jK-rf,.oticvi CONNECTICUT ASSOCIATION OF^T""' 9 iJSL CLIPPINGS September 1985 Volume 19 Number 4 President's Message A Perspective on Pesticide Safety Now with summer drawing to a close, most of us are busily aerifying, overseeding, sodding and mowing and mowing and mowing. I can't remember a summer where we had to mow as much grass and as often as this year. With all the recent rains, even the roughs have continued to grow in leaps and bounds. I'd like to thank Mike Chrzanowski for hosting the August Superintendent's picnic and family outing. Mike and his committee did an outstanding job of organizing the picnic and making the day enjoyable for all who attended. I hope to see many of you at our annual S&R tournament on October 2nd at Pine Valley C.C. Let's all get together and support scholarship and research. The education committee is hard at work contacting speakers for our January seminar. Much time and effort go into organizing this fine seminar." David Stimson, CGCS Inside this issue: Grass Catcher............................ page 5 Meet Mike and Mike................ page 3 GCSAA/NGF Survey............... page 4 Golf Results from "Wamp"....... page 5 Vittum on Pesticides................ page 3 "As a consumer service company that uses pesticides in part of its services, we are frequently asked for assurances of the safety of the chemicals we use. The greatest difficulty in this task is cutting through the misinformation and preconceived notions that pesticides are invariably harmful, dangerous, or hazardous. There is a public chemophobia that is nurtured by a hungry news media that attracts attention by feeding upon human fear of life-threatening or disabling diseases such as cancer or birth defects. The term "linked with" is subtly used to imply a threat of human disease when the data base is almost always limited to observations in research laboratories that are subject to conflicting interpretations. We find ourselves caught up in speculative risk-benefit calculations concerning quantities of chemicals that are often so minute as to stagger the imagination. For example: 1 part per million (ppm) is 1 minute of 32 years. Yet, we ignore risks of enormous magnitude in cigarette smoking, consumption of alcoholic beverages, automobiles, and spend enormous sums to bathe in the sunlight that causes about 1 to 2 percent of all cancer-related deaths. Instead of speculating on unknown risks of pesticides (this does not imply their correct use) one should examine the record of pesticide safety over the past 40 years of pesticide use. By whatever criteria one uses, i.e. reports of the National Clearing House of Poison Control Centers, EPA Pesticide Incident Monitoring System, Workers Compensation claims, etc. It becomes clear that when correctly used, pesticides have an excellent safety record. This, to a large extent, is a result of a regulatory process begun in 1947 and modified repeatedly to restrict the uses of the more toxic pesticides and to limit the pesticides in general use around homes and public or recreational places to those pesticides and formulations of lessor toxicity. How much testing is sufficient or adequate? It is axiomatic that in research there is always the unanswered question. The current guidelines for registering pesticides in the United States, dealing with hazard evaluation in humans and domestic animals were published in the Federal Register on 8/22/78 and include 46 pages to just describe acute testing, subchronic testing, chronic testing, mutagenicity testing, general metabolism, and domestic animal safety. The July 10, 1978 Federal Register similarly dealt with environmental chemistry and hazard evaluation for wildlife and aquatic organisms. Pesticides are now reregistered every five years and as new issues of science arise they are applied to the reregistration process. continued on page 2 ConnecticutAssociation of Golf Course Superintendents President David Stimson, CGCS Vice-President Greg Wojick, CGCS Sec/Treasurer Ron Holcomb Imm Past Pres Michael Wallace, CGCS Director Director Director Director Director Director Richard Mareks Peter Pierson Steve DiVito Tom Watroba Douglas Cooper Eric Johnson Associate Director Carl Wallace The object of this association is to en­ courage increased knowledge of golf course management and greater professionalism