Divot Mix

"To be a true artist on the greens, you should be as selective in choosing a putter as, say, a master violinist would be in choosing his or her instrument." -- Paul Runyan

PGA of America offers Championship entrance

The PGA of America is offering complimentary grounds admission to all GCSAA Class AA, Class A, Class A-Retired, Superintendent Member, and Superintendent Member-Retired members, along with their spouses. Members must present a current gold membership card and photo identification. Spouses must also present a photo ID.

In order to gain admission to the Championship, you will need to present your current membership card and a valid photo ID at the will-call window each day. This policy also includes practice rounds.

Modern greens have made putting pivotal

With a definite nod to modern golf course management professionals, Denver Post writer Tom Kensler says major golf tournaments more than ever are becoming putting contests.

According to Kensler, ”Advances in agronomy and mowing techniques have allowed the PGA to create putting surfaces as smooth as billiard tables. The greens are more immaculate than ever, all but removing luck and giving good putters an even greater advantage."

He supports his contention with quotes from Tour players past and present, including Frank Nobilo who said, "The better the conditions get, the game gets a little more predictable. The guy that putts well is going to make a lot more putts than we used to see."

But for a golf course superintendent trying to maintain greens at Tour speeds, Kensler's quote from Ben Hogan might be more comforting. Hogan, widely regarded as the best ball striker ever, said, "Hitting a golf ball and putting have nothing in common. They are two different games. There shouldn't be any cups, just flagsticks. And then the man who hit the most fairways and greens and got closest to the pins would be the tournament winner."

For the full story, visit the Denver Post online.

GCSAA releases Leadership Survey results

GCSAA golf course superintendents annually get a chance to offer their opinions on a variety of issues surrounding golf and golf courses via the association's Leadership Survey. This year's survey included questions ranging from the cure to slow play, to golf's interaction with the environment, to the impact of technology on the game.

The constant battle to keep golf rounds near the four-hour mark is nothing new, but the 900-plus golf course superintendents who participated in the computer-based survey offered their opinions on how to speed up play.

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They overwhelmingly said shortening of rough (38 percent), slowing of greens (26 percent) and widening of fairways (14 percent) are the most effective ways to speed up play. When asked the same question in 1999, only 14 percent said slowing green speed would help speed up play. In spite of golfers long-held fascination with green speed, superintendents would put an even larger bull's-eye on fast greens as the culprit for clogging up the course.

It's not news that golf course management professionals have devoted significant resources toward advance environmental stewardship on the golf course. But this year's survey asked superintendents what practice has had the most positive impact on the environment.

An overwhelming 55 percent said an increase of overall environmental awareness and knowledge was the biggest contributor, while improved irrigation techniques and technologies was second at 18 percent.

Superintendents have increasingly implemented advancements in irrigation. When asked the same question four years ago, only 1 percent said irrigation techniques had the biggest impact. The results show that technological progress and education brings new ways to foster environmental stewardship on the golf course.

Water - both its quantity and quality - figured prominently on the minds of the superintendents. The survey found that superintendents are generally doing more with less when it comes to irrigation as they try to protect this precious resource.

More than half (54 percent) of superintendents are using less water on their golf courses today than they were 10 years ago while only 27 percent are using more. Of those using less water, 39 percent are using 1 percent to 25 percent less water than they were 10 years ago and 14 percent said they are using between 26 percent and 50 percent less water than a decade ago.

One of the developments that has had a impact on the ability of golf course superintendents to produce quality playing surfaces is new turfgrass varieties that better withstand weather, traffic and disease and require less water and labor and few plant protectants. These include seeded bermudagrass, new bentgrasses and seashore paspalum, among others.

Sixty-three percent of superintendents responding to the survey said they have used some variety of these new turfgrasses on their courses. Thirty-three percent said they have used them in limited areas while a quarter of those polled said they have used them in several locations, including greens. Five percent said they have used them everywhere on their course.

