New Jersey Golf Course Report

Vol. II, No. 5

September, 1969

Turf Conferences - 
Time for a Change?

by Don Marshall, Pres. N. J.

Can you justify the rapidly climbing 
professional improvement account in your 
budget? Sure, scientific knowledge in 
this field is advancing by leaps and 
bounds. Yes, we all know you went to 
more lectures, meetings, conferences, 
field days, seminars, and conventions in 
the last two years, but did you get that 
much more out of them?

For one thing, you know damn well 
that you suddenly needed air when the 
next speaker was someone you had al­
ready heard, or was talking on a subject 
already driven into the ground. If you’d 
stayed you might have picked up another 
particle of new information, but you 
didn’t. Your derriere hurt, you had ciga­
rette fatigue, and if you left a little early 
you could at least get served one round 
at the bar before the flying wedge ar­
rived. I don’t blame you!

As one who attends no fewer, or more, 
than an average number of educational 
events, I’m somewhat confused and a 
little fed up. It costs good money, both 
to put on, and attend a truf conference, 
and yet I have begun to believe that for 
all our progress we have become so self- 
concerned that no one has taken a look 
at the outside world to see what advances 
have been made in the field of communi- 
cations alone. While I am not a commu- 
nications expert, isn’t there a chance that 
some of the following concepts could 
apply to our "profession” as well as they 
do to others already using them?

For instance, what about closed circuit 
TV? In its simplest form it at least re- 
lieves an over-crowded lecture hall with- 
out loss of in person relationship. If you 
have a question, you can still go to a 
microphone and ask it. In a more ad- 
vanced state it could improve conferences 
in a whole regional area. Can you imag- 
ine Penn State, Rutgers, and U. of Mass., 
or Iowa, Purdue, and Michigan State 
Conferences all being held at the same 
time with the same vast audience? No 
duplication, no weak fill-in speakers, no 
triple expense; but rather, a high quality, 
in person conference with all concerned 
present at the same time at their local 
University. Talks could be given from 

all locations as well as questions asked. 
There could still be a limited time for 
discussion of strictly local problems, of 
which I am convinced there are not 
many. Most of the Universities in ques- 
tion have the needed facilities available 
now.

Now let’s move along to another idea. 
Ever wished you could hear an especially 
good, or individually relevant, talk again, 
and certainly we’ve all missed a good 
talk for one reason or another. How 
would it be if for a dollar or two you 
could get a verbatim copy of this talk on 
a prerecorded cassette type tape? Might 
just help some of the fellows giving the 
talks improve their technique also. Ad- 
vance a little further, what about a se- 
lection of a dozen tapes each month from 
which you pick the ones of particular 
interest to you? Doctors have been doing 
it for several years.

Remember those times the gentleman 
giving the lecture starts flashing data 
slides on the screen? You’re really inter- 
ested, but he either goes too fast, or the 
cigar smoke prevents a close study. You 
could question him during the Q & A 
period, but there’s a saying that describes 
just how popular it would be to have 
those slides shown again. Perhaps, though, 
if you could get a microfilm copy of his 
talk, or all the talks, it would be of value 
to you, your Association, and perhaps 
even your Chairman. A central micro- 
film library might just be an acceptable 
idea in addition.

Ever been chairman of the Program 
Committee for your Association and tried 
to get big name speakers? Or worse still, 
have you sat through a local meeting 
listening to good old Mr. Elroy ..............,
who’s been on the program every year 
since 1942, and wondered where, oh 
where, the talent is? The answer is usu- 
ally that the talent is trying to get some 
work done, rather than continually re- 
porting on a project that may have been 
successful, but is now closed. I can think 
of a few university professors, who might 
be glad to video tape a complete report 
of a project—once for many later replays 
—rather than try to play "social secretary” 
about which meetings are "musts”, "may- 
bes”, "a friend”, or "not this year”. You 
might be surprised how your meeting 
content could improve. In a few years I 

dare say you could be enjoying the same 
benefits on your own equipment at home.
Remember at the "Golden Era” Turf 
Conference talking to Joe Grass in from 
North Elba C.C. about the great meeting 
he attended in North Platt last month? 
Ever tried to get a copy of the Proceed- 
ings of that conference if there were any? 
It would seem reasonable that some na- 
tional group could at least provide an 
address list of the location of these avail- 
able pieces of information, if not actually 
keep copies on hand for purchase.

