Fall 2009 Green is Beautiful The Official Publication of Ontario Golf Superintendents ’ Association Audubon After Certification Also inside this issue..... Working With a Board Diagnostics Laboratory Year in Review Year End Tournaments CANADA POST PUBLICATIONS MAIL PUBLICATIONS AGREEMENT No. 40027105 Postmaster: Please return undeliverable copies to The OGSA, 328 Victoria Rd. S., R.R. # 2 Guelph, ON N1H 6H8 The Bottom Line This Winter. Great Results. Fair Price. There are a number of snow mould fungicides available for winter Cash Rebate protection. Terraclor Flowable Fungicide is the only flowable product that delivers great results at a fair price. Terraclor Flowable Fungicide is the best product for your bottom line this winter. Period. $90/case Available on all purchases of Terraclor Flowable made August 1st to Oct 15th, 2009* Contact your retailer or Engage Agro for details. Always read and follow label directions. ‘Contact your Terraclor Flowable Retailer or your Engage Agro rep for 1-866-613-3336 details and registration form. Terraclor® is a registered trademark of Amvac Chemical Corporation. www.engageagro.com President's message Well another year has come and gone, another golf season in the books and planning has begun for 2010. Why is it that every year seems to be getting shorter as well as passing us by quicker? Are we getting older and just not remembering? I know some of us don’t want to remember ONTARIO GOLF SUPERINTENDENTS' but I really think our time has been shifted compared to by Randy Booker ASSOCIATION Otter Creek Golf Club Guelph Turfgrass Institute the past. Routines we were used to have come and gone, 328 Victoria Road South schedules have been changed and the business of the game Guelph, ON N1H6H8 has forced us to rethink certain aspects. We no longer can rely on our past Ph: 519-767-3341 Toll Free: 877-824-6472 knowledge to get us through the future. Environmental issues are on our Fax: 519-766-1704 plates for good and a constant in our daily routine. Proactive thoughts are now Email: ogsa@gti.uoguelph.ca necessary and the norm in order to achieve club success and personal goals. Website: www.golfsupers.on.ca Education and networking have never been more important than the present. BOARD OF DIRECTORS CEU’s, education points or whatever term we want to use are at the forefront of President: Randy Booker our responsibilities. The fall and winter are the times to look after these items Past President: Jeff Stauffer Vice-President: Jeff Alexander and get a start on our 2010 thoughts. Take advantage of every opportunity Treasurer: Chris Andrejicka afforded you to accumulate the needed points for any association status and Secretary: Doug Breen our IPM accreditation process. I invite all of you to attend the 2010 Canadian Directors: Jarrod Barakett International Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show, provided through the joint Phil Brown efforts of the OGSA and CGSA, to be held at the Sheron Centre Toronto, from Rob Gatto Scott Heron February 26th through March 2nd. Once again we have a strong educational Stu Leachman program planned, so be sure to attend as many sessions as you can to achieve Jennifer Pendrith your credits, broaden your knowledge and build on your library of information. Phil Scully It is as equally important to utilize the social and networking opportunities Executive Mgr: Dorothy Hills provided through the associations’ activities. Office Staff: Pat Thomas With winter almost upon us we must take the time to look back at our successes Deborah Badger and failures of the past year. Successes are always a source of personal pride and celebration but more importantly take a good look at your failures. Whether they be a project that didn’t quite turn out as planned, an employee situation that could have been dealt with in a different manner or a simple error in judgment, don’t be afraid to admit your failures as these are truly the experiences that lead to our future successes. I’d be remiss if I didn’t take the opportunity to thank all our member clubs GREEN IS BEAUTIFUL EDITORIAL and their staff that held an event this past year. The strength of the Ontario Golf COMMITTEE Superintendents’ Association is dependent on the membership’s participation Dorothy Hills throughout the year. We also can’t forget to give thanks to all our associate Greig Barker members for their continued support of the OGSA. Once again, through our Tom Brain combined strong voice we continue to be recognized as a leader in the golf Paul Grotier community, not only in Ontario but throughout North America. Jason Hanna Rafik Lang-Bismillah Scott Horsburgh Brett Murray Direct Line 416-659-4020 Fax Line 519-941-0931 Justin Parsons Manager “Green is Beautiful” Andy Sandilands PO. Box 218 is Printed on Recycled Orangeville, ON Paper Green is Beautiful 2009 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 brettmurray@primus.ca in articles contained in this publication, no endorsement is intended or implied by the Ontario Golf Superintendents' Association. Contents Green is AUDUBON AFTER CERTIFICATION ................................................... 64th Alex McClumpha Memorial GolfTournament.................... 18 16 Beautiful The Official Publication of Ontario Golf Superintendents’ Association Above the hole..................................................................................... 24 Assistants Tournament....................................................................... 12 Editorial message ................................................................................ 5 Golf course highlight - Summit Golf & CC.................................... 17 Have you checked your nozzles lately?......................................... 31 Health & safety .................................................................................... 8 Looking back ......................................................................................... 33 Member profile - TIm Steen ............................................................. 15 Off the fairway .................................................................................... 28 On the REEL side of things................................................................ 26 OTRF Celebrates 30th Anniversary at The National GC of Canada .. 11 President's message ........................................................................... 3 Second to one ...................................................................................... 25 Seniors Moment 2009 ........................................................................ 10 Superintendents RecognitionProgram 2009 ................................ 9 Turfgrass Field Seminar New Orleans2009 ................................... 30 Turf or consequences.......................................................................... 34 COVER PICTURE University of Guelph Update............................................................ 22 Rosedale Golf Club What's new............................................................................................. 6 Photo by Cameron Fraser, Working with a board ........................................................................ 20 Assistant Superintendent Advertisers Agrium Advanced Technology - POLYON ProTurf..................... 35 Agrium Advanced Technology - Sales.......................................... 10 Almack Agronomic Services Inc...................................................... 25 Aquatrols............................................................................................... 5 Bartlett Tree Experts - Canada........................................................ 29 Braemar Building Systems............................................................... 13 Burnside Golf Services ...................................................................... 29 OGSA is committed to DCS Agronomic Services .................................................................. 10 serving its members, Douglas Wood Large Tree Services ............................................... 33 advancing their profession, Engage Agro Corporation - Terraclor............................................ 2 Fast Forest ............................................................................................. 25 and GC Duke Equipment .......................................................................... 7 enriching the quality Green Horizons Group of Farms.................................................... 11 of golf H & M Turf Ltd....................................................................................... 3 and its environment. Maple Turf Supply .............................................................................. 29 Master's Turf Supply Ltd.................................................................... 25 Ontario Seed Company ..................................................................... 7 Robert Kains Golf Course Design Ltd............................................ 8 Layout, Design & Printing provided by Turf Care Products Canada - Irrigation Div.................................. 23 G-R-A-P-H-l-C SERVICES PRINTERS & LITHOGRAPHERS Turf Care Products Canada............................................................... 36 Tel: 519.763.5745 • Fax: 519.763.9532 United Agri Products Inc.................................................................... 11 32-34 Essex Street • Guelph, Ontario • N1H 3K8 Vanden Bussche Irrigation ............................................................... 27 e-mail: info@graphicservices.ca Zander Sod Co. Limited.................................................................... 7 www.graphicservices.ca Editorial message this issue Sharon Robinson, In to provide this publication to our members. Watch for them at from Hidden Lakes Golf Club talks the upcoming joint CGSA/OGSA conference and trade show, about Audubon after certification. and take the time to stop by their booths to say hello. Sharon provides an enthusiastic account This issue includes an insert brochure and registration of the efforts taken to maintain their forms to attend the joint conference. If you have already Audubon certification, and has provided received one of these brochures, please pass it along to us with some stunning photos taken someone else at your club, who may not have received a copy. by Dorothy Hills on the course. Andy Sandilands shares As well, there is a sponsorship form offering our Associate his experience working with a Board members an opportunity to partner with the OGSA in of Directors to replace “Old Betsy” with a new, reliable providing an evening of entertainment at Fionn MacCool’s pumping station. Darryl James, from Arborturf Solutions Irish Pub on the evening of Saturday, February 27th. As the asks the question, “Have you checked your nozzles lately?” hosting provincial association, we want to ensure this is a Continued education is an OGSA mandate, and while the special night of fun and camaraderie for our out of province winner of the 2009 Hugh Kirkpatrick Bursary has not yet guests as well as our Ontario members. been determined, Andrew Hardy gives an account of how It is always heartening to know that some of the material he used his winnings from 2008. Once again, our regular provided in Green is Beautiful may have struck a chord with contributors have provided some interesting reads. Daisy some of our readers. On behalf of the Editorial Committee, Moore reminds us that we need to be diligent about tending I encourage you to provide us with your comments and our landscape gardens even in the off season, in order for suggestions. If you have been involved in a construction, them to provide us with a vista of pleasure throughout the environmental, management project or initiative, we year. Warren Wybenga provides a case study on an ailing, encourage you to share your experience with our readers. older model sand trap machine. Doug Johnson warns us to We particularly enjoy submissions about the human interest beware the signs of muscularskeletal