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Determining the content of this President’s message was a bit more difficult than I envisioned. So far this year, President’s messages have been laid out in an attempt to present more of a management-focused theme than that of technical reference.

As with most things in life, that has changed. I feel it is now time to update the membership on the work that has been done over the past year which has been built on the positive advancements of previous Boards.

As Golf Superintendents, Parks and Sportsfield Managers and turf management industry employees, we have all been experiencing a considerable shift in how our businesses are being operated. This is no different a shift than in any other business in the world at this time.

Competition is fierce and the need to provide value for money invested is more important than ever. It is my belief that those who will be successful in adapting to this shift will have paid attention to 2 key areas: your operational structure and the future!

For most people, change is a very difficult process.

As an association made up of many individuals, it is even more difficult because everyone has their own level of comfort. The ability to adapt is what allows for long-term success and may be a key reason why some individuals and associations face change better than others.

Over the past few years, the WCTA has recognized the need for change. With one eye on the future, current and previous boards looked inwardly and asked numerous questions of ourselves. Do we have the foundation needed to move forward?

Are we operating within the guidelines set out within our mandate? Do we believe we have a feel for what the future will bring? Does our mandate need to be adjusted for this?

Answers were not necessarily forthcoming. It was with this understanding that we asked our executive director to outline the WCTA’s top 10 operational deficiencies and attempt to prioritize them with the goal of strengthening our capabilities. Throughout this process, we remained intent on preparing for the future, continuing to look for ways to be ahead of the curve.

I am very happy to report that we have effectively started this process and are well on our way to strengthening the operational base of the association. An intensive constitutional review is underway and the Board will soon present proposed amendments to the membership that reflect changing times.

The revised document, which we feel is of utmost importance to ensure our association has a solid foundation to move forward from, is being vetted by an outside source. WCTA members will vote on this new, more usable and stronger document at our upcoming AGM. As well, we are in the process of establishing a solidified governance model complete with Board

of Director recruitment, orientation and training.

It makes sense to ‘start at the start’ by ensuring strong and capable leadership at the Board level.

A realignment of Director assignments took place earlier this year to ensure work being done by committees is accomplished in a timely and functional manner. Committees are relied upon heavily but without structure and goals, performance can suffer. We accomplish this through face-toface, 1 day meetings throughout the year where the issue to be dealt with is decisively handled by the group with limited distraction.

Information management is a major task with any medium to large sized association. We have been dealing with this over the past year, creating and updating databases while collaborating with other components we are working on such as our website and new CEC tracking software.

These are just a number of initiatives that we have accomplished over the past few years and are bringing to conclusion. All of this ties into our next step, creating a comprehensive, formal strategic plan.

This Board and its executive director have worked tirelessly to stabilize and optimize the value of this association and I am very proud of all their work. We have many issues ahead of us that will not always be easy to deal with but we believe that we have a stable foundation from which to work from.

There are very interesting times ahead for this industry and the WCTA wishes to be at the forefront, in its delivery of value added services and forward thinking objectives. Please feel free to call me at any time with any issues you may have regarding the operation of the WCTA. Sincerely, Trevor Smith WCTA President

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE Vol. 239 • December, 2014 - January, 2015

RESEARCH EDUCATION DISCUSSION

The Western Canada Turfgrass Association accepts no responsibility with respect to advertisements appearing herein. The opinions expressed in editorial material or otherwise do not necessarily represent the views of the Association. Printed in Canada. Canada Post Publications Agreement No. 41926518. Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverable mail to: Box 698, Hope, B.C. V0X 1L0

Editor - Jerry Rousseau, Executive Director, Western Canada Turfgrass Association Tel: (604) 869-WCTA (9282) • Toll Free Fax: 1-866-366-5097 • Email: exec.director@wctaturf.com

OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION PARTNER - INSIDE GOLF INC. Offices & Couriering Address Only: #2000 - 60 Ingram St., Duncan, BC, V9L 1N7 Mailing Address: PO Box 248, Duncan, BC V9L 3X3 PUBLISHERS OF:

Turf Line Magazine www.wcta-online.com Inside Golf Magazine www.insidegolf.ca Canadian Golf Directory www.fromthegreenside.com

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Copyright 2014. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use of any information in this publication in any format, including electronic, without written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Publisher makes every effort to ensure that information is correct but is not responsible for any errors or omissions.

