Divot Mix

"The ideal situation for TV would be if Tiger gets up and makes hole in one, and Sergio gets one right behind him." -- Steve Cook, MG, CGCS at Oakland Hills CC, on how difficult the course setup will be for next week's Ryder Cup.

Architects address golf's affordability

T he American Society of Golf Course Architects believes that affordability is the key to golf's long-term health. Members of the society's executive committee addressed that issue during a panel discussion at the recent Golf Course Builders Association of America summer meeting.

They concluded that key for those in the golf industry, including architects, builders and superintendents, is ensuring that the game remains within the reach of the next generation of golfer.

"We have done an exceptional job of crafting layouts that push the envelope, delight the imagination and keep avid golfers coming back for more," explained ASGCA President Bill Love. "But we can't neglect the need for fun venues that cater to new golfers and those who only play occasionally."

Love, joined by fellow committee members Tom Marzolf, Greg Muirhead, Steve Forrest, and Clyde Johnston, pointed to a book written by ASGCA Past President Mike Hurdzan. Building a Practical Golf Facility: A Step-by-Step Guide to Realizing a Dream. The book describes how individuals or communities can build a simple teaching area, various types of driving ranges, a few golf holes on small plots, or a short 18-hole par 3 course on just 30 acres.

"This book demonstrates that you don't have to have hundreds of acres of land or a multi-million dollar budget to build a successful golf facility," noted Love.

Love and his fellow panelists noted that providing affordable golf opportunities begins on the development side of the equation. They said that ASGCA members are working closely with others to design and build practical layouts. "GCBAA members, through such means as value engineering and managing course maintenance expectations, are helping to control costs," said Love. "We also need to remember that golf courses do not have to be 18 holes in total. Facilities with more or less than nine holes are being developed in more places, offering great enjoyment and helping to keep the game within reach."

For a copy of Building a Practical Golf Facility , which contains detailed information on how to get started in planning and building a practical golf facility, send $10 to the ASGCA, 125 N. Executive Drive, Suite 106, Brookfield, WI 53005. Contact www.asgca.org , (262) 786-5960.

A new way to understand stressed-out plants

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service and Penn State University say they have a new method to determine how plants orchestrate rapid, self-protective chemical responses that should help them understand how the plants defend themselves from pest attacks and other stresses.

The simple and accurate method uses readily available chemicals, standards and instrumentation. But no complete protocol existed until now for simultaneously analyzing the interaction between multiple plant hormones, fatty acids, pathogen-derived elicitors and other volatile organic compounds.

The method gives physiologists a way to examine how plants use complex phytohormone interactions, called "signaling crosstalk," to coordinate growth, development and dynamic responses to stress. Causes of plant stress include insect or pathogen attacks, drought or wounds. Instead of just looking at one or two phytohormone signals generated as a response to stress, the method allows researchers to consider the complex signaling networks and interactive effects of numerous plant substances involved in metabolism.

The method was developed by Eric A. Schmelz, a plant physiologist at the ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fla., Penn State entomology professors James H. Tumlinson and Ralph O. Mumma, and Juergen Engelberth, a postdoctoral fellow.

The method uses vapor phase extraction techniques to prepare and analyze plant samples. It requires only a few milligrams of plant tissue and uses gas chromatography to separate samples and mass spectrometry to measure target compounds, according to Schmelz.

Additional findings are reported in the September issue of The Plant Journal .

Deere again among "Best Employers for Workers Over 50"

For the second straight year, Deere & Co. is among 35 U.S. employers named by AARP as the "Best Employers for Workers Over 50." AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to making life better for people age 50 and older.

With 35 percent of its U.S. workforce age 50 or older, Deere was recognized for several programs, including phased-in retirement plans, compressed work options, subsidized health-related benefits, and recruiting of retired and former employees.

"The winning employers stand as exemplary models for others who have yet to plan for the graying of their workforce," said Deborah Russell, who directs the AARP Best Employers program. "The creative practices today's winners have in place may well evolve in the future, but the 2004 Best Employers give us high standards to strive for."

The awardees will be honored at a New York City dinner in September and will be featured in the November-December issue of AARP The Magazine.