CELEBRATING THE EFFORTS OF AUSTRALIA’S TURF MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS Gil Hanse on RSGC masterplan, superintendents and Rio New surface for Westpac Stadium How will your course look in 5,10,20 years’time? WORLD CUP While the cool spring did the turf surfaces few favours, it did mean the heathland bloomed later than normal and right on time for the tournament Kingston Heath assistant Jarrod Castle and volunteer Jacob Burridge change holes on the 4th Liam Small (left) and Paul Locke cut the practice green ahead of the opening round of the World Cup when the mercury finally crept above 30. Add to that heavy spring rains (in total the five months to the end of October saw Kingston Heath record nearly 400mm) and Mead was wondering what he’d done to deserve such rotten luck. “We just couldn’t win with the couchgrass,” reflects Mead. “It was one of the most difficult preparations I’ve had for a tournament. If we didn’t have the tournament it would've been ideal - there was no heat stress on the bentgrass, no handwatering of greens needed or any of those sorts of pressures. Our biggest issues were the lack of control with the Poa and the cool spring which meant we never got the recovery on the fairways. It was very frustrating. “You get sick of talking about it, but like a lot of other clubs we have been really struggling with Poa control on our warm-season surfaces in recent times. We’ve had a lot more success on the greens over the past 6-12 months and they're probably cleaner than the fairways! We’ve tried different things on the fairways but nothing seems to be working. Fortunately the club have been really supportive and we communicated to them right the way through the issues we were having. And they can see that it’s not just us. They play at other clubs and see there are similar issues at those courses too. “About 2-3 months out from the World Cup we had a lot of thin areas of couch due to wear 8 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMEN and tear over winter which we didn’t do anything about because we expected them to grow over. But because it was so cool they never did. As a result we started pushing the couch harder and harder but we started getting some fertiliser burn on the lush new foliage coming through. It seemed that every time we put something on we were damaging the couch. It got to the stage where we just had to let them be and even a week and a half before the tournament we still had some visible burn marks which thankfully had gone by the time it started. “The only additional thing we did that we hadn't planned on was an extra application of iron and dye to try and heat the leaf up and get it moving because we weren't getting any response from our granular. I’m not sure whether that really worked or not. But they came okay by the week of the tournament after a couple of warmer days. They were always going to be a good surface but we didn’t quite have the density there that we would have liked. The ironic thing is that post-tournament those thin areas became the thickest areas!” FEELING THE HEAT The fun didn't end with the fairways and it was the turn of the greens in the days immediately leading up to the tournament to give Mead some further frustration. Up until the weekend before the tournament, Mead had the greens right where he wanted them. A thankfully dry November meant he had been able to fine-tune moisture levels and achieve the trademark firmness and bounce that Melbourne’s sandbelt greens are renowned for. But on the Saturday and Sunday, just as the first of the 28 two-man teams for the World Cup were arriving, so too did the heat. On Saturday it hit 34, with the hot, still conditions providing the first real litmus test for the bentgrass that season. That was followed by 38 and howling northerlies on Sunday and then, just to again prove that bad things happen in threes, that evening 11mm of rain fell across the course and temperatures plummeted to 18. As well as softening the greens, the rain and heat triggered a flush of growth which slowed them down and right the way until the opening round Mead was still chasing green speed. “Again it was very frustrating,” recalls Mead. “Up until that weekend we had the greens right where we wanted them, but the heat and the rain undid all that unfortunately. That Saturday was the first real heat we had had and I was very mindful of it damaging the bentgrass. so we had a lot of guys out handwatering. Then it got to 38 on Sunday! We didn’t cut the greens at all that day and just nursed them through. They actually got through better that day than Saturday. “But then we got the rain, a massive flush of growth and the speeds dropped down to 10. We didn’t want to over-react and pull them back up to 12 straight away so we just slowly brought them back up. We had planned to just single cut at 3mm in the morning and roll in the afternoon but that ended up changing a bit and some days we double cut in the morning and cut select greens in the afternoon. “Overall, we were very happy with the way the course looked when the tournament started, but we weren't quite happy with the way it was playing. The greens were pretty slow at the start but by the end of the tournament they were back to a level where we were happier with them.” FLICKING THE SWITCH While not a lot went right for Mead in the lead- up to the World Cup, there was one aspect of his preparations that did. Back in June, Kingston Heath made the headlines on social media when 1116SEN radio presenter and former professional golfer Mark Allen posted a photo on Twitter of an SGL (Stadium Grow Lighting) artificial light rig stationed on Kingston Heath’s famous 3rd green. The photo created quite a stir and prompted a flurry of discussion throughout the industry with Mead fielding a number of calls from his fellow superintendents to see what he was up to. Artificial light rigs have become commonplace at many major sporting arenas around the world in recent years. Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium was among the first in Australia to adopt the technology, with the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and ANZ Stadium quickly following suit. Their use on golf courses, however, is almost unheard of (with the exception of Augusta National), but with one problematic green in particular Mead decided to get innovative. Kingston Heath's 3rd green, which played as the 4th during the World Cup, has always been a problem child, with Mead and his crew constantly having to micromanage it compared to the others. The smallest green on course, due to its undulations there are only three pinable areas. As a result there is a lot of wear and tear, especially on the back right section of the green. In addition, because it’s a short par four, most second shots hit the green hard and leave a lot of pitch marks. Despite being taken out of play regularly during winter as part of the club’s rotation policy (Kingston Heath has 19 holes), it has remained a battle to get a consistent surface. According to Mead over the past 20 years the 3rd green has been re-turfed four times and with the prospect of a fifth looming, after the winter of 2015 the decision was made to look at alternate methods. The club investigated a number of options - everything from SubAir units, fans and underground heating - before deciding to look further into growth lights. Mead subsequently spent time with MCG arenas operations manager Tony Gordon learning about the benefits they provide and armed with that information went to the Kingston Heath committee which approved the purchase of 12-metre long SGL rig and generator. All up they cost S50,000. Mead officially flicked the switch on the rig in the first week of June and between then and a month Kingston Heath's iconic 15th. The A1 bentgrass greens were kept at 3mm for the World Cup Volunteers (from left) Jason Whelan, Mai Grundy and Kiwis Matt Ellis and Jared Mcpadden out from the tournament rotated its usage around the green, with priority on the pin locations. The rig covers an area of 50m2 and ran between 8-10 hours per day (primarily overnight - the generator is hooked up to a timer) and also during the day when the hole was out of play. Mead says employing the rig was very much trial and error, but the end result vindicated the decision to go down a path that no other golf club in Australia has before. “We saw a massive difference with the surface on that green through the winter," explains Mead. “As Tony (Gordon) told me when we were doing research into them, the light rigs don’t grow grass, they maintain what you’ve already got. That’s the biggest thing we saw - the surface didn’t go backwards at all over winter and the turf jumped out of winter a lot quicker than in the past. We also used it on the new clubhouse putting green to assist with wear and tear. WORLD CUP OF GOLF Superintendent: Hayden Mead. Assistant superintendent: Jarrod Castle. Turf technician: John Angliss. Turf: Greens: Penn A1 creeping bentgrass (HOC 3mm); Surrounds: Santa Ana couchgrass (7mm); Fairways: Santa Ana and Wintergreen couchgrass (9mm); Tees: Wintergreen and Santa Ana couchgrass (5mm); Roughs: Mix of couchgrass varieties (50mm). Preparations: After the flush of growth due to the heat and rain, green speeds were down to 10 on Tuesday. With the Pro-Am on Wednesday, greens were given a morning single cut and afternoon roll. Ahead of the first round, the greens were double cut and then single cut in the afternoon, with the 1st, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th also rolled. For the remaining rounds greens were single cut and stimped between 12-12.5. Tournament crew: 33. A total of 14 volunteers joined the Kingston Heath maintenance crew for the World Cup, among them course superintendents - KINGSTON HEATH Mal Grundy (Murray Bridge GC, SA), Ben Tilley (Headland Golf Club, Old) and Paul Locke (Freeway GC, Vic), as well as assistant superintendents Aaron Dale (Tocumwal Golf Club, NSW), Adam Fry (Kooyonga GC, SA), Jacob Burridge (Peninsula Kingswood CGC), Jason Whelan (Barnbougle Lost Farm) and Matt Ellis (Royal Auckland, NZ). Bunker rakers: In addition to the course volunteers, Mead also arranged for senior greenkeeping staff from other Victorian clubs to act as bunker rakers. Not wanting rakes out on the course during the tournament, the club sought approval from World Cup organisers to have a bunker raker walk with each group. Among those to rake bunkers were superintendents Adam Lamb (Barwon Heads GC) VGCSA president Mat Poultney (Green Acres GC), David Warnaar (Warrnambool GC), Matt McLeod (Cobram-Barooga GC), Chris Allen (Keysborough GC), Ryan Irwin (Waterford Valley) and Steve Hewitt (13th Beach) JANUARY-FEBRUARY 201 9 WORLD CUP Far right: Scottish seasonal greenkeeper Gareth Braid cuts the 18th green surround with the fairway crew looming large in the background Right: Volunteer Bentley Conn attacks Kingston Heath's bunkers Aaron Dale (Tocumwal GC) was one of 14 course volunteers at the World Cup of Golf “We also trialled the rig on some of our championship tees to help bring the couchgrass out of dormancy a little quicker, but didn’t really get a great result. People have the idea that the rigs actually heat up the ground, but it’s the additional light which is the main benefit. So, we’ve definitely seen a huge advantage and will be using it again this year from about April onwards. It does take a few man hours throughout winter to move around and set up, but from the results we have had to date it is well worth the extra effort." ‘SCARY BEAUTIFUL’ Regardless of all the challenges faced by Mead and his crew, by the time Danes Thorbjorn Olesen and Soren Kjeldsen had lifted the rather cumbersome World Cup of Golf trophy aloft on the 18th green on Sunday, it was unanimous that Kingston Heath had turned on a show befitting the world stage. Players, officials, spectators and commentators alike all marvelled at Kingston Heath’s presentation, both in terms of the playing surfaces and the incredible landscape which was on full display. Olesen, after his Friday round, stated: “It’s one of the best courses I’ve ever played, no question about it. We’ve been talking about it all week; you could play this course for the rest of your life every day. It’s a pleasure to be here.” Ian Baker-Finch, who is always one to make special mention of the efforts of the course superintendent and their crew during his commentary, even sent a text message to Mead early on in the tournament congratulating him on how good the course looked. At the end of their final round presentations Mead and his tournament crew gathered in the sheds for one final breakfast before being addressed by the PGA of Australia’s Andrew Langford-Jones and World Cup of Golf executive director Matt Kamienski. Langford-Jones, a member of Kingston Heath said: “I’m pretty lucky in that I get to travel from tournament to tournament and see some great courses, but can I just say the course here this week is simply world class. All the players are telling us that and you should all be immensely proud of what you have achieved.” Kamienski echoed those sentiments and also teased a little regarding the impending announcement of the Presidents Cup which returns to Melbourne in 2019: “I take my hat off to you guys. You are the hardest workers out there and what you’ve put out there this week for the best players in the world is phenomenal. Kingston Heath has made a presentation to host the Presidents Cup in 2019. We haven’t made a decision yet on the venue, but I can tell you right now, before I came down here I would have said 99 per cent that we were going to Royal Melbourne. After this week it’s definitely going to be a much harder decision and that’s a testament to what you guys have done with this golf course.” However, it was Spain’s Jon Rahm who would come up with the quote of the tournament. Rahm, who turned professional after finishing as the low amateur in the 2016 US Open and who went on to collect his first US PGA Tour win this January, encapsulated perfectly the feelings of most players: “Well, the golf course is absolutely beautiful. It’s scary beautiful. I think the bunkering on this course is probably about as good as I’ve ever seen in my life.” -L Adam Fry came across from Adelaide's Kooyonga Golf Club to volunteer for the tournament The Kingston Heath World Cup crew with tournament victors Thorbjorn Olesen (left) and Soren Kjeldsen from Denmark 10 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 1 ISPS'. HANOA ORIO CUP 06 G< The research-backed wetting agent proven to be the strongest. Tri Cure -------------------------A qua-Dynamics Flexible use rates Strength as a penetrant Prevents LDS in the toughest dimates Even soil moisture distribution oasis turf 14 Sonia Street, Carrum Downs VIC 3201 ■ (03) 9708 2911 www.oasisturf.com.au N O S N B O R I T T E R B H T I W . D A E M N E D Y A H D N A Y A R R U M R E T E P : S O T O H P D N A S D R O W WORLD CUP The right hand side of the 1st green at Kingston Heath is just one example of the successful regeneration works that the club is currently undertaking as part of a comprehensive Botanic, beauty1 • . ir A.StVÀ U HEATHLAND REGENERATION AREA BUGGIES PROHIBITED The course aside, what makes Kingston Heath truly one of the world's most unique golf establishments is its vegetation which was on full display when the World Cup of Golf visited last November. It’s fair to say that Kingston Heath Golf Club horticulturist Peter Murray probably has a love- hate relationship when it comes to major golf tournaments. While on the one hand it's great to see the course presented at its immaculate best for the world’s elite players, for the unique floral community which Murray helps to nurture and maintain it can be a very stressful time. Murray has been responsible for Kingston Heath’s vegetation since arriving at the club in 2010 and together with Jake Hartley (who is currently doing an apprenticeship in conservation land management) ensures that the club’s prized vegetation is preserved, protected and enhanced. Murray is passionate about the club’s landscape and plant community and rightly so as it houses some rare and beautiful species. Kingston Heath’s vegetation is renowned within the Melbourne sandbelt region and is classed as mainly ‘sand heathland’ to ‘damp heathland'. These classes are becoming increasingly rare as urban sprawl encroaches on their habitat. Many of the plants that belong to the ‘sand heathland’ group can be found at Kingston Heath, among them Epacris impressa (common heath) which, not surprisingly, is represented on the club's emblem. There are a few other species of ‘heath’ that also call Kingston Heath home. Although in small numbers, these species are currently being propagated and slowly reintroduced in selected areas across the 60 hectare site. The club works heavily with local indigenous plant nurseries Greenlink Sandbelt and Bayside Nursery to help bring these species back and to date they have been used in over 10 revegetation sites on the course, mostly as part of works to tee carries and out of play areas. Epacris impressa is not the easiest plant to propagate and has been one of the success stories for the club. This species was down to just a single individual in 2010, however, the plant is now in abundance with over 80 stands around the course. With further plantings planned this year the population will be well over 100. There are many other plants growing at Kingston Heath that could be considered rare outside of the course. With initial low numbers of these plants, over the past six years they have been slowly reintroduced thanks to the efforts of Murray and the local nurseries. These include Astroloma humifusum (cranberry heath), Acrotriche serrulata (honey pots), Leucopogon virgatus (common beard heath), Monotoca scorparia (prickly broom heath) and Hibbertia riparia (erect guinea flower), as well as hakeas and many species of orchid. Pultenaea dentata (clustered bush pea) is the only rare Australian plant at Kingston Heath and very rare in Melbourne with only a few colonies remaining. This plant has been propagated since 2012 and the club now has a large number in the nursery and in the ground, as well as a good seed bank. The Pultenaea re-appeared in 2011 after some soil disturbance during a revegetation project. Not knowing what the plant was, Murray installed a tree guard over the plant and waited for it to flower before getting it identified. It was taken to Greenlink 12 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMEN1 Sandbelt with manager Louise Door giving it the botanical ‘thumbs up'. The Pultenaea is short­ lived so it produces vast numbers of seeds, which explains why it is so rare. When undertaking any revegetation works, planning starts about 18 months ahead of work to ensure the plants can be grown or ordered from nurseries. The preferred option is to use cuttings and seed that have been collected from the course so the providence of the plant is assured. PROTECTION AND RESTORATION Since 2014, Kingston Heath has implemented a vegetation master plan which has seen a vast amount of work completed around the course to enhance the landscape. The document covers all proposed revegetation works as well as the club’s plan to increase areas of fine cut turf to reduce thick couchgrass roughs. All works have been approved by the club's General Committee and each year Murray and course superintendent Hayden Mead prioritise what works will be done (the plan will likely run through until 2019). A key component of the master plan is the revegetation of selected areas and to date nine tee carries (on holes 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17 and 18) have been completed along with seven other areas around the course. Two of the most successful areas to be revegetated include the 7th tee carry, once a very wet and weed-infested part of the course, along with an area around the greenside bunkers to the right of the 1st green. Murray rates the latter as one of the most satisfying carried out as part of the plan to date. Completing the work in 2014, this area comprised the region’s typical ‘grey sand' soil types which can sometimes be compromised if removed or replaced. The sand heathland species only like the grey sands to grow in or else they struggle to survive. After planting of this area was completed, the area was watered well and with good follow up rains flourished. The area remains easy to manage as far Above: Pultenaea dentata (clustered bush pea) is the only rare Australian plant at Kingston Heath Above left: Many of the plants that belong to the ‘sand heathland' group can be found at Kingston Heath, among them Epacris impressa (common heath). In 2010 this species was down to just a single individual but now is thriving YOUR FAVOURITE SPRAYERS ARE NOW BACK IN STOCK! Exclusive to david golf / david turf INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH COMPRESSION SPRAYER BACKPACK SPRAYER SPECIALTY SPRAYER 2 Gallon Compression Sprayer • 7.5 Litre capacity compression sprayer. • Pressure relief valve for ultimate safety. • Includes nylon shoulder strap. Code: FG-190462 No-Leak Backpack Sprayer • 15 Litre no-leak backpack sprayer. • Internal piston pump design. • Deluxe shoulder harness with storage area for nozzles and cushion back and adjustable lumbar support. 