The Official Magazine of the GCSAI • www.gcsai.org •June 2010 Greenside Monitoring the weather Irish Open Preview Also In This Issue •Conference Review • Regional Roundup • Trade News • The Road to Oakmont •Portsalon Golf Course • Calibrating a Knapsack• Marram Grass A little extra care goes into everything we do Take irrigation rotors. We inspect them inside and out to ensure they meet the same legendary standards that have made the John Deere brand so trustworthy. No wonder our rotors come with a three year warranty and are key components of irrigation systems selected by the PGA TOUR®. To learn more about all our irrigation products, visit your local John Deere dealer. www.JohnDeere.co.uk Freephone 1800 818 667 C 685.1 IE C_685_1_IE_210x297.indd 1 06.04.2010 19:00:57 Uhr Greenside Contents Page Success Conference Review 6 Calibrating a Knapsack All Around Sprayer 8 Nature on the Course 12 was pleasantly surprised It has been most enjoyable receiving to hear that Greenside articles over the years from different Monitoring the Weather 14 people around the world, many of won several awards at I whom were Irish people working Irish Open Preview 20 the Turf and Ornamental abroad or of Irish descent. The Communicators Association technical articles are so valuable for The Importance of Marram educating our readers. So, to those (TOCA) in Tucson, Arizona. of you who contributed such articles, Grass 24 It was Jon Kiger of TurfNet, I would like to express my sincere who approached me last gratitude to you for taking the time The Road to Oakmont 26 January recommending that and effort in writing them. I hope you enjoy reading this latest Portsalon Golf Course 29 the October 2009 Edition edition of Greenside, it has many and should be entered into the varied stories excellently written along Regional Reports 36 International category. with photos of colleagues who you may know in the turf maintenance Diary of a Course sector. Jon said he would look after the Superintendent 46 Finally I hope you have an enjoyable application, which he did, and, on summer and that all your club 7th May, I received the news of the competitions and fixtures run smoothly What you see is what various awards. You can read in detail for you. you get 50 more about these awards on page 45 of this issue. So thank you Jon for Sportspitch Maintenance 52 recommending Greenside. I would also like to thank Richard Hayden of the STRI, for contributing his article Trade News 55 ‘The Reconstruction of the Croke Park Pitch’ which won first place in the Best Publication article of two or more pages category. The Cover Photo of Croke Park for the same article won a Merit award in the category of Best Photo Publication: Cover or inside photo. The third award from the October issue was for the article ‘Communicating’, written by Jon Kiger of TurfNet. It won a Merit award for Best Publication article of two or more pages. Front Cover: Storm looming Back issues over Sutton Golf Club REMINDER Photo by Alan Mahon of Greenside can The deadline for receiving now be seen on the The views expressed in contributed advertising and editorial for articles are not necessarily the views the next issue of Greenside is GCSAI website expressed by the editor of this publication. Editorial content and photographs Visit cannot be reproduced without prior July 23rd 2010 www.gcsai.org permission from the editor. 3 greenside magazine | June 2010 Letters Debate on Height of Cut - What is all the controversy about? Dear Editor, Mechanical thinning is an underrated stress in greens I read with interest Alistair J Beggs article in the last maintenance because it can occur very gradually and often edition (March 2010) of Greenside ‘The Lowest goes undetected and misinterpreted as some other form of of The Low’. biotic decline.Not only have I seen this with my own eyes, The notion of lowering mowing heights to 2mm as but as a Superintendent I have implemented a maintenance unsustainable and disastrous for green maintenance is program that provides smooth fast greens year round even only founded on the presupposition that turf plant health under climatic pressure. In California and other states cannot survive these conditions for a prolonged period. in the US, there are numerous golf courses that routinely This premise has to be challenged simply because there are mow greens between 1.8mm-2.5mm!! To achieve this the numerous golf Superintendents achieving HOC at 2mm greens need to be managed in a specific way to produce firm and lower throughout the growing season. and fast conditions. Nutritional and cultural practices play We all value science. Citing research to support a a critical role to achieve these results. The golfers greatly statement can be helpful, but there are numerous scientific enjoy the speed of the greens which range from 11.0-13.5 on claims once thought to be