In this same regard the National this 
past year introduced a novel concession 
at the Show—a bound volume of liter- 
ature from a large majority of the ex- 
hibitors. It would seem to me that some- 
one could show a profit by making avail- 
able a compendium of all major turf edu- 
cational speeches, eliminating duplica- 
tion, arranged by subject, and sold on a 
national basis to all related industries. 
Perhaps I’ve overlooked some economic 
factor, but most are published somewhere 
even now.

There’s even a chance that in the long 
run you and I may be able to punch a 
card with the symptoms of a turf prob- 
lem, insert it in the telephone, and re- 
ceive the solution forthwith.

If it appears that I have taken a long 
walk up the side of a molehill, forgive 
me. It just seems to me that education 
is basically communication and informa- 
tion retrival; and that we could be doing 
better at both by just making use of 
methods and equipment readily available.

Wet Wilt - Rot - Scald

by Alexander M. Radko 

Eastern Director USGA Green Section
Rot and scald have been terms used to 
describe the condiitons of "Wet Wilt”. 
This problem has been a serious one in 
the northeastern region during this past 
summer and we are still paying the con- 
sequences in poor turf, weed, and disease 
problems.

Wet wilt occurs when we experience 
excess rains in summer as we did this 
July. We cite two examples of conditions 
that were prevalent throughout the area. 
In July, Supt. Lou Vay of Linwood Coun- 
try Club, Linwood, New Jersey, meas-

Those large brown thin areas on the 
greens are disease. We realize that fungi- 
cides should prevent them, and I have 
written several pointed letters to the 
manufacturers of the 5 chemicals we 
applied in two weeks. The small tan 
spots on the fairways are called “dollar 
spot”. As soon as we get the sprayer out 
of the mud on the 15th fairway, we’ll 
get right on those areas.

We do hope to get the greens top- 
dressed this fall, however, it may be a 
little difficult as the operation really takes 
six men, and we only have four since our 
“summer professionals” have left for 
school. I sure hope we can get Mr. 
Looney’s son back next year. I can’t quite 
agree with the Board that just because 
he cut that word in the 9th fairway with 
a greensmower, he should not be asked 
back. After all he is a member’s son, and 
certainly was a help on those weekends 
that parties didnt’ interfere.

In closing I certainly want to thank 
that kind member, who sent me the case 
of beer the day we lost 5 greens and 11 
fairways to disease and wilt. I really 
wasn’t feeling too chipper anyway, and 
his note—“You might as well drink, you 
haven’t done very well at anything else”, 
really set me up.

Yours truly,  

Peter Poa

N.J.G.C.S.A. 

Field Day - Oct. 7, 1969 

Greenbrook C. C.

ured 17 1/2 inches rainfall as compared to 
1 3/4 inches in July 1968. In the Boston 
area the sun shone only three days in 
July, the rest of the month it rained, or 
was threatening. It couldn’t have se- 
lected a poorer month for these excesses 
because high temperature too is an im- 
portant factor in the occurrence of wet 
wilt. This much rain in a cooler month 
would have caused far less concern 
among golf course superintendents.

Wet wilt occurs when the soil is super- 
saturated. The air spaces in soils are 
filled with water, the plant’s oxygen sup- 
ply is entirely cut off or severely re- 
stricted and the plant weakens or dies, 
depending upon (1) how long it is sub- 
jected to this condition and (2) how hot 
it is. The higher the temperatures the 
greater the rate of transpiration, the 
quicker the plant wilts!

