JULY 1982 %3 i l I M Ü5E» AUG 1 9 isc I r i 1"■ICHiGAN STATE UNIVER! LIE RARI ES A PATCH Official Publication of the Michigan & Border Cities Golf Course Superintendents Association I L ' i V i : ■ Tough, because the Superior Battery heis what it takes to get your golf cars ' through long tough days. And long tough Our deep cycle design helps assure that strong, continuous power will be delivered to the motor. To make seeisons. And when you put us in service, you get the added benefit of dealing with a company that manufactures its batteries right here in Michigan. A company that just a phone call away. A company that s interested in making one kind of battery. A golf car battery. AND WE’RE MADE RIGHT HERE IN MICHIGAN. SUPERIOR BATTERY 49600/Martin Drive/ Wixom/Mic MICHIGAN & BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT BRUCE WOLFROM, CGCS Barton Hills Country Club 435 Stein Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 Off. 662-8359 - Res. 884-8684 VICE PRESIDENT WALTER TROMBLEY Arrowhead Country Club 3130 Orion Road Lake Orion, Michigan 48035 Off. 373-5240 - Res. 693-2924 SECRETARY-TREASURER KEVIN DUSHANE,CGCS Wabeek Country Club 159 Willards Way Union Lake, Michigan 48085 Off. 851-1689 - Res. 698-2924 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CLEM WOLFROM Detroit Golf Club 530 Kendry Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48013 Off. 345-4589 - Res. 334-0140 MICHAEL EDGERTON Meadowbrook Country Club 32736 Hees Livonia, Michigan 48150 Off. 349-3608 - Res. 522-6238 CHARLES GAIGE L akelands Golf & Country Club 7390 Rickeft Brighton, Michigan 48116 Off. 231-3003 - Res. 227-4617 CRAIG ROGGEMAN St. Clair Country Club 22185 Masonic Blvd. St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48082 294-6170 DANIEL UZELAC Dominion Golf Club RR No. 1 Oldcastle, Ontario, Canada NOR 1LO Off. 969-4350 - Res. 969-4350 THEODORE WOEHRLE Oakland Hills Country Club 3390 Witherbee Troy, Michigan 48084 Off. 644-3352 - Res. 649-8512 PRESIDENT EMERITUS JAMES TIMMERMAN, CGCS Orchard Lake Country Club 7183 Buckhom Orchard Lake, Michigan 48033 Off.682-2150 - Res. 360-0238 "A PATCH OF GREEN” Publ¡shed monthly by the MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION Circulation: 1,250 Ted Woehrle, CGCS, Oakland Hills C.C. James Timmerman, Orchard Lakes C.C. CO-EDITORS Printed At BLAKEMAN PRINTING COMPANY 31823 Utica Road Fraser, Michigan 48026 Phone: (313) 293-3540 MONTHLY ADVERTISING RATES Double Page Spread..................................... $150.00 Back Outside P ag e......................................... 75.00 Fu llP ag e.............................................................. 65.00 Half P age........................................................... 40.00 Quarter P ag e....................................................... 30.00 E ighth P age....................................................... 1 5.00 Sixteenth P a g e .................................................. 10.00 Classified Ad (per column inch)................ 7.50 DISCOUNT RATE: One Year 10% Note: Advertising fees may not be deducted from the above rates. rtd v e n ti& e n A » • * C e n tu ry R a in - A i d D u P o n t G o lf C a r D i s t r ib u to r s K ir k la n d 8» A s s o c i a t e s L a k e s h o r e E q u ip m e n t C o rp o ra tio n L a w n E q u ip m e n t C o rp o ra tio n L e b a n o n / A g r i c o M ic h ig a n P r e - C a s t C o n c r e t e W .F . M i l l e r G arden & E q u ip m e n t O xfo rd P e a t C o m p any R a in - B ird S a le s , Inc. O .M . Scott & Son, Inc. Wm. F . S e ll 8» Son, Inc. S p rin k le r Irrig a t io n Supply Co. S p rin k le r S e rv ic e s , Co. Su perio r B a tt e r y T e r m i n a l S a le s C o rp o ra tio n T i r e W h o le s a le rs , Inc. T u r f g r a s s , Inc. Turf S u p p lie s , Inc. W il k i e T u r f E q u ip m e n t D i v i s i o n , Inc. 3 RESEARCH REVIEW BY WAYNE C. MORGAN What We Should Know About Phosphorous From Divot News So. Calif. Chapter Phosphorous is essential to all plant growth. It is essential in the transfer of energy within the plant as well as heredity characteristics. Phosphorous is active in cell division and stimulates early root formation and growth with more branching and fiberous roots. Seedlings use more phosphorous than mature plants. Some plants take up most of their phosphorous in the first few weeks of growth. As with nitrogen, there is a transfer of phosphorous from older to younger tissue. Usually, signs of insufficient phosphorous will there­ fore appear in older leaves. There may be several sysmptoms of phosphorous deficiency. Growth and maturity may be decreased. There can be a deepening of green color at first, turning to a purple reddish color, even on the sheaths and stolons. Symptoms will appear first in the lower, older leaves and the tips may eventually die. Roots may be stunted and poorly branched. A deficiency of excess phosporous may prevent other nutri­ ents from being acquired by the plant. Only one percent of the phosphorous in the soil