Golf Course Management - December 2014

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10 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 12.14

CONTENTS12.14

44

60

68

74

Getting it writeDan Jenkins, 2015 Old Tom

Morris Award recipient, is a

wordsmith extraordinaire who

rarely has been able to keep his

sense of humor out of the way

of his work.

Howard Richman

The time of his lifeCancer is a major reason why

superintendent Bobby Goerlich

knows time is precious. To him,

his GCSAA membership is as

precious as it gets.

Howard RichmanTexas triumphsWhen the GCSAA Golf

Championships hit San Antonio

in February, participants will find

a golf market built on a storied

golf history but with an eye

clearly trained on the future.

Art Stricklin

Life beyond the greensBuild a time budget for every-

thing you need and want

to do.

Jeff LeBlanc

90 Article index 2014 On the Cover: Legendary sportswriter, author and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Dan Jenkins, the 33rd recipient of GCSAAs Old Tom Morris Award, has been on the scene for 223 major golf championships since 1951. His home office in Fort Worth, Texas, also serves

as a museum of artifacts from events he has covered, including golf press pass badges; plaques of honors he received; and framed pictures of him with

legends such as Ben Hogan. Photo Darren Carroll/Corbis


INSIGHTS

Wetting agents improve on root-zone moisture distributionWetting agents reduce localized dry spot

without adversely affecting root-zone

moisture.

Doug Karcher, Ph.D.

Mike Richardson, Ph.D.

80

RESEARCHCutting EdgeTeresa Carson

89

16 Presidents message

18 Inside GCM

20 Front nine

30 Photo quiz

78 Through the green

88 Verdure

98 Product news

100 Industry news

104 Climbing the ladder

104 On course

104 Coming up

105 Newly certified

105 On the move

106 In the field

108 New members

108 In memoriam

112 Final shot

ETCETERA12.14

34ShopThe mechanics of

easy cutting

Scott R. Nesbitt

AdvocacyA look back

Chava McKeel

TechnologyPlugging in your

clubhouse irrigation

Bob Vaughey, CGCS

EnvironmentKnow your

(water) rights

Pamela C. Smith, CGCS

36 403832TurfGlobal Soil Survey

breaks new ground

Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D.

Larry Stowell, Ph.D.

Micah Woods, Ph.D.

Relationship between distribution uniformity and soil moisture contentTests on a sand-based green suggest that soil

moisture measurements and hand watering are

critical to mitigating localized dry spot.

Alec Kowalewski, Ph.D.

Clint Mattox

Brian McDonald, M.S.

Brian Daviscourt

Carmen Magro, CGCS

84

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GCSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President KEITH A. IHMS, CGCS

Vice President JOHN J. OKEEFE, CGCS

Secretary/Treasurer PETER J. GRASS, CGCS

Immediate Past President PATRICK R. FINLEN, CGCS

Directors RAFAEL BARAJAS, CGCS

DARREN J. DAVIS, CGCS

JOHN R. FULLING JR., CGCS

MARK F. JORDAN, CGCS

BILL H. MAYNARD, CGCS

Chief Executive Offcer J. RHETT EVANS Chief Operating Offcer MATT SHATTO Chief Business Development Offcer J.D. DOCKSTADER

GCM STAFF

Editor-in-Chief SCOTT HOLLISTER

[email protected]

Sr. Managing Editor BUNNY SMITH

[email protected]

Sr. Science Editor TERESA CARSON

[email protected]

Associate Editor HOWARD RICHMAN

[email protected]

Sr. Manager, Creative Services ROGER BILLINGS

[email protected]

Manager, Creative Services KELLY NEIS

[email protected]

Traffc Coordinator BRETT LEONARD

[email protected]

GCSAA This Week/Turf Weekly

Editor ANGELA HARTMANN [email protected]

ADVERTISING 800-472-7878

Managing Director MATT BROWN

Marketing and Business Development [email protected]

Sr. Manager, Business Development JIM CUMMINS

[email protected]

Lead International Developer ERIC BOEDEKER

[email protected]

Account Development Managers BRETT ILIFF

[email protected]

KARIN CANDRL

[email protected]

SHELLY URISH

[email protected]

GCM MISSION

Golf Course Management magazine is dedicated to advancing the golf course superin-tendent profession and helping GCSAA members achieve career success. To that end, GCM provides authoritative how-to career-oriented, technical and trend information by industry experts, researchers and golf course superintendents. By advancing the profes-sion and members careers, the magazine contributes to the enhancement, growth and vitality of the game of golf.

The articles, discussions, research and other information in this publication are advisory only and are not intended as a substitute for specifc manufacturer instructions or training for the processes discussed, or in the use, application, storage and handling of the products mentioned. Use of this information is voluntary and within the control and discretion of the reader. 2014 by GCSAA Com-munications Inc., all rights reserved.

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Golf Course Management MagazineOffcial Publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America

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One thing that has always impressed me about golf course superintendents is their will-ingness to take the road less travelled.

No matter how cautious or conservative they might be in their personal lives, most su-perintendents I know have no qualms about trying new things or embracing new technol-ogies or solutions when managing their golf courses. That doesnt mean they completely throw caution to the wind, but it does mean that an open mind can be a powerful tool in helping superintendents create superior golf course conditions.

That same attitude seems to extend to the way superintendents view their national asso-ciation. During my time on the GCSAA Board of Directors, weve foated many ideas about new programs or initiatives to members. Some of those proposals have been quickly adopted, while others have found the bottom of a re-cycling bin. But regardless of the fate of these proposals, even the most skeptical of our mem-bers have shown a willingness to listen and to consider how they might positively impact the experience of being a GCSAA member.

Following this years Chapter Delegates Meeting in October, your association has reached another one of those moments where members will be asked to consider some new ideas, ideas that that we feel symbolize signif-cant steps forward for GCSAA and its mem-bers. Were aware that not every member will agree with our assessments, but were equally aware that at this point in time, the open-minded consideration of these proposals is just as important as their ultimate fate.

Among these ideas is a proposal to create a new membership classifcation for equipment managers within GCSAA. We have long ad-vocated that a focus on the facility by our members is the best route to creating success-ful golf operations, operations that ultimately beneft both superintendents and the other professionals within those facilities.

And, as any superintendent will tell you, equipment managers are crucial cogs in creat-ing that successful team atmosphere. It is our belief that bringing these professionals into the GCSAA fold and offering them the same world-class educational and networking op-portunities that other GCSAA members enjoy is a positive step for our industry. A vote on

this proposal will take place at the 2015 An-nual Meeting in San Antonio.

Another proposal on which we will be seeking member input revolves around GCSAA member standards and a retooling of the associations membership classifcations in advance of a possible vote at the 2016 An-nual Meeting in San Diego. Its a proposal that would, among other things, ultimately reduce and simplify the total of number of GCSAA membership classes while maintaining our certifcation program as the pinnacle of the as-sociations continuing education program.

This may not be the frst time that you are hearing about these proposals and the oth-ers that were introduced during the Chapter Delegates Meeting in October. You may have already been debriefed about them by your chapter delegate or read through the out-comes of the meeting available on the GCSAA website (www.gcsaa.org/docs/default-source/chapters/2014-delegates-meeting-outcomes-2.pdf?sfvrsn=2).

But regardless of whether youre well versed on these issues or this is the frst time youre hearing about them, the next step remains the same we need your feedback. Your board of directors wants to hear your thoughts about these proposals, what youre concerned about, what youre excited about.

This is the most important stage of this process, in my view, and its important to note that at this time, these proposals are only that proposals. They wont be implemented or become part of GCSAA bylaws without your buy-in. And in my opinion, that is the true strength of this association, the fact that deci-sions such as these are left in the hands of the many as opposed to the few.

So in the same way youd consider new products or techniques for your golf course, we are asking you to review and consider these new GCSAA proposals and share your thoughts with any member of the national board of directors or your chapter delegate. I thank you in advance for your consideration.

Keith A. Ihms, CGCS, is the golf course maintenance man-

ager at Bella Vista (Ark.) Village and a 33-year member

of GCSAA.

