is Green May 2008 The Official Publication of Ontario Golf Superintendents Association Beautiful Making the move to grey water Inside this issue... Ammonium Suphate in Turfgrass Management Turfgrass Diagnostics at the GTI Why use the PVC Pipe? CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL PUBLICATIONS AGREEMENT No. 40027105 Postmaster: Please return undeliverable copies to The OGSA, 328 Victoria Rd. S., Guelph, ON Heritage in a liquid. You get the feeling turf was just waiting for this. Greens, tees and fairways have been thirsting for new Heritage MAXX fungicide. This long-lasting systemic fungicide is now faster acting thanks to the MAXX formulation. Micro-sized particles and optimized adjuvant system allow for faster foliar intake and better root uptake. Call 1-888-368-4211 x5525 to contact your local Syngenta Turf Specialist and learn more about Heritage MAXX. - www.syngenta.ca - www.greenpartnersonline.com - www.engageagro.com - Important: Always read and follow label instructions. ©2007 Syngenta Group Company. GreenPartners®, Heritage® MAXX® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. President's message Spring has not exactly sprung the way we would have liked but are we truly surprised? There are many ways to describe this past winter, with the early snowfall followed by the mid-season thaw and near record snow totals in many parts of the province. For winter to remain as long ONTARIO GOLF SUPERINTENDENTS' by Jeff Suffer ASSOCIATION as it has, has created an anxious wait for the new Credit Valley Golf & CC Guelph Turfgrass Institute 328 Victoria Road South beginning we prepare for all season. I hope the sight of Guelph, ON N1H6H8 healthy grass has blessed us all. Ph: 519-767-3341 Toll Free: 877-824-6472 For the OGSA, it is also a busy time finalizing conference details, finishing Fax: 519-766-1704 Email: ogsa@gti.uoguelph.ca plans for the upcoming season of events and getting ready for next year’s Website: www.golfsupers.on.ca conference, to name a few. The conference committee is well on it’s way, BOARD OF DIRECTORS planning for next year’s educational sessions, and I’m confident it will continue President: Jeff Stauffer to be Ontario’s premiere golf course management conference and trade show. Past President: Sean DeSilva Vice-President: Randy Booker Our plans for the seasonal Green is Beautiful continue in time for next year and Treasurer: Jeff Alexander the Editorial Advisory Committee is excited to assist Dorothy Hills and her Secretary: Chris Andrejicka team to maintain the high standard we’ve come to expect. Be sure to mark Directors: Jarrod Barakett Doug Breen down the dates for the golf events this year, as participation ensures future Phil Brown success of every event. In particular, the Spring Field Day requires greater Rob Gatto Scott Heron numbers than what has been experienced in recent years to maintain a date in Stu Leachman our schedule. Jennifer Pendrith As you are aware, the provincial government is currently considering a ban Executive Mgr Dorothy Hills on pesticides. The EBR posting closed in February and I hope many people, Office Staff Pat Thomas Deborah Badger in support of golf’s position for an exemption, took the important step to write a response and be the voice that is needed to be heard. At this time of writing, I understand the government is aiming for a mid-summer decision and we will learn how golf will be affected, at that time. The OGSA board remains committed in our role within the Ontario Allied Golf Association (OAGA). The OAGA will continue to utilize the efforts of a lobbyist and will do so in order to remain in contact with officials of the MOE and provincial GREEN IS BEAUTIFUL EDITORIAL COMMITTEE government. We will keep you posted as things develop. Dorothy Hills Best of luck for the beginning of the season and we look forward to seeing Greig Barker you at one of our many upcoming events. Tom Brain Andy Sandilands Paul Grotier Jason Hanna Brett Murray Direct Line 416-659-1020 Rafik Lang-Bismillah Manager Fax Line 519-941-0931 Scott Horsburgh “Green is Beautiful” Justin Parsons P0. Box 218 is Printed on Orangeville, ON Recycled Paper Green is Beautiful 2008 L9W 2Z6 Although every effort is made to check material for publication, the association is not responsible for material published on behalf of its contributors. All rights are reserved by the publisher and any reproduction in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Although some trade names may be mentioned in articles contained in this publication, no endorsement is intended or brett.murray@sympatico.ca implied by the Ontario Golf Superintendents' Association. Contents Green is MAKING THE MOVE TO GREY WATER.......................................... Above the hole...................................................................................... Ammonium Sulphate in Turfgrass Management........................ 18 22 24 Beautiful The Official Publication of Ontario Golf Superintendents’ Association Editorial message................................................................................. 5 From Here to There and Back Again............................................... 26 From roots to shoots............................................................................ 12 Golf course highlight - Burlington Golf & CC............................... 17 Health & safety...................................................................................... 14 Looking back ......................................................................................... 33 Member Profile - Corrie Almack ...................................................... 16 Off the fairway...................................................................................... 30 President's message............................................................................. 3 Turfgrass Diagnostics at the GTI ...................................................... 28 Turf or consequences........................................................................... 34 What's new............................................................................................. 6 Why use PVC Pipe? .............................................................................. 20 Advertisers COVER PICTURE Burlington Golf & Country Club Agrium Advanced Technology - NuGro Golf .............................. 35 Agrium Advanced Technology - Pro Turf ..................................... 25 Agrium Advanced Technology - Sales .......................................... 22 Almack Agronomic Services Inc....................................................... 10 Aquatrols................................................................................................ 33 Bartlett Tree Experts - Canada ........................................................ 8 Bayer Envrionmental Science - Aliette® Signature ................... 15 Bayer Envrionmental Science - DeltaGard® SC ........................... 21 Bayer Envrionmental Science - Merit® .......................................... 32 Braemar Building Systems................................................................ 29 Burnside Golf Services ....................................................................... 8 Crozier & Associates............................................................................ 31 DCS Agronomic Services................................................................... 11 Douglas Wood Large Tree Services ................................................ 11 Fast Forest.............................................................................................. 10 OGSA is committed to Fish Farm Supply Co............................................................................. 13 serving its members, GC Duke Equipment Ltd...................................................................... 22 advancing their profession, Green Horizons Group of Farms..................................................... 31 and H 8t M Turf Ltd........................................................................................ 3 Hutcheson Sand & Mixes .................................................................. 9 enriching the quality Manderley Turf Products Inc.............................................................. 14 of golf Maple Turf Supply........................................................................... 11, 14 and its environment. Master's Turf Supply Ltd..................................................................... 11 Ontario Seed Company ...................................................................... 8 Plant Products - BASF ......................................................................... 23 Layout, Design & Printing provided by Syngenta - Heritage Maxx ................................................................ 2 G-R-A-P’H-I-C SERVICES PRINTERS & LITHOGRAPHERS Turf Care Products Canada - Irrigation Div................................... 5 Tel: 519.763.5745 • Fax: 519.763.9532 Turf Care Products Canada................................................................ 36 32-34 Essex Street • Guelph, Ontario • N1H 3K8 United Agri Products Inc..................................................................... 27 e-mail: info@graphicservices.ca • Vanden Bussche Irrigation................................................................ 7 www.graphicservices.ca Zander Sod Co. Limited...................................................................... 8 Editorial message by Dorothy Hills inally, the long, arduous winter is behind us and we F your samples to the GTI, for diagnostic assessment. can turn our thoughts to spring, on the course, with all its We take this opportunity to congratulate Tyler Webb, promises and challenges. With that in mind, this issue who is this year’s “Above the hole” writing competition brings you several articles worthy of your attention. Tim winner. Tyler has just completed his first year in the Turf Fredericks, of Fredericks McGuire Ltd., details the Manager’s Course, at the University of Guelph, and will reasons for choosing polyvinyl chloride pipe for your be working this summer at Windermere Golf & Country irrigation needs. Tom Brain, from Burlington Golf & Club. Be sure to read his entry submission on page 22. Country Club, provides us with some valuable input on We look forward to reading articles from Tyler, in the the recycling of grey water. Daisy Moore, takes the guess next 5 issues. work out of planting for a colourful presentation and With this May issue of Green is Beautiful, members will provides us with a list of her favourite showy flowers. This find their copy of the new OGSA 2008/2009 Roster. issue’s member profile is on long time member, Corrie Although the Roster is a handy resource to travel with or Almack, who also provides us with some in depth have at arm’s reach in your office, keep in mind that our information on why one would consider the use of member information changes on a daily basis and that ammonium sulphate in their nutrient program. With the current, submitted information can be found on our web onset of spring you may have turf samples that require a site www.golfsupers.on.ca in the Members Only section. professional diagnosis. Save yourself time and expense by Keep in touch and let us know should your contact following Katerina Jordan’s guidelines for submitting information change. The Toro GDC System TURF CARE •Design without complicated calculations. One cable can have up to 800 stations and be up to 2.7miles long. •Lower installation costs. The Toro GDC System minimizes wire usage and reduces overall system costs. •Reduce maintenance and downtime. Reduce troubleshooting time; activate 50 stations simultaneously. •Count on the Toro NSN Support Network. The first dedicated support network in the irrigation industry. For more information, contact your local Turf Care sales representative. The Toro GDC System Imagination has never been so affordable. Introducing the Toro GDC System, the easiest and most powerful decoder system available for golf course irrigation. The Toro GDC System uses proven technology from the aerospace and aviation industries to provide a reliable and affordable irrigation solution for the complex designs of today's golf courses. Turf Care Products Canada www.turfcare.ca 200 PONY DRIVE, NEWMARKET, ONTARIO L3Y 7B6 • PHONE (905) 836-0988 • FAX (905) 836-6442 London Mississauga Scarborough Gloucester Ph: (519) 668-7664 Ph: (905) 890-6290 Ph: (416) 298-2101 Ph: (613) 822-1881 Fax: (519) 668-3722 Fax: (905) 890-5598 Fax: (416) 298-8758 Fax: (613) 822-2099 What's new Mark Your Calendars 2008 OGSA Tournament Schedule CAN/AM Challenge Michigan GCSA Host Supt. Doug Palm Monday, May 5th Pro/Super Challenge Batteaux Creek GC Host Supt. Paul Mickalko Thursday, May 29th Spring Field Day Muskoka Lakes G&CC Host Supt. Jim Flett Tuesday, June 10th Presidents’ Day Deer Ridge Golf Club Host Supt. Jarrod Barakett Monday, July 21st Assistants Tournament Forest City National GC Host Supt. Tim Baxter Tuesday, Sept. 23rd Alex McClumpha Oxford G&CC (Craigowan) Host Supt. Jerry Richard Monday, October 6th Dates and details of the above events will appear on our Woodward to assume duties after hosting website under both “Events” and “Calendar of Events,” as they are confirmed and further details are available. All U.S. Open at Torrey Pines events will be announced in our e-bulletin Clippings when registration is open. For your convenience, on-line registration will be available again this year. Mark J. Woodward, Golf In addition to the above golf events, OGSA will be hosting Operations Manager for the a “Shoot Out and Bar-B-Q Social” at the CGSA Fall Field Day, city of San Diego has been on Saturday, September 13th, to be held in Collingwood, selected chief executive officer Ontario this year. Mark you calendars now and watch for for the Golf Course exciting details, coming soon with the CGSA Fall Field Day Superintendents Association registration form. of America (GCSAA). His selection by the GCSAA Board of Directors comes after conducting a national search to replace Steve Mona, who became the chief executive of the World Golf Foundation, March 3. A familiar face to GCSAA, Woodward has been actively involved as a committee participant, a member of the board of directors and 68th president of the association in 2004. He is in his 30th year as a GCSAA member and first achieved the status of certified golf course superintendent in 1986. He is the Muskoka Lakes Golf & Country Club is a Stanley first golf course superintendent to serve as GCSAA’s Thompson designed par 70, 18-hole facility, permanent chief executive. For full details go to playing at 5989 yards. It was first open for play in www.gcsaa.org and check under the heading, “News”. 