Course Conditions - Summer 2016

QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE MICHIGAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION

|

Season to season, make the right call.

Apply Velista,® spring—summer—fall.

Feature Profile:

SpringGardiner, and fall are the perfect seasons to clean up your greens, tees and fairways. Velista fungicide is Scot CGCS, the broadest spectrum SDHI that protects against anthracnose as well as dollar spot and brown patch Superintendent at and more. And when used in rotation with Briskway fungicide, Velista delivers excellent control of Boulder summer stressPointe diseases on greens when temperatures shift from warm to hot. Velista is the right call.

Golf Club GreenCastOnline.com/Velista ®

®

Feature Article: @SyngentaTurf #Time4Velista A Little About “The Wee One” 2016 Northern Fundraiser, record attendance

®

For more information, contact: Adam Garr (248) 914-4902 | adam.garr@syngenta.com

SUMMER 2016

Immediate knockdown.

Long residual.

Spotless fairways.

Keep your fairways dollar-spotless for up to 28 days.

The days of spraying your fairways every two weeks for dollar spot are over.

Xzemplar ® fungicide provides immediate knockdown plus one of the longest residuals in the industry – up to 28 days. To ensure dollar spot-free fairways, include Xzemplar fungicide in your spray program three times per year. For superintendents across the country, it’s the go-to fungicide for dollar spot.

Visit betterturf.basf.us for details, and get clean fairways your players will love.

Always read and follow label directions.

Xzemplar is a registered trademark of BASF. © 2016 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE MICHIGAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION

Feature Profile:

Scot Gardiner, CGCS, Superintendent at Boulder Pointe Golf Club

Feature Article: A Little About “The Wee One” 2016 Northern Fundraiser, record attendance

®

|

SUMMER 2016

Immediate knockdown.

Long residual.

Spotless fairways.

Keep your fairways dollar-spotless for up to 28 days.

The days of spraying your fairways every two weeks for dollar spot are over.

Xzemplar ® fungicide provides immediate knockdown plus one of the longest residuals in the industry – up to 28 days. To ensure dollar spot-free fairways, include Xzemplar fungicide in your spray program three times per year. For superintendents across the country, it’s the go-to fungicide for dollar spot.

Visit betterturf.basf.us for details, and get clean fairways your players will love.

Always read and follow label directions.

Xzemplar is a registered trademark of BASF. © 2016 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

Course conditions | Spring 2016

Contents 4 MiGCSA Membership Report 5 President’s Perspective 6 A Little About “The Wee One” 8 Calendar of Events 11 Wee One Gifts it’s Millionth Dollar 13 7th Annual Michigan Fundraiser 14 Legislators made aware of golf’s impact

18

Scot Gardiner, CGCS, Superintendent at Boulder Pointe Golf Club

at Michigan Golf Day at the Capitol

15 Coming to a Land Parcel Near You 16 The Mid Golf Event 17 From National 18 Superintendent - Scot Gardiner, CGCS 20 Industry Profile - Micah Wise 25 A Message from MTF 26 Super Supers on Michigan Golf Live 28 From The Campus 31 The Northern Fundraiser 32 The 31st Annual Tuck Take Championship 34 Are You Well Grounded?

38 Association Update

20 Micah Wise, Agronomic Sales Representative, Site One Golf

www.dryject.com

3

4

.. .

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

MiGCSA Membership Report

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

JUSTIN BICKEL - 2017 Northern-Class A

The Nightmare/Dream G.C. VICE PRESIDENT

SECRETARY/ TREASURER

PAST PRESIDENT

SUMMARY OF CLASSES

MARK OSTRANDER - 2018 Western-Class A The Moors C.C.

DAN DINGMAN Greater Detroit-Class A Birmingham Country Club JEFF HOLMES, CGCS

Western-Class A Egypt Valley Country Club

BOARD MEMBERS

JEFF HOPKINS Western-Class A

Muskegon County Club

JIM BLUCK, CGCS Northern-Class A Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club

ROB STEGER, CGCS Mid-Class A Saginaw C.C.

MIKE ROSEN Northern-Class A Ostego Club

JEFF SWEET, CGCS Mid-Class A

Bucks Run G.C.

DAN MAUSOLF Mid-Class A Stine Turf & Snow

DAVID J. PAWLUK, CGCS Greater Detroit-Class A The Inn at St. John’s

DOUG WARE

Greater Detroit-Class A

City of Livonia

ASSISTANT LIAISON

TROY EVANS – 2018 Greater Detroit-Class C Bloomfield Hills Country Club

COMMUNICATIONS ROB STEGER, CGCS COMMITTEE Chairman

JEFF SWEET, CGCS Vice Chairman

ANDREW DALTON MIKE MAUSOLF JUSTIN BICKEL AL LYNCH COLLIN ROMANICK DAN MAUSOLF

Course Conditions is published 4 times a year by the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association. Opinions expressed by guest writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the MiCGSA. For more information on Course Conditions or the MiGCSA please contact us at info@migca.org, 1-888-3-MiGCSA or 316 Glencarin Dr. NE, Rockford, MI 49341.

Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class Class

A SM C AA AFF EM E H R SA

TOTAL

CURRENT MEMBERSHIP

SUMMER 2015 MEMBERSHIP

232 57 78 37 145 37 17 30 8 13

240 58 95 32 151 47 16 31 9 24

654

703

Please log in to your account at www.migcsa.org to renew your membership for 2016. If you are unsure of your status contact us at info@migcsa.org or 1-888-3-MiGCSA.

Course conditions | Spring 2016

President’s Perspective Summer Perspective Recently, I enjoyed my 8th anniversary at The Dream and The Nightmare golf courses. That morning I greeted my boss as he arrived, shook his hand and jokingly told him “Congratulations! On this day eight years ago you made one of the best decisions of your life”. He expectedly gave me a sarcastic retort regarding the validity of my statement. This kind of witty banter is quite common place at the courses.

After a good chuckle, I drove up the entrance from the clubhouse to the maintenance facility which took me past hole #6. I have driven up and down this entrance to the golf course thousands of times. It is a beautiful scene that every golfer gets to see as they enter the course. On this day, I remembered the first time I set my eyes on this hole when I came to the property for my interview. I was quite amazed and JUSTIN BICKEL, CGCS quite frankly I could not believe that I was about to interview at a golf course this beautiful. That was when it hit me. When was the last time I had truly looked at this hole and appreciated the view in a manner similar to that first time? Honestly, it had been a while. So I made myself stop right there and enjoy the view. It really felt good. I decided that day to not let my familiarity with the sight ruin the moment. I thought about all the hard work that has been done the last eight years and how much my crew and I have accomplished together. I thought about the growth of the golf industry since that first day. This moment lasted less than five minutes. Then it was time to get back to work. It was time to get back to analyzing the maintenance operation, challenging the status quo, and pushing the bar higher.

We are currently in the “dog days” of a very long hot summer. During the wear and tear of the current day to day operations it may be a good time to recharge the batteries by stepping back for a second, taking a deep breath, and resetting your perspective.

At the MTF Conference this winter Steve Keating said something that I have tried to employ diligently this year. He said “we all have a CHOICE what kind of attitude we bring into the workplace each day”. I know sometimes this can be difficult. I believe that is when a reset of perspective is a very helpful tool.

There are many aspects of our life that sometimes need a reset of perspective. This includes our perspective of our association.

Over the last eight years the MiGCSA has steadily been gaining strength. So far this year event attendance is up across the board.

Legislative Golf Day continues to have an increasing impact with our legislators. Dedicated and engaged members continue to bring quality ideas to the table at the Committee and Board level which have led to innovative ideas such as the Michigan Golf Live episode “Super Supers” that was televised this spring on Fox Sports Detroit to 250,000 golfers and will again air this fall.

These are all very visible signs and benefits of the association. There are also many benefits that go unnoticed on a regular basis.

For me personally, this summer a sales rep from a pond product company used my picture to falsely claim that I endorse his products. I immediately informed our executive director Adam Ikamas of the issue so as to prevent this from occurring to any other members. Also, earlier this year golf courses were shed in a negative light by a Michigan Senator while speaking on the Senate Floor. Your association in coordination with other members of the Michigan Golf Alliance was able to quickly pen a letter to the Senator on behalf of every golf industry professional in the state. He quickly realized the error of his statements.

It is my hope that every one of our members carries a deep pride in their association. If that is currently not the case I ask that you step back for a second, take a deep breath, and reset your perspective. You will see it is a beautiful view and its strength is noticed by other industry professionals throughout the country. The role of the golf course superintendent is more revered than ever before. Now is not the time to be complacent. Your association continually needs its members to analyze the operation, challenge the status quo, and push the bar higher. I believe there is no lack of superintendents with that skill set. If you are interested in using those skills to drive the association forward please contact Adam Ikamas or one of your Board members.

Respectfully,

Justin Bickel, Golf Course Superintendent The Dream, The Nightmare, and West Branch Country Club President, MiGCSA

5

6

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

A Little about “The Wee One”

M

y initial education into the real world of golf course maintenance came from Wayne Otto in 1977 – I would learn later how well respected and admired he was and how lucky I was to get some of his time. All I knew then was that I was researching the commercial turf market for John Deere in advance of their entry into that market and a family friend arranged a meeting with Wayne to help me get a handle on the golf segment of commercial turf equipment.

One of the first things he told me was that his mission in life was to “deliver consistently good playing conditions for the members at our Club.” I would also learn later that “good” to Wayne meant excellent and/or outstanding. Not only was he generous with his time, but he also agreed to use an experimental Deere tractor and provide me with feedback.

In spite of the fact that the XR-500 blew a hydraulic seal and killed a strip of grass on his second fairway, we remained friends until his untimely death in 2004. Even today, when I do an operations review, one of my first questions to a superintendent is to tell me what his job is. If the answer is something similar to Wayne’s mission in life, chances are much better that I will find the superintendent’s performance satisfactory.

