Chapter Managers Meet:
The California Golf Course Superintendents Association Managers have scheduled a meeting on July 28th to discuss the California GCSA purpose, programs and goals. The purpose of this meeting is to provide feedback to the California GCSA Board of Directors and regional chapters Board of Directors, about the possible changes that would be of benefit to all associations. Changes that would allow the regional chapters to concentrate on member benefit programs and allow the California GCSA to provide the programs that are common to all chapters.

California GCSA Board of Directors Meeting: August (Webcast) is being planned for August 23rd.

2007 California Hospitality Suite Plan: 
The California Hospitality Suite planning has been completed. The location selected, "The House of Blues" 1530 S. Disneyland Dr. Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, February 22, 2007, from 6:30 - 9:30 PM.
2007 California Hospitality Suite Sponsorship / Link to: Online Registration Form

     Scott Walwyn superintendent at Blacklake Golf Resort graciously hosted the July meeting of our association earlier this month. Scott found his way back to the Central Coast after serving in the California Army National Guard for 22 years as an active duty infantry platoon sergeant. After his retirement he decided to begin a career as a golf course superintendent.
     Scott certainly received an excellent education, not only through this association but in the Sierra Nevada GCSA as well. Scott began working as an intern at the Mono Bay G.C. where he trained under the tutelage of Tommy Massey for two and a half years. He then went to Blacklake Golf Resort, again as an intern, for another 10 months. He worked with Tom Elliott, CGCS at that time. After completing these internships he was hired as the 2nd Assistant at the Genoa Lake G.C. where he remained for a year be-fore moving to The Ridge G..C. in Auburn as the assistant superintendent. He remained at the Ridge for about two and a half years before taking the assistant position at Cordevalle G.C. He worked at Cordevalle for about a year and a half when the Blacklake job came up and with the experience and knowledge he gained during his moves he was awarded the position as superintendent.
     Scott had graduated from Cal Poly SLO in 1990 with a BS in Business Management and returned to also obtain a BS in Environmental Hon Science with the concentration on turfgrass management. He graduated with this degree in 2000. Scott has worked hard through his career and had always wanted to get back to the Central Coast where he wanted to raise his family.
     He loves his job but really doesn't like to play golf. He never wanted to sit be-hind a desk or sell anything. He considers this the perfect job as he is definitely an out-door person. He loves the freedom and sense of accomplishment he gets from his position. The positive feedback from local golfers on the golf course conditions and projects is music to his ears.. "It's like being in charge of a park" he says. He loves training personnel which is greatly appreciated by his staff. This position doesn't come without some draw backs though. Scott has challenges as all superintendents do with a limited maintenance budget, Turfgrass and tree diseases, pond scum, and having to use effluent water. Eucalyptus trees on the course as always are a challenge.
     Scott enjoys going to the beach with his wife July, and daughters Mckenna 6, Delaney 2. He loves fantasy football, photography, military history, and travel.

Photos entered into the contest must illustrate a turf IPM topic, concept or practice. Gelernter and Stowell will judge photographs based on subject matter, their value as an educational or informational tool, and on good photography basics, such as composition, lighting, focus and clarity of image. 
 “Even if you are new to photography, enter this contest,” Dr. Gelernter says. On the PACE web site, Gelernter and Stowell have made free information available about how to take effective digital photographs. 
Each photographer may submit only one digital or scanned photo in jpeg (.jpg) format by registering at the PACE web site at www.paceturf.org and logging in to the PACE Photo Gallery no later than September 15. Full contest instructions are also available at the PACE web site. 
Three winners will be selected. The first prize winner will receive a Canon Powershot A700 camera or a $300 gift certificate; second prize is a gift certificate for $200, and third prize is a $100 gift certificate, all from 47th Street Photo. 
All photos submitted for the PACE IPM Photo Contest will be made available at www.paceturf.org in the PACE Photo Gallery and may be used by any interested person for non-profit educational purposes. 
PACE Turfgrass Research Institute (PACE) is a membership organization that provides research, education and information services to the turf management community. Founded in 1993 by its research directors Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. and Larry Stowell, Ph.D., the PACE mission is to generate and share independent and objective agronomic information among turf professionals so they may develop management programs that are effective, practical and scientifically sound. For more information, visit the PACE web site at: www.paceturf.org
 

