2010 Australian Women™s OpenCommonwealth™s call up2010 Australian Women™s OpenCommonwealth™s call upAustralian Masters ReviewTiger tames Kingston HeathAustralian Masters ReviewTiger tames Kingston HeathIndustry AccoladesHAL honours McMaughIndustry AccoladesHAL honours McMaughThe PulseReflecting on ‚09The PulseReflecting on ‚09Machrihanish DunesTaking a step back in timeMachrihanish DunesTaking a step back in timewww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009VOLUME 12.1 JAN-FEB 2010JOURNALAUSTRALIAN 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 $77.00 TWO COPIES PER EDITION $86.00 THREE COPIES PER EDITION $130.00Prices include GST.Winner of 23 awards at the TOCA International Communicators Contest 2006 - 2009The National Golf ClubAn exclusive look inside Australia™s largest golfing facilityThe National Golf ClubAn exclusive look inside Australia™s largest golfing facilityRising from the ashesRebuilding Marysville Golf ClubRising from the ashesRebuilding Marysville Golf ClubResearchAGCSA™s new three-yearbentgrass variety trialResearchAGCSA™s new three-yearbentgrass variety trialThe PulseSupers pull the trigger on green speedThe PulseSupers pull the trigger on green speedWINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008www.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.3 MAY-JUNE 2009Made in ChinaHow Aussies are playing a major role in China™s golf boom Made in ChinaHow Aussies are playing a major role in China™s golf boom WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008www.agcsa.com.auJOURNALVOLUME 11.1 JAN-FEB 2009BLACK SATURDAYAs Tim Warren will attest, they breed golfers pretty tough up in Victoria™s Wimmera district. Even with the mercury tipping the mid-40s on 7 February and a fierce northerly wind blasting the course, the Saturday comp at Horsham Golf Club was in full swing and the field was good. Dropping his wife Kate off at the impressive eight-year-old clubhouse, the club™s pride and joy, Warren then did what he has done most Saturdays in the four years he has been course superintendent of the western Victorian course. Heading down to the maintenance compound he set the irrigation system for that night before going on a quick tour of the course to check everything was in order. Warren knew it was going to be a scorcher that day Œ the official temperature would eventually reach an incredible 47.4oC (see page 18 for more on the record temperatures which hit Victoria in February - Ed) Œ and he knew he would need to come back later in the afternoon to do a bit of syringing. Leaving the course he convinced himself that all was good and was confident that the bentgrass greens would make it through until he came back a few hours later. Leaving the course he headed home, had a shower, bundled the kids into the car and went down to the local plaza to do some shopping. Coming out of a toy shop Warren™s three-year-old son James grabbed him by The destructive bushfires which raged throughout Victoria in early February brought a nation to a standstill. As this edition of Australian Turfgrass Management was going to print, the death toll stood at 200 with over 7000 people displaced and thousands of homes and livelihoods destroyed. A number of Australian turf industry members were caught up in the life-changing events of Black Saturday, as it has now become known, and in this edition ATM looks at how these individuals and organisations have managed to get through this country™s worst natural disaster. To begin this edition™s extensive coverage, editor Brett Robinson talks with Horsham Golf Club course superintendent Tim Warren who together with his dedicated crew and club is slowly beginning the painstaking task of rebuilding one of Australia™s renowned country courses. Photos: John NeylanHorsham™s ‚hell on earth™Horsham™s ‚hell on earth™Horsham Golf Club was left in ruins following a devastating bushfire which ripped through the course on Saturday 7 February. With extreme temperatures and gale force winds from the north, the course erupted into flames around midday destroying course vegetation, the clubhouse and a machinery shed8 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSA7 February 2009Australian turf industry rallies around bushfire victimsAustralian turf industry rallies around bushfire victimsJOURNALWINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008WINNER OF 16 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2008www.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.2 MAR-APR 200925th Australian Turfgrass Conference25th Australian Turfgrass ConferenceYour comprehensive guide to HobartYour comprehensive guide to HobartRoyal Hobart Golf ClubA jewel in Tasmania™s crownRoyal Hobart Golf ClubA jewel in Tasmania™s crownFarewell to a MasterJohn Wilson Spencer (1943-2009) Farewell to a MasterJohn Wilson Spencer (1943-2009) The PulseSupers reveal their cost-saving measuresThe PulseSupers reveal their cost-saving measuresResearchANTEP ryegrass and tall fescueCouch salinity toleranceResearchANTEP ryegrass and tall fescueCouch salinity tolerancewww.agcsa.com.auVOLUME 11.4 JULY-AUG 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 20092009 Australian OpenLa Perouse perfection Œ NSW Golf Club2009 Australian OpenLa Perouse perfection Œ NSW Golf ClubSwitched onArenas embrace growth lightsSwitched onArenas embrace growth lightsResearchBentgrass variety trialsManaging water repellencyResearchBentgrass variety trialsManaging water repellencyGreener pasturesYering Meadows springs to lifeGreener pasturesYering Meadows springs to lifeWater and EnvironmentNeangar Park and Victoria GCsWater and EnvironmentNeangar Park and Victoria GCsVOLUME 11.6 NOV-DEC 2009www.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009ORDERS CAN BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.auName: .............................................................................................................................................Company: ........................................................................................................................................Postal Address: ...............................................................................................................................Town/Suburb: ....................................................................State: .............Postcode: ......................I enclose cheque for (amount):.......................................................................................................Please charge my credit card: MasterCard .......................................................... Visa .........................................................................................Card Number: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ Expiry Date:_____/_____Cardholder Name: Address: ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Signature:. ............................................Please send me more information about becoming an AGCSA memberForward to: Australian Turfgrass Management Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre 752 Blackburn Road Clayton, VIC 3168 FAX: (03) 9548 8622 Australian Turfgrass ManagementPublished by:Australian Golf Course Superintendents' AssociationABN 96 053 205 888Production:Editor: Brett Robinson Ph:(03) 9548 8600 brett@agcsa.com.auArt Direction & Design: Jo Corne Ph: (03) 9548 8600 jo@agcsa.com.auAdvertising: Melissa Wallace Ph:(03) 9548 8600 melissa@agcsa.com.auAGCSASuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168P: (03) 9548 8600 F: (03) 9548 8622E: info@agcsa.com.au W: www.agcsa.com.auAGCSA BoardPresident: Allan DevlinDirectors: John Odell Pat Pauli Bryce StrachanGeneral Manager John Neylan john@agcsa.com.auEvents ManagerSimone Staplessimone@agcsa.com.auBusiness Relationship ManagerMelissa Wallacemelissa@agcsa.com.auAdministration and MembershipLyndel Conwayinfo@agcsa.com.auAccountsPhilip Horsburgh philip@agcsa.com.auAGCSATechAndrew Peart and John Gearyandrew@agcsa.com.aujgeary@agcsa.com.auHR & Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellar daryl@agcsa.com.auPrinted ByImpact Printing69-79 Fallon StreetBrunswick, VIC 3056Proudly supported byCopyright © 2009 The AGCSA believes that material sourced and produced for Australian Turfgrass Management is accurate, but gives no warranty in relation thereto, and disclaims liability for all claims against the AGCSA, its subsidiary companies, its employees, agents or any other person which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. No portion, in whole or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the AGCSA.2 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCONTENTSCOVER: Commonwealth Golf Club: The 11th hole at Commonwealth Golf Club which will play host to its very first Australian Women™s Open in early March 2010. Photo: Brett Robinson2010 Australian Women™s OpenCommonwealth™s call up2010 Australian Women™s OpenCommonwealth™s call upAustralian Masters ReviewTiger tames Kingston HeathAustralian Masters ReviewTiger tames Kingston HeathIndustry AccoladesHAL honours McMaughIndustry AccoladesHAL honours McMaughThe PulseReflecting on ‚09The PulseReflecting on ‚09Machrihanish DunesTaking a step back in timeMachrihanish DunesTaking a step back in timewww.agcsa.com.auWINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009WINNER OF 23 AWARDS AT THE TOCA INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATORS CONTEST 2006 - 2009VOLUME 12.1 JAN-FEB 2010JOURNALKingston Heath™s Masters class 12He came and conquered and in doing so drew more than 107,000 through the gates. Tiger Woods™ appearance at the 2009 JBWere Australian Masters provided a huge boost to golf in this country and standing front and centre for the week was Kingston Heath Golf Club™s immaculate surfaces. ATM reviews an incredible week of golf and looks back at course preparations with superintendent Martin Greenwood.Sorrento spies sustainable horizon 18Located on Victoria™s famed Mornington Peninsula, Sorrento Golf Club is home to course superintendent Shane Greenhill who over the past couple of years has overseen a mountain of work to establish a more sustainable future for the course. Open wounds cut deep 24ATM reviews the fallout from what proved to be a frustrating and ultimately disappointing 2009 Australian Open for the maintenance crew of New South Wales Golf Club.A journey back in time 44In November Sanctuary Cove course superintendent Robin Doodson returned to his native Scotland to visit some of the country™s most famed links courses. The highlight without question was his visit to Machrihanish Dunes which actively promotes a minimalist approach to course maintenance.AGCSATECH UPDATEThe ups and downs of contouring 32John Neylan looks at the effect greens contouring has on soil moisture retention and continues to examine the Peter McMaugh-Dr Ross Higginson literature review on the environment and health benefits of golf courses. OPINIONLessons learnt from 2009 41 After what can only be described as a tumultuous year for Australian superintendents, The Pulse asks what they will take away from 2009. Future a dam site better for Commonwealth Golf Club 6 After visiting Kingston Heath and Metropolitan in recent years, the Australian Women™s Open continues its tour of Melbourne™s sandbelt courses and will touch down at Commonwealth Golf Club in early March. ATM catches up with course superintendent Mark Prosser, who has just notched up 10 years at the course, to talk turf, tournament preparation and his beloved Tigers. TIME FOR WATER QUALITY TESTING! Let us provide you with a truly independent water quality report Send samples toPh. 03 9548 8600Fax. 03 9548 8622Email. john@agcsa.com.auEmail. andrew@agcsa.com.auEmail. jgeary@agcsa.com.auSuite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn RoadClayton 3168 VicAGCSATechAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 3 Contributors to Australian Turfgrass Management Volume 12.1 (January-February 2010) Dyson Appleyard (VGA); Tim Bilston (Heidelberg GC); Andy Blacker (SAGCSA); Peter Boyd (NZGCSA); Brett Chivers (VGCSA); Gary Dempsey (NSW GC); Allan Devlin (Secret Harbour); Robin Doodson (Sanctuary Cove G&CC); Scott Fogg (Gold Creek CC); John Geary (AGCSA); Shane Greenhill (Sorrento GC); Martin Greenwood (Kingston Heath GC); Dr Ross Higginson; Brett Jacobsen (The Spring G&CC); Mark Jennings (Box Hill GC); Keith Johnson (Keperra G&CC); Steve Lewis (TGCSA); Graeme Logan (STA NSW); Peter Lonergan (GCSAQ); Brad Marsden (Kings Cove); Matt McLeod (Tocumwal GC); Peter McMaugh; Rob Millington (Vines GC of Reynella); John Neylan (AGCSA); Mark Prosser (Commonwealth GC); Mark O™Sullivan (Roseville GC); Doug Robinson (Pacific Golf Operations); Travis Scott (Commonwealth GC); Trevor Strachan (Lake Karrinyup CC); Sean Stuchbery (Bundaberg GC); Peter Svenne (Eastlake GC); Nathan Tovey (TGAA VIC); Michael Vozzo (Eastwood GC); Brock Weston (TGAA ACT); Darren Wilson (Wembley Golf Complex/GCSAWA).It seems no matter where you™ve looked in the past month, Tiger Woods has been making the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Revelations of his personal life have intrigued the world, but as the mainstream media fall over themselves to drag his name through the mud, let us remind ourselves that just a few weeks before that fateful trip down his driveway, Woods had helped to put the game of golf back in the headlines in this country for all the right reasons. The appearance of the world™s number one golfer at the 2009 JBWere Masters at Kingston Heath Golf Club was a tremendous boost for the game in Australia and more than 107,000 spectators flocked to the Melbourne sandbelt during the week of the tournament. It was amazing to be out on course at six o™clock on the morning of the opening round taking photos of the Kingston Heath crew preparing the course and watching as thousands of people streamed through the gates. One such group I got talking to had driven all the way from Moree in country NSW. The remarkable thing was that none of them played golf; they had come all that way just to catch a glimpse of the world™s most talked about sportsman.What was pleasing from a turf management perspective was that with such focus on the game that week, due recognition was also given to the efforts of course superintendent Martin Greenwood and his team who had worked tirelessly to present one of this country™s great courses in such tremendous condition. Martin represented the industry well and the comments from both the players and media alike were extremely complimentary.Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy commented that Kingston Heath was close to fithe best course I have played this year in tournament golf, probably the best.fl Eventual runner-up Greg Chalmers had this to say: fiI would say it™s been a pretty fantastic week. It was like a football crowd brought to the golf and for us as players I have only experienced that a handful of times and never in Australia.fl Woods too was in high praise of the course and as well as reaffirming his love for the Melbourne sandbelt and how courses such as Kingston Heath brought back the art of shotmaking, it was refreshing to hear his thoughts on golf course design and presentation. Consider these thoughts from the man:fiIn America they always need green, perfectly conditioned golf courses and everyone tries to make them look like Augusta. They soak them with water, but when you do that you make it softer and easier for us. Some of the times at Hilton Head, Colonial or Quail Hollow, even Muirfield, if you get those golf courses dry and fast all of a sudden they become really difficult. I think everyone in the US is kind of infatuated with length, trying to make courses more difficult that way. As I said earlier in the week you don™t have to make courses 7500 yards. This (Kingston Heath) is a great test– Usually in the States it™s 4-, 5-, 6-inch rough around the greens and all you can do is hack it out. It™s pretty cool to play a golf course where you have to think your way around.flIn this first ATM edition of 2010 we look back at one of the biggest weeks in Australian golf and reveal that it wasn™t all smooth sailing for Martin and his crew. We also look at the fallout from the 2009 Australian Open which, in contrast to the Masters, left a rather sour taste in the mouth of experienced NSW Golf Club superintendent Gary Dempsey. To close this edition, I would like to wish all superintendents, turf managers and their staff the best for the New Year. 2009 has been a year of extremes for the industry and for some it has taken great courage to come out the other side. Hopefully 2010 will bring better fortunes for those who have had to dig deeper than normal over the past 12 months. Enjoy the read.Brett Robinson, EditorCOUNTRY PROFILEMatt McLeod Œ Tocumwal Golf Club 46In the first of a regular series profiling country golf clubs and their course maintenance crews, Matt McLeod gives ATM an insight into his operations at the 36-hole Tocumwal Golf Club up on the Murray River.ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTWilson shows Wembley™s green credentials 50Wembley Golf Complex in Perth has became the first golf facility in Australia to achieve full EMS certification and as a result the rewards have literally come the way of course superintendent Darren Wilson and his crew. Also in this edition–Foreword Thinking 4AGCSA Membership Update 5Tech Talk Œ Tools for the turf trade 38Turf Techs Œ Kings Cove maintenance facility makeover 52News 54Around the Trade 56Book Shop 58State Reports 60 4 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTFOREWORD THINKINGJOHN NEYLAN, AGCSA GENERAL MANAGERIn life we can point to most years and say, fiWhat a year that was!fl Given that managing turf is so much a part of working with and often battling against nature, no two years are ever the same. This past year has certainly served up plenty and has been a challenge for golf course superintendents, golf clubs and the AGCSA alike.From an AGCSA perspective it has been a demanding year. We had three key hurdles to clear throughout the year Œ maintaining corporate support for our publications and trade show, maintaining a strong membership base and having a successful and well-attended conference. At this time it is pleasing to say that we have been able to sustain the quality of Australian Turfgrass Management, The Cut e-newsletter and AGCSA website, while attendance figures for Hobart were excellent and membership renewals have been very strong. As I indicated earlier in the year, most not-for-profit organisations rely on the support of corporate partners and sponsors in order to develop and deliver the services that assist its members. It is with this in mind that we encourage all our members, wherever possible, to consider using the products and services provided by our trade sponsors. If we support the trade, they will continue to be able to support our association. As an association we rely on our members to support AGCSA events and to continue to remain as members. It has been very pleasing to observe the strong numbers that attended the Hobart gathering and then the Sustainable Golf seminars with The R&A™s Steven Isaac. The Sustainable Golf seminars were a great success and it was very satisfying to see a good mix of superintendents, general managers and committee people in attendance. An event such as this does provide a unique opportunity to expose non-turfies to some aspects of managing a golf course. This was also highlighted in Hobart where there were a few committee people in attendance and who were astounded at the complexities of managing a golf course. There needs to be more of it! Golf course superintendents are under close scrutiny from committees and general managers, particularly as budgets tighten and expectations remain high. With next year™s conference on the Gold Coast, why not rise to the challenge and invite a club administrator along! You both may learn something together. In early 2009, Mother Nature gave the country a pounding, with violent storms in the north and prolonged dry conditions in the south. On Saturday 7 February Œ Black Saturday Œ life was put into perspective as we witnessed the devastating bushfires in Victoria. Among the property lost there were two golf courses severely affected Œ Horsham and Marysville. While the loss of property is tragic, the loss of life cut deeply into the membership at Marysville. With the fantastic efforts from volunteers and donations of money and equipment from around the country, both golf courses are now back on their feet. What was highlighted through these terrible events is the incredible mateship in the turf industry and the preparedness to help those that need a hand. Given the events of February 2009, it is also important to note the value that is placed on sport within the community. The Victorian Government quickly identified that one way to bring communities back was to invest in the local sporting clubs and to get their facilities back into action (including the playing surfaces). While much has been achieved at Horsham and Marysville there is still much that can be done and as we approach a new year we need Challenging year a true test for the turf industry||AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 5to remember the superintendents at these courses and occasionally enquire to see if they still need our assistance.Education continues to be high on the list of issues and this year has seen a lot of work put in by the National Turf Education Working Group as it worked with AgriFood Skills Australia on the merger of several related training packages. The working group was able to demonstrate that we are a strong and well-organised industry that has a very clear vision for the training of its workers. As an industry we have been able to ensure that there are mandatory subjects that must be taught across the Certificate II, III and Diploma in Turf Management courses. Without having a strong presence we may have well seen our training packages mixed in with a range of non-related agricultural and horticultural subjects.Over the past 12 months there has been an unprecedented movement of long-serving golf course superintendents from their golf clubs and onto other ventures. It is pleasing to see that most of these people have remained in the turf industry, as their experience is too great to be lost. On the positive side, these movements have created opportunities for other superintendents to further their careers. So as we rush headlong into another year, take some time to reflect and assess. There will no doubt be new and varying challenges ahead and from the Board and staff of the AGCSA we are committed to being here to help our members in whatever capacity we can. Have a wonderful Christmas and a safe start to 2010.AGCSA MEMBERSHIPMEMBERSHIP UPDATEWe currently have greatly reduced prices on a number of top turf management books through the AGCSA bookshop which have been advertised in our weekly email newsletter, The Cut. Members and non-members are welcome to subscribe to The Cut. Simply call or email me to advise me of your current email address, or sign up via the link on our website.To all superintendents, ensure that your apprentices register for their FREE AGCSA membership and that they respond to all information update requests in order to maintain their membership. Also if you or your staff have changed clubs or membership category, then please inform the AGCSA.Congratulations to all those who have renewed their membership or their ATM subscription. For members still awaiting your new membership card, please contact me to update your mailing details and any changes in email address. For all membership enquiries, contact (03) 9548 8600 or email info@agcsa.com.auLYNDEL CONWAY, AGCSA MEMBERSHIP COORDINATORAUSTRALIAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS™ ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORMHelping superintendents and their staff to achieve the best possible playing surfaces and adjacent environment within the limitations of the available resourcesSurname: ...............................................First Name:..........................................................Preferred Mailing Address: .................................................................................................City/Suburb: ...........................................State: .................................Postcode: .................Position: .............................................................................................................................Club/Organisation: .............................................................................................................Club Postal Address: ..........................................................................................................City/Suburb: ...........................................State: .................................Postcode: .................Phone: Work: .......................................Home: ................................................................. 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PAYMENTPlease send me a tax invoice Please charge this purchase to my credit card account $ .....................................MasterCard VisaCard Number: ................................................................................Expiry Date: ___/___Cardholder Name: ..............................................................................................................Signature: ...........................................................................................................Send completed application form and payment to:Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre, 752 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, 3168, VicPhone: 03 9548 8600 Fax: 03 9548 8622 Email: info@agcsa.com.auAGCSA MEMBERSHIP CATEGORYGOLF MEMBERSHIPGolf Course Superintendent.......................................................................................... ........................$339International Golf Course Superintendent..................................................................... .........................$195Assistant Golf Course Superintendent........................................................................... ........................$292Foreman/Ground Staff.................................................................................................. ........................$145Golf Course Maintenance Company............................................................................. .........................$339Consultant..................................................................................................................... ......................$339 ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIPSports Turf Manager...................................................................................................... ......................$292Trade Member....................................................................................................................... ...............$292Retired Member............................................................................................................. .......................$130Ground Staff Œ Non Golf............................................................................................... ........................$145STATE MEMBERSHIP NSW - New South Wales Golf Course Superintendents Association .......................................................$88 QLD - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Queensland ..............................................................$88 SA - South Australian Golf Course Superintendents Association ............................................................ $75 TAS - Tasmania Golf Course Superintendents Association ......................................................................$60 WA - Golf Course Superintendents Association of Western Australia.....................................................$110VIC - Victorian Golf Course Superintendents Association .........................................Please call 9645 4394 THE NEXT GENERATION (STUDENT MEMBERSHIP)Turf industry apprentices...................................................................................................... ................FREEDiscount packages now available for superintendents and their staff. Send a list of names and positions to: info@agcsa.com.au for a quote6 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWOMEN™S AUSTRALIAN OPENUp until the beginning of autumn 2009 there were two things guaranteed to do Mark Prosser™s head in. First and foremost was the dire performance of his beloved Richmond Football Club. Just a few rounds into the AFL season and the signs weren™t good and just as he had done in seasons past Prosser was already resigning himself to another long and painful year.The second thing keeping him awake at night was the water situation at Commonwealth Golf Club. The past summer had hit the Oakleigh South-based sandbelt club very hard with fairways turning as yellow as the sash on a Richmond guernsey. With only 0.8 megalitres of storage on site, the priority turned to keeping greens alive and after only a few sparse cycles in December fairway irrigation ceased altogether by January. Prosser feared the fairways had been tipped over the edge, but there was nothing he or the crew could do about it. As most turf managers will appreciate, there isn™t much that can be done about Prosser™s first problem either. The flagging fortunes of Richmond will likely continue to haunt Prosser this season Œ don™t even get him started on the recent departure of legend Matthew Richardson Œ but fortunately a remedy has been found for his second issue which means he™ll only have to pop half as much Nurofen this summer.June 19, 2009 was a day that Prosser, who will notch up his 11th year at the course this January, won™t forget in a hurry. It was on that day that the switch was flicked and the club™s new 43 megalitre dam began filling with bore water. Come Grand Final weekend, and even though Richmond was nowhere to be seen, Prosser still had cause to celebrate as the dam reached 100 per cent capacity, almost a full month ahead of schedule.For the first time since the club™s conscious decision in 2004 to stop using potable water for irrigation, Prosser had available to him the one resource every superintendent craves Œ water! And it couldn™t have come at a better time given that in March the course will be the centre of attention when it hosts the 2010 Women™s Australian Open.ROYAL GROUNDINGWhen the Open lands at Commonwealth Œ It™s one of the classic Melbourne sandbelt courses and in March Commonwealth Golf Club will play host to the 2010 Women™s Australian Open. For more than a decade, Commonwealth has been home to course superintendent Mark Prosser who has overseen a steady stream of changes, including fairway and surrounds conversion, a major tree removal programme and greens irrigation upgrade. However, as ATM editor Brett Robinson discovers it™s the construction of a new 43 megalitre dam which couldn™t have come at a more perfect time for the Commonwealth crew. Common wealthdamsite better forFuture aCommon wealthdamOne of the original seven ‚true™ sandbelt clubs in Melbourne, Commonwealth Golf Club will play host to the 2010 Women™s Australian Open in early March. Pictured is the par 4 8th AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 7remarkably it™s just the first time since 1967 that the club has hosted an Open event Œ it will be yet another entry in what has been an impressive career to date for Prosser. Royal Melbourne, Royal Adelaide and Commonwealth reside on his CV as places of employment, while a six week stint at Muirfield Village Golf Club for the 1993 Memorial Tournament is just one of many major tournaments Prosser has experienced over a 23-year career. Looking back at that list of tournaments and courses it™s hard to imagine that Prosser initially couldn™t catch a break in the industry. Despite numerous attempts he failed to get an apprenticeship at the likes of Royal Melbourne and Victoria golf clubs and somewhat reluctantly followed his brother and went to work in a bank.Prosser persevered, however, and putting pen to paper again in 1986 it was then Royal Melbourne superintendent Peter Williams who gave him the opportunity he so badly wanted. A year later Prosser was experiencing his first Australian Open and in total would serve nine years at Black Rock, seeing out his days under Jim Porter. With such a solid grounding behind him, in 1994 Prosser applied for and was successful in getting the assistant superintendent job at Royal Adelaide Golf Club (RAGC) under then superintendent John Northcote. No sooner had he completed his first 12 months than Northcote moved on and the top job was his, albeit despite some initial reluctance.fiI didn™t think I was ready at the time,fl explains Prosser. fiI remember ringing the likes of Jim Porter and a few other people to get their opinion and they were all pretty unanimous Œ a chance like this doesn™t come along often; take it. I was initially hesitant because I wanted to make sure I was ready. The last thing I wanted to do