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| April 28, 2005 |
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Divot Mix"When I look on my life and try to decide out of what I have got most actual pleasure, I have no doubt at all saying that I have got more out of golf than anything else." --Lord Brabazon Michigan takes on winterkill concerns The Golf Association of Michigan, Michigan State University and the Michigan Turfgrass Foundation have launched a preemptory strike on the golfer dissatisfaction regarding winterkill on the state's golf greens. With the winter of 2004-2005 still hanging on in much of Michigan, the association has prepared and distributed a letter about winterkill written by MSU professors Kevin W. Frank, Ph.D., and J. M. Vargas Jr., Ph.D. The letter explains why turf suffers winterkill and offers some advice for recovery efforts. Tonia Branch, GAM director of communications & member services said a golf course superintendent prompted the letter. "I was at my golf club, and the superintendent said he was getting 'beat up' by the golfers over snow mold issues. Having worked on this golf course maintenance crew in college, I know what it's like to face the daily complaints of uninformed and uneducated golfers. I thought that this was an issue the GAM Green Committee (made up of superintendents, green committee members, owners, board of governors, MSU professors, etc) could do something about." Branch talked to Dr. Frank about drafting the letter as a cooperative effort of MSU, MTF and GAM. The goal was to counteract the negativity superintendents were dealing with concerning both "winterkill" and "snow mold" issues. The informative and explanatory letter written and signed by Frank and Vargas was e-mailed and faxed to all member and non-member golf clubs/courses asking them to post in their men's and women's locker rooms and golf shops. It was also e-mailed to the Michigan media asking them to write an article explaining and informing Michigan golfers. Branch said, "We are also adding it to our next e-mail newsletter that is sent to all GAM individual members." She also said that if other state or regional golf associations think the idea would work for them, The Golf Association of Michigan would be happy to see them adapt the concept. To see the complete letter, click here. Nicklaus Q&A to air May 31During the Opening Session at the 2005 GCSAA Education Conference in Orlando, Old Tom Morris Award winner Jack Nicklaus sat down with The Golf Channel's Adam Barr for a taped one-on-one interview. The interview will premier during the feature “Jack Nicklaus: Artistry on the Links,” which will air on The Golf Channel, May 31 at 7:30 p.m. EST, the week of The Memorial Tournament. Replays are scheduled June 1 (1 a.m.), June 2 (3 p.m.), June 3 (4:30 a.m.) and June 6 (12:30 p.m.). Surveys show homeowners need educationResearch conducted by ScottsMiracle-Gro shows that homeowners really do care about the issue of lawn care and the environment, but their behavior proves a need for more education. Seventy-three percent of homeowners agreed their individual behavior can make a difference in maintaining a healthy environment. However, only 25 percent of respondents said they proactively take personal action to ensure a safer environment. Research by the National Gardening Association very closely mirrored findings of the research recently completed by ScottsMiracle-Gro. The research results found that only three out of 12 environmentally friendly lawn and landscape practices were used by more than half of all U.S. homeowners with a yard or garden. The panelists expressed their personal commitments and strong desire to help educate the public about taking some simple steps to improve the environment while also maintaining a healthy lawn and beautiful garden. "Almost everything you buy comes with an owner's manual," said Bruce Butterfield, research director of the National Gardening Association. "But when you buy your home, you don't get an owner's manual for your yard. We believe journalists and educators can join us and play an important role in communicating how some very simple measures can impact the environment in a positive way." "As a leader in our industry, ScottsMiracle-Gro believes it is our duty to help educate homeowners," said Rich Martinez, CEO of ScottsMiracle-Gro. "If we can broaden our outreach to both our consumers and the public at large, then our data suggests they will take some simple steps that will have a significant impact on the environment." A few key environmental stewardship practice tips from the expert panelists:
Contact http://www.scotts.com. Wetting agent study reanalyzedIn the April 2005 edition of Golf Course Management magazine, GCSAA released the results of a study that evaluated wetting agents. The study was co-funded by The Environmental Institute for Golf and the United States Golf Association. Further examination of the study after publication revealed an error in the water- droplet-penetration-test data for the nine evaluation sites for both 2003 and 2004. Baseline data collected before the application of the wetting agents were inadvertently added to the analysis of data collected after the products' application, producing incorrect results. Statisticians at the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP) analyzed all the wetting agent evaluation data to ensure uniformity among the nine evaluation sites. They are in the process of reanalyzing the data using only the water-droplet-penetration-test data collected after the initial application of wetting agents. Water-droplet-penetration-test data collected before the application of wetting agents indicated the plots were uniform before the study was started. Therefore, researchers do not expect major changes in the conclusions of the wetting agent evaluation. The remaining data on turfgrass color, turfgrass quality and phytotoxicity were analyzed correctly. Reevaluation of the water-droplet-penetration data is currently under way, but a completion date is uncertain. The results of the reanalysis will be published in Golf Course Management and on the GCSAA Web site. For more information contact: Golf Tsunami Relief Fund Surpasses $2 Million In the months since the Asian tsunami hit, major U.S. golf organizations have created a joint relief fund to help with recovery and rebuilding efforts in the 11 Pacific-rim nations that were ravaged by the waves. Today, the major organizations announced that $2.2 million had been collected, surpassing by $200,000 the initial goal of $2 million announced in January. “The support provided by so many organizations and people in the golf community is another wonderful example of how our sport can marshal significant resources to help those in need,” said Tim Finchem, chairman of the World Golf Foundation and commissioner of the PGA TOUR. “Everyone quickly came together under one banner to make a difference in the lives of those affected by the tsunami.” The U.S. Golf Tsunami Relief Fund worked closely with the offices of former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, on the specific details concerning the disbursement of funds. Both former presidents were appointed by President George W. Bush to lead a nationwide charity fundraising drive. In addition to the major U.S. golf entities, other golf organizations, nearly a dozen PGA TOUR tournaments, individual TOUR players and members of the general public contributed to the fundraising efforts. The contributions were made by: MAJOR GOLF ORGANIZATIONS
OTHER CONTRIBUTORS
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