PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Once again it is that time of year, when the N.M.T.M.A. is looking for a few good people. A few good people who would be interested in running for a position on the Board of Directors. They meet five or six times through the winter months and on an as needed basis during the summer months. The bulk of N.M.T.M.A. business is conducted during the winter months, this includes everything from setting the budget to meeting dates, times and locations. The board meetings take place at the Grayling Holiday Inn (central location) beginning at 10:00am and usually ends around 3:00pm. Directors participate on any of fourteen committees and oversee the association’s business. If you would be interested in seeking election to the Board of Directors, you can contact myself or any board member about being placed on the ballot. Elections will be held at the October 6th annual meeting, which will take place at the Heathlands located in Onekama. On a related note, we could always use help on any of the committees, this would be a great way to became more familiar with the operation of the N.M.T.M.A. The committees are: Program and Golf Scholarship By-Laws Finance Education Member’s Scholarship M.T.F. Fund-raiser Publications Summer Picnic M.T.F./G.C.S.A.A. Liaison Environmental Public Relations Please consider participating in YOUR association! Brian Holmes Editors Note CORRECTION!! In the July/August issue of the Turf Times, the article submittedby Craig Hoffman titled “ Michi­ gan Environmental Stewardship Program: Is your course involved?”, the list of courses involved should have listed ELK RIDGE, not The Elks. My apologies to John Maddern for this mistake. The two articles titled “Frost Delays” and “Why Aerify” were taken off the GCSAA web site. I thought these might come in handy to post in your pro shop oueHb house. BEARD COlLECflON Frequently asked questions of the national Golf Foundation Q: How many golfers are there in the U.S.? (Excerpt from Golf Participation in the U.S.-1998) A: There are 26.5 million golfers age 12 and over in the U.S. Approximately 5.6 million are avid golfers, i.e., they play 25 or more rounds a year. States with the the highest percentage of residents over the age of 12 who play golf include North Dakota , Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dekota. The Participation rates in these states are over 20% as compared to the national participation rate of 12%. Today’s typical golf is male, 39 years old, has a household income of of $63,000 and plays 21 rounds per year. Q: How many women golfers are there? (Excerpts from Golf Participation in the U.S. -1998) A: Although female make up only 22%(5.7 million) of the U.S. golfer population, they comprise 39% of all beginning golfers. This segment has grown 24% over the past ten years ... from 4.6 million to the present. Women spend $3 billion on golf merchandise and playing fees. Q: How many golf courses are there in the U.S. ? (excerpts from Golf Facilities in the U.S.-1998 Edition) A: There are a total of 16,010 golf courses in the U.S. today. This includes regulation , par-3 and executive lengh courses. Seventy percent or some 11,300 of these courses are open to the puplic The five states having the most golf courses: 1. Florida (1,170) 2. California (942) 3. Michigan (906) 4. New York (838) 5. Texas (838) The average number of golf holes per 100,000 population among the nation’s 315 Metropolitan Statistical areas is 76. The top five on that list are: 1. Myrtle Beach, SC (745) 2. Naples, FL (533) 3. Ft. Pierce/Pt. St. Lucie, FL(335) 4. Wilmington, NC (325) 5. Barnstable/Yarmouth, MA (312) Last year, a total of 429 new golf courses came on line across the U.S. Of this number, 144 were additions to existing facilities and 203 were nine-hole layouts. At the end of 1997, there were 932 courses under construction and 720 in planning. The bulk of the course construction today is occurring in the East North Central region of the nation which includes the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. About 40% of the golf course construction today is real estate related. Q: How has golf grown over the last ten years? (Excerpts from Trends in Golf