T r 62nd 'Feb _________________ January/February 1987 A PATCH o f G R E B I^ l o s mcmMt> swrt m im sm LIBRARIES OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE MICHIGAN & BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION WHEN GOLF BALLS TALK. WE LISTEN ! Great Laides Minerals Co. Trap& Topdressing Sands CONTROLLED TO USGA SPECIFICATIONS GREAT LAKES' TOPDRESSING SAND IS AVAILABLE IN TRUCKLOAD QUANTITIES. ALSO AVAILABLE - TRAP AND SPECIALTY SANDS. 2855 COOLIDGE HWY. • TROY, MICHIGAN 48084 TELEPHONE: (313) 649-3700 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE With the beginning of a new year I am looking forward to another great golf season. Our goals for the MBCGCSA during 1986 were many and while we did not achieve them all I feel our progress is continuing at an exceptionally good pace. All of the officers and board of directors worked diligently in making our Association worthwhile to the member­ ship. Ted Woehrle continues to produce a fine magazine in the form of A Patch of Green. Largely, his effort goes unnoticed but having worked with Ted the past two years I know the time and effort he dedicates to the magazine. Our Association continues to be a leader in raising funds for turfgrass research and scholarships to worthy organizations and students. In 1986 over $12,000 was given to the Michigan Turf Foundation from our annual Golf Day held last October. Four-thousand dollars was donated to the Special Olympics in May. Five-hundred dollars was given to the GCSAA Research & Scholarship Fund last year and we will do the same this year. Also, the O.J. Noer Foundation will receive $500 from us to go towards turfgrass research. The scholarship that our organiza­ tion awards to a worthy four-year student at MSU every year has been increased from $500 to $1,000. MA PATCH OF GREENM P u b / i s h e d B ¡-M o n th ly by the MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION President KEVIN DUSHANE Vice-President CHARLES GAIGE Secretary/Treasurer TOM MASON Directors JON MADDERN KEN DeBUSSCHER ROGER GILL JIM TIMMERMAN ED HEINEMAN JAY DelCAMP President Emeritus MIKE EDGERTON Editor TED WOEHRLE Printed at BLAKEMAN PRINTING CO., Fraser, Michigan (313) 293-3540 Through the hard work of many of our members is this all possible. In the past twenty years our Association has raised and donated over $200,000 in support of the turfgrass industry. This is something that all members, past and present, can be proud of. In 1987 we will continue to emphasize member services of the MBCGCSA. We would like to continue to improve our educational programs and meeting sites. We are in the process of obtaining high quality speakers and informative topics for our meetings. Also, the MBCGCSA & GAM Spring Green Seminar will be held March 28, at the Detroit Golf Club and the program looks again to be real strong. If any member has any suggestions or comments concerning our education program for 1987, please contact Roger Gill. This year we are attempting to organize a state-wide golf course superintendent’s golf tournament to be held sometime in September. The tournament site is being dicussed with the other Associations in the state and further information about will follow in the near future. The Board of Directors has instituted a new policy by which the F members will now have a liaison to the Board. This person will be selected soon and his position will be to improve communications between the F members and the Association. We feel this will make our organization stronger and closer. I would like to thank Dan Uzelac for his six years of service as a Director of our Associaton. Dan has just stepped down as a Director and the contributions to the Association will be missed. At the same time I would like to welcome Jay Delcamp to the Board. Jay was elected to a three-year term at the 1986 Annual meeting and I know he will be a great help to us all. Kevin Dushane President, MBCGCSA Tire Wholesalers • ) ) Company, Inc. Phone: (313) 354-5644 19240 West Eight Mile Southfield, Ml 48075 ('A Mile West of Southfield Road) TRUCK - CAR, MOTORCYCLE, FARM, TRAILER, INDUSTRIAL TIRES &TUBES Pirelli Carlisle LAWN 8i GARDEN EQUIPMENT TIRES 3 Looking Ahead to 1987 The year 1986 will long be remembered as the year with no fall. The weather was a big concern for most of us starting in September and continuing through the end of the year. Because of the extreme wet conditions and the relentless cloudy skies, our turf did not have very good conditions to prepare itself for the winter. This is a big concern for us at the beginning of the year. Poor roots and few carbohydrates were stored for the early growth and the turf is very weak. Unless mother nature is kind to us this winter and early spring we may witness a disaster in April and May. Several golf courses have purchased green covers for some of their greens this winter. Others have covered all their greens. Two types of covers are being used and the results of each will be closely watched. The results last year were very encouraging and hopefully they will allow the turf to overwinter in a healthier condition and give us an early start next spring. And maybe even make up for some of the lost revenue last fall. controls and several post-emergent crabgrass con­ trols. All look promising. The EPA and other governmental agencies will become more assertive and demand more “safety” in chemical use. They will monitor more closely the use of pesticides and I have a feeling that we are really going to have to comply with more rules and regulations this year and it will get more and more difficult in the future. Be prepared! There are some exciting new pieces of equipment on the horizon too. As more and more clubs mow fairways with riding greens mowers and collect the clippings we will be seeing better mowers and better methods of collecting and disposing of the debris. We will be changing some of our practices in bunker maintenance, traffic controls also. tree maintenance and cart Remember, as Dr. James Beard said, “The closer we get to perfection on our golf courses, the more obvious our imperfections become.” Little things that have not been considered as important in the past will become more important in the future. We will be spending more time on fairways and bunkers than on greens