RGGCSA - The SuperNews - September 2015

The SuperNews OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIO GRANDE GCSA

September 2015

President’s Message Hello everyone, I hope everyone is doing well as we reach the end of our seasons. It has definitely

President Caleb Buckley Vice President Matt Urban

been a wet season for most of us here in the Land of Enchantment.

I would like to thank Gary Hodge CGCS and his team at Santa Fe Country Club for hosting our meeting in July. The weather was perfect for a meeting and we had a great turn out. Our next meeting will be in Albuquerque at Sandia Golf Club. As most of us know this is our annual meeting so please come and enjoy and pick up

Secretary / Treasurer Jake Villareal Board of Directors: Mark Hanson CGCS Mike Furgerson Paul Kerr Robert Clark Jimmy Rodriguez Joe Dosstter (Past Pres.)

your directory. I would like to thank Todd Huslig for hosting this meeting and we

hope to have another great turn out for this event.

I would also like to thank Sam Smallidge Ph.D. Associate Professor / Wildlife Specialist at New Mexico State University who spoke about rodent control. If you attended the meeting we received 2 points for our pesticide applicators license. So thank you again to NMDA for getting us these points.

Vendor Representative

Please, if there is anyone out there that would like to run for a board position please

Clay Guck

get with a current board member. This way we can get you on the ballot for the an-

Chapter Executive Carol Cloud GCSAA Field Rep Brian Cloud

nual meeting. I would like to thank the board members that we have currently for stepping up and helping this organization.

I hope everyone is doing well and we hope to see you in Albuquerque at Sandia Golf Club on October 19th.

Thank you,

Caleb Buckley Isleta Golf Club RGGCSA President

Featured Articles: 

The Big Easy at Carnival Time

By Jimmy Rodriguez, Towa Golf Club



Proper Fungicide Selection

By Clay Guck, Helena

Proper Fungicide Selection

Over the last 3 months New Mexico has experienced something we are not use to, RAIN! We are growing some great weeds and great turf too. With the heat and all this unexpected moisture, we are also experiencing something we don’t usually deal with, fungus. I have seen everything from Dollar Spot to Pythium. I am asked a lot about using a product for a fungus because “I have it on the shelf”. Depending on the pathogen, this will work, sometimes. There are some great fungicides available that do a bang up job on one fungus, and have no activity on another. The attached document is a great resource in choosing the right product for the pathogen you are dealing with.

Clay Guck Helena Chemical Company

Chemical Control of Turfgrass Diseases 2015 Paul Vincelli, Department of Plant Pathology; and Gregg Munshaw, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences—University of Kentucky Click Here for Complete Article and Charts

SANTA FE COUNTRY CLUB What a great day at Santa Fe Country Club. Thank you Gary Hodge and staff for making the day a success.

The course was in great shape, fun to play and we had an exciting completion.

Everyone enjoyed a wonderful lunch thanks to the generosity of our lunch sponsors.

Our wonderful host, Gary Hodge CGCS receives Host plaque from President Caleb Buckley.

We had a great crowd who listened intently to the best way to take care of the vermin on the golf course.

Sam Smallidge PhD shares his insights and unique ways to control the critters wrecking havoc on golf courses.

Careful there Rob!

Sam demos traps as members look on.

Winners, winners, everywhere!

The 1st place winners for the day were Sam Smallidge, Robert Crandell, Laurie Meredith, Roger Martinez and Mark Hanson. Congratulations y’all!

Two of our 3rd place winners stuck around to get there loot...Joe Dosstter and Michael Furgerson.

Larry Suzuki and Joe Distefano had someplace to be.

Click here for all the photos from our great day in Santa Fe!

Second place as taken by Paul Kerr, Brett Shaffer, Robb Stuart, and Clay Guck. Way to go guys!

These three gentlemen won proximity prizes which made their day worthwhile.

Member Article The Big Easy at Carnival Time

By Jimmy Rodriguez, Towa Golf Club “Throw me something mister”! These are the four words that as a child growing up in New Orleans you learn at a very early age can mean only one thing, its “Carnival Time” and the excitement of “the Mardi Gras season” has begun. The carnival season starts on twelfth night, which is January 6th or twelve nights after Christmas day. This is the day the three wise men arrived after making the trip to the manger where Christ was born. Mardi Gras is, as they say, the “greatest free show on the earth”. I grew up in New Orleans or “The Big Easy” until the age of six. I can remember going down to Canal Street in downtown New Orleans, of course in costume, and waiting for the parade to begin on “Fat Tuesday” aka “Mardi Gras” which is the French spelling of the same. The origins of Mardi Gras go back to medieval Europe and end up in the House of Bourbon in France.

