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USGA GREEN SECTION Weekly Update |
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| The Hidden Cost of Trees | |
The cost of planting a tree is just a small down payment on a large bill.
by David Oatis, director, USGA Green Section Northeast Region |
The problems trees cause for turf are well documented, and many articles have been written on the subject. Surprisingly little has been written about the cost of trees on golf courses. Many golfers assume that planting a tree is the  extent of its cost, but nothing could be further from the truth. The cost of planting a tree is merely a small down payment on a bill that, for some courses, runs into hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.
David Oatis presented this topic at the 2010 Golf Industry Show during the USGA Green Section Educational Conference. The presentation was video recorded and summarized in written form.
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| Positive Trumps Negative Every Time | |
By R.A. (Bob) Brame, agronomist, North-Cental Region |
North Central Region |
The Challenge of the Primary Rough
The playability of primary rough has received a lot of attention. ''It's too difficult, I can't get the ball out,'' and 'why can't we mow this stuff,'' are a few of the golfer comments. Actually, this is a recurring issue every year. Sometimes the response to these comments is, ''how did the ball get there?'' If you choose to respond that way, be sure to add a big smile.
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| Is It Time To Kill The Ryegrass? | | An Update from the Southwest Region
By Brian Whitlark, agronomist, Southwest Region |
Southwest Region |
Although I was happily surprised when I opened my electrical bill this month, I noticed the average temperature for May 2010 in Phoenix, AZ was a chilly 75.1 degrees, compared to May, 2009 at 84.6 degrees.  At a recent seminar on transition, Dr. Leah Brilman noted that turf managers may employ many strategies to expedite bermudagrass transition, but the number one factor influencing bermudagrass growth and recovery is the weather. Before you pull the trigger on that chemical application to remove the overseeded turf, consider the following points:
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| Spring Rough Is Rough! | | An Update from the Mid-Atlantic Region
By Darin S. Bevard,, senior agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region |
Mid-Atlantic Region |
Right on cue, complaints about thick, difficult rough come with spring weather. Overall, growing conditions have been excellent for the turfgrass. The golfers are playing, and, for the most part, they are happy until they hit the ball into the rough. Conversations about the difficulty of the rough have come up in nearly every Turf Advisory Service visit. The good news is if the rough is the biggest complaint, everything else must be going very well. The bad news is aggressive spring growth in cool-season rough generally has to run its course.
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| Transition Into Summer | | An Update from the Florida Region
By John H. Foy, director, Florida Region |
Florida Region |
Florida summer maintenance programs are underway, and it feels good to get back into a more normal routine after one of the most difficult winters. The first round of core aeration and aggressive verticutting of putting greens, tees, and fairways is completed, accelerating the winter recovery.
Many golf courses report rounds down by as much as 25% to 30% as a result of the lagging economy and cold weather. The result is a growing number of clubs participating in expanded reciprocal play programs. Along with generating additional revenues, the hope is that reciprocal play will help attract new members.
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| USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research | | Using Science to Benefit Golf
By Drs. Mike Kenna and Jeff Nus, USGA Green Section Research |
Florida Region |
The 2009 USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Summary is an annual compilation of projects currently funded by USGA's Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program. The summary contains research summaries of 65 projects funded in 2009.
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| The USGA Green Section Portal | |
A Valuable Resource For All, And It's Free
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Be sure to take a minute to visit the Green Section's portal at http://gsportal.usga.org. There you will find information regarding upcoming live webcasts and links to recordings of more than 30 previously delivered webcasts, as well as announcements regarding upcoming USGA Green Section activities, education conferences, and meetings.
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| USGA Green Section
P.O. Box 0708
Far Hills, NJ 07931-0708 908.234.2300
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