TREE PLAN A T MISSION HILLS

Trees on 12th hole at Mission Hills Country Club in Kansas show the 
effect of long-range planning by Superintendent Chester Mendenhall.

(<s®a

Published by the United States Golf Association
© 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. 3, No. 4

November 1965

After Five Years: The Green Section Specifications for a Putting Green 

By Marvin H. Ferguson ......................................................................... 1

Can You Top These? ...................................................  By William H. Bengeyfield 8

Chester Mendenhall and The Trees of Mission Hills .... By Marvin H. Ferguson 10

Pesticides: A 12-Step Code ..................................... Texas Agricultural Progress 13

Turf Twisters

Back Cover

Published six times a v-ar 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: 350. 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

THE GREEN SECTION OF THE UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION
Green Section Committee

CHAIRMAN: Henry H. Russell, P.O. Box 57-697,
Miami, Fla. 33157.
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:
Fr'd Brand, Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa. ; Robert F.
Dwyer, Portland, Ore. ; Edward L. Emerson, Bos-

USGA HEADQUARTERS: ‘Gclf House”, 40 

ton, Mass. ; C. McD. England, Huntington, W. 
Va.; Edwin R. Foley, San Francisco; Eugene S. 
Pulliam, 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

After Five Years:
The Green Section Specifications 
for a Putting Green 

By MARVIN H. FERGUSON, Mid-Continent Director, USGA Green Section

■ n 1960, the USGA Green Section 
1 staff published an article in the 
USGA Journal and Turf Manage­
ment entitled “Specifications for A 
Method of Putting Green Construc­
tion.” The article sparked a consider­
able amount of controversy about the 
concept even though the various prin­
ciples embodied in the method are 
rather widely accepted, and readily 
demonstrable.

After a period of five years, there 
are presently some 1,200 greens in 
existence that have been built by this 
method. There is no question that the 
method is both practical and success­
ful.

There are, however, some questions 
which continue to arise. There are 
some who have failed to grasp the 
significance and the importance of 
each single step in the process. There 
are some who have experienced par­
tial failure because they only partially 
followed the specifications.

It is the purpose of this article to 
restate the steps involved in the con­
struction procedure, to reemphasize the 
significance and the importance of each 
step, and to point out again the danger 
of following the method just partially.
The following seven steps in the 
construction procedure are reprinted 
from the September 1960 article:

1. Subgrade

The contours of the subgrade should 
conform to those of the proposed 
finished grade, with a tolerance of 

plus or minus 1". The subgrade should 
be constructed at an elevation 14 
inches below the proposed finished 
grade. The subgrade should be com­
pacted sufficiently to prevent future 
settling which might create water­
holding depressions in the subgrade 
surface and corresponding depressions 
in the putting surface.

Where terrain permits, it is possible 
to build the subgrade into the existing 
grade or to cut it into the subsoil. It is 
not necessary to elevate or “build up” 
the green unless design considerations 
dictate the desirability of doing so.

It will be noted that courses of 
materials above the subgrade consist 
of 4 inches of gravel, IV2 to 2 inches 
of coarse sand, and 12 inches of top- 
soil. Thus the total depth will be 17^ 
to 18 inches. However, this fill ma­
terial will settle appreciably, and ex­
perience indicates that 14 inches will 
be the approximate depth of these 
combined materials after settling.

2. Drainage

Tile lines of at least 4-inch dia­
meter should be so spaced that water 
will not have to travel more than 10 
feet to reach a tile drain. Any suitable 
pattern or tile line arrangement may 
be used, but the herringbone or the 
gridiron arrangements will fit most 
situations.

Cut ditches or trenches into the 
subgrade so tile slopes uniformly. Do 
not place tile deeper than is necessary 
to obtain the desired amount of slope.

NOVEMBER, 1965

1

Tile lines should have a minimum fall 
of .5%. Steeper grades can be used 
but there will seldom be a need for 
tile line grades steeper than 3% to 
4% on a putting green.

