September 1977 s n W 77 -J A PATCH GREEN Official Publication of the Michigan & Border Cities Golf Course Superintendents Association MICHIGAN & BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION P R E S I D E N T GEORGE W. PRIESKORN BURROUGHS FARM GOLF CLUB 5341 Brighton Road Brighton, M ichigan 48116 Off. 227-1381, R es. 229-9437 VICE P R E S I D E N T CLEM WOLFROM DETROIT GOLF CLUB 530 Kendry B loom field H ills, M ichigan 48013 Off. 345-4589, R es. 338-6375 S E C R E T A R Y - T R E A S U R E R ROBERT HOPE, CGCS THE LOCHMOOR CLUB 20740 Marter Road G rosse Pointe Woods, M ichigan 48236 Off. 881-8112, R es. 884-8684 BOARD OF DIRECTORS JAY DELCAMP GOWANIE GOLF CLUB 19957 Great Oaks C ircle South Mt. C lem ens, M ichigan 48043 Off. 468-1432, R e s .'791-8481 ROGER GILL 1894 A lton C ircle PINE LAKE COUNTRY CLUB Walled Lake, M ichigan 48088 Off. 681-1322, R es. 264-6931 PLUM HOLLOW GOLF CLUB WARD SWANSON 29642 W estfield L ivonia, M ichigan 48150 Off. 352-2436, R es. 421-8049 JAMES TIMMERMAN ORCHARD LAKE COUNTRY CLUB 2474 Lafay Orchard L ake, M ichigan 48033 Off. 682-2150, R es. 682-7234 WALTER TROMBLEY, CGCS 3130 Orion Road ARROWHEAD GOLF CLUB Lake Orion, M ichigan 48035 Off. 373-5240, R e s. 693-2924 BRUCE WOLFROM, CGCS BARTON HILLS COUNTRY CLUB 639 Barber Street Ann Arbor, M ichigan 48105 Off. 662-8359, R e s. 663-9213 P R E S I D E N T EMERITUS GERALD GILL TAM-O-SHANTER COUNTRY CLUB 3466 Walnut Lake Road Orchard Lake, M ichigan 48033 Off. 626-8325, R es. 851-7904 "A PATCH OF GREEN” P u b lish e d 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 P rin ted A t BLAKEMAN PRINTING COMPANY 31823 Utica Road Fraser, Michigan 48026 Phone: (313) 293-3540 MONTHLY ADVERTISING RATES Double Page Spread................................ $100.00 Back Outside Page...................................... 65.00 Full Page........................................................ 55.00 Half Page...................................................... 35.00 Quarter Page.................................................. 25.00 Eighth Page................................................ 12.50 Sixteenth Page............................................ 7.50 Classified Ad (per column inch).............. 5.00 DISCOUNT RATE: One Year 10% Note: Advertising fees may not be deducted from the above rates. Adit&tfiwu- • • Century Supply Corporation W. A. Cleary Chemical Corp. L. B. Foster Company Golf Car Distributors Howell Farm Tree Nursery Jessen's Inc. Lakeshore Equipment Corporation Lawn Equipment Corporation Lebanon/Agrico W. F. Miller Garden Northrup King & Co. 0 . M. Scott & Sons Company Sprinkler Irrigation Supply Terminal Sales Corporation Turf grass, Inc. Turf Supplies, Inc. USS Agri-Chemicals Wilkie Turf Equipment Company :* 2 USS Vertagreen Fall Fairway Fertilizer... We’ll help winterize Hit the fairways this fall with an application of this great new USS Vertagreen fertilizer and you’re on your way to fewer turf problems next spring. This quality product is ideal for fall fairway fertilization because it has a high potash analysis ... and that means less winter kill. or early fall will determine if A soil test in the late summer your fairways lack this vital nutrient. If they do, USS Verta­ green Fall Fairway Fertilizer is the answer because it’s formulated with primary nutri­ ents specifically for your area. See your USS Vertagreen distributor and he’ll show you how to winterize your fairways this fall. Next spring you’ll be glad you did. Vertagreen Fall Fairway Fertilizer TRAOCMARN 7 TEMPERATURES ARE UP AND RAINFALL IS DOWN. Keeping your turf green during a long hot spell means getting water to the root zone before the sun can bake the earth. A nd that can develop into a race between you and the sun. W hat you need then is a method of quick aeration.. .a fast way to get water deep into the soil. W hat you need is your Cushman Quick Aerator attachment. The Quick Aerator is a two-articulated gang aerator that attaches to your Turf-Truckster chassis in minutes, using three pull-pins. It can be raised or lowered by the hy­ draulic system. There’s no cumbersome trailer or time-consuming equipment to load or unload. USE YOUR CUSHMAN. You choose from three aerating tines: deep slicing for delicate greens (with rear rollers that leave turf in playing condi­ tion), coring for fairways, or open spoon to help renovate the soil. A nd like all Cushman equip­ ment, the Turf-Truckster and Quick Aerator are built to last. Because we don’t think product longevity is bad for business.. .we think it’s the only way to do business. With other accessories, your Cushman can spray, spike, dump and top dress. Use it. It’s a lot more than basic transportation. It’s a total turf-care system. Write for your Cushman Turf catalog today. CUSHMAN TURF-CARE EQUIPMENT OMC-Lincoln, a Division of Outboard Marine Corporation, 6718 Cushman Drive, P O Box 82409, Lincoln, NB 68501 