2013 Women™s OpenRoyal Canberra set to shine for centenary2013 Women™s OpenRoyal Canberra set to shine for centenaryTournament reviews2012 Talisker Masters2012 Emirates Australian OpenTournament reviews2012 Talisker Masters2012 Emirates Australian OpenThe end of two erasO™Shannessy salutes after 52 yearsRedlands Research Station closes its doorsThe end of two erasO™Shannessy salutes 
after 52 yearsRedlands Research Station closes its doorsZoysiagrassesThe environmental turfgrassZoysiagrasseswww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTISSN 1442-2697VOLUME 15.1 JAN-FEB 2013McIntosh & 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/E322/12/2012E322 DWYTS Aus Turfgrass Mngnt v2.indd   116/11/2012   09:57AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     1SUBSCRIPTION FORMI wish to apply for:One year™s subscription to Australian Turfgrass Management(Six editions per year) PLEASE TICK BOXONE COPY PER EDITION $55.00 O/S ONE COPY PER EDITION $95.00Prices include GST.Winner of 8 awards at the TOCA International Communicators Contest  2012Biodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity valueBiodiversity and carbon studyUnderstanding golf™s biodiversity value2012 AGCSA/STA Award WinnersJohn OdellSteve 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 1442-2697State 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 1442-2697AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     39GREENSMelbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre4-8 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 1442-26972012 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 1442-26972012 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 2012ORDERS 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.auHR & Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellardaryl@agcsa.com.auPrinted BySouthern Colour Pty Ltd
2 Southpark CloseKeysborough Vic3173Copyright © 2013 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 The Lakes Golf Club: Looking from behind the par three 9th green towards the 1st hole at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney. The Lakes hosted its third consecutive Australian Open in December.Photo: Brett Robinson.2013 Women™s OpenRoyal Canberra set to shine for centenary2013 Women™s OpenRoyal Canberra set to shine for centenaryTournament reviews2012 Talisker Masters2012 Emirates Australian OpenTournament reviews2012 Talisker Masters2012 Emirates Australian OpenThe end of two erasO™Shannessy salutes after 52 yearsRedlands Research Station closes its doorsThe end of two erasO™Shannessy salutes after 52 yearsRedlands Research Station closes its doorsZoysiagrassesThe environmental turfgrassZoysiagrasseswww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 8 AWARDS AT THE 2012 TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTESTISSN 1442-2697VOLUME 15.1 JAN-FEB 2013FEATURESKingston Heath™s new master 12 After 19 years at Spring Valley Golf Club, last May Hayden Mead made industry headlines when he was sought out by Kingston Heath Golf Club to be their new course superintendent. ATM editor Brett Robinson catches up with Mead during his first 
major test at the club Πthe 2012 Talisker Masters Πto see how he coped having a major tournament so 
early into his tenure. The Lakes blows them away 18The 2012 Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes Golf Club will be long remembered by both the 
players and course maintenance personnel after 
a dramatic final round that was impacted by 
Sydney™s notorious weather. ATM catches up with course superintendent Anthony Mills to review the 
tournament, his first major Tour event since taking over at The Lakes last July.Small in stature, big in heart 22From Keysborough Golf Club as an apprentice through to being head 
curator at the AFL™s Waverley Park 
and overseeing the construction and 
maintenance of Hidden Valley Golf 
& Country Club, 65-year-old Mick O™Shannessy has packed in quite a bit during his 
52-year turf management career. Having retired last 
October, ATM sits down with one of the gentlemen of the profession to reflect on a wonderful journey. The environmental turfgrass 46Turf breeding expert Dr Don Loch provides a general overview of zoysiagrasses and some of the unique 
and beneficial characteristics of this under-utilised 
turf variety.Setting the standard 56Recently retired TAFE teacher Frank Dempsey kicks off a series of regular articles from the National Turf Education Working Group on issues facing the 
delivery of turf management education in Australia. 
This edition™s article looks at AQF3 chemical license 
training.  COVER STORY: Royal Canberra set for centenary spotlight 6 From having to deal with soaring summer temperatures through to winters where the mercury regularly drops below zero, managing the playing surfaces at Royal Canberra Golf Club is perhaps one of the 
most challenging jobs in Australian turf. ATM editor Brett Robinson visits the exclusive club which as part of the city™s centenary celebrations will be hosting the 2013 Australian Women™s Open in mid-February.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.auSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn RoadClayton 3168 VicTechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     3               Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management JournalVolume 15.1 (January-February 2013) Nathan Bradbury (Eastlake GC); Barry Bryant (SAGCSA); Col Caulfield (Pine Rivers GC); Chris Chapman (STA NSW); Frank Dempsey (National Turf Education Working Group); Darryl Edwards (Burleigh GC); Chris Fletcher (Ipswich GC); 
Peter Frewin (AGCSA); John Geary (St Andrews Private GC); Charlie Giffard (Indooroopilly GC); Craig Gillin (Mt Gambier GC); Tony Guy (STA WA); John Halter (City GC, 
Toowoomba); Brendan Hansard (Twin Creeks G&CC); Steve Hewitt (VGCSA); Jeff Keast (Albert Park GC); Richard Kirkby (Pennant Hills GC); Dr Don Loch (University of Queensland); 
Peter Lonergan (GCSAQ); Stephen Mallyon (The Lakes GC); Hayden Mead (Kingston Heath GC); Anthony Mills (The Lakes GC); Craig Molloy (NSWGCSA); Stuart Moore (Southport GC); 
John Neylan (Neyturf); Kelvin Nicholson (Pacific Harbour G&CC); Mick O™Shannessy; Andrew Peart (AGCSATech); Nick Price (The Cut); Adam Robertson (Kew GC); Matt Roche 
(Australian Sports Turf Consultants); Tony Smith (TGCSA); Simone Staples (AGCSA); Richard Stephens (Turf Australia); Glenn Stuart (Metropolitan GC); Anthony Toogood (Commercial 
Golf Resort); Nathan Tovey (STA VIC); Jim Vaughan (Turf Queensland); Michael Waring (Royal Canberra GC)Chances are the letter that some NSW golf clubs and turf facilities received from the NSW Environment Protection Authority around Christmas time didn™t contain a hearty ‚Season™s greetings™ from the jolly fat man in the red suit.  As this edition of Australian Turfgrass Management was being finalised in mid-December, the NSW EPA announced it was starting to send out penalty infringement notices in relation to the ongoing investigation into alleged breaches of the Pesticides Act 1999 by turf industry 
practitioners. These are on top of the more than 130 notices already served to golf clubs, 
turf producers and chemical supply companies requesting information relating to chemical 
purchases, spray records and chemical training records.In the second week of December, EPA NSW officers met with representatives from the NSWGCSA, Golf NSW and GMA NSW to update them of their ongoing investigations. As well as the abovementioned notices and fines being sent out, the most alarming point of the 
discussion was the EPA™s claim that they have evidence suggesting some of the information being supplied to them is false or misleading.The NSW EPA has made it known that it wants its investigation to effect change rather than drive the industry into the ground and to date it has done so. The NSWGCSA™s environmental best practice covenant initiative comprising 42 golf clubs throughout the 
state is a perfect example of that and the NSW EPA has commended the industry on such 
a proactive measure. However, practitioners are shooting themselves and the industry massively in the foot if the EPA™s claim of misleading and false information is correct (and there™s nothing to suggest it isn™t). It turns the situation from a relatively simple matter of issuing fines to heading down 
the path of prosecution Πand the penalties for knowingly providing incorrect information are 
harsh. In response to this development the EPA has turned up the heat by indicating that it will now be interviewing 2ICs and spray technicians under direction as a means to find out 
the exact information about spray and chemical use practices!During the meeting the EPA NSW also informed the group that the wheels were in motion to unify laws governing the control of use of pesticides across Australia. ATM understands that a Bill to this effect has already been drafted and is based around the 
provisions contained in the NSW Pesticides Act. The NSW EPA has already been in contact 
with its interstate counterparts and envisages little resistance to getting something like this 
through. Should this eventuate it would be a massive game-changer for the turf industry, in 
particular for Victoria which has for a long time operated under very different laws. So, with 
this in the pipeline and potential prosecutions to come, 2013 has all the hallmarks of shaping 
up to be a very significant year for the turf industry.In light of the ongoing situation in NSW, it is also worrying to hear out of the recent National Turf Education Validation Meeting in Albury that some private registered training organisations are fast-tracking chemical licensing training. In response to this and other 
concerns, in this edition the National Turf Education Working Group kicks off a series of regular articles which will examine some of the increasing pressures being placed on turf 
management education providers. The highly respected Frank Dempsey, a TAFE teacher of some 30 years (who incidentally was bestowed life membership of the STA NSW recently), pens this first article which all practitioners in the industry should read (see page 56).   Enjoy the read...Brett Robinson, Editor GRASS-ROOTS WITH JOHN NEYLAN The Poa brains trust 28ATM columnist John Neylan reviews the Poa annua forum conducted last December which saw 17 golf course 
superintendents from three states converge on 
Sydney to share their experiences in controlling 
this ubiquitous weed in bentgrass greens. 
   AGCSATECH UPDATEBenchmarking project rolls to a close 34Senior agronomist Andrew Peart reviews some of the findings of AGCSATech™s year-long golf course benchmarking project which came to 
finish in late September 2012. OPINIONSands of time 42 The Pulse asks superintendents what dusting practices they employ and what their primary goal 
is in implementing such a programme.RESEARCHRedlands era comes to a close 50After nearly 13 years, turf research activities at Redlands Research Station in Queensland have come to an end. Also in this edition–Foreword Thinking 4Regional Profile Œ Mount Gambier GC, SA 52News 58Around 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 write this, 31 December is just days away and it provides a good time to think about the 
year that is coming to a close. It is hard to believe I have been in this role for over a year and it 
has certainly been a very interesting first 12 months.  I am very fortunate to hold this position and work in a wonderful industry that is full of dedicated and 
hard-working professionals. During my first year I 
have had the opportunity to visit all states and speak 
to a great cross-section of industry people. The one 
quality that is evident in all of those I have met is their desire to represent and promote the industry 
in a positive light.The summer sport season is well and truly here and I am pleased to report that golf playing 
numbers are on the rise, if the Australian Golf 
Industry Council™s 2012 Competition Rounds Report 
released in September is anything to go by (the report can be viewed at www.agic.org.au).  The 
report shows strong growth in competition golf in 
Australia with the 2012/2013 summer expected to 
deliver further momentum. According to the report:   From July 2011 ΠJuly 2012 about 12.085 million rounds were recorded by GolfLink across the same facility base, a 3.5 per cent increase over 
the previous 12 month period;   Total rounds played in formal club competitions grew by 3 per cent over the 2009-10 financial 
year, averaging over one million rounds per 
month;   Male competitive play increased almost 4 per 
cent with female play up 2 per cent;  Single handicap rounds accounted for approximately 50 per cent of all rounds played;    National rounds played in March 2012 fell by 9 per cent over the prior year as NSW experienced 
its second wettest March on record.   Average frequency within male golfers is up by 
an average of 3 per cent across the country.What is also pleasing is that golf is again being telecast on ‚free to air™ television. From my experience at the recent Emirates Australian Open and the Australian PGA, it would also appear that 
attendances at events are on the rise.  While on the topic of summer sport, I would like to thank all those that have been involved in 
the preparation of their sporting facilities, whether 
for golf, cricket, bowls etc... The playing surfaces produced in this country are in my opinion the best 
in the world and are a credit to all involved. I would 
like to make particular mention of AGCSA members Anthony Mills (The Lakes) and Dean Henderson (Palmer Coolum Resort) who both produced excellent courses despite having to contend with 
some ‚unusual™ circumstances.   During the week leading up to the Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes the AGCSA Board had their regular meeting. Following the meeting the Board also took the opportunity to meet with 
the presidents of the various state superintendent 
associations, including, for the first time, our 
neighbours from New Zealand and representatives 
from Turf Australia. The discussions in those meetings were excellent and while all associations 
represent their individual member base, the one 
underlying thing that was evident was the desire to 
work together to promote the industry and where 
possible reduce duplication of activities.As I have reported previously, planning for the 2013 Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition is well underway. I am happy to report 
the STA and SAGCA will again conduct sessions at Twin Waters in 2013. Their involvement adds to the event and I hope it continues in the future. The other Increase in rounds a positive sign for golf industry||AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     5AGCSA MEMBERSHIPgood news is that the trade exhibition has sold out and the AGCSA thanks all those companies that are supporting the event. Work is well underway engaging speakers to present a high quality education component to the 
week on the Sunshine Coast. The conference will 
kick off on Monday 24 June with the first of a series 
of workshops that will be presented in partnership 
with AGCSA Gold Partner Jacobsen. We plan that this will be the first of a regular series of workshops 
that will be supported by Jacobsen and we hope 
they will be a great addition to conference week.One of the workshops will be hosted by conference keynote speaker Dr Thom Nikolai which will have an agronomy theme. Dr Nikolai 
was a popular presenter at the 2010 conference on 
the Gold Coast and we look forward to welcoming him back to Australia. The other workshop will 
be hosted by a well-known Australian golf course 
photographer who will guide attendees through the 
process of taking quality photos of their courses. 
This is a little different than normal but I think it will 
be a great success. As most would be aware, John Geary has left his role as environmental agronomist at the 
AGCSA to go back to the Mornington Peninsula to construct a new course. John™s enthusiasm for the 
environment and sustainable turf management will 
be missed greatly at the AGCSA, but I am sure all will wish him well as he moves onto the next chapter 
of his life. In closing I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and that 2013 brings everything you hope 
for. As always please feel free to contact me on 0418 
593 072 or peter@agcsa.com.au should you have 
any issue or suggestions. LETTER TO THE EDITORDear Editor, 
Congratulations! Yesterday I received the latest issue (ATM Volume 14.6 ΠNovember-
December 2012) which I took home to read. 
As a general manager whose career of nearly 
40 years includes working on the golf course, I believe I am qualified to comment on the subject 
matter that you wrote of in your editorial (‚A great 
deal™ Œ page 3, Vol 14.6).  Frequently in your publication you produce articles that should 
be compulsory reading and that is certainly the 
case with the message that you wrote regarding 
the oft unrealistic expectations of members. By way of endorsement of your sentiments I believe that you will find there are many of us 
that share your views. There are many private 
clubs that need to heed your message and we 
must strive to educate members that they must 
appreciate the reality that the pole may well have 
been raised too high.flJOHN STAMPGENERAL MANAGERWOODLANDS GOLF CLUB, VICAUSTRALIAN 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 MANAGEMENT2013 WOMEN™S OPENIn mid-February Royal Canberra Golf Club will host, for the first time in its history, the Australian Women™s Open as part of the capital™s centenary celebrations. ATM editor Brett Robinson catches up with course superintendent Michael Waring to look ahead at his preparations for the Open and the impending course redevelopment which will include the long-awaited reconstruction of greens, surrounds and bunkers.Fans of Monty Python™s Flying Circus will well know the infamous ‚Four Yorkshiremen sketch™. For the uninitiated (do yourself a favour and Google it), four pompous Yorkshiremen are sitting 
around in their lounge suits, drinking red wine, 
smoking cigars and reminiscing about their youth. As the sketch progresses, the conversation deteriorates into a wildly absurd contest to see 
who can out-do each other in regards to how 
tough their respective upbringings were. fiYou lived 
in a cardboard box? Luxury!fl chortles one of the 
characters. fiFor three months we lived in a rolled up newspaper in a septic tank... And when we got 
home from working in the mines our father would 
thrash us to sleep with his beltfl. And on it goes... It™s a sketch that Royal Canberra Golf Club course superintendent Michael Waring could no 
doubt relate to. A regular attendee at Australian 
Turfgrass Conferences over the years, there would have been some occasions when hearing of the 
issues his colleagues are facing elsewhere around 
the country where he may have inwardly thought to 
himself ‚Luxury!™ Given the challenges he has had over the past 17 years maintaining the capital™s No.1 
course, which was bestowed ‚Royal™ status back in 
1933, Waring is doing well to keep fighting what has 
become an increasingly difficult fight.   Like any turf manager plying their trade in Canberra, it™s hard to be envious of the conditions 
in which Waring has to operate. Its natural beauty and aesthetics aside, Royal Canberra has little going 
for it in terms of providing a conducive environment 
for maintaining a golf course. In fact, just about 
every factor at present Πand they are numerous Π
conspire to make it one of the toughest jobs in turf.  First and foremost there is Canberra™s unique climate. Summer temperatures can regularly 
reach maximums in the mid-to-high 30s with the 
occasional peak into the 40s, while in winter and 
into spring minimums can often plummet to -6oC or -7oC, with an average of 90 frosts per year. Needless to say both warm- and cool-season grasses will 
struggle at some point during the year. Next are the heavy clay/silt soils Πmoist in winter, hard as a rock during the height of summer. 
Vertidrains bounce down fairways and good luck to 
the staff member who goes out to change a hole 
without taking a mallet. As a result, root systems 
on most of the greens are shallow and combined 
with their age (50-plus years) the intensive level 
of maintenance required to keep them performing 
would be enough to haemorrhage the bottom line 
of less affluent clubs.  Then there are the trees. Much of the attraction and character of the Royal Canberra layout, 
attributed to designer Commander John Harris, 
comes from the fact that it is routed through the 
Westbourne Woods Arboretum. As custodian of the 
arboretum, Royal Canberra is responsible for the 
upkeep and preservation of more than 200 species 
of trees and plants, some very rare and significant. 
Trees and fine turf, however, are rarely compatible and with hundreds of monstrous pines flanking 
fairways, a silent subterranean war is being waged 
to see who can out-compete the other for water.Then, of course, there are the members Πknowledgeable, affluent and who love to play golf, a 
lot of it. Royal Canberra pumps through in excess of 70,000 rounds per annum which would make it one 
of the country™s more heavily utilised elite member 
clubs. There are members comps most days and it 
takes a lot for them not to turn up. They also know 
what sort of course they like and place very high 
expectations on Waring, his invaluable assistant 
Andy Heskett and the crew to deliver that year 
round, regardless of any impediments. The Royal Canberra brains trust Πcourse superintendent Michael Waring (left) and long-serving assistant Andy HeskettRoyal CanberraRoyal CanberraAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     7So, take all of the above to start with and then, just for good measure, chuck in a drought, like that which was experienced just a few years 
ago, and see what happens when you attempt to 
keep alive 42 hectares of irrigated cool-season turf 
(including 2.1ha of bentgrass greens) with club-
imposed restrictions which slashed water availability 
by over half. As Waring notes with a wry grin, he 
and the crew have had their work cut out for them 
in recent times.fiIt has been pretty challenging,fl states Waring. fiWe got through one of the toughest periods in the 
club™s history during the recent drought and with 
the amount of water that we had to work with on 
the course, it was probably some of the toughest 
greenkeeping we have ever done. fiThe staff worked very hard to present a golf course that was playable. Greens, tees and 
surrounds were at a more than acceptable standard, 
but it was the fairways that suffered badly and it 
was hard as greenkeepers to see that deterioration. 
During those times you did worry that you couldn™t 
provide the surfaces that you wanted to, but under 
the circumstances we were doing the best we could. fiSurprisingly, it wasn™t the summers that were the issue. The members knew it was hot, knew we 
had limited water and the little bit of common and 
South African couch we had around the place had 
started to spread. The most difficult time was winter 
and explaining to the members why they were poor. 
Because the ryegrass started to break up and we 
had massive Poa drop out during the height of 
summer, we didn™t have the cool-season base to the fairways come winter. When the couch fell over the 
members just expected the cool-season grasses to 
kick in, but because they had been wiped out during 
summer, the fairways they had become accustomed 
to in winter just weren™t there. It was a very tough time, and not just for us but all clubs in Canberra.flCOOL FOR CANBERRAAs a result of the most recent drought, a number 
of courses in Canberra, such as Federal Golf Club and Gold Creek Country Club, took the bold step 
and converted their fairways to couchgrass. Royal 
Canberra too seriously considered the option and 
together with feasibility studies into securing more 
water, a range of trials were established. Plots of 
various couchgrass varieties, both seeded and Royal Canberra Golf Club is renowned for its natural beauty and aesthetics, however, a range of factors including the local 
climate, soils, level of play, its many trees and general age of the course, make it a very intensive 
course to manageIn going back to being a predominantly cool-season course, a massive oversowing and 
topdressing programme has been instituted over the past 18 months. Pictured is Royal Canberra™s 
sublime 16th, considered one of the best par fours in Australian golfPHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSONRoyal Canberraset for centenary spotlightRoyal Canberraset for centenary spotlight8     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2013 WOMEN™S OPENvegetative, were established in the nursery, while Wintergreen and Legend couch were line-planted 
into the 3rd and 17th fairways respectively to see 
how they would go competing against the South African variety brought in years earlier. Although continuing to monitor the couch and its performance, as it stands today Royal Canberra is still and will be for the foreseeable 
future a predominantly cool-season course. As 
Waring admits, while the couchgrass trials were 
very interesting, at the end of the day the members 
simply don™t want couch. They want a cool-season course and that™s what the club has gone back to, 
a decision which has been aided somewhat by 
the return to normal rainfall patterns over the past 
couple of seasons. fiWe went down the couch line as far as we could go without flicking the switch to a full conversion,fl 
says Waring. fiThe decision has been made to go 
back to cool-season and over the past 18 months 
we have oversown the fairways heavily to get them 
back to a predominantly ryegrass mix again with 
about 5 per cent couch still there. fiIn my opinion, I don™t think you can go past the ryegrass, but only if you have the water. That™s the critical thing. You only have to look at the flow 
chart over a 12 month period to see that in terms of playability and quality the ryegrass has the best 
longevity. It obviously holds together very well in 
winter, even when it gets frosty, and in the height of 
summer it™s really only a 10-12 week period between 
the middle of December and the end of February where it stresses. It™s only when you get those 
extreme peaks in temperature that it really starts to 
struggle but you can generally bring it back. fiWe are now waiting on information to come back from Ogilvy Clayton Golf Course Design which 
the club has engaged to draw up a master plan and 
come up with some preliminary ideas for fairway turf 
varieties. Fescue and couch are in their thoughts, but with our golfing programme and the amount of 
play we get, that in itself creates a lot more dramas 
when it comes to determining what grass type to 
go with. It simply isn™t an issue of colour, aesthetics 
and growth habits, but hardness, playability and 
tolerance of traffic and shade Πall of these things 
need to be taken into consideration.fiThe right grass depends on a number of factors Πwater availability, soil types and climate. Water 
is the big thing and while I think temperature-wise 
ryegrass is probably the best grass to maintain and 
is the most playable for the majority of the year, 
that™s only going on having an all but unlimited 
water supply.  The cool-season option is definitely 
what the membership wants, so it then becomes a 
management issue Πhow do we secure the water to 
do what the membership wants.fl  FRESH STARTGrass varieties aside, the other significant issue 
currently facing Royal Canberra is the simple fact that 
the course is now of an age where it is increasingly 
difficult to sustain the modern day demands placed 
on it. Aside from the Brindabella loop of nine holes, 
designed by Thomson and Wolveridge in the 1990s 
which gave Royal Canberra a 27-hole layout, the 
Westbourne Course holes (1-18) have hardly been 
touched since the course was opened back in 1962. With the improvement of the playing surfaces of those holes as a primary focus, the club engaged 
Ogilvy Clayton and a master plan is currently in the 
final draft stage. The course redevelopment was 
planned to start straight after the 2013 Australian 
Women™s Open in February (more on that below), however, it is more than likely to be later in 2013 if 
not 2014 before things really kick off.As far as Waring is concerned, the redevelopment is all about one thing Πdragging the greens into the 
21st Century. The push up bentgrass/Poa annua 
greens have notched up half a century of loyal 
service and while still providing a fantastic surface, 
they are only doing so because of Waring™s expertise 
and a very resource intensive management regime. During summer Waring will have teams of guys out handwatering greens around the clock. Due to 
the heavy clay soils, the bentgrass has a very shallow 
root system, so syringing regularly throughout the 
day instead of wetting them up at night is the only In anticipation of the reconstruction, the greens on 19 (above) and 20 (below) were converted to Authority and A4 creeping bentgrass respectively. At this point in time Authority is ticking all the right boxesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     9viable option. Add to this a lot of insect (stem weevil) and disease (pythium and rhizoctonia) activity and 
it™s a no brainer that the greens require a significant 
facelift from top to bottom.fiGreens reconstruction is a non-negotiable,fl says Waring. fiA big part of our working day here in 
summer is about maintaining greens. It™s a constant 
battle. The driving force behind the redevelopment 
is to improve the greens and greens complexes and 
bring them into the modern age and as such they 
will be full USGA-spec constructions. fiAs far as the design is concerned, there won™t be any huge changes to the greens. The club has 
asked Ogilvy Clayton to keep the philosophies of 
Commander Harris in mind and requested only 
minimal changes to contouring and green shape. 