and tees and beautification of golf courses will be more empha­ sized. USGA REGIONAL CONFERENCES The USGA will again sponsor a series of one-day regional conferences in the spring of 1987. These meetings are designed to provide valuable informa- to superintendents, golf professionals, club managers owners and operators of public golf facilities, associa­ tion officials and other interested golf groups. Approximately twelve seminars will be conducted nationwide in the spring of 1987. There will be two in the midwest; Tuesday, April 7, 1987 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio and Thursday, April 9 at the Westmoor Country Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. GREEN COVER The Plant Growth Regulators are still showing promise and many more Superintendents will be trying them this year. If there is one thing we are learning, it is how not to use them. A number of new herbicides are being marketed for 1987 - among them are pre-emergent broad-leaf 4 Members of the PGA of America and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America have received certification points for attending USGA Regional Conferences in previous years. Registration forms will be available in February, 1987. For more information contact USGA Regional Affairs, P.O. Box 616, Crystal Lake, Illinois 60014, (815) 459-5590. Christmas Party 1986 the annual Christmas party of the Michgan and Border Cities Golf Course Superintendents Associa­ tion was indeed the gala affair of the year. More than 60 couples found their way to the Links at Pine wood. Host Superintendent Earl Prieskorn and his wife Jean greeted the guests along with the Chairman, Charles Gaige and his wife Andra. It was great to see so many of our members from the far corners of Michigan. The Flint area was well represented and of course Bob and Jackie Hope drove all the way over from Kalamazoo. The lively music of Don Fichter was enjoyed by all and once again “Elvis Vargas” made a surprise visit and performed some of his more famous songs. The friendly atmosphere was a welcome time for celebra­ ting the end of a hectic year. friendship of this great association. Especially heart-warming was the appearance of Gerry Gill and his wife Mary out on the dance floor - it was great seeing them again. We hope to see more of you next year to share the HOSTESS & CHAIRMAN, ANDRA & CHARLIE GAIGE "ELVIS VARGAS" JIM ECCLETON AND WIFE DENISE BEV MADDERN (left) winner of one of the table prizes — ANDRA GAIGE holding box of names from which Bev's name was drawn. 5 The Black Layer Problem on Greens by: Bruce Branham, Assistant Professor Paul Rieke, Professor J.M. Vargas, Professor There have been an increasing number of reports from golf courses around the State of a black layer which forms below the soil surface on greens. In a worst case, those areas which develop a black layer can suffer significant turf loss. The turf research group at MSU has observed the problem on many golf courses and are beginning several research projects to determine more about the cause and cure for this problem. At the present time, we have formed the following hypothesis on the development of the black layer. We are certain that the black layer is in an anaerobic state (no oxygen present - waterlogged) and this waterlogged condition is responsible for the loss of turf. An anaerobic condition can develop whenever the ground becomes saturated with water which displaces the oxygen in the soil and prevents normal gas exchange with the atmoshpere. In many greens which are constructed according to the USGA greens mix and are predominately sand, the formation of an anaerobic condition may seem contradictory because sandy soils normally have excellent drainage. How­ ever, where layers develop in a soil profile, these layers retard downward water movement and under certain conditions anaerobic areas may form. It is our belief that the black layer forms when a layering problem causes an anaerobic condition following heavy rains or irrigation. Under anaerobic conditions an entirely different group of microorgan­ isms become active. These organisms produce pro­ ducts quite different from anaerobic respiration. Gasses produced under anaerobic conditions include carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH4), ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Many of these anaerobic respiration products are toxic to plants. In CONTINUED PAGE 19 670 SERIES ROTARY SPRINKLER SPECIAL FEATURES Positive Spring Retraction Minimizes tampering and accidents by pulling nozzle and cap down out of the way of people and mowers when watering is done. Strong spring discourages vandals. Rugged Cycolac® Case Almost indestructible engineering plastic has tremen­ dous impact resistance, won't rust, corrode or disinte­ grate because of time or water-carried minerals. Long-Life Gear Drive Rotation drive gears are vacuum-packed with grease and isolated from water stream for long, trouble-free life. Valve-In-Head Models All the advantages of head-by-head control at a much lower cost than valve-under-head installations. Cus­ tomize watering to fit turf use, topography and soil. Multi-cycle for wind or runoff problems, frost control, dew removal without low-head drainage. Available for hydraulic normally open, hydraulic normally closed or 24-volt electric systems. Valve accessible through top of head. Checkomatic Models Stops low-head drainage in block systems with spring-loaded check valve in base of sprinkler. Manual Override Allows normally closed and electric valve-in-head models to be turned on manually or be cancelled out of automatic program. Pressure Regulation For more equal water distribution over large areas. Compensates for large pressure differentials. Regu­ lates pressure to nozzles on normally closed and elec­ tric valve-in-head models. TORO IRRIGATION DIVISION CHECKOMATIC WILKIE NORMALLY CLOSED VALVE-IN-HEAD 7 \*rf Equipment Division, Inc. 1050 OPDYKE RD. • P.O. BOX 749 • PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48056 • (313) 373-8800 6 Benham Chemicals DISTRIBUTING COUNTR^LUB greensKeeper liar ex ■ p r o f e s s i o n a l p r o d u c t s Fungicides Herbicides Insecticides Grass Seed PROMPT DELIVERY FAST & EASY WILL CALL TOLL FREE (MICH. ONLY) 1 -800-482-6520 OFFICE/WAREHOUSE 1 -313-474-7474 24800 N. INDUSTRIAL DRIVE FARMINGTON HILLS, MICHIGAN 48018 7 IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING BUYNG A SPRAYER CONTACT W EINGARTZ FIRST JOIN THE PROFESSIONALS WHOUSESDI— * TANK SIZES 50 TO 1,000 GALLONS * PUMPS 9.5 GPM TO 51 GPM AND UP TO 850 PSI * ALL SPRAYERS CAN BE SKID MOUNTED ON YOUR TRUCK, OR SEVERAL TRAILER OPTIONS * WE CUSTOMIZE TO MEET YOUR NEEDS For Information or Demonstration Call TOM BRADSHAW WEINGARTZ Since 1945 “ We Service Whet We Sell” 46061 VAN DYKE (’/> MILE NORTH OF M-59) UTICA 731-7240 Michigan’s Largest Lawn & Outdoor Power Equipment Dealer MON 8 JO to 8 TUES-FRI 8 30 5 30 SAt 8 30 5 8 THE JOHN WALTER AWARD The second annual “John Walter Award” for the best article written by a golf course superintendent and published in “A Patch of Green” for 1986 was presented to Clem Wolfrom, Superintendent of Detroit Golf Club. Along with a beautiful plaque which was presented by Editor Ted Woehrle, Clem was given a check for $100.00. The presentation was made on December 5 at the annual Christmas party held at the Links at Pinewood. Clem’s article appeared in the July/August, 1986 issue and was entitled “Do You Remember - 40 Years Ago?” It was a trip down memory lane highlighting the history of our profession in the Michigan and Border Cities area. We the editors would like to thank all the Superintendents that presented articles for publica­ tion in our magazine. The purpose of the John Walter Award is to encourage Superintendents to write articles of interest and perhaps even win $100.00 for their effort. CLEM WOLFROM (left), winner of John Walter Award, being presented by Editor, TED WOEHRLE TREE TRANSPLANTING LARGE TREES UP TO 11” DIAMETER ARMSTRONG LAWN AND TREE, INC. “YOUR EVERGREENS SHOULD BE MOVED N O W .” 44275 Whithorn Sterling Heights, Michigan 48078 731-5550 264-8803 9 INSPIRATIONAL BREAKFAST AT PHOENIX “A Personal Story of Perserverance” All attendees at the GCSAA Golf Course Superin­ tendents Conference in Phoenix are invited to partici­ pate in the 8th Annual Golf Course Supts. Christian Prayer Breakfast. Family groups are encouraged and if you were wtih us last year, come again and bring a friend. The Prayer Breakfast will be held Saturday, January 31, 1987 in the Phoenix Civic Plaza near the Trade Show. We will serve coffee and rolls at 6:30 A.M. and the program will begin at 7:00 A.M. A light buffet will be available in the Civic Plaza at your own cost if you wish more than coffee and rolls. “Preeminince”, a group of young people from the Arizona College of the Bible will fill you ears and hearts with good music and help you wake up, if necessary. Our guest speaker will be Mr. Owen C. Carr, conference speaker, pastor, author and past president of Valley Forge Christian College, Pennsylvania. Prior to all these accomplishments, Mr. Carr founded Channel 38, WCFC-TV in Chicago. He served for more than 40 years in full-time Christian service in Kansas, Illinois, California and in 30 foreign coun­ tries. Come join us for a real up time in Phoenix. EARLY BUS SERVICE W ILL BE AVAILABLE - CHECK THE SCHEDULE. From the “Bull Sheet’, Dec., 1986 Accompanying article on Page 15 IT ISN’T EASY To apologize, To begin over, To be unselfish, To take advice, To admit error, To face a sneer, To be charitable, To keep on trying, To be considerate, To avoid mistakes, To forgive and forget, To think and then act, To keep out of a rut, To make the best of time, To shoulder a deserved blame, To recognize the silver lining, . . . BUT IT ALWAYS PAYS! MIDWEST’S LARGEST IRRIGATION TRADE SHOW and SEMINAR Century Rain Aid’s 1987 TRADE SHOW Tuesday, March 17 — 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM Wednesday, March 18 — 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM SOUTHFIELD CIVIC CENTER Southfield, Michigan SEMINARS • DEMONSTRATIONS • EXHIBITS JUST A FEW OF THE MANUFACTURERS EXHIBITING OTTERBINE n i b c o : /F E B C a / £ ) ,L creek plastics MAliBU ^ gjEESZJ M axijetf L . BURKEETN To confirm your attendance — please call Debbie Krajnovic — 313/588-2990 Century Rain A id 31691 Dequindre Madison Hts., Mi 48071 22159 Telegraph Southfield, Mi 48034 3400 Jefferson S.E. Grand Rapids, Mi 49508 10 JOHN DEERE COMPACT DIESELS 52 INCH - 2 YEAR WARRANTY 17 TO 67 HORSEPOWER 2 OR 4 WHEEL DRIVE Panther [K ] Sales \ JO H N D EE n i l 2274 TELEGRAPH, BLOOMFIELD HILLS Phone 335-5149 SUMMER HOURS - MAY 1 MONDAY-FRIDAY 8-7 SATURDAY 8-12 job. More than 50 capacity-matched attachments are available to keep the tractor you buy busy the year round. See us for a test drive soon. John Deere compact diesels come in eight models, so you can match horsepower to your needs. All are packed with performance fea­ tures that make them small giants on any big JOHN DEERE FRONT MOWERS most versatile equipment a The groundskeeper can own □ Mowers 50 to 76 inches □ Snow Blowers □ Front Blades & Brooms □ Vacuum Attachments & Cabs Available □ Gas or Diesel Engines 11 FAIRWAY SPECIES AND MANAGEMENT Assistant Professor, Department Crop and by B.E. Branham Soil Sciences, MSU More and more golf courses are following the trend toward lower fairway mowing heights. This trend is reducing the choices a superintendent can make in terms of choosing a species for fairways. Many courses want to have wall-to-wall bentgrass tees, greens and fairways. The desire for bentgrass fair­ ways is probably good because it is the only turfgrass species capable of maintaining a good turf when mowed at Vs” or less. Kentucky bluegrass and perrenial ryegrass, in general, won’t persist under golf course conditions, a Vs” mowing height and our cold winters. By lowering the mowing height in the fairways, the superintendent is going to face some of the same problems seen on greens. That is, how to keep out that old nemesis, annual bluegrass. If you are establishing new fairways and desire creeping bent­ grass as your fairway species, I would recommend planting the most aggressive bentgrass variety avail­ able. Currently, that would be “Penncross” creeping bentgrass. An aggresive variety is going to be needed to withstand wear and poa annua invasion. To maintain a fairway that is 100 % creeping bentgrass is probably not possible, but an aggresive program of preemergence herbicides (bensulide would be the best choice) applied in early