dered why the take-all patch only approach 1/10 of an inch. This sum- stingy automatic irrigation and meticu- affected turf in the poorly drained, low mer, the spikers usually fared beller lous hand watering, particularly during lying portions of a green or along the than the rollers. Intensely managed early July when the temperatures clean up pass, or why nematodes only Poa annua was often the first to die or remained weI! into the 90s while evap- picked on the small, heavily shaded the first to succumb to diseases. otranspiration rates were practically green which was also diagnosed with Losses of turf, however, generally zero due to the high humidity. bentgrass decline. occurred in spite of sound mainte- Some superintendents could not Physical stress might be part of nance practices, but the spikers man- resist watering every night even the reason why frequent fungicide aged to hold it together a bit longer though the soil was not losing any applications failed to provide the and ran into less "golfer" problems moisture throughout the day. I don't usual degree of protection this sum- because golfers at these courses may recall any overwatered courses than mer. Some superintendents learned have more reasonable expectations managed to keep all the Poa alive all for the first lime what superintendents compared to courses where the only summer. in the transition zone understand very criteria of putting green quality is mea- Maybe another designation for well-that under ideal conditions for sured by a stimpmeter. superintendents is in order for future disease activity, fungicides cannot I also learned the importance of reference-perhaps the "Nomads", provide a consistent level of protec- sound irrigation management and the those parched earth, desert wander- tion to the turf. need for a well designed, dependable ers versus the "Sailors", those who In the past I made a distinction automatic irrigation system. live on and in the water. Well, nomads between two types of superintendents Unfortunately, the two do not always and sailors will do until J think of some- -the spikers and the rollers. Some go hand in hand. Sometimes superin- thing better. In closing, the nomads embrace spiking, aedfication, hand tendents are unable to find the "off" like Kevin Dushane at Bloomfield Hills watering, etc. and have conditioned switch to the irrigation controllers after Country Club and Chris Hague at the golfers at a particular course to lobbying for over a half million dollar Crooked Stick Country Club and oth- accept the temporary inconvenience irrigation renovation. There were a lim- ers who keep the course on the dry of these important practices. Others ited number of courses that did not side will continue to fare better than embrace (often not by choice) rolling, skip a beat this summer. A common the sailors, llke ... well, you know who double cutting, and heights that denominator for their success was you are:*,
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Jacklin Seed Company Calf 800-688-SIi1iD for ajree, inJ()rmalum-packed SJO(l W RIYe 12 SHAW, CHENEQUA CC TEAM COMPETE IN JOHN DEERE TOURNEY By Monroe S. Miller Jim Shaw, golf course superintendent at Chenequa CC, represented Wisconsin and the WGCSA at the John Deere Team Championship Golf Tournament that was held October 27-29 at the Wild Wing Plantation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Also on the Chenequa team were Chad Beherens, Don Herrick, Wallie Schmidt and John Maguire. Beherens is the T golf pro, Herrick is the clubhouse manager, Schmidt is the club president and Maguire is the John Deere representa- r i. tive from JW Turf. The tournament was started in 1987 and has been domi- nated by Monroe CC for the past several years. It is a 36- hole, two day event played as a modified scramble. Shaw's If In |r J group won the local tournament in late June that was held at the Geneva National Golf Course. They didn't place in Members of the Chenequ1a Country Club team from left to right are: the top ten at Myrtle Beach, but they did have a good time. James Shaw, Golf Course Superintendent; Chad Behrens, PGA Congratulations! ^ Professional; Don Herrick, Club Manager; Wallie Schmidt, Club President; John Maguire, Distributor Representative. GREEIMSIVIIX A Division of Faulks