mVOLUME Ht miuVIII,fAPART iT^m.4, SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, r v.- • era® 1992 I 4à>ms 1 NEWSLETTER OF THE FLORIDA GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION EDITOR WINS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD! Joel Jackson, CGCS, receives the 1992 FGCSA Distinguished Service Award from Tom Benefield, CGCS Sometimes the nice guys in the business do finish first! This was the case at the 14th Annual Crowfoot banquet at Bay Hill Club when Joel Jackson, CGCS, superintendent at Osprey Ridge GC, was awarded his associations highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award.. He was chosen from a list of candidates because of his outstanding stewardship, leadership and dedication to serve his brethren superintendents in a manner few have done before. From the look on his face, he was genuinely surprised when he was named the recipient. His work, attitude, kind and friendly manner, is an inspiration to all superintendents who strive to be the best that they can be. UPCOMING EVENTS ..Va' Lake City Community College Tournament, Orange Park GC Sept. 28 Adam Walsh Inverrary East BEARD Sept. 9 Palm Beach chapter meeting, Binks Forest GC Sept. 19 Sept. 15 Treasure Coast chapter meeting, Hawks Nest GC, Vero Beach Sept. 20 FTGA Golf Tournament, TPC at Sawgrass Oct. 5 West Coast Research Tournament, Pasadena Y&CC Sept. 15 Suncoast chapter meeting, River Wilderness GC Sept. 20 FTGA Research Tournament, Hidden Hills, Jacksonville Oct. 6 Suncoast Pro/Superintendent Tournament, Mission Valley Sept. 15 Everglades chapter meeting, Ft. Myers CC Sept. 20 - 23 Oct. 20 Central Florida chapter meeting, Rio Pinar CC Sept. 16 Central Florida chapter meeting, Dubsdread GC Convention floor will be open from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Monday and from 1:30 - 5:30 on Tuesday only! Concurrent Sessions will be held on Tuesday morning. Nov. 13 FGCSA/GCSAA Regional Seminar, "Wildlife Management and Habitat Conservation", Naples President's Message President's Message by Mark Jarrell, CGCS Thank you for the honor and privilege of serving as your FGCS A President for the coming year. Superintendents as a group embody the traditional American values of integrity, hard work, and character that made this country great and I am proud to be one. We have the most demanding jobs in golf, and as perverse as it seems, it also appears that the brunt of the battle for the preservation of the game in our state rests on our shoulders. Two years ago I was the only superintendent to attend the organizational meeting of the Florida Golf Council. I wasn't officially invited, but was asked to attend on our behalf as its stated concerns and proposed agenda would complement our own. It wasn't that we weren't welcome — surprisingly, Raymon Finch and the other organizers recognized that superintendent were the most active golf industry group. Their goal was to organize the rest of Florida's golf industry and develop the dormant political and economic power it represents for the protection of golf's inter- ests in the state. Despite some significant accomplishments in its short existence, the Florida Golf Council has failed to rally the state's golf industry to its support. It is fair to say that superintendents have been the greatest supporters of the Florida Golf Council and the rest of the industry seems apathetic and unconcerned. I think a "wait and see" attitude with the Golf Industry is appropriate at this time. Why is it that superintendents as individuals and as an association get so involved and try to make a difference? Certainly, many of the issues facing golf today deal with aspects of course operation that are under our direction, such as water and pesticide use, but these things are also important to the other department heads and to each and every member of the club. Why does it seem we are the only ones who care what is happening to the golf industry? I think the answer lies with the nature of our job. We are judged on how well we do our jobs each and every day by every person who sees or plays the golf course. It makes us very responsible and the results oriented individuals. We know that the buck can't be passed; if we want something done, we better roll up our sleeves and do it. GREEN SHEE Editor: Tom Benefield, CGCS Ballen Isles CC of JDM 100 Ballen Isles Circle Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 (407) 625-5737. News Coordinator: Mrs. Marie Roberts 1760 N.W. Pine