The other big part of the redevelopment will be 
the bunkers.  We have 98 bunkers across 27 holes 
and with our big, steep clay faces, we get a lot of 
contamination issues, especially after storms. The 
silt, dust and pollen from the trees clog up the sand 
very quickly which slows down the drainage, so 
that™ll be one area of the reconstruction that is an 
important consideration for us.flAs far as a new greens turf variety, at this stage it is a two horse race between A4 and Authority 
with the latter ahead by a comfortable margin to 
date. Over the past couple of years Waring has 
established a nursery containing both varieties and 
converted the chipper to Authority. Two greens out on the course Π19th and 20th Πwere also converted 
with Authority and A4 respectively and have been 
closely monitored for their in-play performance.fiAt the moment Authority seems to be ticking all the boxes for us,fl says Waring. fiThey have both 
performed well, but having reviewed all the trial data 
from the AGCSA bentgrass trials and our own work here, Authority consistently comes out well across 
a range of parameters. The germination rate of the 
Authority was excellent.flAs for other possible grass varieties, as mentioned above fescue has been thrown into the 
mix as a potential for surrounds and even fairways. 
As such a fescue trial site was seeded in September 
with plots of Chewings and creeping red fescues 
either as single varieties or in blends.fiFescue isn™t a grass we have had many dealings with here, but as with everything you don™t Bunkers have been a prime target in the lead up to the Open, in particular removing contaminated sand and replenishing with fresh 
sand. Reconstructing bunkers will also be a significant part of the course redevelopment10     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2013 WOMEN™S OPENrule it out,fl says Waring.  fiIn the right situation it™s a beautiful grass and you only have to look at 
Barnbougle Dunes and Royal Melbourne to see 
how good it can be, but every course is different. 
We know what the ryegrasses and couches are like 
here, so now we™ll give the fescue a chance.fiThey are at the stage now (mid-December) where they are being cut at 13mm and in another 
few weeks that should be down a bit more. They 
were travelling along nicely up until we got a couple 
of hot days in late November which knocked them 
around. But that™s what we wanted. We want to see 
how they handle our conditions and when we get 
some more hot days over summer we™ll keep putting 
them under more pressure Πfoot and cart traffic Πto 
see how they fare.flOPEN FOCUSWhile the redevelopment looms as an exciting 
prospect on the horizon, the immediate focus for 
Waring and his crew has turned in recent times to 
the 2013 ISPS Handa Australian Women™s Open. 
Having hosted the ActewAGL Ladies Classics in the 
past three years, the Open heads to Royal Canberra 
for the first time in the event™s history from 14-17 
February 2013 and headlines Canberra™s centenary celebrations. The tournament will be played on the 
Westbourne Course (1-18) and as it is co-sanctioned 
with the LPGA and European Ladies tours, one of 
the strongest fields ever for a women™s golf event in 
Australia is expected.Having got the club championships out of the way in October, Waring has deliberately backed 
off pushing the course in an effort to safeguard it 
against the excesses of summer. As he points out, 
the second week of February is the worst possible time of year to host a tournament on a cool-season 
course in Canberra, so his management goal in the 
lead-up will be to ensure that no turf is lost during 
the key December-January period. With the drought having had a huge impact on the quality of fairways, Waring has instituted a 
massive topdressing and oversowing programme 
in the lead-up to the Open. Using a 50/50 blend of RPR and Striker Gold ryegrass seed, all 27 fairways have been oversown three times (last 
spring, this past autumn and again this spring) at 
200kg/ha while more than 800 tonnes of an 80/20 
topdressing mix was also spread each time. Greens 
were renovated in spring (scarified then cored 
with 5/8fl tines, amendments added, topdressed 
and later vertidrained with 8mm needle tines) and 
following the club championships heights were lifted 
to 3.5mm.fiMost of our preparations are geared around getting the course through the worst of the summer,fl 
explains Waring, who has also attacked the bunkers 
with vigour in order to clean out any contaminated 
sand. fiAfter the club championships we lifted cutting 
heights and have kept moisture levels right up in the 
greens and fairways in order to take the pressure off 
the turf as we head into summer.fiWe™ll keep a real close eye on the greens over summer and get stuck into them with the grooming 
heads when we get cooler periods. It™s just a matter 
of trying not to stress them out too much and 
keeping a surface. I guess we are trying to get the 
greens to a stage where they are about 70 per cent 
tournament ready over the summer so that when it 
comes time to pull the trigger a few weeks out we 
have the grass cover there to work with.fiWe generally have a firm, bouncy green for tournaments, so you have got to be aware that you 
can™t push them too hard. That™s the nerve wracking 
thing about having the tournament at that time of 
year; you have to be very conscious of how far you 
can go. And then you also have to be mindful of 
getting the course back up post-tournament.fiSo we are adopting a ‚take it easy™ approach. The membership are understanding that the course 
will be a little bit damper this summer as a result, but 
the theory is that if we can get the course through 
the heat of summer with the grasses intact then 
we can bring it up very quickly come the Open. 
You simply can™t afford to lose grass here over the 
Christmas and New Year period because you won™t be able to get it back.fl Preparations for the Open will ramp up about 3-4 weeks out when patterns will start to be burnt 
into the ryegrass fairways and with 10 days to go it 
will be all hands to the pump with a tournament crew 
of around 50 likely at this stage. fiThe senior guys have all been given an area of responsibility and we are now starting to work 
through who we™ll have doing what,fl says Waring. 
fiAll the guys are looking forward to it and I have a lot of old staff wanting to come back and volunteer, 
as well as local staff from other courses helping out.  fiThese events are not just about me or the senior staff; it™s about all the guys and their futures 
so I™m very mindful of the boys playing a real big part 
in the event. It will be a tough event to do properly 
given our environment at that time of year and the 
long range forecast isn™t promising, but hopefully 
someone will smile on us and we™ll catch a cool 
break for the week.fl Having trialled couchgrasses extensively for the past five years, Royal Canberra has recently put in fescue trial plots to see how they will cope in Canberra™s unique climate12     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 MASTERSThe back half of 2012 will be a period that Hayden Mead will reflect upon in years to 
come as perhaps the most significant juncture of his career as a turf manager. After 19 years 
at Spring Valley Golf Club, a course where he cut his teeth as an apprentice before eventually 
progressing through the ranks to superintendent, in 
May 2012 Mead made industry headlines when he 
was sought out by Kingston Heath Golf Club to be their new course superintendent.It™s not every day that Australia™s number two and world number 27 ranked golf club comes a-calling, 
but after parting ways with Martin Greenwood earlier 
in the year, Kingston Heath set about drawing up 
a shortlist of candidates to fill the top job. Having 
quietly and impressively gone about his trade during 
a seven year stint as Spring Valley superintendent, including hosting four successful Victorian Opens 
from 2009-2012, Mead™s name made the final cut 
and along with a number of other highly experienced 
superintendents was duly approached. Despite an enjoyable, challenging and ultimately rewarding tenure at Spring Valley and still very much motivated to implement further changes there, Mead 
knew that the opportunity presented by Kingston 
Heath would rarely, if ever, come along again during 
his career. Coming out of the blue as it did, he had 
little time to mull over the invitation to put his hat in 
the ring, however, a short walk around the famed 
sandbelt course was enough to confirm in his own 
mind that it would be the right fit should he be given 
the nod.Sitting adjacent the Kingston Heath practice range on the opening day of the 2012 Talisker Masters last November, some five months after 
confirmation of his appointment as Kingston Heath™s 
new custodian, 37-year-old Mead can now afford a 
chuckle when asked what the first few months of his 
tenure have been like. fiHecticfl immediately springs 
to his mind and when you work your way through 
Mead™s ‚to do™ list he has certainly hit the ground 
running.ATM editor Brett Robinson reviews the 2012 Talisker Masters, the first major tournament for newly appointed Kingston Heath Golf Club superintendent Hayden Mead. The 2012 Talisker Masters was Hayden Mead™s first major test since taking over as Kingston Heath course superintendent in June 2012masterKingston Heath™s newmasterKingston Heath™s newAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     13No sooner had he set foot inside the Kingston Heath sheds than new machinery purchased prior to his arrival rolled through the gates, while 
plans for the club™s new irrigation system, to be 
installed in 2013, and a long overdue upgrade of 
the maintenance facility to improve staff amenities 
also required his immediate attention. Add to all 
that getting to know the crew, the course layout, the 
vagaries of an ageing and temperamental irrigation 
system, not to mention the small matter of getting 
the course up for the Masters, and Mead has been 
tested right from the get-go.fiI think I have adapted pretty well,fl reflects Mead on the start of his time at Kingston Heath. fiMy course 
management philosophies have stayed pretty much 
the same since coming across from Spring Valley. 
I™m still focussed on the turf surfaces first and 
foremost and approaching course presentation from 
the members™ perspective, but with bigger budgets 
and more staff come greater expectations. fiIt has been a hectic start, but good. There was a lot going on to get my head around when 
I started, but with the Masters so soon the main 
priority was concentrating on making sure we had 
all the surfaces right for that. Fortunately I took over the course in very good condition and the crew were 
fantastic, especially (assistant superintendents) Bob 
Simmons and Jarrod Castle who were brilliant in Already with eight Australian Opens and the 2009 JBWere Masters to its name, Kingston Heath Golf Club hosted the 
2012 Talisker Masters from 15-18 November (pictured is the tournament 8th)Assistant superintendent Bob Simmons, who has been at Kingston Heath for 32 years, hand-
waters the 15th greenPHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSON14     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 MASTERShelping me understand everything, although I™m sure it probably felt at times like they were having to deal with a first year apprentice!fiIt might seem quite insignificant, but one of the hardest things was getting my head around the 
course layout. The standard course layout has the 10th hole in play and the members hit off holes 1 
and 7 (which play 10 and 1 for the Masters) during 
the week. Then two days a week they play the 
Masters layout. So needless to say I owe the guys 
a few slabs already for getting the order of holes 
totally wrong and popping up sprinkler heads where 
they shouldn™t.flMASTERING PREPARATIONSHaving the tournament so early into his tenure was 
something of a double-edged sword for Mead. While 
it provided a fantastic opportunity to see how he and 
the crew would gel in the high pressure environment 
of a major tournament and to what extent he could 
push Kingston Heath™s surfaces, the very fact that it 
was such a high profile event also tempered Mead™s 
ability and desire to institute any significant changes 
to management practices.  Although not normally his style, in a number of areas Mead erred on the side of caution during the 
lead-up and readily admits that there would be a 
number of things he would do differently the next 
time round. fiWith the Masters such a primary focus I couldn™t afford to take any risks, so we kept things pretty 
simple,fl explains Mead. fiKeeping the surfaces 
clean of Poa was a big issue but I couldn™t exactly 
go around trialling different herbicides with the 
tournament so close. Watching the Poa keep on growing has been very hard but with the tournament 
over we™ll be addressing that.fiThat was probably one of the disadvantages of having the tournament so soon after starting. 
There would have been a lot of things I would liked 
to have tried at this time of year (November) just to see how they would react here with the climate and 
weather compared to my past experiences at Spring 
Valley. Although the two courses are literally just a 
few kilometres down the road from each other, they 
are very different. At Spring Valley we had bent/
Poa push-up greens, whereas here they are pure 
bentgrass USGA constructions Πtotally different 
circumstances and environments and the same 
products can behave very differently.fiIt was the same with our greens preparations. We got all our programmes in place about 6-8 
weeks out and then we solid tined greens (100mm 
depth) with small star tines about four weeks out. I 
did that because I wanted to use a standard wetting 
agent and get it down through the profile. I also put 
a preventative fungicide out at the same time, so I 
wanted to get that deep penetration. Because of the 
tournament, I went out at a light rate with the wetting agent, but in hindsight I could have gone with a 
heavier rate to get better longevity. fiWith the star-tining, we did it first in August and kept a good eye on the greens which came 
back well after two weeks. On the back of that 
we went out with them again four weeks out from 
the tournament and thought we™d be ok, but as 
the greens started to dry out they began to show 
through a bit it. So again, with hindsight, I probably 
would have star-tined 5-6 weeks out.flDespite the many learning curves in the lead-up to the tournament, few could fault the condition 
of Kingston Heath come the middle of November. 
Indeed, many players and pundits were quick to 
highlight the fantastic condition of the course (see 
the breakout on page 16 for some of the comments 
on Twitter), while the tournament organisers got the grandstand finish they hoped for as Adam Scott 
and Ian Poulter traded shots over a sublime final 
36 holes. Mead™s crew expanded to 24 for the tournament from the usual summer contingent of 16, with 
volunteers coming from a number of local clubs Kingston Heath staff Mark Bouma (left) and Craig Harrison (right) tend to the 15th green and surrounds ahead of the second roundMasters volunteer James Newell, assistant superintendent at nearby Woodlands Golf Club, sets the cup and pin on the par four 17thAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     15including Huntingdale, Metropolitan, Victoria, Woodlands and Spring Valley, while one volunteer 
journeyed all the way from Tura Beach Country Club on the NSW south coast.At the request of tournament organisers, green speeds for the Masters were kept at a modest 
11™-11.5™. Greens, which were being cut (with Toro Greensmaster Flex 2100s) at 2.75mm the week prior, were lifted to 3mm during tournament week, 
with select greens receiving a single cut before 
each round and some only brushed. Fairways (9mm) were cut by two crews (one crew operating 
two Jacobsen 3800 units and the other crew of 
three operating Toro Reelmaster 5610s). Surrounds were maintained at 7mm with two Jacobsen G-Plex 
triplexes while a Toro TriFlex 3400 tended to the tees (6mm). fiOur cutting regimes were a bit over the place to be honest,fl admits Mead. fiBecause of the dry 
weather and the dusting we were doing, the speed 
and firmness was already in the greens. Before I 
started the club had implemented a heavier dusting 
programme on a three-weekly basis which kept the 
firmness in the greens a lot better. As a result, it was 
probably the first tournament here in a long time that 
we didn™t roll greens.fiThe greens were between 12™-13™ for the members in the lead-up to the tournament, but we 
brought that back down to 11™-11™5fl.  We stimped all 
the greens after the Wednesday Pro-Am and some 
had blown out a little in regards to their firmness 
with all the traffic Πwe had 240 playing Πso some 
were just brushed using the brushes on the front of 
the walk-behinds with cylinders not engaged, while 
others were cut and brushed. The putting green, 
which is small, copped a battering and we only cut 
it once in the five days leading up to the opening 
round and it still stimped 11™4fl. fiWe did have to chase our tail a little on a couple of greens, most notably our double green 
(tournament 2nd and 16th). When we stimped it on 
the Tuesday night before the tournament, half of the green (the 2nd side) was a foot quicker than the 
other. So when we prepared it ahead of the opening 
round, we single cut the 16th side of the green, went 
over the mound to the 2nd half, dropped the brush 
down, disengaged the mower and kept going!fiBut, overall I was very happy with the way the course came up. It was a real team effort by the 
guys and they did a great job to get it to the level 
they did.fl HAMMER TIME One of the key components of his pre-tournament 
greens management programme was undertaking 
regular Clegg Impact Hammer readings on all greens to determine surface hardness levels. 
Although having had little dealing previously with the 
Clegg, Mead quickly realised the benefits of using 
the device as part of his tournament management 
strategy.fiOur greens preparation for the Masters was all about chasing a consistent speed across all 
the greens and also keeping firmness consistent 
and that™s where the Clegg came in very handy,fl 
explains Mead. fiMartin (Greenwood) was right into it 
and although I had never used it at Spring Valley, as 
soon as I started using it and got an understanding 
of it I could really see the benefits. fiFortunately things ran pretty smoothly in the lead-up to the tournament so we were able to 
concentrate on using it on all greens and using the 
results to assist with our greens management. About 
two weeks out from the tournament readings were 
taken on all greens at nine locations (three front, 
three middle and three back with the 0.5kg flat-head 
hammer) and they all averaged about 185 gravities. fiWe were aiming to have them up around 200 for the first round and when we took readings again 
the Friday before tournament week they were up to 211. We then went out on the Tuesday before the Pro-Am and they were back down to a 205 average 
which is where they remained for the tournament. fiIt proved to be a really handy tool to make sure we had that consistent firmness across each 
green and also across all greens. For instance after we took the readings on the Tuesday there were a few greens that were noticeably softer at the back. 
We were able to go out and take a closer look at 
those greens and sure enough those areas were a Clegg readings taken across all greens in the lead-up to the tournament saw averages of around 205 gravitiesThe 13th fairway gets an early morning cut courtesy of two Jacobsen 3800sWarren Knevitt leads the crew up tournament 4 on the Toro 5610 
fairway units16     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 MASTERSlittle greener than the rest of the green, so we were able to tell the hand-watering guys to stay away 
from them. It was very handy in that regard and 
something that we™ll continue using.flNO RESTMead has had little time to reflect on this debut 
Masters and no sooner had all the tournament infrastructure been pulled down he was overseeing 
his first significant renovation which was scheduled 
the week before Christmas. As this edition was 
going to print Mead was due to rip into the greens 
with 5/8fl hollow tines as well as scarify the Santa ana couchgrass fairways. He then has a six week gap to get the course up for The Open Championship™s International Final Qualifying on 29-30 January, an event the club has 
hosted the past six years, while club championships 
start a few weeks later.Following those events, the primary focus for 2013 will be the complete upgrade of Kingston 
Heath™s irrigation system starting in March/April. 
Planning for the new system started long before 
Mead™s arrival and it will see new storage tanks, 
pumping station, mainlines, control system and 
sprinklers installed over a six month period. The greens will be on a completely separate system Π
separate mainline and ring lines around each green 
Πwhich will give Mead far greater control of what 
water goes on the greens. Three new one megalitre storage tanks, to be used solely for greens and surrounds irrigation, will 
be installed next to the maintenance facility, with 
the exisiting tanks to be used for fairway and tee 
irrigation. To contend with the high bi-carbonate levels in the club™s bore water, a sulphur burner has 
also been purchased from overseas. Much like an 
acid injection system (which uses sulphuric acid), a 
sulphur burner heats up a solid form of sulphur to 
form sulphite (SO3), a gas that reacts with water to form sulphurous acid (H2SO3). Untreated bore water will fill the tanks and then the water will circulate 
through the sulphur burner and tank until the 
desired pH is reached.  As part of the fit out, the plan is to also install infrastructure, such as water outlets for toilets and 
hospitality suites, to make it easier when Kingston 
Heath hosts major tournaments in the future. KINGSTON TWEET!What the players and pundits were saying about Kingston Heath Golf Club and the 
2012 Talisker Masters on Twitter...
@IanJamesPoulter: Kingston Heath is totally awesome. Someone please tell modern 
day architects we don™t need 8000 yard tracks, they™re not enjoyable. Best yet. (Poulter 
finished runner-up to 2012 Talisker Masters champion Adam Scott)@GeoffShac: I had to turn it off. Too depressing. Kingston Heath is just way more interesting than anything we have here! (Geoff Shackelford is a US-based writer/blogger for Golf Digest)@StewartCink: Want to see what a golf course ought to look like? Tune in to Golf Channel™s coverage of the Talisker Aussie Masters at Kingston Heath.@NickOHern: Watching Aussie Masters from the US... how good does Kingston Heath look!!! One of the best in the world. Length isn™t everything!@IanJamesPoulter: Par 3 15th is in the top par 3s in the world it™s only 152 yards 9 iron 
today. None of this 245 yard crap we see so often. Pure brilliance.
@GeoffShac: I can™t imagine Kingston Heath looking better than it did during the 
Talisker Australian Masters. Dare I nominate it as the best looking and best playing course we saw in tournament golf this year? Logan Galloway cuts the surrounds on the par 3 15thMetropolitan volunteer Ben Matthews shaves the 4th green. Greens were cut at 3mm and ran between 11™ and 11™5fl on the stimpmeterDefending champion and 
eventual Talisker Masters runner-up Ian Poulter was full 
of praise for Kingston HeathLeave behind a great cut and nothing else.  That™s the advantage of our Riding Greens Mowers. Both the 2500B PrecisionCutŽ and 2500E E-CutŽ Hybrid are extremely light on their feet. 
minimise ground pressure. They also feature offset cutting units to give you good visibility 
Find out more about our top performing Riding Greens Mowers today.Light on the green, precise on the cut.1800 800 981 | JohnDeere.com.au18     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 OPENEventual winner Peter Senior described it as one of the fitoughest days ever on a golf coursefl. The 2012 Emirates Australian Open finished in dramatic circumstances as Sydney™s weather conspired to make The Lakes Golf Club a brutal test for players during the final round. ATM looks back at the tournament, the first Open for recently appointed course superintendent Anthony Mills.  The photo above shows the par three 9th at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney on a seemingly picture perfect Sydney morning early last December. It™s 6.25am, the sun is blazing, a southerly 
zephyr barely registers on the course™s weather 
station and The Lakes™ 50-strong tournament crew, headed by course superintendent Anthony Mills, 
have been on course just shy of two hours going 
about their preparations for the final round of the 
2012 Emirates Australian Open.Fast forward a few hours and Sydney™s fickle weather is doing its best to shatter that idyllic scene. 
The clouds have rolled in, the southerly breeze is 
now registering between 40-60kph and the change 
that had been forecasted by the Bureau has well and 
truly arrived... early. To coin a phrase from veteran Sydney superintendent Gary Dempsey who resides just down the road at NSW Golf Club, the wind was 
now starting to ‚blow oysters off the rocks™. Out on the course it™s getting dicey. Balls begin to move on the double cut A4 bentgrass greens (one on the 1st green runs five feet while over on 12 another moves two feet), corporate marquees begin 
to implode, while just after 11.30am an 80kph gust 
of wind causes the steel-frame camera tower behind 
the 18th green to collapse into the rear right hand 
bunker, narrowly missing the putting surface. With the course becoming unplayable and the safety of players and spectators at risk, tournament 
director Trevor Herden makes the call to suspend play at 11.43am with the leading groups still to tee 
off. For the next three hours the course is buffeted by strong winds and even when play does resume 
shortly before 3pm, it™s still borderline. Indeed about 
an hour after the resumption Mills receives a call 
from Herden asking him what it would take to get the 
course ready the following morning should he have 
to suspend play for a second time. Thankfully that doesn™t eventuate and at 7.35pm as sunset descends, Peter Senior rolls in a par putt on the 18th to sign for a 72-hole total of 4-under and 
become the oldest winner of the Stonehaven Cup 
at 53 years of age.  The final group of Justin Rose and John Senden finish moments later, the latter carding a horror final round 10-over despite having 
started the day with a two stroke lead. As Senior 
later comments at his press conference, fiIt was one 
of the toughest days I have seen on a golf coursefl. GETTING INTO THE GROOM While Senior and Senden will remember the 
tournament for very different reasons, Mills certainly 
won™t forget the 2012 Emirates Australian Open in a hurry either. In what was his first major tournament 
since taking over as course superintendent in July, The Lakesblows them awayThe Lakesblows them awaySunday morning dawned picture perfect for the final round of the 2012 Emirates Australian Open, belying the conditions which would later mar the tournament when play was suspended for three hours. Pictured is the par three 9th with the 1st fairway in the backgroundAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     19it rounded out what was a hectic and at times challenging first five months in charge. Originally joining The Lakes as an assistant in June after spending the previous three years as 
grow-in superintendent at the new Stonecutters 
Ridge course, just three weeks into that role Mills was 
elevated to superintendent following the departure 
of former superintendent Russell Fletcher. Thrust into the top job with the Open just months off was 
enough to focus Mills straight away and together 
with a new assistant (in the form of ex-Roseville Golf 
Club assistant Stephen Mallyon who also joined The Lakes in the lead-up to the Open), preparations began in earnest for the tournament.  The immediate area of focus was the greens. Somewhat thin and bare in parts and suffering the 
effects of nematode damage, Mills set about getting a good surface back on them as well as grooming 
heavily in order to promote a finer leaf on the A4. 
