"Green is Beau tiful” Ontario Golf Superintendents Association 54 HERNSHAW CRESCENT - ETOBICOKE, ONTARIO M9C 3M4 - TELEPHONE 622-9929 WESTVIEW "Next Meeting" GOLF CLUB HOST: KEITH NESBIT DATE: TUESDAY, AUGUST 12th, 1980 MEETING: 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. GOLF: 10:00 a.m. GUEST SPEAKER: KEITH NESBIT COST: $5.00 Per Person BOARD OF DIRECTORS - 1980 PRESIDENT....................................................................................... PAUL WHITE - Lambton VICE-PRESIDENT................................................................... KEN NELSON - Sunningdale SECRETARY .............................................................................DOUG HOSKINS - Summit TREASURER............................................................................... JOHN SMITH - Wyldewood PAST PRESIDENT.......................................................................... STU MILLS - Hamilton DIRECTORS............................................................................... DAN ARDLEY - Dalewood BOB BREWSTER - Weston AL DRAPER - Greenhills SHORTY JENKINS - Bay of Quinte BLAKE McMASTER - Brampton DAVID MOOTE - Scarborough RUSTY WARKMAN - Oshawa - CONTENTS - MEETINGS 1980 Date Course Host Tuesday, August 12 Westview Golf Club Keith Nesbit Wednesday, September 10 Dukes "Lawn 'Arama" empty table cell Tuesday, September 16 Orillia Golf Club - Pro-Super empty table cell Thursday, September 18 C.G.S.A. - Fall Field Day empty table cell Monday, September 29 Dalewood Golf Club (McClumpha Tournament) Dan Ardley Tuesday, October 14 Bayview Golf Club Jim Wyllie October 29-30 G.C.S.A.A. Seminar "Landscape I" empty table cell November 15 Christmas Party, Lambton Golf & Country Club empty table cell Tuesday, December 2 Aurora Highlands - Annual Meeting Whitey Jones IN THE NEXT ISSUE Results of: 1) President, Greenschairman, Superintendent Day. 2) O.G.S.A. Turf Grass Research Tournament. 3) Meeting at Westview Golf Club. EDITOR: CO-EDITOR: BOB BREWSTER BLAKE McMASTER Weston Golf & Country Club Brampton Golf & Country Club 50 St. Phillips Road P.O. Box 38 Weston, Ontario M9P 2N6 Brampton, Ontario L6V 2K7 Phone (416) 241-5551 Phone (416) 459-5050 GALT FIELD DAY The Toronto seminar, Landscape I Design Theory, is scheduled for Oct. 29-30. Instructors will be William R. On Thursday, June 12, 1980, our Superintendents toured Nelson, professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, a fine conditioned golf course and the ever improving Turf the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and C. E. Plots of the University of Guelph. McNinch, director of independent study, the University of The guest speaker was Dr. Tom Fisher from the Univer­ Guelph, Ontario. sity of New Hampshire. He spoke on Tradition of Golf The Massachusetts seminar, Pesticide III Insects, is sched­ Courses. uled for Nov. 19-20. Dr. Harry Niemczyk, professor of en­ The days golf winners are as follows: tomology, the Ohio Agricutlural Research and Development Gross - Center, Wooster, will be the instructor. 1st Bruce Vollett 74 2nd Dan Ardley 76 Maples said that plans for other GCSAA seminars in 3rd Bill Bowen 76 4th Bill Fach 77 other parts of the country are incomplete at this time. For 5th Graham Shouldice 77 6th Hugh Kirkpatrick 77 further information on the Toronto and Springfield semi­ 7th Bob Heron 78 8th Barry Endicott 78 nars, contact GCSAA Headquarters, 1617 St. Andrews Dr., Net- Lawrence, Kan. 66044. 1st Whitey Jones 64 2nd Carmin DeCorso 66 3rd Shorty Jenkins 67 4th Bob Brewster 67 ANAHEIM TO HOST 1981 CONFERENCE 5th Ron Wilczynski 69 6th Blake McMaster 69 The 1981 GCSAA International Turfgrass Conference and 7th Ted Ellis 70 8th Ken Nelson 70 Show, Jan. 25-30 in Anaheim, Cal. will include a joint edu­ cational meeting with the USGA Green Section, the return Assistants - of the popular golf course tour and an expanded schedule of Gross - conference functions. 1st Bruce Berger 72 2nd Warren Vout 78 Because both GCSAA and USGA will be meeting at the Net - same time in California, the two organizations have agreed 1st Graham Walker 66 2nd Ric Reids 70 to co-host one education session, scheduled for Jan. 29 in the Anaheim Convention Center, site of most of GCSAA’s Guests - conference and show activities. No theme has been deter­ Gross - mined for the joint session, although Palmer Maples Jr., 1st Rod Hermitage 73 2nd Sandy Forbes 75 CGCS, GCSAA director of education, said that it would be 3rd Dave Gourlay Jr. 77 4th Dave Keith 78 related to GCSAA’s general conference theme, “Meeting Net- Golf’s Challenge Efficiently.” 