"Green is Beautiful” Ontario Golf Superintendents Association P.O. BOX 203, ISLINGTON, ONTARIO M9A 4X2 TELEPHONE 233-8388 MARCH 1986 1986 O.G.S.A. PRESIDENT BARRY ENDICOTT Caledon Sports Centre ECKHOFF AWARD For Excellence In Golf Journalism ONTARIO GOLF SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 1986 PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT PAST PRESIDENT Barry Endicott Robert Kennedy Hugh Kirkpatrick Caledon Sports Centre Garden City Golf Club Westmount Golf & Country Club 3 Sutter Ave. 37 Lincoln Ave. P.O. Box 221 Brampton, Ontario L6Z IC1 St. Catharines, Ontario L2P 2C7 Kitchener, Ontario N2G 3Y6 Phone: Bus. (416) 457-2949 Phone: Bus. (416) 685-9976 Phone: Bus. (519) 744-1041 Res. (416) 846-1440 Res. (416) 935-2019 Res. (519) 893-2119 DIRECTORS Rod Trainor Neil Acton CGCS Ron Heeson St. Thomas Golf and C.C. Brooklea Golf and Country Club Beachgrove Golf and C.C. P.O. Box 62 P.O. Box 1342 14134 Riverside Drive East St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 3T5 Penetang, Ontario LOK 1P0 Windsor, Ontario N8N 1B6 Phone: Bus. (519) 631-2447 Phone: Bus. (705) 526-9872 Phone: Bus. (519) 735-0007 Res. (519) 631-4798 Res. (705)549-2323 Res. (519) 735-0007 Gordon Nimmo Scott Dodson Thom Charters Sarnia Golf and Curling Club Chedoke Golf Club Islington Golf Club 500 Errol Rd. W. 563 Aberdeen Ave. 45 Riverbank Dr. P.O. Box 131 Sarnia, Ontario N7V 1X7 Hamilton, Ontario L8P 2S8 Islington, Ontario M9A 4X1 Phone: Bus. (519) 336-0667 Phone: Bus. (416) 529-9931 Phone: Bus. (416) 231-0925 Res. (519) 332-1521 Res. (416) 957-7729 Res. (416) 231-0925 Ed Farnsworth Mark Hagen Dave W. Gourlay (Jr.) Deerhurst Inn Golf and C.C. Wyldewood Golf Club Toronto Ladies Golf Club R.R. #4 R.R. #1 P.O. Box 400 Huntsville, Ontario P0A 1K0 Hornby, Ontario LOP 1E0 Thornhill, Ontario L3T 4A2 Phone: Bus. (705) 789-5543 Phone: Bus. (416) 878-4848 Phone: Bus. (416) 889-3531 Res. (705) 789-8282 Res. (416) 845-3183 Res. (416) 889-7620 NEWSLETTER EDITOR Neil Acton CGCS Editor Emeritus — Barry Endicott ASSISTANT EDITORS Ron Heesen Alex LaBelle OFFICE SECRETARY CINDI CHARTERS From the Editor President’s Message I'm sure some of you will be surprised as you leaf For most of us, a mid-January thaw took away most through this issue to find advertising for the first time in of our snow, giving us a chance to see how our turf was our publication. We were approached by some As­ wintering. From what I have seen and heard from other sociate members who wanted the opportunity to adver­ Golf Course Superintendents, everything looks good. tise their services and products. After much thought and With only one month of winter left, it looks promising discussion, the OGSA Board of Directors decided to that we should have a good spring. accept advertising on a trial basis for one year. They also limited advertising space to 30% of the publication. Some Superintendents have just attended the GCSA A The funds generated will go towards offsetting spiralling Turfgrass Show in San Francisco and some are now production costs and postage. Let us know your making plans to attend the CGSA Turfgrass Conference thoughts on the matter. Drop me a line, talk to your in Ottawa in March. Education conferences and sym­ district director or give Cindi a call at the office. posiums, like the Guelph Symposium that the OGSA holds in early January, are key ingredients to the success Government legislation, either in place or impending, of a Golf Course Superintendent It Is important to take seems to be making life more complicated daily. Spills the time and effort to prepare in the off-season months Bills, Free Trade, innumerable permits - where does it before spring and summer problems are at hand. end! There are countless issues which affect us one way or another and I can't help but think it's only a matter Winter is an excellent time of year for us to spend more of time until we, as an industry, will have to entertain time with our families and friends. We often neglect our the thought of engaging professional lobbyists to pro­ private lives a little bit during the golf season because tect what we take for granted today. Quite a number of the demands that golfers and mother nature put on of Superintendents Associations south of the border pre­ us. I hope that you and your families are enjoying a sently retain lobbyists or have formed task forces to deal good winter and I hope that your golf courses winter with water restrictions, unduly tough pesticide regula­ well. See you in Ottawa. tions and even unions at exclusive country clubs. We can breath a collective sigh of relief that water isn't a Barry Endicott pressing problem in Ontario presently but how long until it is? Pesticides, on the other hand, are attacked daily by the press and with chemical manufacturers forced to pay exorbitant costs for product registration, I actually foresee the possibility of our chemical arsenal shrinking. Congratulations Let's hope I'm overstating the facts but don't forget that The following OGSA members received their 25 Year motto we grew up with - "Be Prepared." membership plaques: Jim Wyllie CGCS As a footnote to the above article, an unexpected Bernie MacDonald problem of great proportion has recently waved its ugly Doug Suter head. The current liability insurance crisis that is crippling John Grightmire municipalities, school boards and industry in general appears to be taking its toll within the golf community as well. At the time of this writing, liability insurance covering golf cars seems to be next to impossible to obtain. The repercussions of this are obvious. Faced with Special Note loss income, courses will boost prices and reduce Any memberships whose subscription is not paid operating costs. This means golfers may be paying more in full by March 1st, shall cease to be a member for an inferior product - an equation that does not bode of the association and will lose all membership well for the industry. Hopefully, this problem will be rec­ benefits at that time. Please pay promptly. tified. Weather In Review empty table cell October November December January Average Daily Low Temperature 5.4⁰C 1.0⁰C -7.4⁰C -9 2⁰ Average Daily High Temperature 14.5⁰C 6.2⁰C -2.5⁰C -2.4⁰C Mean Temperature 10.0⁰C 3.6°C -5.0⁰C -5.8⁰C Normal Temperature 10.3°C 4.2°C -2.2°C -4.9⁰C Precipitation rain 34 mm 131 mm empty table cell15 mm snow empty table cell 7 cm 24 cm 9 cm Twenty Years Ago Today by Barry Endicott In 1966 the OGSA board of directors were as follows: Keith the Willie Park Trophy at the Weston