Starting in September, Mills scarified the greens 
three times a month apart in the lead-up to the 
tournament. After getting stuck into them on the 
first two occasions, Mills lifted the heights so as just 
to tickle the grass on the third scarify a month out 
from the tournament. Combined with regular dusting 
the end result was impressive and throughout the 
Open many golfers commented how true the greens 
rolled. In an attempt to control nematodes, the bane of The Lakes since the completion of its redevelopment 
in 2009, Mills put out three applications of Agador 
fortnightly in the lead-up to the Open, the last going 
out the Wednesday prior to the Open. A total of six 
hectares comprising greens, surrounds and isolated The Lakes course superintendent Anthony MillsBelow and left: Assistant superintendent Stephen Mallyon 
sets the pin on The Lakes™ penultimate holePHOTOS: BRETT ROBINSON20     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2012 OPENspots on fairways were sprayed, with three crew members working a 10pm-3am shift to complete 
the job on each occasion (two spraying and one 
watering in).  Prior to the applications, sting nematode counts on the worst affected 4th green were up in excess of 
900 (the treatable threshold for sting nematodes is 
just 20 per 200mL of soil), but following a nematode 
count conducted a week after the Open, those 
numbers were back down to just over 100. GREENS WITH ENVYDespite a howling wind which greeted players for 
the Wednesday Pro-Am, up until the afternoon of 
the final round the Open had been pretty much 
played in perfect conditions. With his usual crew of 
17 bolstered by more than 30 volunteers from golf 
clubs and turf companies across the state, Mills was able to have the course cut and prepared in a matter 
of a few hours each morning.Greens were double cut at 3mm all four mornings with the rollers brought out on Saturday after they started to slow a bit on Friday. Stimpmeter readings throughout the duration ranged from 10™7fl for 
Thursday™s opening round through to a maximum 
of 11™ for Saturday™s third round. With 45kph winds 
forecast for Sunday, greens were still double cut, 
although Mills received a call from Herden at 5am 
Sunday asking whether it was possible to just single 
cut greens. With the crew already half an hour into 
cutting the greens, it was quickly agreed that they 
weren™t about to double cut some and single cut 
others. The greens stimped 10™7fl for the final round 
and they were also given a bit of water.  When the eventual change did come it came quickly and caught everyone by surprise. At 
10.48am the Bureau of Meteorology station at 
nearby Sydney Airport recorded a maximum wind 
gust of 87kph (the forecast predicted maximum 
gusts of 70kph) and it wasn™t long after that that the 
camera tower behind 18 crashed into the greenside 
bunker causing minor damage to the face. As well as having to repair that, Mills and his crew turned part-time security guards during the 
three hour suspension of play. The tournament 
tee markers, which feature a model of an Emirates 
Airlines A380 airplane, were considered prime 
souvenirs by some spectators so the crew had to 
roam the course along with police to make sure they 
remained in place. When play did end up resuming Mills had to send a couple of staff out with backpacks to blow 
off sand that had been whipped out of bunkers and The par three 7th receives a double cut ahead of the final round. Greens were maintained at 3mm for the tournament with 
the rollers used just once ahead of the third roundThe kikuyu fairways were cut mornings at 10mmThe 12th green surround is trimmed at 10mmAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     21onto the likes of the 12th and 16th greens as a result of the strong winds. fiIt was certainly something different,fl reflects Mills when speaking to ATM a week after the tournament. fiApart from four NSW Women™s Opens 
when I was an assistant at Oatlands Golf Club, I had never done a major tournament like this, but I think 
we did a pretty good job. fiThere were a few thin areas on fairways that we didn™t quite get 100 per cent covered, but that 
was certainly not through a lack of trying. We 
probably should have foliar fertilised a bit more 
as they responded well to that, but certain areas 
didn™t come back in time which meant we had to 
do some last minute turfing and had a few preferred 
lies around. fiEverything else came up well and it was satisfying to hear the comments from the players 
about the greens rolling true given the work we 
had done to fine the surface up. The tournament 
organisers and the club™s board were extremely 
happy too so as a superintendent I guess I can™t ask for too much more than that.fl   Above: The Lakes™ second hole shortly before sunrise on SundayRight: Royal Sydney™s Alistair Dunn, seen here cutting the 8th green, was one of more than 30 course volunteers to join The Lakes crew for the tournamentNote: While FlameŽ has taken great care in preparing this artwork responsibility for the printed artwork and copy accuracy lies with the client. The printer is responsible for checking artwork before plates are made, accuracy in measurements, plates tolerance requirements, registration and construction detailing. Any questions please contact flame before proceeding with the job. Copyright 2011 Flame. ASMina Giang (account service) mina@flame.com.au | +61 2 9887 8500 | flame.com.auName:  FLAME_SYCR573 Instrata AGCSA Wall CalendarDate: 13.12.12 | Round: FSize:  105Hmm x 158WmmSyngenta 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. AD 12/671.A 3-in-1 turf fungicide with solid efficacy and residual actionThe triple action fungicide for all seasonsTo ˜nd your nearest Syngenta agent go to www.greencast.com.au/au/agent-contact-details22     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTLEGENDSOne of the true gentlemen of the Australian turf industry, Mick O™Shannessy retired last October after an incredible 52 years in the profession. From Keysborough Golf Club as a raw 14-year-old apprentice through to overseeing the construction and maintenance of Hidden Valley Golf & Country Club, the 65-year-old AGCSA member reflects on a challenging and ultimately rewarding career.Born just a stab kick away from Princes Park in Carlton and raised in the south 
east Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, Mick O™Shannessy was destined for a career in turf 
management. School never agreed with him and at the tender age of 14 he found himself walking 
through the gates at Keysborough Golf Club where 
he would come under the tutelage of legendary 
superintendent Horrie Brown. That set in motion a 52-year turf management career, one which came to an end on 31 October 
2012 when he left Hidden Valley Golf & Country Club, north of Melbourne, for the last time after 
a 13 year stint as construction and maintenance 
superintendent. Along the way O™Shannessy held 
positions at Tirhatuan Lakes Golf Course, Waverley Private Golf Club and the AFL™s Waverley Park 
where he was head curator for seven years. ATM caught up with O™Shannessy a few weeks after his 
retirement to look back on a celebrated career.ATM: Congratulations Mick on a wonderful and successful career in the turf management 
profession. Take us back to where it all started. 
How and why did you get into the turf industry 
and what was the industry like back then?
Mick O™Shannessy: I started my working life as a 14-year-old in 1961.  My parents suggested fiyou™re 
old enough to earn a quid nowfl and I didn™t take 
too much prompting as school was not my favourite place. Having a brother working as a groundsman at 
Southern Golf Club and hearing all the stories about ‚the good life™ working outdoors with sport, animals 
and plant life, it really appealed, so when I was told of a situation vacant at nearby Keysborough Golf Club 
I successfully applied for the job.  To get to work each day required a bus trip from North Dandenong 
to Dandenong central where I was picked up by the assistant curator and taken to the course. Back then 
Springvale Road was just a dirt track! Meeting the curator ‚Mr™ Brown was very daunting. He was a huge (well, everyone was huge 
when you were a skinny 14-year-old), six foot man 
with dark brown hair brushed straight back and wore 
braces to hold his pants up! To this day I am forever grateful to Horrie Brown for teaching me a strong, 
hard-working ethic and his assistant Les Abrehart for 
all his tuition regarding greenkeeping practices and 
pushing me on to other things. They were definitely 
the most influential people in my career.The industry at that time was very labour intensive. The Keysborough staff consisted of 14 groundsmen, an assistant curator and the curator.  
My first task consisted of hand mowing around all 
trees on the course.  In due course I was allowed 
to ‚progress™ to raking bunkers!  When I finally was able to do greenkeeping I was shown how to 
‚manually mix™ and spray fungicides, apply fertilisers 
and herbicides and pesticides, all those good old 
products containing mercury, cadmium, DDT etc. big in heartSmall in stature,big in heartHidden Valley™s 18th hole which features its iconic island green. Mick O™Shannessy (far right) spent the past 13 years up until his recent retirement in November 2012 overseeing the transformation of the land from a collection of horse paddocks to a fully maintained championship golf courseAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     23My first pay packet was five pounds ten shillings (about $11 today) of which I promptly gave mum two pounds 10 shillings and the rest I spent on a new 
pink shirt and Roy Orbison™s ‚new™ single Working 
for the Man. After four years the club paid for me to 
attend Burnley College for a six-month, two nights 
a week greenkeeping course which enabled me to 
become ‚qualified™. MICK O™SHANNESSY Œ CAREER AT A GLANCEKeysborough GC 1961- 1975 
Apprentice/greenkeeper
Tirhatuan Lakes GC 
1975-1984
Course superintendent
Waverley Private GC 
1984-1986 
Course superintendent
Shanford Turf
1986-1993 
Owner operator
Waverley Park
1993-2000 
Head curator
Hidden Valley G&CC
2000-2012 
Construction and maintenance 
superintendent24     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTLEGENDSI had some good times and learnt many things during my time at Keysborough. I remember applying copper sulphate instead of ferrous sulphate to nine 
greens which proved to be rather embarrassing 
while the funniest thing I saw was a front end loader 
getting bogged to the sump on the construction site 
of 1st green and having to be dismantled to free it!ATM: After 14 years at Keysborough you moved to Tirhatuan Lakes, Waverley Private and then 
started your own business. Talk us through these 
moves and what you achieved. 
MO: I progressed on to become curator at Tirhatuan Park, a course developed by the Dandenong Valley 
Authority (DVA), constructed in a flood basin 
designed to protect Dandenong from flooding. As 
you could well understand winter times were very 
difficult.  My time here came about due to after-
hours work that I did preparing the turf wicket for Berwick Cricket Club. Graeme Rooke who was the 
number one engineer for the DVA played there and 
was impressed by my turf knowledge and wicket 
preparation.  He is also the father of Greg Rooke, 
current Southern Golf Club superintendent and an ex-apprentice of mine. Apart from the horrendous wet winters, vandalism and theft were rife.  We were broken 
into and cleaned out in two successive weeks, 
the second time only two days after all equipment 
was replaced. Another interesting time came when the professional rang early on Saturday morning 
asking me to come in and change the cup on the 
18th green as it smelled.  When I arrived I found someone had defecated into the cup and smeared 
the surrounding turf!From Tirhatuan I moved onto (drier?) Waverley Golf Club literally across the road with Bill Powell 
maintaining the bowling greens and advising me re: 
all the quirks about the golf course (e.g.: sprinklers 
coming on the 12th green when toilets were flushed 
in the maintenance facility). My time here with Bill 
was very enjoyable. After a couple of years there an opportunity arose to try my hand at operating my own business 
ΠShanford Turf.  I purchased a Toro Hydroject and did contract work. As well as this I reconstructed and maintained sports grounds, school ovals and private 
lawns, but after several hard years the desire to get 
back into greenkeeping returned.ATM: And what a way to re-enter the fray Œ taking over at the AFL™s Waverley Park football ground? 
MO: In 1993 a phone call came from Turf Grass Technology asking if I could help out with some problems they were having at Waverley Park football 
ground.  Although I was very busy at the time 
operating my own business, I managed to help out 
with some turf laying (I could not refuse to help John 
Neylan, Euan Liard and David McGeary after the 
assistance they had given me over the years).  Working there for 1-2 days led to 1-2 weeks until the oval was returned to a safe playing surface. 
Just prior to the start of the 1993 AFL season I was asked by the late Jill Lindsay (AFL arenas manager) 
if I would stay on permanently.  My first reaction was 
‚No, I am far too busy™, but after discussing it with 
John Neylan I decided to accept.ATM: You joined Waverley at a time when the ground was coming under constant criticism due 
to the surface. Talk us through the reconstruction 
of Waverley and the challenges you faced during 
your time as head curator. 
MO: The first 12 months were very difficult. The 
surface was uneven and continually patched and 
the irrigation system faulty.  Through John Neylan™s 
consulting with the AFL, John and I finally convinced As head curator, O™Shannessy was involved in the major reconstruction of the AFL™s Waverley ParkWaverley Park in 1995 looking resplendent after its reconstruction (below) and (right) the aftermath of hosting the U2 concertAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     25Ian Collins that the oval needed a complete overhaul.  When the AFL agreed on a costing, I stripped all existing turf, removed the top 300mm of soil, sand 
and whatever else was in it, installed a new drainage 
grid and a new sprinkler system, then re-sodded the 
oval with Legend couch. Initially the oval was to be sodded with Wintergreen but after my visiting Bill Casimaty 
at his turf farm and seeing the Legend growing parallel to Wintergreen, I said to John fithis is the one we should usefl and the AFL became the first 
user of this variety.  From this time on the surface and Waverley Park was considered the best in the 
country, getting personal compliments from the 
likes of Kevin Sheedy, Mick Malthouse, Gary Ayers and David Parkin. Probably the most satisfying 
moment was during the finals the second year after 
reconstruction and hearing the public entering the 
stadium saying, after a very wet year, fiWow, look 
at the oval!flAround 1996 Michael Jackson had booked the stadium for a concert (imagine the reaction of my 
young daughters Cynthia, Narelle and Megan when I told them!), but due to the pop star™s personal 
problems at the time it was cancelled (again, 
imagine my daughters™ reactions!).  Around the 
same time U2 staged a concert at Waverley Park. This was something I had never experienced.  With the ground in pristine condition, oval manager Graeme Finn and I stayed at Waverley Park for 48 hours straight (no sleep) to ensure all proper 
efforts were made to protect the turf. We had 35 
Pantech truckloads of staging, cranes, forklifts and 
roadways laid across the turf, so it was a massive 
undertaking. The concert was considered a huge 
success (although I would have preferred Elvis, The 
Beatles or The Stones), but then came the clean-up and repair work. After the staging and temporary 
roads were removed, 12 staff emu-bobbed the oval 
for debris. When they had all left I hired a metal 
detector and picked up a full 10-litre bucket of bolts, 
nuts and screws! ATM Is it true you once mowed the entire oval with a Scott Bonnar walk-behind?  
MO: Yes, there was a time when I mowed the oval with the old Scott Bonnar Queen mower which was 
used by John Maley during World Series Cricket. It took about six hours mowing from goal to goal!  ATM: From Waverley Park you got back into golf when the Hidden Valley development came up. 
What attracted you to the job and looking back 
what were the 13 years like there?
MO: At the end on the 1999 AFL season, I was 
informed of Waverley™s impending demise as a venue 
so I started looking around for future employment. I got a call from a former colleague Chris Young who 
asked if I would like to be construction foreman at 
the Hidden Valley Golf & Country Club in Wallan.  I had some good times and learnt many things during my time at Keysborough. I remember applying copper sulphate instead of ferrous sulphate to nine greens which proved to be rather embarrassing!Mick O™Shannessy 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 Products26     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTLEGENDSAfter meeting Chris out there and inspecting the site I accepted the challenge.  I thought I had worked in some cold places (like Waverley Park), but nothing was as cold and 
windy as Hidden Valley.  Enormous challenges 
lay ahead as Densal was offered only $500,000 
for construction.  For this amount nine greens and other minor areas were built.  The greens were 
constructed to USGA standards but no sprinklers, 
with just one quick coupling valve per green.  As work progressed more money ‚dribbled™ in allowing for works on the other nine to proceed.  
There was no cultivating or shaping of fairways and 
we just used Roundup and sprigged Santa ana couch straight into the ground. Again there were no 
sprinklers, only QCVs at 60m spacings on the edge 
of the rough!  We continued our own work hoping to leave the famous Hidden Valley 18th until last, but a phone 
from the developers early in June changed all that 
Πthey wanted it done now!  Those who might not 
be aware, Hidden Valley™s par three 18th green is 
situated on an island in the middle of a 100ML lake, 
so all access to the island was done by a barge 
hauled along a cable anchored to the mainland and 
island (see photo above).  All machines, excavators, dozers, bobcats, all turf, sand and gravel were driven onto the barge and 
transported across a distance of about 100m.  Each 
trip took 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back.  
The only access we had after construction was by 
means of a 1.2m wide floating bridge, so for mowing 
a walk-behind mower was used while at renovation 
time all sand had to be barrowed across!  During my 13 years at Hidden Valley we had some daunting times Πworking as a contractor 
for a developer is no piece of cake.  My return 
to golf course work at Hidden Valley under the 
Densal banner (Dave Pulling and Chris Young 
were excellent employers) and with Pacific Coast 
Design™s Phil Ryan was made a lot easier.  A good personal relationship was formed with the developer 
and in the following years an association was 
formed with golf professional Craig Parry in regard 
to layout changes. My maintenance crew of three 
were great toilers and great blokes, as were the 
estate staff.  As much as I enjoyed the construction side of things, I derived just as much pleasure in maintaining 
and presenting a perfectly groomed course. It was certainly one of the most satisfying times of my 
career to see Hidden Valley turn from what was a 
collection of horse paddocks into a championship 
golf course. The one thing I won™t miss about the 
job though was the daily commute Πa 162-kilometre 
round trip from my Ferntree Gully home!  ATM: Looking back on the journey Mick, what 
will you take away most from the turf industry 
and what advice would you give to apprentices 
coming through?
MO: There have been a number of moments that 
gave me great satisfaction over the years Πbeing 
appointed as curator for the first time, achieving ‚the 
impossible™ at Waverley Park and, as mentioned, 
creating Hidden Valley from nothing. Above all, 
though, it has been dealing with the people in our 
industry. The most interesting people I have met in life have been my peers and all associated turf 
people and you soon find out that we all share 
the same problems and desires. There are many 
people to thank Πmy last employers Densal and all 
staff, John Neylan for 30 years of assistance and friendship and Ron McCartney and Terry Woodcock for their help in the early days.There have been plenty of changes during my career, and the biggest and most obvious for me 
were the advancements of ride-on machinery, the 
increased turf expertise available and the knowledge 
re: handling and application of chemicals. As for 
advice to those coming through, it™s pretty simple Œ 
be aware it™s a 365 days a year job and make sure 
you are totally dedicated.ATM: So what now for Mick O™Shannessy?MO: I™ll see what the New Year brings. I am enjoying being a baby-sitter to my three beautiful 
grandchildren Œ Isabelle, Tom and Max Œ and with two more on the way in 2013 I think my wife Helen and I will have enough on our plates!Another iconic feature of Hidden Valley are the many conifers which flank the course™s fairways. Pictured right is the 11th hole as seen today and (above) planting the conifers as mature specimensHidden Valley™s island 18th green during construction. All machinery, turf, sand and gravel had to be driven onto a barge and transported across a 100m stretch of water, taking 20 minutes there and back28     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANIn his latest column, John Neylan reviews the Poa annua forum conducted in early December which brought together course superintendents and turf experts from around Australia to share their knowledge and experiences in attempting to keep the old enemy out of bentgrass putting surfaces.In November 2008, 14 golf course superintendents from several states got together to discuss in detail how to manage pure bentgrass surfaces and in particular how to keep these surfaces ‚free™ 
of Poa annua (see ATM Volume 11.2, March-April 2009). Over the past four years the group has 
continued to tackle this ubiquitous weed and during 
last December™s 2012 Emirates Australian Open in Sydney they met up again to continue discussion on 
their successes and failures. Seventeen superintendents from three states converged on Concord Golf Club (host 
superintendent Mark Parker) along with chemical 
company representatives and consultants including 
yours truly, Dr Henk Smith (Syngenta), Jyri Kaapro 
(Bayer Environmental Sciences), David Worrad 
(Living Turf), Andrew Peart (AGCSA) and Peter Kirby (AMGROW). The representatives of the chemical 
industry provided valuable insights into the available 
chemistry, legislation and the process of product 
registration and permits. The golf clubs represented were selected on the basis that they are all trying to keep Poa annua out of bentgrass greens and had expectations 
for the highest quality putting surfaces. Each superintendent gave a short presentation with Jyri 
Kaapro and Dr. Henk Smith chairing the sessions, 
while I gave a closing address which summarised the collective observations which had been made 
during the two-day get-together.Because the superintendents came from far afield and represented a range of locations, climates 
and management techniques, the symposium 
provided a broad range of strategies that can be 
more broadly applied. As in 2008, the aspiration of 
each superintendent was similar in that they were 
aiming to produce a high quality bentgrass putting 
surface year round while keeping the greens ‚Poa 
free™. Not surprisingly, it is still easier said than done!With each of the superintendents providing an insight into their programmes, it was interesting to 
note that while there were obvious similarities, there 
was little repetition. This highlighted the fact that every set of circumstances is different and while the 
general principles remain similar, the specifics can 
be quite different. So what was discussed and what can the industry take from it? The first and most important 
point to make is the value of getting together with 
your peers and sharing experiences, both positive 
and negative! The following information has been compiled from notes taken during the forum. DOING THE ‚FOUR STEP™Possibly the most compelling strategy presented 
was based around one prominent Melbourne 
sandbelt superintendent™s four step programme. 
The programme can be adopted for many aspects 
of course management and is a very clear and 
logical approach that allows for the best possible 
result with the least amount of anguish. It must be 
said that most of the presentations incorporated a 
similar strategy. According to this programme, the 
four key steps to Poa annua control are as follows:The Poabrains trustbrains trustWhile the recent Poa annua forum in Sydney did not reveal any new ‚silver bullets™, it did introduce some new strategies as well as reinforce the basics for effective control techniquesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     29STEP 1: PRODUCT RESEARCH AND TESTINGThis is probably the most important aspect of undertaking any weed control programme and for that matter introducing any new pesticide or 
fertiliser into a programme. The key is to pre-test on 
an out-of-play area such as a turf nursery, chipping 
or practice green. This provides the advantage of 
understanding the reaction of the chemicals under 
your management regime without having to explain 
why a section of a green in play has been damaged. It was interesting to note that on the turf nursery at Avondale Golf Club where NomineeŽ is being trialled that it could be clearly seen that this product 
has had a growth retarding effect. This is a very 
important observation, particularly if there is any 
lack of turf density or health that could be further 
exacerbated due to the growth retarding effect. 
These trials are very important in observing the 
accumulative effects of multiple applications even 
when the herbicide is applied at quarter and half 
rates. Allow time for full test and evaluation of results. As a general guideline for NomineeŽ allow 
6-12 weeks, while for endothal allow 2-6 weeks 
depending on the number of applications and the 
influence of any other additional treatments (e.g.: 
where paclobutrazol may be introduced into the 
programme). A product such as NomineeŽ can 
have phytotoxic effects depending on soil moisture 
content, wear, temperature and turf health. Once a strategy has been determined then it is time to undertake some small plot trials on an 
in-play area. It is absolutely essential that when 
these on-course trials are undertaken that the 
committee and members are informed about what 
is taking place and possibly what to expect. One 
innovative superintendent had a large out of play turf 
area available where a series of Poa annua control strategies were trialled and the wear aspect was 
provided by a daily game of soccer!STEP 2: PREPARE THE TURF FOR THE HERBICIDE APPLICATIONPreparing the turf prior to the application of herbicides ensures that the bentgrass will have 
maximum tolerance to the herbicide, there will be 
quick recovery on completion of the programme 
(i.e.: the bentgrass will fill in the areas vacated by 
the dead Poa annua) and the Poa annua will be most susceptible to the herbicide. The key elements are:  Harden the bentgrass in the lead-up to the 
herbicide application;  Ensure the nutrition programme maximises the health and density of the bentgrass;   Make sure that all preventative treatments are 
up to date (e.g.: insecticides to control pests 
such as Argentine Stem Weevil and fungicides 
to control pythium, or any other pests that are 
likely to occur at that time of the year);  Apply wetting agent 10 days before applications;  Hand water known dry patches and/or bunker 
edges in the week leading up to application;  No cutting on the day of application;  Remove growth regulators;  Weather monitoring (e.g.: NomineeŽ is 
temperature sensitive and paclobutrazol, being 
a growth regulator, should be avoided during 
periods of stress);  The style of green construction, locality and traffic will have an effect on greens preparation. 
