A Publication on Turf Management by the United States Golf Association Good drainage is one of the foremost requirements in growing good turf. Here, a seepage problem at Congressional Country Club, Washington, D.C., is being corrected just prior to the 1964 Open Championship. was ©GM Published by the United States Golf Association Copr. 1965 by United States Golf Association. Permission to reproduce articles or material in the USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD is granted to publishers of newspapers and periodicals (unless specifically noted otherwise), provided credit is given the USGA and copyright protection is afforded. To reprint material in other media, written permission must be obtained from the USGA. In any case, neither articles nor other material may be copied or used for any advertising, promotion or commercial purposes. VOL. 2, No. 5 January 1965 An Open Championship And A Problem ............................ By Alexander M. Radko 1 Turf Management at Brae Burn .............................................. By Arthur E. Anderson 3 Control of Algae on Bentgrass Greens ...... By R. V. Sturgeon, H. C. Young, Jr., and Joseph M Vargas, Jr. 6 Tifdwarf—A New Bermudagrass For Golf Greens ............ By Glenn W. Burton and J. Earl Elsner 8 Holding Courses During 1964 Heat and Humidity ........................................................... 10 Methods of Minimizing Winter Damage ..................................... Agronomy Abstracts 13 Turf Twisters ................................................................................................................ Back Cover Published six times a year in January, March, May, July, September and November by the UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION, 40 East 38th ST., NEW YORK, N. Y. 10016. Subscription: $2 a year. Single copies: 30g. Subscriptions and address changes should be sent to the above address. Articles, photo­ graphs, and correspondence relevant to published material should be addressed to: United States Golf Association Green Section, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Second class postage paid at Rutherford, N. J. Office of Publication: 315 Railroad Avenue, East Rutherford, N. J. Editor: Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson Managing Editor: Don Weiss THE GREEN SECTION OF THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION Green Section Committee CHAIRMAN: Henry H. Russell, P.O. Box 57-697, Miami 57, Fla. DISTRICT CHAIRMEN: Northeastern: John P. English, Williamstown, Mass. ; Mid-Atlantic: Martin F. McCarthy, Chevy Chase, Md.; Southeastern: El­ bert S. Jemison, Jr., Birmingham, Ala. ; Mid­ Western: Charles N. Eckstein, Chicago, Ill.; South­ western: L. A. Stemmons, Jr., Dallas, Texas; Pacific Northwest: Edward A. Dunn, Seattle, Wash.; California: Lynn A. Smith, Pasadena, Calif. Rocky Mountain: J. W. Richardson, Magna, Utah. Green Section Agronomists and Offices EASTERN REGION Northeastern Office: P. O. Box 1237 Highland Park, N. J. Alexander M. Radko, Director, Eastern Region Holman M. Griffin, Northeastern Agronomist Raymond E. Harman, Northeastern Agronomist Lee Record, Northeastern Agronomist Southeastern Office: P.O. Box 4213, Campus Station, Athens, Ga. James B. Moncrief, Southeastern Agronomist MID-CONTINENT REGION Southwestern Office: Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, Director, Mid-Continent Region and National Research Coordinator Mid-Western Office: Room 221, LaSalle Hotel, James L. Holmes, Mid-Western Agronomist Chicago 2, Ill. WESTERN REGION Western Office: P.O. Box 567, Garden Grove, Calif. William H. Bengeyfield, Director, Western Region USGA OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PRESIDENT: Clarence W. Benedict, White Plains, N. Y. VICE-PRESIDENTS: Wm. Ward Foshay, New York, N. Y. Hord W. Hardin, St. Louis, Mo. SECRETARY: Philip H. Strubing, Philadelphia. TREASURER: Robert K. Howse, Wichita, Kan. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The above officers and : Fred Brand, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. ; William C. Campbell, Huntington, W. Va.; Robert F. Dwyer, USGA HEADQUARTERS: “Golf House”, 40 Portland, Ore. ; Edward L. Emerson, Boston, Mass.; Edwin R. Foley, San Francisco; J. W. McLean, Houston, Tex. ; Eugene S. Pul­ liam, Indianapolis, Ind. ; Henry H. Russell, Miami, Fla. ; Charles P. Stevenson, Buffalo, N. Y.; Morrison Waud, Chicago, Ill. GENERAL COUNSEL: Lynford Lardner, Jr., Milwaukee, Wis. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Joseph C. Dey, Jr. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: P. J. Boatwright, Jr. East 38th Street, New York, N. Y. 10016 Tiles are being placed to effect rapid removal of water seeping into the trench. Note the strips of tar paper which were to be used to cover the joints, thus keeping gravel or soil from falling into the tile line. Note also the abundance of tree roots growing out from the sides of the ditch. An Open Championship And A Problem By ALEXANDER M. RADKO, Eastern Director, USGA Green Section Every club that entertains an Open Championship strives to condi­ tion its course as nearly perfectly as possible so that members will be proud to display it to competitors, spectators, and the television audience. Officials at Congressional Country Club, Washing­ ton, D. C., worked diligently toward this end in preparation for the 1964 Open last June. Then, three weeks be­ fore the Open date, a serious seepage problem became evident across the drive zone on the 13th fairway. This problem had reared its ugly head off and on in years