For a demonstration and price quotation GOLF CAR DISTRIBUTORS Cali NOHH fc B __ 1980 W. Wide Track Drive (U.S. 10) Pontiac, Michigan 48058 Phone: (313) 338-0425 ■ ■ C9ll N O W What Went Wrong This Summer? By TED WOEHRLE During my travels around the country this summer, I have heard the same story no matter where I might have been. “ This is the toughest summer in 20 years.” This has been a very unusual year - high temperatures, high humidity, no rain, too much rain, low temperatures, insect attacks, diseases no longer controlled by conventional practices and chemicals. What has happened? their A few weeks ago several Superin­ lunch to tendents got together over turf m a i n t e n a n c e discuss practices and to compare notes on the results of various programs. These practices included: fertilizer use, chemicals used to control pests (rates and timing schedules), mowing techniques (height of cut and fre­ quency), watering schedules, drainage, spiking and aerification (frequency and timing), top dressing, weed control (Broadleafed weeds and grassy weeds), insects (identification and control), new diseases (resistant strains). To date we have had 30 days of 90 degree temperatures for the summer. May was unseasonable Hot and dry. June was cool and periodically wet. July once again was hot but wet (in spots) other areas were dry but humid. The grasses were under terrible stress. If your timing was off for fertilizing your grass was very lush and pythium took over or your grass was hungry and dollar spot became a problem. Some of the fungicides no longer controlled the dollar spot. Courses with pythium found chemicals scarce. One of the controls for pythium involve restricting water use. If you dried out too much your poa wilted and in many cases, death of your turf occurred. Several Superintendents reported outbreaks of hard to control leaf spot. Others found large “ brown patch” a problem. Still others were victims of Anthracnose. Where will it all end? Because we operate a mon-culture (growing the same crop each year) we can’t expect anything else. When we began irrigating fairways, we began creating problems. Golfers wanted green grass. Water was the answer. No longer was the dormant bluegrass fairway tolerated. Additional water required additional fertilizer. additional mowing. The lush grass became more susceptible to diseases. caused This Poa annua thrived and became the turf really predominate grass. The never dried out. Compaction from equipment and golf carts aggravated problem. Moisture penetration the became restricted. Poa, Knotweed, clover, chickweed and crabgrass are all the result of compaction and poor soil structure. D i s e a s e s are more prevalent because of the weaker turf. Insects thrive in the additional thatch. What can we do? Stop watering? No - this seems like the logical answer because as we stated earlier, watering caused all our problems. If we could keep our thatch from becoming a problem and keep our soil aerified for good water penetration, then our problems would be less water would demand the introduction of the more permanent desirable grasses into existing turf. The close cut turf as we know it today and which is admired by low handicap golfer would become a thing of the past. Will golfers tolerate this transition? Next Page fewer. Using the 5 What Went Wrong? Cont. Most of my comments have been slanted to fairway turf. I realize that greens and tees are also some of your problems but these areas are small enough to rebuild and maintain for less money than rebuilding the many acres of fairway. Another secret would be to keep as many new plants coming on the scene at all times. This can be accomplished by; disking, seeding. A young plant is healthier and stronger than older plants. aerification, slicing, When using pesticides try to alter­ to help prevent the nate chemicals buildup of tolerant pests. If you are blessed with non-irrigated fairways, but plan on installing irri­ gation, resist the temptation of watering when the grass turns off-color. If you don’t you will be joining the group of superintendents who would like to move back to the “ good old days” and water only when needed — but you can’t do that with Poa annua. GCSAA’S SEMINAR SCHEDULE Meeting the needs o f Golf Course Superintendents. Landscape I - East Lansing, Michigan November 9 - 1 0 , 1977 Other Seminars are: Nutrition I Management II These are located in various loca­ tions of the country on different dates during October and November. If you are interested, write: GCSAA Seminars 1617 Andrews Drive Lawrence, Kansas 66044 The cost is $50.00 for members and $70.00 for non-members. Regardless of fame or wealth ac­ life; always cumulated during your remember, the number mourning you at your funeral will be determined solely on the whims of the weather. Anon. Complete! That's our coverage and our products Country Club Turf