From left: NFGCSA President Lon Chatfield with the 2006 Memorial Scholarship winners: Carmen Warner, Christopher Maynard and William Ray. Lake City's John Piersol was also on hand to congratulate the winners and thank the North Florida GCSA for their support. Photo by Joel Jackson. Upcoming Events May 4 -7 Everglades GCSA Poa Annua Weekend, Naples Beach Hotel May 22 West Coast chapter meeting, East Lake Woodlands June 21 Everglades GCSA Vendor Day, Naples Grande GC May 4 FGCSA Board Meeting and Past Presidents Dinner May 23 South Florida GCSA chapter meeting, Weston Hills CC June 23 South Florida Chapter Meeting, Ocean Reef May 5 FGCSA Seminar, 8:00 a.m., "Time Management," Dr. Bree Hayes, Naples Beach Hotel June 3 Palm Beach GCSA 5th Annual Fishing Tournament June 26 West Coast Chapter Championship, Old Memorial May 9 North Florida GCSA chapter meeting, Cimarrone GC June 8 Everglades GCSA joint meeting June 28 Calusa GCSA Annual Meeting, Cypress Lakes GC with CMA, Lexington CC July 20 Treasure Coast Annual Meeting, Miles Grant CC May 15 Central Florida chapter meeting, June 12 CFGCSA Chapter Championship July 29 Harmony Golf Preserve The Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes CFGCSA Crowfoot Open Grand Cypress May 11 West Coast Chapter Challenge, May 18 Calusa GCSA chapter meeting, Maple Leaf CC June 10 Palm Beach GCSA Future of Golf Tournament, The Falls CC Sept. 12 FTGA Conference & Show, June 15 Treasure Coast Blue Pearl Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Tournament, Loxahatchee Club -15 President's Message President's Message Craig Weyandt It seems that everyone I talk to now-a-days is busy. We have soccer practice, baseball, band, summer family trips, the yard needs mowing, oh the house chores... do I have some house chores. These are just a few of the things that keep us busy. Most superintendents that I know volunteer for something or another. It may be time that you give at church, coach a youth athletic team, volunteer in your community, heck... even a neighborhood crime watch program, it all adds up to time. By now you have the point. Everyone that I talk with is busy and needs more time. Time to work, time to play and most important, time to spend with their family. So, why in the wide world of sports would I ask you for some more of your time when I know all this? Well, I would not ask if I didn't think it was really, really important. Think of the time that I ask you for today as if I were asking for an investment. We can all relate to that. Investing money just makes good sense. Put a little away today to have something for tomorrow. Well that's all that I am asking for. A little time invested in your career today will go a long way toward paving the road to the future of our What about work? I know you are spending profession. "some" time there. Summer cultural practices have begun. We have the aerifiers As you will read in Joel Jackson's "What's revved up again and going full speed. You Up DOC?" the time for us (Superintendents) are aerifing, topdressing, verticutting, is to act now and speak up about your brushing, grooming the greens, tees and profession. Joel has written his update on some clubs do all this to fairways. Do you fertilizer issues and the EPA review of have any summer projects this year? MSMA. Let's not let yet another viable tool Rebuilding any greens, tees or adding some be lost without being heard. As Joel will tell much needed drainage? Are you replacing you again, this is your chance to be heard any trees lost in the hurricanes? Is your and provide information that will go into the club doing a renovation? There are 3 clubs decision making process on the fate and around me that are doing either full or partial future of the use of organic arsenic renovations this year to their golf course. I herbicides. know the superintendents at these facilities are definitely spending some time at work And there's a project underway by GCSAA that will take some of your time, but again it this summer. GREEN SHEE Editor: Joel Jackson, CGCS (407) 248-1971 (fax/phone) e-mail: FLGm@aol.com News Coordinator: Mrs. Marie Roberts 1760 NW Pine Lake Drive Stuart, FL 34994 (772)692-9349 (772) 692-9654 (fax) (800) 732-6053 (Florida Wats) e-mail: fgcsal23@bellsouth.net The Green Sheet is a