REGULAR AND GUEST CONTRIBUTORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Regular Columnists / Contributors: BCGSA; Dave Doherty; Stan Kazymerchyk; Trevor Smith; Jason Pick; Jerry Rousseau; Jeff Sutherland; WCTA Board Of Directors; Dean Piller; WCTA Staff Guest Writers and Photographers: David Phipps GCSAA Field Staff, NW Region, Camille Wang Via The Cornell Daily Sun Keith Lyall; Brian Whitlark Unless otherwise indicated all images credit that facility, company, association or organization.

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WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-2015

TITLE/NAME PRESIDENT Trevor Smith

Keso Turf Supplies

250-320-6411 604-940-2244

Governance, Strategic Planning, Finance, Nominations, Conference, Amalgamation, Professional Development - Industry, Environmental Advocacy, Allied Golf Association Liaison

trevoralfa@shaw.ca

VICE PRESIDENT Brett Finlayson

Olympic View Golf Club

250-474-3672 250-743-5518

Strategic Planning, Nominations, E.D. Performance, Amalgamation, Member Development, Conference

bfinlayson@golfbc.com

City of Burnaby, Parks, Rec, & Cultural Serv.

Turf Canada

604-297-4494 604-297-4492 778-389-2308 604-477-2614 604-599-3295 604-599-3277 250-378-9572 250-378-9799 250-861-4040 250-861-3051

Research, Governance, Fundraising, Awards & Recognition, Professional Development – Golf Communication & Information, E.D. Performance, Conference, Professional Development - Industry E.D. Performance, Professional Development & Education, Professional Development - Sportsturf Amalgamation, Professional Development & Education

peter.sorokovsky@burnaby.ca

Governance, Strategic Planning

fverkerk@golfbc.com

403-660-0160 403-777-7145 250-714-4685 250-323-7072 403-556-8243 403-507-7797 250-679-3389 250-679-3039

Amalgamation, Professional Development - Sportsturf

mjschellenberg@cbe.ab.ca

Professional Development – Industry, Member Development, Professional Development - Sportsturf Awards & Recognition, Professional Development & Education

tangoturf@shaw.ca

Governance, Amalgamation, Equipment Technician Liaison

squiresgolf@hotmail.com

250-578-5535 250-578-5435

Strategic Planning, Nominations, Professional Development – Golf, Environmental Advocacy

klyall@sunpeaksresort.com

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & ASSISTANT Jerry Rousseau Box 698, Hope, V0X 1L0

604-869-9282

Strategic Planning, Allied Golf Association Liaison

exec.director@wctaturf.com

Leslie Carnell

604-780-9130

2-YEAR DIRECTORS Peter Sorokovsky Casey O’Connor Stan Kazymerchyk

ORGANIZATION

Frits Verkerk

Kwantlen Polytechnic University Sagebrush Golf and Sporting Club Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Course

1-YEAR DIRECTORS Mike Schellenberg

Calgary Board of Education

Norley Calder

Brett Lamontagne Jason Pick

Mid-Island Landscape Consulting Inc. Olds College

Garett Squire

Talking Rock Resort

PAST PRESIDENT Keith Lyall

Sun Peaks Golf Club

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PHONE/FAX

COMMITTEES

E-MAIL

casey@turfcanada.com stan.kazymerchyk@kwantlen.ca ncalder@sagebrushclub.com

jpick@oldscollege.ca

admin@wctaturf.com

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superintendents connect with local educators and develops educational programs that are tailored for children using golf courses as learning laboratories. Golf course superintendents can host students on field trips where they test water quality, take soil samples, plant flower beds, or simply learn what is involved in maintaining a golf course.

