MAINTENANCE BRIEFS GCSAA, PGA Tour Join In K-State's pioneering curriculum to start superintendents en route to management By MARK LESLIE facility for golf enthusiasts..." RELATED STORY, PAGE 28 ANHATTAN, Kan. — A new It will provide "unique research and breed of college curriculum, academic opportunities for K-State 18-hole championship course, nine-hole Mone that opens management researchers and students," said Bob teaching layout and driving range. avenues to future golf course superin- Krause, K-State's vice president for While faculty, Audubon International tendents, will begin with construction institutional advancement. and others draft environmental study of a prototype Tournament Players "We have the opportunity to make proposals, it is the education element SAHALEE STAFF BUILDS WEB SITE Club (TPC) university course at Kansas something very special happen — that particularly sets Colbert Hills apart SEATTLE, Wash. — With the 80th State University here. something that will have a lasting as far as turfgrass students are con- PGA Championship three months Colbert Hills Golf Course, named for impact on the world of golf and en- cerned. away, the Sahalee Country Club main- PGA Senior Tour player Jim Colbert, hance the golf program at the univer- Assessing members' needs when he tenance staff has developed a web site will be many things to many people. sity where I began my career," said arrived as GCSAA chief operating on the Internet: www.sahalee.com. "The positive impact of this project Colbert, who donated $500,000 and officer in 1994, Joe O'Brien recalled 'The entire ... staff will be far-reaching," said Stephen raised millions from friends toward the superintendents said "one of the easiest has worked very Mona, chief executive officer of the $10 million facility. things they did was grow grass. One of hard on the web site," Golf Course Superintendents Associa- 'The university will use the course to the most difficult was to explain it and said superintendent tion of America (GCSAA), "a golf train turf students how to manage, so justify it from a business perspective. Tom Wolff. "We management program to train that they can aspire upwards if they Couple that challenge with the fact that know this is going to tomorrow's leaders, a research facility want," said Jeff Brauer of GolfScapes in so many facilities — especially those in be a great experience for all of us, host- to aid the golf industry, and a first-class Arlington, Texas, who is designing the Continued on page 20 ing a major championship, and it was the feeling of the crew that many people would be interested in the comprehen- Canadian sive information listed on the web site." The site covers history, staff, the 1998 scientists shed PGA Championship, construction, equipment, weather, mowing, irrigation, light on roots turf, landscape and a fact sheet. Wolff ON TH€ GREEN can be called at 425-868-1600. and microbes By PETER BLAIS PGMS, GREEN EXPO PLANNED Roots and microbes is a marriage NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The 1998 made in heaven that can only lead Conference of the Professional to healthier putting surfaces, ac- Grounds Management Society cording to a study funded by the (PGMS), coupled with the Green In- Canadian Turfgrass Research Foun- dustry Expo, is dation (CTRF). planned for Nov. The CTRF is a coalition of the 14-17 at the Royal Canadian Golf Association, Opryland Hotel Canadian Golf Superintendents and Convention Association and seven regional Center here. Fifty The 8th hole at Cedarbrook Golf& Country Club. turfgrass foundations. With match- educational sessions are planned. For ing government grants, the coali- more information, people may contact tion raised $768,000 between 1993- PGMS headquarters at 120 Canada's new president 97 and funded 10 projects at five Cockeysville Rd., Suite 104, Hunt Val- different Canadian universities and ley, Md. 21030; telephone 410-584-9754. sets goals for profession facilities. Dr. Brian Holl of the University PEST ACTIVITIES A CALL, OR FAX AWAY By PETER B LAI S his two brothers-in-law, one a golf of British Columbia was one of three AMHERST, Mass. — The University Becoming the 30th presi- pro and the other a turf industry researchers who discussed their of Massachusetts Extension's Land- dent of the Canadian Golf student, he left agriculture and at projects during the recent CGSA scape Message, a toll-free phone mes- Superintendents Asso- age 16 got his first golf course job annual conference in Calgary. Holl's sage which provides weekly regional ciation (CGSA), mowing the on former CGSA President speech was titled "Life in the Un- updates on cultural and pest activity, is 18th green at St. Andrews, mar- CU$ Tom Johnson's summer derworld — Roots and Microbes." now available in a Faxed version. The rying a wonderful woman and grounds crew at Carling Lake "On greens," Holl said, "we take