bimonthly FGCS A newsletter printed as follows: Jan/Feb, March/April, May/June, July/August, Sept/October, November/December. Financial Support: This issue of the Green Sheet is being sponsored by: GolfVentures 2101 E Edgewood Drive Lakeland, FL 33803 800-330-8874 800-481-8911 888-222-7072 All material submitted for printing will be edited at the discretion of the editor. Material must be typed or clearly printed. Photos are encouraged. Items must be for the good of the association. Deadline next issue: June 15. Craig Weyandt is an investment for your future. Right now at www.gcsaa.org they are running an Environmental Resource Profile survey, which is marketing-speak for a Baseline Data Survey. Go in there. Click on the link, and take the survey. We fuss and fume about EPA's decision-making on the products we use. Well now is the time to give GCSAA a piece of the facts so they can amass the data and send it on up to EPA. They have been using outmoded computer models based on agriculture for decades. It is about time we (you) gave them some real golf course information that can help them make realistic risk assessments on pesticides. There will be a series of short surveys over the year and they will be repeated every five years to track trends and improvements in our industry. We say we are environmentally friendly. Now is the time to prove it. And quit waiting for someone else to do it because I have heard all the excuses myself. He or she writes better, works for a more prestigious club, has a higher budget, my voice won't really count and the best one of all.. ."I don't have enough time". The time is now to speak up and comment on your use of MSMA, fertilizers and water use. Invest in the future of your profession and give a little of your time to make the future bright for all of us. Director of Communications Report What's Up D.O.C.? by Joel Jackson 1. Government Relations: Fertilizer Issues Along with Citrus County, Sarasota County also jumped on the fertilizer bandwagon complete with a pre-written proposed fertilizer ordinance which included "No application of fertilizerfromMay to October." It is reported that this ordinance draft was written by a friend of one of the commissioners. This citizen just happens to have an interest in an "organic" fertilizer product. Sounds like conflict of interest to me. But then not feeding turfgrass during the growing season doesn't make much sense either. I talked with Suncoast superintendent George Cook at the recent Suncoast Scramble event in late March. He is going to ask one of his contacts who works for the county if this new fertilizer ordinance will apply to golf courses since they all just worked out and passed the Golf Course Ordinance that addresses fertilizer, pesticides and water use. Dr. Nell from UF/IFAS reports that IFAS will be at the next meetings of these counties and that they are lobbying hard for the counties to simply promote and utilize the BMP guidelines that have been written using science and input from the Florida DEP, water management districts, IFAS and the green industries, instead of trying to write and pass different ordinances around the state. I can tell you that according to Dr. Bruce Augustine from O. M. Scotts, Inc. the use of fertilizer on home lawns is grossly over estimated based on their data. For example of the 80 million home lawns identified by Scotts that are do-it-yourself maintained: 40 million apply no fertilizer (that's 50% do nothing); 18 million make one application; 10 million make two applications. Closer to university recommendations for a healthy lawn, 1 million apply 3x a year and 1 million apply 4x per year. Another 10 million lawns are maintained by lawn care/pest control companies. I don't know their rates. The point is 85% of the lawns received barely subsistence fertilization, so it's not a problem of epidemic proportions as is assumed in the media or county commission chambers. Easy target but not reality. But as I was told in Tampa by a gentleman from the Florida Dept of Environmental Protection at a meeting to discuss the Lake Okeechobee Restoration Plan and the impact on phosphorus use in the watershed, "when there is political justification for action, you may have a scientifically defensible position but it isn't an option. They don't