition, great 
food.  A big thank you to all those that participated 
and to sponsors Bayer for once again supporting 
this important event. To cap off a good year for the VGCSA, we will be having a cocktail function at Victoria Golf Club on 1 December. This will be a great opportunity for 
all members to bring along their partners to help 
celebrate a great 2012 and to relax prior to the onset 
of another demanding summer.  In closing, a big thank you to all VGCSA members. 2012 has certainly been very positive from 
a committee perspective and I thank all committee 
members for their guidance and assistance to 
provide a quality year for our members.STEVEN HEWITTPRESIDENT, VGCSAThe NSWGCSA has been busy preparing for the launch of the NSW Golf Industry 
Environmental Compliance/Best Practice Covenant pilot programme. In the first two weeks of 
expressions of interest being sent out across NSW 
and the ACT, we were inundated with applicants. The pilot programme was capped at 42 clubs stretching 
from the NSW/QLD and NSW/VIC borders as well as 22 metropolitan Sydney clubs. This is 20 per cent of 
the state™s golf clubs and an extremely high level of 
commitment shown for a pilot programme.On 18 October, Killara Golf Club played host to the pilot programme group of clubs with 
representatives also present from the AGCSA, GMA NSW and GMA Australia. The group™s feedback 
was vital in working through the draft covenant 
to develop a robust industry standard that will be 
finalised in the coming weeks.The pilot programme will result in the adoption by golf clubs in NSW of an environmental 
compliance/best practice model ensuring a high 
level of environmental protection in the future. This unprecedented cooperative effort demonstrates 
the golf industry™s commitment to environmental 
sustainability and responsibility.To coincide with the pilot programme, we have engaged the legal services of Swabb Attorneys, a 
Sydney-based law firm, to provide 30 minutes free 
legal advice to all NSWGCSA members.The latest version of the NSWGCSA Pesticide Log Book has also been finalised. The latest version 
has been approved by the NSW EPA and copies are 
now available for $40 from Alison Jones Πadmin@
nswgcsa.com.au Mid-October saw the official retirement of Frank Dempsey, head teacher of horticulture at TAFE NSW™s Ryde campus. Frank has been instrumental in shaping the careers of many of our apprentices 
and we wish him all the best in retirement.Our annual education day was held at Boonie Doon Golf Club on 22 October with 40 members 
in attendance. Special guest for the day was Mike 
Clayton who discussed modern course design 
techniques and the design philosophy in the first 
phase of the redevelopment of ‚The Doon™. The day was co-sponsored by Bayer and Living Turf. Bayer™s Jyri Kaapro discussed registered pesticide use and gave an update on the company™s 
latest research. Living Turf™s Robert Cooper released their latest disease control alert app, while 
the day concluded with an open forum on course 
design with Mike Clayton. Our next event will be 
the AGM and Rube Walkerden Trophy in November at Elanora Country Club (host superintendent Dan Cook). CRAIG MOLLOYPRESIDENT, NSWGCSASAGCSASpring has well and truly hit SA 
(thank goodness, after such a cold 
and wet winter) and a lot of courses have started or completed their main 
greens, tees and fairway renovations for 
the year.In mid-September the SAGCSA held a meeting at The Grange Golf Club to have 
a look at the new Greg Norman designed 
East Course. The day started with about 20 teeing up in beautiful sunny conditions 
on the new East Course back nine. The new Penn A4 greens were fantastic and all 
that played enjoyed the new layout. About 
a dozen more joined us when we went on 
an inspection of the front nine holes with 