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Given the amount of work that has gone into enhancing Kingston Heath’s landscape over the past two years, when it was announced that the World Cup of Golf was to be played at the course, Murray set in place a plan to not only have the landscape at its best for the tournament but also to protect it. In addition to weeding out all the indigenous vegetation areas in the lead-up to the tournament, Murray also made the call to actually remove select plants from the course and place them in the onsite nursery. Murray explains: “With the tournament in mind, we made the decision to remove between 20-30 plants that had the potential to be damaged by the spectator galleries,” says Murray. “Most plants can handle being trampled or damaged, but some of the more difficult to grow species don't respond too well. The Epacris impressa and Pultenaea dentata for instance are both very sensitive. Those plants that we removed from the course before the World Cup were put into large pots and placed in the indigenous plant shade house and will be replanted in 2017 when the cooler months arrive. “The protection of these plants was not difficult as we had planned well in the past as to the 14 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS JAGEMENT direction of the gallery traffic and not to plant into any busy areas. These areas are generally roped off to members after a revegetation project to protect and essentially harden off the plants. Although these ropes are removed for a tournament, it’s only the players and not the gallery who can walk through the vegetation. Understanding spectator movement for a tournament is paramount for the plants’ survival and I consulted with Hayden regarding any specific areas we needed to protect or have roped off from the public. “Thankfully the World Cup resulted in very few casualties. During the tournament Jake and I would monitor the rare plants to make sure they were not dry or struggling with the additional traffic. The plants that were damaged will not be replaced in the same area. But in saying that, the areas that were affected have started to regrow and it actually shows that damage can have a good effect, similar to burning the site or pruning the plants. These areas are now well on their way back following good rains and there has been a good flush of new growth." AT ITS BEST While Mead was lamenting Melbourne’s cool spring which made it difficult to get his warm-season surfaces at their very best, for Murray it proved to be a blessing in disguise. The heathland flowered almost a month later than normal due to the mild conditions and helped to spectacularly frame the course right on cue for the tournament. “The plants generally look their best in late October, but with the tournament being the last week of November the timing could not have been better and showed the vegetation at its best,” says Murray. “The later flowering meant the appearance of the course was excellent with the indigenous vegetation being well framed by the fairways and coastal tea tree (Leptospurmum laevigatum) in the background. The spear grass (Austrostipa mollis) was in full flower with the seed head giving a great show.” Looking ahead, 2017 will see a continuation of the vegetation master plan with the 19th hole, constructed back in 2005, currently being reviewed. If works do go ahead, the hole will likely be completely revegetated. Work will also continue with rebuilding tee carries and introducing more sand heathland plants back onto the property. 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Contact Your Rain Bird Sales Representative: Peter Frewin • pfrewin@rainbird.com.au • 0418 593 072 National Sales and Marketing Manager - Golf Mac Ross • mross@rainbird.com.au • 0427 720 139 NSW, Tasmania, South Australia and New Zealand PaulWoloszyn • pwoloszyn@rainbird.com.au • 0409115 000 Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia 1800 RAIN BIRD (1800 724 624) RainNBird Royal s race against time Fly Emirates — - ¡¡.--•/’fr It was the first question each day, it was the last question each day and it was probably a question that Royal Sydney Golf Club superintendent Steve Marsden even dreamed about most nights in the lead up to last year’s 2016 Emirates Australian Open - “How are the soil temperatures Steve?” The 2016 Emirates Australian Open last November was the 15th occasion that Royal Sydney Golf Club has hosted the country's national tournament. With the impending redevelopment, it will not likely host the Open again until the early 2020s. Pictured is the 9th Royal Sydney Golf Club course superintendent Steve Marsden Is normally a picture of resolute calm, but as ATM editor Brett Robinson writes even he was feeling the nerves somewhat In the build up to the 2016 Emirates Australian Open. Royal Sydney course superintendent Steve Marsden Ask Marsden, who has been at Royal Sydney since December 2012, what one of the most important aspects of his job as superintendent is and he’ll tell you it’s communication - communicating with his talented, well-drilled crew, communicating to management and the club's plethora of committees and subcommittees and communicating with the most important constituents of all - the members. As Marsden will also tell you, Royal Sydney members are passionate, extremely knowledgeable and like to be kept informed. So with club getting ready to host the 2016 Emirates Australian Open last November, Marsden, as usual, went about providing his regular updates on how preparations were progressing, discussing everything from renovations and cultural practices to how they would be fine-tuning the playing surfaces for the tournament itself. As part of that Marsden 16 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - was also very open about the challenges he and the crew were facing and one particular aspect soon became quite the discussion point throughout the membership. Just like his Kingston Heath counterpart Hayden Mead who was preparing his course for the World Cup of Golf a week after the Open (see article on page 6 for more), Marsden was pretty comfortable with where things were at heading into winter. Despite a few issues with couch mite and the level of wear and tear he knew the course would cop during the cooler months, the course had otherwise been put to bed in pretty good shape. A planned application of slow release fertiliser went out on all couchgrass surfaces in early September and it was only a matter of time until soil temperatures warmed up and triggered the new season’s growth. Come the end of October, however, that still hadn’t happened. As a result, a second, unplanned granular fertiliser was hastily being applied to the fairways, surrounds and isolated areas of rough along with follow-up foliar feeds. A cooler than normal spring meant Royal Sydney’s warm-season grasses weren’t responding and with the nation's most Foreman Sieve Mallyon sets the pin on the 13th ahead of the third round even though we carried our insecticide applications deeper into the cooler months to ensure we had good rough density. “But Royal Sydney is a busy club and the wear and tear, not just through golf but from our own maintenance activities, means the course does get CONTINUED ON PAGE 19 Foreman Jon-Paul Wood hand waters the 18th green surround after a warm second round prestigious tournament a few weeks off, the mood around the turf care facility was understandably tense as everyone watched and waited. “,’m sure we (the senior staff) all felt some pressure at different times and I know we all wondered whether we’d get there,” admits Marsden. “It was a very tough spring and a real challenge to get the turf density that we needed off the back of winter. It was just one of those things. If we didn’t have the tournament we wouldn’t have been so concerned. It would’ve been, ‘Well, that’s just the spring we’ve got, it is what it is.' But when you have the Open just a few weeks out and you are struggling for density, suddenly those things become more pressing. “Soil temperatures were low and we didn't see the increases that we would normally expect. We felt like we were doing all we could with extra applications to get the turf moving and get that density, but it felt like we were fighting it constantly. We really focussed on our plant nutrition, making sure the plant was healthy. We also got knocked around a little bit by couch mite which came off the back of last summer and the autumn months, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 17 Class- Power & Comfort and thick The all-new Jacobsen Truckster XD heavy-duty utility vehicle features the largest and toughest bed in the industry. With a massive payload capacity , the Truckster XD hauls more turf, more rocks, more sand, more of anything you need to move. That means less trips, less time and less work. Only the all-new Jacobsen Truckster XD can make easy work of your toughest jobs. Visit www.jacobsen.com or your local Jacobsen dealer to schedule a demo. ATM/TruckComp/02/2017 OPEN 2016 EMIRATES AUSTRALIAN OPEN - ROYAL SYDNEY Superintendent: Steve Marsden. Senior staff: In between the 2013 and 2016 Opens, there were a number of changes to the RSGC senior staff. Marsden restructured the assistant superintendent role following the departure of Cameron Stuart and now has two assistants directly underneath him - Adam Marchant (who has been at the club 13 years) and Jake Gibbs (who joined from Wollongong GC in late 2015). Marsden also appointed new foremen in Steve Mallyon (ex-assistant at The Lakes) and Welshman Jon-Paul Wood whom the club sponsored from the UK. Says Marsden: “We’ve certainly hired some quality people in the likes of Jake, Steve and Jon-Paul. Having two assistants has given us more effective coverage of our operations and provides more support to the foremen and broader team.” Turf technicians: Ian Widocks and Lance Hahn. Irrigation technician: Mark Young (Dog, as he is affectionately called by the crew, has been at the club for 37 years). Tournament crew: As he did in 2013, Marsden again opened up the RSGC turf care facility to volunteers. A total tournament crew of 66 prepped the course, among them 24 volunteers who came from as far afield as Canada, Scotland and New Zealand. Among the volunteers were course superintendents Dan Cook (Elanora CC, NSW), Mark Spraggs (Club Taree, NSW), Andrew Wright (Gisborne GC, Vic) and Brad Ronan (Nambucca Heads GC, NSW). Comments Marsden: “I’ve been fortunate to be involved at other tournaments and the networking and camaraderie that are built over what is a really long week for everybody is such a great experience. I always remember my first major tournament - the 2003 US Open at Olympia Fields - and what an amazing time that was. It’s nice to now be in a position to be able to share a major event with others in our industry.” The Turf: Greens: Penn G2 creeping bentgrass/ Poa annua - 2.6mm. Green speeds were around 11.5 across the tournament. Greens were monitored religiously for speed and moisture content and depending on those readings, along with where pin placements were, cutting regimes were adjusted on a green by green basis to achieve consistency across all greens. Some were single cut, some double cut and others cut and rolled. Turning boards were used, something that Marsden instituted in winter to take the pressure off the collars and edges of the greens (the practice is utilised across all turf areas at RSGC). Surrounds: Wintergreen couchgrass - 9mm; Tees: Santa Ana couchgrass - 7mm; Fairways: Wintergreen couchgrass - 9mm; Roughs: Mix of couchgrass varieties - 55mm. Preparations: A slow-release fertiliser was applied to all fairways, surrounds, tees and rough in early September after a scarifying and topdressing (500 tonnes of sand) of all fine cut couchgrass surfaces. Due to the cool spring conditions and resulting slow response of the Wintergreen, a second granular fertiliser application was made to the fairways, surrounds and isolated areas of rough in late October. An application of foliar fertiliser was also applied to fairways, surrounds and the step cut. Greens were aerified with 14" hollow tines, core holes washed out, topdressed and soil amendments applied at the end of August. Ongoing foliar nutrition programme on greens along with Primo after they had recovered from renovations and leading into the tournament. Intercept programme on greens to assist with controlling Poa annua seed head. Dusting of greens on a weekly basis from mid-October with a final dusting the week prior to the Open. Out of left field: Just as the players teed off for their third round, RSGC arborists Alyx Capper and Harrison Judd were quickly called into action. In 2015 a major tree audit was conducted across the course which resulted in the removal of 60 large trees. As part of that, a number of other trees were placed on a monitoring list. It was during a routine inspection prior to the third round that one of those, an Agonis flexuosa on the 12th, had developed a large split. With spectator safety paramount, the call was made to fell the offending limb. Royal Sydney assistants Jake Gibbs (left) and Adam Marchant take Clegg readings on the 18th ahead of the final round 18 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS I CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 knocked around. And with the cool spring it made the recovery of those areas very difficult despite our best efforts. We put a lot of rope out on the course to the point where I'm sure the members must have thought I had shares in a rope company. "It wasn’t until about three weeks out from the Open that we really started to see the turf respond. We were applying additional foliars to try and stimulate some recovery into the weaker areas and also did a lot of isolated topdressing. Having the tournament a week earlier also added a bit of pressure as we effectively lost a week's worth of growth at a crucial time. But once we increased our mowing frequencies and soil temperatures improved, it turned around pretty quick. “We got there in the end and I could not have asked for more from the team. We were really happy with the surfaces that presented and the members were particularly happy too. I knew a few of them were a little concerned with where we were at during the lead-in because they knew the challenges we were having. We made sure we kept everyone informed right the way through to the point where every day the members would come up to me and ask what the soil temperatures were!” WINNING THE WAR If they weren’t quizzing their superintendent about soil temperatures in the lead-up to the Open, then The Penn G2 greens, pictured is the 16th, were maintained at 2.6mm for the Open. Pictured is RSGC crew member Craig Geeve chances are the rest of the time Royal Sydney members were catching a glimpse of Marsden’s posterior. The battle against Poa annua at Royal Sydney has been a long and, in the words of Marsden, “brutal" one and just like most of his colleagues around the country fighting the fight, the fight is getting harder. Armed with a weeding fork, it’s not uncommon to see Marsden bent over digging clumps of it out of his warm-season surfaces and throwing them in the back of his golf cart. In between the 2013 and 2016 Opens, Marsden had his sights set on a crusade against turf’s most ubiquitous weed, with the greens the primary focus. However, it quickly became apparent that FOLEY UNITED DELIVERS- THE LARGEST LEAP IN GRINDING TECHNOLOGY IN TWO DECADES THE ALL-NEW ACCU-MASTER 653 AND ACCU-PRO 633 • Automatic Reel Positioning with a revolutionary adjustable rear roller mounting system. • Counter Balanced Spin Drive that floats to connect directly to the reel shaft and easily moves from side to side. • Relief Angle Adjuster that presets angles and proper clearances when choosing to relief grind. • Accu-Touch 3 Control features pre-programmed spin speeds, relief torque, and infeeds based on reel make, diameter, and blade count. You tell the machine what you're working on and the machine does the rest! Whether it's quick "touch-up" spin grinding or returning the reel to manufacturer specifications, no one does it with more quality and innovation than Foley United. Accu-Master 653 with Accu-Touch 3 Accu-Pro 633 For more information, call 1800 356 372 or contact your Toro Golf Area Sales Manager. toro.com.au f/loroaus /toroaus YOU Tube /toroaustralia JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 19 OPEN ◄ The fairway crew (from left) Mark Spraggs, Patrick Haydon, Matthew Foenander and Nathan Lindsay tend to the par five 7th Just a few of RSGC's 121 bunkers Volunteer Brad Ronan (superintendent Nambucca Heads GC, NSW) stimps while Matthew Broad cuts the 6th green their intensive efforts were doing more harm than good and the decision was made to back off. As Marsden quips they may have lost the battle for the time being, but they'll win the war eventually by ripping the greens up as part of the impending redevelopment (see more on this below). "The challenge for us here has always been Poa annua” admits Marsden. “I think all of us around the country are finding controlling Poa annua very difficult at the moment and we are no different. After the last Open we went pretty hard and we had some fairly lofty ambitions to try and get some sort of control on the greens. But it’s very difficult and I think we ended up putting ourselves under more pressure striving to get that purity and uniformity in the greens. We certainly weakened the plant but as a consequence the club agreed that we would focus on delivering a surface first and foremost. “Where we are at now is working hard on the broad acre side so that hopefully when we do upgrade the golf course we have got some better strategies in place with our pre- and post- emergents. We are struggling with post-emergent control on our couch surfaces, as are a lot of others. There are some new chemistries coming out which we are excited about, but until then we have had to resort to a huge amount of handweeding - fairways, 20 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - roughs and a little bit in surrounds - but as fast as we’ve pulled it out it germinates