Education can be anything related to the ecology and environmental aspects of the golf course to learning the business of operating a restaurant or a clothing shop.

As reported in 2007, over 8,000 students in Washington State have participated

IMAGES COURTESY / CREDIT XXXXX

Community outreach and education can be a stumbling block for some superintendents seeking certification through a program such as the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. This is far from the truth when it comes to the superintendents from the State of Washington.

At Glendale Country Club in Bellevue, Wash. near Seattle, Steve Kealy, CGCS has hosted countless fieldtrips involving students from all walks of life. Steve is a founding member of a growing program in Washington State called First Green. First Green helps

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in the program. A total of $110,000 in student scholarships and teacher grants has been provided since 2002. Karen Armstead, the Executive Director, is currently seeking a grant which will enable them to bring the program to the State of Oregon and increase its participation in Eastern Washington.

Aware that I have hosted several fieldtrips with local schools as part of my community outreach program at Stone Creek, Steve Kealy contacted me early last May and asked if I would like to come up and be part of one of his events. I jumped at the opportunity and headed north to Bellevue, Wash. to get a firsthand look at First Green in action.

Now that I am working for GCSAA, I took the opportunity to attend once again this year and am combining the experiences of both years into one story.

Learning Stations Last year Steve was hosting fifty seventh graders from Sacred Heart, a local private school. This year Sacred Heart was there once again, but there was also an additional school there, totaling 90 students all together. There were five learning stations set up in which the kids would spend about 25 minutes at each station. Steve had also asked three other local superintendents help with the field trip so they took time out of their schedule to be a part of the program. Steve and First Green have done such a wonderful job promoting the program that now outside environmental groups are asking to be a part of the program. In a way this has been a windfall for the program.

Now First Green is not only reaching out to the children but is having an impact on local environmental groups.

I actually overheard one of the outside volunteers say that they had always viewed the golf course as the source of the problem, but now after being part of this program I see that they are critical to the success of our local streams. That speaks loudly in terms of our mission to educate the non golfing public on the environmental benefits golf courses provide to local ecosystems. In 2012 there were two outside groups taking part of the program. Both years I was able to get around to the different stations and observe the activities the children were taking part in. Each station, everyone seemed to be interested in the topic at hand and was totally engaged in the lesson.

Soils I joined the first group and they were learning soils from Jim Myers,

superintendent at the Plateau Club in Sammamish and Greg Hall, superintendent at Fairwood Golf and Country Club in Renton. Jim was in the process of testing the pH of soil they had helped the students prepare a vial of soil with a solution that would turn the soil a certain color after thoroughly mixing for 10 minutes.

While the student was gently turning over the vial to mix its contents Jim pulled out a sand sieve and explained why superintendents need sand with a fairly uniform particle size. Jim then had a student place a scoop of sand in the top of the sieve and demonstrated how the different layers of the sieve captured different particle sizes of the sand. He explained how we can interpret the results and determine if the sand was appropriate for his needs. Jim then explained how he used the sand by spreading it on the grass, being very careful not to use terms such as “topdress” which may be unfamiliar with the kids. He explained how it benefits the roots by creating airspace and enabling oxygen to become available in the soil.

Meanwhile Jim’s volunteer continued to keep the soil sample vial in motion and it was time to determine the pH. With a simple color chart the students were able to determine that pH was right around 6.5. At this point they discussed pH and what was meant by the numbers 1 through 14. Jim asked them to give some examples of an acid and some examples of a base. The great thing was the students knew and were able to give examples such as citric acid as a low pH and dishwasher soap as a high pH. When asked where plants like to live they were all right on saying between 6 and 7.

From there, Greg Hall took over and walked the students down to the eighteenth green and plunged a soil sampler in the middle of the green and gathered the students around to look at the roots. Greg related what Jim just explained to them about applying sand to the surface of the grass to provide greater porosity and increased root development. They identified the thatch layer and discussed how superintendents manage that layer to keep the grass healthy.