Lake Drive Stuart, FL 34994 (407) 692-9349 (407) 692-9654 (Fax) TheGreen Sheet is a bimonthly FGCS A newsletter printed as follows: Jan./Feb., March/April, May/June, July/Aug., Sept./Oct., Nov ./Dec. 2 Financial Support: This issue of the Green Sheet is being supported by: Liquid Ag Systems, Inc. 1010 NW 15th Avenue Pompano Beach, FL 33069 (800) 432-2249 All material submitted for printing will be edited at the discretion of the editor. Material must be typed or clearly printed. All photos must be black and white. Items must be for the good of the association. Deadline next issue, October 15. The next year or two presents significant challenges and opportunities. These include: 1) Fund raising programs developed with manufacturers and suppliers 2) Expansion of the research green in Ft. Lauderdale and new projects 3) Restructuring of the Florida Green 4) Development of an economical environmental and facility compliance audit 5) Greater participation in the legislative/regulatory process through Tim Hiers' Government Relations Committee and cooperation with FTGA and other industry related organization, perhaps even hiring a lobbyist. Tom Benefield will continue to work for our interests on water issues. W%% ii In addition, many of our Mark Jarrell, CGCS members are actively serving on IFAS advisory committees at every level and FTGA to exert great influence on turf research and teaching programs throughout the state. Jerry Redden, CGCS of Bear Lakes Country Club, is the incoming President of the FTGA. Jerry and I long ago dedicated ourselves to strengthening the ties between the two organizations and will work diligently toward that goal. You will notice that the word "work" has appeared throughout this message. Let's not lose sight of the fact that the above projects take time, effort, and dedication. Those who serve on the FGCSA Board and various committees are making sacrifices on behalf of all our members. Our efforts would be even more successful if more members would participate in the various projects. Call up a Board member and volunteer to serve on a committee. Write an article for the Florida Green. Sign the Ciba Geigy and DowElanco fund raising enrollment forms. Express your views of suggest an idea. Get involved! V - The Green Sheet Crowfoot Activities Ridge Chapter Wins Crowfoot Open Kamphaus, Konwinski, Phillips and Svabek receive President's Award The 1992 Crowfoot weekend got off to a great start with the Sunday night banquet held at the Bay Hill Club. After the delicious buffet dinner, four superintendents were honored with the FGCSA's President's Award for Lifetime Service. The first award was presented by Jim Miller, President of the Suncoast chapter, to Jim Svabek, superintendent at Bradenton CC. Jim has lived in Florida since 1958 and studied agronomy at St. Petersburg Junior College. He has been employed at Bradenton CC since 1967 where he has been instrumental in planting 7,000 trees, a tribute to his dedication to the positive impact that golf courses have on the environment. Jim has been an active member of the West Coast chapter and then became an original member of the Suncoast chapter where he continues to be involved as chapter newsletter editor. The second award was given to Leroy Phillips by Kevin Downing of the Treasure Coast chapter. Leroy started his career in golf management at Pinecrest G&CC in Avon Park. He accepted a position in Appolo Beach two years later and then moved to Seminole Lake in St. Petersburg in 1961 where he served as superintendent until 1965. In 1965 he became director of golf course operations for GDC and worked there for 13 years. He was actively involved in the design and building of GCS' s Oxbow course in Port Labelle and the Wilderness course in Port St. Lucie. Leroy was an active member of the West Coast chapter from 1958 to 1965 and then spent 14 years as a member of the South Florida chapter where he served as president in 1977. Joel Jackson had the pleasure of presenting the Central Florida chapter's recipient, Larry Kamphaus. Larry is most familiar to all FGCSA members from his involvement with the Crowfoot Open for the past 14 years, the last 10 as Chairman. It is doubtful that thisevent would have the tremendous support it does today without the work that Larry and his wife, Vilma, have put into it! Larry has worked for the Walt Disney Association for the past 22 years. In 1985, he became one of the first Florida superintendents to become Certified. He was a founding member