past at Con­ gressional, but in the maze of other Open preparation detail, all concerned were taken by complete surprise when, despite a very dry Spring of ’64, water again ebbed to the surface. In no time the soil and the turf became sopping wet! Now a perfect drive on this hole could become embedded or an other­ wise unfair lie could occur. Of course, a ground-under-repair area could be marked off, but this would have broken JANUARY 1965 1 The job at Congressional is nearly complete. Tile has been installed, the gravel backfill is in place. Now a small amount of soil will be replaced and the sod laid back and tamped smooth, ready for the Open. the hearts of everyone concerned with conditioning the course—to have the drive zone of one hole marked under repair when all else looked to be shap­ ing up perfectly. What a dilemma! What to do? Without hesitation, the officials re­ sponsible decided to drain it! There wasn’t a moment to lose and they well knew it. This was May 25, three weeks before the Open was to begin. Fate was on Congressional’s side for when officials contacted the local Soil Conservation Service branch of the U. S. Department of Agriculture some­ one was available and could immediate­ ly come to assess the situation and draw up the plan for effective drainage. After studying the situation Soil Con­ servationist Lewis Williams and Con­ servation Technicians Jim Cole and Bill Knill decided that a double line extending across the entire fairway was required to harness the fresh water spring and by means of tile di­ rect it so that it would drain into the pond to the right of No. 10 green. The material and equipment re­ quired were: 60 tons of % inch gravel, 60 feet of transite, 600 feet of drain tile, a back hoe, a front end loader, a power sod cutter, polyethylene tarps, and tar paper. The technique employed was as fol­ lows : (1) Approximately 300 square yards of sod were removed to the drainage pattern; it was rolled and set aside for replacement when the job was finished. (2) Soil then was removed from a 2 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD depth of 9 to 48 inches, and was placed on the polyethylene tarps laid to either side of the ditch to minimize damage to the established turf. (3) The tiles were carefully installed and each joint was wrapped with tar paper as shown in the accompanying photographs. (4) Tiles then were covered with 8 inches of gravel, and the soil was care­ fully replaced and tamped. (5) The lifted sod was relaid. All was done so well that hardly any­ one realized the fairway had been touched. How’ long did it take? Being in on preliminary conversations, I was amused at the “pop-eyed” reaction of the Soil Conservation representatives when Walter Gallagher, Frank Mur­ phy, Otie Reed, and John Henley — club officials and superintendent, re­ spectively—said, “We’ll get the job done tomorrow!” They couldn’t believe that Congressional’s representatives were serious. Didn’t they realize the magnitude of the project? Well, it took two tomorrows, but the job was beauti­ fully done, and the USDA men went away convinced that to get beautiful grass to grow underfoot the Congres­ sional officials would stop at nothing! Turf Management at Brae Burn By ARTHUR E. ANDERSON, Golf Course Superintendent This article is a description of the turf management program at Brae Burn Country Club, Newton, Mass., be­ ginning in the 1930s and developing from recommendations, observations, experiments and results. Help from other superintendents, the USGA Green Section, university turf specialists and commercial men in formulating this program was very considerable and is gratefully acknowledged by the writer. Use of the word “experiment” is mis­ leading because these “experiments” were very roughly qualitative; there were no control plots, and treated areas were later obliterated by what was de­ termined to be the best management program, as the area was part of an operational golf course rather than a turf research field station. Readers are cautioned to interpret this report in terms of the results obtained with the reservation that specifically how and why this program succeeded cannot be pinpointed closely. The present course evolved during the period from 1897 to 1928 with sev­ eral greens remaining unmodified since the beginning. It is located on an area of fine sandy loam except for two holes that are on a former peat bog. In early days manures were used as fertilizers, bringing in many weeds, and com­ mercial fertilizers had rations like 4-8-4 or 8-6-6. In 1934 limestone at one ton per acre was applied to greens, tees, and fairways and repeated the next year at one-half this rate. By the late 1930s the pH reading of soils ran from 5.0 to 5.5, and phosphorus and potassium levels were reported to be very high. Basic grasses in fairways were Kentucky bluegrass and bent­ grass, but they did not predominate because of the abundance of broad- leafed weeds, annual bluegrass, and crabgrass. In 1937 grubs greatly re­ duced the amount of basic grasses, leaving essentially clover and annual bluegrass with severe summer infesta­ JANUARY 1965 3 tions of knotweed and crabgrass. Tees and greens especially were covered with annual bluegrass. The “modern” program began gen­ erally in 1938 with adoption of mod­ ified or new practices. Several observa­ tions seemed pertinent with respect to improvement of turf. One was that roughs, unfertilized, unlimed and cut at two inches, comprised a good stand of basic grasses. Further, paths through rough made by fairway mow­ ers, which traveled between fairways