Industry news

Industry news

GCSAA releases survey results
Lawrence, Kan. – Golf course superintendents offered their opinions about how to speed up play in the 2004 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Leadership Survey. The computer-based survey questioned more than 900 superintendents about trends in golf and golf course management.
Respondents cited shortening of rough (38 percent), slowing of greens (26 percent) and widening of fairways (14 percent) as the most effective ways to speed up play. When asked the same question in 1999, 14 percent said slowing green speed would speed up play.
Superintendents were asked what golf course management practice has had the most positive impact on the environment. Fifty-five percent said an increase of environmental awareness and knowledge was the biggest contributor. Improved irrigation techniques and technologies was second at 18 percent. When asked the same question four years ago, 1 percent said irrigation techniques had the biggest impact.
Superintendents have produced improved playing surfaces partly because researchers have developed turfgrass varieties that withstand weather, traffic and disease better, and require less water and labor and fewer plant protectants. These include seeded Bermudagrass, new bentgrass and seashore paspalum. Sixty-three percent of respondents said they’ve used a variety of new turfgrasses. Thirty-three percent said they’ve used them in limited areas, while a quarter said they’ve used them in several locations, including greens. Five percent said they’ve used them everywhere on their course.
While half of those surveyed believe the advances in technology are somewhat bad or very bad for the game, 28 percent said the maintenance of their course has changed to compensate for the increased distance. When asked the same question in 1999, 18 percent said they changed their course to compensate.

10 ways to fight spring dead spot
Florence, S.C. and Raleigh, N.C. – Preventing and controlling spring dead spot disease can be one of the biggest challenges for golf course superintendents in the transition zone. Research about this disease that causes brown patches to appear during spring led to new recommendations to help prevent and control it. Turf researchers Dr. Bruce Martin of Clemson University and Dr. Lane Tredway of North Carolina State have compiled a list of the top 10 ways to fight spring dead spot disease. They are:
1. Reduce nitrogen levels in the fall
2.  Provide ample potassium
3. Relieve soil compaction
4.  Maintain proper soil pH
5.  Control thatch
6.  Cultivate in spring to encourage
 recovery
7.  Avoid dinitroanaline herbicides
 in affected areas
8. Improve soil drainage
9. Apply preventive fungicides
10. Relieve other stress factors.

Ryegrass varieties perform well
Mississippi State, Miss. – In the 2003-2004 Bermudagrass fairway overseeding trials at Mississippi State University, Vixen perennial ryegrass and Par 5 perennial ryegrass blend were top performers in turf quality and color ratings.
Vixen perennial ryegrass was No. 1 in overall turf quality in the trials of new and experimental cultivars. From November through May, Vixen had the top score of 5.9 in turf quality. Par 5 Blend, which includes Vixen and Icon perennial ryegrass from Burlingham Seeds, rated a 5.7 in turf quality for the same period. With a least significant difference of 0.2, Par 5 ranked in the top statistical group also.
In color ratings, Vixen ranked fourth, and Par 5 Blend ranked seventh in dark color, again rating in the top group with a high score of 6.9 and a least significant difference of 0.4. For a copy of the study, call 800-221-7333.

Engineer gives tips to build courses
Las Vegas – Frank Protiva, vice president of Shephard-Wesnitzer, a Northern Arizona civil engineering and surveying firm, presented “Golf Course Design and Engineering for Affordable Golf” to the Urban Land Institute during the national conference in Las Vegas this summer. Protiva’s presentation for the Developing Golf Courses and Communities Conference focused on creating affordability via golf course design. Presenting with Protiva were Todd Jester of Jester Design and Dan Devere of Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club.
Protiva stressed key ways to create an affordable golf course community, including working with existing conditions as much as possible and minimizing areas of irrigated turf. Protiva says having a team consisting of a golf designer, land planner, engineer and superintendent is important for creating an affordable golf course design successfully.
Construction tips include minimizing earthwork techniques, keeping higher elevation on the outside of a dogleg and putting lakes in lower elevations. He also recommends avoiding bridges and bulkheads when designing courses.

Premier Golf to buy courses
Santa Monica, Calif. – NGP Realty Sub, American Golf Corp. and Premier Golf Management made an agreement in which Premier Golf will purchase all of National Golf’s and American Golf’s golf properties in Texas. The transaction is expected to close before year’s end.
The Texas portfolio comprises 21 properties in Texas: the Great Southwest Golf Club, Thorntree Country Club, The Trails of Frisco Golf Club, Mesquite Golf Course, Ridgeview Ranch Golf Course, Riverchase Golf Club, The Tribute at the Colony and Twin Wells Golf Course in Dallas; the Pecan Grove Plantation Country Club, Sweetwater Country Club, Walden on Lake Houston, Willow Fork Country Club, Bear Creek Golf World, Longwood Golf Club, Southwyck Golf Club, World Houston Golf Course in Houston; The Club at Sonterra and the Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio; and the Berry Creek Country Club and the Riverside Golf Course in Austin.

Golf Industry Show to add another organization
Lawrence, Kan. – The Club Managers Association of America will join the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the National Golf Course Owners Association in presenting the Golf Industry Show.
The inaugural Golf Industry Show, which combines the GCSAA and NGCOA trade shows, will be held Feb. 10-12, 2005 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The CMAA will become associated with the event in 2007 in Anaheim, Calif.
“We have spent years of cooperative dialogue with our allied associations, and we are delighted to move forward with this initiative, says CMAA c.e.o. Jim Singerling. “By collaborating with the GCSAA and the NGCOA, we embrace a new experience for our respective members, industry partners and vendors.”
While the trade shows of the three organizations will be combined to form a new event, each will retain autonomous education conferences that will run concurrently with the Golf Industry Show. The objective is to present a trade show that represents significant aspects of a golf operation – ownership, feasibility and design, construction and operations.

Superintendents win trip to show
Lawrence, Kan. – Bayer Environmental Science and The Environmental Institute for Golf are sending five golf course superintendents to the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Feb. 7-12. The purpose of the Bayer Superintendent Grant Program is to assist superintendents with their professional development through participation in the events at the annual conference and trade show. Winners receive airfare, hotel accommodations for six nights, conference registration, two educational seminars, two tickets to the President’s Celebration and a $200 expense stipend.
Winners are: Chuck Gay of Gainsville, Fla.; Edward M. Goodhouse of the Torrington (Conn.) Country Club; Ward Pepperman of the Faldo Golf Institute by Marriott in Orlando, Fla.; Dan W. O’Brien of the Newburg Village Golf Club in Cherry Valley, Ill.; and Matthew H. Roos of Hickory Sticks in Ann Arbor, Mich.

PSU’s turf program courts applications
University Park, Pa. – Applications are being accepted for Penn State’s two-year golf course turfgrass management program for the class beginning in September 2005. There’s a fee of $35, and the deadline is March 1. Applications can be obtained by calling 814/863-0129.