Extension reports that subscribers will having a family — these are goals re- Golf Club in Pine Hill, Quebec. Johnson the photosynthetic area and cut it receive about 20 messages per year, cently elected CGSA President Doug became young Meyer's mentor and the down as close as possible to the including weekly during the growing Meyer has met. newly elected CGSA president decided to ground without killing the plant. season and monthly in the off-season. Hosting a major tournament, helping make the golf business his career. Then we hit it with a bunch of white More information is available by calling groom Augusta National in preparation Meyer enrolled at Guelph University, projectiles every day. Then we give 413-545-0895. The phone message can for the Masters, building and growing in studied turf management worked sum- people spiked shoes and tell them be heard by calling800-2264476 (4IPM). a new course, and making certain the mers at Cutten Club in Guelph and later to walk all over that minimal photo- CGSA's national conference continues as a university research technician under synthetic area. In the coastal re- gion, we tell them to do it year- HOLLEMBEAK GETS CREDIT moving across the country allowing more retired professor and former dean Clay round. At the end of all that, we act SUGAR GROVE, 111. — In May's page supers to become involved with their na- Switzer. He graduated with an associates surprised when we find that grass 1 story on Rich Harvest Links, the tional association are goals Meyer hopes degree in turfgrass science and eventu- is in trouble. I'm not surprised. The reporter neglected to mention that to achieve. ally earned additional degrees in horti- amazing thing is that superinten- Hollembeak Construction, Inc. of Big "Being part of this organization is a culture and a Turf Management Short dents are able to keep the stuff Rock built the first 11 holes of Jerry great honor and I look forward to repre- Course degree from Guelph. alive at all." Rich's 18-hole estate course. A mem- senting the CGSA in the most profes- After a brief fling helping run the fam- ber of the Golf Course Builders Asso- sional way I can," Meyer said. ily dairy farm, Meyer accepted the post of Researchers and superinten- ciation of America, Hollembeak did all Meyer's entry into the superintendent superintendent at Cedarbrook Golf & dents are so concerned about the the earthwork and shaping, except the field blossomed from an appreciation of Country Club in Ste. Sophie in 1975. He actual putting surface, that they irrigation, on those 11 holes. Ryan Inc. the outdoors he gained during his up- has remained at the private club ever often forget what goes on below the Central of Janesville, Wis., built the bringing on his parents' dairy farm in since. surface, in the roots. "We want to last seven holes. LaChute, Quebec. Following the lead of Continued on page 18 Continued on page 24 K-State breaks ground in curriculum 'We may, in the next few years, step up our influence at Continued from page 17 O'Brien, Mona and others de- PGA Tour had all the capabilities existing turf programs that won't have a PGA Tour the hands of management compa- cided to work with universities to design, build and manage a 9 nies — were moving toward one to amend turf programs to pre- college course at a reasonably course, but do have hospitality and business education. person being the key individual pare students for "a broader edu- priced level than the normal cor- — Joe O'Brien, GCSAA chief operating officer and manager of a facility, and it cational opportunity." porate-level TPC facility. was obvious that our members Meanwhile, Colbert and Krause "His vision was that the Tour needed some better preparations had related ideas. Many Tour play- could not only do these things, Krause was not only interested search and extending golf into the to fulfill the types of jobs out there ers attended colleges that had no but use the Tour player as one of in a new golf course but in K- Outward Bound program the today and that would be in prob- golf courses, or courses in poor the chief fund-raisers and archi- State being state-of-the-art in school conducts for minorities in ably greater number tomorrow." condition, and Colbert thought the tect of name," O'Brien said. turfgrass and environmental re- the summers. When he mentioned building a course in conjunction with Colbert, the PGA Tour sug- gested that Krause contact the GCSAA. The timing was perfect. 