spring and late summer should help reduce Poa annua invasion. To give the turf a break from repeated applications of preemer­ gence herbicides, you may want to use a growth regulator such as flurprimidol (Cutless) or paclobu- trazol (active ingredient in Scotts TGR Poa control product). These two growth regulators are also weak preemergence herbicides and combined with the severe growth retardation of those seedlings that do germinate, flurprimidol and paclobutrazol may pro­ vide effective seasonal control against Poa annua invasion. We don’t as yet have complete data to back up this statement, although we do know that flurprimidol can reduce Poa annua germination by over 30 %. One can hypothesize that those seedlings that do germinate would lack the vigor, due to the growth regulation, to become established in the stand. At the present time, I would not recommend reestablishing fairways that are predominately an­ nual bluegrass with the typical Roundup renovation procedure. While this method may give good initial results, you have to question what species composi­ tion your fairways will have 5-10 years from now. In many instances after a renovation procedure the turf­ 12 grass community shifts gradually back towards Poa annua with time. In some cases the transition back to Poa annua takes only 3-5 years. I think the most sound approach to converting existing fairways to creeping bentgrass is as follows. First and foremost is to remove clippings. Three years of testing at MSU has shown this to a valuable practice that favors the developing of creeping bentgrass while providing a better playing surface than where clippings are returned. Annual bluegrass, as all superintendents know, is a truly unique turfgrass species. It can produce viable seed under any mowing height or frequency regime. By remov­ ing clippings (and the associated seeds) a superinten­ dent is preventing annual bluegrass from overseeding itself. The second practice is to begin an overseeding program with creeping bentgrass. Overseeding 20-25 acres of fairway with “Pencross” creeping bentgrass at $7-8 lb. is an expensive proposition. However, using a slicer-seeder at a low seeding rate of V4 -V2 lb. seed/M should produce an improvement in fairway species composition over a 3-5 year period. This program of overseeding with creeping bent­ grass and not overseeding with annual bluegrass (i.e. picking up clippings) should lead to a predominately bentgrass fairway in a 3-5 year period. This proce­ dure will represent an increase in operating budget due to the expense of removing clippings, but removing clippings is more than a cultural program to control annual bluegrass. I am most excited about a new herbicide called Prograss. It is currently labeled for removing annual bluegrass from Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Our trials show it to have good tolerance to Penncross and Penneagle creeping bentgrass. Split applications made in mid-September and mid-October seem to give the best results. Rates in the range of 0.75-1.5 lbs./A applied twice for a total of 1.5-3.0 lbs./A have given very good results. The shift in species composition caused by Prograss is gradual. What has been observed at MSU is a yellowing of the Poa annua in the late fall with little apparent change in species composition. But coming out of the winter the plots have shown fairly dramatic decreases in the amount of annual blue­ grass. Much more research is needed before this product is commonly used but I anticipate that Nor Am will attempt to get a label for Prograss on CONTINUED PAGE 19 GOALS AND POSITIVE LIVING by Jacques Weisel WARNING: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Apathy is Dangerous to Your Health. Most people have an aim in life, but no ammunition. full control of your personal destiny. You’re at a picnic and you spot a young man with an archery set, shooting arrows into a tree trunk. Every time he goes over and paints a perfect bullseye around the arrow. Passersby who only see the results of his work think he is a great archer. You smile, knowing better of course. Or do you? . . . After all isn’t this basically the way you run your life? You end up somewhere, and then decide that’s where you wanted to be all along. As a mature individual you’ve forgotten the most basic concept to living which is to Plan Ahead. You’ll go over the day-by-day activities for a 2-week vacation (perhaps 50 times in your lifetime) as if you involved in a forcible overthrow of a hostile government. Yet your only once-in-a-life- time journey is played through without too much rhyme or reason. Usually with no plan beyond today and what it may bring. The Koran says “If you don’t know where you’re going and road will get you there.” Iv’e watched people do the same thing in Chinese restaurants. They don’t know how to use chopsticks, and try for the beef, shrimp or pork in the dish. All they end up with are some grains of rice, which they proceed to eat. Occasionally, in order not to starve to death they go back to the fork. And yet, a little training ahead of time with the chopsticks (short-range goal) would eliminate the problem before it occurs, and no one would have to be satisfied with the “crumbs” dished out, since we would be in full control. It is a well-known fact that man is a goal-striving mechanism. This means that whether he has goals or not he will reach them. My question is simply this - Would you rather reach goals, which are vours or sopeone e!seTs?