of the Central Florida chapter and later served as President of the chapter. Tom Benefield, FGCSA President, receives a check for $2,268from Dale Mitchell and Richard Colyer of Golf Agronomics. This money is a rebate from a percentage of every ton of top dressing that the company has sold to Florida golf courses. This is the second year that Golf Agronomics has contributed to the FGCSA Research Fund. It is through efforts such as this that allow our industry to flourish and grow. September/October 1992 Paul Crawford of the Palm Beach chapter presented the final award to Joe Konwinski. Joe's resume is so lengthy that it is hard to shrink his accomplishments down to fit into one small paragraph. He began his career in the golf industry by serving at the Lake Worth GC. He was instrumental in establishing the Florida Turfgrass Association and served as the first president in 1952. He received the FTG A' s Wreath of Grass award in 1961 and still serves the association while enjoying Honorary Life Membership. Bright and early Monday morning, superintendent Dwight Kummer had the Bay Hill course ready for the Crowfoot Open, with "greens rolling at least 11 feet on the stimpmeter" (according to BuckBuckner). The Ridge chapter team composed of Mark Hopkins, Bobby Ellis, Buck Buckner and Chuck Rogers took advantage of the great conditions by shooting a -6 net and taking the team championship by 4 shots over the Central Florida team. Team leader, Mark Hopkins, superintendent at Sun N Lake GC, shot a tremendous 72 gross to win the Crowfoot championship trophy and the Panasonic stereo TV. Mark now joins Mark Henderson, winner of the Poa Classic, in representing the FGCSA at the GCSAA in Anaheim in January. 2nd place gross went to Danny Ay 1 win, superintendent at Plantation Bay, with a 73, followed closely by Steve Sorrell with a 74. Not to be outdone by his Ridge teammate, Bobby Ellis shot a 68 to win the net title. Kirk Sowers came in second with a 69 followed by George Elliott who shot a 71. First place gross in the suppliers division went to Bill Fowler with a 75 while Tom Spence captured the first place net honors with a 68. Second place in the suppliers division went to Mike Martin and Odell Spainhour. Congratulations to all! 3 FGCS A Summer Board Meeting Minutes The Summer 1992 meeting of the FGCS A Board of Directors was called to order by President Tom Benefield at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, at Bay Hill Club, Orlando. The meeting began with a short presentation made by Dale Mitchell and Richard Colyer of Golf Agronomics who donated a check for $2,268 to turfgrass research (see picture page3). SECRETARY/TREASURER: Paul Crawford submitted the minutes to the Spring 1992 Board Meeting and the current FGCSA financial statements. Both reports were approved. The 1992-93 PROPOSED BUDGET was then explained in detail by Paul Crawford. Many figures have been changed to reflect the board's request to have all secretarial fees taken out of each project and put in one category to more accurately reflectofficeexpenses. Other specific items discussed were expenses for this year'sGCSAA Conference. The proposed budget includes $2,500 to be used for travel expenses for the FGCSA secretary and a reception which will be coordinated by Paul Crawford. The proposed budget for the Florida Green was discussed. Paul Crawford noted that it is impossible to project the financial impact of the Florida Green on the overall budget at this time due to the changes that are being discussed. Beach, Suncoast and Treasure Coast chapters have all submitted nominees for the President's Award for Lifetime Service. The four nominees have been approved and will be presented with their award at the Sunday night banquet. FGCSA membership has been projected at 800 members. A discussion was held regarding pro-rating dues after January. Most of the chapters do pro-rate their dues. It was felt that since the FGCSA did not pro-rate dues last year, many chapters did not forward payment for any new members after January. Paul suggested that, this year, by pro-rating our dues to 50% after January, we will be better able to achieve our 800 member goal. BY LAWS: John Gallagher reported on a ByLaw change that was brought up at the Spring Board Meeting regarding an At-Large membership classification. After lengthy debate it was decided to rewrite the change and present it again at the next board meeting. Scott B ell made a motion that the FGCS A proposed budget of $90,300 