'The opportunity sounds way too good to be true," said O'Brien, "because it ties together THE PROBLEM IS COMPLEX three of our objectives (the golf course management program, a The temperature rises. So does the humidity. chance to reach minorities and And you've got a problem, because conditions are research) all in one wrapping with perfect for algae and turf diseases like Brown Patch an affiliation with the PGA Tour and Pythium Blight, if the health and vigor of turf and an outstanding university. are your responsibility, you really feel the heat "I thought this was too ideal. But I started working with Bob Krause and Kansas State, and I realized what a dynamic, progres- sive and unified university it is." From the beginning the GCSAA gave permission to use its name in fund-raising materials. "We would like a big say in the curriculum," O'Brien said. "We were allowed a say in how to structure the two internships: one at Colbert Hills and the other at PGA Tour facilities. In es- sence, we were assured the in- ternships would be quality and broad-based and introduce stu- dents to the whole business." THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. GCSAA officials also helped develop the materials to attract students and consulted in struc- The solution is Fore . The active ingredient in Fore turing the position of superinten- creates powerful synergistic action with products dent at Colbert Hills and in future like Subdue", Aliette", and Hanoi, to control a wide placement of graduates. And at spectrum of your worst summer challenges. Mixtures the same time the GCSAA was that provide a simple solution to some tough problems. considering how to improve the nature and quality of its scholar- ships, this move gives it "the op- portunity to look at minority schol- arships in this major because there is a shortage of minorities in this profession," O'Brien said. K-State's new major in golf course management focuses on all aspects of running a golf course. Curriculum includes tra- ditional turfgrass management courses in the agricultural and biological sciences along with general education courses in business management, hospital- ity and food-service operations. "If the PGA Tour were to move to another university that needed a golf course but not the prereq- uisite educational capabilities, we may not go on with our cur- FORE ...ALL THE RIGHT REASONS. riculum, etc.," he said. "On the other hand, we may, in the next And there's more. Like the way Fore controls over few years, step up our influence ROHM a dozen fungus diseases. Easy-to-use packaging at existing tiirf programs that combined with cost-effective, broad-spectrum ti^irf won't have a PGA Tour course, ¡mm but do have hospitality and busi- protection make Fore your best solution for ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL DIRECTIONS. ness education." complicated problems. Call 1-800-987-0467 to get Fore* is a registered trademark of Rohm and Haas Company. Subdue® is a registered trademark of "We are excited to be involved more information. Novariis. Hanoi' is a registered trademark of AgrEvo. Aliette5 is a registered trademark of Rhone-Poisienc. as the manager of the facility," ©1998 Rohm and Haas Company T-0-241 Continued on next page CIRCLE #131 Royal Birkdale undergoes major changes in prep for British Open By TREVOR LEDGER Hawtree Ltd. explained: "There are OUTHPORT, Lancashire, England some significant new hollows on the — Confronted with greens below back of the green which will make a Sthe standards required of an trip back much trickier than before." international golf venue, and at the Again, time was of the essence, but same time faced with hosting this fair weather and good teamwork aided year's British Open, July 12-19, Royal the job and it was only 17 weeks in the Birkdale Golf Club has completed a making. It was time for the "icing on major reconstruction of its putting the cake." surfaces. "Since then we have constructed new Royal Birkdale, one of the world's championship tees on holes 7 and 17, premier links courses, has been and repositioned and remodeled the reconstructing and partially redesign- 1998 British Open venue Royal Birkdale has undergone five years of renovation. left-hand drive bunkers on hole 15," ing every green on the course. Moodie saud. 'The bunker at the front Royal Birkdale has been plagued with right of green 6 has IJOW been remod- slow early-season grass growth and From 2 to 6 inches deep, the soil was anaerobic, dense, eled ... into two pot bunkers." greens with schizophrenic qualities, contained too fine a particle size, had a plastic consistency and Having laid the greens, it was essential sometimes dry and diseased, yet soft, that they be brought on and the fine spongy and slow at other times. The was too rich in humus. grass encouraged to re-establish its previous head greenkeeper, Tom supremacy over the invading poa annua. O'Brien, practiced myriad procedures to A significant program of hollow tining remedy the problem — Verti-draining, mended that the worst greens — 1,2, He had three aims in his designs: raise was a major part of that work. Having solid and hollow tining, slitting, chisel 10, 15 and 17 — should be re-turfed some greens to aid drainage, give more overseen the initial regeneration, O'Brien tining, mole ploughing and top dressing. onto