true that have been disproven. the stimp. Medicine, physics, chemistry, mathematics and Normal conventional recommendations have been to raise horticulture are not immune. So please let us not assume the HOC, use PGRs and roll to achieve adequate green recent research as the arbiter, but instead it provides an speed. This has not been too successful because when you “educated guess” and can even be corrected. have more plant tissue, the greens get softer, not firmer. Now the fact that Superintendents are managing greens This is not conducive for smooth consistent roll on greens. at 2mm and lower successfully challenges the premise that This maintenance practice can be performed on this would compromise plant health. Before we go further push up and sand based greens quite easily. In fact, in in this discussion I am sure you are asking why? Why Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, Castlehume GC has been would anyone want to lower their HOC so low? Are there regularly maintaining their annual meadow grass/bent advantages? Yes, improved surface quality is experienced. grass greens between 2.0mm-4mm year round. With the When a lower cut is produced, less tissue on the canopy exceptionally wet conditions in 2009, the push up greens means less friction for ball roll. Therefore a more consistent remained soft and HOC had to be carefully managed not to smooth ball roll is achieved. Green speed is easier to damage the plant crown. manage at lower mowing heights. Most importantly, the As a greeenkeeper, never settle for mediocrity. Lowering golfer appreciates the improved surfaces. HOC can be achieved. It is not for every golf course but Of course, not all greens should be mowed at these if makes your golf course perform better, then you must heights. Severely undulating greens cannot perform well understand that this is a feasible option. at fast green speeds. Soft thatchy greens will be easily Patrick O’Fee damaged when lowering height because the mowers will Director of Agronomy sink into the canopy and damage the crown of the plant. Greenway Golf [email protected] For Sale For Sale 4 x Toro 1000 Greens Mowers 2007 models. Poa Greens Sod • Fully kitted out. • For more details Appox 300 hours. As new. • Only used for 2007/08 season. Contact Mark Harris of € 2,500 + Vat. Harris Turf Improvements Mobile: 087 2540166 Contact Mark on 086 8529922 Email: [email protected] 4 www.gcsai.org Education Report s I write this article I am in the middle of arranging educational days A for this coming autumn and they will be focusing on the relationship and roles between the Deputy Superintendent and the Superintendent. It is envisaged that two venues will be used hosting a guest speaker and two prominent Golf Course Superintendents. The idea is for Superintendents to express what they expect from their deputies and also for deputy’s to express what they expect from their Supers. It is a critical time in our industry and these two positions are crucial to managing a successful facility. So if you are a Super/Deputy or Bobby an up and coming Greenkeeper get along to one of McDermott these educational days. The dates, times and venues will be announced in a later edition of this magazine Foxrock and posted on our web site. GCSAI are committed to Golf club and financially support all golf industry educational initiatives, forums and seminars that take place on the island of Ireland. If you would like to contact me please do so: PH: 086 2627839/01 2065136 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Wide selection of used equipment on our website 5 greenside magazine | June 2010 Review Annual Conference Review - Going Forward is the Only Way s the delegates arrived at the conference A room on Wednesday morning, there was an air of gloom about the place. Many stories were being told of staff layoffs, short time and severe budget cutbacks. Everyone hoped to get something positive from the conference, a sign of hope, a new lease of life. This year, the theme of the conference reflected the times we are living in ‘Recession - Realities and Recovery’. Speakers were brought in to give inspiration to the audience that the worst was over Back row left: Steve Mona (CEO. World Golf Foundation), Stiofán Nutty (Green Party), and that there is a brighter future Pat Fenlon, (GCSAA), Kieran Linehan (HSS), Pat O’ Dwyer (GUI), Middle Row: Stig ahead. Persson (Chairman FEGGA), Andrew Mellon (BIGGA), Dr. Jason Kruse (University It was disappointing for the Florida), Richard Harris (Lely Irl.), Bruce Jamieson (Toro), Front Row: Maria Behan conference organisers, headed by (Calibre Support), Michael Loughran (President GCSAI), Maria Strandberg (STERF) Maria Behan of Calibre Support, The GCSAI are very grateful that, & Fishing Club, having worked there that numbers were down on last long time sponsors and supporters of since 1980.