be accepted. The motion passed. BLAZER: Scott Bell presented a new green blazer for the FGCSA. It will be available from Southern Embroidery at a cost of $110. Superintendents can place their order through the FGCSA. AWARDS: Central Florida, Palm PUBLICATIONS: The FGCSA will take back control of the Florida Green and will subcontract out certain services to be determined by the Publications Committee. Mike Bailey will serve as Editor of the Florida Green and Tom Benefield will be Editor of the Green Sheet. Advertising solicitation and relations will be handled by the FGCSA. The financial goal of the magazine will be to have a profitable magazine with a 50/50 ad ratio. Mike Bailey stressed that the overall goal will be to get more superintendents involved with the magazine. It is an ambitious project and we will need the support of all External Vice Presidents in getting input from all chapters to get involved. He will be contacting superintendents on a one-to-one basis to write articles and work on the magazine. These will be paid articles and Mike stressed that this fact has be to passed on to all local members. A focal point of the magazine will be superintendent written articles —none will be turned away and each will be paid for. GREEN SHEET: The Green Sheet has been in the past and will continue to be a self supporting newsletter for our members. Tom Benefield, new Editor, will continue to seek future sponsors for the newsletter. New FGCSA officers elected at Annual Board Meeting are Secretary/Treasurer Scott Bell; Immediate Past President Tom Benefield, CGCS; President Mark Jarrell, CGCS; and Vice President Paul Crawford. 4 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY: Marie Roberts reported that ad sales are brisk for this year's Directory. A few The Green Sheet FGCS A Summer Board Meeting Minutes advertisers have decided not to renew their ads but new ads far outnumber those who are dropping. External Vice Presidents are urged to contact their chapter Secretary/Treasurer to be sure they have submitted their chapter dues list to the office. All chapters should have their lists in by this week in order to assure the timeliness of the Directory. EDUCATION: The Poa seminar on mixing/loading stations was a tremendous success. The Crowfoot seminar will be held on Sunday morning. The GCSAA Regional Seminar on Habitat and Wildlife will be held on November 13 at the Naples Beach Hotel. GOLF: The following chapters plan to enter teams in the upcoming FTG A team competition: Central Florida, Everglades, North Florida, Palm Beach, Ridge, Suncoast, Treasure Coast and West Coast. FTG A: Chuck Rogers spoke about the possibility of the FTG A hiring a lobbyist — how to fund the project is in the works. However, it is his feeling that it will be necessary for the golf industry to get involved in politics. He reported that the Turf Survey will be finalized soon. Final blue prints have been approved for the Envirotron. He also reported that sales on the MSDS books are in and available for purchase by members. GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: A new program was presented for environmental compliance auditing. This program consists of a walk through inspection of 25 environmental health and safety areas. It is in conjunction with the FGCS A Minimum Compliance Certificate program presented by Tim Hiers last year. The cost for the inspection conducted by a registered environmental inspector is $650 for 18 holes, $750 for 27, $850 for 36 and $1,000 for 54 holes. It was suggested that compliance with this program could decrease annual insurance premiums. Tim Hiers noted that even though he personally approves of this program, the FGCSA can not give endorsements to any program. September/October 1992 Tom reported that the FGCS A and FTG A Board of Directors will meet to discuss lobbyist. He urged the FGCSA to remain pro-active. Tim reported on a meeting with Ron Dodson of the Audubon Society of New York State held last month in Vero Beach. Mr. Dodson will be the lead speaker at the GCSAA Regional Seminar taking place in Naples in November. Tim also discussed an eight hour OSHA Level 1 and 2 seminar that is offered directly to golf courses and then urged all External VP's to work for Voluntary Compliance Program in their chapters and to clip and send any pertinent articles from their home town papers to Tim. Tom Benefield reported that a meeting has been set up with the DER for August 26 in Tallahassee. He suggested that