Speaking at Local Supt Association Shop Tour

Presentation about social media that I use in my job for our local super/asst vendor peeps. So if your darn smart phone isn't acting too smart(might be operator error) and does not work during your presentation, you can send the pic to your email and make the post on your desktop. There is also an app for Blogger which I had stopped using a few months ago due to shortage of memory. The works a little better than the version I tried. I have to get it back loaded on my phone!

Education all day today at Bellerive CC shop tour for Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendent's Association

Happy Earth Day 2015

As mentioned in an earlier twitter feed, we believe in Earth Day everyday at Glen Echo CC in the following ways:

• Recycling bin is used by both our staff, pro shop and the clubhouse. Glass, aluminum, paper, and boxes are separated as much as possible. Our staff separates its scrap metal that we accumulate in our repair work and recycle it.
• We have an expansive irrigation system that covers almost every blade of grass on our property but we make every effort to only utilize some of the out of the way play areas on a rare occasion. Our focus is down the middle. Automated system that automatically turns off if rain occurs. Weather station which allows us to see how potential water needs to be applied to make up for each days loss. Turf turning off color to some degree means we are managing properly.
• Our clippings are recycled into the rough where they can be utilized by the plants again.
• We use many types of cultural techniques to improve overall turf health in an effort to reduce overall applications of fertilizers/chemicals. Reduced fairway application of nitrogen by 50%. Give plant only what it needs, do not give it the ICE CREAM AND COOKIES TOO!
• Overall we have reduced the total amount of #'s of fertilizer used for our specific plant surfaces. Mowing injures plants and anytime you can reduce mowing reduces injury and energy required to repair it.
• Overall fuel usage is down because we have reduced overall mowing on playing surfaces. Facility is still as good as it was when I got here, at least that is what I am being told.
• Focusing on more plant health than spraying fungicides to stabilize health.
• Raised height on certain surfaces and making efforts to rid main playing areas of species of plants that are injured from severe heat and or cold with the changing climatic changes. Poa annua and bermuda grass contamination in zoysia areas.
• Recycle all waste oil, oil filters etc.
• Placed emphasis on turf health and reduced specific trees around greens that force more inputs than needed. Yes I know killing a tree is sometimes necessary in our circumstance to improve our part of the earth. Healthy turf grass has many benefits!
• Many types of wildlife are on our property including the 4 acres of lakes that help hold water on our property for irrigation usage.
• A membership in which nearly 40% of the rounds are walking rounds are very helpful not only for our contributions to Earth Day but on the health of our members. Impacts from cart traffic do effect overall growth and health of grass.
• Tree limbs are chipped and recycled in our ornamental beds.

A Good Trip/March Is Coming In Like a Lion

In Like a Lion needless to say will refer to what we will be experiencing over the next day or so with the beginning of March. Cold temperatures this past week have still kept a fairly decent amount of snow on the course and the inches we will receive by Sunday night will impact us even further.  We will be getting a nice day on Tuesday which will help melt some of this stuff away but the rest of the week does not look good until next weekend.  

I'm giving fair warning to you now. I expect that once the snow has left the greens, the course will remain closed until the freeze has come out of them so we are not creating excessive imprinting and root shearing near the surface of our greens during this important time of our greens transitioning from winter to spring.  I will continue to keep you updated during the week with blog posts and twitter messages that can be followed directly on twitter or on the twitter feed at the top right corner of the blog.

The siege of the Alamo began 3 days before we arrived 179 years ago.

Well, I thought my trip to San Antonio for the annual conference would be both great professionally and personally. Nice weather would allow some enjoyment outside during breaks and great evening walks on the Riverwalk going from social functions and back to the hotel. Still warmer than Stl but only one really beautiful day we got to experience.

Professionally the show was excellent. Excellant presentations I saw over a couple of days from my peers as well as researchers from all over the country.  Poa annua, plant defense activators which assist plants in combating diseases, water management and managing course for environmental/business sustainability were just a few of the topics.

Trade show Floor

Shared Hospitality Night with Mississippi Valley Supt Association(STL) and Hear of America Supt Assoc(KC)

I'm in print on the trade show floor. One 100# of bentgrass seed in a contest in Nov/Dec.  Lets hope I'm not forced to use it but only use it in the fall to encourage higher bentgrass populations.

Nice presentation from San Antonia Water System regarding water conservation.

Trade show has lost some of its size from the glory days but large enough with a lot of ideas on equipment and supplies that we might consider using over the next few years. We made a significant equipment purchase 2 years before I arrived and a majority of that equipment is heading into 9 years of age.  Some have aged slowly with lower hours and still has some good life but a few pieces are getting near retirement in their career at Glen Echo.

