Vol. I I, No. 18

Published monthly by the Metropolitan Golf Course Superintendents Association

MEETING NOTICE
General Business Meeting
Date: February 22nd
Place: Teddy’s Steak House
Central Avenue, Scarsdale
Time: 12:30 Luncheon and meeting
Coming Events:
January 7-12 GCSAA Conference and Show
Boston, Mass.
January 17-19 Golf and Fine Turf Conference
Rutgers University (Ramada Inn)
January 26
USGA Green Section Conference
Biltmore Hotel, N.Y.
Membership Committee—
The following members have been approved by the executive
board.
John L. Hunt
Class A
Spook Rock G. C.
Joseph Alonzi
Class B
Burning Tree C.C.
Voting Delegate for the Metropolitan Golf Course
Superintendents Association is Ron Boydston. A Caucus will
be called at the National Conference in Boston, probably on
Tuesday.
At the annual meeting the election results are as follows:
Harry Nichol
President
Garry Crothers
1st Vice President
Edward Horton
2nd Vice President
Richard Allen
Secretary
Robert Alonzi
Treasurer
Anthony Altamaro
Sergeant at Arms
Robert Bruce
Board of Directors:
Ron Boydston
John Traynor
President Harry Nichol has made the following appoint­
ments for Committee Chairmen for 1973.
Internal Affairs
Program
Welfare
Golf
Christmas Party
External Affairs
Tee to Green and
Communications
Field Day
Scholarship and Research
Publicity

1st V. P. Garry Crothers
Garry Crothers
Gus Powell
Robert Bruce
Everett Wood
2nd V. P. Edward Horton
Edward Horton
Allan Tretara
Ron Boydston
John Sundholm

January, 1973

MGCSA News:
Hats off to John Sundholm and Committee for a wonderful
Christmas Party. Everything went very smoothly. Ted Horton,
of course, won two door prizes. Joe Camberato had some
beautiful decorations throughout the beautiful old club house,
including a big spruce Christmas tree. The ladies admired the
many antiques in the clubhouse. They certainly don’t build
clubhouses like that today.
At the annual meeting it was voted by the membership t(
donate $500. to Rutgers for the bent grass research project
Thanks again to Anthony Unbanowicz for obtaining Lake Isl*
C. C. for the annual meeting.
Magovern Company has finally made the move t<
Westchester and now are located on MacDonald Avenue ii
Armonk, next to Armonk Lumber Co.
It looks like a repeat performance of old man weather fo:
this winter, just like last year, mild and wet. We certainly wisl
we could pipe about 20” of excess rain to drier parts of th<
USA.
Those that attended the recent GCSAA Management
Seminar really expressed great satisfaction in the first GCSAA
Seminar. We only hope there will be many more to come as the
first one certainly gave some closer insight to a club’s overall
operation, especially in regard to financial statements. There
were also some excellent group discussions regarding various;
simulated problems. Since the group was from the whole
Northeast, you certainly could see the different view points
come into play. Metropolitan, Connecticut, New Jersey and
Long Island were all well represented.
The USGA Green Section Record has an excellent article by
Dr. James Beard of Michigan State University, Ten Years o f
Research on Winter Injury on Golf Courses: Causes and
Prevention which we have printed in this issue of Tee to Green,
Winged Foot Golf Club had a fire which destroyed the new
dining addition put on just a few years ago. Everybody was
evacuated in time from the rooms above which was fortunate
since it started between 6 and 7 AM.
All three Presidents from adjoining associations are also
members of Metropolitan for 1973 — Skip Cameron, New
Jersey; Mel Lucas, Jr., Long Island; and Jerry Scafa, Hudson
Valley. This should mean better and more communication and
hopefully we can eliminate conflicting meeting dates.
Position Wanted: Assistant Golf Course Superintendent
Michael T. Hess
Hawley, PA
Hemlock Farms
Phone: (717) 775-6215
Graduates from Penn State’s 2 year Turf
Management course, March 15, 1973
Resume available from Tee to Green Editor
Rome, NY 13440
Mr. Larry Ehlinges
Phone: (315) 337-1238
6747 Williams Road

