chips %pms OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 ASSOCIATION VOL. 5, NO. 5 JULY 1999 BASIC GRUB BIOLOGY White grubs are the larval, or immature stage of a group of beetles known as scarabs. Most of the important species, e.g. Japanese beetles, masked chafers, European chafers, green June beetle, Oriental beetle, and Asiatic garden beetle have annual or one year life cycles. The beetles (adult) are active in summer, mainly from June until mid-August. Eggs are laid in moist turf soils. Eggs hatch in about two weeks, and the young grubs begin feeding on grass roots. They grow quickly, molting (shedding their skin) twice and becoming nearly full-sized by autumn. (Editor’s Note: This is when Mach 2 does its work.) grubs that have molted once, or twice, are referred to as second or third instars, respectively. About the time of the first frost, the grubs move deeper in the soil for hibernation. They return to the root zone and resume feeding in early spring. When mature (typically late spring, depending on specie and geographic location), the grubs form an earthen cell and transform into pupae. The new beetles emerge a few weeks later to complete the one year life. Damage from grubs with annual life cycles usually is more severe in summer through early autumn when the grubs are vigorously feeding and the turf is otherwise stressed. With severe infestations there may be fifty or more grubs per square foot. Often, the roots are entirely consumed, causing patches of dead turf that can be easily lifted from the soil. Skunks, raccoons, crows, moles and other varmints may dig or tunnel in the turf to prey on these juicy “land shrimp!” Grub injury is usually less apparent during the spring feeding period. Green June beetles have somewhat different habits. They feed mainly on organic matter, but damage turfgrass by tunneling and pushing up small mounds of soil. The black turfgrass ataenius (Ataenius spretulus), a sporadic pest of golf courses, departs from this pattern. It has two generations per year with grubs present from late spring to early summer, and again in mid to late summer. There is only one generation in upstate New York and New England, with grubs present from early to midsummer. NIKE TOURNAMENT Center Valley Club Congratulations to John Romig and Chris Butler on an agronomically successful Nike Tournament. A comparison could be made by switching channels. The Nike was on one channel and the PGA Buick Classic was on another. The Center Valley Club looked much better! Again, congratulations on a job well done. fix FROM THE WALLS OF Paul Weiss, Jr., Blue Ridge C.C. • Understanding Mach 2 & Merit Whoever could make two blades of grass grow where only one grew before, would serve better of • Some Pates to Remember mankind, and do more essential service to his • Meeting Results country, than the whole race of politicians put together. Jonathan Swift President’s Message. OFFICERS & DIRECTORS Mid-summer is here and all the summer help has been hired, the irrigation system is up and running, equipment is peak performance, and there are no turf problems... yeah, right! TURFGRASS 1999 We have a group of people that meet once a month at various clubs throughout the ASSOCIATION Pocono area that can lend an ear or offer some advice if asked. The July meeting is PRESIDENT a perfect place for open discussions or helpful hints on golf related items. Jack Bird Information is in the meeting notice, which you should have received by now. The Hideout The Education Program has been running smoothly with various speakers scheduled for all our meetings. Thanks go to Gene Huelster. VICE PRESIDENT We recently had a special meeting with the GCSAA representative Don Gene Huelster Bretthauer. This meeting was open to all members, but unfortunately, was poorly Pocono Farms Country Club attended. The subjects discussed were our PTGA Program and preparation for the future. Thanks go to Ron Garrison for putting this meeting, along with some SECRETARY/TREASURER others, together for us. Tony Grieco, CGCS What I am trying to say concerning the above is that we have finally put the issue Silver Creek Country Club of “lack of education at our functions” to rest. Logo shirts are now available at the cost of $20.00 each. We will have them at all PAST PRESIDENT our meetings. There are three styles to choose from (one of each, maybe?). Ron Garrison, CGCS Finances are looking good. The books are always open to members. Just come to a Fox Hill Country Club meeting and ask to see them. Tony’s the man to see. Don’t forget your raffle tickets. DIRECTORS See you next meeting! Jason J. Barndt Berwick Golf Club Jack Bird Darrin M. Batisky Glen Oak Country Club Jim