is usually available at one time. When soluble phosphorous is added to the soil, it can be converted to insuluble, unavailable forms in two or three days. Since it is not subject to leaching and does not move through the soil, it builds up in surface layers. Surveys taken during 1963 and 1964 in Los Angeles County showed all but one new sand green to be excessively high in phosphorous. Availability of phosphorous depends on its water solubility and is not necessarily related to total phosphor­ ous. Soil pH affects phosphorous avail­ ability, with pH of 6.5 to 7.5 being the most favorable. Above this ties up the phosphorous in calcium phosphate and below with aluminum and iron compounds. Drying also makes phos­ phorous less available. With time, changes take place in the reaction of phosphates in the soil. The following diagram shows these changes which are in constant equilibrium.* Fig. I. Fertilizer phosphates are gen- erally in the “readily available phos- phate” group but are quickly converted to the slowly available forms. These can be utilized by plants at first but Continued Page 8 4 SYSTEM. Because the flexibility of the Cushman Turf-Care System saves you time and money. Here’s how! The System is built around the rugged, versatile 18 hp Turf- Truckster, 3-or 4-wheel model. * With this one power source and options, you can haul, spray, spike, spread and top dress. And save as much as 35% on equipment in the process. Because, instead of buying separately powered units for each job, you buy only the Turf- Truckster and the modular Cushman accessories you need. So you pay less in total for equipment... and have only one power unit to maintain. m CUSHMAN TURF-CARE EQUIPMENT OMC-Lincoln, a Division of Outboard Marine Corporation 6201 Cushman Drive P.0. Box 8 2 4 0 9 Lincoln, Nebraska 68501 But that’s not all. The System is also a time saver that can cut your labor costs. Accessories mount on the back of the Turf-Truckster. Your men do their work quickly, efficiently... and then move on to the next job at speeds up to 22 mph. There’s less wasted traveling time, so you get more work out of each hour of labor cost. The Cushman Turf-Care System. Versatility, superior performance, economy. It’s a tough system to beat. Write today for your free Cushman Turf Care Catalog. Ybu can’t beat the system . CALL NOW For a demonstration and price quotation. (313) 338-0425 GOLF CAR DISTRIBUTORS 1980 W. Wide Track Drive (U.S. 10) Pontiac, Michigan 48058 Phone: (313) 338-0425 5 WHRT PRICE GREEN FEES? Marshall Dann, Ex Sec of the Chicago- land Country Clubs reported at the NGF Pheasant Run Workshop, that the average CC Member paid $86.00 per round. To return a modest 10% interest on the appraised price of any course in our industrial NE calls for $14.00 a round. Who is kidding who when neighboring courses charge $8.00 or less. So one has to be competative, yet meet the costs of operation. How? Would doing more little things win more customers? 1 st we have to have more NEW golfers using the course during non-premium time. We need people so that we can teach them just ONE step at a time. Like learning to walk. Make it fun and easy in small groups to learn correctly. Breaking poor golf habits is like giving up sex or whiskey. 2nd tell people about the nice LITTLE things about your course. Things they will look for like the natural things, turf, trees, flowers, wild life etc. Play came to a complete stop one Saturday when a fawn sauntered out of a neighbors woods across several fairways and a couple of greens. 3rd I met a man in New Jersey at their expo who came up to me and said,“I remember your pictures of the FLOWERS in tile in your parking lot, your Donald Duck on #2 lake and your shephard dog Jasper.” That was 3 years after he had seen them in Orlando Fla at a NGF Workshop. 4th SMILES. If you can’t smile you can’t work here. Look at customer images on TV, fast food chain ads, toothpaste ads, toilet paper and even preparation H. All are sold with a smile. 5 th Clean disposable towels on both hand carts and power cars plus a litter bag on a pull cart. They cost so little yet mean so much. A customer said it best. “I have played golf 30 years and this is the first time I was given a towel and litter bag on a cart.” Your kindness is repaied by having a litter-free course. It costs so little yet pays such big dividends. 