was take on the role and fail because that could have ruined my career. But after talking with friends and family who filled me with confidence to back myself, I took it on. fiI™m certainly indebted to guys like Mark Everingham (current RAGC assistant), Jeff Kaines (current RAGC superintendent) and Bruce Scott (former RAGC general manager), who supported me at the time. The club thought they had a guy who was ready for the job, but I didn™t think I was. To their credit they backed me in and I was very grateful for the manner in which they supported me. I got the opportunity to work with a very good committee and staff which gave me a chance to show what I could do.flThe learning curve at RAGC was pretty steep and Prosser quickly got to know the vagaries of the Adelaide climate. From Melbourne Cup day through to the start of winter he had to be on is toes and the nation™s driest state capital certainly tested Prosser™s nous. In the five years he would end up staying at RAGC, Prosser oversaw a mountain of course changes and working closely with the then Australian Golf Union and Australian golfing great Peter Thomson, major alterations were made to the course to increase its length and make it tighter ahead of the 1998 Australian Open. That tournament would also provide another interesting chapter in Prosser™s turf management journey and many will remember the extremely Common wealthsite better forCommon wealthThe Commonwealth senior course management team, from left, foreman Steve Bolt, assistant superintendent Travis Scott, superintendent Mark Prosser and foreman Chris Adames8 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWOMEN™S AUSTRALIAN OPENpenal rough which caused a heap of controversy that week. Greg Chalmers eventually triumphed over a very good field but could only manage even par across the four days to post one of the highest winning totals in Open history.It was in the lead-up to the 1998 Open that a once in a lifetime opportunity presented itself. Melbourne newspaper The Age had run a job advert for superintendent at Commonwealth Golf Club and Prosser duly applied and was selected for the job. Through the good grace of both clubs, Prosser was able to stay on at RAGC and see the Open through before heading back to Melbourne at the start of 1999 and realising a dream he had held since he was an apprentice. fiI have certainly been lucky to work at three great clubs,fl says Prosser. fiWhen I first started out in the industry I always had aspirations of being a superintendent of a Melbourne sandbelt course. Working at Royal Adelaide was a fantastic experience and I loved every minute of it, but being a Melbourne boy, when you first start in the industry you know that this is where you want to be. fiIt was the sort of job that only comes up very rarely and I knew as soon as it did I couldn™t afford to sit around and I was lucky enough to get it. Definitely having the two Royals on the CV was a big factor in getting the job, but I also think the time I spent at Muirfield Village played a part as the reference I got from the superintendent was outstanding.fl WATER WOESMore than a decade later and Prosser is still ensconced at Commonwealth and looking back he can lay claim to steering the course through one of its most challenging periods, especially when it comes to water management. When Prosser took over from outgoing superintendent Barrie Mau, Commonwealth was in pretty good shape thanks primarily to an abundant supply of water from an old quarry site which bordered the 5th and 6th holes. No matter how often they pumped it down to mud, the quarry would fill back up.All that changed, however, after just a few seasons in charge. The club brought the quarry land and the first area chosen to fill was where the club derived all of its irrigation water. As a result, Prosser and his team had to resurrect a number of bores and between 2001 and 2008 a total of four bores were drilled and commissioned which in the height of summer provide a minimum of 350,000 litres a day. When the quarry water went offline Commonwealth became reliant on bore water supplemented with a substantial amount of potable water. That situation didn™t last too long, however, and in 2004 the club made the conscious decision not to irrigate any part of the course with potable water. By then all the bores, with the exception of the most recently commissioned one on 5, were up and running, and now solely reliant on them it was at this stage that the club™s Achilles heel Œ its lack of water storage Œ became glaringly apparent. Limited to just a series of concrete tanks throughout the property, which combined could store just 0.8ML, irrigation soon became a constant juggling act for Prosser and his team and when drought conditions worsened it became near impossible to get water on the turf. The past two summers were the toughest on record and on more than one occasion Prosser feared the worst. fiLast summer was our toughest year without question,fl recalls Prosser. fiEven I started to think they had gone too far they were that yellow. At the start of summer we were handwatering greens and tees to give us some water to put on the fairways. By January we had given up the ghost. Then we got into that real hot, dry January/February period where he had just 4.4mm of rain. fiWe were keeping traffic off them and minimising play where we could, but that was very hard to do. Like a lot of other sandbelt clubs we tried to limit visitors and guest play and on the real hot days we even hinted at closing the course. We had looked at trucking in water, but for the cost and what we were going to get, it wasn™t feasible, especially seeing we didn™t have the infrastructure to store it. It was a tough time. The only good thing about last summer was that we didn™t have to cut anything Œ there wasn™t anything to cut!flWith back-to-back summers taking their toll on the course, the construction of a new dam became more critical than ever. After obtaining the necessary permits from Kingston Council (which took nearly eight months) the original plan was to have the dam finished by February 2009. However, given that filling it at that time of the season would be very slow due to lower bore yields, it was decided to push the start date back three months.A site adjacent to the 4th tee was chosen to construct the 43ML dam with ASG Excavations (Andrew Glover) winning the contract. Dam construction began in March and come Grand Final The summer of 2008/09 proved particularly difficult for Commonwealth and the fairways received no irrigation for two months. Pictured is a rather parched looking 12th hole AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 9weekend in September the dam was full, a full three weeks earlier than planned.In order to accommodate the new dam, the 4th needed a few subtle tweaks and the club seconded the services of Michael Clayton Golf Design. Clayton™s reworked design saw the fairway brought back 30m towards the tee and the left hand side raised by half a metre so that it blended into the bank of the dam. Between the tees and start of the fairway a sandy waste has been created, while further down the right hand side of the fairway a number of trees were removed to provide golfers with a teasing view of the greenside bunker.While the new dam has been a major step forward, it is only one part of the solution to Commonwealth™s water management issues. With groundwater quality in decline, Commonwealth is also well down the path of investigating the feasibility of building a sewer mining plant similar to the one currently in operation at Pennant Hills Golf Club in Sydney. A main sewer trunk line goes right under the course to the Carrum treatment plant and the club has engaged consultants and experts to look into all options for such a facility. ON HIS TOESWhile water has caused Prosser a few sleepless nights over the years, three other major ongoing projects have also kept the one-time VGCSA president on his toes. Upon arriving at Commonwealth in 1999, the club had already made the decision to overplant the native couch fairways with Legend couch following a trial planting on the 2nd. Starting in 2002, Prosser gradually started that conversion programme and today all but one Œ the 3rd Œ is left. The process has been rather drawn out due to the limitations with water, but Prosser believes that the club™s decision not to use potable water proved to be a bit of a blessing as it has toughened up the couch considerably.In tandem with the fairway conversion, many of the high maintenance garden beds surrounding tees were removed while a major tree removal and replanting programme, has also been ongoing. The main purpose of such a programme was to get Having converted all but one fairway across to Legend couch over the past seven years, starting last year Commonwealth has began a programme to replace all its cool-season surrounds with Legend. Pictured is the 14thWant to beat turf diseases? With Bayer you can™t lose.It™s that time of year again when turf diseases like Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Anthracnose thrive. Luckily, Bayer has a wide range of solutions to help you effectively manage these problems. Solutions like Dedicate, 3Sixty5, Chipco Rovral GT and Bay˜dan. Use them in your disease management programmes for winning results. Turf disease management - not something you want to leave to chance. www.bayeres.com.au Dedicate®, Rovral® and Bay˜dan® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. 3SIXTY5TM is a Trademark of Bayer.Want to beat turf diseases? With Bayer you can™t lose.It™s that time of year again when turf diseases like Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Anthracnose thrive. Luckily, Bayer has a wide range of solutions to help you effectively manage these problems. Solutions like Dedicate, 3Sixty5, Chipco Rovral GT and Bay˜dan. Use them in your disease management programmes for winning results. Turf disease management - not something you want to leave to chance. www.bayeres.com.au Dedicate®, Rovral® and Bay˜dan® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. 3SIXTY5TM is a Trademark of Bayer....the way you think about turf nutrition is about to changewww.2spec.com.au10 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTWOMEN™S AUSTRALIAN OPENBetween February and June 2009, Commonwealth™s new 43ML dam was constructed. The photos show the progress of the dam from week one (top) through to when the dam was near capacity in September (bottom). It took three months for the dam to fill and effectively means the water woes of the previous summers are now a thing of the pastmore morning sunlight onto the Legend fairways, but it also provided the club an opportunity to assess each hole, remove those trees ravaged by the drought and then push the tree lines out with plantings of indigenous stock. As part of the permit issued by Kingston Council to construct the new dam, Commonwealth had to undertake extensive planting of indigenous species and worked closely with staff from Bayside Nursery who collect seed and plant material from the course and other sandbelt clubs such as Royal Melbourne and Victoria. With the Legend couch proving a success on the fairways, the club has also started to replace all existing cool-season surrounds with Legend. Trialling it on 16 back in 2007, the club has now solid turfed surrounds on seven holes and Prosser is hoping to knock the rest off in the next two years. While the fairways and surrounds have and continue to go through a major overhaul, the greens by contrast have remained relatively untouched. Comprising a 50 per cent Poa/Penncross sward, the only changes have come in the form of an intensive renovation and dusting schedule. fiThe only major change I have introduced is renovations twice a year,fl says Prosser. fiThey never used to core or topdress. We did a trial in 2000 and we increased our infiltration rate by three times with just one coring. We had a 2-3cm layer of root mat which we had to smash through with regular coring and topdressing and we are still going out twice a year, even though I™m under pressure from the club to just do it once. I still think we are at the stage where we need to do two as the Poa naturally produces a lot of organic matter. fiOverall the members are happy with the greens make up. I have mentioned lifting the greens but they seem to be happy with them and given all the other work that has been going on and the disruption it has caused, I don™t think we™ll be touching greens for a while.flAlso to aid in management of the greens, all sprinklers on greens and greens surrounds have been switched to valve-in-head models to give Prosser greater flexibility when it comes to apply water. Just six greens remain which should be completed by the end of 2010.PERFECT TIMINGWith all the work that has gone on at Commonwealth over the past decade, it™s little wonder that Prosser and his crew are looking forward to the coming summer. As well as the prospect of a full dam at their disposal, there is also the small matter of the 2010 Australian Women™s Open. Initially scheduled for early February, the tournament has been rescheduled to 11-14 March to allow for a better field of overseas players to attend. This year™s event will be Commonwealth™s first Open tournament since the men™s equivalent was last held in 1967, the same year in which Richmond won a flag as Prosser is quick to point out. That tournament, Commonwealth™s one and only men™s Open to date, was won by Peter Thomson who shot 11-under. No sooner had the club received confirmation that the Open was heading its way, Prosser™s thoughts turned to preparations and together with assistant superintendent Travis Scott and a dedicated crew of 14, which includes foremen Steve Bolt and Chris Adames and veteran of nearly four decades Kevin Bayliss, a programme to get Commonwealth looking at its best began following greens renovations in August. The primary focus to date has been revisiting all 85 bunkers on the course and improving their appearance, whether it be creating better lips, flattening bases, making sure drainage is adequate, replenishing sand and improving access. A major tree audit is also underway to identify any OH&S concerns.The aim is to have all that work complete by Australia Day weekend at which time the crew can start ramping up surface grooming and preparation. At this stage Prosser is looking at cutting heights of 2.5mm for greens and 11-12mm for fairways, and given some of the memories that haunt him from the 1998 Open at RAGC he can categorically confirm that roughs will be mown.fiWe are excited at Commonwealth Golf Club for two reasons,fl says Prosser. fiObviously we have rectified out water storage issues, but due to the tournament there are no major works this summer. This will be the first time in the 10 years I have been here that we won™t have any holes out of play, no major GURs and a decent amount of water to keep the turf quality good. fiThe guys have done so much hard work over the years and are really looking forward to it. The members deserve a break too as they have had to put up with a fair but and I know they are looking forward to the summer just as much as we are. fiIn my first year at Royal Adelaide we did the Women™s Australian Open and it was one of the most relaxed and enjoyable tournaments I have ever done. The women players seem to appreciate things more and the effort that you put into preparing the course. fiHopefully we can capitalise on what has just happened recently with Tiger™s visit for the Masters and given that it™ll be the only golf tournament in Melbourne at that time of year we should get some good crowds.fl Rain Bird Australia10 Mareno Rd, Tullamarine, Vic, 3043. Freecall: 1800 424 044 Freefax: 1800 424 050Contact: Wayne Brown (0419 669 679) Greg Smith (NSW, QLD 0438 503 070)Dale Sta˜ord (Technical Support 0409 115 000) www.rainbird.com.au Email: info@rainbird.com.au© 2009 Rain Bird CorporationIntroducing the NEW Rain Bird® ICŽ System, a revolutionary control platform that directly links your rotors to your central control. Our innovative Integrated Control TechnologyŽ uses up to 90% less wire and 50% fewer splices, while eliminating satellite controllers and decoders and saving precious water. It™s also more peace of mind, simpler installation and reduced maintenance. Now that™s The Intelligent Use of Water.ŽSimplifying irrigation to get straight to the point.That™s intelligent.See the future of golf course irrigation at www.rainbird.com/ICSIntegrated Control Module12 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2009 MASTERSYou knew pretty early on it was going to be a tournament like no other. No sooner had three of Kingston Heath Golf Club™s Jacobsen fairway units started making their passes down the 16th just a few ticks past 6am then the tide began. As the immaculate couch fairways received their early morning shave ahead of the opening round of the 2009 JBWere Australian Masters, spectators were already pouring through the gates, weaving their way between the maintenance crew as they put the finishing touches to the course. By 6.45am the queue to get into the Farm Rd gate was at least 150m long while out on Warrigul Rd traffic was gridlocked. Yes, Tiger Woods was in town and at 7.30am on Thursday 12 November, one of the most anticipated tee shots in years was smashed long and hard down the par 4 10th. By the time Woods had fired a stunning opening round 66 (six-under), more than 22,356 spectators had flooded through the gates setting the tone for what was to come.In scenes reminiscent of the halcyon days when the likes of Nicklaus and Player graced Australian tournaments during their prime, more than 95,000 spectators descended on Kingston Heath over the four rounds, peaking at 25,132 for Sunday™s final round. When you include Tuesday™s practice round (4857) and the Pro-Am on Wednesday (7723), a total of 107, 607 streamed through the turnstiles during tournament week. And the man they had all come to see didn™t disappoint. Despite an uncharacteristic stumble in the third round Œ if you can call even par a ‚stumble™ Œ Woods regained his swing and his composure to shot an emphatic four-under final round 68 to claim the title two shots ahead of Greg Chalmers.It was the perfect result and in doing so Woods claimed his first victory on Australian soil and completed his goal of winning a major tournament on all continents. In his press conference shortly after slipping on his first Golden Jacket Œ which should go nicely next to the four Green Jackets he currently has in his wardrobe Œ he indicated he would filovefl to return in 2010 to defend his title at Victoria Golf Club.Woods was quick to praise the tournament, the knowledgeable crowds and most significantly the golf course and despite leaving with perhaps one of the smaller pay cheques of his illustrious career the victory no doubt confirmed his well-publicised appreciation and love for Melbourne™s sandbelt courses. fiWe play a lot of tournaments in the States where you hit driver as far as you can and then hit some kind of iron shot and have it plug next to the flag,fl Woods told a packed press conference following his victory. fiBut on this golf course you have so many options. All the guys raved about this golf course and I understand why. I enjoy all the sandbelt courses because they bring back shot-making which is something we don™t really see enough of in the States.flIN THE SPOTLIGHTIt was a huge week in many respects for Australian golf, but none bigger than for course superintendent Martin Greenwood and his crew who pulled some long hours to have Kingston Heath at peak condition. Expectations were certainly elevated more than usual, but with their patch of turf front and centre, the crew delivered and those who were lucky enough to get down to see first hand would concur that the course was, as Tiger commented after his Tuesday practice round, fia treatfl.fiThe overall view of the club, the membership and staff was that it was a huge success,fl reflects Greenwood. fiIt™s a great course and they had the THE HEATH HORDESPractice Round: .........................................4857Pro-Am: ......................................................7723Round 1: .................................................22,356Round 2: .................................................24,007Round 3: .................................................24,532Round 4: .................................................25,132Tournament Total: ................................95,027Week Total: ........................................107,607It was the shot in the arm that Australian golf needed. The appearance of world number one Tiger Woods transformed the 2009 JBWere Australian Masters from what was always going to be a good tournament into one that will go down as one of the most successful on record. In remarkable scenes not witnessed for years, golf was finally back in the headlines and standing front and centre was one of Australia™s most famed courses Œ Kingston Heath. ATM editor Brett Robinson caught up with course superintendent Martin Greenwood in the aftermath of the tournament to reflect on a demanding yet ultimately rewarding week.Mas tersMas tersKingston Heath™sKingston Heath™sAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 13number one golfer in the world. There™s probably any number of courses that could have hosted the tournament and the effect would have been the same, but it was great to be a part of something so big.fiThe recipe was pretty simple Œ bring the right players out and everyone will come and watch. The promoters did a fantastic job of pulling it together and it™ll certainly go down in the history books as one of the great tournaments of Australian golf. fiThe course presented probably as well as it could for that time of year and given that we had one of the hottest starts to a November on record. The crew handled themselves very well, but I think everyone, including myself, was glad when it was over. We put in some long hours and there were a few tired guys by the end of it. But they worked extremely well and did everything with great skill and care and I think that showed in the presentation of the course.fl Half the battle of getting a course up to tournament standard is the work that goes on in the months prior to the event, but not too much went to plan for Greenwood in the lead-up to what was 5.21 on the morning of the final round of the 2009 JBWere Australian Masters and it™s all go for the course maintenance team at Kingston Heath Golf Club. In what was one of the biggest golf tournaments this country has seen in years, the crew had their famed patch of turf in superb condition for the duration of the eventA final round 68 bagged Woods his first victory on Australian soil and the coveted Golden JacketMas tersMas tersclassclassKingston Heath™sKingston Heath™s14 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2009 MASTERSultimately the biggest tournament of his career to date. Despite putting the course to bed over winter in a strong condition, a cool start to spring hampered Greenwood™s preparations while an unseasonable heatwave in the days leading up to the tournament added further to the challenges (Melbourne would go on to record its hottest November in 150 years). Poor growing conditions in the early part of spring meant Greenwood was still mowing the A1 greens with triplexes just twice a week in early October and it was only four weeks out from the tournament before they received their first cut with a walk-behind. Compounding matters was the extensive renovations to the clubhouse happening at the same time which meant a number of Greenwood™s maintenance crew were seconded away. (This was also another reason why triplexes were used as Greenwood simply didn™t have the numbers to walk mow the greens any earlier).The clubhouse works literally took one of Greenwood™s most integral members out of play following an untimely accident. Long-serving assistant superintendent Bob Simmonds was off work for more than two weeks after tripping and badly dislocating his shoulder while completing some irrigation work around the clubhouse. The loss of more than 30 years™ experience so close to the tournament was a major setback for Greenwood but fortunately his right-hand man recovered and was able to play a major role during the week of the tournament.As the tournament drew closer the weather warmed up and so did preparations. A couple of weeks out Greenwood intensified management of the greens and in the week prior double cut at 2.75mm and rolled to see where they were at. At that stage not a lot was required to get them up to the desired speeds and with things on the right track other areas, such as the bunkers, became the focus. For the tournament itself greens were double cut at 2.5mm and rolled while fairways we set at 10mm. NEED FOR SPEEDDespite a good week leading up to the event, Greenwood says come the actual tournament week there were a few concerns and many will be surprised to learn that green speed ended up being one of his biggest headaches.fiWe had a few problems along the way which may or may not have been recognised, the main one being that we struggled for green speed earlier in the week,fl explains Greenwood. fiWe had lots of green speed the week before the tournament but a week from the first round I put out an application of penetrant on the greens to make sure water would still percolate through the profile given that we were rolling them a fair bit.fiAfter that application we seemed to lose all green speed to the point where we could just get 12 feet out of them with a double cut and roll. By the end of the tournament they were averaging about 11.2 which was quite contrary to what they were stimping a week before. fiI use a lot of penetrant normally and given that we were going to roll the greens a lot in the lead-up to and during the tournament I thought it would be a sound practice. In review, given the impact it had, I don™t think I would do it again. fiWe have a pretty deep root system in the greens and seemingly the penetrant has taken the water and nutrients down through the profile and given us a flush of growth. That was our biggest problem in getting speed. We were still getting a fair clip off the greens each day which is not what we needed and certainly not how we planned it. We definitely didn™t fertilise, but we just seemed to get all this growth. Now whether it was the heat or humidity playing a role as well, I™m not sure.fiWe were certainly feeling the pressure on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, mainly because we were still chasing something which we thought we had. Ideally you don™t want to be chasing green speed going into such a major tournament, but it worked out okay. Once the tournament got started the pressure was still there but not as intense.flTo overcome the problem, Greenwood was Foreman Jarrod Castle syringes the tournament 1st after the first roundOne man, lots of bunkersKingston Heath turf tech John Angliss makes some on the spot adjustments early on day oneAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 15forced to dry out the greens a little more than he would have liked. In preparation for the opening round, automatics were used overnight but Greenwood turned them off on Thursday night and had Simmonds and course foreman Jarrod Castle out handwatering Friday morning ahead of the second round. By that afternoon a number of greens were starting to crisp up noticeably and with a forecast of 35 degrees and hot northerly winds the following day the decision was made to turn the automatics back on that night. No sooner had that decision been made than a completely different forecast came through.fiTo be honest, weatherwise we really didn™t know what to expect,fl says Greenwood. fiGiven the conditions on Friday we made the decision to put the automatics on simply because some of the greens were hit pretty hard that afternoon. Some were very dry and starting to look very brown and blue, especially the tournament 4th (members 11th) and 6th (members 3rd). There were a few comments, notably from Tiger, that the greens were a little bit soft and more receptive than expected on Saturday, but come the final round I think they provided a very good test.flTHE AFTERMATHOne of the real unknowns prior to the tournament was just how much damage the huge galleries would cause. Walking around the course a couple hours after Woods™ victory it was pretty apparent that his appearance had come at some price to the Heath™s famed flora. Heathland roughs, out of play areas and pockets around tees and bunkers were trampled flat, while a number of tea tree bushes were sporting broken limbs after spectators clambered to use them as makeshift grandstands. Assistant superintendent Bob Simmonds checks the consistency of greens ahead of the final roundDespite a hectic preparation schedule, come the morning of the final round there™s always time for a bit of a laughIt™s an unbelievable golf course. As I™ve always admitted, I™m a huge fan of the sandbelt golf courses. The bunkering is just phenomenal. You never get a chance to see bunkering like this anywhere else in the world. It™s a treat to see these golf courses and they prove that a golf course doesn™t need to be 7500 yards for it to be hard. You can build it just like this and have it nice and tricky and it™s just a treat to play. That™s one of the reasons why I just love playing links-style golf because it is the same; the only difference here it™s hot as hell!Tiger Woods at his first Masters press conference following his nine-hole practice roundTIGER™S TAKEOase is the undisputed world leader in commercial fountain, ˜ltration and pump technology. Ideal for golf course lakes of all sizes, their range of ˚oating fountains and ˚oating aerators will pump them full of oxygen to aid natural bioremediation.So now you can make algae, unpleasant odours, sludge and poor water quality a thing of the past, without the need for labour-intensive dredging. For the location of your nearest OASE dealer call their national distributor Clearpond on 1800 222 010 or logon to www.clearpond.com.auFor healthy, sparkling lakes Œ just add OaseAsk about Clearpond™s range of water treatments like Pondzyme Plus Concentrate to treat sludge and dead algae16 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT2009 MASTERSfiA lot of the course™s heathland areas have been hit pretty hard with the volume of traffic we had,fl says Greenwood. fiBut the heathland is generally pretty resilient so we™ll just let it regenerate naturally. It could well bounce back stronger than ever and in parts has done some good. fiMy biggest concern is areas which have been trampled bare. Although they now have a great sandy waste look to them, I™m pretty sure the only thing we™ll be able to grow in them in the short-term will be stinging nettles which proliferate around here. So we™ll have to spray them, but if we get any natives germinating as well it will make things a little more complicated.flThe area which received the most damage, however, was the club™s old driving range. Located adjacent to the members 1st hole (tournament 10th), it housed the tournament village and as such copped an absolute hammering. When ATM caught up with Greenwood more than 10 days after the Masters circus had left town, he was still waiting for areas to be fully handed back so the crew could get on and rectify the damage. fiIt™s pretty ugly,fl says Greenwood. fiThe track network along the fence is just a mess and we had a sprinkler snap off which washed out a large area. Some of the tents have been there now for nearly seven weeks and once they are all gone we will go in there with rotaries and a magnet bar before getting stuck into them to get some sort of surface back up to standard.flOne of the most interested observers in the days after Woods had came and conquered was Victoria Golf Club course superintendent Ian Todd. Greenwood and Todd walked the course together on the Tuesday after the tournament and no doubt it gave next year™s tournament host a true appreciation of what could happen at his course should Woods return to defend his crown. While Woods hasn™t committed for 2010, he certainly gave a strong indication he would like to return in 12 months time. fiYes, I would love to come back, certainly I would,fl he replied when quizzed about his intentions for next year™s tournament. Even if Woods doesn™t make it back, IMG have still committed to attracting three of the world™s top 25 players Down Under for the tournament which could see the galleries just as big at Victoria and provide yet another boost for the game and another opportunity for Australia™s golf course management professionals to shine. The 13th looking a picture on day oneKingston Heath™s fairway units in procession down the 14thKingston Heath™s famous flora predictably took a battering during the tournamentThe crowds turned out in their droves to follow one man Œ Tiger WoodsWorking in perfect harmony New HEADWAY MAXX works faster, harder and smarter than any other fungicide. Be the ˜ rst to experience HEADWAY MAXX, call your Syngenta agent or contact the Syngenta Technical Product Advice Line on: Freecall 1800 067 108 or visit www.greencast.com.auNew HEADWAY MAXX.