Products COUNTRY CLUB fertilizers are balanced to meet the total needs of growing grass. And our pest control products will solve your every problem. Precision sizing makes spreading fast and distribution even. COUNTRY CLUB products are designed for the professional and sold by your local distributor. Try them - you’ll know it’s truly the COMPLETE PRODUCT LINE Sold by: James L. Camp (219) 485-6828 6 LIME - What it is and how does it affect turf? lime-filled bags Have you ever looked at that big that are mass of stored in a part of your equipment building complex? Or have you ever watched a spreader truck roaring down the fairway with a white dust storm appearing from the rear? I am sure you have. But have you ever really wondered why you use as much plant food as you do? Or have you ever really wondered why your turfgrass is not as pretty and healthy as it should be? It could be related to lime - or lack of it. Lime is one of the most important and most forgotten of all the turf grass nutrients. Lime is more bulky, harder to apply, and shows up less than other fertilizers. These are some of the reasons for lack of lime use on turf. However, you should not make excuses for not using lime on turf if it’s needed. WHAT DOES LIME DO? southeast and particularly In my opinion lime is the key plant food that is used, and often times lime is not even included in a fertilizer discussion. But most of the soils in the the lower south are acid to extremely acid. Lime is used to make the soil less acid. Most of the golf courses and similarly constructed turf areas have an acid pH. The term pH means the amount of acid present. All soil analyses that you can have run the pH on a scale from 0-14. base Seven is the neutral point. Neutral means soils are neither acid nor basic. They are neither sweet nor sour. A pH between 0 to 7 would be acid with the less a c i d approaching the neutral point of 7.0. As is decreased one unit (i.e. 7.0 to 6.0) the soil becomes 10 times more acid. Therefore, a soil with a pH of 4.0 is 1,000 times more acid than a pH of 7.0. s o i l b e c o m i n g the pH A pH from 7-14 means the soil is less basic or sweet or alkaline. The nearer 7.0 the pH reading is, the less basic the soil is. Very few turf soils are above 7.0; most are than 7.0 which will require some type liming material to adjust the pH upward to the neutral point. The correct pH for most turfgrass nutrition is between 6.5 and 7.0. It is in this pH range that most of the are most available to the plant and this is the for main the acidity the pH upward) and make the nutrients already in the soil that you as well as apply more available the plant. to Lime fertilizer work really makes better. reason (move the nutrients liming-reduce essential nutrients lime per 1,000 HOW MUCH LIME IS NEEDED? Most of the turfgrass soils with which I have worked require somewhere between 25 to 100 pounds of lime per 1.000 square feet to adjust the pH to 6,5. On most turf soils a maximum of 75 pounds (50 pounds on a golf green) of feet should be applied - per application. There are several reasons for this recommenda­ tion. First the lime will need time to react but some of it begin to work i m m e d i a t e l y application, depending on the source. Too much lime too quickly may temporarily put the in an over-limed condition. surface after soil Secondly, on a golf green the bulk of the material would be too much and interfere with the play. Large volumes of lime are also unsightly on the turf. When a soil requires a high rate of lime you should split the application. Make one application in the spring and one in the fall. However, do not limit lime applications just to the spring and fall; lime can be applied anytime. You should apply it as needed and remember - the only way to know how Continued on Next Page 7 < 3 I A C O E N G I N E E R E D R A I N Turf & AUTOMATIC IRRIGATION IS NOT FOR EVERYONE? Your budget may say "no", not yet, and manual irri­ gation of bluegrass fair­ ways and manual pop-ups around tees and greens may be doing your watering job just fine ... besides, provision for automation can be built in now, BUT ... whatever your needs, we can furnish you a complete line of quality products and all the technical help you wi11 ever need. We're the experts in all ki nds of golf course systems. J-M irrigation systems save water, time and money Johns-Manville Buckner sprinklers Write or call direct E N G IN F F R E G F )A IN S p rin kler Irrig atio n S u p p ly Co. A division of A J Miller Inc 1316 No Campbell Rd Royal Oak. Mi 48067 Phone (313) 398 2233 Chicago Sales O ffice/Warehousç 1 738 Anmtage Court, Addison, III 60101(3 *. >629 7730 Not all soils LIME Cont. much lime you need is to take a soil j sample and have it analyzed. require the same amount of lime to move the pH scale an equal amount. A soil high in clay or organic matter will require more lime to adjust the pH