USGA Green Section Record, December 13, 2013 The content in this preview is based on the last saved version of your email - any changes made to your email that have not been saved will not be shown in this preview. If video does not load on first attempt, please return to the mailing and launch again. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED - A USGA STAFF OPINION SAYIN' IT'S SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO Golf is largely a game of subjectivity. Sure, golf scores are not subjective, but our opinion of just about everything else about a golf course and a round of golf is filled with subjectivity. It is subjectivity that shapes our opinion of golfers, course design, strategy, aesthetics, and playing conditions. In fact, most golfers have great difficulty separating their opinion of a golf course and its conditioning from the way they played on a particular day. More bluntly, golfer opinions of golf courses largely depend on how they played. There is also a fair amount of subjectivity in turfgrass management. Surprised? After all, turfgrass management is a science, and it seems completely counterintuitive that subjectivity would be associated with a science-based profession. Truth is, there will always be an element of subjectivity when it comes to turfgrass management, but it can be lessened quickly and easily at any golf facility. The Solution? Check Plots. Placing a small, untreated check plot on the edge of a green shows precisely the effectiveness of an application, in this case when a Poa annua seedhead suppression treatment was made. To create the check plot, a piece of plywood was placed on the green to prevent the product from contacting the turf during the application. Turfgrass managers do not use check plots often enough. For those without a background in research, check plots are simply untreated areas. Check plots, or controls as they are often known in the research world, are important because they provide a baseline to compare against when making evaluations and identifying statistical differences. Read More A JUNIOR PROGRAM THAT GROOMS THE NEXT GENERATION OF GOLFERS BY MAKING THE GAME FUN TOAD VALLEY GC GROWS THE GAME ONE TADPOLE AT A TIME I started playing golf as soon as I could walk. I would go with my parents and they would let me chip and putt on the greens while they played their evening round. Our family had an elaborate golf league that was played Monday nights when I was growing up. My uncle had each family member's handicap and they were paired to compete for silly prizes like Grandma's apple pie. It was a rite of passage to be grown enough to participate. Starting young. Late evenings. No pressure. No scorekeeping. Sitting on my dad's lap while he drove the cart. That's how the love of golf was fostered in me. Eventually, I had a family of my own. Our family's golf league had long since disbanded, but having grown up on my family's golf course, I knew that I wanted my children to play this lifelong sport. When my son was three, he would sneak over to the golf course and start playing in the No. 10 fairway, which also happened to be our side How do you keep the attention of 5- or 6-year-olds who are learning a sport that frustrates adults? Give them something fun to look forward to after an hour of instruction, such as a marshmallow long-drive contest. yard. After our failed attempts at corralling him (we even fenced in our backyard), my husband and I gave up and began taking our children to the course late in the evening. Our daughter was tucked in an infant seat while our two sons played along with us. Tears of frustration (mostly from the children) usually appeared by the fourth hole, so we would call it a night and head home, satisfied with the time we spent together as a family. Read More Water availability is a growing concern for many regions of the country. Is your golf facility prepared if a drought strikes or water restrictions are put in effect? With support from the USGA, the Grass Roots Exhibit celebrated its groundbreaking ceremony in November 2013 at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. This new outdoor exhibit highlights the science, environmental benefits and social impact of turfgrass, and has the potential to reach over 500,000 visitors each year to the National Arboretum, including members of Congress. We know there are days when golf course superintendents feel like golfers have no idea what it takes to get the course ready for play each day. In fact, more than a few superintendents have noted that growing grass is often the easy part of the job. The good news is that even in 1923 there were those players who fully appreciated the efforts of the 'keeper of the green' as superintendents were known in those days. A poem written in 1923 by Edgar A. Guest. REGIONAL UPDATES REGIONAL UPDATES The USGA Green Section is broken into eight regions with each staffed by Green Section agronomists who work with golf facilities on care of the golf course. Every two weeks USGA agronomists provide updates outlining current issues of what they are observing in the field. Be sure to view updates from other regions and not just your own because featured ideas, techniques and solutions to problems often apply to other parts of the country. NORTHEAST REGION The unfortunate reality is that golf facilities are not immune to closing their doors for business if not sustainable. Now is a good time to see if your golf facility is economically and environmentally sound. Read More MID-ATLANTIC REGION As beautiful as snow may be, golf facilities are wise to be prepared for ice and other winter weather events to protect turf from injury. Drainage and clearing fine-turf areas of standing water is especially important during freeze/thaw cycles. Read More SOUTHEAST REGION The use of turf colorants on golf courses is a growing and evolving trend. On Dec. 11, a group of 30 turf managers gathered in the Myrtle Beach area for an educational field trip and to share their success stories. Read More FLORIDA REGION The winter play season in Florida is not without turf problems. Golf facilities are wise to monitor soil moisture levels to maintain healthy turf and quality playing conditions. Read More NORTH-CENTRAL REGION A trifecta of issues stands in the way of growing and developing the game of golf for future generations to enjoy. Let's act now to address water, nutrient management and pace of play. Read More MID-CONTINENT REGION Probably the most common "winter job" on the golf course is tree management, at least for golf facilities with any considerable tree population. This can be an overwhelming task for the grounds staff, and it includes much more than simply trimming trees. Is your golf facility budgeting appropriately for necessary tree work? Read More NORTHWEST REGION What is good on cake but not for turgrass? Learn more about how to make sure golf course turf is healthy and playable next spring. At that point, everyone can "have their cake and eat it too." Read More SOUTHWEST REGION Research updates from New Mexico State University focus on water conservation, drought stress and irrigating with saline water. Read More IMPORTANT LINKS USGA Privacy Policy USGA Green Section Home Page USGA Staff Contact Information Turf Advisory Service Information USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (TERO) Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications ©2013 by United States Golf Association® Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications USGA Green Section publications are made available through the courtesy of the United States Golf Association (USGA®). The reuse of these materials is authorized only if the following conditions are met in their entirety. This policy applies to all Green Section publications, including articles, videos, presentations, and webcasts. 1) Adherence to all components of our Conditions for Reuse policy. 2) Inclusion of the appropriate Reprint Permission Language. 3) Notification of your Intent To Reprint Content. The USGA Green Section Record (ISSN 2156-5813) is published biweekly via electronic mail by the United States Golf Association®. Golf House, Far Hills, NJ 07931 USGA Green Section 908.234.2300 Forward this email This email was sent to jmoore@usga.org by usgagreensectionrecord@usga.org | Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. USGA Green Section | P.O. Box 708 | Far Hills | NJ | 07931 http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/...Ppr6rb_x1pQ_RjWj7-avt3wQuDl8iD3uMCukac2hSgsWyOwX5GwOw-b9XfrvW0&id=preview[12/16/2013 3:12:17 PM]