The SuperNews OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE RIO GRANDE GCSA
September 2019 President Jimmy Rodriquez Vice President Matt Hughes Secretary / Treasurer Roy Johnson Board of Directors: Paul Kerr Mac Blevins John Adams Matt Urban (Past Pres.) Vendor Representative Bryan Klock Chapter Executive Carol Cloud GCSAA Field Rep John Walker
President’s Message Greetings to all in the RGGCSAA. I hope your season is going well so far! For most, it’s that time of the season again. The time of “whatever can go wrong will go wrong” - aeration! The week of August 19-23 we were busy doing our early fall aeration on our 31 greens. Four years ago we decided to move our fall aeration to August after looking at the numbers. Kids are going back to school at all levels and disposable income is tight. We saw that from the middle of August until right before Labor Day the course was very slow. But to move aeration up in to August was a scary thought because of the inevitable heat. So far, things have gone well which provides us two full months in September and October with great weather to take advantage of already healed and healthy greens. We do have to blowout our irrigation system in this part of the state and waiting until late October would be scary verses the heat of August and possibly having open holes going in to the winter months. We generally stop mowing all but the greens at the end of October. We continue to mow greens until we start to have greens freezing over sometime mid-November. We are starting to look for event venues for 2020. So far we are looking for a course to fill the January, March and July spots. We have a date of Monday May 18th at Taos CC with our host Mike Furgerson. This may turn out to be a joint meeting with the RMGCSA Colorado Chapter. The July meeting we may have a spot but nothing confirmed yet. The Annual Meeting will be at Twin Warriors either in October or November with one of our newest members Mike Adkins. If you have any interest in hosting a meeting please contact anyone on the board or Carol Cloud our Executive Director. The decision is painless and a great way to help the association with hosting a meeting. Bruce Erhard a longtime member of RGGCSA and a past chapter president for the years 1992 and 1993 passed away at 67 in his sleep in July of this year. A celebration of his life was held on August 24th 2019 in Las Cruces NM. Many of you knew him for many years and he was a member who served the chapter for many years and he will be missed. The annual meeting and elections will take place at our final meeting of the year at Albuquerque CC with our host Joe Dosstter on Monday November 4th. If anyone is interested in running for any positions on the board, nominations are open. Please contact any board member of Carol Cloud our Executive Director. The revised Allan Slater scholarship application is available and applications are being accepted now. A big thank you to Roy Johnson, Larry Suzuki and Mac Blevins for all their work revising the application and the time to review all of last year and this year’s upcoming candidates.
Affiliated Chapter
Please submit photos of maintenance activities from your golf course for the BMP template. All photos need to be sent to Carol Cloud Executive Director for RGGCSA. We are always in need of articles for the newsletter please submit to Carol Cloud Executive Director for RGGCSAA.
Jimmy Rodriguez RGGCSA President
Member Article
Customer Service vs. Guest Relations Bryan Klock Materials Inc. / Buildology
How do you refer to and communicate with your cliental base? Do you consider them customers, or guests? Do you treat them like a customer or a guest? Do you and your team understand the difference between customer service and guest relations? Why is it important to know the fundamental difference between the two terms? Well, I am here to let you know exactly that and why one method of relating to your customer base is better than the other. With so many different companies supplying the same products and services, what will set you apart from the others? How do you keep the customer once you have sold them something? Pricing, Customer Service, or Guest Relations? If you said pricing, you are off the mark. If you said Customer Service, you are getting a little warmer. If you said Guest Relations, you are the winner!!
A Customer is defined as a person, or persons, that purchase goods or services from a store or business. A Guest is defined as a person, or persons, who are invited to take part in a function by another. Well, isn’t that interesting, a person or persons who are INVITED. Isn’t that what we do every time we open the doors for business or answer the phone, invite people into our shops, stores, Golf Courses, etc? When it comes to the pricing of products and services, most companies will research to ensure that they are competitive and not pricing themselves out of business. I have also learned over the years through business and being a consumer myself, a lot of companies will price match anyway, so where is your advantage in pricing. Now move onto Customer Service and Guest Relations. If we go back to the definitions, one is invited, the other is not. A Customer is typically treated in just that way, as someone who is here to give us money to pay our bills. We ask simple questions like, “How can I help you? What can we get you today? Do you need anything else?” Now yes, all of these are good questions for Customer Service, and I am sure would are done professionally and with a smile, but Customer service alone will leave you short of TRULY happy clients that will give you return business.