* The only fungicide that controls and prevents all major turf diseases ƒ in one.A first for turfƒPythium, Dollar Spot, Winter Fusarium, Brown Patch.®Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company. ABN 33 002 933 717. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta Crop Protection Pty Limited, Level 1, 2-4 Lyonpark Road, Macquarie Park NSW 2113. AD09/195. RENARD SYN624218 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCOURSE IMPROVEMENTSIn early 2004 the Sorrento Golf Club committee held an informal ‚walk the course™ with members to hear their wishes for course and club improvements heading into the future. Drawn from the comments made a number of priorities emerged with most members expressing desire for overall improvement in course quality coupled with the redesign of certain unpopular areas.At this point in time the course itself had a number of issues that required both time and money. The vegetation around the course was, save for a few revegetated areas, in a degraded state dominated by non indigenous species (particularly pine trees) and dead or decaying tea tree. The fairways had a mix of couches that produced a varied year round playing surface, while the greens had some significant Poa invasion and thatch collapse, as well as some drainage issues. There were also a number of thirsty cool-season tees that were not level. The irrigation system was powered by an antiquated Southern Cross pump through a number of small individual controllers to a single row of Rain Bird sprinklers, some of which were impact types.The biggest concern of all, however, was the cracked liner in the main 30 megalitre dam. The liner had been there since the dam was constructed in 1988 and sun damage was causing it to fracture each year. This dam was fed by stormwater run-off from the township and this was the primary water source for all fairways, tees and surrounds. Bore water was shandied in with the stormwater, however, the bore water had become quite saline over time and using it had become undesirable. The greens were reliant solely on town water, leaving the club at the mercy of water restrictions and sizeable price increases.Sorrento has always had a large number of members who are members of Melbourne™s sandbelt courses. While it is impossible for Sorrento to be a sandbelt course for location reasons (and MacKenzie™s design) the club had a desire to be fisandbelt likefl. This objective included turf conditioning and design changes to provide golfers of all standards a challenge. In October 2004 a strategic planning workshop was set up by the general committee to develop an integrated five-year plan for the club. This workshop would review all operations of the club and look at the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. Naturally the course involved much discussion and from this a number of objectives were set. These included: Improved playing surfaces;Secure increased volumes of available water;Changes to course design;Constructing cart tracks over the entire golf course; andDevelopment of a landscape master plan (vegetation).Through subsequent committee meetings priorities and budget estimates were set in place. Playing surfaces were given high priority as well as vegetation removal and replanting. ALL SYSTEMS GOIn the winter of 2004 an upgraded irrigation system was installed. Works included a new mainline and dual row Eagle 900 sprinklers running down each fairway, all controlled by a central computer through a decoder system. Installation included five kilometres of trenching in the rough and mole ploughing five kilometres of lateral in the fairways. A new pump shed was designed and constructed next to the main dam to house the new pump system.In late October that same year Evergreen Turf overplanted fairways 1, 3, 4, 11, 12, 14, 16 and 18 with Santa ana couch, eight hectares in total. Things were quite hectic at this time with irrigation teething problems and clean-up from the overplanting. By the summer of that year things were back to normal and the couch surfaces were quite good.Over the past five years Sorrento Golf Club on Victoria™s Mornington Peninsula has undertaken an exhaustive series of works to improve the course for its members. From greens resurfacing to dam construction and stormwater harvesting, fairway over-planting to major revegetation, there isn™t much that course superintendent Shane Greenhill hasn™t overseen. And there are still a few more years to go! Here he recounts what has been one of the most intense yet satisfying periods of his turf management career.sustainableSorrentohorizonspiessustainableSorrentoAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 19In August 2005 Mornington Peninsula Shire Council approved our permit application to remove identified areas of existing vegetation that were in poor condition, non indigenous or environmental weeds. These areas were replaced with carefully selected indigenous species aiming to provide a higher density of indigenous vegetation than previously existed. Removing the Radiata pines provided the opportunity to open up attractive views and vistas across the golf course. During the following winter (2006) 3000 indigenous plants were planted in the cleared areas mainly Allocasuarina verticillata (drooping sheoke), Banksia integrifolia (coast banksia) and Melaleuca lanceolata (Moonah).In the spring of 2007 we undertook the conversion of our only kikuyu fairway, the 6th, to Santa ana. The fairway was sprayed out tree line to tree line with Roundup and Fusilade three times over a period of weeks to kill the kikuyu. Field top machines were then used to remove 50mm of dead grass and thatch with this material carted off site. A mix of mega rolls and sod was then used to lay the entire 6000m2 area, with the fairway out of play for three weeks. Subsequent improvement works have included remodelling and couching of tees on 7, 9, 10, and couching/remodelling of green surrounds on holes 1-7 and 18. GREENS RESURFACINGDuring 2006, the general committee made a big decision to begin a programme of resurfacing or rebuilding (green dependent) the greens on the course. This decision was based on a successful trial of resurfacing one of the putting greens. Turf for this trial was sourced from Moonah Links and subsequently the need to construct a large bent nursery was born.During the winter of 2007 an area adjacent to the 18th fairway was converted to an A1 bentgrass nursery. Sand for the nursery construction came from the Rye Landfill at a cost of $3 per cubic metre, which was beneficial considering we needed 1500m3 for the job. The sand conformed to USGA standards and subsequently a 3000m2 nursery was born. An existing 1200m2 nursery was also converted to A1. The total 4200m2 nursery gave us a great base to undertake a resurfacing programme. Greens resurfacing began in November 2007 with the 1st green resurfaced first. The process was fairly simple Œ strip the old turf, replenish with suitable sand, shape and relay thin sod. It would normally take four working days to complete and the green would be worked to be back in play in three to four weeks. So far this process has worked extremely well and we have 12 greens converted.Central to the major improvement works at Sorrento Golf Club over the past five years has been increasing onsite water storage capacity. The existing 30ML dam was expanded to 83ML while an innovative stormwater harvesting project and construction of a second 18ML dam for greens irrigation has ended the club™s reliance on potable water to irrigate greensSorrento course superintendent Shane Greenhill20 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCOURSE IMPROVEMENTSWhile the opportunity existed, reshaping has taken place on a number of greens and surrounds to improve design and correct any unfair slope. With A1 bentgrass producing a fairly quick surface, green design changes have primarily revolved around capping gradients to around 2 to 2.5 per cent. Not all greens will be resurfaced as some require complete reconstruction. The first to be completely reconstructed was the 12th green. The old green was half in view off the following tee and golfers had been hit while putting. The green was subsequently moved eight metres to the left with mounding formed at the back of the green to stop errant tee shots from the 13th. The green had to be cut into a large hill requiring 3000m3 of earth to be moved, new green designed and bunker formed. Apart from the earthmoving all work was carried out in house.WATER STORAGE AND SUPPLYDuring 2005 the drainage engineers from the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council contacted the club regarding upgrades to the stormwater drainage area around the David McFarlane Reserve in Sorrento. They had planned numerous upgrades including a new pump station for the catchment area making the old pump station redundant. As the club had an existing contractual agreement to harvest stormwater from the area, an opportunity existed to fully control our own water harvesting as well as extend our contractual agreement. The council was planning a series of wetland retarding basins to filter the water, and through discussion we agreed to fund the installation of a PVC-lined retarding basin before our pumping station. This was a critical step as it avoided the stormwater being contaminated by the saline groundwater in the area, and would give us time in which to pump it to the golf course. By agreeing to fund the liner for the basin (which helped drain the area effectively) the council agreed to extend the contractual terms to 25 years. Half of the costs of this project were offset by a grant of $100,000 from the Victorian Government™s Smart Water Fund. The stormwater drawn into the area came from a large street catchment grid (71 hectares) and was fed through a series of pipes into our lined storage. During heavy rain the water would stream into this catchment. Salt that had built up on roofs of houses would increase the saline readings of the stormwater in the first hour of rain. After this first fiflushfl as I would call it, the water would test quite pure after that. AGCSATech tested a sample that I collected and it came back suitable for greens. This proved most beneficial as severe droughts were just around the corner.DAM CONSTRUCTIONWith severe drought through the summer of 2006/2007 and a dam liner in need of repair, the club supported the call to make water capture and storage the number one priority. Engineers and consultants were contacted and their recommendations were sought for water storage solutions. The club was in favour of maximising its storage potential in this upgrade to counter for the possibility of recycled water coming to the area, as well as relieving local stormwater problems for the council. A decision was made to target 100ML of storage, with a view that this gives the club the ability to store a healthy reserve of water.Consulting engineers engaged to design the dam soon realised that a remodelling of the old 30ML dam was not going to hold 100ML without serious interference with the course. It was therefore decided to upgrade the capacity of the old dam to a point were it could hold no more water without large scale remodelling of the holes around it. A final capacity of 83ML was achieved with minimal realignment of the walls and increases in their gradient percentage. A second small dam was constructed to store the remaining stormwater and after investigating a few areas a site between fairways 3, 4 and 5 As well as a major resurfacing programme which has seen 12 greens to date converted to A1, the problematic 12th green was completely reconstructedThe 12th green during constructionThe club™s old 30ML stormwater-fed dam, was Sorrento™s primary source of water for all fairways, tees and surrounds. Greens were irrigated with potable waterAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 21was chosen. Again with minimal impact to the surrounding holes a storage capacity of 18ML was achieved. Both dams were lined with 1.5mm UV-resistant PVC liner and each join in the sheet was double welded and tested with compressed air to make sure there were no faults. This dam would later be called the figreens damfl as it would store the best stormwater for use on greens.The dam construction was put out to tender, with the winning company headed by Jim Porter™s brother in law Paul Francis. Able Tree Services, incorporating ATS Earthworks, had the two things we required Œ tree and vegetation removal as well as dam construction and having the one company handle both jobs made the process run quite smoothly.HURDLESThe pathway to completion was not without issues. The planning process for all stages of the project proved to be extremely complex and time- consuming. The construction of the 18ML was in the vicinity of a registered Aboriginal midden. Because of this under planning regulations a Cultural Heritage Management Master Plan had to be undertaken by the club at considerable expense. As part of the preparation for this plan substantial test excavations were required and to our surprise several Aboriginal artefacts were discovered. This triggered the need to prepare a significantly more detailed report, which included among other things how we proposed to build a dam without breaching any of the Aboriginal Affairs Victoria (AAV) guidelines. In the end we completed all the requirements of AAV to build the dam, but at considerable expense. The planning process for the enlargement of the existing dam was the subject of much negotiation between ourselves (together with our engineering consultant John Coleiro of Tomkinsons) and The Shire, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) and Southern Rural Water (SRW). Initially the permit was delayed by the requirement for DSE to closely examine the implications of the proposal on surrounding vegetation. This required an extremely detailed Master Plan for the vegetation management of our course to be produced, submitted and subsequently amended. In the end the Minister for the Environment, John Lenders, was required to personally approve our Vegetation Plan, which then allowed this part of the project to proceed.IMPLICATIONS OF CONSTRUCTIONWorks to construct two dams involved the movement and compaction of around 150,000m3 of sandy limestone material. Our bore water extraction had to be upgraded to supply enough water to enable water trucks to keep the material in a moist state. Three new bores installed at the start of the project produced a combined total of 20 litres per second which ran all day to keep up with demand.The main dam had little in the way of excess excavation material, with nearly all material being used to build the walls up to their height. The greens dam, however, had nearly all of its excavation as excess. During the excavation scrapers moved the excess to areas around the 5th fairway and tee, 13th fairway area and at the rear of the 6th tee. We took this opportunity with fill to rebuild the 5th tee and fairway, create a new 6th Tiger tee and raise the 13th fairway. Other fill was used to build a new 12th Tiger tee, as well as a new 8th Tiger tee built into the dam wall.STORMWATER SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION UPGRADESWith the quality of water coming out of McFarlane Reserve so good, an opportunity presented itself to direct the best quality stormwater to the greens dam and use this water on the greens. The next step to achieving this goal was to design piping systems to supply this dam and transfer it to a new pumping station for distribution.In March of 2008 I arranged a meeting between myself, general manager Andrew Davis and Scott Johnstone (then pump station and technical services manager for Rain Bird) to discuss an intricate system of pumps, pipelines and electrical systems to distribute the greens dam water. As the greens were originally on town water, the distribution was fairly straightforward as the greens had their own pipe system. As it worked on mains pressure however, it required a new pump system, piping upgrades and transfer pump installations. A design was drawn up which included all of the above as well as dosing systems and sensor decoders to monitor various aspects to the system. A brand new irrigation shed had to be constructed to house the new pumping system as well. This was then put out for tender.The McFarlane Reserve pumping station was for many years unable to cope with large influxes of water due to the undersized pumps in the well. Dam wall construction was a slow process with layers of material needing constant moisture and compaction to meet engineering standardsBoth dams were lined with 1.5mm UV-resistant PVC liner and each join was double welded and tested to ensure no faultsTo comply with council permits, all banks of the large dam had to be mulched before any replanting could take place22 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCOURSE IMPROVEMENTSMany times I had been there and witnessed large volumes of water lost and pumped out to sea. The installation of a new high yield pump, capable of harvesting large volumes of water in quick time, became a priority. We were fortunate a local engineer with civil works experience in the area was available to help us with pump setup and design, as well as hydraulic requirements of the discharge pipe. Warren Cripps from John Fitzgerald Engineering provided the required expertise to design a suitable pumping set up and discharge pipeline. A submersible 85KW Grundfos pump was chosen to supply the most water under the restraints of the well structure it was housed in. This pump had the ability to supply 150 litres per second to the dams, a sizeable increase from the old council pumps delivering 38 l/s.To facilitate the greater volume of water reaching the golf course a new large diameter pipe had to be installed under roads and around a football oval. In all 1.2 kilometres of 300mm diameter pipe was required to reach both dams. To give us further control and information feedback, maxi cable was run in the trench at the same time. These upgrades were also put out to tender. Both contracts were awarded to Just Irrigation from Mornington. Having one contractor to carry out all irrigation upgrades helped streamline the whole process. Through Just Irrigation we were introduced to Paul Hopkins from Open Control Pty Ltd who designed and installed some special features of our harvesting system. Because of the varying saline levels of the stormwater we wanted a system that automatically directed the stormwater to the applicable dam depending on water quality. The best quality water would go to the greens dam, and water greater than 500ppm would be directed to the big dam for use on fairways etc. Through software that Paul has written, we not only have this facility but the ability to monitor the salinity of the stormwater at McFarlane Reserve every minute of the day on a log. We also have this information, as well as irrigation control, sent to a Windows mobile phone for me to use to control the system remotely. I can control any sprinkler on the course, as well as the harvesting system on my mobile phone any time of the day. This is a far cry from the days when I would have to control the stormwater harvesting manually any time day or night.GETTING IT ALL TOGETHERFrom the beginning myself and Andrew Davis would meet both dam and irrigation contractors for short perioids to discuss progress and any issues that would need to be brought to attention. These meetings proved most beneficial to the workings of the whole project as it kept the committee and members up to date with milestones, as well as raise any potential OH&S concerns for staff or members on the course. We would hold these meetings every two weeks throughout the whole construction period. It proved most successful in keeping the whole process moving along smoothly and all parties could communicate and work together.Communication was critical to a project such as this as there were days when we would have seven different groups of contractors on course all requiring coordination and supervision. We were fortunate to have a local earthmover John Kirby helping us with clean up and course construction, as well as local electrician Scott McCrindle handling everything electrical from distribution board upgrades to three phase power installation.The dam construction which officially started in late April 2008 was completed in early December 2008 at a total cost of $1,089,955. The McFarlane Reserve stormwater pump and pipeline upgrade was completed in July 2008 at a total cost of $362,335. The course irrigation distribution upgrade was not completed until March 2009 bringing the total cost of the water project to $1.95 million.PROJECT FUNDINGAs this project was so long in the planning the club had plenty of time to plan a financial strategy to achieve the fundraising requirements to complete a project of this complexity and magnitude.The 12th fairway side of the main dam after winter 2009 revegetation works The smaller ‚greens dam™ was constructed between fairways 3, 4 and 5. Through an innovative software programme, water quality can be monitored remotely and high quality stormwater from McFarlane Reserve can be directed into this dam which is used solely for greens irrigationAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 23The new rising main had to be carefully installed around a multitude of existing pipesInitially the financial model we hoped would include some grant funding and two applications were submitted to State and Federal bodies. Neither application proved successful. Needless to say we were very disappointed when told our project was considered not innovative enough to warrant funding.After this setback the committee pursued a fundraising approach which has been used successfully by a number of other clubs and sporting associations nationally for a number of years. An arrangement with the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) allowed the club to register the Water Project and raise funds and provide donors a tax-deductible receipt when contributions were made unconditionally to the ASF. The ASF later distributed funds donated in favour of our project to the club.A subcommittee from within the membership was formed with the purpose to raise funds. They were easily sold on the merits of the project and pursued the fundraising with some vigour. After considerable effort a substantial sum was raised towards the cost of the water project.Capital projects during this time of planning and construction were restricted to only those that were deemed absolutely necessary. Scheduled course machinery replacements were also funded with lease agreements. This ensured that the club had enough cash on hand to fund the early stages of the water project. In addition, the timing of the project meant that the costs associated with planning, construction and development of the project were spread over three financial years. END IN SIGHTSorrento Golf Club now has a water harvesting system that takes away its sole reliance on town water for greens irrigation. We have a long-term lease agreement with council to harvest water and water storages that will serve the club well into the future. The system does primarily rely on rainfall for its water source, however, a desalination plant could, at a later date, be easily plumbed into the system and treat either bore water or stormwater.The construction of the dams has been a catalyst for complete vegetation improvement to the course through the requirement to undertake a vegetation master plan. Already some of the worst areas have been improved through the dam construction, with more improvement works scheduled for the upcoming budget year.With the completion of the water project the club will look forward now to not only water independence but the reduction in the cost of the supply potable water. With the greens replacement programme and revegetation continuing, the end to all the course improvements is not that many years away. When that day comes, I think I will have a very long holiday... 24 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTMEN™S AUSTRALIAN OPENFive minutes before five o™clock on the morning of the final round of the 2009 Australian Open a tired, frustrated and resigned New South Wales Golf Club superintendent Gary Dempsey makes his way downstairs from his office on the mezzanine level of the Taj, as the club™s maintenance shed is affectionately known.With Dempsey is club captain Barry Breen, the former St Kilda VFL legend who kicked the winning behind in the 1966 Grand Final to hand the Saints their one and only premiership to date. Introduced to an equally tired and frustrated crew, Breen does his utmost to lift their spirits which over the previous 36 hours have taken a pounding.Breen emphatically praises the efforts of the entire crew not just for the past week but for the months Œ and some cases years Œ of hard work that has gone into getting the La Perouse course ready for this one week in December. He confides with the crew that in all the time he has been a member of the club and on the committee, he has never seen the course in such better condition, a view which is shared by each and every member of the club. He tells the crew not to pay any attention to the comments made by the players and the press the previous day which had significantly soured the event from the club™s perspective. He tells them not to take headlines, such as ‚A course that didn™t make the cut™ which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, to heart and that by the end of that day the Open would be over and the course handed back to those who truly appreciated it.With Breen™s talk complete, Dempsey reads out the schedule for the morning. Greens won™t be cut Œ again. For some, like the 13th and 14th, two of the club™s most exposed greens, it will be the third day without a shave. The Flex 21s would go out but only take the dew off and smooth them over. Fairways would get their first cut since Thursday, surrounds would be mown and bunkers tidied up, while a few of the dryer greens would receive a light mist.As the procession of fairway units, surrounds mowers and utilities flood out of the maintenance compound just a few minutes past 5am, Dempsey and Breen stand there staring out from the shed at the approaching dawn. fiJust ridiculous,fl comments Dempsey shaking his head. fiI hope it blows like hell this afternoon,fl adds Breen. Mike Scott, course superintendent at Wykagyl Country Club in New York who travelled to help out for this year™s Open, comes striding over smiling and asks, fiHey Gary, which direction do you want us to ‚roll the greens™fl. Dempsey™s reply sums up his mood. fiDon™t give a–fl. fiSix to 12 it is then,fl laughs Scott and off he heads to the 17th green. All that is keeping Dempsey going at this stage is the thought of getting back home to wife Lee and the holiday with Scott and his family, who have also travelled Down Under, up on the Myall Lakes in a few weeks™ time.Out on the course the mood is workmanlike but some members of the crew take the opportunity to steal some minutes away from their allotted tasks to leave a few pertinent messages on the various greenside scoreboards scattered around the course. It™s a ritual during most big tournaments Œ the crew replacing the names of the pros with their own Œ but on this occasion they have a particular message they want to convey and have one target in their sights. After praising the course early in the week, Stuart Appleby had joined in the chorus of players who criticised the greens following Golf Australia™s decision to suspend play for five-and-a-half hours early on Friday due to high winds. This was despite shooting back-to-back opening rounds of 66. As a result, the scoreboard next to the sixth green shows Adam Scott leading after 54 holes on -15 followed on -13 by ‚Unhappleby™. The 11th scoreboard bluntly states ‚Appleby is a whinger™, the 15th advises that ‚Appleby should stick to playing lawn bowls™, while the piece de resistance on the 16th announces ‚Appleby, proudly sponsored by Kleenex.™ When Breen comes across the latter while on a quick reconnoitre of the course, his booming laughter can be heard more than 100m up the fairway– fiI want a photo of that!flSuch sentiments aptly summed up the mood of the maintenance crew and the golf club in the Despite the controversy surrounding Golf Australia™s decision to suspend play early on the morning of the second round, the NSWGC crew had the course in immaculate condition for the 2009 Australian OpenAnother controversial chapter in Australian Open history was penned at New South Wales Golf Club in early December which overshadowed the substantial efforts of the maintenance crew and course superintendent Gary Dempsey who had the course presented in perhaps its best condition ever. ATM editor Brett Robinson looks back at a disappointing and frustrating week for one of the country™s proudest clubs.deepOpenwounds cutdeepOpenAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 25aftermath of what will, unfortunately, go down as another controversial Australian Open. After all the hard work in getting the course up to tournament standard Œ and you will never find a better example of course presentation anywhere Œ it was ultimately a frustrating and anti-climatic week thanks to the events of Friday and fallout that followed.The comments which emanated from the players and golf media on Saturday tainted all that hard work and as the crew sat and digested reports in the likes of the Sydney Morning Herald and Daily Telegraph, most shook their heads in disgust. The one female member of the NSWGC crew, Canadian-born Cailyn Gyori who headed the fairway team during tournament week, looked so incredulous that it wouldn™t have been a surprise if she marched up to the clubhouse then and there and picked a fight with some of the players and media scribes. Comments such as fislicked up greensfl and filightning fast greensfl were hard to swallow, especially given that they were 10 on the stimpmeter, just as Golf Australia had requested.At one stage on Saturday Dempsey joked to Scott while sitting in his office watching Australia play the West Indies Œ by that stage they had lost interest in the golf Œ that they should take six walk- behinds and park them outside the clubhouse and tell the pros to knock themselves out. No doubt somewhere in that statement there was a more than an ounce of truth. When Scott, a veteran of 5 LPGA tournaments and numerous US Opens and Ryder Cups, is asked what he thinks of the whole situation, he replies fiI flew 14,000 miles for this s**t!flLACK OF RESPECTReflecting on the events of Friday the following day, you could tell that Dempsey was still aggravated, especially given the impact the players™ comments and media coverage had on the morale of his crew. At the end of the day, however, Dempsey was rightfully unrepentant and in his heart of hearts knew the crew had done the best job they could and presented the course as instructed. Earlier in the year when he received Golf Australia™s course setup request for the Open, Dempsey had queried the desired green speed of The crew leave behind a few pointed messages ahead of the final round of the Open26 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTMEN™S AUSTRALIAN OPENbetween 10 and 11 feet. At a stakeholder meeting Dempsey pointed out that if they wanted the greens running at that speed then they wouldn™t be playing golf in 30 knot winds. Golf Australia™s reply was ‚we™ll jump that hurdle if and when we get to it™. As Dempsey quips, if Golf Australia was a racehorse, it would never have been a steeplechaser.fiWhere do I begin,fl ruminates Dempsey when asked to give his thoughts of the events of Friday. fiI probably should start the night before and as with every night we sit down with Golf Australia and talk about what we expect for the next day. The original request was to have greens between 10 and 11 feet for the tournament and we have achieved that every day this week, which was great. fiOn Thursday night Trevor Herden and I sat down and talked through what might happen the following day and how best to set up the course, particularly the greens. I was a little bit concerned as there was a southerly change predicted. Trevor rang the weather bureau and they suggested we would get a 20-25 knot southerly (37kph-46kph) around 1pm, so we planned our day around that. As it was we got a 30-35 knot southerly (55kph-65kph) around 7.30am. They were a little bit out, but as I say everyone talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it.fiWhen the greens at NSW Golf Club are running at 10 foot, as they were that morning, and you get 30 knots, you can play golf. Sorry, the members can play golf; the pros, as we found out, can™t. When they made the decision to suspend play, both Barry (Breen) and I were getting calls from members asking that seeing Golf Australia wasn™t using the course could they come down and have a hit!fiIt was a frustrating situation, but most disappointing were the comments coming from these so-called ‚professionals™. The staff were very deflated when they heard and read them. You