and cut at fairway height, also had a good proportion of basic grasses, espe­ cially bentgrass. Near approaches to some greens the limit of travel by the fairway fertilizer spreader was marked by a distinct line. On the fairway side turf was poor, while on the other side, where fertilizer applications had not been extended to the approach suf­ ficiently, turf was good. A similar con­ dition existed where fairways were constricted by the intrusion of bunk­ ers. Here the fertilizer spreader passed over a given area within the constric­ tion twice or more, giving a much larger dose of fertilizer than was in­ tended. Turf in these areas was espe­ cially poor and, indeed, was the last to be improved in recent times by the present program. My tentative conclu­ sion was that too much fertilizer had been used on the course. New Fertilizer Program The high phosphorus and potassium fertilizers were abandoned and we be­ gan to use a natural organic product as our source of nitrogen. On fairways the fertilizer was usually applied in the spring and early fall at rates giving one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per application. With the advent of fairway watering frcm 1946 to 1950 it appeared that turf became too lush. The total fertilizer amount was cut in half, and this amount was ap­ plied in four or five applications per season, giving a total dose of nitrogen at one pound per 1,000 square feet. In recent years the organic nitrogen has been used less, and there has been a tendency to reduce or omit application of phosphorus and potassium. Some­ times urea alone has been applied sev­ eral times per season with a rotary fertilizer spreader. Since 1935 lime­ stone has been applied once—during the mid-1950s—at the rate of one ton per acre. The pH levels remain about 5.5 throughout. There is a different program, of course, for greens. Generally the total nitrogen dosage is two to three pounds per 1,000 square feet for the season by means of 15 to 20 applications of such materials as ammonium sulfate, diam­ monium phosphate, urea, sludge and cottonseed meal. It is my belief that excessive uncontrolled thatch forma­ tion is in part caused by single heavy fertilizer applications, and for this reason light, frequent applications are employed. Potassium and phosphorus total about a pound per 1,000 square feet for the season with muriate of potash supplemented in the fall. Each green is considered by itself with re­ spect to fertilizer dosage and some re­ ceive different amounts than others. This is rather easy when proportion- ers are used. Limestone is added every other year at the rate of 10 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. In 1937 lead arsenate at 350 pounds per acre was applied to greens, fair­ ways and most tees, except a few in 4 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD Arthur Andsrson is one of the many dedicated gclf course superintendents who has devoted all his adult life to the golf course profession. He began at Oak Hill Country Club in Fitchburg, Mass., went to Brae Burn in the early 1930s. His course at Brae Burn is unique in that it has none of the Poa annua problems that plague so many other Northeastern courses. Mr. Anderson's story is bound to create controversy but no one will argue with the success of his result. Mr. Anderson, a graduate of the first University of Massachusetts turf class, followed Prof. Dickinson's philosophy all through his superintendent years . . . "Let the little grass plant growl—Don't force it to grow!” shady locations where annual blue­ grass is deliberately cultivated. It was applied dry on fairways and tees and with a proportioner onto greens. Ap­ plications were repeated in 1940, 1944, 1947, 1951, 1955, 1959, and one is pro­ jected for this year. In addition, so­ dium arsenite was sprayed in the spring on fairways four times at one pound in seven gallons of water per acre. Over a period of years, bentgrass, which had been present in small quan­ tities, began gradually to become dis­ tinct and crowd out other plants. Weeds such as knotweed and crabgrass dis­ appeared quickly. Annual bluegrass also diminished but tended to re-invade when fairway watering was installed. Yet, on the other hand, the take-over by bentgrass was accelerated rapidly with fairway watering. Even dandelion and plantain disappeared even though phenoxy acids have never been used. Today, greens, fairways and large sun­ ny tees are covered with superior clones of bentgrass that have coalesced virtually into a solid carpet. These clones are mostly Colonial bentgrass, although seme creeping and velvet bentgrasses and probable hybrids are present among all three species. They are superior individuals that have been given their chance to push everything else out of existence, even annual bluegrass, which is hard to find even on narrow aprons that bear the heaviest traffic. With the presence of such vigorous bentgrass, which forms thatch readily, aeration has been a necessary part of the program. Aerating our fairways with a thatch spoon rather than with the open type has proved better since it tears less and reduces the chance for annual bluegrass to re-invade. Also, aerating at the same time that lead arsenate is applied helps check annual bluegrass. Thinning out bentgrass with vertical slicing machines has been ben­ eficial on greens, and it would appear that fairways could use thinning now that there are machines developed for this purpose. JANUARY 1965 5 Control of Algae on Bentgrass Greens with a Coordination Product of Zinc Ion and Maneb By R. V. STURGEON, Plant