Tile may be agricultural clay tile, 
concrete, plastic, or perforated as­
phalt-paper composition. Agricultural 
tile joints should be butted together 
with no more than 14" of space be­
tween joints. The tops of tile should 
be covered with asphalt paper, fiber­
glass composition, or with plastic 
spacers and covers designed for this 
purpose. The covering prevents gravel 
from falling into the tile.

Tile should be laid on a firm bed of 
to 1" of gravel to reduce possible 
wash of subgrade soil up into tile 
line by fast water flow. If the sub­
grade consists of undisturbed soil, so 
that washing is unlikely, it is permis­
sible to lay tile directly on the bottom 
of the trench.

After the tile is laid, the trenches 
should be backfilled with gravel, 
and care should be taken not to dis­
place the covering over the joints.

3. Gravel and Sand Base

a. The entire subgrade should be 
covered with a course of clean washed 
gravel or crushed stone placed to a 
minimum thickness of 4 inches.

The preferred material for this pur­
pose is washed pea gravel of about 
diameter particle size. Larger 
gravel or stone may be used, but it 
is important that changes in size be­
tween this course of material and 
the succeeding one overlying it not 
be too great. Otherwise, smaller par­
ticles from overlying material will 
wash into the gravel, clog the pores or 
drainage ways and thereby reduce the 
effectiveness of the gravel.

The maximum allowable discrep­
ancy appears to be 5 to 7 diameters. 
In other words, if pea gravel

LATERAL MOVEMENT - INCHES

1 HOUR

4 HOURS

24 HOURS 48 HOURS

Figure 2. Infiltration of water into Yolo loam 
from an irrigation furrow kept fiilled for vari­
ous lengths of time. Note that vertical move­
ment exceeds lateral movement. (Adapted 
from Hendrickson and Veihmeyer, 1933.)

(about 6 mm.) is used, then the parti­
cles of the overlying course of sand 
should not be less than 1 mm. in 
diameter. If stone of 1 inch diameter 
were used, it would be necessary to 
include a course of pea gravel to 
prevent the movement of smaller soil 
aggregates into the stone.

b. When the gravel is in place, as­
suming that pea gravel has been used, 
a IV2" layer of coarse washed sand 
(commercial concrete sand is satis­
factory) should be placed to a uni­
form thickness over the gravel.

The tolerance for error in the 
thickness of gravel and sand courses 
should be limited to plus or minus 
.5 inch.

A profile of a properly constructed 
putting green is illustrated in Figure 1.

4. “Ringing” the Green

When the courses of gravel and 
sand are in place and outlets have 

2

USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

been established for subsurface water 
(through tile lines), the green should 
be “ringed” with the soil which is to 
be used for aprons and collars. This 
soil should be placed around the green 
and any contours established in such 
a way that they will blend into the 
putting surface.

The next step is to fill the depres­
sion, which represents the putting 
surface, with the prepared topsoil 
mixture described in the following 
paragraphs.

5. Soil Mixture

A covering of topsoil mixture at 
least 12 inches in thickness should 
be placed over the sand and gravel 
layers.

The soil mixture should meet cer­

tain physical requirements.

Permeability—After compaction at 
a moisture content approximately 
field capacity as described by Fer­
guson, Howard and Bloodworth, a 
core of the soil mixture should per­
mit the passage of not less than V2 
inch of water per hour nor more than 
IV2 inches per hour when subjected to 
a hydraulic head of .25 inches.

Porosity—After compaction, a sam­
ple of the soil mixture should have a 
minimum total pore space of 33%. 
Of this pore space, the large (non­
capillary) pores should comprise 
from 12 to 18% and capillary pore 
space from 15 to 21%.

Information with respect to bulk 
density, moisture retention capacity, 
mechanical analysis, and degree of 
aggregation in the hands of a soil 
physicist may be helpful in further 
evaluating the potential behavior of 
a putting green soil.

Few natural soils meet the require­
ments stated above. It will be neces­
sary to use mixtures of sand, soil, and 
organic matter. Because of differences 
in behavior induced by such factors 

as sand particle size and gradation, 
the mineral derivation and degree of 
aggregation of the clay component, 
the degree of decomposition of the 
organic matter, and the silt content 
of the soil, it is impossible to make 
satisfactory recommendations for 
soil mixtures without appropriate 
laboratory analyses.