1922. There is also a full driving range and practice chipping and putting area. We invite you to join us on Tuesday, June 10th , for our Annual Spring Field Day, at the Muskoka OGSA Scholarships Lakes Golf & Country Club, resting on the beautiful shores of Lake Rosseau. This is an immaculate course, woven through a canvas of spectacular 2008 OGSA Heritage Award - now open to applications. colour and texture, affording a view of the lake, This scholarship program recognizes the scholastic from time to time. accomplishments of students who are the children or Register now, as you won’t want to miss out on grandchildren of current members of the OGSA (open to this unique opportunity to meet with your friends all members) and are studying a curriculum unrelated to and experience the thrill of playing Muskoka Lakes turfgrass management. Golf & Country Club. This scholarship is now valued at $3025.00. The deadline date is August 31st, 2008. 2008 Hugh Kirkpatrick Bursary - now open to applications. Past President's Luncheon The OGSA, in conjunction with the Kirkpatrick family has developed this bursary program to recognize the leadership, The OGSA Board of Directors have been successfully commitment and accomplishments of assistant leading our association for many years and would not be superintendent members of the OGSA. able to do so without the input and guidance from those This bursary is valued at $3,025.00. The deadline date is who have preceded them. Jeff Stauffer, 2008 OGSA October 31st, 2008. President, welcomed 17 past presidents to an inaugural luncheon, held at the Credit Valley Golf and Country Club, Announcements have been made in Clippings and detailed in February. It was an enjoyable afternoon, affording them information is available on our web site the opportunity to see old friends, reminisce on days gone www.golfsupers.on.ca in the Members Only Section under by, and network with the 2008 Board of Directors on the the menu heading, Scholarships. challenges of the future. Those members who do not have email and do not receive Clippings have been mailed the information. If you require further information please contact Dorothy at the office 519-767-3341 or toll free 1-877-824-6472 or email: ogsa@gti.uoguelph.ca . A Magazine for All Seasons Green is Beautiful is advancing to a seasonal issue, commencing with OGSA’s fiscal year in October 2008. Check below for deadline and release dates for this bigger and better publication. Advertising rates will be adjusted accordingly, so that our advertisers will still get the same, great marketing value they have experienced in the past. A media package will go out to our Associate Members and their advertising agencies, detailing the new rates, specifications, ad sizes and opportunities for placing an ad in a prime location. However, we wanted to provide you with L-R back row: Jim Wyllie, Paul Dermott, Alan Beeney, Barry Endicott, Bob material deadline and publication release dates now, so that Heron, Simon George, Keith Bartlett, John Arends & Ian Bowen you can get a jump on your advertising requirements and L-R front row: Bob Moote, Bob Brewster, John Taylor, Paul Scenna, John plan ahead for the upcoming 4 seasonal issues. Gravett & Neil Acton In the meantime, you will still receive the 2008, July and Mark Piccolo and Thom Charters, were also in attendance but did not make August issues, as you have done in the past. it into the photo. ISSUE MATERIAL DEADLINE RELEASE DATE Fall October 15th November 15th Winter February 1st March 1st Spring May 1st June 1st Summer July 15th August 15th Quality Components, Milton 1.800.263.4112 Custom Solutions... King City 1.866.703.KING www.vandenbussche.com Pump Stations, the heart of your irrigation system! Burnside Serving the Needs of the Golf Industry Welcome! OGSA Welcomes We can help with: our newest members • Approvals for Golf Course Development Mike Artymko Class F and Operations St. Georges Golf & CC Insects Harming Your Trees? • Irrigation Water Supply Possibly. It takes an expert to really tell. • Sewage Treatment and Disposal • Environmental Management Plans To learn which insects are on your trees Rob Astley Class F • Building and Clubhouse Design Services and shrubs (none are completely insect • Irrigation Design and Consulting St. Georges Golf & CC free), have a Bartlett arborist inspect them. There is no charge or obligation. • Environmental Impact Assessment • Drinking Water Assessment If control measures are necessary, Andre Aymar Class S Bartlett will use the safest materials Toll Free: (877) 799-8499 Penn State University - applied properly to protect our E-mail: vcirone@rjburnside.com environment. Website: www.rjburnside.com When it comes to pest management, Stoyan Donev Class Supt or general tree and shrub care, rely on the experts - Bartlett Tree Experts! Century Pines Golf Club Call for your free inspection today!! Toronto • (416) 657-2059 James Glover Class D Bracebridge • (705) 646-8733 Kettle Creek Golf & CC Gravenhurst • (705) 687-0696 Huntsville • (705) 789-0929 David Guay Class D www.bartlett.com BACKED BY THE BARTLETT TREE RESEARCH Kapuskasing Golf Club LABORATORIES AND EXPERIMENTAL Offices located throughout Ontario GROUNDS, CHARLOTTE, NC Members of OGSA, CGSA and Golfmax Suppliers to the NGCOA Daryl Jantzen Class C Lake Joseph Club (877) 727-2100 Peter Manna Class D (416) 364-5700 Hawk Ridge Golf & CC www.zandersod.com Bert McFadden Class A Georgian Bay Club Ian McIsaac Class A Deerfield Golf & Recreation Top Quality Turf Products for over 50 Years No. 1 Kentucky Bluegrass * Bentgrass * Extreme Fescue Chris Nelski Class Supt Custom Grown Sod Available Thunderbird Golf Club Philip Song Class S University of Guelph Premium Products for all Tyler Webb Class S Your Turf Needs University of Guelph PO Box 7 Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z6 C. Schwan Class E Tele 519-886-0557 Educational Services Fax 519-886-0605 Cindy Schwan 1-800-465-5849 www.oscturf.com Waterloo Geoscience Class E Consultants Ltd. Bill Clarke ONTARIO TURFGRASS RESEARCH FOUNDATION As the snow swirled around the Guelph Turfgrass For those anxious for spring and hitting the greens, the Institute (GTI), the Ontario Turfgrass Research OTRF fundraising golf tournament plans are well Foundation was active in changing their look with a new underway. Invitations and details to this previously sold logo and website www.otrf.ca . Check out the website for out event, will be out shortly. This year’s event will be held information on the latest research funded by OTRF, golf at the Westmount Golf and Country Club, in Kitchener, on tournament date, memberships, events and news. August 11th. Contact the OTRF office through the website The GTI and the OTRF have launched Vision 2027, an to put your name on the player’s list. in depth plan that outlines the targets for turfgrass and environmental research at the GTI for the next twenty OTRF Challenge... did you know that all donations are years. Effective design, development and management of tax deductible? Consider an OTRF membership.... your green spaces within urban areas will become increasingly turfgrass will appreciate it! critical to Ontario in the near future. Vision 2027, available on the OTRF website, charts a plan for turfgrass research at the GTI that will take management of our green spaces to the next level. A special thank you is extended to the numerous industry professionals, university scientists and provincial government specialists who gathered to compile this strategic plan. To ensure that the GTI facility continues to be a global leader in the area of urban green space management, the OTRF continues in its quest to solicit donations. In the past few years, donations have grown exponentially, allowing unprecedented amounts to be disbursed for turfgrass research. This year, the OTRF has chosen a cross selection of projects that focus on the areas of fungicides, GTIERC Vision 2027 fertilization methods, identification and management of Participants gather at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute turfgrass diseases and environmental concerns. www.hutchesonsand.com CONNOISSEURS OF SAND. An industry leader since 1985, Hutcheson Sand & Mixes provides a wide variety of products and services for your construction, renovation and maintenance needs. • LABORATORY TESTING • ROOTZONE MIXES • TOPDRESSING MATERIALS • BUNKER SAND • AGGREGATES OUR SAND MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. Tel: 1-800-461-5521/705-789-4457 • Fax:705-789-1049 • Email: info@hutchesonsand.com 14th golf course hockey challenge by John Taylor and Scott Dodson Tournament Committee The 14th Annual Golf Course Hockey Challenge took to tournament has grown from a 4 team - one day the ice this past January 21st and 22nd in Fort Erie, Ontario. tournament in it’s first year, to it’s current 12 team - two Twelve teams represented both Canada and the United day format. Special thanks to Duke Equipment and States, competing for the coveted “Reel Cup.” Podolinsky Turf Equipment, who provided draw prizes for The teams played two games on the first day in a three the Tuesday evening party. team pod and then played two more games the second day When all was said and done, Team Michigan came out matched up by the results of the first day, guaranteeing on top with a convincing final win over Toronto # 2 and each team four full games of hockey action. the “Reel Cup” will reside south of the border for the The hockey was competitive but fun, as was the Monday summer. Other final day action saw Eastern Ontario hold evening “Attitude Adjustment Party”, hosted by Club Car, off Northern Ontario, London took care of Southwestern which always is one of the highlights of the event. Post Ontario, ClubLink outscored Kitchener, Niagara squeezed game refreshments were provided by Vanden Bussche by TurfNet, and Plant Science was victorious over Toronto Irrigation and were greatly appreciated by all the # 1 in a shootout. participants. Turf Care Products sponsored the ice time The tournament committee would like to thank all the for all participants, as they have for all 14 years of the sponsors, players, referees and fans who came together to tournament; no small feat considering that the make this event happen 14™ GOLF COURSE HOCKEY CHALLENGE RESULTS Monday January 21st Tuesday January 22nd Northern Ontario - 3 Toronto 2 -4 TurfNet -3 Niagara - 2 SW Ontario -1 Niagara -2 Plant Science -0 Toronto 1 - 1 (SO) Michigan -5 ClubLink -6 London -8 SW Ontario - 5 London -3 Plant Science -2 ClubLink -0 Kitchener - 4 Northern Ontario - 3 Toronto 2 -4 Michigan -4 Toronto 2 - 3 Toronto 1 -0 Kitchener -2 Eastern Ontario - 3 (SO) Northern Ontario - 1 London -3 Eastern Ontario -7 Plant Science -6 Niagara - 3 TurfNet -1 Plant Science -0 Toronto 1 -5 (SO) TurfNet - 2 SW Ontario -4 Kitchener -8 ClubLink -7 London - 4 Toronto 1 -2 Niagara -4 Kitchener -4 SW Ontario - 1 Michigan -7 Eastern Ontario -4 Eastern