superintendent Richard James. Richard gave us an insight into the transformation of the East Course (See 
ATM Vol 14.5 pgs 18-22 for the full story 
on the East Course redevelopment ΠEd) and with time to mature and grow in it 
will no doubt become highly regarded and 
be a credit to Richard and his team. Before 
lunch Michael McManus from Primary Industries and Regions South Australia give us some valuable information 
regarding current SA legislation on 
pesticide use.As this edition was going to print, we were gearing up for the SA Golf Industry Awards Night in late October at the Adelaide Oval. The SAGCSA presented three awards ΠDistinguished Service Award, Excellence in Turf Management and Apprentice of the Year. We are also 
looking at running an industry education 
day at Adelaide Shores later in the season.BARRY BRYANTPRESIDENT, SAGCSA66     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTA VICSTATE REPORTSSTA ACT REGIONFinally, after what seemed like an endless winter here in Canberra, we are starting to 
see temperatures rising and couch surfaces greening up. Spring renovations are well under way 
and we look forward to a much improved summer.Our AGM was held in late August at Queanbeyan Golf Club. This is always a great night and the 
past few years we have run a trivia competition 
in conjunction with the AGM. The trivia night has 
become a hotly contested affair with home club 
advantage seemingly paying off for this year™s 
winners Queanbeyan.  Committee positions have 
changed slightly from last year with the full STA ACT committee for the coming year as follows:   President: Gary Dawson (CIT)  Vice-president: Lennon Ryan (DPS)  Treasurer: Michael Waring (Royal Canberra)  Secretary: Scott Harris (Gold Creek CC)  Committee: Scott Fogg (Queanbeyan GC), Bruce Davies (CIT), Danny Hull (Queanbeyan 
BC), Keith McIntyre (Horticultural Engineering) and Bill Franklin (Nuturf). Glenn Huender has decided to step down from our committee and we thank him for his 
contributions over the last few years. Bill Franklin, who is very well known locally, is the new face and 
we look forward to his input in coming years.It must be said that the attendance at the AGM was disappointing. The STA ACT is here for all members and we always encourage participation. 
There were quite a few workplaces not represented 
which we hope is not an ongoing trend.The local bowling greenkeepers recently had an e-par training day run by Terry Muir that was well attended. This highly informative day involved 
going over workplace practices and highlighting the 
importance of following correct procedures when 
dealing with chemicals and the environment. The day concluded with a simulated chemical spill which 
was great training for all involved should such an 
emergency actually happen in the workplace. DANNY HULLCOMMITTEE, STA ACT REGION      Spring has come and just about gone and 
with winter a distant memory we are seeing 
some good returns from our hard work put in through spring after the rains. On the STA front, we are preparing for our Summer Seminar to be held at Packer Park, Carnegie on 21 November starting at 8:30am. 
Speakers on the day will cover topics including 
project management, large scale projects and 
sports surface management decisions. Country 
Club International has proudly sponsored the day 
and will be presenting information on the ESD Waste2Water units.The 2013 events calendar is currently being finalised with the Regional Seminar locked in for 20 March in the Golden Reign Room at Kilmore 
Racing Club. The Wicket and Sportsturf Seminar 
will be held in July 2013 and the Seminar and Trade Day will be held next November. Due to increasing costs, STA Victoria regretfully has to announce new membership 
fees which will take effect from 1 December 2012. 
