CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION www.ptga.org Founded in 1936 VOL. 23, NO. 2 April 2017 May Meeting West Point Golf Course Host: Steve Whipple Joint Meeting with Hudson Valley Chapter May has brought with it many below average temperatures, and it also brings us to our second of seven monthly golf meetings. It is also our second joint meeting of the season. This month we are teaming up with the Hudson Valley Association at a place known for its significant historic value, West Point. Nestled in the Hudson Valley just north of the Bear Mountain Bridge, the West Point Golf Course will offer an unforgettable golf experience. The course is an 18-hole mountain layout, with rolling terrain and superb conditioning. While not mighty in length, this Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design promises to provide a great challenge for all skill levels. You will experience a walk through history during your round, starting on the 1st hole with tee markers reflect- ing upon the American Revolution and taking us through to the finishing holes reflecting upon the Iraq and Af- ghanistan Wars. The course also plays home to the Academy's Division One golf team. GO ARMY! Page 2 President's Message..... Officers & Directors 2017 In my opinion everything began earlier than normal this year. My first target date for my initial application of seed head suppression was with 15 inches of melting snow on the ground. Luckily, the snow melted fast enough for us to meet our target window. The forsythia indicators for hyperodes on my course were all over the place, but the growing degree days PRESIDENT were on point. If anyone is looking for an excellent site for growing degree Gino Marchetti, Glen Oak C.C. 570-586-5791 days, http://www.gddtracker.net/ is one I highly recommend. It has notification emails for triggers of certain events in your area. Of course this is VICE PRESIDENT Ronald Garrison, Fox Hill C.C. just an indicator; you will still need to monitor. All you have to do is enter in 570-655-1065 your information, and it will take you to your area. Best of all, it’s free. I TREASURER hope everyone has been able to meet their early seaon goals in preparation for Patrick Healey, Scranton Canoe Club the upcoming season. 570-378-2249 I was unable to attend last month’s meeting at Schuylkill Country SECRETARY Club, but I was told it was well attended and in great condition. My thanks to Chris Moran, Honesdale C.C. 570-253-9094 Superintendent William Schneider and the entire staff there for all of their hard work in making it a great day. This month’s meeting will be held at DIRECTORS West Point Golf Club. This will be a joint meeting with the Hudson Valley Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 Chapter. I hope everyone can make it to another fantastic golf course. Michael Darby, Eagle Rock Resort 570-384-6627 Gino Marchetti Jerry Decker, Elkview C.C. 570-282-3080 Jeff Koch, Glenmaura National G.C. 570-332-8555 Les Lear, Turf Equipment and Supply Co. 570-903-8412 Chris Passenti, Lords Valley C.C. Editor’s Notes….. 570-775-6653 Corey Pries, Powell’s Excavating 570-762-0394 Past Prresident Greg Boring, C.C. of Scranton 570-587-4046 __________________________ This weather has really been making it tough to get back into the routine for many people that I talk to in my daily travels. I am really hoping CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF this weather gets some consistency soon. EDITOR As I stated in last months letter, I will be looking for and will be wel- Les Lear, Turf Equipment and Supply Co. coming your input and ideas such as articles, pictures, and/or whatever you 570-903-8412 leslear@turf-equipment.com deem beneficial to the newsletter. I have received a few ideas on what the newsletter should be moving forward and I am actively working to imple- Managing Editor ment those ideas into future issues. Stay tuned! I appreciate all the feedback, Melinda Wisnosky 570-388-2167 and challenge you to reach out and provide any suggestions that will benefit mmel500@aol.com the Association and its members to come. Being a U.S. Army Veteran myself, I can tell you that I am personal- ly looking forward to playing with the folks from the Hudson Valley Associ- ation at West Point G.C. I am also hoping we have a great amount of repre- sentation from our members. Hope to see you out there! Les Lear PTGA Office 309 Terrace Avenue Harding, PA 18643 Phone/Fax: 570-388-2167 Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and/or person quoted, and may not represent the position of PTGA. Information contained in this publication may be used freely, in whole or in part, without special permission, as long as the true context is maintained. We would appreciate a credit line. PagePage 3 3 2017 GCSAA Annual Meeting Results The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America was held Thursday, Feb. 9, in Orlando as part of the 2017 Golf Industry Show. Officers: President: Director Positions Bill H. Maynard, CGCS  John R. Fulling Jr., CGCS  Mark F. Jordan, CGCS Vice President: Darren J. Davis, CGCS  Kevin P. Sunderman (appointed to a one-year term)  John Walker Secretary/Treasurer: Rafael Barajas, CGCS Kevin P. Breen, CGCS, remains on the Board with one year remaining on his two-year term. Peter J. Grass, CGCS, will serve on the Board for one year as Immediate Past President. John J. O'Keefe, CGCS, retires from the Board after serving the last year as Immediate Past President. PagePage 3 5 Pennsylvania Chapters to Collaborate for BMPs By: Chase Rogan, GCSAA Field Representative Implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs)/BMP based plans are the standard route for pro- tecting or improving the environment and water quality. Spend any time on the EPA’s website and you’ll find BMPs for agriculture, protecting pollinators to watershed models and determining nutrient loads. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) relies heavily on BMPs within agriculture as well as many other indus- tries which have their BMPs. They are the actions by which progress is achieved. The phrase “best management practice” has many different connotations. Best Management Practices can range from “structural or engineered features” such as a detention pond or vegetated swales to “non-structural” agronomic practices [fertilization, integrated pest management (IPM), and irrigation] that are deemed “best” for the management of a particular venue. Most often, BMPs within the regulatory framework are linked to the pass- ing of the 1973 Clean Water Act (CWA) by the United States Congress. Section 303(d) of the CWA requires states to establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for impaired waters on a prioritized schedule. TMDLs establish the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can assimilate without causing a violation of wa- ter quality standards. Considering the proactive nature of the golf course industry and our commitment to envi- ronmental stewardship, BMP development efforts help us adhere to TMDL standards, but they also do more. In golf, BMPs represent a framework for sustainable approach to golf course management. As GCSAA has es- tablished a goal of helping all 50 states create BMP models by 2020, Pennsylvania is gearing up for the process. Like some know, we have a BMP manual that was constructed back in 2009, but with little buy-in from our members across the state. This time around, as we work on “version 2” that can be implemented with GCSAA’s new robust BMP Template tool, we will work through the process with member engagement, member updates, and representation from our state regulatory agency, the Department of Environmental Protection. Representa- tion from DEP is important so that they are bought in to our BMPs, and have documentation for how golf is ad- dressing environmental management, TMDLs and the like. Furthermore, we will need representation from our land-grant University, Penn State, to review the science behind the BMPs and validate their credibility. As we move forward, we will establish a BMP steering committee comprised of representation from all 6 chap- ters, myself, a PSU Turf Professor, and a representative from DEP. GCSAA will be distributing grants later this year to help pay for the development and publication of these BMPs, and PA plans on submitting a grant applica- tion. Fortunately, the costs associated with BMP development will be greatly minimized with the help of the GCSAA BMP Template, which is already populated with dozens and dozens of BMPs designed for golf course management. With BMPs providing the framework for sustainability in the future, it gives us one more tool to show our communities, stakeholders, customers, and governments that we are proud land managers with a commit- ment to sustainability. Page 6 Are You Ready for Summer? By Jim Gurzler, Watertronics PSN Technician; Aquarius Supply Now that all your early orders are placed, the pro shop has properly complained about your aerification schedule, and the forsythia has dropped its flowers, it’s time for you to turn to your most applied chemical to get you to September—H20. You change the oil and sharpen your reels every year, but do you worry about your pump station? This vital piece of equipment is overlooked on most properties: cobwebs, broken heads and fittings, and half used rolls of wire litter the pump house, but you don’t notice any of this because the light bulb is out, too! How about we buck that trend and do a little preventive maintenance? Let’s take stock of your available irrigation repair parts, check the cement and primer cans, and clean up the home of the best single sleep aid you have … your properly functioning pump station. Whether it is a diesel engine hooked up to a pump or a slick, state-of-the-art pump station, this is your best friend when Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. Let’s start with incoming power. Test your voltages and record them—both Single-phase and Three- phase. Note your set points for discharge pressure, low pressure, and high pressure discharge. Record your boost- er station inlet and discharge pressure as well, if you have them. Let’s turn the power off and lock it out; now we can tighten every connection and examine the wire and contactors for any discoloration. After you reconnect your trim from that Cla-Valve you properly winterized, you are ready to fill the lines. Open a drain or two, and slowly fill the system, hoping to flush any debris that settled to the bottom of the pipes during winterization. Remember, solids move better in slow water, so don’t rush to fill your system. After the system is at pressure, record those set points versus the design we entered earlier. Check each pump during operation for unusual noise, vibrations, or excess water leaking form the packing glands. This is a great time to clean and lubricate the pumps. If they need paint, apply it. Make sure your heat exchanger or fans are operating when they should be: April and May aren’t bad for that VFD, but in the heat of the