A Guest on the other hand, is a person you actively take an interest in. Simple ways to start a great Guest interaction, introduce yourself, reach out to shake a hand, hold the door open, ask how their day is, what are they doing with their current project, what did they shoot last time out on the course, crappy, cold weather today huh, etc, etc. Small talk is all it is. While you are still selling them something and taking their money, it shows the client that you are interested in more than just their money. This is what will not only beat out your competitors and possibly make them close, it will ensure return business and more work from word of mouth. Regardless of the industry you are in, when it comes to clients and securing their business, it is all the same. Take a look at the restaurant and hotel business. A number of years ago they changed how they referred to clients. At one point they were all customers, they are all now Guests. You no longer have Customer Service Reps, you have Guest Relations. Just a change in the wording for your employees gives them a completely different mindset as to how they treat the clients. Now ask yourself, when you go out to purchase something, would you rather be treated as a customer or a guest? A number or an actual person? Then ask yourself, “How do I refer to and how do I treat my cliental, like a customer or a guest? Your answer will tell you everything about what might need to change and why you may not have the business you want. This goes for more than just the office by the way, it really is a something to think about in your everyday dealings with anyone and everyone. Always treat people as a guest and how you would want to be treated. Kinda sounds like that one verse, Do Unto Others‌...
Black Mesa Golf Club July 15
The chapter made a very special visit to a beautiful Golf Course in Northern New Mexico in July. Our hosts were very active RGGCSA members Laurie Meredith and Aaron Sunderlin who rolled out the red carpet for a special day of good food, good education, and a great golf course. The spectacular views at Black Mesa left everyone breathless and with a real appreciation for the golf course that has evolved on the site. Thank you Laurie and Aaron for putting on a great event. Our title sponsor was Harrell’s who helped out by providing sponsorship dollars, speakers, and a few goodies along the way. Robert Gonzalez should be thanked and applauded for going the extra mile to make it special. Wes Epele of BASF was our speaker who spoke about weed control and techniques. Thanks to all who attended this event and especially to our very gracious hosts.
You depend on Aquatrols soil surfactants help your turf perform throughout the summer stress period, and the benefits don’t have to end there. A late season application just before you blow out your irrigation system can provide many important turf benefits before the ground freezes in winter and after the ground thaws in early spring.
BENEFITS INCLUDE: • Late Autumn: Ensure maximum penetration of any rainfall or snowmelts that occur and improve soil moisture levels before the ground freezes. Apply Aqueduct® Flex to collars and other high-stress areas during winter preparation aerification. • Winter: Prevent crown hydration injury by ensuring free water drains off of the surface during snowmelts. • Spring: When the rootzone thaws in early spring, Aquatrols soil surfactants will still be present in the soil, improving soil moisture levels and maximizing photosynthesis and root growth.
Robert Wilson Territory Manager rwilson@aquatrols.com
TRY A LATE SEASON APPLICATION THIS FALL!
(513) 319 -1827
2019 SWTA Golf Tournament
This year the Southwest Turfgrass Association has acquired a block of rooms at a discounted rate at the Marriott. The cost is $119.00 plus taxes. Use the following link to book your room today. Book your group rate for SW Turfgrass Association
Annual Meeting November 4th Albuquerque CC
A Brief History of Our Club In April of 1914, 22 local businessmen established a five hole golf course with gravel fairways and sand “greens” near the present site of the UNM golf course, which grew to 9 holes. Dirt tennis courts were added in 1915. Eventually the need for a first class golf course and better clubhouse arose. The original land was sold in 1927 and the current site purchased. These 100 acres were originally part of the Huning Farm and Trimble’s Hog Farm ran along what is now the #9 fairway. The National Guard stabled their horses on a portion of it, and an irrigation canal from the river to Old Town crossed the area. Depressions from that old canal still remain on several fairways. It had something the old site lacked - access to the water from the nearby Rio Grande River, allowing for grass and maintenance of the canopy of trees all around the course. An elegant private home adjacent to the golf course became available in early 1929 and was purchased by the members. Renovations were completed in time for a 1929 New Year’s Eve party, ringing in a new era of distinction for the Albuquerque Country Club. There have been many renovations and refurbishings since then including designs by the renowned architect John Gaw Meem, with the latest taking place in 2005. In 1941, the first mortgage was paid off with revenue from the introduction of slot machines. Fearful of the image they might project, the slots were discontinued and buried unceremoniously somewhere out on the golf course. From its humble beginnings, the dreams of those 22 founders have become a splendid reality.