Ontario -2 Michigan - 5 TurfNet -3 ClubLink -3 Northern Ontario -1 Toronto 2 -1 LARGE TREE SALES AND RELOCATION Corrie Almack P.Ag. Phil Dickie- ISA Certified Arborist pdickie@gatemanmilloy.com Almack Agronomic Services Inc. Tel: (905) 689-6174 270 Shoemaker Street, Kitchener, ON N2E 3E1 Box 256, Carlisle, On Fax: (905) 689-8522 Phone (519) 748-6610-Fax (519) 748-6626 LOR 1H0 Email: c.almack@sympatico.ca THE BIG SWEEP by Dean Baker, Superintendent North Halton Golf & Country Club Oh what a great day for curling! It was obvious that the with prizes, even the last place team was promised a weather had something to do with the excellent turnout “luncheon date” by the host. for the annual OGSA Curling Day at North Halton Golf 8c Thanks again to everyone who participated. It’s a great Country Club, held on March 18th. Who would imagine, 9 OGSA event and we all know...the price is right. feet of snow still on the ground, coming into the Easter We are crossing our fingers and toes for a good spring Weekend? It was easy to see that the participants were not start. Everyone have a great season! Good Curling. worried about getting back to their respective jobs. We had fun! An over full field of mostly five man teams made interesting playing arrangements for the skips. The top team made up of Skip Slippery Pete Vidler (Sand Hills GC), Mark Durand (Masters Turf Supply), Robert Wright (The Pulpit) and Jason Griffiths (The Pulpit) made easy work of their opponents to take the # 1 prize. Noting of course that Mr. Vidler use to make ice for North Halton...no one complained! The boys from Lora Bay, accompanied by Corrie Almack took second place followed by none other than the curling guru himself, Master Curler, Rhod Trainor and his fine team. A fine lunch was served by the North Halton staff with industry 8c distributors keeping most of the participants refreshed, out on the ice. A special thanks to all who Host Dean Baker, Kerry Whale, Chris Dew and Darryl James... brought prizes for the day. Almost everyone made it home all glad to be curling and not worrying about the snow outside! We Sell and Transplant Large Trees • Dedicated exclusively to Large Tree Transplanting Mark Schneider www.douglaswood.ca • 25 Years of Experience Professional Products Technical Sales • Nursery Grown, Common & Rare Trees Maple Turf Supply Business: (905) 857-2000 8112 King Rd. W. Fax: (905) 857-8215 • Projects from 1 -1000 Trees P.O. Box 370 Mobile: (519) 372-5181 Bolton, Ontario 1-800-268-4425 1 800.353.3019 • T. 519.856.2771 • F. 519.856.1447 L7E 5T3 Email: m___ schneider@sympatico.ca P.O. Box 339 Rockwood ON Canada NOB 2KO David C. Smith, A.Ag., C.G.C.S. 185 Oriole Crescent Soil & Turfgrass Consultant Gravenhorst, Ontario P1P1C6 P.O. Box 277, 890 Fairground Road, Langton, On , NOE 1GO Office (705) 687-SOIL (7645) Phone (519) 875-4094 Fax (519) 875-4095 Fax (705) 687-3518 Toll Free 1 -888-607-TURF (8873) Website: mastersturfsupply.com Cell (905) 512-6004 Email dove@dcsturf.com email: mastersturf@hughes.net From roots to shoots We are off to a start, but not a very The long periods of snow cover gave the voles ample fast start for spring 2008. With the opportunity to have a big party under the snow. There are current weather forecast, this could many runways in turf areas that became visible as soon as change quickly. As always, I am sure the snow melted. Usually a good raking and some that everyone is chomping at the bit to fertilizer and warm weather will get these filling in nicely. get the turf back into shape. Many of our turf creatures great and small are back. Grubs are up at the soil/thatch surface now and Spring Update leatherjackets are in amongst the turf blades. Grubs will by Pam Charbonneau OMAF Turfgrass Specialist What is everyone finding out there? do a very little bit of feeding before they pupate in late If you were lucky enough to get your snow mould May. Leatherjackets are ramping up and will be feeding protection on before the end of November, it is likely that voraciously over the next month. If you do have large you came through the winter clean. If, like many, you did populations of leatherjackets, you can expect to see some not get your snow mould protection on until the early damage in a month to 6 weeks time. January thaw, the results may be less than satisfactory. The pink snow mould probably had time to get started New Pest Management Tools and it was a bit more difficult to stop it. Areas without any As far as tools for managing pests are concerned, there preventative fungicide control, like our pathology greens are a few new ones out there. There are four new here at GTI are decimated from pink snow mould injury. products: two are herbicides, one fungicide and one It is hard to find a live blade of grass. The same is true for insecticide. There are also some label expansions to the longer grass turf research plots. There is a little bit of products that were already registered. The new products gray snow mould out and about too. Some are (Sclerotina minor) Sarritor and (bispyribac-sodium) superintendents are reporting some winter injury. At this Velocity herbicides, (triticonazole) Premis fungicide and point, it could take a few weeks to figure out how much (deltamethrin) Deltagard insecticide. Table 1. 2008 damage there really is. Sometimes the turf comes out of Additions to OMAFRA Publication 384, Turfgrass the winter looking good and then heads south as Management Recommendations. The label expansions are temperatures warm up. There is some evidence on higher summarized in Table 2. 2008 URMULE Additions to ground of some desiccation injury that may have occurred OMAFRA Publication 384, Turfgrass Management when we had open ground and some very heavy drying Recommendations. Please refer to the product labels for winds. Most likely, once the turf starts growing, it will grow rates and timing of pesticides listed below. out of it. Table 1. 2008 Additions to OMAFRA Pub. 384 Turfgrass Management Recommendations Trade Name/ Submitter Crop Pest Chemical Name Sarritor Herbicide/ Sarritor Commercial lawns, golf Dandelion suppression Sclerotina minor course, municipal parks and turf farms Velocity Herbicide/ Valent/Engage Agro Golf courses and sod farms Reduction of annual bluegrass in turf bispyribac-sodium (creeping bentgrass, perennial ryegrass, Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue Premis Fungicide/ BASF Turf Anthracnose triticonazole Deltagard Insecticide/ Bayer Environmental Turf (including residential Chinch bugs, sod webworm, Deltamethrin Sciences lawns, golf courses, sod farms cutworm and ants and other turf areas) Table 2. 2008 URMULE Additions to OMAFRA Pub. 384 Turfgrass Management Recommendations Trade Name/ Submitter Crop Pest Chemical Name Chipco Aliette Bayer Environmental Turf Bentgrass Dead spot Signature Fungicide/ Sciencers Fosetyl Al Heritage MAXX Syngenta/Engage Agro Turfgrass for Golf Courses Suppression of Take-all patch Fungicide/Azoxystrobin and Commercial Turf Farms Merit 0.5G Insecticide Bayer Environmental Turfgrass including sod farms Suppression of European crane and Merit Solupak Sciences fly larvae (leatheijackets) GTI Services The 2008 Supplement for the OMAFRA Publication GTI has a new web site. The URL is 384, Turfgrass Management Recommendations will be www.guelphturfgrass.ca. The GTI Turf Diagnostics is up available on line shortly. It contains all of the new and running for the season and there is a link to it from pesticide products that have been registered for use on the GTI home page. Erica Gunn is back from maternity turf in Ontario for 2008. It will be available on line at leave just in time for Dr. Katerina Jordan to go on http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub384/p3 maternity leave. Sample submission forms and fees can be 84supplement.htm found on the GTI web site. In addition, I am always available for site visits to golf GTI is also running a Golf Irrigation Technician courses. If you are encountering problems at your golf Course at GTI on May 3 and 4th, 2008. Registration course, give me a call or email me and we can arrange for information can be found at the GTI web site or you can a site visit. call Trudi at (519) 824-4120 x 52501. I am particularly interested in hearing from anyone who is finding adult crane flies during the month of May. OMAFRA Services for 2008 If you are finding them, please give me a call and I will The Turf Management Updates will begin on Mon. arrange to come to your golf course to collect samples. My April 14, 2008. These will be every two weeks until mid­ contact info is: May and then they will be weekly until the end of September. You can access this report three ways, Pamela Charbonneau telephone, internet text file or podcast. To listen to the OMAFRA Turfgrass Specialist • The Guelph Turfgrass Institute recorded message you can telephone (888) 290-4441. You 328 Victoria Rd. South, Guelph, ON N1H 6H8 can also find them on the OMAFRA website at (519) 8244120 x 52597 • (519) 766-1704 FAX http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/updates.ht Email: pamela.charbonneau@ontario.ca ml#turf You can use the subscribe feature to get an Turf Management Updates (888)-290-4441 automatic notification when a new update is posted on the Turf Management Updates: web. http://apps.omafra.gov.on.ca/scnpts/english/crops/agriphone/index.asp#Turfg rass A Reliable Source For ALL Your Pond Needs Start the Season Off Right by Adding Aeration to Your Pond This Spring POLYDEX (Algeacide) We are Eastern Canada's Distributor 2 Licenced Aquatic Weed Specialists, A Freshwater & Marine Biologist on Staff and Fisheries & Wildlife Technician with 43 Years of Combined Experience Pond & Lagoon Aeration - Fountains - Polydex (Algaecide) - Water Test Kits - Pond Liner - Filtration Bacta-Pur Weed Rakes & Cutters - Waterfall Pumps - Water Dye - Agriculture Biosecurity Chemical 116 Bonnie Cres, Elmira, On Toll Free: (877) 669-1096 Fax: 877-669-2864 www.fishfarmsupply.ca fishfarm@sentex.net Health & safety Contractor Safety ontractor safety and contractor C All guards must be checked for proper operation prior to controls are an important aspect of your use of the equipment. As an example it is imperative that workplace health and safety program. the contractor, in the tree removal case, check the There is a belief in the industry that emergency shut off bar or mechanism on the wood once a contractor is hired that they are chipper. It must be tested prior to commencement of the basically on their own to work in their work. This is simple due diligence. by DougJohnson SAFETAID - Health and own way with their own controls. This is It is imperative that the contractor have a check list of Safety Consulting not the case. safety features for all equipment and the superintendent When a contractor is hired to complete work on club or his or her designate must ensure that the checklists are property the club is responsible to ensure that the completed and signed off prior to the commencement of contractor follows all health and safety protocols that are any work. Every worker working with a piece of equipment required by legislation and any rules your club may have in must ensure that the equipment is working properly and place. Yes, that is correct. The club, through the that all safety features are in place and operational. superintendent, is responsible for ensuring that the These rules and procedures may sound a bit onerous; contractor follows all safety rules. Contractors are however it only takes one incident to clarify why these considered to be workers and once employed are procedures are a necessary part of safety today. considered to be employed by the club and are therefore In the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) working under the same conditions as all other workers at Workwell audit in section 2.1 (i) and (j) (Contractor the club. So this means that if the club hires a tree removal responsibilities and accountabilities) it states that the contractor to remove or trim trees the club, through the contractor has the responsibility to ensure that qualified golf course superintendent, has the obligation to ensure workers are assigned the work and that the workers work in that all safety rules are followed. Safety rules mean every accordance with the legislation. The audit also states that type of safety protocol including the use of required the organization, (in this case the club), is responsible for personal protective equipment. ensuring that the contactor follows all the rules. The superintendent also has an obligation to ensure that To ensure that you are monitoring and controlling your any training requirements for operating equipment, in this contractors make sure that you put rules in place that case, chain saws, ladders, fall protection equipment, wood provide you with the documentation necessary