In heavily shaded areas the bentgrass will be 
weak and have a poor root system and the 
application of any Poa annua control herbicide could adversely affect the health and density of 
the bentgrass. STEP 3: APPLICATION PROCESSThe application of any herbicide can have a dramatic 
impact on the efficacy of the herbicide and the 
potential for a phytotoxic reaction. The rate of water volume, the application equipment and the weather 
conditions can all affect the end result. A key point 
is to make the applications on a low play day so that 
the applicators are not rushed and are able to think 
about what they are doing. Use small hand-operated 
booms because it is less affected by contours in the 
surface. Seventeen superintendents from three states converged on Sydney for the forum along with chemical company representatives and turf 
consultants30     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLANApplications of herbicide can be more effective when they are made on an overcast day and in particular no sun. The benefit is there is less volatilisation, less UV degradation and less chance 
of a phytotoxic response (NB: These aspects must 
be trialled and confirmed on your property.)Other important considerations to note:Thoroughly clean the equipment prior to use on 
greens; and Superintendents must be heavily involved in the instruction of the application, oversee the 
mixing of products and guide the operation and 
applicator in the field.STEP 4: AFTER CAREFollowing the application of the herbicide treatment, the ongoing after care is very important for the 
recovery of the surface, the kill rate on the Poa annua and grow-in of the bentgrass. The key aspects are: No cutting for as many days as possible after application;Let the product stay on the surface or intended 
area for as long as possible;Traffic post-treatment can adversely affect the bentgrass and it is important to consider the 
pin positions (critical) and the management of 
the walk-on/walk-off areas. (I recently noted at 
one golf course where golfers had deliberately 
ignored signs and ropes to direct traffic away 
from surrounds treated with a sulfonylurea 
herbicide and the impact that the subsequent 
tracking had on the bentgrass surface).Monitor the results before re-applying. Make 
subsequent applications only when the bentgrass 
is healthy enough to do so. For example, while the NomineeŽ label recommends fitwo 
consecutive applications should be applied 
14 to 21 days apartfl, some experience would 
indicate that it could be a minimum of 28 days. Consider spot applications on the perennial Poa annua plants. Almost all of the superintendents were undertaking spot treatments as a follow-up 
to the broad area applications.WHAT THE SUPERS HAD TO SAYDuring the wide ranging discussions the following 
key points were highlighted:Bentgrass under stress: Where the bentgrass is under stress it makes it very difficult to control Poa annua, with the two main issues being shade and traffic. Shade has an impact for two reasons. First, it provides a cool, moist environment where Poa annua thrives and the lack of sunlight causes the bentgrass to thin out. Second, the weakened bentgrass is less able to cope with both pre- 
and post-emergent herbicides. Shade will often 
result in a weakened root system in bentgrass and 
consequently any herbicide application that retards 
growth will make the bentgrass more susceptible to 
diseases such as pythium.High traffic zones, particularly walk-on and walk-off areas and around pin placements, can be areas 
that have a higher population of Poa annua. In these areas the bentgrass is weakened, loses density 
and the surface is compacted which provides an 
ideal area for Poa annua to establish. While pitch marks are not necessarily traffic related, they are a 
consequence of golfing activities and any unrepaired 
damage does create a space for Poa annua plants to germinate. Consequently, for an effective Poa 
annua control programme, greens should be kept dry and firm and pitch marks repaired.There is no doubt that as the number of rounds of golf increase there is more stress on the 
bentgrass due to wear and surface preparation and 
when combined with the high demands of surface 
performance it becomes increasingly difficult to 
control Poa annua intrusion.  Turf nutrition: At the first meeting in 2008, an 
interesting aspect of the discussion was where turf 
nutrition fitted into the programme. For many years there has often been a strategy of ‚starving out™ 
the Poa annua by maintaining very low levels of fertility, in particular nitrogen. What was and still is 
apparent is that it is not so much about the quantity 
of nitrogen applied but when. A key aspect to Poa annua control is to maintain the density of the bentgrass so that it can resist 
invasion during autumn and winter. Keeping the 
bentgrass as healthy as possible is an integral part 
of the overall Poa annua control strategy.Bentgrass cultivar: Many of the presentations 
involved greens that were greater than five years 
old and even up to more than 10 years old. Even 
with the older greens, with a committed and diligent 
programme, it was still possible to keep the Poa annua population below five per cent. Bentgrass cultivar selection definitely has a role to play in 
minimising the opportunity for the invasion of Poa 
annua with the higher density cultivars providing a distinct advantage. Poa annua control in bentgrass greens is considered to be possible only where there is a fiwhole of golf coursefl approach. That is, Poa annua has to be controlled in fairways, roughs and surrounds.John NeylanHigh traffic zones, particularly walk-on and walk-off areas and around pin placements, can be areas that have a higher population of Poa annuaAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     31Water quality: Water quality was raised in a different context compared to the previous discussion in that 
as the water quality improved there was an increase 
in the Poa annua population. When the water was 
high in salinity and bicarbonates, there was greater 
stress on the Poa annua and this reduced the opportunity for germination and establishment to 
occur. When water quality was improved, through 
the reduction in salinity and bicarbonates, this 
correlated with an increase in Poa annua. Renovations and dusting: There is no doubt that 
hollow coring and scarifying in the cooler months 
can stimulate Poa annua germination and create spaces for seedlings to establish. Almost without 
exception, all the golf courses that took part in the 
discussion do not renovate in the autumn. Some golf courses avoid any surface disturbance and 
look towards an intensive dusting programme to 
manage thatch or in some cases a programme of 
resurfacing.   As a general principle, there was a strong emphasis on keeping greens as firm and as dry 
as possible through a programme of regular 
dustings and carefully monitored irrigation. 
Irrigation management is seen as an important tool 
in restricting the conditions suited to Poa annua. 
That is, deep infrequent irrigations that allow the 
surface to dry out are preferable to frequent, shallow 
irrigation.Hygiene:  Poa annua control in bentgrass greens is considered to be possible only where there is 
a fiwhole of golf coursefl approach. That is, Poa 
annua has to be controlled in fairways, roughs and surrounds. Other important aspects of maintaining 
hygiene include:Stopping buggy movement across greens to 
reduce wear and tracking Poa annua seed;Hand-mow greens to reduce tracking of seeds 
from other parts of the golf course (e.g.: the 
movement of triplex mowers across fairways 
and roughs that may contain Poa annua);Equipment and hoses are restricted in their 
movement across greens.Shaded greens provide an ideal cool, moist environment where Poa annua thrives, while the generally thinner, weaker bentgrass on such 
greens is less able to cope with pre- and post-emergent herbicides32     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTJOHN NEYLAN32     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSO WHAT™S WORKING?There were several Poa annua control programmes discussed and generally they have not changed too much since the last discussion. However, since that 
time there have been a few changes that affect the 
overall strategy. These include:The herbicide NomineeŽ has been introduced 
and provides another option for controlling Poa 
annua. There is little doubt that this herbicide takes careful management and a ‚try before 
you buy approach™ is absolutely essential. Do 
your own research. Most superintendents are 
taking an approach of using it at reduced rates 
at more frequent intervals. Do not apply it if the 
bentgrass is under stress;The pre-emergent bensulide has been 
withdrawn from the market due to a revision by 
the APVMA. With the absence of this active there 
are no other pre-emergent herbicides registered 
for bentgrass greens except for ethofumesate. 
Ethofumesate is registered for use on bentgrass 
and may provide an option. There has been 
limited experience with ethofumesate on 
bentgrass though it is incorporated into some 
programmes but only as a one-off application in 
autumn. It should only be used following on-site trials;Over the past four years ethephon (InterceptŽ) 
has been introduced to suppress seedhead 
production and provides another management 
tool. At this point in time the APVMA has 
required a label change that includes a seven-
day re-entry period. This restriction will make it 
difficult for most golf courses to include it into 
a management programme. This prohibitive 
restriction is currently being reviewed; There has been a greater emphasis on the 
use of spot treatment with dabbers or atomiser 
sprays. Herbicides typically being used are 
endothal and NomineeŽ;Hand-weeding is still considered to be an 
important method of control though the labour 
costs are becoming prohibitive. REINFORCING THE BASICS So what can we draw from this Sydney get together? Well, without question Poa annua is still undoubtedly the greatest of weed species and is a true opportunist. 
Its genetic diversity, ability to seed prolifically at low 
cutting heights and for the population dynamics to 
alter with changing conditions makes it a formidable 
opponent.The forum did not reveal any new ‚silver bullets™ but it did introduce some new strategies as well as 
reinforcing the basics:Plant health and turf density is imperative in any 
control programme;Know your grasses and herbicides and do your 
homework;Know your site conditions and monitor the 
interactions between your conditions and the 
herbicides;Start your control programme early in the life of 
the green; The whole golf course must be included in the 
control strategy;Use a combination of strategies Πherbicides, 
nutrition, cultural practices etc; Dusting as a key element in keeping the thatch 
under control and to provide firm and dry 
surfaces;Manage the wear and high traffic points;Communicate to the board and members when 
implementing a strategy;Monitor the results of the control strategies and 
in particular regularly assess the Poa annua  population.Assess the resources and costs involved in the 
control programme.Author™s note: The Poa annua  control strategies stated in this article are general in nature and 
are not meant to be implemented without careful 
thought and planning and taking into account 
local conditions. Any reference to chemicals not 
registered in Australia is mentioned for education 
purposes only.DR FRED YELVERTON - THE POA PROFESSOR As well as Australian superintendents and turf experts sharing 
their knowledge on the age old question of Poa annua control, the recent forum in Sydney also featured North Carolina State University Professor Fred Yelverton who joined in the group discussion via Skype from the US. Dr. Yelverton continues to be the lead scientist in the USA in the evaluation of new herbicides for Poa annua control in bentgrass and assessing various programmes using a combination 
of herbicides. Dr. Yelverton still considers paclobutrazol to be the 
primary post-emergent ‚herbicide™ for use against Poa annua. This would also support the experience of AGCSATech agronomists where paclobutrazol consistently rates highly in any Poa annua control strategy.Amicarbazone is now registered in the USA as XonerateŽ and Dr. Yelverton has used it in conjunction with paclobutrazol. The early results for a four-week programme indicate that it works very well. At 
this time the product is not registered in Australia.As a general viewpoint, Dr. Yelverton stated that the new herbicide, methiozolin, is considered to be the best Poa annua control herbicide he has trialled. Methiozolin is still two years away 
from registration in the USA. At this time the active is not registered by the APVMA and therefore there are no prospects for a product 
registration in Australia for at least two years.There have been ongoing trials with bispyribac-sodium (VelocityŽ in the US Œ NomineeŽ in Australia) and it has been noted that it has 
tpotential to cause extensive turf injury, particularly in cold climates.With the loss of bensulide from the Australian market there was interest in what may be in the development pipeline for a new 
pre-emergent for bentgrass putting greens. Unfortunately, there is 
nothing happening in this area in the USA.                 - John NeylanA key aspect to Poa annua control is to maintain the density of the bentgrass so that it can resist invasion during autumn and winter34     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEAGCSATech recently wrapped up its year-long golf course benchmarking study conducted across nine golf clubs in Melbourne. AGCSATech senior agronomist Andrew Peart reviews some of the findings of the project which has aimed to establish a set of course quality objectives that can assist superintendents in improving the management of their playing surfaces.          TechAnalytical, Diagnostic and Consultancy ServicesOver the past 12 months, Australian Turfgrass Management Journal has carried regular updates on the AGCSA™s Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) project ‚Golf course benchmarking study Œ Developing course quality 
objectives™ (TU11003). This project, which started in September 2011, came to an end in late September 
2012 with data analysed and prepared for a final 
report which has been submitted to HAL for review.The aim of this project has been to determine the most appropriate test criteria for providing data 
on course quality, namely golf greens. Almost all 
of these judgements previously have been based 
on opinions, with little or no knowledge of why a 
particular playing surface performs the way it does 
on any particular day. The project was undertaken over a 12 month period, primarily at nine golf courses within 
Melbourne, with three greens on each course being 
evaluated. The nine courses were split into three 
categories:   Elite golf clubs (EGC)Mid-high standard private golf clubs (MPGC); 
and Public golf courses (PGC)This classification was based on their status within the industry, membership classification and 
available budgets. Budget and staffing numbers of 
the three categories could be loosely described as 
follows:Public golf courses: 3-4 staff with a budget of 
between $100,000 - $500,000; Mid-high private clubs: 8-10 staff with a budget 
of between $500,000-$1 million.Elite clubs: 13-15 staff with a budget up to $1.5 
million. (NB: Budgets include wages).In addition to greater staff numbers and higher maintenance budgets, the mid-high level and elite 
clubs had newer greens which can result in a 
dramatic difference in surface performance which 
alters the ability to achieve certain target ranges for 
performance.The establishment of course quality objectives provides a means of assessing the maintenance 
factors that can limit a club™s ability to meet its vision 
for the course. Course quality objectives provide a 
means of deciding what improvements have to be 
implemented or conversely what adjustments need 
to be made to the expectations of the club to fit with 
the available resources.  GREEN SPEED AND SURFACE HARDNESSTwo of the most discussed aspects of course quality are green speed and surface hardness. Figures 1 and 2 provide a graphical representation 
of the data obtained throughout the project at the 
nine Melbourne-based clubs when split into their 
respective categories.The public courses generally had slower and softer greens for the majority of the year. This was due to a combination of higher heights of 
cut (generally 4mm), no rolling, less frequent 
cutting, more deviation in ball roll and higher levels 
of surface moisture. Unfortunately, this was not 
substantiated with the correlation data for those 
individual variables. It may, however, be as a result 
of the combination of those variables which will 
affect green speed.Most of the greens at the public courses were old ‚push up™ type constructions with slow drainage 
compared to the newer and well-drained playing The AGCSATech golf course benchmarking project was undertaken over a 12 month period, primarily at nine golf courses within Melbourne, with three greens on each course evaluated for a range of parametersstudy rolls to a closeBenchmarkingBenchmarkingAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     35surfaces at the mid-high level and elite clubs, which was also the major contributor towards them being 
softer.There was not a great difference in the green speeds observed between the mid-high private 
clubs or the elite clubs, however, on occasions the 
elite clubs provided faster paced greens, primarily 
due to a reduction in cutting height at one of the 
courses and an increased rolling regime.Surface hardness was not only measured using the Clegg Impact Hammer with the dome head, 
as shown in Figure 2, but there were also many 
thousands of readings recorded with both the 
USGA™s Trufirm® device and Clegg hammer with the flat head. The number of readings taken provided 
the ability to undertake a regression analysis on all 
three types of apparatus.Figure 3 shows the regression analysis of the Clegg hammer (flat head) compared to the Clegg 
hammer (dome head). Therefore by using this chart 
the comparative values for either the flat head or 
dome head can be calculated. MOISTURE CONTENTVolumetric water content of greens was assessed 
using a Fieldscout TDR300 moisture probe. Initially 
moisture readings were only taken using 120mm 
probes, however, moisture content readings using 
the 38mm probes were also taken in the second half 
of the project. The results for volumetric water content measured using the 120mm length probes indicated 
that the public courses had a higher soil moisture 
content within the profile than those of the mid-
high private and elite courses. This was particularly 
evident over the late autumn and winter months.  The results with the 38mm probes showed that the public courses generally had a higher soil 
moisture content within this region as well, with the 
exception of the March result when the mid-high 
private clubs had the higher moisture content (see 
Figure 4). ORGANIC MATTER Loss on ignition tests were undertaken at the start 
and completion of the project and those results 
can be seen in Figure 5. The loss on ignition test 
was undertaken not only to measure the amount of 
organic matter present but to see whether there had 
been a reduction over the duration of the project. The results indicated that in the upper 20mm of the profile there was no reduction in organic matter 
across all golf course categories. In the 20-40mm 
layer there was little change recorded among the 
categories with a slight reduction being observed on 
the public courses.There are published ideal target ranges for organic matter from the UK-based Sports Turf Research Institute which suggest golf clubs should aim for 4-6 per cent loss on ignition in the top 20mm 
and less than 4 per cent lower down.  According to the data obtained from this project the public 
courses are higher than this at both depths, whereas 
the elite and mid-high private clubs conform to the 
lower depth with only the mid-high private category 
close to the range in the upper portion.This would tend to indicate that a much greater amount of sand dusting should occur to dilute 
organic matter in the upper portion within all 
categories and the public courses should implement Figure 1: Green speed measurements as taken with a stimpmeter averaged across the three course categoriesFigure 2: Surface hardness measurements as taken with the 
Clegg hammer (dome head)Figure 3. Regression analysis of surface hardness for the Clegg (flat head) verses Clegg (dome head).Figure 4. Moisture content in greens as measured with a TDR 
Fieldscout (38mm probes) Figure 5. Loss on ignition 
measured at 0-20mm and 20-40mm. Loss on ignition tests were undertaken at the start and 
completion of the projectAll golf courses should use a TDR 
probe or similar device to monitor soils for moisture contentABB36     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEfar more coring and topdressing to reduce organic matter within the lower portion.RELATIONSHIPSCorrelation coefficients were calculated to determine 
the relationship between all of the variables used 
to measure the performance of the greens. The different categories of clubs exhibited differing 
relationships, however, the most apparent was that 
green speed is influenced by surface smoothness 
and overall surface quality opposed to any other 
factors, particularly at the mid-high level private 
clubs and elite clubs.  There was a secondary relationship observed showing that surface smoothness was most 
influenced by surface hardness and an inverse 
relationship to mowing height, (i.e.: the smoother 
the surface [higher the reading], the lower the height 
of cut). It could therefore be stated that surface hardness has some influence on greed speed, 
however, it is more from providing a smoother 
surface i.e.: reduction in foot printing and divotting, 
rather than simply a direct correlation of firmer is 
faster.FAIRWAY ANALYSISAs well as the assessment of greens, data was also 
taken on three fairways at each club. Additionally, 
the Toro Precision Sense machine was used on one fairway per course. The use of the Precision Sense 
machine (see AGCSATech Update Œ ‚The precision touch™ Œ in ATM Volume 14.5 for more on this machine and the results obtained) highlighted the influence of soil type and grass species on surface 
quality and identified areas of the fairways that were 
under stress (but not necessarily noticeable with the 
human eye). It highlighted the impact that trees and shrubs had on turf health and in particular on water usage 
along the edge of fairways. It also provided excellent 
data on the uniformity of fairway soil moisture. RECOMMENDATIONSFollowing the completion of the project, some recommendations have been provided to assist 
superintendents and golf course managers in the 
ongoing management of their greens. Among these 
are:All tools measuring surface hardness can be 
accurately related to one another, however, 
the Clegg hammer with the flat head may be 
the preferred option as it does not leave a 
depression in the surface following use.All golf courses should use a TDR probe or 
similar device to monitor soils for moisture 
content in order to manage irrigation and overall 
surface quality.If a club wishes to achieve faster greens it 
requires providing smoother surfaces, rather 
than simply trying to produce firmer surfaces. Target ranges for green speed have been developed:Public courses: 2.0m-3.0m (6™6fl-10™)Mid-high private clubs: 2.5m-3.7m (8™-12™)Elite clubs: 2.6m-4.0m (8™6fl-13™)Target ranges for surface hardness have been developed [Clegg dome head (flat head)]Public courses: 68(90) gravities Œ 100(156)gMid-high private clubs: 78(112)g Œ 102(160)gElite clubs 83(120)g Œ 111(180)gThe analysis of the fairways with the Toro Precision Sense platform showed that the use of this device could dramatically assist in 
improving the long-term quality, uniformity and 
maintenance of fairway playing surfaces.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAGCSATech wishes to acknowledge funding from 
Horticulture Australia Ltd throughout the project. 
The full and final report, once approved by HAL, 
will be available for download from the AGCSA 
website. Thanks are also extended to the golf 
course superintendents at the nine Melbourne based 
golf courses during the year, as well as the three 
superintendents in Sydney and Brisbane for the one-
off assessments at their courses. The authors also 
wish to acknowledge the assistance of Toro for the 
use of their Precision Sense machine.EDITOR™S NOTEPrevious updates on this project (TU11003) 
appeared in ATM Volumes 14.5 (Sept-Oct 2012), 14.3 (May-Jun 2012), 14.2 (Mar-Apr 2012), 14.1 
(Jan-Feb 2012) and 13.5 (Sept-Oct 2011).Target ranges for surface hardness and green speed have been developed as part of the AGCSA™s benchmarking projectThe analysis of the fairways with the Toro Precision Sense platform showed that the device could dramatically assist in improving the long-term quality, uniformity and maintenance of fairwaysFLAME_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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having only opened in 1941, but 
Huntingdale, without question, 
holds a unique place in the Australian golfing landscape. The 
undisputed home of the Australian 
Masters for an incredible three decades 
between 1979 and 2008, the Allison Colt-
designed course has seen many of the 
game™s greats stride down its exquisitely 
manicured fairways ΠThomson, Nicklaus, 
Palmer, Player, Watson, Norman and 
Woods to name but a few.During its residence at Huntingdale, the Masters developed a reputation as one of 
Australia™s most endearing golf tournaments. 
It produced some spectacular moments Π
Greg Norman™s six Golden Jackets heading 
an exemplary list Πand you could always 
guarantee that the tournament would either 
be decided coming down the 72nd hole or in a 
dramatic playoff. Another aspect of the tournament that players and spectators came to appreciate 
over the years was its meticulous presentation. 
First under the guidance of John Spencer 
and then through his successor and current 
day course superintendent Michael Freeman, 
Huntingdale™s intricately patterned cut greens, 
tees, fairways, approaches and surrounds 
always aroused the senses. Huntingdale certainly set a benchmark for tournament presentation in Australia and it™s a 
fact that Freeman, who took over the top job in 
2002, and the club is justly proud of.  Despite 
Huntingdale™s run of hosting the Masters each 
year ended in 2008, Freeman and his crew of 
15 continue to maintain the elite standards that 
have come to be expected at Huntingdale and 
it comes as little surprise to learn that they rely 
on one brand and one brand only to achieve 
this Œ Toro.EXCLUSIVELY REDFreeman™s rise to the peak of his profession 
comes as little surprise considering his 
background. His entire life has revolved in 
and around golf courses and he has many 
memories of being dragged around Royal 
Melbourne, Metropolitan and Kingston Heath 
by his father Lawrence who for 23 years 
was superintendent at Yarra Yarra Golf Club. 
Freeman joined the Huntingdale groundstaff 
as a 17-year-old apprentice in 1982 and quickly 
rose through the ranks to be assistant under 
Spencer for 12 years before finally taking over 
the reins.Those who know Freeman well will be quick to tell you that he is a demanding 
taskmaster of both man and machinery. 
Having been immersed in the golf course 
maintenance industry for such a long time, 
Freeman knows what he wants and how to 
go about getting it, which is why as soon 
as he took over at Huntingdale he set about 
targeting a number of aspects of the club™s 
maintenance programme. Top of the list was 
to attend to the mixed bag of machinery in 
the Huntingdale sheds and for Freeman the 
solution was obvious. fiMachinery has changed a lot over the years from when I first started and 
the expectation of course presentation by 
members has increased dramatically,fl says 
Freeman. fiTo produce a high standard of 
course presentation you need to have top of 
the range equipment and that™s why when I 
took over as superintendent at Huntingdale 
I started the push towards becoming a ‚red 
shed™.flThat red tide has gradually engulfed the Huntingdale maintenance facility to the point 
where it is now exclusively Toro, something 
Freeman doesn™t foresee changing anytime 
soon. Whether it™s the ease of use, operator 
comfort and, of course, the exceptional quality of cut provided by its industry-leading cutting 
units, Toro, in Freeman™s eyes, provides the 
total package and enables him, his assistant 
Rod Ferry and the crew to present the course 
to the exacting standards demanded by 
Huntingdale™s members.WALKING THE WALKWith a machinery replacement programme 
in place which sees course maintenance 
equipment turned over regularly, the past year 
has seen a number of new red machines take 
residence in the Huntingdale sheds. As well as 
six brand new MDX Workman utilities which 
have become a must have for any efficient 
course maintenance operation, Huntingdale™s 
stocks have been bolstered with a new 
Reelmaster® 3100-D (Sidewinder) surrounds mower, a Reelmaster® 5610 fairway unit and a prized fleet of new Greensmaster® FlexŽ 2100 walk-behind greens mowers. fiSince taking over as superintendent we have exclusively used Toro walk-behind 
mowers to cut greens and surrounds at 
Huntingdale and never had a problem with 
them,fl explains Freeman. fiAt this time of 
year we are going out 5-6 times a week with Huntingdale course superintendent Michael Freeman with one of his new fleet of Toro Greensmaster Flex 2100sToro Turf TourAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     39Course: Huntingdale Golf Club, Melbourne, VIC  Superintendent: Michael Freemanthem and the precision cut you get with the Greenmaster walk-behinds is unsurpassed. 
