GAM/NMTMA Green Seminar in Gaylord March 14 The NMTMA and the Golf Association of Michigan are teaming up for another informative seminar, set for Tuesday, March 14, at the Treetops/Sylvan Resort in r 1995 Green Seminar Gaylord. You are encouraged to bring your club oficials, Registration Form as well as other interested parties to this event. The seminar speakers and topics include: 8:30 - Registration and Continental Breakfast Dr. J.M. Vargas -Michigan State University 9:00 am - Green Seminars Begin Snow Mold Research Lunch in included Robert Vavrek - United States Golf Association ( ) Treetops/Sylvan Resort Year In Review Tuesday, March 14 James Sweeney - United States Golf Association Fee: $30.00/person (member) Course Marking $40.00/person (non-member Ken DeBusscher - Wabeek Country Club Deadline date: March 10 Bunker Rennovation Project Names Titles (Supt./Pres./Green Chrm., etc.) Bob Kelly - Tree Trimming to Reduce Shade Karen O’Dell - Treetops/Sylvan Resort Composting and Recycling Tom Drenth - Sondee, Racine & Doren Labor Laws Peter Markham - Golf Association of Michigan Superintendents Affect on Ratings Club: Jon Maddern - Elk Ridge, MTF Update To register, you may use the form that the GAM is Signed: Phone: sending to you, or complete the information on the Please return form (BY THE DEADLINE DATE) with the registration form to the right. check payable to: Telephone reservations will be accepted, Coat and tie are required. We hope to see you there! but no-shows will be billed. NMTMA Bylaw Revisions GOLF ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN 37935 TWELVE MILE ROAD, SUITE 200 The following Bylaw revisions will be voted on at our April Mini-conference. Watch Turf Times for further details. (Revision or addition indicated in bold FARMINGTON HILLS, Ml 48331 print). (810) 553-4200 Addition: Sec. V I. Class “M”, Mechanics. To qualify for class M membership, an appli­ cant, at the time of application, must be employed by a regular member of NMTMA. Class M members shall have all the rights and privileges of the NEXT MEETING: Association, except that such members may not vote or hold office. Revision: Sec. V K. Annual Dues. The annual dues shall be the sum fixed at any regular meeting Annual MSU Mini-Conference of the Association as approved by the voting membership in attendance thereat. The annual dues shall be payable on or before the first day of October. The Tuesday, April 11th annual membership year shall begin on the first day of January. Any mem­ Grayling Holiday Inn ber or members who have failed to pay dues by December 31st shall be auto­ matically dropped from the membership of this Association and all rights Watch Turf Times for details and privileges benefited from the Association shall be terminated. Any mem­ ber dropped from the membership in this manner shall be notified thereof paid by a Class A member. Retired Class EA, EB, or EG member have all by the membership committee. Reapplication for membership can be made rights and privileges of this association including that of voting, but not at any time, as long as the application is accompanied by the annual dues for that of holding office in the association. Retired Class ED or EF or any the year along with any assessments and all accounts in arrear. other retired member of “Class E” have all the rights and privileges of Revision: Sec. V this association but can not vote or hold office. E. Class “E”, any Class A, B, D, F, or G member reaching the age sixty (60), who is retired and no longer seeking employment within the scope of his activities Revision: Sec. IX. of any membership class of the Association, may apply to the Board in writing for Class “EA”, “EB” or “EG” members will be permitted to vote but not Class E membership, the annual dues for which shall be one-half (1/2) the amount hold office. GCSAA presents V writing award Mechanical Soil The 1995 Leo Feser Award will be presented to Pat Holt, Technology E CGCS, director of maintenance of American Golf Corpora­ tion for the eastern United States. — Contract Aeration Service — Serving the Entire Midwest R The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) presents the award annually, honoring the author of the best superintendent-written article published in the as­ T sociation’s monthly magazine, Golf Course Management (GCM). GCSAA’s Publications Committee chooses the arti­ I cle believed to most benefit golf course superintendents and the golf community. • In his article, “Team-building fosters success,” which was published in the May 1994 issue of GCM, Holt dis­ cussed a team efficiency management system believed to D help superintendents reduce operating costs by improving employee motivation, productivity and efficiency. Holt said most companies can benefit from using the team R management system. “The employees gain by acquiring David Strang more control over their work environment and experience less management interference than with other management Ph. (800) 743-2419 Res. (309) 342-2419 A systems,” Holt wrote. GCSAA will honor Holt for his article during the Open­ I ing Session of GCSAA’s 66th International Golf Course Conference and Show in San Francisco on Thursday, Feb­ ruary 23,1995. 