For further information on the costs, contact the office. If you have not renewed your membership, 
it might be a good idea to do so now before the 
new fees start.The STA VIC committee would like to welcome Michael Ogden from Oasis Turf who has taken over the education portfolio leaving 
Mike Walker free to concentrate on the second 
vice-president role. The committee thanks Mike 
for his efforts in doing both the VP and education 
roles for the past two years. Also, we would 
like to acknowledge Megan Corser for her 
efforts after recently resigning from the marketing 
chairperson position and Globe Australia. If 
anyone is interested in the marketing role on the 
committee, please contact the office or myself. NATHAN TOVEYPRESIDENT, STA VICSTA NSWSTA NSW held its successful two-day Cricket Wicket Seminar at 
Blacktown International Sportspark in mid-October. The seminar was opened 
Cricket NSW CEO David Gilbert before presentations from Cameron Sutherland 
(WACA), Ian McKendry (NZ Cricket) and Les Burdett Πthree great cricket minds sharing their expertise.  After the 
presentations delegates then moved 
outside to the Blacktown practice wickets 
where Graeme Logan (ANZ Stadium) and Burdett demonstrated wicket preparation 
techniques and maintenance. The following day, Peter Devlin (North Sydney Oval) talked about preparations 
of a wicket and outfield after winter sports 
and then Brett Sipthorpe (Westpac Stadium/The Basin Reserve) shared his experiences with both venues and 
preparation of wickets in NZ. We were fortunate to have Dave Dawson and Tim Cruickshank of the NSW Speed Blitz Blues cricket team come along and talk 
to the delegates about what they look 
for in a wicket and their preferences and 
experience on different wickets. Many thanks to our seminar sponsors and I would also like to thank Cricket NSW for allowing us to use the great facilities at 
the centre, as well as the staff at Blacktown 
International Sportspark for assisting with the preparation of the wickets.Out final event of 2012 will be our end of year function at Strathfield Golf Club on 
Friday 16 November. During this event we will be acknowledging Frank Dempsey 
for his dedication to the turf industry after 
his recent retirement teaching turf at TAFE NSW. All details for the event are available 
at www.sportsturf.asn.au. CHRIS CHAPMANPRESIDENT, STA NSWAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     67STANZSome time ago, some bright spark thought it might be funny to come up with the witty 
chestnut ‚change is as good as a holiday. Well TGAA WA has experienced that recently, 
changing its name to Sports Turf Association (WA) Incorporated and now I need a holiday, especially 
after the past 12 months of managing the needs of 
the association and day-time work commitments. The year began with the unfortunate news that Eva Ricci was stepping down as our WA Turf industry development officer. Finding a suitable replacement was a two month crash course in 
recruitment and employment 101 which in the end 
was fortunately successful with the placement of 
Louise Edmonds. Poor Louise was then caught 
up in the political hurdy-gurdy of state government 
tenders and talkback radio and then straight into 
helping stage our major seminar in early July.This was then followed by our AGM where the name change debate was officially brought to 
a unanimous vote. In the midst of it all throw in a couple of workshops, many, many meetings and 
the constant writing, designing and producing a 
quarterly newsletter. It may not seem much as a list 
of accomplishments once written down and there are many reading this whose sage response would 
be ‚get over yourself™, but I™m taking my moment to 
have a whinge on a national forum.  Mind you, at the same time I™m also very conscious of the amazing achievements being made 
by our peers in this industry. Three in particular Π
Graeme Logan, Mark Crawford and Peter Brown 
Πhave reminded all of just what can be achieved by 
getting off your butts. Their four week ride from Perth to Sydney for charity was absolutely inspiring!I would also like to take the opportunity to applaud Adrian Pitsikas who recently stepped down from the chairman™s role of both Turf Australia and the Turf Growers Association of WA. I could not begin to tally the amount of hours and effort Adrian 
(with the quiet and steadfast support of his brother 
Peter and the staff at Greenacres Turf Farm) has put into developing our industry. I must also thank, unreservedly, Hugh Gardner and Clint Betts who are new to the STA WA committee, for their unwavering support, encouragement and hard work during 2012.TONY GUYPRESIDENT, STA WASTA WALast month members of the STANZ executive attended a workshop led by Opus consultants 
on behalf of Sport NZ to discuss sports turf surface options for New Zealand. A number of key 
discussions took place evaluating the merits of soil-
based, sand-based and artificial surfaces. The key 
outcome from this work will be to aid our industry in 
making the right decisions moving forward towards 
the investment and management of sport surfaces. There are many factors to consider when making the call on the type of surface required, be it a new 
development, upgrade or general maintenance of a 
sport field. Considerations include climatic variation 
across NZ, the type of sport played, the level of 
play, current and future usage capacity modelling, 
maintenance models, uptake of new technology and 