Copyight 2016 Edgehill Golf Advisors

Wayne taught me early on that golfers really don’t universally understand golf course conditions the same way. Older players want firm and fast fairways to cover their loss of distance as they age. Better golfers want their shots to stay where they hit them. And, he warned me, you can get another set of comments from the same players the day after Ladies Day. The lessons continued after I accidentally got sucked into the golf business. One of my first projects involved looking at the maintenance budgets of 20 private clubs in Milwaukee. Wayne’s course (Ozaukee CC) was always considered to be one of the best conditioned courses in the area along with Milwaukee CC that was kept up by his longtime friend Danny Quast. There was also a full blown rivalry between them, even though they readily shared equipment and knowledge. To give you an idea of their standards, when Danny Quast and Milwaukee CC hosted the USGA’s 1988 Senior Amateur, there was not one drop of white paint on the course – no course hosting a major USGA event had ever achieved that before and Mike Davis of the USGA commented at the 2008 Mid-Am that it hasn’t happened since.

After I left Deere and got more involved in the wholesale and retail of Ag and outdoor power equipment; I would run into Wayne through his work on behalf of the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association. Every time we would talk, I got a better perspective of how hard it was to deliver his mission – being a golf course superintendent is not as easy as he made it look.

One of my long term clients is Pellucid Corp., a leading golf market research and insight provider. Pellucid has done customer satisfaction surveys measuring responses from 100s of 1000s of golfers and the number one measure of customer satisfaction is always golf course condition.

#9 Milwaukee Country Club by Paul Hundley - 2008 “Not a drop of white paint” for USGA 1988 Senior Amateur

Course conditions | Spring 2016

The most interesting thing about my study was that Wayne and Danny’s budgets were virtually identical.

More importantly, their budgets weren’t even close to being the highest in the district – in fact, they were 35% below the highest and in the lower quartile of all the budgets. When I asked him how he did it, he gave me some key points: 1. A healthy stand of turf is the best deterrent to weeds and disease and healthy root structure is more important than what’s above the ground.

If I do a good job of maintaining the first 4 inches of soil where 90% of the microbial and bacterial activity takes place; I’m way ahead of the game.

2. I take extra time to train my staff to do the job right and let them know I’m paying attention to when they do it right through positive reinforcement. They also know that it takes 15 “attaboys” to make up for one “dumb s%^t”.

3. I know how long it should take to do every task and how many hours of labor I need to budget for. My extra staff training also helps achieve those numbers.

4. We’re all effectively using the same equipment – equipment maintenance is part of the process, but without a solid agronomic base and good staff training; the best equipment in the world can produce below average results.

He also knew that managing air and water were the keys to healthy root growth. He also taught me that this is where the “art” comes in because roots require some stress and all 4 inches of the soil activity to stay healthy.

I think Wayne was more a soil psychologist who truly understood just how much stress his millions of patients could stand.

When word of Danny Quast’s turf achievements at the Senior Amateur got out, he got hired to get Medinah in shape for the 1991 PGA Championship. What happened to Danny when he delivered the fast greens the PGA demanded and Mother Nature dealt him several days of 180+ heat/humidity indices is another story; but the net

result was Milwaukee CC needed a new superintendent.

It is considered bad form to openly pirate another club’s personnel; so a Board Member and well-respected USGA Greens Section lifelong volunteer asked me to quietly ask Wayne if he was interested. I knew Wayne had already turned down an opportunity to interview at Augusta National; so I wasn’t surprised when he said no, but his reasons did. He wasn’t afraid of meeting millions of new patients and he would have welcomed the challenge of continuing his friend’s superb work; but he valued his friendships with many of the MCC members and was scared that those relationships would change.

If you’re wondering what the relevance is in talking about a couple of old time turf farmers; it’s because the golf industry faces many challenges and superintendents are going to be a key factor in dealing with them.

Your first challenge is that the 2015 GCSAA study on golf course profitability showed over 60% of the reporting courses were breaking even or losing money. While the number of profitable courses did improve over the study from 3 years earlier, it still means the majority of golf courses are under some financial stress. I probably don’t need to tell you that your budgets are under a whole lot more scrutiny today than they were a decade or two ago.

So your second challenge is how to deliver quality conditions with budgets that are not keeping pace with rising costs. As we said earlier, course conditions are the primary factor in providing a good customer experience – golfers may not share all the same opinions or standards; but they will notice when conditions are deteriorating.

Pellucid was the first to point out the dropping golf participation among people aged 20 – 40 and the golf industry is now buzzing about how to attract “Millenials”.

All the market research emphasizes that this age group is obsessed with their “experiences” and readily share their opinions, good and bad, on an ever expanding universe of social media platforms. This simply reinforces the need to provide good course conditions for all ages at a time when 70%+ of golf is played by “experienced” golfers over the age of 50.

7

8

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Probably the question we get asked the most is what we see in our crystal ball. We have seen about 1000 golf courses close (net of openings) over the last decade; and based on the financial conditions noted above, course closures will continue into the foreseeable future. We also tell our clients that maintaining quality conditions will be critical to a course’s survival; but it will be the superintendents who can produce the best results with increasingly limited budgets that will eventually determine which courses survive and even prosper.

I realize we live in a world of growth regulators, greens rollers and increasingly technical water management systems. But I can’t help but look back and wonder what we can learn from a couple of old masters – they delivered some incredible playing conditions on relatively modest budgets without slowing photosynthetic activity and squeezing air out of the root zone. I would suggest their true artistry was in staff training and motivation, along with the ability to manage a solid agronomic basis for healthy turf. Those lessons should be timeless.

“Lindsay, a lifelong Milwaukeean, has made a career of a seemingly thankless task: Helping businesses and individuals understand the inner workings of the golf industry. He began delving into golf course economics while with Deere & Co., and continued after founding Edgehill in 1989. The work combines his naturally analytical mind with his passion for golf.” GolfWeek, April, 2008

CALENDAR OF EVENTS MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 - WESTERN GOLF DAY (KENT COUNTRY CLUB, GRAND RAPIDS) WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 - EQUIPMENT TECH. MEETING (TRAVERSE CITY) FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 - ASSISTANT & STUDENT NETWORKING GOLF OUTING (COLLEGE FIELDS, OKEMOS) MONDAY, OCTOBER 3 - THE BIG EVENT (PLUM HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB, SOUTHFIELD) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 - DETROIT HOLIDAY PARTY (THE LODGE AT KEEGO HARBOR, KEEGO HARBOR) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 - WEST HOLIDAY PARTY (CASCADES SPORTS BAR & GRILL, GRAND RAPIDS) FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16 - MID HOLIDAY PARTY (BOTTOMS UP, HOLLY) Please visit www.MiGCSA.org for all of the latest and most up to date information. You can quickly and easily register for events, view past issues of Course Conditions, browse and post items for sale, post and browse classifieds, and so much more. If you need help logging in email us at info@migcsa.org

THANK YOU

T O M i G C S A’ S 2 0 1 6 I N D U S T R Y P A R T N E R S SU P P O R T T H E C O M P A N I E S T H A T SU P P O R T YO U R A SSO C I A T I O N

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE INDUSTRY PARTNER PROGRAM PLEASE CONTACT THE MIGCSA AT INFO@MIGCSA.ORG OR 1-888-3-MIGCSA

With a singular focus on irrigation since 1933, thousands of courses around the world have discovered the superior performance of Rain Bird. Learn more at www.rainbird.com/golf.

Weathering the storm with the Rain Bird® IC System™.

That’s intelligent.

Industry-leading technology means superior robustness to lightning.

Rain Bird’s IC System brings generations of experience and innovation in surge protection and ground system design to every installation to minimize damage and disruption from the inevitable. You never know when lightning will strike, but with Rain Bird, you will be ready.

For your free Rain Bird IC System demonstration, contact Chad Kempf at 616-443-2449 or ckempf@rainbird.com.

Integrated Control Module

Course conditions | Spring 2016

Wee One Gifts it’s

Millionth Dollar

T

he Wee One Foundation sent its millionth dollar to help a family in need in Ohio earlier this week.

The Foundation has only been in existence since 2004, when the Foundation’s namesake, Wayne Otto, CGCS was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Friends of Otto in the golf maintenance industry raised funds to help offset his medical expenses. Otto succumbed to this terrible disease, however his vigor for life live on as the Foundation formed to share his spirit and help others that have become ill and suffer because of medical hardship.

The Foundation assists golf course management professionals (and their dependents) who incur overwhelming expenses due to medical hardship without comprehensive insurance or adequate financial resources.

The Foundation raises funds through golf events, auctions, direct gifts, annual contributions and purchasing programs.

Each September the Foundation hosts its anchor event at Pine Hills Country Club in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Rod Johnson, CGCS is the golf course superintendent at Pine Hills Country Club and the current President of the Foundation. “The mission of the Wee One is like no other in our industry and our growth shows there is a continued need for help,” says Johnson. To date, the Foundation has helped over 80 families in 23 different states.

When families are struck with illness, work schedules are often impacted and expenses compound quickly. The

Foundation helps to alleviate the stress associated from this so individuals can focus on healing and their health.

“I don’t know where I’d be without the Wee One Foundation. My initial disability application has been denied and I can no longer work full-time. It is hard to put into words what the gift from the Wee One Foundation has meant for my family and me. Thank you, thank you. When I’m back on my feet, I want to help the Foundation help others. It has been such a comfort,” said a recent recipient of funds.

Presently there are more than 12 events held each year that generate funds for the Foundation. Through its network of valued volunteers, the Foundation continues to add new events each year as the golf course industry comes together to aid those in need.

The Foundation has started an endowment fund to preserve and ensure its mission will continue and increase its scope in the future. In the meantime, the Foundation will continue to raise and distribute funds for those in need.

To learn more about the Wee One Foundation or to make a request for a person or family in need, please visit: weeone.org For more information contact: Luke Cella, Wee One Foundation.

11855 Archer Avenue, Lemont IL 60439

11

Course conditions | Spring 2016

7th Annual Michigan Fundraiser

T

he 7th annual Michigan fundraiser for the Wee One Foundation was held on Monday, May 23rd at Wuskowhan Players Club in West Olive. The Wee One Foundation is a benevolence organization that assists families of golf course maintenance professionals who have suffered a catastrophic illness and need financial assistance. The foundation has given out more than $1 million since its inception in 2004.

A sold out field of 92 golfers participated in the event. Winners of the Two Best Ball net team competition were: • 1st place - Kris Early, Ryan Osborn, AJ Rings, and Jeff Smith with a net score of 119.

• 2nd Place - Dave Blomquist, Dan Marco, Mike Mumper, and Todd Schmitz with a net score of 123.

• 3rd Place - Dick Hurst, Aaron Kahny, Jason Schwieters and Kevin Thielke with a net score of 126.

