O ffic ia l P u b lic a tio n o f th e W e s t M ic h ig a n O o lf C o u r s e S u p e rin te n d e n ts A s s o c ia tio n Inside Personnel Changes........Page 1 Presidents Message.........Page 2 Hiring Retirees............ Page 3 Dr. Beard on future trends...Page 4 Changes The superintendent for Cedar Run Golf Course will be Gary Spahr, CGCS Bill Fountain will be leaving Railside Golf Course to help build a new course. He will be re­ placed by his assistent, Jeff Hopkins. Bill has agreed to finish his term as Secretary/Treasurer for WMGCSA Editor's Note: If For those who have written articles for this publication, thank you. you have anything you care to write about or if their are any personnel changes you wish to see mentioned, please contact me in writing at: Western Views 1447 Hope S.E. Grand Rapids, Mi.49506 EVENT Joint Meeting w/Mid Mich Turf Upcoming Dates LOCATION DATE Pohl C at................................May 18 Benefit Day NMTMA Elk Ridge...............................June 21 Monthly Meeting Morning Coffee Golf Day Mid Mich. Turf Assoc. Annual Annual Meeting Glen Eagle G.C..................... June 28 Various Clubs......................July-August* Egypt Valley C.C................... Sept. 13 Midland C.C...........................Sept. 20 Thornapple.......................... September 28 Fall Party_________________C.C. Jackson....................... November 6 Welcome To New Members Name Andrew Albertson Ray Bowers Larry Hulburt Pat Boylan James Atchison James Johnson Mary Taylor Doug Thielen Class B D D D D D A D Location Grand Rapids Golf Club Soil Improvemnt Technology Hosty Sales and Service Boylan Sales Boylan Sales Parmenter and Andre lyopawa Thielen Turf Island Golf Course WESTERN VIEWS President’s Message Bill Clinton and I have two things in common: We are both presidents of powerful and influential organizations (OKAY, his presidency has a slightly greater impact on the course of our lives than mine does); and we both have an insatiable appetite for more money. Brother Bill will be asking for an increase in taxes. Similarly, I will be seeking an increase in dues. Sweet William has the reluctant luxury of cutting spending to make his budget work. I have no such luxury. Our budget has no fat in it. The Western Michigan G.C.S.A. does not purchase bolts for $600@ or toilet seats for submarines that exceed $1,000. We do not give out research grants in the hundreds of thousands to study the fecal materials of the three­ toed sloth to determine if it is getting a balanced vitamin intake and how that might influence it’s sex drive. We do not give out millions to countries to better their way of lives only to be rewarded with such comments as “Yankee go home”. Our expenditures have been very frugal and necessary to the efficient operation of our association. Our last dues increase was in 1987. With that increase we were able to oper­ ate at a small net profit...we were in the black. But for the past three years we actually spent more than we took In. That was okay while we had a little surplus to draw from. That surplus is now depleted, so a dues increase is now inevitable. Our board has decided to begin presenting this issue to you well before this change will actually take place. A formal D notice of this by-law change will be sent to you 30 days before our annual meeting in Septem­ ber. This present notice is so that any questions and concerns may be addressed and dis­ cussed and we are thinking clearly when the vote is taken. We have not yet determined the amount of the increase and more board meeting discussion will be spent on this topic. Your input would be greatly appreci­ ated. Unlike Slick Willie, I do not have to talk out of both sides of my mouth to get re-elected for another term. This is my last year anyway, so I can just tell it like it is. Straight talk from a politician. Now isn’t that a unique concept? Chris Fochtman CGCS The Honors Course Makes Major Gift to GCSAA S&R Lawrence, Kansas, March 12, 1993- A Tennessee golf club has contributed $5,000 toward an important new study spon­ sored by the GCSAA Scholar­ ship and Research (S&R) foun­ dation. The Honors Course, the Chattanooga-area club known for it’s extensive efforts to preserve wildlife habitats around the course, made the donation in support of a new pesticide exposure study being sponsored by the foundation. The gift was made by course owner Jack Lupton on behalf of the club and its membership. “We feel strongly that this type of study is critical to the future of the game,” said Lupton. “People who work, live and play on golf courses have to feel confident that golf is a healthy, beneficial activity.” David Stone, superinten­ dent at The Honors Course, said that he was pleased that the club was able to support a study that would benefit all superinten­ dents. “I think it’s great that my professional association is taking a hard look at this issue and I’m proud that our club can be a national leader in the effort,” Stone said. GCSAA President Randy Nichols, CGCS, called the donation “A wonderful example for golf clubs all over the country to follow.” The study will examine mortality rates and causes of death among superintendents over the past two decades. The goal of the study is to determine whether or not the superinten­ dents had any unusually high rates of cancer that could be linked to chronic pesticide exposure. GCSAA S&R is the national professional foundation for educational and scientific advancements is golf course management. For more informa­ tion about the study, or to make a contribution to the effort, call the GCSAA Development department at 913/841-2240. WESTERN VIEWS Hiring Retirees for the Golf Course Finding quality seasonal employees on the golf course is a difficult task every year. Early Spring is a time when you