We will be making purchases over the next few years to spread the impact of our aging fleet on the finances here at Glen Echo.  Staggering purchases keeps everything from aging all at once creating a significant impact on the club's finances. It is not beyond the possibility of purchasing some used equipment with lower hours that will help to reduce the impact to our bottomline. Some of our equipment can cost mid-20's to over $50k for our rough mowers and fairway units.  Just as automobiles, equipment does depreciate in time and some of the initial impact from being new can be offset by pieces purchased from leases after 3-4 years.  Still plenty of life available for us to utilize.

Part of that equipment we will need to replace includes member golf carts which we need to begin rotating newer carts into the fleet over the next few years. We;ve made a substantial battery replacement over the last couple of years and need to put a few years on these batteries to get our value out of the purchase but don't want for them to become too aged where we have to start replacing them for the 2nd time. Carts the size of our fleet can cost upwards of $250k or more.

Well, I better close for now. My weekend and time to go check the parking lot and drive.  A party this evening in the clubhouse and need to make sure the roadways are safe!

Course Update/A Little Trip

Snow still covers the course and with the cold temps over the next couple of days, I would expect the surface to turn hard as a rock. I'm guessing that the course will remain closed this week. I would expect once the snow leaves and the greens begin to thaw that we will be closed until the greens have thawed allowing the moisture to move away from the surface. I will keep you updated as the melting and thawing begins.

I will be spending a few days in San Antonio this week at our National Superintendent Conference.  Education, equipment/supply show, and networking with some of the brightest minds in my field will be at the forefront of my week.

Knowledge is Power

As the main golf season wind's down, a great deal of reflection goes into this past season and potential changes or improvements in the program for next season.  Along with the evaluation, comes an increase in opportunities to gain knowledge about what we do as growers of turf grass and managers.  There are educational opportunities throughout the season but a majority of my time in the slower times of the year is devoted to gaining knowledge.  Some of the educational opportunities include;

1. Trade journals either in paper form or digital.
2. Forums on professional sites such as TurfNet or Superintendent Association site.
3. Monthly local meetings or visits to golf courses.
4. Vendors or field reps from companies talking about their products and solutions or problems we might be seeing.
5. Turf advisory visit from USGA agronomist which occurred this season.
6. Webinars presented on different sites.

Dr. Rossi Cornell University Opening Slide

Today with the wet and cold weather, I sat in on a webinar presented by TurfNet(Internet Golf Course Communication Company) which was present by Dr. Frank Rossi from Cornell University regarding Plant Health.  Superintendents from all over the country sat in on this power point presentation regarding the health of golf greens and how the impacts of our work impact their plant health.  Many times, these presentations spend most of the time discussing how we can improve plant health without using chemicals to fix or cure our problems.  There are many cultural practices which can improve and or negatively impact plant health.  In many cases its about proper application, operation and timing.  Get one of those three out of order or sequence and problems can occur.  Keep those in the proper order, and great putting greens can be in your future.  One of the most interesting slides he used during his presentation the production of energy and the use of energy in the plant. 

Last week, in the discussion regarding trees I spoke about shade weakened turf on greens and how they can become deprived of energy during the summer.  During the webinar, a slide was used by Dr. Rossi that relates to energy production and use.  The yellow line which represents use peaks at the top in the summer.  The white line which represents production bottoms out directly underneath the use line in the middle of summer. 

Dr. Rossi', Conrell University's slide regarding production and use of energy.

There are many abiotic(non-living) stresses in turf which can negatively effect the production of food and the use of food.  

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Drainage
• Air movement
• Sunlight
• Mowing
• Golfers(Yes I know your living but the effects of walking on greens, ball marks etc)

Too much or not enough depending upon the type of stress can widen the gap between production and use.  Our attempt is to keep the gap as narrow as possible so when the worst weather of summer comes along, our turf is prepared.  You can also see the blackened areas which represent storage.  The greatest time for storage in a plant is during the fall.  The sun's angle in the fall is flattened which reduces light.  Trees living on the eastern and southern sides of greens negatively effect this storage because of reduced light.  Leaves are usually on trees until November so any trees close to greens on the sun side of the green reduces the greens ability to build up reserves going into winter and the following spring which are terribly important for plant survival the next summer.

I missed a number of webinars this season and intend to go back into the archives and watch them   Hopefully I can learn something new or refresh some information that gets pushed down in the memory bank to assist the staff and I as we hope to keep your golf course in great condition again next season.