Closest-to-the Pin prizes were won by: • Ryan Osborn – Hole #6

Poppelen and Andy Gianino of Oakland Hills CC, Scott Rettmann of Walnut Creek CC, Jeff Fisette of St. Clair Golf Club, and Mike Plague of Great Lakes Turf, LLC. The Wee One Foundation, which was started in 2004, has recently gifted its $1,000,000. Though a milestone, more importantly, the Foundation has helped over 80 families in 23 different States and continues to do so through support generated from events, private giving, and industry partnerships.

The 2017 Wee One fundraiser will be held on Monday, May 22nd at the newly-renovated Birmingham Country Club.

To learn more about the Wee One Foundation, visit weeone.org today.

• Micah Wise – Hole #11

2016 Wee One Sponsors

• John Francoeur – Hole #13

Platinum Sponsors - $2,000

• Jason Schwieters – Hole #15 The success of this year’s event, which raised nearly $25,000 for the Foundation, is largely due to the generosity and support of the sponsoring companies shown at right.

Thanks to Superintendent Ryan Osborn, Assistant Superintendent Craig Ruhl, and Operations Manager Kevin Dushane for their assistance in hosting the event.

Lastly, thanks to the team of volunteers who work behind the scenes to make the event a success: Steve Cook, Bonnie Van

BASF Bayer Environmental Science Great Lakes Turf, LLC Harrell’s J.W. Turf MiGCSA Residex, LLC Site One Landscape Supply Spartan Distributors Gold Sponsor - $1,000 Sand Sales Co. LLC Silver Sponsors - $500 Sipcam Advan LLC Syngenta Tri-Turf Bronze Sponsors - $250 Nufarm Oakland Hills Country Club Soil O2 Solutions

13

8 14

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Legislators made aware of golf’s impact at Michigan Golf Day at the Capitol

S

tate Rep. Jason Sheppard‘s family is in the golf business in Monroe County, which made him a first-hand knowledge speaker for Michigan Golf Industry Legislative Day on the Capitol lawn Thursday.

“It’s a great sport, and getting more people involved in playing it is important, and it is also a big part of our economy in the State of Michigan as you all know,” he said.

Sheppard, who presented a proclamation from Gov. Rick Snyder declaring June “Pure Michigan Golf Month,” gave advice to members of the Michigan Golf Alliance who set forth from a tent on the Capitol lawn to visit the office of every state legislator and provide a packet of information.

“Let them know that, look, this is a big thriving part of our market in the State of Michigan,” he said. “We are part of job growth and recreation in the state. That’s the direction I would go.”

The Alliance is made up of the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, the Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Michigan Section PGA, the Golf Association of Michigan, the Greater Michigan Club Managers Association, the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation.

In addition to a visit to each legislator in their Senate and House offices, legislators and staff members were also treated to a “lunch at the turn” on the Capitol lawn provided by Eagle Eye Golf Course in Bath. Golf Professionals from the Michigan Section PGA offered swing and putting tips in special displays set up on the lawn, and sponsors Jacobsen Manufacturing and U.S. Golf Cars Inc. displayed and provided information on their products.

On the visits to offices Alliance members shared that golf in Michigan has a total economic impact of $4.2 billion in Michigan and generates 58,000 jobs among other relevant facts.

Kate Moore, executive director of the Michigan Golf Course Owners Association, was thrilled by the response of legislators and the large crowd that joined the alliance members for lunch.

“It’s a great response and a wonderful opportunity for our industry leaders to share their message,” she said. “Rep. Shepherd made a great speech to kick things off and the proclamation shows that our Governor is aware of golf’s impact in the state.”

The leaders of the Michigan Golf Alliance including MiGCSA President Justin Bickel with the proclamation of June as Golf Month in Michigan

Course conditions | Spring 2016

Coming to a Theater Land Parcel N ear You

BY PAUL ALBANESE, ASGCA

The first two issues in 2016, I described the parallels and similarities of two artistic processes: movie making and golf course creating. I analogized movie directors with golf course builders, writers with golf architects, and owners with producers.

Below, I continue this idea via the comparison of other parallel entities within these respective creative endeavors: Leading Actor/Shaper: Movie actors and golf course shapers are very interesting and similar members of these respective artistic processes. The lead actor of a movie is critical to the overall quality of a movie, and a lead shaper on a golf course project is equally critical to the overall quality of a golf course. In both professions, the intrinsic creative ability of the individual artist, be they an actor or shaper, is what truly makes a creative difference in the final product.

An actor is supposed to listen to the director’s ideas and follow the writer’s dialogue lines, just as a golf course shaper is supposed to follow the direction of the builder and the architect’s topographic lines. But, no matter how close an actor or shaper follow direction, they will still incorporate their own interpretation into the final product. Given the same five lines of dialogue, and the same direction of Steven Spielberg, it is obvious that Anthony Hopkins would evoke a different feeling from a scene than Alec Guinness or Peter O’Toole. Similarly, given the same golf green design, with the same guidance of Tom Fazio, every golf course shaper would create a golf green with a different feeling.

Golf course shapers are synonymous with lead actors, except they are not nearly as well known as lead actors. But, their essential role is the same --- they bring the creative process to fruition. Both the lead actor and golf course shaper are the final human touch before the creative process takes on a physical form – either on film or on the ground. Both processes, movie making and golf course creating, lead up to one critical point – when the actor acts and the shaper shapes.

As a golf course architect, it is important to understand not only design, but also how to harness the talents of the shapers that are needed to fulfill the creative design vision. Actors and shapers are creative people with different styles and personalities. And, as any creative person knows, working as part of a creative team can be difficult, especially if egos clash. Learning the style and understanding every shaper’s creative side has enabled me to better utilize their talents to create the golf features I envision.

Supporting Actors/Finish Shapers: There are so many contributors to great golf courses and great films, many of which go unnoticed. In film, there are supporting actors, many of whom steal the show, and make a movie rise to the level of award status. In golf course creation, there are “finish shapers” that put the final touches on the forms and contours of the landscape, which can transform a golf course from simply “good” to great.

These people, supporting actors and finish shapers, are the unsung members of the creative team that are critical to creating greatness. A supporting actor in a film

will often know how to make the other performances seem better. They never dominate a movie, rather they embellish.

Great supporting actor performances can take an average movie, and make it great. The same can be said for finish shapers with regard to golf courses.

The supporting cast in a movie and the finish shapers on a golf course are truly unsung and often overlooked components of a project. Artistic projects of this scale will always need a strong supporting cast in order to succeed, and the supporting actors and finish shapers are those that will fill that role.

Our company is currently creating a lot of projects around the USA and Vietnam, and I have noticed I use this movie analogy quite a bit with clients and our design/construction teams so everyone understands their respective roles, and we are able to create a box office, academy award winning golf project.

Paul Albanese, ASGCA is a principal with Albanese & Lutzke, Golf Course Architects/Construction Managers. They have an office in Plymouth, Michigan and are currently working on golf course projects in many countries.

15

8 16

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

The Mid Golf Event

I

Shane Conroy, GCSAA Great Lakes Field Staff updates the attendees on the latest from national

n keeping with most of the summer another warm day awaited the close to 70 attendees at the mid golf Event at Saginaw Country Club with host MiGCSA Board Member Rob Steger, CGCS. This was a scramble event and the members in attendance were greeted with excellent conditions and a great day for golf and networking with their fellow members. Chef Dave Rosier had an excellent lunch off the grill on the turn and PGA Professional Chad Boyce had the event set up perfectly. A special thanks to Chris Alexander the General Manager at Saginaw C.C. for allowing us to have this event at this beautiful club. Finally, a special thank you to Residex for hosting the great food after the event.

The winning team shot 59 and won in a scorecard playoff. Congratulations to the home team of Rob Steger, CGCS, Kevin Risch, Randy Norton and Chad Boyce. The proximity prizes went to Jim Naugler for his long drive on #1, Dave Rossman for his closest to the pin on #7 and John Rinehart for his closest to the pin on #13.

Assistant Superintendent Kevin Risch and Rob Steger, CGCS

Thank you Platinum Partner Residex for the after golf food.

.

Course conditions | Spring 2016 Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

FROM NATIONAL

BY SHANE CONROY As we head into September, it’s always nice to have the summer months in the rearview mirror. I have seen some great conditioned courses and have spoken with members who are very proud of how their teams performed during the grueling summer months. Managing a golf course property is no easy feat. It takes planning, skill and dedication, which all of you have, and I commend you for the efforts you show on a daily basis.

SHANE CONROY

Throughout the summer one of the biggest talking points has been the Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act, commonly referred to as ‘the overtime rule’. If you’re not familiar, here is a quick background on the rule:

• Currently, salaried employees earning at least $455/wk are ‘exempt’, thus, not eligible for overtime pay • Under the new rule, salaried employees must earn a minimum of $913/wk ($47,476/year) to remain ‘exempt’, or be paid time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 hours in a given week • Automatic updates will occur to the overtime rule every three years, beginning January 1, 2020. Each update will raise the weekly minimum to the 40th percentile of the full-time salaried employees in the lowest-wage Census region (estimated to increase to $51,168 in 2020).

• New overtime rule goes into effect December 1st, 2016 With the deadline coming up in a few short-months, there are a few action items you can do to prepare: • Meet with HR and club officials to determine which employees will be affected • Devise a communication plan for affected employees • Develop or enhance timekeeping policies/procedures • Train any affected employees on timekeeping procedures • Look into how benefits may be affected (PTO, healthcare, etc.)

It is also advisable to meet with labor attorneys or HR professionals to determine the best course of action, to make sure your facility is complying with the new Fair Labor Standards Act. I would also highly encourage you to watch the GCSAA webinar which originally aired on 6/29/16 and features a host of pertinent information on the subject. This webinar can be viewed at no charge for all GCSAA members at the following website: http://www.gcsaa.org/education/webcasts/on-demand/new-department-of-laborovertime-rules. As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to myself or GCSAA’s Government Affairs Director Chava McKeel.