behind us. We've gone back into some areas 2-3 times!” SPECIAL GUEST Come the tournament though and all the challenges of the weather and Poa control were but a distant memory. Royal Sydney was again in sparkling condition and provided the perfect stage for one of the most dramatic finishes in the event's history. Jordan Spieth, the 2014 champion and 2015 runner-up, was seemingly out of the running midway through his final round. However, the World No.2 held his nerve and holed some clutch putts in his closing three regulation holes to force a playoff with Cameron Smith and Ashley Hall. He needed only one playoff hole to close it out, hitting a nine iron to within four metres on the 18th and then clinically draining the birdie putt to etch his name onto the Stonehaven Cup for a second time. It was a memorable end to a rewarding week for Marsden, who as well as having the tournament to focus on also had the pleasant distraction of having the club’s recently appointed architect Gil Hanse present for the week. Hanse flew in on the Tuesday of Open week to present his first concept plans for the impending redevelopment of the Championship course which forms a principal component of the club’s ‘Royal Sydney 2030' strategic plan. It was Hanse’s third visit to the club inside six months and it provided a first opportunity for him to see Royal Sydney in tournament mode (see ATM’s interview with Hanse on pages 24-27). It also gave him and Marsden another opportunity to discuss a vast array of agronomic and design- related considerations that will be keystones of the redevelopment. While the ‘Royal Sydney 2030' strategic plan is a whole of club document, for Marsden the primary focus will be on the redevelopment of the Championship course and nine-hole Centenary course, improving the practice facilities and construction of a bigger and better maintenance facility. Works won’t likely begin, at the earliest, until 2019/2020 and given the extent of the changes, there will be plenty of protocol to go through with the members and council before the excavators roll in. Since Hanse’s appointment, Marsden has formed an excellent working relationship with the Rio Olympic course architect and as well as literally seeing eye to eye with each other - both gentleman are 6’6" - they also share a lot of the same ideas regarding design, aesthetics, agronomics and vegetation. Like Hanse, Marsden has some very definite ideas as to what he thinks will be best for the future of Royal Sydney's turf surfaces and not surprisingly he had just one simple request of Hanse when considering his final design. “No shade!” states Marsden with a smile. “While we are certainly not the worst affected course when it comes to shade, the impact it has on the turf is now significant and needs addressing. Combined with the amount of golf we have, we just can’t keep the surfaces at the expected condition for members year round. And it’s not just the greens but the couchgrass that suffers too. Due to the parkland nature of the course we have areas that only get a bit of midday sun. When you factor in 55-60,000 rounds going across those areas, it makes it difficult. “Agronomically we want to provide a much better growing environment for the turf so I think opening the course up and getting the sun back on it is without doubt a very important consideration for us. We will also take the opportunity to upgrade some of the infrastructure underground like the irrigation system - for instance we’ll look at putting back-to-back irrigation around the greens - and also incorporating dedicated maintenance paths. A lot of wear and tear out on the course comes from our own maintenance traffic because we don’t have any paths, so that will form part of Gil’s considerations as well. “From a design perspective I think we’ll see a move away from the parkland look and a more natural environment which incorporates more of the indigenous Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub back into our vegetation. Simplicity will be a key component I think - the greens surrounds will merge into tee complexes, there will be more short grass around the golf course and transitioning of areas to some of the wispier style grasses, not in any way to penalise the golfers or compromise playability, but to offer a more natural look. "I think a lot of that inspiration will come from the Melbourne sandbelt. That was very much what Gil based the course on in Rio. He has a real connection and affinity with that unique part of Australian golf and I think he'd like to see some of those natural elements brought into Royal Sydney. As part of that, over the next couple of years we’ll do some trial work with some different plant communities - native vegetation and different grasses as far as those naturalised areas go - so that we will be able to show the members what those areas could potentially look like." We Make Golf Courses Look Better ffs •3000 Optus 09:42 GOLF APP fc» -f 89%CT> ® Golf Club 50+clubs have aJlSSSk FIND US IN THE APP STORE SEARCH AMBASSADOR LAKES PO & \ V * • - *1 mb •; * * * *>• 5 • • & 1 J a mobile app ■ ;i L.- tom@dint.com.au JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 21 OPEN Greens were monitored religiously tor moisture content (pictured is Peter Murphy checking the 13th) and areas topped up where required Christian Pink rolls the 3rd green Despite a cool spring, the Royal Sydney surfaces were dialled in come the Open, which was won for the second time in three years by Jordan Spieth TURF AND TURF CARE As with any redevelopment, Marsden will also closely look at what turf varieties will provide the best surfaces going forward. Working in conjunction with agronomist John Neylan, a trial green will be constructed on the short practice range in 2017 where a couple of bentgrass varieties will be put through their paces. Marsden says they won’t be too trailblazing in what varieties will be trialled, with an A1/A4 blend likely to go in alongside Pure Distinction. The former is tried and trusted in Sydney’s unique climate, while the success of the newer Pure Distinction variety at the likes of Royal Canberra Golf Club (ACT) and Peninsula-Kingswood Country Golf Club (Melbourne) has prompted Marsden to give it a try. Already a small trial plot of Pure Distinction has been in the ground for 12 months and although not being maintained as a golf green has been monitored for disease susceptibility and drought tolerance. In addition to those trials, Marsden will also consider the installation of a SubAir system on the test green to see what benefits it can provide. While the primary focus will be on the Championship course, the nine-hole Centenary course will also come in for significant alteration, as will the club's practice facilities which will increase in size. With the amount of traffic the Championship course receives, Marsden says that hopefully by improving the quality of the Centenary course layout it will attract more rounds, thus taking some of the strain off its bigger sibling. 22 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - The courses aside, another key aspect of the strategic plan will be the revamp of the club’s ‘turf care’ facility. Due to the diversity of the club - it has extensive tennis, bowls and croquet facilities, not to mention vast landscaped and garden areas - the maintenance team is split across two seperate facilities and it’s Marsden’s hope to bring the entire crew (which numbers 42) together under one roof. “First and foremost we want to increase the footprint of the turf care facility,” explains Marsden. “We have grown substantially over the years and the original facility is well beyond its capacity. The location will be similar, but Gil’s redesign will allow us to increase that footprint so that we can meet the needs of the club well into the future. “We have seen a few and been talking to different clubs embarking on maintenance facility works - Peninsula-Kingswood, Royal Melbourne and The Australian - so we are certainly taking great interest in what others are doing. That’s one of the great things about our industry is that people are willing to share information." EXCITING TIMES With his tournament reconnoitre completed and armed with a better understanding of the direction the club wants to take, Hanse is set to return in late February to present more detailed drawings. During that time he will hold a number of member forums to discuss his design intentions and conduct hole-by- hole walk-throughs. While under no illusion that the redevelopment will take time to fully come to fruition, it is nevertheless an exciting period coming up for Marsden and his team. “It’s a journey,” says Marsden. “A lot of my time since coming here in 2012 has been spent educating and communicating to the club what the issues and deficiencies are, why we can’t produce the best surfaces for members all year round and what we need to do to address that. Now having Gil on board we are further along that journey. “Gil has been fantastic to work with. He is very easy to engage with and is very considered in his approach. He's worked with similar clubs in the US and has a great style about him. He comes across very well and I think the general committee and the green and match subcommittee have been very impressed with the thought, consideration and opportunities he has put forward to date. “He’s coming in with a lot of respect for the club. While there will be a lot of change, he’s not going to change it too dramatically; he’s respectful of the club's history and tradition. The members know so much about the golf courses and Gil is the sort of person who will listen and welcome their involvement. “We have a lot of work between now and when we break ground and we are fortunate because I think we are going to need it. But it's genuinely very exciting and it will be a very different Royal Sydney that will present when the Open returns.” SUPERIOR CONTINENTAL GENETICS The results with Striker Cold have been outstanding for us! BRAD VAN DAM - HEAD CURATOR | MANUKA OVAL STRIKER COLD - MANUKA OVAL CANBERRA Proven performer in Australian conditions. Fast establishment, superior wear tolerance, and excellent quality are reasons why Striker Seed is a best seller in the Australian turf market! Heritageseeds □ NUTURF SPECIALISTS PROVIDING SOLUTIONS For more information contact your local Nuturf Territory Manager on 1800 631 008 or visit www.nuturf.com.au OPEN One of the more interested spectators at the 2016 Emirates Australian Open was Gil Hanse. ATM editor Brett Robinson managed to sneak 10 minutes with the Olympic golf course architect to talk about the impending Royal Sydney redevelopment. 2016 was a hallmark year for Gil Hanse. Already well known and respected within the golf course industry over more than two decades, his name and company were thrust into the global spotlight with the design and construction of The Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro which was the stage for golf’s return to the Olympics after 112 years last August. The original design, heavily influenced by the Melbourne sandbelt of which Hanse is an unabashed devotee of, is just one in an impressive portfolio of work that Hanse has to his credit since forming Hanse Golf Course Design back in 1993. Other original designs include the much lauded Castle Stuart, host of the 2016 Scottish Open, Boston Golf Club in Massachusetts, which has been described as a modern day Pine Valley, and the Los Angeles Country Club South Course which he co-designed with Geoff Shackelford. He also designed the recently opened Trump International Golf Club in Dubai and in the coming months the much-talked about Streamsong Resort Black Course in Florida will also open its gates. In addition to his original design works, Hanse has made a significant name for himself restoring and renovating some of the game's most exalted courses. Included among them are the likes of Merion, Los Angeles Country Club (North Course), Winged Foot Golf Club and The Country Club (Brookline). More recently he can add Pinehurst to that list after being selected to restore the No.4 course in the coming years. Based on such an extensive resume, and in the same week that the Rio course made its much- awaited debut, Royal Sydney Golf Club announced that it had appointed Hanse to oversee changes to its championship course as part of the ‘Royal Sydney 2030’ strategic plan. Royal Sydney is Hanse’s first Australian appointment and since June last year he has made three visits Down Under, including spending a week during the 2016 Emirates Australian Open. Hanse’s presence certainly added an extra element to the tournament and during the week he presented concept plans to the club’s general committee and spent time with course superintendent Steve Marsden and his team to get more of a feel for the course and their operations. Midway through the third round of the Open, Hanse took some time out to field a few questions from Australian Turfgrass Management Journal about the impending redevelopment, the Olympics and the importance of the working relationship between course architect and golf course superintendent. Renowned course architect Gil Hanse (left) with Royal Sydney superintendent Steve Marsden 24 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - Hanse rates the topography on the perimeter of the course (the front nine holes - pictured left is the 8th and below the 6th green) as a definite strength at Royal Sydney ATM: Thanks for taking the time to talk to ATM Gil. How has the week been so far? Gil Hanse: “It’s been very enjoyable. This is our third time here in six months after coming out originally in June for the interview and then again in September after being selected by the club. This is the first time I have seen the course in tournament condition and Steve and his team have done a great job. Prior to this time, the couchgrass wasn't growing and there was a lot of traffic out on the course, so this time it has been great to see the course ‘in season’. “That’s been the highlight along with seeing the top golfers playing the golf course. It’s important to understand how they play it, what is out there now that presents challenges for them and what we might retain that will be part of the new design. Obviously there's a lot of talk about the alterations we are going to make to the course, so it has been good to watch them play and try and visualise how certain holes might look like or how they will transition.” ATM: When you saw the course for the first time, what were your impressions? GH: "When we came out in June it was more a scoping exercise because at that point in time we weren’t sure if we were going to be selected. It was really just about getting a feel for what I thought I could communicate to the committee were the positive attributes of the course. “First and foremost is sand. Any time you have a golf course with sand underneath it you get excited about the possibilities not only from a design standpoint but the aesthetics, the appearance of it and long-term the maintenance of it. We love firm and fast conditioning and when we have sand we have that opportunity. There are obviously a lot of trees on the property and they present some agronomic challenges for Steve and his team, so how can we help on that front but also look at improving the playability and character and interest of the golf course.” ATM: What do you see as some of the strengths and weaknesses of the property? GH: “The topography on the perimeter of the course (the front nine holes) is a definite strength. Then you get into the flatter stretches of the property on the back nine which I think are going to present the biggest challenges. "So if we can figure out a way to maximise the topography and the character of those holes that have some nice undulation that will be a positive. Then it will be a matter of figuring out a way to create more space and perhaps a bit more interest on the flatter holes because I don’t think there is any way to alter the contours - we won’t have that much fill and do you really want to change the character of the site that much. So I think it’s more what we can do with the features - bunker locations, tee angles, greens slope - that will make those flatter holes feel a little bit better.” ATM: How do you envisage the new Royal Sydney championship course looking? GH: "There are obviously a lot of steps to go through first - member approval, council approval - but from my standpoint I'd like to have a more sandbelt feel to the golf course. My understanding is that the indigenous vegetation is much more in tune with the heathland or scrubland style as opposed to the parkland nature which there is currently. So we are all going to have to have a serious conversation about what we want that identity to be, because for so long it has been a parkland golf course and these trees have been a big component of it. Main photo opposite: In August 2016, Royal Sydney Golf Club announced that it had appointed Olympic golf course architect Gil Hanse to oversee changes to its championship course as part of the 'Royal Sydney 2030' strategic plan. Pictured is the par five 2nd during the 2016 Emirates Australian Open ► Independent Contract Research ► Analytical Services ► Turf, Horticulture & Broadacre ► Diagnostic Services - plant pathology and nematode extraction @ www.westgateresearch.com.au 0 westgateresearch ► Independent Research Station, Orange NSW K* 0406 438 320 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 25 OPEN The challenge for Hanse will come with the Haller sections of the Royal Sydney property as well as determining whether to steer away from the current parkland feel the course has Architecturally and agronomically we have an idea of where we would like to see it go, but will that match up with what the members want to see?” ATM: With what you're about to undertake here at Royal Sydney, can you draw any parallels to other courses you’ve worked on? GH: “It's difficult to make comparisons because generally speaking most of the work we do with existing courses is more history based. In most cases it's a great venue with a long history and significant architectural pedigree - a Tillinghast, a MacKenzie, a Ross. But here there’s been so many different styles put into it so we are really not basing our design on an historic level, except for perhaps the presentation of the property and the look of it." ATM: Now that you've seen Royal Sydney in tournament condition, has that changed your mindset in regards to the final design? GH: “No, I think re-emphasised a few beliefs that we had. I think we’ve seen some of those points validated by watching how the players have approached the course. It’s not an easy spectator golf course - it gets really tight and pinched in a few areas so I think if we can find some spots where we can create some width and some better hole corridors that'll be a positive. We noticed that a lot of the penalty on this golf course is correlated to the width and how it’s very tight.” ATM: Obviously as part of this week you’ve had meetings and discussions with course superintendent Steve Marsden about the redevelopment. What have you discussed and how important is your relationship? GH: “You cannot over-estimate the importance of the relationship between a course superintendent and golf course architect. It’s critical; there’s no way around that. We can design and visualise a golf course to play a certain way, but without the superintendent and their abilities it means nothing. “I’ve said this publically in the US a lot that golf course superintendents are, unfortunately, the most under-appreciated, under-valued people at most clubs, but it should be just the opposite. They should be the ones who get most of the credit because the role they play is so important. “The relationship I have with Steve is great and this week we’ve talked about soil science, we've Royal Sydney is Hanse’s first Australian appointment and since June last year he has made three visits Down Under, including spending a week during the 2016 Emirates Australian Open 26 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - talked about turf, we’ve talked about trees. So from a planning standpoint I'm very comfortable knowing that Steve and I are on the same page as we approach all of these aspects.” ATM: Have you discussed likely turf varieties and is that something you take an interest in with such projects? GH: “I do, but I also understand that I’m limited in my experience and knowledge of what grows best here and what can be maintained in Australian conditions. I think it’s more along the lines of ‘Okay, we’d like to see the surrounds a little more tighter so we can get players with a putter in their hand all year round, so what type of couchgrass is going to give us that opportunity?' And, is that the same couchgrass that’s going to be on the fairways? As for the greens it's more like ‘Okay, we’re going to design greens that we’d like to see be rolling in this range, so what varieties of bentgrass are going to give us that?’ So once we get an idea of where we'd like to see things go, we are then going to trust the professionals like Steve to give us the right type of grass.” ATM: You presented some initial drawings to the club this week. What was the feedback? GH: “This week was more about presenting a concept and asking the club whether this path was acceptable for the membership and that if we start going down this path is that okay. So it was bigger picture stuff. As for the routing, we’ve identified some areas where we think we can create a little more width and better playing corridors that currently exist, but that’s something we’ll have to hear from the membership whether they’re okay with that. We are coming back in late February where we will have a bigger forum with the members to try and get across some of the ideas we have.” when you’re dealing with a club like Royal Sydney which has such a large and diverse membership. A few people here have said congratulations on the Rio course which is always nice. "I was delighted with how the course performed. I don’t think it could have got any better. Talking about the importance of the relationship between architect and superintendent, Rio was another example of that. Neil Cleverly was the superintendent there right from the start and we had two years to talk about how we’d like the golf course presented. He was able to, through some very trying circumstances, get the course to peak just at that right time. “It was amazing to see - the men’s winning score was 16-under, the women’s winning score was 16-under, there were three men double digits under par and three women double digits under par! And you had six medallists from six different countries - you couldn’t make that up if you tried!” ATM: Much has been written and said about the Melbourne sandbelt influence in your final design of the Rio course. What is it about the Melbourne sandbelt that you like so much? GH: “It's that natural aesthetic - the courses just feel like they belong there. The natural vegetation is in sync with the sand and the scale of those properties is just phenomenal. I think you’d be hard pressed to find a better collection of great golf courses in such a small geographic area anywhere else in the world. I really believe that and I think it’s a testimony to the fact that Alister MacKenzie and Alex Russell spent time there, so you had all these great architectural minds married up with great sites. Then you also have the fact that the traditions of the game are very strong there, so there are a lot of members and committees who are interested in preserving and protecting that as opposed to altering that. It’s just a very special place.” ATM: The Olympic course in Rio has obviously been a big focus for you in recent times. How did you think the course presented? GH: "That experience makes my name and my face more recognisable to people which is a good thing ATM: So will we see some of that Melbourne influence here at Royal Sydney? GH: “I hope so. The current bunkering scheme makes reference to that look and feel and I think that’s something we’d like to see.” The long-term maintenance of the course will be a key consideration in Hanse’s design changes. Pictured during the Open are RSGC crew members Matthew Miltenyi (above) and Clint McGrath (below) Golf Course | Construction, ” Maintenance & Renovation www.globalturf.com.au GlobalTurf provides innovative and tailored solutions to meet your golf course turf needs. Call us today to speak to a leading turf expert! Garry Collins 0418 127 216 garry@globalturf.com.au O GLOBALTURF JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 27 I wish to apply for: One year’s subscription to Australian Turfgrass Management (Six editions per year) PLEASE TICK BOX ONE COPY PER EDITION □ S65.00 0/S ONE COPY PER EDITION □ $105.00 Prices include GST. SUBSCRIBE NOW LAGOSA ORDERS CAN BE MADE SECURELY ONLINE THROUGH www.agcsa.com.au SUBSCRIPTION FORM Name: Company: Postal Address:. Town/Suburb:.......................................................................... State: Postcode: I enclose cheque for (amount):........................................................................................................ 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No portion, in whole or part, may be reproduced without the written permission of the AGCSA. JANUARY-FEBRUARY 20 1 I Affectionately dubbed the ‘Cake Tin’ by the locals, Westpac Stadium in New Zealand’s capital Wellington recently underwent a major surface upgrade for the first time since its opening in 2000. HG Sports Turf's Erik Kinlon looks back at the project and some of its unique challenges. Westpac Stadium, or Wellington Regional Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand which was officially opened in early 2000. Residing one kilometre north of the Wellington CBD on reclaimed railway land, it was constructed to replace Athletic Park, the city’s long-standing rugby union venue. Athletic Park held a unique place in the New Zealand sporting landscape. In addition to boasting one of the steepest grandstands in the country (the famed Millard Stand), it was the ground’s exposure to the elements which gave it folklore status. Wellington is renowned for its gale force winds and it was something of a rite of passage to attend a rugby game atop of the Millard in the middle of winter with an Antarctica-fuelled southerly blowing in off nearby Cook Strait. Athletic Park was the site of one of the All Blacks’ most improbable Test wins over a touring France side in 1961. With winds gusting up to 140kph during the match, All Black ‘super boot’ Don Clarke managed to nail a sideline conversion to win the match 5-3. What made his conversion famous was that he effectively kicked the ball along what is now the 22m line and watched the wind swing it 90 degrees and through the uprights! Despite such memorable moments, over the years Athletic Park gradually became more and more run down and was no longer considered adequate to cater for international events due to its age and location. A new stadium was also needed to provide a larger-capacity venue for One Day International cricket matches, due to the city’s Basin Reserve ground losing such matches to larger stadia in other parts of the country. Now in existence for 16 years, the 34,000 capacity Westpac Stadium has become one of New Zealand’s premier multi-purpose venues. It is the home of the Wellington Lions Mitre 10 Cup rugby team as well as the aptly named Hurricanes Super Rugby team. The stadium also hosts the Wellington Sevens, one of the legs in the annual HSBC Rugby Sevens World Series, and regularly hosts All Blacks rugby matches. It is also home ground for A-League soccer team Wellington Phoenix FC, with the home fans dubbing the ground ‘The Ring of Fire’. During the summer the stadium also hosts international and occasionally domestic limited overs cricket. The stadium has also been used for rugby league matches, including national team fixtures and New Zealand Warriors away fixtures. In recent years, Melbourne-based AFL club St. Kilda played three ‘home’ games at the stadium against Sydney, Brisbane and Carlton as part of the Anzac Day round. Most recently it hosted matches during the 2011 Rugby World Cup and 2015 Cricket World Cup. 28 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - In December 2016 HG Sports Turf installed its Eclipse Stabilised Turf system at Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The new surface had its first outing on New Year's Day with an A-League clash between the Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United In addition to sporting events, Westpac Stadium regularly hosts major events and concerts. Shortly after opening in 2000, it hosted the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the first time the event was held outside of Edinburgh, Scotland, while in 2006 it hosted WWE’s first ever New Zealand show in front of 23,875 spectators. It also played a bit part in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy after film director Peter Jackson recorded 30,000 fans during a 2002 Black Caps ODI against England chanting in ‘Black Speech'. This was then used as the sound of 10,000 chanting Uruk-hai during the Battle of Helm’s Deep in ‘The Two Towers'. CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT Over the years the Westpac Regional Stadium Trust (WRST), which oversees the management of the stadium, has made continual improvements to the venue to keep it up to a standard to rival New Zealand’s other major venues. As part of that, in early 2016 it announced that it would be upgrading the playing surface for the first time since its opening. The existing surface was natural ryegrass which over time had developed a significant Poa annua population along with high organic matter content which made management of the surface increasingly challenging. The stadium had not previously had any technology in terms of pitch stabilisation or reinforcement. This combined with an ever-increasing events strategy, and the need for the stadium to be a multi-functional events space for sports and non-sports events, meant it needed a turf system that would be up to the challenge. HG Sports Turf (HGST), which had previously undertaken major projects at other New Zealand stadiums such as Eden Park (Auckland), Waikato Stadium (Hamilton) and AMI Stadium (Christchurch), was one of three companies to tender for the job and was appointed in early 2016. The first task was to source an appropriate site to grow the company's patented Eclipsed Stabilised Turf system and it was ultimately decided to establish a purpose-built nursery in Auckland. Although some 650 kilometres and an 8.5 hour drive away, Auckland was chosen for its more favourable growing conditions during the winter months. The nursery was planted in April 2016 with two varieties of ryegrass - Centurion and Colosseum. Both varieties were sourced from PGG Wrightson New Zealand and chosen by Westpac Stadium based on their agronomic performance and, in particular, winter activity for the local climate. HGST employed the services of an Auckland- based contractor to oversee the nursery, with guidance provided to ensure that all programming, maintenance, reporting and testing was conducted in accordance with the company’s requirements. The 12m x 1m turf rolls were installed within 12 hours of being harvested. The turf was grown at a purpose built nursery in Auckland and transported 8.5 hours to Wellington JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2 29 ARENAS ◄ The existing ryegrass surface was stripped and disposed of over a five day period starting 4 December 2016 Running concurrently with the removal of the old surface was the construction of a new ring road followed by the installation of an approved synthetic turf system and SHAKEN BUT NOT STIRRED With the nursery growing nicely and well on track, a few weeks out from the project start date there was an unexpected spanner thrown into the works. On 14 November a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck near Kaikoura approximately 150km south east of Wellington. Due to its proximity to the epicentre, Wellington felt some significant effects of the earthquake, especially the city’s port which suffered subsidence. That created a number of logistical issues with the mobilising of materials and equipment for the project, not to mention the ongoing concerns of the aftershocks, some of which measured 5.5. Fortunately the stadium, which was specifically engineered to withstand such earthquakes, suffered no damage. However, to ensure that nothing was out of the ordinary, prior to the resurfacing starting HGST conducted an additional survey of the field. HGST sent over a 12-strong crew to Wellington for the project which was headed by project manager Nathan Humphreys and assistant project manager Marty Cupples. A further crew of four was sent to the nursery in Auckland for the turf harvest which was overseen by sports turf production manager Brad Kidd. HGST engaged the services of local contractor TIC for assistance with the 30 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT earthworks and further support was offered by Westpac Stadium turf manager Hagen Faith and his crew who wanted to be a real part of the project delivery. Sports Engineering were engaged to assist with the design and production of all final as-built drawings. On Sunday 4 December the resurfacing began in earnest with the existing surface stripped and disposed of over a five day period. Running concurrently with this was the construction of a new synthetic ring road around the perimeter of the playing surface, with the base construction taking seven days. An approved synthetic turf system and performance infill was then installed over the course of the following three days. The profile of the main playing surface included 40mm of Eclipse Stabilised Turf above a further 250mm sand layer and 100mm gravel layer. Following removal of the old surface, further trimming of the sand surface layer was required to remove organic darkening of the sand. This was to ensure that infiltration rates were not affected and remove the potential for reduced agronomic performance of the new turf. In total, 240 tonnes of locally sourced compatible sand was tested, chosen, placed and consolidated. Installation of the Eclipse Stabilised Turf started on 15 December and finished ahead of schedule on 21 December. With the nursey a substantial distance away, HGST engaged an Auckland-based logistics company to transport the turf from Auckland, with a total of 44 truckloads delivering 15,400m2 of turf. The turf was on the ground in the stadium within 12 hours of harvest. The turf rolls were 12m long x 1m wide laid in a longitudinal direction with WMI tracked big roll turf layers. Each roll was tightly abutted together and rolled and watered straight after installation before being handed back in sections to Faith and his team for ongoing maintenance. As with any major projects, there are always challenges that present themselves and this one, earthquakes aside, was no different. The turf harvest process was a bit of a challenge due to conditions and the removal of the geotextile backing on the Eclipse due to the aggressive root development in the product. In the stadium itself, one of the biggest challenges was dealing with Wellington’s strong winds. With winds reaching gale force at times, it meant that keeping the sand profile wet and consolidated was difficult. The winds would shift the sand around the ground to the point where HGST had to laser grade ahead of each full run of turf to ensure level tolerances were met. HIGH PERFORMANCE With the resurfacing completed in the days leading up to Christmas, it was then up to Faith and his team to prepare the surface for its first outing on CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 1 Leading fungicides and superior application will keep you covered this summer We understand the extreme pressure you’re under during the peak playing season and we can help provide you with peace of mind that your turf stands up to the challenge. The breadth of coverage and proven performance the Syngenta fungicide range provides will protect your valuable turf - regardless of species, season or situation. Accurate spray application is an essential element of getting the best result from products, so ask about the Syngenta range of nozzles specifically designed for turf applications. if Banner Turf fungicide w Daconil WeatherStik Turf fungicide if Headway Aaxx Turf fungicide if Heritage Maxx Turf fungicide H Medallion y Instrata Turf fungicide Turf fungicide t»UD< syngenta For more information ask your Syngenta Agent or go to www.greencast.com.au Syngenta Australia Pty Ltd. Level 1,2-4 Lyonpark Road. Macquarie Park NSW 2113. ABN 33 002 933 717. ©Registered trademark of Syngenta Group Company. ,MTrademark of a Syngenta Group Company. All products written in uppercase are registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. © 2017 Syngenta. AD 17-021 ARENAS Around 240 tonnes of locally sourced sand was brought in to get the design levels required before more than 15,000mz of Eclipse Stabilised Turf was laid over a six day period CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 New Year’s Day - an A-League clash between the Phoenix and Adelaide United. Since then it has hosted a number of sporting fixtures and events, with Faith saying the new surface has performed extremely well. “Due to the fluid nature of our events schedule there was excellent understanding and a lot of consideration taken towards our requirements,” says Faith, who has worked at the stadium since 2008 and took over as turf manager in July 2015. “The short turnaround of the surface was always going to be the biggest challenge and a feat not often, if at all, achieved in New Zealand. “HG Sports Turf’s team on the ground lead by Nathan, Marty and Brad ensured we were able to meet given timeframes while maintaining a high standard in quality control. The whole team did a great job and were brilliant to work with. I he resurfacing project was completed a day ahead of schedule on 21 December 2016 The new Westpac Stadium surface is a blend of Centurion and Colosseum ryegrasses ft 32 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 1 “We have had four A-League fixtures since with three of them played within eight days of each other. The biggest test so far was the Wellington leg of the HSBC Rugby Sevens World Series on 28-29 January. We hosted 45 matches on the field of play and 90 team warm-ups split across four designated zones over the two days. The damage sustained was minimal and only a quarter of what we experienced during the 2016 event. “The feedback to date has been fantastic from players, coaches and controlling authorities on how the new surface has been presented and most importantly performed. The summer weather here hasn’t been the best during a couple of the events, but the surface wasn’t affected as a result and the Eclipse system has performed exactly as expected. “We haven't had to make too many changes to our cultural practices, however with a cleaner, more free-draining sand profile and turf surface we will be closely monitoring and assessing moisture content and leaf tissue and soil sample results to ensure we maintain a pristine surface and keep everything in balance. “One of the reasons why we went with the Eclipse system was to meet the multi-functional needs of the stadium going forward. Not long after the Sevens we hosted a Guns ‘N’ Roses concert and coming up we have a packed schedule of Super Rugby, ODI cricket and A-League soccer matches. In July we will also host an All Blacks Test against the touring British Lions as well as a quarter final of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup in mid- November.” HEADING WEST With the dust hardly settled on the Westpac Stadium project, HGST quickly shifted its attention back across the Tasman and the resurfacing of AAMI Park in Melbourne which was happening as this edition of Australian Turfgrass Management was going to print in early February. Following that HGST will head to WA for the construction and surfacing of the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium, which will also use the Eclipse Stabilised Turf system. The Wintergreen couchgrass turf (which will eventually be oversown with ryegrass) is currently being grown at Greenacres Turf Farm in Serpentine, WA under the watchful eye of HGST’s recent appointment Tony Hemming who is acting area manager. z Since re-opening, the stadium surface has performed exceptionally well A LIKE N B Spectacle D O m o - j Apply less. Achieve more. Specticle® is a new and innovative herbicide for warm- season turf, which delivers exceptional pre-emergent control of Poa annua, Crowsfoot and Summer grass for up to 8 months. 