Editorial Staff
Garry Crothers
Pat Lucas
A1 Tretera

Co-Editor
Co-Editor
Advertising Manager
OFFICERS

President:
First Vice
President:
Second Vice
President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Sergeant at
Arms:

Harry H. Nichol, Elmwood C.C.
Office 914-592-6608, Home 914-472-0174
Garry N. Crothers, Apawamis Club
Office 914-967-2100, Home 914-234-3770
Edward C. Horton, Winged Foot Golf Club
Office 914-698-2827, Home 914-937-3613
Richard Allen, Sunningdale C.C.
Office 914-723-3200, Home 914-723-8097
Robert Alonzi, Burning Tree C.C.
Office 203-869-5779, Home 914-937-1527
Anthony Altamaro, Greenwich C.C.
Office 203-869-1000, Home 203-661-7019

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Office 914-472-1467
Home 914-241-2169
Office 914-631-4560
John Sundholm, Green Rock Corp.
Home 914-631-4458
Office 203-869-2350
Gus Powell, Round Hill Club, Inc.
Home 203-531-5826
Office 914-669-5959
Robert Bruce, Salem Golf Club
Home 914-669-5012
Office 914-359-5346
Ron Boydston, Rockland C.C.
Home 914-359-2910
Office 516-295-2500
John Traynor, Woodmere C.C.
Home 516-295-3855
Past President: Everett Wood, Scarsdale C.C.
Office 914-723-2840

Allan Tretera, Fenway Golf Club

Not copyrighted. I f there is good here, we want to share it with
all chapters - unless author states otherwise.
TEN YEARS OF RESEARCH ON WINTER INJU RY ON
GOLF CO URSES; CA USES AND PREVENTION
By Dr. James B. Beard, Michigan State University
Winter injury of turf is difficult to understand because it re­
sults from the interaction of a number of environmental, soil,
and cultural factors. Before a golf course superintendent can
initiate the appropriate cultural program to prevent winter in­
jury, he must determine the particular type or types of winter in­
jury that occur most frequently at various locations on the golf
course. This involves a study of the particular symptoms, in­
cluding time of occurrence, soil type, topography, drainage
characteristics, traffic patterns, and the probability of environ­
mental stress. Such information is assembled over a period of
years, and a specific program is established on the golf course in
order to minimize the probability of winter injury.
CAUSES OF WINTER INJURY
The four major types of turfgrass winter injury that most
commonly occur are presented in Table 1, along with the
symptoms and causes of injury. This information has been
assembled over a 10-year period of extensive research at

Michigan State University. The major types of winter injury
are:
Desiccation
Direct low temperature kill
Low temperature diseases
Traffic effects.
Note that ice sheet damage caused by oxygen suffocation or
toxic gas accumulations underneath an ice cover are not listed.
Detailed investigations at Michigan State University indicate
that this type of winter injury rarely occurs. This is in contrast
to the many articles by individuals indicating that this is a
serious problem. Unfortunately, these earlier writers had
essentially no information on which to base their comments
other than data from research with alfalfa. The winter injury
most commonly associated with extended periods of ice
coverage occurs during freezing or thawing periods when
standing water increases the crown tissue hydration and
subsequent injury of the turfgrass plants when temperatures
drop rapidly below 20° F.
PREVENTING WINTER INJU RY
Cultural steps can be taken to minimize the potential for in­
jury in the future once the cause or causes of winter injury on
specific turfgrass areas on the golf course have been
established. The first prerequisite in minimizing all types of
winter injury is a healthy turf with adequate carbohydrate
reserves and recuperative potential. This phase of winter injury
prevention is accomplished during the normal growing season,
particularly in the late summer—early fall period. Practices to
prevent or at least minimize the potential for turfgrass winter
injury can be divided into cultural practices, soil management,
and specific winter protectants.
The specific practices utilized in each of these categories are
are summarized in Table 2. It should be noted that a number
of them apply to more than one type of winter injury. In some
cases, the practice that is effective in preventing one type of
winter injury will actually increase the probability of damage
from another type. For example, snow covers or winter
protection covers used to prevent winter desiccation will also
maintain temperatures near 32° F which will enhance the
probability of snow mold disease activity. This means that
when such a practice is in use, steps should also be taken to
apply a preventive snow mold fungicide application to the
turfgrass area prior to installing the winter protection cover.
From a cultural standpoint, the proper control of plant and
soil water relations is the most critical factor affecting all
phases of turfgrass winter injury. Techniques to adjust the
soil-water status must be achieved during the summer period.
Finally, it is quite obvious that selection and planting of the
appropriate turfgrass species and cultivar can be critical in
minimizing the degree of turfgrass injury that may occur.
Annual bluegrass is very prone to all types of winter injury.
The bentgrasses are considerably less susceptible to injury, and
also have a greater recuperative potential from existing
vegetative plant parts.
IN SUM M ARY: This article gives a brief summary of a
great deal of research conducted at Michigan State University
over the past 10 years. Portions of it were supported by the
U.S.G.A. Green Section Research and Education Fund.