With GIS over six months away, it’s understandable it may not be on your radar, however, I would like to invite all GCSAA Class A and B members who have never attended, or have not attended GIS in the past five years to apply for the Melrose Leadership Academy. The Melrose Leadership Academy was established in 2012 by Ken Melrose, retired CEO and chairman of the board of The Toro Co., and is supported by a $1 million gift to the EIFG from The Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation. Each year the Melrose Leadership Academy selection committee chooses the top 20 applicants who meet the requirements and who have put thought and time into their application. The 20 selected recipients receive a full package registration for GIS, seminar and session expenses, airfare, four nights’ hotel stay and personal spending money. If you meet the MLA guidelines please take time to apply, or if you know someone who does, please encourage them to complete the application. The application deadline is quickly approaching which ends September 15th, more info can be found at: http://www.eifg.org/education/melrose-leadership-academy Finally, I would like to congratulate and commend the leadership of the MiGCSA on their commitment over the past couple of years promoting the superintendent profession. Working with Fox Sports Detroit and Michigan Golf Live, an episode dedicated entirely to superintendent aired in late May. The episode of Fox Sports Detroit’s popular program Michigan Golf Live, entitled ‘Super Supers’ did a terrific job informing the public about the work superintendents do behind the scenes each day to ensure their visit to a golf course is as enjoyable as possible. It touched on a variety of challenges superintendents commonly overcome to produce exceptional playing conditions, as well focused on the professionalism, education and environmental stewardship of the superintendent. If you haven’t had a chance to view it yet, please email myself or Adam Ikamas, CGCS for the link, you won’t be disappointed.

I hope you all have a great remainder of the season, I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming MiGCSA event here soon.

All the best, Shane Conroy

17

18

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Scot

Gardiner , CGCS Scot Gardiner, CGCS, is in his 17th year at Boulder Pointe Golf Club in Oxford. He and his wife Tina have been married for 30 years. They have a son Zach that’s 25 and a grandchild Jackson that is 7. Scot started his career in golf after Truman Hammett (Spring Lake CC in Clarkston, now Fountains GC) offered him a job coming out of high school.

1. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB ON THAT COURSE? I pretty much cut fairways every day with a gang mower and did a lot of night watering. When did you know that this was a job you wanted to do as a career?

I was introduced to Jay Delcamp (Oakland University) and he was the one that planted the seed to go to Michigan State and make a career as a superintendent.

2. WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR EDUCATION? Two year program w/ Dr. Ken Payne at Michigan State University.

3. HOW HAVE YOU GIVEN BACK TO YOUR PROFESSION? I started out volunteering for committees and ended up serving on the Greater Detroit Superintendents Association’s Board.

4. WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF YOUR JOB? Staffing a crew that buys into your vision and managing them. But it is very rewarding when it comes together! What is the easiest part of your job? Having a job that you truly enjoy!

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE? Caddyshack. What is your favorite non-golf sport? College basketball 6. DO YOU PLAY GOLF? WHAT IS YOUR HANDICAP? Yes, My handicap is a 12. What is your favorite golf course that you have played?

Kingsley Club in Kingsley, Michigan What is the toughest golf course you have played? The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. What golf Course you would love

Course conditions | Spring 2016

to experience once in your lifetime? Pebble Beach.

Who is your favorite touring professional? Bubba Watson 7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT YOU HAVE IN YOUR ARSENAL FOR GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT? Our Toro Pro Core 648 has become our most valuable tool. What piece of equipment would you like to add to your arsenal for golf course management? The new Turfline Grooming Brush for a Tri-Plex 8. IF YOU HAD A MULLIGAN IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CAREER CHOICE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Architect 9. WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A NEW SUPERINTENDENT? To have a balance between work and family.

10. HOW MANY CREW MEMBERS DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR MAINTENANCE STAFF? 22 11. WHAT TYPE OF IRRIGATION SYSTEM DO YOU HAVE AND APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY HEADS? Rainbird w/ Nimbus 2 central controller. 1,300 heads.

12. NAME ANY THREE PEOPLE WHO WOULD MAKE UP YOUR “DREAM SCRAMBLE TEAM”.

Bubba Watson, Bill Murry and my son Zach.

5 THINGS PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU. 1. I’ve done 4 golf course grow-in’s .

2. I would occasionally deliver newspapers when I was young riding my unicycle.

3. Played on a basketball recreation team that won the state tournament.

4. I’m a 32 year member of GCSAA.

19

20

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Micah Wise Micah Wise is an Agronomic Sales Representative for Site One Golf in Northern Michigan. He is an MSU graduate and lives in Traverse City.

ARE YOU MARRIED? As I sit down to write this no, I am not married. However, by the time the summer edition of Course Conditions shows up in Members mailboxes I will be!

My fiancé, Erin, and I will celebrate our wedding day in early August this summer.

HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE GOLF BUSINESS? When I was fifteen years old, my Father sat me down and told me that it was time for me to get a summer job. Being only fifteen, I didn’t have any idea about the type of work I wanted to do. So, I leaned on my Dad and asked him what he thought I should do for the summer. He encouraged me to put in an application at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, which was just down the road from my childhood home, and try to become a part of their Pro-shop & Bag staff. My application never made it to the Pro-Shop but thankfully it did make its way to the Golf and Grounds Department. I spent that first season hand raking bunkers every morning and after lunch, it was the Superintendent’s choice of either putting a String-Trimmer or a Fly-Mower in my hand. I fell in love with the work I was introduced that summer and have been involved in the Green-Industry ever since.

WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR EDUCATION? I received my formal education on the banks of the Red Cedar at Michigan State University! Immediately following High School I enrolled in MSU’s two year turfgrass program, and after completing the necessary requirements to receive that certification I began work on my Bachelor’s Degree, also at MSU. Four years later I walked across the floor at The Breslin Center to receive my degree from the University’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences. Being an Alumni of Michigan State University is something I’ll always be proud of, GO GREEN!!

WHO HAS BEEN THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOU IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL LIFE? I feel that I have been extraordinarily lucky throughout my career to have worked with so many amazingly talented people. I’ve had great teachers at SiteOne bring me up in this business and the relationships I’ve been fortunate enough to build with Golf Course Superintendents throughout the country is humbling and invaluable. But, without question, the greatest mentor I have in life has been my father, Charlie Wise. The expectation

Course conditions | Spring 2016

of me from my father is the same now as it was when I was a child: work hard, be kind, give more than you expect to receive, and above all treat everyone with respect. I try to model my life around those thoughts and so far so good! I’m just really happy I was paying attention! Thanks Dad!!

PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL ONE TRUE FUNNY STORY FROM YOUR CAREER THAT YOU SHARE OFTEN WHEN IN THE COMPANY OF OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY. This one goes back to when I was part of the maintenance crew at Walnut Hills Country Club in East Lansing. I had the opportunity to play the course in the evening after a maintenance day with a fellow employee. I hit a serviceable tee-shot and lined up to take my second with a 7-iron from the fairway, I swung, hit it pure and knocked it close. Now to be fair, “close” is a very relative assessment of this shot, I am a terrible golfer and if it’s on the green in regulation it is “close” in my opinion. Feeling very proud of myself, if not a little cocky, I began to strut back towards the cart twirling the club in my hand. I reached the back of my cart and intended to flip the club up slightly in the air, grab it by its shaft and put it my bag. What happened instead must have been pretty hilarious to see. When I flipped the club up in the air, I missed grabbing it, and basically threw the head of my 7-iron right into my mouth, knocking out my front tooth!! At this point when telling this story to people I usually say something to the effect of, “See, I told you I had the worst golf swing in the world!”.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST ISSUES FACING SUPERINTENDENTS TODAY? There are some pretty unrealistic maintenance expectations from the golfing public out there, and budgets for equipment and soft goods continue to shrink for most clubs. The whole, “Do more with less,” mentality that has been so prevalent in our industry for several years now will continue to be problematic. However, the most common challenge I hear from superintendents lately revolves around labor issues.

Trying to find, afford, and retain quality labor is a real struggle in most markets.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FROM THE MICHIGAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION? Having spent some years outside of Michigan working within the industry, I have experienced first-hand just how great our association is! Please continue to be passionate about providing MIGCSA members with the tools and support necessary to be the very best they can be.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT DEALING WITH A CUSTOMER? Oh, boy which one do I choose?? I was working as a, “StoreOn-Wheels” rep several years ago in Wisconsin. And, if you

remember those trucks, they had shelving racks on each side from floor to ceiling running the length of the truck. To make sure all those products stayed on the shelves while being driven around I used big, thick bungie cords to hold everything in place. At my first stop of the day I was walking from one end of the truck to the other and a hook from one of the bungie cords caught my pants and ripped a large whole in them giving each of the poor superintendents left on my route that day a less than professional look at my selection of boxer shorts!

WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE TO DECISION MAKERS WHEN DOING BUSINESS? Trust your instincts and over communicate! If you ever feel in your gut that you are being lied to or taken advantage of, you probably are. Trust is everything in our business and if you are the decision maker at your facility you have way too many things to be responsible for to not trust the folks you are getting your supplies from!

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF BEING IN AN INDUSTRY SUPPORT ROLE? Last fall my company took on a huge undertaking as we began the difficult process of rebranding ourselves from John Deere Landscapes to SiteOne Supply. One of our promotional pieces that started showing up in online and print media nationwide presented the following tag line, “We’re standing behind those who stand behind their work!”

That pretty much sums it up for me; I love having the opportunity to spport a superintendent when things get hard, but also be there to tell them, “job well done,” when they achieve the maintenance goals they have set for themselves and their club.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST SUCCESS STORY? I think that my best success story is underway right now! I have worked as a professional on the distribution sales side of this industry for a little more than 11 years. My shirts have either had a LESCO, John Deere Landscapes, or now, SiteOne logo on them. SiteOne has existed for less than a year and opinions are understandably still being formed. I have a unique opportunity to influence just how SiteOne is going to be perceived by golf course superintendents in my market and that is very exciting to me. Several years down the road, when asked about SiteOne, superintendents in my market will no doubt have something to say. Hopefully what they have to say reflects my best success story!

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION? Our industry is so unique in how “close knit” it is. Over time, many of the customers I get to call on become my closest friends and the people I look up to the most. Another thing I enjoy is the opportunity to learn from the people I call on. There are so many different ways to be a great

21

22

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

superintendent! I learn something new from someone pretty much every day and that’s definitely one of my favorite parts!!

WHAT ARE YOUR TRAVEL TIPS FOR THE LESS SEASONED TRAVELER? Good planning is the key to productivity. I don’t know who can take credit for first coming up with the saying, “Plan your work and work your plan,” but they could have probably had a pretty successful sales career if they wanted. There are so many potential customers and so much geography to cover every day without a plan you are dead in the water.