Our Host:
Former RGGCSA President Joe Dosstter
NEW MEXICO - Brandon McIntosh CGCS 1429 South Camino del Pueblo Bernalillo, NM 87004 Tel: 800.528.4290
Fax: 830.693.7791
Sales sales-newmexico@austinturf.com Service service-newmexico@austinturf.com Parts parts-newmexico@austinturf.com
2019
GOLD Sponsors
Title Sponsor - Annual Meeting November, Albuquerque CC, Abq. NM
Title Sponsor - May Meeting, Rockwind Community Links, Hobbs NM
Without your support we would not have a successful association!
Brandon Brian McIntosh Hodges CGCS
Title Sponsor - January Meeting, Horizon Golf Club, Horizon, TX
Employee-owned since 2016. Thank you for your trust in our products and 330+ employee- owners. We are proud to serve you. ROBERT GONZALES
rgonzales@harrells.com (719) 648 - 3535
Title Sponsor - July Meeting, Black Mesa Golf Club, Santa Clara, NM
Title Sponsor - March Meeting, Sandia Resort, Albuquerque, NM
Recovery Tips After Winter Damage And A Short Growing Season
Brian Whitlark, USGA Agronomist Golf courses in the mountain and high-elevation areas of the West endured a long winter with higher-than-average precipitation and prolonged ice exposure. These conditions led to extensive turf damage for many courses. The worst damage was observed on Poa annua surfaces, but perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass turf in tees and fairways were also damaged. Turf loss was primarily concentrated on north-facing slopes and areas with limited sunlight exposure. Continued on page 22
Reducing bermudagrass irrigation with a PGR and soil surfactants Can applying a combination of trinexapac-ethyl and a soil surfactant produce better turf quality under drought conditions than applying the products individually? Matteo Serena, Ph.D.; Mino Sportelli, M.S.; Elena Sevostianova, Ph.D.; Rossana Sallenave, Ph.D.; and Bernd Leinauer, Ph.D.
Originally Printed June 2019 Despite the numerous benefits provided by turfgrass, the amount of water required to maintain the turf is a major concern in many communities. For this reason, multipronged approaches to conserve irrigation water — such as applying deficit irrigation and using warm-season grasses, alternative water sources and efficient irrigation systems — have been investigated and recommended in recent years (3). Approaches to conserving irrigation water Deficit irrigation — defined as the application of water below full crop water requirements (evapotranspiration, or ET) — has been widely adopted as a strategy for conserving irrigation water (4). However, such an approach exposes turfgrasses to chronic stress, and recovery usually occurs only after periods of sufficient rainfall. Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is one of the most widely used warm-season turfgrasses in arid and semiarid climate zones because it requires significantly less water than cool-season grasses do, tolerates traffic, and can be maintained at all mowing heights needed for turf areas (1). Continued on next page
Chemical aids - Soil surfactants and plant growth regulators are two products that have been used to maintain turf quality under reduced irrigation or drought conditions. Soil surfactants, also called wetting agents, are chemicals that decrease the interfacial tension between hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces of soil particles (2). Soil surfactants are commonly used to prevent and treat localized dry spots and areas of water repellency in the soil. Although the effects of surfactants on water repellency and localized dry spots have been widely studied, their use in large-scale efforts to help conserve irrigation water has been investigated only recently (4). Soil surfactants increase water uniformity and water availability in the root zone, resulting in better turfgrass quality under drought conditions. Plant growth regulators are another class of compounds that have been shown to reduce water use in plants. Since its introduction in 1990, the use of the plant growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl (Primo Maxx, Syngenta) has become standard practice, particularly on golf courses, to maintain high-quality turfgrass. Primo Maxx is used primarily to reduce plant growth and thereby reduce mowing frequency, as well as to increase turfgrass density, color and resistance to stress. More recently, researchers have reported that bermudagrass maintained under drought conditions and treated with trinexapac-ethyl, had higher turfgrass quality than untreated controls (5). Soil surfactants and plant growth regulators have both shown the potential to lower irrigation requirements and increase turfgrass quality under drought conditions. We hypothesized that combining a surfactant with a plant growth regulator would more effectively increase turfgrass quality and lower water requirements than using each chemical on its own.
