June 2012 Hole Notes Magazine

Hole Notes The official publication of the MGCSA

Vol. 44, No. 4 June 2012

Upcoming Events August 27 MGCSA Championship New Richmond GC Host: Tom Johnson October 8 Wee One Event North Oaks GC Host: Brian Boll Page 2

CONTENTS Feature Articles:

Solid Metal Profile Golf Nozzles By: Nancy Hardwick

Vol. 44, No. 4 June 2012

pages 10-15

2011 Wetting Solution Study and Analysis

pages 16-25 By: Aaron Johnsen & Kevin Leeper (Winfield Solutions) and Dr. Brian Horgan EDITOR DAVE KAZMIERCZAK CGCS

DAVE@PRESTWICK.COMCASTBIZ.NET

Menacing Mollusks pages 32-37

By Daniel Johnson

Monthly Columns: Presidential Perspective

Scottie Hines CGCS

page 5

In Bounds

Jack MacKenzie CGCS

page 7

Within the Leather

Dave Kazmierczak CGCS

pages 36-37

About the cover: Using a TDR 300 Moisture Reading Meter, Aaron Johnsen of Winfield Solutions Inc, generates data used to study and analyze the effects of wetting solutions and water holding capacity of fine turf putting surfaces. The total study can be found in this issue on pages 14 through 22.

...Even More Content...

On Board: pages 27-29

by E. Paul Eckholm CGCS at Heritage Links GC

Wee One Event Changed to August 8th mark your calendars!

This month’s issue of Hole Notes focuses upon irrigation. Zebra Mussels, wetting solutions and new technologies are presented to expand your knowledge base and with your management skills.

Hole Notes (ISSN 108-27994) is digitally published monthly except bimonthly in November/December and January/February by the Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents’ Association, 10050 204th Street North, Forest Lake, MN 55025. Jack MacKenzie CGCS publisher. Please send any address changes, articles for publication, advertising and concerns to jack@mgcsa.org.

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2012 Board of Directors President

Joe Churchill Reinders Inc.

David Kazmierczak CGCS Prestwick GC

Eric Counselman Somerby GC

Matt McKinnon The Legacy Courses

Kerry Glader Plaisted Companies

Bob Porter Hiawatha GC

Brian Brown Chisago Lakes GC

Bill Gullicks Bellwood Oaks GC

Jake Schmitz Olympic Hills GC

Treasurer

Jeff Ishe Golden Valley G&CC

Executive Director

Scottie Hines CGCS Windsong Farm GC

Vice-President

Roger Stewart Jr. TPC Twin Cities

Secretary

E. Paul Eckhom CGCS Heritage Links GC

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Directors

Jack MacKenzie CGCS MGCSA

Presidential Perspective

by Scottie Hines CGCS Well, here we are just past Memorial Day and if you are like me, it seems more like July than June! The season started early and the weather has been a bit crazy. This makes it all just a little more fun!

I wish I had some exciting news to fill you in with. Unfortunately there really has not been much going on. Work continues on the website. I think everyone will be very impressed with it when it launches. The digital Hole Notes seems to be well read.

The “hit” numbers have been exceptional and it is great to be able to track how many times it has been opened. This will help selling advertising and it will give us a barometer for how we as an association are doing.

In the past week or so there have been some e-mails sent out on legislative causes that need to be addressed: **GCSAA needs your chapter members’ help in reaching out to the members of the House Agriculture Committee to ensure that H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, is included in the House Farm Bill and final 2012 Farm Bill. **The House of Representatives

Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee will be taking up HR 4965 on Thursday that would prohibit the US Environmental Protection Agency or the Army Corps of Engineers from finalizing the “Final Guidance on Identifying Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act.” More and more of these “Action Alerts” will be coming across your desk. Please take the time to contact your representatives and lobby to have these issues addressed in our favor. They are important to all of us!

Having just been to Washington DC with the GCSAA Government Relations Committee and meeting with staff members in several Representative and Congressmen/women’s offices, I can attest they care about us. They want us to be vocal about our issues. The louder we speak, the more attention these issues will get. The more attention they get the more likely we will get things swayed into our favor. We need to be loud and unified.

I know this is a very busy time of year for everyone. It is the time of year for invitationals, club championships, graduations, crazy weather, etc., etc. I urge everyone to take the time and contact your officials on any and all issues that affect us.

These messages can be positive or negative.

The key is to be heard! Together we are a big voice.

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In Bounds

by Jack MacKenzie CGCS On occasion I cry. No, not the big bloopy slugs of saline accompanied by loud braying, but rather an eye filling trace of tears, breath restricting clutches in my throat and modest sniffles.

Indeed I sometimes cry. Not at a beautiful red rose sunrise, a golf course shimmering in maintained perfection or an eight pound bass with scales the size of my thumb nail. Although breathtaking I save my grandest sentimental response for the real important times of my life, reflections of my family and their accomplishments.