Industry 1986-1996) A: Since 1986 the number of golfers has increased 33% from 19.9 million to 26.5 million. Since 1986, the number of women playing golf has risen 24% — from 4.6 to 5.7 million. Since 1986, the number of junior golfers has increased 68% to 2.4 million. The number of golf courses in the U.S. has increased 20% since 1986, from 13,353 to 16,010 courses. About 30% of the courses built over the past five years have been additions to existing facilities. The rate of new golf course construction has increased significantly over the past 10 years. ...from an average of about 150 a year to more than 400 a year. Since 1986, overall golfers spending in the U.S. on fees and equipment has grown from $7.8 to 15.1 billion. Q: How much do golfers spend? (Excerpts from Golf Consumer Spending in the U.S.) A: Golfers spend 15.1 billion annually on equipment, related merchandise and playing fees. Non-golfers contribute an additional $1.25 billion to the golf spending totals bringing the total spending to $16.3 billion. Golfers spend $2.2 billion on golf clubs alone, and a total of $5 billion on equipment and related merchandise. Average annual spending on equipment, merchan­ dise, and fees varies depending on frequency of play: Avid golfers [25 or more rounds] - $1,710 Moderate golfer [8-24 rounds] - $719 Occasional golfer [less than 8 rounds per year] - $183 Q: What is the average green fee at a public golf course? (Excerpts from Operating & Financial Performance Profiles) A: The median cost of a weekend round of golf at an 18-hole municipal course in the U.S. is $27, including cart and green fee. At a daily fee course it’s $31. The average 18-hole daily fee golf course records 33,000 rounds per year, employs a total of 12 full time people and bring in about $839,000 in total revenues. Nine-hole courses average 17,000 rounds, have four employees and enjoy total annual revenues of $182,000. Q: What is the most popular travel destinations for golfers? (Excerpts from Golf Travel Market Report) A: Florida, California, Arizona and South Carolina. HOME LINKS SITEMAP SEARCH REQUEST INFO GCSAA Online Frost Delays How can a footprint be a killer? When it’s a footprint made on a putting surface that’s covered with frost. It’s hard to believe that simply walking across a golf green covered with frost can cause so much damage, but the proof will be there in a few days as the turfgrass dies and leaves a trail of brown footprints. And it’s also why golfers who appreciate a quality putting surface will be patient during the frost delays. Why does frost cause problems? Greens are fragile. The putting surface, or green, is an extremely fragile environment that must be managed carefully and professionally. Remember that every green is a collection of millions of individual grass plants, each of which is a delicate living thing. Obviously Mother Nature never meant for these plants to be maintained at 3/16 or even 1/8 of an inch for prolonged periods. This stress makes greens constantly vulnerable to attacks from insects, disease, heat, drought, cold — and frost. Frost is essentially frozen dew. It can form when the temperature (or wind chill) is near or below freezing point. The ice crystals that form on the outside of the plant can also harden or even freeze the cell structure of the plant. When Frosted, the normally resilient plant cells became brittle and are easily crushed. When the cell membranes are damaged , the plant loses it’s ability to function normally. It’s not much different than cracking an egg. Once the shell is broken , you can’t put it back together. The proof is in the prints Although you won’t see any immediate damage if you walk on frosted turf, the proof will emerge within 48 to 72 hours as the leaves die and turn brown. And, since just one foursome can leave several hundred footprints on each green, the damage can be very extensive. Thanks for understanding The damage isn’t just unsightly — putting quality will also be reduced until repairs are made. Those repairs are expensive and, in some cases, the green may have to be kept out of play for days or weeks until the new turfgrass is established. A short delay while the frost melts can preserve the quality of the greens, prevent