than a soil that is porous or sandy. Organic matter and clay have chemical properties which “ buffer” a soil. This means that organic matter and clay tend to resist a change in reaction. You have to to change the reaction than you do on a sandy soil. apply more lime | KINDS OF LIME the calcium c a r b o n a t e . All lime sources are not the same. There is a big difference in the effect, of liming materials. Some are available rather rapidly and some take a long* time to neutralize. Some have coarse particles and some have finé particles. The r e l a t i v e value of a lime ini adjusting the pH is usually referred to I as “ neutralizing value” . The^ neutralizing value of a liming material l is always expressed as a percent off pure calcium carbonate. Pure calcium carbonate has been given a relative value of 100. A lime with a neutrali- / zing value of less than 100 means [ that the lime is not as effective as I pure If the', neutralizing value is more than 100, j it means lime source is i better for neutralizing the pH than is calcium carbonate. Several commonly | used lime sources on turf in the south < vary greatly in neutralizing value. For I instance, most dolomitic limestone | has a neutralizing value from 95 to l 108 percent. Most calcitic limestone has a neutralizing value between 85 and 100 percent basic slag has a neutralizing value ranging from 50 to j 70 percent. Some of you might use \ lime sources such as burned lime - j 150 to 175 percent neutralizing value, j or hydrated lime - 120 to 135 percent j neutralizing value. There are many I that vary in ¡ other Continued on Page 12 j liming materials that the 8 . Don’t blame your Northrup King man if he wants to play your fairways, after you revitalize them with Overseeder II. Overseeder II quickly develops into the kind of turf that makes tees and fairways irresistible to any golfer. It’s easy to understand what you get out of Overseeder II when you know what goes into it: a blend of Parade and Adelphi Kentucky Bluegrasses and Eton and Pennfine fine-leafed perennial ryegrasses. Combining all the advantages of these varieties, Overseeder II transforms sparse patchy areas into dense turf that holds up under even the heaviest weekend traffic. I i i 1 i i i» Your Northrup King man will know if Overseeder II is the right prescription for your course and your area. If it isn’t, he can recommend the appropriate overseeding formula, custom- blended by Northrup King to solve your and clubs. particular problem. Contact your Northrup King representa­ tive or distributor. He’ll gladly come out for a consultation. And once he gets finished with your course, don’t be surprised if he turns up again —with his golf shoes NORTHRUP KING CO. BOX 959 • MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55440 9 What happened to the “Coat and Tie”? The golf course Superintendents have just finished celebrating their 51st year as an association. They have come a long way since the days of the Greenkeeper. Theirs was a humble beginning. Most were farmers forced off their farms, relatively uneducated and mostly poor people, but proud of their profession. the Bo a rd of Directors voted to charge all golfers for dinner - even if you only played golf. Let’s all look like the professionals that we are and wear our coats and ties. Let’s honor the dreams of our early leaders. Four years ago, As the years passed, they kept for education which would striving help them do a better job for their clubs and perhaps gain a little more recognition. Along with this education, they began taking on a new image - that of a professional! This was accomp­ lished by presenting themselves as gentlemen simply by dressing properly, wearing a coat and tie! Before our members were allowed to use the Host Clubs’ facilities, they were requested to abide by that Club’s dress code. We have always attempted to honor this code. The last few meetings this summer we have embarrassed several of our gracious host Superintendents with our sloppy appearance. Many members have failed to wear coats and ties. cannot be This tolerated. Several in the state would not allow clubs their own members to dine without proper attire - why should we expect to be served when we, as guests, do not abide by their rules. Also, all prize winners had to be this rule should be present. Maybe enforced. It was noted recently that seven golfers failed to stay for dinner and when to be distributed, several winners had gone home. the p r i z e s were QUALITY OF WATER AFFECTS CHEMICALS Jim Latham, of the Mi lwa u k e e Sewage Commission, recently told us at our July meeting that some of our problems concerning chemicals could stem from the quality of water that we use. Have your water tested for hardness and ph. It could be revealing!!! Ponder this thought the next time in your maintenance building. Did you know that you can find whatever you want when