6th There are flowers in bloom 365 days a year in our clubhouse. They are silent salesmen. They are noticed by all who come here, they love it. Now on April 4 a 50 mph wind and snow blizzard howls, yet on the bar there are daffodils in vases. Strange how flowers purify language at the bar. 7th Benches on every tee; sure you have them. Did you have them out for that 1st round of golf in the spring? They are needed most at that time. Does the person changing the tee markers in early morning wipe the dew off the benches with a squeegee? Does he or she empty the trash box? Clean Continued Page 10 No synthetically produced fertilizer can compare with MILORGANITE Golf Courses Use More MILORGANITE«» Than Any Other Fertilize/ TERMINAL SALES CORR 12871 EATON AVE. DETROIT, MICH. 48227 (313) 491 -0606 6 Encino Installs Computerized Irrigation Control System Orange, Ca. - Hugh G. McKay Associates - Management Group - International Orange, California an­ nounces the installation of a COM­ PUTERIZED IRRIGATION CON­ TROL SYSTEM by Motorola at Encino Golf Course, Encino, California. (City of Los Angeles) The Computerized Irrigation Control consists of Central/Satellite Controls designed to provide; (a) Computerized Irrigation Control; (b) Automatic Printout of Events; (c) Flexible Programming; (d) Syringe Cycles (Frost & Heat Pro­ (e) Soil Moisture, Temperature Con­ (f) Pressure, Wind Speed Control (g) Fertilization Injection (h) Pump Control (i) Separate Programming (Greens, Tees, Approaches, Fairways, tection) trol Roughs) The Computerized Irrigation Control System has an active two-way com­ munication with the Satellite Units monitoring problems in the field such as control, station or valve failure, etc., with daily printout of field problems occured. T ire W holesalers Company, Inc. 19240 W att Eight Mile Southfield. Mich. 4S075 Phone: (313) 354 5644 TRUCK-CAR TRAILER MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRIAL |t|U J UHIWOYM. A. TIRES WHOLESALE PRICES TO COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS FOR ALL YOUR IR R IG A TIO N NEEDS YOUR FULL STOCK FULL SERVICE D ISTR IB U TO R PETE ASARO SPRINKLER IRRIGATION SUPPLY CO. 1316 N. CAMPBELL ROAD ROYAL OAK, Ml 48067 PHONE: (313) 398-2233 7 Research Review, Cont. upon ageing they are rendered less available and are then classed as very slowly available. At any one time per­ haps 80-90 percent of the soil phos­ phorous is in “very slowly available” form. Most of the remainder is in the slowly available form since perhaps less than one percent would be readily available. A report by Dr. Felix Juska of the U.S.D.A. states that high phosphorous favors Poa Annua establishment and decreases the effectiveness of some herbicides in controlling it. Research by Dr. Eliott C. Roberts at Iowa State University revealed that during hot weather high phosphourous added to high nitrogen further reduces the vigor of fine turf. An imbalance between phosphorous and nitrogen and potassium may cause nitrogen to be absorbed by the plant but not utilized by it. Plants are slow to recover from these imbalances. In an article by Dr. P.C. De Kock and Dr. A Wallace it was shown from re­ search at U.C.L.A. that high concen­ trations of phosphate in plants cause a typical iron deficiency chlorosis with characteristic mineral and biochemical patterns. Then studies show that or­ ganic acids in leaves are involved in the absorption and distribution of miner­ als, particularly calcium and potas­ sium, and that their behavior is con­ trolled by an iron-phosphate balance. High phosphorous is also known to cause Zinc, Copper, and Boron de­ ficiencies. *From The Nature and Properties of Soils, by Buckman and Brady. Work done by Dr. B.R. Lunt and Dr. R.L. Branson and Dr. S.B. Clark of the University of California indicate that both soil and plant analysis can be used as guidelines in connection with turf- grass nutritioa The following levels of plant analysis for Newport Bluegrass should provide reasonable good guide­ lines for other turfgrasses until further information becomes available. Percent of dry weight of clippings OPTIMUM PLANT ANALYSIS LEVELS Element NPK SOIL PHOSPHOROUS LEVELS 4.0 - 4.5 0.34 - 0.45 1.0 - 1.2 Deficient Less than 5 ppm Possible Deficient 5 - 8ppm Adquate More than 8 ppm Because phosphorous does not move appreciably in the soil the accumu­ lations are primarily in the upper soil surface. This means that it is highly desirable to incorporate phosphorous into the soil before planting when pos­ sible and to apply it after aeration if a fertilizer containing phosphorous is used.Roots remove soluble phosphorous from the soil. As this occurs, more enters the soil solution from the solid phase. As residual phosphorous from fertilization increases, this will also increase the plant-available phos­ phorous. Soil microorganisms can greatly increase the amount of avail­ able phosphorous as they convert the reservoir of organic phosphorous into soluble inorganic phosphorous. There­ fore, as organic phosphorous increases, so does the amount of available phos­ phorous. 