Keith A. Ihms, CGCS

[email protected]

Your role in plotting the future of GCSAA

Following this years

Chapter Delegates

Meeting in October,

your association

has reached

another one of

those moments

where members

will be asked to

consider some new

ideas.

(presidents message)


A year ago at about this time, there was a palpable sense of anxiety permeating the halls of GCM World Headquarters in Law-rence, Kan. (otherwise known as GCSAA headquarters).

For the previous six months or so, the staff of the magazine had been living a dual life, preparing each monthly issue of GCM as they always had while at the same time working on a new-look GCM that would debut in January 2014, the frst full redesign of the magazine in more than seven years.

As Ive detailed previously in this space, the process of redesigning a magazine isnt all that different from a superintendent and his team redesigning parts of their golf course. As any superintendent whos been through that can attest, even a limited redesign or remodel can seem like a full-time job in and of itself, but that doesnt mean the day-to-day respon-sibilities go away.

Still, when all was said and done, and all the work and the worry were in the rearview mirror, we sat there in early December 2013, putting our redesign ideas into practice for an actual issue of GCM, and we liked what we saw. We were proud of the new design, of the new content we were introducing and how all of that would position us for the future.

What we didnt know, of course, was what the readers would think of the new GCM. Would the GCSAA members who receive the magazine each month agree with our assess-ment that it was worth all the blood, sweat and tears? Or would the cries about fxing something that wasnt broken leave us ques-tioning what we had gotten ourselves into?

Almost one year after the launch of that redesign, Im pleased to say that the pats on the back have far exceeded the kicks in the shorts. Its been gratifying affrmation of the plan we made and the work we did. But it hasnt stopped us wondering if those opinions persist to this day, which is why the redesign whats worked and what hasnt was front and center at a recent meeting of the GCM Editorial Board task group.

The task group is made up of a dozen or so GCSAA members, including chairman Dar-ren Davis, CGCS, a member of GCSAAs na-tional board of directors. They were brought together this year to advise the magazine on a number of items, from potential story ideas to voting on the winner of the annual Leo Feser Award, but one of their most important duties was to offer a deep look into GCMs redesign, one year later, to make sure that we remained on the right track.

It was without question a valuable exercise, one that confrmed opinions in some areas and daylighted potential areas of improvement in others. And it also got me thinking about ways we can expand this exercise beyond just those 12 dedicated GCSAA members, ways we can involve more and more GCM readers in shap-ing the overall direction of the magazine.

At the end of the day, this magazine isnt about me or the other staff members that put it together each month. Its about you, the reader, the golf course superintendent who re-lies on the news and information that you fnd in GCM each month. If the readers say were doing a good job, were doing a good job. If they say were missing the mark, then we def-nitely have work we need to do.

So, with a new year approaching, I hope youll each add a small resolution to your list. In the coming year, reach out to us and let us know how were doing. Tell us what you like and what you dont like, what features you re-fuse to miss and what features youd kick to the curb. Hearing from a few GCM readers is great. Hearing from hundreds of them is even better.

This is your magazine, so help us make it what you want it to be.

Scott Hollister ([email protected]) is GCM s editor-in-

chief.

Making your voice heard

At the end of the

day, this magazine

isnt about me

or the other staff

members that put

it together each

month. Its about

you, the reader,

the golf course

superintendent who

relies on the news

and information that

you fnd in GCM

each month.

(inside gcm)

Scott Hollister

[email protected]

twitter: @GCM_Magazine

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Its always beginning to look a lot like Christmas in this place.

In Santa Claus, Ind., where else would you fnd Frostys Fun Center, Holiday World Splashin Safari and

Santas Candy Castle? Then there is the post offce. In December, it is inundated with requests worldwide

from those who want a holiday postmark from Santa Claus (the zip code, by the way, is 47579). Every year

at this time, half a million postmarks come out of Santa Claus, population 2,400.

You also will see homes that keep their Christmas trees up for the entire year in Santa Claus, this south-

west Indiana town that in the last four years fnally got a McDonalds and Subway. Homes here will adorn

their Christmas trees anytime depending on the holiday. At Halloween, for example, expect to see spooky

ornaments on them.

It also probably comes as no surprise that where people play golf gets into the act.

At the turnoff leading to Christmas Lake Golf Course, where Kevin Laswell, 40, is the superintendent, a

20-foot sign fts the towns theme. It is an image of Santa Claus, beard and all, swinging a golf club. In the

background, of course, is a decorated Christmas tree. In fact, there is a lighted Christmas tree in the club-

house. Years ago, 8-foot-tall evergreens served as 150-yard markers throughout the course.

His story may not be classifed as a Christmas miracle, but Laswells rise in the industry is nothing short

of spectacular.

Holiday spirit 24/7

Christmas Lake GC superintendent Kevin Laswell with, well, you know who. Santa Claus real name is Ron Smith. Photos by Rhonda Hunter

22 GOLF COURSE MANAGEMENT 12.14OURSE MANAGEMENT 12.14

By the NUMBERS

Never attended a turfgrass school. Worked in con-

struction. Nothing signaled becoming a superintendent.

Not until his in-laws purchased a golf course.

Russ and Linda Winkler bought Christmas Lake GC

in 2001. They needed a superintendent. Who better than

their daughter Julies husband, Kevin, they thought.

I kind of fell into this, Laswell says.

Maybe so, but Laswell, who has been a member of

GCSAA 13 years now, eventually dived into it. Ask anyone.

His desire to absorb anything and everything about being a

superintendent became evident real fast. Laswell learned

from people such as Harrells sales rep Matt Schreiber and

Larry Hall, who used to work for Harrells.

He defnitely is a self-made superintendent, says

Andy Minnette, salesman for Tenbarge Seed & Turfgrass

Supplies. He has relied on people such as myself and

didnt act like he knows everything. Hes not scared to ask

questions. You feel he needs you, which makes the sales

guys feel good. He just has always tried to better himself.

Laswells mother-in-law, Linda Winkler, thinks she and

her husband made a wise hire in Kevin.

He knows what needs to be done and hes going to

get it done, she says.

At one time, Golf Digest ranked Christmas Lake GC

as one of the top 75 public courses in America. Christmas

Lake GC PGA professional Tom Nelson credits Laswell

with making it notable.

The fairways used to be bare dirt and the greens

were an old strain of bentgrass, Nelson says. Kevin

showed that if you have the right work ethic and keep an

open mind that you can be successful. He doesnt make

rash decisions, doesnt panic, which is a good thing.

Steve Merkel, who is a part-time laborer for Laswell,

says, Anybody that saw this course before they (Winklers)

took it over and see it now would be amazed. Everything

has improved. The biggest thing about Kevin is if he didnt

know something, he wouldnt pretend and wouldnt do

something haphazardly. He would fnd out the correct way

to do it.

Laswell, father to son Hunter and daughter Halle, ad-

mits it becomes pretty festive at Christmas Lake GC this

time of year. They even stage a tournament called The

Nightmare Before Christmas, an event that usually has a

waiting list and sometimes calls for Laswell to scrape ice

and remove snow from the course. It sounds like if that,

or anything else needs to be addressed, Laswell comes

through like Santa on Christmas Eve.

Im just an old farm boy who has had a lot of help,

Laswell says.

Howard Richman, GCM associate editor

Carter to receive Presidents Award for Environmental Stewardship

Paul L. Carter, CGCS, will receive the 2015 Pres-

idents Award for Environmental Stewardship from the

GCSAA Board of Directors.

Carter, who oversees Bear Trace at Harrison Bay,

Tenn., is being honored Feb. 25 during the Opening

Session at the 2015 Golf Industry Show in San Antonio.

The Opening Session is being presented in partnership

with Syngenta.

This is a tremendous honor. I consider myself fortu-

nate to be considered and even more blessed to receive

GCSAA membership through the

years

22 GOLF CO

Yes, Santa Claus, Ind., is for real. More than 2,000 people reside there.