0 Superior turf quality and playability 0 Reduced number of herbicide applications 0 Unmatched use flexibility with a wide application window 0 Effective management of weed resistance Visit bayeramplifyturf.com.au for further information Specticle® is a registered trademark of Bayer. Bayer Crop Science Pty. Ltd., Level 1, 8 Redfern Road, Hawthorn East, Vic. 3123 Technical enquiries: 1800 804 479 environmentalscience.bayer.com.au bayeramplifyturf.com.au © Copyright 2016 ARENAS After working at some of Melbourne’s elite turf facilities, Matthew Oliver took something of a departure last October and headed to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea on a six month contract to look after the country's National Football Stadium. Above: The National Football Stadium in Port Moresby is home to the PNG Rugby Football League and the national side, the Kumuls. Last November it was the principal venue as the country hosted the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup My name is Matthew Oliver. I’m currently 29 and started out in the turf industry in 2006 when I was playing cricket as the overseas player at Altofts Cricket Club in England. The club curator there, a gentleman by the name of Clive, introduced me to wicket preparation and after playing on turf pitches for a few years I quickly gained an appreciation for the craft. I ended up assisting Clive for the remainder of the season and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I returned from the UK, I began a greenkeeping apprenticeship at The Sandhurst Club in Melbourne where I learnt the ins and outs of turf management from Peter Jans and Tim Dellar. I did my schooling under the tutelage of John Shannon and the team at NMIT and in 2008 was awarded the NMIT Apprentice of the Year and nominated for the VGCSA Apprentice of the Year Award. After completing my apprenticeship I was lucky enough to be offered a position at Etihad Stadium. Under the expert guidance of arena management director Gavin Darby, I was exposed to a completely different side to turf management. I learnt so much during my five years there and the science that goes into preparing a ryegrass sports field in an extremely challenging environment with numerous microclimates is incredible. Whether it was deploying the SGL lighting rigs, growth mats, weekly foliar feeding and regular renovations, it really was a unique venue in which to hone your skills. In 2012, Etihad reconstructed the North Melbourne Football Club training field (Arden Street) and I was promoted to be the club’s ground manager in conjunction with my arena assistant role at Etihad. This was a terrific experience, working with the football club to coordinate weekly training times and community use all with the aim of providing the club with a pristine training surface. During my time at Etihad I completed my Diploma in Sports Turf Management through NMIT and in September 2014 decided it was time to expand on my horizons by taking on the assistant grounds manager role at Melbourne Grammar School (MGS). I was initially in charge of the South Yarra campus, looking after the main oval and wickets, before eventually being charged with looking after the school’s impressive Edwin Flack Park Sports Complex in Port Melbourne. This facility comprises a 1.8 hectare AFL/cricket field, a 1ha soccer/rugby/cricket field along with tennis and hockey courts and landscaped areas. PNG BOUND Despite thoroughly enjoying the role at MGS, it was a phone call from good friend Shane Biddle from the University of Queensland in mid-2016 that would trigger my next move. Shane put me on to Paul Lierse whose company Turfcare Solutions provided resources and advice to the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). Singapore-based company Mondiale, which had the maintenance contract for the ground, was looking for a turf manager and after contacting them I was duly appointed to the role for the remaining six months of the company’s initial two-year maintenance contract. It was certainly a departure going from Port Melbourne to Port Moresby, but I was attracted to it because of the challenge of managing a stadium in a tough location and with limited resources. 34 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - By no means was it a spur of the moment decision. Given my lack of experience managing turf in the tropics and with little knowledge of PNG as a country, I did a heap of research online and spoke to numerous people before putting my signature on the contract. I had some great conversations with Paul Sanson and Kenji Steele from Townsville’s Tony Ireland Stadium, as well as Justin Groves from SACA about the pros and cons of PNG, turf management in a tropical environment and others regarding the logistics of the country. There is so much negativity online regarding PNG but in reality if you prepare properly and use a bit of common sense it’s a fantastic country and a brilliant place to work and explore. Port Moresby itself is quite nice, with some terrific cafes, bars restaurants and world-class hotels. Understandably, my wife Rheanna (we only married at the start of 2016) and family were particularly concerned, but also very supportive at the same time. The dangers of personal safety are present no doubt, but I have not had any concerns or incidents. Again, it’s just a matter of preparing properly and listening to people who live there. The role encompasses the management of the stadium surface as well as the adjacent training field, a 3500m2 turf nursery and landscaped areas within the stadium precinct. My contract is on a ‘fly-in, fly­ out’ basis - three weeks on and one week off - and is due to conclude in March 2017. The stadium is located in Boroko, a suburb of Port Moresby about 5km from the coast. The stadium has been around since the 1970s and was known as the Lloyd Robson Oval. Over the years it had become run down until oil and gas exploration and development company Oil Search re-developed the stadium in 2013 through the PNG Tax Credit Scheme. Î# .W JSitf .SS& W à® TRUSTED BARRICADE binds high up in the soil profile so it can be trusted around cool season golf greens and in sandy soils w * - , " n *• "r W ~ » • Sv < * www.greencast.com.au 1 / * t AD 16-395/A y Barricade Herbicide syngenta JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 35 ARENAS Oliver took up a six month contract as the stadium's grounds manager, leading a team of seven PNG nationals It hasn’t been all work for Oliver who has made sure he has enjoyed some of sights and enjoyed the local hospitality during his time in PNG The stadium is now owned by the people of PNG and run by Oil Search. It is the home of the PNG Rugby Football League and is home ground for the national side the Kumuls and the PNG Hunters who play in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup competition. The venue also hosts international soccer and music concerts. I lead a team of seven PNG nationals who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. Some speak hardly any English and come from over 800km away on the other side of the country in the highlands. Port Moresby is really the only place for Papuans to earn a decent wage in the country, so a lot of people moved to the area around 10 years ago at the height of the resources boom. The stadium surface is Princess 77 seeded hybrid bermudagrass. There are no turf farms in PNG so the only way to establish grass is through seed. It is terrific for the PNG climate and thrives here with a judicious nutrition and irrigation programme. CHALLENGES As with any posting overseas you encounter many challenges no sooner than walking through the front gate. When I arrived the fields were in a stressed condition primarily due to poor management practices. The root structure was minimal and as a result the surface would divot extremely badly. The fields were also full of couch mite and black beetle and had poor irrigation uniformity. The first change implemented was a reduction of the mowing height from almost 40mm to 24mm and increasing mowing frequency from twice a week to daily, before implementing a Primo Maxx programme. The irrigation programming was also overhauled and I brought in larger Rain Bird nozzles to cope with the extreme wind that Port Moresby experiences. The fields had never been aerated, scarified or topdressed so this made a huge difference once we got stuck into a solid programme. At present we are aerating and scarifying fortnightly and topdressing monthly. I also put together a spraying programme for disease, with Pythium and rhizoctonia the two main diseases we encounter. In addition to changing some of the cultural practices, we also purchased a Clegg impact soil tester, traction tester and soil moisture sensor. I bought the Clegg primarily due to concerns over pitch hardness last year. The first Clegg readings recorded prior to any aeration were off the charts, but since starting regular aeration we have noticed a significant reduction in hardness levels. I provide the stadium with weekly reports on hardness and traction alongside the schedule of works for the stadium and training fields. PNG's hot and humid climate certainly takes some getting used to and dictates a lot of our cultural practices. The hottest part of the day seems to be from 6am-9am in the morning due to humidity. As mentioned, Port Moresby is extremely windy and almost every day it blows from lunchtime onwards, a lot like the Fremantle Doctor in WA, which does provide some welcome relief. All spraying is done at night or early morning when there is no wind, while foliar feeding is carried out after sun down to avoid leaf burn. The stadium is watered nightly when no rain is forecast (as you can imagine the ET rates in Port Moresby are extreme). Access to products can be problematic at times as there is literally nowhere in town to get anything turf related. All chemicals, fertilisers, seed, paints, tools and machinery I source primarily out of Queensland and sometimes Melbourne. Ordering must be done well in advance and I have deliberately ordered a few pallets of line marking paint and a container of dry fertilisers to have on hand. GREAT GUYS Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of my short time in PNG to date has been getting to know my crew 36 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT ' and helping them improve their turf management skills. My team had no practical turf experience before working at the stadium and certainly no qualifications. Two of my groundsmen had previous bobcat use but that was it. When I arrived, I put in place a training programme with the aim of getting as many of the team as possible trained up on as many machines and tasks quickly! With the FIFA tournament approaching (more on that below) it was imperative to get the essentials up to scratch. The biggest consideration was safety and ensuring the guys wore appropriate PPE, including footwear (not just the trusty ‘PNG safety boots’ aka thongs!). After the first six weeks, I had a training record in place with all my guys able to mow the stadium and training field in patterns, line mark correctly, use hand mowers and whipper snippers, irrigate properly and drive a tractor. Only two of my guys have licenses so I acted as a driving instructor on the tractor as well! I also trained up the two senior staff on boom-spraying and granular fertilising. Getting all seven of my guys to work on the same day can be a challenge at times. As mentioned only two have licenses and a few come from villages over an hour away by bus. Work isn’t overly important to villagers as everyone is sort of self-sufficient and families help each other out. I am always trying my best to encourage the guys to be at work on time and to reward the team for that I put on a BBO each Friday. Seeing the guys advance their skill levels and enjoy the work they are doing has been fantastic. Papuans are typically shy people, so I get very excited when I get asked a question about a particular task. I really enjoy seeing the guys having a good time and working together as a team to present a world-class sports complex. When I finish up, I am confident the guys will continue to produce great sports surfaces for years to come. ON THE BIG STAGE Since taking up the contract at the National Football Stadium we have hosted some fantastic events which have been a real focal point for the country as a whole. Not long after arriving we hosted a couple of rugby league nines tournaments and then had a two week break before the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup which was held across a number of venues in Port Moresby. The tournament ran from 13 November to 3 December and we hosted 10 matches including the final. Leading into the World Cup, we ramped up preparations with weekly scarifying and aerating and then two foliar applications of nitrogen and iron each week during the tournament. We were double cutting on training days and match days and double line marking. The most stressful time was before the tournament when the goals and sleeves turned up the day of our first training session. This was a major frustration as it meant we couldn’t do any line marking until they went in. 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Ben Tilley, Superintendent at Headland Golf Club, QLD Parkland Australia Pty Ltd Ph: 07 3267 3522 ¡nfo@parklandaustralia.com.au www.parklandaustralia.com.au JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 37 CONTENTS AUSTOAlJAN ■ in li? irridi Œ Hanse cnRSGCna sjjfsnlciCetìts k*ew surface tor W=sxac SUdun I. L&uillìW gston Heath puts on world class show COVER Kingston Heath: Tournament 8th (club 7th) at Kingston Heath which hosted the 2016 ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf last November. Photo: Brett Robinson, AGCSA LEAD STORY: 'Scary beautiful’ - World class Kingstoi Kingston Heath Golf Club again affirmed its status as one of the world’s great golf courses when it successfully hosted the 2016 ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf in late November. ATM editor Brett Robinson looks back at the tournament, course superintendent Hayden Mead's preparations and the challenges of getting warm-season grasses up for a November tournament, as well as talks to some of the volunteers who assisted the Kingston Heath crew during a memorable two weeks. ATM also catches up with Kingston Heath’s horticulturist Peter Murray who is responsible for managing the club’s famed vegetation. The Kingston Heath landscape was at its finest for the tournament thanks to the efforts of Murray as well as a little timely help from Mother Nature. FEATURES Royal’s race against time 16 Royal Sydney Golf Club superintendent Steve Marsden normally presents a picture of calm and collectedness but even he admits to feeling the nerves in the lead-up to last year’s 2016 Emirates Australian Open. ATM editor Brett Robinson looks back at Royal’s race against time to present the course for the Open and also touches base with golf course architect Gil Hanse who was in attendance. He talks about the impending Royal Sydney redevelopment and the importance of the relationship between architect and superintendent. Capital improvement 28 Affectionately dubbed the 'Cake Tin' by the locals, Westpac Stadium in New Zealand’s capital Wellington recently underwent a major surface upgrade for the first time since its opening in 2000. HG Sports Turf’s Erik Kinlon looks back at the project which had a few unique hurdles to overcome. From Port Melbourne to Port Moresby 34 Melbourne turf manager Matthew Oliver writes about his six month contract as grounds manager of Papua New Guinea’s National Football Stadium in Port Moresby which hosted the final of the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup last December. Future-proofing your course 48 As the golf industry evolves and course infrastructure deteriorates, golf facilities must be prepared to make the necessary changes to remain viable. USGA agronomists Elliott Dowling and Pat Gross discuss the importance of master planning. TIME FOR WATER QUALITY TESTING! Let us provide you with a truly independent water quality report Ph. 03 9548 8600 Fax. 03 9548 8622 Email, andrew@agcsa.com.au bruce@agcsa.com.au Send samples to A<5CSÄTech Suite 1, Monash Corporate Centre 752 Blackburn Road Clayton 3168 Vic 2 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT ARENAS Far right: The stadium hosted 10 games during the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup, including the final Right: One of the most rewarding aspects for Oliver has been seeing his crew advance their skill levels and enjoy the work they are doing Leading into the World Cup, Oliver ramped up pitch preparations with weekly scarifying and aerating and then two foliar applications of nitrogen and iron each week during the tournament short turnaround before hosting the Southern Regional Rugby League Nines tournament during which time the ground was scarified and aerated After the World Cup, which was won by Korea DPR, there was little respite before hosting the Southern Regional Rugby League Nines tournament. The tournament comprised teams from all over southern PNG with many coming from remote areas who spoke in their own dialect. The tournament saw us host 108 matches on the stadium and 76 matches on the training field over a six day period - it was incredible to watch! Given we had a very small gap in between these events, we ripped into the stadium surface the Monday after the World Cup final with a double scarify (diagonal direction) and double aerate (to eight inches), before installing the rugby goals, cutting the pitch and line marking. Once the rugby league tournament was over, we aerated and scarified again, this time with an application of 50m3 of sand on each field, 300kg/ha of Dolomite and 200kg/ha of 15-3-8 NPK. We also applied a follow-up miticide (Thumper 2L/ha - three applications a week apart), insecticide (Acelepryn 1.5L/ha) and a preventative fungicide (Heritage Maxx 6L/ha - two applications) heading into the wet-season. When Oliver arrived, the playing surface’s root structure was poor. After altering a number of cultural practices the surface has flourished (the photo far right shows root growth after six weeks of the new programme) 38 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 1 league trial matches and starting in March the Hunters will start their Queensland Intrust Super Cup campaign. Later in the year the stadium will host three matches as part of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup which is being jointly hosted by PNG, Australia and New Zealand. MEMORABLE MOMENTS There have been numerous highlights during my time in PNG. Without a doubt the final of the World Cup was impressive with the stadium full to capacity (15,000) and the feedback from the players, coaches, media and officials very complimentary. It's been a big challenge, frustrating at times, but one I will look back on extremely fondly and proud of what we as a team were able to achieve - some of the best playing surfaces in the Pacific. From a personal perspective it has been a tremendous experience. I know most people don’t think of PNG as a tourist destination, but it is a beautiful, mostly untouched country with some of the most spectacular scenery I’ve come across. Each weekend I try to go and see something and have been to a few villages out of Port Moresby and gone fishing in some wild rivers down the coast. I have a lot of people to thank for their support in allowing me to take on this role, none more so than my wife. I owe her a lot and she has been incredibly supportive throughout the contract. I am very grateful for that as at times it has been hard being away from my home, family and friends (and my cricket club!). Thanks also to all my colleagues and associates; it’s great to see just how willing people are in the industry to lend you and hand. Editor's Note: If you are thinking about working overseas or visiting PNG, Matthew Oliver is happy to be contacted to talk more about his experiences. 