456 Pine Street Galesburg, IL 61401 N. The award honors Leo Feser, a pioneer golf course su­ perintendent and a charter member of GCSAA. Feser is credited with keeping the association’s official publication Safety in the Work Place: alive during the Great Depression. For three years he wrote, edited, assembled and published each issue of the magazine from his home in Wayzata, Minn. OSHA and Responsibility Since 1926, GCSAA has been the leading professional association for the men and women who manage and main­ I am not a member of the NMTMA but I do read the Turf tain golf facilities in the United States and worldwide. From Times because although I am not a Superintendent, I do its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association pro­ work in the Golf Course industry and I find the articles infor­ vides education, information and representation to more mative. However, I feel that I need to voice my concerns re­ than 14,000 individual members from more than 50 coun­ garding the “OSHA Safety Laws . . . Are You In Compli­ tries. GCSAA’s mission is to serve its members, advance ance?” article in the February 1995 Issue. I believe that this their profession, and enrich the quality of golf and its envi­ is a very misleading, uniformed article and that it is not the ronment. professional quality that I am used to seeing in this publica­ tion. As requested by the author, here are my experiences with OSHA and my views toward OSHA and the contents of his article. First of all, I would like to clarify one item: companies are given a chance to comply with the violations they are cited WANTED: Assistant Golf Course Superintendent. Call Charlies for before they are required to pay for those violations. In a Menefee at Little Traverse Bay Country Club: 616/526-9512. recent inspection done by MiOSHA on our property, we had our eyes opened to a lot of regulations: the use of improper gas cans (as stated in the article); electrical violations such as the removal of a grounding plug and a cracked casing on a trouble light exposing the wires inside; personal protective MEETING SITES NEEDED FOR ‘95 equipment violations such as soiled “community use” eye protection and damaged elastic bands; all lifts and jacks must If you are interested in hosting a meeting and be permanently and visibly marked with their capacity ratings and we must always have an auxiliary jack on hand in case a golf outing this season, hydraulic jack fails. Some of these we were already in com­ call Jeff Dorrell or pliance with but not necessarily because we knew the Stan­ Tom Reed at (616) 943-8343. dard. Following the inspection,we were sent a summary of our violations and the fines for each. We were given 30 (Continued on Page 3) 2 Safety in the Work Place: OSHA and Responsibility (Continued from Page 2) he has presented himself and his situation is extremely un­ days in which to pay these fines or set up an arbitration professional and tactless. It seems as though he is using the date. In arbitration, we were given the chance to provide column more to complain about the “myriad of potential vio­ proof that we had complied with some violations and we lators" which were discovered at his Course that to actually were able to greatly reduce the amount we were required to “discuss (his) violations so that you may be aware of a few pay. It is uncommon for a company to be completely ab­ things OSHA may cite you for.” In actuality there wasn’t a solved of its fines because MiOSHA no longer draws mone­ whole lot of “discussing” going on, mostly just a lot of tary support from State or Federal agencies, it is completely complaining and focusing on the fines he received. funded by its fining process. The majority of our fines were This article makes me wonder if Mr. Kepple really under­ for around $700 each, however, if we stated that we com­ stands what he is saying when he states in his closing para­ plied with those violations and MiOSHA comes back to dis­ graph that “While my OSHA inspection was not a pleasant cover that this is not the case, we are then in “willful viola­ experience, it was a learning one. The Department of Labor tion” and those same violations can