Golf Club with a 71. Nisbet (president), Bob Moote (vice), Dave Gourlay (sec.), A meeting and golf day was held on September 13th at Whitey Jones (treas.), George Darou (past pres.), Dave Moote, Upper Canada Golf Club hosted by Tom Unsworth. At that Larry Smithson, Carl Sellers, Ian Williamson and Gordon Witte- meeting it was decided that Keith Nisbet would run for director veen. The Greensmaster was the official publication of the in the coming national elections in Washington. Gord Witte­ OGSA and the editors were Gordon Witteveen, Bill Hynd and veen was appointed voting delegate. Norm McKenna. On May 12, John Arends hosted a meeting at Haw-thorn A monthly meeting was held at the 3 year old Brampton Valley. John received his early training as assistant to Ralph Golf Club. The host superintendent was Roy Cornfield. Roy Tucker when Ralph was building the Beverley Golf Club. had been the assistant for seven years to Harry McBride at Whitey Jones was low net and Keith Nisbet was low gross. At the old Brampton Country Club. Mr. Leo Cleary from the W.A. this meeting a change in the by-laws to have a separate Cleary chemical firm was the guest speaker. membership class for assistants was turned down. A motion Larry Smithson was Superintendent at the Municipal courses to accept pro superintendents and manager superintendents, in Metro Toronto but was recently promoted to Parks Superin­ who are not members of the PGA and-the Managers Associ­ tendent. ation, was carried. The Credit Valley Club, near Toronto, had just completed The Dominion Golf Club was the site for an April meeting one of the most modern, expensive, foolproof elevators in the hosted by Danny Uzelac and his wife Dorothy. area. Now there was talk that the course will be sold for sub­ On March 8th, Joe Roberts at the Oshawa Country Club, dividing. hosted over 50 members. The guest speakers were Mr. James Tom Styles died in mid-October in St. Catharines where he Lent and Mr. Art Drysdale. Some of the members at this meet­ was Superintendent at the St. Catharines Country Club for ing were: George Darou, Richmond Hill; Joe Peters, Strathroy more than 40 years. (both Darou and Peters were at one time superintendents at The Alex McClumpha Tournament was held at Glen Eagles Oshawa); Tom Unsworth, Upper Canada Golf Club; Ted Char­ Golf Club hosted by Bill Calhoun. Dale Butler from Malton Golf man, Toronto Ladies; Ernie Allen, Toronto Hunt Club; and Norm Club won it with a 74. Whitey Jones was low net. McKenna, Summit Golf Club. Bill Bowen, Superintendent at the Peterborough C.C., won Standard Committee Report The Standards Committee was formed to study our Associ­ The OGSA's reputation in the Ontario golf community is ation's existing Code of Ethics, to examine golf course-related sound but most certainly can be enhanced. Our most effective educational programs in Ontario, and to evaluate the OGSA's public relations vehicle is the conduct and resulting respect stature in the province's golf community. that each one of our members nurture at their respective clubs. With regard to the Code of Ethics, the committee felt that To this end we recommend that each member evaluate his more comprehensive and specific guidelines were required. past performance, in light of the revised ethical standards. We also must stress the fact that these standards will receive Members are also urged by this committee to attend meet­ their due recognition, only if willful violations are reported to ings, seminars and conferences, to exchange ideas with fel­ and dealt with severely by the Board of Directors. low superintendents and to present themselves, at all times, as true professionals. The education programs that are currently in place in On­ tario vary significantly in scope. It was not the intention of the committee to rate these programs, but rather to recognize Respectfully submitted, them and express our interest in their further development. To Thom Charters this end, some valuable dialogue has been initiated that will Paul Dermott, CGCS hopefully continue in the future. Jim Wyllie, CGCS Good Luck... to Michael Van Beek, about to begin a new career THE TURF SEEDSpecialists with his own turf care company in Halton Hills. Michael, P.O. Box 219, Brampton, formerly the assistant at Glen Abbey, will be missed by Ontario, Canada L6V 2L2 his associates in the OGSA. (416) 846-5080 R. PAUL JOHNSON National Sales Manager Turf Seeds Teed off at weed problems? Get proven control: Compitox Compitox Plus Silvaprop for the finest for long driving for weed control golf greens fairways in the rough A simple spray treatment with Don’t let weeds choke up fair­ It’s rough when broadleaf weeds Compitox takes care of all your ways and roughs. Take control and woody plants take over. Let most troublesome weed problems with Compitox Plus. Silvaprop take care of them, on greens: common chickweed, safely and quickly. Where woody Proven to be most effective when plaintain, mouse-ear chickweed, plants and tough perennials are weeds are young and growing and clover. established in your rough­ vigorously, Compitox Plus con­ control them with Silvaprop. Compitox is safe on the finest trols clover, dandelion, common turf, including bent grasses, red chickweed, mouse-ear chick- Silvaprop controls over 40 broad­ fescue, blue grasses and rye weed, plaintain, black medick, leaf weeds and over 30 woody grasses. dandelion and creeping Charlie. plants. Consult label for various Compitox Plus is safe on estab­ application rates and specific lished turf planted with Kentucky weed control. blue, Merion blue, fescues and rye grasses. May&Baker M&B May & Baker Canada Inc. 6557 Mississauga Road Mississauga. Ontario L5N 1A6 1274 Plains Road East Always read labels before use Burlington, Ontario L7S 1W6 Ethical Standards Of The Ontario Golf Superintendents Association To ensure that respect is accorded our profession, our Apply only for a position that is vacant and, if possible, Association and our individual members, these ethical talk to the person who last held the job, or other local standards are to observed and practised. Superintendents. Maintain courteous relations with your employer, em­ Offer employment to another club's employee only ployees, and fellow superintendents, while practising after advising that club's Superintendent. sound business and turf management principles. Contact the Superintendent of a club you are visiting, Continue to broaden your knowledge through formal and, whenever possible, do so in advance. educational channels