* Source: GCSAA

1926

1962

1970

1975

1981

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2014

1,000

3,0005,0007,0009,000

11,00013,00015,00017,00019,000

Mem

bersh

ip

60

4,500

5,000

6,337

10,252

14,853

20,336

20,001

18,946

17,131

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

16,67718,002

18,66219,767

21,18320,958

20,37920,235

19,95520,027

19,92619,335

18,35417,588

17,446

11,00911,888

12,84814,007

6,8407,326

7,9308,786

Protect your work of art.

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Thats why professionals trust us and build their snow mold control

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the award, Carter says. Protecting the environment and

our natural resources falls right in our wheelhouse.

Carter, 45, has spent 13 years at Bear Trace at Harri-

son Bay. A 22-year member of GCSAA, Carter has actively

worked to promote environmentally friendly golf from the

start. And, in 2008, Bear Trace at Harrison Bay became

one of just seven courses in Tennessee in the Audubon Co-

operative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses. The course

also is one of only six in the U.S. to earn certifcation from

the Golf Environment Organization.

Bear Trace at Harrison Bay has been recognized twice

for the Governors Environmental Stewardship Award

(2009 and 2012).

Pauls work is a shining example for all superin-

tendents, says GCSAA President Keith A. Ihms, CGCS.

Through his impactful environmental stewardship, he

demonstrates the full benefts of what golf courses can be

for recreation and a healthy environment through profes-

sional management.

A graduate of Auburn University, Carter earned a

bachelors degree in horticulture-landscape design. He

has been active as president of the Tennessee Turfgrass

Association for the last two years and has been instrumen-

tal in promoting Rounds 4 Research for the Tennessee Golf

Course Superintendents Association.

4114The

44

tory in Fuquay-Varina, N.C.

Fifty assistants were chosen to participate from the

U.S. and Canada. Walter, who works at Belmont Country

Club in Ashburn, Va., came away from the three-day acad-

emy with a vibe.

A lot of guys are ready to be superintendents,

he says.

Walter and his peers attended sessions that fea-

tured Bob Farren, CGCS, director of course and grounds

management at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort; Jeff Corcoran,

manager golf course and grounds, Oak Hill Country Club,

Rochester, N.Y.; Billy Weeks, superintendent, Duke Univer-

sity Golf Club, Durham, N.C.; Ed Ibarguen, general man-

ager and PGA director, Duke University GC; Chris Condon,

superintendent, Tetherow Golf Club, Bend, Ore.; Chris

Data for GCSAA professional members (superintendents or assistant superintendents (n = 12,255).

GE

ND

ER

MEMBERSHIP SNAPSHOTMEMBERSHIP SNAPSHOT

12

,154

101

TYPE O

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OLF FACILITY

5,77

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IVATE

DAILY

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3,38

9

MUNICIPAL 1,640

UN

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OW

N 6

09

SEM

I-PR

IVAT

E 84

4

COUNTRY

11

,79

83

00

13

52

2

OTHER (in 44 Countries)

UNKNOWN

NUMBER OF HOLES9

18

27

684

8,936

910

?YES NO1,164 11,091

Going green: Ninth annual Green Start Academy in the books

David Walter fnds it amazing that so many people that

graduated from Ohio State with him fve years ago are no

longer in the business. They obviously do not have Walters

want-to.

This year alone, Walter has applied for two superin-

tendent positions. Although he was unable to land either

one of them, Walter continues to pursue that dream. The

journey included a trip in October to North Carolina for the

ninth annual Green Start Academy, which is a collaboration

of John Deere and Bayer, designed for assistant superin-

tendents to meet and hear from experts in the industry,

network with them and tour the John Deere Turf Care fac-


CSSA recap: Turfgrass Science awards, Stiegler tourney

The Turfgrass Science Division of the Crop Science

Society of America (CSSA) sponsors a graduate student

competition at the societys annual meetings, held this

year in Long Beach, Calif., Nov. 2-5.

Each of the four sponsors supports awards for best

oral presentation and poster. This years winners, listed by

sponsor, are: Golf Course Superintendents Association of

America: Oral, Glen Obear, University of Wisconsin; Poster,

Xuan Chen, University of Connecticut; Turfgrass Science

Division: Oral, Lisa Beirn, Rutgers University; Poster, Luqi

Li, University of Nebraska; Turfgrass Breeders Associa-

tion: Oral, Meghyn Weeks, Texas A&M University; Poster,

Frank Bethea, Clemson University; and Turfgrass Industry:

Oral, Kevin Miele, University of Connecticut; Poster, Taylor

Wallace, University of Guelph.

In conjunction with the annual meetings of the CSSA,

the societys Turfgrass Science Division held the Chris

Stiegler Fellowship Golf Tournament at Oak Creek Golf

Club in Irvine, Calif., Nov. 2. The tournament raised ap-

proximately $24,000, which will be added to the endow-

ment for the Stiegler Foundation. Each year the foundation

awards fellowships of $1,000 each to six turfgrass sci-

ence graduate students to help defray costs associated

with attending the societys annual meeting. This years

awardees include Philipe Aldahir, Auburn University;

Norma Flor, University of Florida; Charles Fontanier, Texas

A&M University; and Zane Raudenbusch, Kansas State

University (all Ph.D. students), and Benton Hodges, Mis-

sissippi State University and Chris Mattox, Oregon State

University, both masters degree students.

Hall call for Georgia superintendents

Three men are being inducted this month into the

Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Hall of Fame: Bobby

McGee; William Shirley, CGCS; and Ron Sinnock.

McGee passed away in 2005. In 1976, he prepped

Atlanta Athletic Club for the U.S. Open. A 37-year member

of GCSAA, McGee served on the Georgia GCSA Board of

Directors and was president in 1975-1976. He also was

on the USGA Green Section committee for more than two

decades.

Shirley began his career in 1980 at Newnan CC. He

was working at the time in the pro shop when club leaders

encouraged him to take the superintendent position, which

opened that year. In 2011, Shirley was named Superinten-

dent of the Year.

Sinnock served as a Georgia GCSA director during his

years as a superintendent at Chattahoochee Golf Course,

Gainesville, Ga., and Coosa Country Club, in Rome, Ga. He

was a pioneer of bentgrass in the state, converting both

courses from the coarser bermudagrasses of that era.

They will be recognized Dec. 8 at the GGCSAs annual

awards banquet at The King and Prince Resort on St. Si-

mons Island, Ga.

David Feherty, Part II If you missed golf personality David Feherty the last

time he performed at the Golf Industry Show, you get an-

other chance to see him.

Feherty will be the entertainer for the GIS Closing Cel-

ebration, presented in partnership with John Deere Golf,

Feb. 26 in San Antonio. Feherty frst appeared at GIS in

2012 in Las Vegas.

Sometimes witty, often hilarious, Feherty is an on-

Dr. James Beard (far right) was honored with the Crop Science Society of Americas most prestigious award on Nov. 3, at the societys annual meeting in Long Beach, Calif. Shown with Beard at a reception in his honor are his former colleagues at Michigan State University, Dr. Paul Rieke (far left) and Dr. Joseph Vargas (middle). Photo by Kevin Fank

Dew, superintendent, The National Golf Club of Canada,

Woodbridge, Ontario; and Bryan Stromme, regional direc-

tor of agronomy, Billy Casper Golf. Carol Rau, golf career

consultant and owner of Career Advantage LLC, and a

regular contributor to GCM, also delivered a presentation.

Its great to get advice and hear stories from people

who have come up through the ranks like we are doing

now, says Patrick Fallow, assistant at Alpine Country Club

in Cranston, R.I.

For instance, Stromme suggests assistant superinten-

dents should take ownership of their property by driving

around on it regularly and get a frm handle on the clubs

fnancial situation. Dew encourages assistants to have au-

tonomy. Thats how you can grow, he says. We want them

(assistants) to feel like they are doing more than just cut-

ting grass, Dew says.

Corcoran, who hosted the 2013 PGA Championship,

believes it is imperative to surround yourself with only

the best. Im only as good as the team I put around me.

Self-police each other, he says. I want to hire individuals

who do that.

Farren wants his assistants to be mentors for the staff.

Coach, acknowledge and reward those who deserve it, he

advises. And, just as importantly, become a familiar face

at your property by becoming indispensable.