In recent months I have done some crying. No, not when I smashed my little finger and nail between a trailer hitch and ball (that was a different kind of loud emotion!) Rather I cried in the presence and fulfillment of my children’s accomplishments.

Daughter Madeline heard my voice loud above all others as I shouted, “Way to go Madeline” during her commencement from Winona State. Much to her

I cry at happy events not sad. Funerals draw solemnity and quiet from my introspective half. Joyous events elicit a dimpled grin, wrinkled crows feet and that fine tell tale line of moisture engorging my lower eyelid; my jubilant and expressive core quaking with unbridled emotion.

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chagrin! Dry eyed in the bleachers I pondered, thankfully, her achievements, her friends, her commitments, her life.

Outside when I was finally able to give her the hug I needed, I paused holding her in my arms and cried. My pride in her choices welled from deep within me.

two water dragon lizards, three bi-color rats and a pair of guinea pigs.

Tyler, gone to work by 2:30 am and back home by 10:00 pm the week of the big event didn’t have much time for me except for a private tour of his favorite course, “the Cliff Course” on Tuesday My son Tyler, through with school and afternoon where we happened upon a living his tournament course dream at The chance photo opportunity.

Olympic Club in San Francisco, graced me with his couch last week during the Wednesday I was alone all day as he U.S. Open. With a smile I slept tight at performed his important tasks. Alone night in his small apartment, shared with but not lonely as I reflected on Tyler’s grand adventure in our industry from divot dressing at North Oaks to work at TPC Twin Cities, Oakmont and finally his current destination. Late Wednesday afternoon I was one of the last on the bleachers behind the 16th green.

Had you been there to notice you would have seen a balance of moisture close to running down my cheek. A close observer could have heard a raspy catch in my breathing as I thought about my son, my daughter and my very, very good fortune to share this wonderful life with them.

A wish for you my friends; a tiny tear, a mild shudder, a silent moment as you feel the satisfaction of family pride; your heart expanding ten fold. Take time and reflect upon your children and their true accomplishments. And if the moment moves you…have a little cry. Yes, have a little cry.

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SOLID METAL PROFILE GOLF NOZZLES:

Improving Distribution Uniformity and Extending Sprinkler Life

By Nancy Hardwick

nozzles with solid metal Profile Golf Nozzles from Underhill International.

Golf courses with aging irrigation

A recent change-out at the Tacoma systems often have similar concerns Country and Golf Club by Superintendent about clogged nozzles and inconsistent Joel Kachmarek illustrates what many distribution uniformity, which can result superintendents have experienced. He in donuts and dry patches or over watered reported: and saturated areas.

“Soft areas were appearing around

After exhausting traditional the heads of our Eagle 700s. When we remedies, such as head adjustments, adjusted the sprinklers to cut back on pressure checks, nozzle clean-outs and watering, we ended up with donuts in the hand-watering, many superintendents 15- to 20-foot range. have settled on a more long-term, labor “Then the nozzles started clogging saving solution. They’re replacing plastic up. With older courses, you’re going to

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have mainlines and metal fittings that are 60 to 70 years old. They flake and rusty particles plug up the heads, especially in the short range nozzles. Even plastic particles show up. The crew was spending too much time cleaning out the nozzles, along with hand watering the donuts. It was a no-win situation.”

Kachmarek heard about Profile nozzles several years ago and finally decided to run a test.

“We ordered 12 Profile nozzles last year and saw results within days. The Profile nozzles improved distribution uniformity practically overnight. The soggy soft spots disappear and the donuts greened up. The clogging nightmare was over too – uninterrupted streams of water now irrigate the turf evenly and consistently.

“By the end of the first week, we decided to switch over the entire course,” he said.

“With the Underhill nozzle operating at the correct pressure, 70 psi, we have excellent distribution which translates into better playability, consistency, and minimal hand watering.”

Extending The Life of The Sprinkler

Manufactured from solid brass and stainless steel, Profile nozzles have become the new industry standard for improved distribution uniformity and for extending the life of the sprinkler.

The nozzles’ heavy-duty construction and unique shape are the result of years of technical innovation and performance evaluations. They recently underwent two years of on-site and laboratory tests Page 11

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conducted by Dr. David Zoldoske at the Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) at California State University, Fresno, where they were shown to improve irrigation efficiency and distribution uniformity on six test courses.

DU rate is typically a barometer of turf condition and indicates whether a sprinkler is delivering uniform irrigation coverage. A low DU rate of 0.55 or less indicates that coverage is inconsistent, resulting in dry spots, donuts or overwatered, saturated areas. A high DU rate of 0.80 or better shows that irrigation is uniform, resulting in healthier turf and improved appearance. With a higher DU rate, sprinklers can be programmed for shorter run times, saving water and energy.

coverage.

