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April 27, 2012 -- Volume 50, Number 09
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The USGA Presents, "Using The TruFirm - Today and Tomorrow" Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 2 p.m. CST
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This webcast is hosted by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America
![TruFirm in use at Torrey Pines](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/525.jpg?a=1109853549844) |
The TruFirm in use at the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Pictured from left to right are Dr. Matt Pringle, research and development manager, USGA Equipment Standards, Mark Woodward, past GCSAA president and Torrey Pines superintendent in 2008, and Pat Gross, USGA agronomist.
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The TruFirm is a valuable tool that has proven it's worth in both the championship and daily play environments. This GCSAA webcast details why and how the tool was developed, and how it is now utilized in the management of USGA championships. Although the TruFirm was primarily developed for championship use, USGA agronomists have found it to be just as valuable for producing good playing quality on courses of all types. Maintaining the desired firmness for important turf areas depends on managing water and controlling the buildup of organic matter. The TruFirm gives the superintendent an objective measure of turf firmness to aid in irrigation and maintenance decisions.
Topics covered in this webcast will include:
- Background and future development
- Use of the TruFirm system at USGA championships
- Practical applications for daily play
- Firmness and ball reaction
- Thatch, moisture and rolling - impact on firmness
- TruFirm and bunker sand testing
USGA experts
Matt Pringle, Ph.D., and TruFirm developer Larry Gilhuly, director, Northwest Region Pat Gross, director, Southwest Region Derf Soller, agronomist, Northwest Region Darin Bevard, senior agronomist, Mid-Atlantic Region Brian Whitlark, agronomist, Southwest Region Jim Moore, director, Green Section Education
Details
GCSAA Member price: Free Nonmember price: $60 Chapter price: $100 GCSAA Education points: 0.2
To register for this webcast, please follow this link: Using The TruFirm - Today and Tomorrow
Note: If you are not a member of the GCSAA you can still register for the webcast. Click the link above and then click the "Register Now" button on the page. You will then need to select the "I am not a member" link and follow the registration instructions.Should you have any problems with the registration process for this webcast please contact:
Lisa Wick, senior manager, GCSAA e-learning programs (785) 832-3649 [email protected] www.gcsaa.org | |
Don't Make Your Greens Unapproachable!
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The approaches in front of greens don't have to be as fast as the greens, but they should be firm enough to allow the bump-and-run option. by Larry Gilhuly, director, Northwest Region
![Approach to green](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/527.jpg?a=1109853549844) |
The approach to the green is one of the most critical areas of every course due to its high visibility and impact on how the game is played. |
The hole is located at the front of the green, the green is firm, and the wind is at your back. How many times have you faced this type of shot on a golf course? Most golfers would respond by landing the ball in front of the green (if the contour allows) and playing the bump-and-run shot that was prevalent so many years ago. Take the same example and make the approach area considerably softer, without the golf ball releasing to the front hole location. For a regular player without the skill to spin a ball, what are the choices? Approaching this issue from the maintenance perspective is the answer, and the players deserve it.
Over the years of playing the game and watching it at the highest levels, there is no question that the most difficult and frustrating shot faced by the majority of golfers is the shot into a firm green with a soft approach. Previous articles on this subject recommended basic programs of aeration and sand topdressing to address this situation. However, in the ensuing time other major improvements have been made with equipment, irrigation application, and the ability to truly compare firmness between a green and approach. Let's take a closer look at this critical area that has received more attention, but still can be improved on many golf courses.
For a step-by-step guide to improving this critical area of your course, read the rest of this article.
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Science To Benefit Golf | Science relies on a systematic approach of challenging what we already accept as knowledge and discovering what we need to know. by Dr. Jeff Nus, manager, Green Section Research
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![Bob Shearman Research](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/522.jpg?a=1109853549844) |
(Above left) Dr. Bob Shearman and his colleagues at the University of Nebraska have developed improved cultivars of buffalograss that exhibit much greater drought tolerance and lower water use rates than grasses currently used on golf courses. (Above right) Over the past two decades, the USGA has funded several projects to quantify the tendency for both pesticides and fertilizer nutrients to reach surface and groundwater supplies.
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Managing golf courses demands a broad range of knowledge. Superintendents need to have considerable skills, not only in the financial, communication, and other business management aspects of the position, but they must also have an in-depth agronomic understanding of managing turfgrasses. This requires a knowledge of soils, irrigation technology, fertility requirements, species and cultivar performance, turfgrass diseases, weeds, insects . . . the list is a long one. In addition, because more information is generated each year, the tide keeps rising. Research is defined as "the careful, systematic, patient study and investigation in some field of knowledge undertaken to establish facts or principles." The work challenges what we currently accept as fact, discovers what we need to investigate, and develops the expertise that allows us to adapt to changing times. In other words, research and the science it creates allow us to navigate in this sea of information.
The United States Golf Association has a long history of supporting turfgrass research dating back to the days of Piper and Oakley in the 1920s. The USGA continues to recognize the essential need for research today in its support of the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program. Since 1983, the USGA has provided more than $31 million in support of more than 450 projects at research institutions across the nation. Each year, the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program invites scientists to submit research proposals over a wide range of topics. If successful, researchers are awarded grants ranging from $3,000 up to $25,000 per year for projects typically lasting two to three years. Longer-term projects, such as the development of new turfgrass cultivars, are typically renewed for multiple funding cycles.
To see a list of the many turfgrasses developed through USGA funding and to learn more about this important USGA program read the rest of this article.