THE A
U
TH
O
R;D
r. James B. Beard is a Professor o f Turfgrass Science in the department o f crop and soil sciences at
Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich. 48823. He has '
conducted pioneering research in all phases o f turfgrass winter
injury. In 1971 he was the youngest recipient ever selected to
receive the highest honor o f Fellow in the American Society o f
Agronomy. He has authored a new textbook entitled I
“Turfgrass: Science and Culture” published by Prentice-Hall i
o f Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Table 2. Practices available to minimize w inter injury on golf course turf
.
ly p e o t
winter injury
A.

Practices that minimize injury
Turfgrass cultural

Specific
Soil management

M oderate nitrogen n u tri­
tio n a l levels.

Do not core in late fa ll and
leave the holes open.

Turfgrass species
most commonly
protectants

affected

Desiccation:
(1) Atm osphere

E lim in a tio n o f any thatch
problem .

Conwed W inter
P rotection Blanket

Annual bluegrass

Polyethylene
(4-6 m il)
Saran Shade C loth
(94%)
Topdressing (0.4 y d 3/
1,000 sq. ft.)
Windbreaks such as snow
fence, brush, or ornam ental
tree and shrub plantings.
Natural organic mulches.

(2) Soil

M oderate nitrogen n u tri­
tio n a l levels.

(Same as above)

(Same as above)

Rapid surface drainage by
proper contours, open
catch basins, and ditches.

Conwed W inter
P rotection Cover

Annual bluegrass

Irrig a tio n or hauling o f w ater
to critica l turfgrass areas.
B.

Direct low
temperature
kill

M oderate nitrogen n u tri­
tio n a l levels.
High potassium n u tritio n a l
levels.
Higher cu ttin g heights.
E lim in a tio n of any thatch
problem .

C.

Adequate subsurface d ra in ­
age by drain tile , soil m o d i­
fic a tio n w ith coarse te xtu re d
m aterials, slit trenches, and
d ry wells.

Soil R etention Mat

Bermudagrass
Annual bluegras:
Red fescue

Enhancing a snow cover
w ith snow fence or brush.
Natural organic mulches such
as straw.

Avoidance o f excessive
irrig a tio n .

C u ltiva tio n , especially coring
and slicing, when com paction
is a problem .

Soil warm ing by e le c tric ity .

Moderate nitrogen n u tri­
tional levels.

A voiding neutral to alkaline
soil pH's

Cadmiums

Annual bluegras;

Benom yl

Bentgrass

Low temperature
diseases:
(1) Fusarium patch

High potassium and iron
n u tritio n a l levels.

Daconil
Mercuries

M oderate to low c u ttin g
heights.
E lim in a tio n of any thatch
problem .
(2) Spring dead spot

(3) Typhula b lig h t

«
Nabam, tim e the applica­
tions to be present when
soil temperatures are
below 5 0 °F and the soil
is w ater saturated.

Bermudagrass

Provide good surface and
subsurface drainage.

Cadmiums

Annual bluegrass

Chloroneb

Bentgrass

C ultivate when com paction
is a problem .

Mercuries

A void excessive w in te r
irrig a tio n .

Provide good surface and
subsurface drainage.

E lim in a tio n of any thatch
problem .