Bros. Construction, Inc. AROOTZONEMIX The nations leading Every load is guaranteed to meet 1995 USGA* recommendations supplier of sports turf A TOP DRESSING MIX and rootzone material. A TOP DRESSING SAND A SOIL AMENDMENTS Sphagnum Peat Moss Reed Sedge Peat Moss Peat Humus • CART PATH MATERIAL A DECORA TTVE STONE A HORTICULTURAL PLANTING COMPOST Over 5,000 greens across the USA, Asia and Mexico are rooted in GREENSMIX® Call 1.800.537.1796 13 The Editor's Notebook In The Bleak Midwinter By Monroe S. Miller The contrast between the seasons was preceded by treeztnq rain-more Following are some interesting sta- in Wisconsin couldn't be more dramat- to worry about. tistics concerning the 1995 season for ic than it is these days. It seems such Although December was closer to you to interpret and digest on these a short time ago when we were in the normal, the rain (Which quickly froze) cold, bleak midwinter days. throws of 95'/95% summer weather; on December 3 was unwelcome on now, in the deepest days of winter, it our area golf courses. Fortunately, we • does not seem possible we could had a white Christmas, and the out- Why was I not surprised, after the experience such a hot and humid look for the remainder of the winter is miserable weather of 1995, that the extreme. for average snow and normal temper- sores on my left ear and on my nose Although I gripe as much as any- atures, I hope the forecasters are that weren't healing were just what I body about the cold winters here, the right. feared-skin cancer. The derrnatclo- contrast it affords is a good bit of the appeal of Wisconsin's four season cli- mate. The reference points are corner- stones in the lives of golf course AVERAGE WEEKLY TEMPERATURE _'., WI.COlloln, 199~ superintendents, despite their extremes in some years. Any normal person, however, '~ would hope we never have a year like 1995 and its wild extremes in weather. Here it is in a nutshell. .,., • " .... 'I' ,. " .. '1' " " ... ." • ._-" .... 1/' " , .... "" .... ,./" " .... "" " The earliest opening ever (at our AVERAGE WEEKLY GROWlI'fG POOREE PAYS, Wlaco ... l:a, 1995 course, anyway) was followed by a dreadful and terrible spring, It was cold and cloudy and rainy, We even had snow in our town in early ApriL May was decent, but June and July and August were very hot-the hottest " .... ",." ever. And it was either very wet or very dry-there seemed no inbetween in Wisconsin. At one point in late June, 70% of the state's soils were dry. On the eastern one-third of the state, 95% were moisture short in mid-July. ~ Our autumn was acceptable until 'r> • " " .. Of' " ., •• .,. " .. ".,...... _- , ... , ..... ,. ,. " .. "" • ,. '" •• "" .. November arrived, and it turned out to be one of our worst for golf on record and in memory, Many of us had a diffi- cult time getting snowmold fungicides applied. We were spoiled attar a mild fall season last year. November 1995 !'t'J':~"~ was the seventh coldest on record with .,~ ••• "" 300" ,. ~I 3"" 11 10 :u T/3 • ," .. 30 ./. 13 30 .. Oj3 '0 11 .. 'DJI. to :z:l 3.tl'"" our average temperatures running ...... 1· ....~C ..... n.C ...... 1 almost seven degrees below normal. Actually, November was more win- ter-like than autumn-like. Normally, our town gets 41 inches of snow in the winter season; we had 20 inches of it in the eleventh month this year. There was no gall played in November. Two record snowfalls were set in .J> ... " ... " , ...... ,. " " " m , " .... 1/' ...... ,. ,. ,. .. "". ,..... " .. " November-November 10th and ~Z¥5l-- November 27th. The snow on the 27th 14 MONTHLY RAINFAll: 1995 GROWING SEASON ANO NORMAL April 11 May 11 Junp II July II Augu.' II S"l".mOOl 1/ I);"rio' 1995 No",,,,1 '995 No'mal '995 No",,"' '995 No 'nO!>8' 'W 3,~0 2.43 3.10 3,05 3.10 '.39 '00 MONTHLY TEMPERATURES, 1995 GROWING SEASON AND NORMAL Ap"1 \I Maj II Jun. II J~V 11 AuguSlll S.pl.mO., 1/ It could pay big dividends in the years Di.. fiO' '9~5 r.lo'mal 'M' No,m.1 19~0 No"".1 1990 Nmm.1 1995 No,m" 19~5 r4<>,mal ahead. 009'."" Fa!