through education, research, exchange of practical experience and the well being of each individual member. The Connecticut Clippings is an official publication of The Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents, Inc. Greg Wojick, CGCS, Editor 1347 Newfield Avenue Stamford, CT 06905 2 Perspective (continued from page 1) Critics of pesticide safety question the credibility of this data base citing the fact that an independent contracting laboratory had provided shoddy and/or fraudulent data. This is history. The problem was identified by the regulatory process and has been corrected. Data that was questionable has been replaced by new experiments with a stringent good laboratory practices system in place. Pesticides are clasified into four categories of toxicity by the Environmental Protection Agency. Those in Category 1 have the greatest toxicity and are not permitted to be used around residential areas. Pesticides registered for general use can be purchased by homeowners at garden stores, discount stores, hardware stores, and even at the supermarket. Most pesticides registered for general use, the category for lawn care products, have toxicities comparable to aspirin, Tylenol, or the commonly used antibiotics. However, pesticide exposure is much, much lower than theraputic doses of these commonly used drugs. Pesticide applications on lawns, for example, may occur only from two to four times a year. The dose or quantity applied to the lawn ranges from about 10 mg per square foot of grass (1/8 teaspoon is about 500 mg) to about 90 mg per square foot of grass. The amount that remains on this grass immediately after an application is from 300 to 700 ppm. This residual amount does not translocate or is not readily transferable to skin. The residue declines by uptake into the plant, degradation by sunlight, and rainfall washing residues into the soil. To eliminate risk of safety, one must consider the biological availability of this small amount. That is, how well is the substance absorbed through the skin, how readily is the pesticide transferred by contact, and how readily is it absorbed through the skin. We know for example, that workers who apply 2,4-D to lawns have the highest probability of exposure. By collecting urine samples, we can estimate the quantity absorbed by skin contact and find that the amount ranges from .003 to .006 mg/kg. In long term toxicity studies in laboratory animals the dose of 2,4-D that has no toxic effect is 30 mg/kg or about ten thousand times the amount absorbed by employees spraying 2,4-D on a daily basis. One news service story suggested by innuendo that, because we have an employee health program obtaining such data, the pesticides must be hazardous, an unfortunate misunderstanding of health and safety programs. continued on page 5 Future Happenings CAGCS S&R Tournament. Pine Valley G.C., Southington, CT. Host - Leo Della Bianca. Greatest Show on Turf. Wickham Park, Manchester, CT. Sponsored by Turf Products Corporation. CAGCS monthly meeting. Yale Golf Club. New Haven, CT. Harry Meusel - Host Superintendent. GCSAA Regional Seminar. Diseases and Insects of Ornamental Plant Materials. Elmsford, NY. PPUC Annual Meeting. Jones Auditorium, New Haven, Connecticut. 7:30 p.m. October 2 October 8 October 15 Oct. 16-17 November 6 November 6-8 New York State Turfgrass Association Educational Conference Center In On Turf, Syracuse, New York. November 12 CAGCS Annual Meeting. Oaklane C.C., Host Superrintendent - Les Kennedy. November 21 and 22 GCSAA Regional Seminar - "Irrigation Equipment and Technology" Providence Marriott Inn, Providence, Rhode Island. Update on New England Nematode Survey Meet Your Class "C" Members 3 We are well into the first year of the New 1 England nematode survey and we are beginning to learn about the nematodes which are common on New England golf courses. We are sampling twelve golf courses (two in Maine, two in New Hampshire, two in Vermont, one in Connecticut and five in Massachusetts) every other week. These regular samples began the first week in May, and include three greens at each golf course. We have found a great deal of variation within each golf course. Some greens have very low numbers of nematodes while other greens on the same course may have five different genera. These various genera differ in their ability