disorders, which are side of things, and about some of the unique hobbies and indeed a health and safety issue on the golf course. activities you participate in, away from the course. Feel free Be sure to check out the advertisements from the suppliers to contact any of the editorial committee members, listed on listed on page 4. It is through our associate’s ads that we are able page 3, with your ideas. Protect your turf Protecting turf and plant material from the damaging effects of winter is always a challenge. There are many causes of from the elements. winter damage, among which poor drainage or poor snow cover can be major contributors. • Protects turf and plants exposed to winter weather and salt spray Two tools that help protect against winter problems are • Safe for use on all plants LeafShield anti-desiccant • Economical and easy to use and Revolution soil surfactant. • Moves water off surface to minimize conditions that contribute to pink and gray snow mold • Moves water off surface to minimize potential for ice damage • Keeps soils receptive to water for easy spring start-up www.aquatrois.com Allturf Limited MGS Horticultural Plant Products Limited Serving Ontario Serving Western Ontario Serving Ontario (705) 431-0561 (519) 326-9037 (905) 793-7000 What's new ROYAL OTTAWA GOLF CLUB As a follow up to Alan Dolick’s article in the Spring For Membership Services including database information issue of Green is Beautiful, the Royal Ottawa Golf Club has and “Clippings” achieved designation as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative contact Pat Thomas at ogsa2@gti.uoguelph.ca Sanctuary” through the Aud ubon Cooperative Sanctuary For Accounts Receivable/Payable (incl. member dues) Program for golf courses, and Audubon International contact Deb Badger at ogsa3@gti.uoguelph.ca Program. Alan Dolick, Assistant Course Superintendent has led the effort to obtain sanctuary status on the course and is being recognized for Environmental Stewardship ONTARIO GOLF SUPERINTENDENTS' ASSOCIATION by Audubon International. Congratulations to Alan 2008-2009 END OF YEAR REPORTS Dolick and the Royal Ottawa Golf Club! The following is a list of the OGSA reports, required for the Annual General Meeting to be held March 2nd, HERITAGE AWARD WINNER 2010 at 7:30 AM., at the Sheraton Centre Toronto. These Congratulations to Michael Trainor, who is OGSA’s reports will be available on our website by January 1, 2009 Heritage Award winner. Michael, the son of OGSA 2009. member Rhod Trainor, Superintendent at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club is working towards a degree in • Director Election Notice. engineering, at the University of Waterloo. Michael will • End of Year Audited Financial Statements for period be recognized at our awards luncheon to be held at the October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Canadian International Turfgrass Conference and Trade • End of Year Director Portfolio Reports. Show on Sunday, February 28, 2010. • Minutes from Annual General Meeting held Thursday, MEMBERSHIP NEWS January 22, 2009. OGSA Member Services tries its best to give our According to our bi-laws these reports can be membership prompt service and current information on accessed, as soon as they are available, on our web site their fellow members and their profession. In order to do www.golfsupers.on.ca. this we need your help. Please make sure that all of your Log into the Members Only section and go to “Member contact information is current and up to date, including News”. They will be posted by January 1st. If you have a your email address. ‘Clippings’ is an email bulletin that problem accessing them, please call the office. You will goes out every Wednesday afternoon. We send this out be advised in our e-bulletin Clippings when these reports as a bulk email to all members at once, and some servers are available for viewing. assume that it is ‘spam’ and delete it. If you are not receiving this email, please contact the office to verify that The package can also be viewed at our offices at: your email address is correct. 328 Victoria Road South, RR 2 Guelph, ON N1H 6H8 Membership dues invoices are now past due. If you have not already received your dues invoice would you If you require a hard copy of these reports please notify please contact the office to ensure that your invoice was Dorothy Hills at the office and a package will be mailed to sent to your current address. you. Toll Free (877) 824-6472 or (519) 767-3341. (877) 727-2100 (416) 364-5700 www.zandersod.com Welcome! OGSA Welcomes our newest members John Anderson Class A Talbot Trail Golf Club Taylor Cairns Class F Top Quality Turf Products for over 50 Years Glen Abbey Golf Club Bobby Christie Class A No. 1 Kentucky Bluegrass * Bentgrass * Extreme Fescue Baxter Creek Golf & CC Custom Grown Sod Available Paul Halk Class C Donalda Club Richard Heffering Class A Newcastle Golf Club Brian Holman Class F Premium Products for all Cobble Beach Golf Links Ryan Mackness Class F Your Turf Needs Barrie Country Club PO Box 7 David Mossip Class A Waterloo, ON N2J 3Z6 Bellmere Winds Golf Club Tele 519-886-0557 Amy Parps Class F Fax 519-886-0605 Wyldewood Golf Course Neil Smith Class C 1-800-465-5849 Cornwall Golf & CC www.oscturf.com Jeff Thomas Class F Cobble Beach Golf Links Paul Wilson Class A Napanee Golf & CC GET INDUSTRY'S BEST SPREAD EVERY TIME. IT'S AS EASY AS A-B-C with the WIDESPIN™ 1540EC TOPDRESSER Gain Unlimited Programming Flexibility with Three Lockable Presets Ultra-light application covers up to 40 feet. Patented three-position switch guarantees a clean application. Switches easily from light to heavy spreads and everything in between. Perfect medium application. Burlington Area: 905-637-5216 ISO 9001 REGISTERED Toronto Area: 905-338-2404 1184 Plains Road East Ml Other Ontario Areas: 800-883-0761 Burlington, ON L7S 1W6 www.gcduke.com Heavy application for after aerifying. Health & safety Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSIs) For many years now we have observed and may give you an indication of a potential been hearing more and more about MSI concern. It is important to realize that the pain and ergonomic injuries such as carpal tunnel, suffering associated with MSIs impairs the injured workers back injuries and various shoulder ability to work and disrupts many of the normal activities injuries. In Ontario all these injuries of daily life. are grouped under the classification of Many early signs or symptoms of MSIs are not by DougJohnson musculoskeletal injuries or MSIs. recognized or reported. Often workers will work in pain. SAFETAID and Health Many workers suffer from MSIs. MSIs are They will not report the early signs of MSIs as they either and Safety Consulting First Aid and Safety disorders of the bones, joints, ligaments, do not recognize them or they are trying to keep up with Supplies and WHMIS tendons, muscles and other soft tissues of other workers. To reduce the possibility of WSIB claims Training the body. These disorders develop over for MSIs you need to understand the issues yourself and time as a result of the cumulative effects to ensure that your managers, supervisors and workers are of repetitive, stressful or awkward movements that wear aware of the signs that might lead to an MSI. Each human down the musculoskeletal system. Injuries can range body is unique and will react differently to the stresses of from very minor all the way to totally debilitating. MSIs work and the work environment. Workers may experience are often described as lower back pain or other disorders many different signs or symptoms associated with the of the back, carpal tunnel syndrome, bursitis, tendonitis, development of MSIs, including pain, discomfort, fatigue, white fìnger, and sprains and strains. swelling, tingling, numbness, and shooting pain down the Recently, studies have shown that about 30% of all legs and buttocks. injuries are classified as MSIs. In light of the frequency of Many MSIs are preventable. Designing work and MSIs the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) workstations to fit worker’s physical capabilities is essential. has an initiative to reduce the frequency and severity of Workers possess a great deal of knowledge about their these injuries. jobs and their capabilities, so they should have input The WSIB wants employers and workers to think into workstation design. Workers must also be trained about the work situation and the hazards. The only way in proper work procedures for specific tasks. These to eliminate or reduce hazards is to first recognize that procedures must be properly designed and should be hazards exist. Although we often think that this is the periodically reviewed by the Joint Health and Safety responsibility of the employer everyone must understand Committee or health and safety representative. that this is everyone’s responsibility. Employers, managers, The simple rule is; “fit the job to the worker, not the supervisors and workers must understand that each one worker to the job”. has a responsibility to recognize the potential for MSIs. If you have questions or concerns give me a call. Have To be able to identify potential MSIs every workplace a great autumn. participant must be aware of the types of things that could cause an MSI - things like repetitive motion that requires the use of the same muscles over and over again or asking SAFETAID workers to accomplish more than is reasonable for their Making safety your 1st priority! capabilities. T. 519-837-0997 • F. 519-837-1996 When you think of MSIs it is important to look at the Consulting, Safety and First Aid Supplies tasks to see if there is an excessive amount of pulling, doug@safetaid.ca pushing or lifting that is required to complete the job. Do the tasks require workers to adopt awkward or uncomfortable postures, including bending, reaching, or Robert Kains Golf Course Design Ltd. working with a wrist in an awkward position? Do workers spend a lot of time sitting or standing or reaching above their shoulders? Are workers exposed to hand-arm and/ or whole-body vibration? All these issues should be looked Providing the Canadian and International golf communities at and evaluated. with a progressive design philosophy and dedication to quality During your observations make note of how workers feel. Do workers tell you that their neck and/or shoulders hurt or ache? Or is there an indication that workers are 201 - 902 8th Street Phone: 403-678-6980 Canmore, Alberta Fax: 403-678-3841 experiencing numbness or tingling in their hands and Canada Email: kains@kainsgolfdesign.com T1W2B8 Web: www.kainsgolfdesign.com fingers? These are a few of the symptoms that might be SUPERINTENDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM 2009 This program has been very well received by both competitors and the Golf Association of Ontario, and is critical to promoting the profession of the golf course superintendent and their professionalism within the golf industry. If any member has any input they would like to contribute toward the continued success of this program please speak to any OGSA director. Jim Burlington & Jason Boyce Matt Hallman & Trevor Morvay Bill Julie & Jennifer Pendrith Jerry Richard & Doug Breen Randy Booker & Rick Piccolo Steven Muys & Rob Gatto Tournament Host Supt. Golf Course Presenter Ontario Men’s Mid-Amateur Jim Burlington Loyalist Country Club Jason Boyce Championship Ontario Jr. & Juvenile Boys’ Matt Hallman Whistle Bear Golf Club Trevor Morvay Championship Ontario Women’s Amateur Bill Julie Wildfire Golf Club Jennifer Pendrith Championship Ontario Men’s Amateur Jerry Richard Craigowan (Oxford) Doug Breen Championship G&CC Ontario Jr. & Juvenile Girls’ Bill Kuzmich Barcovan Golf Club (Bill not available) Championship Senior Women’s Amateur Rick Piccolo Paris Grand Golf Club Randy Booker Championship Senior Men’s Amateur Steven Muys Twenty Valley Golf Club Rob Gatto Championship Ontario Women’s Mid-Amateur Owen Russell Markland Wood CC (Owen not available) Championship SENIORS