Switching out the plastic nozzles is a relatively easy procedure and the Profile nozzles will typically deliver eight to 10 years of performance. Often, the solid metal nozzles outlast the original rotors.

Not Just a Regional Solution

“Improving uniformity by retrofitting sprinklers with metal nozzles is not only for arid West Coast courses,” says Kurt Thompson, an irrigation consultant and trainer with offices in Huntersville, NC and Pace, FL.

“There is a significant opportunity for golf courses east of the Mississippi to benefit by using these nozzles to solve coverage problems on greens and throughout a fairway.

More Efficient Irrigation

“A key economic advantage of

With improved DU, this solution is that it can be done insuperintendents are able to water house by the irrigation staff in phases, as less often and reduce run times. CIT directed by the superintendent, to meet concluded that Profile metal nozzles the scheduling and budgetary needs of a retrofitted to Rain Bird or Toro golf course,” he said. rotors performed with consistently

Thompson says that the most higher distribution uniformity. Each effective results come from completing course in the study saved approximately a system evaluation first in order to 6,000,000 gallons annually with the evaluate all the circumstances and Profile nozzles. conditions affecting the system’s

The nozzles are designed to retrofit uniformity.

Rain Bird sprinklers with 1 ¼” and 1

“That way the superintendent and ½” inlets, including Eagle 700 and 900 course management are aware of all the Series; and Toro golf nozzles with 1” options available to them to increase and 1 ½” inlets, including Toro 670, 690, uniformity and conserve resources,” 730, 750, 760, 780 and 830 Series. They he said. offer full-circle, mid-range and close-in Kevin Hutchins, former Page 13

superintendent at Mission Viejo Country Club in southern California, retrofitted his entire new Rain Bird irrigation system with solid metal nozzles:

“We found that FCI Profile nozzles apply water more efficiently and eliminate turf stress.

“Our course has sandy soil conditions and the original plastic nozzles were plugging up. The new fullmetal nozzles are more sand-tolerant and have improved course appearance and eliminated unsightly dry spots,” he said.

At the Los Angeles Country Club, former Superintendent Bruce Williams had several issues. The irrigation was uneven and the course had noticeable donuts and patchy dry spots. When more water was applied to compensate, oversaturation was the result.

“We heard about solid metal nozzles and replaced the plastic nozzles on 2,200 heads. This eliminated donuts while also improving irrigation uniformity…while saving water. We have been very pleased with the results.”

Custom Made For Rain Bird and Toro Heads

With popularity comes scrutiny and one of the keenest observers of golf irrigation practices is Brian Vinchesi, nationally-known irrigation educator and president of Irrigation Consulting, Inc. of Pepperell, MA, and Huntersville, NC.

Vinchesi became acquainted with Profile nozzles through both the CIT study and cross-country business travel, talking with superintendents who had installed the solid metal nozzles.

2012 Gun Raffle for Research ARE YOU GAME???

Page 14

“What sets Profile nozzles apart is they are essentially ‘custom made’ for the industry’s most popular golf heads,” said Vinchesi.

“They’re not a product that can be mass produced and still perform at the same level of consistency. The precision required for uniform coverage is better accomplished by a smaller manufacturer with good quality control,” he said.

In surveying irrigation systems at hundreds of courses in the U.S., Vinchesi has concluded that older sprinklers deliver very poor distribution uniformity, which can only be minimally improved with maintenance.

Sprinkler heads manufactured in the 1980s and 1990s were, in fact, never

designed to deliver optimum DU, he says, as water use was not an issue.

The options for superintendents have been limited up to now. Typically, courses either replaced the internal mechanisms or the entire head, or resorted to daily hand-watering of dry patches during the summer.

“However, in this current economic climate, Profile metal nozzles have become a practical and relatively inexpensive solution to improving distribution uniformity without the expense of replacing a golf sprinkler or its internal mechanism,” Vinchesi says.

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What’s Challenging You Now? Research In Turf Managment You can Use Today

2011 Wetting Solution Study and Analysis By: Aaron Johnsen & Kevin Leeper (WinField Solutions, LLC) and Dr. Brian Horgan (University of Minnesota)

A lack of water or the existence of excess water can lead to poor turf quality.