1st Chuck Eagleson 66 2nd Neil Acton 68 GCSAA’s conference activities will begin with a precon­ 3rd Dennis Murr 70 4th Doug Nisbet 70 ference golf tournament at Industry Hills Golf Course near the conference site. Practice rounds will begin Jan. 21, with Joe Reid, won closest to the hole on #11 with the first tournament play Jan. 22-23. shot of the day. Several one and two-day seminars will be offered Jan. A special prize for the “Hidden Hole” was awarded to 24-25, followed by the opening session on Monday, Jan. 26, Paul Scenna, ironically enough, a worthy recipient. and general sessions throughout the week. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will kick off the Turfgrass Trade Show Tuesday, morning. GCSAA BULLETIN One of the most popular activities from past conferences McLoughlin Named Executive Director-The appointment has been returned to the 1981 program. A tour of the 36- of James E. McLoughlin, Executive Director of the Metro­ hole Industrial Hills complex has been scheduled for Friday politan Golf Association, to the position of GCSAA Exec­ morning, Jan. 30. utive Director was announced this week by Melvin B. Lucas Two unique social functions have been added to the 1981 Jr., CGCS, GCSAA President. conference schedule. A special “GCSAA Family Fun Day” “The Executive Committee has deliberated at great length at Disneyland Amusement Park is scheduled for Friday after over the selection of a person to head GCSAA. We evaluated the close of conference activities, and negotiations are now our history and looked toward our future. We are pleased underway to purchase a block of tickets for a Harlem Globe­ and confident that the choice is one that will bring a new trotters basketball game sometime during the conference dimension to GCSAA and the golf world,” Lucas said in week. making the announcement. The Anaheim Convention Center, one of the largest in the country, is located within walking distance of several convention hotels as well as Disneyland. Several theme parks, museums and other tourist attractions also are close GCSAA Fall Seminars Scheduled—Two GCSAA fall semi­ by. The combination of valuable educational opportunities, nars in Toronto, Ont., and Springfield, Mass, have been social activities, sun and fun for the entire family promises announced by Palmer Maples Jr., CGCS, GCSAA director to make GCSAA’s 52nd International Turfgrass Conference of education. and Show one to remember. Guest Speaker—Dr. Tom Fisher Norm McCollum-University of Guelph Group Picture Rod Hermitage-Green Cross Low Gross Winner Dan Ardley Presents Whitey Jones with Prize Roger Ince-$200 O.G.S.A. Scholarship from St. Thomas Dr. C. W. Switzer-University of Guelph Graham Walker-Ass’t Supt. Galt Country Club Harry Cudney-$100 Scholarship Horticulture Malcolm McNeil Presenting O.G.A. Scholarship to Apprenticeship at Humber College John Gall GREENHILLS The final and probably the most important operation is to roll the entire green surface using an empty roller. Now By Al Draper water was applied at approximately two-hour intervals at 3-5 minute settings during the day. This was kept up until I would like to first of all give you a short history of germination was detected and then water requirements were Greenhills. judged on a daily basis. Prior to 1975 Greenhills has been closed down for five Fertilizer requirements are very high in the first year. We years. In 1975 a group of businessmen got together and de­ applied 9 lbs. of N 51B Phosphorus and 71B of Potash cided to re-open the Club. During the Summer of 1975 and Fungicides on a curative basis during the first year. We used Spring of 1976 they refurbished the existing 9-hole Execu­ Daconil, 1991 and Arrest. tive Course, built 5 Outdoor and 5 Indoor Tennis Courts. We started cutting our greens at 41/2 to 5 weeks after In the Spring of 1976 they opened the Facility. Follow­ planting. The height of cut we started with was 3/8” after ing the good response of 1976 in the Spring of 1977 they we started to see a turf cover form we lowered it to 5/16”. built 3 more Indoor Tennis Courts. This height was maintained until we had the greens putting In August of 1977, construction began on an 18-hole true and a good cover had formed. We then lowered the par 70 Golf Course. I (Al Draper) arrived at Greenhills in height to l/16”/week until we reached the desired height of December of 1977, and the Golf Course was 2/3 completed. 