MOMENT 2009 The 3rd Annual Seniors Tournament for OGSA members was held at Mono Hills Golf Club July 16th, 2009. Our hosts, Doug Suter and Alan Beeney, provided a perfect day for golf. There were 32 players tackling the course with special guests Dr. Clayton Switzer and Norm McCollum. Results for the event were as follows: 1st Low Gross - 78 - Rod Hermitage, AgTurf 1st Low Net - 66 - Simon (Sandbag) George, Maple Turf Supply 2nd Low Gross - 80 - Bill Fach, Black Bear Ridge GC 2nd Low Net - 70 - Ken Wright, Devils Pulpit 3rd Low Gross - 80 - Robbie Robinson, Hidden Lake GC 3rd Low Net - 72 - R.T Heron, retired Rookie of the Year Award - Teri Yamada, TY Environmental Strategies Our sincere thanks go out to Ron Craig, Turf Care Products Ltd. and to Jim Torrance from Mono Hills Golf Club for their continued support. As well, our thanks go to Head Chef, Pelino Scenna for manning the BBQ. Back Row (L-R):_R.T. Heron, Simon George, Dave Stevens, Don Crymble, Barry Endicott, Jim Torrance, Bruce Dodson, Dave Smith, Kimmo Salonen, Rae Murray, Bernie MacDonald, Dr. Clayton Switzer, Bob Cowan, Norm McCollum, Rod Hermitage, Dennis McCracken, Ken Wright, Doug Suter. Front Row (L-R):_Jim Wyllie, Robbie Robinson, Bill Fach, Tom Murphy, Bob Brewster, Pelino Scenna, Teri Yamada, John Piccolo, Ken Nelson, Keith Stephenson, Paul Dermott, Al Beeney, Mark Schneider. Missing from Photo: Paul White and Ron Craig Doug Hubble Sales and Marketing Manager 519.770.3157 dhubble@agriumat.com David C. Smith, P.Ag., C.G.C.S 185 Oriole Crescent John Bladon Soil & Turfgrass Consultant Gravenhurst, Ontario IPM Coordinator / Technical Sales P1P1C6 519.574.2013 Office (705) 687-SOIL (7645) jbladon@agriumat.com Fax (705) 687-3518 Toll Free 1-888-607-TURF (8873) dave@dcsturf.com www.turfpro.ca Cell (905) 512-6004 OTRF CELEBRATES 30th ANNIVERSARY AT THE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB OF CANADA A spectacular day of golf and celebration was enjoyed success of the event should also be acknowledged to the by turf industry and golf superintendents at the annual staff at the club for their outstanding hospitality. A warm Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation’s fundraising golf thank you is also extended to all golfers and sponsors who tournament. The tough course at The National Golf Club participated in the success of the OTRF’s 30th Anniversary of Canada proved to be a true challenge for all participants. celebration. For most, the high scores were soon forgotten as players either enjoyed the unique food and beverage stations or were distracted by the Toronto Raptor’s mascot taking his turn around the course. This annual fundraising event provided a number of industry partners the platform to significantly contribute to the OTRF’s mandate of supporting turf research in Ontario. Congratulations to Turf Care Financial and The National Golf Club of Canada, this year’s platinum sponsors. With their support, participants were treated to an exceptional golfing experience. A special thanks to OTRF Director and Superintendent, Chris Dew for hosting this fabulous tournament. The L-R Kevin Ottman (Turf Care), Randy Booker (Otter Creek GC), Gord OTRF extends its appreciation to The National Golf Club Somerville (Enviro- Sol) & David Stevens (Beaverbrook GC) of Canada for their donation of the club for the day. The More Weed Control. Less Weeding. SPECIALTY GRASSES: A Big Hit This Year! 3-Way Blend Bentgrass, A4 Bentgrass Blend, Dominant Extreme All season weed control. Casoron®G4 Creeping Bentgrass Blend, Premium Bluegrass Fescue Blend, G-Con, L-93, Pure Fine Fescue, Low Mow Bluegrass, T1 Bentgrass, Gain more time next spring One application. Tall Fescue. As well as our standard 3-D Sod Blend Reduce costly hand weeding around tree bases with one easy-to-use granular herbicide. Casoron G4 provides economical residual season-long control of more than Visit us at 30 different weeds and grasses. It is easy justSodit.com to measure and apply, and requires no in season re-application, so you will have more time for all your other important tasks. COMPACT SOD (519) 653-7494 NIAGARA SOD (905) 984-8448 For more information see your turf supplier or visit www.uap.ca. CAMBRIDGE ST CATHARINES West: 1 -800-561 -5444 Ontario & Maritimes: 1 -800-265-5444 HAMILTON SOD (905) 389-1315 HALTON SOD (905) 878-1011 BC: 1 -604-534-8815 Quebec: 1 -800-361 -9369 HAMILTON / BURLINGTON MILTON * Casoron G4 is a registered trademark of Chemtura Co./Cie. Always read and follow label directions. 9039 08.09 ONTARIO SOD (905) 849-1915 ONTARIO SOD (905) 450-5715 OAKVILLE BRAMPTON Our thanks goes out to all of the service staff at Pipers ASSISTANTS TOURNAMENT Heath for a great experience and special recognition to by Alan Dolick photos by Dorothy Hills Superintendent, Tim Muys and Assistant Superintendent, Blake Sicard for the wonderful playing conditions enjoyed by everyone who participated. L-R Tim Muys, Graeme Calder (tournament chairman), and Blake Sicard This year’s edition of the Assistants Tournament was Congratulations to the winning team with a -11 (61) by played at the beautiful Pipers Heath Golf Club in Hornby, retrogression. Ontario. Opened in the summer of 2007, Piper’s Heath is a stunning 18-hole championship course designed by renowned golf course architect, Graham Cooke. Winning Team L-R Paul Grovesnor (St. Thomas G&CC), Nick Graham Pat Anderson & Tim Hornick (all from Riverbend GC) with John Bladon (Agrium) L-R Peter Sojak, Assistant Superintendent, Brampton Golf & CC with John Bladon from Agrium Congratulation to Peter Sojak, the winner of the Agrium all inclusive paid trip to Farm Links. ASSISTANTS TOURNAMENT ...continued from page 12 As well as our key sponsors, the OGSA would like to THANK YOU SPONSORS ! thank all of the wonderful companies who donated prizes to make our tournament a success. PLATINUM SPONSOR AGRIUM ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES GOLD SPONSORS TURF CARE PRODUCTS CANADA SILVER SPONSORS G.C. DUKE EQUIPMENT LTD. BAYER ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE NUTRITE and ONTARIO SEED CD. 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 CGSA/OGSA 2010 Joint Conference 43rd Annual Canadian International Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show brought to you through the joint efforts of the CGSA and the OGSA Mark your calendars now! February 26th to March 2nd 2010 Toronto Sheraton Centre Opening Ceremonies with keynote speaker, Peter Mansbridge Sunday February 28th at 8:00 am OGSA SOCIAL FIONN MacCOOL’S IRISH PUB SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27th 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM (just a few minutes underground walk from the Sheraton Hotel) LIVE BAND CONTEST (must be there to win) SURPRISE PRESENTATION - Indicate your attendance on the conference registration form. - If you are bringing a spouse please call the OGSA office to advise. - Don’t be disappointed. Register now. Space is limited. - Open to the first 250 people who register. - Look for your tickets and directions when you pick up,your registration package. SEE YOU THERE! Canadian International Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show www.golfsupers.on.ca Member profile Interview with Tim Steen Technical Representative, Engage Agro by Justin Parsons, Assistant Superintendent Trafalgar Golf & Country Club For those of you who know Tim Steen, you are probably already aware that he is tall, blonde and a pretty good skater. But did you know that he was born in Tiverton, Ontario? Or how about that he was a relief milker on a dairy farm during a summer in his youth? I’ll bet you had no idea that he has been a cutter skidder operator or that he lived in Atlanta for a year. Please allow me to elaborate. Born in Tiverton in the mid 70’s, Tim Steen’s first experience in the turf industry did not come for another 20 years when he began working at the Saugeen Golf Club in Port Elgin, Ontario. He worked there for three months before starting the Golf Course Technician Program at Seneca College in 1996. Now, I know what you are thinking, and yes, he was indeed a part of the esteemed graduating class of 1998. After finishing school, he became the assistant superintendent at Victoria Park East Golf Club under Superintendent, Dave DeCorso. Steen says that he learned a lot about the turf industry during this time and he credits DeCorso for helping to shape his career. It was here that he would meet Steve Barton, an NHL linesman. He encouraged Steen to start officiating hockey. Over the next few years, in addition to working on a golf course, Steen officiated in the OHA and then the UHL. His next step in the turf industry came in 2003 when he became the superintendent at Victoria Park Golf Club West. During the fall of that year, Steen’s career took an interesting turn. He moved to Atlanta to officiate in the East Coast Hockey League. Despite being a national prospect, Steen realized that he did not want his career to take away from his family life. As a result, he moved back home in 2004 and took a job with Vanden Bussche Irrigation. Shortly after, Steen and his wife Emmi started a family with their son Madden who is now 5. Two years later, they would welcome their daughter, Abbey. Currently, Steen works for Engage Agro as a Technical Representative. He is also officiating 80 games a year as a linesman in the OHL and as a referee in the OHA. He lists attending the Presidents Cup in 2007 and playing Pinehurst No. 2 following the 2005 U.S. Open among the highlights of his professional career thus far. Steen says that his favourite part of the job with Engage is observing the day to day management practices put in place by superintendents and their staff. “I really enjoy seeing how they solve problems.” When talking with him it is quite clear that he thrives on being a part of this industry and our association. “It’s just a great bunch of individuals.” "In the Hot Seat" • Favourite major: U.S. Open • Best piece of turf equipment ever: Sisis Verticutter • Ultimate foursome: Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Tiger Woods • Lowest round ever and where: 76 at Ariss Valley • Favourite Course Outside of Canada: Pinehurst #2 • Favourite meal: Steak • Favourite movie: Braveheart • What’s in your CD right now: Raffi • Rate your lawn on a scale of 1-10: 6 and a half (“Please let me use herbicides”) • What would you be if not involved in the turf industry: Something to do with hockey 64th ALEX MCCLUMPHA MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT Photos by Dorothy Hills Superintendent over 50 with low gross John Gall with 74 John Gall wins the George Darou Trophy presented by Paul Cooper from Turf Care. Thanks to Turf Care’s donation, John went home with a Toro snow blower. Flight A Low Gross John Gall ( 74 retrogression) Low Net Martin Kopp (64) Longest Drive Gary Stadnek Closest to the Pin Doug Erwin Flight B Low Gross TJ. Rule (79) The intermittent rain and wind were not enough to Low Net Mike Kehoe (67) dampen the spirits of the 120 people who gathered to Longest Drive Doug Zweep play at the Summit Golf & Country Club, on October Closest to the Pin Vic Woodley 5th. Located on 259 acres of land centrally located, the Summit offers a remarkably beautiful retreat from the city. Any Player The elevated tees provide an incredible vista of its natural surroundings. We would like to thank the entire Summit staff for their hospitality and help in organizing this event. A special thanks goes to Superintendent, Phil Brown and his greens staff for providing us with a great conditioned golf course; it was a treat to play. Closest to the Pin Mike Pellerin L-R Mike Kehoe (Nutrite), TJ. Rule (Burnsides), Martin Kopp (Brampton G&CC, John Gall (Cherry Hill GC) Thank you to all those who donated prizes for the raffle. Your contributions are very much appreciated and go a long way to making this event a big success: Almack Agronomic Services • Burnside Golf Services Phil Brown is presented the Host Superintendent Plaque by Jennifer Engage Agro • Enviro-Sol • Plant Products Pendrith Vanden Bussche Irrigation • Warkworth Golf Club Golf course highlight Summit Golf & Country Club 11901 Yonge Street Richmond Hill ON L4E 3N9 Phone: 905 884-5234 Website: www.golfsummit.com Golf Course Superintendent: Phil Brown Email: pbrown@golfsummit.com Photo by Phil Brown COURSE PROFILE What region is your club located in? What major tournaments held? COURSE PROJECTS & PLANS York Region Canadian Amateur Canadian Senior Match Play What projects have you recently completed? What is the classification of your club? Installation of golf course drinking Private What type of irrigation system? fountains. Size of membership and number of rounds? Rainbird Irrigation 600 members and 28,000 rounds What long range plans for renovation do you What is the size of your maintenance shop? have in the next five years? Typical opening and closing dates? 