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AGCSATECH UPDATE AGCSATech senior agronomist Andrew Peart looks at some of the key considerations to ensure you get the best results from your spray applications. ¿AGCSATech -nJ Coniutuncv Scucii 0 Nozzle selection is critical to obtaining maximum spray efficacy Despite great advances in pesticide formulations, gaining acceptable control of pests, or in this instance weeds, seems to be getting more difficult in recent times. The term resistance is seemingly becoming more and more common and with certain species such as Poa annua this may well be the case. However, as turf managers are we doing as much as possible to ensure we are getting the best result from our spraying applications? There are many aspects that must be considered to gain successful weed control. Among them are correct identification, selecting the appropriate herbicide, the timing of application and ensuring the equipment used is operating at its optimum. It all starts with the correct diagnosis of the weed. In turf situations this can be difficult, especially if it is a grass weed which may not produce a visible seed head due to mowing frequency. If this is the case, a plug should be taken of the suspect plant, potted up and then allowed to produce a seed head to make identification easier. Grasses can also be identified through the use of a taxonomic key which uses specific plant characteristics and parts (such as vernation, auricles, collars and ligules) to identify them. Broadleaf weeds generally are identifiable by their foliage characteristics and it is rarer that a flower is needed for identification. Whether it’s a hand sprayer, small pedestrian sprayer or a large boom sprayer, correct calibration of spray equipment is essential Once correctly identified, selecting the appropriate turf-registered herbicide is crucial and where possible taking into account its chemical group to try and limit the possibility of resistance. With herbicides, the chemical groups (modes of actions) are represented by a capital letter. Any herbicide with the same letter has the same mode of action and their continual use should be avoided. For example, the herbicides containing the active ingredients trifloxysulfuron (Monument8), rimsulfuron (Coliseum81), foramsulfuron (Tribute1) and iodosulfuron (Destiny8) are all Group B herbicides and rotating between these chemicals will not avoid resistance of the weed trying to be controlled. The other crucial component of the chemical selection is the quality of water that it is to be mixed with. The pH level of the water is most critical and ideally should be between 5.5 and 7.5. The use of buffering agents should be incorporated into the water if it is outside this range. The use of dirty water, or that with a high percentage of suspended solids, should also be avoided particularly when using glyphosate as this can bind to the colloidal particles and be far less effective on killing the weeds. The timing of chemical applications is also crucial. Many chemical labels, under the heading ‘Direction of Use’, state that the product should not be used on turf or weeds that are under stress. Others state not to be used on waterlogged soils. Some may even state that applications should not be made if heavy rainfall is forecast in the following 24 hours. Taking note of these directions is crucial in obtaining spraying efficacy. Of most importance though is not spraying when plants are under stress. When a plant is under stress its stomata will be closed and not receptive to herbicide applications which are foliar absorbed. 40 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - assess the correct boom height is to run the sprayer over a hot surface, ideally concrete, and watch the uniformity at which the water evaporates. Nozzle selection can also be critical to obtaining maximum spray performance. It is very rare that ideal spraying conditions occur which minimise the impact of drift. The use of flat fan nozzles no doubt provides the greatest leaf coverage for broadleaf type applications, however, due to the amount of very fine droplets produced they are susceptible to excessive drift. The use of air induction nozzles has dramatically reduced the impact of drift through the incorporation of much larger droplets in the spray spectrum. At 3 bars of pressure, a normal 110 degree flat fan nozzle produces 30 per cent of its spray volume with droplets smaller than 150 microns, whereas an air induction 110 degree nozzle has only 5-7 per cent smaller than 150 microns. In recent times the introduction of the XC nozzle by Syngenta has better addressed the issue of reduced drift and also uniformity especially on sloping type ground where excellent distribution is still achieved when the boom height is reduced to only 30cm above the turf sward. Lastly, the rearward facing alignment of the nozzle has improved leaf coverage. The TeeJet air induction turbo twinjet is also another nozzle that has tried to address the issue of both drift reduction and leaf coverage with a bi-directional spray output to maximise leaf coverage. CONCLUSION The ability to maintain pest-free playing surfaces is paramount to the expectations of users of natural turf playing surfaces and these days that is generally only achievable with the use of pesticides. Ensuring these are applied correctly will ensure they have the best opportunity to achieve their desired result while minimising any potential pest resistance issues, harm to the operator or the environment. Spraying equipment and water quality must be continually checked to ensure optimum performance, and the use of new technology embraced to ensure the best possible outcome. EQUIPMENT AND CALIBRATION Ensuring the chemical reaches the target effectively is the next main consideration. Whether it’s a hand sprayer, small pedestrian sprayer or a large boom sprayer, correct calibration of equipment is essential. As most chemical labels state the amount of chemical that is required to be applied per hectare, knowing the correct water volume that that chemical must be mixed with is imperative. This can only be achieved through calibration. Some spraying equipment will provide you with a water volume required based on the speed of travel, the spraying pressure and type of nozzle being used. However, what it won’t tell you is how even your application is (i.e.: the exact amount of mixture coming out of each nozzle). Poor spraying results often occur due to poor spray application. Blocked nozzles are an obvious issue, however, what may be less obvious is poor nozzle performance of partially blocked or under-performing nozzles that may be delivering less active ingredient than actually required to kill the target plant. The only way to completely ascertain the effectiveness of nozzles is to check the output from each nozzle. This will then also provide you the total amount of water and chemical that is required to spray a hectare of turf. The best way to check nozzle performance is to place a bucket under each nozzle and run the sprayer at the desired pressure for a set period of time, say one minute. The volume collected from each bucket should then be measured and recorded. The total and an average output from each nozzle can then be calculated. Any nozzle that varies by more than five per cent from the average should be replaced and then the test re-run. The issue may be that if uniform wear has occurred in most spray nozzles, the newly replaced nozzle may also be outside the five per cent tolerance and as such all nozzles should be replaced. Once the total spray volume is known for a set period of time at a certain pressure, calculating the amount of water applied over a hectare is relatively straight forward. The effective width of the boom is calculated by the number of nozzles present multiplied by the distance they are apart (usually 0.5m). Travelling speed is either known from a speedometer or on older machines knowing the time it takes to travel 100m in a certain gear and revs and calculating the speed in kph from that (3.6 x 100 / time it took in seconds to travel 100m). The application rate (L/ha) then becomes 600 x spray output (result obtained in L/min from all nozzles) divided by speed (kph) x boom width (m). Knowing your actual application rate and knowing all your nozzles are within five per cent output still does not guarantee even distribution. Boom height above the ground is paramount as having the boom too close to the ground will deliver too much spray underneath each nozzle, while having it too high may mean the spray will not completely reach the target. The best way to Example of a bi-directional nozzle which tries to address the issue of both spray drift reduction and leaf coverage There are many aspects that must be considered to gain successful weed control. Among them are correct identification, selecting the appropriate herbicide, the timing of the application and ensuring the equipment used to deliver the active ingredient is appropriate and operating at its optimum JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 41 JOHN NEYLAN Effects of pre-emergent herbicides on a couch sportsfield at 18 weeks after treatment. All pre-emergent herbicides were very effective compared to the untreated control ATM columnist John Neylan presents the findings of a recent research project he and David Nickson (Grand Prix Turf) conducted with funding from Sports Turf Association (Victoria). The project assessed the efficacy of various pre-emergent herbicides to control Poa annua in couchgrass and kikuyu. In November 2016 a discussion was held among course superintendents regarding the challenges of controlling Poa annua in couch. This discussion arose at the same time that the results of the Poa annua in warm-season grasses survey was published (see previous column in ATM Volume 18.6, pages 42-46). The common theme has been the increasing difficulties in controlling Poa annua in warm-season grasses and the increasing reality that we are dealing with herbicide-tolerant and resistant Poa annua types. Following these discussions I felt that it was timely to revisit some research work recently undertaken with the Sports Turf Association (Victoria). During 2014/15 a series of trials were undertaken to assess the efficacy of various pre- and post-emergent herbicides to control Poa annua in couch (Cynodon sp.) and kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum). One of the key reasons was to determine whether the herbicides met the level of expectation promoted in the advertising literature. This article details the outcomes of the pre-emergent herbicide trials and the seed bank studies. PRE-EMERGENT TRIAL The pre-emergent trials were established on a couch field with a sandy rootzone and in an open position, while the kikuyu site had a loam-clay loam rootzone soil and was affected by shade. Both sites were in the southern suburbs of Melbourne (South Frankston and Seaford). The herbicides were applied on 27/2/14 and the conditions were calm, warm (24°C) and dry. The soil temperature was 24°C and the plots were irrigated after the herbicides were applied. The herbicides used in the trial are detailed in Table 1. Following the herbicide applications there was a significant rainfall event on the 1/3/15 (18mm), however, the rainfall totals were below the monthly averages for March, April, May and June. The low rainfall totals resulted in the late germination of Poa annua at both sites. Within one week following the application of the herbicides there was a very slight discolouration of the kikuyu plots where oxadiazon had been applied. This did not occur on any of the couch plots. TABLE 1: PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDES Treatment Herbicides Product Application Rate (Product/Ha) Expected Life (Approximate)* T1 T2 T3 T4 |T5 T6 Oryzalin Pendimethalin Prodiamine Oxadiazon Dithiopyr Untreated Control Embargo™ Stomp 330™ Barricade™ Ronstar Turf and Ornamental Herbicide™ Dimension EW™ - 5L/ha 4.2L/ha 2L/ha 200kg/ha 3.5L/ha - About 100 days About 70 days Up to 150 days *** About 70 days About 120 days ** - * Information drawn from the label or other company documentation. Always check the label. ** Information drawn from general literature. *"* In high infestations the label recommends repeat applications in 3-4 months. 42 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - AVERAGE NO. SQUARES WHERE POA ANNUA WAS PRESENT TABLE 2: COUCH SITE - Treatment Product 15/4/15* (48 DAT) 15/5/15 (78 DAT) 17/6/15 (111 DAT) 14/7/15 (138 DAT) 13/8/15 (168 DAT) T1 T2 I 73 T4 T5 T6 LSD (P<0.05) Oryzalin Pendimethalin Prodiamine Oxadiazon Dithiopyr UTC 0 0 0 0 0 0 NS 0* 20.3“ 0.3“ 28.7“ 18.0“ 99.3b 36 I 0“ 33.7*» 10.3“*> 39.0° 39.0b 163.06 29 0“ 41.7“° 16.3“ 100.3b 67.3“b 194.3° 75 0“ lOO.Oh 45.7ab 108.3b 104.O'* 208.3C 90 Noto: Where treatment means have the same letter there is no significant difference. * On this assessment date there were small Poa annua seedlings present but of insufficient size to identify and count. At the August 2015 assessment the oryzalin treatment had significantly less Poa annua than all other treatments except for prodiamine. All of the remaining herbicide treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the untreated control. Kikuyu Site: At the kikuyu site there was a significant difference between the treatments. In May 2015 there was no significant difference between the treatments and this tends to reflect the variability of the Poa annua distribution between the blocks, the small size of the Poa annua plants and the difficulty in counting the Poa annua among the green kikuyu shoots. At the June 2015 assessment the oryzalin and prodiamine treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the oxadiazon and untreated control. All of the remaining herbicide treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the untreated control. At the July 2015 assessment the oryzalin treatment had significantly less Poa annua than all other treatments. The prodiamine had significantly less Poa annua than the oxadiazon, dithiopyr and untreated control plots. In August 2015, the oryzalin treatment had significantly less Poa annua than all other treatments. The prodiamine treatment had less Poa annua than the oxadiazon and the untreated control. The following assessments were undertaken; 1. Poa annua count: The amount of Poa annua was determined with the use of a 1 x 1 metre grid (50mm x 50mm squares) divided into 216 squares. The grid was placed in the centre of each plot and the number of squares containing Poa annua plants counted. 2. Turf quality: The treatments were visually assessed for turf quality using a 0 - 5 scale where 0 = very poor and 5 = excellent. 3. Turf density: The treatments were visually assessed for turf density using a 0 - 5 scale where 0 = no turf cover and 5 = very dense. 4. Root depth: On the pre-emergent trials, 100mm diameter core samples were taken in the spring to a depth of 200mm and the root depth measured. POA ANNUA COUNTS The trial sites were assessed prior to the application of the treatments and there was no Poa annua present at either site. The trials were assessed monthly and the results are detailed in Tables 2 (above) and 3 (page 44). At the March and April 2015 assessments there was some minor Poa annua germination noted in the untreated control plots at the couch site with none at the kikuyu site. Detailed assessments were undertaken on five occasions when there was an obvious presence of Poa annua. Couch Site: At the couch site there was a significant difference between the treatments. At the May 2015 assessment all herbicide treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the untreated control. At the June 2015 assessment the oryzalin treatment had significantly less Poa annua than all other treatments except for the prodiamine treatment. All of the remaining herbicide treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the untreated control. At the July 2015 assessment the oryzalin and prodiamine treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the oxadiazon and the untreated control. At this time the oxadiazon was past its expected longevity and effectiveness. All of the remaining herbicide treatments had significantly less Poa annua than the untreated control. Does Poa annua have a role on poorly drained soils in mid-winter? This photo of the kikuyu trial site shows the pre-emergent herbicide plot (right-hand side) is thin and lacks density compared to the untreated control Foa/kikuyu plot (left-hand side) JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 43 JOHN NEYIAN • Treatment 1 III TABLE 3: KIKUYU SITE - NO. SQUARES WHERE POA ANNUA WAS PRESENT 13/8/15 (168 DAT) 14/7/15 (138 DAT) 17/6/15 (111 DAT) 15/4/15* (48 DAT) 15/5/15 (78 DAT) Product T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 LSD (P<0.05) Oryzalin Pendimethalin Prodiamine Oxadiazon Dithiopyr UTC 0 0 0 0 0 0 NS 22.0 44.7 17.0 68.3 21.0 55.0 NS 49.0s 71.3s“ 48.0a 117.7“ 62.3“ 107.3e 54 50s 133“ 116b 164® 134“ 179d 37 100.0s ISô.O“0 148.3“ 187.7ed ITg.O“0 215.0d 37 Noto: Where treatment means have the same letter there is no significant difference. *On this assessment date there were small Poa annua seedlings present but of insufficient size to identify and count. TURFGRASS QUALITY AND DENSITY Turfgrass quality and density were assessed on each occasion with no significant differences recorded at either site. Tables 4 and 5 below provide an example of the data collected. It was noted that at the kikuyu site that as the soils became wetter there was greater turf deterioration in those plots that had little or no Poa annua. This result raises the question as to whether it is appropriate to use pre-emergent herbicides on all sites, particularly those that have poor drainage and high traffic. In contrast, the couch site was on a sandy soil type and the surface remained dry throughout the winter months. Consequently the couch cover remained intact throughout. TURFGRASS COVER In the spring/early summer the % couch and kikuyu cover was assessed and the results are also detailed in Tables 4 and 5. The results at both sites indicate that a quicker recovery of the desired species can be achieved if kept free of Poa annua. At the couch site during the October 2015 TABLE 4: COUCH SITE - TURFGRASS QUALITY AND DENSITY • <» i— T • 13/8/15 13/10/16 % Couch Quality Density Quality* Density** Product 100s Oryzalin 51“ Pendimethalin 85s0 Prodamine 52“ Oxadiazon 62“ Dithiopyr 28® UTC 37 LSD •Turfgrass quality (0 = very poor. 5 = excellent) *’Turfgrass density (0 = bare ground. 