Materials and methods
A three-year study was conducted from 2014 to 2016 on mature Princess 77 bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) maintained at a fairway height of 0.5 inch (1.27 centimeters). The research area was located adjacent to New Mexico State University’s golf course in Las Cruces, N.M. (arid, elevation of 4,150 feet [1,265 meters]). Irrigation water was provided from an overhead sprinkler system. The treatments were: • Non-treated control • The surfactant Revolution (Aquatrols) at 6 ounces/1,000 square feet (20 liters/hectare) • The plant growth regulator Primo Maxx (a.i. trinexapac-ethyl) at 0.25 ounce/1,000 square feet (1.6 liters/hectare) • Revolution + Primo Maxx (tank-mixed) Revolution and Primo Maxx were applied at 28-day intervals from May until October, and irrigation was withheld from the plots for two hours following application to allow Primo Maxx to enter the plant system. Irrigation levels were 50% ETos (severe drought), 65% ETos (moderate drought) and 80% ETos (unstressed control treatment).
Results and discussion
Cover - Plots receiving a combination of the surfactant and trinexapac-ethyl exhibited greater green cover at 50% ETos in 2014, at 65% ETos in 2015,
and at 50% and 65% ETos in 2016 when compared with the untreated controls (Figure 1). Percent green cover was higher in treated plots (chemicals applied separately or combined) irrigated at 65% or 50% ETos than in the control plots. However, percent green cover never dropped below 70% for any of the treatments (including the control). The differences in green cover among treatments were relatively small, ranging from 4% to 15%. Although these differences are statistically significant, they may be less important to the turf manager than turf quality differences among treatments. Dark green color index - With the exception of plots irrigated at 50% ETos in 2015, bermudagrass receiving trinexapac-ethyl, either in combination with Revolution or alone, exhibited darker green color when compared with untreated controls at all irrigation levels throughout the research period (Figure 2). Plots treated with Revolution alone did not differ in color from control plots on seven of nine sampling dates (Figure 2). Even though chemical treatments were made until October, dark green color index declined from September to October and November for all treatments. Such a loss in green color can be attributed to the beginning of winter dormancy. Turfgrass quality - Plots receiving trinexapac-ethyl (alone or in combination with Revolution) exhibited better visual turf quality than the untreated controls at 50% ETos in 2014 and 2016, and at 65% and 85% ETos in 2014, 2015 and 2016 (Figure 3). The application of Revolution alone increased turfgrass quality at 50% ETos in 2014, at 50% and 80% ETos in 2015, and at all three irrigation levels in 2016. During the three years of the study, untreated control plots only showed an acceptable visual quality rating of 6 when irrigated at 80% ETos (Figure 4). With the exception of plots treated with trinexapac-ethyl and trinexapac-ethyl + Revolution and irrigated at 50% ETos in 2015, all plots receiving chemical applications were given acceptable ratings of 6 or higher during the three years for all irrigation treatments (Figure 3). At 50% ETos, plots treated with any of the three chemical treatments had greater quality than control plots from July to September, with quality ratings of 6 or greater from June to August (Figure 4). The combination of Revolution and trinexapac-ethyl resulted in mean quality ratings of 7.2 in July, 6.7 in August and 6.2 in September. Average ratings of plots treated with trinexapac-ethyl alone and irrigated at 50% ETos were 7.4 in July and 6.0 in August (Figure 4). Plots receiving trinexapac-ethyl or the combination of Revolution and trinexapac-ethyl and irrigated at either 65% or 80% ETos exhibited turfgrass quality ratings of 6 or greater throughout the research period (Figure 4). Bermudagrass treated with Revolution alone exhibited greater quality when compared with controls in June and July at 65% ETos and from June to November at 80% ETos (Figure 4). Soil volumetric water content and volumetric water content uniformity - The application of Revolution alone increased soil moisture levels in plots irrigated at 50% ETos in 2015 (Table 1). Plots irrigated at 65% ETos and treated with both Revolution and trinexapac-ethyl had higher volumetric water content than control plots did during all three experimental years (2014, 2015 and 2016). The combination of Revolution and trinexapac-ethyl also increased soil moisture levels at 80% ETos in 2014 and 2015. Continued on Page 21