and by exchanging experiences Misrepresenting this Association and yourself by loan­ and ideas with fellow members. ing your membership card will not be condoned. Endorse products or practises, only when completely It is the responsibility of each member to abide by satisfied, through personal experience. these standards and to report any willful violations to Refrain from corresponding, either verbally or in writ­ the Board of Directors in writing. ing, with a Director, member, or official of another club, Breech of these standards may result in the following regarding its affairs, without prior consent of that club's disciplinary action: Posting - Suspension of Privileges - Superintendent. Termination of Membership. Introducing Some New Directors No fewer than five directors completed their terms of office this past season. Leaving the Board were Gordon Witteveen, Bill Each, Al Draper CGCS, Shorty Jenkins and Tom Simpson. They all served the OGSA well and dedicated many hours from already busy schedules. We are all deeply indebted to these individuals but I must wonder what they will do with all their spare time now. Taking their places on the Board are 5 equally dedicated and talented individuals. Below, you will find a brief description of 3 of these people, with the other 2 being covered in the next issue. Mark Hagen Ed Farnsworth Ron Heeson Mark spent four Ed was born in Ron joined the seasons at Dun­ Huntsville and has Board of Trades dee Golf Club stayed in the area turf care crew in prior to spending almost exclusively 1975 and was pro­ some time on the other than his time moted to first assis­ grounds crews of I spent at the Uni­ tant in 1978. He Foxwood Golf Club and Westmount versity of Guelph where he received spent the next 5 years in this position Golf and Country Club. His first assis­ his Associate Diploma in Agricul­ before accepting the superinten­ tants job was at Greenhills in London ture. Ed's father and uncle built the dents position in 1983 at where he worked for Al Draper from Strathcona Golf Course in 1967 and Beachgrove Golf Club in Windsor. 1981 to 1983. When John Smith left operated it for 14 years prior to sel­ Ron graduated from the turf pro­ Wyldewood for Kawartha Golf ling it to the Deerhurst Inn. Deehurst gram from the University of Guelph Club, Mark took over as superinten­ has big plans in the works which will in 1978. Ron and wife Adrienne are dent at Wyldewood where he re­ surely keep Ed busy. Ed and his wife recent proud parents of a baby mains today. Mark has a Degree in Laurie have no children (yet). daughter. Environmental Studies from Water­ loo and has attended the Guelph short course. San Francisco ’86 An Assistant’s Perspective by Jerry Richard, Brooklea G. & C.C. As an assistant superintendent, the chances of being I have to admit that when I was told that there wouldn't able to attend a GCSAA conference are quite slim, but be many assistants there, I was a little worried about during this past January, I was given the opportunity to being out of place. But at the conference, I didn't feel do so at this year's GCSAA Conference and Trade Show out of place one bit; in fact, the people that I talked in San Francisco. to there were very eager to help and share their know­ ledge with me. the hundreds of exhibits, I found this an excellent way There were three different educational phases that I to make contacts, and get a better feel for the industry. experenced during this, my first GCSAA conference. The enormous size of the trade show was a message The first phase was a structured seminar on the topic of telling me that this business is successful. I felt important my choice, which happened to be plant nutrition. The being there. 2-day seminar was jam-packed with up-to-date and What else did this, my first GCSAA Conference and indepth information about plant nutrient uptake, soil Trade Show do for me? Well, it gave me a chance to structure and fertilizers. Everything is covered and no see how golf course maintenance differs in different time is wasted. The seminar was 100% pure golf course climates south of the border; it impressed in my mind material, hence everything taught was relevant to golf a feeling of strong unity between all facets of the golfing course maintenance. There were 28 different seminar industry; it satisfied a nagging curiosity, the kind you topics to choose from this year. get when you want to see something for the first time, The second phase consisted of a series of talks given and it also allowed me to see a beautiful city I had by different professionals in the business. These 20 mi­ never seen before. nute talks, often accompanied by a slide show, allowed individuals to share their ideas and experiences with All in all, my first GCSAA Conference and Trade Show the rest of us. was a tremendous learning experience in many ways. It touches on the intangibles, things you can only learn The third phase, and the highlight of the conference, by being there. I highly recommend the GCSAA Confer­ was the trade show, a six acre supermarket of golf ence and Trade Show to anyone who has the opportu­ course equipment. It is here that I found myself learning nity to attend. more about the industry as a whole. By listening to superintendents and salespeople, as well as observing This was my first, and it won't be my last. Canadians Very Visible at San Francisco The fact that the Canadian flag shares the stage with sessions when John Steel Jr. received the Distinguished the American flag during opening ceremonies de­ Service Award on behalf of his ailing father, John Steel monstrates how active Canadian superintendents are Sr., who is resting in Winnipeg after suffering a severe at the International Turfgrass Conference and Show. stroke. John Jr.'s eloquence and presence won't soon be forgotten. Ken Olsvik from Calgary and OGSA members Al The only disappointing feature of the entire show was Draper CGCS and Gordon Witteveen were participants the keynote speaker, General Chuck Yeager (retired). in the educational sessions. Gord introduced winter golf He actually began his speech by saying he wouldn't to the unsuspecting audience while Al parted with a get overly technical because he realized our (superin­ few of his tried and tested fertilizer practices. Ken's de­ tendents') technical expertise and understanding was scription of mega-dollar course construction out West limited to sharpening lawn mowers. I sincerely hope was very entertaining. those in control at GCSAA select future keynoters