to ensure chippers, is in fact completed and when necessary, up to that you are protecting your club whenever you have a date. This obligation also includes a requirement to ensure contractor working on your property. that the equipment being used has been inspected and is Have a safe day! in good operating condition. Good operating condition means that the equipment will not cause injury to the person operating or working SAFETAID with the equipment. If there are guards that are required Making safety your 1st priority! then the guards must be in place and must be operational. T. 519-837-0997 • F. 519-837-1996 Consulting, Safety and First Aid Supplies QUALITY • ON TIME Supplying Canada’s top golf courses for over 45 years Simon George Professional Products Technical Sales 1-800-461-5501 Maple Turf Supply Business: (905) 857-2000 8112 King Rd. W. P.O. Box 370 Fax: (905) 857-8215 Mobile: (519) 841-3378 When only Bolton, Ontario 1-800-268-4425 the best L7E 5T3 sg142@hotmail.com will do. www.manderley.com/golf Registered for pythium and anthracnose diseases Strength that shows. StressGard your plant with Aliette SIGNATURE Aliette SIGNATURE is a formulation of Fosetyl-AI turf fungicide designed to protect from tough diseases and improve turf quality. Registered for pythium and anthracnose diseases, Aliette SIGNATURE enhances the plants defense mechanisms and vigour resulting in unsurpassed turf quality and playability. Aliette SIGNATURE, just one of the family of products by Bayer - working for you. Other fungicides offered by Bayer include: Rovral Green GT - When the only colour you want to see is green. Compass 50WG - Strong enough for your greens - economical enough for your fairways. BACKED For more information contact Bayer Environmental Science - www.bayeres.ca 1-888-949-6847 Quebec: 514-949-2467 • Ontario/Western Canada: 905-464-8399 • Ontario/Atlantic Canada: 519-239-3983 by BAYER ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PRODUCT LABEL PRIOR TO USE. AlietteTM SIGNATURE is a registered trademark of Bayer. Member profile Interview with Corrie Almack, P.Ag. Almack Agronomic Services Inc. by Paul Grotier, Assistant Superintendent Donalda Club If he had never met Mr. Dick Psolla, a long time U.S. based turf consultant, agronomist Corrie Almack might never have set foot on a golf course. The Canadian turf market might have been deprived of a person that many believe to be the authoritative voice in Canadian golf agronomy. Dick convinced Corrie that an individual with agricultural experience could also be a golf course consultant. Born and raised on a hobby farm in Claremont, a village in north Pickering, Corrie developed a passion for working outdoors and an appreciation for all things related to agriculture from a young age. With no possibility to continue farming on his parent’s hobby farm, Corrie set his sights on becoming an agronomist and decided to study Agricultural Science at the University of Guelph. His post graduation goal was to set up a business which would offer “unbiased advice on soil/water/plant health issues based on accurate lab data.” He graduated in the spring of 1981 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture. Later that fall, Corrie “hung out his shingle” and the rest they say, is history. As an independent consultant, utilizing the laboratory facilities of Brookside Laboratories, Corrie’s initial client base was primarily fruit and vegetable growers. Interestingly, it was through a former University of Guelph classmate, who was then an assistant superintendent at a Toronto club, that Corrie would get the opportunity to expand into the golf market. Corrie was introduced to a superintendent, described to him as “very progressive”. This person was Hugh Kirkpatrick, then the superintendent at Westmount Golf and Country Club. Hugh would become Corrie’s first golf client and was instrumental in his success in expanding his business. Through Hugh, Corrie was referred to Ken Wright from the National Golf Club and Paul Dermott at Oakdale Golf Club. With his foot now in the door, things would snowball and he was able to expand his services from coast to coast by meeting Randy Scott, then superintendent at Hillsdale Golf Club in Quebec and moved to the west coast when Dennis Pellrene left Scarboro Golf & Country Club and accepted his new position at Capilano Golf & Country Club, in Vancouver. “It's important to note that all of these superintendents have had an influence on me and deserve credit for helping advance my career as an agronomist. I will be forever grateful". By 1990, Corrie had more superintendent clients than farm clients and now Almack Agronomic Services Inc, serves close to one hundred turf clients. Equally, Corrie takes pride in establishing a profession that has attracted his good friend David Smith, C.G.S.A. of D.C.S Agronomic Services to join the consulting ranks. Prior, Dave had been a superintendent but more important a client of Corrie’s for many years. “I suggested that he would be a natural and today, I regard him as Canada's top independent turfgrass agronomist." While Corrie has had a very successful career, the future also brings challenges. “I can not keep working the hours I do for ever and a transition program is currently not in place". “It will be difficult to totally retire as my clients are my friends and I would never wish to disappoint them". "In the Hot Seat" • Favourite major: British Open (never know what you are going to get) • Best piece of turf equipment ever: Deep tine aerifier • Favourite golf designer: Mother nature • Ultimate foursome: Me and Charlie’s Angels • Favourite course: Next one I am privileged to play • Favourite course played outside Canada: Pasatiempo, California • What’s in your CD right now: Neil Young live at Massey Hall • Rate your lawn on a scale of 1-10: I use it for weed identification • What would you be if not in the turf industry: Day Trader or Gold Prospector Golf course highlight Burlington Golf & Country Club 422 Northshore Blvd E Burlington ON L7T 3Z9 Website: www.bgcc.on.ca Golf Course Superintendent: Tom Brain Email: burlingtongolf@bellnet.ca COURSE PROFILE What major tournaments held? 1 Bannerman slitter/slicer Numerous RCGA, CPGA, OPGA, 1 Bannerman simple dimple seeder What region is your club located in? CLPGA, GAO amateur and professional 1 Morbark wood chipper Halton events and annual amateur invitational 1 Express Dual reel grinder What is the classification of your club? event which attracts the best amateur 1 Express Dual bedknife grinder Private players from Ontario and NY state. Weedeaters, blowers, flymos, garden Size of membership and number of rounds? What type of irrigation system? implements, chain saws etc. 750 and 35,000 to 39,000 rounds Toro Network 8000 with site pro & tmap ESD wash water recycling system ESD spill containment system in pesticide Typical opening & closing dates? What is the size of your maintenance shop? mix/load room Early April - Late November 11,250 ft2 Name of Superintendent What is the size of the greens, tees & fairways? COURSE PROJECTS & PLANS Tom Brain Greens: 3 acres What projects have you recently completed? How long have you been a superintendent? Tees: 3 acres New Turf Care Centre in 2006 1 year Fairways: 22 acres Pro shop surrounds in 2006 List other accomplishments What is your predominant grass? New clubhouse to be completed in 2008 Proceeding with IPM accreditation and Poa/Bent New practice putting green in 2007 Audubon certification. Sit on Green is Beautiful 3 tee complexes, 12 bunkers and cart committee and sit on WOGSA board. How many USGA greens and loam greens? paths completed 2007 and early 2008 18 native soil push up greens How long have you been an OGSA member? 1 USGA spec sand green What long range plans for renovation do you 8 years 1 California sand green have in the next five years? How many year round staff? What is the predominant soil type? Execute Carrick master plan that will 4 (myself, 2 assistants, 1 mechanic) Sandy Loam include renovation of some greens, some How many seasonal staff? tees, bunkers, cart paths and other course What equipment do you have in inventory? infrastructure items. 20-22 (4 full time and 18 part time) 6 Toro Flex 18 walking greens mowers How many mechanics and assistants? 3 Toro GM 1600 walking tee mowers Are there any particular challenges you face Assistants: Sean McIvor (1), Jeff Lockhart (2) 1 DMI speed roller with your property? Mechanic: Wayne Fair 1 National 68 triplex Heavily shaded course with a lot of traffic 2 Toro 4500 rotary rough mowers on poa/bent push up greens with no How many gardening staff? 1 2 Toro 5410 fairway mowers subsurface drainage. 2 Toro Workman COURSE STATISTICS 2 ClubCar Turf II utility vehicles Do you have any success stories? How many holes? 18 2 ClubCar 252 utility vehicles State of the art Turf Care Centre with 1 ClubCar Carry All 6 utility vehicle completely self contained closed loop What is the yardage from back & forward tees? 1 ClubCar Carry All 6 electric long box equipment wash system. 6479 yards from back (gold) tees Ongoing, extensive tree management utility vehicle 5163 yards from forward (red) tees program. 1 EZ Go golf cart What is the size of driving range and range tee? 1 Kubota F2260 outfront rotary (blower) Warm up range: 160 yards with 8 teeing mats, 1 Kubota F2560 outfront (blower) What type of innovative cultural practices chipping green and practice bunker. 1 Kubota Z18 Rotary Mower have you performed? 1 John Deere 5210 loader Aggressive bentgrass overseeding How many bunkers? 65 program to improve bentgrass population 1 John Deere 4500 tractor How many ponds, and/or how many times 1 GMC dumptruck in greens. does water come into play? 6 times 2 Ryan Greensaire 24 aerators Very successful aerating/bentgrass 1 Rapidcore 3 point hitch aerator overseeding program has substantially Who was the original architect? Stanley Thompson 1 Agric 3 point hitch rototiller increased the bentgrass population in our 1 Cushman Ds 300 sprayer fairways (thank you Pelino Scenna). What was the year of original construction? Aggressive aerating, verti-draining, 1922 1 high pressure sprayer 1 Ryan 18” sod cutter topdressing program on greens to reduce By whom and when was the course remodeled? 1 Tycrop Propass 160 topdresser compaction & organic matter & increase Some renovations with Dave Moote, ongoing 1 Cushman Topdresser sand content in root zone to improve master plan work with Doug Carrick. 1 Lelv fertilizer snreader drainage characteristic of push up greens. Making the move to Grey Water by Tom Brain, Superintendent Burlington Golf & Country Club he use of grey water at Burlington Golf & Country T Club was predicated by the need for a new maintenance building. We had simply outgrown our existing building and there were a number of health, safety and staff issues that needed to be addressed, along with equipment storage space requirements. Planning for the new building was a long, intricate process taking almost ten years. Approval for the project was received in 2004, with construction set to begin in December, 2005. The new facility afforded us the I opportunity to incorporate some up-to-date design concepts and environmental initiatives. Due to the proximity of Falcon Creek and the steep ravine, we had very little space to work with in order to place the new building. A number of alternate locations on the Our existing wash pad had been in place for property were investigated. However, none were suitable approximately 30 years. It consisted of a 10 X 10 concrete without interfering with the golf course or neighbouring pad with a grate and water supplied from irrigation water. properties. Eventually, permission was granted by the All the wash water filtered through the grate and ran, Halton Conservation Authority and the City of Burlington to essentially untreated, into Falcon Creek. Although we had expand our maintenance building at the existing site. always intended to incorporate a wash water While preferable in terms of aesthetics and access to the treatment/ recycling system into the design of the new facility property, the expanded building at the existing location to address our woefully inadequate wash pad, the question of would not leave much space around the building for more the location of the wash pad became something of a than parking and vehicle traffic. challenge. We worked closely with John Glover, our sales representative from ESD Waste-2-Water during the design phase. ESD has many units operating in the United States, and a few operating in southern Ontario. Upon John’s suggestion, the wash pad was located inside the building. We had designed the building to maximize our access to equipment, and it made sense to place the wash pad inside one of the two drive through entrances. Placing the system inside also had some other benefits. One of the