As I sat back and took some photos, I could tell that Jim and Greg were really enjoying what they were doing. They were simply explaining what they do, day in and day out and were giving these students a glimpse of why science

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Continued From Previous Page is important in their daily lives. At that point I realized that I didn t have to always do these fieldtrips on my own.

Seeking volunteers from local courses was a great idea. Jim and Greg did a fantastic job at engaging the kid and were having a great time doing it.

This year, Steve had his Assistant Superintendents, Kyle Young and Josh Cheney, lead the class. Kyle and Josh talked about the three elements of soil structure: sand, silt and clay. They provided some excellent examples of water infiltration rates and discussed how important the use of sand is on a golf course. I loved the fact that Steve engaged his assistants. Kyle and Josh were learning the process and will then in turn carry it on to their courses should they become a superintendents.

Storm Water In 2011, Steve Kealy and Craig Benson of Meridian Valley Country Club were giving the lesson on storm water. Steve began the lesson by walking to the top of the golf course to the main entrance.

We all stood around a catch basin that was located in the middle of the road.

On a label next to the grate was a plaque which read Don t Pollute, Drains to Kelsey Creek . Steve and Craig held up a large aerial photograph of the golf course and described the path the water must take as it drains to the creek. He pointed out how the surface of the ground can affect the rate in which the water travels.

Kelsey Creek runs right through the center of Glendale and it also happens to be the main source of drainage for a large portion of the City of Bellevue.

Kelsey Creek also happens to be an active salmon bearing stream which connects to the Puget Sound. This lead to the discussion of the fate of our water as it leaves our homes. Steve separated the water in to two

categories; water inside the house and water outside the house. The inside water, or sewer, comes from our showers, sinks, and toilets and goes to the treatment plant where the water can be reclaimed or cleaned and discharged back to a stream or even used to irrigate a golf course. The outside water, or storm water, comes from our roof and gutters and from the water that we use to wash our cars as well as the water we use to irrigate our lawns. This water generally flows into gutters and storm pipes and is discharged directly to our streams. It is this water that we can take an active role in preventing from carrying pollution to our streams.

The students were quick to point out that oil leaking from cars is a problem.

Steve also pointed out that by washing your car in your driveway can lead to excessive phosphates in the streams.

As Steve directed their attention to the neighboring houses, he also pointed out how a misplaced fertilizer application can also lead to pollution and he stressed how important it is to sweep it off the sidewalk and back on the grass where it belongs.

Steve continued to discuss the different ways our streams can get polluted and noticed the kids attention span was waning. He quickly made eye contact with the students and politely engaged them by asking them questions which led right to the key point of the discussion. I was impressed to see Steve using a proper technique to regain their attention and equally impressed to see the students were quick to respond and get back on track.

On the way back down the hill, Steve stopped by a new renovation project

that the club had recently undergone.

Glendale Country Club chose to use a green roof on their new proshop; this became a great learning point as Steve pointed out the cooling benefits as well as how it slows the rate in which the w a t e r travels from the roof to the gutter and finally to the stream.

In 2012 Steve lead a different class on water. He had the students determining the cubic feet per second (CFS) of Kelsey Creek. Using tennis balls, he had a student toss them one at a time into the stream, and time each over a set distance, and then identify the average speedtime it took to travel the distance. He then had them calculate the depth of the stream with the help of one of his assistants. They measured 15 points across the stream then took an average and then used the two numbers to calculate the rate in which the stream was flowing. They came up with cubic feet per second, cubic feet per minute, and cubic feet per hour.

The number got so large they had to convert it to total acre feet. The exercise demonstrated the importance of math beyond formal education. Steve also used the message to describe how much water is reaching our bays and lakes just from storm water runoff. He used the example of a football field. Using just 75 yards and one foot deep, it would equate to an acre foot of water.

When they realized how many acre feet of water ran down that stream in an hour they were amazed.