HOW MANY DAYS OF THE YEAR ARE YOU ON THE ROAD? There are sales professionals out there that only get to spend a few nights a week sleeping in their own bed, and I’m very thankful that I don’t have to be one of them!! During the golf season I’m rarely staying overnight away from home more than one night a week. During the winter “conference season” I’m away for some longer stays but nothing too bad. In total I’d say I’m good for around 30 or so hotel stays a year.

WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES OR SPECIAL INTERESTS? I love to golf; even though I’m a high handicapper, I’ll always love the game and never get to play it enough! I also love to travel and go camping with family and friends.

HOW MANY MILES DO YOU DRIVE IN A TYPICAL YEAR? I’m a member of the 45,000 mile club.

WHO HAS THE NICEST SHOP THAT YOU CALL ON AND WHY? Walloon Lake Country Club has an incredible maintenance facility! A tip of the cap to Scott, Carl, Pete and the entire team for maintaining their shop with such pride!!

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING OUTSIDE OF WORK? I try to be outside as much as possible so I’m up to take part in any outdoor activity. Being on or near water is probably my favorite. I try to spend some time at the beach attempting to soften my golf shirt tan. My fiancé and I try to plan some time to get away and get into the woods and camp each summer as well.

WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE VERY BEST PRODUCT YOU OFFER AND WHY? Tricky!! Of course we all know that the best product is always the one out preforms expectations, comes in under budget, and makes a superintendent sleep easy at night knowing he/ she used it! That being said, one of my favorite products I carry which has provided consistently impressive results time and again is LESCO’s Moisture Manager. It’s a great tool to incorporate into your program that can aid you in more easily managing that fine line between being too wet and too dry.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE PROFESSION YOU ARE IN? I caught the “turf maintenance bug” early and after earning my 2 year certificate in turf and a 4 year Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication a gig in Agronomic Sales seemed like a good fit.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM TO SELL/DEMO? I love selling the SiteOne fertilizer line!! It’s my favorite because when a superintendent gives you an opportunity to talk fertilizer with them, it’s a sign you are beginning to become a trusted partner. Selling control products is one thing, but I’ve always sensed that dealing with a superintendent’s fertility illustrates a deeper level of trust from them that you have to earn! With an expanded fertilizer product offering that includes brands like LESCO, GreenFlo, Lebanon, Emerald Isle, Progressive Turf, and Sanctuary there is something for everyone and the results speak for themselves.

HOW LARGE IS YOUR TERRITORY? As the Northern Michigan rep for SiteOne I’m responsible for quite a bit of geography. My territory includes everything north of Big Rapids in the Lower Peninsula and everything east of Manistique in the Upper Peninsula. With the size of area I have, there is no shortage of opportunity to meet new customers every day and I love it!!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLF COURSE TO PLAY? There are way too many great golf courses in Michigan for this to be a fair question! Heck, there are way too many great golf courses just in N. Michigan for that to be a fair question. But if you hold my feet to the fire and force me to pick one I’ll have to choose The Bear at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. Not only is it a fantastic and challenging golf course, but it will always have a bit of a nostalgic hold over me from all the time I spent there as a youngster.

IF YOU HAD TO HAVE A DIFFERENT PROFESSION, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I’m very happy that I’ve landed in this line of work but if I had to pick something I could see myself working in supply chain management. I’ve always found it incredibly interesting how products are moved around the country. The logistics of getting a package from point A to point B is something that seems so simple on the surface but behind the scenes an incredible amount of thought and planning goes into making it seem easy for the consumer.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE GOLFER AND WHY? Jordan Spieth is making a strong case for himself. I love the way he has handled himself in the face of incredible amounts of success early in his career and how he responded to the media and the public after his loss at the Masters this year makes him even more likeable. But I’m always going to be a Phil guy! I can’t

Course conditions | Spring 2016

INDUSTRY PROFILE imagine a scenario where I wouldn’t pull for Mickelson to win. Hopefully he can get a US Open victory added to his impressive list of accomplishments before he’s done!

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A HOLE IN ONE? Technically, no…. however, several years ago when I was working at the Grand Traverse Resort I did manage to cup one out from the back tee’s on the Par 3 ninth of the Bear! Only problem is, I was working and not really playing an official round of golf. There was an 8 iron that I had found bouncing around the back of my cart and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to hit a couple shots early in the morning while I was running some water. It was an awesome feeling even if it didn’t count for anything! At least I had a witness though.

HOW MANY CONFERENCES/EDUCATIONAL EVENTS DO YOU ATTEND PER YEAR? Between MIGCSA events, MTF events and SiteOne events I’m good for 6 or 7 educational events each year.

HOW MANY ROUNDS OF GOLF DO YOU PLAY A YEAR? Never enough. I’ll get a chance to play 15 or so rounds a year. Just enough to fool me into thinking I’m actually improving.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY/CONFERENCE THAT TURF CARE PROFESSIONALS CAN ATTEND? The MTF conference is just about as good as they come. The feedback from attendees over the past several years has been extremely positive and attendance has been very good. I tip my cap to the Board of Directors who work incredibly hard and are passionate about bringing the very best in education opportunities to the superintendents of Michigan!

HOW DO YOU THINK THE INDUSTRY WILL BE DIFFERENT IN 10 YEARS? Well, I think we will continue to see what I’ve been calling a “right-sizing” of the golf market. Based on the numbers of people playing golf these days, we simply have a surplus of facilities available nationwide. It is always a sad thing to see a golf course close its doors but it seems like an unavoidable trend if we are unable to bring new players to the game. Additionally, I will not be surprised if we see the level of restrictions put in place pertaining to water use and chemical control applications increase.

5 THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW ABOUT ME 1. I OFTEN BRAG ABOUT GRADUATING IN THE TOP 10 OF CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE PART I SOMETIMES FORGET TO MENTION IS THAT THERE WERE ONLY 10 STUDENTS IN MY GRADUATING CLASS! 2. I AM A BIG FAN OF HALLOWEEN AND SOMETIMES HAVE A TENDENCY OF GOING “ALL-IN” ON A COSTUME IDEA. BEST EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE AND GOT A PERM SO MY NAPOLEON DYNAMITE COSTUME WOULD BE MORE “BELIEVABLE”. IT WAS THE BEST COSTUME I’VE EVER PULLED OFF HANDS DOWN!!

3. I HAVE BEEN EATING A PLANT BASED DIET FOR NEARLY 3 YEARS NOW. I HESITATE TO IDENTIFY AS A TRUE VEGETARIAN BECAUSE I’LL ENJOY SOME FRESH FISH WHENEVER I CAN, BUT FOR THE MOST PART I’M EATING VEGGIES ALL DAY EVERY DAY! 4. SINCE GRADUATING FROM MSU, I’VE WORKED AND LIVED IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA; SAVANNAH, GEORGIA; MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN; AND TRAVERSE CITY, MICHIGAN 5. MY FAVORITE ASSIGNMENT ON A GOLF COURSE IS CUTTING CUPS/COURSE SET UP. I KNOW THERE ARE THOSE OUT THERE THAT HATE THIS JOB BUT I’VE ALWAYS LOVED GETTING INTO THE GROOVE AND MOTORING MY WAY AROUND THE ENTIRE COURSE EACH DAY!

23

Turf Fuel Specialty Pesticide Adjuvant Guide FUNGICIDES PRODUCT NAME

ACTIVE INGREDIENT

ADJUVANT

USE RATE

26GT, 26019

Iprodione

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

3336, QP-TM, T-methyl SPC

Thiophanate-methyl

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Affirm, Endorse

Polyoxin-D

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Aliette

Aluminum tris

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Appear

Potassium phosphite

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Banner Maxx II

Propiconazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Banol

Propamacarb

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Bayleton

Triademefon

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Briskway

Azoxystrobin + Difenoconazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Chipco Signature, QP fosetyl

Fosetyl-al

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Chlorothalonil

Chlorathalonil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Cleary's 3336

Thiophanate-methyl

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Compass

Trifloxystrobin

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Concert, Concert II

Propiconazole + Chlorothalonil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Curalan

Vinclozolin

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Daconil Action, Weatherstik, Ensign

Chorothalonil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Disarm, Disarm C, Disarm M

Fluoxastrobin

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Eagle

Myclobutanil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Emerald

Boscalid

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Endorse

Polyoxin-D

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Fore, Dithane, Manzate, Protect T/O

Mancozeb

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Headway

Azoxystrobin + Propiconazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Heritage

Azoxystrobin

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Honor

Pyraclostrobin + Boscalid

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Insignia

Pyraclostrobin

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Instrata

Propiconazole + Chlorothalonil + Fludioxanil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Interface

Trifloxystrobin + Iprodione

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Junction

Mancozeb + Copper Hydroxide

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Kaligreen

Potassium bicorbonate

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Kestrel & Kestrel MEX

Propiconazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Kocide 4.5 LF, CuPro 500 DF

Copper Hydroxide

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Medallion

Fludioxonil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Pentathalon

Mancozeb

Helix

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Prostar

Flutolanil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Raven

Iprodione

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Contact your Residex Rep Call 855-RESIDEX or Visit online @ turffuel.com

FUNGICIDES PRODUCT NAME

ACTIVE INGREDIENT

ADJUVANT

USE RATE

Renown

Azoxystrobin + Chlorothalonil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Reserve

Triticonazole + Chlorothalonil

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Rubigan

Fenarimol

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Secure

Fluazinam

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Segway

Cyazofamid

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Stellar

Propamocarb + Fluopicolide

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Subdue Maxx

Mefenoxam

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Tartan, Armada

Trifloxystrobin + Triademefon

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Teremec SP

Chloroneb

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Terrazole

Terrazole

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Tourney

Metconazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Triton, Trinity

Triticonazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Turfcide 400

PCNB

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Zyban WSB

Thiophanate-methyl

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

This guide is only intended as a reference. Always read, understand and follow label instructions. Recommendations on product label supercede any information presented in this table.