problems we had identified with outdoor systems was the tendency to overfill the system when it rained, from water collecting on the wash pad. Having the wash pad under roof eliminated rainfall supercharging the system. Also, the system would be functional year ‘round. The main draw back we felt was the potential for odour with the solid separator and the treatment unit itself. As it turned out, neither were issues. As long as the clipping cart is emptied regularly odour is not an issue. As I stated earlier, because the wash pad is under roof, our system never overfills, however some water is lost due to evaporation. The system uses a float valve to automatically top up when the water level gets low. A sump is also located in our mechanics work shop and is connected to the system with an air diaphragm pump for the occasional wash activities that take place in the shop. Also installed at the time of The unit requires some minor daily maintenance, the construction was awash and spill addition of microbes weekly and some ongoing regular containment system in the mix maintenance. Maintenance of the unit is the responsibility of our load area for our sprayer. The 2nd Assistant, Jeff Lockhart system allows us to reclaim any The system consists of a 20’ X 20’ wash pad with a main sump water or products spilt while in the centre. There are two hoses on either side of the pad and filling the sprayer or in the event the pad can accommodate two fairway mowers or two rough of a serious leak. Spillage is mowers at a time. directed to a sump by a beveled The wash water is pumped from the self cleaning sump to a floor, pumped to a holding solid separator. The clippings are separated and collected in a tank, filtered and returned to draining wheel barrow and two additional chambers separate out the sprayer to be applied on the fine particles. golf course. Use of the system has been limited to testing and maintenance, but it is nice to know it is in place, should a spill occur, to contain contaminated water and prevent potential discharge to the environment The water is then pumped to the central unit which is housed in a separate, heated room. The water is cycled through three aerated chambers and the unit is seeded weekly with microbes that feed on the organic and inorganic residues in the water. The microbes are shipped on a bi-monthly schedule from ESD in the U.S. Plastic honeycomb type cores help the microbes to colonize the unit and increase the exposure ofwater to the microbes. The waterworks its way through the system and is then returned to the The adjacent Falcon Creek ravine is a wonderful land feature hoses, completing the cycle. that runs through and defines our property and characterizes our golf course. We want to do everything we can to protect and enhance the ravine and the creek, for generations to come. We feel we have made some major advancements to protect our immediate environment, including those down stream, and reduce our impact on the environment as a whole. I would encourage those ofyou considering improvements to your equipment washing facilities to consider installing a wash water recycling system and say, Yeah to Grey! WHY I STILL LIKE PVC PIPE - LOTS OF CHOICES by Tim Fredericks Fredericks McGuire Ltd. Just the other day I was asked by a superintendent where I learned means that it does not have the same pressure rating across a range of how to use a certain type of pipe for the application we were working sizes. While Schedule pipe does come in different pressure ratings on. In this case, the application was a large diameter HDPE mainline (Sch 40, Sch 80, Sch 120), these ratings represent different starting running up a steep incline with a significant change in elevation maximum working pressures. The difference is that with Schedule approximately half way up the hill—made for great bending! The pipe the wall thickness is standardized so that as the pipe diameter gets question was followed by a statement to the effect that HDPE pipe was larger, its pressure rating is reduced. For example, a Sch 40 2” pipe has the way to go, and possibly, the way to always go when installing pipe. a maximum working pressure of 275PSI while a Sch 40 6” pipe has a While I do enjoy working with HDPE in certain applications, the maximum working pressure of 175PSI. Unfortunately, most irrigation conversation made me think that the apparent or perceived ease of systems are designed such that the larger diameter pipe is closer to working with HDPE (and it can be easy) is starting to eclipse our source and operate at higher pressure due to less head and friction working knowledge of PVC pipe. loss, which makes the lower rating of the 6” problematic. In golf irrigation, the predominant type of pipe used is PVC Increasing, courses are starting to use another type of pipe for (polyvinyl chloride). There are many types of PVC pipe, but in a diameters 4” and larger. This pipe is C900 for 4” to 12” pipe and C905 pressure application, there are normally three types of PVC pipe that for pipes that are 14” and larger. Most commonly, this pipe is referred one would encounter - Schedule, Class, and C900/C905. to as “Blue Brute”, which is Ipex’s brand name, but the pipe is widely There are various differences between the aforementioned pipes available from other manufacturers such as Rahau, Diamond Pipe, or including pressure rating, wall thickness, outside diameter (OD). It is Royal. important for a staff member or irrigation technician to be somewhat aware of the differences between the types of PVC when both installing and repairing pipe, as the properties of all three types will impact how the system will perform and choice of what future fittings will be required. The most common pipe used in the golf industry is Class PVC pipe. Class PVC is what all the major golf distributors will supply and stock. The Class designation refers to the pressure rating of pipe as well as how the pressure rating changes as the nominal pipe size changes—it does not. Typically, a course or club will order either Qass 200, rated to 200PSI or Class160 rated to 160PSI. While the majority of irrigation systems do not exceed even 150PSI, the Class 200 pipe is a popular choice as it allows the user more of a safety factor and a little more protection should the pipe be bedded in less than suitable This pipe is significantly different than the Class or Schedule pipe, conditions, but not to be considered a solution for rocks! as it has a higher safety and is made with a different OD than Class pipe. The OD of this pipe is referred to as DIOD or DIPS (Ductile Iron Pipe Size) which has a slightly larger OD than IPS pipe. A 4” Class pipe has an OD of 4.50” while a 4” C900 pipe has an OD of 4.80”. When using this type of pipe, the technician should be aware that the different OD means that all the fittings in stock for IPS pipe will not work and that the appropriate fittings for DIPS pipe will be required. Unfortunately, this realization often comes too late after the fitting has blown off numerous times. One very apt use of C900/C905 pipe is when a course needs to repair or cut-in a piece of pipe on an existing cast iron/ductile iron piece of pipe. The reason for this is that the cast pipe will have the DIPS OD allowing for an easier transition to PVC. Along with types of pipes, there is the type of ends that the pipe is supplied with. The two different styles are bell and spigot (S.B.E) and gasket-end. SBE require solvent weld (gluing) while the gasket-end requires pushing the pipe in. I currently recommend that all pipe 4” These respective Class pipes are also commonly and properly and larger be gasket, and that smaller diameter pipe can be either referred to as SDR21 and SDR26 pipe. SDR is an acronym for depending on application and budget. This “rule” is generally only for Standard Dimension Ratio which standardizes the ratio between Class as C900/C905 is only supplied with gasket-ends. average pipe diameter and the minimum wall thickness of the pipe. A final consideration when choosing with PVC is whether the pipe This ratio ensures that pipes with the same SDR rating will have similar meets standards and the physical characteristics of the pipe. If pressure rating regardless of the pipe size. choosing between pipes, verify that the pipes meet all CSA and ASTM Another important characteristic of Class pipe is that it has a standards. Another thing to examine is the quality of the bells and standard OD that is designated as IPS (Iron Pipe Size). For the whether the pipe is weathered or been stored outside for a long period majority of the time this will not be an issue but it is important to note, of time. PVC is effected by UV which can cause the pipe to become that when repairing an older pipe that is not Class pipe the OD might brittle and less workable. differ from the piece of Class pipe you are using. When choosing any pipe, always be aware of the application that The other PVC pipe encountered in the golf industry is Schedule pipe is being used for. In most cases, pipe that fails or is hard to work pipe. Schedule pipe is also normally supplied in IPS so it can be easily with is being used in an improper application. PVC pipe has been fitted to Class pipe. The most significant difference between Schedule used for many years and stands up very well when installed properly. and Class pipe is that Schedule is not classified by SDR, which simply It is still a very wise choice. PROTECT YOUR TURF NEW DeltaGard SC keeps your turf safe from chinch bugs, sod webworms, cutworms and ants. DELTAGARD SC insecticide is not only fast acting, but provides outstanding control at very low use rates. DELTAGARD SC contains the active ingredient dehamethrin, a third generation synthetic pyrethroid and is packaged in an easy to use liquid formulation that is easy to mix and apply. DELTAGARD SC joins the growing family of premier turf management products marketed by Bayer Environmental Science in Canada including Rovral Green GT, Compass 50 WG, Aliette Signature and Merit brand insecticide. BACKED by BAYER. Learn more about the proven performance of DELTAGARD SC www.bayeres.ca 1 -888-283-6847 Quebec: 514-949-2467 • Ontario/Western Canada: 905-319-8981 • Ontario/Atlantic Canada: 519-239-3983 ALWAYS READ PRODUCT LABEL PRIOR TO USE. DeltaGard and Bayer are registered trademarks of Bayer CropScience. Always read and follow label directions. Above the hoIe by Tyler Webb, Student and Intern Growth, as it has often been said, is a continual process. As students and interns, we have the opportunity before us to continually grow and develop with particular safety in an industry noted for its mentorship and professional fellowship. Finding our place, and putting into focus a positive and pro-active perspective is the first step. While pulling everything together into a cohesive whole, from textbooks to professors, industry professionals and informal conversations, it is our responsibility to recognize ourselves as the future of an industry we love. We must look forward with an open, questioning mind that will usher our community, not only through new technologies, but national, if not global, perspectives on golf courses in general. We must be the ‘new breed’ of turf manager. To get there we have a mountain of knowledge and experience to summit. Calling ourselves simply ‘turf managers’ would short change all but the smallest number of professors and mentors we will have. We, as most of my non-turf peers The next wave in seeding is here! believe, don’t simply ‘take care of grass’. As a professional, ■ Patent-pending floating heads follow the ground contour—you won’t we are managing an ecosystem that must satisfy not only miss the low spots and you won’t destroy the high spots or sprinkler heads. our crop, but our customers. We must learn and be confident in leadership, turf care and tree care, with the ■ Patent-pending WaveBladeM technology creates a clean, optimal math, science and professionalism to back it up. This is square slit while minimizing turf disruption. our time to learn, ask questions, make mistakes and take ■ Patent-pending seed delivery system puts seed directly into the slit, charge. This is our time to be excited! reducing seed waste and increasing germination. Excitement is the last component to a student, to an intern and to a turf professional. It is our job to be excited ■ Patent-pending depth adjustment allows for infinite, at the possibilities before us. We are young and will see in-field adjustment to suit your specific needs. many things change in the course of our careers. What (No tools required.) place will golf courses hold in the future? Where do we fit ■ Close 1-1/2” spacing increases germination in among the environmental watchdogs and the age of with fewer passes. technology? Do we adapt, do we survive, and do we remain the only idealistic oasis left