C ultivate when com paction
is a problem .

Moderate nitrogen n u tri­
tio n a l levels.
Moderate to low cu ttin g
heights.
E lim in a tio n of any thatch
problem .

(4) W inter crow n
ro t
D.

E lim in a tio n o f any thatch
problem .

M ercuric chloride
(2 applications)

A p p ly a lig h t a p p lication
o f w ater in early m orning;
this is m ost effective when
the soil is n o t frozen and
the air temperatures are
above freezing.

W ithhold or divert tra ffic
from turfgrass areas during
periods when the leaf and
stem tissues are frozen.

Annual bluegrass
Bentgrass

Traffic:
(1) On frozen
turfgrass
leaves

(2) On w et, slush
covered tu rf

W ithhold tra ffic on turfgrass
areas during w et, slushy con­
ditio n s, especially if a drastic
freeze is anticipated.

Annual bluegrass

Table 1. Types, symptoms, and causes o j w inter injury that most commonly occur on golf course turf
Cause of injury
Type of winter injury

External forces

Internal plant effects

Desiccation:

A.

(1) A tm o s p h e ric

Leaves tu rn d is tin c tly w h ite b u t
rem ain e re ct; occurs m ost c o m m o n ly
on h igher lo c a tio n s th a t are m ore
exposed to d ry in g w in d s ; can range
fro m sm all irre g u la r patches to e x te n ­
sive k ill o f large areas.

A d ry in g a tm o sp h e ric e n v iro n m e n t
in c lu d in g high w in d s and lo w relative
h u m id ity ; in a d d itio n , soil w a te r
a b s o rp tio n is reduced at lo w te m p e r­
atures or m ay be in o p e ra tive because
th e soil is fro ze n .

D e sicca tio n o f th e p la n t causes
shrinkage and collapse o f th e
p ro to p la sm th a t results in m e­
chanical damage and death.

(2) S o il

Leaves tu rn d is tin c tly w h ite and are
sem i-erect; th e tissues in c lu d in g the
c ro w n are ve ry d ry ; c o m m o n ly occurs
in a m ore extensive p a tte rn over the
t u r f than does a tm o sp h e ric d e sicca tio n.

E xte n d e d periods o f soil d ro u g h t due
to a d ry in g a tm o sp h e ric e n v iro n m e n t
and lack o f p re c ip ita tio n o r irrig a tio n .

(Same as above)

Leaves in itia lly appear w a ter-soaked,
tu rn in g w h itis h -b ro w n and progressing
to a d a rk b ro w n ; th e leaves are lim p
and tend to lay as a m at over th e soil;
a d is tin c t, p u trid o d o r is fre q u e n tly
e v id e n t; occurs m ost c o m m o n ly in
p o o rly dra in e d areas such as soil de­
pressions; fre q u e n tly appear as large,
irre g u la r patches.

A rap id decrease in te m p e ra tu re ,
p a rtic u la rly the adjacent soil te m p e r­
a tu re ; k ill m ost c o m m o n ly occurs at
soil te m p e ra tu re s b e lo w 20 F d u rin g
the late w in te r —e a rly spring freezing
and th a w in g periods; m ay be associated
w ith th a w in g o f an ice cover th a t occurs
fro m u n d ern e a th.

Large ice crystals fo rm w ith in
the p la n t tissues causing mechar
ical d e s tru c tio n o f th e fro z e n ,
b r ittle p ro to p la s m ; th e h igher t!
w a te r c o n te n t o f th e tissue, the
larger th e ice crystals and the
m ore severe the k ill.

(1) Fusarium patch
(p in k snow m o ld )

P in k m y c e liu m on leaves; 1 to 2 in ch ,
tan, c irc u la r patches; o r w h ite m yce ­
lial mass on leaves, w h ite to p in k
c irc u la r patches up to 2 feet in
d ia m e te r.

Fusarium niva/e; favored by turfgrass
te m p e ra tu re s o f 32 to 4 0 ° F and m o ist
c o n d itio n s .

Parasitic a c tio n .