HERBICIDES PRODUCT NAME

ACTIVE INGREDIENT

ADJUVANT

USE RATE

2,4-D

2,4-D

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

4-Speed XT

2,4-D + Triclopyr + Pyraflurfen ethyl + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Acclaim Extra

Fenoxyprop-p ethyl

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Atrazine 4L

Atrazine

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Barricade

Prodiamine

the Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Basagran

Bentazon

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Blade

Metfulfuron

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Celsius

Thiencarbazone + Iodosulfuron-methyl + Dicamba

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Certainty

Sulfosulfuron

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Chaser

2,4-D ester + Triclopyr

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Chaser 2 Amine

2,4-D amine + Triclopyr

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Chaser Ultra 2

MCPA + Fluroxypyr + Dichlorprop-p

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Confront

Tricopyr + Clopryalid

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Cool Power

MCPA + Triclopyr + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Corsair

Chlorsulfuron

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Crossbow

2,4-D + Clopyralid

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Defendor

Florasulam

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Dimension

Dithiopyr

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Direx 4L

Diuron

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Dismiss

Sulfentranzone

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Drive XLR8

Quinclorac

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Echelon

Sulfentrazone + Prodiamine

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Envoy

Sethoxydim

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Finale

Glufosinate

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Fusilade

Fluazifop-P-butyl

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Gallery

Isoxaben

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

HERBICIDES PRODUCT NAME

ACTIVE INGREDIENT

ADJUVANT

USE RATE

Garlon

Triclopyr

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Glyphosate

Glyphosate

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Goal

Oxyfluorfen

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Illoxan

Diclofop-methyl

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Image

Imazaquin

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Karmex

Diuron

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Kerb

Pronamide

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Lontrel

Clopyralid

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Manor

Metsulfuron

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Millenium Ultra 2

2,4-D + Clopyralid + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Monument

Trifloxysulfuron Sodium

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Onetime

Quinclorac + MCPP-P + Dicamba

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Pendulum, AquaCap

Pendimethalin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Princep

Simazine

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Prograss

Ethofumesate

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Pylex

Topramezone

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Q4 Plus

2,4-D + Quinclorac, + Sulfentrazone + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

QuickSilver

Carfentrazone

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Revolver

Foramsulfuron

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Reward, Tribune

Diquat

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Ronstar

Oxadiazon

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Roundup, Ranger Pro, Razor Pro

Glyphosate

Tank pHix

4-8 fl oz per 100 gal

Scythe

Pelargonic Acid

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Sedgehammer, Prosedge

Halosulfuron

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Segment

Sethoxydim

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Sencor

Metribuzin

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Solitare

Carfentrazone + Quinclorac

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Specticle, Specticle Flo

Indaziflam

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Speedzone

2,4-D + Mecoprop + Carfentrazone + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Surge

Sulfentrazone + 2,4-D + MCPP + Dicamba

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Tenacity

Mesotrione

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Tranxit

Rimsulfuron

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Tribute Total

Foramsulfuron + Halosulfuron + Thiencarbazone

Conic

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Trimec Classic

2,4-D + MCPP + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Triplet SF

2,4-D + MCPP + Dicamba

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Turflon Ester Ultra

Triclopyr

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Velocity

Bispyribac-sodium

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

This guide is only intended as a reference. Always read, understand and follow label instructions. Recommendations on product label supercede any information presented in this table.

Contact your Residex Rep Call 855-RESIDEX or Visit online @ turffuel.com

INSECTICIDES PRODUCT NAME

ACTIVE INGREDIENT

ADJUVANT

USE RATE

Acelepryn

Clorantraniliprole

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Allectus

Imidacloprid + Bifenthrin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Aloft

Clothianidin + Bifenthrin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Arena

Clothianidin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Astro

Permethrin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Avid

Abamectin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Azatin

Azadirachtin

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Conserve

Spinosad

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

DeltaGard

Deltamethrin

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Dursban

Chlorpyrifos

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Dylox

Trichlofon

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Endeavor

Pymetrozine

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Flagship

Thiamethoxam

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Floramite

Bifenazate

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Forbid

Spiromesifen

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Mach 2

Halofenozide

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Meridian

Thiamethoxam

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Merit, Malice, Mallet, QP Imidacloprid

Imidacloprid

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Orthene

Acephate

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Permethrin

Permethrin

The Works

1 quart per 100 gal

Provaunt

Indoxacarb

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Safari

Dinotefuran

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Scimitar

Lambda-cyhalothrin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Sevin

Carbaryl

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Shuttle

Acequinocyl

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

Talstar, Bisect, Upstar

Bifenthrin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Tempo Ultra

B-cyfluthrin

The Works

0.5-4 pt per 100 gal

Temprid

Imidacloprid + Cyfluthrin

Halo 90

1-4 pt per 100 gal

Tetrasan

Etoxazole

Helix

1-2 pt per 100 gal

This guide is only intended as a reference. Always read, understand and follow label instructions. Recommendations on product label supercede any information presented in this table.

Contact your Residex Rep Call 855-RESIDEX or Visit online @ turffuel.com TFS4350 rev. 2015.05.05

Course conditions | Spring 2016

A Message From

S

MTF

ummer is fading and as you read this the LaFontaine Golf Benefit for Turf Research and our Annual Field Day are now completed and it seems the MTF Conference will be upon us before you know it. We would like to thank all those who have attended and a special thanks to those who offered sponsorships and a helping hand in organizing the events. We realize constant requests for funding to support organizations can become numerous, but the generosity that so many in our industry show is one of reasons Michigan is looked at as purposeful and determined when it comes to the turf world. The research done at the Hancock Turf Research Center an example of how much can be accomplished if everyone has an oar in water and pulling in the same direction. The MTF does its best to financially support the Turf Team on an annual basis through its Operational Budget as well as with our three Endowments that are specific to certain guidelines. But the research done at the Hancock Center is also a melting pot of equipment, fertilizers, chemicals and miscellaneous other items donated by many companies.

That so many are willing to contribute to assist with research speaks for itself. Those contributions do not go unnoticed. The MTF is often approached by the other commodities within the University with inquires on how we manage to get so much done on the tract of land south of Mt Hope road. We willing share the blueprint we’ve created…but nothing replaces the hard work that still goes into making it take place. Thank you to all who volunteer their time and resources to the MTF, MSU and our Turf Team.

The past few months the MTF has been very active behind the scenes. Some changes have happened and others are currently underway. The most significant adjustment has been at the administration level. Executive Secretary Rebecca Schoch resigned earlier in the year to pursue other personal goals. Becky managed our daily functions and financials extremely well and could always be counted on to support the Board with all our requests. Her dedication and work ethic were extraordinary and she will certainly be missed. We wish her the best and a simple thank you for all the hard work she put in over the years can’t properly express our gratitude.

Replacing someone to that position required some due diligence including a self- examination of the Foundation and how we manage our affairs as well.

Changes are seldom unproblematic ….but they can also be helpful. We took the opportunity during the search for an administrator to assess what improvements may be needed to help in the overall operation. Not as daunting as the bunker project …that leads to a drainage revamping ...that leads to tree removal…etc. However, some scrutiny was required if we wanted improve ourselves, expand our membership and update our communication sources.

That said, in a two part plan, our search for a Foundation Administrator resulted in hiring Jennifer Maszatics who is currently updating herself to the Foundation and its many functions. We welcome her to the MTF and invite you to introduce yourselves to her as she transitions and her communication with you begins. In addition, the MTF will also be updating its membership data information in the upcoming weeks. Regarding the information updates: Many of you will be receiving an email concerning your professional information and membership. If you could take a few minutes to complete any requests that may be sent to you it will be greatly appreciated. Our goal is to have a more concise, viable data base which will ultimately help us communicate to you. The objective is to be fully operational with our new service by the time our annual membership mailings which are scheduled for this fall, as well as Conference registration which will be soon afterward.

Getting our arms around all the logistics required to keep daily operations going while the search was conducted required more time than anticipated and to all those that helped during the process…a hearty thank you! A much deserved appreciation to MiGCSA Executive Director, Adam Ikamas, who has aided us with communications and suggestions as we transitioned. It should also be noted to acknowledge Past President Brian Schweihofer for taking the lead on updating our membership needs during his term. The plan was in motion already prior to the recent changes and made our move to implement much easier.

25

26

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Despite all the internal work being conducted, there has been little drop off in our on- going commitments. The Conference is in great hands once again under the direction of Amy Fouty. She and Dr. Kevin Frank are nurturing board members Mark Wildeman and Curt Boak on the processes associated to getting the conference on path and an unrelenting desire to find ways to improve. As a reminder…the upcoming conference is also a time when those who may want to be a part of the MTF can put their name in for nomination to the board. If interested please feel free to contact us…we are always interested in individuals who want to be actively involved in any capacity.

Executive Director Gordie LaFontaine continues to find ways to make our Foundation stronger and with our membership as well as with Michigan State University. His work on all the Endowments, coordination with MSU and constant fundraising supplication is a process that is second to none. Treasurer Doug Johanningsmeier has taken the job of our bookkeeping needs and is currently updating all information for future boards ease of use. The core of the MTF mission is to support the research at MSU and Professors continue to interact with the board with updates and as well as requests for consideration for items and financial support for their studies. We, as an industry, don’t always acknowledge them for all they do for our business, but it is appreciated and thank you for all your work.

Once again…Thank you all for your support…hope to see you at the Conference!!!

PS…Am I the only one that feels like we just mowed the greens for the first time a couple weeks ago?

Carey Mitchelson President – Michigan Turfgrass Foundation

Super Supers on Michigan Golf Live

I

hope that by now most of the membership has seen our episode of Super Supers with Michigan Golf Live that aired May 21st & 22nd, if not please check it out online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaxKppex22Q This idea was originally floated by Past President Jay Eccleton, CGCS years ago. It has been through many discussions and starts and stops. Finally, last year it all came together. The GCSAA awarded us with an outreach grant to help offset the cost of production and we filmed this all in a few days at Egypt Valley Country Club with then President Jeff Holmes, CGCS. We had seen this awesome video done by the Georgia Chapter: https://vimeo.com/78408239 and really wanted to do something to highlight our members and our passion for the profession. So finally the time was right to partner with MGL and Bill Hobson. His broadcasts reach 250,000 golfers in Michigan on Fox Sports Detroit every weekend. So we pulled the trigger after much panning and discussion on how best to communicate our message. The first draft of the video was sent to the board and myself in the fall of 2015. After more discussion and edits over the winter we finally got it to where we wanted it.

This was a process that none of us were used to as video editing and production is well out of our wheelhouses. So far all the responses we have had are positive. If you would like to send the board some feedback, we would appreciate it at info@migcsa.org.