Trinexapac-ethyl alone influenced volumetric water content only in 2014 at 80% ETos. When data were averaged over all ETos levels, sampling months and years, volumetric water content was greater in plots treated with trinexapac-ethyl (26.2%), Revolution (26.3%), and trinexapac-ethyl + Revolution (27.4%) than in the control plots (21.2%). With the exception of plots irrigated at 80% ETos in 2015, bermudagrass plots receiving Revolution in combination with trinexapac-ethyl exhibited greater soil moisture uniformity compared with untreated controls at all irrigation levels throughout the research period. Standard deviation (used to calculate moisture uniformity) values on plots treated with Revolution + trinexapac-ethyl ranged from as low as 2.2 for 65% ETos in 2014 to as high as 4.6 for 65% ETos in 2015. Soil moisture uniformity was lower on the control plots and ranged from 3.4 for 65% ETos in 2014 to 6.8 for 65% ETos in 2015. Plots receiving Revolution alone had a more uniform volumetric water content compared with the untreated controls throughout the research period for all irrigation levels except for 65% ETos in 2014 and for 50% and 80% ETos in 2015. Similarly, the application of trinexapac-ethyl alone resulted in a more uniform moisture distribution throughout the investigative period, with the exception of plots irrigated at 80% ETos in 2015 and at 50% ETos in 2016.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that the use of a plant growth regulator or a surfactant or the combination of both is an effective drought management strategy that helps conserve water without a significant loss of quality of the turf stand. Applying a combination of surfactant and trinexapac-ethyl allowed us to irrigate bermudagrass at 50% ETos and still maintain acceptable quality and dark green color. Our results indicated that applying a tank mix of trinexapac-ethyl and Revolution and, to a lesser extent, applying the two products separately led to acceptable turfgrass quality (6 or better on a scale of 1-9, where 1 is dead grass and 9 is turf of the highest quality) for the majority of the growing months throughout the three years of the study. Our studies did not include physiological measurements, but soil moisture measurements indicated that loss in soil water content was reduced only when trinexapac-ethyl was applied in combination with Revolution. The effects of trinexapac-ethyl alone on soil moisture and water use have been extensively studied for cool-season grasses, with conflicting results. Our VWC results do not indicate a difference in soil water loss or water use between the untreated bermudagrass and the bermudagrass treated with trinexapac-ethyl. Applying only Revolution did not lead to consistent or significant increases in volumetric water content at the two lower irrigation levels. However, when Revolution was applied in combination with trinexapac-ethyl, volumetric water content increased in plots irrigated with as little as 50% ETos in 2015 and in plots irrigated at 65% ETos throughout the three-year research period. Although volumetric water content was not consistently enhanced by all treatment combinations, applications of Revolution, trinexapac-ethyl and a combination of both resulted in increased volumetric water content uniformity and apparently greater irrigation use efficiency. Our study documented that bermudagrass quality can be maintained with 15% to 30% less irrigation water than the optimal rate (80% ETos) by using a surfactant, a plant growth regulator or both. Overall, during the hottest period of the year (June-September), the application of Revolution + trinexapac-ethyl resulted in turf quality and color that was equal or superior to that obtained when each chemical was applied separately. When compared with the control, plots treated with Revolution + trinexapac-ethyl rated higher in quality on 13 of the 18 sampling dates and rated higher in color on 14 of the 18 dates. When products were applied alone, Revolution resulted in greater turf quality 11 times, and trinexapac-ethyl produced better turf quality 13 times. Plots that received both Revolution and trinexapac-ethyl ranked higher in turfgrass quality than all other treatments on two occasions at 65% ETos and on one occasion at 50% ETos. Cominued on page 24