want to be lectured or told their point of view or call to action is wrong." Our challenge will then be to come up with a magic number that makes them look good and not cripple our Ag or Green Industries, whether it is logical or practical. knowledge and awareness of Florida's agricultural and natural resource issues. GCSAA - 1 will be serving on the GCSAA Strategic Communications Committee with Vice-Chairman Bob Randquist, CGCS and Darren Davis. We will be meeting in Lawrence on April 22-25 . th 3. Education: GCSAA Leadership Series Seminar - Dr. Bree Hayes will give a Time Management presentation at the Poa Annua Classic on Friday, May 5,2006 at the Naples Beach Hotel. You do not have to be registered for the Poa event to attend. Call In my role as External Affairs Committee Marie Roberts at 800-732-6053. Chairman for the FTGA, we will be sending copies of the Green Industries BMP manual Convenient On Line GCSAA education. Sign to all 67 Chairmen or Mayors of County up at: www.gcsaa.org/education/webcast/ Commissions throughout the state to webcast.aspx Lunch & Learn courses begin provide some factual information at noon (12:00 PM Central Time) and include concerning the proper use of fertilizers and 5/11/06 How Rough is It? suggest they pursue educating the public 5/15/06 Spring Cleaning for your PC instead of writing knee-jerk ordinances 5/23/06 Coaching Your Team with based on emotion. Positive Feedback Member price: $30.00. Education points: .02 Arsenic: Deadline - June 5,2006. The EPA Note: This software currently cannot be run has opened up their review of MSMA for on a Mac computer. public comment on their website. If you want or need MSMA this is your opportunity to 4. Chapter News - The Suncoast Chapter provide information that will go into the final made two $2,500 donations to the respective decision making process on the fate and research funds of the Florida GCSA and the future of the use of organic arsenic FTGA at their annual Suncoast Scramble herbicides. Submit your comments, held at Jacaranda West C.C. on March 29th. identified by docket identification (ID) number EPA-HQ-OPP-2006-0201, by one of The North Florida GCSA raised the following methods http:// approximately $5,000 for turf research at www.regulations.gov/ Follow online their annual Research Tournament held at instructions. Or Mail: Public Information the Pablo Creek GC in March. Additionally and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB) in April, the NFGCSA awarded three (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), scholarships (two in Turf Operations and Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 one in the Turf Equipment Manager Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC program) to Carmen Warner, Christopher 20460-0001. Also reference the Docket Maynard and William May at their 14th Number ID above. Deadline for submitting Annual Memorial Tournament in honor of input - June 5,2006. Mike Richards and Alan MacCurrach. 2. Allied Associations: Met with the Ag Institute of Florida (AIF) (an association made up of communications specialists with Florida's Ag commodity groups). In the works will be the annual Meet the Candidates Forum to be held September 28 at the FNATS show in Orlando at the Convention Center. Gubernatorial and Cabinet candidates will be invited to discuss their Ag platforms. The AIF is also preparing a consumer survey to gauge the public's th 5. DOC/Editor Schedule 5/4-6 FGCSA Spring Board Meeting Poa Annua Classic, Naples 5/22-25 International Network of Golf Conference, Pinehurst, NC 5/31 Florida Ag Council Regional Meeting, Ocala 6/3 PBGCSA Future of Golf, Falls CC 6/10 FL Golf Central Magazine deadline 6/13 Ag Institute Board Meeting, Maitland SFGCSA Exposition 2006 SFGCSA Expo a Big Success Again! Turf field day season in Florida got off to a great start this year in Ft. Lauderdale. This year the south Florida Turf Expo caught a break and not a breeze as the rains predicted for the day held off until late in the day and the tornado like winds that ripped the big top tent into orbit in 2005 showed up this year in Pompano and spared us in Ft. Lauderdale. The 2006 South Florida Expo had another great turnout from the statewide turf industry with nearly 500 people attending. A large number of