jump up as high as is simply trying to protect employees.” Besides trying to $7,000 for each instance. maintain the perfect Golf Course, isn’t that what everyone To accomplish their everyday tasks, it seems that most should be trying to do? I know that the last thing a Superin­ Superintendents would need to be perceptive, observant and tendent wants to see is an injured employee, especially a very conscious of their surroundings. Some of the items badly insured employee, it creates a level of immediate that Mr. Kepple has been fined for are so basic that even a stress and anxiety that is incomparable. I certainly hope for new Superintendent has to be at least aware of them. Many the sake of his employees that Mr. Kepple really has be­ of the Standards are in the very least common sense, cover­ come “more aware of safety problems in the work place.” ing belts and pulleys should be somewhat obvious: if you Roberta O’Dell, Treetops/Sylvan Resort have ever worked with a piece of equipment and even sub­ consciously noted that you could probably accidentally get (Editor's Note: Turf Times welcomes all responses or your finger caught in it, maybe you should cover it. The concerns regarding the information we print). printing of the Standards in regard to pulleys and belts in this article draws away from this simple concept. Storing oxygen and acetylene tanks together or near flammable sub­ stances? Not securing them properly? Isn’t that just inviting IF ONLY ALL UPGRADES an accident to happen? As stated earlier, a lot of these are just common sense and any Superintendent should be able WERE THIS EASY - to walk through his/her shop and note many of them. As for some of the others, such as required postings, safety gas cans and the OSHA 200 reports, these can be learned in any OSMAC one of the multitude of seminars, trades publications and even those safety catalogs that incessantly come to you in ♦ Save Time the mail quote the Standards for you and explain exactly ♦ Save Water what you need. ♦ Save Energy In regards to Mr. Kepple’s Hazard Communication Pro­ ♦ Dependability gram, there are two points I would like to make. First, how ♦ Flexibility can it be that there is only one copy of the Haz Com pro­ ♦ Award Winning Quality gram on premises? If he “had actually been developing a written program” himself he should have been well aware of the fact that there must always be a copy on the premises OSMAC’s powerful capabilities easily retrofit your existing and that his Assistant should have taken home a copy and irrigation control system, no matter what brand, with no not the original. On that note I make point two. If a Superin­ downtime. OSMAC - Radio control at your fingertips! tendent is aware and familiar enough with Regulations to be Discover why 6 out of 7 turf pros choose OSMAC over ail creating a Haz Com program (this is no small task!) he/she other brands combined, CALL US FOR A FREE DEMO! must also be aware of regulated postings, OSHA 200 re­ ports and a multitude of other requirements. Expanding further on the OSHA 200 Recordable Injuries report, I would like to know what month this course was in­ TORO MOTOROLA spected, because although the Log must be maintained for one year the requirements for posting it for employees states that while the Log must be posted by February 1 of SPARTAN DISTRIBUTORS, INC. that year, it must remain up only until March 1 of that same Specializing in Turf and Irrigation Equipment year. I understand Mr. Kepple’s desire to inform other Super­ 487 W. DIVISION ST. 1050 OPDYKE RD. intendents of the potential problems and violations of an SPARTA, Ml 49345 AUBURN HILLS, Ml 48326 (616) 887-7301 (810) 373-8800 OSHA visit, however overall I believe that the way in which 3 Landscape CAT Alert Newsletter Now Available by FAX Throughout the spring and summer, turf and landscape tegrated pest management) program last year. We had ataen- managers combat insect pests, weeds, and plant diseases. ius grubs, but the levels were low and we did not spray.” MSU Extension’s Landscape CAT (Crop Advisory Team) “Because of the Alert, we’ve made changes such as less Alert newsletter is designed to give managers timely recom­ watering of the turf, watering at a different time of day, use mendations to prevent and respond to pest problems. For of fewer insecticides, and we keep mowers sharper as a 1995, subscribers can now choose from FAX or mail ser­ preventive to fungus invasion.” vice to increase the timeliness of the recommendations. “We use pesticides a lot less, allowing many insects “I think our landscape subscribers will find the new FAX pests to ‘dine in peace’ as long as they don’t contribute to service will help them stay ahead