CHIPS & PUTTS OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Founded in POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 www.ptga.org VOL. 13, NO. 9 Dec 2007/Jan 2008 A Place for Everything By Christine Gurzler There’s something to be said for clichés. After all, there's usually a hefty measure of truth solidly behind them. They become clichés when they stop being buzzwords and get into everyday speech. One cliché I want to explore is “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Now, stop groaning, I'm not your mother, and this isn’t going to be an article about cleaning up your room. Rather, I want to talk about how this cliché can be applied to your schedule, your computer files, and your space. Let’s tackle your schedule first. By now, the story of the big rocks (Franklin Covey) is fairly well known. The analogy is that you schedule the big rocks, or most important things, before you schedule the smaller rocks, or the lesser important things in your life, and so on. By concentrating your efforts on the truly essential things you can enjoy not only greater Effectiveness, but also improved efficiency. By knowing what your true priorities are on a daily or weekly basis, you can be sure to allocate your time to the most vital activities. Large-scale projects should be broken down into small steps that can then be scheduled into your task list. Of course, everyone has times when it seems like all you do is move from one emergency to another, but generally speaking, by planning your work in advance and then working that plan, you will be far more likely to actually complete those projects that you set out to accomplish. There's much wisdom to be found in the Jewish reckoning of time, that each day begins at sundown. Think about it. If you plan the next day the night before, you have a jump on things in the morning. That’s another good cliché - the one about not getting up on the wrong side of the bed. By going over your schedule before you go to bed each evening and making any adjustments then, you can sleep confidently and wake up ready to face whatever challenges the new day brings. The articles section of the Franklin Covey website (www.franklincove y.com) has a number of articles about planning your schedule, including a neat PowerPoint presentation that illustrates the Big Rocks story. The second area of organization is your computer. For the golf course superintendent, the slower winter months are an ideal time to tidy up your computer files. Here especially, the cliché about “a place for everything and everything in its place" can really shine. Have you ever talked to a real computer geek or seen a TV show where the resident computer hacker complains about the files on the computer they need to check over for evidence? Does that sound like your computer? I'm all for using long file names that are fairly specific so you can find the document again, but did you know that you can save yourself a heap of trouble by spending some time creating file folders that pertinent documents can then be saved in? Of course, this is much easier to do when you have a brand spanking new computer, but it can be done at any time in the computer's lifetime. (Continued on page 3) Officers & Directors 2007 President’s Message....... For this month’s message, I would like to share a few quick thoughts... The Annual SNOW Meeting at Elk Mountain is being scheduled for PRESIDENT Friday, February 8. This is the day after the PSU Northeast Show at the Darrin Larkin, Panorama Golf Course Woodlands in Wilkes-Barre. Remember, this meeting is open to 570-222-9260 everyone—friends, family, staff, and those that just want to come up VICE PRESIDENT Rick Anglemyer, Water Gap CC for lunch and conversation. 570-424-6391 TREASURER We are getting close to finalizing next year's meeting schedule, and John Downer, Elkview C.C. we will post that as soon as it is completed. 570-840-0078 SECRETARY Finally, I would like to wish all our members, their families, and their Ray Wadell, Elmhurst CC staff an enjoyable and safe Holiday Season. 570-842-4705 DIRECTORS Steven Chirip, Grass Roots, Inc. 973-418-3468 Darrin Larkin Matthew Brown, Philadelphia Turf 215-340-5401 Greg Boring, Glen Oak C.C. 570-586-5791 Patrick Knelly, Sugarloaf Golf Club 570-384-4724 Thomas Height, Frosty Valley C.C. 570-275-4266 Editor’s Notes..... CHIPS & PUTTS STAFF EDITOR Jim Gurzler Greetings all. This is the final issue of 2007. How will the year be 570-249-1450 remembered by you? It is funny for me when I travel throughout NE jim@gurzler.com PA to hear how things are so widely varied in just a few miles. Dollar Managing Editor spot here, none there! Hyperodes, Brown patch, Drought, Rain. Melinda Wisnosky 570-388-2167 Mother Nature sure can throw some wicked off speed stuff! Overall though I think this year was toward the easier side of the scale for Editorial Committee Darrin Larkin most. Let's hope the early snow allows everyone the opportunity to Matt Brown rest up for '08. Past President Duane Schell, Blue Ridge Trail G. C. With the holidays here, Valley Forge around the corner, the GIS just 570-868-8113 djschell@epix.net behind it and then the Northeast Show; The SNOW meeting may be poorly attended just because we have so much happening in such a short time! Let’s not let that happen! This meeting is a great time for all. It is relaxed, casual, and fun! It is a great place to meet others that enjoy the same things you do, so make it a point to sign up and attend. PTGA Office Once again, no articles, no pictures, no birth announcements. R.R. 1, Box 219 Please keep the Association in mind and send along any information Harding, PA 18643 that might be of interest. It is always welcome. Phone/Fax: 570-388-2167 Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of Happy Holidays to all and a Happy New Year! 