The success of the method of con­
struction herein described is depen­
dent upon the proper physical char­
acteristics of the soil and the relation­
ship of that soil to the drainage bed 
underlying the green. Therefore a 
physical analysis of soil should be 
made before the soil components are 
procured. When the proper propor­
tions of the soil components have been 
determined, it becomes extremely im­
portant that they be mixed in the 
proportions indicated. A small error 
in percentages in the case of a plastic 
clay soil can lead to serious conse­
quences. To insure thorough mixing 
and the accurate measurement of the 
soil components, “off site” mixing is 
advocated.

6. Soil Covering, Placement, 
Smoothing and Firming.
When soil has been thoroughly 
mixed off site it should be transported 
to the green site and dumped at the 
edge of the green. Padding the edge 
of the green with boards may be 
necessary to prevent disturbance by 
wheeled vehicles of the soil previously 
placed around the outside of the putt­
ing surface. A small crawler-type 
tractor suitably equipped with a blade 
is useful for pushing the soil mixture 
out onto the prepared base. If the 
tractor is always operated with its 
weight on the soil mixture that has 
been hauled onto the site, the base 
will not be disturbed.

Grade stakes spaced at frequent 
intervals on the putting surface will 

NOVEMBER, 1965

3

be helpful in indicating the depth of 
the soil mixture. Finishing the grade 
will likely require the use of a level 
or transit.

When the soil has been spread uni­
formly over the surface of the putting 
green it should be compacted or firmed 
uniformly. A roller usually is not 
satisfactory because it “bridges” the 
soft spots.

“Footing” or trampling the surface 
will tend to eliminate the soft spots. 
Raking the surface and repeating the 
footing operation will result in having 
the seed or stolon bed uniformly firm. 
It should be emphasized that the 
raking and footing should be repeated 
until uniform firmness is obtained.

Whenever possible after construc­
tion, saturation of the soil by exten­
sive irrigation is suggested. Water is 
useful in settling and firming the 
surface. This practice will also re­
veal any water-holding depressions 
which might interfere with surface 
drainage.

7. Sterilization of Soil and Estab­

lishment of Turf
These steps may be accomplished by 
following well-known conventional 
procedures.

With the restatement of these pro­
cedures, let us reexamine the recom­
mendations step by step and point out 
some of the opportunities for error.

THE SUBGRADE

When a new green is built and the 
subgrade is contoured, it frequently 
happens that there is a rather large 
amount of fill. It is very difficult to 
compact filled areas sufficiently to 
preclude further settling. However, 
the builder must strive to prevent 
further settling if at all possible. If 
uniform layers of gravel, sand, and 
soil overlay the subgrade, it is obvious 
that any settling of the subgrade will 

result in a corresponding settling of 
the top. Therefore the thorough com­
paction of filled areas is necessary if 
the green is to maintain the contours 
built into it.

TILE DRAINAGE

It is commonly believed that the use 
of a gravel layer provides adequate 
drainage and that the installation of 
tile is a needless expense. No doubt 
there is good reason for this belief 
in many cases. However, when large 
amounts of water are moving through 
soil under conditions of heavy rain or 
rapid irrigation, and where the water 
must move a considerable distance to 
reach an outlet, tile lines aid in the 
removal of excess water. It is also 
true that despite the best efforts to 
compact the subgrade, it sometimes 
settles after construction and “pock­
ets” appear. Tile lines help to remove 
such trapped water. A putting green 
is expensive to build and the relatively 
small additional cost of adding tile 
drainage appears to be a small price 
for the insurance it provides.

GRAVEL AND SAND BASE

In a few cases builders have used 
tile and have then assumed that there 
is no need for a gravel base. This as­
sumption is the result of a failure to 
understand how water moves in the 
soil. Lateral movement of water is 
relatively small unless there is a bar­
rier which impedes its downward 
movement. See Figure 2. Therefore 
when tile is placed near the surface it 
must be very closely spaced if it is 
to remove much of the excess water. 
Conversely, if it is spaced at intervals 
of more than 4 or 5 feet it must be 
placed very deeply.