to weaken turf, so the survey is counting each genus separately. It appears that Tylenchorenchus is the genus about which we need to be most concerned. It occasionally occurs in high numbers, and apparently it is one of the genera most capable of damaging turf. Another genus which has shown up in * large numbers in some samples and is almost equally damaging is Hoploaimus. Several other genera show up in at least some of the samples but in most cases the numbers are low and/or the genus is not particularly damaging in turf. The sampling procedure we are using ( a 3/8 inch hollow aerifier tine attached to a coffee can) seems to be providing us with very representative samples because we are able to take 60 to 75 cores from a green each time it is sampled. This means that we are randomly collecting soil form healthy areas as well as any "hot spots", and can get a more accurate idea of what is going on. In contrast some 4 and 1/4 inch cup cutter samples taken from "hot spots" have yielded incredibly high nematode counts, but when we went back and sampled the same green with the aerifier tine, numbers were much lower. (We have had a few logistical problems with the tines plugging up, but are refining the design and should have some stronger samplers soon. \ We are just beginning to get a feel for nematode counts and their significance to turf vigor. The counts throughout New England are on the increase right now (early August), and we believe this relects the normal life cycle, where a second generation has been produced and perhaps will produce yet a third generation later this summer. The threshold numbers (the number of nematodes collected in a sample which indicates a need for treatment) have not been worked out for New England. The southeastern United States has a major problem with nematodes and has worked out threshold numbers for its conditions, but these numbers are not suitable for the Northeast because our climate is so very different. For one thing, nematodes in the Northeast will go through a five or six month period in the winter when they do not continue to develop or reproduce. We are concerned that some golf courses in New England are sampling for nematode activity and are diciding to treat all the greens as a result of seeing relatively high nematode counts on some of the greens. Nematacides which are currently available are very expensive and very toxic, both to the environment and to the applicator. Nematicides will completelychange the micro-environment within a green, killing virtually all the insects (both harmful and beneficial) and earthworms as well as much of the nematode population. These materials must be handled with a great deal of care, because birds, squirrels and other wildlife will come in contact with the material. In particular, be sure sure you water in the material very thoroughly and immed­ iately. Please use discretion concerning nematodes and nematicides. It appears that turf can handle one or two stresses, but it can't handle a third stress. In some places nematodes may be providing that third form of stress, and in those areas the turf will respond visibly and strikingly to a nematode application. In other areas attention to details which remove one or two of the stresses may allow the turf to tolerate a surprising number of nematodes. Stan Swier, Pat Vittum and Rob Wick In this issue of Connecticut Clippings, we are featuring two class "C" members: Michael Donahue and Michael Oleykowski. Both men work for Lesco, Inc. They operate two of the thirty-two Lesco trucks that serve as mobile golf course supply stores. These vehicles carry anything from chemicals and seed to bedknives and boots. Mike Donahue covers the northern parts of Connecticut, including New Haven, Waterbury and the Hartford area. He has previous sales and management experience with Brickman Industries in Philadelphia, PA which is a large landscape maintenance contracting corporation. Mike was the superin­ tendent of a 300 acre facility and was in charge of a ten man maintenance crew. This background puts Mike right at home when he calls on golf course superintendents to determine their needs. Mike is a graduate of West Virginia University and he and his wife Gail enjoy raising and breeding champion Golden Retrievers. Mike Oleykowski covers mid and southern Connecticut, parts of Westchester county and northern Nerw Jersey. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in horticulture with his concentration in plant breeding. Mike has prior sales experience working in garden centers and the lawn care industry. He has a working knowledge of the tools necessary to the turfgrass industry, having been a pesticide applicator for a small chemical distributor in Pennsylvania. Mike enjoys spending his free time gardening and camping with his wife Christina and young daughter Lauren. The CAGCS is lucky to have both Mikes as our local Lesco representatives. Tracey Holliday Baston Moves to Texas Eugene Baston, president of the GCSAA, has moved to Ridgewood Country Club near Waco, Texas. He had been superintendent att Percy Marcum Golf Course in Alabama. Finally - Superintendents Have Real Numbers to Work With 4 The newly-released Golf Course Maintenance Report, co-produced by the National Golf Foundation and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, could be considered a godsend by any number of representatives of the golf industry. But perhaps those that will benefit most from the three part study of maintenance costs and practices are the nation's over 10,000 golf course superintendents. The report is based on the results of a survey of 2,309 golf facilities of all types and sizes throughout the U.S. in the autumn of 1984. "Perhaps the most significant finding is the fact that golf course maintenance costs vary dramatically both between and within facility types and regions," remarked Dr. Joseph Beditz, NGF's director of research. "For example, we found that 50 percent of all private 18-hole regulation length courses spend at least $207,006 per year on maintenance operating costs. But our data also shows that nationwide, 25 percent spend at least $291,573." The report's findings will be a valuable tool to anyone trying to justify a maintenance budget, like a golf course superintendent "For the first time, superin­ tendents will have some solid facts and data to assist in preparing a budget," said Jim Prusa, associate executive director of the GCSAA. "There's a wealth of information for and about the golf course superintendent." Rather than just list national averages, as other reports have in the past, the GCMR highlights medians and ranges for the major financial data. For example, al­ though the median amount spent on maintenance was over $200,000, perhaps more interesting is the fact that 75 percent of the responding courses spent at least $137,171. "The most dangerous thing in the world is an average," Prusa remarked. "One of the great things about our survey is that a superintendent can see where his facility fits in on the national and regional scale." In addition to maintenance costs, the financial section also details equipment ex­ penditures. "That's one of the main things I was pleased with," Prusa explained. "The report confirms how much golf courses spend on hardware, broken down by region and type of facility. Anyone putting together a five-year budget of equipment replacement figures to work from. It will be a lot easier to justify budgets to committees or course owners." Yet another impressive aspect of the survey is the diversification of the respond­ ents. "We had courses from one end of the scale to the other," Beditz said. "From courses that spend $800,000 a year on maintenance to those that spend less than $50,000." "There was a lot of information floating around the industry about skyrocketing costs of golf course maintenance," Prusa said. "But the surveys in the past were done at prestigious private clubs, and of course the numbers were going to be way out of line. "This survey confirms that the high-profile clubs are the exception, not the rule." The other parts of the report deal with the description of golf courses (such as the number of acres, average ages, types of grasses, etc.) and maintenance personnel data. The NGF and the GCSAA plan to repeat the study every two years to monitor trends and maintain current data on a very important part of the golf industry. "Our next step is preparing the next survey," Prusa explained. "We've learned a lot from this first one, and we will make some changes." "The turnaround time should be faster. With the NGF having their own computer equipment and software, and with the help of