Wetting agents or surfactants are used to combat localized dry spots, retain water in the soil, and move water though the soil. Wetting agents are composed of a polar head and non-polar tail. The non-polar tails are greatly attracted to water repelling surfaces, such as soil particles. The polar heads attract water. This action allows water to be held by the soil and ultimately be taken up by the plant (Karnok et al, 2004). Wetting agents can be classified into four primary groups; anionic, cationic, nonionic, and amphoteric. Anionic and cationic surfactants generally treat just the water. Most wetting agent products on the market are nonionic surfactants (Karnok et al, 2004). Block polymer nonionic surfactants treat both the water and the soil; therefore, these are the most common wetting agents used on golf courses. The strengths of block polymer nonionic surfactants include adhesion to soil particles, excellent re-wetting capabilities, and plant safety in a wide range of weather conditions. The downside of block polymer nonionic surfactants is they do not reduce the surface tension of water as well as anionic and cationic surfactants (Kostka, 2005).

Research has demonstrated increased soil moisture and soil moisture uniformity from the application of wetting agents (Karcher et al, 2010). Other work on soil columns has shown that two wetting agents influenced soil moisture content differently (Leinauer et al, 2001). This work and most other wetting agent research have been conducted on research putting greens. Little work has been done to see if greens on the same course respond similarly to a wetting agent application and if a wetting agent causes similar results on multiple courses. The objectives of this research were to (1) evaluate soil moisture response to wetting agent applications and (2) determine if a reduction in localized dry spot occurred following wetting agent applications.

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Participating Sites and Superintendent Minnesota Valley Country Club, Mike Brower North Oaks Golf Club, Jack MacKenzie Somerby Golf Club, Eric Counselman Somerset Country Club, James Bade Southview Country Club, Jeramie Gossman The Minikahda Club, Jeff Johnson University of Minnesota Golf Course, Brent Belanger Bracketts Crossings, Tom Proshek Burl Oaks Golf Club, Tom Natzel Dacotah Ridge Golf Course, Aaron Johnson Keller Golf Course, Paul Diegnau La Crosse Country Club, Jack Tripp Medina Golf and Country Club, Erin McManus Midland Hills Country Club, Mike Manthey

Table 1: 2010 Products tested TricureTM

# of Courses Rate per 1000 sq ft Active Ingredient

Mitchell Products 2 1 & 2 fl oz

Tournament Immerse Ready速 GT Kalo, Inc. AmegA Sciences 1 1 6 fl oz 3 fl oz

100% Block 100% Gluco 100% Polymer Ether, Block Active Polymer Ingredient Blend

APSA-80速 Dispatch速 Amway

Aquatrols

Aquatrols

2 2 fl oz

1 .37 fl oz

5 6 fl oz

80% Nonionic Surfactant

51% Gluco Ether, Block Polymer Blend

100% Modified Block Polymer

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Table 2: 2011 Products tested TricureTM

# of Courses Rate per 1000 sq ft Active Ingredient

MagnusTM

APSA-80速 H30TM

Mitchell Products

Performa Gold WinField Solutions

Precision

Amway

3 1 & 2 fl oz

1 4 fl oz

1 4 fl oz

1 2 fl oz

100% Block 100% Gluco 100% Block 80% NonPolymer Ether, Block Polymer ionic Polymer Surfactant Blend

Spindler Aquatrols Enterprises, Inc. 1 4 6.25 fl oz 6 fl oz 50% Humectants 0.4% Surfactants

100% Modified Block Polymer

Methods and Materials Soil moisture and GPS data were collected on three greens at each golf course prior to and after wetting agent application during July and August in 2010 and June, July, and August in 2011. In total, 70 greens were tested. Approximately 100 soil moisture ratings were taken per green. Data was collected with a Spectrum Technologies FieldScout TDR 300 outfitted with three inch probes and a Garmin 72H GPS unit. Data was collected at a maximum of three days prior to and within five days after a wetting agent application.

Data was processed using Dplot and Microsoft Excel.

What did the data look like?

Figure 1 demonstrates a Revolution速 application. There was a distinct dry spot on the top left side of the green that was reduced after wetting agent application. The wet areas were not eliminated by the wetting agent application. Figure 2 demonstrates a MagnusTM application. The back half of this green was dry pre-wetting agent. After the wetting, the back half of the green had significantly more moisture.

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Figure 1: Soil moisture distribution prior to a Revolution速 application and after a Revolution速 application.

Figure 2: Soil moisture distribution prior to a MagnusTM application and after a MagnusTM application.

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Results The average soil moisture on a green before treatment ranged from 10.7% to 33.8% with an overall average of 20.2%. The average soil moisture on a green after treatment ranged from 11.4% to 35.9% with an overall average of 23.6%. TricureTM, Revolution®, Immerse GT, MagnusTM and Performa Gold showed increased soil moisture on most greens after the wetting agent was applied (Figure 3). The average increase in moisture for these products was 4.36%, with MagnusTM and TricureTM exhibiting the greatest increases (Figure 5). Dispatch® decreased the soil moisture on all greens after it was applied. That decrease averaged 4.67%. APSA-80®, Tournament Ready®, and H3OTM each demonstrated an increase in some greens and a decrease in others.

