CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 www.ptga.org VOL 12, NO. 2 APRIL 2006 Iron Lakes Country Club Allentown, PA Steve Stranzl, CGCS May will bring us to another southern venue, this time in Allentown at Iron Lakes Country Club. Steve Stranzl, CGCS has graciously agreed to host our May meeting. On Tuesday May 16th, we will have the opportunity to play this 6402 yard, Par 71 layout. In 2001, the current ownership began improvement to the course that was once known as Twin Lakes. The current name of Iron Lakes is reflected in the water filled quarries that are pre­ sent on the 18th hole. The course was constructed in two different decades taking shape origi­ nally as a nine hole layout in the early 60’s then becoming the current layout of 18 holes during the 70's. Steve served as superintendent at Green Acres CC in Reading for 13 seasons prior to taking the reins at Iron Lakes. Steve's family has ties to the green industry as both his father and brother are superintendents and his son is currently enrolled in Penn State University. Steve manages the property’s 155 acres with a staff of 10. Projects since 2001, have included tee construction, bunker renovation, and the installation of an automated irrigation system. Dr. Mike Fidanza, Penn State University Berks Campus will speak on the research he was in­ volved in at Rutgers University. The research covered the topic of improving fungicide applica­ tions to turfgrass. President’s Message........ As I sit on the couch and watch "It’s the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown” with my three year old son, I am in awe of the writing of Officers & Directors Charles Schultz. Many of his videos were written and produced 20 to 2006 30 years ago. The messages he provided us with years ago can still be applied to society and how we live our life today. That is the sign of a good author when his message can stand the test of time. PRESIDENT That brings me into my next thought. With some warmer Duane Schell, Blue Ridge Trail G. C. temperatures and some much needed rain, it is a good time to 570-868-8113 implement some agronomic practices which have stood the test of djschell@epix.net time. Performing some good cultural practices like aerification, VICE PRESIDENT topdressing, overseeding, taking soil tests and applying a proper Darrin Larkin, Panorama Golf Course 570-222-9260 fertilization are the only things that can repair the damaged turf from last year’s never ending summer. TREASURER John Downer, Elkview C.C. Our golf season began with our first meeting being held at Whitetail 570-840-0078 Golf Club on April 18. I would like to thank Jeremy Reph and his staff j_s_downer@juno.com for giving us the opportunity to enjoy his facility. Our next meeting will SECRETARY be held at Iron Lakes Country Club on Tuesday, May 16. I look forward Jeff Koch, Glenmaura National C.C. 570-457-8733 to seeing many of you there. SERGEANT AT ARMS Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. Duane Schell 973-418-3468 DIRECTORS Rick Anglemyer, Water Gap CC 570-424-6391 Andrew Jubinski, Finch Turf 570-378-3043 glenturf@epix.net Matthew Brown, Philadelphia Turf 215-340-5401 Editor’s Notes......... CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF EDITOR As spring hits full stride, irrigation systems get charged, and talk turns Jim Gurzler 201-294-9673 to drought — not the way I envisioned spring in NE PA. The snow free jim@gurzler.com winter allowed much work on golf courses, which seemed to be a good thing until grass started growing and herbicides and insecticides needed Managing Editor Melinda Wisnosky to be watered in and the dry weather continued. I have visited many Editorial Committee courses and the dry weather has been a hot topic as the dreaded "D” word reared its ugly head again. Although the crews are now adept at Jeff Koch Matt Brown hand watering it is not something that we wanted to have to deal with again. Past President I would like to thank our meeting sponsors, Finch Services and Eric Reed, Valley C.C. 570-788-4277 Harrell’s Turf Specialty, for contributing to our meeting at Iron Lakes. Barley5@ptd.net Your support is greatly appreciated. As I put this issue together, I came across an article on auditing irri­ gation systems that I felt was pertinent. As water is the chemical most applied to the golf course it is often overlooked as it doesn’t have a per application price. A simple audit of your greens and tees could show where and why hot spots occur. These are easily done with minimal time and materials. An irrigation consultant could be retained to pro­ vide a more detailed analysis and explanation of the results which might PTGA Office R.R. 1, Box 219 benefit your course in the long run. Either way, there’s the potential for Harding, PA 18643 reduced water usage and decreased labor expense. Phone/Fax: 570-388-2167 Here’s to some well timed rain in the near future. Hope to see you at Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the monthly meetings. the author and/or person quoted, and may not