~As a child we were given sTiort-range goals to live by. “Eat your food”, “go to bed”, “don’t step in the gutter”, “go to college”, “get married” . . . All short-range and long-range plans that someone else wanted us to execute. It’s no wonder that we got out of that habit as soon as we could - and usually end up by throwing out the baby with the dirty water. Goals arejiotJmportant_to Positive Living. The)7 are cruciafT"it is not ^coincidence thatT the worcT goal begins with “go”. Daily goals give you the best reason to get up and do. Weekly goals make the months fly, and monthly goals renew your enthusiasm for life twelve times per year. Annual goals can guarantee a lifetime of successful happenings, as you maintain 13 The captain of a cruise ship needs to see his destination thousands of miles away to know he will reach it at a certain date and time, so can you plan your life according to your own timetable. Your goals must be realistic and reachable, so that you can reap the rewards of positive reinforcement at timed intervals, and thus have the confidence to know that you’re on target for the big plan. One last condition. You must feel you deserve to reach your personal and financial targets, and only a healthy self-esteem can do that. As children we are all either the victims or beneficiaries of attitudes instilled in us by others. We are either cursed or blessed by our early conditioning . . . and we also know that the Bible says “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he . . .” This means that if we don’t like some of our “programmed” thinking we can change it by putting stronger and healthier thoughts into our minds. Goals have changed a lot in recent years. Witness the following example. We used to marry on a long-range basis “till death do us part”, which meant a commitment. Now it’s become “till divorce do us part”, a short-range affair wherein the ‘commitment’ has turned into ‘convenience’. A recent Redbook survey of marriage counselors showed that the 3 most common causes for divorce are: (1) A breakdown in communications; (2) The loss of shared Goals and Interests; (3) Sex and incompatibility. There are literally hundreds of self-help books out on numbers 1 and 3, and very little on the subject of proper goal-setting. Profit-oriented companies have discovered the secret. They call it “management by objective”. They make money and reach corporate goals by carefully pre-planning the direction in which they want the company to go. Unfortunately the same cannot be said of our governments, both national and local. The reason is simple. Since elections take place every few years politicians cannot plan beyond their short-term positions, so that as a nation there is never a continuity of ideas designed to benefit the People. Japan, on the other hand, has 30-vear plans for industrial growth and it is under­ stood that whoever is in power will continue the program of predecessors, because it is in the National Interest to do so, and not for the benefit of the local CONTINUED PAGE 19 Finally an alternative. Toro's new Greens Aerator can help you aerate your greens taster than the leading competitive machine. But that's not the only advantage. Toro also outdistances the competition by adding greater horsepower, heavy duty construction, and a modular design tor easy servicing. All that you need to make one of your seemingly longest tasks in golf course maintenance a whole lot shorter. WILKIE Turf Equipment Division, Inc, TO R O 1050 OPDYKE RD. • P.O. BOX 749 • PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48056 • (313) 373-8800 14 PHOENIX CONFERENCE FIRE SAFETY (The following article is printed with your safety in mind - please read it. Since most of us will be staying in hotels during the Conference, it may be im­ portant). SAVING YOUR LIFE IN A HOTEL FIRE In recent weeks, two devastating hotel fires - one at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the other at the Stouffer Inn in Harrison, New York - underline the tragic fact that too many travelers do not know what to do if they are caught in a buring hotel or motel. This may help explain the fact that the United States has the worst record in the world for fire fatalities, according to experts at the U.S. Fire Administration in Washington, D.C. However, there are guidelines which, if memorized and followed, can sharply reduce the risk for travelers. Here are the precautions that the U.S. Fire Administration recommends: 1. As you go to your room, look for the fire doors in both directions. Count the number of doors down the hall from your room to the nearest fire exit on each side of you. 2. Make it a point to notice where the alarms are located. Also check fire doors to see that they operated properly and are kept closed. 3. Report and fire safety deficiencies you spot to the management. 4. Look for any posted fire emergency regulations and make sure you understand how to follow them. 5. Always leave your key in the same place when you are in the room - preferably on the bedside table or in the door. 6. If a fire starts in your room, take the key and leave. Close the door behind you, pull the nearest alarm, and proceed to the fire stairs. Never take an elevator when there is a fire in the building. As soon as you reach the lobby, notify the desk. 7. If the fire breaks out elsewhere, follow the posted instructions and/or the tips below . . . • To Learn if it is Safe to Leave the Room, take your key, go to the door and use your hand to check the temperature of the door. If it is hot, do not open it. Instead, assume that you are trapped in the room. • If the Door is Cool, open it a crack. But be ready to close it immediately if there is hot air, smoke or flames. If there are none of these, but the hall is hazy, crawl down the hall, counting the doors to the nearest fire exit. If you can’t reach that one, crawl back toward the other. Should that be impossible, count the doors back to your room and go inside. • Once in Your Room, fill the tub with cold water and use it to wet towels and clothes. Stuff these under and around the door. • Close as Many Doors as Possible between you and the fire - but be sure to stay in a room with windows. If the fire is on the floor below, or ther are clouds of smoke outside, you are better off leaving the windows closed. Otherwise, open one and hang out a light colored bedspread or sheet as a signal. • If Smoke Gets in Your Room, hold a wet towel to your face and stay low, close to the floor as near to an open window as possible. • Do Not Jump, no matter how panicky you feel, unless you are not too hign above the ground. Professional fire fighters will tell you what to do. Wait for their help. Credit: Research Institute Personal Report 1987 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS EDUCATION - ROGER GILL MEMBERSHIP - JIM TIMMERMAN BY-LAWS - KEN DeBUSSCHER GOLF - JAY DelCAMP FUND-RAISING - ED HEINEMAN CHRISTMAS PARTY - CHARLIE GAIGE PUBLICITY AND AWARDS - JAY DelCAMP ETHICS - MIKE EDGERTON FINANCE - TOM MASON MTF LIAISON - CHARLIE GAIGE EDITORIAL - KEVIN DUSHANE WELFARE - TOM MASON HISTORIAN - JAY DelCAMP POLICY BOOK - JON MADDERN HOSPITALITY ROOM - JON MADDERN GAM SEMINAR - CHARLIE GAIGE PICNIC - KEN DeBUSSCHER INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS - KEN DeBUSSCHER SCHOLARSHIP - JIM TIMMERMAN GCSAA LIAISON - TOM MASON GOLF DAY - ED HEINEMAN & JON MADDERN 15 N A TU R A L TA R G ET PRUNING N A T U R A L P R UN I N G S T E P S 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . LOCATE THE BRANCH BARK RIDGE FIND TARGET A - OUTSIDE OF BRANCH BARK RIDGE FIND TARGET B - SWELLING WHERE BRANCH MEETS BRANCH COLLAR I F B I S HARD TO FIND - DROP A LIN E AT ANGLE XAC s TO ANGLE X A B . AX. STUB BRANCH TO BE PRUNED MAXE CUT AT LIN E AB DO NOT * * * a a CUT BEHIND THE BRANCH BARK RIDGE LEAVE STUBS CUT BRANCH COLLAR PAINT CUTS - EXCEPT FOR COSMETICS LEAVE FLAT TOP WHEN TOPPING Coni fers Best Time To Prune LATE DORMANT SEASON OR EARLY SPRING BEFORE LEAVES FORM F o r m o r e I n f o r m a t i o n v r l t e : D r . A l e x S h i g o N o r t h e a s t e r n F o r e s t E x p e r i m e n t S t a t i o n P . O . Bo x 6 4 0 D u r h a m , NH 0 3 8 2 4 Cut Fir»» Topping TO REMOVE TOP: CUT LINE DE AT AN ANGLE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME ANGLE AS THE ANGLE OF THE BRANCH BARK RIDG E. 16 'Jtun&enteA, FORMERLY TURF SUINC. Let’s Talk Fungicides! We stock the Proven Best. Tersan 1991, 2#-Proven Systemic Action. Tersan LSR, 3#-Leaf Spot & Rust Control. Tersan S.P., 3#-Snow Mold & Pythium. Daconil 2787, 2#-Very Broad Spectrum. Daconil 2787 2 Gal. Flowable, Liquid. Benomyl Gran, 24#-Dry, Spreadable. Chipco .26019, 2#-Broad Spectrum Syst. Fore (Dithane), 50#-Leaf Spot & Rust Cntl. Acti-Dione Thiram, 10#-Brown & Dollar. Acti-Dione R.Z., 10#-Ant ¡-Biotic Fungicide. Acti-Dione TFG, 1#-Water-Sol, Anti-Biotic. Bayleton 25W, 2#-Fusarium prevent & Cure. Dyrene Gran., 10#-Snow Mold Cntl. & Cure. KEN, DAVE, & GEOFF Would Like to Take Your Order 6900 Pardee Road Taylor, Michigan 48180 (313) 291-1200 WOLFROM CONFERENCE ROOM DEDICATED AT MSU On Tuesday, September 16, 1986 a group of friends and relatives of the late Clarence Wolfrom were present for the dedication of the C.H. Wolfrom Conference Room in the newly opened Plant and Soil Science Building on the campus of Michigan State University. Clarence was the superintendent of the Maple Lane Golf Club in Sterling Heights, Michigan and for over 50 years, through his leadership and dedicated service to the Club, it was able to grow and become one of the finest clubs in Michigan. It was because of his loyalty and hard work that the Roehl family owners of Maple Lane, donated funds to develop the beautiful C.H. Wolfrom Conference Room in his memory. All of us in Turf grass Management are proud of Clarence and the Roehl family for their recognition and support of a truly great man. CLEM WOLFROM PROUDLY STANDING WITH CARL ROEHL AND SON PETER ROEHL L to R - BRUCE WOLFROM AND BROTHERS WAYNE, CLEM AND GERALD SITTING AT THE CONFERENCE TABLE WITH DEAN ANDERSON IN THE NEWLY DEDICATED CLARENCE WOLFROM CONFERENCE CENTER AT MSU. 17 TOBACCO AND DIET MORE SIGNIFICANT THAN CHEMICALS Many people believe that chemicals - whether they are drugs, pesticides, food additives or air and water pollutants - are a major cause of cancer. Although some toxic substances have been linked with cancer, recent studies indicate that various habits or lifestyles within the control of each individual are more likely to cause cancer. Two British scientists analyzed American cancer mortality rates and concluded that carcinogens in the workplace, environment, food additives and industrial products cause fewer than 8 percent of American cancer deaths. Two-thirds of all cancer deaths were attributed to two factors: tobacco, which was blamed for 30 percent and diet, which contributes to about 35 percent. Dietary contributors include low-fiber, high fat diets. Most experts agree that there are 30 to 40 chemicals known to cause cancer in humans. All of them are governed by existing regulations and in some cases the regulations are being re-examined. Direct oc­ cupational exposure is believed to cause from 1 to 5 percent of all cancer. In the workplace, exposure to these materials is being reduced, either through new manufacturing methods or protective equipment. NATURAL DOESN’T GUARANTEE SAFETY Advertisers are fond of using claims like “all- natural” or “contains no preservatives” when promo­ ting certain foods. Natural foods are nutritious but they are not free of chemicals. The freshest fruits and vegetables, grown using only natural fertilizers, are filled with a variety of chemicals. Some of natural foods contain toxic chemicals. For example, shrimp contain arsenic, peanut butter contains aflatoxin, potatoes contain solanine and celery contains furocoumarin. All of these chemicals may be carcinogenic when consumed in suffient quantities. The point of all this is not to alarm anyone over the presence of chemicals in the foods we eat, but to remind ourselves to keep a reasonable perspective when it comes to the risks vs. benefits of chemicals. Our fears should be allayed by the fact that, according to the National Institute of Health, the death rate for most common cancers (except lung cancer) has remained stable or declined over the past 50 years. During the same period of time we have seen the greatest growth in the use of chemicals. We are living longer than ever before, so we must be doing something right. EVEN SUNLIGHT HAS RISKS/BENEFITS It is not just the substance itself, but also the amount of the substance and the time of continuous exposure CONTINUED PAGE 20 18 With QUALITY... LEWIS MALLINCKRODT FORE PAR CLEARY COUNTRY CLUB Upjohn Chicopee FOX VALLEY ChipCO DIAMOND SHAMROCK Yankee cyclo n e PBI Gordon AQUATROLS Pana Sea TURFGRASS PRODUCTS SOUTH LYON, MICHIGAN Phone: Area 313 437-1427 GENE JOHANNINGSMEIER 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 Fill In New Address: S T A T E Z I P N A M E A D D R E S S S T A T E C I T Y Mail this form to: A PATCH OF GREEN 31823 Utica Road Fraser, Michigan 48026 ¿0 Sc(E distributors 51000 dranb JUtor JSixotn, Z I P 48096 (313-349-7779) (8 0 0 -8 2 4 -8 7 6 9 ) Michigan’s Only Stocking Dealer For R & RPRO DUCTS TORO RYAN NATIONAL QUALITY REPLACEMENT PARTS JACOBSEN ROSEMAN YAZOO HAHN-WESTPOINT RANSOMES FORD REEL SHARPENING COMPOUND CUSHMAN