vendors helped to sustain fundraising to support turf research at the FLREC. Turf managers were treated to a fine mixture of statewide turf program updatesfromIFAS faculty, and practical industry workshops for mechanics, spray technicians, and irrigation personnel. In addition to vendor sponsored workshops, demonstrations of equipment were provided by local distributors. Interested parties had the opportunity to compare hardware and be made aware of new technologies and innovations in the industry. The Expo offered numerous CEU opportunities including GCSAA credits and pesticide recertification CEUs. As always, a now Expo-tradition of a fantastic barbecue lunch was generously prepared and provided by Wiley and Nancy McCall of Environmental Turf. Every year the McCall's donate all their time and effort coming down south with their family and their brand spanking new one of kind space aged cooker and put out the best fresh meal for everyone. The cooker can substitute for a jumbo jet it is so big! And the food was fantastic. Thank you Wiley and Nancy and the rest of the Environmental Turf team! Keynote addresses were provided by Dr Billy Crow from UF in Gainesville and Mr. Jeff Michel of Bayer Environmental Sciences. Dr. Crow has an extension component to his job description with responsibilities in turf nematology. It was great to have Billy give an update on turf nematodes and control options. Jeff provided a timely update on mole crickets Superintendents check out results on ultradwarf bermuda research plots during turf tour portion of the Turf Expo. Photo by Dara Park with mole cricket activity heating up in south Florida. Dr. Ron Cherry, entomologist at the Everglades Research and Education Center also provided an afternoon presentation on chinch bugs. Morning Field Tours included IFAS turfgrass faculty presenters from the Gainesville facility as well as the Fort Lauderdale REC. A featured program highlighted the efforts of some of the faculty of FLREC who do not directly work on turf but have direct relevance to many in our industry. Dr. Kimberly Moore led a tour of the annuals trial garden and Dr. Bill Howard led a discussion on scale insect pests. We appreciate the efforts of all faculty and industry experts in providing top notch education and CEU recertification for our turf industry. A special thank you is offered to Mike Orfanedes, Extension Agent for Broward County for providing an important update on tree and ornamental plant maintenance pre and post hurricane. After last year's hurricane events, there was a lot of interest in this subject matter. We must tip our hat to our great supporters from the turf industry who work so hard to to put on the SFGCSA Expo. Many thanks to our two Presenting Sponsors ~ Hector Turf Equipment and ShowTurf, Inc. The Main Equipment Sponsors included Disbrow Enterprises, Growers Equipment Co. and Kilpatrick Turf as well as Florida Turf Support, Precision Small Engine, and SISIS Inc./Eckert Golf Sales. In addition, thirty four booth sponsors were set up under the big tent, many of whom have been exhibiting at this Expo for the past many, many years. We thank them for their loyal participation. And finally, we deeply appreciate everyone who helped out at the REC. In particular Dr. John Cisar, Expo Co-ordinator and his hard-working assistants, Karen Williams and Dara Park who worked constantly making sure that everything was going well. And the efforts of all the SFGCSA Board Members who helped out at registration and throughout the day with special thanks to SFGCSA President, Mr. Kelly Cragin. Once again, another great job! Local Chapter Activities Easy Money Earlier this year, Turf Seed, Inc. sent the FGCSA a check for turf research in the amount of $788.00 as the proceeds from their Blue Tag Program. That's the good news. The bad news is that only one golf course turned in their blue tags from their seed bags. Congratulations and thanks to the PGA National Golf Club for clipping and mailing their tags. It was a good return on the investment....a few minutes of time and 39 cents postage = $788 donation. Meanwhile, thousands of potential turf research dollars went in the dumpster. What a shame. Research dollars are hard to come by and the challenges and issues surrounding golf course management keep