you don’t need it by looking where it wouldn’t be if you did want it and needed it. ( Scotts) ProTurf Helping the superintendent through turf research... ■ Controlled Release Fertilizers ■ Fertilizer/Pesticide Combinations ■ Fungicides—Herbicides—Insecticides ■ Soil Testing-Weed & Disease Identification scotts • lely • gandy spreaders Finest quality turfgrass seed—Fairways • Greens • Tees • Roughs Scotts Windsor and Victa blends 10 Steve Dearborn Technical Representative 6152 Cold Spring Trails Grand Blanc, Mich. 48439 Telephone: 313/695-2738 TORO, worth more GROUNDSMASTER 72 Durability, versatility and top performance features make the Groundsmaster 72® worth more. WILKIE TURF Equipment Company P.O. BOX 749 • PONTIAC, MICHIGAN 48056 1050 OPDYKE ROAD • PHONE (313) 373-8800 11 the that value. But LIME Cont. neutralizing soil sample which you get back will usually be based on calcium carbonate which is 100 percent. If you use a lime source is 15 percent calcium carbonate equivalent you will need to increase the lime by about one-fourth to obtain the same activity on pH as you would get if you used pure calcium carbonate with a neutralizing value of 100. the this smaller limestone Dolomitic is a ground limestone which contains calcium and magnesium. Dolomitic limestone when finely ground is a good lime source. The lime particle, the faster the reaction time. One advantage of it does contain magnesium. But don’t hesitate to use calcitic lime as magnesium can be applied in a fertilizer. limestone Basic slag is a by-product of the industry. Slag is finely ground steel and readily available. It is a lime source very low in neutralizing value that is compared to the other sources, (50 to 70 percent) but basic slag contains several elements including magnesium which are important for turf growth. > slag also contains about 5 Basic percent phosphate, it can be purchased with 6 percent potash added if you need potash. In addition several other secondary and minor elements > are included in basic slag. and HOW DOES LIME WORK? to have soil particle when Soils are acid because the soil particles a negative charge. Positive charged elements are att­ racted these negatively charged soil particles. Hydrogen from water is the element which is in abundance on the is acid. When limed, positively charged calcium and sometimes mag­ nesium replace the hydrogen resulting1 in a soil particle with base or alkaline^ forming properties. This raises the pH as the displaced hydrogen combines? with oxygen to form water. soil is it a Continued on Next Pag« ARE YOU INTERESTED IN JOINING THE MICHIGAN AND BORDER CITIES GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION? BOB HOPE The Lochmoor Club 20740 Marter Road Grosse Pointe Woods, Mi. 48236 Off. 881-8112, Res. 884-8684 NAME OF I N T E R E S T E D PE RS O N D A T E MAILING A D D R E S S . C I T Y ___________________ Or you may contact the next g o lf course supplier who c a lls on you and give S T A T E . Z I P . him the information needed for appl¡cation. 12 LIME Cont. turf. You WILL LIME BURN THE GRASS? Some sources of lime do burn; nor­ mally the recommended rates, 25 to 75 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet, will not burn if you use the more common sources of lime, Burned lime or hydrated lime may burn or damage the should apply small amounts of these sources and water immediately after application. It is good practice to water after any lime source that is applied will remain on the leaves. This lime may burn, it may be lost when mowed, or it may interfere with the recreational activities - for which the turf is designed. DOES LIME MOVE? Once the lime makes contact with it moves very little. It is the soil doubtful that over a period of years, lime applied on the surface will move more than 2 to 3 inches deep, unless the soil is highly porous. The great majority of the lime will not even move that much. Therefore, on new turf plantings it is very important that the lime which will be needed be incor­ porated into the soil throughout the rooting depth. If you are establishing a new take a soil sample, determine the lime needs, and apply this lime prior to the last soil cultiva­ tion before planting. Once a turf is planted it is very difficult to get the lime deep enough to be effective in the flower root zone. turf area, USE IT IF YOU NEED IT is an Lime important fertilizer ) Lime nutrient. contains elements ' which are needed for plant growth and I lime has a neutralizing effect on acid soils. Raising the acid pH will help ‘ the other fertilizer that is applied be more available and make your grass I healthier. Take a soil sample, deter- I mine your needs, select a lime source I that you can apply, and begin a liming program. Lime will help “ wake up” much “ sleeping tu rf’ in the south. Much of this turf is sleeping because it is trying to grow in acid soils which Continued