could say they were angry and to me I think that™s pretty good. It just shows you what sort of crew we have and how much pride they take in what they do. fiThe biggest disappointment was hearing a bloke who shoots six-under two days in a row in some very tough conditions start carrying on. Obviously he had an agronomy degree in his bag. They all seem to have one. fiIt has been a very long couple of months, and actually a couple of years when you factor in all the reconstruction that has gone on to accommodate the tournament, but in saying that the golf club Œ the members, the board Œ were absolutely thrilled with their golf course and the work that we have done in preparing it. The comments we got last Saturday when the members came to play the course ahead of the Open were unbelievable and the staff had smiles from ear to ear.fiThe big thing for us is the lack of respect that some of these so-called professionals have shown and some of the stupid comments coming out in the press. These guys are invited to our club yet they treat it with such contempt. I guess I could be critical of Golf Australia too but I don™t know if it™s worth my while. What I would say is, yes, they are an amateur body and I™ll probably leave it at that.flA FANTASTIC JOBWhat really rankled Dempsey was the headlines overshadowed the fact that the course was presented in perhaps its best condition ever. Given the concerns with the fairways in the lead-up to the tournament and some of the disease issues in the greens, come the week of the tournament he couldn™t fault the course. Setting up the greens three months out, Dempsey reckons they were probably the best he has seen them. fiI™m not just saying this because they™re ours, but the only Poa greens I have seen better than this is have been at Pebble Beach and Shinnecock Hills,fl says Dempsey. fiWe had 22mm of rain on Monday and Tuesday and they are holding up and rolling beautifully. fiWe wanted to get green speed sorted by Monday and they were running 10 feet then. Tuesday they picked up a little to 10.5 and on Wednesday and Thursday they were back to 10. Since then we haven™t cut some for two days and they were running at nine this morning (Saturday). It just proves the fact that they weren™t fast greens. On the morning of the final round greens weren™t cut but smoothed over and dew removed. Some greens would only receive one cut all tournamentMike Scott, superintendent at Wykagyl CC in New York, flew out to help Dempsey with Open preparationsThe 6th green surround gets a clipAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 27fiThe guys have done a fantastic job to get them to this level of conditioning and I have to give a big wrap to my two assistants Ron Hollingsworth and Glenn Dawson. They have been fantastic right through this whole period, steering the crew and making the right decisions while my time has been taken up with all the additional stuff which comes with a tournament. The surfaces that presented at this tournament are mainly attributed to the decisions those two guys have made.flAs well as the condition of the course and the performance of his staff, there were three other highlights which helped get Dempsey through the week. The first was the hospitality area in the maintenance facility which was sponsored by Toro, Golf Shapes, Scotts and Maxwell&Kemp/Aqua Aid. The second was the catering set-up Œ Dempsey reckons he put on about four kilos that week Œ and the third and most enjoyable was having Scott ride shotgun for the week. The two first met while volunteering at the 1997 US Open at Congressional Country Club and since then have formed a very close friendship. fiMike is like the little brother I never had,fl says Dempsey. fiWe had him mowing the first day, but where he has been most helpful is in determining what we do with the greens. Mike is fanatical when it comes to Poa and how it should be presented and to be honest he is one of the best at it. fiFor me it has been absolutely terrific to drive around the course with him and just talk Poa. It sounds crazy, but that™s what we do and we love it. It has been a real thrill to have him here and he has helped me to keep a sense of humour which given what has happened this week is probably the most important thing he has done.flTop left: Cailyn Gyori takes the opportunity to snap another spectacular NSWGC sunrise Top: The 14th green gets a light mist before the final round Above: Assistant Ron Hollingsworth stimps the 12th greenWant to beat turf diseases? With Bayer you can™t lose.It™s that time of year again when turf diseases like Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Anthracnose thrive. Luckily, Bayer has a wide range of solutions to help you effectively manage these problems. Solutions like Dedicate, 3Sixty5, Chipco Rovral GT and Bay˜dan. Use them in your disease management programmes for winning results. Turf disease management - not something you want to leave to chance. www.bayeres.com.au Dedicate®, Rovral® and Bay˜dan® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. 3SIXTY5TM is a Trademark of Bayer.Want to beat turf diseases? With Bayer you can™t lose.It™s that time of year again when turf diseases like Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Anthracnose thrive. Luckily, Bayer has a wide range of solutions to help you effectively manage these problems. Solutions like Dedicate, 3Sixty5, Chipco Rovral GT and Bay˜dan. Use them in your disease management programmes for winning results. Turf disease management - not something you want to leave to chance. www.bayeres.com.au Dedicate®, Rovral® and Bay˜dan® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. 3SIXTY5TM is a Trademark of Bayer.Want to beat turf diseases? With Bayer you can™t lose.It™s that time of year again when turf diseases like Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Anthracnose thrive. Luckily, Bayer has a wide range of solutions to help you effectively manage these problems. Solutions like Dedicate, 3Sixty5, Chipco Rovral GT and Bay˜dan. Use them in your disease management programmes for winning results. Turf disease management - not something you want to leave to chance. www.bayeres.com.au Dedicate®, Rovral® and Bay˜dan® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. 3SIXTY5TM is a Trademark of Bayer.Want to beat turf diseases? With Bayer you can™t lose.It™s that time of year again when turf diseases like Dollar Spot, Brown Patch and Anthracnose thrive. Luckily, Bayer has a wide range of solutions to help you effectively manage these problems. Solutions like Dedicate, 3Sixty5, Chipco Rovral GT and Bay˜dan. Use them in your disease management programmes for winning results. Turf disease management - not something you want to leave to chance. www.bayeres.com.au Dedicate®, Rovral® and Bay˜dan® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer. 3SIXTY5TM is a Trademark of Bayer.28 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTEvery golf course superintendent knows they are ultimately judged on the conditioning and playability of their turf surfaces. Expertise and nous aside, if a superintendent doesn™t have a fleet of machinery that he or she can rely upon implicitly, then the job of presenting a course in line with the ever-increasing expectations of management and membership becomes much more difficult.For turf maintenance operations to tick over efficiently and perform at optimum levels, a well-planned and ongoing machinery replacement programme becomes an integral component. Such a programme ensures that a course can reach its full potential and if there™s one person who knows this more than most it is Sydney course manager Mark Couchman.A former president of the AGCSA, Couchman is in charge of turf maintenance operations at Cromer Golf Club, a private members-only course on the northern beaches of Sydney which boasts subtle undulating kikuyu/couch fairways and well-bunkered G2 greens. Since arriving from Queensland more than six years ago, Couchman has overseen a number of projects to ensure the club has a course befitting its Group 1 status, however, it™s the recent agreement he has forged with Toro Australia which is set to make the club™s turf management goals substantially more attainable.fiWe have just entered into an agreement with Toro and the end result is that over the last six months we have replaced every piece of grass cutting equipment, and more,fl says Couchman. fiOur machinery replacement programme up until this point had become so difficult to manage that we needed to look at things in a more holistic manner. We looked at our staffing levels and the whole ideology of what we were trying to achieve and what the expectations were of the club and its members. fiWe identified what we needed in regards to the type of equipment and numbers required to present the course to the members™ expectations. And that™s what the agreement sets out to achieve Œ to provide us with the equipment to have this course looking at its best. We looked at all the options but at the end of the day Toro was the only company that we knew could fulfil our requirements immediately and going forward as well. The club is extremely pleased with the outcome.flThe new agreement has seen more than $1 million worth of Toro machinery delivered in recent months. From the industry-leading Greensmaster 1000 walk-behind greens mowers to the ever-reliable Reelmaster 6700 fairway units, not to mention the bunker rakes and cultivation equipment such as the ProCore 846 and ProCore Processor, a red tide has gradually enveloped the floor of the Cromer maintenance facility. With such an impressive array of machinery now at Cromer™s disposal, its little wonder that Couchman, together with assistant Paul Gumbleton and his crew, can look forward to this growing season with renewed confidence. The reliability and precision of Toro™s cutting units have always impressed Couchman and as he succinctly points out Toro machines are the best because they fido the job in the manner in which we want them to.fl However, there is one other essential element which makes Toro Toro Turf TourToro offers superintendents a total renovations solution package with the ProCore 864 and ProCore ProcessorAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 29Location: Cromer Golf Club, NSW Superintendent: Mark Couchmanthe industry leader in the eyes of Couchman and many of his fellow superintendents Œ the company™s after sales service and support.fiOne of the biggest things for me when I™m considering purchasing any equipment is the after sales support,fl continues Couchman. fiIt™s one thing buying a piece of equipment, but it™s another knowing that the company you™ve brought it from will support it 100 per cent. fiWhen you buy something you expect a certain level of support and in the past some other companies we have dealt with have really disappointed in this regard. Toro provides that support unequivocally and has always done so.fiToro has always been a part of my turf management career since the early days and I™ve known the likes of Cameron Russell for as long as I have been doing this job. He has been with Toro all that time and is 100 per cent committed to the product and the company and for me as a superintendent that means a lot. Also, the amount of time and money Toro continues to put into R&D means that you know what you™re buying is quality.flAs well as the extensive list of Commercial equipment, Cromer has a Toro LTC Plus irrigation system with Site Pro Central controller. The LTC Plus has provided the course with years of reliable service, and the club is currently changing parts of the course still under a block system across to a valve-in- head system. That process will take another couple of years to complete but will eventually mean Cromer can manage its most precious resource in a more efficient manner.Increased irrigation proficiency will become more and more important for Cromer over the next couple of years especially considering the club is set to expand its water resources, with particular emphasis on improving flow rates from the course™s three bores. To aid with more accurate delivery, Couchman is installing Toro 800 Series sprinklers across the course as part of the transition to a new valve-in-head system and is looking forward to being able to deliver the water where he wants it and in the most efficient manner. fiThe block system is inefficient and by switching across to a valve-in-head set up and installing the 800 Series sprinklers we will be able to put the water where we want it,fl says Couchman. fiThe nozzle technology, especially with the 830s, significantly improves our distribution uniformity which means we can better control the amount of water our playing surfaces receive.fl RED TO THE COREIn order to maintain the exacting standards expected of a Group 1 club, Couchman and his team schedule a comprehensive renovation programme each year. As all superintendents know, renovations can be one of the most labour-intensive and stressful times on their management calendar and it can be a thankless task trying to balance the health requirements of the playing surfaces and minimising downtime for golfers. Couchman reckons he could choose any piece of Toro cutting equipment when asked what ranks as his favourite piece of red engineering, but it™s an innovative piece of turf cultivation equipment which has won the heart and mind of this experienced superintendent. fiThis one might sound a bit bizarre, but the Toro ProCore Processor wins hands down for me,fl explains Couchman. fiWe™re probably one of the few courses in the country to have one, but it is one piece of equipment that I reckon is a must-have for any turf maintenance facility. fiIt probably sounds a little far fetched, but once you have one you will never want to use anything else. I can™t believe the job that it does and if I was to go to any other golf course either here in Australia or anywhere in the world, and I say this quite categorically, I would make sure the club bought a ProCore Processor within the first year.flThe ProCore Processor is the ultimate in mechanical stress relief for the turf, the operator and the superintendent. Yet another example of Toro™s continuing drive to streamline course management techniques through the creation of technically superior equipment, the innovative ProCore Processor forms part of Toro™s impressive course renovation solutions package. Core aeration is one of the most valuable cultivation practices in golf course turf management and helps to reduce compaction, improve gas exchange and create drainage channels for better water movement and stronger plant root systems. Through Toro™s many years of research and development and, most importantly, listening Toro Turf TourToro Turf TourADVERTISEMENTSydney™s Cromer Golf Club relies on Toro Commercial Machinery and Irrigation products to provide members a course befitting the clubs Group 1 status Toro Groundsmaster 4500-D30 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT to the feedback from their customers, a high percentage of superintendents indicated they would prefer to core aerate fairways more often but were limited by the amount of labour involved and the time it took the course out of play.What the ProCore Processor essentially does is provide the superintendent the option to core aerate more often with little disruption to the golf course. In short, it eliminates significant time and labour, providing courses with healthier turf with less impact on playing time.Designed for large turf areas, the ProCore Processor sweeps, processes and disperses aeration cores in one, quick operation. It processes cores immediately following a pull behind aerator Œ such as the Toro ProCore 864 or 1298 Œ greatly reducing the time and labour required for fairway aeration clean up by combining the pulling and processing of cores into a single pass operation. The adjustable sweeper brush picks cores cleanly off the turf and they are pulverised into fine particles courtesy of carbide-tip blades and a powerful 35hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine. The 70-inch processing width provides full-width dispersion, enabling an even and thorough distribution of the processed material as a uniform layer of native soil topdressing back onto the playing surface. Other benefits of the ProCore Processor include: Exclusive OnePass hitch allows it to be attached directly to a 3-point aerator, such as the Toro ProCore 864 or 1298, allowing one operator and one tractor to aerate and process cores in a true one-pass operation; Full, rear roller smoothes turf and eliminates tyre tracks on cores or freshly aerated turf; Durable, heavy duty construction for long life; and Optional tow hitch allows for operation behind any tow vehicle or tractor.fiYou just can™t believe the job the ProCore Processor does and the efficiencies it creates,fl says Couchman. fiWe can now effectively core fairways and process what we are creating with just a one-man operation. fiWithin the space of an hour after coring we can have the fairway cored and in a playable condition again. That™s of huge benefit not only for us in terms of reducing the amount of labour spent on such a practice but also is significant for the members because it minimises the disruption to them. This machine is just another example of how Toro gives us the ability to provide what we want, when we want it and how we want it.flCROMER GC™S RED SHED11 x Greensmaster 1000 2 x Greensmaster 3250D 1 x 3100 Reelmaster Sidewinder 2 x 3500 Groundsmaster Sidewinder 2 x 6700D Reelmaster fairway units 1 x 4500-D Groundsmaster 2 x 7210 Zero turn roughs mower 1 x Sandpro 5040 1 x Workman 3200 greens sprayer 1 x ProCore 648 1 x ProCore 864 1 x ProCore Processor 1 x Tycrop ProPass180 2 x Graden greens rollers 4 x Transpro trailers 2 x New Holland 4055 tractors 1 x New Holland TC 40DA tractor 1 x Rake O Vac 2 x ProForce blowers 3 x Workman MDX 1 x Foley Accumaster cylinder grinding machine 1 x Foley bedknife grinding machine 672ADVERTISEMENTLocation: Cromer Golf Club Superintendent: Mark CouchmanCromer has a Toro LTC Plus irrigation system with Site Pro Central controller. The course is gradually being changed to a valve-in-head system with Toro 800 Series sprinklers which will significantly improve distribution uniformity and application efficienciesAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 31 HERO/TOR3568JCromer Golf Club is counting on Toro in more ways than one.Cromer Golf Club uses a range of Toro Commercial Equipment to maintain its superb playing surface. They also operate a fully integrated Toro Satellite Irrigation system to make sure it always looks its best.Multiple course solutions from Toro, one great result.Irrigation 1300 130 898Commercial equipment 1800 356 372www.toro.com.au32 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEGreens contouring can provide a number of management challenges for superintendents especially the profound effect it can have on the uniformity of soil moisture distribution. To kick of this instalment of AGCSATech Update John Neylan looks at the effect of greens shape on soil moisture and surface performance, while in part two reviews the findings on biodiversity from the recently published golf course literature review conducted by Dr Ross Higginson and Peter McMaugh. Over the past few years there has been extensive remodelling of greens taking place on many golf courses around Australia. The impetus for this work has often been the poor performance of greens in terms of drainage and the ability to produce firm and fast playing surfaces. The solution, in part, has been to construct high drainage rate sand profiles. The architectural features of golf greens can have a significant effect on the moisture characteristics of the green and in particular in the upper part of the rootzone. Since the inception of high drainage rate sand profile constructions, and in particular USGA style greens, there has been a belief that surface shape has minimal effect on drainage characteristics of the green and that all water movement and drainage is by uniform, vertical movement. Consequently, in recent times we have seen new greens constructed with severe slopes in them and a lack of consideration towards sloping greens to multiple points around the perimeter. The end result can be water being directed into concentrated areas of the putting surface, resulting in inconsistent putting surfaces, black layer and turf thinning.The concept behind the USGA recommendations for putting green construction is to build a green that provides a measure of resistance to compaction in the rootzone and drains quickly to an optimum soil moisture level (USGA, 2004). Specifications for a USGA putting green require that the sandy rootzone mixture be placed at a uniform depth of 300mm across the entire surface of the green. If greens lacked slopes there is little doubt that most, if not all, USGA greens would perform well. However, with the slopes present on putting greens today, USGA greens do not always perform ideally. Putting greens constructed to USGA specifications function very well on a level surface (Taylor et. al. 1993), however, when the green has undulating areas, moisture extremes in the rootzone can occur at different elevations and lead to turfgrass decline (Prettyman and McCoy, 1999). Two conditions associated with moisture extremes in the rootzone are localised dry spot (LDS) and black layer. Moisture extremes on USGA putting greens could be attributed to the uniform depth of the rootzone layer. Where there is a level surface, in theory there is minimal lateral flow of water within the rootzone and the putting green drains at a uniform rate. However, Nektarios et al. (1999) have shown that drainage in the rootzone is not always uniform. In an unsaturated putting green rootzone, water does not drain from the rootzone into the gravel layer, thereby allowing water to move laterally along the rootzone/gravel layer interface to lower elevations in the green. In research undertaken by Prettyman and McCoy (2003), soil moisture conditions were monitored in sand profiles at different slopes. They found that the patterns of soil moisture for greens sloped at 2 per cent were somewhat similar to that observed at 0 per cent slope, however, it still generated some downslope accumulation of soil moisture. Soil water accumulation downslope was accentuated after 48 hours at 4 per cent slope. The 4 per cent slope had the greatest influence on near-surface soil moistures in a sand profile green without a gravel layer where water contents ranged from 37 per cent to 25 per cent within a distance of about 5.5 metres. Their work also demonstrated that in a perched water table green, evidence of water perching was absent near the upslope end. Putting greens constructed with high drainage rate sand profiles function very well on a level surface, however, when the green has undulating areas moisture extremes in the rootzone can occur and lead to turfgrass declineTheups and downsof contouringTheups and downsof contouringAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 33Prettyman and McCoy (2003) further investigated the effects of slopes on sand profile greens and they demonstrated that on a 4 per cent slope there was a strong downslope to upslope gradient in soil water content yielding wetter soils downslope and drier soils upslope. This difference was around 10 per cent. This work also confirmed earlier observations that there was an absence of a perched water table upslope and that the perched water table may not necessarily serve as a reliable reservoir for water storage.The contouring of greens, particularly where the slope approaches 4 per cent, will affect the uniformity of soil moisture distribution. This spatial non-uniformity may result in the formation of localised drying or ‚hot spots™ at upslope locations and excessive soil wetness in downslope locations. Other than the plant health effects, it also impacts on the consistency of the putting surface.The variation in surface moisture conditions and the resulting effect on putting surface characteristics are likely to increase as the turf matures. It is essential that thatch control is a priority to ensure that the moisture content at the low points is not increased due to the organic matter accumulation. The shape of putting surfaces cannot always be controlled, however, there are some agronomic factors to consider: Direct surface fall away from the centre of the green and not into it; Consider what the ramifications will be at the bottom of tiers or where there is a sharp change in slope; Make sure that thatch control through regular dusting starts as soon as a complete turf cover is achieved; Be prepared to undertake localised aeration of areas that are at the bottom of slopes or where surface flow is concentrated.BIODIVERSITY VALUE OF AUSTRALIAN GOLF COURSES In recent editions of ATM, AGCSATech Update has published excerpts from the Dr Ross Higginson and Peter McMaugh literature review on the environmental and health benefits of golf courses (HAL Project TU07034). Past editions have looked at sediment, nutrient and pesticide movement on golf courses (Vol 11.5) as well as the positive role golf course can play in carbon sequestration (Volume 11.4). Here ATM continues to examine their review and this edition™s extract focuses on the valued role that golf courses can play in improving biodiversity.fiUrbanisation significantly reduces the amount of habitat available for flora and fauna with global estimates indicating that a possible 50 per cent or more of all species could be at risk (Fam D., et al., 2008). Promoting urban biodiversity by the use of green space is a feasible option, and obviously golf courses can and do play a major role in this area. Golf courses provide a habitat for flora and fauna in the urban environment as there is much less disturbance of the area than in busy urban streets. The conservation value of suburban golf courses in south east Queensland was assessed by investigating their capacity to support urban- threatened species of birds, mammals, reptiles and frogs. Terrestrial vertebrate assemblages were compared between golf courses and nearby Eucalypt fragments and with suburban bird assemblages. Biotic diversity varied among golf courses. While some golf courses had conservation value (supporting high densities of regionally- threatened vertebrates), most failed to realise that potential, supporting only common urban-adapted species. Golf courses were generally a better refuge for threatened birds and mammals than for threatened reptiles and amphibians. While species-specific studies are required to identify the ecological role played by habitats on golf courses and the potential for long-term viability, the results confirm that suburban golf courses can have local conservation value for threatened vertebrates. Given their ubiquity, golf courses present a significant opportunity for urban wildlife conservation. Whilst the golf industry is making genuine attempts to improve its environmental management standards, it is important to ensure that those efforts target the needs of regionally threatened species (Hodgkison S.C., et al., 2007). In the United Kingdom, Tanner and Gange (2005) studied the diversity of vegetation (tree and herbaceous species) and three indicator taxa (birds, ground beetles Œ coleoptera and carabidae Œ and bumblebees Œ hymenoptera and apidae) on nine golf courses and nine adjacent habitats (from which the golf courses had been created) in Surrey, UK. The main objectives of this study were to determine whether golf courses support a higher diversity of organisms than the farmland they frequently replace and to examine whether biodiversity increases with the age of the golf course. Results showed that both birds and insect taxa had a higher species richness and higher abundance on the golf course habitat than on nearby farmland. While there was no difference in the diversity of herbaceous plant species, golf courses supported a greater diversity of tree species. Bird diversity showed a positive relationship with tree diversity for each habitat type. It was found that introduced tree species were more abundant on the older golf courses, showing that attitudes to nature conservation on courses have changed over time. Although the courses differed in age by up to 90 years, the age of the course had no effect on biodiversity, abundance, or species richness of any of the animal taxa sampled. It was concluded from this study that golf courses of any age can enhance the local biodiversity of any area by creating a greater variety of habitats than intensively managed agricultural or urban areas. As The plug shown top is taken from an upslope area, while the plug below is taken from an area downslope where soil moisture retention has led to the formation of a significant black layer34 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEa consequence, golf courses have a very positive role to play in providing a habitat for flora and fauna.From a biodiversity point of view, Australian golf courses have made considerable progress in dealing with avian, amphibian and macropod fauna. Despite the obvious emphasis on birds, frogs, kangaroos and wallabies, animal species that are easily identified by golf-playing patrons, there has been an almost total neglect of equally-important and beautiful insect populations such as lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and coleoptera (beetles) and also some reptiles such as squamata (skinks, lizards and snakes). Admittedly, some reptiles can be hazardous (such as some snakes and crocodiles), but skinks, lizards, monitors, geckos, dragons and goannas are generally harmless and can be encouraged to co-habit with humans in the appropriate environment. As well, there has been very little research done on the diversity of soil micro-flora and fauna in golf courses, other than those treated as pests (such as soil-borne insect, bacterial and fungal diseases). There are developing and emerging technologies becoming available where the principles of biodiversity are being used for insect and disease control. These are considered as areas requiring further research. CREATING OR RECREATING INDIGENOUS FLORA AREAS Martin (2004) has reviewed the potential of Australian native grasses for use as managed turf. He points out that, as greater demands are placed on turf for high performance under increasingly difficult environmental conditions, opportunities are opening up for the addition of new species to the list and/or the transfer of unusual adaptive traits found in some native grasses to traditional turf species. He concludes that most of the Australian native species thought to have some turf potential (e.g. Microlaena stipoides, Sporobolus virginicus, Agrostis aemula complex and Austrodanthonia) would not repay the effort required to make them commercially acceptable as recreational turfgrasses. They may, however, have an important role to play in environmental turf plantings such as landscaping, where tolerance to human traffic is not a major requirement. This is particularly relevant to golf courses for areas of rough, or where landscaping is a major consideration.Trees, whether native or introduced varieties, offer benefits to a golf course by providing an aesthetic view, shade and habitat for native birds and other animals. They can also significantly increase the biodiversity of a golf course site. Research at the Australian National University™s Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies (CRES) on biodiversity conservation in farmlands, native forests and in Australian plantation forests, show that any plantings of trees will have a positive benefit on biodiversity, particularly for birds, reptiles, amphibians, monotremes (echidnas), phalangerids (possums, gliders and koalas) and macropods (kangaroos and wallabies). The biodiversity benefit to insect species and other invertebrates is also positive but not as well documented (see Lindenmayer, D.B., 2009; Lindenmayer, D.B. & Hobbs, R.J., 2004; 2007). From a golf course manager™s point of view, the message is that any plantings of trees (whether introduced or native) or native shrubs will have a positive effect on biodiversity within the vicinity of the golf course.Trees are valuable to many landscapes, both aesthetically and environmentally, providing shade and acting as effective wind breaks in harsh, windswept environments. Trees, however, have some very negative aspects in that they shade turf. Turf does not perform as well in shady conditions. They are also a significant hazard to golfers in that falling branches can injure or even kill golfers and they can act as very effective lightning conductors during electrical storms (Oatis, D.A., 2006).Tree roots compete very effectively with turfgrass for moisture and nutrients and when they have surface roots, playability suffers and turf maintenance equipment may sustain damage as well. Trees located in high traffic areas create permanent traffic patterns that funnel traffic and concentrate wear problems. While the cost of planting trees is easy to calculate, the long-term costs of maintenance are impossible to compute and are rarely considered. Moderation