When the gravel layer is used be­
neath the putting green, it provides a 
medium whereby water can move 
laterally very easily. Thus tile can be 

4

USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

placed just at the bottom of the gravel 
layer and spaced at intervals of ten 
to twenty feet, depending upon the 
degree and direction of slope.

The layer of coarse sand used over 
the gravel base is for the sole purpose 
of preventing the soil particles from 
migrating downward into the gravel. 
This principle can be most easily pic­
tured by an overly simplified illustra­
tion. Suppose one filled a room half 
full of basketballs and then poured a 
sack of marbles on top of them. The 
marbles wll move down through the 
voids to the floor. So will small soil 
particles move down through gravel. 
In contrast suppose the room half full 
of basketballs were covered with a 
layer of baseballs. They would remain 
in a layer. Then a layer of golf balls 
would stay on top of the baseballs. 
Then if you poured the sack of mar­
bles on top they would stay in place. 
Thus, if you wish to keep fine soil on 
top of coarse materials, it is necessary 
to build up with successively finer 
layers of material.

Figure 2 
PROFILE OF PUTTING GREEN 
WITH TRENCH AND TILE LINE, 
IN CROSS-SECTION

A. 4-inch diameter tile.
B. Subgrade of native soil or fill 

RINGING THE GREEN

material.

Some builders place topsoil around 
the edges of the green after the sand 
and gravel are in place. They will then 
proceed to place the putting green 
soil mixture on top of the gravel and 
bring it to the finished grade.

There is one disadvantage to plac­
ing a heavier topsoil contiguous to the 
porous putting green soil mixture. 
Moisture is sometimes drawn out of 
the putting green edge because of 
the greater tension exerted by fine 
textured soil. This disadvantage can 
be overcome by using something like 
polyethylene plastic sheeting as a 
vertically placed moisture barrier be­
tween the “ring” of topsoil and the 
soil mixture on the putting surface.

Without the use of such a moisture 
barrier, the edge of the putting green

C. Gravel—preferably pea gravel of 

diameter.

approximately 
Minimum thickness 4 inches.
D. Coarse sand—this sand should be 
of a size of 1 mm. or greater, 
iy2 2 inches in thickness.
E. Topsoil mixture. Minimum thick­

ness of 12 inches.

may dry out faster than the remain­
der of the green.

THE INTERFACE

Apparently one of the most 
puzzling of the principles involved in 
the Green Section Specifications is 
the function of the textural barrier. 
Figure 3 is a photograph showing that 
water does not move from a layer of 
fine soil into a lower layer of a 

NOVEMBER, 1965

5

coarser textured soil until the fine 
textured soil becomes saturated. The 
reason for this failure of water to 
readily cross the “textural barrier” is 
a matter of surface tension. When 
sufficient gravitational force (weight) 
accumulates, the tension force is 
overcome and water then drains out 
through the sand and gravel.

The “textural barrier” then can be 
u~ed to increase the water holding 
capacity of an open textured soil. If 
irrigation is stopped just before the 
soil reaches the saturation point, no 
drainage occurs. On the other hand, 
in the case of a heavy rain, the soil 
will not hold too much water. It is 
paradoxical that the soil overlying 
such a “textural barrier” can be made 
to hold more water than it would with­
out the gravel layer, but it cannot be 
made to hold enough water to be 
harmful to plants.

has borrowed a formula based on his 
neighbor’s laboratory tests. This is a 
dangerous practice because soils, 
sands, and organic matter are likely 
to vary widely within a community. 
In some experimental plots where the 
same sand and the same organic mat­
ter were used but where two different 
high clay content soils were used, a 
suitable mixture required 40 percent 
of one soil and less than 10 percent of 
the other.

The Green Section can provide 
laboratory tests at a nominal cost. 
Such a test is of utmost importance.
Some critics of the use of laboratory 
methods have argued that one cannot 
substitute laboratory measurements 
for good judgment. How true! But how 
much better is a judgment based upon 
measurable physical facts rather than 
on instinct, “feel,” or visual estima­
tion!