on Next Page Fungicides 3336 Turf Fungicide A broad spectrum systemic fungicide that prevents and controls all six major turf diseases. Bromosan Turf Fungicide The newest broad spectrum systemic fungicide for those persistent trouble areas. Spectro A combination contact and systemic which controls dollar spot, copper spot, brown patch, and leaf spot. • Caddy • PMAS (10%) •Cad-Trete •S p o tr ete Herbicides MCPP MCPP Plus 2,4-D Methar 8 0 Methar 3 0 AMA Plus 2,4-D AMA (Super Methar) Specialties All Wet Clear Spray Tru-Green G rass-Greenzit uMKLEmy CHEflUCftL •Granular Turf Fungicide C O R P O R A T IO N 1049 Somerset Street, Somerset, NJ 08873 (201) 247 8000____________ TURF SUPPLIES INC. 6900 Pardee Rd.,Taylor, Michigan (313) 291-1200 DON’T EVEN OF B U Y IN G .............. GRASS SEED FERTILIZERS FUNGICIDES WITHOUT CALLING 291-1200 TURF SUPPLIES INC. 6900 Pardee Rd.,Taylor, Michigan (313)291-1200 13 SHADE TREES NURSERY REDUCTION INVENTORY SALE - PERFECT SPECIMENS - EMERALD QUEEN MAPLES COLUMNAR MAPLES SUGAR MAPLES LOCUSTS 2" $20.00 20.00 20.00 2Vi " $25.00 25.00 25.00 29.00 BALLING, BURLAPPING & DELIVERY EXTRA HOWELL FARM NURSERY FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL Ward Swanson 357-4740 Bill Buettner (517) 546-8253 Are You A Golf Course Superintendent? By Marion E. Johnson, CGCS, Southern Turfgrass Association Are you a Golf Course Superinten­ dent? If so you should be able to lay out and direct the construction of greens, tees, and fairways; supervise the mowing, watering, and maintenance of tees, greens, fairways, and related areas; the planting, fertilizing, and maintenance of turf; supervise the operation of an equipment repair s u p p l i e s and materials within budgetary limitations; shop; order s u p e r v i s e LIME Cont. can be changed with good liming practices. REPRINT: Southern Turfgrass By: Dr. Hiram D. Palmertree Extension Agronomist Cooperative Ext. Ser. Mississippi State U. in a manner keep records of annual maintenance activities; be able to make an annual in detail every) budget and explain expenditure that club; officials can understand what they are? paying for; know what OSHA and EPI requires of you and keep your club informed about the new amendments) that affect your golf course and make your club aware that compliance of these Federal rules and regulation^ are mandatory. If you are a Golf Course superb tendent you must possess thorough* the construction anil knowledge of maintenance tee™ fairways and greens; of the production and maintenance of the types of tuiH used on golf courses; of the plantinaB Continued on Next PagH of golf course shrubs and fertilizers and Are You A Superintendent? Cont. cultivating, pruning and caring for "plants, trees; of the l characteristics and proper use of various soil condi­ tioners; of herbicides and pest control methods and materials; of drainage control methods; and of watering and ^irrigation including wells, a u t o m a t i c controls, pumps, ) know ledge of c o n s t r u c t i o n and maintenance of golf cart paths. systems, and If you are a Golf Course superin­ tendent you must have the ability to tees, fairways, greens and maintain A p p u r t e n a n c e s to an acceptable standard of golf course play, to plan, assign and direct the work of others; |to prepare clear and concise reports; to prepare annual budget estimates; 'and to maintain effective employee and ^public relations; and have a partici­ pating knowledge of golf. I Our profession is changing. A man who held t i t l e of golf course superintendent a few years ago needed the Botany, the knowledge of the average only farmer. Today, he must be grass in Horticulture, Aboriculture, trained Agronomy, L a n d s c a p e Architecture, Mechanics, Chemistry, Business Management, Engineering, Hydraulics, Psychology and Mathema­ tics. Sooner or later you are going to have to satisfy the most demanding golfers and this takes back-up with an adequate budget and education. Hence, well-manicured courses are rapidly becoming the rule rather than the exception. to produce results The Superintendent must take a more positive attitude toward require­ ments and qualifications and measure up in a very definite way. He must give evidence that he understands his profession or is making an effort to improve himself. Today’s Superintendent faced with meeting c o n t i n u o u s , major demands. He’s under pressure to innovate, to solve old problems in new Continued on Page 17 is FORE-PAR MANUFACTURING CHICOPEE MANUFACTURING CO. 3M ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCTS AGRICO FERTILIZERS FOX VALLEY MARKING SYSTEMS E. I. DUPONT ACTI-DIONE PRODUCTS VELSICOL CHEMICALS CONTAINER DEVELOPMENT CYCLONE SEEDER COMPANY MALLINCKRODT CHEMICALS „ 0\ ^ TURFGRASS, INC. Phone: Area 313 437-1427 15 LAKESHORE E Q U IP M E N T ft S U P P L Y CO . DISTRIBUTOR & FORMULATOR GRASS SEED - FERTILIZERS REPLACEMENT