is the best policy with respect to golf course tree plantings. Most courses can be improved by systematically removing undesirable, hazardous and unnecessary trees. Turf and playability can be improved and the value and quality of tree plantings can be increased at the same time (Oatis 2006).In golf course ‚rough™ conditions, particularly on links courses, consideration should be given to the management and encouragement of native grasslands. Native grasslands in Australia are defined as vegetation communities in which grass plants are dominant because the groundcover of woody plants is less than 10 per cent. Native grasslands in their natural state contain a high diversity of other herbs, including sedges, From a biodiversity point of view, Australian golf courses have made considerable progress in dealing with avian, amphibian and macropod faunaGolf courses can and do play a major role in promoting urban biodiversityAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 35rushes, lilies, orchids and forbs (broad-leaved herbs). About 700 species of native herbs have been identified in the grasslands of south-eastern Australia, the majority of which are not grasses. The perennial grasses in native grasslands form the structural background of the community, yet this structure can fluctuate dramatically with the seasons and in response to soil moisture, temperature, grazing, fire, frost and management. Such communities have and encourage considerable biodiversity, and are easy to maintain in areas of low traffic, such as rough and borderlands between fairways (Eddy, D.A., 2002). Ornamental plantings are also an integral part of golf course construction and design. There is, however, a paucity of research on their use in golf courses. This is an area that the authors identify as requiring further investigation, particularly in association with Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA). As well, native shrubs are an important component of sandbelt areas of both Sydney and Melbourne, and also in links-style courses and areas of rough. Together with ornamental plantings, these areas require further collaborative research in association with NGIA. WETLANDS AND THEIR BENEFITS Run-off from urban areas and golf courses is automatically presumed to contribute significantly to non-point source water pollution. This, however, need not necessarily be the case. Generally, golf course drainage directly discharges into surface water systems, whereas urban stormwater is managed in some way, albeit crudely, using direct discharge to surface waters or temporary storage in retention basins that eventually evaporate or drain to surface waters. A significant role that golf courses can play in urban stormwater management is to utilise the stormwater creatively, by incorporating in the golf course design a series of artificial wetlands that serve as both water hazards and water quality management tools (Reicher, Z.J., et al., 2005). The above study, conducted at Purdue University in the USA, used created wetlands on a golf course as stormwater-receiving locations and as a means of improving water quality. Unlike most stormwater retention basins, a created wetland with active plant growth and anaerobic sediment activity Given their ubiquity, golf courses present a significant opportunity for urban wildlife conservation36 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAGCSATECH UPDATEwill have a significant retention and degradation capacity for introduced materials. Wetlands are able to cleanse the run-off water of nitrate and phosphate nutrients, remove significant amounts of suspended solids and organic matter and help remove heavy metals, trace elements, pesticides and pathogens by chemical, physical and biological processes. The wetlands water, once cleansed, can be returned to the golf course via the irrigation system.Results of this study using a 10 hectare wetland cell indicate that over a five year period the wetland efficiently removed an estimated 97 per cent of nitrate/nitrite N plus ammonia N and also removed 74 per cent of P nutrient from storm events. Mass loading removal of dissolved solids was 59 per cent, indicating that the wetlands were effective in removing dissolved solids during storms. However, mass loading removal of suspended solids was 0 per cent for this study. Suspended solids passed through the system, rather than being retained for sufficient time to allow sedimentation. The use of artificial wetlands in golf course design is largely a means of storing and treating stormwater. The main issues to consider are: Sufficient catchment area to supply enough water; Safety of the water with respect to microbiotic contamination, especially aerosols that may affect staff and golfers (NRMMC, EPHC, AHMC, 2006); Design of the storage so that they look good but hold sufficient water to be effective; and Risk associated with people falling in Œ mostly an issue when golf courses have open public access with minimal fencing.Various references are available to assist with aspects of managing wetlands on golf courses (Kenna, P.K. & M.P, Kenna, 1994; Libby, G., et al., 2004). There are many examples of the successful use of wetlands on golf courses as a means of collecting and treating stormwater, but also as an attractive natural hazard for golf play, and an area for increasing biodiversity within the golf environment (eg: Bacon, P., 2004; 2005a; 2005b; 2008). Wetlands offer considerable potential for increasing bird biodiversity on golf courses. In the south-western USA, the greatest diversity of breeding birds is normally found in riparian habitats (areas surrounding rivers or lakes). It is estimated that the bird diversity in riparian zones surpasses that of all other western lands combined (Merola- Zwartjes, M. & J.P. Delong, 2005). This scenario is similar to Australia™s inland rivers and swamps, such as within the Murray-Darling Basin, where riparian zones act as an oasis for migratory and resident birds (Kingsford, R.T., 2006 (Ed.), Briggs, S., 1990). Golf courses can simulate these environments as part of their design, by providing a combination of habitat characteristics that are reminiscent of the riparian systems used by birds. The conservation value of golf course habitats has to be carefully planned, however, to exclude the more evasive or pest species of birds (such as the sacred ibis in south-eastern Australia, which can quickly ruin a putting green) by increasing the complex vertical structure and diversity of plant species composition in the out-of-play areas of the course, and in particular, by increasing the extent and usage of native plants (Merola-Zwartjes, M. & J.P. Delong, 2005). Wetlands also offer potential for increasing amphibian biodiversity on golf courses (Semlitsch R.D., et al., 2007). Amphibians are known to use man-made ponds, such as water hazards, sediment retention basins, or farm ponds. Golf course ponds can be managed in such a way as to promote amphibian abundance and diversity. Golf courses provide one of the best opportunities for the clean-up of surface water run off from urban streets and hardscape areas, and there are numerous studies to show the effectiveness of cleaning water supplies by passing them through golf courses (Beehag, G.W., 1996; Scaife, D., 1996). Many of the studies of the benefits of turf as a whole, such as pesticide entrapment and water purification, have been carried out on golf course facilities.When the potential movement of water and dissolved nutrients from a golf course to surrounding areas is a concern, grass buffers, bioswales, wet cells and constructed wetlands can be useful tools in maintaining water quality. Increasing the residence time of the soil solution on the golf course is critical and can allow the grass root system, as well as other soil organisms, to effectively filter nutrients from the water before it leaves the course (Miltner E., 2007).Golf courses have an enormous amenity value other than their use for sporting pursuits. There are large non-turf areas on a golf course that can provide extensive biodiversity value. The management and promotion of these areas is critical to ensure the golf industry continues to play a positive role in maintain and enhancing the environment within our communities. REFERENCESFor a full list of references for this article, contact the AGCSA on (03) 9548 8600.Golf courses provide one of the best opportunities for the clean-up of surface water run off from urban streets and hardscape areasCovers all the angles. Literally.The new 220 E-Cut Hybrid.1800 800 981 | www.JohnDeere.com.aufull-contouring cutting unit.The new 220 E-Cut Hybrid™s ball joint design combined with an electric reel drive permits maximum movement of the cutting unit to follow contours. And the cutting unit™s range of motion can be adjusted to meet the most demanding conditions. This unique cutting system can even steer through the clean-up pass Š reducing stress around the outside of the green. speed consistent, to maintain a consistent frequency of clip no matter how severe an incline.Covers all the angles. Literally.The new 220 E-Cut Hybrid.1800 800 981 | www.JohnDeere.com.aufull-contouring cutting unit.The new 220 E-Cut Hybrid™s ball joint design combined with an electric reel drive permits maximum movement of the cutting unit to follow contours. And the cutting unit™s range of motion can be adjusted to meet the most demanding conditions. This unique cutting system can even steer through the clean-up pass Š reducing stress around the outside of the green. speed consistent, to maintain a consistent frequency of clip no matter how severe an incline.38 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTECH TALKSomething that sets turf management apart from other trades such as electricians, plumbers and carpenters, is that trainees and apprentices usually do not have to outlay significant sums of money investing in tools needed to carry out their daily tasks. This is generally because employers supply the bulk of tools needed to perform every day duties. While the purchase of turf management text books is an essential part of gaining a boarder base of knowledge, there is also a range of inexpensive tools which turf managers can use to regularly assist in monitoring plant growth and the health of their turf surfaces. In this instalment of Tech Talk we look at some of these and how they can play an integral role in the smooth running of your operations.INFRARED THERMOMETERS AND STRESS DETECTION GLASSESDuring periods of heat stress, turfgrasses invariably use less water which in turn means the effect of evapotranspiration reduces causing the foliage to heat up. Leaf cells of cool-season turf will start to die when foliage temperatures exceed 43°C Œ this is known as high temperature kill Œ however even at foliage temperatures of 35°C to 40°C heat stress can cause problems such as a run down of carbohydrate reserves and greater susceptibility to various pests and diseases. Insects for instance, can smell the ethylene and other stress compounds being given off by turf suffering from heat stress. A golf green which has poor sprinkler uniformity will see insects target these areas under drought stress. The use of handheld, point-and-shoot infrared thermometers is a quick and easy way for practitioners to measure canopy temperatures. These devices, which sell for as little as $400, can be a valuable tool in identifying hot spots where poor irrigation coverage, poor root depth and dry patch problems give rise to stressed areas.Stress detection glasses are also aimed at helping turf managers detect stressed turf. One such brand marketed sells for approximately $160 each and they claim to allow you to identify stressed turf well before you could identify such areas with the naked eye.SOIL TEMPERATURE THERMOMETERMeasuring soil temperatures is an invaluable gauge to what is happening within the root system. As outlined in this column in ATM Volume 11.5, the root systems of C3 grasses reach their optimum growth rate during spring when soil temperatures reach 16-17°C. At this point, new roots are formed which replace most of the older roots which senesce. Once the soil temperature rises above 17°C, cool-season root growth will slow down until it completely ceases when soil temperatures reach 24-25°C.Similar to C3 grasses, C4 grasses have an annual root system with the major replacement period occurring in spring, just after breaking dormancy. The root replacement of warm-season grasses is more concentrated than cool-season grasses and occurs when soil temperatures reach 17-18°C. As soil temperatures increase during summer, root growth and recovery becomes stronger with the maximum rate of root growth occurring when soil temperatures reach 24-30°C. Throughout the winter months warm-season grasses retain some shoot and root activity provided the soil temperatures are above 10°C.While there are a range of soil temperature probes available, without a doubt the cheapest are the portable cooking temperature probes. Costing as little as $20 these probes have a digital readout which are reasonably accurate, allowing you the flexibility to check soil temperatures over a range of areas such as greens, tees and fairways, quickly and easily.SOIL PH KITSThere will also be times when turf managers need to measure a soil™s pH level. While a soil pH test is best conducted by a NATA-accredited laboratory, there are a number of kits available which are ideal when a quick response is needed.Most kits are based on mixing an indicator solution with a soil sample which produces a distinctive colour reaction depending on the pH Aside from a keen pair of eyes and knowledge of their patch of turf, a superintendent needs to rely on the expertise of the crew in order to effectively manage their facility. However, as John Geary examines in this instalment of Tech Talk, there are also a number of handy and inexpensive tools which can be employed to help while out in the field.Inexpensive yet often overlooked, simple tools such as (from left) a pH/EC/TDS meter, hand lens and soil temperature probe should form part of a superintendent or turf manager™s arsenalof theToolsToolsturf tradeturf tradeAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 39of the soil. This is then compared to a colour card showing the correspondence between colour and pH. Designed to be used in the field, these kits cost around $50 and while reasonably accurate should be used as a guide only. PH/EC/TDS PROBESMeasuring water quality has become increasingly important as turf managers are forced to irrigate sports surfaces with alternative water sources. For practitioners who rely on effluent water for irrigation it is particularly important to regularly monitor water salinity and pH. Salinity is seen as the key indicator of irrigation water quality with high-salinity water causing an increase in soil salts. As soil salinity increases it becomes more difficult for plants to extract water from the soil.Portable pH/EC/TDS probes cost around $300 and should be used to gauge seasonal fluctuations in water quality. As a general rule, salts exceeding 1000 mg/L (about 1.5dS/m) severely limit water use on turf, however, this is dependent on grass species and variety, soil type, thatch level and irrigation and soil management. CATCH CANSIt is not possible to achieve efficient irrigation if water is not applied uniformly. The ‚catch can™ test is a quick and simple method to determine sprinkler uniformity and they can be purchased for under $10 each. Catch cans should be placed at regular sprinkler intervals within the sprinkler pattern and the system then run for sufficient time to ensure that a measurable amount of water is collected. The preferred measure for turf is known as Distribution Uniformity (DU) (Connellan 1997). The DU places emphasis on areas of turf that receive low amounts of water and is calculated by comparing the average of the lowest 25 per cent of can readings to the overall average. The equation is: DU (%) = Lowest 25% of readings Average of all readings A DU greater than 85 per cent is considered acceptable for turf sprinkler systems and as well as providing information on system uniformity, the test also gives a precipitation rate in millimetres/hour. HAND LENSThe humble hand lens or magnifying lens is another cheap and portable tool which is invaluable when it comes to identifying potential pests and diseases. A 10x or 20x lens is a good general purpose magnifier for small insects, mites and plant diseases. When used in conjunction with a disease key or guide, such as outlined in Smiley™s ‚Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases™ (3rd Edition)™, many diseases can be identified. Examples include fruiting bodies of Colletotrichum spp., Anthracnose as well as spores of Phoma and Leptoshaerulina leaf blight.An alternative method for indentifying potential insect pests is to use a mix of pyrethrum insecticide and water at a ratio of 20:1. This method is particularly effective for monitoring stem weevil and flea beetle numbers in greens. The procedure involves spraying the mixture onto an area you suspect is infected with insects. You will need to observe these areas for up to five or 10 minutes as the mixture acts as an irritant and insects will slowly come to the surface whereby they can be easily counted. In the case of stem weevils, if you observe greater than three to four adults per square metre, a curative application of insecticide may be necessary.STIMPMETEROne tool which needs little introduction to superintendents is the stimpmeter. Used to measure putting green speed, the stimpmeter is a 36-inch extruded aluminum bar with a grooved runway on one side. A notch in the runway is used to support a golf ball until one end of the stimpmeter is lifted to an angle of roughly 20 degrees. The putting speed is measured after three balls are released in two directions and the distances traveled averaged. Since being released in 1978, many turf managers believe the stimpmeter has placed too greater emphasis on the pace of greens, in particular quick greens, to the detriment of the overall condition and management of putting greens.However, the use of the stimpmeter was and still is aimed at measuring differences in uniformity between greens. Armed with this information superintendents can then adapt their management practices of individual greens to achieve more consistent speed across all greens. Another use is to measure the speed of intended pin locations on contoured greens to see if they vary greatly from the rest of the green. Used responsibly, the stimpmeter can be an excellent tool in helping to provide firm, smooth, consistent putting conditions. PROFILE SAMPLEROften overlooked, it is important that turf managers regularly check the soil profile to analyse what™s happening under the surface. Tools such as a 50mm soil profile sampler or hole changer are perfect for analysing soil type, moisture content, thatch depth, rootmat depth, root health and root depth. All of the tools outlined above can be used by practitioners to assist in monitoring turf health. However, probably the most important tool a turf manager has at his or her disposal is observation. Having a keen eye and reacting to changes as they happen is what sets the best turf managers apart from the rest.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSAuthor John Geary would like to thank Phil Ford for his assistance in compiling this article.Catch cans are a quick, simple and cheap way of determining sprinkler uniformity× 100Used responsibly, the stimpmeter can be an excellent tool in helping to provide firm, smooth, consistent putting surfaces40 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSE2009 will go down in history for the Australian turf industry. From the fury of Mother Nature, the global economic downturn to the every-day trials and tribulations of managing turf facilities in an increasingly difficult climate, superintendents have had it from all angles. Whether a major revelation, lasting impression of the industry or lessons learnt in managing their course or themselves, The Pulse wanted to know from members of the industry what they have taken away from a challenging 12 months.fiI have not long completed my first 12 months as a superintendent and have had plenty of opportunity to analyse the management of my course and myself. Both have been difficult. I come into this summer better prepared than last year and I have learnt to confer with my peers and pick their brains. Based on this I feel that I am better placed to make informed decisions. Like a lot of guys, I also have a very difficult Board to deal with and subsequently one has had to learn the art of diplomacy. In summary, now I know why Blacky drinks so much.fl Peter Svenne, Eastlake GC, NSW~~~fiDriving rain in Queensland causing floods, drought in Victoria causing bushfires and widespread loss of life, people dying of cancer every couple of minutes and hospitals full of sick kids, but yet bunkers seem to be the biggest concern in some people™s lives! Some golfers need to get their head out of the sand and be thankful they have a golf course and a heart beat.fl Keith Johnson, Keperra G&CC, QLD~~~fiAt Heidelberg Golf Club this summer I will begin my third year at the club. For me personally and for the club itself this year has been of great importance as I™m beginning to get great reward from the previous two years of our couch programme. This year my job has at times been a task, but also extremely rewarding watching the property develop as the plans I made three years ago begin to fall into place. This year has seen some superintendents who I aspire to be on a par with leave the industry under dubious circumstances. I can™t really imagine the feeling of losing my job along with the plans they made at their own properties 20 or more years ago, especially when I feel so strongly about my own at the three-year mark. These losses to the industry and the method of departure got me thinking about how much I should give to my own job. I have come up with some words from this year™s turf conference Œ ‚finding the balance™. This seems to be a difficult formula that does not have a rate per hectare. However I™m closing in and appreciate it being pointed out.fl Tim Bilston, Heidelberg GC, VIC~~~fi2009 at The Vines Golf Club of Reynella has been interesting, frustrating, rewarding, hard work with a dose of reality check thrown in for good measure. During this time the three-year drought has broken and we have started the irrigation season for the first time in four years with a full dam. We had one staff member leave us last December who was not replaced while another staff member took an internship at The Robert Trent Jones Course in the USA for 12 months. His replacement has hit the ground running. We undertook an off-site stormwater recovery project worth $200K, using a combination of contractors, staff and volunteers to complete. The project management was done in house. It has been a particularly hard year for many reasons. The financial downturn impacted dramatically on membership and the flexibility to tackle new improvement work on the course. I feel there has also been a shift in golf and in course maintenance. Competition between clubs has never been more evident than now, with new marketing strategies aimed at an ever decreasing pool of golfers. In past years there was a continuing push to have the best greens or the quickest greens and the competition between supers was always there. I think competition has reduced in that respect with the realisation that we all may have to set our sights slightly lower toward a more sustainable approach.fl Rob Millington, The Vines of Reynella, SA~~~fiThe golf course was sold 12 months ago and is now privately owned. I was appointed as the golf course manager and along with the golf pro we manage the whole establishment. It is a very rewarding position but it does have its challenges especially when you don™t see the golf course as much as you would like. You have to rely and trust your staff to show initiative and report any problems that arise during the day- to-day maintenance of the course. The staff do a wonderful job and show plenty of pride in their work. The best thing that has come out of this role, however, is that I am now at the top of the tree and don™t have to answer to anyone. There are no AGCSAAGCSASERVICEProviding expert advice for superintendents and golf clubs to improve course maintenance practicesContact AGCSA HR and Best Practice ManagerDaryl Sellar 0408 322 397 daryl@agcsa.com.auAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 41committees, no directors, no secretary manager and no whinging members–happy days.fl Brett Jacobsen, The Springs Golf and CC, NSW~~~fiIn my role as an assistant superintendent I have to deal with many and varied people, and in a way act as a go-between from members, social golfers and staff to the superintendent and sometimes general manager. This can become very draining as quite often most of the feedback isn™t complimentary! Being summoned to extraordinary meetings by an over-zealous GM while the boss is on leave isn™t my cup of tea. I have learnt over the past 12 months during our couch conversion process here at Gold Creek to be even more thick skinned and to take a moment before responding. While your initial reaction may probably be correct, sometimes it might not be the ideal way to handle the situation. Over the past year we have converted the ryegrass/Kentucky blue fairways to Transcontinental/Riviera couchgrass. It has been a lot of hard work and given the boss a few sleepless nights, but I™ve had great pleasure watching the new fairways prosper with our warmer weather and listening as all the complainers eat large doses of humble pie as they compliment us on our course. And, yes, the GM, super and I laugh about that meeting now and we are moving towards our goal of pushing Gold Creek into the top 100 courses and beyond.fl Scott Fogg, Gold Creek CC, ACT~~~fi2009? Where do I start? After the birth of my first grandchild in December 2008 I was looking forward to 2009 with a positive outlook and hope. But alas, 2009 has been one year I would like to quickly forget. A close family member committed suicide in February. My wife™s cousin was diagnosed with cancer while pregnant with her third child at age 32. My mother died in April. My sister, who had spent the last nine years caring for my mum was looking forward to getting her life back when she was diagnosed with cancer a month after mum™s funeral. Probably the three main things that helped me get through this awful year were my wonderful wife Julie, my fantastic staff at work and being involved with the AGCSA team. Roll on 2010...it can™t come quick enough for me!fl Allan Devlin, Secret Harbour, WA~~~fiThis year™s lasting impression will be that for all the bad that is in the world there is more than enough goodness to overcome it; good people will always be there for you and others. Another is that you will get more back emotionally from giving than receiving. Sorry to be so philosophical, but after what friends have had to endure this year it makes you reflect on what is important and how fortunate you are. Enjoy the moment because life can pass you by so quickly.fl Mark Jennings, Box Hill GC, VIC~~~fiFor the last 20 years water availability through bores on golf courses in Perth was never an issue and taken for granted. With only 109mm of rain until the end of June this year, the availability of water suddenly became a real issue. The Department of Water issued a sudden complete sprinkler ban for a two month period for July to the end of August 2009 which may become a permanent fixture in future years. Suddenly, no available water supply. My take home message is don™t take anything for granted, especially your greatest resource Œ water.fl Darren Wilson, Wembley Golf Complex, WA Marysville™s Rob Christie knows more than most the trials and tribulations of being a course superintendent after February™s devastating bushfiresThe 8th fairway at Gold Creek, ACT before and after the couch conversion programmeProviding expert advice for superintendents and golf clubs to improve course maintenance practices42 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTHE PULSEfiThe one thing 2009 has taught me more than anything is the following Œ back yourself and you will succeed. It has taken three years of hard work and careful planning (and some good rainfall), but all of the adjustments and new initiatives we have made in regards to stormwater harvesting here at Eastwood Golf Club have succeeded. At the time of writing this our main irrigation dam is 100 per cent full (approx 28-30ML) after never exceeding 70 per cent in the past few years. In two out of the past three years we have only had enough water to irrigate greens only from February onwards, but this year we will be attacking summer with a new found confidence. We have spent numerous hours blading and sculpting paths to direct every drop of stormwater to nearby dams as well as unblocking pits and pipes from path washouts. We now have all dams on the southern end of the course interlinked so that every drop from the driveway, clubhouse etc eventually finds its way to the dam adjacent to the 1st green, therefore increasing our capacity to about 35ML. We then spent almost $30k installing a pump to transfer stormwater from this dam to the main dam at the other end of the course. On top of this we have recently installed a desalination unit to treat our salty bore water which will bring us another 14-15ML annually and a guaranteed 4-5ML over summer. While we have had some heartache and hiccups along the way, there has been no better feeling I have felt as a superintendent than seeing water pumping/flowing into that main dam and watching it hit capacity. Ironically, the members are happy but comment ‚Now that you have water, you have no excuse not to have the course in good nick all year!