escalating: water, pesticides, fertilizer. There are lots of ways to raise money for turf research and participating in the Blue Tag Program put on by Turf Seed, Inc. is one of the easiest around. If you are not familiar with the program this is how it works. Turf-Seed and Tee2-Green pledge to contribute $0.50 for every Turf-Seed variety or mixture blue tags and or $1.00 for every Tee-2-Green PennPals variety or mixture blue tag turned in. Blue tags are the tags that are sewn on the bag to signify that the seed is certified. The tags have to be removed from the bag and sent to Turf-Seed, Inc. with the name and location of the golf course so that the monies can be distributed correctly. These funds are then distributed to the state GCSAA chapter to be used for research endowments and educational advancements. Won't you take a few minutes to clip the blue tags off the seed bags that you purchase from Turf Seed, Inc and mail them back to Turf Seed so turf research in Florida, and ultimately you, can benefit. We will be publishing a list of superintendents and golf courses that participate in this year's Blue Tag Program. Let's hope next year that list is longer than one name. Suncoast President Chip Copeman (left) presents two $2,500 checks for turf research to Joel Jackson, FGCSA Director of Communications, at the 2006 Suncoast Scramble held at Jacaranda West CC on March 29. The checks are for the Florida GCSA and the Florida Turfgrass Association. Photo by Lee Crosby. Tim Hiers, host of the 2006 Spring Regulator Tour at the Old Collier Golf Club, explains playing areas, wildlife corridors, water and pesticide use and cultural practices to 24 members from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Also helping out were Todd Draffen, Matt Taylor, Darren Davis, Kyle Sweet, Jim Leisberg and Lou Conzelmann. Special guest presenters included Greg Lyman, GCSAA; Kim Erusha, USGA and Ron Dotson, Audubon International. Chapter Activities Ridge Invitational Provides Another Great Experience A great big "THANK YOU" goes to all the vendors,superintendents and volunteers from around the state in supporting the 14th annual Jack Harrell Sr. Ridge Invitational. This year's event was held on March 6th at The Club at Eaglebrooke. You couldn't ask for better weather or for a nicer golf course that day. We would like to give another big THANK YOU to host superintendent Alan Puckett and his staff for providing a"superb" golfing experience. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves! Again, another big "THANK YOU" goes out to chef Ray Cuzzone for cook'in up some awesome B.B.Q. If you didn't make it this year, be sure you make it next year. Many thanks go out to the Florida State Golf Association (F.S.G.A.) for volunteering to calculate our scoring and arranging our raffle prizes with winning tickets. The morning session of the Everglades Spring Symposium looked like a doctor's convention as Drs. Bryan Unruh, University of Florida; Bob Carrow, University of Georgia; and Lane Treadway of N.C. State discussed "Gizmos for Greenkeepers", "A Reality Check on New Products and Technologies" and "Diseases and Other Problems w/Ultradwarf Bermudagrasses." „ Above all, we wish to thank Harrell's Fertilizer Company and staff for helping us in many , many ways. As all of you who - knew Jack Harrell Sr., he will always be remembered in the Ridge Chapter for his expertise, honesty and caring for others. It is only fitting that we remember Mr. Harrell each year with this great tournament. TURF p Igrass, This year's Chapter Championship was won by the team from Central Florida GCSA composed of Chris Sykes, Chris Pearce, Carl Benedict and Jeff Merwin. The Ridge team came in second this year with 3rd place in going to the team from Suncoast GCSA. The Individual Play Category ended in a tie for 1st Low Gross with Steve Bernard of Palm Beach GCSA and Dean Erskin of the Ridge Chapter both shooting a 74. Dean Erskin won in the scorecard playoff. GO RIDGE!! 