Greenletter. The Mountain State. President s Message

Transcription

1 The Mountain State Greenletter Volume 8, Issue 10 October 2016 West Virginia Golf Course Superintendents Association President s Message I feel there are many people that I and the Association should thank for their service during my term as President of the West Virginia Golf Course Superintendent Association. I feel the easiest way to do so is through this letter. Thanks follow in no certain order. -Rich Puskavich for being the Treasurer of our Association for the past few years. He has done a tremendous job and deserves a thank you from everyone in the Association. -Our vendors for providing financial support to our Association as well as technical information and advice to Superintendents across the state. These vendors attendance at meetings and the conference is recognized and very much appreciated. -Amber Breed for being available for the board and our Association. Amber keeps the Association moving forward and assists in keeping all of us on task fulfilling our duties for the board. I feel Amber has been a major part of keeping our Association successful. -Jason Hart for accepting the Treasurer position for our Association. The treasurer position is a very difficult position and carries a lot of responsibility. -The entire board, past, present and future for volunteering their personal time and energy to cover all duties required to keep the Association focused on being successful and achieving its goals. -The GCSAA for their assistance in our Association. The WVGCSA is a very small Association compared to other associations throughout the country but the GCSAA keeps the WVGCSA s success in their sights. -The WVGCSA members for continuing to support the Association and each other. Without the WVGCSA members the Association would not only struggle to survive but wouldn t have a reason to exist. -Most importantly, I would like to thank all of our families. Our jobs have many benefits but along with those highs, there are many lows that require all of us to lean on our families to keep us balanced. Thank all of you. David Sines

2 Shearer Equipment - A name synonymous with John Deere reliability since Shearer Golf - Your Trusted Partner for Golf Equipment GOLF GOLF-909

3 28th Annual WVGCSA Turf Conference Lakeview Resort, Morgantown October 31-November 2, 2016 Please register soon!

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5 Vendor Registration Form for the WVGCSA Turf Conference at Lakeview Resort WVGCSA 2016 ANNUAL TURF CONFERENCE DISTRIBUTOR REGISTRATION FORM Fee for Full Conference Registration is $ and includes two Name Badges Fee for additional Badges is 75$ a piece Fee for Full Conference Registration if not buying a booth is $ Fee for Lunch Sponsorship is $75.00 COMPANY NAME ADDRESS and Contact info ADDRESS NAME BADGE #1 NAME BADGE # 2 ADDITIONAL BADGES TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED Please write brief description below of what the total is including and a receipt will be sent to the address provided Thank you in advance for your continued support of the WVGCSA and thank you for making these educational seminars and functions a continued success; without our vendor sponsorships we would not be able to function as needed. If you have any questions feel free to contact Amber Breed at or by at abreed@wvga.org Please return to the WVGCSA Office by mail: 2115 Charleston Town Center Charleston, WV 25389

6 Best Sand. Best selection. Best support. Best Sand has long been one of the best known names in golf maintenance. With the legendary quality and playability of our bunker sands, golf mixes, topdressing sand and construction mixes, it s easy to see why. Now all the people and products of Best Sand have yet another club in their bag: the superior service and consistent support of the Fairmount Sports + Recreation team. And now more than ever, you re the winner. FairmountSantrol.com/BestSand

7 The Fallout From The 2016 Season Will Be Felt For Years By David Oatis, Regional Director, Northeast Region Recent cooler temperatures have been a welcomed relief for turf managers, golfers and cool-season turf, which now is rebounding due to shorter days and cooler nights. However, turf recovery may take a while at some courses. It has been a difficult year and few courses escaped the season unscathed. Throughout the Northeast Region turf was damaged by drought, excessive moisture, disease and insects. Perhaps most noticeably, weed invasion at many courses hit an all-time high this year. As you review the season and evaluate what worked and what didn t, consider the following: ~This year s drought identified irrigation coverage problems at many courses. It has also proven that every course should have a drought emergency plan. ~Weed populations exploded as a result of temperature and moisture extremes throughout the Northeast Region. The best defense against weed invasion is to maintain dense, healthy turf. Unfortunately, the extreme conditions meant that few courses were able to maintain turf density this year. The resulting weed outbreaks helped replenish the bank of weed seed in the soil. It may take several years of intensive management to get weeds back under control. ~Annual bluegrass, creeping bentgrass, and bermudagrass can be desired species or difficult weed problems, depending on one s perspective. ~Annual bluegrass struggled this year due to high temperatures and disease pressure. ~The high temperatures and abundant sunlight helped bermudagrass perform exceedingly well, which is excellent if it is your desired species. However, where bermudagrass is considered a weed, the favorable weather this year created more management challenges for the future. ~Bentgrass populations increased at many courses a welcomed sight on many greens, tees and fairways. However, bentgrass populations also increased in roughs, where it is not desirable. Summer patch infections in Kentucky bluegrass opened the door for bentgrass populations to establish or spread. If summer patch caused significant issues, it may be time to switch to a turf-type tall fescue. Turf-type tall fescue is not a perfect species, but it handles warm soil temperatures and drought better than Kentucky bluegrass and it is not susceptible to summer patch. In the meantime, implement an aggressive bentgrass control program in any rough areas that have experienced bentgrass encroachment. ~Trees also suffer from drought. The effects of drought on tree populations will be felt for several years. Many trees already have failed and more will fail in the future as a result of this year s drought. Young trees and trees with vascular problems caused by bacterial pathogens, insect damage, girdling roots or impaired root growth will be most affected. Evaluate options carefully: ~Weak trees that have been further stressed by drought may never recover removal may be the best option. ~Not all failed trees should be replaced. Wait one full year before making a decision about replacing a tree. During that time, evaluate the loss and give golfers time to become accustomed to a more open environment. ~Beware of late season anthracnose outbreaks. ~Also, annual bluegrass weevil damage recently has been observed. While annual bluegrass weevil populations may not be high enough to warrant treatment, their presence may explain why anthracnose damage isn t responding to fungicides. Northeast Region Agronomists: David A. Oatis, regional director doatis@usga.org James E. Skorulski, agronomist jskorulski@usga.org Elliott Dowling, agronomist edowling@usga.org Addison Barden, agronomist abarden@usga.org Paul Jacobs, agronomist pjacobs@usga.org Adam Moeller, director amoeller@usga.org A summer patch infection in Kentucky bluegrass rough (left) often results in encroachment of creeping bentgrass (right).

8 Job Posting Assistant Superintendent needed at Uniontown Country Club that is flexible enough to manage not only the golf course but be pulled out for landscaping projects as needed. Winter work will require snow plowing for commercial properties other than the golf course for D. Sines Lawn, Inc. Must have irrigation experience and the ability to obtain a spray license. davidsines@hotmail.com

9 Team Walker Supply: Frank Hewitt, Rick Catalogna, Jason McPhail and Jason Hollen