™ I can™t win, but reckon they™re probably right.fl Michael Vozzo, Eastwood GC, VIC~~~fiWeather which is not suited to growing turf, lack of water, lack of money in the budget can all be overcome and great turf surfaces can be produced if you have great staff that are dedicated to their job and have pride in what they do.fl Geoff Wright, Wentworth Golf Club, NSW~~~fiWell, what a year for Bundaberg Golf Course. After the removal of a contract company, including myself we have run with just three and a lot of volunteer help. The course is making money now and I™m told in better condition than it has been in years! We also had no automatic irrigation from April to November. I can™t wait for 2010 as I will be getting another apprentice and will be able to water my course from anywhere in the world! It has been my first 12 month as a superintendent and I love the challenges every day brings!fl Sean Stuchbery, Bundaberg Golf Course, QLD~~~With the overwhelming success of the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath, the interest in Australian golf has been rekindled. In March 2010 Commonwealth gets its opportunity to host the Australian Women™s Open. There is no doubt expectations are higher than ever and we are excited by the challenge of a successful event and the continued interest in Australian golf.fl Travis Scott, Commonwealth GC, VIC~~~fiFrom a course perspective it has been a tough year with the club looking at cutting costs due to the reduction of the income from membership and general revenue. This has reflected heavily on the course budget with reduction in staff and Tiger Wood™s presence at the 2009 Australian Masters has helped to reignite interest in golf in AustraliaSteve Isaac™s visit in September proved a poignant reminder on the importance of sustainability in golf course managementPick up this great book, now on special, through the AGCSA Bookshop 03 9548 8600Turfgrassproblems?AGCSAAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 43modifications in our management practices. It™s been interesting to say, however, that the course has not suffered in any way. The positive for the course is that we now have our management practices in order and only fine adjustments are required. The most difficult task we have is maintaining a Poa-free course. Numerous trials were done this year with endothal on our short course with satisfactory results which has given us the confidence to move ahead in 2010.From a personal perspective, over the past year I guess I have become more positive towards my committee when it comes to speaking my mind and voicing my opinion, whereas previously I had been reluctant to in case it put my job in jeopardy. I have also done a lot more thinking about trying to find a balance between my work and private life. Speaking to a fellow superintendent at the Hobart conference, it was interesting that we shared the same philosophy. As we get older and we reflect on the past, we find that we have all worked too hard at our course and never had enough time for ourselves. A lot of us have now turned 50 and it™s at that stage of your life where you want to have more time to do what we want to do privately. I think a lot of us are burnt out and that has been reflected by the number of high profile superintendents leaving the industry over the past few years. From an industry perspective, we need to get the message across about sustainability. Both superintendents and committees need to find a common ground when it comes to turf quality. Club committees and members want better surfaces, but they expect so with less money. In the last three years I have been interstate and played many of our courses and I have to say they all have their own character and turf quality is a high standard everywhere you go. It goes to show how Australian superintendents can produce excellent surfaces in adverse conditions and every superintendent should be proud of that fact.As superintendents today we are always justifying with countless reports. The job has changed some much over the past 15 years whereby everything has to be justified. I think it™s the way of the world now and people have to be more accountable for everything they do. I personally have always had high standards but sometimes you need to re-think and found out what is sustainable for you.Golf is a game which people take so seriously, yet it was the great Alistair MacKenzie who once said that golf should be fienjoyed and not taken seriouslyfl. We get caught up in this striving for excellence, but at the end of the day it™s only grass.fl Trevor Strachan, Lake Karrinyup CC, WA ~~~fiProbably the most profound impact 2009 had on me came in October/November when I had the privilege of visiting some of the former Eastern Bloc countries of Europe. Twenty years after the fall of communism, hearing the stories of hardship and despair along with an enthusiastic and optimistic outlook by most people was thought-provoking to say the least. The more recent conflicts in the former Yugoslavia were horrific, especially when you consider it took place in the 1990s. Seeing overgrown and disused fields in the Croatian countryside that are still waiting to be cleared of land mines, walking through a war-torn village now in various stages of reconstruction and hearing the horrific stories of those who lived through the conflict was almost impossible to comprehend. All part of every day life for the Croatian people was affected and it is likely to be another 20 years before the mines are cleared.I could not help thinking how profound the effect power and control can have on humanity. It can be seen in action on many of the world™s stages and in the not so obvious places. Sometimes in its simplest form people are put in positions of trust and they assume control and before long they become dictators. In the process peoples lives are placed in complete turmoil and communities or organisations put in disarray. And when it all fails - they simply walk away as if nothing has happened leaving others to pick up the pieces. We all need to consider our role in life and make sure that we are working in the best interests of all things that matter, mainly the dignity and lives of others.fl Doug Robinson, AGCSA Life MemberThis was the Eastwood Golf Club main dam in 2007. Through ongoing stormwater harvesting works the club heads into this season with a full dam HAVE YOU SEEN THE ‚NEW LOOK™ AGCSA WEBSITE?www.agcsa.com.auHAVE YOU SEEN THE ‚NEW LOOK™ AGCSA WEBSITE?www.agcsa.com.au44 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSUSTAINABILITYMachrihanish Dunes was opened in July 2009 to coincide with The Open Championship being held across the Firth of Clyde at Turnberry. The course is situated next to the Old Course at Machrihanish on the Mull of Kintyre which was designed by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1876. Machrihanish Dunes is owned and operated by Southworth Developments, a US company whose stable of golf courses includes The Renaissance Club in Boston and Creighton Farms in Virginia. Machrihanish Dunes has been several years in the making due to the sensitive nature of the land that it lies on. It is the first golf course in Scotland to be built on an existing ‚Site of Special Scientific Interest™ (SSSI) which brought about unprecedented scrutiny from both planning departments and environmental agencies. Esteemed Scottish golf course architect David Mclay Kidd was entrusted with gently routing the golf course through the wild dunes. His other recent works include the highly acclaimed Bandon Dunes in Oregon, USA and The Castle Course at St. Andrews. In shaping the golf course only seven of the 93 hectares of the site were disturbed. Only the tees and greens were shaped. The fairways were simply mown out of the dunes with no overseeding allowed to take place. MAINTENANCE CHALLENGESThe real challenge at Machrihanish Dunes is maintaining the golf course under very strict environmental constraints. This task has been given to fikeeper of the greenfl Keith Martin. Keith has a long and illustrious career on the links courses of Scotland having started his career working under George Brown at Turnberry. From Turnberry Keith went on to spend 10 years working at the Old Course at St. Andrews, including two Open Championships. After a short spell in Holland, Keith spent some time working under our very own David Warwick at Avondale Golf Club in Sydney. On returning to Scotland Keith took a position working on the construction of Machrihanish Dunes working under Euan Grant. When Euan left to take on the course manager™s position at Turnberry, Keith stepped into the top job. Keith oversees a crew of 12 staff which looks after 18 holes, practice facilities and resort maintenance. The temporary maintenance facility is a series of buildings which interestingly used to be a US Airforce base. You know you™re in for something a little different when you step on to Machrihanish Dunes in Scotland. It is the first golf course in the country to be built on an existing ‚Site of Special Scientific Interest™ which brought about unprecedented environmental and planning scrutinyOn a recent trip back home to his native Scotland, Sanctuary Cove superintendent Robin Doodson took the opportunity to take in a few of his favourite courses including Royal Troon and Turnberry. However, it was a visit to the recently opened Machrihanish Dunes on the Mull of Kintyre which proved the most intriguing given its unique minimalist approach to golf course maintenance. journeybackin timeAjourneybackATo keep the roughs under control, the club has brought in around 80 sheepAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 45Maintenance of the course is constrained by the rules set out by the regulatory authority Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). A few examples of the restraints are: No fertilisers or pesticides other than on greens and tees; Fairways not to be mown below 20mm; No mowing of roughs. The club has brought in around 80 sheep to keep the roughs under control; No importing of turf or seed from outside the site. Certified native seed is allowed to be used but at over $2000 for a 25kg bag it is hard to justify; Maintenance paths and walking tracks have to be strictly monitored through the dunes. There are very few maintenance paths so the staff have to travel by foot to carry out the majority of their work.The course receives quarterly visits from SNH to ensure that no indigenous vegetation has been lost and no pesticides have been used in restricted areas. The height of cut on the fairways is even measured to ensure that it is above 20mm. Another challenge faced by Keith over the development of the course was controlling the 350,000 rabbits which inhabited the site. With regular trapping the population is now dwindling and damage is limited only to the outer rough areas.CHANGING PERCEPTIONSWith these and other restrictions in place, Keith is expected to produce a course worthy of attracting visitors from all over the world who deman a course in keeping with it™s near neighbours such as Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick. The greatest challenge at Machrihanish is changing the perception of the golfers who visit and making them realise that this is fithe way golf beganfl, as David Mclay Kidd likes to describe it. On the walk to the first tee a small sign sets the tone for the golfers™ experience with a quote from David Mclay Kidd reading:fiWe will do some mowing at Machrihanish Dunes, but mostly rely on the wandering sheep to keep the fescue in check Œ just as the old courses used to do. We are returning golf to how it should be played, no longer is it a gentle stroll in a garden. Machrihanish Dunes is links golf in its purest form, untamed and raw, much the way golf began.fl Œ David Mclay KiddThe fairways have been a point of discussion with many who have played the course due to the existence of so-called weeds in the turf. The dictionary description of a weed is fia valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop.fl As no cultivation has occurred on the fairways and scarification and topdressing are not allowed due to the environmental restrictions, this definition does not apply at Machrihanish Dunes. All plants on the fairways, whether they are daisies, chickweed or dandelions, have value as they provide ground cover which stops erosion on this wind-blown site. My conclusion was that these fairways were actually the world™s first weed-free fairways. The fairways certainly look different to the eye but play hard and fast with the ball lying perfectly every time you step up to it. The greens have been planted with fescue and are reminiscent of those found at Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania with their slope and undulation. Sustaining fescue on the west coast of Scotland is certainly a challenge especially with the salt spray coming off the Atlantic Ocean onto the golf course. The greens were in excellent condition with remarkably little Poa invasion. One of the most impressive aspects of the golf course is the bunkers which have simply been manipulated out of blowouts in the dunes. Marram grasses have been used to stabilise the bunker edges and give them a truly rustic look.Machrihanish Dunes is a journey back in time and I truly believe that any course manager could learn something from the minimalist approach to maintenance that, although forced upon the club, is what really makes the course great. I came away thinking that this is surely the future of sustainable golf and we should all be trying to self impose some of these restrictions upon ourselves.Bunkers have been manipulated out of blowouts in the dunesMachrihanish™s fairways have been a point of discussion due to the existence of so called weeds in the turf. All plants have value as they provide cover and prevent erosion The contouring of the fescue greens is simply stunningMown out of the dunes, fairways can be no less than 20mm46 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCOUNTRY PROFILETocumwalGolf ClubNSWTocumwalGolf ClubTo kick off a new series regularly profiling country golf courses, Tocumwal Golf Club superintendent Matt McLeod gives ATM an insight into his operations and some of the unique challenges faced in managing the 36-hole facility on the Murray River.Superintendent: Matthew McLeod. Age: 39. Period as a super: 8 years. Period as an AGCSA member: 8 years. Other association/turf industry memberships: VGCSA committee member.Previous clubs: Coomealla Golf Club, Carnoustie Golf Links (Scotland), Murray Downs, Millicent Golf Club. Current club: Tocumwal Golf Club (4.5 years)Course specs: Captains Course 6272m and Presidents Course 6066m. 36 holes, Windsor Green couch fairways and most tees, bent/Poa greens.Members: 1050.Annual number of rounds: 63,000. Major tournaments/events: Two main club tournaments Œ Easter and Melbourne Cup week. For the past seven years has also been home of the Victorian Trainee Professional Championships.Annual budget: Course Œ $240,000 (includes everything - fuel, works, power, water, chemicals, repairs and maintenance); Wages Œ $400,000. Water sources: Murray River (20ML high security, 345ML general security), 325ML shallow ground water via a spear pump and between 80-140ML of disinfected recycled water. Staff structure: Total of 11 made up of superintendent, 2IC, foreman, two apprentices, five unqualified groundsman and 1 mechanic. Turf management qualifications: Apprenticeship at Holmesglen TAFE. Currently doing Diploma in Turf through Wodonga TAFEHow did you start out in the turf industry and how did you end up at Tocumwal? After finishing high school and not wanting to go to college, I applied for an apprenticeship because I played golf and there was not much on offer besides fruit picking in my area. After completing my time I took 12 months leave to travel around and do some work. This led me to three months work at Carnoustie in Scotland and on returning home I did some caddying before returning to work at Coomealla Golf Club in December. Three months later I stared at Murray Downs as 2IC and stayed there for four-and-a-half years before a failed venture to Hong Kong Golf Club. After this I got my first superintendent position at Millicent in South Australia where I stayed for 20 months, before returning to the Murray River at Tocumwal, first as a groundsman. After four months I was successful in gaining the position of superintendent. Give us an overview of Tocumwal Golf Club and some of its unique characteristics. Tocumwal Golf Club sits on land that was part of the largest Air Force base in the southern hemisphere during WWII, where it was home to the Liberator Bomber. The buildings and people that were stationed here was unbelievable and it™s hard to imagine what it must have been like (there were 10,000 people then, now the population is only 1900). There isn™t much left now apart from a few buildings closer to what is now the town™s aerodrome, but on the course we have numerous concrete slabs, drains and old roads that make it interesting to grow grass and dig trenches. Take us through your turf management operations and how you have you fine-tuned them during your time as superintendent? I try to keep things as simple as I can. I look closely at what is coming up weather, golf and staff wise before planning any work. The heat is really hard on the greens here and you have to be on them all the time. I try not to let the course slide too far in its condition. When I first started there was a history of bad disease outbreaks in summer so we try to keep the greens as happy as we can. This can mean no grooming in summer and raising cutting heights. We Verti-drain the greens every three weeks with needle tines from October through to Easter to help with water penetration and overall green health.What are some of the unique features about Tocumwal Golf Club from a turf management perspective? Is it an easy/hard facility to manage?Matt McLeod has been Tocumwal Golf Club superintendent for the past four-and-a-half yearsHaving two courses of differing age and characteristics (pictured is the 3rd Captain™s) McLeod has his work cut outAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 47Having two courses of differing age and characteristics, it is hard to maintain them to the same standard, particularly the greens. We try hard to keep them all at the same speed and firmness. As mentioned being built on an old airforce base we have a lot of concrete/roads around that can make it interesting at times to say the least. What are some of the major challenges facing Tocumwal Golf Club both from a turf and club management perspective? Obviously the drought and the economic downturn would be the biggest issues we face. The club has been really proactive with its commitment to getting more secured water. Two years ago we were successful in gaining disinfected recycled water and after not having access to river water for three years due to our pumps being in a billabong which has dried out, the club has put a new 1.7km pipeline and pump in the river to give us access to this source again. This means are club should have enough water no matter what happens. What major course improvement works have you completed and what works, if any, are scheduled in the future? I started a programme of re-turfing the tees that were not couch or needed work done for design, size or because they weren™t level, over the past five years. We have done 11 so far with only three to go. I had to put a 4000m2 couch nursery in first and we basically try to use it all every year. We are nearing the end of the tee project so we have started to use some of this turf on poor greens surround areas. Once this is completed we will look Tocumwal Golf Club is a 36-hole golf complex on the Murray River, boasting both the Captain™s and President™s layouts. Pictured is the par 3 17th Captain™sTocumwal Golf Club sits on land that was part of the largest Air Force base in the southern hemisphere during WWIIGreenKeeping itAUSTRALIAN GOLF ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE NEWSLETTERRAISING THE PROFILE OF GOLF COURSE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTAs part of the Australian Golf Environmental Initiative, the AGCSA has launched Keeping it Green, a monthly newsletter to help increase the environmental profile of Australian golf clubs.If you™ve got a positive story to share emailJohn Geary at jgeary@agcsa.com.auCheck out the updated resources section on the AGCSAs environmental web portal http://environment.agcsa.com.au48 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTCOUNTRY PROFILEat putting in some Tiger tees to not only lengthen the course but to make a different angle of attack on some holes. Also we are currently looking at automating the last seven holes of the irrigation which is needed.Water is obviously a critical issue around the country at present and for country superintendents is probably even more so. How is Tocumwal faring? The past four years have been a struggle at times. We have not been able to pump any water from the river due to our foot valve being located in a billabong which has dried out. This has been addressed this year with a new pipeline direct from the river. Two neighbours have helped us out also by giving us access to their groundwater via a 200m channel to one of our dams. In February 2008 the club gained access to disinfected recycled water from the local Shire so with all that we should be right.What are some pros and cons of being a country-based superintendent? Obviously the distance when travelling to meetings/conference™s can be a drain sometimes, but the laidback lifestyle, lower housing cost outweighs any of that. Are expectations of course presentation and conditioning any less than that placed on your metropolitan counterparts? No, I don™t believe so. Most of our business is from visitors coming from Melbourne and one of the reasons they come is because the standard of the course is so good. Our members expect the same as they would from a metro course even though they are only paying $260 per year for membership.Do you have to be more resourceful as a country-based superintendent? The main problem is securing qualified staff. People won™t move to the country for the wages on offer. I have found it better to look for local people who might have other skills they can give us and who are looking for a career that gives a great working environment close to their home. With freight these days we can get most products/parts within two days. Toro have a service department based only 70 minutes away in Moama so if we get stuck help isn™t that far away. This has been a great help over the past six years.If you could change one thing about your job as a country superintendent what would it be? The distance from family Œ four hours from the in-laws and six hours from my mum. My wife and I love the country so everything else is great. It™s a great place to raise a family.How important are the relationships you have with other nearby country supers/trade reps? I think our industry is unique in the way we all talk and are open to letting others know what does or doesn™t work for us. I try to communicate regularly with the guys along the river. Andrew Johnson from Rich River is great for assistance as is Steve Hewitt from 13th Beach.How do you make sure you keep abreast of the latest turf management techniques and methods? I believe the good old word of mouth is still the best, reps also keep us up to date and I try to make it to as many seminars as I can. What are some of the more unusual requests/things you have had to do as a superintendent of a country course? We have provided some turf for a couple of funerals. These were members who had passed away and loved the course, and it was an honour to help the family out each time. Chasing cattle, horses and sheep off the course is something I don™t think would happen in too often in the city.What™s on your maintenance equipment wishlist? Our shed is mostly red. The main item we need is a new spray rig. The current unit was brought in 1986 Œ I was still at school then! Hopefully next year–Do you think country superintendents have a better work-life balance than their metro counterparts? I don™t think it matters where you are, the same work still needs doing. I think we all tend to spend too much time at work but the one advantage for country blokes is at least in most cases we don™t have as far to travel to and from work.Name three golf courses that you would like most to visit and why? Augusta to see the undulation that they talk about but you can™t see on TV; St. Andrews; and the Nullarbor Links for a bit of fun. IN THE SHED -TOCUMWAL GC3 Toro Greensmaster 3250 greens1 Jacobsen GK4 backup 1 Jacobsen GK5 tees/ approaches1 Jacobsen GK6 tees/approaches 2 Toro bunker rakes2 Toro 6700 fairways1 Toro 6500 surrounds1 Toro Groundsmaster rough1 Toro 4000 rough2 Iseki rough cutters 1 Toro workman1 Kawasaki Mule 1 Verti-drain 4 tractors 1 bobcat4 postie-bikes1 smooth turf roller 1 Bolens tractor with tanks fitted on side for spraying. Greens are verti-drained every three weeks with needle tines from October through to Easter to help with water penetration and overall health of the greens50 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTIn the latter half of 2009 Wembley Golf Complex in Perth became the first facility in the country to achieve full e-par EMS certification and since then the rewards have literally come the way of course superintendent Darren Wilson. PRINCIPAL PARTNERSSince the launch of the Australian Golf Environmental Initiative in 2005, more than 160 golf clubs around Australia have signed up and are all in various stages of completing their e-par environmental management system (EMS) document. Although ultimately rewarding and providing a document which ensures the club is meeting its environmental responsibilities and objectives, as many superintendents are finding it is also a time-consuming process.Western Australian superintendent Darren Wilson can attest to that fact and after four years since first registering with e-par became the first superintendent to achieve full certification in the latter half of 2009. Wilson now boasts one of the most comprehensive EMS documents of any Australian golfing facility and for his efforts received national recognition for being an industry leader.At the Environmental Management Systems Association™s national conference in September, Wembley Golf Complex won the Local Government Award category as part of the 2009 Environmental Management Systems Awards. Wilson was on hand to accept the award, sponsored by drumMuster, which recognised his efforts in establishing Wembley as the first golf course in Australia to gain EMS certification as well as being the first golf course superintendent to achieve certification as an e-par EMS Certified Professional.WORDS OF WISDOMSo what does it take to fully develop an EMS at your facility? Well, plenty of hard work and commitment, and what follows are a few insights from Wilson which may assist fellow superintendents: fiI™m sure many superintendents think to themselves what have they got themselves into when starting out on producing a detailed EMS like what we have done with e-par. My simple advice is don™t think about it Œ just do it. Yes, it takes time and effort, but the costs are manageable at all club financial levels and you will quickly start to discover it™s not as difficult as it seems at first. It will be one of the best moves you are likely to make as a superintendent and if done right the rewards are numerous. In our case the first step was to sign up with e-par and register. Having the system online makes the process so much easier and there is now a wealth of information and resources contained in the e-par ‚Golf Bag™ compared to when I started the process four years ago. Create a folder on your computer especially for your EMS and save everything you come across to that folder so you can work on it at any time. In my case I named each folder after each hole which makes up the e-par EMS Œ Hole-1, Hole-2 etc Œ so you can easily find what you™re looking for even when there is no Internet available. It also makes things so much easier when uploading and downloading from websites. And one more extremely important thing, make sure you back it up online.Once you have it all set up, the single biggest thing is then to assign time to working through your EMS. Treat it like an appointment. Use your Outlook calendar and stick to it. Set achievable goals in that time you have allocated. This is the backbone of getting your EMS developed.In regards to e-par, Hole 1 Œ Initial Environmental Review Œ seems to be the most daunting but ironically it™s the most important part as it sets up the whole EMS process and highlights the club™s strengths and weaknesses. From there you can create your action plans, standard operating procedures and so much more. It also lets you identify where your club stands environmentally. If it bogs you down, move on and come back to it later. Once the concerns are identified and documented with a defined action plan, your EMS is doing what it was designed to do. That is it covers you, your club and has created a pathway to start rectifying past inadequacies. It also helps to create the best possible argument to management and create a process to establish funds to help build that new wash down bay, a new chemical storage greenWembley™scredentialsWilson showsgreenWembley™sWilson showsAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 51area, new fuel storage units or even a new irrigation system.I could go on about every hole but it isn™t really necessary, but what is the most helpful part of the e-par online member™s area is that the Golf Bag has everything you need. Just download the files and modify them to suit your golf course. With this follow the course hole by hole and play the holes online in sequence, constantly referring back to the Golf Bag for templates and adding them to your own folder.Another important factor involves staff training. It™s one thing to have SOPs for everything but if they™re locked away in the EMS folder they are of no use. Place them where staff can readily see them. Organise monthly tool box meetings with an agenda and explain each SOP in a group with staff, have an environmental induction for each staff member and make them aware of their environmental responsibility and have them sign off on everything. That way they are accountable too.Once the EMS is audited it doesn™t finish there. You need to have all your revised dates entered into Outlook so you can revisit and update them. The e-par EMS is just another multi-tasked facet of being a golf course superintendent in this day and age and the reward you get from it far outweighs the time and effort put into it. Hopefully our apprentices can pick up an EMS system such as e-par through the TAFE system in the future which would help to lighten the load in years to come.fl Wembley superintendent Darren Wilson (left) received the Local Government Award at the 2009 EMS Awards. With him is Graeme Passmore from award sponsor drumMusterFour years in the making, Wembley Golf Complex in Perth, WA now has one of the most comprehensive environmental management system documents in Australia This summer, Pythium will again cause problems in your turf. But with Banol and Chipco Signature from Bayer, you can be con˜dent you™ll have healthy, great-looking turf right through summer. Banol is not only an effective curative treatment for Pythium outbreaks, it can also be used preventively; while Chipco Signature protects turf from Pythium and summer stresses, and helps preserve overall turf health. Banol and Chipco Signature Š the pair of summer aces too good to keep up your sleeve. www.bayeres.com.au Banol® and Chipco Signature® are Registered Trademarks of Bayer.Your winning pair in the management of Pythium and summer turf decline.52 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTTURF TECHNICIANSVictorian superintendent Brad Marsden writes that with a bit of planning, a dedicated crew and an innovative turf technician, a maintenance facility makeover can be an inexpensive operation which ultimately boosts productivity. Kings Cove Golf Course is the sporting centrepiece to the Kings Cove-Metung residential and marina development situated on the shores of the Gippsland Lakes system in the small township of Metung, Victoria. The Kings Cove development has a distinctly country feel and design philosophy at its heart. To date, all constructed works have been carried out by various companies and labour from the local area and on a much reduced budget figure compared to similar sized projects around the state.As all superintendents know the maintenance facility is the nerve centre of golf course operations and when it functions ineffectively so does everything else. Regardless of whether I am in charge of a large 18-hole (or bigger) operation or a 9-hole one like Kings Cove, I strive to have a facility that has good order about it because good order creates increased productivity, improves safety and engenders pride in the workplace. I took over as course superintendent at Kings Cove in January 2008 and once the obligatory welcoming and introductions were out of the way, I sat down to take stock of my new surrounds. I assessed the entire maintenance facility against Worksafe and OH&S regulations and combined them with my many years of practical workplace experience to identify the points I needed to improve. To formalise my observations, I loaded them into a basic computer working document I created years ago. The finished product is a Maintenance Facility Improvement Plan (MFIP) that can be presented to management for discussion. I met with management at the maintenance facility to walk them through the MFIP and to explain and answer questions about the work that needed to be carried out. From this practical meeting, we did some fine tuning and management approved the MFIP. From this, we now have a benchmarked document that I prioritise items from each financial year, budget for and subsequently complete the works. The improvement to the maintenance shed was last financial year™s project and this year is the improvement to the lunch room and office area.The maintenance shed and compound has been positioned well, having its own private entrance away from estate housing and set back from the golf course. The building was built from new and is a little over three years old. It is your standard concrete slab, steel frame and colourbond sheet cladding construction. Unfortunately though, these major inadequacies were obvious: The shedding was undersized; The area was poorly organised with no dedicated mechanic™s work area and permanent machinery parking spaces; Storage of flammable and dangerous goods was in the main building in close proximity of grinding and welding activities; and The storage of mechanical supplies were scattered about the shed. NEW ENVIRONMENTLet me say from the outset that my apprentice greenkeeper, Wayne Unthank, and I have assisted with the works carried out, but the bulk of the work has been carried by my mechanic Alan Kendall and the finished product is a testimony of his skill and ingenuity.To start with we had a thorough chuck out of junk from the shed and moved all non-essential items to a smaller outside shed. I then created a dedicated mechanic™s area at the far end of the shed and subsequent machinery parking was based makeoversmakeoversMaintenance facilityMaintenance facilityOne of the key components of the Kings Cove maintenance facility makeover was the provision of a dedicated turf technician areaAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 53around its permanent position. This allows Alan to carry out his work and the rest of the staff can carry out their work without disruption or getting in each other™s way. We were able to maximise all available floor space which then flowed into all other areas.Alan positioned and constructed a free-standing four-sided bench in the dedicated mechanic™s area with a height suitable for ease of use. The framework of the bench was constructed from an old water tank stand that came from Alan™s house. He purchased a small amount of steel for the sides and the top was made from old estate advertising signs. This has provided a solid work platform which allows for four jobs going at once if needed and includes a 150mm offset vice attached to