8 Patent Pending The EASI-SET® GOLF UTILITY BUILDING Steel reinforced precast concrete construction provides a secure, fire and vandal resistant, waterproof facility for a wide variety of uses on the golf course. This maintenance- free, portable building can be installed rapidly and is easily moved from one location to another. Ideal for use as: • Snack bar Equipment storage • Restroom facilities Pump house Please send me a full color brochure on the EASI-SET Concrete Building Name _____________________________________________________ City ____________________ State__________Zip_______________ Phone __________________________ MICHIGAN PRE-CAST CONCRETE B . Licensed by EASI-SET® Industries * POG 0 7 /8 2 4950 Mason Rd. Howell, MI 48843 (5 1 7) 546“ 1005 9 Green Fees, Cont. towels on every ball washer every day? Did that person add more to the ball washer, like a germicidal soap that needs emptying but twice a year? Did that employee put score cards, pencil and BOOK MATCHES in the mail box an No 1 tee, at 2 tee at 10 tee and at 11 tee? The retired Bob Williams, from Bob-0-Link, Chicago area, gave me the book match idea. That is all I can remember from the turf conference where he spoke. I laugh at my self every time I think of it because his idea cost me $300.1 don’t regret the spent bucks but it is a reminder that new ideas cost $$$ yet worth the money. 8th. The Good Book says there is no water in hell. It is hell to try to concen­ trate on golf when one is thirsty. We set up Igloo coolers of fresh water every 3rd hole. If one runs dry the players quickly let us know. This courtesy wins customers. Sure it costs, so does mow­ ing greens seven (7) days a week. That Monday night league golfer is entitled to your very best. 9th You have heard it said that SLOW PLAY is killing golf. Not so at the Lyons Den. We assign you 2 starting times for 18 hole round. It does not matter whether you start on 1 or #10. If on 1 your starting time on # 10 will be 2 hours later. If you start on 10 you have another starting time on #1 - 2lA hours later. Golfers usually beat it. Is SLOW PLAY a matter of SLOW management? We have many beginners. We cannot discriminate even at premium time. We politely tell them about our 7 and 4 rule. Take no more than 7 strokes tee to green. After 7 pick up and drop on green, then not more than 4 putts. It works. Beginners are never embar­ rassed yet able to keep up to players ahead. If they fail we have the legal right to ask them to leave. We refund their greens fee politely. How is it legal? Our score card reads, OPEN TO ALL GOOD SPORTS. We are the judge of their sportsmanship. Let them sue if they want to try. 10th A final silent THANKYOU on both #9 and #18 tees large flowers beds blooming from crocus time to freeze up. Men comment more about Continued Page 12 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION? FILL IN THE QUESTIONAIRE BELOW AND MAIL TO: CLEM WOLFROM DETROIT GOLF CLUB 530 Kendry Bloomfield H ills, Ml 48013 Off. 345-4589, Res. 334-0140 DATE NAME _________________________________________ ADDRESS ______________________________________ CITY _______________________ STATE _________ OR Y O U M A Y C O N T A C T T H E N E X T G O L F C O U R S E S U P P L I E R WHO C A L L O N Y O U A N D G I V E H I M T H E I N F O R M A T I O N N E E D E D F O R A P P L I C A T I O N . 10 TERSAN 1991 Put the proven performers control of brown patch, serious Tersan® 1991 fungicide and Daconil 2787* fungicide are two of the most effec­ tive disease control products on the market. And now, these proven broad-spectrum fungicides are labeled for tank mixing. Together, they give you even better control of major turf diseases than either product used alone. You get improved control, yet without the problem of phytotoxicity com­ mon with some tank mixes. A Tersan 1991/Daconil 2787 tank mix will give you consistent performance against brown patch and dollar spot—the two most troublesome diseases on turf each summer. You’ll also get strong action on leaf spot and other important diseases. It’s the kind of performance superinten­ dents depend on when a quality course can’t be compromised. ‘Daconil 2787 is a registered trademark of Diamond Shamrock Corporation. ^Daconil 2787* together for even better dollar spot and other diseases. Thnk mixing brings other advantages, too. With Tersan 1991 in your tank, you get systemic action for protection from within the turf plant. Disease control is longer- lasting and is less affected by rainfall or frequent irrigation. Tank mixing fungi­ cides with different modes of action also reduces chances of benzimidazole resis­ tance. You help insure the long-term effec­ tiveness of Tersan 1991 in your disease control program. This year, plan on using Tersan 1991 in combination with Daconil 2787. It’s the tank mix turf diseases can’t match. With any chemical, follow labeling instructions and warnings carefully. < m t> 11 Do you offer your customers a LIFE SUPPORT system? A portable oxygen unit is just as important to them as a fire extinguisher is to your building and equipment. Ours has extended the lives of three of our customers. Cost about $100.00 Recharge from your own shop oxygen or by your local fire dept. Do you have a Lightning-Tornado alert program? Call your local Weather Bureau and volunteer to become a trained SKYWARNER. A half day a year is all it takes to keep updated in their training program. Install a weather alert radio with built-in tone signal. We installed sirens on our Jeep sprayer unit. Let your customers know that you are interested in their safety. This system can save lives