9,000 ft2 Plans are yet to be determined, but April 21 opening What is the size of the greens, tees & preparations are being made for our until November 21 fairways? centennial year. Name of Superintendent Greens: 150,000 ft2 Are there any particular challenges you face Phil Brown Tees: 120,000 ft2 with your property? Fairways: 25 acres Annual challenge: Summit is not a course How long have you been a superintendent? 18 years - 14 years at Summit What is your predominant grass? that winters well. Summit is located 700 ft Poa Bent above Lake Ontario. 14 holes are situated List other accomplishments How many USGA greens and loam greens? in a valley surrounded by tall trees and trap OGSA Director 4 USGA Greens in cold air. The sandy soil freezes quickly. How long have you been an OGSA member? All the things that make the course so 2 California Greens 22 years beautiful also cause a situation where ice 12 Original Push-up Greens How many year round staff? forms for long periods of time and is 7 What is the predominant soil type? difficult to remove. Sandy How many seasonal staff? Do you have any success stories? 18 What equipment do you have in inventory? 4 tractors Installation of a complete automated How many mechanics and assistants? 1 JCB loader irrigation system with 750 individually Assistant: Jamie Roberts 1 Jacobsen AR5 controlled heads on a sandy soil with Mechanic: Joe Rush 1 Jac AR3 900,000 gallons of water holding 2 Jac LF 3400 capacity.. .no creek, no river, no stream. 1 Jac Tri- King Just one well that produces 150 gpm. This 3 Jac Greens Kings was a huge turning point for Summit. COURSE STATISTICS Extensive tree program that provided an 8 Jac Flex Walkers 4 PGR Walkers improved growing environment. How many holes? 1 Jac 72” Rotary Swales that directed spring runoff around 19 2 Tru-Turf Speed Rollers greens. What is the yardage from back & forward tees? 3 Jac aerifiers Implemented a complete equipment 6400 yards from back tees 1 Toro Procore aerifier leasing program 12 years ago which 5200 yards from forward tees 1 GA-60 aerifier balanced our finances yearly and provided How many bunkers? 1 Turfco topdresser the necessary tools to do an efficient job. 30 1 Vertidrain 2 -300 gallon Cushman sprayers Installed a closed-loop double-station wash How many ponds, and/or how many times 2 Cushmans dumpsters pad, complete with fuel separator, does water come into play? 10 EZ go carts chemical spill recapture, chemical storage 1 pond comes into play 3 times 2 supertilt trailers as well as an eye and shower washing Who was the original architect? Brouwer Vac station. George Cummings (1912) 2 Jac tractor mount blowers I have been successful/persistent/ remodeled by Stanley Thompson (1918) 1 Buffalo blower innovative....and I can’t forget lucky in What was the year of original construction? Duel Express grinders my approach and philosophy of removing 1912 Hydra- Lift winter ice. I don’t want to jinx myself! Audubon After Certification by Sharon Robinson Hidden Lake Golf Club Having Hidden Lake Golf Club designated as a invited to speak at a Hamilton Harbour Watershed Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary has meant monitoring and research workshop. a lot to us. It had required years of time, effort, money, and change for everyone. Was it worth it? Probably the most important factor of Audubon Certification is that we are recognized as competent environmental managers. There has been so much negative publicity about pesticides use and how golf courses are horrible for the environment. Certification has brought a positive change. During and following Certification, we have worked with and financially supported a wildlife conservation group. As recognized environmental stewards, we have spoken at greenkeeper/conservation seminars, Not that certification has been a silver bullet. We and have been invited to plan and speak at others. have found that educating others about our efforts Incidentally, when we speak to individuals, we try also includes educating them about the program. to inform them of what a beneficial plant turfgrass The value of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary is. In fact, it is the most beneficial landscape plant Program for Golf Courses has been questioned by period. We remind them that it is highly drought many people (even people knowledgeable in the field resistant, filters air and water, provides tremendous of conservation) because of their misconception that amounts of oxygen to the atmosphere while at the certification is self-regulated. In fact, in order to same time consuming carbon dioxide, and prevents maintain certification, re-certification is done every erosion. We have spoken to a local interest group two years, with the first recertification involving a about our conservation work. We have had students tour of the course by an independent third-party ranging in age from primary grades to university reviewer. This reviewer could be a member of students visit the course and learn about the actual the local government, a non-profit environmental work that we have done. One Environmental studies organization, a university science or turfgrass group from Guelph University did their colloquium department, etc. The reviewer cannot have any on water quality on our ponds. We were part of 2002 stake in the property or in the Audubon designation. Communities in Bloom and had local dignitaries visit Results of the visit along with past documentation our property. We were the first golf course that was provided by the property, are reviewed by Audubon International. The decision to award re-certification rests solely with the Audubon staff. Did we do conservation work before the Audubon Sanctuary program came into effect? Of course we did. But the program pushed us farther. We naturalized 41 acres on our property that were previously manicured from edge to edge, and our course is now more environmentally beautiful. We have much more new and abundant wildlife. These areas are teeming with wildlife from foxes to frogs. Insects abound. Birds feed and nest. It is wonderful. As I mentioned in the beginning, certification took years of time, effort, money and change. In a world of both problematic economics and weather, doing the paper work requires discipline. Without it however, there is no documentation to substantiate what we have done. If we as a golf course can provide 41 acres of wildlife habitat amongst our fairways, tees, and greens, good for us. Another benefit is that the look of these naturalized areas changes throughout the year. The spring is green. Early summer the grass waves in the wind. Later the colours change to red and gold. Water test results show an improvement in water quality because of the naturalized changes that we have made. We use less fuel, pesticides, machinery, and require less staff. An insufficient water supply is an ongoing provincial concern. Over the years, we have planted over 5,000 trees. Previously, great pines, elms and white oaks covered the countryside. Snow accumulated in the woods and the floor of the forest was porous. Shade from the great trees allowed the snow to melt slowly. Cleared land allows flooding in the spring and results in dry creek beds for the rest of the season. By planting more than 5,000 trees, our course has benefited the The Pesticide Act is there. Audubon is also. environment. Can’t do that with a number of other The choice is ours. choices for land use.... WORKING WITH A BOARD by Andy Sandilands, Superintendent Black Diamond Golf Club As I sit here and write this article, I do so coming into that a diesel motor half buried in mud that was gobbling my fourth summer at my current position, but only my 400 litres of fuel per day was not the most efficient way of third summer that I did not lay awake nights worrying getting water to their course. whether the golf course was receiving water or not. I must preface this by saying; this was my first superintendent’s job in which I was responsible for meeting with and educating a diverse ownership group. I use the word educating because this is the best tool I have in order to convey the needs of the golf course to this group. During my first year I had the daunting task of presenting many unfavourable situations to a group of people who were all new to the golf course ownership business and some new to golf period. This same group also made up the Board of Directors. My first order of business was to inform the group that their course must remain closed and unprofitable for an extra month, in an already cash strapped spring, followed by informing them that their one year old course required a new pump station to the tune of about $250,000. Pretty tough words to swallow, coming from the “new guy”. I was starting to be known by some of the owners as the Grimm Reaper and they were very open about telling me so. This is where my ability as a turfgrass professional was turning into a turfgrass educator. My job as a superintendent is not Fortunately for me, or unfortunately depending on how just to tell these people what I need, but to explain and you look at it, mid way through an aerification day with a educate them on why the golf course may benefit from a heavy topdress in place the pump decided to shut down. given expense. What I found to be most helpful in dealing After a brief troubleshooting period we discovered the with the group was getting to know each one of them as problem was merely a small tear in the diaphragm of the an individual and to find out what each one was looking primer pump however, the part was going to take 3 days for from their investment. With this knowledge I was able to get. Needless to say, we had an ownership meeting the to tailor my presentations to the group to encompass the following day to display the exceptionally heat stressed information needs of the entire group while providing greens. Obviously not daunted, their comments were tidbits of knowledge to satisfy each owner individually. very positive in nature and a lot of confidence expressed This is the biggest benefit, in my opinion, to dealing with in the forms of “we have faith in you and your staff" and “it's a group of owners or Board of Directors; you have an supposed to rain in the next couple of days anyways". Three opportunity to present yourself and your knowledge to a days later, once the pump was running, my very dedicated group of individuals all with different questions and ideas staff spent many hours tied to the end of a hose. of their own. The more questions that are asked the more O.K. back to the sleepless nights wondering if old Betsy informed they all become, and the more informed they had indeed made it through a successful watering cycle, are the easier their decisions become. when in rolls a nice hot August day. We fire old Betsy up Although getting answers or decisions from a board for the night but low and behold the engine runs but the can sometimes take longer than most of us would like, I pump will not rotate. It turns out the clutch finally gave have found that with proper information and education in. After a quick call to the manufacturer we learn that sessions the right