USGA Green Section Record, April 18, 2014 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. HOW TREES IMPACT USGA COURSE RATING™ AND SLOPE RATING® TREE REMOVALS FOR AGRONOMIC PURPOSES ARE VERY UNLIKELY TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Trees are common features on golf courses adding aesthetic beauty and challenge for players. Unfortunately, trees can make it very difficult to maintain a healthy, uniform stand of turf. Trees create shade, restrict air movement and compete with turf for water and nutrients in the soil. All of this can result in poor turf performance and undesirable course conditions when trees are located too close to playing areas. When investigating the underlying problems associated with poor turf performance, start by examining trees and their impact on growing environments. When turf suffers and playing conditions are compromised because of trees, golf facilities are wise to routinely remove problematic trees, especially those near the most important playing areas. Tree removal is often met with resistance from golfers despite the negative impact trees have on turf. Golfers are often concerned with how removing trees might impact the difficulty of a particular hole or the course in general. The phrase "we cannot remove that tree because the hole will become too easy" has been muttered often. This sentiment is highly subjective from a golfer standpoint, but understanding the USGA Course Rating System™ can provide some valuable insight for this concern. Read More The tree fronting the left side of this putting green will impact the obstacle value on this hole, but it is unlikely that the Course Rating and Slope Rating will change dramatically if removed. NO-MOW ROUGH MANAGEMENT CONVERTING MANAGED ROUGH TO UNMOWN TURF CAN REDUCE COSTS While the concept of reducing maintenance inputs in golf course roughs is nothing new, it really picked up momentum in the early 1980s with the increased use of fine fescues and native grasses. Native grasses are those that originated as a true native grass to each region, while fine fescues are those originating from other regions of the world and adapted to a given growing environment. These grasses can reduce, albeit not eliminate, maintenance costs for unmowed roughs. When the right turfgrass species and management structure are in place, the end result can produce a playing surface desired by both superintendents and golfers. Optimal growth for each species requires specific soil types and growing conditions. The first step is to test the soil for nutrients and pH. Once this information is reviewed, deficiencies can be corrected and specific grasses or forbs can be selected that have the ability to thrive at your course. A 50/50 mixture of sheep and hard fescue along the perimeter of a bunker can produce a look that accents the hazard without compromising the playability of turf in the surrounds. Read More View In Spanish: Etiqueta Con El Personal De Mantenimiento Spring is an extremely busy time for golf course maintenance personnel and there is likely to be more interaction than usual between golfers and maintenance staff members. While staff members should always watch for golfers, some tasks require a lot of concentration and utilize noisy equipment. As a result, the staff member may not notice golfers waiting to play. Golfers should remember that hitting into someone (whether a worker or another golfer) is never justified. This video explains how a little patience can prevent serious injury and help improve your course. Golf courses have many beneficial impacts on the environment including providing a wide variety of wildlife a great place to live and reproduce. Salamanders are considered an "indicator species" to gauge the environmental health of an ecosystem. This study shows that properly managed golf courses are a good place for salamanders to call home. It is that time of year when spring weeds seemingly grow faster than any other plant on the golf course. For Southern regions, the problem is effectively doubled since winter annuals are fully grown and blooming. Fortunately, today's turfgrass managers have many safe and effective options to chemically eradicate most weed problems. It was not always that way. In fact, this 1921 article from the Green Section Bulletin illustrates that early weed control efforts were poorly understood, marginally effective and sometimes dangerous. REGIONAL UPDATES REGIONAL UPDATES The USGA Green Section is divided into eight regions staffed by agronomists who work with golf facilities on care of the golf course. USGA agronomists provide regular regional updates outlining current issues and observations from the field. Be sure to view updates from multiple regions as featured ideas, techniques and solutions to problems often apply to other parts of the country. NORTHEAST REGION Reports of cold-temperature injury are surfacing throughout the region as the snow and ice recedes and soils begin to thaw. It is apparent that several forms of winter injury may have affected conditions at your course. Read More MID-ATLANTIC REGION Unfortunately, the warm weather has confirmed that there is a lot of grass in the northern tier of the Mid-Atlantic Region that will not be greening-up anytime soon. Poa annua populations on putting greens in these areas suffered significant winterkill; however, the severity of the damage varies from golf course to golf course. Read More SOUTHEAST REGION The USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research program has funded projects at land-grant universities across the country at a cost of $40 million since 1920. This update is the second in a three-part series on how these USGA funded research projects benefit golfers. Read More FLORIDA REGION The winter golf season in south Florida is coming to an end and summertime management practices are soon to follow. This update features the importance of including collar maintenance in your summertime routine to prevent problems associated with elevated collars. Read More NORTH-CENTRAL REGION For many, particularly those in the northern tier of the North-Central Region, winter damage has severely impacted putting green turf's emergence from dormancy this spring. Read More MID-CONTINENT REGION As much of the lower Midwest remains in a significant drought, now is the time to take stock of your water. Read on for a list of questions that golf facilities should be asking themselves so that plans are in place before a potential summer drought event occurs. Read More NORTHWEST REGION Sand tracked onto greens by players following a bunker shot can cause more problems than you might think. Read More SOUTHWEST REGION The USGA has partnered with NTEP to evaluate the performance of several varieties of bermudagrass, zoysiagrass and seashore paspalum under reduced management regimes. This update provides an overview of the research and offers an example of how to evaluate grasses at your course. Read More IMPORTANT LINKS USGA Privacy Policy USGA Green Section Home Page USGA Staff Contact Information Course Consulting Service Information USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online (TERO) Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications ©2014 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/...mj7WQRjeotqpDUFITxoGhtMo9TGV90CJOxk_r5L927sUbzWhVk3bZjW2BnZUn&id=preview[4/22/2014 8:57:02 AM]