Pathologist, H. C. YOUNG, JR., Project Leader, and JOSEPH M. VARGAS, JR Graduate Research Assistant, Botany and Plant Pathology Department, Oklahoma State University An almost continuous application of water is required during the sum­ mer months to maintain the growth of bentgrass on golf greens in Oklahoma. Under these conditions, whenever the grass becomes thin due to attacks of diseases or insects or some other cause and light is admitted to the soil sur­ face, small single-celled plants called algae begin to grow. A slimy green scum soon forms and when this scum dries out during the day a hard crust develops which is almost impervious to water. It then becomes impossible for the grass to reestablish itself in these areas. There is a need, therefore, for a chemical which will control the growth of algae, but which will not be toxic to the grass. A study of chemical sprays for the control of the diseases dollar spot, caused by the fungus Sclerotinia home- ocarpa, and large brown patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani, was made dur­ ing the 1964 growing season. A pre­ vention type schedule was used in which the chemicals were applied at weekly intervals throughout the sum­ mer beginning in early June and end­ ing in late September. Each chemical was applied in 15 gallons of water per 1,000 square feet in plots replicated three times. The study, (Chemical Con­ trol of Diseases Affecting Turf; Prog­ Table 1. Algae Control in the Disease Prevention Program, Green No. 12. Lakeside Memorial Golf Course, Stillwater, Oklahoma Fungicide & rate used in ounces per 1000 sq. ft. CHECKb 1. MERCURAM ....................... (6) 2. DYRENE .............................. (4) 3. DYRENE .............................. (2) + VAPOR GUARD ............... (32) 4. DITHANE M-45 ................. (6) 5. PHENMAD ......................... (1) + THIRAMAD (Iron (3) fortified) Type Disease Rating3 organic mercury + non-mercurial non-mercurial non-mercurial anti-transpirant latex non-mercurial organic mercury + non-mercurial 8C 9 7 7 2 9 aThe disease rating was made September 15, each plot rated by a scale of 1 to 9 based on the amount of area infested with algae. The higher rating indicates a more severe infestation of algae. bSmall untreated plot at each end of green. cChecks were sprayed twice during season (8-1 & 9-5) with either treatments 4 or 5 (Dithane M-45 or Phenmad -|- Thiramad plus) for control of other turf diseases. 6 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD ress Report 1964) was made on a creeping bentgrass green at Lakeside Memorial Golf Course, Stillwater, Ok­ lahoma. During July the grass became rather thin in spots over the green, probably due to extremely poor grow­ ing conditions, and algae developed in these thin areas. Early in August it was noted that one of the chemicals used in the test was giving excellent control of the growth of algae. This was a coordination product of the zinc ion with manganese ethylene bisdith- iocarbamate (Dithane M-45) applied at 6 ounces per 1,000 square feet. None of the other chemicals used was effec­ tive in the control of algae. Control ratings were estimated and are given in Table 1. The plots treated with Di­ thane M-45 produced a tighter, more dense turf, and a better putting sur­ face was maintained. On the Plant Pathology Farm, Okla­ homa State University, newly planted turf plots, consisting of Tifgreen (Tif­ ton 328) Bermudagrass and Seaside Creeping Bentgrass, developed a heavy mat of algae under a constant water­ ing program. Eradication of the algae followed a single application of Di­ thane M-45 at 6 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Dithane M-45 was later applied on greens where algae had developed at the Hillcrest Country Club, Bartles­ ville, Oklahoma, and at the Quail Creek Country Club, Oklahoma City. Good control was obtained in both cases. A preliminary summary of the data indicates that Dithane M-45 has given good control of both dollar spot and brown patch diseases as well. Final analysis of the entire study will be published at a later date. COMING EVENTS January-March Wintar School for Turf Managars University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mass. January 4-March 12 Winter Course for Turfgrowers Rutgers College of Agriculture New Brunswick, N.J. February "-12 GCSAA Conference and Show Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel Cleveland, Ohio February 22-23 Southern Turfgrass Association Conference Peabody Hotel Memphis, Tenn. January 13-14 March 1-3 Nebraska Turfgrass Conference Nebraska Center for Continuing Education Lincoln, Neb. Midwest Regional Turf Conference Purdue University Lafayette, Ind. January 20-22 Turfgrass Conference Rutgers University New Brunswick, N.J. January 27-28 Virginia Annual Turfgrass Conference John Marshall Hotel Richmond, Va. January 27-29 Agronomy Short Course University of Maryland Chevy Chase, Md. January 29 United States Golf Association Green Section Golf Cours I Management Conference Biltmore Hotel New York, N.Y. February 1-3 March 11-12 Turfgrass Conference Michigan State University East Lansing, Mich. March 11-12 Massachusetts Turf Conference University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mass. March 22 USGA Golf Course Management Conference Pittsburgh, Pa. March 24 USGA Golf Course Management Conference St. Louis, Missouri March 24-26 Royal Canadian Golf Association Turfgrass Conference Toronto, Canada Southern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy Adolphus Hotel Dallas, Texas March 26 USGA Golf Course Management Conference San