> 15 Turf Supply Company EAGLE® HAS LANDED. Golf course superintendents have a powerful new tool to fight even the toughest turf diseases - new Eagle® fungicide from Rohm and Haas. Eagle offers unbeatable disease control, exceptional turf safety, low use rates, easy handling and more. For healthy golf courses and long-term playability, Eagle gives you top- flight performance. For more information contact John Wiley or Dale Parske at: Turf Supply Company 2797 Eagandale Bouleoord » Eagan, Minnesota 55121 (612) 454-3106 • Fax: (612) 454-7884 • 1·800.551.4857 (Continued from page 15) twenty-two states charge from $10 to It is an outrage. Faith is lost and $95, twenty states charge from $100 trust is destroyed and credibility is out • to $175, two states charge from $200 the window. Yet the fees go on, Ed Devtnqer has had a burr under and two states charge $300. despite the surplus and despite the his saddle for a couple of years now, And, as usual with Wisconsin's rip- fact that no other state has fees has and it is about time I share it with you. off attitude on fees and taxes, there high as Wisconsin. What has been aggravating the Turt we are, AT THE VERY TOP. THE Minnesota's pesticide cleanup pro- Division Manager at Reinders is the HIGHEST. THE MOST. gram contains a provision limiting their State of Wisconsin Pesticide We should be as mad as Ed; face fund to $5 million. When the cap is Registration Fee Schedule. For each it-we pay the bill, ultimately, in the reached, there is a plan to cut sur- product (pesticide) Ed sells, Reinders price for the materials we purchase. charges in half. It only makes sense. (and anyone else who sells the same But it gets worse, lots worse. The We need to do the same in Wisconsin. products to us) must pay the ACCP was instituted for the purpose Illinois is another case. It would cost Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, of making grants to clean up sites. For Reinders $1 ,500 to register 30 popular Trade and Consumer Protection from the first full year, $1 million has been crop protection products in that state. $315 to $3,050 in registration fees plus granted. By mid-1996 the fund will The cost to register the same 30 prod- 1.3% for site remediation (ACCP-Ag EXCEED $10 MILLION! And you ucts in Wisconsin is $1 ,200,000! Even Chemical Cleanup Program). know how it goes with politicians and though they don't have a cleanup pro- The idea or concept is okay; the bureaucrats-if the money is there, gram, the numbers seem even more charges are gross. II is the excessive they'll spend it, likely on something out of whack by the difference in the cost that irritates Ed. For example, other than site cleanup. (Continued on page 18) ~ ;s.f.~ 1/Wf1JCle tn~ of -ff,e. Z!s-t- ~ryl No rro\.ltl>' is -t29 9!!i.t! It i<; petlee.t .(i,r 4Ir( -type of SOil, 3/1'( ·type /If ,,; ""~ J A/of'( -tvre.. _\ of e,xposvre, i!! ~ 81!4. a,,"vaW Ih6JSY ~ -it> ~~ anJ 'apply I This ELll(IR lI.Iifl Soh,e -, L/ &1:: ti your [6lJrse ma;hUt\aM N~P~!~_-!.. __ ---,I'-- ..!.'-""\ Urn- hrn".,. Will it l"'>ake.- if rai"? / - ~,~P/~ l'~1 "'" ~ " i "'" ..'1' "'....t· v/ \' ~ 17 (Continued from page 17) had, the fun games we are having The GCSAA and the LPGA were again in the Field House with Dick the first in line to contribute to the pro- corn crop size in the two states - 3.7 Bennett and Sam Okey and the rest of gram. Wildlife Links will be adminis- million acres for us and 11.6 million the basketball Badgers, and the tered by the National Fish and Wildlife acres for Illinois! thought that opening day isn't all that Foundation (NFWFj, a nonprofit orga- II is no wonder Eddie is angry. far away. They keep attention from the nization dedicated to the conservation discouraging activity in Lawrence . of natural resources. Among its goals • Keep smiling. are species habitat protection, envi- For those of us lucky enough to get ronmental education, public policy to go, the thought of attending the • development, natural resource man- GCSAA conference is exciting. It is The November 1995 issue of The agement habitat and ecosystem rehab only a month away, and the warm Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on and restoration, and leadership train- Florida weather will feel good. I'll con- an extraordinary achievement for the ing for conservation professionals. fess I am a lot less excited this year University of Wisconsin-Madison and An advisory panel of experts has because of the chapter affiliation pro- the UW Foundation. The UW-Madison been formed to oversee implementa- posal and by-law changes. raises more private money than any tion