and protect the course from legal liability. These LITTLE THINGS may make you smile all the way to the bank this year. Green Fees, Cont. the flowers than ladies. They associate golf with beauty. The ladies are pleased with the large tuberous begonias from the garden next to the turf care center. Flowers have that language “Come back and see us tomorrow.” We can’t pay our bills with Paul Voykin’s leaves. (Apr 82 GCM) It takes a lot of the LONG GREEN to meet the over­ head. People enjoy all kinds of wildlife (both outdoors and indoors.) An example is the gift shop at the Lake-Geneva con­ ference center. The lady sold small packets of corn so the buyer could feed the many wild ducks that stay there year around. The 25C packet figured out to $56.00 for a bushel of com that those overfed ducks did not need, but is gave the giver a lift to think he was helping the helpless wild life. Like the Boy Scout doing his Good Turn. He received more benefit by doing it than did the recipient. Keep , this card handy. It could save you 1 time and l money. 12 TORO. GROUNDSMASTER 52 A new dimension in riding rotaries: the perfect mid-size mower. Big enough to mow up to 18 acres a day. Maneuverable enough to mow, and trim, an acre or less. Groundsmaster 52. With hydrostatic drive and clean, simple engineering all the way. Haven’t you done without a new Toro long enough? WILKIE Titrj Equipment Division, Inc. P.O. Box 749 • 1050 Opdyke Road • Pontiac • Michigan • 48056 • 313/373-8800 13 14 Why not Say w hat you Want? • “Do you want to go skating tonight, or would you prefer to go to the movies?” “Whatever you want, dear.” ☆ ☆ ☆ • “Shall we have a drink before lunch?” “What do you think?” ☆ ☆ ☆ • “Would you rather fill in for me on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday afternoon, Hilda?” “Whatever is better for you, Marie.” ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Conversations of this kind take place every day. In each case, one person asks another to express a preference. And, in each case, the desired answer is not forthcoming. The individual who is questioned simply refuses to commit himself or herself. People who give this kind of equivocal answer will usually tell you they were trying to be “nice.” Since they don’t have a strong preference, they think it is appropriate to let the other person make the decision. But the people who receive such a reply often don’t see anything “nice” about it. Some say that they feel it is a brushoff - the other person doesn’t care enough to think about the question. Others feel put down. They have asked someone to make a choice, only to have that person refuse. The decision, then is thrown right back to them. Pertinent Answers. So it turns out that it would usually be “nicer” to be more responsive when you are asked such questions. If you have a prefer­ ence say so. You can do so directly, of course...“I’d much rather go to the movies.” But you don’t necessarily have to be so positive about it. Instead, you can express your answer in a way that leaves room for the other person to share his or her feelings...“Skating sounds like fun, but I am a little tired tonight. Maybe the movies would be a better choice.” The other person can then go along with your preference - or try to persuade you to go skating. You can use the same kind of approach when you don’t really have any prefer­ ence, but want to make sure the other person feels free to state one. Some­ times, of course, you may know the answer your questioner wants, as in “Shall we have a drink before lunch?” In that case, it’s really “nice” to supply the desired answer. The point is that people who ask you to state a preference are usually asking for more than information. They are making an effort to establish contact with you. Your response should reward that effort by showing that you wel­ come this attempt to reach out to you. In doing so, you demonstrate that you really value the person as well. Observation: Of course, human nature being what it is, expressing a definite preference won’t work every time. For example... “Would you prefer filling in for me on Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday afternoon, Hilda?” “Wednesday, Marie.” “All right, but there will be a few problems. I’ll have to change one of my appointments - I thought sure you’d pick Tuesday - but I can probably manage it.” In this instance, “Whichever is better for you, Marie” might have been the better answer, after all. Still, you haven’t lost anything by being honest- and you can always change your mind. Reasearch Institute Personal Report January 29, 1981 15 INTERRUPTIONS: THERE IS AN ART TO AVOIDING THEM You walk into your shop in the morning. The phone is ringing. You pick it up and spend the next 15 minutes talking. Immediately after hanging up the phone, someone is in front of your desk waiting to talk to you about a problem. You spend 20 minutes discussing ways to alleviate that problem. Then you turn to some paperwork that must be done before you head