All GCSAA members in the initial three-year renewal cycle who failed to meet the ongoing requirements for maintaining their Class A status will be reclassified to Superintendent Member classification. In order to regain their Class A status, the Superintendent Member must meet their initial requirements, plus an additional 5.0 points, with a minimum of 2.0 education points. At the time these requirements are met, the member will be eligible once again for Class A status.
Members who actually earned points or possessed a pesticide license, but failed to get this information posted prior to the June 30th deadline, should contact GCSAA at (800) 472-7878 to learn about possible options for receiving credit for points earned prior to the deadline.
To review information on your education and service points and post pesticide license information, visit the “My Member Central” tab at www.gcsaa.org or request information and affidavits by calling GCSAA’s Fax-on-Demand line at (888) 838-4419. 

For more information about maintaining your membership, contact R. Scott Woodhead, senior manager of governance and member standards, at 
(800) 472-7878, ext. 4418. 

For Details; visit the GCSAA Web Address: http://www.gcsaa.org/education/webcast/webcast.aspx
Or call Kyle Kreighbaum 800-472-7878 x5167

GCSAA is upgrading its Web cast system has been completed. To take advantage of the upgrade, users should plan to login early to their first fall Web cast to make certain their computer is ready with the new system. Past participants will be emailed the new system check as the upgrade is completed. 
 

SeaIsle2000, originally marketed for golf greens and tees in salt-challenged environments, has proved to be well-suited for fairways and roughs, allowing it to be used effectively as a “wall to wall” golf turf. Sahara Golf Club in Kuwait and Nanea Golf Club in Hawaii both have 18-hole facilities planted totally in SeaIsle2000. Many high-end international and domestic courses have SeaIsle2000 on greens and tees. 

Golf course architects, superintendents and owners are now beginning to look at SeaIsle2000 as a cost-effective alternative to some of the other paspalums on the market today. At a mowing height of 1/8-inch and with regular verticutting, light topdressing and periodic rolling, SeaIsle2000 will deliver Stimpmeter readings of 10 feet or more. Mow it at 1/2” to 3/4” and it becomes a lush fairway. Roughs may be maintained at 1 to 2 inches, and penalty roughs at well over 2 inches. 

As drinking water becomes scarcer, ocean water blends and recycled or effluent sources are becoming the only option for many golf courses. SeaIsle2000 is a natural for such areas because of its high salt tolerance. While it requires superintendents to modify some of their management practices, SeaIsle2000 pays dividends in reduced fertilizer, herbicide and water costs. It has gotten high marks in research trials for cold-hardiness and disease resistance as well as for the density and strength of its turf and its rapid recovery from normal wear and ball mark injuries. 

For more information and a list of authorized SeaIsle2000 growers visit: www.seaisle2000.com
The Sahara Golf Club in Kuwait City shows off wall-to-wall SeaIsle 2000. 

Black Layer, metal ion concentration and the ECe were higher in the affected turf samples. Not only were the metal ion concentrations higher, but the available phosphorus concentration in many of the samples was low.

Heat and its Effects

Summer heat can play havoc with water systems in smaller private properties and larger scale HOA’s.  Everything that has gone into the water feature during the winter months; leaves, rain water, runoff from neighboring yards (carrying fertilizers, soap from washing cars, and debris) will affect the water once the heat of summertime hits.  Not to mention the bird waste and decomposition of fish that have died.