Dr. Beditz, we should get it done a lot faster. "We'll ask the same basic questions, but we'll get into personnel policies, and there will be a more detailed analyysis section." For more information on how to receive copy of the Golf Course Maintenance Report, contact NGF headquarters. Credit: NGF newsletter - The Wedee Mike Chrysnowski at the CAGCS picnic at the Madison Country Club. Mike along with his committee provided for a very enjoyable day for the 65 who attended. CENTERIN ON TURF in Syracuse, New York November 6-8, 1985 NY State Turfgrass Association • EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE • 200 TRADE SHOW BOOTHS • “BACK TO BASICS” SESSION • MAINTENANCE WORKSHOPS For further information please contact NY State Turfgrass Association 210 Cartwright Boulevard Massapequa Park, New York 11762 (516) 541-6902 Grass Catcher Perspective (coontinued from page 1) 5 ' Welcome to John Mattson of Salsco Welding and Fabrication who became a new member of CAGCS at our August 27 board meeting. *P T T ? At our October CAGCS at the Yale Golf Course, those who tee it up will be playing for the President's trophy. It will also be the final round of the CAGCS Superintendent's championship and also the annual Superintendent/Assistant championship. GCS Harry Muesel will be our host for the day A The on-again, off-again CAGCS picnic and family day was a success this year with nearly 65 members, guests and family members attending. The food was good and plentiful (nobody went home hungry) and the activities were numerous. Many thanks to Mike Chryznowski and his committee and the Madison Country Club for hosting this fine event. The nine hole scotch tourney was won by John and Suzy Motycka with a score of 42. David Roule - 83, Peter Pierson - 88, Jim Stazowski - 88, Barry Petrasko - 95, Don Grant - 96, Greg Wojick - 96; Those were the scores for the Connecticut team at the Metropolitan area Superintendent Association Team Championship. The Stanwich Club was host to this annual event and the one word that comes to mind to describe the course - Awesome! Nearly 7,200yards long, meticul­ ously maintained with every blade of grass in place and severely undulating greens that rolled about 11 feet on the stimpmeter left the days' golfers mumbling in their beers. Low gross for the day - 81. The host association, MGCSA, won the event with the Connecticut team ending up a distant fourth. The championship site remains in Connecticut next year as Oaklane Country Club (Les Kennedy - Supt.) will host the event. Congratulations to Robert Phipps (Shorehaven Country Club ) who won the 1985 McLaughlin Trophy at the Wampanoag meeting last month. The McLaughlin Trophy is awarded to the low net golfer at our Sept, meeting. Bob shot 78-14-64. If you wish to make your own judgement, I implore you to seek reliable sources of information, neither of which are newspapers or broadcast journalism. Place pesticide use in residential lawn care into perspective with other residential lawm care into perspective with other residential risks such as gasoline, laundry detergent, furniture polish, paint thinner, power mowers, home appliances, step ladders, bicycles, house plants, and see if your perceptions of risk are appropriate. Dr. Roeer Yeary. Medical Director of Chemlawn Services. Inc. ??????????????????????????????????????????? Sonoma County (Calif.) Sheriff Gary Zanoli reported recently that a golfer assaulted his partner with a five and seven iron after he arrived late for a golf date. Christopher Chappel, 30, told ambulance attendants that his friend grabbed the clubs and starting hitting him after he rushed to join them on the fourth hole. He was treated for a broken arm and bruised kidney. Chappel refused to identify his atttacker because the assailant reportedly is his "best friend". Enjoying the fun at the CAGCS Family Outing! Golf Results $$$$ Wampaiiflag Country Club Class A (Gross) Les Kennedy - 75 David Roule - 78 Class A (Net) Scott Eicher 80-11-69 Bob Viera 81-9-72 Class B (Gross) Bob Phipps - 78 Wojick - 82 Class B (Net) John Callahan 90-21-69 Peter Lewis 89-16-73 Al Semprebon 89-14-75 Brian Pope 86-14-72 Class C (Gross) Doug Cooper - 97 Class C (Net) Terry Mulligan 102-29-73 Scott Lowe 100-26-74 Fred Bachand 101-26-75 ALLEN LAWNMOWER, INC. Ransomes Turf Products 197 Main Street Agawam, MA 01001 