to the course. On the way out of the door you see someone who stops and talks with you for 30 minutes. All the while your work is waiting for you. As a manager you are being given a heavy dose of the interruptions. Inter­ ruptions often wreak havoc with a manager’s effectiveness. Interruptions are not always obvious - some are deceptive. They masquerade as legitimate concerns and we hesitate to label them time wasters. This pre­ sumption of legitimacy is attached to telephone calls as well as visitors. You may say that callers and visitors wouldn’t stop by without a good reason. But sometimes a caller or visitor simply wants to socialize or to procrastinate. There are several ways to get an upperhand on the interruption syn­ drome. One is to manage your use of the telephone; another is to gain con­ trol over shop conversations; a third is to plan for uninterrupted think time. Good management dictates that in­ coming telephone calls be prevented from destroying a manager’s concen­ tration. Many callers ask for the super­ intendent because they identify his name with that of the course. The wise manager introduces his staff to clients, speaks highly of their competencies and suggests, “Jim is our expert on pesticide application. I depend on him to keep our members informed.” Consider the telephone a message machine and get off the line promptly. Avoid openings that invite long, drawn- out conversations. Instead of saying, “Hi, Fred. How was the golf game last Saturday?”, say “Hi, Fred, I need a couple of quick answers if you have a minute.” Visitors can cause problems for man- Continued N ext Column cciiiUNTRY CLUB TURF PRODUCTS — Hom ogenous G ranulation — H igh UF (W.I.N.) — Balanced Feeding — Fits Your Budget Distributed by.^— Lebanon Chemical Corporation P.O. Box 847. Danville, Illinois 61832 uim.F.seii & son,inc. SINCE 1923 RENTAL SALES - SERVICE Tractors Equipment Complete Line of Material Handling & Farm Equipment * SWEEPERS * LOADERS * TRENCHERS* MOWERS * ROTARY CUTTERS * BACK HOE DIGGERS * BACK FILL BLADES * POST HOLE DIGGERS JOB TAILORED EQUIPMENT 282-5100 16555 TELEGRAPH RD. - TAYLOR 1 MILE SOUTH OF EUREKA 16 agers, too. It is difficult to determine in advance the importance of a visit, so managing visits involves many alterna­ tives. Consider some of these options: a. have fixed reception hours - this allows callers to know when you are available. It also gives your staff a fixed period of time when they can see you if they have problems. b. face your desk away from the door so that you are not interrupted by passerby. c. meet the visitors outside your office. d. confer standing up. e. at the outset, tell the visitor you have only a certain number of minutes to give him, then adhere to that figure. f. give the visitor your undivided attention. Do not allow interruptions. g. hold occasional luncheon meetings - to remove the pressure for social visits during business hours. h. meet regularly with your staff - a well-informed staff has less need to confer in an unplanner manner. IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT By Old Bill Lyons Someone once said, “Take care of the pennies - the dollars will take care of . themselves.” As a golf course owner- superintendent (adviser) let’s put it on a maintenance basis. “Take care of the little needs of the golfer - the bigger things will take care of themselves.” Few who might read this went thru the depression of the 30’s and early 40’s when we had to think in terms of pennies for survival. Each morning now I awaken early to get the morning newspaper’s financial pages to see if there is some ray of hope to break the deadlock of unemploy­ ment and high interest rates. All I find is more factory closing, bankruptcies and forcasts for still higher interest on working capital. What does this mean to golf? Will fewer people be playing? The National Golf Foundation records the number of new facilities. They have a wealth of information of golf course operations that can be had to help the I existing public fee courses to survive the depression of the 80’s. The “Garden of Eden” story by C.F. Martley - April issue of Golf Course Continued Page 19 17 31691 Dequindre Madison Heights, Ml 48071 313/588-2990 22159 Telegraph Southfield, Ml 48034 313/358-2992 GOLF g ja O L F is a science, the study of a life- time, in which you may exhaust yourself but never your subject. It is a contest, a duel, or a melee, calling for courage, skill, strategy and self-control. It is a test of temper, a trial of honour, a revealer of character. It affords a chance to play the man and act the gentleman. It means going into God's out-of-doors, get­ ting close to nature, fresh air, excercise, a recreation of tired tissues. It is a cure for care, an antidote to worry. It includes com­ panionship with friends, social intercourse, opportunities for courtesy, kindliness and generosity to an opponent. It promotes not only physical health but moral force. D. R. FORGAN — With Compliments of — ROBT. FORGAN & SON, LTD., ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND The Leading Golf Club Makers for over a Century & a Quarter 18 It’ s the Little Things, Cont. Management - about the work of Rev James Ford, Glencoe, III is a step in the right direction. NGF figures show there are as many 9 hole courses in Missouri as 18 holers. Yet we seldom see a story about a successful 9 hole operation. We made more profit at Lyons Den on 9 holes than now on 18. But we got greedy and for lA million we put in another 9. It has not paid off. We deserve more money for 9 on that layout than on the 1st 9. But someone started the trend in the 30’s depression to charge less for the 2nd 9 when the buyer bought an 18-hole ticket. Today if the rate is $5.00 for 9 then 18 is sold for only $8.50. We need a 5 and 5 program. WET SOIL AND CARTS The With all of the wet weather this winter, someone called to discuss effects of cart traffic on fairways. The superin­ tendent had made a decision to close the course to all cart traffic. Rain twice a week for several weeks and the night before had saturated the soil. The members called two area clubs and found their carts running, then con­ fronted the superintendent with this information. superintendent realized the two area clubs had paved cart paths from tee to green. This club did not. Next question: It isn’t raining now. Why can’t we take the carts now? Answer: Water-saturated soil is much more easy to compact than damp or dry soil. The water acts as a lubricant between soil particles. Weight from above, forces soil particles into empty spaces. The soil particles move easily, forcing out free water and any air in the spaces. Granular structure of a good soil is ruined. Pore space for air and water is taken by soil particles, making the soil more compact and dense. Re­ duced pore space means less room for roots to enter the soil. Result: poor grass growth. A day of running carts on saturated soil could require several years of cultural practices, such as slicing, core aerification and tilling, to correct the soil for good grass growth. Landon’s Turf Tips * f / X (V } % /" **=& >■ ’■ ig&wm Serving you better -V • J W ith Q U A LITY ------ MALLINCKRODT LEWIS FORE PAR CLEARY COUNTRY CLUB CHICOPEE Upjohn FOX VALLEY Chipco DIAMOND SHAMROCK Y a n k e e cyclone PBI Gordon Aquatrols Turfgrass Products PanaSea SOUTH LYON, MICHIGAN 48178 Phone: Areo 313 437 1427 GENE JOHANNINGSMEIER 19 Evaluating Your Operation With the pasing of summer, golf course superintendents in many parts of the country have an opportunity to sit back, take a deep breath and evaluate their operations. On many courses, heavy player traffic has slowed, sea­ sonal employees have gone and budget time is approaching. It’s time to take inventory. Besides the problems of getting the course and equipment ready for winter and inventorying leftover supplies, it’s also time to look back over the summer and take a mental inventory of your operation’s strengths and weaknesses. For example, what went wrong during the season? Was your course damaged by insects or disease? If so, what can be done to prevent a recurrence? Now is the time to figure out what should be done and when. Were your crew members aerifying the course on the day of a club tourna­ ment? The slow seasons are the time to work out lines of communication to prevent such misunderstandings from happening next year. What can be done to improve the course? Take an objective look at your irrigation system, your equipment and the design and condition of your course. Maybe this is the time to plan improve­ ments.While you are evaluating your perfor­ mance over the last season, don’t overlook the things that went especially well, either. Did you pick up any additional responsibilities this year, responsibilities you might like to con- tinnue? Did you try a new scheduling program that was effective? How can it be changed to work even better? Which of your employees really came through for you? Did an assistant take over some of your responsibilities and run with them? Which employees are willing to put out a little extra effort? Which ones seem to have good ideas? Did one of your seasonal employees prove to be especially hardworking and reliable? If so, you will want to make arrangements to have him back next year.Now take.a look at those projects that were put off all summer. Now is the time to dust them off and get to work on 20 them.Here is where a good filing system comes in handy. By taking clear notes on problems and opportunities as they ocur, and by adding to those notes when you evaluate your operation at the end of the season, you can develop a handy reference tool for use in the future.Whatever your evaluation of the sum­ mer proves, it’s important to reap whatever benefits you can. If every­ thing went relatively well, it’s just as vital to know why as it is to uncover the causes if there were any problems. By building on the past year’s achieve­ ments, and avoiding its mistakes, we can face anything the future has