USGA Green Section Record, March 07, 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. USGA GREEN SECTION LIVE WEBCAST - REGISTRATION AVAILABLE SEVERE WINTER IS IMPACTING COURSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY Sign up today to participate in a live webcast at 1 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 14. The webinar will last one hour, including time for audience questions. From bermudagrass and zoysiagrass in the southern U.S. to bentgrass and annual bluegrass in northern states, the winter of 2013-14 is taking a toll on golf facilities. In this quick-hitting, panel- style presentation, some of the USGA's most tenured agronomists from the Mid-Atlantic, Mid- Continent, North-Central, Northeast and Southeast Regions weigh in with their expertise to help golf facilities cope with winter injury concerns and what can be done now. Register Now IDENTIFYING AND CORRECTING COMMON AGE-RELATED GOLF COURSE PROBLEMS IS IT TIME FOR A FACELIFT? All golf courses are unique regarding soil types, microclimates, budgets and standards. Golf facilities in some parts of the U.S. seldom, if ever, renovate playing surfaces. However, many golf courses in Florida and a few other areas in the South undergo an occasional nip and tuck every five to 10 years. The nearly 12-month growing season and aggressive turfgrass growth causes golf courses to age faster in Florida than other parts of the country where the growing season is shorter. As a result, golf facilities in year-round growing environments warrant more frequent makeovers. The intent of this article is to address the most common issues that golf facilities in Florida and other areas in the southern U.S. face and highlight considerations for renovation. Read More The elevation of putting green collars increase from years of sand topdressing. This creates "sand dams" and a bowl-like appearance where water is unable to surface flow off greens. WHY 18 GREENS ARE NOT ENOUGH NURSERY GREEN WANTED Most golf facilities have 18 regulation putting greens and a practice green. Sometimes there may be a chipping green or two as well. What happens when turf loss or damage to putting greens occurs? Sometimes repairs can be completed by seeding or sprigging but these options require lengthy grow-in periods. When a more immediate solution is needed sodding is the answer. When this happens, where will you turn for sod? For those golf facilities without a nursery green there are three less-than-ideal options. 1. Harvest your own sod from a green that is in use. For this option the donor green of choice is generally a chipping green or practice putting green. Cutting sod from either detracts from both their appearance and functionality. 2. Occasionally, sod may be secured from a neighboring golf facility. However, there are often significant differences in the composition of the turf and the make-up of the rootzone on which it is grown. Either can result in sod patches that remain highly visible for months or even years. 3. For many parts of the country there are sod producers that maintain some of their products at putting green mowing heights. However, there are so many newer, improved bentgrass and bermudagrass cultivars today that sod producers cannot possibly have all of them available at all times. Instead, sod producers generally specialize in a few of the most common varieties in their region, so this is not always an option when seeking sod on short notice for your facility. This article outlines the purpose of nursery greens and the reasons why every golf facility needs one. Thoughts for site selection, construction, establishment and management are also discussed. Read More Also available in Spanish: Por Que Los Bunkers No Son Consistentes Today, many golf facilities spend more labor hours on bunkers than putting greens. This adds to the cost of maintaining a golf course which translates to higher green fees and membership dues for players. Why is so much attention and effort given to making a hazard pristine and consistent? Is consistency in bunkers even possible? View this short video to see what factors impact bunker playability and consistency, and what expectations are reasonable. It's no secret that turfgrasses possess an impressive ability to filter surface water runoff and keep groundwater sources clean, but USGA-funded research has identified a new twist highlighting the benefits of turfgrass when using recycled irrigation water. Recycled water often includes an array of pharmaceutical and personal care products. Recently, the Journal of Environmental Quality published a two-year field study that demonstrated the ability of golf course fairways in the southwestern U.S. to break down these contaminants and prevent them from reaching groundwater. Grooming greens is not a new concept. Nor is the willingness of golf course superintendents and equipment technicians to invent, experiment and innovate. The two mower brushes pictured are remarkably similar in their design. The upper-right image was the subject of an article on the importance of brushing greens to improve putting quality - written in 1931. The brush on the lower- right was the subject of a blog posting in the TPC Stonebrae blog from 2010. While the methods of sharing an improved grooming technique could not be more different and are separated by more than 80 years, the basic idea is remarkably similar. Be sure to read the 1931 article on brushing greens titled, An Improved Mower Brush, and also take the time to visit the TPC Stonebrae Maintenance blog. Both are good reads. 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 We continue to receive numerous calls regarding the likelihood of winter injury and the decision to remove snow cover. Many variables affect the decision, so the purpose of this update is to recount what we know at this point in time. Read More MID-ATLANTIC REGION As golf courses emerge from months of being frozen and covered with snow and ice, golfers are wise to be patient and simply enjoy being outdoors playing golf in early spring. There is much maintenance to do and turf must resume active growth and fully recover. Mid-season conditions are still a few months away. Read More SOUTHEAST REGION Plans are set for the 2014 USGA Regional Meeting on March 24-25, 2014 at the Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C. This meeting will be enjoyable for anyone associated with golf including superintendents, club managers, golf professionals, golf course owners, golf course architects, Green and Golf Committees, and golfers interested in the topics. Read More FLORIDA REGION When it comes to nuisance pests on a golf course, none can compare to feral hogs. Hopefully your golf facility never experiences the wrath of nature's rototillers, as one Florida golf course did. Read More NORTH-CENTRAL REGION Mother Nature seems intent on making life miserable for turf this winter regardless of what measures are taken to prevent injury. As the deep freeze continues over much of the North- Central region and continuous ice coverage pushes 60 days or more in some areas, turf managers find themselves in a lose-lose situation. Read More MID-CONTINENT REGION The verdict is still out - how much damage did the winter cause? This question is being asked all across the country and the next four to six weeks should reveal the answer. As always, there is plenty to do in the meantime when it comes to disease control and seedhead suppression. Read More NORTHWEST REGION Interested in a simple, humane method to remove Canada geese from your golf facility? Player complaints are down and revenues are up for this Portland, Ore., golf facility as Canada geese have been effectively controlled simply by arming a part-time staff person with a powerful laser during evening hours. Read More SOUTHWEST REGION While visiting several golf facilities during the previous two weeks, a question was asked about adding new sand to existing bunkers. The question is can new sand be added that is compatible in color and physical characteristics to the existing sand? The answer is a bit more complicated than a simple yes or no. How should a course proceed if they find themselves in a similar scenario? 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/...Ubd2-nVn3krophXsydB5U_kK8twOM3phKZM-HBA5Rk4JqfoahgmVt5X9MFos1g&id=preview[3/7/2014 11:54:36 AM]