needless repairs and may even save you a few strokes the next time you play. HOME LINKS SITEMAP SEARCH REQUEST INFO GCSAA Onfine l/Kby4er/7y? It’s a perfect, sunny morning and you’ve just reached the first green in regulation. You feel great and you know you’re within birdie range. Then, you see them, those little holes in the green. Arrrgh! They’ve just aerified the course, and it’s going to ruin your round, right? Well, maybe not. Consider the fact that PGA Tour legend Tom Watson shot a sizzling record 58 at his then-home course, Kansas City Country Club, just days after the green had been aerified Consider also that aerification is merely a short-term disruption that has long term benefits for the course. When you see them, remember that without those little holes, the greens would eventu­ ally die. Like many things, the quality of a good putting green is more than skin deep. In fact, the condi­ tion of a green has a lot to do with what goes on below the surface. In order to keep the grass growing at 3/16-inch you have to have deep, healthy roots. Good roots demand oxygen. In good soil, they get the oxygen from tiny pockets of air trapped between soil and sand particles. Over time, the traffic from golfers’ feet (as well as heavy mowing equipment) tends to compact the soil under the putting green - particularly when the soil contains a lot of clay. When soil becomes compacted, the air pockets on which the roots depend are crushed, and the roots are essentially left gasping for air. Without oxygen, the grass plants will wither and die. Aerification is a mechanical process that creates more air space in the soil and promotes deeper rooting, thus helping the grass plants stay healthy. In most cases, it’s done by removing 1/2-inch cores (those plugs you sometimes see near a green or in fairways). The spaces are then filled with sand “topdressing” that helps the soil retain air space and makes it easier for roots to grow down­ ward. Other aerification techniques use machines with “tines”or knives that simply poke holes through the soil profile. A newer technique even uses ultra high pressure water that’s injected through the soil profile to create small holes that relieve some compaction but heal quickly. The bottom line is that aerification is a necessary practice. But before you curse the superinten­ dent for ruining your day, just think of Tom Watson. Sunday July 19th Where were you this date from noon to 6:00p.m. ? It started out cloudy then turned sunny, mid 80’s and a great July day. Seven members of the NMTMA with their spouse’s and more important, children (if they had them) were enjoying a great day at the First Annual NMTMA Summer Picnic. It was held at Beaver Creek Resort in Gaylord. Thanks to our host Kevin Henley and the staff at Beaver Creek for all their help and for hosting us. Yes, it started out with superintendents talking about Dollar Spot, Brown Patch, irrigation prob­ lems and stress, and in one case that unheard of insect in northern Michigan: Ataenius. The two chemicals representatives were smiling, as sales have been good. All the while the kids and spouses are meeting each other and exploring what Beaver Creek Resort had to offer. Then bingo, they took over; let’s swim, sit in the hot tub, play putt-putt, and OH BOY go down the water slide. Brian Holmes and myself prepared the burgers and hot dogs (provided by the association) and there was plenty of fruit bowls and other great dishes to sample. All the while TCI Fred was running an ice-cream maker and putting hot charcoals on top of a kettle, not saying anything. Then the adults decided to cool off on the water slide (and see how fast they could go or how high up the banked curve they could get; right Dan). As a special treat, Fred’s fixings were done and everyone had Hot Cherry Cobbler (boy scout style) with homemade ice cream. Man it was good; great job Fred. The success of the day can be summed up like this; as my daughter and I pulled away from Bea­ ver Creek, she asked if we were going to do this again this next year? I said, I hope so and hope to see more of you there also. What a great place to spend a day with your family and others like us to get away from it all for awhile. You asked for this so why not support it. If you wonder what you missed ask the other people. Also this is a great way to tire the kids out. They were on the go for the whole time. Jon D. Maddern Congratulations! 