one end of the bench. Alan had saved some leftover steel from the clubhouse construction and used it to build new pedestals for the drill and grinder and secured them correctly to the floor in the mechanic™s work area. He also took the old workbench, strengthened it and repositioned it into the mechanic™s work area to create a welding and steel cutting work station.I identified a more suited position for a flammable and dangerous goods storage cabinet outside beside the diesel fuel storage unit. Alan and Wayne constructed this fully bunded and insulated storage unit from some leftover steel, wood and colourbond sheeting. The oil storage was also poorly positioned and inadequately bunded. Alan constructed a complete oil storage bunding unit from scratch using the old bunding trays, an old stainless steel plate warmer and new steel angle iron. Other works included:Purchasing signage for welding, compressed air, spill control station, first aid and fire;Alan dismantled the old storage unit and constructed a new wall-mounted shelving unit in the mechanical work area. Plastic tubs were purchased and each individual machine was given its own bin for all relevant spare parts;Repositioning the compressor, installing permanent piping to the outside washdown area and purchasing and installing a retractable hose reel to provide compressed air to the entire inside of the shed;There was a distinct lack of general tools throughout the shed. To remedy this a list of must-have items was made and when these items came on sale and fitted into the budget they were purchased; and An old wooden desk was reinforced and painted to provide a mechanic™s record keeping area.As the photos show, what we have constructed is basic in design, functional and safe in use and will serve us well for many years to come. From a budgetary point of view, the single dearest item was the electrical work at $800 with a finished total of $2500. All the work was carried out through the winter period and we are now enjoying the fruits of our labour. A more suited position for a flammable and dangerous goods storage cabinet was chosen and a fully bunded and insulated unit was constructed from some leftover steel, wood and colourbond sheetingA complete oil storage bunding unit was constructed from scratch using old bunding trays, an old stainless steel plate warmer and new steel angle iron HERO/TOR3431JFor more information call 1800 356 372 www.toro.com.auThe Graden GSR 1200 Roller The most innovative roller around54 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTNEWSSydney™s iconic Harbour Bridge was covered from pylon to pylon in a carpet of kikuyu turf in late October as part of a major international promotion to kick-start the Crave Sydney Food Festival. Six thousand Sydneysiders enjoyed the inaugural ‚Breakfast on the Bridge™ with all eight lanes of bitumen transformed into a lush green oasis courtesy of members from the NSW and Victorian turf industries.Following the success of World Youth Day held earlier in the year, local turf growers were approached by the NSW Government to be a part of this historic event which would see the entire bridge shut down for a 12 hour period on Sunday 25 October. During that time 11,000 square metres of kikuyu turf was to be laid in readiness for the early morning breakfast and then ripped up before the bridge reopened to traffic at 1pm.Sydney-based Dad & Dave™s Turf was awarded the contract to undertake the job with the help of Hi Quality Turf (Pitt Town) and J&B Buffalo Turf Supplies (Richmond). An area of Hi Quality Turf™s production farm was selected to harvest the turf and Evergreen Turf chief executive Dean Holden was appointed to oversee logistics and project co-ordination.After a trial run of laying and removing 600m2 in the car park at Sydney™s ANZ Stadium, all involved in the project were enthusiastic that 11,000m2 could be achieved under the stringent guidelines set down. Turf quality and condition was of paramount concern and assistance was provided from Elders and Syngenta.Harvesting the turf started the day before the event. Two harvesters were used to roll 560 maxi rolls of kikuyu turf measuring 20m x 1m. Geofabric was used on the underside of the maxi rolls to prevent dirt being left on the bridge and to make it easier to roll the turf up after the event. The process of harvesting the turf with the geofab and loading it onto 10 semi-trailers was completed by 5.30pm Saturday.Project leader Gavin Rae, along with Graeme Colless, Rob Davey, Dean Holden, Peter Manning and Dave Stoopman then had to make transport arrangements with Mario and Joey Fenech as well as organise the many staff members that were to lay and remove the turf. Induction of staff and a brief of the whole event were carried out at the farm at 10pm Saturday before the semi-trailers and two busloads of workers set off to downtown Sydney. After a short wait at North Sydney before the bridge was closed, the RTA then escorted the convoy onto the bridge. At 2.30am the first maxi roll of turf was rolled out and the last was laid by 5.15am. Everything went to plan except for one motorist who broke through a police barrier and drove at high speed across the bridge while workers were laying the turf. Fortunately no one was injured. While the lucky 6000 ‚guests™, who were drawn from a ballot of more than 45,000, enjoyed their breakfast, workers who laid the turf enjoyed a short break and some breakfast at Milsons Point. As picnickers exited the southern end of the bridge at the conclusion of the event, clean-up crews entered from the northern side and removed all rubbish so workers could start removing the turf. Rolling up started at 8.50am and the final truck left the bridge at 11.30am. A BBQ lunch was held back at the turf farm and everyone was congratulated on how smoothly the project ran. Images of the event made headlines around the world, with New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees hailing it a major success and indicating that it may become an annual event.HARBOUR BRIDGE RECEIVES A ‚GREEN™ MAKEOVERRight: All eight lanes of the Sydney Harbour Bridge were covered in natural turf for the launch of the Crave Sydney Food Festival in late OctoberA total of 11,000m2 of kikuyu turf was harvested from Hi Quality TurfSix thousand picnickers enjoyed the inaugural Breakfast on the Bridge which made headlines around the worldAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 55One of the Australian turf industry™s most revered and influential practitioners, Peter McMaugh, has joined the elite of the Australian horticultural community after being named the 2009 recipient of the Graham Gregory Award. McMaugh, a life member of the NSW Golf Course Superintendents Association and past recipient of the AGCSA™s highest honour Œ the Distinguished Service Award Œ becomes the first individual from the turf industry to receive the award which is widely recognised as horticulture™s most prestigious accolade.As well as the honour of being recognised as one of the industry™s elite, McMaugh received a $10,000 cash prize and a commemorative bronze medal which was presented by recently retired HAL chair Dr Nigel Steele Scott. A 10-minute video presentation accompanied the bestowing of the award in which members of the turf industry, including John Neylan, David Nickson, Rob Davey, Greg Miller and John Banks, heaped praised on McMaugh and recounted the achievements which made him such a deserving winner.McMaugh, the first Australian scientist to specialise in turf research, has devoted the past 45 years to the turf industry and among his many achievements have been creating the name for Australia™s most recognised buffalo grass, Sir Walter, developing the drop-in wicket in the early days of one-day cricket and establishing Australia™s first turf research organisation.As director of the Grass Research Bureau NSW, renamed the Australian Turf Research Institute (ATRI) in 1970, McMaugh oversaw the discovery of a new species of nematode that was devastating turf in NSW™s Hunter region, which led to its control. He co-developed innovative machinery to improve turf maintenance and developed controls to eradicate invasive species in bentgrass putting greens and couchgrass fairways, thus helping to improve the quality of Australian golf courses.In 1974 he set up a turf production farm, Qualturf, and from 1979 he also ran a full-time consultancy, Turfgrass Scientific Services. Through this company he has assisted hundreds of fellow growers increase their productivity and profitability. He has also worked with many golf course architects to develop new courses.McMaugh™s couchgrass collection provided the Australian industry with the superior varieties Winter Green and Windsor Green. These industry standards have been the base from which other Australian plant breeders have developed the new superior couch varieties Grand Prix and Winter Gem. McMaugh also jointly developed the new improved buffalo variety Kings Pride.McMaugh™s scientific expertise, innovation and commercial accomplishments saw many major projects come his way including construction or turfing major sporting venues including Sydney Football Stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Fox Studios, Royal Randwick Racecourse and Sydney™s Royal Botanic Gardens.Against this impressive array of achievements, McMaugh says the biggest challenge of his career was setting up turf farms in China. Over a 10-year period Peter established a turf farm in a geographically challenging area of China. It was both a technical and farming success and the model has been replicated all over China.Over the course of his long career McMaugh says he has witnessed considerable change in the industry, in particular technological advances.fiForty years ago most of the turf was cut out of cow paddocks. Now we™re growing single strain grasses. Grasses are being selected for performance and the quality of turf available to consumers is totally different, says McMaugh. fiThe industry has gone from being a cottage industry to being a very substantial horticultural industry. The thing I™m most proud of is still working in an industry in which I was the first scientist to work full-time in Australia.flPeter McMaugh receives his Graham Gregory Award commemorative bronze medal from recently retired HAL chair Dr Nigel Steele ScottHORTICULTURE AUSTRALIA BESTOWS MCMAUGH TOP AWARDAGCSA general manager John Neylan has also been awarded for his services to the golf industry at the Australian Golf Digest Player of the Year Awards held on the eve of Australian Open tournament week. Neylan was bestowed the Australian Golf Digest™s Services to Golf Award and in doing so joined an esteemed list of previous winners which includes Jack Newton (2008), Norman von Nida (2007), John Klatt (2006), Tony Rafty (2005), Tom Moore (2004) and Charlie Earp (2003).fiUnlike the nine other awards handed out on the night, the Services to Golf Award reflects ongoing excellence and contributions to Australian golf, rather than efforts made just during the past year,fl says Australian Golf Digest editor Steve Keipert. fiJohn™s work in what is an increasingly important corner of the golf industry deserved recognition, particularly as golf courses look towards sustainable futures and as golfers better appreciate the role of the course superintendent.flAUST GOLF DIGEST HONOURS NEYLAN56 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTAROUND THE TRADESYNGENTA BACKS AUSTRALIAN GOLF ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVEThe Australian Golf Environmental Initiative has received a further boost with the announcement that Syngenta has signed on as a principal sponsor. Syngenta confirmed its involvement in late November 2009 and joins existing principal partners e-par, Bayer Environmental Science and Toro Australia to back the AGCSA-led initiative.fiSyngenta is proud to be a principle partner in the Australian Golf Environmental Initiative,fl says Sam Hole, Syngenta business unit manger Œ lawn and turf. fiEnvironmental sustainability and stewardship are core values within Syngenta and we are a leader in the industry in promoting responsible environmental management.fiI personally believe that Australian golf course superintendents are leaders on the world stage when it comes to managing golf courses through environmental stewardship. Our greatest challenge is sharing our stories and showing others that managing environmental challenges is just another part of a superintendent™s responsibilities.fiSyngenta has supported the AGCSA™s Claude Crockford Environmental Award for excellence in environmental management for five years and is proud to be associated with the stories the nominees have submitted. I would encourage all superintendents to look at what they are doing on their own course and consider sharing their story with others, because it is only through this kind of sharing that we all learn and improve our environmental stewardship skills.flBARMAC UP 2 SPECBarmac has launched a new initiative in turfgrass nutrition known as 2 SPEC. Barmac business manager Paul Jackson says 2SPEC is SGN 250 fertiliser made to specifications for mid- to high- cut turfgrass meaning it is ideal for golf tees and fairways, sportsfields and racecourses. 2 SPEC fertilisers contain XCU controlled release nitrogen and other high grade ingredients as required. Five standard lines are available Œ 2 SPEC Sustain, 2 SPEC Elevate, 2 SPEC Endurance, 2 SPEC Accelerate and 2 SPEC Establish Œ and have been designed to suit the needs of the Australian professional turf manager. Additionally, Barmac can also offer a 2SPEC Custom Blend. 2 SPEC is available exclusively from Globe Australia and for more information or to have a 2SPEC fertiliser formulated to your specifications visit www.2spec.com.au.TORO SHUFFLES THE PACKToro Australia has undergone a changing of the guard with the company announcing a reshuffle at management level in early November. Tim Emery has assumed the role of Director, Toro Australia and will report to Richard Walne. Robert Rein has taken the National Sales role for Dealer Business while Peter Schumacher moves into the National Sales role for the Golf division.EVERY DROP COUNTS FOR PENNANT HILLSPennant Hills Golf Club has collected a major industry award recognising its significant efforts to improve water efficiencies. At a special function held in mid-November, the club received Sydney Water™s ‚Largest percentage reduction award™ as part of the authority™s Water Efficiency AwardsAs a result of installing a sewer mining facility in 2008, Pennant Hills can now produce high quality recycled water on demand for irrigation, thus eliminating the club™s reliance on potable water. Sewer mining provides a drought proof source of water for irrigation and has enabled the club to reduce its potable water use by a staggering 94 per cent.Course superintendent Richard Kirkby (second from left) and Permeate Partners managing director Kurt Dahl (second from right), whose company oversaw the project, were on hand to receive the award on behalf of the club. In 2001 Sydney Water established the Every Drop Counts Program to work in partnership with business to sustainability reduce water use, increase profit and protect the environment and each year recognises the efforts of business through the Water Efficiency Awards. For the full story on the Pennant Hills sewer mining project, read the Richard Kirkby-Kurt Dahl article in ATM Volume 10.5 (pp50-54).A drainage system manufactured in regional Australia will play a key role in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.Geofabrics Australasia Pty Ltd has supplied in excess of 20,000 lineal metres of hi-tech drainage materials to help deliver a world-class playing surface for the game that stops the globe.® drainage system has been installed beneath six major arenas Œ Soccer City in Johannesburg, Mbombela in Nelspruit, the Sugar Ray Xulu and Green Point Stadiums in Capetown, and the Princess Magogo and Moses Mabhida Stadiums in Durban.Geofabrics™ Neil Taylor said it was exciting for a local manufacturer to play a part in the world™s biggest sporting event, which attracts twice the TV audience of the Olympic Games.® drainage system in the FIFA 2010 World Cup stadiums vindicates our belief in the product, and shows that Australian manufacturers can compete on the world stage,fl Mr Taylor said.Mr Taylor said the supply contract had delivered ® disturbing the carefully prepared base as well as ® panel drain is also strong and durable, easily handling the loads applied during construction.The quick removal of water allows the stadiums to provide superb playing conditions for the teams on match day, which is critical given the scale of the global audience.fl® drainage system also has applications in roads and highways, and behind retaining walls or bridge abutments.2010 WORLD CUPA drainage system manufactured in regional Australia will play a key role in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.Geofabrics Australasia Pty Ltd has supplied in excess of 20,000 lineal metres of hi-tech drainage materials to help deliver a world-class playing surface for the game that stops the globe.® drainage system has been installed beneath six major arenas Œ Soccer City in Johannesburg, Mbombela in Nelspruit, the Sugar Ray Xulu and Green Point Stadiums in Capetown, and the Princess Magogo and Moses Mabhida Stadiums in Durban.Geofabrics™ Neil Taylor said it was exciting for a local manufacturer to play a part in the world™s biggest sporting event, which attracts twice the TV audience of the Olympic Games.® drainage system in the FIFA 2010 World Cup stadiums vindicates our belief in the product, and shows that Australian manufacturers can compete on the world stage,fl Mr Taylor said.Mr Taylor said the supply contract had delivered ® disturbing the carefully prepared base as well as ® panel drain is also strong and durable, easily handling the loads applied during construction.The quick removal of water allows the stadiums to provide superb playing conditions for the teams on match day, which is critical given the scale of the global audience.fl® drainage system also has applications in roads and highways, and behind retaining walls or bridge abutments.2010 WORLD CUPADVERTISEMENT58 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTBOOK SHOPTURF INDUSTRY BOOKSHOPAGCSA PRODUCED DVD™s ...................................................................Non-Member ....Member(DVD) Environmental Issues for Golf Course Architecture ............................$88.00 ....$66.00(DVD) HR presentation and templates by Daryl Sellar ..................................$88.00 ....$66.00AGCSA PUBLICATIONS .......................................................................Non-Members ....Members2010 Turfgrass Management Diary .................................................................$30.00 .... $30.00Sportsturf Protection Manual -The Complete Guide to all Turf Protection Products .......................................$253.00 ....$215.05Improving the Environmental Management of New South Wales Golf Courses .......................................................................$57.50 .....$50.00Improving the Eco-Efficiency of Golf Courses in Queensland ...........................$57.50 .....$50.00GOLF ....................................................................................................Non-Member ....Member A Century of Greenkeeping ..................................................................... $142.36 ....$123.80A Natural Course for Golf ..............................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80A Practical Guide to Ecological Management on the Golf Course .....................$87.04 ......$73.98Best Golf Course Management Practices .......................................................$316.25 ....$275.00 Bird Conservation on Golf Courses .................................................................$94.88 ......$82.50Bunkers, Pits & Other Hazards ......................................................................$194.11 ....$168.80Cricket Grounds ............................................................................................$208.39 ....$181.30Cricket Wickets: Science & Fiction ..................................................................$62.50 ......$50.00Discovering Donald Ross-The Architect & His Golf Courses...........................$300.49 ....$261.30Ecological Golf Course Management .............................................................$197.68 ....$171.90A Guide to Golf Course Irrigation System, Design & Drainage ........................$253.00 ....$220.00Golf Course Architecture -Design, Construction & Restoration .......................$208.49 ....$181.30Golf Architecture Œ A World Perspective Vol 3 Œ Paul Daley .............................$63.25 ......$55.00Golf Course Design .......................................................................................$221.38 ....$192.50Golf Course Irrigation: Environmental Design & Mgmt Practices ....................$221.38 ....$192.50Golf Course Management & Construction ......................................................$445.63 ....$387.50Golf Course Tree Management .....................................................................$151.00 ....$131.30Golf Course Turf Management: Tools and Techniques ....................................$316.25 ....$275.00Golf Facility Planning .....................................................................................$222.86 ....$193.80Golf Greens and Greenkeeping ......................................................................$155.25 ....$135.00How to Build a Sand based Golf Green.............................................................$86.00 ......$75.00Human Resource Management for Golf Course Superintendents ....................$126.50 ....$110.00IPM Handbook for Golf Courses ....................................................................$197.68 ....$171.90Keepers of the Green: A History of GC Management ......................................$150.29 ....$130.70 Managing Wildlife Habitats on Golf Courses .................................................$150.29 ....$130.70Masters of the Links-Essays on Art of Golf Course Design ..............................$87.04 ......$75.70Practical Golf Course Maintenance Œ Magic of Greenkeeping .........................$173.99 ....$151.30Problem Solving in Golf courses, Sportsfields, the Landscape, and Racecourses ............................................................................................$80.00 .....$70.00Rough Meditations (HB) ..................................................................................$87.04 ......$75.70Superintendents Handbook of Financial Management ....................................$126.50 ....$110.00Sustainable Golf Course:Guide to Environmental Stewardship ........................$165.36 ....$143.80The Care of the Golf Course Œ 2nd Edition .....................................................$166.06 ....$144.40The Cricket Pitch & its Outfield ......................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80The Golden Age of Golf Design ....................................................................$221.38 ....$192.50The Golf Rules Dictionary ..............................................................................$158.15 ....$137.50The Golf Course Œ Planning, Design, Const and Mgmt - HB only ........................$366.61 ....$318.80The Good Doctor Returns ................................................................................$71.18 ......$61.90The Life and Work of Dr Alistair Mackenzie ....................................................$215.63 ....$187.50The Links ......................................................................................................$189.75 ....$165.00The Sand Putting Green - Construction & Mgmt (leaflet)..................................$28.51 ......$24.80The Sandbelt .................................................................................................$156.25 ....$135.90 The Spirit of St. Andrews .............................................................................$102.81 ......$89.40The Superintendent™s Guide to Controlling Green Speed .................................$142.36 ....$123.80Turf Management for Golf Courses ................................................................$363.74 ....$316.30SOILS ...................................................................................................Non-Member ....MemberGrowing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf .............................................$100.63 ......$87.50Bioremediation of Contaminated Soils: Agronomy Monograph 37 ..................$347.88 ....$302.88Introduction to Soil Microbiology ...................................................................$173.99 ....$151.30Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants Œ 2nd Edition .............................................$205.61 ....$178.80Practical Soil Management ..............................................................................$57.50 ......$50.00Principles of Soil Chemistry Œ 3rd Edition ......................................................$208.49 ....$181.30Soil Analysis: An Interpretation manual ..........................................................$194.11 ....$168.80Soil Fertility Evaluation and Control................................................................$180.25 ....$156.74Soils & Soil Management ..............................................................................$257.36 ....$223.80Soils & Their Environment .............................................................................$215.63 ....$187.50Turfgrass Œ No 32 in the series Agronomy ....................................................$221.38 ....$192.50TURF & PESTS .....................................................................................Non-Member ....MemberAusgrass: Grasses of Australia: CD-Rom & Manual.................................–..$142.36 ....$123.80Australian Weed Control Handbook - 10th Edition ..........................................$110.74 ......$96.30Beards Turfgrass Encylopedia for Golf Courses, Ground, LawnsAnd Sportsfields ...........................................................................................$395.36 ....$343.80Biological Control of Weeds ..........................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80Bowling Greens Œ A Practical Guide ................................................................$35.99 ......$31.30Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases..................................................................$270.25 ....$235.00Color Atlas of Turf Weeds ............................................................................$308.78 ....$268.50Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases ................................................................$71.88 ......$62.50Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases 3rd Edition ON SPECIAL .....................$110.00 ......$98.00Complete Guide to Pest Control With & Without Chemicals ............................$208.49 ....$181.30Controlling Turfgrass Pests 2nd Edition .........................................................$337.87 ....$293.80Creeping Bentgrass Management - Summer Stresses ...................................$184.00 ....$160.00Cricket Grounds ............................................................................................$208.49 ....$181.30Cricket Wickets Œ Science vs Fiction ...............................................................$75.00 ......$65.00CSIRO Handbook of Australian Weeds ............................................................$79.11 ......$68.80Destructive Turfgrass Insect - Biology, Diagnosis & Control .......................... $258.75 ....$225.00Diseases of Turfgrass ...................................................................................$345.00 ....$300.00Diseases of Turfgrass CD-Rom .....................................................................$316.25 ....$275.00Fertilisers for Turf ............................................................................................$79.11 ......$68.80Field Guide to Weeds in Australia ..................................................................$136.61 ....$116.10Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management .......................................................$181.12 ....$157.50Fundamentals of Weed Science 2nd Edition...................................................$237.24 ....$206.30Gardening with Grasses ..................................................................................$86.25 ......$75.00 Grasses of New South Wales ..........................................................................$51.75 ......$45.00Grasses of Temperate Australia Œ A Field Guide .............................................$103.50 ......$90.00Grasses: Systematics & Evolution .................................................................$251.61 ....$218.80Handbook of IPM for Turf & Ornamentals ......................................................$337.86 ....$293.80International Turf Management Handbook ......................................................$337.86 ....$293.80Lawn Care Œ A Handbook for Professionals ...................................................$222.86 ....$193.80Management of Turfgrass Diseases -3rd Edition ............................................$244.37 ....$212.50Managing Bermudagrass Turf Œ Selection & Construction .............................$229.31 ....$199.40Managing Turfgrass Pests .............................................................................$359.38 ....$312.50Manual of Grasses ........................................................................................$142.36 ....$123.80Mathematics of Turfgrass Maintenance Œ 3rd Edition.....................................$126.50 ....$110.00Native Grasses:Handbook for Temperate Australia 3rd Edition ..........................$38.86 ......$33.80Natural Turf for Sport & Amenity ...................................................................$173.99 ....$151.30Noxious Weeds of Australia Œ Revised Edition ...............................................$280.36 ....$243.80Nursery & Landscape Weed Control Manual ..................................................$142.36 ....$123.80Organic Control of Weeds ...............................................................................$26.67 ......$23.20Picture Perfect, Mowing Tech for Lawn, Sports & Turf ..................................$122.24 ....$106.30Poa Annua Œ Physiology, Culture & Control of Annual Grasses ......................$174.22 ....$151.20Rootzones, Sands & Top Dressing Materials for Sports Turf ..........................$122.24 ....$106.30Salt Affected Turfgrass Sites .........................................................................$221.38 ....$192.50Seashore Paspalum Œ The Environmental Turfgrass .......................................$213.54 ....$185.70 Sports Fields Œ A Manual for Design, Construction & Maintenance ................$253.00 ....$220.00Sports Turf & Amenity Grasses Œ A Manual for Use & Identification .............$122.24 ....$106.30Sports Turf & Amenity Œ Grassland Management ..........................................$158.13 ....$137.50Sports Turf - Science, Construction & Maintenance ......................................$316.25 ....$275.00Tree, Turf, Ornamental Pesticide Guide ..........................................................$115.00 ....$100.00Turf Irrigation Manual ....................................................................................$179.74 ....$156.30Turf Managers HBK for Golf Course Construction, Renovation & Grow-In .....................................................................................................$213.54 ....$185.70Turf Weeds and Their Control (HB) ................................................................$313.38 ....$272.50Turfgrass: Agronomy Monograph No 32........................................................$221.38 ....$192.50Turfgrass Diseases & Associated Disorders ..................................................$115.00 ....$100.00Turfgrass Installation, Management & Maintenance .......................................$337.86 ....$293.80Turfgrass Maintenance Reduction Handbook Œ Sports & Golf ........................$258.75 ....$225.00Turf Management in the Transition Zone ........................................................$156.25 ....$132.80 Turfgrass Management Œ 7th Edition .............................................................$284.63 ....$247.50Turfgrass Management Information Directory ................................................$126.50 ....$110.00Turfgrass Patch Diseases ..............................................................................$194.11 ....$168.80Turfgrass Pests ...............................................................................................$94.88 ......$82.50Turgrass Problems: Picture Clues & Management Options ON SPECIAL .........$ 64.70 ......$56.30 Turfgrass Science & Culture ..........................................................................$323.49 ....