Courses in these areas generally see turf recovery and seed germination by the end of May, but prolonged cold temperatures resulted in delayed growth this year. Many courses did not see turf growth and recovery until the middle of June. As such, the turf has only experienced growth for 70-80 days at this point. Under ideal conditions, turf grown from seed will require 90-110 days to mature and produce a dense surface. Recent course visits revealed that small areas remain where turf has yet to fully recover. The following strategies were the most successful to expedite seed germination and turf recovery from winter damage: • Countless labor hours clearing snow with snow blowers and hand shovels were necessary to improve sun exposure and thaw the frozen ground. Shallow, solid-tine aeration on a tight spacing with three or four passes over damaged areas in fairways was most successful to encourage perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass seed germination and maturity. Courses also used “job-saver” tines spaced at 1.25 inch on center. Slit seeding was less successful. • Permeable seed germination blankets, tarps or even large rolls of Visqueen plastic sheets taped together and secured to the ground were very effective at warming the soil and expediting seed germination and maturity. • Dark-colored fertilizer, such as organic sources, and kiln-dried sand painted dark green aided in warming soil temperatures. • Perennial ryegrass seeded at 500 pounds per acre was more successful than Kentucky bluegrass for improving recovery. • Applying sand over seed was more successful than mulch. Multiple sand applications speeded germination and recovery. • Daytime irrigation cycles were essential to encourage germination. Delaying course opening this season was instrumental to enable this practice. • Light and frequent vertical mowing helped to encourage recovery and improve turf density as warmer temperatures arrived in mid- to late June.
• Some courses plan to seed Kentucky bluegrass in the fall as a dormant seeding option. • Fertilizer applications generally did not prove beneficial until mid-June when soil temperatures finally increased. Frequent applications of soluble nitrogen sources were most successful. • Many courses sodded 10,000 square feet to more than 40,000 square feet with Kentucky bluegrass in high-profile areas. • Some courses were able to remove trees south of primary playing surfaces to improve sunlight exposure. This will pay dividends beyond the improved recovery this summer. Due to the turf damage, prolonged cold temperatures and soil temperatures below 50 degrees, some courses had to delay course opening and restrict carts to paths several weeks longer than in previous years. While this was inconvenient and may have decreased revenue, these measures were necessary to improve turf recovery and preserve course reputations. Courses are now preparing for the upcoming winter by removing trees south of primary playing areas and improving surface and internal drainage where appropriate. Finally, it is important to communicate to staff, golfers and decision-makers the importance of patience regarding spring recovery and the potential for turf damage each winter despite the best efforts of the agronomic team. Best wishes for the remainder of the 2019 growing season and please do not hesitate to contact your regional USGA agronomist for more information on recovering from winter damage or any other agronomic practices.
The combination of Revolution and trinexapac-ethyl was more effective at increasing volumetric water content than each chemical applied separately, but all treatment combinations had similar effects on soil moisture uniformity. It appears that the combined effect of Revolution, which improves soil moisture conditions, and trinexapac-ethyl, which enhances stress tolerance through improved photosynthetic activity, provides optimal results in bermudagrass under deficit irrigation. The question is whether the cost of applying both products will prevent their use. Although rigorous water restrictions are in effect in many communities, the available budget may preclude the use of such products.
Funding
Financial support of this study was provided by Aquatrols Corp., New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Experiment Station, the Southwest Turfgrass Association, Syngenta AG and the United States Golf Association. We are also grateful for donations from Helena Chemical Co., and we appreciate the help of Karl Olson and John Kimmel, golf course superintendents at New Mexico State University’s golf course.
Acknowledgments
The information in this article was originally published as “Combining trinexapac-ethyl with a soil surfactant reduces bermudagrass irrigation requirements” by M. Serena, M. Sportelli, E. Sevostianova, R. Sallenave and B. Leinauer in Agronomy Journal 110:2180-2188 (2018).
The research says ... • Using trinexapac-ethyl and Revolution alone or in combination allowed turf quality to be maintained under reduced irrigation. • Applying the plant growth regulator and the soil surfactant in a tank mix produced better turf quality than applying the products individually, but individual application also produced acceptable turf quality. • Applying Revolution alone did not increase volumetric water content, but the combination of the surfactant and the plant growth regulator increased volumetric water content in plots irrigated at 50% ETos in 2015 and plots irrigated at 65% ETos throughout the study.