Francisco, Calif. JANUARY 1965 7 Tifdwarf-A New Bermudagrass For Golf Greens1 GLENN W. BURTON and J. EARL ELSNER2 Tifdwarf bermudagrass, superior for golf greens, will be officially released to qualified nurserymen as a feature of the 19th Annual Southeast­ ern Turfgrass Conference, Tifton, Ga., in April, 1965. Like other improved grasses developed jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Sta­ tion, it will be released only under the Georgia Crop Improvement Associa­ tion or similar certification programs in other states. This will protect buy­ ers who want to be sure they do not get a substitute. Tifdwarf has been tested for three years at the Georgia Coastal Plain Ex­ periment Station, Tifton, Ga., in com­ parison with Tifgreen (Tifton 328). In these comparisons, it has been equal, or superior, to Tifgreen on near­ ly every score. For the modern golfer demanding fast greens, Tifdwarf will be a real improvement. Its tiny leaves hug the ground so closely that a num­ ber of them are never cut by the greens mower. This characteristic helps it to tolerate a 3/16-inch cutting height much better than Tifgreen. Its softer leaves and fewer seedheads also contribute to its superior putting qual­ ities. Tifdwarf has a darker green color than Tifgreen and requires less ferti­ lizer to make a comparable degree of greenness. Its purple basic plant color, which helps to keep it looking dark green in the summertime, becomes very noticeable when temperatures drop in the fall. As a consequence, Tif­ dwarf turf takes on a purplish cast that may prove objectionable to some. The winter-hardiness of Tifdwarf has been evaluated by Drs. A. A. Han­ son and Felix Juska in the U.S. De­ partment of Agriculture turf plots at Beltsville, Md. They found Tifdwarf a little more winter-hardy than Tif­ green. When clipped daily except Sunday at 3/16-inch and 1/4-inch heights, Tif­ dwarf produced only about half as many clippings by weight as Tifgreen. These findings suggest that the amount of mowing could be less and, hence, labor costs might be reduced through the use of this variety. A top-dressing experiment revealed that Tifdwarf will require much less top-dressing than Tifgreen to main­ tain an attractive, smooth putting sur­ face. This could represent another sub­ stantial saving in maintenance. Forms Sod Quickly Tifdwarf, like most dwarfs, has smaller and shorter leaves, stems, in­ ternodes, and seedheads. As a conse­ quence, Tifgreen will form a sod more quickly than Tifdwarf when both grasses are planted in 12-inch centers. A square yard of Tifdwarf sod, how­ ever, has many more stems and nodes than a square yard of Tifgreen sod. It is believed, therefore, that a square yard of Tifdwarf, shredded and broad­ cast on a given area, will form a sod as fast as a square yard of Tifgreen simi­ larly planted on the same area. Once iCooperative investigations at Tifton, Ga., of the Crops Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the University of Georgia, College of Agriculture Experiment Sta­ tions, Coastal Plain Experiment Station. ^Principal Geneticist, Crops Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agri­ culture, and the University of Georgia, College of Agriculture Experiment _ Stations, Coastal Plain Ex­ periment Station, Tifton, Ga., and Graduate Assistant, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga., respectively. 8 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD established, Tifdwarf has made a denser sod than Tifgreen in Tifton tests. Tifdwarf appears to be equal to Tifgreen in disease resistance. Both are favorite food for insects, such as the sod webworm. But on golf greens with modern insecticides, insects can be easily controlled. A fertilizer-factorial experiment currently under way suggests that a 4-1-2 ratio of N-P2O5-K2O will satisfy the nutrient needs of Tifdwarf with a minimum waste of plant food. How did Tifdwarf originate? No one will ever know for sure. Several years ago, T. M. Baumgardner and Marion McKendree noticed a small circle (about 18 inches in diameter) of a finer grass growing in one of the greens at Sea Island, Ga., first planted to Tifgreen obtained from the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station as a part of the evaluation program before it was released. They told us about it and kindly gave us a cup-cutter plug of sod for testing. About the same time, James B. Moncrief, Southeastern Agronomist for the USGA Green Sec­ tion, brought us a plug from a test green planted about the same time on the Country Club at Florence, S. C. Both were planted at Tifton in a repli­ cated evaluation test with Tifgreen and two other grasses as checks. It is from this test that we obtained much of the information reported here. Cytological investigations have prov­ en that Tifdwarf has the same chromo­ some number as Tifgreen (2n=27). Both grasses have many of the same characteristics. The anthers, stigmas, racemes, and panicles appear to be identical except for size. Since Tif­ green is completely sterile and never sheds any pollen, Tifdwarf could not be a seedling of Tifgreen. The dwarf bermuda from Sea Island, Ga. and Flo­ rence, S.C. appear to be identical. A careful evaluation of all evidence indicates that Tifdwarf is a vegetative mutant that occurred in Tifgreen at Tifton before the first planting stock was sent out for early testing. The golf courses at Florence and Sea Is­ land each got a sprig or two of this mutation. Its superiority to Tifgreen under golf-green maintenance allowed it to spread until it occupied an area about 18 inches in diameter on each