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2012 USGA Green Section Education Conference |
If you were unable to attend the Green Section Education Conference at the 2012 Golf Industry Show we have good news!
by the USGA Green Section staff |
For the 35th consecutive year, the annual Green Section Education Conference was held in conjunction with the 2012 Golf Industry Show (GIS). This year's program, held on March 2, addressed the theme, "Improving Your Golf Course Management Odds." The Green Section's staff totals 420+ years of experience, and the session highlighted some of the lessons learned and changes witnessed in the turfgrass management field.![Adam Moeller Turf Tip](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/523.jpg?a=1109853549844)
We are conscious of the fact that economic challenges have made it more difficult for people to attend the GIS, and, with this in mind, we are sharing the Green Section presentations in this publication. Over the coming weeks you will find written summaries of the presentations and links to the video of the actual conference presentations. This is the second presentation in the series.
In this issue, the first of three Turf Tips delivered at the conference are presented. "Moisture Meters For Better Golf" and was delivered by Adam Moeller, agronomist, Northeast Region.
Watch the video
Read the article
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Diamond NOT In The Rough
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Current research at Clemson University explores the use of Diamond zoysiagrass on putting greens.
by Nick Menchyk, Frank Bethea Jr., and Dr. Haibo Liu
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![Diamond Zoysiagrass fertility](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/524.jpg?a=1109853549844) |
Variations in Diamond zoysiagrass turf quality due to nitrogen fertility levels were apparent throughout the growing season. Darker green leaf tissue on the Diamond occurred with weekly treatments of foliar applied nitrogen and Primo.
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The list keeps on growing. There are at least four turf species available for putting greens in the Southeast Region today: ultradwarf bermudagrass, creeping bentgrass, seashore paspalum, and zoysiagrass. Zoysiagrass? Yes. Diamond zoysiagrass is a variety released by Dr. Milt Engelke at Texas A&M University in 1996, and it has been planted on the putting greens at several golf courses in recent years. Currently, the niche that Diamond appears best adapted to in the Southeast Region is on putting greens that receive too much shade for an ultradwarf bermudagrass to prosper and an inability to increase sunlight levels through removal of trees. Clemson University has embarked on numerous projects to better understand and identify best management practices for Diamond zoysiagrass to produce desirable putting conditions.
The remainder of this article will evaluate research at Clemson University in the following areas:
- Establishment
- Shade Tolerance
- Fertility Inputs
- Plant Growth Regulator Use
- Putting Green Performance
Read the rest of this article
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Regional Updates |
The USGA Green Section agronomists see an amazing variety of issues and challenges as they visit golf courses across the country. Be sure to read the highlights of each region since many of the topics covered apply to courses everywhere. ___________________________________________________________________
![Mid-Atlantic gif](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/14.gif?a=1109853549844) Mid-Atlantic Region
Our Dry Spring Continues
- Current U.S. Drought Monitor
- Water restrictions may be just around the corner
- Most preemergence herbicide applications require irrigation or rainfall for activation
- Poa annua seedhead control
View this update ___________________________________________________________________ Florida Region A Little Relief, But Still A Long Way To Go
- Most irrigation systems are designed around average annual rainfall
- Limited rain can mean a buildup of salts in the rootzone
- Now is the time to test the soil to prepare for the growing season
View this update ___________________________________________________________________ North Central Region The Rites Of Spring
- Early season cash flow welcomed
- Most irrigation systems are designed around average annual rainfall
- Using TDR's to your advantage
View this update ___________________________________________________________________
Northeast Region (2 updates)
April Showers
- Strong winds + low humidity + infrequent rains = water purchases
- 6 tips to help you deal with the months ahead
View this update
And The Extremes Keep Coming
- Moderate to severe drought conditions require action
- 8 tips to help your course survive a drought
View this update___________________________________________________________________ Northwest Region Replacing The Carpet
- Sometimes resodding greens is the best option
- New Poa annua control options worth watching
View this update
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Southwest Region
Preparing For A Dry Year
- Water deliveries this year will be 50 percent of contracted supply
- 5 important tips to prepare for a dry year
View this update
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USGA Green Section - Turf Advisory Service | For more than 80 years, the USGA Green Section's sole mission has been to collect and distribute information on proper construction and maintenance of golf courses.
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![TAS visit](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs003/1103157499740/img/476.jpg?a=1109853549844) |
The Green Section agronomists are the most knowledgeable, respected, and impartial golf-turf consultants in the world. Backed by the USGA, the Green Section's services provide dependable recommendations that course officials can count on.
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First started in 1953, this service permits individual facilities to reap the benefits of on-site visits by highly skilled USGA agronomists located in Green Section offices throughout the country. Each agronomist visits more than 100 courses annually. Their experience helps golf course staff and officials produce the best possible golf turf for the dollars that can be spent. The TAS's purpose is not to tell anyone how to run a golf course or what products to buy. Rather, it seeks to bring a wealth of information and an impartial yet concerned perspective regarding turfgrass growth requirements, how these requirements might best be managed for golf, and ideas that other golf courses have found to be beneficial.
The Turf Advisory Service is used by the biggest and smallest golf courses. Golf keeps America beautiful, and day after day, year after year, the Green Section helps golf courses produce better turf for better golf. Your golf course should be a TAS subscriber.
Turf Advisory Service Brochure
The Value Of A USGA Turf Advisory Service Visit
Sample TAS Report
Tips On Getting The Most From A TAS Visit
Services And Fees
Contact Green Section Staff
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The USGA Green Section Portal | A Valuable, Free Resource
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Take a minute to visit the Green Section's portal at http://gsportal.usga.org to find information regarding upcoming live webcasts and links to recordings of more than 30 previously-delivered webcasts and announcements of upcoming USGA Green Section activities, education conferences, and meetings.
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