of the USGA program, and Jim You know full well that the politics other public university in the country. Snow and Ron Dodson are on that are done, the phone calls are made on According to the magazine, panel. this one and it is a done deat. So it will Wisconsin's land grant university The goal of the program is to pro- be up 10 us in March al our chapter raised $147.3 million in 1994 from pri- tect and enhance the wildlife, fish and meeting to decide if we are the kind of vate sources. That put it 27th on the plant resources found on golf courses. people willing to cleave the haves and list of the top 400 of charitable organi- It will provide golf course architects the have-nets in Wisconsin. The prin- zations. and managers with research informa- ciple is clear; the choice is simple. I The UW-Madison was the top pub- tion needed to improve and create know how I'm voting. I sure wish lic university, but seven private habitat for wildlife. Among the issues everything didn't come down 10money schools were higher on the list. that will receive priority will be deter- for the GCSAA these days. Harvard was tops with $289 million. mining how golf courses can be main- No wonder I'm feeling some deep The WGCSA and a number of tained as biologically productive sites melancholy and despair in these cold Wisconsin golf courses, like Westmoor for wiidlife, providinq solid recommen- bleak days of midwinter. That old CC and Stevens Point CC and Bulls dations that can be incorporated into hymn, In The Bleak Mid-Winter, (one Eye ec, contribute to the turfgrass long-term management strategies, of my favorites at Christmas time), industry and the WT A through the UW and educating golfers and the general says the greatest gift in the bleak mid- Foundation, so we are a part of this public about these issues. winter is a pure heart. I wish the story. Examination of individual golf GCSAA officers and directors could The Big Ten did well on the public courses within the context of their sur- see that. The days would be brighter institution list. Wisconsin was first, rounding landscape will be a major and happier if they were not so inter- Illinois was second, Michigan was focus of Wildlife Links. Obviously an ested in pushing aside those less fourth, Minnesota came in fifth, urban golf course will require different prosperous and less fortunate col- Indiana was seventh, Northwestern strategies than a rural one, while leagues among us. I don't care what was ninth and Ohio State was tenth. desert courses present a much differ- they require for the organization they On Wisconsin! ent landscape for wildlife than a wet- preside over, but I deeply resent it lands course. Regardless of their cli- when they try to tell state chapters • matic orientation, the loss or fragmen- who they can have as members. It is Hats off to the USGA again! They tation of wildlife habitat and its effect wrong. have established an environmental on wildlife, especially birds, will be a This could be a national conference program, "Wildlife Links," that repre- major factor in research projects. worth forgeNing. And I sure wouldn't sents golf's first comprehensive inves- Look for two new publications as want the legacy Gary Grigg and Bruce tigation of the game's relationship with the first evidence of the Wildlife Links Williams are creating for themselves. wildlife and its habitat. program. The first will provide guid- Attention has to be turned from that The Wildlife Links program will fund ance to golf course superintendents proposal to what we will do about it research, management and education about how to enhance the golf course here. We aren't alone; other Chapter projects needed to provide the game habitat for bird species. The second members from around the country I of golf with state-of-the-art information publication will be dedicated to wet- have visited with feel the same way on wildlife management issues. The land issues. and there will be some creative solu- USGA plans to contribute $100,000 It seems to me we owe it to our- tions cropping up to deal with 100% annually for the next three years to selves, our players, the USGA and the requirement. fund the program. They have actively NFWF to actively participate in this So my thoughts, out of necessity, solicited additional funds from other exciting new program. iii' turn 10 the great season the Packers golf organizations. 