UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION EASTERN REGION NORTHEASTERN DISTRICT MID-ATLANTIC DISTRICT R U T G E RS U N I V E R S I TY N EW B R U N S W I C K. N EW J E R S EY 7 11 W E ST A V E N UE J E N K I N T O W N. P E N N S Y L V A N IA EASTERN TURFLETTER A L E X A N D ER M. E A S T E RN D I R E C T OR R A D KO C H A R L ES M I D - A T L A N T IC K. H A L L O W E LL D I R E C T OR T. T. T A Y L OR N O R T H E A S T E RN A G R O N O M I ST No. 2 SPRING GROOMING AND SEEPAGE WATER April I960 In Spring the Superintendentfs thoughts turn to the grooming of his golf course. In Spring the golf course is a bee-hive of activity...there are numerous things to be done...in the short time before the summer season races through. How quickly the course can be groomed for summer-rule play depends on how soon the heavier equipment could move unmolested over the entire course. Drainage plays an important part in this picture... seepage (underground) water sometimes breaks through in the most unusual places and hampers good maintenance and management prac- tices. Melting March snows this year caused for seepage problems even though the remainder of the Spring season was rather dry at this writing. Seepage water problems are usually corrected by intercepting it before it gets to an area where it becomes a problem to golf or to maintenance. The usual case is one where the green was cut into an enbankment as a result of which the seepage water finds its way underground to the area of the green. Tile lines are needed for such a project; however, at a Mid-Atlantic Conference, Jay Frederick Hazen, Soil Conservationist, USDA, pointed up an important principle in tiling seepage areas...and this is the use of a relief well to prevent blow-outs at the point where tile laid downslope on a rather steep grade meets a very gradual grade..this is a trouble spot. (See drawing.) Til< This principle is also used for lesser grades where two or more tile lines converge into one lead-off line. Relief Well 1 0.25 to 1% grade From Headlines of Newspaper Dated Sunday, May 3* 1925: "Doom of Man Called Possible As Age of Bugs Nears. New Kinds Appear From Nowhere, Multiply Over Night, Prof. R. N. Chapman, Professor of Animal Biology, University of Minnesota declared in Lunch Club Address Last year many thought this prophesy at last come true... the 1959 season was one of severe insect injury to fine turf areas. It was a year when the Superintendent found himself tee- tering on the threshhold of f,test-ruction", i.e., testing his capacities to the utmost while fighting to avoid total destruction. Sodwebworms particularly were extremely injurious...and our Southern Agronomists tell us if we experience a severe infestation one year it usually means they111 be back the next...so be prepared to combat these surface feeders again...itfll be good insurance. At the Mid-Atlantic Conference Superintendents Bob Shields of Woodmont C.C., Lockville, Maryland and George Gumm, Ocean City Golf and Yacht Club, Berlin, Maryland spoke of their mist spray operation for mosquito and black fly control work. Mosquitoes were extremely abundant along the Eastern Seaooard...outbreaks of salt marsh mos- quitoes were reported heaviest in ten years. Black flies (Simulium jenningsi) which occur in great swarms and become bothersome to humans in that they get into their eyes, ears, and nose. They do not bite but are most annoying• Control measures used by Bob and George included mist sprays of Malathion and BHC. Recommended dosages are 2 gallons of 57$ Malathion emul- sion, or 6 gallons of 11% BHC emulsion in 100 gallons of water... all areas of the golf course should be thoroughly sprayed whenever these insects are troublesome. Both insecticides have been found effective against these insects by University of Maryland entomo- logists. Fungicides for Fairways? Marvin Ferguson and Jim Holmes in their Mid-Continent Turf- letter reported that Bob Williams, Superintendent at the Bob O'Link Golf Club attributed his good success with fairways in 1959 through "proper timing in the use of fertilizers, water, cutting, dew re- moval, and use of fungicides and iron sulphate." They reported that Bob applied phenyl mercuric acetate at rates varying from 4/5 the quart to 1 quart, and iron sulphate at rates from 1-1/3 lbs. to 3 lbs. These are per acre rates and were applied as a mixture or combination spray. The timing of these applications was dictated by weather and turf conditions and five applications were made starting at the lower and ending up with the higher rates...five treatments in all were made by Bob from approximately mid-July to the end of August 1959. These treatments have been observed to give good results at some of our Eastern courses in past years...although most here have not used the PMA-iron combination..•they have used either individually for the most part...Bobfs combination gives us some- thing to consider if we should encounter another difficult sea- son like 159• BOOST NATIONAL GOLF DAY r~ JUNE 11th National Golf Day has special significance to all interested in fine turf production. Prom proceeds of National Golf Day in 1959 an amount of $10,000 was appropriated for turfgrass research.*. and this certainly is a boost to everyone in golf—the players as well as those interested in the upkeep of the course...we, therefore, urge support of this worthy project to boost fine turf research. Enter this tournament and nuftch^your score with that of 1959 U. S. Open Champion Billy Casper and 1959 P.G.A. Champion Bob Rosburg. National Golf Day participants will match scores made over their own course on June 11th with the "round of the cham- pion" played by Casper and Rosburg at the Firestone C#C# in Akron, Ohio. Tifway bermudagrass — is the latest improved strain developed by Dr» Glen W. Burton at the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station at Tifton. This strain is not a putting green selection, but rather is reported especially suited for fairway and tee cover. It is reported to be a dark rich green color, it has a stiffer blade than other select strains of bermudagrass which should make it more desirable for fairway play, and should make it more resistant to sodwebworm injury. Tifway is a rapid grower and sets no seed...Superintendents interested in testing Tifway in bermudagrass areas may obtain some from certified growers this year. Write to Dr. Burton for a list of commercial growers of certified stock. - Eastern Turfletter USGA GREEN SECTION MR. WILLIAM BEI-CEYFIELD U. S. GOLF ASSN. GREEN SECT. 13267 VERANO ST. GARDEN GROVE, CALIF. R A TE P O S T A GE U. B U LK S. P A ID 3 66 N EW B R U N S W I C K. N. P E R M IT N O. J.