with There wasn't a dry eye in the audience at the opening a little more thought and screening. “Green Is Beautiful” Recognized Once Again Editors of seven outstanding newsletters were recog­ In addition to the three overall awards, judges nized during the Golf Course Superintendents Associa­ selected four newsletters for special recognition regard­ tion of America's (GCSAA's) 57th Annual International less of chapter size. These special categories: best flag Golf Course Conference and Show in San Francisco, design, best cover, best original editorial content, and January 27-February 4, 1986. best format and readability. The 1985 winners of the annual GCSAA Chapter The 1985 winners are: Newsletter Contest were selected from newsletters of Category A: Turf Talk 49 eligible, affiliated chapters by a panel of five highly New Hampshire GCSA Editor Barrie Robertson qualified judges. To be eligible, newsletters must be Category B: The Ballmark Central Illinois GCSA Editor, Michael Vogt published by GCSAA affiliated chapters between Oc­ Category C: The Grass Roots tober 1 of the previous year and October 1 of the current WisconsinGCSA Editor MonroeS Miller year. Best Cover: The Florida Green Within each of three chapter size categories, one Florida GCSA Editor, Dan Jones, CGCS newsletter was selected as the best overall. Newsletters Best Flag: The Green Breeze Greater Cincinnati GCSA Editor Dennis Warner were evaluated on overall excellence, appropriate de­ Best Editorial: The Green Side sign, editorial judgement and content, scope and qual­ GCSA of New Jersey Editor, Jim Gilligan ity of writing, and presentation. The size categories: A Best Format & Green Is Beautiful - fewer than 30 members, B - 30 to 70 members, and ReadabiIity: Ontario GCSA C - more than 70 members. Editor, Neil Acton, CGCS Some Ideas About Roots Dr. W.H. Daniel, Purdue University Introduction: Roots have been found over 100 inches long under Bermuda 1. What is a root? in California tests. However, roots of three feet for fescue and 2. Where are the roots? zoysia, two feet for bluegrass and bentgrass would be consi­ 3. Roots are plant membranes. dered quite long. When trenches are made across roughs or 4. What is water-air balance for roots? tall grass areas, the long root extension in the soil profile is 5. Roots are strong. usually impressive. 6. How would you insult roots? Roots are plant membranes. "Here, you root; do this! Ab­ 7. What could you do in favor of roots? sorb (take in) 5000 pounds of water plus one pound of elements the plants must have. By the way, keep out the excessive Roots Turfwise and avoid the unneeded. Meanwhile, let's hope nematodes Our historical roots, as a family and individuals, have re­ make no holes and rhizoctonia doesn't infect. And, while you're cently received special attention. However, the roots of con­ constantly expanding, we'll try to keep the leaves healthy, the cern in turf are those little white stringy things that supposedly mower sharp, the wear distributed, the drough averted, and are below the grass you see on the surface. we'll try to avoid scalping or other turf stress." After all, the top First, what is a root? Roots are initiated at the nodes occur­ must send energy clear down to the root tip. When energy is ring along stems. These may be concentrated in a crown or short, the number of root hairs diminishes, the diameter reduces spread along a stolon. Portions of mature roots are mainly and the root initiation slows. conductive tissue plus providing some storage nutrients, espe­ Roots are powerful absorbers. Before the plant wilts, roots cially starches. will take water from soils down to 13.6 atmospheres, a pF of The working part of any root is the soft absorbive root tip 4.5 or tension equivalent of 14 meters of water. The wise turf and the root hairs near it. This is where the payload of water manager has every reason to utilize the reservoir of moisture and elements are absorbed for transfer to the crown, stems within a root zone between irrigations. In other words, it is foolish and leaves known as the turf cover. And, woe is the plant to ignore the root zone moisture storage potential when man­ which had lost its root tips! So, a living root is that plant tissue aging fine turf. joined to the node and extending to and including a root What is water-air balance for roots? Incidentally, that root cap. Although some branching is normal, when individual tip must have some oxygen as it works. Waterlogged soils are root tips die, the older root parts seldom initiate new root tips. hard on roots. Being waterlogged for more than 24 hours under Physiologically, the plant's response is to initiate a new root stress weather is a cause for concern. Most turf managers have at the node and just start again (providing extra energy is seen roots growing over the surface of the ground in an attempt available and time is allowed). In other words, the energy to be where there is air. Roots may be deep or shallow just in path is to start a new root, which has least transfer distance response to air supply. We've seen roots grow in water when for nutrients. So, keeping root tips alive and active is the first air is needed, but remember, oxygen travels through water challenge of turf managers. 1000 times faster than through wet compacted soils. Bud Esterline at Muncie one time said, "Bill, on Monday I Roots are strong! When roots are numerous, their combined cut the cups and could see roots about five inches deep. It strength is in athletic fields, tees and traffic areas. New roots was dry, so Monday evening we made a big efort to water in new soils always look good. A measure of success is to have the greens real good. Tuesday morning early it rained and it sufficient roots to hold the soil mass for their entire depth of was so cloudy and wet that we couldn't mow Tuesday. Al­ penetration when held by the surface sod. though still raining, we finally mowed a little Wednesday after­ Research on rooting of sods has been conducted to deter­ noon, and the rain just set in there. Brown patch began to mine resistance to an upward pull after one month of growth. show. We finally got our greens mowed on Friday, and on How would you insult roots? Saturday the weather cleared up, and all I had for roots were 1. Reduce their air at root tips. a few black strings! I had lost my complete root system be­ 2. Increase the water to excess. tween Monday night and Saturday morning." Now what? Bud 3. Compact the soil; use equipment and carts. knew he had to lightly water those greens, to watch for wet 4. Smear, seal the surface. wilt, to keep the leaves moist enough so they wouldn't wilt 5. Raise the temperature. until new roots would generate. If he could get by for about 6. Overcrowd the plants. seven days, he'd have some new roots growing, and later 7. Lose leaves due to disease. some good roots working again, and back to normal. Five 8. Reduce leaf surface. days of wet weather cost Bud his root system, and then it took 9. Shade by trees, buildings, other plants. him ten days to get partial replacement. 