CHIPS « PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 VOL. 10, NO. 3 May 2004 Upcoming Field I Days/Conferences: ¡Thursday July 19, 2004 [Rutger’s Golf and Fine Turf I Research Section JWhere: Hort. Farm- Ryder’s La. jTimes: 8:30 am Registration ■Tours Begin: 9:30 am ] Lunch: 12:30 ■Tours End: 3:00pm I Cost: $35.00 includes lunch I Pesticide Credits will be I offered jFor Directions or other Isquestions, please call: Dick Caton 856-853-5973 I Marlene Karasik 732-932-9400 1Ext. 339 June Meeting: Elk View C C 11/04 and 8/12/04 Host: Superintendent: John Downer JPenn State Turfgrass Field Days ■This event is held every other This month’s meeting brings us to the ‘Northern Swing’ of our meeting [year. Pesticide Credits will be adventures. Elk View CC is another Donald Ross design dating back to 1919. loitered both days. The first 9 holes were done in 1919 and the second 9 were finished in 1957 by ■Where: Joseph Valentine ¡Research Center Donald Ross Associates. Holes 1-4 and 7-11 are the Ross holes. The course ■Landscape Management measures 6600 yards from the tips and is a par 72. It is nestled between ■Research Center Crystal Lake and Lake Newton. Water only comes in to play on one hole. [Price: $25.00/person(pre- There are 30 bunkers on the course and low cut grasses consist of the ‘always [registration) exciting’ bent/poa mix. Recently the clubhouse has undergone major |$30.00/person on-site renovation. There are currently 350 members, but with Juniors, Women and I n o Charge for Seniors that number climbs to 618. John has two Green committee Chairmen: |Spouses/Students/Kids Paul Pisarchik and Greg Viadika. The Club President is Paul Ruddy. Continued onPage 8 Our superintendent, John Downer came to Elk View in 1988 after graduating from the 2 year turf program at Penn State. Prior to Penn State, he received his B.S. in Business Management in 1986 from the University of Scranton. His prior work history includes an internship at TPC Cromwell in Connecticut and several years working for his ‘Mentor’ Ed Cimock at Scranton Muni. He did have the pleasure}?) of rooming with Ron Garrison while doing his internship at TPC Cromwell. Off the golf course, John enjoys a busy life with wife Susanfaka: Queenie) and his 2 daughters Amanda (age 11) and Sarah (age 9). He is currently the Commissioner of the Division A Girl’s Basketball Program in North Pocono School District. He also has coached the girl’s (11, 12, 13 year olds) All-Star team for 2 years. John currently serves on the Pocono Turfgrass Board as Treasurer. As you can see, he keeps his winters busy too! President’s M essage Kudos to John Downer for a very enjoyable day at Elkview. Thanks to Steve Chirip for being our meeting sponsor. PRESIDENT It was nice to see former PTGA president Gene Huelster and Eric Reed, Valley C.C. boy w onder Darrin Batisky back in town, both em phatically 570-788-4277 Barley5@ptd.net stating how there is no better superintendent’s association V IC E PRESIDENT than the Pocono Turfgrass Association. For those of you who Jason Barndt called looking for the educational segment of last m onth’s Woodstone Golf Club 610-760-1060 meeting, w e are looking into w hat happened. If anyone grassman72@hotmail.com knows, please let the PTGA Board know. TREASURER That’s all for now. It appears that I am going to have to go John Downer, Elkview C.C. out and locate my sprinkler heads after all. 570-840-0078 j_s_d owner@juno.com SECRETARY Duane Schell, Blue Ridge Trail G. C. Eric R e e d 570-868-8113 djschell@epix.net DIRECTORS Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 Andrew Jubinski, Jr., Glenmaura National G.C. 570-457-8733 Jeff Koch, Wyoming Valley C.C. 570-823-0740 From the Editor’s Desk..... Darrin Larkin, Panorama Golf Course 570-222-9260 Ju d g in g from th e a tte n d a n c e a t th e Elk V iew m e e tin g , CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF w e should b e in for a real tre a t a t P ano ram a. It's g o o d to EDITOR see so m a n y n e w fa ce s this year. Even ‘b o y w o n d e r’ Charles Koennecker Batisky a tte n d e d th e m e e tin g from Pittsburgh. W ho said fertseedchem@ aol.com P o co n o m eetings w e re to o fa r to travel to? M a n a g in g Editor As fa r as m e e tin g highlights, I will save those for th e next Melinda Wisnosky e d itio n o f Chips a n d Putts. O n e hig hlight does stand o u t in E ditorial C o m m itte e m y m ind, th o u g h . It was th e shot o f th e d a y by A n d y Jim MacLaren Lee Kozsey Jubinski on a 155 ya rd p a r 3. He was 3 inches from the Eric Reed c u p . N ice shot A ndy! Even witnessing such n e a r p e rfe c tio n keeps you c o m in g b a c k . PTGA Office RR 1, Box 219 As fa r as Chips a n d Putts goes, I w o u ld like to th a n k Jim Harding, PA 19643 M a cL a re n fo r his help p ro vid in g c o p y for last m o n th ’s Phone/Fax: (570) 388-2167 P o co n o Round Up. I n e g le c te d to th a n k him in last m o n th ’s e d itio n . Until next m o nth, g o o d luck fig h tin g th e da ily battles a n d rem em ber, fo o tb a ll season is n o t fa r a w a y . Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author a n d /o r person quoted, and may not represent the position of PTGA. Information contained in this publication Charlie Koennecker may be used freely, in whole or in part, without special permission as long as the true context is maintained. W e would appreciate a credit line. ? What’s Bothering Your Poa annua? Observations From The Field Darin Bevard, Agronomist USGA Green Section Man, what a year, and it's only early July at the applications to kill adult weevils and break the life writing of these ramblings. While no grass (or golf cycle. Thatch penetrating insecticides will work best course for that matter) is immune to problems, if you in controlling larvae when they are present. Once are managing Poa annua on any part of the golf ABW are present on your golf course, they will likely course (and most of you are!), chances are you provide ongoing maintenance challenges. The have had some sort of problem already this season. important thing is to try and find them before they Pick your poison. Winterkill? Annual Bluegrass find you! Scout aggressively on tees, greens and Weevil? Anthracnose? Summer Patch? Straight fairways in late April and early May for the adults. heat stress? We have seen it all in our travels so far this season in the Pocono region and elsewhere. As for the disease and stress issues, some courses have had their hands full with Summer Patch and The first problem experienced on a widespread Anthracnose already. This can make for a long basis was isolated winter damage. Very few courses summer season. When Anthracnose is active, it is had severe damage that required major important to tighten fungicide intervals to no longer renovation, but many courses had areas of Poa than 7 days and maintain foliar inputs of nitrogen. annua that declined over the winter. This impacted Research clearly shows that low nitrogen fertility is a early season playability, but in most instances, major predisposing factor to Anthracnose. If you aggressive fertility, bentgrass overseeding, periodic mow extremely low, groom, topdress, verticut, topdressing and patience were enough to provide maintain low nitrogen, etc.; do not expect recovery on most greens by mid-May. fungicides to save the grass. If the turf is extremely weak and unhealthy, fungicides will not prevent Winterkill of turfgrass is not well understood. Too decline. If they would, we would never have dead many factors are involved to determine definitive grass. I liken it to beating a person within inches of causes of winter damage. Covers can help, but we their life, throwing them a couple of aspirin and saw significant dam age with and without covers at claiming the aspirin did not work if they die! With several courses. The biggest factor in winterkill stress related diseases, it is the same thing. seems to be poor drainage that allows standing Eventually, Poa annua reaches a point of no return. water and ice accumulation. If winterkill has been In these instances, do not blame the fungicides. a problem on your greens because of ice Speed kills. An Anthracnose Management Fact accumulation, consider experimenting with the Sheet developed with help from Penn State, Rutgers black sand topdressing product, Early Green. It has and University of Maryland in conjunction with the provided excellent results in increasing the rate of Mid-Atlantic Green Section is available from our ice melt. Winterkill is a difficult problem to grasp, but office. happens to some degree in our region on an annual basis. Most of the courses that we have visited are doing well, but virtually none are without problems, Then came high populations of Annual Bluegrass especially on Poa annua. As Superintendents, there Weevil (ABW). This pest affected golf courses all are always challenges. Where Poa annua is over Pennsylvania, in Northern Delaware and in involved, these challenges are often more intense. Maryland. Dr. Paul Heller from Penn State has You have to love a grass that dies because it is too warned that the ABW problem would expand at hot, too cold, too dry or too wet. Hey, if managing some point. His predictions have come