innovations in our industry that are rapidly evolving 
and, of course, the capital outlay. This work will provide a key resource for sports organisations and stakeholders providing 
community assets. STANZ will play an important role as an industry leader and bring an independent 
perspective in this process. It is prudent that this work is taking place as we hit what we describe as the ‚silly season™ in the 
turf industry. Winter sport codes, cricket, touch and 
football are creating high user demand as these 
sports now merge into each other™s traditional 
season (see photo opposite) and create many pressure points on our facilities. In a number of 
regions across NZ, land allocated for sport and 
recreation is also at a premium. The question that needs answering is ‚Is the current sporting environment unsustainable while 
maintaining the standards our community and sports 
groups demand of our surfaces?fl This project will 
assist our sporting organisations make informed 
decisions as to the correct path to take in respect 
to current and future sports turf surface provision. To solve some of the issues we face as an industry we will be required to think differently than 
in the past. Key areas we should consider are:Collaboration Πidentify compatible sporting 
groups;Consolidation Πconsider various operandi 
models such as multi-sporting hubs; Create value propositions Πaffordable outcome 
for investment partners; Sustainability Πlong term value; andEngagement Πconnecting our sporting industry 
together STANZ looks forward to working with Sport NZ and Opus during this project to drive through 
sustainable solutions.IAN MCKENDRYCHAIRMAN, STANZStaff at the NZ Cricket High Performance Centre at Lincoln University in Christchurch remove ice that formed on the covers prior 
to the NZ A vs India A series in September The NZGCSA has been very busy finalising the NZGCSA Awards nomination forms for 2013 
and securing Richard Forsyth 
(Royal Melbourne Golf Club) to 
be a speaker for the 2013 NZ Turf Conference. The conference will be held on June 17-18, 2013. 
Regional association field days 
have been well attended with 
over 50 members turning up at 
each field day. Congratulations must also go out to former NZGCSA board member Steve Marsden on his impending move to Royal 
Sydney from Cape Kidnappers 
and we wish Ryan Adams (Clearwater Golf Club) all the best with course preparations 
for the NZ Open to be held on 
22-25 November. RYAN IRWINPRESIDENT, NZGCSANZGCSA68     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTGCSAWASTATE REPORTSMore than 60 attended the TGCSA™s two-day conference and trade show at Port Sorell in August As the days are drawing out and the temperatures start to rise, Tasmanian turf managers are gearing up for the busy growing period ahead. Most of the state had been kept damp 
during winter after regular rainfall, however, turf has 
quickly dried out early in October after some warm 
and very strong northerly winds swept across the 
state. Many courses began irrigating just days after 
removing preferred lies. On 4 October I had to close the golf course and stop the ladies competition for only the second time 
in my time as a superintendent, due to strong gusts 
of wind causing branches to break off around the 
course. After checking the weather station we made 
the decision to close the course for duty of care as 
you just didn™t know what was going to fall down 
next.  Luckily there was no major tree damage and 
most of the ladies were pleased to finish early.The TGCSA overnight conference and trade show returned to Port Sorell in August 2012. With 
over 60 delegates in attendance for both days, the 
conference was once again successful and proves 
that Port Sorell is one of the most popular and viable venues to have such an event. Delegates heard presentations from TGCSA Platinum sponsors Pellows Saws and Mowers, 
Tas Turf Solutions, Tasmanian Farm Equipment and Toro Irrigation. Others that presented included Paul Woloszyn (Rain Bird), Jyri Kaapro (Bayer), Scott McKay (Simplot), Warren Braybon (Turf Culture), Mike Pauna (G.E.S.) and Nadeem Zreikat (Campbell Chemicals), while AGCSA general manager Peter Frewin was also on hand to update us on the association™s activities and AGCSATech services.During the event the Reg Roberts Memorial golf event was played in ideal conditions at the beautifully 
presented Port Sorell layout, with Seabrook Golf Club course superintendent Andrew Currie (19 points) taking the honours two points ahead of Greg Duff (Burnie Golf Club). Peter Archdall (Sheffield Golf Club) won the trade and non-member division 
with 22pts on a count back from James Peck 
(Launceston Golf Club).At the AGM, there were a few changes to the committee after a few guys had to stand down for 
different reasons. Thanks to those guys for their 
involvement, especially Adrian Box who had held 
the treasurer position for the past three years and 
also taking on secretary duties for the past 12 
months. The full TGCSA committee is: President: Tony Smith (Launceston GC)Vice-president: Danny Gilligan (Tasmania GC)Secretary: Mark Johnson (Ulverstone GC)Treasurer: Ricky Barr (Longford GC)Committee: Shane Knott (Mowbray Golf Club), Greg Duff (Burnie Golf Club), Jeff Jackson 
(Launceston City Council) and Wayne Hefford 
(Devonport Golf Club)Thanks must go to the committee and other volunteers from the Port Sorell Golf Club who 
always welcome our association and do everything 
possible to make sure this event is run smoothly. 