need a variety of manpower to prepare your facility for the season that will be going full tilt in only a short period of time. The fall is also a time when leaf removal, aerification and special projects are started. Your concern is: Which employees to hire for these key times of the year? A great resource for your staffing needs are retired indi­ viduals. The retiree offers a tremendous asset to any facility. Their experience, care of equip­ ment, work ethic and enthusiasm are contagious throughout your entire staff and they take pride in any project that is assigned to them. The golf course offers many retirees a working atmo­ sphere unlike any that they have had in previous careers. The outdoors, with beautiful scenery and fresh air is the perfect environment for anyone to work in. We have used retired personnel in all aspects of our golf maintenance program. From | construction, mowing, cup changing and watering, retired employees can fill any staffing needs you may have. When fully trained, your retired staff can do their daily routines with effi­ ciency and expertise. These individuals bring a variety of backgrounds and history from previous careers that can enhance your practices as a superintendent. Their experience in the work force is an asset to both you and your younger staff members. i Retiree Advantages: -Reliable -Available in spring and fall -Longevity -A variety of trade skills -Excellent care and operation of equipment -Value fringe benefits, such as golfing -Financial needs reduced Please Patronize them as they have made this newsletter possible. Advertisers Amturf Arthur Hills & Associates Benham Chemical C & R Grinding Century Golf Team Design 3 D & C Distributors D. G. Irrigation Environmental Structures Green Growth Supply Co. J. John Gorney, Inc. Grand Rapids Tree Hoyt Whelan Ideal Mower Jennings Kleins Fertilizer Lebanon Total Turf Care Lesco Matthews & Associates Michigan Sand Co. Michigan Turf Equipment Mollema & Son Noram Chemical Nugent Sand Co. 0. M. Scott Parmeter & Andre Peerless-Midwest Raymer Pump Spartan Farm & Lawn Spartan Distributors Standard Sand T. C. 1. Turfgrass Inc. Valley Turf Van Manen Oil Golfing privileges are recommended for your entire staff. Many retired personnel offer con­ structive criticism after playing the course, thus allowing you to address each situation accordingly. The ability to find quality seasonal help is a burden we experience every season. Retirees come back season after season, making your job as a superintendent easier and much more enjoyable. You will build a solid relationship with these individuals that will last a lifetime. Retired staff members are a great asset to your facility. Be sure to consider them when determining your staffing needs this season. S E * H IA L S Yours in Turf, William J. Fountain _________________________QJ_l MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY libraries WESTERN VIEWS Jeard Outlines Trends Dr. Beard outlined 9 trends he felt vital during a presentation at the Michigan Turfgrass Conference, just a few miles from Michigan State University where he taught from 1961 to 1975. “Some of the things I say will probably be wrong, but the challenge is to think of the future,” said Beard, who was visiting from Texas A&M Univer­ sity. 1. More computer use in turfgrass management. You’re going to come in and turn that computer on and you’re going to get a series of readouts, that there is a high probability of this disease in the next four days, or the prime time for winter overseeding is coming up, or a period of root stress is ap­ proaching,” he notes. Comput­ ers, networked to libraries, will provide an immediate source of information for turfgrass manag­ ers. 2. Reduced pesticide use. More corrective and fewer preventative applications. More 1447 Hope S.E. Grand Rapids, Mi 49506 pesticide applications will be target specified. 3. More emphasis on pest management approaches. The key to solid turfgrass man­ agement? “Understanding and manipulating the environment in favor of the growth of the turfgrass plant, and minimizing the chances of stress,” says Beard. 4. Water conservation. Expect less water available for turfgrass use, higher water costs, increased use of effluent water, government control or allocation, noting that the industry has had a hard time convincing the public that turfgrass is actually vital in preserving and protecting groundwater. 5. More use of con- trolled-release fertilizer prod­ ucts. The presence of nitrates will continue to be an issue. He asks for improvements in slow- release fertilizer carriers. Expect steadily rising costs for petroleum-based products and internal combustion machinery, causing turfgrass managers to plan their programs with energy savings in mind. 6. Less energy waste. 7. Improved stress tolerance in turfgrass cultivars. Plant breeders will accelerate their efforts to develop grasses that provide quality turf while requiring less energy, water fertilizer and pesticide. 8. Innovative rootzones for turfgrass getting lots of traffic. Beard refers to a mesh element in place in the upper six inches of turfgrass rootzone at the 14- acre Santa Anita, California, Race Track. He said it signifi­ cantly reduced divoting and improved turf at the track. Sys­ tems based on similar principles might be developed for golf course tees/greens and sports fields. 9. More education needed to keep abreast of technological advances. Turfgrass managers will have to be well-versed in turfgrass, and also in cost control, system organizations, personnel man­ agement, budgeting, etc. The heart of this mes­ sage? “Efficiency through better management of water use, pesticide use, energy use, equipment use, labor use and fertilizer use,” says Beard. BULK RATE U. S. POSTAGE PAID GRAND RAPIDS, MI PERMIT NO. 582