Western Director "Weút&w '7u*¿lette>i Vol. 2 No. 6 November-December 1954 turf PROGRESSIVE SUPERINTENDENTS MAKE' THEIR OWN HAPPY HOLIDAYS At the start of the holiday season our progressive superintendents gave thanks on November 25 for a successful year. On December 25 they in the form of more where-with-all to look forward to Santa*s presents job, and by January 1 their resolution for do a better maintenance to further enhance the golfer's enjoyment of his game will better into a turf For such a have been incorporated superintendent satisfactory holiday season to be forthcoming, long ago escaped from the realm of wishful desire. To do this he embarked on a program of advance planning, supported by accurate and demonstrations, ment jobs were necessary; work; and what it would cost the club to do the Club Officials* Viewpoint to show his club officials why certain improvement program. the wise to be expected from suggested the results records turf manage- job. like Running a golf plant is indeed big business. When one considers the restaurant, bar, pool, and building up- the Thus, club officials must run clubhouse facilities keep and repair, as well as the golf course proper, appreciate that the individual club operation is far average size business things on a business course proper as a savings bank but they are entitled funds are properly expended, and they must have justification before they can approve of new projects. realize their clubs f u ll dollar value by showing "why this fact, and give it should be done and what it will cost". in If your club doesn't f a ll this category it may, in the words of the old adage, be "penny wise and pound foolish". it larger They should never consider to see Progressive superintendents in the country. like basis. to than the that is easy According to Taylor Boyd, Superintendent, Camargo Club, Madeira, jobs, but in addition will Ohio, accurate records not only will give the superintendent useful ammunition to show the need for maintenance show the superintendent where he can get more productive work from his present This, of course, has been the history of the value of record keeping since labor force. immemorial. time The Golfer Has The Last Word it In the final analysis is the individual dues or fee paying golfer that has the last word to say when it comes to budget matters. No golfer, whether he spends $10 or $50 a month for the pleasure of playing the game, enjoys seeing an increase in expenditures without knowing what benefits will be derived therefrom. At almost any club to ask for and receive (without justification) a it is impossible the budget increase in order the golfer in a defensive greens. Such a request reason- attitude and temporarily, at ably good even though deep in his heart he knows they are actually abominable least, h0 feels that throughout much of the playing season. to, say, immediately places like the tees are the teeing areas treat The progressive superintendents answer to this quite natural feeling on the part of all golfers is not to sit back and wish for strive more help or additional f e r t i l i z e r, but rather for what he needs. The ideal way to accomplish this end is realize the golfers, will always have an "I'm from Missouri - that our bosses, show me" attitude. As an example, is doubtful if any of us would be driving our present car on the say so of the manufacturer. We had to talk about i t, drive to part with our hard earned cash. In the same manner golfers will buy a turf what can be accomplished. Demonstration Yforked on Tees — Northern California improvement program once they have been shown through demonstration it and see it before we made up our minds to aggressively to it than in shaggy grass, and noticed Art Bell, Golf Professional, California Golf Club, tees. As a good golfer Art much preferred to the result long has the Green Section in their dislike of high-cut and tee that members In that teeing areas were extremely poor. lowered fert- that tree root competition, and concurred with under-fertilized up on bare ground rather did the same with cooperation with Duke Duchi, Golf Course Superintendent, they the height-of-cut to about 3/8-inch and carried on a stronger ilizing program. The results have generated so much enthusiasm it to mow tees with green mowers, eliminate establish a nursery of an improved vigorous bentgrass in 1955. Demonstration Worked on Fairways — Southern California is now well within the realm of possibility for California Golf Club to repair divots to At Los Angeles Country Club golfers for many years objected their combination weedy turf of crabgrass for summer play and fennel, daisy and dichondra to shoot from during the winter months. Even though player complaints were frequent and vociferous nothing was appropriated on the budget to correct Golf Course Superintendent, established one acre tests plots on a typical fairway area using recognized herbicides followed by fertilizer to strengthen the desired turf species. This demonstration convinced the membership what could be accomplished, and Bill was given the green light to proceed on an over all fairway improvement program. the condition until Bill Beresford, 26TH NATIONAL TURFGRASS CONFERENCE While on the subject of budgets, we feel it worthwhile their superintendents are kept abreast of the mention a general inertia on the part of most western clubs to see that latest develop- is ments in the field of golf unfortunate because it is to budget sufficient funds to assure their superintendents attendance at turfgrass conferences» turfgrass management. This indeed the club -that suffers from failure to On January 16 through 21^ 1955„ the Golf Course Superintendents the Hotel Jefferson in St» Louis. Association of America is holding its 26th National Turfgrass Conference and Show at Ihe entire week will be devoted to attending the field of turfgrass management, exhibits, and visiting golf courses, in meeting is turf strictly a£ rb applies represented benefits directly from its activities. inspecting machinery and educational This GCSA annual the country that is concerned with to golf. Thus, a golfer from any club the only conference in lectures covering the area. The Green Section's Regional Directors always attend, partic- ipate on the program and have an educational exhibit at conference. amply repaid in better Ihe clubs that send their superintendents will be turf for better golf in 1955. DOES IMPROVING YOUR LIE HELP THE TURF? the national It is not in our province to say whether or not some winter rules help the golfer, although we would imagine that a critical study on the subject might indicate lie" would Ihe f a il IJSGA, of course, does not recognize travels we find that many clubs employ it with the thought in mind that direct benefit will accrue that "improving your this winter rule, and in our lowering of the golfer's handicap. to show a significant to saving the turf. In the words of Mr. R. S. Tufts, Vice-President, USGA, and rules President of Pinehurst, Inc., "We have the feeling that winter in the player picking out the best piece of turf and cutting result taken the divot had been it to pieces, which does more damage than if that on certain days where his ball winter rules may help to preserve the course, and that the opinion the golf course superintendent should always be carefully considered. lies". Mr. Tufts goes on to state The Green Section believes turf is worth mentioning. Quite a few courses, where golf to post a winter the played as a year around game, make it a habit sign on #1 tee for as long as four months during the year. cannot be sanctioned the basic concept of "playing this slant on possible harm to is rule This to to save the turf, and certainly is contrary the ball as it that lies". TO SAVE WATER - STOP LEAKS "Water leaking from a faucet in a stream the size of a common pin wastes 150 gallons a day. A leak of one drop per second wastes four gallons per day". From Timely Turf Topics - August 1942. VAUEY PRESS 707 2nd 5tre«t Davis, Calif. This Is Your . __ • J ' *We4t&iit USGA Green Section Sec. 34.66 P.L.&R. U. S. POSTAGE mc PAID Davis, California Permit No. 23 lì o er ttr. 0. J. Mi 1 waukee Sewerage Jones Milwaukee, Wis. Island 'omission