Strive to be the go-to source for anything that is

needed at your facility, Farren says. Make sure the frst

person they think of for something is you. You will always

have value at your facility if you are that go-to person.

The only female assistant at Green Start was Karen

Rumohr from Edmonton Petroleum Golf and Country Club

in Spruce Grove, Alberta. She has her goal in sight. Being

a superintendent is my next career move, Rumohr says.

Im confdent in my ability and its absolutely what I want

to do.

Walter knows how Rumohr feels. He notes the com-

mon thread at Green Start Academy.

You have people here from all different places that

have the same exact issues. Its a small world, Wal-

ter says.

Howard Richman, GCM associate editor

Pinehurst No. 2 receives Green Star Award

Pinehurst No. 2 has received Golf Digests 2014 Green

Star Award for outstanding environmental practices.

Host of both the womens and mens U.S. Opens in

June, Pinehurst No. 2 earned the honor because it has

implemented water reduction programs in startling and

intuitive ways. This year, Pinehurst No. 2 will use about

73 percent less water than in 2009, which is the last full

year prior to the launch of a major restoration project that

eliminated bermudagrass rough and reintroduced sand

and native wiregrass.

Golf Digest, which wrote that Pinehurst No. 2 let nature

dictate course conditions, added, Pinehurst No. 2 proved

its a championship test, even when its grass is yellow.


Proposed changes to Florida

facility not totally popular

The owner of Killearn Country Club is considering

the elimination of a nine-hole course at the facility

and replacing it with an apartment complex or as-

sisted living facility, a move not wildly popular with the

community, the Tallahassee Democrat reports.

www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/2014/11/05/

killearn-residents-challenge-golf-course-

plans/18532865/

Golf course saved in Houston

The Houston City Council chose to save Gus

Wortham Golf Course rather than put in a botanic

garden, the Houston Chronicle reports. www.hous

tonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/arti-

cle/Council-wants-golf-not-gardens-at-

Gus-Wortham-5874317.php

Justin Timberlake sells

golf course

Pop star Justin Timberlake sold Mirimichi Golf

Course in his hometown, according to the Memphis

Business Journal. www.bizjournals.com/memphis/

news/2014/11/07/in-wake-of-timberlake-sale-miri-

michi-announces.html

Tweets

RETWEETS

In the

NEWS

course commentator for CBS and the Golf Channel. Fe-

herty, 56, ended his playing career in 1997 and signed

on with CBS after recording fve wins on the PGA Euro-

pean Tour.

Being a superintendent is a tough job. As soon as

they have everything just right, Mother Nature rushes in

and wreaks havoc, making them start over, says Feherty,

a native of Northern Ireland. In my life, most of the messes

I have made have been of my own doing. Unless, of course,

I can fnd a way to blame my friend (Gary) McCord.

GCSAA Chief Executive Offcer Rhett Evans says, He

(Feherty) is entertaining just by being himself, and he has

brought an unmatched vitality to covering golf, both on and

off the course.

USGA makes major Green Section changes

The USGA announced several major changes in its

Green Section department.

Effective Dec. 1, the Green Section regions were re-

aligned, reducing the current eight regions to four. In the

news release from the USGA, the realignment is to de-

liver better service to our Course Consulting Service (CCS)

customers and to improve effciency. The USGA says this

is the frst time in nearly two decades since signifcant

changes have been made to the Green Section regions.

Also:

Darin Bevard was promoted to the new Green Section

position of director, championship agronomy. He will be

lead agronomist for the U.S. Open, U.S. Womens Open,

U.S. Senior Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Womens Ama-

teur. Bevard has been staff agronomist in the Mid-Atlantic

Region since 1996 and director of the region since 2012.

Chris Hartwiger was promoted to director, CCS. He

will oversee the planning, direction and execution of the

USGAs CCS and will work directly with Green Section

agronomists on the development and dissemination of sci-

ence-based and practical sustainable management prac-

tices solutions to help golf facilities.

As for the Green Section realignment, the current

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions will combine to form

the Northeast Region; Dave Oatis will serve as regional di-

rector. Elliott Dowling, Adam Moeller and Jim Skorulski are

the agronomists available to the golf courses in the North-

east Region. Another agronomist position to be based in

the Glen Mills, Pa., offce, will be added.

The new Southeast Region will be a combination of the

states within the current Southeast and Florida Regions

and the addition of Louisiana and Arkansas. John Foy will

be the regional director with the support of agronomists

Todd Lowe and Patrick OBrien.

The current North-Central and Mid-Continent Regions

will combine to form the new Central Regional. Regional

Director Keith Happ will be joined by John Daniels and Bob

Vavrek as agronomists providing expertise.

The current Southwest and Northwest Regions will

combine to form the the new West Region. Pat Gross will

serve as regional director. Larry Gilhuly, Ty McClellan and

Brian Whitlark are agronomists in the West Region.

Bishop ousted at PGA of America

Ted Bishop, who served as the 38th PGA president,

was removed from his position Oct. 24.

Bishop, owner of The Legends Golf Club in Franklin,

Ind., and a six-year member of GCSAA, was voted out of

offce by the PGA of America Board of Directors for what

they deemed insensitive gender-based statements that

were posted on social media. The Board said the remarks

were inconsistent with the policies of the PGA of America.

Brandon Oppelt @BOGolf1

Mom sent me this pic of the front yard

in Brainerd. Ya you betcha thats snow

alright. Thanks for the reminder.

pic.twitter.com/oJbfrU6XRu

LHCC Grounds @GriffthsJayson

Drilling and flling bird baths prior to win-

ter freeze...hoping to improve standing

water movement in shoulder months

pic.twitter.com/YR37NFPN2D

Jason Hooper @superjhooper

Thanks to the #jackwagons that dumped

their trash at our entrance gate. Hap-

pens more than youd think. #stayclassy

pic.twitter.com/04H9mfS8gE

St Andrews Links @TheHomeofGolf A

wintery looking Links as the mist rolls in

over our courses this afternoon.

pic.twitter.com/jUwaQaydrN

Sean McCue @SKMQU

Its a beautiful fall morning out right

now, but in a matter of hours all hell is

supposed to be breaking loose

pic.twitter.com/ObEn8gfAOb

Steve Loughran @RRCCSuper

Pounding sand into the profle! Getting

ready for a long winters nap. #2015prep

pic.twitter.com/FxhEjEt7Bk

Bill Larson, CGCS @tcturf

Nothing better than planting trees in a

snow storm.

pic.twitter.com/DFFYdnqbwr


Turfgrass area:Putting green

Location:Naples, Fla.

Grass variety:MiniVerde bermudagrass

(a)Pink irrigation water

Turfgrass area:Fairway

Location:Page, Ariz.

Grass variety:Bluegrass/ryegrass/Poa annua/

bermudagrass mix

(b)

PROBLEM

Presented in partnership with Jacobsen

Brown turf on green perimeters

Answers on page 102

(photo quiz)

PROBLEM

By John MascaroPresident of Turf-Tec International

To keep its 81 holes of world-class golf in awless shape every day, Pebble Beach uses only

Jacobsen turf equipment on every inch of every hole.

For more than 90 years, Pebble Beach has been a national treasure. Its ve breathtaking courses

contain some of the most iconic golf images known to the game. Six major championships

helped create an indelible image of majestic beauty and striking contrasts.

For more information about Jacobsen or to nd a Jacobsen dealer near you, visit jacobsen.com.

.

1.888.922.TURF | www.jacobsen.com

2014 Jacobsen division of Textron. All rights reserved.

5 COURSES.

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365 DAYS A YEAR.

Pebble Beach Golf Links is maintained by Jacobsen equipment. Pebble Beach, Pebble Beach Resorts,

Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Lone CypressTM, The Heritage Logo and their distinctive images are

trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. Use is by permission.

ONE BRAND OF TURF EQUIPMENT


Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. Larry Stowell, Ph.D.Micah Woods, Ph.D.

Current soil nutritional guidelines do a good job of producing quality turf, but based on our research (1), they frequently call for higher nutrient inputs than the turf really needs. In addition, they do not take into account how each locations climatic conditions affect the nutrient requirements of the turf that grows there. To address these problems, we launched the Global Soil Survey for Sustainable Turf in August 2013, enlisting turf managers from around the globe in the development of new, more precise and more sustainable turf nutrient guidelines. We are proud to announce that the results of the surveys frst year are now in and are publicly available online (2).