MOTT EXCEL CALL US TOLL FREE (MICHIGAN ONLY) 800- 824-8769 FOR YOUR SUPPLY ITEMS FLAGS — POLES — RAKES — CUPS WE ARE RICO MFG. ONLY DISTRIBUTORS FOR MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA AND ILLINOIS EXCELLENT QUALITY PERSONALIZED TUBE FLAGS SOLID FIBERGLASS POLES WITH SOLID IMPREGNATED COLOR FIBERGLASS RAKE HANDLE, FOAM FILLED TO FLOAT 14” or 22" RAKE HEAD PUTTING GREEN FLAGS AND POLES - CUPS WE ALSO HANDLE LEWIS AND PAR AIDE REPLACEMENT SEATS FOR GOLF CARTS...TRACTORS...ETC. 19 BLACK LAYER PROBLEM, CONT. particular H2S is the poisonous gas responsible for the deaths of over 1,500 people in Cameroon recently. The hydrogen sulfide produced by anaerobic organ­ isms can react with metal ions such as iron or copper to form insoluble black precipitates. These metal sulfides are probably responsible for the coir of the black layer. Indeed, the Black Sea derives its name from the production of vast quantities of these black metal sulfides. The precipitated materials seem to enhance the layering problem and thus once the black layer is formed it is very difficult to dry out. WHAT TO DO layer It is clear from our observations that once the black layer forms, it is difficult to destroy. Prevention of the formation of the black is therefore very desirable. Attempts should be made to alleviate or prevent the formation of any layers in the soil profile. Core cultivation is the best method to disrupt layers and improve downward water movement. Topdress­ ing programs should be done correctly to prevent layering. Watering should be restricted to syringing to help dry out the black layer. In addition, because roots are usually killed by the gasses released in the black layer, the root system is so shallow that syringing is needed to maintain the turf. Our current research is aimed at developing treatments to disrupt the black layer and improve drainage. Wetting agents should be helpful in preventing the black layer from forming by improving water percolation. How­ ever once the black layer forms, wetting agents would be of limited benefit. We stress that the above explanation is only a hypothesis, but one we feel describes the current problem. Research is underway to prove or disprove this hypothesis. GOALS, CONT. politicians. One last good thought on goals by Henry David Thoreau: “The man who goes alone can start today. But he who travels with another must wait till the other is ready.” ’Nuff said . . . Jacques Weisel is a national authority on positive living and selling. He is co-author of the book, “the Management Motivators”, producer of sales and motivational tapes and past president of the New York Chapter of the National Speakers Association. For a free information kit, contact him at: P.O. Box 224, Coram, NY 11727, (516) 698-7760. Article borrowed from the “Three Rivers Green” Dec., 1986 FAIRWAY MANAGEMENT, CONT. creeping bentgrass fairways by 1988. In summary, a fairway of predominately creeping bentgrass can be realized with a program of clipping removal and overseeding with bentgrass. A selective herbicide such as Prograss would be a big benefit if future studies continue to demonstrate its efficacy and safety. umi.F.seii & son.inc. SINCE 1923 RENTAL SALES - SERVICE !★ LOADERS ★ SWEEPERS ★ TRENCHERS ★ MOWERS ★ ROTARY CUTTERS ★ BACK HOE DIGGERS ★ BACK FILL BLADES ★ POST HOLE DIGGERS JOB TAILORED EQUIPMENT COMPLETE LINE OF MATERIAL HANDLING & FARM EQUIPMENT 2 o 2 " 5 1 0 0 16555 TELEGRAPH RD. - TAYLOR C A |± 1 Mile South of Eureka LESCO Greensmower designed by and for today’s turf professionals • 18 H.P. twin-cylinder Kohler Magnum engine for added power and long life. • Hydraulic power steering for easy maneuverability • Independent reel controls for multiple mowing patterns • Reversible hydraulics to allow backlapping of individual cutting units while on machine • Center post steering for added safety and ease in climbing on and off either side of machine • Rocker foot pedal for raising and lowering cutting units • Automatic starting and stopping of reels Everything is farther than it used to be. It’s twice as far from my house to the station now and they’ve added a hill that I’ve just noticed. The trains leave sooner, too, but I’ve given up running for them because they go faster than they used to. Seems to me they are making staircases steeper than in the old days. The risers are higher and there are more of them, because I’ve noticed it’s harder to make two at a time. It’s all one can do to make one step at a time. Have you noticed the small print they are using today? Newspapers are getting farther and farther away when I hold them and I have to squint to make out the news. Now it’s getting rediculous to suggest that a person of my age needs glasses, but it’s the only way I can find out what’s going on without someone’s reading aloud to me and that isn’t much help because everyone seems to speak in such a low voice that I can scarcely hear. around the waist, Times sure are changing. The material in my clothes, I notice, shrinks in certain places (you know, like seat). Shoe laces are so short they are next to impossible to reach. Even the weather is changing. It’s getting colder in winter and summers are hotter than in the good old days. Snow is so much heavier when I shovel it and rain is so much wetter that I have to wear rubbers. I guess the way they build windows now makes drafts more severe. People are changing, too. For one thing they are younger than they used to be when I was their age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I realize that my generation is approaching middle age. I ran into my roommate the other night and he had changed so much that he didn’t recognize me. “You’ve put on a little weight, Bob,” I said. “It’s this modern food,” he replied. “It seems to be more fattening.” I got to thinking about poor Bob this morning while I was shaving. Stopping for a moment, I looked at my relection in the mirror. They don’t use the same kind of glass in mirrors any more. or in the Author unknown SUNLIGHT, CONT. that count. Consider the sun. Sitting in the summer sun for 12 hours a day 3 days in a row could make a person quite ill; for an old or infirm person, it might be fatal. However, those same 36 days could be beneficial because the sun can produce Vitamin D in our bodies. “What is there that is not a poison? . . . Only the dose makes a substance not a poison.” - Paracelsus, 1493-1541 A.D. From Living With Chemicals 20 The following article, headline and accompanying photographs appeared in the June, 1975 issue of A Patch of Green and was written by Frank Green. 