MacLaren Turf Partners, Inc. Mark Eisele Country Club at Woodloch Springs John Downer From the Editor’s Desk. Elkview Country Club Now we are halfway through the editorial season, it is time to express my appreciation to all who have contributed to this vessel. I don’t know how Melinda CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF can keep up with all the Association tasks and yet do such a fine job with Chips & EDITOR Putts. Many thanks to her! Jim MacLaren Now for the remainder of you who have been so generous with your contributions, 1 am deeply indebted. To show my appreciation and the gratitude of Melinda and I, Managing Editor, we are holding a steak and lobster cook out at the farm for those who have been so Melinda Wisnosky cooperative. So for those of you to which this applies, please call the editor for the R.R. 1, Box 219 time and place of this extravaganza! Harding, PA 19643 570-388-2889 Jim MacLaren Fax: 570-388-2167 EDITORIAL COM M ITTEE Sankey Brum ley Tony Grieco, CGCS Doug Witcraft 1999 MEETING SITES Dean Snyder A President EGYPT July 20, 1999 Skytop Lodge FARMS EGYPT FARMS, INC. P.O. Box 223 White Marsh, Maryland 21162 Tom Williams Phone: 800-899-7645 Local: 410-335-3700 August 16, 1999 Pocono Farms C.C. (Clam Bake) Pager: 800-705-0430 Fax: 410-335-0164 Gene Huelster September 21, 1999 Eagle Rock Resort ( Both have long residual activity. => Both give excellent control of white grubs. => Both require some rainfall, good control can be expected if rainfall is delayed a week or more. => Mach 2 is more effective against turf-feeding caterpillars and mid to large sized grubs. (Green June beetle) => Merit has a somewhat longer residual, which is useful for multiple targeting of first generation black turfgrass ataenius and an­ nual grubs. => Merit may be more active against a wider range of grub species. => Both products give excellent control of Japanese beetle and masked chafer grubs, but Mach 2 seems to be less effective against European chafer and Oriental beetle grubs. Thank you to Woodloch Springs Thank you again to Mark Eisele and crew and all involved at Woodloch Springs for an enjoyable day. The course was in a “very manicured” condition, according to one participant. It brought out the best and the worst of the golfers. Spreader calibration should never be a problem again after the presentation by Dr. David Spak. Great Bear Won — PTGA Zero A good time was had by all at Keith Snyder’s Great Bear Golf & C.C. It was a pleasure for all of us to be able to play a Jack Nicklaus Signature Course that was in impeccable condition. Thank you to our hosts Peter Ahnert and Keith Snyder for a very memorable day. We hope we can return soon. D iary o f a G reenskeeper Lee A. Kozsey THURSDAY Senior Territory Sales Lead PTGfll Zeneca Professional Products My yellow crud is back. Every year it comes at the 3710 Amherst Court Bethlehem, PA 18020-1356 end of July. Interesting light green spots get weaker Telephone (610) 861-8174 Mobile (6 1 0)730-9185 looking, then turn yellow, then gray, then dead. Some say Fax (6 1 0)882-9358 it’s Fusarium, some say it’s Anthracnose, some say it’s Fu- E-mail lee.kozsey0AGNA.Zeneca.com Voice Mail (888) 875-9990, X0163 nose! Wife says it’s my imagination. My assistant got rid ZENECA A business unit of ZENECA Inc. of the persistent red leaf spot patch on the practice green. He cut it out with an eight inch patcher and threw it in the pond. Sure is wonderful what they teach at U-Mass! Sales type person makes a stop. Says if I buy a 55 gallon drum of “Make it Grow” I will get a free TV. Told him I don’t need a TV. He says “How about a VCR?” So I say, “How about if I make you go?” He goes. Go home, work around house, take wife out for dinner. Sleep in bed. Penn State Turfgrass Science Program Receives $150,000.00 From an anonymous donor. An anonymous donor has contributed $150,000.00 to the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State to create an endowed graduate fellowship in the Department ICentury Rain Aid I of Agronomy for students studying turfgrass science. The fellowship will be named Your Link to Legacy Golf Irrigation Systems in honor of faculty member George W. Hamilton, Jr., a senior lecturer of turfgrass science. Following the naming of the endowment in his honor, Mr. Hamilton and his wife, Becky, pledged $25,000.00 to create a scholarship for undergraduate and certificate LEG ACY byHunter program students enrolled in the turfgrass science program. The George W. Hamil­ CENTURY GOLF PROFESSIONAL ■ > NJ/PA ton, Sr. Memorial Scholarship in Turfgrass Science is named in memory of Hamil­ >P H IL DEMARCO tr 800-642-3706 ton’s father, who was a golf course superintendent and