18 Editorial Where Did Catalyst For Affiliation Requirements Come From? By Monroe S. Miller Despite some effort by a few of the offering the same arguments against committees and actively support them officers and directors of the GCSAA to the policy I offer now; things like fair- on every front. GCSAA should look at convince members that stiffened affili- ness and a sense of what is right Wisconsin as a shining example of ation requirements are something don't change. It was clear there was what a state chapter can do and "we" asked for, I am not convinced no sympathy, except from the two should be. that there has been a widespread call who brought it up, from Wisconsin But no one in our chapter has sug- for the disruption it will cause and the golf course superintendents for forc- gested that we improve our "citizen- unfairness that will result if such ing their colleagues to join another ship" by forcing dual membership. requirements are accepted. In fact, I organization. Such decisions are a That begs the question in the tille - know there has not been a hue and personal choice. "where is the inspiration for affiliation cry for such. So, in the intervening twenty requirements coming from?" It isn't a I haven't missed very many years, no one has suggested such a grass roots movement. Is it a staff per- Wisconsin Golf Course Superinten- chapter policy. I have not heard even son in Lawrence or a group of them dent meetings in the past quarter cen- casual conversation about how great who want to grow a money tree tury. In the last twenty years, NOT requiring national membership would through dual membership? Is it an offi- ONCE has the subject of dual mem- be. Those who wanted to belong to cer or two or a director or two? Is it a bership requirement with the GCSAA GCSAA and felt it was important to handful of members from one of the been brought up at a member meet- them, people like me, joined. Those few chapters, usually made of big ing. That doesn't sound like a ground who felt differently did not. But all of clubs or big cities, who do force dual swell of support, from Wisconsin at us valued our WGCSA membership. membership? least. The Wisconsin GCSA has been I don't know. I have suspicions, but Once, more than twenty years ago, extremely generous in its support of they are no more than that. What I at a WGCSA membership meeting at GCSAA. A goodly percentage of our do know is that this is not inspired by West Bend CC, the subject of forcing members are national members. We the rank and file members in state GCSAA membership on WGCSA have sent boat loads of chapter chapters. members was suggested by a couple money to Lawrence, never missing a If the subject hasn't been talked at of individuals. I don't even remember year. When we have been unusually a member meeting for two decades, I who they were. What I do remember, prosperous, our gifts to Lawrence cannot imagine why our Wisconsin however, is the overwhelming, over- have been unusually generous. How chapter will vote to exclude some of powering outrage from the rest of the many chapters, for example, were our colleagues. membership at the suggestion of Platinum Tee Club members before JI would be inconsistent and make forcing state chapter members to pur- us? Not many. We have sponsored no sense. And it would be wrong. We chase a GCSAA membership even if seminars (despite GCSAA's decision will have our chance to formally individuals didn't want to or couldn't to stop sharing profits). We involve decide in March. iii afford it. I recall speaking my piece, them in our GRASS ROOTS, serve on MECHANICAL SOIL TECHNOLOGY Contract Aeration Service· Servicing The Entire Midwest VERTI-DRAIN® The Ultimate Solution For Compacted Soil David Strang· 442 Pine Street· Galesburg. IL 61401· Phone (800) 743-2419 19 The Cutting Edge Softspike Yuks and Grins By Rod Johnson It hardly seems possible that two ment spike claiming to be a superior for wacky winter golfers wishing to years have passed since I first mel alternative to metal golf spikes. The play on frozen greens in a state better you. It was love at first sight. My life claims ... "Finally a product that lowers know for potatoes than for golf. To was to be changed