They established the “Boeuf Gras” or fatted calf celebration before Ash Wednesday and the tradition followed the French colonies. If you were Catholic you had to fast with certain items during the season of lent. This meant the day before Ash Wednesday you needed to, in ancient times, “party like a rock star” before having to fast for forty days until Easter Sunday.

The colors of “Mardi Gras” are purple, green and gold. I knew the colors stood for justice (purple), faith (green) and power (gold) but was

unaware they were adopted by the Krewe of Rex in 1872. Rex is one of the oldest krewes in New Orleans and adopted these colors in honor of the arrival of the Grand Duke of Russia Alexis Alexis Alexandrovich Romanoff. The colors were the house colors of the Duke.

We moved from New Orleans around 1963 and we went back a few times over the years to be there for “Mardi Gras” which was always fun.

I was fortunate enough to attend Tulane University for my undergraduate degree and again had

many enjoyable times attending the parades. Well, when I graduated college there were no cell phones, email accounts, no twitter, no Facebook so keeping up with old college buddies and fraternity brothers was tough. One of my fraternity brothers and I had kept up over the years but being guys it was not a constant chat. My fraternity brother Mike Turner and I reconnected again several years after Katrina while I was attending a cousin’s wedding in New Orleans. As timing would have it Laurie and I were in town for “twelfth night” and had reservations at Commander Palace for jazz brunch and invited Mike and his wife to join us. The Brandy milk punch is to die for with brunch and as always the food and service were outstanding. The jazz group in honor of “twelfth

night” played “Mardi Gras” songs which was great to set the day. As we ate and talked about our college days Mike asked me “have you been back for Mardi Gras”? I said “not for about thirty five years”. Laurie had never been for Mardi Gras and we starting discussing a possible visit. Mike then mentioned that he might be able to get me onto one of the krewes to actually ride in a parade. I said “sure” and to contact him around April if I was serious. The thought of being in a krewe and getting to ride in a parade for me was on the “bucket list” but hate to say it was always number eleven because you just can’t get on a krewe. It’s one of those things were you need to know someone and for some krewes that does not work either. Later that evening of “twelfth night” we

were able to catch two parades in downtown, both of which were not

around when I lived there as a child or while in college. The first parade was a traditional walking parade for Joan of Arc the patron saint of New Orleans, and this was how the original parades started out in New Orleans with all of the throws being hand made by members of the krewe.

Later that night there was a second parade called the Phunny Phorty Phellows, which was a krewe a long time ago but had ceased at some point. Mike told me this krewe got going again and did something quite Joan of Arc Parade

unusual, they ride in a street car from the start and back to the begin-

ning. This meant they would have to go downtown and go one block on Canal. We went to the corner of St Charles and Canal and waited. Well here came the street car decorated with the krewe in costume and a Dixieland jazz band. As luck would have it the light turned red on St Charles and the street car stopped. Most of the people there were waiting for the next bus and had no idea what was going on even thought they were all locals. I told Laurie start yelling “Throw me something Mister”. In a split second she was getting bombed with beads and laughing so hard. It is such a cool

Phunny Phorty Phellows Street Car Parade

site to see someone experience their first real parade of the modern age.

Well I forgot to call or email Mike about riding in a parade and we all know sometimes you get told things and that cannot be fulfilled. Well I finally emailed him late May and said “sorry I forgot so too late for 2015 lets shoot for 2016”. He emailed back and said “you’re good there is still time to get in”. Well we got the details worked out and I was now a substitute member of the Krewe of Bac-

chus for the 2015 ride. Bacchus back in 1968 was the first krewe to do a night parade on Sunday night before Fat Tuesday. There were night parades but none had ever been done on weekends.