of many pest problems,” plant mortality.” said Landscape Alert Editor Joy Landis. “Subscribers to The first issue of the Landscape Alert will be published the Landscape Alert include golf course superintendents, in early April. The length of the newsletter is 8 to 12 pages landscapers, foresters, nurserymen, and lawn care profes­ and approximately 18 issues are printed each year. Anyone sionals. They have a wide range of pest problems that can who subscribes after the start of the season, receives the develop quickly in the landscape setting and the Alert serves back issues from the current publishing year, the subscrip­ as a reminder as well as a source of new information.” tion fee for mail service is $30 and for FAX, $55. In addi­ On Fridays from April to September, faculty and Exten­ tion, FAX subscribers will have access to a toll-free phone sion agents from across Michigan meet through a confer­ number to request that weather information and certain Ex­ ence phone call. A typical issue includes: tension Bulletins be FAX-ed to them. • Recommendations from managing insects, diseases, and To subscribe, send your request for the Landscape Alert weeds in ornamental plants, turfgrass, conifers and other with a check (made payable to Michigan State University) landscape items. to: CAT Alert, MSU, 11 Agriculture Hall, East Lansing, • General management of turfgrass for golf courses, ath­ MI 48824-1039. Enclose your mail address, phone number letic fields, and lawns. and FAX number (if requesting FAX service). More infor­ • Reports on pest status and plant health from across the mation about the Landscape Alert and the activities of the state and from the MSU Multidisciplinary Diagnostic advisory team can be obtained by calling 517-355-0117 at Clinic. MSU. • Home environment insect management. Joy N. Landis, editor • Updates on pesticide products and new regulations. Michigan State University • the impact of current weather patterns and weekly fore­ casts. Agents report on pest concerns and plant development in their regions. Faculty give plant maintenance and pest man­ agement recommendations keyed to the time of year and the Tee Time* particular conditions of the current growing season. The re­ Quality Turf Care Products sulting recommendations are complied as articles for the Landscape Alert newsletter. The issue is then either FAX- ed to subscribers on Friday evening or printed and mailed Greens Grade Fertilizers on Monday. with Nutralene “Golf course superintendents and others who manage TeeTime turfgrass will appreciate the advice from MSU turf experts 22*4-18 Fairway Fertilizers like Paul Rieke, Dave Smitley, and Greg Lyman,” com­ Fertilizer with Nutralene with Nutralene* mented Landis. “But an additional plus is that readers also SulfurCoated the prolesstanaTs » get advice about ornamental trees and shrubs that are an im­ partner irttlizers portant part of grounds maintenance. We also have home environment articles that address pest problems such as car­ penter ants, boxelder bugs and mosquitoes which can plague people and structures.” A 1994 survey of Landscape Alert readers showed they’ve found a range of benefits by reading the Alert: “The CAT Alert gives a detailed time frame through the growing degree day chart which helps pinpoint exact spray­ Distri ing windows. This information along with the reports of pests that are in my area at any given month has saved me TURFGRASS, INC. Toll Free: P.O. Box T B00-521-8873 or probably hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. It helps 28064 Pontiac Trail 437-1427 you get it right the first time. You avoid overuse of pesti­ S. Lyons, MI 48178 'Call Collect) cides.” “Rather than make blanket insecticide treatments for grubs at $6000, we now only treat where populations war­ rant at an approximate cost of $1,500.” “Reading about pest threshold levels helped my IPM (in­ 4 THE LOST MANUSCRIPT OF ALISTER MACKENZIE Entitled The Spirit of St. Andrews and written over 60- local bookstore. years ago by the architect of Augusta National, Cypress Peter Allis on “The Spirit of St. Andrews’’: Point and Royal Melbourne, the manuscript has been dis­ Having been part of a family closely associated with the covered by Mackenzie's step-grandson and will be pub­ game of golf for more than eighty years I suppose it’s not lished this March by Sleeping Bear Press. Peter Alliss, unreasonable to feel that as far as the game goes there is noted player, commentator, author and architect, calls it “a nothing left to surprise, you’ve seen it, done it and are on masterpiece. .. I’ve never read a more interesting book on the verge of, dare I say, becoming bored. You look at the golf... page after page