5 = very high turf density) 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.1 NS 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.8 3.7 4.0 NS 4.4 3.9 4.2 3.8 3.7 3.5 NS 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.8 NS assessment, the oryzalin treatment had a significantly greater couch cover than all other treatments except for the prodiamine treatment. The kikuyu site was wet and shaded and there was substantial damage to the turf where there was no Poa annua present. Consequently in the spring, the % kikuyu was quite low though the recovery was very strong. At the October 2015 assessment the oryzalin had a significantly greater kikuyu cover than all other treatments except for prodiamine and dithiopyr. By the December 2015 assessment there was no significant difference between the treatments. ROOT DEPTH In the spring of 2015 core samples were taken from each plot and the depth of the main root mass was measured (Table 6). The results show that there was no significant difference between the treatments when compared to the untreated control. SEED BANK STUDY The Poa annua seed bank is a key to the plant’s survival and it was decided to study this particular aspect as well. At both pre-emergent trial sites 50mm diameter cores were taken to a depth of 5cm from the oryzalin plots and the untreated control. Four samples were taken from each plot with a total of 24 cores taken. Each core was separated into the thatch, 0 - 1cm, 1 - 2cm and 2 - 4cm layers. These segments were broken up and planted into trays and watered regularly. The seedlings were identified and counted at two and four weeks after seeding with the data for four weeks after sowing detailed in Table 7 and Figures 1 and 2 (see bottom of page 46). TABLE 5: KIKUYU SITE - TURFGRASS QUALITY AND DENSITY 14/7/15 13/8/15 Quality* Density** Quality Density Quality 13/10/15 Density % Kikuyu Quality 7/12/15 Density % Kikuyu 3.3 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.8 NS 2.8 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.7 NS 1.7 3.2 2.3 3.2 2.8 3.3 NS 1.7 3.0 2.2 3.0 2.7 3.3 NS 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.2 NS 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.7 NS 63“ 37“ 57* 40b 53* 20® 19 4.1 4.0 4.3 3.7 4.2 3.3 NS 4.1 4.1 4.4 3.7 4.3 3.3 NS 81.7 70.0 83.3 70.0 81.7 58.3 NS Treatment Oryzalin Pendimethalin Prodamine Oxadiazon Dithiopyr UTC LSD (P<0.05) •Turfgrass quality (0 = very poor. 5 = excellent) ••Turfgrass density (0 = bare ground. 5 = very high turf density) 44 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS TABLE 6: DEPTH OF ROOT MASS AT PRE-EMERGENT SITES Treatment T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 LSD(P turf industry gathered in late November for the annual WA Turf Industry Awards to celebrate the achievements of the 2016 graduating turf students 1 »Xfil Clint Betts (Baileys Fertilisers, » left) with Jason Kirkwood who was named recipient of the CH Bailey & Sons Perpetual Shield for Best WA Sports Turf Graduate for 2016 Viny migrated to Australia as a young man, working a range of jobs in hospitality and as a courier driver. Viny comically told the story how when starting out in the courier business as a newcomer, navigating the Perth metropolitan area was quite a challenge at times. However, he says it wasn’t long before he was soon looking for something different. Armed with some simple tractor usage from his younger years in the UK and no real experience in the field of grounds maintenance, he applied for and successfully secured a job with the City of Melville as a gang mower on their turf management team. He started at the bottom of the ladder and through pure persistence and gumption was able to join the council’s maintenance team at Point Walter Golf Course. It was there that he quickly developed a passion for turf management and doggedly questioned his peers and colleagues while undertaking turf studies at TAFE. Viny still carries the same passion and desire for quality turf surfaces today as he had when he worked his way up from this humble beginning in turf to become the well-respected turf manager who now looks after WA’s premier parkland and public open space. Viny has been at Kings Park for the past 15 years where he is responsible for the management and irrigation of approximately 33 hectares of turf areas spread out atop Mt Eliza’s landscaped parkland. Set aside for public purposes in 1831 and originally named Perth Park as it overlooks Perth's CBD and the Swan River, it is an enviable workplace. Viny leads five full-time staff and his team manages the clear majority of work in-house, with only about 10 per cent being outsourced to contractors. Notably, 6.5 million people visit Kings Park every year! This includes a constant flow of human traffic almost daily, concentrating each weekend and a calendar filled with public and private concerts and other entertainment events which host thousands of patrons each time. Also, as one of the most highly promoted sites for tourists visiting the city of Perth, there is always some sort of infrastructure redevelopment occurring throughout the park, which creates plenty of ongoing challenges for Viny and his team. Throughout these challenges, the kikuyu turf surfaces are applauded as some of the best in the state. It was no surprise, therefore, to those who knew Viny that he was asked to attend this awards evening and provide an entertaining and informative chronology of his time in the turf industry and pass on a message to the new generation of graduating turf managers. However, it came as a complete surprise to Viny near the end of the evening when he was named the recipient of the WA Sports Turf Industry Person of the Year for 2016, which was presented to him by Adrian Pitsakis. artfield Country Club’s function room was alive on the last Tuesday night of November 2016 when the Western Australian turf community came together to celebrate the achievements of the 2016 graduating turf students for the annual WA Turf Industry Awards night. This annual event, now in its 34th year, was proudly hosted by the Sports Turf Association (WA) in conjunction with the Golf Course Superintendents Association of WA and the Turf Growers Associations WA. Close to 90 people were in attendance enjoying good food and good company as once again Verity James, acting as MC for the evening, warmed everyone's hearts with her welcoming charm and down to earth humour. Even with Verity’s help it is without doubt the event would not have been such a success without the steadfast support and generosity of the many sponsoring businesses who donated their time and money to make it such a success. The sponsors for the night included Beacon Equipment, Globe Australia, Greenacres Turf Group, MowMaster, Nuturf, Pro Core Turf Renovation, State Wide Turf Services, T-Quip, Turfcare WA, Village Green Kikuyu and Western Irrigation. The three major award sponsors were Baileys Fertilisers, Bayer and Lawn Doctor. Joining us again for the evening was retired turf lecturer Jim Clements and his wife Joan. Jim was the inaugural winner of the CH Baileys Perpetual Shield award in 1982, who then went on to share the burden with the late Lin Hambleton in educating Perth's current majority of turf managers during the 1980s and 1990s. Jim proudly brought along his prized engraved pewter mug to toast a drink along with this year's winners. Special guest speaker this year was Vinaya (Viny) Kapur, turf technician and grounds manager for the Botanical Gardens and Parks Authority (Kings Park). Viny spoke about how he came to work in the turf industry almost by chance at the age of 30. Coming from a hospitality background in the UK, 70 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - Sam Franco (left) with graduating 2016 night class students Lin passed away on 22 June 2016, just four days short of his 74th birthday. During his career and into retirement Lin was a regular attendee and a passionate advocate of the awards night and its promotion of future graduates within the WA Turf Industry. His presence this year was sorely missed. Bottom left: Danny Hambleton (Globe Australia, left) with Mark Dickinson, recipient of the Best Student in Certificate of Trade Studies in Turf Management Award Below: Hugh Gardner (STA WA, left) with Swan Bowling and Recreation Club’s Matthew Smith who won the Murray James Memorial Award Congratulations Viny, you are appreciated for your mentoring of others in the industry and for working so hard to provide WA with an amazing public open space facility that is recognised among the top 10 best parks in the world. The Turf Growers Association WA is particularly proud of the Kirkwood brothers from West Coast Turf. While elder son Darren Kirkwood is the association’s current chairperson and managing director of the family turf farm at West Coast, his younger brother Jason Kirkwood was awarded the CH Bailey & Sons Perpetual Shield for Best WA Sports Turf Graduate, sponsored by Baileys Fertilisers. Jason achieved his certification through attending night classes after working long hours during the day at the turf farm. At home with a young family, Jason is a busy young man with a bright future in turf. The other student award recipients on the night were: Best Student in Certificate of Trade Studies in Turf Management (sponsored by Bayer) Recipient: Mark Dickinson (Mosman Park/ Cottesloe Golf Club) • Presented by: Danny Hambleton (Globe Australia) Lecturer's Choice Award (sponsored by Lawn Doctor) Recipient: Ben Suckling (Capel Golf Club) • Presented by: Terry Sellick (Lawn Doctor) Murray James Memorial Trophy (sponsored by the STA WA) Recipient: Matthew Smith (Swan Bowling and Recreation Club) • Presented by: Hugh Gardner (STA WA) Concluding the night on a sombre yet respectful note, John Forrest from South Metropolitan TAFE took a few moments to speak on Lin Hambleton and his legacy towards the establishment and development of the turf management programme at TAFE colleges in Perth during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. : « FLEXIBLE Confidently use BARRICADE from tees to greens and you can even delay wash-in if required www.greencast.com.au w Barricade Herbicide AD 16-395/D syn^enta JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 71 ASSOCIATION REPORTS NZGCSA « min iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiii min un I h I il in I h un ni minili hihi ui ui ui I in iiiiiiiiiiii I il I h ni ni I in h iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin iiiuiiiii iiniiiiiiiiiii iimiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii min sponsored by Power Turf NZ. Mark competed in the day-long competition alongside George Flynn (Pukekohe Golf Club) and Matthew McClintock (Waimairi Beach Golf Club). All would have been worthy recipients, but it was Mark that came through at the finish. Hello to everyone on both sides of ‘The Ditch’ and all the best for 2017. New Zealand’s weather has been extreme in recent times with some areas absolutely hanging out for rain while other areas have had more than their fair share. For some, summer has yet to arrive and for others it has never left from last season or the one before! And just to confuse the issue further, snow fell on the ranges in both the North and South Islands in mid-January! NZGCSA president Steve Hodson With those extremes come the challenges of greenkeeping and dealing with the conditions that prevail in your own area. This is where the value of our great industry training comes into its own and also being able to ring neighbouring superintendents to share advice or simply looking for an ear to share a problem with. We are a relatively small industry and as such have to look after one self and also each other. Since our last report in ATM (Volume 18.5 - September-October 2016), there has been a bit of change within the NZGCSA executive. In late October we had to sadly accept the resignation of Martin Burger (superintendent Whitford Park Golf Club) after just a few months as NZGCSA president. Sadly Marty left the industry to pursue other interests that came about a few years earlier than expected. We wish Marty well for the future and thank him for his time and effort spent on the NZGCSA board over the last few years. I was duly elevated to the role of NZGCSA president having spent the past five years on the Board. By way of a brief introduction, I have been in this wonderful industry for the past 40 years and am currently the course superintendent at Westown Golf Club in New Plymouth (west coast of New Zealand’s North Island). I am looking forward to working with you all over the next few years and wish to thank everyone for their support since taking over the reins. Elsewhere, congratulations goes to Mark Mills of Hastings Golf Club who before Christmas took out the 2016 NZGCSA Graduate of the Year Award For his efforts Mark has embarked on the trip of a lifetime to spend two weeks in the US where he will attend the GIS in Orlando with staff from Power Turf NZ as well as visit the Jacobsen factory. Winning the award is a fantastic achievement and will go a long way to setting up what will hopefully be a long and rewarding career for Mark in this industry. Credit must also go to Gordon Trembath, superintendent at Hastings Golf Club and a man well respected within the industry, for his guidance through Mark’s apprenticeship. The NZGCSA also sincerely thanks long-term partners Power Turf NZ and Jacobsen for their continued support of this important award. A reminder to all of you of the Fine Turf Seminar to be held in the deep south of Dunedin in August administered by the Southern Turf Managers Association, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. These two-day format seminars have proven to be highly successful over past years and this one will be no different. It is a great opportunity to enhance one’s knowledge and also to rub shoulders with your peers for a couple of days. The Fine Turf Seminar kicks off on Sunday 20 August with a golf tournament at the Otago Golf Club, the oldest golf club in the Southern Hemisphere, followed by dinner. The following two days will see the seminar hosted at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Keep an eye on the NZGCSA website - www.nzgcsa.org.nz - for more details. Finally, the NZGCSA, on behalf of all members, extends its thoughts and best wishes to industry stalwart and life member of the NZGCSA and Auckland GCSA, Richard Warren, who is currently dealing with some health challenges. STEVE HODSON PRESIDENT, NZGCSA ON THE MOVE ANDREW ABBOTT: Departed as superintendent of Murray Downs Golf & Country Club, NSW for a position with the local council. PATRICK CASEY: From superintendent Adelaide Shores, SA to superintendent Kalgoorlie Golf Club, WA. ROWAN DAYMOND: From senior assistant superintendent The Grange Golf Club, SA to superintendent Murray Downs Golf & Country Club, NSW. ALEX GORRIE: Appointed assistant superintendent Neangar Park Golf Club, Vic. MAT GUY: Appointed assistantsuperintendent at Horizon's Golf Resort, NSW. Arrives at the club after spending six years at Cabot Cliffs in Canada. IICK MARINO: From assistant | superintendent Club Mandalay, Vic [to superintendent Royal Park Golf (Club, Vic. PAUL ROBINSON: From superintendent Kyneton Golf Club, Vic after 13 years to superintendent Bacchus Marsh Golf Club, Vic. GARY SMITH: From assistant superintendent to superintendent, The Commercial Club, Albury, NSW. GAVIN STONE: Appointed assistant superintendent Ocean Dunes Golf Course, King Island. Tas. ANTHONY TOOGOOD: From superintendent The Commercial Club Albury, NSW after 14 years. Has returned to Tasmania for family reasons and has gained a position working on the crew at Barnbougle Dunes. BRAD WIN NELL: From Brighton Grammar, Vic to assistant superintendent Latrobe Golf Club, Vic. 72 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - 2017 unfortunately got off to the worst possible start for the Tasmanian turf management community following the sad loss of Mowbray Golf Club course superintendent Shane Knott. ‘Kirby', as he was affectionately known by everyone within the industry and at the club (although it still remains a mystery as to how he got that nickname), fell ill inside the maintenance facility shortly after lunchtime on Monday 16 January. He was due to turn 58 on 17 February 2017. management communities. As many fellow turfies commented in the days and weeks following Kirby’s death, he will long be remembered as a real gentleman and one of the industry’s great characters. He would always pop in for a chat to catch up and if you needed help he would be the first to put up his hand and drop everything to assist. He was a regular attendee at TGCSA field days and conferences and over the years had held various posts on the TGCSA committee. Kirby was a long-time TGCSA member, with Mowbray Golf Club in Launceston forming an integral part of his life. He started his turf management career at the club in 1979 and spent 14.5 years there before moving up the Tamar River to take on the role of course superintendent at Exeter Golf Club. From there he joined long-time TGCSA sponsor Pellows Saws and Mowers for a brief period before heading back into greenkeeping at Casino. In late 2007 he re-joined Mowbray Golf Club where he had been course superintendent up until his untimely passing. Kirby’s memorial service was held on 25 January with a large contingent of industry friends and colleagues in attendance, showing just how well respected he was within the golf and turf In Launceston’s Examiner newspaper, the Mowbray Golf Club paid tribute to Kirby: “The Staff, Committee and Members of the Mowbray Golf Club were shocked and saddened to learn of Shane’s sudden death. ‘Kirby’ being the club’s course superintendent for nine years will be greatly missed by all who have met and dealt with him over the journey. A long-term member, former director and twice employed by the club. Kirby has displayed immeasurable loyalty to Mowbray for which the club will be forever grateful. A true friend to all and sadly taken too soon.” RIP Kirby, from all your mates at the TGCSA. MARK JOHNSON PRESIDENT, TGCSA 33rd Australian Turfgrass Conference and Trade Exhibition TwinWaters June 26-29 2017 Early Bird Registration Now Open Many Paths, One Goal For information visit www.agcsa.com.au/conference or contact Simone Staples on (03) 9548 8600 or simone@agcsa.com.au JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 73 ASSOCIATION REPORTS VGCSA iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ni ululili iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii ni iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii min iiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii ululili iiiiiiiiniiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii Y« Yarra Yarra Golf Club co-hosted the 2017 Australian Amateur Championships in mid-January with Peninsula-Kingswood Country Golf Club. Pictured above is Yarra Yarra's the par three 15th and top right the With 2016 behind us and above average rainfall across most of the state, it has been refreshing to encounter some warm weather recently. Back in December the VGCSA held its educational awards with Joel Manson from Anglesea Golf Club winning