54th Annual Conference & Show Hyatt Coconut Point Greg Tharp (left) receives the 2006 North Florida Greenkeeper's Award from NFGCSA President Lon Chatfield. Tharp has hosted the last six Memorial Tournaments at his Jacksonville G&CC. First low net prize was taken by Carl Benedict from the first place Central Florida team. Winning Vendor golfers were Mark This was the 14th anniversary of this great event honoring industry leaders Wheaton and Matt Gregg. Mike Richards and Alan MacCurrach. Thanks to everyone for coming out for this Proceeds of the Tournament have gone great event and we look forward to seeing to turf scholarships. See photo on page one of this newsletter for pictures of this all of you back next year! year's scholarship recipients. Mark the dates on your calendar now for September 12th - 15th at the beautiful Hyatt Coconut Point in Bonita Springs. If you did not attend this event last year, you are in for a tremendous treat! Hotel reservations must be made by August 29th by calling the hotel directly. For information on this great venue, visit the hotel website at www.coconutpoint.hyatt.com. Show registration is available online at www.ftga.org or by calling the FTGA at 800-882-6721 for more information. Envirotron Classic The 2006 Jeff Hay den Memorial Envirotron Golf Classic Scores Another Win! Golf Ventures donated $25,000 as the Presenting Sponsor of the 2006 Jeff Hay den Envirotron Classic, (left to right) Dennis Wagner, GolfVentures; Chris Fay, Golf Ventures CEO; Glenn Oberlander, Envirotron Chairman and Walt McMahon also from Golf Ventures. Golf Ventures .^^7,2006 Presented by the Seven Rivers Chapter, the event was once again held at the prestigious World Woods Golf Club in Brooksville. Since its inception in 1993, the Envirotron Golf Classic has raised over $565,000 to support the Envirotron Research Laboratory located at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Congratulations to the First Florida Superintendents to Maintain their Class A Status! The Professional Development Initiative (PDI) was implemented on July 1, 2003. This initiative was designed to provide GCSAA Class A members with the means to demonstrate to employers and to the industry their commitment towards enhancing their skill and knowledge levels to meet the demands of this dynamic marketplace. The following members of the Florida GCSA were assigned to the initial three-year Class A renewal cycle and have successfully completed all the requirements for maintaining their Class A status. These individuals have obtained at least 3.0 points, a minimum of 1.2 coming from education points and have demonstrated environmental stewardship by possessing a pesticide license in the state of their employment or successfully passing GCSAA's IPM exam. Mr. Warren P. Rifenbark Jr. Mr. Steven M. Hunter Mr. Charles T. Pierson Mr. John V. Tillman Mr. Leonard J. Doyal III Mr. Gregory W. Kriesch Mr. Matthew B.Hill Mr. Mark Murphy Mr. Von S. Welder Mr. Richard D. Naccarato Mr. Paul R. Mollberg Mr. Darren J. Davis Mr. Timothy P. Haskins Mr. Joel R. Smith Mr. Charlie Riger Mr. Chuck Eberle Mr. Kevin J. Baldwin Mr. Jim Torba Mr. Paul Crawford Mr. Randall Bushway Mr. Terry J. Kennedy Mr. Brian F. Main Mr. Daniel T. Smokstad Mr. Chuck Barclay Mr. Gary Newcomb Mr. Vince A. Meade Mr. Thomas P. Biggy Mr. David S. Larson Mr. Tyler A. Copeman Jr. Mr. Bruce E. Crocker Mr. John W. Secor Mr. Scott A. Bell Mr. Ralph K. DainJr. Mr. John F. Curran Mr. Jason W. Riley Mr. Joseph R. Holden Mr. George R. Kleinpeter Lakeland Fort Myers Jupiter GOLF VENTURES A Meadowbrook Company 800-330-8: 800-481-8 888-222-71 BERMUDAGRASS SEED FROM TURF-SEED, INC. HAS YOU COVERED ^ Transcontinental SEEDED BERMUDAGRASS For establishing new turf and overseeding existing seeded bermudagrass lawns, Turf-Seed's Savannah, Transcontinental, and Sunbird seeded bermudagrasses have you covered. 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Ideal for golf course tees, fairways, and roughs, all sports turf applications, and both commercial and residential applications. 0 GOLF VENTURES Developed by Pure Seed testing Produced & Marketed by: TURFSEEP, INC. www.turf-seed.com • 800-247-( Order Savannah, Transcontinental, & Sunbird today from: A Meadowbrook Company www.golfventuresoriline.com 888-222-7072 Another Spring Tournament Season Means Successful Fund Raisers for Florida Superintendents FGCSA Marie Roberts 1760 NW Pine Lake Drive Stuart, FL 34994 FIRST CLASS U.S.Postage PAID Permit #137 Stuart, FL Cookingham, Peter Turfgrass Information Center MSU: W-212 Library East Lansing, Michigan 48824 "'SHIN TEND^ V