Al McLean, CAGCS member (413) 786-8111 ALPTNE TREE CARE, INC. 745 Post Road Darien, CT 06820 Rolf Brandt, CAGCS member (203) 655-8008 INC. ANDERSON TURF IRRIGATION, Turf Irrigation 164 Nod Road Avon, CT 06001 Jesse Anderson, CAGCS member (203) 677-0225- ANDREW WILSON, INC. 48 Commerce Street P.O. Box 35 Springfield, NJ 07081 Drew Morrison (201)467-1400 Office (201) 273-8555 Home AQUA-LAWN, INC. Irrigation Contractors 328 Figlar Ave. Fairfield, CT 06430 Louis Toth, CAGCS member (203) 255-3075 (203) 255-2774 BRUEDAN CORP. OF CT Authorized Distributor for Club Car & Yamaha Golf Cars 1701 Milldale Road Cheshire, CT 06410 Scott Lowe, CAGCS member (203) 271-0036 1-800-535-1500 JOHN P. CALLAHAN Golf Course & Turf Supplies 24 Hour Service 7 Days/Wk 90 Coppermine Road Farmington, CT 06032 (203) 677-7054 JAMES CARRIERE & SONS, INC. Trap Sand & Partac Topdressing 7 Cottage St. Port Chester, NY 10573 Bill Carriere, CAGCS member (914) 937-5479 (914) 937-2136 CHAS. C. HART COMPANY 304 Main St. Wethersfield, CT 06109 Robert Kennedy, CAGCS member Roy Sibley, CAGCS member (203) 529-2537 CLORO-SPRAY Div. of Henry E. Sanson & Sons, Inc. 775 Louis Drive, P.O. Box 2809 Warminster, PA 18974-0357 E.J. Sanson, CAGCS member Frank Paladino (212) 338-2153 COUNTRY CLUB CARS OF NEW ENGLAND Warehouse Point, CT 06088 E-Z-Go Golf Car Sales & Service Richard Mather (203) 623-3871 EAST HAVEN LANDSCAPE PRODUCTS One Stop Wholesale Center 10 Mill Street East Haven, CT 06512 Bud Eskola, CAGCS member (203) 467-6260 EGYPT FARMS, INC. Sterilized Greens Topdressing White Marsh, MD 21162 (301) 355-3700 John Wistrand, CAGCS member (914) 769-7600 GLENMORE LANDSCAPE SERVICE Hackgreen Road RR#3, P.O. Box 199 Pound Ridge, New York 10576 Glenn S. Moore, CAGCS member (914) 764-4348 I & E SUPPLY, INC. 66 Erna Ave., P.O. Box 9 Milford, CT 06460 Richard Smith, CAGCS member Stephen Smith, CAGCS member (203) 878-0658 IMPERIAL NURSERIES 90 Salmon Brook St. Granby, CT 06035 John Perrotti, Jr., CAGCS member (203) 653-4541 LESCO INC. 2005 Lake Rd. Rocky River, OH 44116 (800) 321-5325 Frank Downey, CAGCS member Mike Oleykowski Les Guedel, CAGCS member LARCHMONT ENGINEERING & IRRIGATION, Larchmount Lane Lexington, MA 02173 Stephen P. Butler, CAGCS member (617) 862-2550 THE MAGOVERN CO. Windsor Locks, CT 06096 Carl Wallace, CAGCS member (203) 623-2508 Windsor Locks (203) 348-8211 Stamford INC. METRO MILORGANITE P.O. Box 267 Hawthorne, NY 10532 John Wistrand, CAGCS member (914) 769-7600 O.M. SCOTT & SONS Pro turf Division Marysville, OH 43041 Al Arison, CAGCS member (203) 336-9890 TOP-DRESSING PARTAC GOLF COURSE Kelsey Park Great Meadows, NJ 07838 (201) 637-4631 Bill Carriere, CAGCS member (914) 937-5479 Steve Kotowicz, CAGCS member (203) 792-3032 PRO-LAWN PRODUCTS, INC. Quality Turf Products Stephen M. Kotowicz, CAGCS member 30 Nashville Rd. Bethel, CT 06801 (203) 792-3032 PURPLE KINGS FARM Custom Greens Dressing Northwest Hill Rd. Williamstown, MA 01267 Ralph Mason, CAGCS member (413) 458-4646 THE REICHERT COMPANY Oilzum, Texas Refinery Motor Oil & Lubricants Fram & Wix Filters Automotive Supplies, & Batteries P.O. Box 273, Riverside, CT. 06878 Frank X. Reichert (203) 637-2958 SALSCO Welding & Fabrication, Inc. 196 Clark Street P.O. Box 544 Milldale, CT 06467 (203) 621-6764 SOMERS TURF SUPPLIES P.O. Box 294 Devon, CT 06460 Bill Somers, CAGCS member< ■ ■ L (203) 878-2108 THE TERRE COMPANY 206 Delawanna Avenue Clifton, NJ 07014 Byron Johnson, CAGCS member (201) 473-3393 SHEMIN NURSERIES, INC. 1081 King St. P.O. Box 64, Glenville Station Greenwich, CT 06830 Phil Gallo (203) 531-7352 TURF PRODUCTS CORPORATIO 1496 John Fitch Blvd. South Windsor, CT 06074 Mark Loper, CAGCS member John Ferry, CAGCS member (203) 528-9508 Roger Morhardt, CAGCS member (203) 748-4445 SUPPLY, INC. VALLEY FARMS NURSERY & Sod & Turf Care Products 133 Hopmeadow St. (Route 10) Simsbury, CT 06070 Joe Bidwell, CAGCS member (203) 651-8555 WESTCHESTER TURF SUPPLY, INC. P.O. Box 198 Lincolndale, NY 10540 Bob Lippman, CAGCS member (914) 277-3755 Office (914) 248-5790 Home WINDING BROOK TURF FARM, INC. 240 Griswold Rd. Wethersfield, CT 06109 DougMorgan, CAGCS member (203) 529-6869 AL ZIKORUS Golf Course Architect MemberASGCA P.O. Box .187, Canaan, ME 04924 (207) 474-8868 VaI-Agra,Inc. P.O. Box 8811 672 Tolland St. East Hartford, CT 06108 203-528-9249 Henry Lesinski, CAGCS member