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 Jim Gurzler maintained. We would appreciate a credit line. (Continued from Page 1) First, when in My Documents, create the folders you need. Look over the contents of your documents folder. What documents can be grouped together? Do you need a place for daily reports? A place for expense reports? A file for newsletter articles? How about creating files for different articles dealing with varied aspects of your work? For example, you could have a folder for articles on irrigation, one for construction or restoration, another for turf diseases, another for equipment concerns, one related to issues concerning your crew. You can even create a general folder on articles and then include subfolders within it. The list goes on and on. Anything that you create documents for on a regular recurring basis is a good choice for a file folder. Don't think of "folders" as just folders. Think of them more as "file drawers” with "hanging folders” inside that the folders - your actual documents - get filed in. After you move any files to their new locations, be sure to update any software applications that depend upon those file paths. For example, if you use Documents to Go (Dataviz) on your PDA, you will need to remove each document you are syncing to your device and then add it to the application again so it will sync using the new file path. Make a note of what files you are moving so you can make those changes when you finish tidying your files. While you're taking the time to make these changes it's a good idea to make a back up of your entire Documents folder. Make a back up of any software patches or updates you’ve done in the last few months as well. Date and label these and file them away somewhere other than where you keep your computer. It's pretty useless to make a back up of your computer files and then store it in the same room as the computer. If an accident destroys the office, guess what happens to the back up files? The final area to explore is your space. I know I said I wasn’t going to harp on you to clean your room and I plan to keep my promise. My grandmother always said that not only should you return things to their proper place but that you should also use the proper tool for the proper job. In her home (and mine too), you didn't use a scissor that was for fabrics on paper or vice versa. Let's take that philosophy and apply it to the equipment shed and your of­ fice area. Just like grouping like files together under another file folder can organize your computer files, so can grouping like items in the workplace. Another important aspect of the organization is something I learned back in my interior design days... put things where they are going to be used! It's inefficient to have to walk all over the place looking for something; it should be accessible both when and where you need it. If you never use catalogs in your maintenance area don’t keep them there. Provide a shelf, or better yet, magazine racks for them. Train yourself to throw away the old one when the new one comes in. You can use a binder to archive each year’s issues of the PTGA newsletter. Slap a sticker on the binding edge so you’ll know which year is inside. You can use this technique for your catalogs from vendors too. Label each binder as to what kind of vendors are included inside then use subject dividers between each vendor’s catalogs. If some of the catalogs for your vendors don't have holes punched in them already, Staples will do that for you for a nominal fee. Copy centers can also saw off the binding on a catalog and then drill the holes - something to consider for a very thick catalog. Another great organizational tool is the white board. You can quickly jot notes down and alert your staff to anything that they need to be aware of. It can also be used as a scheduling tool if you buy one with calendar blanks. I could go on and on about the great tools available to help you get and stay organized and the joys of working according to plan but I’ll leave you to find that out for yourself. Even if you never turn into an organizational diva (my husband calls it OCD) like me, I'm sure you’ll agree that having your life function in a relatively predictable routine has its advantages. JIM GURZLER JIMG@ Lee A. Kozsey SALES REPRESENTATIVE SEETONTURF.COM Territory Manager Turf, Ornamental & Aquatics Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. syngenta 3710 Amherst Court Bethlehem, PA 18020 Seeton Turf Tel 610-861-8174 Fax 