the VGCSA Apprentice of the Year, while over at 13th Beach Golf Links David Johnston was awarded the 2nd Year Diploma Scholarship for 2017. Congratulations to both gentlemen and we hope to see them rise through the turf management ranks in the years to come. In the recent Summer edition of the VGCSA newsletter, we featured the 2015/16 trial work report on ‘Golf green soil microbiology and biological stimulants’. Two further trials will be conducted this year with the help of Turfgrass Consulting and Research’s John Neylan, reiterating our commitment to relevant turf management issues in Victoria. A copy of the report can be accessed from the VGCSA website www.vgcsa.com.au. Events for 2017 are all organised with the first meeting on Monday 6 March to be our popular walk and talk dual club education meeting at Commonwealth and Woodlands golf clubs. I’m sure both host superintendents Mark Prosser (Commonwealth) and John Mann (Woodlands) will have interesting works and topics to be discussed on the walk. A meeting flyer will be distributed in early February with all the relevant details. Congratulations to Rod Tatt (Yarra Yarra Golf Club) and Glenn Stuart (Peninsula-Kingswood Country Golf Club) for the successful hosting of the 2017 Australian Amateur Championships in mid-January. Both Yarra Yarra and Peninsula’s Kingswood course were in superb condition for the event which continues to attract some of the best amateur talent from around the world. It is the first time the championship was held at Yarra Yarra while the Kingswood course played co-host for the second consecutive year. 74 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 1 Players from 19 countries - Australia, Canada, England, Finland, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, USA and Wales - descended on both courses with a total of 120 international players making the journey to the Melbourne sandbelt. Among them were the reigning title-holders of the US boys' amateur, US girls’ amateur, US women’s amateur, British Amateur and European Amateur championships. The stroke play component of the championship was held across both courses, with the top 64 men and 32 women advancing to the match play phase from Thursday to Sunday at Yarra Yarra. Rod and his 17-strong crew had Yarra Yarra’s Poa annua/bentgrass greens clipped at 2.5mm and running at 11 feet as stipulated by Golf Australia. The greens received a single cut in the morning and a single brush cut or groom in the evenings. In addition to tremendous support from the club, committee and general manager Peter Vlahandreas, Rod was also very grateful for the support received from fellow superintendents Ian Todd (Victoria Golf Club) and Hayden Mead (Kingston Heath Golf Club) who sent staff across to assist with preparations each morning. Across at Kingswood, Marcus Harber (Dingley site course manager) and assistant Rhys Whitling marshalled the troops to present the course in superb condition for its Tuesday and Wednesday rounds. Marcus’s normal crew of eight swelled to 22 with staff coming across from the club’s Frankston site (Peninsula courses). Kingswood’s greens were hand cut at 3mm and rolled each day in the lead up to the qualifying rounds and during the two days of strokeplay the greens were given just a single cut to match the 11 foot speeds across at Yarra Yarra. Both courses received excellent feedback from players and tournament organisers. A huge amount of lead-in work was undertaken at both courses to get them tournament ready and the end result again showed the passion and dedication each crew had. Finally, the association now has a new postal address which was distributed to members via email. If anyone has not received these new details, please contact Mary Napier by email adminvgcsa@ bigpond.com. MAT POULTNEY PRESIDENT, VGCSA V VIC œ industry good health and happiness for 2017. The STA Victoria committee wish all in the The biggest project we have embarked on recently is to update the existing association constitution to bring it into line with modern standards and current regulations. The revised ‘Articles of Association’ will be available for review in the first quarter of 2017 and we believe you will agree it will open up opportunities for STA Victoria moving forward. All financials and current risks have been independently audited and given approval. 2017 will be the first time in many years we have all activities planned well in advance for members and sponsors. A simple idea, however as you will be aware a lot of work goes into this by the team to ensure we can provide quality events with informative presentations. A sneak peek of the calendar looks like this: 5 April 2017: Safety & Education Forum; • 19 July 2017: AGM and Sports Turf Seminar at AAMI Park; Aug/Sept 2017 (TBC): Practical Field Day in conjunction with Cricket Victoria; • 1 November 2017: Irrigation for Sports Fields Forum; and Late November (TBC): Toro Regional Sports Field & Grounds Forum. Further to this, the committee has been working with other industry partners to ensure we offer a wide range of topics and opportunities for all STA Victoria members. As always, we are happy to receive any feedback so please get in touch if required. Equally, if you have a great topic you would like presented at any of the above events in 2017, send us an email and we can work together to firm up the programmes. We have announced an offer to partially fund a student sponsorship designed to encourage students to move from Certificate III in Sports Turf Management (apprenticeship) into Diploma studies. The sponsorship will comprise 50 per cent of the total fee of the course up to $3000. Full details and an application form can be found on the STA Victoria website www.vicsportsturf.asn.au or contact Jan Fenton vic@sportsturf.asn.au After consultation with its membership, the STA Victoria is also looking for potential research service providers to undertake a research project titled - ‘Compare possible hours of use for different sports field construction types and maintenance inputs’. This project will start 1 March 2017 and will run for 18 months to allow for seasonality. Tenders were due in by 25 January 2017 and a full brief of the project is available on the STA Victoria website. We look forward to bringing you milestone reports on the findings. GARRY WOOLARD COMMITTEE, STA VIC STA ACT REGION Our nation’s capital has, like other lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll grant to help fund the 2017 Diploma in Sports Turf Management group’s excursion to New Zealand. This year's trip will take in Wellington and Christchurch and will be a fantastic opportunity for all involved. locations around Australia, been smashed with hot weather over the summer. As of the middle of January there had been 26 days out of 47 over 30 degrees, with Friday 13 January the hottest (it reached 40 degrees at Federal Golf Club). Rain too has been absent from Canberra with most courses and sporting facilities recording under 60mm for December and only 5mm up to the middle of January. As most will know, Royal Canberra Golf Club appointed a new course superintendent back in July last year. Ben Grylewicz has settled into his new role quite nicely and is enjoying the Canberra lifestyle as well as the relentless weather extremes that the capital is famous for. Elsewhere, some fantastic news for Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) after it was successful in securing a Federal After two very successful days at Federal Golf Club, the STA ACT Golf Day will move across to Yowani Country Club on Monday 8 May. We thank Yowani superintendent Justin Haslam and assistant Pete Dunn for their assistance in helping us secure the venue. Sponsorship packages are available. Other events slated for 2017 include the annual STA ACT Seminar which is set again for 26 July at Vikings Town Centre Club, Tuggeranong. All are welcome to join us in our fine capital for these always memorable events. SCOTT FOGG PRESIDENT, STA ACT G©l!FJG©:WRSEIEENGINGÏSBEGIWl!ISiïïS MELBOURNE CHAIN WIRE FENCING SECURE AND ATTRACTIVE FENCING SOLUTIONS • Boundary • Enclosures • Parking & Partitions p. (03) 94571704 I e. sales@melchain.com au www melchain.com.au/golf JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 75 ASSOCIATION REPORTS TURF AUSTRALIA Australia Right: Canberra-based CanTurf will host the 2017 NxGen Forum uueensiana nested a large si effectiveness of various ero: and sediment control options v assessed and compared. Turf proven to be the most effec ock in Monday 5 to Wednesday 7 June 2017 | I for the Turf Australia Conference & Field Day ■k to be held at The Sebel Kirkton Park in the Hunter Valley, NSW. It has been two years since the turf production industry has held a national conference and field day so we are looking forward to a strong turnout. Presentations on precision farming and turf nutrition along with possibly the largest turf machinery field day ever held in Australia are being planned. Master of Ceremonies will be ‘Tony the Turfman’ and presenters include John Keleher (Australian Lawn Concepts) and Dr Mick Battam (AgEnviro Solutions). The field day will be held at nearby Buchanan Turf in Bolwarra, NSW on Wednesday 7 June. Buchanan Turf is the home of Sir Walter Buffalo which was discovered growing in one of Buchanan’s paddocks. The Sebel Kirkton Park is about one hour’s drive from Newcastle Airport which has regular flights to and from major cities on the east coast of Australia. Alternatively, Sydney Airport is two-and-a-half hours’ drive away. If you have any machinery, products, information or services that could benefit turf growers, please contact Rachel Layt at Turf Australia on (02) 4588 5735 or email admin@turfaustralia.com.au for exhibitor and/or sponsorship information. The Hunter Valley has many attractions, some of which will be incorporated into the programme. We look forward to seeing you there! NXGEN FORUM - CANBERRA 2017 CanTurf, ACT’s innovative and progressive turf farm, will host the 2017 NxGen Forum from 30 April - 2 May 2017. Canberra is one of the few places in Australia that grows both cool- and warm-season grass types and the different production methods will be explored. In addition, Canberra has many local attractions and high calibre speakers that will ensure an enjoyable and informative forum. If you are between 18 and 40 years old, please consider coming to the 6th annual Turf Australia NxGen Forum. These forums are widely recognised and highly regarded and the first one to be held in Canberra is not to be missed! AUSTRALIAN STANDARD FOR USING TURF TO CONTROL EROSION After considerable research and a lot of turf levy funded and in-kind effort, an Australian Standard for ‘The use and installation of turf as an erosion, nutrient and sediment control measure’ has been drafted and public comments were due to close on 6 February 2017. This Australian Standard is an exciting opportunity that can develop new markets for turf in Australia. To be known as ‘AS 5181:201X’, the draft Australian Standard contains information on: © Planning principles; Turf selection; • Ordering turf supplies and site preparation; Installation of turf; • Monitoring performance and maintenance of turf; and Contractual sign-offs. The draft standard also contains several appendices, including Appendix C which is a detailed ‘Turf Selection Guide'. This guide provides a matrix of performance attributes of various turf species in relation to several different climate zones. This information, once finalised following the period of public comment, could be used for a variety of purposes as it indicates how favourable or tolerant particular turf species are in relation to 34 different characteristics. The turf species covered in the Turf Selection Guide are: Blue couch, broadleaf carpet grass, buffalo grass, green couch, kikuyu, zoysia japonica. zoysia matrella and seashore paspalum along with the cool-season species of ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. The characteristics for which each species is assessed against include soil type, soil pH, soil fertility, soil drainage, soil salinity, slope, temperature, rainfall, extreme cold, light level, special site conditions, plant growth, traffic and wear tolerance and management. The objective of this Australian Standard is to provide land owners, developers, project personnel and contractors with requirements on how to select, install and maintain turf in order to prevent or control erosion, nutrient loss and sedimentation. This will minimise the adverse impacts of development works and change in land use on the surrounding and downstream environments. Comments were invited on the technical content, wording and general arrangement of the draft standard. While these comments have now closed, a copy of the draft standard can still be found via the Standards Australia website - www.standards.org. au - or the Turf Australia website -www.turfaustralia. com.au. RICHARD STEPHENS BUSINESS & INDUSTRY DEVEL0PMEN1 ONAGER, TURF AUSTRALI/ I V 11 76 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT - PERFORMANCEJOU EXPECT, SIZE^fOU DON’T. Productivity, efficiency, simplicity Introducing the all new Toro Reelmaster’ 3555-D and 3575-D fairway mowers, hese new Reelmaster models were designed to be over 20% lighter, and much ore compact than traditional Toro fairway mowers. With a standard -wheel drive system, a low centre of gravity, balanced weight 'distribution and a powerful 18.5 kW (24.8 hp) engine, the Reelmaster 3555-D and 3575-D are engineered to deliver impressive hill climbing and hillside stability, even in wet turf conditions. The new Reelmaster 3555-D and 3575-D. engineered lo perform, designed not to leave a big impression on your turf. * - All For more information, call 1800 356 372 or contact your Toro Golf Area Sales Manager. toro.com.au /toroaus /toroaus YOU TdÈJG /toroaustralia TORO Players, officials, spectators and commentators alike all marvelled at Kingston Heath's presentation during the 2016 ISPS Handa World Cup of Golt last November. Pictured is the 11th with the 12th in the background Kingston Heath Golt Club again proved it is one of the most unique and most loved courses in world golf when it hosted the 2016 ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf November. However, as ATM Brett Robinson discovers, getting the course up time on the international stage presented more than a few challenges for superintendent Hayden Mead. beautiful 6 AUSTRALIAN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT 19.1 rrigation Wat featuring ■ - ORO * Create a variable speed booster station to your technical specifications. By utilising the well proven Lowara e-SV'“ multistage pump and Hydrovar variable speed drives, you gain an efficient and robust system. You can create a booster set with up to eight vertical multistage pumps that are all controlled by Hydrovar frequency drives fixed directly on the electric motor of each pump. These systems can maintain constant pressure and optimized pumping efficiencies over wide flow ranges . A selection of golf courses that have installed pumping systems with HYDROVAR®: Australia • Ballarat • Bannockburn • Barwon Heads • Bermagui • Bowral • Box Hill • Brookwater • Cape Schanck • Charlestown • Clifton Springs • Criagieburn • Curlewis • Dorsel • Drovin • Druin • Elcho Park • Emerald Lakes • Eynesbury • Garfield • Richmond • Ringwood • Riverside • Goondiwindi • Hidden Valley • Kingston Heath • Koohindah Waters • Rockhampton • Latrobe • Marysville • McLeod • Melton • Metropolitan • Monash • Montuna • Morebank • Moss Vale • Muirfield • Ocean Grove • Ocean Shores • Pacific Dunes • Perigian Springs • Rich River • Royal Melbourne • Rosebud • Rossdale • Settlers Run • Shell Cove • Shell Harbour • Shoal Bay • Shoalhaven Heads • The Goowa • Tirhatuan Park • Trafalgar • Tuggerah Lakes • Virginia • Wyong t hili nr’iii ’ llkk • ! hi J •Ululi I' I ! ilio a * * ( I * New Zealand Akarana Auckland Cape Kidnappers Carrington Clarke’s Beach Formosa Grange Hamilton Howick Huapai Jacks Point Kaitaia Karori • Kauri Cliffs • La Pointe • Mangawhai • Matarangi • Muriwai • Napier • New Plymouth • Omaha Beach • Omokoroa • Onewai • Pauanua Lakes • Russley • Sherwook • Taupo • TeAwha • Te Puke • The Hills • Titirangi • Waikanae • Waipa • Wanganui • Wellington • Western Bay • Whangarei Lowara’s extensive pump range together with Hydrovar, can offer a complete line of booster systems ideally suited for the diverse requirements of the turf and landscape markets and for golf courses in Australia and New Zealand. Brown Brothers Engineers Australia Pty Ltd Australia: 1300 4BBENG www.brownbros.com.au New Zealand: Christchurch (03) 365 0279 Auckland (09) 525 8282 www.brownbros.co.nz 5 1 / 0 1 DELIVERING PUMPING SOLUTIONS yden Mead is no stranger when it omes to tournament preparations and overcoming the many challenges that can present themselves. Over his 12 years as a course superintendent (coming up to five years this May at Kingston Heath Golf Club and previously seven at Spring Valley Golf Club), Mead has racked up four Victorian Opens, the 2012 Talisker Masters as well as the 2013 International Qualifying Final for The Open Championship. Almost invariably the challenges that have prevailed in each have come about because of Melbourne’s fickle weather, so it was therefore no surprise that with the biggest tournament of his career about to land on his doorstep last November, Mead was dealt another testing hand. Up until the winter of 2016, everything was well on track for the impending arrival of the 2016 ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf. After a long battle, Mead was finally getting somewhere with the control of Poa annua in the A1 bentgrass greens. The new clubhouse putting green had bedded in nicely after being opened in February, while out on the course a subtle change to the iconic par three 15th green and addition of a new fairway bunker between holes 1 and 6 had been successfully completed. Winter, however, would be wet, very wet and combined with plenty of traffic out on the course meant there were lots of thin areas on the Santa Ana couchgrass fairways. With the tournament a few months off, however, Mead wasn’t too concerned and left those areas alone in the knowledge that they would cover over once the warmer weather kicked in. Or so he thought. In addition to those thin areas, like many of his fellow superintendents Mead was also pulling his hair out trying to control Poa annua on the fairways. Despite trying a number of different tacts - different products and applications at different times - nothing was overly effective, so at the start of October Mead made the call to drop everything and got his crew to spot spray the fairways with knapsacks. All up some 180 man hours were spent on that exercise over a two week period. As the saying goes ‘bad things come in threes’ and for Mead the kicker was to come in the form of one of Melbourne's coolest and wettest springs for a long time. The rule of thumb in Melbourne is that things generally start to turn around AFL Grand Final time (last weekend of September). In the lead-up to then there’s the occasional day over 30, while in October you can normally guarantee a number of days well into the 30s to heat the soil up and get the warm-season grasses firing. Not so the spring of 2016. According to the BOM station at Moorabbin Airport just a kilometre away from the course, only four days in September registered over 20 degrees, with the month’s highest daily maximum just 22.9. That cool spell continued throughout October where there were only 11 days over 20 and a highest maximum daily of 26.6. In fact it would only be seven days out from the World Cup JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 7