Of course, technological advances in golf equipment also have affected the golf course management profession. While half of those superintendents surveyed believe the advances in technology are either somewhat bad or very bad for the game, only 28 percent said that the maintenance of their course has changed to compensate for the increased distance.

When asked the same question in 1999, 18 percent said they changed their course to compensate, indicating the dramatic effect equipment has had on golf course management in the last five years. For complete results of the survey, visit http://www.gcsaa.org/news/leadership/2004/results.asp.

PGA of America, NRPA launch "Kids Play Free"

The PGA of America and the National Recreation and Park Association have teamed to promote Kids Play Free at America's Courses, a nationwide family golf program at municipal courses in three cities. The joint effort is part of The PGA's Play Golf America marketing campaign to increase participation in golf.

The grass roots pilot program is being conducted this year at municipal facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, Fairfax County, Va., and Milwaukee, Wis. The program involves juniors playing free of charge when accompanied by a full paying adult.

The results of will help shape this and other family programs to be promoted to municipal course operators nationwide over the coming years.

"The future of the growth of golf in America lies at the grass roots level, and the Kids Play Free program offers one of those pathways," said PGA of America President M.G. Orender. "We believe this program can serve as a model for other cities."

Kathy Spangler, NRPA national partnerships director, said, "With The PGA's Play Golf America campaign, and more specifically Kids Play Free at America's Public Parks, we have the opportunity to reach professionals and consumers alike with the message that golf participation is a family affair, and likewise a means to a healthier lifestyle."

Among other programs being offered to increase family golf participation are a Family Open House program to welcome new, former and occasional golfers while introducing them to the game and host facility programs; and Family Play Days, which are tee times set aside by facilities that feature scrambles, three, six and nine holes of golf with family friendly tees.

In Cincinnati, Doug Stultz, PGA professional who manages seven courses for the Hamilton County Park District, reported that last year the program involved 2,700 adults and children.

"The Kids Play Free program has been tied into instructional programs that we offer," Stultz said. "This includes a four-week free instructional program at Meadow Links and Golf Academy from April through September. The last clinic of each session is designed to get parents and their child on the course to play nine holes together."

To find a variety of family programs available in local communities, visit http://www.playgolfamerica.com/.

UMass turf center named for Troll

The Turf Research Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been named in honor of Joseph Troll, an emeritus faculty member who dedicated more than three decades to research and teaching at the university.

Troll, who lives in Hadley, is widely credited with expanding the turf program, including its 17-acre facility in South Deerfield. The center focuses on golf courses and lawn turf, with experiments that include testing varieties of turf grass, water usage, nutrition, wear of sports on turf, biological control of insects and weeds, and low-temperature disease control.

At the recent Turfgrass Management Field Day at UMass, attended by more than 250 people, Troll was honored by friends and colleagues. Cleve Willis, dean of the College of Natural Resources and the Environment, says, “I am so proud of the history of the turf program, what it has done, and the trajectory it is on. Joe Troll played the pivotal role in establishing that path and in mentoring the people who are now the leaders in the industry across the nation. We're honored to name this center for him.”

Troll joined the department of plant and soil sciences at UMass as an instructor in 1957 and was promoted to professor in 1959. He was responsible for teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, conducting an eight-week winter school for turf grass managers, and teaching courses in a two-year program at the Stockbridge School, where he was chosen as Outstanding Professor of the Year on three occasions.

Troll received GCSAA's Distinguished Service Award in 1983. He retired from UMass in 1988.

Plans are proceeding to erect a modern 3,300-square-foot building at the newly named Joseph Troll Turf Research Center. Design of the single-story building has been completed, and the $1 million fund-raising effort continues to gain support. TurfLinks of Hudson, Mass., recently made a $100,000 gift to the campaign, designed to contribute to both the construction costs and creation of an endowed fund to cover ongoing operational costs.

The new facility will contain a laboratory to wash, sort and dry plant materials; a conference room; office and bathrooms. About half will be open space to store and repair equipment. It will provide faculty and students the opportunity to better collaborate on a variety of research projects aimed at solving problems faced by the turf industry in New England and beyond.