We don™t even entertain the thought of putting 
triplex mowers on our greens now.fiWe originally used the Greensmaster® 1000 walk-behinds, but more recently we have 
switched to the new Flex 2100s. We have 
a couple of very undulating greens here at 
Huntingdale and the beauty of the Flex 2100 
is that the floating head follows the contours 
of those greens to perfection. The quality of 
cut is, like the 1000s, outstanding and the other 
beauty is there are no oil leaks.fl Toro™s Greensmaster Flex walk-mowers improve upon the industry-leading cutting 
performance superintendents have come to 
expect from the Toro Greensmaster 1000s. The 
Flex 2100 (21-inch cutting width) and 1800 (18-
inch cutting width) models come with added 
innovations that improve playability and turf 
health, enhance productivity and simplify 
service. The patented Flex suspension enables superior contour following capability, utilising 
an integrated ‚Flex™ linkage system which allows the cutting units to pivot around the 
centre of the front roller to master undulations 
and prevent side-to-side scrubbing of the 
putting surface. Add to that Toro™s elite Dual 
Precision Adjustment (DPA) cutting units and 
the most efficient clipping collection system, 
and it™s easy to see why Freeman and many of 
his fellow superintendent colleagues rate the 
Greensmaster Flex series above all other walk-
behinds as their mower of choice.FAIRWAY KINGThe same applies to Reelmaster 5610 fairway 
units. The true workhorses of Huntingdale™s 
fleet, the 5610s have their work cut out 
maintaining 18 hectares of couchgrass 
fairways, but Freeman knows he can rely 
on them to deliver time and time again. 
While the Reelmaster™s DPA cutting units have 
developed a reputation as producing the best 
after cut finish in the business, it™s also the 
ergonomics which complete the package in 
Freeman™s eyes. fiYou™ll have to ask my guys, I™m not on them much anymore!fl quips Freeman when 
asked what impresses him most about the 
5610. fiWhen you are on these machines for 
eight hours a day, operator comfort becomes 
such an important feature. The ergonomics of 
the 5610 are second to none and are so good 
that we never get any complaints from staff. For 30 years Huntingdale Golf Club in Melbourne set a benchmark for tournament presentation hosting the Australian Masters. That tradition continues today and Toro machinery plays an integral part to the club™s high level of conditioningHuntingdale has taken delivery of six new Toro Workman MDX utilities this past yearToro Turf TourToro Turf TourADVERTISEMENT40     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTADVERTISEMENTfiOur fairway mowers work very hard. While the greens mowers are out there for only a couple of hours a day, the fairway 
mowers are out there four to five days a week 
up to eight hours at a time. They get a serious 
workout at Huntingdale and the precision cut 
they provide is unbeatable. Their reliability 
too is excellent and we have never had a 
problem Πno oil leaks, no engine breakdowns 
Πwhich is impressive for the amount of hours 
they do.flThe top of the range model in Toro™s outstanding 5010 fairway mower series, the 
5610 has certainly marked its territory as the 
king of the fairways. Built to handle heavy 
workloads pass after pass and year after 
year, the 44.2hp (33kw) 4-cylinder Kubota® Turbo diesel engine provides the muscle to 
get the job done with power to spare. The 
5610 comes standard with the larger 7-inch 
(17.8 cm) diameter 8 or 11 blade cutting units and is available in standard 2-wheel 
drive or CrossTrax® all-wheel drive system (Huntingdale has the latter). In developing the new and improved 5610, Toro has broken the mould in terms of the one 
thing that really matters Πa better cut. New 
DPA cutting units deliver superintendents 
and sports turf managers a championship 
edge in cutting and aftercut appearance that 
other reel mowers simply can™t match. The 
new Reelmasters are also easier to operate in 
all types of terrain and as Freeman highlights 
the level of operator conform ensures that he 
gets the most out of his crew. Another key feature of the Reelmaster and one that Huntingdale turf technician 
Lance Davison can vouch for, is its improved 
serviceability. The Reelmaster® 5010 series mowers follow Toro RSM (Reduced 
Simplified Maintenance) standards. RSM 
helps increase access to service compartments for faster repair and maintenance. Routine 
service points are all conveniently located 
on the left side of the machine. Hinges in the 
hood, operator platform and rear screen allow 
quick access to the engine, reel speed controls, 
radiator, and other areas that might require 
routine maintenance or inspection.fiIt™s Toro™s level of professionalism across the board Œ the quality of the machinery 
that Toro consistently brings out, the ease 
of use and the impressive after sales service 
and back-up,fl sums up Freeman when 
asked what makes Toro such a good fit at 
Huntingdale. fiFor a club of our size and 
stature we are expected to deliver a high end 
product to the members and Toro does the 
same thing for me ΠToro delivers high-end, 
high quality machinery which enables us to 
create the product we are looking for. As a 
superintendent I couldn™t ask for anything 
more.fl The Reelmaster® 5610s have their work cut out maintaining 18 hectares of couchgrass fairwaysCourse: Huntingdale Golf Club, Melbourne, VIC  Superintendent: Michael FreemanThe Toro Greensmaster® 3100-D Sidewinder makes quick work of Huntingdale™s sizable surroundsWhether it™s the ease of use, operator comfort or the exceptional quality of cut, Toro is a perfect fit at HuntingdaleAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     41The new Toro® Greensmaster® FlexŽ and eFlex® 2100 rede˜ ne precision cutting. Now featuring industry ˜ rst lithium ion battery technology. The Leader in Golf.We didn™t just engineer a game changing Greensmower. We did it twice.For more information call 1800 356 372 or contact your Golf Area Sales Managers.toro.com.au42     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSEfiDusting of greens has become a very important part of our practices here at 
City Golf Club in Toowoomba. We have Penncross bentgrass greens and are gradually 
changing over to Penn A1 as new greens are being 
built. In the past, the club used to only dust when 
it was thought necessary, but now it is almost a 
monthly ritual (except during winter).The greens are tined using bayonets and then fertilised with a low N fertiliser with a little more water than usual so that the greens do not stress. This is 
done a week before we dust. On the day of dusting 
the greens are groomed and then a third to half a 
cubic metre of topdressing sand is applied using a 
Dakota Turf Tender 410 per green, depending on the size of the green (our average size is 400m2). This is followed up by five minutes of water, especially 
during summer as the bent is a little fragile with the 
heat and having the drag mat pulled over it.  We mainly dust for the reduction in thatch levels, improved roll and ball speed and to help with the 
recovery of pitch marks.fl John Halter, City Golf 
Club, QLD~~~~fiAt Ipswich we follow normal dusting practices. In 
summer we verti-cut the greens monthly and dust 
at the end of the month. We use a Toro ProPass on a very fine setting and just use a dew broom to rub 
the sand in and then set a syringe cycle. The aim is to produce a nice smooth surface and keep bumps 
and pitch marks to a minimum. During winter I might 
dust every six weeks. Obviously,  weather plays 
a big part in all these practices.fl Chris Fletcher, 
Ipswich Golf Club, QLD ~~~~fiI generally don™t have a dusting programme as 
my operating budget is very limited. However, this 
year I have had to make a special effort to dust after 
renovations as there were some areas of concern 
on our Tifdwarf greens which we maintain at 3mm. I have dusted at a thickness of 2.5mm (twice in the same week) and once at 5mm.  I found this 
has helped to firm the surface immensely and also 
filled the voids left after renovations. I am planning to groom the surfaces in the coming weeks and will 
dust again at around 2-3mm thickness to help with 
thatch control, fill low spots and improve ball roll.fl 
Col Caulfield, Pine Rivers Golf Club, QLD~~~~fiAfter an early spring renovation (late August/early 
September) I like to dust at 14-day intervals. This 
continues for around six weeks and the 328 greens 
would have received another two light verti-cuts 
during this time. Primarily this practice is to achieve 
smoothness and encourage lateral growth in the 
greens after renovations. It is around this time I let 
the greens settle in for a month. In November I like to verti-cut at 0mm every week and dust every second week. This is to keep a 
check on thatch levels, smoothness of ball roll and 
green speed as I try to keep rollers of the greens 
at this time of year. As I start to apply Primo to 
greens and they tighten up, the dusting applications 
decrease and are then applied if verti-cutting needs 
to be carried out at a greater depth until an autumn 
renovation. Throughout the winter months I carry dusting as required and do an extra light dust 2-3 weeks prior Dusting has become an important cultural practice for many golf course superintendents in the management of their greens, whether warm- or cool-season. The Pulse asks superintendents what dusting practices they employ at their club and what their primary goal is in implementing such a programme.Sandsof timeSandsAGCSAAGCSASERVICEProviding 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     43to any major club events. My method of application is with a Turfco twin-spinner topdresser and I use approximately 5-6m3 per 1.2ha. This methodology is in a best case scenario and the applications may 
vary due to course traffic and weather conditions.fl 
Darryl Edwards, Burleigh Golf Club, QLD~~~~fiAt the Commercial Golf Resort we still do a regular 
spring and autumn renovation of the greens. This 
does not always involve hollow tining but usually a 
reasonable topdressing. In between we always look 
to do at least one dusting in the winter and maybe 
two in the summer when we get a little more growth. We have an old style drop spreader and we only just get the sand on thin enough, which is why 
we always dust on a Monday and resume cutting 
regularly on the Friday. The members have become accustomed to the benefits that a regular renovation 
programme and a few dustings can do for the 
putting surfaces and they are generally accepting of 
the programme. We don™t generally do anything to prepare the greens for dusting, such as an application of 
fertiliser, as I believe that this takes away some of the 
benefits of the dusting. The reason for the dusting 
is to maintain the speed, firmness and smoothness 
of the greens which is what the members want.fl 
Anthony Toogood, Commercial Golf Resort, NSW~~~~fiDusting to me is one of the most important 
practices in maintaining quality putting surfaces. We 
have L93 bentgrass greens and while probably not 
the nicest variety of bent, it copes a lot better with 
our high salt levels than other varieties. They do 
tend to thatch up quite quickly, however, so dusting 
is especially important.Thatch control and green firmness are our main reasons for dusting.  We dust fortnightly using the 
Toro ProPass and use anywhere from 6-9m3 over 1.3ha depending on the rate of growth and amount 
of grass on the greens at the time. We endeavour 
to do this all year round, but during summer 
when temperatures and salt levels are higher we 
sometimes will wait for cooler weather before doing 
the application. fiThe dusting process we employ 
at Southport Golf Club is aimed primarily at obtaining trueness of all our 328 putting surfaces. 
Because we have several older greens 
around the course positioned in locations 
that can be only described as ‚a good 
idea at the time™, maintaining evenness 
throughout becomes an issue, with 
individual treatments required especially 
at renovation times (e.g.: verti-draining 
biannually, varying size hollow tines 
accompanied with varying degrees of 
stolon and thatch removal).The dusting process at Southport occurs fortnightly during the growing 
season (or when possible weekly, on 
Mondays) to achieve firmness, uniformity 
of ball roll, combat thatch levels outside 
renovation periods and, as mentioned 
above, obtain trueness. We use a Tycrop Quickpass 300 (with spinners), towed 
by a Daedong DK50 tractor to distribute 
sand. Prior to dusting, we mow with 
groomers engaged or alternatively the club™s thatch-away units are used on the 
greens triplexes at minimal depth.The amount of sand we apply is minimal and basically disappears as 
soon as it reaches the green™s surface. 
Previously we were using a 1000 fine 
sand, but currently use a 750 fine sand 
which is sourced from Bribie Island. Once dusting is complete, that evening greens irrigation is applied as 
per normal with no additional amounts 
of water required. Greens are cut the 
next morning with no negative effects to 
mowers or to the membership. With only a 
hectare of greens, the whole process only 
takes a few hours. We have been carrying out this practice for several years now and when combined 
with scheduled renovations have seen 
increased positive member feedback, but 
most importantly we have 
been able to control thatch 
levels within our varying 
greens.fl Stuart Moore, Southport Golf Club, QLDI like to groom my greens the day before dusting to get a nice firm and hopefully true surface. We base 
our verti-draining and gypsum applications around 
our dusting as well. Verti-draining after the dusting 
ensures the surface is nice and firm, therefore there 
is minimal surface disruption after the machine has 
been over them. Our monthly application of gypsum 
works well after dusting as the few minutes of water 
to wash it in also helps the sand settle and helps the 
plant reseal itself after the broom has been over it.fl 
Nick Price, The Cut, WA~~~~fiAt Pacific Harbour we dust fortnightly all year round 
(we try and stick to this, but with absences and golf 
days it does change a bit) and through summer we 
even go out weekly. We have TifEagle greens which are very aggressive so our main aim with dusting is 
to keep the thatch layer down and produce a nice Providing expert advice for  superintendents and golf clubs   to improve  course maintenance standards44     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSEfirm surface. We have very low pH water (5) which tends to be very dissolving so the sand we use has 
lime added to it to keep our Ca levels up. In conjunction with our dusting programme we use our groomers 2-3 times a week set at -2mm 
and once a month verti-cut at -1mm up and back 
on the same pass. Once a month we apply either 
Dolomite or Cal-rite in conjunction with our verti-cut 
and dusting application. We use a Tycrop ProPass 200 which is brilliant and enables us to dust without 
hardly any disruption to the golfers and we get 
all greens done in about three hours. We put out 
about 5 tonnes of sand per application and irrigate 
immediately after. We have been doing this for a few 
years now with good success.fl Kelvin Nicholson, 
Pacific Harbour Golf & Country Club, QLD~~~~fiWe do not undertake dusting here at Albert Park 
due to a lack of funding, equipment and staff, 
but it would be the next step towards improving 
our putting green surfaces if we were to have the 
resources. When I was at Yarra Yarra Golf Club in the late 1990s we would dust the bent/Poa surfaces about 7-8 times per year, including two renovations. 
I was sceptical of the practice for a long time, but 
my fears proved unfounded and the results we had 
were impressive Πfirm surfaces even when damp, 
a finer leaf and a smoother putting surface.fl Jeff Keast, Albert Park Golf Course, VICfiAt Pennant Hills we have been 
dusting our 70-year-old, 60 
per cent Poa/40 per cent bentgrass greens for over 10 years 
every 2-3 weeks, but have increased that 
frequency to fortnightly since our Water 
Reclamation Plant came online in 2008. 
With the nitrogen from the recycled water 
at about 12-15ppm we have experienced 
quite high increases in thatch levels. 
To combat this we are verti-cutting at -1.5mm to -2mm on alternate weeks to 
dusting.Dusting has been very successful in reducing surface sponginess, improving firmness, ball roll and speed. The dusting 
is generally carried out on a Monday and 
we pull a two metre wide dew broom 
over the green, irrigate that night and 
don™t cut the following day. The greens 
are under Primo from September-May 
with rates ranging from 0.5l-1l/ha. We 
use a Toro ProPass 200 and use about 5 tonnes of air dried sand over 22 greens. 
These current cultural practices help 
us to achieve green speeds 
around the 9™6fl- 10™6fl on the 
stimpmeter most of the year.fl 
Richard Kirkby, Pennant 
Hills Golf Club, NSW~~~~fiHere in southeast Queensland, particularly with our 
sub-tropical climate and grass type, greens dusting 
on a regular basis is essential, especially if we want 
to achieve smooth and consistent putting surfaces 
on a regular basis. Dusting represents a major 
foundation of our greens maintenance practices at 
Indooroopilly and with all the other benefits such 
as thatch and disease control, dusting on a regular 
basis has proven to be a crucial method in helping 
us keep smooth, healthy turfgrass year-round.We can dust pretty much throughout the year, but we do concentrate most of our efforts in the 
September-March period. Our method, after trialling 
a number of different approaches, is to groom/
de-thatch first, before applying the light dusting of 
sand. We have found that to help offset damage 
to reels and bedknives (and keep a slightly less 
grumpy technician) we typically won™t mow the next 
day and even substitute a cut or two with a roll. We 
lift heights of cut marginally (0.25mm-0.5mm) again 
in an effort to minimise potential damage to the 
cutting units. We find a light syringe immediately 
prior to mowing also helps reduce the risk of sand 
dulling reels and blades.  A combination of these various methods ensures we can groom and dust every 7-10 days with little 
compromise to the putting surfaces in the short-
term and definitely provides that improvement in 
appearance and playability we all strive for. With the 
advancements in machinery technology over the 
past few years, we have found it easier than ever to 
consistently apply light sand dressings. These days, 
we can apply a dusting of around 1-1.5m3 and have it rubbed in before the daily field!fl Charlie Giffard, Indooroopilly Golf Club, QLD ~~~~At Eastlake Golf Club in Sydney I am dealing with 
greens that are 80-90 per cent Poa so I am on a very strict dusting programme. I start the program 
4-6 weeks after spring renovations with very light 
dustings and increase the amount as the growing 
season progresses.  The first dusting normally uses 
between 3-4 tonnes of 90/10 over one hectare of 
greens and by the end of the growing season we are 
using up to five tonnes of sand. ATM GOES DIGITAL!View ATM online archives at www.agcsa.com.au/atm_magazine/archiveAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     45The greens are verti-cut every second Monday in the growing season using the Toro triplex verti-cutter heads set to a depth of 4mm. The greens are then blown off immediately to remove any excess matter still sitting on the surface and then finished 
with a roll. Once a month when this practice is 
undertaken the roll is eliminated and the greens are 
dusted using a Turfco Widespin 1540ec tow-behind topdressing unit. This unit has adjustable spinners 
which allow us to increase the trajectory of the sand 
(normally between 4-6 degrees above neutral). By 
doing this it allows us to only make 2 passes on 
each green and gives a light, even coverage. Once the dusting is complete the sand is rubbed into the verti-cutter grooves lightly by dew brooms 
and finished with a syringe irrigation cycle. The greens are only rolled for the following two days 
and not cut. This practice most of the time coincides 
with growth regulator applications. The main reason 
for this programme is to eliminate the thatch in the 
top canopy of the old greens and to help increase 
the speed and firmness of the greens.fl Nathan 
Bradbury, Eastlake Golf Club, NSW~~~~Dusting greens plays an important role in our cultural 
practices at Twin Creeks. I believe it™s probably one of the most important practices we can do as it 
helps keep the Providence 1019 bentgrass surface 
firm, true and assists thatch degradation. During the 
growing season we try to dust once a week and in 
winter will drop back to monthly. The application process is via a Tycrop ProPass either wheel-to-wheel or edge-to-edge dependent 
on conditions. Once the sand is dry we then run 
a dew broom over the greens followed by a heavy 
water-in at night. We find minimal disruption to play 
and ball movement and the following day no sand 
is picked up by the mowers. Grooming and aerating 
with needle tines prior to dusting also gives us a 
chance for a heavier dust.fl Brendan Hansard, Twin Creeks Golf & Country Club, NSW~~~~fiHere at The Kew Golf Club we have been religiously 
dusting for eight years or so now. We first started 
dusting using a Vicon spreader with medium sized 
sand once a month (this was if the sand was dry enough). Member acceptance wasn™t high initially 
but in time they came to embrace the practice as 
they experienced improved firmness and speed. Over time our dusting process evolved to a frequency of every two weeks which would go out 
to three weeks over winter. A Dakota spreader is 
now used with the sand distribution rate being 
approximately 50-60kg per 100m2. We use a greens mower with lightweight brushes to follow behind 
the Dakota rubbing in the sand. The even, thin 
distribution of sand can be played on basically 
straight away without a problem. Mondays are our designated dusting day with timing being am or pm depending what corporate 
or club events we have on. It takes us about two 
hours to dust 20 greens. Greens aren™t mown on the morning prior to dusting as having a little leaf on 
the day helps to lock in the sand. Greens are cut at 
2.8mm for nine months of the year so absorbing (if 
that™s the right word) the sand into the surface can 
be difficult. An irrigation cycle is then applied early 
evening to help move the sand in. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings following dusting, the greens 
are syringed (two minutes) to moisten the sand to 
avoid mower pickup. They mow up and present very 
well for play. Summer or winter the process is the same and the agronomic benefits of dusting are great.fl Adam 
Robertson, Kew Golf Club, VICDusting represents a major foundation 
of our greens 
maintenance practices 
at Indooroopilly. With all 
the other benefits such 
as thatch and disease 
control, dusting on a 
regular basis has proven 
to be a crucial method in 
helping us keep smooth, 
healthy turfgrass year-
round.Charlie GiffardIndooroopilly GCGet your signed copy of Thom Nikolai™s book.  The superintendent™s guide to controlling green speed. This great book, now on special, through the AGCSA Bookshop 03 9548 860046     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTZOYSIASAt the upcoming 2013 International Turfgrass Society seminar in China, Queensland-based researchers Dr Don Loch and Yi Zhou will present a paper highlighting their recent research on zoysiagrasses. Here Dr Loch provides a general overview of this largely unheralded turf variety and some of its unique and beneficial characteristics.The main cultivated zoysia turfgrasses, Zoysia ja-ponica and Zoysia matrella, are native to south-
ern and eastern Asia and the Pacific Rim (with Zoysia matrella extending into far north Queensland), 
but now grown worldwide from the tropics through 
to temperate regions. To these can be added a third species, Zoysia pacifica, for ornamental rather than turf use. These species cross readily and hybrid cul-
tivars are also available. The zoysias are medium-to fine-textured turfgrasses, superficially similar in appearance to the 
more widely grown couchgrasses. But if managed 
according to optimum practices for these other 
grasses, zoysias will grow poorly or even fail. The rules for growing well-managed zoysia turf are different. Zoysias grow noticeably slower than 
other turfgrasses. This requires some extra care and 
patience during establishment, but quickly becomes 
their strength once established. The frequency of 
mowing can be reduced relative to the faster-
growing couches and buffalo grass. The zoysias are low fertility species, seen at their best under low rates of nitrogen fertiliser which 
would lead to weed contamination and eventual 
failure with green couch. This further reduces their mowing requirements, leads to lower water use, 
minimises thatch levels, and reduces pest and 
disease activity. While not yet widely used in Australia, interestingly, the use of zoysias in the USA has increased over the past 60-70 years, with some 7000 
hectares of zoysias now grown on golf courses alone 
and much more extensive plantings for prestige 
home lawns. Over the past 20 years, Australia has 
seen 12 new buffalo grass varieties but only nine 
zoysias, while the US has registered 29 new zoysias and only seven buffalo grass cultivars.ORIGIN AND ADAPTATION The different zoysia species share some key attributes 
in common, notably their slow growth rates and low 
fertility status as well as their excellent resistance 
to wear and ability to grow in high strength soils. 
At the same time, they also show several distinct 
differences in adaptation, which add to the range of 
choices available among the zoysiagrasses to meet 
specific requirements (see Table 1.) TABLE 1. CHARACTERISTICS OF ZOYSIAGRASS SPECIESAttribute Z. japonica Z. matrellaGrowth rate Very slow Very slowNutrient needs Very low Very lowThatch acc. Medium HighTolerance of:  Heat High Very highCold Very high HighDrought High HighShade Medium-high Very highSalinity Medium-high High-very highHigh soil Very high Very highstrength
Wear Very fast Very fastZoysia matrella is the more tropical of the two main species, with greater heat tolerance but 
less tolerant of cold than the best Zoysia japonica 
varieties. It is finer textured than Zoysia japonica, 
equivalent to the best of the green couches in 
quality and with bright green leaves. Zoysia japonica varieties have bluish-green coloured leaves (similar 
to blue couch), but range from medium to coarse in 
texture. Both species produce high shoot densities, 
with Zoysia matrella a little more prone to thatch development if over-fertilised. Above: Zoysia matrella has been used on golf course fairways at many locations around Asia. Pictured is Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club in Hong KongturfgrassTheenvironmentalturfgrassTheenvironmentalAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     47Zoysia matrella is one of the best turfgrasses for shaded situations, maintaining good dense growth under lower light conditions than buffalo grass 
for example. It also shows a high degree of salt 
tolerance. Both zoysia species show good drought 
tolerance, better than buffalo grass but not quite 
as drought tolerant as the green couches. In this 
respect, their slow growth and low fertility needs 
help to reduce plant demand on soil water. Zoysias grow well on a wide range of well-drained soils from sands to loams and even clay soils from 
pH 5 or less through to about pH 8 (i.e.: strongly 
acid through to neutral or mildly alkaline). They will tolerate short periods of temporary waterlogging, 
but not permanent waterlogging or clay soils that 
remain wet for extended periods. Table 2 (page 49) lists those zoysia varieties currenlty available in 
Australia. ESTABLISHMENT Like other turfgrasses, maintaining good soil 
moisture is crucial until a new root system is well 
anchored through the soil below newly-laid turf. Pre-
watering the underlay soil beforehand helps ensure 
that the whole profile starts out fully wet. Water again 
with at least 25mm immediately after the turf is laid. Frequent light watering (at least twice a day for the first 2-3 weeks in summer, and more often 
on very hot or windy days) is required to replace 
moisture lost from the newly-laid turf through 
evaporation. Then gradually reduce the frequency 
of watering and increase the amount applied each 
time to encourage the developing root system to 
seek moisture at greater depths. Withhold fertiliser for the first 4-6 weeks after laying to encourage the initiation and development 
of new roots. Then apply fertiliser sparingly to 
support the new planting. Use up to 0.5kgN/100m2 in a low P fertiliser blend (e.g.: 3kg/100m2 of CK88 or similar product) and preferably make not more 
than two applications during the first year. Do not 
apply high rates of P fertiliser. Zoysiagrasses require 
very little P and even moderate rates can drastically 
reduce root and shoot development (see more on 
this in the breakout article on page 48). MANAGEMENTBack in 1988 in their landmark article fiEstablishing 
and Maintaining Zoysiagrassfl which appeared in 
Grounds Maintenance magazine (US), the late Jack 
Murray and Kevin Morris wrote the following about 
zoysias: fiIn the past, many people mistakenly managed zoysiagrass like other turfgrass species. 
