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

Snow

If you are wondering what is happening to the grass courts with all this snow, click on the "Snow" title above.

GCSAA Video

Click on the title for an interview with Cornell turf professor Frank Rossi about the 2010 season.

Winter

Still can't see the rose bushes in the parking lot.

Winter

No place left to put the snow!

Posts

Sorry blog followers, I haven't been posting much. Lots of grounds information coming soon about the upcoming season - keep checking in. The picture above is the salmon bark Japanese Maple in the parking lot. Maybe the most interesting plant on the property in winter. definitely one of my favorites.

Education

Nate and Jeff traveled through the last storm to Austin, TX (via Detroit). Jeff wrote a few words about it- see below. Sorry, no pictures yet. I did get one from Nate on my phone - Jeff riding around the trade show on a Segway!

Keeping the courts at playable conditions is a challenge, and it requires the grounds staff to adjust and adapt. In order to stay abreast to new techniques, scientific data, and regulations members of the crew attend several different seminars and conferences throughout the year.

Nate Salmore and Jeff Monette recently attended the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) national conference in Austin, TX. During the conference they attended sessions concerning field construction/renovation projects, disease prevention, future technology, and changes in chemical regulations. Through the support of the membership Nate and Jeff were also able to learn from and network with other top professionals. Conferences like this are great tools and help us, the grounds crew, bring the best possible playing surfaces to the membership. Thank you for your support!