among the asphalt? We are the ones who will answer these questions. We are TriWave students and interns, who are excited, knowledgeable and 60-lnch Overseeder keen sighted. Welcome our enthusiasm and you might be surprised. Doug Hubble Sales and Marketing Manager 519.770.3157 ISO 9001 REGISTERED dhubble@agriumat.com 1184 PLAINS ROAD EAST John Bladon BURLINGTON, ONTARIO L7S 1W6 IPM Coordinator / Technical Sales Burlington area: 905-637-5216 519.574.2013 jbladon@agriumat.com Toronto Area: 905-338-2404 www.turfpro.ca All other Ontario Areas: 800-883-0761 Fax: 905-637-2009 There'sa NEW game in town! Can you afford to ignore the newest DMI fungicide? As you know, technology is changing all the time, and in turf, better technology means BetterTurf™. No doubt about it, turf has its share of troubles. But BASF has the products (and 140 years experience) to smooth out the rough patches. DMI fungicides are the backbone of a good fungicidal program for greens, tees and fairways. Premis is the newest DMI fungicide. So for this season - Premis 200F Fungicide, now registered for Dollar Spot & Brown Patch, and NEW for 2008 - Anthracnose. Can you afford NOT to play with these guys? PREMIS 200F is a registered Trademark of BASF. ©2008 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved. USES OF AMMONIUM SULPHATE IN TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT by Corrie Almack, P.Ag. Almack Agronomist Services Inc. It’s a common theme in life: we are always reinventing In summary, 21-0-0 can be used as an effective, the wheel! At the most recent OGSA symposium, many of inexpensive dormant nitrogen source. In order to the presenters mentioned they were including ammonium properly appreciate this source of nitrogen, its’ mode of sulphate in their nutrient program. With all the recent action must be understood. high-tech nitrogen sources available, why would one even consider such an old-fashioned product? Why? Because it Disease Suppression still is an inexpensive but effective nitrogen source for When Urea-based nitrogen sources are used, the today’s modern turfgrass management. possibility exists of increasing the pH of the thatch. This is based on the surface pH of these sources being alkaline. Dormant Nitrogen Source It has been suggested that an increase in the alkalinity of In order to understand how 21-0-0 - 24% S, ammonium the thatch provides an environment more conducive to sulphate, (NH4)2eSO4 may be used as a dormant nitrogen patch diseases such as TakeAll (Gaeumannomyces graminis). source, we must understand the nitrogen cycle. Applying ammonium sulphate will not contribute to a When soil temperatures are above 8°C (45°F), the higher pH thatch, and is actually recommended for microbial activity of soil is actively breaking down organic controlling many diseases. matter (carbon source), resulting in a release of soluble Applying ammonium sulphate, (along with manganese) nitrogen. The microbes use this nitrogen as a food source is becoming a common management practice for to fulfil their normal life processes termed microbial suppressing TakeAll (Gaeumannomyces graminis) and other immobilization. Upon their death, the nitrogen is patch diseases including Summer Patch, (Magnaporthe available for plant uptake or for other microbes to use poae) and Bentgrass Dead Spot (Ophiosphaerella agrostis). again and the cycle continues. A soluble nitrogen source is required by the microbes to break down organic matter, pH Reduction resulting in the formation of humus. Of all the common nitrogen sources available for use in When soil temperatures fall below 8°C, the production turfgrass, ammonium sulphate has the highest calcium of soluble nitrogen is not sufficient to maintain a high carbonate equivalent (C.C.E.) - the ability to neutralize level of microbial activity. When soil temperatures are this limestone in a soil. Continued use has the potential to cool, if we apply a soluble nitrogen source that the cause a reduction in soil pH, especially in lower exchange microbial population can use, it will stimulate the capacity soils. For every 100 pounds of ammonium microbes to immobilize the nitrogen source. This creates sulphate added to a soil, 120 pounds of limestone will be a “slow release nitrogen source” or correctly termed an neutralized. This can be an important source of acidity to “organic nitrogen source” one which is bound with help manage the pH of soils. A lower soil pH can increase carbon. the uptake of many other nutrients such as phosphorus, The nitrogen source in the 21-0-0 is all ammonium. iron and manganese. Ammonium is a positively charged nutrient (cation) which is instantly available as a food source for the Counteracting Alkaline Irrigation Water microbial population. Being a cation, it resists leaching as Another benefit, which is often overlooked, of an acid it is adsorbed by the cation exchange capacity of a soil. fertilizer such as ammonium sulphate, deals with When the 21-0-0 is used in this application, the grass must counteracting the limestone equivalent deposited by be dormant, since stimulation of top growth at this time is alkaline irrigation water. A water source containing 200 not desirable. However, the roots and the microbes can p.p.m. of bicarbonates, common in many areas of Canada, still be active. The increase in microbial activity will result has the equivalent of nearly 900 pounds of pure limestone in increased late fall root growth; the plant will continue for each acre foot of water applied. I have seen soil-based to photosynthesize, thus producing carbohydrate reserves greens change from a pH of 7.2 in the spring to 7.8 in the and a plant that is hardier for the upcoming winter. fall, after a dry summer when the vast majority of the The following spring should bring an earlier green up, summer moisture came from the high bicarbonate without any excessive growth. The nitrogen is no longer irrigation source. The accumulation of bicarbonates on soluble and may persist until at least mid May and even the soil surface lends itself to poorer water infiltration, into June, depending on local conditions The risk of reduced nutrient availability and a higher incidence of losing nitrogen in the fall from volatilization is very low surface crusting and algae. when ammonium sulphate is the source. Another excellent source of acidity can be obtained from the product 21% Iron Sulphate - Ferrous Sulphate termed a “quick” release nitrogen source providing a (FeSO4*7H2O). Besides being an essential nutrient and a predictable growth response, even in cooler soil greening agent, its high level of acidity will aid in temperatures. A moderate spring nitrogen application neutralizing surface accumulations of bicarbonates. Many will not continue to release into the summer, reducing the respected researchers are encouraging turf managers to possibility of elevated plant-available nitrogen levels, increase the amount of Iron Sulphate in their fertility which can occur during periods of warmer soil program. temperatures. This is not a risk on newer high sand-content greens but Make Your Own Starter Fertilizer I feel it is a real concern on older greens that have an If your soils contain adequate levels of phosphorus, organic matter content of over three percent. Having (most older courses have very high levels) then a spring excess plant-available nitrogen in the heat of summer is a application of between 0.25 to 0.50 lb./1000 of actual potential invitation to turf stress and disease. nitrogen from an ammonium sulphate-based product should result in a similar or an improved response as an Conclusion application of a conventional starter fertilizer. Over the years, as our turf industry has evolved, we have The acidity of ammonium sulphate will acidulate the been provided with much safer means of applying existing soil phosphorus and make it more plant available. ammonium sulphate. In addition to increased spray tank This availability is normally achieved by soil microbes once applications, we have homogenous granular products the soil temperature has increased. If the turfgrass including 16-4-8, 15-3-10 and 13-2-13 which have become industry is ever legislatively prevented from applying popular sources. The Canadian market recently has been phosphorus to a soil which already contains a level exposed to the MESA and ProScape brands, many with an deemed adequate, an approach such as this could become ammonium sulphate component. more common practice. It seems the future is bright for those turf managers wishing to benefit from the many advantages that Predictability ammonium sulphate can provide as part of a total nutrient Ammonium sulphate being readily water soluble, is management program. Agrium Advanced Technologies would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to ProTurf® Sales Agent Jeff McMaster for his years of dedication to ProTurf® branded fertilizers in Ontario. For more than 25 years, Jeff has provided exceptional agronomic sales and service to golf course superintendents, golf course owners and professional turf managers throughout Eastern and Northern Ontario. Jeff's knowledge and expertise have been an invaluable asset to the ProTurf® line in Ontario and everyone at Agrium Advanced Technologies wishes him the very best in his future endeavours. Agrium Advanced Technologies, 10 Craig St., Brantford, ON N3R 7J1 800-461-6471 ProTurf is a registered trademark of Nu-Gro ltd. www.turfpro.ca/proturf FROM HERE TO THERE AND BACK AGAIN by Sean Jordan, Superintendent Beaverdale Golf Course For the first nine years that I grew grass for a living, I the first with its capacity to carry 5 tonnes of fertilizer at a was in the “professional dodgeball” end of things. That is time instead of 200 kilos. Even more impressive to me was to say, I worked in golf course maintenance with a short the fertilizer blending system. Where I was used to stint in course construction. Then in 2005, my wife lugging 50 pound bags to no end, here we handled all of received an offer to work for the University of Guelph and the material with a skid steer. Most of the blends we we moved to Ontario. At this point I was pretty well needed could be put together with the three ingredients burned out with the clientele that I had been serving at a we had on hand. Also included in this training was a crash public course in Connecticut and was looking for other course in metric conversion. turfgrass possibilities. It was by luck then that Ron The main sprayer was much the same way, going from Schiedel was looking for an assistant production manager, a 16.5 foot boom I had used for greens and tees to a at Compact Sod. From early on I had been trying to work whopping 72.5 foot swath. Trying to get the hang of an 18- in several different aspects of golf course maintenance to speed transmission proved tricky while keeping the end experience everything from high-end private courses with nozzles out of the fence lines. Again, because of the massive budgets to shoestring public courses, where the immense volume of chemical that needed to be loaded at shop had holes in the walls big enough to throw a softball one time, I had to learn the ins and outs of a chemical through. So when the opportunity came up to try pump and a sprayer loading system that looked like the something completely different, I jumped at it Space Shuttle with its hood open. Big A Cedar Ridge It wasn’t until working on the farm that I was able to experience GPS guidance for spreaders and sprayers. If I It didn’t take me long after starting the job to figure had a nickel for every time I said “if only I had this back out that production is an altogether different world than on the golf course!” No more squinting on dry, sunny days maintenance. hoping to catch a glimpse of my wheel tracks or the edge One of the first things that I noticed was the sheer of the last throw. Gone were the days of praying that the difference in size between the equipment on the farm and foamer would just last until the end of the load. Now I had what now looked like toys on the golf course. I had been a nice little black box with two sets of lights, one to tell me using a three-point-hitch spreader capable of a 50-foot where I was, and the other to let me know where to go. If wide pattern on the golf course, and the machine that I only life had one of these babies! was trained on at the farm had a similar width but dwarfed Antiquealley When it came to keeping things green and growing, the nice days of automated, in-ground sprinklers were replaced with hours of setting up aluminum piping, moving “travelers” and starting centre pivots. Travelers are essentially mobile hose reels with large poly pipe that has a cart-mounted impact gun or boom of sprinklers on the end, and is wrapped around a drum which is wound in using either a gasoline engine or water-driven turbine. The best part