CONTACT: Mike Birtsas                Alane Saphner
  Dow AgroSciences                        Bader Rutter & Associates
  317-337-4728                                262-938-5432

For Immediate Release

INDIANAPOLIS — SEPTEMBER 8, 2008 — The PGA TOUR and The Dow Chemical Company announced a four-year official marketing partnership, designating Dow as the “Official Chemistry Company” of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Nationwide Tours and the Tournament Players Clubs (TPCs).

As a leading innovator in the chemical industry, Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, will work with the PGA TOUR to bring collaborative solutions and products to help elevate the sport of golf and the experience of everyone who enjoys it.

Under the agreement, Dow AgroSciences will offer its assistance to course management at the TPC and other related courses. Dow AgroSciences is an industry leading supplier of products designed to manage insects, weeds and diseases in the U.S. golf, turf and ornamental markets. DIMENSION® specialty herbicide is the leading preemergence herbicide helping golf course superintendents control crabgrass and broadleaf weeds at premier golf courses across the country. Other leading products include GALLERY®, SNAPSHOT® and LockUp™ specialty herbicides; EAGLE® 20EW specialty fungicide; and CURFEW® soil fumigant.

In addition, Dow will support The First Tee Program, a World Golf Foundation initiative providing young people learning facilities and educational programs that promote strong character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf. The company also supports local associations and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.

“Working in partnership with the PGA TOUR allows us the opportunity to work closely with some of the top courses in the country to develop solutions that enhance the playability and aesthetics for everyone,” said Mark Urbanowski, senior marketing specialist, Turf & Ornamental. “Equally important, supporting The First Tee Program enables us to further the education of deserving and talented young people and build potential career opportunities for them.”

“We are extremely pleased to form this new partnership with Dow, which benefits not only our tours and TPCs, but also The First Tee Program,” said Tom Wade, the PGA TOUR’s chief marketing officer. “We look forward to working with Dow and using its products and expertise to benefit our facilities and the people who use them.”

In addition, the partnership will showcase other innovative technology solutions from Dow that are enhancing the game. Solutions such as DOW XLA™ premium fiber that brings a new dimension of comfort and mobility to performance golf apparel, providing a less compressive, more comfortable stretch that moves with you. The Greg Norman Collection introduced XLA™ for the first time in golf knitwear in the Signature Series Ultimate 80s polo. Other notable technologies include DOW VORASTAR™ cast polyurethane covers and DOW AMPLIFY™ ionomeric resins that enhance the durability and performance of golf balls, and DOW INFUSE™ olefin block copolymers, which deliver powerful performance in a diverse range of applications including golf club grips. These soft-touch grips provide non-slip performance in both dry and wet conditions.

In addition to the partnership, Dow is also a sponsor of PGA TOUR player Sean O’Hair and LPGA TOUR player Suzann Pettersen.

About Dow
With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.

About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the world's growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $3.8 billion. Learn more at www.dowprovesit.com.

About the PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world.

In 2008, the three Tours will compete in 108 events for approximately $355 million in prize money. Tournaments will be held in nine countries outside the U.S. and in 37 states.

In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours have surpassed the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions. The PGA TOUR's Web site address is www.pgatour.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
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®Trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC
Always read and follow label directions.
State restrictions on the sale and use of Dimension products, Snapshot, Eagle 20EW, LockUp and Curfew apply.  Consult the label prior to purchase or use for full details.    Curfew is registered under the FIFRA Section 24(c) only for sale and use in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.  Curfew may not be sold or used in Dade County, Florida.  Curfew is a Federally Restricted Use Pesticide.

T33-000-019
010-60583

Posted 9/08/08

CONTACT: Nikki Hall     Alane Saphner
 Dow AgroSciences    Bader Rutter & Associates
  317-337-4396    262-938-5432
 

For Immediate Release

INDIANAPOLIS — Sept. 2, 2008 — Dow AgroSciences announces SAPPHIRE™ specialty herbicide created to deliver unmatched control of English lawn daisy, a high-anxiety weed for golf course superintendents on the West Coast. SAPPHIRE has shown tolerance for cool- and warm-season grasses on golf course fairways and roughs.
Penoxsulam, the active ingredient in SAPPHIRE, is absorbed via leaves, shoots and roots and begins to work immediately by translocating throughout the entire plant to achieve control. Unlike other herbicides labeled for English lawn daisy, which require four to five active ingredients, SAPPHIRE provides exceptional control with one, low-use rate active. It can also be tank-mixed with other herbicides for a broader spectrum of weed control.
Penoxsulam is an acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor. This mode of action inhibits plant enzyme ALS, which is essential for the synthesis of amino acids. Inhibition of amino acid production subsequently inhibits cell division to target susceptible plants.
The active ingredient in SAPPHIRE was accepted for review and registration under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Reduced Risk Pesticide Initiative, a program, which began in 1993, that expedites the review and registration decision-making process of conventional pesticides that have been shown to pose less risk to human health and the environment than existing conventional alternatives.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the “Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the world’s growing population. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $3.8 billion. Learn more at www.dowprovesit.com.
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™Trademark of Dow AgroSciences LLC
State restrictions on the sale and use of Sapphire apply. Consult the label before purchase or use for full details.
Always read and follow label directions.
T01-354-002
010-60568
 

* Photo credit courtesy of Dow AgroSciences.