The average soil moisture uniformity on a green before treatment ranged from 52.6% to 90.2% with an overall average of 76.1%. The average soil moisture uniformity on a green after treatment ranged from 57.0% to 90.0% with an overall average of 79.2%. TricureTM, MagnusTM and Revolution® exhibited increased soil moisture uniformity in 34 of 46 greens after the wetting agent was applied (Figure 4). The average increase in moisture uniformity for these products was 6.51% (Figure 5). Dispatch® and Tournament Ready® decreased the soil moisture uniformity on all greens after the wetting agent was applied. That decrease averaged 4.52%.

APSA-80®, Immerse GT, Performa Gold, and H3OTM each caused an increase in some greens and a decrease in others.

Figure 3: Count of the number of greens that increased or decreased soil moisture after a wetting agent application.

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Figure 4: Count of the number of greens that increased or decreased soil moisture uniformity after a wetting agent application.

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dy

ea

t R

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en

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at

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20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

AP

Count of occurences

Uniformity Change

Figure 5: The average percent change in soil moisture and soil moisture uniformity after a wetting agent application.

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Discussion A few interesting comparisons can be looked at with this data, such as wetting agent interaction with precipitation, what happens when a course switches wetting agents, and most importantly what can we expect from a wetting agent. It could be suggested that the soil moisture and uniformity differences demonstrated are due to water input changes. Given the minimum span of two days between data collection, this is entirely possible. Total rainfall between ratings ranged from 0 to 4.33 inches, with an average of 0.73 inches. Irrigation systems ran one to four times between ratings, with an average of two runs. Across both years, when minimal water was added (only enough to water in the wetting agent) we saw soil moisture increase in 10 greens and decrease in 8 greens. Further, the same wetting agent caused both increases and decreases. When excess water was added between ratings, soil moisture increased in 45 greens and decreased in 7 greens. This shows that increased water inputs generally lead to increased soil moisture, but it is not the principal reason for the soil moisture and uniformity responses.

In 2011, three courses switched to a different wetting agent from the one they used in 2010. One course switched from Tournament Ready® to Revolution®. In 2010, Tournament Ready® decreased the soil moisture uniformity and had a marginal effect on the soil moisture levels. The Revolution® decreased the soil moisture and uniformity on 2 of 3 greens at the course in 2011. This course saw a similar response even though they switched wetting agents. Another course switched from Revolution® to Performa Gold. Both wetting agents caused a similar response in soil moisture uniformity, but the Performa Gold caused a slightly greater soil moisture increase. The final course switched from Immerse GT to TricureTM. During 2010, the Immerse GT had very little effect on the soil moisture and uniformity. In 2011, TricureTM greatly increased moisture and uniformity in the greens.

General conclusions about the action of the wetting agents tested can be drawn from the data. APSA-80® is a non-ionic surfactant, which means it spreads water.

APSA-80® does not contain agents that attach to soil like other wetting agents. This means an APSA-80® application is more responsive to precipitation levels. In 2010 the courses that applied APSA-80® saw less than 0.25 inches of precipitation between ratings and saw soil moisture loss and uniformity decreases. In 2011, these same courses had 0.75 inches of precipitation and the soil moisture and uniformity greatly

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increased. Soldat (2010) studied APSA-80® and found that APSA-80® had no effect on water droplet penetration. Dispatch® caused decreased soil moisture and uniformity and therefore is a penetrant wetting agent. H3OTM is not truly a wetting agent. A component in H3OTM strongly attracts water, but does not attach to soils or spread water like traditional wetting agents. Therefore, it is expected that water will be attracted to where the chemical is in greatest concentrations. On greens that received H3OTM we saw a net increase in soil moisture, but a decrease in soil moisture uniformity, which suggests the water moved to where the chemical was located. MagnusTM, Revolution®, and TricureTM all caused increased moisture and uniformity. Therefore, those are all considered retaining wetting agents. Immerse GT, Performa Gold, and Tournament Ready® generally exhibited retaining capabilities, but did cause some decreases in soil moisture uniformity.

Conclusion This study demonstrates a distinct soil moisture and soil moisture uniformity response to wetting agent applications. Wetting agents with similar active ingredients responded similarly across a golf course and between golf courses. It should be noted that data was collected in the top 3-in of the soil and these wetting agents may demonstrate different characteristics at shallower and deeper soil depths. Whether the goal of a wetting agent application is to reduce localized dry spots or move water through the soil profile, there appears to be a wetting agent that will work.

References Karcher, D., M. Richardson, A. Patton, and J. Summerford. 2010. Wetting agent effects on rootzone moisture distribution under various irrigation regimes – year 2 summary. Arkansas Turfgrass Report 2009, Ark. Ag. Exp. Stn. Res. Ser. 579:50-56.