green. Mr. Baumgardner reports that the tiny circle of grass on his course (that we are naming Tifdwarf) has, on several occasions, looked better than the Tifgreen around it, particularly when Tifgreen was in trouble. Perhaps the exact origin of Tif­ dwarf is not too important. It has been isolated, purified, and named, and many of its superior traits have been established. Now the golf course super­ intendent and the golfer must deter­ mine if it is really better than Tif­ green. We think it is. Acknowledgements: The authors gratefully acknow­ ledge the assistance of the following people, who had a hand in the discovery and evaluation of Tifdwarf ber­ mudagrass: T. M. Baumgardner, Vice-President, Sea Island Company, Sea Island, Ga.; Marion McKendree, Superintendent, Sea Island Golf Club, Sea Island, Ga.; James B. Moncrief, Southeastern Agronomist, USGA Green Section, Athens, Ga.; Dr. Jerrel B. Powell, Re­ search Geneticist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georg­ ia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga.; Dr. Homer D. Wells, Senior Research Plant Pathologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Coastal Plain Experi­ ment Station, Tifton, Ga.; Dr. Bill B. Brodie, Nematolo- gist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga.; Dr. A. A. Han­ son, Research Leader, Grass and Turf Investigations, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md.; Dr. Felix V. Juska, Turf-Research Agronomist, Grass and Turf In­ vestigations, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md.; Raymond B. Cooper, Agronomy Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, Va.; Clarence Lance, Graduate Assistant, Agronomy Department, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.; and Lee Clements, Research Techn'cian, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, Ga. We also wish to acknowledge support from the USGA Green Section, the Southern Golf Association, Georgia Golf Course Superintendents’ Association, Golf Course Super­ intendents’ Association of America, Evans Implement Company, Atlanta, Ga., Patten Seed and Turfgrass Com­ pany, Lakeland, Ga., and Southern Turf Nurseries, Tifton, Ga. JANUARY 1965 9 Adequate Drainage Key to Holding Courses During 1964 Heat and Humidity (A Report from the Chicago District Golf Association) A panel of turf authorities which included: James L. Holmes Warren Bidwell Dr. Mike Britton Jack D. Butler Dr. William Daniel Roy Nelson Mid-Western Agronomist, United States Golf Associa­ tion President, Midwest Association of Golf Course Super­ intendents; Superintendent, Olympia Fields Country Club Turf Pathologist, University of Illinois Turf Pathologist, University of Illinois Professor of Agronomy, Purdue University Past President, Golf Course Superintendents’ Asso­ ciation of America; Superintendent, Ravisloe Country Club arrived at the above truth during a seminar called by the Midwest Association of Golf Course Superintendents and the Chicago District Golf Association at the LaSalle Hotel on August 21, 1964. The meeting was attended by 212 people vitally interested in what happened to Midwest golf courses during the summer of 1964 and what can be done to avoid recurrence. They were welcomed by Charles N. Eckstein, Chicago District Golf Association Green Chairman, and the following is a distillation of the opinion represented. T t was established that two types of fairway turf are present in the Chi­ cago area; Poa annwa-bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass-fescue. Poa annua is an annual bluegrass which will with­ stand short cut, has a shallow root system and requires frequent water­ ing. It is a fair weather friend which exhibits extremely vigorous growth in cool weather but thins out during pe­ riods of extended heat and humidity. Bluegrass-fescue is a hardier turf with a deeper and more vigorous root sys­ tem. It requires less water than Poa annw-bentgrass. On heavily watered, short cut fair­ ways Poa annua predominates and makes up the fairway turf, even though many people are under the impression that bentgrass is the primary cover. Therefore, it must be kept in mind that the culture of Poa annua, and not bent­ grass, is the first concern. This is im­ portant because Poa annua will suc­ cumb to the vagaries of nature more quickly than will bentgrass. - Many clubs have attempted to estab­ lish and encourage a greater percentage of bentgrass in fairway areas. Results to date have not been heartening pri­ 10 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD marily because Poa annua crowds out bentgrass during spring and fall when Poa annua is undergoing vigorous growth. Equipment has been introduced which semi-tills the soil, thus present­ ing a more suitable seed-bed without greatly interfering with play. It is pos­ sible that through diligent and proper use of such equipment larger amounts of bentgrass can be encouraged in fair­ way areas. Current knowledge indicates this would be desirable. Even so, the absolute necessity of rapid surface drainage can never be overlooked. Surface Drainage Answer Surface drainage is the unequivocal answer to the perplexing problem of holding Poa annua during periods of high heat and humidity. Continued ob­ servation proves that turf in well- drained areas does not die. Conversely, turf in areas of poor drainage fre­ quently shows 100% kill. A two-inch rain should (and CAN) be drained in 15 minutes to prevent death of turf. Poa annua cannot tolerate standing water. An excellent case in point is the sur­ face drainage work done by Roy Nel­ son, Superintendent of