Sampling Success

Grey Oaks Country Club assistant superintendent Max McGee collects tissue samples for processing. Photo: Grey oaks Country clubIn the world of smaller maintenance crews, tighter budgets and higher expectations, golf course superintendents and general managers are seeking innovative ways to do business more productively, efficiently and effectively.

In addition to these daunting new macro-economic issues, new environmental regulations pertaining to fertilizer and water use have made the job even more challenging. Some local governments have gone so far as to restrict the amount of fertilizer that can be applied at certain times of the year. All of these factors combined with the rising cost of inputs – such as nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and petroleum products – are creating a challenging environment. The modern golf course superintendent must be proactive when managing these issues at his facility.

Grey Oaks Country Club is a private 54-hole facility in Naples, Fla. All three golf courses have Tifeagle Bermuda grass on the greens and Tifway 419 in all other areas. Membership expectations are extremely high. As a result, we have tried to be on the forefront of new technologies to improve our productivity. New tools such as smart phones, wireless sensors and inventory management software have helped us improve conditions year after year while decreasing costs.

In 2007, we were presented an opportunity to acquire a Toro BioPro NIR tissue sampling instrument that would allow us test nutrient levels in our grass clippings. NIR is an abbreviation for Near Infrared Reflectance. When a grass sample is processed and analyzed by the instrument, the sample is bombarded with near-infrared radiation. The wavelengths of the reflected light are then picked up by detectors and used to calculate nutrient value (for example, nitrogen and potassium) of the grass tissue sample. As cutting edge as this technology sounds for the golf industry, it is actually widely used in agricultural applications for grain analysis in the baking industry and forage analysis for the dairy industry. With respect to turf grass, the technology has been around for about 20 years. It was, however, somewhat cost prohibitive, which limited its availability to all but very high-end clubs.

At the time, the main benefit was processing samples in house, which greatly shortens the lag time between when samples are collected and when the results are faxed back to us a few days later. We realized this benefit immediately. As we began using this technology on a regular basis, we saw there was much more that could be learned than just nutrient readings. For example, we have been able to develop a wealth of data about the products and processes that we use on the golf courses that result in greater consistency on all 54 holes. The vast majority of golf courses utilize tissue sampling at various times during the year, but by the time the sample results are returned, the environmental conditions have changed.


Benefits
The pressure to “do more with less” has been on the increase for golf courses throughout the country over the last few years. Chemicals and fertilizers are a large part of any golf course budget and we initially thought the tissue machine would allow us to use our fertilizer budget more productively. Ultimately, we realized unintended benefits such as improved consistency from tee to green, increased member satisfaction year after year, as well as an overall increase in green speed, in addition to the substantial reduction in the fertilizer costs of our greens applications.

Green speeds have come more and more to the forefront of conversations relating to golf course conditions. With this in mind, we monitor green speeds twice daily and use the information in communication with the pro shop and also to make decisions on cultural practices for the upcoming days and weeks. A question we posed to ourselves was how closely related are nitrogen analysis and green speed.

It is well known that over-fertilizing results in slower green speeds. We definitely did not believe we were over fertilizing, but we wanted to minimize flushes of growth that would result in us losing 4 to 6 inches on the Stimpmeter. Not having to deal with wide swings in green speeds aids in our tournament preparation and improves the overall perception of consistently fast greens. Even variations that may seem minor can lead to the feel that the greens are substantially slower when the same individuals play the course daily.

To better understand the dynamics of this relationship, we began tracking nitrogen levels against our green speed data. This information helps us in several ways. First, we have immediate feedback on how our established processes affect green speeds that day or the next day. Second, we also have the capability to make changes to the things we do and see and compare the results to our established data. Third, we have a graphical representation of the data which can be useful when making presentations to the general manager or member committees.


Environmental implications
There has been no shortage of news about environmental contamination. It seems with each passing election cycle, public opinion shifts further toward restrictive policies. There is a common misconception that the golf course industry is a heavy polluter of the environment. However, the fact is the golf industry has long been a champion of the responsible use of fertilizers and pesticides. 

In South Florida, there are already restrictions on residential fertilizer use during the summer months. These restrictions do not yet apply to golf courses yet, but this is probably only a matter of time. There are also similar types of legislation pending throughout the country. In the interest of being as proactive as possible, we wanted to use the tissue testing technology to demonstrate to our members and others in the community that we want to do everything possible to make efficient use of the products that we apply.

In years past, we had applied a foliar fertilizer to the greens on a seven-day schedule. This schedule was based to a certain extent on the experience we had with our Tifeagle greens. For example, if you fertilize greens every seven days that would be 52 applications per year. If those applications could be done every eight days, that would lower the number of yearly applications to 45. At an average cost of $500 per application, that saves $3,500 per year.

As you can see, small changes as a result of this technology can have a big impact on the bottom line. After our initial phase of data gathering was complete, our operation realized a $40,000 savings in fertilizer by changing products and fertilizing only as needed. Also, having the ability to do our own tissue testing allows us to continue to test new products as we receive them. Not only can tissue testing be used on warm season grasses, but it can also be used on a wide variety of turf grasses in all climate ranges. In light of some of the pending legislation, the ability to avoid excessive fertilizer applications will be vital to the golf course industry being seen as doing everything possible to be responsible stewards of the environment.


The Bottom Line
Today’s economic and political climate has created strong headwinds for the golf industry. In addition, the expectations of golfers have continued to increase as budgets have decreased. All of these factors combined have made golf course management more challenging than in years past. Success is not solely measured by the conditions on the course, but also by fiscal responsibility and to a certain extent through the perception of the operation in the community. The later point is so important because all clubs are focused more than ever on recruiting new members. As a result, proactive management at all levels of the club has become a must.

The bottom line is that through our use of an in-house tissue sampling program, we were able to improve the consistency of the course and increase member satisfaction. In the past three years of use, we have more than made up the initial capital outlay that we had for the technology. The financial savings came as a result of more efficient fertilizer use and by changing the pallet of products that we use to more cost effective alternatives that still gave us the same benefits.

We have proven to ourselves that NIR technology for tissue testing is accurate, practical and economical. A prototype for a lower cost NIR instrument that is portable and can be used directly on the grass without pre-sample processing is in development.

We must remain proactive in educating both our membership and the public at large. Golf courses provide habitat for animals that might have otherwise been eliminated by urban sprawl. We plant trees and littorals that help to filter out pollutants and help support healthy ecosystems. Computer assisted irrigation systems have enabled golf courses to conserve water in great quantities. Last but not least, golf courses beautify communities and provide areas for family recreation. Golf courses must also be leaders in efficient use of resources. We must continue to be at the forefront of new technologies that helps us to accomplish this goal. Being prepared and embracing those changes will help us all get closer to the goals that will keep the golf industry strong. As general managers and superintendents, it is our responsibility to make sure our message is heard. Golf course operators are great stewards of the environment.

Jim Butler is the general manager and Patrick Lewins is the superintendent at Grey Oaks Country Club, Naples, Fla. Dr. John S. Shenk is a consultant with Unity Scientific.