THE SOIL MIXTURE

The compounding of a soil mixture 
based on laboratory tests is one of 
the essential elements of the Green 
Section Specifications.

In some cases greens have been 
built and called “Green Section Speci­
fication” greens where the builder 

SOIL COVERING, PLACEMENT, 
SMOOTHING, AND FIRMING

In our experience we have found no 
difficulty in following this step in the 
method we have advocated. It may be 
well to reiterate that soil should be 
mixed “off site.” It is virtually impos­
sible to do a satisfactory job of 

Figure 3. Water does not move from a loam soil until the soil becomes saturated. 
(From W. H. Gardner — 1953)

mixing soil materials in place on the 
green site.

ESTABLISHMENT OF TURF

Because of the fact that soil mix­
tures prescribed are quite porous, 
there have been a number of cases 
where greens have been rather slow 
to become established. Frequent, light 
fertilization of newly seeded or vege­
tatively planted greens appears to be 
one method of speeding establishment.
In several cases these greens have 
been sodded. This is a satisfactory pro­
cedure provided the sod is grown on 
the same soil mixture as is used in the 
green. Growing sod on a heavier soil 
and then moving it to a porous putting 
green soil is an almost certain invita­
tion to failure.

USE THE “WHOLE PACKAGE”

The steps outlined for constructing 
putting greens will provide excellent 
results if they are followed exactly 
and completely. This fact has been am­
ply demonstrated.

Equally demonstrable is the fact 
that going just part of the way with 
these procedures is an invitation to 
failure. A great many years of re­
search have gone into the study of 
each phase of this method of construc­
tion. If one uses a heavy soil, he must 
either use a much deeper seedbed or 
he must leave out the gravel layer. If 
one mixes a soil that is too sandy and 
too deep, it will be droughty.

These are negative ways of saying 
that if you undertake to construct a 
putting green by this method, follow 
the instructions completely.

HOW EXPENSIVE?

Some clubs have been deterred 
from building putting greens by this 
method because they have thought 
that the construction costs will be 
excessive. It is obviously impossible 
to predict the cost in any given area 

because of variations in the cost of 
soil materials, gravel, and labor. Some 
ideas of quantities of materials may 
help in cost estimations. The follow­
ing quantities of materials are re­
quired per 1,000 square feet of putt­
ing surface:

approximately 100 lineal feet

4 inch depth—12.3 cubic yards
IV2 inch depth— 4.6 cubic yards

Gravel 
Sand 
Soil Mixt. 12 inch depth—37.0 cubic yards 
Tile 
Finally, the reader again is referred 
to the original article published in the 
USGA Journal of September 1960. 
The same procedures are still recom­
mended, and the same criteria for 
determining soil mixtures are still 
being used. The original publication 
contains a list of references which 
will provide informative background 
reading. In the same issue, there is 
an article describing laboratory 
methods used in soil mixture evalu­
ation. Five years of field experience 
in widely separated geographical 
areas provide abundant evidence of 
the merits of this method.

COMING EVENTS

Nov. 17-18 ......Minnesota Turfgrass Conference
Normandy Hotel 
Minneapolis, Minn.
Dec. 1-3 ..........Oklahoma Turfgrass Conference

Oklahoma State University 
Stillwater, Oklahoma

Dec. 2-3 ..........Illinois Turfgrass Conference

University of Illinois 
Urbana, Illinois
Dec. 6-8 ..........Texas Turfgrass Conference

Texas A&M University 
College Station, Texas

Dec. 8-9 ..........Louisiana Turfgrass Conference

Univ, of Southwestern Louisiana 
Lafayette, La.

Jan. 4-

March 11 ....Winter Turf Course 
Rutgers University 
New Brunswick, N. J.

Jan. 12-14 ......Nebraska Turfgrass Conference
Lincoln, Nebraska
Jan. 20-21 ..... Golf & Fine Turf Short Course

Rutgers University 
New Brunswick, N. J.

Jan. 25-26 ..... Virginia Turfgrass Conference

John Marshall Hotel 
Richmond, Va.

Jan. 28 ..........USGA Green Section Conference
New York, N. Y.

NOVEMBER, 1965

7

Can You Top These?