Tim Hiers, Mark Jarrell, Greg Plotner and Paul Crawford join him in attending this meeting to discuss a comprehensive state-wide policy on the reuse issue. We need to keep this line of open communication with the DER active as we are making in-roads and Tom feels it is imperative that we keep up our contacts. Bill Roberts, President of the GCSAA, presented a slide presentation on the Future Direction of the GCSAA. GCSAA: Bill Roberts, President of the GCSAA, was introduced and began his discussion with a comment that Ron Dodson is genuinely interested in applying good environmental/wildlife practices to golf courses. Mr. Roberts then presented a slide presentation on the Future Direction of the GCSAA, in particular By Law changes as follows: 1. GCSAA Board to set dues without prior approval from membership 2. New member classifications; and 3. Individual voting process. There was considerable discussion between the Board and Mr. Roberts, particularly on the subject of individual voting. The Board also had negative comments on the proposed Field Staffing program which would recruit new members and coordinate educational programs on a regional basis. All of these proposed changes will be voted on at the GCSAA Convention in Anaheim. FUNDING: To date, the FGCSA office has received about 75 registration forms for the Ciba Geigy and DowElanco rebate programs. External Vice Presidents were urged to send these forms to the FGCSA office immediately. Deadline for the DowElanco program is August 15th and the Ciba Geigy program is September 15th. RESEARCH: Ray Hansen reported thattheBioStimulantprogram has begun with 6 companies testing 7 different products on the FGCS A Research Green. The root washer has been assembled in the lab and funds have been sent to the University of Florida to supply labor to handle the project. The Sod Certification Tests are in the preliminary stage with area being set aside for these tests. John Foy stated that even though this is a good start, he urged the FGCS A/FTG A to push for state certification programs. NEW BUSINESS: Mark Jarrell noted that the next Board Meeting is usually scheduled during the FTG A Conference. Since the date for the Conference has been moved up, that is only 6 weeks away. After a discussion, it was decided to hold the fall Board Meeting during the FTGA Conference. The meeting was adjourned at 5:20 p.m. 5 Government Relations The Other Side of the Back 40 by PenniMarie O'Brien, Missimer & Associates Just the other day, a phone call was placed to my attention that provoked my curiosity. The phone call went like this. "PenniMarie, can you answer my question of how the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission (FGFFC) can give me a warning notice for an unpermitted Class III Landfill on our club's property?" They were there to investigate complaints of hunters shooting endangered wildlife, and they saw the "landfill" on the adjacent club property. So where do endangered wildlife and landfills relate? According to Lt. Don McMillen, Environmental Investigations S upervisor of the Central Region of the FGFFC, "The FGFFC can, in some cases, enforce environmental actions of the Florida DER, Florida DNR and Water Management Districts." A Class III Landfill according to FDER Chapter 17-701, Section 701.050(2)(c) Florida Administrative Code, defines Class III landfills as "those which receive only trash or yard trash." Trash is defined as "combinations of yard trash and construction and demolition debris along with other debris such as paper, cardboard, cloth, glass, street sweepings, plastic and other like matter." Yard trash's definition means "vegetative matter resulting from landscaping maintenance or land clearing operations and includes materials such as tree and shrub trimmings, grass clippings, palm fronds, trees and tree stumps." We know the definitions of trash and yard trash, what is the criteria of a Class III Landfill according to FDER and what does this mean to superintendents and their club properties. There are some alternatives to consider if there is this so called "pile" a.k.a. Class III Landfill on your property. First, if there is an amount that is small enough to burn and there is an opportunity to receive a burn permit (from the correct agencies such as your local fire department, city and/or county), burn your materials before they become a landfill! The second alternative is to obtain a grinder or sub-contract for grinding these materials and use it as recycled