610-882-9358 Mobile 215-796-0409 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com lee.kozsey@syngenta.com • Warehouse, LLC • 3983 MANN RD CELL: (570) 249-1450 For further assistance, contact our HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA Customer Resource Center at: 866-Syngenta (866-796-4368) OFFICE/FAX: (570) 788-2061 19006 Off season? What's that? Presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Many golf facilities have a nine-monfh golf season, which means they also have a period when the volume of play declines. So what type of activity does the golf course management staff engage in during the "offseason?” While golfer activity may be virtually non-existent during the offseason, there is still much work to be done by the golf course superintendent and his/her staff. It should be noted that a golf course is staffed on a seasonal sched- ule to meet demand, thus temporary workers and/or student interns may not be available during the offseason to assist the full-time staff. Depending upon weather conditions, a variety of golf course projects can be completed even though the tem- peratures are not conducive for member play. Such activities could include sodding bare areas with turf, reno- vating bunkers, rebuilding tee areas, trimming and planting trees, etc. These projects could close down portions of the course if undertaken during the playing season, therefore the offseason offers the opportunity to make im- provements with little or no inconvenience. Whether or not there is play on the course, superintendents must be attuned to turf conditions. For example, allowing ice to sit on the turf for extended periods can result in turf winter- kill. Various golf course accessories might also need repair. Benches, signs, water cooler containers, trash bins, ball washers, rakes, etc., may need to be built or renovated. Routine building maintenance on areas such as the club- house, turf care center, pump houses, green house, tennis center, etc., are often set aside for this time period. Again, delaying work on these areas until consumption patterns decline results in little interruption. Equipment is also a focus for the golf course superintendent during this time period. Everything from purchasing to various mechanical repairs such as engine tune-ups and reel sharpening are on the schedule. Irrigation systems are in need of similar annual maintenance to ensure that they do not get damaged during extreme cold spells. The offseason also provides the opportunity to complete a variety of business management responsibilities. An- nual plans and budgets must be developed and then presented to the appropriate club leaders. Inventories for fertilizers, pesticides, seed and other supplies need to be replenished. Staffing plans must be developed and em- ployees have to be secured for the golf season. Golf course managers should also review their course condition- ing programs on annual basis. Issues such as turf selection, green speed, bunker sand characteristics, fairway widths and integrated pest management programs all require significant research and planning. Staff development is also a requirement for golf course managers. Superintendents and assistants participate in regional education seminars and attend the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show. These con- tinuing education opportunities provide information on the latest management techniques, products and ser- vices available to course managers. The opportunity to network with peers and learn how others tackle chal- lenges can result in significant benefits to a facility, some of which do not have a price tag. For more information regarding golf course management practices, contact your local superintendent or the GCSAA at (800) 472-7878 or www.gcsaa.org Key points: □ A golf course is staffed on a seasonal schedule to meet demand. □ The offseason offers the opportunity to make improvements with little or no inconvenience. □ The offseason provides the opportunity to complete a variety of business management responsibilities. □ Superintendents focus on equipment during this time period. □ Staff development is a requirement for golf course managers. Chips & Putts PATRON SPONSORS AERIFICATION AND OVERSEEDING IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Atlantic Irrigation Joe Jaskot 973.445.9418 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Philadelphia Turf Co. George Skawski 610.554.9366 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 710.933.5801 Matt Brown 484-357-6312 PLANT PROTECTANTS EQUIPMENT Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Rich Gdovin 570-278-1131 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Philadelphia Turf Co. Matt Brown 484.357.6312 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 PBI/Gordon Corp. John Patten 609.970.1546 Seeton Turf Jim Gurzler 570.249.1450 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 FERTILIZER Syngenta Lee A. Kozsey 610.861.8174 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 SEED & SOD Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 East Coast Sod & Seed Kevin Driscoll 609.760.4099 Seeton Turf Jim Gurzler 570.249.1450 Finch