This year another “excess” figure 
prominently in the weak turf picture—and 
this was the excessive lack of sunlight. 
When green plants get little sun their 
growth is soft, weak and spindly (like 
growing grasses in the shade). They are 
also very susceptible to a phenomenon 
described as “Cloudy Day Wilt” by Supt. 
Harry Meusel of the Yale Golf Club, 
New Haven, Connecticut, in articles pub- 
lished as a result of independent investi- 
gation toward an advanced degree. One 
of the things he found was that grasses 
are acutely susceptible to wilt when the 
sun shines again after several days of 
cloudy, overcast skies.

In our observations this year Poa an- 
nua was most severely affected by wet 
wilt. Poa annua is our perennial weak 
sister. It is naturally weak in July and 
August without “help” from outside 
sources. When wet wilt and cloudy day 
wilt team up, the stress on this weak 
sister is devastating. Crabgrass and other 
weeds were quick to fill in the weakened 
or dead areas. Crabgrass grew unin- 
hibited and seeded profusely like it does 
in the crabgrass triangle (Philadelphia to 
Washington to St. Louis). Crabgrass 
could be a serious problem on golf 
courses for several years as a result of 
this 1969 seed crop. Silver crabgrass, 
also known as goosegrass, (why?, we don’t 
know, unless because it’s so deep rooted 
that a goose on his best day couldn’t 
hope to pluck it!) is the most difficult 
to control of the crabgrasses.

Bentgrasses didn’t suffer much damage 
except in areas of poor drainage. Those 
who were on a three to five year bent- 
grass renovation program were able to 
see the fruits of their labor. The bent- 
grasses responded well to careful syring- 
ing, which is the only cure for wet or 
cloudy day wilt. As contrary as it sounds, 
the cure is to add more water, but only 
enough to cool the plant, to slow down 
its rate of transpiration. During condi- 
tions described, it’s an hour-to-hour battle 
for survival seven days a week and light 

frequent syringing is the only hope until 
the weather breaks, or the excess mois- 
ture drains from the soil.

There are some side affects from con- 
ditions that cause wet wilt and these are:
1.  Grasses become puffy as a result of 
a sponge-like thatch and water- 
logged leaves. 

2.  Puffy grasses are soft and weak-not 
especially good for golf... golf is 
best on firm turf. 

3.  Puffy grasses are easily bruised by 

traffic. 

4.  Soft soils and puffy grasses set the 

stage for scalping the grass. 

5.  An excess of algae forms on greens 
and tees, especially where turf is 
close cut and where drainage is 
poor.

Report to the Chairman 
August 1969
Dear Mr. Chairman:

I’m sorry I shouted at you the other 
day when you questioned me about 
whether we were having any trouble 
with the course. However, I don’t think 
it was necessary for my Assistant to grab 
me on the pretense that I was about to 
start swinging.

Yes Sir! We have been having some 
trouble with the course; in fact several 
of the members have suggested that we 
are stretching the truth by calling it a 
golf course. As you may remember, it 
rained the entire month of July—record 
amounts. Well, during the first two 
weeks of August, while you were away 
on vacation, it turned hot and dry. Now 
I know you have said there’s nothing 
unusual about such weather at that time 
of year, and I guess there isn’t. But after 
ten inches of rain? Let us say in layman’s 
terms the grass just didn’t have the am- 
bition, or the guts to survive. We liter- 
ally saw aerial roots growing to nowhere 
on the Bent, and the Poa (which com- 
prises most of our turf population, re- 
gardless of what you think I told you in 
the spring) had just enough roots to keep 
it from tipping over. It sure was interest- 
ing to watch the man syringing fairways 
progress up the fairways with the wilt 
both ahead and behind him. Of course, 
as I told you earlier, I was very glad to 
be able to get back to watering seven 
nights a week. That $18 item under 
Misc. last month was for a case of 6-12.
Then at the end of August we went 
back to our normal climate for this year, 
late abysmal swamp. I imagine one of 
the things you were questioning me 
about the other day is called “wet, wilted, 
rotten, dead grass”. It’s not very attrac- 
tive, and from what I’m told is very dif- 
ficult to play from. In fact, I’ve been 
told the latter so many times that I sug- 
gested to three of the worst offenders 
that they resign—they already had.

 

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