materials on your property. If you wish to leave your large "pile" intact, recycle the materials within one year and it will not be considered a Class III Landfill as long as there is no trace of other trash or debris. For a fee, your "yard trash" can be hauled away and manifested by a licensed waste carrier. The very last alternative "is to file for a permit, install monitor wells (for potential contamination) which is part of the permitting process, and keep groundwater monitoring records for the life of the landfill," according to Matt Tala, Engineer III for the FDER in Tallahassee. So whatever became of that certain phone call? The superintendent called the local FDER Solid Waste Division and had an inspector come out and take a look at his so-called "landfill". Since the superintendent had been recycling the materials in the pile for years, and obtained burn permits for tree limbs, etc., the violation was released. No matter what division of regulatory agencies that come out to inspect any portion of your club's property, here are some ideas that can be beneficial and cost-effective. The best practice is to cooperate with that certain inspector, ask for recommendations to rectify any situation and be honest in indicating that you do not understand or did not know of certain regulations. Regulations, departments and inspectors change often. Being cooperative will allow you to build a rapport that will benefit you in the future. ^ WANTED: Superintendent-written articles for the Florida Green magazine. Get involved and earn extra cash. Call the FGCSA office at 1-800-732-6053 for details. Chapter Officers 1992-93 Big Bend Chapter President BucJ Workman Ext. Vice President Buck Workman Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Vietmeier Central Florida Chapter President Stuart Leventhal Vice President Charles Blankenship Ext. Vice President Joe Ondo Sec/Treasurer Brian Jenkins Everglades Chapter President Ric Möhr Vice President Roy Bates Ext. Vice President Prentis Knotts Sec/Treasurer Roy Bates North Florida Chapter President Gary Dahlberg Vice President Brigid Braun Ext. Vice President Brigid Braun Sec/Treasurer Kimberly Shine Palm Beach Chapter President Paul Crawford Vice President Mike Bailey Ext. Vice President John Gallagher Treasurer Jeff Klontz Secretary Robin Goodell Ridge Chapter President Chuck Rogers Vice President Alan Puckett Ext. Vice President Alan Puckett Sec/Treasurer Ray Cuzzone Seven Rivers Chapter President Glen Oberlander Vice President Jeff Hayden Ext. Vice President Jeff Hayden Sec/Treasurer David Hoggard South Florida Chapter President Bill Entwistle, Jr. Vice President Steve Kuhn Ext. Vice President Dale Kuehner Sec/Treasurer Al Ross Suncoast Chapter President Jim Miller Vice President Doug Powell Ext. Vice President Talbott Denny Sec/Treasurer Gary MacDougall Treasure Coast Chapter President David Oliver Vice President Tim Cann Ext. Vice President Jay Gratton Sec/Treasurer Roger Welker West Coast Chapter President Greg Plotner Vice President Chip Lewison Ext. Vice President Greg Plotner Sec/Treasurer Rob Walter 6 The Green Sheet fertilizers, specializing in servicing the Golf, Lawn, Nursery and Farm Industries. Pioneers of the concept of liquid fertilizer injected through irrigation systems, LIQUID AG also designs, installs and services a full line of equipment for the agriculture industry. For over 15 years LIQUID AG SYSTEMS, INC. has been the leader in the liquid fertilizer business by providing the best quality and service to all of its customers. LIQUID AG SYSTEMS, INC. The Original Clear Liquid Fertilizer Company For Your Turf Featuring... • Flow Sensitive Injection Systems • Total Concept Service... Delivery, Field Service and Custom Blend Programs 1010 N.W. 15th Avenue Pompano Beach, FL 33069 (305) 971 -0022 • 1-800-432-2249 • FAX (305) 977-0031 3281 Metro Parkway Fort Myers, FL 33916 (813) 332-5565 • FAX (813) 332-1319 • MicroGreen & EnviroGreen Product Lines • New "pH AIRWAY" Water Quality Products jaaqS u93JO V S 3 Í M JO anssi siq; josuods o; p9SB3|j oui 'suueqs 6y pinbn Mark Jarrell, CGCS, Elected President of the FGCSA FGCSA Secretary Mrs. Marie Roberts 1760 N.W. Pine Lake Drive Stuart, FL 34994 FIRST CLASS U.S. Postage PAID Permit #137 Stuart, FL ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED ° CRlN S p TErtOt^ iJ Beard, Dr. James B. International Sports Turf Institute 1812 Shadowood Drive College Station, TX 77840 \RP Torti— il Milì m lì «ti ni itili nui 11 il ni uli ill h