summer, those items are working to help prolong the life of those electronics. For all you gun enthusiasts out there, throw an anti -desiccant in the cabinet to help with controlling any moisture in the cabinet as well. Check those gauges on the system against the display. Make sure your pressure regulating valve (PRV) is reacting as it should. If your PRV doesn’t have gauges, add them. All those repairs you may have to make on a Friday night before a tournament could be a result of improperly tuned PRV. Check those automatic filters now, as well. Whether they are self-flushing or constant flushing, make sure they are working as they should be. Now that we are up and running, let’s take amp readings on those motor leads while the pumps are running full speed. Over time, you will notice a degradation of the pumps, either through impellor wear or just general motor age. Checking this will allow you to document how your pump is working versus the original full load amps as shown on the motor. Note: make sure your power is the same as stated on the motor name plate. Sometimes incoming power is different from the motor and this should be noted because a 480-volt station will work if it receives 460 volts, but your phase monitors may see the lower voltage as a brown-out and fault, thinking there is a problem up the line. This is why you check your incoming power. Routine line maintenance by the power company could adversely affect your station because you might not know a transformer was even changed on the pole. Make sure your suction lines are holding or that your positive prime is working. Record the time between pressure maintenance pump starts as well. Frequent starts could be the result of weeping heads, leaking pipes, or a bad check valve. You have spent less than half a day making sure you are ready to apply water to your course when you need it. Taking this time now is the best way to ensure sound sleep during those long, hot nights of summer knowing your pump station will be ready for action. I wish you field capacity and favorable dew points! Page 8 April Meeting Results 1st Place - 73 Closest to the Pin - #4 Longest Drive #8 Tom Weinert Dave Wetzel 3’2” Darrin Farrar Darrin Farrar Closest to the Pin - #6 Longest Drive #14 2nd Place - 74 Darrin Farrar 20’6” T.J. Hart John Gosselin Chet Welsh Closest to the Pin - #11 Tom Collum 34” 3rd Place - 78 Summer Cross Closest to the Pin - #16 Jim Stauring Don Benner 11’3” (Tie Breaker Birdie on #13) Congratulations to the Philly Chapter on winning the Tri Cup Challenge! Chips & Putts PATRON SPONSORS AERIFICATION AND OVERSEEDING Aer-Core Stephen Thompson 610-972-5933 IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE William Mast 610.327.3390 John Deere Brent Wood 570.499.1441 Air2G2 John Downer 570-840-0078 Turf Equip. and Supply George Skawski 610.554.9366 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Les Lear 570.903.8412 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 PLANT PROTECTANTS Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 EQUIPMENT Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Aer-Core Stephen Thompson 610-972-5933 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 William Mast 610.327.3390 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Air2G2 John Downer 570-840-0078 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 John Deere Brent Wood 570.499.1441 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Growth Products Craig Lambert 973-601-3303 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 Turf Equip. & Supply George Skawski 610.554.9366 Syngenta Lee A. Kozsey 610.861.8174 Les Lear 570.903.8412 Finch Services Ted Zabrenski 484.614.6436 SEED & SOD Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 FERTILIZER Coombs Sod Farms John Downer 570-840-0078 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Finch Services Ted Zabrenski 484.614.6436 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 Growth Products Craig Lambert 973-601-3303 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 Plant Food Co., Inc. Tom Weinert 914.262.0111 TOPDRESSING / SOIL AMENDMENTS Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 GREEN AND TEE SUPPLIES Blue Ridge Peat Farms Gene Evans 570.443.9596 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 607.768.0575 Fertl Soil John Downer 570-840-0078 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Genesis Turfgrass Brian Bachman 484.661.6105 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 973.418.3468 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 John Deere Brent Wood 570.499.1441 Lawn & Golf Matthew Brown 610.933.5801 Support our Sponsors - They support us! POCONO ROUNDUP PTGA SCHEDULE May 18th Joint Meeting @ West Point G.C. (Hudson Valley Chapter) June 19th PTGA Meeting @ Honesdale G.C. July 19th PTGA Meeting @ Fox Hill C.C. Aug. 21st PTGA Annual Meeting and Clambake Mr. Ronald Garrison, Sr., father of Ron Garri- @ C.C. of Scranton son, Golf Course Superintendent at Fox Hill Country Club, passed away suddenly on Satur- Sept. 13th PTGA Meeting and Championships day, April 29. We extend our sincere condo- @ Great Bear G.C lences to Ron and all the Garrison Family. Oct. 16th PTGA Meeting @ Huntsville G.C. POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION R.R. 1, BOX 219 POSTAGE HARDING, PA 18643 POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 309 TERRACE AVENUE HARDING, PA 18643 NAME & ADDRESS PHONE/FAX 570-388-2167 WEBSITE: ptga.org ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.