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.

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 fourth presentation in the series.

In this recorded video, Todd Lowe, senior agronomist of the Florida Region, shares an innovative technique to reclaim green perimeters with core aeration plugs. 

Watch the video

Matt Shaffer, Director of Golf Course Operations, Merion Golf Club

Mack Saunders, USGA Green Section Committeeman

Did you ever think of asking for a second opinion on a medical problem or some other issue you were facing? The obvious answer is "yes." In today's world of business, consultants are used every day and in any number of ways. Many who are reading this article are probably "consultants" in some form or another. It therefore makes sense to use consultants on your golf course. Where does one go for the best consulting services?

Guess what? Such an expert opinion is available for your golf course turfgrass maintenance and management problems from the USGA, the governing body of golf. The USGA is a nonprofit organization that exists for the good of the game of golf. When it comes to most issues associated with the game, the final word is usually from the USGA. The USGA, among other roles, has been supporting an on course agronomic consulting service for nearly 60 years. This service is known as the Turf Advisory Service (TAS) and is provided by the USGA Green Section. The Green Section has professional agronomists on staff who cover the entire country, plus Canada and Mexico, and can be scheduled for either a half-day or full-day on-site visit to your golf course. Merion Golf Course Superintendent Matt Shaffer and USGA Green Section Committeeman Mack Saunders have used the USGA Turf Advisory Service for years and highlight the following key benefits they and their golf courses have received.

A:  Research from Oregon State (Can Annual Bluegrass Putting Greens Be Healthy And Fast?) and the University of Arkansas (High Frequency Rolling On A Sand-Based Putting Green) revealed that rolling with traditional greens rollers can be applied on a frequent schedule (three to seven days per week) on healthy turf. Rolling is often used on a rotating schedule with mowing during periods of slow growth, as in the winter, or during extreme heat to reduce mowing stress yet maintain acceptable putting speed and quality. Furthermore, high intensity rolling (more than once daily) can be employed on a temporary basis up to several weeks in preparation for events without causing significant turf injury.

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Mid-Continent Region     

In the May 11, 2012 issue of the Green Section Record, we ran an excerpt from the Robert Sommers book, "Golf Anecdotes - From the Links of Scotland to Tiger Woods". The brief article discussed how ropes came into use on the golf course - a direct result of the invention of the wooden tee by Dr. William Lowell. Unfortunately, the Sommers article identified Dr. Lowell as a member of the wrong club. We received the following cordial email correcting the mistake.

As the President of Maplewood Country Club, I respectfully submit this email and direct same to the Editor of the recent Green Section Record dated May 11, 2012.

There is an article pertaining to the origins of roping on golf courses, and contained therein is a reference to the famed Dr. Lowell, who is an acknowledged inventor of the 'Ready Tee'. However, the cited reference incorrectly identifies Dr. Lowell as a Member of Plainfield Country Club. This is either inaccurate or incomplete. We attach the obituary for Dr. Lowell from the June 25, 1954, New York Times, which identifies Dr. Lowell as a Charter Member of the Maplewood Country Club. We have pride for Maplewood's historical contribution to the game of golf and would have been remiss if we did not share this information with you.

We submit this by way of completeness as opposed to criticism and trust it will be received in the collegial spirit in which it is intended.

Gary Potters, president, Maplewood Country Club  

To read the original article follow this link.