The tide just rose for healthier, more stress-tolerant turf.

Bio-MAX® 4-0-0 contains 52% North Atlantic kelp extract and fulvic acid, two recognized turf bio stimulants. Studies have shown the combination of seaweed and fulvic acid provides greater turf benefits than either bio stimulant component individually. Bio-MAX® also contains a wide range of other important elements that contribute to the vitality and vigor of your turf.

Visit Harrells.com for details on how Bio-MAX® 4-0-0 is the perfect foundation for your turf nutrition program.

Call your Harrell’s sales representative today.

800.282.8007

28

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

From The Campus

Rolling, Resistance, Reduction: A Dollar Spot Management Strategy

BY RYAN BEARSS, NANCY DYKEMA, DR. JOE VARGAS MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

N

early one century since its discovery, and we are still searching for better ways to mitigate the problem that is dollar spot disease of turfgrass.

The Voldemort of the turfgrass industry, superintendents cringe upon hearing its very name and spring into action at the site of those tiny spots. With a single fungicide application ranging from $1000-$6000 in product alone (given 25 acres of fairway), dollar spot stresses golf course budgets and, according to Dr. Joe Vargas, is the most economically significant disease in the golf course industry today.

A foliar disease caused by the pathogen Rutstroemia floccosum syn. Sclerotinia homoeocarpa, dollar spot is active from May-September in Michigan, disseminating by the spread of infected clippings such as on golf spikes, mowers, and other turf equipment. When humidity is high, temperatures are high (60-90°F) and nighttime temperatures are cool, the dormant fungus germinates producing mycelia, the fluffy white material that bares resemblance to spider webs. Small, bleached, hourglassshaped lesions can be observed on individual blades of grass. Susceptibility for infection increases under stressful conditions such as low fertility and drought. As the fungal mycelia spread and the disease epidemic builds, small, silver dollar-sized depressed spots are formed in the turf. In a

cluster, these small spots form sunken areas that eventually coalesce creating larger areas of necrosis leaving an uneven playing surface for golfers. In addition to cost and effect on playability, several additional variables of this disease make management of dollar spot for superintendents very difficult: • Fungicide resistance. Resistance of the fungal pathogen to many different classes of fungicides exist.

• Multiple fungicide applications throughout the growing season are typically required to manage the disease.

• Public demand for reduction in pesticide use.

• The less-is-more mindset. Superintendents often starve their greens for increased greens speed. Low nitrogen=increased stress=increased susceptibility to dollar spot.

• Low height of cut. Mowing is a stressful practice for turf but necessary to maintain a playable surface.

Again increased stress leads to increased susceptibility to dollar spot.

• Reduction of irrigation. By choice or by law, reduction of irrigation increases greens speed but produces a less vigorous plant.

• Timing. Contact fungicides are typically less expensive than systemic fungicides but must be applied preventively and more frequently for maximum efficacy.

Course conditions | Spring 2016

Needless to say, we need to start considering other options for dollar spot management. As the push for reduced fungicide use increases, research in disease management continues to shift towards the development of environmentally sound, less-expensive, equally effective IPM strategies. Thanks to MSU research, these strategies are closer than we think.

In 1995, Thomas A. Nikolai, Ph.D. initiated his doctoral dissertation by studying the impact that lightweight rolling has on turfgrass diseases, the plant, and the root zone.

Treatments included rolling 3 times per week vs not rolling on bentgrass putting greens grown atop 3 different root zones located at the MSU Hancock Turfgrass Research Center in East Lansing, MI. As a result, Nikolai discovered that lightweight rolling 3 times per week significantly decreased dollar spot, localized dry spot, moss, and broadleaf weeds while retaining more soil moisture in predominantly sandy root zones.

In 2011, Paul Giordano, Ph.D., initiated his master’s research focusing on the question, ”Why does lightweight rolling decrease dollar spot?” Giordano did not use fungicides as he evaluated the treatments of rolling in the am, pm, and double rolling five days per week on a USGA root zone for 3 years. Giordano’s research corroborated the dollar spot reductions Nikolai observed and he advanced the science finding that both am and pm rolling decreased dollar spot and that double rolling decrease dollar spot more than single rolling. Additionally, due to increases in soil moisture retention, Giordano discovered that rolling changed the microbial populations in the soil which we hypothesis is the main reason rolling decreases dollar spot.

In addition to determining that rolling reduces dollar spot incidence, MSU researchers have demonstrated that

irrigation timing and frequency also impacts dollar spot.

In a multi-year study concluded in 2013, Nancy Dykema found that irrigating on a daily basis, either at 0500 or 2200 h, resulted in less dollar spot than irrigating twice weekly at 2200 h when total weekly irrigation volumes were held equal on three different creeping bentgrass cultivars. On each cultivar, daily nighttime irrigation exhibited the lowest level of dollar spot incidence compared to the other irrigation regimes. She also found a significant difference in dollar spot incidence among cultivars, regardless of irrigation regime.

In the spring of 2016, a research trial was initiated at MSU with the goal of reducing dollar spot incidence using IPM practices previously demonstrated to reduce disease levels, in addition to the use of reduced fungicide rates, in an effort to achieve championship quality turfgrass.

In 2013, a 6,500 ft² putting green was established, comprised of plots seeded to Penn A-1 or Flagstick creeping bentgrass. Penn A-1 is a commonly used, dollar spot-susceptible cultivar while Flagstick is a new, MSU developed, dollar spot-resistant cultivar. Plots in this trial will be subjected to various rolling regimes in addition to fungicide applications at reduced rates under daily, nighttime irrigation. By building on past research trials and combining practices, we hope to take another step towards developing an improved IPM system for dollar spot management that results in high quality turfgrass with low fungicide inputs. __________ This research is being funded by the Canadian Allied Turfgrass Research (CATR) and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation (MTF).

29

32

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Launching at the Golf Industry Show 2017 Pending State Registration

@BayerGolf

Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.backedbybayer.com. Bayer (reg’d), the Bayer Cross (reg’d), Exteris™ and Stressgard® are registered trademarks of Bayer. Always read and follow label instructions carefully. ©2016 Bayer CropScience LP.

Course conditions | Spring 2016

2016 Northern Fundraiser W

ith 236 tee times for members, friends and families taking part in the 2016 Northern Fundraiser at Arcadia Bluffs on Sunday and Monday the fundraising year is off to a great start raising more than $20,000. A spectacular day with just enough weather to remind you that you were on the lake shore welcomed the players on Monday.

A very special thank you to our 2016 Premier Fundraiser Sponsors BASF, Bayer, F.I.P. Irrigation Services, Jacobsen, Matt LaFontaine Automotive, Residex, Spartan Distributors, Syngenta, and Tri-Turf. Also a thank you to Residex for the hot dogs on tee #7 & #15 and for taking the team photo on #15 tee (get your team photo here) and to Rob Pylar for raising $1,000 for the MTF and Wee One on hole #17. There were 9 proximity prizes for the day, four closest to the pins on holes #2, #6, #13 & #17 and five long drives on holes #3, #7, #11, #16 and #18 from our Premier Sponsors; the winners will each get $25 in Gift Certificates to Arcadia Bluffs. And thank you to our other hole sponsors J.W. Turf and Site One Golf. J.W. hosted the Texas Hold Em’ poker game contest on hole #9.

Thank you to MiGCSA members Paul Emling, Vice President of Operations, Jim Bluck, CGCS, Superintendent, Phil Kluesner & Trevor Nash Assistant Superintendents, Pat Sullivan, Equipment Technician. PGA Golf Professionals Zack Chapin & COO Bill Shriver. F&B Director Donna LaLond, katelyn Harris, Director of Special Events, Director of Lodge Operations, Ketty Zamora and the entire staff at Arcadia Bluffs.

Here are the results: Proximity Prizes Closest to the pins: #2 – Adam Nuptall #6 – Eric Guttenburg #13 – Bryan Ortyl #17 – Trevor Nash

Long Drives: #3 – Al Perkins #7 – Josh Teitsma #11 – Dave Drettmann #16 – Maggie Gdula #18 – Steve Saari

Skins:

Eagle 2 on #10 - Wayne Sieggreen, Steve Miller, Randy Beyer & Rick Sauve

Poker Game:

Eric Cowan, Doug Hoeh, Scott Wilkinson & Brad Fry with a straight flush 9 to king

Winning Scramble Teams: 1st place 59 - AJ Rings, Steve Schultz, Shawn Pranger & Corey Parmalee 2nd place 60 - Brian Roberts, Steve Sarri, Tom Nelson & Chris Cummings (tie break with a birdie 3 on #7 the #1 handicap hole) 3rd place 60 - Dan Contreras, Craig Kooeinga, Chris Wilczynski & Bob Klingbeil The 2016 Champions AJ Rings, Steve Schultz, Shawn Pranger and Corey Parmalee

31

32

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

The 31st Annual Tuck Tate Championship T he 31st Tuck Tate Championship had an additional feature this year with a Par 3 Shootout starting the night before on the famed Threetops par 3 at Treetops. The evening started off in spectacular fashion with a hole in one from Gene Davis on the first hole of the day starting on #1 with an 8 iron! It was a great event and all attendees had a great time, but probably none as much as Genes and his group.

The next day the actual championship was conducted on the Signature golf course. A huge thank you to MiGCSA Members Mark Wildeman, CGCS, Doug Hoeh, Jeff Kosal, Aaron Sides, Dennis Potter & Mark Lauret for hosting us, the golf courses were phenomenal. Thank you to Kevin McKinley, PGA Director of Golf and Alex Hughes, PGA Head Professional for all of their help in running such a great event.

Our host Members Dennis Potter, Mark Wildeman, CGCS, Doug Hoeh, Jeff Kosal and Aaron Sides

This was a best 2 of 4 net team game with prizes for individual net and gross as well. Here are the results from the day.

Closest to the pin from shootout: #1 – Gene Davis (HOLE IN ONE!) #2 – John Holberton #3 – Jeff Kosal #4 – Nate Brown #5 – Phil Gutowski

#6 – John Holberton #7 – John Holberton #8 – Micah Wise #9 – Matt Sly

2016 Tuck Tate Champion Jim Higgs

Proximities from championship: Closest to the pin on #2 Bill Stephenson and #17 Justin Bickel. Long Drive on #10 Drew Butterfield Best 2 of 4 net team game was won by Gene Davis, Andrew Butterfield, Phil Gutowski and Seth Britton with a 127. Followed by Craig Kooienga, Chris Wilczynski, Jim Higgs and Justin Bickel at 129 and third place with a 132 went to Steve Shane, Joe Ettawageshik, Bryan Klebba and Jon Lamb.

