Editorial Comment__
This sum m er will definitely be 
entered  in  the  record  books  as  one 
tough  season to m anage  turf. It has 
been  hard  on  turfgrass,  turfgrass 
m a n a g e rs,  tu rfg ra s s   m a n a g e rs' 
crews and I'm  sure the golfers have 
had a few concerns as well.

Now  that  fall  has  arrived  and 
recovery plans are well underway it's 
time  to  rem em ber  those  that  have 
been supporters through the season. 
The list goes on but a few I can think 
of come to mind. First,  our spouses 
and  fam ilies  whose  tim e  has  been 
forfeited to let us keep the course in 
good  shape.  Second,  the  crew  who

1995 W.M.G.C.S.A. 
Meeting Schedule

Oct.  3 ..............Annual Meeting

Cascade Hills Country Club

Nov. 3 ..............Fall  Party

Dlythfield Country Club

put  in  m any  long  hard  hours  to 
ensure  the  course  stayed  in  good 
health. Third, the employers that had 
the  u nderstanding  that  tu rf  is  a 
growing, living comm odity that we 
m anage,  and  sometimes  no  m atter 
what the resource it will not respond 
as  we  would  like  it  to.  The  list can 
go  on  to  vendors,  professors  and 
many  others.  One  last but  not least

is  your fellow  Superintendent. The 
guy  dow n  the  road  or  the  former 
boss  or  even  the  guy  at  the  last 
m eeting  that  you  played  golf  with 
who had a helpful tip.

Well,  it's  tim e  to  finish  up  the 
aerifying and other fall duties. Enjoy 
the fall season!

Sincerely, 
A1 Bathum

Annual Meeting Coming Up

On  O ctober  3rd  the  A nnual 
M eeting  w ill  be  held  at  C ascade 
H ills C ountry Club  in  G rand R ap­
ids.  The  annual  board  elections 
along  w ith  the  S u p erin ten d en ts

Chapter C ham pionship will also be 
held at  this tim e.

P lease  m ake  plans  to  attend 
and  help  support  your  organiza­
tion!

Summer Meetings 
a Success

August
Round Tables Held

and 

The two remaining meetings of 
the summer were joint meetings with 
the  M .M .G .C .S .A . 
th e 
M.B.C.G.C.S. groups. The meetings 
were  held  at  The  Cattails  and  The 
M ajestic  golf courses  respectively. 
Both  meetings  were  well  attended 
and a good time was had by all who 
participated. Both golf courses were 
in good shape and offered some var­
ied challenges.  Please  help support 
your organizations and attend m eet­
ings when possible!

Both August Round Tables were 
held  and  although  neither  had  huge 
attendance  records  a  dozen  people 
enjoyed each meeting. We encourage 
all  to  attend  and  exchange  up  to  the 
minute success and defeat stories! This 
summer's weather, as you know, made 
for some interesting conversation.

Again, these meetings are only as 
good  as  the  participation  and  our 
attendance make them. If you show up 
and  exchange  information  you  will 
usually pick up some useful information 
to help make your job a little easier.

Editor's  Note:  Please  excuse  the 
untimeliness of this  issue.  I  was a  bit 
preoccupied 

in July and August.

me if you  have  any 

interested

Please  write 
corw |rw |N i)| 

7pr v
3725 Cascade Rd.,  S.E.

LIBRARIES

3)  The  interm ediate  par 3  tees 

receive extrem e wear.

4)  High handicapped males are 

reluctant to use the red tee box.

I  im plem ented  the  use  of  the 
gold tees by positioning the gold tee 
blocks either on the extrem e rear of 
the  red  box  or extrem e  forw ard  on 
the interm ediate box.  Although the 
use of the gold tees was slow to start, 
u se 
th e   seaso n  
continued.  The  fall  senior  leagues 
used  the  gold  tees  exclusively  and 
plan to in  1995. O ur junior program  
also used the gold tee blocks.

in c re a s e d   as 

T he  resu lt  o f  the  added  tee 
p o sitio n   seem ed   to  be  tw o fo ld . 
Increased satisfaction of the golfers 
and better overall condition of the tee 
s u rfa c e s .  I f   y o u r  c o u rse   co u ld  
acco m m o d a te   a  ch a n g e   o f  th is 
nature,  I  think  your  m em bership 
(custom ers) and course will benefit, 
so...  ADD A TEE.

Thanks, 
M ike Herbst 
Superintendent N.K.G.C.

Add a Tee

Up until the  1994 golf season at 
N orth  K ent  G o lf  C ourse  the  tee 
positions followed the industry norm 
with  a  forw ard  (red),  interm ediate 
(white) and back (blue) tee. The tee 
positions  are  separated  by  either 
elevations, contours or height of cut. 
The average size of the tee surfaces 
at North Kent is  1,000 sq. ft.

are 

and 

T he  ow ners  o f  N o rth   K ent, 
D ave  and  K a th e y   K lie n ,  h av e 
p u rc h a se d  
u n d e r 
construction of a new golf course —  
G le n K e rry   —  
in  G re e n v ille , 
M ichigan. Course architect, W arner 
Bowen, designed each hole with five 
tee positions. Mr. Bowen's reasoning 
for the five tee positions is to provide 
the  c u sto m e r  w ith   a  c h o ic e   o f 
yardages,  elim inate  forced  carries 
and  use  the  differences  in  course 
p lay   to  re p la c e   the  n eed   fo r  a 
handicap, which m any golfers have 
not obtained.

adding  a  tee  position  betw een  the 
forward and intermediate tees, i.e. a 
gold tee. My reasoning for this was:

1)  T he  red  tee,  w hich 
rarely exhibits excess wear, is 
m ostly  used  by  the  fem ale 
m em b e rsh ip   and  fem ale 
leagues. The positioning of 
the tee blocks to the rear of 
the tee box always results 
in unfavorable responses.
e x tre m e  
front of the intermediate 
tee  box  also  receives 
very limited use due to 
an  e ffo rt 
to  k eep  
yardages consistent to 
the  score  card  and 
tee markers.

2)  T he 

During the  1994 golf season at 

North  Kent,  I 
experim ented 
th is 
w ith  
c o n c e p t 
by 

^

Golf Day at Kent Country Club Held

in  G ra n d   R a p id s 

T he  a n n u a l  W .M .G .C .S .A . 
G olf Day was held at Kent Country 
C lu b  
on 
Septem ber 11th. The day was a big 
success w ith around $7,000 raised 
for  Turfgrass  R esearch.  It  was  a 
beautiful  fall  day  w ith  plenty  of 
sunshine. The day was  split with a 
m orning  and  afternoon  shotgun. 
The golf course was in great shape 
and m any com plim ents were given 
to  K eith Paterson  and  his  crew  for

the  extra  effort  to  prepare  for  the 
day.  A big round of applause to 
the Clubhouse staff also 
for the fine meals and 
hospitality. And last 
but not least,  we would 
like to thank the vendors 
for their support.

Mulch Those Tree Leaves Into The Turf

T he  state  reg u la tio n   w hich 
prohibits sending yard wastes to land 
fills  has  created  a  problem  for  golf 
course superintendents, other grounds 
managers and homeowners who need 
to dispose of tree leaves each fall. One 
alternative  is  to  compost  the  leaves, 
either  on  the  premises  or  at  a  local 
composting center. The latter requires 
collection,  bagging  and  a  means  of 
transport  to  a  com post  center.  The 
former  necessitates  a  portion  of the 
landscape devoted to the composting. 
W hen  there  are  many  trees  on  the 
grounds composting is seldom feasible 
because  o f  the  am ount  of  leaves 
produced.  Another means of disposal 
is simply mowing the turf/tree leaves 
with a rotary mower often enough to 
pulverize  the leaves  so  they  fall  into 
the turf. A legitimate question is what 
effect does this have on the turf, both 
short-term and long-term?

With  these  questions  in  mind  a 
study  supported  by  the  M ichigan 
Turfgrass Foundation was initiated at 
the  H ancock  T urfgrass  R esearch 
Center in October,  1990 to evaluate the 
effects of mulching  tree leaves into  a 
Kentucky bluegrass turf. Leaves from 
a  m ixed 
trees  but

stand  o f 

predominantly maple, were collected. 
T hree  le a f  rates 
in  a  onetim e 
application  each  year  were  applied: 
none,  light  (about  3  inches  of  dry 
leaves)  and heavy (about 6 inches of 
leaves). The leaves were mulched into 
the turf with a mulching rotary mower 
using two passes. With the heavy rate, 
much of the grass was covered with the 
mulched  leaves.  Two  nitrogen  rates 
were used as well: 2 or 4 pounds N per 
1000  sq.  ft.  annually  with  1/4  of the 
total  applied  at  the  tim e  o f  leaf 
mulching.  The  leaf  treatments  have 
been  applied  each  October,  1991  in 
which oak or maple leaves were applied 
to a Kentucky bluegrass turf. A single 
rate of leaves was applied. There were 
4 replications of each treatment in each 
study. Both studies were conducted on 
turfs in the open sun.

As  we  have  evaluated  the  turf 
throughout the growing seasons there 
have been no meaningful  differences 
observed  in  turf quality  ratings,  turf 
density, thickness of the "thatch" layer, 
am ount  o f  organic  m atter  in  the 
"th atch ”  layer  or  the  num ber  o f 
dandelions in the plots.  The nitrogen 
applications 
som e 
improvement in turf quality ratings, but 
there was no apparent effect on the rate 
at which the leaves decompose.

provided 

From the data collected to date it 
appears that returning the 
leaves to the turf is not 
harmful to the grass 
if the mulching/ 
mowing 
is done at 
appropriate 
times.

To date there is no apparent short­
term or long-term negative or positive 
effect.

When oak leaves are predominant, 
it will be necessary to mulch them into 
the turf later into the fall because they 
are held on the trees longer than most 
other trees.  For best results leave the 
mower  set at the  same  height as  you 
have  been  m owing  the  turf.  It  is 
important to use a rotary mower which 
pulverizes the leaves well and that the 
leaves  are  dry  w hen  m owed. 
Sharpening the mower blades and slow 
movement with the mower will help to 
grind  the  leaves  finer.  It  may  be 
necessary to make as  many as  3  or 4 
passes over the area to grind the leaves 
fine enough. The finer the leaf particles 
the more easily they fall into the turf, 
leaving  grass  leaves  exposed  to  the 
sunlight.

O ur  o b serv atio n   is  that  the 
pulverized leaves will settle into the turf 
within  a  day  or  two,  particularly  if 
followed by a rain. Take care that the 
pulverized leaves do not cover the grass 
blades  entirely.  It  is  best  if the  tree 
leaves  are  "mowed"  regularly,  not 
allowing them to lie on the turf more 
than  3  or  4  days.  Fall  is  a  very 
im portant  tim e  for  the  tu rf  to 
p h o to sy n th esize 
store 
carbohydrates, particularly under trees 
where the turf received limited sunlight 
during the summer.

and 

Although additional nitrogen has 
not shown  any  major benefit we still 
suggest  1/2  pound  nitrogen per  1000 
sq.  ft.  in  addition  to  the  normal  fall 
nitrogen  fertilizatio n   to  enhance 
decomposition of the tree leaves.

Mulching the leaves into the turf 
is a reasonable means of disposing of 
the  leaves.  These  studies  prove  that 
what  many  turf managers  have  been 
practicing  is  practical  and  does  not 
harm  the  grass  if  done  in  a  timely 
manner.

Paul Rieke 
Landscape CAT alert article

Fertilization - Fall and Late Fall Style

One  of  the  very  important  turf 
management practices during the fall is 
fertilization. This time of year there are 
many other activities which require time 
and attention, but fertilization must also 
be given priority. For many reasons, turf 
management practices done in the fall 
will have a major effect on the quality of 
turf the following spring. Fertilization is 
one of the most important.

in 

stress 

Phosphorus and potassium in the fall
The key nutrient in fall fertilization 
is  nitrogen.  Som e  have  suggested 
phosphorus and potassium are the key 
nutrients in fall fertilization. Certainly, 
these nutrients should be available to turf 
in  adequate  quantities.  For example, 
when potassium is  limiting, there is  a 
reduction 
tolerance. 
Considering  the  potential  for  low 
temperature  injury  to  turf during  the 
winter,  if  potassium  could  have  an 
impact  on  reducing  low  temperature 
injury,  turf managers  should  be  sure 
adequate potassium is available to the 
turf.  There  is  also  some  evidence  to 
suggest  there  is  an  increase  in 
susceptibility  to  snow m old  when 
potassium is limiting.

To be sure there is adequate potash 
in the soil,  use a soil test for medium 
and fine-textured soils. If tests suggest 
potash  is  needed,  appropriate  rates 
should  be 
applied  based  on 
recommendation  and  common  sense. 
For  turfs  on  sands,  soil  tests  for 
potassium are usually low in spite of a 
potash  fertilization  program.  Regular, 
light applications of potash at frequent 
intervals  (spoon  feeding)  should  be 
made on sandy soils, particularly on sand 
greens.

W hen  late  fall  fertilization  is 
practiced, some potash should also be 
applied  along  with  the  nitrogen.  On 
sands, use equal quantities of nitrogen 
and potash. If needed based on soil test 
recommendations, phosphorus can be

applied in the fall fertility program as 
well, normally in a complete fertilizer. 
Seldom is phosphorus limiting on turf. 
An exception is when no phosphorus has 
been applied and clippings are routinely 
removed. Another potential exception is 
on sand greens. Sands have little capacity 
to hold phosphate. We have seen several 
cases of phosphorus deficiency on sand 
greens, more commonly on new greens, 
but  also  on  older  greens  where  no 
phosphorus has been applied for some 
tim e.  Soil  tests  m ust  be  used  to 
determine need for phosphorus.

Fall Nitrogen

For cool season grasses, both  fall 
and  late  fall  fertilization  should  be 
considered. Fall fertilization is best done 
during September, preferably early in the 
month. With the weather changes in late 
summer, the shorter days, cooler nights 
and more rainfall cause the turf plant to 
grow less rapid vertically than occurs in 
the spring. More lateral growth results 
in improvement in turf density after the 
rigors of the summer. So fertilization in 
the 
top  priority. 
Carbohydrates manufactured at this time 
of year will be more likely to be stored, 
building up the plant for next year.

fall  deserves 

A ppropriate  rates  of  nitrogen 
applied during the fall period depend on 
a number of variables, ranging from 1 /2 
to 1 lb. N per 1000 sq. ft. On occasion a 
higher rate may be justified; examples 
include  newly  established  turf which 
needs pushing for rapid establishment 
or  a  turf which  has  suffered  serious 
thinning over the summer due to injury 
from disease, insects, traffic or moisture 
stress  or  where  an  extensive  weed 
population has been controlled, leaving 
open  areas.  On  general  turfs  (lawns, 
grounds,  etc.)  all  the  nitrogen can  be 
applied in one application. For greens 
and other high maintenance turfs, one 
can split this into two applications if the 
higher rate  of nitrogen  is  needed.  An

alternative is to use 
a fertilizer which 
contains  m ore 
slow  
release 
n itrogen.  O r  a 
spoon  feeding  program  with  weekly 
applications  of soluble sources can be 
used, particularly on greens.

the 

Normally,  it  is  best  to  withhold 
applications of nitrogen during October 
to permit the turf to "harden o ff. This 
perm its 
tu rf  to  accum ulate 
carbohydrates and reduces the potential 
for frost-injury should the turf become 
very  succulent  before  a major freeze. 
Avoiding nitrogen during October may 
reduce susceptibility to snow mold as 
well.

Late Fall Nitrogen

There are a number of opinions as 
to how and when to use late fall nitrogen 
applications. This occurs partly because 
of differences  in  climatic  zones  and 
variations  from   season  to  season. 
Perhaps  a  more  important  reason  for 
variations in late fall fertilization is the 
objective for this practice.

From my perspective, the objective 
is to  supply  nitrogen  to  the turf after 
growth has ceased.  The root system is 
still active since the soil is warmer than 
the air. Nitrate nitrogen can still be taken 
up  and utilized by the  plant. If proper 
nitrogen fertilization has been practiced 
during the fall (September) period, the 
tu rf  should  still  be  green  and 
physiologically active. This permits the 
plant  to  continue  photosynthesis 
whenever  modest  temperatures  and 
som e  su n lig h t  conditions  occur. 
Carbohydrates manufactured during this 
time are not "burned o f f  with growth 
and clippings, but are stored. This builds 
up the plant for next spring.

Rate of application of nitrogen will 
again vary with turf conditions and the 
philosophy of the manager. For greens, 
Continued on page 5

Fertilization, continued

1/2  lb.  N  per  1000  sq.  ft.  may  be 
sufficient. If tees are still thin from traffic, 
especially on par 3 tees, 3/4 to  1  lb. N 
per 1000 sq. ft. may be needed. Fairways 
could  receive  1/2 to  3/4  lb.  Lawns  & 
general grounds can receive 3/4 to 1 lb.
N.

Some  turfs  may  perform  better 
without the late fall nitrogen. Some lawn 
care companies cannot justify the cost 
of late fall nitrogen to customers who 
may not continue with their services next 
year. However, the quality of the turf the 
next spring  should be excellent when 
spring sales begin.

Snowmold  was  severe  on  many 
turfs over the winter of 1992-93. Late 
fall nitrogen applications contributed to 
greater snowmold in some cases. If turfs 
are hard hit by snowmold nearly every 
year  and  no  snowm old  preventive 
program is followed, it may be best to 
avoid late fall nitrogen.

However,  based  on  plot  research

done by Dr. Joe Vargas and observations 
in the field, it is clear that while in most 
years the late fall nitrogen may increase 
the amount of snowmold, there is much 
quicker recovery from any injury caused. 
The snowmold damage  may be more 
superficial with the late fall nitrogen and/ 
or the recovery is quicker. Either way 
the next spring the turf returns to abetter 
quality condition sooner with late fall 
nitrogen.

For  the  Great  Lakes  region,  we 
suggest  applying  the  nitrogen  after 
growth  has  ceased  for  all  practical 
purposes. This does not mean there will 
be  no  need  for  further  mowing,  but 
regular mowing will not be needed. An 
additional  mowing  or  two  may  be 
needed before growth ceases entirely. 
This occurs anywhere from the last week 
of  October  to  the  second  week  of 
November.

Potential  problems  with  late  fall 
nitrogen fertilization include the potential

for leaching of applied nitrogen, late fall 
growth  which  would  require  more 
mowing, affecting snowmold and other 
winter injury, increase to thatch and other 
spring growth. In a study at Michigan 
State being conducted by Eric Miltner 
and Brace Branham, which compares 
late fall nitrogen applications with those 
emphasizing spring applications, there 
is no significant leaching of nitrates from 
either treatment so far. If the nitrogen is 
applied  w hile  the  plant  is  still 
physiologically  active,  most  of the 
nitrogen should be used and will not be 
available for leaching over the winter. 
There is evidence from Ohio State that 
late  fall  nitrogen  m ay  increase 
susceptibility to thatch formation to some 
degree.

While there may be a small increase 
in growth during the fall or spring, most 
turf  managers  are  satisfied  that  the 
benefits are far greater than the potential 
Continued on back page

Please patronize our advertisers as they have made this newsletter possible.

Advertisers

AgrEvo.................................................(614) 726-2857
Amturf..................................................(616) 792-2241
Benham Chemical..............................(313) 474-7474
Boylan Sales.......................................(616) 685-6828
Century  Rain Aid................................   1 -800-347-4272
Chipco/Specialty  Products............... (313) 782-0323
Custom Aerification............................1-800-269-6181
D&CDistributors.................................   1-800-888-7779
D&G  Irrigations....................................1-800-334-7011
E-Z-Go Textron....................................1-800-336-1016
Ellis S ales...........................................   1-800-962-4128
Fitzgerald Henne  Inc..........................(517) 482-8810
Green & Grow.....................................(616) 964-9989
Kleins Fertilizer..................................   1 -800-642-3172
Kubota of Grand  Rapids...................(616) 364-7031
Kurtz  Bros.  Inc....................................   1-800-223-7645
Lebanon Fertilizers........................... (313) 673-7146
Lesco...................................................(616) 784-4929
Michigan Sand Co.............................. (517) 773-2030
Michigan Turf Equipment..................(616) 554-3310
J.  Mollema & Sons.............................(616) 940-1441

O.M.  Scott...........................................(616) 361-2106
Osburn  Industries..............................(313) 292-4140
Parmenter & Andre............................(616) 458-1546
Peerless-Midwest..............................(616) 527-0050
R.A.  Manley Irrigation Consultants.. (810) 651-5729
Spartan Distributors.......................... (616) 887-7301
Standard Sand................................... (616) 842-5180
Superior Uniform Sales.....................1-800-536-0718
T.C.I...................................................... (517) 725-7145
Terra International  Inc........................1-800-321-9347
Tire Wholesalers Company,  Inc....... (616) 775-6666
TriTurf.................................................. (616) 943-8343
Turf Drain  Inc...................................... (810) 471-6750
Turfgrass,  Inc...................................... (616) 866-9389
Turf Services...................................... (616) 842-4975
United Horticultural Supply.............. (810) 852-2838
Valley Turf...........................................(616) 532-2885
Van Manen O il................................... (616) 453-6344
Water Tronics..................................... 1-800-356-6686
W.F.  Miller Co......................................(313) 349-4100
Wilbur-Ellis..........................................1-800-873-5599

Fertilization, continued

negative effects. There  is no evidence 
for  increased  susceptibility  to  low 
temperatures or crown hydration injury 
which is caused by late fall nitrogen.

Benefits of late fall nitrogen include 
good carbohydrate levels in the turf the 
next  spring,  good  early  spring  root 
growth, good fall and spring color and 
good turf density so there is less potential 
for establishment of spring weeds. Since 
root  growth  of  cool  season  grasses 
begins before top growth, it is essential 
that a high level of carbohydrates exist 
in the plant to initiate that root growth.

The next spring the turf will have a 
good color. There will likely be a small 
increase in mowing needed in the spring 
compared to a turf which  receives  no 
nitrogen either in late fall or spring. But 
the  grow th  w ill  be  very  lim ited 
compared to  a turf which  receives  an 
early spring fertilization. Avoiding early

spring  nitrogen  has the advantages  of 
reduced carbohydrate loss caused by the 
excessive  grow th,  less  m ow ing, 
potential reduction in several diseases 
and  greater moisture  stress  tolerance 
during the summer. If we can provide a 
turf which has good density and fewer 
weeds, requiring less herbicide as well 
as greater stress tolerance, why should 
we not adopt the practice?

With many advantages apparent for 
late fall nitrogen and few disadvantages, 
it is clear why so many turf managers 
have adopted  this  practice. I  have  not 
talked to anyone who has tried late fall 
nitrogen  fertilization  who  has  not 
continued  to  utilize  the  practice  for 
agronomic  reasons.  This  is  the  best 
testimonial for late fall fertilization.

Paul Rieke 
Hole Notes article

3725 Cascade  Rd.,  S.E. • Grand  Rapids,  Ml 49546

Pets  Cook ingham
MSI) Ma in L i b r ar y 
W 
East  Lansing  MI

2 i

48824

BULK RATE 

U.S.  POSTAGE 

PAID

GRAND  RAPIDS,  Ml 

PERMIT  NO.  582