We knew that the results of the survey and of the new nutritional guidelines (the MLSN or Minimum Levels for Sustainable Nutrition Guidelines [3,4]) that resulted from it might attract attention, and even controversy, because they represent a signifcant departure in the philosophy and practice of turf nutrition. This is one of many reasons we decided to take a unique and very appealing approach known as open science (5) to designing and reporting the results of this project.

The open science concept gives anyone who is interested the ability to check what we have done, see how we are analyzing the data or even use the data for their own purposes (6). In other words, we not only share the charts, tables, reports and recommendations with the public, but we also share the underlying data and even the data analysis scripts and code we used to make the report. We hope it will be a rich resource for grad students, researchers and consultants. Science is headed more and more toward sharing and collaboration, and we are very proud to be able to bring these principles into our work.

To accomplish the goal of generating new turf nutritional guidelines that allow superintendents to supply turf with precisely the nutrients it needs no more and no less we invited turf managers from around the world to join the Global Soil Survey. Each participant collected three soil samples from areas with good performing turf and submitted them for analysis. We then analyzed the results and also compared them against both

Presented in Partnership with Barenbrug

(turf)

conventional soil guidelines and the newly developed MLSN guidelines. The data, which arrived from Europe, Asia and North America, supported our previous fnding that good performing turf can be produced at nutrient levels much lower than conventional guidelines recommend. The survey data have been added to the database of thousands of soil samples that were used to create the MLSN guidelines (7). These guidelines will be periodically updated as more data comes in from the survey.

We have been impressed with the response of turf managers and the wide range of facilities they represent, and we wish to thank them for their vision, their good work and their participation in the survey (8). We believe that the MLSN guidelines have already started to make a big and positive difference in the way turf is grown. Because they are built entirely on samples submitted by turf managers, these guidelines would literally not exist without the active participation of the turf community.

The Global Soil Survey is an ongoing project that will continue to report on results and update improvements on guidelines as needed. It is our hope that turf managers will continue to sign up (www.paceturf.org/journal/global_soil_survey) and get involved with this exciting and worthwhile project.

Wendy Gelernter ([email protected], www.paceturf.

org) and Larry Stowell are the principals of PACE Turf LLC,

San Diego, Calif. Micah Woods is chief scientist at the Asian

Turfgrass Center and an adjunct assistant professor in the

department of plant sciences at the University of Tennes-

see, Knoxville.

References

1. Woods, M. 2014. Conventional nutri-

ent guidelines: explaining what I mean by

broken. Viridescent, the Asian Turfgrass

Center Blog (www.blog.asianturfgrass.

com/2014/09/conventional-nutrient-guide

lines-explaining-what-i-mean-by-broken.

html) Accessed Nov. 10, 2014.

2. Woods, M., L. Stowell and W. Gelernter.

2014. 2014 Global Soil Survey Report (www.

paceturf.org/PTRI/Documents/2014_gss_

report.pdf) Accessed Nov. 10, 2014.

3. Stowell, L., and M. Woods. 2013. Minimum

levels for sustainable nutrition. Applied

Turfgrass Science doi:10.2134/ATS-2013-

0008BC

4. Woods, M., L. Stowell and W. Gelernter.

2014. Just what the grass requires: Using

minimum levels for sustainable nutrition. Golf

Course Management 82(1):132-138.

5. Lin, T. 2012. Cracking open the scientifc

process. The New York Times, Jan. 16, 2012.

(www.nytimes.com/2012/01/17/science/

open-science-challenges-journal-

tradition-with-web-collaboration.html) Ac-

cessed Nov. 10, 2014.

6. Woods, M. 2014. Global Soil Survey data

repository. (http://micahwoods.github.

io/2014_gss_report/) Accessed Nov. 10,

2014.

7. Minimum levels for sustainable nutrition soil

guidelines. PACE Turf Super Journal (www.

paceturf.org/index.php/journal/minimum_

level_for_sustainable_nutrition/) Accessed

Nov. 10, 2014.

8. Global Soil Survey participant listing. PACE

Turf Super Journal (www.paceturf.org/

journal/gss_participants) Accessed Nov. 10,

2014.

Global Soil Survey breaks new ground

Global

Soil

Survey

For Sustainable Turf


Drag a piece of wood down the road at 55 mph, and youll leave a trail of sawdust. At-tack that wood with tiny steel teeth moving 45 to 65 mph, and you have a chain saw spewing nice long chips and quickly cutting wood.

If your chain saw spits sawdust, install a freshly sharpened chain. The longer you drag dull teeth through wood, the more you soften the steel, stretch the links and wear down your bar, sprocket, engine and patience. A

(shop)

Scott R. Nesbitt

[email protected]

I use a triangular fle, not a fat fle. The tri-angular fle is cheaper because its more com-mon. It also gives three fling faces instead of two. Tap the fles end on a hard surface after fnishing a guide to shake off metal fakes, keeping more of the fles cutting edges open.

Your real goal is equalizing guides to match your equal cutters. When the tooths cutting edge hits wood, the entire tooth rocks back on its heel. The guide rises up and sets the thick-ness. The heel takes all the pressure. This tooth movement creates tension that tight-ens the entire chain. With guides that are too short or too tall, or not equal, the chain cant work properly.

If you use the wrong bar oil, you just in-crease the saws chatter, bounce and general imposition of misery.

On all saws, bar oil is fed to the chain at the upper side of the bar. The oil has to cling as the chain rolls around the bar nose. Then it has to resist being wiped away by a small high-speed heel at the bottom of the bar.

Proper chain tension keeps the saw cutting nicely for extended periods. I prefer gripping the chain on top of the bar with the left hand, then adjusting the tensioner until I feel the chain touch the bar then backing off a smid-gen. You should be able to easily pull the chain along the bar with little force and little slack. Check the tension again after a few cuts have warmed the chain.

The goal is to keep the saw operator happy and the chips fowing.

Theres more wisdom for free from saw chain manufacturers. In order of my preference, get these from your supplier, or download: Sharpening STIHL saw chains from www.stihlusa.com/manuals/

Carlton Safety Maintenance Manual (eight available languages) from carlton products.com/carlton_manuals.asp

Oregon Maintenance and Safety Manual (a computer slide show) from www.oregon products.com/pro/pro_home.htm

Oh, and please read the chain saw opera-tion manual. Really.

Scott R. Nesbitt is a freelance writer and former GCSAA

staff member. He lives in Cleveland, Ga.

Depth guide fling gauges come in many different shapes and depths, ranging from 0.020 to 0.040 inch. Select the guide and fle that suits the chain. Photo by Scott Nesbitt

The mechanics of easy cutting

round fle (of the proper size) can touch up the cutters in the feld, but youll need a grinder to restore the angles and length of the cutters.

Once youve properly ground the chains cutters, you absolutely, positively must set the depth guide that hump of steel in front of the tooths cutting edge. (Its also called depth gauge, but that confuses me.)

Use a depth gauge tool like the ones in the photo. A 0.020-inch gauge works brilliantly for all common 3 8-inch and 0.325-inch chains. If your tool is metric, the 0.65-millimeter setting equals 0.026 inch. Equally brilliant. Your chain may specify 0.025 or 0.030 inch. Your goal is absolute equality among all the depth guides. Unequal guides make the chain snatch and vibrate and/or pull the bar to the side when cutting.

Use a fne-grain single-cut fle. It removes metal only when pushed forward. Youll leave a smoother surface. After fling the guide to match the gauge surface, take a second to round off the guides front edge, like on a new chain.


Its been an incredible year for GCSAAs government relations program. Lets take a look back and in next months column, take a look forward.

January. GCM launched the monthly Ad-vocacy column, which GCSAA members can use to learn about advocacy efforts and im-portant compliance deadlines. The GCSAA Government Relations Quarterly Briefng of-fered a 30-minute webinar during which mem-bers heard from the associations lobbyist about activities in Congress impacting the profession and from our government relations and feld staff on hot advocacy topics. The next briefng is Jan. 14.