represent the position of PTGA. Information contained in this Jim Gurzler 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. Jack Frost National Golf Club Blakeslee, PA Bryan Nuss, Superintendent at Jack Frost National, is currently preparing the course for a partial opening later this year. Golf Strategies, course developer, and Terry La Gree, Golf Course Architect have retained Robert McNeil of The Northeast Golf Company to manage construction. Jack Frost National had been in the planning stage since approximately 1996. Bryan has been on staff since last year after working at Timber Trails. Golf course construction has many different challenges that have allowed Bryan to experience many interesting management strategies. Jack Frost National will be surrounded by home sites that will provide membership opportunities for the homeowners. Jack Frost will open as a semi-private course until membership grows at which time the course will become private. The course will be a Par 72 layout measuring over 7200 yards from the championship tees. The design calls for 5 sets of tees to accommodate all ages and abilities. The 11 th hole features a waterfall. This will be the signature hole along the entry road from 940 to the ski area and clubhouse entrance. The 8th hole is also a Par three along the entry road and was the first hole to be completed. Bryan and his assistant Markus Buetter are awaiting the construction of their maintenance facility, con­ struction which is scheduled to begin in April of 2006. John M. bodock fisher son & Lawn and Golf Supply Co., Inc. company, inc. Specialists In Equipment and Supplies For Maintenance Of Turf Superior Products for the Turf & Horticultural Professional Bob Seltzer 165 North Center Street * Fredricksburg, Pa 17026 PHONE: (610) 9335801 (800) 362-5650 647 Nutt Rd P.O Box 447 610-704-4756 * fax 717-865-4712 FAX (610) 933 8890 PHOENIXVILLE, PA 19460 Fungicide Application Effects on Non-target Microbial Populations of Putting Greens G. E. Harman, E. B. Nelson, and K. L. Ondik Cornell University Researchers at Cornell University tested the hypothesis that repeated applications of fungicides to putting greens would have major impacts on microbial populations of both foliar and soil-borne microbes. Surprisingly, this was not the case. Their results include: • The total number of fungal propagules detected was greater in soil at the start of the season than later, but there were no significant effects even after the season-long application of fungicides, regardless of the fungicide applied. • On leaves, there were no significant effects of fungicide applications on total numbers of fungi, regardless of time or fungicide application. Most of the fungi detected were in the genus Trichoderma. • The relative numbers of filamentous fungi versus yeasts changed substantially on turf leaves as evidenced by both the numbers and plate appearances. However, there was no significant difference in total microbial meta­ bolic activity among fungicide treatments. It does not appear that repeated applications of fungicides have major impacts on soil microbial communities. SUMMARY Scientists from the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Columbus, Ohio and Spectrum Research, Inc. instrumented the Morris Williams Municipal Golf Course in Austin, TX to investigate the nutrient concentrations and loads that might be expected from typical management on municipal golf courses in a semi-arid climate. Surface and subsurface hydrology and nutrient (NO3-N, NH4-N, and dissoloved reactive phosphorous, DRP) concentrations were measured for a 5-year period (April 1, 1998 to March 31,2003). Findings include: Estimated storm flow contributions were 1.2 kg ha-1 yr-1 NO3+NO2-N, 0.23 kg ha-1 yr-1 of NH4-N, and 0.51 kg ha-1 yr-1 DRP. These storm flow amounts represent approximately 3.3% of applied N and 6.3% of applied P over the contributing area for the same period. The golf course contributes a significant increase in median concentration of NO3+NO2-N (+0.46 mg L-1) to baseflow exiting the course. NH4-N concentrations were reduced in baseflow (-0.06 mg L-1), and the course had no significant effect on DRP concentrations in baseflow. NO3-N concentrations (1.27 mg L-1 at Site 3; 0.32 mg L-1 at Site 4) and load (2.7 kg ha-1 ) transported through the subsurface drainage water were approximately 1/10th the concentration and load typically reported for tile drainage from row crop agriculture. A strong seasonal pattern was detected. NO3-N was present in greater concentrations in the surface and subsurface drainage water during the winter months (periods of greater rainfall, turfgrass dormancy, and reduced microbial activity) when compared to the spring and summer months. DRP concentrations in the subsurface drainage water were greater than concentrations measured in tile drains from agriculture and could pose a potential threat of eutrophication to a surface water system. The timing of NO3-N and DRP movement through subsurface drainage from golf course turf appeared to be dependent on climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) and turf management factors (magnitude and timing of applications). The magnitude of NO3-N and DRP concentrations was dependent on the frequency and amount of fertility management practices. At the more intensively managed site, consistently higher NO3-N and DRP concentrations were detected in the drainage water than were measured from the less intensively managed site. The complete report of this research and many other reports can be found at USGA’s Turfgrass and Environ­ mental Research Online (http://usaatero.msu.edu). The 2500E Hybrid Electric Greens Mower! No Spills! No Leaks! NO WORRIES! John Deere TORO ® TURF EQUIPMENT MATT BROWN MOBILE: 484-357-6312 IRRIGATION What's the 2500E missing?! GEORGE SKAWSKI ONLY 102 POTENTIAL LEAK POINTS! This machine will run all 2500E Hybrid day, is unbelievably quiet and has the lowerst PSI in the industry! MOBILE: 610-554-9366 Try one out today! Greens Mower EMAIL: g.skawski@philyturf.com Runs All Day! The 2500E is not dependent on battery power, maintaining frequency of superior clip on every green. Visit Your Gold Star Certified John Deere Dealer Today! FINCH SERVICES, INC Call 800-875-TURF www.finchinc.com Or visit us on the web! www.finchinc.com John Deere's green and yellow color scheme. the leaping deer symbol, and JOHN DEERE are trademarks of Deere & Company B74BUBD0802-00101106 www.JohnDeere.com Wasting Water Do Water Audits save you money? By Richard Lenti You wouldn’t throw money in the trash, but when it comes to maintaining landscap­ ing, many property owners are letting their money go down the drain. With all the pres­ sure from water purveyors and local municipalities to conserve water, there’s never been a greater need to inspect every irrigation system under your care to see if they’re working at their optimum. If you aren’t performing a regular inspection of a property’s sprinkler system, there’s a good chance you're wasting your client’s water, and that means their money. For some in the landscape maintenance business, the concept of conducting a water audit is just taking hold, but it’s something professional irrigators and When auditing land- users of irrigation systems have been doing for years. scaping an a residential So what is a water audit? Do you need one? How does it help? How can it save or commercial property, money? Let’s take this one step at a time...Water audits involve the inspection of an anywhere from 20 to 30 irrigation system at some point after it’s been installed. In essence, it's a snapshot of how catch-can stations per your irrigation system is working at a given time. acre are needed. But how do you know if you need to conduct a water audit? Usually, there are tell- tale signs. Water running onto pavement and into the streets, an increase in a property’s use of irrigation water over a period of time, a complaint made to your local water district by a neighbor; all are signs that the property has a problem. If you think you should monitor it, the property probably needs an audit of the water usage. There are three basic parts of an audit. The first step is an analysis of the property’s water use patterns. That involves weather data and the historic water use patterns of the site. Next is a visual inspection of the system while it’s running to ensure that each component is operating properly. This is where you’ll proba- Chips & Putts PATRON SPONSORS AERIFICATION AND OVERSEEDING IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Atlantic Irrigation JoeJaskot 973.445.9418 RichGdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Atlantic Irrigation James Gurzler 570.788.2061 Lawn & Golf JohnBodock 800.362.5650 Philadelphia Turf Co. George Skawski 610.554.9366 Matt Brown 484-357-6312 EQUIPMENT PLANT PROTECTANTS Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 RichGdovin 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Lawn & Golf John Bodock 800.362.5650 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Philadelphia Turf Co. Matt Brown 484.357.6312 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Harrell’s Turf Specialty JimMacLaren 570.443.7154 Lawn & Golf JohnBodock 800.362.5650 PBI/Gordon Corp. John Patten 609.970.1546 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 FERTILIZER Syngenta Lee A. Kozsey 610.861.8174 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 RichGdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 SEED & SOD Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Harrell’s Turf Specialty JimMacLaren 570.443.7154 RichGdovin 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf John Bodock 800.362.5650 East Coast Sod & Seed Kevin Driscoll 609.760.4099 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Lawn & Golf JohnBodock 800.362.5650 Harrell’s Turf Specialty JimMacLaren 570.443.7154 GREEN AND TEE SUPPLIES SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 TOPDRESSING / SOIL AMENDMENTS Lawn & Golf John Bodock 800.362.5650 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 RichGdovin 