I am back from the Golf Course Superintendent's Association Conference in Orlando. Got to see many superintendent friends from New England along with meeting turf managers from the rest of the US, UK, Korea and Jamaica. I know it is a lot to read, but below are four of the half day seminars I attended. All were fantastic and will help me at LCC this year!


Pesticides and the Environment: Success, Failure and the Occasional Mishap
David Held, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Entomology, Auburn University
John Kaminski, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Turfgrass Pathology, Pennsylvania State University
J. Scott McElroy, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Auburn University

(599-01) Pesticides are a seemingly necessary component of golf course management. Weeds, insects and diseases can rob the turf of its natural beauty and functionality. If not used judiciously, however, pesticides can fail to work properly, cause injury to the desired turf or move off-site, damaging non-target plants or animals and contaminating the environment. Seminar discussions will explore the chemical and biological properties of pesticides and their interactions and seek to educate participants on the successes, failures, and occasional mishaps that occur with pesticide usage. Attendees will gain a better understanding of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, and their fate in the environment.

Using Wetting Agents on the Golf Course
Keith J. Karnok, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Crop and Soil Science, University of Georgia

(351-01) Develop your knowledge of wetting agents and examine the various ways wetting agents are being used on the golf course. Some questions that will be discussed include:

Do wetting agents save water?
Will doubling the application rate improve effectiveness?
Which wetting agent is REALLY the best?
The results of the GCSAA/USGA Green Section wetting agent comparison study as well as other comparative studies will be discussed.

Managing Shrubs and Other Ornamentals on the Golf Course
John C. Fech, Horticulturist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

(534-01) Improve the overall health and beauty of your facility by learning to successfully manage the ornamentals on your course. In this seminar, you will learn to:

Recognize the differences in fertilization, irrigation and pest control needs between turf and ornamentals
Develop an appropriate maintenance plan for shrubs and other ornamental plants
Use native or adapted plants to protect the demands of an environmentally-sensitive site

Managing Your Manager, Committees and Boards
Bernard Cronin, President, Sandler Training Institute

(523-01) You face a variety of demands on a daily basis from the people who report to you and the people to whom you report. Successful management of these relationships is imperative to the overall success of the facility. During this seminar, you will develop:

A system for managing multiple work relationships
Strategies to capitalize on organizational resources
Tools and skills to forge joint management agreements