decisions are much more attainable. The the clutch will be shipped from Italy in about a week. We first task I had in the selling of this pump was to show them phone a company in Toronto that says they can retrofit a clutch to it and be ready in five days. At this point this is the only option we have, so out comes the pump and we get it towed away to Toronto. The weather for the next week looks blistering hot without a drop of rain in sight, no problem, one of the owners will make a quick drive to Windsor to pick up a PTO pump, and another will loan us his lOOhp tractor to run the pump. This was now becoming quite an inconvenience to some of the owners. This remedy was enough to keep the greens and tees alive but the fairways were not looking their best. Now the board was really starting to take notice as play was getting interrupted due to the inconvenience of having to water in the day. Fairways were looking extremely poor and I’m pretty sure my staff and I were looking a little frazzled. Eventually, we got our pump back and a board meeting was called to discuss the issues at hand. After some spirited discussions and some first hand looks at the damage caused to the golf course the decision was made to limp through the rest of the season with our existing setup and begin installation of a new pump over the winter. So after 1 concrete pad, 1 armour stone wall and a 1 kilometre of trench through the golf course for power we finally installed our pump in the following spring. The whole process was quite long and definitely challenging, but a well educated board was my best ally in the decision making process and ultimately made the best decision possible. University of Guelph update Year End Review Here we are again at the end were that of etiolated tiller syndrome (ETS) and plant- of the season and it is kind of hard parasitic nematodes. Etiolated tiller syndrome is a by Dr. Katerina Jordan, to believe that it is already over. This phenomenon that has been observed in the past couple Assistant Professor was a very strange year as many of you of years in Ontario where individual turfgrass blades will likely recall. We started with some grow taller than their neighbours and take on a chlorotic Department ofPlant pretty bad winter damage throughout or even whitish appearance (Fig. 1). The cause of ETS Agriculture, U of G the province, regardless of location is still relatively unknown, although there are numerous kjordan@uoguelph.ca and in some cases winter preparation. theories on the possible reason behind these strange This was made worse by very cool symptoms. It is believed that the symptoms are the result temperatures through the spring and much of the summer. of the presence of gibberellic acid (GA), which is the It had some people wondering if summer was every going hormone responsible for cell elongation in the plant. to come. Unfortunately, it really made renovations and Its presence could be due to microbial activity beneath repairs from the winter damage difficult as the conditions the soil’s surface or possibly as a result of plant growth did not favour bentgrass germination and growth. The regulator use combined with the application of bio­ one consolation was that disease activity was pretty low for stimulants. However, these are just theories at this point much of the season. as in-depth research on this disorder has not yet been At the start of the season, in addition to the winter published. injury, we saw the usual suspects - some yellow patch (Rhizoctonia cerealis), Microdochium patch (Microdochium nivale) and take-all patch (Gaeumannomyces graminis). The cool temperatures allowed these pathogens to persist well into the season, and especially the take-all patch also made it difficult for overseeding repairs to be successful. We also saw some Pythium root dysfunction and early bouts of localized dry spot but neither were as prevalent as in the previous seasons. As the temperatures started to rise we still had wet conditions, at least in the surface layer of the soil. This brought some samples of anthracnose basal rot (ABR) {Colletothchum cereale) as well as non-parasitic disorders such as black layer and algae. Anthracnose basal rot occurs under cool, wet conditions and is very difficult to manage once it starts to spread. It is also often an indicator of some other stress, most often low mowing height or infection with another pathogen. The long awaited arrival of summer finally came in Fig. 1 Photo courtesy of Matthew Legg, Assistant Superintendent, mid-August. Temperatures increased, almost reaching Weston Golf & Country Club the high 20s, and the rainfall subsided. During that time, we started seeing some evidence of summer patch Another issue that appeared to occur more often than {Magnaporthe poae), although the occurrence was quite low usual this season was symptom development as a result and most of the cases were mild in nature. The higher of the plant-parasitic nematodes. These microscopic temperatures also led to a few cases of leaf spot - mostly organisms feed on the root tissue and predispose the Drechslera, causing red leaf spot. However, as the rainfall plants to other stresses and diseases and at very high ceased in early September, many of the moisture-loving numbers, are likely responsible for the development of diseases slowed down and a number of superintendents symptoms on their own. These symptoms are rather non­ went into the fall with relatively healthy turf. There were descript and difficult to pin down to a cause as they include cases of dollar spot (Sclerotinia homoeocarpd) throughout random chlorosis and thinning, often accompanied by the season, but as usual, we did not receive too many cases intolerance to drought and other stress (Fig. 2). My in the lab as most superintendents can recognize this first summer in the diagnostic lab in 2006, I did some disease rather easily. random sampling of golf course samples for the presence Two conditions that we did see a few times this season of parasitic nematodes but did not find many courses that had high population levels. This year, however, All in all, it was a quiet year in the diagnostic laboratory. I have been able to confirm at least four courses that We had a lot of samples with abiotic disorders rather had inordinately high levels of stunt, root-knot and/or than the presence of pathogens, and many of those could cyst nematodes in their soils. All of these courses had be attributed to excess thatch levels, constant moisture symptoms that developed during a period of drought, (either due to irrigation practices or due to natural when the damaged roots could not supply needed water rainfall) and excess soil layering. The combination of and nutrients to the plant. Four locations may not seem these issues on golf course greens led to reduced water like much, but in each case, we were dealing with a golf infiltration, shallow rooting and subsequently dead turf. course that had unexplained symptoms and no evidence Thank you all again for your support of the laboratory of other pathogens were found. On trying to solve what and if you have any comments or concerns, we would love the issue was, I did nematode extractions and each time to hear from you. We are always striving to improve our found very high levels of these pests. I am guessing that service, but we cannot know what is lacking or needed there may be many other courses out there that have been without your suggestions. Please be on the lookout for an experiencing unexplained symptoms of thinning and online survey in the near future to answer some questions weakened turf but have not had their soils screened for about our service and what we can do to improve it for the the presence of nematodes. industry. I hope that you will take the time to give us some feedback so that we may better serve you in the future. Finally, if you have turf that is weak or symptomatic of a disease or a disorder, please feel free to call with questions or send us a sample. You can reach me at 519-824-4120 x 56615 or via e-mail at kjordan@uoguelph.ca. You can also try the diagnostic lab at 519-824-4120 x 58873 or by e-mail at diagnostics@guelphturfgrass.ca. Until then, enjoy the rest of the season and best of luck with your winter preparations this year. May you have a restful winter! Fig. 2 Nematode damage at the start of symptom development (left) and once symptoms become more severe (right) Photo by Katerina Jordan. Toro's DTSeries Sprinklers TURF CARE The Toro DT Series Sprinkler brings together over 40 years of golf irrigation knowledge with the most The most advanced, most durable recent advances in technology and and most flexible golf sprinkler water management. From top to bottom, the DT Series Sprinkler is built for today’s golf courses. the best choice among standard golf sprinklers. For more information Contact your Turf Care sales representative. Turf Care Products Canada 200 PONY DRIVE, NEWMARKET, ON L3Y 7B6 PHONE (905) 836-0988 • FAX (905) 836-6442 1-800-561-8873 London Ph: (519) 668-7664 • Fax:(519)668-3722 Milton Ph: 905-836-0988 • Fax: (905) 636-1513 Gloucester Ph: (613) 822-1881 • Fax:(613)822-2099 One great result. visit www.turfcare.ca Above the hole by April Grabell Student and Intern Falling Back Into Routine Summer days have come and gone, and as greens With the turf program having only 70 or so students crews get smaller, the season winds down, and the compared to the university population of 17,000 students, University of Guelph turf students hit the books again. For it is essential that each class make a mark at the university. some of us this will be the end of our schooling careers, The 10a class executive sat down in April after exams and some just the beginning and others just turning over a made a decision that we would try our best to enhance new leaf in the fairly new turf program. After spending the program! Since the program is relatively new to the the whole summer outdoors enjoying the sun, or rain in university it is in a constant growing process. There are this case, getting back into the routine of lecture classes already several events being planned such as bi-weekly and labs is harder than you think it would be. When you Turf Club meetings, golf tournaments and sodding of have assignments, midterms, and presentations coming the cannon. As well as the opportunity to get to see one due, waking up at 5:00 AM in the morning doesn’t sound another between classes these events are key to building so bad after all. Seeing the same 35 people everyday for the bridge to fill the gap. A major event that will assist 8 months allows everyone to get to know each other very in this is the OGSA/CGSA turf conference in Toronto well and, therefore, coming back to school and arriving in which we are going to encourage turf students to attend. our first class of the year it felt as though we had not been I believe student interaction is important to the continued spread out across the country or on the other side of the success of the Turfgrass Management Diploma. ocean, and it was just another day in the turf program. It I never thought that so many people from so many has been a constant buzz of people asking what everyone backgrounds would come together and make a close knit did over the summer. Getting to see fellow students’ program. I feel as though it is fundamental to each and internship reports has been an educational experience in every one of our careers, to have the chance to know 70 itself. It’s quite unique to see what the turf industry has potential turf managers, who we could email or call if we to offer all over the world! With that in mind, now more needed assistance or had a question. I anticipate that the than ever, we must make our impact at the University of next 5 months will produce some well educated future Guelph! superintendents! THORNE SPEAKS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH TURF CLUB R. Marie Thorne, Senior Turf Specialist at Syngenta Crop Protection Canada recently spoke at the October meeting of the