3/16”. Everything looked good for opening in the Summer of 1978. Overall sand greens provide a good putting surface with Well during my interview I was told that Greenhills was a healthy root system in a relatively short period of time. built in a flood plain. Never having worked on a Golf This leaves you with a green that has good surface drainage Course near a flood plain, I was rest assured I could cope and requires minimum maintenance over an extended period with the problems associated with this situation. of time. Well, in the Spring of 1978 I saw what a flood could do The main reason I have gone to sand top dressings at to a newly seeded Golf Course! Greenhills is due to the flood plain conditions. After the 50% of the Course was under water, nearly all the seed water goes down in the Spring, we are left with a layer of was lost in the flood. Many greens were damaged and/or re­ silt 3/16” thick over all the greens in the flood plain. This quired rebuilding. This, of course, meant delaying opening is not enough to physically remove because it settles into until 1979. the thatch layer. In order to rectify this problem we double During 1978, I gained a lot of experience in Golf Course aerify these greens in the Spring and apply sand at the rate Construction and Green Installation in particular. This brings of 15 ft.2/1000 ft. me to the subject in all cases the procedure used for con­ First of all when considering sand top dressing look at all struction is based on the amount of money available to the pros and cons. I would say that if your present system is build the Golf Course. working stick with it. Once you change to sand top dressing In our case we are on a limited budget. This is the pro­ you cannot go back. cedure used to build the greens at Greenhills: When searching for a suitable sand start at least two Our Greens are 80% sand and 20% peat. The materials months prior to the time you will require it. used were washed concrete sand ranging in size from .05 mm to 1 mm and the peat was in a peat muck form. After BOOKLETS obtaining suitable materials the green site would be stripped of all top soil. The subsoil would be shaped to conform to After contacting many gravel pits in our area I finally the green surface contours. Making sure there was surface found one that could economically produce a sand to our drainage in at least three directions. specifications. This material would pass a #16 mesh and be The moundings and green surroundings would be shaped retained on a #50 mesh. The sand must range between .05 at the same time. Next the sand was dumped in front of the and 1 mm. Ideally 100% of the sand should be in the .25 mm green and using a bulldozer and blade, it was spread to a range. uniform depth of 12” over the sub-base contour. We applied the sand using a drop spreader on a Truckster Following this the green surface would be roughly levelled or a Lely. Every 2-3 weeks during the heavy growth period using a gill pulverizer. in May, June and September. The rate we used was 5-6 ft.^ Next the peat was applied to the surface using a York /1000 ft.2. Rake or just spreading it by hand to a depth of 1” to 2”. The main advantage of sand top dressing for me are: Next it was Roto-tilled to a depth of 6”-8” in at least five - Ease of application different directions. After this it was brought to a final — Low labour requirements grade using a gill pulverizer. — Little interruption in play Now it was ready for seed bed preparation. This can be — A truer putter surface accomplished by using a steel dragmat or raking by hand. — More consistency between individual greens. Next a fertilizer high in Phosphorus was applied and I cannot see any reduction or increase in disease in­ finally the PennCross Seed @ 1IB/1000 ft.2 with a drop cidence due to sand top dressing. spreader. THE EFFECTS OF PESTICIDES ON EARTHWORMS By Drs. Alan Tomlin and Gerald Stephenson Research Scientist, Pesticide Ecology, London Research Institute, Agriculture Canada and Associate Professor, Dept, of Environmental Biology, OAC, University of Guelph Some insecticides are quite toxic to earthworms. Chlor­ As you are probably aware, the soil and turf team with dane is so toxic that it is often used to control earthworm animal life, the most obvious