Water Quality In 2011, one of the stations was at Kelsey Creek where they examined the water and talked about salmon. When

we arrived, Melanie Baker from Nature Vision was there to lead the group. First Green has hooked up with Nature Vision to help provide hands-on programs for the students. It is a natural relationship since it is also the goal of Nature Vision to foster appreciation and stewardship of the environment through integration of school and community for a sustainable future. The point of Melanie s discussion was to teach the students the benefit of clean water and how it affects salmon. Melanie first explained the life cycle of the Puget Sound salmon, from where they are hatched to the range in which they feed, which can be from as far away as Alaska and Japan.

The important part of the salmon s life cycle is its journey to the spawning ground. There are certain criteria which will enable the salmon to be successful in reaching and producing eggs. Criteria include the pH, temperature, and the dissolved oxygen content of the stream.

The students were there to test for all three. Melanie discussed each test and described the optimum range in which each should occur. The first test was the temperature. Streams often become too warm from a lack of vegetation and cover. The students discussed how they could benefit the stream and what could be done to keep it cool. They agreed that getting involved in stream enhancement groups and planting native materials around the stream and removing invasive species would have a positive effect.

The next test was pH. In order to spawn successfully, salmon need a neutral pH of around 7.0. Melanie asked the students of examples of high pH solutions as well as low pH solutions.

I thought it was great that the first thing they rattled off was dish soap for a high pH. This tells me that the community is doing a good job of

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VIA AGA OF BC

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SHOW PREVIEW

COMPILED BY WCTA STAFF

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in the near future. Current rules are summarized in the following statement found on the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations website: Water Licenses and Approvals All water in British Columbia is owned by the Crown on behalf of the residents of the province. Authority to divert and use surface water is obtained by a licence or approval in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Water Act and the Water Protection Act. In British Columbia, simply having

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access to surface water within or adjacent to property does not authorize a right to divert, use or store water.

I have reviewed the information document titled A Water Sustainability Act for B.C., Legislative Proposal, located at engage.gov.bc.ca/watersustainability act/the-proposal/. Here are few key topics that will affect our industry; " Legislation will affect well users to a degree not seen previously. All subsurface water users will require registration and permitting from the

MEADOW CREEK GOLF COURSE provincial government to draw well water. Current legislation allows anyone to drill and use subsurface water without monitoring or reporting.

Personally and like many who commented during the consultation process, I am in favour of this change.

Industry has had the ability to use water without restriction, for example, a water bottling facility near Hope BC, bottles and exports water completely free of provincial fees. " The proposed legislation will require all well users to be government registered and will include, at this time, a similar flat rate fee and administration expense structure currently experienced by surface water users. The Ministry has stated that rates will be similar to those for surface water licensing. As an example, I can confirm that Sun Peaks Golf Course short term water licensing fees are $200 annually, $150 for the license and $50 for administration. With the proposed legislation, it is important to realize that all golf courses could be paying for water usage in the future. " There is also a proposal in the new act for flow monitoring of both surface and subsurface water usage. This should not be a huge disruption for most golf courses with modern pump stations using programmable logic controllers (PLC s), however once usage volume is measured, it’s plausible per cubic meter charges would follow.

Work with the BC Ministry of Environment (MOE) on proposed IPM Act amendments continues. Most turf managers, by now, have heard and expect that change is coming to rules that govern application of plant health products. The Committee is following up with its suggestion for a proposed addendum to the Landscape Applicators Certificate that has a focus on golf courses or fine-turf .

The committee feels that a comprehensive guide for turf managers already exists with the IPM for Turfgrass Managers , produced cooperatively with

IMAGE CREDIT K. LYALL

Dear AGA-BC Member Organizations, The following is a progress update from the Environmental Advocacy Committee (EAC) as of November 2014.

Firstly, it is important to discuss potential changes that will increase the cost of irrigation water used by many golf courses. The BC government has proposed new legislation called the Water Sustainability Act (Bill 18), replacing the previous Act created in 1909. Consultation from the public was received and reviewed, much like the consultation for cosmetic pesticides.