10. Overfertilize and stress plants. Where are the roots? Would you believe 90 percent of root What would you do to favor roots? length is in the upper two inches or five cm. In West Germany, 1 .Increase oxygen in root zone. my friend, Dr. Boecker, reported extensive testing. 2. Avoid any overwatering or continued wetness. Inches cm % 3. Vertically core, spike, slit open root zone surface. 0-2 0-5 90 Boecker found 81 to 91% for fescue 4. Topdress to raise cutting height. 4 -10 5 86 to 94% for bluegrass 5. Topdress to minimize surface compaction and effect of thatch. 6 -15 3 85 to 93% for bentgrass 6. Increase leaf surface. empty table cell below Root distribution in June and December 7. Avoid or spread wear. were near equal. 8. Avoid disease or turf weakening. Don't fret over this distribution; just realize that it is the active 9. Lower the temperature - cooling when possible. root tips doing the work. 10. Reduce shade or competition. Ideally, a diffuse extension root system is desired, but for 11. Fertilize - low to medium nitrogen. every use, management, root zone and irrigation, what is nor­ 12. Provide ample potassium and minor elements. mal, adequate and necessary will vary. As turf managers, you Turf managers and their crews can't make a root. You can help; will want all the roots possible or practical. let the plants make them. You can kill the root or slow it down. “OGSA - GCSAA Seminar by Alex La Belle I attended a packed house at the Lambton Golf & We were given a topographical map, a list of what Country Club in November to hear Mr. Geoffry Cornish the owners wanted and our rules of thumb as well as and Mr. Robert Muir Graves delivera lecture concerning the government restrictions involved. We were asked to Golf Course Design Principals. My attention was riveted design eighteen holes, a practice range and putting for two days while we were educated in the fine art of green; a club house, a pro shop and a maintenance designing golf courses and the proud history of the pro­ facility; access roads and parking lots. At the end of fession dating back centuries. the exercise the gentlemen conducting the program How many times have you been confronted with the provided us with opportunities to display our work offer­ mistaken perception that all a superintendent needs to ing constructive criticism for errors and praise for our do is to throw a little fertilizer down, sprinkle some water successes. When the program was finished I understood and cut the grass when it comes up? One way to over­ a great deal more about the architect's profession and come this misconception is to educate such persons as the immense responsibilities involved. Much was to the nature of our work and let them discover for them­ learned about new construction techniques from build­ selves just how much they are unaware of. The same is ing bunkers and tees to contouring fairways and design­ true of designing a quality golfing facility. It is not simply ing greens. I came away with an enlightened history of a matter of drawing a series of lines and circles and our past and an encouraging glimpse of the great po­ squares on a piece of paper. It is engineering, hydro­ tential that lies ahead when the experience of these logy, geology, biology and landscaping, to name only competent professionals is enlisted. some of the background needed. It is the application The next time you are constructing a bunker or build­ of some time-proven rules which may be broken any­ ing a green, think of men like Stanley Thompson, Donald where along the way to provide a better golf hole. Then Ross and Robert Trent Jones, to name a few. Imagine there is the ability to recognize a better design when the knowledge and hard work that went before, to show you see it. It was said at the seminar, "On one piece of us what we should and shouldn't do You'll find that the land there may be a hundred different eighteen hole labour involved in your project is a little more than you golf courses. Your job is to pick out the best eighteen had figured. in the bunch." RAE MURRAY TECHNICAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE PROFESSIONAL TURF PRODUCTS CHIPMAN A Business Unit of C l L Inc. TELEPHONE 400 JONES ROAD (416) 1 800-263-2136 STONEY CREEK, ONTARIO (705) (519) (613) L8G 3Z1 1 800-263-8353 Left to right: Robert Muir Graves, Betsy Evans, Geoff Cornish Putting Greens: Dealing With Snow And Ice Accumulations by James T. Snow Northeastern Agronomist, USGA Green Station Credit: The Ballmark Winter injury is among the more frustrating types of For the golf course superintendent, injury caused by damage a golf course can experience, particularly snow and ice accumulation is a problem in a class by when it is associated with snow and ice cover not only itself. Winter damage is impossible to predict; if turf is on greens, but also on other areas. At least other types lost, the superintendent can be in a precarious situation of turf problems result from controllable or preventable with club officials because so little is known about the causes to some extent, like diseases, insects, wilting, nature of the injury. Even though criticism often is unjus­ poor drainage, or compaction and wear from heavy tified, it's no wonder that club officials sometimes be­ traffic. Even other kinds of weather injury, such as desic­ come suspicious about the superintendent's ability to cation, winter diseases, and winter traffic effects, usually deal with winter injury. The fact is that there are many can be explained, if not always easily prevented. questions which remain unanswered. Equipment for professional turf maintenance Gordon Bannerman Limited Bannerman 41 Kelfield Street, Rexdale, Ontario M9W 5A3 Telephone 416-247-7875 Bannerman turfcare equipment There remains much confusion concerning the actual to the far reaches of the golf course with equipment and mechanism of turfgrass kill associated with snow and ice materials during winter may be impossible, and in