UNITED STATES GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION M i d - C o n t i n e nt T u r f i e t t er No. 1 February - 1960 D R. M A R V IN H. F E R G U S ON M I D - C O N T I N E NT D I R E C T OR N A T I O N AL R E S E A R CH C O O R D I N A T OR J A M ES L. H O L M ES M I D - W E S T E RN A G R O N O M I ST J A M ES B. M O N C R I EF S O U T H W E S T E RN A G R O N O M I ST R O OM 2 4 1, C H I C A GO 2, L A S A L LE H O T EL I L L I N O IS M I D - W E S T E RN D I S T R I CT T E L E P H O N E: S T A TE 2 - 7 4 85 S O U T H W E S T E RN D I S T R I CT T E X AS A &M C O L L E GE C O L L E GE S T A T I O N, T E X AS T E L E P H O N E: V I C T OR 6 - 5 2 10 GREEN SECTION STAFF CHANGES Effective March 1, James B. "Monty" Moncrief will become Southeastern Agronomist with headquarters at Athens, Georgia. Mr. Moncrief has served in a similar capacity with the title of SDuthwestern Agronomist for the last three years. W. Wayne Allen will assume the position vacated by "Monty" Moncrief. Mr. Allen is an agronomy graduate of Texas A. & M. and has completed the requirements for the Master's degree. His work while a graduate student has been primarily in the area of turf weed control. His appointment becomes effective on March 1. VISITS TO GREEN SECTION VISITING SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS The official policy in 1960 with respect to Green Section visits to One scheduled half day visit subscribing clubs may be stated as follows? followed by a written report will be made to each subscribing club. A second visit will be made at no additional charge if such a visit is re- quested by the subscribing club. For additional visits, clubs will be billed at the rate of $50 plus expenses. Fusarium patch« sometimes called "pink snowmold" is likely to be active on many Midwestern golf courses in the next few weeks. Check your Mid-Continent Turfietter for December, 1958. It contains a discussion of this disease and the control measures to be used. "SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER," Perhaps this is an old, worn-out saying but it certainly applies to golf course management at this time of year. Now is the time for superintendents to "back offn and thoroughly look over this situation. If all facets of management are properly organized now, the job will be easier and will run more smoothly later on, when the going gets rough. To confirm that you are properly organized we suggest that you ask yourself the following questions» 1. Has all my equipment been thoroughly and properly cleaned and repaired and is it now ready for the coming season? 2• Do I have the proper and sufficient equipment for the coming season? (If certain pieces of equipment break down during the rush season, will I still be able to maintain the course in good condition while awaiting replacement or repairs?) 3. Has my budget been properly prepared? Do I understand it thoroughly and am I prepared for normal operation within its limits? Does the green committee chairman and his committee thoroughly understand and approve the budget? A. Are the pumps and the rest of the watering system in good working order? Can I repair any possible breaks quickly? Have the sprinklers been checked? Are they known to be in good working order or has replacement of worn out sprinkler heads been delayed because of expense? 5» Have I studied the turf areas which suffered last season because of improper watering? If so, what can be done to correct this situation? 6• Have I located a reliable and economical source of fertilizer? If sufficient space is available is the fertilizer stored and ready for use? If insufficient storage space exists, can I get deliveries promptly when the material is needed? Have I properly timed fertilizer applications to coincide with turf and labor demands? 7. Have I ascertained when certain specific diseases are likely to be troublesome? Will I have the fungicides available to treat these diseases, immediately when detected? Do I have personnel properly trained to perform this important operation or must I do it myself? Do I plan to follow a preventive fungicide schedule this year? If so, when will I start, what will be the frequency of application, and which chemical or chemicals will I apply? 9• Will it be necessary to control weeds on a large scale this year? If so, what will I apply and when should it be applied? Are the chemicals to be used readily available or do I have them on hand? 10. Is my labor force completely planned? Are my key employees familiar with their duties? Will some of the part time men I have had in the past return this year? Where will I look for others? How many men will be needed on June 1, July 1, August 1, etc. How much of my time will be required to train new employees? 11. Have I organized and planned flowers and plantings for the club house grounds and other areas? Is there an employee I can trust to be responsible for this important duty? 12. Have I kept abreast of long range operations such as tree plantings, tee repairs, green rebuilding, fairway reseeding, etc. If so, which operation is to be worked on or completed this spring? "BE SURE YOU'RE RIGHT, THEN GO AHEAD" - David Crockett CONFERENCE DATES February 24-26 March 7-8-9 March 8-9-10 March 17-18 Minnesota Turfgrass Conference Normandy Hotel St. Paul, Minn. Midwest Regional Turfgrass Conference Memorial Center, Purdue University Lafayette, Indiana Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Annual Short Course Memorial Union Building, Iowa State University Ames, Iowa Michigan State Turfgrass Conference Michigan State University East Lansing, Mich. Mid-Continent Turf letter USGA GREEN SECTION BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE P A ID College Station, Texas Permit No. 80 Professor James Tyson• Dept. of Soil Science Michigan State College East Lansing, Mich*