By WILLIAM H. BENGEYFIELD, Western Director, USGA Green Section

Tee markers can give any club an 

individuality, a distinctiveness all 
its own. Here are a few from the 
western region of the United States. 
They are products of the imagination 
of club members, green chairmen, 
golf course superintendents and pro­
fessionals. Why not send us a snap­
shop of your club’s unusual tee 
marker for later publication? Your 
idea will stimulate the thoughts of 
others.

No guessing here. This is Arrowhead 
Country Club, San Bernardino, California. 
The markers are made from concrete and 
are too heavy to steal or carry very far.

Every hole at San Gabriel Country Club 
in California is named after one of the 
early Spanish Missions. The tee markers, 
in blue, gold and silver, are replicas of a 
mission bell. They are made of metal. 

Oil drill bits come in many shapes and 
sizes. Conveniently, for Wilshire Country 
Club, Los Angeles, they also come in 
Ladies, Men's, and Championship colors.

8

USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

Salmon jump in the Columbia River and 
on the tees of the Columbia-Edgewater 
Country Club, Portland, Oregon. Fash­
ioned from metal and painted in techni­
color, these markers are used only for 
special occasions.

You just don't see many polo ball tee 
markers anymore. Portland Country Club, 
Oregon, continues the tradition with 
brightly colored red, white and blue 
markers.

Anyone who has played Bel Air Country 
Club, Los Angeles, will remember their 
landmark suspension bridge on the 10th 
hole. Here it is in a solid plastic material 
and an ideal tee marker.

The conquistadors still ride at La Costa 
Country Club, Carlsbad, California. In 
rich green and gold, these laminated 
wooden tee markers are coated with a 
plastic resin to withstand the weather.

NOVEMBER, 1965

9

Chester Mendenhall and 
The Trees of Mission Hills

By MARVIN H. FERGUSON, Mid-Continent Director, USGA Green Section

One of the most beautiful spots in 

eastern Kansas is the golf course 
of Mission Hills Country Club. Kansas 
City is blessed with the ecological con­
ditions that permit the growing of 
beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowers 
and the rolling terrain adds greatly 
to the beauty of the landscape. Such 
gifts of nature comprise one of the 
added benefits of residence in Kansas 
City.

The beauty of Mission Hills is not 
solely the result of a beneficent 
nature, however. Chester Mendenhall 
retired recently after having served 
the club 31 years as golf course super­
intendent. During that period Chet 
paid particular attention to the tree 
population of the golf course. He 
weeded out the less suitable trees and 
he planted new ones. The overall effect 
today appears natural yet it is almost 
entirely the result of Chet’s having 
fitted the many trees into locations 

that appeared “natural” to him. Man­
made designs are often clearly recog­
nizable as such. How much more ar­
tistic ability is required to make a 
man’s design appear to have “just 
grown that way!”

Chet’s abilities are not confined to 
landscape pursuits. He is recognized 
by the members of his club and by his 
fellow golf course superintendents as 
one of the most capable men in his 
profession. He has served as Presi­
dent of the Golf Course Superinten­
dents’ Association of America; he was 
one of the founders of the Central 
Plains Turfgrass Foundation; and he 
is a long time member of the USGA 
Green Section Committee. He is one of 
those gifted superintendents who are 
able to maintain their golf course turf 
in fine condition, take part in the 
affairs of local and national profes­
sional associations, and then have the 
time and the foresight to create 

10

USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

through planning and steady progress 
a virtual aboretum on the golf course.
A great many years ago, Chet in­
ventoried the trees on the golf course 
and he has updated the inventory as 
new trees are planted and old ones 
are removed. Today the golf course 
trees number about 2,700. During his 
31 years at Mission Hills, he has 
planted more than 2,000 of them.

Thinning Helps

Young trees, sparsely planted, make 
a rather weak impression. Therefore, 
in many cases, more trees were 
planted than were needed. As they 
grew older, many had to be removed. 
Such thinning permits the remaining 
trees to assume their natural shape.