winter accumulations. A number of theories have been prop­ the size of the maintenance crew is usually small. This often osed, and some of them are contradictory. One theory leaves the superintendent with no choice except to clear popular in the 1960s suggested that turf died from suffoca­ just a few of the greens, those with the worst problems or tion caused by the build-up of respiratory carbon dioxide easiest access. gas under the ice sheets. This idea has been challenged As an alternative to complete clearing, trenches can by Dr. James B. Beard, of Texas A&M University. His studies be dug through the snow and ice in the low areas of the indicate that this type of injury rarely occurs. Some authors remaining greens, thereby providing a drainage pathway proposed that winter scald is part of the problem, caused for excess water. If ice removal or trenching cannot be by a lens effect when sunlight passes through the ice or done, it could be of some benefit to break up ice sheets standing water, thus scalding the leaf. Others have with sledge hammers and picks. This should at least cause suggested that the solubility of arsenical, mercury, cad­ the ice to melt faster. Where weather conditions make mium and other compounds increases under anaerobic mid-winter clearing work difficult or impossible, a sod strip conditions and contributes to turf losses. In an article ap­ is sometimes taken in the green during late fall A neat pearing in the November 1972 issue of the USGA Green drainage trench can be easily dug in the green simply Section Record, Dr. Beard stated that, "The winter injury by using a sodcutter to remove the sod. The sod can then most commonly associated with extended periods of ice be entrenched in a sand bunker to preserve it over the coverage occurs during freezing or thawing periods when winter, and it can be replaced safely the following spring. standing water increases the crown tissue hydration and Unfortunately, this technique produces only variable results subsequent injury of the turfgrass plants when tempera­ and leaves a visible scar which remains for most of the tures drop rapidly below 20°F. golf season. Most researchers and observers agree about two things, It is unlikely that two superintendents will agree com­ however: pletely on the best method of snow and ice removal. 1) Greens with poor surface and internal drainage are Some are very successful in using bulldozers or front-end more susceptible to this type of winter injury than well- loaders on their greens. This can be a risky operation, drained greens, and though. Care must be taken not to come too close to the 2) Poa annua is much more likely to succumb to winter turf surface, especially on greens with prominent undula­ injury than any of the bentgrasses. tions and contours. Others use picks and shovels for snow Therefore, providing good drainage and developing and ice removal, but this is time-consuming, and it obvi­ strong stands of bentgrass should be the goals of every ously limits the number of greens which can be cleared course which suffers regularly from winter injury. or trenched. The use of machinery on the greens in late A question that requires a good deal of judgement and winter will depend to some extent upon the depth of frost experience is when to begin to remove ice and snow in the soil. accumulations from the greens. Whether or not even to Another good technique is to apply a dark-colored material attempt to do this could be argued, but research and to the surface of the snow and let the sun's energy do the field experience have shown that ice removal is worth the work. The dark material absorbs the incoming radiation and effort if the accumulations have persisted for a prolonged causes the snow beneath to melt faster This method takes period. longer to work, but is often very effective. Topdressing is often Turfgrasses can withstand various periods of continuous used for this purpose, sometimes mixed with activated char­ ice coverage without significant damage, from 60 days coal, soot, or fertilizer. A rate of about two cubic yards to 5 000 for annual bluegrass to 150 days for Toronto creeping square feet can be applied. This method has other advan­ bentgrass. Generally speaking, however, bentgrasses are tages. Once the topdressing has reached the turf surface, it quite tolerant of ice coverage. Annual blue-grass, on the provides protection from subsequent desiccation weather other hand, is readily susceptible to ice injury, while the Dark-colored organic fertilizers are also popular topdressing Kentucky bluegrasses fall somewhere in the middle. When materials; they can be quite effective when used at a rate of to begin to remove the ice from greens or tees, therefore, about 20 pounds of material per 1,000 square feet will depend greatly upon the species composition of the An intriguing idea which may be worth trying is to apply underlying turf. Ice removal should begin 50 to 60 days a good wetting agent to the surface of the snow to prom­ after an ice cover has been established on greens com­ ote faster melting A thick film of water tends to develop posed primarily of Poa annua, whereas removal need not at the surface and delays the melting process. Applying be started for 100 days on predominantly bentgrass a wetting agent reduces surface tension and encourages greens. Regardless of the number of days it has been water movement down through the snow thus promoting since a solid ice cover has been established, however, faster melting. It is often impossible to apply a sprayable ice and snow should be removed from any green with material during the winter, but with the advent of the new characteristically poor surface drainage just prior to an granular wetting agent formulations, this idea may be anticipated thaw. Snow melts during a thaw, and water more feasible. Using the granular wetting agent in con­ accumulates in the low, poorly drained pockets on the junction with a dark-colored topdressing material, en­ green. A sharp drop in temperature may then kill the turf abling you to pre-mix these materials, is a convenient way in these pockets, so the advantages of removing the snow to get the best from both of these programs. before the thaw are quite obvious. All the ice and snow On greens where a history of winter injury is apparent, should be removed except for perhaps half an inch to an snow and ice should be removed during late winter A inch, which will protect the turf from desiccation and low number of techniques can be employed to