Learning Never Ends

Assistant Skip and I spent yesterday at the annual Mississippi Valley Golf Course Superintendent's Association winter education/shop tour.  This free event has become one of the best activities offered by our local association of over 200 superintendents, assistants and vendors.  Five presenters discussed topics from;

1. How to Save Money on Renovations 
2. Nitrogen Applications In the Fall to Cool Season Grass.  
3. New Bacteria Problems in Bentgrass  
4. The Effects of Early DMI Fungicides & Trimmet Applications for Disease Control on Creeping Bentgrass.
5. Annual Poa research

Some coffee and donuts for breakfast and a good hamburger, brat, hot dog and all the trimmings lunch made by our vendors kept us going.  A little happy hour at the conclusion of the day is always good to catch up with old friends and maybe get a tip or two that can help save some grass for the next season.  This year's event was held at the new maintenance building at Sunset CC(my first stomping ground).  Its good to see how other facilities operations are set up and the equipment they utilize.  We have a couple of other vendor sponsored events over the next few weeks to attend as well.  I will be attending our national conference in Las Vegas at the end of February of 2012.

I do not think there is ever a time when one has enough knowledge about ones life work.  Some of the information needs refreshing from time to time but there is new research and techniques that are being introduced to combat the many issues that we face on the course.  More attention is being given to the  business side of our work.  Knowing how to grow and keep great turf conditions is our most important function as a golf course superintendent but the business side of our industry has been brought to the forefront since 2001.  Staffing, planning, and dealing with a weakened industry in general play  important parts to our daily routines.  The proper utilization of resources has become more the norm in our business than the exception.

Other educational opportunities that I have found valuable have been free webinars which are given throughout the season and into the winter on various superintendent information sites.  GCSAA(national supt association), TURFNET (Virtual golf course information company), USGA, and supply vendors.

Education is also important for me to keep my Certification status.  I must accumulate 5 education points out of a total of 15 points over a 5 year cycle period to retain this status.  I'm currently in my 12th year and 3rd cycle as a certified superintendent.  Funds are provided in our yearly budget to help support the educational activities that I am privileged to attend and I thank you for that support.

Dr. Barb Corwin from Turfgrass Diagnostics discussing bacterial problems with bentgrass/poa greens in the new maintenance building at Sunset C.C.

Golf Trades Magazine Cover Feature Article

I was asked last season by Golf Trades Magazine to do a cover article.  The article was just published in the May edition.  It is geared for my peers in the industry but I thought I would share it with our members. 

Managing a Historically Significant Golf Facility

GCSAA Conference and Industry Show

I spent four days in Orlando last week attending the GCSAA's Annual Education Conference and Golf Industry Show.  Click on the preceding link for highlights and videos regarding the show.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I was also given the opportunity to make a presentation Friday morning.  A lot of work but a great honor and thrill to be asked to present in front of my peers. 

The show encompasses educational presentations from university turf researchers, superintendents, motivation talks from nationally acclaimed speakers and the USGA.  A 2 day trade show with vendors from services and all types of products used on the golf course. This conference is one of the highlights of my off season.  Education, networking with my peers/vendors and enjoying some warm weather made for a great week. I also receive education points for attending the conference which is used to renew my Certified Golf Course Superintendent status every five years.  The show raises my energy level and motivates me to get the season started even though weather can still be suspect for a few more weeks.

 I appreciate the opportunity that the club gives me in attending this great conference. 

Trees, ornamentals, and education

I spent the past 3 days attending the National Green Centre which is the Western Nursery and Landscape Association's annual trade show and education event at Americas Center in St. Louis.  Knowledge of turf grass issues is my number one focus at Glen Echo but Horticulture/Landscape issues are also a part of our program which includes trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials.

Saturday morning, I was privileged to attended a walk with Dr. Michael Dirr at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  Dr. Dirr is one of the best resources in the world for horticulturists/landscapers regarding trees and woody shrubs.  Dr. Dirr's 1000 page 'Manual of Wood Landscape Plants' has been used by me and many other professionals on many occasions in attempting to identify trees and shrubs on the proprieties that we manage.  I've also used the manual to help determine the placement of a new tree or shrub with its proper cultural requirements.  Dr. Dirr gave me some great information regarding potential tree species and cultivars to consider in the landscape for future plantings.   

Dr. Dirr was given the Henry Shaw Medal of Honor from the Missouri Botanical Garden this past spring. 

Also, a part of the program over Sunday and Monday was Dr. Allan Armitage  who is one of the top educators in the country on the use of annuals and perennials.  Click on the highlighted links for further information.  Dr. Armitage's link is to his personal website which home gardeners would find very interesting to look at during the cold winter months.  Photos of plants, gardens he has toured and links to his test garden in Athens, Georgia are great resources for home gardeners and professionals alike. 

 

Dr. Dirr(red jacket) standing in the MO Bot Ridgeway Center before our tour of the garden.  Also on hand were June Hutson, Jim Cocos and Chip Tynan who are all long time staff members of the MoBot who are great resources for our area regarding all types of plant materials.  Sorry, no pictures of the garden in the dead of winter which is actually very pretty.  The battery ran out of charge for my camera.