570.278.1131 Blue Ridge Peat Farms Gene Evans 570.443.9596 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Harrell’s Turf Specialty JimMacLaren 570.443.7154 Lawn & Golf JohnBodock 800.362.5650 SynaTek Craig Lambert 201.874.7383 Support our Sponsors - They support us! ATLANTIC IRRIGATION SPECIALTIES INC. Totally Integrated Irrigation Solutions RESERVOIR TO ROTORS™ Rain Bird ® ATLANTIC IRRIGATION SPECIALTIES, INC. Full Service Irrigation Supplier to the Golf Industry Huge Inventory of Products readily available for Rapid Delivery Dedicated Service Technicians On-Call 24-7 We Sell Pipe, Wire, Fittings, Valves, Valve Boxes, Swing Joints, Drainage, Pumping Equipment, Hose Reels, Lightning Detection Systems, Pond Aerators, Subsurface Greens Aeration and Sensors, Landscape Lighting and More! Multiple Locations Servicing our Golf Territory: West Chester, PA - 610-431-6200 Springfield, NJ- 973-379-9314 Wayne, NJ- 973-616-4800 Farmingdale, NJ- 877-420-8873 Deer Park, NY- 631-667-7801 N. White Plains, NY- 800-878-8873 Bridgehampton, NY- 631-537-1444 Stamford, CT- 800-886-4774 Serving Eastern PA., N.J. and Metropolitan N.Y. www.atlanticirrigation.com Continued from Page 5 bly find the source of many of the system's deficiencies. Often, the repair is simple: a misaligned sprinkler head or one with too much range; the wrong nozzle; a blown riser. It's imperative that these maintenance problems be addressed before performing the third step, which is a performance test. If the system isn’t working properly, a performance test is really a waste of time, defeating the whole point of an audit. Once the irrigation system's deficiencies have been addressed, it's time to check and see if the sprinklers are providing uniform coverage. The easiest way to see how uniformly the sprinkler system is working is to use catch- cans within the coverage area. These catch-cans are placed throughout the zone that's being evaluated. The water is turned on, let’s say for five minutes; then the amount of water is measured in each catch-can. If there are big differences in the amount of water in each catch-can, then there is a problem somewhere. Now you may be tempted to do this on your own instead of hiring an expert. But that could prove to be penny wise and pound foolish. There’s more to evaluating an irrigation system's efficiency than looking at water in a cup. And creating an efficient watering schedule that conserves water takes some training in how to inter­ pret the data you've collected. It’s those watering schedules that Brian Vinchesi, of Irrigation Consulting, Inc, Pepperell, Massachusetts, says are the greatest benefit of a water audit. He describes a water audit as a scheduling tool, a field test of an irriga­ tion system that’s designed to show its distribution uniformity and precipitation rates. From the data collected, a base schedule for the system is derived. Another firm believer in the effectiveness of water audits is Tim Wilson, of H2O Stewardship Solutions in Cheney, Washington. He’s done hundreds of audits and says the goal is to correct the system by looking for weak spots and fixing them. After correcting the system, he also recommends creating detailed watering schedules and then keeping things watered evenly. In simple terms, a water audit should teach people how sprinklers apply wa­ ter. Incredibly, even after conducting an audit that shows where improvements can be made, saving water and money, there’s a tendency for both property owners and landscape contractors alike to fall back on old habits and start wasting water again. “They mean well,” says Wilson, "but don’t follow through because of budgetary restraints. They don't have the capital.” A study in the Contra Costa Water District in Northern California found that many audited sights eventually de­ teriorated to pre-audit levels because they didn’t maintain the improvements. "In theory, if someone has fully im­ plemented the schedule, it will save water," says Wilson. "The problem is in the implementation... they use parts of the audit, but ignore others.” Often, the problem is just a question of maintenance. Chris Willig, of Environ­ mental Water Management, Agoura Hills, California, says that over 80 percent of the changes, repairs and main­ tenance he recommends after an audit are relatively small. He feels that if landscape contractors do their sys­ tems checks frequently, they would run across these deficiencies before they become problems. "I think those systems checks are critical in keeping the number of problems relatively low.” It’s also important to realize that a water audit is not the “end all to be all,” and that it should be part of a comprehensive plan. “Put together a site management plan,” says Wilson. “In the long run, it will save money and there will be a payback, a return on the investment.” And while a site management plan is usually devel­ oped before construction begins, it can be done on a pre-existing structure. A water audit should be one piece of that site management plan. A complete irrigation system audit