University of Guelph Turf Club. She was invited to speak by Mike Newton, Turf Club President. “It was my absolute pleasure to spend time with the students” says Thorne. “It was also a great opportunity to meet some of the new talent that is up and coming into our golf course industry”. Marie introduced the students to Syngenta and gave an overview of the company activities, both globally and locally. This was followed by a presentation on Instrata, and the environmental factors that can affect the success of snow mould treatments. “I am hoping that they will bring this knowledge back to their respective golf courses” says Thorne. “We definitely have some future Golf Course Superintendents in this group”. Second to one by Tyler Windfeld, Assistant Superintendent Black Diamond Golf Club Assistant Responsibities and Relationship with the Superintendent As assistant superintendents we are responsible the superintendent that you are capable of managing any for a number of duties on the golf course. In order to and all staff issues that may arise is another way to help effectively manage all of these duties, it is important garner their trust. to keep an ongoing list of tasks at hand to ensure no The assistant must also be clear on the expectations of the confusion. The most important thing I’ve found as an superintendent. If tasks are not completed in an acceptable assistant is to remember to keep a positive attitude towards manner, the assistant must take responsibility. Passing off the superintendent, the staff, and most importantly, the blame is no way to build trust with a superintendent. Also, profession. Although our lives extend far beyond what being clear on expectations is important because the takes place on the golf course, it is imperative that we superintendent depends on the assistant to be his eyes and separate work from our personal life. Though it may ears whenever he or she is occupied with other things. In not be easy at times, we must remember that our body their absence, there must be a seamless transition in the language and behaviour affect those who are working quality of work that is carried out. As an assistant I have with us. found that when the superintendent is not present, he Indeed, attitude plays a major part in establishing trust has to be able to trust any and all of the decisions that the with the superintendent and the rest of the staff. With assistant may have to make concerning the course. a positive attitude, everything seems to run smoother After many years of being an assistant, I have made some and daily tasks tend to be accomplished more efficently. mistakes along the way. The important thing is that we Moreover, with a positive attitude the staff end up enjoying learn from these mistakes and move forward. Given the their work environment all the more and this usually leads unpredictable nature of the environment we work in, we to increased productivity. must be able to adapt and evolve. Our success as assistants What I’ve found over the years is that the assistant can depends on it. help gain the trust of the superintendent by displaying a strong personal work ethic. Typically this means being able to complete tasks on time and in proper form. It also means owning up to mistakes without placing blame on other people or factors. This goes along way toward establishing trust between you and the superintendent as well as the other staff. Corrie Almack P.Ag. During my time as an assistant I have come to the Almack Agronomic Services Inc. Tel: (905) 689-6174 realization that the most important part of our job is Box 256, Carlisle, On Fax: (905) 689-8522 managing people. Many articles, lectures and seminars in LOR 1H0 Email: c.almack@sympatico.ca our industry are devoted to staff management. Showing LARGE TREE SALES AND RELOCATION Phil Dickie-ISA Certified Arborist P.O. Box 277, 890 Fairground Road, Langton, On , NOE 1G0 pdickie@fastforest.ca Phone (519) 875-4094 Fax (519) 875-4095 270 Shoemaker Street, Kitchener, ON N2E 3E1 Website: mastersturfsupply.com P: (519) 748-6610 • F: (519) 748-6626 • www.fastforest.ca email: mastersturf@hughes.net On the REEL side of things by: Warren Wybenga, Equipment Manager, Donalda Club, Toronto WWybenga@donaldaclub.ca (416) 44 7-5575 x263 Troubleshooting - A Case Study When trying to figure out what is wrong with any hydraulic oil level was also within specs but the tank, pump particular piece of equipment, the most effective and body and cooler were covered in a half inch thick layer of efficient way will always be to apply a logical and systematic oil vapors and dust from the screenings and line marking approach to your troubleshooting efforts. Contrary to powder. The outside of the engine was just as dirty. this however (I only do this if it can be done quickly and Components operating under these conditions don’t cool don’t spend too much time on it) is to check the cheapest properly and are subject to higher than acceptable heat and most obvious candidate and sometimes, just like at levels and damage to seals and shafts is inevitable. the casino, you might get lucky and find the offending It didn’t take long for the “old feller” who I know has member straight away but alas, my luck is usually not that spent the better part of several decades volunteering good...it’s worth a shot though. Most often I have to his time at the ball park to wander over and I was finally resort back to the simple steps of assessing the complaint, able to start gathering some really useful information. It interviewing the operator to gather from them as much turns out that “new” battery that was used to boost it was information as I can, then taking a moment to familiarize new the year before... some time. A check of the “old” myself with the machine and its systems. It helps to know battery revealed low electrolyte levels in each cell and what a machine is being asked to do and under what exposed plates can be damaged by the charging process conditions before being able to repair it properly. thus reducing the usefulness of the battery even further. I was asked during one of the infrequent hot spells this You should make a note to check this on all of your non­ past summer to look at an older model sand trap machine maintenance free batteries before freeze up then fully that the neighborhood baseball association was using to charge them before storing. A battery stored in a state groom their network of diamonds. It was experiencing of low charge will freeze and crack open at much higher a “no start” condition and had a “new” battery and that’s temperatures than one fully charged. I could not go any about all I was told. Upon arriving at the park, I quickly further with the diagnosis with no source of ignition so I received three different opinions as to what was wrong went home that afternoon with the cells topped off, the with the darn thing before even seeing it. A few questions battery on charge and no answers for the curious. is usually enough to reveal that these people, while having A turn of the key the next morning produced nothing the best of intentions, were merely speculating and had but a click from the solenoid and no noise from the starter no first hand knowledge of the machine beyond watching motor which could indicate a problem with the solenoid, it go round and round all summer or even mechanics the starter motor itself or the cable between them but in general. While they may not have already solved the the starter on this particular machine is buried behind problem for you, their insight can still be quite useful both a shroud and the battery, making it difficult to get in helping you to establish just how well they have been at so before I started to peel away the layers I wanted to treating their machine and if they are operating it properly verify that the object that the starter is to turn, namely the or not. As you should do when pondering the accuracy of engine and direct coupled hydraulic pump were able to news reporting or information from the internet, always turn freely. One must be very careful how one goes about consider the source. It is always best to question the this as you don’t want the engine accidentally starting person who uses it the most and who was using it when it while you’re in there with your hand so always be sure to decided to quit. disconnect all fuel and ignition sources. Removing the The machine was dirty, inside and out. The engine oil spark plugs will make any small engine easy to turn over was black and in need of a change but the level was good by hand so when I was unable to get the engine’s flywheel and there was no sign of water or other contaminants. The to budge, I became less suspicious of the starter and more curious about the caked on grime that encompassed the at tighter tolerances than these engines and once I heard it hydraulic pump. A screw driver inserted carefully through working, was able to recognize that the pump was making the drive coupling to the hydraulic pump provided way more noise that it should have. A noisy hydraulic pump enough leverage to break free whatever was seized. can be an indication of oil slipping past worn components, I quickly reconnected everything and with quiet words of usually caused by heat and contaminants... both of which encouragement, turned the key. The old machine sprang were present in sufficient quantities to cause damage. to life and the engine sounded normal and appeared to be It is my hope that through this simple recounting of running smoothly. I think I heard the university student some rather ordinary and unglamorous events, you may who runs the thing give a little “woo-hoo” as she walked remember to approach each troubleshooting event as an past, rake in-hand. A brief discussion with her revealed opportunity to learn and as analytically as possible. Keep that she had been using the throttle to control her ground your emotions in check and remain as detached as you can. speed. This practice starves the pump of oil and generates Listen to what people have to say about the breakdown excessive amounts of heat. Any hydrostatically driven and try to sort through the bull. Ask pointed and leading machine should be run at full rpms to allow the pump questions to try to get as clear a picture as you can about to supply enough oil to run all the machines systems the machine’s history both long term and in the moments while using the foot pedal to control ground speed...it is leading up to the moment of failure. Keep an open mind dangerous and damaging to do otherwise. while trying to systematically eliminate candidates by With a bottle of de-greaser and fifteen minutes with testing and proving rather than guessing and replacing. the garden hose, I had the grime washed away and Lastly, don’t get distracted by speculation...everyone at light-heartedly scolded the assembled group of league the park was betting on either the battery or the starter volunteers for neglecting their housekeeping duties, and while there are undoubtedly issues with both, they explained to them that the reason they were raking the weren’t the cause of the failure, this time. diamonds by hand was because of a dirty machine and As this column is directed mainly at those of you who showed them how to operate and wash it properly without may be without mechanical representation at your course, contaminating any water sensitive areas. I want to invite you to participate in your Association Now we may never know for sure what exactly caused the by contacting me with an issue or experience you’ve “no-start” condition but I suspect that the layer of oily dirt either had and solved, or are still trying to figure out. By on the hydraulic pump and cooler acted as an insulator. putting our heads together we might be able to help our This, coupled with improper operating practices, caused colleagues who may be wrestling with the same problem the oil and pump to overheat, subsequently seizing a and at the very least it should make for an interesting vulnerable bit. I suspect the pump rather than