of common sense and information world and nothing is the same, life is but a shadow of ... a bit of magic to lift the spirits.” what it was, sport is seemingly no longer played for enjoy­ Mackenzie shares with you his insight on great golf ment, commercialism is everywhere, which, according to holes (Mackenzie built many), the golf swing (he was a some, is progress. But when you’re just about to reach for pupil of the Jones- Bobby & Ernest), technology and the solace of a large whisky mac on a dreary winter’s day equipment (including his thoughts on limiting ball flight), along comes a bit of magic to lift the spirits. It arrived in putting tips, maintenance, slow play- essentially every im­ the form of a manuscript written by Dr. Alister Mackenzie portant area for golfers today. An additional feature of in­ entitled simply “The Spirit of St. Andrew’s”. Perhaps the terest in the book is the foreword written by Robert Tyre discovery of this manuscript written in the gallant doctor’s “Bobby” Jones, Jr., founder of Augusta National and own fair hand was not quite as dramatic as Lord Caernar­ golfs only grand slam winner. von discovering the burial ground of Tutankhamen, but for The Spirit of St. Andrews has been produced exactly as lovers of golf it must run damn close. Written in the early Mackenzie wrote it, with photographs from that era added thirties it provides page after page of interest, common to bring the great golf holes and golfers discussed in the sense and information. I’ve never read a more interesting book to life for the reader. George Peper, Editor-in Chief book on golf, for it not only covers the art of creating a of Golf Magazine, calls Mackenzie “one of the most pro­ course, stressing the importance of building it so people of vocative characters the game has produced.” The Spirit of all levels of competence may enjoy playing, it also trans­ St. Andrews is written in a wonderfully entertaining style, ports the reader in his mind’s eye to many far flung venues full of great anecdotes of his contemporaries such as Hag­ that over the last forty years or so have become so much a en, Sarazan, Jones and other friends of Mackenzie that part of golfing folklore. teach valuable lessons to all golfers. I’m honored to have been allowed to introduce this mas­ The book is available for $24.95 directly from the pub­ terpiece, for that is what it surely is. lisher, Sleeping Bear Press, 121 South Main Street, P.O. Box 20, Chelsea, MI 48118, 800/487-2323, or from your D&C DISTRIBUTORS, INC. 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I k_________________________________________________/ 5 NMTMA Directors Newsletter Editor Past Presidents EXECUTIVE Michael Morris Ed Karcheski COMMITTEE Jeff Dorrell Michael Meindertsma P.0 Box 1575 C.E. ’’Tuck” Tate, CGCS Tom Heid Frankfort, MI 49635 David Longfield, CGCS President Kimberly Olson Jonathon Scott, CGCS Mark Wildeman Tom Brogger Jon Maddem, CGCS Executive Secretary Pat Mertz Thomas J. Reed Jeffrey Holmes, CGCS Vice-President Michael Meindertsma Rick Warren 3733 Apollo Dr. David Pretznow Traverse City, MI 49684 David Little, CGCS Secretary/Treasurer Phone 616-943-8343 Dave Foucher The NMTMA appreciates the support from the following businesses... ' GOLF CART SALES & SERVICE • • SOD, SOIL & CONSTRUCTION • V FULL SERVICE: EQUIPMENT Boylan Sales, Inc. & IRRIGATION* Bunting Sand & Gravel, Inc. Pat Boylan • Kathy Hanson Valley Turf, Inc. (616)685-6828 • (810)742-370 Bob Resteiner (517) 345-2373 • (517) 345-1718 (616) 532-2885 (800) 688-3605 - Parts Only Pat Conry (313) 425-7001 (800) 482-8830 Spartan Distributors, Inc. ► FERTILIZERS, CHEMICALS & SEED • Specializing in Turf and Irrigation Equipment (616) 887-7301 • (810) 373-8800 Scotts Pro Turf • IRRIGA TION SERVICES • “Providing Specialty Products Scotts Thielen Turf Irrigation for 125 years'* (616) 275-7700 • (616) 620-1442 Golf Course Installation (517) 773-3409 • CONTRACT SERVICES * Mechanical Soil Technology Wilbur-Ellis Companyßnan Anderson Contract Verti-drain ® Aeration 1-800-873-5599 (800) 743-2419 • (309) 342-2419 •AUTOMATED PUMPING SYSTEMS • Commercial Pump Service, Inc. Mike Wilczynski, Sales Representative (800) 426-0370 Tri Turf “ A total Turf Care Distributor” • ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN « (616) 943-8343 FAX (616) 943-9092 J. John Gorney, Inc. • EQUIPMENT SERVICE & SUPPLIES* Golf Course Design Work N’Play Shop (616) 235-1323 John Deere Golf and Turf Equipment (616) 599-2822 ... and we encourage you to support them. CjSEWT'. Northern Michigan Turf Managers Association C/O Tom Reed 3733 Apollo Drive Traverse City, Michigan 49684 com Turfgrass Info. Center, MSU W212 Library E. Lansine Ml 48824-1048