Inappropriate management practices diminished its 
strengths and magnified its weaknesses; as a result, 
few people regarded zoysiagrass highly. However, 
when zoysiagrass is correctly and fully established it:  Forms a dense attractive turf that survives high 
temperatures and humidity; Is very winter-hardy and weed-resistant;   Requires less supplemental fertilisation and 
irrigation than most other turfgrasses; and  Provides an excellent wear-tolerant playing 
surface on golf courses and athletic fields, even 
while it is dormant. fiZoysiagrass is at its best when you use low water, nitrogen and pesticide rates. Under what 
would normally be considered poor or extremely low 
maintenance, zoysia shows its greatest competitive 
advantage against weeds and other turfgrasses. In 
fact, when zoysiagrass is fully established, higher 
maintenance levels tend to increase thatch levels, 
disease activity and mowing requirements. fiIf you require higher quality turf for specific uses, such as golf courses or athletic fields, zoysiagrass 
will respond to more intensive management.fl As Murray and Morris note, the zoysias have very particular management requirements compared to 
other warm-season grass varieties and the following 
provides some more in depth points to consider: 
Nutrition:  Once established, zoysiagrasses require 
little or no fertiliser to maintain good turf density 
and quality with few, if any, weeds. Use no more 
than 1kgN/100m2 per year split between spring and summer to improve colour while not producing 
excessive thatch. Overall, growth of the zoysias is 
driven more by water (good soil moisture following 
rainfall or irrigation) than by nitrogen. 
Mowing: Once established, the slow growth of 
the zoysias means less mowing than with faster-
growing grasses like green couch and buffalo grass. 
However, the universal fione-third rulefl still applies 
Πmow to remove no more than one-third of leaf and 
thatch at a time. Zoysiagrass should not be mown Zoysia matrella (left) and Zoysia japonica (right)Zoysiagrasses can provide an 
excellent wear-tolerant playing 
surface on golf courses and athletic fields48     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTZOYSIASwhen wilted, as it does not cut cleanly. For best results, keep mower blades sharp. Leaving zoysiagrass too long between mowings can cause scalping by removing more than one-third of the top growth, including most of the active 
growing points. There is less thatch development 
and scalping under shorter mowing heights, which 
reduce shading of the plant base allowing new 
shoots to develop from dormant basal buds. On golf 
courses, groomers can also be used to encourage 
development of basal buds by cutting through the 
stolons. 
Weed control: Established zoysia lawns maintain a dense, weed-free sward especially under low fertility 
conditions where couch and buffalo become thin and weak. In shade, Zoysia matrella still competes strongly with any shade-tolerant weeds. In the event that chemical weed control is necessary, zoysias are tolerant of a wide range 
of broadleaf herbicides, including 2,4-D, MCPA, 
dicamba, fluroxypyr, triclopyr, metsulfuron, 
flazasulfuron and mecoprop. Research work 
has also shown good tolerance to some grass 
herbicides, notably fluazifop, alone and in mixtures, 
which could lead to registration for selective control 
of grass weeds. 
Pests: Fewer pest problems are encountered with zoysias than with other warm-season grasses. 
They are more tolerant of lawn grubs (armyworm, 
webworm) than the couches, though significant 
infestation is more likely in tropical areas and where 
excessive N fertiliser has been used. Curl (scarab) 
grubs have been recorded, though only of minor 
importance. Mites (both eriophyoid and false spider 
mites) can affect zoysias, but are more of a problem 
to turf producers than lawn owners and managers. 
Diseases: There are two main diseases found on zoysias. Large patch (brown patch), a root disease 
caused by Rhizoctonia fungi, can develop under 
wet soil conditions with poor air movement so that 
moisture remains on the leaves for longer periods. 
The first signs are a loss of vigour and bronzing of 
the leaves, particularly around the margins of the 
affected patch which progressively becomes thinner 
and weaker. Large patch is generally less significant 
in warmer areas. Zoysia rust can be seen on Zoysia japonica leaves for short periods under intermediate RESEARCH PROJECT LOOKS INTO ZOYSIA ESTABLISHMENT AND NUTRITIONUniversity of Queensland researchers 
Dr Don Loch and Yi Zhou will present a 
research paper on zoysias at the Inter-national Turfgrass Society™s 12th International Turfgrass Research Conference to be held in Beijing, China from 14-19 July 2013. Their research looks at the effects of foliar nutrient 
and biostimulant applications and soil mois-
ture and nutrient status on the establishment 
of newly laid zoysia sod.As mentioned in the main article, zoysias have many positive attributes as 
low maintenance, slow-growing warm-
season turfgrasses once established, 
producing high quality turf with low nutrient 
inputs and requiring less frequent mowing 
than alternative turfgrass species. During 
establishment, however, their slow growth 
is seen as their major weakness. In light of this, Loch and Yi undertook five short-term 
pot experiments (one in 2010 and four during 
2012) at The University of Queensland™s 
glasshouses in Brisbane.These experiments were designed to simulate in pots the laying of vegetative zoysiagrass (Z. matrella ΠShadetuff and Z. 
japonica ΠOzeboy) sod onto a bare soil base, maintaining moisture in the turf sod 
and growing medium via capillary watering 
from below. This avoided the need for heavy 
overhead watering, thus enabling the effects 
of foliar nutrient and biostimulant treatments 
to be considered without being complicated 
by leaching into the sod and underlay 
medium.  The artificial sand-peat (or coir) 
growing media were strongly acid (pH 4.5-
5.3) and low to very low in terms of sufficiency 
levels of N, P and K, and most other major 
and minor nutrients. The research found that, despite these low nutrient levels, root development 
under newly-laid zoysiagrass sod and the 
partitioning of dry matter production into root 
rather than shoot growth were enhanced by 
maintaining low soil fertility and not applying 
any fertiliser at establishment.The results also showed that none of the foliar nutrient (high N, P or K) or 
biostimulant treatments (kelp or microbial 
supplementation) made during the first 21 days resulted in a positive response in terms 
of root development during the first six weeks 
of establishment. Growth increased with 
temperature, leading to higher dry matter 
production but with reduced partitioning of 
this into roots.One unexpected, but significant, finding was the sensitivity shown by both zoysia 
species to moderate-high P levels: excessive 
amounts of P reduced both shoot and (in 
particular) root growth. In one combination treatment, even the small amount of P (2 per 
cent) found in kelp significantly reduced plant 
growth when added to the P already applied 
as fertiliser.Drying out of zoysiagrass sod prior to laying did not disproportionately affect 
subsequent root development, and had 
relatively little effect on final establishment 
for the first two days of drying out. However, 
it did appear that the maintenance of good 
sod and soil moisture was of paramount 
importance during early establishment to 
protect delicate new root growth once this 
had been initiated.The impressive landscaping look achieved with Zoysia pacifica (formerly known as Zoysia tenuifolia)AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     49temperature conditions. Some zoysia varieties will also show occasional leaf spots and dollar spot 
under humid conditions. Editor™s note: This article contains references to several chemicals that are not registered for turf in 
Australia.  TABLE 2. ASIAN ZOYSIA SPECIES IN AUSTRALIACultivar Marketing name Species Leaf texture PBR Vegetative      BA-189 UltimateFloraTM Zoysia japonica Coarse Under examinationEl Toro  Zoysia japonica Coarse 2001  Jamur  Zoysia japonica Coarse   Palisades  Zoysia japonica Coarse 2002  SS-300 EmpressTM Zoysia japonica Medium 2002  SS-500 EmpireTM Zoysia japonica Coarse 2002  Z-3 Ozeboy® Zoysia japonica Medium -  ZT-11  Zoysia japonica Medium - A-1 Shadetuff® Zoysia matrella Medium-fine 2008  Cavalier  Zoysia matrella Medium-coarse 2002  Emerald  Zoysia matrella Coarse     Facet  Zoysia matrella Fine 2002 Royal  Zoysia matrella Medium-fine   Zorro  Zoysia matrella Medium-coarse   BA-305 PristineFlora Zoysia japonica Medium-fine Under examination  x Z. pacificaDe Anza  Zoysia japonica x Z.  Medium  matrella x Z. pacifica   Victoria  Zoysia japonica x Z.  Medium  matrella x Z. pacificaCommon No-Mow Zoysia pacifica Very fine   Seeded1      Compadre  Zoysia japonica Medium-coarse   Zenith  Zoysia japonica Medium-coarse   1  Seed of Chinese or Korean common Zoysia japonica also available occasionally under names like fiSunrisefl and fiTravelerfl. The rules for growing well-managed zoysia turf are different to the likes of other warm-season grasses such as couchVarieties highlighted in light orange are available commercially in Australia.Rain Bird Australia10 Mareno Rd, Tullamarine, Vic, 3043.   All Service Enquiries: Freecall 1800 225 512www.rainbird.com.au   Email: gspservices@rainbird.com.au© 2013 Rain Bird CorporationAsia Pacific Technical Call Centre based in Melbourne with extended hours of support Now Open!r All Service Enquiries: Freecall 1800 225 512You chose Rain Bird® equipment for unsurpassed reliability and performance. 
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service at discounted rates. For 100% performance, choose Rain Bird Service.  We™re here for you!For all service enquiries Freecall: 1800 225 512For 100% performance,  demand 100% Rain Bird®That™s intelligent.50     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTRESEARCHQueensland Government budget cuts announced last September had a major impact on turf research in Australia with the Redlands Research Station closing. Departed lifestyle horticulture team leader Matt Roche looks back on the facility™s research achievements of the past 13 years.         After nearly 13 years, research activities at Red-lands Research Station in Queensland have come to an end. The termination of the Life-style Horticulture programme, which included flower, nursery and turf research, development and exten-sion, was a result of the Queensland Government™s decision to cease activities in this area in an effort to 
save money. On 11 September 2012 all Redlands staff members, with the exception those associated 
with the $8.6million glasshouse facility located at 
the site, were told that their substantiative positions 
were no longer required. Permanent staff members, 
including those in the turf research team, were given 
the choice to take a voluntary redundancy or be 
redeployed elsewhere within the Queensland Public 
Service. The decision came as a complete shock to all staff located at the site which is located about 45 
minutes from Brisbane™s CBD. The Department of 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) site was one of many victims of the massive cuts announced 
by the state government with an estimated 14,000 
full-time equivalent public sector jobs axed.At the time of writing this article (December 2012), the future of the research facility remains 
unclear. The 60 hectare site will remain in-situ for 
a minimum or 12-24 months before any action is 
taken. It may take more than five years for the site™s research capacity (infrastructure) to be ‚lost™. There is talk of potential development across the site which would see the western side of Hilliards 
Creek sold off first. This area used to house the 
chemical phytotoxicity testing facility, wear trial and 
poultry research centre and currently contains the 
Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) funded project 
‚Erosion Demonstration Control Facility™ (TU12005) which is now being led by Shane Holborn of 
Biosciences Australia Pty Ltd.As for the eastern side of Hilliards Creek, the infrastructure and (trial) borders which are situated 
on prime agricultural land (red krasnozem soil) is 
likely to stay in-situ for some time. This area also houses Australia™s largest warm-season reference 
collection, encompassing some 178 genotypes of 
C4 ornamental turfgrasses. This reference collection, dubbed the turf industry™s Living Library, was established in 2000. Vegetative material for this collection was largely 
acquired by former principal scientist Dr Don Loch 
from overseas universities and breeders and from 
sources across Australia. Since construction, the turf demonstration plots have been maintained at 
Redlands Research Station as part of the facility™s efforts to supply vegetative material for research 
projects, but also education to the Australian 
turfgrass industry and wider community.Matt Roche, former senior research scientist at Redlands, is working with DAFF management, Turf Australia and HAL to preserve the collection in its 
current form. DAFF has provided assurance that the 
collection, which also contains Genetic Resource Centre material for the purposes of Plant Breeder™s 
Rights (PBR), will be able to remain at Redlands for just over 12 months. After this time the collection will then have to be removed off site and Roche, who has since 
set up and is now director of Australian Sports 
Turf Consultants (ASTC), will be working with Turf Australia to achieve this goal, hopefully with the full 
support of the wider turfgrass industry. IMPORTANT RESEARCHTurf research at Redlands Research Station was undertaken to service the whole turf industry, from 
producers to facility managers, homeowners to 
professional turf managers, from roadsides and 
urban open space through to golf courses, bowling 
greens and sportsfields. During this period Redlands (the lifestyle horticulture crew numbered 25), was involved in era comes to an endRedlandsRedlandsAbove: DAFF has provided assurance that the Redlands warm-season reference collection, known as the Living Library, will be able to remain at the facility for the next 12 monthsBack-up material of all warm-season reference collection plots plus additional cultivars are preserved in tubs at Redlands in an attempt to 
limit encroachment or contamination and maintain genetic purityAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     51many important industry research, development and extension activities including:   Lead research group or primary collaborator in 19 HAL funded (VC and/or levy) projects (see 
Table 1 for the full list of projects);  Forming guidelines for the Turf Accreditation Process (TAP);25 Plant Breeder™s Rights registrations;   Between 2001 and 2010, a total of 76 products 
consisting of 187 different treatments were 
tested at the Redlands phytotoxicity site. During the first three years alone, 39 products were 
comprehensively examined, resulting in the 
registration of 12 new products for the Australian 
turf industry;  Genetic improvement work and breeding;  Sportsfield characterisation and benchmarking of elite and community sports fields;  Extensive wear studies;  Turf pest and diseases;  Extension with a focus on providing the industry and general public with independent information. 
This was disseminated through websites, fact 
sheets, magazines, field days, phone and email, 
and national and international seminars;  Desktop studies;  Various confidential and fee-for-service studies.On behalf of the turf industry I would like to thank the collaborators (e.g. HAL, Australian Golf Course Superintendent Association, University of Western Australia, Sports Turf Institute, University of Queensland, state golf, sports turf and turf 
producer associations, various councils and turf 
related companies) and the following persons who 
were part of the Redlands Turf Research team at some point during the facility™s 13 years: Dr Don 
Loch (principal scientist), Tarek Lees (scientist), Dr Rachel Poulter (scientist), Cynthia Carson (senior extension officer), Alan Duff (principal experimentalist), Russel Durant (technician), Tony Troughton (technician), Bartley Bauer (scientist), Kaylene Bransgrove (plant pathologist), Mitch Wall (technician), Lin O™Brien (technician), Will Pearce (technician), Shane Holborn (lifestyle horticulture team leader) and Jon Penberthy (principal chief experimentalist).For further information or assistance regarding the Redlands site, contact Matt Roche on 0412 197 
218, or email matt.roche@ASTCs.com.au. EDITOR™S NOTE Australian Turfgrass Management Journal, which has carried numerous research updates from the 
Redlands facility since its inception, wishes to 
sincerely thank the turf research team and its 
members for their contribution to turf industry 
research during the facility™s operation. A list of 
articles attributed to Redlands which appeared 
in ATM from Volume 11 onwards can be viewed at www.agcsa.com.au/atm_journal/research. The 
AGCSA website also contains final reports and updates on the work undertaken at Redlands 
and these can be viewed at www.agcsa.com.au/
agcsatech/research.TABLE 1: HAL PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN AT REDLANDS RESEARCH STATIONProject Code Description PeriodTU00001 Water use studies and implications for management of subtropical C4 turfgrasses  2000-2003 in dryland and irrigated urban open space TU00011 Chemical phytotoxicity testing facility for warm-season turfgrasses 2001-2004TU02005 Amenity grasses for salt-affected parks in coastal Australia 2004-2006TU02007 Best management practices for sustainable and safe playing surface of AFLeague sports fields  2003-2007TU04013 Adaptation and management of Australian buffalo grass cultivars for shade and water conservation 2005-2009TU04006 Extension of chemical phytotoxicity testing facility for warm-season turfgrasses 2005-2006TU05001 Management guideline for new warm-season grasses in Australia 2006-2009TU06006 Establishment and maintenance of salt-tolerant amenity grasses to reduce urban salinity effect 2007-2010TU06008 Extension of chemical phytotoxicity testing facility for warm-season turfgrasses 2007-2010TU06019 Best use modelling for sustainable Australia sports field surfaces1 2007-2009TU08018 Traffic tolerance of warm-season turfgrasses under community sportsfield conditions 2008-2012TU08033 Optimising turf use to minimise soil erosion on construction sites2 2008-2009TU08034 Quantifying surfactant interaction effects on soil moisture and turf quality 2008-2009TU09033 Status assessment of water use research in turf growth and maintenance 2010TU09039 Developing new innovative technology for benchmarking turfgrass performance¹ 2010-2011TU09001 Adaptation of warm-season turfgrasses for the tropics 2010-2012TU09002 Improvement and maintenance of turf demonstration plots for national research and extension 2008-2012TU10015 Ryegrass transitioning in couch turf1 2010-2012TU10025 Erosion control Œ Turf research and development facility 2011-2012NB: 1 Lead agency Sports Turf Institute (STI); 2 Lead agency Landloch Pty LtdThe traffic tolerance of warm-season turfgrasses under community sportsfield conditions was one of 19 HAL projects the 
Redlands team undertook during its operation52     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTREGIONAL PROFILENestled in the southeast corner of South Australia, Mount Gambier Golf Club has been home to course superintendent Craig Gillin for the past couple of years. Here he gives ATM an insight into maintaining the town™s picturesque and much-admired golf course.Superintendent: Craig Gillin.Nickname: Gill.Age: 39.
Years as a superintendent: 2.5 years.
Association involvement: AGCSA and SAGCSAQualifications: Certificate III Turf Management (NMIT Parkville).
Turf management career: Warrnambool Golf 
Club (apprentice, 1999-2002 and 2IC, 2002-2005); 
Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club (2006-2009); Allan Border Field, Brisbane (2009-2010); Mount Gambier Golf Club (superintendent, 2010-present).Where in Australia is Mount Gambier? Mount Gambier is located 450km southeast of Adelaide, just 17 kilometres from the South Australia-Victoria border. It is known for its limestone and volcanic 
features including the famous Blue Lake. Tell us a bit about your background in turf management and how you came to be at Mt 
Gambier GC. I grew up in a golfing family and as 
long as I can recall I had a golf club in my hand, so I think I had a natural calling to get involved in the 
golf industry somewhere. My earliest stints involved 
working at a public course in Warrnambool during 
school holidays and summer time. I got a bit of a 
break in 1998 when I got asked to do some casual work at Warrnambool Golf Club and the following 
year I was offered a mature age apprenticeship. I progressed through the ranks and was offered the 
2IC position in the last year of my apprenticeship. I 
stayed on there until 2005. After a brief time out of the turf industry, I got the opportunity to work with my former WGC 
superintendent Ross Corbett at the Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club which, I would have to say, has some of the best lawn courts outside of any 
metropolitan city. In 2009 I took on a position as field maintenance officer at Allan Border Oval working for 
Queensland Cricket. It was a great opportunity to be able to work with and around cricketers at the 
highest level. While I was there we had the West 
Indies touring side and Pakistan A playing Australia 
A and Queensland. In 2010 I was appointed course 
superintendent at Mt Gambier GC. Give us an overview of Mt Gambier GC and 
some of its unique characteristics? The club has had three alterations to its design and layout 
since inception in the 1950s. In 1977, the course underwent a major reconstruction. The course uses elevation and undulation on every hole. No holes are Mount GambierGolf Club SAMount GambierGolf ClubThe picturesque Mt Gambier Golf Club is the largest membership club in the region, boasting bentgrass/Poa annua greens 
maintained at 3mm. Pictured is the 14thAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     53flat, nor are they straight. The greens are generous in size and roll very true. As with the rest of the terrain, there are no flat greens. If you get on the 
wrong side of the hole the ball just slides on by. The 
course is extremely well bunkered with 50 in total. One of the most popular holes is the par three 8th. The view from this highly elevated tee 
is spectacular. The hole plays very differently 
depending on the wind direction. Its only 155m but 
the distance is really irrelevant some days. Pick a 
club and hit it low is usually what is required hitting 
into a predominantly southern breeze. This is one of 
the most exposed parts of the course.What are some of the unique features about Mt Gambier from a turf management perspective? Limestone has a major part to play with the course. 
The free draining profile makes irrigation very hard 
to keep up with. The worst part of the course is the 
irrigation system. Everything we do with water has a manual component to it Œ there is no ‚set and forget™! 
All greens irrigation that is running is watched until 
they come up and are working adequately. We are constantly fighting a battle with limestone/rock/sand in the bore water. Flushing sprinklers is a 
ritual that never seems to end during the watering 
period. A filtration system that was fitted assisted 
with screening the water, but the pressure drop was 
so significant it could not be used.How have you fine-tuned your turf management operations during your time as superintendent? 
There are a number of tasks that we have fine-
tuned in the last two years. Things like the mowing 
of fairways straight up and down as opposed to 
angle mowing. This in itself can reduce mowing 
times by 3-4 hours and saves on fuel. Irrigating in the early morning and not in the evening has 
greatly decreased disease pressures during 
summer. Reducing Poa numbers and increasing the 
bentgrass with the use of ethephon and trinexapac-
ethyl applications. Rolling and not cutting all the time can save on the wear on mowing heads also.Any special environmental considerations that you have to incorporate into the management of 
the course? The past two years has seen the club 
sell off a parcel of land for housing development. 
Within the next year homes will be built and families 
will have moved in. For so long the club has been in an isolated area away from the general community. 
In the future everything that we do will be under 
the close attention of neighbours living on the golf 
course fringe. Practices that we have been able to do in the past may have to change. Things like the early morning use of machinery or spraying of pesticides 
which hasn™t been any issue in the past could now 
well be. I know there are a lot of clubs who do this 
on a daily basis and think nothing of it, but for the 
MGGC it™s going to be a steep learning curve. As a superintendent I can only prepare the club for so much, but I know as time goes on there are going 
to be some issues.What are some of the major challenges facing Mt Gambier GC both on and off the course? I think like many we are being hit with financial issues. The 
500 memberships don™t come close to covering 
the cost of running the course. We™ve had to lose a 
member of course staff this year just to try and free 
up dollars to put back into the course. It™s a tough 
situation to be in because on one hand you want 
the financial help in the budget, but then the course 
starts to suffer because of the lack of manpower. You become more practical about what has to be done and can be achieved in the day-to-day 
running of the course. Much of the finessing is cut 
out and the basics are implemented. It™s unfortunate because that then comes back at you as we are 
the ones answerable to the members. Many don™t 
understand what constraints we have on us and 
probably nor do they care. I wouldn™t say this was 
only unique to us though.Outline any major course improvement works completed in recent times or coming up. There have been two major improvements in the last 
couple of years. The first has seen the ongoing 
removal of pine/cypress trees from various parts 
of the course with 25 removed to date. The playing 
surfaces which were being affected have greatly 
improved. As a club we are fortunate to have 
members who are involved in the timber industry 
so we were able to get access to the machinery 
required to drop and clean up these monster pines. The Mt Gambier crew (from left) Tod Lillicrap, Craig Gillin (superintendent) and Alan GoldspinkThe Mt Gambier greens are vertidrained spring and autumn using half inch solid tines. Pictured 
is the 16th greenIn November 2012 the remaining 
eight Mt Gambier fairways were converted across to Santa ana. Pictured is the uphill 15th54     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTREGIONAL PROFILEAnother improvement has been the total conversion of fairways to Santa ana couchgrass. Some years back the club converted six fairways and in November of 2010 we row planted the 
remaining eight fairways (5ha). The club wanted the fairways playable through this so we went with the 
conversion method into the existing cool-season 
grasses. That summer saw cooler than average 
weather and wet periods and thus slow growth. Last year was marginally better but we didn™t get the heat 
to get a full coverage. So far this year we have seen 
a dramatic improvement with coverage reaching 
90-95 per cent. It™s been a slow process but one of the great upshots is the dramatic reduction in 
irrigation times.With the impending housing development, a number of holes are to be reconfigured. Some bunkers and trees are to be taken out and some 
to be added to take the line of play away from 
adjoining properties. Drainage ponds are also being 
constructed in various collection areas around the 
course. A lot of this work is being completed by the 
property developers but not all unfortunately. The one product I couldn™t manage my course without is... wetting agent, especially in summer. With a small staff we don™t always have the 
manpower to be out hand-watering. A good wetting 
agent can get us through and usually buy us some 
time until we can get there. What are some pros and cons of being a regional superintendent? There are many pros and the 
biggest one is being able to work in a relaxed 
environment. You can™t beat the country lifestyle. 