1998 1998 NMTMA Member’s Scholarship Winner Calendar Kathryn A. Morrison October 6 th Detroit, Michigan NMTMA Annual Meeting & Tuck Tate Championship Daughter of Ken Morrison The Heathlands G.C., Onekama Waterways Irrigation Things that make you go HMMMM....... The following excuses were faxed to me after I printed the article “I Would Have Been Work But”. Theses excuses, called in by the same person,were recorded on the superintendent’s voice mail. They are not only original, but note the dates that the excuses were called in. 6/22/98: “Earwigs are killing us. Had to stay home and spray them ” 6/23/98: “The Pool knocked out the power to the backside of the house. The same side as my alarm ” 6/24/98: “My radiator hose blew ” 6/25/98: “I’ve got everything on tape. I was narrating it like it was my last rights” (this is in relation to a thunderstorm) 7/1/98: “The bed went flat last night. We had to sleep in the living room. ” I heard this one from Craig Hoffman, Superintendent of “The Rock” on Drummond Island. “I just missed the ferry across to the island. That is why Pm late. ” This one will be heard in October. “I shot the biggest buck and we tracked it all night and the next day ” If you have any classic excuses to add to this list, feel free to fax them to 517-983-2908 Scott Pualski, Superintendent Rick Smith Signature The NMTMA appreciates the support from the following businesses... •IRRIGATION • • FERTILIZER, CHEMICALS & SEED • • EQUIPMENT, SERVICE & SUPPLIES • Thielen Turf Irrigation, Inc. © D & C Distributors, Inc. Chipco 26 GT Golf Course Installations Your One Stop Shop Bob Dugan (517) 773-3409 (734) 782-0323 (800) 888-7779 • Fax (248) 446-1654 Century Rain Aid Turf Services, Inc. Turfgrass Inc. Legacy Golf Matt Heiss We Serve You Better (800) 347-4272 (616) 842-4975 (800) 521-8873 • SOD, SOIL & CONSTRUCTION • W. F. Miller Company The Scotts Company Ed Carmody The Professional Choice on Turf Beck Sod Farm (800) 555-8189 • (248) 349-0406 George or Lois Beck (616) 946-6594 (800) 968-2325 • Fax (517) 864-3055 GRASS - CRAFT Industries Lebanon-Seaboard Fertilizer & Seed Huggett Sod Farm, Inc. The Best Agronomics/Value Available A Full Line of Hovering Mowers Top Quality Sod/Bent, Trees & Peat Randy (248)673-7146 (800) 760-1680 • (207) 878-5353 (517) 635-7482 • Fax (517) 635-7484 Weingartz Golf & Turf Sweeney Seed Company Bunting Sand & Gravel Products Inc. It Pays to Plant The Best Don Alexander Robert Resteiner (800) 344-2482 (517) 773-5391 (888) 4-JDTURF • (616) 696-2913 (517) 345-2373 Turf Chemicals, Inc. Valley Turf Inc. • CONTRACT SERVICES • Fertilizers For Better Turf Your Reel Support in Northern Michigan 517-725-7145 Fax 517-723-7410 (616) 369-3482 -(800) 688-3605 Commercial/Environmental Turf Services United Horticultural Supply • GOLF CART SALES & SERVICE • Contract Soil Reliever & Terra Topper (800) 231-5296 • (810) 858-7700 Finest Product Available Today (800) 802-2970 • (517) 274-8188 Tire Wholesalers Company-North Dan Cress - Tires & Tubes • FERTILIZER, CHEMICALS & SEED • (616) 775-6666 • Fax (616) 775-8810 Green Growth Supply Co., Inc. Benham Chemical Corporation Providing A Balance for All Seasons (800) 315-5777 • Fax (800) 501-9902 Boylan Sales Inc. Serving Michigan Yamaha Golf Cars (800) 482-6520 • OTHER• (616) 685-6828 • (810) 742-3700 Tri-Turf Greenspike, Inc. •ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & CONSULTING • A Warehouse on Wheels No Protrusions • No Lost Spikes C. J. Colein & Associates, Inc. (616) 943-8343 (616) 352-7000 Carole Colein ...and we encourage you to support them. (248) 656 6805 Northern Michigan Turf Managers Association P.O. Box 80086 Lansing, Michigan 48908 Dr. James H. Beard International Sports Turf Box 10065 College Station, TX 77842 NMTMA Executive Committee Brian Holmes - President Doug Kendziorski - Vice President Dan Hunt - SecretarylTreasurer Tom Reed - Executive Secretary Jon Maddern - Recording Secretary BEARD COLLECTION ¡itili t II ! Ih Ì I Hi 11 i i ! 11 ! I itti 1 i 1 ft ! H > ! i H i H I ! J ii i u 11 u IH1H nit