This bill is now before the Legislative Assembly and is expected to become law

British Columbia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries and the Western Canada Turfgrass Association, dated 2002. This guide is intended for professional turfgrass managers in British Columbia and others who may find it useful. It includes information on the diseases, pests and weeds that occur in, or may be introduced to BC, along with IPM recommendations.

The aim of this guide is to provide current, practical and reliable disease, pest and weed control information with an emphasis on IPM. There is also an extensive section on pesticide safety, application, calibration, storage and regulations.

The aim of this committee is to ensure a level of professionalism within the golf industry and show our customers, critics and the public at large, that turfgrass managers are professionals and Best Management Practices (BMPs) are employed when plant health products are being used.

The committee also agreed that the IPM for Turfgrass Managers, should be the standard for all fine-turf managers including, but not limited to, the following: • Prevention • Rights of Others • Responsible Use of Pest Management and Plant Health Products • Legal Requirements • Pest Identification • Rates and Calibration • Irrigation • Emergency Response Before the guide can be presented as our industry standard, significant updating is required. With assistance from many, the process of creating this resource that ultimately would reside in cyberspace, be available online free of charge and updated annually, has begun. Once endorsed by the Ministry, our tool kit would be used to create Continued On Next Page

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A GOLFER PUTTS INTO THE SHINY TURF THAT IS UPHILL AND INTO THE GRAIN. AT THE TOP OF THE SLOPE, THE GRASS CHANGES TO A DULL COLOR AND THE BALL ROLLS DOWNHILL AND DOWN-GRAIN.

IMAGES COURTESY USGA

GREEN SPEED OFTEN DECREASES MORE FROM MORNING TO AFTERNOON ON GREENS CONTAINING EXCESSIVE THATCH LEVELS.

GREENS BUILT WITHIN THE LAST HALF CENTURY MAY NOT NECESSARILY SLOPE TOWARD A PARTICULAR TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURE LIKE A LAKE, VALLEY, OR OCEAN. ON MODERN GREENS THE BALL WILL BREAK WHERE SURFACE WATER DRAINS FROM THE PUTTING SURFACE. 26 TURF LINE NEWS

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SPONSOR DON CASTRON AT THE PUTTING CONTEST

IMAGE CREDIT / COURTESY XXX

Kwantlen Turf Club hosted their annual Golf Tournament October 4 at Redwoods GC. Hosts Peter Szarka and Cam Watt had the course in mint condition for the 48 players who enjoyed a great day of Texas Scramble.

SPONSOR SCOTT KRAEMER WITH TEAM KESO

HOST ASSISTANT CAM WATT SHOWS OFF HIS WINNING FORM OFF THE FIRST TEE This event is the Turf Club’s major fund-raiser for sending students to the Victoria Conference. Many thank to our generous sponsors: WCTA, Taylors Turf Care, Terra Equipment, Target Products, Western Turf Farms, Prairie Coast Equipment, Premier Pacific Seeds, Brett-Young, Farm-Tek, Terralink, Corix, Keso, Rollins, BCGSA, Direct Solutions, Oakcreek, Vermeer BC, Messner & Kenny Legal Turf Club is preparing tickets or their annual ‘Golf Pass Raffle’, with all proceeds going to Turfgrass Research, which raised $5,000 last year. If you have an upcoming event where you think tickets could be easily sold, such as your club AGM, contact Matt for tickets at: mattcooper@live.ca 30 TURF LINE NEWS

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TURF RESEARCH NEWS

WCTA NEWS

RESEARCH DONORS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS The turfgrass research funding year begins with our annual conference and trade show.

At that time, we typically see an influx of dollars through contributions from allied organizations like the BC Golf Superintendents Association and Kwantlen University Turf Club along with revenues generated from our Silent Auction and other fundraisers.

The good news is the WCTA Research fund received $1250 from the BCGSA this year and a record-setting, $5000 from the KPU Turf Club!