Ravisloe Coun­ try Club. Mr. Nelson developed a new system of drainage slit trenches filled with pea gravel, which, combined with proper tile installations, has afforded rapid surface run-off. The Ravisloe program to insure adequate drainage began in 1958. Prior to that date large fairway areas were frequently lost. Since the new drainage program has been completed, a minimal amount of turf is lost during extended periods of high heat and humidity—even during the summer of 1964. This view is substantiated by the fact that courses built on inherently sandy soil which characteristically drain quickly suffered little or no “kill” in ’64. From conclusions drawn by the panel it can be stated that Poa annua turf in the Chicago area can be maintained in good playable condition even when un­ der attack by the twin culprits—high heat and humidity—if rapid surface drainage is afforded. High heat, humidity and free moisture pro­ vide a perfect environment for turf diseases and are ideal to nurture fungi which can be pathogenic, such as Pythium sp. An interesting concept is the explor­ ation by the panel of chemical control of serious disease problems which de­ veloped on courses last summer. In­ variably disease activity was most damaging in low, water-holding areas. Repeated applications of fungicides, even though the fungicide was report­ edly a control for the disease present, gave a minimal amount of control. At the present time no truly effective fung­ icide is available to combat “kill” un­ der severe weather conditions when ex­ cessive surface moisture is present. The University of Illinois has in­ itiated a program of experimental work with Poa annua because it is the pre­ dominant turf on watered fairways. Efforts will be made to delineate growth habits accurately to arrive at more effective disease controls. Turf work at Purdue University is directed, and has been for many years, toward practices which would enable the turf man to live better with and maintain various types of grasses suitable for use on golf courses. JANUARY 1965 11 Courses which have bluegrass-fescue fairways maintained excellent playing conditions throughout the 1964 playing season. Bluegrass-fescue fairways must be cut higher than Poa annua in order to maintain adequate turf cover but are not as severely affected by heat and humidity as is Poa annua. The only reason golf courses have short cut, watered fairways (Poa annua) is be­ cause better players demand this type of turf. They insist the ball must be “pinched” against the turf, thereby taking a divot, in order to execute an accurate shot. If fairways are cut high­ er as is necessary with bluegrass-fes­ cue, it is difficult to “pinch” the ball against the turf. Examples of short cut, watered, Poa annua fairways are Evanston Golf Club, Skokie, Sunset Ridge and Ravis- loe Country Clubs. Bluegrass-fescue fairways are found at Chicago Golf Club, Silver Lake Golf Club, Knoll­ wood Club, Rolling Green, Illini (Springfield), Danville and Rockford Country Clubs. The consensus of the panel was that courses with bluegrass­ fescue fairways would continue with this grass and those which were ded­ icated to short cut, watered, Poa annua fairways would not go back to the higher cut. Specific and detailed course manage­ ment programs, tailored to the indi­ vidual course, must be established by the superintendent, but successful course management cannot be effected until drainage is established which will rapidly remove standing water. All golf should be grateful to the panel which met last August. They combined the best of academic re­ search with practical and successful experience to produce a significant con­ clusion to help every chairman and su­ perintendent achieve better turf and, ultimately, happier golfers. The lower limbs of these fall, stately arborvitae were grazed by deer. Note the uniform shearing and subsequent umbrella effect. This view is taken across No. 5 on the lower course at Baltusrol Golf Club, Springfield, N. J. 12 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD Methods of Minimizing Winter Damage* By J. R. WATSON, Toro Manufacturing Corporation, Minneapolis, Minn. Methods of minimizing winter dam­ age to turfgrass vary in accordance with geographic region, location with respect to nearby terrain features, soil, kind of grass, management practices and the extent of use during adverse or critical periods. In the case of golf greens located in central and southern regions, damage caused by traffic on frosted grass or partially frozen soil may be avoided or reduced by washing off the frost, de­ laying play or diverting play to tem­ porary or alternate greens. In northern climes, efforts to mini­ mize damage center around providing adequate soil moisture, erecting snow fence and piling brush to collect and hold snow and using organic mulches or polyethylene covers to insulate and conserve moisture. Such conditions favor disease development; therefore, it is necessary to treat with the ap­ propriate fungicide to prevent or con­ trol winter disease. Polyethylene covers produce a green­ house effect in late winter-early spring. They stimulate early growth and min­ imize winter damage. This technique has proven to be of value in establish­ ment of late planted greens and in stim­ ulating early recovery of damaged sites. Tests show that clear four mil sheets are satisfactory. *Reprinted courtesy Agronomy Abstracts, from papers prepared for the 1964 annual meetings of the American Society of Agronomy. Statement of Ownership STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND CIRCULATION (Act of October 23, 1962 ; Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code). 