of setting up the travelers was forgetting to turn the end of the impact gun to the side when pulling the hose out in the early morning and having that icy-cold blast down my back when the tractor stops and all the water in the hose suddenly catches up. That is a serious eye opener. On the golf course side of turf, actual establishment doesn’t seem to happen to a great extent other than when a course is built, renovated, or damaged areas are repaired. So the task of prepping the soil and sowing the seed are often done with smaller tractors and implements and with a lot of hand work generally followed by a 3-foot Greig Barker, Superintendent at Highland Country Club submitted this wide drop seeder. It always seemed like a nice side task to photo. This Ryan Sod Cutter has been a part of the golf course get away from the day-to-day work that had gotten equipment fleet, at Highland for over thirty years. An exact age is not monotonous by midJune. On the sod farm however, the known. It has had some rebuilding and is still in working order. area that has to be prepped and seeded every season is so vast that it takes every man hour that can be found to operate the tillage and stone picking equipment just to get the soil ready, then hours on end when the conditions are right to sow seed with a 12 foot wide seeder (15 feet if you count the wheels, making it very popular on the road traveling between farms). My mad months of July and August, when traffic on the golf course was usually at its peak, were shifted to August and September, when picking stones and planting filled every minute that the soil conditions would allow. PREMIUM WATER MANAGEMENT Now, after a couple of peaceful years of keeping things TOOLS FOR YOUR GOLF COURSE TURF green side up without fear of being beaned by a flying white sphere, I have returned to the contoured and treed 2 Formulations Available -Respond 3 Liquid side of growing grass. It was a tough decision to make, but and Respond 3 Granular ultimately necessary (my physiotherapist told me I would be crippled if I didn’t find other employment). I’ve taken Protect your Greens, Tees, and Fairways from Localized Dry Spot, Drought Stress and a position as a superintendent on a course right across the Excessive Moisture fence from the fields that I just left. While walking the course for the first time I started remembering some of More Uniform Water Distribution Throughout the parts of the job that got me into this mess in the first the Root Zone place, like the fine detail work, the sculpted curves of the Distributed by: playing field and the endless possibilities that keep the “to ALLTURF do” list from ever getting short. If I am lucky, it will Master’s Turf Supply Ltd. Mountain View Turf Supply hopefully be a long while until I start remembering why I www.uap.ca wanted to take a break from golf courses in the first place. Respond 3 is a registered trademark of United Agri Products. Always read and follow label directions. TURFGRASS DIAGNOSTICS AT THE GTI by Katerina Jordan, Assistant Professor, UofG GTI Turfgrass Diagnostic Laboratory 328 Victoria Rd. S., Guelph, ON N1H 6H8 (519) 824-4120 x58873 diagnostics@guelphturfgrass.ca Proper sample submission can save you precious time and money! As the Turfgrass Diagnostic Laboratory, at the Guelph Turfgrass Institute, gears up for its fifth season of providing diagnostics to turfgrass managers throughout Ontario and Canada as a whole, we thought it would be helpful to set out some simple instructions for proper sample submission to the GTI or any diagnostic laboratory. The steps outlined below are essential towards obtaining an accurate and timely diagnosis from your diagnostician. The first thing to remember is that the lab receives only a small plug of affected turfgrass and it is therefore the host, and then move on to a healthy plant to continue out of context. Two additional pieces of information that their attack. Samples taken from only the most affected can aid a diagnostician in making an accurate diagnosis areas may be too advanced to see any pathogens are details regarding symptom development and, if remaining. In addition, there are a number of possible, photographs of the affected area. You can opportunistic or secondary pathogens that come in after a include photographs either with your samples or plant has been attacked and they feed on the material separately by e-mail, but either way, this gives the leaking from dead or dying cells. These opportunists can diagnostician the advantage of seeing any patterns or cloud the diagnosis because many of them form mycelia stand symptoms that may be difficult to describe. and can appear similar to some of the primary pathogens. Whether or not photographs accompany the sample, Also ensure that your sample is taken before any make sure that you take the time to fill out the submission fungicides or insecticides have been applied. By the time sheet as thoroughly as possible. No matter what your sample reaches the diagnostic lab, any pesticide that diagnostic lab you choose to send your sample to, each of you have put down may be taking effect and will prevent them should have some submission form that has space the diagnostician from seeing the signs of pests or for a good deal of information - when symptoms were first pathogens that allow a diagnosis to be made. As for seen, what the weather conditions were like at onset, what sample size, usually a one cup cutter plug that includes the fungicides, fertilizers, or other additives were applied and turf, thatch, and about three inches (7.5 cm) of soil is when, and what species and cultivar of turf you are dealing adequate for proper diagnosis. with. There is also usually space provided for any Once you have taken your sample, properly package it additional comments - such as whether or not you have such that the plug stays somewhat moist and that the soil been battling this problem for years, or if it seems to stays intact. This allows the diagnostician to observe any reappear in the same areas each season. All of this soil properties that may be contributing to the symptoms, information is essential for the diagnostician to properly such as layering or compaction. Keeping the sample do their job and to make the diagnosis in a timely fashion, somewhat moist will hopefully allow any pathogens that a critical aspect of turfgrass diagnostics. Most diagnostic are present to remain active and decrease the diagnosis labs should get back to you within 24 hours, although time. The ideal way to keep the moisture and integrity of diagnosis may take a bit longer, depending on the the sample is to wrap the plug in newspaper as is at the complexity of the problem. time of sampling (do not add water) and then place it in The next step is proper preparation of the sample to be a plastic bag before putting it in the shipping box. One of sent out. It is very important that you take your sample the most important things to remember is that the sample from the margin of healthy and symptomatic turf, as often must be sent overnight. If the sample stays in a box for two times pests and pathogens will take what they need from or more days, pathogens and secondary opportunists will you may not be aware of the fact that I will be on maternity usually make the turf unrecognizable and nearly leave during the growing season. Rest assured, however, impossible to diagnose. that I will still be available to discuss recommendations By following these simple steps - filling out the and look at samples over the course of the season. submission sheet, including photographs if possible, Between Erica at the GTI site and me piping in from properly packaging your sample, and most importantly, home, we will have your diagnostic needs covered for the sending it out overnight, you are increasing the chances of 2008 season. Be sure to check out our new website: an accurate and timely diagnosis, both of which can often guelphturfgrass.ca. There you can find our submission save you much more time in the long run than what it sheet that outlines a significant discount for OGSA takes to follow these steps. members for diagnosis. As always, we welcome The diagnostic laboratory at the Guelph Turfgrass suggestions or comments on how to continue providing Institute is currently open and ready to receive samples for you with the best and most professional service we can. diagnosis. Thanks to a generous subsidy from the OGSA, we are happy to welcome back Erica Gunn, the Portions of this article were printed in the August 2007 issue of Green Master diagnostician who developed the lab at the GTI. Many of Braemar Building Systems Custom Design Quality Buildings Competitive Prices • Maintenance Buildings • Storage Facilities • New Buildings • Wood & Steel Structures For your FREE ESTIMATES call us at 1- 800-215-1996 www.braemarbuildings.com Off the fairway ... Showy Flowers People love gardens because they are plant that can be planted from seed or from transplants. colourful and beautiful and it is You may need to look for this plant since they aren’t mainly because of the flowers. So let’s grown in the numbers that petunias and impatiens are. give them flowers Big ones small They blend well with almost anything or are good on their ones some as big as your ‘ead own to droop over walls, containers or other plants. are a multitude of flowers to Red flowers from the annual salvia or the native choose from within the sub-categories perennial cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis are a great way by Daisy Moore of spring bulbs, flowering shrubs, to colour up an otherwise bronzy haze in the late summer annual flowers, summer-flowering bulbs and perennials. garden. I strongly advise against planting annual salvia on Blue bells scilla sibehca are small as individuals, but en mass because on that scale the colour may often clash with masse deserve an honourable mention. In my books they something as simple as the brick of the building or the signify that the golf course is ready to open, like forsythias outfit of a dignitary during a photo opportunity. tell you that seeds are germinating in the soil. Massing or Hummingbirds in particular are attracted to these red grouping flowers is one way of creating an effect and plants. another way is to choose large and showy individuals. Dahlias are summer-flowering bulbs, meaning that they Here are a few to consider for that important spot in the are planted in the spring, flower in the summer and dug garden, in order of flowering. up in the fall and wintered indoors. Why would you go Lily-flowering tulips are really nice. They are available through all of that trouble? Many people treat them as in many colours and appear right about the time you are annuals by purchasing and planting them in the spring tired of daffodils. It is better to plant these in smaller and then let nature take its’ course. Let your conscience groups such as three. Leave the massing of tulips to the be your guide. Dahlias are very much worth the effort and earlier flowering and simpler types. Lily-flowering tulips worth saving from year to year because of the quality of are a couple of feet to a metre tall. the flowers (and foliage) they produce. It is their image Ornamental onions, such as Purple Sensation, are very that is conjured up when you hear about ‘dinner plate big and showy and ridiculously easy to grow. Plant them sized’ flowers. They can be that big, or they can be once, usually in the fall, and with ease they give you an smaller, more numerous and have beautiful pest-free explosion of purple fireworks every year. The flowers foliage to boot. Like peonies, dahlias are worth staking persist after the tulips are finished and continue through since the central stem is as hollow as Easter chocolate and the frost-free date when you can plant colourful annual can be knocked or blown over. Dahlias come later in the flowers. summer and persist until the frost. Peony flowers are short-lived but are worth a place in every sunny or semi-shade garden. Peonies would be classified as perennials. They are usually scented, come in a variety of colours and they have handsome and sturdy leaves for the entire growing season. They compliment other plants well. Peony rings or flower supports are helpful to show off the big and numerous flowers. Tree peonies require slightly more care than the ordinary peonies but are worth it if you can. Tree peonies flower later in the season and if they like it in their sunny, sheltered spot will be loaded with peony flowers for several weeks. Bottlebrush Buckeye Aesculus parviflora is a shrub-form of the well known horse-chestnut tree. It grows as wide as it does high (3-4metres) with horse chestnut-like leaves and a body that is crested with bottlebrush shaped flowers in the early summer. It is native to northeastern North America and does well