Another $1080 was generated through Peter Sorokovsky’s ‘Give Me 5 Bucks’ campaign, $400 has been received through direct member donations and $800 was raised by the Vancouver Island Parks and Grounds Supervisors for a YTD total of $8,128. The bad news is our annual Silent Auction was cancelled as we just didn’t get enough donations to the cause this year.

That said, thanks must go to the organizations, companies and individuals who have made generous contributions to turf research through both donations and supporting events and functions over the years. The Silent Auction was a big part of our fundraising efforts for over 15 years and we are now looking at new

BY WCTA STAFF

ways to garner funds to support the research that supports the turf management industry.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who serve on our Research Committee: Peter Sorokovsky City of Burnaby (Chair) David Davidson Kwantlen Polytechnic University David Duncan THP Co. (WCTA Past President) David Woodske BC Ministry of Agriculture Dr. Brian Holl Lamorna Enterprises Keith Lyall - Sun Peaks Resort (WCTA Past President) Stephen Kerbrat - Smithers Golf Club (BCGSA Representative) Mike Turner - The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club (NTA Representative) Ladd Legeyt - Agrium Advanced Technologies (Industry Representative) Elizabeth Hudgins (Special Consultant)

BY WCTA STAFF

The WCTA is currently 703 members strong. We have already welcomed 14 new members since October 1, 2014, the start of our fiscal year.

Emailing of 2015 member dues invoices for facilities with multiple members began at the end of October. Individual invoices were mailed at the end of November.

We appreciate when dues payments are taken care of sooner rather than later and have established a new, easy way to pay this year PayPal. Simply click on the link in the invoice and you will be connected to a secure site for credit card payment. Simple and done in one step!

If you know someone who would benefit from a WCTA membership, ie Turf Line News, annual conference, membership roster, job postings, CEC program, etc, have them visit our online sign-up page at http:// www.wctaturf.com/forms/joinwcta.php If you are no receiving the Tuf Line News magazine by mail, you can update your contact information by clicking here.

Current Turfgrass Research Priorities: Nutrient and fertility management, best management practices Soil and root-zone management, best management practices Evaluation of alternatives to pesticides Irrigation and water use issues (water quality and reducing water usage) Investigations into the biology, ecology and management of current and emerging pests Alternative cultivar and species for new turf construction, integration and conversion into existing turf areas Species/cultivar evaluation and improved management practices for areas of heavy traffic and wear tolerance Our goal this year is to raise $20,000! Here are the 2014 turf research contributors so far: Platinum ($2000 Or More) Kwantlen University Turf Club Gold ($500-$1999) BC Golf Superintendents Association Peter Sorokovksy’s ‘Give Me 5 Bucks’ campaign Vancouver Island Parks and Grounds Supervisor’s Association Silver ($1 - $500) Jeff Hoyem Eric Heuver - Eagle Lake Turf Farm Jim Boeckman - Dawson Creek G&CC

WCTA

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NEW & RETURNED MEMBERS

PLEASE WELCOME OUR MOST RECENT NEW AND RETURNED WCTA MEMBERS: T-Jay Creamer - Victoria Golf Club Arron Evenson - SD#91 Nechako Lakes Dave Fair - Northview Golf & Country Club Kelvin Falloon - City of Campbell River Andrew Jellis - Creston Valley Golf Club Jodie Jenkins - City of Campbell River Ray Kegler - City of Campbell River Mathew Kehler - District of North Vancouver Mackenzie Klinck - Township of Langley Lauren Light - City of Campbell River Michael Ronald - City of Campbell River Brent Tremain - Township of Langley Sean Wallace - Olympic View Golf Club Tawnya Wallin - City of Campbell River Cory Windsor - District of North Vancouver Do you want to see your name on this list? A member application form can be found on page 46 Consider a contribution to pink snow mold research. Member dues invoices include an area on the form to indicate a financial contribution from your facility.

The WCTA thanks everyone for supporting the projects that help support the turf industry!