What Will Happen

When the heat hits the decomposition (of all the debris and runoff I just mentioned) that was slow during the cooler months kicks into high gear and starts lowering the oxygen level and changing the chemical balance of the water.   This environment is perfect for all sorts of nuisance weeds, algae and bugs to grow and multiply at an alarming rate.  Subsequently your beautiful water feature will end up with a rapid growth of all types of aquatic weeds, algae displaying itself as green unappealing water, and, on some occasions will be accompanied by a disgusting odor and midge flies (those pesky little things everyone thinks are mosquitoes.)

What Action to Take

In the best case scenario you’ll want your properties to take a pro-active stance during the cooler months when the water’s surface may look good but underneath that surface all the ingredients are “gathering to make for a big show” when summer comes around.  

§ Ensure your properties’ water features have good, properly operating and maintained aeration, circulation, pump and filtration systems all year round.  Everyone will be happier with the way the HOA water feature looks when the sun does begin to beat down on it.  

§ During the cooler months it’s also a good idea to treat the water with products made specifically for aquatic environments 

§ Making sure your waterscape vendor is getting a handle on things prior to the heat of summer will prevent a myriad of problems as neglecting a water feature during cooler seasons can result in serious and/or unsightly problems in the summer.

§ When those hot summer months and/or lack of proper care do strike you can count on your waterscape professional to take a very aggressive approach.  The aquatic professional will have the tools at hand to treat the rapid growth of algae and aquatic weeds and those pesky midge flies.  The end result being an aquatic environment that is aesthetically pleasing to all.

Bottom Line  

Care for the water feature year round and it will provide you with years and years of enjoyment. 

ARTICLE PROVIDED BY:
Patrick Simmsgeiger is the President of Diversified Waterscapes
He can be reached at (949)582-5414

The Environmental Institute for Golf is funding a research project that will benefit us all, “A Critical Review of Water Quality Impacts by Golf Courses:  Update and Trends.” The USGA is cosponsoring this effort, which is a continuation of a previous national assessment published in Golf Course Management (November, 1997) and the Journal of Environmental Quality.

This project is intended to acquire as much data as possible from golf courses that are conducting surface and/or ground water monitoring projects. The intent of the study, conducted by Environmental & Turf Services, Inc., Wheaton, MD, with Dr. Stuart Cohen as principal investigator, is to publish a critical review of the quality of surface and ground water as affected by golf courses.  Such data are very important to accurately assess the ecological implications of land use planning regarding the construction and maintenance of golf course facilities.  This information can also have implications for pesticide registration decisions.  Most important, the results of this study will give important feedback to superintendents who not only manage their courses, but who live in the environment. Target analyses are pesticides, pesticide metabolites, nitrate, and phosphorus.

We need your help.  If your golf course is conducting surface and/or ground water monitoring projects or have in the past and you are willing to share the data, please contact Juleen Lam at: 

Juleen Lam
Environmental & Turf Services, Inc.
11141 Georgia Avenue, Suite 208
Wheaton, MD  20902
Phone:  (301) 933-4700
Fax:      (301) 933-4701
Email: JuleenLam@aol.com 

We would like to have the water quality data as soon as possible but no later than September 30, 2006. 
Data from individual golf courses will be held in confidence. Only aggregate data will be presented. 
Our goal is to ensure that golf courses contribute to a healthy environment.  Your assistance is very much appreciated. 

Printable version of full report 

by Wendy Gelernter, Ph.D. and Larry J. Stowell, Ph.D.

Whether you are searching for a professional irrigation contractor to install a system or to service an existing system, any professional you consider should have certain qualifications to do your work. The bottom line is that you are not just buying an irrigation system, but you are also buying the services of a contractor. Your job is to find the professional to do the work that will satisfy you. Use this guide along with questions on the IA Irrigation Consumer Bill of Rights>>>>>> view complete guide to Hiring an Irrigation Contractor.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (July 31, 2006) – The Toro Company announces the Greensmaster Flex 18, a walk power greensmower with the unique flex cutting design from the Greensmaster Flex™ 21, with an 18 inch cutting width. The Flex 18 closely follows the turf without scalping, even on severe undulations in concave areas.

The Greensmaster Flex 18 feature article link ........ More information