in partial shade. Love-lies-bleeding Amaranthus caudatus is an annual Sunflowers, of course, are a classic. Remember that they will always turn to the sun, so plant them, by seed or transplant, so that they are facing south when you look at them. It is disconcerting to have the heads turned away from you and no amount of staking, turning or convincing will get them to behave otherwise. There are many varieties now available, some that are seedless to keep away Team those pesky birds, some that are multi-flowered, some that are dwarf and all that are a fun and familiar addition to a Leader sunny garden. When Senior Project Engineer Annabelle Hydrangea is a classic plant for entrance Jim Firth visits your golf facility gardens. The plants are a metre or so tall and produce he brings years of golf engineering huge white pom-pom flowers in the fall. The flower-heads persist through the winter. They are shade tolerant but experience. As a leader on the golf will be highly disappointing in dry sites. Avoid planting team at Crozier & Associates, he them near the base of maple trees because they will not arrives armed with insightful thrive. solutions to the myriad of industry The past two Mother’s Days the landscape has been issues that you face: extremely floriferous and gay, telling me that despite grim > Pesticide impacts predictions and climate change, plants are enjoying > Drainage improvements themselves. We should enjoy ourselves as gardeners too and treat ourselves to some of these spectacular bloomers, > Sewage treatment systems just because we like them. > Low-water consumption limits Daisy is a professional gardener. She operates a landscape design > PTTW hurdles and consulting business from her home in Elora. > Expansion regulations She is the host of the radio program, “Ask the Gardener"’ every ...and more Saturday from 1-2:00 on am570. Web site: www. daisymoore. com Email: daisy@daisymoore.com Today's golf courses have hazards that you didn't design. The Crozier Golf EngineeringTeam Jim Firth, P. Eng works to deliver innovative solutions Our Golf Services on-time and on-budget — just include: what you'd expect from a leader Feasibility Studies Private Sewage honed on the full-service demands Systems of the private sector. Permits-To-Take-Water Irrigation Water Call Crozier & Associates today. Budget Studies We'll be there. Stormwater 'Best Management Practices' 705 446-3510 www.cfcrozier.ca the face of new Engineering COMPACT SOD HAMILTON SOD ONTARIO SOD Cambridge, ON (519) 653-7494 Hamilton/Burlington, ON (905)389-1315 Oakville, ON (905) 849-1764 CROZIER ONTARIO SOD Brampton, ON (905)450-5715 NIAGARA SOD St. Catherines, ON (905) 984-8448 HALTON SOD Milton, ON (905) 878-1011 &ASSOCIATES ENGINEERS www.JustSodlt.com www.cfcrozier.ca 705 446-3510 golf@cfcrozier.ca Now registered for sod farms. Trusted. The standard for grub control. Merit Insecticide, the standard for grub control for professional turf applications. Through its powerful action, Merit provides many features that have made it the first choice for professional turf managers. Now registered across Canada for European Chafer, Japanese Beetle, Black Turfgrass Ataenius (BTA) and Leatherjacket suppression. Merit is offered in 2 formulations: Merit Solupak (75% Wettable Powder in soluble bag) and Merit 0.5G (ready- to-use granular). Merit Insecticide, the standard for grub control. BACKED For more information contact Bayer Environmental Science - www.bayeres.ca 1-888-949-6847 Quebec: 514-949-2467 • Ontario/Western Canada: 905-464-8399 • Ontario/Atlantic Canada: 519-239-3983 by BAYER ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PRODUCT LABEL PRIOR TO USE. AlietteTM SIGNATURE is a registered trademark of Bayer. Looking back 35 YEARS AGO TO-DAY by Barry Endicott The directors of the OGSA in 1973 were Jim Wyllie from the Turf Managers Short Course. Gord Witteveen was (Pres.), Bob Heron (Vice Pres.), Ross Haines (Sec.), Paul elected director of the GCSAA at the annual meeting held Dermott (Tres.), Al Beeney, Ed Charman, Roy French, Bob in Boston, Mass. Art Dodson, Dave Gourlay and Jim Wyllie Hall, Whitey Jones, John Stoughton, and Bill Hynd (Past became GCSAA Certified Superintendents. The RCGA Pres.). Turfgrass Conference was held in Montreal from March 4th- The 3rd Annual Turf Symposium was held on January 4th 8th. Dave Gourlay was elected president of the CGSA at the at Northwood GC. Keith Nisbet, president of the OGA, and annual meeting. Dr. Jack Eggens, University of Guelph professor, chaired the New member applications were received by Ray Grinikis sessions. Dennis Pellrene (Glen Abbey), Leslie Kelly (Royal (Pleasant Valley GC) and Ken Nelson (Sunningdale GC). Ottawa), Bob Moote (Oakdale), George Darou (Richmond Morley Findlay, of the London Hunt Club, passed away Hill), Bob Heron (Markland Wood), Cameron Cairncross from a heart attack following an operation. Tom Lewis, of (Foxwood), Dave Moote (Essex), Al Beeney (North Kawartha G&CC, received the 25-year award of a lapel pin Halton), Rusty Warkman (Stratford), Charles Behm from the GCSAA. Charlie Muylaert was busy with the new (Cherry Hills), Barret Muir (Shanty Bay), Ross Haines construction on the old Pine Valley Golf Course. The new (Brampton), Robert Lamb (Summit), Bob Hall (Toronto course will be called the PGA National. Glen Abbey, in Ladies), John Piccolo (St. Catharines), Paul Scenna (Galt) Oakville, was rumoured in the papers to have been and Gord Witteveen (Northwood) kept everybody informed purchased by the Skyline Hotel and Jack Nicklaus was hired on the latest developments in turfgrass maintenance. to redesign the golf course. Paul White, Superintendent at Kanawaki GC in Montreal, The Greens Chairman/Superintendent Tournament was moved to Glendale GC. Cameron Cairncross was a held on July 20th at the Brampton GC. The team of Paul successful applicant for the head position at the Summit GC. Scenna and Sandy Forbes (Greens Chairman) earned the Rusty Warkman, from Stratford GC, accepted the position of top honours for the day. The Pro/Superintendent superintendent at Oshawa GC. Gord Witteveen and Bob Tournament was held on August 31st at Markland Wood. Hall accepted new positions at the Board of Trade G&CC Low gross superintendent/pro team was from Peterborough and Toronto Ladies GC, respectively. GC and the low net team was Paul Dermott and Jim Ron Allen and Bob French were recipients of scholarships McKitterick from Islington GC. Exactly what you expect at the foundation of an effective rootzone management program. • Balances air to water ratios in the soil profile • Controls rootzone moisture for optimum performance • Corrects LDS and preferential flow • Application flexibility to meet the changing needs of your course 800-257-7797 www.aquatrols.com Turf or consequences by Doug Breen, Superintendent Golf North Properties State of the Game Address It seems like every few months, someone writes another don’t play more than they do. The overwhelming response was article, ruminating and hand wringing about the “state of the a lack of time. It seems that we don’t have the leisure time that game”. Is the number of golfers expanding or declining? Are I was promised by my teacher in grade two. According to Mrs. we adequately serving Junior golf? Why do women always Nethercott, robots and computers would take care of so many of demand a fully stocked proshop, and then buy the same product my mundane duties, that by the time I was forty I’d be free to at the Arizona Bill’s Professional Low Price Town over by the mall for play golf every day. But I don’t even have the leisure time that twenty-two cents less - and tell you about it? We’re always looking Mrs. Nethercott did. for trends that will help us to serve our customers better (and When Ward Cleaver finished work, he went to the club, played make more money). Don’t misunderstand me, because I think eighteen holes, came home to a hot meal, a pipe, and gave a that this kind of market research is crucial, and those who ignore stem lecture to the Beaver about not throwing his football into such warnings do so at their own peril, but I just think that there the neighbour’s flowerbed. The biggest stress in his life was are a couple of significant trends that don’t ever appear in such dealing with Eddie Haskell hitting on his wife. If Ward was articles, or in the surveys that I dutifully fill out when they’re sent around today, he’d be driving Wally and the Beaver to hockey to me. practice, making dinner, attending PTA meetings, and being Take Junior golf for example. Everyone talks about the “engaged” in their education, because June’s got a job and Miss importance of developing the next generation of golfers (read Landers is more interested in the Beaver’s self esteem than customers), but no one actually wants to play behind them. Or whether or not he can read. Ward would be lucky to play once in front of them. Or heaven forefend with them. Actually, many a week on Saturday, and that would have to be nine holes seniors become agitated if anyone under eighteen is anywhere squeezed in between his duties as Cub Scout leader, taking Wally on the property. If there’s a bike in the bike rack, their round is to the math tutor, and the weekly dinner atJune’s first husband’s ruined. People like the idea of Junior golf far more than they parent’s house. Ward doesn’t get to go fishing too much actually like Junior golfers. A program at the course down the anymore either. road; is perfect. So what’s the conclusion of my “state of the game” address? Another well known, but never-spoken-of fact, is that Baby On the positive side, there are more golf courses, in far better Boomers are cheap. Many a golf course was constructed on a condition for people to play than at any time in history. On the business plan that assumed that when all those Boomers playing negative side, unless you’re a senior or a junior you don’t have high-end corporate golf retired, that they would continue to pay any time to play, and neither of those two groups have any for high-end golf with their own money. Ummm, not so much. disposable income (and they hate each other). The folks with Turns out that they’re far more interested in getting their free the cash and desire to play every day are working late most nights coffee refills after they finish mall walking, and pocketing extra to pay for the social services required by the two aforementioned condiments, than they are in golf. And as soon as they started groups, and then running off to watch swimming lessons while retiring en masse, golf could no longer be written off as a they continue to type on their blackberry. The state of golf is business expense. If they weren’t going to have it any more, fine; the state of modem culture is a mess. neither was anyone else! They’re not even interested in low-end golf unless they can bring their own sandwich, a banana, and have a coupon. I’ve recently begun my very own “state of the game” survey. I readily admit that mine isn’t exactly what a statistician would call “scientific”, “accurate”, or even “valid”, but it won’t stop me from publishing my conclusions here (results may vary +/-100%, most of the time). Here’s what I did. I started randomly asking my friends who play the grand old game, why they There’s something on our mind We've been in the turf fertilizer business for more than 15 years, and it shows! When you only have one thing on your mind, you tend to get really good at it. Nu-Gro Golf uses proprietary nitrogen technologies such as Nutralene® Nitroform® and SCU® to give you the best greens, tees, and fairways. Turn to Nu-Gro Golf for maximum results on your high quality turf. Nutralene* and Nitroform* are registered trademarks of Nu-Gro America Corp. SCU* is a registered trademark of Zeneca Corp. www.turfpro.ca The trusted technology behind every bag of Nu-Gro Golf. TURF CARE Introducing New ProCore aeration solutions result One great . Turf Care Products Canada 200 PONY DRIVE, NEWMARKET, ONTARIO L3Y 7B6 • PHONE (905) 836-0988 * FAX (905) 836-6442 London Mississauga Scarborough Gloucester Ph: (519) 668-7664 Ph: (905) 890-6290 Ph: (416) 298-2101 Ph: (613) 822-1881 Fax: (519) 668-3722 Fax: (905) 890-5598 Fax: (416) 298-8758 Fax: (613) 822-2099 The new ProCore 864 and ProCore 1298 large area aerators combine proven coring head technology from our ProCore 648 greens aerator with new innovations in durability to bring you the most productive fairway aerators available today. The new ProCore Processor sweeps, processes and disperses aeration cores in one pass directly behind the ProCore aerator. Count on it. A single operator and tractor can now accomplish the work of many. www.turfcare.ca These innovative new aeration solutions from Toro provide superior results and get your course back in play sooner than ever before. For more information contact your Turf Care Representative.