Bacchus also was the first to have celebrities as their kings and the entertainer Danny Kaye was the first. All the other kings were normally a member of their respective krewe which was a 113 year tradition. Over the next few months I got emails as a member of the Bacchus krewe and had to purchase my throws for the ride and pay dues to the krewe. Laurie and I started making plans and a friend of ours heard us talking about the trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Nancy had never been to New Orleans and Mardi Gras was on her “bucket list”. So we said “come on the more the merri-

er”. So now there I was with two adult women that had never been to Mardi Gras, one had never been to New Orleans, I am going to ride in Bacchus and we all are going to the Rendezvous Ball at

the convention center where all the floats end up after the pa-

rade on Sunday night. It never really sank in until we arrived in New Orleans the Thursday before Mardi Gras. We hooked up with Mike and Bonny that night and saw three parades downtown. If you are from New Orleans and riding in a parade one of the things to do is to shower your friends with beads and special items from your krewe along the parade route. Well Bonny The gang meeting Thursday night knew several girls that were riding in the all-female parade Krewe of Muses and the prize catch is a hand decorated high heel shoe. Bonny’s friends did not dis-

appoint and she got two of the shoes. Each morning, I would walk down to Cafe Du Monde and get the girls and me café au latte and beignets. No better way to start the day. Friday night we changed locations to watch the parades and got in touch with a bar owner of a friend from Santa Fe. Dave runs the Circle Bar at Lee Circle in New Orleans and he was like most in the south, very hospitable to these three strangers from Santa Fe. Friday night Mike was in a parade Krewe

d’Etat but was not on a float as he was in a dancing walking group. The parade routes are anywhere from three to five

Friday night at the Lee Circle Bar

miles long and he was going to be walking and dancing. That night when we saw him come by at Lee Circle he said it was the hardest thing he had done since high school soccer practice. Later that night we got an invite from Dave to go up on the balcony of their bar to watch the last a parade of the night something I had never done before and what a treat that was to be looking down or eye level with the krewe on the floats. People in balconies get bombed with beads from the parts of the krewes that are on second levels of the floats. What a different perspective and an insight to what

was in store for me on Sunday’s ride. On Saturday after Mike somewhat recovered from the walk of death Friday evening we went over to see our float and all the others in the den. Our position was sidewalk side not neutral ground side which meant we faced the sidewalk along the street not the median or neutral ground side as it is called in New Orleans. What a spectacular scene at the den with all the floats! We got on our float and I got to see where I would be standing for the ride. I had sensations like a little kid again.

That’s when it finally hit me that I was going to be at carnival The Den

and be a part of carnival. WOW! Saturday night more pa-

rades and then Sunday came and it was time to lock and load.

Each krewe has a theme and ours was “Best loved children’s stories”. All the floats are decorated either by a float company or by krewe members to match the theme. Sunday around 12 pm we went back to the den to check out things again, then Sidewalk side of the float

later that day we went to the convention center to suit up in costume for the ride. The king would be there to say hello

and this year’s king was John C. Riley who has stared with Will Farrell in several comedy movies.

He was funny and looking forward to the ride. We were fed and suited up complete with a harness so no misshapes of falling off the float could happen. I got dressed in my costume which was a bumble bee or so I thought. We had a celebratory drink before we went outside for the send off. The send off was like a navy ship heading out to sea. Wives, girlfriends, kids, parents you name it, they were there to see off their guys until the Rendezvous Ball that night.

You would think we were shipping off for months instead of few hours. All the riders got on their floats and wished each other “have a good ride”. The floats are hooked up to very large tractors that were our drivers and headed off to the corner of Magazine and Napoleon. At the corner is a famous bar called Tipitinas’ were some great live music is performed. Of course we went in to have a drink and

The send off Sunday

get ready to go. We were lucky we were the theme float and number three in line to go with a total of thirty one floats in all. That’s not counting the bands that are in between. We started moving at 5:15 pm but did not arrive at the Rendezvous until after 9:15 pm. You can imagine if you are on the last float, it is close to midnight before they arrive. As we turned the corner onto Napoleon there was a moment of stage fright and I had to take it all in until Mike yelled over “It’s on like Donkey Kong”. Now for the next four hours the scene was surrealistic and the coolest thing I have ever gotten myself into. There was a sea of people and still day light that melted into the night which seemed to transform the ride even more. We have food and lots to drink on the float but you have to remember “it’s a marathon not a sprint”. You are sweating so much in the costume that underneath you have on a tee shirt and a pair of shorts and you are still hot. As you go through town the crowds seem to change every block. I lived here, I should know where I

am, but everything is blurred from the crowds. We finally

get to Canal Street downtown and once again in my mind I remembered myself in costume as a kid on Canal. As we left Canal the crowds dwindled and relaxation started to set in until we were approaching the Rendezvous and the over 5000 people attending the ball. The ball is formal for ladies and men have to wear tuxes but we get to run around in costume. I did not understand that all who attended the ball were waiting on us for their parade and throws. So once in