MOWER PARTS INSECTICIDES. FUNGICIDES-HERBICIDES REPLACEMENT TIRES LESCO Products P ric e Quotation On R equest CALL OUR NEW O FFIC E 300 So. Abbe Rd., Elyria, Ohio 44035 (216) 323-7544 MICHIGAN CUSTOMERS Call Toll Free: (800) 321-7423 FAIRWAY ROUGH GREENS & fëeftaOUttÿ PICKUP & DELIVERY TED MULCAHEY JOINS WILKIE \ TURF EQUIPMENT COMPANY To keep pace with rising Irrigation^ and Turf volume business Wilkie Turf < Equipment Company is pleased top announce that Edward F. MulcaheylJ has joined the firm July 18, 1977 as* Marketing Manager, Turf and Irrigation . Products. Prior to joining Wilkie Turf Equip­ ment Company, represented- O M SCOTT in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan from July, 1971 to July, 1976. From July, 1976 to July, 1977 he was Regional Manager (Central Region) is af graduate of the University of Rhode Island with a B S Degree in Agronomy.! Charles Kemp, who has been with) Wilkie Turf Equipment Company since 1973, has been named Manager, Irrigation Department. for O M SCOTT. He “ Ted” Kurt Kraly, who has represented Wilkie Turf Equipment Company id Turf Equipment sales has been pro moted to Manager, Golf Course and) Irrigation Contractor Sales. CALL COLLECT FOR FREE ESTIMATE CLASSIFIED ADS E S S E N ’ S OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT i nc 3365 Highland Rd. (M-59)-Highland Milford, Michigan 48042 (313) 887-1500 WANTED - Experienced small engine man for air-cooled engines and lawn & garden equipment. Write P.O. Box 625,» Birmingham, Michigan 48011, or cal) 647-7700. An Equal Opportunity Em­ ployer. No synthetically produced fertilizer can compare with MiLORGANiTE Golf Courses Use More M I LO R G A N It /Cv Than Any Other Fertilizer TERMINAL SALES CORR 12871 EATON AVE. DETROIT, MICH. 48227 (313) 491 -0606 16 Are You A Superintendent? Cont. ways. He is being forced to improve his skills. The way to improve our skills is to review the qualifications of the superintendent and spot our weak areas. The weak areas we spot may represent our toughest going. Face the facts frankly. These may be areas nn which we have the least natural proficiency, to work hard to improve. Or we may spot a weak area and find that this area is unde­ veloped simply because we never have worked at it sufficiently. In that case, ^improvement here may be essential in terms of personal growth and future advancement. so we’ll have Every superintendent must be well 'versed in the agronomic problems of turf-grass management. Attendance at the National, Regional, local meeting and short courses is the only way to keep abreast of developments. There is no substitute for factual knowledge. Each year a myriad of new fungi­ cides, herbicides, fertilizers and related products are put on the market. Research narrows these p r o d u c t s down for us and distributes this information. It is then up to the Superintendent to do some testing on his own golf course. Just because in one location, it isn’t necessarily going to work well on your course. something works insecticides, investigates Research is the systematic search for the truth. Vast amounts of money are wasted on golf courses each year using products that their worth is not proven. Research the problems of grass culture and distri­ butes the information obtained through turf conferences. It is through these conferences the Superintendent meets and compares notes on techniques, ideas and problems. superintendents other that Golf Clubs should insist that their Superintendent attend these educational conferences. I don’t think any club, no matter how large or small, can afford Continued on Next Page Keep your water hazards the way you designed them. Stop erosion and rodent burrows with Foster steel sheet piling. Foster sheet piling, in stream and hazard banks, stops destructive rodent burrows, halts costly soil erosion and simplifies maintenance. For more information on Foster sheet piling, contact your nearest L. B. Foster office, listed in the Yellow Pages under “ Piling.” FO STER L.B.FOSTER COMPANY 17 WpVp the WATER MOVING SPECIALISTS ... and we’ll help you put it all together An engineering staff to consult with you on irrigation systems design & specifications, and budget estimates. The largest selection & stock in the midwest: PIPE & FITTINGS: PVC «Sewer & Drain (Corr.) Polyethylene «Galvanized Copper «Aluminum Pressure Reg. Valves «Elec. Valves Pressure & Flow Switches Controllers PUMPS & PUMPING STATIONS EXCLUSIVE FRANCHISED DISTRIBUTOR RAIIMBIRD NELSON SAFE-T-LAW N/MOODY |nTi1rmrrpain ain* WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS 3890 W. 11 Mile Rd„ Berkley, Mich. 48072 (313) 543-7730 22159 Telegraph, Southfield, Mich. 48075 (313) 358-2992 341 Lively Blvd., Elk Grove Vill., III. 60007 (312) 640-6660 Are You A Superintendent? Cont not should be budget. to send him. This expenditure in every course included it While the superintendent