The trade show at the National Green Centre Meeting













Winter and education

We attempt to stay informed about turfgrass, equipment and or management issues on a regular basis throughout the year. Below are a list of some of ways we try to stay informed:

• Trade publications
• Web boards which turf professionals post questions and answers to many issues of the day.
• Discussions with vendors and or technical sales representatives who come by our facility from time to time.
• Monthly outings during the golf season held at various types of clubs throughout our area in which assistants Mike, Skip and I attend on a rotating basis. There are opportunities before, during and after the round to discuss ideas and thoughts with the other members of our foursome and or the superintendent at the facility we played. Last season, we attended events at Old Warson CC, Crystal Springs Quarry, Crown Point, and Spencer T. Olin. I also went to Lake Forest Country Club for an equipment demo and St. Louis Country Club with our Master Plan architect. Assistant Mike went to Spencer T. Olin and the Falls Golf Club and did interviews with Superintendents to write profile articles for our local supt. association publication. I also attend the USGA Women's Amateur at Old Warson CC and the USGA Team Championship at St. Albans CC. You always want to support a local supt and their staff's who are hosting the event but you never know when you might see something at the facility that would be something you would like to put in place at your own facility.
• Phone calls to other superintendents in our area regarding products or procedures that they have found successful or that have been failures.
• Demos of equipment which we use for a few days to stay informed regarding the newest technology and help us to make the best decisions regarding future equipment purchasing.
• Attendance at local, regional and national conferences and trade shows.

Winter is the time of year that allows us a chance to do the most research, reading, and attending events to improve our knowledge and keep updated on the most recent trends in the industry.

Below are a couple of links regarding a couple of local/regional turf conferences we attended in the last couple of weeks.

The Missouri Turf and Ornamental Council(MVTA) which I was a member of and a past president of a few years ago had presentations on December 8th in which assistants Mike, Skip and I attended in St. Charles. Good presentations from Phd's representing University of Arkansas, Missouri, Wyoming, and SIUC. I also slid into a couple of the ornamental presentations to gain some additional knowledge in the horticulture part of our job. Below is a link to the brochure for the event.

http://www.motoc.org/pdf/gi_conf09.pdf

I made a quick whirlwind trip to Kansas City yesterday(16th) to attend one day of the Heartland Green Industry Expo which is sponsored by the Heart of America Golf Course Supt Association and the Green Industry Council in Kansas City. Disease management on zoysia was a key topic from Asst. Prof. of pathology Megan Keenely from KSU. One of our brightest and best superintendents in the country, Mr David Stone from the Honors Club in Chatanooga made a two hour presentation regarding zoysia management. Interesting information and a fine gentleman. Through his discussion yesterday and trials data from North Carolina State University, we will be testing Fusilade II in our bermuda eradication program this next year. It is a less expensive product than the Acclaim that we have been using and shows excellent results. I understand we had some turf damage with the original Fusilade a few years ago but that was caused by an error in application rate by a contractor that provided the service. We will trial a couple of places to insure that it is safe before we proceed full scale with the product.

There was also great information provided by the USGA in their afternoon presentation. Topics of discussion included equipment testing,(which I will blog about in the future) hole placement and location, and year in review from Ty McClellan who is the Mid-Continent regional agronomist and visited our course last June. Some good tips on hole location which from time to time has created an issue for probably every greens keeper in the world. A link to the brochure for the event below.

http://www.magicouncil.org/file_depot/0-10000000/20000-30000/29386/folder/70208/Brochure+-+2009.pdf

In February, I will be attending the GCSAA(Golf Course Superintendent's of America Association) annual conference and show. Great opportunity to gain some additional knowledge and check out the trade show floor which has between 250-300k square feet of exhibition space.

http://gcsaa.org/conference/default.aspx

Interesting link

I like reading about anything I can get my hands on regarding the work that we do or in general anything having to do with the outdoors. In our jobs, we are not only concerned with turfgrass management but also, arborculture, horticulture, meteorology, soil science, and astrology.(Just kidding on the astrology part but I do look at the full moon phases for potential disease outbreaks)

I receive a weekly email blast from one of my vendors with information from Kansas State University Turfgrass extension service. The link below discusses a number of subjects which some of you might find interesting. Some of the discussion is golf course related but a number of the items are for general home owner use as well. The topics include:

• lady bird beetles
• grasshoppers
• zoysia patch
• prostrate spurge
• drought stress or disease in turfgrass
• pinching mums
• accumulated stress to plants leading to death
• Poison Ivy ID and control

http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=2483