WCTA

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Interview With Adam Zubek The Connection to Golf Courses

WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 37

IMAGE COURTESY GIL HANSE DESIGN

Golf is returning to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Prof. Frank Rossi Ph.D ’91, horticulture, is the lead agronomist creating this golf course.

Today, he may responsible for the Rio 2016 course, but Prof. Rossi’s fascination with grass began at an early age, when he first started to push a lawn mower. His passion led him to pursuing a career as a golf course superintendent and eventually, a professor of horticulture.

“I have literally been a student of this plant my entire life. I felt like a light went off one day – I literally had no aspirations to be a scientist. But along the way, I realized that I had particular skills and talents and interests that lay beyond just the maintenance of

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golf courses, and more in the overall study of the system. I think at the heart of it I’m a biologist,” Rossi said.

20 years ago, Rossi and a group of undergraduate students convened as the first pioneers in researching sustainable turf management.

However, the topic has only started garnering attention in the past five years.

Now, Rossi’s research focuses on developing environmentally responsible management systems for turf grass areas, such as lawns, golf courses and

ROSSI HELPS CULTURE TURFGRASS SYSTEM BY CHOOSING THE RIGHT GRASS, FERTILIZING PROPERLY AND USING ALTERNATIVES TO SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES.... sports fields. He aims to grow the same quality of grass but with less “stuff,” such as pesticides, water, etc. Not only is his research environmentally-friendly, it is also economically-friendly, as people do not need to buy as many products to sustain the same turfgrass.

“Let me give you an example. Midterms – you’re studying, you’re grinding, you’re anxious. And what happens?

You get stressed out, you encounter a germ and you get sick. If you take melatonin or something natural, you’re still studying but you’re not getting sick. This is what we do with turf. You culture that system so that it doesn’t get so sick it needs an antibiotic,” Rossi said.

Rossi helps culture turfgrass system by choosing the right grass, fertilizing properly and using alternatives to synthetic pesticides. By building a stronger plant system to begin with, the grass will be less likely to need pesticides to remain healthy.

Because nobody had ever explored turf sustainability from a broad perspective, Rossi traveled across the globe talking about his research.

According to Rossi, his research program has been “wildly successful” in reducing pesticide and fertilizer use all around the world.

On one golf course on Long Island, on which he has been working for the past 14 years, Rossi and his team have cut pesticide use by 85 percent while maintaining the quality and appearance of the grass. However, to get to this point, his team failed in some initial stages. In the first few years, the grass died as they completely removed the pesticides that had been maintaining the health of the grass system for the past 70 years.

“When you pull out the chemicals that keep the diseases away, the population of plants collapses. And then we figured that we wouldn’t be able to do it

without spraying anything,” Rossi said.

They ultimately decided to minimize the amount of pesticide sprayed, as well as to use an organic pesticide derived from plant and fungus products.

Not only does Rossi work on sustainable development, he has also worked as a private consultant for several major projects involving turfgrass. He played a significant role in the creation of Lincoln Center’s rooftop park, Yankee Stadium’s field, the Rio 2016 Olympic Golf course and many more.

In making Lincoln Center’s rooftop park, Rossi faced challenges in designing a lightweight soil that would still support turf and in finding grass that would work in that environment.

Although the rooftop park is not the most energy-efficient system, Rossi said, it is sustainable in a different sense – from a social perspective.

“For something to sustainable, there are three prongs: environmental, economic and there’s a social perspective, which includes the social benefit from a turf area. I can tell you, people love that lawn. As we and our population become more urbanized, the value and importance of green space is greater. It has so much social value that maybe the input is warranted,” Rossi said.

Ultimately, regardless of where his private consultant work will lead him, Rossi said he hopes to continue the dialogue in turfgrass sustainability that he helped initiate.

“What I think we’ve done is we’ve created a foundation for a long term conversation in our industry about how we need to be more efficient with our resources. We were poised here to be a leader of that conversation because we’ve always been working on it,” Rossi said.

WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 39

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