forever. To be scores and maintenance costs." I had date Idaho's biggest contribution to honest, I had heard of you and had my doubts. Remember, I'd already golf had been an island green that even seen a picture of you in maqa- been bumed once when metal spikes could be maneuvered into different zines. How could something so differ- provided no relief from double ligures. positions by a series of underwater ent from tradition, so plastic, catch my As for lower maintenance costs, we've cables. conservative eye begging for all heard Ihose wild claims before. Softspikes, the company, has in a more Oh, "Softsplkes". The new era A.S.S. (after soft- relatively short period of time seen The greatest thing to happen to the spikes) has already provided enough ownership changes and product game of golf since surlyn. The elimina- yuks and grins to write a book. But upgrades. The company is presently tion of the SPIKEMARK. who needs another trendy golf book? owned by Wisconsin's very own Rob Spike marks have been part of golf Besides, how would you title the O'Loughlin. The story goes that Mr. since at least 1914 when Walter book? A Good Walked Spoiled By O'Loughlin, after playing golf at Hagen wore a pair of "hob-nailed" Spiked Shoes? Or how about, And Murtield Village, Jack's place in Ohio, shoes on his way 10 winning the 1914 Then Arnie said to Jack ... "Please a course that has banned metal U.S. Open. I guess the imitation of don't step in my line"? spikes, was so impressed by the quali- professional golfers by wannabes was The term spike mark is actually a ty of spikefree greens that he set out as common then as it is now. Shoe euphemism for the tearing, ripping and to buy a few sets of replacement cobblers were probably overrun with a shredding of an otherwise flawless spikes to give to golfing friends. A call rash of orders unequaled until Mike green surface. Jim Latham, retired to Softspike later and he owned the Jordan and "just do if' came along. USGA Green Section Agronomist, company. Golf and golf courses have described spike marks as "snags" of I've had some amusing and some changed a lot since 1914, but here we the surface runners of the turf that confusing phone conversations with are SO-plus years later still walking have not yet rooted to the soil. By rule, the Softspike people but I must admit around with nails in our shoes. Spiked the USGA continues to prohibit the the subject of buying the company is shoes are part of the great tradition of repair 01 spike marks before putting. golf. Aren't they are as much a part of This is despite the well-known fact that the uniform as neck ties, knickers, and spikemarks are the cause of 990;" of plaid polyester slacks? Are they just missed putts. Metal spikes also leave another fad like metal woods and lob their marks on tee and fairway areas wedges? but to date there have been no I'll never forget my first pair of golf reports, of their actually causing any 1996 spikes-a pair of well-used hush-pup- golfer to lose a match. pies purchased for a buck and a half It would only seem natural that an Wisconsin 1\trfgrass Irom my buddy Jake. I had arrived as alternative which would eliminate Association a "player"! No longer was I just anoth- spike marks from the earth, or more er kid pedaling his bike, Kryodens in importantly from gall greens, would tow, to the local links to slap around enjoy immediate and unanimous use. U.S. Tigers. I had spikes and each Not so. Golf is a game of hard dying SUMMER grinding step across the asphalt park- traditions. ing lot provided proof. My score that An alternative to metal spikes and FIELD DAY day, in the mid-sixties, for nine holes the inherent damage is not a new con- was the same as B.S. (before spikes). cept. The early eighties saw the intro- August 20, 1996 I didn't really care. I had arrived on the duction of golf shoes with "nubbles". It golf scene and had the blisters to was a bad name for a bad product that show for it. did more damage to green surfaces O.J. NOER Two years have flown by since the than metal. Perhaps there lays the January 1994 issue of Golf Course roots of caution and cynicism. RESEARCH FACILITY Management and that first advertise- Softspikes were actually developed ment for Softspikes. A plastic replace- as a gentler alternative to metal spikes 20