WESTERN OFFICE 13267 Verano Garden Grove, California WM. H. BENGEYFIELD Western Director Kellogg 2-2935 • W e s t e rn Turf l e t t er • Vol. 7 No. 1 January - February 1958 G E T T I NG Y O UR M O N E Y 'S W O R TH About the only tool or piece of equipment one can afford to buy these days and then not use, is a fire extinguisher. Few professional turfmen would think of buying a tractor (or any other useful tool) and just put it aside and not use it all year. When your club subscribed to the Green Section's Regional Turf Service (RTS) program, it bought an interest in maintaining a golfing turfgrass advisory office in your region. Potentially, this office can be your most valuable turf maintenance tool. But, like any other tool, it must be used if you are to benefit most. The more you use i t, the more valu- able it will become to you. Let's look at this program and see how you may use it more ef- fectively: How you may get more than your money's worth. The V i s i t: "Think Through - Then Follow Through11 is good advice, whether applied to l i f e, golf, checkers or turf. An important way to use your RTS v i s it is as an aid to the "Thinking Through" process. One superintendent has called the v i s it "the best way I know of to keep my thinking on the right track." Of course all of the discussions, suggestions and recommenda- tions in the xtforld are worthless unless they are actually put to u s e. If you never try a new idea, you'll never know if it had value. The RTS v i s it can greatly help with the "Think- ing Through," the "Follow Through" must be up to you. We believe every professional Golf Course Superintendent should have a definite pro- gram of turf improvement outlined for his course. If you have reached the point where no further improvement is possible read no further. Chances are, however, you're with most of us who are still struggling down the road toward the millennium of trouble free turf. In this struggle, nothing can be more defeating to you as a superintendent or to your golf course's future than by repeating "Last Year's Maintenance Program." No one makes progress - either professionally or economically - by standing s t i l l. Try a new approach in 1958: try different fertilization techniques; try raising the yearly nitrogen level; try light but frequent nitrogen summer feeding of greens; try new watering methods; try some of the better bentgrasses and bermudas; try iron applications for chlorosis; try lowering phosphorous levels on your greens. Try a new approach and use your RTS v i s it in planning and discussing the new approach. We believe it will work'. J The v i s it is intended to be a consultation, not an inspection. One way of getting more out of each v i s it is by jotting down a l i st of questions on problems that, from time to time, have presented themselves. It does mean that you are taking full advantage of u s. Each year new s c i e n t i f ic information supplants or supplements the o l d; new methods and new practices should be adopted. Perhaps research has uncovered new information on the very problem that faced you. Keeping up to date on research is also part of the RTS v i s i t. Such a l i st does not mean that you do not have the answers. V i s i ts cost money1. They can be a valuable tool and should be used for a ll they are worth. They are the backbone of Regional Turf Service. The Report: Long have we wondered how often the Report of the V i s i t1 is read. Actually, the report is important and can act as a permanent historical record of the problems and progress your course has made. Many times a Report has strengthened the hand of the Superintendent or Green Chairman when he went before the Board. authoritative, impartial, scientific agency that is constantly at work, solely in the inter- est of better golfing t u r f. In the Report you have the opinion of an Research: If "The V i s i t" is the backbone of RTS, then "Research" is the h e a r t. Behind the pro- gram of direct v i s i ts to USGA courses stands Research. Knowledge flows from it unendingly. This year the Green Section is dispersing its own and National Golf Foundation funds for $ 1 6 , 0 0 0. for turf research. This money w i ll support studies on carbohydrate nutrition of bentgrass, soil mixtures, goose grass control, nematode studies, bentgrass selections and evaluations, non-stoloniferous bent strains for fairway use and many general turf support programs. In the west, Dr. C. J. Gould, Western Washington Experiment Station received a $ 1 0 0 0. grant for support of a disease control study with emphasis on Snowmold. A $ 5 0 0. grant was placed with U . C . L . A. under D r. V. Youngner, for continuation of cool season - warm season grass combination studies. In Sum: Each Regional O f f i ce is your storehouse of knowledge, gathered through years of re- It is constantly being improved and continually re^dy to It is a part of an integrated national team of men and information that is search and practical experience. work for you. ready to serve the golfing turf interest at all times. You own a share of RTS — use i t. The more you do, the more valuable it w i ll become to you — and to g o l f. S O I LS - THE 1957 USDA YEARBOOK NOW AVAILABLE Here is an important book for every professional Golf Course Superintendent. The 1957 USDA Yearbook " S o i l s" contains fundamental information essential to turf managers. With 88 Chapters written by 142 s c i e n t i s t s, it should be high on your winter reading l i s t. Free copies may be available through your Congressman or Senator. Copies may also be pur- chased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing O f f i c e, Washington 2 5, D . C. for $ 2 . 2 5. r J * A RE Y OU A G O OD B O S S? - (A Continuation - Part I I) The Reprimand: Employers are either too meek and mild in dealing with their workers, or they tend to be too hard and severe. The reprimand, when wisely used, is an important part of leadership. Do not hesitate to use it and when you do, use it constructively. Do Not Act in Anger: Be sure it is worth your time and effort to issue a reprimand. If it i s n ' t, skip i t. Do not act in anger nor store your resentment over a long period of time. Correct each of- fense as it comes. If a worker makes a mistake through ignorance, the situation calls for training, not a reprimand. Begin Reprimand with a Question: No matter how sure you are of a worker's g u i l t, you lose nothing by opening your re- marks with a question. This gives him a chance to tell his story. He might be able to change your mind. If not, the door is s t i ll open for the reprimand if the worker has it coming to him. Compare Work with a Standard: No tx^o persons are a l i k e, nor can they be handled the same. But in general, people don't mind their work being compared with a standard of performance, because it is impersonal. They do object to being compared to another employee (who has his f a u l t s, t o o ). parisons only open the door to a lot of excuses and a l i b i s. purpose, for it does not make the worker mend his tfays. Such com- Such a reprimand f a i ls in its C r i t i c i ze Methods - Not Intentions: Practically everybody has good intentions. Most persons don't mind methods being c r i t i c i z e d, but they do not want their intentions questioned. is not loyal. It is bad to imply that a man Reprimand before others only when the worker is openly violating an important r u l e. You must show the others that such actions will not be tolerated. you are forever licked. If you f a il to do this, After Reprimand - Forget I t: If the worker understands the reprimand, you have gained your p o i n t. Hold no grudge. Tell him you are going to forget i t, and start again with a clean s l a t e. Be big enough to forget and make it a point to commend him on something in the next few days. Workers do not mind strict discipline as much as inconsistent d i s c i p l i n e. Don't let a worker get away with something today and then "jump down his throat" for the same thing tomorrow. Never let your orders be forgotten. After you have assigned a job, check and see that it is being done properly. Next Issue: - A look at some of the qualities of leadership and how they can help you do a better j o b. ~k k k ->V k k k k "We get just what we deserve" is one of the most d i f f i c u lt of l i f e 's lessons to learn: - and it is one most people never learn. Anonymous U. B. GOLF ASSOCIATION GREEN SECTION WESTERN OFFICE P.O. Box 567 Garden Grove, California D r. J. R. Watson, J r. Cheif Agronomist Toro Manufacturing Corp. Minneapolis b9 a i n n. BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE P A ID Garden Grove, Calif. Permit No. 83