specimens of which are earth­ populations in lawns and on sport fields. The following worms. There are 19 species of earthworms in Ontario, only brief table (Table 1) ranks several other insecticides in in­ two of which are native to North America. The remaining creasing order of toxicity; species are primarily European, and were probably import­ Rate % Reduction in No. ed in potted plant stock over the past 4 centuries. Any Insecticide________ Kg AI/ha of earthworms native Canadian fauna that might have existed was extermi­ Dursban EC 2.24 21.2 nated by glaciation. Of the 19 Ontario species only about 7 Lannate 90 SP 3.40 28.5 species are likely to be found on or around golf courses. Of DDT E.C. 5.60 36.3 these, the best known is the dew worm or night crawler, Furadan F 3.40 42.6 frequently harvested from golf courses as a bait worm for Sevin WP 2.24 59.8 fishing. Thimet 10G 3.40 91.8 Although on golf greens the dew worm may be consider­ Counter 15G 3.40 92.9 ed a pest (because of its casting mounds), it, and the other 93.6 Furadan 10G 5.60 species of worms found in turf help maintain turf quality where turf cultivation is impractical. Earthworms provide There does appear to be some tendency for granular drainage and aeration for soil, assist in decomposing organic formulations of insecticides to be more toxic than other matter (reduce thatch), improve soil crumb structure, and formulations. This probably only applies to worms that feed mix mineral and organic components of soil. on the surface (night crawlers); this behaviour increases their Earthworms, particularly the dew worm, have varying body surface exposure to the granules or they might even susceptibilities to the wide array of chemicals which are ingest the granules. used by golf supts. In both field and laboratory tests, it Actually, granular formulations of herbicides, often mix­ has been demonstrated that the fungicide benomyl is partic­ ed with fertilizers, which were introduced several years ago ularly toxic to earthworms; it is at least as toxic as many of to golf courses, have also been found, in laboratory tests, to the most potent insecticides to earthworms. We have found be toxic to the dew worm. There is also strong circum­ that in laboratory and field tests a single 1 lb/acre (1.12 kg stantial field evidence to suggest that bait worm harvesters /ha) treatment of Benlate 50 (R) WP sprayed onto the turf have had their yields substantially reduced at golf courses causes significant reduction in earthworm populations. At using these granular formulations. double that rate (2 lb/acre or 2 consecutive one pound ap­ Of sprayed herbicides only Dacthal had adverse effects plications) 90% of the worms are killed. If the worms are on earthworms, and then only on worms living in the upper not subjected to further benomyl applications, their popu­ soil layers; these effects had disappeared within a year and lations return to normal within a year. If the soil is subject­ the deep-dwelling dew worm was unaffected. The following ed to benomyl treatments over several years, earthworm table lists several herbicides and their effects on the earth­ populations will be reduced even further, and reinvasion by worm Allolobophora caliginosa, a worm living in upper soil worms from untreated areas will be slower. profiles. Benomyl is also somewhat toxic to some beneficial soil AllAllolobophora olobophora lobophora caliginosa iAllolobophorpopulations/m2 caliginosa Allocaliginosa a arthropods. However, we have found that benomyl appli­ populations/m2 populations/m Herbicide Rate(kg/ha) 3 wks. 2 after 12 months caliginosa populations/m2 after 12 months after 3afterwks. cations to turf result in a net increase in these beneficial No wt(gms) No wt arthropods probably because some of their predators are more susceptible to the benomyl. Similar observations have Betasan 15.0 57 a 10.5 a 38 a 10.8 a been made with several insecticides. Dacthal 15.0 34 b 5.1 b 36 a 9.6 a Dicamba 0.5 56 a 9.5 a 38 a 9.9 a Benomyl residues in soil normally break down quite rapidly. Even following a treatment at 4 Ib/ha, within 3 2, 4-D 1.0 61 a 12.3 a 37 a 7.4 a months, residues are virtually undetectable. We have found Mecoprop 1.0 61 a 11.8a 34 a 8.1 a that an annual treatment of benomyl at 4 lb/ha for 4 years 2, 4, 5-T 1.0 54 a 13.3 a 30 a 8.2 a Control — 58 a 12.0 a 37 a 9.9 a does engender a “background” soil residue of 0.001 pmm. Fungicides are