to offer. G.C.S.A.A. Credit - Forefront PROMISE YOURSELF Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind. To talk health, happiness and prosper­ ity to every person you meet. To make all your friends feel that there is some­ thing in them. To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. To thin only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best. To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own. To forget the mistakes of the past, and press on to the greater achievements of the future. To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile. To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others. To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble. CUP PLACEMENT RULES — HOW IMPORTANT? Rules on where to place a cup? There are none - official, that is. The USGA, Godfather of golf play and playing conditions, has wisely only offered suggestions and left good judgement to you. There is little question about the importance of proper cup placement and proficiency in changing the loca­ tion. Important it is because 54 shots in Continued N ext Page If you have changed your address, please let us know so we can keep our addressing plates up to date. Present Address: N A M E A D D R E S S C I T Y S T A T E Z I P Fill In New Address: N A M E A D D R E S S Z I P S T A T E C I T Y Mail this form to: A PATCH OF GREEN 31823 Utica Road Fraser, Michigan 48026 TURF SUPPLIES INC. 6 9 0 0 Pardee Rd.,Taylor, Michigan (3 1 3 )2 9 1 -1 2 0 0 DON’T EVEN THINK OF BUYING....................... GRASS SEED FERTILIZERS FUNGICIDES WITHOUT CALLING 291-1200 TURF SUPPLIES INC. 6 9 0 0 Pardee R d.,Taylo r, M ichigan (3 1 3 )2 9 1 -1 2 0 0 21 " For Land's Sake-'Use Peat” oxfoj® j w to. 1430 E. Drahner Rd. Oxford, Michigan 48051 PROCESSED PEAT Top Dressing Blends Custom Blending FREDLATTA 313/628-5991 T h e best in T u r f S u pplies — L E S C O 100% S u lfu r-C o a te d F e r t i l i z e r s , G o lf Co urse A c c e s s o rie s , C h e m ic a ls in c lu d in g LESCOSAN' A H ig h ly E f f e c t iv e P r e - E m e rg e n c e C ra b g ra s s and P o a An nua Control * L e s c o s a n ( B e t a s a n - R e g . TM o f S ta u ffe r ___________________________________ C h e m ic a l, C o .) (800) 362-7413 (800) 321-5325 Available NATIONWIDE From: IN OHIO Lakeshore Equipment & Supply Co. 300 South Abbe, Elyria, OH 44035 “ Home Of LESCO Products” Don Kirkland & Associates IRRIGATION SYSTEM INSTALLATION AND SERVICE MANUAL SYSTEM CONVERSION GRADING- DRAINAGE - MECHANICAL - ROCK REMOVAL SEEDING-MULCHING 673-0009 --------------- 674-1321 22 Cup Placement, Cont. each 18 hole round are concerned with pin placement - 18 to the green and 36 on the green - a mere 60 to 75% of all the strokes a golfer should need. Here’s what the USGA says: 1. If possible, have the cup at least five paces (15 feet or so) from the green’s edge and further than this from any sand bunker. 2. Place it in as near a level area as possible and level over a six foot diameter if possible. The ball, when putted should not gather speed or have excessive break. The player should be able to putt boldly for the hole. 3. Always use good judgement to per­ mit fairness for the golfer. 4. Avoid tricky cup placement. Other things to consider: 5. Qualifications of the players. 6. Size and condition of the green. 7. When changing cups, avoid leaving a raised edge around the rim. 8. Make sure the old hole surface is as low as the surrounding green surface. 9. So you have built in problems that don’t give you much choice. Just do the best you can and maybe the devil will forgive you anyway. Remember there are plenty of others in the same boat. - from Iowa GCS Reporter, Vol. 10, No.8 New GCSA Chapter Added to Roster The list of official GCSAA chapters has grown to 98 with the affiliation of the Northern Great Lakes GCSA. The group’s affiliated status was approved during the GCSAA Executive Com­ mittee’s postconference meeting. Of the 98, 95 are affiliated chapters and three are associated chapters. The officers of the Northern Great Lakes GCSA are John Beck, Oakcrest Golf Club, Norway, Mich., president; Richard Victorson, Pine Grove Country Club, Iron Mountain, Mich., vice pres­ ident; Tom Heid, Riverside Country Club, Menominee, Mich., secretary/ treasurer; John Netwal, Little River Country Club, Marintette, Wis., direc­ tor; Jerry Wiles, Highland Golf Club, Escanaba, Mich., director, and Mark Rizzi, The Bluff Country Club Glad­ stone, Mich., director. S P R A Y - P R O 4 -Wheel Self-Propelled Sprayer Compact size easy maneuverability! Big size capacity and coverage! Just over 9 feet long, yet it carries a 160 gallon polytank with patented Hahn jet agitation. 16 ft. 3-section folding boom with 20 nozzles for precision application of liquid fertilizer, pesticide, fungicide, and weed control. Centrifugal pump: 100 p .s.i.. Max. 55 g.p.m. Max. High pressure piston pump and hand gun optional for trees, shrubs, or brush control. 16 h.p. 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