Thanks also to our sponsors, all the speakers and 
the members who were able to attend. Well done 
also to course superintendent Paul Darnell for presenting the course in excellent condition only 
days after returning from holiday. Our final TGCSA day for 2012 will be the Christmas break-up to be held in the Launceston area. This will include the North vs South Cup and when the venue is confirmed we will get invitations 
out ASAP.TONY SMITHPRESIDENT, TGCSATGCSACongratulations to Trevor Strachan and the team at Lake Karrinyup Country 
Club on the successful hosting of the Perth International held in October. It was great to see such a wonderful venue back in 
the tournament spotlight and the course was 
an absolute credit to the crew.As has been mentioned in past reports, the GCSAWA and the Department of Water have developed a Waterwise Golf programme. The aim of this programme is to provide security 
for the WA golf industry through efficient and 
sustainable use of water for irrigation.The standards and efficiency indicators within this programme have been jointly developed and agreed between the 
Department of Water, GCSAWA and industry experts. The programme provides 
a framework for assessing existing practices 
and ensures that operators are provided 
with the right tools to achieve fit for purpose 
surfaces with the least volume of water. The programme will:Establish practical and achievable targets 
for water efficiency;Develop water use efficiency standards 
for irrigation systems;Develop agreed measures and indicators 
for reporting on water use efficiency;Develop guidelines for water use efficiency and current best practice irrigation; andEstablish an accreditation scheme to 
recognise achievement of standards for 
efficient use of water.For further information on this programme please contact GCSAWA secretary Paul Needham at gcsawa@bigpond.com. With the 
GCSAWA Super Series completed recently at Cottesloe Golf Club, the final event for the 
year will be our Christmas ten pin bowling 
night on Friday 7 December.DES RUSSELLPRESIDENT, GCSAWANo matter what the size of your golf course Œ our Multi Pro® 1250 and Multi Pro® 5800 Turf Sprayers have got your turf covered.The Multi Pro 1250 Turf Sprayer is a dedicated spray vehicle that has a 175 Gallon (662 litre) tank with diaphragm pump. The Spray Pro Control system enables precise application and is uniquely tied to the Ground Drive Proportional Pump 
System. This means the pump ˜ ow is automatically adjusted as the vehicle speed changes allowing the application rate 
to remain constant over a wide speed range.If you™re looking for a bigger sprayer the Multi Pro 5800, with 300 Gallon (1136 litre) tank can help you achieve precision and accuracy with the all new Pro Control XP spray system which improves response time and desired spray rates from start to 
stop. In an industry ˚ rst, the new six-diaphragm pump supplies twice the ˜ ow for spray operation and aggressive agitation. 
The Multi Pro 5800 will also increase productivity, performance and versatility with a wide variety of optional accessories.We™re double pumped about our Multi Pro® Turf Sprayers.For more information call 1800 356 372 or contact your Golf Area Sales Managers.toro.com.auDELIVERING PUMPING SOLUTIONSDue to the recent drought and increasing cost of potable water, 





- Mark Jennings Superintendent Box Hill Golf Club   Melbourne           Sydney             Brisbane          Christchurch      Auckland(03) 9793 9999   (02) 9671 3666   (07) 3200 6488    (03) 365 0279    (09) 525 8282   Email: info@brownbros.com.au      Web: www.brownbros.com.auMotor or wall mountableFully programmable on site Software speci˜cally designed for pump operation, control and 
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