Karnok, K.J., K. Xia, and K.A. Tucker. 2004. Wetting agents: What are they, and how do they work? Golf Course Management Magazine. June: 84-86.

Kostka, S.J. 2005. ACA1820 – A novel chemistry for rootzone water management in turfgrass systems. Non-peerreviewed Paper at the 10th International Turfgrass Society Research Conference.

Leinauer, B., P.E. Rieke, D. VanLeeuwen, R. Sallenave, J. Makk, and E. Johnson. 2001. Effects of soil surfactants on water retention in turfgrass rootzones. International Turfgrass Society Research Journal. 9:542-547.

Soldat, D. 2010. Comparison of three commercially available wetting agents. The Grass Roots. March/April: 30-32.

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On Board: BOD Member E. Paul Eckholm CGCS Shares Powers Of Observation

E. Paul Eckholm CGCS, Superintendent at Heritage Links Golf Club

Through the years I have had a numerous

young people work for me, many have gone on

to be in the green industry and many are in fact more successful than I. One of the first things

we do when I hire a new employee is go out to a spot on the course and ask them to tell me what they see. We discuss the things they need to look at and the things I see and compare it to the things they see. This teaches them a number of lessons in observation and gets them thinking in terms of

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An Opinion

how the course should look.

many types of measurements you can and should take on your course.

I began as a Horticulture Science major at the U of M focusing on a career in the greenhouse. When I took my career outside and began to focus on turf and soil science I brought my floriculture background with me. That industry is very focused on soils and inputs, water, nutrients etc. Many of the decisions made are based on scientific measurements and known plant needs. Very few of the successful growers go strictly off the observed look of the plant.

On my current course I have moisture sensors in the ground and monitor those readings daily. By working with the golf professional, we have developed a program which gives us a more consistent playing surface based on moisture levels. I know what the lower and upper limits of moisture are for the surface the players prefer.

The added benefits of this process are a major reduction of how often I irrigate and a reduction in the amount of pesticides used to control pests.

Those of us in the golf course industry have for years though of our field as more art than science. I am here to tell you that scientific measurements have a place in your program and may in fact help you to have a better playing surface and reduce your costs at the same time.

Do you measure your nutrient levels in your soils? How often do you take soil samples? Do you measure the moisture levels in the soil? How often? Have you ever taken light readings? Have you ever measured the actual amount of precipitation that falls on your turfgrass during an irrigation event? These are just a few of the

Soil samples have been taken on a yearly basis and are the basis for nutrient program development. Again, this has increased playing condition consistency, reduced direct nutrient costs as well as the labor to apply those nutrients.

An irrigation audit of one of our golf holes identified problem areas and was used to justify increased irrigation coverage to the ownership. Although time consuming, the knowledge gained has more than paid for itself with the adjustment of irrigation times and adjustment of coverage.

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Light audits are something that many of us are not familiar with. Many have problems with shade, but it is only through observation that we are able to provide anecdotal evidence as to the damage to the playing surface. The purchase of an inexpensive light meter and a few days spent taking regains will give you scientific proof of how those trees are affecting the turfgrass.

Owners, managers and operators are much more likely to listen if you have proof rather than just listening to you complain that it is the tree that is causing the poor condition on the course.

another but that is not the suggestion I am making.

Start with one type of measurement and begin to generate a database of the information. Then start to make some observation as to when the turf looks best and match it to the base information. This will, over time, help you to maintain more consistent turfgrass environment. I have been working with soil moisture measurement reading for over ten years and the more I use it the narrower the range becomes that I maintain. All of the measurements are just tools that help us to get closer to

Granted, we could spend our entire the science of turfgrass management. day taking readings of one kind or In the photograph below you can see what appears to be very good distribution uniformity. However without the audit cups in place will you ever really know? Photograph courtesy of Troy Carson, Toro Company.

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There are tools today for measuring soil moisture and compaction. Both pieces of information can be critical in your management program. Photograph provided by Troy Carson, Toro Company.

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Menacing Mollusks: The Concern over Zebra Mussels and the Brav

By Daniel Johnson

For Minnesota golf course superintendents, there’s one aquatic creature more terrifying than the Loch Ness Monster or the Creature from the Black Lagoon. This species of shellfish is known as the Zebra Mussel and although the invader’s infestation of the U.S. Great Lakes appears to be permanent, there is hope. The efforts of a small company operating out of Long Lake combined with the continued diligence and swift action from superintendents may be enough to tame this beast.

The company is Waterfront Restoration. It specializes in chemical free lake weed control and now because of the demand, it provides Zebra Mussel control services. Tom Suerth founded the company in 2003 and has since been assisting private homes, fire departments, and now golf courses, with Page 30

their Zebra Mussel pest problem.