The Honeybee

the Rendezvous the whole thing began again with all the floats arriving, driving around the convention floor, throwing beads and trinkets to all the ball guests ready for the party to begin. Laurie, Nancy and Bonny had arrived around 8 pm, found our tables in the krewe section around the king and started parting. The headliner band for the night was “Credence Clearwater Revisited”. Ok, so that was going to be good without a doubt and they were. We got off our float found the girls and had a blast until 3:30 in the morning dancing, eating and drinking. Mike and I had no idea what our costumes were representing, since we were the title float and each member of our krewe was a costume of another krewe and the best loved book theme. My costume turned from Winnie the Pooh

and I was a honey bee not a bumble bee. Mikes costume we never figured out.

So the next day, Monday morning we drug ourselves to Brennan’s for breakfast and a bloody Mary to start the morning off right. We went to more parades that night and got ready for Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday. By this time we had enough beads and things to last a lifetime but you’ve got to be out there for Tuesday or what is the point! We were there for the Zulu parade at 6 am and tried to catch the prized hand painted coconuts from the krewe. Well like Breakfast Monday after the ball

most of the parades we had been to with all male riders, the girls are the magnets for throws and we got three of the

prized coconuts. We waited on the Rex parade since Rex is the king of Mardi gras and once he passed by for me carnival was over for this year. We went back to the hotel and I told the girls lets go to Bourbon Street for a taste of “people gone wild” on Mardi Gras day. This was a scene like they had never seen before. You want to say “yep just like I imaged it would be” but, it’s real and you are now a part of the Bourbon street crowd Mardi Gras day. The girls went into Pat O’Brian’s and got a hurricane drink while I people watched. Amazing sites! So the next day we packed up the car truck

full of beads and set off for the airport. I

dropped off Laurie and Nancy who flew back

RGGCSA Next Event

and I drove off to Houston for a day or two to see my folks then on to San Antonio for the GIS show.

October 19, 2015

So, if you ever want to go for Mardi Gras it’s never too late.

Go have some fun but stay away from the hand grenades on Bourbon street, they are mind altering I am told.

2015 Annual Meeting Sandia Golf Club Albuquerque, NM

As of the draft of this article July 23th there are 200 days until Mardi Gras next year 2016 Tuesday February 9th.

I will not be able to ride this year since GIS is a conflict but I am hoping to ride again in the fu-

More details and registration

ture.

And as always Laissez le bon temps rouler (let the good times roll) Jimmy Rodriguez Towa Golf Club, Santa Fe

Albuquerque, NM

Mesquite, NM

8905 Adams NE P 505-797-5800 F 505-797-5859

251 John Grisham P 575-233-3171 F 575-233-2790

Annual Southwest Turfgrass Association Landscape Conference & Expo November 3 - 5, 2015 Ruidoso Convention Center Ruidoso, NM Online Registration Is Now Open!

Download Exhibitor Registration Form

The annual Conference & Expo is quickly approaching and we would like to invite you as an Attendee and/or Exhibitor. This year’s show will be held at the Ruidoso Convention Center in Ruidoso, NM. The annual Golf Tournament will kick things off on Monday the 27th.

The educational sessions will begin the following Tuesday morning and conclude Thursday afternoon. Registration and be made online or with a mail in form (see link for download). Register now for the area’s best recreational landscape education event and expo!

The Southwest Turfgrass Association (SWTA) made its debut with the first annual conference and show

Download the Attendee Registration Form

Tradeshow floor map

in 1955 through the cooperative efforts of New Mexico State University and professionals in the turfgrass industry. The Southwest Turfgrass Association (SWTA) is an educational, research and management organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of turfgrasses and supporting the turfgrass industry.

The Association’s main event is the Annual Turfgrass Conference and Show. Comprised of professionals from the green industry and related fields, the annual conference brings our membership together with seminars and workshops, providing CEUs to those who need them and providing those involved with an invaluable opportunity to learn and share ideas. Participants can attend presentations by Extension Specialists and guest speakers. The trade show runs concurrently with the seminars allowing participants to either view products and equipment, or attend presentations.