professional golfer. Since joining the Department of Agronomy in 1983, Mr. Hamilton has received numerous awards for his inventions in turfgrass and lawn care. In 1997 he received the Innovator of the Year Award from the Northeastern Weed Science Society for his PHILADELPHIA TURF COMPANY work in developing Penn Mulch, a mulch made of recycled paper for turfgrass and PTC 4049 LANDISVILLE ROAD, BOX 865 DOYLESTOWN, PA 18901-0865 landscape. A Penn State alumnus, he earned his BS and MS degrees in Agronomy in OFFICE 215-345-7200 FAX 215-345-8132 1983 and 1990, respectively. The gifts will be invested in the University’s pooled endowment fund, where they MATTHEW W. BROWN GEORGE J.SKAWSKI, JR. Commercial Products Irrigation Products will earn an annual return. A portion of the annual return is used for the purpose des­ Voice Mail Voice Mail 215-340-5401 - _ 215-340-5450 ignated by the donors. The remaining portion is added to the principal to protect it from inflation. • Layout and Design • Typesetting • Mac/IBM desktop publishing It’s every player’s responsibility... interface • Laser color separations /* £ n S & . Repair ball marks i • Scitex® electronic photo retouching 31 Hill Street, P.0. Box 507 W ilkes-Barre, PA 18703-0507 • Full electronic prepress services • Foil stamping, embossing Replace or fill divots Rake bunkers :I 8 p 570-822-8181 • Complete bindery including FAX: 570-823-3579 saddlestitch and perfect binding A message fro m your g o lf course superintendent a n d GCSAA —07 Golf Results from the June Meeting at Woodloch Springs C.C. Captain & Crew Format FIRST FLIGHT SECOND FLIGHT THIRD FLIGHT Tony Grieco, CGCS Jason Bamdt Ron Lee John Chassard Eric Reed Mike Condor Kelly Kressler Tom Weinert Bill McCausland Ron Garrison, CGCS John Bodock Closest to the Pin #4 Joe W ibbs-5’11” Closest to the Pin #8 Duke Phillips - 4’0! Closest to the Pin #17 Bill Rahling - 3’5” Longest Drive Greg Phillips MEETING DATES TO REMEMBER 25TH Annual Western PA Turfgrass Tournament Monday October 11, 1999, Fox Chapel G. C. 23rd Annual Joseph Valentine Memorial Golf Tournament Monday, October 18, 1999 Gulph Mills G. C. Penn State Golf Turf Conference November 9-11, 1999, University Park, PA Eastern PA Turf Conference & Trade Show January 11-13, 2000, Valley Forge, PA Northeastern PA Turfgrass & Grounds Maintenance School January 27, 2000, The Woodlands, Wilkes-Barre, PA Western PA Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show February 9-11, 2000, Monroeville, PA PTGALOGO GOLF SHIRTS The Pocono Turfgrass Association now has three styles o f golf shirts for sale at our monthly meetings. They are o f FINE quality as one would expect our president, Jack Bird, to find for us. And the price is affordable at $20.00 per item. Please bring extra money to the Skytop meeting so you can be well attired in the future. Just think, if you purchase seven, you won’t have to do the wash for a week! POCONO ROUNDUP W EATHER/DISEASE FORECAST NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE POCONO DCW CONSULTING TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION With rainfall deficits between 80% -100% below normal for the past 30 days, be very careful with your irrigation, if you are BIOGRAPHY OF ERIC REED dealing with ryegrass fairways. The next few weeks are critical Valley C.C. to Gray Leaf Spot development and limiting nighttime watering is VERY important NOW! Early morning applications to re­ Eric came to us in February 1998 from the Stow Golf & C.C. place only daily ET is a very effective way to manage this cul­ where he assisted in the construction of the course, which included turally. Editor's Note: This applies to those who have ryegrass irrigation, drainage, USGA greens and tees, and then gravitated to intermediate roughs, also. the superintendent position. Prior to that he worked at Aronomink G.C. upon graduating from Penn State with honors in 1990. He also has a BS in Industrial Management from the University of R E M IID E R Akron. He began his golf maintenance career at Firestone C.C. in Raffle Tickets and/or money must be returned in Akron, Ohio in 1988. Time for the Clam Bake at Pocono Farms on August 16. His inauguration to Valley C.C. was not kind. In early summer 1998 his course experienced a rare tornado that blew through the Conyngham Valley and devastated the course one week prior to Member-Guest. Then things calmed down as they moved into renovation of three green complexes and all the other good stuff. VIETNAM MEMORIAL MOVING WALL What a way to start a new position! August 1 8 -2 4 , 1999 Eric and his wife, Becky, have one daughter, Madison, and they Tannersville Elementary School are expecting another child in September.