P o. BOX 241 TELEPHONE DAVIS 2492 DAVIS, CALIFORNIA TVettew 7«n{lette* CHARLES G. WILSON, Western Director TURF CONFERENCES Scotcmber 1953 No. 3 For the past several years annual Turf Conferences have been held in Denver, Pullman, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Experts on all phases of turf culture travel from all over the nation to participate on these programs devised to help increase the knowledge of our USGA member club!s superinten- dents. Your Green Section believes so thoroughly in the value of this yearly exchange of information that it is taking this space to encourage all of its member clubs to send their superintendent to the conference closest to home. The slight cost involved will be many times repaid in improved turf for the individual club. The Conferences for 1953 are as follows: September 22-23 October S October 12-13 October 17 October 19 Pacific Northwest Turf Conference - Washington State College, Pullman, Washington — Mr. Alvin G. Law, Agronomy Dept., TT #S.C#, Pullman, Washington Northern California Turf Grass Conference - University of California, Davis, California, Dr. Robert Deering, Department of Land- scape Management, Davis, Calif. _Southcrn California Turf Conference Field Day - Riviera C . C D r. V. T. Stoutonyor, Department of Floriculture & Ornamental Horticulture, University of California at Los Angeles. Southwest, Turf Conference - Agricultural Experiment Station, Tucson, Arizona. Mr. Charles J. Trcacy, Golf Course Superintendent, Phoenix C.C., Phoenix, Arizona. Rocky Mountain Turf Conference cz Equipment Show - Park Hill C.C., Denver, Colorado. Mr. Robert 0. Shearer, President Park Hill C.C. In addition to talks by local turf authorities and your Western Director of the USGA Green Section, Dr. 0# J. Noer, Agronomist, Milwaukee Sewerage Commi- ssion, Dr. James Watson, Agronomist, Toro Company, and Mr. Tom Mascaro, President, West Point Products Company will actively participate at each conference. The last mentioned are nation-wide authorities on turf problems. POA AICJUA - FRIEND OR FOE? - IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE As most of us know tho controversy on annual bluograss ragos hot and heavy all ovor the nation. Most of the publicity regarding this grass has been definitely against it, and with due justification, because in much of the nation it is too treacherous to rely upon* However, on some of our Western courses P^a annua leaves little to bo desired fron the standpoint of playing ouality and ease of maintenance* Further it possesses the devil- ish Dualities of being both difficult to control while on the same hand being impossible to hold all season. At tho risk of putting words in the noutlis of some of our participating clubs I offer ny impressions of how cur USGA courses regard this "Prince or Pauper" as the case my bo. Broadmoor G«C# — Colorado Springs "We are not only doing everything possible to encourage Poa, but are actually plugging it into our newly constructed nine. Wo have tried all of the improved bentgrasses as witness the Pie Green constructed in cooperation with the USGA Green Section. It may not be suited to other areas, but for our purposes it beats any bent that wo have ever seen." Park Hill, C.C« — Denver "As near as \JQ can see other courses have as much or more trouble with bentgrass than we have with Poa. For years we have encouraged Poa and shall continue to do so until something better cones along. A Poa green is free from grain and thatch and presents the ultimate in putting quality to our tremendously heavy play." Portland G.C, « Portland "At tho time of Mr. Wilson's visit our greens wore being attacked by copperspot disease. Thorough investigation proved to our satisfaction that it was only tho Poa and velvet bent that were being damaged. The creeping bent strains were resistont to tho attack. Fungicides cost money, and bent is a good grass for this area. Therefore we would bo bettor off without the Poa, but how can you control it when it acts like a true perennial under our climatic conditions?" Manito G. £ C.C. — Spokane "Poa is the most susceptible grass we have to snowmold disease, and snowmold is our most serious problem. On greens wo treat with a fungicide to control tho disease. On tees and fairways it is economically infoasiblo to spray costly fungicides. Thus wo would be better off without tho Poa -and would like to got rid of it". Everett C.C# — Everett? Washington "Until tho Green Section dropped by for a visit, we had always believed that velvet bent was doing the best job in our greens. Now we find that what wo thought was volvct is actually a fine strain of Poa. Therefore we 'believe that tho Green Section should promote Poa research for improved and disease resistont strains." Pol Paso C.C. — Sacramento "For the past two years wo have lost largo patches of putting green turf in low spots on poorly drained greens, and also sone turf on the green collars* In every instance it has been only the Poa that has vanished when temperatures hit the hundreds. Therefore, our golfers consider Poa to be the worst possible weed." Notes Dr. Hagan has been completely unsuccessful in trying to establish a Poa turf in his depth of rooting studies* The excessive summer heat causes it to go out even under the type of management that tends to baby the Poa* Los Angeles C.C. — Los Angeles "lie hate it and love it depending on where it is growing* As a winter cover in our bermuda fain-rays Poa can't bo beat. In the greens Poa is en- tirely too treacherous during our warm humid July." Hacienda G.C. — La Ilabra "Because of its excellence less than twenty miles to the northwest of us at one club in Los Angeles we have tended to encourage Poa until this summer. Since July it has caused nothing but headaches. Brownpatch disease continues to be active in the Poa even though wc have treated with mercurials as often as three times a week. Brox/npatch has taken out large patches of Poa while the creeping bent remains strong, vigorous and undamaged. As rapidly as possible we are making every effort to get back on the right track which for our club is bentgrass." Poa's Merits 1. Perfect putting qualities. Complete freedom from grain. 2. Excellent winter color. It outgrows bentgrass during the cool season. 3. Shade tolerant. Does well under wet soggy conditions. Ability to perpetuate itself by seeding under continuous close mowing. 5. Ability to withstand traffic and compaction. Poa's Faults 1. Susceptible to every known disease in the west. 2# Inability to withstand extremely hot temperatures. 3. Poor appearance when seeding. By nature it is an annual. U* Reruires froruont irrigation. Shallow rooted. 5. Limited adaptation even within a narrow geographical area. M How to Encourage Poa Allow clippings to remain on green at time of seeding. Water freruently and keep up feeding program during cool weather when Poa is most apt to respond. Stimulate research interest in breeding and selection studies. How to Discmranc Poa Use load arsenate in Fall to inhibit seed germination. Bulk of feeding to benefit bentgrass. Experiment with sodium arsonite at 1/4 and 1/2 ounces to 1,000 square feet to control Poa in the vegetative state. Plug in bent from the nursery. VALLEY PRESS 707 Second St. Davis, California This Is Your T^edtem ^etten USGA Green Section Sec. 34.66 P.L.&R. U. S. POSTAGE Davis, California V/xc PAID Permit No. 23