reduce the temperature extremes. potential for winter injury, but none can guarantee com­ It's easy enough to recommend snow and ice removal plete success. The wrong sequence of weather conditions after a certain period of time or just before a thaw, but may produce extensive turf losses on golf courses in local anyone who has tried it knows that it is very difficult. Access or wide regional areas, despite precautions. Ontario Turfgrass Symposium Attendees, approximately 200, appear to be very research facts they have been working on and inves­ pleased with both the format and content of the two tigating lately. It was made obvious that in light of recent day Ontario Turfgrass Symposium, recently held at the disease development, disease identification and new University of Guelph. Conference Chairman Al Draper, mowing techniques, professional turf managers must CGCS, worked tirelessly securing top notch speakers stay current. from varied professions. This conference dealt with em­ Wednesday morning talks were all presented by ployee motivation and personal image, as well as pro­ superintendents and one assistant. Ted Woehrle, CGCS, fessional turf maintenance. a speaker himself, summed up the calibre of the presen­ A personal favorite was Gale Frielander, who is the tations best. Ted said the speakers were the best he has President of Images That Suit. Her presentation, entitled seen for many years at any regional conference. Any­ "Making Dynamic Impressions," proved to be the most one in attendance who listened to Barry Britton, Alex La interesting and controversial of the symposium. All Belle, Thom Charters, Don McFaul and Ted Woehrle will people talked about for the remainder of the proceed­ agree their presentations were both well prepared and ings was whether one was appropriately dressed or if accepted. Bruce Clark, sporting his newly purchased they were emitting correct body language. One can yellow tie, finished the morning sessions with a refreshing easily see that success in our business is not governed talk concerning his ambitions to become a top superin­ totally by our ability to maintain turfgrass. tendent and how he plans to go about it with the help Dr. Switzer, who is currently Deputy Minister of Agricul­ of the Dale Carnegie course. ture, provided us with some information of the inner The symposium wound up with presentations Wednes­ workings at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. day afternoon, covering information concerning tree He summed up his talk by mentioning that the impact care, personnel performance, commercial lawn care of the turfgrass industry in Ontario is being recognized and Japanese landscaping techniques. Teri Yamada, and that the possibilities of a turfgrass extension special­ speaking on the latter subject, actually apprenticed in ist, co-operatively sponsored by government and indus­ Japan and her talk and slides were most interesting. try, may become reality. The success of this year's symposium has already en­ The professional educators, including Dr. Burpee, Dr. couraged next year's committee to start planning for Eggens and Dr. Vargas, provided us with some new '87. Make plans to attend now. Christmas In The Deep South by Ron Heesen Well, after the wettest fall on record, we finally slipped currently we are in the middle of a thaw. We hope this into winter. The heavy precipitation was replaced by keeps up and we quietly head into the spring with the severe cold in December. No better time to slip away good weather. For Essex and Kent county the big issue to the Michigan Superintendents Christmas party. this spring will be the potential of flooding due to high This year the party was held at the Henry Ford Museum. lake levels. Both Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie are at their The Museum hallways were opened up for cocktails highest levels in history. Anyone living along the shoreline and hors d'oeuvres. Having a few drinks alongside old has been busy sandbagging. Further to that, our town steam engines and old locomotives seemed to get council have just had a meeting to determine how to everyone rolling into a good party atmosphere. After evacuate the area. Not very encouraging!! However, cocktails, we walked next door to Lovett Hall for the being an optimist, we hope all this passes and, with a dinner and dance. A fine meal of prime rib was served. little luck, no damage will be sustained. We're keeping By this time everyone had forgotten about the wet fall our fingers crossed. For you golfers out there, you can and the party was well underway. Living next to Motor accuse anyone from the south of being a sandbagger. City can be very interesting. Time to say best of luck this spring and keep your January has been a mixed bag in our area. In the green chairman aware and up to date. Good luck!! first two weeks we had record cold temperatures, and Correction In December’s issue, I inadvertently gave credit to Tom Murphy for the Turfgrass and Weed Man­ agement Field Day article. It was brought to my attention that it was actually Paul White who wrote the article. I regret the error and I trust Paul will drop his suit against me. (It won’t do any good, Paul, I can’t get any liability insurance.) Neil Acton Ontario Golf Superintendents Association Board of Directors 1986 Standing, left to right: Mark Hagen, Neil Acton CGCS, Ed Farnsworth, Dave W. Gourlay, Scott Dodson, Ron Heesen, Rod Trainor Sitting, left to right: Thom Charters, Barry Endicott, Hugh Kirkpatrick, Robert Kennedy Dave Dick Promoted to Executive Tech Rep For Scotts Proturf Division Marysville, Ohio - The O.M. Scott & Sons Company recently announced the promotion of Dave Dick from Senior Tech Rep to Executive Tech rep for its ProTurf® Dvision. He will continue to cover his present territory of southwestern Ontario. Dave graduated from the University of Toronto with a bachelor of science degree. Prior to joining Scotts, he was the golf course superintendent of Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Stouffville, Ontario, Canada. He and his wife, Cherylyn, and their two children reside in Brampton, Ontario. TREES HAVE FEELINGS TOO! They Respond To Care & Attention... And React To Careless Neglect. We re continuously striving to learn We have transplanted over 8000 large more about these gracious gifts from trees on Ontario and Quebec golf nature — courses. Our dedication to their care Do They Think? and attention in handling has been Can They Talk? rewarded with an envionable success rate of better