Services Andy Jubinski 610.213.8597 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Fisher & Son Bob Seltzer 610.704.4756 Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Harrell’s Turf Specialty Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 GREEN AND TEE SUPPLIES 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 TOPDRESSING / SOIL AMENDMENTS Grass Roots, Inc. Steve Chirip 570.839.3399 Andre & Son, Inc. John Vojick 570.278.1131 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Rich Gdovin 570.278.1131 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 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 Jim MacLaren 570.443.7154 Lawn & Golf Chris Butler 610.933.5801 Seeton Turf Jim Gurzler 570.249.1450 SynaTek Mike Zellner 484.357.9197 Support our Sponsors - They support us! Used Turf Equipment Reel Sharp and Grinding services • Do you need your reels sharpened? • Are you looking for affordable and quality service? • We have been in business for over 5 years! • We offer fast and friendly service! • All reel units are sharpened for only $90 per unit (spin and relief)! • Compare and save! Please check out our web site for a wide selection of used turf equipment! www.rsturf.com Or call Brian at 845-597-7738 To Tree, or not to Tree Presented by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Have you ever wondered why golf course superintendents have what seem to be perfectly healthy trees removed at the course you play? To the golfer, the biggest hazards on the golf course are bunkers, ponds, creeks and gullies. To the golf course su­ perintendent, the biggest hazards on the golf course can be trees. To hear one complain about trees is almost blasphemous. After all, poet Joyce Kilmer wrote that "poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.” It’s not that superintendents dislike trees. To the contrary, one of the primary reasons superintendents choose the profession is because they enjoy working with the environment. In fact, golf course superintendents closely monitor the health of trees because they do enhance the environment and are an integral part of the golf course. Trees filter dust, lower temperatures by creating shade and provide wild­ life habitat. But the first responsibility for any superintendent is to provide a high-quality playing surface based on the available resources. Unfortunately, trees compete with turf for the basic nutrients needed to flourish - oxygen, water and sunlight. This battle is waged most often near putting greens and tees where trees often form an amphitheatre-like setting. As the trees encroach the closely cropped turf on the putting and teeing surfaces, they restrict airflow and sunlight while using up the available nutrients. To compensate, fans will be placed in these areas to aid air circula­ tion, but sometimes that tactic is but a short-term solution. With apologies to Kilmer, even God could not grow grass on the golf course if he did not have a proper tree management program. Perhaps unlike any sport, golfers have a special affection for their playing surface. Golfers talk about golf courses with a reverence that should be reserved for a temple or shrine. Rare is there such admiration expressed for a tennis court, a soccer field or a basketball court. Because of their affinity for the golf course, golfers often cringe at the prospects of having trees trimmed or removed. After all, the tree could be a me­ morial to a friend or family member, it may have been planted by school children or its life may parallel that of the golfer. Whatever the reason, tree maintenance is not as easy as pulling the chainsaw cord. The most important part of a tree maintenance program may be communicating the reasons why such action is necessary. Turf health is one issue and human health is another. Tree maintenance programs are important to reduce the risk of falling limbs that could potentially harm golfers. As a means to reduce their liability, some golf facilities have com­ municated and have enacted well-defined policies regarding tree risk reduction policies. In addition to turf quality and safety, the strategy of play is frequently determined by trees. Golf course architects use trees to define boundaries such as separating fairways, creating doglegs, providing for depth perception and making challenges by blocking a certain angle of entry. Continued on Page 6 Grass Roots, Inc. P.O. Box 336 John Deere grass roots Mount Freedom, NJ 07970 4 Middlebury Blvd. LANDSCAPES Brent Wood Golf Sales Representative Suite 7 Randolph, NJ 07869 7562 Penn Drive # 160 Allentown, PA 18106 Steve Chirip (973)418-3468, Mobile Fax 610.438.1448 (570) 839-3399, PA Office Technical Sales Rep. (973)252-6634, NJ Office Cell 670.499.1441 Nextel 196*49*4837 (973) 252-6630, NJ Fax bwood@lesco.com www.lesco.com LESCO Service ♦ Technical Support « Quality Products Office & Home Phone Top Dressing White Haven 570-443-9596 Bunker Sand Fax 570-443-9590 Infield Mix SOD East Coast & SEED Blue Ridge Peat Farms, Inc. White Haven, PA 18661-9674 Kevin Driscoll Potting Soil Gene Evans, Owner 609 760 4099 cell 856 769 9555 office 609 561 5384 fax 596 Pointers Auburn Road * Pilesgrove NJ 