true. golf course turf was easy, most of us would not have Second Generation ABW adults are out and about jobs. If the agronomists of the Mid-Atlantic Region at a golf course near you. Best control of ABW is can help, do not hesitate to contact our office gained by using well timed contact insecticide (610)558-9066 or dbevard@usga.org. PLEASE NOTE- CONCERNING THE JOB NOTICE FOR “REGIONAL SALES MANAGER” recently m ailed to the membership: Correction on the fax number: 414-359-9495. If The Beer is Colder Enter spring 2003. Our superintendent has risen to When the Grass is Greener saint status and "the grass is greener and the beer is suddenly colder.” While most of this article Course conditions can a ffe ct is anecdotal, in reality the beer temperature golfer perceptions of other club facilities. hasn't changed. Our menus haven’t changed By Jeff Heilbrun, CCM much and the snack bar is about the same, but Teton Pines Resort and Country Club (Jackson Hole, the golf course is dramatically different. Our Wyoming) has undergone many changes in golf members are proud of our course again, and we course management over the last few years. As set records for the number of lunches served last general manager, I have had the mixed fortune of year. Food and beverage service complaints seeing our golf course go through some difficult were minimal, and our member golf events were times and then come out on the other side. well subscribed. In the spring of 2001, we woke up from winter in The moral of this story is that golf course shock. More than 70% of our greens were in bad conditions affect the entire club — financially, shape from both pink and gray snow mold. Five of psychologically, and in many other ways. Past the greens had 25% healthy grass at best, and two decisions to delay aerification until as late as of them were closer to 10%. Almost all of our tees possible so that our players didn’t suffer putting were given last rites. The weather that spring was on bumpy greens put us at great risk if early fall terrible, so recovery was excruciatingly slow. weather conditions turned sour as they did in the fall of 2000. By waiting so late to aerify, we Luckily, I had hired Mike Kitchen as our new golf couldn't properly drag in the topdressing sand, course superintendent during the winter, so I could which resulted in dam aged grass leaves and discuss our operation with a clear conscience, not aerification holes that weren't completely filled. knowing what lay beneath the snow. Our first phone We neglected sound agronomic practices in call was to Matt Nelson, our USGA regional favor of over-concern for upsetting the golfers. agronomist. The short-term forecast was pretty grim The irony is that we ended up with course and, as it turned out, it was August 1st before some conditions that upset members and guests for a of our greens had any semblance of recovery. full season. The interesting thing to me as a general manager Now we aerify more often and agronomics come was that we also didn’t have the best year in other ahead of just about everything, while striking a parts of the operation. There were complaints about balance with golf course access. We have a our snack bar, lounge, and food and beverage superintendent who understands the importance operations, and golf shop sales were down even of the revenue side of our golf operation and though we didn't change the way we operated instills an understanding of proper golf course those departments. I witnessed what I now realize care to the golf professional staff. was evidence that our golfers were looking at the club through a lens clouded by a golf course they In this time of economic uncertainty, keeping the could not be proud of. An end-of-the-season jewel of your operation in extraordinary condition member survey acknowledged the poor course ensures loyalty from your existing customer base conditions, and asked for other comments not and makes the rest of your golf operation look related to course conditions, but we still received a that much better to your players. By the way, you very high number of comments about the greens may notice a difference in your bottom line as and tees. well. Thanks to an understanding ownership, an experienced superintendent, and the services of Following new agronomic practices put into place the USGA Green Section, we're back on top of by Mike and making diligent efforts with winter our game. preparation, including earlier-than-normal aerification, the next spring was much better. At the same time, we still had remnants of disease. As both Jeff Heilbrun, CCM, is general manager, Teton Matt and