generally considered “safer” than insect­ a, b - numbers followed by the same letter are not significant­ icides, but in the case of earthworms and benomyl, this is ly different from one another. not so. Care should be exercised in its application, partic­ In general, benomyl, Furadan(R), Thimet(R), Counter(R), ularly if the golf course is anticipating income from dew possibly granular formulations of herbicides and Dacthal worm harvesters. Usually, however, because of the relatively should be used with care or not at all where earthworms are high cost of benomyl (and pesticides generally) it is usually desirable. Conversely, on greens, where earthworms may be only applied to greens, whereas worm harvesting takes place considered a pest, these compounds may be used to ad­ on the fairways. vantage. empty table cell To Multiply by Metric Symbol PREFIX DEFINITIONS TEMPERATURE Degrees Names of multiples and sub-multiples of the units are Farenheit Degrees Celsius °F-32x0.56 °C formed by means of the following prefixes: empty table cell Prefix Symbol PRESSURE 1 000 000 000 000 TERA DA Pounds per Sq. 1 000 000 000 GIGA G Inch (PSI) Kilopascals X 6.89 KPA 1 000 000 MEGA M 1 000 KILO K POWER 100 HECTO DA Horsepower Watts X 745.7 W 10 DEKA D Horsepower POWER Kilowatts X 0.75 KW 0.1 DECI D 0.01 CENTI C SPEED 0.001 MILLI M Feet per Second Metres per 0.000 001 MICRO U Second X 0.30 M/S 0.000 000 001 NANO N Miles per Hour Kilometres per SPEED 0.000 000 000 001 PICO P Hour X 1.61 KM/H CONVENIENT CONVERSION FACTORS (All units for conversion on this page are Canadian measures) FOR METRIC EQUIVALENTS TO CONVERT FROM Multiply the unit on the left by the factor shown to find Large Area Agricultural Proportions the metric equivalent listed on the right. To convert metric empty Ounces per cell ToGrams per table Multiply by Metric Symbol to Canadian measure, or U.S.A, in several instances, reverse Acre Hectare X 70.00 G/HA the direction and divide the unit on the right by the factor Fluid Ounces Millilitres per to find the equivalent on the left. per Acre Hectare X 70.21 ML/HA TO CONVERT FROM Pounds per Kilograms per Acre Hectare X 1.12 KG/HA Metric Pints per Litres per Length To Multiply by Symbol Acre Hectare X 1.41 L/HA Inches Centimetres X 2.54 CM Quarts per Litres per Feet Centimetres X 30.48 CM Acre Hectare X 2.81 L/HA Feet Metres X 0.305 M Gallons per Litres per Yards Metres X 0.91 M Acre Hectare X 11.23 L/HA Miles Kilometres X 1.61 KM Bushels per Litres per Acre Hectare X 89.80 L/HA AREA Plants per Acre Plants per Hec. X 2.47 Square Inches Square Centimetresi X 6.45 CM2 MISCELLANEOUS PROPORTIONS AREA Feet Square Square Metres X 0.093 M2 M2 Multiply by Metric AREA Square Yards Square Metres X 0.84 Area Rates To Multiply by Symbol AREA Acres Hectares X 0.405 HA Ounces per Grams per 100 VOLUME 1000 sq. ft. sq. metres X 30.51 G/100M2 Pounds per Grams per 100 Cubic Inches Cubic 1000 sq. ft. sq. metres X 488.2 G/100M2 Centimetres! X 16.39 CC Pints per Litres per 100 Cubic VOLUME Feet Litres X 28.32 L 1000 sq. ft. sq. metres X 0.61 L/100M2 VOLUME Cubic Yards Cubic Metres X 0.76 M3 Gallons per Litres per 100 Fluid Ounce VOLUME 1000 sq. ft. sq. metres X 4.89 L/100M2 (Canadian) Millilitres X 28.41 ML VOLUME Fluid Ounce LIQUID/SOLID CONCENTRATIONS (U.S.A.) Millilitres X 29.57 ML Pints (Can.) VOLUME Litres X 0.57 L empty Ouncestable gal. ToGrams per litre Multiply per cell X 6.25by Metric G/LSymbol Quarts (Can.) VOLUME Litres X 1.14 L Ounces per Grams per Gallons (Can.) VOLUME Litres X 4.55 L 100 gallons 1000 litres X 62.5 G/1000L Gallons (U.S.) VOLUME Litres X 3.79 L Gallons per Litres per Bushel (8 gal. VOLUME 100 gallons 100 litres X 1.00 L/100L Canadian) Litres X 36.37 L Ounces per Grams per Cubic Feet VOLUME Cubic Metres X 0.0283 M3 1000 cu. ft. 100 cu. metres X 100.0 G/m3 Pounds per Kilograms/100 Metric 1000 cu. ft. cu. metres X 1.6 KG/M3 MASS (Weight) To Multiply by Symbol Ounces Avdp. Grams X 28.35 G SPECIAL NOTE: AQUATIC PESTICIDES Pounds Kilograms X 0.454 KG Volumetric Basis: 1 mL per cubic metre of water = 1 ppm Short Tons Tonnes X 0.91 T Weight Basis: 1 gram per cubic metre of water = 1 ppm McCLUMPHA TOURNAMENT "FUN DAY" PLACE: DALEWOOD GOLF CLUB HOST: DAN ARDLEY DATE: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1980 • DRAW PRIZES • PUTTING CONTEST "BRING YOUR ASSISTANT" SUPPORT THE "ONTARIO TURFGRASS RESEARCH FOUNDATION" ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE