Editor: Al Bathum 1995 W.M.G.C.S.A. Meeting Schedule March 8 ......... Round Table Egypt Valley April 17......... Meeting & Golf Railside G olf Club May 16.......... Meeting & Golf Grand Haven G olf Club June 12.......... Joint Meeting W.M.G.C.S.A. & M.B.G.C.S.A. Cattails July 18........... Meeting W.M.G.C.S.A., M.M.G.C.S.A., & M.B.G.C.S.A. The Majestic President’s Message The spring round table at Egypt Valley Country Club was excellent and well attended. Doug Boyle assembled an outstanding slate of speakers with a great variety of informative topics. Great job Doug!! The G.A.M. meeting was held at Kent Country Club, with attendance being somewhat low, however was still a great meeting. Hopefully better timing next year will help with attendance. The Michigan Turfgrass Foundation has approved a research project that will involve; Dr. Branham, Dr. Rieke, Dr. Vargas, and Dr. Rogers over a period of three years. This project, Shade Study on Bentgrass with various degrees of shade and will branch into the bluegrass, ryes, fescue, etc. This research is desperately needed, with the first phase to start this fall. The next meeting will be at Railside, hope to see you there. Harry Schuemann President 1994 Golf Day A Success August........... Round Tables August 3 Kalamazoo Country Club August 8 North Kent G olf Club Sept. 11......... Golf Day Kent Country Club Oct. 3 ............ Annual Meeting Cascade Hills Country Club Nov. 3............ Fall Party Blythfteld Country Club Editor'll me ij ha _ •corrections or if you interested ifi cjoiffgidH hrticle fo r u Westerifiviews. Tiews tiffgim are > at: Grana RapiaS, MI 49546 The 1994 Golf Day held by the W.M.G.C.S.A. was a huge success as documented by this picture of Paul Schippers, Vice President presenting a check for $7,000.00 to M.S.U. President McPherson and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation at this past years Michigan Turfgrass Conference. You can make the 1995 Golf Day as big a success by attending the event this September 17th at Kent Country Club in Grand Rapids. Please feel free to bring guests and help support Turfgrass Research for Michigan. GCSAA And Local Chapter Meeting-------------------------------------------- The GCSAA played host to local chapter representatives September 25-26, 1994 at their headquarters in Lawrence, Kansas. W.M.G.C.S.A. President, Harry Schuemann CGCS, asked me to represent the W.M.G.C.S.A. at this meeting. I was very proud to attend. The issue at hand was how to attain a better working relationship between GCSAA and affiliate chapters, i.e. W.M.G.C.S.A. 68 Local Chapters sent representatives from all parts of the country. A members survey put together by the Chapter Relations Planning Committee was reviewed. What follows is a brief summary. GCS AA’s regular input is essential for us to achieve our personal and professional goals. In addition to discussing ways of securing better working relationships with affiliate chapters we were introduced to the new GCSAA staff. Led by Steve Mona, CEO the new staff seems poised to lead us into the next century. I came away from this meeting feeling that the GCSAA is truly our association and we are the ones that can make it prosper. I believe any turf manager should join the GCSAA. The GCSAA is the national voice of our profession and an important resource for local chapter programming. The benefits of the GCSAA extend far beyond turf management, seminars and the national conference. As with any organization you only get out of it what you put into it. Take a serious look at the GCSAA and its programs. For more information contact the GCSAA 1421 Research Park Drive, Lawrence, Kansas 66049. Paul Schippers, CGCS Spring Round Table '95 The spring round table was held at Eygpt Valley Country Club, Wednesday March 8. Fifty-five people were in attendance including some prospective new members through a special invitation from our membership committee. As many of you know this is probably one of the most informative meetings of the year because many superintendents speak about topics they have had personal experience with. We had subjects covered ranging from water sampling for nutrient loading to greens maintenance and employee relations. If you did not attend this one be sure to check out the next round table. It is a great chance to exchange ideas. Thank you to Jeff Holmes and Egypt Valley for having us and serving a great lunch. Also, thank you to Doug Boyle our education com m ittee chairman for organizing the round table. Spring Golf and Meeting Date Set The spring meeting will be held on April 17th at railside in Grand Rapids. Jeff Hopkins is the Superintendent and will be our host. Jeff has got his fingers crossed and promises sunny warm weather that day with