Mike reminded this turf-simple mind of Pines Resort and Country Club, Jackson Hole mine, patience is a virtue and we were headed down the right path. ??????????? Intelligence Quiz Premium sod for golf courses The following was found on fhe Internet. Good luck! Chip Presendofer A T Sales Associates, Ltd. 1011 Church Road First Q uestion: Oreland, PA 19705 You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in? Tel 215-886-6011 Fax 215-886-1203 Pager 800-983-3430 Try not to screw up in the next question. To answer the second question, d o n 't take as much time as you took for the first question. ‘T u rf S a k s & C onsuitation * v S e c o n d Q uestion: ( j ) ANDRE 8c SON, INC. If you overtake the last person, then you are...? TURF KING PRODUCTS & CONTRACTED SERU1CES Third Q uestion: JOHN V0JICK V0ICE/FAX 1.888.887.3770 EXTN 671 ...... OTDCI. T Very tricky math! Note: This must be done in your head only. CELLULAR 1.607.768.0575 f MIÜ. S T R E E T RESIDENCE, V0ICE/FAX 570.222.TURF MONTROSE, PA 18801 DO NOT use paper and pencil or a calculator. Try it. Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. A dd another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. Now a d d 10. What is the total? r i Today is definitely not your day. M aybe you will get the last question right? TORO. Fourth Q uestion: L____________________Â Mary's father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter? TURF EQUIPMENT MATT BROWN MOBILE: 484-357-6312 ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 6! IRRIGATION GEORGE SKAWSKI 2^ MOBILE: 610-554-9366 Northern N u r s e r ie s , in c . Simplest EMAIL: g.skawski@philyturf.com Professional Turf Products Division , i. z j J J f jp j EJ t RT 115, Sullivan Trail SIMPLOT TURF & HORTICULTURE Wind Gap, PA 18091 Phone: (610) 863-6006 S IM P L O T P A R T N E R S Fax: (610) 863-6384 B U S 5 7 0 /4 4 3 -7 1 5 4 Jim MacLaren 4 m FAX 5 7 0 /4 4 3 -7 0 1 5 S A L E S R E P R E S E N T A T IV E Home Phone/Fax: M O B ILE 5 7 0 /6 5 0 -4 9 8 2 P A G E R 5 7 0 /9 7 8 -5 6 4 9 jmaclaren@simplotpartners.com DAN FICK (610) 562-6812 SALES REPRESENTATIVE Pager: (610) 791-8336 B r in g in g E a r t h ’s R e s o u r c e s to L ife Office & Home Phone Top Dressing Dean Snyder White Haven 570-443-9596 Fax 570-443-9590 Bunker Sand Infield Mix EGYPT A President FARM S E G Y P T F A R M S , IN C . Blue Ridge Peat Farms, Inc. PO. BOX 223 White Haven, PA 18661-9674 White Marsh, Maryland 21162 Phone: 800-899-7645 Potting Soil Gene Evans, Owner Local: 410-335-3700 Soil Mixes Professional Engineer Fax: 410-335-0164 ANSWERS TO QUIZ ON PAGE 5 O O N Z Sprinkler Supply, Inc. 1. Answ er: If you answered that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second. 2. Answ er: If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me: how can you overtake the LAST person?! You’re not very good at this are you? 3. Answ er: Did you get 5000? The correct answer is actually 4100. Don’t believe it? Check with your calculator. 4. Answ er: Nunu? NO! Of course not. Her name is Mary. Read the question again. .... Irrigation supplier to the How did you do? If you answered: None Right: You could be editor of Chips and Putts Golf Course Superintendent One Right: You could write an article for Chips and Putts Two Right: You could keep score at the next meeting for your foursome. No one knows Three Right: You must have used a calculator. irrigation like Koonz Four Right: Okay Smarty, you da man, or you have seen this before! 800 - 772-8486 39 Waverly Avenue, P.O. Box 55 Springfield, NJ 07081 B ajn & B/rd * GREEN-RELEAF® Grass Roots, Inc. Lee Kozsey Territory Sales Representative Syngenta Professional Products grass roots Mount Freedom, NJ 07970 fis h e i 1248 Sussex Turnpike com p< Q U I IP P Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. _ . . c/o Mt. Ridge Business Park Steve C h in p Units A-1&2 Superior Products for theTurf and Horticultural Professional J jr 1 1 3710 Amherst Court Bethlehem, PA 18020-1356 Technical Sales Rep. Randolph, NJ 07869 Tel. 610-861-8174 Fax 610-882-9358 (973) 418-3468, Mobile Bob Seltzer Mobile 215-796-0409 (570) 839-3399, PA Office www.syngenta.com (973) 361-5943, NJ Office 165 N. Center Street * Fredricksburg, Pa 17026 (973) 895-1388, NJ Fax 610-704-4756 * Fax 717-865-4712 lee.kozsey @syngenta.com www.fisherandson.com Service ♦ Technical Support ♦ Quality Products • Layout and Design • Typesetting It’s every players responsibility... • Mac/IBM desktop publishing interface • Laser color separations Repair ball marks • Scitex® electronic photo retouching Replace or fill divots 31 Hill Street, P.O. Box 507 • Full electronic prepress services Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703-0507 • Foil stamping, embossing Rake bunkers 570-822-8181 • Complete bindery including FAX: 570-823-3579 saddlestitch and perfect binding A message fro m yo u r g o lf course superintendent a n d G C SAA Recent A dvances in Turfgrass Science Shearon Golf A division o f A Turfgrass Management Workshop Sponsored by Shearon Environmental Design SHEARON American Society of Agronomy - Northeast Branch, Soil Science Society of America, and Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science S pecializing In: Rutgers EcoComplex, Bordentown, NJ Construction / Maintenance July 14, 2004 Restorations / Renovations 12:30 PM Welcome - Bruce B. Clarke, Director, Rutgers Center for Turfgrass Science - Current perspectives in turfgrass management Arboriculture Dr. James Murphy, Associate Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Management Design Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers U. - Soil fertility and disease suppression Dr. Joseph Heckman, Drainage Experts Extension Specialist in Soil Fertility Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers - New and emerging diseases of cool- and warm-season Custom Spray Applicators turf Dr. Bruce Clarke, Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Pathology Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers Certified Irrigation Installers - Controlling Poa annua and Poa trivialis with Bispyribac: A new era in golf and sports turf weed control Dr. Steve Hart, Assistant Extension Specialist in Turf and 337 Route 31 ■ Hopewell, NJ 08525 Ornamental Weed Science 5160 M ilitia H ill Road • Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers Contact Charlie McGill at (609) 466-0666 or (610) 828-5488 ■ www.shearongolf.com 2:15-2:45 PM - Discussion and Coffee Break - New developments in the management of turfgrass insects Dr. Albrecht Koppenhofer, Associate Extension Specialist in Turfgrass Entomology, Department of Entomology, Rutgers - Breeding turfgrasses for pest and stress tolerance Dr. Bill Meyer, Professor Turfgrass Breeding Earthworks Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers Natural Organic Products Water conservation and irrigation management in cool- Joel Simmons season turf Dr. Bingru Huang, Associate Professor in Turfgrass Physiology P.O. B ox 278K www.soilfirst.com 6574 S. Delaware Drive Fax: 610-250-7840 Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Martins Creek, PA 18063 Phone: 610-250-9560 Rutgers University 800-732-TURF 4:00-4:30 PM - Discussion and Concluding Remarks NJ DEPE Pesticide Recertification Credits and GCSAA CEUs will be provided for those attending the entire program. PGOLF A RCOURSE TAC For registration info or questions please call: For more information TOP-DRESSING about the meeting, contact: A m erica's Prem ium Joseph Heckman or Bruce Clarke HEAT TREATED Top-Dressings (732) 932-9711x119 (732)932-9375 x 331 heckman@aesop.rutgers.edu clarke@aesop.rutgers.edu 1 -8 0 0 -2 4 7 -2 3 2 6 908-637-4191 • Fax 908-637-8421 Or Visit on the web: w w w .ecocom plex.rutgers.edu/nebasa/ ' POCONO ROUNDUP L o w N e t: NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE POCONO First Place: Steve Chirip 65 TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION Second Place: Gene Fluelster 68 May Golf Results- Schuylkill C C Third Place: Duane Schell 68 Format: 2 Man Better Ball of Partners Long Drive: Ron Garrison First Place: Rodger Smith, Ted Zabrinski 66 Closest to the Pin: Andy Jubinski (3 inches WOW!) Second Place: Lee Kozsey, Duane Schell 67 Long Drive: Jim Rattigan Continued from Green Box, Page 1 Closest To Pin : Jim Rattigan Times: 8/11/04 Registration starts at 10:00am with tours until 4:30 pm with tours until Noon. Skins: Chris Snopkowski, Doug Stewart Social Hour: Please pre-register for the Social Hour/ Lee Kozsey, Ron Garrison Pig Roast at Toftrees Resort When: 5:30pm to ? Price: $30.00 Age 21 + and $ 13 for Ages 6-20 June Golf Results- Elk View C C Format: Low Gross/Low Net Please note: This year’s Field Days will feature a Closest to the Pin and Putting Contest. So bring L o w G ro s s : your sticks! First Place: Ian Kunesch 76 Sponsored by: PA Turf Council and Penn Sfafe's Second Place: Paul ‘Scrape’ Brandon 78 College of Ag. Sciences Third Place: Ed Cim och 79 For Directions or other questions log on to: www.paturf.org POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION d o MELINDA WISNOSKY POSTAGE R.R. 1, BOX 219 HARDING, PA 18643 TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION NAME & ADDRESS ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.