(2) S pring dead spot

Appears in th e spring as irre g u la r,
c irc u la r dead spots o f up to 3 feet
in d ia m e te r; shoots, rhizom e s, stolons,
and ro o ts w ith in the spot w ill be
k ille d ; a ffe cte d spots c o m m o n ly re­
o ccu r in the same lo c a tio n each year
and m ay g ra d u a lly enlarge.

Causal organism has n o t been id e n ti­
fie d ; favored by turfgrass te m p e ra tu re s
b e lo w 5 0 °F and w e t c o n d itio n s .

U nknow n

L ig h t gray m y c e liu m on leaves,
e specially at the m argins o f the ad-t
vancing rin g ; w h itis h -g ra y , slim y ,
c irc u la r patches o f up to 2 fe e t
in d ia m e te r; b ro w n scle rotia are
em bedded in th e leaves and crow ns,
ranging up to 1 /8 inch in d ia m e te r.

Typhu/a i to ana, T.
idahoenis, o r T.
ishikariensis; favored by turfgrass

Parasitic a c tio n .

L ig h t gray, m atte d m ycelia l g ro w th
m ay be e vid e n t on the leaves; irre g u la r
shaped patches in itia lly appear y e llo w
and g ra d u a lly d e te rio ra te to a straw
c o lo r; in d iv id u a l patches up to 1 fo o t
in d ia m e te r m ay coalesce causing
damage over a large area.

U n id e n tifie d lo w te m p e ra tu re Basidio m ycte ; favored by turfgrass te m ­

(1) On fro z e n turfgrass
leaves

E re ct, w h ite to lig h t-ta n dead leaves
appearing in th e shape o f th e f o o t ­
p rin ts o r wheels w here th e y have been
im pressed o n to the t u r f.

Pressure o f the tr a ffic (shoes or
wheels) on th e rig id , fro ze n tissues;
the p ro b le m m ost c o m m o n ly occurs
d u rin g the e arly m o rn in g hours.

D is ru p tio n o f the fro z e n , b rittle
p ro to p la sm th a t has ice crystals
su rro u n d in g and e xte n d in g in to

(2) On w e t, slush
covered tu rfs

Leaves in itia lly appear w ater-soaked
tu rn in g w h itis h -b ro w n and progressing
to a d a rk b ro w n ; th e leaves are lim p
and te n d to lay as a m at over th e so il;
appears in irre g u la r shapes associated
w ith previous p a ttern s o f co n ce ntra te d
tr a ffic ; soil r u ttin g m ay also be e vid e n t.

S now cover thaw s to a slushy c o n d i­
tio n causing increased h y d ra tio n o f
the turfgrass crow ns; tr a ffic , in clu d in g
sn o w m o b ile s, fo rce the w e t slush in to
in tim a te c o n ta c t w ith the turfgrass
crow ns; k ill m ost c o m m o n ly occurs
if th is event is fo llo w e d by a decrease
in te m p e ra tu re to b e lo w 2 0 °F .

N o t c o m p le te ly u n d e rs to o d , bu
related to the d ire c t lo w tem pe
k ill m echanism .

B.

Direct low
temperature kill

C.

Low temperature
diseases:

(3)

Typhu/a b lig h t
(gray snow m o ld )

(4) W in te r c ro w n ro t

D.

Symptoms

tem p e ra tu re s o f 32 to 4 0 ° F , especially
un d er an ice cover o r d u rin g its th a w .

peratures o f 28 to 3 2 °F ., especially
under a snow cover.

In ju ry results fro m h ydrogen
cya n id e gas p ro d u ce d by the sap
p h y tic fungus; subsequently the
fungus invades the host p la n t.

Traffic:

?

JAN ír /2

vJ^ÄPOSiAG f :

.0 8

Richard C. Allen, Secretary
126 Underhill Road
Scarsdale, New Y ork 10583

First Class

MELVIN 8 LUCAS UR
A
GARDEN CITY GOLF CLUd
315 STEWART AVE
GARDEN CITY NY 11530

METRO MILORGANITE INC.
P.O. Box 267
Hawthorne, N.Y. 10532
Tel. (914) 769-7600

Best Wishes
for
a Prosperous
1973
John and Tony