than 99.9%. One Thing’s For Certain — TREES WANT TO LIVE! Hourly Rates Don't Tell All! DOUGLAS WOOD LARGE TREE SALES LTD. RR 2 Rockwood, ont NOB 2K0 (519)853-2035 1-800-265-6681 Dealing With Divots by Patrick M. O’Brien Agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region, USGA Green Section What to do about divots? This is one of those little for this, but too few hear the call. Surely, if golfers would things that every golf course superintendent must con­ limit their practice swings to off-tee areas only, a tre­ tend with but can never overcome. mendous leap forward could be made. Small wonder! The National Golf Foundation reports The practice of placing topdressing containers on that the average seasonal daily play today on an 18- par-3 tees has made a small comeback in recent years hole course is about 150 rounds. That's about 30,000 after being commonplace in the 1920s and 1930s. A rounds of golf a year for each of the nation's 18-hole few clubs use the topdressing containers as tee markers courses. That adds up to a lot of divots and a lot of and some have also included small topdressing con­ repair work. tainers on every electric golf cart. Each container holds When golf was young, the teeing ground was a small the divot topdressing mixture, seed and a scoop. The area. Since there was not a great deal of play and the scoop is used to place topdressing over the scar left if tees were mowed by hand, a good grass cover was the divot is destroyed. possible. But in time, as the number of golfers increased, The self-repair approach, unfortunately, receives only good grassy tees became more difficult and more mixed reviews. Many golfers are apathetic. Agronomi- costly to maintain. The only answer to the problem lies cally, it doesn't take long for the seed to germinate in in larger tees and a constant divot repair program. the mix and the helpful golfer may find a mass of veg­ Next to providing a level stance for the golfer, size is etation in the container. One solution is to place the the most important tee consideration. Without enough seed in a dispenser, like a salt shaker, to keep it dry ground, grass cannot recover from heavy divoting and and prevent germination. But each new step in the self­ traffic. Luckily, it is easy to calculate how much area is repair process only seems to complicate and discour­ needed. For par-4 and par-5 holes, 100 square feet of age its use even more. usable area is required for every 1,000 rounds of golf The best approach to divot repair is a regular pro­ annually. For par-3 holes, 200 square feet is needed. gram by the professional grounds staff. The professional Tees meeting these general guidelines will have a better staff is more proficient than most golfers in judging how chance of keeping a dense cover throughout the play­ much topdressing to place over an old divot hole. Usu­ ing season. This is an important consideration for anyone ally, doing the work once or twice a week is enough if planning to rebuild old tees or designing new ones. the tees are sufficiently large. Most often, one or two The use of fast growing grasses on tees with divot crew members apply the divot mixture by hand to the problems is another aid. In northern climates, some favor injured areas. The next step is to smooth the area with Penncross bentgrass while others prefer improved pe­ a shovel and then off to the next tee. Devoting time to rennial ryegrasses. In southern areas, various burmuda- divot repairs pays dividends. The golfers, too, become grass and zoysiagrass varieties are the choice. Obvi­ more conscientious about repairing injured turf when ously there are growth rate differences, even among they see that the professional staff is devoting time to it. grasses of the same species. For example, the faster The divot mixture used by the professional staff is usu­ growing Vamont bermudagrass is preferred over the ally one of seed, soil, and/or sand. Seed germination slower growing Midiron bermudagrass for tees where of cool season grasses such as bentgrass, is more dif­ these varieties are adapted. ficult in sand alone. On the other hand, actively growing Good tees, regardless of the grass species, absolutely warm season grasses will readily spread in pure sand require very close attention to fertilization rates, irrigation and rapidly cover without the need of additional seed needs and pesticide protection. These needs are even and soil. greater when cutting heights are lowered and grass Good tees and a dense, uniform turf cover undeniably clippings collected. Many tees have become an inten­ add to the enjoyment and attractiveness of every golf sive management area. course. Good tees don't just happen. They must be of Although there are no set rules for divot repair pro­ adequate size, have the proper grass, and follow a grams, the greatest hope of all remains with the golfer conscientiously planned management and divot repair himself. If every golfer would only repair his own ball program. Good tees cost money. The enjoyment they marks and replace his own divots, the nation's golf bring and the impression they leave make it all worth­ courses would be conspicuously improved and notice­ while. ably less expensive to maintain. Proper etiquette calls Credit: USGA Green Section Record. INTRODUCING TURF CARE’S OTHER TOURNAMENT FLEET THE 1986 TORO GREENSMASTER 300 - WANT TO TRY A NEW MOWING SYSTEM? - GOT A TOURNAMENT OR SPECIAL EVENT COMING UP? - HAVING SERVICE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR EXISTING GREENSMOWER? - PERHAPS YOU WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THE NEW OPTIONS THAT TORO HAS DEVELOPED: - VARIABLE SPEED CONTROL - SINGLE POINT REEL-TO-BEDKNIFE ADJUSTMENT - 5, 8, AND 11 BLADE REELS AND 3 BEDKNIVES TO CHOOSE FROM - DIRECT SUSPENSION PULL FRAME FOR SPECIAL CUTTING APPLICATIONS REQUIRING MORE DOWN FORCE - QUICK HEIGHT-OF-CUT CONVERSION KIT AND BACKLAPPING KIT WHATEVER THE REASON, GIVE US A CALL. WE HAVE A FLEET OF 1986 TORO GREENSMASTERS AVAILABLE FOR RENT, LEASE OR DEMONSTRATION AND WE ARE ANXIOUS TO GET MOWING. TURF CARE 105 GIBSON DRIVE, MARKHAM, ONTARIO L3R 3K7 TELEPHONE: (416) 475-0988 TELEX: 06-966799 COMING EVENTS 1986 Canadian Turfgrass Conference & Show March 2-4 Ottawa Congress Centre Ontario Parks Association Educational Seminar March 6-7 Humber College Ministry of Environment Pesticide Symposium March 10 Seneca College Suppliers Challenge DartTournament March 17 Cross Eyed Bull Restaurant "Green is Beautiful" Ontario Golf Superintendents Association