February. The government relations ses-sion at the 2014 Golf Industry Show focused on Affordable Care Act compliance and changes to OSHAs Hazard Communication Standard due to the U.S. governments adop-tion of the Globally Harmonized System of Pesticide Labeling. Next years program (3-4 p.m., Feb. 24) will be Mythbusting the Amer-icans with Disabilities Act.

March. Staff participated in the Associa-tion of American Pesticide Control Offcials annual meeting in Washington, D.C. AAPCO is the nations primary forum for offering di-rect input on state and federal pesticide regula-tory issues and policies. EPA and USDA staffs attend as well as representatives from all 50 state pesticide programs.

April. Greens & Grassroots and Government Relations Online (GRO) launched. GRO is the associations government relations Web portal (under the Community tab at gcsaa.org) and the home for all GCSAA action alerts. Greens & Grassroots, GCSAAs monthly government rela-tions e-newsletter, is an opt-in publication with

current readership of 500. Staff wants to double this count in 2015.

May. The seventh annual National Golf Day event took place on Capitol Hill. The GCSAA delegation held 75 appointments with members of Congress and expressed their con-cerns with the EPAs new proposed rule, which redefnes a water of the U.S. (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act.

June. Reed Smith, GCSAAs DC partner, hosted the frst meeting of the golf industry WOTUS stakeholder team that includes lead-ing golf course architects and builders. Staff also attended the Pesticide Policy Dialogue Commit-tee (PPDC) meeting in DC. GCSAA interacts biannually with a diverse group of stakeholders to provide feedback to EPA on various pesticide regulatory, policy and program implementation issues. GCSAAs lobby team also hit up Capitol Hill to talk WOTUS with the senior legal coun-sels with the WOTUS committees of jurisdic-tion, including both majority and minority staff with the Senate Environment and Public Works and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees.

July. GCSAA kicked off its new Govern-ment Relations Network and the offcial re-cruitment of GCSAA Grassroots Ambassa-dors. This program matches a professional member of GCSAA with all 535 members of Congress. The association now has 95 ambas-sadors, who are listed on GRO.

August. GCSAA joined the Waters Advo-cacy Coalition along with six other allied golf organizations and 65+ national groups in op-position to the WOTUS proposal. Staff also spoke for the frst time at the joint meeting of the American and Canadian Phytopatholog-ical Societies. APS is dedicated to innovative

(advocacy)

Chava McKeel

[email protected]

twitter: @GCSAA

A look back

plant pathology research, and GCSAA staff educated plant pathologists on national pes-ticides issues impacting golf.

September. GCSAA supported pas-sage of The Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protec-tion Act, which upholds the balanced federal-state partnership that has historically regulated the nations waters and would block the imple-mentation of the WOTUS rule.

The U.S. House received letters from GCSAA CEO Rhett Evans, 28 GCSAA chapters and more than 400 GCSAA members. In a signif-icant victory, the EPA also granted GCSAA a three-year extension on the use of existing stocks of Nemacur.

October. The #golfvotes social media cam-paign was launched to get GCSAA members involved via social media in showing lawmak-ers how members of the golf industry are pay-ing attention to their actions. GCSAA mem-bers took selfes with their I Voted sticker and posted them on social media platforms. On Election Day, the campaign generated 209 tweets from 106 individual contributors. A powerful message was delivered to 438,520 timelines and reached 60,614 individuals.

November. Reed Smith helped GCSAA and its golf-allied partners submit offcial com-ments to the federal docket on the WOTUS rule. The comments are available on GRO.

December. Staff will discuss all of these activities and accomplishments at the Georgia GCSA and Oklahoma GCSA annual meet-ings. In 2014, staff spoke at chapter meetings in Maine, New York, Connecticut, South Car-olina, Indiana and North Carolina. Staff will again attend the PPDC meeting and fnish re-cruitment of the January 2015 class of GCSAA Grassroots Ambassadors.

It was a productive and fast-paced year for the government relations program. The mid-term elections are over and there will be a new balance of power in Congress come January. GCSAA will continue to work with members in 2015 to make sure that the voice of the golf course management profession is heard.

Chava McKeel is GCSAAs associate director, government

relations.


It is easy to get in over your head when trying to understand the water rights that af-fect your golf course irrigation supply. Dont let the complexity of water law dissuade you from becoming active in understanding your water rights. After all, there is no one better suited than the golf course superintendent to understand the use and importance of water on a golf course.

While the federal government dominates concerns related to wetlands and water qual-ity, it has left the regulation of water use to the states. The result is that water law rules and regulations have the potential to vary among the 50 states. However, the general principles of water law can be divided between states that historically have a lot of water and those that do not.

States employ several different methods to regulate water use.

The riparian system is followed in 29 states. Riparian states (Michigan is one) typically have abundant water supplies. The basic premise is that the water right is attached to the land. In this system, the landowner has a right to put to benefcial use the water adjacent to or under-neath the property. When the landowner sells the land, the water rights remain with the land. Water users must reasonably use the water so as not to injure other users. Generally, no one user has a superior right over the other.

The prior appropriation system is followed primarily in western states where water is scarce. There are nine states (Colorado is one) that fol-low a pure prior appropriation scheme. These states do not guarantee that a landowner has

corresponding rights to the water; the water is a public resource until someone puts the water to benefcial use. In the prior appropri-ation system, water is not attached to the land and can be sold and transferred much like per-sonal property. An order of priority is estab-lished to ensure that water is allocated accord-ing to the time the water right was established.

There are nine states, including California, using a hybrid system (riparian and prior ap-propriation) to allocate water rights.

Contracting and leasing water is another method to meet irrigation demands. In the absence of water associated with the property and no means to acquire rights, water users must often rely on contracts and leases for their water supply.

A contract for water does not create a property right in the water. Rather, it is an agreement between parties for a certain sup-ply of water, for a term, with fxed or negoti-ated pricing. A water user can contract with municipalities or privately owned water sup-pliers to provide water for industry, domes-tic and agricultural uses. Contract water can come from a wide variety of sources, which include wells, ditches, rivers, effuent and po-table water.

In order to understand what water law ap-plies to your golf course, you must frst identify the types of water sources you are using. You may utilize several sources of water to supply the irrigation needs, and it is ideal to gather all of this information into one reliable reference.

(environment)

Know your (water) rights

Pamela C. Smith, [email protected]

Build a water rights portfolio by compiling information from the construction of wells, pumps, ditches, dams, culverts, water diver-sion structures and records of current and historical use. Depending on your circum-stances, this may take a few hours or a few months to complete. Look for documents that show year of installation, permits, design, and maximum gallons or volumes allowed. Even if you come across information that might not appear relevant, keep it, as it may be essential as you build your water rights portfolio. The county register of deeds can be a good resource to check out water rights or easements that are attached to the land.

Determine whether your state follows ripar-ian, prior appropriation or hybrid water law. A few searches on your states legislative website may provide access to state statutes governing water rights. You can also begin your water law research with a broad Internet search of your states name and water law. If you can-not fnd what rules apply, reach out to the state agency that governs water wells, dams and other types of water use permits.

Whether golf course water rights become your passion or pastime, no one is better posi-tioned than golf course superintendents to un-derstand and advocate for the water rights used on their golf courses.

Pamela C. Smith, CGCS, is the director of agronomy for a

large metropolitan city and a 24-year member of GCSAA.

Identify the water sources on your golf course to develop a water rights portfolio. Photo by Pamela Smith


As I mentioned in an earlier article, most of the technologies available to the golf course su-perintendent are actually adaptations of tech-nologies used in other industries or professions. Many times, the ability to fnd these tools and utilize them for our purposes can provide ben-efts and savings in time, money, labor and, in this case, water.

During the last year or so, some of the most interesting advancements in technology have come from home automation. A popular term for this is the Internet of things, which re-fers to tools and other connective devices that automate and simplify our lives. Around golf course maintenance facilities, Ive seen many of these technologies in use Internet-con-nected cameras, automated lighting systems and thermostats, etc.