Posted 9/02/08

GCSANC Members Support Play Golf America Day in Napa, CA

Napa, CA- The Golf Course Superintendents of Northern California (GCSANC) made its presence known recently at the inaugural Play Golf America Day at Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa, California. Hosted by the Nor Cal PGA the event was specifically designed to attract new players to the game and welcome former golfers back to the sport.
In addition to receiving free golf instruction from local pros, attendees were greeted by  GCSANC members distributing free repair tools and demonstrating how to properly use the tool when repairing ball marks on the green.

     “Play Golf America Days are excellent events for demonstrating how to repair a ball mark the correct way,” stated Bruce Olson, GCSANC Class “A” Superintendent and PGA Director of Golf at Golden Gate Park Golf Course (San Francisco, CA). “Many of the folks who attend regional clinics such as this one, are taking up the game for the very first time. It’s an ideal venue for providing tips on course etiquette, and the importance of ball mark repair is certainly one of them.”

     Besides Olson, other GCSANC volunteers at this growth of the game event were  Brian Morris of Blue Rock Springs Golf Course, Craig Faris with E-Z-GO, Mitch Frasier with Turf Star, Inc., and Craig Zellers with Zellers-Plageman Just Add Water, LLC.

     Through the GCSANC Ball Mark Repair Education Program chapter members have conducted community outreach efforts at other golf related events throughout Northern California. These include the Livermore Valley Wine Country Championship (Nationwide), Charles Schwab Cup Championship (Champions Tour), and Longs Drugs Challenge (LPGA Tour) and during American Express Women’s Golf Month.

   For more information about the GCSANC Ball Mark Repair Education Program contact Committee Chairman Chris Mains at (408) 934-7826.

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Posted August 5, 2008

For Immediate Release                                                                   Contact: Danielle Marman

5/20/08                                                                                               800/447-1840 ext. 301

                                                                                                     danielle@westcoastturf.com

WEST COAST TURF HEADS SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Full Service Sod Nursery Now Open Near La Paz, Mexico

Palm Desert, CA…….West Coast Turf is pleased to announce the formation of West Coast Turf de Mexico. West Coast Turf de Mexico is a full service sod nursery offering custom sod production, complete turf installation, and hydroseeding/stolonizing services.  It is located in Los Planes, BCS, Mexico, near La Paz.

            “This nursery will immediately service our newest golf course project in Mexico, a Tom Doak course called Bay of Dreams or “Bahia de los Suenos” built on the bay bearing the same name,” said West Coast Turf de Mexico spokesperson, Tom Stafford.  “We’re growing Sea Spray seashore paspalum.  It is the ideal grass for this area, as it’s extremely salt tolerant, and does well in warm and coastal climates.  It has a wide range of mowing heights so it can be used for several different applications.  Sea Spray is also the only seashore paspalum available commercially as both seed and sod.  Because it can be seeded it gives us some flexibility, and we don’t have to deal with the logistic issues that might happen when shipping sprigs into Mexico.”

“This new sod nursery can support the growing demand for turf from both the golf and landscape markets in Baja,” he added.

            This is not the first project in Mexico for West Coast Turf.  Other projects  include Querencia, Cabo del Sol, Cabo San Lucas Country Club, Cabo Real, and Palmilla Golf Club.

            “We did a lot down here in the ‘90’s.  We’re pretty excited to be back in Mexico—especially with this new seashore paspalum variety and our experienced installation crews.  We’ve been here before, and have worked with a lot of the builders and contractors already so there aren’t too many surprises.  There is definitely a need for high quality sod and grassing services in Baja, and we’re glad to be able to fill that need,” Stafford said.

            West Coast Turf is a full service sod grower and installer with six Western U.S. locations: Palm Desert, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Stevinson, CA; Winchester, CA; San Marcos, CA, and Tempe, AZ.  Sister companies Western Sod and Western Sere (hydroseeding, hydrostolonizing, and native revegetation) are also located in Tempe, AZ.  West Coast Turf de Mexico is located in Los Planes, BCS, Mexico.  The company offers more than 20 different varieties of turfgrasses, along with services such as world-wide shipping and expert installation.  For more information visit www.westcoastturf.com or call 800/447-1840 ext. 301.

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Danielle Marman