$281.30Turfgrass Science & Management 3rd Edition ...............................................$222.86 ....$193.80Turfgrass Soil Fertility & Chemical Problems .................................................$287.50 ....$250.00Weeds an Illustrated Guide to Weeds of Australia ..........................................$197.68 ....$171.90Weed Science: Principles & Practices ...........................................................$284.63 ....$247.50Weed Ecology: Implications for Management 2nd Edition ..............................$401.11 ....$348.80Weed Control Handbook: Principles 8th Edition .............................................$363.74 ....$316.30WATER & IRRIGATION .........................................................................Non-Member ....MemberAgricultural Salinity & Drainage .................................................................... $79.11 ......$68.80Design & Construction of Small Earth Dams .............................................. $230.00 ....$200.00Drainage for Sportsturf & Horticulture (PB) .....................................................$58.53 ......$50.90Drip Irrigation Management leaflet ...................................................................$11.50 ......$10.00Evaluating Turfgrass Sprinkler Irrigation Systems (leaflet) ................................$11.50 ......$10.00Fertigation .....................................................................................................$253.00 ....$220.00Nitrates in Groundwater ................................................................................$251.61 ....$218.80Simplified Irrigation Design 2nd Edition .........................................................$196.29 ....$170.70The Surface Irrigation Manual .......................................................................$316.25 ....$275.00Turf Irrigation Manual ....................................................................................$186.88 ....$162.50Wastewater Re-use for Golf Course Irrigation ................................................$316.25 ....$275.00Water in Australia: Resources & Management ...............................................$136.55 ....$118.75BEST SELLERS FOR 2008 - 2009 Turf Managers Handbook for Golf Course Construction and Grow-In Œ B. Charles Destructive Turfgrass Insects, Biology, Diagnosis and Control Œ Daniel A. Potter Discovering Donald Ross-The Architect & His Golf Courses Œ Bradley S. KleinGrowing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf Œ 3rd Edition Œ K. Handreck, N. Black Golf Course Management & Construction Œ Environmental Issues Œ James Balogh and W. Walker Golf Course Irrigation System Œ Design and Drainage Œ Edward Pira Keepers of the Green Œ A History of Golf Course Management Œ Bob LabbanceTurf Managers Handbook for Golf Course Construction, Renovation and Grow-In Œ B. Charles Turf Management for Golf Courses Œ James B. Beard Turfgrass Soil Fertility & Chemical Problems Œ R. N. Carrow, Waddington & RiekePlease note: All prices include GST - Prices are subject to change without notice Please contact the AGCSA for confirmation of prices.The AGCSA has an extensive range of books that can ordered through the AGCSA website, and also through the accompanying order form. Postage: $9.90 for first book and $1.10 for every book after. AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 59BOOK REVIEWThe AGCSA often fields calls from industry practitioners wanting to know which books are considered the ‚must haves™ for their or turf maintenance library collection. While Beard™s two seminal texts Turfgrass Science and Culture and Turf Management for Golf Courses top the annual best-seller lists, this edition™s review book can also be considered as one of turf™s top texts.Now in its third incarnation, Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases by respected US-based turf scientists Richard W. Smiley, Peter H. Dernoeden and Bruce B. Clarke intends to provide a general and practical reference for all those involved in the culture of fine turf. Devoted entirely to the diagnosis and control of about 80 diseases affecting grasses maintained for fine turfs on residential and commercial lawns, sod farms, golf courses, sports fields, bowling greens, cemeteries and other areas, it is designed to be of use to those just starting out in the industry as well as those who have been in the industry long enough to have probably seen most of the entires contained within the book.Since the first edition was published back in 1983, 40,000 copies of Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases have found their way into many turf management facilities across the globe and as the authors proudly claim in the opening pages, their creation has been distributed to countries on all continents Œ with the exception of Antarctica! The third edition was published in 2005 (a second printing of the third edition was conducted in 2007) and the authors have made some serious revision of the contents contained in the second edition which was released back in 1992. Each section has undergone extensive amendment with the authors benefiting from more than 40 turf industry scientists who have examined the existing material and recommended changes. Each section was reviewed by three authors and around half of the sections were sent off to specialists who reviewed and in some cases provided complete revisions.The book is presented in six parts Œ non-infectious diseases; infectious diseases caused by fungi; diseases and disorders caused by other pathogens and biotic agents; ecology and taxonomy of pathogenic fungi; disease control strategy and disease diagnosis. There is also an extensive glossary and index. Within the sections diseases are presented alphabetically with each entry containing a brief description of the disease followed by subheadings which relate specifically to symptoms, causal agents, disease cycle, epidemiology and methods of control. Where possible the authors have ensured that photos of each disease are included and this edition contains a wealth of colour images to aid in diagnosis. In fact, this edition contains 35 per cent more illustrations than the previous edition.The AGCSA currently has a handful of copies of Compendium of Turfgrass Diseases (Third Edition) for the special sale price of $98 for AGCSA members (normally $178) or $110 for non-members (normally $205). If you would like to take advantage of this sale price contact the AGCSA on (03) 9548 8600.ORDER FORM - ORDERS CAN ALSO BE EMAILED TO info@agcsa.com.auName: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................Postal Address: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................City/Suburb: .......................................................................................................................State: .................................................................Postcode: .............................................................................Daytime Phone Number/Mobile: ..................................................................... Please supply the following books:QTY BOOK TITLE AUTHOR PRICE ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Subtotal: .......................................................... Please add postage ($9.90 for the first book, Each additional book $1.10 per book) I enclose my cheque/money order made payable to the AGCSA, or Total now due: $ ............................................ Please charge this purchase to my credit card accountMastercard VisaCard Number: ................................................................................................................................. Expiry Date: ............................. / ................................................................................................... Cardholder Name: .......................................................................................................................... Address: .......................................................................................................................................... Email: ...............................................................................................................................................Signature: ........................................................................................................................................Send completed order form and payments to:Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre752 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168 Phone: (03) 9548 8600 Fax: (03) 9548 8622 Email: info@agcsa.com.auCompendium of Turfgrass Diseases (Third Edition)By Richard W. Smiley, Peter H. Dernoeden and Bruce B. ClarkeAPS Press, 2005On sale $98 (AGCSA members) or $110 (non-members)60 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSTGCSAThe final TGCSA meeting of 2009 was hosted by Tasmania Golf Club (superintendent Dan Gilligan) on 8 December. John Geary from the AGCSA gave two presentations on the AGCSA Water Management Initiative and Australian Golf Environment Initiative. A BBQ lunch and the North v South Golf Challenge finished off the day.Most areas in the south of the state have had their best annual rainfall figures for many years. At the time of writing this report Hobart had received 736mm which is well above the average of 505mm. Launceston had received 656mm, a little above average, while at Devonport on the north west coast the rainfall was unusually well below average with 595mm.TGCSA committeeman Kane McDonald (Devonport Golf Club) is putting together a quarterly newsletter for the association. Kane would appreciate any news and is looking for any info you may have to put in it. Anything will be considered, whether it™s a position vacant ad, a funny story, a good joke, a bit of info on a disease, weed or pest you may have eradicated, innovations at your club, or even something you may want to sell. For trade reps, if you would like to advertise a special for that period or any new products, please let the association know. Kane can be contacted on 0417 557 488 or by emailing uthinkuknowme4@hotmail.com.The Tasmanian Government has changed the TAFE structure and moved away from the old name. The training has been divided into three areas with traineeships and apprenticeships now coming under the name Tasmanian Skills Institute. Mark Potter has continued to make improvements state- wide with handling and assessing the training. Golf clubs/councils seem to be employing apprentices again and the TGCSA is working closely with Mark and hopes this positive trend will continue.Congratulations to Kingston Beach Golf Club which has secured the rights to host the Tasmanian Open Golf Championships for 2010 and 2011. It is the first time the club has held the three-day event for 26 years. The Open will run from 5-7 February and the TGCSA wishes course superintendent Adrian Box and his staff all the best for the event.Finally, proposed locations have been pencilled in for next year™s TGCSA meetings with dates to be confirmed closer to the event. At this stage we have outlined the following: North west meeting, late February; Two-day seminar at Barnbougle Dunes, mid-May; August AGM and Reg Roberts Trophy in Launceston; and End of year social day in the south.The TGCSA board wishes everyone a safe and restful Christmas break.STEVE LEWISPRESIDENT, TGCSAGolf courses in the south of Tasmania, like Royal Hobart, have experienced a wetter than normal 2009 with 736mm falling to December, more than 200mm above the averageAs another year winds up we sit back and review our activities and how we fared during this time. Despite a difficult financial climate we have had a very successful year. Our sponsorship support has exceeded our expectations and we are very grateful to all the companies involved with our organisation. Membership continues to grow at a steady pace particularly through good attendance at our events and many long-term supportive members. The successful marketing of our association through our magazine, calendar and events has spread the word promoting STA and the great industry in which we work.On 13 November we held our annual Sportsman™s Charity Event at Parramatta Leagues Club. There were over 170 people entertained by our guest speaker, Canterbury rugby league star Brett Kimmorley, MC Steve Allan and magician Ace McDermott. The focus for this year™s event was to allow plenty of socialising time for guests and a fun environment. The chosen charity this year was Movember, selected due to the very male oriented industry in which we work. Movember is a great organisation promoting men™s health and many thanks to all the guests who attended and the companies who donated items for the event. 2010 is going to be a big year for STA. We celebrate 10 years as an association and we have plenty happening during the year. We will hit off the year with our golf day at Strathfield Golf Course on Tuesday 2 March. For all the details on our events for 2010 and a full write up on the Sportsman™s Charity Event, go to our website www.sportsturf.asn.au.On behalf of the STA NSW committee I would like to wish you all a very happy and safe Christmas and New Year.GRAEME LOGANPRESIDENT, STA NSWSTA NSWAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 61What a month September was for rain across the state and it just proved that couch greens in Melbourne can still survive a wet cold spring. From all reports nobody had any major issues with their couch greens during the wet weeks, but now with a hot summer looming we can only hope to remain out of Stage 4 restrictions. In saying that, however, we are starting to get used to these dry conditions and many greenkeepers have changed their programmes to suit the adverse conditions which have prevailed over the past few years.The VGA seeded couch trials at Fawkner BC have started with the old top being cut down and sprayed out for the 95 per cent weed cover on it. It has been rotary hoed, soil amendments added and the first rink has been seeded. We are hoping for germination to be visible by early December. The couch variety that we have chosen is Vera Cruz and all information on this trial is available through our website www.victaga.com or by contacting Dyson Appleyard on 0411 629 564 or James Hood on 0415 188 451.The site at Rosamond BC, where we will be trialling a couch variety called Sovereign, will begin in late December. For information regarding this site please contact Warren Maynard on 0417 551 135.While there has been a continual trickle of membership fee payments, the VGA has highlighted the following problems: Cheques with no indication of whom it is from;Company cheques with no reference to the actual member; Cheques for two membership fees but only one member name referenced; andPayments made by direct debit but no reference to the member concerned.Currently we have 54 fully paid members but unfortunately only a handful have forwarded their contact details. The printing of the newsletter while an important aspect of our communication process is a drain on funds that could be put to better use if members would supply their e-mail addresses.Our 2010 events calendar is out now so make sure you diary the following: K & B Adams Pairs, Princes Park BC, Thursday 18 MarchGolf & Bowling Machinery Singles, Sunbury BC, Thursday 29 AprilVGA Annual General Meeting, TBAVGA Tifdwarf Tour, Tuesday 27-Thursday 29 JulyDYSON APPLEYARDVICE-PRESIDENT, VGAVGA62 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSGCSAQAt the time of writing this report Queensland is experiencing very dry conditions and high fire danger. There are many reports of dams and creeks drying up around the state and water tables as low as they have ever been. It™s amazing what Mother Nature can hand out, especially considering earlier in the year we were inundated with water. The Wet N Wild GCSAQ Christmas Party was another great success and thanks are due to Dean Scullion from e-par for their sponsorship. Well done to Dave Morrison (Windaroo Lakes) and Brian Cox (Murwillumbah) for all their work organising the day.The GCSAQ Turf Research Golf Day at The Glades was held in November and was a great success with a record field participating. The Glades GC was in stunning condition and is a credit to host superintendent Ben Baumann and his crew. Dave Hanby™s Hydro Pumping & Controls team took out the honours with Dave explaining that it™s not how you play the game but who you pick in your team that™s most important. Low markers Danny Brown (Royal Queensland) and Robin Doodson (Sanctuary Cove) combined with Dave and his electrician Bryan Ranger to start off 5-under after four holes and continue that form to go on and win comfortably. Ashley Peel™s Turf Irrigation Services team was runner up and Paul McLean left the start of course renovations to 2IC Dave Hobday to lead his Royal Pines Resort team to the best gross score for the day. GCSAQ secretary Mark Hauff™s Colonial GC picked up the special Club Trophy and nearest the pins and long drives were shared by Gary Lengren (Club Pelican), Jason Foster (Globe), Lisa Williams (Colonial GC), Brendon Hill (Country Club) and Headland GC representatives Alec Meares and Brent Dalby. Oh, and Jon Penberthy™s Redlands Research Station team had best stick to research as they won the Bradman Trophy for the second year running! The Queensland Golf Industry Awards will be presented on Tuesday 2 March in the Presidential Ballroom at the Sebel and Citigate King George Square Hotel in Brisbane. The GCSAQ is a proud partner of this event with four awards presented on our behalf.Finally, they say that a certain Gold Coast superintendent, who shall remain anonymous, didn™t realise that a passport was needed to travel to New Zealand. After some frantic forwarding of said passport at considerable expense, he made it across the Ditch only to leave his passport behind at his first motel stop. You would think that a superintendent of a course which hosts an internationally televised ladies golf tournament, won by Karrie Webb six times, would know better, wouldn™t you? Have a great Christmas.PETER LONERGANPRESIDENT, GCSAQDave Hanby (left) and Robin Doodson took home the spoils at the GCSAQ Turf Research Golf Day at The GladesTGAA ACTThe warm weather in the ACT during November saw many turf surfaces across the region under considerable stress. This period is traditionally a tricky one for turf managers as we transition our irrigation programming from winter/spring to summer cycles. Dam levels have remained steady even with no significant rainfall and water restrictions are still being enforced with consumption steadily increasing due to the conditions. Hopefully by the time this goes to print we will have received some respite in the form of summer rain.The TGAA ACT committee is busy deciding on topics to be covered in the 2010 seminar. Some topics being considered are fertigation and injection systems, filtration and water quality, and sub-surface irrigation. There will also be a discussion on the pros and cons of artificial turf and its impact on the turf industry. The pre-seminar workshop that was such a success this year will be held again with sprinklers, pumping systems and wetland filters being demonstrated.The annual golf day has been brought forward to 11 March and will be held at the Gold Creek Country Club. Whack it in the diary now as it™s always a great event.The coveted Living Turf Apprentice of the Year Award interviews will be held in December with the winner announced in January. Good luck to the four students who have made it to the interview stage. That™s all from the nation™s capital! On behalf of the TGAA ACT committee I™d like to wish you all a safe and happy festive season.BROCK WESTONCOMMITTEE, TGAA ACTAUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 63As summer hits hard we move into what is expected to be another long and arduous period for Victorian superintendents and course staff. Again we have had below average rainfalls and it is expected harsher restrictions will be placed on certain areas of the state. I can only wish all superintendents the best for this coming summer and hope you survive what is set to be another tough one.It was great to witness the resurgence in Australian golf following the recent Australian Masters at Kingston Heath Golf Club. Tiger Woods stepped onto our shores and not since the days when Greg Norman was at his height was there this sort of interest in the game. Golf was again the talk of the country and made the national headlines on both the front and back pages. Some may scoff at the appearance money paid to Tiger Woods but that was certainly paid back in spades and more with the publicity and corporate interest that was shown. Golf in Australia was put back on the map and talking with other superintendents around the state an influx of golfers was experienced during and after the tournament. The eyes of the world and Australia were on Kingston Heath that week and all credit must go to superintendent Martin Greenwood and his staff for producing a fantastic product. The golf course was in exceptional condition and stood strong throughout the entire event. It is a credit to a club that can change the course layout and have a 19th hole worthy to be played in the Masters. Now that the circus has left the clean up begins and that is no enviable task. Being at Kingston Heath on Thursday I saw many members of the public that didn™t appreciate or consider what they were trampling on or climbing into in order to get a better view of Tiger. VGCSA formalities concluded with the hosting of our second Gala Dinner at Huntingdale Golf Club in early December. This night again proved to be very successful and we presented numerous awards including the VGCSA Recognition Awards for both superintendent and trade. It was a great way to finish off the year and everyone was able to farewell the year in a comfortable and relaxed environment.This year™s superintendent Recognition Award went to Anglesea Golf Club™s Brett Balloch. Brett has been around the association for a long time and has held different positions on the VGCSA committee over the years. Brett has also encouraged and supported other superintendents in the industry whenever required and is a fitting winner of this award. The trade Recognition Award went to the ever-popular Ted Boltong (Ative Safety). Ted has been around our industry for many years and is always helpful and welcoming to all new members of the association. Congratulations to both recipients. The VGCSA has now committed to an industry awards night with the PGA. We will be presenting recognition awards for a superintendent and trade member as well as the apprenticeship award. We hope by bringing all the golfing associations together on the night we can continue to grow as an industry. Have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.BRETT CHIVERS,PRESIDENT, VGCSAVGCSAHidden Valley Golf and Country Club (course superintendent Mick O™Shannessy) plays host to the first VGCSA meeting of 2010Mt Lofty and Mt Osmond golf clubs were joint venues for the final SAGCSA members meeting for 2009 in early November. The theme for the day was tree maintenance and safety and our guest speaker was consulting arborist Gordon Sykes. Gordon highlighted some of the key maintenance issues relating to predominately eucalypts and other large trees. He covered topics ranging from correct root pruning techniques to pest and disease identification. His talk was very informative and he invoked plenty of discussion. Chad Dawe was host superintendent at Mt Lofty and opened some eyes when he revealed rainfall stats and associated maintenance issues. Sam Fraser was our host at Mt Osmond. Sam is the assistant superintendent there and capably filled in for Barry Bryant who was recovering from a hip operation. I would like to thank Chad and Sam for their hospitality and for their professionalism on the day. Globe Australia invited Matthew Holmes from Syngenta who earlier in the day launched the new fungicide Headway Maxx. Adelaide seems to be breaking temperature records every year now. Our latest achievement is the longest November heat wave which saw temperatures soar above 30 degrees for 10 days straight between the 7th and 16th. Up to 24 November we had 12 days that exceeded 37 degrees and on the 19th we set the November record with 43 degrees. The long-term average November maximum is 24.9 compared to 32.2 for the first 24 days this year. Thankfully things have started to cool down and we have picked up some rain. Our next meeting will be in late February at Mt Barker Golf Club and should be an interesting day. Superintendent Sam Sherriff has been working with Daryl Sellar on trialling different greens renovation techniques and the results will be revealed at the meeting. The meetings theme is ‚renovating old greens™ and we hope to have several sponsors demonstrating renovation equipment.On behalf of the SAGCSA Board I would like to wish you all a very happy and safe festive season and I hope you all have a very merry Christmas. ANDREW BLACKERPRESIDENT, SAGCSASAGCSA64 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENTSTATE REPORTSTGAA VICAfter my last report which mentioned the rain we were having and the wonderful spring conditions, I must have jinxed us all. Melbourne went on to experience one of its hottest starts to November on record, but thankfully some rain eventually fell with more than 60mm recorded in one weekend (our average for November).TGAA VIC recently held its Summer Seminar and what a fantastic day it was. The event was held at Strathmore Cricket Club and sponsored by the Village Green Group which launched its new Village Green kikuyu variety. More than 120 delegates attended the seminar and speakers on the day ranged form from Ken Johnson talking on the breeding of Village Green to Terry Cole talking about SDI and its benefits. Lee Govan from Nuturf spoke about some products that can help in the growing of warm-season grasses and Scott Widdicombe spoke about his council™s approach to warm-season grasses and their management. Jim Marchbank provided an insight as to how all of this came together for the redevelopment of the ground.We were also very fortunate to hear from Tony Kelly from Yarra Valley Water. Tony spoke on water restrictions and the turf industry and it was great to see the relationship between our industry and Yarra Valley Water going from strength to strength. Special guest was Les Burdett who spoke about the Adelaide Oval redevelopment works, including new grandstands and the ground itself. He also let us in on a few funny tales from his many years spent working on the ground.Looking ahead, our Regional Seminar has been set down for 9 March 2010 and our 2010 calendar will be out soon. On behalf of the committee I would like to thank all of our sponsors and members for such a wonderful year and look forward to next year™s events. NATHAN TOVEYPRESIDENT, TGAA VIC On behalf of all NZGCSA members I trust you will all enjoy the festive season and hope that the new year starts well for all. As we look forward to another year we all reflect on the previous, the highlights and sadly the lesser moments that affect us all, whether it™s in our work or personal lives. Sadly, employment and health issues seem to have become more prevalent and a lot of the good and wonderful achievements of our profession are quickly overshadowed. We need to take more time to celebrate and bask in the glory of what is achieved by all our members.2010 will see a major overhaul of our awards programme and I am delighted to announce through the generous and continued sponsorship of John Deere the launching of the NZGCSA Excellence Award. This award aims to recognise a golf course superintendent who has achieved a high standard of presentation by improvements on their golf course through changed maintenance and management techniques, new innovations or construction.This award will replace the NZGCSA Fellowship Award which John Deere has sponsored for the past 16 years. Our thanks must go to Rene Lubers for his enthusiasm and commitment to this and the hard work he and NZGCSA board member Grant Bunting have put into this project.With no major turf conference to be held in 2010, it is the time for the smaller seminars to take centre stage. The South Island Fine Turf Seminar will be held in Queenstown from 2-5 May, while the North Island Fine Turf Seminar will be held from 23-25 May in Napier. Finally, congratulations has to go to Ian Douglas and all his staff involved in another wonderfully put together New Zealand Open at The Hills in Queenstown. Ian and his team once again showcased this fabulous course and destination and did us all in the greenkeeping fraternity proud. PETER BOYDPRESIDENT, NZGCSANZGCSASpring rains have topped up the dams a bit but with 573mm year to date (1 December) we are still well below the yearly average of 850mm. It was a dryer than normal lead in to winter with only 211mm at the end of June. This brought about a knee-jerk reaction from the Department of Water which imposed a winter sprinkler ban from Perth to Bunbury and east to Kalgoorlie.A sprinkler ban group was quickly formed, which included representation from the GCSAWA, to come up with recommendations for next year™s permanent winter sprinkler bans from 1 July to 30 August. The working group has been able to highlight the industry™s concerns and has forwarded a list of exemptions which include greens and tees, irrigation maintenance and watering in of pesticides. These haven™t been confirmed but are likely to be accepted. What has been confirmed is that the trial ban will be permanent next year although the ban area will be reduced.The Phosphorous Reduction Group also has been formed to reduce the amount of phosphorous in major WA waterways. The GCSAWA is a part of the end users group which is to provide guidelines for fertiliser application. The aim is to reduce phosphorous mainly through reducing the amount in fertiliser bags to a maximum of 1 per cent as well as a re-visit of the Guidelines for the Maintenance and Establishment of Turfgrass. 2010 is looking to be a great year in WA with our membership base strong, representation on various groups positive and our financial situation solid. This can only be achieved with the committee group on hand and their efforts have been outstanding. And finally, congratulations to Callum Hitching on taking out this year™s Golf Masters Cup.DARREN WILSONPRESIDENT, GCSAWAGCSAWA26th Australian Trade Exhibition Gold Coast, Queensland 21-25 June 2010Booth bookings now open!Contact Melissa Wallace on 03 9548 8600 How The Hydrovar reduces maintenance costThe Hydrovar software is designed specifically for centrifugal pump operation, control and protection. The Hydrovar can thus be setup to protect the pump from operating under various unfavourable conditions eg. cavitation, operating against closed head, low NPSHa or operation past a pumps maximum flow rate. The Hydrovar will automatically shut down and alarm if adverse conditions occur.The Hydrovar provides the Golf Course Superintendent with the flexibility of watering as required with substantial savings on installation, power usage and maintenance. For details about the experience of some of Australia and New Zealands most prestigious Golf Clubs who have installed Hydrovar pumping systems, contact the Lowara distributors nearest you.LOWARADelivering Pumping SolutionsRChristchurchPhone (03) 365 0279 Fax (03) 366 6616Auckland Phone (09) 525 8282 Fax (09) 525 8284Melbourne Phone (03) 9793 9999 Fax (03) 9793 0022Sydney Phone (02) 9671 3666 Fax (02) 9671 3644Brisbane Phone (07) 3200 6488 Fax (07) 3200 3822Email info@brownbros.com.auWeb Site www.brownbros.com.auOne of two LOWARA Dual SV92 Hydrovar controlled irrigation pump sets installed at the Virginia Golf Club in Brisbane by Australian Irrigation Services. Barry Lemke (pictured right) the Club Superintendent said fi he is very pleased with the trouble free operation and considers the efficiency and simplicity of the Hydrovar system far superior to the manual pump system it replaced fi. Australian Irrigation Services Dean Smith ( pictured left ) said fi he had now installed several LOWARA Hydrovar systems at Golf Courses in Brisbane with very pleasing resultsfi. The second LOWARA Dual SV92 Hydrovar controlled irrigation pump set will be put into service later this year.What is The Hydrovar?The Hydrovar has gained a reputation as THE pump mounted microprocessor pumping system controller. But it does much more than just change motor speed.It actually manages the performance of the pump to match a wide range of system conditions and requirements.The Hydrovar is fully programmable on site as it incorporates the microprocessor and the variable drive in one compact and unique packageHow The Hydrovar reduces energy consumptionMost applications involve the pump operating either along its full speed performance curve or the pumps performance is throttled or regulated by a valve. The Hydrovar eliminates these operating methods by regulating pump speed and hence output to match the system demand. This saves wasted energy traditionally lost in these conventional pump systems. Energy savings of up to 70% can be realized. (figure 1)