2016 Low Net Tuck Tate Champion Drew Butterfield with a net 67 2016 Tuck Tate Champion Jim Higgs who shot 70

2016 Low Net Champion Drew Butterfield

Course conditions | Winter 2016

Turf Maintenance | Irrigation | Lighting | Landscape Supplies | Nursery | Golf

With Over 450 Locations to Serve the Golf Landscape Professional.

To1.800.SiteOne Find A Store Near You: 800.SiteOne | SiteOne.com/Locations | SiteOne.com

| Hardscapes | Pest Control

35

34

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

Are You Well Grounded?

BY CHAD KEMPF, RAIN BIRD SERVICES As I talk with more and more superintendents, I find one reoccurring issue more than any other in regards to their irrigation systems: they have done nothing with their grounding since their system was installed. In fact, most have not even thought about the grounding at all. Well, it is time you start thinking about it on a more regular basis so that you can become more “well grounded”.

Grounding your equipment is a requirement by Code (National Electrical Code) and it is intended for the safety of anyone coming in contact with the equipment by protecting them against any shorts in the system that could cause an electrical shock. The requirement to meet Code is 25 ohms or less and if it is not achieved by a single rod then a second rod should be installed 16’ away and you meet Code regardless of the reading.

It is not unusual with irrigation equipment that there are more elaborate and stronger standards put into the grounding requirements to help protect the equipment from strong energy events that may occur. Therefore, we make every effort to meet the manufacturer’s recommendations for grounding to help protect your investment.

Lightning is the greatest contributor to surges on irrigation system equipment. The average strike is 100 million volts and 40,000 amps. It can travel up to 3

miles or more through the ground and therefore any strike within 100’ we can consider a direct hit. As the lightning travels through the ground, which is often a poor conductor, it is looking for an easier path to travel.

Therefore, once it finds wires buried in the ground it is like finding a subway train that it can go much faster and further, so it takes a ride. Unfortunately for golf courses, the “subway station” where it is now traveling to is usually your control box, interface, or central control computer.

I think you get the picture.

[Board lightening damage] There are a few things we need to understand about grounding to help us become more “well grounded”.

First of all, let’s discuss the differences between a ground rod and ground plate. Ground rods are typically used more often due to cost and they generally providing sufficient protection. A typical rod is 5/8” diameter by either 8’ or 10’ length. The ground rod is connected to a bare copper wire by either a caldweld or a clamp which then leads to the equipment it is protecting. The ground plate on the other hand is a flat, rectangular copper sheet with a copper wire that leads to the equipment. It is typically buried about 18-24” below the surface and is therefore relatively easy to install. Both of these can be used in golf irrigation system grounding but have very

Course conditions | Spring 2016

different conducting capabilities due to their surface area which greatly influence their ability to dump a surge to the earth.

• 8’ Rod = 188.4 Sq. Inches • 10’ Rod = 235.2 Sq. Inches • 4”x 36” Plate = 288 Sq. Inches • 4”x 96” Plate = 768 Sq. Inches Typically, the more surface area available the better the chance of being able to dump the surge to the ground but it is also influenced by the soil type. Sandy soils are poor conductors so they are not good for grounding. The advantage a ground rod, especially in sandy soils, is that as you go deeper, you can usually hit a profile that is better suited to grounding (e.g., wetter/more conductive soils).

[Satellite grounding] Another thing that is poorly understood with grounding is called the sphere of influence. This is the volume of earth around the ground rod/plate which is typically considered the area that the energy can be dumped. For a ground rod, it is generally recognized that if we have an 8’ rod there is an 8’ radius around that rod that is the sphere of influence. Therefore, it is recommended when installing an 8’ ground rod you have it 8’ away from the equipment and 16’ from other rods if installing more than one rod.

One common mistake with grounding I notice often is finding the ground rod installed right next to the satellite box. This can lead to the surge that is dumped to the earth to go back into the equipment that it is meant to protect.

[Sphere of influence] Poor grounding can lead to a number of issues but the most significant is equipment failure and damage. A good sign that you need to check your grounding is simply an increase in electronic equipment failure. If you experience this, simply going out and tightening the grounding connections could eliminate the issue however, we would recommend that you have an experienced golf course irrigation contractor test your ground with a Megger which is a specialty tester designed to measure the resistance of an earth ground (as noted).

Most don’t realize that a ground rod is a steel rod, which makes it strong enough to be driven into the ground,

but it is copper plated for corrosion resistance. Over time, corrosive soils with high moisture content, high salt content, and high temperatures can degrade ground rods and their connections.

Getting on a program to tighten down grounding connections each year can save a lot of headache, time, and cost.

[Ground rod connected to copper wire] Another simple thing that can be done to improve grounding is to make sure you have irrigation where your grounding is located. A soil moisture level of 17% offers the best conductivity. Once you get above 17% very little benefit to conductivity is added, therefore you don’t need the area to be saturated. It could be as simple as adding a rough head near the satellite grounding, setting up drip irrigation, or running the downspout from the building for your grounding for the central at the maintenance facility.

In this case, a little goes a long way in protecting your equipment.

Finally, it is a good idea to check your grounding resistance every couple of years to make sure it is still within manufacturer’s specifications. I usually recommend that when you have a technician come out to do irrigation service work, have them test the grounding to make sure you still are within the manufacturer’s specifications since they have the correct equipment and know-how. They can test a couple different spots on the course fairly easily as long as you have them marked. Be sure you keep records so you can track the usefulness and longevity of your grounding. The equipment needed is not something the typical golf course has and is fairly expensive to own, especially if you are only using once a year. If you are not within specifications, it is simple to add another rod outside of the sphere of influence or just replace the rod with a new one and new copper wire.

35

36

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

[Typical controller enhanced ground detail] Once again, the biggest issue that I see with the grounding for irrigation equipment is that it has never been check or even thought about after it was originally installed. Just like all the equipment you use to maintain your course, a little bit of preventative maintenance and care will make it more effective for a longer period of time. It doesn’t take much but with a little bit of effort you can become “well grounded” and save yourself a lot of time, money and headaches.

Terry Kerkstra tkerkstra@cdi-mi.com 616-216-8884 Skip Hall shall@cdi-mi.com 616-350-0869

Nature provides enough stress for our turf. Add a bachelor party to the heavy rains of ’97, and we’ve got a seriously stressful moment.

DON’T GET COLD FEET. For the past 20 years, Stressgard Formulation Technology has protected courses and superintendents from stressful moments.

Your course is constantly under attack from drought, heat, disease, the elements and even golf itself. Stressgard FT provides proven protection, increasing the plant’s photosynthetic efficiency to promote health and strength, while preventing attacks from pathogens. Free from concern over disease and the stresses of nature, your course can reach true, maximum potential — and you can leave the worry to the groom.

What’s your most stressful moment? Tell us at @BayerGolf with #StressgardMoments and your story could be featured in a Stressful Moments ad.

backedbybayer.com

@BayerGolf

Available on

and

: Backed By Bayer

Bayer CropScience LP, Environmental Science Division, 2 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. 1-800-331-2867. www.backedbybayer.com. Bayer (reg’d), the Bayer Cross (reg’d), Stressgard®, Fiata®, Interface®, Mirage®, Tartan®, and Signature™ are trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. Always read and follow label instructions. ©2016 Bayer Cropscience LP.

38

.

Michigan Golf Course Superintendents Association | WWW.MiGCSA.ORG

ASSOCIATION UPDATE

The Tyranny of the Urgent ADAM IKAMAS, CGCS

“Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out ― the important.”

Charles E. Hummel, Tyranny of the Urgent

Even though I am no longer an active Superintendent with the day to day concerns and worries of these very trying stretches of weather I still get the same feelings I used to get and often discuss them with members.

The stress of not knowing when to make the switch in irrigation practices from hot and dry with heavy overnight watering to hot and humid where the same irrigation cycle you had to run yesterday turns the course into a petri dish the next night. Where to find the balance of green speeds and healthy turf. Trying to get some holes into the greens to vent them and praying for some relief from the things we cannot control, but control us all.

I see this from more of a distance now but that also provides a perspective that is slightly different. So many members during these times cannot imagine leaving the facility for an hour much less most of a day. I can relate, but now as I attend all of the Chapter events I see

the relief and benefit for all of our members in the networking and shared experience of both pain and success it is a vital part of getting through these days.

I know it is really hard to get away, impossible even. But to take a step back, spend the day with your peers and know you are not alone, to know you have a huge resource in your fellow members will do more for you than any amount of hand watering ever will. No amount of spraying will ever replace a new bond or tip you will absolutely get from attending an MiGCSA event. So take a minute to look at the calendar http://www. migcsa.org/event-calendar-291/ and make plans to get away for a day, to learn something or meet someone new. Or if you want to have an event closer to your facility or in a different format please let us know and we can help make it happen. Break away from the urgent fire extinguishing routine and take a minute to get some fire prevention tips.

Adam Ikamas, CGCS MiGCSA Executive Director

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

LANSING, MI PERMIT NO.689

MICHIGAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION 316 GLENCARIN DR. NE | ROCKFORD, MI 49341

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED WITH THE EQUIPMENT, PARTS AND SERVICE YOU NEED Only Jacobsen has you covered with a full portfolio of turf maintenance equipment, world-class parts and service support.

Jacobsen Direct

Grand Rapids 800.398.0388 Novi 248.277.3232

1.888.922.TURF | www.jacobsen.com

PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

LANSING, MI PERMIT NO.689

MICHIGAN GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION 316 GLENCARIN DR. NE | ROCKFORD, MI 49341

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

©2016 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties.

Please check with your state or local extension service to ensure registration status. Briskway®, GreenCast®, Velista®, the Alliance Frame, the Purpose Icon and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective company. MW 1LGG6006 07/16

WITH THE EQUIPMENT, PARTS AND SERVICE YOU NEED Only Jacobsen has you covered with a full portfolio of turf maintenance equipment, world-class parts and service support.

Jacobsen Direct

Grand Rapids 800.398.0388 Novi 248.277.3232

1.888.922.TURF | www.jacobsen.com