08098 Soil Mixes Professional Engineer Dean Snyder President EGYPT FARMS EGYPT FARMS, INC. Tom Weinert INC. P.O. Box 223 White Marsh, Maryland 21162 Vice President, Sales Phone: 800-899-7645 Ph: 914-262-0111 Local Pager: 410-335-3700 443-255-6470 Email: toml8ski@ptd.net Fax: 410-335-0164 38 Hightstown-Cranbury St. Rd. PLANT Cranbury, NJ 08512 FOOD COMPANY, INC. www.plantfoodco.com LAWN AND GOLF SUPPLY CO., INC. The Liquid Fertilizer Experts Chris Butler Sales Représentée 647 Nutt Rd., PO Box 447 Phoenixville, PA 19460-0447 Cell : 610-657-6923 610-93-5801 Ext. 201 Fax: 610-933-8890 Continued from Page 5 Superintendents must take into account how the course was intended to play before tree modifications or plantings are enacted. Often times the golf course designer is long gone after a course has matured and grown. Trees that did not affect the strategy based on the original lay­ out mature and create shot making that is contrary to the original intent. Despite the emotional attachment to trees, a well-planned and executed tree maintenance program often gains quick acceptance, even among the most ardent foes. Under the direction of the golf course superintendent and assisted by a golf course architect and skillful arborist, tree maintenance can be executed with the results being barely noticeable to even the keenest eye. In the end, all benefit as turf quality improves, safety is enhanced and the course plays in the manner in which it was intended. For more information regarding golf course management practices, contact your local superintendent or the GCSAA at (800) 472-7878 or www.gcsaa.org Key points: • Superintendents closely monitor the health of trees. • Trees filter dust, lower temperatures by creating shade and provide wildlife habitat. • Trees compete with turf for the basic nutrients needed to flourish - oxygen, water and sunlight. • Tree maintenance programs improve turf quality and enhance safety. • Tree maintenance can be executed with the results being barely noticeable to even the keenest eye. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From the Board of the Pocono Turfgrass to all the Members and their Families. Did You Know? GCSAA Members can now access more than 80 years of GCM via the internet! Through an agreement with Michigan State Uni- versity's Turfgrass Information Center (TIC), GCSAA members now have access to the entire archive of Golf Course Management Magazine and its predecessor publications dating back to 1933. The archive gives GCSAA members nearly Enjoy the Holidays and Be Safe! 80 years of turfgrass industry information avail- able right at their fingertips. Thank you again to all those clubs, companies, speakers, and host superintendents for making the 2007 meeting schedule such a great success. If you couldn’t make any meetings in 2007 try your best to attend a meeting in 2008. The tentative schedule is full of great golf, fun speakers, and camaraderie among your peers. 2008 Tentative Venues Lehigh Country Club Wyoming Valley Country Club Frosty Valley Country Club Sugarloaf Golf Club Three Ponds Golf Course Panorama Golf Course Elmhurst Country Club Welcome - new member Bob Price, Superintendent, Edgewood in the Pines, Drums, PA Do you have updated contact info? Have you moved? Help us update our files by sending your information to Melinda so that you don’t miss any news in the New Year. Melinda can be reached at MMEL500@aol.com www.synateksolutions.com PARTAC GOLF COURSE SynaTek The TurfSolutions People TOP-DRESSING America's Premium Mike Zellner Technical Sales Representative 261 Schoolhouse Road • Suite 4 HEAT TREATED Top-Dressings Souderton, PA 18964-2416 Main Office: 888-408-5433 1-800-247-2326 Cell: 484-357-9197 Fax: 267-203-1613 mzellner@synateksolutions.com 908-637-4191 • Fax 908-637-8421 POCONO ROUNDUP PTGA MEETING SCHEDULE We have lost a great friend and colleague Mark Hughes, Golf Course Superintendent of Mon- Eastern Pennsylvania Turf Conference & Trade Show roe Country Club, Monroe, New York passed away Valley Forge Convention Center, King of Prussia, PA recently while on vacation in Puerto Rico. January 8-10, 2008 GCSAA Education Conference and GIS Show There has been overwhelming support and the fam- Orlando, Fl January 28-February 2, 2008 ily of Mark Hughes thanks everyone for their help and concern. A fund has been set up by Mark Kuhns to assist Lisa and her sons get through the Northeast Turf Conference, The Woodlands Resort tough times ahead. The fund is the "Mark T. Hughes Wilkes Barre, PA February 7, 2008 Memorial Fund". Your help in getting this information out to the chapters in PA, NJ and New York would SNOW Meeting Elk Mountain February 8, 2008 be greatly appreciated. Any chapters wishing this Contact Darrin Larkin for more info. information are more than welcome to contribute. Thank You. Checks Payable to : Mark T. Hughes Memorial Fund PNC Bank Attn: Mark Cody 3510 U.S. Rte. 22 West P.O. Box 44 Whitehouse, NJ 08888 POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION R.R. 1, BOX 219 HARDING, PA 18643 Phone: 215-345-7200 Fax: 215-345-8132 Web: www.phillyturf.com PHILADELPHIA TURF ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED. COMPANY