“Waterfront Restoration, LLC

is committed to restoring residents’ enjoyment of their lakefront with guaranteed effective, ecologically conscious aquatic nuisance control services,” said Suerth.

Indigenous to Southern Russia and Caspian Sea, the Zebra Mussel is

spreading like an infectious disease across U.S. waterways. By attaching onto boat hulls, these mollusks hitch a ride to infest new waters and continue to overrun native mussels by reproducing and maturing faster. At first glance, these small freshwater mussels and their beautiful striped shells may seem harmless, but with great numbers they inflict damage by clumping together against the inside of irrigation piping, clogging waterways like a carotid artery.

North Oaks Golf Club knows about the headaches that go along with having a Zebra Mussel infestation first-hand, as it suspected clogging of its intake pipes in the fall of 2010. That’s when they called Waterfront Restoration.

“When entering the holding tank, we discovered the intakes were more than eighty percent clogged. . It took a long focused effort to free the intake screens of the buildup,” said Suerth.

Although, the problem isn’t new to the area, the massive spread of the

ve Little Company Willing to Dive in invaders is alarming. Zebra Mussels were first transported to the U.S. Great Lakes in the 1980s by transoceanic vessels, but as of 2010, they have already established themselves in the rivers, lakes and wetlands of 31 states, according to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The Board declared several of its home state’s lakes infested in 2010, including Lake Minnetonka and Lake Nokomis. Since 1991, the Mississippi River has been carrying the mollusks, which is the water source that supplied North Oaks with its unwanted visitors.

Suerth, having an extensive background in Scuba diving, first started the company to help family and friends restore their lakefront properties by pulling lake weeds out of the water.

Waterfront Restoration started out as a unique idea, but over the last nine years, has truly set itself apart, as it is one of a handful of businesses in the country catering to a high demand related to the Zebra Mussel.

“The need for truly effective control methods is enormous and growing rapidly as invasive species continue to spread,” said Suerth. “We are

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the first company in Minnesota to offer manual extraction of Zebra Mussels.”

With the number of infested areas on the rise and the unfortunate truth that these mollusks aren’t going anywhere, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board suggests golf course superintendents and employees be aware of the issue and monitor it regularly. However, once the Zebra Mussels are discovered, fast action from superintendents is needed, or else courses may have to resort to drastic and expensive measures.

“More serious problems can prompt courses to build a second irrigation intake”, said Ty McClellan, an agronomist with the U.S. Golf Association’s Green Section in a turfnet.

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com article. “Courses simply use one line until it becomes too clogged, then switch to the second line while the first is cleaned.”

Controlling the pests and preventing the serious clogs is the real challenge, since they accumulate and conglomerate so quickly. As suction lines and intake pumps suck in water for use on the course, they also suck in the mussels, which quickly form a massive encrustation over intake screens. That’s where an innovative problem-solving company like Waterfront Restoration comes in, sending in trained divers equipped with customized metal brushes and small detailing tools to scrape the hard shells away. The divers are always challenged, as each situation is a little

BEFORE PHOTOS: The photo below is of a portion of an intakes. Estimated >80% covered with zebra mussel buildup.

different.

“The experience of the dive is completely unique each time,” said Suerth. “What’s consistent is that every dive is full of surprises. In many cases where mussels have developed multiple layers on top of themselves, it’s almost like chipping away cement from the structure to get through the calcified layers.”

After discovering the stripe-shelled creatures, North Oaks is doing what is necessary to keep its course in pristine condition and that means continuing to utilize Waterfront Restoration’s services on a regular basis.

“Because the Zebra population is exploding, we anticipate having Tom’s

crew out twice each year beginning in 2012,” said North Oaks superintendent Brian Bole.

North Oaks is one of the first area golf courses to be hit, but with the surrounding lakes and waterways becoming infested, it’s only a matter of time before other courses uncover their own nightmares lurking beneath course lakes and ponds. Hiawatha Golf Course and Meadowbrook Golf Course both have direct connections to Zebra Mussel infested water, according to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

Most of the time, the infestation has already begun before superintendents find it. After discovering their irrigation system was at risk, members at Winfield Page 33

Intake1 heavily covered in zebra mussel buildup, causing significant obstruction of water flow

Country Club in Winfield, Kansas chipped in almost $8,000 for an acidinjection system, designed to kill the mussels, while improving grass growth, according to a 2007 Kansas City Star article. Once it was turned on, it worked, killing thousands of mussels, but the damage was already done to irrigation heads.

“It had clogged up irrigation heads, such that it took me two weeks to get the shells out of them,” said course superintendent Steve Hollembeak in the Star article.

Although filters, screens, acid injection stations and flushing have Page 34

helped golf courses prepare for and deal with infestations, a service like the one that Waterfront provides, might make all the difference in terms of course upkeep and provide golf course superintendents with the hope that the problem, although unsolved for now, will at least be contained.