should also include the evaluation of plant material within the area that’s being watered. The depth of active roots, soil consistency, and evapotranspiration rates are also factored into the equation to ultimately determine how many gallons per minute are being used by the sprinkler system, and the water usage in each zone of coverage. Those are all factors a certified auditor will take into account. It is important that the person who does your water audit be certified. There are many variables facing an auditor of a landscape irrigation system, as opposed to the uniformity found in most agricultural systems. “When you get into landscape,” says Willig, "you now have variable spacing, different heads, and variable plant materi­ als.” Continued on Page 7 Average Rainfall This is the mean monthly precipitation, including rain, snow, hail etc. (empty cell)Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year mm 56.8 58.6 64.2 79.7 97.5 102.8 105.6 92.9 94.9 76.7 81.0 68.0 979.4 inches 2.2 2.3 2.5 3.1 3.8 4.0 4.2 3.7 3.7 3.0 3.2 2.7 38.6 Source: WILKES BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY data derived from NCDC TD 9641 Clim 81 1961-1990 Normals. 30 years between 1961 and 1990 Continued from Page 6 For example, usually five or six catch-cans per acre are sufficient for auditing water use on a large turf rotor system. When auditing landscaping on a residential or commercial property, anywhere from 20 to 30 catch-cans stations per acre are needed. To accurately determine how well a sprinkler system is working, Wellig says it’s es­ sential that an auditor take representative samples from all the irrigation zones, and take into consideration the sprinkler heads being tested. Different heads will perform at different rates. Even the experts can have a hard time with all those variables. Currently there aren’t any uniform guidelines for auditors to follow. Consequently, there’s a lack of uniformity in the results that can be derived from auditing the same property. "You might have three different audits on the same site," says Vinchesi, "and you won't get the same results because each audit was done differently.” The Irrigation Association has developed guidelines that are currently under review. Once a standard is in place, there should be more uniformity as to how audits are done. So now that a water audit has been conducted, what’s next? Often the fix is relatively simple; occa­ sionally, it involves more costly and time consuming repairs like replacing parts of the irrigation system. Unfortu­ nately, the desire to save money, which leads property owners to conduct a water audit in the first place, often motivates them to ignore implementing the changes necessary to make the audit cost effective. As budgets tighten, property owners and managers have to make hard choices. That often translates into a more "bang for your buck” mentality. With rising energy costs, water conservation is not always a priority. Espe­ cially on commercial properties, where the emphasis tends to go towards energy conservation, and there seems to be a greater savings by cutting back on a huge electric bill versus the smaller savings found in efficiently irri­ gating that property. However, there could prove to be folly in that thinking. Water sources don't always remain constant. Aquifers can become depleted. Drought can quickly ravage regions where water was once abundant. And the price of water is always going up. The long-term benefits of water conservation far outweigh the short-term savings found in putting resources elsewhere. There are also lots of other problems caused by wasting water that could cost a property owner much more than the initial price of repairing an irrigation system. Things like the destruction of wood fences and supports, asphalt deterioration, paint damage and building settlement. Avoiding those poten­ tial consequences of not maintaining the system should be reason enough to conduct an audit. “What we try to do is identify the dollar savings that we think are available on the site,” says Wellig. “That al­ lows the customer to evaluate the bids they may get on these upgrades and maintenance issues. So getting a handle on the potential savings in dollar terms is critical. The objective is to allow the customer to understand the water use and make better decisions on how they want to spend their landscape maintenance dollar. And that's really what a water audit is... a mechanism for the customer to really understand how they're using their water.” In many instances, the costs for minor repairs should be included in the landscape maintenance contract. When the costs for repairs are more significant, that's when the landscape contractor needs to be proactive. A well-done audit will help you convince the property owner that the savings in water conservation will far out­ weigh the initial outlay of capital. A good place to find a qualified auditor is the Irrigation Association. They are responsible for certifying auditors, Continued on Page 8 Continued from Page 7 and