personally benefits by the acquisition of more knowledge and through a broadening awareness of new information and is his club or turf' techniques, facility that is the real beneficiary It is the cheapest insurance a club can buy to keep up to date on rapidly moving new developments in machinery chemicals and techniques that keep today’s golf courses the finest in the world for the world’s most demanding golfers. As this year is coming to an end. look back and see how many turfgrass conferences you have attended and. ask yourself, “ Have I done my best?” After reviewing the above qualifi­ cations and requirements of a golf course s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , can you truthfully claim the title, Golf Course Superintendent? DO YOU KNOW YOUR PEATS? 1. Raw peat— obtained from the top of a bog. It is brown in colour and quite fibrous. It is difficult toy mix with soil unless shredded first. 2. Cultivated peat— same material as raw peat bull some decomposition has taken place. It is the next layer in the bog. It usually does not require shred­ ding and mixes well with soil. 3. Black muck— obtained from the bottom of a bog! It is greatly decomposed and does little to improve? soil texture. It is dark brown to black in colour and has little or no fibres. Not recommended for top-* dressing. 4. Moss peat—this is sphagnum peat. It is difficult to( mix in soil and is inferior to the raw and cultivated peat. 5. Sedimentary peat—sediment developed on the bot­ tom of a pond. It is also termed black muck and has* no use in golf course maintenance. Raw and cultivated peats come under the category of| woody peat which is derived from roots, stems and? branches of trees and shrubs. Sphagnum peat comes under the category of fibrous’ moss which is derived mainly from sedges and mossj Sedimentary peat is derived from such plants as water* lilies, water hyacinths and cattails. When preparing a top dressing mixture try and com­ post it for two months. This will prevent floating out of the peat when spread. 1* The New 'Turf-Bio fromTurf-Vac - f Now there’s a fairway blower that is completely self-contained. A unit that can be towed by any vehicle from a tractor to a pickup truck because no power takeoff is required. Even though the Turf-Vac *Turf-Blo is compact and light weight, it delivers a tremendous stream of air. A stream that can be quickly deflected from side to side without moving from a tractor seat! H igh flotation pneumatic tires reduce tire marking, heavy duty blower features the same engineering know-how that goes into every Turf-Vac product. Contact us or your nearest Turf- Turf-Vac distributor for a demon­ stration. And, ask about the Turf-Vac sweeper line. They’re great companion pieces to the all-new Turf-Vac *Turf-Blo. 'Patent applied for General Specifications: Engine: 12 HP Tires: 13 x 6/5 x 6 low pressure Frame: 3" 4.1 channel Turbine: Abrasive resistant steel, direct engine drive. Air direction: Blows from either side. Controlled by lever. Height: 36" Length: 51" Width: 42" Shipping Weight: 450 pounds Accessories: Electric start, battery. TURF-VAC A Division of TSI, inc. 1717 Four Mile Road, N.E. Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 (616) 364-8441 or 3640719 LAWN EQUIPMENT CORPORATION 520 W. 11 MILE ROAD ROYAL OAK, MICH. 48068 TELEPHONE: (313) 398-3636 19 MODEL PULL BEHIND SWEEPER Sweeping Width Pick-Up Frame Hopper 60 in. Mechanical, 2 reels-counter-rotating rubber fingers. Rugged angular steel, all welded joints. Hinged to power head, angular steel frame, galvanized steel skin riveted to frame. Capacity......................................................................................................................... 5 cu. yds. Dumping Self dumping, activated by three point hitch. Bearings Sealed and self-aligning. Gear Box Heavy duty, 45 hp. Universals Heavy duty. Drive to Reels...................................................................................Chain (60) runs in lubricant. Reel Timing Chain: connects reels for counter-rotating interlocking feature. Wheels Castor type—rear. Tires Pneumatic, 16 x 6.50—8 (2). Hitch 3 point, standard tractor hook up. Height Adjustment Pre-set at factory, for other than normal conditions skid shoes can be raised or lowered. For fine adjustment (0-% in.) use adjustable top link on 3 point hitch. h OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT: Thatcher-Thinner Front Rear Roller Attachment Replaces standard skid shoes. Curb Broom Bag Attachment Replaces hopper, (factory installed) material is collected in burlap bag. Capacity: 17? cu. yds. W.F. Miller Equipment Company 1593 S. WOODWARD AVE. BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN 48011 TELEPHONE: (313) 647-7700 "A Patch of Green" 31 823 UTI CA ROAD F R A S E R , MICHIGAN 4 80 26 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY - SERIALS EAST LANSING, MICII. 48323