“We do expect to serve a growing number of golf courses in the next several years as the infestation of Zebra Mussels spreads. We are prepared to handle the growing problem and have a team of divers trained specifically for this type of irrigation intake work,” said Derek Lee, former diver and current

Account Representative with Waterfront Restoration.

Like the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, Waterfront suggests golf courses train employees to monitor and identify zebra mussels and infestations. Taking proactive steps in preparing an action plan complete with budgets and equipment needs,

is something Waterfront recommends courses do. “Fortunately, controlling Zebra Mussels on a localized level is highly cost effective. Getting started with a regular inspection program, even before the infestation begins, is highly recommended,� said Lee.

MGCSA Championship: August 27th

New Richmond Golf Club Are You Ready?

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Within the Leather

by David Kazmierczak CGCS I had the good fortune of attending the MGCSA Scramble at Golden Valley Golf and Country Club on June 11th.

It was a sun-splashed day, rather windy with a touch of chill in the air which was welcomed by most of the competitors since it was hot, sticky and very windy the day before.

My team, comprising my two assistants and my brand spanking new rough mower, managed our usual middle of the pack finish. The lunch and appetizers afterward were very good. The golf course was in fantastic condition, and I would like to send a big shout out to Superintendent Jeff Ische and his crew for providing the quality track for all of those who played that day.

Everywhere I looked both before, during, and after the round I saw smiling, happy faces that were having a great time at a great venue. But the most significant thing of note was the number of those broad grins. For the first time, in what seems to me a couple of years, this MGCSA event was sold out.

When I started as superintendent at Prestwick on 2001, one of my priorities was to attend as many MGCSA events as I could, and to reward my Page 36

assistants and possibly other key members of my team with an enjoyable day of golf and camaraderie whenever possible. If there was an educational element involved, that was even better.

I considered it part of our compensation package, and basically budgeted for it every year. I still do. We do not make it to every event, but rare is the year we cannot make it to at least half of them. I doubt there are many others who can say that.

I do not make that statement as a boast, or in any way look down upon any member who does not regularly attend monthly meetings. Every member has his or her own idea of what the MGCSA means to them. Every member has their own agenda, budget considerations, personal reasons for attending or not. It was simply very refreshing to see a packed house, and if one dives deeper into the meaning of the full event- very important.

“The Scramble” as it is now called, is actually a combination of what used to be the Scholarship Scramble and the Research Scramble. There used to be two events, but because of lack of support, the MGCSA condensed the two into one.

The MGCSA is not alone in dwindling participation in local events. It seems many of our countries’ local Superintendent organizations have seen massive declines in monthly meeting attendance, with the majority of attendees being vendors. That is not every association, as a review of web sites or association magazines finds more

opportunities for meetings and get-togethers than the MGCSA currently holds, but some are struggling for attendance as well. The sour economy surely has a lot to do with this, but it seems to me apathy plays a large part as well. This is not a good trend, and here are a few reasons why.

These meetings are an extremely important component of what the association is. If there are no more meetings, or if you do not attend meetings you are not getting the full experience of belonging to the MGCSA. The scramble supports the University of Minnesota’s Turf Research program. This program, which is always in need of funding, produces results that directly affect each and every person in this local industry whether they realize it or not. The scholarship part is a wonderful program supporting students who need money for school more than ever.

These meetings are basically subsidized by our Affiliates. If support dwindles to nothing, where is the incentive for them to keep supporting them? The idea is for the vendors to reach superintendents in a relaxed and friendly setting, and for vendors to show support for superintendents by providing funding for these association events. If the ratio of Superintendents to Affiliates is 3-1 or 4-1 on a consistent basis, there might not be many more meetings, or at least not too many more meetings with an affordable price tag.

If golf is just not the way you as a superintendent want to spend your free

time, there are other ways to be involved, or other events you can show your support at. The point is, now more than ever, the MGCSA needs superintendent’s participation, or their assistant’s participation, or multiple staff member’s participation. The truth is that there were a few people at the scramble who were not association members, as the decision was made to open up the tournament with the requirement that only one member of a foursome be an MGCSA member. That was a solid decision, and directly resulted in the sellout of the event.

It would be really nice if that didn’t have to be standard procedure just to fill the event’s tee sheet.

The next event will be at the end of August- the MGCSA Championship- at New Richmond Golf Club, followed by the Wee One event in October and the increasingly popular fall clay shooting event at the Horse and Hunt Club. I encourage any member on the fence to take part in at least one of these events.

The networking and conversation are invaluable, and the more participation the better for the support of the MGCSA. Hopefully, the full room at the Golden Valley Golf and Country Club with the smiling faces will become the norm again, and the future picture will include your happy mug as well.

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