Proceeds of the conference support undergraduate and graduate students in the landscape and turfgrass program and turfgrass research at New Mexico State University. The SWTA believes that even in the desert southwest there is a place for the responsible use of turfgrasses and we are leading the way to show how turfgrass improves the quality of life for everyone.

Melrose Leadership Academy

Melrose, CEOs of golf’s leading associations and recognized within the profession and the game. The event will also allow opportunities to network with GCSAA leadership,

The Melrose Leadership Academy supports the professional development of GCSAA member superintendents by providing individuals the opportunity to attend the Golf In-

industry leaders and certified peers at various roundtables, receptions and events. The academy will offer education in the areas of:

dustry Show. The program is set up to provide up to 20 scholarships every year.

The academy is open to applicants who meet the following eligibility requirements:



Risk management (health, safety, and environmental copliance)



Efficient operations (agronomic, equipment maintenance, etc.)



Must be a current GCSAA Class A or superintendent



member and GCSAA Chapter member in good standing.



communication



Environmental stewardship

Must be a Class A or superintendent member for five or more years.



Key business elements, including

The benefits

Class A or superintendent members working for current Grant recipients will receive the following: members of the board of directors or the board of trus Golf Industry Show full package registration tees, and children of GCSAA staff members shall not be eligible for the Melrose Leadership Academy.



Education seminars and leadership sessions



Past recipients are not eligible.



Airfare



Attendees of the Golf Industry Show in the last five



Four nights’ hotel accommodations

years are not eligible to apply.



$200 spending money



Following the conference and show, grant recipients will continue to receive communications recommending

Application deadline Sept. 15, 2015

education, tools and resources offered by GCSAA to

Apply now using the online form or Word version to be a part of the 2016 Melrose Leadership Academy.

The history

keep class participants engaged.

Graduates of the Melrose Leadership Academy will elevate

their professional status and provide enhanced value to The Melrose Leadership Academy was established in 2012 their facility through:

by Ken Melrose, retired CEO and chairman of the board of  Education points The Toro Co., and is supported by a $1 million gift to the EIFG from The Kendrick B. Melrose Family Foundation.



Leadership training

This program will have a positive impact for each superin-



Development of a new network of peers and resources

tendent selected and ultimately, the game of golf.



A broad understanding of issues facing the golf indus-

The program While at the education conference, class members will attend sessions hosted by golf’s industry leaders, such as

try



An understanding of how to build a professional network through attending the conference and show

Melrose Leadership Academy Selection process The selection process is designed to provide a class representative of the diverse elements of the GCSAA membership. The selection criteria takes into account qualifications, interest and financial need, and to the extent possible, will be focused on less experienced superintendents who will benefit most from the educational opportunity.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate an increasing level of responsibility in their profession by working to advance in their careers, and the potential for continuing to play a leadership role with GCSAA and their GCSAA affiliated chapter. Work experience, scope of personal interests, level of community involvement, and recognition of leadership abilities through receipt of honors/awards may also have significant impact in the final selection process.

W.O.T.U.S. — Update EPA and Army Corps of Engineers' final Clean Water Rule effective Aug. 28 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) jointly released a final rule to clarify protection under the Clean Water Act (CWA) for streams and wetlands that form the foundation of the nation’s water resources on June 29, 2015.

Possible WOTUS Impact under new rule

THE RULE BECAME EFFECTIVE ON AUG. 28, 2015.

GCSAA members need to pay attention to this important change, which will impact golf course design, construction and management.

The agencies are redefining the definition of "Waters of the United States" within the CWA and this change will impact all CWA programs. They are changing what surface waters come under federal regulation vs. state regulation. This could mean more permits and increased costs or delays. In addition, courses could be subject to citizen action lawsuits.

Next Steps The new rule is technical and does not provide the bright lines needed for ease of compliance. Recent conversations on Capitol Hill have revealed the two agencies are not on the same page about the rule. GCSAA does not have all the answers as to how the rule will be implemented and the agencies have not provided guidance on implementation yet. Below are some general guidelines provided for compliance assistance.

STEP 1 WATCH THE JULY 28 WOTUS WEBCAST TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FINAL RULE: The Final "Waters of the United States" Rule: Implications and Implementation webinar presented

by Waters Advocacy Coalition attorney.

Click here for more steps you can be taking to learn more about WOTUS and to prepare your course for compliance.

BREAKING NEWS Federal judge blocks new Clean Water Rule—Rule Temporarily Halted in New Mexico - Click for story