The lower cost of living is also a good upside with 
housing more affordable. You probably tend to get 
more involved within the club. There aren™t too many downsides really, although staff sizes and course 
budgets of our city counterparts would help.Are expectations of course presentation and conditioning any less than that placed on your 
metropolitan counterparts? My expectations of the course are probably fairly high. For me it wouldn™t matter if I was in the country or not, I expect to produce the best we can for what we have and I think we do alright for where we are.Do you have to be more resourceful as a regional-based superintendent? Without doubt. Anytime we 
have a breakdown or a broken part we try to repair 
it ourselves. If we can find parts locally that are the same or similar to the manufacturer we will use 
them. Our welder has seen us get operational on 
quite a few occasions. I don™t know if we are bush mechanics, but sometimes you™ll give anything a 
go to get it working again. None of us are trained 
mechanics, but after working in this industry for a 
number of years we™ve dabbled in many different 
areas of expertise.How important are the relationships you have with other nearby country course supers/trade reps? In our area we are the biggest membership club. 
We are surrounded by a lot of smaller clubs who 
use volunteers or employ people on a limited hour 
basis. A number of these turf managers are not trade 
qualified and are doing the best they can to keep the 
golf courses operational. We have a number of them 
or someone on their course committees approach 
us for ideas to any problems that they are having. I 
am only too happy to help give them the information 
they need or to give them the contacts that can steer 
them in the right direction.I have been working closely with Adam Bell at Independent Turf Sales with his knowledge and resources he has on hand. In my time here we 
have definitely tightened up and got smarter with 
our chemical and fertiliser usage. I would also like to mention Ross Corbett at Warrnambool Lawn Tennis Club who I have had as a mentor and a good sounding board to discuss many issues.Given your distance from the major metro areas, how do you make sure you keep abreast of the 
latest turf management techniques and methods? Mt Gambier™s popular par three 8thMt Gambier is well-regarded for its undulating and interesting layout. Pictured is the 11th  AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     55AT A GLANCE Œ MOUNT GAMBIER GOLF CLUBCourse specs: 18 holes, 6012m. Greens: One hectare in area, bentgrass/Poa mix (3mm HoC). Tees/Surrounds: 1.5ha in area, combination of Santa ana couchgrass and cool-season varieties (10mm HoC).
Fairways: 10ha in area, Santa ana couchgrass (10mm HoC).
Roughs: First cut at 25mm, secondary cut 50mm.
Members: 500.Annual rounds: 18,000.Major tournaments: Spring tournament held in October and Win TV 
Breast Cancer Charity Day.
Annual course budget: $270,000 (incl. wages).  
Staff structure: Craig Gillin (superintendent), Alan Goldspink (assistant 
superintendent) and Tod Lillicrap (mature age apprentice).Climate: Temperatures in the summer average between 26-35oC with highs of 40+oC. In winter we can get down to single figures and usually peak at about 15oC.Soil type: Sandy loam.
Water sources: Club operates on bore water (88ML annual licence) with three bores around the course. With all the fairways recently 
converted to couch, we are able to cope much better.
Irrigation system: We have a labour-intensive manual system. Greens 
and tees have Toro 835 sprinklers which are all keyed on and off manually. Fairways have a main line up the middle and we use a Toro Typhoon impact sprinkler, which we manually plug into each QCV.Renovations: In spring and autumn we vertidrain greens to a depth of 8-10inches with a ½fl solid tines, amendments added and topdressed. 
Monthly grooming from September to April. Dusting is carried out at various times throughout the year where time permits. Tees are solid tined 6-8 inches with a ¾fl tines and topdressed in spring.
Major disease pressures: Winter fusarium is prevalent during the cooler months. The daytime temperatures usually don™t climb out of the mid-teens for about 3-4 months. In the depths of winter we go days 
with minimal sunlight and moist greens. Aside from fungicides, we 
use wetting agents to combat heavy dews or occasional frosts. Dew 
brooming or drag matting greens instead of cutting has given us good 
results also. The most obvious is the Internet. There aren™t too many problems which you can™t research on the 
net. I like to read all trade issued magazines cover to cover when I receive them. I also get a great deal out of the AGCSA conferences. You think you know your stuff but each year something new appears. It 
is good to try different things to get better results. 
Sometimes you have got to get out of your comfort 
zone and give it a go.What are some of the more unusual requests you have had as a regional course superintendent? 
The members must think superintendent stands 
for snake handler. There have been a few requests for relocation services. Let them go on their way is 
generally my response.What have you got in your shed? It™s a little bit red: Toro 3400 TriFlex greens mower, 2 x Toro 3150 greens mowers (used for surrounds and grooming heads), Toro 7000D fairway mower, Toro 6700 fairway mower, 2 x 328 Toro roughcutters, Toro SandPro bunker rake, Toro Workman 200l sprayer, Smooth Roll greens roller, John Deere frontend loader, Toro topdresser, Toro MDE, MDX and 2110 Workmans, David Brown tractor. Which piece of machinery gets trashed the most and why? What™s on the wish list? Our roughcutters get trashed the most. We have volunteers who come 
in and give us a hand, so sometimes this is fraught 
with danger Πfor the roughcutters anyway! We are 
hoping to purchase a ProCore next. Being in our 
location, we are about two hours away from the 
nearest contractor and it would enable us to tackle 
other problem areas that we can™t do now because 
of the cost involved.Any interesting pieces of machinery/equipment? We have a tipper trailer that has carted a great number of loads in its day. We™ve replaced the frame, hydraulics, tray and tyres, so pretty much 
everything! For what we use it for, the old girl just keeps on keeping on.Do you think regional/country superintendents have a better work-life balance than their metro 
counterparts? In general I would say yes but it comes down to the individual™s commitment to the 
job. When you sign on to be a superintendent you 
know it™s not a 9-5 job by any means. You just know 
if you start cutting corners it will come back to bite 
you. I find it hard to switch off when I™m not there. 
There are so many variables that can occur on any 
given day which can interfere with your work-life 
balance.Most pleasing/rewarding moment during your time at Mt Gambier? It™s always good to get some positive feedback about the condition of the course, 
whether it™s from a member or a visitor. The one 
thing about being a superintendent is that you are 
never satisfied; there is so much more that can be 
done to get better.In coming years the land around the Mt Gambier course will be redeveloped for housing, meaning a number of holes will be altered 56     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTEDUCATIONThis edition sees the start of a regular series of articles by the National Turf Education Working Group on issues facing the delivery of turf management education in Australia. Former NSW TAFE teacher Frank Dempsey kicks things off by looking at concerns over the inadequate level of chemical training provided by some private RTOs. In early December 2012, turf management teachers from around Australia converged on 
Albury for the annual National Turf Education Validation Meeting. This meeting, which has been held for the past eight years, sees teachers from 
all TAFEs offering turf management in Australia join with industry representatives from sportsfield, golf 
and bowling for two days of talks, presentations 
and meetings, as well as validating the delivery of 
the apprenticeship to ensure consistency across 
all states.Through the efforts of the National Turf Education Working Group (NTEWG), many positive changes 
have been made to the turf training package in 
recent times, with the past year seeing the roll out 
of the new Certificate in Sports Turf Management. The NTEWG, which comprises representatives from 
across the turf education sector and key turf industry 
bodies, strives to ensure that those hoping for a 
career in turf management have access to the best 
training methods and materials possible.The past year, however, has also seen significant challenges thrown the way of the TAFE system. Extensive funding cuts announced by various state 
governments threaten to undermine the quality of 
education that TAFE institutions provide, while at the same time millions of dollars are being pumped 
into private registered training organisations (RTOs). The NTEWG is concerned about these developments and the potential they have to impact 
the quality of education provided to apprentices 
coming through the system. With this in mind, in 
this and coming editions of Australian Turfgrass Management Journal, the NTEWG will highlight particular areas of concern and how it is vital 
that the industry continues to support those TAFE institutions that educate apprentices to industry 
developed minimum standards. CHEMICAL TRAININGOne of the most topical issues discussed at the 
recent validation meeting was the growing concern 
among superintendent and sports turf associations 
across Australia that chemical training qualifications 
are being devalued. The NTEWG™s concern is that despite the substantial efforts made to improve 
standards of chemical handling and application 
training over the past decade, this could be 
undermined and the industry dragged back down 
to the low level that was present around the time of the Warringah Golf Club disaster in 2001.The problem with the current chemical training environment is that some private RTOs are now offering cheaper AQF3 chemical licensing training 
(the minimum standard for the Australian sports turf industry) delivered in a very short timeframe. This approach is acceptable in an open and competitive education market, provided the training meets the national sports turf minimum standards.  
Unfortunately, this is not always the case with 
training varying from between eight and 12 hours.  In 
one reported case all the training and assessments 
were completed in only four hours.The usual time taken at TAFE to receive the AQF3 chemical license for new students is between 
16 to 20 hours and is delivered and assessed by 
experienced trainers. Refresher courses to maintain 
a license should be taken over eight hours.   standardSetting thestandardSetting theThe usual time taken at TAFE to receive an AQF3 chemical license for new students is between 16 to 20 hours. Some private RTOs are fast-tracking this important component, raising serious concerns about the quality of training being provided to the industryAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     57Some superintendents and curators might be attracted to the idea of having students ‚off the tools™ for a shorter period of time and facility managers 
may like the financial incentives being offered by 
private providers for the fast-tracking of chemical 
training, but ask yourself this Πwould the EPA or WorkCover have the same fast-track mentality were 
they to come and conduct a random check at your 
facility? I think not.SETTING NATIONAL SPORTS TURF INDUSTRY STANDARDSThe NTEWG has been consistently working since 2003 to set minimum levels of assessments for 
the Australian turf industry. Every unit taught in the 
greenkeeping trade course (currently Certificate III in Sports Turf Management) has minimum standards of assessment set by industry. This includes all of the chemical units which make up the AQF3 
chemical licensing course (required for all powered 
spray equipment).  All students must be competent 
in these assessments before they achieve a license.These minimum standards of assessment for sports turf chemical training can be found in the 
Certificate III Delivery and Assessment Guides available on the AGCSA website www.agcsa.com.au/education. These guides list the minimum standard all new trainees need to have reached to 
be deemed competent in the units ‚Prepare and 
Apply Chemicals™ and ‚Transport, Handle and Store Chemicals™ which cover the AQF3 chemical license.THE EPAAt the December 2012 validation meeting, Martin 
Bowles from the NSW EPA addressed the gathering about the organisation™s current investigations into 
breaches of chemical compliance by the sports turf 
industry in NSW. Some of the issues uncovered by 
the EPA included:   Use of unregistered products without proper permits (e.g.: ethephon);  Off label use without a permit (e.g.: atrazine);  Not following label instructions leading to off-target harm;  Gaps or inaccuracies in recordkeeping; and  Training not always current. Bowles commented that these points should be emphasised in the national sports turf chemical 
training and that the EPA too had concerns about 
some of the ‚fast track™ training being offered by 
private RTOs.Remember, applying chemicals is to the sports turf industry what paving is to the landscape industry 
Πit forms an integral part of our core trade skills. The 
last thing the industry needs is for governments to 
start banning chemical use because they believe 
our practitioners are simply not competent and can™t 
be trusted. It is therefore important that the sports 
turf industry demand that the minimum industry 
training standards be met and if an RTO can™t do this 
then go somewhere that can. TAFEs which validate the current turf training package provide good quality chemical training that 
meets all levels of chemical licensing requirements 
of this country.  The national sports turf industry is being professional and proactive in setting minimum 
standards of training and assessment across 
Australia and it is important that turf facilities and 
their managers demand these standards be met. AQF3 CHEMICAL LICENSING TRAINING SELF TESTIf you have completed the AQF3 
Chemical Licensing Training in the past 12 months you should remember and 
be able to answer the following self 
test questions. These are only a part 
of the minimum level of assessments 
in chemical training for the sports turf 
industry (there are practical sessions that 
need to be completed as well), but see 
how you go... 1. LegislationList three current legislation acts that 
govern you and your responsibilities in 
the use of chemicals and state who is 
responsible for enforcing these acts in 
your state. Score:   /32. IPM
Name nine methods of pest control which 
could form part of an IPM programme. 
Score:   /93. UN chemical standardsList four changes to chemical labels and 
MSDS™s which form part of the 2011 
WHS ACT and the global harmonisation 
system in Australia. Score:   /44. PPEName three tasks as part of a risk 
assessment that you will need to carry 
out before you can select the correct 
PPE for any chemical application job. 
Score:   /35. Calibration of equipment  Name the steps in calibrating a hand held sprayer. Score:   /6  Discuss how you would go about 
carrying out the calibration of a new 
powered boom sprayer for the first 
time. Score:   /10  What are some options if the water 
output of the machine you are 
calibrating does not meet the water 
application rate listed in the label. 
Score:   /36. Chemical spills
Discuss in order the six steps you would 
carry out for a chemical spill, if one 
occurred while you were spraying. 
Score:   /67. Chemical storage areasName 12 requirements for good chemical 
storage areas. Score:   /128. Poison schedulesList the four poison schedules for 
chemicals on sports turf. Score:   /4      So how did you go? Your final score will 
be out of 60. If you scored 50 or more, well done. If you achieved less than 50 then 
you have not met the minimum standards 
in your training that apprentices and 
refresher students receive at a TAFE college before they can receive an AQF3 
Chemical License.Applying chemicals is to the sports turf industry what paving is to the landscaping industry - a core trade skill58     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTNEWSST ANDREWS PRIVATE GOLF CLUB TAKES SHAPEVictoria™s famed Mornington Peninsula is to become home to another golf course with 
construction set to start January 2013 on the new St Andrews Private Golf Club. The new 
exclusive members-only course is located in the 
prized Cups region and will reside adjacent to the 
Tom Doak-designed St Andrews Beach Golf Course which opened to much acclaim in 2006. St Andrews Private Golf Club has been routed by Ross Perrett of Thomson-Perrett, designers of the 
nearby Moonah Links Open and Legends courses as well as The National™s Ocean Course. Overseeing construction of the new course is experienced 
superintendent John Geary who up until early 
December 2012 was environmental agronomist with 
AGCSATech, a position he held for just over four years. Construction of the new St Andrews Private course is due to kick off in January, although 
planning for the course has been in the pipeline 
for many months. Fairways were sprayed out in late November/early December with irrigation and machinery tenders locked in the week leading up 
to Christmas. The slab for the pump shed was 
poured before Christmas with the installation of the irrigation system, to be undertaken by Victorian based company A&M Watering, due to start in early 
January. The hope is to have water on the site by 
late January/early February and grassing starting shortly after.  A projected opening date is late 2013/
early 2014.Features of the new course include revetted bunkers, three massive double green complexes, 
creeping bentgrass greens (variety still to be 
determined) and fescue surrounds. Although 
couchgrass fairways were initially in the turf 
specification, the option of having fescue fairways is 
being seriously considered but will be dependent on 
the availability of water. fiAt this stage we are exploring the option of having fescue fairways instead of couch, but in 
order to do that we need to secure more water first,fl 
says Geary, the former superintendent at Frankston Golf Club for 17 years between 1986 and 2004. fiHaving fescue fairways would give the course a real point of difference from others on the Mornington 
Peninsula and is in keeping with the vision of having 
St Andrews Private modelled on the Scottish links style courses.flThe development of the new course will take care of some unfinished business for Geary who 
was the former construction and maintenance 
superintendent of St Andrews Beach Golf Club 
between 2004 and 2007. That chapter of his career ended on a sour note when owners Golf Club 
Properties collapsed, leaving staff and investors out 
of pocket.Like the new St Andrews Private development, St Andrews Beach was to be an exclusive members-
only course with a second public access course, 
also routed by Doak, in the very early stages of 
development when the company folded. After being 
closed for a period, the site was carved up and sold 
off with St Andrews Beach subsequently reopened 
as a public access course. It is currently maintained by Turnpoint.The parcel of land on which the second course was to be built was purchased by Australian 
businessman Randal Shreeve, owner of Billboard 
Media. With a vision to establish a truly exclusive 
members-only golf club, Shreeve commissioned Ross Perrett to come up with the St Andrews Private Golf Club routing. Having been intimately involved with the construction of the existing St Andrews Beach course, 
Geary was approached to oversee construction and 
grow-in of the new course with a view of continuing 
on as maintenance superintendent once the course 
opens.  fiI am looking forward to playing my part in helping to shape one of the most natural golf 
course sites you would find anywhere in the world,fl 
says Geary. fiIt™s hard not to be captivated by the 
natural beauty and ruggedness of the site and it is our intention to emphasise these characteristics to accentuate its links style qualities.flSt Andrews Private Golf Club will have an exclusive membership limited to just 281. The 
number holds special significance as it is the 
score Peter Thomson shot to win the 1955 Open Championship held at St Andrews in Scotland, the 
second of his five eventual Open victories. Thomson 
believes the tract of land on which the new course 
will be built fiis the best golf territory in Australia 
because of its natural undulation and sand base.fl 
fiThe area already has several outstanding courses 
and the new course at St Andrews Beach could be 
the best yet,fl Thomson says.Australian Turfgrass Management will be tracking the development of the new St Andrews 
Private Golf Club in coming editions and will carry 
a series of articles as the course comes to life.Construction of the new St Andrews Private Golf Club is due to start in January 2013 with grassing expected early FebruaryFor further  information contact your PGG Wrightson Turf Representative or free phone 1800 DURATURFinfo@pggwrightsonturf.com.au     facebook.com/pggwrightsonturfSummer StandoutsPrincess 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)Regal StaygreenŽ kikuyu is a turf-type kikuyu that has a dark green 
colour and ˜ ner leaf texture than 
other kikuyu cultivars. Its branching 
habit and shorter internode length 
forms a much denser and ˜ ner 
turfgrass sward. Application rate: 8 g/m2 (80 kg/ha)REGALSTAYGREENTURF TYPE KIKUYU GRASSŽpggwrightsonturf.com.au60     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAROUND THE TRADEJACOBSEN CLICKS ONTO A WINNER WITH TRUESET CUTTING UNITS  DESTINY NOW REGISTERED FOR CONTROL OF BAHIAGRASS Bayer has announced that its turf herbicide Destiny (active ingredient 100g/kg Iodosulfuron) is now registered for the control of bahiagrass (Paspalum 
notatum).  Bahiagrass has been a particular problem 
for turf managers in tropical areas with its rapid 
growth and seedhead production resulting in the 
need for regular mowing.  Destiny turf herbicide gradually transitions out bahiagrass and stops seedhead production 
while leaving species like couchgrass and kikuyu 
to provide the desired turf cover.  The added 
advantage of Destiny is the control of a broad range 
of broadleaf weeds which will be achieved at the 
same time.The best time to use Destiny for bahiagrass control is in a programme of three monthly 
applications over the summer period. This allows for 
gradual removal of the bahiagrass with less risk of 
large areas of bare soil being colonised by weeds.   In other company news, the Bayer Environment Science marketing team of John Hall and Lesley 
Pepperell have been recognised for their efforts 
after being named as national finalists in the 2012 
Australian Marketing Institute™s Awards for Marketing 
Excellence. Hall and Pepperell submitted an entry for the launch of its new turf herbicide Tribute into the fiNew Brand, Product or Service Launchfl category at this 
year™s awards. Tribute was launched at the 27th Australian Turfgrass Conference in Adelaide with full The new Jacobsen TrueSet cutting unit features bedknife-to-reel adjustment easily accessible from the front and top of the cutting unitDestiny is now registered for bahiagrass controlJacobsen has recently launched the TrueSet cutting unit, a new product that makes 
adjustments to Jacobsen mowers faster and easier.  The bulk of the time savings provided 
by the new TrueSet cutting unit comes from an innovative bedknife-to-reel adjustment mechanism. 
Technicians can fine tune the TrueSet adjuster at two points with a gear that moves the bottom block 
0.0254mm (0.001 inch) with an audible click. Adjustments are made from the top and front of the TrueSet cutting unit with a ½fl wrench, the same tool used for height-of-cut adjustment. This makes the new cutting unit more user-friendly and reduces 
the number of tools needed to make adjustments. 
Jacobsen™s engineers have also ensured that 
the new unit maintains its holding power, which 
equates to 193kgs (425lbs) of force holding the 
bottom blade in place. Careful not to tinker with any of the geometry, design or construction, the TrueSet cutting unit is available on Jacobsen™s 12.5cm (5fl) diameter reel 
fitted to the Eclipse2 walk-behind greens mower (floating head), Greens King IV, GP400 and Eclipse 322 riding greens mowers, the LF550 and SLF-1880 fairway mowers. fiThe idea behind the TrueSet cutting unit is to give technicians more time to work on 
other equipment and projects,fl says Jacobsen 
product manager Lee Kristensen. fiWhen the 
technician hears that click, he knows exactly 
how far the bedknife has moved and this takes 
the guesswork out of the adjustment, saving time 
when conducting their daily maintenance routines. 
We would advocate checking the air gap between 
the bedknife and reel with a feeler gauge and the 
cutting performance with a strip of paper before 
mowing.flMeanwhile, in other Jacobsen news, the company has recently been elevated to AGCSA Gold Partner status. Jacobsen, a long time supporter 
of the AGCSA, has been elevated from Silver status to Gold through its additional involvement 
at the 29th Australian Turfgrass Conference on the Sunshine Coast  (23-28 June, 2013), which will see 
the company sponsor keynote speaker Dr Thom 
Nikolai. fiWe are delighted to elevate our partnership with the AGCSA to Gold status as it demonstrates the commitment of Jacobsen to support the art of 
fine turf management in Australia, New Zealand 
and the Pacific Rim,fl says Jacobsen Asia Pacific 
managing director Alan Prickett. fiThe recent appointment of further distributors in Australia and 
Singapore demonstrates our commitment to the 
region and our continued support of AGCSA is integral to this. fiJacobsen has always supported superintendents™ associations around the globe, 
especially in the area of education, which dovetails 
perfectly with the commitment of the AGCSA to ongoing professional development. In 2013 we are sponsoring the renowned turfgrass academic 
specialist at Michigan State University, Thom 
Nikolai on a speaking tour of Australia and New 
Zealand, which will include dates at the Australian 
Turfgrass Conference at Twin Waters Resort in June.flAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     61INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTSpage advertisements, trade magazine inserts, CDs, banner ads, trade show promotion and give-aways, 
Turf ID poster, e-book and iPhone app. fiWe successfully launched Tribute at the 2011 trade show and within two days we had achieved 60 
per cent of budget,fl says Hall. TWIN WATERS EXPO A SELL OUTIt might still be six months away, but the trade 
exhibition at the 29th Australian Turfgrass Conference (23-28 June, 2013) on the Sunshine Coast is a sell 
out. The exhibition, which will run for two days from 26-27 June 2013 sold out in late November with a total of 41 companies set to exhibit. A floorplan 
showing those companies which have booked can 
be view through the AGCSA website - www.agcsa.com.au/conference/tradeshow. For those trade companies that missed out, the AGCSA has set up a waiting list in the event that a company already booked pulls out, or additional 
exhibition space becomes available. For further 
information about the exhibition contact the 
AGCSA on (03) 9548 8600.THUMPER REGISTERED FOR NEMATODE CONTROLTurf Culture has announced that Thumper (active ingredient 20g/l abamectin) has received an updated APVMA registration and is now registered 
for the control of both couch mite and nematodes in turf. The updated registration was received on 8 November and its new name is Thumper Miticide & 
Nematicide. The key difference from the old registration to the updated version is the newly added product 
label claims of ‚For the control of nematodes in turf as specified in the Directions for Use™. Thumper is still registered for its previous use of controlling 
couch mite in couchgrass. For nematode control, the label recommends a rate of 50mL/100m2 with a repeat application required after 14 days. For more information 
about Thumper Miticide & Nematicide visit www.
turfculture.com.auHODDER TO MAKE A DINT WITH DINTDint Australia has appointed Will Hodder (pictured) as the 
company™s new Victorian sales representative. Hodder joins 
the Dint team after serving as course 
superintendent of Tirhatuan Lakes Golf Course in Melbourne™s south east suburbs. 