15TH FAIRWAY AT HILLCREST, 04/19/75 MURPHY S LAW I think the only thing that this spring proves is that Murphy’s Law concerning Mother Nature is a true and valid statement. The spring season was about two to three weeks later than normal (whatever normal is) according to most weather people. De­ pending on your location it was either a cold, dry spring or a very wet spring with record floods. The more southern parts of Southeastern Michigan received abnormally cold weather through most of March and April and with the exception of three inches of snow in April, received only scattered precipitation. The part of the state that received most a Mother Nature’s fury was Lansing, Flint and Northern Oakland and Macomb Counties. Things really looked like they were going to break around the end of March and in fact several clubs had already mowed their greens. Little did they know that on April 2 and 3 they were to receive up to seventeen inches of snow. This put a damper on golf for a few weeks and even rekindled pink snow-mold in some areas that had just recovered from the disease. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE The No. I name in golf course irrigation. The right amount of water TORO In the right place WILKIE At the right time JUrf Equipment Division, Inc. 1050 OPDYKE RD. • P.O. BOX 749 • PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48056 • (313) 373-8800 21 FOR SALE ROSEMAN 5-GANG BLITZER JACOBSEN 60” TURFCAT RYAN GREENAIRE II SMITHCO E.Z. RIDER TRAP RAKE JACOBSEN 22” GREENS MOWER 30 HORSE IRRIGATION PUMP (Almost New) SIMPLICITY ROTO TILLER MARTY MILLER, Knollwood Country Club 855-9716 COUNrRY CLUB Professional Turf Products Hom ogenous Granulation High Methylene Ureas (W.I.N.) Balanced Feeding Fits Your Budget P.O. Box 8002 RANDY ROGERS Division Manager Rochester, Ml 48063 (313) 373-7235 LEBANON CHEMICAL CORPORATION P.O. Box 647 P.O.Box 180 Danville, IL 6 1832 Lebanon, PA 17042 Ghipco 26019 has been controlling diseases for a long time, fora long time. RHONE POULENC RHONE-POULENC INC. AGROCHEMICAL DIVISIO N BOB DUGAN - Sales Representative 36709 Romulus Road, Romulus, Ml 48174 (313) 941-1972 "F or Land's Sake-'Use Peat" OXFORD ? m CO. 1430 E. Drahner Rd. Oxford, Michigan 48051 COMPANY PROCESSED PEAT C u s t o m M i x e s FRED LATTA • 313/628-5991 SHOP AT HILLCREST, 04/19/75 GRASS CLIPPINGS, 1975, CONT. As if the above were not bad enough, on April 18 the same area was deluged with from two to five inches of rain. This in turn casued flash flooding throughout the area and several golf courses in Flint, Lansing and Mt. Clemens were almost totally under water. As it stands now most courses are in a very good condition and excluding a few cases of Helmenthis- porium Leaf Spot here and there, turf diseases are at a minimum. This article, bearing in mind last fall’s weather and the back-to-back mild winters in ’84 and ’85 just proves that the Earth’s first lady, Mother Nature, will always do what no person can predict and that we should thank the fact that no matter what she is up to at a particular time is acceptable because she could always bring worse. GRASS IS IMMORTAL Grass is the forgiveness of nature - her constant benediction. Fields trampled with battle, saturated with blood, torn with the ruts of cannon, grow green again with grass and carnage is forgotten. Streets abandoned by traffic become grass grown like rural lanes and are obliterated. Forests decay, harvests perish, flowers vanish, but grass is immortal . . . Unobtrusive and patient, it has immortal vigor and aggression. Vanished from the thoroughfares and the field, it bides its time to return and when vigilance is relaxed, or the dynasty has perished, it silently resumes the throne from which it has been expelled, but which it never abdicates. It bears no blazonry or bloom to charm the senses with fragrance or splendor but its homely hue is more enchanting than the lily or the rose. It yields no fruit in earth or air and yet should its harvest fail for a single years, famine would depopulate the earth. John H. Ingalls, U.S. Senator, Kansas, 1873-1891 22 HAHN SPRAY-PRO 44, IT WORKS. ANDWORKS... AND WORKS... Greens or fairways... the Spray-Pro 44 with its big high flotation tires to protect your turf, converts in minutes to a Sprayer, Spreader, Aerifier or Utility Bed. Designed for easy on, easy off switching and year ’round service. Th is “ crew ” should be w orking fo r you the aerifier. . . Hydraulically controlled from operator’s position. Cultivates a full 42 inch width. Cleanly penetrates to 3 inches, depend­ ing on soil conditions. Optional Slicing Blades to open the soil with a minimum of turf disturbance. the sprayer. . . 160 gal. poly tank, 3-section boom for 18-1/2 ft. cover­ age. Spray with 1,2, or all 3 booms. Fingertip control of all spray system functions. the spreader. . . Precise rate settings for a uniform pattern. Top dress sand in 12 to 20 f t swath, apply seed, fertilizer and lime 20 to 40 ft. Up to 500 lbs. per minute. the utility truck bed. Reinforced steel, 1500 lbs. capacity. Converts to dump bed with addition of Hydraulic Package. FAST, WIDE COVERAGE 4-WHEEL STABILITY Low center of gravity. For more stability and safety. BIG HIGH FLOTATION TIRES Reduce compaction. Drive on golf greens safely. About half the PSI of other utility trucks and sprayers. Sold and Serviced by LAWN EQUIPMENT SERVICE & SALES 46845 W. 12 MILE ROAD NOVI, MICH. 48050 P.O. BOX 500 (313) 348-8110 23 Stroke for stroke, the best in the business. W.F. MILLER COMPANY GARDEN AND LAWN EQUIPMENT By cutting horizontal runners and removing thatch, the patented Turf Groomer™ attachment creates faster, truer and healthier greens without lowering height of cut. 4949 FERNLEE ROYAL OAK, Ml 48073 (313) 280 0286 Jacobsen Division of Textron Inc 1593 STH WOODWARD BIRMINGHAM. Ml 48011 (313) 647*7700 "A Patch of Green” 31 8 23 U T IC A R O A D F R A S E R , M IC H IG A N 4 8026 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY-SERIALS EAST LANSING, MI 48824