It was also a practice at Mission 
Hills to intersperse the plantings of 
slow-growing, long-lived trees with 
some fast-growing short-lived trees. 
Thus the new plantings produced the 
desired effect in a relatively short time, 
but as the fast growing trees matured 
they were removed and the slower- 
growing, longer-lasting species were al­
lowed to take their places. It may be 
seen that the development and mainte­
nance of an area planted to trees is an 

evolutionary task and the population is 
never static.

Chet Mendenhall’s ideas about tree 
planting were influenced not only by 
the esthetic effect that might be 
created but also by the demands of 
the game of golf. The site of his 
handiwork is primarily a fine golf 
course and secondarily a place of 
beauty. Trees were fitted along the 
fairways in such a way that they 
would complement rather than inter­
fere with the game.

Each golf hole was studied indi­
vidually. On long par 4 holes, the 
trees were kept at greater distances 
from the fairways, whereas on rela­
tively short holes, the trees were 
brought nearer the fairways. On holes 
where doglegs depend upon trees, 
larger, taller growing species were 
planted.

One of the problems brought about 
by trees on a golf course is that of 
reconciling trees and turf. In many 
cases the effects of shade and the com­
petition for moisture and nutrients 
are serious draw-backs to the develop­
ment of turf.

At Mission Hills, an attempt is 
made to keep all newly planted trees 

Another scene from Mission Hills. Note the variety in foliage, in age of trees and in 
densify of planting.

at least 60 feet away from putting 
surfaces. There are a few older trees 
on the course which are closer to the 
greens and these have been the source 
of some problems. In the case of 
bermudagrass or zoysiagrass tees, it 
is well to keep trees some distance 
away. Neither of these grasses does 
well in shade.

Many Elms

Types of trees used are chosen after 
considering a great many factors. Ap­
proximately 60 percent of the trees 
at Mission Hills are elms. The Ameri­
can elm is one of America’s most ex­
cellent shade trees and it is the most 
widely used single species. The spread 
of the Dutch elm disease in recent 
years poses a serious threat to this 
magnificent tree. It is to be hoped that 
the apathy of Midwestern citizens can 
be dispelled soon enough to bring 
about protective measures. Inasmuch 
as the disease is spread by the elm 
bark beetle, intensive communitywide 
insect control programs have been 
effective in checking the spread of 
the disease. However, a single 
diseased tree allowed to stand too long 
can be the source of infection for a 
tremendous area.

Chet has also made use of a number 
of Chinese or Siberian elms. These 
are very rapid-growing trees which 
produce quick effects. Consequently 
they are pruned rather heavily and are 
removed when they get “out-of-hand.”
For variation in color and texture 
of foliage a great many oaks and 
maples have been used. These two 
species are among the most colorful 
in autumn. Further variation has 
been introduced by the use of syca­
more, ash, linden, gum, and willow.

Evergreens have been used for such 
purposes as background, screening 
and color contrast. Among the ever­
greens are varieties of pine, spruce, 

fir and arbor vitae. These trees are 
always planted well away from play 
areas so that low hanging branches 
will not affect play.

In the spring there is a display of 
color from flowering crab apples, red­
buds, purple leaf plums, flowering 
peach and similar spring flowering 
trees. Among the trees that are not 
commonly grown in the Kansas City 
area are the ginkgo, the horse chest­
nut, golden rain, and Chinaberry.

For winter color and contrast the 
white bark of birch and sycamore 
against a background of evergreens 
is a beautiful sight. Judging from 
comments of club members, Chet 
feels that the most popular trees he 
has planted are the golden rain trees 
and the flowering crab apples.

Plan Ahead

Trees are such relatively slow- 
growing plants that one must be able 
to foresee the effects of his planting 
some 20 years hence. Mendenhall con­
tends that one must look ahead 20 to 
30 years in planning a tree program. 
Unfortunately there are relatively 
few men endowed with the foresight 
and the concern necessary to plan so 
far into the future.

The members of Mission Hills 
Country Club and their children will 
for many years benefit from the plans 
and the plantings that have been 
taking shape for the last 31 years at 
their club. Their legacy derives from 
the services of a man who has been 
devoted to his club, who recognizes 
beauty in Nature, and who has the 
foresight and the skill to combine his 
devotion and his artistry into an out­
standingly beautiful landscape.