1. Date of Filing—October 1, 1964. 2. Title of Publication—- USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD. 3. Frequency of issue—Six issues a year in January, March, May, July, September and November. 4. Location of known office of publication—315 Railroad Avenue, East Rutherford, N.J. 07073. 5. Location of the headquarters or general business offices of the publishers—- 40 E. 38th Street, New York. 6. Names and addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Pub­ lisher—United States Golf Association, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016. Editor—Dr. Marvin H. Ferguson, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016. Managing Editor—Don Weiss, 40 E. 38th Street, New York,. N.Y. 10016. 7. Owner (If owned by a corporation, its name and address must be stated and also immediately thereunder the names and addresses of stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, the names and addresses of the individual owners must be given. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, its name and address, as well as that of each individual must be given.) Names and addresses—United States Golf Association, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016 ; President—Clarence W. Benedict, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016 ; Vice-Presidents—Wm. Ward Foshay and Hord W. Hardin, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016 ; Secretary—Philip H. Strubing, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016; Treasurer—Robert K. Howse, 40 E. 38th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016. 8. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages or other securities—None. 9. Paragraphs 7 and 8 include, in cases where the stockholder or security holder appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or corporation for whom such trustee is acting, also the statements in the two paragraphs show the affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circumstances and conditions under which stockholders and security holders who do not appear upon the books of the company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than that of a bona fide owner. Names and addresses of individuals who are stockholders of a corporation which itself is a stockholder or holder of bonds, mortgages or other securities of the publishing corpora­ tion have been included in paragraphs 7 and 8 when the interests of such individuals are equivalent to 1 percent or more of the total amount of the stock or securities of the publishing corporation. 10. This item must be completed for all publications except those which do not carry advertising other than the publisher’s own and which are named in sections 132.231, 132.232, and 132.233 Postal Manual (Sections 4355a, 4355b, and 4356 of Title 39, United States Code) A. Total No. Copies Printed (Net Press Run) B. Paid Circulation 1. To Term Subscribers by Mail, Carrier, Delivery or by Other Means 2. Sales through Agents, News Dealers, or Otherwise C. Free Distribution (including samples) by Mail, Carrier Delivery, or by Other Means D. Total No. of Copies Distributed. (Sum of lines Bl, B2 and C) I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and Don Weiss, Managing Editor JANUARY 1965 Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months 5,250 3,820 none 1,076 4,896 complete. Single Issue Nearest to Filing Date 5,200 3,976 none 874 4,850 13 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD 40 East 38th Street, New York, N. Y. 10016 TURF TWISTERS MOWING BERMUDAGRASS Question: Would you give me your recommendations as to height for the cutting of solid bermuda fairways. I note from the instruc­ tions of the booklet for the qualifying rounds of the Open and Ama­ teur Championship that the USGA recommends fairways be cut 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch. (Arkansas) Answer: We believe that bermudagrass should be mowed just about as closely as possible without scalping. This will vary depending up­ on such things as roughness of the surface, the amount of fertilizer used, the frequency of mowing, etc. Infrequent mowing or exception­ ally heavy fertilization will cause a large amount of clippings to be removed at one time. In such a case we believe the mowers should be raised to compensate. However, so long as the clippings will largely disappear in the turf, we think the closer the better. MOWING GREENS Question: The golf course superintendent at our club tells us that he mows greens at 1/4 inch. At a neighboring club, the greens are mowed at 5/16 inch, yet their greens seem faster than ours. Can you explain? (Missouri) Answer: The true cutting height of a mower is established by plac­ ing a straight-edge across the caster wheels or the scalping roller and the drive roller. The height of the cutting edge above this line is the true cutting height. Now the “effective cutting height” may be quite different. It is influenced by the amount of turf on the green — a dense turf will cause the mower to cut higher than will a thin turf. It is also in­ fluenced by the weight of the mower and even by the amount of clippings carried in the catcher. Other things may also influence speed of putting greens. An up­ right grass will provide a slower surface than grass which tends to lie flat. Stiffer grass does not allow the ball to roll as freely as soft grass. Thus it is quite possible for a green cut with a mower set at 5/16 inch to be faster than another cut with a mower set at 1/4 inch.