the engine read. simply because hydraulic components are designed to run 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! Off the fairway ... Good Stewards surprises me how quickly people last saw them in April. It would be good to act upon some of give up on the enjoyment of their them, now that you have a little extra time. Invasive weeds gardens once fall rolls around. We such as buckthorn (shrubby tree), garlic mustard and expect less of our gardens in the off dog strangling vine will show themselves and hang on to season and this is a mistake. A well their leaves for longer than their non-invasive neighbours. designed garden will have a bounty These should be removed at your earliest convenience, if of plants that in combination look not today. Physical removal by digging, to get the entire by Daisy Moore handsome in any season, especially the root, may seem old fashioned, but it works. Removing the fall. All it takes is a little tending. invasive plants will allow more desirable plants to be planted Gardens are made up of a variety of plants with or encouraged and will improve the appearance of the various characteristics and growth habits, all requiring landscape as a whole. These out of the way areas may not different levels of grooming. This is best done gradually. seem important, but they are. Garlic mustard poisons the Woody shrubs, dwarf evergreens, bulbs, grasses, annuals, cedar trees it lives amongst for example. Fence-lines and perennials, herbs and so on. The most highly feared and weedy areas reveal themselves drastically once top growth misunderstood of the bunch are the perennials. This large has been hit by frost. Thistle, burdock and other tap-rooted group contains some horrific examples of plants gone weeds thrive under the management of occasional cut-back wild, turning people forever against the idea of gardening. with a weed-eater. Digging them out now and seeding to Daylilies, phlox, daisies of all sorts, artemisia, lily of the fescue will make it better for next year. Weedy areas are valley, variegated goutweed, ajuga and the list goes on. If seed sources that will infect the higher profile areas. left, these plants achieve weed-like proportion and turn I have done my share of weeding this year but took a gardening into drudgery. It doesn’t have to be like that. day to accept the invitation to attend the Alex McClumpha There is a high degree of variability in what perennials Memorial Golf Tournament at Summit Golf and Country look like and how they behave. Many have outstanding fall Club in early October. I am so glad I did. Scattered showers colour in their leaves and can be enjoyed right up until did not dampen the spirits of those sheltered in their golf snow falls. Some are the most resistant to frost and are the carts in good company and could pause to enjoy the hills last ones standing. Others collapse at the very thought of and dales of the property on the Oak Ridges Moraine. You frost but the pay back is a large exotic flower in July. It’s a didn’t have to look very hard or very far to acknowledge trade-off. the outstanding conditions of the golf course both on and Ornamental grasses are starting to change the way we off the “playing” surface. The far rough was beautifully garden. They have taught us about plant attributes outside groomed uncut fescue. You could hit a ball out of it. The of the regular flowering season. It is understood that it is areas along the cart path were not a shabby assortment of worth the extra work in the spring to have a beautiful stand weeds but a natural transition between manicured turf and of grasses. Golf course properties too are becoming rich with the woods. Things looked so natural that you barely took grassland habitats as low maintenance and IPM techniques notice. Phil Brown, the superintendent, made it look easy. are sought. Ornamental grasses are now commonly used I spoke to Phil briefly after the dinner and commented around the clubhouse and other golf course gardens. on how impressed I was with his work. Phil professed Grasses are the ultimate fringe, large or small, combine his love for working with the fringe areas and how he with almost anything and are mostly self-sufficient. Maybe devoted as much time to them as to the fairways. Everyone it is an extension of the human love for lawns! No matter appreciated this attention to detail and it set the golf course what, ornamental grasses are a good starting point for some apart, especially for those not necessarily focused on their gardeners to break away from evergreens and annuals and next shot during a golf game. Why not enjoy what you are move into a more diverse landscape. looking at as you drive or walk by? You don’t even have to As the tree canopy falls and this season’s biomass hits know or care what it is, it just looks right. the turf, the skies open up and we are exposed to a more We owe it to our landscape gardens, no matter what expansive surrounding. The contours of the land are the maintenance level, to lock after them and be good easier to see, drainage patterns, sunny spots and special stewards. This means tending. It is a year round effort and micro-climates show up. Areas for an azalea/rhodo mix sometimes includes some nasty bits of clearing, but the pay­ start looking promising. Opportunities for improvement off is long term. present themselves throughout the property. Woodsey areas become more interesting because you can see things Daisy is a professional horticulturist. She operates a garden design and again and get in to them. It is the most wonderful time to consulting business from her home in Flora. take stock of the areas you hadn’t thought about since you Her website: www.daisymoore.com has samples of her work. 8112 KING RD. WEST BOLTON, ONTARIO L7E 5T3 1-800-268-4425 1-905-857-2000 WWW.MAPLETURFSUPPLY.COM • Cost Effective Custom Blends • Water Soluble, Granular, Liquid & Organic Fertilizers • Bulk Spreader Service • Full Line of Turf Chemicals For Further Information Call: Simon George Technical Sales Central Ontario, GTA& Niagara Region Photo submitted by JeffAlexander. This 2 yr. old black bear helped itself to bird seed, ambled across Jeff’s driveway, then proceded to cross the road after looking both ways. 1-519-841-3378 Mark Schneider Technical Sales BURNSiDE Georgian Bay, Lake Simcoe & Muskoka Region 1-519-372-5181 Serving the Needs of the Golf Industry Rae Murray We can help with: Technical Sales • Approvals for Golf Course Development North East GTA & Eastern Ontario and Operations 1-416-819-3404 • Irrigation Water Supply Your Trees Deserve • Sewage Treatment and Disposal Ontario Distributor for: The Best Of Care • Environmental Management Plans • Building and Clubhouse Design Services The Andersons Nutri DG Lineup Trees are valuable assests. Don't • Irrigation Design and Consulting entrust their future to less than • Environmental Impact Assessment SGN 75 & 150 caring professionals. Bartlett • Drinking Water Assessment leads the way in tree care with Homogenous Dispersible trained arborists, research facilities, • Project and Construction Management Granules nationwide experience and Toll Free: (877) 799-8499 E-mail: vcirone@rjburnside.com specialized equipment. For a Website: www.rjburnside.com professional evaluation of your tree care needs, call today. There is no obligation. Toronto • (416) 631-8111 Bracebridge • (705) 646-8733 Gravenhurst • (705) 687-0696 Huntsville • (705) 789-0929 www.bartlett.com BACKED BY THE BARTLETT TREE RESEARCH LABORATORIES AND EXPERIMENTAL Offices located throughout Ontario GROUNDS, CHARLOTTE, NC Members of OGSA, CGSA and Golfmax Suppliers to the NG CO A TURFGRASS FIELD SEMINAR NEW ORLEANS 2009 by Andrew Hardy, Superintendent Pheasant Run Golf Club Winning the Hugh Kirkpatrick Bursary in 2008 was a We again boarded our buses and headed to the 9th huge honour. Not only did it allow me to quantify my Ward. The 9th Ward of the city was the most devastated career choice it also came with a hefty sum of money area in New Orleans. While we were at the 9th Ward to spend on an industry related program. After much we looked at one of the city’s miles of levees. There debate, various changes in heart, and plenty of course are approximately 1300 miles of levees that border cancellations I finally decided to use the funds to New Orleans. And apparently, the US Government attend the Golf Industry Show (GIS) in New Orleans has plans in place to build an additional 4 billion this past February. The educational component at the dollars worth of levees. The LSU faculty also discussed GIS is amazing and provides a wide variety of learning the difficulty of growing turf on the levees as they are opportunities. highly compacted, clay based and through the roof in I immediately chose the Turfgrass Field seminar on sodium content. The housing around the levee was recommendation from a colleague who had attended still standing, yet was 95% vacant. Many people who one at a previous conference. The field seminar allowed had lived in the city either sought higher ground or me to also get a look at what the real devastation was to left the city with no plans of returning. New Orleans. Sure, Bourbon Street is back flourishing with its packed bars and streets full of people. But I really had a big interest in what was happening in the rest of the city and what had changed since my last visit to New Orleans in 1993. The morning of the seminar three bus loads of industry people headed out on a trek through various areas of the city. Our tour guides for the day were staff of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Turfgrass Department. We were bused to the IMAX theatre to view a movie that had been shot preceding and following Hurricane Katrina. The film titled “Hurricane on the Bayou” was amazing and revealed that I knew X covers date checked, # ofpets, # dead, and agency doing check. nothing about hurricanes. As it turns out, warm winds originating in the Sahara Desert are the start to We then headed to, as the locals refer to it, “City these devastating storms. And that development and Park”. Prior to Katrina the park was the site of 4 state ignorance of the surrounding wetlands (wetlands can run golf courses, botanical gardens and acres of public slow the storms down) is what has made New Orleans parks. It now consists of one golf course and acres so vulnerable to hurricanes. of area that have re-naturalized themselves. The state could never justify reopening the golf facilities with the devastation that surrounded the park. While at City Park we had the opportunity to hear from a local superintendent who had lost his job in Mississippi when his golf course was underneath 20ft of water for a month. He said that when he returned to the course to collect his belongings some time later upon opening the shop doors it was like looking into a washing machine. Everything had been turned upside down and tossed within the building. Downtown at levee at Ward 9. Worst hit area from Hurricane Katrina questions of Superintendent, Robb Arnold. The TPC lost in excess of 2000 trees as a result of Katrina. They were closed for close to ten months while cleaning up the mess. Mr. Arnold said that they had got off easy. The city of New Orleans is well on its way to returning to its old self. Though the wounds of Katrina will likely never heal, the people of New Orleans will continue to persevere. As the local musician I sat next to on my return to Toronto stated, “This won’t happen to us again, because we’ll be better prepared to take the next time far more serious.” The Field Seminar was a fantastic experience as were the rest of my educational opportunities, tradeshow and networking at the 2009 GIS. I would like to thank the Kirkpatrick family, the Our final stop for the day was to the TPC of Louisiana, OGSA, Pheasant Run, and of course my wonderfully host of the PGA tours Zurich Classic. We toured their understanding wife for all having a hand in making maintenance facility and had the opportunity to ask this amazing trip