Anyone who walks the fairways of 
Mission Hills must have his enjoy­
ment increased because of the years 
that Chet Mendenhall managed this 
golf course.

12

USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD

Pesticides: A 12-Step Code

Courtesy Texas Agricultural Progress

1. ALWAYS read the label before 
using sprays or dusts. Note warn­
ings and cautions each time before 
opening the container.

7. Wash hands and face and change 
to clean clothing after spraying 
or dusting. Also wash clothing 
each day before reuse.

2. Keep sprays and dusts out of the 
reach of children, pets and ir­
responsible people. They should 
be stored outside of the home, 
away from food and feed, and 
under lock and key.

3. ALWAYS store sprays and dusts 
in original containers and keep 
them tightly closed.

4. NEVER smoke while spraying or 

dusting.

8. Cover food and water containers 
when treating around livestock or 
pet areas. Do not contaminate fish 
ponds.

9. Use separate equipment for apply­
ing hormone-type herbicides in 
order to avoid accidental injury 
to susceptible plants.

10. ALWAYS dispose of empty con­
tainers so that they pose no 
hazard to humans, animals or 
valuable plants.

5. Avoid inhaling sprays or dusts. 
When directed on the label, wear 
protective clothing and masks.

11. Observe label directions and cau­
tions to keep residues on edible 
portions of plants within the 
limits permitted by law.

6. Do not spill sprays or dusts on 
the skin or clothing. If they are 
spilled, remove contaminated 
clothing IMMEDIATELY and 
wash thoroughly.

12. If symptoms of illness occur dur­
ing or shortly after spraying or 
dusting, call a physician or get 
the patient to a hospital immedi­
ately.

TURF BOOK AVAILABLE

The book “Turf Management,” a popular educational printing of all 
matters pertaining to turf, is available at $10.95 per copy from the USGA, 
40 East 38th Street, New York, N. Y. 10016; the USGA Green Section Re­
gional Offices; the McGraw-Hill Book Co., 330 West 42nd Street, New York, 
N. Y. 10036, or at local bookstores.

“Turf Management” is a complete and authoritative book written by 
Professor H. Burton Musser and sponsored by the USGA. The author is 
Professor Emeritus of Agronomy at Pennsylvania State University.

NOVEMBER, 1965

13

USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD 

40 East 38th Street, New York, N. Y. 10016

TURF TWISTERS

WARM WATER ON TURF
Question: We receive warm water for our irrigation system, which 
was used first in the cooling system of a large industry. Will this warm 
water have any unfavorable effects on turfgrass? (Pennsylvania)

Answer: (1) No, warm water is not unfavorable for use on turf­
grasses. Although cool water is better for its cooling effect upon 
initial impact during extreme temperatures, it evens off soon after 
it is applied.

Water applied to turf soon is affected by the temperature of the 
day—in other words, cool or warm water soon evens off to similar 
temperatures in the soil.

(2) Hot water could be injurious to turf.

K2SO4 vs. KC1
Question: What are the advantages of using potassium sulfate 
(K2SO4) rather than muriate of potash (KC1) ?

Answer: In some areas where salinity is a problem, the sulfate of 
potash may contribute less to the problem. It is also true that sulfur 
is a plant nutrient whereas chlorine is not. In these days of high 
analysis fertilizers, we often find that the sulfur which formerly 
existed in such materials as superphosphate (single) has been elim­
inated in treble superphosphate. If it is likely that you may suffer 
from a deficiency of sulfur, the sulfate of potash may help.

There is one other factor. Much muriate of potash has small 
impurities which may be slowly soluble or insoluble. Sulfate of pot­
ash is usually more completely soluble and lends itself better to 
spray application.

MOWING MERION
Question: We understand that Merion bluegrass can be mowed closer 
than common Kentucky bluegrass. Why? (Illinois)

Answer: It is true that Merion can be cut a little closer than can 
common bluegrass. Merion is a shorter growing plant with relatively 
short internodes and leaves. It also tends to tiller more than does 
common bluegrass.