temperatures in the mid 70’s. With these conditions guaranteed by Jeff come on out and enjoy a nice day with your fellow turf managers. If you know of people in the turf business and they are not members in the W.M.G.C.S.A. bring them along as your guest so they can see what they are missing. Joint Meeting Held At Kent Country Club The G.A.M. and W.M.G.C.S.A. held their joint meeting at Kent Country Club on Tuesday, M arch 21. Attendance was a little less then usual, perhaps do to the moderate early spring weather we have experienced lately. Those in attendance did however enjoy an informative meeting and great lunch. Some of the topics covered were moss on putting greens by Paul Richter, environmental issues at The Meadows by Kathy Antaya, and how the superintendents maintenance and cultural practices can effect the course handicap by Brent Marshall. Thanks to the G.A.M. and W .M.G.C.S.A. along with Kent Country Club for hosting the meeting. Fungal Disease May Destroy Ornamental Value of Spruce------------------------------- A fungal disease that attacks a variety of spruce trees can cause severe production losses in nurseries and destroy the ornamental value of landscape of trees. The disease is Phomopsis canker of spruce, says Dave Roberts, Michigan State University plant pathologist. Its most dramatic symptoms occur in spring as new shoots expand, then rapidly wilt and die. The wilted tips curl and often turn a characteristic pink before turning brown and shedding needles. Often, however, symptoms of infection are barely discernible or difficult to distinguish “Latent infections do not develop until the tree is stressed some way, such as by drought, from injury from other causes, such as mites. transplanting or other root injury,” Roberts says. “Then symptoms develop rapidly.” In seedlings, the terminal leader and all other branch tips may be killed. In larger plants, the bottom whorls of branches die. In severely stressed plants, cankers under the bark may expand until they girdle and kill the tree. “In most trees, the damage usually isn’t fatal,” Roberts notes, “but it tends to destroy the aesthetic value of the tree as an ornamental or Christmas tree. Classifieds For Sale: Call Al at Cascade Hills County Club (616)949-1420. 3 Toro Proturf 84's. 2 running and 1 for parts. $800. 1 Walk behind Rotary Mower, 22" Meijer. $50. 1 Fertilizer and/or Material Conveyor, gas & electric powered. $250. 1 Roseman Hydragang and Powerpack. $600. 2 Pallets Plastic Grids for turf stabilization. $50/ pack, new cost would be $175. For Sale: Call Paul at The Moors C.G. (616) 323-2753. Ron Lee Sand Blade Model 340 for Toro Sand Pro. Complete. $450. Continued on Back Page Please patronize our advertisers as they have made this newsletter possible. 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(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 Fungal Disease, Continued... Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens glauca) and white spruce (P. glauca) appear to be the most susceptible, but Black Hills spruce (P. glauca ‘Densata), Norway spruce (P. abies) and Siberian spruce (P. obovata can also be affected. Other spruce species may serve as hosts for the fungus. Spruce trees are also subject to other canker and needlecast diseases. Because of the difficulty of distinguishing one from the others, Roberts suggests that nursery operators or homeowners who suspect Phomopsis canker in their trees should submit samples of affected branches to a diagnostic service such as the MSU Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for positive identification. Control is by a combination of approaches. Roberts recommends proper pruning to remove blighted stems, total removal of severely diseased plants and nearby dead conifers, and disposal of diseased plant ¡materials by burning. Minimizing stress to trees by preventing mechanical injury and damage by other diseases and insects and by watering during dry weather and after transplanting to maintain tree vigor help reduce or prevent symptom development. Research has shown that these cultural controls are helpful but can’t control Phomopsis alone. Preventing production losses in nurseries and loss of valuable landscape trees requires properly timed applications of effective fungicides. For more information on symptoms and cultural and chemical controls of Phomopsis canker spruce, contact your local MSU Extension office and ask for a copy of Extension bulletin E-2417, “Phomopsis Canker of Spruce.” Reprint from Green Industry News. 3725 Cascade Rd., S.E. • Grand Rapids, Ml 49546 P e t e Cook i n g h am liSLJ M a in L i b r a r y W - 212 E a s t L a n s i n g MI 48824 BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID GRAND RAPIDS, Ml PERMIT NO. 582