possible. HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR NOZZLES LATELY? by DarrylJames, Owner/Operator Arborturf Solutions www.arborturfsolutions.com Being a Certified Golf Irrigation Auditor for 3 years and conducting over 50 individual irrigation audits, I have been able to work with a number of nozzle/ spacing combinations. The purpose of this article is to address how a nozzle profile in combination with proper spacing is required in order to achieve optimal sprinkler uniformity. Irrigation system design is based on spacing sprinklers from head to head. That is, the sprinklers’ radius of throw dictates the spacing. However, this is a rule of thumb and doesn’t take into account the actual profile of the sprinkler. The profile is affected by four variables: 1. The size of the nozzle 2. The shape or design of the nozzle 3. The operating pressure 4. The rotation speed of the sprinkler ...continued on Page 32 HAVE YOU CHECKED YOUR NOZZLES LATELY? ...continued from Page 31 If one of these variables is changed, the profile and Second, a superintendent the overall uniformity will be comprised because the should consider pur­ nozzle size and the operating pressure are interrelated. chasing SPACE Pro (The For instance, if a sprinkler operates below operating Sprinkler Pattern Analysis pressure, it will produce a fire hose effect. If it operates and Coverage Evaluation) above the recommended pressure, the pressure will or working with an begin to atomize the waterjet and destroy the desired irrigation consultant profile. A damaged/worn-out sprinkler rotor and/or who does use it. SPACE nozzle will also have a dramatic impact on uniformity. Pro is an incredible tool Therefore, it’s important to note that when repairing and was developed by a broken sprinkler, one must ensure that the proper the Centre for Irrigation nozzle is used, and that there is consistent rotation Technology. It was designed as an objective measure time and pressure between each sprinkler. If not, the to assess the important variables that should be overall irrigation pattern will change and one may considered when purchasing or changing a sprinkler experience wet or dry spots that were not previously system and obtaining optimal sprinkler uniformity. a problem. Space Pro allows the user to mix and match a variety Now, to achieve good uniformity, not only does the of nozzle/spacing combinations to determine the best nozzle profile need to be assessed, it is important to uniformity value for a particular area. select a nozzle/spacing combination that is forgiving to Now, with that said, a sprinkler head must be level small changes in the field. In realty, placing sprinklers and free from any obstruction! If not, no matter how in the field is an art due to such obstacles as bunkers, much planning you do to select the right nozzle/ trees and irregular shaped greens. spacing combination, you’ll never achieve optimal So, how does a superintendent select a nozzle that uniformity will give him the ultimate uniformity on each area In conclusion, matching a sprinkler nozzle with throughout the golf course? sprinkler spacing isn’t as simple as head to head First, it’s extremely important to have a good spacing. The profile of the nozzle must be taken understanding of turfgrass growing environment. into account to accommodate for the specific site Before the correct nozzle and spacing is selected, the conditions, be forgiving to small changes, and be specific site conditions along with the soil-water-plant continually monitored to ensure efficient irrigation is relationship must be assessed to select the appropriate achieved at all times precipitation rate. Looking back 5 Years Ago Today by Barry Endicott The Board of Directors in 2004 were: Rob Ackermann of Guelph. The Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation (pres.), Weston G&CC, Mark Piccolo (past pres.), Galt Tournament was held on August 23rd at the Burlington CC, Paul Scenna (vice pres.) Donalda Club, Bob Burrows G&CC hosted by Pelino Scenna. In recognition of the low (tres.), Rosedale GC, Sean DeSilva, Taboo GC, Jeff gross and low net, silver plates were renamed after OTRF Alexander, Parry Sound G&CC, Chris Andrejicka, Essex founders Paul Dermott and Alan Beeney. G&CC, Jarrod Barakett, Deer Ridge GC, Randy Booker, The IPM Accreditation programme was well on its Dundas Valley G&CC, Doug Breen, Golf North, Rob Gatto, way to becoming a reality under the direction of OGSA King’s Forest GC, Jeff Stauffer, Credit Valley G&CC, John Director, Jeff Stauffer. Bladon, Nu Gro Corp, editor of Green Is Beautiful. On July 15th, golf courses in Peterborough were On the move: James White went from King’s Bay GC damaged from 7” of rain in an 8-hour period. Jennifer to Carruther’s Creek GC and Tim Colin moved from Pendrith, Superintendent at Kawartha G&CC, had the Carruther’s Creek GC to Multitines. Mark Schneider left course opened in a couple of days with the help of 60 Owen Sound G&CC and moved to Saugeen GC. volunteers. The Pro/Super Challenge was held at Glenway G&CC In response to Walkerton, where 7 people died from hosted by Peter Dickey. Low team was Frank Marando drinking contaminated drinking water, the National Golf and Chris Nelson from Markland Wood CC. Low Course Owners Association recommended that all water superintendent was Thom Charters, Bayview G&CC. containers be removed from golf courses. The 59th Annual Alex McClumpha Memorial Golf Tournament was held at Muskoka Lakes G&CC on October 5th, hosted by Jim Flett. Low gross for superintendents and assistants were Bill Gilkes 73, Neil Tandan 76 and Tom Brain 78. Low gross for associates and guests were We sell & Transplant Large Trees Kevin Holmes 74, Jason D’Andrea 79 and Gary Tate 80. with tree spades ranging from 34-90" The winner of the George Darou Trophy was Ray Richards from Mad River GC, which was presented by Ron Craig Members of L.S.A and O.G.S.A. from Turf Care. Owner Paul Hanousek certified arborist. Gordon Witteveen was selected as the recipient of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s (GCSAA) Distinguished Service Award. He was acknowledged at the opening session of GCSAA’s 75th International Golf Course Conference and Show, February 12th 2004, in San Diego. In Memoriam: Jim Sara, TDI International and former superintendent, passed away June 23rd. Dr. Houston B. Couch passed away on September 24th. Dr. Couch finished his career as Professor of Plant Pathology Moving your trees since 1980. at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, www.douglaswood.ca Blacksbird, Virginia. Edward Rybski (Class AA retired member) passed away on November 1st. 1 800.353.3019 The Guelph Turfgrass Research Foundation Field T. 519.856.2771 F. 519.856.1447 Day was held on August 17th and Dr. Eric Lyons was P.O. Box 339 Rockwood ON introduced as the new research scientist at the University Canada NOB-2KO Turf or consequences by Doug Breen, Superintendent Golf North Properties Gowlfe he first written record of the game of “gowlfe” was T I propose that the whole global enterprise was brought to in 1457. Ironically, it was in the form of a Royal Edict from ruin by golf. If only they’d listened to King James. King James II of Scotland, which banned the playing of the I have a similar theory about how curling in a kilt led game, along with “fate-ball”. I know what you’re thinking to the expansion of neo-existentialism in central Europe - it was likely in response to the 15th century “wyfes” who prior to WWI; that and the invention of long underwear. were fed up with their husbands spending all day Sunday All that sports leading to the disintegration of society stuff playing golf, quaffing ale, and watching football (shocking aside, it’s part of the long time love/hate relationship how different those people were from us) - but that wasn’t between world political leaders and golf. They all play it. Your second thought, will likely be that 550 years ago, the game. Kings, Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers, the church had a lot more influence on the state, and even tin pot dictators - yet at the same time they have all the clergy were appalled at the number of empty pews on tried to separate themselves from golf’s unfounded elitist Sunday morning while the links were full - also incorrect. image. Legend has it that Lynden B. Johnston secured Clergy are all addicted to the game. King James was votes for the pivotal Civil Rights Act of 1964 by playing golf simply concerned that the local townsfolk were neglecting with influential Senators - no doubt on some courses the more regal sport of archery. As it goes with most Royal where many of the folks he was trying to help would not Proclamations, it was self-serving (look up Henry VIII and have been welcome. the Anglican Church’s position on divorce for another When the G-8 summit comes to Canada in 2010, where fine example). In those days, the English would roll over are they staying? Deerhurst in Muskoka. (Somebody the Scottish border every half-hour or so, and the King needs to send me a report too, because I want to know thought it wise that he have a nation of superior archers, who cheats, who’s a hacker, and who has the most security as opposed to superior putters - so the game was banned guard caddies. I’d also wager that Italian President and just like Prohibition in the early 1900’s people happily Berlusconi tips the beer cart girl very heavily.) Yet abode by the new law for the good of society. protesters are already beginning to criticize the fact that About 50 years later, Scotland and England signed the the event is being held at a “posh golf resort”, as if the “treaty of perpetual peace”, which lasted less time than world leaders would have stayed at a Motel in Acton and it took Oslo to award the two monarchs the joint Nobel ordered in a plate of cold cut sandwiches if golf wasn’t Peace Prize of 1502. However, during this brief outbreak involved. of peace, the Scottish ban on recreation was lifted, and So the cycle continues. Powerful people love golf, but the people were encouraged to golf, drink, and be merry have a strained relationship with the game and worry - although it’s terribly unlikely that any of them had ever about how it will affect their own political fortunes. I can’t actually stopped drinking. But it’s only fair to point out, think of a single other sport that has been so universally that to this very day, Scotland has been conspicuously and (and uncomfortably) linked to influence and power. And perpetually absent from the Olympic medal podium in just like in the days of King James, we just want them all to the sport of archery. leave us alone and let us play. By 1602, the royal bow maker was also the royal club maker. Golf courses were springing up all over the British Isles, and the next 300 years of empirical expansion took the game all over the globe - creating a worldwide supply of golfers and lousy archers. This in turn, left the mighty British Empire utterly defenseless, and obsessed with reading magazines filled with articles about straightening out one’s slice, and ads for the latest in gutta percha balls. I figure that the British lost the American Revolution, not for military reasons, but because they wanted to finish the back nine and were late for the battle of Yorktown. When they did show up, the artillery were launching golf balls instead of cannonballs and critiquing each other’s form. CONFIDENCE. It radiates from a small, but incredibly reliable, green granule. With POLYON® Controlled-Release Fertilizers, you don't have to worry about the conditions you can't control. That's because our industry-leading coatings are not affected by irrigation or rainfall, which means less environmental loss. And consistent nutrient release means you have beautiful playing conditions all season long. POLYON's highly efficient plant uptake even allows you to apply less Nitrogen per year and still get stunning results. Our promise is to exceed your expectations, not your budget. 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