they maintain a list of who’s qualified to do audits in your area. Some irrigation contractors also do water au­ dits, but there could be a conflict of interest if the person you hire to repair the irrigation system is also the person telling you what’s wrong with it. To avoid that dilemma, it’s probably best to hire an independent, certified water auditor. Wellig says his com­ pany does not do design or repairs to avoid the implication of a conflict of interest. “All we do is go out to a site, evaluate the water use, look at the system, and prepare a report that would help the customer make a decision. They hire somebody else to deal with repairs to the system, the redesigns, whatever it entails as a consequence of the inspection and the testing.” More often than not, a water audit should pay for itself. But for the audit to work, it's important that it be done right, and that the recommendations made are implemented and maintained. “If someone does an audit," says Wilson, “and makes improvements so water is distributed evenly, if they develop detailed watering schedules, if they implement those watering schedules, and if they update those schedules according to weather changes, and then if they keep regular maintenance on the system to keep it watering efficiently... then yes, water audits work." In the long run, that will save your client money, and that makes you look good. Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry Magazine. Interseeding Roundup-ready Creeping Bentgrass into Established 'Penncross' Creeping Bentgrass Travis W. Gannon and Fred H. Yelverton North Carolina State University With the forthcoming registration of Roundup- ready creeping bentgrass (RRCB), optimum means of es­ tablishment must be determined. Research trials were initiated to determine if an existing bentgrass fairway could be transitioned to RRCB utilizing sublethal rates of Roundup and various seedbed preparation techniques. The idea to be tested was that sublethal rates of Roundup could be utilized along with seedbed preparation to allow RRCB to establish while maintaining an acceptable playing surface allowing a course to remain open for play during the transition. Sublethal Roundup rates were also staggered at various timings around seeding to de­ termine if the initial application timing was crucial. Additionally, seedbed preparation techniques included verti­ cal mowing in two directions, vertical mowing in two directions in combination with core aerification, and no seedbed preparation. The results included the following: • Establishment of RRCB by interseeding into existing creeping bentgrass did not allow for a timely transition to RRCB. • Researchers were unable to maintain an acceptable playing surface during the transition to RRCB utilizing sublethal Roundup rates and various seedbed preparation techniques. • Interseeding new and improved bentgrass cultivars into existing bentgrass is most likely not a successful prac­ tice, regardless of seedbed preparation. RRCB establishes similarly to non-transgenic bentgrass cultivars when seeded into conventionally prepared seed- bed. The complete report of this research and many other reports can be found at USGA’s Turfgrass and Environ­ mental Research Online (http://usqatero.msu.edu). The specific URL for this report is http://usaatero.msu.edu/v05/n04.pdf Attention!! Did you forget? Deadline for dues was April 1,2006. Anyone who has not paid his dues, please send in payment as soon as possible. Grass Roots, Inc. SOD East Coast & SEED grass roots P.O. Box 336 Mount Freedom, NJ 07970 4 Middlebury Blvd. Suite 7 Randolph, NJ 07869 Kevin Driscoll Steve Chirip (973) 418-3468, Mobile (570) 839-3399, PA Office Technical Sales Rep. (973) 252-6634, NJ Office 609 760 4099 CELL 856 769 9555 office 609 561 5384 fax (973) 252-6630, NJ Fax 596 Pointers Auburn Road * Pilesgrove NJ 08098 Service ♦ Technical Support ♦ Quality Products Office & Home Phone Top Dressing White Haven 570-443-9596 Bunker Sand Fax 570-443-9590 Infield Mix Blue Ridge Peat Farms, Inc. White Haven, PA 18661-9674 Potting Soil Gene Evans, Owner Soil Mixes Professional Engineer POCONO ROUNDUP Upcoming Events: Welcome to the PTGA May 16th Iron Lakes Country Club June 13th Indian Hills Golf And Tennis Club, Joint Congratulations to Fran Davitt, Superin­ Meeting with the Keystone Association tendent Hideaway Hills Welcome Kyle Woodfield, Asst. Superin­ Upcoming GCSAA Web casts tendent at Valley Country Club Managing Anthracnose Basal Rot with Improved Cul­ Welcome Gino Marchetti, Asst. Superintendent tural and Chemical Control Strategies Glen Oak Country Club 2:00 PM 04/26/06 Welcome Joe Jaskot, Atlantic Irrigation Unique POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION R.R. 1, BOX 219 HARDING, PA 18643 Solutions Fast Water Based Weed Control For your local Gordon's* Distributor visit: pbigordon.com or call John Patten at 609-970-1546 pbi/GORDON corporation An Employee-Owned Company ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. Always Read and Follow Label Directions. 00241