a better root-zone base. The contour variation and interest, and marry retired after many years service and After the Open at the club in 1991, committee approved the project. the putting surfaces harmoniously and passed the greenkeeper's baton to Chris the problem was addressed. A six-man On Sept. 7, 1992, JD Greasley Ltd. intricately with the surrounds. Whittle in November 1994. Whittle was committee was formed to review past began lifting the turf, removing the Thus, the 17th green, once a single- no stranger to high-class turf, having practices, obtain advice, submit problem layer, replacing it with a soil/ tiered surface, is now double-tiered to previously been at Muirfield. recommendations and research sand mix as designated by STRI and the tune of about 75cm height variation Indeed, 1998 is not his first British estimated costs for improvement. then re-laying the original turf. This and has a new pot bunker at the back Open. He had prepared Muirfield for It turned to such experts as the U.S. avoided rejection of new turf, a distinct right. the 1992 tournament. For Whittle, the Golf Association, Dr. Martin Hawtree of possibility especially in such a salty Although the work was scheduled for primary task was to continue the work Hawtree Ltd., the Sports Turf Research environment as found in dunes land. completion On Oct. 26, 1992, a mere that had been started. He was happy Institute and O'Brien. The unanimous The behaviour of the new greens was seven weeks after it began, that did not with the good foundation from which to opinion was that the problem lay in the also a major consideration. They had happen. work, thanks to the radical decisions greens' root zone. been so soft that golfers walking over A special general meeting was held in taken by the green committee in 1991. From 2 to 6 inches deep, the soil was them left footprints. December 1992, and it was unani- What does he think about the anaerobic, dense, contained too fine a It was imperative that the new root mously agreed to reconstruct the millions of viewers casting their eyes particle size, had a plastic consistency zone avoid high organic content and remaining 13 greens using the same over the fruits of his daily labor? and was too rich in humus. was sandy enough to enable free- team. Throughout the fall of 1993 the "I try not to think about it," he said. The fine grass roots were unable to draining greens, which would be in remaining greens underwent the same "You can't sit back and worry. You just penetrate this layer. Thatch formed and keeping with Birkdale's heritage. process as the first five and the practice have to get on with the work. I'm this resulted in the shallow-rooted With the greens being rebuilt, Dr. putting green was moved. looking forward to it." grasses dominating the fescues and Martin Hawtree was hired as the third Players who go too long on the The firm and fast putting surfaces bentgrasses. generation of Hawtrees to work on approach to the 18th will find a new fate that golfers expect at Royal Birkdale The experts unanimously recom- Royal Birkdale. awaiting them as Ken Moodie of will be unveiled to the world in July.

K-State pioneering Continued from previous page PGA Tour Properties President Vernon Kelly said in a press release. • • • Ground-breaking ceremonies will be held at 11 a.m. June 12 on the 1,200-acre site, three or four miles from the football stadium, on the northwest corner of town. Brauer, who will design the course alongside builder Wildcat Golf Inc. of Wichita, selected the property from four available. The course will meander through several valleys, and a few of the holes will have trees, he said, but "the predominant character is konza prairie." "We are going to disturb as little of the prairie as possible," he said. The layout will stretch from 5,000 yards on a special set of "senior tees" to 7,500 yards for collegiate tournaments. Because of the type of play expected, Brauer said he "pushed the envelope" for Here's your most attractive alternative yet for fairways. "The standard corridor is 300 to impervious to rot, rust, and UV damage. Plus they're 350yards," he said. "We're at400 feet here." protecting greens and fairways from the hazards of easy to install, maintenance-free, and more cost-effec- Therefore, future residential develop- water. C-L0C® engineered vinyl sheet piling — tive. For a source near ment will not impact the course, he said. heavy-duty, interlocking vinyl panels that are great-looking you, call I-8OO-69O-C-LOC. Don't The par-3 course was included in the when new, and great-looking over time because they're let water be a hazard for you. Engineered Vinyl Sheet Piling project, keeping in mind The First Tee Designed Better. Lasts Longer. Installs Easier. A Crane Plastics Company product. Check it out on our web site at www.c-loc.com. program to attract youths and minorities to the game of golf.