Hodder started his new role in November 
2012 and can be contacted on 0424 957 
729 or will@dint.com.auPORTER HEADS BACK TO SCHOOLJim Porter (pictured) has been appointed by Holmesglen 
TAFE in Melbourne as head of its turf management department. The 
former Royal Melbourne Golf Club course 
superintendent has been working as a 
session teacher since the start of 2012 and 
replaces Brett Chivers who left in late 2012. 
Porter can be contacted on 0418 587 916 
or email jim.porter@holmesglen.edu.au 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                                    AFTER62     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTURF PRODUCERSIn conjunction with Horticulture Australia Limited, Turf Australia (TA) and the Industry Advisory Committee (IAC) have developed a Research & Development (R&D) Strategic Investment Plan for the Turf Industry 2012 Π2017.fiThe aim of the plan is to drive growth and sustainability of the Australian turf industry,fl says 
IAC chairman Barry Underhill. fiIt will build on the achievements of the first six years of the Turf Levy programme and ensure investment decisions are 
based on high priority research, development and 
extension needs.flThe key strategies contained in the plan include:  Grower business capability Πto raise production sector profitability through improved business 
practices and benchmarking; Communications and extension Πensuring positive perception of turf and the turf industries 
as well as the adoption of R&D outcomes;  Environmental sustainability Πdemonstrating the environmental benefits of turf;  Market knowledge and market development Π
gathering data on, quantifying and prioritising 
current and potential market opportunities;  Industry capacity, resources and data Πsupporting the industry through good leadership, 
adequate resourcing and the collection and use 
of essential data; and  Biosecurity Πbuilding the capacity to respond to 
turf biosecurity issues as they arise.     A key characteristic of the plan includes recognition of the need to work closely with the 
turf maintenance sector as well as the nursery and 
garden industry. UPCOMING EVENTS Targeting young turf producers, Turf Australia is hosting a Next Generation Forum and Workshop from 20-22 January 2013 at Cedar Creek Lodges, 
Tamborine Mountain in Queensland.   The forum is aimed at producers or employees of turf business, 
who are 35 years or under, and want to gain 
industry knowledge, develop networks and/or gain 
leadership skills.The 2013 programme covers setting business objectives, planning for business growth, marketing 
and profitability. Speakers will include Suzie Shearer (Coolabah Turf), Lynn Davidson (Jimboomba Turf), Greg Lindore (Allenview Turf), Gavin Rogers (Sir Walter), Hugo Struss (Tinamba Turf), John Keleher (Australian Lawn Concepts) and Shane Holborn (BioScience Australia).Turf Australia™s 2013 annual conference is also back on and will be held from 1-3 May 2013 at the 
Mantra Legends Hotel, Surfers Paradise. For further information about the Next Gen Forum and annual conference, contact Christine Hughes on 0402 500 
616 or email admin@turfaustralia.co.au.The aim of Turf Australia™s R&D Strategic Investment Plan is to drive growth and sustainability of the Australian turf industry   STRONG FINISH TO 2012 FOR TURF QUEENSLAND As we review 2012, Turf Queensland is happy with the results achieved for its 
members over the year and 
finished strongly through 
December with sustainability and ongoing viability remaining a critical 
factor across our industry.The Turf Queensland board continues to promote productivity improvements and 
efficiencies on farms, in particular the areas 
of water, energy, fertiliser and fuel cost and 
usage.  A 12-month project of investigation 
is nearing completion with some exceptional 
benchmarking being undertaken with small, 
medium and large turf farms providing hard evidence of productivity benefits that can be 
available to our turf producers.  The project 
is due to be completed in February at which time these benchmarks will be passed on to 
member companies.  This continues on the back of the Turf Cost Calculator economic module developed 
in 2012 that the turf farmer can utilise to ensure 
he understands his costs and appropriate 
selling prices. Supporting this is the Turf Accreditation Program (TAP) that ensures Turf Queensland member companies operate under a third-party audited accreditation 
process and are operating at the cutting 
edge of innovation and development across 
the industry.  A three-month investigation was undertaken mid-2012 into automation and 
equipment that could be utilised on the farm, 
basing the information on global prototype 
equipment and GPS programmes utilised in 
the mining and broadacre cropping areas. 
Fertigation and chemigation processes by centre pivot and lateral irrigation machinery 
has also been investigated and promoted to 
the turf industry as productivity improvements.We look forward to a productive 2013 and on behalf of the Turf Queensland board wish everyone a happy and safe festive season.  JIM VAUGHAN CEO, TURF QLDTurf Australia business and industry development manager Richard Stephens provides an update on Turf Australia™s recent and upcoming activities.the industry™s futureBuildingBuildingwww.turfaustralia.com.auIn any sport, there are key moments that create legendary status; great reputations are forged at such times. Take the Jacobsen 
Eclipse 322, bristling with innovative features; it™s designed to 
overcome all challenges. That™s why Arnold Palmer speci˜es 
Jacobsen for his golf courses.For a legendary performance on your course, please contact:ATM/AP1/12/2012HIS MOMENTOUR MACHINESMcIntosh & 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 6000AP1 Aus Turfgrass Mngnt.indd   119/11/2012   08:4864     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSON THE MOVEJohn Geary: From environmental agronomist AGCSA to construction superintendent St Andrews Private Golf Club, VIC 
Steve Mallyon: From assistant superintendent 
Roseville Golf 
Club, NSW to 
assistant superintendent The 
Lakes Golf Club, NSW. 
David Scaife: 
Resigned as 
superintendent 
at Bonnie Doon 
Golf Club, NSW in 
early December 2012.
Matt Shuttleworth: From assistant superintendent 
Leeton Soldiers Club, NSW to superintendent West Wyalong 
Sports Club, NSW
Brad Sim: From assistant superintendent 
The Australian 
Golf Club, NSW 
to superintendent 
Cape Kidnappers, NZ.Dave Smith: From 3IC to assistant superintendent The 
Australian Golf Club, NSWGCSAQAs I write this the heat of summer has well and 
truly arrived and the words on everyone™s lips 
are ‚When is it going to rain?™  At the start of December I had been irrigating nightly for all but 
11 nights since 1 August and needless of say am 
dreading the power bill. Thankfully, we are lucky 
to have a reasonably good and cheap source of 
effluent water that is able to keep the course going.  Most areas of Queensland reported an exceptionally dry spring which was particularly 
good for GCSAQ committee man Brendan Clark who has been busy building a new 1st and 10th 
tee, a new putting green as well as some buggy 
paths at Cairns Golf Club.  Elsewhere in far north 
Queensland, Mossman and Atherton golf clubs 
have both employed new course superintendents 
recently, Mareeba Golf Club has installed some new irrigation cable, while Malcolm ‚Olly™ Ollard has just 
finished building a spare hole at Paradise Palms.Further south, Indooroopilly Golf Club hosted the 72-hole Queensland Junior Open which returned 
to the course after being washed out by the 2011 
Brisbane River flood.  Superintendent Charlie 
Giffard has vivid recollections of the event being 
called off during the second round on Tuesday 12 January: fiI remember like it was yesterday! As we stood on the 5th green I remember looking over to the river 
as it swirled by and it was by then (about 7am) just 
breaching the banks on the 3rd hole!  I turned to 
the bloke who was organising the event and mildly 
suggested they might need to look at holding off the 
start for the day as I thought we might have been in 
for a bit of inundation on that part of the course. Little 
did I realise at the time how much ‚inundation™ was going to occur!fl   Late November 2012 saw some fairly savage storms hit the south east corner of Queensland and I 
was actually in Noosa on Sunday 18 November and 
didn™t really want to drive home given the look of the 
radar.  Unfortunately for 2012 AGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management winner Ben Tilley, a lot of his excellent course prep work for the Sunshine Coast Ladies Open to be held the following week was washed away by a virtual mini cyclone that took a major effort from staff, volunteers and contractors 
to clean up.  To Ben and his staff™s credit the players were blissfully unaware such an event took place. In early December I was privileged to play in the Pro-Am at the Australian PGA Championships 
at Palmer Coolum Resort.  While the PGA had its issues with resort management in the lead-up to 
the tournament (such as the 60 signs spray-painted 
on tees and fairways without their knowledge), the 
obstacles overcome by host superintendent Dean Henderson and his staff to present the course 
were numerous and the result was nothing short of 
outstanding.  The greens, in particular, were rolling 
beautifully which when you consider that Dean was 
under instruction to only mow every second day 
until two weeks out from the tournament, makes it 
an even more impressive result.In previous years preparations for the PGA started a full two months out, however, with changes 
to the way the course is operated under the 
resort™s new management, Dean had to condense 
preparations into a significantly shorter period of 
time. Major preparations only began two weeks out, 
while walk-mowing greens began just the week of 
the tournament. And he had to do all of this with 
five less staff.The first major event on the GCSAQ™s 2013 calendar will be Tuesday 5 March when golf industry representatives from across the state gather for the 
Queensland Golf Industry Awards night.  Nominations are currently open for the GCSAQ™s Apprentice of the Year, Superintendent Achievement Award 
and Superintendent Environmental Award.  Please contact Peter Lonergan with any nominations or questions about the night.And finally, it was on a sad note that we finished 2012 with the passing of esteemed life 
member Les Austin.  Les, who was 81, worked at Redcliffe Golf Club for 22 years starting out as 
course mechanic and finishing up in the big chair as 
course superintendent. Les spent many years on the committee of the GCSAQ and always maintained a cool head and regularly offered sage advice to his 
younger fellow members when they encountered 
troubles at their club.  In retirement Les was always first on the list for our annual bus trip and enjoyed the camaraderie of 
the current crop of Queensland supers who also had 
a great deal of respect for him. On behalf of all the 
members of the GCSAQ, I convey our condolences to Joyce on the loss of our great mate. His legacy 
at Redcliffe Golf Club will endure for many years. 
Vale Les.PETER LONERGANPRESIDENT, GCSAQJust some of the more than 60 signs that adorned the tees and fairways at Palmer Coolum Resort during the recent 2012 Australian PGA Championships AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT     65SAGCSA2012 finished on a high for the SAGCSA with the association handing out three awards at the annual SA Golf Industry Awards Night held at the Adelaide Oval. Long-serving Murray Bridge 
Golf Club course superintendent Mal Grundy was bestowed the SAGCSA Distinguished Service Award sponsored by Metropolitan Machinery, while 
Richard James (The Grange) and Ryan Smooker (North Adelaide Golf Links) were also honoured. Grundy was recognised for a turf management career which has spanned more than 30 years. He 
joined Murray Bridge not long after leaving school 
and rose to be 2IC under Bob Vogt during which 
time he completed his Cert III and IV as a mature age student.  For the past 17 years Mal has been course superintendent, during which time he also 
played a key role on the SAGCSA committee. James received the Globe-sponsored SAGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management Award 
for the impressive works recently undertaken to 
redevelop the club™s East Course, while Smooker won the SAGCSA Graduate of the Year Award sponsored by Toro.  The final SAGCSA event for 2012 was an education day at Westward Ho Golf Club which 
resides at the Adelaide Shores complex. The day included presentations from a number of our trade 
suppliers with a great presentation from Craig Molloy (superintendent at Shortland Waters Golf 
Club and president of the NSWGCSA) on chemical use and the NSW pilot programme. After lunch we had several machinery demonstrations to finish off 
the day. Many thanks to host superintendent Tim Warren for his help organising the day. Looking forward to 2013, we have meetings planned for Barossa Valley Golf Club, Flagstaff 
Hill Golf Club, a Riverland bus trip, AGM and 
looking at growing our education day. On behalf 
of the SAGCSA I would like to wish all in the turf industry the best for the New Year and thank committee members Richard James, Chad Dawe 
and Stephen Chapman for all their work during 2012. BARRY BRYANTPRESIDENT, SAGCSASAGCSA Graduate of the Year recipient Ryan Smooker. Photos: Golf SASAGCSA Distinguished Service Award recipient Mal GrundyThe Grange superintendent Richard James received the SAGCSA Excellence in Golf Course Management AwardVGCSAAfter an extremely wet winter for the southern part of the state, the rainfall has dried up 
with minimal falls in spring and the early part of summer Πhow nature makes us adjust!The final VGCSA meeting for 2012 was a cocktail party held at Victoria Golf Club (host 
superintendent Ian Todd) sponsored by Ted Boltong from Active Safety. During the evening 
it was a pleasure to announce the winners of 
our annual awards. Adam Robertson, course superintendent at Kew Golf Club, won the VGCSA Superintendent Recognition Award, while Jim 
Waring from Tees and Greens Irrigation Services collected the VGCSA Trade Recognition Award. Since completing his apprenticeship at Pambula-Merimbula Golf Club, NSW in 1984, Adam has resided in Melbourne ever since.  
Adam accepted a role at Ringwood Public Golf Course as assistant and was later promoted 
to superintendent.  Adam has spent the last 
15 years as superintendent at Kew and is now overseeing some of the most significant changes to the course during his time there.  Adam has 
successfully completed the Associate Diploma in 
Turf Management and held numerous positions on varying organisations in the turf industry, including 
three years on the VGCSA committee. Jim Waring started his career as an apprentice at the age of 16 at Yarra Bend Golf Course 
and in six years was promoted to the role of 
superintendent.  During this time Yarra Bend Golf Course was considered one of the best 
conditioned public courses in Melbourne.  Jim 
took an interest in irrigation and subsequently in 
1997 started his own business as an irrigation 
specialist.  Jim has been a member of the VGCSA for over 22 years. The VGCSA committee has finalised meeting venues for 2013.  As always we are very grateful 
to those clubs for offering their facilities for 
our meetings. While exact dates are still to be 
determined, the following meeting venues have 
been confirmed for 2013:
March: Education Day (Green Acres GC) May: AGM (Kingston Heath GC)June: Country/2IC Meeting (Cobram Barooga GC)
August: Education Day (Eastern GC)
October: Bayer Golf Day (Huntingdale GC) An additional meeting is scheduled for early 2013 which will be open to all Victorian golf clubs 
to attend.  The meeting is aimed at highlighting 
and educating golf clubs in the correct use of chemicals.  The meeting will be held in conjunction with the VGCSA, AGCSA, Golf Management Victoria and Golf Victoria.As a new year begins, it is rewarding to look back on 2012 as a positive year for the VGCSA and we are again very thankful to those generous 
companies who are continuing their sponsorship 
of the association in 2013. STEVEN HEWITTPRESIDENT, VGCSA66     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTA VICSTATE REPORTS      A happy New Year to everyone! The STA NSW concluded 2012 with a luncheon in honour of Frank Dempsey and his retirement from full-time TAFE teaching. Frank was bestowed with STA NSW Life Membership on the day and he was very 
grateful for the recognition. No doubt 2013 will be another busy one for us all. At STA NSW we are taking a slightly different approach to our events and moving out of town 
a bit more this year. We will kick off proceedings 
with our annual golf day at Long Reef Golf Club 
(host superintendent Peter Donkers) at Collaroy 
on Monday 25 February. This day is always a great way to catch up with other members, so dust off the 
clubs and book in now.Other events we will conduct during the year will include a chemical use workshop on Tuesday 19 March that will address the current issues facing 
the industry. We will also head out to Mudgee for a 
seminar on 13 May which will be held in conjunction 
with the Blue Mountains and Western Districts Golf 
Day on 14 May.To ensure that our members are given every opportunity to get up to date industry information, 
we will also produce more publications this year and 
we have also recently upgraded our website. I hope 
everyone has a great 2013.CHRIS CHAPMANPRESIDENT, STA NSWSTA NSWFrank Dempsey recently received life membership of the STA NSW A happy New Year to all in the turf industry 
around Australia and I hope everyone had a 
great Christmas and were able to get a few days off to spend with their families.The TGCSA held its Christmas break-up day at Mowbray Golf Club on 11 December. The weather 
was sensational as always in the north of the state 
for the annual Pellows North v South Cup. Well done to Andrew Currie (Seabrook Golf Club) from the North who won the individual stableford with 21 
points for nine holes and runner up Steven Lewis 
(Royal Hobart Golf Club) on 20 points. Remarkably, for the first time in the competition™s history the North v South Cup was a draw, with the top four scores from both teams equalling 69 points. 
Luckily us northerners were the current holders of 
the cup and therefore retain the cup and bragging 
rights for another 12 months.Earlier in the day, Chris Williams and Clinton Shaw gave presentations on Toro irrigation and finance. Thanks again to Pellows Saws and Mowers and Toro for sponsoring the day. The day finished with a BBQ lunch, presentations and a 
few refreshments back at the club. Thanks also to 
Shane Knott and the Mowbray Golf Club for hosting 
the event during this busy period. The TGCSA™s first day for 2013 will be on 19 February at Aurora Stadium in Launceston (host curator Bryan Dunn). The day will be sponsored by Globe and invitations will be out around the middle 
of January. Looking ahead, the TGCSA AGM and Seminar will be held at Scamander Golf Club 13-14 
August 2013, so put it in your diary now.TONY SMITHPRESIDENT, TGCSATGCSAOn behalf of the STA VIC I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas 
and New Year with their families and got a little bit of (but not too much) rest at the 
end of what was a busy 2012.Going back slightly (it seems so long ago) STA VIC held its Summer Seminar at Packer Park in Carnegie. It was a fantastic day, 
as shown by the delegates who attended. 
Presentations were made by Peter Warren 
(Worksafe Victoria), John Geary (AGSCA), 
Peter Anderson (Sportsturf Consultants), 
Lois Binnie (Wyndham City Council) and David Nickson (Evergreen Turf). A big thanks to our sponsor on the day, Mike Baker from 
Country Club International. The talks covered a wide range of issues from machine and 
personal safety, chemical safety and use 
through to construction and grass selection.The STA committee continues to look at what we can best do for our members and 
the industry, so if you have any thoughts 
please contact a committee member or the 
office and pass on any feedback you might 
have. We will also update and improve our 
E-news so stay tuned for more information on this as we may do a story on you and your 
workplace. We also have the STA VIC desk pads coming out in late January and a huge 
thank you goes to all of our sponsors. As we move into 2013, the next major event will be the Regional Seminar at Kilmore Racing Club on 20 March. This should be 
an exciting day as we continue to take our 
seminars outside of Melbourne. July 2013 will 
see the return of our annual Sportsturf and Wicket Seminar and in November we will hold 
our Seminar and Trade Day. More information about the exact dates and venues for these 
two days will be forthcoming as soon as 
possible. STA VIC looks forward to a productive 2013 and catching up with you at an event 
soon.NATHAN TOVEYPRESIDENT, STA VICPARTNER RECOGNITION PROGRAMMESupport those organisations who support your associationThank you to all the partners who help the AGCSA provide members with the greatest programmes and services the industry has to offer.PLATINUM SPONSORAGCSAGOLD SPONSORAGCSASILVER SPONSORAGCSABRONZE SPONSORAGCSA˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˘˝˘ˆ˜˚˛˝˙ˆˇ˘˝˜ˆˇˇ˘˛˘ˇ“€˘˘“€€€68     AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSSTA WAOn 27 November, the WA turf industry converged on the Scarborough Sportsmen™s Club for the annual Turf Awards Night. The evening celebrated graduating turf students with 
those having completed their studies in 2012 being 
presented with their trade certificate.  A number of students were also singled out for special recognition awards. They were:  Lewis Dienelt (WACA): CH Bailey & Sons 
Perpetual Shield for best WA Sports Turf Graduate, sponsored by Baileys Fertilisers; Greg Reimer (Port Denison Bowling Club): 
Murray James Memorial Award for the best 
bowling green apprentice, sponsored by 
WABGA; Dylan Bentley (Geraldton Golf Club): Bayer 
Award for best student in the Certificate of Turf Management, sponsored by Bayer; and Jordan Beck (Melville Glades Golf Club): 
Lecturers™ Choice Award for best all-round 
student, sponsored by Lawn Doctor. This event has now reached its 30 year anniversary since the time when Jim Clements was the inaugural recipient of the CH Bailey & Sons 
Shield in 1982. Unfortunately Jim could not be in attendance on the night. As many people know 
Jim went on to become a founding TAFE lecturer during the late 1980s and 1990s and taught many of 
today™s leaders in the WA turf industry. Possibly following Jim™s example, the turf department at WA™s Challenger Institute of 
Technology continues to harness the incredible depth of knowledge and talent from local turf managers 
and superintendents. These committed industry 
and trade based educators and trainers continually 
bridge the gap between turf™s wider industry at large 
and these young students, bringing together new 
technology and approaches with experienced and 
respected practitioners.  Celebratory nights such as 
this provide an ideal opportunity for industry leaders 
and the younger generation to come together in 
support and be damned proud of each other. In my welcoming address to the gathering I focussed my thoughts on the history of the 
numerous family businesses generously supporting 
the WA turf industry and how those core family 
values, remembering where we all started and a 
conscious awareness of all that is yet to learn, in 
many ways explains the resolute strength of this 
industry. The WA turf industry is a vibrant, incredibly diverse and complex industry of dedicated amateur 
and professional people working together within 
and about an amazing product that is so unique. So, to a new year and the new challenges it may bring! Bring it on, we™re ready!TONY GUYPRESIDENT, STA WA Clockwise from top left:  Jordan Beck, Lewis Dienelt, Greg Reimer and Dylan BentleyThe NSWGCSA finished 2012 with its combined Rube Walkerden Trophy and Annual General Meeting held at an immaculately prepared Elanora Country Club (host superintendent Dan Cook) in mid-November. At this meeting the association was delighted to bestow 2012 AGCSA Distinguished Service Award winner John Odell with life membership of the NSWGCSA. Odell, who earlier this year received the AGCSA™s highest honour for his distinguished career, which included 24 years as superintendent 
at Royal Sydney Golf Club, was nominated for life membership by good friend Martyn Black (Castle 
Hill CC) with the vote passed unanimously by 
members. John joins the likes of Peter McMaugh, 
Reg McLaren, Bill Hopkinson and Geoff Hatton as 
NSWGCSA life members. Also recognised on the day was Manly Golf Club superintendent Michael Bradbery who won the NSWGCSA Excellence in Turf Management Award for his work overseeing the massive Manly 
GC redevelopment. Anyone who saw Michael™s 
presentation at this year™s Australian Turfgrass Conference in Melbourne will attest that the award 
is well deserved and as a prize he wins a trip to the 
2013 GCSAA conference in San Diego. Michael added to his spoils by taking out the main honours in the Rube Walkerden Trophy. Sponsored by Maxwell and Kemp, Dad and Dave™s 
Turf and Nuturf and contested by 75 NSWCGSA members, Bradbery posted 36 points to collect the 
Rube Walkerden Trophy from Roseville Golf Club counterpart Mark O™Sullivan. Trevor Ridge™s 81 off the stick was enough to secure the President™s Trophy on a countback from Scott Fogg (Queanbeyan Golf 
Club), while Anthony Dinte won the Peter Ingram Trophy for the trade with 27 points).  The NSWGCSA AGM, sponsored by Toro for the 12th consecutive year, saw just one change on the 
board with O™Sullivan stepping down after five years™ 
service. He has been replaced by Shane George (Shellharbour Links). Finally, the NSWGCSA would like to congratulate retiring NSW TAFE teacher Frank Dempsey on a magnificent career. Frank always strived to meet industry expectations in the training of our future 
sports turf managers and the NSWGCSA wishes him well in his retirement. CRAIG MOLLOYPRESIDENT, NSWGCSA NSWGCSAWinners from the NSWGCSA Rube Walkerden Trophy Day were (from left) Trevor Ridge, Michael Bradbery and Anthony DinteWhy take a risk with your livelihood?THE BEST GUARANTEE YOU WILL NEVER NEEDPERFORMANCEGUARANTEEWhen you buy a genuine Bayer product you are buying the absolute con˜dence that it will perform. In fact, we are so con˜dent that if the product doesn™t perform to label claims, 
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