One tool that I have been very excited about recently is the Rachio irrigation controller (www.rach.io). At Rolling Hills, in addition to a few other golf courses where I have worked, the clubhouse irrigation system is not tied into the system used to irrigate the golf course. In most cases, irrigation around the clubhouse simply uses a standard home controller. Ill be the frst to admit that we rarely adjusted this system, didnt always turn it off because of rain or monitor it with much regularity. The best-case option would be to install a golf course irrigation controller at the clubhouse and tie it into the rest of the system so it adjusts with the rest of the golf course and can be controlled from your central control system. In many

(technology)

Bob Vaughey, [email protected]

Twitter: @rollinghillsgcm

rain hold. The same app can control multiple systems and controllers, which makes it a very versatile tool.

While this system is primarily intended for home use and would not be ideal for an entire golf course, it has proven to be a great value around our clubhouse and was well worth the price, in my opinion. In water savings alone, I think the device will pay for itself in about two months. In addition to the mobile app, you can also control the device through any Inter-net-connected browser, even one on your cen-tral irrigation computer.

If you currently run your clubhouse irriga-tion from a old-style controller, the Rachio Iro irrigation controller may be worth a look as a tool that might help you save water, time and money. For more information, visit www.rach.io/smart-sprinkler.

Bob Vaughey, CGCS, is the director of agronomy at Rolling

Hills Country Club in Palos Verdes, Calif., and an 11-year

GCSAA member.

Plugging in your clubhouse irrigation

situations, though, this may be a very diff-cult proposition that requires cutting through parking lots or covering vast distances to con-nect the two systems, not to mention the high cost of one of these controllers.

Thats why Ive found the Rachio con-troller such an attractive option, one that has many benefts. For starters, it downloads daily weather data and adjusts run times accord-ingly. During rain events, it will immediately shut off any water and activate a rain hold, the length of which varies based on total rainfall. For manual irrigation, you can run individual stations from your phone, so if your controller is inside the clubhouse and you need to run a station on the other side of the property, you can do so with relative ease.

The only special requirement to run this controller as opposed to any standard control-ler is the presence of Wi-Fi. I have been run-ning the system at my house and at our golf course clubhouse for about two months now, and have found it to be an almost worry-free, automated system that has required zero up-dates on my part. We received our frst rain since this system was installed recently, and the system automatically activated a three-day

An Internet-connected irrigation controller simplifes management of clubhouse systems.

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Dan Jenkins at one of the 223 major golf championships that he has covered since 1951. Photo courtesy of Golf Digest

writeDan Jenkins, 2015 Old Tom Morris Award recipient, is a wordsmith extraordinaire who rarely has been able to keep his sense of humor out of the way of his work.

Howard Richman

wrGetting it


e rubbed elbows with actors James

Garner and Jack Lemmon, spent three

weekends at Camp David, married the

college homecoming queen, never won a

match on the PGA Tour but did collect $6 on a Nassau from none

other than the great Ben Hogan.

It certainly has been a wonderful life on many fronts for Dan Jen-

kins. He has authored way more than a handful of books, many of

which are laced with humor (see examples of Jenkins humor from

his most recent book sprinkled throughout this story), honesty and a

sharp edge. His articles have appeared in Sports Illustrated. Golf Di-

gest. Playboy. He is one of a precious few journalists inducted into the

World Golf Hall of Fame (he was enshrined in 2012). In some cases,

his best-selling novels were transformed into motion pictures. That

includes Semi-Tough, which starred Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristof-

ferson.It is the written word, though, that separates Jenkins from others. In fact, there may

never have been anyone like him. There have been some great ones, too. Herbert Warren Wind comes to mind. Still, at least one person thinks of Jenkins frst.

I cant imagine ranking anybody above Dan in the history of sports journalism in America, says John Garrity, who has written for Sports Illustrated and GOLF Magazine and has a dozen books to his credit. If its the most readable, entertaining story about anything, Dan might be your frst choice.

Speaking of choices: Jenkins is GCSAAs choice to receive the 2015 Old Tom Morris Award.

Jenkins, who lived in the Big Apple for three decades but is a Texan through and through, joins people such as Arnold Palmer, President Gerald Ford, Nancy Lopez and Joseph M. Duich, Ph.D., who have received the Old Tom Morris Award since its incep-tion in 1983.

It is presented to an individual who through a lifetime commitment to the game of golf has helped to mold the welfare of the game in a manner and style exemplifed by Old Tom Morris, the legendary St. Andrews greenkeeper and four-time British Open cham-pion who died in 1908. Jenkins will be honored Feb. 25 at the Golf Industry Show in San Antonio, Texas.

In receiving the Old Tom Morris Award, Jenkins is the frst sportswriter to be honored. Ken Mangum, CGCS, from Atlanta Athletic Club, is good with the selection of Jenkins.

I like that we are spreading it around and into an area we havent been into, says Mangum, a 40-year GCSAA member. Ive attended the GWAA (Golf Writers Associa-tion of America) awards dinner the last 15 years or so, and Dan Jenkins name is men-tioned every year in some form or fashion. I can tell you he has the respect of his industry.

Upon learning that he was named the Old Tom Morris Award recipient, Jenkins was, well, Jenkins.

Im honored to win any award. But especially one named for a guy who Im almost as old as he is, quipped Jenkins, who turns 85 on Dec. 2 and still is a contributor to Golf Digest.

Asked what question he might have for Morris if he could have met him, Jenkins frst query might come as a surprise. And yet, considering some of his works, perhaps it is no surprise at all.

Id probably ask him, Do you really like haggis? Id also want to know how far he can drive the ball, Jenkins says.

Certainly, Jenkins has helped make writing an art. Yet he is aware that superin-tendents have done some pretty outstanding work with the landscapes that serve as their canvases.

Golf courses are so consistently won-derful now with all of the things (their managers) can do with them, Jenkins says. I grew up on a course with bermuda. Now weve got bentgrass all over town. Its like having gone to heaven.

Life in Fort Worth, beating a legend and a big break

Jenkins actually was a wannabe super-intendent before most superintendents be-come superintendents.

Imagine if Twitter had come along decades ago. If it had, you get the feeling that best-selling author Dan Jenkins

would have had a feld day.

My friend (and critically acclaimed sportswriter) Dave Kindred said the best thing about Twitter is now people get

to enjoy the (fll-in-the-blank) youve been saying in the press room for all those years, Jenkins says.

You can fnd him on Twitter at @danjenkinsgd

A character in 140 characters

a short long course, Ive decided that its hard.

I can empathize with Charl Schwartzel on that club throw.

When a club betrays you, you have to let it know whos boss.

Nominations are open for Patrick Reeds pro wrestling name.

The Slab? Bacon Man? The Bulkster?

Here is a sample of his Tweets since he got on board with it:

The Americans were 0-6-2 in alternate shot. Time for

alternate players.

Matt Kuchars reaction when things dont go his way is

to smile. Isnt that the way Monty used to handle it?

Get yourself assigned to a hotel with no bar and no

restaurant and tell me how much you like a city.

People keep asking why I tweet a lot about Tiger. Its

because Victor Dubuisson takes up too many characters.

I had the fank steak for lunch. Martin Kaymer had the feld

for his.

I see Greg Normans golf tournament will now fnish on

Saturday. As I recall, hes always had trouble on Sundays.

Somebody call the police. Bubba just murdered his drive on 13.

In trying to fgure out whether Merions a long short course or

Top image: Jenkins, second from right, was in Spain years ago playing in an event with (from left) Jack Nick-

laus, Johnny Miller and Fred Corcoran. Photo courtesy of Dan Jenkins

Below: Jenkins, wearing a tie, standing next to Arnold Palmer.

Photo courtesy of Golf Digest


Jenkins was a youth with a passion for golf. He developed a mini par-3 golf course on the side lawn of his grandparents home in Fort Worth. Jenkins was designer, green-keeper and club professional. The bermu-dagrass greens measured 3 feet in circum-ference. He used a push mower and garden hose to manicure it. Soup cans sunk into the ground served as cups.

Perhaps he picked up a thing or two so many years ago from Colonial Country Club superintendent Joe Cano when Jen-kins was playing on the Texas Christian University golf team as its top player.

He was a nice guy, constantly worried about the bent because they lost it every year, Jenkins says. He knew his business and he knew what to do. I dont think he ever went in the clubhouse. He had his own empire. Ben (Hogan) liked those (superin-tendent) guys but he was always telling them what to do whether he was right or wrong.

Jenkins was the only child of a broken home. He says in his book His Ownself: A Semi-Memoir that being raised by his grandparents was nothing but special. An aunt and uncle lived across the street and a cousin and his wife resided next door.

His heroes as a youth werent necessar-ily athletes. Instead, they were people he saw in black-and-white movies or listened to on the radio. He got a kick out of actors playing the roles of newspapermen, such as Clark Gable as a reporter in It Happened One Night or Spencer Tracy playing a

sportswriter in Woman of the Year.Jenkins often preferred staying home

rather than going out so he could listen to radio shows that provided humor and drama. The radio show Big Town star-ring Edward G. Robinson revolved around journalism. Besides, radio was a nice relief as America ate chicken burgers, wore rope-soled shoes and dealt with the Great De-pression and a world war.

I realized a long time ago that laugh-ing was better than crying, Jenkins says. I brought that to my attitude. I brought that to my journalism. All my friends seemed to have a sense of humor. Nothing was sacred.

Given an old Royal typewriter in his early years, Jenkins was transported to a wonderland. By the time he was at Paschal High School, Jenkins began writing for the Fort Wort ress, his frst big break. He re-calls a November day at Colonial CC, see-ing Hogan there, mustering the nerve to introduce himself to the giant of the game. He did. Hogans response?

I know your byline, he told Jenkins.In time, their friendship grew. One af-

ternoon, Hogan said, Come on, and they played 18 holes. Hogan hit every fairway and every green, Jenkins recalls. On an-other occasion, Jenkins teamed up with a man named Carl Vandervoort to face Hogan and Reub Barry for a $2 Nassau. Jenkins, who grew up playing on a nine-hole, sand greens course called Katy Lake, putted like a pro on the back nine, his team

Jenkins humor:

Uncle Mack taught

me to drive when I

was 12. Which is no

big deal. Kids today

know how to steal

cars by the time

theyre 12.

Jenkins wrote about and befriended fellow Fort Worth legend Ben Hogan.

Photos courtesy of Golf Digest (left) and Dan Jenkins

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Dan Jenkins, GCSAAs 2015 Old Tom

Morris Award recipient, has more than dab-

bled in writing books.

In all, he has written, or co-written, 20

of them. Next year, he has one more on the

way with Unplayable Lies: The Only Golf

Book Youll Ever Need. Three of his books

Semi-Tough, Dead Solid Perfect and Baja

Oklahoma were turned into movies.

Here is a complete list of Jenkins works:

won and Hogan handed him a $5 and a $1 bill. He spent the winnings that night on a date.

In high school Jenkins met a young lady named June Burrage, who he called the leader in the clubhouse of Fort Worth beauties. They now have been married for 55 years. They have three children (Sally, Marty and Danny). Their journey took them to faraway places before they returned to where they now live on Lafayette Avenue.

In between, Jenkins made a name for himself.

Hes always pretty much had what he wanted, says Jerre Todd, who has been friends with Jenkins since high school. We both wanted to go to Europe. I went as a draftee in the U.S. Army. He went on the Queen Mary. He was always a step ahead of everyone. You always wanted to go out with him because you knew thered be things happening. He made things happen.

When Sports Illustrated came calling, it just happened to change Jenkins life forever.

Jenkins left his position at the Dal-las Times Herald for New York City and a shot at the famed sports magazine in 1963. Nine years later, his fctional novel Semi-Tough, a football story based on a char-acter named Billy Clyde Puckett (Jenkins says he made up that name for a column he wrote in the Dallas Times Herald), hit the bookshelves and was turned into a movie in 1977 that starred Reynolds and Kristof-ferson. The profts from it created wonder-ful opportunities for Jenkins and his fam-ily. He was able to meet people such as Paul McCartney, Sean Connery and President George H.W. Bush, who became a golfng friend and invited the Jenkinses to the pres-

idential retreat at Camp David.It paid for a 16th-foor penthouse on

Park Avenue, private school tuitions, homes in Hawaii and Florida, Jenkins says.

It also set the stage for a bonanza of books, both novels and non-fction, by Jen-kins, who also covered football, snow ski racing for seven years and drag racing at Sports Illustrated.

His novels Dead Solid Perfect and Baja Oklahoma became made-for-TV movies. The latter featured a young star named Julia Roberts.

Garrity believes the most notable story that Jenkins wrote for Sports Illustrated was The Glory Game at Goat Hills, which appeared in the Aug. 16, 1965, issue.

The actual name of the course was Worth Hills, a municipal layout in Fort Worth, where Jenkins played with charac-ters named Moron Tom, Cecil the Para-chute and Little Joe, among others. One game they played was called the Thousand-

NOVELS

The Franchise Babe

Slim and None

The Money-Whipped Steer-Job

Three-Jack Give-Up Artist

You Gotta Play Hurt

Rude Behavior

Fast Copy

Life Its Ownself

Baja Oklahoma

Limo (written with Bud Shrake)

Dead Solid Perfect

Semi-Tough

NONFICTION

Jenkins at the Majors

The History of TCU Football

Fairways and Greens

Ill Tell You One Thing

Bubba Talks

You Call it Sports But I Say Its

a Jungle Out There

Saturdays America

The Dogged Victims of

Inexorable Fate

The Best 18 Golf Holes in America

Jenkins humor:

As for music,

melody has

been replaced

by something

that brings to

mind dueling leaf

blowers.

As a young man, Jenkins was the No. 1 player for Texas Christian University. Photo courtesy of Golf Digest

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Yard Dash, a one-hole marathon, which began at the farthest point of the course from the clubhouse and featured playing through neighborhoods. At one point, Cecil the Parachute was bitten by a cocker spaniel.

I think it (Glory Game at Goat Hills) was him asserting himself with nostalgia, Garrity says. It reminded me of Samuel Clemens doing his Mark Twain bit.

Golfer Tom Watson has a soft spot in his heart for Jenkins, who was there in 1977 at Turnberry when Watson edged Jack Nick-laus in the legendary Duel in the Sun Brit-ish Open. Later that evening of the fnal round, they even spent time together, eating profteroles (a small cream puff).

Dans larger than life, Watson says. Hes witty. He has a different look at things but is very insightful and its hon-est. He tells wonderful stories. Theres a depth to his writing that takes you in. It makes you picture, visualize, when you read his words. Thats what a great writer is.

The Old Tom Morris Award was presented

for the frst time during the 1983 conference

and show in Atlanta. It is presented to an in-

dividual, who through a continuing lifetime

commitment to the game of golf, has helped

to mold the welfare of the game in a manner

and style exemplifed by Old Tom Morris. The

GCSAA Board of Directors determines the re-

cipient of the award. The award is presented

annually at the GCSAA Golf Industry Show

and Education Conference. Sportswriter and

author Dan Jenkins will receive the award

Feb. 25 at the Golf Industry Show in San

Antonio, Texas.

1983: Arnold Palmer

1984: Bob Hope

1985: Gerald R. Ford

1986: Patty Berg

1987: Robert Trent Jones Sr.

1988: Gene Sarazen

1989: Juan Chi Chi Rodriguez

1990: Sherwood A. Moore, CGCS

1991: William C. Campbell

1992: Tom Watson

1993: Dinah Shore

1994: Byron Nelson

1995: James Watson, Ph.D.

1996: Tom Fazio

1997: Ben Crenshaw

1998: Ken Venturi

1999: Jaime Ortiz-Patio

2000: Nancy Lopez

2001: Timothy W. Finchem

2002: Walter Woods, Esq.

2003: Pete Dye

2004: Rees Jones

2005: Jack Nicklaus

2006: Joseph M. Duich, Ph.D.

2007: Charles Sifford

2008: Greg Norman

2009: Col. John Morley

2010: Judy Rankin

2011: N

Golf Course Management - December 2014

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